On my own

    I am on my own for a week or so.  It actually feels strange.  Up at 5:30 am to see Sir Old Man off, I napped a lot during the day.

  Sir Old Man landed safely last night.  This is out the window at 11 pm.  Snow, big mountains, still daylight......where is he?






  He had the opportunity to join a mission group from church.  Well, actually, I saw the notice and nagged until he went to the information meeting.    LOL.....it was meant to be. 
 






   This should give it away.   He is in Fairbanks, Alaska.  The team will be doing maintenance and repair of the buildings, and such at Camp Li- Wa. 
   For him, it is full circle as the Camp is now affiliated with the mission at Victory Camp.  His parents served as missionaries in Alaska--he was 6 weeks old when they moved up---- and helped clear the land and build the first buildings at Victory Camp. 





      So I get to "retreat" here at home....on my own.  I caught Bonnie's quilt cam over the weekend and thought the tulip blocks were so cute.  I like the idea of a small wall hanging or table runner, so I am working on a few to see how it goes.  I am not organized enough to use these as a leader/ender......too many small units to get mixed up.  I will say that if I wanted a quilt of them, I would be making larger blocks.  These are 6 1/2'' unfinished.   I think Pat Sloan showed the same pattern in a larger size recently.  Larger is easier on my fingers. 

  Weather finally cleared....and turned into summer.  I mean 90 degrees in May?   But it stopped raining and we had a couple of nicer days.  So I took a couple shots of the Jewel Box Star outside. 

   I have a couple of movies lined up on Prime, the Featherweight to get set up, meals in the freezer or a salad,  and I will be ready to stitch thru the week. 
Happy stitching. 

Sharing more talent

  I have mentioned my daughter and her genuine artistic talent......from pencil drawings to fabric and designing.  She has amazed us since she was young  playing with Barbie dolls and hand stitching clothes for her.  It was natural that she go into designing.  So, it is a little brag book time to show some of her new art........

  A couple of years ago, she took a jewelry making class to see what it was all about.  Of course, she excelled and discovered a new vista for her artistic talent.  This a form of fun and therapy for her, but I stole a couple of photos to share what she is doing.  To date, she only makes items for friends and herself.

Lots of earrings.....I am not sure what type of bead or stone these are, but I love the color and how she turned them into a pair.

  This is one of her latest designs.  It is a pendant made from antler horn button.  We picked up a variety of these "buttons" when we were in Alaska a several years ago.   She used copper rivets and hammered copper on it.









  The copper loops over to the back and finishes with more of the free form design.   She uses a jewelers saw to cut out the free form design that reminds me of the coast line in Alaska.

 Her latest and absolute favorite she says.  Wonder Woman is 2'' high!!!!  Believe me, my jaw dropped when I looked at the detail on this.  I have no idea how she accomplished this, but I think it is so her!
I think she did grow up to be Wonder Woman :)  Read that as Mom and Dad beaming at her talent.


As for me, I am finishing up the small watercolor.....off to sew.  Happy stitching:)

Un-planned Bargello

   The heat and humidity have been relentless here, so I've been hiding out and taking a break from my planned and usual routine.  That resulted in a  new---NewFO---small project.

    My nephew, Justin, just returned from a cruise to Alaska.  After hearing about his trip, I was inspired to put together a small bargello for his upcoming birthday.
      I have the background bargello together.   I used the left over fabric from the Buzz Saw quilt  plus one batik  in this.  Again, I paid attention to the value of the fabric when I arranged the strata for the bargello.   I just made random width cuts...from 3/4" to 2 1/2"  to get the wavy and unplanned look.



 My vision was to create a view of the Northern Lights against a dark sky.  I have a silhouette set---thanks to DeeAnn who won them and passed them on to me--- to applique  to this.   It is not trimmed yet, but I am happy with the way it came together.

    I wanted the top edge to be wavy and show the movement of the lights.  The pieced bargello was very uneven, so I faced it with interfacing to get a finished edge. Then I machine appliqued it down to a solid strip of dark speckled blue.  I used a buttonhole stitch for this.  

Insight:   Take that detour and feed that creative urge.  

Happy stitching.

