>>>>

Monday, February 29, 2016

Happy Leap Day 2016!

leap-year
I get more excited about “Leap Day” than I do nearly every other holiday because it only comes around once every four years!

Come to think of it – some of those OTHER holidays like Christmas might mean that much more if they didn’t show up every single year leaving us feeling like we can’t get caught up between them coming around so quickly.

For me, this year Leap Day is extra special because I am home for it.  It actually is a gift to me to be able to stay up here at the cabin for one more day, sewing my brains out. 

Next year I will remember this free day, sigh, and count down that I will have THREE more years before a day like this will ever come my way again.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Stitch up some Quiltmaker Love!

QMG
What a beautiful Sunday it is!

And doesn’t it feel like a gift that we have one extra day in this month?  It does to me. 

I head to Cincinnati on the 4th of March, and the fact that February has one extra day is priceless!  What will you do with it?

To celebrate Leap Year, I’ve got a goodie for two of you out there.

Will it be you?

The Spring 2016 issue of Quilts from 100 Blocks is ready to hit the news stands!

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Quilts and the Law of Random!

20160226_201319
I added 2 more rows to my Tumbler Leader & Ender project yesterday!

It’s amazing how quick these rows build in between other chain piecing.

And while I know that “Truly random does not mean equidistant”  What are the odds that I would end of with 3 of the same neutral tumblers clustered in the same spot?

Somehow this does not seam random at all!

And so I have re-worded the Quilter’s Law of Random:

Friday, February 26, 2016

Quilt-Guyver to the Rescue!

babythimble1
I was all ready to stitch last night.

Programs chosen, Quilt Parts at the ready.

Thread?  Check! 

Needle threader?  Check!

Thimble?

Thimble?

Thimble?

Oh, come ON!  I left my TJ Lane thimble on the night stand at HOME!!

I am a girl who is just unable to hand sew anything without a thimble on.  I’ve been a thimble stitcher for nearly 35 years.  I am just completeliy unable to sew without a thimble on the middle finger of my right hand.

You may find it funny that I don’t keep spares around, but I’ve never found a “spare” that compares to the feel and comfort of this one special thimble that I take EVERYWHERE with me.  So imagine my dilemma last night when I was so eager to attach the corner triangle to my current eternal hexagon project, and the only ingredient missing was my thimble.  ANY thimble.

Remember my Thimble Expose HERE?

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Who Gets a New Quilty Box?!

QuiltyBoxFeb16
The drive this afternoon up to the cabin was a windy one!

The kind of late winter wind that grabs the car while driving and seems to push you sideways.

The kind of cold and howling winter wind forcing temperatures DOWN, while you simultaneously turn UP the volume on the car stereo because you can’t hear your favorite song playing.

Take THIS, wind!  You aren’t going to spoil my mood!  And snow if you must, winter sky –nothing can change my giddiness as I head to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a few days of R&R.  Or is that Q & R ((Quilt & Retreat?!))

It actually was spitting flakes as I was unloading the groceries from the van.  It doesn’t matter –no matter how much old man winter tries, he can’t hold off spring for that much longer here.  It’s right around the corner and I can feel it. Hence, my absolute happiness that Winter 2016 will soon be a thing of the past.

New in Quiltville!

20160224_103742
There are four New Kids on the ((Quilt)) Block here in Quiltville!

While some titles have been recently retired ((They have truly felt like old friends, and I’m sad to see them go!)) I am extremely happy to bring in some new titles by authors I admire who also carry on my simple philosophy of “Sew All The Scraps!”

I want to take some time today to introduce you to them, because I think these are going to become our new friends on our book shelves with loads of inspiration for quilts to come!

Some of these you may have heard of, some may be new to you, but they will ALL work with the Scrap User’s System you’ve been working so hard to get into good order and practice.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Quilt-Cam 2/24/2016

c28070fe-13fd-4a3a-81ea-fbe5e8177319
Say hello to Charlene and Beryl!

