Feeling Pinkish!

Good morning, friends.
Thank you so much for your kind responses and understanding messages regarding yesterday's post over how I've been feeling regarding my sew-jo over the past few weeks.
One of my friends commented saying that she had to shake things up and dive into something new to respark her drive.
And that is just the ticket that I needed.  Instead of facing more of the "same blocks" that are laid out on my QPO studio floor, and knowing that I'd be "Home Alone" ast evening, I brought home my overflowing pink string bucket and just started to string piece on foundations.

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When We Quilt -

I didn't sew yet.

Not by machine yet.

And I've been home for over a week.

NO......that's not really true, because I did have to make some units and take photos of some units while writing up future mystery post releases, but that wasn't really piecing on something coming together.

It was just pieces and parts and step-out photos to go along with computer drawn graphics.

All the while this has been laying out on my "design floor" just waiting for me to get back to it.

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All Day Long, In All Directions -

It's a sight to behold. Every day.

The tree trucks are still rumbling up and down the highways and byways - in both directions in front of Quiltville Inn.

I wave as they go by.

Harvest began early November, but with a forecast of snow coming this weekend, everyone is in a hurry to get the job done and get the trees to where they need to be -

The big tree selling weekend begins Black Friday - it takes a bit of time to get things to where they are going.

And some folks don't wait for trucks.  They bring their OWN trailers, load up and haul them back to their own garden centers!

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In the Done Column!

Say Hello to BLOOM!

I was working on finishing up this little quilt before I headed to Arizona for a much awaited visit with my Dad and brother Scott.

This little quilt was designed and made with my Craftours travel in mind - and will be making its debut in January when we travel to Australia.

I am SO super excited!

Small projects are great for travel - and it's my hope that by the time we return home that folks will have their center embroidery done, and will be excited to get their patchwork borders on - 

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Tree Harvest Time!

Yesterday was a big day.

But at the same time it was a big day with the release of Moonflower and the kick off of our gift-away, it was weird in that everything happened solo - by myself, with no retreaters at Quiltville Inn - 

The November Quiltvillians checked out on the same day I left for Phoenix.

The December Quiltvillians come the first week of December, while I'm in England with my Craftours group. They head home the morning after the evening I arrive home.

So essentially - I am done with retreats for the year?

And that realization had me feeling all kinds of weird about yesterday.

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Moonflower Gift-Away!

In my mind, there is no way we are already half-way through November!  Didn't it just start?

As I look out at the grey rainy skies beyond my window, somehow autumn is turning toward winter, and it's the perfect time to get this quilt out to everyone.

My love of travel keeps me inspired, seeing new places, new things – with one common theme.

“Where are the quilty inspirations?!”

In the case of Moonflower – it is my love of photographing the geometric designs found in tile floors, tile walls, ceilings, and even woodwork.

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Easing Back In -

Progress is happening - but it is moving so slowly that I was a bit disheartened when I laid my completed units out...Didn't I have more than this already?

Maybe this will just be a table runner and I'll call it done! LOL!

Who am I kidding....It's the perfect travel project, and since I NEED to have a travel project, I'll just keep plugging away on it until who knows...maybe lap size? We shall see.

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Reflections in Windows.

We seem to always - or at least *I* mostly always strive for the best photo - often times taking it through a car or plane window.

"Oh no! There is a reflection!"

But is that really a bad thing?  Somehow parts of "What the photograph is seeing" puts the photographer IN the photo as some sort of hologram, and there you have it.

And Yep - that's me in the passenger seat as I try to take photos of amazing Arizona landscapes , not intending to catch myself.

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Monday in AZ!

Hey all -

I've been in Arizona for almost a week now, and I know I've only gotten one post out during the time that I've been gone - but there comes a time when family time is the focus.  And that's where I am.

Knowing that my brother was only going to be with us until Saturday, I just dropped the ball of staying in contact, let all social media and blogging go and just settled in to that family time.

I don't know when the last time was that it was just my dad, me and my siblings.  Since we've become adults, it's rare.  Extremely rare.

