Crazy Gatherings is on it's way!

This morning I cleaned the house at 6:00 and headed out to mow so DH wouldn't have to since it is his mom's birthday tomorrow. His brother is in town from AZ and I'm sure they will spend the day shooting the breeze.

After mowing I decided to transplant the "Alien" plant from the back garden to the area between the summer kitchen and house so I could see it from the couch. Man is that one heavy fella!!!! DS came out to the garden while I was digging and asked if I needed anything before he went to play golf with a friend. Well, if I would have known that plant was so heavy.......whew!

It was just the perfect morning for yard work, but now it is raining. DH came home as it was sprinkling and caught me painting the inside window frames pink,LOL. I had paint left over from painting the wicker rocker so..................you can imagine his expression. I tried to explain it would be nice after I get the vintage curtain rods on each side and several lace panels up.....the pink will barely be seen, if at all......men! The old rocker is going in a corner of "Crazy Gatherings" for someone to relax while browsing CQ & SRE books during lunch break. The vintage iron with pink formica dining set from a tag sale last fall will be the work table for four, and I have a vintage porcelain metal top table for additional room if needed. Six people is my limit, so this works fine. I will move in a small fridge from DS's college days for bottle water, and a small microwave ( I must paint pink) if someone wants to heat up their lunch or tea.

DH had already installed an industrial heating unit so I can offer classes during the Winter months too.
He is adding the lights tomorrow and then I begin my move. This is like preparing for a new addition to the family. Lots of work but too excited to care.

DH helped me clear out the rest of my garden supplies which he made a place for in the back section of the barn so I can still pot up a plant with ease.

While he was gathering his tools to start on the floor, I hosed down the entire interior of the building. Although the floor will be covered, I wanted it to be as dirt free as possible.
I wonder how many people have walked across these bricks during the past 130 years? I love the old brick floors and hate to hide them but there is no way an uneven floor will be possible in a classroom environment. Especially working with pretty fabrics and such. I do hope the students are aware of my rule.....anything that falls on the floor is mine!!!! :-0 Shhhhh...don't tell them.

I am excited to see so much interest in the classes. I already have the first Saturday in October booked for a CQ class and several more inquiries. Cool! I really am getting excited. I have so much I want to share, and I need to write it down and organize it. For those who wanted class details, I will be working on that this weekend and will email next week.

I can't wait to hang my "shabby"paper lanterns from Victorian Trading Co. I want the place to be inviting with cozy touches because it must be bright however not "cold".
I might head to the junk shop in the morning to see if the old chest is still there. I knew I should have went back for it when I saw it the day I went with Sue and Wendy. Oh well, if it isn't, I will use something I have. There is an interesting piece in my studio closet that would serve the purpose, and of course it will need a coat of pink paint.I want to keep extra fabrics for students to take what they need during class. I am gathering assorted vintage bowls for bead soup,laces and such to place in the center of the table as "class supplies". It's always nice to have small offerings just in case someone didn't bring all they need for a project.

Let's see, I must re-paint the lattice on the walls, which brightens the room without completely covering the lovely brick. I must buy a piece of peg board.......blue board for design wall.......class folders.....extra pens......make shabby chair cushions....hang Sweet Annie........buy candles....

So many ideas......oh my! Anyone want to come help? You'll find me in the summer kitchen!

Getting the ole Summer kitchen ready for classes!

Classes located in Chesterton,IN near the Dunes of Lake Michigan. I thought I would offer one and two day classes. One day classes may be during the week with the two day classes being on Sat & Sun. Classes offered will include:

1)Beginner crazy quilting:One day(perhaps two day)/7-8 hour class breaking for lunch: learn to piece and embellish using five basic embroidery stitches including silk ribbon embroidery techniques.

2)Under the Sea crazy quilt project:Two day class~ Must have some experience with crazy quilting to piece and embellish an under water scene.Includes a morning walk along Lake Michigan to search for mermaid's tears to use in project. Hours are undetermined at this time.

3) Creating embellishments for your crazy quilt projects: This will be a 6 hour/one day class and we will create several elements to use in your work. Beading, velvet, French wired ribbon, will be some supplies used

4) . Exploring: Introduction to various applications to use in your crazy quilt projects: Angelina fibers, fabric wrapped and beaded beads, printing your own images onto fabric, and many other fun things to explore.

