Welcome! I am Tu-Na.
Merely two years ago, Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats was born. During these two years, I’ve learned a lot. Much of what I’ve learned has been from participating in several New Quilt Blogger’s Blog Hops. I’ve also learned a lot by trial and error. Tu-Na Helper says that I’ve taken my blog from being my part-time hobby to a full-time hobby.
He is right and that’s why my blogging tip for you as well as all my readers is to develop balance in your quilting and blogging life. One has to have time to quilt so that one has material to blog about as well as have time to blog so that readers will stay involved and come back for more. I’m still trying to figure out where housework and cooking fit into this scheme.
For those of you stopping by on the New Quilt Blogger Hop, welcome to my blog.
Here’s a few frequently asked questions
Who is Tu-Na Helper?
Tu-Na Helper is my husband of 43 years. My sister suggested his name when she came with us for one of the days on the Quilt Minnesota shop hop almost three years ago. The name stuck.
Here he is rising to the challenge of closing the overstuffed scrap bag (Tu-Na Travels: Day Five, 274 Miles, 8 Shops, Only 27 Shops Remaining).
He’s even been recognized, more so than me, when we’ve gone places. He’s not afraid to enter a quilt shop or give me his advice on color schemes. He’s knowledgeable in quilting terms and techniques and can even identify manufacturers of fabric lines; read here to find out how I learned that.
What Does Your Name Mean?
I am frequently asked about my name, Tu-Na. I wrote my very first blog post here telling about the cute little story of how my name came to be. Please take a few minutes to read it if you haven’t. You can also find the definition of my name on my sidebar. If you are reading it on your computer or tablet, it is displayed on the right side of this post. For those of you reading this on your phones, the info on my sidebar displays at the bottom of my post. Scroll down (or up) to check it out.
What Kind of Quilter are You?
I started piecing and quilting when I was 16. In fact, I wrote my second post (Tu-Na Quilts: My First Quilt) explaining how I made it and why I will never see it again. Here’s a quilting tip for you — Label your quilts, photograph the front and back of it, and write a detailed document including the pattern(s) used, size, your piecing and quilting process, and the fabrics (fabric swatches are nice, too), threads, and batting that you used. If you take the time to make a quilt, take a few extra minutes to photograph it and document about it before you send it away.
This is my latest finish. You can read more about it here (Tu-Na Quilts: The Elephant Quilt is Done).
I make a variety of wall quilts, (You can read more about my Art with Fabric entry -Sunflowers-If van Gogh Were a Quilter, and the Quilter’s Laundry Day mini (the lighthouse paper pieced block is only 4″.)
functional quilts,
You can read more about this quilt that I gifted to my great nephew here (Tu-Na Quilts: Second Entry in Quilt Blogger’s Festival).
table toppers, pillows, and mug rugs. I also sew pincushions, aprons and more.
These 5″ mug rugs are paper pieced. You can read more about them here (Tu-Na Quilts: Can It Get Any Smaller Than This.
Do You Design Patterns?
I designed a coneflower block as part of a hop almost two years ago.
Anne’s flower pattern is available in Tu-Na’s Pattern Shop on Payhip here.
Lately, I’ve been refining my pattern designing skills. I teamed with other quilt bloggers to become Partners in Design.
We will kick off our Fall into a Quilt-A-Long (Fall into a QAL) next week on the 15th with the release of the first block. There’s still time to gather your fabric to join in with the fun. Oh, and there will be great giveaways, too. You can find more information on my QAL introductory post here. I will be releasing my block pattern on September 4th.
Since I can’t share any pictures of my upcoming pattern, I thought I’d share a picture of the quilt I am still working on from the I Wish You a Merry QAL.
It just needs the sashing and borders. I’ve drawn an elaborate sashing which is why I haven’t finished it yet. You can read more about this quilt here.
Do You Belong to Any Groups?
