by HEIDI EMMETT
Acckk.. I wouldn’t have to hear the bang, bang, beep , beep, beep(equipment going backwards. Don’t they EVER go forward?), the LOUD (and sometimes quite vulgar)talking and noise (they call it rap), and the smells (toxic paint products, instant headache, asphalt). For 32 years we have enjoyed an empty field on one whole side of our property. Well, not anymore. Of course the home being built “feels” like it is right on our property line, but it is very large. I needed to get away! NOW!
With the shutdowns here in CA we ventured to our favorite place (that’s only 2 hours away), Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe, Nevada side. Nevada has lifted or at least really softened their restrictions. O.K. enough of all that, let’s go relax.
This is cattle country. The elevation is low 5,000’s. And HUGE meadow areas (miles and miles) with the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the edges. The soil is so sandy that it’s a wonder anything grows in it. But there are natural springs that meander all through these areas. The sky is so clear. No smoke.
Normally not my favorite type of scenery, but when one has only been to and from the grocery store for months and months, this is gorgeous. And look, a bull. And he is really, really BIG! And don’t forget, a beautiful, blue sky.
This is a scene played out on many outbuildings in these little towns. Giant, painted Quilt Blocks. The Downieville Quilt guild started this and instead of a “leaf peeping” tour, it’s the Quilt Block tour. I saw at least 3 more but did not have a chance to get good shots.
There were barns and sheds everywhere that were on their last “legs” so to speak. As one who values “Yard Art” and buildings with rustic finishes,I think that these would be fabulous. Hmm.. maybe next trip honey, we could stop and ask. KIDDING! Robert says I can give away but NOT bring more home.
Pretend this is a different quilt block even though it’s just a different view. The mountains waaay off in the distance have all burned. A year ago. 60,000 acres. The fire started at the town dump by lightening. The people working at the dump had a huge dozer and called the Forest service (state Forest service of the state of California) and said, “Hey, we can put this out in no time with our dozer.” The Forest service told them NOT to touch it! It was THEIR jurisdiction and that’s how the Great State of California operates on ohh, soo, many things. And that’s how a tiny fire ended up destroying 60,000 acres of beautiful land.
So many of these buildings are really old, early 1900’s.
All the scrubby stuff is mostly hay stubbles. The hay was harvested months ago. It is such a lovely golden color. Just once more, taking deep breaths of the beautiful, clear, air.
How about this one room school house at one time had 1st-12th grades in it. Now it is a library that services about a 100 mile radius and 5 or 6 little towns.
On the way back we stopped at this restaurant for lunch. It’s called Jax. Love this curved glass block. We had to sit outside (no inside seating). But we liked that because our dog Riley could join us along with a menagerie of other dogs and people.
This is an original dining car from the 40’s. Truckee was the busiest, largest town from the gold mining days (1850’s onward). All the trains stopped here. They came up from San Francisco over Donner Pass (elevation 7,239) and down into Truckee before moving on to Reno, Nevada.
Look at all the stainless steel and the ceiling.
So much is the original dining car.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate my artichokes. YES I GREW THESE MYSELF! I have one plant. I had NO IDEA that one plant could grow so large. 6 total artichokes. They say you usually don’t get any artichokes the first year. BUT I DID! Haven’t tried them yet. The one at the top has black edges on it. It was just a tiny young thing when we had a week of high 90’s. So the tips were burned.
The fabric on the left is a Kaffe Fassett, called “Parasols.” The fabric on the right is a heavy rayon made into a long wrap skirt (yes a thrifting find). But look! Little parasols. It’s perfect.
Do you see my fingers on the left side? This fusible is fantastic! It does exactly what it says, “adds shape while maintaining drapability.” Yes, I have a bolt of it (I think they still make it) that is hmm…20 + years old. It is perfect for knits or wovens. And is never stiff. It adds just the right amount of drapability to this front collar.
The rich aqua green Tussah silk long collar fronts are lined in the pretty black parasol rayon. Wear the collar pieces several ways. This is a fun and fast to make jacket, perfect for cool Fall days. Dress it up or down. Buy this Art to Wear sewing pattern from me directly for the month of October and I will ship FREE. Zephyr Jacket has all sizes included XSm-4X. All instructions and tissue pattern pieces included for $15.00 U.S. I bill via Paypal. Contact me at my personal email—hmemmett@gmail.com
Karenanne is on the left, me in the center, and Linda on the right. The Swift sisters from Portland, Oregon. We have already begun to plan our next get together.
Look at me! Please note my EXCITED countenance. I am making pasta for the very FIRST TIME!
Adding flour in their little piles to keep them from sticking together. Gosh, I sure look “wild-eyed” don’t I? I am just so excited to learn how to use a pasta machine. See those long yellowy pieces (they have really yellow yolks from the neighbors beautiful “range free” chicken’s eggs)? I did thatNext step is fettucini. It really is easy. Karenanne taught me. And you can freeze the dough, and it keeps and keeps in the fridge.
Karenanne made a beautiful sauce using my “Sun Sugar” (cherry types) tomatoes. Grated fresh parmesan cheese. Ohhhh, I’m in heaven. And served this time with a wine that I picked up at the Health Food Store. It’s true! The owner loves to buy cool wines when he sees them. I figure it’s good for us as it came from the health food store. There is resveratrol in it. And that IS good for us and it’s only found in red wine. Isn’t the label terrific? Is that how you pick a wine?
I even like the design on the foil. Looking for ideas everywhere. A great fabric idea. Silver and black. Two colors only. This could work. Where is my sketch pad?
We went shopping at our local Ben Franklin store. They have lots of fabric. It was on sale. I was proud of myself. I took a picture first (so I could think about it) of the two pieces on the right. I was only going to get one of them. Guess which I chose.
Yep, the pinks and purples. The ombre’ with the little squares I think will be perfect for an OFF THE GRID VEST. What? You don’t know about it!
Remember this picture? Riley was in “LOVE” with Karenanne and Linda.
