Design Wall Monday 9.8.2025

Our third and final campground in Gaylord, Michigan. Saturday was 48F and rainy so we broke camp and headed home. This was Friday before the rain.

My FIL decided to gift my son a few of his truck/tractor/car models he has collected through the years. We packed them into the Wrangler and it filled it up! Hubby decided to just stopped along DS's road to deliver the models. I thought the Menard's parking lot would be better but I was out voted!

After a late lunch/early dinner, we arrived home with plenty of sunlight to unload the motorhome. Sunday was our day to clean the motorhome/ Wrangler/ laundry/ grocery shop/ mow.

Home again home again jiggity jig!

Onto the sewing room...

As I was waiting to leave for vacation, I sewed together a few four patches for my friend Bernice. She is collecting quilts for the local VA and her quilts need to be 48 x 48...no deviation! She supplied a baggie of 4.5 inch squares.

I sewed into two's...

...then four's and now I need to join all the squares together.

But wait...hubby still wasn't ready to leave. So instead of handing back a few squares, I dug into my stash. I found a few already cut and then cut a few more.

But wait...first I need to go to Ann Arbor and pick up Baby (my piecing machine). She was at the spa while I was trolling around Upper Lower Michigan and the UP. 

Sharing today with Judy at Design Wall Monday.

Finish or NOT Friday 9.5.2025

Thursday September 4, 2025 saw us traveling around the UP of Michigan.

Our first stop was Benny the Beard Fisher. He's located on private property, Northwoods Outfitters in Germfask, Michigan. He was pretty cool and he is my first Thomas Dambo Troll. Here is a link to my Google search that shows many sites for more information on Thomas Dambo and his troll sculptures.

We then went north to Grand Marais, Michigan. We stopped at the beach. We did walk out to the water but 'Mother Superior' (Lake Superior - her nickname at Northern Michigan University) was very angry and we opted to eat lunch in the Jeep.

We followed the scenic drive west and stopped at the Log Slide Lookout. I do believe this is part of the Pictured Rocks.

As we made our way East back to St. Ignace, I also noticed the Lake Michigan was kicking up waves. I took this picture somewhere along US 2 West.

After supper, we visited the Bridge View Park again because it was darker. :) I took this picture right before the headlights turned off on the Jeep. I thought it was kinda cool. :)

Now onto the quilting...

I did indeed quilt down the Thick Sticks quilt and got it bound! It's now part of the 3.5 inch Trunk Show...

I went on the wild side and chose red for the binding...

pattern: Lisa Sutherland's Thick Sticks

panto: serpentine

Sharing today with Alycia's Finish or NOT Friday and

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation's NTT.

WIP Wednesday 9.3.2025

We've made our way to campsite #2, over the Mackinac Bridge to St. Ignace, Michigan.

We arrived early afternoon, so we headed out to Sault St. Marie, Michigan. Hubby wanted to see the Soo Locks and we were fortunate that there was a freighter using the locks. Silly  me, I thought the locks were like a traffic light with freighters lining up to go through. Wrong! The American Dream out of Wilmington, Delaware was the fourth and last freighter to use the locks yesterday.

The American Dream almost through the lock.

A sight seeing tour boat entering the locks.

This is the Visitor Center from across the street. The viewing platform is in the background, behind the Visitor Center. The Soo Locks are maintained and run by the US Army Corps of Engineers. You can read about the Locks here, if interested.

Now onto the sewing and quilting...

I did sew the Thick Sticks quilt into a flimsy. I just placed the blocks on the design wall as they were made and tried to spread out the fabrics a bit. I stuck with the red centers place vertically and the blue centers, horizontally. I feel it gives more of a basketweave effect to the quilt.

This quilt pattern calls for single border and that's what I did!

pattern: Thick Sticks by Lisa Sutherland

Sharing today with The Inquiring Quilter's Wait Loss Wednesday.

Design Wall Monday 9.1.2025

Happy Design Wall Monday from our home away from home! We are Day 4 at our current campsite in Frederic, Michigan between Grayling and Gaylord.

On our way into Gaylord, the little town of Waters, Michigan was setting up for their Labor Day Parade. I was able to take a picture of the flag but not the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile we passed on the road!

Onto my sewing before I left the studio!

CarolC, our FB QOV Working Stars Admin, called the Lisa Sutherland pattern Thick Sticks as our September project. So I dived right into my 3.5 inch strip stash. This is my fabric pull.

I'm strip piecing this one and here are a few blocks on the design wall.

Sharing today with Judy at Design Wall Monday. 

Shop Hop Sunday 8.31.2025

It was 'extraction day' at the lake. All the boats and seadoos and lifts and docks needed to come out of the water. I usually don't help as I am considerable weaker than the young strapping nephews so I decided to have my own fun and do a mini shop hop. I'm on the hunt for baby blue Toile fabric and a Quilt in a Day Wonky Log cabin ruler. The first two shops I went to in Houghton Lake (Michigan) were closed. Not a great beginning. I then went to Cardinal Creations near lake City. I got there at 1:40 pm and they closed at 2:00 pm.

This is really a cute shop. No toile and no ruler but they did have a flowery piece that I brought. Silly me, I left my fabric I wanted to match. I also got myself a 'I love to sew' t-shirt. This little wreath was in the bathroom. Sew cute!

The Bird's Nest in Cadillac was only 10 minutes away and open!

Although the sign says. 'fabric and yard', the was definitely more yarn than fabric. A half yard of dragons followed me home.

Hobby Lobby was on the way home just before the freeway. Nothing followed me home but I did receive a smile and a duck from a fellow Jeep-er.

How about this for a giggle? If you read yesterday's post...

Me and all my friends at the 'HOT FLASH'!

SoScrappy Saturday 8.30.2025

Today is the fifth (!) Saturday of August of the color teal. Today is also the link up for the Table Scraps Challenge.

Since the August color is teal, I wanted to work that into my Table Scraps Challenge. The prompt for the August Table Scraps Challenge is 'HOT FLASH'. Ummmm...an interesting combination. Although teal and red look very good together! I admit, my brain went to one item and I could NOT dislodge it.

'Hot Flash' reminds me of the sparks off a campfire. 🔥

So here are my two 'Hot Flash' campfire Meals on Wheels place mats. (Talk about a weird donation :) )

pattern inspiration: I attempted to strip piece the teal and set into a rail fence to add 

                                    interest and I found a picture of a campfire on Pinterest that 

                                    I used as a template.

Sharing today with SoScrappy Saturday and 

Joy at Table Scraps Challenge.

Finish or NOT Friday 8.29.2025

I have a finish this week and it's my red, white and blue Chinese Coin quilt!

pattern: Chinese Coins

panto: serpentine

Sharing today with Alycia at Finish or NOT Friday and

My Quilt Infatuation's Needle and Thread Thursday.

WIP Wednesday 8.27.2025

I added the sashings and borders to my red, white and blue Chinese Coins quilt. I picked a lighter gray for the sashings and darker gray paisley for the border.

I started sewing a few place mats for the motorhome. Here is my fabric draw.

I decided to make flying geese to accent the camping fabric. The yellow is one of the place mats that came with the motorhome.

I played a round of 'binding chicken' and lost. :(

I also played 'bobbin chicken' and won!

On this happy note, 'May you always win 'Chicken Sewing'!

Sharing today with The Inquiring Quilter's Wait Loss Wednesday.