Machine Quilting in the Pines

 Hello Everyone,

This week I've turned my attention to marking and machine quilting Calico Cottages.  I hope to release the pattern at the end of the week.  I decided to do crosshatching around the cottage for an old-fashioned look and feel. 

This quilt is only 64" x 64" which is a nice size for my long arm.  It still takes me awhile to get it perfectly lined up and loaded on the machine.  I made one pass of feathers across the top and then I got too cold.  My long arm is in my garage, and it was a balmy 42 degrees as I started to quilt.  When my knees start to knock, my stitches get a bit wonky!  I do have a small heater by my side, but it just doesn't take the chill off.  We are supposed to get another round of snow tomorrow, not much, but the temps will be dropping like a stone thrown into a well as the storm sweeps down from Canada.

Yesterday we drove down to Angels Camp to pick up a printing order of block layout sheets.  There's a wonderful couple who run a small copy center there and I love to buy local and support their business.  I can email them the order and they have it printed and folded in no time at all.

While we were in Angels Camp, we did our grocery shopping in a store which is much larger than our local market.  We are like two kids in a candy store when we shop there.  Items that we usually never purchase end up jumping into our cart and the lengthy receipt reflects our impulse buying.

We stopped at a new barbecue place in Murphys, and picked up a sandwich and took it to Indian Rock Winery for a picnic.  It was chilly but look at that blue sky with just a whisper of clouds.  It felt soooo good to get out of the cabin with my hubby and Mazey!  Neither one of us get cabin fever, but we do enjoy a day on the town.  Notice I said 'day' on the town.  I can't remember the last time we spent a 'night' on the town.

We have friends coming over tonight for dinner.  I'm making my favorite Lasagna recipe.  I'll try to remember to take pictures of it and post the recipe.  The recipe has bacon in it.  You can never go wrong with bacon!

Soon,

Lynn