Adventures in Pennsylvania

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” 
– Jawaharial Nehru

On Thursday, we drove across Indiana, Ohio, a tip of West Virginia, and into Pennsylvania. It was a long day in the car for us and it was pretty uneventful except the moment when we were going 70 mph with a semi on our left and a semi decided to merge onto the road right in front of us. That left no place for us! Ray did some fancy braking and driving. I held my breath. All ended well - whew! We are now in Greensburg, PA.

We walked around our neighborhood on Thursday evening and saw this neat log cabin.

Log cabin in Greensburg, PA

Log cabin from the back

We are big Frank Lloyd Wright fans and love Prairie Style homes so today was very exciting. We began the day with a tour of Kentuck Knob in the Allegheny mountains. What an awesome place! No photos are allowed inside. The morning was cloudy with some rain.

Kentuck Knob

Outside balcony of Kentuck Knob

View from lookout at Kentuck Knob

The next planned stop was Fallingwater. On the way, we stopped at Cucumber Falls and hiked down. So pretty! 

Cucumber Falls, Ohiopyle State Park

Then we stopped in Ohiopyle and saw this small waterfall right in town. Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater are only about 15 minutes apart.

After lunch at a local bakery/sandwich shop, we decided to make one more stop before heading on to Fallingwater. We were walking down an incline and there was a curb in a strange place that I didn't see. Well, I went down - hard. My right ankle is swollen while my left hand and knee will heal in a few days. When we got to Fallingwater, the check-in ladies called the Security Director/First Aid Man Extraordinaire.  He bandaged my knee and applied ice to my ankle before bandaging it. 

The best part of all this is that I did not miss the tour! We were given a shuttle ride to and from the house (about 1/4 mile each way). I hobbled around for the tour and the 100 steps were painful. However, I was able to sit down in almost every room - this in a museum-like house where you can't touch anything! The staff was great - this evidently is procedure for them.

Fallingwater is in a watershed created by the Appalachian Mountains, and it is incredible - oh, how I wanted to take photos inside. The use of lines, shapes, the stone, the wood...everything! I did not know that there are actually 2 residences. The guest house is above the family home. It was entertaining to hear the stories of the house being designed and built. And I loved seeing the corner windows open in such a way that there was no obstruction to the outside. Wow!

Fallingwater

Can you imagine being in your living room, opening a couple of small glass doors, pushing back some horizontal glass, and walking down your own personal steps to the water?! Unbelievable but we saw it!

Fallingwater - the steps to the water

After the tour, Ray got his tripod and hiked back to the house to get some outside photos. I did not get to see the iconic picture of the waterfall which is just to the left in the above photos. I think Ray got some great pictures that I'll see later.

It was a really good day. The rain stopped and we even saw the sun. Tomorrow is a travel day. I'm hopeful that I'll have good use of my ankle soon. I'm very grateful that I was able to tour Fallingwater. 

We are on our way...

“There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage 

like the beginning of it.” 

– Charles Dudley Warner

We are on our way! This journey will take us to the northeastern USA, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada, and a few other places along the way. We are  still celebrating life. Ray recently found out that he is still cancer-free after 2 years. We continue to cherish each day.

We left home this morning at 8:50AM. Our beginning mileage was 29,948. I had to note that so I remember.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at a rest stop - first picnic of the year! It was 75° and partly sunny - very nice. 

We were almost done eating when the male strip show began! An older man went to the back of his car and stripped off his shirt - he eventually found another shirt in his car and got dressed??! Then a younger man in a bicycle jersey and short shorts, who had been going back and forth from his car to the rest area building, stripped off his shirt, got in his car, and drove away??! That was it! End of show - whew!

Tonight we are in Indiana at the motel we stay at whenever we are in this area. They have a complimentary evening meal weekday nights. Dinner was tossed salad, a lasagna type casserole, Italian bread, and warm rhubarb crisp. Good!

Next up is a walk outside - we are just waiting for the temperature to get below 80°. We are under a severe thunderstorm warning so we won't wait too long before heading out.

It's been a rather uneventful day...except for those male strippers!

A Summer Sweater

I wanted this sweater done before our trip - I had plenty of time...BUT I had a problem with the pattern. I did the first six inches of the sweater over and over and over and even more! Finally I decided to wing it and rewrite the pattern. All I used was the design - 14 rows of stockinette stitch and 16 rows of the lace pattern. I guess I took this picture sideways but you can still see the lace pattern and the stockinette (plain) stitches.

The construction details are all mine and amazingly it worked!!!

The pattern is from LoveKnitting.com and it did say to use their yarn. I didn't although I was knitting right on gauge. Go figure! My yarn does stretch a little and that could be part of the problem.

I used Bamboo Pop which is half cotton and half bamboo and so very soft. I knit the ribbing, the lace part, and the neck with size 3 needles. I used size 6 needles for the stockinette stitch part. My first variation from the pattern was to knit this in the round.

It's done! It fits! I like it! What more could I want?! 

One more finish

We are getting ready for an extended trip but I did manage to get one more quilt finished. There are three more quilts - four if you count the table runner - waiting to be sandwiched and quilted. 

This is one of two coin quilts I made. The other has red instead of white and is in that "waiting to be finished" pile.

My stash is arranged by color and then further divided by the size of the pieces - fat quarters and larger AND smaller than fat quarters. This quilt is made from the smaller pieces. I love using those small 'leftover' pieces of fabric. 

The binding is also scrappy. I save my leftover binding pieces Oh my, I'm beginning to sound like a hoarder! and enjoy using them on quilts like this.

