Road Trip

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a road trip on this Thanksgiving weekend. Elizabeth and I set out early for a shop, I think called Cornerstone Quilt Shop on Hyde Park Road in London. The owner was accepting the user cards from Quilts and Calicos in Exeter which closed this spring. We also got 15% off with our guild cards.
This new to us shop was small but quite nice none the less, lots of rulers and notions and of course beautiful fabric. She was unpacking a new line for Christmas called Chocolate so some of that came home with me. It was a busy little spot.

 From there we went to the Marsh Store, about 15 minutes away. That shop is overwhelming, she has everything plus more! I had a full card for $25.00 off my total. It was very busy, even the husband was cutting fabric.

 Since we were close to Cotton by Post we stopped there. It is now a knitting shop with beautiful yarn and only a bin of fat quarters for $2.00 each and a few bolts of fabric at $8.00 a meter. They are going out of the fabric business, they still had sewing machines though, I never thought to ask if they are stopping that as well.  We were the only customers. The side of the store that held all the fabric is closed off and is now a different business, a tack shop I think.

We set off home bemoaning the closing of the Exeter shop as we drove through and what does Mrs. Eagle Eye see as  she was driving ? Kalidoscope of Quilts in Exeter! It's on the opposite side as the old store and about a block up.So of course we had to stop. It was a bonus, a big bright store with  a classroom but not as much stock as the others yet. What she had was really nice, good quality and  modern. And she has wool felt and patterns with funky accessories. Good luck to her.

The Quilts  and Calicos building is still for sale and the classroom further up the street is now  an organic hairdresser/spa.

Next weekend there is a show  in Orangeville but I will be away. The week after there is one in Lucknow which we are planning to attend. So that will probably be the last of the road trips for the year. We have gone to Wendy's in Wiarton in the past for out November birthdays sale though if the weather holds out.

Now to get my new stuff organized.

new computer

Although nothing has been happening on this blog, things have been happening in real life.

My old computer finally bit the dust after about 10 years. I did get a laptop but haven't yet figured out how to post pictures.

I got about 6 tops done and ready to quilt. I finished up a wool felt fall table topper that I was working on at the retreat in the spring and made a little one for a gift. 1 1/2 socks are done and the socks done in the magic loop style have to be ripped out as they are too small.

All the Wednesday groups have restarted which means more projects. And Quilt Show season is back up and running. There was a local shop hop the last weekend of Sept. from Wiarton to Meaford, Markdale and Maxwell. Elizabeth and I went to all of them via back roads except for Wiarton as we did it in one day. The shop in Maxwell moved 2 years ago and is totally worth the trip, lots of wool felt and associated items. AND The Flying Spatula as seen on You Gotta Eat Here on the Food Network is on the way, just east of Flesherton. The only drawback is the portions are huge. I could have eaten it all 25 years ago. The burgers were 10 ounces, who can even eat that?

I have been watching a hand applique series on the Missouri Star site with Jan Patek. I have always liked it and haven't done a lot but now I am inspired again. I did get some patterns in Oakville on the way to the Burlington show in the spring. That might be my new evening project after I finish the 2nd sock. As someone in the Harry Potter series said "You can never have too many socks."

Wedding Gift

finished quilt

label

closeup of quilting

This is the finished quilt, "scrapbuster" from I think Mary Quilts that I started at the Sewcializers Schoolhouse Retreat in 2011. I finished the top then but it was buried under other projects. I recently came across it and wondered what to do with it. Around that same time, my son told me that his long time friend Matthew was getting married this summer. I decided to have it long arm quilted by Mary Gunson, Tara Ontario and to give it to Matthew and Adrienne. It is tone on tone beiges and is quilted in a soft pastel variegated rainbow, Bella Panto pattern. Mary did a wonderful job as usual. The wedding was Sunday July 21st and I finished the binding that day.

A Few Finishes

Back of Falling Charms

Falling Candy Charms

Twister

H Block

Joanne's Brown Bricks

Halton Giild Show "13

one block wonder on my to do list

50 shades of grey

Here a a few photos of this show at the Royal Botanical Gardens

applique done by Margaret who started the guild

Tokyo subway (I think)

another applique

Stratford Perth Museum 2013

Here are a few pictures from a trip to a display at this museum:

Elizabeth's zippered flowers

a  9 patch block exchange

nice border treatment

poster of event

Retreat '13 photos

Xmas dinner and sweaters

Santa Sack exchange

casserole totes on steps

Larissa's 3"  9 patch block exchange

The retreat pictures showed up when I was looking for the twister. Here they are:

folded ornaments

finished projects