I'd Like To Thank.......

Everyone!

SewCalGal sent me notification that I had won the "Golden Quilter Award" For Best Teacher/Instructor! WOW! I didn't even know I was nominated! Isn't this fun?

I love teaching so much. I feel like I get so much more out of it than I ever put in. The people I meet enrich my life in unbelievable indescribable unmeasurable ways.

I do believe (and I've said before) that quilting is not just a hobby, it is a LIFE STYLE...it is something we do every day to enrich not only our own lives, but our relationships with others. It's a giving thing.

What a great way to live, isn't it?

Thanks Sew Cal Gal!

Address, Please!!

Since this is the second time in 5 minutes I'm writing down the address, I decided I better put it front and center for y'all!

Sweet Briar Country Market
28 W 2nd Ave
Lexington NC

336 224 5500

Now before you start thinking there are a bunch of little Amish old ladies and buggies outside, think again. The MERCHANDISE is Amish..shipped from Ohio and Pennsylvania...everything is baggied up by the pound or ounce...and there is all kinds of neat stuff. But the folks running the place are neither Amish nor Mennonite....just hard working shop owners trying to find a niche, and I think they have!

The bakery is in the back, I'm not sure how much they do there, it's not huge...there was not that much bread left on the shelf at 1pm.

If I weren't already a couple blocks away it might not be worth my time to drive there, but since it is 2 blocks from the Chiropractor, it's a great stop (And I want a 6 pack of that diet cream soda next time!)

There are a couple antique shops on main street that I saw that would be fun to peruse...And then one could always go over to the Lexington BBQ place off I-85 that is supposed to be Scrummy...I've never stopped, I was always on my way on a deadline to Charlotte or something.

There is a really neat looking diner across the street from Sweet Briar Market that I'd like to try too....For those traveling down I-85 toward Charlotte, Lexington might be a great stop to spend a little time, but the market isn't huge like what you'd find in PA or OH. Just don't want anyone to shoot me that they wasted a trip driving hours to get there :c)

New to me...Bulk food store!

I had an appt with my chiropractor today. I've been doing fine, but the sitting and travel and sleeping in strange beds can bring some tightness on, so I'm doing a once a month "keep it in line" visit....

My Chiropractor is in Lexington, a good 20 minutes drive from me, but it's an easy drive, and I love going through the NC countryside to get there.

When I pulled in and went inside, the gal at the counter was busy moving what looked like bags of groceries around. I'm an inquisitive sort, and asked what kind of goodies she had!

She said that she and the doc had just visited the "Amish Bulk Foods" store around the corner, and came back with a HAUL.

Ohhhh...my excitement rose! The last time I was in bulk foods store was last Summer in Shipshewana! Not only that, I didn't THINK we had Amish here...I know there is some up in Yadkin County, but this was Lexington.

It didn't matter...after my appt was over, I made a beeline to go see what there was! I love buying things in bulk. Popcorn, Oats, Chocolate Chips, Spices, Noodles....all that good stuff, and lots more that you can't find at a regular store.

I wasn't disappointed! I left with a bag of buckwheat pancake mix, some tea I want to try, some HABANERO pimento cheese (Oh man..this was so hot I had to cut it by mixing it together with the "plain" pimento cheese spread I had at home already!) and two loaves of bread, one cinnamon raisin, and one triple berry. YUM!

I also picked up some wholewheat garlic/basil noodles. Those just might be dinner tonight.

And another thing I had never had before, they had some diet vanilla cream soda....being as I was into trying new things after the Vernors in Michigan, I bought one can. I should have bought a 6 pack! The brand is "Waist Watcher" and is sweetened with splenda (Yes, with all the other baked goodies, I NEEDED sugar free!)

I even admit to tearing off a hunk of that triple berry bread and snacking on it in the car on the drive home. Yummy.

The pic is one I swiped from the online newspaper...I wasn't smart enough to take my camera in with me. You can bet I'll be stopping here again after my appointment next month!

