While The Cat's Away...

I made a quick getaway with a couple of friends over to Marion, Virginia for the annual Art & Crafts festival held at Hungry Mother State Park.

It's a beautiful park with loads of walking trails, even some that circle around the lake.

I love these kids of little festivals and was eager to see what we would find there.  I wasn't searching for anything in particular, and even if I ended up not buying anything it was a gorgeous day to wander in the shade beneath the trees.

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Deanna & the UPS Guy!

Sometimes I get to witness some pretty amazing acts of long-lasting-through-it-all kinds of love.

Yesterday was just such a day.

I had received a VERY strange email in the morning telling me to be "In front of the main house at exactly 11am."

No details were given. There was no name left - just a very vague email address.

My reply? "Main house? Which main house?" Hoping to get more information or perhaps simply discern if this was a scam or not.

It wasn't a scam!

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Hello, Gretchen! Gift-Away!

Are you ready for some fun and exciting paper piecing?

Are your saved scraps overflowing and out of control?

If so - Hello, Gretchen! just might be the pattern you've been waiting for, the quilt you've been eager to dive in and make.

I was completely obsessed with making this quilt.  It uses EVERYTHING, even those cut-off corners you've saved from doing things like stitch n flip where you put a square on the corner of a base unit, stitch the diagonal to become a corner triangle, and trim the excess.

There is a lot of fabric waste in that excess!  Actually...I consider those to be BONUS triangles because there is so much you can do with them.

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This, That & The Other -

I don't know about your camera roll, but mine is full of things I took photos of with the intention to share what I've found, but somehow in the vast array of photos from quilters and projects on retreat they just fell back into never never land.

When I went to see the neuromuscular guy on Friday, I had just enough time to wander an antique mall I hadn't been in for months and months and months -

I found a COUPLE of things. I noticed this quilt right away...

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Between The Rain Showers!

We must have all been doing quite the rain dance - because once Saturday rolled through and we stopped to take a photo of the dam that no longer had water flowing over it on Wilson Creek - 

It rained for nearly two days straight - yesterday being the heaviest of all, so I'm glad we had opted to take our over-the-porch-rail photos on Saturday afternoon between cloud bursts!

Take a look at all of these Lupine & Laughter beauties!

The sky may be grey, but these quilts are sunshine.

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Quilting Weekends and Happy Birthdays!

What's it like to spend your birthday on retreat?

Fantastic of course!  All of your best quilty mates around you to help celebrate, and eat your cake.

And yes, there was ice cream as well.

I love to spend my own birthday doing something I love (In somewhere far away from here) and it tickles me that folks will plan their retreats around their birthday month so they can continue to celebrate all month long.

And you just have to know that any gifts are also quilty, right?

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Days of Distraction!

Some days we just have to put it all out on the table, decide which is the most important and let other things slide off onto the next day's to-do list because...moment's like this only come around so often!

Rain in the forecast - but ladies wanted to sew before going to the quilt shops after lunch.

Could I get anyone to break away for a 45 minute nature hike? Just a quick 2 miler?

Yes!

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Pieceful Hearts and Dirt Road Hikes!

Mid-summer.  That means getting out as early in the day as we can, even though early is purely relative to everything that has to be done before I actually get to the retreat around 10am.

"I'd love to go on a walk" someone says as I walk through the door of the quilting quarters after feeding Hazel and Flash.

I'd already put in about 2 hours of computer work before leaving home...if we wanted to make the most of the morning my reply was "Meet me at the van in 10 minutes!"

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Bikers & Quilters!

Quiltville Inn sits at the crossroads of highway 16 coming up from North Carolina and highway 58,. Route 58 runs for approximately 508 miles stretching horizontally across the entire southern border of the state. It begins near the Cumberland Gap at the western tip and ends at Route 60 in Virginia Beach on the Atlantic coast.

It might look like a lazy 2-lane highway in front of the inn, but this route is a favorite of motorcyclists and other travelers alike in the summer months.

This means that I am often a destination rest stop for quilters as well!

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No Scrap Neglected!

I was anxious to get to the studio yesterday so I could throw myself into getting this little sewing machine stitchery together.

As I look through the scraps I gathered from my pre-cut squares box to sew into this border...how many decades of scraps are represented here?

