Chautauqua, Day #1

On our first day, I took this picture of some ladies waiting for the shuttle bus at the Athenaeum Hotel (I'm sure I'm spelling that word wrong)...

Inside, Mary said hello to Nancy Zieman -- LOOK AT ALL THOSE QUILTING ENTHUSIASTS!!

Look -- even standing in line -- these ladies are visiting with each other and having a GREAT TIME!!

BEST Office EVER!!

If you are a regular reader of Designs in Machine Embroidery magazine -- you are familiar with Katherine Artinnes. She is one of the most creative sewer/embroiderers I have ever met!! I believe this month's issue of DIME has a cover shot of a pillow Kate designed. Even though I KNEW how creative she was -- her office at Millcreek Sewing in Erie, Pennsylvania just blew me away...yes, that's a zebra plate AND a pink flamingo tassel...

And my HEY RITA bag fits right into the decor, don't you think? GREAT IDEA to make a custom chair cover for the BACK of an ordinary office chair, Kate...DUH!!

I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the texturizing techniques on this stool. The vignette is completely awesome...and I've saved the best picture for last...

Yes, that's me in the mirror. Taking a picture. Of ME!! Life just doesn't get any better than this, does it??

Clean Car -- Buried Treasure!

I cleaned my car!! If you have been reading this blog for awhile now -- you may remember my confession about my messy only-room-for-one Taurus -- and my run-in with a local policeman. (August 14 post)
Taking that earlier photo of my jam-packed-backseat was an important step in my own personal twelve-step-program -- and that post got more comments than any post I've ever written. In this picture -- you can see this is a big improvement! There's almost nothing in the back seat. Well -- a carseat JUST IN CASE baby Lillian comes to visit me. And, a tacky stuffed parrott on the floor, because my friend Val is putting together a Halloween pirate outfit...


And -- in the very SMALL pile of treasure on the floor of the back seat -- I found this pair of pillowcases. What a nice surprise!! I have nooooo idea when or where I bought them. Oh, yes, I love my life...!!

Atheaneum Hotel Room

while wandering with my camera, I wished out loud that I could 'SEE ONE OF THE ROOMS" -- and two attendees, Joan and Lois -- were kind enough to take me into their ajoining rooms. One had twin beds, the other room had a queen bed -- they shared a bath in the middle.

Every floor had a community area, with a round oak table, grandfather clock. The quilters gathered here at night to compare notes. I don't know if you can see the 12 ft. ceiling height...

Here's Lois and Joan. They were a big smile in the front row of our Ya Ya show later on that night!

Vintage Pillowcases

You know I adore cotton sheets, line-dried bedding and embroidered pillow cases. Especially embroidered pillowcases. I buy them at auctions, flea markets, estate sales, thrift shops. John and I use five pillows so just keeping fresh pillowcases for my own house requires many sets! Embroidered pillowcases are the perfect gift -- birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers. If I love you -- sooner or later -- you will receive embroidered pillowcases.

This morning, it was time for me to reach into my vintage linen stash and wash several sets of pillowcases. After an overnight in Oxyclean -- here are five fresh sets hanging on the line. So -- what's the happy occasion? Who's getting a line-dried set of beautiful embroidered pillowcases? Somebody who reads this blog? Keep checking back to see what the happy occasion was...

Isn't this embroidery beautiful? I don't know if I can part with this set...the cutwork is amazing...

But maybe this is my new favorite set...the cotton is exquisite...and the crochet reminds me of my Grandma...

One day very soon -- maybe I'll post a picture of the most recent pillowcase recipient!! Trust me -- it is a VERY HAPPY occasion...

Project Runway Week 7 RECAP

This is the MACY’S Challenge. Martine Reardon, from Macy’s, tells them it’s a team challenge all about the color blue. They get the Inc. brand “dossier” (newsflash – INC is only available at Macy’s!). The challenge is to create two different blue looks that would fit in the INC line. The winner of the challenge gets to design a “holiday dress” that will be sold at Macy’s

All 10 designers made their pitch to Martine – she picked her five favorites, and they got to pick their teammate. The team leaders are in bold print...Here’s how it came down the runway:

Althea picks Logan. Their WAY TOO SHORT suit skirt didn’t seem to bother the judges. Neither did the 70’s peplum jacket we’ve seen a million times or the ill-fitting pants with the ugly low crotch. The judges also didn’t comment on the lackluster silky top with the gaping sleeves. As it turned, out, they were the only team dead in the middle – and I would have put them in the bottom.

