Traveling again…

 

I never dreamed that I would get to go on a cruise to Alaska!  Last month I did!  In fact, my entire family did.  We celebrated my parents’ 60^th Wedding Anniversary by going on a family cruise to Alaska, all 23 of us. 

I’m going to do several posts about our cruise, including one featuring the quilt  and yarn shops I visited.  But today I am giving you a taste of the scenery we saw.  So settle in with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy pictures celebrating Alaska.

Our cruise started and ended in Seattle. 

Our first stop was Juno, where we saw eagles catching fish in the port right beside the cruise ships.  The weather was chilly, high 50’s, but felt colder to us Floridians!  We saw hills covered in low hanging clouds and some snow!

 

In Juno we sampled a quilt shop, yarn shop and the Alaskan Brewery.  I’ll talk about the shops in a later post. 

We also went whale watching and had dinner on the whale watching boat.  The whales weren’t cooperating, but we did see a couple of humpback whales and some sea lions sunbathing on the rocks.

Skagway, was our next stop and we went to a sled dog training facility, where we met the dogs and heard about training for the Iditarod. 

We also got to pan for gold and feel what it felt like to be in -40 degrees. 

Here’s a picture of my granddaughter and her mommy and daddy.

We then cruised to and through Glacier Bay National Park.  The park is reached by plane or boat only.  They only allow 2 cruise ships in a day to keep the park as untouched as possible. 

We were not allowed to have any paper on the ship during the time the cruise ship was in the park.  For instance there were no paper cups for coffee, no paper napkins, etc. available for us to use.

Glacier Bay was amazing.  It was a truly moving experience and the glaciers were huge.  I saw one glacier calve (part of it fall off into the water of the bay).  The ice really was blue and it was also COLD!

Next stop was Ketchikan where we spent a morning with our other two grandchildren.   

 

 

 

 

We walked up the hill and saw the boardwalk along the creek, I think it was called Creek Street. We also enjoyed all the spring flowers that we don’t see here in Florida. 

There are lots of totem poles in Ketchikan.  We went to a museum to learn more about them, but it was a quick stop since we had two children 5 and 3 years old with us!

We went to a playground nearby for some kid-friendly time.

We were all tired from walking when we got back to the cruise ship. 

 

 

See the human totem pole below!!

 

The cruise also stopped in Victoria, Canada, but got there at 8:30pm and only stayed a couple of hours.  We decided to skip getting off the boat for that one. 

There were some days that were just cruising days, so that gave us time to spend with family.  We also had a big celebration for the 60^th and I will talk about that in another post.

Our trip was in May and it has taken me this long to get my house and work in order and spend some time working on the pictures for this post!

Happy 4th of July!

Leigh

 

Grandma's busy again...

I have been busy sewing and knitting for the grandkids!  Here are a few finished projects!

Claire’s Ladybug Hat

 

 

 

Pattern is from Whimsical Hats, Delightful and Amusing Hats to Knit, Wear, and Love, by Lynne Rowe, ©2013.  Can’t wait to do another one, although this was time intensive.  I know it will be much cuter when it is on her head, but I don’t have a picture of that yet!

 



I got the urge to do something for the kids for Easter and with vacations coming up thought that backpacks would be a fun thing, especially when I found Maisy Mouse fabric.  I got the pattern from the internet and worked directly from my notebook…I am getting so computer literate!  I made three of these out of Maisy, Dr. Seuss, and owl fabrics.  I also fused a vinyl product by ®Pellon to each piece before sewing them together.  Whew!  But I am done in time to mail them for Easter. 

 

 

Don’t they look cute?!  If you want to make your own you can find the tutorial here:  http://crazylittleprojects.com/2013/02/toddler-backpack-tutorial.html.  Thank you Amber for your online tutorial!

Couple of things she failed to mention, or I missed.  Seam allowance.  I used the width of the presser foot.  Also when you get to the inside and you are sewing the lining to the bag, attach at the top seam, as well as the side and bottom seams.  I changed the pocket on the inside.  The pattern is pretty self-explanatory and simple enough that you can make changes and customize it any way you like.

I hope Spring comes to the North soon! 

Happy Spring!

Leigh

More Library Displays...



Seuss-ville Glass Case - NR-BC Library Youth Services Dept.

Seuss-ville went up for the month of March to celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday. 

This is the bulletin board behind the YS Desk.  I hope to get another larger bulletin board done in Seuss theme during the next couple of weeks.

Here are a couple more glass case displays.  This one is for the holidays and the next one is for Valentines Day.  Notice I kept the packing peanuts in for both cases!

After putting in the pink Ballerina Bear, I had to add something for the boys and so the red lobster joined in the fun!  Lobsters and Valentines?  Hmmm. What was she thinking!!

Next I have to come up with something cool in the case for Bookfest coming to our library in April!

