Tumelo Trail All Day Long!

Today’s post is brought to you by The Penguin—The best soft serve ice cream in Bedford, PA!

No really – this is me at the end of my teaching day yesterday ---48 quilters for a 7 hour straight power sewing marathon – I needed a cup of peanut butter bliss – we all did!

I love this little ice cream stand in the summer, they always have different flavors going, and it’s not a trip to Bedford if I don’t get to stop here after a workshop day.

I know they are only open seasonally – not sure what I would do if I were here in the winter time only to find the little place boarded up “Closed for the Season.”

Yummy!

We had a great time in our Tumelo Trail workshop – the energy level was high and I really enjoyed all of the color and fabric combos the quilters were putting together.

Reycled from shirts!

Sweetness in 30s prints!

Smiley and Scrappy!

((This is Samantha, our youngest power-quilter!))

And even BIGGIE sized for a quicker project!

((Put your big girl block on and deal with it!!))

Happy Scrappy Fun Times!

Basic units make GREAT quilts!  We worked on our seams..those 9 patches need to turn out the same size as the half square triangles for this to work out right…a bit of adjusting and we were on our way to making blocks assembly-line fashion.

Fun things seen in class:

HEXIE FAN!!

Most of us have reached that “woman of a certain age” status where we need the air MOVING around where we are sitting. I thought this hexie shaped fan was extra fun for quilters on the go who routinely endure episodes of personal summers as we stitch. MUST FIND ONE!

I hope you enjoy the captured moments of yesterday’s class in the slide show below.  Click the image if you are unable to view the slide show on your mobile device, you’ll be taken to the photo album for viewing.

Tumelo Trail, Bedford PA 2014

You'll find the pattern for Tumelo Trail in my book Scraps & Shirttails II.

We’ll see you next time, Bedford!  We are already actively searching for some available spots where we can squeeze in another few days of fun ---I hope you’ll come sew with me again!

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Lunch Time on Tumelo Trail!

The only thing better than fabric and thread for quilters is food!

I know what that sounds like a funny statement, but eating is as much of a social activity sewing is :-)

This morning, 48 quilters gathered with their fabric, machines, and everything they need for a day of sewing.

We've worked on 3" 9-Patches all morning long and will be moving on to half square triangles this afternoon after lunch.

Of course, show and tell is high on the agenda, and I am ready to see the gorgeous quilts these ladies have brought to share.

Can you feel the excitement in my group through these photos? I hope so! We are having a wonderful time. :-)

Love from Bedford, Pennsylvania-

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52 Machines Humming!

Yesterday’s Jamestown Landing workshop was an absolute blast.

You can’t help but be inspired by eager quilters, excited to be in Bedford from whence they came – be it Ohio or New York or all over the great state of Pennsylvania.  They came, they sewed they conquered!  And I am sure they were tired by the end of the day.

And they got so much done ---and there will be such wonderful quilts coming out of this class…I can’t wait to see them finished.

We also were pleased to have one of the NEXT greatest quilting generations with us in class:

Samantha’s First Class!

This is Samantha, and she is 11 years old.  She has taken to quilting like a duck to water, and there is no stopping this little dynamo!

Sewing on her own 301!

Sharing her very first ever completed quilt!

I just loved having her in class yesterday, and she will be back again today for round two – Tumelo Trail!

Oh oh oh – and HERE is a great “Must run out and get” for those of you with vintage machines:

Magnetic BBQ Light!!

I was gifted this one, along with a pack of batteries that should see me through many a storm….it will be great with the treadle when the power goes out.  This one was found at Lowes in the BBQ aisle – tis the season for BBQ so go grab yourself one.  You can adjust the angle of the lighting, it’s on a little swivel ball joint thing….the magnet is strong and it HOLDS!  Whoowhoooo!

Click the image below if you can’t view the slide show on your mobile device.  You’ll be taken to the photo album for viewing.

Jamestown Landing, Bedford PA 2014

I’m off soon to greet 48 quilters for today’s Tumelo Trail class ----bring it on, I’m ready!

