Out and About down Valley Road --

It was that kind of morning –you know the kind…

The event I was teaching for came to an end yesterday afternoon, we had a good night to sleep in and rest and catch up!

I purposely turned OFF my alarm hoping to get at least an extra hour or so of shut-eye, but NOPE!

The morning that “Dawn’s Early Light” comes creeping through the sky light, my eyes begrudgingly opened, one at a time, testing their surroundings, checking the time on the clock and deciding if it is really time to be officially UP yet for the day.

There was no turning back after that.  Up we go, out we go!

But quietly – the rest of the house is still asleep and we don’t want to wake anyone.

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Carolina Christmas in August!

It was THIS kind of fun, all day long!

And the ladies got so much done on their blocks in our Carolina Christmas workshop!

Carolina Christmas was first presented here on the blog as a mystery in 2009.  Has it really been 6 years? 

I love this quilt, and it will STAY out as we move into fall and the holidays.  It’s time for its rotation on the bed as well!

We worked with the Easy Angle Ruler cutting triangles from 4 1/2’’ and 2 1/2’’ strips.  We worked on our favorite of all units ((And yes I am saying this tongue in cheek!)) Diamond in a Rectangle!

There were Broken Dishes units, combination pieced triangles – we ran the gamut of units found in many traditional block designs and mastered them all!

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Let’s Talk some Turkey! Bedford Style!

Strings!  Geese! 9 patches –we had it going on!

We filled the American Legion hall full with quilters who traveled in from as far away as Michigan, New Hampshire, All over Pennsylvania and everywhere else to come to yesterday’s Talkin’ Turkey workshop.

Strings were a-flyin!  Rotary cutters whizzing!  Stitching, pressing, cutting, oh the fun!

Of course we had LOADS of red Talkin’ Turkeys going on – it’s great to see a quilt that can use so many leftovers of pieces from other projects and make them work all together.  Quilters tend to LOVE red – and we all have a lot of red!

But I also loved seeing the other colors come to play and can’t wait to see what these versions will look like!

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The Night I Ate My Face! HA!

I can honestly say that I have never had a cake with my own face on it!

How fun is this?

Thank you for a wonderful evening, all of you who came to my lecture in Bedford, Pennsylvania last night.

It was a very fun evening.  Instead of a regular “lecture” we had a Fire-Side chat where the floor was opened for questions and we talked off the cuff about anything and everything.

And for those of you who are putting on your Grammar Police badges, I’m going to tell you right now to drop it-

It’s not the word YOUR that is wrong!  The first two words were supposed to be WE’VE GOT!  ((Just kidding….but not!))

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Smith Mountain Morning, Bedford Style!

It was a beautiful day in Bedford, PA!
I forget how much further north I am than my home in North Carolina..it was a brisk 55 degrees yesterday morning as we stepped out the door to drive over the American Legion hall where our workshops are being held this weekend.

I drove into town, feeling the cool of nearly-autumn on my skin – reveling in it.  Ahhhh!  Bliss!  I smiled at the low hanging foggy clouds clinging to the sides of the mountains to my right –this place also feels like home as it is nestled into a beautiful landscape.

When I arrived, there were 51 women unloading cars and hauling in machines and class supplies, eager to start the day!

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And Well, I HAD to Stop!

I didn’t plan to stop, but I couldn’t help myself!

The car needed gas.

I needed a restroom break!

Besides –there might be hidden treasures in here waiting to be discovered, and if I DIDN’T stop – I might miss them!

I really only hemmed and hawwed for a few moments before my car, already on auto-pilot, took the exit and headed for the Factory Antique Mall in Verona, Virginia.

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All the Way to Bedford, PA!

Yesterday was my long driving trip to Bedford Pennsylvania!

I have three days of quilty fun in store – starting with a Smith Mountain Morning workshop this morning, a lecture this evening, a Talkin’ Turkey workshop tomorrow and a Carolina Christmas on Sunday. 

It’s going to be a weekend packed full of fabric, fun and laughter ---bring on the scraps!

Thought it was a long day, I really loved it because it was a DRIVING day.  Driving days are rare, but when they do come about – they put ME in control.

I’m not at the beckon call of airports, airlines and baggage claim mishaps.

