A very stormy time was had by all

I've always wanted to stay by the ocean during a big storm.  I got my wish this past weekend.  My Tangled Threads quilt group rented a house just south of Arch Cape, OR (which is just south of Cannon Beach on the northern Oregon coast).  We were right on the ocean - the view was magnificent.  We quickly talked through what we would do in the event of a tsunami, cleared out the cars and settled in for the weekend. 

 

Here is the "sunny view" from the deck.

Unfortunately we didn't get the "sunny view".  It was pouring rain throughout the 2 hour drive to the house (not counting a stop at Center Diamond, the Cannon Beach quilt shop).  By the time the cars were unloaded we were drenched.  Wind and rain was our pleasure the rest of Friday, with the addition of lightening during the night.  The wind was blowing too hard to hear any thunder.

Saturday was worse.  The remains of a typhoon arrived early Saturday morning, with driving rain and winds around 40 MPH with gusts up to 60.  The huge windows across the ocean front must be very strong glass, because they didn't move at all when the wind hit them.  The above umbrella was folded up but still attached to the table.  The table was blown backwards down the side deck and tipped over to lean up against the spare propane tank next to the barbecue.  The very large, heavy grill was rolling back and forth from one part of the deck to another until brave Sue donned her rain gear and moved it up next to the house at the far back of the side deck.  The chairs were blown off the balcony and into the yard.  Your can imagine the fabulous wave action we got to see all day Saturday.

We stayed cozy warm inside with this view and this large table for quilt projects.

Luckily the wind died down about noon, and the rain let up a little - just long enough for us to head into town for lunch at our favorite restaurant in Cannon Beach (the Lazy Susan - fabulous food!).  As another storm front was due mid-afternoon we decided to buy a large pizza, more salad fixings and snacks, and wine before heading back to the house.  That way we didn't need to venture out again.  Good thing too - as the second storm front did arrive shortly after we got back.

I didn't take any pictures - it was just too dark, gray and stormy for anything to photograph well with my small camera and small skills.  (I "borrowed" the above pictures from the vacation rentals page for the house). Believe me - it was a marvelous adventure.  It rained all the way home today also, though there was little wind (thank goodness!)  No slides to block highway 101 so we were trapped on the coast.

I did manage to finish the binding on three quilts while we were gone, plus a little quilting on a fourth quilt.  I didn't touch the applique I took.  Isn't it always the way - we think we can accomplish three times as much quilting as we actually do in the time allowed. 

 

All have light colored backs so I will write the labels directly onto the back of the quilts.  This gave me a great feeling of accomplishment!

Tangled Threads Christmas - 2008

An evening with friends - just the best!

Our Tangled Threads quilting group has been together for almost 23 years, and it's been my great privilege to be part of this group for over 21 of those years. Over the years a few members have moved away, and others have joined to take their places. We are each other's best friends. I can't imagine my life without these wonderful ladies. We meet once a week to visit and stitch - any week without that time together seems empty. For nearly ten years now we've gathered in early December to celebrate a holiday dinner together. The first few years Lanny and Kim cooked their signature prime rib and twice baked potatoes. These days - with most of us attending weekly weight watcher meetings - we've gone healthier - as long as one doesn't count all the melted butter and bread! The menu has revolved around Dungeness crab - in my mind the tastiest crab of all - from our own Pacific northwest. In spite of the solemn faces - I guess everyone was too hungry to smile! - we had a marvelous evening together.

My Christmas wish for all my friends in Blogland is that you can experience the blessings and joy of belonging to such a wonderful group of women.

Quilt Camp

North Star Quilters - the little guild that I belong to - has held Quilt Camp early in November for four years now. The location isn't far away - about half an hour from our house - but it might as well be in another world. It's on the east fork of the Lewis River, and we can hear the river every time we step outside. There are wonderful woods all around the buildings that are filled with color this time of year. The camp was built in the 1950's and is similar to every other church camp I've ever been to - cabins, a lodge, a large dining hall, etc. We stay in the lodge in bunk beds which always takes me back to my childhood. This year and last we sewed in the dining hall so we had plenty of table space, a cosy area by the fireplace to do handwork, and meals on small tables at the opposite end of the room. This year's caterer prepared meals that were perfect for women - attractive, tasty, not too heavy with fats and sauces, and just the right amounts. She even made a traditional Mardi Gras King Cake for Saturday night's dessert. I can't think of a single thing that would have made for a better retreat.