That's all for today!

Leigh

Tips for Hanging Quilts in a Gallery Setting...

 

Fort Lauderdale City Hall Lobby Gallery Show, March 4 - 27, 2014

     As I was preparing to hang my quilts last week at the Ft. Lauderdale City Hall Lobby Gallery, I realized that my techniques might be helpful to others.  Quilt shows have requirements for hanging quilts which include a casing in the top of the quilt.  When I hang my quilts in gallery settings there are slightly different requirements.  Galleries prefer your work to hang like a painting, from a wire.

     Here is a photo tutorial of the steps emphasizing techniques for hanging in gallery settings or on non-flat walls. 

 

Casings are 8-9 inches wide with finished edges.  I fold in half lengthwise and include in binding on the top edge most of the time.  This particular quilt has a facing, so I sewed the casing into a tube using French seams, to eliminate loose  threads inside the casing.  I hand sewed the two long edges down to the quilt using a tiny applique stitch.

Make 2 casings for the top of the quilt, with an opening in the center in case you want to hang it with a picture hanging device.  This works well with smaller quilts.

My hanging device is a piece of pine 1 ½” by 3/8” and the width of the quilt less 1 ½”.  This measurement is to guarantee that the hanging device doesn’t show when the quilt is hung on the wall.  The quilt in this photo is pretty wide and if I used a piece of pine lathe to hang it the lathe would bow out from the wall…not a pretty sight!  I also use wood baseboard trim to hang very large quilts.  Screw in eye screws ¼”-½” from the top of the wood piece on the ends.



For gallery hanging I add a picture hanging wire that goes through the eye screws and is wrapped around itself a couple of times.  Be sure to cover the ends of the wire with masking tape so that there is no chance that the wire will catch the fabric of your quilt or someone elses.

This keeps your hanging device with your quilt, and you won’t go home with someone else’s piece of wood!  I also label my wood pieces with my name and address, as well as the art quilt(s) that it fits.  This saves time when organizing quilts to hang in a show.

Now, for what I really wanted to share!  Sometimes you have hanging situations that present extra challenges.  The Ft. Lauderdale City Hall Gallery is one of these.  The wall has wood paneling broken up with painted cement dividers that happen every 26”. These dividers are 3 inches deep and 3” wide.

This is a problem for quilts, since the bottom of the quilt will try to curve into the space between the cement dividers and the bottom edge will turn into a ruffle…ugh!

I solved this problem by stabilizing the bottom edge of the quilt with a piece of wood that has Velcro stapled to it.  Because this has the possibility of being seen, I painted the wood black and used black Velcro.  The hook part of the Velcro is attached using a staple gun to the wood and the loop part is sewn to the quilt back without any stitches showing on the front.

The wood pieces are stored upright in a bin with the hanging devices and the quilts are stored with the Velcro attached…I might need it again!

Here is what it looks like hung!



Come and see the show!

Leigh

When not quilting, I am…

I began knitting a year and a half ago.  Being a Grandma gets me into all kinds of things and this is one of them.  There are just too many cute patterns for hats, sweaters, gloves, etc. for kids.  I remember that you have to make them quickly before the child gets old enough to think they are lame!  Knitting in Florida seems crazy, but the grandkids live in cold climates, so it’s o.k. to knit for them.

 

I pick up my knitting or crocheting on mornings when I have a few minutes before I leave for work at the library. It allows quiet contemplation time before dealing with the workday.

Here are some pictures of the projects I finished after Christmas.  I just could not seem to get them done in time. 

The fingerless mitts are a design by Lynne A. Evans from the book entitled Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks! By Judith Durant.  This was my first attempt at a lace pattern and I was pleased with the result.  If I were to do it again, I would leave off the knitted picot bind off and just do a regular bind off.  I think the picots will get in the way of the fingers/hands.



The hooded sweater is the second one I have made and I love how warm they are.  Most of the sweater is knitted in the round and it goes pretty fast.  I was a real beginner when I knit the first one and it turned out nice.

 

     Hooded sweater pattern is:  Knit Hoodies for Kids, by Jeannine C. LaRoche.  I also like the fact that she includes sizes 6 mos. through size 8.  I gave this blue one to my grandson.  When he called to say thanks, I asked if he liked the sweater in his favorite color – blue.  He said, “I like red now.”  So, has he figured out a way to get more gifts or what!

I have two projects in the works right now.  One is for my granddaughter’s birthday next month.  It is a knitted ladybug hat in red and black to go along with Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow by David Soman and Jacky Davis.  The ladybug hat comes from:  Whimsical Hats Delightful and Amusing Hats to Knit, Wear, and Love by Lynne Rowe.  I think that I will be making a lot of these wonderfully funny hats for the grandkids in the future!

