Hotel Stitchin’ Time!

I’m cozied up in my room stitching Wild & Goosey blocks!

It’s amazing how resourceful one can be when needed ---after dinner we stopped by the Dollar Tree so I could get some outlet extenders --- Hotels never have enough available plugs. These will now live in my suitcase for future use.

I must say however, that the iron is driving me nuts --- it’s one of those that shuts off in 15 minutes, and I have to un-plug it and re-plug it to start it up again. UGH!

I'm laughing at the caption on the iron ---because my BRAIN feels the same way quite often too! AUTO OFF after 15 minutes --- UNPLUG to reset!

Let's just say that my evenings in my room stitching away is the equivalent of "Unplug to Reset".

Don't you agree?

I evidently forgot to pack my small travel iron ---maybe I need a second one of those to just LIVE in the suitcase too?

But now that I have the plug extenders that is a lot easier to accomplish than crawling under the desk every 15 minutes!

That round tray? It’s the tray for the ice bucket and it’s perfect to keep the crumbs from falling off the desk and on to the floor. I find it easiest to just grab a handful of crumbs.....and work with just that handful until I can't work from it anymore...rather than digging through a large bucket and being faced with too many choices when looking for the "right thing."

When the variety starts to be lacking in the handful I'm working with, I add another handful to it to spice it up a bit, and keep going.

My crumbs are contained in a plastic zipper pouch that a sheet set came in. Do you save all these for quilting totes too? I probably even BOUGHT these sheets for the simple fact that they came with a zippered pouch! Not like they would ever be used for sheet storage --- but they are perfect for transporting crumbs in the suitcase….

The zip lock bag holds some odd sizes of squares that were gifted by someone – they are working great for the larger side triangles on my blocks ---

We had a great day with our workshop --- I’m going to spend some time and get those pics ready to post in the morning so be looking for that ----

I’m winding down this day with a bit of TV as background noise, my jammies, a hot cuppa tea, puttering on the computer, and stitching up some MORE Wild & Goosey blocks!

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iPhone-o-Gram! Live from Moline!

We are quilting our brains out in Moline, IL---our class is being held at the "Garage" of the home of Kathrine Deere Butterworth, who was the daughter of John Deere, Tractor King!

We are working on the Smith Mountain Morning blocks---having a great time!

Do you recognize Kelli and Jo Kramer of Jo's Country Junction??? Fun to spend time together again!!

Bonnie

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Golden Quilter Awards! Please Vote!

This is the last shameless plug --- because it is the last day that you can cast your vote!

It's the last day to cast your vote! I've been nominated in many categories ----If you haven't voted yet, would you take a minute to do so!?

All the info is found in this post HERE!!

Thank You!

This is a sign I found at The Machine Shed last night at diner..don’t you love it?!

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The Long Way to Iowa!

WHAT. A. DAY! Mother Nature, you are a force to be reckoned with ----

I spent much of my day sitting in terminals with THIS crowd.

Take a look at the two Chinese guys…they look identical! They crossed their legs the same, they dressed the same ---I didn’t even notice it until I uploaded this photo. FUNNY!

But you can imagine me here ---- sewing hexies…and sewing MORE hexies ----and listening to my book on my MP3 player ---and occassionally checking gate information.

I missed my connecting flight when I got to Chicago too late to catch it.

A thunderstorm in the Chicago area yesterday morning set off a chain of events that is probably still not quite untangled…..and I consider it lucky to be only 5.5 hours late to my destination! The only sad part was that I didn’t get into Davenport early enough to do any sight seeing like we had planned ----

The 3pm flight I was to catch NEXT was pushed back until 5:38 PM --- and they didn’t even KNOW if they would have a plane then --- so I went to the customer service counter to see if I could get booked on another flight --- and they had one that finally left Chicago about 5:30pm. I’d been sitting around the Greensboro airport for 3 hours more than I should have, and then spent 5.5 hours at O’Hare!

But at least GETTING here HAPPENED! THIS was the best thing to happen to me this whole ordeal --- I got upgraded to FIRST CLASS! For a 45 minute flight. But hey, I’ll take it!

When I got to Davenport --- I made a beeline to the baggage claim, hoping that my bags had made it. I had changed flights so many times, I wasn’t sure if the bags stuck with me or not.

Upon entering the baggage claim area…WHAT do I see in lock up behind glass doors? MY BAGS! See them? Two big army green duffels and my grey suitcase is the one with the pink fabric strip tied to the handle..LOL Tell me HOW my bags made it before I did if I missed that connecting flight ? Maybe they had already closed the boarding door, but luggage still have time to make it on? At least it was there, and it was DRY and waiting for me.

This scenario was easier to deal with than having my bags block the chute on the carousel in Little Rock!

Davenport is, of course, the home of the John Deere Museum….and being as I was STARVING we thought it would be fun to head over to The Machine Shed for some home-style grub – what a fun place! It’s family style…and you can get a hay ride before you go in and eat!

I was so hungry I was afraid I'd start EATING the hay --- so we opted to pass on the hay ride and go straight for the food ---

There are all kinds of old farm machinery out front – and what little kid wouldn’t love climbing up onto this huge vintage Farmall tractor? This little guy was bouncing in the seat, just ready to plow or harvest, or do whatever it is that farmers do on a tractor.he was ADORABLE to watch!

Can you tell his legs are blurry because he couldn’t stop bouncing on that seat spring?! Adorable!

We ate our fill, talked and gabbed and got to know each other, two guild ladies and me --- and before I could take my last bite I knew I was done for the night --- it had been such a long day – I just wanted to see my bed and crawl into it.

I’m staying at the Stoney Creek Inn in Moline –Another neat place! It’s VERY lodge-y inside….in fact, I was greeted by a moose when I walked into the front lobby:

Do you see how the ceiling is painted like sky?! Cool effect ---The whole place is decorated like woodsy hunting lodge ----

But the best part is---

My Room! Lodge Theme included! How comfy does this bed look?

How great is this desk for setting up my featherweight and doing some piecing while I’m here in the evenings?! Check out that chair made of “twigs” :cD I”ve got a beaver for a mascot!

You might see fridge, coffee maker, microwave ---

But this girl sees ---- CUTTING TABLE! :cD

Even the little bathrom is woodsy and cute ----I’m so comfy here!

But I can’t stay comfy for too long. Wendy is picking me up at 8am and we are headed out for our first of 3 workshops while I’m here. Today is Smith Mountain Morning. I understand she is serving BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for us for lunch. I’ve got ladies coming from several different states to join in the fun ----It’s going to be a great day!

How are you spending your Saturday? Hope you get some time to put at least a FEW stitches in -----

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