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Sunday, December 29, 2019

Race to the End of the Decade!


The countdown is ON!

And maybe I’m not really racing – but recognizing that this is likely my last top finish of 2019.  Of the Twenty-Teens decade.

How many quilts made this year?  This decade?  i don’t want to count them. Their number means nothing to me, other than the fact that I loved the moments that I was able to spend time with needle and thread in amongst everything else that life has thrown at me over the past year – or 10 years.

When we turned the calendar forward from 1969 to 1970, I was turning 8 being born in 1962.  We had just had just witnessed the first moon landing in July 1969, and all around me it felt like we were moving forward into an exciting new world.  That things would be different somehow.

When we turned from 1979 to 1980 – all promise was straight ahead.  I was a senior in high school with my whole life ahead of me.  I turned 18 in January of 1980.  I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, where I was going to go to college (or if) and I had ZERO clue that within a couple of years I would be married and starting a family.

As the years once again changed decades from 1989 to 1990 – I was turning 28, VERY pregnant with son Jeff, and had no idea that his birthday would come 2 weeks early and he would be born 2 days after my own birthday.  January 23, 1990 was the LAST time I had my own birthday cake – from the time he turned 1 year old I figured ONE CAKE was enough and I simply ate a piece of his to celebrate.

When the decade changed yet again into a new millennium, the year 2,000!  WOW.  That was a mile marker of utmost proportions.  I thought back to the 12 year old me being asked in school “Where do you see yourself in the year 2,000??” And it seemed eons away.  Why, I would be almost 38 in 2000.  Ancient.  Old as dirt.  Life would be over. 

How little I knew!

When the year 2000 changed decades to 2010 – Life was full of surprises, and publishing books and traveling and lecturing was in full swing.  We all know what has happened in those years as it is all recorded here in this blog.  I marvel at the fact that in June of 2020 we mark our 15th year of blogging here.  MIND BLOWN!

I sit here gathering my thoughts as we prepare to enter this next decade.  My nearly 58 year old self looking back through each decade.  All I can say is ….WHAT A TRIP!

And long may it continue.


BONUS!!!

I finished assembling the quilt center I’ve been working on (top photo in this post) and was contemplating a piano key border to add some excitement to the over-abundance of neutrals in the center. (Is there such a thing as too many neutrals? REALLY?!) and thought that I would do alternating green and purple to pull the whole thing together.

Not having as many 1 1/2’’ strips of purple in the Scrap User’s System, I thought I could pull more variety and cut down the larger pieces in the purple string bin.

I lifted the lid and?!?!?  Oh my word!  I forgot about these!  There had to be at least a dozen large phone book pages covered with purple string piecing.  I had planned to use them as a border on another quilt – but they didn’t do that quilt justice and were just left in the purple bin for a later date – for something.

Well, that SOMETHING has come – and they are perfect!


I squared the pages, cut border widths -

I de-papered while watching an episode of JAG!


Joining the border pieces end to end was fun -

One big long chain of so many fabrics that have come through my stash as a quilter!


All the bells and whistles!

I am stay stitching the edge here.  I do this to ALL of my quilts that have piecing at the edge of the quilt top.  Just set your machine to a long stitch length and carefully stitch less than 1/4’’ from the edge – all of those seams will stay secure and not pop open during the quilting/handling process.  It also prevents pieced borders from stretching. 

It’s so worth it to take the time to do this.  And your long arm quilter will definitely thank you bunches.


Will it get quilted in THIS decade?  Or the next?

It is definitely earmarked for publication in the NEXT.  So this is another one to stay tuned for.  There are some more finishes to happen before manuscripts can begin.


I’m so excited -

The first thing I did this morning was make binding!

It’s a rainy foggy day here up on the mountain.  I grabbed this little video of Emmy Lou Lou doing what she loves to do on rainy days.  Click to Play:




There are only 3 days left to purchase my Hunter’s String Star PDF pattern half-price at $4.00.  Grab it now before it reverts back to $8.00 on January 1st!

