Winding down

Well, of course you'll see a margarita on my blog from time to time...ok, more often than not so had to share another picture before we head home next week.  Actually, we'll be on the road this time next week heading to Indiana for Kayla's college graduation!
The winding down from our winter vacation deals with quite a bit of eating out!!  So far we've eaten out Tues. &  last night..

My sister saw these pics on FB that I posted and she thought we looked sad...actually, I think we were all on a break from laughing!  We had a great time with everyone and did have lots of laughs...plus, good food and drinks...


This afternoon, Jan and I are heading off the Planet Cosmo for our root dye and hair cut!!  Should be a fun afternoon then on to dinner.  Tonight we're heading out with the remainder of Ocala Palms friends to our favorite Italian restaurant, Carmine's.  Then on Sat we're going to dinner at Susan's and Harvey's and Monday it's with some other golfing friends and spouses for dinner at the restaurant here in the community.  I still have two meals in the freezer so hopefully we'll get to eat them or else they'll be left for Jan and Larry!

Packing up?

OK...so this isn't me and my packing up doesn't look even close to this!  But you get the idea!

Yesterday, I did pack up my sewing machine and art supplies to get ready for the trip home.  I won't need my machine until we get back to Michigan so figured I might as well pack it all up!  I'm paying the price today!!  My back is killing me...forgot to put my brace on so today it's Advil time!

I have kept out Zachary/beads and both my hex's and Kantha piece just so I have some hand work for free time in the days and nights to come.

Right now we are planning on leaving our Florida friends on May 2nd the heading to Indiana for Kayla's college graduation on May 4th.  We'll head home on Sunday, the 5th.  It's always bittersweet to leave our winter friends!  I miss our family and friends back home and will be glad to see everyone again.  I certainly will miss eating out!!  In Michigan, Bob and I just don't eat out more than once or twice a month (if that!).  In Florida, it's 3 times a week!!  Right now I'm trying to make sure I use up all the food I have in the house in between our eating out in the next 10 days.

So, to bead a little or make some more hex's (thanks, Susan!) and rest the old back for more cleaning and packing!

Background finished

Zachary's home is at least all finished (16" x 20)!  Quilting and facing all sewn...now to finish beading Zachary!!  Because of us traveling and packing I may not put Zachary on the background until we get home...you never know where my quilts will end up on the ride home!!

So now I can start on finalizing my design for the 12" block exchange I'm in with five other ladies.  I need to make six blocks either the same or similar to exchange with five other ladies.  I have put some ideas to paper...now need to finalize!

More progress on Zachary and Kantha quilting

 I finished quilting the background on Zachery's home yesterday and today I've been playing with the placement...I took this picture with my phone so the yellow isn't showing up as bright as it should and the batik fabric for the hill looks very blah here too...but you get the idea...now to get my placement as I want, then I'll fuse down the trees and then stitch in place...still have to finish beading Zachary...this is just a paper Zachary!

And I also started on a Kantha quilting piece...I posted on starting this quilt top a few days ago...I haven't made too much progress on it but nice to have if/when I get bored beading poor Zachary!  This is a piece of fabric my daughter gave me a few years ago and I had some silk dupioni with me to add as well as some dyed tracing fabric.  Gotta use what you have, right!

 The next picture isn't the true color (above photo is more true)...

 So other than eating dinner out last night at Longhorn steak house...YUM...I had chicken & portabella mushroom which was delicious!  Tonight is another dinner out with Larry & Jan!!  I have to keep up my strength you know for all the sewing I have to do!  OK, it's the only excuse I can think of at this time!

Building a home for Zachery!

Zachery is starting to get some legs under him and a tail.  I'm still not sure if I'll bead his head separately, or if I'll just bead his head as part of his body and attach as a whole...still debating..hence, the 2nd head you see here!

I have my background design worked out for his new home...might be hard to see but here's a rough draft below.

Zachery will be sitting on the hill below the larger trees...I dyed a piece of yellow for the sky and found some cool red fabric I had with me for the trees (I best not mess up because I don't have any large piece left of this!)  and a small scrap of purple/green will become the trunk of the trees.  You can see the fabrics and  a partial layout below.




....the only issue I had was what color/fabric to use for the hill (that's the rounded area under the tree trunks)...so today my Q Buddy, Susan, and I met up for a treat at Panera's then off to JoAnn's.   We did find a cool piece of batik type fabric that would look good as a "hill"...but then Susan mentioned the new Quiltmaker magazine was all about hexes!  It's funny because earlier this week I laid my finished panel of purple hexes (you can see the strip here) against the yellow sky and the hexes looked really nice.  SO.....when I got home I cut out some 1 and 2 inch paper hexes and started basting them.