I enjoy making blocks and joined three online Bee groups last year but only two this year. When it was my turn last year to be the Queen in the Bee Inspired group, I asked my Bee Mates to make me poodles.
You can read more about this poodle here (Tu-Na Quilts: A French Poodle for Moi). I also guest posted on the Bee Inspired blog last June. Find links to all my Paris adventures and misadventures posts as well as block tutorials here (Tu-Na Travels and Quilts: Day Eight in Paris and Assembling the Poodle).
My favorite bee block that I made was for Emily in the Bee Inspired group. She asked us to make a shelf of books and invited us to add something to the shelf pertaining to the category we’d chosen.
You can read more about this block here (Tu-Na Quilts: Mixing Around and Having a Lot of Fun and also here (Tu-Na Quilts: A Cookbook Shelf for Emily) on the Bee Inspired Blog
What Do You Write About?
I write about the things that I enjoy doing: quilting, eating (ok. cooking and baking but that didn’t sound good in the title), and traveling. I may travel as close as the neighbors to take pictures of their amazingly beautiful cactus…….
I’ve photographed and posted pics of beautiful blooming cacti each spring. You can find more pics of the one above here. I’ve also captured cacti in Christmas attire the past two years. Use the archive search box on my sidebar and search December 2016 and December 2017 to see interesting Christmas yard displays in Arizona.
……or travel around the entire state of Minnesota on their annual Quilt MN Shop Hop and post about the fun things we see and do.
What do two quilters have in common? They both want the same fabric! Read more about Day Seven of the 2017 Quilt MN Shop Hop here. You can find more shop hop post links in my menu at the top under….Shop Hops.
I’ve also written about some of the good things I like to bake and eat.
My family uses egg yolk paint to decorate sugar cookies. I’ve listed the recipe here (Tu-Na Eats: Painted Christmas Cookies).
Still Curious?
You can read more about me and my journey here or on my New Quilt Blogger introductory posts here and here.
If you are new here, please consider following me on my journey by subscribing to my blog using one of the ways found on my sidebar: email, WordPress, or Bloglovin. I’d enjoy having you as part of my reading family.
Visit the Other Members of my Team and the Other Hives
Rashida @ No. 3 Quilt Studio
We are mentored/hosted by Tish @ Tish’s Adventures in Wonderland. I’ve met Tish in person and she is as delightful as her blog. Her husband, David, is also a quilter. He brings her flowers in the form of floral fabric layer cakes. Be sure to enter the giveaway.
More New Quilt Bloggers Also Found Here
Then pop on over to our other Co-Hosts as they each introduce two more new quilt bloggers. You can enter the giveaway on any of the Co-Host blogs as it is the same.
Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts I’ve met Beth in person, too, Beth has a sunny disposition which fits perfect with her hive’s hop button. I’ll guess you’ll just have to go visit her to see it.
Jennifer @ Dizzy Quilter Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom who started quilting when she had a toddler so that she had at least one thing that she could control. Sounds like a good reason to me.
Sandra @ Musings of a Menopausal Melon-mmmQuilts (mmmquilts) Sandra and I have many things in common besides the love for fabric and family. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her better through the last several years and following her journey on her blog. She loves to photograph her finished quilts in trees and we love to see them there.
What I Learned Today:
- I have not written many Tu-Na Eats posts. It’s not from a lack of food (according to the scale) or from a lack of ideas (I have lots of recipes, ideas, and pictures) but more from a lack of time. I need to write more of them.
- I have 7 more days of fun in the sun for this year then Winter Camp for Seniors will be over until fall.
- 103 degrees is very warm. North Dakota will feel cold to us when we return.
- It is impossible to get cold water out of my water faucet anymore. I have to add ice cubes to the water when I wash lettuce or cool down boiled eggs.
- There are only 80 days until the 2018 Quilt Minnesota Shop Hop begins.
- Thinking about #5 is almost as much fun as Christmas!