This year's theme was Mardi Gras, and the committee went all out. Decorations were marvelous, goodie bags were full of delightful things, door prizes were great, and the company was fabulous. Time went all too quickly, in spite of the fact that I got WAY less sleep than usual because I stayed up so late each night sewing. We drew another string of Mardi Gras beads out of a jester's hat before every meal, which told us which table to sit at for that meal. I love the fact that they always do something similar at every retreat - that way we get to eat at least once with every other attendee. They also had a "fortune teller" - Madame Pascal (one of the guild member's daughters) tell our fortunes with Tarot cards, as well as a massage therapist giving chair massages for $1 a minute. That $20 was the best money I've spent in some time LOL!

My goal was to combine the two sets of PINS exchange blocks into a finished quilt top. It took until Friday midnight to accomplish that goal. I had cut WAY too many 1 1/2" strips but that was OK - I didn't want to run short. I just put the rest into the 1 1/2" strip drawer. Saturday I worked with a whole stack of 4 1/2" squares of reproductions that I found in a drawer when I was cleaning my island. I have no idea where they came from - they weren't pinked so it wasn't a fabric club. I can't remember anyone sending me a bunch of squares. I knew I'd not cut them because there were many I'd never seen before. I added the small number of 4 1/2" squares in my scrap box, and brought along all the shirtings left over from cutting the setting triangles for my president's quilt. I turned them into double four patches, which resulted in 108 seven inch blocks - enough for a twin size charity quilt. This used a bunch of scraps and stash as well as cleared out a plastic shoe box and island drawer. I couldn't be happier! I'll post a picture once the top is finished. That took most of Saturday. Saturday evening and Sunday morning I sat by the fire hand quilting - a perfect way to finish the weekend. I didn't win any door prizes - but a quilty weekend spent with great friends is priceless and makes everything worthwhile!

I'm constantly amazed at the creativity of each year's Quilt Camp committee. They work hard all year to make sure we have a wonderful time and received lots of neat little gifts - many handmade. This year a big thank you goes to Connie, Mary, Alana, and Gail. Well done ladies!

Visit with a far away friend

Cathy from Ireland - Celtic Knots - and her daughters have spent the summer in Bend, Oregon with her parents. She and her girls spent their last day here in the states with me - we had a great time! At least Cathy and I did - not too sure about the girls! We started at Starbucks - of course! Then I took her to a couple of local quilt shops, and she took me to lunch. It was the day of my Golden Age Random Sampler class at Primitive Thimble, so we finished at that shop so she could share her Dear Jane with Eileen and my class mates. We were all so impressed - it's an incredible quilt! Of course Cathy found some goodies to take home with her - as did each of the girls. Thanks, Cathy, for spending some of your precious time with me!

English Tea

One of the fun reasons to visit Pomeroy Farm is to partake of the delightful English tea that is served daily on the second floor about the gift shop. The menu changes every month so one is always treated to something new. Tea is served three times a day - 11:30, 1:00 and 2:30. Since Kim and I were attending the quilt show we decided to also treat ourselves to tea.

The highlight of this tea was a chilled strawberry soup - yum ! Plus scones - of course! - finger sandwiches of three kinds and three tiny dessert treats. Plus a pot of the tea of our choice. I made sure to save all my extra Weight Watchers points for this outing so I could enjoy every bite!

This and that and the other

Saturday several of us bloggers were privileged to attend a gathering at Cher's. The group included Holly, Dot, Michelle and me. Both Dot and Michelle have already written about the great time we had, so I'll just add my two cents. Cher was a marvelous hostess, keeping us supplied with coffee and tea and providing a great lunch as well as a tour of both her sewing and her fabric rooms. Show and tell was marvelous, with both Cher and Dot sharing marvelous quilts of all sizes. We got to see the fun sampler that Holly is currently binding, and I brought a few things to share as well. The time went way too quickly, and I'm sure we will get together again before too many months have passed. From left to right in the picture - Cher, Dot, Michelle, and me. Unfortunately Holly had to leave early so she wasn't there when Cher's sweetie returned home and was pressed into service as photographer.