I absolutely love this photo they sent of the two of them (And yes they ARE sisters!) working together on their Allietare quilts!

Don’t they look like they are having so much fun, both in the quilting phase!

The photo came along with the following words:

Hi Bonnie,
We are sending you a picture of us sisters quilting our Allietare mystery quilts together.  We made the squares in our separate homes and got together to put them together and quilt. 
 
We love your mystery quilts, in fact all your quilts, and eagerly look forward to every year and your new design. 
 
Thank you so much for enriching our lives!
Charlene and Beryl
Thank you ladies!  Perhaps you are watching tonight as well and get a big giggle out of seeing your own faces staring back at you from your computer screen.
 
I’m ready for some Quilt-Cam, aren’t you?


Stringing Time!

20160223_212028-1
This is what’s going on over here!

FINALLY!  Time to sew in my own studio space on a project of my own choosing with all of my fabric and tools at hand.

Can you see the VARIETY in these grey strings?  I am loving them SO much!

I love the little pops of color that are appearing here and there.  I am avoiding sewing just tone-on-tone to tone-on-tone or solids.  I want TEXTURE. I want lots of different things of interest going on.

I don’t want toe strips blending into each other, I want every string to be able to stand up on its own and say “Here I am! Look at me!”

This project is making me smile!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Whole Lotta THIS!

20160222_113445-1
Busy Busy in the Quiltville Mail Room!

Aka…My dining room table!  And I am so excited with how Wonky Wishes has been received.  Quilt-Con happened this past weekend in Southern California, just after I left for Phoenix, and all weekend long I was receiving texts and emails from folks telling me they had seen Wonky Wishes on display in the C&T publishing booth.

Some messages included PHOTOS!  I loved seeing you taking selfies while holding my new release!

I set right in yesterday filling the orders and getting as many to the post office as I could up until the time that they closed for the day.  Those orders that came before I left for California and were left waiting because the FedEx truck arrived after I was off the ground and headed west are now on their way to you!

See the tissue paper in this photo?  They come between the patterns to protect them, and my inner frugal quilter is telling me that I should try some string piecing on these!  I’m nearly giddy with anticipation of putting the throw away tissues to good use.  Am I sick or what?

There is still so much more going out today, and by tomorrow we should be all caught up.  So be looking for QUILT-CAM to happen TOMORROW evening at 9pm Eastern!  This girl is raring to sew and spend some time in her own studio.

But today you will find me here:

Monday, February 22, 2016

February ‘16 Quilty Box Give-Away!

Feb2016
Hello, Everyone!

Guess who is home?

I haven’t even had a chance to unpack yet – got home close to midnight last night and simply rolled in my suitcase, and crawled into bed after giving loads of love to both Sadie Jane and Emmy Lou.

This morning came too early – Remember that I’m on a body clock that thinks I should still be on Arizona time. 

So I’m going to start this day off with something fun and simple!

Let’s offer up the February 2016 Quilty Box for Give-Away!

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Daddy Daugher Brother Day!

20160220_110016
Two motorcycles.

Three family members!

84 degrees with delicious sunshine, and a plan to ride out into the desert, part of our drive through the Tonto National Forest.

Passing by the giant cacti standing tall and proud on either side of the highway, a universal symbol of the American west.

I rode shot gun on dad’s Goldwing, and Mark took the lead, heading us out to a place I’d never been before – Saguaro Lake.

Saguaro Lake is located just 20 minutes from Mesa, Arizona, but it feels more than a world away.


Saturday, February 20, 2016

Needful Things for the Traveling Quilter!

usblight
This morning’s post is a short one!

I am at my brother’s house, and we stayed up late last night just catching up and chattering away.

A family dinner celebrating all of the January and February birthdays in this family, plus one in March.

January birthdays include myself, my nieces Emilee and Melissa, February birthdays including my dad and my great niece Maya (She is FIVE! and just a pistol!) and my brother Mark’s birthday being the first week of March.

It was a family full around the table with much discussion of all of the goings on, and I love to play catch up because I only make it out here about once a year.  Not often enough, but it’s better than not coming at all!

