Latest Quilts

Posted on August 4, 2022 by darcelona3

It has been quite some time since I have posted so not sure how many of you still follow. Earlier this year, I scheduled time on a friends longarm machine. I had taken some classes at Road to California which was such a wonderful time. The last Road event was 2020, 2 months before the Covid shut down. Being to attend again was a great way to start 2022.

One class was a mystery class taught by Pat Yamin. I just needed to bring basic sewing items and a machine. This is when I bring out my Featherweight which was cleaned, oiled and greased. The nice thing is I didn’t have to precut or select fabrics.

All pieces were laser cut and placed in plastic bags. We were able to strip sew, cut, iron and make at least 2-3 blocks before the end of class. Photo on the right.

The quilt top on the left is a pattern from Modern 180 called Abstraction. It looks more complicated that it is. I haven’t quilted it yet as I have to make time to pin the zippers on, cut the backing and get some time on the longarm. The design is a pattern by Running With Scissors Quilters. There are times when I can just crank out 3 tops without getting sidetracked.

I do have a trip planned in September to fly to France for the Alsace Patchwork Festival. We will have 2 weeks to tour, sew, shop, visit and make new friends. First major trip overseas since 2019.

Another quilt top that I did was Hunter’s Star. With Deb Tucker’s tool, this pattern went fast. I brought 2 different sets of fabric and was happy with both. I have to say that I prefer the 4 color star. These, I may even do the quilting on my domestic machine. Again, it is a matter of not getting distracted.

But that’s about all I have for right now. I can’t wait to get to France for a new adventure.

Traveling with a group

Posted on September 5, 2018 by darcelona3

Everyone has their tour favorites – you tour with your family, you tour alone or you tour with a group of strangers that become friends.

While I was working, I made a trip up to Oregon every year to visit my Mom. This was and is a great trip but when I retired, I decided it was time to venture outside my comfort zone. As my past writings have explained, I have been to Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. These trips are listed under Celtic Quilt Tours LLC who work with Journey’s Connect. Both are awesome companies.

All stops and hotels are agreed upon before we leave our homes. Now some other tours have the option of driving yourself around the countryside and others provide either a bus or you go by cruise ship. I prefer the bus method and here is why. The driver and tour guide know the area and are happy to give you their knowledge of the area.

In Ireland, our tour guide and driver was the same person. Tony is licensed, has gone to school to be a tour guide as well as a driver. His running commentary was brilliant as well as educational.

In Scotland, our driver was Tony but our tour guide was Richard. How wonderful it was to be educated by a man wearing a kilt. It just added a tad more to the history, the scenery and the tour. Photo taken outside Holyrood Castle in Edinburgh by me.

In Wales, we had Judy as our tour guide with Tony driving (he is the master of GPS). Judy was so friendly and knowledgeable about Wales and we had a blast with her. But on the other hand, we were one tour that was always on time and ready to go. She took us to museums, castles, stately homes and beautiful gardens. We introduced her to the world of quilting. So it really became a win-win situation. This was taken at Cardiff Castle.

Here are some things I found out – always carry some coin as the toilets in the UK are pay toilets. Not all but most and if you crowd through with one person paying, you may get stop by a person who sits in a frosted glass area that will come out and ask for more money (yes it happened to us in Kensington Gardens). Also found out that just because someone tells you not to walk back to the hotel, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t safe.

After a terrific dinner and entertainment show at the Cardiff Castle, I decided that I needed to walk back to the hotel. Two other ladies joined me. We had a lovely walk back to our hotel and I got to do the Time Warp Dance outside a bar kitty corner from the hotel where we were staying. I know she was being cautious but it was fun walking amongst the college/party crown on a Friday night. And apparently Brain’s is a large beer distributor in the area – thought it was zombie beer.

Cardiff was fun and great but I really appreciated the area of Aberystwyth. I grew up in a beach town and this was like going back home. Whereas our sand is a finer grit, the beach at Aberystwyth was more like pebbles and into sizes of large, flat stones. The other visitors were so friendly and the staff was fabulous at our hotel, the Gwesty’r Marine. We were right on the Promenade so if you wanted an early walk or an after dinner stroll, the area was right there. DSCN2434 The weather was warm, the sun stayed out late and the water was calm.