Yes, this was Riley two hours after they left. Sad. He was sooooo sad!
Where are they? Where are my treats? They gave me tummy rubs…….I’m so sad.
Check out one last special gift that I received from Karenanne and Linda. Yes, it is a beautiful walnut box and the Omnigrid (this size is my favorite) slides on and off to reveal a deep space to hold whatever you want. Am I not the luckiest person to have such great friends? I miss you two. We are keeping up with each other and our current projects. I will keep you posted. And of course there were more recipes. Look for the mouthwatering, BEST EVER baked chicken recipe soon. It will be perfect for fall.
I had to start with another view of Mom’s “Love” quilt withLove to my mom who is in the picture. She uses it every day during her afternoon rest.
Sue Spargo embroidery reigned for Linda and Karenanne at our handwork session one afternoon. Visit her shop
Check out Karenanne’s FABULOUS! absolutely MEGA FABULOUS, wall quilt that she made using a “Block a month” kit by Sue Spargo. My pictures are not good. I so wanted to get pictures, close ups of each block and the AMAZING embroidery in each one.
The colors are so crisp and clear in person. Karenanne will send me more pictures and I will post them. There are 11 blocks in this wallhanging. Karenanne finished hers in 2 years. People! there are so many different, difficult stitches in each block. 2 years is SPEEDY in my opinion. Linda is working on block #9 of the same kit. She carries her blocks everywhere to grab a few minutes of embroidery time. These girls have had so much “stuff” going on in their lives of late. That is one of the reasons for coming to “Heidi’s Open Studio.” And coming so far along with their Sue Spargo projects is a testament to the saying “When the Going Gets Tough, the TOUGH get going!” Having ANY kind of handwork project right now is such a great idea. It’s a rest for your brain with all the other things going on in the world these days.
And then their is Heidi’s “handwork” project. It is as far from the “challenging” end (such as a Sue Spargo) as you can get. But it was fun and mindless and sometimes that’s all I can handle ha, ha. I started my project by digging through my bag of yo-yo’s to somehow attach to the top below.
I liked the idea of a “double” tank top (kinda blah with the top portion hiding what was underneath). Just so you all know, I purchased this at a “REAL” store. This is what my son would say. I made all his shirts and shorts until 3rd grade. And we sprinkled in trips to the thrift shop. One day, in the third grade, he (I distinctly remember this as it was so sad to me) crossed his arms and boldly proclaimed, “Mom, I don’t want you to sew anything else for me to wear. I want to go to a “REAL” store.” And we did. It was the end of an era, but I looked at it as more time for “me” sewing ha, ha.
Taa daa! Finished and wearing in one afternoon!
A close up of the handwork. I slit the front of the “lace” and peeled it back from nothing to a few inches (maybe 4) at the bottom.The lace part floats across the cute print underneath. I tacked the peeled back part down by hand. Then tacked down my little yo-yos all the way around each one on the lace only. I have been wearing it a bunch since finishing it.
Will you look at this! My dear friends have been using this wool pressing mat for a few years now, and brought me one.
How did I live without my new wool (it’s thick about over 1/2″) pressing mat? I have a very wide ironing board so it fits perfectly and I can just whisk it off if I need the regular surface. Pressing seams and the pain (sometimes from the steam) in my fingers isn’t as bad with the wool surface. It absorbs so much of the heat from the iron.
Of course if there is a problem with burned finger tips they gave me a set of thermal tips. How cool are these? Hm…I wonder if these would work on the BBQ when I have to use my fingers to reposition something. O.K. I’ll just keep using the Tongs. I’ll save these for sewing.
During our hand work afternoon my friends made and served us a wonderful nosh. You HAVE to make this. Make it exactly as stated and do serve it with what it says. Your mouth will thank you and for some reason, your mind will go back to the 60’s & 70’s. I think it is the Ritz crackers.
The set up was fast. First thing the next morning. We re-arranged as more machines were added. We had a couple of sergers and another sewing machine (mine) a better ironing set up and design walls to come.
The dining table was perfect for cutting out our projects. Open Studio via Heidi’s house, ready to go in under 1/2 hour. Karenanne began her project immediately, a quilt for her step-daughter and son-in-law. They love everything to do with “Day of The Dead.”
A beautiful book by Tula Pink & Angela Walters from which Karenanne found her “Day of the Dead” project, skulls. It’s the project right in the middle (blues and grays) above.
Design wall up and being used. It’s flannel on a stand. 5’x5′. More about this later. The beautiful blue fabrics are discussed in last weeks post. Go
Riley the “helper” dog checking out Karenanne’s progress on her sewing table set-up.
Karenanne & Linda were soooo smart. Before we even greeted each other upon their arrival, they had treats for Riley. It’s their first meet and greet with our dog and they knew just how to win him over. Riley is in love! His tail is wagging so fast it’s a blur.
There it is, My “Sweet Sixteen.” I purchased it used, 3 years ago.
Somewhere within the first 6 months I actually quilted this Terrific Tabard on the Sweet 16.
Another project of mine, a baby quilt. After the 2nd time I blew it on piecing the backing to fit correctly ( I mean REALLY Heidi, you can’t piece the backing properly the first time?…sigh…) It was sort of folded, wadded, in the corner of this same room. “Heidi, let’s get this quilt finished so you can give it to the baby while she is still a toddler,” was Linda’s comment to me. I had actually thought that as long as she got it before college I would be o.k. with that. Ha, Ha. Linda calls finishing projects, “Closing Windows.” Her job at home is in technology (in a very BIG way. She is in charge of soft wear implementation in hospitals and clinics in western states with over 100 people working under her) She said she is sooo tired of hearing people at work tell her, “this or that project is finished, but… No more BUTS. Let’s CLOSE THE WINDOW!
I did whine about not knowing how to quilt it. Linda said, it’s a baby quilt. Keep it simple. She used a simple serpentine stitch on her super big open armed Janomie and zipped zipped right through this quilt.
