By the Fireside

Hey ya'll.  Wow, what a time since I last wrote.  I left you after Mountain Quiltfest in Pigeon Forge, TN.  I've worked and worked since then and my quilting time has suffered, but I've still made progress.  My "Linked Up" pattern is still on the table, not quite finished.  Let's just chalk that up to the pile of UFO's I've got.  We've all got those UFO's, but I like to think that when I start working on all those UFO's I'll look even more productive, because I'll be able to crank out lots of finished projects in a hurry!

My version of Donna Thomas's
"Pipe Dreams"

I've worked a good bit on my Pigeon Forge projects.  I've assembled most of my remaining blocks of my Double Wedding Ring which I plan to turn into a bed runner.  With the 16 blocks I will have when I finish, It will be 2x8, the perfect size for the foot of a bed.  I've also finished the top of "Pipe Dreams" by Donna Lynn Thomas.  I thoroughly enjoyed this pattern and look forward to working on more of her projects in the future.  The colors work beautifully and look so good.

"Pipe Dreams" blocks waiting to be assembled.

 I haven't finished the rest of my projects from Pigeon Forge, but I am sticking to what I said going into Quiltfest this year.  All of my class projects will be gifts this year.  I'm not keeping ANY of them.














This weekend, I traveled with my parents and a friend to Standing Indian Campground in Franklin, NC.  This is a family tradition to go in late April to dig ramps.  Many of you are probably thinking "What are ramps, and why are you digging them?"  For those of you who don't know, ramps are a wild plant that grow mainly in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  They have a very unique taste that can be compared to a cross between garlic and onions.  Ramps are something that most people either love or hate.  I, love them.  While we camp each year, my dad goes to the ramp patch on Saturday morning.  I let him dig them, because I break far too many to make it worthwhile.  I'll clean them if he digs them.  While dad's digging, my mom and I go into town.  I visit Deb Heatherly at Deb's Cats and Quilts and mom goes next door to the Habitat Home Store.  Deb has a great shop and I love her selection of Civil War reproductions.  You can spend lots of time in her shop.  She has an awesome classroom space in the back of the shop.  Her shop was the original Ford dealership of Franklin.  Deb's even celebrating 10 years this year!  If you're in the Franklin, NC area definitely visit Deb's Cats and Quilts.  You can check her out of Facebook as well.  While at Deb's, I bought a few random things off the clearance table.  I also found some Navy Blue Batik that I plan to use in an upcoming wedding gift!

I'm also working on "Appalachian Memories" by Beth Dix of Primrose Lane.  This is a series of 12 original barn designs that each have a different quilt block on the side.  This barns are each hand embroidered onto muslin to be later combined into a gorgeous quilt.  I'm embroidering all of my barns in a warm brown which will look great with other earth tones in the final quilt.  I took my embroidery with me on our camping trip so I could still be productive, since we didn't have electricity.  Well, night falls and it gets dark.  We had some lanterns, but they still weren't quite bright enough for embroidery, so I pulled out the headlamp and kept on working.  My parents thought I looked quite funny with my reading glasses on my nose, my headlamp on, and working on a barn, but I was out for much more than fashion.  Function definitely trumped!  While at the campground, I finished one barn and got a good bit done on another!  Taking a class on Redwork embroidery at Pigeon Forge definitely sparked my love of handwork!

Well, I'm home from a long day at work topped off with a staff meeting, but all is well.  I think I'm going to find my bed.  Sewing day at the center tomorrow!  Until next time, quilt on!

Friday Fury

Hey ya'll.  It's Friday again, and as I'm writing this it's blowing the snow here in Cruso.  I'm soooo ready for spring, but it looks like these mountains aren't ready for it yet.  Had a busy, yet good day at work today, followed by dinner with the fam and a couple of friends at the new 209 Haywood Cafe in Clyde.

