first stop - Vermont

We've actually hit this road - heading to Vermont to visit friends and spend some time at the Shelburne Museum.  The weather was a bit gloomy, but the colors were beautiful!.  And, of course, time shared with friends, Guy and Katie and Kyle, was lots of fun.  

Shelburne Museum

I loved the carousel 

 Kyle Franko with Ivan  (and Fred)

Kyle sharing Ivan's cat-tree

Kyle with Sasha

We head off for Northampton Ma tomorrow morning - hoping for a little sun!  More later

Campobello Island

We finally went to Campobello Island this summer - it was the perfect "shake down cruise" for the RV.... especially since we discovered we had left so many necessary items at home!  But the weather was perfect, the views were spectacular, and the Island was nearly all ours  We camped at the Herring Cove Provincial Park - very close to the FDR compound.

Quoddy Head Light - eastern most US point

Lubec Maine in the background

East Quoddy Light - Canada -  High tide

low tide - complete with beach and a long rusty ladder to get up to the lighthouse

FDR compound - the gardens were beautiful

Of course my favorite part is always the beach rocks - the they were amazing!!  carried a load of rocks home, and didn't declare them at the boarder crossing.  The guards were more concerned about transporting citrus fruit - not rocks.

prayer flag project

I have been following a huge group of on-line women who are part of the international Prayer Flag Project..... admiring their simple, hand sewn statements proudly flying all over the world.  Shortly after I was diagnosed with bone metastases in late June I started sewing too.  It was great to hold needle and thread again, and to watch the string of flags grow.  I managed to sew 30 flags in 30 days - and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing on the screened porch all summer.  I am still in the process of posting my contributions to  the FLICKER site, but here a few photos

play with the cat - it's good Karma

30 prayer flags 2012



Flags were sewn on a linen/cotton fabric. ........

DREAM

you are my sunshine

the edges were deliberately left raw, so that they could gently unravel in the wind. The appliqued portions were done with a variety of fabrics, embroidery floss,  and flea market treasures, like the "silver" bluebird on this one. Some were also beaded - like "Dream"

the journey is the reward

This flag was born out of our first conversations about "what if we can drive west this year?"  I must have been channeling the truck commercial that uses the same phrase.

summer projects - silk dyeing

Summer is over now - and we're nearly packed for our trip south.  But, before heading out I wanted to share some photos of my front porch studio - and projects I've enjoyed over the past months!

dyeing silk and cotton

it's great to have a studio helper!  the silk lengths will become nuno-felted scarves;  the cotton pieces will be incorporated into other quilting/hand sewing projects.

silk scarves
august 2012