NO PHOTOS HAPPENED!

Friday, February 19, 2016

Hiking South Mountain!

20160218_123454
I love to hike!

I love long nature walks and taking in each detail of the beauty that is provided for us in this world of ours.

I have always been fascinated by the abundance that the desert provides and the different kinds of plants that are able to survive through the incredible heat of a long Arizona summer.

February in Arizona?  PERFECT!

We headed out (In my mustang rental car!) toward South Mountain around 11am to get in an hour’s hike before lunch.  It was a good thing we did, and we likely should have gone a bit earlier as the sun was doing its best to burn off that cloud layer and shine down upon us.

South Mountain is right on the outskirts of Phoenix, and is a very popular destination for hikers and mountain bikers alike.

Folks were out on the trails in droves!

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Some Conejo Valley Show & Share!

20160214_130817
So many lovely finishes were brought to our workshop days and to the evening guild meeting in Thousand Oaks, California!

Of course I am always thrilled when an Allietare makes an appearance, even if it is in “snack size!”

If you made half the units during our mystery, this is a very doable size from your pieces and parts. 

If you made ALL of the units, a bit more work and you could have two of these, one to keep, and one to give.

However you do it, they have all been so beautiful and I just get giddy when you bring them to me to show me what you did from your scraps.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Under my Daddy’s Roof!

20160216_101611

“LA is a great big free way, put a hundred down and buy a car….”

I am a walking talking juke box machine, and always have been.  If there is a song that fits a situation, it comes out of my depths and past my lips, and then I’ve got an ear work that lasts for days.

What have I been singing since I arrived in Southern California?  “Do you know the way to San Jose, I’ve been away too long….”

Yes, LA is a great big freeway, but on the way to the airport yesterday, the sky was chrystaline blue and as those in Washington state say “The mountains are out!”

No fog, no smog, no haze, no schmaze.

But the abundant sunshine can not cure traffic problems.  We putzed our way down toward LAX, having given ourselves plenty of time  to get the job done, because you just KNOW in Los Angeles there are going to be slow downs.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

A Day to Play at Cotton & Chocolate!



Our Split Nine Patch workshop was held yesterday at Cotton & Chocolate Quilt Co!

They had kindly offered up their space to the quilters of the Conejo Valley even though they were closed for business due to the President’s Day holiday.

Isn’t that just super?

We filled up the four hours of this half day workshop with as much scrappy fun as possible.

We concentrated on things like cutting from the BEGINNING – including strips and where to place the lines on the ruler on the fabric to be sure you are getting the full strip width you desire. 

We worked with specialty rulers with our strips, and then fine tuned our machines so that the seam was working as it should to give us the unit size we need for these little fun blocks to come together.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Show & Share at Quilt in a Day!

20160212_124434
We had some really special show & share after our lunch break at Quilt in a Day in San Marcos, California!

I love it when antique quilts are brought in, but this one is extra special.

It belongs to Sue who related to us the story of how it came to her.

If I have this right – ((Correct me if I’m wrong, Sue!))  This lovely Delectable Mountains quilt belonged to Sue’s hubby’s Great Great Great grandmother, who was married in 1829.

She’s got the family tree, the who, the where, the when.

This is an incredible piece of quilt history and she brought it to our Scrappy Mountain Majesties workshop to share another version of the Delectable Mountains pattern, the traditional rendition that starts as a medallion in the center and radiates out in rows.

Cathedral Stars in the California Sun!


Look at this group of giggly girls!

We were having such a great time, we were ripping out as much as we were sewing in because we could not stop laughing!

And those triangles?

Well, they seem to have their own agenda and got themselves turned around while we were not looking, creating new and interesting designs of their own – not what we intended!

Yesterday’s workshop was Cathedral Stars from the free patterns tab and everyone brought plenty of scraps to sew and share, each quilt coming together through the vision of its maker with colors and fabric choices oh so varied.