Question: Do you prefer to be warm or cold? I’d rather be warm and have cold drinks. I will be posting my recipe for delicious Strawberry Lemonade later this week. Last year when we left our winter home, it was 107 degrees and we came into 60 degree temps when we arrived in North Dakota. That felt cold.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
Linking to:
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
I can’t say that I really like being cold or warm. I suppose I’d have to say cold, since I can always put on more layers, but there’s only so much that can be taken off! It seems that in Minnesota we have mostly extremes of temperatures. I would like to have more of the mid-range temps. We have had low 80s for a couple of days, but by Friday, it will only be in the mid 50s. I would enjoy meeting you during the Quilt MN Shop Hop, but I will probably only get to the metro area shops. I have signed up for the bus to ride to all the Twin Cities shops. It’s so much easier than driving to all of them, especially by myself. I could use a Tu-Na Helper of my own!
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Hi Karen,
You made me laugh at the beginning of your post when you said, “I’m still trying to figure out where housework and cooking fit into this scheme.” As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t. However, it is a necessary thing once in a while!
I’ve lived where it was -40 degrees at times in the summer and another where it was + 33 C (91F) and humid most of the time … I didn’t care for either. I now live on the West Coast – where temperatures are more moderate … and I’m happy with that!
Happy Quilting! 🙂
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That post was awesome…and a trip down memory lane for me. What great adventures you have. I think I am almost as eager as you are to start your quilt shop road trip. As for warm/cold…I think it’s nice to be able to do things outside in the summer, but nicer to be curled up under a warm blanket in front of the fire with a blizzard raging outside and a hot toddy in your hand and your sweetie by your side. My point is as long as I’m warm and comfy (without resorting to a wool sweater, long John’s, leggings, heavy parka and snow boots), I’m happy.
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oops … it was -40 in the winter (not summer)!
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Hi Karen, Good memories reading through this post! I really enjoyed our first blog hop and hope you’re having as much fun this time too!
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We used to summer in Lemmon, South Dakota. I remember we went in May one year, and it was mid-June before we warmed up! I love every cactus picture you post. They make me homesick, but it’s still great to see them! I always enjoy these hops, and I liked learning more about you. I think I started following you during your Minnesota hop two, or maybe three years ago. It’s always so much fun to read your adventures, and I appreciate the time you take to write them. My Christmas top is together and waiting for quilting money. I spent it on fabric for the Fall QAL! LOL
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Omgosh I love your 🐩 poodle quilt, this is so cool, love it 💕
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That Christmas quilt is such fun! Looking forward to seeing it completed. As for temperature…My absolute favourite is when I leave the snow of my northern home, and the plane door opens to reveal heat.
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What a great read, thank you!!! I participated in the I Wish You a Merry QAL and am so looking forward to the upcoming Fall into a QAL! I don’t tolerate hot weather very well and, having always loved snow and cold, am slowly liking the cold a little less. On the plus side, I accomplish far more quilting and baking during the winter!
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I definately Love to be warm! 85 + is ideal for me!
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Thank you for your post. I’ve followed you since last year! I love your blog. Looking forward to the strawberry lemonade recipe. I’ve really enjoyed your quilts and posts. Thanks for all that you do. Have a wonderful day, you and Tuna Helper also!! angielovesgary2 atgmail dotcom
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Hi Karen,
What a fun, (re)introduction post! I just love the way you write and your sense of humor, not to mention all the different topics you share with us. Tu-Na Helper is a keeper, and I’m getting excited about the MN shop hop because you take us along on your travels. I guess I enjoy the cold more than the hot – you can always add clothes to get warm but you can never take off enough to be cool. 107 IS very HOT! ~smile~ Roseanne
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Hi Karen, I really enjoyed reading your post! I too am trying to figure our where cooking and cleaning fit in :). All of your quilty projects are beautiful especially the I Wish You a Merry Christmas QAL — can’t wait to see your finish! Mr. Tu-Na Helper is definitely a keeper!
