Lucy & Ethel Quilting Adventures Part 3

At this point in our adventure, we've survived being lost, being late, learning helpful tips, sewing, a fire alarm, evacuation of the building, lunch in the sun and more fun.....

As the afternoon progresses, I grabbed the first opportunity that presented itself to have a picture of me and Marianne taken with quilt guru Bonnie K. Hunter.  I would have really been upset if we had forgotten to do this in all the chaos happening. :) :)

And we certainly didn't want to forget to have her sign the quilt labels (as designer) for the backs of our quilts when we finish them.

Once all the "important" stuff was taken care of, we made our way back to our sewing machines with the intention of sewing up a storm on our blocks the rest of the afternoon.

The steady hum of a couple dozen sewing machines was so relaxing.....

Until.....

Not again!!!!......

FIRE ALARM (for the second time that day!!!!!!!)

Seriously!!!  No one wanted to leave the building this time, but the "powers that be" insisted!  Don't these MEN understand that we're wasting precious workshop time!!!!! 

Ok....so I wasn't really scared, just frustrated.  I didn't even carry everything outside with me this time....oh....and yes, I can take a serious picture if I'm forced....

And of course, let's not forget Marianne....always calm, cool and collected.  She wouldn't pose crazy for the camera like I did. LOL

After TOO much time had passed by...we're finally allowed back inside the building.

Then the most horrible announcement was made.....the manager of the building we were using for the workshop was now demanding that we unplug and turn off ALL IRONS!!!!!  (He was tired of telling the local Fire Department that it was a false alarm!)  You know this HAD to be a MAN....because he OBVIOUSLY had not clue about how important irons are to quilters!!!!!!

Just imagine the looks of horror on everyone's faces....and you know that the thought on everyone's minds at that exact moment was... "HOW CAN WE SEW TOGETHER QUILT BLOCKS WITHOUT PRESSING THE SEAMS!!!!!!!!"

I wish I had thought to get a photo of what happened next.... these innovative ladies grabbed a few ironing boards, extension cords and irons....and off they strutted out the back door to the patio area and set up make-shift ironing stations in the direct sun!!!! LOLOLOL

Progress was slower now, but we all did the best we could.

Take a look at Marianne's blocks....I just LOVE all the reds she is using.  I don't know if she was just shy or what, but I don't remember catching her with her blocks spread out so everyone could see how pretty the finished product was going to look. :)

I'm not shy (LOL)....I had mine spread out so I could see it starting to take shape.  I'm not completely crazy about my dark chocolate brown choice (in the corner)....but Bonnie assured me it made the quilt look warm and inviting.  I AM happy with my goldish-orange bursts of color in my star points.  Everything else in the center blocks are scraps of every color imaginable.

Our instructor, Bonnie, had one more demonstration to show us....something to help us put together our flying geese blocks easier.  I ended up stuck in the back of the group and couldn't see what was going on or hear what she was saying that well either...but I noticed Marianne was right up front with an eagle eye view of what was taking place and hearing the instructions.  So I calmed down, knowing I could depend on Marianne to share all the wisdom that was being shared at that moment.

Well....maybe not! LOLOL

Once we got back to our sewing stations, I looked at Marianne and said "Marianne, what did Bonnie say about how to assemble our flying geese blocks better?"

Marianne looks up at me and says... "Uuhh, I don't remember a word she said, but I DID take pictures of everything she was doing."  :)  :)  :)

Now....dear readers of this blog.....I have a serious question to ask of you....I want you to please take a look at the pictures below and the first person who can explain to me (seriously) what Bonnie is teaching us....will win a prize....not sure what....but something....

Would you like to know exactly what I learned from these photos?

I learned.....to no longer depend on Marianne to teach me what I missed because I was too short to see around all the tall people.  LOLOLOLOL  From now on, I know to weasel my way up front if I want to learn something!!!!  

