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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Quilts Over The Rail!

This is the kind of fun we have putting all of the quilters over the porch rail and waving at cars as they drive on by.

The May Quiltvillians have been pedal to the metal all week long and just look at this beautiful array of quilts!

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Odds & Ends!

There's one thing sure about the weather - it is always subject to change!  

And here in Virginia we can get at least 3 seasons all in one week if not in one day.

A few days ago it was 35 in the morning. Like - WHAT? No, I'm not walking my driveway in that.

Yesterday?  Folks - we reached 86 on the mountain and it was 96 in Richmond. Seriously?

Pack a sweater and a personal fan because you are going to need it!

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Weekend Walks & Quilting!

Hooray for great weather and willing women eager to get out and get some steps in!

I tell you, though - we are going to have to start getting out just a bit earlier because all at once - it'ss too hot if we wait until 11am!

It's just a short walk. About 2 miles.  Up and back. 

And every two weeks or so, I am amazed at the changes taking place.

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Good Times & Pop-Up Shops!

The May Quiltvillians are in the house - and they brought with them not one, but TWO pop-up fabric shops!

I love when this happens...the quilters can keep on quilting, and only have to walk a few feet to fit in some retail therapy.  What a wonderful combination!

One gal brought fabric bundles made from a quilter's stash donated by her husband after she passed away.  The fabric is coordinated in bags, some with patterns included and sold by the pound. The proceeds are going to support good causes.

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Crackers & Jam Gift-Away!

Happy Friday, Happy Mid-May, Happy ALL THE THINGS!

I know you've been waiting for this one and I can't wait to watch you dig in -

If you are on Facebook, I hope you have joined our Quiltville’s Open Studio group so you can share your progress on what you are making.  It doesn't matter what, it doesn't matter who designed it, I love seeing what you are working on and that is the easiest way for me to keep up with you.

Some quilt ideas start on a whim, require immediate attention to get it into fabric, and then simmer into something else altogether during the making.

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Little By Little -

Yesterday morning, back porch at Quiltville Inn.

I haven't been sitting with Flash every day, some of our mornings have been rainy and cold and I'm not that much of a sucker - but if the morning is fine, I'll come sit for 10 minutes and see if he will tolerate my presence and eat his food regardless.

It's a battle of wills.

Are you hungry enough to let me be here while you eat, or will you sulk off and wait until I leave?

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Crunch Days!

I'm in the crunch!  But getting there -

One thing I try to do consistently is photograph each part of any quilt unit while in the process of making them - not saving that step for later.  It helps me remember just what I did, how I did it and in my mind I'm going through how I'm going to word things so that even the beginnerest-of-beginners (Yes, that's a word, or should be!) will understand and be able to do each step along the way.

I've heard a lot about poorly written directions, and I'd rather err on the "too wordy" side of things to make sure everyone understands even the simplest of instructions than have it not make sense to anyone.

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Mostly A Desk Day!

Yesterday was MOSTLY a desk day.

There were a few things I needed to take care of at the inn - the last of the laundry, the making of towel baskets for incoming retreaters, the recovering of pressing stations.  Routine.

I kind of like that routine when the house is quiet and I am the only one there.

But once that was done it was time to get down to business.  Except:

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A Quiet Mother's Day -

When was the last time you had a quiet weekend for yourself?
It truly doesn't happen enough around here, but on the tail end of returning home from my whirlwind week in Idaho, after blood draw appointments and physical therapy appointments and zoom meetings with publisher stuff I found myself with Saturday and Sunday wide open.
I brought my machine and project over to the Inn and set up to sewing with the ladies - retreat style - and fully enjoyed myself to the point where I didn't take many photos at all!
And that's okay.
What was I working on?  Samples for our next Leader & Ender challenge coming up in July and I can't wait to show you.  But not yet!

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Misfits In The House!

The Muddy Creek Misfit gals arrived on Wednesday - and the purple and white Dame's Rocket was here to greet them!

I tell my men-folk who take care of the yard that these wildflower areas are NO MOW until the blossoms have gone.

They are such a great place for bees and butterflies - and let's face it - that purple abundance is so great for my soul. It's riotous!

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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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