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Tuesday, September 05, 2017

With Found Time…

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I’m feeling much better about my decision to postpone my trip to Oregon.

It was such a scary call to make, but folks from there who were looking forward to the workshops have even said that they are glad it is going to be held at a different time because Oregon is just not somewhere ANYONE should be flying into right now, and the drive from Medford to Brookings would be hours of traveling through hazardous smoke not knowing if the fires were going to take a turn at a moment’s notice, and then the drive from Brookings out to Roseburg is a whole ‘nuther ball of not knowing – the fires are moving that way and it’s just not a good situation.

There has been very LITTLE flack, mostly disappointment, and I am disappointed too. 

But when it comes right down to it, it isn’t worth having ANYONE out on the road to come to a workshop when the air quality is that unhealthy.

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This is the air quality for the Grant's Pass area as of 5am this morning.

My heart goes out to those living inside of this situation on a day to day basis!  So many prayers being sent your way!  Stay safe – stay indoors.

So I’ve made myself busy doing things that I would be doing NEXT WEEK  and beyond, so that if workshops are able to be rescheduled for the first week of December, we can go ahead with that.

These kits need to be ready to go to my China peeps!  I’m getting so excited about this trip.

Each kit gets pieces for 7 stars.  Each star takes 12 paper diamonds as well as fabric diamonds, so there are 84 diamonds in everyone’s kit.  Fabric diamonds and paper diamonds for each star are going in individual  snack sized baggies so they are easy to grab and go for stitching on buses on long excursions.  They also help ME keep track of what goes into each kit!

By the time these are all together, I'll have kitted 1,680 fabric diamonds and 1,680 paper diamonds with all of the thread, needles, pins and wonder clips to go with them.  Whew!

The only thing the students need to bring is their own thimble if they have a favorite, or I'll have thimble pads at the ready for those who don't sew with one.

Once kits are done I’ll likely pack them in a space bag and suck all of the air out so they don’t take up all of my suitcase space.

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Pattern sections are being written!

This was the one I was working on yesterday, and I can share it here because it is currently available in the September/October 2017 issue of Quiltmaker Magazine!  Did you get your copy yet? Get it while you can because it will be a while before it comes out in book form.

It's the perfect time of year to start making these cute pumpkins!

This really did take most of my day and I was happy to have an invite out to dinner with a friend and I ran for it.  We sat outside at Willows, in the old train depot near downtown Winston-Salem and just enjoyed the beautiful evening.  North Carolina in September is just a wonderful place to be.  Our humidity is gone – and the evenings are just wonderful.

And this morning, there was even a bit of a cool nip in the air.  Yes, fall is definitely on its way.

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In other hexie news!

I snapped this photo while measuring to see if my border was long enough yet to turn the corner so I would know what I was doing on the plane trip that didn’t happen yesterday.  2 more hexies to go and I can turn that corner!

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Yeah baby! Almost there!

I figure at the current rate of 1 year per side, I should have this thing done in another 3 years.  LOL.  I had hoped to make more progress on the 3 plane flights and long car rides from place to place in Oregon, but that will happen at another time.

In the interim – you know how sometimes you don’t know why or how things happen the way they do, but hindsight kicks in later?

The Hubster has to have a pretty big dental procedure of his own tomorrow.  And I was going to be out of town. He will not be able to drive, so our friend Rick was going to go up to the cabin in Virginia, and stay the night tonight, take him to the dentist in Jefferson tomorrow, return him to the cabin safe and sound, and then head on back home himself.

Now that I’m home – it’s MY job!  SO I’ll be heading back up this afternoon so that I can get him there tomorrow morning.

And I can get more work done on the mystery – as well as write more pattern sections for this book.

I wouldn’t call this week off a “VACATION” but the mounting pressure I’ve been feeling to get things done on schedule for so many things has lifted enough that I can make some progress and feel more on top of it all.

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Another Virginia Abandoned Beauty.

I took this photo as I headed out on Sunday morning.  It’s only about 3 miles or so from Quilt Villa, barely visible from the road due to the overgrowth of trees and bushes.

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What’s the story with this beautiful place?

This time I am envisioning all of the kitchen sounds as the lady of the house prepares dinner.  Fried chicken is sizzling in a well seasoned cast iron pan on the old stove, potatoes boiling, table being set.  Can you smell it?

And that porch.  It really deserves some rocking chairs and a porch swing. 

I don’t know why these places fascinate me so, but they do.

Mail order is already done and waiting on my porch for pick up.  Another pattern chapter is ready to be written as soon as this is sent off.

I’m expecting another order of the Simple Folded Corners rulers in today, now that delivery returns to normal after the holiday.  If they come, I’ll add them to the store, but since I’ll be up at the cabin, they’ll start to ship next Monday when I return.

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Quiltville Quote of the Day.
Vintage quilt shared during retreat in Iowa.

Sweet thoughts with a lot of truth! Vintage quilt shared during retreat in Iowa.

Don’t be afraid to let yourself learn something through mistakes!

Have a great Tuesday, everyone.


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23 comments:

  1. You are right, some things happen for a reason. Hope Dave's dental procedure is successful, and glad you can be there to lend moral support. Enjoy the beautiful mountain weather too. Mary / www.stitchinggrandma.wordpress.com

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  2. I believe in "things happen for a reason"... perhaps you were meant to be with hubby for his dental thing. Just saying....

    Speaking of the new ruler. Have you thought of doing a tutorial (did I miss it) on its use. Got mine in the mail but was perplexed by all the markings. I know you're busy but you're so good at explaining things.

