Spending Time With Alex

One of the best things about having your 12-year old grandson stay with you for a few days is that you go places that you probably wouldn't go to otherwise. Yesterday, the weather was iffy so I tried to think of somewhere outdoors that wasn't too far away or too long a path to follow. I came up with Pearson's Falls, a beautiful waterfall that is managed by the Tryon Garden Club and is not too far from where we used to live.The walk down to the falls is under a mile and is so lovely. It did start raining while we were there but the heavy canopy of trees protected us. There wasn't much in the way of blooming flowers but the greenery was lush.

And then today we went to the Biltmore House and right off the bat I was dazzled by a plant that I hadn't seen in a while, the Angel's Trumpet. Unfortunately, some of the photos didn't make it from the shutter to picture (Could it be the camera operator?) but the two I took were good and I can see a quilt in my future. Another great thing: We stopped by the nursery at Biltmore and it actually had the plants for sale. You can guess who brought one home in the car.

And this is what I meant by receiving inspiration when you aren't even looking for it. Angel trumpets weren't even on my radar, but you can bet they are now!

In The Mountains

We have come back to Hendersonville today and have brought our 12 year old grandson with us. Hopefully, the weather will be good and we'll get to do a lot of things outdoors. On the top of the agenda is climbing Mt. Pisgah. It's only about 1 1/2 miles to the top--but it's a tough walk. I'll take my camera and hope for a clear shot.

I'm also hoping for some quilt inspiration, but what I"ve found is that inspiration comes when you least expect it. Take this quilt, for instance==Honey Locust Beans. I was just walking along one morning and there they were--just hanging down in front of me on the sidewalk (the locust beaqns, that is). Talk about being hit on the side of the head! I had to go right home, get my camera and come back and take the picture. And not too long after that, the quilt was started. This has been a very special quilt--it has won several awards and was just published on the cover of the AQS Wholesale Catalog. How lucky can you get?

Well, time to start thinking about climbing that mountain because I'm certainly not getting any younger and each day counts. Each day I strive to live in the moment and sometimes I even succeed.

You have to begin somewhere

So many people have said so many nice things about my quilts, I thought that I would begin to share photos and thoughts on this journey. I'll start with a quilt that I just received back in the mail yesterday from Vermont. Like most quilters who send their quilts off to shows, there is always a huge sigh of relief when it returns home. This quilt is named "Althea's Waltz in the Starlight Ballroom" and is an interpretation of the Rose of Sharon block. It was well received at the show--which is always nice. You can't really tell from this picture, but there are crystals scattered across the black background. As I was sewing them on, the surface began to remind me of the crystal rotating ball that often twirls above the dance floor and that is how I decided on a name.

Well, this is my start. Let me kow what you think!