I have decided that I am going to get myself a new graphic banner for my Etsy shop.  Back in August, when I set it up I just used the one Etsy supplied.  Nice, but no banana.  Since I am out there with hundreds of thousands of sellers on this one marketplace, I want to be a bit memorable.  Sellers on Etsy sell the graphics to you for this and the other stuff you need to do business for about $15.  Not much, since I refuse to do it myself.  

I went looking for a banner graphic that depicted bags, purses, shoulder bags...and the like because that is what I sell.  Well....lemme tell ya...I have spent hours of Google's time and Etsy's resources trying to find anything that would work.  No way...I found birds (lots) flowers, hedgehogs, skulls, and squiggly stuff..I do not sell birds, flowers or squiggly stuff.  I have never met a hedgehog!

I went ahead and bought one that was very simple and had some pop.  It will arrive any second now via email with an attached file.  

In the process of this search I found a gal who offers free blog page graphics.  I tried one .... the one you see now.  Do you like it?  Does is make reading my blog more interesting?  or annoying.  Please respond via comment section.  I know I only have two followers....I would like to hear from both of you.  If anyone is interested, click on the upper left hand corner of this page and it will take you to http://aquapoppydesigns2.blogspot.com/  where you can check it out. 

The Buttercup Bag

The Buttercup Bag,
originally uploaded by SquareBag.

I love this bag. I made it today and it was a lot of fun.  The fabric makes the bag and it is easy to modify and customize. A real winner!  I put it up in my shop and I know someone will take it  but  have enough fabric to make one for myself.  Sort of like the Bee Bag.  This wonderful pattern is courtesy of Beki Lambert over at ArtsyCraftyBabe .... take a look and download the pattern. 

Ocean Avenue Silks

This scarf, 
titled Adobe Closeup,was 
 hand painted by Becke of OceanAveSilks.

I have been watching the fabulous work by this exceptional artist for some months now.  I follow her on Flikr and browse her Etsy Shop. Her scarves are currently being sold in the gift shop of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City during their Georgia O'Keeffe Abstractions exhibit!

The Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, California, has wrapped up their exhibit Illuminations during which they featured her exclusive designs inspired by O'Keeffe in their gift shop. http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanavesilks/sets/72157622390672002/

Also, the latest post on  California Crafter's Club of Etsy - CCCOE, features her work.  Be sure to look down to the right in my blogroll.

I know where I am going for Christmas shopping.

 

Salvaged Selvedges

Salvaged Selvedges (2009),
originally uploaded by lindarobertus.

Click the photo to see more on flikr's photostream. There is a Selvedge Quilt Group! I am intrgued....but where would I get all the selvedges?
Quiltmaker, Linda Robertus' caption: Queen-sized quilt-as-you-go quilt made from hundreds of selvedge strips, sent to me by lots of Dutch and Australian quilters.

Don't Send Me Away

Don't Send Me Away ,
originally uploaded by SquareBag.

I was packing up some items to take to my consignment shop, I came across a very nice Liz Claiborne long wool skirt. Instead of selling the skirt, I cut it up and recycled the fabric into a bag. I just knew it would sell in my shop, but I cannot upload the listing. So it hangs in my sewing room sort of in a netherland.  I am starting to look at Garth's Pendleton shirts with a new eye....hmmm.

Today, for some reason, I needed to sign into Blogger again.  At the bottom of the page I saw a link that said 'blogs of note.'  Well, click it I did, and I came across the most fanciful and romantic site I have ever seen.  Artists, gypsies new technology......The blogger,  Rima,  writes tales of their days and thoughts of her stories and songs of her paintings here on this blog for you to smile at.  It is called:  The Hermitage  Please click the link and go and see!

From Amy Butler Design

Contest Entry,
originally uploaded by amybutlerdesign.

Chris Campau has made a an entire bed set from my favorite AB fabric!

The Bees are back!

See this bag?  Well, let me tell you what happened....After I made it I put a photo of it up on my flikr page.  Then I listed it in my shop.....it was not there but a day and a lovely lady from Georgia saw it on flikr and ran all the way to my shop and bought it.  I had some fabric left, and while on a quilt retreat with my quilting friends..I took time out to make another bag.  One of the gals in my mini-group bought it before it was even finished, let alone listed in my shop! OK, I am getting the message.  Went directly over to Linda's shop to get more.  But I didn't see a full yard there!!!!  I convo'd 

her pleading and weeping digital tears.......and lo and behold she found some and sent it out to me.  Right now I am making another bag....seeeee? There is it on my cutting table...all cut out and pinned.