Whoo hoo, almost finished. At one point, all three of us were sewing bindings on various quilts at the exact same time. We were in a circle facing each other, and laughing, and talking, and having the BEST time. We thought that this must be what an old-fashioned quilting bee was like.
I cut out this quilt while up at Zephyr Point in June. So I pulled it out (gotta close another window!) and got started on it. Villa Rosa has great fabric and quilting patterns for sale on line. Go
Looking good. Some progress. Sigh…”I spy” some strips (black ones) that are either too narrow or too wide. “Rippp” goes yee olde seam ripper. That’s o.k. I have always felt that the mark of a good sewist is one who knows how to rip out their seams properly.
How about my cool design wall? It is perfect when you are short on wall space.
I haven’t been able to find a web site for these design walls. Yes, I own 3 different sizes. But here’s a number and address. Love mine and they are really well made.
I was tired of lugging my heavy, older Bernina up and down the stairs for classes or whatever. This Baby Lock “Joy” (I got it 2 days before the shutdown here in CA in March) and it does just what I need for “classroom” sewing. It purrs along very nicely. Some things are in different places than what I’m used to, but for $175. it will pay for itself in no time (no more chiropractic fees for the bad back). Ha, ha.
A few more of Karenanne’s and Linda’s “favorite things” that they gave to me. These little clips are so strong and handy for holding bindings in place. No more blood on a quilt or hand done hem (when using straight pins).
How about this Yo,Yo magnifier/LED light? You NEED one of these puppies. Love led lights.
I have tried oodles of granolas. This one is by far my favorite. Linda made some last year for the first time and ohh yes! They brought some for us this year. We like Muesli for breakfast and with the fresh fruits of summer this granola is perfect. Then add about a cup of 2% plain, Greek yogurt (good for your gut, high in protein) and on top add a tsp. of cinnamon (lowers blood sugar). Recipe below.
First, they gave me this beautiful quilt, so meaningful and heartfelt, It is made with all my happy colors and “sewing” prints from a Tula Pink collection. The pattern is from Missouri Star quilts and they had Sandra Bruce do the quilting.
I absolutely love it and yes, they gave me the flowers too.
And look, they had enough fabric to make my Mom a lap quilt. And check out the beautiful bouquet they had delivered to her. Our bouquets match our quilts! Amazing. We will never be able to thank you enough Karenanne and Linda!
Here is one of our first suppers. It was so tasty that it needed no other accompaniment. I’m the type that if one item is good then add even more. But this recipe is a testament to portion control is a good thing and that no one flavor overpowers the others. I think you can see all the salad ingredients except maybe the artichoke hearts. A sliver of the hearts shows right in the front and the meat you see is chicken. The Zesty Red Wine Vinaigrette was the perfect light, summer dressing. Here is that recipe as you really will want to use it on your summer salads. ZESTY RED WINE VINAIGRETTE: 1/2 cup grated (really fine) Parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade, 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder. Whisk together and toss with the salad. Serve with your favorite white wine or Rose’. And don’t forget to sit outside and have great music playing on your listening device. Tonight, Linda chose, “The Piano Guys.”
Acck… still not their true colors, but it will have to do. I have cut the 7 fabrics WOF (width of fabric) and placed them into two piles so that no two are right next to each other across from each other.
Each strip in one pile is sewn together WOF as you can see above. All 7 fabrics are used.
Sewing these strips together using a 4 thread Serger makes it a breeze. We girls chatted earlier and we had 3, count ’em, 3 Sergers available, each one with a different thread color so we were all set. We were so clever. Oh, look, little tiny scraps falling off the blade. I can’t wait to make some beads (another post needed for those). Not today. Yes, YES, I know, I save EVERYTHING! It’s my thing I guess so laugh all you want, I don’t care. Please send your scraps to: Heidi Emmett P.O. Box 208 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924.
O.K., when 3 women get together to sew much conversation goes on (husband has his headphones on in his office upstairs but oddly, he can hear the call for a meal). Hmm.. Back to my Rafiki Skirt; whaaat happened? I finished stitching the 2 different ordered piles together and laid them out on the floor. I peeled back the top layer and whaaat? The medium blue wavy print is right next to itself on the other pile. Accck…I turned it around but that didn’t work either. Instead of ripping out serged stitching (not FUN at all) I cut off the seams (this is a VERY FORGIVING pattern, you will love it) and did some more rearranging. HINT: Take a picture of your two piles of fabric and their order so you can refer to it from time to time if need be. And STOP talking for awhile, at least long enough to sew the strips together properly.
Taa daa! It worked. Notice the border print fabric in two colorways. Loved that as it acted like an 8th fabric.
The Rafiki Skirt pattern teaches you how to create a pattern piece for the skirt using your own measurements(It’s the African way). A custom made pattern just for you! I copied it a second time to move the cutting process along. Those two piles, after being sewn together WOF, are placed RST (right sides together and the pattern pieces are placed on top cutting through two layers at a time. The second pattern piece I made is placed in the opposite direction. A lot of turning is going on. A total of 8 pieced sections are cut out.
Here are two layers cut out and placed side by side.
It doesn’t take long to Serge all 8 panels together. Check and double check before stitching and ha, ha, NO talking or sipping of wine during this process!
It’s time to decide on elastic or a drawstring tie. I chose the later.
This is just one of the MANY, MANY cool tools that Linda and Karenanne gave to me while here. I can’t wait to show them all to you as the weeks go along.
Taa daa! DONE and boy am I ever feeling cool and comfortable.
Notice that the seams don’t match up. That of course is the WHOLE IDEA of this unique skirt.
Rafiki Skirt, so easy and fast to make, you won’t stop at just one.
On my way to see what the girls have in mind for dinner tonight! They cook, I clean up. Works for all of us. Have a creative weekend everyone and thanks for stopping by. Hugs, Heidi
This picture is from our local newspaper. The Union. We have an air attack base right here in Grass Valley. Super THANKFUL for that! 6 planes have been working this fire. But as with many wildfires, when the smoke is so thick, the planes can’t fly. There are over 600 personnel on the ground.
