Last week I flew to Boston to visit my niece.  We followed the Freedom Trail and ate Italian in the North End.  I soaked up the experience of being surrounded by so much academia (MIT and Harvard were within walking distance of my bed & breakfast).  I also visited the main Boston Public Library. I reveled in the magnificent architecture and experienced a sense of awe as I ascended the main staircase between the lions.  However, I knew in a flash that I much prefer the warmth and noisiness of my own school library.

One of my side trips was a day trip to the Lakes region of New Hampshire, which also happens to be the home of Keepsake Quilting – you know THE quilting catalog just about every quilter receives in their mailbox 2-3 times a year.  Here’s proof there really is a retail store to go along with the catalog.  The shop is a treat to visit with all of the quilts on display and vignettes set up around the store.  I engaged in a little retail therapy and was most happy to find the remaining batik fabrics to make the bird applique quilt for my mom.

I’m glad I listened to that little voice that told me to pack a small embroidery kit in my suitcase.  My return journey home took 18 hours instead of the anticipated 4-1/2 hours due to mechanical breakdowns, cancellations, rerouting, bad weather and a ground stop at the Atlanta airport.  The retro embroidery book I found atgather here & make something in Cambridge came in handy, as did the floss I purchased at a cute stitchery shop in downtown Boston.   I traced designs onto the muslin squares in my kit and stitched away.  I now have a collection of redwork squares waiting to be made into small projects.