It's Almost Time!

It's almost time for the OLLI art bazaar/craft show! In a previous post, I highlighted some of the fabric items, that as a vendor, I will be selling at the show. If you live in western North Carolina, I would like to encourage you to attend the craft show on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11. Please encourage your friends to attend as well. There will be something for everyone, and it's a great time to do some holiday shopping. Here is some detailed information:

OLLI Art Bazaar 

• The dates are Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 
• The bazaar will be held in the Reuter Center at the University of North Carolina at Asheville 
• Friday hours will be from 11 AM-4PM; Saturday hours are from 11 AM-3 PM. 
• There will be 42 vendors selling a variety of handcrafted items. Each vendor has donated an item for drawings throughout the two day show, so by just attending you have a chance to win a unique handmade item. 
• There is free parking.
• Some of the proceeds from the art bazaar will be donated to a scholarship program at UNC Asheville. 

See you there!

Ways To Be Creative

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."
                                                                      ― Maya Angelou

Some would argue that any part of life can be a foundation for creative energies. In my experience, however, I must find chunks of time to plan, imagine, and create. Without this reserved time, my life does not feel as complete or fulfilled. Not only do I need time to pursue my own creative interests, I also find enjoyment in learning about how others fulfill their creative needs. 

I spent some time recently with my sister-in-law, Lynn. With our husbands, we traveled together to a couple of national parks. However, we also had some extra time after our trip to discuss our individual creative pursuits. Lynn enjoys making art using the medium of paper. Her artisitc ability is evident with her delicate and intricate origami. At first viewing, I found myself wondering, "Is that really made from paper?" Here are a few of her origami creations.

Lynn also has found a way to craft paper into beautiful flowers. Her flower arrangements are so realistic they could pass for real flowers. Can you spot the dollar bill flower within the arrangement?

More recently, Lynn has pursued a craft called quilling. Quilling is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued to create decorative designs. After seeing some of Lynn's finished creations, I was very interested in learning more about how she creates these absolutely beautiful pieces of art. She starts with cutting tiny strips of paper using a paper cutter. 

Lynn then uses special quilling tools to roll and shape the paper. You can see some of her lovely creations here. Take special note of the tiny bee among the variety of flowers. The intricacy of Lynn's work amazes me.

Finally, Lynn puts together her individual quilled items as a type of collage and frames them. You can see here some work by Lynn that my husband and I treasure as it hangs in a special place in our home. 

Other friends and family members enjoy creative activities as well. My friend, Debbie, uses her creative energies in a variety of ways as she creates beautiful tablescapes and seasonal decor in her home. Recently, she made a seasonal craft that she can use during the upcoming holiday season. Debbie is also a writer and a blogger, further reinforcing her broad abilities as a creative person. Click on the links above to visit her blog and view some products of her creativity.

My friend, Judy, is a fellow quilter. We enjoy sharing our creative passion as we visit quilt shops and quilt shows together. We share ideas and show each other our current projects. Beginning in January, we will be taking a seven month course to learn a new quilting technique. Our finished product will be this quilt called "Glacier Star" which is an original design by quilt designer Judy Niemeyer.

Glacier Star designed by Judy Niemeyer, Quiltworx

My daughters also enjoy creative pursuits from photography to woodworking to cake decorating and more. As you can see, I am surrounded by friends and family who enjoy creative pursuits just as I do. 

What creative endeavors do you pursue? Please leave a comment and share.

Linked with: Wonderful Wednesdays

A Visit to National Parks

Kaweah River, Sequoia National Park

My husband and I recently traveled to Nevada where my brother-in-law and sister-in-law live. The four of us then traveled together to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park near Fresno, California. These parks are located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and at 6,000-7,000 feet in elevation are home to huge sequoia trees. Sequoia trees are some of the largest and oldest organisms on earth. The largest of the sequoias are as tall as a 26 story building, and many of these trees have a diameter of at least 20 feet. Sequoia bark can be 3 feet thick and is resistant to fire, insects, and disease. These trees can live up to 3,500 years, and they continue to grow throughout their life span. 

After traveling on narrow, winding roads for several miles within Sequoia National Park, we finally reached an elevation where sequoia trees grow. There was a collective gasp in the car as we first viewed these dramatic trees mixed with smaller trees rich with autumn color. We decided to travel on through the park to the famous General Sherman tree. We parked and walked for a while to reach the tree that is noted as the largest living tree on the planet.  At 2,100 years old, it weighs 2.7 million pounds, is 275 feet tall and has a 102-foot circumference at the ground. It has branches that are almost 7 feet in diameter. 

