Karen Kay Buckley

My husband, Joe, or the Pied Piper as I call him now, had been working hard over the past year or two to keep the bluebirds that come into our area.  He orders worms from a place in New York so he can feed them a couple of times a week.  The birds have to make a go of it on their own but Joe subsidizes their food intake.  During the past couple of years Joe will whistle and the bluebirds have gotten to know his whistle.  Now when he whistles all 12 of the bluebirds come flying into the trees in our backyard. Joe places worms around the base of the bird bath and then comes into the house.  As soon as he closes the door the birds coming flying in to eat.  He usually feeds them while we are having lunch in the sun room so we can watch them eat as we eat.  They are so beautiful to watch. This is a photo taken this past summer.

It is hard to purchase a gift for Joe.  He is not a wanter.  He is happy with what he has and if he really wants something he’s likely to buy it on his own.  So, what do you buy the guy who wants nothing and needs nothing?  Well, while I was playing online I found a place that sells this tiny little camera that can be mounted inside a birdhouse.  My dad’s wife builds birdhouses and we are lucky enough to have some in our backyard.  I gave Joe the camera as a gift.  He was a little skeptical but decided to give it a try.  Last year we got to watch momma bluebird through two batches of babies.  The camera displays in black and white and we had the feed come through to our big screen TV.  Joe would whistle, put some worms out around the base of the birdbath, and run in the house so we could watch on our TV as the mother fed her babies.  Absolutely amazing.  It was awesome to watch the mother care for her little ones and then see them fledge.

OK, present day.  With all the snow we had in February …….where will the bluebirds find food?  Well, the Pied Piper came to their rescue.  Joe did not know where else to put the worms as there was 40 plus inches of snow so he put them on the back doorstep.  Right outside our back door.  Check this out.

Even if our dogs are in the yard the birds are so hungry they still come in to eat.  Not in a million years would I have thought those birds would come into the yard with the dogs inches away from them.  I guess they know our dogs are as friendly as Joe.

This guy sometimes comes into the backyard also.  And when he does the bluebirds are no where to be found, which is a good thing.  I have loved hawks for as long as I remember.  Could be from some reading I did as a child and the spiritual meaning the hawks have for the native American Indians.   I have talked to Mr. Hawk and asked him to please leave the yard so the bluebirds can eat and he flies away.  I know you think I am weird.  I already knew that.

Hawks need a drink and a bath too.

In many of my classes we have discussions about books that we’re read and liked.  I have received some excellent recommendations from students in classes about books they’re read and liked.  There are authors that I might never have read had it not been for students suggestions.  So, thanks to all of my students who have recommended good books and to those students who have given me books over the years.  I appreciate it.  I recently finished an audio book called, “Nine Dragons” by Michael Connelly.  Loved it.

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a hundred times, the more I quilt the more I give up my reading time.  Since I love both I found that while I am sewing I can listen to audio books.  I love it when I can get two things done at the same time. I also listen to audio books while I am doing my cardio workouts each morning and in the car.  They are really good on long drives…..or short ones, or……..  When I was listening to this book I actually drove home the long way so I could listen to more of the book.

I have enjoyed all of Michael Connelly’s books with his character, Harry Bosch but this one really sucked me in.  Harry investigates a murder involving the Chinese underworld.  To the  survivors he promises revenge and to bring the wrong doers to justice.  While doing so his own family is in jeopardy.  It will take you on a good thrill ride.  There are some good twists and lots of suspense.

During our visit to St. Maarten  (or St. Martin) we were lucky enough to stop at the Butterfly Farm.  The facility is a medium sized building which we walked through to the back.  When we opened the door there was a very large area draped with a light mesh fabric.  The butterflies are housed in this large area.  The butterflies are well fed and cared for by the owners.  Here are some of the photos I took at the farm.

This monarch butterfly is an inspiration to me.  If I could sew a butterfly that looks just like this into one of my quilts…..that would be fantastic.

They cut oranges and bananas for the butterflies to eat.  I knew butterflies were attracted to certain flowers but I did not realize they would be attracted to the cut fruit.  As I always so….learn something new every day.  That means I could cut fruit and put it in my backyard to feed the butterflies.  Nice to know.

The above photo is the back, closed wings, of the butterfly.  This is what the butterfly looks like with it’s wings opened.  OK, again, something new for me.  All of the butterflies I have seen in my area have the same design on the front and back of their wings.  I assumed all butterflies were like that.  My assumption was wrong.  Again, I am thinking how much I learn each and every day and how amazing a design like this butterfly would look on one of my quilts.  I think this is called a Morpho butterfly.

