Sleepless in SC....

I had one of those nights were I woke up at 3am for no reason and couldn't get back to sleep! Not sure if it was the heat, the humidity, the pizza I ate for dinner...but there you have it, up in the middle of the night! What's a girl supposed to do?

I went looking at antique quilts for ideas and inspiration! But instead of making me sleepy...they made me more jazzed, and it is now after 7am and I just KNOW by 3pm this afternoon I'm going to hit that proverbial brick wall that reinforces the fact that I need more than 4 hours of sleep a night..*yawn*

There are too many photos for ideas to post here....so here are a few that caught my eye! Of course the cheddar ones were bright enough to keep me awake at 3am! I love the 9 patch on point (road to jericho I think it's called?) with the really wonky fan quilting! Click the pics to see the enlarged version...very fun! This one makes me think of Tonya and I know she will get a kick out of it. I think all those plaids I found will be great with cheddar as an off set color. I also like the blue 4patch/9patch. So simple but so effective!


And the other one is rows of 4 patches alternated with rows of 4 patches and plain alternate squares, but set on point it is really effective!

So how many shirts did I get cut up last night? ummmm....3? and it was a tedious process! But you will be so proud of me. I grabbed my favorite salvaged cigar box and started putting the recycled buttons in there....

I just love the comfortable homey feeling of simple basic quilts. This is why I am toying with the idea of stripping parts of these plaid shirts down into various sizes of strips so that I can sit and sew easily with them, versus having to iron/trim/cut them one fabric at a time as I decide to make something. What do you think?

I was thinking I could strip down the shirt sleeves and front halves to give me strips to work with, but leave the shirt backs whole in case I need bigger pieces to cut block parts from?



I just know how I work...and at least half of a quilt does come from strip parts for me. Like the wedding quilt below. The creams and greens of the four patches were strips. The tan/neutral triangles at the tips of the black star points came from the precut 2" neutral squares bin. The only fabrics that were yardage were the 2 music fabrics and the gold for the inner star...and then finally the outer border after it was all together. This is why I am thinking I'll get more quilts made if I strip them down somewhat?

I guess that means I need 3 more drawers...I think I'll start with 2", 2.5" and 3.5" plaid strips :c) YES!?

Bonnie

Borders Added!

I came home from choir practice last night, had the house to myself for a while longer and sat right down and got the borders on this quilt :c)

There was just enough black to do a 1.5" cut inner border. None left! I had some block parts left over, and I used those up in the corners of the outer border. I'm happy with it!

I've been thinking of what else I could do to make this extra special....I am going to use up a huge piece of a white-on-cream fabric as the backing of this quilt, and I thought about how fun it would be to have all the choir members write their sentiments on it! So signatures and "words of wisdom" can be on the back of the quilt.


I asked Elizabeth, the choir assistant if she was aware of any Sunday or Wednesday rehearsal where Jared (the director) would be gone. I could bring it in and have everyone sign it then.....but she wasn't aware of any time that he would be gone so I could have concentrated time to catch everyone!

Time is of the essence here...so my question is this......would it work if I were to have everyone sign the quilt back AFTER quilting? Or would that just be messy? I need some ideas here. I didn't want to have everyone sign individual blocks, there just isn't time to get that all together, it would be like piecing a whole 'nuther quilt top.

Any ideas????


And I will leave you while you think...with this lovely photo of all the shirts PILED into my wicker laundry basket. Daunting task!! I haven't started cutting them yet. No time so far....and today may be no different than yesterday...the only sewing I got done yesterday was the time it took to add the two borders to Jared's wedding quilt!

Bonnie

That Plaid Shirt Fetish!

Okay...here you go....I am almost embarrassed to post these pics! But at $1 a pound for wonderful plaids with a terrific feel that you can't find on the bolt..what is a girl to do?

I'm doing my part for the environment, right? I'm RECYCLING!!!


These were at the "last stop" Good Will clearance center where everything is $1 a pound. If it doesn't sell here it gets sent to Bangladesh or somewhere. Maybe it is made into auto carpet padding or something. (Yes, I am rationalizing on why I need all these plaids!)