So what did we get up to?  We did some history stuff.  You see, these apples didn't fall far from the tree, my brother and I.  We are history nuts, and love having our feet in places where amazing things happened in the past.

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From Virginia to Arizona!

Hello From Phoenix!

I made an early morning trip to the airport in Tennessee, flew into Atlanta where my connecting flight was already boarding by the time I hit my gate - and arrived in Arizona around 3pm to be greeted by my dad and my brother.

There has been much catching up since.

This morning while everyone still snoozes, I am posting our last photos with the November Quiltvillians -

Look at these beautiful Scrappy Mountain Majesties quilt tops!

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Quilting Through The Weekend!

I walked in the front door to find a group gathered in the dining room - 

Dianna was presenting a featherweight maintenance demo to a group of vintage machine lovers, focusing mainly on featherweights, but also talking about 301 machines and how much they have in common. 

Chances are, if you have a featherweight or two, your next "Must Have" is a singer 301!

Both are very popular machines for bringing to retreat, and easy to maintain on your own.

It also goes to prove that dining rooms are good for more than just dining!

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It's Started!

As soon as we hit November and Halloween is in the past - THIS starts to rumble up and down the road in front of Quiltville Inn.

And I love it!

I know some think it is too early - if that is you, you can wait and go to one of those "chop your own" tree kind of farms.

But these trees are shipped everywhere - and this is when it starts.

They will go into refrigeration until they are trucked to wherever they go.

Some trailers passing by are just loaded with boughs and branches destined for wreath and swag making.

You never know - they things you find in your local stores may come from the Blue Ridge Mountains of SW VA and Western NC!

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Welcome. November!

This is what Halloween afternoon looked like on our road hike yesterday.

You guys, it was 75 out?!?!?!  It felt all kinds of wrong, but then there have been loads of weird things on my 2024 bingo card.

I'm not complaining.  I know when Mother Nature decides she has done enough making up for what befell us during Hurricane Helene she will throw some winter weather our way and we'll be looking back at these balmy October/November days as the gift they are.

Porch weather in November?  It's happening.

And....there just may well be ONE MORE fire pit opportunity this weekend because - why not?

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Quiltville Winter Mystery: Old Town (Starówka)

It's Mystery Season, Quiltvillians!

This year gets its inspiration from somewhere I've been in the past year or so- POLAND!

This post contains the back story, colors, yardage requirements, and recommended tools.

Our yearly Quiltville Winter Mystery begins in earnest with Part One going live on - PLEASE READ - NOVEMBER 22, 2024!

Yes, I know that is a week early - but I leave for England on Black Friday - and we are getting an early start.

I will post Part Two on Black Friday before heading to the airport for NYC to meet up with my Craftours group on 11/30. I will also post Part Three while I am in England.

All of the posts for our Old Town mystery will be linked under the Old Town tab at the top of the blog for easy reference.

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From Machines To Porch Rails!

Sew Long, Farewell - we'll see you next year!

The October Quiltvillians filled each moment to the fullest - and they also filled the wrap around porch railing as you can see in this photo!

Such a wide variety of colors and styles - 

Marvelous Marvelous, ladies!

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Where Scrappy Magic Happens!

All in a week's retreat!

The October Quiltvillians arrived last Wednesday afternoon and here we already at Tuesday morning.

The house feels so empty.  Laundry is running. (Always laundry. It keeps me grounded!)

We had a marvelous time petting fabric, shopping for fabric, planning quilts, making blocks, watching projects grow and become.

What more could a girl ask for?

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Last Fire Pit Night! (And A Drawing!)

Wow! What a weekend!

As the weather begins to get chillier - we gathered the October Quiltvillians around the fire pit for one last sit-around-the-fire evening of 2024.

Now, the November Quiltvillians are the next group in line - arriving on Wednesday, but I'm not sure if the weather will be cooperative. As it was, this called for jackets and sweatshirts and by the time we were about ready to go in, rain had started drizzling a bit.

We snuck this one in just in the nick of time!

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While Quilters Go Shop Hoppin'!

Yesterday was a wash-out for me.