This quilt is 62" by 64". I used Dream Cotton batting and Aurifil thread for the piecing and quilting. The quilting is straight lines done with a walking foot. The lines are the same direction as the long white strips.

This is a donation quilt. I'm hoping someone finds it rather cheery. 

Now I will get back to my to-do list. We leave on Wednesday for about a number of weeks. I'll be checking in every so often and keep you updated.

A fun long weekend

Last Friday, we headed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Ray's brother, Ron, and his significant other, Pam, live there. We had the use of Ron's apartment for the weekend. Free lodging - Nice! The four of us spent a little time in the NewBo District late Friday afternoon. The New Bohemian Main Street District is a real happening area. Many of the old buildings have been rehabbed into neat studios, shops, lofts, cafes, pubs, and restaurants. It was wonderful to see the architecture and the re-purposing of the buildings. Many had the original brick walls and the tin ceilings.

Pam was so gracious to search out a quilt shop for me in that area, Delve/MIY. Delve/Make It Yourself, has a number of designers who have their designs printed to the fabric in Korea, I think. 

The shop is all about color - it was SO FUN!!!

Of course I found a lot I wanted to take home but I settled for just four pieces.

The piece on the right is super neat!

We had dinner at Bata's. Ray and I had a Flatbread Brick Oven Pizza on Naan - Smoked Chicken. We thought it might not be enough for both of us, so we also ordered the Bata Bread - "Nick's famous flatbread with butter, garlic, brown sugar, mozzarella and provolone cheeses". Oh My! Everything was wonderful.

On Saturday, Ray had a photography workshop with Moose Peterson, a well-known photographer. The workshop was the reason for our visit. Ray said it was fantastic. So he had a great day! 

I also had a great day! Ron and Pam were my  guides for the day while Ron was also our chauffeur. We began the day at a quilt shop. These two know how to make my day fantastic! 

Inspired to Sew is a shop full of inspiration and lots of gorgeous fabric, much of it bright colors - my favorite. 

I wanted it all, well maybe there were three bolts I wasn't as fond of... 

I settled for just a couple of pieces:

Our day continued on - we went to EcoFest which was in the NewBo District. It was great to go back because there was so much that we didn't get to see Friday night. I still didn't get to see it all so we will have to return someday! On Saturday, there were many tents set up for the fest and live music. We took a tour bus to Mount Trashmore, the highest point in Cedar Rapids. 

Ron and Pam on Mount Trashmore

It was quite a view looking down on the city. I found the trip very educational. The whole day was FUN! We had lunch at the Parlor City Pub & Eatery. I would return just to have the Apple Chicken Salad again!

When Ray finished his workshop, we all went out to eat at Zio Johnos Spaghetti House. Rumor has it that Ron moved to Cedar Rapids because of this spaghetti! We thought it was delicious too but we aren't planning a move!

On Sunday, Ray and I headed south to Boonville, Missouri. We rented a house that was nice, clean, and comfy. We walked a little of the Katy trail and got onto the 'new bridge'. The bridge is an old train trestle that has just opened for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Visitor Center in Boonville, Missouri

We visited Warm Springs Ranch, the breeding farm for the Budweiser Clydesdales. The ranch is beautiful. I loved the white fences and the red buildings. Everything was pristine.

We had a tour and learned so much. We saw many of the horses and a few of their foals. I think about half of the foals have been born - 32 are expected this year. The next foal was expected just hours after we were there. Each weighs about 150 pounds at birth! 

This little one was about 8 weeks old. 

This big fellow has the job of greeter. He was available for photos with anyone in our group.

We headed home this morning. It was a long drive and we encountered some storms but it all ended well. Now, we have things to do, people to see, and places to go. It's time to get busy!

Zigzag Quilt

I have a finish! It's been a while but I do get in a little stitching time every so often. I began this quilt at a retreat in early February. I used a photo on Pinterest as inspiration. I cannot find the origin of the photo so I can't give credit for the original idea. 

Today is another gorgeous day here so I used our yard and our neighbor's fence for photos. The quilt is about 57" square. I used Dream Cotton batting. 

The quilt is pieced from my stash. I buy white fabric by the bolt so there is always white available. 

I quilted this using large loops. You can see a close up of the quilting in this post. I used Aurifil thread to piece and quilt this.

I think the back is rather neat too.

I love the bright colors, especially the orange, and the design of this quilt. I'm putting it in my donation pile and hope someone else will love it too.

... the path of progress has never taken a straight line, 

but has always been a zigzag course ...

~Kelly Miller

It was a great retreat!

For the past 5 years, I've been a part of this great group of women. 

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We go on retreat each year at the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center in Oregon, Illinois. We try to get together for lunch at least one other time during the year. That means we aren't all together often but you'd never know it when we gather each year for our retreat! We talk, we eat, we laugh, we share, and we SEW, SEW, SEW!

Betsy did handwork and had to leave us a day early for a family obligation. 

We all had phone time!

Ann worked on a number of scrappy blocks. One had over 50 pieces.

There were a number of finished tops and even some finished quilts! I'm not sure I got photos of everything - I was pretty busy having fun!

Krista's quilts:

Sandy's quilts:

Barb's quilts:

I didn't take any photos of Polly's 365 Challenge blocks but they were intriguing. Polly's quilts:

 Saundra's Disappearing 9-Patch:

Saundra also had a darling monster quilt but I only got a bit of it in this photo.

And last, my quilts:

 

I had a great time but it is nice to be home. I'm unpacked and I know I will sleep well tonight!