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Monday, April 01, 2024

Hello, April!


It's April!  And look!  The white/yellow daffodils are blooming on the back hill - closer to the side porch overlooking the old woolen mill ruins.

I love these!  They come out later than the old heirloom variety with the double blooms - but they do eventually raise their pretty heads for all to see.

The sun was even warm enough on Saturday that I could take  a moment to just sit here and feel the sun on my shoulders and smell the newly mown grass.

Bliss!


I love this variety!


Today's post is a bit of a run around catch up - because even though it was Easter weekend - there was still a bit of this and that going on.

My loft railing above - is full of the 20 quilts that are headed to the Quilter's Hall of Fame for my exhibit that begins May 7th.

This was the BEST place I could think of to just let them drape - all stacked together - to let the creases fand fold lines ease out.

Click to Play:


I've got just a couple of weeks to finish pulling everything for my exhibit together - next on the list is all of the small things and memorabilia that can go in glass cases, etc.

This is all so exciting!

I also posted this little video clip on Tiktok and this question came in giving me the opportunity to jump on to this reply:


I tend to stumble over my words when I get caught up in the feelings of something I am so passionate about.  But I hope this helps the newbies and novices out there who are wondering if they will also get to this point.  YES, you can!


And so is this!

I finished stitching down the binding, hanging sleeve and label on Ladder Star and I can get back to the hand quilting.

It feels so much better to have the excess backing and batting removed.


And this is what I decided on.


I am keeping the crosshatching going in the squares - to carry that theme from the border.

But crosshatching the whole thing seemed monotonous and I really wanted to enhance the stars and triangles.


I am doing continuous curve quilting instead of simple outlining to add a feel of something just a bit different than old style hand quilting.  It's subtle, but it works!


Until Lola says "MY HOOP!" and I dare not move her because she is too cute.

And guess what else happens today?

It's time to draw for the winner of Bruce Leonard's  newest Hadley Carroll Quilt City Mystery release:  'Quilt City - Proving a Negative.' 


Official release date on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback is TOMORROW,4/2/24.

You'll be able to find all of Bruce's titles HERE

FIVE signed advance paperback copies - right here from my blog. 

We had 2362 entries!  And here are our winners drawn by random number generator:


Entry 464 - Gail Warnes


Entry 1066 - Phyllis McCarter


Entry 1917 - Kim Obele


Entry 247 - Pam D


Entry 2186 - Tammi Trautvetter

Congrats, ladies!  Please reply to the email notification I sent to the email addresses you provided with your entry.

I just need to get your shipping addresses on to Bruce and he will sign those copies and get them out in the mail to you.

So here we are at April - a brand new month - what will we do with it??



My Monday begins with continuing to get my Square Pegs quilt top set together.

I am cracking up at that random cornerstone - is it pigeons or partridges?

I'm not sure, but I love little hidden gems like this.

What's up for you today?


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

The truth is, we hope for tomorrow, but we really are only guaranteed today.
What will you do with it?
Vintage crazy quilt found in North Carolina.

Happy Monday, Happy April, everyone!


 

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The way you decided to quilt the Ladder Star blocks looks wonderful!

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy for you, Bonnie .... and very well deserved!

Anonymous said...

I’m about to attach a binding so I appreciate the reminder to put in the hanging sleeve too. Then I’m hoping to start a baby quilt. Fran in Pa

Miss Papa said...

Quilter's Hall of Fame--so excited for you! Congratulations!
Love the hand-quilting you're doing! The way you're doing the crosshatching is pretty but the enhancement inside the little triangles makes it pop. Beautiful! :-)

Debra said...

Congratulations to the ladies!!
I'm praying for you about your eyes Bonnie. I have eye problems too. Cataracts, one in each eye. They don't really bother me yet tho .
Lola is just precious 💞.
What am I doing today? Just some housework, laundry..etc
Have a Sparkling day

Rhonda said...

Love your posts, and I love Spring! Your fun pictures of spring flowers always touch my heart. Waiting to see what you do with the new quilt and also enjoy your hand quilting quips. Thanks for a good moring read each day.

Kim said...

Such a beautiful Spring day I'll be outside enjoying the sunshine and flowering shrubs and trees, my neighborhood looks like and Azalea Festival! After dinner several hours of quilting time, working on a new quilt for my Quilt guild to raffle :0). Love the hand quilting design, another beauty Bonnie!

Anonymous said...

Hello Bonnie - do you usually put a hanging sleeve on almost all of your quilts? I really enjoy quilts on walls but if it’s a “wrap up” size or larger I tend to think, nah, I probably will never hang this one. Seeing you put a sleeve on your Ladder Star has me rethinking. Enjoy your blog - thanks! Beth in AL (bhambeth at gmail dot com)

Nancy W said...

Congratulations Bonnie! Wonderful news of your showing at the Quilter's Hall of Fame...wish I could see them in person. Happy April and Happy Spring!

Tracey Honig said...

A Lola sighting always makes my day!! Even at the end of it! Today was an extra day off so I made the most of it by putting a quilt top together. The flowers are beautiful! I just love the hand quilting & the big pile of quilts hanging!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Bonnie! Your Ladder Stars is looking great...love the way that you're quilting it. Your advice to the new quilter is really beautiful and a good reminder for everybody.

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