Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!

Carolina Christmas!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:17:00 +0000

~A Quiltville Mystery!~

Bring in the Holiday Spirit by sewing through the season!! The quilt center measures an ample 82" X 82" before borders!

This is a "limited edition" mystery, as the quilt I am making will be appearing in a future book. If you start this project, you will need to follow along and print out the instructions as they are revealed. The project will be available on the Quiltville.com website until June 1, 2010 when it will be retired.

Though I am making this quilt using fabrics from recycled clothing, you can use anything you would like! Not in the mood for a quilt in Christmas colors? Choose any 3 complimentary colors and add a background fabric to it!

I will be posting the first challenge the day after Thanksgiving. (You know you really didn't want to spend that day shopping with the crowds, right?) So on Friday, November 27th, be watching the Quiltville.com website, or my blog for the link to the first clue! You can also join my "announcement only" email list, Quiltville@yahoogroups.com and receive an email in your inbox when each step is posted. If you like to participate on a list with lots of chatter from other quilters also participating in this mystery from around the globe, our other list, Quiltvillechat@yahoogroups.com might be the list for you! I do hope you plan to play along! Turn on some holiday music (Only AFTER Thanksgiving in my house!) make a cup of tea or cocoa, and quilt in the Holidays with us!

Click here for Fabric Requirements and other info!~

One Thing At A Time!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0000

I got home from WV yesterday afternoon, and BOY was it a beautiful drive! This pic is a view from my balcony at Hawks Nest State Park where the retreat was held. WV "IS" Almost Heaven!

The whole afternoon yesterday was so lovely that after unpacking the car, I went on a 3 mile walk around my area. It's quite hilly here, so that was a good workout for the ankle that is still giving me a bit of stiffness/soreness. Range of motion is slow to gain back, and I'm afraid of pushing it too hard, so I'm just walking, figuring that is the best way to rehab it back into shape. One thing that is hard is to point my toes...If I do both feet side by side, you can tell the left one points fine, the right one? Not so well...so I'm working on stretching that out a bit each day too.

Still have more Paris pictures to share! I'm thinking I'll edit a bunch of them down and do them slide show fashion, so bear with me. I want to do an album with just the "Eiffel Tower" stuff...

Today my eldest son is 26!! How did that happen? When I still feel 26 myself, is it possible that I could have a 26 year old son? I have to post here a funny conversation he had going on his facebook that has just cracked me up. The Quiltmaker Magazine staff found it so funny, that they posted it on their blog, Quilty Pleasures too!

Speaking of Quiltmaker Magazine, be sure to watch for the 2010 issues. I've got a new column helping us use common sizes of scraps from our Scrap User's Systems! It's not a full quilt pattern, but a block design....for you to play with and see what you come up creating! Since we have been cutting our scraps into useable sizes, it's nice to have an idea that will use what we've already got cut on hand, right?

There is a new Flickr Pool for your photos of Christmas Lights, and a giveaway, so be sure to go and upload your pics there....

June writes:

Share your Christmas Lights Mystery quilts (or tops)HERE (Christmas Lights is a 3-part mystery series from Bonnie Hunter in Quiltmaker’s July/August ‘09, September/October ‘09 and November/December ‘09 issues.)
I don’t know what yet, but I’ll give a prize to someone (randomly selected) who posts a Christmas Lights photo by 2 pm MST on Friday, November 13 (it could be your lucky Friday the 13th)!

Last night I was able to attend my OWN guild meeting and had a wonderful time catching up with everyone. I want to send out a special WELCOME to Kristin who came as a visitor last night! Kristin, it was great to meet you and I hope you come again! Drop me an email if you want to get together and sew, I'm always game (if I'm home, that is!!) :cD

All Things Yummy!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:11:00 +0000

I picked my desktop computer back up at Best Buy this week, and I've been reinstalling programs, including my photo editing stuff, so I had waited until it was back before importing the photos off my memory card....you know what a hassle that is?

So here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

A couple more from the Arc de Triomphe...my very first WOW moment! The bus stop where I got off the airport bus was right near here. And while I waited for Randy to come get me, all I could do is stare in wonder! It is one of my favorite Paris monuments.

And then of course.....food....glorious food!! These photos need no explaination. Did you know that more oysters are consumed in Paris per capita than anywhere else!?

Starting Slow....

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:11:00 +0000

There is SO much to post that it is almost intimidating to think of it! I took HUNDREDS of pictures..all of which have to be edited down from huge sizes to web compatible, easy loading...and it's daunting! So I'm just going to do a bit at a time!

By far the best part of this trip was the people I spent it with! I spent wonderful time with my friend Randy and her hubby Mark. They were the perfect tour guides! I just was happy to follow them around like a lost puppy....my eyes taking in everything in wonder!

Taking the bus from the airport was easy. Getting euros from a ATM was easy. Getting a hold of Randy when I arrived at the bus stop near the Arc De Triomphe was NOT! My cell phone didn't work. Duh. I was lucky enough to have a guy standing mear me as I explained my situation to another woman, and he loaned me his phone so I could call Randy at the apartment to come at meet me!

The picture above was taken when Randy and I met Valerie and Will at Montmarte for a lovely lunch, a visit to Will's house to see her beautiful quilts, and some fabric shopping in the garment district...in search of French toiles! And we hit what would be considered a european bargain. Mind you, 15 euros a metre is not cheap by USA standards, but these bolts were DOUBLE WIDE...about 110" in width, so yes...very doable as far as fabric purchasing goes! I'll get a pic of my aquisitions later. I bought two metres each of a blue on white, and a taupe toile. LOVELY! Not sure what I'll do with it yet, but.....

