A year ago today...

We were at a home fellowship gather this past Friday evening and the Father led us to a time of thanksgiving.  Sometimes, we are so busy going forward that we can sometimes miss the sweet memories that led us to where we are now.

A year ago we accepted an offer on our house and put that sold sign up.  We sold almost everything, bought an RV and truck in anticipation of a journey with God to parts unknown.

Boondocking at blueberry farm in Idaho

The day we took delivery of Max Blue (Aidan named the truck)

This post from March 31, 2022 tells the back story:  Dayspring Quilter On the Move

In hindsight, the Covid years were hard and took a toll on all of us.  We endured isolation, judgment, misunderstanding, lack of community and despair.  

We took a time out.  I put my quilting business on hiatus and my long arm in storage.  I spent two solid months scanning all the family photos.  We gifted some art pieces to friends.  We lived our last days in the house minus livingroom furniture but happy on lawn chairs. We packed a storage locker with our remaining precious items. We arranged for care for our doggies.  We had a hard but sweet goodbye with our son who wanted to remain in Victoria.  He had lived with us for 30 years and he said it was time for him to find his own way.   We stepped out in faith that God was leading us, all of us, and in hindsight we can say He certainly was.

Lovely farewell picnic before we left Victoria

And here we are a year later.  We are in a wonderful Church community, living in a beautiful part of the USA (Eastern Tennessee), with a new son-in-law and a new grandchild on the way, a new quilting studio and fabric store underway (The Stitchery LLC).  We are on a two year visa which is extendable so Tennessee is now home.  We sure didn't see that coming but are very thankful for where He led us and the spiritual journey that got us here. To God by the glory!!

The Lord has done so much work in our hearts with healing, recalibration, and restoration, that it was wonderful to pause on Friday night and speak out those prayers of thanksgiving.

Wow!  What a ride it has been.

Mavis

Never too old for a big change....

If you've been following me this past year, you probably know that my quilting business is on hiatus.  I described the journey in detail on the pages of this blog and have been anxiously awaiting some news so that I could share with you the direction I'm taking. Hubby and I applied for a VISA to stay in the USA (where our daughter married the most wonderful man).  

On February 14, 2023 the approval came through and I'm happy to announce that I will be setting up a long arm business, continuing what I was doing for customers in Victoria but adding a rental program component for those that would like to quilt their own quilts but cannot afford or don't have room to buy their own long arm. I am still a representative for APQS and will be adding machines for this purpose and my shop will be a mini APQS showroom.

The machines have been ordered (Lenni, Lucey, and Freddie with QuiltPath) and my Millie with QuiltPath will be joining the fleet.  My business will be called The Stitchery LLC.  I am currently trying to find a commercial location for the venture.  The machines are ready to ship now so I'm hoping this happens this week.  It was a 'hurry up and wait' scenario until the approval for the VISA came through and now it's full steam ahead to get up and running.  SO MUCH TO DO!!!

God has been faithful to lead me this far and the plan has taken shape slowly and methodically, including having my new best friend down here want to join me.  We lunch together every Friday and besides a beautiful friendship forming we have talked about her opening a fabric shop under the same roof as The Stitchery LLC (separate but complimentary).  We got all sorts of excited at this prospect!! Dreams do come true y'all!  Since I was a little girl I've wanted a store.  It took until retirement from a stressful legal career and a radical life change to bring it to fruition. And now I have a friend to do it with. And here we are.... We don't have everything quite figured out yet.  It's still all gelling.

I will be changing this page from Dayspring Quilt Company back to my personal blog in the near future.  It has chronicled my quilting journey and I don't want to lose that.  It served my purpose as a simple website for Dayspring but I will now need a more robust website.  I plan on a blog page on the new Stitchery website for the business but that is all still in production.  Like I said...SO MUCH TO DO!!!

You can visit my new business at The Stitchery LLC in the near future.  The website is still under construction so there's nothing to see there now but hopefully soon enough!

What a wild ride!  Thanks for following along and I'll see you at The Stitchery LLC!

Mavis

It's a Mystery! (quilt)

 In my previous post here I shared my photos of my fabric choices for the Bonnie Hunter Chilhowie mystery quilt which started on Black Friday. This was my post wedding project to help me transition to the next stage of our adventure on the road.

