Construction Projects vs. Sewing

Although I continue to do some sewing, this summer is shaping up to be a summer of construction.  Our initial project was to finally make the raised beds we've been talking about for years.

For this project we were able to use all recycled materials.  The wood was salvaged from an old grain elevator and the galvanized metal linings for each bed came from our own "salvage yard".

We filled them with compost that we've been accumulating over nearly 19 years.  Just some bark pathways to put down...

and the end result is that I have 10 lovely raised beds to plant!

Instant Tomatoes!

Yesterday my little greenhouse went from this...

To this!!

Pretty cool!

Fun Weekend

The "Chix in the Stix" event last weekend was successful and very fun for all who participated.  Although we were asked many times if we had considered opening up a shop, we all just want to do this when the spirit moves us!

Chix in the Stix

 
After having such fun at the Sweet on Spring event for the opening of the season for Living in the Garden, all the women who participated plus a few more creative souls decided to get together to do another event for Washington State University's Moms' Weekend.  We are calling ourselves "Chix in the Stix" and even if we don't sell anything, we're sure to have fun!  There will be my purses and pillows plus jewelry, vintage and funky furniture, soaps and lotions, chocolate, art and more.  If you're in the area, come join us and check it out!

Design Style Guide

One of my "Vera Butterfly" pillows is featured today on the Design Style Guide website.  This website promotes  handmade home decor and design work and is one of those great examples of networking.  Check it out!
  http://designstyleguide.net/community/blog/2010/04/01/spring-is-here/

Balance

BALANCE

Life is all about balance, isn't it?  We all strive to balance the elements that make our lives precious:  family, friends, work, play and personal growth.  Sometimes it seems like a lot to ask of ourselves!

 The above picture was taken on one of the lakes of the Bowron Lakes circuit that we did recently in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.  It's a world-class, spectacular paddling trip filled with enough beauty to boggle your brain.

  

 

And with the eight days that it takes to do the entire circuit, there is enough time to shed all the concerns of home and just surrender to the environment.

Where did it go?

Hello Friends!
It's been ages since I spent time with my blog but I'm blaming that on the fact that somehow magic occurs every year about this time and summer once again slips away with ever-increasing speed. As with most people summer is filled with family, friends and adventures into the great outdoors. Who can be sitting at a sewing machine? The days will soon be filled with darkness and the sun beckons us to soak up and save up its rays for the long, gray winter we know lies ahead.

I returned from the Lavender Festival filled with new ideas to try. In the coming months I will share those ideas as they take on three dimensions. I hope to expand into making smaller purses and even a fun jacket. Stay tuned....

For now, here's a glimpse of my summer.


One of our projects is the replacement of all the glass on my sweet little greenhouse. It's happening, but slowly!



This is the start of a rock garden on the approach to our house. Now it just needs some more plants.



Time out for play with our grandson and friends while camped on Idaho's pristine Selway River.




My sister came to visit and we hit the road for a trip around the Idaho panhandle.


We camped at Lake Pend Oreille....



Played in Lake Coeur d'Alene...


And kayaked on the Snake River. It's been a busy, fun summer...and...it's not over yet. We are leaving in less than two weeks to do an 8-day kayaking circuit of the Bowron Lakes in B.C., Canada. Should be a great adventure!

I hope everyone had a great summer and will enjoy these lovely days that lead into fall. One of these days I'll get back to my sewing machine...

Lavender Festival

I've been sewing again in preparation for the Daffodil Hill Lavender Festival just west of Salem, Oregon. I've made some new pillows, but also new purses and table runners. The festival dates are July 11 and 12. My dear friend, Suzanne St. Pierre of Living in the Garden will be my road-tripping and festival companion. It promises to be a fun weekend and a great adventure! Check it out below:

DAFFODIL HILL LAVENDER FESTIVAL

July 11, 12 10-5

Come join us once again to celebrate summer and spend a relaxing day in the country.

Enjoy food, wine, frosty drinks, gourmet baked goods,

wreath demonstrations, u-pick lavender, many talented artisans from the

Northwest and live music all weekend.

Come, pull up a quilt and make a day of it! A short drive west of Salem, but a world away.

$5 admission with proceeds going to

Women Ending Hunger

For a special evening treat, join us on Friday, July 10, 6-9 for our

Preview Party, featuring gourmet appetizers, wine, live music and the opportunity

to be the first to enjoy the wonderful array of artisans goods.

Tickets are limited and sold in advance at $20.

To make reservations call Kelly Hadley, 503 566-7376

For more detailed information go to www.lavendergoods.com and

click on Lavender Festival.

To Mapquest: 6435 Crowley Road, Rickreall OR 97371

Farm Chicks Fun

My husband and indispensable helper, Rich, and I are ready for the big weekend.

As you can see from the photos below, Farm Chicks was not only fun, it was intense! It was an opportunity to meet many wonderful people and make new connections--and to learn a lot! Since this was my first show, I came home tired but glad for the experience and all the fun we had.

Pillows and purses galore...


I'm ready!



Some of the attendees...Farm Chicks is BIG!

Somebody has to help...

Since the beginning of March, I have been working one day a week at Living in the Garden. It is a job that keeps you on your toes with trying to keep up with replenishing displays and helping customers.

