Where Did Tuesday Go?

Sunny then rainy. Sunny then rainy.  Such was on repeat-for-days during our retreat.

But the needed rain was a welcome event, and even those attending said how much they enjoyed the sound of the rain while sitting on the porch - just listening to it "ting" on the metal roof above.

Rain in the night sure makes for some good sleeping too when you hear it above your head all while you are tucked in cozy and warm beneath a quilt with sweet dreams of future projects dancing in your head.

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Pedal To The Metal!

Have you ever been so excited about an idea for a quilt that you couldn't wait to dig into fabric and make it happen?

Just be sure that you don't dive in with too much confidence all so sure of yourself and thinking you've got it all right in your yead only to find out that you've sewn things all wrong!

What is that old adage? "Measure twice, cut once?"

Well, things were cut all right...but then sewn together all wrong!

How can that happen, you ask?

Let me show you.

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A Day To Play!

Somewhere around 6pm last evening.

Taco bar on the porch.  Make it a wrap, or a salad - your choice.  All the fixin's. Wonderful and delicious!

It had been a day of "Do what you want your own way" as the designated quilt shop hop day.

At one point there were only 2 people enjoying the quiet of retreat with all of the others out in search of the perfect fabrics for the quilts of their dreams.

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Oh No, Not Again!

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Actually, it was what I woke up to in the still wee small hours as Zoey jumped off the bed around 4am and I knew that if she didn't settle somewhere it was because she needed to go out.

So I padded down the stairs, turning on as little light as I could just to see my way so I don't bruise a hip on the kitchen island, turned right to go towards the back door by the laundry nook, turned on the outside light and.  OH. MY.

It was clear skies last evening!  Where did this come from?

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Binding In The Done Column!

It's done!

And it was well worth waiting for.

I had cursed this quilt, I had cursed the quilting machine having issues and the 2 months that it sat partly quilted, unable to go further -

And I cursed myself for not having the knowledge or the know-how to just jump in and fix everything myself.

And yes - all of that was exacerbated with worrying about Jason and the brain tumor surgery and recovery and everything that came between the quilting machine malfunction and last week when I was finally able to resume quilting.

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After The Weekend -

Happy Monday, folks!

Still alive and kicking over here - and yes, still taking the Hunter Shuttle from the top of the drive to the bottom where the cars are parked in order to get out and about anywhere.

It's winter.

It's just what we have to do around here, though with a warm up coming over the next week, we should be able to drive the cars back up to the top again.

Let's live on the side of a mountain he said - it will be fun he said! HA!

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Quilting The Long Holiday Weekend!

Look what is happening in the DINING ROOM!  

Have we reached the end of a season?

Almost.

Temps have been in the high 40s to low 50s in the morning hours, and it's just a bit too brisk on the back porch for brunch dining al fresco.

It's great to see the dining room table surrounded once again!

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Out On The Town!

I played hooky yesterday, and rode shotgun all the way to Galax with a group of quilters anxious to pet and purchase fabrics at Quilts on Main!

It seemed like a great Friday thing to do - and let's face it - I've been in the  QPO office/studio a LOT.

It was time for a break.

Get a load of that gorgeous hanging basket!  They are all over the town as Galax ramps up for next week's 89th annual Fiddle Convention!

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Here Comes Monday!

The July Quiltvillians have been on "Cat Watch" and at different times of the day my phone and email are pinging with captured moments of how the guard cats are protecting the inn and all the quilters within at any given moment.

Hahahahaha!  This is the view through the front door window sent to me yesterday evening.

I had taken off a bit early as Hubster Dave asked if I wanted to go to the movies. (Absolutely yes!)

And evidently while the innkeeper is away, the cats will.....snooze?

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Maple Leaf Red

This is where my hand quilting hoop is now on my Abbeygate quilt.

I'm getting close to having the 4th side quilted - Just another evening or two and I'll be able to trim up the quilt, get the binding, label and hanging sleeve on and be rid of the batting fuzzies and the backing ravels as I then work my way to the center of the quilt.

Yes...working from the outside in means I can get the binding on faster and clean up that outside edge.

And this is all because the quilt has been basted well by longarm and will not pucker or shift in the hand quilting process.

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Welcome To the Weekend!

This was last evening on the porch, and oh - I wish it came with smell-o-vision!

There had been a pork shoulder roast cooking in the crock pot all day long....just to the point of being so tender it shredded with such little effort -

Served with some freshly sliced fruit, a bun or no bun, and a choice of sauces.  I couldn't help myself or turn down an invitation to join in because something that smells that good brings on instant hunger.

One of the best things of being a retreat inn keeper?  They feed me.  And they do it well!

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Miles of Binding, and Mountain Hiking!