I haven't kept up with the clues (my normal) but have been very amazed at the reveal.  This is Bonnie's quilt:

I chose her colours this year basically because my stash isn't with me and it was just easier.  And of course it wasn't a chore to actually visit quilt shops in my area of Tennessee to find a suitable array of fabric.

Look at some of these other spectacular colourways and finishes.  I'm so inspired by these variations.

I'm plugging away at the steps.

This blocks gets enlarged once I get to the next step.  I'm LOVING this quilt.  

I ended up using Triangulations software for the hourglass units (quarter square triangles).  The accuracy when using these is amazing.  I'll be using them for all my triangle units in the remaining steps.  I don't mind tearing the papers off while watching a show.  And they are so uniform!  It makes the final product so much better.  If I had my Accuquilt Go cutter and dies with me then I'd probably use those but these are a great option when you don't have your tools with you.

I am up to Step 4 which is the hourglass units.  i've finished them all and they are neatly counted and in a ziploc bag awaiting their next step. 

Next up is some half square triangles.  And yes, I've got my Triangulations papers printed out and ready to process into fabric units.

Until next time,

Mavis

I was a self professed thread snob

This question was posted on a quilting group I follow on Facebook.


"Quilting police, ignore this post - I'd like to ask a question that may give some of you a coronary.....

New(ish) quilter here - I know why I'm not *supposed* to use those inexpensive overlock/serger polyester thread cones to sew quilts (thinner, doesn't show as much, hides stitches, etc), but why in reality is it actually "wrong" or "bad"? I've pieced and quilted (stitched in the ditch mostly) a few quilts with it, and I thought they've turned out great.
Cotton thread users, please set aside judgment/comments - I'm just looking for a way to enjoy my craft without breaking the bank.

Does anyone else use (or have you used) the overlock thread, and what have you found out? And if I do eventually switch to cotton to quilt, can I still piece with the overlock thread? Personal experiences only, please - I've done plenty of googling myself, but it's hard to trust since so many people get paid to advertise a specific brand.

PS new to the group - who is Jack?"

Image attribution

This was my answer to this new(ish) quilter.

I am a recovering thread “snob”. I was a cotton purist until I heard about long arm quilting with Glide poly. During this journey to thread freedom this is what I’ve learned:

1. Good cotton thread is strong and I prefer to piece with it. I use Aurifil mostly but also Connecting Threads brand for piecing.

2. Glide poly is slippery for piecing and stitches can unravel easily. I know this because my daughter used glide to make a quilt top that had lots of unraveling when I was quilting it for her. The price for Glide is reasonable. I almost exclusively use Glide for long arming but also love Superior but the price in Canada is 3x what a Glide is.

3. I had one of my first Bonnie Hunter quilts (Carolina Christmas) quilted by someone else and she used Cotton long arm thread. Within ten years I had to “skin” the quilt (unstitch the long arm stitches with “Jack”) because the cotton stitches were popping all over the quilt. I was so disappointed. But I ended up restoring it and I’m so glad I did. It was worth it to be able to keep one of my favourite quilts. But lesson learned about cheap cotton long arm thread. The snap test is what I use for determining if I will use it. (PS - Jack is a stitch ripper).

Before restoration.  Stitches popping all over the quilt.

Before restoration

Restored.  New batting, new backing, new quilting with Glide thread.

3. Lint is a factor for me. Cotton thread is more linty for sewing machine and my long arm.
On a sewing machine it just means cleaning regularly. On a long arm it can cause stitch quality issues.

4. I echo what others have said about the technology of thread improving.

5. I still have some prejudice about serger cones, at least the cheapest ones, but I guess it stands to reason that technology has improved them as well.

Bottom line: 

I put my heart and soul into my quilts and I don’t want them falling apart prematurely because I used crappy thread. I use the best I can afford for fabric and thread and enjoy myself. I tend to keep from mixing fibers but it’s not a hard and fast rule. For example I make linen clothing and I use 100% cotton thread on it (both natural fibers) because linen thread is coarse, expensive and hard to come by. In my perfect world it would be linen thread too. I guess I really am a purist at heart.