I spot a print I know is from the 1980s as I used that print (in a different color) when Jason was a baby.  He's going to be 43 in November.

There are recycled fabrics, civil war repros mixed with Kaffe, novelties, more contemporary/modern prints...what quilts and previous projects were these scraps left from?

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You'll Never Guess Where!

It was all by accident.

I had literally given up.

I had gone through every drawer, every file folder, every shelf - even rearranging some things in the process.

(And yes, I admit I even decluttered and threw some stuff out in the process...because...might as well?)

And then while doing something totally unrelated -

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Beating The Heat!

Those of us on the Easty Coasty have been experiencing incredible heat indexes over the past week.

I even gave up on my morning driveway walks because by 10am it could be 80+ and I just wasn't feeling it.

This is so uncommon for us in the mountains....usually our HIGHS don't go above 85 mid afternoon, but this was definitely over the top.

And the thunderstorms my weather app kept promising?

Fizzled.

Barely made the pavement wet if there was anything, and it was dry 5 minutes later.

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Hot As A Firecracker!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

We've got a projected high of 90 on the mountain today...and we usually push the "projected" forecast by a degree or two so buckle up for a hot one, baby!

It was even hotter yesterday - the thermometer in my car read 96 though I'm not sure how accurate that read is from a parked car.

At any rate - it's a good weekend to only celebrate when temps come down in the evening.

During the daytime you'll find me in the cool of the studio sewing up Romanian flag colors looking remarkably like fireworks!

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Tulip Swirl: 2026 Leader & Ender Challenge!

It's July!
And you know what that means - Not only are we more than half-way through our year, but it's time to make good use of some scraps between the lines of our chain piecing and make something pretty in the process!
We've been doing these Leader & Ender challenges for many years now, and I absolutely love seeing where your creativity takes you as we sew little pieces together to keep our chain piecing not only continuous, but fun.

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Last Stitches In!

It's done!

I put the last stitches into my Goose Feathers quilt and it is done done done!

To be honest, I'm a bit over the aqua for a while.

Between this quilt, and the aqua in my hexie quilt and both quilts pushing for a finish - it's been an aqua overload.

I still love this color, and I'll come back to it, but let's take a break, shall we?

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And They're Off!

I waved goodbye to the Mississippi Stitchers yesterday -

Actually I was waving from where I was seated at my desk writing yesterday's post because they left before I even got the blog out and could get there.

They had an extra long drive ahead of them, and just as required, I got a text about bed time that everyone had reached home safely.  I'm so glad!

It was hot yesterday for the mountains, today is going to be hotter still.

I am always relieved when everyone makes it to their front door.

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Wild Rhodies Blooming!

While the big "domestic" rhododendron in front of the inn blooms around Mother's Day, I'm always asked "But what about the wild ones, the rhododendrons we see in the woods all over the place?"

By 4th of July is the reply.

Only this year they started showing themselves early!  They may be all DONE by the 4th of July.

I took this photo last evening on my after-dinner-drive-way-torture walk.

Yes. I'm still doing it.

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All Roads Lead To The Kitchen!

Where there is abundant quilting, there also must be yummy food!

This photo is a special thanks to Cindy who had to cancel out at the last minute, but sent a yummy charcuterie board for all to enjoy - she was with us in spirit!

(And oh, this was such a yummy lunch!)

Cheeses, cold cuts, a variety of olives, dried fruits and nuts...just the fuel we needed to get back to the machines.

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Hexie Quilt Update & More!

It's impossible to do anything...ANYTHING...around here without fur coated helpers jumping in.

It sure makes things interesting to say the least.

What was going on?

I laid out my hexie quilt top so I could see just where I needed to start adding the next hexie row to the mothership.

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Moved On In And Quilting!

The Mississippi Stitchers moved on in on Wednesday afternoon...when I walked in yesterday morning the house was a-buzz with quilty activity!

Folks ask "Isn't it lonely and mundane living out there in the middle of nowhere?"  My answer? 

It's a party when I walk in!  And they feed me...what more could a girl ask for?

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Binding On!

The moment arrived!  It was time to trim off that excess backing and batting, straighten the edges, square the corners and get some binding on!

