For Ladies Only, Tomorrow, the Guys!

It's been HOT....How hot? It's been over 90 for the last two days...this is not the normal high for Casa Grande. Normal temps are in the seventies this time of year..Fortunately, there's a breeze that seems to come up every afternoon, but it just blows the hot air around. I know, it's a "dry" heat...granted, the humidity is about 10%, so it does feel better than 85% humidity back in the midwest, but it STILL feels like you are sticking your head in an oven. And there's lots of sandy dust blowing around in the afternoon on some days....so I've been spending time down at the air conditioned sewing room. I guess quilting is so big at Palm Creek, that the sewing group brings in guest speakers on occasion, and a lot of publicity to the park with their blanket quilts for charity and other noteworthy events. At any rate, the park is going to construct a separate sewing facility in the park to house more sewing equipment, machines, and worktables as the quilters are outgrowing their nice room they have now.

Olfa mat covered tables

In the sewing room, there are ample work tables, extra large ironing tables for larger projects set up with irons ready to go, and plenty of quilting rulers of all sizes and shapes for you to borrow while you are in there. You just have to bring your own rotary cutter. They have bulletin board walls where you can pin up quilts to see how squares match up and how your colorways are working and fellow sewers offer kind encouragement and help if you need it or want it. They have sewing machines that you can borrow as well, but most people have brought their own to use. You rent a cubby for 5.00 and then you can come down and sew all morning, all afternoon, and from 6:00-9:00 at night, if you like. They have all kinds of quilting classes and they do trips to wonderful fabric and quilting stores as well. (Uh-oh! Has Sparky signed up for any? Eldo wonders.) Nope, it's too late in the year for that...sewing classes and trips are winding down at the end of this month. But the sewing center is a great way to meet new people, so Sparky is going to spend more time down there.

One lady is making a quilt from a photograph. She is fusing pieces of material bit by bit, inch by inch onto fabric, tiny, tiny little pieces...it's going to be a nature quilt with a grist mill in it. Amazing attention to detail, this lady possesses! She told me she is not doing this from a pattern, but from a photo. I think she said she was self taught on this method of quilting. I've seen some really nice quilting classes offered there as well...a paper pieced table topper, a modern art quilted wall hanging and beginner quilter classes, too. What a nice facility!

Today was a car show from 10:00-2:00 at Palm Creek, so the next blog will be about that.....got to organize my photos and try to identify some of the cars before posting...see you later!