No one expected the lightening. Since Monday at 3:00a.m. there have been over 12,000 lightening strikes in CA. 357 different fires going on in the whole state.
All I can do is handwork. Besides the fire of which we did NOT have to evacuate (Super Thankful for that), the heat has been horrible. Record highs everywhere. The heat has moderated a bit today. We’ll take whatever we can get.
My miniature roses are doing well. Sheesh, I guess I just want to focus on the leaves.
One more just opening up. Fun colors. Well, well, I’m out of focus and the world is out of focus. YIKES. It’s time for some levity. Please enjoy the following.
Started some cleaning by going through a tub of scarves. You can fit a myriad of scarves in a large tub(so it took awhile). Isn’t that a great word, myriad? Growing up, once a week at the dinner table my dad would find a new word in the dictionary for us to learn. We had to use the new word in a sentence. After maybe a month the new word a week dropped off BUT to this day, decades later, I still remember and use the first word my Dad gave us. Whoops, that darn squirrel showed up again, but my Dad is smiling from heaven as I write this. Thanks Daddy. Check out this cool scarf and the way it is being worn.
Here is a side view with the rest of the scarf off to my left side instead of the center.
A blurry but open view of the scarf. Can you see the button up near my waist that hold the scarf together? Let’s try this again.
The breeze from the ceiling fan really shows off this gorgeous paisley silk chiffon. I forgot to take a picture of this same scarf being worn as a poncho. There are “myriad” ways (there I go again) to wear this terrific idea for a length of silk chiffon! I purchased it over a decade ago at a CABI party (Carol Anderson By Invitation). This idea will NEVER go out of style in my humble opinion. And of course, it’s a rectangle (you must already know how much I use and love rectangles in my art to wear designs). Here are the measurements for this idea: First you should use silk chiffon to get the drape just right (light or heavy weight will be perfect). This piece measures, 62″ long by 20 1/2″ wide. 14 1/2″ up from the short side, along the long end, add a small button. Then down at the end of that same side, 14 1/2″ up from the short side make a loop out of thread to hold the button. BAM! You’re done. What a great gift idea too.
In my cleaning I found these items together. What did I have in mind here? Who knows but I see some hand stitching in my future (In the lime green) using the beautiful variegated Perle #8 cotton by WonderFi Eleganza. Thank you from my friend Christine Barnes on the Perle cotton. Go
Taa Daa! Cleaning, purging, labeling, my fabrics. There are even some empty tubs (not for long trust me).
In a “Linen” box I found a blouse with 3/4 sleeves with elastic. Hmm…it’s so “stinkin” hot and I love the cooling shape of this blouse, and it fits me except for the 3/4 sleeves so I cut off the elastic and pushed it aside.
And hidden beside some tubs (don’t laugh) I found this “sleeve” ironing board. Where have you been my friend?
Oh my goodness. How long have I been sewing and have all the cool tools and YET I managed to forget about this VERY cool tool. Press, press, done in record time instead of burned fingers while working little hems on a regular ironing board. Sigh…
Here I am wearing my newly improved (yet not ironed) linen blouse and what’s that in my hair? Yep, it’s that left over piece of linen with the elastic in it. Whoo hoo! I match. But you know, it’s very comfortable. Oh, I do love upcycling, reusing, whatever we want to call it.
Check out the pocket (use your favorite scraps, and all rectangles, of course). And the bracelet. It starts with the linen scraps, hmm…maybe I’ll include how to make one in the pattern too.
And yes, same son, the very next weekend finally getting a chance to race again. There is a great track in Willows, CA for racing on a regular race track or a dirt track. About five years ago, our son took me as a passenger (in a different car) on the dirt track. Dirt flying everywhere as he peeled around the corners. I HAD THE BEST TIME! I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants. I still want a “beater” car of my own and try it myself some day. Dirt or track, you are racing against your own time.
We really wanted to watch our son race this past weekend, but as you can see above our dog, Riley had other plans. The big “owwie” wasn’t his fault and it was more of a puncture wound (but eww, ick, the Vet had to make it bigger to get it all cleaned out) . This picture was taken a few days later. I rolled his favorite tennis balls to him and he didn’t budge. He’s fine, fine, now, even back to doggie day care (2X’s a week), where he plays and plays all day and just loves it! He even has a girlfriend there and her name is Daisy.
Have you ever grown Italian sweet peppers? This is my first year. I had no idea they got this big and oh so sweet. Wish I’d planted a couple more bushes. Peppers freeze beautifully. Wash, cut in half, take out seeds, dry them off and pop them in a freezer bag. I feel so smart during the winter months when I pull a bag out of the freezer to use in my favorite Chili or Spaghetti sauce.
I decided to start a new Zephyr Jacket sample. The big parasol fabric will be the body of the jacket and the little parasol fabric will be the front collar piece. It will go together fast, maybe this afternoon. (yes, the big parasol fabric is the tiny corner I mentioned seeing in my box)
But first, it’s Friday, and it’s summer, so I’ll be taking my Mom out to lunch at the Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park, CA . My mom lives on our property in a Granny house. She is 89 years young I am so grateful that she lives on our property. Thank you God that she is so close by. I’ve been thanking God so much lately. Gratitude is an important component of our lives or if not, it should be. Even when it feels like things are falling apart all around, being grateful allows me to let go of the things I have no control over and let God take care of them. He’s in charge anyway. I’m certainly not. Here is my Mom’s favorite verse from the Bible, “Be still and know that I am God.”
I love summer flowers. On the left are pink petunias with white spots and the limey green plant is Creeping Jenny, and a grass of some kind in back. Waaaay too bright of a picture. Noon is NOT a good time, I know that. But they looked so happy. Thanks for stopping by. Big hugs and make some time to find 5 things to be grateful for. Heidi
Right….back to fixing the snags. This is a better look see of the little squares I stitched over the snags. They are squares I cut from an inner tube from a Mountain Bike. Whaaat?? Yes, that’s it. And then I stitched off the edge on either end as I wanted the stitches to show.
