Mystery Methods!

As the saying goes, there is more than one way to “skin a cat”! Now, I’ve never personally considered the different ways you can skin a cat, or why you would want to do so….but in this case, those late night foot cramps gave me time to think things through. For some --- the easiest way to trim those string blocks in Part 4 would be to simply square the blocks to 5-1/8”, slice them on the

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Yard Sale Saturday!

I’m getting another late start this morning….I had one of those nights where you wake up with foot cramps at 3am and the only thing to do is get up and stumble around and walk them out! Does that happen to anyone else? After that, I lay there thinking of what to do with the Part 4 steps……really…and I have some ideas to streamline things, and I’ll post that in a bit. It will take me making one

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Evening Edition..Free Kindle Book!

It’s on the machine….the last quilt for the next book is on the machine! I am so excited I can barely stand it..I love this quilt..it turned out every bit as terrific as I hoped it would. AND…I was thrifty…last year I bought a set of King sized flannel sheets on sale because I thought they’d be cozy…well--- DH isn’t crazy about them, says they are TOO HOT…so today, they became BACKING! And I’m

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Mystery Stuff !!

This is one of those reasons why I am home when running mysteries--- QUESTIONS come in! Please, please believe me in the sizes for step 4....the directions ARE correct. I've gone over this and over this. I’ve already MADE the quilt, I know what I’m doing :c) Please don't second guess me when you don't know where these triangles are going to go or what they will be added to. If you cut a 5-1/8"

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UH-OH!!

Guess what Santa is bringing me for Christmas this year?! Actually, I hope it shows up a lot sooner than that! I just placed my order --- This is my extension table for my Bernina machine, and --- ooops! I was reattaching the legs, and I don’t even KNOW how this snapped! But let’s just agree that it is NOT fixable :c/ ((I may find myself resorting to some duct tape and some flat paint sticks as

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A Night with Trans Siberian Orchestra!

We had an absolute blast last night… I’d always loved Trans Siberian Orchestra’s music during the holidays, I was familiar with some of it, even had a few CD’s that I’d dust off at holiday time to play --- But this was the first time I’d seen them live, and WOW! ((Though I have to admit there was way too much theatrical 80’s hair band style hair flipping going on…it cracked me up! Just play the

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Afternoon Additon --- Free Kindle book!

And we’re off! Heading out to the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert…and meeting up with friends after for dinner. It should be a fun evening. I just downloaded this little freebie ---it’s a mystery, and it sounds cute. Wait – can mysteries BE cute?? Dead Air: A Sammy Greene Thriller by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user

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Grand-Kitty Addition!

I was out for a walk yesterday when my phone rang….and I answered it --- “Hi Mom! Watcha doin??” “Out for a walk! How about you?” ((Insert additional information – it’s been UNSEASONABLY warm here – pushing 70 degrees…in DECEMBER! Keep it coming, I love this!)) “I just adopted a kitty.” “WHAT?!” “She’s 6 months old and as sweet as can be ----“ What was really weird is I had woken up yesterday

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Holiday Freebie --- Paper Pieced Tree!

I’ve been having a lazy day --- but that doesn’t mean that hands are not busy! I’m sewing bindings like crazy, trying to get these quilts ready to be sent off for photography! I’m going to have to spend some time doing some labels too, but for right now, I’m tackling bindings. I’ve had a heck of a time binding with 100% cotton threads that want to shred back against themselves after only a

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Story-Time Stars!

The top is done! And --- I think you will like what I did! Isn’t this block SO CUTE! Each one turned out so different. This one reminds me of our Orca Bay mystery ---- I was gifted scraps and pieces of Alaskan Themed fabric while I was in Alaska this year, and it’s fun to put it in here! And wonder of wonders --- I didn’t go all out all out all out and over do it on the border! As often

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Only a Flesh Wound!!

I remember laughing hysterically at the old Monty Python Spoofs about Arthur and the “Black Knight” Are you this way? Some classic lines just seem to be stored in the back of the brain just sitting there, ready to be recalled when the appropriate moment arises. Don’t ask me why “Only a Flesh Wound!!” was one of those statements laying dormant --- But it sure came in handy! I was sewing along,

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Mystery Monday Link-Up, Part 3!

I can’t believe how fast we are rolling into December! Can you believe there are only 20 days left until Christmas? I’m in complete denial. It’s not as stressful as when the kids were young. Now that they are grown, and we’ve had to help them financially quite a bit over the past couple of months, it’s pretty safe to say that both of their birthdays and Christmases have been taken care of this

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Rock you like a Hurricane!

It was a great night last night in Raleigh! I’d only been to one “live” hockey game before --- that is unless you count the countless times I was at Jason’s street hockey games when we lived in Idaho ----they were rough and tough kids, and played on roller blades. Fun! But this time I’m talking professional NHL hockey. Hockey fans are like non-other in the world. They wear their jerseys proud!

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Test

This is just a test ----please disregard. Feedburner isn't sending my links over to facebook and I changed some settings and need to try it out... nothing to read here, but stay tuned!

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Jan/Feb 2012 Quiltmaker Magazine!

It’s out! I nearly spaced it with all that’s been going on! My copies arrived about 2 weeks ago….BEFORE Thanksgiving. And didn’t THAT feel weird, because not only had we bypassed Thanksgiving --- but we left December completely out of the equation and moved right into Valentine’s Day! Now, being a winter-phobe ---This is NOT all together a bad thing. I really don’t do winter. Yes, I think the

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Afternoon Edition–Free Kindle Book!

Heading out to the Carolina Hurricanes vs the Pittsburgh Penguins game in just a bit! Dressing in RED to support the home team! Someone just please remind me to use the sticky roller to remove all threads and other quilting detritus before allowing myself to be seen in public! Just found this goodie and wanted to pass it on to you! Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton is free today from the

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Gone Viral!

The Cleaning Epidemic has pushed its way down into the basement studio! I honestly don’t know:1. How it got so out of control in the first place?!2. Just what it was that tipped me over the edge?!3. How long this virus is going to STICK AROUND?! I always thought I was semi-organized. I mean, ask me where something is and I can tell you….but pretty much lived by the philosophy that if it was IN

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Inklingo-Link-Up & Mystery Fun!

Oh you guys! I had no idea this Mystery was going to take the Inklingo World by STORM….but it sure has! The truth is that Inklingo works so well with these small shapes that I love so much, and people are raving about the accuracy and versatility --- I’m going to have to try it myself just to see how it works. Linda Franz has put the software for half-square triangles Inklingo Style on sale…Click

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Quilt-Jacking ---Get the Word Out!

This morning I received a note from Sue who told me about Sharon’s devastating news that her quilt disappeared after being shown in Houston. It is not a misplaced shipment --- the quilt went missing before shipping. She writes: I’m hoping you can post this information and picture on the on-line quilt group you’re with. I just found out that my “Really ‘Wild’ Flowers! Second Season” quilt went

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Go Climb a Tree!

We have a lot of trees. More trees than anywhere we’ve ever lived in our lives ---and I love them. I love being tucked in under the green shade of leaves in the summer to the point where I can’t see any neighbors at all unless I try really hard… I love the smell of woods in all seasons…. I love to hear the wind blowing through the branches… I even love the sound of the acorns bouncing off the

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Cleaning Frenzy!

I have no more progress to show. No great words of wisdom to impart. No interesting details or pictures of places I’ve traveled to to share. I’ve settled into the blissfully normal routine of 6 weeks at home! The massage yesterday afternoon was the best I’ve had in a long time --- I’ve been having issues with my hamstrings being way too tight, and it feels like there is a band of tissue in them

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Whoooopie!!

I think I’ve got it! I tried black --- too dark--- I tried white --- too light! Besides, who makes a white baby quilt? STAIN is the first thing a new mother learns --- I know babies see black and white first --- and then into color, so this is what I decided to do! I spent the morning cutting 1.5” strips from my solid black, and several different black on white prints. Again, it’s hard to go

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More Novelty Stars..

I still need 3 more…and they are cut out to sew this morning. As I lay in bed last night, before my brain shut down so I could sleep ---I played with setting ideas in my head. Do you do that? I am an “on-point” girl, but I quickly ruled THAT out…these blocks are all directional. There is a definite right-side-up to them…. Sashing? Maybe. A pieced sashing? Well, maybe ---and then there are the

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Time-Out for a Free Kindle Book!

I’ve been sewing like a mad woman….even madder than normal! These stars have taken over the plans I had for my day, but they are so fun, easy and cute that I just can’t stop! Right now there are 11 of them all laying on top of the long arm machine rollers….shining like little star-pointed soldiers. Five more to go – I think I’ll stop at 16!I just took a break and found a little goodie that

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What a Novelty!

For years as I’ve been working on keeping up with my Scrap User’s System, I’d divide fabrics to be cut into strips by size –and that was fairly straignt forward. But occasionally I’d be gifted things like leftover novelty prints. Just HOW do you slice those down? Because EVERYTHING loses its head or arms or legs or becomes undetectable if you start cutting it into narrow strips! Sometimes this

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Blog Gremlins?

I was sure there HAD to be a glitch going on with the Blogger Archives this morning when I tested some things out…and this was AFTER I got this message from a reader: Hi Bonnie, I was on your blog this morning and saw a previous blog you had on April 30, 2011 about a trip you took to the Lancaster area. My sister, a friend and I are going to the Lancaster Quilt show in March and I am in charge

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Mystery Monday Link-Up! Part 2!

Have you been busy bees, even with the holiday hoopla gaining force in our lives? Someone made a comment on our Quiltvillechat email list that even though November and December ARE extremely busy months, that taking this small bit of time out for herself to keep up with the mystery steps each week added a feeling of peace to her other wise busy chaotic Holiday season. I mean, think about it ---

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Show & Tell Sunday!

Today I am on my way up to Lynchburg, VA for a sew-day with some quilty friends! I’m really looking forward to this…we are going to sew on our projects like maniacs, laugh a lot, talk a lot ---order pizza for lunch ((delivered! YAY!)) and sew all the way til dinner time! We’ve planned a dinner out --- and after dinner I’ll head back home. Last night DH and I were out late, at a dinner party with

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First Quilts!

The first recognizable traditional patch-working I ever did was an Ohio Star block we made in home ec, my senior year of high school --- but I’d been sewing since about the 6th or 7th grade. I LOVED to sew. My mom would take me shopping for remnants, looking at the little bundle wrapped with a paper label, telling us how much yardage the rolled up piece contained. Even today I get excited by

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Afternoon Edition! Free Kindle Book ---

And the fun continues! I love long holiday weekends….still cleaning out closets here! The pile of stuff to be dropped off at the goodwill donation center is growing, and it feels so good to CLEAN IT OUT! Do you go through this same kind of re-adjustment when the Holidays start to settle in? I’ll go for months without having anything bother me, then all at once..BAM! I can’t leave it alone and

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Out of the Closet!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the USA! Happy Thursday to the rest of you, unless you live in Australia or some such place where it is a completely different day for you as I post this, but I’m sure you are used to the recalculating of dates by now! I’ve spent the morning reaming out a closet in the guest room. Last night about 9pm we got the call from Jeff that things to his room mate had

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Turkey Day Eve ----

And I was stupid enough to venture out into the the “dreaded” shopping area of Winston Salem’s Hanes Mall Boulevard. I know every biggish city in America has this same spread of stores…..It’s near the MALL ((other wise known as the M.A.U.L. in my book, and we don’t go there!!)) and as soon as you exit the freeway you can see Chilis, Applebees, Best Buy, Sam’s Club, Costco is across the street--

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A Day in Labadee, Haiti!