One of Will's friends was kind enough to take this shot of us after our delightful lunch! (You can tell by the empty plates..we didn't leave a crumb!!)

One of the highlights was taking the RER train to meet Valerie and Caroline (who came to visit from Brussels!) at Versailles! I have never seen such opulence in my life...it really was undescribable, and I can't wait to get into these photos....I'm thinking slide shows might be the best way to share them with you, in due time!

You can see I'm not fully able to relax just yet. Still a bit jet laggy, I leave friday for teaching at a retreat in West Virginia! I've really been looking forward to this trip too, the best part? Besides teaching, and being with quilters in general, which I love..when I'm NOT teaching..I get to sew too!! And I am so ready to spend some machine time!

It's a Mystery!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Hi you guys!

I'm back from Paris as of last night...had a great time! I know I
will need a nap at some point today, I feel one coming on. I've got pics to upload..many many..and they all need editing down, etc. Give me a day or so to recuperate!

I'm writing quick because I wanted to let you know that I've been hard at work designing our next mystery quilt!

I'm in a bit of a conundrum, because the one I REALLY want to
do.....is in recycled fabrics in Christmas colors! Is this going to
bum you guys out if I drag Christmas out into the new year? If it
helps any....what if we move this mystery back a month and let you
play with your fabrics DURING the holiday season? I'm done teaching
as of Nov 17th. Would you like to work on this project DURING the
holidays? And if you finish it after the new year, well....you are
just that much farther ahead for next year!

And of course, you can choose to do this in a different color plan if you want.

This is going to be a limited availability mystery, much like Carolina
Crossroads was. It's going to go into the 2011 book, so it will only
be available online for a while, and then I'll pull it when it's
published.

I'm planning on using reds, greens, and golds and neutrals, in plaids,
stripes and prints from recycled clothing. And I may throw in some old
fashioned shirting prints as some of my lights to spice them up a bit.
The quilt is a square one, about 84" without borders. The units can
be played with in many ways, so seeing lots of different layouts is
going to be fun!

Other colors? How about blues/browns/golds/neutrals?
red/blue/gold/neutral? green/blue/gold/neutral?
purple/green/gold/neutral....I'm sure you can come up with 3 colors
you like, and maybe even use BLACK as your neutral....you'll like this
one, I promise!

Are you guys game? Looks like it will be about a 6 step mystery.....

Bonnie

ps. Yes, I know my website is unavailable. They are doing maintenance. There is nothing I can do about it but wait it out along with you! :c) I've received phone calls and emails from many people asking me what the deal is. I've called to find out. They say give it time. :c)

Bon Voyage!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:57:00 +0000

I'm heading out today. I am SO excited, that I am sure that is why I am up again at 3am. I've been piecing 5" pineapples since, and preparing to leave in a few hours for Charlotte to catch my plane.

Yesterday I hit Kohls for some last minute shopping, and some little necklaces caught my eye. Sterling silver, marked down from $50 to some ridiculous low price of $14.00.

I bought one, just to remind myself....it's a little round twisted ring with words on it that say "LOVE LIFE, BE BRAVE" :cD It's my talisman for this trip.

The little verse that came inside the box reads:

It's not who you are that holds you back
It's who think you're not.

This seems to be the week that I find little hidden messages for living in strange places. First the bookmark that fell to the floor earlier this week, and now this little gem.

Repeat these words three times daily, until you start to believe them yourself. It just might change everything!

Snugglies for the Plane??

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:43:00 +0000

Or Maybe a project to quilt on during long airport layovers? :c)

You know me, I hate to be found without a project to hand. Chances are I usually bring TOO MUCH. Wouldn't it be easier just to have a book to suffice, like NORMAL people?

But I got to thinking..it's a red-eye flight. I get cold. Those whimpy plane blankets never do me any good...and I need a new hand quilting project to take with me since the small little one (which wouldn't keep me warm even if I tried..okay, maybe one THIGH?)is almost done.

SO. I grabbed this orphan top that I've had done for quite some time...it is a good "sit down and cover yourself" size....and I went into my "get rid of it now" closet and picked out some lovelies (HA!) for the back! Bonnie M in TX, you might remember this butterscotch print from a box you sent me...I think it was with your "stinky" quilt! It's perfect for the back of this..I'm really in the mood for fall colors right now, and I'm putting this old fabric to good use.

You know when a fabric is old....it has no www.fabric.com website address printed on the selvage!

I paired it with another weird yellow that has a vine stripe to it, and since it still wasn't big enough, I inserted some leftover bricks and stepping stones units that had been given to me...

It didn't take long at all to load it in the machine and baste it all over with huge toe catcher stitches. It's really funny when people see me hand quilting, and they look at the basting.....wondering who would QUILT so badly! They think the basting is the quilting!!

At any rate, the basting will hold it together enough to keep me warm during my overnight flight, and if I don't get any stitches into it, at least it served its purpose for warmth, right?

I can hardly wait...Randy and I have been invited to a quilting bee for a group of French Quilters. Cafe & Patisserie. Ooh, la la!!

I've also got the blocks that I worked on at retreat...the berries have been appliqued to 7 of the 16 blocks now, so those are coming along nicely....It is amazing how MUCH 4 little circles can add to a design! The remaining berries are in a baggie to be prepped for the applique, and that is a good take along project, just the prepping part, even without having to take the remaining 9 blocks with me. Kinda boring though? They've been good "TV WORK" at night.

