TRUNK SHOW IN CHILLIWACK BC

On June 17 I gave a trunk show of my quilts for the Chilliwack, BC quilt guild.

Don and I went up to BC on the 16th - to avoid a long delay at the border the morning of the 17th, since the meeting started at 10 a.m. and we didn't want to be late. Sometimes the border crossing takes over an hour - although on Monday it just took 40 minutes - a new record for crossing there, for us. We crossed at Abbotsford. It is about an hour's trip from Bellingham to Chilliwack - if you don't add in the border crossing.







We did a little sight seeing on Monday- enjoying a most fabulous weather day. As you can tell in my previous posts, we've been inundated with rain this spring, with only a few days here and there that were sunny - but Monday was one of those take-a-deep-breath and enjoy the sunshine day!!! We re-visited a Heron reserve, took a nice long walk - in the sunshine this time - and enjoyed all the birds and flowers. We actually saw more Bald Eagles flying over than herons - it was great. The CA poppies and wild roses were fabulous. There was a bus full of school children there - running about and enjoying the glorious day. Too nice of a day to stay in a stuffy old school room.


There were a few ducks on the pond, but we didn't see any up close. This is one of the places we stopped to sit on a bench - they have benches all over the reserve and a tower to climb to get a better view of the land.


On the way to the Heron Reserve we saw a yard full of some of the strangest sculptures. This one had a mail box that said "Hammer Metals" - guess they meant it.

We got to our host's house about 3 and spent some time just sitting and visiting. Jeanne is the guild member that scheduled the trunk show and she had quite an interesting home. In her basement is a huge room with a long arm quilting machine, stacks of fabrics and wonderful projects. Then in the adjacent room, not quite as big, but just as interesting was her card making room. She is quite clever and re-uses old cards to make some stunning cards, which she often uses as gifts. I got a lot of good ideas from her - and plan to make some cards of my own soon.

Then we went out to dinner with Jeanne and her best friend Penny, and Penny's husband Marvin. We got to pick the restaurant from several Jeanne had chosen, and we picked a Bavarian restaurant from the choices she gave us - and a good one it was indeed. Don and I ordered one plate of Schnitzel and split it - and it was more than the two of us could eat. The meat lapped over two edges of the huge platter it was served on. I should have had my camera with me then, to take a picture. The food was delicious and then we sat at talked at the table for a couple hours - it was great fun.

The next morning we were up early to get to the meeting hall and get the Power Point projector set up - and all the quilts - I took 30 - displayed. The presentation went very well, I spoke for an hour and 15 minutes and the ladies enjoyed the slide show about my quilt journey - and after the presentation they asked many questions and viewed the quilts. Don ran the projector for me - and helped with hauling the quilts in and out.

We thoroughly enjoyed the ladies we met - that is one guild that is chock full of sweet ladies - and so friendly and helpful. They have a quilt show in 2009 and we are already planning on attending.


This was the guild's raffle quilt a couple years ago, made by Penny and quilted by the guild. It is folded roses. I can't wait to see the one for 2009.

On the way back to the border we discovered we didn't have Don's driver's license - and we'd never get back across the border without it - so after much searching of purse and pockets and every inch of the car, we had no choice but to head back to Chilliwack and look for it. We drove into the parking lot and there is was - face down on the pavement - looking like a scrap of paper. Ohhhh big sigh of relief. Don has security clearance at the border for his job - but we weren't sure if that would get us back into WA. So back to the border and when we got there a train was passing by and we had to wait about 6 minutes for the train and then we were the first in line at the border - a one minute crossing - now that is a record we won't ever beat!!!

WHERE IS SPRING??!??

Oh - we are sitting in the spring! Or at least it seems so. We have had so much rain here in NW WA that we are beginning to grow webbed feet and moss - in our hair. Drip Drip Drip Drizzle.


I read someplace the other day that we have had rain for 64 of the last 70 days. Drip Drip Drip And this is the coldest June since 1894 - we are calling it June-uary. There was snow down to 3,000 feet in the nearby mountains last night - and the passes to Eastern WA all had snow.


Last night it rained so hard that the noise on the skylight was louder than our conversations - we had to wait for a lull in the rain to even talk to each other. Drip Drip Drip DRIP DRIP DRIP DOWNPOUR!!