Note the little pincushion.  I have been buying these adorable emery pincusions from Dottyral on etsy. For myself and gifts for friends who sew.  Nowadays we all

have these computerized sewing machines and using the magnetized pin holders is apparently not safe for our on-board electronics. This is a  plug for Dotty's shop , www.dottyral.etsy.com and her fun pincushions. She is involved in a whole lot more and a great esty supporter and long-time member handmade community.  Believe it or not, this huge online bunch of sellers is both supportive and fun. 

Maggie Likes The Quilt

I finally finished the binding on my log cabin and put it on the bed.  This quilt has the whole Kaye England Spice Market line of fabric in it!  

I asked Maggie what she thought....she came up,  sniffed  it good and gave it her rolling squiggle of approval!  

I tried to get some good photos of it yesterday, but fall is upon us and natural light just doesn't do it.  

I can run in and try again with flash, but I am too lazy.  It is raining today, and I feel like a slug.  Anyway, there it us, comfy for us to sleep under until I put out the Christmas quilts.  

I put out my fall leaves lap/wall batik quilt too.  It is just appliqued leaves on point. This was a good take-along project.  

Now that fall is here and the rain and wind have come, we fired up the wood stove and are making Thanksgiving plans with family.  

A couple of weeks ago we had temperatures in the 90s, now I am trying to find long jeans and at least one sweater!  Outside, I found one lone rose on the grape arbor.  I guess you could call it the 'last rose of summer.'  If you zoom in on the little teeny red flower down in the garden... you can see it. Bye, bye summer.

By the way....does anyone know how to set the default font and color for blogger?  I have to change it each paragraph from times/black to trebuchet/green which is (I hope what you are seeing).  

Thursday Rant!

Today,  I am reading the front page of our local paper about folks rebuilding homes destroyed in the the fire our town experienced on August 30th.  63 homes were lost and open brush area burned very fast.  Right into town.  On page A5 there is an article about a fire safety online petition having to do with funding of brush reduction on federal land adjoining the city.  Then there is the letter to the editor on page A4 asking the county to please reinstate the chipper service. 

This is a high-risk wild fire area.  We have 3 acres to maintain (which here in the foothills is not huge), however we must clear brush away from our homes for 100 feet (defensible space) or we are in violation of California Department of Forestry and CAL-Fire regulations.  In order to do this, Garth clears what he can with his chainsaw and tractor, then he drags it up to our road making huge piles of brush and tree limbs. The County Chipper Service comes by with a chipping machine that grinds all this up and shoots it back onto our land.  We then compost the chips or use it for mulch.  

If there is no chipper service then we are going to have to try to burn it bit by bit when burn restrictions are lifted.  Now....that sends smoke into the air, no compost or mulch for us and there is built-in risk of creating a wild fire....which is why we have to limb-out and clear our property in the first place creating these huge piles.  We could spray our property so nothing grows....only slightly better that setting the county on fire.



You can see that we have piles on either side of a road that runs through our property nearly 4 feet high!

So....why can't homeowners pay for this service?  We would gladly do so.  Multiply this dilemma by  thousands of homes and properties in Placer County and the result is a catch- 22 that I simply don't understand.  

Our county extends from Lake Tahoe to Sacramento.  Huge and diverse.  Chipper service is not a big deal in downtown Roseville or maybe Tahoe City where the money and political base resides. 

If I end up publishing this post it will be because I can't let it go.  I may send it to the county, the supervisors, the newspaper or maybe God, but this move is about the dumbest thing I have heard since this morning's national news.

And A Good Time Was Had By All!

Our annual quilting retreat was a great success. As usual, on the first week in October, our mini-group takes off for the high country and enjoys sewing Monday thru Friday. This would make year seven for most of us.....Kay could not come, but Elly, Irene, Susan, Carol and Me (Kathy) marked another year together staying at Lois and George's getaway home at Tahoe-Donner.  

Units turned into block and then into competed tops.....

Irene's  Log Cabin....

Susan's Christmas top..

 Elly's Liberated Wedding Ring (Freddy Moran).

Kathy got the blocks done, but the layout never made itself into a quilt top.

...Elly brought great echilladas...Susan, her  lasagne, Irene her famous granola. 

Carol cooked Terriyaki on skewers with miso soup, rice and spinach. 

I helped, I think.

It was fabulous!!!

Even though we do get together every week to sew, this is special...sort of a week-long middle-aged slumber party.


Our guys really don't get why we go to all this trouble...but we know.   We enjoyed great meals, munchies and hours of sewing together.  The date is marked on our calendars for next year as always.The stuff of memories!