My plans for today?  We are heading back over to Quiltville Inn to finish up the ironing stations.

And this afternoon a special treat – My favorite Blue Ridge Movie Lounge has opened up a second screen in Downtown West Jefferson, NC!  We have tickets to go see Little Women along with our friends Jean & Gordon.  How perfect is that for a rainy Sunday afternoon?

Do you have any special plans?  Are you working on any finishes before the end of this year and decade?

I would love it if you would share some thoughts of what you were doing at the turn of various decades in your life in the comments section below. Share some memories!


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire!

Scrappy Snails Trail 1995, pre long arm. Straight line walking foot quilting, tons of scrappy neutrals and even recycled plaids. I forgot how much I loved my early quilts!

It's amazing to me that so many years have passed since I made this one, yet the things that set my soul on fire today were also burning brightly then.

Have a lovely last Sunday of 2019 – and of this decade!



48 comments:

  1. Love the colors of the new quilt. Have to get a couple of quilt backs ready today so when my quilter calls with the last 3 she has I can take 3 more.

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  2. Happy Sunday, Bonnie. After church I'm pondering a drive down the road to Red Deer (I live in Alberta) to see "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"...and then home to make more HSTs for Clue 5! Thanks for all you do. :-)

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  3. I love your timeline! Let's see if I can do it justice: Born January 1949, 1950, just had my first Christmas. 1960, turning 11 and feeling that my life was just beginning. I had learned to sew in 1956 and was sewing anything and everything I could, from doll clothes to skirts and blouses for myself.1970, I had graduated high school, was in nursing school, and became engaged to my first husband. 1980, I had become a mother in 1978 and was enjoying motherhood and sewing for my daughter. Not enjoying the marriage so much. By 1990, was divorced and had started on my first quilt. Married my second husband in 1990. 2000, the turn of the century, which in my childhood had seemed so far away, still blissfully happy, my daughter growing up. 2010, I had become a grandmother, my daughter had taken a bad turn and I was about to take guardianship of her son. As we go into 2020, I have retired from my nursing career, become an avid quilter, and continue to watch my wonderful grandson turn into a strong young man. Life is better than ever and I can only hope to say the same in 2030. Happy New Year to you and yours, and thanks so much for being my inspiration!

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  4. My outside cat loves to lap up puddles as well. She can have a big bowl of fresh, clean water available, but she will drink from a muddy puddle if she can find one! :)

    I'm putting borders on Celtic Solstice today; it is my project alongside Frolic.

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  5. 1970 had me excited about graduating high school and going to college. 1980 had me excited about a move to New England...a fascination since the 5th grade state report on Rhode Island :-) 1990 had me exhausted but looking forward to finishing a long, long education and licensure to be family therapist. The millennium had me for a few days in Hawaii for a friend's wedding...wondering if the computers would crash the world. HA! 2010 had me working in the ER and 2020 has me happily retired and finishing the sashing on my Straits of Mackinac that I started in June. I'm a blessed girl :-) Happy New Decade, Bonnie!

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  6. One of my cats does the same thing despite having freshwater at all times in his bowl.I am racking my brain trying to remember what I did when the decades rolled over in the past. And as much as I have a hard time remembering what I ate for breakfast this morning, nothing is coming to mind right now.

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  7. Hoping for some stitching time as well. We will see. Life has intervened in an odd way and we are hip deep in a clean out of my dad's house (much needed!). In the midst I'm finding what I call the family jewels: the humble simple quilts made by my mother and grandmother. I have plans to repurpose grandma's cotton dresses into quilts, pretty sure that was my mother's reason for saving them, but she passed before she got to them. It's a one day at a time effort with sweetness sprinkled in.

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  8. I LOVE that quilt!! Love purple and green together (like my Easy Street that still requires borders..ugh). My old boy, Mr. Fang, left me on the Monday before Christmas (still missing him SO much!). He was 17 1/2 and began having labored breathing a couple of days prior. He loved going out on the patio like your Emmy Lou..she looks really good for such an old gal.

