Monday Meandering 2 - 10 - 2020

Success! I finished the challenge quilt Friday and turned it in on Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it! Sigh.  It will be hanging at the Mid Atlantic Quilt Show with the other Country Piecemakers challenge quilts at the end of the month so I'll get some pictures then.  I like it so much better than the one I did last year.  (See it here.) I've decided I am very literal when I try to make creative quilts.  You'll see what I mean when I post pictures at the begining of March.

Most of my sewing time last week was dedicated to the challenge quilt but yesterday I worked on some string blocks for Covered in Love block drive.  You can read more about it at Kat and Cat Quilts. Although I like making blocks and sending them off for someone else to actually make the quilt, these string blocks seem to take forever!  I will have 5 done eventually and will get them in the mail sometime before the end of the month.  It is nice to use some of my strings though.

Before trimming the block. 

Two blocks trimmed.  Sorry, not my favorite block.  

I also received a nice package of fabrics I ordered from 1,000 Bolts last week.  Here are the two that I was able to get washed during the week. Yikes that bottom fabric is wild!  However, the plan is to cut the strips into 2.5" squares and make four patches.  Hopefully this fabric will look much better when I just use this for four patches as I plan to cut along the white lines... hopefully it will work the way I think it will work.  The light blue fabric is a wide back to finish up a patriotic top I'm making for TAPs. 

And here are the light colored fabrics I got at the same time. Just basics except a small patriotic remnant. (hum, the center fabric is definitely white, not cream.) I may have to quit buying fabrics as I haven't used the fabrics I bought last year from 1000 Bolts.  Sigh.

Exactly a month ago we were in Cartagena, Colombia.  We enjoyed the city tour that started at Castillo de San Felipe -- a fort up on the hill overlooking the city.  In 1597 the fort was just earthen works. Within 20 years more fortifications were added but only a fairly small section known as the bonnet, because of its shape.  If you remember your history European countries were expanding through conquering.  In 1697 Cartagena was attacked by the French. The small fort at the top of the hill was not enough to protect the city. In the picture below the bonnet is visible as the tallest point and the little wall/building to the right. I'm not too sure how far back it goes because I was pooped after walking to the main section and I wasn't going any further UP! 

The second attack in 1741 by the English was not as successful. Additional fortifications and canons had been added.  Although the harbor and forts closer to the water were taken, Castillo de San Felipe protected the city.  That was the last attack by Europeans. It continued to be expanded ending up with tunnels, cisterns and 62 canons. The fort continued to protect the city until 1821 when Cartagena became independent.  It was neglected for most of the 19th century until the late 1920s when restoration began.  It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.  

Looking from the fortress out at the city and ocean.  Notice the two venders set up on the walkway up to the fortress.  It was quite the walk up the hill to the fort.  From the fort we went to the old town section of the city.  

There were a large number of tourists and even more vendors selling hats, leather goods, and much more that I have forgotten.  We could barely walk without having someone try to sell something to us. We had some free time to walk about the old town area. One of the shops we visited was a chocolate shop where we bought several bars of chocolate although we haven't opened them yet.  But the samples at the shop were very good!  We also stopped for some liquid refreshments and to sit a bit. And then on to a tour of a beautiful church in the area. 

As the bus was returning us to the dock I noticed this building with really odd balconies. I took this through the bus window which explains the white section at the upper right of the photo.  I keep thinking this picture could definitely inspire a modern quilt! 

I'll share more pictures of our trip the next time I blog.  I have quite a few wonderful pictures of birds and animals native to the area.  And, soon going through part of the Panama canal. 

I will be linking up to Oh Scrap, Monday Making, and Design Wall Monday.  Have fun doing some internet surfing.  I just haven't had time to do much surfing so I plan to spend more time this week doing just that! 

Happy Quilting All!  Bonnie