Quilting Tahoe

One of the biggest "shocks" in returning from Lake Tahoe was the change in temperature. Our high temperatures at the lake were probably around the low 80s, and those highs only lasted a couple hours in the mid to late afternoons. When I got back to Sacramento on Friday, it was nearly 100 degrees at around 1 p.m. ARGH! This morning, though, we woke up to the sound of thunder in the distance, and before long, we had a brief, light rain--rain before late October is rare in our area. Today's high dropped about 15 degrees, and tomorrow it will be even cooler--around 80 degrees. Lovely!

The other "shock" was returning to over-crowded, traffic-clogged suburbia! At least I have the weekend to acclimate before I have to go back to work and face the hustle and bustle of everyday living. Today, though, there was no sleeping in--today I had the Buggy Barn class to teach.

I wonder if it's possible to sew too much? If it is, I don't think I've hit that point yet. Teaching and sewing in class today was fun, as usual. And afterward? Well, I sewed some more, of course! Tomorrow night, I'll show you what I did at camp and worked on over the weekend. Tonight, though--well, yesterday I promised to show you a few more photos of quilt camp. Here are some of the campers in the large sewing room. Everyone seems pretty busy, don't they?

Upstairs in the second floor lobby were windows that overlooked our sewing room. It wasn't unusual to glance up and see people watching us sew. Of course, that's where I took this photo. And see the man and woman at the head of the table on the right? Yep, we had visitors stop in and walk around to see what we were doing. I don't think any of us minded, and all of our visitors were quite friendly and interested. The camp facility is a Presbyterian Conference Center, and there are usually Presbyterians groups as well as other visitors coming and going.

And at the head of the table on the left? That chair with the black sweater? That was my spot. You can kind of see my Buggy Barn witches there. And Lindy sat across on the other side of the table, across from me, but she, Carolyn, and Caroline (two other friends, all on that side of the table) must have been off doing something when I took the photo because their chairs are empty.

Here's the other half of the room. All together we had four sets of tables. Each of us had our own table and most of the tables were 8' long, so there was plenty of space to spread out and work. The walls around the perimeter of the room were pretty well covered with design walls so we could lay out our blocks and display our finished projects for a little while.

On Wednesday, after sewing for almost two days, it was time for a little shoulder and neck R&R. There was a little lounge area across from the sewing room, and a massage therapist was invited in to set up her chair there. Needless to say, most of us took advantage of her services. AAAAHHHHH!

And one of the other highlights of camp? Well, apparently this group of women have a tradition of dressing up each year.

I'm not certain I have it exactly right, but I think each woman brings five of something and contributes it to the overall group costume. And I think it was someone's husband who had the idea for--or found--the "bras." What a hoot! (Or would that be Hooters?! Okay, I know--bad pun!)

Traditionally, on the last night of camp, we have a "room tour." Each room has at least one donated quilt hanging on the wall, and most of us bring a quilt from home to sleep under--those quilts are displayed as are the projects we've worked on during the camp. The rooms are opened and we travel in a group from room to room to admire all of the quilts. Remember what I said about people dropping in and watching us quilt? Well, somehow we picked up two couples on the room tour who came along to admire our projects! I didn't get photos of the rooms, but there were a lot of great projects on display.

Time for bed. I was right last night about sleeping in my own bed, on my own mattress--wonderful! Tomorrow, though, I'd really like to sleep in a little bit. It's my LAST DAY of vacation. I hope you're enjoying your weekend, doing whatever makes you happy!

Home Again!

I'm home again! Did you miss me? It's late and I have a class to teach tomorrow, so I need to get to bed, but I wanted to show you around quilt camp a little bit tonight.

This is the building we spent most of our time in--our rooms were here as was the large sewing room; our group also had a smaller sewing room in the building to the left of this building, housed near the cafeteria. Our sewing room and my bedroom were on the first floor; the main entrance is on the second floor.

This is a fairly grainy photo of my room--of course, the view from the room is the real star anyway! I had to lighten the photo to show a bit of the room, but THIS is the view I woke up to each morning--and enjoyed nearly every afternoon when I took a little nap or relaxed and read a book.

Here's a view of the lake from the large sewing room. I'll show you more photos of this room tomorrow, but I wanted you to see where we toiled away the days. (Most of us had to stack two chairs together to get the necessary height to sew on these tables, although some smart campers brought sewing tables and/or their own adjustable chairs.)

