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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