Hello, Again!

It’s been a while since I blogged about our life changes, moving to Hawaii and then returning to the mainland to Naples, Florida. We are either Hobbits or Gypsies, we haven’t decided yet. I’ve shared photos of quilts I’ve made or those treasures I quilted for others.

However, this site had limited space and we have wanted to include a web store front to compliment our blog. I had a worldwide audience, but no real way to deliver products. Now, I am expanding to offer digital quilts and embroidery designs for a large number of machine formats.  Because of the growth of my long-arm quilting services, we are taking on a new adventure which to offer embroidery services. We didn’t stop there though, my husband has taken the opportunity to retire as a CPA and use his wide array of technology skills to add design and digitizing for quilting and embroidery machines, giving us a world wide presence for our brand of products and services.  He also built this site completely by himself integrating numerous plugins for email campaigns and eCommerce.

What this is all leading to is that we now have a much better internet presence than before, offering products that can be ordered and shipped, delivered as downloads, or as a virtual service.  Without further adieu, let us say hello again and we look forward to hearing from you.  If you are new to The Beachy Quilter or have not signed up for our newsletter, we urge you so that you can receive our newsletter filled with coupons and FREE stuff, such as free pattern downloads, videos, etc.

I hope you will visit me again at https://thebeachyquilter.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

The Big Projects are DONE!

I know it’s been a while, but we have had some big projects in August keeping us busy, busy, busy! There just wasn’t enough energy left to tell you about it all until now. I will give you the highlights…cuz I know you are busy, busy, busy too!

When last I blogged, the wood flooring was finished. Yes, I am still loving my little space!

Midway through the install, we discovered a leak in the garage…thankfully, it was just in the garage! Mr. G sent out requests for bids.

This is an old photo…but the best one I could find with both the roof and the garage door…which  we finally replaced in between the new flooring and new roof.

Here is the after…!! A more reflective color for the roof, an all-metal, hurricane proof garage door and, almost best of all, an automatic garage door opener!! Yep, for one year and four months, Mr. G had to open and close the old door! It is SO nice when the rain is coming down as we drive up and just push that sweet, little button! It’s the little things that make a happy Mr. G!!!

Side note: the banana fell over a couple of days ago under its own weight and aided by its leaning stature. I hope all those bananas ripen soon! One is hiding behind the other but there are two baby banana plants next to it.

All of this was going on with rain still falling and Hurricanes Lester and Madeleine looming closer to our Hawaiian islands. We are happy neither storm made our projects miss a beat!

I also completed two large quilting projects. This was for a decorator on the south side of the island. I hope to get a picture of it on the client’s bed…she says the room is “stunning”! This is the largest quilt I have worked to date…109″ x 109″, California King!

I was so happy to make this final square…there are 288 of these!

And a peek at the binding…I found a perfect batik and the client agreed!

This custom king size quilt is still a secret, so I won’t give too much information on it just yet! I have been asked to make matching pillow shams, so I will post all of it when it has been revealed by my customer.

It is on my bed in this photo…oh, and just look at that gorgeous floor! 😉

This is a very light quilt, the client wants to use it almost year round and wanted very little batting. I used Quilters Dream Natural Cotton in Request to keep it as thin as possible. She loves it! 🙂

August was quite a month for us! I hope you all had a wonderful end to your summer.

In a couple of weeks, our son and his family will arrive! I can hardly wait to see our two grandsons! In the meantime, I have some more quilting to do and that will make the time fly as fast as the summer we just had!

I just hope we are DONE with the major home DIY projects for a good while! Fingers crossed!

Aloha!

 

 

 

The Lull Before the Storm

I sit here watching a steady rain falling on the bright green foliage in our front yard. We are awaiting land fall of Tropical Storm Darby. We are hoping it does nothing more than drop a lot of rain with not-so-strong winds. We are very thankful it didn’t remain at hurricane status!!

