From Backing To Quilting!

It's the weekend after Christmas - I'm sure everyone is still pretty much in a holiday stupor, but hopefully getting things back together and able to spend some time recuperating in your sewing spaces!

On Wednesday (Christmas Eve Day) I spent a few hours at the QPO stitching the big pink behemoth backing together from the squares I had finished the previous day.

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Lupine & Laughter Mystery - Part Six!

Happy Boxing Day, friends!
"The Day After" can come with a sense of relief that we have made it through yet another Christmas season - 
I know many of you may still have family around and need something a bit lighter this week, 
So how about we put some more things together?

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Christmas Eve In Pink!

It's a crazy idea, right?

To spend an extra couple of days piecing a backing out of hunks and chunks of forgotten yardage when it would be SO much easier to just buy 3 yards of a wide backing fabric and be done with it and onto the quilting phase of things.  Right?

Maybe.  But then there are all of those trimmed margins of that extra wide backing fabric that would be considered good enough to save for future use - and then I'm just adding to the scrap bins instead of whittling them down.  

This is how my brain works on repeat!

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It's Coming Together!

My design floor is full!

Or at least it was as I was putting this beauty together.

"Why don't you use a design wall?" comes the question I know I'm going to find in the comments.

I do not have wall space in the studio.  If you've been inside, you'll know why.

And I just find this easier.  When blocks get sewn together, they often don't stick to a design wall without pins.  I don't want to deal with placing and removing pins.

And it's good to bend and stretch and rearrange while I can.

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Crackers & Jam & Winter Solstice!

Things are coming together faster than I thought they would!

Of course, those little cracker blocks have many more small pieces and took longer to stitch/trim/de-paper than these blocks - 

Before I knew it I thought I had all that I needed and the layout process began yesterday!

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Binding In The Done Column!

It's done!

And it was well worth waiting for.

I had cursed this quilt, I had cursed the quilting machine having issues and the 2 months that it sat partly quilted, unable to go further -

And I cursed myself for not having the knowledge or the know-how to just jump in and fix everything myself.

And yes - all of that was exacerbated with worrying about Jason and the brain tumor surgery and recovery and everything that came between the quilting machine malfunction and last week when I was finally able to resume quilting.

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Lupine & Laughter Mystery - Part Five!

FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!!!

But not Five of a kind for this part -

Guess what we start doing today?

We're going to start putting some things together!

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All Into Fours!

This is where things start to get really exciting!

I have loved making the little Cracker blocks...making them a bit more scrappy than "usual" in an attempt to use up the many small pieces of various fabrics just big enough to do the job.

I love watching a pile of possibilities find their way into adorable blocks with really nothing left but trimmings and dog ears.

Did I completely sew up ALL of that bounty?  Nope.  There is plenty left over so I'll have to find another paper piecing project to dig into another day - but for now...this is all I need of these!

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It's That Time Of Year -

I don't do a lot of baking anymore -

With my type 2 diabetes and hubster Dave's needing to be gluten free, there just isn't a lot that will work for either of us, even if it works for one of us but not the other.

But there is one thing that we always fall back on - 

Crockpot Peanut Clusters.

The recipe is found under the recipes tab at the top of the blog.

It's the one listed under the subtitle *CANDY* beneath the Sweet Dessert Stuff. And it's a keeper.

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Binding Day!

This happened!

After months of waiting -

But have you ever done this?  After prepping a binding and thinking it was the *right* thing, when it came to actually time to put the binding on months later - you decided that was NOT the *right* thing?

I second guessed my binding and I'm glad that I did.

I had originally thought I'd use this:

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After The Weekend -

Happy Monday, folks!

Still alive and kicking over here - and yes, still taking the Hunter Shuttle from the top of the drive to the bottom where the cars are parked in order to get out and about anywhere.

It's winter.

It's just what we have to do around here, though with a warm up coming over the next week, we should be able to drive the cars back up to the top again.

Let's live on the side of a mountain he said - it will be fun he said! HA!

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Big Things Happening!

After two months of trying all the things to no avail, I finally succumbed to the embarrassment of begging My APQS master tech and Intelliquilter guru Patty Butcher at Katidids.net for a slot on her fully packed travel/installation schedule.

I contacted her about a full "spa" treatment for my Millie, which includes changing out worn parts like thread guides and old bobbin hook, cleaning, detailing, repacking gears with new grease - the Full Monty.  

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Lupine & Laugher Mystery - Part Four!