And when we worked up an appetite? We headed to the cafeteria where we were served breakfast (8 a.m.), lunch (noon), and dinner (6 p.m.) each day. It's funny how quickly a person can get used to eating at regular times--something that NEVER happens at home! It's also quite easy to get used to someone cooking each and every meal as well--I'm going to miss that! And? The cafeteria had the same wonderful view of the lake.

And you know what else? Sunsets on the lake weren't too bad either!

I'll tell you more about camp tomorrow! Right now? I'm REALLY looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, even if it DOESN'T have a wonderful lake view! There's no place like home . . . .

Goodbye, Goodbye!

I'm all packed and ready to go to camp. Thank you everyone for all the well wishes. I know this will be fun!

I've checked Tahoe weather, and it's supposed to be in the high-70s to mid-80s much of the time we're there, with cool temperatures at night. This is a hard time of the year to pack for Tahoe because there's such a fluctuation in temperature, but I know it will be lovely.

I'm not sure I have enough stuff. Have I forgotten anything? That pile in the photo just doesn't look big enough, does it? Well, it will have to do. I went out this a.m. and bought that boom box because I thought it would be fun to take some books on tape/books on CDs along with me. Chances are I won't even listen to them, but at least I have them! A couple books and magazines are also packed as well as a few snacks. They feed us awfully well, but meals are on a schedule, and if you miss one, you have to wait until the next--and I thought it was possible I might miss breakfast once or twice if I decide to sleep in. I've put a memory card in my camera, so I should have enough room for all the photos I want to take.

I think I'm ready! Goodbye! "See" you Friday night/Saturday morning!

Preparation . . .

Much of today was spent getting ready for the week to come and I'm now as ready as I possibly can be for the class I'm teaching on Saturday. I'll just need to do a couple little things when I get home from camp on Friday.

Once I had everything ready for class, I wasn't sure how I wanted to spend the rest of the day. I finally decided, though, that my time would best be spent in getting a head start on cutting fabrics for the main project I want to work on at camp:

There's really a TON of applique to be done on this quilt, so I'm not sure how far I'll get at camp, but I've cut and prepared what I could, and that means--besides having less to fuss with once I'm AT camp--I didn't have to pack up quite as much.

I don't leave for camp until early afternoon. I think in the morning I'll get one or two other things ready to take with me because I anticipate that appliqueing will get kind of old after awhile and I'll want to do a little piecing now and then.

I always seem to take more than I'll need, though, because I forget that sometimes it's nice to just sit and look at the lake.

"See" you when I get home!

Getting Ready

Friday at 5:30 p.m. my vacation started. Whoopie! And on Monday, around noon, I'll leave for quilt camp. Double whoopie squared!

In the meantime, I've started getting ready for the Buggy Barn class I teach next Saturday, the day after I get back from camp. By now, you know how I am--I DO STUFF for my students, so that's what I'm doing--DOING STUFF. Can't tell you what, but I'll show you later. I think I have things well in hand now, though. Tomorrow I'll need to run to the grocery store and get a few things and then I'll be nearly ready for class.

Physically, I'm feeling better--all the stomach stuff seems to have resolved. Mentally and emotionally, I still have my ups and downs. Depression is hard to explain--it's not just a feeling of sadness. It makes no sense, and it seems to sneak up on me when I least expect it--like it did this afternoon. Now it's gone away again, thank goodness, and I hope getting away to quilt camp for some much needed R&R and the company of friends will do me a lot of good.

I haven't been very good this summer about keeping up my reading list in my sidebar. I know that some of you have read and recommended The Help--I'm packing that book to take to camp with me. I just finished reading THIS book--

I started reading it last night, and I picked it back up this afternoon. And despite the fact that I had a lot of other things I should have been doing, I didn't want to put it down again until I reached the end. It was a good book--happy, sad, and made me cry a lot.

This evening, I thought I'd spend a little time with my Blogland friends and visit some folks I hadn't visited for awhile. I was quite surprised to find several bloggers seemed to be about as down I was, many hadn't posted a blog entry in several weeks, and a few had announced they intended to take a break from blogging. It seemed that reading blogs wasn't going to do much to improve my mood! After awhile though, as I continued reading and got to the blogs of many of my newer Blogland friends, I found my mood lightening and I felt much more positive.