Quiltfest in Review

Hey ya'll.  I've been home a few days now, and I'm finally able to sit down long enough to post.  Got home Sunday afternoon after enjoying a wonderful worship service at First Baptist Church Dandridge, TN.  It was a hit-the-ground running kind of day after I got home.  Washing clothes, unpacking etc., then off to choir practice and work yesterday.  Errands today and now I'm finally sitting.

One More Day

Hey y'all!  Wow, what a week this has been. Quiltfest 2015 has been awesome. Today is the final day of Qultfest and I leave for home tomorrow. Let me recap a bit what's been going on this week.  I'll be posting pictures when I get home.  My phone isn't conducive to editing and posting lots of pics.

I last wrote on Wednesday after our handwork class. Thursday morning was our Cathedral Stars project with a local instructor, Bonnie Goolsby. She is a great teacher and I loved her project. The Cathedral Stars were a quilt as you go project that comes together quite quickly. No, I didn't finish this one in class. 

At the end of her class someone asked about her evening class. She proceeded to show us the project for the evening class which was called Positively Negative and is a cut-and-fold quilt technique. I had saw the technique in several projects in the show on Wednesday and wanted to know how to do that. Most classes at Quiltfest have been sold out for months, but I decided to rush to the information desk when our class let out to check and sure enough, there was room. I quickly signed up for it! Yes, that makes a total of 5 classes I'm in for the week, but when in Rome.

This was noon, the new class started at 5:30. We still had to get lunch, and I had to get all the supplies for the class including fabric because I hadn't brought any extra.  

After lunch, Lou Anne, Georganna, Ernestine, and I went back to the show and I found my fabric and a small rotary cutter. We left the show and went to a couple of sweet, local shops. Machine Quiltin by Iva and The Cherry Pit.

Both shops are such wonderful quilt shops. Such great fabrics and amazing designs. I got the last thing I needed for class at Iva's and we headed back. I made it to class at 5:20, but I still had cutting to do! Thankfully, I wasn't the only one and I finished before class began.

This class was just great. Lots of ideas for borders, accents, and full quilts.

Friday was my day off from classes. Jackie and I along with Jackie's husband, Fred enjoyed a bit more of the vendors and the show as well as a bed turning.

After leaving the show, Jackie and I ventured out to go to another shop, Holloway's Country Home in Cosby. I decided to take the back way.  Let me just tell ya, Garmin and Google take you two entirely different ways, but we had fun.

We're up this morning for our last class, Pipe Dreams. I'm ready! I'll catch y'all tonight!

Until next time, quilt on!

Handwork is the Name of the Game

Hey y'all. Wow, what a day. We lounged around for a little while this morning then met Lou Anne, Georganna, and Ernestine at the show. We shopped, looked at quilts, shopped, saw more quilts, and shopped some more. But we 're not through yet, because we still didn't see everything. I bought a few pattern as today. One is a Christmas pattern, the other from Judy Niemeyer.  Excited to start both of them.

Jackie and I took a handwork class tonight by Delores Storm of Lakadaisies Design. The Santa Redwotk pattern is gorgeous! I've got a good bit accomplished and the more handwork I do the more I'm enjoying it.

Well, we've got another early class in the morning. I'll catch ya from the show!  Until next time. Quilt on!

Saint Patrick's Day from TN, Quiltfest Day 1

Hey ya'll and Happy Saint Patrick's Day.  I've got my green on, how bout you?  What an awesome day it has been here in Tennessee.  Warm weather, great friends, and Quiltfest!

Quiltfest Here We Come

Hey y'all. It's that time. I clocked out at work at 7 o'clock tonight, jumped in a fully packed car, and hit the road to Tennessee. It's Quiltfest time y'all!

After a quick stop by Wal-Mart for a few cold things, I made it to Jackie's. We're now settled in, our machines are ready, and our totes are full! Lunch is packed, coffee ready for brewing, and plans made for morning. Tomorrow is our "Simplified Double Wedding Ring" class. And a sneak peak at the show tomorrow evening.

I'm stoked, but gotta be at the convention center by 8 in the morning so night y'all!

Until next time, quilt on!