It was unanimous! There would be NO crazy bike excursions on our last port of call, Labadee, Haiti! Of course this could be because no bike tours were offered ---- But really, this was our last port before starting our return journey home, we’d had 3 previous days in a row of pedal to the metal ((Literally!)) cycling tours. This was our day to VEG OUT! Labadee is not a Haitian village --- it’s

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Afternoon Edition! Free Kindle Book!

There comes a time when you have to give in to the holiday fervor building and just go with it! I’m not saying that I’m into playing Christmas music 24/7 --- even on Christmas Eve that is too much holiday for me, but I have to even admit that yesterday, while sewing on a binding….sitting at the machine, zoning out in that zen-of-machine-stitching fashion that always hits me….I found I was humming

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Tools of the Trade for the Serial Quilter!

A very funny thing happened on the way to --- Doesn’t that line just draw you in? Stories like this have to be good if they start with “A funny thing happened!…” In this case, it deals with the cruise, 52 quilters, and a bunch of luggage being held in security because there was ((Insert that gavel sound from Law & Order here!)) SCISSORS. In the LUGGAGE!! ****GASP!!**** Security on ships is not as

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Sad Day for Lancaster, PA!

I just got an email from my friend Nancy in Shippensburg, PA…with an article attached! The Lancaster Quilt Museum that houses the Esprit collection of Amish quilts is closing! I am severely bummed out. I’ve visited this museum several times and I love the inspiration that I find there! I’ll never forget the time I had a personal tour by one of the docents….It was just amazing, and the lives of

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Mystery Monday Link Up!!

We are doing a Linky thing on Mondays! Starting TODAY, those of you with blogs will be able to link to your post showing your Orca Bay progress every Monday throughout the mystery. I knew NOTHING about these linky things, I’ve never ever entered one, only followed them on Judy’s blog for Design Wall Monday ((Good stuff there folks, be sure to check that out too today!)) and I’ve followed Jo’s

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A Day in the Dominican Republic!

Yep, back to the travelogue that is my life! Of all the places that really touched me on this cruise, it has to be the time we spent on our excursion outside of Samana. I’d never been to the Dominican Republic before, and I really didn’t know ANYTHING about it. Remember that whole thing about “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue”?? Well he certainly didn’t land in Boston! He landed on the

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Evening Edition! Errands, and some recipes!

This morning was full of errands. I had a $20 rewards card to redeem at Staples before it expired…..$20 is ENOUGH of a chunk to make me NOT wan to waste it…and I bought something I have been telling myself to get for months, but just never got around to it..or forgot about it..you know how it goes! But never mind. I bought it.What did I buy? A WHITE BOARD! I need to make notes for myself so that

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SEW MUCH FUN!!

Do you know how long it has been since I’ve participated in an “AT HOME RETREAT” with a bunch of Internet Quilters? This feels like THAT! You know, I had a hard time explaining to others who didn’t “GET IT”-- What was the difference between sewing at home on my own --- and participating in an “at home retreat” with a bunch of other quilters all over the globe who were also just basically at home

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It’s Orca Bay Eve!!

All week long I’ve been giggling to myself! Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the build up that would present itself over the past few weeks, including mails asking what TIME this first clue would be posted tomorrow morning! OH. MY. GOODNESS!! I had to think about it. I live on the East Coast of the USA. Someone asked if it was going to go live just after midnight my time tonight….I

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Shore Day 2! St Thomas!

Of all the places we were seeing on this cruise, the one place I was looking forward to was St Thomas! It’s just the most beautiful place! We were off the ship by 9am to meet with our guide out on the pier --- today’s adventure? The Water Island Bike Adventure! We hadn’t done much research before leaving for this cruise – there just wasn’t time. So we had a couple days on board before we

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Afternoon Edition–Free Kindle Book!

Oh My Goodness --- there is no fighting it! As I am typing this, Harry Connick Jr is singing “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year…..” on my radio station --And I am SO not ready for this! I guess there is no stopping it though, and I thought this little freebie MIGHT..just MIGHT get me a bit closer to being in the mood for the holidays just around the corner. Angel Be Good by Kathy Carmichael is

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A bike tour through San Juan!

Our first port of call, and a short one! As far as day light hours goes, that is….we pulled into port about 3pm, and we were there until 11pm, but we only had 3 hours of daylight left to cram in all we could! Being as I had lots of beach time and boat time and snorkel time on the last cruise ((Quickly translate that into SUNBURN time, ya’ll!!)) and was not really in the mood for repeating those

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More Backing Fun!!

I SERIOUSLY needed to get on the ball and get some stuff done when we returned home. Deadlines were looming, so much needed instant attention….but we returned home Saturday evening, and I decided that all “ELSE” ((Aka- BIZ STUFF!)) Could wait until Monday. I was continuing my vacation through the weekend, and that was all there was too it!Let’s face it – I had spent the past 10 days watching 50+

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Rockin’ Rollin’ & Cruisin!!

The difference between sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida in August, and Balitmore, Maryland in November?? WEATHER!!Here is a pic of Pat and myself...along with a random stranger guy in the background! :cD We were just leaving Haiti -- We had waves, baby! And swells that had us rockin’ and rollin’! Our sea legs got well conditioned rather quickly, and some of us applied the help of either the

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And The Winners Are!!

Look what just came in my mail today! My 100 blocks, Vol 4 commemorative mug! Yippee! I’ve now got a set of 3 of these….The big buttons make GREAT coasters too…got a set of 3 of these too! LOL! I can’t tell you what fun I’ve had reading everyone’s comments and entering their names into the drawing! I *DO* have to mention one that really gave me the giggles---one reader had written that she

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Afternoon Edition–Free Kindle/Nook Cook Book!

This is just a quickie post! I’ve learned to send these on as soon as I find them, because even a few hours delay and they might NOT be free anymore! It doesn’t work to stack the blog up with these to release later, and I apologize if there were books that came through the queue while I was gone, and they were not free anymore when you clicked to get them. That’s the breaks, I guess! You know

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And they sailed from Baltimore!

I’m backing up in time! Clear all the way back to November 3rd when we headed out on a beautiful early autumn afternoon ---- Sadie was SO knowing we were going somewhere ----Dogs just KNOW don’t they? She was hunkered down in her bed all day, just giving me LOOKS. Yeah, that look --- You know the one! Never fear, she was going to have more company that she would know what to do with. I’d

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Drawing Time!!

I’m still unpacking! Somewhere, I’ve lost that Mp3 player again….it WAS connected to the headphones…but this morning, I could ONLY find the headphones… And I have no idea WHY they were in the box of Cheese Nips crackers!!??! That’s the kind of “clean the car” episode we had last night upon returning home. It’s weird to have it dark so early……and easy to lose things in the dark! I’ve just drawn

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Come to Bali with Me!

Bali Trip, 2012! We arrived home from our Caribbean Adventure last evening! I have so much to share with you, but it's going to take a day or so to get my bags unpacked and get to feeling "normal" again....so I'm leaving this in the queue for you---Have you been feeling left out of our traveling adventure fun?? There is no better time than now to plan for NEXT AUGUST! Come to Bali with me! You

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Name This Gadget!

Have you ever wondered what some of these really strange contraptions could be? If you are a vintage machine lover, then perhaps you know……but some of these? I’d never seen before! Just what IS this thing?! It has moving parts and little notches with numbers….if you know? Leave a reply below! My love of vintage machines started early on..and along with every treadle or vintage machine came a box

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Evening Stroll through Santa Fe!

More Santa Fe? Yes, more Santa Fe!But first, I need to wish a very, very happy wedding to my little brother Scott, and his sweetheart Alicia who are being wed today on 11/11/11 at 11:11am! I can't be there in person, but I am there in spirit! I wish you guys the happiest of lifetimes, and can't wait to see you as soon as I can!*SIGH* If only I could be two places at once, but the cruise was

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A Visit to Southwest Decoratives!

When I was in New Mexico, In between a morning guild meeting in Santa Fe, and an Evening guild meeting in Albuquerque, I had the opportunity to take a little side trip out to a very special shop! Not that ALL shops are not special, but this one was something REALLY neat! Southwest Decoratives might not even “SOUND” like the name for a Quilt Shop, but if you go to Albuquerque, please leave

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MMMmmmmmm! Mulled Apple Cider!!

Yes, I know that I’m out floating about on a huge ship with fruity frozen umbrella drinks, listening to the music of Caribbean steel drum bands, etc--- but I’m thinking of you folks back home! This recipe is REALLY yummy --- I think it’s the cranberries and the lemon juice & peel that do it, so don’t skimp out on those!  The Holidays are quickly approaching and I definitely want my hands around a

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Harvest is Over!

Tobacco harvest season 2011 is now a thing of the past. Remember when I wrote THIS POST about the fields that grew near my house? Thearica over at Pigtales & Quilts has taken some videos for us of the whole process! If you are interested, give her a little click and go see! There are two videos on her page, one on priming ((picking)) and one of loading the barn! We emailed back and forth, her

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Evening Edition --- Simmer All Night!

I’m lightening things up a bit here, there has been an awful lot of crime/murder/intrigue kind of books loaded on my kindle lately, and when this one came through I thought it would sweeten up my load a bit! Simmer All Night by Geralyn Dawson is ((was??)) free in the kindle store ((before I left home!)) and I hope it still is for you! From Publishers Weekly Dawson (The Wedding Raffle) offers a

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100 Blocks, Vol 4 Blog Tour!

***NOTICE*** The drawing for this magazine is OVER!!Have you been waiting for my turn to post? IT’S TIME! Here is your sneak peek at what you will find from me in 100 blocks by 100 designers, vol 4!This is my third issue as a designer for Quiltmaker’s 100 blocks by 100 designers magazine. I just LOVE doing these! I’ve found it very freeing to just work on ONE BLOCK….and see what comes out of the

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Evening Edition --- Free Kindle Book!

Just passing on another freebie to those who love mystery/crime/who-dunnits! Fool me Twice by Paul Levine is free in Amazon in the Kindle Store. There wasn’t a whole lot about the plot of this one written, but here is what I got from Amazon: BESTSELLING MYSTERY BY EDGAR NOMINEE PAUL LEVINE"Wildly entertaining blend of raucous humor and high adventure." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Take one part

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Quiltmaker Magazine 100 blocks Retreat!

August 2012 is going to be a busy busy month! Williamsburg,Virginia has been named the site of the FIRST EVER Quiltmaker Magazine 100 blocks retreat! In my OWN neck of the woods! Okay, well a short 6 hour drive away, but I can be there --- and hopefully SO CAN YOU! Plans are just now jelling for this. So far the plans are that I will be the featured key note speaker on one of the nights--The

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Happy Birthday, Little Sis!

I’ve blogged a bit before about My sisters ---- I’m the oldest of 8, the older three of us from my mom’s first marriage, and the younger five from her second. Three girls and five boys complete our eight!I honestly don’t ever think of us being two sets of kids ---other than the age difference that separates us a bit, but never EVER EVER have I considered these brothers and sisters to be halves

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Backing Battles!

Last July in Iowa, Jo, Amy and some others of us took time out from the Iowa State Guild Retreat to go hit the quilt shop…they were having a HECK of a sale, and I know I didn’t need more fabric, but when stuff is $2.00 a yard and they are clearing it out…I’m going –—whether I need it or not! A girl can always use backings-- And the backing fabric has ALREADY been used! In fact, it never even

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Evening Edition --- Free Kindle Book!

We are up to November 5th!  Are you counting down the days until Thanksgiving? Is Christmas music playing on radio stations in your area? It started for me the day AFTER Halloween --- good thing it didn’t start BEFORE! I’m just not ready for Christmas music…I spent time before leaving on this cruise downloading all the Jimmy Buffet and other Caribbean laid back summer type music that I could find

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Ask Bonnie!

