Couple of things

First I saw the truck at JoAnn's on West Saginaw a short while ago and she is a woman after my own heart.  Although for our grammar police out there it isn't quite right.

Next I emailed some of you that my brother is running an estate sale this Friday 9 am to 3 pm (full price) and on Saturday from 9-1 (items go 1/2 price) in Grand Ledge.  The lady of the home was a quilter and has passed away.  The sale is advertised at www.estatesales.net and pictures here show the serger and baby lock sewing machine that are in the sale.  The baby lock is also an embroidery machine.  There is not a big fabric stash, but there are lots of books, magazines.  Here are a few photos of some of the more special items.

 

machine embroidery thread

This is a very nice 3 drawer cabinet of Madera thread.  I haven't used these but believe they are for machine embroidery.

 One of a couple of kits

 

another kit

It looked as though all the blocks were done for this quilt and setting fabrics are there.

So I hope these few pictures help.  There are no completed quilts.  She was also a counted cross stitcher.  So there are some finished cross stitches, patterns.  For just one bedrooms worth of stuff, if you are out and about Friday or Saturday it might be work a look see.

Truck

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day.  We decided to visit a couple more shops in Shipshewana and tried to do a couple of other shops on the shop hop.  Unfortunately, we got a little lost looking for the show in Topeka, but have a lovely drive in the country.  It was surprising just how far you can see in Indiana because it seems so flat compared to where we are in Michigan.  We got to watch a farmer driving a 3 horse hitch raking hay.  It was really enjoyable.  Mom had tickets for a show last night at 7 so we decided to head back with a stop at the quilt show in Marshall.  All in all it was a couple enjoyable days.

My truck enjoyed a lot of notoriety in Shipshewana.  But after all she does stick out in a crowd and especially in a quilt environment.

The Little Things

When I was in high school I had a teacher who really pushed us to be aware, to notice the world around us, to sit up and pay attention.  I think I always have been a keen observer, at least of my surroundings.  I always notice the first crocuses in the spring, when the trees start to bud, that first morning after a rain in the spring when everything has a green hue about it.  I enjoy noticing these things.  These are some of the iittle things I noticed on my trip.

These were some different flower I noticed while in England.  Still have to do some research as I haven't quite figured out what they all might be.

And the trees reminded me of a series of quilts I had seen at the Chicago International Quilt show in 2008 that showed trees from this perspective throughout the year.  Another idea for a quilt!  I also got ideas for quilts from the French countryside as I came back from my day trip to Paris.  Trees on the hillside, outline against the dusk sky looked like a row of lollipops.

And there were other inspirations like all the different tile patterns I came across.  Some were on what I would call a front porch, some on the floors in the halls of the Victoria & Albert Museum and some in tiles that adorned the outside of churches.

Just 2 more observations.  Where else but in England could you go to the park and a wonderful Saturday afternoon and watch bowmen practicing their sport.

 

This construction walkway was on Bayswater across from Hyde Park.  On the first Sunday I noticed the interesting treatment they have given the top of the pedestrian walk way.  Covered with books, pencils, and boxes of crayons.

It was only on the following Sunday and I looked again and realized the what was behind the pencils, etc. was a tarp that was painted to look like a velvet curtain and the entire facade of the building being worked on.  Sometimes it takes me a while but I guess that speaks to the great job that the company did that made the tarps!

And last but not least, a shot of Great Aunt Jackie's "lady truck".

Good night!