Austin Time

The hubs, dog, and me returned home Sunday after being in Austin, Texas for most of the past ten days. Our son and family live there, and we always look forward to being with them, and enjoying Austin - both Austins! Our grandson and the city. 

We took a family hike in Reimers Ranch Park, Dripping Springs...  

... where everyone got a chance to skip rocks in the Perdernales River.

A couple months ago, at home, we saw a TV show about ice cream/gelato places in Austin. I noted several of them, intending to check them all out... one by one. Fresh-made Italian gelato at Dolcé Nevé on 1st Street, in Austin. Check. Austin's flavor choice was 70 percent caçao.

Popcorn fiend that I am, I travel with my Whirly-Pop popcorn popper, and favorite Hy-Vee white kernel popcorn. I'm determinedly teaching my grandsons to like it too!

Austin

Luke

Isn't Luke a cutie? Cherubic. When he's happy, he's all sweetness. And when he's not... Well. 'Nuf said.

We took two days away from family to go to Boerne, Texas to visit friends from our Iowa days. Great hospitality, snacks, drinks by the swimming pool... and my win at Mexican Train dominoes. All fun!

A critical deliverable on this trip to Austin was DIL Lyn's new-to-her Bernina Artista 230 Patchwork Edition sewing machine. She wanted to dig in while I was there to teach and guide, so she started making place mats following the free tutorial by Alyssa Haight Carlton. After considerable fabric deliberations she cut out four place mats...

... and managed to complete one during my visit. In spite of not having a walking foot, she's a natural at sewing and shouldn't have any problems making the other three place mats.

While a walking foot would make a great birthday gift for Lyn's this-Friday birthday, she asked for a different sort of foot. Texan style.

Helping Lyn shop for boots was educational. I learned to listen for the "whoom" sound when the heel and boot heel meet as the boot is tugged on. That means it's a good fit. Now I want to be a Texan so I can wear boots too!

Quilt shop visits are always in order, and because I follow The Cloth Pocket on Instagram, I planned a special trip there. The owner's mother generously gave me fabrics to give as prizes for an upcoming Central Florida MQG challenge. For myself, I selected double gauze. I've only heard about it, and will make a couple tops.

I also visited Valli and Kim in Dripping Springs. Oh. My. Goodness. To have a quilt shop like anywhere in Central Florida would be heaven! Modern fabrics, innumerable ideas, and wonderful notions.

So, what do you do when your husband does all 16 hours of driving each way - to and from Texas?! Of course. You plan lots of handwork. First up was to hand stitch these prepped segments for My Small World quilt. Done.

With Sugar 'n Cream and size 10 knitting needles, I made seven dish cloths. Done.

This stitchery, on 20-count canvas, has traveled with me several times. Since I've worked on it only while on the road, I call it my "I-10 Palm." It's 4" X 5-1/4", and only needs framing. Done. 

Now unpacked, I've been scrambling to get ready for Monday. It will be spent line dancing; teaching the first of five First Time Quiltmaking lessons to 14 students enrolled in my Lifelong Learning College class; and giving the 6:30 pm program for Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild. If you're in the area, join our MQG chapter for: "Social Media and the Modern Quilter: 10 ways to engage in the quilting world."

Don't forget to stop back here Thursday for my day on the Machine Quilting With Style blog hop, with a giveaway! Linda