I worked on my hand quilting both Friday evening at guild sew frenzy and yesterday at Cher's gathering. Today I finished it while watching the Mariners lose - once again - and then Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's not been that long since I had my own Harry Potter marathon, but Fred is having one now so I joined him so I could keep quilting. This is a very old UFO - pieced in 1991 as a class sample to advertise a class I was teaching at Daisy Kingdom in Portland, Oregon. I started hand quilting the white squares a few years later, but put it away after I'd done four or five. Last year I started hand quilting again, first finishing my Fireworks quilt and then going back to this one. I decided immediately that once I finished quilting the flowers - if that's what they are - I would put this on the longarm to finish it. I'm going to load it tomorrow morning, and hopefully will finish the quilting tomorrow also. I've not finished a UFO since sometime in March, and I'm creeping much too close to the top of the queens list for the Stashbusters UFO challenge. My goal is to have this one done by the end of the week. Don't know what I'll do with it then other than add it to the stack of finished quilts!

Today I also made two Civil War blocks. I've not worked on them for a couple weeks and was really feeling the urge to get back to them. I've decided to make both quilts now that my friend Kathie has gifted me with a few more Abe Lincolns, so I think I'll focus on finishing the blocks in the first book before moving on to more blocks in the Love Letters book. Here are Conscript Law and Merchantable Goods. Notice the green fabric with pink roses in the second block - the same fabric Rosemary Youngs used in her block. This is an OLD fabric - I know just when it came out because I used it's companion print in a Daisy Kingdom sample in 1991. I have a yard, and this is the first time I've used it! It was so much fun to be making these blocks again!

Many of you asked about the seam guide I use on my featherweight. I'm not sure where I learned about this marvelous gadget - either online or in a magazine - but I think it's worth it's weight in gold. It's designed particularly for the featherweight. It has replaced my "wall" of masking tape and little post-it notes that I've used for years and years. It is available from The Buggy Barn - here is a link to the correct page on their website. If you piece on a featherweight then you really need this little gadget!

Presents from bloggy friends

This past week I received several nice packages in the mail, including two presents from bloggy friends across the globe. These are extra special as they were handmade with me in mind. These are from two very special ladies who mean a great deal to me as they have enriched my life in so many ways.

The first is one of Darlene's pincushions. Many people around the world have received these from Darlene - she is such a kind, generous loving soul! She promised me something for my newly redecorated sewing room, which I promptly forgot all about. So this was pretty much out of the blue. Thank you so much Darlene - I just love it! It will be so much fun to use this, as I'll be reminded of your friendship each time I see it.

The second was made for me by Lily and came all the way around the world from Australia. A short time ago Lily offered a prize to the first two people who left a comment on her post. I was the second person to comment - it helps to live in the pacific coast timezone! The handwork on this little lady is positively exquisite. She is Lily's own design I believe, and her name is Marta. I was glad she survived her long trip around the world; she was so happy to be released from her wrappings so she could breathe again. She will have a place of honor in my spring decorations - as soon as I figure out where that is!

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Gratitudes:
1. Retirement!
2. Children and grandchildren
3. A wonderful husband

Beach retreat - group pictures

Just got some new pics via email from my friend Sue. Much better than those I took! The first picture was taken Sunday morning just before leaving. Note the beautiful blue sky which was with us for a good deal of the weekend. From left to right: me, Liz, Lanny, Kathi, Peggy, Kim and Sue. We sure hated to leave when the weather was so beautiful. This was taken right in front of the house - didn't we have a marvelous view! That's Haystack Rock you see in the background - the landmark of Cannon Beach. Peggy's husband arrived early Sunday morning to pick her up as they were heading to a bridge retreat on the coast at Newport, so he consented to be our photographer. Thanks Al!

Sue took the second picture from the balcony on Saturday night. From left to right: Liz, me, Lanny, Peggy, Kathi, and Kim. We'd had a big lunch at a nice bayside restaurant in Wheeler, a little town a little over 20 miles south of Cannon Beach so we didn't want much dinner. (There is a very funky quilt shop there that we visited on Saturday.) We had pizza delivered Saturday night - yum! We sat around munching pizza - and lots of candy as you can see on the table - doing handwork, and watching episode after episode of HGTV's "Divine Design" that Kim had recorded and brought along.

Quilting retreats with good friends are simply the best!

Beach retreat

Our Tangled Threads group picked a great weekend for a beach retreat as far as the weather was concerned. Fog greeted us when we arrived on Thursday. We could tell from the sounds and smells that the ocean was right in front of the house, but all we could see was fog. Friday morning was cloudy but the fog was gone. I left for Vancouver after breakfast, driving through heavy showers, but the afternoon cleared up nicely for those still at the beach. Other than a thunder storm late Friday night the weather was beautiful the rest of the weekend. Lots of time for walking on the beach and around town.