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  9. My 12 yo daughter completed a 100 books in a year reading challenge on 28 Dec so to celebrate we saw the new Little Women movie last night. It was great! You will enjoy it.

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  10. Good morning, your Blog has become my morning newspaper. It is bright as cheery and it is a good thing to get one off in the morning. I have been working on a top and hopefully finishing it today, a scrappy one with large pieces. This one I was working on my scant 1/4 in seams. Will post on FB when done. Thank you again for your kindness and sharing your journey in quilting.

    Happy Quilting Kim

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  11. I love how the purple string border turned out! Perfect. And is that inner green border the same fabric as your constant green in Frolic? It looks great here. Your c. 1995 Snail Trail w the straight line quilting is lovely. Sometimes a little walking foot stitching is just enough.

    I enjoyed your look back at the decade changeovers. The one that sticks out most for me was 1999-2000. I was a newlywed of only a few months, in my early 20's, w a ton of huge, recent life changes still settling and finding a new level, and housebreaking a new husband and a new puppy. ;) (My husband and I had met on NYE three years prior, so midnight on New Year's is always a little 'anniversary' moment for us, too.) Thanks for the fun look back.

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  12. Happy New Year and happy decade to you Bonnie

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  13. Really enjoyed seeing Emma on the porch lapping up the cool water. We don't get fog like this in Phoenix. I'm working on 2020 projects today. I'm going to Frolic some pieces (unfortunately a little behind so I'm catching up) and I'm cutting blocks for my Bonnie Hunter class at 35th Ave in January. I'm also working on some wonky courthouse steps because I have strings that I'm trying to tame. Wish me luck and enjoy the movie - one of my favorite books. Happy 2020 to you and your family.

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  14. Hi Bonnie, Love the quilt and the colors. Can't wait for the pattern.

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  15. Let's see. In 1960 I was 8, I remember Walter Cronkite doing a show about what life would be like in 1980, electric cars, robots to do housework. In 1970, at 18, I was pregnant with my oldest son and in college. In 1980, 28 still going to college, working with 2 sons and a wonderful husband. In 1990, 38 oldest son in college, youngest a senior in high school, working. In 2000, 48 divorced living on my own for the first time, working. 2010, 58 working, helping care for my Dad with dementia. 2020, 68 retired, living with my 92 year old Mother. I have 6 grandkids, have lost my youngest son,my exhusband and my Dad. Organizing a quilt retreat for my guild and just finished writing my quilting to do list. Planning several trips this year.

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  16. I was born in 1954 and those first few decades are a blur. In the 70's I finished high school, college, and got married and started a career. The 80's and 90's were child rearing while working full time. We made friendships during that time that last through today! The 00's saw our children move on through college as we made a temporary move for my husband's job and after 5 years came home again. I have always sewn clothes and I took up quilting during the move and have gotten more serious over time. I am now retired and sew for several hours every day. Our daughter and my in-laws live across country so we visit when we can. We are estranged from my son and his family so really value our ties to friends and family. Quilting keeps me sane!! Love your column and your adventurous cats; and I'm only two weeks behind on Frolic due to travel!

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  17. This is a lovely article Bonnie! AND a beautiful quilt. I saw Little Women the other night and it was great. Different, fresh but the same wonderful story. Enjoy!

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  18. Loving the framboise fabrics. My friend who has leukemia drove 3 hours over and we bound her Calif. King she had quilted in November. Then the race was on for the queen too for her new home. She spent 4 hours hand guiding on the Apqs. Then last night I said give it to me
    2 hours later it was bound and ready for her to drive it home. What a blessing and thrill for her. She did not expect the 2 quilt tobe completed
    Now in to my Good Fortune to be a completed thrill thanks to you.