Today’s topic: Washing old, musty string blocks! I received an email the other day from Anna who has acquired some really great string blocks…but there is a problem. They are still attached to the paper ((Dated 1955!!)) and some have stains…and they smell musty. Her question: Hi Bonnie, I just received two old string quilt tops that were sewn on the machine and pieced on newspaper. One of the

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Evening Edition—Free Kindle Book!

First off, A very happy happy birthday wish going out to my brother, Rick! Rick was born when I was 15, and I remember his birth so vividly! He has a special place in my heart, he and I are two of a kind, and the further we get into our middle age years, the more we have in common! I love you baby, bro --- Hope your day is wonderful! ((Pic from my 2009 visit to Idaho.))Where are we now? As

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Apple Spice Coffee Cake!

Yes, I know, we are floating out here in the midst of a Caribbean sea in November, and you are at home in dropping temperatures and thinking of Thanksgiving around the corner! When Carol was driving me from Portland Maine, up to Rangeley a couple weeks ago, we stopped at a little road side farmer’s market ---it’s apple season! They had people running the sorting belts in the back and the whole

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Evening Edition–Free Kindle/Nook Book!

By the time this post goes live…..we’ll be sailing out of Baltimore and on our way to the Caribbean! It’s a funny thing to start a trip in cold weather! I’ve been thinking the past several days about what it will be like on deck as we leave the harbor, all of us huddled in jeans and sweatshirts, coats, jackets, scarves..hats and gloves? Or will we give up and go INSIDE to watch from the warmth

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Zuckerwatte Quilt & Curved Bindings!

This tutorial is being written as an extension of a Quilt pattern that recently appeared in the September 2011 Patchwork Gilde Magazine in Germany! Remember I showed you the back of this quilt? I was unable to show you the FRONT until it appeared in the magazine! And the Magazine is HERE! Zuckerwatte is the German name for Cotton Candy, and this quilt, with its pinks and purples just have

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

This goes RIGHT ALONG with today being the second day of Dia de los Muertos! How could I not post this?! Recipes and a mystery thriller combined? Double combo! Double fun! Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on 10 customer reviews. Category: Mystery Book Description:In Stanley’s

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Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assissi!

One of the landmarks I was able to visit in Santa Fe, New Mexico was the Cathedral of St Francis! You can’t hardly miss it, it’s there….larger than life…at the end of the street---and it’s a busy place, bustling with tourists! With good reason! My fascination with historic buildings holds no bounds, and I was eager to walk the grounds and find my way inside. I always feel a reverence when

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Why I blog ---

I’ve been traveling around the internet from time to time, visiting blogs, following links, seeing who is in other people’s reading lists, trying new venues, seeing what is out there. There are times when I even end up questioning myself, why I do what I do at all--- at the end of the day, what drives me to post and post and post? There have been comments --- not necessarily about me, but about

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Evening Edition --- Free Kindle Cookbook!

Those folks at Gooseberry Patch are at it again! This time it’s Savory Pies!! Book Description: From Flaky Chicken Pot Pie and Spaghetti Pie to Upside-Down Mexican Pot Pie and Slow-Cooker Sausage Pie, this new collection features 25 savory pies that are sure to get mouths watering and tastebuds tingling! Yummy Yummy, get it while you can! There is nothing like a warm and comforting main-dish

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Halloween Interview with Pat Sloan!

This is an early afternoon announcement to remind you ((I even had to remind MYSELF!!)) that my interview with Pat Sloan on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio airs this afternoon!It’s really a fun Quilting-Conversation more than anything. Pat is so easy to be around and when we start talking, I have a hard time shutting up, or staying on topic—LOL!Remember, when this was recorded, I had just

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Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I loved it as a kid, I loved it when my kids were kids! I love it now! Today, since there are no kids left at home, no costumes to sew, no candy to buy, nothing to decorate for – I want to do something a bit different ----I had some email exchanges with Nancy Arsenault, a quilter from Tuscon, Arizona, who shared some of her “Dia de los Muertos” quilts

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It’s a Shelby Weekend!!

See this cute girl? She has me laughing every time I turn around! Wait, you thought I was talking about LISA?! Well, yes, she has me laughing non-stop too, and she is more than extremely cute, but this cute little Shelby dog is the Bees Knees, Y’all! I’ve always been a big dog girl. From the time I was little, a dog wasn’t a dog unless it was at least a lab. Cocker Spaniels were only

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Star Struck in Santa Fe!

I had a great day yesterday with son Jason --- and our big adventure to IKEA! I’m not sure HOW we made it out of there in one piece…….but then actually, our purchases were in several pieces….what an experience to go to the furniture pick up department with a list and pick up 5 legs here, a desk top here, a frame there, an end cap here…..all in flat boxes! He took it all back to his apartment

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Back in a Bit!~

Today is BUSY!! And I over slept because Jason and I stayed up quite late! Gosh, how to fit it all in? I hope you will forgive me, but I’m going to spend some time with my son today, and I’ll write an Evening Update later. We are headed to IKEA! He needs a new desk for his apartment…he is turning the dining nook area into his office/study --- ((Single guys don’t REALLY eat at kitchen tables, do

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Evening Edition….Yup, a Free Kindle Book!

I’m having a wonderful day with Jason here! Having him around is forcing ME to relax a bit too. We have plans for tonight….a visit to the local Chinese feed trough Buffet sounds just as good to me as it does to him, and I love the Mongolian wok part where you can take your own veggies and meats and have them stir fry it up for you. YUMM! There may be a movie at the theater in our future, or we

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Leaving Santa Fe!

Hello from me, back here in NC! Gosh, it’s good to be home. I was up early to catch the 7:30am shuttle that took me, my copious amounts of luggage ((Oh, you should have seen the look on the shuttle driver’s face!)) and several other passengers the hour or so drive back to the Albuquerque airport. So many of us going so many different directions. It had rained during the night, and the air was

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Tiles of Santa Fe!

I love tile patterns, but I think you know that! The first thing I did when landing at the airport in Albuquerque was to take pics of the southwestern designs of the tiles in the ladies rest room. Last night, after being dropped off at my hotel in Santa Fe, and discovering that the hotel had a complimentary shuttle at my service, I hitched a ride back down to the Plaza area so that I could walk

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Halloween Cuteness! Free Witch Pattern!

How perfect is this? I was sent a free paper pieced witch pattern by a friend, and I’m here to pass it on to you! I can see this witch made with a slightly pea green face, with some cute eyes and other facial details embroidered on! It wouldn’t take hardly any bit of fabric at all, It makes a 4” block! I’m going to have to make me some of these when I get home from New Mexico! Click HERE for

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A Day in Santa Fe!

Yesterday was my “busy” day. Susan picked me up at my hotel in Albuquerque, and we drove North to Santa Fe, about an hours' drive for a morning guild meeting that started at 9:30am. We were there in plenty of time…and I’d rather be early than late as a general rule, mostly because I’d rather get all of the setting up done and out of the way and look cool as a cucumber when people start showing

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Monday Evening Edition! Free Kindle Cook Book!

Holidays ’round the corner! Do you do cookie swaps with your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc? I get tired of the same ole same ole. Chocolate chip. Oatmeal Raisin – let’s shake it up a bit! I just came across another Gooseberry Patch freebie and downloaded it..Cookie Swap! Product Description: Everything you need to know to host a cookie exchange! You'll find easy-to-follow

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Workshop Day in Albuquerque!

Of course I had to spell out Albuquerque just because I love spelling that word!' Yesterday was our Oklahoma Backroads workshop with the New Mexico Quilting Association ---and we had a full class! It was a full day of digging in the scraps, playing with value and color placement and trying new things. Push the color boundaries, go for the clash, enlarge the comfort zone, and dare to admit what

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Sunday Night Edition! Free Kindle Book!

So ---- This is a bit delayed because I am in Mountain Time Zone here in Albuquerque, not in Eastern Time in North Carolina, so as I post this, some of the eastie coastie folks have probably already gone to bed and may miss this! I just got back to my hotel room after a MAHVELOUS dinner of New Mexican food…..red and green chile on the side please! I am so stuffed, I’m ditching my belt and undoing

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Show & Tell Sunday!

It’s been a while since we’ve done this, and I’ve been going through emails with attachments while chillaxing in my hotel and I thought it would be great to do some Show & Tell! I love the pictures that you send of the quilts you’ve made and the story that goes with them. Sometimes the story really shines through the quilt, so by all means don’t forget to include the story! I can't promise when

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“Point Me…..In the direction of Albuquerque…”

Any of you who are somewhere around my age just MIGHT remember these lyrics from a song David Cassidy and the Partridge Family sang back in the 70’s -- Which is probably the only reason I ever LEARNED to spell Albuquerque! I loved that whole album and wore it out on my little portable record player! Those were the days--- So today as I boarded my flight in Greensboro, I was humming this song…….

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Mama & The Quilt Retreat ---

My mama has been bitten, and bitten HARD by the quilt bug! She’s only been quilting a few years now, but she has EVEN joined a guild. She has EVEN gone on Quilt Retreats--- YES, WITHOUT ME! It’s my biggest dream to go on a retreat with HER some day…and just be one of the girls sewing away. Not to teach anything, not to do a trunk show, but to take a couple projects and just sew and giggle with

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Evening Edition, Free Kindle & Nook Book

First off...I DID find my mp3 player! I don't know how it got into the outside side pocket of my purse, but there it was when I reached in there. Oh well! I'm glad to have found it! I plan on listening to a story while stitching hexies on my way to Albuquerque NM tomorrow morning----Here's a recent freebie that came my way --Spooky enough for Halloween!! Maybe it’s just the cover that gives me

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As Seen Around Town ---

When I returned from Maine I found one of those little slips in my mail box….. The kind that mean you have to get in the car and drive several miles away to the main post office because you weren’t HOME to sign for a package when they tried to deliver. It’s kind of a pain, it doesn’t happen often, but it was such a pretty day…..and since I was out getting shots in my rear for the re-occurring

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Chicken Soup for the Cold!

Or the bronchitis…or whatever it is that ails ya! Basic crockpot soup is so simple. And you can change the ingredients to your own liking. I don’t even really cook with a recipe, but be warned this is a two day process. I just start like this: A few weeks ago before leaving on a trip, I took 1/2 of a roast chicken that was left over from a few nights earlier dinner and popped the whole thing in

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Introspective….

I’m still going through my Maine photos! This is one that Carol took of me on our scenic drive back down to Portland! Thanks so much for the comments over the past couple days. I don’t always include personal conflicts in my posts, but when stuff boils over, I know I do let the words come out of my fingers onto the monitor instead of actually speaking them out of my mouth. It’s cathartic in

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Evening Edition, Radio Show, & Free Kindle Book!

What a day I’ve had today! It’s a good thing that the shots in the hind-end kicked in as fast as they did, because at 4pm I got to do a pre-recorded phone interview with Pat Sloan which will air on HALLOWEEN! How fun is that? Knowing this was coming, has kept me in a “vow of silence” mode since I boarded that plane in Portland Maine, trying to get my voice back so I wouldn’t sound like a complete

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Regional, um…Delectables?!

This should come with a foodie post warning. But maybe not. Read on at your own risk! In just the last few months I’ve had conch fritters in Nassau, Bahamas, caviar in Cordova, Reindeer sausage on a bun in Moose Pass --- I’m usually up for EVERYTHING. At least once. More if I like it! So when I was asked by the Maine Quilters at Quilt Camp if I’d ever had a MOXIE….I agreed to give it a go! Of

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Quiltmaker Magazine’s Goings-On!

Just a heads up post for things to look for! First off…The November/December issue of Quiltmaker is OUT! It’s a great issue with gorgeous quilts! Click HERE to get a preview of what you will find in the issue….I am in LOVE with the red feathered “Infinite Stars” quilt! Definitely a must-do on my Quilt-Bucket-List! I’ve also got a really FUN Addicted To Scraps block in there for you! I call

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UGH!

