KEB MO' - America the Beautiful

This great music by Keb Mo was posted to my FB book yesterday.  It's a continuation of my thoughts on our country.  Enjoy.

Happy 234th Birthday, USA!

For many years, I've collected flags and flag images.  Among them are an old postcard with words I love.

My country 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty!

Of thee I sing.

This framed WWI era image is one of the first "antiques" I bought.

I remember paying $4.00 in a very old store on Brevard St. uptown.

Sadly, all that is now gone.

Several 48-star versions, once easily found at estate and yard sales, are in my collection.  We also have the faded flag which hung at my husband's boyhood home the entire time he was in the military - night and day. 

A very old paper flag once hung upside down in the window of our son's room.  A sign of distress, the flag hung with an xray and a button which read, "Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first."  Words to live by.  Of this I am more than sure.

We fly the flag every day and always have, mostly in honor of those who serve.    

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

Happy Birthday to my great niece - four years old today.  Word is there's a pool party!  What fun!

 Grace's Mom is my niece and God-daughter, Kari, daughter of my baby sister Patty.  Aren't they cute?

Photo credit:  Josh Chenier

Great Side Trip

This darling shop is at an entrance to the

Blue Ridge Parkway.  Note sign to the right of the flag.

I'd never been to Fancy Gap VA, but its name always fascinated me.  A billboard for "pottery" caught my eye as I buzzed down I-77 following my trip to Blacksburg.  One exit later, I was in Fancy Gap.  I couldn't find the shop I'd planned to see, but accidently came across something ever so much more exciting.  It was purely fate; my intention was to use the shop's parking lot as a turnaround. 

Welcoming rockers seem to say, "Come and sit a spell."

Welcome

Co-owner (with Dee Dee Price) Lynn Logan was rocking on the porch.  As I got out to ask directions, I saw what a cool shop she had.  It was full of  not only locally thrown pottery, but all sorts of wonderful country and folk art whimsies, paintings, photography, bluegrass music CDs, jams, and monogrammed pillows and purses Lynn and Dee Dee make themselves. 

I loved the shop!  Lynn was gracious, giving me info on each potter whose wares she carried. Hammered dulcimer music played softly in the background as I browsed.  I'll share photos of my purchases in the next post.   

Lynn Logan

Co-owner

 

Inside Fancy Gap Designs

A sign pointing to greater Frog Spur can be seen

in front of a stone bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Note the truck image, warning Hwy. 52 will be "down the mountain" as we say here,
 all the way to Mt. Airy NC.

To read more and see a slide show of Fancy Gap Designs, click here:  http://www.fancygaptourism.com/dining-and-shopping/shopping/16-fancy-gap-designs

Lynn suggested I take Hwy. 52 all the way to Mt. Airy, as the stretch has a plethora of  stands selling veggies and fruits (especially cherries), antique shops and other treasures.  Although each was enticing, I resisted the temptation to stop.  The hour was late and I still had 100 miles to drive. 

Thanks, Lynn, for a delightful afternoon.  I plan to return to the area soon - this time with friends!

Meeting Didi

A special perk of conferences is meeting other teachers.  Didi Salvatierra and I learned we had much in common.  We grew up less than 60 miles apart and attended the same college for a while.

Didi is a talented and award-winning quilt artist.  I enjoyed seeing some of her beautiful work.  I also noted how well her wardrobe coordinated with her quilts!  Visit her website:  http://www.didiquilts.com/  to learn more.

Didi Salvatierra

Stars on the Susquehanna

Didi combined contemporary fabrics by Michael James and Kaffe Fasset with vintage soft blue star blocks in "Stars on the Susquehanna."  I love the resultant fresh look!   

Her hand quilting is beautiful.  Didi's clients include: The Mountain Mist company, Barbara Brakman, Mimi Dietrich, Carole A. Liebzeit and AQS quilt appraiser Mary W. Kerr.

Mats & Bowls & Coils, Oh My!

Didi shows samples for her class.  Her fabulous bag features a Jean Wells design.

Other teachers for the Blue Ridge Quilt Festival this year were: 

Featured artist Paula Golden http://www.paulagolden.com/ 

Susan Brittingham http://www.susanbrittingham.com/ 

Linda Fiedler and Kathy Sevebeck

Festival chair was the incredible Karin Tauber.  We all had a great time!

Thrifting Mondays

It's week two of Thrifting Mondays, inspired by Apron Thrift Girl (see right sidebar).  Travel teaching has kept me busy, so I didn't get to the thrift stores this week.  I was thrilled to find this Singer part -  in its original box - some time ago. I'm always on the hunt for anything sewing related - be it fabrics, machines or buttons and thread.

 

The attachment has three cams.

Too cool.

Until I found this Singer featherweight zig zag attachment I wasn't aware it existed.  Makes sense though.  The buttonholer makes the most perfect buttonholes ever and employs a zig zag motion.  I never use other machines for those, but that point is moot.  I no longer make my own clothes so have no need for buttonholes. 

