A Week of This and That

Our days quickly turn into weeks ... and I catch myself wondering how that happened ... where did the week go?  Because my little "point & click" camera is with me most of the time, I have some record of what I've been up to.  A little bit of this ... and a little bit of that.

Monday morning walk ... a beautiful, warm day.

Kysa cooling off in the cold lake water.  The water has become a cloudy jade color because glacier fed streams run into the lake.  Lakes fed by glacier water stay very cold ... great when a furry friend needs to cool down!

Flicka adjusting the quilt layout ... such a silly kitty! ;-)

Progress made on the lace cardigan I'm knitting.

Another morning walk.

Supervisor Flicka ... still not sure about the layout ... decided to sleep on it.

This small island was hosting a morning conference Wednesday ...

... several bald eagles were in attendance ...

... I found a total of four in and amongst the trees ... they were a very noisy bunch ...

... apparently Mrs. Eagle did not want to share her salmon meal.   Sorry the pics are fuzzy ... my camera is a very modest one and I am no photographer!

Wednesday is dillydally playdate day!  Barb brought "show n' tell"!  Look at this adorable tooth fairy pocket pillow she made for a special first grader who will be losing those baby teeth soon!

And she finished putting on the borders on her "Big Fish, Little Fish" quilt!

The quilt lay out finally met with Flicka's approval!  She is such a perfectionist! ;-)

Thursday morning ... sweatshirt weather.

The fireweed is beautiful ... even on cool and cloudy days.

My sweet Kysa ... the best walking partner ever!

One mitten done ... progress on the second one!

Friday morning ... I've got sunshine ...

... on a cloudy day!

Flicka and I began piecing the quilt!  Evidently she is worried about my ability to maintain a true quarter inch seam! ;-)

Mr. DillyDally's workplace held a potluck and silent auction this evening.  I offered this certificate ...

... along with this casserole cover.

Such fun!  I was thrilled with how many $$$ it went for!  All for a very good cause!  A large potluck ... friendly competition ... and great conversation!  What a great way to end a week of "this and that"!

Do what you love.  Do a bit of this and that.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Quick Trip!

Thursday morning at 6:15 am ... QBee and I arrived at the ferry terminal expecting to arrive in Whittier 6 hours later.  But Mother Nature had different plans ... let's face it ... she IS in control.

We were told that because of weather on the west side of Prince William Sound, we would be going to Valdez instead.

That meant a three hour ride on the ferry ... then a six hour drive to Anchorage.  This sort of thing is just the reality of living in our remote corner of the planet! ;-)  We've learned to live with the inconveniences ... soooo ... we giggled the entire 300+ mile drive ... and stopped at a quilt shop along the way!  Yep ... we know how to roll!

QBee had work related responsibilities Friday ... so I went shopping!  Love spending time in the real world ... I just had to take pictures of these beautiful orchids in the grocery store!  The colors were incredible!

We managed our power shopping and had dinner out on the town ... Saturday we caught the ferry in Whittier!  It was a beautiful day to be on the Sound!

I love traveling by ferry ... very relaxing ... lots of knitting and reading!

I won't share all the practical shopping I did ... that would be too boring!  But I'm excited about the fun shopping I accomplished!  I love both Kim Diehl's and Nancy Halvorsen's designs!

Am excited about Terry Atkinson's napkin pattern ... a set of napkins make such a nice gift.  The Turkey Red pattern was on display in the quilt shop ... it had been done in a scrappy version ... stunning!

Picked up some holiday fabric ... just because!  ;-)

Some Thimbleberries to add to my stash!

I was so excited to find Kim Diehl's Vintage Farmhouse fabrics!  The shop had most of the collection,  so I picked up a half yard of each and a couple yards of a light print!  I've already picked out a pattern from the book ... cannot wait to begin!

A clerk at one quilt shop demonstrated the use of these Bloc Loc cutting tools.  So ... I just had to bring a set home!  Look forward to giving them a try!

Another purchase I am super excited about ... the new installment in the Outlander series!  I will not allow myself to open it until I can read non-stop for days!  Too fun!

It was a quick trip ... nice to spend some time in the real world ... and always great to return home!

Today I began laying out my Red Ridge Beauty ... feels so good to be near the finish line on this quilt top!  Scrap quilts are my favorite ... I love two color quilts ... and the memories and events surrounding this quilt are wonderful!  Bet you can tell that I'm excited ... can you guess what I'll be working on this week?  Hee-hee!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Pieces

Most Wednesdays ... a friend and I get together for a few hours ... we refer to it as our "dillydally playdate"!  We alternate between our homes ... allowing us to share current projects that aren't portable!  Yesterday I spent the afternoon in her home ... sew inspiring.

This is a drawing that her adult son did when he was 3 years old.  It is about 3 inches square in size, they have it framed and hanging in their home.  So adorable!  He and is wife are expecting their second child in December.  Very exciting!

Barb has enlarged the drawing and created an appliqué quilt for the new baby!  It just doesn't get any more wonderful than this!  Absolutely delightful!

