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2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet

Posted on September 3, 2019September 3, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 44 Comments

2019 Online Quilters Meet and Greet — Visit blogs that may be new to you or old friends already on the 2019 Quilters Meet and Greet Blog Hop.

Welcome to I Have A Notion stop of the 2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet. Benita of Vict oriana Quilt Designs surprised me with the invitation to join this year, and I am flattered, to say the least! I found the 2018 Quilters Meet and Greet last year and discovered several new to me blogs.

A Little Bit About Me

I have been quilting for more than 30 years, and before that, it was garments and craft sewing. My quilting began with hand piecing and hand quilting, but now I do most of my work by machine. Most of what I create are original designs and created most often by’Playing the What If’ game. We have just recently moved from in-town to the country in Kentucky. We have a little 10-acre farm, complete with a barn, a chicken coop, a shop, a house, and a POND! The local cows and cats outnumber the neighbors, which is just what we wanted.

My Favorite Quilt- “today”

Today my favorite quilt is the “Chicken Dance” quilt. I like it because it makes me smile. Making it was so much fun and believe it or not it is a scrap quilt. I started it in 2009… with the chickens, (but moving to South Africa kind of got in the way of quilting!), and eventually finished it in 2013. The most difficult part was finding a setting layout for the chicken blocks, after that the rest was easy! Nobody said quilts had to be made fast. The Chicken Dance is soon to be a pattern! It is almost as much fun on the back as it is on the front. And yes the front is shadowing through… the back. I little miscommunication with the quilter, it should have been a double batt, a cotton batting plus a wool batting.

Front and back of the Chicken Dance Quilt — Chicken Dance Quilt front and back

What is “I Have A Notion™”

“I Have A Notion” is an online sewing notions and tools store. Sourcing quality products to help you create and stitch. I purchased I Have A Notion™ in 2016, from a friend (Kelly Jackson) and moved it from Ohio to Kentucky. The store has undergone several changes and improvements over the last couple of years. Adding new products and creating a new web site. I should complete some web chores that I still need to do… but hey… I like to create with fiber, not just pixels.

Best Products

One of the goals at “I Have A Notion™” is to carry top-notch useful products to support sewing and quilting enthusiasts. Offering the top of the line products and often, a lesser-known brand, if both are good… then probably both are stocked. Before adding new products, I test for features or benefits or if they meet the claims made. If they make the cut, I add them to the stock. Some of the best NEW tools I have found: are the Misting Spray Bottles for using at your pressing station, along with a Wool Pressing Mat. Both will change your quilt pressing routine!

The Misting Spray Bottles and Wool Pressing Mats — Two of the best pressing aids ever- Fine Misting Spray bottles and Wool Pressing Mat

The Newest Addition

Is the Beam and Read Personal Light in Violet. If you do handwork and need a little better lighting on the project at hand. Then this is the light for you. Originally developed for individuals with vision difficulties it has proven to be one of the best handsfree work lights ever! I have started using one whenever I am doing handwork on the go.

Showing the Beam n Read Lights — The Beam n Read Personal Hands-Free Lights, Violet or Black

The 2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet features many other quilters. To win prizes, you will need to go to the main page of the 2019 Quilters Meet and Greet to enter for prizes. Click the button to go.

press the button to enter for prizes on the 2019 Online Quilters Meet & Greet — Click here to enter the contest to win a PRIZE!

While you are hopping about meeting the other bloggers, I hope you leave a comment and share your findings with friends on social media or your own blogs!!! Add your favorites to your blog reader (I use Feedly), so you can keep up with new friends too.

Thanks for stopping by and come back for “more later!” Beth

Time Flies

Posted on August 31, 2019August 31, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 4 Comments

Tasks -whether they are mundane, ordinary or exciting hide how fast the Time Flies!

It is hard to believe we have been here for nearly 6 weeks. All the rush of packing is over… and now the unpacking takes place. As a result, of all the deadline-based activity time flies?

About July

The month of July was hot and steamy and the pasture was alive with butterflies. Of course, I had to drop everything several days and record with the camera as many as I could. I saw many of the Kentucky butterflies in one field and it is in my backyard! The Swallowtails, Monarchs, Cabbage Whites, Clouded Yellow, Admirals, Sprites, and Skippers feeding on the wildflowers in the field.

A Black Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Red Clover

Rain

In Kentucky, we are technically in a drought and surface plants are struggling without rain. See time flies even for plants. In addition, the rain has been sporadic and uneven, so the ground has not had a good soaking. As a result, we cut the field short.

Yellow Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly — Yellow Tiger Swallowtail on Red Clover

August

The middle of August found me in Chicagoland for a week. It was planned more than a year ago, well before the idea to move. I shared some of my quilts with the Pride of the Prairie Quilt Guild of Plainfield, IL and the ‘Threadpainting’ process that I use the following day. Sorry, I didn’t take any pictures… because I never remember to get the camera out. I try to focus (pun intended) on assisting and coaching others through the “Threadpainting” process. Once again, times flies!

I do have one picture. A wonderful little pincushion, with a matching teeny tiny 9 Patch Quilt (which is signed and dated by the maker) Cheryl Parker, was a gift. Cheryl also created a fabulous blog post about the Threadpainting class, and you can see it here. This little pincushion will join the other treasures gifted by friends and family, in the Creative Space. However, setting up the Creative Space up is a very slow process. There is one certainty, many things need to be done… at the same time, and I am having difficulty prioritizing. Again, time flies!

Next week

I hope I have filled you in… a bit… and forgive me for the lapses in posting. …. I am here even if I am quiet, (which anyone that knows me will say is a feat that does not happen often {enough, maybe?}).

More Later!!! Beth

Moving, neighbors, and tenants

Posted on July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by ihaveanotion — 8 Comments

A couple of notes about Moving, the Neighbors and the current tenants.

The Moving

Moving is a stressful operation even when everything goes smoothly, and the tension goes up when the rails start to slip. But it’s done and we arrived in one piece… mostly!

Neighbors

On a short walk yesterday I discovered some of the neighbors. They are too far away to be heard, and I can sort of see them from the end of the driveway.

neighboring goats — Some of the neighbors

And the neighbors across the road. Although they are itinerant, as the farmer moves them from field to field.

cows in the field — Neighbors across the road

This morning I took a little stroll with the camera to capture the mist. The mist was not as interesting… so I will have to try again. But one of the local weavers was busy.

spiders web on a barbwire fence — A LOCAL Weaver

Tenants

When I turned around the tenants were waiting for me.

the wild kittens — 6 of the 7 wild kittens left

There are 7 altogether and they are afraid of humans. I am working on feeding and touching them. At least enough to capture for spaying and neutering, as well as some basic inoculations. I know both of the orange tigers are male, (only one is in the picture). The 3 dull orange and white patched kittens are friendliest, (center 3 white/orange)with the 2 brighter orange and white patched kittens (bookending the center four), are the shiest of the bunch. I don’t think they are all from the same mom, but certainly the same pop!!!

One of the neat things about moving and neighbors is getting to know them. Now you have a little view of the bigger neighbors. I have had a chance to meet some of the smaller neighbors too, and some are breathtaking! I’ll share them next time.

More Later! Beth