The fun part will be arriving in Paris...finding the place to change American dollars into Euros so I can buy a ticket for the bus that will take me into town where Randy is going to meet me. THIS PART MAKES ME NERVOUS!! But if she can do it, I can. And I'm sure since I'm not the only one riding from the airport, I won't be the only one struggling with luggage and STUFF!

So..there better be room in my luggage to DITCH the orphan block quilt while I'm dealing with luggage and the bus.

Tomorrow is packing day. I think I've gotten all the errands done. This just feels so surreal..I can't believe I'm really going to Paris!

Happiness Is.....

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:07:00 +0000

While cleaning up the studio this morning (after yesterday's frantic sewing of the Welcome Home top!) I came across a bookmark that had fallen out of a book, and turning it over, I came across this beautiful statement and wanted to share it with you today.

It reads:

Happiness is something created within--Not a treasure you search for again and again. It's an attitude gained from learning to know how to deal with the bad things and letting them go. It's smiling whenever life gives you a reason--And finding a reason through all of life's seasons.

I just love this. It is very appropriate for my life right now, and maybe it will touch some of you in the same way it has me.

Here is a picture of us taken at the retreat! I saved this pic that Joes posted, because I didn't have one of all of us on my camera :c) In this pic: Joes, Elizabeth, Lucy, Biz, Isabeau and me! :c)Good friends, good times, good memories.

Welcome Home!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:19:00 +0000

It was one of those nights.....you know the kind?

Fall asleep by 10pm, only to wake up by 3am. More than half a night sleep, less than a full night's sleep...up to the rest room, grab an extra quilt. Try to get back to sleep. No dice.

Nose a bit stuffy, sneezing sneezing, eyes a bit crusty and itchy...Maybe benedryl will help.

Nada.

So, I've been sewing since about 4:30 am!!

This isn't what I was intending to work on, I really just wanted to pull some orphan blocks out to piece into a back that wasn't quite big enough, and I found all the "Welcome Home" house blocks that so many of you sent me when I moved from South Carolina to North Carolina NEARLY 2 years ago!!

I laid them all out, determined to do something with them. Many of them could be squared up to 9.5"...so I did that. Another stack could be squared up to 8". So I did that. Still, another stack could be squared up to 7.5".....

Some odd balls had to have some strips added on and then squared to some measurement, but they would all work!

I used leftover blocks that have been given to me over the past couple of years as well....also threw in some leader/ender 4 patches, some other extra units.

I'm not sure I'm done...but I'm ready to let it set a while. I don't even think it NEEDS borders...just maybe a fun black/white binding or something.

It was fun to spend this morning throwing together this top fast and furiously, not worrying about matching seams, what goes with what, or how to make it fit..just DO it....Of course, it's going to have to wait in line for quilting, but in the mean time, it's fun to visit all these blocks and see how they play side by side, like good neighbors :c)

It's only 11:30am right now. I feel like It's got to be later than that. Somehow...I have this feeling....that by 3pm I'm going to need a nap!

Mystery Women....

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:45:00 +0000

Did you ever notice how an ordinary day can become the extraordinary simply because someone unexpected has walked through?

I've had a couple of these days, just since being home!

Imagine if you will, my returning from weeks on the road to a HUGE pile of mail, including some boxes.....I could tell ONE of the boxes contained the long awaited book I'd been patiently anticipating. "An Echo in the Bone" By Diana Gabaldon was in the first box.

In the second box? It was LARGE, and I couldn't for the life of me imagine what it was. I opened it up, and INSTANTLY was thrown back to the early 1990s as I unwrapped some shop samples for some stuffed dolls that I had designed close to 17 years ago. These were some designs that were picked up by the Butterick Pattern Co back then, and I had specially made the samples for a shop owner in my town. We moved away and I forgot about them. She closed her shop, they went into storage....and evidently from the letter she sent, they had unearthed themselves as she cleared out storage, and she decided to send them back to me! I look at these very dated 1990s VIP prints and remember them fondly. Those were fun days, two small children under foot, designing my heart out, playing with fabric then, as I am now.

Instead of turning my nose up at these old cutesy fabrics, I am thinking back to where I was in my life then, awed at the memories these dolls hold, going back and forth in my memory to the ages of my sons at the time, the places we lived, what we looked like, and the young men they have become since. It can't possibly be that these dolls are THAT old, can it? But they are. And here I am...many years older, and not so wiser. :c)

I even know for a fact, that if I were to dig in my boxes of leader/ender squares...I might just find some of these scraps still remaining, bringing memories with them every time I sew them into something.

Carleen, in Idaho, thanks for sending the memories back to me...you are Mystery Woman #1 in this story!

Mystery Woman #2: Susan Davidson!!

The third box I opened yesterday contained this lovely old cutter quilt! It's a periwinkle star pattern, made probably in the 1930's-1940's era. You can tell by the prints in the stars themselves, and the orange fabric is that lovely melon color, not a cheddar of 19th century quilts. It is all hand pieced and hand quilted, and has been loved to shreds. I love utility quilts. I think I've written about that many times. I'd much rather adopt a well loved falling apart quilt that has had a life, and therefore a multitude of memories lived with it, than any pristine thing that has been put away and never used or washed. Susan sent this one to me completely out of the blue! I am gobsmacked, to say the least...She said it's just been living in a closet at her house, not getting the attention or appreciation it deserves. She also knows I love orange. Susan, thank you so MUCH for this little lovely! I'm going to display it as is, in all its orange glory!

Mystery Woman #3?

Dear Martina, I don't even know your last name! I was coming out of the post office at Hane's Mall running to my car in the rain, and there you were...in your dress slacks and high heeled shoes, looking frustrated! You couldn't find your car...you were lost and at your wit's end!