Over the past weekend, I worked at reclaiming my sewing room!  I have not spent much time in there since the end of May!  I still have a way to go, but I was able to locate Her Majesty!  I needed a quilting fix and had promised myself that the first quilt I would complete this summer is my "Red Ridge Beauty"!

Photo from quiltville.com

Way back in 2011 ... our guild sponsored a weekend retreat with Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville fame.  She taught two classes, one being her Blue Ridge Beauty!

Bonnie is an incredible quilter and teacher!  The experience was amazing in every way!  I have completed quite a few of her designs and currently have another three in progress ... yep, that's the dillydally way! ;-)

This was as far as I got on the day of the class.  I made good progress shortly after that day, but that was about the same time I took the fall that caused the past few years of knee issues!  Other projects came along ... I would drag this one out occasionally ... and got a bit done here and there.

On Sunday I pulled it out and pieced the remaining twelve blocks!  Yep, did the happy dance!  Then recounted the blocks ... I had completed two hundred 6 1/2 inch blocks!

Pulled out the book to check the pattern for layout purposes ... am sure you've guessed from the photo my discovery ... I needed 244 blocks!  Yep, only another 44 blocks to go!  Found the box of leftover strips and cut what I needed!

Over the past few days, Her Majesty and I have been busy!

Last night I finished piecing the final 14 blocks ... they just need to be pressed!  Today I leave for Anchorage and return on Saturday.  My dillydally goal for the weekend is to begin piecing the top together!  I'm so excited!  It always feels great when a project completion is in sight!

On another dillydally note ... I enjoyed finding one of Mother Nature's hidden treasures on our morning walk yesterday.  At first glance I thought it was Forget-Me-Nots ...

... but on closer inspection, it isn't.  The blossoms are smaller than the nail on my pinky finger ... so delicate ... and my favorite color blue!  I tried to find them in my Alaska Wildflower Guide, but could not locate them.  If one of you reading this have information, please share with me!

Walking with Kysa ... a bit of quilting ... treasured time with a friend ... all pieces of life here in DillyDallydom!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally 

4th of July Weekend

A friend called Thursday afternoon to let me know that her work let out early ... and the three day weekend began!  I told her to grab her knitting and that I would pick her up in a few minutes!

The weather was beautiful ... out the road we went!  I always keep folding lawn chairs in the back of my car this time of the year.  We stopped at the Sheridan River ... full sun, light breeze (to keep the bugs at bay) ...

... and a gorgeous view.  We spent a few hours knitting and visiting ... what a great way to dillydally!

The 4th of July began with Kysa and I taking our morning walk.

Mrs. Merganser and her little ones were enjoying the morning as well.

Kysa spent some time in the lake.  She doesn't know that huskies aren't supposed to like the water ... we had an adult golden retriever when she was a pup ... yep, she suffers with a confused identity complex, and doesn't even know it! ;-)

Fireweed is beginning to bloom!  I'm always amazed that plants can grow while clinging to a rock face cliff ... Mother Nature always finds a way.

A beautiful morning walk for a day with big plans!  Picnic out the road ... baked beans, coleslaw, watermelon, rhubarb upside-down cake, and fancy hotdogs roasted over a campfire.  The cake was done and beans were in the oven while on our walk.  Quick stop at the grocery store for buns and out the road we go.

You know you live in a remote corner of the planet when the entire community has run out of hotdog buns!  Three grocery stores and not one hotdog bun!  Of course, I had waited until the last minute to buy some.  Yep, I made hotdog buns for the first time in my life!  They don't look like much ... but they were delicious!  Bread making took most of the afternoon ... we still roasted the hotdogs over a fire ... only we did it at home!  At first I was really annoyed ... but honestly ... it will be tough to eat a hotdog on a commercial bun in the future ... yep, they were that good!

Long time readers know that I have been recovering from knee trouble for quite some time and have been working hard at rebuilding it's strength.  Even surfaces are easiest on my knee, that is why Kysa and I usually walk on roads together ... I miss hiking on the trails in our area.  With Mr. DD sharing the walk with us on Saturday, I convinced him that we should challenge my knee and give it a go on a trail.

Yep ... the walking surface was very uneven!

... but I love being in the forest ... the multiple shades of green  ... it is like another world!

We all three enjoyed the hike!

Sunday morning ... another beautiful day!

The knee was a bit cranky after hiking the day before ... so back on a road for the DillyDally clan!

With all the warm and sunny weather this summer, the blueberries are coming in a bit early.  My berry picking partner and I need to be checking on our secret spots!

Flicka has been enjoying time outside too.  She has become quite the "moth slayer"!  Here ... she is on the beach ... in front of the house ... hiding as she waits for a moth to fly by.  The moths are small and must be tasty because she immediately gobbles them up!  Such a silly kitty!

Our 4th of July celebration was quiet, small, and personal ... a refreshing and restful way to honor our nation's independence!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally