Yesterday, the bike gang went out again!

We left at 9 am and got home at 9 pm.  We were some tired puppies!

Paul, Scott, sil Mary, bil Ed 

Scott behind us on Rt 59 a few miles from the dam

 Our destination was Kinzua Dam.  I'd never been there before and it was so cool.

 I even saw an eagle!! so excited about that!

Kinzua Dam

*******

Today I needed to really give the house a good cleaning but I still spent some time sewing.

I took a picture of the Modern stack n slash that I finally got the binding done on.

50 x 53

After this picture I washed it and it crinkled up wonderfully.  I just straight line quilted it but I didn't use channel locks just 'eyed' it. So it's not perfectly straight and I just estimated the distance between the lines too. I quilted it one way then reloaded it the other way and quilted it that way.  I really like how it turned out.  

I got another row of feathers quilted on Aster Manor.  I'm using wool batting on this one. It's the first time I've ever tried wool.  It really shows the quilting.  I'm quilting it very close, doing all-over hooked feathers and hope that is OK with wool to quilt it so densely.   

I've been working on piecing the diamond (triangles on the corners) of the Medallion blocks.  I was having trouble seeing the cutting line I drew because the overhead lighting casts a shadow on my cutting table.  I was getting a bit frustrated when it hit me that my Ott Light is sitting in the corner unused.  

So I dragged it out, plugged it in and 'wah-lah' no more shadow.

Here are my medallion blocks.  

just 6 more to add the triangles too

As I'm piecing these, I started a new Leader/Ender project.  I stopped using the L/E method a while back, it just sorta happened.  But I've been saving my binding triangles and even cut some from 2.5 inch squares to make this quilt.  I don't have near enough triangles yet but what the heck it's a start.

in no time at all I have over 20 made. only need a couple hundred more. This will take some time. :)

A Biker post

This past weekend was the (3rd) annual Erie Roar on the Shore bike trip.  The weather wasn't the best this year: 90's and humid on Friday with an occasional downpour, then cloudy and chilly on Saturday but it was perfect on Sunday for the trip home. 

We rode up on the Harley but the exhaust gave us trouble.  Well it gave Paul trouble, I am no help with such things.  Thank goodness Paul is! 

This was the first fix 

and then the 2nd fix, there was a hardware store about a hundred feet from this place so he fixed it good!

There was a quilt shop right up the road too, but it was so darn hot we just waited in the little shade there was. 

 When Meg saw this picture she said, "mom you look all gangsta" 

ha-ha

Oh yea, I am definitely tough wearing my yellow bandana!

After another delay, this time for rain, which lasted about 45 minutes-- Wayyy to long of a time to be stuck at a Dollar General store, but thank goodness it was there!

A trip that should've been 3 hours turned into 6 1/2 but we finally arrived and still have smiles on our faces. 

The standing joke has been will the Victory trailer be there?  Paul and I have taken demo rides the last 2 years and have been planning on getting one next spring. So we head over to check 'em out.

**Notice I'm wearing my Potato chip bag? It was the perfect size! I do need to make one in a neutral color-I can't stand when my purse clashes with my clothes.**

Anyhoo, a little talking with these nice people and a very good trade in deal and we were heading to the dealer.

Goodbye harley (I never liked you anyway). Hello Victory Vision!

Brand new, more comfortable than the Goldwing-hard to believe but true

and I don't have to wear earplugs--that's a big 'woot-woot'!!

 I'm actually excited about riding again, 

still piecing the sashing sets!

I'm halfway there!

The back of a customer quilt-love the yellow and the wonky feathers.

and because we're nutz-we took a ride on Sunday!

Brrrrr.

Quilts for Kids

I quilted these last week.  

The one on the left I made from a Quilts for Kids kit I got from my guild's last meeting in June.  We're to have them done by the first meeting in September.  Joan, who's in charge of this project called me to see if I could quilt a few.  I think they all turned out beautifully.

I quilted each one differently.

****

About a month ago I saw this quilt pattern and just loved it.

I know --I think I'm going a bit modern here *gulp* but we'll talk about that later.

