Juki Mini Test Drive, Block Catch-Up, Orange and Green.

Hostas and orange daylilies, in the backyard,  beautiful together.

Add in boxwood and fountain for texture and variety of greens.

A new batch of liberated logcabin blocks with border, 23" x 18".

Juki TL-2200QVP Mini runs like a dream.

What's not to like?

I'm getting caught up with the Rest and Refreshing quilt B.O.W. at Piecing the Past Quilts .

Happy summer!! from the Pacific NW.

Where we are visiting and helping family.

It's now officially summer. The sun comes up early here and the birds with it. 

Inspiring and invigorating. 

This last week I visited a local sewing machine shop and had a great time looking at different sewing machines and comparing. I came away with a Juki TL-2200QVP. At the shop I liked how easy and practical it was to set up. I also liked how when I first 'test drove' it the machine did what I wanted  without a fuss. It's like a friend, ready and able for the next adventure.

I've sewn together most of the #4 'Constellation' block in the Rest and Refreshing quilt B.O.W.

by Piecing the Past Quilts. My 'liberated' logcabin blocks will get more borders soon. I think a sawtooth; HST border will be just the thing. Speaking of great use of HST borders, visit Cathy @ Sane and Crazy Quilting blog and see her fabulous 'Every Rose has Its' Thorns' quilt top.

Have a relaxing weekend. Enjoy the long summer days and share a smile!

I'll be to visit!

P.S. There was a big Monarch butterfly in the backyard this morning, but it wouldn't hold still for a photo. It fluttered all around, very friendly, then it was gone!

My Art Quilt Published, Mr. Cuteness, Around the Neighborhood

Mr. Cuteness himself.

This is the neighborhood where Mr. Cuteness and his mom and dad live.

There are a lot of storm ponds to help with the rain runoff in this area.

Large fir and cedar trees are everywhere. It almost feels like a rain forest.

Beautiful landscape rugosa roses, so fragrant!

Local duck family living in the storm pond.

Wild rose and salal are everywhere.

My art quilt, Santa Clara Rush, 17" x 15" published in Art Quilting Studio.

Hello from Renton, Washington in the Pacific NW!

Where there's been a few days of sun and a few days of rain.

This a beautiful place for walks, lots of wild life and green growing things.

Deer, wild rabbits are abundant and a black bear was sighted last week a 1/4 mile from here.

We keep out of the forest.

My grandson just turned a year old and he chatters baby talk and does all the adorable things a one year old does. So fun to be able to be here and enjoy him.

'Santa Clara Rush' just got published in summer 2017 Art Quilting Studio .

I pieced it with batiks and solids, using colors that reminded me of lovely Santa Clara, CA.

Santa Clara is in Santa Clara Valley which is also called Silicon Valley, alluding to the high-tech industry residing there. The 'Rush' of course is about the traffic and hustle of rush hours.

To make my art quilt;

I pieced 'liberated' log cabin blocks and stacked and 'whacked' them. Then I arranged them randomly and added strips of color where needed, then sewed the blocks together, three in a row by three rows.

I machine quilted it and added some hand quilting for texture. The stack and whack idea can be used in different ways, I like the surprise results of the randomness.

That's what's happening in this neck of the woods. 

I hope you're enjoying the spring birds and I almost forgot, I've seen quite a few Monarch butterflies around here. They do wait for the sun to come out. They must all go to an indoor butterfly shopping mall until the rain stops. 

Have a great weekend! I'll stop by to visit.

Liberty of London Fabric, Makers Mercantile, Hand Stitching

Liberty of London Tana Lawn cottons I bought at Makers Mercantile.

Makers Mercantile fabric, patterns, art selection.

'Outbackwife' a floral barkcloth fabric at Makers Mercantile.

Store front, Kent Washington.

Art in store, notice the knitted hat and fancy scarf, very chic.

Beautiful yarn and patterns for knitting, crocheting and more.

My violet ABC cross stitch project I'm working on.

Happy Wednesday,

from Renton, Washington!
Where we are staying with our son and daughter-in-law, helping out and enjoying our one year old grandson, chubby and entertaining. 

I hope you're enjoying the longer days and the birds singing in the mornings.

Summer solstice is coming up soon.

I have been exploring and found a super exciting store, Makers Mercantile.

They carry everything for crafty doings. Knitting and crochet supplies and a huge selection of Addi Turbo knitting needles, simply the best. And their decorative button selection is gorgeous. They also carry weaving supplies and did I mention they carry a beautiful selection of yarn and fabric? I bought some yardage of Liberty of London Tana Lawn cottons , can't wait to sew that into a project!

I know there's more treasure in that store, I can't remember it all now.

Progress is happening on my ABC Violet Embroidery cross stitch project. I ordered it from the The 

French Needle, a couple of years ago. It's a slow stitch project.

That's the news this Wednesday. 

I'll be by to visit and see what you're up to in your creative world.

Share a smile!

Running Stitch Fabrics quilt shop, Butterfly for June, More Adventures

Old town Kent, Washington historical mural.

Old Kent railroad station, the rails are still being used.

Another historical mural, old town Kent.

Old town Kent was first known as Titusville named for an old settler.

Running Stitch Fabrics is the 5th store front from the right.

Close-up of Running Stitch Fabrics shop, Kent WA.

Colorful fabrics and sample quilts inside Running Stitch Fabrics.

More sample quilts, fabrics and patterns inside the shop.

California Sister, butterfly for June.

Hello and happy June! from the cloudy and cool Pacific NW.

We're based in Renton, WA, for the time being, helping family with move in and grand baby, so fun!

I've managed some exploring trips to find local quilt and sewing shops. About 10 minutes south of here, in old town Kent, WA Running Stitch Fabrics

has a quilt shop with great fabrics and lots of classes to choose from. I'll be back to visit often.

Old town Kent, WA , south of Seattle, has some interesting history. One of the old settlers on arriving thought the area looked like his home town Kent, England and so the name Kent stuck. Logging and agriculture were the first big industries. My husband and I know this area well having grown up in and around here.

The California Sister butterfly is featured for June in my butterfly calendar.

Their host plant is the California Live Oak. Viewing them from the top their wings are dark brown to black with two orange spots on the tips. Looking from the under side you'll see the yellow spot and blue come out. They're common and not endangered.
I'm linking up with Cathy and Ann celebrating butterflies in Kaleidoscope of Butterflies .
Visit and join in!

I hope you have a great weekend, looking for butterflies and taking walks in the park.

It's the perfect time of year for that!

Soon I'll be set up so I can work on projects again. Until then I'm helping and exploring.

I'll be by to visit.