Welcome, Spring!

After a few false starts it looks as though spring is here to stay! These white Iris are from my childhood home, I dug up a little clump of them before my parents sold the home and moved twelve years ago. Since then, I have divided them at least four times, our daughter in the Capital City has a clump of her own (which may have also been divided by now)! 

These Iris were added more recently, another gift of division from our son-in-law's parents. 

This is my little perennial garden. I started this a few years ago. The delight in this is two-fold: I get SO excited about the reemergence of all of the plantings, and the fact that it's just outside my sewing space! The windows and the door that you can see above, just inside the side porch, are my sewing room; from here I can observe not only the bluebird house, and my feeders, but all of the flowers as they come into season. 

On Friday this past week I met up with a blogging friend, Mama Spark, at Pineapple fabrics. We had such a wonderful reunion there, as did our husbands (who've met previously). We had lunch together and made future plans for the fall. Have you ever met up, in real life, with a blogger friend? If not, I would encourage you to do that if the opportunity presents itself. You already know a lot about them (virtually); for me, it's been like reconnecting with an old friend. I've done this several times and can happily report that it has only deepened what I already considered (through blogworld) to be a lifelong friendship! 

Not only did we have a shopping spree and lunch together, but she brought 25 nap blankets to donate to our annual cause! Twenty-five!! These nap blankets will cover and comfort those enrolled in our local school system's Pre-K program. Mama Spark knew that this was a program embraced by our small group and she was eager to get involved. These nap blankets will be loved and treasured by the recipients. 💗 My heart is overflowing with gratitude. 

We were lucky enough to meet our daughter for lunch, after church, today in a city nearby while our oldest granddaughter attended a swim camp. When we were leaving to drive home we encountered this sight beside us at a traffic light. I don't know how this puppy kept his hat in place but I would say that this is but one more sure sign, that spring is here...

But, just in case there's any doubt... remember that picture on the left from a few weeks ago?

We've got bluebird hatchlings! Yes, for sure, spring has sprung; and I'd say its here to stay!

Life is Good!

How About Lunch?

We made plans to get together for lunch. She and her husband travel the country full-time in their RV, now that they're retired. They found themselves in our little corner of the world and she reached out for Quilt Shop information. We made plans to get together for lunch, with our husbands. Not such an unusual thing to do at all, not when a friend comes to town. But, this friend and I had never met-- not for real, in-person, before! No, we have known each other for a long time though, through our blogs. We "knew" each other  before we became grandmothers, each for the first time in 2008; ten years ago! Yes, that's how long I have been following Janet (Click her name to link to her blog). Last week Mr. Goodneedle and I met my long-time friend, and her husband, for the first time! We had an absolutely marvelous time visiting, it was such a treat to learn more about this lovely lady and all that they experience in their new, nomadic lifestyle. Our lunch date could have easily extended to dinner; there was never a lapse in the conversation. We parted, finally, hoping to be able to arrange another visit; somewhere, sometime, hopefully in the not too distant future. Have you had the opportunity to meet up with another blogger, for real and in person? I believe this visit with Janet is the fifth time that I have met an online blogging friend, I hope it won't be the last. I had met Bonnie Hunter some years ago, back when she was first relocating close to here, Nancy who Blogs Near Philadelphia and Mama Spark herself. Mr. Goodneedle and I met Quiltdivajulie and her husband last spring; again, that was another memorable couples get-together with hopes to do it again!  If you ever have the opportunity to meet up with a fellow blogger, whether it's a quilting blogger or someone who shares a different common interest with you, I would suggest that you make the effort. You already have a great foundation, all the small talk is elimated; it really is a fun experience to meet up with an old friend for the very first time!

Life is Good!

Daytrippin'

Quiltdivajulie and me

It took some doing; but, at long last, I can now say (with photo proof) that Quiltdivajulie and I are in-person friends! We've shared a LOT over the past ten years or so, all online, as blogging buddies. Over the years we discovered many similarities that we have in common: our birthdays are within days of each other (day and year!), our wedding anniversaries are too. We share likes and dislikes in an uncanny way and have kindred personality quirks characteristics.😉 When the opportunity presented itself (Julie was teaching her amazing Build-A-Barn quilt class last week at the John C. Campbell Folk School in the far-western part of North Carolina) Mr. Goodneedle and I discussed taking off for the day; there is still ongoing work cleaning out my in-law's home, but he knew how much fun this would be for all of us (he has long admired Julie's husband's incredible wood-turning abilities and he was going to be there too), as well the value of a much-needed break in our own work schedule.  Last Friday we hit the road early and drove west. It was a gorgeous day.