With so much going wrong and all the hilarious, hard to believe things taking place...I'm wondering if we need to just give up on this idea of quilting and take up knitting..... :)

On that note....I will close today's post. :)  Check back in for more photos and stories of our adventure.  Don't worry...it does eventually come to an end!!! :) :) LOLOLOL

Lucy & Ethel Quilting Adventures Part 2

So....at this point in the quilting workshop, we are thinking... "All that could go wrong has already gone wrong so the rest of the day should be a breeze!" 

The morning hours pass by too quickly as we continue to sew, chat and watch Bonnie Hunter demonstrate more steps in the quilt top design.  In the blink of an eye it was lunch time.  We had all placed our orders as we arrived to have a local sandwich shop deliver our meals at noon.  The food arrived and it was difficult to pull ourselves away from our sewing machines....we were on a roll and didn't want to stop!!

We picked up our bag lunches and JUST as we were preparing to sit down and start eating....lo and behold, what did we hear?

FIRE ALARM!!!!!!!!

Everyone was told to evacuate the building....but....but....our lunches.....our sewing machines.....our finished blocks.....our purses!!!!

I don't know what everyone else grabbed to take with them....but I had my lunch (thankfully still in the plastic bag) slung over one arm, my diet Pepsi stuck in my front pants pocket, my purse on my back and last but not least...I grabbed for my cell phone that was laying on the table next to my sewing machine.

We all scurried (unhappily) out the back door.  Thankfully, we found that there was a huge patio space with outdoor tables and chairs...and wow, what a view!!!

To our left.....

Then slowly turn to the right and see....

Thankfully it was not too hot to sit outside in the direct sunlight (there was no shade whatsoever).  We all ended up taking a long, leisurely lunch whether we wanted to or not.  Finally we were allowed back inside.

We were greeted with the bad news that the building manager decided it MUST have been the ironing station that was set up near the heat sensor which had triggered the fire alarm.  Some of the ladies unplugged the irons and moved a couple of the ironing boards to the center of the room (far away from the fire alarm sensor).  Most of us had our own mini-ironing stations set up at our tables but the full-size ironing boards were for anyone needing to do LOTS of ironing from their chain-piecing.

Before we started sewing again....our instructor, Bonnie, asked if anyone had brought any "show and tell" projects to share with the class.

I was blown away when one lady steps forward and unfolds this....

This is a quilt design called "Dear Jane".  Every single 4 1/2 inch block is different, every single large triangle along the border is different.  All this lady had left to do was attach the binder and she was finished!  There is so much history in this quilt design (originally designed and made during the Civil War)....and I LOVE the stories behind each quilt design.  The reason I was in such shock is due to the fact that I had just ordered this book the week before the workshop...never dreaming that I would ever have the opportunity to see this pattern up close and personal!!!  (My copy arrived the day after the workshop...but after seeing it in person, I'm not so sure that I can do it now! LOL)

Then another lady unfolded this quilt top....(one of Bonnie Hunter's designs)

The maker of this quilt top had actually attended with her friend who had also made the exact same quilt top design....only in completely different colors....

If I'm not mistaken, I believe I heard these ladies say that they had attended a past Bonnie Hunter workshop in another location and this was the result of their hard work.  I snapped a photo of the two together just to get a good feel for the contrast.

Next in line was a lady who shared that she had used Bonnie's ideas for using "Leaders and Enders" (sewing odds and ends scrap squares, or triangles together in between your main sewing project so that there is always some fabric underneath your needle and your never have long strings of thread to cut).  Her quilt was made entirely from the little scraps of fabric that most would have thrown away.  Isn't it adorable?

Only one other lady had brought a project to share....this lady also mentioned she had used Bonnie's ideas and patterns to use her scraps from other quilts to complete this one.

So bright....so happy....so beautiful!!!!

We settled back into our projects...I only took a break when Kirsten called to check in with me. :)

The saga continues tomorrow....check back in with us!

Lucy & Ethel Quilting Adventures Part 1

Hopefully, if you are reading today's post, you have already read the post from two days ago when I told about us showing up for the first day's Bonnie Hunter quilt workshop lecture at the wrong address, terrible parking, arriving late, getting seats in the back, etc., etc., etc. 

Well...hold on to you seats...the second day is even more ridiculous!  In fact, I now think that we should change our names to Lucy and Ethel!