We have plenty of provisions and fingers crossed we don’t lose power.

The prediction of its path has changed a bit and now Kauai is set for a direct mark. We are the little round island shown as green just above the 8 AM Mon.

Now we just wait.

Not only for a storm, but the arrival of our guests from Norman. Imant, Becca and their two small children are set to fly out Monday morning and, we hope, the storm will be well ahead of them so that they don’t have any delays.

Our other friends, Steven and Gwen, left mid-week and are now safely in China visiting their son. What a wonderful time we had with them during their stay! We celebrated 30+ years of friendship with good food and drinks, lots of laughs, and mostly sunshine during their stay.

They were enchanted with the island and we showed them the highlights…Kalalou Lookout, the Waimea Canyon, Anini Beach, Poipu Beach…and we enjoyed eating out several times. Here was our sunset during dinner at the St. Regis in Princeville.

Muddy hikes and a kayak tour up the Wailua River to Secret Falls. It was so much fun having them here to see just a tiny part of what Kauai has to offer!

With the arrival of our other friends, we will begin a major project to the house…new hardwood flooring!

All the carpet will be ripped out and this will go in its place. One bathroom will be getting a makeover as well. Won’t this be fun!?

I hope to get at least one more top quilted before the storm hits and/or the Gammill longarm gets moved. Wish me luck! 😉

Have a great Sunday!

 

 

 

 

A Visit from the Parents!

Is just seems like a few days ago was Mother’s Day and now we are already on the back end of May! 😦

We had a wonderful week with my parents here! We took them to most of the favorite tourist stops as well as a few of our own. Warning! Lots of pictures in this post! 🙂

I snapped this right after they arrived…first visit deserves leis!

My mom’s belated Mother’s Day floral arrangement was stunning! Thanks Safeway Floral Dept.!!

First up, we had a mini family reunion with my mom’s cousin (well, she is my cousin, too!) at one of our favorite restaurants. You can go back to this post to see how we met Debbie and Chuck for the first time!

We went to their home for more photos and to show my parents their lovely acreage!

We were entertained and fed very well at the Smith Family Luau. These were my favorite photos – my parents by one of the water features in the tropical gardens and Mr. G and me waiting for the food!

Next up was the west side of the island…Waimea Canyon and the Kalalou Lookout at Koke’e Park. The first stop was the Kauai Coffee Company!

Then the splendor that is Kauai!

Waimea Canyon waterfall

We only got a brief glance of the beach through the cloud cover.

 

 

 

A picnic in the clouds

A brief stop at Poipu and the Blow Hole…south side of Kauai

Natural blow hole

Trying to get a picture of the sea turtle

Off to the north side is next…

Pier at Hanalei

Waterfall in the distance

Taro fields-right

Taro fields-left

How about a riverboat ride to the Fern Grotto? You bet!

Our ride is by the umbrella…

complete with singing entertainment and a hula dancer!

This is NOT our golden retriever, Ruby!

The cave is large enough to not be easily captured in one photo…

and the sun was just right above to put a glare on almost every shot.

But the flora and fauna were outstanding!

Of course, a trip to the Kilauea Lighthouse is a must see!

This is view as we walked up to the lighthouse…

Our week went by quickly but not without a quiet beach day before their last day. Papa gave snorkeling a try…and liked it a lot! One more waterfall and a dinner by the ocean before they left.

Wailua Falls (the Fantasy Island waterfall!)

I am so glad they were able to come to Kauai and hope they took back some great memories! We jammed in a lot to see…but didn’t even make a dent in the list of other things to see and do. We’ll save those for another visit!

I hope you enjoyed the photos…we took a bunch as did the folks. These are just a few of the best ones. Some are still on Mr. G’s camera…who knows what gems are still to follow! But we did have a silly family photo taken…gotta get those every now and then, right?! 😉

No one even fell down!! Ha!

