Monday, April 25, 2016

Weekend Wanderings!


This weekend was busy, I was on the go more than usual, but that is a good thing. On Saturday we went to the quilt show and I did take photos but not too many, so tonight I will show you one and what I bought and then I will do an extra post on Wednesday with a few more quilt photos.

I wasn't too impressed with this show. There were some beautiful quilts but a lot of quilts that look like they were made and put up so they had more to show. The displays were not done too well either, a lot of the quilts were crooked or wrinkled up. There were some good vendors but mostly from local shops and machine stores. It seems you pay to get in, and then you have vendors and raffles and food and I assume they make money from them too? But it was fun to go and see the quilts but I wish they had more vendors from out of state with more variety.

I will show you one quilt that I just loved because I love cats and I love the creative use of materials on this one. This would be fun to do with old jeans and maybe a fabric printed photo of your own pet.


Even thought I don't need to be buying more fabric, I couldn't resist. I loved the cat print and it is a good piece to practice my machine quilting on, then I got the stripes and print to add for border. I am not sure I have enough though and I realized the panel goes longer across, so I will have to cut it into blocks to make it work as a quilt. The dragonflies just spoke to me and the blue batik will be alternate blocks, I have plans to make an inspirational piece with them. The cat batiks were just fun, so I may try some totes or something like that with the cats. I love using chalk pencils to trace right onto fabrics when I am adding letters or designs to give me an idea on layout and how they look but most are too waxy or break, these are really nice and go on smoothly, so I will let you know how I like them.


After the show we went to the lighthouse, I promised Bean we would go for a walk. He is really good when we go out and leave him alone, no more cage. We always find him waiting patiently on the couch, for our return. It was cloudy with a light breeze so it was a perfect day to walk around the lighthouse loop without the crowds.

This time we walked down the steps to the rocks below, the tide was going out so there was more shoreline to explore.


No hurry today, we looked for heart rocks and I found two and it was nice to just sit and enjoy the fresh air.



Sunday we went for a ride to Connecticut to visit a couple of campgrounds. One was in the perfect area across from the state park, but the camp was horrid. It looked like a dump, the grounds were never cleaned from the storms this winter and the seasonal sites looked like a  scene from Ma and Pa Kettle, lol. The second was so much nicer and we found a site right on the river that was double the sizes of the others, so we will definitely be visiting on the next nice weekend. We can paddle along the river right from our site.

On the way home we stopped at the state park and walked around, but no pets allowed in the beach area or camps. After that we stopped at the lake in RI, it borders both states. It was the perfect day for a hike and of course Bean loved getting out for a better walk.

The path follows the pond and there are some nice spots to stop and enjoy the views.



We hiked to the cliffs and climbed up the side to enjoy the views from the top. One thing about Bean is that he is a puller, he likes to take the lead and when we climb, I let him pull me up, lol. It really does  help and take the strain off my back, and coming down I lean back and let him pull and that keeps my balance so he is a big help to get me up and down the hills.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and able to get out and enjoy the spring weather. I am loving the cooler temps, great for hiking and a lot less bugs.



8 comments:

acorn hollow said...

Looks like a great weekend I love your fabric. I spent the weekend cleaning up around here. lots of sticks in the yard from the birches.
Cathy

Kate said...

What a weekend you had!!! I enjoy reading about it and seeing the photos and, of course, hearing about Bean. You picked up some very interesting fabric - my favourite is the dragonfly print ... have fun creating.

The Eveningstitcher said...

Such a fun weekend, Debbie! I get very disappointed with some shows around this area too..the rug hooking show in Sauder Village is one of them..... every year I say I'm not going back..because I'm disappointed...but every year I go back...UGH!

I would love to find some heart rocks...of course, I don't live by an ocean..the scenery is just breathtaking...enjoy your week!

Anna said...

so beautiful outside!!! Bean looks so happy! The cat quilt is amazing. I know I have said it before but I think God made me allergic to cats because he knew I would have a hundred of them!!!

Sandi said...

Looks like you found some lovely treasures despite your disappointment at the quilt show.

I think Bean is aptly named, sounds like he is full of them!

Lovely views, that quilt loons a bit 3-D, is it or just an illusion?

Saundra said...

Appears you are in a very comfortable place right now. You've got a new project with visions like sugar plums running thru your brain. Bean has become a great learner and easier to handle. So I'm looking forward to your interpretation of the inspiration you saw.

moosecraft said...

Ahhhh.... beautiful Spring!!! It's so nice to be getting out and enjoying some sunshine and fresh air! :-) The batiks you found are gorgeous! Very unique with the cats and dragon flies! Have a wonderful week!

moosecraft said...

Forgot to mention... those General Store chalk pencils are my favorite! They mark nice without too much pressure.