One Creative Family

Got to Gettysburg, PA early and spent 4 hours  driving around the battle field.  Seeing all these markers, cannons, and reading about each person makes you FEEL the history and understand more the agony, sadness, and the passion each side fought for.  It is so different seeing places like this than reading about it in books.  Pictures of this to come later.

Later in the day we were on the way to Kingston, NY and I realized no fabric stores from PA so we found a wonderful one in Lebanon, PA.  It was “Martin’s Fabric Barn”  This was down winding roads, some country and some were thru farm country.  It was a wonderful place.  I found lots of fabric and all I bought were on sale for $3.75 a yard.  

We have has some Very long days in the car, but it has been so worth it.  I have been to 5 states and 3 quilt shops.  Today we went to a quilt shop in a ladies home, this one had a 5 star rating in the Row by Row quilts and it earned it.  Nonna’s Cottage in Zanesville, Ohio.  I loved that shop and the lady was so nice.  We then went to one in St. Clairsville, Ohio.  I wasn’t overly impressed with this store.  When walking into the shop the front was a chaos mess where she had all kinds of items covering the top of the work area.  When she wanted to do something she had to make room, then dig around to find a sack to put my purchase in.  Her prices were at least a dollar more than other places for the same fabric.  She just seemed very disorganized and in return it was hard to want her fabric.  On the bright side we got to see a wonderful small “Norman Rockwell” town.  It was great.  We were there at Noon the Court House bells played “Proud To Be An American.”

From here we went to the Flight 93 Memorial.  This was so emotionally amazing.  These are the photos we took of this.

Inside the building were very chilling recording of the calls people made home to their loved ones.  Photos of the crash and recordings from the first responders.  On the Memorial site are planted 40 groves of 40 trees in each grove for each of the 40 passengers and crew members who died.

Got up early this morning and was on the road by 3:30am Central time.  We had lunch in Cloverleaf, Indiana.  We enjoyed a wonderful hamburger and hand dipped onion rings.  The burger was open flamed grilled and so good.  Then drove to Indianapolis, Indiana at Quilt Plus and visited her.  This was a modern quilt store and she had some really cute things.  I purchased a pattern for little felt animals, some cork fabric to try to make a little bag and a license plate.  Indianapolis, IN is home to the Indy 500 race car track. So in honor of this her license plate is “Sew Fast’.  Finally stopped for the night at Richmond, IN.  We are just a few miles west of Ohio.  Tomorrow I will see what quilt stores are open and stop and visit.  We hope to get as far as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania tomorrow.  We will see.  .Sunrise west of St. Louis, Missouri, and the temp outside is 68 degrees.

St. Louis Arch.

This was so pretty the way the sun was shinning on it.  This is Effingham, Illinois..  Love the names of some of these towns.

So many quilt shops closed on Sunday and finding them closed even on Mondays.  Oh well this was a nice shop and the owner was so friendly.  Gave us some good advice on travels..  Stay tuned for tomorrow.

We are enjoying music, the smells of funnel cake, kettle corn, and so much more.  It’s a little hot right now, but nice breeze. Alicia had shirts made for us.  I love them. 

I have been making peanut and pecan brittles and decided to make something a little special for Alicia’s good friend.  She and her family have been adopted by us and we love them to pieces.  For her hubby I made peanut/rum brittle.  I know the alcohol cooks down so I used only a 1/4 cup of rum in the syrup.  Then instead of the vanilla and water at the end I put rum.  Of course I had to try a piece and it tasted like butter scotch peanut brittle, but with little kick at the end.  I do think Phil will like it.

If you haven’t tried  Farmhouse Quilts, go there, read, and subscribe if you like it.  She has great ideas and fun happenings.  Once you decide to subscribe do so and then sign up for a chance at a wonderful giveaway..  https://farmhousequilts.blog/2017/09/21/a-bit-of-this-and-that-and-a-giveaway/

I have everything ready for tomorrow and Saturday.  Craft fair days.  Pictures will be on tomorrow.  Then Saturday night unload the car and re load the car for vacation.  Hubby will be staying home and will take a nice long nap Saturday(a very hard job, but then someone has to do it.) Then we leave Missouri and head out to the New England states.  We will be seeing the beautiful maple trees in the fall (I hope), eat fresh seafood, see some history and visit about 14-18 Quilt shops along the way.

