Gehring Road

i heart maine

Oh friends, it has taken me a while to write this post... mostly because I'm still processing our wonderful little adventure. A few weeks ago, I saw Rhea's post that Alewives Fabrics would be having a re-opening sale after the completion of a renevation at their sweet little shop. I jokingly emailed Rob at work asking if he was interested in taking a ride, and to my surprise, he said yes... to a four hour drive from where we live to Daramascatta... for fabric. I am one lucky lady, I tell you. We headed out early on a Saturday morning and made it up to Alewives before noon. I was completely overwhelmed with Alewives, they have such amazing fabrics and lovely quilts are simply everywhere inside the store's beautiful space. We just really don't have anything comparable in Connecticut, so seeing all those beautiful, modern fabrics in one space rendered me a little gobsmacked. I kept taking laps around the store taking it all in. Luckily, Rob took some amazing pictures. I ended up buying a full fat quarter Field Study bundle and some lovely voiles. I have a hodge-podge plan for the voiles for the fall. It was so great to be able to match up different fabrics and spend time oogling others, I just loved it. 

Truth be told, much as I love the fabric finding that happens when head out on an adventure, time spent chatting (and most often laughing) with Rob in the car is always, without fail, the highlight of these excursions. We had so much fun. Maine is stunningly beautiful, I left it inspired, happy and looking forward to returning again very soon. More on our Maine visit tomorrow... Happy Tuesday everyone! 

to Boston

We took a quick ride up to Boston (one of the furthest T Stations out from the city is really only about an hour away from home for us) yesterday to introduce a friend's son's Flat Stanley to Boston. According to the Flat Stanley rules and history (did you know he was squashed by a bulletin board at school?... yikes) we really should have photographed him here in Connecticut where he was sent, but Rob's initial idea of introducing the kids to Mystic and the fascinating history of the whaling ships was one we thought might be too much, too soon. Although, kids seem to be fine with Flat Stanley's fateful day with an unsecured bulletin board so maybe not. We decided to dress him up in some baseball gear and use it as an excuse to head into a city we love. 

I loved photographing the city (and Rob's arm and Stanley) on this grey day. It was a bit chilly and a little raw, but we so enjoyed just walking around the North End for a while. We had lunch and then what should have been lunch at Mike's Pastry. Cannolis... so, so good. We devoured one in the car when we got back to it. I haven't stopped thinking about them. We saw Paul Revere's statue (took a picture of Flat Stanley riding with him), Quincy Market flowers, Gordon Ramsey visited Gallaria 33, and the most amazing dog tag memorial for those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We love Boston. I hope this weekend finds you surrounded by things you love. 

color

 Fabric images from Hawthorne Threads, SewFreshFabrics on Etsy and Pink Chalk Fabrics 

Yes, this color combination continues to occupy more space than they should in my thoughts. I have some beautfiul solids on the way to compliment some of the fabrics I pulled. I think it should be really beautiful...eventually. I'm thinking of hexagons for this color combination. I have no idea why. Someone posted this really fantastic tutorial from Tallgrass Prarie Studio on pinterest, which of course is a sign that I should go with it. Speaking of reading the signs, have you seen Silver Linings Playbook yet? We saw it last night and loved it. So great. See it if you haven't, really lovely story beautifully acted. I'm off to see some of our students in a production of The Crucible today at the town's children's theater with some friends today. I'm so excited for them! Lovely way to start this long weekend... I hope you are enjoying yours! 

to Boston

We spent the most wonderful Saturday in Boston. We're always so surprised at how close the city really is, just about an hour from home. It was so, so much fun. Rob's mom and her husband Chip gifted us with Blue Man Group tickets for Christmas. We sat front row center and if you've seen the Blue Man Group, you know what that means! We were peppered with banana, paint and Cap'n'Crunch, and we loved it! I was given a flower from a Blue Man during the performance. Rob ducked during the worst of the onslaught and the man behind him was hit full in the face with banana. It was very funny and both rows laughed and laughed. Before we went to the show, we had time to stop by one of my very favorite fabric and yarn stores, Gather Here in Cambridge. I bought plenty of Lizzy House's Constellations to make some new pajamas for myself (they are badly needed) and Rob who will wear them because I made them... I think ;) The store was extremely busy with Saturday knitter's brunch. It was a little difficult to move around in the store, but fun all the same! The fog never lifted and it was a little cold, but we loved walking around Boston, grabbing lunch at Quincy Market and Boston Common.

