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Sunday, October 08, 2017

Sunday Morning!

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All I want to do is sit in my recliner, binge on Outlander and get this border length attached to the eternal hexie project!

Is that too much to ask?

The second long border is well enough under way that I don’t need this one as a template any more, and I want to see it ON the top.

It’s my last day home before flying to New York tomorrow.  I am so excited to meet the Snow Country Quilters in Remsen, NY and then on to the Genesee Valley Quilt Club of Rochester, NY.

The Genesee Valley Quilters founded their group in 1936!!  No, that is not a typo.  January of 1936 was their first meeting.  SO COOL!

I’ve got my fingers crossed that leaves are turning gorgeous colors and are not all on the ground yet, and that snow has not yet fallen.

Packing is in progress – but I better double check the weather before I zip that suitcase closed!

Yesterday was an errands running day – the Indigo 9 patch and snowball quilt was dropped at Fedex and is on its way to California.  There was a run to Harbor Freight and Lowes for much needed supplies -

This finally happened yesterday:

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Hooray!

It might seem like a small thing to most – this is the vintage machine storage and fabric hoarding side of the basement studio.  Remember the leaky pipe fiasco we had a few months back? (Yes, evidenced by the shiny white new y join to the main stack you see in front of you.) We needed a weekend when we would all be here to get this taken care of.  We supplied the needed equipment and a take-out rib lunch for his efforts, and son Jeff went to town with his mad drywall skills and got this trimmed out, filled, tapped, mudded – whatever else is part of the process and now it is just waiting to dry so it can be sanded and finally repainted.

This is 100 times better than seeing naked pipes, icky insulation and cinder block brick through a big hole every time I go down there.  Carpet tiles were pulled up and also need replacing, but that can wait for now.

And there is another reason why holes need to be patched up.  Those holes provide easy access and hiding places for critters like this:

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DUDE!  Where do you think you are going?

It’s a harmless and helpful black snake, but I don’t want him in my basement!

Click to play the video clip:


The clip ends after 1 minute, but the Hubster did get him all the way down to the creek on the shovel and dropped him off there unharmed.  Black snakes also keep the copperhead population down, so he will do much better down by the creek than up in my basement!

And here you thought that wildlife happened only at the cabin?  HA!

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All I want to do is sit and sew these too!

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The eggplant colored plaid?

That was my grandpa’s shirt.

There wasn’t much of it left, just enough to do this one block, but isn’t it amazing how fabric has MEMORY?  As I stitched this block he stayed on my mind.  I talked to him.  I was sure I could see him smiling. Grandpa was MY dentist while growing up. I learned to trust kind and sure hands because of him.

“So, Grandpa –we’ve had these dental nightmares recently.  Did you know I am a tooth grinder?  What would you say about that?  And yes, the gold crown is back in place.  I’m sure you’d nod and tell me that every princess deserves a gold crown, especially your oldest grandchild.  And that whole implant technology – did you know?  I’m on to my second one, and things have advanced so much in the 10 years in between this one and the first one that the first one is now considered “old school!”  This time they were able to pull the tooth and do the bone graft with implant the SAME DAY!  The tooth will be added later after the bone graft has taken hold – but can you imagine, Grandpa? and you should SEE the panoramic CT scan.  So cool!”

As I pressed the block, and held it to my chest, I could swear I could feel his warm hug around me as well.

I’m treating myself to a massage this morning.  I’ll be back by lunch time to finish up the packing and desk work and then the rest of the day will be mine to continue working on these blocks.  One batch at a time will get them done.  I can’t explain the urgency I feel with this quilt.  Not even sure why – but it just demands to be made.  Do projects do that to you sometimes, too?

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Quiltville Quote of the Day!

1880s tumbler quilt.

It's got to happen right where you are, right now. Not when things are different or better.

Choose happiness right now. 

Have a beautiful Sunday, everyone!

20 comments:

  1. You are a kind soul. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself and your family with us. I loved the rehoming of the snake video. Bonnie Hunter, you ROCK!

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  2. Good thing the snake was In your yard. I’m the snake preserver...my husband hacks them to pieces no matter what kind they are. He hates snakes! But, I agree...their place is not in our house! Have a safe trip to New York and a wonderful time in the fall colors. My next large project...a king size hexi quilt that I designed this weekend...will be in fall colors. I can’t wait to get started! Sadly, I never do anything small...and it’s my first hexi project. It may end up a coaster...we’ll see.

