Good Morning, Kyoto!

Good Morning, everyone!

We made it in one piece - that's all I can say.

12+ hours of flight time and long customs lines and a 1 1/2 hour drive from Osaka to Kyoto finally rolling into our hotel about 9pm.

Straight to bed.  Nothing explored yet - but soon, very soon!

I'm typing this quickly so I can meet up with folks for an early morning walk - the photo you see here was taken a few minutes ago from my 12th floor window!

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To Japan We Go!

Los Angeles at Dusk.

Getting this far wasn’t easy!

My day was frought with hiccups starting with the scheduled Lyft ride that didn’t show up as scheduled.  I thought that was what SCHEDULING A RIDE meant!  I had even added 1/2 hour just in case some traffic issues happened – but at pick up time I received a text that it would be 40 minutes until my ride arrived.

GAH!

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January '19 Quilty Box Gift-Away!

This arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon -

in the nick of time!

I wasn’t sure it was going to make it before I left for Japan – and with me being gone for 3 weeks I didn’t know how I was going to get this Gift-Away out to you, but once again – Quilters Karma provides!

As does the USPS.  Thank you, postal people!

This is a Quilty Box that you will definitely want showing up on your doorstep as well.  It’s full of Tie One On fat-quarters designed by my friend Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios for Banyan Batiks!  EIGHT FAT-QUARTERS!

I am nearly giddy (No, wait – there has to be a better word, I used giddy just YESTERDAY)

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One Day To Go -

This is really happening!

And I’m starting to panic – just a bit.

I am having to take Lyft to the airport, and I scheduled my ride yesterday for pickup tomorrow morning between 7:45am and 8:00am.  My flight is at 10:05.  I have given myself plenty of time, the airport is 25 minutes away.

I’ve never gone to the airport this way before – but my car would be parked there for 3 weeks if I drove myself, and no one else is here to drive me (which is a first experience in this household as well!  Everyone is unavailable!) and so Lyft it is.

I just got a confirmation from my driver.  Nearly 57 years old and still experiencing many firsts!

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March/April ‘19 Quiltmaker Bundle Gift-Away!

BRING ON SPRING!!

If you are having a difficult time dealing with the fact that TECHNICALLY we’ve got 2 months of deep winter left – never fear!

This bundle is bound and determined to get you out of your winter blahs and into some color-filled ahhhs!

I was nearly giddly when my Quiltmaker issue arrived on my doorstep yesterday.  I had HAD IT with my Monday.  You know how it goes?  I plopped myself on the sofa, opened up the envelope, and started turning pages.  MARCH!  APRIL!  Blooming things, spring colors – all things FRESH!

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Mystery Monday Link-Up, Reveal 2!

Happy Monday, Quiltvillians!

Mondays seem to come faster and faster – here we are again!

I have enjoyed watching my feeds over the past week, last week watching the progress and even finishes of your Good Fortune quilts as they were posted to our last Mystery Monday Link-Up after the reveal.  Did you follow along?  You can still view them HERE if you missed it.  GORGEOUS work, everyone!

The colors, the variations – the border choices, block settings, layouts – the way you take what I have presented and have made it your own makes me SO PROUD!

If you haven’t quite gotten far enough to share your progress yet, don’t worry.  Today’s Mystery Monday Link-Up will be open until Thursday evening, January 17th at 11:55pm EASTERN.  We will have one final Link-Up the first Monday in February – February 4th.  I’ll be recuperating from Japan and teaching in Phoenix at that time, and I look forward to seeing what you have to share then.

If you missed last Friday’s post with our badges, and information on the items with our logo that can be purchased through Zazzle with all proceeds going toward free sewing, quilting, crochet workshops for those in need – click HERE. 

Today’s shares are coming to you from our Quiltville’s Open Studio group on Facebook!

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Ice Storms, Hands & Quilt-Cam!

This is what I woke up to this morning.

ICE coating everything -

(Yes,  cue the “Ice, Ice, Baby!” soundtrack!)

I made a trip to the grocery store late yesterday afternoon, the place packed as folks stocked up on food and sundry supplies for a storm that should last less than 24 hours, but hey – it’s the south. 

Winter storms here are an EVENT!

“Did you get the Doritos?”  “Yes!” “and the Krispy Kreme Donut Holes?” “Absolutely!”

I get a big charge out of looking at what other folks have in their carts.  I admit it.  I am a grocery voyeur.

As for me – I’m planning a big crock pot of chicken soup, so I simply had carrots, celery, an onion, salad fixings, bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, Jeff’s favorite coffee creamer (Cinnabon!) in my small cart and I was out of there.

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January, Flying By! (Quilt-Cam Today!)

This is where I want to spend my time.

And there will be time later this afternoon -

We’ve got a Quilt-Cam full steam ahead for 2pm EASTERN today via Facebook Live. and I am so excited.

We haven’t done a weekender in a long, long time. 

And the waves of String Frenzy going out the door are finally beginning to resemble a somewhat more normal pace – it’s still 100 orders a day, but they aren’t coming in to the tune of 500 in 90 minutes or less.  This is good.  This is very good.

I felt like it was time to change out machines as well – sometimes just switching up the vintage machines puts a smile on my face, pushing back those Winter Blues.

Remember when Mona and I found her?  It was December, 2016!!!  Click to THAT POST.

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Friday Already? (String Frenzy and Quilt-Cam Info Included!)

A bit of Appalachia Past.

It’s been nearly 2 weeks since we took a leisurely long and winding late Sunday afternoon drive, following ridges and hollers and just seeing where roads would lead – from paving to dirt and beyond. 

We wanted to explore parts of the area just to see where they would lead.  And I’ve been trying to think of a way to work these photos into a post, and there hasn’t been one, so lest I forget about them completely (It’s highly likely - I totally spaced my chiropractor appointment yesterday afternoon…) and neglect to post these at all, I am stepping away from whatever else I planned to write about and just put these glimpses of earlier life up here.

How many of you see 3 flying geese in the dormers over this porch?

And why were there 3 dormers there on this little building?  Could they have been sleeping quarters?

To tell you the truth, I’m not even sure I could find this place again if I tried.  But it was a BEAUTIFUL evening, and in the open pastures and fields, an abundance of deer were also enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.

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