Sunday was relaxing though I had a lot of work to do. I took a break to buy and play with Adobe Lightroom. Indulge me with these crazy photo edits friends, I'm just beginning to learn how to edit my photos! Any feedback and tips about your photo taking adventures are incredibly welcome! For now, it is really trial and error with mostly error as it turns out! This Spring I have plans to take a few photography classes at our local community college. I know that will help. All of this is really in anticipation of buying a new camera before the summer. I have my eye on a beauty. Very exciting. This weekend was so lovely and full, just what we needed it seems. 

new stack love and love

I still have this absolutely beautiful quilt on the brain and my solids for it have finally arrived. I love how the fabrics are coming together. I have some narrowing down of plaids (I love that red plaid but might use the orange), and should probably figure out which background fabric will work best, but for now, I'm just happy to see it coming together in the planning stages. Even though I really should be finishing up the many other projects I have in the queue, so to speak, I'm really anxious to give my new AccuQuilt a whirl. Perfect excuse to start some flying geese. 

No sewing today though because we are off adventuring. Boston this time. We're so excited, especially considering Rob's been away for work and just got home this morning. There's loads of this happening as we ease into this exciting day...

Very good to be off on adventures with this guy. Happy weekend everyone!

bloggers feast at the Denyse Schmidt Sample Sale

Oh my goodness, what a lovely day yesterday was. Not only was I able to explore Denyse Schmidt's annual Sample Sale, but I was able to meet up with some lovely fellow Connecticut bloggers, and one Aussie blogger as well! Audrie (who I joke lives a parallel life just ten minutes up the road, our paths never cross though we frequent the same places days apart...usually fabric stores as it turns out) and Shannon brought the super wonderful and talented Rita who is spending some time in NYC... Jamie also made another trip down and it turned into a really wonderful afternoon. The quilts, the fabric, the new friends... perfect day actually. Here's what I saw...

(Rita bought that hexagon quilt...it's so beautiful!)

(Denyse's office in the background... I had an unhealthy fascination with this corner!)

(see?)

(unhealthy obsession #2... the improve quilt... I would looove to take this class next fall)

(that's Jamie and a sweet helper stitching for "Peace by Piece")

(Shannon took home this lovely storage unit)

And that last picture is my (fabric) loot... I also bought a really pretty vintage wooden box that is being filled in the loft. Those are yard cuts of some lovely DS Quilts fabric, a 10'' charm pack of Shelburne Falls and a little pack of Fancy Free (13 prints!). So much fun. Happy Weekend! 

my favorite kind of sidewalk sale

We've been enjoying just the most wonderful little weekend, so far. Yesterday, we took another drive up to Cambridge yesterday to enjoy the beautiful weather walking around the city and because Gather Here (one of the sweetest little yarn and fabric stores ever) was having one of their sidewalk sales. Buy 10 fat quarters and get 10 free... ok! We had a really nice walk around Harvard Square (which was welcoming the class of 2016 that day... gasp) and stopped at LA Burdick's for some iced chocolate (I loved it), pastry and an amazing raspberry tart. We admired Anthropologie's sewn flowers, the beautiful homes around Cambridge and headed home. Lovely. I love Boston and we find heading to this area really relaxing actually. It's a beautiful and very walkable city. 

So here's what I got... twenty fat quarters, ahem...

I was "that girl" who snagged the Chicopee I could get my hands on. Sorry fellow sidewalk salers! 

