We call it Brain Food

 

and I don’t mean fish!   Learning a new technique, translating an unfamiliar pattern, socializing with great people are all ways to stimulate brain cell growth.  The Quilter’s Alley offers folks the chance to stay smart by hosting lots of interesting classes.  They happen all year, but really kick into gear when school starts.  There’s a bit more time for pursuing our own passions.  Cooler weather invites warm projects. Holidays around the corner, inspire gift making.  New lines of fabric start arriving. Yea!

 

I’m busy all year making samples and creating kits that will tempt our customers into creative endeavors.
“It all looks so delicious.” is said often by visitors.  That’s the idea. 

We will begin a Sunday Brunch Club this season.  Customers can sign up to have brunch with friends, learn a new technique and get the pattern for a quilt project.  They will spend the remainder of Sunday sewing their quilt top and are invited back for brunch and finishing another Sunday.  The patterns are versatile enough to use for smaller gift items – like placemats and table runners.  I will also demonstrate what a bonus a Serger is to your sewing room.  Matching napkins take no time at all with a three-thread rolled edge.

This quilt was made by a student of Simpler Sampler.
More wool dying this week. And quilters return from Summer Hiatus.

Double-Sided

 

Fashion Show

Last week, there was a surge of finishing projects (and mostly wearables) and the makers came to visit us at The Quilter’s Alley. The store is in the background in a lot of the shots.

 

Audrey

 

A Birthday Skirt

 

Barcelona Skirt

 

Lounge Pants

 

New Kaffe Fassett

I made this one. Sew easy!!!

 

And then the quilters…

 

Cheer Leader Extraordinaire!

 

Runner Extraordinaire!

 

Retreat to Ridgefield

While I was looking for an image to use for the invitation to our retreat in July, I realized it would make a great macro image, even though I didn’t take the shot today. 

 

Back in Ridgefield for now

We arrived home from Lancaster on Monday morning: 12:30am.  We spent most of Monday, back at the shop unpacking and repacking for the Piecemakers show in Seymour, CT this Saturday & Sunday.  Business as usual today.  Here’s a look at this past weekend. Yes, they’re show dogs!    

 

grow

I wasn’t planning to add anything today, but was inevitably inspired by my blog searching. Everywhere I look are beautiful images of ordinary things made important by a closer view. Here is my contribution.  When people view my word houses they generally glance, but better to peek inside.  This is good advice for everything. The image is a close-up  of the one I made for my friend Pam. 

 

Sleepless…

I have been on a diet, oh, no, a lifestyle, for long enough to get nauseous when I eat something heavier than salad it seems. Tonight, after two grueling sale days at the store,  too preoccupied to defrost something, we ate out. We both had the same shrimp and sausage over linguini, that we both modified by eliminating the Alfredo,  and I didn’t even eat it all.  The whole event has kept me up for a couple of hours already, drinking water and blog surfing my favorites sites for solace and inspiration.I spend every day of my life is what many would consider a “dream job.”  Actually it probably would be if I were sleeping.  I do a lot of business stuff, but mostly I make ideas and make fabric stuff to inspire customers to buy the beautiful fabrics that I pick out for the shop.  Sometimes, but not as often as I like, I even make my own projects.  To relax, I visit my so-far-discovered, favorite cyber-friends.It started with WhipUp and Molly Chicken but I really appreciate the less-news-magazine style of the folks who seem like they work from a small desk in the kitchen, in between their kids’ naps and garden digging.  And by the way, they make the most beautiful things. Simple Sparrow, Wee Wonderfuls, six and a half stitches.  Take a look.Also: Great, original  quilt by Nancy G.