It is a place of incredible beauty and inspiration and it is such fun to spend at least one day a week away from my sewing machine. I feel privileged to be immersed in such splendor but somebody has to help. If you live nearby, see for yourself and come and meet Suzanne and see what happens when you make your dream come true!

Farm Chicks Show

I am pleased to write that through a twist of fate, I am going to be at the Farm Chicks Show! I will be there with all my pillows plus some new ones and I'm bringing some fun handbags that I've been making. If you've never been to the Farm Chicks, I can testify that it's a very fun event. Come and see for yourself!

Here's an excerpt from their website:

Meet the Farm chicks®

Our childhoods couldn't have been more different. Serena bounced through the first years of her life in a hippie gypsy wagon, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Teri grew up in tiny White Swan, Washington, herding geese, doing farm chores and kneeling in daily prayer. Who would have guessed that 30 years later, an Irish Nun would bring us together, seeing instead our many similarities?

Serena and Teri

We both come from families that lived frugally. From our mothers, we learned a clever knack for thrifty creativity. Adept at taking ordinary objects and turning them into something useful, our mothers created cozy homes on tight budgets. We both dreamed of being mothers ourselves someday in that same stay-at-home style.

Now Teri has two grown girls and Serena has four boys. And we both share a passion for junking, baking, and creating fun projects. Together we founded The Farm Chicks Show, created Farm Chick Style™ and are Contributing Editors for Country Living Magazine.

Buy Local!

Our beautiful Palouse!
{Photo by Scotty Thompson}

I have been virtually absent from my blog and keep telling myself that I will change my ways and be more attentive. For now, I will just keep telling myself that!

I want to share a new local venture with you. It's an artists/artisans cooperative that represents our geographical area known as the Palouse. It just opened this month and below is an excerpt from their website . If you are in the area, please drop in and check it out. (Some of my pillows are there...)

2 Degrees Northwest:
Where Art Meets the Land

Our Region: Based in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington, and the places between 47 and 49 degrees latitude, our region stretches from the Plummer/Worley area of Idaho south to Riggins. From east to west, it encompasses towns such as Uniontown, Colfax, and Palouse in southwestern Washington state and across to the Wieppe/Pierce area in Idaho, near the Montana border. (Online Map coming soon!)

Our Mission: We believe the arts and handmade goods are central to a strong and vibrant place-based rural economy. Therefore, we work to support and create opportunities for arts-based economic development; to cooperatively market the region’s artists and artisans; and to link our region’s arts and fine crafts to other locally made products such as foods, wines, unique sites, services, and experiences.

Good News! We've launched a store and business incubator in downtown Moscow, Idaho! Come see us at 210 S. Main Street, Tuesday-Saturday 10-6. If you are an artist or make non-perishable food products and would like to talk to us about selling in the store, give us a call at 882-8470.

Springtime Expansion

Springtime brings on many expansions. Temperatures are finally warming and daylight is expanding. The smells of the earth expand into the different feel of the air that surrounds us with promise. And even our bodies want to expand themselves as we venture once again into the great outdoors. For me, expansion has also happened indoors at my faithful sewing machine. I have put aside pillows for a little while and have expanded into making handbags. They are very fun to make and these represent my initial efforts. I hope you like them!

Fabric Inspirations

Just a little over two weeks ago, I attended the Sewing Expo in Puyallup, Washington for the first time. It is an annual event and is the largest of its kind on the west coast. Hundreds of vendors were there to tempt me!

There was inspiration at every turn. Unusual fabrics included Japanese indigo panels and Ikat fabrics, handmade alpaca woolens, silks, hemp fabrics and many more. I came home with some indigo panels and beautiful printed linens and even some of the alpaca wool fabric.

From these pictures you can see that I got swept up in an Asian theme. The fabrics will be a joy to sew and fun to put together into lovely combinations. I hope to make the Sewing Expo a yearly event and would recommend it to anyone who loves fabric and all things related to sewing.

So Sweet on Spring!

The Sweet on Spring celebration on March 7 at Living in the Garden was a truly inspiring welcome to spring. Who could not love the bright, whimsical and totally transformed artistry of the old outhouse that greeted you as you walked through the door?!

And I never imagined that my polka dot pillows would have such an appropriate polka dot setting!

An old gun cabinet and my antique sewing machine were perfect pieces to create a mini sewing shop in one corner of the conservatory.

A bench full of outdoor pillows made a sweet setting for this squirrel.

And...the vintage Vera Butterfly pillows looked lovely on a matching garden bench.

The day was a great success with lots of people, lots of high energy, lots of creativity and inspiration. Thank you to all who were able to join us for a fun day and thank you, Suzanne and Scotty, for having me as part of this celebration. Spring will arrive in spite of the snow we experienced this weekend. And what will you dream up for next year's Sweet on Spring?!!

Plethora of Pillows

I have been busy at my machine preparing for my participation in the Sweet on Spring celebration at the gardens of my friend, Suzanne St. Pierre. This event promises to bring to life the energy we all feel as the world reawakens with intensity to the color and life of spring. As I sit in my studio with the sun pouring through the windows and birdsong surrounding me again, I can't think of a better way to acknowledge spring fever than to simply embrace it with a celebration!

Over half of my new pillows for this event are made from vintage fabrics and all of them are meant to bring color and brightness into play during this time of year when winter looks so weary. Hopefully you will agree that these pillows put you in mind of the great out-of-doors --and that there are some that just make you smile.