I also bought some yardage of that beautiful Field Study print for a quilt I have in mind to make next, some Liberty prints for my collection and that lovely Valdani thread for some quilt ties. Chocolate and fabric, my kind of day. Today was breakfast at one of our favorite dinner spots and some time to sew. I'm loving this weekend. 

vermont

Rob, Kylie and I are just back from a little trip to Vermont, one of my very favorite places to be. We didn't take many pictures except of the mountains and barns along the way up and back, instead we just really relaxed and enjoyed a few days away together. Just like last year, we headed up to the Waitsfield/Warren area. The views are really beautiful and the ski area is really quiet during this time of year. This was the first time we took the dog away with us... she was seriously cute in the car (though she slept for about five minutes of our four hour drive) and really well behaved when we had to leave her at the rental house. One of our excursions without Kylie was to Burlington for an afternoon. We had lunch at The Skinny Pancake. Seriously good. And of course we stopped at Nido, and of course I bought some fabric (more on that tomorrow). I loved this little time away (though the bed at the rental house was vicious and evil in its hardness) which was so perfect after the craziness of this spring and summer. It feels very good to be home sewing and enjoying the rest of my summer which is slipping through my fingers. Next week begins a new school year but truth be told, I'm so ready for fall. Soon. Happy Monday to you, I hope you've been enjoying these last few days and weeks of summer!

the shoe rack

This weekend Rob and I ventured out to Rehoboth, Massachusetts to visit Bliss Farm Antiques and pick my (very!) long awaited shoe rack. Every trip to Brimfield meant a stop to look at the shoe racks at May's, and yet I never found one that was just perfect for our house. I was so happy to find this on Etsy of all places, and even better it was at a shop not too far away for us to pick up. Perfect. I love its imperfections, the color of this (most are more of a gold color) and how it works with all my white stoneware and pitchers. I'm spending time moving things around, adding and taking things out of this area. Rob will be adding some wood on top of the dowels to make things sit just a bit better. I'm hunting a few more of those antique baskets for the bottom shelf (the one that is pictured was purchased at Bliss Farm before we left). Bliss Farm, by the way, specializes in really beautiful antiques, displayed really sweetly in a building on their farm. They also show at Brimfield for those in the area. I'm just loving this piece and it's place in our home. Happy Wednesday!

back... a year older

Liberty Mini Bundles purchased at Purl Soho

It really does feel like I've been away for a year... but no, I'm just a year older as while I was away from this space, we celebrated two birthdays, Rob's and mine. May is a bit of a birthday-Mother's Day whirwind for us as Rob's day is two days after my father's and mine is two days after his mother's. After all of that celebrating, the weekends can be a bit hectic. This year, for my birthday, Rob and I had a bit of a whirlwind of our own... and it was so, so much fun. We went to the theater, New York, and stopped by PurlSoho for a birthday present for me! Score! Have you been? If you are in New York, you must, must go to Purl. It is just the most inspiring and gorgeous space...

(this photo is blurry... I think my hands were shaking from all that liberty...)

Oh my, I loved it there... it's true, I tried to move in in that little space to the left of those liberty bolts. Rob bought me those two stacks of liberty lovelies as part of his birthday gifts to me, as if I needed another reason to love him. I've been collecting Liberty prints for years with the intent of making a really simple squares patchwork quilt in the future, once I had enough prints, you see. I think I'm ready... and can't wait. 

If you should happen to be in New York a few blocks away from Purl, get macaroons at Mille-Feuille Bakery... they were so, so, so amazing. These poor little guys suffered in Rob's backpack and looked perfect before we loaded my fabric haul and someone (that's me) crushed them up against a wall in Grand Central Station. Their taste however, was not diminshed one bit by our treatment of them. Lucky, lucky birthday girl. Those are the chocolate praline, chocolate, salted carmel and raspberry macaroons and I recommend them all... seriously, try them all. The pistachio and rose macaroons were eaten on the train ride home. So good.

So that's just a little glimpse into the Purl Soho portion of my birthday extravaganza... there was more. And hopefully I'll be back with those details really soon. I've been enjoying a break from grad classes for a brief little moment before they start up again in June (over and graduating in August!). That's where I've been... thank you for those who sent sweet little notes and emails asking if all was ok. It is, I've just been attempting to plan and organize so that June isn't so horrific for me or my students in the face of two intensive classes at once... and planning lovely little adventures with my favorite guy. Before those classes begin, I'm hoping to get a bit of sewing in, finish grading research papers and read in preparation for those classes. Things might get a bit quiet around here again... until then, I hope you have been well and enjoying your own little life adventures as much as we have. More soon!