The possibilities are endless with them even if I end up getting into the crocheted rag rug thing I guess. But I'd rather be quilting! I know lots of you are also into knitting or crocheting or cross stitch or scrap booking, and I'm here to tell you that I have got a ONE TRACK MIND. QUILTS QUILTS QUILTS!


So here we are. Piles on the floor! Do you know I found shirts with the same plaid more than ONCE?! I even found some good lights this time around. Light 100% cotton shirts are more difficult to find.

I'm really pleased with the wide variety of colors and the sizes of the plaids and stripes. They are going to be so great. Look at this orange and red!


I think I'm going to take Bingo~Bonnie's hint and cut up a couple at a time while I am watching TV. Make a dent in the pile.

I also NEED to make time for some hand quilting. Maybe an hour in the mornings. I'm just too tired in the evenings to get any hand work done. I know I am a PIECER first, and a quilter second. But then...I DO want to do it ALL!

Bonnie

Post Labor Day check in!

We were away for the long holiday weekend. I guess I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted, but I got an emergency email from a reader wanting to make sure I didn't fall off the face of the earth! No...I'm still here, but the past couple of weeks have been so crazy I just had no time to update my blog, and no finishes really to report...so it got way-laid.

First! This weekend! We went to Hilton Head Island, SC...about a 3 hour drive for us, and we really enjoy going there because the beaches are beautiful, it is peaceful and nice....a different kind of crowd than the "amusement park" mentality that likes to flock to va beach, myrtle beach, etc.

I packed a few projects hoping to have time to work on them a bit, and it turns out that I had LOTS of time to work on them...It poured and hosed down rain from the time we got there friday afternoon, all day saturday, all day sunday until 5pm! I'm talking gully washers and roads being re-routed kind of gushing rain. We even had to move hotel rooms because the water was over the threshold and coming in under the sliding glass door of our room!















I was a happy camper with my projects...I finished the binding on my 4 patch medallion. Weeeehaaa. This was a fun quilt. instead of planning the quilt from the inside out...I did the center as big as I wanted it...and then figured out what the next pieced round would measure, and then had to add the inner border around the center to have it fit the right measurement of the pieced border.

As for the pillow stripe that makes it rectangular instead of square....(Yes I had extra 4 patches I wanted to use up!) I just made it as long as it needed to be and whacked off the excess! Gwen Marston would be so proud ;c)

The next big project was working on the blocks for my choir director's wedding quilt. The wedding is in october, and I thought this would be a good time to get some big time progress done on it. I got all the blocks finished and sashed together. I still have borders to go.......but I didn't have enough room in the room to lay it out and measure.

Besides..the sun came out at 5pm on sunday eve and we DID want to spend SOME time at the beach and doing out doorsy type things, right? :cD

I went back trying to find more black fabric with the little music notes on it for a 2" inner border....It was sold out! So it must have been an epiphany that I bought it when I did. I do have enough to do a 1.5" cut inner border, so that inner border will just be a bit narrower than I want.

I met up with Charlotte today for some lunch and to hit the goodwill clearance center. Did I mention to you that they sell everything by $1.00 a POUND?!? Do you know how many 100% cotton mens plaid/stripe/print shirts you can get for $10.00? (add in a dress, a skirt, and a pair of capris for yourself too..bringing the total to $10.50!)

I'll send pics tomorrow. I don't want to overload this post!

Stay tuned! (oh..I'm going to have to ban myself from buying men's shirts again..I think I could do plaid quilts for the rest of my life!)

Bonnie

It's MS-150 Time! Your Pledges Are Needed!

Every year my husband Dave cycles with a group of over 2,200 riders in South Carolina in the 150 mile 2 day ride called the "MS-150" for Multiple Sclerosis. This year's ride will be held on September 15-16, 2007.

Each mile he will ride, each dollar we will raise will be used in the fight to prevent and cure Multiple Sclerosis and to improve the lives of all people affected by MS.

No matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of millions who suffer from MS, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!

