Cat's Out Of The Bag!

Some of you have found this already and have been asking me about it so let's just put it all out there, shall we??

I was contacted by my publishers at C&T and asked if we could do a "Greatest Hits" kind of book together containing 30 of my favorite quilts from my previous publications.

I said yes!

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A Drop In Trunk Show!

Amazing things happen in the most unusual ways!

I met Debbie (on the left) several years ago when she was still living in New Jersey.  She came down to Bedford, Pennsylvania when I was teaching my summer workshop series with Mary Koval.

Little did I know that she would pull up stakes and fund herself living in Garden Valley, Idaho - right where my mom lives!

I received a text message the night that I arrived letting me know that their guild meeting was happening the next morning at 10am.

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Home And Moving Slowly!

As much as I'm worn out after travel to Idaho and back to visit my mom and stepdad -

Let's triple that with the addition of my mom's two sisters (My aunties!) and a visit from son Jason in the mix!

The weather could not have been more perfect - Spring in Garden Valley/Crouch Idaho is scenic and wonderful and everything is still green yet - for a couple more months or so.

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A Week with the Bonniacs!

Hi Everyone!

I knew I said there would not be blogging while at my mom's but I have time to get at least these photos out to you - 

Mom's out in the garden watering and we are leaving soon to go pick up her two sister's at the airport and things are about to get crazy here, but for now I have some calm and quiet.

And these quilts deserve to be shared!

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A Weekend At Play!

Is there any better way to start a Monday than with a gorgeous array of Moonflower blocks from our retreat workshop?  Just look at these beauties!

Everyone just did the BEST job and I love how they have taken their colors and shadings into their own direction for what are likely to be some fantabulous Moonflower quilts!

My hope is that they will bring them as assembled tops (if not quilted and placed on their beds!) for next year's retreat.

Wouldn't it be gorgeous to see them all over the porch rail?

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A Day To Play!

Somewhere around 6pm last evening.

Taco bar on the porch.  Make it a wrap, or a salad - your choice.  All the fixin's. Wonderful and delicious!

It had been a day of "Do what you want your own way" as the designated quilt shop hop day.

At one point there were only 2 people enjoying the quiet of retreat with all of the others out in search of the perfect fabrics for the quilts of their dreams.

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Get The Ball Rolling!

Nola's Bonniacs are in the house!

I'm so excited that they are back for another round of retreat fun.

But do you want to know what this getting older thing is like? Or are you already here with me?

Last week I *KNEW* we were having a Moonflower workshop with Nola's group. 

I reconfirmed it with myself.  And then I put it out of my mind - or it fell through the black hole -because I showed up yesterday on what was supposed to be workshop day #1 just  breezing on in, looking at what everyone was making....

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Pleasantries & Otherwise -

Sometimes living rural isn't easy.  It's not always convenient.

Especially when it comes to health care appointments beyond the basics.

We have a little medical clinic here with a nurse, a PA and they can handle most things like my twice a year blood draws to check for things like my type 2 diabetes. 

They are good for an antibiotic if needed or basic prescriptions for cholesterol or whatever.

But when it comes to the REAL stuff, like yearly paps or macular specialists - It's an hour or more.

Which means we make a PLAN to do other things that are fun, making the unpleasantries a bit more worth it.

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Binding in the Done Column!

I actually finished the binding and hanging sleeve over the weekend, but our weather!

We went from lovely days in the 80s to back into the 30s and rainy and windy...

I had hoped to get an "over the tree rail" photo of Hello Gretchen, but the universe has other ideas right now.

Before we headed out for dinner with 10 year old Casden to celebrate his birthday, I opted just to do a few quickies over the long arm rail.

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Quilt District Over The Rail!

Three cheers for these very talented (And absolutely super fun!) ladies and their glorious quilts displayed over the porch rail at Quiltville Inn!

We were discussing how many times they've come - through rain and snow and bouncing around dates depending on where Easter week falls.

We had fabulous weather all the way through Saturday!

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In Search Of Ponies!

Eight of us loaded up two vehicles and headed out (or should I say UP!) to Grayson Highlands State Park to see if we could spot any ponies along the Appalachian Trail.

Some had been with me before, but it had been a couple of years.

Some were completely new to this experience and their excitement was infectious and Energizing!

We didn't do too bad for a group of quilters also UP there in age!

