Quilt Block Sightings!

Don’t you just feel like the world is waving a big hello to you when you see something like this?

We saw many many quilt blocks on barns, out buildings, businesses and cabins as we drove through the mountain areas.

Some we were able to stop for. ((hear me yelling "I NEED A PICTURE OF THAT!!))

Some we were not able to stop for--- we were on busy winding highways and I had to let some gorgeous ones go un-photographed ---but they are getting MORE and MORE popular and I enjoy seeing them when I am lucky enough to cross paths with them.

It’s like --- the world is my design wall! LOL!!

Little ramshackle shed with a block between its windows --Be sure to look closely and notice the really great weather vane on top!

This barn is sporting a double wedding ring motif.

Vegetation has half obscured this shed – but it still made me yell “STOP!” and I jumped out to grab a picture!

This is, by FAR my favorite photo…because in this view I saw not only ONE barn --- there were two on the property!

Can you see the second one in the back? There was no way to get closer to it. I tried to do a zoom shot :

And all I got was grainy! But you can see it -----

The sun was streaming down on this whimsical applique style motif.

On our drive through Banner Elk, NC last evening – there were SEVERAL on businesses around town!

Quilting and Massage –both things that have had a place in my life. I’d feel right at home here!

HEXIES!!! Nuff said!

This is the fence around the recycle center! Not just ONE tree, but FOUR!

If we were there at night, we’d see the twinkle lights shine around the blocks….I love this blue and white one.

Is there another tree quilt in my future? Just maybe!

This scrappy one is adorable too….already my mind is dissecting the pattern --- is yours?

In searching for more info, I came across a pdf article from Carolina Country Magazine in 2009. There are some more great photos of Carolina Quilt Barns HERE!

So yeah. We are home! I couldn’t believe how FAST that drive home was --- of course I slept through half of it so that helps. This traveling for a relaxing weekend can sure wear a body out. ZZZzzzzzz.

Laundry awaits. The car is unloaded, but stuff needs to be put away ----and starting tomorrow morning I’m ramping up for the Vermont Quilt Festival!

Time to Head Home!

It’s been a wonderful and relaxing few days here in the mountains of western North Carolina.

The views have been spectacular, the hikes energizing and breath-taking.

The walk across the "Mile High" swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain was scary and thrilling ----and yet I've learned that sometimes you have to force yourself out of your comfort zone to conquer fear and apprehension and sometimes just to be able to say “Yes! I did that!”

I was just not going to let a fear of heights stop me. But I was NOT going to venture out as far as DH and Sadie did:

I know myself enough to know when far enough is FAR ENOUGH!

I’ve spent the morning packing up our stuff and putting the cabin back in order. We’ll enjoy our lunch here – eating the last of the leftovers --- ((Including the best watermelon ever, and that must be a fluke because I have really bad luck at picking good ones!)) and start our drive home --- we may head out to Blowing Rock which is a bit out of our way but – it’s such a beautiful day why not?

And yes --there has been hexie sewing in the car, though I admit to the curves on the Blue Ridge Parkway being a bit of a challenge when it comes to threading a needle! :c)

My off time at the cabin has also been productive!

I’ve sewn and trimmed up about a gazillion Wild & Goosey blocks!

There will be much vacuuming of the floor around my sewing area before we leave too!

But in the mean time --- we plan to enjoy the most of this amazing North Carolina June Sunday ----watching the sun bake off the morning cloud cover and marveling at the beauty of this view from the cabin deck:

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

A hike to Linville Falls

The only thing bad about hiking DOWN to the falls is --- you have to hike back UP when you are done!

The hike down to the first viewing area is about 4/10 of a mile from the parking lot…It was easy going down, but I could tell it was going to be a booger going back up ----

Once at the viewing area – we could see people up and over away at ANOTHER overlook and we wanted to go there too --- so ….okay, lets hike another 3/10 of a mile to the second viewing area --- which was uphill part way, and then down again.

It was SO WORTH IT!

You can’t tell from these photos, but the water was roaring and pounding and it was just magnificent.

There it goes, down the chute!

