Tuesday Check-In

Who's got their coffee?  Join me as I check in

on this beautiful Tuesday morning.

The sad note is I broke my MacBook so I’m
very painstakingly pecking away at this post
(ah, alliteration!)
on my iPad and let me tell you, I wouldn’t even be
doing this at all if I hadn’t already gotten most
of this made before my computer broke. 
I do not have the patience for this!!!
Bear with me if things get off-centered or the
pics are messed up or whatever.  Blogger is
not all that iPad-friendly.  

Okay, well, it wouldn't be a post from me

without some digressing...

1

YES!  I did quilt all three baby quilts!

Charming, Charmed and Charmed, Too!

all lined up for viewing.  

 They are all completely done!

2

I completed the two Farmer's Wife blocks

and I'm still alive:

The 44-piece bias blob block turned out to be not so bad,

though I did have an unavoidable direction issue on one

piece.   Well, "unavoidable" sort of.

I should've just cut another one.

Another live and learn.

3

I sat on the fence all week with the picnic quilt but I'm

about to come down off of it.  This will disappoint

some people who were looking forward

to some hungry little ants--and I totally agree

that would be the cutest thing to do with it but

I kinda just want to move on.  While I don't enjoy

applique so much, I do love to do the quilting so

what I'm now thinking about is quilting some nice

flowers in a variegated green thread, which should

really show up in those ivory spaces.  And maybe,

just maybe I'll try some free-hand ants?

I also finished the stash-busting scarf.

Then I decided to make a hat to go with the

scarf I made my grandson.  It’s actually done,
minus a blue pom I’ll be adding to the top.
Pic next week.

Lovecrafts sent me such a nice amount of yarn

that I wanted to do a little more with it.  I'm

even thinking about mittens.  We'll see.

I took my little road trip to a couple quilt shops.

I often talk about how I love to run up to Stitches in

McPherson, KS because their clearance section rocks.

About 80% of the time, I find exactly what I need.

Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times.

I did find 9+ yards of this:

They had a nice selection of med-neutrals that would've

all made great backings but I showed restraint and just

settled on this one.  I love how it can be modern or

traditional.  Maybe even gray or tan--though the pic

prob doesn't show the correct color.  It's a "neutral"

I could not pass up for $5/yd.

For kicks, here's the front part of the shop which I suppose

is just average as far as quilt shops go but there's a nice

feel to it--and that means more than anything to me.

Then I dropped by Charlotte's Sew Natural in Newton

because it's right off the highway on the way back.

Because they're on Main Street, I usually end up going

in the back door where there's better parking.

Maybe not the best representation but I appreciate that

they've tried to create a nice back entrance as well.

These smaller-town shops tend to be in really old

buildings, which can be really fun if you ask me.

I love little quilts--and I have this display hanger.

Hmmmm....

My picture taking is really random because I was more

focused on finding fabrics--and I did find a
Bonnie & Camille to put on the last of my baby quilts.  

It's rare that I go full-price on a backing but I really like

this one and a baby quilt doesn't require so much.

Some red-love.  Oh, I love reds.  And in a little tin

makes it even better.  I really need to make a

red-white (or -cream) quilt!

I should be attracted to the nice long arm they have there

but it's always the lighting they have above it that I notice.

Because mine is in our sunroom, I haven't needed anything

like this but when I move it to one of the boys' bedrooms

in a few years, I'm having the hubs fix this up for me.

I recently learned they have a knitting shop up in Newton.

Even better it's just across the street diagonally from

the quilt shop so I wanted to visit that while there.

(I got lucky on the front parking this time.)

I didn't get a pic, darn it, but I really enjoyed visiting

their new place and with the owner.  She'd just gone

through a move and was just getting settled in.

Turns out being right next door to a successful deli

is problematic for all of those fibers--something to

think about for yarn and fabric shops.  The owner said

when she had customers tell her they knew exactly

which yarns came from her shop by the smell she

knew the move was unavoidable.  They should be

getting classes scheduled soon--hoping there will

be a few that are a good fit for me.

As I was heading to my car my eye barely caught

a "little" coffee shop.  Turns out it was huge.

Maybe I missed it by walking right under it but

methinks they need better signage?

I will brake for coffee shops about as much as

I will for quilt shops.  Too bad this one is a solid

30+ min drive but with a quilt and knitting shop

right there, it seems the makings of a full

field trip day.  

My to-do’s for next Tuesday

1

Have my beloved computer back!

2

Two Farmer’s Wife Blocks completed

3

Quilt up the Irish Chain, provided my ordered

thread arrives in a timely manner

4

Get Pom made and attached to hat

Happy quilting!

Linking up to

Tuesday To-Do