Shop Hop Fun, Aggie Quilt, and Friends

 Wednesday (4/15) I picked up my friend Debra and we headed to Cameron to catch our ride and go shop hoping. Lori Vega of Vega Transportation and member of our bee put together a shop hop for us ladies. Just a quick plug for Lori.  If need transportation for a wedding, party, gambling, shopping, she's the lady.  She did my daughters wedding party transportation.

Okay back to shop hop. We're headed to Buda, New Braunsfel, McQueeny and if time a shop in Schertz, TX.  

And we're off. Debra and I sat at the back of the bus. We're the troublemakers.  LOL not really.

.... First stop was B&B in Buda

The shop ladies were really nice and very busy. There were like 22 of us plus their other customers. The shop had so many fabrics and so much color.  

Look at the pretty fabric. It's everywhere LOL.

I found a pattern and a couple of fat quarters. 

I bought the Fabric Cafe Panel Perfect book for panel border ideas. And I found some Tilda fat quarters for a future project I have in mind.  Tilda has lots of free patterns on their website that I want to try.

  I also found this cute pocket quilt pattern and bought it. Now I have a picture of it  but can't the actual pattern right because I've managed to misplace it in my messy sewing room.  24 hours later .... Found it! It would have bit me if it could. 

Sondra and I both loved this cute pattern.

We're back on the bus and ready for the next shop.

But first we stopped for food. We all went in different directions. There were so many choices for food to choose from. Debra and I chose Mexican food at Las Palmas.  It was really good.

The Golden Needle was just down the road was our next stop. This shop was for those ladies who also love to needle point, cross stitch and do hand embroidery. Lots of pretty projects and threads. These are hobbies that I haven't indulged in but have tried. I'm all thumbs when I do that kind of handwork but I can appreciate the art and the work. Several of the ladies found something they wanted though. Lori made sure all of us found something we could enjoy.  Next....

Intrepid Threads also in New Braunfels. Wow. This shop was fairly new and still setting up but they did have plenty of beautiful fabric to touch and ewww and aww over. The ladies were very helpful and nice. This shop carried lots of fabrics that you don't see in many of the other shops we tend to go to.  Such as the Japenese fabric Atsuko. 

I was telling my friend Donna in East Bernard and she got excited because they carry Atsuko fabric.  

She has only found it on line but now she can travel to New Braunfels or order it from this shop in Texas.  I found some more Tilda fat quarters to add to my collection I'm starting. Onwards to the next shop....

Sew Little Time  is also in the New Braunfels area. Cute shop with a small selection of fabric but has other fun things to look at for handwork and craft with and some cute notions. 

I bought 2 red tea towels that were on sale to embroider on one day. One of my many projects. Like I need more projects.  LOL

Fiberworx in McQueeney was a really cool shop in an older big building. They told us before we left that they would be moving soon to a bigger place. I love the building they're in now.

I called them again today and they found the motorcycle panel that David liked for me to make another auction quilt. Yay!  Of course now I need to decide on borders to add to it to make it pop and worthy for the auction. That pattern book should give me a few ideas, I hope. They'll the panel in the morning mail. Thank you Dawn for finding the panel for me.

I saw this cute pattern there too but didn't buy it this time. I always think of my little sister when I see something Noah's Ark.

I did buy the patriotic blue & white star and the black and white checked fabric while there. The boot & maybe the Santa fabric I bought at the Railroad Cotton Exchange closer to my home prior but it got in the picture this time. 

Here's the whole gang of Shop Hoppers. It was a fun day!  Thanks again Lori for putting it together with our Queen Bee's.

Speaking of the Railroad Cotton Exchange... On Friday (4/17) I was in Bryan with Pamela getting our nails done and while sitting there I was scrolling

through FB and saw that the Railroad Cotton Exchange had my name posted on the sign outside their shop which meant I'd get a 10% discount on my purchase.  They put a new name on the sign each day during the Texas Shop Hop and that day it was mine. Yippee. Well of course I stopped in on my way home.  Well guess who benefitted from that stop? My daughter. She was wanting me to make her another T-Shirt quilt so I got Aggie Fabric. I have enough Aggie t-shirts to make 3-4 t-shirt quilts. Plus she sent more up for this particular quilt soooo.... What do you do with that many t-shirts you make a quilt.  The shop has quite a bit of Aggie fabric and blenders that they've had designed to choose from this is what I bought.

