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Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Nearing The Finish -


One side and the hanging sleeve left to go and Dogwood Daze will be in the DONE column!

I have had so much fun making this one - strings are just THE BEST.

And if you sort them by color family any project becomes a colorwash of variety unparalleled!

Why use just 4 fabrics when you can use hundreds???


Of course Mabel didn't mind being a bit covered up as I worked.


And Ivy, checking out my stitches from her nest between my knees.

I wish I could say that yesterday was a whole lot of accomplishment, but not all days are like that.

Some are mundane - I don't want to regale you with how efficiently the towel baskets were folded, the dishwasher emptied and the flannel on the design walls rolled to remove all threads, the ironing surfaces having had their freezer paper protective coverings replaced...

It didn't leave me much time to do anything else -


I did manage a bit more of this -

There are less than 20 blocks left to make now.


Only 4 saw their completion -

And all the while I'm laughing - THIS is going to make a dent in the scraps?  Yeah.  Right.  Hahahahaha! (But it's worth trying!)

I did have many questions yesterday on why I choose to avoid Hobby Lobby. It's personal to me - I try to let people make up their own minds on where to spend their money.  But since you asked:

I just find that ethics come into question on many levels with Hobby Lobby. Our values do not align.

Hobby Lobby was charged with a $3 million federal fine and forfeited thousands of ancient Iraqi artifacts they had smuggled from the Middle East that the government alleges were intentionally mislabeled. The story is HERE.

More:

The owners of Hobby Lobby claimed that employee's insurance providing certain types of birth control violated their religious beliefs. They are forcing their religious beliefs on their employees through their insurance coverage.

This ruling allowed Hobby Lobby to deny employees access to specific forms of birth control covered under their health insurance plan. (But it didn't ban the "little blue pill" for men.)

Do these folks have to work there if they are not okay with it? No. They aren't being forced into that as the only job they could ever have. But it still sounds like overreach and religious control to me.

It is well known that the owners of Hobby Lobby donate millions of dollars annually to  the National Christian Foundation, a non-profit organization where donors can anonymously funnel money to "nearly two dozen anti-LGBT and anti-Muslim hate groups."  If you care about already marginalized communities, then consider where your money is going if you spend it at Hobby Lobby.

You really don't have to look very hard to find plenty of information on this.

It’s ironic really - because everything in the store is covered in "I Love Jesus" slogans and loads of wall art with bible references but they spew so much hurt to anyone who is not of their belief system.

Show me how you really believe by how you treat your own employees, marginalized groups and "others." And maybe I'll believe your signage.

I know people have to shop where they can find what they need - especially in rural areas. But basically, Hobby Lobby gives me the creeps.

We are all able to shop where we want and support what we want.

So this is likely more than you need to know. But you asked.

Man - I've been on a rampage lately, haven't I?

Is this what happens at 63???

I'm sorry - but not sorry.

In some ways I feel like I am barely holding on to sanity here.

So today there will be more log cabin blocks....Housekeeper Susan is on hand to make the inn sparkle, and tomorrow we will be welcoming in the March Quiltvillians!

Can spring please be around the corner?

I really feel the need to get out there and get some hiking in.


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Growing up I'd get sent to my room. 

Now I just send myself to my sewing room.

Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!

 

48 comments:

  1. Well said -agree 100%!

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  2. Anonymous8:56 AM EST

    I don’t do hobby lobby either. Thanks for sharing it. Sad when companies with so much do so little

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  3. Anonymous8:59 AM EST

    Good for you, spend your money where your beliefs are.
    That said, it is true that the older we get, the more we are willing to say “out loud.”

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  4. Linda Marquis-Cate8:59 AM EST

    You and I are on the same page!! Thanks for your eloquence.

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  5. I agree wholeheartedly with you regarding HL. I even worked there for about 3 months. Worst employer ever!

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  6. Anonymous9:01 AM EST

    Second day in a row with above freezing, but snow piles are 4+ feet at end of drive way. I need spring too, but it will be a while in the Adirondack mountains.
    I’m with you in we show our beliefs by what we do and how we treat others, not what we say

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  7. Anonymous9:02 AM EST

    Thank you. I suspect you will get trolled, but you can look in the mirror. Quilting helps. It is not enough. But it helps. Hang in.

