New Bern, NC and the Twin Rivers Quilters

I just returned from teaching at the Twin Rivers Quilters Guild in New Bern, NC - the opposite side of the state from me, on the water. It's a wonderful guild and I'll be remembering this trip for a long time. I was treated royally. For starters, I was put up in this wonderful hotel with my own balcony  that had this amazing view!

This was another view from my balcony.
And I just love this post in the water, think it might make an interesting print.
The skies were glorious, both morning and night.

I loved this picture of a dock, so simple and a peaceful place to be.
Critters everywhere just knowing someone was going to feed them.
And interesting roots and trees.
And amazing buildings.

Some amazing big old homes.
There's a very old hardware store downtown that's been there forever. Their windows are amazing with every kind of old artifact you can imagine. Unfortunately I was there when it was closed, but heard it has everything!

There's more to come, some very clever and arty bears, great ladies/students and projects and some more beautiful skies, so please join me again.

Old Salem, Old Clothes and Indigo

Last week, my husband John and I went to Old Salem, NC, a smaller version of Colonial Williamsburg and a trip we've wanted to do for some time. We like seeing how towns were decorated for Christmas a century or so ago. It was a beautiful day and upon entering the village, we had to go through an old bridge with a wonderful ceiling.
I loved the lampposts with real greenery wrapped around. Decorating was very limited back in the 18th century. In Old Salem, you have a choice of days to visit - one day is the 18th century and one is the 19th. Certain buildings will be open accordingly. We were in the 18th century when Christmas trees had not come into their own yet; had we come the following day, we would have seen a building decorated more like we do today.

Loved this old celler used for storage and loved the rust stains on the walls.

I was most fascinated by the textiles. We went to a tailors shop where everything was made by hand - hard to imagine. Measurements were taken using long pieces of paper with notches punched into them for sleeve length, waist measurement etc. Such an interesting prelude to the tape measure. This waistcoat used buttons and the buttonholes were mock ones. Closures used were hook and eyes. I was surprised to see that stitching was not finely done but crude and unattractive.

They used silk fabric to line those areas that showed and linen everywhere else. Silk, being a more expensive fiber, was used for "show" such as the sides of this jacket that might flap open and be seen(whitish area). The back, never to be seen is linen.

I was most fascinated by the fabric dyeing which used natural dyes. Below is Indigo which is mouthwatering gorgeous! Different values of Indigo can be achieved by numerous dippings - the more you dip, the deeper the value.

WOW! They are so yummy!

This is the kind of fireplace used to dye fabrics in large pots over open flames.

And the pots, I don't think I've ever seen pots that large anywhere except used in olden days.

I was fascinated by this next dye pot which was permanently built into a cement structure. I wonder how the excess dye solution was removed.

It was an interesting day. I've often thought how simple life was back then and in a way it was but then I remember how they had to wash clothes and make their own soap before doing so, and make their own bread and spin their own yarn before weaving it into cloth - etc! Guess, not so simple.

Boone, NC Revisited

My husband and I love to take short trips in the fall, taking advantage of the beautiful weather and color. Yesterday our destination was Boone, NC. I was there 2 weeks ago with my PTA group to see "12 Voices" at the Turgin Center for Visual Arts; I wanted John to see it also - so up to Boone we went. Our first stop was the Annex to the original Mast General store. Mast is our favorite store in Asheville, this one in Valle Crucis is the oldest one - over 100 years old. It's great fun to see, like taking a trip back in time.
I love all the "penny" candy in barrels, not a penny anymore but so much fun to get a bucket and pick and choose from a great variety.

There is an entrance in the back of Mast General with a sitting area and wonderful old, rusted signs.

And shelves loaded with jams and jellies

I love this old Coke machine, still in use and very different than the ones we have today.

And the wonderful antiques along the ledge.

This wonderful piece holds all kinds of nuts and bolts and still sold loose, like 100 years ago, no packages here!

And a genuine "sit and play a spell" station for checkers...

And remember these wonderful post office boxes with the little dials to create your own combination. My parents had one and here they're still in use.

Love this sewing cabinet

And more antiques.

The floors were very uneven everywhere, so "watch you step".

These chairs in the shoe department really tickled me.

Our next stop was along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Moses Cone Craft Shop - one of 5 shops owned and operated by the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Members of the guild sell their work in these shops.

We drove home along the Blue Ridge Parkway which is always magical, especially this time of year. The views were breathtaking.

The parkway in the late afternoon is my favorite time - there are deep shadows on the mountains.

I can see why they are called the "Blue Ridge" Mountains.

And even some icicles, wow, keeps getting better and better.

And the color - of course, the color.

Such a magical day and today back to work in my studio.

Lake and Mountain Quilt Guild

I had the great pleasure of teaching this week at the Lake and Mountain Quilt Guild in Seneca, SC. I stayed with my good friend Marilyn Wall who is a member of the guild. Her home is on a lake - this is the view I woke up to. It almost made me want to play hookey and not go to class.
There is an old fence and gate in the front. It has always been in the family but in another location and about to be torn down. Marilyn was lucky to get the whole thing transported to her home. It's amazing to see with all kinds of potential for quilt designs.

One of the quilts at Show and Tell was a tribute to the firefighters of Edison, NJ for their heroic efforts during 911. Children drew their message on paper which was then transferred to fabric. Each block was so precious and meaningful.

This next quilt made me laugh. I'm not sure of the name but I call it the TP Quilt.

This gorgeous quilt was made by Dixie Haywood who does wonderful things with the pineapple pattern.

The workshop on Creative Machine Applique was wonderful fun. The ladies were so enthused and a joy to be with. Here is Barbara and my hostess and friend - Marilyn.

Thank you ladies for a wonderful 2 days!

Gulf States Quilting Association

The Gulf States Quilting Association has their annual symposium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It's a wonderful event with good vendors, excellent workshops and the most enthusiastic, lovely students on the planet. From an instructors point of view, it runs as smooth as silk and is always a joy to be part of. The second evening is the instructors opportunity to show their work and talk about their upcoming workshops. Ann Johnston showed her beautiful work and the "coming out" of her newest, self-published book - The Quilters Book of Design!
Dorothy Williams created one of my favorite pieces - a jacket made from a vintage tablecloth. I love how she used the patterning in the back pleat.

Wendy Butler Berns showed several of her wonderful quilts but this one really took my fancy! I loved the background - so many different fabrics that seem to melt together to make an interesting and textured backdrop for the tree. This is a close-up of her quilt - a great piece!

One of my workshops was Luscious Landscapes; it incorporates lots of texture techniques to create realistic looking landscapes. Here is one of the gals, busy at work.

And my Dimensional and Off the Edge Applique workshop - way to go Judith, Mary Nell, Joan and CJ.

One night we went to dinner at Mike Andersons, known for its Cajun Food. I ordered "Crawfish - 7 Different Ways" I had never eaten crawfish and it was really quite good, except for the "pulling off the head" part - couldn't, wouldn't do that!

In the evening, time to relax, talk about the day and just have fun - Wendy, Judy, Daphne and Frieda.

It was a wonderful conference - with something for everyone!