Stop the World I Want To Get Off

and stop the world I did! One week ago yesterday I packed up the car, met a group of like minded friends and headed off for Kentucky- Paducah to be exact. What a wonderful week. We rented a house in the Kentucky Lake area and it was our own patch of heaven on earth. The quilt show was amazing and I spent way too much at the vendors, but when they put Reproduction Quilts, Bonnie Blue Quilts and Primitive Gatherings in front of my wallet- it was hard "not to"!
I went with a plan for the most part...I had a Civil War pattern from Reproduction Quilts I wanted to add fabrics to. Bonnie Blue had a kit of My Old Kentucky Home--I've wanted to make that quilt since the day I first saw the pattern. Those that know me well, know I don't really "do blues", so a kit was just the perfect way to go. I also bought a pattern to use the pink and brown fat quarters I got at Hancock's. Lisa B. of Primitive Gatherings designs just too splendidly, and I walked away happy but very broke! Her new book, Primitive Christmas is to die for; she and Carol both signed it for me (and every one else in our little group), and Nick, Lisa's husband added his "go Yankees" to the Old St. Nick page...not a reference to our state of origin, but to the fact that he too is a BIG Yankee fan (yes of the baseball kind).
It was a wonderful week, and coming back to reality will be hard. The suitcase is unpacked, the laundry is done, and I am finding places to put the new acquisitions. I still need to download the camera!
I got the world to stop, I got off in my own personal Oz, and boy oh boy---I am a happy girl right now!

How Does Life Get Away From Us So Fast??

Seems I went to bed one night in February and woke up in mid-April. I almost feel like Rip Van Winkle! Now in my defense I did come down with the horrid "crud" that seems to have afflicted half the country- or so it seemed. Fever, chills, cough, you name it I suffered from it. Thank goodness that is all behind me now. I seemed to have lost an entire month of my life (something I can ill afford to do) and have spent the past few weeks playing catch up.


So my catch up is slowing being done and I feel as if I've actually accomplished some things that needed to be done. One was to (almost) finish some long over due blocks I've been swapping with 3 other girls who have the same love of reproduction fabrics as I do. I was so way behind it wasn't even funny. But I'm slowly finishing and would show some photos, however since I don't want to give away the element of surprised I think I'll just have to wait a bit! I know Dawn (http://dquilts.blogspot.com/) sometimes checks in ,and I wouldn't want her to see what I'm working on *smile*.



I have a few irons in the fire at work as well. In one short month we will begin a local shop hop. Four days of hysteria and merriment ! I have two small quilts for kitting just about done, and will kit up more of the Little Dresses I showed in an earlier posting. It has been a big hit at the shop and I'm on my third kitting already...not that I let it go to my head or anything!



Then there is the Paducah trip. Next Monday I'll be on the road to Kentucky! This will be my second year attending the AQS show, and this time around I'm traveling with friends from our Quilter's Circle. I'm also very excited that child #3 is getting to join us for a couple of days. She will leave Lexington after work Tuesday and drive to the house we have rented in the Kentucky Lakes area . I'm looking forward to that since we haven't seen each other since Christmas. The two days will go all too quickly.



So there you have it.... a very quick catch-up from here. Today is my day off (love those long weekends!) and I have some sewing to do. Personal sewing that is....I made myself a promise a long time ago that shop sewing is only done on the evenings of work days. May not be lengthy sewing time, but the samples do eventually get done. On my days off (and that includes the weekends) I sew for pleasure. Right now I'm eagerly waiting on the second clue to Bonnie Hunter's Orange Crush Mystery. My 150 4-patches are done and waiting, and I'm steadily catching up on Mystery#1 (Carolina Crossroads) as well. Lots of catch up to do when you lose an entire month!! Oh well, could have been worse!

Next time....photos....I promise!