It's raining out. A gentle spring rain that really smells good. Just on the cool side of chilly, its a great day for catching up on things inside the house, while still enjoying the emerging green of leaves opening up from this side of the window.

Book orders are done and the trip to the post office has been made...I think tonight is a SEW night. Need to trim up more of those bonus triangles for the Extreme Border project! (Sounds like a reality show, doesn't it?!)

Here comes the weekend...I hope you all have a great one!

It's a Michigan Thang!

This girl is HOME, and I am dragging my butt! LOL It shouldn't be so hard on a body to sit on planes....but I tell you what, it just sucks the life out of me.

Michigan was great! I had a wonderful time staying with Sara H and her hubby Charlie. I've known Sara for years and years, but this was the first time we met in person, and I tell you, that is always such a treat. She gave me her whole basement, a cozy bedroom, a BEAUTIFUL view of the lake out the window.

Upon my arrival I was asked if I wanted a beverage. I'm always up for trying "local" things, and when Vernors was on the menu, I said yes!

In the south, we have Cheerwine. In Michigan, it's Vernors! Think of it as a cross between Gingerale and Cream Soda. At least that is how close I can come to describing it. Very fizzy. VERY. Try to be a good house guest and not burp mid-sentence when just getting to know your new hosts. They might just think you are some kind of red neck. :cP

So today’s line up went something like this…

7:15am….wake up to a text msg on my phone.....to the feeling of "Where Am I??" Oh yeah, HOME!

8:30am…..left for the gym, proceeded to do killer workout, cardio, plus floor routine

9:30am….bank run

Home, shower…off to AT&T store for the micro cell tower that has now increased cell reception in my house to 5 bars. Woot! Goodbye Vonage! Going cell only….saves me $$$ (This thing will pay for itself after about 5 months.)

1:00pm: Hair Salon! I got a good trim (1” off the length) and some new highlights. Love it! It feels so much better and brighter. Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do, right?

After that, I came home and crashed for a nap. I’m just exhausted. I’m heading to Indiana on Monday, so I need to use the next few days to get caught up on some stuff.

Kitchen is clean and the floor is mopped. Hardwood hallway is also swept and swiffered…how did I get to be so domestic?

As for the suitcase? I think I'm living in the land of "unpack, wash, repack". Which is okay by me!

Cheerios for dinner? Why not. I’m going to snuggle in and read a book…..maybe drop off early. A friend who travels for a living told me the best thing to do is SLEEP when you are tired. Chances are your body needs it. Eat right, sleep well...and I'm trying to live with those words and not feel guilty about a 2.5 hr nap in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. As long as it doesn't keep me from sleeping my regular night hours as well.

Scenes AroundTown....

There are lots of benefits to living in a "one stop light town". The post office is one of them!

I've commented before on how nice it is...if my postmaster Cheryl is busy, I just hand over my stuff along with a blank check and she will do my order when she has a minute to spare, and either mails me the receipt or I pick it up the next time I come in.

In some ways I guess it *IS* like living in Mayberry! It *IS* North Carolina after all!

When I first moved here, I was excited that the post office was only a mile from my house, because I am out in the country. I was afraid I'd have to drive a long way to get to a post office, and the one I had in South Carolina was so busy that the line was usually half way out the door at all hours of the day. It was a daunting trip to want to go to the Post office.

Well, this is bliss....with a tickle! I know you can't read it from this pic, but the first time I came I read the sign on the wall by the door and smiled when it said "Wallburg MAIN post office". HA! It's the ONLY post office! Cheryl says....yes, but we have big plans!

This pic was taken a few weeks back after one of our big snows was melting away. Just look at that gorgeous blue sky! Another reason I love NC...

Oohhh! An Oldie!

Trying to find the right "red" for the inner border of a project I'm working on....look at this goodie! You know it's old when it's only 36" wide! I don't suppose anyone can pin-point the date on this? 60s? Anyone? When did fabric go to 44" wide?

