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Friday, April 22, 2016

Quilting up an Iowa Storm!

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Retreat Workshop Day 1 passed so quickly!

While half of the 49 quilters in attendance decided to arrive a day early and make good use of the “quilting by the lake” time , the remainder started filtering in after breakfast.

Soon the entire place was hopping, a continual flow of wagons pulling quilt goodies and paraphernalia – Machines, fabric, cutting mats, rulers, notions, tools, even personal sewing chairs and portable fans!

You get into a room with all of the machines and irons and women of a certain age, and we all need a little personal air space now and then!

Take a look at this photo!  don’t we look like variations on a theme?  From purple to pink and all the way to burgundy!  A quilt palette in the wearing!

Our Strip Twist half day workshop started after Lunch.  Eat first, sew second!


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Busy Busy!

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Downstairs group 2!  A whole nuther level of fun!

with 49 folks – double the size of retreat this group usually puts on – we are taking advantage of both levels at the Lakeshore center.  This m eans that I was deoming to group one upstairs….getting them busy on working a step, and running downstairs to take care of group 2, spending some time with them, then running up the stairs to go back to group one.

The best part?  Two different treat tables and I had access to them both! LOL!

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Twin Bing!  It’s an Iowa Thing!

Made in Sioux City, IA!

Okay, this has nothing to do with quilting, but I love little local oddities.  There are things in different areas of the country that I’ve never heard of or tried before and it is rather fun!  tHAT IS, UNLESS YOU ARE IN Maine and someone is trying to fool you into drinking MOXIE soda.!  Don’t believe them.  Don’t try it.  Ever!  Laugh at that experience HERE!

Twin Bing is like a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup on the outside, with a cherry filling on the inside, and they could be strangely addictive. I was only going to eat one.  I ate both.  And they are made in near by Sioux City!  I’m headed there this afternoon to teach for ANOTHER retreat over the weekend.  There is a Palmer Candy Co outlet.  I may be in trouble.

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The girls have perfected the hot iron salute!

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Sitting and trimming!

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Can you do THIS in a 4 hour class?  Yes you can!

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My mess sat idle once class got started!

But I sure I had some fun stitching early, and sewing all the way up to lunch time and feeling like one of the girls. 

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Meet Robert!

I met Robert many years ago through the blog.  We have corresponded by email and he even submitted some of his work for a blog post HERE. He is our lone rooster at retreat and is keeping things lively, and sewing up a storm!

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Robert’s blocks in progress!

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He also came bearing scrappy gifts for me!

It may not fit in my luggage, but if it fits in the box, it can ship home with the leftover books as “packing material!”

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when workshop ended at 5pm we were off to the Arts Center in Spirit Lake for my evening lecture which was open to the public!  it was a very exhilarating day, and by the time we got back to retreat I was just too tired to sew.  But I slept like a baby!

This morning we start our full day line-up –Texas Tumbleweed is our project and when that ends at 4 I’ll be off to Sioux City – just call it Retreat Hopping!  And yes, there is a machine waiting for me there too.

There are more photos from our Strip Twist class, but as it was only a 4 hour workshop followed quickly by my lecture, I didn’t get many photos of progress. I think I’ll take some more of those this morning before class gets started, and do a combined slide show tomorrow with EVERYTHING from this retreat included. 

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

When you look back on your life, will you remember the happy times, or the sad times? Make more happy memories!
 
Vintage Apple Core quilt found in Michigan.
 
Happy Friday, everyone!


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17 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:19 AM EDT

    There is an outlet for Palmer Candy! Notice the tile floor. You will enjoy the floors as well as the Candy! Try the chocolate covered peanuts.

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  2. Anonymous9:22 AM EDT

    There is an outlet for Palmer Candy! Notice the tile floor. You will enjoy the floors as well as the Candy! Try the chocolate covered peanuts.mbswanson@sc.rr.com.

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  3. Kind of funny to read your daily quote this morning. Yesterday I had all 4 wisdom teeth taken out...I am sure I will look back and smile but it won't be yet! I am still hurting and eating soft foods. The quote did make me smile though!

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  4. You are making happy memories for all those quilters! Travel safe to Sioux City. I love seeing your mess by the borrowed machine. Retreats are for making whatever you want. That's good packing material you got from Robert. Pack it in tight.

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  5. Is anyone else having trouble ith Bonnie's blog cutting off and message coming on that says " problem occurred and it was reloaded"? Then after this happens half dozen times it says "website crashed". This has been going on for unite awhile and doesn't happen anywhere else but here. Maybe it's something I need to do to correct this?

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  6. nankc, I do not have a problem with mine.

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  7. nankc-- I have not had that problem, a couple suggestions: empty cache in your browser and/or try a different browser. I use Chrome successfully. I find I like reading Bonnie's blog on a mobile device because I can switch to "reader view" - I can still see pictures but the ads go away.

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  8. Thanks, javajean. I'm VERY computer illiterate so I don't know how to empty cache in my bowser and how to try a different browser. I'm on my IPad Mini. How do I switch to reader view? I know I'm a bother. Sorry!

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  9. Dear Nancy try asking how to empty your cache at kimcommando.com, the computer master. Lots of information. She also has a radio show I understand. Have used her tips and warnings for years. Good luck. I would love to be the packing material in Bonnie's boxes too!!. 😍😍

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  10. Dear Nancy try asking how to empty your cache at kimcommando.com, the computer master. Lots of information. She also has a radio show I understand. Have used her tips and warnings for years. Good luck. I would love to be the packing material in Bonnie's boxes too!!. 😍😍

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  11. An overheard conversation between two Northwest Iowa people.
    NW Iowa 1: I LOVE Bing bars!
    NW Iowa 2: I HATE Bing bars!
    NW Iowa 1: Ok, you may never have a Bing bar again.
    ((wait two beats))
    NW Iowa 1: What are you thinking about right now?
    NW Iowa 2: That I want a Bing bar.

    We have a love/hate relationship with the Bing!
    (Go for the King Bing--three portions!!!)

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  12. With all the running up and down the stairs I'm sure you burnt off that little treat. How are your muscles in your legs feeling today.

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  13. Bonnie.......I love that you used the apple core quilt for your background today for your quote. However, after the comment you recently made about the apple core pattern, I can't look at them without smiling now. I have one in progress which I may now never finish because when I laugh I sometimes have tears rolling down my cheeks and it's too hard to sew while you're crying :)

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  14. With all the running up and down the stairs I'm sure you burnt off that little treat. How are your muscles in your legs feeling today.

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  15. Are you had a few Twin Bings you will never go back to the Kansas City version called a Cherry Mash. Some of us are so blessed to have families that have a Twin Bing Bar Receipe that we use Year Round or at the Holidays. If you would like I can send you the reciepe and you can make your own at home. It works great when you move out of the Twin Bing candy bar range of the country. I converted my hubby to the Twin bing. He didn't know what it was before he married me. Now he is hooked, but can't have nuts so I have to make a personal Nut piece free version for him.

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  16. Anonymous7:58 AM EDT

    I had to laugh when you wrote about Moxie, my father loved Moxie. Summer's we would drive from Florida to Maine, Dad would have his Moxie and try to get us to drink it and my grampa was having us repeat over and over again "ya'll". Both cut from the same cloth.

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  17. This popped up in my Facebook memories this morning. In the purple to pink palette pic I'm to the right of Bonnie, my little sister is to the right of me. This is the last retreat I was able to enjoy due to work changes/commitments/and dreaded budgets. And now....COVID. Here's to being able to gather as friends again sooner rather than later!

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