DH wants to get some shopping done, so I took some time off to go with him. Going to the town we use to live near (an hour away now) and I'm going to stop in at the LQS and I've decided to give myself a $200 allowance to spend there. I need more assorted neutrals, and would love to get a fat quarter pack, but I'll probably get a yard of several fabrics. And then who knows what else I may find.

There is an LQS in the town I know live in. It use to be run by two ladies, but one retired, and now I don't find as much that I fall in love with there. The lady that retired had similar tastes to mine, and when she was buying, I could always find fabric to love. So if I don't find enough fabric at the first one, I'll have to stop at the second on my way home!

Sounds like people are doing nice things!

Today I'll be meeting with my Tuesday group hostess about this comfort project we are making. We are both concerned that the dark backgrounds may indeed be too dark and dreary and want to do some layout with the border and sashing fabric to see. We might need to go to more medium fabrics. Everyone has enough of the consistent slightly yellow cream center fabric to make 8-10 blocks, we only need 4 each. Currently we have a rusty sashing and a batiky large fish print for the borders, so the backgrounds of the blocks were to work with those.

It was funny how even knowing the pattern was "reversed" and that the light triangles didn't go in the outer corners, but I had to constantly make sure I had the sub-units in the right position.

Edit: Next set I make I'm going back to pressing open. I know we all get used to what we do but I am not happy with the results here.

Cathy, I went to our local quilt shop (in North Georgia) and there was this man in his early 70's sitting waiting on his wife. I commented how patient he was to go with his wife fabric shopping. He started laughing and shook his head. Then he explained that they had got up around 3 in the morning to drive to Arkansas so she could go to this one fabric shop that sold by the bolt!! Then of course they stopped at several shops along the way -- both directions! Now they were in Blairsville, GA and still an hour and half from home!!!! I told him he was a saint!

Iceblossom, wonderful colors you put together. I love interesting prints. Hope his health and quality of life improve.

We also have a family friend in the hospital for complications. It's a scary time to be in/at the hospitals in most cases alone.

I have said this before but ... I just love seeing others quilting ideas and how they come together and blend with others.

CarrieM, the purple is so complimentary to the blues. Just beautiful. I have 2 fabrics in mind to add. One is blueberries! I thought since I was on a wacky fabric trend, I would just continue. But I have to wait and see how the blues and purples play together.

LeeAnn, I mailed Reba's center to you today. My schedule next week is crazy so I wanted it on it's way. I hope that is OK.

Iceblossom, I will watch the mail for your package and let you know when it arrives.

The restrictions on visitors in hospitals has been pretty severe. Something like 6 hours total per day. Maximum 3 people per day/1 per time and one entry only -- if you leave for lunch you don't come back until the next day. As I understand it, the hope is that the surgery will increase blood flow and oxygenation and maybe that will help him be more comfortable and able to deal with things better. He has been depressed and isn't doing the things he should, even the things to make himself more comfortable.

One of the other ladies isn't in all that good of shape herself, and her husband is in worse shape. He's been in and out for various procedures and tests and emergency visits for the last six months as well. The big difference between the two husbands is mostly attitude and belief systems. This one is going to keep living until the end and is satisfied with the past.

My doctor's office is actually located at a hospital and they don't want either of us (me or doc) there unless it is urgent, we had to do a virtual visit for my lab results and monitoring of the various things we monitor. She's authorized the knee x-ray and I need to have it done, I just don't want to sit there. Am going to see if I can set up an appointment instead of drop by.

Anyway, quilting related, we laid out our blocks and each of us will make 4 more, we think that will be enough to mix and match with the others once we get together on Tuesday. The red swirly one I did wasn't good with the rust and will most likely not be used. But the good news was the rust brightened up our darker blocks just fine. The dark blue Asian print looks more like the lake I envisioned (they live on a lake) than the pool of despair in the dim light of last night and works really nicely with the border.

I'm going to make two more brown, and two of bright medium colors. That will help balance out her green/aqua choices and there is a bright golden yellow that most likely won't be used in the end, but might work out with my two brights plus what the others bring.

She said she had the same issue as I did with construction, kept wanting to make the blocks as Shoo-fly with white corners and she was the one who picked the pattern!

Cathy, I'll be off on a road trip to a quilt shop tomorrow, too. This is a very old shop out in the Boonies, that my friend's mom shopped at when she and her siblings were children. It's been in business at least 40 years.... I can't wait to see it and dig out that treasure that is buried in some back corner somewhere. Hoping she has old patterns, too.

Advance warning for the September round. I didn't think it was going to happen but the hubby is still planning on going on a road trip this year to visit his sister, it's actually a trip in honor of my 60th Birthday. We will be driving from Seattle to Sacramento down I-5, then turning around and going up 101 and through the Redwoods and coastal Oregon the way back. Mostly will be us in the car and various dog and people rest stops. We will be staying in a variety of funky dog friendly Air BnB units -- we looked at all the treehouses and yurts and things like that!

It shouldn't impact my participation, just perhaps maybe some of the mailing because I think our first day out is the 16th and we are back on the 22nd -- he's doing the planing so I may be off a day either way. I'd be mailing before I go and I can certainly have one of the neighbors pick up mail if needed. After the trip he has a one week at home stay before he can go back to work. This is the first time ever he's taken off two weeks at once as well as the first time we've taken a trip together of this length. Usually only one of us goes visiting and the other stays at home with the pets.

Sounds like fun! Enjoy your trip!

Prayers for all that are hospitalized.
Mary, sounds like quite the adventure.