I love how this blends in with so many of the reproduction fabrics that are floating around out there. Some old calicoes are just timeless, aren't they?

Basted and Ready to Fly!!!

Obsessive Quilters can NOT be found without a project to grab at a moment's notice! That includes having a piecing project ready for on the go machine piecing....and a hand quilting project that is small enough to travel easily in my laptop bag!

I find that I always book myself into a seat where there is no one to the right of me. I don't want to poke anyone as I draw the needle and thread through! The right hand window seat is my favorite :c)

I'm ready to go! I'm going to quilt this with red thread...it's already in my "on the go" bag!

Airplane Reading....

This is the book that is flying with me on this trip. Yes, these are MY knees sitting in my seat on the plane!

It's about a 10 year old girl from Gees Bend (Yes, THAT Gees Bend!) Alabama somewhere in the early 1900s....haven't pinpointed the date on it yet, but I'm guessing 1920, 1930?

It's a delightful insightful read. Not very long...and yes, there is quilting involved!

The Author is Irene Latham. Give it a read yourself, you won't be disappointed in its tenderness, honesty, and poignancy!

I'm 1/2 way done already...maybe I'll be done by the time I reach Grand Rapids? :cD

And yes, I'm writing this from the food court at O'Hare on my layover!

How Far Would You Go?

I met a lovely lady in Baton Rouge, the very first day of classes!

Her name is Liz...and I was floored when I caught her delightful accent, and she told me she came all the way from Australia to take the My Blue Heaven class!

Then she confessed, she really was "ALREADY" in New Orleans with her hubby while he was on some convention thing.....

But she really shouldn't minimize her efforts! The scariest part isn't the plane ride...it is the fact that she got on a Grey Hound bus, took the bus from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, called a cab, took the cab do the Marriott where the Gulf States Quilting Association thing is....and brought fabric with her!

I am amazed at the lengths that quilters will go to...okay, maybe not amazed, but it constantly reaffirms to me how great quilters are....one of the other GSQA members was ready to loan her a machine to sew with, and two other ladies in our class made SURE that she got to go quilt shop hopping during our lunch hour!

How far would you go?

How long is too long?

I was just pulling fabrics for a back, looking through my blues and reds for anything "BIG ENOUGH".....

I had NO IDEA I had had this fabric this long...look at that selvage! 1995?!? What am I waiting for, the Rapture or something? Sheesh! If the date is right, I've had this since IDAHO. It has moved with me to two places in Texas, to South Carolina, to North Carolina. It should get it's own air miles by now!

There must have been 7 to 8 yards of this one fabric. (In other words, it must have been on SALE!! *LOL*) I think I wanted to keep it in one big piece for sashings, or setting triangles, or borders, or ALL OF THE ABOVE..but it's a really weirdo shade of blue/grey and I think it is time it finds a home.

Which brings me to another pet peeve of mine. There needs to be a term for selvages that are an inch or wider. Something like "Selvage Spam" We are paying for the whole width of the fabric, but we sure can't USE the whole width of the fabric. This piece had wide selvage on BOTH SIDES...hummpphhh. So it took about 2" of the total width all together. What's up with this? Am I the only one this bugs?

Vermont or Bust...2012!!

Quickie post...in the middle of taxes...but am too excited to stand it!

I just got my invitation to teach at the Vermont Quilt Festival in 2012!!! Whahhoo!

This just has me floored and tickled and oh so excited. Vermont Quilt Festival!

It's that same wonderful feeling of realizing I can ride a two-wheeler! Look Mom, no hands! :cD I can do it!

It's not too early to start planning for Vermont in June of 2012....if you've always wanted to come, start saving now. We are going to have a BALL!

What Has Possessed Me?!?

Bonus Triangles. That's what!

I have a huge box of bonus triangles to trim up...and I've put it off and put it off, but you know how it goes...eventually they niggle at me enough that I have to put them into something.