Blogging on a regular basis takes a certain amount of "work," but it gives so much back that it seems worth the time and effort--visiting blogs tonight reminded me of that. I won't be able to blog while I'm away at quilt camp, but I hope to come home with photos and stories to tell. Before I leave, though, I have to finish getting everything ready and I have one more blog post to write. See you tomorrow!

For Your Amusement

I came across this and thought I'd share because it's kind of amusing. Happy weekend!

For the Men

I'm reminded that men actually read my blog. Ha! Imagine that! So I just wanted to apologize to the men for all that menopause talk yesterday--you probably hear enough of it already from your wife, right? (Just don't go trying to claim menopause for yourself, okay? I'm just sayin . . . .)

So I thought I'd write a man blog tonight. Just for you, because you're really special to me--but then you know that, right?

First of all, don't be embarrassed about reading a quilting blog. You can even leave me comments from time to time--don't be shy. Just because I quilt doesn't mean you can't talk to me. And that quilting thing? Do you know there are some pretty manly men who quilt?! Meet Butch. When I was cleaning out the Sweat Shop and sorting out my magazines, I came across this photo of him and one of the quilts he designed.

Butch seems pretty secure in his manhood. I tore him out of the magazine and put him on my refrigerator. I kinda like seeing him. Hubby wondered why I was putting Bruce on the refrigerator, but I couldn't really explain it. I think maybe it's a little like putting up the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue centerfold. Sort of. (No, I don't actually KNOW Butch--not in any sense of the word.)

Speaking of Hubby, who also just happens to be a man, I thought I'd take you out to the Man Cave to see what he's been doing. For the past few weeks, he's been heading out there at night after it cools down a bit and staying out until the wee hours of the morning. (Do you think he'd come in sooner if I unlocked the door?)

I don't know if this guy has a name, but he looks like he's spending a happy day fishing. Did you notice the beer in his hand?

Then there's this gal:

At least I think it's a gal. You can't see it very well, but she has a butterfly on her hand. I know who Hubby made the fisherman for, but I don't know about this one--I'm sure he has a recipient in mind. Last week he made a pot person and took it over to my future-daughter-in-law's mom for her garden. He seems quite creative lately. And he's secure in his manhood. But he doesn't ride a Harley.

Now I don't usually do this because I like to remain somewhat anonymous, but tonight, in an effort to make up for all the menopause and hormonal man-bashing talk, I thought I'd post a photo of me.

I always think it's important to keep hydrated.

Okay, it's not really me, but I didn't think you'd mind. Y'all come back again, you hear?!

It's All About Me

I was in Bearpaws & Hollyhocks tonight for Jo's Little Women Club, and my Home Gals and I started talking about a topic that seems to consume a whole lot of my time lately--my health. Just so you're up on the latest, my theory NOW (and, really, it may only last today--tomorrow it might be something different) is that much of what I've been experiencing is perimenopausal symptoms on top of nicotine withdrawal with just a sprinkling of anxiety tossed in. Yes, as a matter of fact, that WAS a very heavy sigh you just heard from me--I'm seriously tired of thinking about it. My stomach "issues" have gotten a whole lot better, but I'm still not sleeping very well and now I seem to be having hot flashes and night sweats. Sheesh!

So why am I bringing this up? Well, gosh darn it, I just saw a video HERE all about how now there's a theory that MEN suffer from postpartum depression too! Really? And I'm pretty sure that they suffer much, MUCH more than we women do, considering how sick they get with things like viruses. And if you asked them, they'd probably tell you they do postpartum depression BETTER than we do too. I'm sure happy that back in the day when I suffered from postpartum depression, I didn't have to share the limelight!

I hope I can get through menopause before someone decides that men suffer from menopause. I don't want to share. Men already have that mid-life crisis thing they use as an excuse to act like adolescents. Now that I think about it, maybe WE'RE doing the menopause thing wrong. Just think how much better we'd feel about all of it if we could buy what we want and do what we want as long as we're having hot flashes?

Did you all get a chance to check out that link I gave you yesterday? People of Walmart. Yep, there are some odd ones out there, and I always think Walmart brings them out. That's NOT to say I don't shop at Walmart on occasion--most people I know DO. But the odd ones stand out--and they all seem to hang around Walmart.

