Pillowcase Bags - Update with Tutorial Link

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.