I spent yesterday afternoon with the Lifetime Movie Network on "True Story Thursday" and squared, de-dog-earred, pressed, and started piecing this border together. It's what I call an "EXTREME" border, but I am loving how it is going to turn out.

The hard part? I'm not sure how it's going to turn the corners....I'm just going on it and I figure I'll deal with it when I get there. Maybe not the smartest move, but there you have it. I'll piece it longer that the quilt center, and then figure what I need to do as far as spacer border to build up the quilt center to make my pieced border fit. Sound insane? probably.

The issue is...it's an on point quilt center (Can't show it to you yet! It's for next book! Nanananana!) SO to get the math right, I figured out that the border needs to be an on-point setting too, as this is. So...we will see how it works out!

I'm wishing I had been leader/endering this all along! AND...I am hoping it really helps deplete all these bonus squares that have added up over various projects (not to mention being gifted to me by students who didn't want to be bothered with them LOL!)

It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL outside. This afternoon I'd really like to take one of the dogs down to Salem Lake and walk/jog/hike the trails around the lake. I'm thinking it will be even busier down there tomorrow with everyone wanting to catch some rays and air, and I leave early Sunday morning for Michigan, so it's today or bust....

Lunch, Mashers, & Molesters??

Yes, I know this is a picture of "Aunt Bee" and I put her here for a reason!

You know how they have told us all our lives not to judge a book by its cover? The same goes for quilters...no matter what age we are...you just can't judge it, it may surprise you in delightful ways!

I met so many people in Baton Rouge, but I want to share with you the most HILARIOUS out of the blue moment that happened to have the whole room roaring!

I wish I could introduce you to Mary Kate. A delightful southern lady, quite proper, warm, easy with a smile, fun to talk to, and really, it would be easy to judge her as someone reserved and proper. Her age was timeless to me, but I'm thinking she could be anywhere from late 70's to early 80s if a day.

I asked her how long her hair was when it was unpinned, as she wore it in a very "Aunt Bee" style bun. As I age, I have imagined myself quite the same way.....letting my hair go its own natural grey, and just winding it up at the back of my head and pinning it, rather than going fashionably short and/or permed in an "old lady" style. I smiled with delight when she said she could sit on the ends of it when it is unwound, and I imagined her brushing it in the evenings before bed. Just lovely.

Now..imagine me....with my little speech as we were getting ready to go to lunch "Ladies, it's lunch time, and you are welcome to stay or go. Our lunch break will go from 11:30 until 1pm. If you stay, there needs to be at least 2 people left in the room for your safety, so if you are the only one left, you need to go too..." (These were there symposium rules, not mine.)

Mary Kate got this look on her face and said...."What if I don't want to go? Doesn't anyone trust me to stay here? They think I'm going to steal something?"

We explained that it was for her own safety, that what if some man came in to MOLEST her??

And....here it comes....She got this DELIGHTED look on her face.....spread a big wide grin with eyes twinking....waggled her eyebrows and said "OOOOOOOOOHHHH....REEEEAAALLLLY??????" Like it was the best idea she had heard of in a long time....LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!

All at once she had turned from Aunt Bee into Blanche Devereaux of The Golden Girls! LOL!

We just all cracked up laughing...it was a real depends moment. And I knew right then and there that there was no age difference between Mary Kate and myself. No matter the age of the packaging, we are the same silly girls inside that we have been at EVERY age.

This will have me laughing for a LONG LONG TIME!

Lunch Bunch

If you are on our Quiltville facebook fan page, you've already seen this pic...but I'm posting it here anyway!

Lisa and Karen and I had the most FUN lunch at Mooney's Mediterranean Grill!

I showed up first...sat at an outside table waiting for the others to arrive. It was a bit chilly, but a good place to wait. And a few minutes later, here came Lisa...I saw her a block away...she was wearing the exact same shade of green as me! How funny!