Yes, you can see from the photo that my backing included spiders on spider webs, because why not?

I had several yards of this print...not quite enough for a back, but enough that I was able to just incorporate a couple of other pieces and make do with it.

Besides - did you know that spiders and their webs were considered to be good luck in early quilts? You'll often find their motifs in the form of embroidery on vintage crazy quilts, and even some of our favorite string pieced patterns are referred to as "spider web."

Spiders are not just for Halloween!

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Sewciologists Over The Rail!

And they were off yesterday morning...but what a fun time we had while they were here!

Good friends, great fabric, amazing projects, loud laughter, plenty of shenanigans and the best food.

I don't think there is anything else we can ask for in a retreat!

With rain inbound on  Monday, we did our porch photo taking in Sunday's late afternoon sunshine.

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Quilt To The Last Minute!

Summer retreats were made for this!

I'm so glad the weather *mostly* cooperated this past week and many meals were able to be enjoyed out here.

May they long continue!

The porch is a great place to relax and break away from the hum of the machines even during in-between meal times.  There are places to sit and relax, do a bit of quiet hand stitching, or even catch your grandson's ball game by video.

I love spending as much time out here as I can.

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Busy Quilting Weekend!

Happy Monday, folks!

What a full up-to-the-brim fun quilting weekend we had!

Irene's Sewciologists were busy with quilt construction, new projects started, other projects reaching top stage, fabric and dog-ears flying.

It was happy productive mayhem with a dash of dirt road hikes and much back porch time included.

Perfect!

And yes, I have a top finish, too.

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Makers, Walkers, Quilters!

We were small but mighty for our get-out-of-the-house dirt road hike yesterday afternoon.

The rain from the day before had subsided, leaving a beautiful breezy afternoon.

Okay, sometimes it was downright gusty, but down in the holler we were a bit more protected from gale force winds.

It feels so good to just take a bit of time, stretch the legs, talk about anything and everything away from the machines, and then get back to the quiltmaking with renewed energy after having done something so good for not only our bodies, but our mental health as well.

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Resuming Studio Time!

I'm kind of a no-more-than-three-projects-at-a-time girl.

I'm not sure when that began.

There was a time when I could dilly dally at several different things I wanted to try with many projects in different stages...but eventually I realized that I was not making any real progress on anything.

And due to things all of a sudden having deadlines with goals in mind - I stopped.

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Up to Sighisoara!

Sighișoara, located in central Transylvania, is one of Europe's best-preserved, continually inhabited medieval citadels.

Medieval stuff? Citadels? I'm all in for this!

Founded in the 12th century by Transylvanian Saxon craftsmen, the UNESCO-listed city is renowned for its colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, and as the birthplace of Vlad III the Impaler.

Not a fan of Vlad the Impaler, but hey - a medieval guy has got to do what a medieval guy has got to do to protect his territory.

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String Rings Gift-Away!

Mid June!  It's Mid June!

The rhododendrons are blooming in the woods around the cabin. Gardens are bursting with color and the promise of delicious produce through the summer months.  I love mid June!

I also love mid-month PDF pattern releases - especially when it's one you've been watching me make from the beginning and waiting for release day so you, too can dig into your burgeoning scrap stash and start in on something new and wonderful.

Stitch your own rainbow with strings and stars!

It's String Rings pattern release day!

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Just Start....Anywhere.

How about we begin with pictures from the bus window?  Reflections and all?
Because these were my first glimpses of where we were headed when we first landed in Romania - Transylvania!
And were there mountains? YES!  There were beautiful mountains, some still snow-capped and looming above us.

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More Geese. So Many More Geese.

I'm getting there.

But I'm not done yet.

I guess that statement could apply to a lot of things in my life, but in this case scenario it is referencing the ongoing construction of paper pieced geese units that will become the border for my Goose Feathers. quilt.

I've explained why I love paper piecing so much - but another reason is just how things like flying geese seams lay when you paper piece versus regular piece. 

It's just less bulky when pressing.

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June Quiltvillians - It's A Wrap!

Now, this is what I call a porch full!

Lovely sunshine, some tricky breezes, but all in all a big display and a wave to passers by on a Monday afternoon.

