UPPER CRABTREE - TRIPLE CREEK, NC

 Hurrah......my commission project is now finished.  The clients live in NC, near our previous home in the Triple Creek Meadows Community. They requested me to capture the scenery of the area.  Their view of the Blue Ridge Mountains is similar to ours.....

So here's the quilt, plus a photo I snapped from our front porch.

Upper Crabtree - Triple Creek Meadows, NC

52.5" x 60"

My entire inventory of quilts in my online shop have now been repriced.  Now that I am no longer associated with a gallery, I don't have to match their pricing which included a hefty commission.  Take a look and see if you might be interested in any of the pieces.  

FINALLY HANGING DECOR

Moving required so many necessary tasks that it's taken awhile before we could get to what I consider the fun stuff.  For instance, insurance, auto registration, CA driver's license, all new doctors....(still working down that list), simple things like towel bars and hooks, paper towel holders and on and on.....  

All the wall decor has now been unwrapped.....most is still piled on the floor or dining table...but progress is being made.....making it more and more 'our' house.  

This may be of zero interest to you, but as a kinda diary of this monumental change in our lives.....I'm documenting some of it....delete now or take a gander....

Our small laundry room was a challenge since no cupboards come with new houses here.  (Weird?!?) Well, not strange because the quote to match what we have in our kitchen....came to over $8,000.  So instead, I purchased a school locker for mops, elec. broom etc. (had it painted blue)....then hung some other vintage pieces.  I have a wooden wall mounted drying rack that will finish off this room when I can get 'the husband' to hang it.   Having ceilings 10' tall is kinda a challenge for decorating.  Everything looks so skimpy!

This entry hall is really the second section of the front entrance and is big....really big.  My antique pie safe is dwarfed in the space.  Directly across the room I'll hang a quilt, but need to hire someone to do it.  The wall is 10' tall and 122" wide.  Quilt is 72" x 90" long!  I love the spacious feel of this house but good grief why would they have such inaccessible areas in a 55+ community where none of us should be on ladders!!!

This vintage corner cupboard was made by 'the husband's great grandfather....we believe it was made either in Denmark or Wisconsin.  Unfortunately, the guest room has the only corner in this entire house that will accommodate it.  One of my pieces from Woolworth's has now been hung, though I'm hoping to sell it.  But first, I need to dig out more quilts to find one to better coordinate with the room.

In an alcove in that guest room, I've hung some family memorabilia.....really old photos of the Stori Concert Hall and the Menomonie House (the family's boarding house & hotel).  But the  real treasure is 'the husband's' father's Athletic Hall of Fame certificate from UW Stout.

As is often the case.....our power room has no windows.  To make the space feel less closed in, I hung a bunch of crackled painted mirrors that I'd made for our previous home's man cave bathroom.  They work well here too, but perhaps I'll be on the lookout for more old mirrors to transform.

More to come in the future if you can stand it.....

A DAY OF HONOR!!

 LEAST WE NEVER FORGET -

 UNITED WE STAND - 44" X 29"  BY MARY STORI

Due to our recent downsizing plus no longer having to pay commission to a gallery......my quilts are priced to sell.  Contact me if you are interested.....This piece has been published numerous times.

COMMISSION - MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

 I'm still working about 6-8 hrs. most days on my commission project. 

It's been awhile since I posted a progress photo....it's a big piece, appx. 54" x 62".......given my much reduced studio space, it's been challenging but I am enjoying developing new ways of working.

COOL KNIFE RACK

 Our very thoughtful son & wife gifted us this unique knife rack as a house warming gift. It only took nearly 2 months to get it hung! It's a live black walnut magnetic rack. Cool, right??

PLUGGING AWAY

 Even though I'm putting in 6-8 hrs. nearly every day on my big commission......a few other tasks have been accomplished. After being here for a little less than 2 months, I really expected to be totally settled......oh optimistic me!

'The husband' had tons of heavy duty wire shelving used in our last two houses. (NO clue why so many were needed!?). Happily, after he finally got his garage set up (not to say the items stored in bins on the racks have been put in their proper place....like at least 200 DVD's!). However, there were extra units available for my sewing room...Yeah!

Nothing like calling the kettle black, I haven't organized my new canvas bins, but at least the old plastic ones are now empty and relocated to a grateful neighbor.

Here's a look back at my cramped space which is finally getting organized. Note to self, do not gain one pound...you'll never squeeze into the room!!

HELPFUL TIP

 Still working diligently on my commission project. Thought I'd share a trick I've used for ages (and mentioned here in the past but perhaps there are new readers who would find it helpful).

After successfully auditioning motifs on my design wall, I pin them onto the quilt top. Next, I use a small hand held iron and fuse them in place, directly on the design wall. It's such a time saver. If you have a small iron it may not be hot enough to totally secure them. Instead, simply 'tack' in place with the heat and then transfer to your pressing station to firmly secure.

I've been securing LOTS of trees lately! But still a long way to go.....

GETTING CREATIVE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! I had to take a break from working on this monster commission that doesn't agree with my initial concept....so I took an off ramp and perhaps another today....stay tuned.

One thing about purchasing a new home is the multiple expenses involved for items that do not come with the house. As a for instance, the laundry room: no cupboards, no washer/dryer, no towel racks, no paper towel holder....get the picture? Now that doesn't seem like such a big deal until the estimate for cabinets to go over the washer and dryer, plus one tall - 12" wide cabinet to store cordless vacuum, mops etc. Hold your breath, this is CA after all!! $8,552!!!! Oh, I could have gotten cabinets of a lesser quality at Lowe's. Hummm, they will deliver but not assemble nor install. Have you noticed NOTHING comes assembled anymore?

Here's my solution. A floating shelf for the dust buster (whenever I can get 'the husband' to do it). I can't nag...he put this seemingly easy 1 hr. project together yesterday which took over 3 hrs. AND I purchased a school locker, painted blue for the tall items. It looks like I could have used a bigger one but the dryer door opens wide.....so I was limited.

Now back to sewing.... 

WHEN THE DESIGN TAKES AN OFF RAMP

As is typical when designing an art quilt, what's in your mind's eye, doesn't always come together with real fabric! I'm unhappy with the fabric choice at the lower level.....though it wasn't sold black, it reads too dark and too big of a color jump from the green areas.

I've done a small mono printed sample with brown/green tones using bubble wrap for the texture......sure hope I don't totally mess it up. I also started cutting and adding some trees that will cover the green areas.....a LOT of work ahead....  

THE WORK GOES ON......

Plugging away on my large commission.....I decided to outline the mountains in black.......never did that before but this piece will hang about 10' from ground level.......on a wall that's next to a 2nd floor balcony which overlooks the great room.

Elements need to be big and emphasized in order to have impact. It's a challenging piece for sure. 

EVEN MOTHER NATURE REACTED TO OUR MOVE TO CA

 YUP, Mother Nature sent her welcome to us......sheets of hail! As we all know, sometimes she is not always a good & kind  Mother.....welcome to CA.

AND THE BASTING IS FINISHED!!

 I'm a hand baster....esp. when working on big appliqué quilts because I'm so terribly fussy about achieving flat work. The greens especially look like a mish mash now, but it will all get blended together with lots of stitching.