I beckoned you into my car, and told you that I would help drive you around to find your car. (I told you I was NOT an Axe Murderer!) I know the mall entrances all look the same, and we drove around and laughed and laughed, even as strangers, about how our memories go south with gravity the same way our body parts do into our late 40s!

It took a bit of talking and figuring, but we finally decided to go to the road and drive back IN to the mall area so you could remember which entrance you parked at. That did the trick and in a few minutes you were back at your car with a smile on your face, and on your way back to your office. I never got your last name.

You wanted to thank me, but I need to thank YOU for getting me out of my blue funk today. Some people pass through our lives quickly, forever leaving their footprints on our hearts. I'll never forget your smile of relief when we found your car, still laughing. I'm sure you will have fun repeating this story to others too.

Mystery Woman #4:
You would be the woman who pieced this lovely top with fabrics going from 1910 all the way through the 1930s. I found this top in a lovely little mall off the beaten path in West Virginia on my way back home from Michigan. I wonder about who you were and what your life was like. I wonder who's clothes these scraps came from, because there are many different ones, both masculine and feminine in this quilt. You'd been sewing for decades, and as I think about your variety, I think of the variety that I have in my scraps too, some dating back into the 1970s and 1980s.....my life in fabric.

I wonder why this quilt never got to the quilting or tying stage. It is machine pieced, and I love the contradiction between the black mourning prints, and the bright splashy polka-dots. Were these representative of different times in your own life? I love log cabin quilts, and this Straight Furrows setting is a favorite of mine. I wonder if you made and played with other log cabin layouts too. You probably never gave a second thought to where this top might end up while you were making it, and it makes me wonder about MY OWN UFOs. Geeesh, I hope they don't end up in an antique mall somewhere! But if they do...maybe I will become someone else's Mystery Woman....

As you can SEE....Oscar was quite perturbed that I was disturbing his nap to take pictures!

Triangles on Parade...

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Good morning from Parkersburg, WV!! I drove 10 hours yesterday and this is as far as I could go, no farther. I'm still about 6+ hours from home yet. Would you believe that it was SNOWING when I left Michigan at 8am yesterday morning?!? Oh, get me SOUTH..and FAST!!

I got the triangles around all my blocks! It's fun to have new excitement for such an old UFO. I'm glad I listened to my own heart about taking the quilt apart and doing something better with it. Really I am. It didn't take too long to disasseble, new seam ripper, foot up on ice...I was a captive audience anyway, so they came apart before I hit the road, and the first thing I did when I got to the retreat was to square them all up again. Amazing how after 10 years some techniques are "refined" for lack of a better word too!

Hopefully you can see that I alternated red/double pink with green in the sashings, and then for spark threw in a few extra cheddar triangles here and there, just scattered with no rhyme or reason for where they landed, other than the pinwheels in the cornerstones. There are also red/green recycled fabrics in here! I need to thank Kathie for sending me a pic of an inspiration quilt for this idea.....it was just when I needed when I saw it! The pinwheel cornerstones are my own addition to bring the cheddar into the sashings as well.

The consensus of everyone was to add 4 big red berries to every block...it just adds so much, so in some of these pics you will see 4 circles placed where they are going to be. Nothing is sewn down yet, as I have fabric I want to use at home, and I was happy just plugging away on my triangles.

I KNOW I never would have tackled this at home..that's why it stayed a UFO for so long.

We brainstormed on borders, and yes, I could do more, but Gwen said that she thought it didn't NEED a border..just a binding. And maybe a muslin one at that, so the triangles just float to the end of the quilt without a dark binding to stop them. Okay. Works for me! I don't think I've ever done a muslin binding, because I was always worried about it getting dirty first (ever the mom, right?!) But yes, I think it will be a good antique finish for this quilt. Whenever it is I get to the binding. It might take me another 10 years to actually get that far!

My crazy brain is also considering doing some reverse applique on the leaves, inserting that detail "slit" for lack of a better term but again...do I want to add more?? I can? But? Will decide as I go. I just really love that detail on quilts I see where they have inset that long oval, or curved 'S' leaf detail. And since these leaves already have the background trimmed away underneath, it would be easy to do. Insane. I know.

As to the quilting? So far the plan is to quilt it in all over hanging diamonds across everything, even the applique. The reason? I followed someone ELSE's applique method and trimmed the extra layers out from behind the applique pieces. This will make for a quilt that is not going to hold up to a lot of stress unless the quilting crosses the seam lines. I probably won't applique this way again, but heck, what did I know at the time? As I look forward 100 years or more, and back at the antiques that have come through my hands, the backing and extra layers were NOT trimmed away, and only those that were quilted over the seam lines and quilted very close together, are the ones where the applique is still remaining.

Here is our star photographer! It was fun traveling around with Lucy and watching her work her big camera! I've got some other pics from the reteat, but Lucy took the best ones. Of course I didn't get any of MYSELF!! I was too busy shooting other people's projects, etc...I'll upload more over the next few days. I'll be home until I leave for Paris on the 22nd!

Mess & Madness (of the best kind!)

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Hi all!

I am here at Beaver Island Retreat with Isabeau, Joes and Lucy...and just a few minutes to post some glimpses of what is going on here!

I feel like I haven't gotten that far, but it is worth it..because without being here I never would have considered piecing 1400 1/2 square triangle units that finish at 1"!!! I am to the point of starting to sew sashings and cornerstones using the red,double pink, green, and cheddar 1/2 square triangle squares. I'm finally EXCITED
about a UFO that has hung on untouched for 10 years (or maybe a bit more? This was from my Idaho days.)

