Quilting Quickie - Photo heavy

I've had a list of a million and one things to do and was feeling overwhelmed.   My daughter asked me to go to the quilt show with her and I said "yes" but I was telling myself the entire ride up to her house the day before I had no business gallivanting about with so much to do........but it turns out it was exactly what I needed.     It cleared my head and I was able to enjoy the weekend and I managed to come home and make a list of my to-do's and mount a plan of attack for the coming week.

Since I've got lots of irons in the fire I'll give you some quick eye candy from the photos I took at the Mancuso Quilt Show in Philadelphia this weekend.

 This was a price winner.    Look at the quilted words.

And then there was this ribbon winner.  Not my cup of tea but I am sure it was executed with skill and technique and certainly innovation.

This applique quilt was another winner - absolutely stunning.

Close up of the appliqué work

 Above and below, the same pattern, different fabrics, different looks.

 Mini quilts.......and one with my favorite color combo

There were quite a lot using the color ways of a color wheel.   Each one different than the next.

 Bobbins of selvages!

This was just a plain old panel.     What made it stunning was the decorative stitches and fancy threads.

 That's a lotta pieces!  Cutting them! Keeping them organized! Sewing them! Pressing them!  Oy!

There was a story with this.   The hands were photos of the four generations of a family of quilters.

Below, I like the symbolism of the direction of the black triangles.  To me, above ground pointing towards the earth; and under ground pointing towards the sky.   A certain zing and zang.

Looks like the lights are on waiting for us to stop on by....even the glow from the windows it cast out onto the shrubs.

 Whimsical!

Here's a different version of a traditional star.

This orange peel quilt had to seeing double.  What were we looking at the peels or the squares?

This was made out of men's shirts.  It's an idea I will save when I finally tackle the suitcase full of shirts I brought home from my brother's.

And for all the ones I shared, there were ten times as many that were equally as breathtaking.
It sure makes we want to be retired to be able to play with fabric all day if I want to!
Sadly over the years the show has gotten smaller and smaller with fewer vendors.

Thanks for sticking with me and my picture show.   Keep on stitching!

Ankle Bone is Connected to the Leg Bone

Well look at my lap all snuggled under an afghan a friend crocheted.   This can only mean two things......next time I need to make sure I have on socks so my unmanicured tootsies don't peak out and we are having some glorious cool weather as we transition into fall.  My friend Carol is moving to Florida and won't need this cozy throw so I confiscated it to think of her every time I use it.  


Really enjoying the crispness of the early morning air.  



I have discovered my yard again!   yeah!   Last week I put in an hour to an hour and a half each night after work.   And although I find my needlework so meditative, there is nothing that compares to your hands in the dirt.   I have thought I lost my yard mojo and some other mojo along the way and that little bit of time grounded me (hardy har har).  I do so enjoy working in the garden and I am glad that it still part of my heart and soul.  I have plans to very shortly be popping outside to trim up some shrubs and freshen up a bed I have neglected with some much needed mulch.  

Last week I did take the time to rearrange my gnome garden and move it to around my pond.   I got rid of a lot of the not so gnome-like pieces.  It needs some more work. I think growing up building forts and climbing trees I missed the playing with dolls stage so I digress.

 Coffee this morning outside and loving the look of early morning on the pool.   This is a view I won't have much longer.   The water temp has dropped below 70 degrees and I know the cover will be on in the next week and it will be closed until next year.   I think the pool cover going on really means the end of summer for me.   (sad face)







And then there is how one thing leads to another.....I have a major reno on the horizon.   A cosmetic update has turned into a major project.  What started as let's upgrade the upstairs toilet has led to a total gut job of two bathrooms.   The 63 year old cast iron pipes need to be replaced as they have deteriorated to the point they could crumble.....in five months, five weeks or five minutes.    Simple, right?   Not when the pipes are hidden behind bead board that is covering  63 year ceramic tile embedded in wire mess and concrete.   Looks like we will have a Spot-a-pot in our yard for a week or so.   Good for me that we have a locker room at work because that is where I will be showering.   I spent yesterday going to plumbing stores and showrooms for ideas and prices.  Mr. W. and I do not have the same aesthetic.   He doesn't like the floor I choose but I can make concessions to like what he picked floorwise but........   he liked the $8,500 shower surround that didn't include the faucets, the pan, the niches for shampoo or soap, the doors, the drain installation, delivery and who knows what other internal parts.   Oh and the bench inside the shower was also an extras $2K.   I will be dissuading him from that which looked like it should be in  Graceland and not my house.  Needless to say, I had the beginnings of a major headache after the 6 hours of shopping filled with technical gibberish of flow rates and whatever.   I didn't even want to stitch when I finally say down last night!  On the bright side, when I received the estimate last week by email and forwarded it to my husband, Mr. W. asked if I was OK with it and if it covered everything I wanted done.  Heck, once I got to the part that said the contractor would prime and paint with the homeowners choice of paint, I stopped.   I have always been the painter so that was a win for me.  We don't have a demo or start date but told the contractor we want this done by Thanksgiving.   Just got to get on his schedule now.  

Other news, Mr. W. has resigned from drum corp.   Of course I didn't believe him since he says he is done every year after returning home from 8 weeks on the road.  Then I was copied on the thank-you-for-your-service-email from the Executive Director.  Oh boy, next summer will be my first summer retired and me and Mr. W. get to spend it together.  After 20 summers of being home alone......oh my!  Trepidation!  I may retire upstairs to my craft room and have a whole lot of finishes! (at least I will have a new bathroom to use while I am up there.)

For stitching, I am really happy with my progress on my Santa.   The other girls are saying there is so much stitching on this......I don't think so.   His sweater was a breeze.  I think it worked up fast even with my mis-stitches.  Yes, it is a lot of rows of red for his coat but it is pretty mindless.   I have a couple of packages at his feet to do and then his arms.    I set a self-imposed deadline of September 25th and I will make it with time to spare!     Diane was the first of the group to finished hers and will be bringing up it from Tennessee in October.   I will be taking both of ours to a finisher in Lancaster.   I can't argue with the price I was quoted.   If we leave it to me Santa could sit in the UFO baskets for years.

That about wraps it up for me.   Today I plan to head out into the yard, tackle that neglected bed and just enjoy being outside.  I have a basket I am making up for MAR EGA Auction that I want to assemble this afternoon and I am planning to end the day with a fire in the fire pit, a glass of wine and a good book.   Not a bad forecast at all.

Until next time, keep on stitching.