mill store madness

a few of my favorite things.........

2011-12-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to rejoice in all the good that has been bestowed upon us and to celebrate these blessings with family and friends. That said, it is, unfortunately, one of the most hectic times of the year. We are all trying our best to find ways to show our friends and family just how much we love and appreciate them. Often this means running about like "madmen" trying to find that perfect thing whatever that may be....electronic gadgets, jewelry, bikes, dolls, spa treatment (yes please)....so, I am always in awe of those who take the extra time to make something themselves. Even if it is just a card...or a simple gift that is specially wrapped. I think when you have to stop and sit quietly to make something, you bring that person closer to you in the process. You think about them, you feel joy that you are making something for them and this joy is absorbed into the gift. I know, sounds a bit corny, but that is what the magic of the holiday season is about.

Fortunately for us here at the store, we get to see these special creative people every day. So much is going on it's difficult to talk about any of it in detail, so I thought I'd share pics of a few of my favorites things (you know, the picture/thousand word thing..) So, here it goes:

New staff member Vicky just made the sweetest knitting needle case using a fabric from Melody Miller's "Ruby Star Rising", Amy Butler's "Sun Spots" for the lining and wrapping it all up with a sweet lacy cotton trim. Love it!

The kids are very busy creating in our classes and workshops. I'm always surprised how often their projects are gifts for someone special to them (brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, friends...) And not just during the holidays. Pretty amazing don't you think?

The above photo is of two of Jennifer's workshop students who made fab pillowcases as gifts for family members. Great job Paige and Erin!!!!

So many beautiful fabrics have rolled into the store. Here are a few of my faves:

Amy Butler's latest collection: "Lark"

I think this is my favorite of all her collections thus far.

Great designs, beautiful colors!

Heather Ross's "far, far, away lll" very sweet.

The one above with the little owl stealing the underpants

is stealing everyone's hearts around here.

"Modernology" by Art Gallery Fabrics. Fresh and fabulous!

For all of you who already LOVE Lotta Jansdotter,

she has a debut collection with Windham Fabrics. Yippie!!!

Can not resist posting this one again.

I absolutely adore this funny elephant-in-his-cups
print by Michael Miller

Nancy Keyes and Joan McAnulty have made all kinds of

uniquely beautiful handcrafted items which are for sale in the store.

Shibori scarves by Nancy Keyes.

Hand dyed and knit hat by Joan McAnulty

and many, many other fabulous hand crafted items.

I wish I could put everything on this one post...

all the great things that need to be shared....
There's more to come soon.

Don't forget...
if you are looking for a gift for someone creative
a gift certificate can be used towards anything in the store,
including classes.

Most of all...enjoy this holiday season.

And best wishes for the New Year!

Mary and Margaret

September Song...

2011-09-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Ah! I love the September air. Clears the head and makes me feel ready to roll up my sleeves and get started on new projects. So, what's up? Weeelllll, around here classes come back in full force.

Lots of new fabrics and yarns are rolling in too.

Some of my favorite things of the moment are:

Designer Rolls from Kaffe Fassett

Delicious! grab, sew.....soak in the beauty of Kaffe's fabrics!

"Garden" by Wooster and Prince

Fabulous new organic cottons from the Robert Kaufman

Good Life Collection

Also from Robert Kaufman...

"Appleville" by Suzy Ultman

This is the most adorable fabric!

Chock full of cute little vignettes.

Frame them, embellish bags, kids quilts, clothes...

so many possibilities!

On a more romantic note...
love this beautiful collection from From Robyn Pandolph
"Desired Things"

New Yarns

Fave of the moment around here is

"Flicker" from Berroco

This unbelievably lofty and luxurious baby alpaca
chainette is infused with super soft glittering strands.

Perfect for those crispy Fall days.

Home Decorating
Lots of new special purchase fabrics have arrived.
These are up to 50% off regular retails prices!

So, lots going on here...

Hope to see you all soon!

m & m

Happy Campers!

2011-08-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

July has come and gone...and summer's end is near.

Jennifer Ziehl Vacca's first season of summer classes was

a great success. The students were mostly beginner sewers.

It was amazing to see how fast they learned
and the incredible array of things they created...bags, belts,
skirts, pillowcases and even a quilt!

Now we're gearing up for Fall...very busy time of year.

Lot's of new classes are being offered

and more will be added throughout the season.

Check out the current listings on our website:

http://franklinmillstore.com/craft_classes.html

We also have plenty of new things to inspire your creativity...

...a new shipment of fabulous Home Decorating remnants

has just arrived. Fabrics that normally sell for $30-$80 per yd

are just $6.98-$8.98. No excuse not to get those

projects started with these prices.

New books are in too...full of
great ideas, helpful hints and instructions.

As always, lots of fabulous new fabrics
keep rolling in. New collections from
Michael Miller, Alexander Henry,
Robert Kaufman, Kaffe Fassett,
Anna Maria Horner, Tina Givens,
Valori Wells, Amy Butler, and many more...

Lastly, I want to thank everyone
who participated in our Summer Giveaway.
Loved hearing what all of you crafty people are creating...
or dreaming of creating. Congratulations to all the winners:
Jodi Meenan, Beverly Chipko, Jennifer Flint MacLean,
Maureen O'Reilly, Meredith Clarkin Olbrys,
Mary Ellen Cusack, Joy Bettencourt, Julie Madden
and Shellie Moniz!

Yeah!!!!

Enjoy these last summer days. Hope to see you all soon!

M & M

Handmade Holiday!

2010-12-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

Don't forget....this Sunday December 5th

whatever else you have going on this weekend,

be sure to dial "Franklin Mill Store" into

that GPS of yours.....cuz we've got major

crafty holiday spirit goin' on... AND it's contagious!

