Whole Lotta Stitching Going On

Chooky (from my Some Kind of Wonderful stitch-along) has cracked the whip for our upcoming deadline. Although I will not make it (it's been a complicated summer), I am in full stitch mode. If I really push things I may get the top done by deadline, but I've decided I want this one "done right" and not "done quick". I just hope I don't get booted in the next round.

Now that I'm able to focus on my SAL, I've been working on all my blocks simultaneously - LOL. All my blocks are in different stages of undress.... er.. completion! Many are complete (I've shared those already). Some are appliquéd and half stitched. Some are appliquéd and marked for stitching. Some are cut out. Some just have their selected fabrics next to the pattern

Can't wait to share!

Happy stitching,

Elisa

 

Another Memory Quilt

It's been a tough week here - a very dear man, one of the sweetest souls I've ever met, has passed. The family has spent several days traveling for hours for the viewing and the funeral. This man, a "people person" like my late Mother, always had a twinkle in his eye (not kidding) and always genuinely wanted to know how you were. He would sit riveted until you answered, and he would listen. He laughed; he hugged; and he loved his family.

I think that's why working on the latest memory quilt has been so tough on me. A coworker has brought me several bags of clothes. His mother-in-law passed several years ago, and he wants a quilt to give his wife for Christmas.

The toughest part of these projects is normally deciding which pattern features the fabric to the best effect. Not this time....

I pulled out a sweater and there's a safety pin attached with red, white and blue beads.

She made many of her own clothes. I can see her stitching and tucks to make the skirts fit. I also see fabrics I used in my own quilts from when I first started out,

There's the sweatshirt with the fabric painted handprints of her grandchildren.

There's a nightgown with straight pins still pinned to the bodice. Have you done that? While stitching late at night you pull out a straight pin from the project at hand and pin it to your nightclothes so you don't lose it later? I do that all the time.

She loved Disney characters. I've found shirts with embroidered Mickeys, Eyore, Pooh, and more.

The one thing that gives me peace is knowing that my coworker's wife will have a tangible reminder of her late mother. Mine passed decades ago and I mostly have pictures... And my sister, who takes after her.

Hug your loved ones today.

Elisa

I <HEART> Family

Today was a day of joy and sadness in the family. It seems fitting that I finished this block today.

For the privacy of others, I cannot say more. But... Take a moment to hug your loved ones.

Elisa

 

Needle Has Been Busy

See? I told you I've been working on my blocks! I've been working on the appliqué all week - the embroidery shouldn't take long. Pretty cool, eh?

Though, I have to admit, I'd probably get more done if I wasn't distracted by this!

The family went caching at Willow Metropark - working on our MGA12 puzzle.

Will share block close ups when the stitching is done!

Happy stitching!

Elisa

 

What Happened to Labor Day?!?

Remember as a kid when Labor Day was a big deal with a 3-month weekend, barbecues, and ice cream? When did it turn into catching up on chores for the upcoming work week? Luckily, I've been invited to a dinner party Tonight, so that will brighten things up!

Finished another block for my journal quilt (and another signed strip too!). It's a lot less wonky in person.

I did find time for some fun. Here are some favorite pictures from the Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve in Southfield from yesterday. I love the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone!

I couldn't get a good picture of Carpenter Lake - the deck was in shadow yet the lake reflecting so much light.

Happy Labor Day everyone!

Elisa

 

"Busy Day" in Dayton

I can't believe that summer us coming to a close! Time for at least one more adventure! So, early yesterday morning, off I went to Dayton with Lorna (WikidKriket) and Corey (SnakeyLicks).

Where to? The Boonshoft Museum in Dayton, OH for the GPS Adventure Maze. According to the site:

Get lost in the GPS Adventures Maze and learn how to find your way using GPS!

You'll learn about traditional and modern navigation, explore ways GPS is used, find out where the technology is heading in the future, and discover geocaching, a family-friendly treasure hunting game in the great outdoors.

