Saturday, July 31, 2010

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

OK, I need some opinions - although sometimes that might make me more confused - but ok, here goes. Above is my shnibble project - XRated. Don't you love it! Below are 3 border choices. I think I"ve decided what I am going to do, but I'd like to hear what you think.
Piano Keys with Red Corners?
Piano Keys with Shirting Corners?
Just a simple shirting border?



And below is my next project to cut out, but I"m taking it to camp next month!



Thursday, July 29, 2010

Is this cool or what!

Look at the fun gift I got last night from my friend! She said she got it last week for me and has been dying for me to get home to give it to me! Isn't it fun! (Sorry the picture is so bad - it was hard to get a good one).

I also got in the mail this awesome package from Tak! Isn't her crochet doily wonderful! I wish I could make stuff like this. It is totally amazing! She is making a ton of them - you have to go check them out.

I also got this charm pack, pattern and awesome fabrics! Thank you Tak!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Last stop - Nebraska

OK, so Nebraska wasn't really our last stop. Our last stop was Des Moines to visit Jenna - but I really didn't have any pics from that to share. So we crossed into Nebraska from Kansas and here is the sign - ahhhh, the Good Life! But wait.... whats wrong? It looks like people have been throwing rocks or shooting at the poor sign! Do Kansans hate Nebraskans? Or do Nebraskans really not like Nebraska? Who knows!
And who knew it was home of Arbor Day! The things you learn traveling the back roads of the midwest.


As for me - It was beautiful.


Last stop before heading to Iowa.... YES! I got Mark to swing through Lincoln and stop long enough for me to visit the International Quilt Study Center and Museum! It was the most wonderful hour (Mark sat in the car and read a book so I didn't want to take too long). No pictures are allowed inside, but I can share a few things I saw with pictures from their website.

They had this amazing exhibit on Quilts from India, Pakistan & Bangladesh. Oh these pictures don't do ANY JUSTICE to them at all. The detail in the applique and stitching in some of them are amazing. The one above is absolutely gorgeous in real life - but when I found the picture I couldn't believe it was the same quilt - but it is.
They had several that the patterns were used with the stitching, but I couldn't find any pictures of those, although they are probably in the online gallery. The colors and designs were so wonderful - I can't even begin to explain to you how much you are missing in these pictures.
I did pick up the book "Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India" by Patricia Ormsby Stoddard who gifted several of the quilts on display to the museum. Including that top one I showed. The book besides showing the quilts gives a lot of interesting reading about them and the creation of them.


They also had some gorgeous quilts hanging up from the recently acquired Hortense Beck Collection. Oh they were so wonderful. I believe I remember reading that she didn't start quilting until she was 60. (This is when I miss not having pictures of the signs!)
They also had a very small collection of doll quilts and beds from the Ghormley Collection, which will be expaned as the exhibit once the Ralli Quilts exhibit is done. Scheduled to be there from August 6th through Dec 12. I watched them as they took a lot of the doll quilts out of storage in the conservation room! You can actually download a free podcast from their website of a lecture Mary Ghormley gave on her doll quilts

There was also an exhibit on "Quilts under the Microscope" which takes you through the life of a quilt, what might (or did) damage it and how they preserve them.

See - can you believe I saw all this and was there only an hour! (OK, maybe a an hour and 15 mins....)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Its Schnibble Time

Picked up this fabric for a quick fun Schnibble project. I'll keep you guessing what it will be! But it won't be long before it is a flimsy!

I also got on vacation this awesome tea cup and tea from Teavanna in Oklahoma. Above is the tea bulb (or whatever it is really called). It is a blooming tea - Peach Momotaro - and oh man, does it taste good.

Place it in the infuser and that in the tea cup.

Add hot (not boiling water). See how it blooms!

And 3-4 minutes later an AWESOME light peach tea! How fun is that! The bloom can be used about 4 or 5 times before it gets bitter. Holly tried 6 and decided 5 was a good number.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Quirky Kansas

After we left Oklahoma we decided to drive through Kansas and Nebraska. Just because. In Kansas we saw two of its "quirky" sites. Above - The World's Largest Ball of Twine. Isn't that something everyone needs to see? Let me tell you, Cawker City is in the middle of nowhere!



From there we headed to the geographical center of the 48 contiguous states. That really was the middle of nowhere! It is at the end of a remote road. The center is under this sign.

There is a chapel and picnic ground, as well as a monument. And look at that view!



And just some cute pics from a rest area in Kansas.








Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Arcadia OK and the Road to Nowhere

One day we took a trip out to Pops, in Arcadia OK. What a fun place. It is located on the old Route 66 and the "store" has a diner counter with wonderful burgers and sandwiches as well as over 500 kinds of pop! At night the 60+ foot pop bottle lights up in different colors!

Remember Nehi Grape? Sun Drop? Bubble Up? We had them with lunch!

Just down the road is this awesome round barn. They even have a root beer named after it.




Of course we had to snap the OU football semi when we saw it sitting out in the parking lot at OU.

And another oddity from our trip. This "Road to Nowhere" in Norman OK. They built the overpass and "someday" they plan to hook it up to a road. I wish I would have gotten the pic of it when we drove under it with no road connecting on either side!

Happy Birthday Holly



I spent the weekend with Holly for her birthday. It was a great weekend. Holly is my oldest and I miss her so much! Stop by and wish her a Happy Birthday too!