Buttons, Badges and Giving Through Zazzle!

Did you know?

Every year my friend Forest Jane creates our wonderful mystery badges – (See the one in my right side bar that you can grab and place on your blog to show that you participated in our Good Fortune mystery!) I send her some images of the quilt, and away she goes -

And then she goes one step further.  She places the logo on things that are useful and needful in our Quiltville Zazzle Store – marking items at the LOWEST possible profit margin, and then thanks to your purchases, all proceeds go to benefit those in need – from children to adults, in giving them the gift of creativity.

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A Frolicking Grand Kick-Off!

Oh my goodness!  Our Folic logo is on a CAKE!

Each year a special group of Quiltvillians hosts a Quiltville Mystery Kick-Off Party in the beautiful town of Chandler, Arizona.  So close to where my dad lives!

One of these years I AM going to crash this party by surprise, just wait and see!

My fabulous Quiltville’s Open Studio moderator Andee and her cohort in Quilt Crime Kathy pull together a wonderful event where the group not only dives into the current newly released clue ONE together (This happens Black Friday weekend just as clue 1 is going live – ) and they not only share the excitement of starting in on the first clue together, but enjoy the laughter and chatter and comradery that comes with sewing with a group.  Oh the mounting expectation of what is to come!

The highlight of the day? (Besides the cake!) is sharing the completed mystery finishes from the previous year.

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Flying Home Day.

Check out the gorgeous colors of this wonderful Good Fortune quilt!

Our show and share was terrific during our workshops in Atascadero, California this week – ALL of this amazing workmanship – brought to class to share with everyone in attendance – the most fun reveal of the day!

purple and gold and rusty red and green on brown – how YUMMY!

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The Last Good Fortune Mystery Monday Link-Up!

Imagine my joy and happiness in SEEING these beauties!

You have all been SO busy over the past month since our last Mystery Monday Link-Up for our Good Fortune quilt – and I am so happy to see the progress and the finishes being shown using our hashtags #quiltvillemystery and #goodfortunequilt!

Even though our reveal happened in Early January (Were you surprised that it went to the 4th instead of the 1st?! We needed just that one more clue to make it not so overwhelming.  Sometimes you just can’t cram it all into the “normal span of time”  We have to give it just a bit more.  And I’m so glad we did.

I’ve heard from many that they felt this year was easier, more enjoyable, and I’m so glad.  That was my plan, not only for you, but for me too.  I needed it.

Now that 2018 is in the rear view mirror, and we are a few weeks further into 2019, I’m wishing for the “A bit easier and more enjoyable” to continue.

Starting right here, right now!

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Friday Night with the Bonniacs!

Nothing beats an evening like this!

It had been 6 years since I had taught for the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show – but I never forgot how special these women made me feel. 

Our time together 6 years ago formed friendships that will continue, no matter who moves where or how life changes happen.  If Quilting is the thread that binds us together, the friendship is the knot that holds the stitches in place!

6 years ago I received a welcome invitation to dinner at Wendy’s beautiful home, meeting several of these wonderful gals.  It was an evening of fun and food and much show & share – a great break away from yet another quick restaurant dinner out, and back to an empty hotel room.

This year we did it again – and I just could not wait for Friday night to roll around.

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Mystery Monday Link-Up, Part 3!

Hello, Monday! How are ya??

There is a whole lot of showing and sharing of completed part 3 units for our on-going Good Fortune Mystery happening all over social media, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

If you follow along with our hashtags #quiltvillemystery and #goodfortune quilt on Instagram, you are going to see a wondrous array of colors and fabrics  -- it gets the juices flowing! 

I can’t say enough about how much I love this time of year and how quilters are running with it!

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A Whole Lotta Quilting and a Joint Quilt-Cam!

Mona’s quilting bunnies!

I’ve had a blast with my friend Mona here.  She’s getting to be a pro at using my computerized longarm quilting machine. 

My big fear is that she will find she has to have her own and she won’t come spend the night with me anymore on a joint quilt-fest!

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Orange You Glad it’s ORANGE?!

These are Mona’s Part 4 units for Good Fortune!

I am just so tickled that she is sewing along with us this year – and just as excited to be waiting for FRIDAY to arrive, printing clues, digging into fabrics and having a blast.