  

I use our pool table to layout everything out and re-arrange the t-shirts how I want them. So far I've sewn 2 1/2 rows together. I went back another day and got a maroon fabric with splashes of grey to use as corner stones between the sashing. 

My lighting was a little off when I took the picture so it doesn't look like it would go with all that maroon but you can see it does in the the pictures of it sewn in on the rows here.

On Sunday (4/19) David and I drove to Spring to say our final good byes to a long time friend Barbara Borchers. Her health had been going down hill for a number of years but just about two weeks before she passed she called me and we talked like old times. She asked me questions about how Pamela and Kaleb were doing etc. She talked like she was getting better but it was that moment of clarity and her reaching out to me for those last moments. She had been our realtor and friend for over 20 years. She never met a stranger and heart of gold. She will be missed. 

David was going to mow outside the fence line on the road but decided against because of all the wildflowers. 

Only thing missing this year was Bluebonnets and Indian Paint Brushes.  Unless you count the one and only one Bluebonnet by the front gate and the 4-5 Indian Paint Brushes also now by the gate but I'll take what we've got.

My sewing room chaperones. Normally Sadie try's to get between me and my sewing machine but today she's hanging out in front of the design wall.  Bruno is almost right behind my sewing chair so I have to be careful rolling around.

On Tuesday (4/28) Donna Lynn had quilts finished and was ready to mail or hand them off so we decided that we'd meet in Navasota at Martha Bloomer's Cafe. Donna had a quilt or two for each of us. She has been a busy girl quilting.  

Pamela came along with me and she was our photographer. The food was really good and the service was great.  The café started us off with a small cup of their orange tea and scone. That was yummy. We think we need to meet there again one day.

There's always that one friend who can't behave. LOL

L-R  Pat, Me, Donna Lynn, Sandy and Ellen.  Ellen showed up with a cast on her arm.  Apparently the stairs in her house sent her flying.  Hopefully she's healed up now.

To close out April David and I, both got glasses. I've been using readers but I'd like to not have sunglasses and readers on my head so now my glasses allow me to read and look up at the computer and distance with the automatic tinting when in bright light.  Taking a little to get use to but I'll get there. David's eyes had changed some so he got some new glasses too. Yay! Excuse my crazy hair. I should have been wearing a hat. LOL

That's it for now.

Until next blog post...Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart ~Washington Irving

Mother-Daughter & Book Club time

 So this year our Mother-Daughter time was not a trip to Fredericksburg and wine but more of a Staycation.  Maybe next year. 

For the first day of our Mother-Daughter time we met my friend and quilter Donna Lynn in Sealy for Lunch at Wolf Pack and a trip to the Wooden Spool quilt shop around the corner. Win win.  I had about 7+ quilts to hand off to Donna Lynn from me and the girls that were at retreat to get quilted. That should keep her busy for a little while. 

The idea was that Pamela and I would hit a couple of the wineries in the area but dang it they either weren't open on a Thursday or didn't open until 4. We both needed to be back in College Station by 5:30. 

So we found an alternate winery to check out. We went to a new place called Chapelton Vineyards outside Brenham. It's a beautiful place with a beautiful balcony patio upstairs for members only but the place is a bit pricey for our pocket book. We're not a doctor or a lawyer but we went ahead and had a tasting. The wines were good but unless you're a member that don't sell wine by the glass. You can buy the wine by the bottle but unless it's one on the tasting you won't know if it's to your taste buds. And we can't afford their wine bottles or club membership sorry.

We finished our tasting and needed to head home to get her back in time for the boys softball game and I had book club in Bryan. 

G3 is trying to have our book club meeting at least a couple times a year in Bryan to make it easier for one of our members who still works get there.  We met at Shipwreck to discuss our book by Frieda McFadden, The Intruder.  This book was written slightly different than all her others.  

You still don't know who the antagonist is until the end and there were a couple twists but the writing just seemed different. If you're triggered by child abuse and revenge this might be a book to avoid. Overall it was still a good book.  The big question was did the Mothers get what they deserved? Read and you decide.  We've been having a good turn out lately. There's 11 of us and 8 showed tonight.

Friday (4/10) was day two of the Mother-Daughter staycation.  We had 90 minute massages at 10:15am at Peace at Hand.

