Travel Tales: Patpong Night Market ~ Bangkok

Oh! The People You Meet in This Wonderful World!

Most nights when we were in Bangkok,

we would end up at the Patpong Night

Market.  It was withing walking distance

of our hotel and generally near to where

we would have dinner.

The market sells the typical watches,

purses, scarves and t-shirts but it is

like going to a show.  There are so many

things happening around you the atmosphere

is exciting and electric.  I would love to

have this VW van, pull up, flip down the bar

and instant party!

This is where I met Jennifer.  She was

one of the endless people in Asia who

called Brennan Harry Potter.  So, I became

Harry Potter's Mother.  Each night as we

walked through the market I would hear,

"Harry Potter's Mother!"  Kate and I would

buy purses from Jennifer and on the last

night we said a sad farewell.  But the story

doesn't end there.  A few weeks ago, my

brother was back in Bangkok and I sent

him to find Jennifer and bring her a

little present from me.  So here is a picture

of Jennifer holding one of my felt ornaments,

a little token of good luck from across the world.

Dining at the Mandarin Oriental ~ Bangkok, Thailand

Dinner al fresco along the Chao Phraya River

For our last night in Bangkok

we splurged and had dinner

at the Mandarin Oriental

Hotel,  said to be the best

hotel in the world.  The Oriental

was the first hotel in Thailand

and has hosted stars, dignitaries

and writers such as, Somerset

Maugham, Noel Coward and

Joseph Conrad.

We were greeted in the lobby

with a string quartet setting

a romantic mood.

We rode a teak boat across the

river and ate under a beautiful

jacaranda tree by moonlight.

The chefs make lovely carved

fruit arrangements.

The appetizers.

When we travel in foreign countries

we like to sample many of the dishes.

So we order what we would like

and then pass them family style

so we can taste the culture.

Just Desserts.

We had such a good time, we

closed the place but it will be a

night we will remember forever.

Civil War Remembered ~ Block 25

Calico Puzzle

We are quilting along with

Barbara Brackman's

Civil War Quilt 2011.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

We are just back from a late

night dinner.  We dined al fresco

at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

along the Chao Phraya river

in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A: Light

2 - 4" squares ~ Mark a

diagonal line on back.

1 - 3 3/8" square

Fabric B: Dark

2 - 4" squares

Fabric C: Medium

2 - 3 3/8" squares

Fabric D: Medium

2 - 3 3/8" squares

Note: My C & D squares are the

same fabric since I only brought

3 fat quarters and pre-cut squares

with me.  My pre-cuts are too small

for this weeks block.  Refer to Barbara's

blog for correct fabric placement.

Make Half Square Triangles:

Place Fabric A & B 4" squares

right sides together and sew 1/4" away

from each side of drawn line.  Cut on

drawn line and press to the dark fabric.

Square to 3 3/8".

Layout units as shown and sew

together in 3 rows.  Press seams in

 rows 1 & 3 to the inside and seams

in row 2 to the outside.

Sew rows together and

square to 8 1/2".

People in Thailand bring treadle

machines out onto the sidewalk

and do repairs on the street.

If I spoke Thai, I would have

asked them if I could rent their

machine while they ate their lunch.

(I'm not a hand-piecer!)

Check out everyone's work on

Dustin's Flickr site:

www.flickr.com/groups/civilwarquilts2011