Where Wild Ponies Roam -

It's that time of year!

The temperatures were up there toward 70 - but let me tell you, the wind was gusty and cold so you'd never guess it was "technically" that warm.

Still - a couple of adventurous retreaters and I headed up to Grayson Highlands for my first Appalachian Trail hike since June of 2022.

Could the foot/ankle handle it?

YES!  Although I'm a bit stiff this morning, there has been no pain/swelling.  Hooray!

As for the ponies - we weren't sure we would see any, and these two new retreaters had never been up here before so I was quite surprised when we spotted our first one, just off the trail!

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That String Star Project -

More time for blue string triangles!

String quilting makes a mess.  It just does.  There is a lot of digging and pulling and sorting - searching for the right fabric to go next to the one I've already sewn in place.

I want the fabrics to still contrast a bit with each other, to enhance each other when laid side-by-side.

Each fabric deserves a place to shine so I try to put a tone-on-tone next to a busy print so two busy prints next to each other don't just morph into a blob of busy-ness.

I'm sure you get my drift!

The job at hand? To do enough string piecing to get the triangle pieces I need to continue to build rows on this project that had reached just short of half-way done and then stalled.

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Scatterbrained Quilter At Work!

I put off the trimming of these units for at least a week.

No, I take that back.

I trimmed some of them, and found myself wandering off to some other task - like spring cleaning the studio - before finally coming back to them yesterday and just digging in and getting the job done.

There are the most favorite parts of quilting - and then there are the least favorite.

Trimming fits that category.  I really dread the chore of squaring anything up, sliver-trimming, and even trimming up paper foundation pieced units -

But the results are SO WORTH IT.  But still.  Just so you know. It's my least favorite.

The upside?  Once I got this far, I could sew those units together and start progressing onto this:

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Blustery Days

What are we going to do when it's freezing out (even with sunshine and blue sky, it was in the 30s!) and it's time to take some group photos out in front of the house and attempt to do some "over the porch rail" quilt shots?

We bundle up and make it as quick as we can!

You can't see it here, but then wind was not cooperating with our efforts, and  there was much flapping in the breeze of those lovely quilts over the rail - but even quilts being fluffed by the breeze can be considered "action shots" right?

I love that the ladies from the Richmond Express group wanted to take their group photo wrapped up in colorful quilts on the front steps at Quiltville Inn.

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Three Times Lucky!

What's the one common theme in this photo?

Besides the fact that miss Lola is front and center as always -

Baby, it's cold outside (15 degrees this morning as I made my way to the inn! Brrrr!) and jackets are required!

I love it when retreaters want to come see what's going on next door at the QPO studio, and of course - "We want to see Lola!"

And Lola was up to her usual antics of begging for pets and treats, and even rolling over onto her back to show the world her belly as I displayed the New River Star quilt over the long arm machine rail for folks to see up close.

It's as if she says "Forget the quilt - I know you are here to see ME!"

And of course we applauded.

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Celebrating St Paddy's Day!

This is what I walked in to yesterday morning upon my arrival at the inn!

The Richmond Express quilters had pulled out all of the stops including (but not limited to) green bagels for a very St. Paddy's Day breakfast!

I just love the creativity that groups bring into this space - and it isn't limited to the quilting quarters -

It spreads from room to room and down each hallway.

Oh happy day!

And isn't this little guy just the cutest?

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