Design Wall Monday

I spent Labor Day weekend reacquainting myself with my mid-arm quilter, Marta. Inevitably that meant spending time with my seam ripper. Tension issues are so frustrating! But I got it resolved. I know I lose skills when I take so much time off so the simple solution is to quilt on Marta more regularly.

And of course I made it harder on myself by picking a big quilting project...ruler work and lots of pepples.

The backside is so pretty! Time to get the binding on and then I will have a UFO Completion. I think  this was June's UFO...I'm a little behind but that doesn't bother me because this will make SIX UFO completions for the year. That makes me very happy.

Still working on my Disappearing Nine Patch. I love reader input. Kathy gave me a great idea...just take off the bottom two rows and add those blocks to the side. 

So more time with the seam ripper but now I am even closer to getting this top done.

And in keeping with my hope to be more consistent at working on Marta, the next top ready for quilting will be "Snail Takes a Detour." I just need to run a seam to join the two backing pieces.

I'm anxious to finish my Henrietta Whiskers quilt. Anne Sutton sent out the final block and setting instructions yesterday so it could be done for this fall...HaHa. Doubtful, but a nice thought.

Into the Raging Water - Miracle at Havasu

"That looks like a flash flood..."

I looked up to see a wave of brown water pushing through the canyon walls with the little heads of the swimmers flying toward the rafts. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were in the water, ten-year-old cousins. Ironman and Seinfeld, the brothers from Ghana, 15 and 14, who weren't confident swimmers, were in the water. Lovey, Peacekeeper, Hiker Girl and AK Santini were in the water.

Tom Sawyer's mom and Survivor Man  made for the front raft to grab the cousins. Due to his injuries from a kayaking accident, Survivor Man didn't have any feeling in his right foot. As he grabbed to pull Huck Finn into the raft he lost his balance and went into the water. The force of the water pushed him under the raft and out toward the main channel.

The force of the water was pushing against the bodies of all swimmers, pulling them under the rafts. Those of us in the rafts who were trying to get people up out of the water were battling that force that was pulling them down. Tom Sawyer's mom earned her call sign that day. She managed to pull both Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn into the raft...that's some Mamma Grizzly strength.

Lovey went flying by the front raft and somehow managed to grab a rope that was hanging from the canyon wall that the previous set of rafters had used for anchoring their rafts. Then Ironman headed her way and she grabbed him. They both held onto the rope and clung to the side of the canyon wall as the water from the flash flood continued to flow. Debris, like tree branches and logs, started to flow with the current. Seinfeld was on the other side of the canyon wall with Zman trying to bring him onto the raft but Zman had to leave Seinfeld dangling to help Hiker Girl and AK Santini who were pulled under the rafts and popped up two rafts down the line. With AK Santini's help, Zman got Hiker Girl in the raft and then AK Santini. Then Zman went back to help Seinfeld into the raft.

 Brainiac had been trying to pull Peacekeeper into the raft but the force of the water pulling on Peacekeeper was about to drown him as his head was no longer above water. Brainiac had to let him go.

 Our Fearless Leader and I were trying to figure out how to help Survivor Man and Peacekeeper who had been pulled under the raft and were headed toward the main channel. Our Fearless Leader was throwing rescue lines, Survivor Man was able to grab one but Peacekeeper was too far out. He looked back at us with the saddest look I had ever seen. He couldn't see Hiker Girl or Seinfeld at this point and Ironman was hanging on a rope on the canyon wall. Peacekeeper's expression was so powerfully sorrowful...like he thought he had just lost his family.

Somehow...Peacekeeper managed to get on a rock the was upstream from the canyon just before the main flow of the Colorado River. He still couldn't see all of the rafts from his position so I yelled like crazy to tell him that Hiker Girl and Seinfeld were okay. I was so worried about him. I knew he was so frustrated he could do nothing but watch.

