I Like Thursday #23

This is going to be short and sweet.  I am on a trip to take Jeff's ashes and bury them in my family cemetery in California.  Tonight I am in Ottawa, KS.  It has been a day of extremes in weather, and emotions.

I like the yard ornaments at my local feed store.  Including this cute flamingo.

I stopped in Casey, Illinois and saw the worlds largest Rocking chair.

The worlds largest wind chime. 

Yes it was windy and it actually had a lovely sound.

There was a giant pencil along the street.

There was also a ruler but I didn't get a picture of it.

I have a tendency to find things which I think are a bit absurd. 

This neat old hardware store on main street.

What I thought was so funny there is a balcony that runs along the top of the awning. 

It is all falling apart, which I found amusing.

Finally an old truck holding a sign along the highway.

I will be driving and internet is spotty.  Everyone have a wonderful Thursday and head on over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to see the rest of the I Like Thursday posts.

I Like Thursday #22

Wow this has been another insanely busy week. 

Last Friday another lady and I from the guild set up the raffle quilt at a store in downtown Monroe, during First Friday Fling  which is a local city's attempt at getting more people to frequent the businesses in the downtown business district.  No we didn't sell any tickets, it was cold and snowing (yes in April) so there was hardly any foot traffic.  But we set up in a very cute shop called Deez Beez Boutique.  The owner sells jewelry and clothes most locally sourced, but all made in the USA.  I saw this and thought it was cute. The older I get the more I like shopping local businesses even though they are a bit more expensive. 

There is a unicorn thing going on around our place so this just makes the boys roll their eyes.

I love old cars and I like to snap a picture when I see them out and about.

Impala.  Check out the opera window in the rear!

Camaro.  Love to see the old girls out and about.  Back when they made things to last.

I like Cabela's.  I like the taxidermy, but I always love their huge statues outside of their buildings.

Two bears fighting. 

Finally my fur babies.  Recently I discovered I had a leak in the roof and this blanket had plaster all over it from the leak.  I through it down the stairs.  Came downstairs and could not find it.  Bobbin had appropriated it.  Since I am not a fan of the microfiber blankets I thought it was alright that she liked it.  It was one of Jeff's favorites. 

How can you resist this sweet thing?

Finally Lucy and Bobbin have been fighting and wrestling a lot, but there have been some quiet moments of contemplation.

Lucy sat here and stared at the music for quite a while today.

Now head over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color and check out the other ladies who post I Like blogs. 

Michigan and Ohio Shop Hop

March 22, 23, and 24th was the Michigan and Ohio Shop Hop.  I have never been on an organized hop and I decided I was going.  I just so happened to mention it on the 21st at a sew day and I was invited to join 3 other ladies.

We started out at one of the ladies homes at 8 am in the morning.   With a AAA triptych in hand we headed out.  And instantly decided that we didn't like the directions so we used the GPS on my phone for directions to our first shop.  Threads of Tradition at Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio.  BTW they have an awesome Quilt Show which runs May 1-6, 2018.

 You enter the shop and they had a table set up where you purchase your passport for $5.  That passport gets stamped at each shop, and at each shop you leave a ticket for prizes.

I thought this quilt on the table was so bright and cheery.

This gorgeous simple quilt hanging on the wall.

Examples such as these quilts all use the Mini Quick Curve Ruler.

The fabric runs the gamut of reproduction to modern. I loved this display.  Made me want to buy the book.

A great panel that just was the embodiment of a summer evening on the farm.

And of course they had a sale.  I bought several yards of a Carolyn Friedlander Botanical, and some other goodies.

I found a cute bag pattern, I had to have a mini quick curve ruler, a 2017 Row by Row kit, tool holder,  a kit for a quilt that after you visited all of the shops you would have a quilt, and we got a free pattern at each stop.  This shop had the Mad for Plaid pattern.

Our next stop was The Quilt Foundry in Maumee, Ohio.

I shop, and take classes at this shop even though it is about 45 miles from my house.  I only purchased a white on white....always need background fabrics, and a kit for the mystery quilt.

Our next stop was at Stitch in Sylvania, Ohio.  They were not participating in the shop hop, but it was near the next shop we were going to hit.

I just love this line of fabric called Hop, skip, jump by RJR fabrics.

Our next stop was Sonflower Quilts in Sylvania, Ohio.

I bought these nifty project bags, some green fat quarters, and of course the mystery quilt kit, and I got a free pattern. 

Next stop was The Quilt Patch in Tecumseh, Michigan (one of my favorite shops).  I found some gorgeous greens, and got another part of the mystery quilt.

Off we went to The Quilting Season in Saline, Michigan.  They had some fun patterns, and demonstrations. 

This was the little kit they had but all of them were sold out.  CHICKENS! 

I bought some chicken patterns, a couple Jelly Rolls, for a gorgeous Bargello quilt, and a pattern for a rug made of jelly roll strips!  Oh and the kit for the mystery quilt.

Ann Arbor Sewing Center was next on the agenda. 

They had 3 different bundles to go with their very cute pattern.

I had to have the Easter bundle.  No I didn't get it made in time for the holiday though. 

I also had to have this kit.  I have been eyeing it for a while.  I also bought the mystery quilt kit.

We finished at this shop at about 5 pm and we hit traffic!  But we did manage to make it to Sew What in Wyandotte, Michigan.

