Have you ever wondered how a sewing machine works? I have!

Finally, I get it, and I understand why the bobbin is in a free-moving case, so the thread can go completely around it. I saw this on a blog called Moose on the Porch Quilts.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Lockstitch.gif

There's also a YouTube link to a charming video, The Secret Life of Machines, that further explains it. Cool stuff!

Big Sur for the day

Ralph's brother, Ron, was camping in Big Sur and invited us to join in. We wimped out on staying overnight; the daunting task of collecting equipment, concerns about an overcrowded campground, and the need to clean house in preparation for an expected house guest almost caused us to give in to homebody-itis, and going for just the day meant a lot of driving. Nevertheless (I love having the opportunity to use that word! It makes a story sound like an adventure!), we made the trek and enjoyed the scenery on the way. At Cambria, we hit fog, and there were places along the drive where the fog rose from the ocean below the cliff to the road level, so it was like driving on a cloud. Cool!

We thought we'd be in cold fog all day, but the sun broke out and we enjoyed sitting on a rocky beach. I will host Book Club in a week, and I just bought the book because I'm still #12 on the library waiting list. Being away from housework (have to) and quilting projects (want to), I read 1/3 of the book while on the beach. Lovely!

Sitting here, I felt like Queen of the Rocks.

Ralph joined me on the beach, and he watched his brother and nephew surfing. It was pretty entertaining! The waves seemed to have a bump in the middle, so surfers started out fine, then got bucked off, and sent flying through the air. I sure couldn't do it!

Hey, look! There are two whales breaching!

Really? No, they're rocks.

*oh*

Here's John, returning from a hike around the bend. I tried to join him, but wasn't confident in my ability to cross the creek without falling in. John came back with some beach-tumbled jade, really pretty.

It was great to sit around a campfire, and I'm sorry I missed waking up in a campground, but I sure do like sleeping in my own bed!

Spring on the Central Coast

We took a drive yesterday afternoon; it was a glorious sunny day, and I wanted to take some photos to share with you. People love how beautiful the hills are in the winter, when the rains have come and the hills are lush with green. It's beautiful, alright, but I really want to be able to show you how the hills compare to their summer glory, when they are golden, and dotted with dark green oaks. So when summer comes along, I'll take some more pictures for you, and we'll see if you can agree that the golden summer

look is especially beautiful.

Because of the sun's direction, it wasn't such a great time for photos of the hills, so we headed to Guadalupe State Beach to breathe in some ionized ocean air! It was one of those days when the wind was blowing sand into our faces, and the road was covered in places with sand drifts.

The waves were churning, and foam piled up at the edge of the water. Then, a gust of wind would blow clumps of sea foam across the beach, and the little fluffy, "bubble bunnies" that skittered across the sand made me laugh! The wind was too much for us, though, so we went off in search of other scenery.

Who doesn't love a turquoise barn? There are some very picturesque farms around here.

Turning toward Casmalia, we saw these cows enjoying the sunshine, and when we stopped to take their picture, the steer decided to stand up and show off. The calves are so cute! Happy California cows, but you know these cows are not where cheese comes from, right?

The wildflowers are just getting started! It's going to be riotously colorful in a couple more weeks! Here are California Poppies, our state flower, blooming in time for Poppy's birthday!

We live in a beautiful place, and I'm glad we can enjoy it!

Her Cheery Outlook

I call this quilt "Her Cheery Outlook" in honor of my sister, Laura, and because I couldn't think of a more clever name!

Laura's birthday quilt, in process:


My sister Laura; she's a wonderful person who brings great joy to friends, family, and her students. She's very creative/crafty! Since her college days, she zealously protects her Ornament Therapy Weekend; a time when she and her college buddies gather and make crafts together for Christmas gifts, while enjoying food and libations and laughter and all that comes with longtime friendship. Sounds, wonderful, doesn't it? And every year, I love being the recipient of those OTW products! This year, a personalized wonderful calendar with photos and rubber stamping and family birthdays already marked, so awesome. Previous years include holiday aprons, accordion book with favorite family recipes, and embroidered felt Christmas tree ornaments, and many other treasures. And sometimes there's a Valentine's or Easter or birthday surprise, or something for no special reason. Lots o' love!

Laura just spent a year celebrating her birthday, number five-oh! And my newfound enjoyment of quilting easily found inspiration and aspiration to make Laura a birthday tribute. I didn't pull it together in time to stay inside that birthday year, but no one minds, right? I wish I could find the quilt online that inspired this one; it's a combination

of sophistication and quirkiness,

tradition and innovation, exuberance and order.

When we were teenagers, Laura's bedroom was decorated in pink and orange, in the 70s lazy daisy motif. These colors reminded me of our girlhood, plus I just love their joyfulness! This yellow I used for binding and in some quilt blocks has a smidge of gold ink; it's actually a Christmas fabric, a nod to all the Christmas presents Laura has made! Ellie-the-niece recognized this pink swirly fabric as a remnant from her Christmas present!

You can see the background is a few different whites, giving the quilt another depth of expression. I saw that idea in my inspiration quilt, and appreciate the freedom to not have everything matching and even. I'm also really happy with the stippled quilting, my second time free-motion quilting on my sewing machine.

The Pressure's Off!

Pour me a glass of wine, and serve up some of those brownies I baked! I've submitted this year's fafsa application. Pour me a glass of wine, and serve up some of those brownies I baked! I've submitted this year's fafsa application!I'm incredibly grateful for the financial aid Kathryn receives in order to attend Lewis & Clark College. She is so happy there, and growing so beautifully, intellectually and personally. Every year, though, I have to fill out the online form for the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid, and it's a booger! First, our tax return must be completed. Again, I'm so grateful that someone else does it for us! Still, it must be done before the end of February (the fafsa deadline),which is a nuisance. Then, it's a matter of transferring information from the IRS 1040 to the fafsa; shouldn't be too hard, right? Except that there are always questions about whether a bit of information belongs on the student section or the parent section, and what's considered taxable income, and the problem of changing labels for certain elements. Not to mention the eviscerating feeling of poring over and exposing our numeric value.

Now it's done for the year! And I realize it's weighed on me all month, and I'd also pressed myself to complete a quilt for Laura's birthday (which I love!), and to make a birthday present for Poppy's 4th! I'll show photos of those soon!