Batik Stars, Abilene trip & a Wind Farm on the way

It is a glorious Saturday morning here in north Texas. It is only 73º so far. Can you tell I am ready for fall? Yesterday was a very full day for us. In the morning I worked on some batik stars for a new twin size quilt. The batiks are Dreaming in Color by Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda fabric. I really like the cheery blues and yellows.

In the afternoon we went to Abilene, Texas for some business but then we had to have some fun. We drove to the small town of Buffalo Gap, Texas

 where the famous Perini Ranch Steakhouse is.

The grounds are peaceful.

The decor inside is very eclectic. This is 7 foot rattlesnake ski tanned on a board.

Have you ever seen a jackalope?

This bison head was watching us eat.

Our appetizer was Jalapeño Poppers. Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in smoky bacon and grilled. Second course was a blue cheese salad with roasted pecans. We split a 16oz rib eye steak with ranch potatoes and still brought some home to enjoy today. We did save room for desert by bringing home some of our steak. Strawberries with sugar biscuits and real heavy cream poured over it all. This was not a heart healthy meals but it was wonderful! They also raise a few pump jacks on the property.

There were some very interesting buildings in Buffalo Gap

I took pictures of the wind farms on the way home.

These windmills are huge!!! It is kind of freaky when you first see them.  

This shows the wind farm with the sun setting behind.    

First Market pattern quilts finished!

All but one of my pattern cover quilts is finished. I just got them back from my quilter Jo Lynn O'Neil and would like to share them with you.

They are all made with future groups of fabric from Moda Fabrics.

Please check with your local quilt shops to see if they will have these fabrics and carry my patterns.

The first pattern is called Post & Beam. It is made with 8 fat quarters. It is great for the big bold prints but is also good for flannels.

The flannels used here are Timber Creek Flannels by Holly Taylor.

This one is made with Tranquility fabric designed by Sandy Gervais.

This one is also made with Tranquility fabric but it is scrappy and uses the panel that is part of the line.

This pattern is called Radiant Star made with my No Diamonds/No "Y" Seams technique. The front cover quilt is a large lap quilt made with

Tradition Fabric by Howard Marcus. The proceeds from this fabric will go to UNICEF.

The quilt on the back cover is a wall, baby, table topper made with Love Is In The Air by Deb Strain.

The last pattern is called Shooting Stars. There are twin, queen and king size quilts included. The cover quilt is a queen made with Heritage by Howard Marcus.

The back cover is a king made with Peace On Earth which is now in quilt shops.

Quilt shop owners please email me if you need more information on these patterns or the fabrics used. The patterns will be available soon.

When I was in Benton, Arkansas teaching at the Saline County Quilt Guild my lunch was provided by Gwen Rogers' husband. This is his recipe.

 Tom's Tasty Tuna

1   5 oz. can albacore tuna in water, drained

1/2 apple, chopped (sometimes we use the whole apple)

1/2 cup chopped pecans (more or less)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (more or less)

3/4 cup mayonnaise (more or less to suit your taste)

(We always use albacore tuna because it doesn't have such a strong flavor.)

Mix all ingredients and serve on lettuce or in sandwiches.

Also while I was in Benton one of the students shared the quilt she had made using the free pattern from my website.

http://www.calicocarriage.com

It uses the No Diamonds / No "Y" Seams technique. It is also fat quarter friendly. It is a great project for a holiday like today. I hope you all have a great Labor Day.