What a great low-key birthday this was!
For so many years I've been on the road teaching on my birthday, and while that was do-doubt fun, it was really nice to have a day to myself to work on projects, listen to audio books, watch the wildlife from outside of the cabin window, and just BE.
I am currently re-listening to Diana Gabaldon's "Written in My Own Heart's Blood."
I own each Outlander book in hard copy. I've read them all. But listening to Davina Porter as narrator just makes these stories come to life for me.
44 hours of listening time in one book? Perfect for stitching by!
Windows Live Writer is still a no-go, returning 500 errors meaning it is not talking to the Blogger server. Not that you need to know that, but it's just a bit frustrating. There are things that I prefer to do with Windows Live Writer, and I can't do those here so the formatting may look a bit different.
Deer in the yard!
And just who are YOU looking at?
Woody the Woodpecker!
This photo may not be so clear - I had to zoom in and then crop, but he is a big fella!
I wanted to tackle THIS!
My pile of Checkerboard Rails blocks (Pattern from the free patterns tab) just demanded to be played with. I'd had ideas of how I wanted to set them, but what I ended up doing surprised even me.
I had thought I wanted the zig zags of four-patches going ACROSS the quilt, kind of like the zig zags on Charlie Brown's sweater.
But when I stood at the end to arrange some pieces, I decided that I liked VERTICAL better! You just never know what you are going to decide on until you've looked at any project from all angles.
This also meant that I was going to need some half-block-plus-seam-allowance units for the edges, and I found that I needed to make some 6 rail blocks without checkerboards that could be cut into the far left edge triangles.
As to the parts that I trimmed off? I'm sure they will find a fun place to land in the backing!
This is no problem. I have plenty of strips and four-patches to spare!
This is where I ended up.
Doesn't it look kind of 3-D?
I love how the strippy parts look like they are braided in. And to think this is coming out of all of the "junk" scraps that have been hanging around for too long! Oh, there are some DANGED uglies in here, and that makes me love it all the more.
I'm just building it one diagonal row at a time, and when I decide that I have gone wide enough, I'll start tapering down.
I am going to need more blocks, and those are being built as Leaders & Enders between other things (Which is the WHOLE PURPOSE for this project, right?) And I'll go as far as they allow me to go.
I was going to post more from my antiquing jaunt on Monday, but since this Blogger thing is driving me a bit nuts and is more tedious to use, I'll wait and see if things aren't better on the big desk top at home. Maybe this has to do with my connectivity here on the mountain since I am only connected by phone data.
Yesterday's #quiltvilleoftheday
Wild & Goosey from Addicted to Scraps!
Paper piecing is one of those things I love to do on the road. I can borrow a machine, and happily piece small bits onto paper foundations in a hotel room for brainless evening relaxation after a long day of teaching.
Signed copies are available in the Quiltville Store.
You'll also receive a free downloadable PDF pattern for the Wanderlust Table Runner with purchase!
Dentist on Monday, Macular specialist on Wednesday - this afternoon. I see him every 6 months to chart the progress of my Macular Telangiectasia as there is no cure. Stress is a huge contributor so I am doing my best to minimize that. Our greatest hope right now is that the progression stabilizes and holds steady instead of getting worse.
This getting older thing seems to be marked by going from one doctor's appointment to the next!
I'm home for a few days before heading off to Florida. Do you think we can squeeze in a Quilt-Cam?
Stay tuned and I'll let you know when!
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
No matter what happens, I alone am in control of my attitude!
No doctor's diagnosis is going to change the fact that this day is special - and we can only live through it once.
Have a fabulous Wednesday, everyone!
42 comments:
Happy Birthday Bonnie! Sewing and playing with fabric is the BEST way to spend a birthday! I love the way the Leader and Ender project is coming together with the braided look of the colored strips. Enjoy your time at the cabin!
Debbie M.