The orange/green/pink is the fabric we bought today.  It really will look good as a stand alone 'hill' but I am going to continue to make some hexes and see if I they'll work!  Don't know if you don't try!  I can always use them  in something else or follow one of the patterns in the magazine!  They won't go to waste, that's for sure!   Thanks for the idea, Susan!  I think!  

A little Florida History

I posted last week on our third trip with friends to The Freezer Tiki Bar in Homosassa...and as usual our tour guides, Jan & Larry, did another fine job introducing us to some local history.

We stopped at Monkey Island!  Yes, this is a small island and, yes, they have monkey's on the island.  You can read about the history of this place here.  Of course, I wanted to try and get a picture of a monkey or two, as we could see them moving around, but not sure you can actually see one of them at the top right in this next picture.  If not, go to the link above or use your imagination!

It was a beautiful evening and just so much fun to see this tourist attraction.  We did walk around and saw some, what looked like,  blue crab in holding tanks.  Yes, there are restaurants all around the Homosassa area so a great place for foodies!

We also stopped at another attraction, The Yule Sugar Mill ruins.  We've driven by this site several times on our way to and from The Freezer so I asked hubby to pull over so I could take pics.  Since I was sitting in the far back of the SUV, Larry was gracious enough to jump out and take some really good pics for me!  Thanks again, Larry!  You did a great job!

This is the Yule Sugar Mill ruins.

I love historical sites and reading or hearing about the history that surrounds them.  This sugar mill is quite interesting and I found a site that gives good info on the background on when and how this mill was built (1851).  Check this site if you're at all interested some Florida history!

So now that my little history lesson is over with, it's back to art work!  I'm now starting another small hand project for night time TV watching, called Kantha quilting!  A Kantha quilt is a simple quilt made without any batting and using applique and finished all by hand quilting.  It generally was made using leftover fabrics from clothes or other fabrics no longer being used.

For those who subscribe to Design Matters TV, I'm sure you'll remember when Linda Kemshall did her video on the design process for her Kantha pillow top.  I was really intrigued with this style of quilting and wanted to have a project to work on by hand when my patchwork piece was finished.
 I didn't bring very many sheer fabrics with me, but found some Dupioni silk pieces in my stash so I started to build my top!  Pics tomorrow...I actually started to hand quilt it last night.  I'm also working during the day on Zachery's background for his new home!  Susan and I are meeting Sunday a.m. for a treat at Panera's then off to JoAnn's.  I may need a small piece or pieces of fabric for the 'hill' Zachery is sitting on.  So far my colors are yellow sky, red trees and blue treat trunks!  It is reflective of Dr. Seuss, right!!

Bob is off in a golf tournament today and I'm sure enjoying the beautiful Florida weather...80's this past week and should be continuing until we leave!

Patchwork Finished! Well, almost!

 Yep...all my hand stitching is finished on my patchwork piece!!!  Almost sad it's done!!!  I have to put on a label, binding/facing and sleeve but I'm not going to do that until I get back to Michigan.  This way I can roll or fold it up and block back home.  It's approximately 24" x 24".
p.s.  Just for fun you can see when I first started this patchwork progress here!  July 2012!

So if you're tired of seeing this piece, just back out!  I'm including pics of different areas in the quilt just so I have for my own record!  I print out my blog (Blog 2 Print) on a yearly basis so I have a journal of my year's art work, family, friends and food!   Now on to Dr. Seuss!!!

Fabric, Friends, Food & Fun!

In between nights eating out...yea, that again!  I have been making snap bags...

Made this one....

And these.....

And this one!

OK, so I might quit for the time being...although, you just never know do you!!!  They have all been given away to special family and friends!

And check out what I got in the mail last week!!  More beads!!! These are from my blogger friend, Sherry, over at Createology!  And isn't the color of the beads perfect for Zachery!!  I sure think so!!!



I love all the colors of green in this bag. Thank you, Sherry!!!!

I went through separating beads for three other folks that I thought could use some of Susan's donation!  Last Monday I sent a box onto one of my friends who does crazy quilting.  She did receive her box and I know will put them to good use.  I also made up two more packages to give to some other ladies.   Thanks again, Susan!  You've made several of us very happy!  So nice to share my good fortune with others!

And just because I'm behind in posting nights out with friends...this was last Wed. night at our favorite Mexican hang out!  El Toreo's 99 cent margarita night and great food to boot with great friends!  

This is Karah and Howard enjoying a brew with us!  Neither of them took advantage of the 99 cent margarita and instead chose a Mexican beer and a Paloma.  Yes, this is the Karah and Howard who introduced me to Paloma's at their open house.  You can read about it here.   

