Evening Edition: Free Kindle Book!

Yes, I’m browsing! I think I’ve sewn all I can tonight…I’ve got my top finished ((Just the center)) and photos will follow tomorrow – it’s dark out side now so not good for photography!

I just found a little freebie I thought I’d pass on. I’m sure I have plenty on my kindle to read on the way to Bali --- but what’s one more?

Misthaven of Maine by Loretta Boyer McClellan is free this evening in the Amazon Kindle Store

Genre: Contemporary fiction.

Book Description:
With genuine characters and settings steeped in history with stunning visuals, journalist and debut author, Loretta Boyer McClellan paints an engaging, coming-of-age journey, rich in the beauty of friendship and abiding love.

Misthaven of Maine offers readers an empowering, contemporary story, amidst the sweeping vistas and echoed grace of New England.

Born and raised in Boston, with unyielding ties to her ancestral home of Maine and to the sea, sixteen year-old Eliza Hales is from affluent, yet grounded means.

Despite experiencing her mother’s death when she was a young girl, inner strength and confidence prevail, providing a well-rounded independence and knowledge of self, which carry her into adulthood and throughout her authentic life.

An accomplished artist and sailor, her unshakable sense of family, loyalty and the pursuit of her dreams witness the growth of a remarkable soul, who lives and loves deeply, always true to her heart.

Like the ocean itself, Misthaven of Maine offers up captivating and thoughtful treasures – a multilayered perspective, sure to entertain!

Having made my first trip up to Maine this year ---I’m anxious to read it!

As always, double check before clicking that it is still free for you ---

Have a great evening!

Under The Needle!

It’s turned out to be a crazier day than I thought ---catching up with a long time friend I hadn’t talked to in a while while working on some block deadlines…my articles for Quiltmaker are due before I leave for Bali – so that’s what went on this morning.

This afternoon 7 of us were out to lunch ----local Italian joint, I hadn’t been there forever, and we lingered over delicious food and the Olympics that were playing on a TV suspended in the corner.

Upon returning home, I glanced at the computer to find MORE orders for String Fling – leaving me just an hour to fill them and get them to the post office before my chiropractor appointment at 4pm!

So much for dreams of sewing all day!

Update on the MRI ---the disk bulging and tearing is on the left side. I was encouraged as we went over the report to hear words used like “small narrowing” "small tearing" “minimal degeneration” At least it didn’t say WIDE GAPING, ENORMOUSLY DEBILITATING – you get the drift?

What’s weird is that all my pain is on the right side, not the left – but this is where my neuromuscular massage therapist’s brain kicks in ((Yes, I did that in a previous life and just retired from that about 4.5 years ago)) and reminds me that just because it HURTS in one area, doesn’t mean the problem is there, and often times things switch sides….if I am guarding on the left, because that is where the problem is --- I’m going to feel the strain on the right. So we are working with it.

And wonder of wonders, I have to thank my student Helen, who took my classes in Williamsburg – She is a physical therapist and we brainstormed on what to do about alleviating some of the pain symptoms on the right.

STRETCHING is huge.

Calves, Hamstrings, Quadricepts, hip flexors --- I already was stretching out those, focusing on Piraformis, that “pain in the butt” muscle ----but I needed to go farther, so I’ve been doing those every day since I got home from Williamsburg, and I’m feeling “minimally” better. But I’ll take it! I’ll keep doing these up and until I go to Bali – hoping that my leg won’t hurt so badly on long plane rides ((Did I mention it is 14+ hours from LAX to Hong Kong?! OY!))

So ---all of that under the bridge – I got home and pulled out my blocks and started arranging…

I’m sewing rows!

I’m joining rows together!

Tonight, even if I have to stay up til midnight – this top will be DONE ((Minus Borders))

And I know the posts have been quiet --- but that’s just a glimpse in what has gone on around here today --- OH yeah, and as I look at this picture….no matter how you try to plan your blocks, it looks like that red/yellow combo is repeated in two blocks that will be diagonally next to each other. Too bad! Too late now! LOL!

Have a great Thursday evening, everyone! I’m back to the machine!

Those who are lost, are found!

Thanks to the wonders of the internet I have found the quilter in Switzerland, and the other quilter in Australia who had orders pending where I needed more info and couldn’t reach them!

I even had other readers emailing me saying they could look them up in their local phone books and ring them up for me if I wanted! One quilter tried, but the phone was disconnected.