There will be more applique added to my blocks to bring some more character to them. Red berries are a must...but I am going to piece these insane sashings and then attach them to 2 sides of each block with a cornerstone unit, still leaving them portable so I can do the berries on the go over the next little while. It will be a worthwhile project, and it is great to be motivated on it again.

I have had so much fun meeting the ladies here, from all over...and there are wonderful connections with some people who I've only met through email or through blogland, and here we are in person. If you ever have a chance to take a Gwen Marston retreat, you really need to put it on your bucket list. But put it at the TOP of your bucket list, not at the end..life goes to quickly!

The weather has been rainy and cold and windy the past few days, but even that has made it a wonderful atmosphere for staying in and quilting with friends. The leaves are turning...SO beautiful. Lucy and I drove around the other day hitting a few quilt shops, and taking pictures of the scenery. It is so fun to see America through her eyes. We found THREE one room school houses, scattered all over the county, just while out on our jaunt. We weren't looking for them, but what a great photo opportunity! I hope she will post pictures soon.

The sun is shining today, I can feel it warm on my back through the beautiful windows that look out to the lake....still windy, still cold, but I'm happy has a cat sitting here, getting ready to sew those 1400 triangles into something fabulous :c)

Stay tuned...I'll send more when I can!

Just A Quicky!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Oh it's raining again!! But I'm trying to be positive here...it's perfect weathr for staying in and quilting the day away, right?

Yesterday we had a wonderful time learning to use the EZ Angle Rulers and the Tri Recs Rulers during a Cathedral Stars Workshop. It's so fun for me to hear ladies say that they would NEVER have been able to do those long skinny triangle star points without these rulers, they'd always been afraid to try before. Me too. Before these rulers came around I was daunted by the simple fact that the seam allowance would make that long skinny triangle SO long that it was hard to tell where to place your pieces so they turned out right. What a fun day!

I was done by 4 so I had a fun evening with Janice, her sister, her husband, and a couple other guild friends from my last trip up here..we all met at "On Tap" for some yummy dinner. Living in the South there are some delicacies that we just don't come across. Have you ever had Sauerkraut Balls? Seriously...very tasty!

This morning I was able to sew..as well as last night. And now I'm off to a quilt show before heading to Warren for tonight's guild meeting!

This pic is of Janice's cat Ryan. Isn't he a sweetie? He has a motor to match....

Tomorrow is a Scrappy Mountain Majesties workshop....and then I'm headed North to Michigan..counting down the days to play time with Lucy!!

Autumn Means Apples!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Here are a couple pics I took at Brandt's Apple Orchard outside of Ashtabula OH on Sunday!

It was a beautiful day, typical of fall....and since we left there it has gotten colder and colder and rained and rained! I'm glad I packed some warm clothes, but if I run out, I might need to go....SHOPPING! OH NO!!

The atmosphere here was just wonderful. There was a group of blue grass players, apple cider being pressed, the smell of goodies cooking in the bakery....we HAD to try the apple donuts! People came out in droves to enjoy the weather, the music, the food and the fun...

Actually I'm hoping that once Joes, Isabeau and Lucy get here, we'll ALL do some shopping. It's fun to watch foreigners shop through what we take for granted :c)

Yesterday was a FULL day! I met with the Canton Ohio Quilt Guild for a Boxy Stars Workshop, and had a trunkshow and lecture for the guild following that at 7pm.

I'm off again this morning to teach Cathedral Stars to the KISS guild in Copley!

Tomorrow? I heard rumor of a quilt show not too far away, and since I don't have another guild meeting until tomorrow night, I think that might be on the menu!

Hello, Gracie :c)

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:04:00 +0000

I think my internet connection is a bit faster here, so I'm going to upload some photos!

This is Gracie! She is 12 weeks old and already a Quilt Terrorist! She is enamored with cone thread coming off the spool and through the holder....she loves to nestle herself into any project that lays on the machine table!

Anything that moves, she will attack it full force. I'm sorry to say we had to take cute little Gracie and put her in "TIME OUT" outside the sewing room! Poor thing. She really acted pitiful when we'd let her in again, and she'd be good for about 5 minutes until all mayhem let loose all over again. I forgot how fun it is to have baby kittens around!

After my lecture last night, I drove a bit over an hour west toward Akron where I will be for the next few days. This morning I've got a lecture/trunkshow followed by a half day Boxy Stars workshop which is always fun. It's such a great pattern for using up 2.5" strips, and the fun for me is seeing what fabrics the ladies decide to pull together. Always always I am encouraged by quilters who pulled everything they need from their stashes without having to buy a single thing to make this quilt.

After cleaning out a closet last week, I've recommitted myself to NO BUY if at all possible. That goes for the recycled shirt department too!

I better run and go get ready, I have to head out in about 20 minutes.

Have a super day!

Oh! Hi! OH!!!!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:20:00 +0000

Well here I am in Ohio, with a very slow connection on my wireless card, so I hope that I have enough juice to upload a couple pics!

I'm happy to say that I am now "weight bearing" on my gimpy leg, and you wouldn't believe the colors my foot and ankle have turned! The whole episode of the fall was so stupid, but it has taught me to really appreciate being active. And also to appreciate (not fight) the time to slow down when you have to.

I was met in Hermitage, PA by a group of ladies who took charge at unloading my car, and helping me set up and tear down for my lecture and trunkshow on Thursday night. We had a great time!

Friday, we had a Star Struck workshop, and there were ladies in charge of making sure I iced my foot/ankle down and kept it elevated as much as possible..of course, I still did what I could to disobey them. What a fun time we had!

