Random Notions – A trip and another finished quilt!

Last Thursday I had to take a short trip to Detroit for a meeting at Wayne University.  Never been to Detroit before, so even though it was a short trip – home Saturday – it was exciting for me.  I had booked a room at a place called The Inn on Ferry Street because it was the closest to where I had to go.  I really didn’t know anything about the place until Wednesday, when I thought I would look at the website at the last minute.  Turns out that it consists of 4 historic Victorian homes and 2 carriage houses that were refurbished into a bed and breakfast.  It was very dark when I arrived, and I couldn’t really see the buildings very well, except for ominous silhouettes that made me feel like I was walking into a gothic novel.  But in the morning, when I got to see them in the light and saw how beautiful they were, I was really glad I stayed there.

I stayed in the grey one behind the red one- it was called Pung’s House-

I was on the third floor, which I was perfectly okay with, but then I realized there was no elevator!  At least the stairs weren’t too bad.  The room was beautiful and I was really impressed with the continental breakfast they serve in the main house (the one with the sign out front.)  Most comfortable bed I have ever slept in anywhere.  I highly recommend this place if you ever have to go to Detroit.  It was a fun quick trip.

Got the call the other day that Janet from Quilting by Janet had finished a wall hanging for me.  This was the yellow and black quick quarter quilt I had made several months ago and finally took to Janet.  I’m so glad it’s done – it’s one of my favorites-

(It really is pretty much squared, I just had it hung high and had to take the picture from an angle.)

I love the whirly things Janet quilted on it-

I had told her that the colors made me think of declining bee populations, so I thought it should just be wiggly paths, like a bee would make from flower to flower.  I’m really happy with what she did.  I added a sleeve to the top to hang it, and it is now hanging above my purple couch in the living room.

My pile of quilt tops needing to be finished is getting smaller!  After the first of the year, I will be taking the African Dreams wall hanging to Janet.

When I was last here, I mentioned that I was starting the quilting on the FishbowlsQuilt for Harry for Christmas.  Well, I still haven’t started.  I found some nice solid blue cotton in my stash for the back – I had just exactly enough of it – and I have it ready, but the batting I bought is kind of making me crazy.  When I did the Sampler Quilt for Layla, I had used a fusible batting I had bought a long time ago.  It wasn’t easy ironing it all together, but it did work out okay in the end.  A few weeks ago, I got another fusible batting to use on Harry’s quilt, and I only opened it yesterday.  It was all stuck together and didn’t want to open flat.  I don’t know, maybe it got hot at some point.  I finally got it all opened out and hung it on the wall to try to get it to relax a bit.  I think it’s going to have to hang for a couple more days.  Then I have no idea where I am going to put this one all together, because Harry’s quilt is longer than Layla’s. I do know I won’t be buying that kind of batting ever again.

Hope you are enjoying this holiday season!  Thanks for stopping by!