For nearly 11 years I have provided quilt patterns on the Quiltville.com website free of charge. If you find this site to be beneficial to you as a quilt maker, I ask that you please consider making a pledge to help fight Multiple Sclerosis as a way to say "Thanks!" for all you find here.

If you can spare even $10 to $20, please think of someone you know who is living with MS daily and all that they go through and all that your donation can do to help. If you know someone with MS, PLEASE donate and forward this on to those who have family members with MS. Your continued support is necessary to help find a cure for this disease.


WHY WE RIDE:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild such as numbness in the limbs or severe--paralysis or loss of vision. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 but the unpredictable effects can be life-long. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted. A person with MS does not know when it will strike, what symptoms they will have, when it will get worse or better, or if they will become permanently disabled. But there is one thing people with MS can count on . . . the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The National MS Society is the largest private sponsor of MS research in the world and proudly provides local programs designed to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by MS. By choosing sponsor the MS 150 Bike Tour, you are joining thousands of people across the country united in the mission: to end the devastating effects of MS.

Click here to Sponsor Dave!

Thank you so much for all your support over the years! It's great to have you on Team Quiltville! :c)

In A Hurry....

I don't have a lot of time to report this morning...I've got a dentist appt this afternoon as well as 3 massage clients lined up!

I have uploaded the directions to "Playing With Jacks" to my website! I hope you enjoy it.

I still have to finish the binding, and will post a better picture of the finished quilt when it is done, but in the mean time....you are encouraged to dig through your 2.5" strips and get started!

Bonnie

Oh Wonderful Cable Connection!!

We have internet! Whoooowhoooo!

If you really want to appreciate what you have, try for a few days of just being able to read email on an itsy bitsy screen on your phone..and having to type with your bumbling thumbs! It's fun having that capability, but there is NOTHING like a full sized keyboard to make me happy! :cD

I used some of my down time to get this little quilt quilted. The binding is all scrappy reds pulled out of the 2.5" strip bin. I love the look. Sorry the pics are blurry, but taking pics without flash means no jiggling...and I'm just sometimes not capable :c)













The binding is on. I'm hoping to get it sewn down tonight. It was great to quilt a SMALL project. This one is the "jacks on six" block (title in blockbase) and I think I'll just call it "Playing Jacks". This was a fun one for a more color controlled scrap quilt using various shirtings, reds and grey/blacks. It has a very subdued feeling to it, and I like the asymetrical setting and how the chains appear and disappear depending on how dark the grey/blacks are.

I used all 2.5" strips for this quilt, using that wonderful easy angle to do the 1/2 square triangles. I'll put the directions on my website here in a bit. I'm due for something new on there, and I think I could work up a few different layouts in EQ to give people ideas on different ways to set this, different color schemes etc.

I've got two clients so far for massage today, so I'm heading out in a bit to do that.

I'm also in the midst of arranging flight plans for a trunkshow/workshop in Houma, Louisiana in January. If anyone is interested within proximity of Houma, feel free to have your guilds see if they would like to have me piggy back that trip with a trip to your guild since I'll be in the area. Have them contact me!

Keep on Quilting on!
Bonnie

Misadventures With A Shovel......

So.....

If you are wondering where I have been the past couple days....We had an accident involving a shovel and the internet cable. The cable lost! And I now have ZERO access at home. I also have no home phone since vonage runs off the cable. :c(

Of course trying to get Time Warner out in any kind of speedy manner just doesn't happen either. I go through the voicemail web of hell and get to a message that says "please call during regular business hours" which is monday to friday. Pfftt.

I need to be connected! So I went to Sam's Club and bought a Black Jack by Samsung. It has internet/email/IM...lots of bells and whistles but I need to learn to use them, and so far I'm having trouble just figuring out how to dial a call..*LOL* It will be nice for travelling I think, and it is only $20.00 a month more than I was already paying for the service.

I tried connecting with the laptop at Panera Bread with Jason this morning before he went to work and I went to church. He was giving me tutoring lessons on my new blackjack at the time....We couldn't get the puter connected there.

This afternoon I had a client house call....not far from the down town library in columbia which is open from 2 to 6 on sunday afternoon and has WI FI upstairs..so that's where I am.

