Hello!  Cindy reporting in from Ohio.

When we visited the Washington State Fair earlier this month, I couldn’t resist this picture.  We wandered by the “Bacon Baked Goods” and I wondered if I was sleep walking…bacon and quilts…is this the ultimate dreamy combination or what???

I made this quilted wall hanging several years ago.  It’s a pattern by Edyta Sitar appropriately named “Tree of Life”.  It’s a great pattern for batik fabrics and how about that little birdie on the bottom…it’s so cute!  I like the scrappy binding.  Since we were in Washington State, I had to take a pic of a quilt with cherries on it.  Cherries  from Washington State are the best!  I was drawn to the soft and pretty fabrics in this quilt AND the Churn Dash blocks in the border…a favorite block of mine. I’ll share just a few more of my favorite vacation photos…they have become a rotation on my screen saver.

Sandy and I hope you have a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is one of those days that reminds me why I like living in the northern hemisphere. I suppose I get a little bored by each season and so I’m happy to observe the big changes in the landscape and the vegetation that occur every 3 months.

Older sister Sue, mom, my roommate and I spent the last week on Hilton Head Island. Fall-like weather had even invaded the island, so we had a lovely time enjoying the sun, the surf, and even a little bit of rain without melting. I’m pretty sure that we carried four laptops into our holiday rental, but no pays-the-bills work was conducted. That was a serious accomplishment.

I did get a bit of shopping done at a local quilt shop….

But the real fun was had whilst cruising the thrift shops. Oh my word — the finds on the island were amazing. So many lovely items like framed prints, furniture, decorations, mirrors, glassware, place settings, etc. etc. etc. – nearly all items in perfect condition. I was wishing for a house to decorate or a moving van that needed filling.

And now today I’m back on the job in western New York and I’m planning on soothing my tired, vacation-weary bones by sewing and sewing and sewing to make up for two weeks of separation from my machine.

Let the new season begin!

What a special day for me here in Ohio!  It’s the first day of fall AND I received a special package in the mail from my Dear Friend (KH) in New York.

We usually send each other a little gift to celebrate this beautiful time of year (KH, your gift is late but on the way!)

Below is a picture of my special gift.  It’s a Swedish dishcloth designed by three bluebirds…how cute!  It’s almost too pretty to use, but I think it has many uses…maybe even a coaster for a big mug of spiced cider.

Happy fall to all of our readers!  We know you will find many moments of quilting inspiration in the glorious days of fall!

 

Lucky me!  While we were in Washington State, the Washington State Fair was in progress.  Of course I dragged Dear Hubby (DH) to the quilt exhibit!  Most of the quilts were hung on high rafters above cases of other hand craft exhibits.  The larger quilts were folded in half or thirds so all the quilts could be displayed.The quilt below was really interesting.  As you can see from the photo above, it looks blurry from a distance but when you get close up, it’s not blurry at all, just cleverly pieced with bold prints, patterns and bright colors.Speaking of bold prints, this basket quilt was very pretty.  The photo of this footstool does not do it justice.  The piecing, applique, embroidery and quilting are a winning combination.These birds were so beautiful, they stopped me in my tracks…what beautiful handwork!Last but not least, I just have to share some flower photos with you.  The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the most beautiful gardens and the photos below were taken at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC.

I took more pictures of flowers than quilts but you’ll be seeing more of both in future posts!