Battery Recharged

The week back has me in perpetual motion.  Tuesday Sewing Group (which did very well without my help while I was gone) a private Paper Piecing Lesson, Free Motion quilting class, and sewing, quilting, sewing.  Several quilting commissions have come in this week, as I guess folks are preparing for holiday gift giving. We love this bustle of business and the creative work it involves.  Mary brought back lots of interesting new materials from Quilt Market in Houston.  My favorite gadget for our long arm work is a series of rings that interchangeably give quilting control at specific distances from the hopping foot.  She also continued to quilt in my absence.

I missed being there, but tel aviv took precedence this time.
I met so many amazing people while I was away.  I want to share this.  Picture walking out of your house, going to either corner, turning left or right and landing in the middle of the most amazing craft fair every Tuesday and Friday. Stop for a cafe at a sidewalk cafe.  Buy fabric at any number of delightfully crowded shops. Meet accomplished artists from around the world, sitting on folding chairs at their tables, selling the most amazing artwork (and some, not so amazing, but nevertheless, full of the flavor of the city.)

Kashi Textiles – where we found African-inspired fabrics.

to be a kitchen curtain



the best frozen coffee drink, ever!

I bought the photo he's holding.

Sandu Mandrea is the photographer.  His photos  (and his son’s) are amazing.

Inspired by the Sea

I’ve been home for two days now, but still go to bed early and wake up earlier than I did before I went on Israeli time.  I have bunches to catch up on at
The Quilters Alley and lots to report from the other side of the world, as well.  It’s good to be getting up early.

I went all over the city of Tel Aviv, mostly on foot, and saw many interesting things.  The colors are especially intriguing to me and so for this round of colorful vintage objects, I’ve chosen turquoise, with a smattering  of green, because orange is still the most popular color in recycled objects.

First, my inspiration:

and it was beach weather, for sure!

I look forward to sharing more of my beautiful trip in upcoming posts!  Enjoy!

Farewell to summer

Too much rain, but I think the garden loved it.  Here are a few photos as it fades into autumn….

Busy Bee: last licks

will we get to Elephant's Trunk before it closes?

Brimming

A good and exhausting experience and brief getaway from the  shop

We got there very early, because we wanted to bring the dogs

Then it started to get crowded

So much stuff

My big find at Brimfield

I’m making an adorable wall hanging from part of it.

Stu's big find (on someone's car)

Stu walked Nellie and Pippin a lot

I love vacations because I love coming back home.

Israel is the site of the most ’70’s lampage and other cool facts

I actually took all these pictures in the Arab Market except for the big chandelier which is hanging from the ceiling of Max Brenner, Tel Aviv

Other cool facts… (double click)

There’s a sign

 

posted inside the glass of the front door of our shop.  It says: “No cameras or recording devices…”  We adopted this manner of managing uncontrolled photographing of quilts to protect the rights of the designer-in-absentia, by giving everyone who enters our store fair warning to our belief that creative work has value.  While ideas cannot be copyrighted, in-the-flesh samples, with kits and patterns made readily available for sale are!  Therefore, photographing on digital camera or cell phone is like stealing the unseen time and thought that went into a design and with it, the potential profit to the creator. Haven’t these hard times of late, given pause to the folks who still think it’s okay to take the food from someone else’s mouth, possibly literally?

 

We spent the  weekend vending at the Empire Quilt Guild’s, bi-annual quilt show.  It’s a terrific opportunity for us to make the public aware of the creative possibilities we offer to the crafts of quilting and sewing.   We love meeting new folks and hearing that what we’ve put  together is beautiful or just what their project has been waiting for.  We’re on our feet for three days,  packing, loading the car, unloading while dodging NY City taxis and making everything look pretty, so that it can be picked over and hopefully purchased before the show ends.

Snowing on the First Day of Spring

 

10 by 20 and counting

Voila!

 

 

We see friends  from our local Ridgefield area, who make us feel like we’re really home.  Thanks Dorma, Annie, Laura, Susan, Janice , Tasha etc.  Thanks also to our guild friends who really make us feel NOT like out-of-towners.  We’ve developed a lot of  good  relationships in the time we’ve had our store and the Empire Guild is one such.

Folks are allowed to photograph, but NOT touch the quilts in the show.  We watch and wonder, what-all they will do with all the memorabilia they collect.  The cameras are out and snapping the whole time.  Occasionally, someone visiting our booth will ask to shoot one of our display quilts and they may if they purchase the pattern and just want a better shot to help them while making it.  Another type of person takes the picture without asking, and I fault my lack of vigilance.  But  it’s the person, who when you tell them that the quilt design is copyrighted and “I would appreciate if you don’t take a photo.  The pattern is available for sale, if you’re interested,” and she proceeds to blatantly shoot away,  that I wonder if  trace of conscience exists.

 

We got permission/Miss Fanny Apron happily modeled

 

 

 

I really do believe that most people are good, and even more are good when they know someone is watching.  So I decided to try to capture the culprit on film myself, and hope that if she realizes we actually are watching and just trying to pay the rent and feed ourselves, she might recognize how inconsiderate she has been.  We’re not just objects of entertainment, but real.

 

Still At-Large

 

Making their Get-Away

We love Manhattan and we’ll be back undaunted!

 

George Washington Bridge in Sunshine

I shall return…

The week we spent in Israel was too quick, of course, but most fabulous! Views, tastes, people, sounds and some of the most torrential rains of Israeli Winter. And don’t forget inspiration. Often, what we gain most from travel is a change of viewpoint, or at least an easing of it.   The days ahead will reveal that of course, but a brief look at the recent gorgeous past.

Rosh Pinah balcony: Looking toward the Sea of Galilee

A quilt, maybe?

New fabric from Westminster, Free Spirit arrived on Monday.  Stay tuned!

Blog Heaven

We’ve been watching the Martha Stewart Blog all week, waiting to see when the photos from the VIKING Convention would appear.  Well, if you scroll way down, you’ll see us, but I’ve taken the liberty to borrow a couple that we are very proud of. Meanwhile, Martha did a great job capturing what we experienced at the convention.