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Wednesday, November 06, 2019

Looking Back and Moving Forward! (And Gift-Away!)


Sometimes all you DO need is LOVE!

I’ve been so grateful for the outpouring of love over the past few days.  Thank you all so very much -

You know, something happens when stress on the emotions as well as the body comes calling – and I have been forgetful of the stupidest of things.  I’ve set things down who knows where.  I forgot an appointment.  I couldn’t find a quilt that was supposed to come with me to Shipshewana Indiana this morning -

(Yes, I found it, after much digging!)

And the biggest thing of all – I can’t remember putting my hand on my passport after I went through customs and checked back in through security at JFK more than a week ago.

I think I left my brain in Kenya.

SO last night, after combing everything here  (We had also combed everything at the cabin – to no avail.) I had to go online and cancel my passport as lost.  Mind you – I leave for Germany in just over 3 weeks.

I am doing an expedited replacement, but it can’t be done until I return from Indiana – next Tuesday.  That puts me just 2 weeks out from going to Germany. It can be done.  But I need everyone’s fingers crossed, prayers sent, juju called up – I need this replacement passport.  And I am leaving for the airport for Indiana in less than an hour.


The full Love on a Shoestring Budget quilt.

While digging for the missing Jamestown Landing – I got the wild brained hair to pull the  small quilts to hang at Quiltville Inn.  Some of these haven’t seen the light of day in years.  Most date to the early 2000s.  Many were made using Tonya Ricucci’s lettering technique and we worked on them together.

I thought I would share them here since we have so many new readers.

Please note at this time period I was very much into brown.  And Cheddar.  Still love the cheddar – less understanding of brown.  LOL!


It’s like that old love song “I remember you…….”

Why have these been just languishing in a closet?

I have plenty of walls to hang them!



Close up.  Hand quilted.

Random strings around the shoo fly blocks.


Out on a String -


This one is still under the Free Patterns tab!

String Stars are my absolute favorite – I’d love to drop everything right now and go make some more.


This thing needs blocking!

Hand Quilted.


I used to love hand quilting small projects.

Where did that girl go?

Oh yeah – she let work take over her life!


This had a name.  I don’t remember it now?

Mardis Gras Stars? Maybe?


Also hand quilted.  Strings and strips make me happy!

The star points were bonus triangles.


Little Crumb Love  pieced by Tonya from leftover blocks we had made together.


This one is bigger – made with orphan blocks.

Hand quilted.


I love playing with orphan blocks!

Why did I stop?  Deadlines.


Made from leftover blocks that students didn’t want.

My goal was to show that even an ugly block could be made to look good – I used orphans in the border.  I am so happy to be rediscovering these – they now have a place to be seen!


Close up.

Also hand quilted.


Love Shack.

Was a class.  Never became a pattern.

machine quilted.

Still so cute -


Another Crumb Love with orphans.

My love of string piecing has never gone away!

So these are in a big IKEA bag waiting to be taken to the Inn upon my return home.  I’ve also whittled down the contents of the Quilt Vault by pulling about a dozen of my own bedsized quilts to adorn the beds at Quiltville Inn.  The vintage quilts are for decor – folded at the ends of beds, etc – but I want folks to really sleep under my quilts.  Why else do I have a closet full?  What am I planning on doing with more than 100 quilts just taking up space in my house?

Don’t worry – it won’t stop me from making more, but I want to see the ones I have used.

Does this mean that Quiltville Inn won’t be completely vintage in decor?  Yup.  It’s an eclectic mix of EVERYTING – much like life is.

And oh, it will be colorful!


While I am Gone to Shipshewana!

We had so much fun with our IronEZ Gift-Away that we are going to do it again.  This time I am giving away THREE IronEZ Spray bottle holsters with spray bottles to USA residents!


I love that my bottles don’t go flying to the floor any more.

We will draw for our winners upon my return home next Tuesday morning Nov 12th.


And you can still order your own IronEZ and save 15% by using code BH15off at MyIronEZ.com!

Good luck everyone!




Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Absolutely abundantly true!

I am off to Indiana for some serious fun. To those on their way - I will see you soon!



36 comments:

  1. Did you check your money belt? That’s where I kept mine. Sorry you have to go thru this!! ❤️

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  2. Wishing you safe travel. I attended your Love Shack class in London, KY a few years ago. I was a new quilter and it was a highlight on my quilting journey. PS: You'll probably find the missing passport after you get the new one.

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  3. with all the scrap quilts....how can there be any scraps still in the scrap bin ??? Something happens in the scrap bins overnight.........

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  4. Have a great time in Indiana Bonnie. I will pray the passport comes in fast for the trip. I'm so looking forward to the mystery this year....love the colors!

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  5. What a fun trip down Memory Lane with your quilts. Have a blast in IN!

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  6. Love seeing all your "older" quilts! I love them!! I don't know if I have the terminology right, but the header photo is so precious.
    See you in your workshops at the retreat. Safe travels.

