Some much needed vitamin sea

October 21, 2024
Sunrise in St. Mary’s, Georgia

We spent a long weekend on the Georgia coast exploring St. Mary’s and Cumberland Island. A four day dose of vitamin sea is exactly what my spirit needed. I’m so thankful Hurricanes Helene and Milton did not cause extensive damage to Cumberland Island. Can you believe it’s been almost two years since I last laid eyes on the Atlantic Ocean or the waters of the Gulf of Mexico? Much too long!

Visiting Cumberland Island National Seashore has long been on my bucket list. This long-time Georgia resident has been to the islands of Skidaway, Jekyll and St. Simon’s, but never ventured this far south. We spent a full day on the island, which was plenty of time for us. The National Park Service also allows tent camping for up to 7 days (not me!). The island’s history is so rich and the day long tour only began to scratch the surface.

Of course, I visited the two quilt shops in Kingsland – The Scrappy Rooster and Beyond Fabric. The Scrappy Rooster is strictly a quilt shop while Beyond Fabric does everything from quilting to garment sewing to crafts to home dec. Honestly, if you need some off-the-wall, obscure sewing/crafting doo-dad, chances are Beyond Fabric has it! There’s also a wonderful bookstore in St. Mary’s – Once Upon a Bookseller.

I’m thinking a trip to the Quilted Cow in Gulf Shores, AL and a trip to the 2025 AQS Show in Daytona Beach are in my future!

Early voting is open in the ATL

October 17, 2024

I cast my ballot yesterday at the Smyrna Community Center. It took about 40 minutes due to all of the seniors (75+) who get to cut in line. So glad to have that task crossed off my list! Now, if the unwanted texts, emails, phone calls and ads would disappear! Surely, there’s a way to let the digital media folks know I’ve already voted, so don’t bother contacting me.

The local races and proposed amendments are what I’m most interested in. Hopefully, we get a new clerk of court and commission chair, plus the proposed 30 year 1% transit tax gets a smackdown by the voters. I have no desire to live in a swing state the next time a presidential election rolls around. It’s too much! This article from the BBC describes what it’s like to be a swing state voter. Makes for an interesting read.

Be sure to exercise your right to vote between now and Election Day.

A photo showing an "I voted" sticker.

Never apologize for your sewing machine

October 13, 2024

Yesterday, my guild hosted a charity sew day. There were several new faces at this event. One person set up her machine next to my friend and me. While we were chatting, the newcomer apologized for her sewing machine. She said it wasn’t fancy like others she’d seen in the room, but she liked it. Her particular model of machine (a computerized Brother machine that retails for $250.00 at Wal-Mart) is one I often see at retreats and in classes I teach – not much different from my Elnita EC30 or my friend’s Janome 740. I assured her that her opinion of her sewing machine was the only one that mattered.

Our conversation brought back memories of when I first joined a sewing group. I had a mechanical Kenmore 30 stitch machine that I loved. I walked into a room of ladies with expensive Pfaff, Viking and Bernina machines. I knew exactly how she felt. A kind lady noticed my discomfort and told me that it’s what I can do with the sewing machine that counts, not the brand of sewing machine. That’s always stuck with me.

I scanned the sewing machines in our room. Yes, there were a couple of Berninas and high-end machines at the event – including an aqua Kaffe edition Bernina 475 (retail $2,999). Most attendees had brought either a vintage machine or a small modern machine that probably cost less than $450.00. This is typical of what you’ll find at classes, retreats and sew days. The travel machine might be grandma’s Singer Featherweight, their very first sewing machine or the $100.00 big box store special they had to buy to finish a project because their main machine had a hissy fit. A straight stitch only machine is usually fine unless you are taking an appliqué or decorative stitching class. This is why so many quilters have a Singer Featherweight or a 301 as their travel machine.

Remember, it’s what you do with the sewing machine that counts – not the label on your sewing machine. Chances are, the serious stitchers with the vintage and budget friendly machines at the retreat have an upper tier sewing machine or longarm at home. (As did our newcomer with her Brother machine – she had recently purchased a long-arm.)

A budget-friendly Elnita EC30 sewing machine that is my go-to machine for classes.