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  19. Love the quilt top. The purple border is perfect. 1960: 3rd grade in an old building about to be condemned and moving into the brand new replacement building. 1970: first year of college, I'd found "my people". 1980: finishing residency, married and started 37 years of working in the same clinic that summer. 1990: young mother of 2, plus working full time, and volunteering,only the young can do it all. 2000: two hs age kids, back in school 1/2 time and working 1/2 time. Can't "do it all" any more. 2010: both kids out of college, unexpectedly "in management" part time, volunteering in Guatemala that January, first time my husband traveled with on a mission trip. 2020: mostly retired, started quilting this decade, caring for elderly, demented parent, trying to declutter, getting ready to downsize.

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  20. Good Sunday afternoon to you and Miss Emmy Lou! She is such a beautiful cat. Today we have taken down our Christmas decorations and put the house back to normal. It's always a sad day for me. Anyway, today I am cutting a gazillion half square triangles for my next door neighbor's quilt. They have done so much for us that I think it is time to repay the only way I know how! The new quilt you are doing is awesome! I hope to see the final results! Happy Sunday, new year, and new decade! :)

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  21. In 1970 I was enjoying high school and looking forward to going to college. By 1980, I had adjusted to being an only child, having lost my brother in 1972, gotten married and eagerly anticipating the birth of my first child in 1980. In 1990, I was back at university and expecting baby #3, still trying to hand piece a Lonestar quilt as a SAHM. By 2000, I had graduated and was teaching school, raising my 2 kiddos still at home, newly divorced and enjoying life. By 2010, I was a grandmother to 1, retired from teaching, moved from the town where I was born and raised to live on a farm in eastern Washington with husband #2. Discovered making quilts and bought a longarm 9 months after I pieced my first quilt. I had 2 daughters in the military (Army and Air Force) and had visited my Army daughter in South Korea and then we went to Australia together. By 2020, I have 8 grandchildren (between the 7 children of our blended family), I'm back in the town where I was born and raised, caring for my 98.5 year old father. Hubby is holding down the fort at home, never complaining. Looking towards the next decade to bring many more changes to my life, but quilting will still be there, no matter what! May 2020 bring you and your family amazing blessings.

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  22. Being born in 1945 I have seen many things. My Dad was killed in an oilfield accident in 1951. The thing I remember most was in 1952 was I missed 6 weeks of school with Mumps, mealies, & chicken pox. I learned to sew during that time since I was at home & wasn't allowed to go anywhere. In 1962 I married my first husband & President Kennedy was killed that November. Fast forward to the 70 & my husband decided to leave town with another women, leaving me with 2 precious girls. I always sewed all there clothes & used the scraps to make quilt tops that my mom would quilt. 1980 Daughter go married & in 81 I got my first gandson. 1989 my second daughter got married & in 1990 both girls were blessed with girls. By 2000 I had 6 grand children. 2010 I had 7 grand children & 1 great grand daughter. Going into 2020 I have 2 great grand daughters & I have taught both of them to quilt. I have taught them all to sew enough to repair seams or sew on buttons. I feel I have a very blessed life.

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  23. Decades .... Hmmmmm. Born in 1958 so starting with 1960: Dad had just gotten out of the USAF and we were returning from Tripoli Libya for him to start a new career in teaching. 1970: Dad was recalled into the USAF and we were moving from NJ to IL. 1980: Married to USAF hubby in 1978 we were living in Omaha NE and expecting our first baby in June 1980. 1990: Loving being stationed in Hawaii with two children - sunshine & rainbows every day! 2000: We were now living in Washington DC, Hubby retired from the USAF and we were embarking on Phase 2 of our lives together. Kids had graduated from High School and embarking oh their own new phase of life. 2010: While the kids stayed on in the DC area, Hubby & I had moved back to IL. My father was very sick and I was helping to care for him with my mother. He passed away in February. 2020: Our first grandbaby (of several, I hope!) was born this past June so looking forward to this new phase of our lives. Husband is officially retired now and I've applied for Social Security. I hope to quilt more, clean less in this next decade. Finding peace in my life and with others will bring me much joy. Thank you, Bonnie, for suggesting we look back at our lives and count ALL our blessings!

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  24. It will soon be 2020, happy new year, Bonnie...thank you for all that you do for us to enrich our lives..

