Morning Sun

Mt Mitchell

The sun was so beautiful this morning!

I am afraid our leaves are rather dull this year but there are still beautiful views.

Mt. Celo

Wishing you a sunny Tuesday!

Good Things Come In The Mail

I love to get mail. I am still one of those people who love real magazines, books, cards and letters. I never get a letter anymore. When my Mom was alive and I first moved away from home, almost every week I got a newsy letter from her. I still have all of them, treasured for her handwriting and the memories it brings back. Gradually we stopped sending letters to each other and then it was phone calls. Now it is mostly emails, but our family still sends cards.

I like email and modern technology but only to a certain point. To see a friend or family member’s handwriting on the envelope and card, means they took the time to make/pick out a card, look up your address, sign their name and give thought to a message for me.

 The Nooks and Kindles are great but to me there is nothing to compare than cozying up with a cup of tea, feel a book in my hands, turning the pages and sometimes dogearing a passage. My bookmark is one that Mom gave me and every time it marks where I left off, I think of her. Asheville has a great used bookstore called Mr. K’s. It is one of my favorite places.

I have tons of magazines from the 70’s to the present. I go through them over and over whenever new ideas or inspiration needs a spark. I especially love the old 

Country Livings and Country Homes.

Today was a great mail day! Wool, fabric, books and new magazines, were stuffed in our largest size of mailbox Lowes has to offer.

Judy Condon and Jill Peterson's new books and Primitive Quilts great magazine.

The red wool is from Heavens to Betsy and the other three are from Rebecca Erb.

Heritage Prints by Benartex.

This reversible wool from Rebecca Erb is wonderful!

I didn’t plan for them to come all at the same time, but it was a lot of fun

 and made me smile!

October Days

The days are getting shorter. The light is changing and color is coming to the mountains. There is a smell of wood smoke from the stove now, and from the feel in the air, frost is soon to follow.

I am an October baby and so is my daughter.

I love this time of year when everything starts to slow down, becoming more peaceful with one last colorful hoorah before the silence of winter snows and cold, frosty mornings.

I have been hooking ears of corn. I like how they turned out much better than the first wooly ear I did. I don’t have much time to work on rug hooking so it is usually making small things such as ornaments. I would really like to make a large rug or wall hanging again, but that will have to wait till after the next studio tour and I finish my quilt.

Trencher full of wooly pumpkins, cats and ears of corn.

There is always too much to do and too little time. Another reason I like fall and winter.

It is a time to slow down, savor and enjoy!

A Little of This and a Little of That

Yep, that’s the way I have been working lately. I can’t seem to get into any rhythm of working in the studio. A little quilting, a little weaving, a little crocheting and a few other odds and ends, its not the productive way to work but that is the way it has been lately. 

I am still following along with Kathleen Tracy at The Sentimental Quilter by making one small quilt a month. A few UFO’s have been finished and lots of sketching for future critter’s to be made this winter.

My block for September. Pattern by Kathleen Tracy.

Nice fall colors, made to fit my little barrel and cutting board table.

This is a pattern from the spring issue of Primitive Quilts. Wool applique & quilting combined.

I made it to fit under one of my large yellow ware bowls. The bowl is filled with old wooden bobbins & spindles.

  

My trencher is not full yet but there are a couple of new pumpkins, two scary cats and one big pumpkin. I’m still working on ears of corn, made from wool and probably need to make an orange pumpkin to mix in and brighten it up a little. I’ll just see how it goes. It may end up “A little of this and a little of that”!!