Let me introduce myself...

Hi all!  Let me introduce myself, my name is Jodi Connors, I am a wife, mother, medical transcriptionist, and recently new quilter, this is my new-found passion. I have just been introduced to blogging in the recent months by surfing around on the internet for some new patterns and tutorials and happened on my first blog which was Primitive Gatherings, Lisa Bogean.  I love everything primitive, folk art, mountains...you get the idea.  I have found so many fun things to look at on these wonderful blogs and have been able to even feel connections with some of these ladies through their trials and fears, just to leave a comment that I would pray for them or whatnot, I would receive back the kindest little notes in my email in response thanking me. 

I live in Boone, NC, the western mountains of North Carolina.  I originally grew up in Wyoming, MI and from there move with my husband and children to Cape Coral, FL in 2002, we lived there for about 8-1/2 years and moved to North Fort Myers and lived there for about 2 years, but I was missing the change of seasons so we decided to look for the seasons.  My husband could not handle the harsh winters that Michigan gave, so we decided to go about half way back and settled in Boone, NC, home of Appalachian State University, where my son, Nick was hoping to attend for his building/construction management career.  Through many prayers and tears we started our journey.

I have always loved crafts of all sorts, my mom started me very young cross stitching, rug hooking, and many other little crafts that I picked up along the way.  I started knitting and crocheting through many classes that I purchased through Craftsy, completely self-taught, but I got bored with that and I was browsing on Craftsy one afternoon and found Jenny Doan's class called Quilting Quickly, because I am a person who likes instant satisfaction...I purchased the class and watched intently and fell in love with it...I still did not have a sewing machine yet, but wanted desperately to start, I started piecing by hand, he saw that I was not getting the results that I wanted quickly.  In August 2013, my husband, Brett surprised me, when our family was on a little trip to Virginia, he brought me to JoAnn and I picked out my first sewing machine (Singer One), my first fabric and some assorted notions (you know the basics, rotary cutter, mat, rulers, etc...).  I could not wait to get home and start.  While we were on our trip we had stopped at many stores and did our usual antiquing, something that Brett and I both enjoy, the kids, not so much, and I found a booth of tons of civil war-inspired fabrics, I bought up as much as my arms could hold.  Now I really wanted to get home and start.    

That is pretty much how it all started.  I have made a few select things, but mind you I am still learning, completely self-taught with the help of Craftsy.  I hope this journey takes me to many satisfying creations.  I also have recently picked up applique and really love the hand work involved in that too...we will see what I come up with.  I challenged myself to make a couple of gifts for my mom for Christmas, a pieced throw made from a jelly roll and a pillow.  Well, needless to say, Christmas came and went and no gift for mom, I finally finished it the middle of January, not too bad.  I still did not know how to free motion quilt, so I decided to do what Cindy Needham says...ESS (every stinkin stitch) and stitch in the ditch around every single seam...yikes, keep that in mind when you pick out a pattern...LOL 

You will see above (I cannot figure out how to add them to this post yet) what I have made and started on.  Currently I am putting together a flannel quilt for my son's bed, I love the feel of flannel, but not so much sewing with it, I might have to think of something else to make for his bed and keep this to a minimum, maybe a throw or larger and make it a rag quilt instead, hides a lot of mistakes...  

Let me know you stopped by to see me, I would love to hear from you.  I am new to this so bear with me.  

Blessings,
Jodi aka Mountain Gurl Quilts