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  25. How serendipitous to find your purple strings! It totally completes your beautiful quilt. I love purple and green together. One of my firsts quilts is purple and green but it's a mess on the back as I didn't understand how to get my backings flat back then, so I call it the "Monster on the back of this Quilt". Happy Sunday!

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  26. I am 75, remembering that in the 6th grade I knew all there was to know--hah! I sewed a lot when my boys were younger, in 2000 found some grey corduroy and had a white sheet and a pink sheet, cut them up in large squares and sewed them together, backed it with an old blanket and turned in right side out, tied it and voila, my first quilt. Since the 6th grade I have learned that there will never be time to 'know-it-all' but because of you I have become a lover of all things quilting and am still learning today. I've lost family members, but found good people in the wonderful quilting community, will be part of the sew-along over New Year's Eve and Day. Saw Little Women, beauty everywhere! Happy New Year to all, thank you Bonnie [[]]

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  27. Maybe Emmy Lou likes gray rainy days because she blends in so well. I had a cat that would sleep on the pool cover - her own water bed!

    Love your timeline; it inspired some nice reflection. Here's mine. In 1960 my parents moved from a rental into their first "owned" house and I started school. In 1970, I was headed into high school. As 1980 came along, I had just returned from a three-year tour in Germany and looking to buy my first house. Ten years later, after moving to two different bases in California, 1990 saw me back in Mississippi. At the turn of the century I was newly separated and facing life alone. Going into 2010, I had lost my sweet Gretchen to cancer but a new dog, Fiona, had just been born and came to me in January. And now as we move to 2020 - a year with perfect vision! - I'm retired and loving life! Looking forward to more quilting and traveling in this next decade.

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  28. Happy Sunday Bonnie! I love your new quilt! I was born in 1955 and when I was 8, JFK was shot. I remember watching the funeral on TV. There has been lots of ups and downs throughout my life but I feel i'm a better person because of them.

    How did you like Little Women? My sister and I were going to the movies to see it today but she was sick so we are hoping to go on Tues. I heard it was a great movie.

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  29. "People soup"--a literal LOL.

    I remember thinking, in my early 20s, that I'd be 45 when the century turned, and how OLD I'd be! When that time came, I had stocked up on so many weird things for the Y2K crash that was sure to come...my rationale being that I'd want to spice up the plain food we'd be growing for ourselves in the garden we'd be forced to live off of. It was a weird time in 1999. Even my birthday, 9/9, was forecast as a potential disaster (9/9/99), but because I was myself a computer programmer, I didn't buy into that one. I sure did believe the world as we knew it was going to end on 1/1/2000, though! It was with trepidation and a sense of disbelief that we watched the world NOT go out as sites all over our planet broadcast their New Year's Eve celebrations.

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  30. What luck, Bonnie!! Those borders are SEW perfect for that quilt top. The best part was they were pre-pieced and ready to go!

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  31. We had a cat that loved water If I turned on the shower she would come running and get in the shower with me. My plans this afternoon: I am pulling my ufo's and putting them in order to be finished. Several of them are Bonnie Hunter patterns. As I finish an old one I am using a new quilt as a leader and ender, hopeful that will motivation.

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  32. We are only a year apart in age, but my timeline is quite different to yours, Moon landing of course...how can it be fifty years? I remember my dear dad taking us out then and saying.:there's men up there" . LOL. 1980 was the last of my school years, and I was about to take a giant leap and move from a country town to the big smoke, Sydney to start work....how did I do that . ...1990 saw me being married and buying a house and falling pregnant all within months..phew! 2000 was relief after a very difficult and last! pregnancy as all went well and the Olympics came to town...such a simpler time, back then. 2010, I guess I was child raising and 2020 sees all that finished as I watch my young adults spread their wings .....it seems to have all happened in a flash!