General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Par

A couple of days later we traveled about two hours north to Kings Canyon National Park. Here we viewed more of these majestic trees in their mountainous setting. The General Grant tree is a tourist draw in this park and is the second largest tree by volume on earth. Notice the vivid blue sky on our lovely autumn day in this park.

General Grant Tree, Kings Canyon National Park

Even though these parks are connected, Kings Canyon National Park is my favorite of the two. We took a 1 1/2 mile hike in this national park that was incredibly tranquil and beautiful.  The natural setting around the trees is magnificent, and there are other amazing sites such as this fallen sequoia which visitors can walk through. 

Fallen Monarch Tree, Kings Canyon National Park

I don't always return from our trips with souvenirs, but at the visitor center in Sequoia National Park, I couldn't resist when I found a special quilting treasure. These small fabric panels will be perfect when stitched into a quilted tote bag or two and will be special reminders of a special trip.

Design by American Quilt Blocks

Our travels often take us into different national parks, but I'll have to say that these particular parks do not disappoint with their majestic trees and lovely vistas. At the same time, I find myself wondering where our next national park trip will take us.

Do you have a favorite national park or natural setting that you enjoy visiting? Where do your travels take you? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Linked with: Marilyn's Treats

Making and Canning Applesauce

Fall in the mountains of western North Carolina always means a trip to a nearby apple orchard. My husband and I travel to our favorite orchard in a nearby county where we view and sample the varieties offered. 

We almost always drift back to our favorites--Mutsu for cooking and Pink Ladies for eating. The Pink Lady variety is not quite ready yet, but the Mutsu apples are abundant. 

After visiting the orchard, we set aside a day each fall to make and can applesauce. Our first step is to wash the apples. Then we core, peel, and cut the apples into pieces that will help the cooking process go more quickly.

Adding a small amount of water, we cook and stir for a while until the apples break down, soon resembling applesauce. We could stop the cooking at this point if we wanted chunky applesauce, but we usually cook it down until we have a smoother texture.

Normally, after taking the applesauce off the stove, we spend some time using a potato masher, continuing to break up the last bits of apple. However, this year my husband had an idea. He said, "Why not use the immersion blender to break up the apples and get the desired texture?" What a great idea! And it worked perfectly!! In only a few seconds using the immersion blender, we had exactly the texture we prefer. It does pay to be careful when using the immersion blender, however, since just a few seconds too long might result in the texture of baby food.

Now that the applesauce is finished, it's time to begin the canning process. With clean and sterilized jars, lids, and rings, we use a funnel to fill the jars. It's important to keep the edges of the jars free of any drips of applesauce and to tighten the lids and rings as much as possible.

Our pressure canner will hold seven pint jars at a time, so we fill the canner with the jars and begin the process of canning. It only takes a few minutes in the canner to seal those lids.

We repeat this canning process several times until we have 28 pints of applesauce! It has taken a bushel of those Mutsu apples and a whole day, but it is rewarding to look at all those jars of applesauce cooling on our kitchen counter. Applesauce, anyone?

Linked with: Marilyn's Treats

Preparing for a Fall Craft Show

My news for the fall is an upcoming local craft show in which I will be a vendor, selling handcrafted fabric items. I have spent time in the last few weeks planning, choosing fabric, and sewing small items to sell. 

The fabric bowls that I learned to make recently are favorites of mine. The sample fabric bowl shown in these two photos is reversible. They are great as small holiday gifts or hostess gifts. Used alone as a table accent or filled with candy, nuts, dips, or even paper clips, these bowls may appeal to those who prefer practical gifts. 

There is a Scandinavian legend that if one sprinkles bird seed by the front door on Christmas morning, it will bring good luck. I made these tiny tote bags to honor that tradition. I will be filling each bag with a packet of bird seed and a card that explains the legend.

A bottle of wine is a typical hostess gift any time of year. My colorful fabric wine totes will allow a gift of wine to be a little more special.

I had fun deciding how to incorporate some inspirational fabric quotes into a small project. After thinking about it for a while, I had a "lightbulb" moment one evening, and the next day I set out to craft the three inspirational pillows that you see here as well as several others.

Although most of my items to sell are small gift items, I can't resist including a small quilt or two. I used some red, blue, and yellow paisley as the focus fabric for this table runner that has a French country feel.

In the craft fair, I am also including this small tea themed quilt which can be used as a table topper or a small wall hanging. In a previous post, I explained both the inspiration and the technique for making this quilt.