Carol Hannah (does she have two first names or is she the only one who we refer to by her full given name?) picks Shirin. Their two looks were stellar. One was a day to night look, with a bright blue empire top with a drapy neckline and navy blue skirt. Their second look was a long tunic worn with leggings and a very wide black belt. Rossettes around the scoop neckline and ruffles off the shoulders instead of sleeves. They were the runner-up team.


Christopher picked Epperson. One of the two “lowest scores”. Their problem from the first moment was they believed their own press. They keep telling each other how wonderful they are, and how they speak some kind of secret ‘designer language”. Poor Epperson was just sooo happy not to be working with somebody named "Qristyl". Christopher and Epperson believed they could almost read each other’s minds, dontcha know?? After Tim’s evaluation, Christopher said “we reinvented the shirt dress”. Oh Oh…I sense trouble...They were completely over confident and full of themselves. After the runway -- the judges were merciless. The always fabulous snarky Michael Kors said the shirtdress looked like something a 1979 librarian would have worn – but the shiny fabric made it look like a tablecloth. He called the second look a “teal disco pumpkin ball”. (and they WONDER why we missed him??) Heidi weighed in with a “shower curtain nightie”comment. Ouch. Christopher was completely devastated. He was crying so hard he could not speak. Sobbing. His model tried to console him. It was awful. It was like watching Angelina Jolie being told she's not sultry. Donald Trump being told he's not rich. Christopher was crushed. He should have officially been put on suicide watch…it was hard to watch...

Irina picked Gordana – Irina clearly deserved the win because she created a fabulous striped fabric – with FRENCH SEAMS – ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Everybody loved the chevron stripes of her long floaty dress and the dark blue black halter top was a hit with the judges. But, alas, the girls didn’t get along. When talking about her partner, Gordana said “she could have thrown me on the bus”…?? It’s UNDER the bus, Gordana…UNDER is where you don’t want to be. “On the bus” is actually the goal…


Louise picked Nicholas. Don’t ask me why. His skills are marginal at best – and with immunity – I expected his effort would be minimal. And it proved to be less than that...The first thing he did was go to another designer (Althea) and start talking about Louise behind her back. HEY Nicholas – BUDDY – GET TO WORK!!! He hates ruffles…ruffles make him sick…ruffles are not his thing. YES, WE KNOW – NOW GET TO WORK!! When the dresses came down the runway, Heidi said, “who wears ruffles?” At the end of the show – Louise was Auf’d. But the best line of the night was when judging Louise’s ruffled dress, Michael Kors said, “it looks like a bridesmaid’s dress with a shower loofah rouched up the front of it.”

YES, YES, YES – MICHAEL IS BAAAAACK…! Like everybody else in PR world -- I am grateful… (now, if Nina Garcia would quit sending the revolving no-name staff of Marie Clare magazine...and DO IT HERSELF...)

As much as they ranted and raved about Irina’s winning dress – and I LOVED what she did to create her own striped fabric – did ya’ll see the “holiday dress” she supposedly designed for Macy’s? I was so disappointed when they showed a navy blue short side wrap dress with a butterfly motif at the waist? Huh?? It had absolutely no relevance to anything Irina did in this challenge. And the navy blue was sooo close to BLACK, I was wondering what the big deal was about the "blue" challenge? Macy’s could at least have gone with the essence of her winning dress…I mean -- otherwise -- what's the point? It just ends up being a big commercial for Macy's.

Hey --Wait a minute....
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And – yes – I did watch the Models show, pumpkin pie. (that guy single-handedly ruined Thanksgiving for me)…

Nancy Zieman WINNER

Great picture of Nancy Zieman and Judy Fenton right before Nancy started her presentation at "Quilting Around Chautauqua".

Judy, helping Nancy with the order of things...

I was standing right in front of the WINNER of Nancy's limited edition landscape quilt print...!!


The LUCKY WINNER was sooo stunned -- and she told me she actually IS A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT...really?? What are the chances?? Millcreek Sewing will have an interview up on their blog...