Greetings from the Shady Grove

Dye Candy Giveaway

2011-02-16T22:42:00.000-06:00

I'm hosting a giveaway on my Dye Candy Blog.

Follow this link if you would like a chance to win.

New in my Dye Candy shop: Snow Dyed Fabric, hand dyed cotton jacquards with matching velvets and quilt block Jewelry.

Mother Nature Laughed

2010-12-12T15:36:00.004-06:00

Yesterday my husband and I were shoveling the walk. He looked up at the sky and exclaimed

"You call this snow? This is a wimpy snow!"

God smiled and Mother Nature laughed and met his challenge.

This morning we found 12 more inches of snow on the front porch. The birds were lining up at the feeders waiting for their meal (click on the picture to enlarge).

Greetings from frigid Wisconsin! Chris

Holiday Sale

2010-11-29T16:21:00.009-06:00

I'm taking a long deep breath. All of my gallery orders have shipped for the holiday season.

I have no more travel planned for the next few months.

I even found time to cut up some hand dyed fabrics to make a new quilt for someone special.

I'm itching to stitch again and will make time to sew this coming weekend.

Etsy recently added coupon codes to their site. Whoo Hoo!

I am having a sale at both of my Etsy Shops today through December 15th.

Use the code Dyecandy15 to receive 15% off of your purchases.

Shadygrovestudios.Etsy.com - Home of my hand dyed quilt block jewelry and stained snowflakes. Shipping is prepaid for all orders shipping from this shop to any location in the United States.

Dyecandy.Etsy.com - This is where you can find my vibrant one of a kind hand dyed fabrics. As always, any order over $100.00 will qualify for free shipping (refunded through Paypal).

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Chris

Summer at the Lake

2010-09-10T20:06:00.003-05:00

Our summer vacations are finally over

Here are a few of my favorite photos from morning walks at the lake.

Dew shimmering with sunlight illuminates the tamaracks in the swamp.

Calm morning waters and

Quiet patience reveal a few surprises

I wish everyday could start like this.

Long days to think and ponder the beauty of nature.

Lush

2010-07-08T18:43:00.004-05:00

Lately it feels like Wisconsin had become a temperate rain forest.

Five days of rain to every two days of sunshine, just enough sun to get the lawn mowed...

Our spring started out unseasonably warm. All of the flowers are blooming weeks early this year.

The corn is ahead of schedule too. Hopefully things will dry up a bit soon so the crops stay healthy and hay can be cut. Wishing you all sunny days ahead!

P.S. Dye Candy One of a Kind Hand Dyed Fabrics are on sale now through July 11th. Stop by and take a look.

Independence Day and a Fabric Sale at Dye Candy

2010-07-02T06:27:00.008-05:00

Meet my Independence Day Baby. We brought him home from the hospital 21 years ago just in time to see the 4th of July fireworks. That seems like a lifetime ago.

It has been such a joy watching him grow into adulthood. We are proud parents of this young man. Happy 21st birthday son - Rock On!

It has been a while since I have been able to post. The last two months have been a whirlwind of visitors at the Shady Grove and a few weekend trips to visit friends and family. It was good to see everyone but it is really good to be settled in at home for a while.

I'm looking forward to having enough time to blog again. I have been trying to catch up but my Google Reader stopped counting 4 weeks ago when I hit 1000+ unread posts. It was down to 750 unread posts as of last night. I just can't bring myself to hit the delete button and make the posts disappear into cyberspace.

In honor of many days of independence ahead all of my one of a kind hand dyed yardage is on sale in my Dye Candy Fabric Shop. I also wrote a short post the fabrics I use and the dyeing process here.

Wishing you all a wonderful Independence Day!

My Studio View

2010-04-14T06:49:00.000-05:00

Original Post Date December 15th 2008:

I have been gathering these photos through out the seasons. This is the view from my work area. The tree near the barn is my companion year round and gives me inspiration with its spralling grace and changing color. Click on the slide show to see the apple trees in blossom and the distant fall colors on a larger scale.

Summer at Sugar Creek Ranch

2010-04-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

This is an old post from June of 2008. Another look into life on our farm:

The daisies are in bloom in the meadows and the grasses blow in the breeze. The fields on our property have been fallow for about 15 years. Each year we have more wildflowers as the prairie recovers. I love this time of year. The weather has been amazing this week, in the mid 70's and sunny. It's hard to leave when the weather is so perfect but... This weekend I drive to Chicago to spend time with my mom and stepfather and my girlfriends. I can't wait!

This is one of my favorite shots of our old dog Kodiak. He was an Alaskan Malamute. His head stood at least 3 1/2 feet high. He was tall enough to be able to put his head on the dinner table, a habit we broke him of quickly.

And now back to April 8th, 2010:

I will be selling my hand dyed fabrics and quilt block jewelry at the Crazy Quilters Quilt Show this weekend. My Etsy shops will be closed until Monday April 12th.

If you are in Mukwonago (Milwaukee Area) this weekend please stop by say hello. This show boasts 200 quilts on display. Read more about the show here.

Have a wonderful weekend! Hope to see you there!

My First Shady Grove

2010-04-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am going to be re-posting a few old posts as I get ready to vend at the Crazy Quilter's Quilt Show in Mukwonago, WI next weekend. If you are new here, welcome! I thought you might like to see where we came from before we ended up on our farm in rural Wisconsin.

This is the home we left behind. It was our first home, a small cottage with a lot of character and wonderful flower gardens. This home was built in an oak and walnut grove after World War II. Prior to the development of this neighborhood this was a popular picnic spot. People would take an excursion train from Chicago to spend a day in the country. Naperville was a small town of 6000 people when my parents settled there in the early 1960's.

Here is what sits in place of our old home. I had to back up 30 feet to fit it all in the shot. It takes up every square inch of lot allowed by the city. It is a beautiful house but not my idea of a home. The neighborhood we used to live in has changed drastically. Every third house has been replaced by a mansion. The population has grown exponentially. It is now the third largest city in the state of Illinois with a population of more than 144,000 people.
This is where you can find me now. We have a small farm on 76 acres. Here is our old farmhouse. My workroom is through the window. The view is amazing! Note the hydreangea bush on the left. It is just starting to bloom. I had no idea that these bushes grew so high. It comes up to the windows of the second story, and it is still growing!

Updated note April 2nd 2010: I am making another guest appearance today on Carmen's Blog, Carmen Rose Prose. Carmen is an artist after my own heart. She claims to have Art AD/HD and I sure can sympathize with that affliction. Her works are amazing. She is an accomplished art quilter who dyes her own fabric. She paints glass, writes poetry, makes jewelry and you should she the "Art of a Woman" exhibition that she put together! Oh My...

And speaking of Oh My....I recently worked on a special order of hand dyed velvet for Susan of "Plays with Needles". She mentioned that she would be posting something about her new velvets but I never imagined the post she would dream up. It brought such a big smile to my face. Go there and see...and take some time to look around. Susan finds so much beauty in the world of textiles, of life through a camera's lens and in her own artwork.

April Fools

2010-04-01T06:45:00.001-05:00

April Fools!!!

I'm not where I'm supposed to be today. Candy Glendening of Candied Fabrics is visiting on my Dye Candy Blog and I am a guest on her blog.

I have been following Candy's blog since last summer. She has such a creative mind and writes wonderful tutorials. I especially enjoyed her tips on lighting, both for photography and her art show booth. Her hand dyed silk scarves and bags were the first of her wares to catch my eye. I love the machine embroidery details on her Going Green journals & Clothing.

You can see the process of how she dyed the fabrics in this picture here. It has been so much fun trading places. Thank you Candy!

Flora

2010-03-30T20:57:00.004-05:00

Today is reveal day on the Art Quilts Around the World Blog. The theme for this challenge is "Flora"

In February I had a chance to take a class with Beth Wheeler and Lori Marquette about Altered Photo Artistry. I learned SO MUCH about my Photoshop Elements program, which fabrics are good to print on, printers and inks. There was even a little bit about rust dyeing. I really enjoyed this class and plan to play with this technique again and again! The possibilities are endless.

I took this photo last summer at our farm in Southwestern Wisconsin (in the US). This is the nodding thistle or musk thistle. Although it is classified as a noxious weed in many states I always looks forward to seeing these flowers each summer. They are so complex and interesting. Click here to see all the other quilts from this challenge.

Spring is Here

2010-03-16T16:35:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe I was finishing the last of my snowdyes only 5 days ago. Spring is here in Wisconsin. The robins and bluebirds arrived the day after all the snow melted. It is such a pleasure to be outside and listening to birdsong again.

Karen is hosting a giveaway on her blog. Click here to follow the link for a chance to enter.

Retreat!!!

2010-03-06T17:49:00.003-06:00

Patsy had a few spots open up at her Homestead Cabin Retreat last weekend. My mom thought we should jump on the chance to get away and sew. It didn't take any convincing. I even took a few extra vacation days from work. We finished piecing one of the two quilt tops we started at the retreat last March.

My sister and her husband own a cabin that was built in 1934. These quilts will be a perfect fit for the era and decor of the cabin. My sister, the non quilter of the family, designed these quilts using Electric Quilt after receiving a quick tutorial.

Mom and I arrived early and stayed late. We had the retreat to ourselves on Thursday and Sunday nights and into Monday.

I also spent some time sewing mini quilt blocks for my jewelry. I'm trying to get a jump on 2010 stock before the weather turns nice. Next week my fabric shipments arrive and I will be dyeing lots of fabric in preparation for a quilt show in April.

Right before we headed home I was able to get a shot of this gorgeous pileated woodpecker. What a treat! Thanks for a wonderful weekend Mom.

Flora Preview

2010-02-23T16:53:00.003-06:00

Here is a preview of the art quilt I have been working on for the Art Quilts Around the World "Flora Challenge". I love the way this project is turning out and I can't wait to show you more. Reveal date is March 31st.

Missing in Action

2010-02-21T17:56:00.005-06:00

Yes, it is true. My blog has been sadly neglected as of late. I have been keeping myself so busy that it has been hard to slow down enough to find the words to write an intelligent blog post. I have traveled to vend or retreat every other weekend since the start of this year.

My day job is in the construction industry. I sell commercial roofing products. Last year new construction starts were non-existent. The majority of the business we received was in the public sector. Because of the downturn in business I have had 10 furlough days since Christmas.

