Oh Yes, The Vendors

Ok, finally getting back to you with my “stuff” from Paducah!

This might be my favorite fabric I bought. The designer called it adult pastels. 🙂 I’ve been hunting for the perfect set of FQs for the swirl table runner. I decided this is it. The light green could be the backing.

This layer cake (10″ squares) was just pretty! I’ve seen this combo at stores and like it every time. Hancocks of Paducah had it for $10 off. The coordinating batiks were from the $6 per yard table. I am planning to make a large Twister quilt. I think I’ll hunt down some coordinating prints for the borders at the LQS.

This Kaffe Fassett jelly roll from Hancocks of Paducah called my name (and K’s). I’ve since added the solid gray Kona for the sashings for this pattern I found in a book I already had. I hope to find some of Kaffe’s fabrics for the borders.

After seeing this example piece on the right, I got the pattern, noted her changes (extra borders w/ permission to take the photo) and collected fabrics I preferred over her pre-packaged kit. On the to-do list now.

Two books from the AQS $5 book sale, the Flip Flop template that goes with a book I have but could only be purchased with more patterns (??? this author is a piece of work!), and another paper piecing pattern.

I just LOVED the paper piecing pattern on the left but NOT the fabrics in the kit at all!! A pattern to make my own gift bags (not so sure about the lettering but that is easy to change). Cool neutral batik for an accent on a black jacket and Civil War reproduction charm packs. Some for a neutral quilt I saw and maybe some for the background on my 1/4″ hexie project. And this new thread — seems incredible! Some current customers sold Sue & me on this. Will totally disappear on my hexies.

I stopped at the Jenny Haskins booth just because I love her embroidery patterns. Fell in knee-deep! LOL!! I bought the CD for these embroidered 3-D flowers and the krinkle stuff for textures and the rest of what I needed. Of course, because I hesitated on Thursday morning about the purchase, when I returned Thursday afternoon they were sold out!! Already!! They shipped it and I just got it yesterday. However, there is no time in May for much play here. Plus they gave me some samples of various stabilizers and good advice on embroidery tips.

So you see, I really didn’t buy THAT much, depends if you are a quilter or not, but I’m pleased as punch with what I brought home.   I also got some quilters jewelry and a tshirt from the show.

And herein ends your tour of my trip to Paducah’s AQS show.  🙂

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Thanksgiving Fun!

It is always fun when Phil has a day off (so to speak…) and both kids are home.   On Thursday, we watched about 4 movies in various stages of togetherness.  Phil & K are the die-hards.  I added a nap during one (or was that 2?) and JP checks in online often.

I grabbed the camera for this shot as Nina had just snuggled her little (ha!) head up to K at the corner of the couch.  However, Nina walked away as soon as I got out the camera.  Seems she isn’t the only one not in favor of pictures….

I sort of headed to bed early as K & I had early alarms set for shopping!!  As the usual routine, I woke up before the alarm! Argh!!  Finally at 3, I got out of bed and started the day.  K also awoke early so we were about 15 mins ahead of schedule by the time we left the house at 4:15 a.m.!!

An hour drive had us at Target at 5:15.  They had opened at 4 and the parking lot was packed!  Once we were inside we realized why the parking lot was so full… NO ONE could leave!   The check-out line snaked around the whole store midst all the main aisles.  Seriously!

There really was no way to wander & browse so we just aimed for the things on my list:  sheet sets for both kids –700 count damask for $30 each!!  :),  sweatshirts for JP for $5 each, nice shirts for JP for $10 each, and a new star for our Christmas tree.  The star wasn’t on sale… does Target match a sale price within 14 days like Shopko?  I’ll be checking!

We found a line on the far wall that ended at the pharmacy check-outs so planted ourselves there.   A great choice we would learn.  Knowing we’d be here a bit, K headed to Shoe Carnival for a deal for her feet… however, they didn’t have any!  😦   She made a stop at Old Navy and found 2 sweaters.   I had only moved a bit when she returned.

Meanwhile, I snapped a pix for you.

And I studied the foods on the end-caps.  Did you know they make Goldfish in S’More flavor?   Have you had them????

Soon 2 young moms were in line behind me and we chatted off & on.  They had an overflowing cart to share (we never got one) and were exhausted!  I asked when they had started and they said 9:30… last night!! Argh!   They discussed their lists and had at least 2 more stops to make yet.  :yawn:  They had already waited in the main lines about 1 hour and then found “our” line.   I’m so glad we only got in this hidden pharmacy line!

We were in line about 40 mins and then checked out and on our way to the next stop.   The crowd there was a bit unnerving to K who has more of her father’s genes in this regard.  I wasn’t in a hurry and not after any electronics so all was well.

We headed to Lowe’s next around 6:25 a.m.  Parking places, carts to use, and no crowds!  So empty the same worker asked us 3 times how we were doing!! LOL!!   We got a new Christmas tree and a few misc items as well.

And at that, it was 7 a.m. and we were done!! ha!!  Except for some embroidery thread and that store didn’t open until 9 a.m.   We spent time & money at Kohl’s and Hobby Lobby and then went to Panera for LUNCH at 8:20 a.m.!  I was glad they had soups ready.   🙂

A bit after 9, I got my thread and we headed home.  When we got home, Phil had just come in for breakfast as his hog truck was over an hour late.  K went straight to bed and I tried to stay up until noon but it just wasn’t going to happen.

