First day of summer

Have you ever been on a trip where you know it is a good idea to take a couple days to come home, but when you get past half way you start chomping at the bit to get home.  Well, we were not expected back home until Monday, so there really was no need to "push it", but as we were driving along, home kept calling.  We pushed on and made it home Sunday evening... or actually 12:30 is technically Monday morning.  We were a little tired on Monday, but when you take turns driving, it really wasn't that bad to make the trip in one day. 

I mentioned that I had found a quilt shop out in the desert and didn't post a picture.  I was a little surprised when we found the place, and I totally understand why my DIL had never given a thought that it was an actual quilt shop.  This was the sign she saw as she would drive by.  There is actually a deserted trailer right there behind the sign.  Even I would not have thought it was a current sign.  The ad was in the Quilters' Travel Companion and we called first, so we knew this was the place.

When you drive around the corner and turn into the driveway, it still doesn't look too inviting... but there was a car there and we could see the door was open, so we ventured in and found a gold mine... well almost anyway.  There was wall to wall fabric in varying price ranges, from $3.99 and up.  A big notions wall and lots of extras.  They even had a trailer outside that had more fabric.  We just kept saying Wow!  It was because it was so unexpected, but there really was alot of really nice fabric there, including the Arizona centennial fabric that was brand new and available in all of the area quilt shops.

On Saturday we were out on the road with the guys and I noticed that we went by a sign that said Green Valley was up ahead and I remembered that one of the ads in the QTC book was from Green Valley.  So of course I asked them if they could find it in their hearts to stop... just for a couple minutes.  Once we found the shop, they dropped us off and went back to WalMart, so we could spend a little more than a couple minutes.  It was worth finding this little shop Heart & Hands. Lots of area specific fabric and patterns.  I enjoyed this shop lots.  I figure this is one I would go back to on another trip.

My DIL wanted to know what we were gong to make while I was there.  I always bring some kind of project with me, and usually get her involved.  She wants to learn, but it is really hard to teach someone when you only see them a couple times a year.  Anyhow the handiwork I had brought was my hand quilting which really wasn't something she could get into, so we picked up a few fat quarters and we made froggies.  Grandson said he didn't want a bean bag... until we finished his mother's... then he wanted one.  I didn't have a pattern with me, so I winged it and made my own pattern and this is what I came up with.

Our trip home went pretty smooth, but we did find some really smoky areas.  In New Mexico it looked like early morning fog... but you could smell the smoke, and you knew it wasn't fog.