I have been gone again!

This time we went to Garden, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit our friend Pat.  Pat and I had a wonderful week of sewing and catching up. We have known each other for a long time, and have been sewing buddies forever!  I have had the privilege of watching her children grown up and become wonderful parents to her 13 grandchildren. We have through thick and thin, and live near by each other.
We made hats one day, I have mine on.  Two fat quarters was all it took.

While I was there, I finally got my Bonnie Hunter, Jamestown Landing put together!  Now to work on the borders.  This is one very scrappy quilt.  I love it.

This little red squirrel was visiting us every day.  Pat would have to shoo it from the one bird feeder it kept getting into. I had never seen or at least paid attention to red squirrels before. What a character this one turned out to be.

I made these three tissue holders one day.  

We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets over Lake Michigan.

One Tuesday it is her day to sew with other quilters in the area down at the recreation hall in town. Pat and Bertha are pinning Pat's Jewel Box quilt. It is always fun meeting up with the quilters.  We all bring our own lunch and enjoy a day of sharing and quilting. I have gotten to know them through the years.

One day Gail came over and we cut out these miniature quilts using Pat's wool scraps.

Three bags that I have made for Pat. She is not one to make this work of projects. I keep her supplied in new bags, and pincushions and whatever's.

I am finally working on putting my Bonnie Hunter, Oregon or Bust that I exchanged blocks with my friend Isabelle in France with. I actually got all but two rows of sashing put on before I left to come home.  It too, just needs borders.  Two quilt tops finished up in one week!  See what you can get done when you get the opportunity to sew with a friend.
Pat finished long arm quilting one quilt, got the binding on it. Finished att the blocks to the Jewel Box, got it pinned and was about 1/3 of the way done quilting it before I left.  Trust me, we get a lot of sewing, talking, and eating done when we do get together.

One Saturday before we came home, we all went to a Pow Wow.  The Upper Peninsula has a lot of Indians. It was an interesting performance. We spent about two hours watching dances and hearing songs.
You just never know what you will get to do. One day we went to Sault Saint Marie to visit two quilt shops, and one on the way in Curtis. The one in Curtis was 5 miles down a dirt road. There were signs as we went down the road telling us there really was a shop.  It was busy when we got to it!!  There was even a sale going on.  What a riot.  We did have a fun day.
It was a great week. I miss being with Pat, Until next time.
Mary

Quilting on vacation

While in the UP of Michigan my friend Pat and I did manage to get in some sewing.
That is always a good thing.  She does amazing quilts and every bed in her house is made up with them. At last count that was at least 10 beds.
She likes to make bed quilts and knows I do too, but that I also like to putz with other kinds of projects.  She had received this cute pattern for notions that fits over a coffee mug.  So that was on my list to play with.  I made us each one.  Once you got started on them, they were easy to work on.  When we showed them at the Tuesday quilt group, Gail, another friend, said she wanted one too.  Back to the drawing board!  I made 2 more, and then forgot to take a picture.  They turned out so cute, too!

One of Pat's grandchildren was visiting and wanted to learn to sew and do wool applique.  Check out the bunnies on the red charm squares.  She is doing a super job.

Pat is working on this quilt!  Let me tell you what a job.  I don't know who wrote the pattern, but it sure was incomplete.  It is made in 4 sections of 3 1/2 inch square, to help with the bias edges.  That is super!  Then there will be a log cabin border around the edges.  No measurements were given, except for the overall finished quilt.  Because there was only a diagram of what this part should look like, I told her it looked like one too many rows, so she took off a row, then put it together.  When she made a row of the log cabin blocks, they did not fit. She took the quilt apart, (I helped unsew, as I was the one who said she didn't need that row.)  She put the needed rows! Now everything is back together.  Good, right?  Not!  The log cabins still did not fit.  She had to take the setting triangles off on one side and add another row of 3 1/2 inch squares, Then put it all back together.
Talk about frustrations!  

I had a kit to do this cute hanging.  I have all the stitching around the wool pieces to sew now. 

From Pat's sewing room over the garage, we could watch the deer in the yard.  We even saw 2 bucks this time.

Here is the view from the deck off the back of the house, overlooking  Lake Michigan.  It is so beautiful.
What a gorgeous week we had.  Blue skies, white clouds and perfect temperatures.