Tuesday morning arrived with plenty of sunshine and excitement for the day ahead.  Marianne decided to drive again...basically because her sewing machine and supplies were already in her mini-van and she wouldn't have to lift it out in order to put it in my Jeep. :)  LOL  So I tossed my Stanley, plastic. 2-level tool box filled with my little 11 lb. Singer Featherweight and other supplies into Marianne's van and off we went.

We had an early start so we stopped by the Dunkin' Donut shop for breakfast and coffee.  We actually ate healthy...we ordered breakfast sandwiches rather than donuts (even though I did pick up a 50 count box of assorted donut holes to take and share with the other ladies taking the workshop....and Marianne had baked a loaf of zucchini bread.) :)  :)

We finished our breakfast and headed to the workshop location....knowing that we would easily be arriving at least 30 minutes early in order to get our sewing stations set up and ready to roll!

Marianne plugged the address (taken from an e-mail from the workshop coordinator I had printed and brought with me) for the workshop location into her Garmin and we headed that way.  After about 10 minutes of driving I turned to Marianne and said, "The workshop location is only supposed to be 1.3 miles from the hotel...shouldn't we be there by now?"

We double checked the address in the Garmin and didn't know what to do except keep driving (BIG MISTAKE).  By this time, we are driving "out in the countryside of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania".

There is complete and utter nothingness!!!!

Marianne - cool, calm and collected

I'm starting to go crazy....my watch is saying that it is now 20 minutes until the workshop.  If you are someone that knows me well, you already know that I am an "arrive early" fanatic.  I blame this trait on my dad who had to (and still does) arrive early for EVERYTHING.  The thought of walking into any function late (or even exactly on time) gives me heart palpatations!!!  On the other hand, Marianne is acting completely in control, cool, calm and collected.  LOLOL

The Garmin is saying we have less than a mile to go before reaching our destination....I'm sitting on the edge of the passenger seat, moving my head back and forth trying to see ANYTHING!

Then we hear the Garmin's computer generated voice say "ARRIVING AT _______ ON RIGHT".

Our destination....I don't think so!!!!

We have arrived at an empty field!!!!!!!  Can we say "PANIC TIME!!!!!!!!!"

What to do, what to do!!  We remember the name of the business building being used for the workshop....with a road of the same name as the building....but no actual address.  We quickly plug in that road name....Marianne puts the pedal to the metal and off we go as fast as we safely can on a gravel, country road in the middle of nowhere!!!!!

Somehow, some way, we FINALLY found the correct location....and it was 9:05 when we were pulling into the parking lot.  (Yes, I'm sick at my stomach by this time!) :)  Marianne dropped me off with my sewing machine and supplies at the door so I could try to go find us tables while she parked.

I walked as fast as these ol' legs could carry me, pulling my toolbox behind me...and wouldn't you know it....I entered the workshop to find all the other attendees sitting at their sewing stations with their machines out, sewing supplies arranged neatly around them, ready to begin the workshop.  As I entered through the doorway, I see Bonnie Hunter standing in the middle of the room saying, "We really need to get started."  At this point, I realize that I am experiencing one of my worst nightmares....arriving late and all eyes are on me! :)

In panic mode I look around and don't see any available table space.  I won't go into all the details, but thankfully, we are finally told to set up at two lonely tables, away from all the other quilters.

Now, you have to REALLY LOOK CLOSELY to find us.  Look in the very back, against the wall, away from all the other quilters, to the left of the hanging quilt display.  I am wearing Fushia.  Marianne is to my right but since she was wearing pastels, you can't really see her. LOL  And yes, Marianne and I are both waving for the camera!!! LOLOLOLOL   (By the way, this was only one side of the room....there are more quilters set up to the left of this photo.

Thankfully, we decided to take our own photos....otherwise we would never be able to PROVE we had attended based on any "group shots". LOLOL

Marianne smiling pretty

Me

One thing you can say about our instructor, she is full of energy....and it was contagious! :)

Once the morning was well underway, and we "late-arrivers" finally had time to set up our sewing stations....the true fun began!!!!