Here are some more amazing butterflies.

Not only was this a wonderful sight to see but it was educational as well.  The owners walked us through and talked about the lives of the butterflies and how endangered they are.  They have too many predators.  You can find out more about the butterfly farm at www.thebutterflyfarm.com

After having an excellent group of students in my class on Friday I’m off on my own, well not really.  My best buddy, Barb, is traveling with me on this adventure.  On Saturday we stopped in St. Thomas.  We were there from 8am to 5pm.  We decided to sleep in, which I don’t do very often.  My next stop, which is the same 6 days a week, is to head to the gym or on the cruise ship to the Promenade deck for a 3 mile walk.  Then Barb and I went to the Lido deck for some breakfast.  One of the servers/hostesses in the Lido deck was Revino.  He is from Indonesia. He told us how he is working to improve his English.  Well, Barb being an x English teacher could not resist.  Everyday we saw him we had a new word for him along with the definition.  Each day as we went back Revino would repeat the previous days words and be ready for 2 new words, one from each of us.  Revino was a bright spot in our day.  Not that there were not a lot of  bright spots in the day.

We hired a local driver, Joe, who was an excellent tour guide.  In 2 hours he took us all over the island and stopped once in a while so we could take some photos.  We were able to squeeze in a little shopping also!  There is actually a lot of good shopping in St. Thomas.

OK, I know some of you think I am crazy but I love the Iguana’s.  Love them.  I find them to be so interesting.  Their faces, skin texture, spines on their backs…..

Our next days adventure took us to Dominica.  I’ll have to admit this was not my favorite island mainly because there was not as much to do.  But we did some touring of the island.   And I really liked the building in the center of my photo. It was right in the center of the town.

Just because it may not have been my favorite island does not mean I did not like it or that I did not appreciate being able to take off my sandals and walk on the beach while my husband was at home in this.  They had 50″ of snow while I was gone.  I do know when to plan a trip!

Our next stop…Barbados.  We went on a shore excursion organized by the cruise line.  The tour took us from coast to coast and it is a beautiful island.  One of our stops was at a small old church on the hill.  I liked the trees in the cemetery behind the church.

Our next adventure took us to St. Lucia.  One of the only islands where I found black sand.  And let me tell you….keep your shoes on if the sun is shinning.  That sand gets very hot!!!!  We again hired a local driver, Edward, who I think knew everyone on the island.  We asked him as part of our tour to please take us to a place we heard about called “Caribelle Batik”.  It was worth the trip in more ways than one.  They had lots of fun things to purchase from panels, to bathing suit wraps to glasses cases, etc.  And to top it off they had demonstrations.  I really enjoyed watching the wax and painting process.  Makes you appreciate the batik fabric even more.

Interesting boulder formations along the shore.

Our final stop was St. Maarten.  Joe and I spent a week on this island for our 25 wedding anniversary several years ago.  We still say not only did we like the island but it is by far the best food we have ever had.  The island is half French and half Dutch and they get along nicely.  There is clearly a French influence in their cooking.  We kept thinking that surely we would come across one bad meal but we never did.  One place we had lunch at least two or three times was up in the mountains and it was built like a big tree house.  They had the best mango drinks I have ever had.

On this trip we did another excursion organized by the cruise lines.  We stopped at several places along the way.  There is a lot of great shopping in St. Maarten, both locally made and duty free type shopping.

There were three other cruise ships at port when we were there.

One other thing we did was to visit the butterfly farm but since this is getting pretty long I’m going to save those photos for my next installment.

During our final two days of cruising our way back to Ft. Lauderdale we had time for two more quilting classes.  And then on Friday after class we had show and tell for everyone to share what they had worked on in classes.  I was so proud of my students.  They really were the best!  It is unusual for my students to have much to show at show and tell because hand work requires some time.  But, since there were 6 days between the first class and show and tell they had time to sew and sew they did.

Oh, the blocks behind the students were made by people from our quilting group prior to the cruise and one lucky person won all of the blocks.

This is a close-up of my friend Barb’s block.  I loved it.

Next installment…butterfly farm.