12/12! Can you believe we are at Lupine & Laughter Part Four already?
(Okay, I'm writing this ahead - I honestly have no idea what will be going on in my life by this date, but I'm pushing through anyway!)
Part One had One Thing, Part Two had Two Things, Part Three had Three Things, Part Four has Four Things Times Two!

Today I'm Sharing a bit of our waterfall wonder from our Iceland Adventure!

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Festive St. Wolfgang!

At the heart of every Austrian village stands the church.

The establishment of the pilgrimage church of St. Wolfgang goes back to a legend in 976. The Bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg was living as a hermit at the Falkenstein and made ​​the decision to build the first church here. The location of the building was inspired by his famous "Axe throw", considered to be a divine dispensation.

He threw the ax with the vow, that where it landed he would build a church. When he found the ax after three days he built the church at this site on a rocky hill next to the lake.

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Our Home Away From Home!

This was our home away from home - Hotel Zur Post in Ruhpolding, Germany!

It was built in 1308 (NOt a typo!) and became a tavern in 1424. It has been a Rechl family-owned business for over a century, evolving from a historic inn into a modernized hotel, receiving awards for its Bavarian heritage and sustainability.

The first time I stayed here was 13 years ago - and there has been much renovation since yet still retains the old world charm it always has had.

I loved staying here and would come back in a heartbeat.

The best bonus for us?  We stayed here our whole trip, using Ruhpolding as our Bavarian home base, and our day trips  radiated out from here.  It was a wonderful spot to come "home" to!

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Snow, Glorious Snow!

Hi guys!  I'm home!

And no, this was not my view last evening - but it WAS the view this morning as the sun came up over the ridge and let me know that blue sky and sunshine does happen!

We arrived in New York on Sunday afternoon.

By the time we went through customs and gathered our luggage, waving good bye to folks who had become family over the past 10 days...wandering off to catch our next flights, or an Uber, or in my case - taking the air train to where I would jump into a hotel shuttle, it was nearly 4:30pm.

By the time I'd checked into my hotel, made it up to my room and unloaded my stuff, it was close to 5:30pm.

My body said it was 1:30am!

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Lupine & Laughter Mystery - Part Three!

It's Friday again!
And here we are at part three of our Lupine & Laughter Mystery.
Part one focused on one unit.
Part two had us creating two different color ways of geese!
Guess what part three means?
Three different sizes of half-square triangles!
Don't worry - this trend isn't likely to continue, but I thought since the tutorial for all of these was basically the same we'd make some major headway by getting these done at the same time.

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Lupine & Laughter Mystery - Part Two!

It's Friday!!  It's Lupine Mystery, Part Two Day!

I hope you are ready to really dig in today.

I've spent some time writing some parts ahead with all that is going on with my family - and as this posts my life is full of travelers and airports and amazing destinations!

Of course, this also means I'm flying by the seat of my pants and hoping that there are no hiccups, no misdirected or broken links and that all is going along swimmingly until I once again can connect to hotel Wi-Fi from Bavaria. 

Remember - it's not a race, we are taking things as they come with this mystery season, and if all else fails I'll fix it when I get home. Is there some holiday baking that you can do in the meantime? I'm sure there is.

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Thanksgiving 2025!

Good morning, friends!

The house is still quiet as I write this - though there is a load of laundry running so I can finish my packing for tomorrow's flights to New York in preparation of our Germany/Austria adventure ahead.

Baking will happen as soon as this posts.  I'm responsible for the creamed corn corn bread and Dave's gluten free pumpkin custard.

Dinner is at 3pm at Jeff's so we'll be there by 2pm. That gives me time to get this out to you!

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Sorting The Abundance!

I remember a time when the internet was new and acronyms were confusingly abundant and I was trying to catch up on what all the latest little "letter-speak" things meant.

And then trying to explain them to elder folk went something like "LOL means Laughing Out Loud." and the response went something like "Oh, I thought that was Lots of Love, that explains why I got the weird reaction to the sympathy email I sent Joan about the loss of her dog and I signed it LOL."

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Slow Stitching Update -

Sometimes more is more.  More is better.  More is needed.

And in the case of my EPP hexie border...because of where I'm going to trim it, I needed to add a 3rd row to the border length.

Once I laid it out against the mothership, it was just insignificant and would likely disappear with trimming and adding a binding of some sort.

And it's not like there are not more hexagon papers on hand - and an abundance of neutral fabrics to just keep sewing, so let's go!