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  33. As we get older time seems to fly faster, does it not? Born in 1952 in Scotland. My Dad came to Canada first. Mum and I followed a few months later. By the time the 60s came we had moved 3 times and I had 2 brothers and a sister. My German grandmother gifted me my first piece of crafting, an embroidery set.
    The 60s, oh my, huge changes in the world. The latter half, sex, drugs and rock n roll. Well not so much for me, being a goodie 2 shoes! In those years I had learned to sew when my Mum got a sewing machine and took classes from the nuns! We had sewing in school but I already knew so much more. A pot holder and apron were like childs play.
    The 70s. Met the man who would become my husband in 1972. I made my wedding dress and my sisters bridesmaid dress. Our son was born just before Christmas 1973. While in hospital our dog had knocked over the tree and destroyed all my ornaments. The whole next year I made new ones, many of which we still have. My daughter came in 77. Shortly after I learned to quilt. My Mum wanted company when she signed up for a night class. Her first quilt was a Grandmothers Flower Garden. It turns out she didn't really like quilting so it was also her last. She now crochets afghans.
    My first quilt was a Sunbonnet Sue for my daughter.
    The 70s, our first house, the 80s, our second house, the 90s our third and the 2000s, our fourth. And through all those years I sewed, clothes for my family, my sisters family and even a few evening gowns for my Mum.
    By 2000, both kids were on their own, our son here in NS but our daughter so far away in Alberta. We bought this beautiful,100 year old farmhouse. We have renovated every room, some more than once.
    In 2001 I was recovering from surgery and feeling bored and lonely. We had our first computer and I can remember discovering quilts on the world wide web. I found a free scrappy quilt pattern by Bonnie Hunter! My first, but certainly not my last, Bonnie quilt. And then came the vintage machines.
    Three years ago came retirement. The best years!
    As we enter 2020, I will have lived in the same house for 20 years.Every room has at least one quilt in it. I will celebrate 48 years of marriage to my wonderful husband who supports my passion for quilting. . Grandchild number 6 arrives in January. My Mum will turn 90. I plan a Heart quilt for her birthday gift. I have plans for many others, as well as charity quilts with my little group.
    My hope for all of you, that you find joy even in the smallest things. That you find something to smile about each and every day.

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  34. Love the new quilt! Can't wait for the pattern to be published!

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  35. Hi Bonnie, I love the green and purples and all the lights in your new quilt. The block pattern is beautiful in those colors.
    I have decided to work on my quilts in the morning and in the afternoon work on my knitting. That will help me get ahead and finish some old UFOs. I've been hand quilting the border of a queen size quilt I started years ago. It is time for that quilt to be on my bed. I have made about a 1/2 doz. baby quilt tops to donate to our hospital. I finished one this morning. Now to get them all layered and machine quilted. The NICU uses the baby quilts to put on top of the incubaters. I know there is another name that is used instead on incutaters but being born in 1936 and 83 on my birthday Dec. 25 I still use the old word. World war 2 ended when I was 9 in 1945. I remember the black outs during the war but not much else. I born in BellflowerCa. Grew up in Pomona, Ca. I only live about 10 min. from where our house was that I lived in with my folks. I started Kindergarten, in 1941 and on through the 6th grade at Hamilton grade school. Then went to Freemont Jr. High School for 7th 8th and 9th grades. My parents bought their first home in the Ontario, Ca. school district and so I went to Chaffey High School. I love it there because there was a pool and I could swim every morning. The PE teacher pretty much left me alone except to offer advice now and then. I married at age 17 and started having babies right away. I had 4 babies. The marriage didn't last only 4 1//2 years. For the next 8 year I cared for my children and never wanted to get married again. Then I met my husband/sweetheart and we dated on and off for 2 years then we married. I was shaking in my boots so afraid to marry again. We have been married for 54 years and I sure did choose a real man. We had a son together and that made 5 children. My children are all grown up now. I have 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. Some times I think about how many new people are here because of me and what a wonderful family I have. I started quilting in 1973 and have never stopped. I love quilts. My only problem is I started knitting a few years ago and began again crocheting. I love quilting, knitting and crocheting and hope to be able to keep on for many years God willing. Thank you Bonnie for your blogs, I love seeing the pictures you share and reading your blogs too.

