Featured on Etsy Today

Wow! How exciting to be featured on Etsy Today! Check out Jackie's blog & see what other Etsy artisans she's featuring. You may be next!!

Folk music

Lastly, there were several indie musicians. It's always fun to support the arts in all their different forms. This musician, Laura Curtis, was near an art gallery featuring a lot of local artists. Her acoustic guitar music was kind of bluesy, which I like, so I bought one of her CDs. It has a nice, mellow sound.

to a neat undersea quilt that took the artist 5 years to complete

Quilt Car

Quilt Show Highlights

The show was a lot of fun. Here are some highlights: My daughter's first handmade quilt

And after...

Before...

We have had a lot of stormy weather lately. Just had to post this picture of our umbrella. Doesn't it just drive you nuts when it turns inside-out? I made weights that I like to call umbrella earrings and they really work.

Hot-Air Balloons

Today there are going to be a whole bunch of hot-air balloons blowing around in the breeze.  It's so awesome seeing them overhead.  They get pretty low at times.  So many colors and so silent.  We've taken a hot-air balloon ride and the light airy feel and the quietness is surreal.  Something everyone should try at least once.

This photo shows one of my newest table cloth weights (I also call them "umbrella earrings").  They really work.  Check it out in my photos. 

Earth Day

There are so many projects to work on to better our community, both locally & globally.  This year, my business has adopted a two mile stretch of land to keep it free of trash throughout the year.  

Everyday, I drive this road, the one I lovingly refer to as my lullaby drive because it's the road that I take during my son's nap.  This lovely route gently winds and curves past farms and churches, gardens and a horse rescue ranch.

Everyday, that road has provided space to think, play out conversations, &  allow creative thought... I wanted to care for a part of our community and work at enhancing its beauty.  I hope when others drive along, they'll see green grass & wildflowers, not trash.  I want them to see nature, beauty & color.

I want my business to reflect my values and me:  family, nature, helping others...  It may be a small thing, but I believe that collectively, every bit helps.  Happy Earth Day, everyone.

It's National Hanging Out Day!  What's that?  Basically, it's a day when you hang your laundry out to dry on a clothesline.  What a great way to save money, help the environment, and slow down and reflect.  It's a time to really get to hear the birds chirp, the chimes ring, and watch the shirts and skirts billow in the breeze.  And, oh the scent of freshness --it's hard to describe what fresh smells like.  Hmmm... it's something like a cross between ice cubes and ocean, mountain air and sunshine.  No matter if you live on an acre of land and have a T-style line or live in an apartment and have a foldable 3-tier rack, you'll still get the rush of knowing you dried your clothes with pure oxygen, pure sunlight, pure energy.  If you've never tried it, I hope you will sometime.  

It's been an active time which is really good.  I like it that way.  After having opened up a shop at Etsy back in October, there wasn't a lot of time to work on pieces. Now, it's Spring & that's what it feels like... spring --ing into action.

Though there are only a few items in my online shop right now, I am surrounded by color, potential & projects. My designs are tacked onto the wall, calling to be created. It's just like a newly planted garden. It's exciting and intriguing to watch the ground transform into a patchwork of color.

It's exciting to create something & watch it go from idea to project to use. Ahh, yes, Spring is here.

Quilt Show

I'm so jazzed that I finished this quilt in prep for the upcoming Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon.   There are over 400 pieces and it's hand-pieced & hand-quilted with the central fleur-de-lis design hand-appliqued.  The stitches are ~8 per inch (using a continuous flow back-stitch to ensure seam durability) on a 51.25" x 39.5" lap-sized quilt.  The pattern is Night & Noon and I played with the pattern by alternating dark with light to represent the night and noon aspects.  A humility block is in the top center block to represent the sun.  For the batting, I used an eco-friendly bamboo-cotton blend that is naturally antibacterial, hypoallergenic, thermal, and really soft & lofty.  It's primarily a quilt with black and white blocks bordered with light accents of red.  The backing is a black and white meandering floral pattern that continues the theme and feel of the front.  I love making heirloom quilts, so that someone can have a quality quilt for her family that can be shared through the generations.  

~PieceMama