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  7. I bet a giraffe ate your passport when you weren't looking! Safe travels! Marilyn Marks

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  8. I bet you'll find your passport soon upon your return from Germany. Ha ha

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  9. I just love all the quilts you posted!! so colorful, the retreat will definitely be full of color!!! safe travels!

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  10. That is part of the fun of quilt retreats is looking at the wonderful quilts on the walls and beds! Those are wonderfully vintage, very colorful.

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  11. What a fantastic quilt show on the blog today! So many quilted treasures to study... I couldn't stop looking at them! This is another book here... creative uses of scraps and orphans!

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  12. What a fun post today. Fingers crossed for your passport. Love you!

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  13. Deep breaths Bonnie, we are all pulling for your new passport to arrive and for you to have some peaceful time with Gay. Safe travels my friend. Happy peaceful sewing!

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  14. I love the scrap quilts. I am just trying to teach myself how to quilt have only made 1 throw quilt with basic rectangles. I aspire to eventually make a scrap quilt, but will have to build up a stash of scraps because I don't really have any yet LOL.

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  15. So fun to see your earlier creations!

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  16. Bonnie - once again you have inspired me!!! I'm getting all my quilts out of the closet and putting them where I can see them! Even bought a 'ladder' for the living room. Yes, they make us happy! Let's see them all the time!!! Thanks once again!!

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  17. I've made a few Word Quilts. I remember when that book got me using random fabrics to make letters. My grandchildren got Pillowcases with their names on the cuff. Love the Quilt Vault. Precious treasures are found there!

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  18. Heavens, Child... you are doing magnificently... you are managing a worldwide quilting career, author/publisher, social media, speaking, teaching - you are a "brand icon" !!!! And meanwhile you are restoring an inn - and living life, ups and downs included. Yep, you lost a thing or two - only ONE OR TWO ???? (yes, I know it was an important one)…….. CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK, GIRL !!!

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  19. What a lovely display of quilts...made my morning! :)

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  20. Hey Bonnie, I got inspired in looking at the ShooFly quilt. been making the Leader ender Shoo fly blocks in 4.5 inch size and wondering what to do for a setting. I think I found it. Thanks for all you do, and praying for your passport to be expidited, your trip to Germany and a safe, happy holiday for you and your family.

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  21. Welcome to Indiana. Unfortunately, I be leaving for Puerto Rico on Thursday morning and will miss the fun in Shippsy!

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  22. Love the Love Shack!!! It reminds me of Sweet Home Sweet, and no . . . I didn't say it wrong. My parents were Deaf and that's how they said it, so that's how I say it. Love you to pieces Bonnie Hunter, pun intended. Smile!

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  23. mkhquilts, we're thinking the same way! I'm using leftover half square triangle pairs from Ringo Lake in my shoo fly leaders and enders, all the while wondering how to set them, so when I saw what Bonnie did, I thought oooh, maybe that! Heehee great minds think alike is what we say at our house! 😘

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  24. Love this post.....would love to make some of these small quilts with the lettering...could you maybe put one in your next book? love the one hanging in your mom's kitchen...Enjoy Indiana

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  25. I love your "love" quilts! Did you ever publish patterns? Bonnie the passport is in that "safe" place in your house! Boy when I find that "safe" place I will have a treasure trove of stuff! Have a safe trip to Indiana.

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  26. I usually find what is lost, AFTER I have paid for it to be replaced!

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  27. After your endorsement I got 2 IronEZ, I too love my spray bottles staying put. I have one for Best press and one for water as I do not put water in my irons ever.

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  28. Thanks for showing us all the pictures of your older quilts! And I am really loving that picture of Sadie on the porch. It makes me smile every time I check your blog. Alice Woodring

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  29. Love those beautiful quilt, going to need to check out that lettering it’s beautiful, I’ve admired it on the quilt in your studio during quiltcam.
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful craft with us, and the lovely picture of Sadie Jane at the top of your blog, a beautiful lady.
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  30. I go to Shipshewana each early May for a quilt retreat Sunday - Thursday around noon. That is my vacation and I look forward to it every year. I have made new friends and have such a wonderful time. We stay at the Farmstead Inn and they treat us well. I hope you find your passport soon, I know exactly what you are going through I lay things down and go to pick it up and it is gone. Looking for something important for a week now. Enjoy Shipshewana.

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  31. Bonnie, I know that you and Tonya were good buddies. Has she stopped quilting? She stopped blogging in 2013. Hope your mislaid documents come to the surface.

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  32. Maybe it is at your Walburg house. Maybe you went there after your trip before you went to the cabin.

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  33. whenever I lose something, I recite that old poem, :Tony, Tony, Listen Listen...Something's missing, help me find it!
    and magically, I find it within minutes. Your brain knows where you left it and will direct you there. good luck! (Tony is St. Anthony, BTW)

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  34. wonderful quilts from your "past" you've shared. Shoo-fly setting has inspired me for my stack of blocks that have been UFO for far too long. Enjoy your workshop. I know I'll be looking forward to eventual blog of what all the retreaters have worked upon

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  35. Thank you soooo much for sharing all theses wonderful quilts! I absolutely LOVE the colour brown and WORDS and so these quilts are so very special to look at.

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