Quilt Market, Part 1

It's hard now for me to believe that just last weekend, just 7 days ago I was in the midst of Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Quilt Market is always such a rush...one day is classes, lots of classes....really way too many classes. By the end of the day you feel as though your head is going to explode with information about the newest notions, the coolest fabrics, books and patterns to WOW our customers...plus the "how to run a quilt shop" type of thing too...how to make displays, how to fold fat quarters, how to do the accounting (I usually send Mr. Scottie Dog to these!) and so much more. There are 20+ sessions of 15 minutes or 30 minutes over 6 hours.

But what I am sure YOU want to hear about is what I saw at Market. Here's some pictures.Cindy Taylor Oats in her booth. We've ordered her new book: Mother and Daughter Aprons.
My good friend Jo Morton and I pause for a picture. Jo taught in Eureka several years ago. She designs Civil War era fabrics for Andover, writes books and patterns.

Button, button, WE'VE got the buttons...yes these fantastic over-sized buttons are coming soon. Use them on jackets, purses, bags even quilts if you want!
We can't go to Market without seeing our friend Jackie Clark! She designs lovely clothing and accessories for babies & children. I'm sure you've seen the baby jackets & ruffled pants hanging in the store. Now she has a delightful little Posy Pocket Top. The patterns have already arrived! Jackie mentions Liz in every class or lecture she gives....Liz told her how easy to follow her patterns were and made quite an impression on Jackie.
Are you a Princess? A Quilting Queen, Diva of Everything? Then you'll need some "PINcess Pins." They come in several color collections. So sweet, so beautiful...you'll feel like a Princess every time you use them.

One of the great things about the booths is that you'll get lots of ideas...check out the tiny rick rack on the quilt and the Jumbo rick rack on the pillowcase.
These darling baby shoes are just one of the projects in Anna Maria Horner's new book....should be arriving soon!

So that's just Quilt Market Part 1. Come back soon for Part 2.

We went to Minnesota

We arrived home from our trip to Minneapolis via Southern CA about an hour ago. Tired from multiple planes and a 1 1/2 day drive from Redlands, I'll just blog a tad from our trip today and finish up more tomorrow.

Our saga began on Sat. May 15 when Liz flew to Minnesota. Sunday morning early Sydney, Mr. Scottie Dog and I drove to Lost Hill, CA (North of Los Angeles) and spent the night. Sydney is a veteran traveler so it went well. She especially enjoyed the restaurant we chose that evening....she ordered mac & cheese and a bowl of red grapes. Monday it was on to Redlands to spend 3/4 of the day with Great-grandma Willie. My dear childhood friend, Maralee joined us all for dinner. Next morning we left for Ontario Airport for our Minnesota jaunt. We thought it a good omen that instead of 3 planes, United changed us to only two! Yahoo. We had enough time in Denver to get ice cream....always a good thing when you are traveling with a 5 year old. About 6:30 pm we boarded our plane to Minneapolis. We got on, prepared for take-off when the announcement came that we would be delayed for about 10 minutes due to a storm nearby. Five minutes later rain began to fall and 15 minutes later it was pelting the plane. Another announcement..."about a 20 minute delay until the storm passed by." The sky quickly darkened and over the loud speaker, "Leave everything behind and exit the plane as quickly as possible, a tornado is bearing down on the airport." We stood and waited to exit. We were about half-way back in the plane and some people were pulling their luggage out of the racks and nobody we could see had begun to move down the aisle yet. Then the flight attendants began to scream...."Get OFF the plane NOW!" "Run" "RUUNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!" The panic in their voices finally got people moving...I handed Sydney over to Mr. Scottie Dog and we first moved slowly down the aisle then we could run and we ran off the plane, down the skyway, into the terminal. People were running from all directions and uniformed workers were screaming and pointing towards the restrooms which were labeled "Tornado Shelter." As I ran down past the gates I looked at the greenish/black clouds outside saw constant lightening and the thunder boomed. Mr. Dog had gotten ahead of me with Sydney and gone into a Men's Restroom. I stood outside the Ladies' as it was full, but with the option of cramming into it if the glass began to break. A 20-something young woman stood beside me sobbing and texting on her phone. I patted her arm and told her it would be all right. I was probably telling myself the same message!

After about 20 minutes they told us we could go back and sit at the gate before boarding the plane. Whew! What excitement....give me an earthquake any time! We got into Minneapolis about 1:30 am...1 1/2 hours late.

Next morning I got to play with the grandbabies. Liz had bought a "SlippySlide" as the kids called it. They couldn't understand how to slide...but did it on their knees. Look at Jakob (4) here! (Sadies (2) in the background).

