More about Baltimore

September 7, 2019 - September 15, 2019

When it’s our birthday, Bob and I always celebrate for the whole week so this past week has been more about me than usual.  On Saturday we started the day with breakfast in the boater’s lounge and chatting with our fellow boaters.  Afterwards I went across the street to have a pedicure, next a haircut by Renee, and then a trip to urgent care.  The day before, after taking the cats to the vet, a very traumatized Lola needed a bath (she made a big mess in her carrier).  She wasn’t very happy about the bath and it was basically a wrestling match between the two of us.  She finally got her head free and bit me at the base of my left hand.  Bob and I cleaned up the bite, applied neosporen, and bandaged the wound.  By the morning I had red streaks starting up my arm hence the trip to urgent care.  I started immediately on antibiotics and began to improve slowly.  My hand was swollen and painful for several days, but by Sunday it was almost healed. For lunch on Saturday we went to Mamma’s on the Half Shell for a delightful lunch.

 Mama’s is one of our favorite Canton restaurants.
 It’s right on the square and has outstanding crab cakes and oysters.
Besides, I like their logo!

On Sunday we attended the  Madannari Festival in Little Italy (just west of Fells Point).  The artwork was amazing and, our lunch at Amicci’s was delicious.

Little Italy closed a street for several blocks
to allow artists sponsored by Baltimore businesses to
 create outstanding art on the road surface.

The theme of the festival was courage.
This artist choose a portrait of
Martin Luther King Jr. to exemplify courage.

Artists were still at work on Sunday afternoon.
Notice the knee pads!

Here is an over view of part of the festival.

Theses portraits are more examples of courage.
Do you recognize them?
(hint: football and women's soccer)

On Tuesday I worked in the boater’s lounge.  First I sewed extra pieces onto the batting for my quilt to make sure it was wide enough for the long arm quilting machine, sewed the velcro strips onto our cockpit back rests, and started working on a shower tote. 

I used textilene and soft leather like fabric for the tote. 
Here it is completed and filled.

Wednesday started out with the weekly boat ladies breakfast and then after lunch Mary took me with her to Linda Buck’s (a professional machine quilter) to deliver our completed quilt tops to be quilted.  Linda had a display of fat quarters, jelly rolls and half yard pieces of quilt fabric and while Mary was choosing how to have here five quilt tops quilted I picked out fabric for my next project.  I can’t wait to see my quilt completed and to start on my next project.

I think this is how my husband feels about my new quilting hobby.

This is definitely how I feel about quilting.

I scheduled a lesson, on Thursday morning, at the shop where I purchased my sewing machine to help me  learn all of the features of my new sewing machine .  I got all of my questions answered and learned about features I didn’t even know to ask about.  I also found out that every Thursday the shop has a “free sew” day where you can bring your machine and your sewing project to work on in their work room.  Since I live on a boat the large tables with rotary cutter mats and large work tables will make my projects go much more smoothly.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of this perk from buying my machine there.

I did some sewing over the weekend while watching college football with Bob (Penn State beat Pitt 17-10).  I completed a top I had cut out and a dress I was hoping to wear to my 50th class reunion.  The top looks great, but I am disappointed in the dress. We will see if Jess can help me fit the dress next weekend when I am in Johnstown for the Johnstown Orchestra Queen concert.

Thanks for reading my blog. 

Baltimore, MD

August 19, 2019 - September 6, 2019

Over the weekend when I was filling the water tanks, Bob noticed the bilge pump running several times. He removed the settee cushions and the wooden platform to check the water tank below and discovered that it was leaking badly at the vent fitting.  Consequently Monday morning was dedicated to resolving this problem.  We took the settee cushions and the platform off once again (Bob cut the platform in two pieces so we could replace it much easier) and hauled the water tank out onto the deck and then transferred it to our car.

On Tuesday Morning we took the tank to Maritime Plastics in Annapolis and they spun welded a new fitting in place while we waited.  The rest of the day was dedicated to errands and a nice lunch.

While I was in Johnstown with Jessica we stopped at a Joann’s Fabric Store and picked out the fabrics for the quilt I wanted to make her.  When I got the fabrics home and reexamined them with the help of my expert quilter neighbor, Mary, I decided I had made some mistakes in the fabric selection. Mary invited me to go along with her to the best quilt shops in the area to purchase some more appropriate fabrics for my daughter’s quilt.  It was one of the best outings of the summer and I found exactly what I needed with Mary’s help and the help of some very knowledgable sales clerks. 

Lining the fabrics up in the shop and stepping back to examine
them helped me make my fabric decisions. (Mary’s advice of course)

Back on the boat I cut small pieces of
the various fabrics to form this
mock up of a finished square.

Mary, also, invited me to come to her friend’s house in Cape St. Claire to work on the quilt.  By getting the strips cut out at Dianna’s (Mary’s friend) and working on sewing the squares on the boat I was ready to start putting the overall quilt together.  I spent another whole day at Diana’s and by the end of the day I had the quilt top finished. 

The quilt is a King size but I draped it over this full size
bed to get an idea of how it looked.  I’m thrilled.

Now all I have to do is finish the backing and deliver it to Linda (a professional machine quilter) to have it machine quilted.

Between sewing quilt squares I also helped Bob with some wiring projects and in planning for the provisions we will need for our trip.  I also painted the dinghy bottom.

We painted the dinghy on the pier and will let it dry
for a day or two before putting it back in the water.

 Bob worked diligently on refinishing the companionway
stairs and replacing the treads.  Looks great!

Labor Day weekend had great weather.  I spent Saturday at my niece, Sarah’s, house for her annual summer party.  It was wonderful to see everyone from that part of my family and spend some time with my two sisters, Becky and Laurie.

This past week we have been following the destruction of hurricane Dorian as it decimated one of the most beautiful groups of islands in the world, the Abacos.  My heart hurts every time I see pictures of the destruction.  We have donated to funds which will help the people of the islands rebuild, but wish I could do more to help.  We will see what opportunities arise.

Hope Town, Bahamas before Dorian.
I took this photo from our boat in the
harbour the first time we visited Hope Town.

Thank you for reading my blog.