We arrived at Keith House, on campus, around 11 AM and easily found the JCCFS office, and our lunch tickets, before settling in to experience the class "show and tell" and end of week wrap up. I fell in love with this quilt, by Mary Lou Weidman, on permanent display at the folk school. Read the story behind the quilt linked here, you'll be in love with the quilt, and the Folk School too! This is an amazing place. Soon the assembly hall was filled with talented craftsmen-students and instructors all eager to show what they had done all week. Julie and I quickly found each other and the conversation flowed easily and non-stop,  it was much more like a much-anticipated reunion than an initial meeting! Our husbands, too, had plenty in common to discuss. We had barely all gotten our seats when the dulcimer class serenaded the crowd to start things off, they were followed by a steady stream of blacksmiths, wood carvers, jewelry makers, wood turners, print makers, quilters, wood workers, painters, enamelers and story tellers. I am sure I am forgetting other folk crafts that were learned and displayed. After the wrap-up show we adjourned to the dining hall for a delicious family-style lunch in the dining hall. From there it was a quick walk to the Pittman Fiber Arts building and the quilt studio!

Julie still had a few things to pack up and get ready for the car and her drive back home. Take a look at this space, and the LIGHT; who wouldn't want to take a week-long quilting class here?

Another view. These classrooms are well-stocked with all the needed supplies, it really is a dream come true. (Notice the power cords suspended from the ceiling over each work space-- no cords on the floor to worry about tripping over!) I also peeked into the adjacent weaving studio; I am not a weaver, but after seeing that space I could become one! Mr. Goodneedle had the same feeling about the woodturning studio; the facilities are quite enticing and hard to resist. We are both destined to be JCCFS students sooner rather than later! We came home with an armload of catalogs listing all of the class offerings to pore over.

Julie's husband and Mr. Goodneedle

We had a few moments for photos in front of, what else, but a barn; before hitting the road, each of us heading our own direction back home. We will definitely meet up again, hopefully for a longer visit, next time! In my memory book of "day trips" this one may just go down as the best ever!

Life is Good!

DeRailed

"DeRailed" was a departure quilt for me; something completely out of my comfort zone. I picked up a stack of fat quarters that I had been hoarding for a while and copy of the book Cultural Fusion Quilts by Sujata Shah after seeing a quilt using this construction method on Quiltdivajulie's's blog: Me and My Quilts, Exploring the Possibilities. I knew right away that I wanted to give this pattern a try, this blogging buddy of mine always has the best ideas. At that time I had been stalled, creatively, and needed to give my piecing a jump start. This did the trick, it got me back on track! I chose to use the Rail Fence pattern from the book, there are lots of others too that employ the very liberating technique of free-cutting gentle curves with the rotary cutter and stitching the curves together into unique, distinctive units. My blocks ended up 16"; the quilt, a generous 64" X 80" overall.

A close up of the vibrant colors and quilting: "Splashing" panotgraph by Beany Girl Quilts.

And the back side: precious rabbits, paired up two by two, in that distinctive green color; this fabric is what I used for the binding too. It was a beautiful day for snapshots today on the patio.

And one more thing-- this plant. It is also a distinctive green, I love it; it's pretty to look at and wonderfully scented too!  It was labeled a "mosquito plant" at the nursery, it is citronella. It should repel insects when we're sitting outside in the evenings, let's hope it works.

Life is Good!

Once Upon A Barn

You may have noticed the Build-A-Barn button on the side bar of my blog, if you don't know what that is I am here to tell you today. The uber-talented quiltmaker extraordinaire, Julie Sefton, has written a book! You may know her better as quiltdivajulie  she has an exceptional blog: "Me and My Quilts-- Exploring the Possibilities". Julie is extremely creative and super organized at the same time; traitst one might think are exclusive of each other, they're not in Julie's case! Julie is always sharing her creative process through her blog posts. Step by step, post after post, she shares her inspirations, her thoughts, her notes and her unique quiltmaking successes as well as those things that didn't quite work out as well as she had imagined; she is most generous in every regard. I only know Julie through blogging. Over a year ago she contacted me, as well as a few others, about helping to proof the process notes for this book. From there the SSOBB was born; there's a link for the Secret Society of Barn Builders on my sidebar too; you can read more about this "sorority" there. So, fast forward to now. The book is out and available, it is published by AQS; if you can't find it in your LQS you can order it directly (but tell your LQS that they really should carry it!). My copy arrived a few weeks ago, as soon as I had it in my hands I read through each word of each page, it was exactly like visiting with Julie through her blog, I was immersed in each and every step of her pattern-free, improvisational barn building techniques. Suddenly I had a thought! I had a barn drawing that I could pull out from a long-ago quilt class; I could use Julie's technique and make a 2016 version of my 1993 class sketch!