I leave when I want.  I pack what I want – and MORE! I stop when I want, I SHOP when I want – and I listen to what I want, even turning the music up loud and belting out a song if I so feel like it.

I can catch up with friends on long phone conversations thanks to the wonder of bluetooth and hands free.

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It’s Quilty Box Time! Give-Away!

It’s that time again!  And have I ever got a Quilty Box for you!

I had to set this box aside while I was opening up yesterday’s machine arrival, but I spent some time with these goodies last evening!

I have plans!

Yes I do!

What” You’ve never heard of Quilty Box?  Let me back track a little bit.

• Quilty Box is a monthly subscription box. They offer plans from $44-48/mo.
• 5% of the profits of multi-month subscriptions are donated to Quilts for Kids - a non-profit which donates quilts for children in need
• Each month we have 4 or more products (Fabric, patterns, thread, or notions)
• Our retail value of the products in the box is always more than $50

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And I Shall Call Her Lily!

THIS arrived yesterday!

Oh, I am so thrilled!

I was contacted by email while I was in Idaho by a woman who is “thinning the herd” of vintage sewing machines --

Her words, not mine, but the term made me giggle!

Would I be interested in a Davis Vertical Feed machine?  She had seen my  post about Becky and her machines while I was in Spokane earlier this year.

Would I?!?  How could I NOT?!

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Winner Winner! Quilts from 100 Blocks!

It’s Drawing time!

It’s Drawing time!

And I think we’ve broken a record here!

A personal high at least!

As I sit here to push the button on the Random Number Generator, we have 1,813 entries for this Give-Away!

Whoowhooo! 

There are an awful lot of you wanting these two magazine copies AND the 5 fat quarters to go with them!

So I won’t hold you any longer..let’s get down to it!

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Out of the Murky!

These are the blocks I was working on during Quilt-Cam last night!  If you missed it, remember you can always catch the re-runs – I’ve linked them all under the Quilt-Cam at the top of the blog!

The story goes that I started these blocks a few years ago, thinking they would be an Addicted to Scraps column, but they were too labor intensive and the crumb piecing would force the column to take up more than one page - -it would be better as a full project.   So on to the back burner it went.

And stayed there.

I uncovered a couple of blocks yesterday while looking for something DIFFERENT that I could work on for Quilt-Cams because let’s face it, neutral string sashings are just BORING after a while.  There are not many more of those to do and I was just wanting something ELSE.

Ahah.  Maybe it’s time for these to come forward?

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Quilt-Cam 8/25/2015

It’s another Quilt-Cam night!

Are you ready to sew?

Do you have a project needing some attention?

Do you have fabrics to sort, press, cut and kit up?

This is a great time to do it, and I will do it WITH you!

Quilt-Cam doesn’t happen on a regular basis due to my schedule, but I am so happy when the stars align and I find myself home alone of an evening and I can just turn on the live webcam in my studio and you can see what goes on here.  And hopefully it encourages you to squeeze one more hour of productivity out of your day as well!

And remember, if you’ve missed any episodes, they are easily found under the Quilt-Cam tab at the top of the blog for viewing at your leisure!

I love everything about this photo sent in by Nancy in Arizona who joined us during our last Quilt-Cam opportunity.

She writes:

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Some Very Fine Finishes!

It’s been a while since I have shared some of YOUR finishes on the blog!

I’ve had some gorgeous eye candy in my email lately, and I just can’t delay any longer!

Get a load of this Talkin’ Turkey in pinks and purples by Evelyn in Nova Scotia!

It dances, it sings, it’s full of scrappy strings!  I just love it!

Evelyn came down to see me last winter when I was in Florida – remember the trip where I got so so so so sick with the bilateral ear infection and bronchitis and pushed through?  Yep!  That trip!  And I couldn’t have made it through without the kind wishes and helps from quilters like Evelyn.

She writes:

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And They’re Here!

Along with re-vamping my website, I am planning on adding more variety to my offerings of books, notions and tools!

I’ve looked long and hard for titles that I thought would go along well with not only MY personal interests, but with my readership in general.

I know you are a group of fabulous Quilty-folk who LOVE color.

You LOVE the satisfaction of making something wonderful from what you already have on hand.

You love quick piecing, fast finishes, and something that holds your interest over time so you don’t get bored with the construction process.

