MOTORCYCLE FUN

My husband and I decided that taking a trip down to southern Indiana today.  We wanted to enjoy the last few days of great weather to be able to ride our motorcycle.  So off we went after church.  Such a great trip and wonderful things we got to see.  We had to take a different route because as we neared Nashville, State Road 46 was shut down due to a car accident.  What a blessing that was for us because we ended up on this very scenic road.

This sign reminded me of the roads in New England where signs were posted alerting the drivers of upcoming curves.  This sign was on a country road. The ones we saw in New England were on state roads.

An old farmhouse with a stone chimney. 

Most of the leave of the trees were gone but I loved the house.

Other motorcyclists had the same idea that we did: ride and enjoy the weather.

We had to make a pit stop to get something to drink and we end up meeting a group of young motorcyclists taking a break like we were.  We were in a very small town called Freetown.  The young people were very impressed with us that we went on vacation to New England on our motorcycle.  We enjoyed spending time with them.

We stopped in Story, Indiana for dinner.  This village was founded in 1851.  The restaurant is called Story Inn it was the general store.  The entire town is now a country inn/bed & breakfast.  The second floor of the old general store used to be a Studebaker Buggy Factory.

The dining area was filled with wall to wall antiques.  I died and had gone to heaven.  Their music was all Big Band which is one of my favorite's.  Our dinner was a delicious salad from local farms, Jorge had a beef soup with mushrooms and we split three crabcakes.  The food was delicious and our waitress was wonderful. 

The potbellied stove

 Jorge and I were admiring the stain glass windows.  These windows were acquaire in the 1970's by Benjamin and Cynthia Schultz, who successfully converted the building from a country store into an inn. They purchased all three windows upon the demolition of St. John’s Evangelical and Reform Church at Sanders Street and Leonard Street in Indianapolis during construction at Southport Road and 31st Street. The left panel (as viewed from inside the restaurant) reads “Y. P. L. 1918” and the right panel reads “Geo. Burck, Family” in apparent reference to the church’s benefactors.

To the left of the three-panel entrance, suspended from the ceiling, we saw two rectangular windows with no markings. These windows were originally in the Central Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Yellow Springs, Ohio, near Dayton. The congregation was founded in 1866 by Reverend Charley Jones. Yellow Springs had a vibrant African-American community and was a stop on the Underground Railroad prior to the Civil War. To the best of our knowledge, the windows were installed in 1911, fifteen years after the construction of the new church at Davis and High Streets in 1896. One of the patrons rescued four large windows from the wrecking ball in 1972.

The windows were in rough shape, but an artist and Story Inn employee, Rob Rogers, took the lead in cleaning and restoring all four panels. The first two went on display in the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, 2005. These elegant windows are of great significance to the African-American community in the Midwest. 

What a wonderful way to end the day. 

TIPS FOR A BLUE RIBBON QUILT

One of my unfulfilled goal is getting a ribbon for one of my quilts.  Now granted, I have not entered many judge quilt shows because the quilts that I have seen in the shows that I have attended are beautifully done.  I always wonder what are the standards the judges have when judging quilts.  So I decided to go online and find out.  So here are the results of my research.

APPEARANCE

1. The quilt is clean, neat and odor free.
2. All stray threads, lint, and animal hairs are removed.
3. Color value (lights and darks) create a contrast.
4. The design commands attention.

PIECING

1. Points on the triangles and diamonds are sharply pointed.
2. Intersections meet precisely.
3. Seam allowances are pressed consistently and they lay flat.
4. Stitching tension is strong and even.
5. The thread color blends or matches the fabric.

APPLIQUÉ

1. Curves are smoothly rounded and points are sharp without bulk.
2. Invisible stitches are small, close, tight and even.
3. The dark fabric does not shadow through the light color fabric.
4. Thread color blends or matches with the appliquéd piece
5. Markings are not visible.

BORDERS AND SASHING

1. Stay consistent in width
2. Long seam lines are straight
3. Lay flat without buckling or waving

QUILTING DESIGN AND QUILTING STITCHES

1. Fits and fills the spaces uniformly
2. Complements the pieced design
3. Beginning and ending stitchs are secure and unobtrusive
4. Knots are buried.
5. Stitches are uniform in size and even back and front.

BINDING

1. Corners diagonal, or sharp perpendicular abutment
2. Corners smoothly rounded or 90-degrees square.
3. Bias fabric not stretched or rippled
4. Batting is firmly and evenly filled to the edge.
5. Stitches on the back are small, close, tight and even.
6. Thread color matches the binding fabric.

With knowledge in hand now, I will make a quilt to be judged.  Now whether I get a ribbon or not, I know that I will learn and improve for the next time so that I can get the blue ribbon.