It's very weird not having phone or internet at home. So many things we take for granted to log on and send a mail, answer a client, look up a reference, see what movies are playing, check the weather...good grief. I guess this is why I also got the black jack.

The other day on the way home from MD I stopped in Charlotte to hit Mary Jo's fabric outlet and the thread outlet and I got lost when trying to find the thread place. Tomtom didn't have the resources I needed to just look up the place by name...I had to have an address. So that meant that I had to go pull over somewhere, ask to see a yellow pages, and then get the address and put it in the tomtom. Now that I have net access on my phone I can just look up the address on the phone and put it in tomtom. It's a step up anyway.

Email is a pain on the phone, but at least I can get the word out when I can't get to the library to use the internet wifi!

I suppose this should give me more time to QUILT?!?

Unconnected In Irmo, SC
Bonnie

Fabric Aquisition Road Trip!

The first time I heard this acronym I burst out laughing. But since I have faced the facts and realized that I majorly fell off the wagon this past week, no matter how I try to rationalize it....it was a definite F.A.R.T!! :cD

Yes, I bought backgrounds..backgrounds are legal, right? You need them to put with all the darks in your stash...so I told myself. Wooooooowhooo..look at these beauties! You know I can't resist shirtings...

These are the amish solids. I don't know if you can tell the price by the tag, but the remnant prices are so inexpensive for really nice kona cottons.

The bigger pieces are for setting squares, sashings, setting triangles and borders. I found I really didn't have a lot of yardage in my stash over 1 yard....some have 2 yard, but when it comes to borders and sashings etc....I needed SOME to work with, so of course,I rationalized my way again! Most of these were on sale at 30% off at Material Girls in MD anyway (Another rationalization!) so???? Oh BTW, it's a darling shop. Instead of shopping carts, you pull your stuff around in a little red wagon!

This next pic....was a surprise for me! When I got home there was an envelope from Pam Thomas in Calif with these funny smiling mouths! She said:

"Bonnie, when I saw this fabric, I thought of you. I figured a Quilt Maverick could use this fabric. Hope you like it. Pam Thomas."

Aren't they funny mouths?! It's going to be fun to use these in something. I love the light print she sent too, it's great with the little black squares. Thanks Pam!

Here is a selection of FQ's I bought. Who can resist 99 cent FQ's? Most of them are from Mary Jos..a few from Joanns. We stopped there to pick up the latest Quiltmaker mag. It's got a blurb in it about my blog, and I was so tickled I had to pick up a copy! I tried to get my scanner to work but nada. Maybe I can get DH to work on it later. If you have the latest Quiltmaker, it's on page 32 in the bottom left hand corner. It says Quilt Blogs: Staying current.

The text reads:

quiltville.blogspot.com: Bonnie Hunter, self described fabric addict (YOU THINK!?) is a prolific scrap user and amazes us with the quantity of beautiful scrappy quilts she creates.

Is that cool or what?

Bonnie

Get the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative on Oprah!

I've been hearing information about the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative for some time and now --- the 52-quilt nationally touring quilts about Alzheimer's and the Priority: Alzheimer's Quilt project with donated quilts auctioned and sold to raise money for research. In just a little over a year and a half quilters across this country (and overseas) have used their talents to raise over $82,000 for research!

Now, there is a movement afoot to get these quilts, big and little, on the Oprah Winfrey show! Wouldn't that be terrific? I've written my email in support of this effort because I think the exposure would be fantastic for raising awareness and for raising even more money for Alzheimer's research. Click HERE to help get the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative on Oprah.

We need lots of emails...don't leave this to someone else, you can make a difference with just one email. (OK, maybe two or three...) Oprah's people track every single email they get, and each of us needs to let them know that we want to see the Alzheimer's quilts on Oprah's show. We want to celebrate the efforts of quilters making a difference. We want people with Alzheimer's and their loved ones know that we care and we're doing what we can to help.