5) Silk ribbon dyeing: One day class~ learn to dye your own silk ribbon for unique colors using my favorite technique for the softest ribbon ever. 4 hour class.

6) lace painting and dyeing: One day/5 hour class~ bring your cotton,rayon,vintage,polyester lace,applique,doily's, trims,etc and turn them in to beautiful useful elements for your crazy quilt projects or home.

Each class will be held at "Crazy Gatherings",the Summer kitchen beside my home. You will be served tea , lemonade,or bottled water and naturally treats will be scattered about...even chocolate!
Weather permitting, we will stitch a bit in the garden if desired. Class size will be small groups from 1 to 4 so you will have the attention and help you need. Behaved children over the age of 9 welcome to take a class accompanied by a responsible adult.

I will start with these classes and add more later. Email for info and supply list near the end of August. There are room accommodations close by, including the Hilton right off the Toll road approximately 4 miles from my home. 55 minutes from Chicago. Google for info on Chesterton to find the best place suited for your needs.
Email with any questions at angell100@comcast.net

Flowers from mom and flea market finds

I still feel a bit queasy this morning but I am determined to post before I forget.Monday evening I was watering the petunia on the front porch and the local flower van stopped in my driveway. Two young men came walking toward me with this beautiful bouquet. It wasn't my birthday, or any special day, so who were these from and why? Who else? My mother and brothers! To congratulate me for winning ribbons at the fair,LOL. My goodness, rewards for awards??? I can live with that :-) I placed them on the dining table which is where the beautiful candle holders from Freda found a home.

That ended the day very well I must say.

Yesterday morning mom came over and asked if I wanted to go to the flea market in Valpo. Well yes, of course I do!!!!
It wasn't very large this week but I found some treasures. I had to have these shabby knobs for $2, to add to an old chest. Then I found these cups and plates with birds. Although I do not use blue to decorate with, I fell in love with these bone china dishes. Two different patterns, but these birds will all get along together well.I thought they would be great for the new crazy quilt studio which I am working on and hoping to start offering classes by October. So if you come for classes, you will be served tea from these cups.One more thing before I go....I found these little watch part bottles on etsy and wanted to share. Molly,the gal who sells them is as sweet as she can be and I thought I would pass that on. It is always helpful when you share good shopping experiences.
They will stay safe in this jar until I want to play!
Have a great day and stay out of the heat!!!!

Beware of the heat and humidity!!!

I would have never thought that I would be overcome by heat and humidity as busy as I stay however yesterday after enjoying a nice morning with mom at a flea market,(next post) I began working in my new garden. It was so humid you would perspire standing still in the shade. Honestly, it was bad. Loving to work outside, I never thought about heat and humidity before but yesterday I overdid it big time. I worked all day digging, watering and lifting plants from one garden to the new one by the woods. I began feeling extremely weak and weird around 3:00 so I jumped in the pool to cool off. Well, cooling off too fast gave me a headache. I was so weak I climbed on a float to wait until I felt stronger so I could go inside. I have never felt this way before so I went upstairs to lay down in hopes that my headache would go away....no, that didn't happen. It turned into a full blown migraine. I haven't had one in so long, and over exerting myself in such heat brought it on. The pain was bad enough, but nausea (sorry)with a headache just wipes me out. Around 6:00 I was ready to go to the emergency room to be re-hydrated,but I was too weak.
I had plans to surprise Marjorie,Lelia,and Karol at the NANI meeting last night, and was going to meet up with Jilly earlier, but because of my ignorance and determination to get the garden moved, I missed out on a great evening.

DH was down watching TV and didn't even know how sick I was. Men! So, learn by my mistake, and please drink lots of water if you are working outside in the heat, and take a break often. Do not cool off too fast, I now learned that could kill you...yikes!

Serendipity................