Lot's of clever folks selling beautiful

handmade items...

PLUS a super special guest:

our friend Jen Lopez from Sew Fun

... and don't forget all the other fabulous

things we have here to help make your

holidays merry and bright.

Peace!

mary

They came, they sewed, they conquered........

2010-11-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

......I know, super corny, but conquer they did!

The Girl Scout Troop 72212 from Medfield came in ready

to learn and earn (ouch!).

First, they chose super fun fabrics....

Then, guided by our fearless sewing teacher, Joan McAnulty,

everyone walked through the steps:

cutting, pinning and sewing on a machine......

.....creating a fabulous bag.....

...and, earning their sewing badges.

Conquerors!!!!

Hope to see you all soon!

Mary

Taking stock...

2010-08-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Snapped some pics of "my pond" - the one I pass daily on my way to the mill, about a 20 minute drive. My morning routine is scarily like something out of the movie Brazil: Get in car, drive purposefully to neighborhood drive-thru coffee joint - cliff bar and fruit sitting on passenger seat awaiting completion of "optimum" breakfast food grouping. Gulp, gulp...nibble, munch....repeat.....drive, etc.
I confess:
I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON, so this ritual is done in a semi-trance state (no, I do not talk on the phone while
I'm doing this!). By the time I reach the pond (about 15 minutes into the drive) my brain is starting to engage. I usually pause here to take a quick, but to me important, glance at the "world". It clears my mind and helps me start the day with a fresh slate......at least I try.
The lily pads and loose strife have taken over the pond and I know it's not long before the leaves on the surrounding trees start their color changes. It's all good - but the prospect of winter does take my breath away (it's all good, it's all good, it's all good...)
The last 5 minutes are usually spent singing at the top of my lungs to something on my cd player...gettin' my self "in gear" for a day at the mill....

So...what's happening?

Cute little dresses by Patti's students and Nancy K. So easy to make - just pick a fabulous fabric, trim, buttons....voila! No one else will have one like it.

Of course, lots of super fabrics have been coming into the store. Here are a few of my faves:

Opal Owl by Tina Givens...adorable!

Peace group from Michael Miller:

Sweet new knits from Michael Miller too...

Mad Men (and women)...

Our friend Flora was so enamored with this Michael Miller flower print, she's making a gorgeous Vintage Vogue dress for her birthday soiree. The vintage inspiration came from this Timeless Treasures print which reminded her of the show "Mad Men". Hey, the muse is everywhere..... Happy Birthday Flora!!!

Another gorgeous wool applique by Nancy K:

We're trying to talk her into giving another workshop...what do you think???

Just a small taste of new Brandon Mably, Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs designs:

super snazz!!!

And the knitters are knitting up a storm...

Maureen has socks, scarves, shawls going like crazy. Here's her first pair of socks ever:

woohooooo! way to go Maureen.

Kirsten is working on this cute top by Norah Gaughan using Berroco Ultra Alpaca Lite.

So many more things I should share,

but I've run out of steam.

Create and enjoy!

Mary

Spring Quilt Market

2010-05-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Just back from Quilt Market in Minneapolis... fabulous trip (except for the missing one of our flights part), great weather, lovely people and of course...LOTS of great new fabrics!

One of our first exciting encounters was at the Oliver + S booth. We introduced ourselves, gushed over their new patterns and then learned that Liesl has a fabric line! It's put out by Moda AND... drum roll please - the line includes some gorgeous knits!!! It won't be out until fall though...but don't worry, I'll shout out loud as soon as it arrives in the store.

Next....... Tina Givens had an adorable display of her new fabric collection: "Opal Owl". She talked to me about her latest patterns and explained the improvements made to them, which I was happy to hear. The previous patterns were a bit lacking in direction. Looking forward to trying out the new ones.

Anna Maria Horner........

... as lovely as she appears to be on her blog (drats!). Here she is signing a copy of her new book "Seams to Me". Again, I gushed about her fabric - especially the voile. Everyone is at odds about the pronunciation of this...English: voyl; French: vwahl. I say "vwahl"- not to be super snobby french, but because I also say "twahl" for toile and this makes sense to me.

More name dropping...

I was chatting with Sandi Henderson about her new line of fabric "Meadow Sweet 2" and her book "Sewing Bits and Pieces" (both fabulous), when a woman came up next to us, offered her hand to Sandi and said: "Hi, I'm Kate Spade" (harumphhhh!)

Before I forget...

There were some lovely quilts at Quilt Market (imagine) - here are a few of my faves:

AMY!
She was the most popular girl, of course. Her booth was swarming with fans. She graciously offered to be photographed with one and all, myself included (I'm allergic). Not surprisingly, she has lots going on: new fabric, new book AND...yarn! Her new fabric collection "Soul Blossoms" is truly beautiful, my favorite so far. It won't be out until late summer/fall - something to look forward to.

Last but not least...

My fave, the peeps at Kokka and Echino (dance, dance, dance!)
LOVE Heather Ross' newest collection "Far Far Away 2":

and all the other fabulous, fabulous fabrics....

All in all, Quilt Market was:

SUPERSONIC!!!!

Hope to see you all in the store!

Mary

Drawing In Thread

2010-04-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

This past week, I went to the Nancy Crow exhibit at the Fuller Craft Museum. If you haven't been to the Fuller, it is well worth the trip. As the name states, it's a museum devoted to crafts, a distinction I've always been a bit uncomfortable with - the whole "art vs craft" thing. Most of their exhibits are devoted to craftmanship of some sort - textile arts, glasswork, ceramics, furniture etc., but the majority are created as works of expression and form rather than function. Nancy Crow's exhibit is a perfect case in point. She creates with quilts. I wasn't very familiar with her work before my visit and my immediate impression was that these were paintings - paintings in fabric. Unfortunately, they didn't allow photographs, but I purchased the exhibit catalog which has all of her newest pieces along with details of her process. Click on the links above to learn more about the exhibit and Nancy Crow.