Naps were only slightly sufficient but another lunch and then early supper revived us enough.   K headed home and made good time with not much traffic struggles.

It was so much fun to have a bit of time together.  Thankfully, December gives us 3 visits with K!  🙂

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Girls Getaway

Last Thursday I was up and out early to get my friend, Lori, for our trip behind the Cheddar Curtain.   {Her dh thought we’d be prime targets for those dairy farmers since we were riding in my Ford truck.  He forgot the World Dairy Expo was going on at the same time as our trip!  Haha!!  We had our choice!  😉 }

It was a blast for me, however I wasn’t the one with 3 doctors appointments in 2 days.   But I think she had a pretty good time anyway.  But what can I say….

• a great friend
• lots of super shopping which included 4 — did you hear me?  FOUR!! — quilt shops
• no cooking (I overcooked before I left so my men wouldn’t starve…)
• a night in a hotel with girl TV and quilting to do while sitting on the bed!

BLISS!!

Heaven would be nearly like this but I wouldn’t get the bill next month.  😉

We had beautiful weather and the leaves were just starting to turn.

As much as I don’t like fall, I do love a good autumn blue sky.

Our favorite shop of all of them -- #2.

I even broke out of my box and bought the adverse r. e. d. fabric that I needed for my Round Robin project this month. So glad Lori was there to confirm my choice as I don’t know if I’ve ever bought such a red red fabric.  That was at quilt shop #1.  At the 2nd shop, I got 3 pieces from the 30% off room to use for backings on upcoming quilts.  At the 3rd shop, I got fabrics and a pattern for a Christmas table runner.

I also got the pattern for this vintage Christmas collage (top in the black frame).  We loved the wool felt tree, the vintage embellishments, and the vintage music for the background.  Of course, anything with tags is usually a hit with me!   I think you’ll see this again in our versions.  🙂  Be on the look out for frames 16″ x 19″.

We ate our meals at some unusual places!  Supper Thursday night was here —

My steak & shrimp were good!  The decor was so interesting.  Obvious why Lori’s family of all men had found this place before.   🙂

These were the tables next to us.

We broke up the trip home with lots of stops.  A mega shoe store that I had never been to but we’ve heard a lot about.  I found a deal in the bargain room that made me happy and Lori got some great picks as well!   The old-fashioned service and huge selection were a hit with a lot of people.  I think there were 7 ladies working in the women’s department and they were helping someone nearly all the time.  We were there 1 1/2 hours!  Fun!

We found this for lunch —

I really wanted to get JP a shirt from here but wasn’t sure about the whole advertising beer & cheer for a minor.  I’m weird like that I suppose.  😉   He was bummed he missed out.  The food was really good so I would go back when in the area.

We visited quilt shop #4 after lunch and honestly by this point we were tired and overloaded so we kept our money in our purses!  Imagine that!!  🙂   We also stopped at 2 cheese stops.  At the first one, I got curds for Phil, baby swiss for K, and VanGogh cheese for all of us.   The sample was yummy!!  The second stop included a great produce area so I brought home a new variety of apples and some pears for fall snacks.

What a wonderful time we had.  Alas, we both had busy weekends ahead of us so we had to come home.  Saturday my poor body complained at my eating out even tho I tried to be as good as I could.  Just impossible when out to eat and not knowing the seasonings on food.   Plus the onion rings…. 😉

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Shopping with K

On the first Sunday of January, Phil & I met K at one of the suburbs for some after-Christmas shopping & meals together.

> insert a cute picture of Phil & Miss K that is somewhere lost on my computer… :tears:<

K had about a 30 minute drive and Phil & I drove just over 2 hours.  It was bitter cold outside so JP stayed home with a sore throat.

Our first stop was Uno’s for pizza and their hot wings that we have fond memories of enjoying in decades past.  The pizza… still yummy!  The hot wings… not so.  We’ll stick with Cimino’s in the next town over for now.

Next we shopped for a few hours in IKEA.  Ahhhh…. bliss!  The few times we’ve been there, I’ve not had a plan or room for new furniture so I usually come home with either not much or nothing.   This time I had a plan.  A down comforter & duvet cover for our bed.

I went.

I shopped.

I conquered.

I sleep so cozy now!!

🙂

K & I both got hanging shelves for holding our hand-washed dishes.  She has that new cordless drill to install hers… I’ve not gotten mine unpacked yet….  Plus some other odds & ends that she & I really needed.  😉

Next we moved across the street to the mall.  The mall.  The last weekend before school & work resume.  Full of teen-aged shoppers.  Ugh!  So we didn’t last long there after checking out some shops K wanted to see.  We did find a way to spend some of her Christmas money in Macy’s … on new colorful sweaters!  (she wears only white, gray, and/or black for work)  Actually really good prices for what I was expecting in Macy’s.

We made a quick trip (relatively speaking midst the traffic that needed traffic cops just to get in & out of the mall parking lot!!!) across the way to another store on the hunt for WARM not frilly gloves and were successful!  🙂  She is so cute & cozy while out & about! 😉

We ended the day with soup at Panera’s (we are a Broccoli-Cheddar family!) and some time to just sit together before parting ways.

Such fun & easy to do!  At least K & I want to do this again! 🙂  And so ends, our holiday fun for this Christmas….

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