I have been working hard to supplement my income with sales from my hand dyed fabrics and miniature quilt block jewelry. Since mid December I have dyed over 300 yards of fabric and sewed 100 tiny quilt blocks to make into jewelry as I restock the art galleries that sell my work. I also dyed 6 dozen velvet & silk scarves to sell at the local retreat and art gallery. I added 10" velvet sample sample packs for embellishing and needle felting project to my Dye Candy shop (currently for sale here)

I also started and completed a play quilt for my new nephew. Photos of the quilt can be found on my Dye Candy Blog in these posts: Machine Quilting Close Up and Cornflower Blue Play Quilt.

I have tons of photos taken and four tutorials ready to write. The travel will stop soon. I just have one more weekend away and it is at my favorite quilt retreat with my mom so what could be better? I know my husband misses me but he is very supportive of my incessant need to create and I love him for it.

With Gratitude for a New Heart

2010-01-19T16:45:00.005-06:00

Look what came in the mail just before Christmas!!! The heart and cuff were created by Jackie of Dog Daisy Chains. I am such a huge fan of Jackie's work. Everything she creates has such a vibrant appeal to it.

Almost two years ago I purchased a lovely barrette from Jackie. I wear it when I am working at the art gallery and at quilt shows. I have even dyed clothing to match. This cuff goes beautifully with the barrette.

The heart was given as a gift to my mother who recently had heart trouble for about 6 months. The problem was corrected by 2 minor surgeries. The first surgery failed and there was a 3 month wait before they could do another. I am happy to report I have a brand new mom. She recovered quickly and has more energy than I have seen in years.

Jackie, thank you for the beautiful pieces! We will treasure your work.

Visit Jackie' blog Dog Daisy Chains and her Etsy shop Dog Daisy.

Out My Studio Window and Around the House

2010-01-15T14:39:00.004-06:00

Last week another storm added a new layer of snow to the valley.

Deer tracks in the snow. Food is getting harder to find.

The deer have taken all the apples they can reach from the trees. They are trimming the bushes near the house and visiting the bird feeders.

The temperature is rising this week. A hoarfrost on Wednesday melts as the sun hits it, raining down ice crystals.

The air is damp in the evenings creating pastel sunsets.

Mandala Quilt

2010-01-04T16:29:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year! I'm just back home from a few days with family to celebrate a belated Christmas. There was a new baby to snuggle and my son and his fiance flew in to join in the fun.

While I was traveling I put the finishing touches on my Mandala quilt.

The theme of the recent Art Quilts Around the World challenge was Mandala.

I used some of my favorite hand dyed colors, fuchsia with a touch of orange, an olive/chartreuse blend, golden yellow and two purples. I love quilts that have a "touch me" appeal to them. I used a purple hand dyed velvet to add texture to the quilt.

Click here to see more Mandala Quilts

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T20:22:00.004-06:00

Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas from Snowy Wisconsin!

Memory Quilt

2009-12-15T16:30:00.001-06:00

I recently saw this post on Annie O's blog and it reminded me of a quilt that I finished in June of 2007.

This is one of 5 memorial quilts I made in 2006 & 2007. This quilt was made especially with my mother-in-law in mind. She had lost her husband after a long battle with scleroderma a few years prior. Most of the plaids in this quilt are scraps from my father-in-law's flannel shirts. I found the pattern "Diamonds Are Forever" in American Patchwork and Quilting's April 2004 issue. I designed and added the floral border using a needle turn applique technique.

This is the first quilt I made with complicated machine quilting designs. I mimicked the floral applique designs with quilted stitches on the two borders that did not have applique.

The picture above is of the large pocket I added so the quilt could be folded up on itself and used as a pillow.

All of my father-in-law's shirts had to have pockets to hold his reading glasses. I saved a few of these pockets and used them for the labels on each of the quilts.

This project brought back so many memories. Each Christmas my husband, his brothers and his father would get new matching flannel shirts. I wish I had the pictures to show you the guys hamming it up for the camera in their matching shirts.

A Trip to Our Local Post Office

2009-12-08T16:05:00.007-06:00

Greetings from our local post office in Richland Center. I love taking trips to this post office. I get a chance to step back in time and appreciate the beautiful work that went into a place as utilitarian as a post office. This post office along with so many others across the United States was constructed to provide jobs during the great depression as a part of FDR's New Deal in the 1930's. In addition to construction work the US Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts contracted artists to create murals of a specific theme for each of these post offices. There are 35 murals in post offices throughout Wisconsin.

This oil on canvas mural is called "Decorative Interpretation of Unification of America Through the Post" painted by Ricard Brooks in 1937.

Find a link to more Wisconsin Postal Art here

Fair Fowl

2009-11-27T08:43:00.005-06:00

My husband found this Eastern Screech Owl sleeping in the rafters of our tractor barn a few weeks ago. Sometimes our chores get put off so we can discover nature instead. This species of owl is 9" tall at maturity (this owl is sitting on a 2"x12"). They have a very eerie call that reminds me of the soundtrack from a scary movie. We once saw one sleeping peacefully in the top of a tree while the wind gusted at 35 mph. Read more information and listen to the calls of these owls here.

Female Ring Necked Pheasants have been rooting around for seed under our bird feeders recently. They get their name from the ringed necks of the males. We have enjoyed having them around the house. They strut in a way that resemble the walk of a chicken. Sometimes they chase each other around like kids playing a game of tag.

On another note...I am offering free shipping worldwide for anything purchased from my ShadyGroveStudios Etsy Shop through the end of December.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving from the Shady Grove!

Chris

Giveaway Results

2009-11-22T21:03:00.007-06:00

And the winners are.....

Jen of A Quilting Jewel

and Marlene of Sipiweske Quilt Designs

Congratulations ladies!!!

My thanks to everyone that participated. There we almost 200 entries. I had a chance to meet many new people and found some wonderful blogs that I had not seen before.

I am just returning home from a week away from home for work in Illinois. Taking the (long) way home I chance to meet my new nephew in Iowa. He was just two days old. What a cutie!!

I spent Saturday morning cleaning house and washing laundry for my sister and brother in-law so they can rest once they bring my nephew home.

I finally remembered to take some photographs of the stained glass items that I made for my sister over the years. She is a huge fan of Arts and Crafts period furnishings. I designed the lampshade with the art of Charles Renee MacKintosh in mind.

I designed these stained glass window hangings for her wedding day. My sister and her husband had a garden wedding in their backyard on a beautiful September day. These windows were the backdrop for the ceremony. I chose each flower and plant with its symbolic meaning in mind.

Tulips for perfect love

Roses for love and hope

Ivy for Friendship, fidelity and eternal love

Ginkgo for longevity and

Myrtle to symbolize love and marriage

Have a wonderful week! Chris

A Quick Trip to Patsy's Retreat

2009-11-19T19:37:00.002-06:00

I took a trip to my friend Patsy's quilting retreat a few weeks ago and this is what I saw along the way. Cornfields ready for harvest.

The big work horses getting fueled up for the job ahead.

Brilliant colors on the maple trees near the Homestead Cabin Retreat.

And a quick shot of Patsy as she rushes around to care for her weekend quilting guests.

For the next two weeks she has her days free to sew. Every year at this time she turns the retreat over to the men in her life. Patsy always changes her decorations with the seasons and hunting season is no different. Click here for a peek at her blog.

2009-11-15T08:18:00.006-06:00

Welcome to my Dye Candy Giveaway. If you are new to my blog, I welcome you and invite you to look around. You have at least two chances to win a prize. Leave a comment here and enter a second time on my other blog DyeCandy.blogspot.com. You are welcome to copy the top picture of my dye candy sample packs and use it if you are creating a link to this giveaway on your own blog. If you create a link please leave me a note in your comment and I will enter your name in the drawing two more times.

If you are a winner you will have your choice of one of these prizes:

1 Gift Certificate for $25.00 for my Dye Candy Shop or

2 Dye Candy Sample Packs or

1 yard of Hand Dyed one of a kind fabrics or

a half yard of Shibori Dyed Fabric or

6 step fat quarter gradation set.

or a hand dyed silk or velvet scarf.

Choose a piece of Quilt Block Jewelry or

a small Stained Glass Snowflake Sun Catcher Ornament from my Shady Grove Studios Etsy Shop.

Good Luck to you! Drawing closes at 6:00 pm on Sunday, November 22nd.

At Long Last Blue Skies

2009-11-11T06:03:00.001-06:00

After a month of rain and gray weather we have had a week of never ending blue skies and have been spending as much time outdoors as possible. The leaves are gathered and the outdoor chores are finished for the season. Time for hikes and watching the sun set.

Sunny days also make the best light to photograph my hand dyed fabrics. Indirect sunlight allows me to photograph the truest colors. Reds and pinks can wash out in incandescent light.

I was finally able to photograph my new snowflake ornaments and add them to my Shady Grove Studios shop. Gray skies do not encourage sales.

The fields have turned to straw and the white tailed deer have changed their coats to a dull brown. It is a good camouflage for the fall.

Lately we have seen this big guy chasing the girls around. Sometimes he is followed by young bucks that are no match for him.

Wishing you well from sunny Wisconsin! Chris

P.S. Check back on Sunday. I will be hosting another giveaway of items from my Etsy shops.

Around the Farm in Mid October

2009-11-09T16:15:00.000-06:00

An old seed planter sits in the tall grass. It was left on our farm long ago by a previous owner.... Jack is more interested in the neighborhood cows.

A small organic dairy joins our property to the South.

The oaks in the forest were near peak on this day.

A view towards our farm from the "back 40"

A week later all the leaves were gone. Autumn is very unpredictable in Wisconsin. You never know how long it will last. We try to make the most of each day while we can.

Finish Line

2009-11-04T16:12:00.000-06:00

My snowflakes are finished and shipped. It is finally time for sewing projects of my own choosing. Next on my to do list is to clean my studio so I can get to my sewing machine. I recently moved my studio to a room with a door. I can close the door and make all of my mess disappear. Poof, magic...I love it!