Another exhibit on my calendar: Drawing In Thread at Mount Ida College. This exhibit features contemporary, non-traditional embroidery artists. Should be interesting. Exhibit ends Sunday May 2nd.

Ok. Back on planet Mill Store........

A blast from the past rolled into the store the other day. A quilt with Town of Franklin landmarks made for the bicentennial (1976). Notice what was playing at the movies that year....JAWS! and....the Franklin Mill Store is lookin' quite cute too, doncha think?

Handbags everywhere here...

Sarah made this adorable version of the Ellen Medlock Interchangeable Bag using Kaffe Fassett's "Kirman" pattern:

and Dorothy made this little one using the Quilt Plus Petit Purse pattern. The fabric is "Timber" by Jessica Levitt, and the handles by Inazuma . Both these bags are super easy to make.

mignon!

Nancy and I are brushing up on our french these days (plus, I can only say "cute" so many times on this blog). These felted slippers, designed and made by Nancy may be the last of the felting spree she's been on.....but they are cute aren't they?

(one last cute)

Hush Puppies from Alexander Henry.....

by for now!

Mary

Bounce!

2010-04-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

Spring fever's in full bloom

- so many ideas and things

to do, the brain can't keep

up with it all...

Kirsten is working on the gorgeous Ysolda Teague's

Ishbel shawl using Ella Rae Lace Merino.

It will be scrumptious!

Nancy Keyes brought this fab, fab bag into the store Saturday

which I am coveting. She made it with a fabric from one

of our Home Decorating remnant tables.

I LOVE all the little details:

the ribbon, the chartreuse lining, the black & white

wrapped O-rings, the appliqued flowers, the bee...wow!

She's got an Amy Butler "Sweet Harmony" bag in the works.

I'll share when it's completed.

Cub scout craft day...

Franklin Cub Scouts earned their sewing badges by making

tiger (cub) puppets. Pretty crafty group...and VERY willing

to be photographed. Great job guys!

Love this new double sided quilted fabric from

Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler! Make a quick but fabulous

tote bag, or a cute spring jacket!

Also...

luscious laminated fabrics in prints by Amy Butler,

Kaffe Fassett, and Heather Bailey.

Proms, weddings and celebrations are in the air and everyone's

looking for something to wear...

...we have beautiful silks

...and satins

and patterns by Vogue, Butterick and McCalls.

Lastly...

don't forget to pull on your "sneaks" and cheer on those

brave runners in the Boston Marathon monday.

See you in the store and...

Safe bouncing!

dance, dance, dance

2010-03-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, the arrival of spring makes me sooo super happy I could devote the entire blog to this.....
Instead, I'll share all the springy things going on around this old mill - which has seen quite a few springs by the way - since the civil war!

We are still entrenched in the felting craze here. Cute felted animals keep popping up and I don't know if it's because I recently lost my dog, but I am overly attached to these little guys. Seriously, look at this sheep's sweetie face. (Somewhere in "pup heaven" my dog Chester is rolling his eyes at me.)

Nancy Keyes gave a fabulous needle felting workshop
this past Saturday. Everyone seemed to get right into the groove of it,
producing some amazing felted bags. At the end, I pestered them all
into showing their work to me. Very nice!

We were looking for something "springy" to hang up
in the store...and POOF! just like that, a gorgeous wall
hanging appears - Thank you Nancy.
Kaffe Fassett's "Sprays", "Spots" and "Mirage Stripe" are the
perfect fabrics for this tribute to spring don't you think?

I love seeing the designs that emerge
when Kaffe's fabrics are re-arranged. It's always beautiful.

I am just a bit in love with this shawl on the cover
of this month's Vogue Knitting. Not that I'm a shawl person really,
but I occasionally have wistful thoughts of summer evenings on the Cote d'Azur.
Anyway, if you too have these Gatsbyesque fantasies and
the skill to create such a lovely work of art...we have the yarn:
Prima by Debbie Bliss
a beautiful light weight blend of bamboo and merino wool
Perfect for summer evenings.

Although neglected by this blog, we do have a fabulous
Home Decorating department which has lovely fabrics and
very talented people. Our Home Decorating manager Diane is one
of these super crafty types. She has recently been applying her
skills to wool applique. The bittersweet embroidered on top is what
I like best, sadly my photo doesn't do it justice.
The wool is hand-dyed by the-Fabulous-FMS-chick Joan McAnutlty.
I've spied Diane working on a spring themed piece too (bunnies!)
and will share when it's completed.

That's it for now...
Spring forth...and don't forget to dance!

Mary

xoxo!

2010-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

"We" may not have been blogging, but we have been busy.
Some of the latest projects going on around here...

Nancy Keyes is on a felting binge! Everyday she appears
with her latest felted project - we all
ooooh and aaaaah and wonder what will be next?
I'm particularly fond of the pudgy robin,
but they're all adorable. She's also felting handmade wool bags,
like the one below, and will be offering workshops on
felting techniques - the dates will be posted soon on our website.

And now for all the Hookers!

Joan McAnulty (rug hooker extraordinaire)
has been dyeing mounds of wool in preparation for
her rug hooking classes.

Yum!!

Cable Queen...
Nancy Baxter is making these insane (but gorgeous) socks.
The pattern is from Cookie A.

She's also just completed her "Great American Aran Afghan"

Lindell is still having fun with her Quiltsmart bag patterns, this time
with a chicken theme.
Cluck!

Check out Quiltsmart's SmartBag Tutorial

Lots of new fabrics are in the store too!
Here's a peek at a few of my fave's:

"Timber" by Jessica Levitt

Anna Maria Horner's new cotton voile collection: Little Folks
comes straight from fabric heaven... It is the most luxurious cotton!