Salvadore Dali museum (one of only 2 in the whole world) in St. Petersberg, Florida
One of the Salvadore Dali paintings hanging in the St. Petersberg museum.
This painting by Salvadore Dali, also in the museum in St. Petersberg is only about 15′ tall. That’s right ! You turn a corner and BAM! the tall ones hit you in the face. They are so BIG! and FANTASTIC at the same time! Just amazing.
The window design work just BLEW ME AWAY! Designsbyheidi.wordpress.com visits the Salvadore Dali museum in St. Petersberg, Florida USA
A picture from the deck of the gift shop. Now you can see why we want to “volunteer” to work in the gift shop. We sleep down below the gift shop now known as “cabin 8.” So we have the same view from our private deck. DesignsbyHeidi.wordpress.com
The gift shop is the top floor. Our sleeping area is the lower deck, it’s a studio apt. There are no volunteers this year. But, we were able to come and pay to stay in this studio apt. from June 19th-26th. It was a REAL VACATION! Haven’t had a total week off in 3 yrs.It was an amazing but oh so different time.
This would have been our 9th year of volunteering during the summer. And of course summer is Zephyr Point’s busiest time.I started my first day there this year by walking around the grounds. The view above is of Tallac Mountain at over 9,000ft. Can you see the cross outline of snow near the top of the Mtn.?
On the walk from from our cabin to Tallac Center and the Dining room. The Dining room is closed this year. Only the cabins are open. They rent out approx. 40 cabins on site.
This is the back of Cabin # 8. It’s the only cabin on the property with the cute, carved shutters. The level you are looking at is the gift shop. Cabin #8 (the studio we stayed in) is now available to rent for the summer months only. There is no insulation.
This is cabin # 28. It is the newly revamped coffee shop on the grounds. Closed for the summer. Miss sitting out on the deck and looking at the “Peek a Boo” view of the lake, watching the birds, chipmunks, people watching, all this while sipping a cuppa.
Wandering around the beautiful grounds of the “hotel” type sleeping rooms of Tallac center. These are rooms Artistic Alchemy retreat students covet. The “Lakeside” rooms! All closed up. This is such a surreal summer.
Above and to the left is Inspiration Point. It is a two story, soaring,open and light filled conference room that is used during the Artistic Alchemy retreat. And 3 stories of more sleeping rooms of which Artistic Alchemy uses all of them. It is so eerily silent.
Go through that archway (Portal of Prayer) and step down a few steps and look at the most amazing view! A prayer of thanksgiving for this amazing place is in order too.
Look how close these rooms are to the lake itself! The views from the sleeping rooms alone are worth the price of admission to our Artistic Alchemy retreat.
Full on view of Inspiration Point. You could be here but sadly, not until September of 2021. What an “Inspiration” Inspiration Point is right now, shhh….it’s SO QUIET! Listen to the sounds of nature and the occasional boat going by.
Total relaxation in my “upcycled” tunic (by The Upcycled Closet via Etsy) and doing some hand work. DesignsbyHeidi.wordpress.com
Oh my goodness! Can it be, Heidi working on cutting out a quilt!
Simple running stitches on a piece and contemplating adding a butterfly from scraps. Both of these are home decorating fabric scrap pieces.
My dear friend Linda made me a zippered bag (it is holding all my threads,needles, and beads that I’m working with) that has the cutest panels on it. Yep, this is me.
Or maybe this is me! For the record, I owned a pair of candy striped “cat eyed” glasses in 4th grade.I found out later (my brother married the girl next door) that my sister-in-law was very jealous of my cool glasses and wished she wore glasses. Seriously?! My hair has never been green, but during all that’s going on, I just might dye it that color to hide my dark roots.
This is the basic pattern for a jumping off point to create your own uniquely quilted piece of wearable art! Created by Designs by Heidi- contact me at hmemmett@gmail.com to purchase this pattern or go to my Etsy shop/ DesignsbyHeidiEmmett to see more of my designs.
Patty P. is an AMAZING sewist to begin with. She had signed up for my workshop at the Artistic Alchemy Retreat- go
Patty’s version of my Art to Wear pattern, Off The Grid Vest, is OFF THE CHARTS WITH PIZZAZZ AND SOPHISTICATION!! Check out my blog DesignsbyHeidi.wordpress.com or email me at hmemmett@gmail.com for more information on purchasing this pattern.
Patty brought her base fabric to the workshop, a black cotton Dobby (type of weave) that was high in texture and interest. It did not need any batting.
A closeup of the color shows the background fabric beautifully. Patty wanted a classic black and white look with hints of fuchsia.
She used fuchsia thread both top and bobbin. I like the criss- crossing of the quilting lines.
She auditioned many black and white fabrics and a few fuchsias until she settled on the perfect amount. This part takes time. But it’s also so much fun as each vest piece starts as a blank canvas.
Patty felt that the vest needed more than just the sticks of fabric. But what? Different sized dots of crisp white fabric that first had an iron on adhesive attached to the back. She ran the piece through her Cricut machine. Voila’, instant dots, oodles of them! She placed them for the best effect and then IRONED them down. NO STITCHING! I love this idea. She said she has had an occasional dot fall off (if rubbed the wrong way, ha, ha. She has extra dots at the ready should she need them. Off The Grid Vest sewing pattern by Designsbyheidi email her for more information at hmemmett@gmail.com
The sides of the vest are open except for one button with a button loop. She used polymer clay buttons by Sandra Bruce (Sandra Bruce, one of the teachers at Artistic Alchemy will soon have a line of polymer buttons and earrings available via an Etsy shop)
Patty chose not to use mock “log cabin blocks.” She used “sticks” only. Her attention to the details of placement of each piece and the hint of fuchsia is perfection.
Each fabric stick has been pressed under and rather than zig zag stitch around each stick she chose a simple blanket stitch (on her machine) to hold them in place.