The meds took the headache away, but also left me feeling a bit fuzzy around the edges and my tummy not quite right.

If you get these kinds of headaches, you know just what I mean.

I was about an hour later than usual showing up at the Inn - Tula chastising me for being late with her breakfast.  LOL!  First smile of the day! She really is a peach.

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Sew, Ladies, Sew!

It's a busy little bee hive in the Quilting Quarters at Quiltville Inn!

The October Quiltvillians are in the house and already creating wonderful things!

It's wonderful to have them back and see what they've brought to work on.  Some projects are a continuation of what was worked on last year - as in - "I only work on this at retreat."  LOL!

Some are in a rush to get done by the holidays -

And it's all good, no matter the reason or the season!

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One Of THOSE Days -

"This will be so quick and easy!" I thought to myself.

Just put some borders on - quilt it up quick, get the binding on there and voilà!

Easy Peasy, right?

I think things like this out loud, get to sure of myself and the universe laughs.

Not only at the quilting, but with the rest of my day too.

Read on folks - if it makes you giggle and perhaps commiserate we can get past this, move on, and get back to quilting.

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Bye Bye Brown Birds!

We don't get late October weather like this every year -

And truly, I think it has got to be a makeup gift for what Helene did around here.

It's been glorious for a couple of weeks now. "So sorry we dumped on you, here's some sunshine!"

We'll take it!

It was the perfect weather to put on quite the over-the-porch-rail quilt viewing for all of the passers by!

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Warm Days of Autumn!

I've had some very enthusiastic walkers this past week, and have we ever had the weather to encourage us to get out and enjoy it!

It also gave folks the opportunity to see some of the Helene aftermath - and yes, there are still things blocking roads - still bridges washed out, still mess that remains 3 weeks past the event.

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Down By The River -

We have had some lovely unseasonably warm days this week - and I've been lucky enough to have quilting retreaters that were as gung-ho about getting out on a walk in the sunshine as I have been.

Temps have been in the low 70s in the afternoons - just perfect!    

This is also the first time I had really gotten off the main road to see just what storm damage was left after Helene blew in and blew out a few weeks ago.

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Brown Bird Bees On Retreat!

The Brown Bird Bee gals are at Quiltville Inn...driving all the way from Northern Virginia -

I am so happy to have folks from the other side of our great commonwealth experience a bit of SW VA hospitality!

I know this photo is a bit washed out - I was standing at overhead light height when I took it - just consider it a *natural glow* filter.  LOL!

The weather has gone from super chilly to fairly nice and it looks like it will stay in that trend through the weekend.

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Ladder Star Gift-Away!

Autumn days crisp enough for "Sweater Weather!"

Fall nights cold enough for cozy fires and yummy satisfying meals and hot beverages.

I love fall!

Sadly, it never lasts long enough - but while it's here I'll enjoy every day.

I thought a lot about my love of fall while making Ladder Star.  The muted tones and shades of the recycled shirt fabrics - the yummy creams of the neutrals used as star points - it's just a cozy love of a star quilt that says "Fall is HERE!" and I loved every minute of making it -

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County Clare Lay Out!

Quilter's Yoga Day!

You know how it goes - bend and stretch and twist and reach and....

I honestly think that doing this for as long as I CAN do this enables me to keep doing this.

It's a move it or lose it kind of ability.

At least that is what I keep telling myself.

Design floor.  It's all I've got.  This would not fit on a design wall anyway - I'd never be able to reach the top row.  Beside - I have no design wall space to speak of in the QPO studio.

So design floor it is.

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Antiquing Day!

We'd set a time for a 10am departure with b oth Cindy and Martha meeting me at the QPO Studio.

We waved off Hubster Dave and SOn Jeff who were busy with some winterizing and some re-leveling of the back pavers path the lead from the unloading zone to the back porch steps (Gotta keep the good men busy!) and off we went.

Destination?  N. Wilkesboro NC!

There are a couple of antique malls worth wandering that are just across the street from one another, and a good place for lunch within walking distance of both.