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Day On The Run -

We've had this issue with Lola before.

I think it was a couple of years ago while I was on all of the make up back-to-back international trips post Covid.

There was a whole month where I went from Egypt strait to Ireland and did two consecutive Ireland tours to get all of those delayed trips in.

At any rate - Lola developed an intestinal blockage and Hubster Dave had to rush her to the emergency vet.

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Sew Much Scrappy Fun!

The Quilt District ladies are in the house, headed up by group mom Tara Miller!

And by looking at this photo, you'd think that I pre-coordinated hanging my Dogwood Daze quilt in the front foyer to coordinate with the gorgeous fabrics she's brought.

Oh, my!  The yummy goodness, and the absolute thrill of having fabrics come to ME instead of having to drive to them.

It's kismet!

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Open Window PDF Gift-Away!

Hello, Quiltvillians!

It's Open Window PDF pattern release and Gift-Away Day!

I know you've been waiting for this one.  It's finally time.

I started my journey with Open Window as a way to use up some recycled shirt strings, and I chose string blocks instead of plain half-square triangles to recreate a design I had seen on a tile floor.

Sometimes the tile designs are so simple, you need to *UP* them a bit and that is where string blocks come into play so wonderfully.

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Sorting & Sewing!

I finished the desk work that needed to be done!

Our Open Window PDF release and gift-away is ready for tomorrow - all that is left to do is get things ready to go live in the Quiltville Store and do some edits on the gift-away blog post.

I can do that today - but needing a screen break, I did something that has needed doing for MONTHS!

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Bitter Bees Over The Porch Rail!

Take a look at this fabulous group of quilty folk, displaying their creativity all along this porch rail!

The quilts and projects were many - some finishes from the last couple of years of retreats, some made at home and brought to cover beds while sleeping.

(I love walking through the house and seeing the array of beautiful quilts brought to put on the bed - it's a quilt show all its own!)

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All On A Saturday!

Saturday was our wrap up of our Scrappy Mountain Majesties retreat workshop!

It works so well to break a workshop into hands-on hours in the morning, giving everyone the opportunity to do other things in the afternoons, whether it be going to hit up a quilt shop or two, take a nap, take a walk, relax on the porch -

There is time for everything!

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Last Year's Workshop Finishes!

We took a moment on the porch with Debbie's Bitter Bees to share the results and finishes from last year's Spanish Rose applique workshop!

I know applique is not for everyone.  I, myself, don't do a lot of it though it's not much different than hand stitching down a binding, hanging sleeve or label.

This quilt was designed as a hand stitching workshop for our Mediterranean cruise several years back because we wouldn't have sewing machines available. Handwork it was!

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A Day With Scrappy Mountain Majesties!

Fun was had by all in our first round of Scrappy Mountain Majesties workshop!

Everyone came with their squares pre-cut to we could get down to sewing up a storm.

I call these workshops during retreat a Land Cruise - which means we are not going to cram it all into one 6-hour session, we're going to give a couple of hours of instruction before lunch and the afternoon is free for everyone to do what they want to do, whether it's take a nap, a walk, work on something else, or head to town to visit a quilt shop for more fabric.

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Quilting Done!

One of the most wonderful feelings has to be advancing a large quilt to the next section to find that you are close to reaching the bottom borders.
As much as I love hand quilting (And I am missing hand quilting but am concentrating on finishing that eternal hexie quilt before I can't see anymore to do close hand stitching) the realization that it would take me 4 to 5 months of evening hand quilting to quilt a quilt that I can machine quilt in two days....
I know they are two different things - hand quilting and machine quilting. But dang!

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In The Machine

Let the quilting begin!

I'm so excited to get this one quilted - and it was a perfect day for some time in the studio to load it all up.

Housekeeper Susan was next door at the inn, excited about the ew vacuum we replaced the old one with.  It was time.  The beater bar on the old one was worn out and there were no replacement parts available.  New vacuum it is. )Hooray for the small improvements!)

Son Jeff was on hand working in the yard - I turned on some music to energize my morning and got down to the nitty gritty of  loading everything up.

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More About Purple -

I know this is not the kind of piecing for anyone in a hurry.

It took 3 days for me to get this big purple backing made from my many hunks and chunks that have been stored away, neglected in a bin.

