"I Like" Thursdays #14 Roadtrip!

Christmas at The Breakers in Newport

1. I Like road trips!
We recently took an impromptu road trip, Friday to Monday up to Newport, RI. So much to experience!  I have a couple posts to come of some gorgeous photos of decorated mansions. When we went up after Cole passed, we got a year long pass to the mansions. Three of them had Christmas displays this month so we went for a look-see.
The house above is the Breakers, yep one family's home. For 6 weeks a year. 

2. Here's a shocker, I Like Fabric.  I like visiting quilt shops when on a road trip. Good chance to stretch your legs, doncha know...
Of course we went to two quilt shops along the way where I got these lovely items.

Olde City quilts in Burlington NJ  Large and friendly
Don't you love the 50's Christmas girls?!! and the labs skiing??

I always prewash fabric, because of all the chemicals used in processing. Unwashed fabric when ironed outgases some nasty stuff. So I put the pre-cuts  in a mesh bag and washed them.
Well y'all, they shrunk unevenly. And not all shrunk.

 So imagine you did some precise stitching, and the first time you washed the item it got all wonky. They shrunk along the cross grain so they are now 4.75" X 5"

Not good. Losing a quarter inch every 5 inches is significant.
Meanwhile,  the regular fabric did not shrink at all, just sayin'

 LOVE a black lab!
Also bought a gallon bag of scraps for $3 that included this...

and I think my bag held the equivalent of about 3 yards of fabric. I'm pretty jazzed! And it was so much fun to dig through the bin.
There was a lot of one starry fabric in usable pieces and several batiks. Yea!
 Click the image for details (to read it)


I also visited....

CT Quiltworks in Mystic CT small but mighty store with lots to want! What a great shop! Worth the trip!!

3 I Like meeting with friends for Thai food!
Funny how some people are just so connected  that when we see them after a long absence it's as if we saw them yesterday! That's how it is with my friend Nancy ( pugmomquilts)

She and her husband Mike drove a long way to meet us for dinner one night and it was the highlight of the weekend.That was the real gift altho Nancy gave me a bag of flamingo items including a sa-weet flamingo fabric!

It's rare enough to find a good friend but to find a "couple" friend that enjoys each other is like gold.

(earlier that evening we attended a grief ceremony at the local Lutheran church, Coping with loss at the holidays. My eyes were kind of squinty from crying... but that's part of life, dealing with loss)

It was good to end the visit with lots of laughter, good conversation, and connection.
I Love my friend Nancy

4.I Like stuffies and free patterns for stuffies like this cardinal from  apine industriose

http://www.apineindustriose.org/numero/57/eng/Birds.html   

I have made a red stuffie each year from the same red felt and it's fun to see them each Christmas

 5. I like fun clothing! I bought these mittens at the Potter League shelter craft show. Two quilters re-purposed old sweaters by felting them, then made mittens with fleece lining. So cozy and cute, right?? 

I've worn them every day since!

6. I like wool socks and I like Feetures socks for runners, and now I can have both rolled into one!!!

We bought these at the running store in Mystic Village, buy three get fourth free! Whee! We now have two new pairs each for winter.              I had to throw some wool socks away, worn down to holes, so finding wool that's thin is a bonus!

7. I Like Jacquie Lawson's animated advent calendar. ( https://www.jacquielawson.com/advent)

It's so beautiful, an interactive online advent with activities each day. I have decorated Christmas trees, sweaters, wreaths, snowmen, and others. I've seen sweet vignettes of a seaside village at Christmas. I made snowflakes that drift down while I'm looking at the scene. Decorate an item and it shows up in the village. 

I can't tell you how I look forward to it each day!!! My good friend Mary has given it to me for three years now and it's so appreciated. Go check it out, you'll love it. Puzzles! Smashing ornaments game! 

8. Speaking of gifts, I got a surprise gift from my good friend Mari (academicquilter) who is always there with a cheerful word, perspective and friendship. When we met in person the first time I felt as if I had known her for years. She sent this set of wool pieces, out of the blue! I am so excited about them, the colors are perfect for a flamingo stocking! She also sent several patterns one of which we will both do next year. 

The fun continues!

Speaking of flamingos...

9. I Like flamingo items and whimsy so when we found this umbrella in Newport last weekend, well...

it had to "fly" home with me. I told DH it was the "perfect Christmas gift"  It's going to hang around the front door looking all useful and cute at the same time making me smile each time I see it!      Click to see details     look how it stands up on it's own three legs, heh heh

10. We are listening (together both of us) to the "Number One Ladies Detective Agency" latest book on disc  and I highly recommend the series. Rent it on disc as the reader is so good. I can totally do the Botswana accent now. Yep. On the phone you'd think I was from Africa! Seriously it's also on video from the short run show. Read, watch, listen for a good story. 

11.  I Like funny fridge magnets. DH spied this one, and it's a great way to tie up this week's list

It's always sit...stay...heel... never think! Innovate! Be yourself !

As usual, I encourage you all to think about the things you liked this week, and play along with me. Let me know if you did a post and I'll include it here with these fine folks:

(give them a moment to do their posts)

1. https://littlepenguinquilts.blogspot.com/

2.http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

3.http://paulabquilts.blogspot.com/