Two Weekends (and the week between)

When I’m busy entertaining and working, working and entertaining, blog posts go on hold for a bit.  The photos stay in the camera a bit longer than usual, but the camera is always present (someone’s).

Without further delay, here are Ally and her friends who visited the last weekend of April.

Saturday AM

Rebes, Erica, Jordan, Ally

with Gracie

They brought us this beautiful color-wheel plate.

They even sent a “thank you” note.  What manners!

and the guy.

I wish I had a shot of the assembly-line t-shirt quilt making.

Later that day…Justine finished her quilt.

Much hard work and love went into this.

Then, during the week…

Carole's quilt on the long arm frame

Carole's quilt finished.

Mrs. C's Redwork

Another pretty quilt pieced and quilted

Another pretty quilt quilted

Vintage quilt, new quilting design

Then this past weekend, the Northern Star Quilt Guild Show…

We sold lots of WonderFil Thread

Lots of Cherrywood Hand Dyes
A couple of Husqvarna VIKINGS

A friendly vendor barbecue (Jim’s camera)   The ribs were prepared on Friday night to save time.  On Saturday, some of the guests arrived before we did.
We were all very hungry.

The chef and his burgers

The guests (minus the camera guy)

The camera guy

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?

Where am I?

I know where, but some of my loyal followers are probably wondering where I’ve been.  That’s because I’ve been spending (too brief)  time with my Israeli daughter,( and my New England daughter, ) learning a new language, quilting, entertaining textile dignitaries, sewing, flea marketing and resizing all the photographs that document these activities.  Not time to post until now.

We’re excited that crisp autumn air is bringing people to their sewing senses and creativity is again in season.  The recently added fabrics are getting fabulous feedback and, with that, selling well.  The students are flocking for pillow and drawstring bag projects and we’re please to be collaborating for another year with the Ridgefield Consumer Science departments.

With Sundays off  this summer, we have taken to making up for all the tag sales we haven’t made it to in the last four years.  Hence, Elephant’s Trunk!   Our visit to Brimfield was actually an offshoot of this favorite diversion of ours.  This week I took the camera:

Some vendors create vignettes of home sweet home.

Most just put it all out there for the viewing.

Most stuff is used.

Some stuff is unusual.  We have since added to our garden sculpture collection.  When you run out of room inside, dress outside. I was even motivated by our exterior decorating, to do some overdue pruning.  My poor, neglected garden!

Hi to (another) Roxy, our fave waitress, at the Windmill Diner, our after-flea breakfast spot.

On an indoor note: We were visited by one of the Metropolitan’s  Textile Curators.  Wow!  And she bought fabric.  “Which fabric?”  you ask.  The reproduction of the Brimfield circus print.  How interesting.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Textiles

Shara arrived on July something, something, a bit of a blur, a few short days until she flew to Phoenix and drove to Colorado.  I am happy she finally got to see the Grand Canyon on her way to friends’ wedding.  Love the shoe shot.

Here in no particular order:

New York, former roomie

We did some super cool cultural city things like MOMA.  An Israeli artist is installed there at the moment.  “Coincidence is the messenger of truth.”  And the coincidences just keep coming.  I love museums and am drowning in the artistic overflow at the moment.  No time, but to work.

Some of the inspiration:

Scraps of a China exhibit

What a paradox; he's amazingly disciplined!

Fiber overload!

I got to the city, said, “I want to buy something on the street,” saw an amazing artist who had original pieces that almost looked like quilts and I bought a beautiful blue and gold piece that I absolutely love, and discovered Martha Murphy.  I didn’t really discover her, but am now aware of her talent and love it.

Pieces of Israel, now in NJ

Family Reunion

Teddy Bears in my repertoire

So a few more quilts, good feedback, artistic license, stress and joy, the ever-persistent balancing act of life.

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.

Pittsburgh

As we made our initial entry into the Steel City, I admitted knowingly that I had been to Pittsburgh before.  Actually, since I was in Pittsburgh last, 40 or so years have come and gone. And I don’t think we ever really drove right through, but bypassed it on the highway as we headed for Youngstown, Ohio.  My mom was born in Youngstown, and while she lived there at times in her life, she left for more permanent roots in Queens, NY.  She also left behind some great aunts, uncles and cousins,  that we visited often throughout my childhood and even once in 2007 – like it was old times. But Pittsburgh was just an exit on the highway, I guess, because I didn’t remember all the yellow bridges that criss-cross the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers that make a giant “Y” at the Ohio.  Or the tunnels through mountains that make the city accessible.  It’s a very cool place.

