Vacation Continued

We had planned to head to the Alabama coast after leaving TN but Ray had a really rough start to the trip with poor health.  I had to keep reminding him that just because we said we were going to a place didn’t mean it was written in stone.  So, we skipped Alabama and went to Baton Rouge.  After a wonderful overnight with Glen and Frank we traveled a short 80 miles to my brother’s house in New Iberia.  We parked in his rented lot across from his house and camped there.

It was a nice visit.  A sight that caught me by surprise was a local cemetery.  I have seen pictures of those in New Orleans but forgot about them.  Due to a high water table the graves are very shallow.  They’re  either covered with a ledger stone or a vault partially buried or above the ground.  I’m generalizing so google for more info.

My brother was off work for the week so we had lots of family time.  We cooked and ate a lot.  We swam. My brother even took me to a quilt store!

In order, my niece and her son, my sister in law and her grandkids (children of niece),  my brother and his sons, my nephews again and my brother and I.  My brother and I have not had the greatest relationship.  We spent a lot of time talking.  He fell into his old ways of trying to be hurtful.  Ray always told me don’t let it bother me which was hard to do.  So the best part of this trip was that I felt very unaffected by him.  In fact, every time he tried to do this I just laughed, usually included with a look of maybe surprise that a laugh was about to spill forth.  I also spent a lot of my talking with my sister in law.  I had never really connected with her before but I think we connected finally.

So on a lighter note.  I asked my brother to make his pizza.  His wife did it but it was so good!  Home made dough, fresh veggies, sausage and pepperoni.  Yum!  My brother has a flat top griddle and made his bacon cheeseburgers for us.  So good.  Marinated chicken and veggies another night.  If you went hungry it was your own fault.  Their neighbor was so sweet.  He saw us come in and went and bought us chocolate bars and cokes.  We got to visit with him before we left and thanked him.

I asked my brother to take me to the quilt store one day.  Their hours were always such that I was there when they were closed.  This time was the right time.  Four little Cajun ladies were inside.  They were so sweet and we were all laughing.  One of them even came out and taught me a few cuss words in French.  I dented my bank account a little but it was worth it.  Here are a few of my finds.

Look closely at the fleur de lis fabric.  There are crawfish alternating with the flower.  There were several more panels but this one was my favorite.  The shop is Emily’s Closet.  They had a lot of unusual (to me) fabric selections.

From here we decided to go to Jefferson, TX.  There were 4 campsites to choose from but I picked Johnson Creek because Johnson is my maiden name.  I had been to Jefferson before and thought the area was nice so thought it was worth returning.  When we checked in I told the lady at the kiosk how I chose their camp. She told me she picked the place to work at because her name is Johnson!  I was amused.

We pulled down into the site and were greeted by some friends.

They would come to visit twice a day.  They stared at us waiting to feed them.  Eventually I gave them dog food.  My dog Bandit wasn’t too sure about his food being given away so he strategically parked himself.  He ultimately was mistaken by a fawn to also be a fawn.  The baby stood and stared at him happily wagging his tail.

Ray met our campground neighbor.  He managed to get an invite on his boat so we got to do a little fishing and touring on Lake of the Pines.  The dogs weren’t too sure about it at first but then settled in nicely.

We spent three nights here just relaxing and talking.  It was a nice end to a long vacation.  We plan to visit this area again.

Happy quilting!

Gifted Quilt

I’m back from vacation and all in one piece!  We went to Bristol, TN and saw Ray’s son and grandkids.

We camped in his yard under a tree and were parked next to the horse barn.  Our neighbors were very good neighbors.

Moo moo thinks he can take him!  We really had to watch that one!  We enjoyed farm fresh eggs and were gifted a dozen, including a duck egg.  We visited several nearby dams, a horse farm where one of the grandkids works and the downtown area to see a Fourth of July parade and small festival.  We were there a week and really enjoyed ourselves.

We drove to Baton Rouge next.  We went to visit my friend Glen from Quilts and Dogs.  

We had a small incident on our way there.  We hit a tire tread.  Pulling a trailer you cannot make fast lane changes.  We had traffic on both sides of us so slowed as much as possible.  The tread wrapped around the electrical cord for the trailer and pulled it out of the truck then was dragged the rest of the trip.  When we arrived Ray went to work to find a replacement cord.  After two tries he was able to locate the correct one and replace it with assistance from Gen’s husband Frank.

Bandit really enjoyed the backyard.  He had his own personal watering fountain.  It was untouched by Bassett lips because their legs are too short!  Moo was left out too.

I had mentioned to Glen that I was looking for an old quilt top or cutter quilt I could use to restore that top I showed previously.  She said she had one she’d give to the cause.  When she showed me what she had I refused it.  It is a vintage 30’s feedsack quilt.  I was not going to cut that apart.  She urged me to take it because she said she’d never finish it.  I happily accepted it but am now on the search for a vintage white feedsack to complete it.

Isn’t it amazing?.  Any leads on a white feedsack please let me know.

I will be back later with more on the trip.

Quilt Repair

I mentioned the quilt I plan to repair.  I looked it over and there are several areas of popped stitches at joins.  The main damage is to a few blocks where the folded edge wore through.  The fabrics are a true scrap basket assortment with poplin, plaid and polys. 

I thought the assembly was clever and I had never seen it before.  They took a square and folded in the seams then folded in half and whip stitched closed.  Then they were whip stitched together into blocks then rows and so on.  No batting.  I really love the weight and texture of it.  These triangles are applied to the two sides as well as a prairie point border.

While on vacation I am searching for vintage textiles to try to restore it but so far no luck.  Will try harder once I return home.

Should be a relatively quick repair.  

Hope you’re having a great day!

Vacay

Hey everybody.  I got busy getting ready to go on vacation.  I did manage to complete the Peaches and Dreams top.  Pattern by Judy Laquidara.  Made all in 30s repro’s.

I did not finish my OMG.  I should have set my goal differently.  I’m skipping July OMG since I’m away a good portion of the month.  We are currently in Bristol, TN visiting family.

I did get to run out and meet an internet friend from Boise visiting Dallas for a wedding.  Quilt shopping and lunch.  Hi Elle~~~.  Fun visit!

Talk soon!