Plus we had Constitution Hill near us so we could climb up the hill or ride the funicular. The view was fabulous and there is a rest stop/restaurant at the top. Where I assumed that Wales would be cold and rainy, it was quite the opposite. It seems the UK was also going through a bit of the climate change. Plus if you want to see more of Aberystwyth, , check out Hinterland on Netflix. The first season, episode one show a lot of Devil’s Bridge. There are two tours – one is one pound and the other is two pounds. Depends on how much time you have and how fit you are.

All I can say is this was a terrific trip. We traveled over 2200 miles, we didn’t lose anyone, we saw great castles, factories, sceneries, quilt shows, museums and just had a great time. Save that money up and travel – either in the USA or overseas. It is so worth it. And it’s back to Ireland in 2019……

Latest trip to Wales/Birmingham

Posted on August 27, 2018 by darcelona3

I am still recovering from three weeks touring around the United Kingdom/Wales area. The tour I joined, for the third year in a row, was with Celtic Quilt Tours LLC. This was started by two ambitious women who know how to travel.

Our tour hosts, Debbi and Kim, recommend that we all meet in Manchester a day or two prior to the tour. I also recommend this as you have a chance to get acclimated to the time change. For me living in Southern California, it is an eight-hour time adjustment. I left my area and landed in Newark with a small layover. My last leg of the flight took me to Manchester, Terminal 2. Now there is a lot of construction going on and three of my tour-mates were landing in Terminal 3. It was a hike to meet up with them and to top it off, their flight was an hour late. But, all is good. We grabbed a cab and headed into our hotel. We were told that our cab driver was “Driver of the Year” and it was a ride!

After a quick-lunch and small unpacking, I headed out to just get some fresh air and take a peek at the surrounding area. Piccadilly Square was alive with kids playing in the fountains, people just enjoying the sunshine and the usual hustle and bustle of a major city.

Manchester is building numerous high rises throughout the city. However, there are some stunning older buildings throughout. Manchester currently have displays of over 130 large plexiglass bees that have been decorated along with over
130 smaller ones inside various stores. These are the two that we found near the Piccadilly train station.

After a 12 hour sleep, another tour-mate and I took off for Liverpool. I was so excited as we walked down to the station, got on board (very clean train) and zipped on down to the beginning of the Beatles. This has been a dream of mine for decades.

We decided to do the hop on-hop off bus which was 8 pounds each. When we came to the Beatle Museum, we hopped off. Now Liverpool is quite active, friendly with terrific helpful people. I believe we spent over 2 hours wandering through the Beatle Museum. I was in Beatle heaven – reliving so many memories of my youth.

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A quick-lunch at Good Eats which was near the Mersey. Wonderful staff as my tour-mate has food allergies. What she had ordered was pre-baked in butter which she could not have. The manager came over so she could change her order. In my book, that is great service.

Then we hiked up to the Cavern – Cavern club 2 -again a major bucket list item crossed off. I now know what Elvis fans feel like when they go to Graceland. It was totally free to enter and there is only a fee later in the evening. They had two performers on and it was Fab, Gear, Groovy and every other slang from the 60’s. This looks like it would be a fun place to live.

We caught the late afternoon train back to Manchester and met up with the rest of the tour. We know to meet in the bar around 5 p.m. just to see who has arrived, meet new friends and also catch up with past friends from past tours.

You know a tour is good when 80% of the people on the tour are returnees. At that time, we are given a “Bags Out by ” time and when to meet our fabulous tour driver. Tony and our tour guide, Judy, were in charge of wrangling over 40 pieces of large luggage. We are responsible for our carry-ons and personal bags. So after two days in Manchester, we were off down the road to Cardiff.

Leaving the bustling city was bittersweet – some of us didn’t get a chance to visit parts of the city due to other plans or arriving late on the day prior to leaving Manchester. But the bus ride over to Cardiff was filled with wonderful information from our tour guide.

I highly recommend a tour like this. It is all planned out with rest stops, coffee refills, snacks and leg stretches. There are a lot of other photos but will add them later.

