Loot from the Quilt Cruise

The quilt cruise sponsors, Stitchin Heaven, were very generous with gifts and door prizes.  Here are some of the items that came back with us in my suitcase.

Fortunately, our Honolulu Hotel was only a 10 minute walk from the Post Office.  This is what was waiting for us in two flat rate boxes when we arrived home:   three partially completed project kits; giveaway goodies that included personalized project labels, fabric and a hand turned stylus; and fabric purchases made in the islands.  If we had not mailed these items, we would have paid much more in overweight airline fines.  Gotta love the postal system.

Back from Hawaii

I have had very little opportunity to post this month.  For the last 15 days we have been travelling.  

We have just returned from a cruise that took us from Vancouver to Hawaii.  During our five at-sea days, I took quilting classes from Debbie Caffrey and Carol Doak and also worked on a design by Charlotte Angotti.  The cruise was sponsored by Stitchin Heaven.

Our sewing stations were snug.  Fortunately, our kits were pre-cut. 

During our days together I had the privilege of meeting 40+ other quilters.  Since I was travelling with my husband, I did not put in the extra hours that were required to complete the tops while on board ship.  Hopefully that will happen over the next several weeks and I will be posting pictures as I go.

 

Once we reached the islands we spent our days in tourist activities including a helicopter ride over an active volcano...

Dolphin watching excursions...

and viewing some of spectacular scenery including

Rainbows.

We enjoyed sunrises while drinking coffee from our stateroom balcony.

We visited sites held sacred by those of other faiths.

We enjoyed watching beautiful koi.

And we visited the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

We saw this modified traffic sign in Waikiki.  I like the sentiment.

Of course there were trips to quilt shops and packages too heavy to pack in our luggage.

It was a trip of a lifetime.  It was exhausting.  And it was wonderful.  

It has been three days since leaving the ship and I still don’t have my land legs back.  After a five-hour time zone change and a sleepless night crossing the Pacific in an airplane, my internal clock is definitely messed up.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience this trip, but it is so very good to be home.

The Dreaded Project

Our quilt club challenge this year was to create an avatar and present it at the September meeting.  I signed up on impulse and soon found I dreaded working on this project.  I wasn't altogether sure what an avatar is, except I have seen a movie by that name.  Here is my effort.

I began with Amy Bradley’s Quilter's Yearbook, which I won as a giveaway…thank you, Amy.  However, her facial features were created using techniques developed by Carol at Mamacjt.  Like me, she is a little bit wonky.  It looks a little like someone sat on her glasses and a friend kindly pointed out that it also looks like she has had a broken nose sometime in her life.  But like me, she’s most content when sitting at a vintage Singer with a pile of scraps, piecing.  She’s my avatar and I’m sticking with her.

Friendship Swap Bag

My swap partner, Irene, has received the friendship bag I prepared for her, so I can now post a picture of it.  This was the suggested pattern for the group, and a tutorial for it is available at PS I Quilt.  I stuffed it with items of interest to quilters plus one of my knitted dishcloths.  I thought it was such a cute pattern I made two more entirely from my stash.  I think they would make great hostess gifts with a scented candle tucked inside.  

August Jane Stickle Progress

My progress on Jane Stickle blocks for August included the three center blocks I posted about last week plus three border triangles.  This brings me to a total of 26 border triangles completed out of 52.  There are also 4 corner kites that I do not plan on addressing until I’ve decided on fabric for sashing and alternate triangles.

There is something about the border triangles that I find more challenging than the center squares.  They are slightly larger and have more angular shapes and bias edges to deal with and they require slightly larger cuts of fabric.   In order to complete the triangle on the left, I used rotary cutting, freezer paper, spray starch, heat resistant plastic templates, electric irons, basting glue, published pattern pieces, acrylic rulers, and tutorials available on the internet.  I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…I don’t know how Jane Stickle ever managed to make the original quilt.

Today is September 1 and we have a predicted high of 100 degrees in the Texas Hill Country.