I really like going to 'sewing camp' with Diane, in fact, I have already signed up to go to Taos next year! The sewing is always fun, but the best part is getting to hang out with my 'tribe.' I love spending time with people who get the fabric-sewing-design thing. This year my 'epiphany' was that I really want to make things that I want to wear. It sounds weird, but I have been making 'show pieces' not 'wearing pieces.' I think it will change my sewing going forward.
Our theme this time was "Three Easy Pieces." The idea being pieces that would layer and work together in different combinations. I made a linen shift dress cut on the bias as one of my layers. The fabric on the wall in the picture was eco-dyed by one of my fellow DOL's. She uses different leaves wrapped in the fabric to transfer the shapes and the colors.
Lithia Park in Ashland is one of my favorite places. It follows a beautiful stream that, in the spring is full and rushes through the gorgeous Dogwood and Magnolias, past "Middle Earth-like" vistas covered in gobs of lush moss.
Both times I have visited (Spring 2016 and 2017) I was greeted in the park by a beautiful Stellar Jay bird. He is obviously aware of his 'stellarness' because he absolutely poses for me to take his picture.
This rainbow from the window of my Ashland Springs Hotel room really sums up my week at camp!
Our next stop took us out to the coast at Pacific City. We visited with an old World Cup colleague of John's, Kathy Griffin and her partner, Peter Byrne. Our hotel window looked out on Haystack Rock. The little black dots in the front of the rock are crazy surfers who braved the 50 degree weather on Easter Sunday morning. (they did have wetsuits...but still!)
We wandered a bit farther north through the Willamette Valley. Oregon wine makers really know what they are doing with Pinot Noir grapes! Because our one day in wine country happened to be Easter Sunday, many of the vineyards were closed. Not much of an issue though since we can only manage 3 or 4 in a day anyway!
We stopped at one place on Saturday on our way to Pacific City. It was called Tyee and it was just so-so. The hazelnuts were the best part. The trees are gorgeous!
Sunday we stopped in McMinnville but there wasn't much happening. The one in-town winery that we found open was not particularly good. We should have known better when we saw the name...Naked Winery! The afternoon improved considerably. We went UP to Domaine Serene which was really lovely. The view was spectacular and the wine was pretty good, too. They have some vineyards in France that they are producing from and we really liked those wines. I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed the Chardonnay. When I said that I didn't usually care for Chardonnay, the server said, "You don't care for buttery, oaked Chardonnay." I guess he was right, cuz I sure liked their version. Our last stop was at Raptor Ridge, again at the top of the world. From their front porch we could see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier and Mt, Adams. Very cool. I had tried their Pinot at the hotel in Ashland and really liked it, so I was excited to visit the winery. It was a great ending to our day in wine country.
On to Portlandia! ...and a couple of drizzly days!
We stayed at the Kimpton Vintage...as in wine vintage...each room was named after an Oregon winery and had bottles of their wines in the rooms. Kind of a fun theme.
We visited both the Chinese garden, which was right in town, and the Portland Japanese garden out in Washington Park. They had just finished a huge $30 million renovation to the entrance that was incredible. If we had been there the week before it would have been closed!
We really liked the cool green and metal roofs of the new pavilions at the Japanese garden. The new courtyard was very well done and a nice update to the space.
Sewing, wine, friends and gorgeous scenery....all the ingredients of a fabulous trip!
