Thursday, October 5, 2017

On the Road!!

My week began with a teaching trip to western Michigan -- explored the area a bit on my way there!
 I found the Otis Farm Audubon Preserve down one country road and actually got out of my car and just stared down this road for a few minutes because it was so lovely and peaceful.
Ever since my trip to New Zealand in 2009, I've been aware of natural silence and I found it walking around this lovely meadow bordered by old fence lines now marked by trees.
No freeway or train noise in the background!
Just crickets and distance crows.
It is the season for the turkey foot grass which has been planted in this meadow and I took quite a few pictures of it blooming against the horizon.  The subtle colors drew me in and it might become something?
As I headed out to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, I hoped I would come across a dune area that I could explore.  Sure enough, the Rosy Mound Dunes have been preserved for just that purpose!
The map warned me about all the steps but I wasn't prepared for the height of the dunes and the diversity of them -- not just little mounds of sand -- ancient huge accumulations of sand with mature forests and alluring little valleys.
This little area of loosely scattered oaks at the bottom of the stairs was teaming with birds when I got down there!
There was shopping, too.
Three new to me shops and some small amounts of fabric to fill in here and there.
This one is curious and I have no idea of it's destiny, but couldn't leave without it.
And a few new birds prints!!
Today, I'm heading back out to help Denise from Mercantile on Main in Coshocton, Ohio vend at the Granville, Ohio quilt show this weekend.  I've packed up lots of hand stitching for my Dodecagon project and expect to make big headway!?!
There are hexies to baste so I can keep up the #100hexiesin100days2017 momentum.
Look how many I've done in the first 52 days!
And kits of black hexies to make three more "loops" that will have a large scale print appliqued into the center.
I have two more dodecagons to border with the black hexies.  I'm anxious to get these two parts of the project finished so I can begin to assemble the center of the quilt.
My Sew Together Bag has the last four dodecagon motifs cut and ready to baste and assemble.
And it all fits into the Maker's Tote along with my date book, Kindle, camera, and reading glasses!
Actually, this bag can get a bit heavy.
And just in case I get all that done, I think I'll take along the box of hexies and the other 12 dodecagons so I can start to border them with the black hexies.
What an optimist?!?
Is that the way you travel, too? 

I'm looking forward to the drive down to central Ohio and hoping the fall colors are beginning to dazzle.
Hope your weekend is relaxing!

Mary



















4 comments:

  1. How exciting: I spy the tiny beaded scissor fob from me in your travel kit. I'm happy to see you using it :) All your hexies look so pretty lined up in the box. Can't wait to see them in your quilt!

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  2. That first photo really beckonded me. I would like to walk that road. Whoa - that's a lot of hexies! You are so organized.

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  3. That's exactly like I pack my take along sewing - better take this in case I finish that. So optimistic! I loved the colors in the meadow photos.

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  4. I know what you mean by natural silence. We stayed in a house on San Juan Island, WA this summer and when we sat on the deck overlooking he water we could see all the sailboats and the ferries going by but all we could hear was the rustling of the wind in the evergreens. It was such a calm, ethereal feeling. I will never forget the "silence". The world is going by and you are caught in the moment.

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