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I Hear Banjos!

I love community events - especially as the holiday season draws nearer!

There is a whole lot going on all of the time - even where I live in the literal "middle of nowhere."  

It takes at least a half hour to drive from home to anywhere else also in the middle of nowhere.

Remember that old Ocean Spray commercial stating 'You can't get there from here!"?

That's pretty much it.  You can't go through, you can't go over, the only way is AROUND (on the most windy roads you've ever been on) but no matter how long the journey takes, it's worth it!

Saturday night we were out to the Flat Ridge community center for a community Thanksgiving dinner and a concert put on by the Flat Ridge boys.

And there were Flat Ridge girls too...singing playing - a whole lot of foot stompin' hand clappin' blue grass.

And as one of the musicians announced "Y'all join in, it's one we all know!" and the music started...I realized it wasn't one that I know.  I wasn't born here.  Blue grass music is a new love of mine, but I'm doing what I can to catch up.

The best part?  Being swallowed up, not only from the music coming off the stage, but the singing of the audience behind me as we were sitting in the front row.

What a great way to spend a Saturday night.

Oh, the food? I was too starved and indulging to take photos, but there were BBQ ribs, roasted turkey, deep fried turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and something I've never seen before - PURPLE sweet potatoes.

Everyone laughed while i was eating it - they said it would turn my teeth and my tongue purple, but man that was delicious.

Add to that home baked rolls, corn, green beans, cole slaw, macaroni & cheese, and so many desserts to choose from.  I was full before I was halfway through my meal.

Someone had made a cranberry salad with julienned apples and pecans.  So good.

You just can't get this in a city. Or at least in my lifetime I've not found it.

I spent yesterday blissfully at my machine.  I finished up Ken Burns' American Revolution on PBS.  Part 6 where it all comes together and we finally have an outcome?  I'm going to watch this again because I know I missed several things.

More than our sugar-sweetened pilgrim story, watching this series on the American Revolution has added a deeper meaning to my own gratitude for Thanksgiving week.  It's that good.

Oh, and this piece?  Joy from Alaska sent a box of scraps that included Washington State fabric in it.  I'm sewing these up with memories of my time with Jason.  Yes, that's a Sasquatch on the fabric.  Too funny!

And the desire to keep sewing these is strong - I went through some bins and baggies yesterday and found more saved half-square triangles in a size that will work for the corners of the blocks.

Any amount of downsizing in any scrap department is worth it.

My sewn and trimmed up haul from yesterday's sewing.

For those wondering (and wanting) I drew these templates up myself and printed them out. There may be other sources out there, or you can use graph paper and draw them in whatever size you would like.

I will not be providing a pattern for these yet - please stay tuned until you see the whole quilt and the pattern is released! Thank you.

I brought them home to do the de-papering job while watching some evening TV with Hubster Dave, and of course Lola had to be right there in the middle of everything, making her way above the trashcan between my knees and complaining that she'd rather have my hands on her, than dealing with this paper stuff.
The X-Plus blocks?  In time out for now.  I could slog through them, but I really want to be sewing on something that is keeping me happy to be sewing.
And I don't really need to worry about accuracy with these as long as the pieces are bigger than where they are landing, and my seam allowance is sufficient.
It's sew first, trim second -
Just sew on the line and they'll turn out fine.
And that's all I need for now.

And yes, these DID get done!

The kits for my Warm Hands, Warm Heart workshop for my upcoming Craftours trip to Germany & Austria for the fabulous Christmas Markets are done, packed and ready to fly on Friday!
My updated lineup of where we will be going through 2027 is up!  Take a look and come with me!
You never know which trip is going to inspire a future Quiltville Winter Mystery!
So here we are at Monday - how was your weekend? Any plans for today?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -
This is all you need to get started!

 
Just start where you are with what you have and do what you can!

Happy Monday, everyone -
 

 

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What A Day!

This is my staring into the abyss of fog on the mountain.

It's beautiful in a way.  Comforting like a hug.

And yes, the sun is there to burn it all off and I know it won't last long.

This is a metaphor for how yesterday went for me.

So much second guessing.  So much stress and anxiety.

But today is a new day and we pick it up from here.

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Lupine & Laughter - Part One!

Happy First Mystery Friday, Quiltvillians!
I hope you are as excited and ready to get going on this year's Quiltville Winter Mystery as I am.
Hopefully before you dig in here you've had a chance to re-read our Introduction post.  I've linked it under our Lupine & Laughter Mystery tab at the top of the blog.
You'll find all future parts by clicking to that tab.