A few years back when I started making my quilt block jewelry I tried many different color combinations before settling on some standard product offerings. Each year I edit and make a few changes. Last weekend I reviewed my line to get my 2010 order form ready. I added a new section called "Sale Items" to my Shady Grove Studios Shop. This category contains many discontinued color combinations at a discount. All my pieces are foundation pieced hand dyed fabrics. The sewing can be seen on the reverse side of the jewelry. Stop by and take a look. Please note I offer free shipping worldwide on all of my jewelry.

A Real Cut Up

2009-11-01T10:29:00.004-06:00

I just found out one of my stained glass snowflakes is featured in an Etsy Treasury. Thanks Kaatirocketts! Click here before Tuesday at 8:00 am Eastern to see all the beautiful winter and summer inspired artworks listed in this Treasury.

This snowflake is one of many I have been working on for the last few weeks. By the end of the day today I hope to have 30 finished snowflakes and a few sun catchers ready to send to the Iowa Artisans Gallery for winter sales.

We have seen a few snow flurries around but nothing is sticking to the ground yet. Good news for me because I still have piles of leaves to clean up before the snow sets in. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend....Greetings from sunny and crisp, cool Wisconsin. - Chris

Waiting For the Sun

2009-10-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

Early fall days before the first frost, we wait for the sun to shine.

It has been an Autumn filled with many gray days

With a few blue sky days in between.

This last photo is a shot of our farmstead mid morning. The sun is getting lower in the sky each day. Soon we will not see it until late morning when it finally makes over the ridge to warm the valley.

More photos soon. I have a couple more shipments to fill before I can relax and fill my free time with projects of my own.

A Grateful Thank You

2009-10-22T17:13:00.000-05:00

At last, the postcards I received from the Art Quilts Around the World - Playing Card Swap. The Ace of Clubs is from Marion in Victoria, Australia. I love the idea of using buttons for the clubs and the textural stitching in the background adds an interesting element. The Queen of Hearts is from Lynn. I saw her blog post about how she made this card and just loved it. Imagine my surprise when the queen showed up in my mailbox a few days later.

Simone from Holland sent me the Ace of Spades. It was hard to photograph all the intricate embellishments she did on the spade. It is covered in black ribbon, tulle and numerous different stitches. The Two of Diamonds arrived "naked" from Chloe, also of Victoria. I can't believe how white it stayed traveling around the world in the post. Thank you ladies!

I planned to blog about the postcards in August but my house has been in such turmoil that I could never find all of the postcards at one time.

Some of the postcards arrived wrapped in greeting cards that featured the art quilts from the artists. I love this idea! Marian's "Urban Trees" featuring her quilt from the "Trees" Challenge

Lynn's Art Quilt featuring her friend Patty

And two items from Lynn's Etsy Store. One of her beautiful photo cards and this wonderful CD:

I was her first Etsy customer when I purchased this Relaxation Bliss CD back in July. It couldn't have come at a better time in my life. Thanks Lynn!

I was one of the lucky winners of this "Winter Woolies" Tree Skirt Pattern from Tammy Tadd Designs. Tammy's mom Velda designed this wonderful whimsical pattern. Thanks Tammy and Velda! Oh and have I mentioned that Tammy's Store was one of the Top Ten Shops in the last Better Homes and Gardens Quilt Sampler magazine? Congratulations!!

A huge surprise from Bindu. Three bookmarks she sent me as a thank you gift. I love them!

Bindu is such a talented artist. She has talked about opening a shop on Etsy. I hope she does someday...

Wishing you all well!

Chris

Rising Up and Meeting the Day Again

2009-10-20T12:58:00.004-05:00

Early Fall days in Wisconsin. Blue Skies in one direction....

Rain storms and a faint rainbows over our farmstead...

Mists rise from the rocks after the rain.

And a thin fog rises from the Sugar Creek at days end.

Thank you to everyone who sent me comments and e-mails over the last month or so. Sometimes things in life just come at you too fast and it is hard to rise up again. So many times when I was feeling blue and I would receive a message just when I needed it most. Thank you.

I am so grateful for your friendships.

The Cat Who Lived

2009-10-07T16:28:00.002-05:00

I have to admit I have not felt much like blogging for a while. A few weeks ago our cat Cleo passed away. She was The Cat Who Lived. Cleo came from a shelter in 1992. She was the last of six cats we adopted through this shelter. She had been in an abusive situation before coming to live with us. We fell in love with her immediately, but she had a hard time feeling safe. Within a week she had stopped eating and the whites of her eyes were yellow with jaundice. When I took her to the vet I was told she had fatty liver disorder and was not likely to survive. I called for a second opinion from the shelter's hospital. They took her in for a week and her appetite returned. Once home she started to have problems again. I was talking to my sister-in-law about Cleo and she mentioned that she had lost a cat recently to the same disorder. She gave me a powdered vitamin supplement and told me to mix it in a blender with canned cat food and a bit of water. I put the mixture in a squeeze bottle and feed her until she regained her appetite. It took 3 weeks of this feeding ritual before she started to eat dry food on her own. She soon started acting like a normal healthy cat, however she never cared much for moist food after that.

She was a sweet and affectionate cat. She was the only cat I've ever owned that liked her belly rubbed. She loved to climb on my paperwork and stare at me during my workday until I would pick her up and put her on my lap. In her later years I set up a sleeping place under a lamp for Cleo. I liked to think of it as the best retirement home I could provide. Cleo was 20 years old when she passed away. We will miss her.

Parfrey's Glen

2009-10-03T11:40:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday we spent the morning hiking through Parfrey's Glen near Baraboo Wisconsin.

It is an ancient place where you can see evidence the glaciers left behind.

Click on each picture and you can see the "wheels" of the glacier. Sandstone with aggregate layers containing granite boulders and pebbles.

A stream runs though the 100 foot high sandstone bluffs and exposes the granite bedrock below.

For a little perspective, find the hiker in the distance in the next photo.

This place is full of magic.

Best to be visited on a quiet day when you can hear the wind in the trees above,

the bird song in the woods

and the secret whispers of ancient times.

Giant's Causeway

2009-09-30T20:52:00.004-05:00

Today is reveal day on the Art Quilts Around the World blog. The theme for this challenge was "Where Sea and Land Meet" This is my interpretation. I have always marveled at the basaltic rocks that form the Giant's Causeway in Ireland. I hope to travel and see this ancient place someday.

I would like to invite you to to visit the Art Quilts Around the World site and see the rest of the challenge quilts. These ladies are so talented. I always enjoy seeing all the different ideas they come up with.

Finishing this quilt was the last big deadline I needed to meet. I'm looking forward to some down time soon. I cleaned 3 rooms of carpeting last weekend and still need to move the furniture back where it belongs. By the end of this coming weekend I should have my house back in order.

It is good to be back to a normal routine. I hope to catch up on my favorite blogs in the next week or so. It was really hard staying away and I have to admit I did a lot of lurking when I had free time.

Not Playing With a Full Deck

2009-09-10T07:08:00.003-05:00

Our Art Quilts Around the World group recently hosted a postcard exchange based on the theme "playing cards". I love ink and pen illustrations from the late 1800's and early 20th century. I decided to use the drawings of John Tenniel from "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice Found There" by Lewis Carroll.

I used pigma pens to recreate the outline and shading and then colored the post cards using my colored pencils. I heat set the pencil ink into the fabric and sent them off in the mail to California and Australia. I have always been suspicious of the Kings and Queens in a deck of playing cards and finally figured out why.

I really enjoy being a part of this group. The women are very diverse in their talents and I love having a deadline to meet. It forces me to break away from production for my shops and make time for myself.

I will be at the Madison Quilt Expo on Saturday. Please let me know if you will be there. I'd love to say hello.

Have a great weekend!

Chris

In Memory of Beauty, Grace and Spirit

2009-09-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

I dedicate this post to the memory of my Grandma Virginia who lost her life today. She was born March 31st, 1904 in South Dakota. She had a long, healthy life and lived lifetimes of adventure. What I remember most about her was her warmth and laughter, a trait she passed on to her three sons. When I think of her I see her as an elegant woman, hair coiffed, makeup in place and always sporting beautiful dress or pants suit (that she had sewn) with matching jewelry. But she was also an outdoors woman. We went fishing together, collected rhubarb at the lake to make pies and made necklaces from the violets that grew in her backyard. She taught me to appreciate her love of nature and art. She will always hold a special place in my heart. Today I celebrate her life with a poem she wrote.

"God Lives"

It has been said that "God is Dead"

How can He be?

He paints vast canvases for us to see.

His knowing might our world controls

For mans enjoyment natures gifts unfolds

Earths revolutions, guided by his hand,

Expose new glories of our land.

Each seasons gifts he paints anew.

The mountains, the clouds, the rain, the dew

When snow has fallen through the night

And everything is clothed in white,

Mans disfiguring creations lie concealed

Above the horizon gradually revealed,

Appear the Masters strokes in reds & blues

Tinting the snow with reflected hues,

Clouds bright linings next unfold,

Which the rising sun has touched with gold.

The miracle of Spring, the Summer flowers,

The songs of the birds that fill the hours,

The beauty of the autumns flaming rays,

Who but the Master Craftsman could portray

Pictures from the artist brush adorn

The never ending mural begun each morn.

At days end painted with color bright

It fades into a restful moonlit night.

God is not dead, How could he be?

- Virginia Shoemaker Slaybaugh

Previous Posts about my grandmother:

Art Quilts Continued

Needlework Treasures

104

Oh My, What Did I Get Myself In To?

2009-08-15T07:37:00.005-05:00

I have big problem with agreeing to do more than I have time for. I had planned to spend the month of August sewing blocks for my quilt block jewelry. I wanted to get all stocked up for the Fall and Christmas sales. Best laid plans....

In the mean time I was invited vend my hand dyed fabrics and jewelry at a quilt show in September. I couldn't resist the opportunity (partly because it is near my mom's home in Illinois). So now I'm spending all of my spare time sewing and dyeing fabrics. I even purchased some silk and velvet scarves to overdye and to add some more interest to the booth.

More complications. I am running out of many of the main fabrics I use in my best selling jewelry. I haven't added these fabric mixes to my Dye Candy shop yet so I had to break out the turquoise dye and get to work. Turquoise as a primary color makes beautiful greens and purples but it is an extremely aggressive dye. It also takes at least one additional wash cycle (sometime two) to rinse from dyed fabrics. I have 24 yards of blue-purples in the dryer this morning. I will be working on the blue-greens tonight or tomorrow.