I had no problem finding my notes and sketches from that class that I taught twenty three years ago! But, where are the sample blocks that I constructed way back then? I have no idea. That's okay-- my mind is racing and I am launching on a new adventure, using a new method, through this inspiration on aging, yellowed paper!

With my sketch in hand and Julie's book opened wide I have begun to pull fabrics to bring the old barn to life!

Join me in this adventure. I will share my progress along the way. I have enlarged my original drawings so that I could envision a central panel in actual size, approximately 24" X 12". Stay tuned for updates, this is going to be fun! Thank you, quiltdivajulie, for inspiring me in oh-so-many ways; let's see what happens along this path!

Life is Good!

Let's Celebrate!

Nine years and 1800 posts. Yep, you read that right; this is a milestone post for me. It actually began a little over nine years ago, June of 2006 to be exact. My son talked me into starting a blog, I really wasn't interested at the time; I didn't know what I would blog about. Ahem; I guess I figured that out! Over the years this place has become a forum for miscellany from me: commentaries, quilty content, book reviews, product recommendations, grandchildren show and tell, opinion pieces, faith stories, sewing projects, prayers, photo gallery, travelogue, time management tips, quilt shop reviews, household hints, and a place to brag about Hannes the wonder dog. I have sought advice here and asked for your opinions. If you've been a reader from the beginning, are an occasional visitor or even if you're brand new to The Strawberry Patch, I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Through the years I have considered, at several times, giving this up; but I haven't, I've gone on hiatus and returned, something has always drawn me back. I have some friends and family members who keep up with me through this venue, that's been enough to keep me fueled and running even when it's been on barely more than fumes. If you read my previous post, you know that I attended a memorial service for a freind last week. When I was greeting her husband at the reception afterwards he mentioned to me how Marianna read my blog faithfully, I was deeply touched.  One of the greatest side benefits of blogging has been meeting up with some blogger friends in real life... that has been both exciting and affirming, almost like spending time with a pen pal, there has been that instant recognition of previously shared time together (even though it was cyber in nature), omitting all of the awkward small talk and ice-breakers that normally accompany an initial get-together. In sincere appreciation for you being here and in celebration of this milestone I would like to host a little giveaway, it's a small, yet sincere, token of my thanks for your readership and your encouragement over the years. Just leave me a comment; I'd love to know why you've stopped by and for how long you've been coming back to this spot. I'll draw a winning name, at random, sometime next week. Thanks again, now... let's celebrate; 1800 and more to come!

Life is Good!

Blog Giveaway Winners

Thanks to one and all who entered last week's Contain It! giveaway. I used a random number generator to choose the winners and they are:

#20 - 45th Parallel Quilter  has won a copy of Linda Chaney and Laura Chaney Gerth's book.
"FRANTICALLY waving my hand to be picked!!! Seriously, this is the coolest thing since sliced bread ... can't wait to see how it is all done and comes together!! Linda"
#8 - Kathryn, the coaster set and custom box are coming to you.
"Both the book and your coasters would be a great addition to my home."

Congratulations to Linda and Kathryn!

This has been great fun, I am grateful to Linda and Laura for the opportunity to participate in their first anniversary celebration as well as becoming a stop on their blog hop... I've met SEW many wonderfully talented new friends along the way! You can order Linda and Laura's book here if you didn't win a copy... you'll never know what creativity this addition to your sewing space will spark until you hold the book in your hands. I doubt that I will ever look at English paper piecing the same way again.

Life is Good!

Hop Around The World...

Last week Quiltdivajulie posted during the "Around The World Blog Hop Tour" and invited me to follow her lead. I was thrilled to be asked! I always enjoy learning more about the people behind the blogs, who they are and what creative process they use that makes them, and their quilts, distinctive and unique.  

I blog under the name Mrs. Goodneedle and have done so for the last eight years; I share quilts and other sewing projects as well as my life, family and faith stories on an almost-daily basis.

I have been a quiltmaker since 1983, my first project was a sampler quilt done by the lap-quilting method (made popular by Georgia Bonesteel) it was hand quilted and took two years to complete! I gave that quilt to my then 5 year old son who proclaimed that sleeping under it was "like being covered with love". That was all the encouragement I needed and have never looked back! Quiltmaking is my life; I love every aspect of the process.

I am married to my high school sweetheart, have been for 39+ years; we have two children, an awesome son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and four remarkable grandchildren. Life is good, as I state at the end of every blog post; it really, truly, is!

Now, on to the Q&A format:

"Adding Curves" ~ Setting and blocks-of-the-month currently on the design wall.

