Comfort Cottage

Time For Quilting

Last week I made the trip to Intercourse, PA with my sister.  The first stop, as always, was the Old Country Store where I spent an inordinate amount of time drooling over all of the new spring fabrics and books.  Ultimately, I couldn't make up my mind about the fabric, so I decided to sleep on it.  I did however, return with a quilting book.  It is a new title from That Patchwork Place called Pretty Patchwork Quilts, by Cyndi Walker.   The cover quilt is gorgeous, but there are plenty more beautiful quilts inside.

 

 

A trip to the fabric store is always inspirational, and I came home freshly bitten by the quilting bug.  I decided to look up quilting blogs and I wasn't disappointed.  In my travels about cyberland, I came across a particularly colorful quilt blog:  Diary Of A Quilter.  Amy Smart is the keeper of the quilting castle there, and her approach is fun, informational, and down-to-earth.   While browsing, I came across a wonderful quilt pattern that is perfect for utilizing fat quarters and scraps.  It is called Rainbow Connection, and you can purchase it directly from there.

 

 

After sorting my fabrics by color, I began cutting and sewing right away.  I'm using Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms line in addition to many other fabrics I've collected over the years.

 

 

My quilting projects usually begin here, spread out all over the floor.

 

 

I eventually make it to the table.

 

 

 

 

I'll keep you posted on my progress :)  Now, I'm almost embarrassed to admit this - but I will, because I'm dying to share this with you.  Friday began innocently enough.  I went to a fabric store closer to home to get some white cotton for the background for this quilt.  The shop I was in was about halfway to Intercourse.  (Can you see where this is going?)   It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and my pretty red car was just begging me to take it for a drive through the country.  Well, I couldn't just go home.  I headed west and before I knew it, I was back at The Old Country Store.  This time, I made up my mind.  I found some gorgeous fat quarters.

 

 

 

 I feel another quilt coming on...

Finally,  I checked out the book section one more time.  I was very excited to find Four Seasons At Minglewood by Debbie Roberts.  The book, from Kansas City Star Quilters contains patterns for fifteen twelve inch quilt blocks, and instructions for making a number of wonderful quilts.  All of these blocks can be used to design countless other quilts.  It is a fantastic resource.

 

Today, I have the cottage to myself.  The men are out and about, and it is the perfect opportunity for me to sew.  I hope and pray that you are all well.  I truly enjoy sharing life's creative adventures with you.  Come again soon.

 

Until next time,

 

We Shopped 'Til We Dropped For Pink Saturday

I received a note from Beverly at How Sweet the Sound asking me to repost this for Pink Saturday.  It wasn't until I read her note that it occurred to me that yes, there's plenty of pink here!  I think I'm slipping :)

It's been months since my sister and I took our last trip to The Old Country Store.  Yesterday, the weather was cold and clear, and we were ready to rumble :)  We got an early start, and I think we were the first customers in the store!  As usual, there was no shortage of gorgeous fabrics to chose from.  They had many of the new lines and a fresh selection of quilting books as well.  I immediately headed for the mountain of fat quarters which were beautifully arranged according to style and color.  I was not disappointed.  Would you like to see what I came home with?

 

 

These are from French General.  Can you just picture them paired with vintage laces, buttons and vintage jewelry?

 

 

Can you say Oo la la?

 

The next set is at exactly the opposite end of the spectrum...bright, modern and vibrant.  They are from Moda's Terrain collection.

 

Wouldn't they make cute cupcake pincushions?  This pattern by Sandi Henderson of Portabello Pixie is perfect!

I fell in love with this cheerful set.  It's from Riley Blake's Quite Contrary collection by My Mind's Eye.

 

I immediately thought of Heather Bailey's adorable pincushions.

 

 

 

I've had these for awhile now.  I asolutely love them.  They remind me of cotton candy and a summer day.  They're from the Bliss collection by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.

 

Camille Roskelley was featured in the Fall 2010 issue of Where Women Create.

 

 

Isn't her studio cute?

 

Finally, there is a new Moda collection called Prairie Paisley II by Minick and Simpson.

 

 

I've always wanted to do a quilt using the spools block.  I think these fabrics would work really well with a traditional pattern like that.  What do you think?

 

Of course, I really hate to start a new project until I finish the one on the table right now.  I'm making some good progress with it.

 

 

It's all cut out.  It's actually piecing together pretty quickly.  I won't get to work on it again until later tomorrow.  I have to take my son in to have his stitches removed.  His eye is healing well and his cheek has a normal contour to it again.  He's able to see, so we're counting our blessings!  Again, I want to thank all of you for your encouragement and support. It has meant everything to me.

Since I originally posted this last week, I finished the quilt top!