She’s been leary before – afraid to be overwhelmed, and finished her On Ringo Lake after the reveal because she wasn’t sure she could keep up.  But this year?  No Holds Barred, Baby!

If you were to come look at my stash, you would see that I have LESS Orange than anything else. 

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Surprise Quilt-Cam in the Morning!

And just like that – we gave Quilt-Cam a try from the QPO!

In the MORNING – without fanfare or announcement.  Just a trial run to see if the improved internet at the Quiltville Post Office would allow me to stream a video live through Facebook, without being blurry, without cutting out, without having my mouth move out of sync with my words.

All of those things that had proven to be a disaster the last couple of times we tried (Before summer – remember?) and failed.

To tell you the truth, I had been reluctant to try again because that fear of failure, of losing face – is real.

It has been a tough year and a half – could I get back in this saddle again?

Well, yes – if the saddle WORKED!  And we gave it a shorter time span because I had somewhere to be at 12:30pm!

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A Quick There and Back!

Quiltville Inn in December!

How did I end up here?  Well let me tell you, it wasn’t intended! Not exactly.

We finally sold the North Carolina Cabin (1 1/2 years after moving out!) and our closing was yesterday morning in Jefferson, North Carolina.

Mona and I finished up as many book orders as we could and headed out at 3pm on Thursday afternoon – she to her home in Boomer, and me – planning on spending the night at the Virginia cabin, so I would only be a short 30 minute drive from Jefferson for the closing, instead of fighting Friday morning traffic through Winston Salem, and have a 2 hour morning drive on a morning that also needed Part 3 of Good Fortune released, and another 500 copies of String Frenzy as wave 4 entered the Quiltville Store.

No, that would be too much to do in one morning and expect to be in Jefferson by 10am, not to mention that I’d sign for the closing and turn right around and drive another 2 hours home?  There had to be a better way.

Well, the way I ended up was not the way I intended!

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Tumelo Trail For the Finish!

I miss these girls already!

The Excitement of driving 5 hours to Ripley, West Virginia last Wednesday, the happy arrival of quilters on Thursday morning, bright and early – setting up for 4 days of workshops ahead.

Thursday afternoon it was pedal to the metal as everyone set in to sewing Box Kite from the Addicted to Scraps book, followed by an evening lecture open to the public.

Friday morning they were up and at it bright and early for our Talkin’ Turkey workshop from String Fling – and more evening and into late night sewing.

You know how retreat goes – get in as MUCH machine time (And talking and snacking!) as you can -

Saturday morning…..well….some slept in, some straggled in later, but the machines were still running and blocks were happening in our Tulip Fields workshop also from String Fling.  Some of those Tulips were taking their time to bloom, and some required an afternoon nap! LOL!

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Mystery Monday Link-Up, The Reveal!

Good Monday Morning, Mystery Quilters!

We revealed our Good Fortune Quilt on Friday, and I am overwhelmed with the absolutely positive response.

Thank you all for your kind words through Instagram and Facebook, in our Quiltville’s Open Studio group, even your personal blogs are full of so much positivity and excitement.  

You who wrote so kindly are the reason we continue to do this.

I know mystery quilts can be scary.  And that is why I show you my honest-to-goodness fabric choices and offer paint chips at the onset – because I want you to know where this is going.

You already know my type of quilting – Bold.  Busy.  Very Scrappy. LOUD. (With capital letters.) Small pieces a’plenty. 

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Mystery Monday Link-Up, Part 6!

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!

It’s Mystery Monday Link-Up time!

Part 6 of our Good Fortune Mystery was released on Friday, and here it is Monday and I have seen from so many of you that you were able to kick out this clue over the weekend, if not all in one day.  HOORAY for easy clues that fall between major holidays.  It does my heart good to know that so many of you were able to squeeze in some machine time.

The neutrals you are using in part 6 are so wonderfully varied – each photo was a treat for these old eyes!

I do want to stress FIRMLY once again – for those using ONE PIECE OF YARDAGE as their neutral to WAIT before cutting into that fabric for part 6.  DO NOT CUT YOUR YARDAGE if you are not string piecing or strip piecing from multiple fabrics. 

I will not be held responsible if you have cut your fabrics, ignoring what I have said and find that you wish you hadn’t later.  This just applies to those using ONE PIECE of neutral as their background.  Please folks – if you must cut something, go cut something else – like a UFO project or something.