Would you feel extremely jealous if I told you that we had ALL of the windows open, doors flung wide to catch the gentle breezes as it was 84 degrees out?

It’s snowing at home.  When I checked yesterday afternoon it was 25 with a chance of 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulation.  I miss home.  I miss family. I miss Sadie and the kitties, I do NOT miss the weather!

So glad for this time in Southern California to thaw my toes!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Ready for the Getty!

20160213_134927
Have you ever been to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles?

Just a stone’s throw from the UCLA campus where we picked up Maggie’s boyfriend Ben!  Jill and I were both so thrilled that these college aged kids would want to hang with US for an afternoon of wandering a beautiful museum, looking at priceless works of art and history and enjoying the beautiful day.

The Getty is built on top of a hillside over looking downtown Los Angeles on one side, and beautiful valley views on the other side.

As we were driving, Jill and I were trying to remember just how to put on our best “Valley Girl” Speak from when we were in high school, both of us graduating in 1980 in California. She was a So Cal Gal, I was a Bay Area Bonnie.  But we have the same memories and it is so fun when certain things bubble up to the surface.

Oh. My Gggggggg….

Gag me with a SPOON!

[[[peals of laughter]]]

And then talk of the clothing styles and the hair and the music.  Did we ever think we were that cool?

Hike to the Shore!

20160213_081752
Jill and her hubby Bob came up with a big idea for my “Saturday Off” yesterday.

We drove to nearby Torrey Pines State Park and hiked the trails down the bluffs and to the sea!

It was a gorgeous day, and people were out in DROVES.  I do mean droves as in…there is no place to park for miles.  Every kind of stroller, bicycle, back pack, groups, singles, couples – you name it.

EVERYONE was out soaking up as much vitamin D as they could get, and I was happy to be amongst them.

The marine layer had come in over night, and things were not as clear as they had been the past couple of days, but the light haze brought that ethereal “mist on the moors” kind of feeling and we knew the sun was working hard to burn it all off.

It's this kind of dilemma: If I take the jacket with me now, I'll be peeling it off within 15 minutes and have to carry it all the rest of the way back.

Leave the jacket in the car, and go hike up a warm sweat!

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Scrappy Mountain Majesties at Quilt in a Day!



THIS is one happy quilter!

This is a happy quilter who has reached her dream of not only visiting Quilt in a Day in San Marcos, California – home of her ultimate quilting idol, Eleanor Burns, but of actually having the opportunity to TEACH in this wonderful facility!

No, I don’t look too excited at all, do I?

As we were driving over to Quilt in a Day, my friend Jill was daring me to guess which building was Eleanors – because you see, this is not in a regular shopping center kind of area.  You don’t expect retail out here in the midst of industrial park surroundings.  But Quilt in a Day is BIG. And it has been Big here since 1984 when Eleanor bought it.

How do you know you have the right building? 

You round a corner and find this:

Friday, February 12, 2016

Mission San Juan Capistrano, Follow the Swallows!


Growing up in California, 4th grade missions field trip was long looked forward to.

In my school, Henderson Elementary in Alameden, this trip was a highlight as we loaded yellow/orange school busses, toting our lunch boxes and everything else that 4th graders carry, to go tour mission San Jose.

We were to learn all about the missions along with California history, culminating in the BIG PROJECT of the year. 

Each student had to make his or her own rendition of the mission and give a presentation in class on the things they learned.

Oh, I worked so hard on my project!  I built mission San Jose out of sugar cubes…carried it the 1 1/2 blocks to school, and waited anxiously to give my presentation in front of my class of 22 students and my teacher. 

From this point on, history has been a fascination for me.  And I love traveling and finding out the history in the area.  I will often turn down tours of quilt shops for a historical site instead.  We are who we are where we are because of those who came before us.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

A Day to Play in San Juan Capistrano!


I have a theory!

I sense a theme!

When quilters spend weeks getting all of the pre-cutting done for a workshop, they are usually working in “their” colors, and they know what they like.

