To Shallotte, the Brunswick Quilters, and back again

No time to sit around…

On Tuesday morning I was heading a little further South to Shallotte (pronounced shall-oat) to meet the Brunswick Quilters and share The Language of Flowers with the ladies there.

It was a smaller group than the day before but they all posed enthusiastically for a photo.We even found someone celebrating their birthday by coming to guild, and a newlywed of just two years.

After the meeting everyone set to work to rearrange the room, ready for a half day Walking Foot Quilting class.
Lots of straight lines, serpentines and even a few spirals appeared during the afternoon. Let’s hope there will be a few more finished quilts in the quilters’ futures?

Work over, time to go back to Michelle’s house for a couple of fun days.

It took me a while to get it together on Wednesday but we did eventually set off for old Wilmington. I had picked up several leaflets on my travels and we decided to visit the Burgwin-Wright House. Tours are every hour on the hour and we had just missed one so we had time to wander the gardens before we explored the house.

It kept threatening to rain but I got some pictures to share.

Fig and pomegranate trees in the orchard,
a close-up of the center-piece. I’m not sure if it is a sun dial. There wasn’t a lot of sun at that point!Up the steps through the terraces,to the lilies growing in the dipping pool.A view of the back of the house with sleeping porches and newer addition,and back to the front of the house. I do like taking pictures of windows!
There were just the two of us on our tour, so we got a personalized trip around all four floors. I found out that Colonial refers to the period before 1776… when the States were considered a colony… That makes sense? You don’t know if you don’t ask 🙂

I needed a picture of this beaded purse. Someone liked the beaded arch edging as much as I do!The kitchen was in a separate building. Don’t you like the punched pattern on the food safe? (A piece original to the house)After all that education we took a stroll along the water front and enjoyed a snack at one of the little cafes with a lovely view.

On Wednesday evening we took a drive to the ocean, less than two miles from Michelle’s home. Clouds were gathering so there wasn’t very much time to look. It didn’t look too bad to the South but the waves were getting bigger and it started to pour just as we returned to the car.

We went back on Thursday morning and this time the sun was shining so we were able to take a walk down the beach, there and back again!My phone told me it was a two mile stroll so no wonder I dozed off in the chair before we joined some of Michelle’s friends in her stitch group in the afternoon…

All too soon it was time to make our way to the airport ready to fly home to Chicago. Another first… I booked a taxi and  rode home in style just as the sun was setting.

Thank you Michelle and Nancy and everyone else that made me feel so welcome!

Since then I’ve been kept busy. Julia and family arrived Friday evening. A trip to IKEA and yard work entertained us yesterday. I’ve started a new project that I won’t be able to show you for a while. There will be an embroidered butterfly on Wednesday but the wool appliqué version will just have to wait 🙁

I’m going to be fully occupied getting ready for STITCHES Midwest over the next few days. If you have been procrastinating about booking a class and you’ll be in the area, there are still spaces in most of mine. (details by clicking the STITCHES button at the side)… I will have lots of quilts on display, both my Trip Around the World quilts and all the quilts from my book will be exhibited on the show floor. I’m doing a tour at lunchtime every day in the playground area, and there are book signings arranged too.

Meanwhile the laundry is ready to fold…