Rainy Day --Hanging in the Cabin!

This day has flown by ----we went early this morning to do our hiking, and it’s a good thing we did – it started raining at lunch time.

A rainy day in the mountains, a cute little cabin to call home for a few days ---

A LONG NAP OPPORTUNITY!

In between the naps and lunch and the watching of movies and the sewing – we took a drive down by the Linville river ---Sadie loving every minute – in fact, doesn’t she just look SO HAPPY sitting in the car? LOL

If there was such a thing as “the most peaceful place on earth” This would be it!

I think this guy thought so too—he was enjoying an afternoon of fly fishing, even with the rain drops falling around him.

And I had to throw in this picture of Shamu in the parking lot at Grandfather Mountain into the mix….she just looks so great there at the edge of the drop off with the blue ridge behind her. Advertising photo, anyone?

My little sewing station ---I brought my folding table, AND my chair. I wanted to be sure I was comfy for the amount of time I get to sew while here. ((Please let it keep raining!))

Pieces chaining through the machine!

My three blocks for the latest installment of Barrister’s Sow-A-Long over at Randy’s Blog!

Clay’s Choice, Anvil, and Flock of Geese!

I’m not sure what to work on next! I brought my bin of shirt strings ----I may just start string piecing and then decide what to do with them later -----

Right now the baked potatoes smell just about done, the steaks will be going on the grill –and raining or not –it’s a great evening just to BE.

iPhone-o-gram! On Grandfather Mountain!

Grandfather Mountain is one of North Carolina's greatest treasures.

We've lived here 4.5 years now---with the mountain a mere 100 miles from my house---and it has taken us this long to make the short pilgrimage to some amazing views!

We walked and hiked and Sadie was in her element, sniffing everything in sight.

This afternoon will involve some sewing---but lunch on the deck and a lazy mountain nap will come first!

Log Cabin Sightings!

Why is it that sometimes you look for something, and you can’t find it to save your life – and then – they show up in droves!

Such is the case with the abundance of log cabin quilts seen at the Factory Antique Mall in Verona, VA the other day. Everywhere I turned….Log Cabin, Log Cabin, Log Cabin!

And I love log cabin quilts – they just call to my heart. And I haven’t made one in a while, and I’m thinking – maybe it’s time!

What I love about the log cabin block is that there are ENDLESS ways to twist and turn and decide on a setting. It excites me every time! From Courthouse Steps to Straight Furrows to Barn Raising…and everywhere in between, Log cabins just capture my heart.

So I thought I’d write this post on the variety of log cabin quilts I crossed paths with --- a THEME post. Imagine that!

I loved the one displayed on this table made of wools and set in Straight Furrows. The centers of each block are the traditional solid red..and this one is tied. It was also pieced on a muslin foundation, so it’s a heavier beast ---add the backing to it, and there is a good reason that tying was used for this one. The fabrics in it are AWESOME!

How about a 1960s logt cabin, also in straight furrows --- displayed on a ladder! Can you see how it is quilted in straight diagonals across the blocks? ((Jill, if you are reading this -- I'm thinking that it's quilted on the Di-Angle! LOL!))

I love the block that has the black/white houndstooth fabric….zowie!

This is a very early one, and it was shredded so badly! I didn’t dare take it off its hanger ---some of the fabrics are completely worn away, but oh – what a treasure! The blocks are small, the strips are narrow. It’s set in Barn Raising. I looked at each fabric and imagined it as a dress, a skirt, a shirt waist ----and the quilt came from all the remnants of clothing construction. Imagine this quilt brand new, the binding just completed ----I’m sure the maker was thrilled with how graphic this quilt was!

Courthouse Steps!

This one has AMAZING fabrics ((Yes, try not to be freaked out by the evil looking Santa – I should have moved him from the photo, he just jumps right out at you! LOL!))

Look at these terrific fabrics! Her red centers are scrappy ---and I love how the pinks fluctuate, appearing both on the dark side of the block, and the light side of the block. Yep, looks like those “Medium” fabrics created havoc for quilters long ago too!