I started combing through the scraps on Saturday Morning, building blocks through Saturday and Sunday and finishing them before dinner time on Sunday evening.

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Deep Into Purples!

So much for working from the top of the purple bin and keeping things orderly -

It was time for up-ending and digging in because I am sewing this stuff up and saying good-bye to random hunks and chunks that have been sitting around for too long, ignored.

Let's just say that there was a lot of ironing while binging some Britbox and I am amazed at what came out of my Spring Break weekend!

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Good Golly Gretchen!

I am laughing at the possible names for my Gretchen block quilt -

The best one of all - but one I won't use though I'm still laughing - Fetchin' Gretchen! 

Only because the name takes me to my Dear Jane days where the Dear was relative and interchangeable with things like Dang, Dastardly, Dumb, Dipsh*t and many times found myself saying "That (*&(*& Jane Block!"

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Antique Junkies On The Go!

I continued my Spring Break stay-cation yesterday by heading out to Boone with a friend!

We did it ALL, you guys!

We had lunch at Taste Grill for wonderful Chinese food. (I am known to schedule my macular check up appointment early afternoon so I can go there and grab lunch before they dilate my eyes all to heck and back.)

And then we did some damage with three thrift shops and two huge antique malls!

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Border Time!

This finally happened yesterday!

I finished all of the border blocks and it was time to get down to the nitty gritty and get this quilt top put together.

I've been fluctuating on a name - the main block in the center is called Gretchen. (We had a little doxie named Gretchen when the boys were little!) but with the addition of these border blocks it needs a bit of an up-do.

In the running is "Hello, Gretchen!" as a nod to the traditional block center, but a bit more.

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The Spring Break Saga!

The skies were a bit dark and cloudy -

But the rain never came.  Not a drop.

We were able to get our over the porch rail photos done before everyone headed out - well ALMOST everyone!  More on that at the bottom of this post.

But for now - let's get into the quilts!

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A Whole Lotta Quilting Going On!

I learn something new at every retreat.

Like how even the pieces that *I* throw away can end up as an amazing useful piece of art!

Take a look at this table mat.  It's like a mini quilt, but isn't.

It's got a layer of batting, backing, and then all kinds of slivers and trimmings placed on top of the batting, and netting/tulle added to the top and  machine quilted through all to hold everything in place like a quilt  and bound!

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Hello, Monday!

We've had a full weekend of cutting, stitching, pressing and more!

The retreat time really does fly by fast when you are hanging out with your besties and dreaming up new projects you want to make after seeing the beautiful blocks on design walls.

Some went and visited quilt shops on Saturday afternoon, some stayed in and sewed all day - 

It was a wonderful weekend all the way around.

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Quilting Into The Weekend!

This kind of chilly and blustery has everyone back to dining inside the house -

Come on, Porch Season - Where are you?

And It really doesn't matter as long as there are good friends, good food, good conversation happening all around.

Throughout the day some went to visit a quilt shop, some stayed in their jammies sewing, some of us even got out for a dirt road hike!

When it's your retreat you can do whatever you like however you like!

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Quilters! Start Your Engines!

Another retreat week was in full swing when I arrived at the inn yesterday morning.

Machines were whirring - fabric was being cut and pressed into submission - another group, another round of wonderful projects just beginning.  Or continuing - 

Projects were already on design walls and all around sewing stations - here's a glimpse at the beginnings of some Scrappy Mountain Majesties blocks (pattern from the Free Patterns tab.)

And I admit - I framed this photo to catch the saying on the mug.  LOL!

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Cows On The Hills!

I took this photo from the corner of the parking area behind the QPO Studio yesterday afternoon.

All was ready, and I was waiting for the first of the April Quiltvillians (Who are joining us in March because Easter falls on their regular week this year.)

One of my favorite things about living in the mountains - watching things become greener than green, and seeing the cows grazing way on the top of the hills.

Look closely - zoom in - it's the little black dots to the right of the old water tower.

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The Pollening!

I know I said "Victory Lap" was going to happen on my Gretchen block quilt top center yesterday -

But it didn't.

Because I dug right into finishing up laundry and doing retreat things that needed to be done before today's arrival of the April Quiltvillians. In March. Because Easter has commandeered their usual weekend.

SHIFT HAPPENS!

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From Richmond And Beyond!

International Quilting day turned into international Quilting Week with the Richmond Express on retreat at Quiltville Inn!

