June Has Been Busy

Today's post is going to be a hodge-podge of various topics in an effort to catch up with some odd bits of all the goings-on. I need to clear out some photos from my phone, so if I get them to this point, the phone files can be pared down.

The month began with a week of quilting at Terry's - which I shared in the following posts, here and here. What I forgot to share was the wonderful graciousness of our hostess! She went above and beyond in making all of us feel welcome and comfortable.

Showing you the food at Terry's leads me to the food at Pam's when we had Frienzies at her house last week. She prepared a delicious dinner - stuffed peppers, fruit salad, and oatmeal cake topped with yogurt and strawberry sauce.

Having food highlights out of the way, I will move on to a fun day-date with my DH. He'd heard through his garden club about a garden near Mt. Vernon and Gambier, OH, that he wanted to visit. Friday was a perfect day - one of only a handful of days on which we haven't had rain. Off we went to investigate, and OH! how glad we are that we did! Schnormeier Gardens is 75 acres of well manicured fields, ponds, and streams with a definite Eastern influence. I took several dozen pictures, but will just share a handful here. If you are in Ohio, I highly recommend seeking out this hidden gem. Entry is free, but limited, so investigate first.

As you can see, Schnormeier Gardens does not feature flower gardens. The emphasis appears to be on shade-loving hostas and other ground cover plants. Also, pine trees and many other varieties of conifers were featured. The streams and ponds were spectacular with both waterlilies and fish. We did our tour without a guide - I don't know if guides are even an option. We did get a brochure to explain the 8 or 9 distinct "areas" of the 75-acre gardens, but we were free to roam at our own pace. In several places along the way we found benches or stools for resting and reflecting. It is just the kind of way we enjoy spending out time.

After a full day of garden-touring, we drove to Columbus for the opening of the Ohio Theatre Summer Movie Series sponsored by CAPA. We have been long-time fans of the summer series, and we are super-excited about this, their 50th season. They opened with the ultimate classic, Casablanca.
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That was all on Friday. For Father's Day, we headed back to Columbus to have lunch with the girls. Dad's choice - Arch City Tavern in the Short North. We took no pictures of that - we always forget the important stuff! Trust me, though, we had a great time, as we always do when we get together with the kiddos.

Since this blog is mostly about sewing and quilting, I do have some of that business to share. It seems I have taken to accumulating hand-sewing projects lately. Knowing that I am going to have some applique to do very soon on that Lake Effect quilt, I have been investigating various techniques to that end. One - back basting applique - I learned about from quilting friend Becky during the week of sewing at Terry's. Then, I saw some tutorials for that same technique on Instagram from author and pattern designer Jeana Kimball.   (Her IG handle is @jeanakimball.) Numerous times, I watched and read her quick lessons and decided to give it a try.

Using the window behind my sewing table as a light table, I traced the pattern onto the back of the fabric I'd be appliqueing on. I selected a small and timely project in my collection. I have begun the process, and feel as though I am making improvements as I go. I chose to do the largest part first - the hand. Below is an in-progress pic with all its beginner's mistakes glory.

I posted this same picture on IG, and Jeana herself commented and offered (in a DM) suggestions for improving. I am very grateful for this, and I am following her advice closely and feeling more confident all the time. Still a novice, to be sure, but gaining confidence.

Moving on, yesterday was a sewing day with Sharon. She continued on her Tag Sale quilt, which I totally ignored in the taking of pictures. I did some applique stitching, then decided to put the borders on the weathervane quilt I made last week before moving on to something new.

Well, that's about all the updating I can bring for one post. This has become quite a mish-mash of topics; I hope you have been able to navigate through it all!

Happy quilting, Friends!