I am just back from the doc with another whopping case of bronchitis. Coughing up the proverbial lung so to speak ((Or barely whisper, or squawk, as that is all the sound I can get out other than a horrible rumbly cough!)) I kind of “KNEW” I was in trouble when the tickle that I acquired in Maryland started to feel “chesty” on my way home last Tuesday. But I was flying to Maine on Wednesday and

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And I Sewed, Too!

I have to tell you, I felt like I was slacking and playing hooky and getting away with something I should not be getting away with either! And it was GREAT! Usually, my trips go like this…..I teach ONE class per day that lasts either a half day ((4 hours)) or a full day ((6 hours plus time for lunch)) with the average day running from 9am to 4pm. And everyone does the same class. And I spend my

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Quilting and More Quilting!

What a wonderful place for a retreat! Here we all are, on our last morning….trying to gather for a group photo! The weather was not as cooperative as it looks, it was windy and cold and we were huddled together trying to brace our smiles on while poor Dan had the job of taking pictures with 17 different cameras. Hard to believe that after being together Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

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Quilt Camp at the Country Club Inn!

Our time at Quilt Camp is winding down! By noon time today, our machines will be still and silent, the projects packed up and put away, and the cars will fill back up with all the stuff that is mandatory to bring to a long retreat weekend away. Quilt Camp 2011 will be a thing of the past, and retreaters will start looking forward, plotting and planning for Quilt Camp 2012! We checked my

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And the Luggage Saga Continues ---

Rain and luggage do NOT mix when traveling. In fact, I’ve thought about investing in hard-sided luggage when my suitcases give way. Even though I’ve scotch-guarded the outside of them every so often, especially during the winter rainy/snowy/wet months –if a soft sided suitcase or traveling quilt duffel bag sits on a wet belt or luggage truck when being transferred plane to plane, or from plane to

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Threads Galore & Quilt Inn!

I’m in love! I’m in love with this whole area and the adorable quilt shop and retreat house that Carol and Dan have so lovingly and painstakingly put together in this idyllic setting in the mountains of Maine. Who says that a little town of 1200 is too small for a fabulous quilt shop? The picture to the left is what you see when you drive up this picturesque tree-lined street just dotted with

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Maine-ly Speaking!

Hello from Maine!I arrived in Portland yesterday morning and was met at the airport by Carol who owns Threads Galore Quilt Shop in Rangeley! Carol puts on this Quilt Camp every year, and it is she who is responsible for contacting me a couple of years ago and seeing if I wouldn’t like to come up and enjoy Maine in the height of fall color and teach at Quilt Camp! I’ve never been to Maine before,

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Hike to the Beach!

Monday was a bit of a reprieve with some time to do some sight seeing and some sewing during the day hours as I didn’t have to meet up with the guild board until 4:45 so we could grab a bite to eat and run on over to set up before the evening guild meeting started. Almost a WHOLE day for ME!! I woke up, spent a few hours cutting, kitting and sewing, and around 11am found that my mind was

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

I just arrived home a while ago. Sadie was ecstatic…and so was I! It was also raining, so I opened the garage door to pull Shamu the Van into the garage, and…ooops. There is STUFF in the way on the floor, so I had to unload the car from the driveway in the sprinkles. That’s okay. It wasn’t a cold windy downpour, just a gentle October rain, and it smelled so good! I drove up to Maryland on

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Maryland Crab Feed!

Yes, I know, it’s another foodie post! What can I say --- I love food, and if you haven’t experienced a Maryland Crab Pickin’ there is nothing like it! It’s MESSY! And as Carol told us, when she treated us to this delectable feast, “The dirtier your hands get, the better the crab tastes!” The reason being is that the crabs are steamed, and then sprinkled heavily on the outside with Old Bay

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More Quilting in Maryland!

Back to Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy for another day of quilting with the Pax River Quilt Guild Gals! I remembered to take pictures of the “Honor Code” that was found on walls in the hallways, on chalk boards ((Yes, it was an old black chalk board, not a white marker board!! Chalk boards bring back so many memories, I like them best! And even in the cafeteria area. What an important thing

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Aye, Aye–Quilters!

I’ve taught in some very interesting places! From historical churches, to lodges to backs of restaurants, to schools, and even a casino! But this is the first time I’ve taught in a Naval Academy! Our workshop yesterday was held in Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy in Leonardtown, MD. How many high schools do YOU know that have big guns right out side of the main building? Leonard Hall has been

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We Have A Winner!! ((Quilt Retro!!))

It's been a busy full day! We had a great time in Leonardtown, MD where our Bricks in the Barnyard workshop was held in the Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy!After that it was a quick run over to the quilt shop, Michelle's Quilts ---and out to dinner at Adam's Rib!We just got home a bit ago and I remembered that I needed to do the drawing for the winner of our give away for Quilt Retro by

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And I drove and drove…..

I left the house about 9:45 am yesterday morning, with Sadie pouting about being left behind. And I drove. How’s that for a short post?! It was a beautiful day for a drive and I even enjoyed having the sunroof open for a bit --- You know, if I had to pick the one thing about to day that I was the most grateful for, it would be google! Thursday night as I was getting everything ready and packing

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What NOT to Wash!!

Busy quilters with distracted minds! Doesn’t this describe the majority of us to a T? Or to a Q? I came home from Oak Ridge, Tennessee and emptied my suitcase into the laundry. I didn’t think anything about it, I just sorted it as I usually do --- pants in one load, colors in another, whites in a third ---- This morning I went to get the laundry out of the dryer to pack my suitcase for my trip

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Anna’s Buffalo Chicken Dip!

Just typing up the ingredients list of this dip is making my mouth water! This makes a “BIG” batch and is great for a large crowd of people. Think guild meetings, Superbowl parties, New Years Eve party, etc. It would be really easy to split the recipe and make a half batch for smaller gatherings.(Note, pic shows a smaller batch!) Buffalo Chicken Dip 4 boneless chicken breasts 2 - 8 oz packages of

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Check this out!!

My friend Jenifer of 42 Quilts and Quilt Retro has a really cute stitchery pattern on her blog today as a freebie! She has such a wicked sense of humor, I just love her! ((Jen,I still love the one with the dog too…LOL)) She doesn’t know I’m even writing this little post to get you to go over there, so when you do, just leave her a comment that says “Bonnie Sent Me” ;c) Let’s make her day! And

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Pineapple Blossoms in Oak Ridge!

I know my posts are kind of scrambled and not in order --- this is what happens when you don’t have enough days in a row to post all the things you want to post in a row because OTHER things…like posts on tobacco farming ((Such a quilty subject, right?!?)) Get thrown into the mix! Our workshops in Oak Ridge, TN were held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center, and what a neat place that is! It’s next to

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Hey You, Tar Heel!

Did you ever wonder why North Carolina is known as the “Tar Heel” State? Historians have recorded that the principal products during the early history of North Carolina were "tar, pitch, and turpentine." In 1862 "tar-heel" was introduced as a term of ridicule. It was during one of the fiercest battles of the War Between the States, so the story goes, that the column supporting the North

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What a Squishy Day!

My mail box was over flowing! And what came made me smile, and laugh out loud, and fill me with so much joy that I have these women ((And you blog readers)) in my life! First up? a handful of leader/ender bow ties from LaVella in California! She writes: Hi Bonnie, These were supposed to be your “Get Well” bow ties. But I am a SLOW sew-er. You got well and went to Kansas to play -- Worked on

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle & Nook Book!

Today was a day of errands, a day of not getting much sewing done as other jaunts around town took me elsewhere. It was a GORGEOUS day, temps reached about 72…and it was glorious to be out in it! However. It was too cold in the basement to sew down here! Folks, we have reached the point where it is nicer outside than it is inside….and the plug-in space heater for my basement sewing studio

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Presenting: Quilt Retro!! ((And Give-Away!))

I am really lucky to work with some amazingly talented people. People who quilt, people who write, people who do BOTH and walk ((And SEW!!)) along on this journey with me! My editor at Kansas City Star, Jennifer, has released her new book called Quilt Retro, and I’m tickled to be a part of her blog tour! You might recognize Jenifer also as the author of 42 Quilts! She’s linked over there in my

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A “Pressing” Question!

This is one of those times where a simple question in email form turned out to be a question I’ve answered more than once, so there might be more than just one of you that this post might benefit! The email came from Kay, and she asked: Hi Bonnie: I am a new blog follower and love to read your old and new posts. I have a question. From the blog post of yesterday where you showed your hotel

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And In Rolls October!

Are you feeling it in the air? That change of seasons? ((Yes, and that goes for you “down unda” folks too, I know your spring is just beginning!)) Temps must have easily dropped 20 degrees between Friday and Saturday. And there I was in 52 degree weather with nothing but a denim overshirt for warmth. WHAT was I thinking? I guess I was hoping that just a bit more of that South Easternly Indian

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Pecan Pie Bars

Yummy Scrummy Gooey and Good! I’ve had several emails for the recipe for the Pecan Pie Bars --- so here you go! Maybe it’s time to practice on these so you can have them for Thanksgiving? Mmmmm!Don't you just love the recipes that come from a buffet lunch with the girls? :cD Crust 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups flour 1 cup butter or margarine, softened Bars 4 large eggs 1 1/2

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People, Places & Projects!

One of the interesting things of traveling place to place to teach quilting, is the history of the places I get to visit. Sometimes the most INTERESTING histories come from the smaller out-of-the-way places. Sometimes getting off the main interstate takes me to a place I’ve never been before. Have you ever heard of Oak Ridge, Tennessee as a “Secret City?” Anna gave me a little tour of what she

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Evening Edition: Free Kindle Book!

Yeah, I’m browsing still….and yes, I just sent through another post just a while ago ((And the fridge is still chirping here!)) But I just came across this freebie and wanted to pass it along. Maid to Match by Deanne Gist is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 52 customer reviews. Here is the book’s description from the

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Things That Go Chirp!

I’m back in my hotel room in Oak Ridge TN --- I was describing to my friend on the phone about the weirdness going on in my hotel room when I was encouraged to see if I could record it to share… Usually I get things like water dripping, the sound of the elevator or ice machine --- the coke machine, or sometimes the guest laundry if it is on the same floor as me. Sometimes there is weird snoring

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Hexie Uh-Oh!!

I sewed hexies ALL THE WAY from Greensboro, North Carolina to Newark, New Jersey. I sewed hexies ALL THE WAY from Newark, New Jersey to Seattle, Washington. I sewed hexies ALL THE WAY from Seattle Washington to Anchorage, Alaska! And yes, I even sewed hexies ALL THE WAY from Anchorage, Alaska to Cordova, Alaska if for no other reason that it was DARKER THAN DARK and storming and we were being

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Solitary Hotel Retreat!

I think there are times when it is GREAT to be able to be alone and to de-stress by throwing myself into a project. As much as I love being out there and doing, doing, doing, sometimes I just have to go into AWAY FROM IT ALL mode to re-charge. I’ve enjoyed my time with the guild here, we had an awesome Spider Web workshop today ((pictures to come later!)) and a great dinner out at a Hungarian

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Down to the Dining Room!

Funny how the connection is in Alaska….. If there IS one, that is! :c) ((And that is said tongue in cheek, because most times I HAD a signal!)) I could get phone calls pretty readily, but something funny happens with long distance text-sending, ESPECIALLY if there is a photo attached.. The conversations go something like this ((Ring, Ring)) Me: HI! DH: Did you get my text of the dining room floor

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Oh, Rocky Top!

