Ok, I'm at work with extra time on my hands, I thought I'd share with you just a few more of our family vacation photos. Hopefully your not too sick of them. After spending a week at the first campground we regrouped and took the kids camping in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. On the way we stopped at the Mackinaw bridge. Crossed over and went to the Tahquamenon Falls State Park campground.

After setting up camp we rented this little row boat (from the park) and rowed across the Tahquamenon river to this little island that the falls surround. You can hike around the island and see all the little falls. Its a great little hike.

One of the first falls on the hike.

Little islands surrounding the big island. Beautiful.

Another set of falls.

Another fall.

Then went drove to the Upper (much larger) Falls and hiked back to the Lower Falls. This was a much harder four mile hike, through the woods and along the river.

Over woodland creeks.

Along the Tahquamenon river.

This is a beautiful, woodland hike.

Back at our campsite there was this cute little chipmunk who would take peanuts right out of your hand, run it across the road to his home and then come back for more.

Camping crafts

We had one rainy day while camping, out came my bags of left over wool scraps (yes, Deb, I know, save every tiny little scrap). The boys made memory pictures of camping. This is a hard project because there is no drawing the picture first, you just cut it out.

But they love it. They glued the pieces on the wool background with fabric glue.

Big brother even got into it.

Right to left, beach scene with driftwood.
Bridge over the creek with clouds and a tree, snake in the water.

Tree with pond and snake, sun and clouds.
And little brothers snake with tonge sticking out, ok, he's not into it!
Someday I'm going to sew them altogether (with last years, and the next years) and make a little memory quilt.

One day we went to the nature center and learned about turtles and how to draw them and their patterned shells.

Then a hike through the woods to Lake Mi.

Back home to regroup for our next camping trip with a little bit of time to tie-dye some 4th of July t-shirts. We started by mixing up soda ash to soak the shirts in.

I taught each one how to twist the shits for the traditional pattern. Everyone did their own.

Waiting for turns.

I mixed up red and blue Procion dye, then everyone dyed their own.

Even little brother.

My sister-in-law, her daughter and grandson came too. Mom dyed a onesie, then grandma dyed shirts for her other grandchildren.

Big brother.

Hope you had a wonderful 4th!

Camping

Off to the campground, while we set up camp the oldest took all the little kids down to look for critters in the creek.

Mama watching them.

Vicky and her new dog came camping too!

In the afternoon its down to the beach, this is where the creek emptys into Lake Mi. The little ones climb on all of the old trees while big brother climbs the dunes with his friends.

Its very hot, humid and foggy.

Gardens

And then there was a moon........

With a sprinkling of stars coming soon.

I haven't done much quilting, outside every free moment working in the yard and gardens. I thought I'd show you a little bit. I bought this flower cart from a artist who uses old steel and welds it together to make new garden art. The wheel even roll!

This year we put in a little raised vegetable garden by our back door, full of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fancy lettuce and pumpkin plants. Handy for a quick salad. Our bigger garden space now holds my dye plants, when they get bigger I'll post it.

Years ago we pulled this old hand hued barn beam from the river and brought it home, hoping to use it for something one day. (it's about 12 foot long and looks like a giant Tinker Toy). Well, we haven't used it but it looks charming with berry vines growing over it.

Our front fence along the sidewalk is lush this year with ivy, sweet cicely, and bleeding heart plants.

With the bird bath on the other side setting on a old pine stump overgrown with ivy.

Local Made Antique Quilts

Last night at our quilt guild meeting our local museum put on a wonderful trunk show with antique quilts from their collection. The quilts were all from our area.

This first quilt is a wool log cabin from the 1850's in the barn raising design. The story of the quilt is the owners were moving West and traded the quilt for a can of lard.

This crazy quilt from the 1860's. The silks in this quilt are disintegrating.

This hand-pieced and hand-quilted piece from the mid1800's was a donation quilt. People donated money (.10?) and the quilters would embroidered their signatures in the boarders. Then the quilt would be raffled and all the money would go to some cause.

Another silk crazy quilt from the mid1800"s. This one was made by one of the most prominent families in our are at that time, Mrs. Charles Hackley. Her husband made his fortune in lumber.

Black with cream embroidery mid1800's. This quilt was hand embroidered by the women of a local church probably as a fund raiser. All the blocks have different local business advertisements.

I love this one with the picture of a Whirlpool washer.

A red work quilt, each block was embroidered by a different women. One was done by another Lumber Barron's wife, Mrs. Hume. Their signatures were also embroidered on the top.

I like this spider web, it says "come into my parlor"

A very heavy Star of Bethlehem, mid 1800's. This was hand-pieced with wool fabric then appliqued onto a plaid blanket.

Another silk and velvet quilt in the rail pattern, mid 1800's. The silk is deteriorating on this also.

A wife of a local Judge made this wool quilt with his old robes and suits. Mid1800's.

This quilt was hand-pieced and quilted by a elderly women. After using it a few years someone dear to her was getting married. So she bought a new back for it, requilted it and gave it to the couple as a wedding gift.
Late 1800's

Look at the size of her new quilting stitches. Too cute.

I don't remember too much about this quilt except they have called it a Cherry Basket from the late 1800's.

Our local museum focuses on the Victorian era, when all the beautiful mansions were built with all the beautiful Michigan trees.

Memorial Weekend

My husband and I planted all our gardens (vegetable, herb, dye) and flower pots Saturday and Sunday, then the final touch was adding this "Sun" stepping stone. I'd seen it done at our local health food store Utopian Market Place last year. Theirs was tucked in their gravel paths.
We went to a landscape store and picked out the correct shape stones. It looked really great until the maple tree let loose all it's whirly birds, I had to sweep off the sun to get a picture. My yard is full of them, some as thick as snow!
Next we want to put in a crescent moon.

Speaking of Suns, I cut out my next block for my wool quilt. I love how this fabric dyed, I solar dyed it last year. One jar contained cochineal, madder root and Osage orange bark with the wool fabric. The other jar held Osage orange bark and annetto. I haven't sew this yet.

On Monday I packed a picnic and we took our boat out on the river for the day. We try to stay off the main branch and explore the little tributaries, so much more wildlife. This was a wonderful sight, Who lives in this little home? With spruce tree landscaping and moss covered logs

leading down to the river. How charming is that?

New natural dye book

This is a wonderful new natural dyeing book by Rebecca Burgess. The chapter on Navajo dyeing was written and photographed while I was in class with Rebecca in Arizona. The photos in this book are beautiful. Lots of great inspiration.

I've been working on my wool quilt, dye printing leaves and cutting out new squares to piece.
Not all of these are sewed together, some are just placed on my new flannel board I made for the dye studio.

My girlfriend Laura quick whipped up this patriotic quilt to be used on the grandkids bed at her cottage this holiday weekend. And when I say quick I mean she is fast! She has made a few other patriotic quilts for the beds, now the babies have theirs.

Oh, and look at this wonderful mushroom growing in our back woods, I love the pointy cap!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, I see you next week.