More of Scotland

Posted on November 1, 2017 by darcelona3

First day of the tour started with a terrific breakfast and I do love the Scottish porridge. Our first stop was Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. It seems like the majority of castles or palaces we visited did not allow photos inside. Not sure if it was a flash could do damage to the items inside but we could take photos outside or from the windows aiming outside.

This castle has 3 floors and areas were built during different centuries. The three floors have different styled columns – Ionic, Doric and Romanesque. The royal family still comes out to this palace and when they do, the tours obviously are halted. However the gift store is always open. Our tour guide, Richard, told us that Prince Charles loves to visit and goes on early morning walks. The Queen also attends the local church when in town.

The statue in front has had some added features. The Abbey in the back still stands minus the roof.

The palace is worth the visit especially when you have a wonderful tour guide. Richard had so much information like how the swans were named by the Queen, Sally and Sid. It is believed that she named the swan Sid after Sid Viscous after the lead singer in the Sex Pistols. The gates surrounding the castle are quite ornate. DSCN1285

Across this palace is a more modern government building. The gift store had some beautiful items but when you are starting off the tour, you need to remember not to buy huge, expensive items that could get broken or damaged in your suitcase. My purchases were confined to tea towels, thimbles, pens and postcards.

After a delightful group lunch, we were driven through the town for a panaromic tour. We went past the Greyfriar Bobby statue. This was a dog that sat at his master’s grave for over 14 years. Such devotion. People pat or rub his nose so it is quite shiney.

Our evening group dinner was the first one where we met each of the tour group – how long had we been quilting, where we lived, other craft hobbies, etc.

As always, we are given instructions on when to have out bags outside the door and when to meet at the bus. The nice thing about the tours is you meet terrific people, learn about other areas and you see the country from a comfortable bus. Celtic Quilt Tours, LLC, obtains the best drivers and tour guides. You don’t have to worry about driving on the other side of the road, traffic signs or skinny little roads.

Day 2, we were on the road to Perth and the Black Watch Museum. We started off with a Sashiko class taught by Susan Briscoe. You usually see sashiko on indigo or navy blue material. We were given tartan material and the pattern was a thistle. This was my start and I did finish it once I got home. It is very relaxing and just the opposite of redwork – meaning you stitch right to left as opposed to left to right.

The Black Watch Museum also provide luch for us. We were given a bowl of soup and 4-5 different types of sandwiches. The tour gave a background on their uniforms, where they were stationed throughout the centuries.

We were also told that the blue/green tartan plaid was great to blend in with the water and the forest so your enemy could not find you easily. The red tartan was also good for hiding any wounds.

The Black Watch Museum is worth the visit.

The towns also have beatiful baskets of flowers handing on buildings or in planters. Just gorgeous.

So if someone asks you to go to Scotland, just go. The people are wonderful, the scenery is terrific and the food is great.

Scotland 2017 – What a great place

Posted on September 30, 2017 by darcelona3

So since retiring, I have done some work on the house. Then in 2016 I went to Ireland with a quilt tour group (Celtic Quilt Tours LLC) on my own (meaning no husband and I didn’t know anyone on this tour). Ireland was so well planned, that I signed up for their Scotland trip. The terrific people I met inspired me to travel again on my own.

However, this time I decided to return to Dublin for two days after the Scotland trip. So off I went. 1505131612184 First leg of the trip was LAX to Paris with 90 minutes to get connecting flight to Edinburgh. I took my little Alpaca bear along so he does show up in some pictures.

The flight was on Air France and I have to admit that I was nervous at first. But that being said, Air France was terrific on both legs of the flight. Be forewarned that if the flight attendant is handing out a form, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they want you to sign up for a credit card. This was an entry card so the Customs person knows who is coming in.

I had asked my travel agent (Pam at Open Gate Travel who is awesome) to set up a driver to pick me up. Two of the other travelers coming in from Canada were to meet me and we would share the ride in. Well British Air bumped them and then lost their luggage…. more later on that.

The driver was terrific and gave me a running account of the buildings that we passed. He dropped me off at the hotel where after checking in, I went to the bar where our group usually congregates. We were all pretty excited to be back together. The hotel was near the train station and the Royal Mile. The next morning I met with the front desk person, Siohban, who was from Galway. She was so helpful telling me about the buildings across the rail tracks and how to get there. She is the kind of person you want to greet you at a registration desk.