Hello from just the other side of Knoxville, TN!I arrived in Oak Ridge just a bit ago, and when I checked into my hotel, the clerk at the desk said, “Oh, YOU are Bonnie Hunter! We had some crazy quilters check in a bit ago and they were looking for you!” Gosh, it’s nice to feel anticipated….friendly faces everywhere! We are going to have a great time, I can tell! This morning I woke to the most

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Unbelievable Mail!

When we pulled up from the airport on Monday evening, I found this box wedged into my mail box! I didn’t remember ordering anything, but I was eager to get inside the box and find out what was inside. I opened the box to find a note that said these items were something that was mistakenly “left out” of the “OTHER” box. OTHER BOX?! What other box?! There was no other box --- so far at least ---

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Who is THIS?!

I looked out my kitchen window this morning to find a stranger looking back at me! I have NO CLUE who this half-grown kitten belongs to, but we have seen him time to time in the trees of our front yard. But this was as close as he had ever got! The top deck at the BACK of the house! Not only that, when I ventured out onto the back deck to check HIM out…it seems that he had cornered Chloe behind

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Bonnie’s Great Fishing Adventure!

You simply can’t go to Cordova Alaska and NOT go fishing. That’s all that there is to it! The town depends on its fishing industry. It’s also one of the world’s largest aquaculture areas, where fish are hatched in hatcheries, and released when they are “old enough” to survive on their own and keep the sea full of fish. Believe me, I learned more about commercial fishing and the environment than

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Evening Edition: Free Kindle Cookbook! ((Also Sony/Nook!))

Fall is in the air! Well, except for Houston, where it still reached nearly 100 degrees yesterday when I was laid over, and there I was at the airport…dragging my parka from Alaska behind me! I NEEDED that jacket when I left Cordova --- and my luggage had been checked all the way through to home…so there was no way to tuck it back into my suitcase when I hit Anchorage. Not that there was ROOM

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Pot Roast for the Picky Man!

It’s true. I live with a Picky Man. And he will probably shoot me for this post, but I just have to let this out. It is NOT always easy to want to cook when the things you WANT to cook are the things that no one else but you yourself will eat. There. I said it. Meat is no problem. Spices are. Potatoes, carrots, green beans from a can, corn on the cob, or sometimes from a can and baked beans are

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I’m Home from Cordova!

Gosh, what a long travel day. I was so wiped out by the time we hit home last night that the evening simply went in this order: 1. Dinner. 2. Hot tub soak 3. Bed! I SLEPT 12 hours straight! And today I kind of feel like a zombie, but I think after a shower and some unpacking things will return to normal….. There are so many photos to edit down, and I’ve got a lot to do around here, so I’m going

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Homemade Thin Mints!

It’s a travel day! These trips to Alaska, as I’ve found have a tendency to mess with my time-zone clock! ((Don’t I sound like a pro, this is only my second trip to AK!)) As this is posting, I am somewhere between Anchorage and Houston -- I set this ahead to keep you busy! Please have some of these warm and waiting for me at home when I land in Greensboro ;c) THESE are beyond delicious!! And with

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Good Eats!

As I try to break down these days into posts…I’m doing the best I can to keep things kind of “coherent” in little episodes as they happened in the order that they happened. Even though I write this to share, I am also writing this as my own memoir. I don’t want to leave anything out that I will want to remember later. And time passes so fast and things are so quickly forgotten. However, I will

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On the Dock of the Bay ---

The Cordova Waterfront! Sara and I took some time to walk along the waterfront and take a look at the boats, and just look out across the water. It hadn’t started back raining yet and we were making good use of the time we had been given! In the harbor is a statue dedicated as a fisherman’s memorial, a quiet place dominated by artist Joan Bugbee Jackson's sculpture The Southeasterly (1985). The

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Lunch Time!

After our hike, Sara drove me into town --- we were hungry by this time! I hadn’t been into “town” proper yet…..and I couldn’t wait to see what life was really like in Cordova. This was our lunch spot! Baja Taco! Let me see if I got the story right, and someone correct me if I’m wrong – Baja Taco started in this little reclaimed school bus and was operated out of the bus “during the season” which

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Out The Road!

I love spending time out doors and I was quite happy when Terri informed me that she had “activities” lined up for me every day of my time here! Yesterday, it was Sara’s turn to babysit me! She showed up around 10:30am and off we went in her trusty subaru along with her 13 month old daughter Amelia and her 4 year old St Bernard/Husky mix Coco! Coco is known as the anti-bear dog….and we were glad

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Cordova!

Sometimes, the universe just intervenes and throws wonderful “coincidences” in your path. Look hard, you might miss them --- and as some say, there IS no such thing as a coincidence! I’ve often talked to people, friends, family, and even strangers who say things like “I know this happened for a reason.” And I am left to ponder on that. Being a rather “Free Thinking” person, I’d like to think that

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That Sunroom ---

Is DONE!((Well Mostly!)) And you will notice that the two most important things have already found their place. The desk and computer. And the green putting mat/carpet. LOL! Boy, has this been a LONG process! We started in MAY--((Yes, it’s really been that long..this is what happens when it’s a mostly do-it-yourself home renovation!)) While I was gone to Kansas, I’d get updates on how the floor

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Which Airport?!

I spend a lot of time in airports. And they are usually really interesting places! The picture you see to the left is of the infamous dinosaur skeleton at O’Hare. Usually I take a picture of it straight on, or looking up at its neck..but this time, I actually saw where the TAIL goes as I was walking through ---it extends into the security area! I’ve seen this guy so many times, I’ve almost

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Cordova, Here I come!

I’ve got 3 hours until I’m forcing myself to bed at 9pm. I am so stinking excited I can barely stand it. I fell in love with Alaska just over a month ago, and here I get to go again, to another corner, a place remote enough there are only two ways in. Either you fly – or you boat! I got the funniest email this morning from the gals in charge of my visit there…a list of questions: Dear Bonnie,

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Scenes from Holton!

What a busy week and weekend. I suppose it’s nothing new. This is the way we roll! I go go go go go and when night falls, I crash and sleep hard, and get up and do it all over again. Sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it?We had a great visit with DH's cousin and her hubby, we chatted for 5 hours about EVERYTHING. Boy, don't we sound like a bunch of old fogies reminscing?! Wait --- I guess we ARE

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Football Night!

While I was in Kansas I was “informed” that there was an employee football party for DH’s work and we would be going to the Wake Forest vs Gardner Webb game on Saturday night! More than that – they went all out and rented us a box suite, and we had hotdogs and burgers catered, drinks, etc! I’ve been to Wake Forest basketball games, and the home team support is HUGE in this area. As we drove to

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Addicted To Scraps Tab!

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. Could be too many irons in the fire, or not landing in one place long enough to have the obvious brick fall on my head…. Every week I get emails on where to find my columns in the Quiltmaker.com archives, and I go look it up for someone and send them a link back. TADA! How about we just add a tab to the top of the blog with the picture, so you can

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Hello, Home!

This is so crazy. It’s 55 degrees at home. It was 101 in Winfield, Kansas on Sunday afternoon, or was that Monday? But you know what? When I got home last night, I threw that second quilt on top of the bed, and still slept with the window cracked open a bit and it was BLISS! I love Autumn. I love the temp changes, the color changes…..the only thing I have a hard time with is the losing of the

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Smith Mountain Morning Workshop!

I’d like to thank the folks at Quilting on the Square of Holton Kansas for taking such good care of me while I was there! We had a wonderful workshop in a very nice rented space just down from the quilt shop..so if we ran out of anything, we could sneak away and go find what we needed! The ladies were just so wonderful….Some I had met before! Imagine my surprise when Linda and her friends from

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Rollin’ Across Kansas!

Yesterday morning I packed up all my STUFF loaded up the luggage cart, and headed down to the lobby to meet Connie who was going to be driving me from Wichita to Holton! It’s about a 3 hour drive…..poor thing, that is 6 hours round trip for her, but she pulled it off like a trooper! It’s always an adventure when meeting new people, especially when you find yourself throwing your bags into the

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Scrappy Trips in Rose Hill!

What a vibrant bunch of quilters gathered yesterday in Wichita – It was our Tuesday "Scrappy Trips Around The World" workshop with the Country Rose Quilters of Rose Hill, Kansas! These gals provided quite the welcome….even a poster for me! I think the blush says it all. I loved the “Wizard of Oz” fabrics ((Yes, I got to keep them!)) and the little ruby slippers pin. You guys went ALL OUT to make

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Early Morning Edition, And Free Kindle Book Too!

I’m back in Wichita! Yesterday was SO busy with a 1pm lecture/trunkshow…dinner out with the guild ladies, and another lecture at 7pm. Show and tell was WONDERFUL, and it was a very very fun and fulfilling day! But alas, not a lot of pictures or other activities to share with anyone this morning…. A highlight for me was a visit from a dear friend, Elsie Campbell, who drove up for the festivities

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It’s Bluegrass, Baby!

And I’m so sad I’m not going to be here long enough to fully experience this….but I want to come back! Last night some Quilty friends arranged for me to get a pass into the fairgrounds to walk around and witness for myself the fun going on there. Musicians gather from all over the world to celebrate and share their love of Bluegrass music. Jam sessions are plenty! You can simply walk area to

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A Little Bit of Winfield, Kansas!

Hello Everyone! It’s a beautiful September morning in Winfield Kansas! I flew into Wichita on Saturday, and was promptly picked up by Carolyn and Diane…who happily fed me at Panera and off we went quilt shop hopping! I did just a bit of damage-- Just a few FQ’s and some aurifil thread I was in need of….I’m behaving myself! So far, that is! What was funny was the REASON we were shop hopping.

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A Day in St Maarten!

Our last port of call! St Maarten has an interesting history and government arrangement..two governments, actually. There is the French side and the Dutch side! I’m not sure how they make that work, but evidently it DOES! This was our one BIG excursion day! Lori had arranged for us a snorkeling tour. We were off the ship early, finding our way to where we were to meet our Taxi driver by the

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A Touch of St Thomas ---

I’m still going through cruise photos! Every port was a different adventure, how can I put it all into so few posts? There is something other-worldly about going to sleep at sea, and waking in a different port each morning. I’ve also wanted to travel by train that way…with a sleeping car, something I’ve never done, but we’ll save that for another adventure. As I awoke on this particular morning

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Orphan Afternoon!

Yes, there were a gazillion other things I could be doing….I still have two quilts for the next book to finish, I was cutting for them like crazy last night…..but today when I was typing up itineraries and stuff for this Kansas Trip that begins tomorrow, I thought of a handful of “Scrappy Trips” blocks that were in the orphan box….Poor lil things! All gifted to me at various times by quilters

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Sail and Sew!

29 Quilters with sewing machines humming and fabric flying..how fun is that?! I was definitely having a “pinch me” moment when Jim gave us a tour of where we would be…there was an official “SIGN” and everything! The room was large, and Sue of Citrussewandvac.com was here with beautiful Janome Horizon machines all set up for our use! After seeing how our luggage was handled, piled into huge crates

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Red Strings In the Sunset!

Who knew that a salt water gargle was the one thing that would get me feeling better? This morning I woke up and my throat hurt So bad…I couldn’t swallow. My friend said SALT WATER GARGLE and to tell you the truth it makes me queasy just to say those words, but I did it several times today and you know what? It cut the gunk, it stung a bit, but my throat feels on the mend now. Remind me this next

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The Colors of Nassau

I had too many pictures I wanted to post of Nassau yesterday which made the post too long and probably boring, so I saved some for today. We were traveling with our “Quilter’s Eyes” wide open, remember? After we finished walking the area of the Queen’s Staircase, we headed over to the fort. The pic to the left is Fort Fincastle, Nassau Bahamas, overlooking the town from Bennet's Hill. It was

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Evening Edition…((And A Free Kindle Book!))

