FIELD TRIPS ~ ~ ~

I'm way behind on posting ~ this is one of the colorful booths at the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati!  Heidi and I took a little road trip on April 12 and 13th to see all the beautiful quilts and the great vendor booths!  We checked in at our hotel in time to get over to the convention center and get in line for the opening at 5 p.m.  This was one of the first booths we saw and it was just a feast for the eyes!

Can you believe this is a quilt?  Looks like you could just sit down and get comfy, doesn't it?

This was so realistic ~ looks like a photo!  It's amazing how talented these quilters are and all the detail they can get with fabric and thread!

Loved this moon-over-the water quilt!

This looked like a water color!

Such a work of art!

 














What a beautiful flower!

A moon and a sunset over the mountains ~ that's what this looks like to me ~ whatever it is, it's beautiful!

As usual, I cram more into a time period that a normal person would!  Heidi and I had to leave Cinci in the morning because I had to be home and help pack the truck with wool!  I had a show Saturday morning, here in Mansfield (luckily) and it had to be set up by 6 p.m. Friday!  Sonny came home from Kelley's Island, where he had been working ~ we packed the wool and tables, etc  ~ got the booth all set up ~ and came home to finish up some things for the next day!

We had a great show ~ The Gathered Treasures Spring Show ~ saw lots of people we know and sold lots of wool!  My new colors were a hit and I so appreciate the gals who stopped by to visit and shop!  I met Charlene and Staci who are going to be in my Sauder class ~ that was fun!!  After the show and all the packing up, we went to dinner with our friends, Vivian and Lou!  Regarding the term 'packing up', when I think of all the shows I've done over the last 30 years, we've done a lot of loading and unloading of show stock.  It's amazing when I think of it ~ bring it up out of my basement studio, put it in the truck, take it out and set it up, load what's left back into the truck and take it back down to the hooking room!!  EEEE GADD ~ I should be skinny like a rail from all that!!

Sunday was a day of getting things back in order and getting Sonny ready to go back to Kelley's for the final week of work!  On Monday, Tad's sitter came to stay and I went to Indiana to visit long-time friend, Gwen!  We had great fun ~ talked, ate, hooked, and went to Shipshewana!! I had been there years ago with Gwen and it really is an interesting little town full of shops and restaurants!  Saw some wonderful things but didn't buy them!  Went to two really great primitive shops ~ A Thankful Heart and Past Times Country Shop ~  I hope we get to go back this summer!  Two years ago, I taught Gwen to hook and she has really taken off and done a lot on her own!  She's very talented with color and draws her own patterns and off she goes!  It was a good time of sharing and bonding and I coaxed her into watching Dancing with the Stars with me!!  Bless her heart! 

That was my week in a nutshell ~ this week is office work (I can get behind) and gardening!  I'm having a group of rug hookers on May 5th for lunch and a hooking day ~ there's lots to do to get things looking ship shape around here!  It 's amazing how everything has 'greened up' in just the last few days ~ a couple of trips to the greenhouse will go a long way to add outside color ~ and we'll be ready for guests!!  Have a happy Spring day in your corner of the world!
Alice