The country cousin meets her city cousin .......

Look I really do quilt .... I had a variety of 1/8ths from Jane Sassamen "marinating" on the shelf.  You know how it is ..... you find some fabric on sale ... and then it is even better when you can split the deal a friend right?  So my friend, Sheila, and I split a nice stack of fat quarters.  And they looked really pretty sitting on my shelf.  Then one day I thought .... those solids really compliment those Sassamen fabrics.  I had been hoarding solid fabrics for sometime wanting to create an Amish style quilt.  But I threw some fabric to the wind and created this ..... Hope you like it!!!

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Thru the eyes of a "Newbie"...

Today while returning home from work, I noticed a rainbow across the mountains.  Then I noticed it was really a double rainbow.  THAT,  just has to make you smile.  I would have taken a picture to share but thought that would not be wise while driving in the rain.... But the rainbow reminded me back to when I was a "Newbie" (a new quilter) and how I viewed the world.  I remember while sitting at a Braves game looking across the field the arrangement of colors.  Some of the groupings of colors formed shapes.  It was like a living quilt.  I remember how the books on the shelves in a library played against each other in size and color.  It was like a modern quilt.  I remember how nature allowed such a wide variety of colors to play with each other.  It was like a scrappy quilt.  I started seeing how squares, circles, and triangles worked with each other to form larger more complex shapes.... it was like seeing potential quilts around me all the time.  Now I can tell you that my mind has designed quilts a thousand times faster than my hands could ever make them.  I would even venture to say that only 8% of an idea ever make it to fabric.  So let's think again about the wonderful double rainbow against the mountains  .....  my "Newbie" eye would have seen the colors of the rainbow and the mountains ... the various sizes of curves and triangles ..... the different texture of the mountains.  So can you remember what your "Newbie" eye has seen?  ...... I think sometimes as a seasoned quilter the latest and greatest fabric are what catches our eye.  So every now and again let the "Newbie" in you take a look.  Just image what you might discover!

First Harvest ....

A vegetable garden is on the outside todo list for this property.  I have had gardens in the past some successful and some .....well lets just say not so much.  I enjoy the process of gardening.  Planing, planting, watching the plants grow, and the harvest.  I have discovered another motivation for bring the garden plan to life.  A friend was telling me about a "cannery" that is located in her town.  You bring your vegetables and everything else is available, for a price of coarse, and you leave the mess behind.  I really would like to try that next year.  So I know that you are wondering about my first harvest because by now you know that I do not have a garden ..... well while walking near the overgrown mess corner I discovered what everyone locally is getting from the side of the road.  Blackberries!!!  So my wonderful DH made breakfast this morning and included the berries.  Pancakes, sausage, and eggs........ and coffee.

Yummy!  And what a pleasant surprise.  So now I need to work on removing the the other plants that might choke out the berry plants.  Add another thing to my growing list.  If you would really like to see a wonderful garden (vegetable and flowers) then you need to visit my favorite blog for eye candy.   miaslandliv.blogspot.com  She has so much inspiration on her site that I have been known you to spend a bit of time visiting her site.

Images of Joy

Discovering quilts .......

My curiosity about quilts started while I was living in Lancaster County.  I lived in the area until the seventh grade.  I would see the quilts hanging on the laundry line while dancing with the wind.  The lifestyle that the Amish lived and their quilts seeded a passion in my heart from the start.  It was not till I found myself living in Georgia with two small children, my DH, and a full time nursing career that the seed suddenly needed to be planted.  So what does one do you might ask?  Well I joined a quilt guild - I mean who else was going to help me grow?  I remember how forgone the language was and that the "quilt police" where everywhere.  I was starting to see the world thru a quilter's eye.  I have some dear friends now that had doubts that I was ever going to become a quilter.  Now I am not published nor have I won any awards.  But I do stand tall when I say ... that I am a Quilter!!  I love the feel of fabric,  the sound of my machine,  the sights at a quilt show, the tasty goodies at retreat, and the tickle of fibers in my nose.  Well that covers all of my senses.... What does quilting do for you?

A year has past ....

Well it has officially been a year that I have started on a new journey.  I have taken a job that pointed me due north from where I was living. The mountains have brought me back closer to my roots.  There is something to be said about waking up in a cooler climate.  This blog will follow the different paths that I choose, some will be easy and others challenging.  But who would always want to take the easy road???