Photo Op Day Trip

A photo op can appear when you least expect it, but sometimes you wake up and know that it is a great day to find some of those photo ops... intentionally.  A few years back, when we first moved here to South Texas, a couple friends took us on a mission tour.  There are a few missions along the Mission Trail in  San Antonio. We have been to a couple of the missions since then, but a couple weeks ago Ron and I decided we would try to recreate that day's adventure again.  Of course the Alamo is the start if you want to hit them all, but we started at Mission Concepcion.

 

The missions have lots of history and the architecture and structures are typically in varying stages of reconstruction.  There is always signs of refurbishing going on, but they have done a fabulous job of preserving these buildings and grounds.  Concepcion was not hard to find, but we kind of stumbled on it because we forgot to check out a map first.  Once you get to one of the missions, there is alot of information available to show you how to find the others.

 The second mission we visited was San Juan.  I was very disappointed that I had not brought my camera bag with me.  I hung the camera around my neck and left the bag in the car.  About half way around the perimeter I discovered that my camera battery was out.  I had a fresh battery in my bag, but I guess I learned that I should at least put my backup battery in a more accessible location... like my pocket. It was too far to go for my battery.  Ron got to take lots of great shots of the grist mill that was at the far end of this mission.  I will have to wait till next time.  Ron and I see things slightly different sometimes,  so when we are taking pictures, it is interesting to see the diverse perspectives.

 I really enjoy taking pictures at Mission Espada, specifically this church.  I often find doors to be very interesting.  Mission Espada even has a mission kitty.

 

I have quilted a few quilts lately, but somehow my camera wasn't handy, because it seems I am missing all those pictures.  This is the last one I quilted.  It was only a baby size quilt, but sometimes they are the most fun because I can finish them quickly.  This one has giraffes and lions and elephants.  I often like to piece the back... it adds character to the quilt, and usually it is because the backing was a little short.

This quilt is for a lady at church that really doesn't sew.  The quilt was pieced by a family member and it has been waiting for quite some time to be quilted.  When I received the top, there was no backing with it, which meant that it would be a whole lot easier for me to find something in my stash than it would be to try to explain what type and size the fabric needed to be for the back.  I found a piece that had many of the colors, but it was just shy of being large enough to work.  I matched it up with another fabric and I thought it made a perfect addition to the character of the back. 

I will have to get busy in the next couple of weeks so that I can finish a quilt or two before Christmas.

Clothesline update

This clothesline quilt is taking a fair amount of time.  It isn't hard to do, but it does require me to be pretty precise with stitching. and cutting if I want everything to go together nicely. 

This is the first row of the three needed to complete the piecing. Once the other two rows are done, adding the sashing and the outside borders will be a piece of cake.  The backing and binding have already been cut from the original nine 3/4 yard cuts, so no decision will have to be made regarding what to use for the backing.  The binding is pieced from the 9 fabrics also.

This quilt has an unknown origination.  At our church quilt group we have lots of people that bring in a box to donate to our stash, and in these boxes there are remnants from a mother's or grandmother's sewing room.  In the boxes we sometimes find pieces of  fabric, thread, notions, patterns, blocks and partially pieced blocks, or as in this case... a quilt top that was partially put together.  This quilt top had all the pieces, I just had to make some adjustments and finish the top.  The fabric I brought home to use for the backing wasn't enough, so I pieced the backing and I really like how it turned out. I  quite often intentionally piece the backing because I think it gives the quilt a little more character. This quilt will be a gift to a new baby at our church from the quilting ladies.

Two UFOs completed

Does anyone know where this picture was taken?  There should be a few quilters out there who know, and there is a bit of history represented here.



A couple hints, we crossed these two bridges that are not too far from each other, and they were near the end of our trip to this town in Kentucky that we visited last week.

Back to quilting... If I could count the quilt top I finished this afternoon, I could actually chalk up three completed UFOs this week.  My Country Cousins quilt is totally done, but I did not have a good way to display it, so I do not have that picture just yet.  I have a pole setup that I can raise up on pulleys between the house and garage.  The last time I hung up a quilt the ropes fell apart as I lowered the quilt... the sun had baked the ropes to a crisp... remembering those two months of 100 degree days.  My husband replaced those ropes this afternoon, but he advised waiting until morning to raise a quilt for a picture as the wind would have caused an issue.
The first quilt I completed this week was my Country Cousins quilt.  I made it a quilt-as-you-go project, so once I had the last border attached I only had the binding left to do.  Well I finished the hand work on the last  two border pieces while on our trip last week.  I couldn't wait to get home and attach these two borders so that I could bind this quilt. It's really neat and can't wait to get some good pictures.

Next quilt I had finished piecing before we left on our trip, but I had decided to use a high loft batting to give the quilt a puffy look, so I waited until we got back so I could get the right batting... there was a super big roll at church that we are trying to get rid of at quilting.  The cool part about this quilt is I got my husband to do a few passes on the quilting phase... so he had a hand in getting this one done.  I did the quilting on this one using pattern boards that a stylus follows, so you really can't mess it up.  Quilting on a frame can look very intimidating, and I am pleased that he is willing to give it a shot now and then.  Didn't he do a great job?


The last quilt I finished piecing the top and added both of the borders, but it has not been quilted yet... a quilt isn't really complete until it is quilted with binding in place.  I still think it is OK to consider it as being done, at least this stage, because more often than not you have put alot of work into these masterpieces even without considering the quilting.  The special part of this quilt top is the mitered corners on the outside border.  It is a first for me. I looked at the stripe on the batik border fabric I found for the border and I could not justify doing it any other way.  By the way, this quilt is from a "class" I am taking that isn't finished yet.  The last block you see in the corner here will not even be introduced until next Saturday.  The picture we were given at the start of the class showed all the blocks and I found these blocks in EQ.  Right now the quilt is 86" square and I have not decided on which fabric I will use for the binding.

 

OK,  I know you were in such suspense.  The picture at the start of this post was taken pretty much while I was standing in the same spot... I just turned around and took a couple steps.  For those who have not been there, this picture was taken in Paducah, Kentucky.  I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time in Paducah... it was just a side trip on our way to Ohio, but I was able to squeeze in a shopping expedition to Hancocks of Paducah.  Of course you couldn't pass the opportunity to visit the National Quilt Museum.  My husband does not spoil me.