In fact, I posted a comment last week on Dawn's blog mentioning that she'd confirmed my belief that the oddest people hang out at Walmart--this was after she bought just about every bottle of Massengill in her local Walmart. Why? Well, go visit her and read the story. There's just no way I can make it into the Reader's Digest Condensed version here.

That People of Walmart site? There's a photo of an old man with his shirt half unbuttoned, and he has boobs. Okay, maybe HE suffered from postpartum depression, but generally, I'm not buying it. That's about all that's on my mind tonight. Time, now, to go take a Tylenol PM and see if I can get through the night without waking up 28 times.

P.S.: I just noticed Yahoo has a clickable link, "Find Out if You Have Alzheimer's Symptoms." Maybe THAT's what I have! I'll investigate and let you know. Or I might forget.

Most of the Time . . .

I'm a fairly quiet person. I know many of you will find that hard to believe, but it's true. Before I started teaching quilt classes, I thought I'd pass out from not breathing if I had to stand up in front of a class and speak in PUBLIC! Now I'm getting somewhat used to it--although I'm not sure I could do the same thing in front of non-quilters!

I've even been told by some of the gals who hang out at Bearpaws & Hollyhocks that they thought I was really quiet, shy, and reserved. Of course, that was before they read my blog. Now they have a better idea of what I'm really thinking when I'm being a bit quiet.

So, as I get older, I find I've loosened up a little more. Someday, maybe when I'm about 100 years old, I'll be a Rowdy Girl too!

(Woman watching Tokyo street parade during the annual Asakusa Samba carnival.)

For more amusement, check out THIS website. Maybe not something you'd want your kids to look at though. (If you can't get on, try back later--they're kinda busy right now.)

Winners All Around

I'm very impressed that so many of you have made an effort to get things finished up in August. It's been great knowing that I'm not alone in postponing the "new" in favor of finishing the "old." And I know that for some of you, life has intervened and you weren't able to play along--a time will come, though, when you'll get to it. There's no deadline or penalty involved.

I'm also quite pleased with having gotten the Sweat Shop cleaned up and sorted. A month ago, my quilt rack--the place for unfinished projects--looked like this:

Now? It looks like this:

There are only five or six projects on it, all of which need applique. That table runner on top? I won that at Thimbleberries Club last year--someone hadn't felt like finishing it and was doing the same thing I've been doing--cleaning out! My plan, though, is to pin it for quilting and add wool applique while I quilt it--a fast method that will "dress it up" quite a lot. Maybe I'll get to it before I leave for quilt camp in a week.

I've visited all of the "Finish it in August" blogs and I've added "stars" next to the name of each blogger who has finished three or more projects--click on over and see what they've gotten done. It's really amazing to see all these finishes. If you're on the list, have finished three or more projects, and haven't posted them to you blog yet, please email me to let me know you're posting and I'll add a star next to your name too.

Now, for the winners of my last giveaway--remember, if you see your name here, e-mail me your mailing address and I'll get your "prize" in the mail to you.

Giveaway #1 (manly quilt book)--Winona

Giveaway #2 (Thimbleberries panel)--Marylin Tucker

Giveaway #3 (foundation piecing book)--Anonymous/Sue S.

Giveaway #4 (patterns)--Fiesta

Congratulations ladies! Oh, and I DID hear from the "missing" winner of the quilt designs book, so that will be going out this week too.

Tonight, on the last evening of August, I finished organizing all of the patterns I had ripped out of quilt magazines. I wanted to show you how I keep them in case anyone is in need of an idea.

I have binders labeled "Series Quilts," "Applique Quilts," and "Pieced Quilts." With so many tote bags and various other miscellaneous things out now, I can see I'm going to have to add another binder labeled "Miscellaneous."

When I rip a pattern from a magazine, it goes into a clear plastic sheet protector, and then I put it in the appropriate binder. I try to do this every six months or so, but sometimes I fall behind. Each time I sort the magazines and rip out the patterns, I flip through all the older patterns in the binders and take out any I'm no longer interested in--it's funny how our tastes change over time!

A few of you asked for a tutorial on the ruffled binding and someone also asked awhile back if I could do a tutorial on the Halloween treat bags I made for my last Buggy Barn class. I'll try to do a few tutorials soon, so if you were interested, please check back.

Thanks for stopping in.