My secret patch of Bittersweet in the woods behind my house is beginning to develop it's little round buds. Soon enough, they'll pop open in the most amazing display of bright orange and soft brownish yellows. I can hardly wait until Sept or October to go out with my basket and begin cutting the sprigs of little fragrant blooms.
I tie each bundle up with florist wire and hang it upside down to dry from a 9 paneled wood patio door without glass. The door hangs from the roof of my (Stem & Vine Greenhouse) which is on the southwest side of my little country shop.
These make the most natural air fragrance available. I love using them on homemade wreaths for Halloween and Autumn.
Queen Anne's Lace is everywhere here where I live. Along the roadside ditches, in meadows and even growing along Possum Creek. I gather them quickly before the heat gets to them and hang them upside down and also dry some in my microwave. Spray them with some hairspray, and they're ready for my dried flower arrangements. They also make the perfect snowflakes on a Christmas tree!
Roadside Beauties! That's what my dear husband calls my arrangements.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Quilting Machine Envy
I want one of those quilting machines so bad. But Lord! Have you seen the prices of these machines? I bought my Mini Cooper for the same price as one of these beauties! And I could drive it every single day if I wanted to. I don't think I could ever piece enough quilts in my lifetime to warrent buying one of these dream machines.
I own 3 Singer Featherweights, 1 Brother, 1 Jamone, 1 White, 1 Kenmore, 1 Jamone Serger and a wonderful Singer Treadle Sewing Machine nestled inside a Birdseye Maple cabinet. I'm SERIOUS about sewing folks!
I've always sewn off and on from my teenaged years. But when I turned 50 a few yrs. back, my dear hubby Charlie, gave me a wonderful gift. Quilting lessons! My first quilt won a Blue Ribbon at our local fair. From then on, I was hooked. I manage to piece at least 2 quilts a year. But I can't quilt them in the style I'd like, because I don't own a long arm quilting machine. Instead, I have to bundle up my precious load of carefully pieced fabric tops and tote them to a quilter. Unfortunately, she doesn't free style quilt. She has patterns that she quilts by. Boring patterns that sometimes don't bring out my quilt's personality. Needless to say, we've clashed.
I've begged her to consider taking long arm quilting classes to expand her ability. But, she's comfortable in her rut...I'm not. I've got at least 3 pieced quilt tops that I just can't bring myself to take to her and her predictable patterns. Fluffy clouds repeated over and over on my complicated design? I don't think so!!
So, I go to all of my favorite quilting shops and gaze longingly upon the newest and latest in quilting technology. Sure, I could buy 1 on easy payments plans of 48 to 100 months with a rather harsh first up front payment. But I kinda love my firstborn son...and besides, he's already turned me down. (Can't catch a break!)
I own 3 Singer Featherweights, 1 Brother, 1 Jamone, 1 White, 1 Kenmore, 1 Jamone Serger and a wonderful Singer Treadle Sewing Machine nestled inside a Birdseye Maple cabinet. I'm SERIOUS about sewing folks!
I've always sewn off and on from my teenaged years. But when I turned 50 a few yrs. back, my dear hubby Charlie, gave me a wonderful gift. Quilting lessons! My first quilt won a Blue Ribbon at our local fair. From then on, I was hooked. I manage to piece at least 2 quilts a year. But I can't quilt them in the style I'd like, because I don't own a long arm quilting machine. Instead, I have to bundle up my precious load of carefully pieced fabric tops and tote them to a quilter. Unfortunately, she doesn't free style quilt. She has patterns that she quilts by. Boring patterns that sometimes don't bring out my quilt's personality. Needless to say, we've clashed.
I've begged her to consider taking long arm quilting classes to expand her ability. But, she's comfortable in her rut...I'm not. I've got at least 3 pieced quilt tops that I just can't bring myself to take to her and her predictable patterns. Fluffy clouds repeated over and over on my complicated design? I don't think so!!
So, I go to all of my favorite quilting shops and gaze longingly upon the newest and latest in quilting technology. Sure, I could buy 1 on easy payments plans of 48 to 100 months with a rather harsh first up front payment. But I kinda love my firstborn son...and besides, he's already turned me down. (Can't catch a break!)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Finding antiques for Quilting Room.
I found the cutest wrought iron table and chair set for only $50.00! It was marked down from $199.00! The lady at the antiques mall was leaving and didn't want to take all of her stuff from her booth back home. So I lucked out and wandered by as she was marking everything down! Yoo hoo!
I thought I'd repaint the rusty white set. White doesn't go well in my antiques shop. I tend to have more darker, primitive colors. The table and chairs will go into a corner of the new quilt room that I've desinated for all the quilting books and patterns. Folks can come in and have a seat while thumbing thru some books.
I also stood ALL DAY in the hot sun at a auction for a chance to bid on a really cool metal chicken coop. Snagged it for $5.00! It made my sunburn almost bearable. It'll look cool holding fat quarters!
I also have an antique 10 foot wooden bench from Boston that I picked up from one of my favorite antiques malls that I frequent. Won't tell ya how much I PAID for that baby! I'm having my Pa hang the bench on the wall above the cutting table. It'll hold about 100 bolts of fabric! It's that long!
When the quilting room is finished, I'll post pix then.
I thought I'd repaint the rusty white set. White doesn't go well in my antiques shop. I tend to have more darker, primitive colors. The table and chairs will go into a corner of the new quilt room that I've desinated for all the quilting books and patterns. Folks can come in and have a seat while thumbing thru some books.
I also stood ALL DAY in the hot sun at a auction for a chance to bid on a really cool metal chicken coop. Snagged it for $5.00! It made my sunburn almost bearable. It'll look cool holding fat quarters!
I also have an antique 10 foot wooden bench from Boston that I picked up from one of my favorite antiques malls that I frequent. Won't tell ya how much I PAID for that baby! I'm having my Pa hang the bench on the wall above the cutting table. It'll hold about 100 bolts of fabric! It's that long!
When the quilting room is finished, I'll post pix then.
Working on the new addition
We're trying to add another room to the antiques shop...during this June and July. The HOTTEST months ever! How silly are we to work inside the NON AIR CONDITIONED new room, working up a sweat...when all we have to do is simply WALK out to shop and that sweat just pops out!
I designed some nifty shelves for the new fabric and yarn that will go into the new quilting room. My Pa is the BEST at figuring out my chicken stratches on paper and turning them into an actual item!!
What really hurts us working out there right now is the lack of AC. If we use fans on stands, it blows sawdust along with probaly some mouse poop right at us! Yecky! The other part of the shop is nicely closed in, with AC. It has to be spotless because of the tea room. The newer room is basically still part of the old barn and isn't closed in yet. Lord knows what gets in there when we leave.
But we shall overcome!! I'm hoping that by April...(more likely October) of our next season, we'll have it all closed in and CLEAN!!
I designed some nifty shelves for the new fabric and yarn that will go into the new quilting room. My Pa is the BEST at figuring out my chicken stratches on paper and turning them into an actual item!!
What really hurts us working out there right now is the lack of AC. If we use fans on stands, it blows sawdust along with probaly some mouse poop right at us! Yecky! The other part of the shop is nicely closed in, with AC. It has to be spotless because of the tea room. The newer room is basically still part of the old barn and isn't closed in yet. Lord knows what gets in there when we leave.
But we shall overcome!! I'm hoping that by April...(more likely October) of our next season, we'll have it all closed in and CLEAN!!
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