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Monday, November 08, 2010

Tucked in and Laying Low....

I arrived home from Michigan last evening...I tell you what, this whole traveling on a day when time changes, and dealing with setting my watch back once in the hotel, back once again to put me on Chicago time and forward once again (back to Eastern time in NC) has me a bit loopy! It's only an hour! It shouldn't be that bad.

Either that, or I was just completely worn out because I couldn't believe it last night...I was looking at the clock, it said 8pm (Which was really 9pm body clock time) and yet I felt like it was 1am.....and I gave up! I crawled into bed, beneath three quilts, one cat on either side and went comatose until 6am this morning.

Maybe I needed it, maybe I didn't...but I still feel kinda crummy and I'm just taking a mental health jammie day.

Around here even jammie days don't mean "lie around and do nothing"....so a certain amount of puttering and unpacking has been going on. I did some hand quilting while sipping tea, hoping the crummy achy feeling would pass, and found myself watching "Notting Hill" on netflix streaming. ::::SOBBING::::: Why does this movie get to me so much?! I should have watched something funnier! Or something with zero-emotion-triggers like "Sell this house" or "Tabatha's Salon Take Over" :c/ OY! All in all, it's a good ache...and it has a happy ending :c)



The quilters of Oakland County were FABULOUS! (look at them waving their rotary cutters around!! LOL!!) I was a bit frazzled as I missed my connection at Washington/Dulles due to weather. This meant I had 4.5 hours until the next flight to Detroit and I was worried that I would be late for my own lecture Thursday night! But there is a reason I take the absolutely first flight out on my way.....even if it means getting up at 4am to be at the airport by 5:15 am for a 6:20 flight. I was able to get another later flight that got me into Detroit by 2pm!

I was greeted at the airport by Ruth who came with her own luggage cart and we wound our way to the parking garage, two big canvas duffels of quilts, my luggage suitcase, my laptop bag, and both of us steering....trying to remember where Ruth parked her car!

It was raining in Dulles which was the reason for my delay....it also meant that my luggage spent 4.5 hours sitting on a wet cart. When we unpacked the quilts, we found a few of the quilts had bled. SO...we've air dried them, and I'm going today (as soon as I feel less ugh) to get some dye catchers and hopefully get the bleeding out. I don't care how many times you pre-wash something. If something else sits up against it wet....for hours....color can transfer. So I'm asking good wishes in getting these clean!



My classes were held in the same hotel I was staying in which meant there was nearly zero lugging around to be done. This helped so much! Quarters were close...we had two full classes, and only one mishap with overloading the circuits with one-too-many irons which put half the room in darkness for just a bit of time.

After that, we moved the ironing stations outside the room on a different circuit and we were good to go!



Friday's class was Star Struck...of course with the ultimate challenge of using ONLY stash fabrics in your quilt...you should have seen the variety, and some of the fun ones they really dug deep for! My favorite line lately has been: "If there is still MILLENIUM FABRIC in your stash, it's time to get it out of there!" And they really did bring some fungly-uglies to play with. And they are all going to be fabulous quilts!

Here is a cute little SmileBox that Judy sent me! ((Be sure to click PLAY to get it started)) Thanks Judy!

Saturday was the "My Blue Heaven" workshop, and of course we had Black/Orange heavens, and green heavens, and rainbow heavens and red heavens...and a whole lot of fun learning to use the Easy Angle Ruler and the Companion Angle Ruler as well. Great class, all from 2.5" strips.



My special thanks to Ruth for taking me not once, but TWICE....to indulge in my favorite Midwest Obsession: CULVERS! If you have a Culvers and haven't tried their pumpkin/pecan concrete mixer, GO NOW! It's fabulous! (and I'm sure CONCRETE is exactly what going-twice-in one-trip is going to be what my hiney turns into!)

I also had the pleasure of meeting Barb, who belongs to a terrific gym close by, and she offered to take me so I could work OFF the above concrete buns mixer by spending some time on the elliptical trainer, and using the floor area to do some stretching. MUCH NEEDED!! Thanks so much, Barb, for your thoughtfulness and your cheery smile and fun conversation, and for the ride back to the airport yesterday morning!



So...my return trip included MUCH of THIS! I've attached 2 of the smaller border sections to the quilt center already...and I found it easier to use a real section of the border as my MAP for the new section instead of relying on a small drawing on graph paper. I can actually lay my new pieces on there as it grows and see what color I need to add next and where. Three of the smaller sections are done, two are attached, the third done one is my map, I'm piecing on the 4th border section and it's coming along! There are two kinds of border sections, one uphill, one downhill, and I'm doing the downhill ones first so I don't have to constantly switch gears and re-think which one I'm supposed to be working on. Makes sense?

Oh! And this is an exciting week! Be sure to come back by on Thursday...it's my blog hop visit for Quiltmaker Magazine's 100 Blocks magazine! I'll have up close photos for my block in the magazine, and a give away of a copy of the magazine for those who leave a comment on the post! Exciting stuff!

11 comments:

  1. Thank YOU Bonnie for a terrific time with you in Rochester! You are such fun and so knowledgable (spelling?). I am happily sewing away on my Star Struck units. Isn't Barb the nicest? Enjoy your time at home and rest up - don't want you to feel yucky after your trip to Michigan (or anytime that is) Looking forward to your new book.

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  2. Bonnie, did you notice that someone has osted a picture of a scrappy Virginia Bound quilt she's nearly done with? Know you're looking for one. I've not posted yet but have just finished Fun With Bricks; working on binding now.
    That yougart looks yummy!

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  3. Wow Bonnie...you are human and need a rest day once and awhile! Have you thought of lining your duffle bags with plastic? It wouldn't be too difficult to sew up an insert...

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  4. Sounds like a great time in Michigan! I'm with you on Notting Hill -- "She" at the end of the movie has me bawling like a baby! I LOVE, LOVE it! It's one of my "comfort" movies! LOL Hope you get feeling better!
    Blessings,
    Mary Lou

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  5. I'm so glad to see you back and posting! i had just discovered your blog a few days before you left and was missing you already. Thanks to you, I've stripped and squared a lot of my scraps already (and discovered some 30-year old Funglys in the process)and I've introduced a friend to you as well. Since I've been sewing and quilting since I was 18, I have a lot of scraps. One questions, for scrappy quilts is it okay to mix 100% cottons with blends? terrifishee@gmail.com

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  6. Bonnie, it was a pleasure meeting, sewing and exercising with you! I had a great time and what else can I say but: You ARE the REAL DEAL!
    Thanks so much - you were the one who inspired me to start quilting a few years ago and I just love your patterns! Take a break and feel better soon!

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  7. I have traveled on a day when the clocks are changing too. It's a little crazy! Glad you had a good trip!

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  8. Wow-sounds like you have earned a jammie day!! That hour can do you in even when you aren't moving around.
    Hope you are feeling better soon!
    L,A-

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  9. You deserve a jammie day better than anyone I know! Whoa, you're busy, girl! I love the productivity going on in your classes, some gorgeous quilts-in-the-making! Take good care, get all the rest you can.

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  10. Funny that you should mention mellinium fabric. I had to laugh as I put a piece of it in a quilt last week. I have more of it around here somewhere.

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  11. Next time you come to AZ to visit your family I know several quilters who would be happy to take you out and show you the local Culvers we now have! I am from Wisconsin and I was thrilled to find we had one here (now I am on Weight Watchers so I don't get there much, but when you visit I will save points!)

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