What am I currently working on?  I am not any different from most quilters that I know, I'm never only working on one thing at a time! But, the blocks above (and layout diagram) are currently what's on the design wall. I am also working on a few other projects simultaneously as well as quilting yet another small quilt on the longarm at the present time. I enjoy challenges, and the piecing on this one is no exception to that statement. Since the blocks from these recent workshops are totally composed from squares and rectangles I thought that adding curves (hence, the quilt's name) might prove interesting to the overall appearance of the quilt. While designing settings I am also thinking ahead the whole time to how this might be quilted, adding yet another dimension to the whole. I believe the secondary circles that are created by this setting will provide a nice canvas for some pretty quilting to set off those emerging shapes. 

Templates and tools for cutting the alternate Orange Peel blocks for setting "Adding Curves".

I'm not afraid of templates when it comes to piecing; since I've been a quilter for a very long time, this was the foundation that my quilting skills were built upon. I use every tool in the toolbox and sometimes going back to basics is exactly what it takes!

"Adding Angles"  ~ This is the sister quilt to "Adding Curves"; same blocks, different colors and setting.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I'm not really sure that it does. I am greatly inspired, and no doubt influenced, by the works of others.  I tend toward details; those little "extras" that add a pop of color or an unexpected touch, to make my work my own.  I will add piping to almost any binding at the drop of a hat! I always joke that I can turn any project into a career move. Since I've already admitted that my first quilt took two years to complete, it's safe to say that I am not a fast quilter by any stretch to the imagination. I work slowly, and listen to my heart; I make quilts to satisfy my own creative desires.

"Swiss Baskets" begun in 1999 and only recently completed. The design, quilting and piping make it one of a kind. The finished quilt can be viewed here.  

Why do I create what I do?  I believe that each and every quilt is a culmination of where I am, and what I've learned, at this point in time.  Could I have completed the quilt above sooner? Of course! Would it look like it does now? Absolutely not! Why not? Because I didn't have the skills in 1999 to see this one through in the manner it is finished today. Does that matter? Probably not; but who's to say?  I love to learn new things.  I have a huge queue of quilt tops waiting to be quilted... as I test my wings and learn techniques to improve my own quilting stitches I am happy to have those tops to practice upon. I create quilts to experiment and try out the latest tricks from the classes that I've taken, or from the books that I've read. If the quilts aren't used or displayed in our home they're given away as gifts, every quilt has a home. 

"Feathered Friends" this small quilt is benefitting from quilted feather techniques learned in a class that I took  this past summer.

Six inch blocks from "The Quilt Block Bible", writing up cutting directions for these is a current obsession.

Recently I was drawn to the 202 blocks, and this book, by Rosemary Youngs.  The book is a lovely composition of photographs and line drawings, there are no instructions for cutting and piecing the blocks. I have enlisted my best friend, and quilting buddy, to help me out. We have divided the book in half and are each writing directions, and piecing blocks, as we go along. I am drawing from a stash of accumulated scraps and going for a very traditional scrappy look; this is also a perfect opportunity to employ all of those specialty rulers that I have purchased over the years, precision piecing is my goal and I won't settle for less than perfect points and corners, this self-imposed challenge is both demanding and satisfying at the same time. 

How does my creative process work?  I jot down ideas as they come to me, sometimes it's a phrase or a quote; sometimes it's a color combination or even a happy memory that bubbles to the surface... I make a lot of notes when I am creating. My go-to design tool is EQ7. I can audition my ideas using that software program and, usually, come up with a neat and tidy design plan that reflects my concept, interpreting my ideas into stitchable units.

"It's The Journey"  a challenge incorporating randomly drawn color and design elements to create a unique quilt.

This 49" X 61" wallhanging was designed entirely in EQ7.  As the design elements were revealed in an organized group challenge, components were changed and tweaked, meeting the new criteria at every step along the way. The path was never a clear one; the quote became as much a definition of the process as the challenge itself. It wasn't until the final border was added that I realized it never had been about the destination after all, it was about the journey all along; the creative process didn't let me down, but rather, documented my routing.

That's it for me. Now I would like to go on to introduce you to Laura, she'll be posting at Tanderwen Quilts next Monday, she's an amazing quilter possessing a very creative spirit; you will be in awe of her talent!  I have not been able to procure more participants for next week, as directed; they've either already been tagged, have already posted via this format or would rather not post at all, I am sorry about that. Laura will more than make up for it though, she is clever enough to be three bloggers in one; you'll see what I mean.

Laura and her incredibly detailed whole cloth quilt, "Atlantis",  juried into the AQS show in Charlotte.

Life is Good!