    Take care and hope things go well for hubby.

    Terry in So. Calif.

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  3. Yes, you definitely made the right decision this week.
    And your eastern humidity has settled in California! Oh my!
    Prayers for a successful procedure for your hubby and lots of comfort during his recovery. Ice packs have always been my best friend in those situations!

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  4. looks sorta like the walton house doesn't it? lol...yeah dealing with smoke is awful...even if it's an inconsiderate tenant in my building....

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  5. P.S. I agree with Terry. I was completely perplexed reading the instructions with the Simple Folded Corners ruler. I would love more tutoring too :-)

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  6. Terry and Loris, did you watch the youtube video already?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDUbcC17cFY

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  7. For those having trouble with the ruler, the May 3 and June 8 quiltcams show Bonnie using it. She gives pretty detailed instructions.
    Bonnie...glad you'll be home for Dave. Would hate for Rick to have dropped him off and he would have needed something...you'll be there to care for him...and you'll get to work on the mystery!!! We can't wait!

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  8. Thanks Tammie! I also found this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0d2t354T4M
    I will check out those Quilt Cams too :-)

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  9. I love the old houses and the stories they could tell. My old and musty soul wants to move there and bring it to life again. Our skies are still orange, so enjoy your blue ones. Time to play with the new ruler--thanks for the instruction tips everyone.

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  10. Like I said yesterday, things happen for a reason. Love that old house, though having lived in one for 12 yrs, they can be fun.... Mine even had a ghost!! But I never saw her, two others in my family did. Wonder if anyone still 'lives' in this ol' place?? Have a great day and enjoy being able to kind of relax. You needed this break. hugs

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  11. Love your blog and enjoy the abandoned houses. What a history they could tell. In Wisconsin the old barns fascinate me. Best wishes to the hubby with dental procedure.

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  12. Hey, for anyone who has watched Sewing with Nancy, say a little prayer for her (Nancy Zieman). She has been forced into retirement due to health crisis. She was a true pioneer in sewing/quilting demonstrations with her PBS show which has been on air since the mid 80s. Farewell dear lady.

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  13. We're singing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in Washington State. Just read Multnomah Falls area is on Fire and the fire has crossed the River. Sad, but grateful for a good reason to stay inside and Quilt.

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  14. Simple Folded ruler would be much better explained by Bonnie. Doug's explanation to me was too fast and didn't point out details very well. So help Bonnie.

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  15. We're in Olympia Washington with thick smoke sneaking through the mountains from Eastern WA and Montana. Ash is even falling. The west is burning. Hope we get some predicted showers or an onshore wind to clear the air soon! You made a good call; never doubt that!

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  16. Good for you making the decision to stay home. I live in BC, Canada, north of Washington state and the interior of our province has been in a "state of emergency" since April with no signs of letting up. More than 300 miles away, we have a thick smoke cover. Close to 4 million acres of prime forest and grasslands have burned, and hundreds of homes and cabins. I hope Washington and Oregon are able to get their fires under control quickly, with minimal property damage and no lives lost.

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  17. I said yesterday, you made a good decision. Today it is my turn to make a hard one. Hurricane Irma is coming to my county. My family is hunkering down at my nephew's hurricane resistant home here. Hubby and I are booking it out of state. Prayers for Texas, the west, and now PLEASE add Florida to your list. This is a scary, scary, scary hurricane. When we see what the islands and Puerto Rico goes through, the devastation will be unimaginable.

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  18. There is always a reason for the way things happen, this time it was to help you get organised and to look after the hubster. Hope it all goes well at the dentist I've been putting off my appointment for months must bite the bullet and phone them to fit me in.

    Love and quilty hugs

    Anne

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  19. Many women like me would fight High Water and or Flames to get to a workshop that you are teaching! neighter would be good for me with my asthma. So good for you.

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  20. Bonnie, I'm glad you stayed home. After my scar yesterday. I live in Skamania County in Washington State and was on alert all night long Monday. Got up to black and white ash had been falling all over. We started packing what we did not want to lose Tue am as the fire jumped the Columbia River to the Washington side. We got a call a couple of hours later which put us on a Level 1 alert. Ok, I canceled my eye procedure as I could not leave my husband to finish up. We were pacing all day long and checking the Sheriff post on FB to see how the fire was doing. Fast forward, still smell the smoke but the winds are now coming from the west so the fire is burning back where it came from. I hope the Ore side and Wa side can get a jump on the fires this morning. We've lost so many trees and I hope the wild animals made it out ok. Today will be a better day!!

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  21. you have a wicked sense of humor ms. bon-bon... it has not escaped my notice that at least ONCE every post you mention working on the Mystery in some form or fashion... I still have to put the label and binding on En Provence, but she is back from the L-A and looking quite lovely... OF COURSE everyone who was planning on attending the workshops (including you) is disappointed, but the adult logic will take a deep breath and hope for a nice convenient re-schedule... AND you can take care of the hub and his dentalness... Love and hugs and prayers and blessings Cats

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  22. So glad you are not here to have to breathe this nasty smoke! And we are a 2 hour drive from the one (?) fire along the Columbia River!

    Perhaps we love old houses like that is because they remind us of the comfort of Grandma's house. That one is similar to one Grammie got as a Sears Kit House, around 1920? Love her house, but would not want to live in it, don't want stairs want a home we can "retire" into and if become disabled will still be able to get in and out of house and rooms.

    since you are "home" how about a quilt cam? giggle!

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  23. When we see what the islands and Puerto Rico goes through, the devastation will be unimaginable.


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