I was able to pull Survivor Man onto one of the rafts. I had a five second panic when I realized I didn't know where AK Santini was, but thankfully he was just a couple of rafts away from me...safe and sound.

Lovey was incredible. As she and Ironman hung from the rope with their bodies still halfway in the water, she said they were okay where they were for a while.

We had a few pressing problems.
Three people were not in any raft. One of the rafts looked like it was in danger of flipping due to the force of the water flowing around it...the raft positioned sideways at the canyon bottleneck was half submerged and full of mud and river debris. Zman was the only one left on that raft which was the Bailey family raft. I saw him looking for something as we all started to worry about him being in the raft. I thought Zman was trying to find his new Ipod before leaving the raft but in reality he was digging through his fishing vest looking for a knife to cut one end of the raft free so it would swing out of the current.

As soon as Zman touched the knife blade to the raft's rope it snapped. The raft swung toward Lovey and Ironman, hitting them against the canyon wall. They got a nice jolt from the raft hitting them but they were okay. Zman was able to pull Lovey and Ironman into the raft.

Now we just had to figure out how to get Peacekeeper. AK Santini was able to take one of the rafts and paddle over to the rock with Peacekeeper. I think we all said a collective thank you at that point. We were all alive and no one was noticeably hurt.

The brown water was still pouring from Havasu Canyon. All the families got in their own rafts and we made our way to the nearest campsite on the Colorado River. It was raining lightly but the sky was dark gray even though it was probably about 4:30 in the afternoon.

The Colorado River turned to a terracotta color that day and remained that color for the rest of our journey.

The first camp was about a mile downstream. It was wonderful! Our Fearless Leader was worried about staying on schedule and he voiced a concern that we should try and go a few more miles before making camp as we had only traveled seven miles that day. I wasn't planning on budging. Lovey had no intention of going any farther on the river that day either. I think everyone else was pretty reluctant to get on the water any more that day...why press our luck?

This camp was one of my favorites. It was long and narrow with a high rock wall that tilted outward so we had a natural rain cover.

It was AK Santini's team's turn to cook...pizza in the dutch oven. Not a bite left from the four he made.

 Ak Santini in the floppy hat. Our Fearless Leader in the ski cap. We lost several sun hats at Havasu Canyon. 

That night we gathered and each told their viewpoint of the Miracle at Havasu. 

Survivor Man telling about the Bailey's watching him walk right into a deep pool of water at Havasu Creek. Canyon Craziness!

Sadly, we saw evidence of others getting caught in flash floods in other canyons as we sat at our campsite. An oar floated past, followed by some dry bags (large rubber bags used to store all your personal items from getting wet). There were lots of floating pop cans and a water bottle. The next day we would learn that a group we had met previously on the river, had been hiking at Matkatamiba Canyon when then were hit by a 15-foot wall of water. They managed to scramble up the side of the canyon wall but when they finally got back to their rafts the water had ravaged them. Their biggest loss was their propane stove.

Here's some amazing video of our neighbor rafters in Matkatamiba Canyon during their flash flood experience.

Next up - Day Nine - Lava Falls. The biggest rapid we would tackle on our trip. 

Into the Raging Water - Hiking Havasu Canyon

Havasu Creek was beautiful. It seemed like an endless turquoise stream. Endless, because it looked remarkably the same during the hike up and down the creek. (I guess the heat just took away some of my appreciation for nature's beauty.)

Peacekeeper and Hiker Girl went blazing ahead with all the kids in search of a waterfall. Finding the waterfalls for all the creeks we hiked seemed like searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. About 40 minutes into the hike we all rejoined at a site on the creek where the kids were jumping off a boulder into the water. I was glad to see Zman. He had our family backpack with lunch - protein bars and sodas.

As we sat enjoying our break, Survivor Man started to cross toward us from the other side of the creek. Zman knew Survivor Man was headed for a deep pool which looked deceivingly like a shallow crossing. Survivor Man was also carry a backpack and he was trying to keep it out of the water so he was holding the backpack over his head as he started to cross the creek. To our great amusement, Survivor Man stepped right into the deep pool...down he went...water over his head. To me this was the most funny moment of the entire trip. I was laughing hysterically. Maybe a touch of "canyon craziness," was affecting me.