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Karen, I always enjoy your posts. Looking forward to seeing your block in the upcoming QAL.
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A lovely post! I prefer warmer temps, but not too hot..
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Hi Karen, I always enjoy your posts! Like I’ve said before, I think we could get into some serious trouble together – ha! I’m sure it will be hard to leave AZ but fun to come back to ND. The sun is shining here now, so I hope it’s not too chilly when you get back home. I prefer to be warm but have cold drinks. Except in the morning, then I like warm coffee!
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So fun to get to know you a bit better. I would rather be on the cool side, I hate heat.
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Love your poodle and I must like it warm as I live in Arizona where it is more than warm in the summer.
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I always enjoy your musings… I prefer to be warmer rather than colder. 80’s is ideal! What route are you taking home? Safe travels!
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interesting how you got the name Tu-Na lol – I’m just plain “grandma”
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Regarding housework and cooking, to me they’re wa-a-ay down on the priority list after all things fabric and quilting and blogging. You’ve got me beat – I don’t bake and just barely cook.
I love your cactus photos. I’d love to meet you someday after I move to AZ.
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loved reading your post Karen and getting reacquainted with you. I am ashamed to say I am delivering my son’s wedding quilt this week and it has NO label. I did mean to. I always mean to. Loved the photo of the helper, I think he needs a promotion. My quilt holder upper has been sick this week and not available for any holding up, he needs to get back into action. What you say about the balance is true. My holder upper says I exchanged part time work for full time quilting. And like yourself, I intended to blog about food, baking and wine drinking, that never happens, not in the blog anyway!
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I’ll take the 100 degree temps in central Texas over snow anywhere! We recently moved from Texas to southern Alabama, so it’s still nice and warm most of the time. Loved seeing your work!!
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Hi Karen, I enjoy each of your posts. Today especially when I am able to see more into your life. Your stories are great. I enjoy the warmer weather until I have to be outside in it too long. I live down in the South and wouldn’t know what to do if any snow came down and stayed longer than 4 hours.
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Love your post about you! You are definitely busy. Love that your hubby travels and knows things about quilting to offer advice. I actual like colder weather always have.
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I am still amazed every time I see that tiny 4″ quilt on a quilt 🙂 I’ve always loved your Quilter’s Laundry Day mini. It was great to meet you in real life and hope we get to meet again soon. I can’t believe Tu-na Helper just won’t give up and join us. He’s a great quilting side kick…he just needs to take his first official stitch 🙂
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Your work is beautiful, and great to read your story! I got a kick out of “TU-NA Helper” – I have a husband that helps out on crafting projects too 🙂
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Great post Karen! I’m definitely a cool girl but our winters are very mild here and summers are scorchingly hot frequently over 100 degrees.
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Hello, I’m a Cool Girl! Like cool summers and our Rocky Mtn. winters! Thanks for sharing!
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So nice to meet you, again, in this years hop! Always new and entertaining information – thank you, Karen. Some recipes would be fun – have you fallen into the Instant Pot rabbithole? I have but haven’t done much in recent weeks.
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Yes, nice to meet you again. I prefer to live in a place with moderate to cool temperatures. If it’s hot outside (above 27 C/80 F) I just want to stay indoors with air conditioning. However, I love to cozy under a quilt and read or just imagine.
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Cooking and cleaning? What’s that…?! I would much rather be in the cold and have a hot drink and a warm quilt over me 🙂 Lovely to meet you and your blog! xx
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Hello Karen! What a fun blog hop introduction and wonderful tips! I too need to find that balance between quilting, posting, and living. Your Tuna Helper is a wonderful man to get into the fun of things! And as a fellow Arizona Girl, I much, much, much, prefer the heat. There is something about the warm sun on your skin and the wide open spaces with a view of the whole sunset that just makes me happy:) Have a wonderful blog hop today! –Tracy
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As always, such a pleasure to read your posts, which invariably give me a good chuckle. Love your dry sense of humour! ‘where cooking and cleaning fit in’ –hit and miss is my new mantra! Beautiful work, and yes, finding the balance is always always a struggle.
