Home again, home again, jiggedy jig.....

I snuck off on you.  For our anniversary, the Hubs and I went to Gatlinburg.  We don't go to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge for the touristy trap that is the main drag.  Driving down through there with all the flashing lights and craziness puts my senses on complete overload!  We drive through Pigeon Forge, then through Gatlinburg and to Sevierville.  We do the Artist Loop.  The Artist Loop is on Glades Road and is an 8 or 9 mile loop of little shops filled with artists and cute little shops.  There isn't nearly the concentration of people.  Every one of them has a story.  We especially enjoy the story, "I used to work for a big company, but I packed it all up and here I am."  I have a few pics of the Artisan Trail for you, but a lot of them prefer I leave my big ole' camera in the car.

Yeah, I'm gloating, this was the view from our cabin.

You can see the paintings from down here.....

 So, this guy has on OLD Industrial Singer in his shop.  He has been warned that I will be back to steal it.  He uses the grey one in the background on the turquoise table, so it's not like he "needs it"!.  On the right side of the pic is a huge pile of leather and hides.

These are made with his scraps!

 This shop had everything to do with honey....even some honey straws.

When you see signs like this....where the name is in cursive....those are usually painting galleries.

 The lady in this shop actually makes them right down to the ceramic faces and hands.  I didn't have room in the trunk or........

Doesn't this sign make you chuckle? 

A lot of the artisans actually live in the back of their shops.  There are a few little "malls" which don't look like malls....they just house more than one artisan.  It's a windy, country road and you just stumble on those little signs.  (Look in the Honey shop....right below the yellow sign there is a blacksmith looking fella on a sign that says Arts & Crafts Community.)  There is even an old soda shop where the Hubs likes to go get Old Fashioned Root Beer Floats.  There is an art quilter.  One look at the camera and she was on me like stink on a skunk.  Needless to say, no pictures there!  LOL

Vacations always end too quickly.  *sigh*  I did go bear hunting with my new camera lens.  Success!  It's a good thing I had the lens, though.  I was so far away, I can't imagine how lame-looking the pic would have been without it.  The Park Ranger even gave us (not just me....but a couple of new photo-taking friends) a personal escort back to our cars.  It would seem a brown bear can run 30 mph and a human cannot.  I just figured I needed to run faster than my two new friends.  :)

Stepping Stones and Milestones.....

The Hubs and I are coming on another anniversary tomorrow.  I would say we have learned a lot about each other and the dynamics of our relationship over the past years.  One thing I can still say after all this time is that he is still my soul mate.  In most ways, we are of the same mindset.  (Guess I should equate that somehow to the end goal...LOL)  I have learned over the years to pick my battles.  I have learned that love is unconditional.  So many times when we don't agree with someone's decisions, we take the easy way out and withhold love from them until we see things our way.  I have even seen many friendships end this way.  Life is too short.  I may not love the decision, but I still love the person who made it.  Through thick and thin, we have been there for each other.  When I envision myself in my elder years on a porch in a rocker, I look to my left and I see him.  Happy Anniversary and a great milestone to him.  He is such a lucky fella.  (What, did you think I was going to stay all sappy on you!)

Now, let's talk about Stepping Stones....
Remember this??

Well, this is what it looks like now.  It is not how I had originally envisioned it.  I saw the feather quilting, but I thought I was going to do it in the creamy color to blend in with the background.  I also thought I was going to put a cream backing on it, and almost did!  I don't know what came over me.....

So, the thread choice ended up being the dark gold color used in the sashing.  When I did the first alternate square, I got a little nervous.  Afterall, it wasn't what I had envisioned.  Was I making the right choice?

Here's a close-up.  I don't know if you can really see the extent of contrast between the dark gold thread and cream background.  But, it is a screamer!

The back.....quilt is 72" square.

Close-up of the back.  I am not unhappy anymore.  I don't think I was really "unhappy", just nervous as a cat in a room full of rockers!  What do you think of the quilting thread color?  Do you think I made a mistake, or do you like it? 

