Oh, The Joy of Being A Tourist!

 Car is packed and loaded!  We're off!  First stop Mason, Texas--never heard of Mason?  well, you are not alone!  Mason is located about 35 miles NW of Fredericksburg, Texas, which is an hour west of Austin or San Antonio is an hour to the south.

 The first settler in Mason is thought to have been Peter S. Parker in 1846. The settlement of Mason grew up around Fort Mason, which was established by the United States War Department as a front-line defense against Kiowa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche, on July 6, 1851. George W. Todd established a Fort Mason post office March 8, 1858, which became consigned to the civilian settlement on June 26, 1858.^[6] The protection and commercial possibilities of the fort drew settlers. W. C. Lewis opened a general store that served soldiers and settlers. In 1860, James E. Ranck opened a second store and later became known as "The Father of Mason". Ben F. Gooch and he began leasing 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land to cotton sharecroppers. Mason was voted the county seat in 1861^[  “Gem of the Hill Country” and the only place in Texas where you can find Texas Topaz in nature.

Home of Seaquist Mansion

Home of "Old Yeller" author,  Fred Gipson--statue near the library

And Mason has now become a leading town in the wine industry--several wine tasting rooms are open around the town square--all featuring some Texas wines, grown in Hill Country or High Plains.

We spend more  time here than we should!  Nothing like a small town and always worth a stop.

We drive 27,4 miles to Brady, Texas,  home to the Country Music Museum. The museum will take you back in time and let you discover the history of Texas Country Music and Country Music Industry. Brady holds an annual World Championship Barbeque Goat Cook Off every labor day weekend.

Drive 80 miles and we arrive in Paint Rock Texas--Paint Rock is home to more than 1.000 pictographs painted on a limestone cliff that is as much as 70 feet high on the north bank of the Concho River.  The paintings, done in red, black, yellow, and white, stretch for more than half mile along the layered cliff face. 

We roll along through Ballinger, Winters, Tuscola--each of these small towns have their own rich history.  There is that small town feeling when you drive through--

Our stop is Buffalo Gap for dinner at Perini's Steakhouse.

Why is it called Buffalo Gap? 

The natural gap (now the community of Buffalo Gap) in between the Callahan Divide in southern Taylor County was one of those Buffalo trails. The large number of buffalo moving through this area attracted buffalo hunters that set up camps near Elm Creek.

We end our day in Abilene where we rest our bodies.

Abilene is known as the “Official Storybook Capital of America” because it has the largest public collection of sculptural storybook characters in the state. Visit downtown Abilene and snap a selfie with six sculptures of Dr. Seuss characters, which are among 24 statues in the area.

It wasn't a long drive day, but much insight into the small towns along the route.

Sleep, refresh, ready for another day..

Road Trip!

 We’re so excited!  We’re taking a road trip!  It has been awhile since we took an extended trip by car—there is nothing like anticipation!  Packing begins days before departure—lists are made of things not to forget; reservations confirmed for lodging; routes mapped; neighbors notified; but, the most important item to remember—a good book to take along, either audio or visual book to hold, is a MUST! 

Books are a wealth of knowledge!  I did not know about this program nor did I know about the “blue people” of Kentucky. Maybe part fiction but there is a basis of real life in these few words. 

In the isolated hollows of rural Kentucky, they were known as the blue Fugates and the blue Combses. For more than a century, these Appalachian families passed along an exceedingly rare genetic blood condition that turned their skin a disarming shade of blue.

horseback library project, launched by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the depths of the Depression.  A project that, from its inception in 1935 to its end in 1943, reached 1.5 million Kentuckians and enabled nearly 1,000 women to support themselves and their families in 48 Kentucky counties. That in 1956 inspired Kentucky Congressman Carl D. Perkins (who’d benefitted from the Pack Horse Library program as a teacher in Knott County) to sponsor the Library Services Act, which provided the first federal appropriations for library service.

 

So, as I read about blue people, hubster is reading about the gray man! 

A gray man is an average person who does not stand out in a crowd or draw attention to themselves in any way. In military terms, such as for Sierra Six in the film, it means the person who never fails to get their job done before moving away quietly.