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  36. Anonymous7:57 AM EST

    Great post Bonnie. Is there a pattern for your scrappy snail's trail? I looked in the free patterns section but didn't see it. Thanks

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  37. LOVE,LOVE,LOVE this..the colors are beautiful together, so natural in nature. This looks like a fun one for the future. I will have to get out of my CW prints and into all the FUN stuff. I so look forward to your BLOG every morning with my coffee, when you are out of touch, I go back to the early years and play catch-up. Wish you all the success with the Retreat Center, you've worked so hard on it.
    Looking forward to another year of the Quiltville Blog,
    Best Wishes from Oregon,
    MaryAnn

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  38. Love the purple border! In 1950 I was 8 years old and spent most of my time having doll tea parties or playing jacks on the front porch with friends. In 1960 I had my first son who had a massive heart attack and was buried the week before Christmas this year. In 1970 I was busy being a room mother for our two boys and helping my husband on the farm. 1980 saw me as the new "pastor's wife" as my husband accepted the pastorate of a church. 1990 found us in our new house we built to look old and 2000 was the year I changed my 20 year career as an interior decorator for one as regional admin for Aflac. 2010 saw me retired from work and making quilts like crazy. Now I'm about to start a new decade as caregiver for my bedfast husband. Here's hoping this decade is fun, productive, and brings each of us interesting quilts to make and give, for the giving is more fun than any other part.

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  39. Can’t wait for the new pattern for the quilt at the top! I am steadily working on clue five for Frolic. Holy cow that’s a lot of pieces! Would love the scrappy snails trail pattern. Do you have one available?

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  40. Wow, love the quilt of purple and green. Those are my mother's favorite colors for a quilt. I was born in January of 1948 (supposed to be a Christmas baby) and lived in a little town in PA. My mother learned how to read a pattern and did some sewing for me and my sister born 22 months later. We moved during that time so mom never learned anymore about sewing but did it anyway. She made clothes for us since we were poor preacher's kids. We moved again when I was 4 to New York where my dad took the pastorate and mom had my brother. She continued to sew and I have pictures of some of the things she made. She wonders where I got the ability. We then began working with the Indians on the Cattaraugus Reservation. Our family moved to Canada to work with the Six Nations (Iroquois) Indians. While there I learned to sew as I went to the Indian schools and we were required to take up Home Economics. My love for sewing grew and when I returned to the USA to go to college, I got a sewing machine and kept sewing for myself. 1973 I moved to IL to take a job and married and had two girls. Needless to say, I loved sewing for them but they decided that when they were in Junior High, they were done with dresses. I went through my fabric and got rid of some I would never use and started to quilt. Loved it. I have tons of fabric to work through and am still waiting for grand daughters to sew for. However, I still sew and do alterations but also quilt when I have the time. I am looking forward to the new decade, caring for my mom and husband. Thanks for giving us inspiration and wisdom. I love the sayings that you put up and am blessed by many of them.

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  41. Some wonderful stories here! I'll skip the story for myself, and simply report that I have one more evening of embroidery before I'll finish Warm Hands Warm Heart, and then I'll be ready to do the piecing to assemble it. However, after sewing a Pendleton shirt for SIL, and a woven cotton flannel bathrobe and pajama pants for DS, and tucking clutter stuff inside the room when I didn't know what else to do with it to create calm in my living room, my sewing room is a disaster, so before I get to piece, I MUST tidy, LOL! But I'm sure I'll have this wall hanging done by January 6 when I'll take down my Christmas decorations, so I'm looking forward to a new pretty for my wall! Thanks ever so much for sharing the pattern and not keeping it exclusive to your tour group!

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  42. That must be Emmy Lou's secret to a long life, rain water!!!

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  43. Beautiful quilt and beautiful colours. Love Emmy Lou. It was misty here this morning, but as it's our son's last day here with us, we went to the beach and it turned out warm and glorious! Not bad for this time of year! Super time paddling with our wellington boots on and rock pooling, making footprints in the sand, watching surfers and dodging the waves. This year is ending on a high!

