A Cabin Retreat for Two -

Tulips are growing in my scrap garden!

There are now 5 total.

I know I am a bit late for tulip season in North Carolina/Virginia – but as of last week in Michigan, the tulips on Mackinac Island were just beginning to open and show their color.

Tulips in fabric can bloom at ANY time!  And while I am working on these…the thoughts in my bind of “biggie sizing” them and making them out of STRING BLOCKS is floating around in my head and I’m having to tell myself “Down, girl!”  There are other things that HAVE to happen this week.

And Irene is here to keep me FOCUSED!

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On a Quilt-Cam Saturday in May -

The struggle was real!

And this had been neglected for far too long -

Nothing gets me motivated more than watching other people dig into their sewing room space and make order out of chaos.

I found myself home on Friday evening, with no energy to throw in a decent Quilt-Cam, plus – I had NOTHING with me to stitch.  That was all left 100 miles away at the cabin in Virginia. 

As I crawled into bed on Friday night – putting things in order for my Saturday ahead, I knew some things had to happen before I could do anything else.

All of the book orders that had come in while waiting for drywall guys to do their thing at the Quiltville Post Office, and the arrival of the counter top guys for the cabin – those were priority and by noon they were all waiting on the front porch for my mail lady to pick them up yesterday afternoon.

I saw an opportunity for Quilt-Cam ahead, but I needed something to sew!  And before I could cut anything to sew, well dang!  This mess had to GO!

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Lay That Granite Down, Boys!

This happened yesterday!

And let me tell you, this is not the easiest feat getting this truck up around the cabin toward the back door! But they did it.

The beautiful counter tops I’ve dreamed of since we first saw this cabin, considering the possibility of moving farther out, obtaining acreage (And no HOA headaches!)

I loved the cabin and property from day one – but those blue Formica counter tops?  Not so much.

There are only a few things more stressful than renovation – childbearing comes a close second! LOL! 

And we’ve had so much going on over the past year – sometimes it feels like my life is at the crowning stage and we are getting ready to really PUSH.

I tell myself it’s just one thing at a time, and it will all get done.  And yesterday – it did!

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May ‘19 Quilty Box Gift-Away!

What a beautiful box we have to offer!

Don’t you just love the colors of summer seen in this photo?

Rich, saturated, bright, bold and most of all FUN!

This month’s Quilty Box contains all you need for some fun stitching ahead, including full size rotary templates to make the Sunrise quilt by Janine Vangool.

Janine writes:

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Quiltin’ with the Girls!

I headed out to Laurel Springs NC -

Day TWO of Quilting with the Ashe County Piecemakers!

From what I understand, Kathy (left) was the “Last Quilter Standing” the night before – but according to all accounts (She was the only one who really knew, so how are WE to know?) Lights out happened by 1am.  And there she was, bright and early back at it!

This is the 4th year that the guild has hosted their retreats at Laurel Springs Conference Center – a beautiful Moravian Church run facility complete with hotel-like rooms and pre-pared meals.  Such an awesome place!

Week day retreats also give them a bit of a price break.

And they can easily fit into the center’s busy calendar which is quite full on weekends with other events.

Getting my two halves together!

I was a girl on a mission.  this top had languished as “just a pile of blocks” for far too long. 

I rarely make “duplicate” quilts – but when I finished the previous version as a baby quilt for my nephew Henry, leaving me still with 25 blocks needing a home and liking the quilt so much, I knew I would do this one again.

Things I had to re-learn?  How to press the seams on the alternate block so they would work with what was going on with the main block!  Oh, how the brain forgets after 2 years.

And what a place to display a finish!

Click to play:

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A post shared by Bonnie K Hunter (@quiltville_bonnie) on May 15, 2019 at 10:39am PDT

Whew!  Is it any wonder I love this place?

This was not the ONLY project worked on.  The second project?  I’d been using it as a Leader & Ender while assembling the quilt top above -

Playing “Cut the Corner!”

This stack of basket blocks is the next “Thing to Go Down!” on my list.  The large bottom triangles just did nothing for my layout, so a bit of a perk-up is needed. 