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  8. Anonymous9:03 AM EST

    I agree with all the above. Please don’t find anything bad about Home Goods!! Jean

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  9. Kathy Miller9:08 AM EST

    Thanks for your comments on Hobby Lobby- I have never shopped there because of their anti abortion actions as well as LGBT views and support for political views I don’t share but you have reinforced my feelings with all the info you shared. Thanks for keeping me sane in these crazy times- I have 3 children that have worked for the federal government- one has already lost her job and 2 that are doing the 5 things they have done last week. I took 2 flimsys to my longarmer- Old Town and a 100 block and sashed county Clare- thanks for keeping me busy- love your blog!

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    Replies
    1. I am so sorry for your adult children going through this.

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  10. Anonymous9:10 AM EST

    I agree 100%

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  11. Yes, well said, Bonnie. Also, thank you for giving more information. I only knew about the fight to deny birth control as part of the employee health insurance plan which was enough for me to avoid shopping at Hobby Lobby. The loss of Joann's is unfortunate, too.

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  12. I vote in the booth and I vote with my dollar. I do not shop Hobby Lobby.

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  13. Good for you, they asked, you answered. They probably had no idea. I've only been in one and didn't buy anything, just checking out because they were new. After researching, said never again.
    Spend your hard earned dollars where it will do good.

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  14. Anonymous9:21 AM EST

    Thank you Bonnie. I agree with everything you stated!



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  15. Anonymous9:22 AM EST

    Thank you Bonnie you are helping to keep the truth alive. We need you desperately.
    Mary Jo Kluth

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  16. Everyone needs to keep the truth alive. Thank you for doing your share.

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  17. Anonymous9:36 AM EST

    I agree, I have boycotted Hobby Lobby the whole time they have been in Bangor. Among the same issues you brought up. My first rip there I was looking for Some "Day of the Dead decorations", When I asked I got a response that was so snide and judgmental about how they don't stock that kind of decoration.. What? They are a "Christian" store.

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  18. You're not at all "on a rampage". We've reached a point in this country, where silence will kill our Democracy and our Freedom.

    Making the choice to inform your readers' inquiry is a positive in my view!

    Happy Tuesday :-)

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  19. Anonymous9:36 AM EST

    I haven't shopped at HL for years. In addition to what you pointed out the owners are very anti-semitic.

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  20. Anonymous9:36 AM EST

    Glad to see the comments of support you received. Add me to the list of your supporters. And no, your rampage is not due to your age. It is because you care about others and the world around you.

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  21. Anonymous9:39 AM EST

    Thank you for saying this out loud. I’m with you.

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  22. Anonymous9:40 AM EST

    Thank you so much for sharing this information. You are inspiring. Sandy Wright

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  23. Anonymous9:42 AM EST

    Thanks for your comments. I, too, avoid Hobby Lobby for the same reasons. On another note, you may not feel productive all the time, but I am impressed with all you get done. I am so slow.

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  24. Anonymous9:43 AM EST

    I am at the point of making a choice in my Sit and Sew group: speak honestly or quit.

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  25. Your opinions of Hobby Lobby mirror my own. I also have never spent a dime at Chick-fil-A-another group of hate-spewing, bigoted, homophobic owners.

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  26. Mary Belden9:44 AM EST

    Well said! Agree 100% on Hobby Lobby. I don’t shop there either.

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  27. Love today's quote! I fire myself from housecleaning every day. I need Housekeeper Susan to come for a visit to make my home sparkle. :-) :-) Jenny

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  28. Anonymous9:47 AM EST

    Hobby Lobby gives me the creeps too. Haven't set foot in there in well over a decade, for all the same reasons. As a Jew, I find the Jesus stuff everywhere in my face very offputting. You are now in the "losing allyour filters" stage of life - it's very freeing!

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  29. Susie Kainula9:47 AM EST

    I totally agree with you Bonnie. I never thought it correct that they put restrictions on their health benefits. Thankyou for saying I like it is.

