Homeless Shelter and Another Quilt

I have been successful in my commitment to staying one night a week with the homeless since Dec. 1st and have signed up for three more nights to fulfill my personal commitment until the end of February when the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter closes.  I’ll continue volunteering at Family Bridge monthly.  Wednesday night, we housed our capacity of 35 and for the first time, we didn’t have any children.  8 were women and two of them were first nighters.  We start our shift at 6pm and I have to leave at 7am to get home for work, but most stay until 8 to finish cleaning up from breakfast.  There are five overnight hosts and we each take a 1.5 hour stint being awake in the hall assuring everyone’s safety.  The other few hours, we can sleep.  I got almost three hours and this is my “space”.  Right past me is another host’s cot.  He separates the men’s from the women’s space.  The door is a sleeping room for women, so I try not to bump the wall as I turn over at night.  Guests get cots or mats, sleeping bags and pillows.  I pieced together two couch cushions and a leather chair cushion with a sheet over and my “honeymoon” sleeping bag.  Look how nice it matches the wall.  I’ll have to change my pillow case next time to make it match.

 

 

One of my younger sisters picked out most of the fabric in this quilt and I added a few.  The pattern is from Happy Hour by Terry Atkinson.   I’ll be mailing it next week.

Quilt Show at Valley Arts Assoc.

Our guild has a small show at a local gallery.  The theme is, “Winter Wonderland”.  My little “Cutie” quilt is on display.  It is about 12″ x 12″ and has clementine “cutie” stickers sewn in the little inchies hanging off the quilt.  What talent in our guild!

This quilt was pieced by China Booth in Long Island many, many years ago.  I had taken off two rows with the intention of resewing the entire quilt.  I have too many other plans in my head, so I quilted it with “Frisky Feathers” pantograph, bound and labeled it.  I LOVE it!!!  It’s 68″ x 68″.

Merilee’s ”New Year’s 2010″ quilt just needs a label and then it can be mailed.  I love the orange binding.

Timberline Skiing was Excellent Today

It was a most excellent day on the ski slopes today.  My friend, son-in-law and his friend all drove up early and had a great time.  In the picture, you can see the old Palmer lift that is no longer in operation.  I got some quilt binding sewn on the trip up and back.

Bistro Wall Hanging

My friend just acquired a bistro in Olympia a few weeks ago.  So, I made her a little wall hanging using a coffee cup pattern from Java Jazz by www.quiltdesignNW.com .

This past week, my iron took a turn for the worse!  Luckily, I found this beauty at the Salvation Army for $2.  It works like a charm.  My Rowenta is now in the garbage.

Off to ski at Timberline with my Shell Oil Co. Buy one Get one Free coupon.  The weather looks fine and there is a little new snow!!!!!

Another Eagle Project ~~ Part II

Our troop had a Court of Honor yesterday morning, so the young man finishing his Eagle project could only work in the afternoon.  We worked from 2 until 7:30.  One of the men brought a generator and lights.

Our “Bridge Troll” spent an enormous amount of time under the bridge with bolts, etc.

Of course, a little fooling around.

The generator was a huge help!

Merilee’s quilt

My New Year’s quilt is on the frame.  It’s for my sister-in-law, Merilee, whose birthday is today.  I had hoped to have it to her by now, but…

We didn’t get lost ~~ too much

Yesterday’s snow backpack ended up being a day hike.  Of the ten of us, four were first time snowshoe users.  It rained pretty much all day, but was not too cold.  After the blue blaze trail markers were getting increasingly difficult to find, our youth leader decided to turn around and head back to the cars versus continuing on.  We were all disappointed, but it was a good decision.

 My sister volunteers with a Methodist movement called, Chrysalys.  A youth designed this banner for last weekend and my sister created the top, mailed it to me for quilting.  Once quilted, it was mailed back to Virginia in the nick of time.  She had me quilt hands in the center.

Another Eagle Project

Yesterday, 11 of us worked on a bridge tear out and rebuild.  It was 1/3 mile down the trail.  It was hard work, but a great group of guys.  I just love the moss on the trees and how the branches grow.

Off to a snow backpack.  The temps are warm and we’ll be hiking from 4200′  to 3200′ feet today and the snow level is around 5000′.  Looks like we may be in rain/snow mix.

A Most Excellent 50th

Thank you everyone who made my 50th birthday so special.  It began with a surprise party Sunday evening at my daughter and son-in-law’s home with 35 people.  My son and husband unsuspectingly lured me to her home.

Thank you Sarah and Michael for all the work you put into this!

My sister, Donna of www.therockpaperscissors.blogspot.com. fame sent the beautiful paper banner which I moved to my dining room.  My youngest sister sent flowers ~~ lots of them to decorate and my mom and dad sent the cake.  Thanks!

My USMC son sent flowers:  iris and lilies along with chocolate.

Quilts and Epiphany

I have three borders on the New Year’s Quilt and I ran out of fabric.  Drats!   I need 6.5″ more.  I think the dark blue on the far left needs to be taken out for a lighter one?  Comments?

The binding is finished and the label is on my “Fractured” quilt.  The pattern can be purchased at http://www.materialobsession.com.au/epages/mama12093.sf/en_AU/?ViewAction=View&ObjectID=79850&Page=2 .

And today is the 12th Day of Christmas:  The Epiphany of the Lord.  Finally, our Wise Men have made it to the Nativity scene…  This is a very old set from my grandmother.  Who chewed off the animal’s faces?

Today is the day we bless our home.

Happy Epiphany!