Sunburns were kept at a minimal…one slightly bald head got a bit pink and a v-neck blouse revealed a healthy glow to take home…they said their sunscreen was SPF 100…I guess it really works! 😉

Aloha!

A Mighty Tree Falls

While my new Statler rests after a couple of days of use by an eager operator (me!), we scheduled a tree cutting day. The last of the mess on the NE corner of our front yard was finally coming down.

We closed on our home a year ago, April 7 and you can see this post of how the corner used to look. The African Tulip was the remaining v-e-r-y tall tree. We are guesstimating about 40 feet!

Again, for those of you who hate cutting down a tree, remember, this tree is growing next to our main water line…it is non-native, it litters the yard with blossoms and leaves CONSTANTLY, as in every day all year long, and super invasive…a perfect example of a trash tree…it has to go.

Here was how it looked the day the tree started to come down…well, at least how it looked about 20 minutes after the guys arrived! I was a bit distracted and didn’t get a photo before they started! They did not fool around!!

(You know it is quite handy to have a neighbor down the street who happens to work for the forestry service and has a tree cutting service on his days off!!)

The cloudy skies only sprinkled a few raindrops and the guys kept at it…here the canopy is now down.

Next, discussions on where to cut the trunk…

The wedge is cut…

…and then the trunk is marked from the opposite side. They have it tied so it will fall away from the power lines…good plan!

And then with the final rip of the chain saw and a pull…

…it lands exactly where they intended! Good job, guys!

It’s hard to believe they got MOST of the tree in this small trailer! Well, I guess not really…the tree was mainly trunk and didn’t have that many branches! But still! They will haul away this load and come back for the remainder after lunch.

Here’s a photo of the remaining stump for perspective. The tree was almost 3-1/2 feet in diameter! It’s roots are not only above the ground in our yard, but the neighbor’s yard and towards the easement in front of our hedge.

So, before and after…

Mr. G has the last load of debris from the lot across the street ready to be removed! It is officially “cleared” and now just needs a weekly mow!

Yea, the new owners are definitely in need of a new fence! But, never mind that…look at the beautiful, clean vacant lot! It is no longer the eye-sore of the neighborhood.

What a year, right?! Mr. G has worked very hard and his efforts are greatly appreciated by me, of course, but also the neighbors!

Now, to get to that rim in the back yard…stay tuned!

Aloha!

 

Remember No DST in Hawaii

Happy Sunday to you! Here in the U.S, Daylight Savings Time is in effect…except here in Hawaii…yayyy!!! The time change always messed me up for several days and I am grateful that won’t be an issue for me from now on – except for remembering what time it is when I call friends and family on the mainland!! 🙂

I saw an exciting post shared by Vicky’s Fabrics, one of my LQS, about a retreat this summer here on Kauai! Guess who’s coming here…Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company! Whoohoo!! I snagged the info and photo from their site!!

Indulge Retreat In 

Hawaii & Kansas City In 2016!

Four days you will remember for a very long time…

Featuring Jenny Doan

 

Here is the link shared in the post if you would like to attend. It will be hosted by Indulge Retreat.

Our Kauai Quilt Guild monthly meeting is today, so I am sure there will be a lot of buzz about this! I want to know if we locals can join in the fun without having to stay at the resort. However, if that is a requirement, then I will make that sacrifice!! Oh, hell yea!! 😉

It will be a busy week as our quilt show opens this coming Friday! Setup will be on Thursday. If you have ever worked behind the scenes of quilt show you know how crazy that will be! (Think “herding cats”!) I can’t wait to share photos of that as well as some of the lovely quilts on display! Check back for that!

If you are wanting to attend our FREE quilt show, click on the “Things to See & Do” tab above for details!

I also finished this quilt mentioned in this post! It was a top I made just before we left Oklahoma last March! I found a gorgeous batik at Kapaia Stitchery, another LQS, for the backing and binding. There is a peek of it on my Instagram today!

” Beach Glass”

I’ll get some help taking a final picture of it today and post tomorrow!

