Getting Back to It

Ok, I admit to having a bit of time refocusing on some fun projects that are lingering on my list. The beginning of May means birthdays and Mothers Day celebrations -- time for planting up some fun pretties in the garden ...
and, this year a whole week seems to have been given over to it all!

Last, Monday David & I headed out for a few days of outdoor celebrating at Mammoth Caves National Park. We opted for staying at the park hotel, and quickly found out that with no wi-fi we truly were to become one with the park. Our time there was spent exploring and picnicing... both are heartily encouraged. The caves themselves, while fascinating -- were underground...

If this made you think twice about me -- well, you are smart.

I found out that I am definitely an open skies girl!
Sky, trees, birds--yup...underground, not so much.

While at Mammoth Caves, .we were soooo close to Bowling Green, that we had to swing by and check that lovely city out first hand, too. In all we had a great trip --
Can't wait to explore even more this summer.

Spring is certainly bringing some new adventures, and summer holds promise of even more. Wishing you the same, and I hope you share a bit of yours with me and check back for more on mine soon.

Getting Back to Stitching,
Yes, today!!!
~Rose

Slipping in a bit of holiday baking

So much happening, so many quilts to sneak a peek at and amazing longarm quilters to meet. Phew, it turned out that today I was able to get a bit of holiday baking done. I chose something fun & easy, so I just had to share. This basic sugar cookie recipe is delicious -- thicker, melt in your mouth yumm. And, then it lends itself to a lot of different uses. I love making them into small cookie buttons so I can play with the color and decorating. Below is the recipe in case you want to give it a try:


1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour. Dough will be very stiff. To create buttons use small scoop. Scoop dough and press it firmly into the scoop. Release on ungreased cookie sheet 1” apart.

Once all in place take a glass with a flat bottom, dip into cold water and press each cookie.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.

Let cookies cool completely before decorating, and have fun!

After-Quilt Week Fun

It was a wildly fun week here in Paducah, last week, but once most of the quilters and vendors went home on Saturday there were a few of us crazies that showed up for an all day metal-bookmaking workshop.

Happily, I managed to pick my head up off the pillow and grab my stuff to get to class.
Once there I happily got to play in paint, and metal and fibers -- could not get much better than this.

The workshop was held at Ephemera, and the teacher was Leighanna Light. 

Below are pictures I took along the way to create my little book.

there was the page and book binding creating with gesso and inks
stitching in the pages
and working with the metals and fibers to pull it all together

Great end to a Great Week!

Check back here tomorrow for I'll be taking part in a fun
Blog Tour for a wonderful new book...

Stitch n' Swap

Daily to Your Door

It has been a pretty fun-filled whirlwind 5 days out here in SoCA. Thursday of last week I headed off to share my quilts in a trunkshow lecture with Beach Cities Quilt Guild. This was followed up with two full day workshops with this wonderful group of quilters.

Not a moment was lost, for as soon as I left the guild on Sat afternoon, I was checking off the places & people I wanted to see again. Then yesterday was a fun filled day close to home with my kids. Close to home though meant breakfast out at a local 'foodie' hangout, followed up with a walk through 6 square blocks of antique cars. (this included a couple of restored versions of my first car - 69/Malibu - and way too many cars that were new the year I was born).

With too many photo opps awaiting I choice to focus in on a grilles-- 
though after talking about growing up in West LA over dinner the night before a friend mentioned the Helms Bakery trucks and how she remembered the donuts that miraculously showed up each day in the back of that truck ---
There in the middle of all those cars was a restored Helm's Bakery truck!

No donuts, though.

The day did not stop there and we had a blast...
but, here are the grilles & the truck, too of course.
Hope you enjoy them!

Bead Spree

Happy Sunday everyone,

It sure has been fun running around in SoCA this week, and I think it's time for a bit more sharing. During the week Dawn, Angelique and I did a run to downtown LA to refill my coffers with beads.

I had to hit my favorite Bohemian Beads and wander through picking up this bunch here, a bag there, and strands and strands of colorful stuff. I try to pick and choose according to those that I feel work well on a flat quilt -- but, I thoroughly admit to loving the shine of the crystal like or metallic beads.

Then yesterday Dawn and I sat around a big table mixing all the found beauties into color families and packaging them all up. There is nothing like feeling the beads running through your fingers and the ohhs & ahhs at the mixes. We had a blast.

Later on this month, during Quilt Week in Paducah,
I'll be running a special -- so be on the look out!

Taking It In

Well, it is Sunday morning.... 25 degrees outside this morning, though another dry day. Unlike the storms that move through the area last weekend this one was much calmer. I have spent most of the time between this week working on projects for the new book.

There's a deadline looming, and I have to admit to feeling really excited about how everything is coming together -- so, so hard not to share, BUT I have other really fun things that I can!

David & I were waiting for the sun to come out to take a ride up to Mt.Vernon IL to see the Cedarhurst Museum. We needed sun especially for they are known for their sculpture park -- and boy we were not disappointed.

I am sharing here just a tiny smidge of the sculptures -- I was enthralled with each piece and it's home in the landscape...I even tried to record the sounds of the leaves and the wind for they played a part in the enjoyment of the experience.

Then there was the main galleries - wonderful permanent collection, and an amazing kid space -- and if you walked through there was another gallery there with the sculptures of Michelle Stitzlein - assemblages to wonder at.

Enough commentary... enjoy some of my pictures but also check out the link to Michelle's site, for the pieces are well documented and presented there.

Hope these bring a bit of inspiration to your day/week, and if you get a chance to visit Cedarhurst in person --- don't miss it!