We are guessing that the house was built in the 1960's. It would have been very modern for that time but is very dated today. The location made up for that, however. It had a great view as it is only about 100 feet from the beach. Only a couple blocks walk for morning coffee, and one block farther to get to the quilt shop. Good restaurants in walking distance too, and only a few blocks to downtown and all the shops.

I got very few pictures - once again because my camera kept acting up - hopefully the others will send me some good ones. I tried for a group picture, but it looks like we are standing in the middle of dense fog - you can hardly tell we are there! You might enjoy going to the website for the house and seeing the 360 degree pictures of both the beach views and the funky kitchen and great room. Here is the link.

I did have a great time - in spite of the fact that I did the almost two hour drive four times in four days. I arrived back at the beach about 8:30 on Saturday morning which gave me most of that day with my friends. All in all a great time was had by everyone!

Today's finish

Last night I finished stitching the binding and the label on "Leftovers". I didn't like the green border when I first put it on last summer but it's really grown on me now. These two quilts will be so much snugglier than our ancient sleeping bags when we go camping this summer!

This morning I drove over to the Gateway Max (rapid transit) station in Portland to pick up Pam. I love meeting bloggers in person! Pam is down from Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband who is here for work. We had a very enjoyable day. Since Pam lives in Canada and doesn't always have the best access to quilt shops I figured she'd enjoy visiting a few around here.

Pam made me a lovely little bag that she filled with Canadian chocolate, yummy body lotion and a glasses case that she'd made. What a sweet thing for her to do! Needless to say the chocolate is half gone already. My close-up glasses are snuggled in their new pouch - so much more chic than an old black case from the optical shop!

First we went to Speckled Hen in Wilsonville, which was a featured quilt shop in the last Quilt Sampler magazine. I knew I could get in real trouble at that shop if I let myself. I came home with six fat quarters which were bought with a specific purpose in mind. I've been looking for lighter double pink repro fabrics that are period correct for my mid-century album quilt - I sure hope that's what I found. I'll know for sure when I take them to the next class to be OK'd by our instructor. I also got three stitchery patterns that I couldn't resist.

After a Starbucks stop we headed up I-5 to A Common Thread in Lake Oswego where Pam found a beautiful large print for a bag. Next we headed over into my neck of the woods to go to a funky shop in Battle Ground called Country Manor. Susan's shop is in an outbuilding behind her house. It's the best place I know of for finding a fabric that's been out for awhile. Once again it lived up to it's reputation - Pam found an old Moda print from the Wuthering Heights line that she's been looking for. I kept my hands clasped tightly together at the last two shops and managed to buy nothing - hooray!

We had a lovely lunch at Applebee's and then headed back to Portland where I dropped Pam off at a MAX station so she could head back to downtown Portland to meet her husband. It was so much fun to spend this time together! And thank goodness for retirement - I couldn't have done this otherwise!

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Gratitudes:

1. Sunshine on a cold winter day

2. A new friend

3. My Santa mug filled with hot tea and milk (who cares that Christmas is past!)

4. A sweet, fresh pear

5. Comfy, familiar blue jeans

Tutorials

In the 18 months or so that I've been blogging I've posted several different tutorials. I've had a couple people suggest that I post links to those tutorials on my sidebar. Now that I'm back to typing with two hands - sort of, anyway - I've begun. Right now only two are listed - the Crumb Chaos block tutorial and the appliqué hints. I know there are at least four more to list that I wrote in 2006 on precision piecing and pressing tips. I will try to get those links posted tonight or tomorrow. I hope some of you find these useful.

One of my Tangled Threads friends has taken pity on me as I'm going stir crazy here at home. She is picking me up in a few minutes an we are heading north to a wonderful quilt shop that I've visited only once over 4 years ago. It feels like cheating, but I guess it's really not. After all, the doctor says I can't work, and I really can't when I can't write or type much. It's a beautiful day for a drive - or should I say ride - and at least I'll be out of the house. I'll report on the trip tonight.

Happy Labor Day!

I wonder how many quilters will actually be "laboring" in their sewing rooms today - especially those of us who spend most Mondays "laboring" in a job to support our habit! Spending time in my sewing room can hardly be called labor - unless you are talking about a labor of love.