Lisa ran off inside the restaurant and I stayed to wait for Karen...and...who is that walking up the block....in the EXACT SAME SHADE OF GREEN as Lisa and me? LOL!

We couldn't have planned it better, and we laughed even more when we walked inside only to see that the walls inside the restaurant were painted the same shade of pea green! You know that commercial where the lady with depression is disapearing into her sofa? This was the happy version...I imagined a picture of us against that wall, and nothing but our faces and hands really visible. So Karen pulled out her camera and we got an employee to snap a picture of us...don't we just look so Decorator Enhanced? :cD

Lunch was amazing...I fell in love with Falafel sandwiches in Paris, and who would guess that there are really good ones here in Winston Salem too?

And look at this COOKIE!! We broke it into 3 pieces..and Karen even shared some of her part with the lady at the next table, who was laughing and enjoying our antics too.

I tell ya...silly girlfriends are the best medicine! I love these girls...I can't wait until we can do this again!

Wool or Cotton, Wool or Cotton?!

I've loaded a little crumbs sampler in the quilting machine to quickly machine baste it so I can start hand quilting on it Sunday on my trip to Michigan!

The back is on...pinned to the backing roller and the take up leader. The top is pinned to it's roller....

And I'm sitting here paralyzed by my inability to hurry up and make a decision!

I love hand quilting with hobbs organic, or the quilter's dream cotton in the lightest loft. I also love quilting with the hobbs wool....I just ordered a brand new roll and it isn't even out of its plastic yet.

I don't have any small enough pieces of anything that will fit this quilt..I have to cut a piece from a roll..but the question remains...do I want cotton? OR WOOL!??

I might just have to flip a coin....I love the look of that cotton, and the quilt is big enough that the wool will give it a nice vintage looking loft and the quilting detail shows really well....I JUST CAN'T DECIDE!!

PS.....I decided on the cotton! I love quilting with wool, but I got to thinking that I'm going to be quilting this through the hot months. Have you ever sat in the SOUTH with wool in your lap in August? It ain't pretty... :cD Cotton it is!

In A Bind....

SO...since DH is out of town for the week, I had all these grandiose plans of how I was going to get so much SEW MUCH done, right?

I felt like yesterday was just in slow motion the whole day! But still, at the end of the day when I tallied it up, I had accomplished SOME things.

I went to Sam's club to pick up my new glasses which I love....other than the fact that the prescription is a bit stronger and the placement of the bifocal (no lines) seems to be a bit different than on my other pair. This is going to take some getting used to. And because they are completely rimless, I just see screw holes where the nose piece goes across and it's driving me a bit batty! I was told to never fear, that after a few days my brain will shut off that there are even screw holes there. I'm hoping she is right!

I made a run to the bank....

I stocked up on groceries....

I put groceries away...

I did two loads of laundry....

I took care of all the book orders that had stacked up for a week...

I ran said book orders to the post office before closing time....

And the rest of the day went by in a blur of "I'm too tired to move, I think I'll just read blogs on the computer for a while.." and then it was dinner time.

I did get out of my dead funk in the evening, put on the Law & Order channel (USA) and proceeded to do some block piecing for a quilt that's going in the next book. It's all greens/reds/burgundies/raspberry pink it's going to be pretty :c)

AND...tada....I put bindings on the two little small quilts that I finished this last trip. I took the last stitches on the leader/ender 9 patch thing on the plane between Houston and Dulles :c) That one has the gold binding to match the cornerstones. The other crazy orphan one, the one I'm calling Kindred Souls...I couldn't decide, so I did a scrappy red and threw one wild pink/red in there for good measure. I found a small strip left of the "Lucky Cow" fabric and put that in there too for fun!

Today I am on my way to the gym to work out with my trainer, and then I have a designated girls lunch date down town Winston with Karen and Lisa! Whoot! So I'll have to hurry home, shower, put on something green (don't want them pinching me) and head out again.