DSCN1099 With my trusty map from the front desk, she gave me perfect directions on how to get over to the monuments. No rain but a little chilly. I visited the City Services building which, when built, was a jail. Also hiked up Calton Hill. There is a lovely monument to Admiral Nelson. The fee is 5 pounds to climb to the top. Worth every penny. Here are a few photos. Climbing up Nelson’s monument is over 180 steps but I made it. Magnificent view of the entire city.

Nelson’s Monument

There are other areas up there. Some have not been finished. But it was a picture perfect day. Sun was shining and the breeze was great. Just the right temperature to get rid of the cobwebs from the previous day’s flight. A gentleman from Germany asked me if I would take his picture and he reciprocated by taking mine.

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The sign stated Calton Key which is kept in the building that was a jail and not City Services.

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There is also the Solider’s Monument which is over 275 steps which I thought I would do when our tour ended up back in Edinburgh.

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On the Royal Mile sits St Gile’s church. This is one beautiful piece of architecture and they ask for a 2 pound donation to take photos. As the sun came around and hit one of the stain glass windows, you could almost hear the angels go ‘Ta Da” so I paid the fee and got my sticker. The church is amazing and while I was in the gift shop, the mid afternoon service started. So I went back in and listened. Very inspirational, very moving and very touching.

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After hitting numerous stores, it was time for a little break. So the bear and I stopped for coffee. The odd thing was, you didn’t hear much of bagpipe music but more Motown.

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There are numerous hanging baskets with beautiful flowers on almost every building. So nice to see. Just ignore the grumpy looking guy.

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That is all for now which sums up about 1/2 my first day in Edinburgh. It is nice to explore on your own and it’s great to explore with friends. I hope that my blog can inspire you to take the leap and go on a trip by yourself.

Thank you for reading.

2017 – Let’s have a terrific New Year

Posted on January 14, 2017 by darcelona3

Well, it’s January which means time to get ready for Road to California Quilt show. This is more than a show – it’s more like an explosion of fabric, classes, vendors and amazing teachers. So if you are ever in the Ontario, CA area in January, please consider attending at least one day to view some terrific fabric art.

Summer Stars

This was a free project from Craftsy and designed by Kimberly Einmo who I met at Road and had as an instructor. The top is not quilted when I took this picture but my long armer did an exquisite job. Kimberly is one of the teachers that has also published books on Jelly Roll designs. For non-quilters, a jelly roll is anywhere from 20-40 fabrics all precision cut into 2 1/2″ strips. You can find her books at quilt stores or on Amazon.

Spanish tiles is a pattern I bought at a Road show, bought the fusible interface that went with the design but then put it away. Pattern is by Marin and Colusa (always give credit to the designer) and the tile design is already on the fusible interface. Not sure why, but I put it away. Well, in cleaning out some items, I found the pattern. Then found the interfacing so that got me started. After a nice “cuppa tea”, I read through and found out that it wasn’t that hard after all. I tried a couple of squares with fabrics from my stash.

Spanish tiles

I really liked it and decided to go on with the pattern. My lap size turned out to be 5′ X 5′ 1/2 ish. I also say “ish” as one side is usually just a tad longer or wider. To quilt this one, I will do hand quilting. It would a nice change of pace even though I do love standing at the long arm and getting the quilt done in an hour or two (depending on the size and pattern).

Here is a picture of the completed quilt top that Elwood decided to check out. As usual, my quilts are CTCA, Cat Tested-Cat Approved. Again, this was done with stash fabric. spanish-tiles-3

Quilting is my hobby, my passion and my stress reliever. However, when I want to rush through the pattern, that’s when little things will pop up – the tension gets askew, the thread breaks, one of my cats demands my attention, etc. Plus I usually like to sew when there is day light. However, since I wanted to get this top done to show at my guild meeting, I plowed through until 8 p.m. (Plus I wanted to watch NCIS).

So I am excited about attending Road to California again. http://www.road2ca.com. New quilts to ogle, new tools, returning friends and new ones, returning vendors and so much more. There are also lectures scheduled, late night mystery classes and how to design your own patterns electronically.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate your time. Have a terrific 2017!

