Quilts & Quilts and more quilts

I'm so lucky to have a partner that's into quilting.  Okay, so he doesn't sew, but he is definitely part of my design process and he has a way of saying he likes something that makes me want to make it for him.

Yesterday, we drove to Branson.  Branson, MO is the Las Vegas of the Ozark Mountains; shows, museums, shopping...but spread out and not walkable.

We had never checked Branson out because we thought it was all shows and theme parks, but there was a commercial on TV the other night about the Butterfly Palace, a tropical rainforest you can walk through and see the butterflies and tropical reptiles and birds.  Syd did all the research and found out how much tickets were and where it was.  Well, dang, you gotta encourage that kind of grown up behavior, but the reviews Rob read said it was great for little kids, but adults soon felt trapped by bugs landing and crawling on them.  We had lunch and I saw a huge quilt store, so we dropped Sydney off at the Butterfly Palace and we went to the quilt store.  She had a ball and was supposed to leave me pictures when she went to the stable this morning and didn't, so I'll try to show them tomorrow. 

I know.  Looks like the world's largest ball of twine, right?  But, it's a project made of painted sticks and each stick has a message of hope painted on it.  It spins around and was very cool, so we had to have a picture.  There's lots of art around here, this being an artist community.

We stopped at a couple of thrift stores and bought a box full of useful junk, like knives for the cabin (can you believe there was only one knife???)  Anyway, I got a couple Better Homes and Gardens vintage books and a Singer Monogrammer and a box of attachments and other assorted $1 and $2 junk that I actually have a purpose for or have shopped for and not found at the right price.  Things I'd like to have, have a way of finding me. 

I almost bought a sewing machine, but was afraid Sydney would bust a gut, abusing me for how many I have...but it was $10...who can resist a $10 machine.  For that, I can use it as a lawn ornament if it won't work. 

But, this is where I got into trouble.

Huge, grocery store sized quilt shop.  And, the ladies that worked there were so nice and so fun and wanted to see pictures of my work. 

I needed a blue marking pencil, which I found.  And, I found some tools I wanted and got to buy some different brands of machine and hand needles to try.  It will be nice to try some different brands that I can't get at home.  I wanted one piece of off white fabric to use in the Hawaiian quilt I'm considering, and I found one piece of sale fabric.  But, Rob saw this quilt and after I pulled out a tissue and wiped the drool off his chin, I bought the kit.  I haven't bought a kit in years, so even that was an adventure.  They didn't have one cut, so we waited while a lady cut me one.

 

The little sticker tags are where she wrote the fabric description to match what was on the pattern.  Men in quilt shops get the best service.

If I had brought a machine and rotary cutting supplies, I'd likely have started this already.  Best I didn't.

I also bought the pattern for this double card trick quilt made in a log cabin strip design, but don't tell the ladies I took a picture.  I found out later that I'm not supposed to, unless I buy all the fabrics to make the quilt, and I didn't buy a kit for this pattern.

Oops!

I wanted to close with one of my favorite parts of the lodge.  This is in the main house and down this hall are individual rooms, most with attached sitting rooms (which were originally adjoining bedrooms that had doors added).  The innkeeper has decorated the lodge with family antiques.  This hallway is decorated with quilts made by her Aunt and she has added similar themed artwork for display.  Unfortunately, the hallway is so narrow, it's hard to get a picture.

The Dogwood quilt.

The Daffodil Quilt.

 

The Iris Quilt.

And, the Pond Mountain quilt, made by a friend of the innkeeper.

She appliqued the inn logo on the quilt.

Someone clearly likes applique.

Here's my project.

It's going very fast.  I quilt while we drive.  The scenery is beautiful, so I look up every time we crest a hill and whenever Rob says "Look at that!", which is pretty often.  I can stack a few stitches on the needle and then look around while I'm pulling it through.  Lovely small towns and stone houses and buildings.  We saw a house built into a hill yesterday.  That was cool.  Reminded me of a Hobbit house, except the front door wasn't round.

Today, we are going to walk through downtown Eureka Springs with Syd so she can shop and take pictures.  I told her I'd walk up and down those hilly streets until my knees gave out, however long that was, and then we were done.  It's hard walking, but it's fun and she'll have a blast.  She's already trying to arrange a savings withdrawal from the bank of Lane.  And, who knows, maybe I'll find something made by a local artist to bring home.

Have a great Wednesday.  Halfway through our vacation and still having fun.  Last night's dinner was scout dinners, which are stacked and wrapped in foil and grilled for about an hour and a half; layers of potato, carrot, cabbage, seasoned ground beef, and an onion slice.  Yum!  What I spent in the grocery will feed us 12 of our 18 vacation meals.  For the same price, we could have eaten three and a half meals in restaurants. Uggghhhh. 

I remain, the frugal vacationer, who would rather spend money on fabric.

Lane