Courthouse Steps on a bench….this one where each side of the block is ONE fabric, with 4 fabrics per block. I love those turn-of-the-century burgundies…YUMMY!

And because we are in a log cabin mood – I want to share with you the show-and-tell that one of my students brought in to class in North East!

WOW!! I just love how graphic this is. She said her strips were 1” to start with and finish at 1/2”. The addition of the applique is just so eye-catching. It’s in the process of being hand quilted – she is in-the-ditch-ing every log cabin seam. The texture is SO nice, and you should see it from the back of the quilt!

Have you made a log cabin lately? Maybe that would be a great NEXT year’s Leader/Ender challenge? Start with 100 centers ----cut the logs for one side at a time….and build them that way? Hmmm…wheels are turning!

iPhone-o-Gram!! Blue Ridge Respite!

We've arrived at our cabin on top of the mountain---

This place is heaven!!

It's 8:30 pm and we are firing up the grill for burgers--- and watching darkness fall over the Linville valley below!

From Marcia’s Grandmother’s Scrap Bag!

Marcia sent me photos of a TERRIFIC quilt top made by her grandmother, thinking it was one I would like to see.

She is SO RIGHT!!

I get so much inspiration from seeing these lovely antiques ---and you know what is also fun --- try to imagine the MUSIC of that era playing in the background while you look at these photos. I like to imagine the radio on, big band music wafting on a late summer evening, the style of the vintage kitchen, what might have been cooking for dinner, and what it was like in Grandma’s found moments of piecing!

Marcia writes:

Bonnie,
All of your hand pieced hexies made me think of my grandma’s quilt top stored away in a drawer.

I have had it in a drawer for more than 35 years when my mother passed it on to me when she made a move to a smaller house.

The June 20 posting of older quilts in Fairborn, Ohio, and your comments about fabrics made me get it out and take some photos to send you.

She made it in the early 50s from scraps from her “house dresses” and aprons. I know her fabric store was Woolworth's in downtown Fremont, Ohio. I remember sitting on her porch working to sew very small pieces together. I did not like it.

I started quilting about five years ago when I went into a nearby quilt shop to purchase a birthday gift for a friend. I joined a class, as well as finding the gift.

It isn’t hexies, but is it hand pieced. It has the mustard you love that I thought was tooooo bright. Now I know mustard is a sign of an era.

((Can you find the gingham check square with the “frugal piecing in it?! Love it!))

The bright turquoise border (shows lighter than it is) was stitched on with her electrified treadle machine:

She also left a hand pieced quilt that was to be my wedding present. About 20 years ago a quilter friend hand quilted it for me.

Although I had been to your web site several times in recent years, I just started reading your blog daily after a friend told me about it at a February Quilt Retreat.

Wish I had known about the workshops in Fairborn sooner, I would have made arrangements to come. My mother-in-law attended lunches and programs in that senior center. My sister-in-law probably knows ladies who attended.

Hope you enjoy seeing another mustard, hand pieced scrap quilt.

Marcia

Marcia,

Your Grandmother’s quilt top is a treasure! Look at all those wonderful dress fabrics in it..and the patience to piece this design! I think it is related somewhat to a “jacks chain” pattern ---this is just a WONDERFUL top, and you are so lucky that your grandmother quilted, and that you have these in your possession.

Thank you for allowing me to share this quilt, and your story – with quilters everywhere!

iPhone-o-Gram! The Waiting Room Edition!

While on the long drive home, my engine light came on letting me know it was time to get Shamu in for routine oil change and maintenance.

I can't believe I've had this van for a year now---and wonder of wonders, just when I was thinking that I needed to call the dealership to schedule my appointment---the phone rings through the bluetooth---

"This is Tom at Modern Toyota. I'm calling to wish your Sienna a happy birthday."

Lol!! I talked to him a bit---told him how I love this van--and then asked him to transfer me over to the service department.

How convenient is this?? What were the chances he would call me right after the engine light came on?

This adds a whole new dimension to the phrase "Don't call us, We'll call you!"

So here I sit while Shamu gets the once over so we will be ready to head to the mountains this evening.