I leave you with two pictures of summer fun, Lily of The Nile flowers.
I covered this one in 2015. The gluing had me worried so I had set it aside for awhile longer. I put it on the Kaffe Fassett site (via Face Book) in 2015. Tons of lovely comments. So proud, use the purse all the time in the summer months. Fast forward to 2018. My friend Christine Barnes saw my purse on my shoulder one day and said, “Heidi did you know that Kaffe is using his fabrics on Coach Bags this year? W-H-A-AA-T!!?? Google-Kaffe Fassett Coach Bags…..Aren’t they GORGEOUS! Check the prices! I am telling you all this because I would like to think that Kaffe himself was scrolling through his Kaffe Fassett site one day and SAW WHAT I CREATED and maybe, just maybe, he copied ME? One can dream, hope, whatever. It’s fun to think about at any rate.
I really like how the colors and fabric design of this particular Kaffe Fassett fabric worked with my Coach Bag.
Within a few months after finishing my other Coach Bag, voila’ I purchased this tiny Coach Bag at another “boutique.” Same problem. Dirty suede in the corners and on the bottom. The corners were perfect for some Kaffe Fassett yo-yo’s.
Yep, it’s a Coach Bag. $4.00 for the bag used my Kaffe scraps and a small amount of glue.
Everything is glued on with Fabric Tac. You will see a picture of the bottle in a few more pics
I ,of course, could not stop with just Coach Bags. But I did keep up with using the Kaffe Fassett fabrics.
Just 3 weeks ago I found this beauty. Sadly it is not a Coach, but I loved the color. It is all leather and in mint condition except for the usual dirty piece of suede. Did you read that first part, JUST 3 WEEKS AGO, ha, ha, and I made the cover for it THIS morning before writing my blog post. Sometimes inspiration for a post hits at the last minute!
At least I started to whittle down my fabric choices last night. This is Paperweight Kaffe Fassett.
Acck..there are so many Kaffe fabrics I can’t begin to remember them all.
Hmm…this Kaffe could work too.
How about this Baba Gabousch(spelling?) piece by Kaffe Fassett?
And one of my favorites, Turkish Delight by Kaffe Fassett. This is an oldie but after maybe 15 years they brought it back. Sew happy.
Ta da! I chose the unamed one ( I have only a small piece with no selvages (to see a name)).
I think it is a good choice. I adore these stylized flowers and so many subtle orange variations, and the scale of the print, all work well. Kaffe Fassett is such an amazing colorist and designer!
Here’s a great trick that quilters and sewists use deciding on where to cut on a large scaled printed fabric. The inside lines of this rectangle represent the finished size of the piece I need for the purse front. Slowly move it around until it hits your “sweet spot.”
I sewed two pieces together and included a piece of iron on-fleece (left side of picture).
I machine quilted through all layers, a simple design. I like the dimension the quilted piece gives to the overall design of the purse/tote. This one is big enough to call a tote.
My all time favorite glue, also, the most EXPENSIVE glue. It REALLY works! $14.99 for 5/6oz
I’m not afraid to glue anymore. Really cover those outside edges with glue. Add your quilted piece and….
Here is my finished Kaffe Fassett Coach Tote Wannabe. By Designs by Heidi.
The quilting on this Kaffe Fassett fabric makes the finished product so jazzy!
Don’t you agree, these sweet petunias remind me of the Kaffe Fassett fabric in the tote.
These petunias are called “Queen of Hearts.”
I use this pincushion shot every year because I LOVE the 4th of July and I LOVE to sew!
A 4th of July we spent at Zephyr Point (we were volunteers in the Bear Store).
A stunner of a sunset on the 4th of July weekend at Lake Tahoe 5 years ago. The Dixie paddle wheel boat is outlined on the horizon. Like clockwork, 8:45p.m. coming in to Zephyr Cove for the evening.
Totally untouched photo. 4th of July 5 years ago at Zephyr Point, Lake Tahoe, Nevada. A couple of phenomenal storms that weekend. Maybe that’s why the sunsets were extra gorgeous. This shot looks directly across to Emerald Bay. 10-12 miles away. There was a water spout and hail the size of quarters at Emerald Bay. AMAZING. It made the local paper. So unusual for summer, or any time really!
I just can’t get enough of this view. The intense colors of the water and FOURTH OF JULY!!!
Just one more shot…..Lake Tahoe, so soothing and calm after a storm.
We have only missed a few of the AMAZING spreads and fun, fun, fun, that goes on at my brother’s and his wife’s home every 4th of July. All right, which one of my 9 great nephews put their finger in MY FAMOUS flag cake? And stole a raspberry too?
They even make the copious flower pots that are poolside, match the days color scheme.
Happy 4th of July to you all! Until next week, hugs from Heidi
This vest has a hint of her own Eco Dyeing in it. I believe this one is for her 90+ yr. old Mom.
What a perfect use for these earthy colored Eco Dyes. Go
Look what else Sandy does. She told me she was just playing with David Lobenberg’s coloring ideas. Sandy! These are so cool! You are an artist in many ways besides fabric.
I bought a blouse just for the fabric. The fabric is such luscious colors. I’m going to use it to make an existing blouse longer and a pair of capris wider. Let’s see if you like what I’ve done.
A close up of the blouse fabric reveals some pretty embroidery on fine stretch netting. I love ANYTHING with embroidery. And flowers! Even better.
I cut off the bottom 7″ of the blouse. I ran a gathering stitch where I cut it off and very slightly gathered it. I tucked the gathered portion right under the original hem on the bottom of the embroidered blouse and stitched it down. Ta da! Instant hem on the bottom from the blouse I cut off the 7″ and cute little slits (they were the side slits on the blouse) one at the center of my newly lengthened blouse and one in the center back. Yep, that’s right, a NEW look for me. I’m not about to rip it off and reposition two little slits. I created something new, and I like it. Ha, ha. No, I do really like it.