For those of you who don’t quilt and for those of you who do but have never been on a quilting cruise I think I need to do some explaining. Today some girls at the gym ask me lots of questions when I told them where I had been for the past ten days. I realized not everyone knows what we are doing when we quilt on a cruise. So, let me explain. There are normal people on the cruise and then there are the quilters. There were about 110 of us. Five of the 110 were the quilting teachers. Me being one of them.  One classroom was set up with sewing machines provided by the quilt shop that came on board, Quiltworks Northwest.  The other four classroom areas were for the hand sewers.  One of the other teachers was Mary Sorensen http://www.maryappliques.com/home.htm.   I’ve know Mary for a long time and have been an admirer of her work for just as long.   Mary also teaches hand applique as do I but we approach it very differently so students taking classes from both of us will learn different ways to get the same result.  This is one of the many things that makes quilting so interesting.  A lot of quilters applique but we all have our own way of doing it.  I think anyone who wants to learn applique or improve their techniques should take as many classes from as many different instructors as they can afford.  You will usually learn one or more things from each teacher that works well for you.  And that’s the goal.  Find what works best for you.  Another teacher on this cruise was Karen Combs http://www.karencombs.com.  I don’t know Karen well but I have known her quilts for a long time.  I see Karen’s specialty as being able to take fabric and create a look of depth and dimension on a flat surface.  Mostly I know Karen as a piecer rather than an appliquer.  Check out her gallery on her website to see her style of work if you are unfamiliar with it.  Janet Jones Worley was also teaching on this cruise.  I’ve know Janet for several years because we have both worked with Bernina and our paths have crossed at some Bernina seminars.  Before I knew anything about Janet’s quilts I knew her as a southerner (she has a little bit of an accent) who can make you smile and make you laugh.  http://www.janetjonesworley.com It brings a smile to my face whenever I think of her.  So I think taking a class from her would be a fun day.  And last but not least teaching was Barbara Randall.  http://www.randledesigns.com I had also met Barbara at a Bernina function but was not familiar with her work.  She taught some fun classes on the cruise.  One was called “Crazy Quilt Wall Hanging”.  Another one was called “Crazy Quilted Purse” and every one of her students made a small purse by the end of the day.  It was finished with handles and everything.

I want to backup and say that this whole trip started with Group Seminars at Sea www.quiltcruises.com.  They started advertising several years prior to this trip and have worked with Holland America for many years on this and other cruises to provide an organized and enjoyable experience for the quilters.  Kim and Amy were are fearless leaders on this adventure.  This is Kim and Amy during one of our evening meals in the dining room.

Now about the cruise.  For the most part there is no way to tell the quilters on the ship from the normal people.  We look just like they do.  Day one the ship stopped at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.  This area is just a beach area owned by Holland America.  Now I say just a beach area but what I mean is that at most stops there is shopping, tours and more to do.  This stop is just a beach.  Some people went to the beach and some stayed on the ship and lounged by the pool.  It was a very relaxing day for everyone.

Now, day two was down to work for the quilters.  It is what is referred to as “a day at sea”.  That means the ship will not be stopping this day.  The ship is on it’s way to our next destination.  So that makes this an excellent day for a quilting class.  Three of the classes were held in the dining area since the dining room is only used in the evenings.  For hand sewing it is nice as you sit by the window sewing while the blue waters of the Caribbean gently roll past the window.  Oh, what a life.

On each of the class days we sew from 3 hours in the morning, take a 1 1/2 hour lunch break and then sew for 3 hours in the afternoon.

One thing is for sure. There is no lack of food or food choices on a cruise and Holland America is no exception.  The food was excellent.  One thing that made some people who are trying to keep their sugar intake low is that each night on the menu they offered a sugar free desert and you know what? They were excellent. Oh, another thing for those of us who like to exercise to get rid of some of those extra calories, the gym has plenty of cardio and weight training equipment and the Promenade deck is a great area for outside walking.  I put them to good use. Many of you who know me know that I am an avid exerciser.  Quilting and exercise do mix.  Because I sit so much to quilt the time I spend in the gym is worth every minute.

My next installment will be about the five stops we made in St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Maarten including the butterfly farm.  So, stay tuned.

One of my favorite things is when students send photos of projects they finished from one of my workshops. Below is a photo from Kathy Shorter.  She entered her quilt in a local quilt show held by the Keystone Quilters, Quakertown, PA.  And guess what?  She won a 3rd place ribbon!!!! Congratulations Kathy.  Well done.

Kathy sent me some of the comments from the judges evaluation form.  “Looks like it should be in a museum”, “Exceptional use of red and purple”  (I totally agree).  “Orange piping (used in border) adds a bit of drama and dimension to this piece”  (Again, I totally agree)  Kathy also received high marks for her finishing techniques.

Thanks Kathy for sharing your finished project.  I can hardly wait to see what you do next.

One of the comments I always make in my hand applique classes is that even though I recommend a certain needle I think you should keep testing needles and I will do the same.  Well, I came across a new one I really like.  I found this new needle when I was walking the isles at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this fall and it has taken me this long to track them down to make them available on my site.  This new needle and threader are made by the Tulip, Co. from Japan. Getting them from Japan to the U.S. took some doing.  But here they are. I love the way they go through the layers of my fabric with such ease.  They even go through batiks easily.  I love it when I find something that makes what I do that much easier.

