They Came Back Thriving!

The Shippenstitchers brought with them amazing projects, fantastic food, boundless creativity and abiding friendship.

And they also came with remembering all of what happened with Hurricane Helene one year later.

I think these are the things that bond and bind us - 

And I'm extremely happy that there was very little rain this past week to remind everyone of just what we all survived just one year ago.

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Weekend Quilting Warriors!

First things first!

On Saturday I had my scheduled appointment for a much needed haircut that had been put off a couple of weeks due to my European adventure.  

I do admit to trimming my bangs myself before leaving because I couldn't stand it anymore (I know I know. But sometimes you just have to!)

And once that haircut was finished (Hooray!) and next appointment scheduled, I had a quick thought to stop by Walgreens to see if I could get my flu and Covid shots.

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Let The Stars Shine!

Day Two of our Sister's Choice Workshop - and blocks were coming together without a hitch!

I love the variety of colors and fabric choices that are happening here.

And new ideas were flowing...need more pops of color? Need more neutrals?  After our morning class session most of the group headed off to nearby Galax on a Fabric Acquisition Road Trip to Quilts on Main.

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Quilting Sisters & Sister's Choice!

We jumped right into our Sister's Choice retreat workshop yesterday morning!

It felt so great to walk into a house full of welcoming quilters ready to get down to business - or class time as it was.

Sometimes the scraps are just that much out of control and we need an easy project with great results to sew them all up into submission.

I'm thrilled with the different fabrics and quilt plans that everyone has chosen!

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Where's Our Breakfast?!

This was the scene when I arrived at the inn yesterday morning.

I have Hubster Dave and Son Jeff and retreater Tracy to thank for taking care of the kididdles while I was away...

Evidently they have been so well taken care of that they couldn't care less that I was there to resume feeder duty!

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I Seriously Need A Nap.

Hi, Gang!

I'm home!  I'm not sure what time zone I'm in, but I'm home!

What a whirlwind trip we had through Switzerland, France & Germany.

I loved every minute of it - but this getting home again is for the birds.  Seriously!

We arrived at JFK NY at 8pm on Monday with an overnight stay before I could catch my two flights home yesterday.

It takes a long time to get your luggage (Even though Global Reentry is awesome and fast) and by the time we found the air train and got to where the hotel shuttle pick up was, waited for the shuttle, got to the hotel, waited in line to check in and got to our rooms....I was only going to have something like a 5 hour nap before having to get up to my alarm and head back to the airport.

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Flame Azalea PDF Pattern Gift-Away!

Hello everyone!

If this is posting - I must have made it back from Europe!

I actually wrote this as a draft, with details to be filled in between the photos at some point along my travels.

I'm not quite home yet - this is posting on my return from NYC with flights to Atlanta and then on to Briston, TN and then a 2 hour drive home after being picked up by Hubster Dave.

I've got a long day ahead of me! (And so much to share with you, but we'll get to that after I've had some sleep in my own bed!)

It's Flame Azalea release day!

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Last Minute Musings!

My last post before heading off to Switzerland!  

I honestly didn't know if I'd have the opportunity to post this morning - but breakfast behind me (two cups of coffee in!) and the day ahead of me before I head back to the airport this afternoon and photos still on my phone from the last couple of day's with Susan's Retreat Group - I figured I could shoot out some more quilty love before going radio silent!

We took advantage of the gorgeous afternoon sunshine upon my return from Boone and the Verizon phone store and put just a few tops and quilts over the rail that were ready to be shown.

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First Brunch, Then Quilting!

This was the scene when I walked through the front door of the inn yesterday -

Mmmm!  Something sure smelled good!

It was also just a wee bit chilly - in the 50's - meaning that brunch on the porch is now a thing of the past, at least until we reach next summer.  Sigh.

It's wonderful to see folks around the table in the dining room, but oh how I will miss porch season!

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It's Coming Along -

You know how it feels to start out really excited with quilt possibilities -

To dive in with both feet and both hands - pulling fabrics, pressing cutting, setitching pressing, making...

And then when only part way in your vision for your project blurs and you just can't see the forest for the trees?

That is what has happened with this one.  Not once - but twice.

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Slow Down, You Move Too Fast!

Harvest season is approaching!

