Easy Grade Loop? I Think Not!

The sign may read “easy grade” but it was anything but!

But as in all things – the struggle is worth the result.

Lori and I made a return trip to Grayson Highlands State Park, this time going the OPPOSITE direction of the pony pastures, and up into the knobs, ridges, and pinnacles.

And when you lose sight of the trail, you blaze your own!

Lori is an experienced hiker and backpacker.  I am a wimp.  But we have done serious hiking for 3 days straight, and I must admit to feeling just a bit chuffed with what we have accomplished.  WE DID IT!  We have the sore muscles (And even some leg cramps at night on my part) to prove it.

Read More»

Afternoon Sunday After Hike Sewing -

This morning’s view of yesterday’s activities!

Can you believe that we actually sat down to sew??  It was past 2pm – as we took off by 10am to find some hiking trails before the forecasted rain came in.

Spring is arriving truly in all of its springtime glory in these parts, and knowing I only have Lori (Check out her post on our time together on her blog, Humble Quilts) until Wednesday, and also knowing that there are many corners that I have yet to discover as well, we made good use of our morning.

Read More»

Quiltmaker May/June ‘19 Gift-Away!

We are headed full on into Summer, my friends!

I grabbed up a bunch of goodies yesterday on my way to the airport to pick up my friend Lori who grabbed a red-eye overnight flight to come spend a few days with me during my Spring Break home!

There will be time for sewing when it rains – but we are counting on intermittent bursts of fair weather for hiking around these parts!  SPRING in the Blue Ridge!  More on what we saw yesterday further below – but first – THIS BIG Gift-AWAY!

Read More»

String Frenzy Blog Tour & A Quilt-Cam Evening!

Something GREAT is happening today

More than one thing.

Life gangs up on us that way from time to time!

My String Frenzy Blog Tour is FINALLY happening this weekend and into next week.

String Frenzy was officially released in December, right smack dab in the middle of the holidays.  My January was busy with Japan, February had me in Arizona and Texas, and well, you know how my March has been!

I suggested SPRING BREAK for our little jaunt around blog land, as my feet are on the ground and I’m not juggling travel and workshops and lectures while participating.  WE CAN DO THIS!

Read More»

The NEED to just SEW! (Quilt-Cam TONIGHT!)

I spent yesterday HERE!

In the Quilting Quarters at Quiltville Inn – where I could lay out a quilt in progress with no danger of Sadie the Wonder Dog block surfing across the floor and messing up a pretty intense lay-out of very small blocks.

The fire place flickered.  Breezes blew outside – but all was warm and cozy within.

This space is cavernous.  It needs design walls to absorb the echo.  But I smiled to myself imagining the hum of 12 machines, the  sounds of voices to come.  The walls ringing with laughter.

Read More»

And When There is Time to Sew!

Don’t you love beautiful quilt beginnings?

When you finally see units start falling into place?

And all you want to do is stay at the machine and put the pieces through and watch it grow?

I am sharing a bit of a non-zoomed-in view so you can feel the lovely ambiance of my gas log stove.  Mornings and evenings are still chilly here up on the mountain, but it is cozy and warm with that little fire going in my sewing space at the cabin.

This is the beginnings of the Winter Blues assembly – I’ve been working on the blocks off and on over the past few months.  Actually, it feels more OFF than On – but that will be remedied today!

And yes, the orange is there to remind me to eat healthy and keep my hand out of the bag of peanut M&Ms – so far that is a fail.

I am liking these little blocks so much that there may be a couple of table runners made for Quiltville Inn – heaven knows i have enough old blue fabric in the stash – and these are just super cute.

Read More»

Overwhelmed in Every Good Way.

It was evening by the time I left Quiltville Inn.

My happy find?  The little oil lamp turned electric you see sitting on top of the old dresser in bedroom #1.  It’s got the wrong bulb for what I want in it – I envision something with a flame-like flicker, but at least I know the wiring works!

I spent the morning at the Inn arranging tables, shuffling stuff to and fro, and tackling the dreaded disgusting job of vacuuming up the flies that had found a sunny spot near a window to die.  It’s the grossest thing.  But when you aren’t there on a daily basis in the country, you will return to find dead flies on the floor.

I talked to Martha about what to do about them when she came by to pick me up and drive me to West Jefferson where we were meeting Toni for lunch at a cute little Cuban restaurant in the row of shops on the strip behind the main street.

Read More»

When Good Friends Come Calling -

Me, Melinda & Wendy!

Melinda is on the go and gone, her schedule rivaling mine!

Or maybe the complete opposite of mine – when I’m here, she’s gone, and visa versa.

Several weeks ago she sent me an email with photos and the message: “I’ve got a new patio set – do you want the old one for Quiltville Inn?!”

ABSOLUTELY!  But it needed to wait until she and I were both within the same state at the same time as she lives a about 1 1/2 hours drive from me.  In the WRONG direction – toward Charlotte.

Still – with all orders out the door by 2pm yesterday, and an email verifying that yes, she was home – I hit the road to go pick up load number one in “Operation Porch Furniture!”

Read More»

And Home By Afternoon!

Yesterday’s #milehighhexieclub stitching!

6:15am hotel pick up time!  Our thanks to Gae for being so willing to pick us up at “Still Dark O'clock” to shuttle Nancy Mahoney and me back to New Orleans for our 9am flight.

There is something “easy feeling” about an early Sunday morning drive – Smart people are still in bed and no one is rushing to work as they would on a Monday morning. 

It was smooth sailing, and as we chatted about the events over the past 4 days and our time together, we crossed over Lake Pontchartrain and before we knew it we could see downtown New Orleans rising in the distance.

Read More»