Hiker Girl was intent on seeing the Havasu waterfall which was at least another hour away so those who wanted to pursue it would not be getting back to the rafts for possibly three more hours. We decided to split up with part of the group going back to the rafts and starting to head down river to look for a camp. I had definitely had enough of hiking...and it seemed the rest of the Bailey clan felt the same way.

I still haven't introduced our Fearless Leader and his wife. You've already met their offspring,  T.S. and Ballerina Girl.

They could be on the cover of "Grand Canyon Tours," because they really had the "full" experience. Flipped raft on Day Six...more about them later. I'm getting ahead of the day's events.

The sun was shining as we started heading back to the rafts, Survivor Man, Lovey, Fearless Leader and wife, and all of the Bailey clan. We passed others hiking the trail who had started from the top of the canyon at a hike-in camp site. They had about a seven-hour hike for the round trip that day. They were all heading up as we headed down the canyon.

July is monsoon season in the Grand Canyon. It was mid-afternoon. Time for the dark clouds to start gathering. We were fairly close to the bottom of the canyon when it started to rain. It is no fun to travel on the river, in a raft, in the rain. We thought maybe once the hikers got back from the waterfall the rain would subside. Lovey, AK Santini and I took cover under a large boulder with an overhang. At this point it had been decided we would wait for the waterfall hiking group before leaving. Zman and Survivor Man, Ballerina Girl and her mom were already at the rafts so our Fearless Leader headed to the rafts to let them know we would be delaying our departure.

AK Santini and I caught up on stories from Survivor Man's family vacations while hunkered down with Lovey. There was a trip to Mexico that involved going over a bridge that was "closed" and things got hairy for a while. Then they did a horseback riding trip in the California mountains that started out incredibly hot and within a few hours they were in rain, then sleet, then snow. Brainiac was a young teenager at the time. The family was only dressed in short sleeves because it had been so hot at the start of the trip. As they huddled to keep warm, Brainiac asked, "Why can't we go on vacations to Hawaii like other families?" 

It's important to get new material to draw from in your family conversations and Brainiac's comment about Hawaii is now a current favorite line we throw out every now and then. 

After only about 15 minutes of conversation, Hiker Girl and the rest of the waterfall seekers came upon us. Once the rain had started they had turned around, deciding to forego the waterfall search.

I found this photo on the web. Just imagine Hiker Girl and Peacekeeper standing there. It looks incredible. It almost makes me want to...no...I'll settle for the picture.

Yippee...this meant is was now time to jump into the water and swim back to the rafts. Time for me to embrace my aquatic nature. We all did have our life vests. We had left them stacked on some rocks at the  bottom of the canyon. 

 I was ready to win this survivor swimming challenge. I was just sure I was on an episode of "Survivor." I swam like a fish and made it to the rafts first. I was so please when I arrived at the rafts...I even announced I was the winner and would like to collect my $15,000 prize. No...this is reality...not a reality show. 

 The members of our party who had been there waiting in the rain at the rafts had re-positioned the Bailey raft so it covered the bottleneck of the canyon horizontally. Our four rafts where the only ones in sight. All of the other canyon hikers who rafted or kayaked in earlier that day were gone. 

Zman and our Fearless Leader had put together a rope ladder to help us all climb back up into the rafts. Let me tell you...that is the hardest thing to do...pull your body weight up out of water that is over your head to get into a raft. I still had to have a lot of help from our Fearless Leader to get up the rope ladder. Brainiac was behind me. He was using his flip flops on his hands like flippers...he was the only one without a life vest. He had left it on the raft after his initial swim into the canyon and back to the rafts to tell us what was ahead. Everyone else was in the water, making the swim back to the rafts when I heard Survivor Man say, "That looks like a flash flood..."

