Home Again...Home Again

I'm back from my travels.  I had a whirlwind trip sticking to a very close schedule in order to see my family which led me to drive most of the western side of the state of Oregon.  I didn't mind the driving though, because I can't get in a car and drive like that here!

My sister and I enjoyed a wonderful time together in southern Oregon.  In the past, we have made it an annual routine to float down the Rogue River with inflated kayaks.  So this was a top priority.  The river hadn't changed a bit.  It had been 5 or 6 years since our last float.  The weather was perfect, sunny with a slight breeze, and somewhere in the 90's with a water temperature of 53 degrees F.   My favorite part was the smell of the wind snaking through the evergreens as it skimmed across the surface of the water.  Here are some Canadian geese having a soak.     

Prior to the day spent on the river, my sister kindly drove me to her local Jo-Ann's where I was delighted to find the Founder's Day Sale going on.  Vogue patterns for $3.99, scissors for 1/2 off, buttons for 1/2 off.  I stocked up!  The cream buttons in the photo came from Fabric Depot's outdoor sale.

We also went to an antique shop and I stumbled upon a drawer full of vintage buttons.  I picked these up.

The next phase of my trip was spent in central western Oregon with my brothers and their families.  There is never enough time, but I am thankful for the time I had. A highlight was meeting the newest member of this side of my family with one on the way in October.  (You will probably see a baby sewing project in the next month!)  I also had the opportunity to go boating on Fern Ridge Reservoir.  I had never been on this lake before, so I appreciated seeing the different environment, which was more on the marshy/wetland side with loons instead of geese.  

 

Then it was on to Portland for the last day of my trip.  More time with family and friends and fabric shopping.  I went to Mill End and Fabric Depot.  Here is the fabric I purchased.  There are several different types including lining, knit, rayon, linen, and cotton.  I will describe each one as I sew them up in the upcoming months.  The fabric stores here are so small that I had forgotten how overwhelming gigantic fabric shops are.  Can there really be so much product in one place? Yes, and I couldn't possibly see it all.  But I did find some beauties - be it the texture and/or print. 

 

The flight back was perfectly orchestrated.  When I sat in my seat I could see that the young lady next to me was feeling poorly.  I asked her if she had a cold and she, with a questioning look, answered that she did.  I assured her not to worry.  We would be perfect seat mates as I too had a cold.  So we sniffed, coughed, and slept our way back to the island. 

Thank you all for the kind compliments on my last outfit.  I really am pleased with it.  My sewing will slow down a bit now that the lazy days of summer have come to an end.  I must recover and plan out my curriculum and goals for the coming year with my boys.  We begin next Monday and all three have now been contacted by their soccer coaches.  Excitement for the new season is in the air!  Can't wait to catch up on all your projects and news over the past 5 days.