On the Road Again...

Over the last five months, I (Kara) have traveled to, on average, one state per month. Even for someone who loves to travel, that is a lot, and certain portions of my anatomy are tired of sitting in a car or plane. It has all been worth it though, because I was able to see so many loved ones over the course of those travels. 

No matter where I travel, I am always on the lookout for inspiration for future works, treasures from the past, or quilts for my collection. You can read about some of the treasure found in Maine (one of my five states) here, but today I am going to share a bit about my most recent road trip to Michigan and Ohio. 

My daughter, McKenna, and I set a course for Dublin, Ohio, to meet my grand-nephew Aiden for the very first time. I had a very belated, baby first birthday present for him, and giving it to him in person was going to be very special. I have been a University of Michigan fan all of my life, but my nephew, Nick (Aiden's father), is an Ohio State graduate and life-long fan of the Buckeyes. We have spent many a Thanksgiving together, trying to be kind when our respective teams played football. When Aiden was born, I knew that only one color scheme for a baby quilt would work for this particular family—scarlet and gray—for the Ohio State colors. Love trumps rivalries, and Aiden loved his quilt, even if it was made by a Michigan fan.

Aiden liked it so much, he tried to do a headstand!

A lot of half-square triangles!

An homage to the Ohio State football helmet

After our visit, we traversed across Ohio and Indiana to get to my parents house in St. Joseph, Michigan. Right on Lake Michigan, St. Joe is a fabulous place to visit, and the downtown is a wonderful place to window shop. 

The Toy Company holds so many fond memories for my children,
and this display of huskies in their window caught my eye.

Unfortunately, there are not a lot of quilt shops nearby, but that doesn't stop my Aunt Carol and her friends from getting together weekly to stitch together. I was privileged to join them, and we had a wonderful time chatting, stitching, and gluing some hexies for my aunt's Quiltmania mystery quilt.

Stitching friends are the best friends!

My aunt hard at work

This was my first time gluing hexies, and I loved it!

After a morning of stitching, it was time to get out and see the town, regardless of the weather. I love the beach in the winter, and McKenna loves it, too. Her love extended to getting out and walking on the beach, while I was content to gaze at the water from the confines of my mom's toasty car.

It's hard to tell from the picture how windy and cold it was,
but McKenna bravely got out to enjoy the view.

After McKenna's brisk walk on the beach, we headed south to the Harbert Antique Mall to see what we could find. While we didn't find anything we couldn't live without, we were tempted by a few things.

Some lovely cigarette silks that would be fun in a crazy quilt

Bathing suits sure have come a long way!

This is a creative way to display antique blocks.

This would be a fun quilt  to re-create with English paper piecing.

A scrappy, tied, star quilt

I was tempted by this simple quilt top because of some of the reproduction style fabrics used,
but left it behind since I already have plenty of tops at home.
 (See Unfinished Objects of the Past)

This, however, was the biggest temptation!!!
My threads would be so well organized in this beauty!

Alas...the price

While I normally try to stop in at a local quilt shop in the area, the timing for this trip just didn't lend itself to stopping. Although I recently went to an amazing quilt shop in Denver, Colorado, that road trip story will have to wait until next time...