Saturday morning I drove to Ashtabula, OH where I was met by a long time email friend, Holly, whom I had never met in person before. Boy is that fun. I try to think of what my life was like before internet, and I really LOVE how connections have blossomed thanks to this medium, enriching all of our lives so abundantly. I don't think I could ever go back to being "unconnected". Could you?

Holly lead the way to where the Boxy Stars workshop was being held for the Ashtabula guild, and we had a great time....Kat brought me lunch, and set me down with an ice pack too! I've been staying with Kat since. Yesterday (Sunday) Was a day off, and we spent that sewing....same with today. There is a lecture/trunkshow tonight, but we can sew all day long up until that point. Weeeee!

I am finally able to get a shoe on my foot, and that has helped with some stability (and arch support) as well.

Kathy has a new member of her family...a 12 week old kitten named Gracie. She is quite the spitfire!! In fact as I type this I am sitting on the couch, and Gracie is up behind me playing with my hair...anything not nailed down is a cat toy, and I think they should rename her KILLER!

We even had to ban her from the sewing room because she kept attacking my thread as it came off the cone and up the thread holder...*LOL* She is just too cute to want to put in time out, but we did!

I took some really cute pics, but blogger is not cooperating with my connection to upload them, so I'll have to do that at another time. Right now....I'm off to go sew!!

Ouch!!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:38:00 +0000

I had an accident this morning.

Or more like...I was extremely ungraceful and uncoordinated this morning, and turned my ankle while doing boot-camp type drills over a row of bosu balls during my training session at the gym. I rolled that right ankle, and went down to the floor.

The first thought to my mind was.....How am I going to drive to PA tomorrow with an un-useable right foot??

I sat at the minor emergency place for quite a while...foot elevated, ice pack on...x rays taken, doctor consult. Diagonsis? Not broke, but severely sprained and I am to be non-weight bearing on it for 4 days. I've got a lace up ankle support brace and crutches!

I'm still headed to PA in the morning. I emailed ahead and let everyone on this 5 guild route know that I'm still coming, the show will go on, I'm just going to need extra help bringing everything in and packing it back into my car when I'm done.

And I have to laugh...I was emailing Lucy from my phone, and just like a QUILTER she said "Oh NO, Bonnie!" That's your SEWING foot!" *LOL* And here I was worried about it being my DRIVING foot! :cD

I think the sewing foot will be okay...and I've got hand work to do if it gets sore driving the machine. :c) And thank heavens for cars with cruise control!!

My car is packed thanks to the help of DS Jeff. All that's left is my suitcase, and I'll be ready to head out in the morning. I might be walking slow, but they can't stop me!

Heading Out....

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Hello Quilters!

I haven't posted anything for a few days, been crazy crazy over here. I'm heading out again on Thursday, hitting Clark, PA for a couple days, and moving back into Ohio where I'll be visiting Ashtabula, Copley, Canton, and Warren!

I've got good friends in Ashtabula, and in the Akron Area, so it's going to be a reunion of sorts! FUN!

I've spent the last few days kitting up quilts from recycled fabrics for the next Scraps & Shirttails book...and I swear. I have GOT to be done buying clothing for quilts! Even after kitting these up, I feel like I haven't made a dent. It's a good thing I'm mad for plaid and the feel of utility scrap quilts. I'm going to be making them for a long long time!

Projects coming with me: In this bag...20 blocks inspired by the fun ironing board cover I picked up earlier this summer at the antique mall between Indiana and Ohio! I've even pieced the sashings and the pinwheel cornerstones. This just needs to be set together. I'll deal with borders once I get the top done. I'm thinking a sawtooth border thing to take the triangles to the outside edge of the quilt. I can never tell ahead of time what I want to do. And I'll probably deal with the borders when I get back home.

In this bag: Would you believe it is 156 blocks in shades of green/red/raspberry?! I spent many hours kitting this, but that's what Lifetime Movie Network is good for! Now I can just sit and sew these...it's going to be great.

In this bag: 252 2.5" X 19" strips for another quilt...all colors and values. I really DO like the "kitchen sink" variety of scrap quilt the best...it gives me so much to look at when putting colors together!

My ever bursting bag of recycled fabric strings! I'm working on some string blocks to go with some other blocks that I'm doing with 1.5" leader/ender squares also out of recycled fabrics and muslin. Of course, kitting up the other two quilts gave me even MORE strings to shove into this bag. A project for every bit of every fabric!

I really have learned that when sewing on the road....I get MORE sewing time in if I can kit up my projects ahead of time. With all the hours it took to cut these up, I have given myself that many more hours of real sewing time while on the road! It's like doubling the retreat time if you can do all the cutting ahead.

When I leave Ohio, I'll be heading up to Michigan to meet up with Lucy, Isabeau and Joes who are coming over from The Netherlands for Gwen Marston's retreat with me!! WHoowohoooo! We've had this planned for about a year, and I can't believe it is finally here. My car will be packed with not only my trunkshow stuff, but FOUR sewing machines so they each have something to sew with while at the retreat! My car has 3 feather weights, and I'm not sure if I am bringing Shotgun the Bernina or the Singer 301 I bought in June as my own machine. I'm thinking about it! What's a girl to do with too many machines? :cD

The theme for the retreat this year is applique combined with piecing. Not wanting to start a new UFO, I think it's time I do something with an old one. This is an Oak Leaf and Reel I started when I lived in IDAHO believe it or not...so that is what...10 years ago? Too much muslin, too many of the same fabrics. All the blocks are THE SAME. Yes, this is NOT a scrap quilt. I think I wanted muslin because I wanted the hand quilting to show...and it will when I get to it, but right now...BORING SNORING is more how I feel about it. So here is my applique part.