 To visit all of our Pink Saturday participants, just click on the Pink Saturday icon in my right sidebar.  I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.  I'll be visiting!  Hugs and blessings to you.

Until next time,

 

 

A Haddonfield Christmas

Today, since I don't have my latest journal entries done yet, I wanted to share a few photos from my day in New Jersey.  My sister and I had originally thought of going to Pitman, but we ended up in Haddonfield.  We were blessed with a beautiful day. 

 

 

We wandered into a shop called Patricia of Mullica Hill.  It was a cross between an antique store and a home decor shop. 

 

 

I love the wool-applique pillow on the sofa.

 

 

Isn't the quilt wonderful?

 

 

Don't they look cozy?

 

 

A splash of berries and greens.

 

 

I just love their cute little faces and bright red sweaters!

 

 

A country Christmas tree.

 

 

This cute kitty is the perfect way to salvage what's left of an old, threadbare quilt.  Isn't that a gorgeous piece of furniture?

 

 

 

The lovely painting makes me want to run for the paint brushes!

 

 

 

A colorful choir.

 

 

I love the way the left side of this cabinet angles back. 

 

 

We eventually made it to the tea shop, where I finally found this year's new ornament for our tree.   Lorrie and I had lunch at a new sandwich shop.  While we were there, the middle school let out.  This particular shop seemed to be their destination.  I really love middle-school age kids.  They always make me smile.  They were actually all quite polite, and their cheerful, noisy presence added to the holiday mood...and I'd forgotten just how much they can eat!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

Journal Your Christmas 2011

The Christmas season can be a joyous time as we celebrate our faith.  It can also be stressful, lonely, or downright sad for those of us who have lost loved ones, or are experiencing financial or career difficulties, family troubles or separation due to military service, illness, or loss of any kind.  Some may just be weary of the commercialism and the pressure to create what the media or Hollywood tells us is the perfect Christmas.  Let's face it, we all live in the real world, right?  

At this point in my life (and yes, I'm admitting to having hit the big 5-0 in May of this year),  I can say that I have, or am currently experiencing most of what I've described above.  Despite this reality, I am finding within myself the deep desire to reconnect with the simple joy of the season.  Somewhere within my soul the strength has come to take hold of what is, and to make peace with what isn't.  

For me, the central focus of Christmas will always be the message and the measure of God's love for mankind.  It is because of this that I've decided to find joy in the midst of reality  and to reclaim the magic of the season.  I'm inviting you to join me in this quest, as I share my first ever Christmas journal.  I happened upon Shimella Laine's web site while Googling Christmas journaling.  It seems I'm not the first person to think of this or to have this desire.  Throughout the month of December, and continuing to January 6, I will be participating in her online workshop, Journal Your Christmas.  I'll post my journal pages and I invite you to share your own thoughts and insights.  I didn't discover the workshop until a few days after it started, so I'll be playing catch-up this week.  Are you ready?

The first order of business is a Christmas Manifesto (sounds more ominous than it is!) and a promise to myself of what I will focus on.

 

 

 

 

You probably recognize the photo - I posted it a few days ago!

 

 

One of the participants had used this format for her journaling.  I tailored it to suit my own ideas.

 

 

Can you read that date?  Yes, it's 1964!  I'm the little one on the right and I'm with my big sister, Lorrie.  I was 3 1/2 and she was 5 1/2.  Just look at the expression on my face - I looked so mischievous.  The journal card reads:  We were together in 1964 at Wanamaker's in Philadelphia to see Santa.  Ever one to buck the system, I remember trying to climb over the railing to get to Santa.  In 2011, we were together again for the Christmas display at Longwood Gardens. 

 

 

The journaling:  The places we visit have changed, but we still spend time together.  We made our visit to Longwood Gardens on December 1, 2011.  We both have the same model camera, and we had fun learning from each other how to shoot in the varying light conditions of the Conservatory.  When I look at all of this beauty, my heart is filled with joy.  I treasure this time spent with my sister.  I know that things won't stay the same.  Change is in the nature of life.  That is why it is so important to make the most of the time we have together.

 

 

Do you have a favorite spot that you like to spend time at this time of year?  Are you in a place you would rather not be?  I welcome you to share your thoughts . 

 

Have a wonderful day, and God bless you!

 

Until next time,

 

Christmas In November

I know it's a bit early, but I just can't help myself.  A few years ago, my sister and I visited Longwood Gardens for their annual Christmas display.  Needless to say, it was magical and breathtaking.  Lorrie called me earlier this week to firm up our plans for this year.  I'm so excited because I'll be able to document our visit with my new camera.  Somehow, I missed sharing my photos from our 2008 visit.  They were taken with my old camera, but the beauty of Longwood shines through.  So come along with me, and we'll start the holiday season early.