That was one of the best massages I had I think.  I didn't walk out afterwards with any tender spots from her working one spot too hard and I was totally relaxed. Pamela had the same experience with her masseuse. That started our morning off really nice.  Then we went to lunch at Marfa and split the Shrimp taco plate. Yummy.

From here we headed to 36 North Winery. We really like this winery. If you do a tasting you can pay $3 more and they'll pair your wine to a bite size dessert. And the owner is super sweet. Her sister is the baker for Sweet Jar Treats. Fair warning if you want a treat for later get them as soon as you decide what you want because if you wait they'll be sold out.

This was only a two day Mother-Daughter staycation but it was fun and we made memories. We didn't leave the winery until close to 6 and I had told David not to wait on me for supper.  Silly man waited until I got home to around 7:30.  He's such a sweetie.

On Monday (4/13) David and I spent quality time together.

We went to doctor appointments and with the intent to attend the boys softball game. So first stop was David's appointment where he got an all clear and no new bladder cancer.  Then we had time to kill before our appointment at the Eye Doctor. Which included lunch at Costco after shopping, a trip by HEB to see what new plants they might have, a trip to drop off Goodwill boxes and we still got to our appoint Early.  Hmm our eyes had some slight changes and we both ordered glasses before walking out. He was getting new ones and I was getting my first pair since I'd had lasik back in 2011. I'm tired of pulling my readers off and putting on sunglasses or just taking them off to see to walk. 

But no ball game. It was cancelled due to the fields and parking being so wet. They've had more rain in BCS than up in Gause. 

On our way home I got a text from Quilt Bee Organizer asking if I wanted to go on the Lori's shop hop on Wednesday that she planned, organized and was providing transportation for annddd I said Sure.

I almost said no but David said go and I couldn't say no then.

I'll share our fun shop hop on my next post..

Until then.. A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.”  ~ Daniel J Boorstin

Quilting, Purse class, & Critters.....

So I finally got this quilt finished and in the mail.. I had been under a time crunch to finish a commissioned quilt so I didn't get this one finished until well after little Beckett was born and trying to work out a meet up with Momma Karina's busy schedule wasn't happening.  The quilt is big enough to last Beckett until he's 5 at least..  Of course no quilt goes together smoothly. There's always that one block goes together wrong. LOL  I've been know to rip out the error and then resew it back wrong again. but not this time. I could have left it as an Amish block. Rumor has it that they tend to miss sew at least one block in the quilt on purpose but I didn't do it.

Donna at Donna's Lavender Nest did the sweet Bee quilting theme.                                                                                                                                   I did have fun with the binding. Normally I make my bindings with a 2 1/2" strip but the pattern used 1 1/2". Holy cow that's small! But I got it done. Looks nice but wow it's small to work with.

I hope Beckett gets lots of cuddles and play time out of this quilt. The quilts I make are made to be used and abused by the recipient not saved for a special day. Just saying.

Wednesday (4/1) I went to a class to learn how to make a Mondo bag. It was a fun class given by Lori Vega. She's a quilter, jack of all trades, creative and she runs Vega Transportation. I used her for my daughters wedding.  

Okay back to our class. We kept her busy from 9am to 6pm. I don't think any of us expected to be there quite that long but we all went home with Mondo bag.. Some people really got into the
class. LOL. Judy provided the smiles. Some Our bags. Somehow I missed getting a picture of everyone's individual bag...

 

The class and teacher, Lori with our bags.

And my bag. I still need to topstitch to finish it but I keep carrying it as it is. Maybe later this week I'll finish it off.  

The wildlife around here seems to love our porches. This Momma Dove scared the heck out of me the other day when I walked out the front door. She flew out of the wine barrel planter and at the time I didn't know why but a couple days later she had eggs in the wine barrel. So she's nesting on the front porch..

We went to the back porch and had happy hour.  Had wine in birthday present. A big cup of wine if I were to fill it all the way up but I won't.

Meet Evie. She looks so regal laying in the bench.  It's like she's saying " I'm a princesses and 

I know it". She comes to supervise us ladies when we exercise and sometimes provides distractions with her lovies.  She belongs to Peggy's aunt who lives next door.

This will be a shorter post this time. Aren't you glad. LOL

Until next blog post.......Each new day is a blessing. Let go of all worries and be grateful for all the positive in your life.