only those that travel well ...

We have spent the last few weeks traveling while waiting for the arrival of the required papers for re-entry into Peace Corps. My craft room goes with me in the car, but alas on a much smaller scale

no sewing machine, only those items that can be done by hand. [Hopefully I will be getting the first of my BOM for Rainbow Jane in a week or so.] When we actually fly even this is reduced.

Part of the fun of traveling, time permitting, is stopping and visiting various shops. I still am having trouble when I go into a quilting shop with the choices. There are simply too many things to choose from and make decisions about. I did go into one in St Charles, MO and all I walked out with was a cutesy pattern and my name on the list for the fabric.

Ok, so now I have 2 different patterns that I thought my DGD would like. hmmmm This one where I have not, as yet, bought the fabric ... or this one [sorry, is hard to see] which has these fabrics

and I already have the fabrics. hmmm guess I will send pix to her and let her choose.

Basically, I am leaving quilting alone until I make the decision as to what I will be taking with me to Colombia.

On the other hand, however, "don't put me in the briar patch" when it comes to needlework places. While in Tulsa I found a small shop and was able to get some of the fibres for a belt that I want to make as well patterns for small Christmas ornaments.

The fabric is 28 ct white with silver metallic in it. Of course, can't start these as I do not have my thread stash with me and I am NOT going to buy more.

Of course, traveling in the car allows me a little leeway as to using a frame. So I have been working a little on the Santa ornaments. All three at the same time. Do one section on the pattern, then follow it with the same section on the other 2. Slow going but then I haven't done a lot either. [I do a lot of the car driving].

And then there is the airplane riding. This really limits what one can do, so here I simply take a cross stitch project as I don't use a hoop or frame for these. I took my Santa and Sleigh with me and then all I did was read on the plane. How lame is that? But I did do some work on it as I sat with my parents, usually in the early mornings and evenings. The fabric has a opal metallic through it which really doesn't show up. And all the gold leaf, well it really doesn't show the fact that I am using metallics throughout to give it the gold-leaf effect. Not much more to do and then I can start on Santa.

While in Edmonton my mother took me to her favourite needlework shop. Here I discovered how wonderful it is to actually see the colours of the fibres first hand and not on a computer screen. Of course, I had to purchase some.

And then I found the Nora Corbett patterns for all the reindeer that I had been wanting. Not sure yet as to what I am going to do with them, but ...

And last but not least, I have bought the wonderful canvas, and starter fibres, that I call "Wild Thing" that I read about on another blog. I have to mount it before I take a photo of it as it is currently rolled up inside my traveling craft room. This beautiful lady is going to be made into a handbag at some point.

I have been truly on a stash building jaunt along with the visiting. Now I have to decide what I want to take along with me to Colombia, besides my Rainbow Jane quilting squares BOM. I wonder how much I will be able to stash into one suitcase as that is ALL that I am allowed this go around. Even that will cost a fortune. I also have to take into account just how much time I think I will have for these loves. Working, studying Spanish, staff wifey things, and loves ... hmmmmm could be a tight schedule.

And so the saga continues ...