So, I am on vacation. I try really hard to keep that a bit on the down low until after a vacation is over by having blog posts scheduled and staying active via comment replies and IG and Facebook when I know I will be away. This time I had the brilliant idea to write a blog post or two in the evenings on my iPad, though. Last night, I accidentally published one draft before it was ready for prime time, so all my email followers have a really good idea about next Wednesday’s blog post. Sorry about that!
Yvonne on the Beach – Photo by Renee @Quilts of a Feather
So I might as well go ahead and tell you a bit about my vacation! Renee @Quilts of a Feather and I planned a beach sewing vacation together over a year ago, and it finally happened! We spent a week together in Newport, Oregon, sewing, walking, and seeing the sights.
Yvonne and Renee at Yaquina Head Lighthouse
We visited Yaquina Head twice and got to go on the lighthouse tour. I am not crazy about heights, but I told myself that if I could walk around the shuttle launch pad structure at Kennedy Space Center, I could climb up and down the steps at the light house. It helped knowing the walls were over 5 feet thick at the base. Just what a nervous structural engineer wants to hear!
Fractal Friendship Star Mini Quilt
Remember the quilt I made and gifted Renee, Quilt the Life Into It? It was part of a swap we agreed to, and she gifted this beautiful Fractal Friendship Star mini to me on our trip. You can read all the details about her process on her blog.
Beach Treasures
I declared the last day a no sew day. I took a nap in the morning, and we spent several hours combing the beach at Devil’s Punchbowl where we finally found sea glass and shells.
Yvonne in Real Life
Somehow I forgot that I had declared it a no sew day and spent some time in the evening hand binding a mini quilt Renee made during our stay. I do love to hand bind, but clearly the realization that I had been tricked happened about the time Renee took the picture of me finishing her quilt!
Renee Working on the #QMChallenge
Most of my photographs from the trip are on my camera, and I am sitting in the Portland airport writing this post, so you are going to be subject to another recap post (featuring more of the sewing projects we worked on during the week).
PDX Carpet
I am at the airport waiting for my husband to come join me in Oregon for a bit of a vacation extension; we plan to hike around Mount Hood for a few days. So I am going to be off the grid a bit longer. Hopefully I will not accidentally publish posts too soon again.
Hi Yvonne. I live in Grants Pass Oregon way at the bottom of the state. Isn’t the Oregon coast beautiful. The beach is so relaxing that I could sot and just watch the waves for hours and hours.
Have a wonderful extended vacation with your hubby.
Thanks for taking the time to post the photos. I love vacations by the pacific ocean. The smell, the sounds, the sights are just so relaxing. And what is more fun than gazing into tide pools.
Ha! Now the mystery is solved! I will comment on that great post next Wednesday, but I immediately sent it forward to my daughter in Sweden. It was a keeper, that is for sure! BTW, I am a little envious of your shells and glass! I live in northern Florida, and go to the St. Augustine beach here from time to time looking for treasure, and I would be thrilled if I had half of your treasure pile! Keep enjoying your trip and be safe!
Have a lovely time Yvonne. I love reading your blog. I found it via your “On a slope” pattern on Cloud 9 Fabrics website – it’s a genius pattern, love the variations, and definitely on my list of things to do – thank you x
Catch up with you after your vacation, have a wonderful time 🙂
Looks like you are having a lot of fun. Wish I was with you.
Looks like a wonderful sew-cation…just what the soul needs. Love the sea glass. What a fun treasure hunt that would have been! Enjoy the rest of your off-grid moments. I look forward to the recap post!
Good Afternoon Yvonne! I love going and spending any amount time anywhere on the Oregon coast. It is so gorgeous! I have to admit it is always a bit of a disappointment when the wind is blowing really hard and very coldly. I rarely get out of the car on those sort of days, but I still enjoy all of the wild life and the gorgeous scenery on top of all of the wonderful stores that you can sight seeing in or shopping in.
I wish that you would have let me know, although I do understand that vacations are vacations for a reason! But being only a 4 hour drive from Portland, here in Grants Pass, Oregon my husband, myself and Deanna would have driven up to meet you and your friend or your husband. I truly would love for the two of us to meet and get to know each other a bit. Hopefully, if you feel the same, the next time you are in Oregon we can make arrangements to meet and spend some time together.
Have a fantastic time on the remainder of your vacation with your husband!
Your Friend Brenda
It looks like it was an awesome week! Both the company and the location seem perfect 🙂 I’ll be looking forward to the sewing-related recap too 🙂
Enjoy your time off in beautiful Oregon! If you get a chance, go visit the Mt. St. Helens Nat’l monument just north of Portland in WA. Truly awesome.
What a great vacation! I’m sure you both had fun, got lots of sewing in, and had some amazing walks and talks! We use to visit Newport all the time when I lived in PDX! Although its been awhile, it was always a great hang with a small town feel! Have fun on leg 2 with your husband…Mt. Hood!!!
Thanks for the sneak peek into your vacation, looks like you are having a wonderful time!
Sounds like you’ve had a wonderful time. My daughter and her boyfriend should be in Astoria by now and about to embark on a bike trip down the coast. Enjoy Mt Hood.
What a beautiful place to have a sew vacation at.
These are beautiful photos Yvonne. So glad you shared them with us.
I’ve been having fun catching up on some blog reading. You have been so productive with great projects. Enjoy your vacation!
That sounds like the ideal holiday , girl time chilling out and being creative then husband time doing ,well walking, eating
Your sewing vacation sounds like fun!! Enjoy the rest with your husband!!
Sewing and relaxing with friends is the best! I’ve been enjoying the IG photos of you exploring our neck of the woods in the Northwest.
Such a fun time! I’m glad we both took lots of pictures, I’m looking forward to seeing the ones you took! I’ve been home for two days now and have yet to plug in my camera and go through it.
One of my favorite family car trip memories is of a breakfast we cooked at the picnic wayside area at Devils Punch bowl. We had a stale loaf of San Francisco sourdough bread and a bottle of Marion berry syrup from a road side stand. Voila, we pulled out the cook stove and made sourdough French toast and Marion berry syrup. The rush of the punch bowl to serenade us as we ate. I can still taste and see it all.
Have a happy holiday Yvonne. Two happy sewing friends on holiday together – sounds great!
This sounds like the most idyllic getaway Yvonne. You and Renee are a hoot!
Looks like you had a great trip! It’s so much fun to sew with a buddy. Hopefully you will be posting some shots of Mount Hood is so beautiful out there. Enjoy.
Is that the tongue of a concentrating face? 🙂 It looks like a fun trip.
What would a nervous structural engineer think about ballooning? I am trying that next week. No 5-foot-thick walls where I am going!