Where In The World Is Mary??

Well, I'm still in Texas.  You'll need to excuse the quality of the photos on this post, my camera is giving me some trouble, but the subjects are worth viewing.  

The Ft. Worth Stock & Rodeo Show is going on here, and there are "cowboys" everywhere.  Hay bales in truck beds are commons in the parking lot of my hotel.  Blogging is making me so much more aware of my surroundings.

Dinner with my guild hosts was at the Blue Mesa (delicious and great company) where this adorable family agreed to be photographed.....aren't they the cutest?!?!  Is this a wonderful country or what......

A huge bonus for any traveling quilt instructor is gathering with friends.  My long time pal, Pat Campbell and her beau, John Van Pelt made an hour drive to meet with me for dinner during this trip.  Pat has completed her therapy at the Women's Stroke Center......it was great to see them.  They are heading off shortly on a road trip to Arizona in their motor home....they send greetings to fellow quilters.

My day can't end without these words:     GO PACKERS!!!!!!!

FABULOUS GUILD CHALLENGE

It was my pleasure to present a lecture today at the Trinity Valley Quilter's Guild in Ft. Worth, TX.  Member Mary Kirwin came up with a fabulous idea for their 2008 quilt show challenge. Guild members are encouraged to create small donation quilts for the grass roots "Priority: Alzheimer's Quilts" project, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease.  The mini art quilts can be any theme, any construction style, with a 9" x 12" maximum size (so it fits into a USPS Priority Mailer without folding.)  These quilts are auctioned during the first 10 days of each month.   

It's part of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative, organized by Ami Simms.  To learn how you can help, please visit:  www.AlzQuilts.org

Since January 2006, AAQI has raised over $110,000 for Alzheimer's research.  Kuddo's to the the Trinity Valley Guild!  Their goal is to collect at least 300 mini quilts from their members, and as you can see, donations are already coming in!  

SOUTHERN ENTHUSIASM

Wow, the Arlington Quilters Guild (TX) is one eager group.  Yesterday, nearly 25 of us squeezed into a small classroom while we learned 'speed beading'.   Why 'speed beading'?? Basically, once we were all in our seats, there was no other choice than to bead, bead, bead, because only a shoe horn could budge us from our tight quarters.  

And you know what?  There wasn't ONE complaint or grumble.  These quilters know how to rally and one can tell, this group is all about learning, having fun, and cooperation.  It was a delight to introduce my beading techniques to them.

The work station I used was in the center of the tables, with about 2 inches on either side to move to the students.......it reminded me to keep my dieting resolve!

The students assure me that beads will be shining at their meeting during show and tell. Thank you for being such a good group!

I'm on the road again today to Trinity Valley to teach another beading class and present a lecture this evening at Parker County.  Stay tuned.....

ON THE ROAD

I hope to post some photos from here in Arlington, TX, or later tomorrow when I head to Trinity Valley....but here's a thought for the day....or should I say prayer.  It was sent to me from Packer fans, my sister and brother-in-law.

PACKER PRAYER

Our Favre,

Who art in Lambeau

Hallowed be thine arm.

The bowl will come,

It will be won.

In Phoenix as it is in Lambeau

And give us this Sunday

Our weekly win.

And give us many touchdowns passes.

But do not let others pass against us.

Lead us not into frustration.

But deliver us to the valley of the sun.

For thine is the MVP, the best of the NFC,

and the glory of the Cheese heads,

now and forever.

AMEN

GO PACKERS  -   GO PACKERS   -  GO PACKERS  -   GO PACKERS!!!!!!!

TRIPLE CREEK MEADOWS

Tomorrow begins my 2008 travel teaching schedule.  I'm off to Dallas/Ft. Worth to share my work with 4 groups.  Though, of course, I'm always anxious to spend time with other quilters, I'm finding myself getting sentimental about leaving our mountain living.  I hope to be able to post daily during my travels, but if the available internet connections don't work, continue to feast your eyes on the awesome scenery that we are treated to every day.

We live 30 minutes west of Asheville, NC in Crabtree Township in Triple Creek Meadows, which is in Bald Creek Valley.  (Got that??)  The first photo was taken from the lowest part of our development, probably around 2,800 feet elevation.  I love looking at the cloud cover below.  The little creek gurgles along the west side of our property.

We build some pretty nice digs for the lawn tractor!  It's a reclaimed log home (hard to believe anyone could live in this tiny place), that was found in TN.  A local 'fella', built it for us.  I suppose he might call himself a handyman carpenter, to me he's an artist.  We asked him to sign his work.  I was fascinated watching him dry stack rocks for the foundation.

Each morning 'the husband' and I do a 45 min. trek up and back down the mountain road in our development.  The 3 horses along our route know we come bearing apples.  The fence is electric....so this feeding task is done carefully by both parties.

Our walk takes us up to this spot, about 4,000 feet elevation (our house is at 3,200)  Beautiful and it will all be waiting for me when I return next Sunday!

PACKERS WIN PACKERS WIN PACKERS WIN

Score  -  PACKERS 42   -   SEATTLE  20

Hooray!!!  My lucky socks worked....like I'm taking the credit??  Geesh.  