I was really worried until she must have read my blog post with her name on it. All is sorted now……those orders are on their way! Thank you to those who passed the word on! They contacted me!

I woke up this morning feeling really motivated to get to some sewing today.

Pick a UFO – the closest one to completion!

It’s my Nearly Insane! The blocks are done ---- the rows are mostly done, I just have to finish the rows, assemble the center and get started on the border.

I got an email the other day asking which fabric I am using for the sashing:

It’s a thimbleberries from long ago. The question went something like this:

”But aren’t you using reproductions?”

I started this quilt about 10 years go…and chose my sashing fabric at the same time because I wanted to sash it as I went. Nothing is worse to me than a quilt that stays in blocks with no progress to be seen for years and years, so I wanted to build my center as I went.

That said…my reply to the quilter was:

“I asked myself if Salinda Rupp would have used this if it had been in HER stash. I think the answer would have been yes! It looks very close to what the she used as far as I can see from the close up photos I’ve seen of the original quilt. I’m happy with it!”

I’ve thought about this a lot ---when Salinda was making her quilt in 1870 or so – she was working with what she had in HER scrap bag. She didn’t choose designer fabrics, or charm packs or a whole line by moda. She used the remnants from what was left from previous quilts, and household sewing projects. Maybe she acquired fabrics from other quilting friends and neighbors. But these are not “quilt shop quality” fabrics in her quilt either. Just every day ordinary scraps, and therein lies the beauty and the wonder for me.

This is a picture of a page of the original quilt as found in “The Ultimate Quilting Book” by Maggi McCormick Gordon. The actual sashing fabric is a “foulard” type print circa 1870, maybe a bit earlier if she’d had it in her stash for a long time. I just wanted something with the same flavor ---and when I chose my fabrics, the thimbleberries above that was in my stash seemed to do the trick…and most importantly, I had enough of it!

I still like it!

I hope to make a lot of headway today getting this top completed top center stage…and then on to the pieced border!

What’s up for your day?

From THIS --- to THIS!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I have sorted and pitched and organized and put away and filed and dusted ----

I’m still not ready to sit and sew yet, but it’s getting close!

Boy, does this feel GOOD!

Dancing in the Basement!

This is a HAPPY POST!
I have just filled, labeled and stamped the last remaining book order!
That means that even the orders that came in overnight, and the few that trickled in this morning are filled and on their way!
I have moved over 1290 copies of string fling, and that doesn’t include the other books that were included in those orders as well.
That's a lot of book signing!
Pre-Order status is now fully lifted, and things can now get back to NORMAL.


I’m so glad. It’s been so difficult. So many people had emailed “But I placed my order in June” ---Yes – but that was a pre-order and the info on the order page right where you clicked “add to cart” stated that it was pre-order and to expect delivery late July to early August.

They are all out – and I know it’s August 8th – but if it’s before mid-August, it’s EARLY AUGUST in my book!

Thank you all so much for your patience. I don’t know how I could have done it any differently ---when they said they would print July, I thought I’d have them late July. My teaching and traveling schedule does not change simply because the book delivery dates change. I knew I wouldn't "really" be home until Sunday, August 5th to really be able to sit at this.
We have had to work with it, from both sides.
And now life can return to normal, whatever that is.
I’m changing the info on the book order page now! NO MORE PRE-ORDER STATUS!
If you haven’t ordered String Fling yet, and you want to ---I’ll be shipping books daily until I leave for Bali on the 20th. Then I will resume shipping again when I return Sept 2nd.
You can order books HERE.
And now?!
It’s time to CLEAN THE BASMENT!
I am starting with horizontal surfaces --- desk tops, table tops, ironing board tops, quilting machine table tops, and sewing desk tops….let the gutting begin!

So Curious, George!

Somewhere along the line this past trip I ended up with this dollar bill.
It looks like an every-day-ordinary dollar bill, except that it has a red ring of text around the “E” circle on the left.
I had to put my glasses on to read it.
I have to put my glasses on to read the shampoo/lotion/conditioner labels on hotel toiletries too, heaven forbid you use lotion on your hair as conditioner, but that’s another story!
The red circle says:
“Track This Bill! www.wheresgeorge.com”
The back side is also stamped…it says
“Track this bill at www.wheresgeorge.com”

I guess they REALLY want me to track this bill!

Note: below is a clip, it is not functional, don't try to use it!