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  30. Susie Kainula9:49 AM EST

    I totally agree with you.
    Thanks for saying it out loud!

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  31. Anonymous9:49 AM EST

    I don't shop at HL either. I need to keep my values and morals in mind when I spend.
    I love the string quilts, but the bins never seem to go down, do they?
    Tara

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  32. Anonymous9:50 AM EST

    Thanks Bonnie for saying it like it is. I’ve been boycotting them for years.
    Susie Kainula

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  33. Anonymous9:53 AM EST

    I also have been avoiding Hobby Lobby for years. You stated my reasons perfectly. They are thieves and support hate groups. I won't support them!

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  34. No apologies necessary!! I really love what I can find at Hobby Lobby, but feel the same way about their political side. So I'm torn about shopping there. Luckily the only store nearby is 80 miles away, and I don't shop there often. I'm bummed by the closing of the Joann's stores.

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  35. Anonymous9:55 AM EST

    Your comments perfectly reflect my own feelings about Hobby Lobby. I don't support a group that promotes hate. They are also thieves.

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  36. Thanks for the info. Now that I know I'll not give them by business.

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  37. Thank you for expressing my thoughts re: Hobby Lobby. I have not shopped th÷e for many years. Some of my friends are dubious, but it's my $5! I also do not shop Walmart, again my $5, I choose where to spend it.

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  38. I agree with all you stated. I quit the quilt groups I was in as I didn't feel free to state my opinion in this very "red" area that I live and having to watch every word I said. I don't appreciate all the "Jesus loves you" signs when it doesn't appear to be love in their hearts - all we have for crafts around here is Hobby Lobby but I rarely step foot in the store - maybe 2 times a year - I hope you do not get hate mail

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  39. Anonymous10:07 AM EST

    I do not shop at HL or Chik-Fil-A - they both give me the creeps. Thank you, Bonnie, for your honesty and sincerity. AND, I fired myself from house cleaning - my attitude was really bad and I quilt on the job, too! LOL!

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  40. For all their anti-Muslim spiel, it's interesting how they gloss over how many millions for those looted artifacts went to Islamic State pockets.
    It's been a long time since I've set foot in HL. It will be a long time before I do again, for all the reasons you have.

    I've threatened to fire the housekeeper, chef, and gardener. The whole lot are Slackers! And all of them are me. Sigh...

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  41. Thank you for saying that out loud. I don't shop at Hobby Lobby and a few other stores, but I understand that not everyone has the choice to go elsewhere. With Joann closing, I will have to order general sewing supplies online.

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  42. Jessieth10:32 AM EST

    Agree! I was pained when I recently had to buy something at HL for our church quilt group because it was out of stock everywhere else. I avoid them whenever I can.

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  43. I'm glad the question was asked and how you answered. My heart is heavy today with the ongoing death of this country's soul. I pray for eyes to be opened and compassion chosen again. You don't need to publish this comment. I don't want to bring others down or you for that matter! I'm just glad to read you write truth here when asked.

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  44. Anonymous10:43 AM EST

    Thank you Bonnie for using your platform to speak up and sharing your sources as well. I also haven't shopped at Hobby Lobby in years for moral reasons. We are each doing our part and educating where we can.

    Yay for binding and more log cabin blocks and the start of your retreat season and warmer weather.

    Best,
    Janice F.

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  45. Thank you for speaking your mind about Hobby Lobby. I, too, will not touch their store with a ten foot pole, nor eat at Chik-Fil-A for similar reasons. I'm told Christianity is a religion of love and brotherhood. It's a pity that so many people who purport to belong to that faith don't show any sign of it. I treasure those among my friends who do.

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  46. Anonymous10:51 AM EST

    I applaud you for speaking up. Hobby Lobby, Chick Filet, Walmart, and Kwik Trip ( a local chain of convenience/gas station stores) are the ones I boycott for the exact reasons you gave. I hope you get more positive support than negative.

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  47. I’m with you 100% on Hobby Lobby. Haven’t shopped there in years. Thanks for enlightening others as to why we feel that way.

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