To All The Veterans....

Thank you for your courage, your time, and your sacrifice!

Carolina Christmas!

~A Quiltville Mystery!~

Bring in the Holiday Spirit by sewing through the season!! The quilt center measures an ample 82" X 82" before borders!

This is a "limited edition" mystery, as the quilt I am making will be appearing in a future book. If you start this project, you will need to follow along and print out the instructions as they are revealed. The project will be available on the Quiltville.com website until June 1, 2010 when it will be retired.

Though I am making this quilt using fabrics from recycled clothing, you can use anything you would like! Not in the mood for a quilt in Christmas colors? Choose any 3 complimentary colors and add a background fabric to it!

I will be posting the first challenge the day after Thanksgiving. (You know you really didn't want to spend that day shopping with the crowds, right?) So on Friday, November 27th, be watching the Quiltville.com website, or my blog for the link to the first clue! You can also join my "announcement only" email list, Quiltville@yahoogroups.com and receive an email in your inbox when each step is posted. If you like to participate on a list with lots of chatter from other quilters also participating in this mystery from around the globe, our other list, Quiltvillechat@yahoogroups.com might be the list for you! I do hope you plan to play along! Turn on some holiday music (Only AFTER Thanksgiving in my house!) make a cup of tea or cocoa, and quilt in the Holidays with us!

Click here for Fabric Requirements and other info!~

One Thing At A Time!

I got home from WV yesterday afternoon, and BOY was it a beautiful drive! This pic is a view from my balcony at Hawks Nest State Park where the retreat was held. WV "IS" Almost Heaven!

The whole afternoon yesterday was so lovely that after unpacking the car, I went on a 3 mile walk around my area. It's quite hilly here, so that was a good workout for the ankle that is still giving me a bit of stiffness/soreness. Range of motion is slow to gain back, and I'm afraid of pushing it too hard, so I'm just walking, figuring that is the best way to rehab it back into shape. One thing that is hard is to point my toes...If I do both feet side by side, you can tell the left one points fine, the right one? Not so well...so I'm working on stretching that out a bit each day too.


Still have more Paris pictures to share! I'm thinking I'll edit a bunch of them down and do them slide show fashion, so bear with me. I want to do an album with just the "Eiffel Tower" stuff...

Today my eldest son is 26!! How did that happen? When I still feel 26 myself, is it possible that I could have a 26 year old son? I have to post here a funny conversation he had going on his facebook that has just cracked me up. The Quiltmaker Magazine staff found it so funny, that they posted it on their blog, Quilty Pleasures too!


Speaking of Quiltmaker Magazine, be sure to watch for the 2010 issues. I've got a new column helping us use common sizes of scraps from our Scrap User's Systems! It's not a full quilt pattern, but a block design....for you to play with and see what you come up creating! Since we have been cutting our scraps into useable sizes, it's nice to have an idea that will use what we've already got cut on hand, right?

There is a new Flickr Pool for your photos of Christmas Lights, and a giveaway, so be sure to go and upload your pics there....

June writes:

Share your Christmas Lights Mystery quilts (or tops)HERE (Christmas Lights is a 3-part mystery series from Bonnie Hunter in Quiltmaker’s July/August ‘09, September/October ‘09 and November/December ‘09 issues.)

I don’t know what yet, but I’ll give a prize to someone (randomly selected) who posts a Christmas Lights photo by 2 pm MST on Friday, November 13 (it could be your lucky Friday the 13th)!

Last night I was able to attend my OWN guild meeting and had a wonderful time catching up with everyone. I want to send out a special WELCOME to Kristin who came as a visitor last night! Kristin, it was great to meet you and I hope you come again! Drop me an email if you want to get together and sew, I'm always game (if I'm home, that is!!) :cD

All Things Yummy!

I picked my desktop computer back up at Best Buy this week, and I've been reinstalling programs, including my photo editing stuff, so I had waited until it was back before importing the photos off my memory card....you know what a hassle that is?

So here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

A couple more from the Arc de Triomphe...my very first WOW moment! The bus stop where I got off the airport bus was right near here. And while I waited for Randy to come get me, all I could do is stare in wonder! It is one of my favorite Paris monuments.