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I have enjoyed following your adventures and seeing your pictures. We moved from central IL to AL five years ago. I started a list of “I know I live in the south because……..” One item on the list was “the water from the cold water tap finally gets cold by November.”
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Thank you for the lovely post, Now I know where the name comes from
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Hi Karen..what a great introduction. I`m glad we have met online. I really like your KitchenAid. that I will definitely do on a cover for my daughters. I`m a participant on the hop today and am overwhelmed with the traffic and the replying.
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I love the COLD! I get grumpy at 90 degrees and higher, my inner thermometer will go off when it’s 91!!! I’ve lived in So. California most of my life…go figure. Thank you for sharing today….enjoyed your post.
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Hi, Karen! Minnesota is in the 80s today, so maybe your return north won’t be such a shock, but cooler weather seems to be returning. I don’t like being cold at all, so I beg my husband for escapes south every winter (and secretly look at real estate in Florida). Maybe I’ll see you at the Minnesota Shop Hop! I bumped into Sherry of “Powered by Quilting” at the Twin Cities Shop Hop on Friday–so fun to meet her in real life!
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So glad to see the fabulous mixer make an appearance! I can’t wait to put those bookshelves together. I think I’d rather be warm! That’s why I left Minnesota and now live in North Carolina!
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Hello Karen and fellow HST! I did get curious about your first quilt story, and yes its sad that you don’t have it anymore. But I am sure its with someone who uses it and is grateful for it. I love you writing style it draws you into your blog 🙂
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Hi Karen. I have been following your blog for a while and really enjoy your cactus photos (the Christmas ones were awesome). I love the heat but live in British Columbia so we do get winter. Travelling south sounds like the best way to spend retirement to me! Bring on the heat!
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I am enjoying all the stories of the bloggers. I am especially interested in the tales of quilting from another Karen!
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Hello, nice to meet you. I would much rather be warm.
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I prefer to be cold since I can find ways to warm up more easily than to cool down.
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I am a regular reader of your blog and really enjoy it! I don’t like to be too hot as it makes me so tired I can hardly move!! If I can cover up with a cozy quilt, the cold might be easier to take.
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Karen, that was fun! I didn’t know you when you went to Paris, so I enjoyed reading about that. And about the temps up here, it’s gotten very hot very suddenly. I think it’ll be okay. Have a safe trip!
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Hello Karen, I really enjoyed reading your post today and all of your wonderful tales about your quilting adventures! Your husband getting the scrap bag to seal was fabulous and something my husband would also do. I will dream of some day getting to visit Gruber’s Quilt Shop because of the fun and fantastic way that you described your whole adventure there. I am very glad that you took the opportunity and asked the questions that made you a great new friend. I am also very glad that I have signed up to follow your blog. I somehow feel, I will learn a lot from you. Thank you for sharing and since it is late, I will wish you a fabulous day tomorrow.
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Hi Karen, it is great to read more about you! How fabulous that your husband is “in the know” about quilting and so supportive! I’m torn about whether I like hot weather or cold weather better, as I’m an indoor, 72 degree type of girl so it barely matters what is going on outdoors. But in general, I probably like hot weather better because I associate it with summer and fun.
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I always love your posts. I am keeping my husband out of my sewing room. Too OCD for me.
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Cool will do for me, can always get out the merino gear and light the fire. So good to see you here this year, and find out a little more about you and your helper.
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I like it cool when I sew and no sleaves…So I like it cool….always put more cloths on but you can’t take them all off to be cool …lol..nice quilts love the baseball one…. happyness04431@yahoo.com
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Hi Karen: I think if I didn’t work I would have the full time hobby of quilting and quilt blogging as well. Yours is looking wonderful.
