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!

Why Mistakes Happen... The Excuses

I posted last week about the mistake on that last row of my Mountain Day quilt that I completed piecing while away on retreat. You were probably thinking, how could she do such a thing? I have to offer up a better excuse. I can blame it on the distracting activities occurring around me while I tried to keep my eyes on the prize. There was this, an impromptu dance lesson on the ever-popular, albeit annoying,"Whip, Nae-Nae, Skanky leg" song as led by the instructor on a friend's I-phone. It's hard to keep your mind on what you're doing with live entertainment such as this right in front of your nose! That's excuse number one. Then there's show and tell...it's ongoing. First, there's the newbie quilter who is determined that her first, beautifully bright, quilt will be king-sized! She has a couple more borders to add but she's happy with the results; how could she miss? This is one happy, smiling work of love! Naturally, one must stop and photograph each and every proud moment! Where was I? Oh, yeah...
And then, more show and tell: a Yellow Brick Road pattern in Texas Tech colors to oooh and aaaah over. Excuses two and three. Back to work. And then there are the never-ending snacks and conversations to keep up with, that's required; one mustn't appear rude by turning down food offerings or appearing uninterested. Excuses four, five.... and so on. Where did I leave off? Okay, you get the picture!

The wrong has been righted after returning home to the no excuses zone! 

Just me and my own thoughts, conversations (yes, I talk to myself) 

and boring, uninspired snacks. Back to reality.

Quilting has commenced, swirls and maple leaves are appearing en masse;  

all stitched in a lovely golden colored thread. Mountain Day is becoming real!

Stay tuned...

Life is Good!

Crossing The Border... The Final Chapter!

Potluck dinner at the LQS

You'll remember, over the last several months, my agonizing over the border "challenge" (Head For the Border) issued by my LQS.  Every month a design element and a color were each drawn, randomly, from a brown paper lunch bag and the participants set to work on that next border round, satisfying that newest criteria... it wasn't easy, but rather a true "challenge" in every sense of that word!  On Thursday evening we gathered at our LQS; first, to enjoy a delicious potluck dinner, and then for the final reveal! I was impressed, a few of the quilts were already done to point of being quilted and bound... one was even hand quilted! You can click here to view a slideshow of the spectacular finished flimises, quilts and their proud creators.  All in all it was a wonderful evening, yours truly even came home with a doorprize; it doesn't get much better than that... unless you keep in mind that the originators of this challenge have promised a new challenge in January of next year... I, for one, can't wait!

Life is Good!

Show And Tell...

Gregory's wallhanging is done (with his personalizations attached)

and installed in his room: I think he likes it!

I had leftover flannel from the backing, so made him up two small snuggle blankets to match.

I managed to get a little Christmas jumper sewn up for a shop sample at my LQS:

Well, actually, I made one for little Miss Lucy Ann too; while I was at it!

Now... from the "do as I say, not as I do" lessons to live by: check underneath your hoop when taking it on and off your embroidery machine. If you don't you might just stitch through a shoulder tie! Arrgggh! So, actually, I made THREE jumper fronts, but who's counting?

And, as long as we're on lessons... don't pack a bottle of Glue Baste-it in a box (sideways) with all of your appliqué pieces and leave it there for two weeks after you return home from a retreat because you forgot were too lazy to unpack all of your supplies; that is, unless you enjoy the challenge of cleaning up a fused-together, hard as a rock, mess! Yep, it's true. I thought the border was ruined, but after an overnight soak in warm water all the glue had softened and, luckily, it came right off. It lived up to it's water soluble claim. I like to think of myself as a field tester.

Whew!

Life is Good!