I went to the website, all excited…put in my 10 letters & digits and my zip code!

Just where has this bill traveled? I’m getting anxious to find out how many miles..

Maybe from California? or Texas? Or North Dakota!

I’m thinking as far away as I can ---ALASKA!!

And yes I know this next pic is small, but if left big it breaks the boundaries of my page and into the side bars, so CLICK IT to BIGGIE SIZE!

NORTH CAROLINA?!

The last place it was recorded was NORTH CAROLINA?

And I picked it up in Pennsylvania and brought it BACK to North Carolina. Well that lets the air out of my bubbles!

Maybe I need to take it to Bali with me and let it loose since I was told they do accept American dollars there.

Or maybe, just maybe – I’ll let it loose at LAX before leaving the country!

BALI!

I want to sew.

I want to sew badly!! But if you think back to when I left for Vermont ---I left on the 28th of June. 2 days before that, Spring Fling was released and I spent those 2 days frantically filling book orders.

I returned home from Vermont on July 2nd, arriving home about dinner time – and spending the remaining hours of the 2nd, and as many hours as I could the 3rd ---packing up book orders and washing the contents of my suitcase so that I could head out on July 4th for a family reunion in Idaho, and then on to Sisters Oregon for the quilt show. I returned home, however briefly, after a long red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dulles, only to find myself stuck there with no plane, and arriving home around dinner time on July 16th.

I washed my clothes, filled book orders for the entirety of the 17th and 18th, repacking the van and leaving July 19th for Pennsylvania. I then moved straight on to Williamsburg after the Hershey Show, and got home Sunday afternoon.

Between June 28th and August 5 I was home for a total of 3 days.

You KNOW what I’ve spent doing the last two days since I got home Sunday ---and I’m NEARLY THERE!! By this time tomorrow I will be all caught up on existing book orders, inluding the ones that came through today ---

The one thing it doesn’t leave me time to do is do what I want to do….

SEW!

But I have a dream project for as soon as this is all done…and it’s all good, really! I KNEW it was going to be this way, but my time is here…I have TWO WEEKS just about before I leave with 16 fabulous and excited quilters for our dream trip to BALI!

((Yeah, when I was first asked to head up this special trip, I had to look for where exactly BALI is on the map. INDONESIA!))

To find Bali—look for the top of Australia where it says Indonesia…you will find the little arrow pointing to it to the left of the word Indonesia.

HOLY. MOLY!!

There we are again, not so many words on this one…

See Bali?

Here is Bali itself, with a bunch of words I can’t pronounce, and even if I could they wouldn’t mean anything to anyone who hasn’t been there ---but we are GOING HERE!

In TWO WEEKS!

But the way my mind is working is like this ----but I have two weeks. And I want to sew. I want to stay in my house and put some things together. I want to load at least one top that I’ve finished on the machine, I want to do normal household things..and I’ll deal with Bali about 3 days before it’s time to go, and you will see me freaking out trying to get ready.

BALI! Oh My Freaking Goodness!

I’m told I’ll have wifi in my room. Great. I may or may not be able to post. Great. This blog may become one big empty hole while I’m gone, or maybe the most I can manage is to do one wordless picture per day when I do have wifi to connect, if I do have wifi.

BALI!!

So in the next two weeks this is my plan. Finish the book orders until that plate is clean. ((TOMORROW! YAY!))

DIG OUT MY BASMENT.

THEN SEW!

Oh you guys, in the past several months my basement has become the dumping grounds for tote bags of this, that, the other thing – there hasn’t been time to put anything away, and when I first walked in here on Sunday evening I thought…..ohhhhhhhh my.

I want to sew, but I can’t sew like this. Tomorrow after dropping off everything at the post office, I’m having a digging out party. There will be music booming from my stereo. I will be ruthless with what I keep, with what I pitch, with what I put away and care in how and where I put it away.

When I return from Bali – there will be a CLEAN studio waiting for me, not the frantic mess of not enough time to put stuff away before I leave.

Goodness, this is a rambling post. I think I’m just back to nesting in my own space ---

Quiltmaker’s Block Party Goodie Bag Give-Away!

I just got a message from June, the Editor-in-Chief at Quiltmaker Magazine ----She’s written a really cute blog post HERE with some photos of our time at Williamsburg this past week!

There are lots of photos and highlights to share, and she’ll be uploading those over several posts, so be sure to check back to see those! Just go to Quiltmaker.com and search for the tab marked BLOGS!