Shiloh is 3 months old now, with Mercedes and Jakob. Did I tell you it was hot while we were there? One of the things Sydney really wanted to do was hold her baby cousin. Shiloh seemed to enjoy all the attention.
I'll give a report on Quilt Market tomorrow.

Packing and other nonsense

Each day this week I've had a list of things to do, things to pack, things to finish, loose ends to tie up, etc. Spring Quilt Market is in Minneapolis May 20-23. Right around the corner. We are leaving a bit early to drive to Southern CA so we can fly to Minneapolis.?! It really makes sense....really. My dad's dear wife, Willie, is moving quite soon back to Illinois. This makes it necessary for us to pick up some furniture and memories and help her pack up and clean up before she goes. Also it's much cheaper for us to fly from a major airport than from our small, rural one.

Mr. Scottie Dog, Sydney & I will make the drive in a day and a half. We'll spend one night at Willie's, leave the car and flat bed trailer and fly out the next afternoon. We'll meet up with Liz in Minn. (she had a ticket already she couldn't change) and I'll get to see the Minn. grandkids too. While there we'll do all the typical things we do at a Quilt Market weekend....look at fabric, new books & notions, take classes, meet with my Quilt Shop Owner friends and more. One night we'll go to a fabulous dinner put on by Moda, squeeze in some time with the family.

All this meant I had to finish up matching skirts for the grandgirls Sydney, Mercedes & Shiloh. Poor Jakob....grandma had to buy him a shirt & shorts. I helped bind some quilts and samples for the store. My fingers have been busy. I've had to plan on what to wash, what to pack and what to wear now!

After Quilt Market Liz will fly with the rest of us back to Redlands. We'll do whatever Willie has for us to do, we'll go through the last of the "stuff" accumulated by my Mom & Dad for the 50+ years they were married and see if there is anything that has too many memories to leave behind (Liz is hoping for the red handled clippers Grandpa always used to cut oranges and lemons off the trees). I'm sure we'll come home with bags of oranges & lemons, some furniture, his car for Liz and who knows what! It will also be an emotional time....probably the last time I'll be in the family home before it is sold. I'll probably shed a few tears.

Another chaper in my life ended. I'm sure there are many more chapters in my future.

Yellowstone, Again

When I was a little girl we went to Yellowstone National Park every other year. We were a typical middle middle class family...no fancy camps or vacations to exotic tropical isles for us, no trips to Europe. Vacations meant camping, almost always always tent camping. Heavy canvas tents that smelled like...well, like canvas and a bit of mold and dust.

Dad got off work every day at 5 pm and was home by 5:25. We sat down to eat at 5:30 on the dot. 50 weeks a year, year in and year out. But one Friday night a year my Dad would get home at 5:25 pm, change his clothes and we'd get in the already packed car and off we'd go on vacation. Mom had sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper and a thermos filled with coffee. The children had already been fed. For the next day and a half our car only stopped for two things....gasoline and coffee. Mom drove when Dad was too tired and it seemed forever and yet just a couple of hours and we'd arrive at Fishing Bridge Campground at Yellowstone National Park. Mom had packed boxes with canned chili and pork & beans, Bisquick, powdered milk (yuck!), those tiny cereal boxes, packages of pudding mix, peanut butter & bread.

After the tent was set up Dad's first order of business was to get the fishing gear out and high tail it down to the lake with at least a couple of the kids so he could catch his limit (and ours!) of rainbow trout before dinner. My mom had stayed back at camp and set up the cooking and cleaning stations. I also remember my mom always on that first day painted her beautiful long fingernails with bright red polish. Years later she told me it was so she couldn't see the dirt under her nails!

We usually went with another family or two. The Meyers, the McNally cousins, the Blisses, the Kirkpatricks are some I remember. The women would play cards all day, wearing brightly colored scarves around their pin curled hair during the days. The men would fish and we children pretty much ran free. It was a much safer and innocent time. We at trout for dinner. We ate trout for lunch. And in the morning we ate left-over trout flaked & mixed with mashed potatoes, formed into patties. Mom made pudding for dessert (it was a healthy dessert!). Two or three times we'd venture to the grocery store for supplies and the children could pick out a Popsicle.

About mid-way into our two week vacation it was time to hit the showers. We all swam in the lake every day and didn't understand why we needed a shower, but our moms would insist. I remember having to wash our hair, get our ears and feet inspected to make sure we did a good job. We'd then walk out into the dusty dirt in our flip flops....instantly brown feet! In later years I can also remember wanting to take a shower every night but since the showers cost $1 I had to wait.

Every year we went we had our family picture taken in front of the Old Faithful Geyser sign. You can see my brothers and I grow up according to the signs. L-R brother Pat, Mom, Denny, Dad and me. I think I'm 8 years old so this would be summer of 1960.

