What I Learned on My Summer Vacation

(in no particular order):


I like rain.  

 Not the Texan "oh, look at me!  I'm a fierce storm!...here, have a tornado!...oops, gotta go!" type.  

The kind that gently falls down, making everything smell clean, and making colors deeper.  And lingers for a day or so in a town that is prepared for it (i.e. the sidewalks drain and the streets aren't flooding and there are spots to walk around whatever puddles are there).  The kind that makes you want to own yellow rainboots again...
 

I love our TempurpedicTM mattress.

They are worth every penny.  There should be a law that all hotels should have them.  Be assured, they don't.



 

While I like cathedrals and abbeys (they have amazing art...), I prefer Parish churches.  They better suit my faith.

 
  



Even on my slowest day, if I have my camera, I take a minimum of 50 pictures (I know everyone is shocked...).
 

I love my husband more each day.  

He is so very patient and takes really good care of me.  I am very grateful.






People are fascinating.  I can sit on a bench and watch them for long periods of time.




 



Well-conceived, efficient modes of public transportation are miracles.  I particularly love train travel.





I can control my shopping urges...it was a good exercise in not expanding my level of "stuff".


I don't like guided tours.  Listening to "blah, blah, historic, blah, blah" detracts from the enjoyment of the space/time.  I prefer to take it in, buy the guidebook, and then read about it.  It allows me to remember how I felt and then add facts to that.  Also, the guide's opinions, especially about art, are not required...I overheard one say that "oh, that one means nothing..."... I mean, really?


I will not ever travel again without a way to back up my pictures each night.

 

FantaTM orange is really good;
FantaTM lemon/lime is not. 

I do not like mushy peas, neither Norwegian nor English.

Next time I am only taking 1 suitcase, instead of one suitcase and one carry-on case.


I thought I was liberal, until I entered a sculpture park in Oslo.  My response to some of the sculptures froze my shutter finger...no, really.  There were sculptures there I wouldn't have wanted to explain to my grandchildren; not even the older ones. 

British tv is both wayyyyyy better and worse than ours.  They are a season ahead in Downtown Abbey, have a different Who Do You Think You Are, PLUS another one that unites adopted children with birth parents, separated siblings etc.  BUT they also have awful game shows and some terrible programs from the States.

And that is just some of the things I learned on my Summer vacation. 

Guess I'll start going through pictures now. 

It will take some time...I took 2,243 and Dave took over 2,300 (he went for a walk without me one day in Oslo while I was resting...that's the only reason he has more than me!)...thank goodness we don't always take pictures of the same things!  Otherwise, the picture sorting would get kinda boring.

and a few more

Took a break from sewing scraps and finished piecing a few jelly rolls -

Two more basted and ready to quilt -

and two more ready for ironing...

I originally thought that the one-stripe flimsy would be the back for the three-stripe...but, seen in person, the single stripe one may make a nice quilt all on it's own after quilting is added...I'll have to decide after ironing them - since these are ~42", ironing is as long a task as basting...

Wow.  Wonder what I'll be able to produce once I talk myself back into an eight-hour work day!

Two more...

I was correct - there were two crib-sized quilts from my S-a-P jelly roll...

All basted and ready to quilt - and there's at least 1/3 of another one still on the roll...

Since I prefer the quilting part in cooler weather, I guess it's back to sewing more scraps together...

 

...in between putting together a couple of more tops that are in various stages of construction!  

Scrap-a-Palooza

Summer in Texas usually means I have to move downstairs to the corner of the living room and this year is no exception. 

In between working on a remaining obligation, it's time for Scrap-a-Palooza!!!

I don't like wasting anything, so that means I keep all of my scraps.  Yes - all of them...even the threads (those will get used as well later).  S-a-P happens at least three times a year or else I'd be buried in scraps.

I take the odd-sized scrap pieces of fabric, such as this pile:

and cut most of it up into sized squares and rectangles:

These are useful as projects come along.

But then that leaves a box of smaller scraps:

These then get sewn together higgidly-piggidly and cut up into standard sized squares (the tiny-tiny pieces and threads get put into another pile for later use):

These are then sewn together with a buffer strip in between the squares (from a jelly roll or strips from other left-over fabric):

Then everything gets pressed to flatten out some of those pesky seams -

 

This is in spite of the help from my lovely assistant:

 

So, when all of the squares in the box are sewn with strips, you end up with a large, unique jelly roll:

Photos can be deceiving - this roll is almost a foot across - I should be able to get at least two scrap-top crib quilts out of this!



Obligations

I have almost got the hang of this setting your own schedule thing...I do consider the day a success at this point if I manage not to fall back asleep as soon as Dave is out the door to work!

Among the things I thought most about while I was in the hospital (besides the food at Boston Market), were the items in my studio that needed to be completed and given back (or sent on...) - what I think of as items I am obligated to finish.

Many months ago, I picked up a bag of Covers for Kids quilts from the Quilt Guild - someone else made the tops, someone else quilted them, and now someone needed to add the binding.  Easy enough in my spare time (insert laugh track here...).  I remember someone asking "are you sure you want to do all of those?" and I replied "well, sure.  it's not like I have to bring them back by next meeting!" and we all laughed.

Teach me.

Well, I thought there were only three in the bag.  Turns out, there were six!  Oh well.  They are done now and I can turn them in at the August meeting.

 

Also, when my great-nephew was born, I started a quilt for him.  Well...now he's over a year old and the crib quilt will have to be a nap quilt and lap throw for movie night!  But it's now finished as well -

front

back

I hate taking pictures of things by standing over them...it always screws up the perspective - this quilt is not square, but rectangular and it's far more even on the edges than it looks.

It's the only time I've ever purchased fabric deliberately for a crib quilt (the cost is usually just too prohibitive for designer fabrics) but I saw the fabric I used on the back and fell for it...it was just too cute and then I had to buy a jelly roll (pre-cut, color-coordinated strips rolled up) in coordinating colors.  I went for a wonky strip assembly to avoid having to match seams.

Not perfect, but finished.  So I'll have to send it off soon.

Whew.  At least I don't have to think about those things any more.