Saddle Mountain Hike

Yesterday, after church, the boys and I headed to the coastal range to hike Saddle Mountain.  It is a 5+ mile hike with an elevation gain of 1900 feet.  We got up in one hour and 5 minutes and down in exactly one hour.  The day was perfect, but the top, very windy.

Marine Quilt Again…

My son is visiting from the US Marine Corps.  He was in Florida and is heading to New River, NC.  When he lived here, he was constantly my “holder” for quilt pictures.  He was never really interested in having a quilt, but he never refused one either.  When he was leaving for the Marines, I asked him if he wanted me to make one for him using the USMC fabric I had purchased.  “No thanks!”  When he got to Pensacola, he mentioned that he had noticed that many of the other guys had quilts on their racks.  So, I asked him if he’d like me to make one for him.  “If you want to, that would be fine.”.  I made him one, stuffed it into a flat rate box and shipped it.  He opened it in front of an officer and was asked, “Is that your blankie?”  “Yes, sir” thinking that there was no way he could restuff it into the box and carry his dry cleaning, so off he went…  Two weeks ago, we were talking on the phone and his roomate kept saying, “Tell her about the quilt!”.  Apparently, an instructor was in the room and noticed Charles’ quilt.  He asked if his mom had made it and said it was really cool.  Then he started bringing other instructors in to see it.  WAY COOL !!!  My son is 6″ 4″ and this quilt is really long!

Woodcut

My son and I participated in a woodcut on Mt. Hood today.  We moved wood for four hours to be in a lottery for our Scout troop to use the winter lodge this winter.  What a beautiful day up there!

Button Blanket, cont.

Over 600 buttons are on and it is ready for my class tomorrow.  I have more plans for the blanket, but this is it for now.

Button Blanket

I have been asked to present a 50 minute class on “native american button blankets” which until last week, I knew almost nothing about.  The class is this Saturday.  To experience the topic more, I decided to make one, so I purchased 100% wool and went to work.  My son has always loved owls.  They symbolize wisdom and deceased spirits.  He was named after a dead uncle and a dead dog so owls are perfect.  My husband drew up the design and we had it enlarged at a blueprint shop.  It is all hand stitched down and the buttons are being sewn on any chance I have.  The piece measures about 60″ square.  The story goes that button blankets are never finished ~~ you keep adding to them.

Last night, one boy scout told me that to wear it in a ceremony for Order of the Arrow, it needs a tunic.  Now I know why there was a pattern for a tunic in the package.  …two more yards of black wool and more work.