I’m using Doug Leko’s Simple Folded Corners ruler to trim the corner before sewing -

And using the blocks as Leaders & Enders!

It was a quick way to power through a boring job!

And I have a whole stack of blocks ready to set now.

Let’s hope this is the last I see of THIS fabric! LOL!

I’ve gotten a kick out of using this gifted piece of Strong Men & Acrobats.  This square was hiding in my pre-cut squares box – and while digging through them for basket block corners I unearthed this one.  Hysterical.  This is even better than Millennium Y2K fabric in my book!

This also happened!

Doesn’t it feel good to use up the last of a spool?

Especially good when you have enough to finish the seam.

BARELY!

Trimmed and edges stay-stitched.

Next up – BORDERS!

The fabric I think I want to use is at home in Wallburg so I can gather that up when I head home tomorrow.  I’m making a quick run – hopefully the new counters and sinks will be going in here.  While that is being done, I’ll run back to Wallburg and get the mail order out, pick up what is needed – and we are hoping to be PAINTING this weekend.

No more progress has been made on the Quiltville Post Office ceiling.  Perhaps the guys will come back today and finish that up?

This morning – it’s Third Thursday!  Which means I’m out the door early and heading down the road to Sarah Cox’s Fox Creek General Store for breakfast and chatter with the locals!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Along with all of the pushing, striving, reaching, and hoping for something better, there are days when you just have to appreciate who you are, where you are right now.

Today is that day! Happy Thursday, everyone!

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Drop Everything and GO!

Laurel Ridge Conference Center -

When a message came from Kathy on Monday about a local guild retreat happening over at Laurel Ridge in Laurel Springs, NC this week along with an invitation to join in – the stars aligned and I said YES!

Yesterday afternoon as we were setting up our stuff, she said – “I really didn’t think you’d be able to make it with all you’ve got going on, but you did!”

My reply?  “No sinks and no counters at home?  No brainer!”

As it turns out I was off by about 4 days on Irene’s arrival from Kentucky, making me free as a bird until Sunday.

Things are about to get very busy around here (more info on that in a bit) so I will grab the retreat time I can!

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Life Without Sinks…

“Sink Still Life”

5 round and one rectangle!

The demolition on the kitchen and bath re-do started yesterday in earnest.  And let me tell you – next to a loss of electricity, where you flight the urge to flip on switches out of habit – it’s really kind of unsettling not to have a sink or running water where you are so used to having it!

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A Mother’s Day Out & About.

Rhodies are blooming in front of Quiltville Inn!

Trees have leaves – and that grass?  It needs a hay baler!

This is what greeted us yesterday morning as we trundled the short 7 miles on over from the cabin, a big box of something exciting in the back of my van.

Once upon a time – I would have balked at an APPLIANCE being a great gift for Mother’s Day, birthday, Valentine's Day, anniversary or Christmas.

And I think the general rule is that it is never a great idea to gift a woman anything that represents “WORK” or “GET IN YOUR PLACE!” including vacuums, pressure cookers, a toaster, etc. 

The only EXCEPTION being – if she WANTS it and asks for it! (Remember this guys, always remember this!)

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Mother’s Day With Mackinac Memories

Isn’t this room lovely?

This is not my room – but Mother’s Day weekend is a HUGE event at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan and I am sure someone is waking up in it this morning – stretching and yawning and just about now sauntering themselves down to Salle ala Manger to treat themselves to a sumptuous Mother’s Day breakfast – or perhaps room service is knocking on the door with breakfast delivered – just to enjoy this lovely room a week bit longer.

This room was at the end of our h all, and all week long I kept trying to get a better glimpse inside, but dang it – there were always people in the way.

With our later departure on Friday morning, I was able to poke my head (and my speedy phone camera!) in through the door while housekeeping was busy in the bathrooms and take a quick shot.

Just take a look at how colors are combined in this photo!  The carpet is green with red. That floral wallpaper screams loudly!  The quilts are yellow/white, but the canopies are floral/peach.  The chairs are aqua. It’s a scrappy confection!

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