It was a joy to have the June Quiltvillians on hand as we turned the calendar page into June, 

And oh, the projects worked on and some completed, Some waiting for more borders once home with the stash, some only just beginning and still in block making stage, but will definitely be making a return trip next year.

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And There They Were!

Yesterday morning we loaded up the van with four quilters, (me included) two dogs and headed up to Grayson Highlands to hike along the Appalachian Trail in search of ponies.

I'd heard from others that new foals had made their arrival and it was a grand time to go.

Remember - the retreat before this one it rained the entire time over Memorial Day week?

It had been a hot minute since I'd made this trek with a retreat group!

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Lasts Days of May -

It's Monday. It's the beginning of a new week. And a new month.  June is here.

How does that happen?

I almost feel sad about June....later in the month that summer solstice happens and we start decreasing our daylight time and in my mind I'm hearing "And here we go again...the slow descent into the depths of winter."

But for now....I'm going to enjoy every bit of every summer day we have ahead of us and make them count.

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All On A Friday -

The June Quiltvillians are quilting up a quilty storm!

June? But it's May? Technically yes, but we will be in June by the time they leave! Every year, the date shifts back by one day until we hit leap year. It's just the way it goes.  Plus this way they are here while I am here as next Friday I leave for Romania.

This way we get to be together!

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Quilting Always, But Brunch First!

Look Ma, No Rain!

Our lovely late spring weather has returned to many cheers.  Dirt road hikes were planned, and meals are once again happening on the back porch.

This is the kind of weather that summer retreats are made of.

At the same time, we know we can't really appreciate the glory of fine weather unless we also have to live through some of the yuck. (Like the snowcrete that was plaguing us in January/February? I still feel triggered from that!)

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Block Surfing Lessons -

By early afternoon I had a few free hours ahead of me, so I headed back to the QPO to start assembling some blocks.

How quickly I forgot what it was like to have a "studio cat" discover just how fun a design floor could be.

I had gone home the night before rather chuffed with the block arrangement I had decided on.  

I was happy to see that things were still in place in the morning when I first went in to feed Hazel before heading over to the inn to finish up preparations for yesterday afternoon's arrivals.

What could go wrong?

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Quilters Of The Night Over The Rail!

It was the rainiest of rainy weeks! It started last Wednesday...continued through to Sunday when we finally had a break in the weather to get some over-the-porch-rail photos.

More rain was incoming -

And as predicted, it's raining again this morning.  No complaints - we need it!

But what about our quilts?

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Memorial Day Quilting!

I don't know how everyone else spent their Memorial Day holiday, but I am lucky enough to have the Quilters of The Night who always have their retreat over Memorial Day weekend as it gives those who are still working a paid holiday day off that they don't have to use vacation days for!

We rarely do anything for Memorial Day around here as a family - we don't go on vacation ourselves, and even if we get together it won't interrupt retreat time so Memorial Day is one of the holidays we do have retreaters on hand.

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Memorial Day, 2026

It's still rather rainy -
It rained all weekend long except for a bit of yesterday where we quickly gathered the Quilters of the Night to do our over-the-porch-rail photos a day early.
More rain in the middle of the night last night.
There are NO COMPLAINTS!
It might be raining some folks' Memorial Day picnics out, but if we have to move it inside, it's just as good as long as we are together.

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Rainy Day Quilters -

This was my morning view as I came up the front steps to see how things were going.

Actually, I KNEW how things were going because there is nothing better than the sound of  quilters and coffee on the front porch as heard from the parking area below.

I just know it is going to be a good day when the quilters are also having a good morning!

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Quilters Quilting Quilts!

Yesterday was a bit of a challenge -

Remember that macular doc appointment I mentioned yesterday?

It wasn't until 11:30 but we left the house early to swing by the retreat, feed the kitties and check on the retreaters as well as check the mail for a package we were expecting.

I arrived to find that the Quilters of the Night had INDEED Quilted late into the night - some were still sleeping, and others were happily enjoying the front porch rocking chairs, which I am always so glad to see.

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New Door, New Day!

It finally happened!

And it happened so early (8am) that I wasn't even there to see it done.

Hubster Dave and Son Jeff were on hand during the long-awaited installation process, but I was here at home tapping on my keyboard getting yesterday's post out.

It's in!  The new back entry door is finally in!

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