Have a blessed Sunday…wherever you are…and whatever time it is!

Aloha

 

Let’s Write a Pattern Part. 9

Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs is clicking right along with her blog series and we (well…, SHE) is up to publishing a pattern!

 

Digital vs. Printed Quilt Patterns – for my first pattern, I will use a digital format that can be downloaded. I like the economics of the digital version…no paper, envelopes or postage expense and most everyone is comfortable with downloading a PDF document these days. Of course, I wouldn’t mind printing off a copy and mailing it but the buyer would have to pay a nominal amount to cover the postage.

I have another quilt pattern I designed, so we’ll see what the future holds for me. I had best be getting this first one DONE!

I hope to have it ready by this summer (I have a LOT going on in the next few months and Mr. G is right in the heat of tax season…this is the 30th season for him!!) and will offer it on this blog AND…my new online store!!! I’ll let you know when it is stocked and ready to go…soon!

Here is a bit of an update on the vacant lot across the street from us. Mr. G has worked really hard to make our view from the front lanai much nicer!

Here is a before photo and how it all started on this post…overgrown weeds, up to three abandoned cars at any given moment, rodents, well, you get the idea!

and now…

Mr. G in the final corner of the lot

Papaya we can now easily pick in the back corner…

or banana plants with fruit in the opposite corner!

Debris pile

We can now see this lovely bougainvillea bush from the neighbor’s backyard directly behind the vacant lot! This is a close up…you can see how we see it in the photo above…it is behind Mr. G.

AND…finally, the house with the white fence has been purchased!

Look behind the speed limit sign…this was before…do you even see a house in there?!

For the last 2 weeks, a tree service company has been hacking their way through the jungle. Sadly, a lot of the trees had to be cut down because they were taking over!! It looks so much nicer now!

We even have another peek-a-boo view of the mountains behind it! I tried to get a photo of that but it is too hazy today. On a clear day, we will be able to see it…just above the window and through the tree limbs…I know, I know…I’m not a professional photographer…but I promise it is there!! 🙂

We hope to bring down that African Tulip tree in our yard in a couple of months…those orange blossoms are constant! But our view is SO much better!!

Lastly, a few of our hibiscus blooms to brighten your day!

I hope you have enjoyed seeing our little corner of paradise grow more lovely each month! It’s hard to believe we have been here for 10 months but the neighbors seem to be happy with what we have accomplished…one day at a time!

Aloha!

 

 

#1 Amazing Blog to Share Today

I’ve enjoyed reading several blogs written by lots of interesting people over the last day or so mostly about New Year’s resolutions.

I found this one to be especially spot on. The fearless leader of The Badass Quilters Society spoke directly to me on this one!

#1 Amazing Trick to Becoming a Better Quilter

I have been thinking I might have wandered a bit from my “beachy quilter” moniker by adding in other things I like to do, but she has given my liberty to do so! I love lots of things besides quilting and, I believe, because of my interests in those things lets my mind grow and evolve which, in turn, lets my quilting interests grow and evolve as well.

If you are a new quilter, don’t be intimidated by complex designs or complicated patterns. We all start out as beginners…EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US! You will make mistakes and that’s ok…that’s how we learn. I am just now, after 25+ years of “quilting”, feeling I am ready to go in another direction. My new favorite colors and designs are a far leap from the simple 9-patch my Nanna taught me and she would be my biggest cheerleader in my new adventures.

I agree that looking at a LOT of Pinterest links (including Miss Badass’)will keep you from getting any quilting done, BUT the creativity of others is so inspiring! The hours I waste spend looking through the infinity of the Internet is GOOD for me! You can learn so much via YouTube videos and artists’ websites and books…these are generous people…they want to teach you, and for FREE for the most part! Buying a designer’s pattern or artist’s book is a very small price to pay for inspiration and instructions…they already made the mistakes for you! 🙂

I was inspired by this photo…

Floating Prisms

…when I created this…

“Freefalling” measures 61 x 74″

My pattern looks very little like the original design, and that’s how it is supposed to work! Take the idea of someone else and put your spin on it! Their pattern was diamonds…well, I like stars better (I wanted to practice more paper-piecing and those fabrics were in my stash!) See how that works?!