At one point in the early hours of the workshop, Bonnie came by our two lonely tables and chatted a while.  She was getting ready for another demonstration to the whole class and asked to borrow Marianne's specialty rulers and rotary cutter.  Then she went through my box of  2 1/2 inch strips of fabric and chose two pieces for the demonstration.  She even grabbed one of my completed quilt blocks...I wasn't sure why at that point. :)

Marianne and I felt "special", if only for a moment, as Bonnie used Marianne's rulers and cutter to demonstrate how to cut the 2 1/2 inch half-square triangles needed for the hour glass centers of our blocks and the quarter square triangles needed for the flying geese blocks and the corner blocks.

Bonnie Hunter demonstrating how to use the specialty rulers

Bonnie showing how to assemble the triangles to make an hour glass center block

Don't forget....that's my fabric she is using!!! LOLOLOLOL

One of my completed blocks

Wow...I can't believe she is showing one of my completed blocks to the entire group as an example of how different our quilt tops will be simply because of our individual fabric choices and how we placed them.

Our Lucy & Ethel Quilting Adventure will continue tomorrow. 

Trunk Show Inspiration Part 2

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's post...and are now ready to see more.

The drooling continues as Bonnie Hunter continued to pull out more and more quilts she has designed and quilted herself.  This lady is AMAZING.  By the way, she is only one year older than I am and I'm trying to figure out how she is able to accomplish so much and I can't!! :):)

Just take a look at these quilts.......

Hawk's Nest from her book: Scraps & Shirttails II

Don't you just love those pops of orange cheddar?  Whenever I see orange....I think of my home state of Tennessee! :)

Rectangle Wrangle from her book: Scraps & Shirttails II

I foresee starting this design in my near future....diamond rectangles surrounded by an Ohio Star border....of course, I want to make them ALL!!!

Zuckerwatte (aka Cotton Candy) from her book: String Fling

As soon as I saw all of this pink starting to unfold, I couldn't help but think of my dear friend Lisa.  I think if I ever had the spare time (yeah, right) to make this for her...I'd have to name it "Barbie Mania".

Normally, we just think of the front/top of our quilts....but I just had to show you what the back of the pink quilt looks like.  Bonnie explained that she used up a stack of her extra, odd quilt blocks that she has accomulated over the years to make the backing.....can you believe this....I just about fell out of my chair when the ladies turned this quilt around....

Back side of pink quilt called Zuckerwatte

I'm actually sitting here at my computer with my mouth hanging open just looking at the picture again!!

Jamestown Landing from her book: String Fling

Blues and beiges look so calm together.  I wonder why I don't really have any blues in my stash of fabrics?  Could it be that I'm not accustomed to "calm"! :) :)

Santa Fe String Star from her book: String Fling

From calm to WILD!  Now this is more descriptive of my life!!!  Dark orange, multi-scrap chaos!! :)

Blue Skies from her book: String Fling

Now we're back to calm again.  I must say...I REALLY love yellows....and this yellow and blue really reaches out to me.

This next and last photo for today's post is a quilt top that Bonnie shared with the group that is still a work in progress.  This is something that she keeps in her bag and works on as she flies from workshop to workshop, etc....completely done by hand.  She has already been working on it for several years and now has only the bottom section left to complete. 

Once again my mouth dropped open...but at the same time my head was thinking.... "Ain't no way!!!  Ain't no way!!!! Ain't no way!!!!"

Hand-sewn Hexies in progress

Here it is zoomed in for a closer look....

Stop in again for the continuing saga of my Bonnie Hunter Quilting Workshop adventure!

Trunk Show Inspiration Part 1

Our "Quilting with Bonnie Hunter" adventure started off with a bang.  We thought we had logistics worked out to arrive EARLY and get a good seat (not to mention a good parking spot) and it would have worked had the lady at the hotel given us correct directions!!! :)  Imagine our surprise and confusion when we realized as our watches continued to creep closer and closer to lecture time that we were basically the only car parked in front of the building we were directed to...having been warned in advance that attendance was anticipated to be crowded to say the least!!!

