On Smith Lake part 1

Bonnie Hunter's new mystery quilt is underway.   It's always so exciting to see what wonderful design she has for us to sew along together.   On Ringo Lake was inspired by the lake cabin in northern Minnesota that is her family gathering place.  Such wonderful memories are made "at the Lake."  We are blessed enough to have such a place in our family too.  So, of course, my version will carry the name of our Minnesota lake, "On Smith Lake."

Minnesotans are so funny about our over 10,000 lakes.  We talk about them all as if there's only one.  "Been to The Lake?"  "Yup."  And we nod like we know precisely which one it is.  It's not the exact lake that matters, it's the collective memories that are made at all the Minnesota lakes that we instinctively understand.

We were up to The Lake this past weekend and  before we left home I looked up the first clue to the mystery.  Here are the 9-patch blocks right along the lake shore.  Five packs of 10 blocks.  My turquoise fabrics lean more to medium-dark blue.   I hope that there will still be enough contrast.  As you can tell from the photo, it's a color you can often see in the waters of Smith Lake.

Can you tell that the lake is frozen now?  Not long after this photo was taken a flock of 16 beautiful white swans flew in and landed on the one spot on the lake that was still open water.  What a sight!

Linking up with the Monday link-up at Quiltville. 

Countryside Wreath

The holidays are coming up in a hurry, and there are gifts to sew! 

As I was pulling out the perfect pattern for a wall hanging, (which I can't show you until it's gifted at Christmas) I noticed this Thimbleberries wreath pattern in the pile.  It just jumped out and offered to help me use up some 3-inch scraps from my scrap bag. Well, that's my story anyway. (wink)

Why not?

So, amid my other projects, this squeezed it's way into my sewing time, and it turned out great!  I decided to go with the single block version and it's plenty big.  It's 38 inches square with borders, 25.5 inches square without.  It was perfect to use up a bunch of those scraps, but I probably have enough for a couple more!  It's so tempting.  It went together in such a short time!

Don't you think that those spur-of-the-moment projects are so much fun to do?  No planning, no deadline, no fuss.

New Orleans adventure

New Second Line by Rhonda Blasingame 2010

Recently my sister and I met up with some cousins in New Orleans.    We had a delightful long weekend in the city.  The Vacation Rental where we stayed was a very old "double shotgun" style house, a duplex that is long and narrow.  It was adorable!  Not your usual cookie-cutter hotel room.  Nope, this one had age and personality!


It was a pleasant surprise to find a quilted wall hanging above the fireplace in the dining area.  And the more we looked at it, the more there was to be seen. 





The darker blue at the top forms the shape of the Louisiana coastline along the blue Gulf of Mexico.  Black figures in raw edge hand applique march and dance across the quilt in a traditional New Orleans Funeral procession.  First the hearse carrying the deceased, followed by family members on foot.  Next in line are the musicians. Can you almost hear them playing "When the Saints Go Marching In"? Bringing up the rear is the "second line" carrying umbrellas. 


A closer look shows bead embellishments on all the umbrellas, and clear raindrop beads falling upon them.  I wish my photos could do it justice.  I had to use my cell phone since I had not brought a separate camera.

 Fortunately, the quilter, Rhonda Blasingame, had put a label on the back.  She made the quilt in 2010.  Even the backing, with it's bright umbrellas, was a delight. 

Some of the tourist-y things we did on our 'cousins weekend':

* Riverboat cruise on the Creole Queen to the historic site of the Battle of New Orleans.  The National Park Service has a museum there too.

* Demonstration class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.  Loads of fun!  It was interesting to hear the history of the area in relation to the many cultures that blended to create the unique cuisine of New Orleans.

* Walked around the French Quarter, attended Sunday Mass at the Cathedral, went to the Cabildo Museum, and decided that Bourbon Street was NOT our cup of tea! lol

Jackson Square, New Orleans