Weekend in the Mountains

A travelogue and quilt show

The drive over the mountain on Thursday involved stops at the sewing machine spa in Harriman followed by lunch and a gas fill-up in Sevierville.  Because of the warm dry weather we have been experiencing, there was very little evidence of fall.

Temps were still near 80 when we arrived at our destination high above Maggie Valley.  The views from SIL's cabin are always spectacular, regardless of the season.

In a couple of weeks those far hills should be a riot of color.  Cooler air and clear skies greeted us Friday morning as we headed out to the local quilt show.

It was sew nice of High Country Quilters to schedule their show to coincide with our visit!  My favorite quilt was this African animal panel One-Block Wonder.  The maker cleverly appliqued animals in a couple of the cubes as well as around the edge. 

African OBW by Patti Webb

Alex cast his viewer's choice ballot for this stained glass beauty.

Stained Glass by Susan and John Ballentine

I have a feeling that one may be in my future.  At least I have some rainbow string blocks already made as a starting point (assuming they are big enough).  I think the black sashing really makes the strings sparkle.

Two more quilts that caught my eye:

Cranberry Chutney by Jeneen Conway

Quilt Show and Tell by Cyndi Hildreth

All those little quilts were pieced!  From the show we headed to one of our favorite restaurants in the area for lunch and enjoyed a nice drive through the valley, even if there wasn't much fall color.

Saturday found us on the golf course where the only evidence of color was in the pin flags and dogwoods.

I had to stop after 5 holes as I was getting tired and my old shoes were making blisters on my little toes.  Also, my grips are deteriorating to the point my clubs slip in my hands.  So a stop at Edwin Watts Golf is scheduled on our trip home today.

It's been a pretty sedentary vacation overall, but sometimes we all need that respite from household demands.  I have been stitching binding on a Christmas quilt ...

... and admiring the wall hanging I made for the cabin when it was new.

SIL and her co-owner friends consider this the "Summer" hanging as it has golfers in one of the lower fabrics.  While they enjoyed "Winter" early this year ...

Winter Trees

... they have not yet hung the "Fall" one I gave them for Christmas.

Fall Trees

Needless to say, "Spring" has been requested.

Once the laundry is done and the dishes back on the shelf we will be headed home.  This morning it was 52 in the valley and 37 back home in the Glade.  I think Fall has finally fell.

Question for my readers

DH and I went to a local guild's quilt show today.  The smaller quilts and wall hangings were suspended from drapery with these clips.

A double pin on the back of the clip went through the drapery.

Does anybody know what these are called and where one can get them?  Silly me forgot to ask someone at the show before we left ....

Those Little Postcards Patterns

They are so darn cute

And easy! 

Purple Haze by Villa Rosa Designs

I don't remember where I picked this one up, probably Susan's in Gatlinburg.  That was way back in March.  Or it could have been Tennessee Quilts in Jonesborough in July ... Anyway, I came right home and pulled some fabric.  Where it sat until Sunday.

In my resolve to move stuff out or put it away, I found that pile calling my name.  The colors so bright, the pattern so simple.  Really!  Quarter squares, squares, and rectangles -- couldn't be simpler.  At least I could cut everything and stage it as leaders and enders.

Well, you've heard me say before how easily a L/E task will take over my life ...

I made a few mistakes, first of which was not reading the pattern thoroughly before beginning.  I anticipated how the quarter squares would be made and therefore mine ended up 4" instead of the intended 5".  Fortunately, I had not cut any of the background strips for the blocks and, even though I cut one strip too narrow, I had enough background to eek out a 4x14 setting.

Butterflies

All that's left is to finish the rows and put it all together.  And I never even made a project box for it!

Lots to Celebrate

DONE!

After being so pleased with myself for getting the third Mosaic Mystery clue done early ...

Seven Square-in-a-square with Fabric A in the center

... I was able to finish the rest of the story (remember Paul Harvey?) as well today.

Eight Square-in-a-Square with Fabric C on the corners

Over the weekend I finished assembling this 4-patch which was originally intended for the homeless vets home -- until the guild decided to make the quilts more patriotic.

