OPAM Finished Projects in 2018

In 2018 I didn't finish as many projects as in previous years. That's not to say I sewed less. As it happened, several projects were much more involved and took a lot more hours to complete.

My BFF, Lynn and I took a 3 day quilt class in January, to learn the "How to's" for Judy Niemeyer's method of Foundation Paper Piecing. Usually I can pick up a new technique fairly quickly. However, when I first looked at one of her patterns, it looked so complicated that I knew I would need a class or my friend to show me every step of the process!

After taking this quilt class, I learned many tips and tricks for sewing Judy's FPP patterns. The best tip is "take each step separately," not worrying about the next step until you have finished the first step. Another tip is: "Follow the directions of each step carefully." 

And do not worry about how long each step may take.

I love paper piecing because it is such a precise method of quilting and all points are truly perfect! 

 Here is my first Judy Niemeyer finish: The Glacier Star Quilt. 

It measures 60" X 60".

Now that I have learned Judy Niemeyer's Foundation Paper Piecing method I am hooked!

Here are some of my other Judy Niemeyer finishes:

 Winter Wonderland Snowflake Pillow, 16" X 16"

Winter Wonderland Snowflakes Table Runner, 17" X 49"

Feathered Star Quilt, 60" X 60"

Scandinavian Snowflake 20" Table Topper

This last one is Sunflower Illusions. I made this quilt into a cover for our pool table.

Merry Christmas 2018

(Christmas picture taken by Alex, while we all camped at Del Mar RV Park 

on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base!)

2018 marked our 40th anniversary! 

Our kids and grandkids surprised us with an impromptu celebration including a delicious chocolate ice cream cake shared amongst family and friends. To celebrate, we treated ourselves to a 15 day South Pacific Cruise, (ports in Papeete & Bora Bora, Tahiti, American Samoa, Western Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Brisbane & Sydney, Australia).

We met a lot of nice people on this cruise!

It was a wonderful trip! 

Also during 2018, Nicole & David celebrated 15 yrs of marriage; and Alex & Angelina celebrated 10! 

During the summer we RVed across America on I-40, visiting 11 states: Arizona, New Mexico, the panhandle of Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina & Virginia, for a total of 5500 miles! 

The south is so very beautiful, green and lush, but it also has terrible humidity (which we expected and never got used to)!

Our grandkids are growing faster than we’d like (Gigi-11½, Brody & Micah-8½, Hallee-7½, and Seth-5½), and they are all oh so busy with soccer, baseball, softball, and school.

  Wishing you and yours all the blessings of Christmas 

and a Happy 2019!

HAPPY 2018

Wishing all our friends and family 

a very happy new year! 

May 2018 bring you many blessings!!

Happy New Year from the Pavones!

We made so many memories on our travels in 2017.

We are truly blessed and fortunate to be able to travel.

Mid-January took us to Nashville where we met great friends and visited the Jack Daniels Distillery, in nearby Lynchburg, as well as a 'behind the scenes' tour of the Jack Daniels Fire Brigade; met friends in Las Vegas; a Caribbean Cruise, in February, with Kathy and Stan (my sis and BiL); and a few RV trips, including trips to Pismo Beach, Buellton, Rincon County Beach, Newport Beach, Thanksgiving week at Del Mar Beach Resort on Camp Pendleton, and our annual trip to El Mirage, AZ, for the month of March for spring training.

When we returned from AZ, we picked up our new puppy, Bailey, a 14 week Brittany, at the San Diego Airport. She flew down from Idaho to become a member of our family. She's a year old now and a great addition to our family, although we will be glad when she stops digging and chewing things that aren't meant for dog (like drip lines, dog beds, paper or fabric scraps!). She is loving and playful, and helping to keep Sydney (now 13) young at heart!

In July, we took a trip of a lifetime cruising the rugged coastline of Norway with Kathy, Stan, and our good friends, the Lauries. It was a fantastic trip. The Norwegian landscapes and fjords are breathtaking and spectacular (my favorite fjord, Geirangerfjord, is pictured on the front of this card). Norway is one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. It meant so much to walk on the land where our fathers' ancestors are from (although our cruise didn't take us to Skien, 

the actual town, of my dad's ancestors).

Our Christmas gift to our family was taking all 11 of us on a Caribbean Cruise, in mid-December. A wonderful time was had by all, especially the grandkids. They loved everything about the ship, Oasis of the Seas (one of three of the largest cruise ships on the seas): the food, the buffet, swimming in the ships' pools, the Carousel, kids' club activities and more. They also had fun going ashore and swimming or snorkeling in the clear turquoise waters at the beaches of Labadee and Cozumel. It brought us such joy to watch the excitement on our grandkids' faces on this great adventure. Guess we've spoiled them; they can't wait to go on another cruise!!

Sadly, we said goodbye to my mom, Hope (she had Alzheimer's), at the end of Sept., three months shy of her 90th birthday.  She will be missed by so many, and always remembered with love!

            We are thankful for our family, our health, and our friends.

                        Wishing you and your family a very happy and healthy 2018!

OUR NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER

Meet Bailey

She's an adorable pure bred Brittany with Roan speckling. 

She was born on December 22, 2016, 

in Kuna, Idaho. She came to live with us on April 6. 

She flew to San Diego on Alaska Airlines!

It was love at first site for me; Nick has taken a bit longer!!

Here's Bailey with her mom !

She was one of five females in a liter of 9 pups.

Our old dog, Sydney, turned 13 in December! 

She didn't take long to adjust to Bailey moving in with us. She has taken Bailey 

under her wing, shown her both good and bad habits.  