I know you like you know me!  We are all in this scrappy mess together!

So let me introduce you to the four new titles in the Quiltville Store.

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Just a Little Bit of Mountain Sew Time!

Sadie and Beanie knew just how to spend the afternoon!

Mona and Beanie came over to sew and we had a great afternoon catching up.

It’s been a while since we were able to SEW together – the last time she was here was a cutting marathon!

But that cutting marathon has paid off and now we are both assembling blocks like crazy.

I am just so proud of her – this is quilt number 8 for her --

It’s my Friendship Cross from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders!

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Dear Quiltville, How Do I Comment?

Every time I run a giveaway I am bombarded with emails asking HOW to leave a comment on the blog.

Instead of individually writing everyone again and again explaining how to do it, I thought I would write a little “how to” for those not in the know, and then link it to the blog helps tab so that it can easily be referred to.

First of all, it is important that the reader is actually ON my original blog post, not viewing the page through a reader service such as blog lovin’ or even on Facebook if you have clicked a link to my page while viewing via an apple device as an iPad or iPhone.

If you ARE in a reader service, or on an apple device and have clicked through Facebook, click to open my site in a brand new browser window.  My address should start with http://quiltville.blogspot.com  it should not say blog-lovin or anything else.  If it does you are reaching me through a mirror site and are not actually on my page.

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Tumbling Along!

I’ve got 7 rows together!

SEVEN ROWS!

That might not seem like a lot, but when I stop to think that this is all out of small bits of fabric that I wanted to go away --

And that I have sewn these rows by joining pairs of tumblers as Leaders & Enders at the ends of lines of chain piecing…and I only had to stop when the rows were long enough to find which row needed to go where for the best placement and sew rows together…

I am well on my way to a great free scrappy quilt for the year!

I know there is at least ONE more row at home –so I”ll be bringing this quilt section home with me on Monday morning hoping to add to it, perhaps during Quilt-Cam on Tuesday night!

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Quilts from 100 Blocks–Give Away!

Have I ever got a special giveaway for you!

Before it EVEN hits the newsstands!

This is such a hot-off-the-press release that I couldn’t even find the magazine cover image on Quiltmaker’s website!

I returned home from Idaho on Thursday about midnight, so no mail was tackled at the time, but yesterday morning when I attacked my stack of mail..look what I found!

It’s the Fall 2015 issue of Quilts from 100 blocks!

Just wait until you see what is inside!

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Scrap Quilts with ME-Registration is OPEN!

Remember my time in Colorado just a couple of weeks ago?

Was it only a couple of weeks ago?

The team has been working hard behind the scenes to get everything ready for my online course of 6 sessions –Scrap Quilting with Bonnie Hunter!

I’m thrilled to be asked to teach this course, and I’ve packed it full of all of the hints, helps, tips and tricks that I could – things I use in my every day scrappy quilt life.

It’s like being here with me in my own studio! 

I’ll talk to you one on one about how to best manage your scraps, how to put the Easy Angle Ruler and Companion Angle Ruler to good use, and how to create the blocks featured in my  Addicted to Scraps column-easily, quickly, and oh so scrappily using the fabrics and scraps you already have on hand.

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A Glimpse of Garden Valley!

It took all day to get home yesterday.

It’s just not easy for a North Carolina Girl to make it all the way to Idaho without a bunch of plane transfers –it took me three planes to get home yesterday, arriving in my drive way at just past midnight.

But when I think of how long it would have taken to drive? I’ll take it!

I watched movies from Salt Lake City to Atlanta –I sewed hexies until I finished the LAST fill in section! Hooray!  It goes on the Mother Ship this weekend.

I snoozed a bit, I read a bit.

And before I knew it I was at baggage claim being claimed by my son, Jeff.

One bag didn’t make it, being left behind in Atlanta according to the claim tag on it.  No worries, it is the photography backdrop stand I use as a quilt stand and the airport will deliver to me sometime today.  All I could think about when I came in the door was BED.

That’s where I’ve been until now, and it is after 8am!

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Mom’s Got the Tumble-Bug!

I think we’ve hooked her!

We’ve hooked her good!

As I was working in mom’s sewing room yesterday we came across some gifted BAGS of small scraps. Does this sound familiar?!?

