Greetings from Metropolis and Superfriends

Greetings from Metropolis...Illinois, home of the Superman
Meet his sidekick Superquilter...

And the Superfriends.

Is Superman's alter ego Clark Kent or is it "Big John"?

I love roadside attractions and could not wait to stop in Metropolis to see Superman. We stopped off at 8:30 in the morning and had to wait our turn to take a photo with Superman.

There is something to be said for the lure of these giant cultural icons. It brought us into the quaint downtown area and if the shops had been open we would have stayed to browse. I'm thinking of suggesting this to our town council to try to get more tourists to stop and stay. What kind of cultural icon would you bring your grand kids or kids to see?

To see more or my favorite stops, click on the Roadside Attractions label just below this post.

Bryerpatch Studio

Just a quick note...  Check out pictures from our stop at Bryerpatch Studio on my Dye Candy Blog

Hancocks of Paducah

Here are some photos of our stop at Hancock's of Paducah. I knew what I was getting into but it was still a bit of a shock. This is the largest fabric store I have been in to date! Oh so much to see. Many rows of drapery and upholstery fabrics.
The discount room...OH BOY!

Bolts and bolts of fabric. So many notions. And me...

Here I am with my empty shopping cart. This photo was taken so I could prove to my husband that I was well behaved at Hancock's. I was....almost.

The Results

Here is the finished embroidered laundry bag (from my last post) in it's new home at Patsy's Homestead Cabin Retreat. I made it to fit in this old washtub which is now a display for my hand dyed fabrics.

Can you imaging having to wash your laundry by hand? I know some of my Amish neighbors still do. I wonder if they are lucky enough to have a "Speed Queen" washtub like Patsy. :)

Patsy has an incredible knack for finding and using found items. See this post and this post for a look at her creative mind. I love exploring the nooks and crannies of her retreat. There is always something new to find.

I have my list of items that are not stocked at our local quilt shops. I leave tomorrow for Paducah with my girlfriends. We are all so excited. I hope we sleep well tonight!

Talk to you when we return!

P.S. I just posted pictures of shibori dyed fabrics on my Dye Candy blog. I am taking a class from Marjie McWilliams through Quilt University. I am having so much fun playing and getting messy.

Playing with Pencils and Needles

I love my colored pencils. They are the beginning of so many of my creations. A little doodle..
becomes a design

Then a work in progress

And then

A finished piece.

Pardon the wrinkles. I used too much wash away blue ink and had to soak the fabric 3 times before all the ink disappeared. I wanted a bit of a rustic feeling to the embroidery. I used 3 strands of floss on the yellow flowers which gives them a rough finished look.

This embroidery design is on a laundry bag I made recently. It will be part of a display for my hand dyed fabrics at Patsy's Homestead Cabin quilt retreat.

My long awaited trip to Paducah starts on Wednesday at 5:00 am. I am looking forward to travel with wonderful quilting friends to the AQS quilt show. I hope to see you there. If you see me say hello.

Greetings From Devil's Lake

Greetings from Devils Lake! On Easter Sunday my husband and I took a trip to Devil's Lake State Park located near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Devil's Lake was originally a gorge of the Wisconsin River prior to the last ice age. During the ice age, a portion of the glacier passed to the east of the Baraboo Hills and came up the river valley. It deposited materials and then melted, leaving a terminal moraine blocking the river, forming an earthen dam. Another moraine was deposited at the north end of the lake. The river eventually found a new course to the east of the Baraboo Hills, where the glacier had been, leaving a portion of the river gorge between the moraines filled with water. This body of water is Devil's Lake. (source: Keith Montgomery)

Most of the terrain in our area is formed by limestone and sandstone bluffs. The Baraboo Range, as these hills are known, is the ridge of an ancient and highly eroded, exposed mountain range. It extends for 25 miles and is 5-10 miles wide in places. The hills are composed of metamorphic rock: Baraboo pink quartzite and red rhyolite. The rocks are said to be as much as 1.6 billion years old. They are some of the oldest exposed rock in North American. This quartzite was formed by heated compressed sand an estimated 5 miles below the earth's surface.You can see evidence of ancient sand dunes in the metamorphic rock located through out the park.

This area also holds the largest stand of decidous forest in the Midwest.

This is a place we will visit again and again. There are so many places to explore.

A View from the Top

Another very busy week has passed. My April calender is so full that I suspect I will need most of May to recover. I finally added some of my new colored Flying Geese Quilt Block Pendants to my Etsy Shop. I finished these pieces a few weeks back but did not have time to photograph and list them.

The fabric sale was a big success. Thanks to all who attended and worked at the sale. Sharon's family really appreciated your help!

The weather has been beautiful lately, perfect for long walks on our land. Our latest hike took us up to the ridge line above the farm. Through the trees you can see a glimpse of the barn down in the valley.

It is a treat to see the sunset from above. We usually see just a sliver of it from our view in the valley.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend!

A Little Bit About Nature and a Finish...Almost

The wetlands a few mile down the road is home to a bald eagle family.  Eagles do not always return to the same nesting site to raise their young but this nest is in use once again this spring.

Keep in mind when you look at this photo an adult eagle is almost 36" tall or close to one meter in height with wingspan is 7 feet.

This nest is about 50 feet in the air and at least as wide as the eagle's wingspan.  I once had a chance to see an eagle building a nest in Minnesota.  I doubt I will forget the experience.  The eagle would fly over dead trees and break off branches with a loud cracking sound.  It always such a treat to see these beautiful birds.  It is easy to forget how large they are.

On another note, I am so very pleased to report that this quilt will be ready for binding this coming weekend.  I have been hand quilting this king size quilt on an off since January of 2008.  The fabric and pattern are from Fun Quilts.  I rarely buy kits but I just fell in love with these fabric designs and colorways.  I can't wait to snuggle up under it this summer.

Have a great week!

Chris

Sunset Today - Amazing!