Street Faire

Last weekend I went to the Lodi Street Faire with my daughter and sister.  Two weekends a year in May and October, they close off the streets in the center of town, and it's filled with antiques and collectibles, and other crafty type stuff.  We arrived in the morning and started out with coffee and chocolate croissants at the Dancing Fox.  The weather was warm, the shopping was plentiful and the people were interesting.  That little Bulldog puppy was getting a lot of attention, with everyone wanting to take a picture of his cute smooshy face, including me.
Around lunchtime we popped into a cheese shop to taste samples, and came away with a delicious hunk of Dutch Gouda and some salami. We brought it with us into a wine tasting room to rest our feet and drink Mimosas.  We ended up Champagne tasting, and hung out there for quite a while (hiccup). Never did make it to the craft street.

Anyway, I bought those pastel colored pickle dishes, (I want to make a pickle dish quilt
  It's been on my bucket list for a while now), a pink 40's apron, and two small curtain panels of navy and white which will eventually find their way into a quilt.  Speaking of buckets, isn't that little woven bucket bag cute?  That was the first thing I bought, and I carried it around proudly the entire time, loading it up with my goodies. I plan on lining it with some calico and using it for a sewing basket.
 I also bought the colorful rag rug in the second picture.  It was calling to me, or maybe that was the champagne?
And yes, there is a pile of yarn in the picture above.  I've started a big bright ripple.  There are so many colors picked out for this thing, it might get ugly.  Hand quilting a mini is also in the works, so I'm definitely not bored at the moment.

 Go make something!

Star attraction

I'm making another attempt at English Paper Piecing, this time using the diamond template.  In a box under my work table there are half dozen or so hexagon flowers still waiting to be turned into something, but for the moment this has caught my eye.  I was looking for a project to use up my Hope Valley fabric, then started to read that book and the next thing you know I'm cutting out paper diamonds and stitching fabric shapes by hand.  I figure the hexagons were just practice, preparing me for a Star of Bethlehem quilt.  This time around I'm gluing the fabric to the paper.  I usually hand baste with needle and thread, but the glue stick is a huge time saver!  I also load up about 4 needles at a time on my spool of thread.  I had never heard of this before, and it's one of those tricks that make you want to smack your forehead and wonder why you never thought of it.

Simply pull one needle to the front, push the others back toward the spool, until you have about 18 inches or so in between.  Cut the thread in front of the remaining needles, and you have a threaded needle all ready to go, with more waiting as you need them. Kind of humbling isn't it?
Anyway the book is about a young Quaker girl from England who comes to America with her sister. Quilting and the Underground Railroad are the background themes here, and the author often emphasizes the differences between the English paper piecing quilts, and the applique quilts done in America.  When I started reading the story, I didn't know it had anything to do with quilting, so it was a nice surprise. It also got me whipped up for a few days of searching the web and Pinterest  for fun facts on EPP, and Star of Bethlehem patterns. Yeah I'm a dork.
The crochet blanket is almost done, just need to add a couple of more stripes.  I'm using mostly Paton's worsted wool with my H hook.  The pattern is from Lions Brand and you can find it here.  I added more chains to make it wider (multiple of 7 plus 1), and I worked into the loop created by the chains in the pattern, NOT the chains themselves, which goes a lot faster.  I saw several people on Ravelry did the same thing.
Did you notice they are really pushing Christmas this year?  I guess we have fewer shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so the stores aren't wasting any time.  I swear I saw my first Christmas commercial on Halloween. There is holiday music on the radio and in the department stores. I'm not ready for this.  I just got out my Thanksgiving decorations, and am enjoying the fall weather.  Here are a few pieces of my turkey collection. 

We have been hosting Thanksgiving for both sides of the family for almost 20 years, and I've had plenty of time to add to my collection while browsing thrift stores and flea markets.  Some have been given to me as gifts. I especially like the ones that are also vases.  I fill them with flowers and set them on the counters in the bathrooms.  I don't usually collect anything besides books and fabric, but these only come out once a year so they are fun to unwrap and spread around the house.
Anyone else hosting Thanksgiving?  

How to not finish a college quilt

You see those makes up there?   That's me not working on the quilt for my son who is due to leave for college on Friday.  I still have to baste and quilt it, and if I don't get cracking, will probably be sewing the binding on in the car trip to Santa Barbara.
The table runner came about after I started sewing some coasters (last post), and decided to put to use some Kaffe Fasset shot cottons, and a Philip Jacobs floral that's been hiding in my stash. I had about a 12 inch square left over, so squeezed out a few more blocks to make the table mat in the middle picture.  The cute little squirrel vase was picked up while thrifting about town on Friday.  He looks a bit cheeky, the way they painted his eyes, like he just did something he shouldn't have.  I like that in a squirrel.
The crocheted table mat can be found over here.  It was fun and fast to make up, and included the moss stitch, which I have to say is so pretty and easy, that I want to make something else with it. You can make matching coasters by doing fewer rounds.
There has also been a lot of reading going on here (instead of quilting.  Sheesh I really am putting this quilt off aren't I?)

This is quite an eclectic pile, based on recommendations I've found on other blogs and gathered up from the used book store.  Everything from classic literary fiction (the Betrothed), to a steam punk romp in Victorian England sporting vampires and werewolves (just finished Soulless, the first in a series, and it was quite fun).  If you look closely at the left side behind the books, you will see the batting and college quilt flung over the couch ready for action.  I may just spray baste this one.  I've been working out extra hard at the gym these last two weeks, and the idea of getting down on the floor to pin a quilt has me sore just thinking about it.

Time to go quilt.  Have a great week.

Around the world with tea

Japan

Bavaria



England

Germany

France 

At Christmas, my Mother in law gifted all of the girls some china from her collection.  These are my pieces. Aren't they pretty?

 A few antique buttons I have collected from quilt shows.

Little crocheted pouchy-pouch from here.   

I'm putting my foot to the pedal trying to finish up my scrap quilt.  There are so MANY things I want to make right now.  You people are so full of inspiration it's hard to keep up!
Have a super week!