It seems she came home one evening and found FOUR large lawn & leaf bags full of random gifted scraps on her front porch!

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she set along to sort out the fabrics and to determine which to keep, which to pitch, and which to donate.

Then this morning I gifted her a Dresden Ruler and set about teaching her how to join in on our Tumbler Leader & Ender Challenge!

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Machs, Manuels, and Krugers, Oh My!

On my mom’s mom’s side of the family, the Manuel side, family photographs have been passed down from generation to generation to the point where photos are familiar, but no one knows the history of who this woman really was.

My mom’s aunt Irene Ahrens said this was HER great-aunt who worked hard on the family farm in southern Minnesota where family settled around Brewster.

I am intrigued with this image as her face is not clearly seen due to the large bonnet shading her from the sun as she worked.  I love that the family dog is seen in the field with her as she dug potatoes to stock the farm’s root cellar for the long Minnesota winter months ahead.

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In Mom’s Sewing Room!

Yesterday was a day for just being together.

We didn’t do much of anything, but we wound up in mom’s sewing room as she had a couple of things she wanted to show me and a couple of things she wanted some ideas on.

I’m game!

I love seeing what she has done with her little sewing space in the little cottage house she lives in.

Do you spy her featherweight?

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A Day on Mom’s Mountain -

The mountains of Idaho are wearing a haze of smoke as fires rage in different areas.

Even a bit farther from the fires, in the small haven of Garden Valley where my mom lives you can smell the smoke. It’s faint, a bit acrid and a bit worrisome to those who have known the danger of fire in the mountains before.

The blue blue sky is just not as blue as smoke clouds the horizon. We are praying for some rain or some strong winds destined to blow the smoke out of the area, and of course for all of the fires to go out.

I haven’t been here in August for many many years, and I forgot how dry things can be. Mom and I walked up this mountain dirt road yesterday to take a look at how things are in the area in which she lives.  Of course, it’s uphill most of the way – and then we get to come DOWN on our way back.

Unlike the dryness of the mountain roads and surrounding wilderness, mom’s place is like an oasis in the desert. Little by little over the 19 years she has lived here on the mountain, she has cared for every square inch and manicured and trained her space until it is a garden of wonder.

Take a look!

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And the Winner is…

And the Winner is….

Carol Hodges from Apex North Carolina is the winner of the SLS Retreat challenge!

Great job, Carol!

If you missed the info on the challenge, you can find that post HERE.

I wasn’t on hand for the reveal of the winner – I was on a plane headed to Boise, and I really missed not being there for the last workshop day at retreat, and getting a chance to spend just a few more hours with these lovely ladies.

They are all well on their way home now, and I wish them save travels to their homes and families. I can’t wait until we can do this again!

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The SLS Retreat Challenge!

You may have noticed some little ditties hanging on the wall of our class room at our Vegas retreat.

Did you see them in the background of everything else?

Nope –not just quilt décor for good looks, this was a challenge issued to everyone who was attending –the goal to take a piece of challenge fabric, and interpret it into a small quilt –and the fabric has to be RECOGNIZABLE and therefor VISIBLE!

Of course there is a theme – this is LAS VEGAS!  And the fabric really did evoke that theme as well!

Also part of the challenge?  According to the hotel, the letters SLS ((Because we are staying at the SLS hotel in Las Vegas!)) actually have NO MEANING.  It is not short for anything.  It is not anyone’s initials. 

Our mission?  To come up with a phrase for the initials SLS and incorporate them into our projects!

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Wedding Baskets with Charlotte!

I have had so much fun being the third musketeer to these two wonderful ladies.

The Las Vegas retreat with Two Friends and a Quilt Retreat has been a phenomenal success and I can’t wait to do it again with these two.  We are planning it for 2017, so keep that in mind because it is a long ways off and there are no early reservations being taken just yet, we are just in the planning stages. 

But if you click the link for Two Friends and a Quilt Retreat above, you can follow along on the Facebook page and keep up with what is going on and then you’ll be in the KNOW when the time comes.

Charlotte was front and center as instructor today and in her element keeping all of the ladies so very much entertained with her stories while they sewed up beautiful little Wedding Basket quilts from pre-cut kits –no cutting necessary!

Pieces just went through the machines in the order they were given, and many of the ladies had their tops ready to put together by the end of the day.