Elizabeth's directions call for 3 inch strips.  I figured I have all these 3.5 inch strips already cut in the drawer just use them.

I have 4 blocks left to piece.  (the plan is to do that as soon as I'm done here). 

Then I'm going to take them to Joann's and pick a nice solid for the background.  I really like the grey in the pattern's quilt but I'm using the grey I have for this new project.

It is for a certain somebody who has gone all British, even before the Olympics!  

It's going to be a very simply design and (gasp) very modern looking.

*****

On Saturday we took another long bike ride.  The weather was beautiful.

We went to PSU to The Creamery.  Paul's sister had never been to Penn State and although I'd been there many times while oldest son was attending school there, I'd never had their famous ice cream.  

The ride was beautiful.   

The ice cream delish and I'm not even a big ice cream fan! 

Mary, Paul and Me

State College is a beautiful town and PSU is such a fantastic school.  

I do hope they become an even better school in the future with or without football.

Erie "Roar on the Shore"

Another great weekend getaway on the bike. 

We went up to Erie on Saturday morning, it looked like rain but I wore my new rain gear so as to insure no rain would fall!  

Paul and the other guys went on a test bike ride.  My SIL and I stayed in the shade and relaxed.  We went on them last year and didn't feel a need to go again. Mainly because you are required to wear long pants, boots and helmet.  We do but had already changed into our walking around shorts and flip flops.  

 

"test sitting" on a Victory

w/Paul's sister and her husband

We went to this rally last year but didn't stay over.  It was way too long of a ride home at night after being in the sun all day so this year we stayed over.  Definitely the way to go.  Also this year we took the 'scenic' route up and back; it was longer but so much more enjoyable. 

DWMonday

My design wall is the same.  This is what it looks like when I'm piecing leftover batting together.  I got the bag out and started sewing just for my OB Wonder top and then it becomes like a game of how can I get these pieces to fit.  Then I get bored and  feel like I've wasted time.  I made a good dent with the big leftover pieces but I still have a pile of small pieces that would be better left alone until a little project comes along, which I'm sure will be soon.

First of all, I did get a script for the poison ivy and it has helped a lot, between Prednisone, liquid Benadryl and spray benadryl I was able to deal with the itch until is subsided.  

This past weekend was a bike trip!  fun-fun.

1st fuel/rest stop in Ohio

That's our bike on the left.  We went to Put-in-Bay Ohio

The weather was great.  We stayed in Port Clinton and took the Ferry's to the Island.

 Friday we rented a golf cart and toured around then on Saturday we took a different ferry with our bikes. They were parked mostly since we had brunch and then walked all around, looked in the shops, sat on a covered porch and had smoothies and relaxed. Oh my it was so lovely.  Saturday afternoon we had dinner    on the covered deck of a restaurant on one of the Marina's.  I'm not a big seafood person, but I had fresh yellow perch.  I have been trying to remember a better meal.  It was delicious.  I was so relaxed I could have melted into the chair.  

Um, and all I drink is water and iced tea. 

No alcohol was required.

I did spy a quilt shop and we stopped in.

The Nautical Needle. 

I enjoyed talking to the owner, who was working on a customer quilt. She was doing a panto and once again I'm thinking I really need to take some time (when?) and learn to use them. 

The guys were interested in the Gammill for about 3 minutes and then they just sat in the chairs and enjoyed the AC.  I bought a Schnibbles pattern "George" and a FQ bundle of Bar Harbor fabric (Minick and Simpson). 

We got home Sunday in the early afternoon and although I was doing laundry and getting everything ready for the week, we really tried to maintain the relaxation mode for the rest of the day.

ah.  

yea for summer.

I've been busy as a bee

the carpet was installed yesterday.  

I've had a migraine since Monday.

The weather is a changing so I'm expecting the headache to leave SOON

I've been moving furniture, rearranging furniture and trying to get everything to cooperate.

and the washing machine timer went last week...we ordered a new one and I did several loads today on the last one there came a loud thumping sorta noise...oh brother, can't wait to tell Paul when he gets home.

And somehow, some way I got poison ivy just a little on my leg and my wrist and under my chin.  Sheesh.