So many good answers here. Enjoy your quilting journey

If you'd like to chime in on this thread conversation, leave me a comment.  I'd especially like to know:

1.  Your favourite thread for machine piecing;

2.  Your favourite thread for hand quilting;

3.  Your favourite thread for english paper piecing (ie hexies);

4.  Your favourite thread for binding;

5.  Your favourite thread for quilting (either by domestic or longarm).

And go!

Until next time,

Mavis

Time After Time sew-along

The cold weather in Tennessee has coincided with two less people in Harriet the Chariot, our trailer, thanks to last Friday's (11/11/22) wedding.

Please note:  these temperatures are in Fahrenheit.  You might otherwise think we are on a beach somewhere enjoying a second summer.

My daughter and I have enjoyed some wonderful times of outside sewing over the warmer months, but I'm now thankful that we have a new friend from Church that has a spare bedroom that she wanted to share with us so we can continue to sew on our linen projects in the colder winter months.

I'm also thankful that the bunk room formerly occupied by my daughter and grandson has been repurposed into an indoor sewing space for me. This means that my hubby can have more consistent use of the dining table in Harriet.

A room with a view!  And I'm using the kitchen island counter as my cutting and pressing station.  I'm so glad we brought our wool pressing mats.  They fit nicely on the counter (about the same size as the cutting mat pictured here).

I've been joining the Prairie Quilt Militia on a sew-along which started in the summer.  It's called Time After Time.  We've had a busy time since Sukkot so I've gotten a bit behind. I brought it out last night to get the steps I've missed caught up before the Chilhowie Winter Quilt begins on Black Friday.  I'd like to be current on this one and not be creating a UFO (unfinished object).

As of this morning, here's where I'm at:  Step 3 completed.  Step 6 is the current step released so I'm hoping to spend today getting more done.  But my family is on the way over for a short visit so time to tidy the 'cabin' and create some more seating.

This is where we are headed.  I love Sharon's designs (Sharon is the founder of Prairie Quilt Militia).

Gorgeous hey?  As you can see I didn't branch away from her colours.  I have varied tastes in fabric and design.  I love everything from solids, to Kaffe Fassett wild and bright, to more traditional civil war designs and colours like the ones for this quilt.  My favourite quilting expression is SCRAPPY but having donated a lot of my scraps with the remainder kept in storage back in Victoria, for this one I had to buy yardage.  I know...oh darn! ;)

And in pursuit of this yardage, I found my new favourite quilt shop here in Cleveland, TN.  

Here is the link to her website:  https://lanasquiltsandsewmuchmore.com/

It's a rancher style house on her acreage, with rooms and rooms full of beautiful fabrics and two long arms in a back room and a workshop.  

I'm feeling very blessed to have found a wonderful Church family, an extended family now with the addition of Jordan and his family to our life, some new friends and some great fabric shopping opportunities. And yes Hobby Lobby is a wonderful treat.

This empty nest is very quiet today.  No little boy climbing into Grandma's bed to warm those cold toes and for that morning snuggle.  I pulled out my new bread maker and am awaiting the first loaf.  Smells mighty fine in Harriet.

Now back to the cutting mat I go.  Stay tuned for the next instalment of my Time After Time quilt.

Mavis

And they are married....

In what can only be described as the best love story I've heard of in a long time Elizabeth and Jordan were married on Friday, November 11th at a winery/Greek Cafe in Athens, TN.

It was beautiful and tender and blessed by the Father.  What a journey to find each other.  What a blessing to watch the relationship sprout at Sukkot and be confirmed by multiple witnesses and then for the wedding to happen while Jordan's family was here for Thanksgiving. And what a joy to see my daughter find true love in a Godly man.  What I saw of him at Sukkot confirmed to me that he had the character, conviction, faith and substance of the man I've always dreamed my daughter would one day find.

So imagine  this ... we are camping...and he falls in love with her while she was in her camping "looks homeless" clothes, with no makeup, with a son and two parents in tow in a trailer.  Yup. That's exactly how it happened.  No pretenses at all on either side.  Raw and real, just the way it should be.

They are currently on their honeymoon close by and we have Aidan.  He keeps counting down the days until they will come and get him.  For this week, they are getting their home established and enjoying some 'no kid' time.

