Brazos House Winter Tweener Time

What exactly is Tweener Time?  I've been asked that quite a bit lately.  Well, in short, it is the time "between" back to back retreats.  I am able to stay at the house and Kay allows a few to stay with me.  They, who pay for BOTH retreats, become the tweeners and for a small additional charge, they can join in for the extra days.  There are quite a few who buy both retreats and then go home in between as well, for I am only allowed a certain number to stay.  Thus, this afternoon (Sunday) our tweener time has arrived.  The house is quiet. Oh so quiet and each person goes about doing their own thing and napping takes a major role.

I have opted to work on my QAYG project and am joining columns and adding sashing.  Karbach Chocolate Stout is on my agenda for the evening and life is just dang good.

Brazos House - Winter Wonderland Retreat

2019 has arrived and enough days have passed to arrive at January 31.  Why is that so special?  Well, it's easy.  It denotes that retreat time has begun once again and this time ---- I get to play for 10 days.  Woot woot.  I have packed and repacked.  Purged and packed some more.  My car is loaded to the gills -- no joke.  It is level all the way through the passenger seat in the front.  Please, please, please let a whole lot less come home with me.

By 8 a.m., I am arriving at my home away from home and it truly does feel like those trips back to see family.  Peace is settling in and even though work is ahead of me, I'm super excited.

Through the gate and here come the donkeys.  Braying and running to say hi.  Ahhhh, my soul.

2019 January Quilt Update

Hello and welcome to the first Monthly Quilt Update of 2019.  Can you believe I have been doing this for 4 solid years now?  Whoa.  No wonder my fingers hurt sometimes.  Have you joined us in our theme for this year?  Do you know what it is?  Here is your hint and if you want to know all about it -- here is your LINK.  Always remember that in this group all links open in a separate window so you don't lose your place here AND there are no ads or popups EVER.

If you are new to the blog, you may be asking, "just what is a monthly update?"  I decided long ago that I just can't keep up with blogging daily.  I just can't.  Sooooo, what happens is I document a day in my life within one post and if something special happens, a separate post takes place.  See, you can stay caught up with a once a month check and then, if you're interested, see the other posts too.  It's a great system for me.

Miller's B&B Winter Gathering

Back in November, a group of us attended the Houston International Quilt Festival and were gobsmacked by some rulers and a QAYG method we had not tried before.  Naturally, the rulers came home with each of us and we made plans to learn the method together, while enjoying Lake Athens and Miller's B&B.  Yep, pretty much invited ourselves and now here we are and it's time to see what we can do.  Lydia, Rocky and I leave Dallas  BRIGHT and EARLY and are at  Sherri's by a little after 9.

Needle Niche in Athens

Our little friendly retreat is making a quick trip into Athens, which means a stop at The Needle Niche.  What an awesome little shop.  I don't even know if I should say little.  It's renovated from an older home and each room is chock full of goodies.  I LOVE the rock work outside --- all the way up to the chimney.  My heart is happy just looking at the exterior and, yet, I know what the inside holds.  Or at least I think I do.

Waco Shop Hop

It's time --- it's time!!  January means the Waco Shop Hop and a chance to see friends once again.  It signals the end of the holiday friend fast and I am ready. 

Rocky and I are out of town bright and early meet up with Sherri, Paula, and Karen for breakfast.  Arriving in Waco far quicker than we expected, we decide to head over to the Waco Suspension Bridge and watch the sunrise.  It's really quiet and the early morning calm is perfect.

Good Fortune - Clue 7 - Bonnie Hunter - Mystery Quilt

Happy New Year!!!

Bonnie dropped a new clue along with the ball in New York -- right at midnight.  Somehow I made it long enough to check it out and then was off to bed.

She's a tricky one.  This year, for the first time since I've been doing these mysteries, it was not the reveal, but another step.  I LOVE IT!!  We will be building some of the units together to make the blocks go a bit quicker.  For me, that means heaven.

Now, a few hours later and with some sleep in me, I am ready to tackle part of this clue.  We are turning our four patches into 16's with a great pattern being generated as well.  Easy Peasy and it is quickly complete with both sets.