This just in: Fatal Destiny by Marie Force is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received a perfect 5 out of 5 stars based on 8 customer reviews. Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website: With the week of their wedding finally upon them, Washington, D.C., Police Lieutenant Sam Holland and her fiancé, Senator Nick Cappuano, are at odds. In the aftermath of a tragic loss

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Just Another Day in Nassau!

Our first port of call was Nassau, Bahamas. We were worried about this stop, wondering if we would be re-routed to another port because of Hurricane Irene. Irene hit Nassau pretty hard, and everywhere we went we saw clean up crews taking care of debris and aftermath. As hard as it was to see, I was really encouraged by the spirit of the people of Nassau! They were friendly, and welcoming and we

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Evening Check-In!

((And No Free Books this time! LOL!)) First things first. I’m not dying. I only feel like it! Thanks to several pushy people ((Thanks, dear friends!)) I listened to my body and called my doc and they got me in. I sat there being examined by the nurse, she took my temp…pretty much normal. She took my blood pressure, it was good, she asked all kinds of questions and then she left, and before I

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Ship Shape!!

I wish *I* were feeling ship shape, but I think in the midst of too much sun, too much shipboard a/c too much late night dancing, too much inhaled snorkel water, and up-the-nose "*sputter-sputter** water slide water, SOMETHING has settled into my chest! Today I have almost no voice! And I’m doing everything I can to get over it as quickly as possible. Cold-Eze. Airborne. Vit C. Lots of fluids.

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Trip to Florida..recap part 1!

How do I start to tell the story of this trip, except at the beginning? I can’t skip everything that happened on the way can I? I had gotten a call the night before I was leaving that Jeff was having trouble with his car, and I decided to go down to Columbia on Thursday morning instead of late Thursday afternoon so we could get his car in the shop and get it worked on while I was there. It also

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Cruise Zombies!

I am SO fried! I guess that is to be expected…but it has been so long since I have had this bad of a sunburn I keep swearing to myself that I will be more protected NEXT time! But. Wouldn’t you think that applying heavy duty sunscreen 4 times in 6 hours would protect you enough? Not so when the sun is that hot, and the water that reflective, and the salt water just rinses off anything and

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Orphan Fairies, Too!

A while back I acquired a stack of Orphan blocks from a quilter I can’t quite recall! I’m going to have to start keeping these baggied up with the contact person’s info attached so that I have a way to show them just WHERE their lovely donations ended up. I’m making a note for myself right now to do that…don’t you think that’s a good idea? I’ve gone round and round about the best way to keep

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Quilt Fairies!

Every once in a while a package will show up with no return address. SERIOUSLY! And sometimes there is a note inside, but no address, and sometimes there is a name but no email address so no way to contact the person…. But in these packages are WONDERFUL things, and I am excited to have them! Sometimes they even come from amazingly far away places, and I eagerly grab the envelope and have to

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Show & Tell Thursday!

Yes, it’s that time again! It’s been a few weeks and I’ve got plenty in my inbox to share with you! Again, these posts this week are all being written ahead of time as we are on our Caribbean Quilting Cruise adventure with Sew Many Places! Hopefully Lori and I are relaxing with our toes in the sand, noses in books, cool drinks by our elbows and enjoying a bit of island adventures as well as

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Take THIS TSA!!

It’s inevitable. When traveling with as much luggage as I do…it’s bound to raise curiosity! I mean, wouldn’t ANY TSA agent like to see just what is in these bags? ((And, I think the fact that most airports charge $4.00 to $5.00 to rent these little luggage carts is quite a rip-off, but that’s another post for another time! I think I could have purchased myself a whole string of these out right by

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Calling All Quilt Detectives!

I’m putting out an APQB --- That’s an All Points Quilt Bulletin! I need your assistance in helping me track down the name and source of this block pattern! Alicia L writes: Hi, I am sorry to bother you, but I have a quilt top and do not know what the pattern is called. I thought that you might be familiar with it. It seems so familiar yet I just cannot find any reference to it anywhere. I

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Gooey S’mores Pie!

It’s occurred to me that I haven’t posted any recipes in a while! I also don’t know how long I’ll be without being able to post anything on this cruise. I have NO idea if/where I’ll have wifi or not. I know it can be really expensive on the ship ((Don’t they nail you for EVERYTHING!!?)) so this is another one of those posts I've set to release while I’m gone so you don’t have an abandoned blog

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30 years ago today….

As I’m sitting here writing this post, I’m completely in awe of how time really DOES fly. Everything changes, yet everything is the same in so many ways. 30 years ago today, August 28, 1981 I didn’t have a cell phone. AMAZING. How much a part of our lives are these contraptions now? 30 years ago today, I didn’t own a color TV. 30 years ago today, I didn’t have a mortgage. 30 years ago today, I

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Quilt Kids on the Move!

I recently received an email from Jan, telling me how she got a handful of kids busy and productive, all having a great time while learning the joys of giving! Here is her story: Hi Bonnie, I wanted to tell you about a quilting experience my friend and I shared with our children using one of your tutorials. One beautiful summer day we got together with my 4 children and her 5 children and we set

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Autumn Fun with the Patchwork Posse!

Have you ever visited PatchworkPosse.com? No! Well you just might want to check it out! Patchwork Posse offers a wide variety of Online Workshops, E Patterns, and Sew Alongs ((Sew Alongs are free!)). Go ahead and take a look around....find an online sewing workshop that fits you and get sewing! All patterns and workshops are exclusive to Patchwork Posse and they are designed by totally

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And The Winner Is!!

Drum Roll Please!! We have a Winner! It was an exciting moment – we had over 300 comments from people who wanted this book! And the winner is: MELINDA!! She didn’t leave her last name, but her comment was: Your blog is the only one I return to regularly, and I think that you have kept me going when I have been discouraged in quilting. I'm not a great sew-er, and I have limited time, so I love

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Ask Bonnie!

**Note** I’m drawing the winner for Nancy Zieman’s “Sewing A to Z” book at Noon Eastern! Be sure to check back to find out who our winner is! I love your questions! Answering them has given me pause to think and ponder and see things from a different perspective. Instead of just saying “I do it this way” I’m considering just WHY I do it this way….is there an explanation, or is that just the way

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Pre-Order!

I had a great day today! Busy busy busy, and it took much longer than I thought it would ,but I decided that running all my errands today, instead of doing half today and half on my way out of town tomorrow was preferable! My packing for the cruise has commenced! I am SO excited about the “little black dress” that I bought in Minnesota while thrift shopping with mom, Auntie Joy and Cousin Janean

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Remember that Sun Room?

It’s been at a standstill for a while….we’ve been traveling and busy, but it is coming along! And I feel almost guilty that I have really not done much of the work on this one. I didn’t even lift a paint brush --- It all seemed to miraculously paint itself! No---I take that back. It happened one weekend when Lisa was over and we were working hard in the basement, and DH was working hard

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

Wow..I’m finding so much cool stuff that I don’t know how I’ll get a chance to read it all! Seriously. I think I’ve become a book COLLECTOR! So many I want to read, and it’s nice to know that since I did “purchase” these freebies, they’ll stay on my bookshelf on Amazon. Forever. Supposedly anyway! No, I did NOT download any books about HURRICANES! But this one starts with a different kind of

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A Little Hurricane Trouble?

This is where we need all the powers that be --- all the QG’s out there ((Quilty Goddesses, don’tcha know!?)) pulling together for some good vibes that this freaking storm move back OUT to sea! Or downgrades. Or Sumpthin’. Do you see this picture to the left? I want to introduce you to Hurricane Irene! Though, you’ve probably already become familiar with her if you watch the weather channel, or

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

School is back in session! I’ve got teacher friends, and I sometimes envy that whole “set up the classroom, welcome in the new school year” feeling they get to experience—Now that my boys are grown and out on their own, it just isn’t the same. Jason has his college schedule all arranged for this semester…. It’s just not the same as picking out a new back pack, buying new sneakers, and a package

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A Little A-Z with Nancy Z! ((Give-Away!))

There are a handful of quilters/sewists ((I like to call them SEAMSTERS, it sounds better than sewers!)) who’s careers I have followed since I first set up house back in the ‘80s. Household names, if you will! Think back over the past 30 years or so. I’m sure there are names that are just as familiar to you as members of your own family. I remember when Georgia Bonesteel first published books

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A Study in Quarter Square Triangles!

I’ve been a busy little quilter :c) Basic simple units, precut strips, companion angle ruler, a new rotary blade ((Ahhhh….why do I wait so long?!)) These will end up in something somewhere…I just wanted to sew. Reds, pinks, burgundies and neutrals. Repetitive piecing can be such a ZEN thing, can’t it? Tomorrow I’ve got a special post and a giveaway, so be sure to check back! And with that, I’m

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Crumbs, Scraps & Strings!

Last Saturday the quilters of Delta Junction ((And Fairbanks, And the Kenai Peninsula, and Missouri!)) gathered for our second workshop of my Alaskan trip, Love Shack! And I had SUCH a great time that I confess to really falling down on the job when it came to taking class photos. I was having too much fun laughing and talking and sewing and playing to be a shutterbug! It all started with a Free

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Heads Up, August Cruisers!

Our Cruise is in ONE WEEK! Whooowhooooo! I've heard from some that they can't seem to find the info on downloading our cruise pattern. It's linked on the same page as the class supply list you received earlier. If you have NOT found where on the Sew Many Places website to find our cruise information please email me and I will direct you where to go! Please remember that you need to print your

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Take A Hike!!

As much as I love to hermit myself down in my basement studio, embracing my creative space—honestly, If there was a bathroom and a kitchen down here, I’d probably never leave—I also love to be out and about exploring this beautiful world. I was just thinking this morning of all the places my feet have walked just in the past year. Coast to Coast, North to South, All over the Midwest, to Germany

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Caravaning Quilters!

I love the lengths that quilters will go to do what they want to do wherever they want to do it! Travel 500 miles to take a workshop? Completely sane if you can get 3 or 4 other quilty friends to join you on your adventure and do it in a MOTORHOME! Our first workshop day was a busy one. We gathered and set up for or Bricks the Barnyard workshop on Friday….has been been almost a week ago already?!

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The Long Way to Trollville!

Lorraine emailed me shortly after ((or during??)) My trip to Sisters Oregon when I had pictures of my Troll Sister included in some of the posts! I love trolls! I used to play with them when I was little, envied my aunt’s collection of them….I still love them! Well, Lorraine said she had some troll FABRIC and was sending me some-- And ….I waited…and she waited…and nothing showed for quite a long

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As Seen Around Town….

I’m catching up on things…always seem to be chasing the elusive chore that remains undone, but I’m always catching up! Do you feel that way? Is it ever conquered? Like this morning….I reached the point where I could not stand the inside of the fridge anymore. Not that it was bad, but something drove me into checking expiration dates on all the dressing bottles and other items that have been in

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Evening Edition, Free Kindle Book!

I’ve had a WONDERFUL relaxing catch up day! Gosh, did I need this….I even scheduled myself for a lovely 90 minute massage this afternoon. I am complete JELLY! Today has been a day of mostly paperwork related stuff. I had website work that needed attending to. I had a weeks worth of mail to sort through and bills to take care of and a full email box to clean out. I opened my 2015 Calendar ((!!))

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A Day to Unwind!!

Hey All! We got home from Alaska last night around 7pm ----you know, Alaska is just NOT an easy place to get to or from if you fly out of Greensboro, NC!! We were tabulating and calculating just how many hours it had been since we had been in a bed, and it was something like 28 hours or more!Get this… We woke up at 8am Alaska time in Delta Junction, and drove 330 miles back to Anchorage to catch

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Alaska Shop Hop!