And Halloween decor was in full form - some vintage (fun) Some made in China....(eh?) but all colorful enough to enhance our fall moods.

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Well, Isn't THAT Special?

Half of my County Clare blocks were at home.

The other half?  At the QPO Studio.

I've been working on them fairly diligently in between the lines of stitching other things - just as Leader & Ender projects are meant to do.

It's time to set them together - at least I think I have enough to start laying out and determining how I want to go with them and then?

Oh no!

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These Are My Peeps -

I'm looking back 7 or so years in time when I was sitting on Lisa's stoop to her quilting studio in her back yard -

"I think I want to do this.  I want to buy this house and turn it into a retreat."

I pulled up the listing and started showing her photos - this was even before I had done a walk-through on my own to know if it would work or not.  It was just a listing with photos and bit of history of the place.

It felt like an impossible pipe dream.  And here we are.

These are folks who belonged to the Winston Salem quilt guild I belonged to when I livlburg, NC.

These are friendships now more than 15 years old.

And along with that core group of friends are new friends who come as fill-ins and alternates and our circles expand with room for all.

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Where the Fog Nestles -

Early morning, Highway 421 toward Boone, NC yesterday on our way to Hubster Dave's doc appointment.

I don't knot if you can see it off to the right - that white area?  

One of my favorite things about living in the Blue Ridge mountains is the magical fog that tucks itself in and around the hills and hollers like a fluffy white blanket.

There is something comforting about morning fog in the fall.

It's time for pulling out the warmer clothes (I've got my new cute ankle boots on this morning that I bought back in August.  YAY!) and planning for the pumpkin-spice-everythings that flavor the season.

Sweater weather! 

Adding that 3rd quilt to the bed, more for the weight of coziness than for the warmth I need - and then kicking one leg out of the covers half-way through the night because I'm too hot.

Relatable?  

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Look What I Can See!

I took this photo last evening as we returned from a trip to town.

The objective was to get Hubster Dave out of the house and relieve his boredom.

I get it.  I remember well the time I broke my foot and was laid up for a while non-weight-bearing.

And then there was the time I twisted my knee in Vietnam and managed to fly home in a full leg brace...fun times!

Now it's his turn.

But I digress.  We have now lost enough leaves that I can see those ridges past the edge of our yard - and more mountain views are appearing to the east as things thin out more.

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Rhapsody in Blues -

A morning blood draw appointment. A day in the office.  A day getting the inn ready for today's arrivals.  

And time to finish the quilting on my Waterford quilt.

Questions came up yesterday asking about the pantograph name.  I thought it was Random Fans - but it turns out it is Random Clams by Jessica Schick.

I love the texture of this one and scaled it so the arcs were about 3/4'' apart. I didn't want the quilting too dense, but I didn't want it too sparse either.  This did the trick.

I used a gold colored thread which blended through both light and dark areas without shouting too light on the navy blues, or too dark against the whites/creams.  I use this color a lot.

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Quilting Up Waterford -

Waterford is now a top.  Finally!  And it's being quilted -
It was a process.  I find it hard to settle myself into creativity when I feel so unsettled.
The propane tank was refilled on Friday, which meant we had enough propane once again to run the whole house Generac.
That meant that there was power to the basement studio at home.  I could set the blocks for this quilt top together and HAVE a top.

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And Suddenly - It's October!

Hi Gang!

It's Monday, October 7th.  And I seem to have lost a whole 9 days somewhere.  I guess that's understandable.

But miracle of all miracles - all of those hard-working linemen from as far away as Canada have been working tirelessly to restore power all through the 6 states affected by Hurricane Helene and our power at home came on Saturday afternoon after I had sent Saturday's post from the QPO where power was restored on Friday.

Little by little we clean up the mess and things start to settle into a new normal.

Some things will never be the same.  And the Shippenstitchers will always remember what it was like to weather the storm - thanks to a Generac that did what it was supposed to and kept them in power through the whole thing.

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10/5/24: Saturday Update

Welcome to the weekend, everyone.

The past week has flown by.....though at some times it seemed like it was moving at a crawling pace.