Very cool new designs from Kokka!

sweet

Lots of Ella Rae fans here at the store.
Both classic wool and superwash come in fabulous colors.

Great patterns too!

...scrummy new stuff from Araucania
Coliumo Multy

That's all for the moment.
Hope to see you all in the store and...

Happy Valentines Day!

Mary

Handmade Holiday

2009-12-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday December 5th

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Celebrate the holiday season with us!

Local artisans will be offering unique and beautiful

handmade gifts, or choose from our extraordinary

selection of fabrics, yarns, ribbons and trimmings

to create your own handmade offerings.

www.franklinmillstore.com
.
Hope you will join us!

Boo!

2009-10-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again - lots of last minute desperados trying to figure out how to rig up monster-fairy-vampire-madhatter-spiderman-queen mum....costumes. We are always ready to help these folks and it's actually kind of fun. Last minute "costumers" are usually pretty easy to please, truth be told - "Wow, you can cut a cape out of felt!!!!", but every now and then there's a real challenge like rigging together a hooped skirt or finding the appropriate ingredients for a human Twinkie.
Good thing I have a college degree.

The toughest part about Halloween for me is that the next day I know I will wake up to Christmas music playing somewhere (probably Walgreens) and this will trigger a terrible panic in me. Every year - EVERY YEAR! I am not prepared for this to happen. I won't go on and on about this, but lets just say it's a glimpse into my dark side. Organized friends who know of my holiday ineptitude are always telling me "well just do something about it, make lists, get organized!!!"
I hate them.

But HA HA! I'm now going to tell you all to get crackin' with your holiday crafty gift makin'. Don't you love the irony?

I'll keep it simple for the moment and just share a few photos of groovy new things in the store. And when I've re-grouped from my post halloween shock I'll get back to you!

Love this new laminated fabric from Kokka!
(terrible photo of it, but trust me, it's cool)

Woodland Friends
by Ellen Crimi-Trent

I learned from a customer who has a pet hedgehog
(did you know this was possible??) that Norfolk Agricultural School
has a Hedgehog Festival!
cute, cute, cute
This is what the judges are looking for in a "showhog":

"The animals should be easy to play with,
and they should not be afraid.
As far as aesthetics are concerned, we look for form and flow.
The hedgehog should be almost "aerodynamic". The animal should be
shaped like a tear drop - a short, wide face with a filled out behind."

"Aerodynamic??!"
Gotta love it!

From those wonderful folk who bring us One Skein Wonders:

One More Skein!
The projects take a bit more time, but are still manageable.

Cookies!

Girl Scouts collection by Robert Kaufman.
yum, yum, yum

A small taste of new things rolling into the store:

Happy Halloween!

Mary

Red, Yellow.........Brown

2009-10-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Just three weeks ago I stepped out the front door
of the mill at closing time and encountered
the most perfectly crisp, blue, early evening sky.
The sunflowers FINALLY made it to full bloom and I thought:
"At last, the best part of summer has arrived!"
...and now it's gone.
I don't know why this always catches me off guard.
Could be a learning difference, but... probably just my need to deny
the inevitability of winter.
(Yes, winter does come every year after Fall).
The scenery IS beautiful though. The pond I pass on the way to
work each morning is my usual measure of the passing of the seasons.
The tiny little pale green leaves of springtime bringing the most
excitement for me, but the Autumn leaves are glorious too,
especially this year.

It's a very busy time of year here in the store.
Classes start up again: quilting, knitting, sewing,
rug hooking... a veritable frenzy of creativity.
New yarn and fabric collections are rolling in, which has
everyone here contemplating their next projects.

Foremost on the project lists are holiday gifts.
Although there are some who can "whip-up"
amazingly complex sweaters and quilts for everyone on
their lists, many of us (moi) are looking
for unique, quick and relatively easy things to make.
For those who need a little help getting the ball rolling
we'll be offering workshops to help. A few coming up:

Cute casserole carriers
to carry your sweet potatoes safely to Grandmother's house...

Aprons

Dress up your favorite chef.
Dog lovers, sports fans, polka dots, cupcakes...
makes cooking a lot more fun.

Check our website for workshop listings.

Don't forget to make something for yourself too.

Dorothy made us this fabulous outfit using
two of the new designer fabrics we have in the store.
Perfect for strolling about town on these crisp days!

More fun things...

...new patterns by our friend Jennifer at Sew Fun.
Brainy Baby Ball...

...and Grab n' Go Diaper Clutch.
Great gifts for newborns and new moms!

That's all for today.

Hope to see you in the store.

Mary

End Of Summer Sale

2009-09-14T08:41:00.001-07:00

summertime and the livin' is easy...

2009-07-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Not such a great summer for ball games and beaches, but not so bad for old mill buildings without artificial air. If we dared, we could almost be smug about our superior "green-ness", but we are not so foolish.

On to new things...

New colors from the aboriginal fabric people in Australia...

Designed with traditional aboriginal symbols, not only are they

beautiful to look at, they are preserving a rich story

telling tradition of the aborigine people.

Below are a few of the symbols found in their designs:

On a lighter note. . . for all the Lil' Princess' in the world

. . . from Michael Miller:

Very cute! Think princess p.j's, princess pillowcases, pinafores...

...ok, you get it.

New Amy Butler pattern:

Lydia made this Amy Butler mini dress/smock for us using

a beautiful cotton lawn fabric (not Amy's). Very summery and

easy to make. She says the pattern has impeccable instructions

and was very easy to follow.

Books to inspire:

These are a few of our favorites.

All have creative and relatively easy projects to follow. . .

so now's the time to get started on your handmade holiday gifts!

