The Wonder of Fall

Fall entered quietly this year.

Because of our two week spell of super cold nights and cloudy dreary days...the leaves didn't give us the breathtaking show we have become accustomed to here in the North Wood.

We went from the green of summer...to the golds and light oranges...to brown and on the ground in a heartbeat.

Frank and I spent the day raking all those leaves and had a glorious bonfire to prevent them from blowing back into the yard. The fall perfume of the burning leaves was hypnotic........

.............we had to take a moment to enjoy it.

While we were outside raking... this wonderful soup from my friends at Gooseberry Patch, was simmering on the stove.

I had timed it just right! When we finished and collapsed inside...we cuddled in a warm quilt.... enjoyed a huge bowl of warm soup with some home made bread I made the night before. 

We looked up at each other and at the same time said, "Does it get any better than this?".

Yes it did...because Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone had just started.

♥♥♥♥BLISS♥♥♥♥

What Excites You?

I'm asking the DIYers..crafters..and artisans.


What excites your creative muses? Is it nature, an article, a blog post or something yummy you found on Etsy?

After the loooooong hard Northern Michigan winter, my spread you wings program was frozen. It was spring and time to clean house. Yes.. the windows are sparkling and winter has been washed away. The spring pillows and curtains are up and in place. But my creative house was a mess.

No matter what I did... I just couldn't get in a creative groove. I have two king sized quilts to make and the little just for me projects are what get me through such long and involved quilting projects. But nothing was comming to me.

I sat down in my studio and watched a pair of robins build a nest in the pine tree. I've never seen one there before....and that got me thinking. If the robins can spread their wings and fly so far, build nests in places they have never been before...maybe that's what I should do.

I've always wanted to draw and paint. I can't even draw a good stick figure so I didn't know where to begin. I went on line and found some simple shapes and silhouettes and trace..trace...traced. As I watched the pencil float over the original figure, I found there was a flow to the movements I was making. After a few very poor attempts to wing it, I looked down at my sketch pad and I had a butterfly....and it really looked like a butterfly!

Being the fabric junkie that I admittedly am, I had to put my butterfly on fabric rather than canvas.




 Butterflies on a little swing dress PLUS the little girls name!

This is the result! I had so much fun when I stopped forcing myself and looked within... to what excited me.

Give it a try youself and watch magic happen :-)
Cindi

What Do Quilters Love More Than Fabric?

I have been sitting at my lap top wondering what to write this week.
My thoughts were wandering and I was thinking that the holidays will be here before we know it. I have quilt-y gifts to finish and baking to do. So I was wondering....

What do quilters love more that a free pass to the fabric store? Great food and family.


My mother taught me to cook in a 1950's track house kitchen. Simple appliances that got the job done.


One of mom's famous recipes was a Gooseberry Christmas Pudding. Here is the recipe straight from her hand written cook book.
If you can't find gooseberries, substitute 1 cup of currents and increase milk to 1/3 cup.

2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup gooseberries plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 tea. cinnamon
pinch of salt
Powdered sugar

Stew gooseberries gently in a little bit of water until plump. Mash berries and add the remainder of ingredients except the powdered sugar. (You'll save this for garnish later). Mix all to form a soft dough. Press into a mold or bowl and cover with foil. Place the container (bowl) in a large pot, adding enough water to come half way up the side of the bowl. Cover the outer pot and steam over medium heat for about two hours, adding more water as needed to keep the water level at half way.

Unmold and garnish with extra berries and powdered sugar.


Give this a try and let me know if it becomes a holiday favorite for you, too.



This was my first kitchen. State of the art, huh?




Well I've written about food and family... now... here is the quilt.




Grandma made this for mom and dad as a wedding gift. It is the flying geese pattern. It now sits at the end of my brother and sister-in-laws bed.

Here is my version.




This quilt, in any size, is a great way to use all those small pieces of fabric. The scrappier the better!

I like to keep continuity and use the same fabric on all units that will represent the background. This mini has center anchor squares that are surrounded by the flying geese.




Help support the handmade community and make a date to spend $30.00 of your holiday shopping on Etsy November 30th. Check out this list for participating Etsy Shops. Or just enter 30on30 into the search box. Thank you!

Thankx for visiting. See you next week!

Deluxe Rabbit Tarot Give Away!

CONGRATS to Mona C of Georgia,
She is the winner of the Deluxe Rabbit Tarot Set!!



My friend Nakisha and I are having a give away!

All of this is in preparation for Nakisha's gallery show of the original art for the Rabbit Tarot, which opens November 14th at the City Trees Gallery in Ballard, Washinton. For more details visit her website. Nakisha has graciously invited me to show some of my Tarot pouches and quilts with her at the show. We have joined together to celebrate with this fun giveaway! Anyone... anywhere... can enter, unless you are family, or have already won something from her in the last year.

What you can win:
The Deluxe Tarot set. This includes a deck of Nakisha's beautiful Rabbit Tarot Cards, one of my hand quilted Rabbit Tarot Pouches (seen below) a bunny pin back button and three Rabbit Tarot postcards. A $48. value!




How to Win:
Leave a comment on Nakisha's blog or this blog post. Be sure to include a way to contact you!

Bonus Entries:
Do any of the following; each * will count as one additional entry:

*Follow this blog (or mention you already follow it in the comments).
*Follow Nakisha's blog (or mention you already follow in the comments)at www.bluedogrose.blogspot.com
*Follow us on twitter cottontailquilt AND bluedogrose AND Tweet (once) this phrase-

RT Win a FREE Rabbit Tarot Deck and Deluxe Tarot Pouch from @bluedogrose @cottontailquilt http://bluedogrose.blogspot.com/


Contest ends October 30th, and the winner will be selected by a random number generated by Random.org, and Nakisha will announce the winner on her blog on October 31st, 2009.

If you can't wait to have your own Rabbit Tarot Set, I have a Limited Edition Luxury Set in my shop at www.cottontailquilts.etsy.com.



Or visit bluedogrose's shop for your own deck at: www.bluedogrose.etsy.com


These are some examples of other pouches I have made to coordinate with the Rabbit Tarot Cards.

Sharing, Caring and Cooperation

I was so surprised and thrilled this week when I received an email from Stefanie on Etsy. She had included my Spacewalk Bunnie in her beautiful Treasury "When I Grow Up"! She asked her three year old daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up, and this treasury was dedicated to her answer.


Thank You very much Stefanie, for including my quilt in your adorable Treasury. To be included in the company of such established Estians was quite an honor. Working together as a community of artists on Etsy, is the very meaning of cooperation.




Spacewalk Bunny is a cooperative effort I have with Nakisha at bluedogrose on Etsy, too. Nakisha has graciously allowed me to translate her Little White Rabbits into quilts. They have been so much fun to work with. The whimsy and imagination make these quilts perfect for a little one's room. Can't you just see them used as the inspiration for story time? Or, do you have someone special that collects bunnies? What a great addition to their collection!




I'm so fortunate to be be working together with Nakisha, again. I am going to add to the LWR series with three new quilts.
I'd like to share that Nakisha has spent over a year creating paintings of Little White Rabbit and his friend Dutch Rabbit. She has had them professionally printed into the beautiful Rabbit Tarot. Each image is a recreation of an original watercolor. What a labor of love!
I am in the process of designing hand quilted carrying pouches for the cards. Each pouch will have a rabbit themed design. The pouch is sized to hold the Rabbit Tarot and with the deluxe set, a reading mat of organic flannel. I'll feature the pouches in my next post!

Thank you for visiting. See you next week :)