 

 

This is the scene that greeted us as we entered the Conservatory.

 

 

I've never seen so many pointsettias in one place in my life!

 

 

 

I love the way the light played with the petals and leaves.

 

 

There was no shortage of Christmas trees!

 

 

The theme for that year was cranberries, so of course, there was a cranberry bog.

 

 

As always at Longwood, you have to remember to look up.

 

 

 

I love white lillies.

 

 

There was a gorgeous white poinsettia topiary surrounded by a sea of red geraniums.

 

 

 

 

The horse is made entirely of vines!

 

 

The cold didn't seem to deter this little fellow.

 

Sometimes we just have to remember all the beauty that surrounds us.

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Pink Saturday!

This week we are celebrating the third anniversary of Pink Saturday.  I've been a part of the Pink Saturday crowd since July of 2009.  I wonder if Beverly at How Sweet the Sound had any idea when she launched this group just how big it would become.  I don't think any of us will ever look at pink in the same way again :)  Beverly, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the joy that Pink Saturday has brought me.  I've made some wonderful friends, and I consider you to be one of them.  Through Pink Saturday, you helped me to connect with many wonderful people...something that prior to participating in the group, I had not done for quite a while.  I suspect you have changed more lives for the better than you know.  Pink Saturday is more that just a group of people who love pink.  It is a circle of friends. 

 

I've been trying to figure out what I would share this week, and up until now, I had no idea what to do.  I went on an outing with my sister on Wednesday.   We spent a wonderful day in Haddonfield, NJ getting into the usual trouble :)   I had my camera ready.  All I needed was the inspiration.  We went into a favorite spot, The Picket Fence and Garden Tea Room.  I was taking in all of the wonderful sights, when it hit me.  I was surrounded by PINK!!!  Sooo, I'm inviting all of you to the tea room.  It is a delightful place that will knock your pink socks off!

 

 

The window display is very inviting.

 

 

The shop has many more delights.

 

 

 

 

I love the bird house!

 

 

Let's not forget the linens.

 

 

Of course, we must have plenty of pillows.

 

 

A quilt or two would be nice.  They would look beautiful draped across a table.

 

 

Have you ever seen so many gorgeous teapots and teacups in one place?

 

 

 

This one is my favorite.

 

 

 

It's important to have the right bag when going to tea.

 

 

Do you need a few sweet, romantic accessories for your home?

 

 

 

 

I have my eye on the chocolate covered pretzels :)

 

 

Let's go to the tea parlor.  Our tables are ready.

 

 

 

Where would you like to sit?

 

 

There's a nice table by the garden gate.

 

 

The table by the window is available.

 

 

After tea, we can go for a stroll in the garden.

 

 

It has been a wonderful birthday celebration.  Please stop by and visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, where you can find all of the Pink Saturday crowd.  May your week be filled with blessings!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

 

A Revelation and a Guilty Pleasure

Yesterday, I travelled to New Jersey to visit my sister Lorrie.  As sisters go, we are like two peas in a pod.  We have been fortunate to enjoy a great many common interests.   Now that our children are grown,  we have more time to share them.   We spent Wednesday afternoon wandering around Haddonfield, a lovely old town with plenty of wonderful shops, galleries and restaurants to explore.   After pounding the pavement for awhile, we were ready for lunch.  We ate at The Crepe and Ribbon.  The food was incredible.  Fortunately, we arrived early and I had time to shoot a few photographs before the rest of the hungry crowd arrived.

 

 

The staff was very friendly, and was quite interested to hear about my blogging adventures.

 

 

My sister is amused by my practice of photographing every place we visit, and her amusement sparked an enlightening conversation about the experience of maintaining a blog.  When I thought about it, I realized that I was fulfilling a desire of mine.  I have always thought that being the designer/editor for a creative magazine would be very satisfying.  In a small way, that's what Comfort Cottage is all about.  It is my own personal publication-a blank slate that I can fill with all sorts of colorful features, stories and projects.    It joins me to a close community where each of us is teacher, student, cheerleader and supportive friend to the other.  Together we can discover that the good, the bad, and the ugly are the common denominators of our creative lives.  Hopefully we can all recognize the inherent value of those lives.  We are blessed.

 

That takes care of the revelation.  The guilty pleasure?

 

 

Desert, of course!  So we didn't have to hang our heads in total shame, we shared this exquisitely delicious concoction.  It is a cannoli crepe.  The creme was to die for, and the strawberries and chocolate made it the most memorable desert I've ever tasted.

 

Desert and enlightenment:  all in all, it was a pretty good day.

