Making While in KC

From September 28 to October 9, I was in Kansas City. I stayed with our daughter, and gave almost full-time attention to my dad who was in a rehab center. I'm glad to say my two siblings, BIL, and I were able to return Dad to assisted living last week.

Being away without a computer made it difficult to write a blog post, or read and comment on blogs I follow. I'll correct that this weekend.

Before leaving, and anticipating down time with Dad and evening TV time with family, I determined I'd travel with several projects. One of them was my Inner City hand-piecing project.

I arranged all the blocks I've pieced on the design wall, positioning darker value blocks along the perimeter with a swath of lighter colored blocks through the center. You might notice I used prints for some of the inside blocks. I have filled-in that one missing block. 

Then I carefully removed several columns of blocks, marking their position so I could begin hand-piecing. The little I accomplished was done mostly while sitting at a Southwest Airlines gate. Only most of the first two columns are joined, but it's a start. 

You might rightly guess that I filled a large suitcase for my 12 day visit. Clothes for two seasons (summer and fall) and yarn took up space and weighed 44 pounds. Yes, each way I had to pay $35 extra to check a bag. 

After much referencing of the "Crochet Lacy Motif Top" instructions and different crochet stitches, I think I've mastered and memorized how to crochet these medallions! I have happily crocheted 34 of the 65 needed for the top.

In the evenings, watching TV with family, I round loom knitted. These two dolls - Tiny Doll (on the left) and Comfort Doll (on the right) - came off my 24-peg loom, and are ready to be donated. I still think they're precious. 

Since I'd used-up my last cone of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn, I bought another one at WalMart in Olathe, Kansas. I knit two dish clothes while there, and gave away both of them - one to Dad's occupational therapist, and the other for my SIL. 

It's good to be at home again to spend time with my sewing machine. First on my list is piecing a backing for the Filmstrip Quilt. 

Needless to say, right now I'm not in Houston, Texas attending the International Quilt Festival. However, a couple friends from Central Florida MQG are there, and kindly shared pictures of Feelin' Groovy, my maximalist quilt that's in the exhibit Modern Quilts: A Twist on Tradition. 

I specifically asked these friends to take a picture of Feelin' Groovy with its neighbor. That's Christa Watson's @christaquilts quilt to the left of mine. 

Also, the International Quilt Festival posted pictures of Feelin' Groovy to Facebook (I'm not on Facebook) and Instagram. I've enjoyed reading the comments, including "Is there a pattern?" Ha, ha. No way. 

While in Kansas City, I made two large batches of salsa using a couple hundred (I'm not kidding!) grape tomatoes from our daughter's one tomato plant. With two teenaged boys, salsa didn't last long!

Today we went to farmer's market and bought Tennessee tomatoes (the ones grown in Florida are not good) so I could make salsa one more time, also using most of a banana pepper, green onions, cilantro, and the juice of two fresh-squeezed limes. I discovered that dipping salsa with Tostitos Crispy Rounds is the perfect yummy combo.  

Linda