Marianne quickly looked through her old e-mails using her iphone and found an old message giving the exact address...and guess what....it wasn't the address that the hotel lady gave us....duh!!!! LOL

Off we went to find the TRUE location and needless to say we didn't find a wonderful parking spot and we arrived later than hoped and ended up getting seats near the back.  Oh well....at least we made it in time to purchase her books and have her autograph them...and as long as I held my camera out in the center of the aisle, I could get photos and then look at my camera to see the item!  Life is tough being short...sitting in the back....behind tall people!!! :) 

Simple words cannot express how exciting, wonderful and inspiring the Bonnie Hunter Quilting Workshop and Trunk Show/Lecture was to all who attended.  If you ever have the opportunity to attend one of her lectures or workshops....please do....you won't be disappointed!!!!  Just make sure you get the address correct and arrive early to get a front seat!!! LOLOL

I have so many photos and so much information to share that it will take days and several blog posts to hold it all! :)

I'm getting a late start on sharing about the workshop simply because we had terrible storms here in Owego that resulted in the loss of electricity from this past Thursday until Saturday.  For some people (like ME) this also meant we had no water.....having a well + no electricity = no water to shower, flush, or anything else!! :) :)

On Monday evening Bonnie Hunter presented a WONDERFUL lecture and pulled out one-by-one the most amazing quilts to show us.  She designed and made all of these quilts. 



Pineapple Crazy from her book - String Fling

The above quilt is called Pineapple Crazy.  You would have to be crazy to attempt this one.  I fell madly in love with it but I just don't know if I'll ever have it in me to actually start something like this.  Would you believe that this quilt top has 12,000 pieces....yep....you read correctly!!!!

My Blue Heaven

This quilt is actually the design we learned and started in the workshop.  By the way, once I begin sharing photos of all the color choices used by the ladies participating in the workshop....you will be amazed at how different each and every quilt will look when using the same pattern but using different fabric choices. 

Just look at these others....

Crabapples from her book - Adventures with Leaders & Enders

Bow-Dacious from her book - Adventures with Leaders & Enders

Virginia Bound from her book - Scraps & Shirttails: Reuse, Re-purpose, Recycle!

Smith Mountain Morning from her book - Scraps & Shirttails II: Continuing the Art of Quilting Green

Holy Toledo from her book - Scraps & Shirttails: Continuing the Art of Quilting Green

Oh boy....my mouth was watering for sure by this time and there's MORE to come.

Until the next time...same Bat time, same Bat channel! :)  (I bet some of you are too young to know what I'm talking about with this last sentence! LOLOL)

Lazy Friday

It's dreary, rainy and a tad bit chilly outside today.  There's plenty I should be doing, but having a difficult time getting motivated. :)

This entire week has been hectic and I think my body is trying to tell me that I'm tired....so I may not get much accomplished today after all.

Emily had surgery on her left foot Tuesday.  Arriving at the break of dawn, waiting in her room, then sitting in a hospital waiting room can wear a person out!

Rolling to surgery....



Just look at that face....a little apprehensive before surgery.



Surgery is over....feeling a little loopy! :)

Wednesday was filled with grocery shopping, errands and cooking dinner for the girls and one of their friends.

Yesterday (Thursday) the morning was spent waiting in a stinky, hot, local mechanics office as I waited on a needed new tire to be delivered and then put on my Jeep.  Even in the heat I was able to finish crocheting another preemie gown....at least I accomplished something while I waited.  I always keep SOME project in my vehicle at all times just for these unexpected days when I have to "hurry up and wait" on others.

I also spent a little time cutting out the next part in line for my Tennessee Waltz quilt.

Can't remember how many of these I needed....but there was a bunch! :)

I'm also trying to look around and make sure I am not forgetting anything I need to take to the quilt workshop next week.

I went ahead and used printable fabric through my computer printer to make quilt labels so we can get the signature of the lady who is instructing the workshop and is the designer of the pattern we are making.

One for me and one for Marianne....just need to cut them apart.

Better go see what else I can accomplish before the day slips away from me.