And of course I had to get some of the needle threaders from the Tulip Co. as well.

Both of these items are available on my website in the store section.

I needed to purchase a baby gift for my best friend, Barb’s, daughter-in-law.  I asked Barb what her daughter-in-law might need since I know she is blessed with a very giving family. And I know that she is going to receive quilts from at least two family members if not more.   The answer I got was “diapers…they can always use diapers”.  I knew the mother-to-be likes daisies and the color orange.  I thought, OK, but wrapping diapers in colored gift wrap seemed kind of boring.  I have given toilet paper for gifts over the years and formed the rolls of toilet paper into a cake.  I have done this for people who turned 50 and when my grandfather turned 90.  Really.  What do you get someone who is 90?  You want to give them something they can use and who does not use toilet paper?  You can easily take the rolls of toilet paper and form them into a cake.  Wrap some ribbon or lace around the “cake layers” and even use some silk flowers here and there.  It always makes people laugh but trust me they use it.  I gave a friend from the gym a sock cake one year.  I purchased 20 pairs of socks since it was her 40th birthday.  I rolled each one and placed them in a cake pan.  I put a candle in the middle of each roll.  For someone who works out in the gym everyday this calorie free cake worked well.  And of course a gym rat can always use more socks.

So, back to the diaper dilemma.  My friend, Wanda, told me she had a picture that she kept for just this very problem.  It was a photo of diapers formed into a cake.  Well, why didn’t I think of this.  What a great idea.  But of course I had to dress it up a little bit.

For the base my husband cut me a piece of thin plywood which I covered with a heavy paper.  (I did not want anyone to get splinters.)  I then covered the base with a baby blanket by tying it in place with ribbon.  I found the world’s softest bear and purchased a bib to put around it’s neck.  To form the diapers into a circle I placed them in one of my kitchen pots, pulled them slightly upward, wrapped the orange ribbon around them and removed them from the pot.  The top layer is formed in a smaller pot.  Since the mother-to-be loves daisies  I used the stem from the daisies to hold the two layers together.  And then for color splash I added more flowers. The new baby will have diapers, the softest stuffed bear in the world, a really soft baby blanket and one awesome bib.  The art of gift giving can be as much fun, if not more, for the giver as the receiver.

Miss Hilary at her shower shaking hands with the softest bear in the world.

One day during our recent trip to Mexico we left the compound and went to Isla Mujeras.  It was a very hot day and I whined a little that the taxi driver, Jose, did not use his air-conditioning!  Even though it was hotter than hot I really enjoyed our trip to the turtle farm.  As the people at the turtle farm explained it these turtles were becoming extinct because they have so many predators.  Apparently when the babies are born and have no way of defending themselves they are prey to many attackers.  So there are groups on some of the islands that are raising the babies until they are big enough to defend themselves and then they are being released back into the ocean.

Here I am riding the ferry to Isla Mujeras.  We are just approaching the island.  I knew we were going to the turtle farm and I was anxious to get there.

I loved getting close enough to really study the shell and skin textures and designs.  Absolutely amazing.

Look at all these little guys.  How amazing that there are people who are willing to care for them to ensure their existence.

This is my final installment of critters from Mexico.  That does not mean there won’t be more critters from some place else later.  Love the critters.

I promised to follow-up with more critter pictures from the trip to Mexico.  I saw this egret along the waters edge and I watched him catch a fish and eat it.  You can just barely see the fish in his beak.  Survival of the fittest… as they say.

Right next to the Egret was this sign.

And right beyond the sign was this….

Nice teeth buddie!

My favorite critter on this entire trip is in the next several photos.  Between my husband and myself I think we took at least 150 photos of this guy.  He was amazing to see.  One of the biggest Iguanas I have ever seen.  He was hanging out with one of his smaller buddies on the under side of the bridge.  The big Iguana was around 6 to 7  feet in length.  (I did not get close enough to take an exact measurement!)

The spiked pieces on his back looked like pieces of leather.  It reminded me of a dragon quilt I stitched many years ago.  I might have sewn the spiked pieces on the back of my dragon differently had I seen this guy first.

Joe took this fantastic close-up shot of Mr. Iguana’s leg.  Look at the textures and how the scales form and how they fit together.  I was very intrigued with this guy.  Joe and I must have stayed there for 2 hours just photographing and watching him.

On my next and final installment of critters from Mexico I’ll take you to the turtle farm.