Why have one quilting day on Saturday when they can have their whole stay to celebrate?

It was a marvelous retreat all the way around and even the weather cooperated enough to give us porch time and long walk time and so much sewing time.

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Spring! FINALLY!

The daffies on the hillside on our dirt road hike up Roundhouse Road - 

They are at peak bloom right now and the brilliant yellow against the blue sky makes me so happy!

I know they will be gone soon.  It never lasts long enough, this promise of spring and warmer weather, but I love seeing them here all riotous.

Saturday afternoon was too lovely to NOT take a walk, so out we went.

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It's International Quilting Day!

Is there a better time to be on retreat than on International Quilting Day?

With winter HOPEFULLY in the rear view mirror - we are looking ahead to a beautiful spring and getting into all of the quilty good trouble we can!

There is good food to enjoy, beautiful quilts to make, some make it and take it projects happening - and more.

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Let The Good Times Roll!

The Richmond Express gals are in the house and quilting up a storm!

And the projects are as varied as the conversations interrupted only by bursts of laughter.

You know, as I work my way into my older crone years, there is nowhere else I'd rather be with than a house full of like-minded quilters.

Everyone from different backgrounds and varying life experiences - we could write a book for the answers to all questions because SOMEONE in this house has been through what someone else is just embarking on.  It's marvelous!

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Up To Here!

Lookie, Lookie, Lookie!

I finally have enough blocks to start putting things together.

I say "Finally!"  You say "You are so fast!"  It doesn't feel like that.

But I tend to hyper-focus on things I want to see progressing.  That means that I don't have several projects going in many different stages so I have to decide what I'm going to work on on any given day.

It's one thing at the machine.  Until it's done.

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Well, Dang!

Have you ever spent weeks, months, years working on a project and then get to the point where you think you've made the wrong decision?

I pulled out my ever growing hexie top to see how the top border was going to look now that I've pieced enough of it and I'm not sure this is what I want?

Have I wasted hours and hours and hours?

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St. Patrick's Day in the Snow?

It started yesterday about 4pm.  The sleet mixed with the dreaded white stuff.

Once I heard it pelting against the windows of the QPO studio, I knew I better get home and get up the mountain fast before the drive covered over.

What the heck, Virginia!  It was 82 f degrees last Wednesday, and you pull THIS?!?!

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A Weekend Outing

There was a long list of necessary things -

New kitchen scrubbers for the inn, searching for some chair cushions for the wicker chairs at the side porch, cleaning products, paper products, cat care products (because, you know!)

And I thought I'd take the afternoon off and just go mosey and see what I could do without anyone in tow. (Because, if you usually have a spousal unit with you, then you also know!)

It's just nice not to be in an out and out hurry and take some time to look at possibilities, not just grab necessities and hurry on back.

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From Wednesday To Now!

This was Wednesday's beautiful preview of summer (in MARCH!) as we reached 82 degrees.

Crazy, right?

Grass is green, daffodils are blooming in the background - the peeper frogs down by the creek were singing their spring song. All was well.

Until night time blew in and we went from Fake Spring to Fake Summer and then back to below freezing in the course of the night.

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Brookgreen PDF Pattern Gift-Away!

Who says Friday the 13th is a spooky no-good day?

I love Friday the 13th - and it's perfect for a new pattern release, and a Gift-Away to go with it!

Say hello to Brookgreen!

Simple shapes and easy piecing create a stunning repeat of pattern and secondary designs, inspired by photo taken of vintage tile floors white traveling. 

Full color photos, Optional piecing methods, and directions to press for success!'

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Fake Spring!

It was nearly 80f yesterday.

In the coldest county in Virginia.  In MARCH.

Everything is blooming - I had to take a little trip to Independence yesterday (25 minute drive) and along the river and following the winding roads forsythia were blooming bright yellow as if to say "HELLO!"

Some trees are bursting out in pink blooms. "YES!" is my reply - pink blooming trees are my favorite.

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Am I Lost? Or Found?

On Monday, after coming home at lunch to medicate Mabel (who is doing much better, by the way!) and being relieved of my duties once Hubster Dave made it back home, I decided to take a little "back road drive" to the inn.

Only, I found my way at a crossroads not knowing whether I should turn left or right.

I should have turned left. ((I think?!) because I got kind of lost along the way...

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