It is big enough for a long twin and will now go to the Devo and Sew Encouragement Quilts.

And this morning I stitched the final seam on Double Shot, one of my Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects for 2019.  I'm not sure if I'll add a border or pass it on to someone else to finish.

Double Shot (Double X)

I have emptied THREE project boxes by either passing on to others or recycling the contents.  And I started a new project (more on that tomorrow).

And it RAINED this morning!!!  We are in for a couple of days in the 70s before we go up to the 80s again this weekend.

Done

... or not ...

I am participating in the Mosaic Mystery hosted by Cheryl at Meadow Mist.  I like that the clues are spaced out to one per month.  Plenty of time to accomplish each step!  Maybe too much time?

I also like that the number of fabrics is limited and Cheryl advised us in advance which fabrics would/would not touch.  I quickly chose a very neutral palette for the first clue in July.

My fabric choices revolved around the large floral on the bottom.   I'm hoping it will work as a border because it has been in my stash for while and needs a home.  Also critical was a background that I had at least 3 yards of.

Clue 2, easy cutting, was finished within days of the clue being published in August.

Then I began to fall behind.  September's clue was easy enough -- 32 six-inch house blocks.  But my September was full of travel and guild obligations.  Before I knew it, the end of the month was looming and I had no houses built.  So I took the pieces with me to NC and got the 32 house blocks done as leaders/enders, as well as 64 bonus HSTs!

😢

What, no photo?  I couldn't find them!  I searched in every piece of luggage that went to retreat with me.  I started cleaning the sewing room, uncovering every surface to see if that baggie was lurking somewhere.  I had the distinct memory of lifting it off the top of my machine when unpacking so I returned to the machine case -- empty.  The time to link up my progress expired and I still couldn't find the houses.  Confident they would show up, I proceeded with October's clue -- 7 square-in-a-square (economy) blocks.  Then it came to me in a dream (truly!); I had trimmed the houses and HSTs at Devo and Sew on Tuesday.  And even though I had looked in that bag before, I took a second look and there. they. were!

Ahh, 7 SiaSs, 32 houses, 64 HSTs accounted for ... but wait ...  Why is everyone else making two quilts?  A review of this month's clue revealed that I should have made TWO sets of SiaSs, one with Fabric A in the center, and one with Fabric C on the corners.

Big Sigh.

You know what I'll be working on this afternoon ...

A Flimsy

... of sorts ...

RSC19 - Chandelier Beads

I say "of sorts" because I am considering adding a border to stabilize the edges.  I will wait till the next Devo day so I can spread it out to trim and audition borders then.

I have lost track of where this block pattern originated.  If one of my readers can remind me, I'll give credit where it is due when I show it with borders.

There was discussion on a blog I was reading recently about the use of the term "flimsy" to describe an unquilted top.  The objectors thought that flimsy implies low quality.  What say you?

Linking with Angela at soscrappy. 

Feathered Star

So here it is ...

Feathered Star

This was my third attempt at making a feathered star, the first I've ever finished!  Cindy Williams (the Math Whisperer) makes it SO easy.

We arrived at Lake Junaluska, NC on Thursday afternoon.  The evening assignment was to make the HSTs using Triangulations paper (same concept as Thangles and some other brands).  Not my favorite way to make them.  After the long drive, trying to keep 3 cars in caravan, and making wrong turns, I decided to wait till the morning to sew anything.

First up Friday morning were the HSTs.  Then we learned how to cut the diamond tips and added those to the HSTs in strips.  Next we learned how to cut the kite shapes.  We learned partial seams in assembling the star points.  Saturday had us truncating quarter squares to make the center and by Saturday afternoon, all I had left to do was the mitered border which I was able to finish Sunday morning.

There was not an ugly star in the bunch!  Other people were doing more complex borders, but I was determined to leave with a finished project so I took the simpler road.  The fancier star in the front row is for a different quilt.  And the bargello on the left was her first quilt!

Check out Life's a Bear Facebook page to learn about next year's retreat at a new location.