What does this mean for us now?  Well, since our driver went and got married  we can't drive the trailer back to Canada.  Not that we were wanting that though. We have found our 'tribe' down here in Tennessee and love it.  We are secure in our campsite over the winter.  And at some point in the future they will have more children and we'll want to be here for them.  So, we are looking into staying here permanently.  That will require something other than a tourist visa so that is in the works.  We are praying and waiting on the Father for further direction.   We are at a crossroads.  We didn't anticipate this when we set out on our adventure of a lifetime roadtrip.  But here we are and we are thrilled with where the Lord has led us.

This week I find myself missing those outdoor evening chats with my daughter over a glass of wine as we watched the Tennessee sunsets.  We lived in very close quarters for eight months.  While we got on each other's nerves as anyone would, it was a special time filled with wonderful memories.  I'm very happy for Liz and Jordan and Aidan.  This is the best outcome for them.  And we rejoice with them. As with all big life changes, this is bittersweet.  I'm so happy for them, but I'm missing my best buddy.

Winter has now set in and there are no evening campfires.  It's getting down to below freezing at night but warms up to about 50 degrees with beautiful clear skies and sunshine in the daytime. Sounds like quilting time to me.  How about you?  I decided that it wouldn't be a terrible idea if I started the Bonnie Hunter winter mystery.  So I found some fabric at the local quilt shops here and am ready for the first clue to drop on Black Friday.  Over the years, it has always come at the busiest time of year for me, but this year is different.  This year I'm in transition and I need some machine work while I process stuff.  This is my best time to hear from the Father, while my hands are busy. So I shall sew!

It's been a big year of change, adjustment, adventure, and challenge.  Now I need some processing time to adjust to our new life and the road from here. And I shall do just that while making something beautiful with a bunch of other quilters around the world.

If you want to join in it's not too late.  Visit Bonnie's blog here:  https://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/chilhowie-mystery.html for the colour choices.  This is where all the clues will be shared every friday from Black Friday through the New Year when the reveal is shared.

That's the latest update.  We've been recuperating from a whirlwind of a time planning and enjoying the wedding.  Just catching my breath and getting my bearings.

Next you will probably see some mystery quilt pictures and less about family.  This is a quilting blog of course, so that won't be unexpected.  But so many have shared with me that they wanted to follow our adventure.  Little did we know where it would lead.  Thank you for following along with our family.

Blessings on you!

Mavis

Quilting in small spaces...

I have a couple of quilting projects underway and I'm learning to pack them up after working on them and storing them away out of sight.  Gone is the sewing room and the associated clutter.  And I'm not sad about that.  We only have about 500 square feet in Harriet the Chariot (our RV) and we all have to keep our respective spaces available out of respect for the family members sharing the space.

During our time of seeking the Lord about selling the house and going on an adventure I was ready to leave quilting behind for the time being and take a time out.  It had become all consuming and I was ready to put my long arm in storage but not ready to sell it and do something else.  I didn't want to make a decision during a time of emotional upheaval.  The Covid years were very hard emotionally and I knew it wasn't a good idea to make a big decision when you're depressed.  So a time out it was!

I brought two piecing projects with me and my English Paper Piecing project (La Passion) hexagon quilt.  Since arriving in Tennessee, I designed a new quilt pattern which needed fabric and I also joined a sewalong which also needed fabric.  This was great retail therapy.

These are for a sewalong with Sharon Blackmore called "Time after Time"

I always loved little 3 1/2" nine patches.  A personal favourite!

And these are for my new pattern which is in the design process.  Those are dark greens and neutral batiks.

And this project was a simple 'flex your piecing muscles'.  I purchased some precut 2 1/2" squares and some white charm squares from a quilt shop somewhere along our journey. I decided to do some mindless piecing.  I wanted to make just a simple baby quilt and it went together very quickly.  I may still add a border.  We'll see.

It's not quite big enough for a baby quilt so at some point I'll consider adding that border but there's no hurry for it and it has now been safely 'stowed' with my other sewing projects.  

There is no hint of a quilter working in Harriet so I'm guessing I've got the quilting clutter under control...for today.

Happy stitching!

Mavis