Hanging With The Quilt District!

I had a few minutes to spare before the first arrival of quilters after my Easter/Spring break!

It wouldn't be long until The Quilt District gals pulled up the drive and began unloading ALL the things needed for a week long stay.

And I was giddy with anticipation!

I sat and rocked her on the front porch - just enjoying the little bit of misty rain and how everything has turned such a luscious green.

Green.  It's a color I really miss seeing during the long winter months.  And.....it's BACK!

And so is the Quilt District!

Once again the halls and rooms are filled with chatter and laughter - I snapped this photo as two happy quilters were dropping their luggage into their bedroom - I love these smiling faces over the vintage quilts hung over the upper landing.

As they took time to unload things to the porch, and move empty vehicles to the parking area (The new rock wall Hubster Dave started building has helped parking greatly!) I grabbed a pair of kitchen shears and set out to snip the last of the best daffodils' from behind the inn.

They are mostly tired now - but the white ones still look pretty good.

I filled a vintage milk bottle and set the bouquet on the guest book table in the front foyer for all to enjoy.

Which reminds me....that clock needs a new battery!

And then it was dinner time, and time for me to go home - early to bed, because EARLY to rise came extra early yesterday morning.

It was dermatologist surgery day.  Right on time.  Not a month early.

And 5am felt like midnight and was just as dark.

6:45 am.  

I arrived just as they were unlocking the front door.

And here's me - barely awake thinking "This gown might make a nice neutral....."

I came dressed for the occasion - my Polish sneakers adding a festive flair to my surgical ensemble.

They got rave reviews from my 3 person team - surgeon, and two nurses.

And seriously - this is the most fun surgical procedure I've ever had. The conversation and laughter put me at ease.

And hey - they were playing MY genre of music. Queen.  Journey. If this is what they'll be playing in my nursing home, I'll be fine.

The conversation was engaging and fun - and once I was numbed up both shoulder blade and arm the cutting away and stitching back together didn't take much time at all.

Numb is my friend.

I told the surgeon that I was a quilter after all, and he better make sure to bury his knots.  LOL!

I was done and out the door and back at the inn by 9:30 am.

I walked right up the front porch steps to find that there was a finished top photo op already taking place!

This is for a granddaughter - something for the fair - I can't remember all of the details but it is cute!  And a fast finish.

THIS is underway!

It's an intensive paper piecing project inspired by Van Gogh's painting.

3 sections together.

What a great retreat project!  When you have the time to sit and work on something like this for several days in a row - it's going to be amazing when done.

Also great to have this as a kit so you don't have to gather the right shades of 104 solids yourself. 

This cover quilt from American Quilter -

Is being made here at retreat!

I love the polka dots, animal prints and stripes.  Cute!

I spy something patriotic on a lovely vintage Singer 301!

Curves, baby!

Oh fun houses!

Temperature quilts are also a theme this retreat -

I love the dots on denim!

This started a discussion bringing up memories of the first quilt block I ever made.

I was 13 and going to girl's camp for Campfire Girls. 

Embroidery on denim was a big thing in the mid 1970's.  We were all to embroider a square of our choice on denim and bring it to camp (this was for some bead/badge thing that Campfire Girls earned) and we would all help putting the quilt together from the embroidered blocks - 

The quilt top was layered with a poly batting (all that was available then) and a red cotton flannel backing.  

It was all tacked into a frame and we spent time tacking the corners with red acrylic yarn.

At the end of camp everyone that put in a block had their name put in a jar and a winner was drawn.

I was the winner of my very first quilt - one I had a block in.

That quilt was the take to football games, beach, picnic, sunbathing in the backyard, drive in movies quilt.

I still had it when I was newly married, b ut it wore out over time and I really don't remember its fate.

But that embroidered block and the tying of that quilt - and winning that quilt - set me on my quilting journey.

Anyway - it's a long story and seeing these embroidered dots on denim brought all of this flooding back.

Another temperature quilt underway - 

I'll get photos of the "mother ship" when I have a chance this weekend.

As to what I am diving into next?  I gave a bit of a hint on Wednesday's Post.

Click To Play:

@quiltville_bonnie While watching the NASA feed of the eclipse the other day a new quilt was quickly drawn up and I am diving in head first! 🧡💛🖤💜⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #quiltville #quilt #quilting #quilttok #quiltersoftiktok ♬ Crafty Convention - DJ BAI

Tada!

This is what I drew up after watching the Nasa feed of the eclipse earlier this week.

 

One test block made (in all of the colors that other folks say they don't like, mind you! LOL!) I set right in to piece the purple kites and get those out of the way - this will make things easier enabling me to work with one bin of strings at a time and clean up that mess before pulling the next bin out to do the next part.

Yes, there MUST be purple!

I only need about 100 or so - give or take a few!

Click to Play:

@quiltville_bonnie Dove ride in with both feet! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼⁣ ⁣ I need a hundred or so of these. 🤪⁣ ⁣ If anyone needs me, you know where to find me!😊👍✂️💟🧵⁣ ⁣ #quiltville #quilt #quilting #quilttok #quiltersoftiktok ♬ Spring is Coming - Han Seung Wook

Many more to go. But - I'm jazzed!!

One stack - depapred while watching TV.

Last evening's cloudy sky as I headed off to dinner.
Today finishing touches will be going on the PDF pattern for Licorice Twist.
That release is coming up on Monday - be watching for it.
And if I get that done, I'll be back at the machine making more string pieced purple kites. And visiting with the Quilt District folks! (And a dentist appointment this afternoon that shouldn't take long.)
What do you have planned for Friday?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Any type of relationship is meaningless if you can't actively express your genuine emotions without feeling ashamed or "less than".

⁣

Always trust your gut feelings. They are usually accurate.

⁣

That said, we all need to remember to extend the same courtesy to others.

⁣

We don’t always have to agree or feel the need to debate things all the time trying to convince others that “Their view is wrong, our view is right.”

⁣

Happy Friday!