Quilt Tours and Why you should go Part 2

Posted on September 2, 2016 by darcelona3

Well, I’ve been back from my first trip to Ireland and have gone through all the photos with relish (and a cup of tea). So many terrific memories and meeting great people. So here are a couple of my favorite areas. Now some people told me that you shouldn’t go to Belfast -too many fights, bombings, etc. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, they have had their differences. But the people have worked out some differences and the 30′ high gates are open.. Here is how one side decorated the fence. The gates/fence were all about 30′ tall. This was to keep the Molotov cocktails from being tossed. You could view this as graffiti or as artwork.

They have the Black Cab tours which are conducted by the locals and give you a tour of the City. The City is continuing to work out differences and rebuild. We did tour the Titanic Museum which was sad but very informative.

This photo was taken at Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. (I’ve tried to get it posted the portrait way and not landscape but have failed) Giants causeway 2.jpg The landscape is truly amazing and that day we had terrific weather. The stones are not carved. The shape juts up and is amazing. You can get an audio tour which tells you the history and folklore of the area. I could have spent all day there hiking on the rocks and just breathing the ocean air.

From there, we headed back towards Ireland. Each hotel was top rated, great staff, wonderful food and very accommodating. Now this tour was listed as a Quilt tour but we went to so many historic places, museums, famine ships and castles. One party was a Grandmother, Mother and 2 daughter group. Since one of the daughters didn’t quilt, she was able to do a horseback ride while we were at a famine/workhouse tour. So you can do other things as long as they fit into the time schedule. Just be upfront with your tour people and things can be arranged.

My favorite city was Galway. It is so vibrant and filled with art and music. Again, friendly people, great food and the locals are wonderful. We went to the Aran Islands (Inishmore) and was able to climb to the top and look over the cliff. It was the perfect boat ride over and back. Again, great food, wonderful people and some great shops. Aran island castle.jpg I just followed the others and got on my hands and knees to creep up to the edge. However, I did creep to almost the edge for a photo. It’s a far drop below , and it is a stunning view. The photo below is the hike up to the former castle.

We also visited Malahide Castle, Kylemore and the Rock of Cashel. Each one so full of great photos and history.

If you have the chance, save up your money, get your passport ready and go visit. I would love to go back right now but have decided to do Scotland next year with the same tour organization (www.celticquilttours.com). Our group consisted of Canadians and Americans. We ranged from hand quilters, long-armers, designers, wool workers, appliquers, etc. Just remember to get pounds and Euro’s before you go and get a Horizon VAT card. You get money back when you swipe your card at the airport before going home. Also this trip was made special because we had an awesome driver. Tony, from Kerry Coaches, knows the roads, the histroy, the jokes and how to keep the tour on time. He was the best,

So to keep my Irish feel going, I watch Quiet Man, Secret of Roan Inish, The Commitments, and listen to the Merry Ploughboy band (they have a great Pub in Dublin that is worth the visit). I also have a cuppa Irish Afternoon tea as well. I leave you with this photo of foxglove from the Kylemore Abbey.

Thank you for reading.

Purple Maze – Purple Haze

Posted on June 12, 2014 by darcelona3

I recently retired from a government/county job and let me tell you, retiring through the system is like going through a maze. So as I was perusing through the American Quilting Society (AQS) magazine, I found a pattern that caught my eye.

I ordered the pattern was happy to see “NO Y SEAMS”. Yea, my favorite term in quilting. To do a “Y” seam, you have to stop 1/4″ from the end, tweak the fabric and then sew it to another piece. I’m not fast at it and my seams end up a little wonky. So, it was off to the Calico House for some fabric. Sometimes I will use fabric out of my stash but this one needed to be selected from the store. I love purples and found 3 fabrics for the maze. All I needed was some black.

The cutting instructions were super easy and fast. I cut, separated into piles and then pinned so they wouldn’t get messed up when my cats jump up on the table. . The other great thing mentioned is it is a “Two Block Wonder” meaning there are only two types of blocks to make. I just needed 5 of one type and 4 of the other. I finished up this top on Sunday, was able to take it to my guild meeting (Orange Grove Quilt Guild in Garden Grove) on Wednesday and will quilt it in a couple of weeks at Quilter’s Garden on the long arm.

