Freedom Waves and Race Day

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend, as we celebrate our freedom today, and remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice tomorrow. I have an exciting announcement today! My Freedom Waves quilt made with Benartex fabrics will be on display at Beginnings Quilt Shop in Hendersonville, North Carolina this coming week. They also have the McCall’s Quilting Summer 2026 magazine which contains the pattern. It was so great of Todd and Kathy to want to show this quilt. It is sized to be appropriate for a Quilt of Valor, and goes together really easy with scrappy fabrics.

We’ll be doing our cookout today as tomorrow is meant for more solemn ceremonies. Shop your house today for fun things to make a festive table. Gather some red white and blue items for a centerpiece. Here, I used some star dishes I’ve had for a while (purchased from the dollar store) along with a couple of patriotic sprays for the centerpiece. The placemats are just paper napkins unfolded on top of white plastic mats. Yes, you can do a tablescape with all disposable tableware!

We’ll be cooking on the grill with baked beans in a cast iron skillet.

This is one of those times that a Hot Handle Pad comes in handy. See the post Sew Day for a complete tutorial.

Having friends over? Use wire garland and pipe cleaner bits as wine glass charms.

Today is the biggest day in racing with a Formula 1 race early in the morning, then the Indianapolis 500, followed by Nascar’s 600 mile marathon race in Charlotte, NC. Naturally, a day of racing needs some fun nibbles, and a festive table for the weekend. Here’s my race day tablescape from 2019. Starting with the centerpiece, the spray with racing flags came from Dollar Tree, and the larger checkered flags I have had for a while. I put the spray and the flags in a mason jar, and set that inside a black iron candle stand without the candles. Green votive unscented candles are set around the four corners. Black chargers, white plates and black napkins continue the theme.

Appetizers to graze on all day long is the ticket to hours of racing! I’ve done a number of recipes for small plates and appetizer style foods in past posts for game days. See my Appetizer Meals post for recipes for Baked Parmesan Chicken Wings, Lower Fat Sausage Balls, and Baked Spinach for a hot appetizer meal.

Then jump over to my Summer Fun Recipe Roundup for more finger food ideas like my Perfect Deviled Eggs (the last recipe you’ll ever need, downloadable pdf on that post) and Ham Roll Ups.

We are both Formula 1 racing fans, and avidly devour the Netflix series Drive to Survive every season it comes out. The Formula 1 Drive to Survive Unofficial Companion is a well written guide to understanding the world of Formula 1 racing. Beginning with a detailed explanation of the principal jobs in each organization, the author takes the reader step by step into how teams function. Reading the back stories behind the infamous rivalry of Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Christian Horner was fascinating. Chapter 2 details the history of Formula 1 racing, including the woeful lack of protective equipment in the early days. Famous drivers from the past like Jan Manuel Fangio are featured, along with the evolution of racing engines and design by manufacturer. The book then covers the extraordinary technology of aerodynamics, and engine power evolution. Racing circuits are shown for all the major racing venues, including some history and some that are no longer being used. The governing body is featured with the process of making rules for all the teams to follow, and those that push those limits, bending the rules to the breaking point. Subsequent chapters discuss the role of money in financing and influence in the sport, technological data, tires and strategy. Throughout the book are extraordinary candid and action photographs that would alone make the book a must-have for the Formula 1 enthusiast. Highly recommend for the die-hard F1 racing fan, and a great book for the casual fan who would enjoy the races more by understanding the teams and personalities behind the scenes. Put this one on your gift list for the F1 racing fan in your life.

Another fabulous book just published about the world of women in Formula 1 is Driven by Susie Wolff. This book should be required reading for every young girl, whether or not they enjoy racing. Susie Wolff began her racing career at a young age, facing obstacle after obstacle yet never giving up. As she moved from karting into the world of Formula cars, she was constantly fighting to be seen as a racing car driver, not a “woman driver,” able to compete with anyone else on the track. This eventually led to her being hired as a Formula 1 test driver. When her racing career came to an abrupt end with the realization that she would never be able to break the final glass ceiling of Formula 1, she pivoted to redefining herself in motorsports management. She took the reins of a Formula E team and turned it from a back of the pack team to a top contender. Always looking to advance the role of women in motorsports, she founded the F1 Academy, a training ground for aspiring women racing drivers for the highest level of Formula 1 racing. Determination, persistence, and action in the face of obstacles defines this extraordinary woman. She is an inspiration for women in all careers. The narrative is compelling and difficult to put down, and the themes will resonate with the reader long after reading.

We’ll have some quilting fun this coming week, and I have an idea for a fall quilt along! Now that some obligations are over, and the quilt show was such fun, I am inspired again. Yesterday, we had a great drive with our car club, so I’ll have that for you soon, too. Stay tuned, shop my links below and have a wonderful holiday weekend! What are your plans?

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May 21-28: 20% off Memorial Day Sale! Customers save 20% at ElectricQuilt.com with code MAYSAVINGS. Sales exclude bundles (Starter Box), classes, and subscriptions (EQ Membership).

Check out Sulky.com for their Memorial Weekend sale specials – 40$% off Stabilizers in packs, rolls and bolts or 35% off assortments!! Sale ends Monday night.

Milk Street has new items on Sale in their store, including a couple of my favorite cookbooks.

Today and tomorrow, enjoy up to 50% off selected items in Fat Quarter Shop’s Memorial Weekend Sale! May specials include 20% off the Basic of the Month Speckled Metallic by Ruby Star Society, 30% Off the Notions of the Month Oh…Sew! Organized Stash ‘n Stores, and book of the month Spelling Bee Book. Take 30% off featured Patterns of the Month from Lella Boutique. Then, check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week!!