Bonnie, I believe the woodpecker in the picture today is a pileated woodpecker. It is the largest woodpecker in North America. I am from Iowa but was sitting on our screened in porch at our place in Minnesota (sewing on a quilt) and heard an unfamiliar bird call coming from a tree right by the porch. I couldn't believe what I saw . . . I reached for my iPad so I could look up woodpeckers and found it was a Pileated woodpecker! I had never seen one before. It was awesome! Love your blog and the awesome quilts you make.
I love the woodpecker, I have heard them but never seen one. He is a beautiful bird. I am glad you are enjoying your day at the cabin. I love Diana Gabaldon books too and listening to them on audio makes them really come alive. Glad you got your tooth taken care of, and hope the eye Dr. appointment went just as well! Have a glorious day!
Happy Birthday ...may your wishes come true 😊
Happy Belated Birthday, Bonnie! Glad that you got to have a day to yourself, enjoying and doing what you want to do. Thank you for all you do for us......you are such a giving person. Your blog and your saying of the day is something that I look forward to every day.
Looking forward to seeing you when you come to IL in March!
Beth
I love the Outlander books too. Do you read her Lord John novels, short storied,etc too? They are great fun too!
Mary ANn
Beautiful scraps in your Zigzag leaders ender project. Love it on the vertical. Fingers crossed for a good report at the Dr.
Your work in progress looks very cool! THis modified rail fence looks very modern, almost 70's pop art!
❤️ Love the vertical set!!! Every time you post a new quilt you are working on I think it will be my next project. Just hand stitching the binding on Garden Party but have three more Bonnie Quilts in process. I already have enough quilts started to last a lifetime. What to do?
Wow! The quilt looks GREAT. I was never a big fan of Rail Fence - the ones I've seen always looked kind of boring. But now that I see what you've done with it, I am blown away. What a wonderful talent you have for taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary.
I think I have just found my next quilt, LOVE this one and will do as a quilt as you go sewing each piece to strips of batting and using decorative stitches in place of hand quilting. Thank you for all the wonderful things you do for the quilting world and all your great patterns and so many of them you make free for us on limited budget. It is very much appreciated.
Happy Birthday. Looks like a Pileated Woodpecker. I agree with you about growing old, but always thankful for another day.
Happy Birthday Bonnie. I love the quilt your working on with the checker board edges. I like the setting. You do beautiful work. Thanks for your generosity in your quilting. I hope you get a good report on your eyes today.
Happy Birthday to You. I also recently had my birthday and spent a good part of my special day sewing....absolute bliss! And yesterday, as I was sewing away on making blocks for On Ringo Lake, I too was listening to Davina Porter read to me as I re-listened to Outlander. Such an awesome series of books and such talents from Davina's reading skills!! Again, Happy, Happy Birthday to You!
It's awesome how you can turn ordinary scraps into such stunning designs. My strips and squares will be perfect for this idea. And pileated woodpeckers are always a treat. We see them regularly because our neighbor puts out real butcher shop beef suet. But we don't have bears like you do, so you might try leaving rotting logs nearby to attract them.
Hi, Bonnie. The problems with posting to your blog have nothing to do with your computer or your connection. Other bloggers are complaining about the same issue so the smart guys at Blogger have probably been busy "improving" Blogger again. So frustrating for the users. Congrats on the new tooth and hope your eye appointment goes well.
Happy Birthday Bonnie! Enjoy!
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day.
Happy birthday Bonnie. Enjoy your you-day. And thank you for your inspiring blog! Conny
I just love this leaders and enders quilt. I have barely started as I haven't had much sewing time in the last 6 months. Thankfully, I am going to a 5 days retreat at the end of Feb. I will likely continue this one because I really want it as a finished quilt!
Happy Birthday, and so glad you have a new tooth as well!
Pat in Alaska
Happy Birthday, Bonnie. Thank you for all you do for us.
I didn't want to do this leader and ender intil I saw this layout.
Happy Birthday! I like how the rails seem to be 3D. I haven't done the 4 patches and may do that now. Thank you for all the inspiration and patterns you give to us.
