Family, Friends, Fabric and Fun

It has been a wonderful weekend here. All the kids were home, plus a fiance and a cat, making the house so full and active. I love it when we can all be here together.

Emma is now finished with her sophomore year of college, and is home for a week before returning to OU for summer semester and a new job. She has remained connected with her boss from the Dairy Nook, her high school job, and is working on her break. Love that industriousness in her!

Erin and fiance Jeff, along with Rocky the cat, came on Friday and Saturday. She brought a quilting project with her!! YES! One of my daughters is quilting!! This is really exciting.

A couple whom she and Jeff are friends with will be having their first child in June, so Erin is making a baby quilt for them.

Erin sent this picture in early April. Look at that fun mix of monsters, zoo animals, dinosaurs, and other juvenile creatures and critters. She fussy cut them so that there'd be a variety.

While here, she cut out a few more, and then sewed them all together. There will be a couple of borders and yellow binding.

Of course, a cat absolutely cannot resist a quilt on the floor, so we have the obligatory 'cat-on-quilt' picture. Rocky is quite photogenic, and has posed just right, don't you think?

So our weekend with the kids was great. Erin and Jeff have gone back to Columbus, and we are having a lazy Sunday here with Emma and DS Adam, who is suffering something terrible with allergies.

Now, if you recall my last post, I said I'd be going to Amish Country for the annual 30% off sale at Mrs. Miller's in Charm. We made that trip on Friday - Anita, Sherrie, Linda and myself - and found quite the crowd upon arriving at Mrs. Miller's!! The line for checking out was wrapped all around the store. We shopped and in due time, the line shrank (they set up another register!), so by the time we were checking out, the lines were practically non-existent.

I did a good job of restraining myself. We shopped in several stores throughout Amish Country, and I bought only the fabric you see in the photo above. Bit by bit, I have been gathering fabric for the Generals Wives' Quilt; the other toile (with the bird) just caught my fancy. I am sure I can use it in something. That charm pack of French General was my frivolous purchase - I really didn't need it, but gosh, I just can't resist FG!

In this photo, you see the notions I bought. The little scissors were on my list since I  have this new interest in applique. That glue-baste will also be useful for applique. The magnetic snaps will go on some bags I am planning to make. I've never inserted these snaps before, so I will be learning , and I figured it was wise to get them at 30% off, ya' know?

In addition to shopping in Charm, we made a few other stops. The essential stop in Pearl for some of that delicious Pearl Valley Cheese was tops on the list. We travel with a large cooler and ice for keeping the cheese chilled through the day and the long trip home. There are other cheese factories in Amish Country, but Pearl Valley is 'The Best' - and there are no tourists!

For lunch we went to the Inn at Honey Run. Cloth tablecloths and napkins, relaxing music and a wonderful menu - all located in such a peaceful, secluded setting. It is a real treat to go here.

After lunch we headed out for Berlin and stopped in at Helping Hands Quilt Shop, where they were having a 25% off sale. Across the street is Country Craft Cupboard is also a shop that is fun to check out. They have some fabric, lots of patterns and gifts, and an extensive rug hooking section.

So, all in all, it was a wonderful day with wonderful companions. And I should mention the weather - OMG, it was gorgeous! The clearest blue skies, perfect temperatures, gentle breezes, you just couldn't ask for anything better. From the tops of some of those hills in Ohio's Amish Country, a person can see some million-dollar views. Simply spectacular!

Hope you all are having a spectacular day wherever you are! I think I will get some sewing done this afternoon. How about you?

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Time is at a Premium

Since retiring in June 2009, I have been busier than I ever imagined. My promise to my DH and DD was to be a full-time wife and mother for the remaining 2 years of Emma's high school career, then consider going back to work, if needed or wanted.

So, the stay-at-home Mom experience is about to end in that Emma graduates in about a week and a half. In the fall, she heads off to college.

I did renege on my vow, just a bit . . . I worked part-time as an English instructor at a nearby branch of Ohio University. For the most part, however, I threw myself into being involved in Emma's activities. President of a booster club, bake sales, making costumes for the musical, attending every football game to see her half-time show, and the grandest gesture of all: I made her prom dress! (I'm still pretty proud of that accomplishment!)

I tell you all of this to account for why I can't seem to have time for blogging since last Thursday. I'd been doing pretty well for several days, but then all these things popped up!

Okay, so I spent last Friday in Ohio's Amish Country.

Miller's Dry Goods celebrated their anniversary with a 30% off sale, bringing quilters from far and wide to their doorsteps both Friday and Saturday. Two friends, Kay and Sherrie, and I (Sharon was unable to go!) joined in on the fun Friday, making some really awesome purchases.

Here's the rear of my van upon our return.

We stopped at Pearl Valley and stocked up on some cheese. This is what the 3 of us bought. We didn't go overboard, did we?

In my next post, I will show some of my individual buys.

Gotta run!
Happy Quilting, Friends.