2017 Wk 11 & 12 - Mostly Shopping

Oooops! Confession time - I hit the quilt shops in Fredericksburg, Llano AND Blanco. Obviously I have some responsibility to help the Texan economy!

A few FQs

From this lovely shop

 

And I've also bought linens (for dresses) from Walmart!

 

and cotton solids to go with some fabrics I got from Lisa a while ago

 

some FQs and craft stuff, and a few paracord bracelet kits for a class coming up soon (and I had to have a play!)

 

And then a trip to Blanco saw a trip to another quilt shop!

 

So purely out of compassion for the Texan economy I stocked up on black and white fabrics for a quilt that is in my mind

And a whole bunch of Texas themed fabrics, for, perhaps, a Texan themed quilt????

 

Perhaps it's just as well we only go every 3 or 4 years!!! But at least I have a plan for it all - that makes it ok doesn't it?

 

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2017 Wk 11 & 12 - Mostly Exploring

Dad's nearest town is Fredericksburg - originally German it has a population of about 8500. My nearest big village at home has a similar population but has less than a dozen shops while Fredericksburg has an amazing Main Street full of independent stores ("no chain on Main") This website suggests 211 shops in the town!!!!

 

One afternoon we visited a great little village (Pop 3!) called Luckenbach. Live music every day, and I particularly liked the toilet signs made from car number plates!

 

Another day we took a drive to the Enchanted Rock - a 17 Acre single rock (the exposed part of a 100sq mile single rock) which is second in size only to Uluru (Ayres Rock) in Australia.

And then lunch in Llano which is relatively (by Texan standards) nearby and sits almost in the middle of Texas. This little town has a population of less than 4000, but has a huge school complex, a police and a fire department, a cinema, court, law and tax offices, several restaurants and a quilt fabric shop! (Unfortunately I had a posse of three non quilters / non shoppers with me so my visit had to be short! The shop assistant had a sewing machine set up in the back of the shop and was happily sewing away - that's a job I could do!!!!

I just want to share one more place with you. A shop called Magnola Pearl on the way to Fredericksburg. Do visit the website! Then there are three horizontal lines top left and you can use them to navigate to SHOP and GALLERY. they are the most biazzare clothes I've ever soon - and at the most outrageous prices! The page called LINE SHEET shows the clothes best - I don't know if they are from recycled or reclaimed fabrics but patching them and distressing them seems to feature strongly. (A neighbour of dad's called them slave clothes!). However the building is beautiful!!! Although itlooks hundreds of years old it is a new build but from reclaimed timbers, and is filled with a lot of antiques (I snuck some pics)

 

Dear Magnolia Pearl. I'm sorry that I don't respect your clothing - I just don't "get it" (but then I'm quite sure that I am not representative of your target market) however I love love LOVE your shop!

 

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2017 Wk 11 & 12 - #2 Mostly Creating

We've been having a great time in Taxas! Catching up with Dad and Eileen and exploring this new-to-us part of the world. And doing some creating - and admiring some of their creating!

I've been working on La Pass - finishing cog 5 (my little 'work table' next to 'my chair' - I made myself at home!)

 

And starting cog 6 (although annoyingly I didn't bring the fabrics for the outer ring

I also brought a kantha project which has progressed nicely!

 

Dad and Eileen have been creative too - they built this house!

and I'm trying not to turn too green with envy over this studio!

 

Eileen isn't the only creative one - her daughter made these coasters for them ...

 

And while I've been away Lisa has been sewing - following a patten - and has made a lined bodice for a new dress!

 

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2017 Wk 11 &12 - #1 Mostly Supervising

We are on holiday in Texas at the moment (with very limited wifi so please excuse the delayed publishing of this post!)

 

Due to an unfortunate (and painful) incident involving a slippery pool step I have been supervising rather than helping with the various jobs at dad's

 

I did get taken to a fabric shop though - and look at the fab way they displayed the fabrics

And I have been enjoying the sunshine and the medicinal local wine

 

I will post more about the trip - especially the fabriccy purchases, but for now my bed calls - I've been awake 20 hours and I'm starting to lose the ability to think or write coherently!!!!

 

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2017 Wk 10 - Mostly Kids

We hosted Kids' Crafty Church yesterday - and had 17 attendees - It was a great afternoon!

Lots of creations! and lots of fun: at one stage I looked around and I was the only one there:

the others had all gone up the bell tower with the vicar!

Big and small kids playing together

 And a great way to uniquely identify your own charging cable among hundreds of others!