The question is....do I want to do some really amazing pieced border on it?(I've got my pieced borders book with me for design inspiration) or do I want to take the blocks apart, insert a really cool pieced sashing, put it back together and THEN border it? I need some life added to this thing. Feel free to send me suggestions! I've even got 3 extra blocks that didn't make it into this on-point layout. I think I was originally going to set them straight. So...I could add pieced sashing and reset them straight again! PS. The blocks finish at 16". I've got plenty of the red/chedder/muslin fabrics. I don't have any more of that same green, but I've pulled lots similar to it. We'll see what I come home with, aye?

Machines...IN THE MAIL!!!

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:24:00 +0000

It's one thing when boxes of fabric show up on my doorstep and I do the happy dance of joy either finding ways to use it in charity quilts, or donate it to organizations in need!

But today....a box with fabric, cotton shirts, thread....and a VINTAGE SINGER arrived on my doorstep!!

Thank you so much Ila! You didn't include your email address, so I'm hoping you see my post here.

This machine is amazing. It looks like it was either a treadle that was motorized, or a very early motorized machine...it still has the shuttle bobbin! The shuttle is still there!

I did some research on the singer website. Her serial number is G8916262. This makes her a model #128 Singer, born on Aug 1, 1921. She was manufactured at the Elizabethport factory, in Elizabeth, NJ.

I can tell her decal work was gorgeous at one time! The fact that most of it is worn off is a sign of a good long life of hard use to me, and I love this about old machines. I would rather see a machine with pin scratches and scraped off decals, than one in mint condition any day because they have had a LIFE! They meant something to someone, just as my machines mean something to me. The more we use them, the more they have a place in our lives. Some machine that sat in a closet un-used just does not have a story, does it?

Thank you so much for trusting me with her, Ila! I am naming her after you :cD

Wednesday Questions....Conversion of Sizes

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:16:00 +0000

I get some really thought provoking questions in my email, and sometimes I think posting them here will help other people who might be wondering the same thing.

For instance, today I found this email:

Hello,
I want to know if there is a way to change a queen size pattern if you only want a twin size quilt? And how do I know how much fabric I will need. If you can help it will greatly appreicated. I also make a lot of baby quilts.

First off, being a scrap quilter, I typically don't have to worry about things like yardage amounts, unless it is something specific...borders, sashing, binding.

Usually when I want to make a smaller quilt from a larger pattern, I just make fewer blocks.

Figuring the fabric is a bit more difficult..I prefer to have more
than I need, than to fall short.

If you can figure how much fabric you will need to BACK the size of
quilt you want, that is a guide line on how much fabric you might need
for the front. I usually add a bit extra, because some fabric is lost
in the piecing and cutting of the top.

There are no hard and fast rules here. The more pieces in the top,
the more is taken up in the seams, and the more fabric you will need
for the top, but it is a good guideline to start with....how much it
will take to back the size you want, plus some.

I think this is why I like being a scrap quilter. It's easier on all levels! You don't have to worry about running out of something, if you do, you substitute something else similar, and it adds more interest to the quilt. I don't have to worry if I have enough, and if I have more than enough, the left overs are always welcome!

Sometimes, when taking a larger quilt down to a smaller size, I will also make the block smaller, because I like the repeat of blocks across the quilt. Let's face it..a quilt set 4 X 5 is going to be a lot more interesting than a quilt set 2 X 3. There is just more to go on with the secondary designs that way.

So this is where my mind takes me...and it's the easiest way for me to guestimate how much I am going to need for the top of any quilt. Hope it helps someone!

I've hand quilted this morning..for about 1.5 hours! Now I'm off to tackle some drawers, and then get myself to the gym for a session with Charlee. I hope she doesn't whoop my butt too badly today! :cD

Answers to Questions....

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:03:00 +0000

Several people asking the same questions have prompted this reply so I don't have to write more than one reply!

I am doing the fans all over the quilt, filling the whole surface with them. My favorite way of doing fans is to start in one corner, and go all the way around the outside edge, and then do another round inside that one, and inside that one..ending up somewhere in the center. It's like a spiral of fans. It works great when you are quilting by hoop, (or without as Tonya does)

On little things, I don't mark them anymore, just eyeball...thanks to Tonya for that one too. But for this one, I AM using a stencil...the quilt is so regimented, it just isn't one that I want random fans on...and I want the fans to be larger than my usual 5 arc little ones. It's hard for me to keep them even when I do them bigger,so I am using a stencil, and using regular chalk board chalk to mark the arcs. They are mostly brushed off by the time I finish quilting them.

I'm happy that I got done what little I did this morning, made me feel energized for the rest of the day! Now I need to get myself in gear and run some errands and get on with the day. It's a beautiful mid September day out there!

Tuesday Morning...

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:34:00 +0000

This is my trainer, Charlee! Isn't she gorgeous? She reminds me of Whitney Houston, and she is the most generous, loving, spiritually minded lady I know. I am honored to call her my friend. We had the best time at her party the other night (There is NO WAY this buff woman looks anything like 50!) and we all decided that we have to do this again, not just wait for another birthday to roll around, but to get together just for fun..all of us.

I put a movie on early this morning. Some lame thing on Lifetime Movie Network, otherwise known as the man-hater channel. But it was background noise while I tackled my closet.

