Author Archives: Paula

When I first bought this piece of land in Arkansas and dreamed of living in the woods, I named the land Cedar Hill in honor of an ancient cedar tree located near the well and chimney of the 1880s homestead. … Continue reading →

“Measure twice, cut once. Use the right tool for the right job. Keep the work site tidy to prevent accidents. Enjoy the process–admire each step of the work.” These “rules” I learned in 1987-88 as Jeanne and I worked under … Continue reading →

“Tiny rituals hold together the seams of human life”, by Maggie O’Farrell in The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox When I visited the east coast recently I was able to visit with three different sets of friends. While staying with … Continue reading →

For me, thrift store shopping is full of thrills! Whenever I travel, I always seek out thrift store spots. I’m able to mingle with the locals, and I may discover a unique treasure. Martha and I stopped at a thrift … Continue reading →

On Saturday, Martha and I drove to Allenhurst, NJ (less than an hour from her home) because I wanted to visit the shore sometime during my stay with her. It was a cloudy, gray day, and the shore was almost … Continue reading →

After sitting through a long-winded description and proscription on how to best please quilt judges, I was ready for another version of reality. Those of us who don’t see quilting as a “competitive sport” need to be heard too. For … Continue reading →

“In it’s simplest form, a quilt is just some fabric and a little bit of thread. It’s up to you to decide how to put it together.” YLI ad in QNM, March 2000 Every quilter has scraps. We all have … Continue reading →

My first morning on Crete, I went out before 8:00 a.m. in search of an offering for the altars we would prepare on later days. I chose this Cretan honey, in part, because it comes in this small shapely glass … Continue reading →

Alchemy: a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination. “When you love something like reading—or drawing or nature (Paula adds quilting)—it surrounds you with a sense of connection to something greater. If you are lucky enough to know this, … Continue reading →

When Jeanie Wyatt taught an “Improvisational Quilting” class at the Fayetteville library, I signed up immediately! With her encouragement I selected scraps from the mountain of odds and ends of fabric she provided. After showing several examples of her own … Continue reading →