Midwest Trip

Last week my husband and I took a trip to visit friends and family in Iowa and Illinois. We also used our time out west (from Ohio) to visit Fabri-Quilt, in Kansas City, MO. This was my first opportunity to meet all the wonderful people at Fabri-Quilt in person. Up till last week, I had only talked with them through phone calls and emails. I am very impressed with all the goings on at Fabri-Quilt. Did you know they do all their quilted fabrics there, on site? I didn't know either. It is nice to know there are still products being produced in the United States!

My trip out to Fabri-Quilt was not just to see the building, we did have a little business to take care of. The first set of strike-offs were in for my new collection, Dilly Day!

The new collection is looking really good and all seems on track for having the fabrics ready for the fall. We still have to see another round of strike-offs, but I liked what I was seeing, hooray!

When we toured the building and were walking through the warehouse area, I spied my Blue Skies collection on the inventory shelves. I had to get a photo of that!

It is great having the faces to go with the names now. I think I am still smiling from my visit at Fabri-Quilt. What terrific people to be working with.

When driving down to Missouri at sunset, I photographed this beautiful silhouette of an Indian sculpture with buffalo at the Missouri state line rest stop.

We did most of our visiting of family in Iowa, I grew up in Iowa, so I just love that state. There is just something about the landscape, the rolling hills, farm fields and open sky that makes me smile. Not to mention the attractions at the Iowa welcome center.

I had made a quilt for my sister and wanted to give it to her in person. We do not get to see each other very often, so getting to see her last week made my vacation even more special. Before we saw my sister we had stopped to see my husbands father.  My father-in-law lives by a lovely park and I saw a photo-op to photograph the quilt on this beautiful stone bridge.

This quilt called Four Points which I designed using my Love Grows collection fabrics. I designed the quilt and pieced it and had Michele Mason of the Mason Jar Quilt Shoppe do the quilting on it.

I am back home now and missing everyone terribly. It was great taking the time off and seeing so many of my friends and family as well as meeting new friends. I just can't quiet get back into the swing of being home and getting back into all the projects and jobs I am supposed to be working on. But I am sure after one or two more days of drifting about the house I will get back to work, it is nice to take some time off now and then!