A 10° Wedge Never Looked So Good

Jaki, one of three charming staff people who greeted me at Quilt Winks shop in Amarillo, Texas, today, models the skirt she designed and made using 2.5-inch strips and a 10° wedge ruler. Find out more about this talented woman on her Facebook page. Don't miss the block keeper she designed. Just scroll down on her page to see it. She's working on publishing the pattern for it.

I visited this shop after I stopped at Amarillo's Bernina dealer. See more on that below. When I put the address for Quilt Winks into my GPS, it said it was .03 miles away then said I was there. Huh? I was at The Sewing Nook.

I called Quilt Winks to find out where they're located. Turns out they are across the street from The Sewing Nook. What could be better than having the Bernina dealer and quilt shop walking distance apart?

Jaki of Jaki Made

Members of Friendship Quilting Guild of Perryton, Texas, shop hopping

Jaki wanted to be sure I met members of the Friendship Quilting Guild of Perryton, Texas, who were visiting the shop. One of the guild's meetings each year is a mini shop hop. Quilt Winks was their second shop; they had one more to go before heading home. Jaki decided I should take a group picture. The ladies, who had no idea who I was, were good sports, just what you'd expect from quilters. I think I can say a good time was had by all.

Bernina — aka The Sewing Nook — to the Rescue

The Sewing Nook in Amarillo, Texas

I was thrilled to learn Amarillo has a Bernina dealer since I managed to get on the road with only my ditch stitching foot for my travel machine. Once I found the foot I needed, which will now live in the travel bag, I had a look around the rest of the shop. They asked I be sure to tell you the empty shelves were because they are rearranging to make space for new fabric. Then they pointed me to the storage room, which was full of gorgeous bolts.

It will seem a small thing but I was delighted to find they had two large spools of my favorite piecing thread: Mettler 412, which used to be 725. I haven't been able to find this color for quite a few years. I hope this means Mettler is bringing it back.

The delightful staff at the shop promised to see if they can order more and will let me know. The owner wasn't there because she was en route to Uvalde with quilts donated by her customers. Quilters are so consistently compassionate in times of crisis and pain.

Wondering about the photo at the right? Quilt shops always have the best restrooms, one more reason to plan stops at them when traveling. Welcoming comfort room at The Sewing Nook

Deer at Foss State Park near Foss, Oklahoma

Oklahoma: OK!

Foss State Park is billed as the place where the deer and the buffalo roam. The song actually says the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play but close enough. I didn't see buffalo, although I did overnight in the Buffalo Bend Campground. The deer, however, showed up after dinner. There were at least a dozen, including a number of young ones. Despite high temperatures — 100° when I arrived mid-afternoon — it was a pleasant campsite for a great night's rest.

Because I got in earlier than usual and it was too hot to hike, I decided to stitch. Emma (my 18-foot Rpod camper) may be tiny but she has room for me to sew. I find foundation piecing suits her tight confines. I replaced the table that came with her with a portable sewing table that I know will support my travel machine. The kitchen counter doubles as my cutting and pressing area.

View of Palo Duro Canyon from my campsite

The Canyon Was Calling

Texas has some great state parks. One of my favorites is Palo Duro Canyon State Park, about 30 minutes south of Amarillo. If like me, you thought the Texas Panhandle was flat and dry to the point of mirage making, you wouldn't be wrong about much of the terrain. But then this stunning canyon appears. It gets prettier and prettier as you wind your way down the steep road — 10° downhill grade at one point — to the campgrounds.

The sites have water and electric and reasonably level paved pads. The shaded picnic tables at each site make it possible to enjoy a least a bit of time outside even when it's as hot as it is today (99°). This is often my stop en route to Houston for the International Quilt Festival. The 10-mile drive off the highway isn't much when the beauty of this place awaits you.

National Quilt Museum Flashback

I promised to post a few more photos from my visit to the National Quilt Museum earlier this week. So here goes.

"Pattern Fusion No. 18, Motherboard 9," 2018 by Arturo Alonzo Sandoval of Lexington, Kentucky

"Sonnet 30" by Roxi Kringle of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, won third place in the museum's 2022 New Quilt from an Old Favorite competition. The theme was William Shakespeare and each quilt had to feature a traditional block pattern. Roxi chose rail fence blocks. Words from the sonnet are quilted onto the surface. This is one of those quilts that grew on me as I studied it.

"Beyond Boundaries" was Dr. Lesley Phillips' entry into the museum's 2021 Block of the Month Club. Lesley is from Devon in the United Kingdom. I love fabric with type on it, probably the reason I was drawn to this quilt. Each block was designed for the museum by a known quilt designer. Each maker put her, his or their spin on the blocks.

Last Leg Begins Tomorrow

Tomorrow begins the last leg of my road trip as I head to Belen, New Mexico, for a weekend of celebrating Judy Chicago's art before turning north to my Colorado mountain home next Monday.

I'll deliver my lecture on the quilts and quiltmakers of Caohagan Island from the road this Friday as part of the Virtual Quilt Festival hosted by Quilts, Inc. Looking forward to that opportunity.

Happy Stitching!