Last night I finished the rest of the blocks for the current string top but I didn't get them sewn together. There was only a short time left before I had to head to bed so I decided to start sewing the strings into strata to use in cutting out either Chinese Coins blocks or "rail fence" type string blocks. Being the anal person that I am I pressed seam before I added another strip. I decided VERY quickly that I agree wholeheartedly with Elaine Adair, another blogger who's was creatively stitching up strings last spring. Elaine does all her strings on a paper foundation because she decided it was easier to do it that way than having to measure all those string pieces. It's also MUCH easier to iron all those narrow little pieces when they are attached to a piece of paper to hold the narrow seams in place. Ripping off the paper does take time, but so done measuring the strings and pressing all those little hard-to-hold seams. So I've cut up the rest of the phone book pages into 3 1/2" and 4 1/2" strips, and I'm looking forward to sewing long lines of strings as shown on Elaines blog above. Check out several of her May posts to see all the wonderful things she's done with her strings.

Now on to something I've been meaning to blog about for awhile. My name was the last one that Finn drew out of the "hat" when she was giving away things to celebrate her 1000th post. I eagerly watched the mailbox to see just what Finn chose for me. What delightful fun to open the package after it arrived and pull out the treasures one by one! Some wonderful vintage fabrics from the 30's-50's, including a piece with delightful nursery animals. An old block from wonderful blue and red vintage fabric that will make a marvelous pillow. Some vintage "that green" from the 30's that someone marked with several kitties and one doggie. They are quite large, so I'm guessing the features are to be embroidered before cutting them out, backing them with another fabric, and stuffing them to make a large pillow toy. I'll probably to that to the dog and one of the kitties, and use the rest of the green in a quilt with my 30's reproductions. Once again, thank you so much Finn! You are a sweetheart!

A wonderful day with quilty friends

Yesterday was about as perfect as it could possibly be. The weather was cool in the morning, with clearing skies and sunshine in the afternoon. I drove over to Portland to pick up Cher at 9:00, and then headed to Canby, Oregon to Holly's. This was the first time I'd met Holly. She is a delightful lady and quilter - of course! - and has a lovely home full of quilts that she's made. After seeing her quilts and her sewing room we set out walking to Canby's quilt show. Holly's home is only a couple blocks from the center of town and it was a perfect day for walking. The quilt show is held in an old church, and the quilts are displayed by draping them over the pews. There is also a display of featured quilts at the front of the sanctuary, plus more quilts on tables in the fellowship hall. We had such a pleasant time chatting with the quilters and examining the quilts. Holly said on her blog "I can't believe I forgot to take pictures" - I'll add that I can't believe I forgot my camera! I take my camera to everything quitly. I have a camera on my cell phone - doesn't everyone these days? - but I never remember it's there and I'm not sure how to use it LOL!

After the show we walked a few more blocks to the quilt shop. This is a shop I used to frequent for Thimbleberries club for a couple years, but quit as the drive was just too long for me in the evening. The owner retired and sold the shop, and this is the first time I'd been there since the new owner took over. It was very interesting to see how the personality of the shop changed. I'd always loved almost everything that was in the shop before - now there were still lots of things I loved but still more that weren't my cup of tea. I looked at lots and lots of things - patterns, stitcheries, and more - and I didn't buy a thing! I was so proud of myself. My friends won't believe it when I tell them.

We next had a very tasty lunch at a Mexican restaurant in town, and then drove over to Oregon City because none of us had been in the quilt shop there before. What a lovely shop! It had something for each one of us - hard to do as the three of us have very different tastes. We did a lot of looking there but I don't think any of us bought a single thing. If you'd told me first thing in the morning that I'd go to two quilt shops, see lots and lots of things I loved and not spend dime I wouldn't have believed you either LOL!

The three of us will definitely get together again, as we had a marvelous time. We are hoping that Dot at Rantala Rags can join us next time - once her two broken arms heal. Poor Dot! What an awful thing to happen to anyone, but especially to a quilter!

No trips to emergency today

Cher and I had a very safe and sane scrap cutting session - though neither of us cut any scraps LOL! Cher cut almost all the pieces for her son's wedding quilt. I spent the day winding my embroidery floss onto floss bobbins. In spite of Dawn's comment that I could very well sprain my wrist doing that - with my luck - all was well. We had a good visit, wonderful chicken and yam soup made by Cher and a trip to Starbucks in the afternoon. The best kind of day to spend with a quilty friend.