More fabric...

From one of the many fabulous designers at FreeSpirit -

Wildwood by Erin McMorris

We also have Erin's "Park Slope" collection.

Check out these Flickr photos to see some

of the amazing projects being made with her fabrics!

...and from Joel Dewberry - Deer Valley:

Also from FreeSpirit...

Jay McCarroll's (of Project Runway fame) Garden Friends

(Where's that wabbit?)

I love his bio on the FreeSpirit page:

Jay's Bio

For fans of Windham Fabric's "Paper Doll's"

our friend Lindell made the ultimate in adorable cuteness:

Lindell, once again, thank you so much for sharing with us!

Last but not least...

Diane made a tool belt for her son (a carpenter) using Alexander Henry's

"Heavy Equipment"

what can I say? (Diane!! ; )

Oh no! so many pictures, so few words...time to go.

See you in the store!

Mary

sweet little dress

2009-07-08T18:54:00.001-07:00

As promised: the dress Lydia made using Bari Ackerman's (Windham)

"Full Bloom" fabric and Tina Givens' "zig zag girl" pattern.

Super cute. Definitely a "smockish" sort of dress.

Plenty of room for swirling and tumbling about.

Itata by Araucania

I have been patiently waiting for this yarn to come in.

Arauncania's new sock/fingering weight yarn has beautiful

hand-dyed colors and is made with a wonderful blend of

superwash wool, silk, and bamboo.

New Books: Debbie Bliss

Just in, two new books from Debbie Bliss.

Both have lots of useful tips as well as fabulous patterns

and inspiring photos.

Bye for now!

Mary

Hello Sun!

2009-07-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it has become quite apparent lately that my grey cells

operate on solar power. So, now that things have brightened

up a bit and the synapses are synapsing...

time to share new things.

Japanese Fabrics

Heather Ross's latest collection

for Kokka is absolutely

gorgeous. This unique cotton

double gauze is incredibly soft

and breezy without being

transparent. Perfect for a

summer smock, dress or

very special baby's quilt.

Great new collection from Windham Fabrics:

Check out how fabulous this looks in a quilt and pillows:

New Tina Givens patterns:

Lydia is making the smock on the left using the Full Bloom fabrics.

It'll be up in the store soon, so come check it out!

We also have Tina's "Fairy Tip Toe" fabric collection

by " Free Spirit.

Helmet Liners

We've had a lot of requests lately for washable wool yarns.

Many of these requests were from people who are making helmut liners

for the troops. Ella Rae Superwash wool is perfect for this project

and it comes in the most fabulous colors.

Here are the links for more information and knitting

instructions for the liner:

Operation Helmut Liner

Helmet Knitting Instructions

No Sew Belts
(or headbands)

For those who want to make something, but insist they don't/can't sew,

the fabric gods invented Fabri-Tac.
I'm a huge fan. It's a permanent, quick drying adhesive

and works on most surfaces

(fabric, wood, leather, lace, suede, tile, felt, plaster, glass, trims, canvas, ribbons...)

Come in, we'll show you how to make a belt!

Noro

Lots of new "Silk Garden" colors in. We are loving this cute

summer sweater from the Noro Designer Mini Knits book.

Another fabulous creation by Lindell:

A very cute and practical casserole holder. Much better than putting

your potluck dish in a paper bag and letting it crash

around the back of your car (that would be me).

It's Kwik Sew pattern 1135.

Thanks for sharing Lindell!

Special Purchase Home Decorating Fabrics

As always, we have a great selection of home decorating remnants,

you'll never know what treasure you'll find.

At the moment we have some incredible silk pieces from Robert Allen.

Hurry, these won't last long!

Oh No! Here Comes the Rain AGAIN!!!

Mary

Doin' the June dance!

2009-05-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Just in:

Fab new Michael Miller collection, Lantern Bloom by
Laura Gunn. Laura is a painter and the daughter of Elinor Peace Bailey (another crafty chick) and her fabric looks remarkably like paintings. Yum!

Super groove new bags from Lantern Moon.

Perfect for taking your knitting project on the road.
Also makes an excellent beach bag.

Our friend Nancy Keyes stopped by last week and shared
her latest project with us:

Beautiful hooked bags. Wow!

Look what Lydia made for us:

Bubble Dress by oliver + s

Perfect for doin' the June dance in.

(Too bad they don't make them in my size!)

Another FMS peep, Christina, is preparing to transform this fantastic
Echino fabric into a bag.

I'll share when it's done.

New Noro!

Check out the colors:

Lots of beautiful new linens, lace, silks, and cottons too:

Cool little emergency sewing kit.
Perfect for the "newly released from parental care"
(college grads).

OK, I've run out of steam...but I'll be back soon!

Be well!

Mary

Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

Our friend and bookkeeper Marie

had a significant birthday last year
and ever since, she seems to have
developed a kind of birthday
celebration fever. Maybe it was
something in her cake?

At any rate, no one escapes these elaborately themed parties of hers, including Margaret (my sister) who is famously shy about her birthday. Yet there she was whacking away at her pinata. The tequila helped a bit I'm sure.

H appy

Birthday

Margaret!

Moving on... new things we love!

Check out this latest version of the "Bermuda Bag" (remember those?).
Ellen Medlock's "Interchangeable Bag" comes with the pattern,
easy instructions and the interchangeable purse frame.
The fabric is by Kaffe Fassett.

Very cool.

Recycling...

Janet comes into our store about once a month.
She takes her time, carefully searching for something special.
Like many who come into the store, she browses about for ideas.
Sometimes it's a beautiful silk or trim that gets the juices going.
This time it was ArtGirlz felt flowers which caught her eye
and when she returned on her next visit she brought in this bag.
An old velvet purse, a bit worn, was given new life.
She sewed white flowers on with black yarn, and black with white.
Voila, new bag!

a few more new things:

Great ceramic buttons.
Perfect for handbags, sweaters, coats...

