Off we went to Millersburg....

We went to Millersburg to pick up the Bears Paw quilt I started to handquilt about 10 yrs. ago. I had the center blocks finished and put it away because it's such a large quilt and I lost interest. My friend Paula Meiler talked to an Amish woman there who said she and her friends could finish quilting it for me and they would try to match my stitches. Her price was reasonable so I was willing to put the quilt in their hands. I dropped it off in October while I was in Berlin at a quilt retreat with my old quilt buddies. It turned out pretty good, not quite like my stitches, but close enough and now I can say that it is finished. It only took them 2 months to finish it! I'm telling you that it sat in a huge rubbermaid container for at least 8 yrs. when it could have been finished and on a bed. What was I thinking waiting that long?? Once it gets washed and shrinks up a bit, I think all the stitches will look pretty similar and no one will be able to tell. At least that's what Paula claims. I think she's right. Tara, my calico kitty has blessed the quilt. If you look really hard you can see her on the quilt there. Cats are funny the way they lay on my fabric in my sewing room. One of my two cats always lays on a quilt after I make it as if to bless it (gee, I hope you recipients aren't allergic to cats!!). You can tell from the photo that I didn't get the whole quilt in the photo, it is larger than I remembered when I first put it in the container years ago.

Mark did the driving while I feverishly knitted on a Christmas gift for my hairdresser until we got into the hills and curves of Amish country. I'm a tough cookie but even I got a little nauseous on those roads. It doesn't help that Mark used to be a road rally driver and still thinks the best way to take curves is fast. After we picked up the quilt, we met Paula at the Inn at Honey Run for lunch. Here' some photos from this quaint inn that serves great lunches!

They had a poinsetta tree in the lobby.

Here's a photo of their tree on the outside deck that was loaded with bird friendly ornaments....I think some squirrels liked it too. This is a close up of the bird tree.

Here's a felt stocking that was hanging on the mantel inside over the wood burning fireplace.

This isn't what I was knitting in the car, but it is another Christmas gift I knitted with wool and then felted. It's a birdhouse ornament....can you see the little stick for the perch?

We're leaving today to drive to Michigan to see Jen, Tim and the grandkids and all their decorations. We'll stay overnight and watch their karate class before we head home on Saturday. Wish us luck with the 6-10" of snow that is predicted to hit there today.