It's time for change.....

Greetings, from Wild Wonderful West Virginia!

I haven't written on this blog for some time. Those of you who followed me on FaceBook and Instagram - pretty much the same. I had taken a break from all social media. I had been checking in and reading things here and there, but I didn't post.  The QuiltersRidge page on FaceBook has already been shut down and my personal page will remain.

My life has changed in so many ways in the last five years. Some good, some sad, some horrific changes, and some so absolutely fantastic moments in the past five years ---- but all have led me to where I am today. I still love living in the mountains. I'm still doing a little sewing here and there, for myself personally.  I will no longer be designing for the public. 

My website offering all of my published designs will be closed by mid-November. Any designs of mine will only be offered on Etsy.com as PDF downloads.

     

     

     

This blog is in the process of transferring over to my new website. I'll post the new link here when it is ready and I invite all my friends and post followers here on the blog to come and visit my new landing spot.

While quilting will always be a part of my life, I need a change. I have had a burning desire for something different. I will be using my new website and blog to share my journey to becoming an author. Sure, I'm already an author as some of you know, I have several published quilting and/or rug hooking books already, 

    

    

    

and I've been blessed to be a part of a few collaborated books that have been published.....

    

     

and I've been so fortunate that my designs were chosen to be published through the years by two of the best magazines in the Quilting Industry..... here's a few from American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine and also Primitive Quilts and Projects! (to see all my designs that were in these two excellent magazines you can follow this link to my website, while it's still available online --- Quiltersridge.com

    

    

    

but I have a story to tell --- several actually. To be honest, I've always had a story to tell. I've always had a quizzical and adventurous mind. Always asking why and what if. Always imagining characters and stories to go along with my quilt designs.

I have always loved reading - almost every genre. I've enjoyed adventures through the words of some fabulous authors. I've learned new things. I've met a few authors. 

My What If --- is now leading me to write my own novels and adventures.  Actually, I have been writing on the first novel in the series for a few months now and I'm enjoying my time creating wonderful characters in a world partly imagined and but mostly real. The setting of my first (in a series)  novel is here in West Virginia, a small wonderful town named Lewisburg in Greenbrier County. My main character Grace, has found herself moving back to her childhood home in Lewisburg and her journey is.......well, I'll tell you more about that later!

I have no publisher, no agent, no nothing at this time except a document with thousands and thousands of words. I'm so very excited and curious about where this next adventure will lead me.

Won't you join me on my journey to becoming a published author? The year 2021 will be the year I search for an agent who can represent me and find a publishing house that will be a perfect fit for my novels.

I will post links to my new website soon. The blog will be on the webpage and I'll post on it every now and then. I will be doing an overhaul on my Instagram and Facebook accounts also. 

I hope you will continue to follow me. I have so much to share. You'll be invited into my world, I'll share photos of my cabin in the mountains and the little town I now call home....

the gorgeous views I have from my mountaintop home,

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share my writing space, probably still share quilting adventures and projects I'll work on for myself. There's my gardening to share. I love to cook --- so don't be surprised by recipes I may share with you that are some of my favorites!

My fur children, Dalilah and Daisy (the dogs) who share their home with Hank and Hazel (the cats).

I'll for sure be sharing tons and tons of photos around Lewisburg and surrounding towns in Greenbrier County ---  and probably some historical facts.

     

    

   

    

    

    

     

I'll introduce you to Grace and probably Jake, and of course, you have to meet Aunt Lou and Uncle Joe. Then there's Walt - oh my he's a character you won't want to miss and you'll never forget him. And then there's sweet Mary with a heart of gold and Miss Wanda who tells it like it is and has the most hysterical spinster life..........But I'll just stop there for now. Oh, but I cannot wait for you to meet them all!

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Be nice to me or you'll be in my next book! (I just love this quote!!!)

Day #26 Snowflake Applique Pillow Tutorial

Snowflake Applique Pillows

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I love the anticipation of the holiday, the hustle and bustle and all the preparations. I hate to see it go, but life must move on.

And so today I share with you this cute applique pillow design I found. I figured snowflakes are perfect decor for the home after the Christmas Trees start coming down.  

While I love these pillows just as the designer shows them, I envision them made up in fabrics of blues and whites and silvers. Kind of like the fabrics I show above. Soft, subtle blues, silver snowflakes on white, maybe a few tone on tone fabrics. You get the idea.

Maybe a little more sparkly fabric tossed in here and there if that's more your style. And maybe even some type of fringe as an accent?? Hmmmm.....

Then probably for my own personal tastes in my bedroom - I could envision making this design using some tiny homespun plaids in blues for the background fabric and a good, pretty off white and tan plaid homespun for the snowflake design.

I'm a homespun, country, primitive, traditional kind of girl at heart. My home is almost always decorated to reflect that. During Christmas and the winter season afterward though, well, I do have older children and their tastes are different than mine. So we mix and match a lot around here because when they come home, I want them to enjoy it here and see some of their favorite things from their childhood! It's a hodgepodge of tastes and holiday decor but it works for us and everyone enjoys it!

So, today makes day #26 of this Blogging Challenge that I've accepted and so far so good. I've also done pretty well so far with finding Christmas and Holiday items to share with you on my blog. But the challenge is about to get real folks. Christmas is over, so now I must push harder to find more great projects to share with you. So today that is on my list of items to accomplish as well as typing a few thousand words into my book, and spending time with family. Oh and probably some quilting thrown in there to round out my day!

Have an awesome day!