It was a grand find, as I have a growing collection of featherweights.  My first belonged to an aunt.  It could have gone to any of my three sisters, but came to me because, at the time, I didn't have a good sewing machine.  Reason enough.  I'd never seen a featherweight and thought it was the cutest thing ever. There's a photo of me somewhere, taken the day before my son was born, making a Raggedy Andy doll on my Aunt Esther's machine.

I always wanted another and searched for years.  Suddenly, they began to fall in my lap, along with the card tables.  My BIG IDEA was to start a featherweight business with my DH.  That still hasn't happened.  But I am blessed to have three tables, five or six featherweights and many attachments.  When the market is right, most will be sold. 

If you're patient and persistent, almost everything can be found at a thrift store.  I'd love to hear about your "finds." Happy hunting!

Wacky Nines Saturday Class

Class Picture

Students in my Wacky Nines class last Saturday were so much fun.  I've reposted our class picture as I unfortunately did not get photos of everyone's blocks.  All were dynamite!  Thanks, everyone.  It was a joy having you in class. 

Below are the few shots I did manage to capture:   

Pam Perdue's colorful blocks coordinated well

with her sweater and cutting mat! 

      

Pam's work.

Christina Thomas

Some of her blocks give the illusion of long hallways.

I loved Christina's use of the black and white fabric. 

Betty Tyree used solids and large scale prints,

giving her blocks a sense of movement.  

See - it IS possible to finish nine blocks in one session.

Aren't these fun?

 

Betty Elkins' expression says it all!

More Talented Students

I love teaching my Gimme Shelter class.   It's especially fun to watch those used to doing exacting work to liberate themselves and have fun.  We all put the stresses of our lives away and just "let the fusing begin."  Here are more of the delightful results.`

Claudine's blocks have the definitive feel of her homeland - Germany.

Claudine Pleimling

Christina Oosthoek's blocks had a starry, starry night background

Brenda Kinney came the furthest for the BRQF

to join her friend from Australia!

Worker Bees

MaryBeth Baker's innovative blocks.

She's on the right in the above photo. 

Lois Hinkle

I later learned Lois had stunning wearables in the show.

Love the doggie with his bone.

Marilyn Spencer brought lots of cute whimsies

to add to her blocks.

Good buddies Suzette Hire and Ruth Bunt

ready to depart.

Look for more class photos tomorrow.

Gimme Shelter - My Friday Class at BRQF

The views were awesome from the Blue Ridge Quilt Festival venue.

Check the huge windows!

Friday I taught "Gimme Shelter."  I'm always amazed at how much of each student's personality ends up in their work.  Each one was different from all the rest.  Each one was wonderful.  I was so lucky to be surrounded by talent and fun each day. 

Here is some of their work:

"I'm the Man"

by Elaine Myers

Here are four more from her.

Fun and quirky, Elaine is a professional longarm quilter.

Contact:  quirkyquilter@pemtel.net  540.626.6767

"Sugar Shack"

by Linda B. Smith

Note the cookies and candies. 

Linda is a gifted artist. http://www.lindasartstudio.com/

Susan Donkers 

Her cute blocks went so well with her outfit!

Check back tomorrow for more photos from "Gimme Shelter." 

Blue Ridge Quilt Festival Class

My fabulous students!
Photo by Betty Tyree

Betty E.

My Saturday class was "Wacky Nines."  Students were encouraged to liberate themselves and not follow "quilt police" rules.  Each one did an amazing job - combining colors and fabrics in innovative ways.  The results were fun; the students even more so.  Things got a little wild near the end of the day, when the gang composed a "fight song."  I'm sure it was all due to chocolate withdrawal.

Each is holding one block from the many they made.   There were some real stunners. I'll be posting student work tomorrow.

Dorothy - A Breath of Fresh Air!

I'm on the left with the amazing Dorothy.

While teaching for the Blue Ridge Quilt Festival I had the great good fortune to stay with an incredible woman.  Dorothy was so welcoming and caring and so much FUN!   I liked her instantly. And she

REALLY knows how to drive in the mountains.

In her Subaru she drove me  to the top of Clover Meadow, where her beef cattle graze.  As we neared what seemed like the fast approaching edge of a cliff, I began laughing  and was a little "white knuckled" as I asked her, "Am I Thelma or Louise?" 

Dorothy introduced me to a new way (to me) of cooking/eating/thinking. I'm anxious to learn much more about this ancient diet.  Although I consumed fewer  calories than normal, I was totally satisfied and never hungry.  I even lost 3 pounds over my four day stay!  The book "Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners" by Amadea Morningstar is highly recommended. 

Dorothy adds minced garlic and ginger to a stir-fry of asparagus and spinach.

Coconut milk was added along with Eastern spices.

The dish was served over a mixture of rice and mashed mung beans.

Dessert was freshly picked blueberries.  YUM!

What a glorious view!

I loved being in VA.  Every minute was wonderful.

Thrifting Monday

Indonesian Batik

I have a very small collection of wax batiks - all blues.  This authentic Indonesian batik is a recent addition - spotted from halfway across a thrift store.  It still bears its original paper label and of course has never been washed.  

Finding it was pure luck.  I'd gone to Mary Jo's (the famous fabric store in Gastonia NC (1-800-MARYJOS) and was searching for Hobby Lobby when I found the shop.  How cool is that?