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Change of the Seasons!

Day one back at home -

Halloween/Fall has got to go.  It's time to switch up the seasons!

I always feel a bit unsettled this time of year. I'm not sure why.

There is a lot to do, of course, and many things happening.

But the inn is empty and we have only one retreat left - The December Quiltvillians will be coming December 3rd for our last retreat of the year drawing our 6th season to a close.

How did that happen? This year went by so fast!

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Quilty Stuff First

It's completely honest to say that I have never had so much hexie stitching time in one trip as this one!

I have hexies coming out of my ears...not to mention all over the couch and coffee table.

And this is why a handwork project is so valuable when we are doing things like helping someone with recuperation time -( or in my own klutzy nature my own recuperation time!) or when visiting parents over an extended period of time.

When doers can't be busy doing "other" things - our hands need to be busy at least doing "SOMETHING!"

Are you that way, too?

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Rest, Relax, Reconnect, Restore!

Good morning from Sun Lakes, Arizona!

Every year I look forward to visiting my dad before Thanksgiving and it has become a moment of resting up for the holiday season ahead.

Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away, with Christmas just a month beyond that and of course our Quiltville Winter Mystery will be kicking off with Part One going live just a few days after I return home.

I'll be home on the 18th.  We go live on the 21st!

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Vancouver - Out & About!

Hey Peeps!  It's been a few days since I checked in -

And here are some scenes from my weekend in Vancouver!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday weather was WONDERFUL and we did our best to choose one outing per day to get some fresh air and some walking steps in.

Walking is the best thing for Jason's healing right now.

Did you know?  Your brain's mental health depends on key systems:

• Neurotransmitter balance • Stress hormone regulation • Neural growth factors • Blood flow to brain regionsWalking affects all of them.

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More From Vancouver!

Happy Weekend!

It didn't seem possible, but time is flying here.  It's already Saturday - I've been here nearly a week.

I came prepared to do lots of sitting, but I've also gotten out and about - some with Jason as he feels able, and some with just myself as he rests and naps.

I do know one thing for certain - I was not made to sit still. Even Jason knows this.

I have busied myself with meal planning and prep, and getting in a walk here and there.

And still - there has been loads of sitting on my butt hand sewing hexies. I came prepared!

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From Vancouver With Love!

We got out for a bit of a stroll along the waterfront in Vancouver - even on a chilly, rainy day there were moments we could grab.

Of course there are the driving instructions coming from my son as I maneuver his precious car through the city.  Never mind that I've been driving for 45 years - you'd think that I was taking a driver's ed course at this point.

But we are having some fun!

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Those November Quiltvillians!

It's super early Tuesday morning as I write this - Here in the PNW it's 6:30am which means it's 9:30am back home and all of the November Quiltvillians are headed home in all of their directions.
Hubster Dave should just about be touching down at Tri Cities airport for his drive home after his long red eye flight.
Jason is sleeping - though I know from the sounds I heard through the night that he was having a rough go of it.
But today he gets his stitches out!

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Summit Street Gift-Away!!

Happy Weekend, folks!

And happy NOVEMBER- can you believe it? Where did the time go?

I know that quilters everywhere are feeling the crunch of November as the holidays (and our Quiltville Winter Mystery Lupine & Laughter ) draw closer!

And to celebrate our quilty holiday crunch that is upon us - have I got a fun gift-away for you!

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One Thing At A Time!

I did cut out yesterday.

Not enough to finish the blocks for the quilt, but I cut enough to get going.  To sew for a while.

And that's enough.

It was just the amount I needed to feel like I accomplished something - anything.

Two days left before I fly to be with Jason - have I packed yet?  Nope!

But I have begun to make a pile next to the suitcase on the guestroom bed of things that need to go with me.

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The Kitting Up Day That Wasn't -

I've had a lot of discombobulated days lately. A lot of them.

It seems days of best laid plans (Which is how I generally roll) have become thrown to the wind and what gets done gets done, and what doesn't gets shoved off into the next day's to-do list mayhem.

And I find the big question of the day when things remain undone is "What does it matter?" "Does it matter?"

Honestly, I wonder what would happen if I just stopped everything. Everything.

If all the plates on all the poles stopped spinning and crashed to the ground, what would happen then?

What if I let it all go?

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