Florida Memories
Robert & I are finally back in the swing of work again after our lovely trip to Florida. We thoroughly enjoyed the delightful weather and warm hospitality of the local quilters in Fort Myers and Jacksonville. I picked up a few finds along the way. On my first cruise, I brought home a bag of sand and a few shells from each beach we visited. Now, I'm on a mission to collect native shells from our trips. Of course, the large starfish isn't a Florida native, but the little one in resin in the bottom of a hand-woven pine needle basket by Yvonne Wielhouwer is a treasure. She happened to be at a Arts/Craft Show in the Keys as we were driving. So many cool things. The adorable bird on the strawberry was a gift from my buddy, Pam Buda, from one of our mutual favorite folk artist, Ginny Henson. Love it! And, the quilt in the background is one of Pam's patterns made with my fabric by Lois Sprecker (my piecer extraordinaire) for Christmas. What a collection of special memories!
This little dish caught my eye at Mallory Square at sunset when the local artists and vendors set up by the sea while the local entertainers vie for attention. It's a bit brighter than I normally go for, but the work involved and the saying spoke to me: "Near the sea, we forget to count the days." Maybe it's because I'm a Cancer, or maybe it's because I've lived in Kansas most of my life and am land-locked, but I'm drawn to water. I've found relaxing by the ocean, listening to the rhythym of the waves with a warm breeze blowing over my skin, are some of the best days/naps of my life.
Moda Designer Blog Hop
Don't miss Moda's Friendship Quilt-a-Long beginning Feb.18 thru Mar. 1st. Three designers a day will share their upcoming fabric lines, a pattern and giveaways. It's always fun to see what's new with everyone and the blog hop is a terrific way to follow. Go to Moda Friendship Quilt-a-long to see a complete list of designers/dates. I'll be blogging on Feb.22nd along with French General & Kate Spain. See you then!
Giveaway
This month's KT Stash project is Whirlygig. Start with large triangles cut for a basic quarter square; place a small gold triangle on one corner of each large triangle using our Layered Patchwork technique; stitch. Piece the quarter squares as you would normally.
How easy is that? Win the Whirlygig pattern and a handfull of our new Pheasant Hill collection to start your project by commenting on your favorite vacation spot - why you love it, cool finds, good eats. We'll draw next Monday. See you later this week. Lynne
Robert & I are finally back in the swing of work again after our lovely trip to Florida. We thoroughly enjoyed the delightful weather and warm hospitality of the local quilters in Fort Myers and Jacksonville. I picked up a few finds along the way. On my first cruise, I brought home a bag of sand and a few shells from each beach we visited. Now, I'm on a mission to collect native shells from our trips. Of course, the large starfish isn't a Florida native, but the little one in resin in the bottom of a hand-woven pine needle basket by Yvonne Wielhouwer is a treasure. She happened to be at a Arts/Craft Show in the Keys as we were driving. So many cool things. The adorable bird on the strawberry was a gift from my buddy, Pam Buda, from one of our mutual favorite folk artist, Ginny Henson. Love it! And, the quilt in the background is one of Pam's patterns made with my fabric by Lois Sprecker (my piecer extraordinaire) for Christmas. What a collection of special memories!
Moda Designer Blog Hop
Don't miss Moda's Friendship Quilt-a-Long beginning Feb.18 thru Mar. 1st. Three designers a day will share their upcoming fabric lines, a pattern and giveaways. It's always fun to see what's new with everyone and the blog hop is a terrific way to follow. Go to Moda Friendship Quilt-a-long to see a complete list of designers/dates. I'll be blogging on Feb.22nd along with French General & Kate Spain. See you then!
Giveaway
This month's KT Stash project is Whirlygig. Start with large triangles cut for a basic quarter square; place a small gold triangle on one corner of each large triangle using our Layered Patchwork technique; stitch. Piece the quarter squares as you would normally.
How easy is that? Win the Whirlygig pattern and a handfull of our new Pheasant Hill collection to start your project by commenting on your favorite vacation spot - why you love it, cool finds, good eats. We'll draw next Monday. See you later this week. Lynne
I love going to Colorado, I am a mountain girl relax and enjoy nature. I stop off in Golden, CO and they have a great quilt museum - Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.