I stood there with my door shut, in my undies, trying on EVERYTHING in my closet and getting rid of things I didn't like anymore, or things that just didn't fit right. My legs are too long..a lot of my pants are just too short unless I'm wearing them with flats, and then only barely passable. So..out.

I went through all the skirts, got rid of over half of them. What do I do with all this stuff? I mean, I love feeling feminine in skirts, but I don't have the kind of job where I can wear a skirt every day, or even every other day.

I love flowing skirts, mid calf to ankle length, when it is hot in the summer,but it is turning fall now..

At any rate, I couldn't let EVERYTHING go, so I kept what fit, what I liked, and maybe I'll try to give them one more shot and wear them more. If I don't....this time next year...they are gone. At least I am down by half.

Tomorrow I'll start on the dresser drawers. As it is I only have time to give this about an hour a day....and bit by bit things are getting gone through, and it is true what they say about less is more. I'm reaquainting myself with what I have...and getting rid of what I don't want. Reminding myself of things that I forgot I had (!!! A sure sign there is too much!) and matching things with other things in my mind to switch up my wardrobe a bit without having to go buy anything.

Oh. I went through shoes too. How many pairs of black flats, loafers and pumps does one girl need? And I always seem to fall for the same cute style anyway, so they all resemble each other? Just because they are on sale doesn't mean I need to keep buying the same thing, does it?

Now I am just trying to get the rest of my day going...I keep peeking back into my closet and seeing how nice it looks in there, and I want to do the same thing to the rest of this house closet by closet by drawer by drawer by cabinet by cabinet. I can do this an hour at a time!

And on a quilty note....

I'm taking my own organizing advice, and now that it is cool enough, I am going to sit at my hand quilting for an hour (or maybe a bit less, depends) in the morning. It's time to get the "In The Pink" Dear Jane at sea quilting going. You can tell by the pic I've only done a couple of baptist fans so far. It's been in storage! And you know what? When I unfolded it I found a stain on it. Whhhaaaa. I know this is the life of a quilt....especially one that is a UFO for so long, but I am hoping that after I quilt it and bind it and wash it, that I can do some oxyclean stuff..it looks like something brown...not blood, maybe dr pepper? chocolate? Got on one small space. I tried cleaning it with a dish towel and some soap, but then the pink started to bleed..whhaaaaa..(and yes, it is pre washed) SO. I'm going to wait. Going to quilt, bind, wash, dye catcher, oxy clean, whatever.

If I wait til night time I'm too tired to hand quilt. My eye sight isn't what it was. Even reading, my eyes are so dry at night. So...if I do just even ONE FAN in the mornings when I am here at home, before everything else, it will get there.

Fall Fever....?

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Today I started something….

I hate my closet. I hate my dresser drawers. I mean, I am one person…how many pairs of jeans, tshirts, shorts, underwear, bras, socks, shoes does one person need? More than half this stuff I don’t even wear!

It would take me more than all day to go through it all, so today….I just tackled the jeans/shorts/capris/sweats stuff. And over 1/2 of it is now gone, and that looks better

This meant trying on all the jeans to determine which ones fit and which ones could GO…

Of course this means recycling the denim from the jeans, the ones that don't have spandex at least ;c) Some of the capris were regular cotton fabric, hawaiian print or something similar..recyle those into quilts too I think!

Tomorrow I’ll tackle another part of the closet, because it’s the same thing. How many skirts and blouses and tops does one girl need? This is stupid because I don’t wear skirts or dresses all that much. I like them. To be honest, I LOVE THEM. I just never wear them. So why do I buy them? I don’t know. They need to go live somewhere else too. If I don’t wear it now, why do I think that some day I will actually want to?

At least, it is putting my thoughts into some place positive…I think it comes from being gone so much, that when I'm home, I want THIS in order too.

I'm off for a yoga class, and then I have a quilt to load on the machine...yes..machine quilting is in order for today! Whoooopie!! :cD

Just for Chuckles..

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:17:00 +0000

This came in my email today!! I thought it was too funny not to share....

Weekend has been good so far. I'm back to working on my pineapple blocks. I know it's not much of an update, it's the same pictures as last time.

But it feels good to have the TV on and me piecing away, not making much of a dent in the small scraps even if each pineapple block takes 45 pieces fer cryin out loud!!

I've got a party to go to in just a bit. My personal trainer has turned 50! It's an all girls party, all of her clients are getting together to throw her this bash. I'm taking a broccoli salad and a beverage....there will be BBQ and pool games, no boys allowed! (and that is why this pic goes so well with this post!)

Have a great weekend!

9-11

quiltville@gmail.com (Bonnie K Hunter) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:27:00 +0000

I am remembering where I was when the planes crashed into the towers and the world came crashing down. I was at home in our house in Waxahachie. I was on aim with my friend Cassie who lives in Brooklyn, NY…and she told me to turn on CNN….and the world went crazy.

I saw the second plane hit the tower there live on TV. I didn’t understand it, it looked like a movie, it was so surreal.

I remember how quiet the sky was for days because no planes flew anywhere. We always had planes going over head because we were south of Dallas.

I was glued to CNN for days and nothing got done…..until I finally told myself to turn it OFF, that life had to go on, and there wasn’t anything I could do about the pain and suffering of other people. I couldn’t let myself get swallowed up in their grief. I couldn’t lie down and die with them.

I can’t believe it’s been 8 years. I was in NYC a couple months ago, and I walked around where the towers were. There is some construction going on there now. But it’s still a big huge hole in the ground, and it is amazing to me that more damage wasn’t done to the buildings and areas surrounding where the towers stood.

Planes still fly over my house….and sometimes it still freaks me out.