Fall in a Garden

Here are the rest of the pictures I said I'd post after visiting the Chicago Botanic Garden fiber arts show last week.  This popular garden is one of my favorite places to walk. Walking around the neighborhood with the dog is fine once in awhile but I get so tired of it. It makes such a difference to drive somewhere and then walk in more pleasant surroundings. It takes a little longer but I find I'm more likely to do it more often. 

Which way should I go? I chose Evening Island.

Ornamental cabbage

Near the waterfall

Outside the English walled garden

The leaves will be gone before you know it and soon I'll have to bundle up a little more. But I'm ready. Have a great week. Take a nice walk outside before the weather gets too cold.

Fall Quilt Show

Two of my favorite things -  fall and quilts. Every year around this time I make sure to stop by the Fine Art of Fiber exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. The gardens are a lovely backdrop for this unique show. Because it's Illinois and fall, the show is held indoors. If you live near the Chicago area, it's worth stopping by this weekend.

The quilts that are featured are usually very different from the type of quilts I make - modern, bright, versatile and often non-traditional. There are always a few traditional quilts thrown into the mix, but the fun part is seeing just how creative some of the quilters get with color and fiber. It's always a glorious show of color indoors and out.

Made by Pat Niffenegger

This appliqued one was one of my favorites -

Made by Linda Howard

An English paper piecing demonstration

Made by Carole Zucco

Made by Mario Alonso

A beautiful exhibit on Victorian style embellished purses. Gorgeous detail.

I love this one! Flower Power. Made by Marcia Lee Hartnell

Made by Chris Deering

Made by Mario Alonso

Made by Nona C. Flores

The day was kind of gray - windy, cool and crisp. I spent over an hour walking around the garden afterwards and will post those pictures in a few days for those of you who love coming with me on my nature walks.

Red & White

Remember the red & white quilt exhibit that was held in New York a few years ago? I was not able to attend the show but sure wished I had seen it. Now, the book is out.

                                  

Members of my small quilt groups have become inspired and so we're making small red & white quilts in November and December. The culmination will be a "little" showing of our quilts mid-December. Find more info on my Small Quilt Lovers Facebook group  here 

Why don't you join us? You know you want to  . . . .

Your quilts do not have to be complicated or fancy -  just a simple red & white quilt smaller than  30"  x  30" will do.  Try making one from a pattern in one of my books or design one yourself using a favorite block. If you're new to quilting, it can be something really simple, like a four-patch or nine-patch quilt.

                                 

Doll quilt found on ebay

A little red & white quilt  -  one of the first quilts I made when I first began to quilt. Gotta love those wonky blocks and cut off points! We all have to start somewhere . . . .

Here's some inspiration - 

                                                       

Crib quilt, 1890 - See info on buying this quilt

    

            

A Lazy Day for Sewing

Another BORING post, LOL . . . . Fall has arrived here in Chicago after a late start. Today it's nice and cool and slightly wet outside so that means I'm likely to be sewing. Or making soup. The kind of quiet, lazy day I love.

There's nothing pressing on the homefront agenda. What should I do today?

The sewing desk is relatively clean for a change. Makes it easier to work on those fussy blocks you saw in my last post.

The desk gets cluttered up pretty fast. When it's clean I'm much more productive and can see the tiny paper pieces.

Paper piecing is going well - finally. 

All I need is a clean desk and some quiet and I'll be happy and productive. Living outside but still near Chicago sometimes means traffic and noise, dogs barking. Every time a police siren goes off after some speeder, the dog mimics it by howling back. Other dogs on the block chime in. Her favorite spot when I'm sewing? Right next to me, as close as she can get. To make sure I can hear the howling up close I guess. She does an awesome impression of a police siren and I always laugh but, much as I love her, it gets annoying pretty fast. 

Who me? Annoying??

I finished this appliqued DJ block yesterday after working on it for two days. (Applique's not my thing but I'm getting so much better the more I work on these tiny blocks.) I was so proud I wanted to frame it.  But then I decided if I did that I'd have to make ANOTHER one to put in my Jane quilt. THAT'S not happening, ha ha.

Should probably also get around to organizing those overflowing scrap baskets of mine. Pretty soon I'm going to run out of baskets and have to start using bowls, haha. Need to put the fat quarters away too.

But maybe I'll play around with some wool instead. 

The day is young. Who knows what stitching marvels will occur?