Do you think TONIGHT I'll get to start sewing these bindings down? Maybe...just maybe....

Leader/Ender Nines...

I think this top was pieced at a sew-day at my friend Mary's house last year..or was it farther back than that?

I love traveling with little things that I can hand quilt. For one....they keep me warm on the plane! Second, small quilts are a faster finish than a big quilt is, and of course more portable and gives me that sense of accomplishment.

I also tease my students that having something in my hands to work on while sitting through a guild business meeting before I give my presentation helps calm my nerves. And you know what? It does. I also love how working on a hand quilting project can be a conversation starter as I sit in airports or on planes. So many people come to look and see what I'm working on, and tell me stories of quilters and quilts that have come through their lives.

I also tell the students that having a project in my hands keeps me from wrassling one of them out of their seats and hijacking their machine due to piecing envy! *LOL* It's just a good thing all around...

And really...I might get 15 minutes here or there, or maybe 1/2 hour or more...but it never comes in BIG long spurts of time, yet still..the stitches I put in STAY there, and eventually I have something to show for these little gathered bits of time.

I've quilted this little guy through the squares on the diagonal in one direction. It would be twice as much work to cross hatch it..and these are 1.5" leader/ender squares, so they finish at 1". Do I really want to do a 1" cross hatch? Only in some place that it is going to show and this is such a busy little ditty that I don't think it will be noticeable.

I've got just 2 sides left to do.....I wonder how long that will take? I'm already thinking of the next little "traveling size" top that I have on hand that is ripe for basting before I fly off to Grand Rapids Michigan on Sunday! Gotta have that on the "to do" list for this coming week.

I think with this shot you can see the diagonal quilting lines. I am using a chalk pencil to freehand mark the fans in the border...I'm using black thread on black fabric and I just can't see where I'm going without having a white line to give me some contrast, and helps me see where my stitches are.

A Quilt Finish!

While traveling and in between teaching.....I've FINALLY finished the quilting on this orphan block quilt!

You know..I love how it feels when you are pushing to get that last stretch of border completed...oh so close...the adrenaline kicks in and....(yeah, I know that those who aren't quilters are probably wondering what the heck that is about...but...;c) )

Here it is on my bed in the hotel room in all it's untrimmed unbound glory!

There is just such a wild array of fabrics in this, and I especially love working on things when students can come and take a look. Many want to know how I hand quilt..which finger gets the thimble, why I like using a hoop, what size of needles I like, what brand, etc. What kind of thread....they even like to feel the callouses on my "under" fingers! (And yes, the best way to keep those under fingers calloused is to keep quilting at least 15 minutes a day if at all possible, just to keep them tough!)

I didn't know what to call this quilt, but as I finished that homestretch, I came up to a piece of Laurel Birch favorite fabric that had words on it. I believe the whole phrase was "Kindred Spirits, Kindred Souls" But the piece is missing the first Kindred...only part of the Spirits shows, but Kindred Souls is still visible.

AHA! So the quilt has it's name....Kindred souls. We'll get it trimmed up and get that binding on when I get it home.

Another little bitty thang only needs 2 borders finished too....I'm quilting baptist fans in that border, and we'll see how far it can get as I travel home.

Facebook Interactive Fan Page!

I've been told I need to have a "FAN PAGE" for Quiltville on facebook!

You can get to it here!

I've really enjoyed having a facebook page, and it has been a great way to connect with family and friends, but it was getting a bit overwhelming with lots of people I didn't really know....and I made a choice to keep my own personal facebook page just for people I know in "real life".

At the same time, I want a place that is interactive where you can post photos and post and update and follow along in your own feed, so this Quiltville fan page will do the job nicely I think!

Come along, click to join as a fan.....see you there!

Crown Point Indiana: Texas Braid Workshop!

Calling Indiana Quilters!