These are fast paced books!  the gray man is invincible! 

And there is a standby book, just in case we finish one, we have this one waiting in the wings

Willie Nelson told from the side of his sister Bobbie Nelson--thank goodness, she wrote this family story before her passing.

And for an audible book, we have William Kent Kruger's "Copper River"

Now, I think we are ready to load the car and hit the road!

Update!!

 There is proof —no goofing off here!  Some days, of course, are more productive than others.  The past few weeks my quilting buddy and I had prepared our tops to do long arm quilting at our local quilt shop.  It’s a fun day when we venture into that special room!  

Top #1 my friend has used this interesting set for this top! 

She had a collection of "Fiesta" shirts from San Antonio big yearly event.  The tee shirts are so colorful-she took a tee shirt class and used her shirts to create this smashing top

The backing was a bright yellow minkie--when I took the photo, the yellow color washed out--but trust me, it is a bright yellow.

Finally!  Put this heart quilt top together--been sewing on it for several months. THis is from Fat Quarter Shop charity yearly event.  Lots of hearts!

I used a good portion from the stash bin

Another one finished!  THis is a top I had in my 'to do' list for awhile--finally got it under the long arm needle.  It was a free monthly quilt along several years ago

I decided to do boxes for my quilting mode--not bad for my first time quilting straight lines.

THis is a leader-ender block top--done on paper 8.5'X8.5"  When I had several, I had to put them together to see the results of all those blocks of strings--think I'll add to it as time goes along.

Now, it's a perfect size for tot's bed

up close and personal.  I used my camera to see how the blocks fit together before I sewed them together.

An orphan finish!  I really enjoy constructing these orphan blocks into a top.

If you ever make one too many blocks--then think what am I going to do with these leftovers?

no problem--just save them for later sewing.

So many interesting orphans went into this top!  The geisha girls are from a wall hanging my friend did many moons ago--didn't have the heart to  destroy this when we redid our bedroom.  It fits nicely in this group.  IN fact, I don't think there is anything that doesn't fit into an orphan!

At the present time, I'm working on 'chicken' orphan!  Soon it will be completed for show and tell!

1052 and counting

Lisa Bongean is hosting "O' Say Can You Sew Quilt Along”—here is clue 5 that I'm working on.

not to say I've completed clues 1-4, but when I have time and patience (to work with small pieces) I pull out the instructions and plow along.

So far, I"m working on this clue which needs 1152 half square triangles!  Yes!! You read that right—1152! 

One of the easiest way to get those little things is to use printed papers.

To figure I need 1152 and one sheet will yield 40 = 28 sheets of paper!  

I sew a few, cut them apart and at night, I tear off the paper.

Bowl is holding three sheets of triangles--next step: press!  ugh!  my least favorite part of quilting!

It will take 9 triangles to make a block, measuring 3.5"  Itsy bitsy!

But, I bet this will be one brilliant quilt when all the blocks are placed together.

I’m so glad I have this cutting mat!  It makes cutting these half square triangles easier. It turns!

Laying out the sewn papers to cut, make one cut and turn the mat for the next cut, etc till finished

Now, all the triangles are cut apart and headed to next stage—tearing the paper off—easy enough to do—just takes some manual labor. 

Confetti!!

Finished half squares—240 so far! 

One 3.5” block! 

Going to sew more today…….. maybe! 

Cooler Please!

 Cooler please!!! It’s been so darn hot!!  I’m ready to think cooler, be cooler, make cooler!!!  I think it's time to begin some fall quilt and knit patterns.  I'm searching--searching!  for that feel cooler pattern!

Here is a list of what I've found so far:

Fort Worth FAbric Studio--new mystery

Join their Facebook group to receive all the free instructions or you can purchase a kit from their website  Halloween is just around the corner!

Fat quarter shop Halloween sew along is already completed but you can still find the free pattern here

Alycia quilts presents her new Quilt of Valor pattern beginning September 21--she'll post the fabric requirements Septembewr 7, which gives you plenty of time to gather your supplies

Think Christmas!  Keep watch on the website to see the requirements! @Fat Quarter Shop

And something for knitters!

