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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Set Up Day!

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I’m a lucky girl!

Because I came in a day early, I got to come out to Camp Beckwith and help set up for this weekend’s retreat that starts tomorrow!

Here is another shot of downtown Mobile Alabama as we made our way east toward the retreat location.

We want to be sure that everything is set up well ahead of time so that when everyone arrives, we are ready to start our class!

There is a bit of logistics involved when you are expecting 64 quilters!

Yes – 64!!  it’s going to be a full house, and the activities will start in earnest tomorrow when everyone arrives for our first day of Smith Mountain Morning.

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Mobile sits on a beautiful bay, and though it was chilly today that sun is shining down, sparkling the water – so pretty!

We are working this quilt as a two day class – the first time I’ve ever done it this way and I think it will be great.  We’ll work on stars for the first day, and the second day will focus on the log cabin blocks…and we will really see the great amount of progress that everyone will be making during retreat.

I’m anxious to see their fabrics and colors!

This afternoon after chairs, tables and ironing stations had been set up, I took a little walk outside to explore our surroundings:

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The entrance to Camp Beckwith!

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The road up toward retreat!

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Which way do we go?

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There are loads of hiking trails about --- maybe if it warms up just a bit more?

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Our class rooms are here!  You can’t tell, but there are rockers on that front porch!  I did say --- if it gets a bit warmer?  This sure is a beautiful location.  There is a lake too I would love to explore.

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I set up to sew with a borrowed machine---but we had a bit of a problem!  The foot pedal wouldn’t reach the floor!  It was seriously SEVERAL inches way too short…it hung there in the air—just dangling, poor thing! LOL!

All of us were dumbfounded….and speculations were made as to whether this machine was part of a traveling circus of midgets…..

And then it got funnier…Linda ran to borrow a featherweight from a friend because we thought we could use the foot pedal off of that one on the 301 ----but her featherweight was a WHITE one, and those are hard wired.

So now I had a 301 with a short cord, and a white featherweight with a non-removable foot pedal!

Joanne had her hubby bring her BLACK featherweight with the same  cord connection as the 301 ---we swapped the feet and all is well.

But it took 3 machines to give me one that worked…LOL!

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This is where you’ll find me tonight…piecing away and sporting the birthday crown the gals provided for me!

Everyone else arrives tomorrow and we will be raring to go!

Much love from the wilds of Alabama ---


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21 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:12 PM EST

    Why swap foot pedals? Why not just swap machines? Too funny!!!
    Linda in Alberta, Canada

    linda1958laing@yahoo.ca

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  2. Almost forgot. Happy, happy birthday, Bonnie!

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  3. A gal I once knew loved to sew. However, she had no use of her feet or legs. Instead, she set the foot pedal on the table so she could operate it by pressing down and lifting her right elbow.

    I thought it was an ingenious way to solve her problem. If we can use knee levers, why not right elbows!

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  4. Looks like it will be a fun time. Happy Birthday Bonnie.
    Carole in Arizona

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  5. Have fun! I'll be going to Panama City tomorrow for a retreat! Happy Birthday!

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  6. I am paper piecing and preferred to sew on the 301. The black featherweight and the white one were arranged at the same time...arriving within minutes of each other. The 301's foot pedal and the black featherweight's foot pedal are interchangeable.

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  7. I have never been to a retreat but looking at this one and you describing the surroundings so well surely makes me want to add one t o my bucket list :) I was born in Tuscaloosa Ala. but dad left before I was 3 so I never really got to know where my roots started :). A trip to Ala. is on my bucket list too!!!! Bonnie you have so much fun in your travels and I am so very glad you share them with us. I got my last part of CS cut today and will take my sweet time getting it together so I can enjoy the experience. Tomorrow is a sew day with my grand daughter and I am really looking forward to it :)Snowman wall hanging if all goes as planned. Thanks for all you do and share. Patricia Va. Beach

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  8. Oh darn forgot to add HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bonnie

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  9. Here in New Zealand it seems that a very large proportion of the old Singers use the knee lever instead if the foot pedal, so too short cables arnt normally an issue, my only problem is swapping between my modern machine with a knee lift presser foot and the old Singers..... I get the presser foot lifted instead of the machine running and vice versa!
    Here's a tip for trailing power cords, at my local Sewing Machine store they need extra power cords to display all the machines but trailing cords in a store just wasn't safe, so to protect them they used heavy duty fabric/canvas WOF strips about 5inches wide with the hook part of the Velcro stitched to the wrong side on both long edges, the power cord can then be trapped underneath and velcro'd to the carpet thereby making them safe, it also makes moving the cables really easy just peel them up. I made some for my studio and they work really well, being so secure that I can even vacuum over them. Hope the explanation is clear, if anyone wants a photo I can email one!

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  10. Happy birthday, Bonnie!

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  11. Anonymous5:08 AM EST

    Happy Birthday Bonnie!

    A crown and time to sew, perfect way to celebrate.
    I would have suggested for our Queen Bonnie a"pedestal"(platform) for the pedal & "throne"(chair)to reach the pedal.
    Good wishes on your birthday.
    delia in RB

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  12. I did warn you ;) Southern Hospitality is REAL! And Bonnie K. is getting the head on, full force, sweep you off your feet
    version! HURRRRRAH!

    Have fun, quilt a lot and please post photos.

    Smilies
    JulieinTN

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  13. What a wonderful way to spend your birthday! Doing something you love with some great ladies!!! Glad your all having fun!!!! Happy Birthday!!!

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  14. Happy Birthday, Bonnie! There's a wonderful clothing consignment store (very nice) in downtown Fairhope. They are usually having a huge clearance sale this time of year. Wish I were there for you and that awesome shop!
    Hugs,
    Holli

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  15. SO here I am at work catching up on my blogs (while answering phones to interpret) and I read "All of us were dumbfounded….and speculations were made as to whether this machine was part of a traveling circus of midgets….."
    and started laughing just as a call came in! Had to choke it back! Thanks for making my day...:)

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  16. Lamchop114@aol.com6:45 PM EST

    Brought tears to my eyes to see the machine you were loaned - an exact replica of my mom's machine (color and all). I lost it in a basement floor years ago. It was nice seeing "it" again...Happy Birthday!

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  17. I loved that patch of arrows. Looks simple and differnt.

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  18. Happy birthday, Bonnie

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  19. Wondering if that machine had been housed in a sewing table that may have been much shorter. I remember setting my featherweight on the island one day thinking I would do a quick mend or something and had the same issue. I used the right elbow idea someone else mentioned.
    Happy Birthday, Bonnie.

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  20. I just had a duh moment...I forget to wish you a happy birthday. So here is the belated birthday wish.. Hhhhhaaaaappppppyyyyyy Biirrrrthhhdddddaaaaayyyyyy tooooooo youuuuuuu. Haaaaappppy Biiiiirrrttthhhddddaaaayyyyyy toooooo youuuuuuu. Haaaaaaaapppppyyyyy Biiirrrthhhdddayyy toooo youuuu uu. Happppy Biiiiiirrrtthhdddayyy took yoouuu. Can you hear me singing. I'll try louder next time:O

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  21. How do you stop a smart phone from correcting your song..? The word is toooo. LolO:-)

    ReplyDelete

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