Surprised It's Been So Long

Time does pass quickly...I have been working on many things.  Counted cross stitch at work, wool felt table centerpiece, made curtains for the deck, already had to repair them in less than a week and who knows what else...

Today was a fun day inspired and planned by Michael. The day started with a wonderful rain with a bit of thunder and lightening.  Then breakfast at Perkins.  Drove north to St Cloud and went to Grubers Quilt store, more north to Alexandria and went to the Ben Franklin Crafts and Debbies Quilts and then had lunch at Lake Carlos State Park.  Made a second stop at Ben Frankin too....

I have a photo of my purchases today!

At Grubers I found some Minnesota fabric to back the 2nd camping quilt I am working on, a piece of fabric for a pillowcase and a bar of Minnesota soap that says "Hand Crafted by Ludefisk-Loving Hands in Glenville MN, there is even a state of Minnesota shape in the middle of the soap!  On to Ben Franklin Crafts where I found some different colors of felt, a piece of onion fabric and 3 pieces of fabric for pillowcases.  At store shared by the Debbies Quilts there was this little handmade all wool doll.  It had been $12.00 marked to $6.00 and I got it for $3.00 (for a little neighbor girl).  On our way back through Alexandria we stopped again at the Ben Franklin and I found the striped fabric that I will make into awnings for our trailer windows and the bag of lovely green buttons that was too good a price to pass up!  Fun shopping!

I also finished a small friendship book that has been mailed to a dear friend.  Here is the cover.

I had so much fun figuring out to to make this book and using only things that I had from home.  The key on the front is from the suitcases I was given for my 18th birthday and the cording hanging down from the flower is candle wick that I had from when I was making sand candles in the 70's.  Fun to use some of the treasures that have been saved.  I will show you the rest of the book next time.

Exploring new horizons....

Went to a new consignment shop today with a dear friend.  Didn't purchase anything but saw lots of interesting and reasonably priced items.

Afterwards we went to Four Seasons Quilt Shop.  They had moved from their previous location and I had not been to the new one.  Lots more room here and so many beautiful fabrics!

This evening I had a small "fabric intervention" with my daughter and we pared down some of the 4 boxes and 2 bags of fabric to be cut into squares/strips etc.  This bag had been full and look at it now.

Also did some cutting of flannel for church quilts.

Finally did some more planning on another secret project....

Not a bad day of being underemployed...

Day 160 - Creative Thinking...Quilt Shops

Spent the morning in St Cloud with the first stop Grubers Quilts.

Saw this little quilt and I wanted to remember it as I think it would be a fun one to try and reproduce.

Here is a great idea for a partial door covering and they used it to hide some shelves-

just torn strips of fabric!

And this quilt was in the foyer to the store.  It is some Michael Miller fabric used with a panel of RV sayings.

I have a little bit of this fabric and I bought the RV sayings today.

Here were my Grubers purchases.

Then on to Crafts Direct and it had begun to rain again.

Found Michael a comfortable spot to sit and went shopping.  Boy that is a huge store and they carry so many things that are not available in the cities.  I did notice that their prices on fabrics had increased and are the same as what they are charging at Grubers.

We ended our St Cloud (Waite Park) trip with a stop at a restaurant that we had never been to before-

Space Alien!  A fun family place full of noise and kids and crazy things hanging on the walls.

Day 148 - Going home....

Heading home from our camping week.  Went home through Rochester and stopped at another quilt shop.

It was called Quilting Cupboard and they specialized in novelty print fabrics.  Fun and different!

North through Cannon Falls and the last quilt shop of this vacation.

This was Forth and Main Fabrics.

This vacation went by so quickly!  Then new kitchen covering for the trailer worked so well, weather was quite hot to begin with but that changed to being bearable- no rain at the campground all week and some excellent antiquing, hiking, campfires, sleeping late, reading and 6 new quilt shops!

Day 147 - More of La Crosse, Wisconsin

This morning brought some 3 hours of antique shopping in downtown La Crosse.

I completed the hand quilting on the mini quilt today.

On to another new quilt shop which I would recommend highly for its brightness and current fabrics.

It is called Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Day 146 - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Went into La Crosse today. 

Visited their Hobby Lobby where I found a border print to make a skirt for Micaela! 

 These prints are extremely difficult to find so I was excited and

 she liked it too which is an added bonus.

Explored at Grandad Bluff in La Crosse where you can see 3 states at once.

Lunched at the park on the Mississippi and then to a new quilt shop!

River Road Quilt Shop. I would recommend this one to anyone in the area!

Day 144 - Camping

Today we visited a quilt shop in Sparta, Wisconsin.  Micaela found some Disney Peter Pan fabrics there.

This is their sample quilt using the Peter Pan fabrics.

Another black and white quilt that caught Micaela's eye.

We also took a Hiking Club hike in the morning...

And in Sparta visited the F.A.S.T mold yard....

this was some weird, wild stuff....

Our camp with Micaela's tent set up-

It was a great vacation day and we ended with our dinner over a fire under the stars.

Day 65 - Quilt Shops/Planning

It was a fun filled day visiting quilt and fabric shops with my friend Lois.

Met at 8:30 at her home and looked at additional patterns for our jelly roll quilts.

 Then off to Fat Quarter quilt shop.

They were having a Grand Opening and all fabric was 30% off. Found 2 pieces.

Next on to White Bear Lake

where we spent time at Bear Patch Quilting Co.

Look at these fruit and vegetable fabrics- see the cucumber?

Here was a strip quilt display- look at the ruffle around the edge!!

I purchased 2 clearance fabrics here

 and then on to lunch at the Great Moon Buffet (Chinese) and wonderful!

After about 2 hours of eating and talking and eating some more....

on to Mill End Textiles.

This was at least twice as large at the Mill End Textile stores near me.

I found 2 more fabrics for a new project and 2 more Susan Branch fabrics in the In Love With Nature line.  Also one other cool "boy" fabric that I couldn't pass up.

Last stop was a Handcock Fabrics.

Look at the lovely brights in the childrens section!

I bought a piece of the green in the photo and 2 fat quarters (on sale of course)

 that are potka dot designs (for a future quilt).

  Back to Lois' house where we looked at felt, embroidery floss, old dishes and wrapped up.

  I arrived back home at 6:30 pm.  Fun day!