Last weekend I also finished stitching the quilt pattern designs on this cross stitch begun by my mother. More on this project here and here. I continued to rip as much as stitch to the end--I just couldn't quite picture the colors in place until I'd stitched them. I'm finally fairly happy with it. Now it's on to my sister for quilted borders. I may at some point add in name and date information or a back stitch "quilted" pattern in the blank spaces, but for now I think we need to plan a border and then decide on the rest. 
I washed and pressed it--and pressed it and pressed it. I can't get the fold lines out. I'd welcome any suggestions or ideas for removing those lines.
This weekend was chilly and gray. We drove out to Lubeznik in Michigan City to see the exhibit of South Shore posters and Interurbans. They also have a very nice exhibit of handmade furniture.
As usual, we stopped at the dunes to picnic. We found some beach glass (Mermaid's Tears) on our walk. The top piece is thick--it's coke-bottle green. Steve actually spotted most of them. I was having a hard time getting my eyes to focus.
We also swung by East Chicago, Indiana to look at the Century Plant. I was supposed to bloom in April and for weeks we drove by to check on it each week. Well, it did finally bloom--while I was on vacation! I didn't get a photo (it was rainy so I hadn't brought the camera with on Saturday), but plan to do so. It shot up several more feet and has large shoots coming off the top. It's also starting to die back. My understanding is that after it blooms, the plant dies. I'm sad we missed seeing it bloom.