And because it was already in the car----I'm stitching on a binding making good use of found time---and keeping myself from freezing in here because the A/C is set on SNOW!

A Stay Away for Shoe Lovers!

The first time I drove through Lynchburg, VA --- and saw the Craddock-Terry Hotel, I knew I wanted to stay there.

This place is SO unique! It used to be a shoe factory--- in fact, it was the first shoe factory SOUTH of the Mason Dixon line, and had quite a booming business for many many years.

The over-view on on the Historic Hotels of America website states:

Today a name inextricably connected with the finest in luxury accommodations and hospitality, Craddock Terry was once associated with shoes.

The Craddock Terry Shoe Company was, in fact, the first shoe company south of the Mason-Dixon Line and the fifth largest in the world. Built on the edge of the James River in 1901, the factory immediately became the backbone of the city’s commercial success.

In recent years, it was converted into a luxury boutique hotel occupying the original building and the historic tobacco warehouse next door. Original architectural details such as brick walls, high ceilings, and large windows with views of downtown, the river, and the Blue Ridge Mountains complement the stylish modern décor, appropriately accented with shoes.

Shoes are celebrated in the services of this landmark hotel. Daily, guests enjoy a signature in-room shoebox breakfast, and overnight, they are treated to shoe shine.

Lynchburg is a beautiful historic town set into a hillside. The downtown area is vibrant and bustling and there are quaint restaurants, museums and lots of things to intrigue you if you are a history nut like I am. Thomas Jefferson’s getaway, Poplar Forest, is found nearby in Forest, VA.

Upon entering the Craddock Terry lobby --- you are greeted with shoes abounding!

Tazzie, if you are reading this – I was thinking of you and knowing you would love this place!

Everything is shoe themed! How about a shoe “holder” for a bottle of local wine?

Displays of old shoes are scattered here and there….from children’s shoes, to styles for men and women through the decades.

Can you date the shoes just based on the style?

The lobby also boasts the original safe ---I just love fun historic places like this!

Boots and wooden shoe forms on a window sill in the lobby---

Shoe shine chairs are a fun accent!

I loved the little vignettes tucked under stairwells, complete with vintage advertising posters.

Even the room key has a shoe on it!

Pick a room! Do you want the one with pink ballet slippers on the door?

How about a lumberjack boot!

I thought the vintage baby bootie was adorable!

Maybe a pair for rainy puddle splashing?

Or, could be you are in the mood for some cowboy boot kickin’!

The rooms are awesome….the original stone and mortar walls are exposed, and the furnishings are inviting and comfy!

The only bad part is that after a long day of driving I was too tired to set up in here and sew……I was asleep by 9:30pm!

Through the tall window of my room, I could see people enjoying the patio and outdoor dining below. There is an awesome pizza place ---I sat out on the deck and soaked up the last of the late evening splendor, unwinding from an extra long day of driving.

In the morning, your continental breakfast is found INSIDE the shoe shine box outside your door!

Morning pictures, the sun is quickly rising and the day is getting hot by the time I was leaving.

The old tobacco warehouse is now an event center.

There are a lot of unremarkable “Days Inn” type stays out there. This is not one of them! I love this place!

And if I haven’t won you over yet --- this is Buster Brown! He lives at the Craddock-Terry and is quite the character. You can even get a leash from the desk and he will accompany you on a walk about town. What a sweetie!

Don’t you love buildings with the remnants of old advertising still visible? Shamu was waiting for us to begin the last leg of our journey home ----

I definitely need a windshield wash ---but this was a glimpse of my view as I drove toward Lynchburg ---LOVE the mountains!

And because we love the mountains ---my little family is getting away for a belated Father’s Day weekend --- TODAY. Yes. TODAY. I have gotten as far as unpacking the quilt stuff from the car – leaving some project stuff IN the car –we are off to spend the weekend at a little cabin outside of Boone. It’s time for some down time! I know that I’ll be sewing away while others are playing golf or doing guy things. We plan on chillin’ and grillin’ and sleeping in late.

Bring on the weekend, everyone!