I like the smoothness of the new piece aka not enough fabric to gather very much but I truly think it’s good.
On to the capris. It’s amazing what adding 1 1/2″ to the sides of super skin tight capris will do. I cut the side seams all the way up from the bottom slit through the top (hence the little cutaway portion at the bottom of the capris (they had a little finished slit on the sides that I didn’t want to mess with as I wanted to get these puppies done!) Each side is completely open allowing me to insert a 2″ strip (that’s how much I needed 1/4″ seam allowance).
I like mixing different fabrics and jewelry together for a Bohemian Chic look.
Another close up of the capris. Can you see that the capri fabric is a jacquard (a pattern woven into the fabric). This is a satin jacquard so the design is a little bit shiny. It is also has some stretch in it too(most helpful to get them on ha, ha).
One more look see. I’m ready for SUMMER! Go check your clothes. Is there something you could change so you could enjoy it and wear it once again?
This great book by Dover publications and was printed in 1976. Erte’ was mainly a designer for the Theater. He also did covers for Harper’s Bizar (yep, only one “Z”) from 1915 to 1936.
This is the little “me” version of Mommy & Me & My Quilted Vest and Quilt.
The long title, there is a reason. I fear we are losing a whole generation of sewists and quilters. Why not create a fun pattern that brings together young and older alike to enjoy sewing and quilting again!
This pattern is so easy to make you will want more than just one. While these in the picture are quilted, they certainly don’t have to be. You’ll see one at the end that is wool boucle.” That makes for a softer, more drapey look.
A Peony from my yard. I thought the lighting was terrific for this shot. Please enjoy one more shot of these exquisite flowers. Don’t the flowers in the vests look like this? Well, very stylized I should say. The real deal is so sophisticated.
Delightful.
I was busy arranging the pieces for a photo shoot. Rubix are second cat (I showed Rex last week-the Lizard catcher) decided he needed to check out my set up.
Of the two brothers, Rubix is the most curious. The following pictures are like one of those flip books. I love these pictures. Enjoy.
“Sew that’s how you finish off the binding.”
“I need a closer look. I think you missed a thread.”
“It’s in here somewhere.”
“O.K., how do I get out of here?”
“Does anyone see me? This could be a great hiding place.”
“A perfect bird watching hideout.”
” I love it here. No one will notice I’m wearing people clothes.” Rubix has one front paw over the other. Too cute!
Same vest pattern but this one is a yummy wool boucle’ with Sashiko stitching and felted yarn circles and some fabric yo-yo’s.
A close up of the Sashiko stitching and the felted yarn circles.
The stitching on a textured wool boucle’ is best done using a “knit crocheen” thread (it’s thicker and shows up better). This one came variegated.
Rex had to get in on the act while I was having fun making the fabric yo-yo’s for the boucle’ vest. Mommy & Me & My Quilted Vest and Quilt. See it as a blank canvas for a new technique you might have learned and want to attach to an “Art To Wear” piece.
Any time I can create using my “Grunge” textiles by Moda, I will. I have pulled what I want to use, plus some muslin (for the cup). See the white specks on the Turquoise grunge? That is the residue from stiffing my fabrics with 
I am sketching my own cup on a piece of printer paper. I like that size because it is easier to sew on AND I get it completed faster.
I cut out some free form circles and placed them on the paper cut-out of the cup just for a quick look-see, then replaced the paper with the muslin fabric. I LOVE the texture of even small pieces of Grunge. I believe 
I LOVED, LOVED, creating this little piece. There is no rhyme or reason for where I stitched first, well, now that I think about it, I stitched the polka dots first. They are tiny and I didn’t want them moving. I just held each one in place for a few seconds to get 7 or sew stitches in before letting go and stitching “round n round.”
Not one pin, not one drop of glue, not one basting stitch was used to create this piece!
It looks a bit messy (the black stitches) I suppose for those who are not into raw-edged machine applique’ but it is just the look I was going for. Try one yourself. And be freeee….
Yowzaa! I scored a few of these Iris beauties from my Mom’s garden. I think I have showed them to you each year. I have seen bunches of Iris in my time, but NONE quite like this.
My Georgia O’Keefe view.
Another “Georgia” view. I own a Google Pixel phone (my son’s suggestion) because of the camera.
The top petals are outlined! Do you see that?
I took these shots on a cloudy day at approximately 3:00p.m.
Check out my tunic. I purchased it from the “Upcycled Closet”, an Etsy store. I love all the details that she has put into it such as, little pockets here and there, the “men’s shirts” even unbutton to show off more “stuff” underneath. Such clever ideas. You must visit her store. “Upcycled Closet.”
More of a close up on some details of this “Upcyled Closet” tunic top.
O.K. holding a phone and trying to take a picture, well, it can be awkward. So what you see is my left hand in the right side pocket.
All rightie then, I want to try this myself. Starting with the t-shirt (this one really and truly shrunk in length) and adding some men’s shirt and one linen skirt. I’m off to a good start I think.
A close-up of the t-shirt. There are lots of colors in it. Hmm….the printing seems a bit off, but no matter. It will be so BUSY when I’m done, no one will notice. But, this is as far as I have come on this project. I have had to detour out of sewing for awhile. A “growing” need has arisen (puns intended).
My brothers have owned a nursery for over 50 years (it started as a wholesale nursery from our parents property as a project for one brother (I have 3)for high school FFA)! In the spring they have always offered locally grown vegetable and herb starts. Over the years they have learned how long the season (for veggie starts) will last and plant accordingly. Because of what has been going on EVERYONE (it seems) wants to have a “Victory Garden” of sorts. They are coming as far as 50 miles away to get their starts. The nursery was considered “essential” right from the get go as they sold “food products.” How about 28 varieties of tomatoes (who knew ), 12 types of Peppers, and on and on and on. They have been so desperate for help because of the demand, they even acquiesced to asking their little sister to come and help. FYI- Peppers, no matter the variety take f-o-r-ever to come up. (see above). I have such a NEW appreciation to what goes into the growing of food stuffs. Read on.
