I'm Playing on Easy Street!

I'm a little "late to the game" but getting caught up slowly on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt for this season, "Easy Street."  I'm doing it all from my stash, so I've done a few variations in color but I think most of these will work well.

Here are my selections:

My Black on Whites!

These lime-green/apple should play very well with my aquas/turquoise:

 

 



Some of these have been my stash since "Day 1"....the aqua/teal stripe and the paisley turquoise.....looks like I'll finally have a use for them.

I've got 64 of the four-patches done, and I'm twirling my seams.  Tedious, but I can see how useful this is.  My grey is a "funny" grey....it looks very grey until I pair it with the black/whites, but at least it's constant:

 

 

 

This weekend we get to play with our purples, and make tons of flying geese.  At least I've got both rulers (Easy Angle and Companion Angle). 

 

 



 



Don't you want to play on Easy Street?  Click the badge on my sidebar to go to Bonnie's "Quips and Snips" site for the directions.  It's still early, and, as far as I'm concerned, it's not a race anyway.  Just something fun to do, and I've been wanting to do one of Bonnie's mystery quilts for a long time.....just never got organized before.

Off to the Virginia Quilt Museum to work with my friend Jo.  She's bringing me a few more black on whites from her stash to give me some more variety.

Have a great weekend!  Kathy

Getting Into the Christmas Spirit!

We're here in Utah visiting our daughter, Susan, and her family.  She has five lovely girls:  Casey, Jessica, Brooklyn, Lindsey, and Alexis.  Since we don't see them very often, I was looking for ways we could connect with them in the short time we are here. 



The "Daring Dortch" Girls!

Yesterday morning we went to an activity center, where the older girls, Susan, and I did the rope course....it was fun, and a new experience for me, Jessica, and Brooklyn, so we had something to share right there.  I had suggested that the girls bring their suits with them, and Susan and I brought them back to the hotel for some swimming in the indoor pool after lunch.

But on the way we stopped at American Quilting, a store in North Orem that I had located while browsing on the 'Net on Friday night.  Of course, they were having a Thanksgiving sale....and when one of the girls said "What are we doing here?" I got an idea.

"We're shopping for Christmas fabric for you.....I'm going to make each of you a Christmas pillowslip for your bed when I get home, and I'll mail it to you."

"Can we each pick out our own fabric.?".......it was amazing how much more interested they were in the store once they determined they could.  These were the fabrics they found:

We consulted on color choices for the "cuff" and accent strip.....I think they did a great job.  Casey went straight for the graphic christmas ornaments, Jessica and Brooklyn each liked the "presents" in different background colors, Lindsey immediately pulled out the Santa Claus fabric, and Lexie (age 3).....just grabbed bolts of fabric and smiled at me.

I'm going to have great fun making these up, and remembering our trip....and I hope the girls will remember our visit when they sleep on them.   Our "swimming expedition" turned out, well, swimmingly, and we all enjoyed the thrill of getting in a warm pool indoors when it's not "swimming weather"....

 

Last night we got to celebrate Alexis' birthday with pizza and a birthday cake that she got to decorate.  It is such fun to spend these simple, important times with family.

 

 
Lexie had a great time opening her present:  she was thrilled to get a "box"....which is why the older girls are laughing so hard.  "A box, I got a box" she kept saying.  "I love it".  Oh, to be 3 again.........





Casey and Jess, "amused" by their little sister
 

I'm so happy we decided to come this weekend; we've been planning this trip for over two years, and "life has happened" to keep us away.....just a reminder that life is too short to let these precious times get past us.  By the time we get home we'll be on the real countdown to Christmas....and I've definitely got some sewing to do!

Have a great week, Kathy

An Autumn Trip with the Granddaughters

Well, I've been busy traveling around this past week, with more travel next week, so I thought I'd share a few photos.....these aren't quilting related, so you can stop reading here if you want.

We packed up the car and took our granddaughters to Asheville, NC, to see the Christmas decorations at the Biltmore Estate this weekend.  We were supposed to go to the Big Apple, but seeing as how it was still a pretty soggy mess, we decided to reset our compass and head south.  I think we caught a spectacular late autumn burst of weather, and the trip  on US 26 through Tennessee and into North Carolina was beautiful.

We stopped in Weaverville, NC for lunch at the Stoney Knob Cafe, a great little restaurant with an emphasis on Greek food.  The girls just loved it:

Brianna and Maya at Stoney Knob Cafe

We headed on into Asheville, regrouped at our hotel, and then visited the FolkArt Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We got to see a lovely "Black and White" art exhibit, that included many quilts.  Then we headed into town to have "cocktails" at the Grove Park Inn, and take in the beautiful view over the hills:




Maya on the Grove Park Inn Terrace on a beautiful Friday afternoon

Cocoa in the Great Hall at the Grove Park Inn.

Saturday's tour of Biltmore House was over the top....it's hard to overwhelm teenagers these days, but the girls were suitably impressed:

We had fun taking pictures in front of the fountain.  I'm so proud of my granddaughters; they take pride in their appearance and it shows.  I've seen them pretty messy, too, but when they go out with us, they try to dress appropriately and look their best.  I find it a measure of respect for us, and they know I appreciate it.

 

It was great fun to have them "all to ourselves" for 48 hours; sometimes you just need "face time"....phone calls, FB, and texting are all just fine, but one-on-one, acccompanied by hugs, is just the ticket.  Even PawPaw got the treatment:

 

Next week we head to St. Louis for Thanksgiving dinner with my sister, and then on to Utah to see our other five granddaughters......it's a "Thankful" month for family.

Have a great week!  Kathy