What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

 I brought souvenirs back from New England--two t-shirts, a tea towel, refrigerator magnets -- and fabric!  I went to four quilt shops and a thrift shop.  

A Quilter's Garden is in Montpelier, VT. 

Sew Far North is in Littleton, NH. 

The Golden Gese [taken from the owner's surname] is in Concord, NH.   

The late Victoria Carroll-Parkhill, whose blog was Park Hill Farm, patronized this shop. When we were in New Hampshire in 2018 I met her there.  

Top: compass plant, woodbine (also called virgin's bower and devil's darning needles!).  

Bottom:  wild petunia, great blue lobelia. 

No walk on Saturday. Zion Woman's Club helped at the welcome table on Saturday at the  Zinnia and Monarch Festival.  It's a celebration of community diversity and unity.   Zinnia seeds are given out every spring and at this time of year the colorful flowers are in home gardens and at businesses.   

There's a monarch release, too.  

 Guild member Karen showed us the trick to this *reversible* patchwork:  flat-felled seams.  The second trick is to use batiks since they are reversible anyway. 

Top: Karen's class sample.   Bottom:  what I created. 

 A closeup. 

Top: swamp milkweed, purple coneflower, blue lobelia. Center: vervain, liatris (blazing star), red lobelia. Bottom: nodding onion, pinnate coneflower (Mexican hat), Culver's root. 

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On to quilting!

My dear Magpie friends made a two-sided hug quilt for me. It was in the mail held for me during my trip.  It began as two hugs, one for Stevens and one for me, but it turned into one.  The blocks are from the U.S., Canada, England, and Australia.  

My side was assembled by Terri and Gilly ...

I've had great walks the past few days.   So many wildflowers!    Waterlilies, purple coneflower, Queen Anne's Lace.  Monarda, gray-headed or pinnate prairie coneflower, chicory.  Elderflower, mountain mint, broadleaf arrowhead.

Mulberries are ripe but hard to reach.   Black cap raspberries are easier to get to though the canes are scratchy.   

Two mulberries on the left, black caps on the right.  The cap I wore was a handy way to carry them. 

8/16/24

Last year I improvised a carrier out of a grape leaf.  He ate all the berries in the car.

In the studio:   Jasper, the top-along ...

My t-shirt says Free People Read Freely

It rained briefly on Friday morning but the sun came out before lunchtime.  It was a beautiful evening for the Fourth of July festivities at Shiloh Park in Zion.   There was a big crowd for the concert by a band called Mike & Joe (80's rock).  They played for two hours without a break.  

The fireworks  began at 9:30.   My phone camera captured a couple of them. 

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My quilting goal for the July is to keep up with a variety of projects.  I got ...

I caught the sunrise (5:17) at the marina this morning. I stuck my toes in the water at the north beach. 

On Friday I took advantage of an unscheduled day and went downtown. "Dressed in History" is on exhibit at the Chicago History Museum featuring items from their costume collection. The garments were donated by Chicagoans, some of whom wore them.   Quite a variety!

The white Dior gown in the center is so elegant! (Worn by a debutante in 1949.)  The donor of the 18th century court dress ...

After my shift was over I walked along the trail at the south end of the park. 

Lupine, Ohio Spiderwort, puccoon, sulfur cinquefoil, prickly pear, a hillside (actually a duneside) of lupine.

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Friday's walk at the state park:  lupine, daisy fleabane, coreopsis, blue flag iris (native), hybrid iris (I look for it every year), golden Alexander, Canadian anemone, yellow flag iris (non-native).

On Friday I went to a rummage sale.  As I looked at craft items I mentioned that I'm a quilter. The woman said she had some fabric leftovers in the house that she'd bring out.  I bought all of them -- contemporary prints -- for $10.  The woman's mother was managing the checkout and said, "I have some old fabric from my mother.  I can bring it tomorrow ...

I enjoyed a walk at Lyons Woods on Friday afternoon.  Clockwise from upper left: red trillium, golden ragwort, bristly buttercup, white trillium, forget-me-not, mayapple, jack-in-the-pulpit.

On Saturday I went to the spring tea (actually a luncheon) given by Grandparents and Kin Raising Children, an agency founded and run by our Rotary friend Harriet.  It was very nice (and good for me to get rather dressed up and out).   Due to privacy concerns only the event photographer could take photos of the attendees, and I didn't ...

 

Two walks at Illinois Beach State Park this weekend were good for my body and my spirit.  

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In the studio:  two finishes!  

I signed up for the guild mystery ...

 I continue to thank you all for your kind words and condolences.  Quilting is very therapeutic during stressful times.  And the endorphin rush from bargain fabric acquisition is not to be discounted.   I have recent experience with both.   

Her gift included bags of flannel that I have given away.  I kept this yardage.  The blue, yellow, and pink pieces in ...

 S is getting more alert.  His appetite is good.  I will learn more when I meet with the care team this week.

My friend Donna won the quilt I donated to the raffle.

I'm sure the club treasurer will have a glowing report at tomorrow's board meeting. 

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These are 8" (finished) blocks so the pieces were a bit fiddly to cut.