The Palouse

I've always said that the top of a mountain, creek side in a quiet meadow, or a beach are the most peaceful places to sit, commune with one's self and one's creator. Over the past year, however, I've driven through the Palouse a few times and every time my breath is taken away with how beautiful and peaceful it is. It's been like a fast acting phone charger but to my soul.

The Palouse is the rolling hills in central&eastern Washington that is atop the Columbia Plateua. It's vegetation consists of tumbleweed, tumbleweed, and more tumbleweed, with some other assorted crops throughout. The sunsets are spectacular, the deer are  majestic against the sub setting backdrop and the old barns and grain silos are a connection to simpler times. I miss simpler times, and I didn't even live in them!  The Palouse is a natural patchwork quilt, cultivated by generations of hard-working frontiersmen and women. 

I still live the ocean and mountain tops, but this Palouse is quickly surpassing some of those sights as the perfect peaceful place!

Western Washington Shop Hop 2014

A couple weeks ago, I was exploring a new quilt shop (well, not new, bit new to me) in Duvall. The woman working was so delightfully helpful! As I readied for my departure, she asked if I was doing the Shop Hop. I asked her, "the huh-what?"  She went on to tell me all about the shop hop and what it consisted of. The more she talked, the more I thought that I had to do it! It sounded like a scavenger huntesque event consisting of 51 stores spread across western Washington. I love a good challenge, so I plotted out my course of action. 

As I had to work on the first two days, I only visited three stores each those two days. I really liked the store in Ballard called The Quilter's Loft. It was there that I saw this beauty! I'm so gonna make it!

The deal is that as one travels from shop to shop, participants receive a quilt block pattern and three pieces of fabric. For many blocks, they provided all of the needed fabric. Others did not. On day three, I drove 275 miles and got to 16 more stores. 

Thankfully, I had a partner in crime that day! Thanks Kim!

I also learned some new techniques and about some cool tools that make quilting a little easier. (Possible Christmas present?-mom?) This one, I learned at Bayside Quilting in Olympia--also a cool store.

Many stores offered their blocks from years past for sale. Some were SO cute, like this little beehive. I got a few along the way, because--honestly--I probably won't do some of the free blocks because they're, well, ugly or too hard. So, I will supplement with some cute blocks I saw along the way.

I also saw cute ideas that weren't meant for the shop hop, but these chickens were so cute I had to remember them!

On day four, I drove another 225 miles and got to 10 more stores! I fell in love with the shop in Freeland, WA on Whidbey Island. They had fabrics I hadn't seen anywhere else and the lady working was so nice!

I had such a blast! I can't wait til next year!

4th of JULY!

My favorite time of year!

New flag wall hanging, banner of Americana themed sayings and mason jars! Love crafting for the home!