They play a lot together, but there are times when Sydney lets 

Bailey know she's had enough and is done playing. 

At first Sydney didn't allow Bailey to lay too close to her. Then we had Bailey spayed; 

and, when we brought her home, Sydney knew Bailey might be hurting and Sydney 

laid next to her. Now they sleep side by side most of the time!

Bailey is a lucky pup to have Sydney as her second mom and playmate!

Bailey's also lucky to have Scully as a playmate. 

He's a lovable, rather large, labradoodle. 

The two of them became best of pup friends when they first met. 

He's a month older than Bailey and is a part of our daughter's family. 

These two get to play together frequently. 

Despite the fact he probably has 20 lbs on Bailey, 

she can hold her own when they rough-house!!

Bailey is full grown, about 40 lbs! 

We love Bailey, but not some of the bad puppy habits she hasn't outgrown as yet.

Looking forward to no more holes in the lawn or chewed up drip lines, 

dog beds, or other fabric items!

FINISHED PROJECTS OF 2017

Some of My Quilty Finishes for 2017

I finished a total of 47 Projects in 2017

The many parts that make up the Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville's, Mystery Quilt for 2016: 

"En Provence," ready to sew together!

Sewing the many parts together, before sewing them into blocks.

 Once the blocks were completed I decided not to make one large quilt. 

Instead, I made one large "En Provence" Table Topper 

and two small "En Provence" Table Toppers, one for my BFF Quilting buddy, Lynn!

My own designs for a couple of baby quilts, made with love for special friends' grandchildren!

And another for a friend's first grandson due to arrive soon!

(A Quilt in a Day Pattern: "How Charming!")

An apron for my granddaughter, Hallee, who loves to help cook and bake.

I finished this John Flynn's "Wheel of Mystery" Quilt early in 2017. 

I started this quilt at a class held at the 

Pacific International Quilt Show in Santa Clara, CA, in Mid-October of 2016.

Hallee and I with her pink Hawaiian quilt I made for her bunkbed! 

It's super cozy with Minky on the back!

 Snuggling with Papa is the best, under Hallee's new Hawaiian Quilt.

A set of 5 placemats for my daughter's new farm table made in her favorite colors!

In 2017, I got into Hexies!! 

These are hand sewn together and I can take them with me, wherever I go. 

They are easy to work on especially when traveling.

I made two Hexie Placemats (for my nightstands in my bedroom to match my Batik quilt),

 and a Hexie Pillow for my motorhome, pictured above.

Two more Hexie Pillows for my daughter's couch!

"In Full Bloom" Quilt by Mckenna Ryan (8 block quilt, 49" X 52").

I love Mckenna Ryans designs! I love all the colors in her patterns. I have made several of her patterns over the years. This one was a true machine appliqued "Labor of Love."

I started this quilt in 2014, when we went on our first USA RV Trip, 

and finally completed it in 2017.

Another Mckenna Ryan, from her series: "Beach Walk, To The Point."

I made this one at a quilt retreat in Orcutt, CA.

When I realized I didn't have any fall quilts, I decided to make more Hexies 

and sew them together for a Fall Hexie Table Runner.

Then I made a "Crazy Nines" Fall Colors Large Table Topper, 

and a smaller Table Topper from the scraps.

"Christmas Pinwheels" Table Topper made with the Lil Twister ruler.

"Christmas Blessings" Wall Hanging made with a cute panel!

2016 OPAM (One Project A Month) PROJECT FINISHES

During 2016 I finished 40 ProjectS

Among my finishes I made 9 quilts of various sizes, 4 quilted table toppers, clothes for my grandkiddos, 12 hand knit projects, and more. While I finished fewer projects than last year, I did complete 3 big projects that I have been working on for several years, including this beauty, 

"Journey of a Quilter," which is hanging in my sewing room.

• DECEMBER
• (1) Knit V-Neck Vest for my grandson
• (4) Knit Dish Cloths
• (1) Flannel PJ bottoms for me
• (5) Flannel PJ Bottoms for my grandkids
• NOVEMBER
• (1) McKenna Ryan Art Quilt Wall Hanging
• (3) Knit Dish Cloths
• OCTOBER
• (1) "Thyme to Water" Applique Quilt (69" x69")
• SEPTEMBER
• (1) Plastic bag fabric holder
• (1) Handknit Lacy Sweater Vest for a special lady
• AUGUST
• (1) Handknit Lacy Sweater Vest for my granddaughter, Gigi
• (3) Half-Sq Triangle Lap Quilts for Charity
• (1) Mystery Over-sized Queen Quilt in Batiks
• (2) Northwest Trip Memories Table Toppers 24" sq
• JULY
• (1) Baby Quilt
• JUNE
• (1) Flannel Baby Burp Cloth
• (1) Fleece Blanket with Satin Binding
• (1) Sampler Lap Quilt made with Quilt Blocks Swapped
• (1) "Taylored Stars Queen Quilt
• (1) Red White and Blue Round Robin Tablecloth/Quilt
• MAY
• (1) Flannel Comfy Shorts for my grandson Seth
• (1) 84" Tablecloth
• (1) Hand Knit Long Lacy Sweater Vest for my daughter
• APRIL
• (1) PJ bottoms for my granddaughter-Hallee
• (2) Flannel Baby Girl Burp Cloths
• MARCH
• (1) Hand Knit Scarf
• FEBRUARY
• (1) "Journey of a Quilter" (started July/2014)
• (1) "Beachy Stars" Lap Quilt