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Monday, November 11, 2019

Smith Mountain Morning–Shipshewana Style!


Orange and BLUE!!!  Perfection!

Yesterday’s Smith Mountain Morning workshop in Shipshewana was full to the gills with happy, scrappy and more.  And I so love seeing what color plans each quilter brings to her table – SO MUCH VARIETY!

I have mentioned before that this is one of the biggest reasons that I choose not to provide kits for my classes.  We learn so much, and gain so much inspiration from seeing what other people put together that might be completely out of our own chosen boxes.

So many folks come happy with the original quilt colors, and go merrily into the project knowing just what it will look like when they are done. And that is great. 


And then there are the trail blazers!

This one is going to be the cutest Christmas quilt!


So yummy in pink and brown!


What about some fresh greens with blues?  Sweet!


Yellow & Gray -

You make my day!


Two Florida friends – going their own direction also!


Oh, happy dance!!


This one is being made for a guest room.  Pretty!


For a husband who hunts and loves the outdoors.


The sweetest machine story of all!

You know everyone’s worst retreat nightmare, right?  The big fancy machine you have driven for hours to retreat with suddenly does not work.  You are in the middle of projects, you’ve signed up and prepared for (and paid for!) workshops – this is the dream trip to end this year on a high note.

And your fancy machine dies.  And there is nowhere to fix it. 

Can you imagine this scenario – your sister says “Let’s go hit the thrift shop to see what we can find?”  And you come upon this sweet 1993 Singer basic mechanical machine (with several decorative stitches I might add!) with no computer parts.  TEN DOLLARS!

And you come back to retreat with fingers crossed just HOPING that it would work.  It had the manual, the accessories and everything for TEN DOLLARS.  And it sews like a dream.  What a sweet machine!  We all gave three cheers, so happy that this chapter of the retreat story has a happy ending.


And these are the blocks to prove it!

I love that this quilt will have fun retreat memories to go with it.  And it just goes to prove  - you never know when you might need a back up machine – so pack two, and make ONE of them mechanical with no computer parts to go wonky!

For the rest of our day – Click to Play:


Everyone did such a great job!

You'll find the pattern for Smith Mountain Morning in my book Scraps & Shirttails II, available in the Quiltville Store for just $19.99.


So much loveliness on one floor!


Thanks for the awesome experience, everyone!


Frolic Mystery Rolls as door prizes!

I have to take this opportunity and thank my friend Irene and The Cozy Quilter quilt shop for their generous gift of several Mystery Rolls as door prizes for my retreaters.  We had so much fun drawing for winners!  The fabrics are beautiful in our Frolic Mystery colors.


If you need to round out your fabric choices -

There are more on the Cozy Quilter website!

As I quickly finish this post and prepare to head to the airport in South Bend for my flight to Atlanta and then on to Greensboro, it is snowing and blowing outside. I am praying for no travel delays.  This was my last teaching engagement for the 2019 year and I am ready to be HOME!!

Remember that we still have an IronEZ Gift-Away happening – our drawing is TOMORROW so you ‘ll want to get your entries in ON THAT POST today.

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


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Patriotic fan quilt found in Missouri and shared by Kevin the Quilter.

To our veterans: We honor and thank you today and always for the sacrifice you made and continue to make on our behalf.

YOU are what makes America the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.

Thank you for protecting our freedoms.

Happy Veterans Day! Go hug a Vet!


9 comments:

cityquilter grace said...

great workshop photos...SMM is one of my favorite bonnie patterns and i love the orange/blue and red/green versions but they are all awesome!

Valerie said...

How great to see so many color combo possibilities making the same quilt block look so different. And that sewing machine thift store find to save the day was fun.

Mary said...

What a lucky find fir $10. Good to have a Spare. My mother always told me, "You can't keep house without a good Sewing machine" Great Quilt to end your year! Fly safely home.

Ellen Hubbs said...

Love the sewing machine story. So glad Indiana played a part in your healing after your loss. I wish I could have been there. I’m in southern Indiana. Maybe next time. Safe travels Bonnie ❤️

Bonnie Baker Lippincott said...

I love your retreat photos! Your workshops are always so much fun. As for machines, whenever I go to a workshop or a retreat, my little featherweight is always along for the ride. I love my computerized machine, but . . . you never know!

Dalina said...

I bought that exact machine at a garage sale 19 years ago for $10.00. I have loved it to death, as it died a couple months ago. I haven't taken to the shop to see what it's problem is, but it is a hardy little thing. So glad that you are back home and have the rest of the year free to finish up all the last minute things for Quiltville Inn. Enjoy and I can't wait until I can get moved and can begin sewing again. I am still packing up my house and sewing room, and miss my few minutes a day.

Barbara D said...

So envious of all the fun times! And such color combos! Every one a fav, tho my eye was drawn mostest to the candy pastels

Sylvia Forster said...

Looked like a great retreat. I would have enjoyed being there. Thrift store machine story was a real highlight -- thanks for sharing part of your life with us all.

ahege said...

This is so ironic, I tried an orange and blue combo a couple of weeks ago and didn't like it so now I'm going to relook at it. Also, this is the second time seeing a variation of the Double Wedding Ring pieces used. I found this blog specifically because I was trying to find some other way for my mother to use her scraps other than DWR, which she has cut enough to pave all of North America as my daughter says. Where can I find this pattern for the half circle DWR variation?

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