ReplyDeleteI love to visit the beaches in southern Maine. The water is quite chilly though! Even in August. I'm not into seafood though, so I don't really have a favorite place to eat. We usually stop at the candy shops though for fudge! The moosetracks fudge was the best so far. The kids liked the birthday cake fudge, it was too sweet for me though.
ReplyDeleteLynne, We have timeshare on Marco Island west coast of Florida. Great beaches lots of shells there. Love the pattern Enter me please in you give away. Sharon @aol.com
ReplyDeleteWe are heading to AZ shortly our fav spot....mainly because our friends are there now since their retirement. And of course the weather is great....at least better than IA in Feb. We have lots of favorite restaurants to revisit, but mainly we miss our friends. So it is always a great time!
ReplyDeleteI would love to have your pattern. I can see it made with KT Charms. So glad you had a nice trip to the warmer climate.
ReplyDeleteLinda in Snowy IN
I always wondered how those triangles were made!!! Your drawings explained it so clearly. The pattern would be a wonderful project to take to a retreat I'm attending in April. I've never been to a retreat before, so I want to knock everyone's socks off with a KT quilt in the hopes of finding a convert or two! None of my local quilting buddies are familiar with KT and although they don't know what they are missing, I guess that leaves just more KT fabric for me in the local shops!! LOL
ReplyDeleteOur favorite destination vacation spot is any of the many small beach towns along the Oregon coast! I especially like the smaller fishing villages, the ones with the most secluded beaches. Would love to try this pattern and love the KT fabrics.
ReplyDeleteLiving in the country, one would find this hard to believe but I LOVE visiting Seattle, WA. Infact, DD and I are going to the Puyallup Sewing Expo the end of this month. I LOVE Market Street in Seatlle - the first Starbucks is always a stop, the quilt shops are numerous and the seafood along the harbor is too good to pass up. Here's the link to the sewing expo:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sewexpo.com/driving-directions-286.htm
The highlight of my year is when we go to Vermont to the Quilt Festival there.I am having withdrawal because due to health reasons for Hubby we did not go last year.Hoping to get there this year.
ReplyDeleteWe are off to Florida next month...Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee. Must be one of our favorite spots as we have been there several times!! Love the warm sunshine and the local quilt shops.......and of course the theme parks....Overgrown kids!! Thanks for the opportunity to win.....have never met a KT fabric or pattern that I didn't love!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful trip in Florida! I just love this pattern and fabric :-D
ReplyDeleteWe live in Florida, so our favorite vacation spot is in the mountains of NC. Cool breezes and the beautiful mountain scenery is quite a change for us Southerners.
ReplyDeleteNew Orleans, with Cafe Dumonde, Jackson Square, and the world famous Jazz Festival in the spring is a favorite place to visit... just plain fun! Thanks for the chance to win your great give away!
ReplyDeleteHI! GLAD YOUR TRIP WAS SO RESTFUL+ENJOYABLE!
ReplyDeleteONE FAVORITE SITE IS LAKE MICHIGAN VACATIONS WITH A SPECIAL DINING TREAT AT WIN SCHULER'S RESTAURANTS!
THIS PATTERN WHIRLYGIG IS SO SO ATTRACTIVE IN THE "PHEASANT HILL FABRICS"! THANKS FOR SHARING!
mssstitcher1948@yahoo.com
My all time favorite was a free trip won by my husband to the island of ARUBA.
ReplyDeleteI live in NW Ohio where winters never give us a break! The island is very tropical with wild seas and desert on one side.and paradise ln the other. Beautiful blue seas match the beautiful skies. The islanders speak 5 languages fluently. Their main sounding melodic. The slogan is "One Happy Island " The food was amazing. Fresh tropical fruits, delicious seafood.prepared to perfection!! There was a cute little shack on a peer that was a coffee and donut shop in the am and an ice cream shop in the afternoons. This is one.place I will visit again!
Would love to try this pattern free or not! Love your choice of fabric!
Thanks for sharing the pictures from your trip!