Instagram--@Sweaterfreak--beginning August 5 Insta Slip Cowl   

We’re going to need this cowl  -when- the weather takes that turn to cool! 

Some details: This will be a simple slip stitch cowl with no cast on and no bind off using two colors and you will need 190 yards of each color of heavy fingering or sport weight. She used Finull for hers but you can use any yarn that knits up to 23 sts per 4" on 3.75mm/US#5 needles. Change needles to get your gauge. This is a cowl so gauge is not super crucial. >>There are three clues: 5th, 12th and 19th of August!

What’s Cookin’?

Well, it happen!  I purchase sweet yellow onions all the time--onions with lots of yellow skins.

When you get them in a mesh bag, the yellow onion skins are contained--now, that is the purpose of the mesh bags--to contain the yellow skins!  Peel as much of the skins off the onions and leave the skins inside the bag!  It can be thrown right into the DYEPOT just like that. 

I collect as many onion skins as I can over a small period of time--we like sweet onions so 

I accumulate alot of skins--NO, don't throw them away!

I've known to ask the produce manager to save the skins for me or I'll rake up a batch when I go to the grocery!

 

Sorry--I didn't use the mesh bag this time--filled up my large pan with yellow skins, added water to top them off and placed them on a burner--

this is one time you can dye in the kitchen!  No mordants or harmful chemicals added to the pot!

The skins boiled away so I added some eggs to the mix--thinking boiled eggs are always a good thing  in

the kitchen!

After about 10 minutes of boiling, I have nice colored eggs--soft yellow to add to my white ones. I saved the boiled onion skins for a time when I'll throw in some yarn to dye.

A couple of the eggs split during cooking; this is what you get on the egg after peeling.

Now, I'm off to make Deviled Eggs!

To devil means to “combine a food with various hot or spicy seasonings such as red pepper, mustard, or Tabasco sauce, thereby creating a 'deviled' dish,” according to the Food Lover's Companion, the definitive guide to all things food and cooking.

I make my 'deviled' egg yolks with mayo, salt, pepper, dash of vinegar, yellow mustard (sometimes, I'll use my homemade mustard, which is sweet-spicy), little sweetner (can be honey)  Mash all together till creamy--fill the empty egg shells with mixture.

I like to add toppings--

e.g. cooked bacon, curry powder, jalapeno slices, sometimes--a boiled shrimp if I've flavored the eggyolk mixture with spices like cayene.

How do you make your deviled eggs??  Always need these eggs for a picnic or a party--first thing eaten with a crowd!

Museum of Western Art

 

Museum of Western Art is in our backyard.  This past week we attended an open house for their special exhibit with Becky Crouch Patterson, artist, author, designer as she celebrates 

"Lukenbach Legacy:  Hondo's Daughter"-- Hondo is historical owner of Luckenbach!

if you haven't heard of Luckenback, then here is some history--this town is a state of mind! you must listen to the song too --

back to the museum open house event

Becky opened her first one woman show with outstanding fiber art and oil paintings.

We enjoyed meeting Becky, sharing a glass of Newsome wine with her as she

shared a couple of her stories about her life growing up in Luckenbach light

Machine embroidery pieces "Women in Blue Bonnet"

Close-up of lacework on the collar

Machine embroidery "Picasso's Blue Boy"

42"X 54" "Angels on HIgh"

55"x36"  "Feria de las Flores"

"Make Me An Instrucment"

36"x48" Hondo's Sheep in Sunset"

96"x72"  "If you Love Me Feed My Sheep"

60"x72" Best People on Earth Are Dogs and Horses

36x48"  "Wears No Man's Brand"

I didn't take photos of her paintings, which were colorful and beautiful--

Becky calls her fiber hangings "tapestries".  But, what is a tapestry? 

a piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving colored weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging

Here is what I call a tapestry.

Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may be visible. In tapestry weaving, weft yarns are typically discontinuous; the artisan interlaces each coloured weft back and forth in its own small pattern area. It is a plain weft-faced weave having weft threads of different colours worked over portions of the warp to form the design.

What do you think is a tapestry??