And then of course.....food....glorious food!! These photos need no explaination. Did you know that more oysters are consumed in Paris per capita than anywhere else!?

Starting Slow....

There is SO much to post that it is almost intimidating to think of it! I took HUNDREDS of pictures..all of which have to be edited down from huge sizes to web compatible, easy loading...and it's daunting! So I'm just going to do a bit at a time!

By far the best part of this trip was the people I spent it with! I spent wonderful time with my friend Randy and her hubby Mark. They were the perfect tour guides! I just was happy to follow them around like a lost puppy....my eyes taking in everything in wonder!

Taking the bus from the airport was easy. Getting euros from a ATM was easy. Getting a hold of Randy when I arrived at the bus stop near the Arc De Triomphe was NOT! My cell phone didn't work. Duh. I was lucky enough to have a guy standing mear me as I explained my situation to another woman, and he loaned me his phone so I could call Randy at the apartment to come at meet me!

The picture above was taken when Randy and I met Valerie and Will at Montmarte for a lovely lunch, a visit to Will's house to see her beautiful quilts, and some fabric shopping in the garment district...in search of French toiles! And we hit what would be considered a european bargain. Mind you, 15 euros a metre is not cheap by USA standards, but these bolts were DOUBLE WIDE...about 110" in width, so yes...very doable as far as fabric purchasing goes! I'll get a pic of my aquisitions later. I bought two metres each of a blue on white, and a taupe toile. LOVELY! Not sure what I'll do with it yet, but.....

One of Will's friends was kind enough to take this shot of us after our delightful lunch! (You can tell by the empty plates..we didn't leave a crumb!!)

One of the highlights was taking the RER train to meet Valerie and Caroline (who came to visit from Brussels!) at Versailles! I have never seen such opulence in my life...it really was undescribable, and I can't wait to get into these photos....I'm thinking slide shows might be the best way to share them with you, in due time!

You can see I'm not fully able to relax just yet. Still a bit jet laggy, I leave friday for teaching at a retreat in West Virginia! I've really been looking forward to this trip too, the best part? Besides teaching, and being with quilters in general, which I love..when I'm NOT teaching..I get to sew too!! And I am so ready to spend some machine time!

It's a Mystery!

Hi you guys!

I'm back from Paris as of last night...had a great time! I know I
will need a nap at some point today, I feel one coming on. I've got pics to upload..many many..and they all need editing down, etc. Give me a day or so to recuperate!

I'm writing quick because I wanted to let you know that I've been hard at work designing our next mystery quilt!

I'm in a bit of a conundrum, because the one I REALLY want to
do.....is in recycled fabrics in Christmas colors! Is this going to
bum you guys out if I drag Christmas out into the new year? If it
helps any....what if we move this mystery back a month and let you
play with your fabrics DURING the holiday season? I'm done teaching
as of Nov 17th. Would you like to work on this project DURING the
holidays? And if you finish it after the new year, well....you are
just that much farther ahead for next year!

And of course, you can choose to do this in a different color plan if you want.

This is going to be a limited availability mystery, much like Carolina
Crossroads was. It's going to go into the 2011 book, so it will only
be available online for a while, and then I'll pull it when it's
published.

I'm planning on using reds, greens, and golds and neutrals, in plaids,
stripes and prints from recycled clothing. And I may throw in some old
fashioned shirting prints as some of my lights to spice them up a bit.
The quilt is a square one, about 84" without borders. The units can
be played with in many ways, so seeing lots of different layouts is
going to be fun!

Other colors? How about blues/browns/golds/neutrals?
red/blue/gold/neutral? green/blue/gold/neutral?
purple/green/gold/neutral....I'm sure you can come up with 3 colors
you like, and maybe even use BLACK as your neutral....you'll like this
one, I promise!

Are you guys game? Looks like it will be about a 6 step mystery.....

Bonnie

ps. Yes, I know my website is unavailable. They are doing maintenance. There is nothing I can do about it but wait it out along with you! :c) I've received phone calls and emails from many people asking me what the deal is. I've called to find out. They say give it time. :c)

Bon Voyage!

