Quilt Show week in full swing!

The Big Barn is looking great and ready for your shopping to begin!  It's chock full of wonderful trunk shows with more arriving each day!

We've just finished our first two days of classes with Shawn from Threads that Bind who taught punch needle one day and this great snowman stack yesterday.  Isn't it cute?

Also teaching was Paula Barnes from Red Crinoline, formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts, who shared her piecing expertise with two beautiful projects, one is shown behind her (she's on the left).  As you can see, everyone was happy and productive!  We are set for another two days with two new teachers and then it's Show Time!  Hope to see you all there!

It's Christmas morning for Mary C!

It's just like Christmas morning and Mary C will have goodies in her stocking!    She is the winner of the Country Quilts "Blog Hop and Book Giveaway"!  Thank you all for following along on the tour.  But don't despair, there's still more chances to win a copy of Cheryl's book; just check out who's next on her blog.

Pam is working on this great block of the month from Robin Pandolph, "Home for the Holidays"  We designed a  candy cane sashing to use instead of the houses and are moving the words from under the blocks.  It's very cute! Can't wait to see it completed, cut that will be a few months!

Don't forget, our outdoor quilt show is NEXT weekend.  Bring your quilts early and join the fun!  See you then, if not before!

It's beginning to look a lot like.....Quilt Show!

The hollyhocks are in bloom,

The signs are cleaned up and painted,

Tom is busy weed eating, mowing, harrowing, and mowing some more,

It's looking a lot like Buggy Barn's Outdoor Quilt Show time!  Please join us for our 16th show!  We are ready for you to bring your quilts for display, so drop them by at any time.   See you soon!

There's still time to win an autographed copy of "At Home with Country Quilts"  be sure to check out and comment at that post.  Winner will be selected on the 16th.

At Home with Country Quilts

"Night Blooms"

Today I have the honor of reviewing a book by our friend, Cheryl Wall of "Country Quilts" as part of her Blog Tour and Book Give Away.  

Cheryl at Buggy Barn Quilt Show (photo grabbed from Cheryl's Blog)

You may remembering Cheryl from one of our past couple Buggy Barn Outdoor Quilt Shows.  She’s been sitting at the Big Barn, under a display of her quilts, and signing books.  

Her newest title, "At Home with Country Quilts" is an absolute winner!  It’s packed with projects, one cuter than another!  And today, Cheryl is giving you an opportunity to win an autographed copy just by posting on my blog to this post.  I will be selecting a winner on August 16th.  

Star Gazing

Pam & I have always been fans of Cheryl and her primitive country style.  And she likes to use plaids as much as we do!  I also love the way she mixes patchwork and applique; the applique is always easy, and there's just enough, never over the top, so you never have to stop and ask yourself, do I really want to make this?  Regardless,  the answer will always be "Yes!"

And if you absolutely don't want to tackle any applique, Cheryl still has quilts for you.  I think I've decided (it's a very difficult choice!) that this "Twilight Stars" is  my favorite pieced quilt.  It makes me want to head to the barn and get some fabric!  But there are several other pieced-only quilts in the book, including a very cute "Shoo Fly Pie" and "Autumn Winds".  And best of all, we can always count on Cheryl's piecing directions to be clear and accurate.

But, I really think I must begin "Night Blooms".  It's calling my name...it's going to be a great table topper.  So many quilts, so little time! This is a great book and you will want it for your library!  Head over and order your copy today!  And be sure to let us know if you'd like a kit for your favorite quilt!  

Thanks to Cheryl for hosting this blog hop.  Check out her blog to see who else has been reviewing her book.  Be sure to comment to this post for your chance to win! 

Groucho driving Miss Daisy

We recently hauled a trailer full of household items to California where our oldest son will be starting grad school.  Just look what long days trapped in a car with with three men in a hurry to get where they are going  can produce!  Around about Bend, Oregon, as I was working on these brand new Haunting Halloween blocks of the month, it became apparent that "Groucho driving Miss Daisy" was a pretty accurate description of me and my husband.  He wouldn't let me drive, not that I wanted to, but it is good form to offer, but it's not much of an offer since I know he doubts my abilities pulling a trailer:  I may not be able to back up, but I do just fine full speed ahead!  Anyway, Zack, who was driving his car, led us into downtown Bend for lunch.  "Just park on the street" he says, but hello, parallel  parking with a trailer?  That is even a test for Tom! Yes, Groucho did momentarily rear his head but thankfully, for all of us, we found a nice empty block of meters that we could just pull into.  Tom was actually a trooper the whole trip.  He even posed with me for this picture:

After finishing the Halloween blocks, I moved on to "Fresh Picked Posies".  I only had two borders left, and look!  They, too are finished and the quilt is off to Karen, our quilter, who promises to have it done in time for our quilt show. I love the way this turned out.  Those borders are so worth it!

Next up, were the blocks for "Cabin in the Pines" block of the month.  I thought I was maybe a little too ambitious taking all the blocks with me, but I actually got all of them done except two and it's way better to have too much applique than to run out and have too much time on my hands.  Here are the blocks back home hanging in the barn.  This is going to be such a cute quilt!

Even with all the applique, and setting up his apartment, and shopping for all the things we forgot, we did manage to squeeze in some fun.  We rode our bikes along the ocean; there's a great bike path and you can ride from one beach to the next and enjoy the scenery!  Then, on the way home, we detoured and made the trip to Yosemite National Park.  We got there late in the day, just in time for sunset.  It was beautiful with the sun on the monuments. It wasn't a great time to see all the different water falls or mirror lake, but we had a great time.  

On the trip home, we were all riding in the same car, having left Zack's car to hold his parking slot!  It's been a few years since we've all taken  a road trip together and as usual, all three boys were giving me a hard time about my singing....I have a tendency to make the words up as I go.  And then, I saw this bulletin board.  Finally, someone who understands me!