I am also planning a fabric painting class that I will be teaching at the end of this month. We are working with Set-a-Color paints on white print cloth. This paint is very versatile. There are many different techniques to play with and the results are beautiful. I will have pictures for you in early September.

I may need to cut back on my blogging and reading for a while until I get my head above water again. I am just feeling too overwhelmed.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'm off to volunteer at the art gallery today.....Oh My

Perseids and the Milky Way

2009-08-12T06:10:00.005-05:00

Perseids Meteor showers are at their peak August 12th - 13th. Viewed best in the Northwest sky after the moon sets.

As I child I studied our solar system, never really understanding that it is just a very tiny spec inside the Milky Way galaxy.

Where we live the skies are dark at night. On a clear night you can see the Milky Way, thousands of stars stretched across the sky in a thick band. If you have never seen the Milky Way make time to do it at least once in your lifetime. It will take your breath away.

Image from NASA "Image of the Day Gallery"

Greetings from Minnesota

2009-08-08T08:35:00.004-05:00

A week at the lake with family.

Long days of dreaming without the interuptions of everyday life.

Morning walks to ponder the solitude and beauty of nature.

Afternoons spent playing....

reading and reminiscing.

Wildlife and Random Thoughts from the Shady Grove

2009-08-01T18:19:00.005-05:00

Common Wood-Nymph

Hundreds of dragonflys will fill the fields of the Shady Grove in another week or so.

Eastern Comma

Our valley

Candian Thistle an invasive species, but oh so beautiful and stately.

This boy is just starting to show his antlers

Yearlings feed on the apple trees

and play tag outside my studio window.

Pillowcase Bags - Update with Tutorial Link

2009-07-28T17:49:00.002-05:00

Our quilt guild made these pillowcase sholderbags back in May. I was not able to attend so I finished my homework before the next meeting.

I found 2 matching queen size embroidered pillowcases at a local antique store for next to nothing. You can see it's twin hanging up among all the others.

I added a denim liner to make the bag more durable and added a strap to the top so I can throw this bag over my shoulder. I'm forever loading myself down with too much to save the number of trips down to the house from the driveway. I think you would be amazed at how much I can carry with one hand. Sorry.. was I rambling on again? This was fast and easy project with great results. I think if I was to make another I would add 4 inch darts in the lower corners so the bag would have a slimmer profile and a flat bottom.

I found this tutorial with instructions similar to the ones I followed to make my bag.

The Presence of Trees

2009-07-24T06:13:00.001-05:00

The Presence of Trees

I have always felt the living presence of trees

the forest that calls to me as deeply as I breathe,

as though the woods were marrow of my bone as though

I myself were tree, a breathing, reaching arc of the larger canopy

beside a brook bubbling to foam like the one

deep in these woods, that calls

that whispers home

- Michael S. Glaser

Photos taken in Early June 2009 on a trip to Gooseberry Falls State Park located along the Northern Lake Superior shoreline in Minnesota

Tiny Stitches and Paying in Foward

2009-07-19T06:06:00.005-05:00

Look what came in the mail on Friday! I've been checking my mailbox with anticipation every day for more than a week. This gorgeous embroidery sampler was hand stitched by Maya the Embellisher. She hosted a giveaway in June and I was the very lucky winner. Maya's Blog is titled "Million Little Stitches" and this sampler lives up to her reputation. Oh my these are tiny stitches, smaller than the head of most pins. All done with a single strand of embroidery floss. I love how she inserted subtle changes of color in certain places. It just makes the embroidery shine.

My great, great Grandparents moved to the United States from Norway and Germany. Many of the motifs in Maya's work remind me of handwork and knitting that I have seen in my home since childhood. Her work will have a cherished place in my home. Thank you Maya for your generosity!

To pay my good fortune forward I am hosting a giveaway that ends this evening (Sunday) on my Dye Candy Blog. Click here to enter.

Giveaway Day

2009-07-12T18:41:00.002-05:00

I have finally finished my latest dyelots. They will soon be for sale in my Dye Candy Etsy Shop.

My giveaway on my Dye Candy blog has just started. Follow this link for a chance to win.

A Treasury and Creative Places to Visit

2009-07-09T19:00:00.003-05:00

You know I could get lost browsing through the Etsy website. There are millions of creative things to see. I'm always humbled when someone chooses one of my items for a treasury spot.

Yesterday I received word from M. of BellabeadsOriginals that she had included my log cabin pin in a beautiful treasury. Stop by and see all her brilliant picks between now and Sunday Evening.

I have been dyeing fabrics for more than a week. So many beautiful colors are on my ironing board. I will be adding more listings to my Dye Candy shop over the weekend. I will be hosting a fabric giveaway starting on Sunday evening. I'll post a note here once the giveaway opens.

I have been posting less often, and adding more blogs to my reading list. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever keep up with it all, create and get the lawn mowed (4 hours of mowing per week - yikes!). I work at the art gallery tomorrow so I'll have time to catch up on my blog reading in the afternoon when the streets of our small town roll up.

Lastly I was tagged by Jackie of Dogdaisychains to reveal 7 random facts about myself, you can see them in this post. If you haven't been to Jackie's blog, please go and see all the beautiful things she creates. Take a minute (or much more) to look at her photos on Flicker. Amazing work! Her "retro style" brooches and other cool creations were just featured in the last issue "Quilting Arts" magazine. I can't tell you how thrilled I was for her. Way to go Jackie!

I am to recognize other blogs that I enjoy reading. I thought I'd introduce you to some blogs I have not mentioned before and some of my favorite stops full of creativity.

Faith of Nutbud Quilter - so many pretty and original ideas to see,

Emmy of Cramzy - Unique Needlework & Embellishments

P8 Buttons & Fabrics - So many buttons and button creations!!

Shar at Quilters Nest - You've got to see her feathered heart in her last post!

A new find full of pretty things Ardea's Nest

Claire's of Enchanted Home reminds me of days spent in the desert as a child

And Allie's in Stitches - beautiful crazy quilt stitches and ribbon embroidery.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Nocturne and Fireflies

2009-07-04T11:43:00.007-05:00

We have been walking in the moonlit nights.

New crickets sing sweet summer songs.

The trees crackle with electric sound of June bug wings.

And the fireflies, oh the fireflies, thousands of fireflies in the meadow...

Bring me dreams of fairytales each night.

________________________________

"Nocturne" by illustrator Karen Davis

I purchased this print from Karen Davis' Etsy shop a few weeks ago. I've been admiring her work for more than a year and this print spoke to me of my favorite part of summertime here in the Shady Grove. To see more of Karen's work stop by her blog.

Groundhog's Day

2009-06-28T19:20:00.004-05:00

The day started like this, a misty morning and a deer enjoying breakfast outside my studio window.

A little later I spied these two groundhogs behind the house.

They are summer guests this year, lodging in the old chicken coop.

At day's end we watched the sunset.

Crazy Quilt Update and A Fabulous Surprise For Me

2009-06-23T15:56:00.004-05:00

I can finally show you my completed crazy quilt block made for our 2008-2009 guild president.

She received her quilt last night.

I was so pleased she chose this theme for her quilt. I really enjoy hand embroidery.

It was so much fun to see all of our unique styles blended together in a quilt.

This quilt is such a treasure!!

Guess What? Can You Tell I'm Excited?? Yesterday I woke up to the news that I had won such a beautiful gift from Embellisher at Million Little Stitches. For her 125th post she gave away this amazing heart sampler. I have been following her blog for a long time and always enjoy seeing her creative ideas and little pieces of her life far across the oceans.

Thank you so much! I will cherish your gift.

My new bolts of fabrics have arrived and are ready to be dyed. Keep an eye on my blog. I plan to pass my good fortune on with a Dye Candy Fabric giveaway in a week or two (once my dye lots are finished and photographed).

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Chris

Greetings From Duluth - Quilt Show Day

2009-06-20T06:24:00.011-05:00

Greetings from Duluth Minnesota. I have always wanted to attend the Minnesota Quilters statewide show and when I saw it was scheduled in Duluth this year I could not pass up the chance. I'm so glad I made the trip. What a great quilt show! There were so many beautiful quilts to see. Before I left for the show I met two quilters in the lobby of the hotel. They invited me to share the show with them.

Marj and Miki, I treasure the time we spent together. Meeting you both was such a gift. We explored each quilt from design, to the exquisite workmanship and use of colors. I always enjoy sharing a quilt show through the eyes of other quilters. I learn so much. I hope, dear ladies, our paths cross again.

At lunchtime a quick trip across this footbridge took me from the DECC convention center to the Canal Park area. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is the first shop across the bridge. I bet the quilters kept them busy!!

Canal Park is so much fun to visit. The city's effort at urban renewal has gone a long way, making this area a must see destination. Old warehouses and shipping docks now house restaurants, shops, hotels and movie theaters.

This photo shows a shot of the convention center on the left about a block away. The Waters of Superior is a wonderful art gallery. I mentioned this shop in a previous post. They just started carrying my quilt block jewelry.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of my wares in with so many other beautiful pieces. I am humbled to have my products accepted here.

In the distance you can see two water cisterns on top of what was once an old hardware supply warehouse. This building has been converted in the Hawthorne Suites Hotel. Inside you can see evidence of the building's history, from the wood grain embedded in the concrete ceilings and supports to the massive safe in the entryway. This building once housed one of the largest hardware distributors in the US.

I love the detail in old brick buildings. It is rare to see this type of construction used today. (Can you tell my day job involves commercial construction projects?)

Another look up the road toward the aerial lift bridge that spans the shipping canal in the Duluth Harbor.

P.S. On my way north I made a stop off in Eau Claire. Click here to see a bit about Tangled Up In Hue.

Late Bloomers, Light and Shadow

2009-06-14T05:45:00.003-05:00

I have been watching clouds,
not looking for the shapes that fascinated me in my childhood,
but enjoying the light and shadow created by the sun,
the luminosity and vibrance created above as well as below.
It has been a glorious Spring. My favorite oak tree, the last of the late bloomers is finally leafing out. Soon our catalpa trees will be in flower, buzzing with bees and smelling of exotic spices.Our house is now completely hidden behind the trees just to the left of the out buildings. Willows line the Sugar Creek in the bottom lands. Brilliant greens, blue skies and the clouds, oh the clouds, fill my heart with joy. I am home.