I'm heading out today. I am SO excited, that I am sure that is why I am up again at 3am. I've been piecing 5" pineapples since, and preparing to leave in a few hours for Charlotte to catch my plane.

Yesterday I hit Kohls for some last minute shopping, and some little necklaces caught my eye. Sterling silver, marked down from $50 to some ridiculous low price of $14.00.

I bought one, just to remind myself....it's a little round twisted ring with words on it that say "LOVE LIFE, BE BRAVE" :cD It's my talisman for this trip.

The little verse that came inside the box reads:

It's not who you are that holds you back
It's who think you're not.

This seems to be the week that I find little hidden messages for living in strange places. First the bookmark that fell to the floor earlier this week, and now this little gem.

Repeat these words three times daily, until you start to believe them yourself. It just might change everything!

Snugglies for the Plane??

Or Maybe a project to quilt on during long airport layovers? :c)

You know me, I hate to be found without a project to hand. Chances are I usually bring TOO MUCH. Wouldn't it be easier just to have a book to suffice, like NORMAL people?

But I got to thinking..it's a red-eye flight. I get cold. Those whimpy plane blankets never do me any good...and I need a new hand quilting project to take with me since the small little one (which wouldn't keep me warm even if I tried..okay, maybe one THIGH?)is almost done.

SO. I grabbed this orphan top that I've had done for quite some time...it is a good "sit down and cover yourself" size....and I went into my "get rid of it now" closet and picked out some lovelies (HA!) for the back! Bonnie M in TX, you might remember this butterscotch print from a box you sent me...I think it was with your "stinky" quilt! It's perfect for the back of this..I'm really in the mood for fall colors right now, and I'm putting this old fabric to good use.

You know when a fabric is old....it has no www.fabric.com website address printed on the selvage!

I paired it with another weird yellow that has a vine stripe to it, and since it still wasn't big enough, I inserted some leftover bricks and stepping stones units that had been given to me...

It didn't take long at all to load it in the machine and baste it all over with huge toe catcher stitches. It's really funny when people see me hand quilting, and they look at the basting.....wondering who would QUILT so badly! They think the basting is the quilting!!

At any rate, the basting will hold it together enough to keep me warm during my overnight flight, and if I don't get any stitches into it, at least it served its purpose for warmth, right?

I can hardly wait...Randy and I have been invited to a quilting bee for a group of French Quilters. Cafe & Patisserie. Ooh, la la!!

I've also got the blocks that I worked on at retreat...the berries have been appliqued to 7 of the 16 blocks now, so those are coming along nicely....It is amazing how MUCH 4 little circles can add to a design! The remaining berries are in a baggie to be prepped for the applique, and that is a good take along project, just the prepping part, even without having to take the remaining 9 blocks with me. Kinda boring though? They've been good "TV WORK" at night.

The fun part will be arriving in Paris...finding the place to change American dollars into Euros so I can buy a ticket for the bus that will take me into town where Randy is going to meet me. THIS PART MAKES ME NERVOUS!! But if she can do it, I can. And I'm sure since I'm not the only one riding from the airport, I won't be the only one struggling with luggage and STUFF!

So..there better be room in my luggage to DITCH the orphan block quilt while I'm dealing with luggage and the bus.

Tomorrow is packing day. I think I've gotten all the errands done. This just feels so surreal..I can't believe I'm really going to Paris!

Happiness Is.....

While cleaning up the studio this morning (after yesterday's frantic sewing of the Welcome Home top!) I came across a bookmark that had fallen out of a book, and turning it over, I came across this beautiful statement and wanted to share it with you today.

It reads:

Happiness is something created within--Not a treasure you search for again and again. It's an attitude gained from learning to know how to deal with the bad things and letting them go. It's smiling whenever life gives you a reason--And finding a reason through all of life's seasons.

I just love this. It is very appropriate for my life right now, and maybe it will touch some of you in the same way it has me.

Here is a picture of us taken at the retreat! I saved this pic that Joes posted, because I didn't have one of all of us on my camera :c) In this pic: Joes, Elizabeth, Lucy, Biz, Isabeau and me! :c)Good friends, good times, good memories.