And last night, we took them to the Freezer, picking up Larry and Jan along the way!  And yes, I had my 'margarita'...in a plastic cup with salt on the rim!!  How'd they do that!!

Yes, our buddy posing for his picture!

A plastic cup with salt on the rim!!

Yes, the shrimp really are that big, Howard!!

Beautiful Jan with hubby!

We just love going to The Freezer Tiki Bar!!!  Such a quaint, local hangout!  Paper cups, Styrofoam containers to eat out of!  What memories we've had with great friends!  

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of our tour around Homosassa!  Due to the knowledge of Jan & Larry!  They always give us a tour when visiting in their area!   

Friends....

This past Friday, Kay and I were able to coordinate our schedules and meet for lunch!  And what a fun time we had!!

We met at BD Beans Cafe in Bellview (on 441)...what a unique place!!  I loved it...and the food was exceptional as well.  It was really fun to sit and chat with Kay and see some of her hand dyed/shibori/painted fabric in person!  I'm only putting a few of the pics I took as a tease for you to check out her blog here.

This is a quilt Kay made from her own design she had printed through Spoonflower.  Isn't it cool!  And as a bonus, you can purchase her fabric on the Spoonflower web site here.

I really like the design Kay came up with and the layout of this piece is wonderful.  The blue is so much more beautiful than what shows in this picture.
And, yes, that's Kay peaking out from the top of her quilt top!  I know, I know...never take a picture of a head or feet showing!  But, "it's my blog, and I can do what I what to"....

This is another shibori piece Kay dyed..I love, love the black/white/red!!!  Again, it's so much nicer in person!  Kay did bring along some other fabrics she had printed on Spoonflower from her own painted and quilted pieces, but you'll have to go to her blog to see them!  It's a treat to see how much Kay accomplishes in a week's time...even with her company and traveling!  My kind of lady!!!

Of course, Kay said that I had to see the bathroom at BD Beans...now for my followers on this blog, you know how I love to see bathrooms at businesses and home glam'd up!  You can see here and here on my blog.  Well, this one at BD Beans was certainly glam'd up!

Check out these pictures!!   I'm sure you'll see why we had such a good time!  Thanks for recommending BD Beans, Kay!  Can't wait to go back!!

As you come into the bathroom on the right you see this!

These are hung to the left of the small table above

Have you ever seen a window decorated this much!

And the sink area!

 

This is a dining room behind where Kay and I sat.

I'm still here in sunny Florida!

Yep...we're still here and will be in Florida until May 2nd!  Kayla is graduating from Ball State U on May 4th so instead of driving home then back to Indy for graduation we'll just head north and meet up with the family to celebrate...only problem or issue was with  Kalee and Grace.  I think Kalee is set as I found a cool doggie daycare/boarding place, Happy/Clean/Smart,  in Munice for her.  Now it's figuring out what to do with  Grace!  Let's face it...she won't fly away (even though Bob wishes she would)!  She just doesn't even fly anymore......but that will be another blog post I'm sure.

I finished Zachery's body...now to get my background fabric/design ready.  I'll bead his legs/arms (not sure that's what they are!) onto the background, then attach his body and finish up with the head and tail.  What fun to do!

This week has been busy again..yes, more eating out!  Last night Bob decided we'd go to the restaurant in the community and we ended up having dinner with Pat and Patricia!   So nice to run into friends and share time and stories with them.  Thanks, P&P!  We really enjoyed our dinner conversation!  And of course the food was delicious too!

Earlier this week, I met Betty from the Weaver's group that used to meet here in Ocala....we didn't meet up last year but I had a present for Betty so I wanted to make sure I got with her!  and this is why!  I wanted Betty 1 to meet Betty 2!

I made Betty a few years ago for our MQAI traveling exhibit and knowing Betty1 liked Betty Boop who better than to have her!  Betty 1 has a room with Betty Boop articles, so I'm hoping Betty 2 will find a new home with new friends!  Betty 1 and I had a nice breakfast visit and will have to make a point to get together next year earlier!!   And she'll have to let me know how Betty 2 is doing!

This is the full shot of Betty2....

 Yes, I had to add beads!

I painted Betty 2 on fabric that was cut/woven/fused to create the background...then I used a decorative stitch to sew down the woven pieces.

Now onto yesterday,  I met up with another friend, Kay S., from Quilts + Color...I'll be posting pictures of our lunch and some of her wonderful hand dyed fabrics tomorrow!!!  Plus, wait until you see the cafe where we had lunch (a really good lunch too!).  What a fun place!

Until tomorrow!!! Enjoy the day...sun is shining, breeze is blowing and hubby is golfing!  Can't ask for more!