Duluth Bound

2009-06-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

I just finished my initial stocking order for a wonderful art gallery in Duluth, Minnesota called the Waters of Superior. This gallery is located in the Canal Park area of Duluth on Lake Avenue. I've been thinking of contacting the gallery for two years but my trips to town are usually a quick jaunt there and back to pick up our son from college. If you are going to the Minnesota Quilters show in Duluth next week please take time to stop in, enjoy the gallery and all the other great shops and restaurants in the area. DS & DGF work at Little Angie's Cantina a few doors away. They have great mexican food!

I will be going to this show for the first time. I am meeting girlfriends in Duluth, but my main reason for the trip is to visit with my son and his girlfriend while they are on vacation from school.

Here are a few more shots of my work in progress. I use this little organizer to sort cut colored fabrics and keep them from getting dusty between uses. Most of the fabrics I use are hand dyed by me. I also use Cherrywood Fabrics for the brown log cabin pin and matching flying geese pendants and earrings.

Here is a look at the back side of my jewelry. I thought you might enjoy seeing the stitching.

Hope you have a great week! Chris

Treasure in the Mailbox

2009-06-06T06:28:00.007-05:00

Look what I received from Lynn. Oh Boy! I've been admiring her beautiful nature photography cards since she first blogged about them on April 15th. The other day Lynn mentioned that she really liked my quilt block jewelry so I asked her if she would be interested in a trade. I use a lot of note cards for my business, but I may have a hard time parting with these photos. Don't you just love the burrowing owls? Some of these cards are available at her Zazzle shop

Lynn also included a gorgeous abstract felted ATC and note card with a picture of her art journal cover. I love the puffs of wool she left on the ATC and the felted ribbon as a frame is such a great idea. This lady is so creative. If you are interested in an ATC trade with Lynn check out her ATC trading blog. Thanks so much for these treasures Lynn!

A Good Morning

2009-06-05T05:30:00.005-05:00

Every moment of light and dark is a miracle

- Walt Whitman

Baby Bald Eagles

2009-06-02T18:23:00.004-05:00

I took this picture on May 10th. The young eaglets are not visible yet as the adult feeds them.
Three weeks later the young are up on the edge of the nest feeding.

and stretching their wings to balance. First flight is still a few weeks away.

Pardon the blurry pictures. I am a few hundred yards from the nest so I do not disturb these magnificent creatures.
For more information about eaglets click here.

Sewing Again!!!

2009-05-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a peek at my Spice Market bed quilt. Yes, after a year and a half of hand quilting (very slowly) the quilt is on my bed. I love it! I'll show you more once I finish the pillow covers.

Last weekend my mother and stepfather came for a visit. I am always grateful to have company. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I love the added incentive it gives me to clean the house. I finally completed a huge reorganization of the house before the long weekend. Life is in order and the house is still clean. I can sit and sew with out guilt. I also completed a month long stint of fabric dyeing last week.

This is what I spent part of my weekend working on. These are some of the more popular colorways of my quilt block jewelry. I keep running out of stock so I am sewing many multiples to try to build enough stock to get me through the summer.

Last night I worked on the most tedious part of making the jewelry. I cut two 11"x 14" pieces of thin glass into 3/4"x 3/4" squares. To cut, wash and dry these tiny pieces of glass takes about 6 hours. I will clean the glass one more time with window cleaner before assembling the pieces.

Paypal Spoof E-mail

2009-05-28T20:49:00.002-05:00

Today I received and e-mail supposedly from Paypal stating that my Paypal account had limited access because someone had tried to break in to my account. Would I please click on the e-mail link to take care of the problem. Being the suspicious person I am, I instead contacted Paypal and found out it was a fake e-mail. Paypal does not send e-mails to you with links requesting more information. I also noticed the e-mail did not reference any of my e-mail addresses.

I'm sure all of you have received the e-mail someone in Nigeria has a bunch of money they would like to send you. Maybe not such a clever scam, but thieves sure are thinking up new ways to trick people out of personal information. There is a website called Snopes.com that debunks rumors and urban legends. The first time I used it was to check on this e-mail about the missing Ashley Flores. I have since received this e-mail 3 more times over the years and fortunately Ashley is still not missing. Be careful. If you think it is a scam it is likely a scam.

Yellow Bird Art Giveaway

2009-05-24T21:57:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite quilt shops is hosting a blog giveaway that ends tomorrow evening (May 25th).

Click here for a chance to win.

I wrote a post about our trip to this shop last fall. Click here to read more.

A Little More From Last Weekend

2009-05-23T18:23:00.008-05:00

Look what I found on our shop hop last weekend. Way to go Moda! Lace-Up Sewing Cards! I spent hours playing with these when I was a child. I swear these look just like the ones I remember from my childhood.

I picked up a handmade silverware basket from the Amish Quilt shop. It is perfect for my shipping supplies. I also picked up a copy of Kathy Kuderer's "Down a Country Road". Her book offers a look into the history and lifestyle of the Amish in our area. (Guess what Jenna? The Amish in the Cashton area came here 44 years ago from Holmes County Ohio)

Last weekend our son was home from college for a few days. Our son is known for his goofy faces.

Now you know where he gets that from.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I'm sewing lots of little quilt blocks to make more jewelry for an art gallery in Duluth.

Treasury West

2009-05-20T18:30:00.002-05:00

I just received a note that my Dye Candy fabric is featured in a gorgeous Etsy Treasury West. Please stop by and leave a comment. Hopefully we can become front page news!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=54609

My thanks to SeatofMyPants for including my wares with so many beautiful items!

Greetings From Wisconsin

2009-05-19T02:50:00.005-05:00

On Friday morning I headed north to pick up my son from Duluth. It was a such a beautiful day for a drive. It makes my heart soar to travel across this state. The scenery is diverse and the forests seem to go on forever. The trees were bright green when I left our home in Southwestern Wisconsin. As I traveled North the leaves became sparse. Here Spring is two weeks behind. This photo was taken about 20 miles from the Lake Superior shoreline. The land drops off sharply here. I wonder if it was once an ancient shoreline. The temperature here is 65 deg F. Near the lake it was 41 degrees. Saturday I traveled on a shop hop with the Piecemakers Guild hop through rural Southwestern Wisconsin.
One of our stops was an Amish store near Cashton where our host Laura treated us to a bed turning. Laura has been selling quilts from her shop for more than 20 years. All quilts are made locally by as many as 65 Amish women. Piecing is done by hand or with a treadle sewing machine. All quilt tops are hand quilted with beautiful and precise tiny stitches. You can also find handmade baskets, rugs and wooden bowls at this stop.

Down the road a piece....

Another one of our stops was at "Down A Country Road", a gift shop that sells local Amish wares.

Follow this link to their website where you can view a short video about their business and a look at Amish life.

More About the Shop Hop

2009-05-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

P.S. I just checked Patsy's blog. You can see a bit more about the shops we visited here.

Celebrating Friends

2009-05-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

Two really wonderful things happened about the time I was getting ready to head to Paducah. First, I received a note from Linda Halpin mentioning that Quiltmaker had published two of her quilts! You can find her quilts in the current May/June issue. Way to go Linda! She is a fantastic teacher. Linda has been teaching quilt making nationally for thirty years. Her classes cover so many spectrums of the quilting world from color theory, hand applique, hand quilting and more.

One of Linda's specialties is scrap quilting using a two for one technique where cutaway scraps from one quilt are used to create a second bonus quilt. I love exploring her scrap quilts. I always find fabrics that I would never have thought to purchase and I am amazed that they work so well in the overall assembly. Read more about Linda on her website.

Flying Geese is the primary quilt featured to the left. Linda machine quilted this quilt in sections using the "Cyndication" quilting technique developed by Cindy Fenster and Cathy Doyle.

The quilt in the upper right hand corner is the bonus quilt. This quilt "Split Rail Variation" was Machine quilted for Linda by Marcia Wachuta. Linda says the machine quilting is perfect and I'm sure she is right. Marcia is an extremely talented quilter.

Linda will be teaching this class at Millhouse Quilts in Waunakee, WI on July 31st. Linda notes this class has just been scheduled so it may not appear on the Millhouse calendar until the next newsletter is published.

A few weeks ago Lynn contacted me and mentioned she had given me an award. Thanks Lynn!!! Lynn is a fellow art quilter that I met in blogland last summer. She is always trying new techniques. Her art work inspires me to do more. I can't wait to see what she will do next!

Here is a description that accompanied the award "This award goes to fellow bloggers who visit frequently and raise my spirits with their kind words of encouragement, their beautiful images and their wonderful outlook on life. They make blogging a positive experience and continue to make my life richer.

I really have a hard time passing awards on to others. I read so many blogs and visit each one because I find inspiration at each stop. (I love receiving your comments. If you leave a return e-mail address I will reply). I've listed a few of the many I enjoy below. Thanks for your encouraging words and your friendships.

Judith at My Cretan Life

Susan who Plays With Needles

Millie's Quilting

Greenmare at Mare's Nest

Karen Fae at Karen's Quilting

Jude at Cariad in Crete

Bindu at Transient Lives

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch

2009-05-10T13:06:00.004-05:00

We have been taking long walks through the woods where early spring wildflowers and ferns are just starting to appear.
Grasses in the meadow are short and it is easy to find a path.

And the Shady Grove waits for its leaves.

The wild plum trees are in bloom and the valley is filled with sweet fragrance. In another week we should find wild orchids sprouting in the woods. The hummingbirds and orioles showed up last week. We promptly put the feeders out. If we wait a few days the hummingbirds will hover outside the windows waiting to be fed. It seems they have long memories. This is the first year we have spotted indigo buntings at the bird feeders. I hope they stick around, but I'm pretty sure the buntings plan to head north to mate and nest.

I have half of the binding completed on my Spice Market quilt. A long awaited finish is coming soon....

Wishing you a very happy Mother's Day!

Chris

A Little More From Paducah

2009-05-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed exploring downtown Paducah.

The town is full of beautiful architecture.

River towns always have such grand old buildings, allowing a peek at times past when river commerce was king.

As a child I spent a weekend with my aunt and uncle swimming on the shore of the Ohio River. The river was as I remembered it, barges pushing coal and gravel up and down the river to some distant place.

