Evening Edition! Free Kindle & Nook Book!

Today was a day of errands, a day of not getting much sewing done as other jaunts around town took me elsewhere. It was a GORGEOUS day, temps reached about 72…and it was glorious to be out in it!

However. It was too cold in the basement to sew down here! Folks, we have reached the point where it is nicer outside than it is inside….and the plug-in space heater for my basement sewing studio came out of the storage closet. *SIGH* I so did not want to turn this on yet!

Sadie also appreciated it! I turned around while typing an email to see her lying down right next to the heater with her back all warm up against it! She is a smart girl, that Sadie Jane! I should have snapped a pic! I guess if you can’t cozy up to the sunny spot on the floor like a cat does, you can lay against the heater and be a dog :cD

One of my “jaunts” today was my yearly physical with the doc. I felt like I went in for the total overhaul! First off? CATTLE SCALE! NOT fun. And compared to last year’s visit for the same purpose….well….Do I need to remind you that in the past 6 weeks alone I’ve been to Alasaka twice, a week long Caribbean cruise, a week long trip to Kansas ((OH the cinnamon rolls!!)) and just returned from being treated SO well in TN!! ((Did I tell you about the buffalo chicken dip yet? oh my!))

This girl needs to reign it in and get back to a more steady gym schedule! In fact, after this posts, I’m headed out for a long walk. Wanna join me?

I had blood drawn, I got a flu shot, I had an EKG. I had all my female bits checked –I don’t think they left ANYTHING undone. I’ll find out results when tests come back. Everything looks good, but I am worried about type 2 diabetes since my mom has it and was at my age when they found it. ((Yeah, Bye bye cinnamon rolls! :c( ))

Again. Need to be more physically active…make better choices…Are you with me?

So on to the free book….since the rest of my day was so exciting ((NOT!!))

My Sister’s Voice by Mary Carter, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store.

Book Description:

Every love leaves an echo. . .

What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie? In Mary Carter's unforgettable new novel, one woman is about to find out...

At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she's in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, "You have a sister. A twin to be exact. . ."

Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents. But the truth about Monica's life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins' separation is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.

Complex, moving, and beautifully told, My Sister's Voice is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in. . .

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Doesn’t this sound good? Run go get it! What is free now, may not be later ---no promises, and no affiliation, just an avid reader who can’t get enough free books. It’s kinda like free fabric, you know? :c)

Have a great evening everyone!

Presenting: Quilt Retro!! ((And Give-Away!))

I am really lucky to work with some amazingly talented people. People who quilt, people who write, people who do BOTH and walk ((And SEW!!)) along on this journey with me!

My editor at Kansas City Star, Jennifer, has released her new book called Quilt Retro, and I’m tickled to be a part of her blog tour!

You might recognize Jenifer also as the author of 42 Quilts! She’s linked over there in my sidebar.

Recently she has been showing ways that “traditional” blocks can go modern! She’ll present the Modern way on “Modern Monday”—the traditional on “Traditional Tuesday” and it’s lots of fun to see what she comes up with.

I am so tickled to present to you Jenifer’s “LINOLEUM FLOORS” quilt from Quilt Retro!!

Isn’t this FUN!? I love the fresh updated look of the colors. My eyes just want to travel the whole thing and back again. And never fear…..don’t be over-whelmed! You don’t have to drop everything to start this immediately even if you want to! Plan it out! You can build this quilt with leaders & enders in between the projects you already have going.

I also love the wide open areas for showing off some really fun quilting.

Here’s a bit from Jenifer herself on how this quilt came to be:

What started out as a simple chain quilt turned into a scrap-fest-lolla-palooza! I have no idea how many different fabrics are in the quilt, but I know it grew exponentially from the original plan.

Let me back up. The inspiration for this quilt came from an old quilt book I saw one time. The topic of the book was quilts that survived WWII from Norway. In that book was a simple chain quilt. It was one of those old quilts that was faded badly from over-washing and use. What caught my eye, was that despite the poor condition, an incredible energy came from simple chains of colored squares strung together. I couldn’t shake it from my mind, so I knew I’d have to recreate it!

Originally, I wanted to use all white for the background. As I was playing with this on EQ, I realized that it was pretty stark done up that way. So I started throwing in random light neutrals here and there. Well that gave the background so much depth, I knew I was on to something. I kept adding in different shades of fabrics until I got what I wanted. Next, I looked at the chains of color – all running in the same direction. I wondered what would happen if I made some of the chains go in the opposite direction. With a few clicks of the mouse it was done, and so was the design! Perfect!

So where did the name come from? The fabrics used for the chains of color are from my retro collection. I believe I used fabrics from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, and today – that’s 50 years of scraps if you’re counting! When it was all laid out, it reminded me of an old-fashioned linoleum floor – maybe because of all the old fabrics.

Could she have chosen a better quilt for me to reveal to you? I don’t think so! I’ve now got a purpose for all those vintage calicoes that showed up in my mail box a few days ago!