Click Here to like our Quiltville Friends Page on Facebook for more fun! Click Here to join our sister group, Quiltville's Open Studio on Facebook, a place to Sew, Share & Grow!!

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Jamestown Day in Bedford, PA!

What do you get when you bring 52 quilters together too sew for the day?

A big room full of fun!

Our lunch break is just starting and I am quickly sending up some photos so that you can share in our scrappy string piecing day!

We have ladies from all over the great state of Pennsylvania as well as some crazy ones who drove all the way down from New York.

Of course quilters with a destination in mind are eager for any road trip opportunity!

I hope you enjoy the photos, of course there will be more to follow in tomorrow morning's slideshow

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Retreating at Mary’s Quilt Shop!

The upstairs area above Mary’s Quilt shop in Bedord, PA ((and yes, including the “Brothel” space I told you about previously))  has been completely renovated and houses Mary’s Bedford Retreat Center!

Looking for a great getaway? This could be the place. The wonderfully remodeled retreat offers a large eat in kitchen, living room, 5 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, and laundry room. All this in a historic 1813 Federal style building located in historic Bedford, PA.

With room for 12 guests, you will find a comfy seating area in the living room for evenings of winding down and hand stitching.

The place is filled with wonderful period style furnishings, comfy couches and chairs with welcoming light filtering through the windows.

And if cooking is your thing, and you want to trade off meal times with the ladies in your group, come enjoy the gourmet kitchen!

Spacious kitchen – windows open to living room!

But of course the most wonderful thing about Mary’s Retreat Center are the real antique quilts on the beds:

Rail fence, circa 1890

Reproduction wall hanging made by Mary from her Lady Liberty line of fabrics, 2005

Radiant star quilt with fabrics dating between 1850-1870

Awesome!  Check out the “birds in flight” cornerstones!

Trip Around the World, circa 1900

 

Wall hanging made by Petra Prins “Old and New” includes chinz fabrics from 1900 and Mary’s Courtney & Chantilly lines of fabrics.

The quilt on the bed is 1930’s embroidered scenes in pink and white:

How sweet is this!

And the quilt on the other bed in the room from the same era, and a different maker is similar in feel, yet just different enough:

Isn’t this lovely?

Red & Green Mennonite Sawtooth diamond, Early 20th century.

On the far bed is a Lancaster County Applique…with quilting to die for!

Hello, gorgeous!

The background is a sweet shirting print!

Wall hanging made by Susan Mc Dermott out of Mary’s Family Tree line of fabric.

Isn’t the blue/white dry sink a wonderful old piece?

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul, circa 1880s

Though made by two makers, this pattern was so popular in the 1880s that you will find many from this time period in both blue and white, or the classic red and white.

Speaking of red and white! 

The embroidered quilt comes from around 1931, and the Burgoyne surrounded on the far wall is c1860!

Wouldn’t you have sweet dreams under this lovely?

But this one…Oh MY!

Check out this hand quilting!

On my bucket list!

For more information on renting Mary's Retreat Center, in Bedford PA -- contact the staff at Mary's Quilt Shop!

Last night’s lecture at the American Legion Hall was well attended with a group of rowdies – check it out!

What a fun night!!

HA!

Large signs were made to show people where to turn in and park for the lecture….and yes, Bonnie may be here, but her brain is off on some quilt planet somewhere!

Time to get up and attem, Bedford PA...in my mind I can hear the rumble of 52 quilters arriving to set up for today's Jamestown Landing workshop -- all vying for the spaces at the tables they want to claim as their own for the day -- needing to reserve spots for friends not yet arrived -- all anxious and eager to dig into the scraps and make something beautiful.  52 students? Today I teach in running shoes!

Have a great Last Saturday of June 2014, everyone!

Click Here to like our Quiltville Friends Page on Facebook for more fun!
Click Here to join our sister group, Quiltville's Open Studio on Facebook, a place to Sew, Share & Grow!!

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