Isn't this picture just perfection?

I found these three nearing the end of our busy day - just rocking and talking and getting binding stitches in.

Shown here from right to left: Indigo Way, Emerald City from String Frenzy, and Bitcoin.

I know they are in a binding rush (though they don't need to be - it's okay if things shown are as yet unbound) to get things done for our over-the-porch-rail photos that will happen this afternoon since I leave for New York tomorrow.

We are fitting in ALL the things before I go!

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Sharing the Joy!

This picture says it all!

Good friends, Good food, Great times!

The laughter just echoes and I feel so blessed to be a part of this.  No matter which group it is - there is a place for everyone.

I took this photo last evening - I stayed for dinner as I was gone for a good chunk of the afternoon for a dentist appointment.

Yes, real life creeps in while the quilters are retreating.  They are on retreat - but sometimes I have to do big girl things.

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Runaway Wednesday -

Not far from here - but a bit higher in elevation there is still snow on the ground from last weekend's snow flurries.

White Top mountain is aptly named!

The sky was a crystal clear blue with a gentle smear of clouds - the perfect kind of December day to just say "Forget the to-do list" and take off.

I needed to get "Out of Dodge" as the saying went - 

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Changing Direction -

Yesterday afternoon we had to make a 2 hour driving trip to Hickory, NC for an appointment Dave had at the main Ortho office.

Could there have been any prettier October afternoon to travel there by Blue Ridge Parkway?

Of course, I had to twist his arm and "promise to not take too long!" to get him to stop at any overlooks along the way.

I just needed some time with the vastness of peace that these views give me.

So much turmoil - in my own heart.  I feel it in my soul. Down to my core.

What has happened - gosh, going back 7 years or more?  Isn't that how the song goes "7 years of bad luck, good times in the past..." (Thank you Stevie Wonder!)

And maybe because I'm just that much older, and have stuffed things down for so long, everything seems so much heavier somehow.

And when this happens - we recognize it - we change direction.

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Sew Much Sewing Going On!

To be in the presence of so much creativity - it's bound to jump start even the most stalled out of us who have maybe lost our own sew-jo!

It's infectious in all of the good ways!

I spent the weekend coming and going between the QPO studio where I am catching up on things that were set aside during my month away, and visiting with Judy's Stitchers next door retreating away at the inn, making all o the pretty things and having a grand old time.

I love walking in to find the music playing and everyone singing along - just the best!

I zeroed right into these Cabin Corners blocks! Sew much scrappy fun!

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A Shiny New Paint Job!

  

I know I mentioned this - and you'll have to forgive the indulgence of this post but this is the best thing ever to happen to Quiltville Inn this year.

While visiting with friend Martha in May - I checked out the progress of the new paint job on her fabulous old farmhouse.  Lavender!  She had that beauty painted lavender!  And as the trim and railings were being painted - this sweet old farmhouse rivaled any of the gorgeous Victorian "Painted Ladies" of San Francisco.

If you've been to San Fran, you know what I mean. That is where my love affair with old houses first began. I grew up in San Jose.  I had dreams of one day owning the Winchester Mystery House, and all of those weekend trips up to San Francisco (only a 45 minute drive but when I was a kid it felt like HOURS away.)

But I digress.

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Hexies Found! Travel Ahead!

It's not "the big vintage jar" of paper hexies that I've been wracking my brain hoping to find - but this will do!

I knew I had started "something" hexie-ish - and the last time I remember traveling with anything like this was possibly our trip to Kenya in October of 2019.

Was it really that long ago?  My how time flies when you are living through a global pandemic.

But I digress -

I had a photo of a tile floor that would make a very interesting hexie quilt. I envisioned working it in brights in interesting color combos - and here is the evidence of my start, but where was the photo of the tile floor to give me more direction?

I found that too - and through I'm not even going to flirt with the idea that this will be another gazillion-piece queen-sized hexie project, I think it will be fun to play with bright and colorful pieces and whimsical little prints for a while.

There is a lot of travel happening for me in 2023, and SOMETHING has got to occupy my hands!

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What Is That Smell??

Yes, I did get some sewing done this weekend.

But this is all the machine work that happened.  

This was it.

one block of triangles. Pieced, webbed and assembled.

I need more variety.  I couldn't excite myself to get in there and dig out more strips and cut more triangle pairs and sew more.....

What was up with me?

Oh, and there is a funny story about this project...funny as in WHAT?  Not HAHA.

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All in a Quilty Weekend!

Guess who is back to fire pit time?

The last time I was present for this event was the night of the tree swing accident - 

This time - all was well and we really enjoyed our evening time outside around the fire pit as the last of the summer fire flies did their thing.

They are much fewer and further between now, but they are still there.  Summer is hanging on.

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