I have more pictures and more projects.
Time out to get more housework and paperwork done!
Catch you later.
Mary

Michigan part 4

Here is what I was working on.  I had started this at the retreat the previous week, and did not like what was going on with it.  I took some of the center apart and added the black star strips and like it much better.  Now for quilting.

I made a twister too, and will add applique around in the brown border.  It was suggested that I put a pumpkin or two.  Have to work on that.

Got the twister table runner top done.  This was a kit I had picked up last year, and had not gotten around to working on it.  The kit had an off white fabric around the twisters.  I did not like that, and replaced it with the cheddar fabric. Like it much better.

I had found this great little pattern at Primitive Gatherings.  It is a candle mat by Farmhouse Threads.  The binding is sewn now, and I am working on the applique to get the snowmen and trees done.

Made a couple more fall mug rugs.

Pat liked the twister pattern so much that she made another, bigger one and is going to add the leaves to this one too.  They look so nice.  She is doing a great job on hers.

Here is a close up of the snowmen we made.  I found out that the pattern for them is also from Farmhouse Threads.  What a coincidence.

Fall colors.  It was beautiful up there, even if the weather was not the greatest.

Tuesday Sew again.  Ron said we did not have to leave until noon on Tuesday for home.  Lois brought back her completed quilt that she worked on last week.  Look how wonderful all her thread play appliques look.  We were all amazed. The dimension is fabulous.

Here is another finished project one of the quilters brought in.  The place mats and runner are adorable.  She was also making napkins to go with them.  I think she said these were going to be a wedding gift.  What fun.

On our way home, we ran into a rain storm.  I had to try to get the rainbow through Ron's side of the car.  Involves a bit of tricky  posture for me to get the picture.

It was a wonderful week.  Pat and I have known each other for a very long time.  When Ron and I were married, almost 29 years ago, our wedding reception was held in their home in Williamston, Michigan.  Pat's husband Tom, passed away in February of this year.  We all felt he was there with us.  We miss him a lot. 

We met Andrew, our son, for dinner on our way home.  It was good to catch up with him.  I think we got home about 10 o'clock that night.  Unloaded the car and I was off to bed. 

I came home energized.  Started to clean out some closets and taking care of more of my Dad's things.  Have to get that garage emptied, so I can get my car in there before the snow flies.  People are going to think I am a hoarder!  Time to get moving.

Have a wonderful rest of the week.  Hopefully, I am going to get some sewing done.

Mary

Michigan part3

Ron and I decided to take a little drive on Monday.  The sun was shineing!  We went down the peninsula and found a little part beside the lake.  Ron found the swings!

It is cold.  I had 3 shirts, one being a sweatshirt.  I forgot to bring a jacket.

Look what someone did with hay bales!  Too cute.

Looking out to the lake.  It is a fishing community.

Some fisherman were out on the lake.

Nancy was with us on Sunday, working on her twister quilt. 

Pat and I worked on this snowman from the latest issue of Primitive Quilts magazine. 

This is the Noah's Ark piece Pat did.  She is going to make 5 more of these. One for each of her children and their families.  Pat has 5 children and 13 grandchildren.  She has made quilts for all of them.  In the evening she works on wool applique.

Here we are with our snowmen.  They were fun and easy and took only a few hours to make.

Ron is his favorite chair.  He got caught up on a lot of reading!.  One day we put him to work.  He made chili for us for dinner.  So good.

One more posting to go.

Have a great day.
Mary

Michigan Part 2

Nancy come over one day to sew. She and Pat wanted to learn how to make a Twister quilt.  Here I am showing the technique.

I was in the process of making a twister table runner.

Here is Pat's.  She added an extra border and decided to add some applique.  She used her machine to stitch a vine around the edge.

Here it is with the leaves ready to stitch down

Here is a view of Lake Michigan from the back of her house.  We had a lot of rainy and cold weather during our week.  This was one of a few hours of sunshine.  Look how far the lake is down.  They told me it is down 13 inches.  There should be a lot less sand showing.

On Friday evening we took a break and enjoyed a jazz concert and sing along down at the Congregational Church.  It was so much fun.  The locals put on a great performance. It is so nice to be a part of a small town. Everyone is so friendly and kind and welcoming.

More tomorrow.

Mary