I urge all of you creative souls to submit your work to publications such as Sew Somerset, Belle Armoire, Somerset Home, etc because you never know how it will enlighten your life. I have received many emails from reader's who let me know how they enjoyed my work, and some have even requested special orders which I was more than happy to fill. I know how it is when you see something that speaks to you and you must inquire about it. (the CQ doll by Linda Feuse)

Anyway...I received an email from Dawn, a flight attendant who picked up an issue of Sew Somerset with my bangle bracelets in it and after reading the article discovered we are neighbors...we live 7 miles apart. How do I know? She invited me over yesterday for tea, and had the most wonderful time. Not to mention the best Chai tea! Yum!

Her lovely home is decorated in the 50's style, and it is beautiful." I love Lucy" is one of her displays, and we hit it off. Yes, a "Shabby Victorian" style gal and a "50's" gal . Water and oil DO mix, and they mix well. With her just flying in the previous night, I only intended on staying perhaps and hour but we lost track of time and I barely made it home before DH. Angell had her legs crossed and ran out the door to go potty,LOL. I could have stayed there all day talking.

Dawn's studio is in her cool basement(I am so jealous)and what a studio it is. She does everything! Her work stations are set up to just wander over and begin playing wherever her muse leads her. It is also 50's style. Red,black,and white with turquoise accents. You can't help but smile and feel the energy and creative juices flowing.

I had the pleasure of meeting her husband and he was a great as she was. Such inviting comfortable people, I forgot we were strangers,LOL. I think you will read more about her :-) Dawn has been hunting for a crazy quilter in the area for a few years, and well..here I am. Be careful what you wish for Dawn!

I think I talked the full 4 hours from excitement. I took several "show & tell" things with me so she could see the many variations of CQ. She had the same photo from a Victorian Papers magazine that I had cut out years ago. That was her inspiration to learn CQ, how funny was that.

Anyway, the moral of the story is....share what you do, submit your work, and you will not only be inspiring others and giving something of yourself, but you will receive the best gifts that nourish your soul and warm your heart.

Surprises and fun at the fair!

All day Sunday I felt like a girl anticipating her night at the fair. Mom was a bit tired so we skipped the beach and lunch and decided to reserve her energy and do dinner and the fair instead. That was fine because it was a perfect day to swing and stitch on the porch.

As we walked into the exhibit hall we immediately saw a purse I had entered with a ribbon...how exciting! The Hollyhock purse won a ribbon.Then I saw the bangle bracelet..made from purchased wooden bangle. then the "Sea Whispers"...made from recycled sheer and Lame' fabrics.
Then I saw items by my bud Lelia.......remember the adorable Inner Child doll she created? Lelia and Karol do beautiful drawn thread work, and work on linen. I wish you could see the detail in person. They are perfectionists, which really show in their work.
Here are pics of a few of their beauties.... I'm sure I missed some because we were all over the place.
Punch needle scissor fob by Lelia.....
This is Lelia's wall hanging all hand pieced and hand quilted. My kind of gal! Talk about perfect corners!!!!!
Pulled thread by Karol..........
Red work on pink Cross stitch by Karol...
This unbelievable piece has various work involved. Wow!Lelia was excited as she led us over to the big reveal..."Life Within A Garden" won best of show!!! It looked so pretty under lights and the first thing I saw was that big pretty purple ribbon. Purple..how did they know,LOLI have to honestly say, winning a ribbon at my local county fair was more exciting than winning in any big contest. It truly was fun entering and actually winning a ribbon..or two..or... I made up for my childhood 4-H attempts.(Thank you Lelia) When mom saw the big purple ribbon it brought tears to her eyes. She almost made me cry knowing how proud she was seeing it, and on that particular day.Hey dad, I finally won that ribbon at the fair!

We were leaving the building and felt eyes upon us....turned around, and whoa...I guess so! Isn't he cute? How do they keep their balance?

Before leaving the building Lelia said I need to forget my fears and try a deep fried Pepsi.....LOL. We did, and ....well..the doughnut part was good. :-) Then we decided on crab Rangoon instead of fried veggies and a bottle of water instead of pop and sat for a while. The smell of fired food filled me as if I were actually eating it. Hmmmmm....could it be if we just heated oil and smelled it, it would curb our hunger??? Perhaps carrying a small bottle of cooked oil would be the answer to shedding pounds???? Could I patent this????? Make millions, fly everyone reading this to Hawaii or Paris for a stash buy???? Or perhaps be thin forever ????? Ok...wake up Pat!!!!!