 

Until next time,

 

Blue and Yellow on a Gray Day

It may be gloomy here in Pennsylvania today, but I have a few cheery photos for you.  I had hoped to have more paintings to share with you, but this has not been the best of weeks so far.  Remember the photos of beautiful Longwood Gardens?  I seem to have paid a heavy price for them.  I was diagnosed with a whopping case of lyme disease yesterday!  My photographic career seems to have hit a snag :)  Talk about being flattened!  Hopefully, I'll feel well enough to sit up in the studio soon. 

For the next month, this is my life:

 

 

Oh well, enough of this gloom and doom.  I have  a few photos from my last visit to the Country Store that I haven't shown you yet.  Their display window was so pretty that day.

 

 

Aren't those little birds adorable?

 

 

There were some beautiful quilts displayed across the street.

 

 

Inside, I saw a lovely applique quilt.

 

 

We have a different kind of traffic here.

 

 

That's all I have for now.  I'm looking forward to having a new painting soon.  In the meantime, take care in the garden...you never know what's lurking there :)

 

Until next time,

 

Happy Blooming Pink Saturday!

Happy Pink Saturday!  I'm so glad to be participating today.  I have a special treat for you.  I hope you have your walking shoes ready, because we're going to take a tour of everything pink at Longwood Gardens.  Before we begin our tour, I'd like to thank Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday.  It's such a wonderful way for us to stay in touch.  If you would like to see all the Pink Saturday participants, just click on the Pink Saturday icon in my right sidebar.  Also, I visited Cindy at Cindy Adkins' Whimsical Musings for the first time this week.  She designs for Shabby Cottage Studio, and she is very creative and talented.  Stop by and see all of her lovely creations, okay?

 

And now, as promised, we return to Longwood Gardens to see all that blooms pink.  

 

 

The outdoor Garden Walk is breathtaking.  I had no idea there were so many different varieties of Columbine!

 

 

If you love tulips, this is the place to be in April.  There were  thousands of tulip blossoms in every imaginable color.  Of course, I have photos of the pink ones!

 

 

 

I haven't been able to identify the next one.  I tried their web site, but couldn't find it.  I'm sure one of you gardening enthusiasts will know.

 

 

The foxglove was magnificent!

 

 

There are beautiful fountains at Longwood.  This is the Italian Water Garden.  Dupont's design was based on the Villa Gamberaia, near Florence.  It was completed during the 1930's.

 

 

There was a whole grove of Kwanzan cherry trees, and of course, the ever-present daffodils.

 

 

Now that we've seen the Garden walk, let's head over to the Conservatory.  This palatial building was built by Pierre Dupont.  It opened in 1921 and in addition to the incredible indoor gardens, it houses a massive pipe organ.   The current organ replaced the one initially installed in 1921.  It is three times the size of the original.  It was recently completely restored and it's thundering tones were heard the day I visited.

 

 

 

 

The pink conical plants are the Tower of Jewels-member of the Borage family.

 

 

 

I love the astilbe.  They look like delicate lace.

 

 

 

I have never seen such gorgeous hydrangeas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bouganvillea dripped from the walls!

 

 

The biggest part of the lily exhibition is yet to come, but there were plenty of these beauties.

 

 

 

I think these are gerbera daisies.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, when I thought there wasn't anything more spectacular to see:

 

That concludes our tour of Longwood Gardens.  If you would like to see the first installment of the tour, you can click here.  Have a wonderful weekend, and God bless you!

Until next time,

 

 

Spring At Longwood Gardens

I have something very special to share with you.  Yesterday was girl's day out.  My sister, my niece and my grandniece met me at Longwood Gardens.  It was a picture-perfect day to be outside.  The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing and the flowers were in bloom.  It will take several installments to show you everything we saw, but there wasn't enough time to see everything Longwood has to offer.

 

 

The story of Longwood began in 1700, when the Peirce family purchased the land from William Penn and started a working farm.  They planted an arboretum on the farm in 1798.  The land was then purchased by Pierre Dupont, in an effort to preserve the trees.  Between 1907 and the 1930's, he created most of which which we see today.  The land was turned over to a foundation set up by Dupont in 1946.  Upon his death, the first director was hired.

 

 

Dupont's first contribution to Longwood was the flower garden walk.  Many lavish garden parties were held here.

 

 

 

 

 

The anemone, particularly the blue, is one of my favorites.

 

 

 

I had no idea there were so many different varieties of columbine!

 

 

There were dogwoods everywhere.

 

 

There were thousands of tulips.

 

 

 

 

 

There were many varieties of phlox.  This is the Sherwood Purple creeping phlox.

 

That's all for now.  Join me on Pink Saturday, April 29, to see more.  We'll visit the pink blossoms on the garden walk and we'll also tour the conservatory.   Wear your walking shoes :) !

Until next time,