Travel Tip Thursday #4

We belong to the Evergreen Bed and Breakfast Club.  When you are an "Evergreener"  you can spend the night at another club member's home and have breakfast and lovely conversation for 25.00 the first night and 20.00 for the next 2 nights.   My friends and I stayed with someone in Wimbledon (just outside of London) for 12.00 (a piece) per night for our week in England.  The advantage to belonging to a club like this is , not only do you get a clean bed, bathroom privileges, and a hearty breakfast, but the hosts know the area and can give you the information you will need to navigate their area.  Saves time and frustration.

In return for staying in others' homes, you are obligated to host a few times a year.  We have only had one bad experience in the 10 years we have been members.  We have stayed with families in London, Nova Scotia, Vancouver,  Victoria, and Seattle.  I even stayed with a family in Huntington Beach when I went to Camp-Watch-a-Patcher at Vanguard U last summer.  For 15.00 a night I had a single room and bath and a lovely breakfast while the ladies in the dorm fought with their sheets and snoring cabin mates.  It made the class possible for me.  The gentleman of the house even let me use his GPS to get to Vanguard-lovely people.

I can't think of a less expensive or more enjoyable way to travel.   We have met the nicest people and have had experiences we would not have had if we had stayed in a hotel. 

The is another travel club, Affordable Travel Club, that has more overseas and West Coast selections and we are planning to switch over as soon as our year is up.

July's A Lovely Year of Finishes

"Lizzy" is officially done.  Tracy Potter did the quilting and thread painting over the Inktense painting I did.  I was afraid I would not do as good a job and she did a fabulous one. I love that face:)

Lizzy at 4 months

Last HSTeria submission

I started this quilt a year and a half ago.  Pat Speth did a Nickle Quilt workshop in El Cajon and this is Tillie's Treasure (I think).  I have renamed it Nickle Lavender Sky and I have been working on it a little this week but am taking it Sunday on the quilt retreat along with the baby quilt that is cut out and not put together.  Click on the HST button to the right to see what others are doing.  I plan to finish it at the retreat.

. . .and More Flowers

It really is like watching a garden grow

More Flowers

I cut out 5 more to sew today at Paradise Sewing. that will be 10 down and 4 to go. Wish the colors showed better in the photo-just much more vibrant in person.

One more large to sew, five medium and 5 small.  The small ones will take no time. I need to have the top done by the 11th.  Ordered 6 yds of purple batik that will be here Tues.  Hancock is having a Batik sale.

Travel Tip Thursday # 3: Organizing your Luggage for Travel

How do you get everything you need into a 21" carry on for a 2 to 3 week trip?  After doing tip 1 and 2, lay out what you have.  I put my suitcase on the guest room bed 2 weeks before I am leaving on a big trip.  On my quick trips to Seattle 4 or 5 times a year I pack the night before because I go so much it isn't hard to throw in the things I need.

I have used the compression bags and they are great-they keep clothes organized, compressed and helps minimize wrinkles.  I use three: one for pants, one for blouses and one for sweaters etc..  I also like the cube mess bags to help with organization.  I used 2 on my last trip to Eastern Europe.  In one I put individual bags of peanuts, crackers and cheese, snack size snickers, raisins and jerky.  Yes, I take food on our trips.  We eat a big breakfast in the hotel or B&B and then eat an early dinner at a pub or similar.  A package of cheese crackers and a purchased pot of tea (2.50) at an outdoor table facing a cathedral was just as special to me as a 7.50 lunch would be and the 5.00 per day savings is 100.00 worth of goodies I can bring home.  In the other bag I put all my undies.  The bags fold flat and take up no room when you empty (food) them.

I also take a large purselike bag that has several compartments that zip.  I put my purse in it and add maps, portable handwipes, IPad, medication, airline and accomodation emails, earplugs and earphones, very small first aid and mending kits and a couple of bags of peanuts.  When I get to my destination, I leave the bag in the room and just carry my purse which has an over shoulder strap and hangs under my right arm making it hard to steal.  My passport, credit cards and identification goes in an over the neck holder that goes under my blouse.

Bon Voyage!  God has made an amazing world for us-go see something wonderful!  We just returned from a short trip to the sierras-just beautiful!

3 Down, 11 to Go

This quilt has 14 small, medium and large flowers scattered across the surface. I am not sure that middle flower will work but I'll wait until I have the rest on the quilt-think this will take a week.  I am going to my first quilt retreat the first week in August and was going to take this quilt to work on.  Because of it's size, I think I will take a few smaller easier to work on projects and get this laid out before I go-better get movin . . 

Will still need to make middles-just want to get the placements done first-2 a day should get it done in a week:)

Finished the Canvas-Now to Paint the Flowers!

I have had my friend Jan come to visit the last two nights-but she is off during the day to visit a multitude of other friends so have had the chance to finish the background of this 70x88 quilt.

 

Heading out to quilt a vintage quilt top at Quilter's Paradise with my two friends, Jan and Patsey!

More Progress

First 2 sections done!  Now, if the bottom dark value works, I will be happy happy!

Tomato worms=0, Elaine=8-YUK!
I have moved from tweezers to taking off the small section they are on-can't bring myself to touch them-Kay you are a gardening studette!

Some Progress!

This has been more difficult than I thought it would be.  It isn't the sewing, it is the planning and color choices.  Would someone just stand over me and tell me which comes next?

The middle will be the largest section of medium toned fabrics

The problem with this kind of design as you go quilting is that I have no neat little piles of cut fabric to work from-I am pulling everything from my stash-what a mess!

Lots of thoughts crowding each other in my brain-what color flowers will go in this section?, Will this print be too busy behind the flowers?, am I being too conservative?, How do I move gracefully from color to color? can I go from light blue to dark purple (or should it be green) in one quilt?, when will you finish the baby quilt you are supposed to be working on?  I want to have the back done before the quilt retreat at the first of August so I can finish the top during the retreat.

On another note-I hate tomato worms-pulled 2 off with tweezers yesterday-yuk!