We are down to the last of the last of the “pots” to fill. Waiting, waiting, for a new shipment of these 4″ pots. They come from Illinois (slowed down because of SNOW, what!!). The soil is very specialized and comes from ———(shhh…can’t tell you where ’cause it’s a secret) very far away because it has a specialized peat moss mixed in to help seeds germinate faster, and seedlings grow better. There is the coolest machine (BIG, very BIG) on the property that takes three people to run. It is used to fill all these pots with soil.
These are specialized “flats” that have seeds dropped into them. All these flats, and the pots, that have been seeded, are all placed by hand.
A close up view of one flat of Genovese basil. These germinated in less than a week.
When the basil is big enough they are popped out of the first flat (a micro sized ice cube tray of sorts and transferred to the four inch pot and labeled. Again it’s all done by hand. DesignsbyHeidi helps at her brother’s nursery. I LOVE IT! Truly. I’m helping in another way besides making masks. A nice change.
All the propagation is done outside of the greenhouse (too warm to be in all day). Once that’s done, they are moved into greenhouses like the one above. It is a really carefully planned process and when one thing doesn’t happen (like the run on seeds from the distributors,suddenly, everyone wants them) it can upset this “well oiled” process. Oh, see the little blue and yellow squares hanging a few feet above the plants? Those are very sticky to catch teeny, tiny, mites that can come in when a door is kept open too long. I know this as I got my hair caught in several (I kept forgetting they were there), ick, ick and ouch!
At the far end of the greenhouse is the giant sized swamp cooler. Water constantly dribbles down from the top of the black metal mesh units while equally giant fans are blowing into the greenhouse (from the outside) air through the black meshy type metal. They can regulate the air to be cooler at one end (so certain plants basically stop growing), as is the case for the pumpkins above.
Take a walk outside a greenhouse and you can really tell we live in California. Eschultzia Californica, California Poppy. Did you know they can bloom twice? Out in the wild it’s only once, in April or May. But at home, with extra water, you can get a fall bloom too.
California poppies make me so happy to look at. Especially a field of them.
I know it’s HUGE! Surprisingly, “hugely” sweet too.
I like how my super amazing tasting, first of the season strawberries look on my vintage tea towel. And these beauties tasted even BETTER than they look here.
I like the cool pocket Sandy added to this OFF THE GRID VEST.
Sandy kept with the ombre’ fabric that I used in my cover shot, but the splitting of the fabric and inserting long curving shapes gives some real depth and drama and of course the long and lean look I’m always talking about in all of my Art To Wear sewing patterns.
“Purple passion with patch pockets.” That’s what I call this OFF THE GRID VEST. I like the over and under strips that showcase the front panels.
This OFF THE GRID VEST features an Ombre’ fabric that is used so effectively in this version. It is one piece of fabric deftly cut to its’ best advantage. I think the black trim is the perfect color choice for this “Simply Elegant” look. Check out the pocket that moves over to the far side of the front, and is held in place by the finishing trim.
What’s different about this OFF THE GRID VEST? Sandy eliminated the collar piece. That’s what you do when you are on vest # 5, yes, FIVE.
The color choices for this OFF THE GRID VEST make it a stand out! Well done Sandy.
When this OFF THE GRID VEST is opened and laid out you can see all the detailing minus the collar. Sandy, SANDY! Thank you SO MUCH for this eye opening fashion show of 5 OFF THE GRID VESTS! What an amazing job! Your creativity and color sense and beautiful stitching show off my vest pattern so nicely. You are the BEST!
Now check out the front side of Judith’s Terrific Tabard vest. The bright colors and swirling vines with what I see as fantasy flowers (I need to ask her) are so cheerful and spring-like.
The collars are open in this picture. She is also deciding on button placement. I encouraged her to put two buttons/ties on each side. The 2 will basically act as a dart. This technique is perfect for fuller busted women.
One more shot with the collar up to show even more of her collage work on this great vest. Just wearing this vest a few times will help it soften a little. But she also lives in Canada so I understand the batting and layers a little more. It gets mighty cold up there.
Here are the squares as each one is completed. I’m seeing decorative threads couched with a decorative stitch. Clever use for the myriad stitches sewing machines come with. Thank you Judith for your great show and tell of your Terrific Tabard. She told me that she has all her fabrics picked out for her next project, “Off The Grid” vest.
Dogwoods are in full bloom here in Northern California. Dogwood blossoms are a sign of new life.
Going out a bit to show the whole branch and the blue, BLUE, sky.
Here is the whole tree. The story for this tree is that 31 years ago on my husbands and my evening walk we walked to my brother’s wholesale nursery to check “the pile.” That is the place where the broken branches, or other infirmities, on the one gallon trees and bushes are thrown. What a sad dogwood it was back then. We brought it home and planted it at our little house in the woods. When we sold that house I told Robert we need to take it with us to our new home. As you can see, it loves it here all these years later.
I’m sure you know by now that puzzles are in very SHORT supply. My youngest brother lives in Denver has been sending mom puzzles. These came just before a shortage was called. Her other puzzles still to come are on back order until???? She has a ton of puzzles in her garage but she says she has done those. Ha, ha. Phillip (the brother in Denver) said that Mom should take her puzzles to the road and start selling them. Since there is a shortage and all. Ha, ha.
My Mom lives 150+ yards away from me in her adorable “Granny house.” She is always working on a puzzle. She works on the card table she received as a wedding gift almost 65 years ago. Love that!
My husband snapped this pic ’cause I said I was multi-tasking: a “Wear your Joy” outfit (too short of a favorite sweater, pair it with a long shirt), getting my vitamin C, and working on icckkky taxes. I really needed a stiff drink at this point.
A half hour later, I saw that some pictures came across facebook from one of my nephews. This is his youngest son. I had the best laugh over this picture. You go Brody! Great minds think alike.
Speaking of birds. This is such a cool mixed media piece. Yes, I saw it on Pinterest.