In the mean time, if you did not get to go to Williamsburg with us, June is hosting a little giveaway!

**NOTE!** Do not leave your reply HERE on my blog -- you must leave it for June on her blog!

Go to the post and leave your comment by Thursday, August 9th at midnight ((I am assuming that’s Central USA time since Quiltmaker’s offices are in Golden Colorado!)) stating WHERE you’d like to see a Quiltmaker Block Party happen…..and she will draw a winner for a totebag full of goodies!

These are some of the variety of goodies we found in our bags!

Your bag contents may vary.

Sincere thanks to our generous partners for this event:
FreeSpirit
Gammill
Handi Quilter
Northcott
PFAFF
Quilting Treasures
RJR Fabrics
Red Rooster Fabrics
Robert Kaufman
Rowan Fabric
Timeless Treasures
Troy Fabric

Good Luck Everyone!

Smith’s Fort Plantation, circa 1765!

After exiting the ferry on the “Surry Side” I headed down a lovely green country road, fields and fields of peanuts growing on each side.

Virginia IS Peanut Country ---there are often little country shops and stands along the road side where you can buy not only Virginia peanuts, but Virginia hams as well!

Taking the road-less-traveled, I wasn’t sure what I would cross paths with, but when I came to a sign telling me that Smith’s Fort Plantation was ahead, I had to take the turn ---only --- I missed it!

I had to go up the road a bit to find a place to turn around and double back ---

And it was so worth it!

I found myself traveling up a tree covered drive that seemed to go on for miles:

I sure felt like I was going to wind up at some place like “Twelve Oaks” from Gone With the Wind!

To my dismay, even through I was there at 10am ---it was a Sunday, and the house wasn’t open. But I was free to wander around the grounds, and it was just what I needed for a leg stretch at this time.

I did a little more research and this is what I found:

The plantation received its name because it was the location of Captain John Smith's "New Fort," built in 1609, located directly across the James River from the Jamestown colony. The fort was quickly abandoned due to dry rot and a rat infestation.

The same land was later given by Chief Powhatan to John Rolfe as a dowry for the hand of Pocahontas when Rolfe and Pocahontas married. Archaeological surveys of the property have revealed that a number of structures have existed on the property and the present, restored main house was built by Jacob Faulcon in 1751.

Is that cool or what? Having heard of Pocahontas all my life, this really was like walking through history! Not to mention that Shamu and I rode over on the Pocahontas Ferry ;c)

We get the idea that because the word “PLANTATION” is used, that the house is going to be a huge structure of Georgian architecture. Not always. Many plantation houses were modest “normal” sized homes ----and I sure wished I could have had a chance to tour the inside of this one. But I was happy to walk the grounds…that crepe myrtle tree is in full bloom and is gorgeous! Up closer to the house is an ancient magnolia. The size of the trees alone make the house look that much smaller, dwarfing it in comparison.

1751-1765!

Imagine the lady of the manor stepping out of that front door dressed for a journey to town, or maybe to church or to visit. Imagine the lives, the births, the deaths, the every day occurrence of waking up to greet a new day of plantation life ---in the Virginia summer heat and humidity without the benefits of electricity, air-conditioning or other modern conveniences.

Yes. I’m a modern girl! I love revisiting the past, but I’m so happy to be living where I live now!

Next trip? I *AM* going to be there when it is open to see inside!

iPhone-o-Gram! The Mail Run!

It's been a productive day so far!

I just dropped the following off at the post office and these book orders will be on their way to their global destinations.

I use the little folding cart all the time---gotta protect the back, you know, and bins of books are heavy.

A couple more days like this and we will be all caught up! I'll lift the pre-order status on new orders coming in as soon as we are caught up and life can get back to normal, whatever that is!

Now---on to the chiropractor.

Also in search of Mrs. Lorraine Valmai Hughes

Lorraine in One Tree Hill, South Australia --- please contact me at Quiltville@gmail.com .

 

I can’t ship your order without more information, and emails to you have gone unanswered.

 

If anyone knows Lorraine please have her contact me!

Still In Search of Brigitte Sieber!

Brigitte,

I have been trying to ship your order of String Fling since they first arrived!

Your information is incomplete, and I can’t ship it until I get this information from you!

Please contact me at Quiltville@gmail.com!!