If you are ever in Paducah make sure you take time to see The Wall or "Wall to Wall".

Murals painted by artist Robert Dafford cover the flood walls that protect the downtown area. Each panel depicts a different aspect of the local area history. I tried to find a link to more information about the wall but what I found was very limited. So instead I leave you with this link to the National Quilt Museum located 1 block north of the wall. This year the museum had a special display "Best of Show: 25 years of Quilting Excellence". It was a wonderful opportunity to see how quilting has changed in such a short span of time. This is a trip I will never forget.

Quilt Show Winners and A Car Park?

2009-05-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

We stopped off in Arthur Illinois to visit the "Stitch and Sew Fabrics" store. The prices were very reasonable and the selection was varied with something for everyone. Many of the shops in town were filled wonderful Amish wares. We had lunch in a nearby bakery. I can still smell the cinnamon!

On the way back to the car I noticed this unique parking structure. This photo shows only half of the city lot. There is room for at least a dozen horses in this garage.

Rumor has it we missed two great Amish dry goods stores full of fabric. Maybe next trip....

Here is a link to photos of the show winners at the AQS show in Paducah. Enjoy!

Greetings from Metropolis and Superfriends

2009-04-29T17:05:00.006-05:00

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

2009-04-27T17:54:00.001-05:00

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

Hancocks of Paducah

2009-04-26T14:03:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-21T16:45:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-18T08:09:00.008-05:00

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

2009-04-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

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

2009-04-12T09:09:00.007-05:00

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

2009-04-06T16:48:00.005-05:00

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!

2009-04-02T21:31:00.007-05:00

The Big Day is Here

2009-03-31T16:25:00.001-05:00

Here is a peek at what I've been working on for the last few weeks. Today is the reveal date of our "Brave New World" art quilts on the Around the World in 20 Quilts site. The quilts are A4 size and each is to contain recycled or re-purposed items. I really enjoyed the journey from start to finish. I had six different ideas and knew I had chosen the right one. But when I started my quilt something completely different came to mind and I had to follow that path. I love the diversity of the finished quilts. Stop by and see more here.

Thanks to everyone that entered my jewelry giveaway. I really enjoyed meeting you and visiting your blogs. The Internet has made this world so small and so much more connected.

And now for the winner..... Pamela S. who says: I love your creativity! Your colors are fabulous and I'm crossing my fingers I win your giveaway. P.S. I lived in WI for 10years and it is a marvelous place.

Pamela, congratulations. Please contact me via the e-mail address on my profile page to claim a piece of jewelry of your choice from my Shady Grove Studios ETSY shop.

Waiting for the Earth to Wake

2009-03-28T07:33:00.005-05:00

I love this time of year just before the earth wakes. Tree silhouettes against the sky fascinate me.
The ground has just begun to thaw and our Amish neighbors are already turning the soil in preparations for spring planting.

Snow is in the forecast tonight. We may be lucky and miss most of the storm. It has been a mild spring this year and we are looking forward to long walks in the meadows.

Have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. You still have time to enter my blog giveaways. Drawings will be March 31st.

Three Giveaways

2009-03-25T21:59:00.008-05:00

To celebrate the opening of my new Etsy Store called Dye Candy I am hosting a giveaway here and on my other blog . Enter here for a change to win a piece of quilt block jewelry. Visit my other blog for a change to win a Dye Candy box of your choice. For a chance to win both there is a third giveaway running simultaneously on Simply Robin's blog. She has guest bloggers all week and few different giveaways. I will be a guest blogger on Thursday March 26th.

I will be drawing for winners on March 31st.

Good Luck!

P.S. If you are new to my blog and want to see more post about our rural location click on the Shady Grove link in the labels below

Home Again and No Place to Go

2009-03-24T17:44:00.005-05:00

I just spent an extended weekend with my mom and sister at Patsy's Homestead Cabin Retreat. My sister is not a quilter. Can you believe she designed this beautiful quilt on her first day of the retreat. I spent 10 minutes showing her how to use my EQ program and she took it from there. This photo shows 1/4 of the quilt design. We spent the weekend working on quilts for the 1940's era fishing cabin she and her husband purchased last summer.

We took some time out for some walks in the woods.

And enjoyed watching the chicken antics. This rooster takes his job seriously.

Mom and I sewing.

And finally a finished project. This blueberry pie pin cushion kit came from Pats blog giveaway a in late January in honor of her blog's first birthday. It was National Pie Day on the first day of Pat's giveaway. I tried to get it finished for the other National Pi day, but I was a week late.

There are a few more pictures from our weekend and show and tell on Patsy's Blog

It was a wonderful time and it was hard to leave, but my classes are over, no retreats planned until December. I'm glad to be home and I know where all my sewing notions are for the first time in a month.

P.S. Two more days until my blog giveaways start.

New Ventures

2009-03-18T05:59:00.005-05:00

When I started my blog "Greetings From the Shady Grove" I had visions of writing post cards with views of my rural life and travels to the big and small cities. I am blessed to live a life where I want to live it. This is truly home for me and my husband. If you ever picture yourself living this lifestyle, find a way to support yourself and make the leap. You will not regret it. We don't, in fact this life is hundreds of times better than we had hoped and I think we had pretty high expectations.

I will tell you that we took 5 years to choose a place to live based on many factors like school system, cost of living and friendliness of the local citizens. My employer allowed me do research and home searches at lunchtime on the internet during our slow seasons. (I still work for this company as a remote employee.) We searched in many states and settled on our current location 3 years prior to making our purchase. We visited this county one weekend a month for a year before we finally move here full time.

As you know I am a seller on Etsy. I never really saw this blog as a place to promote my products and lately it has started to become that way. When I decided to sell my hand dyed fabrics in a new shop called Dye Candy so many other ideas came along with it. I just launched a new blog called Dye Candy.blogspot.com

Stop by and see what I have planned. Please leave comments and let me know what you think of the ideas.

Wishing you warm days ahead from our Shady Grove,

Chris

Old School

2009-03-17T19:21:00.010-05:00

Many of my friends attended one and two room schools during their early school years.

In the late 1960's and early 1970's many of the rural schools were consolidated into larger buildings. Some of these schools are still used for community meeting places and churches.

This school near our house our house didn't make it through last winter. The roof gave way after we received 60" of snow.

Many have become homes.

This school is located on the ridge not to far from here. It as an Amish school house. I love seeing all the kids when they are outside for recess. They all stop and wave when we drive by.

Don't You Hate When This Happens

2009-03-13T16:57:00.006-05:00

Winter Solstice class resumed this week. I finished my blocks at class on Wednesday night...or so I thought. Last night I put all of my blocks on the design wall a had a big hole! I hate when this happens. I remember having 2 extra fabrics when I sorted my fabric for this class. I must decided that three didn't work with this color scheme. Here is a peek at the "Groovy Little Hippy Bags" Crazy Quilt purses I have been working on over the last two weekends. If you follow my blog through reader you have already seen these purses when I posted them for a special order customer to review. The blue and black velvet messenger bag has 12 hours of hand embroidery on the flap. I use new corduroy and new and reclaimed velvets to make these purses. These fabrics make the best shoulder straps. They really stay put.

Does this happen to you? It irks me when my pictures load sideways....

This Dusty Purple Messenger Style Bag has one of my original hand embroidery designs. I really enjoy making these purses. I sometimes wish there were 20 extra hours in each day so I could get more accomplished.

The photos below are ATC's from the ladies of Around the World in 20 Quilts Group. Our theme is "Seasons" We are also doing a postcard exchange. I have my postcards completed but have yet to put them in the mail. I'm saving them for show and tell at quilt guild on Monday night.

"Water - too wet, too dry" from Simone in the Netherlands. I love the hand dyed and painted fabrics in this work. The blue metallic threads really give the ATC a beautiful shimmer.

"Spring" from Marian in Australia. These flowers are so delicate. I'm longing for the days when the spring beauties start to bloom here.

This lovely tree by Lynn in California was machine felted and top-stitched with free motion embroidery. I love the angelina fibers she mixed with the threads and yarns!

"Autumn" by Linda in Australia. I have seen mushrooms like these in fairy tales. I had no idea they grew in the woods of the Netherlands until I received this beautiful card from Linda.

"Ginkgo"

These are my ATC's. This is the first time I have made an Art Trading Card. I cut the ginkgo leaves from freezer paper and ironed them to some of my hand dyed fabrics. I rubbed Shiva paintstiks over the top of the fabric and then hand stitched the veins of the leaves.

It was so much fun to get letters from other places in the world. If this is something that interests you I highly encourage you to join an exchange.

I'm dyeing fabrics tonight and tomorrow I sew. I will be making some more flying geese pendants in a couple new colorways.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Dye Candy

2009-03-08T16:41:00.007-05:00

"Delicious Hand Dyed Fabrics To Satisfy Your Cravings"

You know how an idea starts out as a little spark? My mother suggested packaging my hand dyed fabrics in small parcels. She is always full of great ideas and I always listen to my mom now that I'm a grown up.

I divided some of my 6 step gradations into small sample sized pieces. Each piece is about the size of a fat 16th (a nominal 9"x10.5"). There are 12 pieces in each box.

Once I had the first few boxes packed I thought "These look so luscious". That was when the idea of "Dye Candy" came into my mind.

I was torn about opening a second Etsy shop but decided customers would have an easier time finding my hand dyed fabrics if I opened a shop of the same name. So if you are looking to enhance your hand dyed fabric stash, here is a great way to do it without a lot of expense.

I have yet to move all of my hand dyed fabrics into this store. I will also be adding more color options in the coming weeks.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-07T10:27:00.004-06:00

Sand Hill Crane Photos Courtesy of Nikki

This week and the next is when so many of the migratory birds return to the area. Yesterday we were outside and only heard winter birdsong. This morning there were two to three dozen robins in our yard. Robins are considered the first sign of spring if you live in the upper Midwest in the United States. The sand hill cranes are back too. I saw a pair in the wetlands when I traveled to town this morning for my shift at the art gallery.

I was able to capture a few pictures of the pileated woodpecker living in our woods. Sorry they are a bit out of focus. My zoom lens was fully extended to catch these shots. This is only the third time I have seen one close to the house. I often hear and see them near the woodlands. They have a very distinct awkward and flight pattern which makes them easy to spot once you know what to look for. This species of bird lives in nests made in hollowed out trees. Their habitat is shrinking in many places due to man's encroachment.