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Happy 92nd, Mrs. Elsie!

I received a very special email full of love for a magnificent lady and friend celebrating her 92nd birthday, so here I am participating in a shout-out of cheers and best wishes from my heart as well!

This is Elsie, and she is celebrating her 92nd birthday this week.

92 years, and still loving the fabric and the thread as much as ever, and dedicating her life to making quilts for those in need.

The following email was sent by Sandra:

Hi Bonnie
I've not emailed you in a very long time. I use to live on Cumberland Island, GA and moved to the Smokey Mountains, just west of where you are.
Bryson City, NC.

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Garden Party, Vegas Style!

Hello from three girls – All named BONNIE!

This may happen a lot to those of you who are Kathy or Mary or Susan or Michelle, but believe me….three BONNIES in one place is a force to be reckoned with!

I am so enjoying these gals!  And having the reaction when someone says “Hey Bonnie!” and we all turn our heads and say “WHAT?!” in unison…..I get it!  I get what it’s like to be a Cheryl or an Ann or a Theresa!

It’s fun really!

Yesterday was my workshop day here in Vegas at a retreat put on by Debbie Caffery and Charlotte Angotti of “Two Friends and a Quilt Retreat!” and so happy to be the third friend added to the mix.  What a fun time!  And what a great hotel/convention center!

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Let’s Go to VEGAS!!

Here I am…7:21am at HOME..but the body clock doesn’t know I’m on West Coast time and I’m up up up and I can’t fight the not sleeping anymore.  I think all of this Vegas excitement has me in hyper drive.

I am meeting so many of you for the very first ((or second, or third!)) time and this party is rocking!

So while sleep eludes me, I’m sitting here editing down photos and giggling to myself over how much we crammed into just yesterday alone.

What a day!

It started out with my flight to Atlanta that boarded at 6:20am.  See that pink horizon of promise?  I know they say “Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning” but this was the most beautiful sunrise as we headed toward Atlanta.

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Jaxon’s Nine Patch! Digital Download Pattern!

I have been waiting a long time to be able to HAVE the time to sit down and write the pattern for the baby  quilt I made for my nephew Jaxon.  He was born in January, so it’s only taken me 7 months to get this far, but I’m sure HE doesn’t mind!

Since I am headed to Idaho from Las Vegas on Sunday, and I’ll get to hold him for the very first time on Sunday, I thought it would be great time to get this pattern finished and uploaded, just for you.

This pattern is full color with photos and graphics showing you every step along the way just how to get this baby quilt done with no muss, no fuss.

Want a bigger quilt?  It’s easy to just make more blocks to get the quilt the size that you want it to be.

Remember when I was working on this during my holiday break?

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And Off It Goes…

Pattern writing is very much a behind the scenes business.

Attention to every detail is important, so things are gone over again and again and again in this whole process.

There is protocol to follow.  Formatting, writing style, outlines to follow.

Things you may never have noticed in any pattern that you look at in a book.

For instance, can you tell the difference between 1/2” and 1/2’’?  Look closely!

The first one has the inch marks as a quote mark.  The second example as two apostrophes.  I have to write the second way.  It’s a small change from what I’ve done before, but one that will make the reading of the pattern easier for the person making the quilt from my directions.

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Quilt-Cam 8/11/2015

Are you ready to sew with me?

Got something to share?  I love to see your photos and hear your stories!

It’s been a few weeks since we were able to do this, and I’m so happy to be home tonight and able to get a little bit of sewing in myself.

This photo was sent in by Charyl in July during a Quilt-Cam.  Don’t you love the texture of the quilting on the quilt she is binding?

She writes:

Hi Bonnie!
I'm stepping slightly away from the long arm and sewing a binding on a baby quilt while watching Quilt Cam!  So good to see you live...

Charyl from Spokane

Ps...hoping my friend in MA is watching along with me...Hi Chrissy!!!

I don’t know if Charyl or Chrissy are sewing along wuth us tonight, but I hope they like seeing their photo and message when they do log in to catch up!

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It’s Tuesday ALL DAY!

We are 1/3 of the way through August already!

Someone slow this down please, I can’t seem to catch up!

Do you feel that way too? I suppose it is inevitable the busier we get the faster the time passes.

