Weekly update: flowers, fun (and games), (estate sale) find, and a finish

 We enjoyed both wild and cultivated flowers this weekend.

The library is the starting point for the Illinois Dunesland Garden Club annual tour. 

This year's sites included the Garden of Faith at Memorial UMC (our church).  People can rent raised garden plots -- 20 this year with room to develop more -- for vegetables and flowers.  

Other gardens on view were in Winthrop Harbor, Carol Beach, and Pleasant Prairie.  

The quirky sculptures were fun!

We've had good rainfall this season and the wildflowers are abundant. 

Illinois Beach/Hosah Park (89 degrees on Sunday). Clockwise from left: chokecherry, mullein, nodding onion, lead plant, shrubby cinquefoil, the new beach (last year the waterline was up to the vegetation that you see), Culver's root, rosinweed.

Old School Forest Preserve on Friday.  Top: coneflower, monarda, Queen Anne's lace. Middle: rattlesnake master, woodland sunflower, hairy pagoda plant (sweetmint). Bottom: yellow loosestrife, bellflower, butterfly weed.

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Wednesday's guild meeting was the annual ice cream social and bingo party.  We made bingo boards out of fabric.   (Five specific colors, choices for the prints such as novelty, plaid, stripe, dot, batik, 30s repro, etc.)   The boards will be assembled into charity quilts.  

The 2024 mystery quilts were revealed.  A guild member designed the mystery which was available online (=non members from anywhere could participate).  Here are a few of the entries.  I did not join in, but I wish I had!

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There was an estate sale here in Winthrop Harbor this weekend.  I didn't know the homeowner; in fact, I didn't even recognize the house.  I stood in line Friday morning because it featured EIGHT Featherweights with original cases!   They were all in pretty good shape -- $250 each -- and I did not buy a single one.   During the time I was there three were purchased.  

There were boxes and boxes and boxes of clothing patterns. There were bins and bins and bins of fabric, much of which was polyester doubleknit.  Though the sewing room was in the basement, mercifully everything was dry. No mustiness.  But: $3.00 per piece of fabric? Not for me. 

I went back Sunday afternoon when EVERYTHING left was $1.00.  (No Featherweights.)  Still, $1.00 for a FQ? Nope.  I bargained with DJ, the estate sale company owner.  I got all of this for $53.00.  (In the pile: a box of zippers for my friend who makes tote bags; real pipe cleaners ("for a sweeter smoke") for my friend who sells vintage on Etsy; and an unopened roll of Heat 'n' Bond.)    The fabric worked out to .41 (forty-one cents) per yard.   

If I can't not buy fabric then I am going to be sure I get bargains!

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And, finally -- a finish for July!    Christmas Mountain Majesties is quilted and bound.  This will be raffled at the AAUW holiday luncheon in December.   It's my OMG this month. 

The back uses two 1990's Cranston prints (on the left from Barb M's estate) and a real vintage (36" w) green check. 

6-7/8 yards total.

Linking up with Design Wall Monday  Oh Scrap!