ReplyDeleteThat whirly gig pattern looks like fun! I've been to Ft. Meyers and LOVED every second of it! It truly is a hidden paradise! The beach area was awesome as the water was waist high for 100's of yards out! Sure would like to visit again! I've also enjoyed vacations spent in a lakeside cabin in VT! Hard to choose between the two... I guess it would depend on the season. As a fellow Cancer, I find myself most at peace by water too! Your finds from your trips are great! Love the saying on the dish... and sure would like to watch how a pine needle basket is made! Anyways... welcome back!
ReplyDeleteI love going to Alaska and walking through the Tongass National Forest because it's so peaceful listening to nature.
ReplyDeleteI'm not one to travel. So, a trip to the fabric store of an antique store would be my vacation.
ReplyDeleteThe Michigan UP - Cedarville in the Les Cheaneaux Islands. Any local resurants Lk. Superior whitefish is great and the Hessel bakery for coffee and baked goods. Great pasties and relaxing beaches and boating!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite place to travel is to the Black Hills in South Dakota. I have been going there for a long time and I can't say anywhere else beats it on my list. Thanks for the chance to win. It sounds like you had a very nice vacation.
ReplyDeleteMary
Thanks for the illustrations show how to make this cute whirlygig block - it looks much harder than it is! I love visiting the mountains best - I'm not a big fan of oceans, but give me pine trees anywhere and I'm happy!
ReplyDeleteThe Canadian Rockies are always beautiful to visit. Eastern Canada and New England are on my wish list. What a great pattern, thanks.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite vacations was spent with my guy driving the coast of the Pacific Northwest from Seattle through Oregon and into the Redwoods. Gorgeous. I live in southern Cal, but the Northern coast is a different creature entirely. So green. Little lakes and ponds EVERYWHERE. Oceans of ferns. And the trees. Oh. I'll never forget it. Highly recommended for you nature lovers. Just make sure your driver is willing to stop the car whenever something gorgeous appears, so you can get out and be "in" it. :-)
ReplyDelete- sunshdws at yahoo dot com
It sound you had a great days.I`d love to go to Australia and once again to Paris!!
ReplyDeleteA trip to Georgia to see my beautiful granddaughter is my favorite place to go. She lives about a 100 miles south of Atlanta. So lots to see and do.
ReplyDeleteOur trip to the beach near Houston last summer is one I would like to repeat! Love the idea and I would love to win the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMy son and I drove from Long Island NY, to Apex NC to last summer. I drove 10 hrs straight, we talked and listened to music. Then we arrived at my best friends house (since we were 8) and, her son is my son's best friend. We had a fantastic week doing everything and nothing at all. We even got to visit with her parents, all her sisters and their children. She moved 9 yrs ago and we've only seen each other 2 times since. What a wonderful week. ;->
ReplyDeleteI enjoy spending time at a quiet lake. Listening and watching the birds, floating on a pontoon relaxing with an adult beverage and a good book, sitting by a campfire roasting marshmellows for s'mores. Pretty low key, but works for me.
ReplyDeleteI live in a pretty great place where a lot of people love to vacation--the mountains of Colorado. But it's Alaska that speaks to this girl's heart. Wearing waders, fly rod in hand, standing in the Kenai in July--well, that's pure bliss!
ReplyDeleteThe beaches of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands are gorgeous. I was there for a day as a stop on a cruise and I would love to go back there. Great shopping too!
ReplyDeleteThe only vacation I took was to Kentucky and that is a beautiful state, just missed the Paducah quilt show by 1 week. My dream vacation would be to Hawaii so am saving up for that :)
ReplyDeleteWe haven't taken a vacation in probably over 12 years. Our last vacation was to Reno it was fun enjoyed the shows the most. When I was single and was able to go on vacations I loved going to Oregon. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe went on a European Cruise a couple of years ago and I fell in love with Barcelona, Spain. That's where our cruise departed from, so we stayed there a couple days before we departed and a couple days after we came back. Would love to spend alot more time there!!
ReplyDeleteI love going to Pigeon Forge, TN. There are great trails to hike, stores to shop, including a quilt shop, a wonderful restaurant---The Old Mill, and lots of peaceful, quiet streams to walk by. I'd love to go on a cruise though--maybe to Alaska or Europe!
ReplyDeleteI am headed to the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area this weekend. I read that a selection of your quilts are on display at the Old Country Store Fabrics and I plan to make it part of my visit. I also read that you will be there in late July and I hope I can make it back for that. I just love the new Pheasant Hill line and am making plans for using it in a quilt. Maybe Whirlygig!