So, having said that, I am off to dream and think about the direction I want my quilts to go this year. Here are a few of my inspirations and ideas for the new year! You can see more on my Pinterest boards here.

From the Hoffman Challenge 2010

Can you say “TEXTURES”!?! Love this!

 

Mosaic art by Felicity Ball

From the book “Skinny Quilts and Table Runners” by Eleanor Levie

Are you seeing a pattern?! I think “water” must be my theme for this year! What else would you expect from a beachy quilter?! 🙂

I hope you grow and stretch your creative endeavors in 2016!

Just do it!! Blaze a trail for yourself and let me know how it goes!

Aloha!

 

 

 

 

 

Short & Simple Resolutions for 2016

Once again, we are at the beginning of a new year! Are you excited?! If you are like me, I look back to see if I met my goals for the previous year.

You can go back to my post here for the new year of 2015…it’s a short post so come on back when you finish! I really only had 3 “resolutions” as well as the move to Kauai. Did I succeed on all of them?! Well…of course not! But, we did make it to Hawaii and that, in and of itself, was a huge resolution we can check off the list – DONE!

#1 was “more finishes”…well, I wasn’t able to finish a UFO a month. The main reason? Most of said UFO’s are still in storage in Oklahoma! Ugh! I did finish quite a few tops before we moved and I did make a complete quilt this year and have two more in the works. I better put this on the list again for 2016! 🙂

#2 was “try a new technique or learn a new skill”. I want this one on my list every year! I did this fabric basket but I discovered it’s not my favorite thing by a long shot!

A wonky bowl-like thing

And I made some ornaments that turned out cute!

Cute and fun!

I definitely have a new technique on the 2016 agenda…landscape and/or thread painted quilting. The modern quilts are giving me some inspiration, too! I am really intrigued by these images…

#3 was to “be more consistent with the blog.” I did as many posts as 2014, which was good. But I know I will do better in 2016! I have quite a few things in the works, so as they start happening, I know I will have a hard time NOT sharing that fun stuff!!

So…my resolutions for 2016? I think I will up-cycle the 2015 resolutions…keeping it simple…keeping it real! We have the biggie resolution done, so now it’s time to settle in, hunker down and get busy!

This was a great meme for 2015 so I think I’ll use it again this year!

For now, I’m outa here…we spent our first day of the new year exploring a couple of beach areas. I have some seashells and driftwood to clean up!

And we have new neighbors…they are retiring here from Maryland! Who can blame them, right?! It’s way too cold back there! (That’s a wee dig at our son-in-love…he’s from Maryland, too!)

Aloha!

 

Handmade Gifts

Good morning from breezy, rainy Kauai! We were told December is the wettest month of the year and it seems to be happening! The waterfalls are gushing and everything is still green! No winter doldrums to be found with Christmas less than a week away!

I had two gift exchanges for quilting friends so I used these fabrics…

Look familiar? Scraps from my friend’s quilt!

Christmas fabrics but not in “traditional” colors!

…and made these from this YouTube video!

Cute and fun!

A bit elegant!

I even found gift bags that coordinated!

There is still a bit of time to whip up a few of these if you need a little something for a quilting or sewing friend! Or perhaps get a head start on next year! 😉

Do you have all your gifts selected, wrapped and ready to give?

Supposedly, yesterday was “Panic Saturday”…the last Saturday to shop before Christmas. I hope today is a calm Sunday for you…remember, the true gifts of Christmas are not store bought…

they are the priceless ones…like mine!

Master Brogan

Master Beckett

Miss Evelyn

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

Aloha!