Now to find something to do to kill time.

 

I have been getting ready for our vacation that is in 3 days.  I have made my lists and have the important things lined up.  Clothes, list of Quilt Shops, and a hand applique project ready for the time in the car.  The rest will come together and that is good.

I found a cute pattern in Arkansas and will have a new wall hanging for the Holidays.  It will even last thru the winter.

  Now here is what I have for it.  Just the window panels. I think this will last me for 2-3 weeks.

The other day I was asking for suggestions on how to start designing my own quilt and have gotten some great ideas.  I have gotten a sketch pad and am trying to get inspired.  I need to just let it happen.

As we travel around I will bore you with the highlights of the trip.  Only good and funny stories.

Here is hoping you have a wonderful day today and tomorrow.

I find that lately I am in a rut.  I started my sewing in clothes as a young girl.  We sewed our own clothes and this is what I did for years and years.  I would push myself in looking at fabric and seeing a blouse, dress, or slacks and would make it.  Sometimes it was a success and sometimes a failure.

Since I found quilting and learning how to quilt, I taught myself thur books, magazines, youtube and then new friends at my local machine store, I have made quilts and wall hangings thru someone else’s patterns and now I am wanting to challenge myself to make my own pattern.  Not start too big, but maybe a 12×12 block, mini quilt, or wall hanging then grow from there.  Any suggestions?  To my thinking the steps are in this order….1) chose an inspiration, idea of what finished product should look like. 2) draw it out, 3) choose fabric, 4) make pattern from drawing.  Then decide how to put it together.

What are your ideas?  Something I should do that I left out?   Help me out of my rut.

I have been patting myself on the back for being organized and ahead of schedule being ready for the craft fair and then vacation.  Yesterday I made 6 lbs of pecan brittle and feeling pretty proud of myself.  I will never do this again, being over confident.  Lady down the street brought down a baby quilt she made for me to quilt, a friend dropped off fabric for a cushion, and then someone brought over fabric for 3 Art Portfolios bags.  So today will be spent at the sewing machine and hopefully I can get a good start on these things.

I have to show you the baby quilt.  I don’t have the patience for this and think it is so pretty.Lighting isn’t the best, but you can see the hand work.    Well time to start the sewing machine and get to work.  Hope your day is all you want it to be.

We will be taking off to the New England states in a few weeks.  While Hubby is planning our route and things to see, I am planning the quilt shops to visit.  I just wish he would see to letting me take my sewing machine with us,  but that is a little too much.  While I had my laptop out and looking at a map of our route and marking Quilt shops (Row by Row Experience) he laughingly said, “While in Rhode Island we should hit all the quilt shops.”  What self respected fabric-aholic would say, “No, that is ok” so I said “Sounds Great to me.”

Now I am getting some hand piecing ready to take with us and have something to do in the car.

We are hoping to see the Fall trees in their glory if we are lucky, and then we will be seeing a lot of the History and maybe be able to make it to Washington DC.

Any suggestions of where to go?  Things to see?  We usually go to the South West area so this will be very new to us.  Very excited.  Especially since I realized Keepsake Quilting is on our route.  YES!  This is a must for me.

 

Before I started hand quilting this Illusion Quilt I wasn’t sure how to proceed.  I did some reading up on it and decided to do the “rocking” stitch.  My questions for those who hand quilt are

1.) What finger do you put your thimble on?

2.) How did you get used to using the thimble?

3.)How do you regulate your stitches?

I ask these for the obvious reasons I am not used to use a thimble.  I have always used the underneath of my finger nail on my index finger when needed to push a needle through.  Doing this now on quilting my finger is getting sore, but I don’t want to stop quilting.  Any of your suggestions are very helpful.

We have been getting ready for the next and last craft show of the year and that means 12 lbs of peanut brittle and 6lbs of pecan brittle.  Then the mini quilts, lap quilts, pillows, tea towels, potholders, etc.  We are finishing up the little things and then we will be ready to go.  THEN off on our trip East.  Very excited.

To my Floridian people, you are in my thoughts and prayers for minimal damage and all safe.

 

 

Smile it causes less wrinkles then frowning.