And then the given long awaited for day arrives.

They pack up their machines, their kitted up pre-cut quilt parts and all of their notions and tools and off to quilt class they go…..

MATCHING THEIR PROJECT!

We had a great giggle over how this project in black on white and red perfectly matched this quilter’s outfit down to her lipstick and her earrings!

It was so fun.  And she wasn’t the only one.

One gal was sewing fuscia colored blocks while wearing a fuscia top and matching lipstick!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

A San Clemente Day with the Surfide Quilters!


20160209_101352
Yesterday I met with the Surfside Quilters in San Clemente for their monthly meeting in the most beautiful location, hands down!

The only thing more beautiful than the ocean view beyond, was the show of comfort quilts within. 

This group is SO active in providing quilts for those in need within their own community and in outlying areas that my heart was so very very touched in the outpouring.

During the board meeting before my presentation, when it was time for Philanthropy to represent, nearly half the room it seemed stood, lined up with quilts in arms, and paraded them around the room, each lovely quilt a testament to a giving heart and busy hands. Each quilter presented their quilt, holding to the belief that small acts by each an every one of us can bring big comfort one by one to those in need.

I felt such a unity with this group.  THIS is where my heart is.  THIS is where I started this crazy journey, at one time with a goal of just one lap quilt per month being turned in to be given.  Life has taken it’s own twists and turns since I passed that baton on to others, but THIS is where my journey will return upon retirement.  I want to make quilts, and I want to give quilts.  I want to make a simple difference.

These wonderful quilters fanned my flame of why I got so involved in scrap quilts in the first place.  Quilting at its roots is a loving, caring, comforting, giving thing.

Thank you for all you do in your desire to bring comfort to those in need.  You have no idea how much your efforts mean to those who are recipients of such gifts.

Tuesday, February 09, 2016

Sun, Sand and the San Clemente Pier!



This was the extremely clear view of Downtown Los Angeles, California as my plane landed at LAX!

WOW! What a beautiful day!

And here I was landing about 9:30am with the whole day stretched out before me.

I was telling my body clock to shut up as it was reminding me that I had been up and going since 12:30am California time.  There was NO WAY I wanted to nap away this gifted day.  Not a chance.

Picking up my 100 lbs of quilt duffles and suitcase, throwing everything onto a rented rolling cart, I made my way to the curb only to find after a phone call that my driver was waiting INSIDE the terminal.

Yep.  You know those lines of drivers holding people’s names on placards? I evidently walked right past the guy with my name on a sign, hell bent on getting what might be the last remaining rolling rent-a-cart (This has happened before!) and making sure that all of my luggage had indeed arrived since I almost missed my connection in Atlanta.

Only a small delay –I found my driver and I was off by town car from LAX to John Wayne airport in nearby Orange County where I would be meeting up with Linda, transfer my stuff to HER car, and make our way to San Clemente.

((And fighting off that need for a nap!))

Monday, February 08, 2016

Great Minds, Great Solutions!



Anyone who has ever sewn on a vintage singer machine has probably cursed and futzed with that singular one toe button that makes the machine GO.

it has often left me wondering about the women of that era.

Were there feet really that narrow?

What was the point of having TWO buttons, one stationary and one  that depresses to bring current to the machine to make it go?

It’s actually a pretty great design if you know to put your foot on the SOLID button first, and then ROCK your foot so the side of the foot presses down on the button.

But we’ve gone one step furhter here!

This foot adapterwas brought to the Bunkhouse in Quitman Texas and I thought it was ingenious!

Especially if you can put some non-skid stuff on the bottom to keep your foot from sliding all over the place!

We all got out our cameras and took photos from every angle.

Galaxy Gram! Off to LAX!

This post was supposed to come by laptop, but zero connection in Greensboro , early flight, everything has worked against me this morning!

Heading to LA has me all over with smiles and hopes of warmth and sunshine!

I was able to finish this morning's blog post while sitting here at the gate -- I've set it to post a bit after 9am eastern so be watching for it. This little galaxy gram was in case the post didn't go!  Whew!