ReplyDeleteWe have a mom-n-pop business, just the 2 of us. We're open 6 days a week so there's not much time for vacationing. Good thing I travelled a small bit when I was younger! So my favorite vacation now is going to Market & so far I've only been to Houston. I love to stay at the Hilton & I love their breakfast buffet. My next favorite is Moda's evening- always good food and good networking!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your trip, you were very near my favorite vacation spot. My husband and I love Florida and our favorite place to visit is Sanibel Island, we have driven down there with our camper and stayed at the campground on the island. It's a beautiful area and great beaches.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I miss the warm sun. It's freezing here in Michigan. I love the little bird/strawberry. Is there a pattern available?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity to win a great pattern and beautiful fabric. Put Hawaii on your list to cruise...no place compares to Maui in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe most breathtaking beaches in the world for us are in Cabo or Riviera Maya, Mexico. Fantastic food, warm & welcoming people and outstanding beaches!! Sitting on the beach listening to the waves & the wonderful seaside aroma is as close to heaven as we have here on earth. Hope you get to collect shells from these beaches soon.
ReplyDeleteSince I live in a resort town in Northern MN, everyday is a vacation day. Someday though, I hope to go someplace tropical--palms instead of pines!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation spot is home on our 200 Kansas acres with a pond off our back porch! We have been watching Canada geese and various ducks on it this winter. We see deer, coyotes, raccoon and other animals throughout the year. My sewing studio windows overlook the pond and the pasture where I see our cows of many colors. I am from California and am always drawn to water and the beach, but in Dorothy's words "There's no place like home!" It's great to be content!
ReplyDeleteWe just spent a week in Blythe, CA at the Bluegrass Music Festival, followed by a week at Quartzsite, AZ. We take this same vacation every year and love it more each time. We take side trips to Phoenix and Lake Havasu and visit quilt stores, antiques stores and other things as we find them. It's a great, relaxing time.
ReplyDeleteWe live in Florida on the Gulf Coast 7 months out of the and the other 5 in Minnesota. I have the best of both worlds. Love going to Sanibel Island and Boca Grande. Lots of shelling. My favorite place to eat is The Crows Nest in Venice, FL on the water. I enjoy the warm weather, friends from all over the US, and relaxation time Please enter me in your contest. Thanks
ReplyDeleteVacationing for my husband and I is a good "British Car Shows/Swaps", quilt shops, and antique stores. Hopefully the restoration of a 1960 MGA will be complete by the summer and then we will be able to go site seeing in it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation is at my youngest sister and her hubby's place. They retired in the Caribou (northern British Columbia,Canada). Every year the Caribou (northern British Columbia, Canada)they and 5-6 close friends who also have property there have as many families members as possible head to "Christmas in July" . Each of the retirees property becomes a campground of tents, trailers, RV's for their families. As the properties are only 1/4-1 mile apart...we share campfires every night, spend hours swimming, boating, skiing, tubing, riding the ATV's and dirt bikes, walking, etc. Then, on the Saturday night, there is a big Turkey dinner held at a community hall. All the families come with $5 gifts, a dish for the potluck...and a good time is had by all.
ReplyDeleteQuiltinGram
cathyc1950(at)gmail(dot)com
When the kids were at home we were at a lake every summer boating, skiing and fishing. The water was fun. My hubby would anchor the boat in a cove and we would jump off the boat and play in the water. It was hot and the water cool. We would take a lunch and stay out all day and put the top up to prevent sunburn. We would go in for dinner, and sit by the campfire till bedtime. Then get up and do it all over again for a week! Great times. Thank you for this wonderful givaway. This Pheasant Hill is on my want list. jlblvn@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI love Hawaii. The beaches are lovely, the water clear, and there's always good snorkeling. Also enjoy the warm weather. Glad you enjoyed your Florida vacation. I've been to Fort Meyers and the shelling there is great. I have an extra large jar filled with them that I keep in the bathroom as a reminder of my visit there. The whirligig pattern looks like fun to make. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway.