Into the Raging Water - The Mouth of Havasu Beckons

Day Eight - I woke up feeling very sorry for myself...I even teared up a little getting ready to get back on the raft that morning. We were off for a big hike up Havasu Canyon. I generally like getting exercise but hikes in the Grand Canyon are...hot. And I guess they aren't all that beautiful compared to...Alaska. Okay...there...I said it. The Grand Canyon is an awesome place but after seven days it was starting to look the same.

I was very surprised when we pulled into the mouth of Havasu Canyon because that's when I realized this day was not going to be like all the rest...it was going to be even more intense. We couldn't just tie up to a tree on the shore and jump off the raft to the trail. Nope. We pulled our rafts into a narrow mouth. See the orange kayak in the photo below? We had to figure out how to tie up to the sheer rock face right before the narrow bottle neck. Our fearless leader came prepared with rock climbing gizmos to place hooks in the rock face to anchor the rafts. (I'm not a rock climber and I forgot from watching "Everest - Beyond the Limit" what those contraptions are called).

We would spend half an hour getting our rafts secured before even deciding what was next. That's what I mean by this day would involve even MORE! Where were the cameras? Surely this was part of a reality show. Why else would people do these crazy things?

 There were others already ahead of us in the canyon. A group of rafts were tied to the right wall of the canyon when we arrived so we got the left side. Plus we had to make sure others could still navigate between our rafts and the other set to make it into the canyon...like the kayaker in the photo. Really? Other people were planning on doing this? Crazy. Is this Candid Camera? I just sat in that raft not believing it all.

From the entrance of the canyon I saw nothing but water and the canyon walls...no land in sight for hiking. This might be the time to introduce Survivor Man, his wife Lovey, and their two sons whom I have mentioned already, Brainiac and Huck Finn.

Survivor Man deserves a novel all to himself about vacation adventures. He is a kayaker who almost lost his life to raging water and upon being rescued was told he would never walk again. Then there is the story about the small airplane crash he survived. During the course of the day I would learn about a few other family vacations that had "survivor" moments. There seems to be a pattern here that I didn't pick up on until that day. We considered Survivor Man as our experienced tour guide. He had kayaked the Grand Canyon on five previous trips. How can I say this without sounding like I didn't have faith in Survivor Man...but who is more crazy, the crazy person or those who follow him? Is this how the friends of Les Stroud feel when he invites them to join him for a vacation?

Survivor Man had been to Havasu canyon before...he knew the way. It was just before lunch time so we decided to forego a formal lunch and pack protein bars. Everyone also had to bring their own water bottle. Being the son of Survivor Man, Brainiac was sent out first to test the waters. He jumped in and swam away. A little while later he swam back. Sure enough there was land somewhere ahead so we would have to hike after all. 

This is also a good time to introduce Survivor Man's oldest son, Peacekeeper and his family on the trip.

Peacekeeper got his call sign because he spent three years in Ghana with the Peace Corps where he became attached to the two young men in the photo who now live with him and attend school in California, Ironman on the left and Seinfeld on the right. The babe in the middle is Hiker Girl. I believe they are engaged...or maybe they were...Peacekeeper had a lot to make up for at the end of this trip. Ironman gets his call sign because he is all muscle...no fat. Seinfeld...well...it turns out this young man doesn't say much but he has a real knack for comedic timing. I found that out on day eight.

It was time...time to jump in the water that was over our heads and swim toward the light. I can swim...I'm like Shelley Winters from, "The Poseidon Adventure." 

Give me a place to swim to and I'm getting there quickly.

And all of this in the first 40 minutes...we still had the rest of the day to enjoy even more adventures.

Design Wall Monday

We are having a brief break in August showers so not much is going on in the sewing studio but the rain is due to return so I have been sitting in the sun working on my muscle memory and doodling for the many tops I have awaiting quilting.