I saw a moose

Before returning to Anchorage for the flight home, we visited the Reindeer Farm outside of Palmer.  There was a moose, and a musk ox and  Eddie, the elk.  He  was quite friendly and followed Trey wanting attention.  Luckily they only have lower teeth in the front, so it was safe to feed him.  The reindeer were very forward....they knew it was free food when people came in.  What we didn't realize was that reindeer and caribou are the same animal.  Caribou are wild and reindeer are domesticated.  Their antlers are covered with a soft velvet fuzz.  It is very sensitive and we were asked not to touch it.  Antlers can grow up to 6 inches a day, and each year the animals loose their antlers and grow new ones.  Guess that explains this pile of antlers.

We stopped in Eagle River at a nice yarn shop where Deana picked up Alaskan dyed sock yarn.  Then we went to Earthquake Park at the edge of the city.  In 1964, the strongest earthquake struck Alaska.  In that area the ground dropped over 30 feet and slid into the ocean...homes, people, and everything else.  There were photos too of the extensive damage done to the city. 

Trey wanted one more piece of pie from a small bakery he discovered downtown.  So we did some final shopping and he got his pie.  This last photo is one of the colorful moose on the outside of the bakery.  Looks like inspiration for a art quilt.   Anyway, 14 hours later I was home having sweet tea and ready for sleep.   Thanks for sharing my blogging  of Alaska memories.   If you ever get the opportunity to visit Alaska, go.  It is a trip worth the effort to get there.        I'm off to practice thread painting and begin a design for the online class.  Happy Stitching.

Copper Center Day

We drove out Glenn Highway to Glennallen and Copper Center.  Both are very small towns, but the reason behind this whole trip.  Russ grew up as a missionary kid in Copper Center and Tok area.  The Chapel on the Hill story has been told over and over, and I am glad we made the trip to see it.  This was the first post for him Mom and Dad to the Indians.  It is just a small log cabin, but was the center and reason they went to Alaska.  Russ tells of having to sit on the front row each week, about wild crocus coming up through the snow, about walking to the lodge area to the shop where his Dad worked some times and being whipped all the way home. 

We found the lodge--Copper Center Roadhouse--along the Copper River about 1/2 mile away.  It is now owned by the grandson of the original owner, and he is developing the area around the lodge with old log cabins and building.  One is now the Historical Society and a small museum, and a QUILT SHOP!  The owners were so gracious and opened up everything for us.  We really enjoyed browsing the area and talking to them all.  The chapel area has been sold and the chapel building given to the lodge owner.  He will be moving it to a new location next to the lodge this year.  I am so glad to know it will be looked after and cared for in the years to come.   So if you are ever in Copper Center, AK stop by Stitches from  the Attic.       We visited Mt. Wrangell Elias State Park, which is beautiful.  The park is larger than Switzerland, and encompasses all the types of area of Alaska--mountains, tundra, and lakes and forests.  Beautiful quaking aspens on the bluffs overlooking the lower tundra that lead to the mountains.

Heading back to our cabin we decided to stop by Lake Louise--tundra area-- and try to see caribou.  We ate at the Lake Louise Lodge--surprise, surprise--overlooking the lake and islands!  There were about 6 or 7 homes on the larger island.  I asked if they were year round homes.  Yes, people have their own power plant generators, and use boats and ATVs in winter to get across the lake. Talk about pioneer spirits.  Our waitress said to look for caribou as we left and sure enough we spotted a couple of them munching on shrubs.  We also saw a moose in the area too.  Deana was dancing for joy. 

Tomorrow is our last day.....  so back to the cabin to pack.  Or rather cram everything in.  Do you know how much room 31/2 yards of fabric takes?  A lot more than I thought when trying to stuff it in along with everything else we bought....so it ended up in the carry on bag.

Train ride to Whittier

What a treat to ride the viewing car train.  Even though it was a long, slow ride, the trip along the coast was great.  High cliffs on one side, often snow banks right down to the tracks, and the rocky shoreline and ocean on the other.  We saw sheep grazing on the mountain sides, eagles, and mallard ducks, and a couple of moose climbing through the woods.  There is only one track part of the way and another train was heading our way.  There was a short delay  while the engineer switched the tracks and the other train passed.  Whittier is a major port and about 80% of all goods come through there. 

