CQG Sewing Room Tour 2020

The Cotton Quilters' Guild had such a great time last year on our sewing room tour that we put another one together this year. It's an easy event that is great fun.  We went to four homes this time since five was a push last year. 

 Starting at Mrs. Lee's house, we appreciated the large, open space that she gets to create in. She is a fabulous painter so it's no surprise that her quilts are this pretty.

It was an easy jaunt to Longbridge and Ingrid's place. This little cottage is filled to the brim with antiques, collectibles, and quilts. This was my second time visiting (I got a private tour a few weeks ago) and I am still amazed at how many things I missed. Ingrid knows what she likes and surrounds herself in them, which makes for an inspiring space in which to create.

 After lunch we were off to visit Mrs. Priscilla's house. Here we had a grand tour. Priscilla is known for saving, repurposing, and upcycling old fabrics. Whether a skirt, linens, feed sacks, tea napkins, or some other fabric, she finds a way to incorporate them into her sewing and quilting. She told us she likes "frou frou" which means lacy, fancy, fluffed, gathered, whatever girly word you can come up with. It wasn't necessary to tell us, it's obvious throughout the house and in the number of pillows piled on every bed, chair and sofa. 

And finally, Irma's house and dessert. Her sewing room is a bedroom turned modern sewing haven. Recently retired, she decided to upgrade to all new digital last-minute machines. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but not much considering that she was a computer expert for the school system. Do I sound a bit jealous? I might be. 

One of the best reasons to visit other people's creative spaces is that you can find inspiration to create in your own space, wherever that may be. Another is to find ways to make your space better. At each of the four homes, I found something that I liked or that can help me to work more efficiently. It's especially interesting to see how different our spaces are, yet we have so much in common.

Cotton Quilters' Sewing Room Tour

A quick collage of some quilts, tops and blocks, plus
one pic from the visit to my studio.

It would be difficult to have a better sewing day! That's because today we (the Cotton Quilters) toured five sewing spaces. The tour was a huge success! We all had fun. Twenty-two of us showed up and took off for Evergreen, on time. First, my studio which impressed. Rich told me to hand everyone a dust cloth as they walked in, but I served coffee instead.

One piece of furniture at Cleo's that
might go on Rich's project list.

Then it was off to Cleo's house where she had laid out her gorgeous quilts. (No, I didn't have the sense to do that.) We walked around the entire house and enjoyed her quilts and her late mother's costume jewelry. 

At Cleo's house

From there we were off to Pam's, whose husband had enclosed their large back porch. He had added a high shelf with a closet rod completely around the room. She sews beautiful little dresses for her grandchildren. 

At Pam's house

 Then it was lunch at Mrs. Mary's, who had enlisted a few ladies to help out. Pimento cheese sandwiches, shrimp and corn soup, and chips filled us up. She also had enclosed the back porch to make a long room where Gammill could live. Huge windows give lots of natural light.

At Mary C's 

One more home to go--Josie's with the beautiful hand-quilting space. Large windows for natural light, sofas around the perimeter of the room, and a hand-made quilt frame all make the space just about perfect. As if that were not enough, she served coffee and homemade sweets for our lunch dessert.

At Josie's house

 From there I returned home, but almost everyone else was going back to the museum to drop off riders. We started out there so 4-5 people could pile into a vehicle--the idea being that we'd have fewer vehicles to park.

Some of the highlights of our day:

• Getting to know the members of the guild on a more personal level
• Seeing how others set up and organize their sewing spaces
• Discovering ideas that I may incorporate into my own space
• Appreciating members' beautiful quilts
• Seeing their sewing machines and antique pieces
• Traveling around the parish with friends on a beautiful, sunny day with flowers in bloom and newly-plowed fields
• and so much more!

Pin It Weekly #265

Happy Weekly! Here are what a few followers are pinning: 

from Maureen's "Quilt" board

from Jennie Broker's "Nordic life" board

from Marymargaret Saldana's "Stick figure 

humans or animals board

Pin It Weekly #264

How is your pinning going? Apparently I've got lots of pin-friends. New followers welcome! Here are a few pins from my week. Pinterest is a good time filler when sitting in a doctor's office or standing in line.

Pillows

Lace

Mixed media inspiration

Have a great, wonderful weekend. Come back for Sunday Quilt Inspiration, which I generally post rather late on Sunday evenings.

Pin It Weekly #263

Do you have a Pin Twin? Apparently after you've played on Pinterest long enough, their artificial intelligence finds other pinners who have similar interests and sends an email introducing you. I don't know if the other pinner gets an email singing your praises, but I do know that it gets me. Every. Time.

How can I not be curious? Wouldn't you want to know who in the world shares many of your interests? Calling those pinners my "twin" works especially well. I've always wondered what it must be like to have a twin. Meet two of my Pin Twins.

Patchwork Mountain Quilts

Erica Jackman of Kitchen Table Quilting is a pattern designer. 
I  L-O-V-E love her quilts. You will, too. 
These are all from her line. 

Of course, I have to include "The Mary Quilt" though it is not named for me. But it does share my name, so there's that. 

Anyway, look for your Pin Twin. And see what other people Pinterest thinks could be your double. Since I have several twins, I'm thinking that I get a new one each week. I should probably look into that. 

Have a wonderful 2019.