ReplyDeleteOur best vacations are to Iowa! We get to spend 3 to 4 weeks with family. Playing cards, games and of course EATING! We go sometime in July and August and have to hit the IOWA STATE FAIR before returning to Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy going to The Great Smokey Mountains. I grew up near Jacksonville and loved the beach, but it was just so nice going to the mountains during the summer,where it was cooler. The whirligig patern does look fun. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWell...how easy was that!! Thanks for the pattern!! AND thanks for the chance to win your wonderful give away!!
ReplyDeletePaulette
Well, my favorite vacation spot is at Brimley State Park in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. We had a camp site that over looks White Fish Bay. You can watch the huge wind turbines over on the coast of Canada and the huge freighters go by as you sit around the campfire.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation spot is Searsport Shores Campground in Searsport, Maine. Love site # 2 where the path to the ocean shore is right in front of us and we have a great view. There are awesome antique shops and flea markets in the area and Angler's Restaurant has the best fried clams in Maine. The owner even has a Fiber College there in Sept. and there are beautiful flower gardens throughout the campground.
ReplyDeleteWould love to win that pattern and some of those new fabrics. I am a huge fan of your fabrics and often cannot decide what I want from them so buy layer cakes and charm packs to work with.
We love to take a quilting friends vacation trip to "Paducah" of course! It is so beautiful in the springtime, dogwood trees are in full bloom, and the entire city is decorated with quilts!
ReplyDeleteLove that whirlygig pattern. Great giveaway! We like to vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletewigglypup2(at)yahoo(dot)com
Alaskan cruise was my favorite vacation. We're planning to cruise through Germany in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI purchased Pheasant Hill precuts today. Beautiful. Is there a 12 step program for KT fabric addiction?
bjeanand@gmail.com
Yes.
Delete1. Buy KT Fabric
2. Start a project.
3. Buy more KT fabric to fill in.
4. Trade KT fabric with friends.
5. Start another project.
6. Buy another charm pack to make the project larger.
7-9. Repeat steps #1-3.
Win the prize for having the most KT fabric assembled in one location.
Ya never know. It just might happen some day :).
My favorite vacation was when my husband and I drove from Ohio to Texas and then up to Vegas. We stopped at evey outdoor drama we could find. We had three weeks of doing whatever we wanted. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteThe love the Whirlygig quilt. Thanks for the chance.
We are taking our children and spouses on an Alaskan cruise this summer. I hope it is as wonderful as I remember. I loved the spaciousness of Alaska, there was always something to see and experience and of course, the cruise food wasn't shabby. Love the pattern. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation would be camping in Glacier National Park. Both my husband and I love to hike, especially on the less traveled trails. We like hiking to water falls and hidden lakes in the mountains. These are our best "finds." There's nothing like a breakfast cooked on a campstove on a cool mountain morning. Thanks for the opportunity to win the lovely pattern.
ReplyDeleteAfter one exhausting trip to Disney World....we took flight to Cozumel Mexico. Our kids love the beaches and it is soooo much more relaxing. Best money we ever spent....
ReplyDeleteMy favorite vacation spot would have to be Hawaii! I have been to Oahu and Maui, and would love to return someday to see Kauai and even the big island of Hawaii. The water, the sand, the temperatures..... so amazing!
ReplyDeleteI have a box of shells out in the garden from all my beach trips. Someday, I plan to make something mosaic with them. My favorite, most perfect beach vacation was Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. The most fabulous beaches, the clearest water! I wouldn't suggest traveling there now, but in the early 90's it was fine. We drove all over the Sinai in a Jeep, without any trouble.
ReplyDeleteA favorite vacation destination is the northeast - beautiful scenery and delicious seafood! Lana in East TN
ReplyDeleteLana,
DeleteCome with me on a New England quilting cruise in September. We'll eat seafood, sew and laugh like crazy!
We enjoy driving up to Door County, the Cape Cod of the midwest. Lots of shops and great restaurants. We enjoy ego caching there, too.
ReplyDeleteOh my lands! You were in Florida. We moved to Florida, permanently, seven months ago after being in Iowa for 22-1/2 years. You might remember that you and I met when I worked for AP&Q and we visited your retreat center. Looks like life is treating you well. Continue to enjoy all things quilty!
ReplyDeleteHawaii! For certain. Only been there once but I will be back!
ReplyDeleteLove the pattern.