Here I am with cousin, Lisa, (left).  I also  have cousins in McKees Rocks, right outside of Pittburgh – recently acquired fact.

Spring Market was the purpose of our trip to Pittsburgh this time and for real.  It was about eight hours driving, which is about my limit for handwork in one sitting.  I had packed numerous projects and am happy to say I finished the last stitches on my lollypop trees appliques and and binding on Irene’s NYC/TimesSquare quilt.  We missed a day at the store, but work continued well into the drive, with a short stop at the Julian, PA  P.O. to send Irene’s quilt east again.

We did some shopping and socializing – about even this  time, because we didn’t need that much, so we could really  relax and just scout for new ideas. (My head is full at the moment.)

Our first stop:  Art Gallery Fabrics.  You may recognize Pokey Bolton from Quilting Arts (left).  The designer of Art Gallery is on the right.  The girl (Patricia Bravo) and her designs are on fire!

Notice Walter’s grin.  It isn’t because of our ‘huge’ order, but Stu joking around (out of frame).  There’s my favorite acid green and brown print on the table.The fabrics, if you’re wondering, will be arriving in the months to follow.  We also ordered lots of Kokka, which will also be available at the shop and online.

This was a phenomenal sight and sound.  A waterfall of the two rivers merging.

Westminster is always an important stop on our visits to Market.  Jennifer was chatting with another designer when I shot this, and Nancy took a moment to give us one of her (many) good sides.

Love the new, softer color schemes.  I know I’ll be working with them shortly.

Our day off: Part 2

We had a busy but fun day from top to bottom. Besides the smell of sausage and peppers and zeppole, the games, the lights the people, there was fabric to peruse at the St. Gennaro Festival in Little Italy. But the best part was spending a bit more time with David and Shara.  David left for Israel yesterday.  He should be home by now.  (Shara leaves on the 25th.) But we will have these cherished moments and memories of some fun times.  (Sorry, no pics of Derek Jeter’s record breaking hit last night – a final Yankee Stadium visit for Daughter and Dad.)

 

S&D in front of Old Cemetery Door

Bib Boys

 

Correction: I do have the Derek Jeter Shot

Motivated

I’ve lived in the area now for almost five years, three of which have been exclusively focused on our store. You have to do that with an infant business.  But she’s grown, so recently I’ve been able to think a bit of my life beyond the store.  My own artwork, relaxing on my very rare days off, spending time with friends.  I’ve probably passed the Wilton Historical Society buildings a thousand times on my way to errands hither and yon.  But the quilt show opened yesterday and I wanted to see how the pieces they requested from my collection are exhibited. Well, wow.  It’s like I have a whole wall in the museum, right when you enter this beautiful old room.  Quilts are all around, but I “look right” first out of habit possibly and my coat is welcoming me with open arms.   This is my third art coat. THe first one I made I wear all the time in the cool weather (they’re quilted, of course).  The second coat I made (it’s a long story but…) I sent to Oprah Winfrey and it is somewhere in the universe, but where?  The brown coat hanging in the museum is my third.  It is made from various pieces of fabric that are hand woven, printed, Guatemalan, wool and cotton, all in shades of brown. There are several other pieces of my art quilting with them on that wall. Thank you Wilton Historical Society, Andrea and Barbara for your hospitality. We spent a good hour roaming the( maze of) three buildings, eventually caught up with a museum guru and exited feeling awash with textile history and as dumb as dirt for not having know about this amazing resource in my back yard.  Everyone should go.  If you love textiles, trains, toys, history…GO!  (Let me just say: “The doll houses…”)

 

 

Next up:  Hello San Gennaro and so long to David

grow

I wasn’t planning to add anything today, but was inevitably inspired by my blog searching. Everywhere I look are beautiful images of ordinary things made important by a closer view. Here is my contribution.  When people view my word houses they generally glance, but better to peek inside.  This is good advice for everything. The image is a close-up  of the one I made for my friend Pam.