More fairies!
Our co-worker Lydia put this panel together
for her granddaughter. You can't see them in this picture but
she decorated it with Swarovski crystals using a "bedazzler".
Niffty little tool and just a bit addictive.

I love this wool applique made by Joan.

The details are beautiful.
(The pattern is by Needle Love.)

Joan also dyes her own wool.

So many talented people around here.

Thanks for sharing!

Mary

April in Franklin

2009-04-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

New thing's at FMS...hooray!

Anna Maria Horner's new laminated fabrics are here.

The colors are incredibly vibrant and the cloth is

supple enough to make clothing with...or, a fantastic bag.

Fortunately for us, she has a pattern for that too,

the "Multi Tasker Tote". Works up well in fabric alone

or in combination with the laminated cloth.

We also have her new skirt pattern. Pretty cute.

Super snazz from Art Gallery Fabrics:

Oh My!

fairies

Fabulous fairies from Michael Miller.

Makes you want to create a whole fairy themed

room for someone special.

Also new from MM:

Carnival Bloom in corduroy!

and...

"we are siamese if you please" cats!

Look what our friend Lindel made!

It's Mr. & Mrs. Bambi courtesy of Moda,

all done up in a cute little QuiltSmart tote. Of course

Lindel made it even more cute by quilting it.

Thank you Lindel!

All right, what else...

hmmmnnnn...

Can you say Silk Charmeuse?

The silver grey charmeuse would look fabulous in your

own version of this Ralph Lauren gown.

Yarn...

Great new yarn from Tahki-Stacy Charles:

Maya

or make an elegant spring wrap

in this Silky Alpaca Lace from Classic Elite

Beautiful new jacquard ribbons from Renaissance Ribbons:

New Japanese fabrics from echino:

Last but definitely not least,

Bunnies & Chicks!

(I love these guys)

Bring some spring into the life of someone you love.

Be Well!

Mary

Aloha! Snowmen, women and children!

2009-02-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

I am only just now digging myself out of my igloo. Haven't seen my shadow yet though and they say snow's comin' again. So quickly, before I turn into a frozen pumpkin, I'm going to share a few new things at the Mill...and then some.

Anna Maria Horner's new collection has just come in

and I love, love, love it!

Even more exciting, those AMH peeps have made a fantastic

laminated fabric with two of these prints, not here yet, but soon.

These will definitely bring a warm glow to my igloo.

Her new book "Seams To Me" has all sorts of groovy projects

to keep you busy until Spring

Sweet, funny little owls from Alexander Henry

Also from Alexander Henry:

(Bambi on acid)

My son just sent me a link to the coolest site:

folkstreams.net

It's a national preserve of documentary films about

American Roots Cultures.

If you're into that sort of thing, you will love this site.

I just watched a short film called:

Anything I Can Catch: The Handfishing Story

All I can say is: Wow.

Check it out.

Aloha!

mary

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

We have the greatest people who come into our store looking for things to create. Fortunately for us some are willing to share their creations. It's always very inspiring.
Our friend Katie, who is one of Patti Barnatt's sewing students, is a relatively new sewer who has done amazing things. One of the nicest aspects of Katie's sewing story is that she inherited her sewing machines from her grandmother and is now carrying on with the sewing tradition.

She made this dress to wear to a wedding and it is just amazing! ( My photos don't do it justice.) The main patterned fabric is "Feeling Groovy" by Michael Miller. Perfect.

Her bag is a testament to the merging of the two generations. The retro floral on the bottom is from Katie's Grandmother's stash. She then added a modern flair with the Alexander Henry dots on the top band which is what makes this bag work. Funky, modern and hip.

The pattern for the bag is Amy Butler's "Frenchy Bag".

Next to share:

Our friend Lynn made gorgeous wool applique Christmas stockings for her children and grandchildren...

Sweet Aprons...

Another customer, inspired by the patterns in the book "A is For Apron" made the cutest aprons as gifts for her sisters:

Sexy Aprons...

And if you're not the "girl next door" type, how about this bewitching number...

made by our friend Joan.

Last but not least:

One of Joan's sewing students, Devin, made this quilt which she has titled: "The Magical, Mythical World Around Us". Fantastic quilt Devin!

Thank you everyone for sharing your creations!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Mary

Hey! What Happened to Summer???

2008-10-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Oh well,
I love fall too.
and...
I'm really lovin' these
new Alexander Henry
sewing themed fabrics.
If you are lucky enough
to have a Sewing Room,
you could make cute little
curtains for it. Or how
cool would a shirt be
out of this stuff?

Also very, very cute:
This little car pattern from AH. So MOD London!

And...
for the big kids:

This fabric can be stretched on a canvas to hang

in your favorite car lovin' person's office or play room.

Great gift.

Speaking of gifts,
we just got these super stylin'
knitting bags and needle cases from NAMASTE.
All of our knitters are coveting them!

Last but not least,
great new Amy Butler collection has arrived:

Daisy Chain

Need I say more?

Mary

Fireman's Friend

2008-08-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

We were noticing our firemen were lookin'

a bit down-in-the-mouth,

so, we found them some friends.

Hooray, everyone's happy again!

We are making a "saucy" apron

with these vixens by Alexander Henry.

Maybe even His and Her aprons

would be in order. Hmmmmnn...

Sock-it-to-me

Yikes!

There's this crazy

thing going on

these days in the

knitting world.

Happy Choices Sock Blanks by Plymouth Yarns.

What the heck is this? you may ask.

Well, Plymouth has put together a flat length of colorfully dyed,

machine knitted fabric which you unknit into a pair

of very groovy socks. The choice being: "Do I finish the ends and

wear it as a scarf, or do I knit a pair of socks?"