My poor flower gardens are awash in mud - no need to water anything this spring. The grass continues to grow like - well, like a lawn in NW WA in the spring - and finding days that are dry enough to mow before we are eaten alive by the lawn is very hard. Drip Drip Drizzle Drizzle


I planted some nasturtiums in the flower gardens that I had started from seed and so far they are doing ok - and the deer haven't eaten them. I staked up the Shasta Daisies and the Asters - making it easier for the deer to snack on them. Drip Drip Drip Muddy Shoes.



I can't wait until the nasturtiums are blooming - they are one of my favorites! I love how they run about like wild women and spread all over the flower beds. Bouquets of them in the house are wonderful and we eat the flowers on salads in the summer!

The water is spilling over the tops of the gutters sometimes when it is raining very hard. Yesterday when I walked across the lawn the water came up almost 2 inches on my shoes - everything is squishy like a sponge - I think the water table is level with our lawn now. Drip Drip Drip Drizzle Splat!!


The lawn chairs are sitting in the rain - no one to sit in them - Drip Drip Drop Splash!


The windows are covered in raindrops - our grandson tries to wipe them off from the inside so he can see the birds. We have one sad, wet Oriole that comes to the covered feeder and sits, dripping, on the edge - trying to find a dry spot to sit and enjoy his lunch. Drip Drip Drip Drizzle

But all this rain does make for a gorgeous Washington when the sun finally does come out. I've never seen such green before - and I grew up in Southeast Alaska where it REALLY knows how to rain.






The daffodils were more than gorgeous this year - abundant and fragrant and cheerful. There is nothing more cheerful than a daffodil - unless it is a child laughing.



There are acres and acres of daffodils and tulips grown south of here. Each April they have a festival to celebrate the spring flowers. This is just one of the many fields of daffodils we saw on our tour of the fields. We stopped at a farm stand and bought a bouquet of 50 daffodils for 5.00. What a treat!!


The dogwoods are blooming all over the woods - bright patches of white in the deep greens. Pretty Pretty Pretty


California Poppies cheer us up with their sunny bright faces - they grow in yards and wild along the roads!!


The Lace Cap Hydrangea smell so sweet and are fresh and clean from the rain.

So I sit indoors and work on my quilts while it continues to drip and drizzle outdoors - I have begun the vines on the butterfly quilt, and will be adding the flowers soon. It is cheery to work on something so summery when all around me it is Drip Drip Drip Drizzle Downpour Thunder and Lightening Drip Drip Drip

Happy quilting - and stay dry and cool - depending on where you live! Squish!

I DID IT - I WON IT - I GOT IT!!

I have loved the Bucilla quilt kits since I was a kid in the late 50s. I grew up in Alaska and the local dry goods store carried embroidery kits in a big wooden draw under one of the sweater counters. I would go through the drawer every chance I got and wish for one of the quilt kits. I did earn enough money to buy a kit for a pair of embroidered dish towels, one with a Rooser that says - I Rule the Roost - and the other with a hen that says - Says Who? Quite traditional for that time. :-)



I never could seem to come up with the 9.98 that was needed to buy the quilt kit - and I've wished that they were available for a long time now. Then recently I saw photos of two quilts, made from these kits and decided to give ebay a try. There were several people selling the quilt patterns, for about 15.00 with shipping, some of the finished quilts, running over 300.00 - and some complete kits. I put several on my watched list and waited for the auctions to come to an end. I bid on mine - and there was no one else bidding against me - yet I still go so nervous as the last few seconds ticked off. I won!!!!! And for just 51.00!! I couldn't believe it - the fabrics would have cost me more than that,and it inclueds binding also.





In just two days the quilt kit was in my mailbox - all the way from Sherman, TX - I could not believe that it was actually here. I slowly opened the package - pulling each piece carefully out - looking at the colors and the instructions - feeling just like that nine year old kid again!! Of course I want to dive right in and start it - but the grown-up in me says - wait, you still have the butterflies to finish, and the Hawaiian to to be hand quilted - you must wait. So I put the pieces back in the package - how long they will stay there I'm not sure.

I keep patting the package and looking at the picture on the front. I am so happy, finally I have my quilt!!!


And then I found more patterns on ebay - and bought the Hollyhock pattern. This is on a CD and has great photos and actual size pattern pieces and placement diagrams - this is for in the future - but I know I'll make this one too - these are my absolute favorite type of quilt, even though they are very dated. I just adore them, even now.


And I'm going to get the pattern for the Gladiola, as that is Don's favorite flower, so he must have a quilt also. Hollyhocks are my favorite flower, but there was only the rose kit on ebay, so I am plenty happy to have it.

What a good ebay/quilt week this has been.