After all of that rain, the sun had come out on Sunday afternoon and Hubster Dave took on the brave job of attempting to tame grass that had grown long enough to require a baler.
The question was - would the grass dry out enough once cut to have a fire pit evening on Monday night - or would the wind kick up and have smoke be a problem?
Our planets were in alignment however, and we spent the most pleasant of evenings around the fire, making s'mores and unwinding after a long productive week of retreat fun.
Mable is has her eye on Dianna's s'more, just waiting for graham cracker to drop!
We had a couple of first-timers who had never hiked up Bear Branch road with us before. It had been a couple of weeks for me as well and I was curious as to how things had changed as the seasons move on into late July.
An attempt at close up photography.
A little blurry with the wing movements.
We were charmed by his presence, and when we returned back to the retreat I did some searching for what he was.
He/She is a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail!
And of course I am thinking that Navy, purple and thistle pink and bright green would make a beautiful quilt palette.
Shady dirt road. Late summer.
four brave quilters, willing to step away from machines and come explore with me!
Back at retreat - some projects were coming together and up to borders.
Borders on this "Love Grows Here."
And borders on this "Love Grows Here -" from our first time retreater and her first quilt EVER! I don't think it will be her last.
Cute and scrappy, a great way to use big prints.
Sampler blocks on the wall - all from my many years of Addicted to Scraps columns with Quiltmaker - this is going to be a fun quilt!
More sampler blocks and a whimsical stocking.
Four patches & Nine patches!
Next door in the QPO studio -
They are done! I've finished all of the star blocks needed for my Romania quilt - now to lay it out, get the center together and decide on what to do for borders.
I love how fun and splashy these are. Just a bit busy. No negative space. A lot going on. Just the way I like them.
Maybe today while laundry is running I can get things together? We'll see.
This continues. Drawing happens THURSDAY!
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.
Head over to the Gift-Away Post to read all about it and get your entry in for the Gift-Away. 2 winners will each receive a Hello, Gretchen! PDF pattern from me and:
A Notable Neutrals fabric roll from Cotton to Quilts!
Intro Pricing: I've placed the Hello, Gretchen! PDF pattern at 25% off - no coupon needed - through 7/31/26. Discount applied at checkout.
If this is your first time downloading digital patterns from my store to a computer click HERE.
If you intend to download to an iPhone/iPad click HERE.
Especially designed for paper piecing, Hello, Gretchen! is the perfect quilt to turn your saved bits into sparkling beauty! Full color photos, diagrams, step by step instruction and printable foundations included. Strings and scraps at their best!
Quilt Size: 84'' X 84''
*This pattern assumes the maker has at least a basic knowledge and some experience with foundation paper piecing by machine.
A reminder to EVERYONE to not use auto-fill (The prompt that puts in your name, mailing address, phone number, everything with a click.)
As this is a PDF pattern, no mailing address is necessary. Place the item in your cart, then go to the cart page to check out by entering your name and email address manually. I don't know why it works this way, but it does.
If there is an issue with your computer - it could be YOUR OWN browser/security settings. Browser extensions preventing pop-ups can also be an issue. Try using *Incognito mode* to see if the problem persists. Try a different browser, Or order on your phone or tablet, then go to your computer for the download email.
Your VPN or Adblocker can also cause problems when placing an order.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
I need to get to the point where I have more fabric being sewn up than coming in.
That doesn't mean I'll ever get there!
Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone -
4 comments:
Come for the quilting, stay for the nature photography!! Thanks for reporting on the butterfly you saw...
"He/She is a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail!" <-- this is a great example of a time you can use (if you want!) the singular "they". They are a beautiful pipevine swallowtail! I know a lot of folks thing that using "they" about a singular person/thing is a new thing that us nonbinary folks made up recently...but it's a very old part of the English language, especially if you don't know the gender of the thing ("oh no, someone left THEIR wallet on the table -- did you see who they were or where they went?")
I know us transgender and nonbinary people are kind of a hot topic in the US especially right now..but..we're just people, trying to hoard fabric and keep cats away from our irons like every other quilter! <3 and sometimes nerding out about grammar. (to be clear this is in no way a criticism, bonnie, your phrasing just made me want to grammar-nerd-out! obviously punctuation is not my top priority though lol)
I'm working out of my stash for the second year and, like you, I don't seem to be making much progress. But I'll keep trying.
Laughing at the meme. You have quite a stash to sew up and people who send you more. Good luck! Glad to know it was a butterfly and not a moth. Beautiful palate I'd use those colors. Happy stitching Tuesday.
You know, I never thought that - only because I really didn't want to call it an *IT* because in my mind I was calling it a he..but it could be something else...Are female butterflies as dowdy as a lot of female birds? This little one was beautiful. At any rate, They/them/their is a part of my vocabulary on the regular as in "Someone left their car keys, I hope they'll be back for them..." I just wasn't thinking non-binary in the case of butterflies.
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