Of course, you make the socks!

So, be the first to be sitting on the train going to work with

a scarf round your neck magically unraveling into a pair of socks.

And when everyone asks:

"how-kin-ah-git-me-some-o-that-groovy-action?"

send them to the Franklin Mill Store.

New Friend!

We have the coolest new friend here at FMS.

I first met Karen when I noticed the spiffy pants she

was wearing and proceeded to barrage her with questions about them.

She used the

Indygo Junction

Artisan Pant pattern.

I have to admit that

when I've looked at

these patterns in

the past they

haven't inspired me.

I obviously, inaccurately, judged a "book" by it's cover.

These pants are great! Very flattering, fully cut, "flowey" legs.

Not at all frumpy. Also, very easy to make. There are two styles

to choose from, one with a side slit in the bottom panel and the

other with an inverted pleat in the front and back. They both look great.

Karen has been in with 3 editions thus far, two in Kaffe Fasset fabrics

and an extremely elegant affair in one of our couture fabrics.

The photos above don't do these pants justice.

You'll just have to try them for yourself.

... with a little help from my friends

2008-07-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

About six months ago our friend Lindell introduced us to

the cell phone bag kits by Quiltsmart. THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN!

and so easy to make. It's best to buy the kit first, which includes

instructions, pre-printed fusible interfacing for 3 bags, and cording

for the straps. Once you get the gist of it, you can buy the interfacing

by the sheet without the kit. Probably the most fun about making

these bags is embellishing them.

Add buttons, bedazzle them with crystals . . . oooo la la!

Quiltsmart also has a tote bag interfacing with which Lindell made us

an adorable bag using fabric from the new 4th o' July collection

by Marcus Brothers .

Thank you Lindell!

Check out these new fabrics from Michael Miller and Robert Kaufman!

Adorable kitties, cupcakes, camo, and colorful dots:

Perhaps it's a bit perverse to mention at this time of year, but...

we also just got these really cute retro Christmas

and Halloween fabrics by Alexander Henry.

I promised a while back to show you the Oliver + S

tunic and skirt Joan was making. I wish I had a better photo,

but it is on display in the store, so come in and have a look.

Last but not least, our friend Karen R. loaned us this

cute little sweater she made from one of the new

Sirdar kids patterns.

If you see it, you'll have to make it.

Thank you Karen!

and thank you all!

bye for now...

Mary

June surely did bust out!

2008-06-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Whew! What an inferno of a start to summer '08.

The current cooler temp is so beautiful, I just had to do

a little dance (in my head), which then made me feel like

sharing cooling thoughts with y'all.

Kaffe Fassett's newest collection of fabric is just sooooo beautiful.

Vibrant, saturated colors, splashed about in bold, playful patterns.

If you don't know about Kaffe, he is one cool cat.

Raised in Big Sur, CA by artists,

he was destined to become one

himself. He started as a knitter,

but soon his talent for design

and color were sought by the

quilting world. So, lucky us on two counts!

We have his latest quilting and knitting pattern books, as well

as his fabrics. Come see them and be inspired!

Yet another multi-talented designer...

Anna Griffin has a new

fabric collection which

just SHOUTS

summer-by-the-sea.

So, even if you don't

have a cottage

in the Hamptons,

you can pretend. Make a bag,

spruce up your guest room or

porch with a few summery pillows.

It will make everything cooler!

Snazz one and snazz two...

"If-I-were-a-supermodel"

(sung to the tune of:

If I had a million dollars)

OK, so we have these most

super snazz fabrics by

Dolce & Gabbana,

in the silkiest, softest

lightweight lycra and...

if I were blah, blah, etc...

...I would make myself a wrap dress.

Our supermodelish friend Krista is making herself a dress.

We will be jealous, but proud.

Mary

Hats, Chapeaux, 帽子!

2008-05-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

It's a movement! Hats galore here at FMS. It all started with

our friend June buying up all sorts of groovy fabric and trims,

and I of course had to know "What're y'up too?"

Hats!

June sells her hats on Etsy. Check out her shop:

www.JunieShop.etsy.com

And then...

our friend Joan made a super cute kiddo hat with this

soldier print by the Japanese fabric company: Kokka.

Way to go Joan!

and then...

Joan's student Katie made this incredibly awesome hat

with an Echino fabric. Hard to believe it was made with

this Vogue pattern.

Just goes to show what a really groovy fabric

can do for your projects (that and Katie's talent).

While we're on this subject of hats, thought I'd throw in

a few more for contemplation. All images courtesy of:

Harlem's Heaven Boutique.

Power Hat!

Black Hat (my fave)

or Pink?

Church Hat

(amen to that!)

Mary

I was abducted by aliens ? ? ?

2008-05-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog. What can I say?

Anyway, raring to go. Lots-o-great-stuff to share.

First:

Our Oliver + S trunk show was a great success. Now everyone realizes

these are patterns for children's clothing and NOT paper dolls.

If you missed the show, not to worry, our super talented friend Joan is

making the Swingset Tunic and Skirt for the store in the

most groovy fabric.

The cute

pink print is

a Japanese

fabric by

Lecien

and the dot

from

Alexander Henry.

I'll share it with you as soon as it's ready. Go Joan, go!!!

Next:

Super fresh buttons.

Great for handbags, sweaters, all kinds of crafts. Irresistible!

More Greyson E

handcrafted bag handles in the yummiest of colors:

and, and, and...

Michael Miller organic fabrics are here!

These fabrics are especially nice for making clothing, bedcovers

and soft toys for children. Make an organic bathrobe or softie

toy for someone, it's a nice way to start a new life,

both earth and people friendly.