I will leave you with this thought of the day, and catch up from the other side!

Sending this from the plane in Atlanta!

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Sunday, February 07, 2016

A Bit of A&E Fun!

20160205_095544
Where do you shop for fabric if you are near Gulf Shores, Alabama?

Just over the border in Pensacola, Florida at A&E Pharmacy!

This was my second time here, as I was also in this area in January of 2014, so I knew what to expect –and I couldn’t wait!

You can read that flashback HERE.

In anticipation of this trip I had posted to Facebook “Rumor has it there will be a stop at A&E Pharmacy on my way to the airport”  And while those who KNEW what was in store were clamoring with shouts of “Hooray!” Those who didn’t….well, they assumed I had contracted some Deep South Ailment and was off for medication!

While it might say A&E Pharmacy on the sign, there are actually 3 sections to this wonderland!

Saturday, February 06, 2016

Three Wonky Wishes Come True!



Well, I waited all day.

I printed invoices, I printed labels, I have shipping containers all ready to roll.

I did everything I could to be ready should the cases of patterns arrive on my doorstep so they would be ready to mail on Monday, but they just didn’t come!

I have accepted that fact, and I hope you will too – those of you who placed orders for Wonky Wishes when I announced that they were in the warehouse.  It just takes longer to get to North Carolina from California than I thought!

Rest assured, these patterns will ship out as soon as I return from this next trip –I know they will be here by then!

Some Very Very Texas Show & Share!

20160129_124314
Could it really be a week ago already since I was in the midst of teaching at Stitchin’ Heaven’s Bunk House in Quitman, Texas?

And how many times I have had to REMOVE the L from the middle of QUITMAN as I have typed it because it always comes out like QUILTMAN!?

I think they should just make it easy on all of us and change the name to QUILTMAN, right?

One of the things I love about the great state of Texas is the love they abundantly share for their state, and its history.  You can’t go anywhere in Texas without seeing flags waving.  Did you know that The Republic of Texas was an independent sovereign country in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846?

When someone remarks that “Texas thinks they are their own country!”  Well, they have been!  But they are also very proud of the USA and you will often find both flags flying as seen here – this photo was taken on one of our lunch time walks on a beautiful sunny day. 

Things are also very big in Texas – okay, not as big as Alaska, but still, Texas big!  And Texas quilters make big quilts!

Friday, February 05, 2016

Jared Takes a Wife in Gulf Shores, AL!


This photo is entitled “One of these things is NOT like the others!”

I had to stop and pose with all of the SUSANS in the room! LOL!

And while this was quite funny –there are always a lot of Susans, and Lindas, and Jeans or Joans -

This two days proved to have THREE Bonnies in the same room on two days in a row!  And on the second day, the 3rd Bonnie was really a 4th Bonnie as one Bonnie replaced another who was only there for the first day.  How crazy is that?

I’ve rarely been in a room with more than one Bonnie, but to have 4 of us over the past two days was really quite fun.

I got to understand what it feels like when someone says “Hey, Bonnie!”  and three of us turn our heads and say “What?!”  LOL!

Thursday, February 04, 2016

Roll Roll Cotton Boll, Gulf Shores Style!


Meet Susan!

And meet Susan’s inner 8 year old!

Susan brought along this fabulous picture of herself as a young child, picking cotton while on a trip from the south to the north.

Watching fields of fluffy white cotton bolls pass outside of her car window as they drove, she begged and begged for the car to stop pleading

“Please, please!  I just need to pick some cotton. I just HAVE to pick some cotton!  Please, let me!  Please!”

Of course she was relating this story to us putting on her sweetest southern-drawl-filled 8 year old voice, to peals of laughter from all of us rapt with her story.

Little did her parents know that cotton was indeed going to play an important roll in Susan’s life as a quilter!

Wednesday, February 03, 2016

Some Hotel Sewing Goodness!

20160202_202328-1
This is what is in front of me tonight.

