Friday, April 3, 2015

Spring has Sprung!!

Whew!  We made it through the cold.  But it was tough!  Eight inches of snow in North Carolina!  Yes, it was February--to be expected!  We stayed inside all cozy, as I was hard at work on Book Two. It is coming along well.

Last year, a really sweet woman at one of the quilt guilds I visited gave me this hat.  I wish I knew her name.  I was not only so glad to have it in the cold but also to have the bright colors to add cheer to the frigid days!
A bit of local fun--we stopped off at a rodeo along the way.  This guy is shooting at balloons while moving through a course--and he made it look so easy.
Sigh.  When you enter a parking garage with the kayak racks up, damage will ensue.  Yep.
Glen wasn't really angry--just striking a pose.

I drove to Delaware via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It's not really scary--but seeing the bridge out in front disappearing is odd.
Love this dairy barn with its ice cream cone silo--fun!

 We spent a week at Delaware Seashore State Park.  Really a pretty place. Probably more so when it's warm.   Even Glen was chilly--and he is never cold!


Another great workshop with the Ocean Waves Guild in Delaware.


I also lectured at some of the guilds in Virginia.  At Tidewater Guild, there was actually a man quilter!  You don't see a lot of them, but they are out there!
 Love quilts in more subtle colors.  OK I love all quilts, but these were some of my favorites that day.

And in Hampton, the Peninsula Piecemakers gave a Quilt of Valor to a local serviceman.  His family was on hand for the presentation.
It's finally getting spring-ish out there--yay!!  Still, many of the RV parks are not open yet.  Oops.  Who knew?  But we have been able to find accommodations--just not always in our first choice of locations.

My 2016 schedule is filling up, and I am working on 2017--hard to believe!  You can always find those updates at www.barnquiltinfo.com

Monday, February 9, 2015

Catching up--Again!

I will skip the excuses and just do a quick catchup here.



Ruby the bus was left behind in Missoula, and we headed West. Washington proved to be more beautiful than I expected.  The mountains surrounding the Kittitas Valley are just an incredible backdrop for barn quilts!

This one is Amish Dahlia.


And my favorite quilt block, Grandmother's Flower Garden. I just love this one with the white fence that matches the trim on the barn.

On to California, where we played tourist a bit. I had a lot of quilt guild appearances scheduled.  But we still had to see the sights.

Glen was brave enough to do this--a lot of people stood and watched and wouldn't try it!



The California Coast looks just like in the movies!

And of course, California has barn quilts. This is Ohio Star in Lake County, where we enjoyed our stay immensely.
Fun in San Francisco. We actually rode our bikes across the Golden Gate!

But


But there was bad news. Really bad news. Glen flew to Missoula to pick up the bus, and  Ruby made it to California. But she just had so many problems. Transmission not shifting. Overheating. Starter malfunction. The repairs not only made our lives difficult; they strained our budget. Again. and Again.

SO--meet Alfa!  After a lot of heartache, we decided to go with a "traditional" RV. It was a tough decision, but we honestly have not regretted it one bit. She is so much easier to drive, roomier, and reliable!



Texas--barbecue, of course!

I have been teaching barn quilt painting classes when I visit quilt guilds, and it has been a blast!  Here are some of the gals in Abilene. And a Texas barn quilt!  There are not many in Texas, but I managed to find some pretty ones.



Kentucky has always been a favorite place for barn quilts. But I still don't think that grass is blue.




Indiana is home to several large quilt trails. This one in Gibson County has over 200. And some are in unusual places.
Love a covered bridge. Even more so with a barn quilt!
We headed down to Florida to enjoy the warm weather. And--at last--we got married! 12-13-14
On the road again! See Ya Soon!