This topper has been loaded on my quilt frame since mid June. Quilting samplers requires so many decisions! I think I have it figured out.

I'm looking forward to quilting "Snail Takes a Detour." I'm going to work on a continuous line design for the main body.

This is a disappearing nine patch that I need to make a little wider so I will be figuring out that dilemma this week. I have run out of some of the fabric...hence my dilemma.

I can't believe it's almost September. Yesterday it felt like fall was quickly approaching. I get so little done in the summer but I sure hate to see it end!

Class Preparation

Tomorrow is my monthly meeting with the Breakfast Club...a group that started out as a "strip club," but has morphed into more of a "meet and sew group." Last month we started a disappearing nine-patch. I only used three fabrics originally.

No sparkle. I wasn't happy.

I played today and added two more fabrics.

Much better! Two different layout options. I'll just make a throw for a standby gift.

I also sewed the first two trial storm at sea blocks using Marti Michell's acrylic templates. It's a bit tedious to cut out with the templates but it was worth it! I've never had success with the odd angles of storm at sea before without paper piecing. It was amazingly easy! 

I'm happy with these color choices by not with the "seaweed" print...going to check out another Hoffman batik in the same colorway that has circles. The direction play of the seaweed on a bed-sized quilt doesn't work for me...especially in the smaller center box. I still might use it in my border where I can control the direction to my advantage. 

Forrest update...no puppy yet! I almost got lost myself wandering through the wooded area he was possibly seen at last Friday. I had Jenny, my other Bernese, with me and my bear spray.  I was wondering around in a very dark and densely wooded area (it was raining but because of the tree cover I wasn't getting too wet), occasionally seeing bear scat and moose poop. As I was stumbling around, moving under and over brush, I accidentally sprayed some of the bear spray...in the front of me where Jenny was. Thank goodness it just hit the back side of her and she quickly rolled on the ground which was spongy and moss-like...I think it was more the noise of the spray that scared her. She didn't react in any other way. I immediately got a wiff of the pepper spray and started coughing. 

Of course my story doesn't end there...I was still going in circles in the woods. I never get lost driving...even when I lived in large cities. So I told myself to trust my instinct and sure enough I saw a break in the trees. But  Jenny still had pepper spray on her backside. I had thought to bring a towel for her since it was raining. I  did one big wipe from the back of her neck to her tail and put her in the back seat of my truck. She appeared completely normal...no sign of distress at all.

I, however, got a tiny bit of pepper spray  from Jenny's back on my left hand which quickly brushed a stray hair out of my mouth...instantly my lips started burning. Then my left hand started burning. I was about a 15 minute drive to get to my house. I realized I had gotten some of the spray on my rain jacket which I still had on so I could smell the spray as I was driving home. 

As soon as I got home I bathed Jenny. I am so glad she showed not signs of distress...the double coat of hair had thwarted the spray from hitting her skin. I was so worried she would try to lick her back side before I got her bathed! Then I showered. It was an hour and a half later before all the burning was gone on my hand and lips. 

That was on Monday. I have only been driving and yelling from my truck on my search for Forrest since then. I've plastered the area with new flyers. So I'm still not getting much of anything else done.

I know...I'm not impressing you with my outdoor skills! If you've been reading about my journey on the Colorado River, you already know what a sissy I am. But I really want to find my dog and since he may not be letting others help him, I feel like I have to go find him myself. 

Editing Blocks

Yesterday I decided to "edit" blocks I've been working on for a BOM from the blog, Pieceful Kwilter. First, I took the BOM from March.

and changed out the center...

Then I made Block 7...

and Block 8

I pulled out a duplicate of Block 5 in colors I didn't like with the pack...

and now I have this collection of blocks.

I am definitely going to add more purple in the remaining four months. There are setting triangles that need to go around each block and I'm really struggling with fabric selection for those but I will start auditioning choices this week. I just love samplers and the instructions for this one have been incredibly good! And the best part is they have been provided for free each month...but only for a month.