My pieces and parts for the plus blocks I am making in the APQ Quilt-Along with American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine.

Are you in on it too?

You can do any kind of a block with an obvious + in it, and there are plenty of ideas in the current issue of American Patchwork & Quilting, and Quilts & More magazines.

I wrote about my participation and about the Quilt Along in this post.

Strip sets were sewm over the past few trips up to the cabin, and I used my acccquilt studio to subcut my strip sets so the units are ready to sew together.

They traveled with me to Texas and Alabama in zip lock bags ready for a night of hotel sewing.

Last night upon my arrival to Gulf Shores, Alabama, I really thought I would just throw myself on the bed and call it an early night, but after about a 20 minute rest, I got very curious to see what was IN that familiar little black box that was perched on the bench at the end of my bed.

Oh, I knew what was in the box…

But I didn’t expect to see a bright turquoise foot pedal when I opened the lid!

Tumbling at the Bunkhouse!


Of COURSE we are going to include a Texas Tumbleweed workshop in Texas!

And of course we are going to  make it an extra fun day with friends and fabric, loads of chatter and laughter, making memories as we go!

Some have been friends for years and years, some have met some new friends over this past week through these workshops, and they are already planning to meet up in Houston for Festival in the fall.

No matter how much we love our machines and quilt stuff – the friends are the best reason of all to keep doing what we keep doing!

I had a wonderful time out at the Bunkhouse in Quitman, such a memorable time for me since I first retreated at the bunk house in 1999 upon moving to Sulphur Springs.  Such great memories!

And I owe all of this past week to this lady:

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Presenting Wonky Wishes! A Pattern Booklet!

80081_frontcover__32388.1445536843.368.475
It’s here!  It’s really here!

My first pattern booklet from C&T publishing, Wonky Wishes!

We’ve been working on this since late spring, to bring you an in-print booklet version of a full quilt made with my Wonky Wishes block, string pieced neutral sashings and all!

C&T has done a beautiful job.  Just wait until you see the staple bound booklet, all pages in full color high quality paper, tucked into it’s very classy color printed front and back envelope with string tied closure!

Can you tell I’m giddy??

Extra special for me, because of what I also partook in during yesterday’s Texas Tumbleweed workshop in Mineola during show and share time.

Meet Jaynie, Charlotte and Teri!

Midnight Flight in the Texas Sunshine!

20160131_115716
This is how we enjoyed sunshine and 75 degrees during our lunch break!

You know the proverbial cat who loves to curl up in the sunny spot and just bask in it?

That was us as we sat on the ample screen porch outside of the Bunkhouse in Quitman Texas where our workshops were being held!

we had a wonderful morning of sewing up the scraps, and took a much deserved break just enjoying the sunshine and gentle breezes.

Our conversations? Still quilt related, of course!

Monday, February 01, 2016

Mystery Monday Link-Up, February 2016!

12654458_10153908872093909_6521856818955334102_n
Welcome in February, 2016!

We made it through the first month of the year, hopefully it is setting a grand tone for how the rest of the year will follow!

I always love when January rolls into February. For many of us, February can be the worst of the winter months, but just hang on, it’s a short one!  Spring is soon to follow.

This lovely Allietare rendition is from Becky!

She writes :
"Today I got the borders on my all batiks Lake Como inspired Allietare mystery quilt.
I really love this one. This is my second year participating in the quiltville mystery. 
Thank you Bonnie K Hunter for a wonderful quilt. I've learned so much." 
Becky, it's truly beautiful! Great colors!

I’ve enjoyed sharing many of the beautiful blocks, tops and quilts over the past month since we had our reveal, and each one has been SO beautiful.  This mystery has gone far and beyond my wildest dreams with so many wonderful compliments from each of you.  I’ve been told time and time again that this is by far your favorite mystery!

If you think that is the case, just wait until NEXT November!

As was stated when we first  put out the introduction for Allietare, the mystery clues have now been retired and I have added Allietare in regular digital pattern format to the Quiltville Store.