We have had a warm week and the snow has almost melted. Mud season has started (or early spring for those of you that live in areas full of pavement). The dog has had his first bath of the season.

Wishing you many warm days ahead.

Snow Day

2009-03-04T05:00:00.001-06:00

I love the subtle shades the landscape takes on when the sky is overcast and snowy. The silhouettes of trees against the white snow and gray sky fascinate me.

I long to sit and draw what I see.

Groovy Little Hippy Bags

2009-03-01T12:53:00.000-06:00

Rose Red Velvet Crazy Patch Purse

9" top, 11" bottom, 11" tall, 2" deep

34" shoulder strap

Snap closure, 4 interior pockets.

Purple Messenger Style Shoulder Bag.

Hand Embroidered Floral Pattern (original design)

Dusty Purple Corduroy and velvets with burgundy, black and maroon accents

11.5" Tall, 12.5" Wide, 2" Deep

41" strap

magnetic snap closure, 4 interior pockets

Blue and Black Velvet Messenger Style Shoulder bag
Crazy quilt design - 12 hours of Hand Embroidery
13" Tall, 12.5" Wide, 2" Deep
36" strap
magnetic snap closure, 4 interior pockets

Each pattern is my own unique design and subject to copyright.
Made from old items of clothing and new materials. All fabrics have been washed in hot water and tumbled dry to make sure fabrics are durable. Spot clean or hand wash and hang dry.

A Little Progress and Some Set Backs

2009-03-01T08:59:00.004-06:00

I made some progress on my Winter Solstice project last week. I'm pleased with the hand dyed fabric I chose for the background. It really highlights the stars and makes them shine.

I have been working on a new idea for marketing my hand dyed fabric. I came up with a catchy name, which made me think I should rename or open a new ETSY store of the same name. Has anyone done something similar? Any thoughts? I'm really undecided.

I had planned to have my newly dyed fabrics added to my store this weekend but I had a few commission requests that have changed my focus for a few days. I am glad for the change. I have long been putting off adding some crazy quilt purses to my store. I'm working on one in particular that may be hard to part with. Oh well, I have learned to let go because I can always make another.

We have had a lot of wildlife sightings near the house lately. A few weeks ago I started smelling a skunk like odor and figured the skunks were coming out of hibernation. I turns out we have a red fox living very near our home. Our dog Jack has found remnants of meals just outside my studio window. The musk of a fox smells very much like skunk but MUCH more pleasants. Take it from one who knows. Our Alaskan Malamute was one to chase skunks. Never, NEVER, let your dog in the house if it has been sprayed by a skunk. :)

The deer have been coming in mass to the orchard and this morning I discovered why. We have seen a pileated woodpecker feeding on the remaining apples from last years crop. The apples no longer stay in the tree as the woodpecker pecks. Instead they fall to the ground to feed the deer.

Winter is slowly coming to an end. The morning sun is finally reaching our home early in the day. In a few weeks the quiet of winter will be replaced by the song of red wing blackbirds as they nest in the fields and raise their young.

Green Acres is the Place to Be

2009-02-21T14:00:00.002-06:00

I took these first four photos right after we moved to the farm. It was my first day of working from home back in 2002. I woke up to a beautiful scene at sunrise and took a long walk to start my day. Living in in nature is such an honor. Hardly a day goes by that I don't count my blessing for the beauty in my life.

When I was young one of my favorite TV shows was "Green Acres" starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. If you are not familiar with the show it was about a couple from Park Avenue in New York that move to a small town. Mr. Douglas, the high powered, attorney had a dream of owning a farm and watching his crops grow. They end up buying the old Haney place from Mr. Haney the town's snake oil salesman along with many other items that don't work very well.

One of the Douglas' purchases was their Hoyt Clagwell tractor. It was always breaking down. Here is the "Hoyt Clagwell" we purchased with our farm. This 1964 Ford never did run quite right. Everytime we went to use it something else would break. It literally cost $200.00 everytime we would turn the ingition. Our Hoyt Clagwell didn't last through the first season. It went to live with other tractors of similar vintage. Tractor collecting and tractor shows are very popular in this state.

Back to the old Haney place... When Lisa Douglas needed to use her kitchen appliances she had to use a numbering system. You could plug a #1 in with a #6 but if you added a #7 the fuses would blow. My kitchen has six outlets along the counter but only 3 worked properly. In the summer of 2002 I purchased replacement outlets and misplaced them. I knew I had them somewhere so I could never bring myself to buy more. Well last weekend I cleaned the carpets in my son's old bedroom. Would you believe I found the replacement outlets in his closet? He and I remodeled his bedroom the first summer on the farm and the outlets were mixed in with all the other wiring supplies from that project. I installed them immediately fearing I might lose them again. Now I can plug in my toaster and mixer at the same time!

We have snow here today but I'm dreaming of summer days.

Color Choices and a Little Sewing

2009-02-15T16:30:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have a hard time choosing colors? Over the next few weeks I am taking a class from my friend Suzanne. The pattern is one of her own designs and requires lots of different fabric to give it interest. I dove into my scrap bin for this class looking for a neutral or light colored background and some medium and dark fabrics. All of the colors I put together were earth tones and I was not happy with the brightness of the pallet. Last year I purchased a few batiks while I was traveling and added a few more from Jeanne's fabric sale. I have been itching to put something together with these vibrant fabrics. For the background fabric I dyed some of the print cloth I just received with a light red and golden yellow mixture with a hint of blue to get this lovely butterscotch color. I can't wait to see how the pattern turns out. More on this project next week.

Today I am putting the finishing touches on some quilt block jewelry. I have been out of stock of some of these colorways for a bit. It will be nice to have some on hand again. I also took some time out to play Frisbee with Jack on this warmish ( 23 deg F)and sunny winter day. The snow has been gone for almost a week on the south facing slope however we still have up to 12" inches of snow on the north facing slope. The sky has been a beautiful blue all weekend and it makes me long for springtime.

Pillowcases and Wonderful Things in the Mailbox

2009-02-10T06:15:00.004-06:00

Look what came in the mail for me this weekend. Pat at Bell Creek Quilts had a blog birthday give away and I as one of the lucky winners. This kit for a Piece-O-Pie pin cushion was my prize. I collect pin cushions and was very pleased to be the winner. Pat also surprised me with a lovely fat quarter filled with Dove chocolates. Oh joy. I have been chocolate deprived for a few weeks. There were a few more chocolates wrapped in there but DH & I dug into to them before I was able to snap a picture. And I love the quilt angel card she included. Thanks so much Pat!

This treasure came from Gwen at Desideratum . I fell in love with these beautiful earrings when Gwen had a give away back in the late fall. (Here is a link to better photos of these Robin's Egg Blue Earrings ) Unfortunately I was not a winner so I sent her a note a week ago and asked if she was still making these and would she please sell me a pair. Gwen and her husband are amazing artists and I do believe Gwen is a master of all. Take a stop by her blog and explore. You can find a link to her husband John's blog there too. John has some wonderful paintings on display there.

A few readers asked about pillowcase construction after one of my recent posts. I have learned a few methods over time and my favorite is one that I've heard referred to as the "hot dog bun" method. This is a photo of my first quilt. I made matching pillowcases with some of the remaining fabrics. These pillowcases were sewn with a few construction techniques that leave no exposed seams inside or out. Click here for a tutorial.

Pillowcase Tutorial

2009-02-10T06:00:00.003-06:00

This tutorial is for a standard pillowcase. Larger sizes options are at the end of this post. All of your fabrics should be a minimum of 42" wide. Be sure to remove selvage edges. To make this pillowcase you need cut the following sizes of fabric:

Main Body: 27" (3/4 yard) x 42"
Piping/Trim: 1-5/8" x 42"
Cuff: 12" x 42"

Fold piping in half wrong sides together. Iron. You should now have a narrow strip of trim.

Layer fabrics on flat surface so that the raw edges meet:
12" Cuff fabric right side up
trim folded and pressed
27" Main body right side down
-Pin in place along the 42" width and stitch along the 4 raw edges to join the 3 pieces of fabric together with a seam 3/8" of an inch wide.
-Now roll up the main body fabric so it will fit inside the cuff.

-Wrap the 12" wide cuff fabric around the rolled up main body fabric so the right side faces in and the wrong side faces out.
- Pin raw edges together.
-Stitch raw edges together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
Now for the fun part. Reach inside the cuff and pull out the main body fabric. As you do this it will turn the cuff so that all your stitches are now hidden inside the cuff. Press cuff flat.

- To assemble the rest of the pillowcase you will be using a french seam. Fold your pillowcase in half WRONG SIDES together.
- Press and pin starting where raw edges of the cuff join together then all along the raw edges.
- Stitch together with a 1/4" seam that continues around the 90 degree turn.
- Your pillowcase should now be closed on 3 sides.
- Clip inside corners of the main fabric to avoid excess bulk.

- Turn pillowcase inside out so that the right sides are now facing together. Press
-Sew a 1/2" seam along the same sides you just stitched closed again starting at the cuff. This 1/2" seam will enclose your last seam so that no raw edges show.

Turn the pillowcase right side out to reveal completed pillow case.

To make a king or queen pillowcase substitute the 3/4 yard fabric as follows:
Queen: 32"x 42"
King: 41"x 42"

It Happened One Day

2009-02-08T09:18:00.009-06:00

Sunrise Friday morning

Frost forms as the temperature rises

And then falls from the trees when the sun clears the bluff

A little snowshoeing with Jack

I travel to town in the late afternoon and find an imature bald eagle looking for trout in the river

and just around the corner

a red tailed hawk

And later a bright night and clear sky

A day for dreaming and counting my blessings

Dye Release

2009-02-05T16:09:00.004-06:00

The photo on the right shows 2 examples of dye release. Both fabrics had a bleach paste (In this instance Cascade liquid dishwasher soap) applied to make the leaf pattern designs. I used a stencil and a foam roller to make the ginkgo leaf design. The oak leaf design was made with a foam stamp. I lightly rolled the paste onto the stamp with the foam roller. I let the bleach set for 10 minutes on the green fabric and only 5 minutes on the dark navy fabric. The bleach was rinsed away and then the fabric was soaked for 15 minutes in a water and vinegar mixture to stop the bleaching process.