The cruise was 4 hours through Prince William Sound to see and view 27 glaciers.  A glacier forms when there is more snowfall than can melt in a season.  It compresses and hardens.   Over the years layers build up and debris and dirt are sealed between them forming black lines.  The blue ice forms from pressure of  the glacier.  We drifted slowly through several ice floes and you could hear it crunch against the hull of the ship.  We did see several "calving" events of the ice.  Sea otters floated on large chunks of ice, and others on their backs in the water with the babies on their stomachs.  there were flocks of birds, and a group of porpoises followed us for a while, playing, leaping and diving.  On the way back to port we saw a humpback whale and her baby.  She blew for us a couple of times and then raised her tail, called the fluke", and dove deep.  The captain said that was a rare sight.  Simply amazing.

Alaska Continued

I'm not sure what I did, but this post published instead of the train....So I have finished this draft and will post it too.

We left Anchorage and headed out the Glenn Highway towards Palmer for a quick drop in with a friend Russ knew 50 years ago.  Stan and Ginny were wonderful and gave us lots of  help with what to do on our travels.    The views were amazing all along the way.  This was outside Palmer at the Musk Ox farm where we stopped.  Deana is a knitter and wanted to see the musk ox that are known for their quivet---very fine hair that is the ultimate for knitting when spun.  The farm was actually closed but Nick was gracious and allowed us a 20 minute tour to see a few animals.  The farm is working to domesticate and increase the herd as a viable product for  the native economy.  The musk ox is the largest prehistoric mammal left.

After a stop at the Walmart for snacks and water and a knee support brace for me, we headed for the Tundra Rose, our cabin for the rest of the week.  Everywhere we looked was a scene you wanted to capture.  Each mile revealed a different vista, and we stopped at a lot of pull outs. 

This was a viewing area we stopped at along the Matanuska River.  Deana and Russ found a way down to the river bed to look for rocks.  The river is low right now, as the rainy season is about a month away.           We got to the cabin, and went for dinner at the Sheep Mountain Lodge.  The sourdough rolls were the size of a small loaf of bread!  And we saw the Dahl sheep grazing on the mountain side.  They actually have viewing sites to sit and watch for sheep and wildlife along the roads.        Here's a view from our cabin early the next morning.

Russ and I headed to Victory Camp just a few miles away, and spotted a moose on the side of the road.  What a sight!  Victory Camp has grown and modernized from what he remembered.  There is a beautiful lodge and different theme camps now.  Both of the lakes still had ice on them.  Such beauty.  Rick is now the director  and  began showing us around.  But a quick call and Nadine arrived to give us a grand tour.  Nadine is considered the grand matriarch of the area as she and her husband were the founding missionaries here.  At 90 years old, she still drives the gravel roads and knows every one by name.  It was a great privilege to spend time with her.  She took us to lunch at the Long Rifle Lodge to see "old Alaska".  The lodge had wonderful food and views and was filled with life size bears, muskox, and moose.   As we were leaving, Nadine walked us out the back hall where old photos from early camp days line the walls.  Very near the end of the hall there was a photo of about 15 kids in the back of an old Ford pick up truck.  My husband was looking at it and suddenly said "There's Dwayne"--his brother.  And standing right behind him was Russ.  Of all the old photos they could have hung, they chose one with both of them in it.

 We spent the afternoon at Matanuska Glacier Park.  It is the largest glacier that is easily accessible by car.  About a 20 minute hike around the very rocky, steep marked path took Deana, Trey and Russ to the black ice. ( I stayed at the viewing area because of my knee.)  The black ice is part of the glacier that is covered by dirt and silt.            You could hear the ice crack and break off ---it sounded like a rifle shot as it reverberated off the mountains. 

This is where the river begins at the glacier.  On the way out of the park we stopped along the bank of the river for a hunt for a small enough piece of "driftwood"  to take home.    And we did manage to get it into the suitcase.

Quilting is big in Alaska

Everything is big in Alaska...including quilting.  Why?  Long winter nights---that is day and night are dark, I hear, with only 4 to 5 hours of twilight for daytime. 