The book features 11 fun quilts all made with different techniques to keep you going and trying new things.

From the back of the book:

“These contemporary, often quirky designs evoke nostalgia, ‘70s vintage fabrics and graphics as well as organic designs. They’re easy to make with today’s popular solids and big prints.”

To order, find the book here

• Pickledish.com
• Amazon.com

Leave me a comment below this post, and I’ll put in you a drawing for a free copy signed by Jenifer herself! I’ll draw for the winner on Saturday, October 8th ---I’ll be traveling to Maryland, but will make it a point to choose a winner that day!

SOMEONE will win it, it may as well be you, and you can’t win if you don’t enter by leaving a comment!

If you comment as Anonymous, please leave your name and email address at the bottom of your comment so we can reach you. If you are a blogger user that does NOT have your email address visible in your settings, you must also leave your name and email address for us to contact you.

Here is the whole line up of the blog tour ---- Be sure to hit them all to comment with your chance to win a copy of Quilt Retro, or whatever other goodie/giveaway is being offered that day on the blog being featured! This way you get to see ALL the quilts featured in the book ---love them all!

Day 1 – Oct. 3

Alissa Haight Carlton

Day 2 – Oct. 4

Bonnie Hunter

Day 3 – Oct. 5

Tammie Schaffer

Day 4 –Oct. 6

Jenifer Dick (Author)

Day 5 – Oct. 7

Angela Walters

Day 6 – Oct. 10

Jacquie Gering

Day 7 – Oct. 11

Deb Rowden

Day 8 – Oct. 12

Kathy Mack

Day 9 – Oct. 13

Pickledish.com

Day 10 – Oct. 14

Jenifer Dick (Author)

A “Pressing” Question!

This is one of those times where a simple question in email form turned out to be a question I’ve answered more than once, so there might be more than just one of you that this post might benefit!

The email came from Kay, and she asked:

Hi Bonnie:

I am a new blog follower and love to read your old and new posts. I have a question. From the blog post of yesterday where you showed your hotel room setup, what is the brand of your iron? I have a Rowenta travel iron and love it, but can’t keep them. I am on my 3^rd one.

Thanks for all your inspiration, and isn’t it nice to have a job that you LOVE!

Kay

I have found the one sure way to kill an iron is to put water in it. Of any kind. Purified, Tap….it doesn’t matter. Water Kills Irons!

Even expensive Rowenta irons will die a slow messy drippy death if water is put IN the iron. Besides that, who wants to travel home from a workshop with an iron that still has water in it and is going to leak all over the inside of your car, or on your project?

Not me! Even “cheap” irons will last years and years if you keep them DRY!

If I need steam, I keep a spray bottle of water next to my machine and just spritz my block parts when needed. But most of the time I just use a dry iron. Unless the fabric is really wrinkled badly...it really doesn't need steam to get a good press on the fabric.

I know for certainty that you can take a perfectly square half square triangle unit and distort it way out of shape just by the simple adding of steam into the equation!

As for my little travel iron? It's from Walmart or Target...It's a little Conair. It might have been around 20 bucks. I like this one because the handle does NOT compact down....it's not a moving part like on some travel irons, and those that have a collapsible handle can break easily, or they wobble. I need sturdy. This fits the bill for me! And it gets HOT. The temp settings are adjustable.

I also know that there are cute little mini quilting irons that look like “little girl sized” play irons in a variety of colors. I don’t think they get as hot. And I know that the cords fall out of them when you use them, at least on the ones I’ve seen. Though they are a cute novelty, I like the size of this one and the adjustable temp setting better!

Happy PRESSING!

And In Rolls October!

Are you feeling it in the air? That change of seasons? ((Yes, and that goes for you “down unda” folks too, I know your spring is just beginning!))

Temps must have easily dropped 20 degrees between Friday and Saturday. And there I was in 52 degree weather with nothing but a denim overshirt for warmth. WHAT was I thinking? I guess I was hoping that just a bit more of that South Easternly Indian Summer would stick around!

While shopping in Cordova, Alaska I treated myself to a couple lovely items from “Copper River Fleece” ---I just love how the vests and jackets are bordered with really unique trims, something that is DISTINCTLY Cordova! ((Yeah, I wish I could have treated myself to at least one of the models on the Copper River Fleece home page too! LOL! Okay, well, maybe in an EARLIER life time!)) and needless to say, I thought it would be a few weeks yet until it was cool enough down south here to wear my new fleecy wear –but I was wishing that I had brought them WITH me!

((And as a side note, yes….I’m still posting things about my Alaska trip in between other things because there hasn’t been time to go through all the pics yet!))

I was signing books in my Copper River Fleece vest when Terri snapped this photo…

Not a great pic either, but I love this thing! And I think the reason why I love it so much is the whole story of how Copper River Fleece started as a small business, by a woman who had a dream, and took it all the way up to where it is now.

And this business owner has hired kids who have taken home-ec classes at the junior high/high school, taught by Terri --- and given them jobs of sewing on all the trim. These kids have skills! And they are learning that if you work hard toward your dream, whatever it is, you can achieve it.

