The Month of March

March is my birthday month.
 

This year I am proudly 55.
 

It has been a great month and I'm looking forward to another great year ahead.
 

To celebrate Jim and I started with a long weekend at my favorite place in Calistoga, The Luxe.
 

Brent and Chris are wonderful hosts.
 

 

Breakfast created by Josh are phenomenal and delicious.

 

Happy hour is not to be missed.

 

 

And to top it off for my birthday a carrot cake and coconut cupcake.

I am in hog heaven.

 

I  traveled to Santa Cruz and back for work and then headed to South Lake Tahoe for quilt camp.

 

Five days of sewing bliss.

And yes I did also visit a shop or two for work.

 

 

The view from my room.

 

 

The view from my walk about.

 

Life is good!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let The Party Begin

 

We got out the tall glasses.

On The Road

For my job I now am on the road quite a bit. 

 

I'm always amazed the changes of scenery.

 

Yesterday I left sunny Sacramento.

 

Drove up and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains

 

 

And arrived in Minden, Nevada.

 

All in the span of 2 1/2 hours.

 

After my appointment I made it back home last night before the thunderstorms hit.

This is only the second time in 5 years I've experienced a real display of thunder and lighting in California.

 

It is a grand place I inhabit.

 

 

Dear Jane Update

This past Saturday was the meeting for my Dear Jane support group.  

 Lindsey and Donna went over four more blocks. 

They also suggested we mark each block we have completed with the corresponding fabric on a copy of the quilt.

 

 

This is what I've done so far.  I have now completed 44 blocks.

 

Here are four of the latest blocks I have sewn.

And this is Victor and Victoria.  Two more bears for the Mother Bear project.

These two are just back from cheering on the Olympic athletes competing in Sochi.

They will soon be sent off to be hugged and loved.

Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

 

I hope your day was filled with love, laughter and friendship.

 

 

And maybe a glass or two of champagne.

 

 

Take care of each other.

Pedal to the Metal

While staying at my home away from home in Texas  I got in to a discussion with Dru Ann about sewing with or without shoes.

 

I am a sewer that can not do so with shoes on - Dru Ann sews with her shoes on.

 

My hypothesis is that it depends on what type of foot pedal you are accustom to using and what machine you learned to sew on.

 

For the most part I have been sewing on older Singer model sewing machines that have a foot pedal similar to the one below.  You are aiming to press a rather small button on the control and it is obviously easier to find with a shoeless foot.

 

 My Juki machine has a much more substantial foot pedal but I still sew without a shoe.

 

 

So I ask all you fellow machine sewers out there these questions.

 

A.  Do you wear shoes when you sew?

B. What kind of foot control does your current sewing machine have?

C.  What kind of foot control did you learn to sew on?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Playing Knitting Hookey

I started a pair of birthday socks in January that needed to be done by February and might have gotten a little sidetracked. 

 

 While I loved knitting them I found this cowl that was calling my name, the  Xena Cowl by Christina Wilkins. 

 

I had some  gradient Warm Heart 2-ply sock yarn from Fishknits in the color way Jelly On Toast and I bought some Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply in black.

 

 

I do so love doing color work.

 

 I did finish the socks also.

  I was knitting for a size 13 shoe so the toes are out of some leftover sock yarn.

And now I'm working on bears for the Mother Bear Project.