Stitches Going In –
I told myself that I wanted to be stitching on this project in time for the holidays.
And look! Here I am!
It’s just as sweet as the red and white stripes on a candy cane!
Yes, I know that the holidays will be quickly past us and I’ll still have several months of hand quilting to go – will I get tired of something that feels like it could be a Christmas quilt?
Nope! What’s the next big holiday that comes up after the first of the year? The one with certain colors attributed to it anyway?
St. Valentine’s Day!
First hoop-full done!
I think the cross-hatching is perfect for this one. And so simple.
My photo of the Abbey Gate street sign in Galway inspiring the name of this quilt.
Lynch Castle, Galway –
On the corner of Shop Street and Upper Abbeygate Street.
Text from the 1800s mentioning Abbeygate Street.
Historic photo of this corner of Abbeygate Street.
Our recent visit to Bath, England!
Christmas markets!
And mobs of people.
And yes – Bath ALSO has an Abbeygate Street. It seems that anywhere there was an Abbey – there could rightly be an Abbeygate Street.
More Christmas Markets.
Everyone was out and about – the threat of rain was not going to keep us in!
My favorite? Stopping by a vendor booth for a hot cup of mulled wine and just wandering around and soaking it all in.
The little chalets held wonderous things – but I had to be aware of my suitcase weight and breakability so what came home? Wool socks and a couple of ornaments.
More festive alleyways.
And of course, I saved my desire for a traditional fish & chips dinner for Bath. While some chose to go to the fancy fish restaurant, Holly, our bus driver Sam and I headed to a little hole in the wall fish shop where our meals were cooked in front of our eyes and served with little flourish. Delicious!
The famous Crescent in Bath.
Gathering around our Bath guide as he regaled us with stories of Bath past.
So now you know why I’m even MORE sure that I named this quilt the right name – after places I’ve been, places I love, and places I wish to remember.
And if anyone brings it up and asks me why “Abbeygate” I can honestly tell them why.
This is NOT Abbeygate! And Not Galway or Bath.
This is big digger machines fixing the collapsed part of Grassy Creek road left after Hurricane Helene. We’ve been driving around pylons for months.
Road crews have been hard at work still clearing up the downed tree debris all along the roadways and fixing the bad parts of washed away roads before winter snow and ice really sets in. I’m grateful for all of the hard work.
We tried the jeweler in Galax yesterday to see if we could get my broken glasses fixed, but were told that the nose piece on my broken glasses could not be welded back on.
We immediately walked two blocks down to Quilts on Main for some retail therapy to cheer me up. (It worked!)
As you can see, I am restocking colors I used up in Old Town.
They suggested we try an independent shop called The Eyeglass Place to see if they could help.
The owner was lovely and said she would find a pair of frames that my old lenses would fit in until I can get my new prescription through my specialist several months down the road.
She found a pair very similar to my broken pair and just like that, I am back in business and able to see what I need.
I will not be half blind in Australia in a couple of weeks!
Note to self: Leave the big box chain stores behind, and go to your independent shops. You may find better help and customer service there than you will ever experience with corporate America.
So today? What’s up for the weekend?
Some things are just going to have to wait until after New Year’s.
Today I’m celebrating the winter solstice. My heart is doing the happy dance knowing that longer daylight begins and nights get shorter!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
