Batik Sampler Quilt

This lovely lap quilt belongs to Mona and it was a Block of the Month project that the local guild did a few years back.

Here are a few of my favorite blocks.

 
Mona wanted simple quilting so we went with the "Yo-Yo" panto.  It is quickly becoming a favorite of mine as I love the nice even texture it provides and it seems to work well on many different quilts.

A Charming Landscape

 Reneta brought me this little landscape, as she wanted it finished before our upcoming quilt show.  She had taken a class about 5 years ago and it had been tucked away since then.  She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted, and as I had never quilted a landscape before I really didn't know what to suggest.

  Her only request was for me to add some depth, and she also shared that heavy thread painting wasn't her style. I thought her fabrics choices were really interesting, so for the most part I let that be my guide.

My confidence grew as I went along, and added each new thread color, but I was still a little nervous before Reneta came over to pick it up last night. She shared that she was a little nervous too, as she didn't give me much to go on.  The end result...

 Happy quilter and happy client.

Joys of Summer

 Summer is fleeting.  I am trying to enjoy it before it is totally gone.  I'll show you a little quilting first.  This is the smallest piece I have ever put on my longarm. I could have easily done this on my sewing machine, but it would have taken me longer to get it set up, than to get it quilted! I decided to try some swirls ala Angela Walters.

This became a new pencil case for Kendra to take to school.  I used this free pattern & tutorial from Craft Passion.  I really like the internal gusset, but those corners were not a fun time!

The girls chose an interesting menu for their supper night last week.  They wanted boiled eggs and cinnamon buns!?!  They thought they would add berries and cream and some sausages to complete the meal.  I was a little worried about the idea of cinnamon buns, but I didn't want to discourage them, so I found a recipe with enough instructions that I thought would be manageable.  I did check in on the dough before they let it rise, but they really did it themselves. They turned out great.  Hopefully there will be a repeat performance of this one!

We spent last night on the lake.  It was the perfect evening.  Nolan caught 4 pickerel - 2 were too big to keep, but we will all get a taste at supper tonight!

And some harvesting and canning from the garden.

Here is my recipe for Crab Apple Juice.  If you have a bountiful tree like I do, it is one of the easiest things you can make.  I think we did 6 batches which resulted in 27 quarts of juice - glad this one is done and that my a/c was working!

Crab Apple Juice

12 cups crab apples (or whatever apple grows in your yard)

5 tsp. cream of tartar

20 cups water

sugar to taste (1 - 1 1/2 cups)

1. Wash whole crab apples.
2. Remove stems and blossom ends, cut into halves or quarters.
3. Sprinkle cream of tartar over apples.
4. Pour boiling water over apples and let stand for 24 - 36 hours.
5. Drain liquid through five sieve, or cheesecloth.
6. Bring liquid to a boil and add sugar to taste.  This will depend on the sweetness of your apples.
7. Boil for 10 - 20 minutes.  Seal in jars.

This has definitely become a family favorite, especially if someone feels a cold coming on.

2 Lovely Laps

These two quilts belong to Sherry.  The first is the soft floral shadow box quilt.

 

She chose the Wild Flower Panto, which really suited the fabrics.  It is very pretty and feminine.

The second is this striking string quilt. I know she was using scraps to make it, and I just love the color palette she chose.  This one got the raindrops panto in a muddy green thread that didn't call too much attention to itself.

  

Summer Vacation is Over

I will get back to the regularly scheduled quilting in my next post, but I thought I'd share a little more about our trip.  We drove approximately 4400 km in total over two weeks.    We made stops in Bismark, ND; Billings, MT;  Livingston, MT; Jackson, WY; West Yellowstone, MT; Great Falls, MT;  Moose Jaw & Regina, Saskatchewan.  This is our rig. On day two of the journey, be picked up a nail while pulling in to the Painted Canyon rest stop in North Dakota.  Luckily, Kyla heard the hissing noise, and Nolan and Kendra  put on the spare and we were able to get the tire fixed the next day.

Yellowstone National Park is really an interesting place to visit.  We really enjoyed the Boiling River, although I didn't get any pictures of that.   Got slowed down by a minor "Bison Jam".

If you go to see Old Faithful, be sure to take a few minutes to snoop around the Old Faithful Inn.  The craftsmanship is truly stunning!

We walked miles of boardwalk to see hot springs, mud volcanoes, and geyesers. The colors in these pool really caught my eye.  These pictures do not really do them justice.

On our way leaving Montana we saw a billboard along the highway for The Quilting Hen.  They were only a mile off the highway, and the sign said "RV accessible", so I was treated to a stop. It is a really lovely store, with a great selection of batiks.   I decided to buy some batiks in the same colors as the pools I loved so much.  I don't know what I will make yet, but they are fun to look at.

When we were in West Yellowstone, we went on a lovely trail ride into the Gallatin National Forest.  I would highly recommended the Diamond P Ranch if you are in the area.  The photographer caught some really nice shots of the girls on the trail.

 Here is my crew on the scenic part of our rafting trip - looking much drier and relaxed than we were here.

We took in "Shrek: The Musical" in Moose Jaw, and here is our last campfire at the RCMP campground in Regina.  I love the fire pit!

 It was a very memorable trip.  Now back to reality!

I haven't been quilting...

But I did have a lot of fun on the Snake River in Jackson, WY!

 We loved it, even though the facial expressions might lead you to believe otherwise!  Our guide Alex was great and gave us really clear instructions.  My biggest fear was losing my contact lenses and being blind for the remainder of the trip.  If you have ever thought about doing this I say go for it - I would love to go again.

 And the t-shirts to prove it...  the first one was highly accurate for the girls!

More to come once I get out from under two weeks of camping laundry!

On a side note:  If any of my local ladies still are hoping to get something quilted before our September show, but are afraid to ask, I still have an opening or two if you let me know this week. ;)