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Saturday, May 01, 2021

Straits of Mackinac with the Scrappy Sisters!


The Scrappy Sisters are in the house!

They arrived in an entourage of cars on Wednesday afternoon and we've been enjoying each other's company over the past few days!

While groups usually bring many many projects to work on individually - this group made a decision that they would choose one of my workshops and spend the entirety of their time here working on it together!

Straits of Mackinac from String Frenzy is being created in 12 different ways by 12 different quilters - and it is so exciting to see a workshop situation once again!

The bonus part?  We get to break the workshop into several 2 hour segments throughout their time here for instruction and demos - instead of cramming the entire quilt into a 6 hour one day workshop.

This leaves us time for porch sitting (Though it has been a bit too windy to eat out side - napkins and anything else not nailed down goes flying!) and snacking, and visiting, and even breaking away to take a lovely walk!

Teaching 12 quilters at leisure, instead of 50 in a 6 hour time frame is such a breath of fresh air!


Straits of Mackinac on the front porch!


Quilt detail!

The quilt came home from its showing at the Iowa Quilt Museum just in the nick of time!


And there's a red 301 in the house!  Weeee!


We started out on Thursday with making the string units for the star blocks.

The widths of foundation paper are only there to add some stability, and give us a size to shoot for - helping us keep seams from being too close to either the top or bottom edge.


There has been much sharing and swapping of fabrics going on!


After foundations are trimmed to width, we cut to size!

(Best manicure in the house - perfect hand model!)


Adding the neutral star points!

These gals are into big busy production and having a ball!


And all of those half square triangle corners are now going down!


I just love a busy work station!


Loving Ruth's fabrics and her gorgeous wood machine surround!


The traffic come keeps folks from tripping over the plug in the floor -

Just in case you are wondering!


I wish you could hear the happy sounds coming out of this space!


This is coming together so nicely!


Well done and so pretty!

And oh, if you could see, smell, taste the food that these ladies have prepared - there is no reason for anyone to go hungry at any time!

By 5pm last night I was headed home to take a NAP!  I needed it!

And today I am raring to go again as more blocks will be coming together - maybe we'll have enough to do a semi-layout on the porch? (That is if the wind doesn't send everything flying!)

The Scrappy Sisters will be heading home on Sunday afternoon, another retreat in the books.  And I can't wait for them to come back again - maybe with finished quilts to show?  That would be a spectacular array over the porch rail!

Did you see our April 2021 Quilty Box Gift-Away on Yesterday's Post?  We;ve already got over 3,000 entries!  This box is curated by Kaffe Fassett, and if you love his fabrics (Especially the dots!) hurry and enter on that post!

Our drawing will be happening on Wednesday, May 5th.

As for my own Saturday - along with the continuing Straits of Mackinac workshop, I may just be sitting down to sew with the ladies for a bit of fun myself.

Those solids blocks I was talking about?  Yes. Maybe some more sewing (or cutting and kitting up) can happen there in between the tutorials.

All of the trees are REALLY leafing out here now, and allergies are in full swing, which means allergy meds are also being heavily dosed to keep eyes from gluing shut.  

How about your own weekend ahead?  Do you have any sewing plans?  Any gardening going on?


Quiltville Quote of the Day

(sorry about the blurry photo! I thought it was the allergies!) 

Vintage Castle wall quilt found in Mountain City, Tennessee.

Happy May 1, 2021!
Let your first thoughts about yourself today be kind and encouraging!

And something I always wanted to know - does anyone have an answer?

Why is GOODNIGHT one word, but GOOD MORNING is two words?

It makes no sense. HA!

I'll see you back here on Monday.  Have a wonderful weekend!


 

33 comments:

  1. Workshop weekend! It's just what you envisioned when you first thought of Quiltville Inn: less travel for you and more quilters coming to you for workshops. Here's to dreams coming true; you've earned it!

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  2. I noticed a pink pill box on a ladies table, does she use it for sewing items. Curious cause I like a good idea. Paula in KY

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    1. We usually have one at our little retreats, and use it for old needles, broken pins, or anything sharp that needs discarded. The bottle keeps everyone from being unintentionally stabbed while going through scraps.

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    2. What a fantastic idea! Safe travels home tomorrow ladies.

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    3. A large empty tic tac mint bottle works REALLY well. You can open just the small opening and drop pins/needles in and close it right up. Or you can take the whole top off to drop used small rotary blade in. (properly cardboard covered, of course.) And it holds a ton of pins etc.

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  3. Happy May! Love all the wonderful pictures.

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  4. Good morning! I have no plans as of yet to make this quilt but these ladies sure make it appealing!! I just love all the different varieties of blues there are!! I am working on a blue/cream colored one for a customer myself. I am also trying to get my niece's projects done before next Saturday so they can be delivered then. We are going today to get my daughter her 2nd shot of the Pfizer... hopefully running some errands either today, or tomorrow, weather permitting. We are finally getting some much needed soaking rain!! Enjoy your weekend!!

