Leavenworth Quilt Show FAB Event

LOoking down the main street at Leavenworth.

The Gazebo!

One of the Hoffman challenges...it was beautiful. Don't know who made it, but it was great.

Another Hoffman challenge...all the little squares had designs quilted in them. What a job!

HI all...we are back from the quilt show in Leavenworth, WA. It was wonderful. It is too bad that there were not more people there to enjoy it. If more people knew about that show, I think they would realize what a great opportunity they have in that area to see some really great quilts. They even had the Hoffman Challenge, and, if I do say so, I think it was the best one I had ever seen...WOW....some spectaular pieces there. See it if you can.

The other guest artist was Susie Decker...she was the yo yo queen!! All her quilts are so happy and colorful. I think we needed to hand out some sun glasses to the guests...between her quilts and mine, it was a cheery show. If you ever get the opportunity to get to Leavenworth, be sure to go.

When we got home all the critters were in the right spot, although the neighbor's goat spent some time in our pasture apparently....oh, just when we got in the car on Wed. to leave for Leavenworth, we noticed our goats in the neighbor's yard...so we had to do goat patrol and fence fixin'. Then we thought we better get the fish next better secured over the koi since our not so friendly heron is back....guess who was there this morning and last evening....I wish I could figure out a way to scare him off for good...any ideas??? I guess it is illegal to shoot them!!

Then, on our way out of town we noticed our car dripping again....OH, NO! We thought our new heater core was still not fixed right...but we went ahead anyway hoping it was just some leftover drips from before the heater core was fixed...off we went, and the car worked fine, with temperature just where it was supposed to be. I love my old suburban, so hang onto it!

Today we, (Des and I) leave for Tacoma and the Innovations Conference. That is the machine quilting conference. I will be teaching and taking some classes, including one to learn how to up-keep my machine. I am bringing the new wheels I bought several years ago, and maybe can get them on at last.

Well, that is all the news for now....just packing for Innovations and our 2 hour drive to Tacoma....will write when I get back....judy

The Heron is back.....

Lunch time...almost for these poor, unsuspecting guys.....our new waterfall....

HI all.....we have had a couple pretty rainy days here....proof that the fall weather is really here. Hopefully we will have some more sunny days before winter really arrives.

We finally figured out the pond problem....it seems the liner in the old pond was enough below the new water level created by our new, powerful pump....therefore some water was overflowing the old liner in a few places.....thus leaking enough water to bring our total water level down. Now we have that fixed, but with the liner not giving us enough extra to rock in, we will have to put a whole new liner in the old pond...just like a house remodel...you never know what you are going to find when you try to add something new to something old. It will be great next summer.....we will change out the liner in the spring, I think.

Well, the pesky heron came by today....TWICE.....we have not seen a heron for a couple years...maybe he noticed out new waterfall in operation.....or just happened to take note on a fly-over. We had to make a quick mercy run to the pond guy and get another new net....the neighbor's dogs jumped on our nets and put holes in them, so we had jury-rigged up a couple of old nets....now we have 4 layers of new net, hopefully the bird will give up and move on.

We leave tomorrow for Leavenworth and my big adventure as the featured quilter for their quilt show.....another reason why we didn't want to leave the fish exposed to that pesky bird.

The quilt show should be lots of fun. I am bringing 50 quilts for my part of the show, and will do machine quilting demos during the day....as well some piecing so I don't get bored.

I will have to write about my adventures when I get back....hope you all have a great week ahead, and enjoy these last weeks of summer....judy

Plug the leak!!

A quilt from my last visit to CT....how great is that??

more fun piecing!
My new painting on the barn door...from an idea from PA barns.

Well, here we are still trying to find and fix our pond leak...we think we have it this time, and are adding water to give it another try. Hope this time is the charm...the old pond had one side so low under the edge rocks, that water went over the liner with our powerful new pump and higher water line...it forced the water to run under everything and underneath our stream liner...probably should have emptied the old pond and re-lined and started over...if this works, we won't have to do that, at least for awhile we hope.

Oh, I forgot to tell the tale (tail) of the garter snake that nearly got his tail chopped off when I was trimming liner from the old pond....snip, snip, and there was this tail hanging out from under the rocks...will have to say that it made me jump a little....I didn't expect to see a garter snake tail hanging out from between those rocks! Ken got a good laugh. I think it would have made a great funniest home videos entry.

I am looking forward to my visit to Leavenworth and their quilt show. I plan to demonstrate machine quilting and also do some piecing while I am sitting there during the slow times.

I have several samples to finish.

Well, the weather is fabulous today....just perfect, sunny and in the sixties and seventies.

I think it will be a great fall if this keeps up. I am glad I don't live near the hurricane belt! I don't do well in the wind. My sister-in-law and her hubby were waiting with baited breath to see if they could make all their connections to and out of JFK for a cruise they are supposed to catch in Italy....I think it is ok.

Well, off to see if the leak is fixed....have a great weekend. judy

Fall is coming....

This beautiful quilt was made by Janet Goad for the Busy Bee show...it was gorgeous....I loved the bright colors.
THis was another of my thread painting attempts. The silk unravelled like crazy...

SOme of the plumbing for the new pond pump...looks like spaghetti!

Greetings all...it is beginning to look a lot like fall around here...it certainly feels like it, anyway. When I feed the critters in the morning, there is a mighty cold layer of dew on their feed buckets...still better than snow and 40 below!

We had a day of steady rain yesterday. We did need it, but it was a cold, gray day. I got a quilt finished for our American Hero quilt project. You can check on line for that group...so worthwhile, and some very moving moments as we can serve our service people in such a small way.

Well, we are still trying to figure out why we have a leak in the stream/pond area where the new stream hooks up with the old pond. We are stumped, but not giving up! More investigation today. At least we have the pump working in tip top shape.

This weekend is our big estate sale at the La Conner Musueum...actually for the museum and held at the Dakota Art Center in Mount Vernon, WA. I have been helping with the pricing. We got some great junk and stuff for sale. Come check it out if you live near by. THe sale starts Saturday morning.

I am getting some samples ready for my classes this fall, including making one round quilt. It is made with a wedge ruler. Also working on another one block wonder with hollow cubes. Then I am having great fun working with the Bold and Beautiful book and painting on a quilt.

The Leavenworth quilt show is coming a week from this Saturday. I am honored to be the featured artist, and have 50 quilts to take up there. I have some sleeves to sew on about 20 quilts. I think from now on I should put the sleeve on to begin with!! Then, the week after that is Innovations in Tacoma....a busy few weeks coming up. I hope you all are keeping busy too. It will soon be time to really quilt full steam ahead. It seems like quilting is more fitting in the cooler weather for me!

I hope to see many of you in Leavenworth and at Innovations in Tacoma. Stop by and say HI!!

Judy