We eventually get through - 

We wake up, we do all the needed things, we fix meals....run the generator when needed to keep things cold...and eventually it is time to go to bed.

We get up the next morning and start it all over again.

I'm putting something quilty at the top of this post to remind me what I need to get back to.  If I can find my sew-jo again.

At some moments I'm still having to remind myself to just breathe.

Keeping it real in the kitchen.

There are 4 jar candles burning as dawn arises - this is the morning routine.

The pitcher of water next to the fridge and the tea kettle were filled full before the generator was turned off at bedtime last night.

The generator gets turned back on between 9-10 a.m. to keep things frozen/cold - but neither of us can sleep with the generator going, and it is an unnecessary use of fuel so we are only running it 12 hours a day.

I start my day by lighting the candles (It's an odd combination of ALL the different fragrances) using a flashlight and a BBQ lighter.

Then I turn on the gas stove and use the lighter to get the flame going to heat the water that becomes our morning coffee (for me) and hot chocolate. (for Dave)

I brush my teeth at the kitchen sink, And use the remaining cooled down but still warm water in the tea kettle for my waterpik.  It's amazing how much better I feel just knowing my teeth are brushed and I am ready for the day.

Dave is still experiencing pain from the fractured clavicle more than he is the 31 staples in his head.  It's the muscles further down the arm that ache, so cold packs and some massage to the rescue.

Breakfast is easy thanks to the gas range.  Today it was bacon/cheese omelets. We are not starving by any means.

I am typing this form the QPO studio where the power was restored on Friday evening.  It's nice to be able to sit at a keyboard instead of trying to compose a post on my phone using voice-to-text which presents challenges of its own.

These images keep flooding through my mind when I least expect it. We were on the ambulance for 4 1/2 hours waiting for this to recede.  We are actually ON the road here...but it looks like a lake of mud.  Terrifying.

Photo from ambulance window.

Before the ambulance arrived - we were in the parking lot at Corner Market watching a road across the way turn into a rolling river...and some farmer upstream had recently cut his pumpkin crop from the vines in preparation for them being picked up by truck.

We watched pumpkin races float on by.....it was incredible.  It was comical in a very surreal kind of way.  Much like those yellow duckie races some communities hold as a fund raiser. Only this was not for fun and games or prizes.

In talking to the Shippenstitchers before they left last Saturday for home - they too had stood on the back porch at Quiltville Inn watching the creek rise and expand and roll fiercely on by, carrying all of the pumpkins further on down toward the New River.

I do have photos from that retreat - but I think I'll wait until Monday to post them.  I still need more time.

The last loads of laundry from last week's retreat went in the wash this morning.  The inn has power.  So many do not.

Today is day 9 without power at home on the mountain.
⁣
In spite of it all - what a beautiful week of weather we've had in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.⁣
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The leaves are falling - thinning out the curtain of trees giving us a glimpse of long range mountain views to the east, and even the sunrises are able to peek through if we are awake enough to witness them. ⁣
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Folks are still in survival mode up here. A call went out for those with ATVs to help get supplies to families that are completely cut off.⁣
⁣

And that makes my whole problem of the One Drive mess up on my office desktop computer less of a problem than it would have been PRE Helene.  Files can be recovered.  I am reminded that I can do better at backing things up.

I lost my EQ8 files.  I had to uninstall and reinstall EQ8 and Blockbase because One Drive changed all of the directories and the programs couldn't locate files.

I had to uninstall and reinstall Chrome - of course Microsoft tries to demand that you stick with edge.  What a pain.

Supposedly files are still on my hard drive somewhere.

But if the ⁣worse thing I have to do is re-type up some documents, re-draft up some quilt designs and graphics - it was worth getting rid of One Drive and losing stuff in the process.

It's all about perspective, right?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Our community continues to grow in love for one another by lending helping hands. ⁣
⁣
Lifting one lifts us all. And we see ourselves reflected in the eyes of each and every one of us. 

And that's the best part of all of this.

Find small things to be grateful for this weekend no matter where you are -

 

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