I am tickled it is done.  It is another UFO off the list.  So, for the rest of May, if you mention the blog, you can have 30% off this pattern or kit from the website.  http://www.quiltweb.net

I can see this pattern used with a layer cake, just remember you would have to order yardage for the borders, backgrounds and binding.....

So, with that I bid you adieu.  I picked out my superfantastic anniversary gift this evening and Hubs is sweeping me away to use it this weekend. (aka I got a new camera lens)  The Hubs is truly a keeper. 

Almost Amish

I finished the Almost Amish quilt.  Very exciting.  I wanted to make sure I got it done this weekend, so I worked on it...and worked on it....and worked on it!  I usually don't post the pics on here until they have been picked up, but in this case, the quilter won't be able to see it for a bit....

 Mostly traditional quilting in the blocks.  1/4" in on a lot.  The piano keys and rail fence were stitched in the ditch.

 This motif was chosen for in between all of the blocks.  It is hard to see, but those are tulips.

 The border is a vine of tulips, to coordinate with the other tulips.  I really had to stop myself from feathering this quilt to death.  All along I had planed lots of feathers for this quilt.  In the end, I chose the tulips because aesthetically they were a better match.

The two cornerstone blocks have this tulip motif.  Hopefully the customer likes the tulip motif we have going here.  I get a little nervous sometimes when they tell me to do whatever.  Sometimes, they envision something completely different than I do.  I've been quilting for her for years, so we are usually in sync.  Time will tell....

 So....do you remember this quilt?  This was the Mad About Plaid UFO I finished up a few months ago.  It has actually been quilted for a bit....more on that story in a bit....

 It is now all quilted and bound.  The fabric line was Vienna Nights by Three Sisters.

 This pic is a close-up of the allover design I used.  I love it!

This is the back of the quilt.  OK, now look....don't you think the design is going the wrong way on this backing?  This is driving me cRaZy!!!  I have been binding this quilt for at least three weeks.  Every time I sit down with needle and thread to bind while watching TV, I fall asleep!  Thus, the need for a vacation!  More on that later.  *wink wink*

Hope your weekend is as productive as mine has been.  I am headed back to the longarms!  These quilts aren't going to quilt themselves......

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!!

Simple Goods Fair--heavy pic post

Hubs and I went to the Simple Goods Fair yesterday.  He is looking for a venue to sell his blacksmithing items, so we thought this one may be a good one.  When we first arrived, the smell of campfire smoke wafted in the air...oh how I love that smell.

These fruits were actually polished stone.  This fella has them shipped over from Italy.  If you have to ask how much they are, you probably can't afford them!  *OUCH*  They were very cool, though.....

Lots of Prim items with Lincoln's face printed on the fabric......

This fella had gourds wired to grids of wood that you could stake in the ground.  8-10 gourds in two rows, if you can picture it.  He sold out of all of the staked ones in the parking lot as he was carrying them in.  HOT item!

Mice....at first glance, I almost squeeled!

This was a very cool crewelwork piece.  Someone had mounted it on the mat....bummer.

It was $5 to get into the building where the Simple Goods Fair was.  I didn't think we should have had to pay to shop.....I get it when you pay to get into a quilt show.  There is a display of quilts and then the vendor area.  You don't have to pay to get into an antique mall....so what gives?  I asked and was told it helps to defray the rental of the building (they also charge the vendors to be there) and it also helps keep out the Rif Raf.  Hmmmm.....that didn't work......we made it in!  LOL

Afterward, we found out there was an Antiques and Flea Market going on at the fairgrounds.  We went over there...only cost us $1 each to get in AND for parking....just sayin....   We had a lot of fun there, too.  I actually spent more money there than the Simple Goods Fair.

So, we took the back roads home to swing in and see if Ms. Stella could come out and play.  It was a pretty awesome day....Hubs got to see her crawl for the first time!  See the little ouchie on her forehead?  She had bumped her head last week.  While we were there, she bumped the SAME spot again!  That's what happens when they get mobile!  She was definitely hamming it up while we were there.  So precious.....  

It was an incredibly satisfying day.  We had so much work to do at home, that we just knew if we didn't leave we would work all weekend.  That brings us to today......I will be longarming.  Hopefully, I will get Almost Amish done or close to it!  :)