***NOTE*** If anyone knows Brigitte Sieber from Switzerland, please let her know I need to talk to her. I have tried her email address, and it bounces back to me, so I am at a loss at what to do ----

Thanks!

Shamu & The Jamestown Ferry!

In Saturday’s class, several of us were discussing alternate routes I could take home rather than the usual “trek back over to Richmond and fight your way back down I-95 with all the semi trucks and weekend traffic” madness.

When Randee suggested that I take the Jamestown-to-Surry Ferry, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do!

Now, those of you who live near water and where ferrying yourself from one side to the other is a daily occurrence, this won’t seem like a big deal to you, but I have a confession to make:

In all my world travels, I had yet to drive my car up on to a ferry to ride across the water, and drive off on the other side. This was exciting for me!

And even more exciting that it was “free.”

I wasn’t sure just what to do, so when I got to the ferry bridge, I just waited in line behind a few other cars – I must have been there relatively early, the ferry runs every 30 minutes or some such thing and there were only a couple cars in line ahead of me.

But as we sat there, soon there were many more cars behind me!

Here I am in line as the ferry pulls up to the dock after bringing people over from the “Surry Side” of the James River. Yes, that s my Williamsburg Hospitality House parking garage pass still on my dashboard!

Somehow I ended up lucky enough to h have a front row “seat”!

Can you see my license place? QLTVLLE!

Or maybe it’s the birds that have the best vantage point – and a free ride too!

I went up to the top observation deck to enjoy the beautiful view, and to wave at another ferry passing ---they are headed to the dock that we just left!

**Side Note!** This is how you know who the tourists are:

They are the ones OUT OF THEIR CARS milling around and going up to the observation deck to take pictures.

Those who ride the ferry regularly are on their cell phones, or eating their drive through breakfast and reading the paper, or reading their kindles. They stay in their cars. It’s an every day occurrence for them – but for me…it was SO COOL!

It takes about 15 minutes to make our way to the Surry Side.

As our gate keeper made his way to start letting the chains down and opening the gates so we could drive off on our way, I slid back behind Shamu’s wheel and made myself ready to exit my first drive-on ferry ride ever.

I don’t quite remember how much time all this would have saved me mileage wise, but I know it is considerable. If you can’t cross on the ferry, the only alernative is to drive way out of your way to cross a bridge further down the river.

One more thing crossed off my bucket list --- what’s next?

Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

And the long road home….I drove and drove, getting home about 3pm.

I unloaded the car….stuff is in piles everywhere and totes and luggage need to be unpacked and laundry attended to.

I left it all ---and took a nap in my own bed that beckoned --- the ceiling fan whirling silently on medium speed, creating just enough of a house-bound breeze to require sleeping with just the sheet in this summer heat.

I woke up about 5:30, finding my afternoon gone!

A simple supper of grilled cheese and tomato soup was decided upon, and here I sit – trying to make my way through snail mail that has piled up over the past 18 days I’ve been gone.

It’s going to take a lot of digging to get out from under!

I only made a couple of stops on my way home – could you guess that I was just wanting to GET HERE? Those photos will come tomorrow. Right now, my phone is dumping over 900 photos taken on this past 18 day jaunt onto my external harddrive so I can edit today’s pics down tomorrow.

Let’s face it. It’s been a LONG trip, even as great as it was – and I don’t feel like editing photos tonight. I want to park my butt on the couch and watch the olympics and do NOTHING ---all the busy stuff can happen TOMORROW!

But for those who would rather read than watch, I did find something to download that you might like:

Keeping the Peace by Hannah Hooton is free tonight in the Amazon Kindle Store.

Genre: Drama/Romance

Book Description:

London waitress, Pippa Taylor has no interest in horses or country-living. But when she inherits Peace Offering, a hopeless racehorse, she embarks on a career change in order to see her late uncle’s wish to run him in the Grand National come true.

But having talked her way into a job as racing secretary to champion National Hunt trainer, Jack Carmichael and moved to the West Country, Pippa finds herself faced with more daunting obstacles than even the Grand National can throw at her.

The most challenging of them all is her relationship with her new boss.

Jack, although easy on the eye, is moody and fiery-tempered and certainly not easy on the ear. After a Christmas they would both rather forget, danger and deception threaten Pippa’s life in the country and as her time at Aspen Valley Racing Stables draws to its conclusion she discovers Peace Offering is not the only thing she must fight to keep.

Check to be sure it’s still free before you download…..and have a great evening!