I know many of you are making Priority: Alzheimer's quilts for Ami Simms to auction or sell. Tell the producers why this is important to you. If you've attended the "Alzheimer's: Forgetting Piece by Piece" quilt exhibit, share with them how moving it was. If you've purchased the book or CD, let them know that you are supporting research because all the profits for these items are donated to research. Tell them to visit the website at www.AlzQuilts.org, and tell them to call Ami Simms at 1-800-278-4824 to arrange for the quilts to be on Oprah.

Another thought: If you haven't comsidered of making a quilt for this worth while project, maybe now is the time to do it!

Bonnie

Home Again!!

I'm home, I'm home!! No ruby slippers to click heels together, but none-the-less, I'm home!

I had the BEST time in MD.....

On the way home I drove a different route than I-95, the way I went up. I think I learned that I don't LIKE going I-85...bleeechh! It added more time to the drive, the whole thing was at 10mph or more slower than I-95 and there was construction zones.

BUT! It did get me to Mary Jos and the Longcreek Mills thread outlet! :cD

I didn't do too much damage. I bought some shirtings for backgrounds and fat quarters to round out some color areas where I am falling short in variety. I really had to restrain myself though, because they had the whole collection of Charleston IV by Judy Rothermel, as well as the PA Dutch chrome yellows, poison greens and turkey reds that I love so much. I kept thinking of what I already have in these colors waiting for me at home and need to plan a quilt to USE what I have, and THEN go buy more. I really did restrain myself well.

I bought some Amish solids in various colors....they have a remnant bin and the prices for solids are always so cheap. I love how quilting shows up on these and I want to do some more Amish type quilts.


Everything is STILL in my car...I just grabbed my duffel bag with my clothes and toiletries and figure the rest can wait for tomorrow. I will post some workshop pics here so you can get an idea of what went on! These were sent to me by Linda Harvan who was instrumental in setting up the whole trip. Thank you Linda!

Also special thanks to Kathie for the terrific lodging and great meals! The bed in her guestroom is like sleeping on a cloud....it was WONDERFUL!

I'm sure I'll think of other things to post when I am not so bleary eyed!

A tired but happy,
Bonnie

Hello From MD!

Just a quick hi from me!

We've made it through two days of workshops....had wonderful fun, good munchies, great conversation, lots of laughter, sewing machines pedal to the metal, lots of progress made on scrappy quilts....

New friendships made, old ones strengthened....

It has been so fun to meet people face to face that I have known through the wonders of the internet for years and years!

We have had people from other guilds travel great distances to take the workshops! I will be visiting their guilds in 2008 and it will be so fun now to know at least a few people in person there when I go. I'm looking forward to it!

I didn't bring my own machine because I wanted to go student to student and help where needed, but when people were happily power-sewing away I was able to get out all those gadzillion bonus 1/2 square triangles I have been saving over the last several projects and start pressing them and trimming them. MAN!! There are a TON of these! I've been looking through kathy's quilt books trying to find patterns that would be perfect to use these in. I think we found one. Time will tell. There are still a bazillion left to press trim. You know how tedious that can be? Well it goes really well in the midst of a workshop when I'm not needed...so I think for the next little while the press and square up routine will follow me to my workshops :c)

Today we are going to hit some quilt shops and do some touristy things. I have never seen the chesapeake bay, and there is a lookout about 20 minutes drive from here. I hope to get some good pics. I love to explore new places. I also saw on my way from Virgina "The birthplace of George Washington". I think tomorrow I'll take a little side jaunt and see that historical site. I love visiting those. My family hates it! So it is great when I am out on my own and can take the time to see new things.

Wednesday I'll be heading home, and I think I'm going to route myself through Charlotte, NC....I'm feeling a need to make a stop at Mary Jos. It's been over a yaer since I've been and since tomtom can route me without getting lost....I'll just take a different route home! :cD

Bonnie

All Packed & Ready to Roll!

I'm heading to MD in the morning! The car is loaded with quilts, my bag is packed...

It's about a gazillion degrees outside right now with killer humidity. I'm going to be leaving here about 5am so I am headed to bed now even though it is only 9:30 as I type this!

I'll be back next wednesday evening. I hope to get lots of pictures of the fun that I have with the Pax River Quilter's Guild!!

I'm on my way!
Bonnie