I remember as a child, excitedly waiting for certain events to FINALLY get here.  Counting down days to Christmas, or Summer vacation, or birthdays…it seemed to take FOREVER, and we would count “sleeps” until something was finally here –my mom convinced me that time passes more quickly while we are sleeping, so I would go to bed EARLY in hopes that the awaited day would get here that much faster.

I wish I could take all of that back!  I seriously need a slow down, but you know how that goes?  If you jump off that fast-moving train, it is nearly impossible to get back on it again.

And so it goes!

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Barn Quilts of Nova Scotia!

My friend Shelley sent a whole mass of photos that she took of Barn Quilts while traveling through Nova Scotia, Canada!

I love Barn Quilts wherever I can find them – we saw several while driving through Iowa a couple of weeks ago, and my own area of the Blue Ridge Mountains are also a haven for barn blocks found not only on barns, but houses, sheds, garages…I love seeing them!

Shelley writes:

​Hi Bonnie,
We're in Nova Scotia visiting family and got to travel along a very quiet and sparsely populated highway through some farm land.  There were 15 barn quilts placed along what was called the Stewiacke Valley Barn Quilt Trail.  They were really neat to see.  They have a facebook page with some photos of how the "quilts" were constructed.  We could get closer to some than to others.
Thought you might like to see.

Of COURSE we would like to see!
 
And I’m so happy that I can share them with you too!

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Cabin Time!

This is my bliss!

It felt so good to just sit down and sew yesterday –music on Pandora, simply string piecing some neutral units for a project!

Cabin.  Home.  Solo sewing time.  So nice!

When I find myself in the midst of people every day, be it teaching a workshop, giving a lecture, having a blast at two back to back retreats, or even sitting amongst strangers in airports and on planes, I
reach a point where all I want to do is return home.

I need to spend some solo time recharging. 

That need for solitude comes at a time when family’s needs are taken care of, everything else has been addressed ---and though it might seem to some as selfish, this is time I need to be alone with my own thoughts, working out my schedule in my head as I feed the pieces through the machine.

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Lights! Camera! Action!

I only took a few photos of my set up on the Quiltmaker Magazine set.

There just wasn’t time for much else –we filmed 3 segments for each of the 2 days that I was in Golden.

The crew was AMAZING!

They knew how nervous I was, and they did everything they could to break the ice, calm my butterflies and make it fun.

There were many many re-takes! 

The hardest part for me was talking to a camera, not having people's reaction in front of me, and tripping over my own words.

My brain was saying one thing…my mouth was saying another!  How does that happen??

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Clear Creek History Park, Golden!

Evening hours are my absolute favorite during the summer.

Especially in areas where temperatures soar during the day, but instantly cool off in the evening as the sun goes down.

This is summer in the Rockies, and the evenings were blissfully mine for the couple of days I spent in Golden.

Clear Creek runs  west to east along the north side of town, a favorite spot for inner tubing and inflatable rafting.  And also for walking the green belt areas on either side.

This is the perfect spot to throw off the chaos and stress of the day and commune with beautiful surroundings and natural landscapes.

Across clear creek you will find Clear Creek History Park, home to many of the original cabins found from the early days of life in the Golden Gate Canyon.

It’s like stepping back in time!

My only regret?  It was evening and the buildings were not open for viewing..but I could peek in windows!

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All Around Golden!

Even from the back streets of Golden, Colorado you can’t resist the view of the plateaus and mountains flanking this adorable town.

After dinner was done on Tuesday evening, I decided to take a ride into town and get some steps in, walking the streets, seeing the sights and getting myself a bit of hot August nights in Golden.

The weather was perfect, as you can see.

And in the intermountain West, those hot hot August afternoons start to cool down as the sun descends behind the mountains, leaving a balmy summer evening at hand for all to enjoy.

People were out in droves…and we ALL stopped to get selfies with the infamous GOLDEN sign:

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Galaxy-Gram! Hanging Out at Wooden Spools!

I saw on Facebook that Wooden Spools in Englewood Colorado was in the midst of their Bonnie Hunter scrap quilt club!

I decided to crash the party and drop in!

I hopped into my little rental car and giggled my way all the way from Golden to Englewood!