The rock formations are just majestic ---I try to imagine this land in all its glory being “discovered” in the 1700s as settlers expanded across North Carolina. Such a wondrous place!

Can you see the first crash of the falls at the way back? It makes that run, then continues down river to the chute I showed you above.

And then it crashes….through the rock formations, way down ----

After hiking to the second overlook --- we could see both sets of falls. I could have just sat up here forever.

Down stream, the Linville river smooths out and finds its way thorugh the towering pines.

One more glimpse of nature’s beauty ----trying not to think about the 7/10 of a mile hike BACK to the car. All told we only hiked about 1.5 miles --- but it felt like 5, and uphill both ways! LOL! By this time I was wishing I had NOT worn my jeans --- it was shorts weather and getting hotter by the minute. I had dressed for the cool of the caverns ---

Hot & sweaty me with two of the falls over my head --- I wished I could have jumped right in to that water!

We are driving home today --- It’s been SUCH a great weekend to get away from it all ---we WILL be back, that I know for a fact!

It’s time to hunker down and get going on the business end of things. I leave for the Vermont Quilt Festival on Wednesday. That doesn’t give me much time to get ready for anything! And on the tail of that is my family reunion in Idaho on July 4th, followed by my retreat time in Oregon for the Sister’s Quilt show – all one right after the other.

If books arrive before then, they will just be waiting for us when I get back --- it should be soon now, and even through THEY may be ahead of schedule ((I expected delivery sometime in late July)) I can’t change MY schedule to get all the orders out early if I am away from home – and that freaks me out a bit.

Getting books out is a priority to me.

I hope you will be patient with me and know that I will do everything I can to get them out as quickly as possible when I am home to do so.

Deep Down in Linville Caverns!

The first time I ever set foot in a cavern I was about 13 or 14 years old, and we were driving back to California from Minnesota --- my dad, my two younger brothers, and myself – and we were finding interesting sites to see all along the way.

It was on that trip that I saw Mount Rushmore for the first time ---and somewhere along the journey --- we went down down down into some amazing caverns ---and I remember so vividly, all of us in our “matching” Red & Blue striped rugby shirts, which had become the “Wilkinson Uniform” of that trip --- I’m sure in an effort for us not to lose each other.

Ever since that trip I have avoided situations where I have to dress like everyone else!

We’ve also visited caverns outside of San Antonio Texas ---and I remember that the cool temps down deep in the earth were such a relief from the the Texas heat outside ---

The Linville Caverns are no different. The temp stays at 52 degrees f all year round, winter and summer, and I was glad that I wore my jeans and brought a sweatshirt.

I showed this picture in the iphone-o-gram earlier – but I can’t believe how pretty this butterfly is on this bush! I took this while we were waiting for our tour to begin:

You can see the spots on his head!

I found the caverns to be really fascinating ---and I loved hearing the folk lore stories of how army deserters from BOTH sides during the Civil War found the caverns a great place to hide away. Only one problem – they should not have lit fires inside the caverns ---the smoke made its way up through the cracks and fissures and alerted near by residents that SOMEONE was under the mountain!

The tour is really great, and it’s quite the bargain at only $7.50 per adult visitor.

I took a lot of photos –all of them with my phone. Some with flash, some without. Some --- I can’t even tell which end is up when I went to shrink them to be more web friendly!

I decided since there are so many to upload these as an album – I hope you enjoy them!

		Linville Caverns, NC. June 2012 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I loved seeing what this critter had done in the dark --- when people aren’t visiting, the lights are off and you really experience total darkness in there --- and yet…..look how intricate:

Oh, for those who asked…the folding table I have with me is labeled “lifetime” and it came from Sam’s Club for about $40.00. The legs fold in, they also extend to cutting table height ((Which is great for us tall girls)) and the table top itself folds in half and makes it extremely portable. It’s lighter weight than my sew-ezi table ---and I do find myself using this table a lot when I am on car trips. You just never know if a hotel is going to have a place for you to set up a machine…this one is great.

This is our last night in our little rented cabin! Also for those who asked, we are big fans of VRBO.com

THIS is the listing for the cabin that we rented.

We have loved it out here. I hope it won’t be too long before we are back!