Just when things seemed desperate, the trials of August have let up a bit. We may have a happy ending after all. Lots of progress on Carefree Highways this week, and I am going to need every minute to finish this up by November!

I’ve been able to add one or two rows a day this past week and you can see I’ve reached the limits of my design floor. It’s nice to think I could spend a whole day on it and just finish up, but my shoulders don’t agree. I’m over the halfway mark and starting to assemble the bottom half as a second piece– this thing is heavy! You have no idea how much the weight of the stabilizer in the fifty state blocks adds to the piece. If it comes to nothing else, I will have the perfect “weighted” blanket to soothe away all my anxieties for years to come.

I also made progress on the border design– it has to, well, have something on it! I sketched out these vintage looking ribbons for the top and bottom of the quilt. THEY. ARE. BIG. The typeface is the wonderful “Blackadder” — it’s a bit ragged, but I love the look. This is a 7×11 stitchout.

I’m using the red American Gatherings fabric that came with my original fat quarter set with a gold embroidery thread– NOT metallic. I love Superior 2069, “Million Dollar”– it doesn’t need to be a metallic– it’s plenty gold! The fabric looks pink here, but it’s actually a deep, deep red. I will cut out the pieces and quickly applique them on. (Little joke on myself there– did you catch it?– read SLOWLY. Nothing is happening fast around here, currently)

Then, to give my shoulders a break, I decided to re-digitize my “Fourth of July” cross stitch design to say “Carefree Highways”– yes– after asking you all what I should name the quilt, I sense we’re feeling sentimental about the original name, so it stays. Great song, huh?! This is absolutely the last priority right now, but a girl’s just got to have some fun between 70″ long seams.

I also spit out another of these– it only took an hour. That was the rule– new projects, only if they are actively worked on.

But no progress on Ho, Ho, Ho. I so wanted to join my fellow stitchers with a nice finished photo on the Kimberly’s Stitch Squad Facebook Group, but it’s not happening. I like it so much, I just want to add some extra borders to it and I need more of my background black.

Mr. SFO and I took a night off to go to the big Skowhegan State Fair. I always enjoy seeing the crafts, the quilts, the farm animals, and munching on a yearly treat of funnel cakes.

Here are some of the quilts– no professionals allowed! They have to fold them to have room to display them.

Everything is so heartfelt– these are the quilts that are destined to be used and loved, not sealed into a climate-controlled room for 100 years, as some show quilts are. Love the jellyfish!

A lot of quilters in Maine, I’d say.

Here is the “Best in Show” quilt– what an honor for this person. The pattern looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. It has it all, applique, tough piecing… I wonder if this person will ever “step up” to the Maine Quilt Show– I don’t remember seeing it there.

Someone made a quilt out of 1880s ribbons! How fun is that. They must have made them out of cotton, years ago?

They also had plenty of knitting and crochet. We’re an industrious bunch, in Maine!

Tablerunners…

Love this flag pillow…

There were categories for anything and everything.

The Christmas craft category–

Look at this dear little box…

Then, it was on to photography and painting and diamond art! lol.

My favorite painting.

The Grand Champion photograph…

So I could have probably wandered around this building for the entire day and ogled every single item, just because I love to see what people imagine and make– it is all so wonderful to me. No two things were alike.

But Mr. SFO was with me, so we moved on to the animal displays. All of them look so well cared for.

Reserve Champion Jersey Calf!

A friendly goose..

The Grand Champion hen!

Here, Mr. SFO consoled a little piglet who did not win a prize– then patiently waited for me to get my picture.

Oh, how I love this dear man.

He passed the farmer test. He was hanging around the sheep display when someone mistook him for an owner and asked him why they had blankets on. Without missing a beat, he said, “To keep the flies off.” 🙂

Of all the things we saw and did it would be impossible to describe them all. As you can see, it really did my heart good and I’m feeling much better about everything. Don’t miss a trip to the fair– a simple joy!

At night, it was back on the Holly Horse! I finished up the breastplate area, forcing myself to do a whopping six strands a day. I would’ve thought I’d be a lot farther with all that effort. I do believe I have picked the two slowest hobbies on the planet.

A funny story– I threaded up my needle, then put it down for a second to straighten something out– can you believe, I could not find that needle anywhere. I got up, took my bathrobe off, pulled the seat cushions out, got down on my hands and knees– no needle. I got a new one and crossed my fingers that Mr. SFO’s feet wouldn’t find it. A week later, I noticed it was getting harder to pull the threads out of my “Thread Organizer,” which now looks more like “Dredlocks.”

On closer inspection, I found my needle buried deep inside it! 🙂

And so ends another week of my life– let’s start a new one!
x0x
Carol