Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Back from Columbus!



Sorry I've been gone so long, kids. I've been visiting my sis-in-law, Barbara, in Columbus, Ohio. She's not doing so well, so I brought her a prayer quilt. Send up a prayer for her comfort, will ya?

I named Barbara's quilt "Order From Chaos." The pattern is French Braid and I made it up from a picture I saw online. Pretty neat, huh? I used tons of scraps! When I was trying to figure out what to use as a border, I ran into trouble. I tried green, then gold, the blue, but nothing looked right. I finally figured out that it couldn't possibly work as just one color... so I used four!


I took my traveling sewing machine and sewed in the hotel room at night. Yes, I'm crazy. And yes, that's Hello Kitty you see on the machine. It's a stripped-down Janome: very light, half-sized, no light, and only one speed. Still, it gives a really straight stitch and keeps me sane. Tips for visiting Columbus:
  • Drink bottled water--the tap tastes like chlorine
  • Drive! The streets are well-lit and the signs are plentiful.
  • Go to Schmidt's Sausage Haus und Restaurant in German Village. Fun even when you're alone. And go late. That's when the band (Squeezin' and Wheezin') arrives--accordion and tuba!
  • While you're there, stop into The Red Stable. Cool, funky jewelry adjusted to you while you wait! (And at really decent prices!)
  • Wear red. It's a big football town.
  • If you're looking for a friendly church in the southwest part of town, here it is.
  • And yes, if you must shop for fabric... go to Quilting Beginnings. It's right by the airport!