Happy Birthday Bonnie!🎂🎈🎉🥂🎁🌹Glad you had an awesome day! Love all the critters! You are lucky to live in such a gorgeous place. Love all your quilting projects..you are so inspiring. Thank you for being you.❣️❣️❣️😍
Happy Birthday Bonnie. You deserve a quiet birthday at home for all you do.
Happy Birthday, Bonnie. A day at home (or cabin) to sew sounds like a perfect gift to yourself.
Loving your leader/ender quilt!!
Love your Leader/Ender Quilt! I see blocks laying on a "50's" tile floor! So glad you had a "pieceful" birthday!
Happy Birthday! Hope it has been everything you dreamed it could be. Can't wait to see you on Feb 12 & 13 in Winston-Salem. I joined Forsyth Piecers just so I can come see you. Thanks k you for everything you did in 2017. I'm so looking forward to 2018.
Happy birthday Bonnie!! Hope you had an enjoyable day!! Love this year’s challenge quilt. Need to add it to my must do’s!!
Your zig zag bars in your challenge quilt reminded me of the folded paper chains we made out of gum wrappers as a teenager! I really enjoy seeing your quilts come to life and thank you for sharing the process with us. And by the way ... your smile is radiant with or without the implant :) Happy Birthday Bonnie - wishing the extra time to do all things you love!
Happy Birthday Bonnie. I LOVE, LOVE, your checkerboard rails quilt. Now I want to start one of those too! You are such an inspiration that I could start a new quilt every week of one of your patterns. Loved seeing the pileated woodpecker. He is a beauty. Also this post came through in a better format on my Surface 3 Window 10 operating system than normal. The pictures were good too. Another thumbs up when reading this post is your love of the Outlander series. I am trying to listen to them on audio from the library, and it is proving to be difficult because everyone else is doing the same.:) I'm up to the 4th book and now have been waiting for months for the next book. Ugh.
Happy Birthday from South Africa, hope you have a wonderful quilting day and are spoied silly by all around you!! Much Love!!!
Love your blog. Happy Birthday and many more! I find myself looking forward to the quilt and bit of philosophical advice at the end of the post each time. You have a wonderful and inspiring attitude. Have a fabulous day.
Happy Birthday, Bonnie. That split rail is gorgeous and fun. All your quilts are beautiful. I love the sound of a pileated woodpecker calling from the trees, and they are fun birds to have around. If you see large piles of wood chips, the pileated has been there. I pray your eye appointment goes well.
Happy birthday Bonnie from sunny FL��. I love your quilts and patterns. I’m a quilter and birder. That large bird is a pileated woodpecker which can be very elusive to see. It’s on my list to ‘hope to see in the wild’ someday. So enjoy watching it for me!
Where did you get the bins you have pictured above? I need some of them.
Enjoy your special day. I am praying for you.
Since you are celebrating your birthday all week, I guess wishing you a happy birthday on Thursday (today) will still work! Enjoy your blog and feel should I bump into in an antique shop I would be very comfortable introducing myself and join in your adventure and even treat you to lunch.
Wanted to tell you my doctor of 25 years told me today I was not to refer to myself as old (I'm 68 - some mornings feel like I suspect 90 will feel like) until I am 80! Sounds good to me. Sure hope the body was listening. I'm doing my best to not let things stress me out. In retrospect, all those times when I felt stress would have happened and probably have the same result had I let go of the stress. Easier said than done, I know.
Love you quilt and the layout. There may be hope for my scraps yet!
Happy Birthday Bonnie. Sorry it,s late but my computer was down. Your woodpecker is a paliated woodpecker. I love the wildlife you have there--but--where are all the bucks?
That layout of the rail and checkerboard pops because the color choice in comparison to the one that's on your Instagram from early October by one of us great layout though
Love the checkerboard rails on the diagonal, stunning! I hope you are having a Happy Birthday! Lovely to have a day to yourself to do as you please, as long as you please! Love seeing all your posts! Indeed a very busy lady!
This is my first time in your blog Bonnie and i am surely enjoying it. God bless you
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