One more top finished

Tonight was the first North Star Quilters "Sew Along". Our little guild has had four "Sew Frenzies" a year - one every quarter - since before I joined. At the last one there were a lot of comments from people wishing we got together more often to sew. Thus we decided to have a "Sew Along" half way between each "Sew Frenzy". Both happen Friday nights from 6:30 until midnight - though we very rarely make it that late. There is usually always a planned activity for the frenzies, and a potluck dinner. We decided for the new days we'd work on whatever we wanted, and have dinner before we came. We had 9 turn out tonight, which is more than have made it to the last several frenzies.

I had great plans for tonight. I figured I'd have Joseph's top together by about 8:00 or so, and then could work on mile-a-minute blocks from then on. That's what I packed for too. Well, I knew that Joseph's quilt had been a mistake-fraught quilt from the beginning, but I figured I was past that. After all, all I was doing was sewing it together. Hah! At least four more mistakes tonight - incorrect measuring, unexpected cut through part of a border, sewing pieces together wrong at least twice if not more. The good news is that I did find the perfect outside border in my stash, and the top is now done. Nothing was accomplished on the mile-a-minute blocks as I didn't finish the baby top until after 10:30. By then most everyone was packing up. At least I got exercise toting the rest of the stuff back and forth from the sewing room to the car - three times!

Tomorrow Cher and I are having another scrap cutting session. I'm going to try very hard not to slice into my finger again. I think I'll start by letting her cut while I wind floss on bobbins. That sounds like a fairly safe activity, don't you think?

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Gratitudes:

1. Good times with quilty friends

2. A project finished at work

3. Another pound lost

4. A new quilty t-shirt

5. Cool weekend weather forecast

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Sunday Success

My goal for today was to finish the last appliqué block for Heirloom Stitches and finish putting the top together. Success! I finished just a few minutes ago. Because the border on this quilt involves so much appliqué I'm putting it away for awhile. (Here is a link to the pattern in case anyone wants to see what the border looks like.) There are other projects that need to be a higher priority than this right now.

I have several charity quilts to quilt, as well as three customer quilts. I need to get going on Joseph's quilt. I'm going to do machine appliqué on that one because I want it to wear as long as possible.

My take along hand appliqué project will be blocks for my mid-century medallion.

If I want a break from that I'll do the border appliqué on It's a Wonderful Life. I've waited long enough to finish it. I didn't particularly care for the appliqué in the pattern so I'm going to design something of my own. It's time to swallow my fear of designing and just do it! I guess I've never posted a picture of that almost finished top - I could find one anyway - so here it is. The borders are sewn on - I just need to do some appliqué on them.

Finally I need to finish at least one UFO so I don't have to pay a fat quarter penalty at guild on May 4th - not to mention avoiding becoming UFO queen on the Stashbusters list. (In this case queen is NOT a good thing to be!) One of my charity quilts is also on my UFO list, so I can accomplish a two-for-one if I just get that one quilted, bound and labeled.

We had a wonderful visit with Jeremy, Chelsea and Sophie yesterday afternoon. This is the first time she's been awake during our entire visit. Apparently she is already sleeping almost 8 hours at night - amazing! Neither of our kids slept through the night until they were at least 8-9 months old. Yesterday she'd been awake since 9 a.m. and was still awake when we left at 6:00 p.m. She's definitely taking after her dad - he didn't sleep much as a baby and gave up naps entirely before he was two years old! Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera!

Friday night I spent a great evening with Cher at the artist's reception for her quilt guild. The featured artist was Judy Hopkins. I always thought Judy lived in Alaska year round, but apparently she lives in Oregon for four months every winter and belongs to the same guild as Cher. Judy has written 16 quilt books that feature rotary cut quilts and clear, easy-to-follow directions. The books she hopes will be her major legacy are her three block books - Around the Block, Around the Block Again, and Once More Around the Block. Each block features 200 traditional blocks with rotary cutting instructions for making them in 6 different sizes. Whenever I need to make a pieced block for a swap I grab one of these books. Judy is also the creater of the Scrapmaster ruler which for years has been a marvelous tool for cutting up my scraps. There were quite a few of Judy's quilts hanging on display, and we received a guided tour from Judy in which we learned the story behind each quilt. It was a delightful evening - made even more wonderful by the wine and great food available to everyone.