So here is the finished top. The actual pattern name is Labyrinth Walk, designed by Christopher Florence and is published at The Guilty Quilter in Portland, Oregon. It is 84″ X 84″ and I can’t wait to get it on the long arm machine. You can check out more patterns at http://www.theguiltyquilters.blogspot.com. I also purchased Christopher’s other pattern San Marco Square which I will do in greens. More on this one later.

With retirement, I am no longer relegated to just weekend sewing. Thanks for reading about the quilts I have made.

Family History – ask about it – save it

Posted on May 28, 2014 by darcelona3

This will be a slight detour from my quilting but it does go hand in hand. Frequently, quilters will just make a quilt and give it to someone without a label on the back……. For my future quilts, I am adding a label on each one.

The label will have the following:
Who made the quilt
Who quilted it (I sometimes have my quilts custom quilted)
The date finished
Who the recipient is

Keep a picture of it in a file so you can also remember the art. Now with family history, please talk to your elder family members. As a kid, I never asked my grandfather about his service in World War I, how he met Grandma, his family or anything else. I just knew he had served in them Army, liked his golf, his cigars and his family.

I remember he was normally gone in the summer months but always remembered my birthday (July baby) with a little something when he and Nana returned.
This picture is of my Nana and the ladies she lunched with. Lydian Marie Stiger is 3rd from the right. Great clothes and beautiful hats. That was an era of great fashion.

Recently, my Mother was given a box of old letters and files from one of her cousins. It seems that he asked my Grandpa about his father and the other uncles. It was amazing reading about where the family settled, what companies hired them, the earnings, etc. Grandpa typed a 5 page letter, single spaced with very little margins and gave a detailed report about the Stiger family history. My Mom is taking the information and writing a book on our past.

When you come across photos, find out who is in the photo and approximately when it was taken. I remember being with my paternal grandmother decades ago and describing the photo and she could tell me everything about it. Now Grandma was blind but she remembered everything and everybody. The sad thing was I didn’t write any of this down thinking that other family members would receive the photo albums. Oddly enough, my cousins did not want the albums and I ended up with them. My dad, aunts and uncle I recognize but am at a loss as for the background.

So ask your grandparents, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles about your history. Write it down or do some research but keep the memories to pass down.

Twist Around Hawaii

Posted on March 7, 2014 by darcelona3

This is the name I gave my last quilt. As I have stated before, going to Road To California is the highlight of every January. Held in Ontario, it is a week of classes, shopping, meeting up with old friends and making new ones.

I have also previously blogged about Breast Cancer, Race for the Cure held in Newport Beach and the quilts I have raffled off to raise money. Some quilts I give away, but some are donated for a raffle.

Well a co-worker, who is so awesome, recently told me that not only had she just recently had her thyroid removed due to cancer, but her latest mammogram came back with signs of breast cancer. She had thanked me earlier because I sent out an email to our office staff that said when getting dental x-rays or mammograms, to ask for a neck guard. So to be told that she was facing potential cancer treatments, I did what I could do. I made a quilt.

This co-worker loves Hawaii and visits there when she can. So while running around the vendor mall at 2014 Road To California, I had to stop by Beyond the Reef. They have the most extensive selection of Hawaiian/surf/turtle/palm tree fabric. There was a bolt of Hawaiian fabric with a pink background. I immediately bought 3 yards, came back the next day with a Judy Martin pattern book. Twist around the Garden was the perfect pattern. I’ve made it before so it would be snap to make. The next day (yes, I took 4 classes at Road this year) I went back, and their staff help me select 2 colors for the Twist part plus I bought 2 more yards of the pink background. Look, when the fabric speaks to you, purchase at least 4-6 yards.

This would be my next project – I put away the class projects and started cutting. Here it is:

Happy to say, she loved it. I would like to close with if someone tells you they have breast cancer, tell them they can beat it. By keeping a postive attitude, getting second opinions, talk to others that have gone through it. Another co-worker found that when going through treatment, she was often cold, thirsty, dry mouth, etc. So she put together bags for others that included a lap blanket, Jolly Rancher candies, water bottle, socks and positive affirmations.

This is one of my long writings but just be there for those going through cancer treatments. Look at them and think “THAT PERSON WILL BEAT THIS!”

Thanks for reading

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