a good day here

 There has been a lot of griping and complaining going on around the area lately due to the lousy weather we have been having--cool, cloudy, rainy, etc.  But in spite of the elements, I did take a little trip with some quilting friends this week.  We went to the home of Sue on Woman Lake near Longville.  This is about a 3 hour drive north & a little west.  Not quite the middle of nowhere, but getting close!  Beautiful countryside with forests, lakes, rivers and winding roads.  We took part of a day for a tour of some quilt shops, about an hour's drive to Monika's Quilt Shop in Park Rapids.  This shop is a great source for "up north woodsy cabin" types of fabric, flannels and fleece.  Also yarn!

Right next door is one of those good old Ben Franklin stores, crammed with every kind of gizmo and gadget that you would ever care to have!  I could have spent much longer in there poking around in the corners, but there comes a time when it's just good to go!

Then we headed towards Park Rapids, and stopped at Front Porch Quilts.  A smaller space, but very nice displays and a good variety.  

Then it was back to the house and watching the rain and knitting!  It was a good trip, thanks to good friends!

I have been doing some cutting and piecing for a few things lately, but no finished products to show you yet.  I did, however, get the binding on 2 little quilts that I will donate to Quilts For Kids.  These both were made with fabric from salesman's samples that were generously given to the store to be used for just this sort of thing.  I made it up as I went, cutting down the pieces of varying sizes to one width but leaving them in longer chunks.  The pieces were sewn together into rows, I did a little math so I knew about how many rows it would take depending on the strip size.  Then I used a little strip of solid to separate the rows.  I think they turned out cute.  One is more girly, and the other is just right for a junior cowboy.  It is saddles and wood and barbed wire.

Bob and I have one of those rare days today when neither one of us has to go to work or anywhere else.  So this morning we went to a garden center and picked out the things we needed to get for our yard.  Now if they will just decide to grow!  This is late for us to be planting, but we will still get some enjoyment from them.

begonias and vinca vine for hanging baskets

petunias and asparagus fern for window boxes

marigolds for patio planter boxes