*******

On Memorial Day we went on a long bike ride to The Flight 93 Memorial

It is starting to look really beautiful.  The first time Paul and I went a few years back there wasn't much there, a chain link fence to keep you away from the site, I flag marking the impact area, people left momentos on the fence.  

It was just as emotional then as now.

The weather was beautiful and we were out for about 6 hours; rode with Paul's sister and her husband and one of Paul's friends from HS who just got a bike a few years back.

Me and Paul at Rt. 30 overlook

I've finished a couple quilts, thought I was having trouble again with HQ but I 'pretended' to quilt with it for about 5 minutes and no stalls so now I don't know what to think.  The last pass on this quilt it kept stalling and then I'd have trouble starting it again.

I think I'm going to load a small quilt and try it and see what happens.

Notice the cement floor!  I wanted to get this one done before we had to dismantle everything AGAIN for the carpet installers.

close up of quilting

and Otis inspecting my work!  Haha.

dwmonday

72 x 90

Fire Escape is all together-the color is off in this picture it's not drab at all.  The new lights in the basement are super bright, which is good for my eyes but I will have to figure out how to take better pictures. maybe.

HQ is working fine.  I called about the stall lights and they said it will not cause any problems. But if I want I can send the front handles in and they'll check it out further....hmmm maybe someday when I don't have a ton of quilting to do.  Or if I really get into panto's (after I re-learn how to do them).

I'm about oh 1/3 of the way done with this quilt.   It's going to be very pretty, if I do say so myself; very feminine.  

My work schedule has calmed down but that just means time to do stuff around here.  

And biking season is here finally.  We went for 5+ hours yesterday. (my butt hurt) and saw Cucumber Falls at Ohiopyle State Park.  

Lovely.

 I've been googling waterfalls, thinking that might be a fun destination idea for rides.  We've done covered bridges in the past.  

a very nice day

a birthday bike ride after a fun day of shopping...I got fabric for 2 quilts!

Forgot to take pictures of the haul.

and when I got home the laundry room wall is up and the door opening roughed in.

woo-hoo!

They also took out most of the old drop ceiling! Yikes. 

so excited to see this.  

Design Wall Monday

My 3rd One Block Wonder quilt and my 1st UFO for 2012.  You can read more about it in this post if you're curious.

I've had a nice week between Christmas and New Year's, not a lot of sewing or quilting.  But the break has been good.  Paul goes back to work tomorrow and Meg back to school.  

I'm kinda looking forward to the 'ole routine again.  

In case your wondering we had a crazy, wild New Year's eve.  I was so out of control Annie and Otis had to physically restrain me.

(12:05 am 1/1/12  -5 more minutes and we'll all be asleep)

The temperature on New Year's Day was in the 50's here.  So we bundled up and went on a little "polar bear run" of our own!  A nice 40 minute ride. 

I'm going to link up to Judy's for the first design wall Monday of the new year!

fun times, fun times!

Life is Good.

The work has begun!

On my basement bathroom that is!  My machines have been quarantined.  I was really out of my element today for sure.  Tonight we are going to Home Depot to get toilet, vanity etc...I have a 12 mo. 0% int. coupon that I want to put to good use.

Marsha's baby quilt

I spent last week quilting 3 quilts for others.

Libby's Jelly Roll Races

Libby's 9-patch shuffle (I think she called it)

I thought I could get one of mine loaded but it didn't happen.  Saturday Meg, me and my Mom drove the 2 hours to "Camp Diamond in the Rough".  Meg and Mom's first visit.  It's coming along..slowly. We packed a picnic lunch, it was a lovely day. 

Meghan and her dad

Yesterday Paul and I went on a 6 hour bike ride following Rt 30, a beautiful historical route through PA's laurel highlands-wonderful scenic views. We came home a different way on Rt 31 which is mostly pasture and dairy farms.  A coyote ran across the road in front of us (but far enough ahead not to be a danger to us hitting it). It's the first I've ever seen-quite exciting. 
We both agree 6 hours is our butts max for one day.  The kids came over in the evening for a short visit, nice.