Sitting on a bench ,I was lost in thought(again) as I watched the young girls in their shorts and cowboy boots packing up their tackle from showing their horses. The wonderful memories I hold deep inside are still there. They just needed to be dusted off. I felt the connection I thought I had lost. It is wonderful living in a small community although it it rapidly growing. I never realized all the little things I had the privileged to experience as a child. Life goes too fast and we anticipate the next day when we really should enjoy the present moment. Perhaps this is why I enjoy my garden, housework,sewing,and simple life in general. It slows the pace, and allows small things to be noticed and absorbed.

On our way to the car to wait until the release of exhibit items, I saw this pretty purple gauze dress and thought it would be a cute cover up for the pool or beach combing...so I treated myself to it instead of cotton candy! I love how it's made at the hem. My gypsy dress!!!!!

When I went to gather my goods, I had forgotten Lelia said ribbons get cash prizes, and it happened that my winnings reimbursed me for the dress. How cool is that? I even got to say a quick hi to Karol on my way out. We were going to stay for fireworks with Lelia and her mom, but mom's leg was aching and I knew I had made her walk way too much as it was. It was a good day and mom had a smile all the way home.

Oh yeah, on the way home, I didn't fall asleep this time...I was driving!

August is here already. County fair time

WOW! I have said it many times, and I know you get sick of hearing it , but where has the time gone? Where did Spring go? Where did this week go? Where has 8 years gone?
Tomorrow is the 8th anniversary of my father's passing. I decided not to post a memorandum this year. My heart is heavy today and I want to focus on everything good including wonderful memories we shared.
I will not be online tomorrow because I plan on spending the day with mom at our beach frolicking along the shore in the morning, enjoying a nice lunch around noon, and tea and talk all afternoon, then attending the fair in the evening. It is always a rough day for us and events of this week hasn't helped lighten the load .

When I was growing up we never missed a fair. Each year dad and mom packed us in the station wagon when the day cooled off and we headed to Valparaiso to the Porter County fair grounds. I always had to wear tennis shoes because it was dusty or muddy depending on the weather and three exhausted kids with dirty feet complaining of belly aches at night wasn't what a tired mom wanted to deal with before bed.
I usually fell asleep on the way home even though it was only a 20 minute drive.
The Ferris wheel was my favorite although I never went on it as a child. I could watch it for hours. I always wanted to ride the fast whirling cars that played the cool music and flashing colored lights , but having to do so with my older brother wasn't very fun. I wanted to ride alone. Besides, he always acted like a crazy person and embarrassed me. Oh how I wish I were 12 and my brother and I were on that ride again. The corn dogs,popcorn, ice cream waffle cone, fried veggies and cotton candy seemed to be never ending. We never said no to anything even if it meant getting a stomach ache. I always came home with a stuffed animal and small plastic item from winning the fish bowl toss. My brother's would play the shooting duck game but played until the prizes they won were lost. They never knew when to quit while they were ahead.LOL.
I never remembered mom and dad riding on anything. I just imagine they spent all of our "fair money" and then some on us kids. I close my eyes and hear the music,the voices and happy screams of children, the wind rush over me blowing hair into my face on a wild ride,the comfort of knowing my parents always had an eye on me, and all the exhilaration a wide eyed country girl could enjoy at the county fair.

With those memories surfacing, I will attend the Porter County fair tomorrow evening, the last day of the fair, with my mom. We will not dwell on our loss, but remember the good times, the simple happy times we were fortunate to share for so many years .

We will browse the exhibits and comment on the beautiful hand made items. I will point out friend's work and critique my own entries.

I will play fish bowl toss and we may ride the Ferris wheel if I can muster the courage. We will eat greasy fried veggies , ice cream, and whatever we feel like torturing ourselves with and I will come home with cotton candy...just because. We will wear sandals because one pair of feet are easier to clean than three. It will be a good day of fond old memories and newly made ones of me and mom at the fair once again.

I will see you after the fair!

Where do I find inspiration you ask?????????? Teaser for a friend

I've been asked many times where I find my inspiration for my projects and thought this would be a perfect example.
I find inspiration in my garden..........my home.........my dreams........a color.....a texture........a magazine...........a blog..........a book........an image......and from friends who share, just to name a few.