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I agree about the housework and cooking too! I am still not sure where they fit in with everything else going on 🙂
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Hi Karen! Thanks for the fun post! I love blogs that feature both quilting and cooking. I definitely prefer to be warm. After long Wisconsin winters, it is a joy to feel the heat.
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Pleasure to meet you, and see all your hard work – especially enjoyed reading aboout the Merry Quilt-A-Long. I leave in Canada . . . and love the snow!
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I have been following your blog for a while, I guess since the last New Quilt Blog Hoppers. Thanks for all the great photos! Merry Quilt Along is coming out so cute!
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Hi Karen. I’m a loyal reader for the last year…since I found you through the New Quilt Blog Hop. You have a wonderful writing style and you never seem to be afraid to try a new project….when you have time! I love that you talk about things you learned today, the difficulty in balancing time and projects, the fun you have travelling, etc. I truly look forward to every post. I think your Christmas quilt will be lovely. Can hardly wait to see it finished. I think I will be making an elephant quilt for my sister soon. Yours turned out lovely.
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Hi Karen,
I’ve been reading your blog, from time to time, since we started blogging last fall. It has been so nice to “meet” you. I enjoy your sense of humor.
I’m still trying to figure out where cleaning house fits into my schedule too. One thing that I’ve started doing is using a timer, then I clean until it rings. Then I set it again and do something fun until it rings again. That way my house isn’t a total pit (only a partial pit) and I get to have some fun on my weekend. Lucky for me, my husband likes to cook so I don’t really have to worry with that when school is on and I’m working.
Happy quilting,
Sharon
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Love your post today, Karen. I always just smile when I read your rememberances of past events. It’s great to see that you’ve joined with others in this new endeavor. I’m looking forward to the MN hop antics this year. WOW 43 years! The other day I was thinking that I would have been married 44 years this year if my kids’ dad hadn’t walked out on us. We didn’t even speak for over 15 years. Then we did for a little bit and every time I saw him, he wanted to kiss me. I thought that was really weird. I told him that confused me and he said it confused him too and I haven’t heard from him since. He apparently still has issues. My son says he still asks our son about me when my son goes to visit him. I still don’t know what he was thinking. Maybe midlife crisis. I have no idea. As my son says – I’m much stronger now. As with my life, I’m looking forward to your next installment in your adventures.
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Hi Karen! So nice to learn more about you! I enjoy your blog. I definitely prefer warm!! I’m always cold – even in summer. I turn my AC up to about 80 until hubby gets home from work. Of course, when you go outside and it’s in the 90s, the cool does feel good! My perfect temp would be about 82 year round!! LOL
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THERE IS ONLY QUILTING AND BLOGGING. THERE IS NO ROOM HERE FOR HOUSEWORK AND COOKING. (I love “working” with you!)
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What a great post about who you are!! Thank you!! Since my body temperature is usually too warm–I prefer the air temperature to be on the cool side. Mind you not the 30 degrees below zero that it has been this winter. A temperate 70 degrees is just right for me!!
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I really loved seeing your beautiful quilts, big and small. Thanks for sharing your quilting story.
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Great Hubby story. Give him a big hug from us! Being hot or cold, for me, depends on what I am doing. Can’t snow ski in 95 degrees!
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Another great post Karen. The tip about balance is spot on. It’s hard for me to pull myself away from my sewing machine but when I do, I’m always glad I did.
Cheers
Terry
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I enjoyed reading your post and getting to know more about you. I prefer to be warm. I’m almost always cold, even in the summer.
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We all know that housework fits in here Nowhere! But we can keep pretending I suppose. I have loved your blog since the day I found it during the I Wish You a Merry QAL, and admire your cactus photography skills. Good luck on the designing venture,
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I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading your posts. I prefer colder weather rather than hot weather. I can always put on a sweater!
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I love your color scheme in the I Wish You a Merry QAL. I enjoy your blog. Your cactus photos are great.
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