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  3. I feel the same way about certain projects. I can’t 🛑 and every instance that I get a little bit more done just makes me soooo happy. Thank you for letting us into your life and all you do for us. It’s heartfelt to know that they’re are others out there that understand the love ❤️ of fabric and how it makes you feel happy. God bless you and yours, have a safe trip to China.

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  4. Have fun in Rochester, I was born and raised there but left in 1973 when I married and moved to Pensacola, Florida. I hope the leaves put on a show for you.

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  5. I feel your "pain" about the implant. Went to dentist last week to find they are recommending either an implant, a bridge or pull the tooth and leave it empty for a molar way back on my left side. The BAD news was the pricing ... an implant is $5,000 ... a bridge is about $3,000 and to pull it was a few hundred and probably covered by my insurance ... the first two are not! YIKES!! Love your blocks and also love watching Outlander ... what an amazing book/series!! Travel safe and hope you get to see some fall colors ... we're getting them slowly up here in Northern Michigan ... off to a hayride this afternoon!! Linda H

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  6. I often feel the warmth in my mom's fabrics & the few quilts she made.
    Somehow makes me feel like she is here in the sewing room with me.

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  7. I have been back from a 17 day trip to the UK for nearly a wek now. I have been running around doing errands, carching up with my life. I have not touched my quilting (though I did manage to do a little embroidery) and I feel the need to sew! A friend gave me the first season of Outlander (I have read all the books) so I'm ready to sit and sew. My old make cat has sprained his elbow, so is restricted to the sewing room/office and I need to keep him company, right?

    Have a great visit to NY. I'm jealous of you seeing the leaves. Fall is here in Alaska, but we kack the maples and other hardwoods that provide the reds and oranges. We have mostly bich, spruce, willow, larch and corronwood. Lovely tellows with the green from the spruce, but I miss the vibrant colors I grew up with.

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  8. Bears and snakes, OH MY. I would be packing up and selling that cabin but I would have never moved into the wild. But thats just me. I am glad you are loving nature and the wild and your cabin.

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  9. See you in Rochester on Friday and Saturday. I am coming in from Buffalo to Rochester to take your workshops and I am so excited!

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  10. I live 3 hours east of Rochester and it's 80 today. Definitely check the long range. Welcome back to NY, wish I could make it out to see you....

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  11. Weather.com says it will be around 70 both days you're at the Remsen guild. I'll see you there!

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  12. I love Outlander and will binge this afternoon

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  13. Awww cute snake. I wonder if that means he wanted indoors because it was warmer than outside - or maybe he's going to be your weather forecast for chilly days on their way.

    And lovely to see you still can hug your grandfather. I wish I had known I was going to start patchwork while mine was still around, but then it was white shirts for him. I just have to wait until my husband has finished with his. And why isn't he wearing that gorgeous purple plaid and give it to me sooner!

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  14. Bonnie, May I borrow your "son w/the mad drywall skills" HA! Seriously how wonderful when family is talented AND helps. Enjoy your great trip to Western New York, we are having a beautiful fall. I am always fascinated w/your beautiful hand work - I'm not sure I have the patience for those tiny squares but also use my husband's shirts for blocks for family members' quilts. It IS like a hug. Thank you for sharing that sweet story of your grandpa.

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  15. Give my regards to the GennesseE quilt guIld.. that was the first guild I joined in 1976. I WAS BORN THE YEAR THAT IT WAS FOUNDED. The members are very friendly and talented.In 1976 we raffled our first quilt, Have not gone back since the mid 80's. I hope they still have the quilt we made about the Genessee Valley My first applique.

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  16. So excited to learn you are an Outlander fan too! I am addicted to the show and the books. I catch something new every time I reread one! The hexi project looks beautiful.

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  17. No snow here in Upstate NY. Leaves are starting to change. So sorry I am going to miss your class -- but, I'm heading south to see my grandsons for a birthday. Some day I will get to one of your classes!

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  18. Here,in the Rochester region, the weather has been as weird as anyway else. We've not had a frost, so the colors have not really started. Had lots of rain up until mid-August, then no rain to speak of. Your daytime temps should be in the 70's (above normal). Coming to the lecture on Thurs. AM. Have a safe trip.
    Pat

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  19. Thank you for sharing the memory with your grandfather!

    Hugs
    sao in Midlothian, VA

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  20. love hearing about grandfather AND the advances in implants -- in case i ever need one in future...tortures of the dam*ed i had with mine, but love it now 4+ years later. The 'sugar bowl' block is so enticing AS WELL AS those two you just sent off to Calif. That's me... in Calif. Hope to meet you some day... xoxo safe travels and again, thanks for being you and sharing with us, Cats

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