Saturday, April 26, 2008

Come See Me

It has been a tradition in our southern city of Rock Hill, SC for many years (1962) to have a spring event to Welcome folks to come and learn more about our fair city and expose them to Glencairn Garden which was built in 1960. The festival's mascot is 'Glen the Frog,' who was designed by Vernon Grant of Rice Crispies: Snap, Crackle, and Pop fame. One of the favorite events for my son has always been Gourmet Gardens where local restaurants and some benefit organizations offer tasty selections of great food!

Today was one of my favorite events - the local newspaper, The Herald, has an annual yard sale. This year the proceeds, along with United Way and the Postal Carriers, will "replenish area food pantry stocks...offer nourishment to people less fortunate."

I got a later start than had intended, but it's probably a good thing. I was telling someone earlier that I haven't done any CQ in months, but not stashing more didn't occur to me!

The first thing I found was a box of buttons! Did I need more buttons? NO, but they were just sitting there, and she gave me a discount for buying two bags!!


Then, down under the table, on top of the packing box were some old linens. These are stamped, ready to be embroidered... A couple of the areas had already been started. Don't you just love these 'bib a day' ones?

And these look perfect to make Mom a few trivets. Think I'll put two together with some pretty colored fabric between.
Then I stumbled on these vintage ash trays. They're yellow - depression glass? I remember seeing them when I was a girl.
And then, finally, the biggie. This box full of fabric samples, Braemore and Kauffman... There are big samples of linen, lots of cotton, some micro suede... Just a great assortment. This wasn't the only one she had - but she let me pick what I wanted for my box full.


Pixie was helping me check it out ;-)
And so, I'm happy. The festival was to end tonight with a tail gate, music, and fireworks at the coliseum - but the weather was iffy. DS was going with friends, so I'll learn tomorrow if it was a go or not.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Wolves in the Calla - The Dark Tower V *****

The Dark Tower V was once again not a disappointment. Wolves in the Calla was great! I don't know how they keep getting better, but they do! Here is a short synopsis from King's site describing it.

In the borderlands that lie between Mid-World and End-World, Roland and his friends are approached by a frightened band of representatives from the nearby town of Calla Bryn Sturgis. In less than a month, the Calla will be attacked by the Wolves-those masked riders that gallop out of Thunderclap once a generation to steal the town's children. The Calla folken need the kind of help that only gunslingers can give, and if they agree to help, the town's priest-Father Callahan, Maine-promises to give them the most potent and treacherous of magic balls. Meanwhile, in the New York of 1977, how can Roland and his friends both save the rose and fight the Wolves? Only by using magic... Time is running out on all levels of the Tower, but unless the minions of Thunderclap both in our world and in Mid-World are defeated, they will never reach that great lynchpin of the time/space continuum which, even now, begins to totter.

FYI: Check out Needle in Hand to see the cross stitch items I've been working on.

Crazy Quilt Reproduction Fabric

~~ Updated April 18, 2008 ~~

Ah, yes...there are others!




This one is Crazy Quilts by Moda.







Stitches in Bloom - not really a CQ reproduction, but a 'cheater' embroidery.







Stitches in Bloom - just could not resist the colors!




















Rachel Jean for SSI







Questions have been asked: What will you do with all these? Well, so far I've made a small arm cover for "my chair" - got a new one that I haven't photoed yet - for Pixie to sit on. It is from this one...

This one is a gray and tan denim, Cranston, 2005.



The future plan is to redecorate my sewing room to a more 'girly' space, so I'd like to make covers for the rocking chair in there from the Stitches in Bloom - red and yellow. I'm off next week, and plan to do Spring cleaning. We'll see if that notion stitcks, and how much gets done. If there's time left, maybe...


~~ Updated March 30, 2008 ~~

Are they all reproduction? I'm not sure about the definition, but they're all so pretty, and I'm surprised at the ones that are available - and the ones that are SO popular and hard to get! The following are pictures of the pieces I've collected most recently.


This one is new, from Hobby Lobby, by Brother and Sister Designs. The HOT colors make it less 'original' looking, but it's still pretty.







Amy Rosenberg for VIP by Cranston

This one appears to be from the 70s because of the color way, and it is labeled Fifth Avenue.



~~ Updated March 3, 2008 ~~

I started updating this post last night, but was having problems with getting photos in. Before I knew it, it was gone! Even with the Auto update feature, it was Gone...

On Saturday I made a trip to MaryJo's Fabric in Gastonia. It is about a 40 minute drive for me. I've been there a couple times before, but always seemed overwhelmed. This visit was SO much better, and I believe it was because I had something specific to look for. After I found them, the rest just came naturally. They had only one print of the CQ 'cheater' but it was available in three colors!! Then I moved on to the quilting cottons, and the fat quarters, and buttons, trim and laces, and notions! YES, it was a fun afternoon.

As I mentioned earlier, I won a couple yards of reproduction CQ fabric on eBay, too. As you can see, it's one more collection I've started. I'll try again to post the pictures - but will save first!!



This one is primarily purple, Hoffman.



This is the Daisy Kingdom, like the one pictured below in blue, but this one is in the bright colors.


This one isn't really what I consider crazy quilt, but thought it was interesting anyway! Fabric Traditions.


These are the same print, just different color ways I got from MaryJo's, "A Stitch in Time".








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janet and I have been having a conversation about reproduction Crazy Quilt fabric that is sometimes called Cheater Cloth. She has shown the original on her blog if you would like to see where it started.

I happened to have a piece I won on eBay several years ago that I promised to photo for Janet. I have recently won a couple more, but haven't received them yet, so I'll update this when they arrive, but none are original's like hers!!

I have attempted to get a shot of each of the block sections. This is Daisy Kingdom, "Allover Crazy Patch."














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