TN Quilt Shops

My sister and I decided to spend some time together on Saturday by taking a ride, it was a beautiful day to go up the mountain into TN. It is only a little over an hour to Johnson City, TN. The first shop we visited was Nimble Thimble. That's me ready to shop!

We really enjoyed the shop, lots of different items, large class room and quite a few store samples of various patterns. We met a wonderful person, Myra. She was wearing a present from a family member that was just too cute. I really need to find the pattern. It looks like a vest, is knitted as a circle with 2 arm holes. No hole for her head so part of the circle covers the back and part of it creates the neck line. The yarn was really chunky and tutti fruiti colors.
Thanks Myra for a wonderful visit!


Sister Donna on Left, Myra on Right

New work

We have completed 2 craft shows in the past week. Here are a few of the items that did not sell so far.

This is "Elegant Angel" Original design by Lily Kern. Class taken at QuiltUniversity.com

An original design. "Bear Creek" hand dyed and commercial home dec fabrics. Adapted from Dan Houck's photo.

12 Dog Days of Christmas. Commercial fabric panel

"Summer Bargello" Created during QuiltUniversity.com class Bargello Seasons with Ruth Blanchet - Won 1st place Table Runner at the WNC State Fair, Sept 2008

"A View of the Blue Ridge Mountains" Created with hand dyed and commercial fabrics. Original design adapted from Dan Houck's Photos - Won 1st place and a Judge's Choice Mixed Media at the WNC State Fair, Sept 2008

Wins at the WNC State Fair

What a weekend. I entered 4 quilts in the Western NC Fair. 3 won 1st place ribbons.


The pot holder was paper pieced using my own hand dyed fabrics, designed by Kim Noblin. The design was from http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art4673.asp. I took the 12 inch block and changed it to a 8 inch finished quilt.




The Spring colored Bargello took a 1st for a table runner. It is created from commercial fabrics and comes from a Quilt University class Bargello Seasons with Ruth Blanchet.




















The crowning glory is my landscape which took a 1st place and a Judge's Choice. It was done with my hand dyed cottons, organza, sheer material, Shiva oil paint sticks. This was created using one of my DH, Dan, photos taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I created a frame around it to create the illusion of looking out of a window of a log cabin. It was entered in the mixed media category. I learned to create landscapes from another Quilt University class called Miniture Landscapes with Susan Brittingham.

I'm unemployed!

Well it's official, I'm unemployed for the next 4 days. I have been commuting almost 75 miles a day for 2 1/2 years. With the price of gas it became apparent I needed to find something closer to home. I am thrilled to say I am able to stay in my field of palliative care but working in the hospital and home settings vs the nursing home setting. I am excited to start with this wonderful company.
On the home front my DH and I will be participating in an artist studio tour this weekend. We have not been involved before but look forward to meeting many new friends and customers. DH will be presenting his marvelous photographs, I will be offering hand dyed fabrics, scarves, baby & dog items. I will also have numerous quilts of various sizes available as well. The weather may be iffy this weekend which may result in a less than stellar turnout. We will hope for the best.
The last bit of news is also exciting - the GRANDCHILDREN are coming to visit along with their mother and uncle. The twins are now crawling so we will need to make sure the dog gate is closed at all times to keep the monkeys from tumbling down the stairs! Can't wait to get my arms around them again. That's all for now. Keep on keeping on.

Catching up

It's been awhile since I posted. Have been busy getting ready for the Leicester Studio Tour on Aug 16th & 17th. The link is http://cometoleicester.com/ Dan (my DH) will also be displaying his marvelous photographs. I have been dyeing baby clothes, doggie tee shirts & bandanas, silk scarves, cotton shopping bags and MANY yards of cotton as well as some silk. I will also have quilts for sale. It is hard to know how much to have of everything since this is our 1st time participating in this wonderful venture. There are fiber artists, a woman with more traditional quilts, potters, painters, photographers, handmade jewelry, iron work, wood work, and the most heavenly scented candles. Lots of different art forms and personalities. Hope you all can come visit us. We are stop 21 on the tour map.
We have good news to share...we are going to be grandparents again! Dan's dtr and sil had the twins in January and now my son and dil are expecting their 1st child Feb 2009. We are so excited! The grandchildren will live 11 miles from each other and we will be 12 hours away. Drat.