As you know I keep about half a dozen projects going at any given time. This is just how I work...always something ahead of me. I don't know why I keep this pressure on myself, but it will never change, so I have accepted it and just go with the flow. I have about 5 friendship projects I am working on not including several puzzle pieces and an order for a wall hanging.Sounds like a lot, but when you work a little here then switch to another color and theme, it seems fresh and keeps me interested.

I am currently finishing a lot of projects and demands on my time so I feel free to start a special project (or two) that has been swimming around my head ever since the day I received a special package from a sweet friend.

This package happened to include many of my favorite things, one being an altered vintage photo. A fairy altered photo of Leslie's mom, Francine to be exact. It is adorable as you will see,and I can see beautiful Leslie in her mother's features so I thought I would play with this image to create something fun for Leslie since she is a fun kind of gal. Leslie is also about the size of a tiny fairy, so this was meant to be I think.

I start with a photo.............

then I crop it in photoshop and make a fabric copy..........
then select the fabrics................(I bought these last year at the International Quilt Fest in IL because they were beautiful muted hand dyed cottons. I knew I would find a place for them).

Then I gather embellishments I would like to use and play! I will use some of Leslie's grandmother silk threads and some beautiful small aged pearls in this project along with some of my favorite things I have collected and have been given.

Then............whoops! Sorry, I can't reveal the final project until this is delivered to Leslie which will be soon. We will meet in St. Joe within the next two weeks, perhaps for a malt????

I promise to share when the deed is done. :-) oooh! Now I want a malt! Drats!

Good morning!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all for the kind notes, and yes, I do plan on see my Dr. soon. I feel so much better this morning.I fell asleep with Angell on the couch last night so I woke early, opened the doors to let in the cool air which felt like heaven after sleeping with a hot fur ball in your arms all night,LOL.

We did go to dinner in Michigan last night, early evening actually.
DH got a tip from a co-worker who said Redamaks has great perch on Fridays so we headed to New Buffalo. Redamaks is a fairly large restaurant build in 1975, and a hot spot for Illinois/Indiana residents on the weekends. They are famous for their hamburgers although I have never known why because to me they are just normal. (Please, no hating me for my opinion) There are Redamak fans just as loyal as White Sox and Cubs fans...really. The environment is laid back, pretty noisy,and a gathering place after a day of fun in the sun and water. Inside it reminds me of a large barn although it isn't a barn at all. It is a stones throw from Lake Michigan. Everyone would meet there when I was a teenager for a burger and beer.I remember the banana daiquiri's You couldn't drink in Indiana at age 18, so we went to MI. (shame on us)

We arrived around 4:00 Mi time, was seated, ordered, anticipating a fine fish dinner, we were drooling at the thought of great perch. Well, it was pretty bad. The perch were small curled up greasy fillets with no breading to speak of. Soggy, oily,yuck. The clam chowder's aroma was so pungent that we had to have it removed from the table. I think the clams were expired. DS and DH ate what they could as I fiddled with the macaroni salad. After paying the large bill, we left hungry yet not wanting to eat anything else. I was kind of sickened by the whole experience and bummed that our family outing was a bust. I had hoped our week would have had a positive ending with a good meal. Thank goodness we have a sense of humor and the three of us joked and laughed about it all the way home. We made a plan that it will be "Bartlett's" next time! Close to home and wonderful offerings.

Around 10:00 DS announced he was going out to have pizza with a friend, I almost asked for a doggie bag,LOL. My stomach was growling but it was too late to eat.

The sun is shining and I am going to weed a bit and plan the perennial moves in a few months. I need to fill my newest garden area. I have been so busy this Spring/Summer that nothing has been touched out there. Then I will swing and read Coralie's book for a while. Then finish a few more puzzle pieces.

Cool! DS just came in and gave me a hands free phone with the ear thingy.Now I can type or sew and talk on the phone. Well,the idea is that I am free to do those things with this device, but actually doing them simultaneously????We'll see. Reminds me of the close calls I have had with drivers on cell phones..oh my!

Go soak up 10-15 minutes of vitamin D in the sun if you can and have a glorious day!