What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

This morning, I asked who wanted something to drink. We were going to work on the box of beads and the stuff our group is giving out for Seminar. 

I stopped at McD's for 2 ice tea and a coffee. Then headed to the grange. I arrived and Sandy was already there. I waited on her as she headed back to her house to get a couple things. I didn't look around, probably a good thing. I went out to help Sandy V with her box of beads. When I went back in, Sandy E had the table ...

 It was a Sew Wot Tuesday with a difference this week, Helen had arranged for us to meet  at Fox's Cottage quilt shop.  This is my favourite LQS and we are always warmly welcomed once we step through the door.

It was a nice sunny Autumn day

Believe it or not, there was not a single item for Show and Tell this week.  But we made up for it by checking out the shop, and most of us purchased a few goodies.  I had a very small list, I needed more pink thread to continue with my machine applique ...

I was up and ready to go to Puyallup with Geralyn. She was driving me up to her Woolie group that meets the first Monday of each month. She doesn't go in the wintertime, but she goes during the spring and summer. I met a gal I didn't know and was around with Jeannie Austin and her friend, as well as Geralyn. She was upset that her mother and sister didn't come. They were expected, but it didn't work out. I took some of my embroidery work and my Santa beaded tapestry. 

I really had a ...

 This morning, we needed to be at the Gathering Place by 9:15 am. So, we stopped and took care of the water system, then got tea at Dutch Brothers. By that time, we were on time at 9:15 to find my younger brother Patrick and his family working on setting everything up. We all got everything done in time to call mom and have her pick up a package at the Gathering Place. 

She WAS surprised. We had done it! It took 2 weeks of keeping her at arm's length so she would suspect anything. She was ...

This morning, I walked with Ron for 3 laps. Good thing it wasn't more. I was beat by the end of the day. 

Before heading to meet mom, I went downstairs and put the fabric away that was on the floor. 

 I've been out and about lately.  The other day I traveled down to Waikanae to visit my friend Trish who had recently moved from the Hutt Valley to her new home.  Rather than drive I took the bus down, which is free for oldies like me.  This bus route only travels on Tuesdays and Thursdays, departing from my home town at 9.00am then leaving Waikanae Railway Station  at 3.00pm.  Many locals take this trip down to Waikanae to then get the train into Wellington.

A wonderful, quilting-filled long weekend—despite the monsoon rains.

I visited Katrina this past weekend for some good girlfriend time—and the bonuses included (1) a guild meeting where Katrina was the program speaker and both of us won door prizes, (2) attending the Q.U.I.L.T. Guild of Northwest Arkansas’s biannual show, and (3) quilting the Tattoo quilt! 

Katrina belongs to a longarm quilting guild, and she presented a topic near and dear to me—organization. I loved hearing her ideas as well as ideas from the other guild members. 

After the meeting, we slogged our ...

 This morning, Patrick wanted to go to the casino. It didn't turn out good. We were there 3 hours, but went through a lot of money. Which was okay, since we are still on the money we won in November, but it's starting to go down again. 

On the way home, I received a message to call Donna. When I did, she called to tell me Smiley passed away. Broke my heart. He was a very kind man. I met him when we were bowling about 15 years ago. Then I talked him into helping me with QOV ...

 This morning, I slept in. Patrick woke me up to get ready for our BE meeting at the grange. I headed out with the quilts I wanted mom to put labels on and my stuff. 

Arrived and Geralyn was right behind me. We chatted a bit before Sandy arrived and then mom. Mom gave me a pillow that her mother made with BE. She asked me a while back if I could fix it. I told her I would. 

It's beautiful! I need to find the flower pattern for the center flower. I know one of us has the ...

 This morning, Patrick woke and went back to bed. He was going to golf this morning but decided it was too dark and cold to go. I got up a little later and the left to pick up Sandy. We (I) decided to go and have a drink. We went to Fiddler's in Centralia were people go to get coffee/tea and can sit in the lounge as long as they want. I found a couple people who were studying and then fell asleep. lol We were there a good 2 hours just chatting and munching. Sandy and I ...