If you are going to fall OFF the wagon, as far as stashing fabrics goes, Alaska is a great place to do it! I was condensing plastic shopping bags full of fabric, and I didn’t realize just WHAT I had accumulated! I’ve hit FIVE shops so far! FIVE. Oh. Man. And it all started with the Alaskan themed fabrics…I just needed some! I don’t have a whole lot of batiks, but I’d like to do an Alaska themed

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Old Chatanika Gold Dredge

One of the “Bonus” sights on this trip was a visit to the Old Chatanika Gold Dredge that was just a mile down the road from where we were staying at the Gold Camp. We were told it was a great place to wander and stretch our legs, and see a piece of Alaska Gold Rush history. How do you get there? “Well, drive a mile down the road and look for the Chatanika Lodge and restaurant..you can’t miss it”

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Evening Edition! Free Kindle Book!

This is for the long flight home tomorrow! We are done with our two fun days of workshops, and tomorrow after breakfast we will be leaving Delta Junction, AK and starting our long trek back to Anchorage. We are planning on it taking 8 to 9 hours with all the stopping and scenery looking…putting us in Anchorage in time for a nice leisurely dinner! The rental car needs to be turned back in around

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From Seward to Fairbanks!

We left Nikki’s on Tuesday morning before breakfast. There was a flurry of activity at her house. She works as a rural mail carrier --- and was heading out early herself. That was fine with us-- We wanted to drive the 35 miles south to Seward for a look-see and breakfast! Breakfast has to be my favorite meal to eat out! I think I could eat breakfast ANY time of the day….and finding little mom &

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Hiking in Moose Pass!

It stays light in Alaska quite late into the night! Not quite 24/7 anymore, but at 10pm at night it was still very light out! We pushed dinner a way back, to make good use of the daylight, and Nikki and her boys took us on a hike outside of Moose Pass. The rain had stopped, it was cool, but we felt comfy in sweatshirts, jeans and running shoes. The scenery was spectacular, and Nikki kept saying “

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Alaska, Day 1!

We arrived in Alaska Sunday night around 11:30pm local time….which to our tired body clocks was 3:30am Monday morning! Luckily the hotel we were staying at had a 24/7 shuttle service, and didn’t even bat an eye at our 2 big duffels full of quilts, one small suitcase full of books, my suitcase, my laptop bag, and DH’s suitcase, and HIS laptop bag. Tired doesn’t BEGIN to describe how we felt. It’s

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Looking for “Addicted to Scraps” Quilts!

Hey everyone! I’ve got a huge opportunity for you! If you’ve ever visited the offices of Quiltmaker Magazine and Quilters Newsletter Magazine in Golden, Colorado, you’ll know that they have a GREAT gallery display of quilts from various designers. It rotates and changes and there is always a beautiful quilt show going on in the offices. You can stop in and take a look! Would you like to have

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Evening at Uncle Steve’s!

Uncle Steve is the 3rd child in a family of 4 kids. As the only boy in a family with 3 girls…he learned to be the TOUGH one! My mom is the eldest, then Auntie Gail, Then Uncle Steve, and then came Auntie Joy. My earliest memories of Uncle Steve where of him pinning down my Auntie Joy and just pounding her. You know how big brothers can be? He would pin her down and terrorize her. Not hurt her

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More from Auntie Irene!

There was MORE to be dug out of the boxes that were hiding under the bed in Auntie Joy’s guestroom! Some of the items were simply tied flannel baby quilts that were not finished, a few bits and pieces of this and that. Mom took home one really fun dresden plate wall hanging piece, and Joy kept a couple of quilts that could be washed and washed until they didn’t smell anymore, and they were

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Auntie Irene’s Legacy ---

My mom’s mom, my grandmother, was named Verna, and her sister was Irene. Verna and Irene were the daughters of Great Grandma Manuel, and growing up her picture had a prominent place in our home. We simply knew mom's grandma, my great-grandma Manuel as the “White haired lady”. I vaguely remember her from when I was VERY little….. I only remember meeting Auntie Irene a few times growing up, but

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Minnesota Early Mornings

Yes I know, It’s Sunday, and we are on our way to Alaska today! But I need to distribute some posts, just in case we can’t find wifi while out in the AK Wilds! I don’t want to leave you too long without any postings of any kind..when that happens, my inbox fills up with all kinds of “Where are you!?”emails! Our flight gets into Anchorage about midnight Anchorage time…which is 5am North Carolina

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Airports, Hellos and Goodbyes!

I’m one of those who can get teary eyed watching OTHER people reunite or say farewell when passing through airports. I love the joyful reunions…my heart wrenches at the tearful goodbyes. I’m even a mess when it comes to seeing people’s dogs in kennels! For me, airports are walking talking hallmark cards waiting to happen! Before I left Minnesota, we took some time to get the pictures of mom’s

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Walking Down Memory Lane….

Or that would be, a visit to my childhood home in Minnetonka, Minnesota! Last evening we drove to my Uncle Steve’s house to spend the evening and enjoy a dinner with them…. You know how it goes? You are invited to dinner, and you want to bring something. One thing lead to another, and we decided to stop at the Great Harvest bread store in Minnetonka! Which is a few blocks up from where I went to

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Cutting Bias Bindings!

The other day I got a comment on my Binding Tutorial that read: “How can you figure out how much binding/yardage you will need for a quilt when you are making BIAS BINDING? I have seen the chart for straight binding, and that's great, but how do you figure out the measurements when you're cutting bias binding??” Quilts with curved edges require bias binding so the binding fabric will easily

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Garage-Sale-a-Bration!

It’s a family tradition. You have to plan on leaving Minnesota with at least ONE more suitcase than you came with. You won’t be going home empty handed! But the first stop today wasn’t a yard sale…Aunt Joy remembered she needed to stop by the docs at 8:30 --- so off we went to the medical center! But I’m an old PRO at this waiting room game by now! After Lisa’s leg appointment last week ---- and

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Retail Therapy, Day 1!!

Two Days in Minnesota MID-WEEK with favorite female relatives? NO PROBLEM!! We have this agenda for when we get together…. Wednesdays are perfect for hitting every 2nd hand store and consignment shop in town, and Thursdays are reserved for yard-sale-marathons! I am so worn out from shopping shopping shopping and bargain hunting and laughing! But we are headed out in the morning early for the

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Good Morning, Maple Grove, MN!!

Those of you who guessed I was going to Idaho to visit my mom only got it half right! I’m in MInnesota! How did this trip come about? Well, I got a message from my Aunt on facebook when she saw that I was going to be in Storm Lake, Iowa which is “only” a 4 hour drive away, and we wiggled and weezled and tried to figure out a way to make it work to get together since my mom was flying in on the

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Can you Guess Where?!

Take a look at the pic to the left….Where am I!? Does this look familiar to any one of you? Guess! I have a couple of friends and whenever we pass through this place, we have to text each other pics of Nuts On Clark! Does it ring a bell to you? Of course, getting strangers to take pics of you in FRONT of Nuts On Clark is a whole ‘nuther kind of funny! But I have a very close connection, and I’m

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Where Is She Going?!

Yes. I know I’m leaving for Alaska on Sunday. But a small window of opportunity, No---more like…a “grab it now or don’t go at all” thing presented itself to me and--- I couldn’t say no! I’m off to visit someone very special to me, and she doesn’t know it! It's gonna be PRICELESS! There are very few people who have been in cahoots with me, and even fewer in the “know” –So if you DO know…don’t

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Sunday Sew Day!

Yesterday, about mid-morning, I got a call from Miss Lisa, telling me she was taking me up on my offer of a sit n sew day at my house! She asked "Can I bring anything?" And it’s a good thing she did because with the trip to Alaska only a week away, we’ve been trying to eat EVERYTHING perishable from the fridge so that nothing will sit for 8 days while we are gone. Why Old Mother Hubbard, your

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Afternoon Edition–Free Kindle Book!

THIS one sounds just up my ally!! Love the description and went right over and got it! Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 13 customer reviews Product Description Cocoa butter soap, check. Lemon lip balm, check. A dead body?That's just what Sophie Mae Reynolds finds in her workroom: the corpse of Walter Hanover, the neighborhood

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A Wee Apology!

I was doing some moving of pages this morning, and pre-dating them so they would not show at the top of the news feed.Inadvertantly, part 4 of Old Tobacco Road got sent as a NEW post, not buried in the archives like I wanted it to be...I caught it in an instant, preventing it from appearing in the Quiltville Friends facebook feed --- but those of you who have me in google reader, I'm sorry! It

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That Nearly Insane UFO ----

It's still in a box. I haven't worked on it for at least 5 years. Will I ever get back around to it?This is a grainy picture of where I last left off on it ---Poor Quilt. Someday, Maybe. Someday!

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All Work & No Play--

First off, a special notice. When we ran Roll Roll Cotton Boll last November, I said I would keep it available until June 1st. It's now almost August, and I've still left it there. However, it's time for it to come down, so if you need to make copies, do it now! It's coming down tomorrow, August 1st, and will be unvailable until it is featured in my next book due out in 2012. Print it now, folks!

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And it was Friday ---

And Miss Lisa needed some company while she had her hurty leg checked at the doctors…so off I went in Shamu to go pick her up and sit with her!Of course, both of us had our "busy bags" in tow--Any idle time is handwork time, and we came prepared! When we arrived, the waiting room was quite full, and we both sat down with our Hexies to wile away the time, visit, sew, and make good use of otherwise

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Summer Days in the Basement!

You know I spent the last few days conflicted…wanting to join with friends on a quilty trip to TN, passing on that due to an extremely close deadline list…wanting to sew on THIS, but needing to sew on THAT…and all around me, other things calling my name. It seems when there are too many things on the “To Do” list, that the only way I can handle it without flying around like a headless chicken is

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Evening Edition --- Free Kindle Book!

I’ve been sewing like a crazy woman all day! And I’m making good progress on some things that have sat at a standstill for a while…It’s HOT HOT HOT and muggy outside, so it feels so good to be in! However, my feet aren’t happy – that old ugly plantar fasciitis is rearing it’s ugly head again, and even though it’s 90+ out, I’m having to put my running shoes with orthodics in them ON MY FEET first

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Show & Tell Thursday! Kim Brandt!

In my travels I occasionally cross paths with someone who is SO prolific, and such a sweet person, we could have been friends forever! I’d known Kim for years via email, but it wasn’t until I took a trip up to Poughkeepsie that I met her in person! We had a wonderful couple of days, and I was really glad to get the time to spend with her. Today, I’d love to share some of Kim’s quilts with you!

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From Storm Lake back to Des Moines!

We left Storm Lake after the Saturday workshop ended…and drove the 3 hours back to Des Moines! I napped a bit, until I heard the ladies in the front talking about the beautiful old homes in Sac City…..I opened my eyes and saw GORGEOUS Victorian creations complete with the gingerbread and porches. I love old houses! The picture you see to the left? that blurry one? That is the “out the window”

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Evening Edition–Free Kindle Book!

I'm sewing, I'm sewing! Ooohhh...even got my block done for the NEXT after the NEXT issue of 100 blocks by 100 designers. How's that for planning ahead?I've decided that I just can't go to TN this week. It's time to be a bit realistic...you really CAN'T do it all, can you? Though I wish I could!In the mean time -- I just found this little who-done-it murder mystery, and it’s free in the Kindle

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Storm Lake, Day Two!

Saturday was our My Blue Heaven workshop! Of course, the fun of that workshop is seeing them go from Blue to Red to Pink to Purple, to Green, to Brown and every color in between! I love getting to know the Quilters, and the funny things that come up in conversations! You’d be amazed at the things you can learn by simply walking around the room and tuning in to what is being said…bet you can’t

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From Small To Tiny!!

How small do YOU consider as TOO SMALL! I was working away on my border section for my hexagon medallion during show and tell-- before my lecture on Friday night…and one of the quilters in front of me held out her hand, uncurled her fingers around what she was holding, and I couldn’t believe my eyes!She handed me that tiny little hexagon rosette sitting there next to my thimble. And then she

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Like a Bunch of Wild Animals!

