2013 Vacation - International Quilt Festival of Ireland

I am a big Bonnie Hunter fan.  Bonnie has a blog, Quiltville.blogspot.com and specializes in scrap quilts.  I began following her blog a couple of years ago.  Then last November she came to our guild, Capitol City Quilt Guild, Lansing, Michigan and did 2 days of classes and a lecture at our guild meeting. I took classes both days and had a chance to get to know Bonnie.

She was talking up a trip to Ireland to the International Quilt Festival with a tour through Sew Many Places.  I had not taken a trip in 2 years and started thinking about this one. And then decided what to heck, why not.  Since most of us would be quilters, it would be a ready make group of new friends.  So I signed up at the first of the year.

We departed from New York on June 4.  Being the ever cautious traveler I decided that I didn't want to chance missing connections.  And since I have a lovely niece living in Astoria, I decided to go to NY a few days ahead of time and spend some time with her and her fiance, Jason. 

I arrived Friday night and they were kind enough to pick me up.  They live in a lovely tree lined neighborhood in Astoria made up of multiple family dwellings.

The weather was really, really hot while I was there.  80+.  That evening we went for a walk and ended up at a beer garden just like in Germany.  There was a high wall and big gate surrounding the garden.  I was surprised when we went through the building and ended up in a huge garden stuffed with picnic tables and people enjoying drinks, the hot weather and each other's company.  There was no music that night, but lots of activity.  Then we walked home and turned in for the night.

More adventures to come.

Day 2 of Vacation

The first time I sent to New York a few years ago we visited the "Garage flea market" in Manhattan.  So it was a stop again this time.  Denise and I sent to the flea.  I found a couple of treasures.  One was a ribbon from the AKC Carroll Kennel Club show that I'm adding to a picture of a dog that I picked up at an estate sale.  We looked through both floor of the flea and then headed over to City Quilter which is across the street and just down a little bit. 

We spent quite a bit of time at the quilt shop.  I found some good NYC fabrics and a cute quilters newspaper fabric to share with my variable star friends.  Denise found some cute bicycle fabric as well.  She and Jason bicycle quite a bit.

They have added a gallery next to the city quilter where they display artists quilts.  They had a very nice display of Deb Hyde quilts. (www.cityquilter.com)

By then is was almost lunch time, so we decided to go to our favorite tea shop, Tea and Sympathy.
We had a great lunch and then caught up with Jason who has to go into work for a little while to take care of a problem.

I had told them that there was an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum called "Workt by Hand"; Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts.  There had quite a number of beautiful quilts on display.  I had ordered the show catalog a couple months before.

While there we discovered there was also an exhibit of John Singer Sargent Watercolors on display.  So we enjoyed those as well.

We also walked through a display by El Anatsui http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/el_anatsui/.  Denise found this display particulary inspiring.  It was amazing what he did with metal pop bottle tops and metal cans and twist ties.  We took the subway back to their neighborhood and stopped by Basil a very good local restaurant for supper.

International Quilt Festival of Ireland

A friend asked about my last post and what I needed Euros for.

Well when Bonnie Hunter was here last October she talked about 2 tours she was doing with Sew Many Places, a tour company that caters to quilters.  One was an Alaskan cruise in August and one was a 10 day tour to the International Quilt Festival in Galway and a tour of Ireland.  A friends wanted to do the cruise but I work at a college and that was scheduled close to the start of classes. And she wasn't sure about traveling abroad, so I am going on the trip by myself.

To alleviate the chance of problems with connections, I'm flying to New York early to have a visit with my niece and take advantage of her spare bedroom.  In New York I will meet the lady that I will be rooming with who is from Illinois.  We both agreed we rather have the extra $1,000 to spend on fabric than to room by ourselves.

So I am very excited about going.  I have been to London now about 5 times, but never Ireland.
We will be in Galway for 3 days.  Then Killarney, Adare,the dingle peninsula, Blarney, Avoca and County Wicklow.  Then on to Dublin, Belfast, Lisburn and then return.

I am looking forward to traveling with a group instead of by myself.  I know it can sometimes be a drawback traveling with others, but all in all I think it will be a good experience.  Will try to make entries on the blog while I'm gone if the hotels have business centers.  Otherwise you might not hear a lot until I return.

Quilt show and stuff

The Capitol City Quilt Guild show was last weekend.  It was the first time I have vended at a quilt show.  I have set up at the local antique mall Sunday fleamarkets for a couple of years now.  In the summer they have an outdoor fleamarket the 3rd Sunday of each month until October.

I have managed those pretty well, including setting up a small tent by myself.  I just about have it down to a science.  So I thought the quilt show wouldn't be much different.  Below are pictures of my booth at the quilt show.  Listening to what people were looking for there were items that I didn't bring that I probably would next time, like antique buttons and trims.  But I did pretty well.  I made back my booth rental and made a little so I was ok with that.  So this was my set up at the quilt show.

 

 

During the show I was working on these, indigo and shirtings stars to make the time go faster.  I have them packaged into 1 block per baggie to take on my trip to have something to do on the plane and in the airport.  I may have to cut and make up a few more.

Picked up my euro's from the credit union today.  Hard to believe it's only 3 weeks away.  Now I'm nervous.

Tomorrow is the wedding shower for my niece, Jennifer.

Craft class

Saturday I took a class at the MSU recycling center of how to recycle wine bottles.  The class taught us how to cut the bottom's off of bottles, add mosaic tile and use them as shades on votives.  Though expensive the class included a bottle cutter, mosaic nippers,  safety glasses, nippers, the copper hanging aparatus and 2 wine bottles. 

I took stained glass classes through MSU Evening college 30 years ago, but was living in an apartment to couldn't really do it much.  There were about 14 of us in class.  This is a picture of the class sample.

I'll put up a picture of mine when I finish the mosaic.

The new recycling center on campus is really a neat place.  Near the bathrooms was a sign showing how they use collected rain water for the toilets to conserve water, and there was this display in the lobby area.

Estate Sale Find

I gave my nephew and his wife a queen size quilt for Christmas.  In the photo they sent me of it on their bed I noticed that they didn't really have any bed size tables.  So I started taking notice at the estate sales I went to.  I found an excellent candidate.  A really good piece of old furniture that just needed a face lift.  I forgot to take a before picture.  Here she is...

Problem is they live in the Chicago area, and when they were home for Easter the vehicle they came in was too small to take it home.  Guess I will have to plan a trip to Illinois.

Spring Slowly arrives

Just a little post today...

Advice from a Garden

Cultivate lasting friendships
Sow seeds of kindness
Listen to sage advice
Don't let the little things bug you
Be outstanding in your field
Take thyme for yourself
No vining!