Yellow is the RSC colour of the month, and I've done a little  stitching for my  block sets.  Not much yellow at all in my bag of 2.5in squares to make my framed four patches, but it just had to do.  I'm using those squares up, not cutting new ones.  And I cut some yellow strips for my black and white blocks.

Yellow RSC blocks

I enjoyed a lunch out with friends this week, I have known these ladies for over 40 years, so we go back a while.  Robin and I have been meeting up with ...

This morning, I head to the post office to send out Bryan's stuff for the family history. Then went to DB to get my chai tea. Decided on iced tea. Then went on the grange where Sandy from Ocean Shores was waiting. We chatted a bit and then Sandy came with her arm in a sling.  Her surgery went well. We chatted out my family and all the issues there. We chatted about Sandy's surgery and chatted out Ocean Shores Sandy's husband and her wonderful time with her sisters. It was a very good catch-up meeting. I ...

 I've finished the last of the blue sewing for RSC this month.    I'm on a quest to use up the last remaining few selvedge strips this year and found a small handful of blue ones.  So, another double handed oven mitt was created.   Just like the pink  ones I stitched last month, there were just enough strips to use on the top of the pockets, and I used dark blue fabric for the rest.  Insulbrite and toweling in the middle, and hessian (sacking) on the back.

This morning, I was up and found Patrick was thinking ahead of me. I wanted to drop off the garage sale stuff for Colleen. He had it on the table before I even walked out in the living room. Then he put it in the car for me. What a sweet fella! 

He headed up to Olympia for his blood tests. I told him I would pick up his coffee from Starbucks since there was a free on. He couldn't get his usual, but I did get him the Pike's Place coffee on my way home. 

Went to ...

There has been much discussion about friends at this retreat. What is a friend? Do you have a friend you could call at 3 a.m. if you need help? As we went about our business yesterday, I looked at my pencil. Oh my!!!

Oh my!!!

I got quite a chuckle from that. 

But a bit of chaos happened at the house earlier in the day. You know what I'm talking about if you saw the picture on Facebook. Those red chairs around the firepit were calling for someone to sit in them. I had no takers. Seriously? We ...

 This morning, I was enjoying sleeping in. It felt good, but I was still up before 9 am. lol 

Patrick went golfing around noon. Then Debbie called and asked if I would like to go get "coffee" and I told her "sure." So, she picked me up and we went to Dutch Brothers. Then we stopped at the museum, and I paid my dues. I hadn't gotten a reminder, but told Sam I would pay. 

Came home and I was watching my British shows - "Vera" and "Marple" which I like. Patrick doesn't care for those, and I don ...

—they hit every January. 

This morning, I needed stop and get gas before heading to the Grange. I got gas and coffee for Sandy. Once that was done, I headed to the Grange. Sandy E had just arrived when I did. So, we chatted for a while. Then Sandy V arrived, and we had a good visit. Poor Sandy E wasn't in the mood to work on anything, so she chatted. Mom can in about 30 minutes after we did. It was a good visit, and mom had the baby quilt about half done already. She wanted me to draw the bunny rabbit ...

 This tablecloth dates back to 2012 when we traveled to the South Island with three other caravans for a three month trip.  I took along some pre sewn  rail fence blocks made up of strips of New Zealand inspired fabrics alternating with pale grey and my Micron ink pen. 

Table cloth documenting our mammoth South Island trip

 Our old cat Muffy was 16 years old back then and we had always placed her in a cattery when we traveled.  But I worried that at her age she might die while we were away, so we took her on  her very ...

I am hopeful that 2025 is a year of discovery, fun, family and friend gatherings...but mostly, quilting!

Hey, it is what it is! I spent the bulk of my first month of retirement just relaxing, and that was good for me. Very little happened in the way of quilting other than tearing off the foundation paper from the Tattoo Quilt and adding sashing to the blocks. In the crafting area, I played with my ScanNCut and cut out names from vinyl for each of our granddogs and grandcats (and our own Jolene and Jedi) and adhered them to bandanas ...