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  5. I so want to come to a retreat.

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  6. The answer "May" be because night is one syllable and morning is two! If that is not so, it's only because my English major didn't cover it, or I've forgotten... ?? ya' know? there are something like 8 reasons to use a comma and i only remember a few of them, one is to separate a series, another to offset parenthetical phrases, and the other must have something to do with quilting? Nope... LOL... I love writing and the proper use of the English language; however, other things like the lovely light from all those windows in the Inn's sewing rooms, are more interesting at this juncture... Happy May! Cats in Carlsbad CA I just LOVE how this whole process comes together!

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  7. These lovely photos make me sooo happy on this Saturday in the middle of our 6 week lockdown in Ontario. I'm living vicariously through y'all and am so thankful to see people having fun and enjoying their quilting community. You give us hope that one day we will be able to gather again. I loved seeing the projects, sewing stations and machines...especially that gorgeous red Singer... I'm drooling over that one! So fun!

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  8. I just got home yesterday afternoon from a week retreat with some friends. It was so good to spend time with them.I got 2 quilts to the top stage another one almost put together going to change the first row so did not add it yet. It is so fun to see what everyone works on and give encouragment and recive help and encouragement when needed. best part of our retreat place is the we do not cook and are served wonderful meals. Yesterday morning we got to sit and look out the window at the pond and watch a pair of geese teach their babies to swim so not as much sewing got done for watching them

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  9. Love your question. Perhaps it is because morning is the break of day and night is the end of the day.

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  10. I'm at a my quilt guild's Quilt Camp, an event we've had for almost 25 years. We had to cancel last year and the number of campers is lower than usual. I have only missed 2 camps in all these years. It’s so nice to be back with my fellow quilters.

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  11. What could be better than a Bonnie Hunter workshop at the Quiltville Inn?! Looks wonderful! I’m loving all those blues!!

    Now I want a manicure!😂
    And a wood travel table for my Janome...

    What am I doing? Well, last night I walked very hard into my folded up, solid as a rock, leaned on a chair Featherweight table & most likely cracked my toe! 🤦🏼‍♀️ But alas! It is my left foot so I am still able to drive to my retreat on Monday & drive my sewing machine! We have a busy weekend plus my trip... nothing is going to stop me!!

    Blessings everyone!!
    Marci H

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    1. Marci, You have all your priorities in order. I love your dedication.

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  12. I'm so happy for you Bonnie; this is what you dreamed of! Enjoy each group and the different atmosphere they give.
    In French the words are the opposite: Bonjour for day and Bonne Nuit for night, so we didn't get it from them!

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  13. Now I'm going to have that question stuck in my brain for the next week!! LOL! Love all the quilting going on at the Inn again!

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  14. Rinda there is a group for onesies on Facebook called Sew Ready Quilters where you might be able to join in.
    LOL to Love Of Quilts, goodmorn ing to you, too!
    Thanks Bonnie, I love the straits of mackinac

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    1. Thank you Sharon in Seattle for the information about FB about Sew Ready Quilters. I will be taking a look at it.

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  15. Wonderful to have a shared concept so everyone gets what is going on and can help each other!

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  16. That had been on my bucket list it was a block in Quiltmaker but mi e would have to be much smaller. As for this weekend I had two teeth pulled Friday morning. The oral surgeon told me to rest and heal for three days. I'm sleeping a lot and attended a zoom session for our local quilt shop BOM. Oregon is extreme risk again.

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  17. I am on vacation for the next two weeks and all this week. So today I am catching up on the blog while resting finally in our hotel. I only brought hand sewing with me, and I did a little in the car one day. I have been to tired when we get back at night. But sure enjoyed the blogpost and I will catch up on the quiltcam when I get back home. It is so nice to see ladies in your quilt retreat again. Enjoy your weekend teaching Straits of Mackinaw this weekend, one day I want to make one too.

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  18. Looks very productive & fun & good food are the makings of a great retreat.

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  19. A red 301- oh be still, my beating heart. Here's a laffy face to all those entrepreneurs of the past who decided any color was fine as long as it was black (Isaac Singer and Henry Ford, I'ma lookin at you.)

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  20. That Straits of Mackinaw is gorgeous Bonnie! Oh my! I need to put that on my quilt list! Ladies, have fun, fun, fun! What a wonderful retreat.

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  21. Anonymous8:12 AM EDT

    Seeing these quilters enjoying Quiltville Inn and the workshop brings back such happy memories!

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  22. Must be so nice to have a workshop at the inn, all your dreams coming true. Congratulations Bonnie , Quilty hugs xx

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  23. What a lot of fun! I love all of the busy bees.

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  24. It is SO fun seeing what the quilter are working one. Thanks to you and to them for letting you share the photos!
    Susan

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  25. Such beautiful quilts coming together. Wishing happiness And safe travels to the group.

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  26. Sew nice to be having sew much fun!

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  27. And why is 40 spelled forty instead of fourty? Makes no sense to me. :-)

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