I made it home last evening with only an extra hour spent in Chicago. YAY!! I’d consider that “pretty much” on time as far as delays go. I just stitched hexagons all the way home…making progress on my filling in around the medallion. More pics of that to come later!((Note to self -- Cut more NEUTRALS out before next road trip!!)) Our weekend was spent at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa

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Early Morning Edition–Free Kindle Book!

Shhhhhh!! Bonnie is still sleeping! :cD I found this last night before turning the lights out, and I wanted to get it to you before it expired, but I didn’t want to send it immediately on top of the other post I just sent either, so I am writing this ahead to post in the wee small hours. As for me, I intend to sleep in a bit. That college life is TIRING! Even if we are all beyond the age of..”

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Saturday Night, Live!!

((From Des Moines!)) An email in my in-box asked in a panicked tone if everything was all right with me since I hadn’t posted since Thursday night, the night of my arrival in Storm Lake for the Quilters Gathering with the Iowa Quilters Guild. WHAT a whirlwind. I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten you all, I haven’t. And it isn’t that I didn’t want to post…I posted Thursday morning before I

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Hello, Storm Lake!

It’s been a busy busy travel day, but I’m happy to say there have been ALMOST no hiccups! I left Greensboro around 11:30am --- I even saw Horace at his shoe shine booth and he said thanks for the post card, that it made his day. That really set my day off with a smile! The plane was actually early getting into Chicago O’Hare, and it was a beautiful day to fly over lake Michigan --- I love that

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It’s a Show & Tell Thursday!

This morning I’m off on a journey to Storm Lake,Iowa! I’m Spending a few HOT July Days with the Iowa Quilter’s Guild and we plan to stay OUT of the heat, stay in and SEW! We’ve got a Pineapple Blossom Workshop on Friday, a lecture and trunkshow on Friday night, and a My Blue Heaven workshop on Saturday. I’ll be picked up about 4pm in Des Moines, and then I’ll be seeing plenty of corn Beautiful

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Evening Edition–Free Kindle Book!

I’m packing like a crazy woman ready to head out for Iowa in the morning! My kindle is charged and ready to go! And because I am such a fiend for free books ((Yes I have more downloaded than I will probably be able to read in the next 3 years or so!)) I just added this one! One O’clock Jump-- The first title in the Dorie Lennox series by Lise McClendon. Book Description: Dorie Lennox, an

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Callous Control!

In an effort to move and cover things in the living room, to prepare for the sanding that is about to commence in the sun room, I moved a stack of quilts --- and felt a guilty pang and a longing for simply sitting and doing some hand quilting. My poor old Jane Stickle quilt variation called “In The Pink” has sat and sat and sat since winter, because it has been too hot ((Or I’ve been too busy))

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Evening Edition, Free Kindle Book!

Innocent Monster, by Reed Farrel Coleman, is free in the Kindle store today, courtesy of Adams Media. At first I wasn’t sure of the title, as I am not one who does monsters, vampires or super heros or much sci fi ((What does that leave me? Mysteries and intrigue and some romance on occasion…and always looking for humor!)) But I did stop to read the description, and I think it’s worth a go! Book

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It’s a CIRCUS around here!

Yesterday the guys showed up to finally sheet rock in our sun room! COVER up that eye sore mess of insulation and old broken wall board from the remodel and removal of the heinous sky lights that always leaked! I have never been so happy to see someone pull in my driveway in my life. Okay, that’s an overstatement, but you get the idea. We’d been dealing with this BAD ROOM since the day we moved

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Top to Bottom, Front to Back!

Yesterday in a round of silliness, we had a very funny discussion on our facebook Quiltville Friends Page! My Question was--- If a Quilt TOP is called a TOP, why is the backing not called the BOTTOM? And the silliness got more hilarious from there…but my most favorite response of all came from Laura V who said: “Is that like --Why do they call them control TOP panty hose when that's not what's

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Pictures, Pictures!~

As things from the trip to Oregon settle in, there are more pictures that are exchanged via email with messages like “Love this one of you two!” “Thought you all looked so cute in this one!” “Sending these to you as well!” And I’m happy to share them here, because they DID turn out so cute, and we had such a great time ((Are you tired of hearing all about it yet?)) I love this picture of Tonya

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Amazon Deal of the Day–More Than Just Books!

When it comes to holidays and such, I like to give my kids and my dad Amazon gift cards. That way they can always choose what they want, and there is lots more than just books or music on Amazon. One thing I order all the time is my Good Earth Original tea---I can’t get it here in NC, but if I order it on Amazon ((Using the Christmas gift card that usually comes from some member of my family,

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Feet On The Ground!

So here I am, Saturday afternoon --- and I’m HOME ALONE! I almost don’t know what to do with myself! ((Please note that I said ALMOST!)) Actually it’s more of……there are so many things that I could do, would want to do, that I have a hard time choosing. Yesterday’s flights were hectic, but I made ALL of my connections, and my luggage made it too. Yep! the pic you see to the left is my poor road

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Midnight Edition–Free Kindle Book!

Hello! I’m home! And the house is quiet because everyone is sleeping but ME. The ole body clock, dontcha know --- it says it’s only 9:30pm, not 12:30 am..so what’s a girl to do? Catch up on her browsing, and her emails and everything else….while trying to get sleepy! I just found this little mystery that I think will be a good edition to my kindle… County Line by Bill Cameron Book Description:

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Fly Away Home ---

This morning I am on my way back to North Carolina. It’s been a wonderful trip to Oregon--- relaxing and productive at the same time! But as they say, Home is where the Heart is --- and I can only be away from home so long until home is the only place that I want to be. I saw this little picture of North Carolina with a heart smack dab in the middle, and I had to save it….that heart is awful

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A Little of This, A Little of That --

I hate to even think that my time in Sunriver is winding down. In retrospect, I’ve accomplished a lot while I’ve been here, but still wish I could have done more! A bit of a stomach bug has slowed me down a bit, but maybe I needed some slowing down? We were going to go to a music in the park thing last night, but I begged out. I just didn’t feel up to it. And the temps haven’t been exactly WARM

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Cheddar Bow-Ties!! 2011 Leader/Ender Challenge!

Every year there is at least ONE quilt that we ALL fall in love with. This year it was a bowtie using a cheddar solid as a background. Do I have to remind you of how much I love solid cheddar? When I look at antique quilts, those with solid cheddar in them are the ones that jump out at me and straight into my heart. We decided that this year we would use this quilt as a Leader/Ender project ---

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So What Did She Buy?!

Every year I tell myself that I don’t NEED to BUY another quilt…seriously. Where can I put another one? Isn’t enough enough? It’s like adopting kittens, but at least I don’t need to feed them. What will I do with them in the long run? I have no idea --- have one heck of a yard sale at some point I guess, or flood ebay with listings? I figure they will live with me as long as I need them to live

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Just a “LITTLE” Walk!

One of the things I love most about coming to Sun River, Oregon is the simple ability to just put on the running shoes, open the front door, and GO. And we do! OFTEN! I will admit that I wimped out on Sunday ---- I had a low grade headache most of the day and just felt kind of crummy. I think lack of sleep and over excitement just finally made me take an easy day… But yesterday, Lori, Randy and I

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Addicted To Scraps! The Low Down!

I love getting emails from my editors! On Friday, an unexpected fun one came in from June at Quiltmaker --- She said she was doing a feature on the Addicted to Scraps column in their next e-newsletter and it would go live on Tuesday. ((YEP! That’s today!!)) Did you KNOW that Quiltmaker had an e-newsletter? NO!? Well, you better continue reading to find out more about it…..The Quiltmaker.com

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Antique Quilt Paradise!

THIS is the MECCA spot of our yearly visit to the Sisters, Oregon Quilt Show……We’ve been coming for years, and this is the first place we always hit --- early, early, up with the birds. Many of the quilts aren’t even hung yet when we arrive, eager to see what lovelies will stop us in our tracks as we help unfold, spread out, discover. And we weren’t disappointed!Remember my telling you that it

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As Seen Around Sisters!

This was such a fun filled and photo filled day that I am overwhelmed after looking through the pictures and editing things down! I think I can post plenty over the next few days without overloading everyone, and having all of our eyes glaze over from too much quilt goodness! I’m going to post pictures over the next week in stages….and there may be SOME slide show action, but there are a lot of

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Always An Adventure!!

Yes, I know yesterday was the Sisters Quilt show, and I know you are chomping at the bit to see the pictures --- but there are many many many and they need to be edited down and longer posts written, and I don’t have time to do that this morning. Randy and Lori and I have been sewing up a storm and having a wonderful time, and I want to get back to that, so I”ll just backtrack a bit and let you

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Sisters Quilt Show Saturday!

It’s QUILT SHOW DAY!! Going to the Sister’s Quilt Show is always an exciting thing for me……we get up early, we’ve packed our lunches….and off we go! The best part of the day? Being there EARLY enough to see the quilts being hung. There is nothing like a central Oregon July!Central Oregon is mostly high desert --- and the terrain varies from tall pines and rivers down by Sun River, to scrubby

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What’s In YOUR Wallet!?

What's the issue? Electronic Pickpocketing is the theft of your personal information through scanners that read credit cards, IDs, and more through clothing, wallets and purses as quickly as it takes a thief to walk past you. Who's at risk? You and anyone with credit/debit cards, ID and passports with RFID (radio frequency identification) chips, which contain personal account information and

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Farmer’s Market, Anyone?

Yes, I’m filling up the “auto post” capability to be sure you don’t miss me too much while I’m gone! I know it will be a few days before I can post anything about the Sisters Oregon Quilt Show…..and these are things I didn’t get to post before leaving…so I’m spacing them out! On our way home from the movies on Sunday, we stopped at the Farmer’s Market for some sweet corn. I’d never been before,

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Ready to Fly!

By the time this posts, I will be well on my way to the airport on my way to Oregon! It’s going to be a long day. You just can’t get to Redmond/Bend Oregon easily from Greensboro, NC! My route? Greensboro to Chicago, Chicago to Portland, Portland to Redmond! I’ll get there around 3:45pm local time, which is 6:45 NC time! And it always takes me a couple days to adjust to a 3-hour time difference!

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Early Morning Nature Time ---

After my extra long jaunt last week --- It did take a few days for my legs to return to normal from being jelly. Let’s just say that my legs worked a lot like C3PO’s from Star Wars! In fact, I’m laughing hysterically right now at that image, because it IS the perfect one for how it felt to move for about 3 days after that 12.5 mile walk/jog/crawl. Thank you to those who chewed me out for going

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Text It Forward!

Text messages ROCK!!! You know, I am trying to remember what life was like before text messages. I remember when the technology first came around that you could text by phone, and I just DIDN’T get it. TEXT someone? Why not just pick up the phone and talk with VOICE! And I must say, that I was a real stick-in-the-mud to want to use text, until my KIDS converted me. What a great quick way to send

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Juggling Time!

Let's face it --- Life is a JUGGLING ACT!Some things just FORCE me to switch gears. One of these things was an email from a group that I had agreed to donate a small quilt to for their quilt auction as a fund raiser. I *TOTALLY* spaced it until this email showed up. “No problem, it’s not due until August” the email reads. Which still puts me in panic mode, because between now and August I will

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….And The Winner Is:

I’ve loved reading the comments as they came in for the Mini Windmill pattern and template!! I am so glad to be sending it to someone who wants it. And I am amazed how so many said they would use YELLOW with it! You don’t have to, you know? You could use ANYTHING…but the yellow really does make those scraps shine, doesn’t it? I’m also one of those who can’t “WEAR” yellow. I don’t wear orange

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