pillaging the westside

 Booty is the only way to describe it!  JR and I braved the drunken hordes and hit the road yesterday and found three (or was it four?) new reuse/recycle locations in the Marietta/Buckhead neighborhoods of Atlanta.

All I can say is blessings on the  people who buy stuff, never use it and then give it away. And bless too,  the reformed hoarders who finally break down and give up the stuff they've been sitting on for forty or fifty years.

For a song and a smile I got yards of heavy, cream colored cotton sheeting loomed in "Persia" which dates this cloth from sometime before 1935. It came out of the washer and dryer soft and fresh and ready for the dye. There was a square yard of vintage, fine woven flour sacking, and this hooked rug pattern printed on burlap.

I've written to the company to see if they can date it for me and perhaps give some guidance about what materials and colors to use, should I decide to commit which I doubt I will..burlap really puts me off. For a dollar I couldn't leave it behind.

We couldn't help but cackle gleefully as we roamed the aisles. And bless JR who kept me from buying a pair of used men's golden Nike Hi-tops.

spring flag

Just a little flag for Spring.

I find myself thinking about other things entirely while I stitch on this one. Gardens, beaches, warmth, sunshine, sleep, peace ..so I don't know what will become of it. For now just some warm-up pitching.


(and yet I took hours to decide where that "eye" should go)





I used my Goodman's new little Coolpix in a reckless point and shoot mode for this picture and I am seriously covetous! Click in for some wicked detail...

very happy friday

Two pieces of cloth uncovered in the churn. The top one I'm working out how to incorporate into a larger whole. I may have to dye some cloth to do it.

The one below, I just can see ever cutting it apart so I'm just going to hang it up and be entertained.

We have a house guest and I am so happy.

cold sun, fresh starts

 I spent some time yesterday churning the scraps looking for some inspiration.

While I was in NY I cut the tip of my index finger (cardboard is worse than paper!) and this morning was the first time I could do any stitching without pain but more importantly, without getting blood on things. My fingerprint is permanently altered.

It's nice to find my way back to color after all that black and white. The first dye fest of the season will be on me before I know.


This mostly finished piece turned up in the churn. I think it's ready to finish and let  fly.

back in service

I brought Spooky Stories back home with me from NY.



I wanted  Dad to use it but made the mistake of telling him that it had been on display at a museum briefly. After that, it stayed folded and draped over the back of the chair by his bed.

It's one of my favorite "crossover" pieces. Fully utilitarian, (I even used  Silamide thread for the beading) I built it to be used, dirtied, then machine washed and dried.

I remember that it was fun to make, each foot square block composed independently. I do recall selecting all the fabrics and sequestering them in a project basket..my feeble attempt at limiting my palette.

Once the top was complete, it was layered over W&N cotton and backed with two beautiful Timeless Treasures  prints and then hand quilted with doubled 12wt. Sulky cotton.