Uncle Bud's Foam and Fabric

Don't you love the name of this store? I found myself changing the lyrics to MS Mud, singing, "Hey hey, Uncle Bud, it's a treat to beat your feet on the Mississippi mud" as soon as I saw it. This was a great temptation on my way home from Chapel Hill today. I resisted only because I'd just spent an hour next door at Granddaddy's Antique Mall which is FABULOUS, in search of vintage textiles. No luck there, as my time was so limited. But I did find two more advertising items for my kitchen collectibles collection.

If you're traveling on I-40 near Burlington NC, Uncle Bud's is at Exit 145. If you check it out, let me know if it is worth the 100 miles back. We quilters will go anywhere for fabric!

Yum Yum at Cafe on the Square

My husband and I recently drove to Asheville for a concert, first enjoying dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Cafe on the Square . Our young artistic waiter Wesley, who had great hair by the way, seated us next to the window with its great view of Pack Square. We enjoyed watching the colorful night life in the center of this vibrant and growing Blue Ridge mountain city.

As an appetizer, we chose a divine hot crab dip with Focaccia bread served in a Yum Yum dish. Part of the attraction, of course, was that the Yum Yum dish got to come home with us. Ours is sea green - pictured below.

Cafe on the Square serves several take home selections, from appetizers to creme brulee, in the Yum Yum dishes. I now want one or two of them in each color!

For more info on the restaurant, go to: www.cafeonthesquare.com

The Yum Yum dish filled with my healthy choice of "yummy." You know I wanted it to be chocolate!

Yum Yum time is...............

....Over!

Yum Yum Dishes

To learn the story of how the yum yum dishes began, and to order a set of your own, go to: www.yumyumdish.com Dishes are available in four colors: bold burgundy, deep blue, sea green and delicious yellow

Labor Day

The photo above is of my father threshing oats many years ago. He worked seven days a week, dawn to dusk, for as long as I can remember. Click on image for a closer view.

Labor Day has been celebrated in this country since the 1880s. Its original purpose was to honor the labor movement through parades and festivals. That was then. More emphasis is now placed on Labor Day Sales and long weekends (nothing wrong with either) than labor unions - especially in a right-to-work state. It also signals the end of summer.

When my son was in school, I bought the calendars which began in September, not January. That's when the real year began for all Moms.

For many workers, this was just another day at work. We should all thank those folks who are always on the job for us. I hope those who had to work today are rewarded with a day off later in the week.

Whether you spent your day celebrating, relaxing or working, here's wishing you a great Labor Day!

Lecture in Chapel Hill

I'll be giving a lecture "My Grandma Made One of Those" this month in Chapel Hill. My talk is about everyone's favorite quilt - the Log Cabin. It's the one everybody recognizes, the one anyone can make. Through slides and examples, both of my own work and from my vintage collection, I'll show the extreme diversity of this design.

My hosts will be the Durham-Orange Quilters' Guild. If you're anywhere near the Triange area (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC) I hope you'll drop by. The guild will meet Monday, September 17, at 6:30 p.m. Location: The Grace Church (across from Lowe's), 200 Sage Road, Chapel Hill.

Details: www.durhamorangequilters.com

Below are two of my very contemporary Log Cabin quilts.

I combined fuchsia Thai silk with commercial and hand-painted fabrics in Orange Slice. It was hand-quilted with two strands of DMC embroidery floss.

This quilt is for sale. Contact Ellen for details.

Shrimp Creole I used my hand-dyed cottons and Damasks exclusively in this work. Variegated rayon cording was couched onto the border.

This quilt is for sale. Contact Ellen for details.

Foster Parents

We've become temporary guardians of one of our grandpuppies. Numa (named for a mountain in Montana) came to live with us three weeks ago following a disagreement with her sister Darby, a Great Dane. She is a mixed Lab, rescued by my son and his bride as a puppy from the pound four years ago.

We're trying very hard not to get overly attached to this animal, as we know she might go back home any time. I've been so disciplined, having only purchased one bag of toys for her so far. I've found resisting puppy toys is almost as difficult as resisting fabric! But she is such a love. Just look at that pleading face! You can click on it for a closer view.

Orb Weaver

My husband noticed this beautiful black and yellow spider in our garden several days ago. The argiope aurantia is more commonly referred to as the garden spider or writing spider. It is a member of the araneidae or Orb Weavers family. (I think Orb Weavers is a perfect name for a fiber group.) We've been expecting him to catch an unsuspecting bee or butterly, but so far he/she seems content to just live in our rosemary plant. Notice the writing in the web - like an endless zig zag stitch.

Click on image for a closer view.