Fall Musings

Yesterday was a perfect fall day for a walk... not too cold and rainy to keep one inside, but just gray enough to put one in a reflective and contemplative mood. I enjoyed soaking in the sites of fall's offerings, which one could easily pass by since the splendor is not as obvious and showy as in summer. Shades of reds, yellows, and oranges are a reminder that it is just a short time before grays and whites will replace it's warm palette...... my thoughts wander to early last summer. While taking a walk with my mother-in-law, she was filled with excitement as she inhaled long and deep the fresh summer air and exclaimed " doesn't it just smell like summer?" As I repeated her actions and drank...

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Confessions...

I guess I have a confession to make... Even though I sell quilting fabrics, and work with them almost daily... I have never personally made a quilt. There it is... it is out in the open for the whole world to know.My aunt is an absolutely fantastic quilter and would love nothing more than to pass on her passion for the "much patience required" past time. I have long since admired her work, as well as other talented quilters, and am almost blown away and sometime left breathless... especially when I look at some of the incredible art quilts out there because I can at least recognize and appreciate the time that it took to make them. But I have to admit that I am a "let's get it done", "don't...

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Joel Dewberry "Deer Valley" Fabrics

A couple weeks ago I introduced one of the strong male designers in the world of fabric designing. So I thought it long overdue to introduce you to another one of my favorite male designers who, in my opinion, gives the ladies a pretty good run for their money. Joel Dewberry, a trained Graphic Designer and graduate of Brigham Young University, has taken the quilting world by storm with five fantastic fabric collections. His latest collection "Deer Valley" was inspired by "mountain meadows and the occasional passing deer", and is fabulous in every sense of the word.

This family man of four children, only launched his textiles brand in 2007, but had already attained recognition and is considered a strong presence in the field. His new collection combines so nicely and is such an unexpected contrast to other collections now available.

Always high quality fabric and great color palettes to work with, "Deer Valley" is perfect for a variety of favorite projects. Joel Dewberry's "Deer Valley" collection can be found here.

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Forbidden Fruit Tastes So Good

One of the first things that happens to a gal when she reveals to the world about the upcoming "pitter-patter" of little feet, is that she receives what seems like a mile long list of what "to do" or "not to do" during pregnancy. Of course many things on the list go without saying... such as smoking (not a problem here), beer, wine, and alcohol in general (even the thought of the smell turns my stomach), and coffee/caffeine (poor husband now has to drink coffee on the other side of the table). Even though I have not fallen victim to such vices, and junk food and McDonald's at three o'clock in the morning have not tempted me, I have been struggling with one "don't" since I started the list......

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Halfway There

I can remember when we went on our Honeymoon almost three years ago, the airline we were traveling with had called us to the front desk to clarify something with our flight plans... "Familie Richter" (Family Richter), they called over the loud speaker. When my husband had returned, he turned to me and said "Family Richter"... that's right, we are a family now. What a simple, but yet life realizing statement.I guess at that time I had never really viewed us in that way yet, and the definition of family these days really is quite a stretch from the traditional definition in my parents day. Often I have thought of a family as more than just two, but in today's world two is all you need. In January...

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From The Pumpkin Patch

Last year my grandmother sent me a wonderful surprise package. I had been telling her that I would be needing to make my Thanksgiving meal this year from scratch and needed to "invade" her recipe box for just how to do that. I guess in the States, we have gotten accustomed to having everything ready made... just add water kind of thing. So she had lovingly packed boxes of stuffing, and cans of cranberries and pumpkin for the event... everything that I needed for our traditional fall meal. I did make a pumpkin pie and discovered the second can this last week... what a perfect ingredient for a fall cake. I guess I have really been on a roll with fall decorations and now those yummy meals that...

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How To Make A Wreath

After reading Juliette's and Jeannette's comments on my last post, I was really glad that I had decided to do a post on how to make a fall/autumn wreath, or any wreath for that matter. It really is simple and lots of fun and leaves one with that satisfied feeling of... "yeah, look what I did... I made it myself". So to get started, you need:Foam Wreath Ring (can be purchased at most craft stores, in Germany I got mine at OBI)Floral WireWire CuttersMoss, selected Flowers & HerbsCover the foam wreath with a section of moss at a time. I used fresh moss here, but Spanish moss also works great as a base. Wrap the floral wire around the foam wreath form securing the moss in place. Add a second...

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Fall Decorations

It dawned on me the other afternoon that I did not have any fall decorations out and it was already well into October. So a quick trip to the store and an afternoon snippet session in my garden was all I needed for a simple, affordable, and welcoming front door decoration.When I was in college I was really into growing and drying flowers and herbs and did several floral wreaths as presents and just as a hobby... the perfect stress relief. I actually had a whole room set up where I would sit in the middle of the floor and literally surround myself with flowers and get to work. It would probably go without saying that the room had such a divine smell... ahhh.After working on this wreath, I was...

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Jason Yenter Fabric

You've heard of Amy, Heather, Anna, and Tula around here, but have you ever heard of Jason? In the female dominated world of fabric designing, sometimes the male presence is overlooked. Two of my favorite male fabric designers on the scene these days are Joel Dewberry (coming soon) and Jason Yenter. You may not have heard of either of them, but their work definitely speaks for itself.Started as a small retail business over 30 years ago, In the Beginning Fabrics was founded by Sharon Yenter to provide high quality fabrics for crafters and quilters. Since then the business has grown and her son Jason now not only runs the business, but designs fabric for the company. What I love about Jason's...

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Die Vergangenheit / The Past

To come from a land that is comparatively still quite "young", it is such a stark contrast to marry into a family where history can be traced back long before my homeland even became a country. Many years back, a few of my husband relatives decided to do the exact same thing that I did... make another country their home. A recent visit from the relatives from Chile sparked the need for a family reunion. Gathered at the family home, distant relatives, many of whom I had never met, and most of whom I had, gathered to celebrate and embrace the heritage of just where it is that they have come from.My husband's grandmother had gathered several of the family heirlooms together, almost like a museum...

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