Tapings with quiltmaker are over, I have the whole evening to myself- so why wait? Let's go sew!

Nothing makes me happier than a room full of quilters working with their own stash and having a great time!

I've got an early departure in the morning, but for now I'm just one of the girls!

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And Then there was Show & Share!

Things have been so run run run that I haven’t had time to post about the wonderful array of show and share quilts that were brought along to both retreats in Iowa last week!

There was so much variety, and such skill – and perseverance!

Our common love of fabric, thread  ((yes and batting and binding too!)) goes so deep and connects us all.

I just LOVE it when you bring your quilts to share with me.

And the benefit of bringing show & share to retreat?  You can sleep under it while you are away from home as well!

I love this Scrappy Mountain Majesties, all in recycled shirts in a perfect napping size for the couch.  Doesn’t it make you just want to curl up in it and read a good book, or take a long snooze?

I am GOING to make another plaid one – I am!

**Side Note**  My friend Mona has not worked with triangles yet.  But she is on her way home from Ohio – and I have enough shirts for the both of us so we are going to dig back into this one.  Want to join us? I’ll post details later.  And just so you know, we’ve hooked her good – she bought ANOTHER featherweight yesterday on her way back from Ohio, and there is a treadle machine in the back of the car too! LOL!

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Denver and the Birthday Visit!

This is me and my friend Jessica Vaughn!

We’ve been friends for oodles of years – I met her in Kansas on one of my teaching trips there and I love seeing her whenever I can.

She is warm, loving, has a heart of gold, and a wicked sense of humor that will leave you chuckling days later remembering just what she said and how she said it – she can deliver the way only Jessica Vaughn can deliver!

After picking up my rental car in Denver yesterday afternoon I braved the traffic through Denver rush hour ---and first things first – I headed for a manicure.

It was MANDATORY for these two days of tapings and a good thing because my fingernails have never been my priority.

I have too much quilting to do to worry about fingernails.  They just don’t STAY nice with all of this typing and stitching and handling of sharp instruments.

But it was a MUST.  So I did.

And then I put Jessica’s address for JMV Studios in my GPS and I wound my way to her Long Arm Studio!

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The Road to Golden!

This is an Eastern Iowan Cornfield on the way back to Cedar Rapids, Iowa early yesterday morning.

Hello 6:30am, let’s get this day going!

My friend Irene was packed up – loaded to the gills and ready to roll when she picked me up bright and early.

It was a 2 hour drive to the airport in Cedar Rapids from West Union, but what a beautiful morning for a drive!

Let’s just say that there is not much rush hour in these parts, and we got a lovely remembrance of driving past farms and fields with tall corn and abundant with beans.

Chatting all the way, we made it to drop me off  at the airport by 8:30 am.

My flight didn’t board until 11:50 –but Irene was driving ALL THE WAY BACK to Texas, and I didn’t want to hold up her long trip, so I waved her on as she headed back out on the road and I wheeled my luggage into the airport to get it all checked in.

And then what?

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Midnight Flight at Moonlight Stitching Studio!

Oh my dear ladies, I miss you all already!

Today was our second workshop day at Moonlight Stitching Studio and Sisters Retreat –but these gals had been sewing away, some since Wednesday evening when the retreat first opened!

Their first two days they were taught by Jo Kramer and Kelli Hanken of Jo’s Country Junction while I taught another group down in Oelwein for THEIR first two days..and then on Saturday we teachers swapped locations!  I stayed with this group in West Union while Jo and Kelli headed down to Oelwein!  It has been the best retreat fun ever.

We’ve made lots of memories, chalked up loads of giggles and out right belly laughs, and even sang and danced to the music along the way.

As much as we love the quilts, and the quilting is what brought us together – retreats like this turn out to be more about the PEOPLE and less about the fabric…and we will carry a bit of each other back to our homes, hoping that our paths will cross again down that quilty road.

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A Bit of West Union, Iowa!

This is the Fayette County Courthouse in downtown West Union, Iowa!

I took this photo on Wednesday night – the evening of our arrival for this retreat weekend.  The sun was setting at just the right angle to reflect the sky in those windows.

Complete with clock front and center, this building makes me feel like I’m in a redo of the movie “Back to the Future!”

The weather has been perfect! 

I even caught the moon in the mandatory water tower photo:

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