22 July, 2014

Birds, Butterflies and Flowers... Oh, My!

What a wonderful, whirlwind weekend  I have to report on today. Mr. Goodneedle, Hannes and I left our home before dawn on Friday morning and drove north, to New Hampshire, before the day was done!  Yes, we put another 2000 miles on the car... but you know I like to make the miles count*. My parents,  sister and brother-in-law live in New Hampshire; we were able to squeeze in a quick visit with them as well as a quilt class for Mom and me on Saturday! She and I drove to Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH; about an hour away from my parent's home, to spend the day with Lynne Tyler and learn her free-piecing method for birds, butterflies, asterisk flowers and hearts. I have followed Lynne through her Patchery Menagerie blog for years and always wanted an opportunity to learn how she created some of her masterpieces... she is just as much fun as I had imagined. We had a blast, I had to pinch myself a few times to make sure I was really there!  The class sample is on the right, above. I can't say enough good things about the class experience at Quilted Threads, this is one shop that bends over backwards to accommodate their customers! The classroom is on the second floor and my Mom has some mobility issues... no problem whatsoever, they have an electric chair lift! Have you ever been in a quilt class where poor lighting, low chairs, not enough electrical outlets or small tables were a hindrance to your learning experience? You won't have to worry about that at QT. The lighting is superior, the chairs (for every student) are padded, swiveling, office chairs and there are power strips at every large table! I was in heaven with so much space in which to spread out. Students also had access to a kitchen with a full-sized refrigerator and a spotless bathroom too. This is one top-notch shop!
Lynne (standing) and a classmate hard at work!  Lynne did a wonderful job leading us through a technique that really doesn't have a lot of rules... she helped us by guiding our vision and expanding our horizons; not an easy job at all, but she was up to the task! 
Lynne treated us to a inspiring quilt show of her works while we sewed and created.
This is my Mom, busy at work on a wonky, free-pieced heart.

Mom and me with our twin birds, we got a LOT done in class; we each came home with four creations from the class, plus some "wing" fabric to make more birds... as well as happy memories of a great day spent together! We've already asked Lynne what she'll teach us next time; this may just become an annual event for us!

Sunday was spent making up for lost time. A year ago while visiting my parents we went to my favorite little lakeside seafood restaurant specifically for a fried clam roll. Unfortunately we picked the wrong day to do that, his fryolater was out of commission. This year, thankfully, was not a repeat of that calamity; my lunch was well worth the two+ year wait! 

We arrived home very late last night. When I walked back to the bedroom this morning to unpack the laundry this is what I found! Hannes likes his road trips as much as we do... in fact this is his way of saying if we're going on another one he's ready and eager to go!

Life is Good!

* You'll see what I did while riding, and read, in a future post.

9 comments:

cityquilter grace said...

will have to check out that shop before my move to maryland....and clams look delish!

NanaNor's said...

Hi there, Oh what a wonderful trip and time with your family. I've only been to N.H. once and visited Connecting Threads-found the shop wonderful! I love teachers that make the project so easy for all levels. When I lived in Ca. I went to a quilt retreat for two years in a row. It was a mystery retreat and so much fun; however, I was not used to sitting in front of a machine 10-12 hrs per day. It was a bit overwhelming for me. Loved your finished project and love your quilt/sewing room.
Hugs,
Noreen

Unknown said...

Looks like a fun trip. Love that dog! Too cute:)

AnnieO said...

I read Lynne's blog about her cat, Millie, all the time. What another great trip you made --the whole adventure sounds wonderful.

straythreads said...

love the birds! what a fun quilt. my little dog used to lay on top of the quilts in a suitcase when I was getting ready for a trunk show. I miss her

45th Parallel Quilter said...

That is an adorable picture of Hannes ... so glad he likes to travel! You and your mom look a LOT alike ... as do my mom and I. Glad you enjoy the same "addiction" ;-) Clam rolls? One of my FAVORITE foods ever ... so hard to find a really good one, too! Glad you were able to enjoy!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I just KNEW you would love the class . . . and I'm SO SO glad you did!

Millie said...

I am glad you and your Mom had a good time! I agree with you about QT's awesome classroom spaces.

Lynne

jude's page said...

how wonderful to share your quilting with your mother