As a geocacher, it's a way to learn more about the sport we love, counts as a "find" (since you have to locate the prize - the exhibit) and an excuse to get together & meet other cachers from all over the country.

For a day adventure, it wasn't the smoothest of beginnings. The coordinates took us to an unfabulous back door of the museum, and, after make our way to the front, one of our party walked into a pole, drawing blood.

SnakeyLicks & WikidKriket

But we made it! Heading up to exhibit hall, we were each given a game card and spent the next hour solving puzzles, finding caches, and learning the history of geocaching.

We had great fun and quickly secured the codes to move room to room.

In the end, you had to take the clues you gathered on your game piece to determine "where in the world you are". My game piece had me in Puntas Arenas, Chile. Here's Corey enjoying the rest of the museum.

If you are new to my blog (it's a quilting and caching blog) and have never heard about this fabulous game/sport/hobby, visit my post here.

So, what did I mean by a "busy day"? This was called an "Event/Maze" cache. On the way in, we met some new caching friends over a "Traditional" cache - we used our gps to find a treasure box (called a "cache") in the woods. After the exhibit, we enjoyed a "Letterbox" cache - based in another popular hobby called "letterboxing", we followed instructions and not coordinates to find the treasure box.

There are about a dozen different types of caches - the variety keeps the game interesting - some being much more difficult to complete than others. And so far we managed to "find" some of the hardest already! As the day was young, my group decided our mission in Dayton was to complete a "busy day" - successfully log six or more different cache types in a day.

Here we are at a "Virtual" - one of the rarest types, you must locate a specific historical marker or object and answer questions to get credit for the find. This is a sculpture of the Wright Brothers' bi-plane in downtown Dayton.

Lucky for us, there was an "Earth" cache right across the street. Earth caches teach the cacher a lesson on geological formations or occurrences. To gain credit for the "find", one must answer questions based on the location and normally upload a group picture to prove you were there. Here I'm goofing around with my sister in front of the Hydraulic Jump.

Afterwards, we tried to complete a "Multi" cache but failed. A Multi cache will require you to go to one or more locations to gather coordinates to find the final stage, the cache. We gathered our clues - on a haunted bridge - but the final alluded us.

In a panic as darkness and rain were setting in, we scrambled to find one more cache type to complete our "busy day". Luckily, a nearby "Puzzle" cache advertised itself as super easy so we made the 3-mile trek over the river. A Puzzle cache is exactly that... Solve a puzzle and the final is revealed. Sometimes you have to gather clues from nearby signs or solve a crossword puzzle or decode a cypher. Luckily for us victory was ours around 7pm with the final cache in hand!

Here is my geocachding.com screenshot - the smileys show I found six different icons in a day.

For those that know me well, I'm sure you've noticed the number in the upper right corner. This week I made my 1000th find!

Thank you for letting me share my Busy Day with you!

Happy caching!

Elisa

P.s. Please note that all definitions above are my own interpretations. I love this sport. If you'd like to learn about the other types of caches or more about geocaching, please visit Geocaching.com. I am not a paid endorser - I'm just a geo-nut!

P.p.s. Yes, and I'm still a quilter. More finishes to share this week!

 

Vitamin D at Tollgate Farm in Novi

I’m still plugging away at my projects but everything is in the “in between” stage - lots of applique completed and prepping for the embroidery. 

In the interim, I thought I’d share some photos from my “happy place” yesterday.  Tollgate Farm, in Novi, is a 160-acre farmstead, currently owned by Michigan State University, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Americana Foundation.  

I was introduced to it by my friend Lauri – we would grab our lunches and visit its beautiful pond while we ate.  So many birds & butterflies, plus several retired horses (from Greenfield Village).  Besides the stunning paths weaving through some beautiful flora, there is a children’s garden, a rose garden, a greenhouse, a sugar shack and nature trails (yes, plus two geocaches!). There’s no cost or donation obligation.

Yesterday, while waiting for a friend, I snapped a few pictures with the Hipstamatic app on my phone. 

Here is a picture of the pond from an earlier blog post:

Happy Wednesday!

Elisa