In 1986 Mom & Dad, my brothers, their wives & children and Mr. Scottie Dog and our girls made the trek again to Yellowstone for the 1st McNally Yellowstone Reunion. The 2nd McNally Yellowstone Reunion will take place this summer. My dad was really looking forward to sitting around the campfire and telling and retelling all the family stories. We're going to do it again.....and I think Dad will be there too. Oh, and we'll be sure to take more pictures in front of the Old Faithful sign.

Sydney's Debut

Sydney had her 5th birthday last month and Auntie Beka & Uncle Jason sent her an accordion. For those who know...it is a Honer and they make wonderful accordions. The first time Sydney showed me her instrument she asked which button she should push to make it play Happy Birthday since Grandpa's accordion always plays that on special days.

Last night was the monthly concert/dance for the Humboldt Accordionaires and Sydney was ready to go with her accordion. While Grandpa and the other 20+ musicians set up, Sydney set up her snazzy red accordion right next to Grandpa. Mr. Scottie Dog is sporting a new-to-him accordion himself these days. The first couple of songs, Sydney sat next to me in the back of the hall (I was binding a couple of quilts) "waiting" a bit to play. She danced a couple of numbers with Caleb...her "older beau." Caleb just turned 9. Then Sydney decided she was ready for her musical debut......She wandered up front, stood by Grandpa and proceeded to "play" with the big boys and girls.

They were quite understanding and announced over the loudspeakers that Sydney would be joining the group. So she pulled and pushed the "squeeze box" and pushed a few of the buttons. Doesn't she look happy? Pretty soon Grandpa is going to give her lessons.



After she played a few numbers they asked the 100 or so gathered to give a round of applause to the littlest Accordionaire.
One of the songs that is played nearly every month is When the Saints Go Marching In and a bunch of ladies hand out feather boas and umbrellas for the Cakewalk. Sydney and Caleb are always in the parade...he brings his own umbrella.

Looks like fun, doesn't it.

It was a sunny day!

Today was a sunny day and I didn't have to work. Mr. Scottie Dog planned a day trip for us. All I had to do was show up...dressed. He said I couldn't wear my nightgown.

First off we drove to the Victorian Town of Ferndale, CA about 20 miles south of Eureka and went to the Ferndale Museum. We've been before several years ago but since they change out their exhibits it was time to visit again. They've remodeled the building inside and out. Mr. Scottie Dog especially liked the old telephone exchange exhibit but my favorite was the 1903 bathroom. A built-in, wood surround zinc bathtub....you filled buckets and brought the water into the house...no indoor plumbing yet! When you pulled the plug in the tub it drained down a tube and out the window! A shaving strop hung by the sink. We enjoyed all the indoor exhibits and then the old machinery in the 'barn.'

By then it was time for lunch so we strolled up Main Street and decided to go to Lost Coast Bakery & Cafe.

I'm not sure Mr. Scottie Dog realized they were a Vegan Cafe at first, but we had a table in the sun in the courtyard and he tried a grilled tofu & vegetable wrap. I had the tamari portobello mushroom on focacia bread. YUM! Bill didn't know a blue corn chip from a piece of moldy cardboard but ate them any way. The sandwiches came with fresh pineapple, strawberries and the biggest, sweetest blackberries I've had in a long time. Bravo! Mr. Dog...I'm proud of you for trying Vegan (he said the tofu tasted a lot like an omelet).

Of course Main Street in Ferndale is a treat for the eye..so colorful, always an inspiration.

The farms and farm houses are always fun to see too. We drove south to Rio Dell by the back way. We saw their new Mini Golf course (only one for 250 miles around) and said we want to take the grands there.

Through Scotia, the last of the lumber company towns we stopped at Hobby Market for drinks.

Now we were ready to drive Avenue of the Giants. click here for a fun video ride through The Avenue of the Giants.

We stopped in for a hike at Bull Creek where the World's Tallest Tree 'used to be.' The tree is still there but the last time they measured it was 1959 and then it was just a few inches shy of 359'. In the 1970's they declared a tree north of Eureka as the tallest. About 365' or so, if I remember correctly. Then in the 90's it was south of us near Ukiah. Now it is somewhere else nearby, but what is funny is that they don't really measure the older trees again. Bill suspects that perhaps the one at Bull Creek really IS the tallest currently.

Here's my honey today posing for me next to a tall tree. Not THE tallest tree, but heck, all the trees are so tall you can't see the tops anyway. The redwoods are beautiful and I always enjoy a drive through the local forests. We've got huge redwoods in our yard too. Come visit me and I'll give you a tour!