The last trip of the year in the Casita, Hamilton Missouri Quilting mecca of the world!

October 17, 2018 we left about noon for Hamilton, Missouri. Our first stop was in Macon at the Ben Franklin store. I love that store. It still has flat fold fabric and many, many bolts of reasonably priced fabric. While the blacksmith sat in the truck, I picked up 5 pieces of fabric and two new rag rugs.

We then went down the street for pie and coffee at Ashley's Apple Basket, but changed our mind and ate lunch.

We arrived at A Country Charm RV park in Hamilton a little before 3. We were like the needle in a hay stack. TINY! Before our stay was over I am pretty sure all but one camper was there to attend the week at Missouri Star Quilt Company. Two ladies, Linda and Jane, messaged me on Facebook that they were also staying there.

So for the next three days, the blacksmith was teaching a Colonial hardware class at the Missouri School of Blacksmith in Cameron, Missouri just 15 miles away.

So to feel right at home, I took along my cappuccino machine! 

I also took my Singer 99 machine, dated 1956!

Thursday I finished 4 pillowcases, one table runner and started on a homespun plaid quilt top.  I was also cooking Burger country ham with Yelloweye beans in the slow cooker outside.

I went on to piece a little more on the Elvis quilt.

Thursday afternoon I got a message from a Facebook post I had on a RV/quilting page. It was from a friend of the RV park owner. He offered me a free class at Missouri Star quilt. Too bad I didn't see the message until after it was over with. So I replied, was there anything tomorrow, as I hadn't seen the message soon enough.

Bob told me I was welcome to attend all three sessions on Friday!

I saw Linda come home to her camper Wednesday afternoon, so I went to tell her what I was given. She asked me to go along with her Friday and she'd show me the way. 

Friday the first demonstration I saw was Mary Jane Carey.  She is a fabric designer for Henry Glass fabrics.  Her holiday quilts that were embellished with jewels really caught my eye.

  
In the afternoon, I saw (and met) Stacy West. OMG, the wool appliques she makes were beautiful. I was getting hooked! Her business is Buttermilk Basin. You must check it out.

Stacy West of Buttermilk Basin! I should have asked her to sign my pattern. 

The last show of the day was Jenny Doak of Missouri Star Quilt Co. and her husband, Ron, what a team! She took 9 charm pack blocks (I think they are 5 1/2 inches square), sewed them up and showed all these quilts that were made from just sewing them together. It was amazing to see them. 

Bob the Facebook friend that gave me the free demonstrations package, told me I must go see the worlds largest spool of thread. I introduced myself to Bob's wife, Courtenay and gave her one of my handmade needle keepers for letting me in! Thank you to you both!!!!

The building behind me will be a quilting museum. They gladly accept donations.

My partner in crime (okay shopping) was Linda from from Springtown Texas. We stopped a quilter and she took our picture, since I wasn't very successful in taking a good selfie! I so appreciated her and her husband Dennis giving me a ride, although the RV park is just about 4 or 5 blocks, an easy walk to town.

Frying some county ham and cabbage outside the Casita!

Saturday morning my friend Tami knocked on my door. Her and her husband are blacksmith friends. He was doing the Hamilton Fall Festival. Tami and I went road tripping. First she took me on a tour of Missouri state park, Crowder Park. It was beautiful with the trees turning golden all through the hills. 

We went on to Missouri days at Trenton Missouri. There we walked through a huge craft show, so many vendors. The booth she is standing in, was our favorite! 

After lunch at Dino's cafe, where we two sisters by different mothers ordered the exact same thing. We went to her parents  little paradise of 20 acres tucked among big trees and a lake, which can be viewed out two sides of their unique dome home. 

After a quick tour, some visiting , and a few doggie pets, it was time to move on.

We drove through the town of Chillicothe and saw the amazing murals. This is the back of the library! Take a better look here: Murals of Chillicothe.

The people in these windows looked so real.

We then headed back to Hamilton. There we went to the Fall Festival at the steam engine grounds. Of course we had to go see Tami's husband Willy, where he was forging. 

She dropped me off at the Casita, just shortly before my blacksmith returned from his class.

Later that night, when I was over visiting Linda in her RV, Willy stopped by for a visit. 

Bernie demonstrating during his class.

It was a small class, but that can be a good thing. He had 3 students, including our friend Melanie!

We returned home Sunday. Sadly it will be the last trip in the Casita this year. After a low of 29 on the last night, it's time to winterize it!

We will be looking forward to next spring, when we can again take it on a road trip!

Thirty some years later . . .

No I haven't been away from blogging that long.

We took a trip to Eminence, Missouri along the Current river for a few days of R and R. The last time we were camped here together our kids were little. 

It was a fun weekend.

Here's our camp spot. We roughed it as there were no hook-ups. However with a propane water heater we had hot showers every night. Of course there were plenty of hand made quilts to warm us too!

Speaking of quilts, Saturday we started by going to a quilt show in town. There were about 35 quilts entered. From what I saw, all but one were machine quilted.

 This was the only one hand quilted and it was made in 1950.

Next we went to Circle B craft show. It might have been the largest craft show we've ever been to. It was reported there were 4000 people there. There were at least 3 of the big circus tents and hundreds of small tents. Would you believe we left without buy a thing! Including not even a funnel cake or a blooming onion.

A re-purposed Canoe!

From the craft show we went to The Haunting of the Hills festival. Here are some beautiful axes from Dr. Jim Price's collection. Some dated back to Roman times.

Look at the amazing details.

Our friend Ray Joe Hastings of Doniphan, Missouri displayed his gig collection.

My blacksmith has a collection too, but not near this many!

Here they were cooking hog heads to make head cheese. Trust me I wouldn't stay for the final product.

Some nice baskets.

The blacksmith ran into lots of friends that he hunts with.

92 year old Jake shows one of his carved walking sticks he makes. We also have a couple of his hand made turkey calls.

He pulled this tiny arrow head from his pocket to show me.

The foresters helped the ladies pour their soap.

These guys were making moonshine!

Pictures don't do this justice.

The Alley Spring Mill, gorgeous in any weather.

I received my hand made wool socks from Karen before we left. They kept my feet toasty warm. She has an Etsy page.

He does such a good job cooking breakfast for me!

Sunday we went to Old Iron Works days near Salem, Missouri. This lady was making socks on an antique sock machine. She told me it was made in the early 1900's.

Look at her colorful broom. When I suggested to my friend Margie that she should try this, she told me she just had that very same day!

The hornets nest! If only I had a video of the blacksmith trying to retrieve this after dark. That was after his flashlight went dead. Did I mention they were alive in there?  That was until he gave them a dose of Raid wasp and hornet spray. It now is drying and will be hung in our mudroom with 3 others that he has collected.

Until next time.