So many trims to choose from! You can take any item, choose the trim you want, and they will sew it on for you! ((Yes, I have visions now of buying loads of trim at Mary Jo’s and adorning all my outer wear with it..LOL! Probably will never happen due to time restraints, but hey….FUN!))

Look at all these fun trims! I just loved the whole display for all the color splash it gave!

These trims showcase Native Alaskan designs drawn by a local artisan. ((I hope I got that info right!)) They were GORGEOUS on the jackets!

Even MORE to choose from! Terri and I were also encouraged to go upstairs to where the trim was being added to the items:

Everything is done up here in the loft….with 3 machines and a serger!

Here’s a jacket in the process of having its trim added. The young gal working this day was one of Terri’s former students!

I’ve been told you can spot Copper River Fleece due to the distinctive trims. I believe it! See how the native trim design just gives this jacket a punch?

Two more jackets with their trim added!

This is the jacket that came home with me!

I LOVE the design on the trim!

And with these cooler fall temps in full force, I know that my Copper River Fleece will be with me on my drive up to Maryland for my visit with the Pax River Quilt Guild this coming weekend!

I plan to be a sewing fiend today --- music up loud in my basement studio, working away on our November Mystery! Oh, it’s coming together just GREAT! I’ve received emails asking when the yardage lists, etc will be posted. Look for those around Nov 1st.

I’m teaching on a cruise with Pat Sloan early November, and returning from that trip on Nov 13. I’m thinking our first clue will go live Nov 18th! Sound good?

Happy Monday!

Pecan Pie Bars

Yummy Scrummy Gooey and Good!

I’ve had several emails for the recipe for the Pecan Pie Bars --- so here you go! Maybe it’s time to practice on these so you can have them for Thanksgiving? Mmmmm!

Don't you just love the recipes that come from a buffet lunch with the girls? :cD

Crust

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened

Bars

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups corn syrup (karo)
• 2 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Prepare and bake Cookie Crust as follows: Spray 10 x 15-inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

3. Beat the sugar, flour, salt and butter at medium speed until mix is fine crumbs.

4. Press into pan.

5. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until light brown.

6. While baking prepare filling as follows: Beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until blended.

7. Stir in pecans.

8. Pour over hot crust.

9. Bake 30 minutes.

10. Cool and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

**Note** This recipe can easily be split in half, or made in two smaller containers rather than one large 10 X 15 pan!

People, Places & Projects!

One of the interesting things of traveling place to place to teach quilting, is the history of the places I get to visit. Sometimes the most INTERESTING histories come from the smaller out-of-the-way places.

Sometimes getting off the main interstate takes me to a place I’ve never been before.

Have you ever heard of Oak Ridge, Tennessee as a “Secret City?” Anna gave me a little tour of what she could of the Y-12 area. I had to come back to my hotel room and read more about it:

From 1942 until 1949, Oak Ridge a city of 75,000 people did not exist on ANY map. The 100,000 people working here to both build and operate the world's first successful uranium separation facilities were locked in a battle with Germany and Japan, although they did not specifically know exactly what the true nature of the "battle" was, they only knew THEY HAD TO WIN IT.

Oak Ridge grew within a matter of months to the fifth largest city in Tennessee, but was a SECRET CITY. A city that required special badges to be worn by all inhabitants, even children. 840 buses brought people to work here and took them home. The city operated twenty-four hours a day. The plants operated day and night. Thousands of rail cars brought materials into Oak Ridge and ALL of them left empty.

Doesn’t that sound like a plot for some kind of Hollywood movie? We'll, it is not. It was real, it happened here in this little sleepy area with it’s rivers, rolling hills and ridges! I found THIS ARTICLE to be really interesting!

But while the whole “Secret City” was about splitting atoms, plutonium, and uranium with the focus on ending WWII, we ourselves made messes that had us stating

“It looks like a BOMB went off in here!!”

We were playing with our strings and turning them into Spider-Web blocks!

		Spider Webs! Oak Ridge, TN 2011 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It was a wonderful day with the ladies --- some who had come from Georgia…..some from down by Chattanooga, Some from Nashville, and some even from Ohio! Those who travelled in found that they were only strangers up until the introductions were made, and then everyone knew everyone. And we were friends. Quilters are just like that, you know? '

One of the great things I enjoy is walking table to table to table and “eaves dropping” on conversations, and sharing in the stories and the laughter. It’s infectious! You just can’t “NOT” have a good time when hanging around with Quilters, even if you are strangers at the beginning of the morning!

Add a buffet table for lunch, and that seals the deal! There are some shots of our yummies in the slide show above. Pay very close attention to the pecan pie bars..Oh yeah, man! Those were delish!

I’ve got a couple more hours before check out time in the hotel…project coming along nicely! It will be a beautiful day for a drive, leaving the Secret City on my way back home through the Smoky Mountains ---

Thanks for everything, Ritzy Thimble Quilters! It’s been a ball! Let’s do this again, shall we?