My other project is a crochet shawl for me.  I am making it out of sock yarn I have collected in blues, greens, aqua, blue-green and grey.  The pattern is from Crochet Noro 30 Dazzling Designs, published by sixth&spring books.  I have to make a total of 33 of the motifs.  So far I have 6!

Happy creating to all of you,

Leigh

        

Teaching & Exhibiting Schedule for 2014




Beading Adventures

 

 

 

 

This year I am going to be busy with teaching
and exhibiting opportunities and I thought you
would like to see where I will be. 

 

Date                  Location & Contact__________

Feb. 26-27         Burke Quilters Unlimited, Springfield, VA,

                         www.quiltersunlimited.org

Feb. 21 –           “Beyond Art Selves” a mixed media show presented

March 22           by 2+3 The Artist’s Organization at the Armory Art
 
                        Center, 1700 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL

March 4-31         One Woman Show in Lobby Gallery, Ft. Lauderdale

                        City Hall, 100 N. Andrews, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

April 12              Ocean Waves Quilter’s Guild, Miami, FL

                        www.oceanwavesquilters.com

August 9            Hibiscus Quilt Guild, Lake Worth, FL

                        Contact: hqgosf@gmail.com, 

                        www.hibiscusquiltguild.org

For more information about the workshops and lectures that I present go to my website:  http://www.adventuresinquilting.com.

I hope to see you on my travels this year!

Leigh

 

Musings…Where I’ve Been and Where I Am Going



Dragonfly Thoughts

This has been a birthday week for me.  Having a birthday so close to the beginning of a new year causes you to continue the self-searching and goal setting a little longer.  It is also the birthday of my quilting business.

 That started me thinking about where I have been.  I began Adventures in Quilting in 1995 when I started teaching quilting classes at the corporate headquarter JoAnns store in Hudson, Ohio.  I also taught for quilting guilds in the Northeastern Ohio region.  There were 60 guilds at that time.  I can’t believe I have been teaching quilting for 19 years!  Back when I started I was quilting while my kids were in elementary school.  I used to plan classes, quilt, and get ready for Girl Scout meetings in the few hours before they came home.  A lot of creativity was packed into a short period of time!

 Recently I was going through files and I found contracts and class descriptions from 1995.  Some of the contracts were hand written!  That got me thinking…remember a time when you only had dial up internet, no cell phones, Slooooowwwwww computers with not much memory!  I remember I would log on to check my email and then go put a load of wash in; when I came back I might be connected!  Now we have wireless connections and DSL and very fast connections and can even take pictures with our cell phones, and transfer them to the internet in a snap!!



Butterfly Dreams

The last trip I took I wore out the luggage I bought when I first started teaching nationally in 2004.  I have added an additional sewing machine, and the computer has been upgraded many times since I began.  Teaching has changed some also.  Slide shows are now power-point presentations, some national teachers have video cameras and project their demonstrations on a screen.  This means the class size can be huge, and everyone can still see, but I fear you lose some of the advantages of a smaller class.  Teachers carry more electronics and less quilts.  Of course air travel has changed enormously since 911.  Instructors spend more time in airports and can take fewer books, patterns, and quilts to guilds.  Although the idea of schlepping 75 lbs. of suitcase like they used to, doesn’t sound appealing to me!

Even though some things have changed, the reasons I do what I do have not.  I still love to teach quilters something new.  To see their excitement when they learn a new technique or get a new idea they want to try.  To inspire them to create through producing great patterns and quilts is still fun for me.

This year I want to spend less time on the computer and more time with the sewing machine so that I get that same creative boost I had in the beginning of this adventure.  I want to travel and then spend time with the photos I take thinking about how they could be translated into quilts.  I need to balance my activities so that I find time for the creative in the midst of the required. 

I am looking at a really busy year with lots of opportunities, and I hope it will also include creative time to recharge.  I am finding that I get really grumpy when I don’t have quilting time.

 

Follow me in a more creative year…….

Leigh

 

 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year





Merry Christmas

& Happy New Year!

I know that this is late, but I didn’t want to start 2014 without saying goodbye to 2013!  Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I don’t know what happened to December, between working, having company and two trips in 2 months I think I just did the basics and the blog was not part of the picture!

I know that I was madly finishing up knitted scarves and crocheted hats for Christmas presents.  Here is a picture of the hats that everyone got this year.  Called Gloria’s Happy Hat, the pattern by Dora Ohrenstein, was published in Crochet Accessories, Special Issue 2010 by Interweave. 

 

 

 



I love this hat!!  It crochets up in 2 hours and fits great.  I did adjust the pattern a little, by adding an additional row of single crochets to the band.

Here is a photo of me in my happy hat in Germany.

2013, Leigh McDonald

 

 

I can tell that 2014 is going to be a very busy year!  I wish you all a

Joyous, Healthy and Happy 2014

 

Leigh