The last hay cuttings are happening....and I love driving down a long country road past fields of freshly mown hay waiting for bailing.

Or watching the baling in progress.

Or coming home at dinner time where the bales are just sitting there in the field ready for pick up - looking like green sugar cubes against the landscape.

Things I don't love:  Going 15 MPH behind a tractor on a long and winding curvy mountain road with nowhere for him to pull over, and a long line of cars building up behind me.

Just slow down.  Enjoy the scenery.  Breathe deep.  Enjoy the change of the seasons.  You'll get to where you are going eventually!

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Paint That Porch!

I arrived to park in my No Parking Anytime (Except for Bonnie) spot behind the QPO to find both Tula and Flash sunning themselves - while at the same time keeping an eye on and being wary of the painting activity going on in their normal porch domain.

They were not going near that chaos no matter that their breakfast bowls were waiting by the garage.

So - as a dutiful cat mom does, I hand carried their morning bowls to where THEY were....because....

Cat mom obeys.

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Counting The Days -

I had these visitors outside the QPO Studio this weekend.

Son Jeff has been prepping the porch floor at the inn for painting this week - and he finished the second round of power washing yesterday.

The cats are not impressed with the sound or the spray of the power washer....so they took a little hike over to the far end of the parking lot behind the QPO Studio to get away from the hubbub.

That old tumble-down general store to the side?  That was the beginnings of all of this cat distribution system chaos.

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Friday Play Day -

The walls were closing in.

At least that is my excuse - and the push I needed - to get out and about for the day.

Hubster Dave had physical therapy and then was headed over to the center to swim laps.

Son Jeff had come early and had power washed the porch floor at the inn in prep for painting - it's been 2 1/2 years and really could use a touch up.  (Rain today, but good weather tomorrow and it will be done and dry before folks arrive on Wednesday.)

There was office stuff that I need to get to - but I looked around me after Jeff left and thought - I'm outta here!

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Circling Back Around -

There are some projects that just don't work well with Leaders & Enders for me.

Any paper piecing project where the seams are short and in the center of the paper template make it really hard to chain anything without a complete and utter waste of thread (and time) so Leaders & Enders take a back seat there.

That also applies to things like string piecing where I can use the units themselves as Leaders & Enders and just work on two blocks at a time - one engine, one caboose - trimming my work off from behind the presser foot. I complete two blocks, and when one is done (or both) just pull in a new foundation and start on the next ones.

When I piece on paper the stitch length is set smaller, and I just don't like to work on a second Leader & Ender project at that point.

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Blues To The Finish!

I've shared a lot of the making of Stardust.

I think it's my most recent favorite! (They all take their turn in being favorite, don't they?)

I enjoyed the whole making process of this one and I know there will be another string quilt popping up in my must make list soon.

But for now...I'm setting the strings aside and focusing in so many other directions.

That lull of "I'll take a break now that this is done." Never seems to happen to me.

My favorite part of this quilt?  The NO NO NO fabric and where it is popping up everywhere in the neutrals.

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September Into Fall!

Can you feel it?

The change of the seasons.

I absolutely love the blooming and renewal of spring, and the long daylight of summer.

But I tend to start feeling a bit nostalgic with September and the return to the school year (Even if it happens in August here) where I can tell the time by the school buses I see going down the road in the mornings, and on their return journeys in the late afternoon hours.

Things just feel different.

And somehow, even if I go kicking and screaming - I find myself ready to give into autumn and cooler days and cozy evenings.

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Wrapping Up Labor Day

What a fabulous glorious Labor Day Monday - the weather was perfect - and what a display the September Quiltvillians put on as we wrapped up our retreat week -

These twelve ladies have been such a joy to have - and the projects that were worked on in between workshop time - they just never stopped creating!

I enjoyed every minute - looking forward to 3:30pm porch time with bevvies and nibbles, sitting around and chatting and feeling a part of everything.

It was just a wonderful week all the way around- Thanks, ladies!

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Quilting The Long Holiday Weekend!

Look what is happening in the DINING ROOM!  

Have we reached the end of a season?

Almost.

Temps have been in the high 40s to low 50s in the morning hours, and it's just a bit too brisk on the back porch for brunch dining al fresco.

It's great to see the dining room table surrounded once again!

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