The Quilted Raven is a really neat shop in downtown  Anchorage that Deana found listed in the phonebook.  So off we went.  I never expected to find such a cute shop there, and very friendly  staff to top it off.  We talked quilting and guilds and she cleared off the table for me to sort through what I liked.  They had a wonderful selection of scenic and Alaskan prints.  And wildflower prints that were just great.  My mind began to picture 2 or 3 things I could do with these fabrics. 

And then my wonderful husband said, "There's another rack you haven't looked at."  Boy, were we in trouble.....prints of glaciers, and the northern lights, mountains, and totem poles.  And it was buy 5 and get 1 free....so I did.  I know I blew my stash busting diet, but what a great way to do it.   

Just a bit about the raven and the totems.  I thought that totem poles would be a common sight.  I  only found a few--mainly at the museum and rail depot.  So I picked up a small book on the history of totems.  Totems are ceremonial pieces many times.  The celebrate an event or a person.  The chief of the clan might have several outside his home, or as a door support.  Totems tell a story and are usually read top to bottom.  The raven is a common figure used on totems, and he represents a trickster/creator---the duality of his nature.  The legend says he stole the sun from his master and hung it in the sky.   So often the raven has a flat disk in his beak.   

 The photo to the right is a more common sight in Anchorage.  The symbols are very stylized and colorful.  This one is over the window at the gift shop.
Tomorrow we head to see the glaciers....

I headed to the grocery store this morning and grabbed a jacket out of habit, I guess.  Ugh! The humidity hit me in the face....you are not in Alaska now.  There is very little humidity there,  and the spring days warmed very quickly to comfortable temperatures. 

We stayed in the historic Anchorage Hotel on E Street the first 3 nights.  It was right downtown and within walking distance to the market and train station.  So that was great planning, Deana.  The first night was strange...lots of noise, clomping steps and voices in the hall.  Trey said he heard children running in the hallway too.  The next morning Deana checked and found out there were no children staying there.  Supposedly this hotel has a few haunts.  Could be because the next 2 nights were very quiet, and yet there were more guests.

 It originally was a rooming house for gold miners, and part of it  was destroyed by the earthquake in 1964.  I loved the "air conditioner" in our room, too!  Right next door was Grizzley's gift shop, very aptly named.   They wheeled him out every day and took him in at night. Or actually when they closed.  There is not a lot of night  right now in Alaska, only about 3 hours or so.  By 5 or 5:30 am it was quite bright outside.  And it is still daylight at 10 pm. 

The Anchorage weekend market opened about 10 am.  I was ready to go about 2 hours before that.  The market is open air and they begin setting up about 7 am.  It was fun to watch the trucks pull in and set up all the tents and such in such a short time.   In the photo the market is on the left...and you can see the mountains surrounding the city.  There were all types of crafts and artisans there.  I met a flute maker and he even played one for us.  And a native carver, who is passing on the family business to his young son.  They do carvings in soapstone and antlers.  Just amazing.  I bought a spirit face carved out of cottonwood, which is abundant there. We also found buttons cut from antlers.  Just had to have a couple for an art project for this trip.

So while we browsed and shopped, Trey ate his way through the market.  Reindeer sausages, lemonades, corn fritters (which I had to have because they were delicious) and I'm not sure what else.  I  loved all the street signs set up to mark the intersections.    And that was just the morning.....afternoon was the quilt shop, The Quilted Raven.  I'll save that for tomorrow's post. 

A few views of Alaska

Our first views of the mountains from the plane. 

Lots of snow still left on the Chugach Mountains that surround Anchorage, Alaska.

Just a peek through the branches of a white spruce outside our cabin early one morning. I took lots of photos of trees in anticipation of doing thread painting.

Mount Wrangell and the tundra and forest as seen from the state park walk.

It was an amazing trip, with incredible and unbelievable views.  The one thing that stands out in my mind is the people we met.  Every person, from the waitress to the hotel staff to the fabulous artisans at the market, was  friendly and helpful.  They were genuinely interested in our trip and wanted to help in any way they could.   Alaska is the last frontier full of pioneer-spirited people who are warm, genuine and have a marvelous passion for their state. 
I'm due for some sleep right now,  but look forward to sharing a lot that I saw....and bought!