I'm going to be with the Heritage Quilters in Crown Point Indiana March 30-31. I was just told there are still openings in the TEXAS BRAID workshop on the 31st! I'd love to meet you, so come out and sew!

If you are interested, please contact Marilyn Robertson for more info. I don't know all the nitty gritty details, but she can help you out.

The pattern is from my book Adventures with Leaders & Enders, and the book is required for the class. I will have books there with me. You can find the class supply list here. Everything is cut from 2" strips...you just need lots of scraps, and some yardage of whatever you want to use for your accent cornerstones.

Hoping to see you in Crown Point!

Louisiana Highlights...

So, here I am, Sunday night.....I've been here since Wednesday and it's been such a cram packed adventure that I haven't been able to even gather my thoughts into a coherent stream that would make sense to anyone...

How is it that it can take 9 hours to fly somewhere it would take me 12 to drive? It boggles the mind...but I keep telling myself, that I was able to sit back, relax, hand quilt, listen to tunes I love on my ipod, and even sleep a bit....and though I was pretty tuckered out upon my arrival in Baton Rouge, I think that DRIVING is a lot more exhausting.

But let me tell you, from the people at the airport who watched my bags while I found out about my cab to the conference center, to the cab driver himself....and everyone I have dealt with this whole time...Baton Rouge is a place I would be HAPPY to return to!

The weather has been lovely, as you can tell by these pictures...I just had to capture it...while I have been here the past few days, the bradford pears have blossomed into popcorn! LOVE IT!!

I have been able to walk every day.....I figured out a route that takes me between 3.5 and 4 miles. This morning it didn't happen due to the crazy time change, but since class ended early and we were out of the classroom by 4pm..I took a long one this afternoon late...it feels so GOOD to be OUTSIDE.

I was really excited to see lots of familiar faces from when I taught in Houma a couple years ago, and other people I've met in my quilting journey. One friend Mary..now lives in NYC, and we have crossed paths every few years..she brought a picture of a group of us together at Houston Quilt Festival about 10 to 12 years ago! Oh my goodness...I looked at that picture....saw myself at that age, and wonder what the heck has happened in the years between then ....and now! A couple years doesn't make such a big difference, but when you do it in leaps by 10?? Wow. What a wild ride this life is, huh?

One of the biggest highlights was finally getting to be with Judy Laquidara face to face! Do you know that we have known each other at LEAST 15 years? We've emailed, we've talked on the phone..we've hit the same guilds and know lots of the same people, but never in the same place at the same time. Her mom and she roomed right next to me, so it was fun to share meals and talk face to face. We had a great time. I'll be seeing Judy again in October in Shipshewana...can't wait!

There is more to write....but I've got to get packed. I'm being picked up by yellow cab at 7:30am....and yep...it's going to be another long day. Baton Rouge to Houston, to Washington/Dulles, to Greensboro NC.

It will be good to be home!

I sewed :c)

Not a whole lot...but I have this quilt kitted up and that makes it really easy for me to pull a handful of block parts and just sew for a bit!

A lot of the time I only like to cut out a few blocks at a time and not commit myself too soon to a whole project - - - who knows what inspiration could come along and have me running off in a different direction? I like to keep my "options open" so to speak!

But when I am traveling with a machine it helps to do all the cutting ahead of time on some things so that you don't have to bring "as much" stuff.

When I was sewing with Lisa, Karen, and Leann a couple Sundays ago at our "in town" retreat day at Lisa's office...Lisa had forgotten some of what she needed for the one project, but luckily had an "EMERGENCY" project with her! I never termed mine this way, but yes....having something cut out and ready to go is great when something like this happens.

I hope to sew more on this one this afternoon, but I think there is a matinee movie in the plans for today...

That said...does this happen in YOUR house? This WAS a bowl of trail mix! Now? It is a bowl of salty raisins! LOL!!! Guess who doesn't like raisins and saved them for me? Hint..his initials are DH! :cÞ That's okay. Salty raisins are the best part of trail mix anyway!