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  44. Oh my, I really enjoyed reading all of these comments
    God Bless all of you.
    Happy New Year ~ another year of happy times, sewing, making heirlooms, cookies, adventures, family, and especially good health!
    Do not go crazy unless you are at the fabric shop

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  45. I was born in 1952. My baby brother was born in 1960 and I thought I was his mommy. I would soon be sewing my own clothes. In '70 I was getting ready to graduate and it was a fun time. In 1980 I had 3 children and was a busy homemaker. In 1990 I discovered a love of quilting and spent my days in my sewing loft of my log home in the snowy mountains of northern New Mexico. 2000 found me still sewing and restoring treadle sewing machines for people who were getting ready for the computers to crash. 2010 found me enjoying lots of grandchildren. 2020 finds me thankful my husband and 2 sons are alive and well. They were all 3 hospitalized this year with serious issues: cancer, broken back, lung disease. What will the year hold? I don't know but I am looking forward to a new decade that will bring lots of changes in my life as I move further into my senior years.

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  46. Just finished binding Idaho Square Dance. New Years of 1960 I was 9 years old, looking forward to joining 4-H, attending a 1 room school. 1970 I was newly married, expecting our first child, attending college, had learned to sew clothing in 4-H. Made my first quilt for our son. 1980 had 2 sons and had moved to the house which would be our home for 32 years. Still sewing clothing, crafts, and an occasional quilt. 1990 was back to being a teacher-librarian full time, getting my master's degree, still sewing and quilting. 2000 still school librarian, both sons married, 2 grandchildren Lots more quilting. 2010 Getting ready for retirement, 4 grandchildren.More quilting. 2020 DH and I are both retired and become snowbirds each winter, volunteering with NOMADS. Working on the BH mystery quilt. Still quilting,have a long arm, travel with 2 sewing machines in the RV.

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  47. Since I heard that several homeless people in our area freeze to death every winter, I've wanted to do some quilts. Can't make them too pretty - they'll get stolen. I have made a couple from old bed sheets I started collecting. Ended up with stacks of the bed sheets but struggled to come up with battings on my limited budget. Found out there is a group that ties quilts and are willing to use anything (ugly sheets get put in the middle for batting which I can't do since I don't tie quilts and it will throw off the tension on my longarm). Have bagged up 4 large garbage bags of bed sheets to give to that group. I had started, instead, making quilts from old blue jeans but didn't feel they were warm enough so I started adding fabric from old sweatshirts. They are all done ragtime style using an old Kenmore. Feels good to clean out and help others.

    Virginia
    (in northern Minnesota - about 2 hours from the Canadian border)

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  48. Born in January 1951, in weatern WA State. By 1960, well, I was a kid, learning kid things. 1970 I was in college. By 1980 I had married an older man and became an instant mother of 5 kids, GAAAHHHH! Fortunately their natural mother had them most of the time. We had moved to the eastern part of the state, and purchased our first house. My first grandchild had arrived and I was back in college. 1990, Hubby had decided to move his profession from being a Registered Nurse, to being Physician's Assistant Certified, so we moved for his training to Ohio. 2000, back in WA state (!!!), we had finished building our second house, just out of town. I had joined the local quilt guild as a founding member, and was beginning to finish quilts with the blocks I'd been making. By 2010 I'd had my first hospital stay, to remove cancer of the uterus. Still clear now after all these years. then comes 2020, we are moved out of our house and now living in eastern Oregon, and I've had my next operation, gall bladder removal, and feeling so much better with it gone. Not quilting as much as we are now in a 5th wheel travel trailer. Not enough room to swing a... er rotary cutter? But have been working on a variety of quilts. Just not getting the big ones quilted now that he is retired and we are on much lower income. Small ones I hand quilt. My latest gifted quilt I finished in the first weeks of Dec. 12x14" for part of a wedding gift.

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