Quilt 'Til You Wilt Days and A Few Other Favorite Things

I just love those days when I wake up with nothing on my schedule. After a leisurely breakfast followed by a steaming cup of my favorite tea, I decide what I want to do for the day. 

Most often, on these "free" days, I choose to quilt. Because I have the whole day in front of me, I can "quilt 'til I wilt." (I borrowed that phrase from a quilt shop, Tiny Stitches, in Marietta, Georgia. An eight hour group sewing day called "Quilt 'Til You Wilt" is offered once a week at this shop.) I have had a few of these quilt 'til you wilt days at my own sewing machine in recent weeks, and the product of those days is a quilt top that is about 3/4 complete. The quilt consists of just three fabrics and some whopping 18 inch blocks. Here you will see a partial view of my mostly completed quilt top featuring some of my favorite colors.

Pattern: Dream On designed by Jocelyn Ueng from Quiltmaker March/April 2013

I paused in my quilting to travel for a long weekend. My husband and I drove a little more than two hours to a neighboring state. Our main reason for choosing this particular weekend was to hear our favorite singer/songwriter, Peter Mayer. Peter is from Minnesota, but just once in a while he travels to perform in the southeast. We try to catch his concerts when they are within a few hours of where we live. The lyrics to his songs range from inspiring to nostalgic to funny. He is a master on the guitar, and his voice is engaging and quite pleasant, like no other songwriter I've heard. Below is a sampling of Peter's work, a song he wrote called "Dorothy's Pie" from his CD Novelties. The song references a true story about his mom and dad, and it is one of my favorites. My husband spoke to Peter during the intermission and unbeknownst to me requested this song, knowing it was a favorite of mine. During the second half of the concert, Peter honored the request, and so I was able to hear him sing it in person, much to my delight!

Among the activities during our long weekend was a visit to Congaree National Forest. As you may know from previous posts, visiting national parks is one of my favorite parts of traveling. We didn't know quite what to expect since this newer national park is smaller and not very well-known. We were pleasantly surprised as we walked a 2.5 mile boardwalk through beautiful vistas of trees and water. 

Several rivers drain into this area causing flooding at least once a year. It was interesting to see trees that flourish in this environment and to learn about the benefits of the flooding that bring necessary nutrients to this wilderness area. 

We chose a good time of year to visit this particular national park. Because of the abundance of water and the heat during the summer months, mosquitoes can be a major problem in the park. We were glad that the posted mosquito meter was only at a "1" during our visit in early March.

Back home now from my long weekend away, it's time to think about spring, one of my favorite seasons (the other favorite being fall). Even though it is not officially spring, the daffodils in our yard are in full bloom. 

Just like this time last year, the snap peas, lettuce, spinach, and broccoli are planted in our garden, and a few stalks of asparagus are pushing through the earth. I'm eager for the time coming soon when I can walk into the backyard and harvest these favorite spring vegetables to use in a healthy and delicious meal.

Over the years, I have enjoyed collecting pottery. My husband was recently gifted a new piece of pottery made by Peg Morar of Asheville, NC. It is a unique piece in shades of blue and sage green with dots of red. This may have become my favorite piece of pottery that we own. I immediately placed it on our dining room table along with a quilted table runner in coordinating colors.

So, when will I have another of those favorite quilt 'til you wilt days? Well, I'm not sure since very soon I will be at another of my favorite places--a quilt and sewing expo. Stay tuned as I might just share that experience in a future blog post. In the meantime, please leave a comment and share a few of your favorite things!

I have received no compensation for the mention of items or companies in this blog post. All opinions are my own.