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Saturday, August 12, 2017

Quilt show... my favorites... and other stuff

Today was the first day of the Plano Quilt Show. Both my dear friend and my DIL make beautiful quilts. I make quilts, but just for the fun of it... functional quilts that serve as cat quilts for sofas, or baby quilts, or possibly quilt throws for covering up when chilly. I don't make anything that takes fancy stitching or anything big enough to cover a bed... although I do like quilts on beds and have several that both have made for me.

There were dozens of beautiful quilts at the show. However, I only took pics of my 2 favorites.





This dragonfly quilt was my all time favorite...  and next is a closeup of the quilting.




And this parrot quilt was just wonderful...




I consider these "Art"... not meant to be used as a throw or bed cover, but hung on a wall. Just beautiful!

So that's how I spent my Friday - enjoying the quilt show and having coffee after at Starbucks with my friend. 

I did make a fresh peach torte this week using the peaches from Ham's Peach Orchard. The variety was O'Henry and they were extremely sweet and juicy. And Central Market had their Hatch Chili Peppers on sale this week! We bought roasted Hatch Chilies, Hatch stuffed chicken breasts, Hatch crab cakes, Hatch Chili sauce, Hatch cheese, Hatch tortillas, etc. As you can see, we like them... (I do use the mild, not the hot).

And the  bell pepper from my container garden did finally turn red. I picked it when it was starting to turn - just to see if it would continue to turn when placed on my window sill. It did. And when I took it off the window to take a picture, I just stuck it on top of some cookbooks in the hall.... and got this pic.





Believe it or not... I didn't set the pepper up to look like that. After I took the pic and looked at it, I had to show it to DH... it looks like John is actually holding the pepper in his hands! How serendipitous!

I really hope that all of you out there in blogging land have been enjoying your summer.  School has already started in some places and summer is coming to an end. Before we know it Fall will be upon us. This summer seems to have passed extremely fast... maybe it's age or maybe it's been especially busy with my appendectomy, kids moving, and family visiting. All I know is that time is flying by. 

Fall is always welcome, but winter (even though we don't have it half as bad as some of you) not so much. With winter comes cold weather, icy roads, broken pipes, colds and flu. We always get our flu shots, but they aren't totally effective. Of course the thought of hot home-made casseroles and soups as well as hot chocolate by a warm cozy fire sounds good. The cats and I will hibernate by the fire-place or the Aga. At the moment the 3 of them are hibernating on our bed.




 
And I'm going to close with a picture of this plant that turned up out front. I'm sure it's wild... and probably a gift from the birds, but I don't know what it is. It has the soft furry leaves of lambs ear... 






What do you think?



24 comments:

  1. I love hummingbirds and that quilt is gorgeous!! It has been a busy summer and now we are having lots of rain here in GA. Happy Weekend to you!

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    1. Thanks, Linda. Just checked out your blog and your watercolor is coming along nicely. I haven't gotten back to it since our company was here, but I will soon.

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  2. I'm pretty sure that plant is mullien (I'm likely not spelling it correctly), yes much like a lamb's ear. Those quilts are amazing, yes more like a piece of art than something you would put on a bed. My cats never sleep together. -Jenn

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    1. I looked it up and you're right... could be 'mullein', but something like that. I'm wondering how tall it might get. Reminds me of the huge Century plant my daughter has in Bulverde.

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  3. Oh, those quilts...! Absolutely. Stunning. Definitely works of art and made to be hung up and "oohed and "aahhhed" over, IMO.

    LOVE the photo of your pepper, that's brilliant! All the better because it was unintentional. It makes the pepper look like it should be in the world record book.

    Summer is FLYING by. I love the cooler weather of fall, our Canadian winters not so much. I'm already seeing upper year kids on campus now, as they start to move into privately-owned apartment buildings nearby. Soon campus will be a zoo again.

    Take care, enjoy what's left of the summer.

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    1. Aren't those quilts wonderful? And my little red pepper does look good. I'm going to check out the others left on the plant today. And I think your Canada winters are beautiful... a bit too cold and too long for me... but still beautiful.

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  4. I'm sending my sister over to look at the quilting on the dragonfly. It's fabulous.

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    1. I agree... and it took *3rd place*. I would have given it the first place ribbon (but what do I know).

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  5. in my pinterest savings I have been saving quilts and quilt patterns, I am longing to make something with fabric, ever since I made those sailboats and have fabric left over. I love fabric, patterns and colors. that dragonfly oh my the patience and detail fabulous

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    1. I do that also... save quilting or knitting patterns I like on Pinterest.
      I also save pictures of rooms or outdoor settings too. But I'm a basic quilter, nothing fancy, just squares or strips. My favorite pattern is *log cabin* - or some variation of it.

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  6. Oh my those quilts are stunning and yes, would make marvelous wall hangings. Can't believe the dragonflies only got 3rd place. Good grief.

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    1. I know, Patti. I thought it was the best one in the whole show.

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  7. Those quilts are just amazing, I can imagine the time that went into making those, so beautiful. Your bundle of three cats look as though they could be mine, lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. I imagine those quilts would have definitely taken a long time... (my 'ordinary' ones take me forever)

      And our cats have always huddled together... even when we had 8!

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  8. Woolly Mullein. I love it! I mow around them in the lane so there's always several new ones each year.

    The art quilts are wonderful...so many stitches!

    When I walk late in the day, there a feeling of autumn in the air. Even though I love fall, it always makes me a little sad to see summer go...

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    1. Woolly Mullein! An interesting plant. Knew I should let it grow and see how it turns out. I just joined your following, Chip. But I couldn't fine your location... are you in England?

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  9. Those two quilts are beyond stunning! And that is definitely mullein. :-)

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    1. Yes, mullein is the consensus of opinion.According to google, they are native to Europe and Asia with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean. Thanks for everyone's input.

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  10. Those two quilts are so beautiful, they don't even look like quilts. Like you said, "Art". I make quilts for everyday use too. My most comfortable quilt was made using old flannel shirts, jeans, and my husband's old plaid flannel robe. The picture of your red pepper is amazing! It really makes a pretty book cover. You make me look forward to fall and winter, thinking about homemade soup and a cozy fire.

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    1. "home-made soup and a cozy fire" does have it's charm. Now I'm thinking of photos of our cats lying all comfy in front of the fireplace... and other photos that ooze charm (which may be different things to different people). Hmm..mm, this could be fodder for some great interactive blogging. Thanks, Henny.

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  11. That dragonfly quilt is really gorgeous.

    Strangely enough just today I got a new catalog in the mail called Nancy's Notions (nancysnotions.com) Joining the thousands of catalogs that I already get! It has all sorts of craft tools, gizmos, and patterns. Looking through it I found the Dance of the Dragonflies Quilt Top Kit. General quilt pattern, full-sized traceable and reversed patterns, one fabric panel, and 14 cuts of cotton fabrics for top and binding. The background comes in either gold or turquoise. 40" x 40"

    So you, too, can make that quilt and hang it over your bed or better yet in the living room over the mantle. It will only cost you $89 plus tax and shipping of course.

    Surely you could just throw it together in a couple of weeks!

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    1. Oh right... I wouldn't even attempt such a project. But what a nice thought. I'm sure there are many out there who could...

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  12. Oh both those quilts are gorgeous! I can't imagine making all of those stitches.

    The pepper photo is inspired. Well done. Sorry, I can't help with the plant... we have nothing like that here in Saskatchewan.

    Eileen

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  13. I agree about the quilt, Eileen... I can't imagine either (but possibly it was done by those quilting machines? Still... beyond me).

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