So if you live in western North Carolina, please save the date for the OLLI Art Bazaar on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 in the Reuter Center at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Friday hours will be from 11 AM-4PM; Saturday hours are from 11 AM-3 PM. There will be 42 vendors selling a variety of handcrafted items. Each vendor has donated an item for drawings throughout the two day show, so by just attending you have a chance to win a unique handmade item. There is free parking, and some of the proceeds from the art bazaar will be donated to a scholarship program at UNC Asheville. 

Stay tuned as the date gets closer when I will share more details of my preparations for this craft show as well as a few more items to be featured on my craft show tables.

Linked with: Marilyn's Treats , Wonderful Wednesdays, Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River, and Needles and Thread Thursday

Getting Ready for Fall with Pottery and a New Quilt

As I recently looked back over previous posts on my blog, it was hard for me to believe that my last post was one showing how I was getting ready for spring, and now we're close to fall. What happened to summer? Well, I was a caregiver this summer as my husband recovered from major surgery. The bulk of the summer went by in a blur. My routine has regained more normalcy now, and I'm ready to blog again!

Since sewing and quilting are such big parts of my life, my first thought in preparing for fall is to replace spring or summer table runners with a look of autumn hues. Here you can see a quilted table topper that I recently completed. The center is a novelty fabric that includes cherries, but the colors of deep reds, taupes, and olive greens remind me of early fall. 

Thanks to the generosity of friends and family as well as a few purchases of my own, I have a small collection of pottery. Fall seems the right time to pull out some pieces of pottery and experiment with displaying them as a centerpiece on my new table topper. Here I try a crimson bowl. It hides most of the quilt's center, but it showcases the pottery. 

Next I place a small pitcher with swirls of tans and golds on the table topper. Years ago, I owned a dance studio and taught dance. One of my dance students gave me this lovely pitcher. To my dismay, the pitcher was broken on a cross-country move. I glued it back together, and although the cracks can be seen, I think it might just add to the charm of the piece.

I enjoy cutting flowers from the yard and bringing them inside. Flowers are prolific in my yard during the spring, but it's a little more challenging in the fall to find blooms to bring indoors. However, my favorite flower never fails. Hydrangeas are beautiful during the summer with their bold periwinkle color. In the fall, these blooms turn more muted. The blooms are now green tipped with purples and reds. I can't resist loosely arranging a few of these hydrangeas in my small pitcher.

I am pleased with how well this fall hydrangea arrangement coordinates with my new quilted table topper.

Fall is the last season of the year when we will be able to enjoy our screened porch. I decide to cut a few more hydrangeas and place them in a different pitcher for the table on my screened porch. This pitcher has tones of green and purple, which makes it a perfect vessel for these autumn hydrangeas.

I feel fortunate to live in an area where there are four distinct seasons, each with special traditions to enjoy. 

What are some of your favorite things about fall? Do you have special ways of preparing for different seasons? Please leave a comment and share your ideas.

Linked to: Marilyn's Treats

What Spring Brings

Daffodils in my yard, March 2017

The air just feels different as spring approaches. Nature awakens as daffodils bloom, cherry trees burst with soft pink blossoms, and tiny, indigo-colored crocuses first push up from the warming earth.

Crocuses in my yard, March 2017

Birds begin their cheery chorus earlier in the mornings. I awake too with an eagerness to bask in the rays of sun coming through my screened porch. My craving for warm and cozy winter stews and comfort foods is replaced by a desire for green, leafy vegetables freshly picked from our early spring garden. 

Lettuce, broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, and kale are ready to be planted.  Lenten roses will add color to the garden .

I begin to get our outdoor spaces ready for simple suppers on the porch and leisurely weekend afternoons relaxing and reading on the glider. 

I spent some time last spring sewing pillows for our outdoor areas. It feels more like spring just getting these garden themed pillows out of winter storage and placing them on our glider.

Inside my house, I bring out quilts and table runners in cheery spring colors, and I bring in cut flowers from the yard to arrange loosely in simple vases. 

Daffodils from my yard arranged in a milk bottle on a blue, green, and yellow quilted table runner

With longer days and warmer temperatures, I even find my energy level increasing as I dream of upcoming hikes in beautiful, natural areas. 

Boston Public Gardens

I begin to plan spring sewing and quilting projects, trading muted, darker colors of cottons and flannels for the lighter, fresher hues of spring. 

So, welcome spring! I have anticipated your arrival with a glad heart!

Linked to: Marilyn's Treats