If Dallas wins tomorrow, you can be sure I'm packing my socks to wear in  Dallas next week where I'm teaching for 4 groups.  Hopefully I won't be run out of town!

Grinning from ear to ear tonight!!!

GO PACKERS!!!!!

We couldn't be more anxious or nervous as game time counts down for our beloved Packers who are in the playoffs today.  We proudly fly our flag, knowing it's probably the only one of its kind in miles and miles.  *Note the famous "smoke" as in the "Smoky Mountains" in the background.  It fills the valley down below us, yet blue sky shines above.  

I'll be decked out in my Packer sweatshirt (arms already raised in triumph) and my lucky socks....they never fail!  We want a win for Brett, he's so deserving!  I grew up about 45 mins. from Green Bay, and like most cheeseheads....we love our Packers.

I'll bet if you listen carefully, you'll hear me screaming......hopefully with joy!

HEARTFELT!

The notion of creating a blog had been percolating in my mind for some time.  Sol, a new friend, who resides in Argentina, joined our Christmas celebration this year.  She patiently helped me get started.  Thank you again Sol! 

I knew I'd adore this gal even before we said our first hello.  I was told she loves bright colors and heart motifs.  With that knowledge, I designed this small bead embellished felted wool piece for her.  

Since the edges of felted wool don't need to be turned under, it's the perfect medium for a technique I coined 'bead applique'.  The beading actually attaches (appliques) the felted wool motifs to the background fabric, embellishing the work at the same time, adding texture and sparkle.  

MADE IN THE USA!!

Our small fiber arts group meet today at Georgia Bonesteel's home.  She's pictured on the left, doing a bed turning of dozens of both antique quilts and her own originals, which she's preparing for sale in a few weeks.  If you are interested, visit her website  Our members are all established fiber artists, several of us travel teach.  You may recognize Linda Cantrell to Georgia's right, and Judy Simmons in the far right corner.

Georgia arranged for our group to have a private tour through the Warm & Company manufacturing factory which is nearby.  They are best known for their Warm & Natural Batting, Steam-a-Seam, and other battings with varying fiber content.  Their newest product is a flame retardant batting for children's quilts that will be available soon at Jo-Anne's.   We were delighted to know that this US manufacturing company uses cotton that is grown in the US, mostly from Georgia.  YEAH!!   Although I took dozens of photos, these couple of views should give you an idea of the process.  The facilities were spotless.  As we watched some of the batting being hand cut and individually packaged, we found it difficult to keep our hands from reaching out and grabbing some.

This is a carding machine.  Cotton from huges bails is spread onto a cement floor and this machine runs back and forth over it, cleaning and breaking it into tiny fibers.

After carding, the cotton goes through more machinery and into a 'fluffer".  (The purpose is to separate an puff the fiber with blowing air.)  It's incredibly soft and thin.

The 'fluffed' cotton is now feed through another machine, until it is 7 layers thick.

Those 7 layers now pass through the needle punch machine.  The quality of the photo is not great as it was taken looking through a plastic viewing window....but you get the idea.  It comes out looking like the batting we are all so familiar with.  It's then feed onto huge tubes and stored until it's cut again to size and put onto smaller rolls, bolts, or shrink wrap packages.

Wouldn't you love to have access to just one of these boxes?  I was so surprised to learn they employee only about 27 people....heck, they must work day and night to keep us quilters so well supplied!

FROM BRATS TO BBQ

In June, 2006, 'the husband' and I made a huge lifestyle change.  We moved from Wisconsin, to the mountains of Western North Carolina.  This view of our home was taken just prior to moving in.....I'll share updated photos soon.  NC is the land of BBQ, not Brats, which I consumed regularly each Saturday night in Cheesehead land.  My favorite comes from Meisfields in Sheboygan, WI.  Wisconsin has 4 major food groups:  cheese, brats, beer, and bars (not the drinking establishments, think brownies instead.)

Though I'm not that much of a meat lover, my spouse is.  He loves experimenting with various methods of cooking on our Big Green Egg.  It's a ceramic outdoor grill that can sear steaks at 700 degrees, or smoke slowly at 275 degrees.  Since beef brisket is readily available at our market, we decided to give one of my standby recipes, Beef Brisket in Beer Gravy, a Southern BBQ flavor. 

I wish this was aroma-vision......the picture actually does not do it justice.  The meat fell apart and was divine.  We'll be eating brisket for the next 2 weeks.  Well, one of us will be, I'm off to teach in TX next week.....hummmm, they are known to create some pretty tasty BBQ there too!

Here's my newly adapted recipe:

1 beef brisket (about 4 pounds)

2 large (that means BIG....really big) yellow onions, sliced

1 - 16 oz. bottle Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce

2 cans beer 

Cook the trimmed brisket over hot coals mixed with a little pecan wood, till nicely browned and crisp on both side.  Remove and place in a large foil pan, cover with onions.  Mix the beer and BBQ sauce and pour over the meat.  Cover with foil put back on the grill.  Close the lid and simmer slowly about 5 hours.  Add more beer if necessary.  Yummy.....