The green fabric on top is one of my hand dyed fabrics. The fabric on the bottom is a commercial dye/batik. I was curious to see how my fabric would hold up to the bleach in the release paste. I was pleasantly surprised. I use a dye fixative in the final stage of dyeing to increase color fastness. There was much less of a reaction than I expected. On the other hand I did not expect the quick results with the commercially dyed fabric. I guess that what makes this technique so much fun. You never know what your end result will be.

Fun with Fabric

2009-02-03T16:45:00.007-06:00

I just have to start this post by saying thank you so much for all your support and the wonderful comments you left on my last post. It feels so good to be back in a routine of exercise and this time I have cheerleaders! This new attitude was long overdue.

This weekend after I finished my shift at the Red Door Gallery I was able to get back to sewing. I put the finishing touched on my "Mod" quilt top late Sunday afternoon. This quilt is composed of many of the large scale prints I have been collecting for the last few years. Some were purchased for handbags and others just for fun. I never did make the handbags but loved the fabric and had to find a use for it. I thought it would be fun to feature the fabric in large quilt blocks that would capture snapshots of the large scale prints. I designed this quilt in early January after looking for a pattern and finding none that really appealed to me. The finished quilt will be 50.5"X84.5". Believe it or not it will be a lap quilt. Winters here in our old farmhouse are chilly. Lap quilts need to cover your toes and tuck underneath your chin. I can't wait to snuggle up under this quilt with a good book!

I just placed an order for a 100 yard bolt of print cloth. It should be here by Wednesday and I will start dyeing again. My Etsy store has been neglected for more than a month. I finally replaced the purple and fuchsia colorways the other day. I did a small dye lot a few weeks back, but no where near what is needed to get my store restocked. I have to wait until the weekend to dye because I get so excited when I dye that I don't sleep well. I just can't wait to rinse out the one of a kind dyes and see how they turn out. These are my favorites from the last batch.

Dawn asked about the quilt behind me in my last post. My friend Patsy made it to hang in her quilt retreat. You can see and better photo of it here.

My New Attitude

2009-01-31T13:58:00.004-06:00

Many years of my life I have fought with myself to be thin. I am not a thin person by nature. Every New Year I vow to lose weight and diet until I could be happy with the way I look. A few years ago I even decided to reward myself for a large weight loss with a trip to a place I have always wanted to visit. It didn't happen. Disappointment, Diet, Despair. No more "D's"....Time to rethink.

I studied nutrition in college. I know what to eat and what it takes to lose the weight. As a side note all my nutrition teachers were morbidly obese save one. We all know what to eat. I do eat well most of the time. I am addicted to sugar and chocolate and do not keep those items in the house. I have maintained the same weight with in 5 pounds for the last 5 years. So what do I need to do to change?

I have been having trouble remembering things and have little or no energy for a while now. Don't get me wrong, I am busy all the time, but I am just not myself. This needs to change.

This New Year I decided not to diet. I will eat sensibly when ever possible. I did not set an unrealistic weight loss goal.

This is my new attitude... I now exercise 20 minutes in the morning on a stationary bike. I started with 3 times a week and have worked up to 5 times per week, first thing in the morning, no excuses. I have decided to look at my weight loss one pound at a time. My goal is to lose one pound per week. If I didn't make it, I add an extra workout in the evening until I make my goal. I also plan to add yoga when my weight loss stagnates. No huge life change, just a little something to make me a healthier person.

The results so far... I have lost a pound each week. My muscles are stronger and my waist is just a bit more shapely from the bike riding. I have more energy during the day. My memory and my concentration are improving and I sleep well at night for the first time in a very long while.

This year I am rewarding myself with that trip as a birthday gift to myself. I will join some of my girlfriends on their annual trek to the AQS Quilt show in Paducah, KY. Maybe I will see you there!

A Sneak Peek

2009-01-28T17:15:00.006-06:00

Here is a sneak peek at the crazy quilt block I just completed for the current president of the Friendship Quilt Guild. I was so pleased to have a chance to use my imagination. Each year we make a quilt for our current guild president as a thank you for their service. The theme is chosen by the president but she does not get to see the progress until May when the completed quilt is presented.

My apologies for the brief posts I've made lately. Something had to give way to make room for all the other things going on in my life. I have attended two weekend retreats this month. No, this in not normal for me but it sure was a great way to start the New Year.

I also taught a class about hand piecing quilt blocks at the Piecemakers Guild which meets at Patsy's Retreat once a month. This was the first time I taught the class so I had some work to do to get the samples in order for class.

Last weekend was our annual Sleep-In for the Friendship Quilt Guild. Our Art Quilt group met to share paints, markers and other messy embellishments. We also did a little color discharge from fabric. Lots of fun and a great chance to see which products worked well and which did not.

Here is another project we worked on at the overnight. Our group is sewing pillowcases for children with cancer. These pillowcases will go to the cancer ward at UW Hospital in Madison. We made 40 pillowcases on Saturday. I was able to finish 3 at the overnight and have 4 more to complete this weekend. Suzanne will continue to collect these into next month. See info on RC blog for details.

The biggest reason I have not been blogging as frequently is exercise. I used to read and write my blogs in the morning before work. I am now riding my exercise bike each morning. More about that soon.

I recently started using Google Reader to read posts and have sometimes waited so long that I have 200 posts to read before I can get caught up. Please know I am reading and enjoying what you write. I am not commenting as much as I used to because Google Reader does not have a option to comment (or am I missing something?). Also, please note I do not reply to comments on my own blog but will e-mail a reply to you if you enable the e-mail feature when you leave a comment. I welcome comments and e-mails.

Wishing you all lots of time to create and dream. - Chris

Road Less Traveled

2009-01-26T17:03:00.004-06:00

I took a different route home the other day and stopped to take a picture of some of the limestone bluffs common to our area. I thought I was capturing a herd of cows in the foreground. I had to do a double take. There were about 30 ponies mixed into the herd. I'll have to make it back this way some day when it is warmer so I can captures a better photo.

Jeanne's fabric sale ended last weekend. Much thanks goes all who shopped and helped reduce the incredible volume of her stash. A very special thank you goes out to Linda (who put in 100's of hours) and all the volunteers that came to organize and help out on sale dates. Linda plans to post a slide show this fall containing items made from Jeanne's fabric. If you have pictures you would like to contribute you can find Linda at her website here.

Dreams, Hope, Prayers and Faith

2009-01-20T16:45:00.003-06:00

All of my life I have dreamed that the world would unite and celebrate one another for the beauty within. Today I celebrate and place my hopes in the hands of a new American President who speaks of my dreams.

I pray for our nation and our world these things:

Acceptance of one's religion, no matter what faith or god or prophet.

Compassion for those in need.

A celebration of the differences that make each of us so unique.

A universal race: humankind.

I have faith we can achieve a better world if we open our hearts and love one another.

Tucked in for the Week

2009-01-16T18:00:00.005-06:00

I heard the weather report last Sunday and decided it was time for Christmas to be over. I came home from the retreat and took down our Christmas tree (sigh, it was so lovely with all it's twinkles and bright lights). You see, we store many of our decorations in an out building and the temperature was due to drop drastically. By Monday morning my husband had them stowed away before he left for town. Jack and I waited and watched for the high winds and blowing snow expected later that day.

The removal of the tree made room for the return of my sewing machine. We live in an old farm house with very low ceilings. The Christmas tree either fits in my studio or our bedroom. I had my sewing area set up again by Sunday night. I have been continuing work on my "Mod" quilt in the evenings after work. I hope to have it all pieced by the end of the weekend. I am using my Grandmother's sewing machine. It was purchased the year my mother was born. I love the quiet whirring sound the old motor makes as it sews.

At 9:00 am today the thermometer read -35 degrees Fahrenheit. The house is creaking and groaning with noises I have never heard before. The radio announcer said the pub down the road had a reading of minus 40 degrees which was as low as their thermometer will measure. This is certainly the coldest daytime weather I have experienced in years. Tomorrow I venture out. The weather is due to increase by 50 degrees to 20 above. I am working at Jeanne's fabric sale from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. I'm hoping the heatwave will bring lots of people out for the sale. I have a newer sewing machine table I am donating to cause which still needs to be loaded in the van today. I sure hope it warms up soon! Warm wishes from the Sunny Grove.

Tagged and an Award and a Treasury

2009-01-16T17:00:00.008-06:00

There have been days when I wonder, does anyone enjoy reading what I write?

And then something like this happens....

I received this award recently from Cheryl at Cheryl's Chatelaine Thanks so much for your thoughtfulness. This award is fitting as you will see in a minute. Cheryl has been cleaning her closets lately and I have been enjoying her organization skills, which I strive for, but never quite achieve. I have been noticing the similarities in our stashes and our love of embellishments.

Here are the guidelines for this award:'This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!'These are some very wonderful gals to visit. They are thoughtful, friendly and have so many wonderful ideas.

I am supposed to pass this along.One of the best part of blogging is the people you get to know, and I would like to pass this award on to these people that I would not have had the opportunity to "meet" otherwise:

1. Pat at Bell Creek Quilts - Pat is prolific quilter that lends a lot of her sewing time to good causes.
2. Greenmare at The Mare's Nest - She is always leaving me kind words and her blog makes me laugh.
3. Lynn of Getting My Feet Wet - She and I have been sharing ideas about art quilts. Lynn makes beautiful memory quilts for loved ones.
4. The Calico Quilter of It's the Cat's House, I Just Live Here - Who helped me find the perfect gift for my husband, Three Stooges Christmas ornaments (Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk). By the way she has most of Bonnie's latest mystery quilt finished so if you don't want to see step 5 you may want to look at older posts only.
5. Gwen at Desideratum - I love reading her blog. It is full of beauty and light.

I owe Jackie of Jackie's Stitches a follow up for 8 random facts about myself. I plan write this post soon with a diet theme. My goal for the New Year is a healthier me and Jackie is a great example of what a good diet can do. More on that later.

I just heard from The Rainbow Girl that she had included my flying geese earrings in her recent ETSY treasury "Hand Dyed Heaven". It is an honor to be included with so many creative artists. Stop by and take a look and leave a comment. The treasury expires late Saturday.