I purchased 2 kits that went with the free pattern, and the mystery quilt kit. 

We had a great time and there was a lot of laughing, giggling, and inspiration.  I hope I am invited to shop hop again in the future.

I Like Thursday #21 on a Friday

If you visited on Thursday, again I had a blog hop that I committed to and my day was Thursday, but I have some I likes for the week.

I wanted a curio cabinet to put my Native American art collection, and Jeff's John Deere collection, but I wanted something more of the era of my house.  I had stalked antique shops, Ebay, and ads and never saw anything that really appealed.  I then went to a furniture shop and special ordered one instead.    I love Mission Style furniture, and there are sub styles.  I find I like the style called Prairie Mission.

It arrived Saturday, but I have been a wee bit busy so haven't installed the shelves or filled it with my treasures.

I like my shamrock.  There are times it struggles, but it always bounces back.  It even has flowers again this year.  

I love to cook, and I love my kitchen, but standing at the sink can cause some back pain at times.  I found this neat comfort mat on Groupon and it really helps.

I like shop hops.  I went with a group of women from the guild....but I will save that for another post.  Now head on over to LeeAnna's at Not Afraid of Color to see the other I like Thursday posts. 

 

30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days--Day 5

When Carla at Creatin In the Sticks put word out she wanted to do a blog hop with 30 blocks in 30 days.  I thought I can do that!  I even have some fabric I can use!  (Because using up stash is a total win right?)  I can do a small project!  I chose the day I wanted quickly because it would work the best with the fabric I was going to use.  I even went and located the fabric and brought it down out of the sewing room, to my sewing area downstairs......then I procrastinated.

The pattern I chose is called surround.  You can find the instructions on Carla's Blog, plus the instructions for all 30 blocks under the tab labeled 30 Quilt Blocks in 30 Days

Then I started, and my small project grew bigger, and bigger until I had a lap size quilt! It ended up measuring 50 X 70.   I am calling it Bridgetown Surround. 

Sorry no quilt holder so I had to improvise, and of course it is extremely windy, overcast, and snowing off and on now that I need to take a picture--and I am just not up to chasing a quilt across the lot.

The fabric I had was Bridgetown by Violet Craft for Michael Miller.  The line had came out in 2013 and I had purchased a couple  of yards when I was visiting Oregon that year.  The bridges are the many bridges that cross the Willamette River in Portland from the East side to the West side.  I used Robert Kaufman's Maze in the Ivory colorway for my surround.   I knew I needed an alternating block surround, but the two different blues in Robert Kaufman's Maze line did not work.  Do you know how hard it is to match a navy blue?  I finally settled on a navy blue grunge that I purchased at my LQS.

I fussy cut the bridges.  I used the ivory maze fabric for the center of the alternating blocks, and the surround of the bridge blocks. 

Tuesday afternoon I did a crash course on how to make a water ripples quilt pattern.  I think it turned out alright.

Here is a better picture of the back of my quilt and my quilting. Of course I had some assistance while trying to square up my quilt before binding.

I used the left over grunge  for the binding which I machine stitched down Wednesday morning (I told you I was procrastinating).  As you can see I must have constant supervision.  

I am very pleased with how the quilt turned out.

Here is the line up for the rest of the month.  And if you missed the first four go check them out for some awesome projects!

Date

Project Designer

Block

April 1st	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 1- 4 Patch
April 2nd	Kwilty Pleasures Blog	Block 2 - Double Stuffed
April 3rd	Sew Incredibly Crazy	Block 3 - Baby in a Corner
April 4th	SBD Embroidery and Quilting	Block 4 - Dutch Door
April 5th	What About Rheema	Block 5 - Surrounded
April 6th	Quilted Delights	Block 6 - Tacked Up
April 7th	Joy Studio	Block 7 - Stripper
April 8th	Just Sew Quilter	Block 8 - Staggered
April 9th	Quiltscapes	Block 9 - Topsy Turvy
April 10th	beaquilter	Block 10 - Chunky Pinwheel
April 11th	Freemotion by the River	Block 11 - Painted WIndow
April 12th	krislovesfabric	Block 12 - Broken Cinder Block
April 13th	MooseStashQuilting	Block 13 - Reaction
April 14th	Quilts by Joanne	Block 14 - Median Strip
April 15th	Persimon Dreams	Block 15 - Center of Attention
April 16th	Needled Mom	Block 16 - Bounce
April 17th	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 17 - Sweet Sixteen
April 18th	Life in Scrapatch	Block 18 - Yeah Eights
April 19th	Quarter Inch Crafter	Block 19 - Weave
April 20th	Seams To Be Sew	Block 20 - Classic
April 21st	Just Let Me Quilt	Block 21 - Spot
April 22nd	Something Rosemade	Block 22 - Cross Walk
April 23rd	Thimblemouse and Spouse	Block 23 - Opposites Attract
April 24th	Books, Hooks, Sticks, etc.	Block 24 - Possibility
April 25th	Words & Stitches	Block 25 - Camper Window
April 26th	Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats	Block 26 - Catching Z's
April 27th	Selinaquilts	Block 27 - Broken Stripes
April 28th	QuiltFabrication	Block 28 - Stockade
April 29th	Lakeshore Stitches	Block 29 - Dovetail
April 30th	Creatin’ in the Sticks	Block 30 - Slow Tee

Thank you Carla for an awesome blog hop!