Sisters Quilt 2 Wordless Wednesday

Two quilts today, with close-ups!

Vacation Memories

Recently we took a vacation to Sisters, Oregon for the Sisters Outdoor quilt show.  We visited the surrounding area, and then also took a week away at the beach.  I've been sharing quilt pictures here on Wednesdays.  Here's a couple of beach:

Anyway, my favorite team on Etsy, the Blogging Business Artisans,  has a monthly creative challenge.  This month's challenge: 

"We are into vacation season in July -- create something that brings back a favorite vacation memory, something that represents a place you've visited or one you'd like to visit, colors or scents associated with a special place . . . . Make it fun!!" 

I remember taking vacations as a girl with my dad and mom.  We almost always went to the mountains!  I still have a love of pines. So . . .sew . . . I decided to make a little pillow cover representing those memories. 

This was a fun project!  Please take some time to visit the Blogging Business Artisan blog to see what the other participants have come up with.  

Sisters Quilt 1 Wordless Wednesday

Finger Press

Tip of the day!

Sew, you have forgotten to press your seams open and you've already got your project under the presser foot in the machine.

No problem, all you need is a finger press!  Or should I say, a good fingernail and a hard surface?

Open the seam with your finger . . . .

Use your fingernail against the hard surface of your machine or table and press hard down the seam --all the way down the seam--it will give a sound like a zipper if you did it right! (This is not just holding open the seam.)

Then sew on . . . .

And there you have it!  A finger press! :)

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

The little town of Sisters Oregon holds an outdoor quilt show on the second Saturday in July every year.  People come from all over. The first persons that we met, while standing in line to get into a little cafe for breakfast, were from Tucson Arizona.   

Quilt hand all over town with the streets closed

quilts wave in the breeze

admiring quilt handiwork

Simplicity!

two beauties!


There were so many more . . . . I just can't show them all!
Sew. . . I will share a couple each week on Wordless Wednesdays.
Stay tuned!

Vacation Photos

Home for a day or two, in the middle of our vacation, sew . . . .I will just post a few pictures from our weekend, including the Sister's Oregon Outdoor Quilt show (will do an in depth post on it later--after vacation is over!).

Small roadside lake with  timber clear cut in the background

view from our lodgings-- two of the three Sisters peaks 

Relaxing evening on Clear Lake

Sahalis Falls with sunshine thru the mist

Sisters Oregon quilt show 

OK, now off again to the beach!  See ya later! 

Linking today with:

Create-with-Joy's Inspire Me Monday 

Vacation and Christmas in July

Today begins the Christmas in July sale on Etsy, and it is also the beginning of my vacation.  Sew. . . I have decided to hold the SALE in my Creations shop anyway, but I will not be able to ship orders until the 25th!

  Please stop by and take a look --you might find a gift at a GREAT Price!

Don't forget to use the coupon code provided -- even on the close-out section!

Sweet Sugar High!

My last destination in my hometown tour is the sweetest place you have ever encountered!  It's been in my hometown for over one hundred years.  I took my mom there for a little break in our routine.  She hasn't been there very many times in her 85 years, and she said it brought back memories of her high school years. Bakersfield High school is just a block away from the now famous Dewar's Ice Cream parlor! My grown kids never miss a trip to Dewar's, when they are in town!

Mom said she passed by there everyday on her way to school, but never went in, because they were a poor family and she had no money.  It was a joy to treat her on this day!

They make their own ice cream and still have an old fashioned soda fountain inside, where you can order a 'black and white' (any of you remember what that is?), a malt or a sundae of any flavor!  Here's the soda menu.  It should bring back a few memories if you have ever been to a soda fountain.  

They also make their own candy!  Their taffy chews are my favorite--peanut butter, caramel or peppermint including many other flavors! This does not even mention their handmade chocolates and truffles!  My first husband, now deceased, used to bring home heart shaped boxes of chocolates on Valentines Day every year.  One big box for me--all milk chocolate--and a small box for each of our kids!  What a memory!

Mom waiting for me to take the picture! 

Two scoops!

Although I know that you cannot taste the goodies, please enjoy the tour of the interior, as it is a treat in itself with its quaint pink, black and white decor, and painted candy ceilings!  Enjoy!

Another favorite--the chandelier!

and on a hot day, besides ice cream, you need an old world fan:

Sorry that you were not with us to sample the treats, but you can order some at the Dewar's  website! Or here's their Facebook page.  You won't be disappointed! 

Weekend Crafting Activity with Scraps

Spent the weekend crafting with scraps!  If you know me at all, you will know that I don't get rid of fabric scraps!  I separate them all into piles of like sizes and if there are pieces that are at least 5 inches square I immediately cut them into circles for sewing into yo-yos at a later time.  With all my scraps sorted, I have to designate a time to use them up!  Well, this weekend was one of those times.

I sorted out scraps of green and pink in all sizes. Then sewed like sized pieces together in twos.

(Sometimes, threes, to make a small block.)

Some twosies!

 Next I sewed together several "blocks", making larger "blocks"

Sometimes this meant that I needed to cut them slightly, to fit.

Don't worry about uneven sides, nor try to match seams.  This is not purest quilting!  It's upcycling your scraps into a beautiful project that will cost you nothing but time! You end up with sheets of  patchwork "fabric", size depending purely on the scraps you have and your own process.

 Mine ended up to be approximately 14" by 20" which as perfect for the project that I had in mind. But yours could be fat quarter size or any size you prefer.

What did I make from my patchwork fabric (and some other scraps of trim)?

What-do-ya-think?  Pretty good, huh, from my scrap pile!

Linking today with:

Create-with-Joy's Inspire Me Monday

Bakersfield Buildings

If you saw my post on Monday, you will recognize some of the trees and shrubs in this further tour of my home town.

This is the main building of our museum and adjacent Pioneer Village.  I have fond memories of visiting the village when I was in elementary school.  I did not have time to go in and take pics of the village, but practiced using my camera outside the museum.

and downtown . . .

Local theater that I attended as a teen--still there!

This sign has a sorted history in our town--it's still there!

 Last but not least, our local airport . . . .

baggage claim area

airport lobby

And the most famous and recognizable structure in my town--the clock tower.  It originally stood at our main downtown intersection but was damaged in the earthquake in 1952.  I remember the quake, I ran down the sidewalk to get home and still remember the feeling of the sidewalk shaking under me!  The clock tower was re-built at the County museum where it is enjoyed today! 

Hope you enjoyed the tour!  

Next week--one more tour--- my favorite (cool and sugary) building!