If I suggest “WAIT IT OUT!”  That means WAIT. IT. OUT.

Check out these shares from our Quiltville’s Open Studio group on Facebook!

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In a Constant State of Quilting!

I love my piecing machines VINTAGE!

But I want my longarm DIGITIZED!

We’ve been working this machine quite a bit lately – with quilting up this year’s winter mystery Good Fortune, and the basket quilt I’ve just finished binding on (to be shown at a later date) and the Hunter’s String Star (previewed in last Friday’s Gift-Away post – did you see it?  Did you enter to win??) Along with Mona’s 6 projects and then my loading of THIS old 2004 UFO -

I think we’ve done in my computer system.  I got all the way to the last border and the machine started going herky-jerky.  No longer were my feathers nice and round, but they looked like a 3 year old drew them on an etch-a-sketch.  AUUGHH!

Son Jeff and The Hubster came down to see about adjusting cables further (Though he still can’t see anything due to Thursday’s Lasik and the protective lenses that are still in place on his eyeballs.) and things ran BEAUTIFULLY for the rest of that one row…but when I advanced the quilt to the last row, the fill in at the edge of the border – Herky Jerky All Over Again.

I unplugged myself from the cables and finished up the edge of the quilt free-hand, going old school.  Boy, it has been a LONG TIME since I have done that, and moving that machine head is a skill that can be lost over time.

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Quilts Over the Porch Rail! *Join Us!*

We were dodging rain drops yesterday afternoon!

You could feel it - even in the morning air - that rain was coming.  The air just felt heavy, a bit humid - and oh do we NEED a good drenching rain.

In between the 2pm burst and the 5pm downpour we were able to gather those who had quilts to share on the porch and took turns for individual photos and group shots as well.

As I often say to myself when playing photographer - this porch was MADE for hanging quilts!

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When Quilt Friends Come Calling!

Meet Mary and Caroline!

Two fabulous quilters from Florida who come up fairly regularly to stay out near Blowing Rock, NC - and I was lucky enough to have them (And their fun loving photo taking hubbies) come on by Quiltville Inn to take photos of their Quiltville finishes over the porch rail!

The weather was finally getting nice enough that we could sit in the rocking chairs on the front porch and enjoy each other's company for a bit!

One of the hubbies even brought his drone so that he could get some good sky view videos and photos of our beautiful mountain terrain.  It was a great break in the middle of my day!

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And Off They Went!

My life as an inn keeper has become a revolving door of hello, goodbye!

Or as the Beatles song goes: 

[Chorus]
You say goodbye and I say hello
(Hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye) Hello, hello
(Hello, goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello
(Hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye) Hello, hello
(Hello, goodbye) I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello
(Hello, goodbye)

You are welcome for the ear worm! LOL!

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Tennessee Quilty Goodness!

Judy Stokes and her Quiltville Quilts at Mountain Quiltfest!

Imagine my surprise when I walked onto the show floor at Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to find that my friend Judy had a special exhibit of many of the mystery quilts and others she had made from my designs!  This is a true honor, both for Judy AND for me!

To see all of her Quiltville Quilts hanging one after another with crowds of people around – it nearly brought me to tears.

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From Virginia to Mississippi!

And Judy's Quilters are all on the road back to Mississippi.
I wanted to get to the retreat earlier this morning to wish the last of everyone off - but alas - Zoey Jo has decided to take an extra long walkabout this morning and I can't leave without knowing she is back home.  Crazy dog! She hasn't done this in the longest time.
We had an amazing week - and one of the most delightful things - the rains did come and cooled everything off.  Temps are in the 50s this morning!

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Midnight Flight, Indiana Style!

Cutting, Pressing, Stitching, Laughing!

All of these things were going on yesterday!

Midnight Flight from MORE Adventures with Leaders & Enders was the workshop yesterday – the last of my 2018 tour year – and energy levels were SO high.

You know, we went back in time to check out just WHEN these dates were planned – the letter I received (hand written invitation at that time!) was dated 2013.  We really DID wait 5 years for this date to arrive.  

And that sometimes happens when a guild only meets the second Thursday of the month, and there are only so many second Thursdays to go around within any given year.  FIVE YEARS!  And yet it flew by so very quickly.

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