Yoko Saito

If you've bumped into me in the store within the last few months,

I may have enthused you into a tour of all of my favorite Japanese

things (fabrics and books) and probably mentioned one of my

favorite Japanese fabric designers: Yoko Saito.

Most of her pattern books are written in Japanese,

which is a bit overwhelming for some to consider doing a project

from. However, they are well worth

looking at just for the pleasure of seeing her creations.

We also have many pieces from her new fabric collection

which she has named: "My Favorite Collection".

That's a pretty good hint.

Below are a few examples of things made with her taupe fabrics.

These photos don't do justice to her work so you'll have to look her up

on the web, or better still, come in and check out her books in our store.

Yarn hat...

Ok, I'm not the best person to be writing about our yarn department,

but I am very happy to share what I think is some fun goin' on in yarns.

New Noro!

New colors and pattern books:

The absoluteliest cutest:

New yarns and patterns by Sirdar. The pattern above is in Snuggly DK.

Lots of new goodies from Debbie Bliss and Sublime too:

Clearly I was banking on a picture (or two) being worth

a thousand words. There is so much more I could share with you. . .

but I won't ( I know - thank goodness!).

Mary

oooo la la new ribbons!

2008-03-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Beautiful new ribbons are in. Think belts, headbands,

embellishing bags, clothing, window treatments,

pillows, Easter bonnets...

Also, more Japanese craft books:

This book from Yoko Saito has the most beautiful things.

She uses her taupe fabrics to create adorable bags.

Yes, these books are in japanese, but there are

extremely detailed illustrated instructions.

This one has patterns in the back of the book as well.

This book features projects made with Kaffe Fassett's fabrics.

It's just beautiful!

more cute...

Check these guys out!

Bubu & Pupu

Make a bag, kid's backpack,

jacket, dress, hat, just use your imagination.

It doesn't take much with fabric like this.

more japanese fabrics...

Spring's coming!

These bunnies, chicks, eggs and nests make great

table decorations for the holiday.

bye for now

Mary

Knitting 911

2008-03-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

Having trouble with that cable or can't quite get yourself

to sit down and finish those socks? This is the perfect forum

for sharing ideas, encouraging each other with projects and life.

Knitting 911 will take place the 2nd Thursday evening of

each month from 7:00 - 9:00pm beginning March 13th.

The group will be guided by the fabulous Jen P., very handy with

the knitting needles and knows how to have fun to boot.

A "drop in" fee of $5.00 is suggested. All drop in fees will be

donated to The Home For Little Wanderers

Refreshments will be served. Hope you can join us.

Just got in more of the scrumptious Twinkles Chunky Yarn.

The book of patterns: Twinkles Big City Knits, by Wenlan

has the most fabulous, fun, fresh, and feminine knits

with LOTS of texture. Love that.

Our friend Nancy Baxter made the cutest hat

from one of Wenlan's patterns:

And I l-o-v-e the sweaters.

If you've made one, please stop by and show off.

We are big show and tell fans here.

And another thing...

I've been been getting a good deal of ribbing

from my so called "friends" here about this feisty firemen

print I recently purchased. Well, too bad for them if

they don't know F-U-N when they see it! I made a

wine bottle gift bag for my friend Karen and she

loved it. The sky's the limit with the fun you can have

(think 40th birthday presents. Or 20, 30, 50, 60, 100...).

So that's it.

Whew, I'm beat!

Mary

Sharing

2008-03-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Just browsing through one of my mostest favoritest places on the web:

New York Public Library Digital Gallery

It took some serious introspection on my part to decide to share this.

I'm just a tad covetous of it. But lucky you, I'm having one of those

"Pay It Forward" moments. And besides, this is too huge not to share.

So many beautiful images!

For example,

today while

browsing

through the

collections

in search of

Easter/Spring

themed images

I found these

great eggs

(Martha would be jealous)!

And how about these spiffy Easter shoes?

I'm thinkin' Manolo

and Jimmy know about

this site too.

Here's a beautiful seed advertisement:

And a rather sinister one...

I think The Wolf

just caught

Red Riding Hood

"red handed"

harvesting poppy

seeds. Maybe

everyone doesn't

see it that way?

Still, much better

than the wolf

eating the Grandmother, hmmm???

Last but not least, one for the guys (Are there any guys who read this?).

Thank you New York Public Library!

Enjoy All!

Mary

Warm fuzzies

2008-02-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Well, very sad day here in New England.

So, let's talk about toys instead of those

Patriots. This little guy here on the left,

for example, Dossy Bunny. I love

the names Steiff gives

their plush. He's got a

sweet little pal Sissy Piglet (just below).

Great spirit lifters.

A few months back I called Steiff looking

for the Hedgehogs I had ordered.

I was told they were in the warehouse

waiting to have their ears buttoned.

How cute is that?

Who else do we love???

eeboo!

Great company! Beautifully crafted

learning toys for kids.

Need to brush up on

your manners, or

maybe learn a little French

on the drive to Grandmaman's?

Take these flash cards along,

the whole family might

learn something.

A few more of the great toys we have here...

Mudpuppy's, Penelope Peapod,

Melissa and Doug, Folkmanis and more...

Chins Up!

Mary

New Patterns

2008-02-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Coming soon!

"Bubble Dress" by Oliver and S.

Ne plus ultra patterns for kids who lunch.

I'm really excited about these patterns

from this creative new studio. They'll

be in the store any moment now,

just couldn't keep it to myself a minute

longer, plus, it's February and I needed

some excitement.

Everything Amy

Yet another thing to look forward to...

Amy Butler's new collection!

A fantastically designed

group of fabrics combining

floral and geometric patterns

in fresh modern colors.

Coming out in April!

We've stocked up on all of

Amy's patterns too.

So, ready, set, Spring!

bye for now,

Mary

Japanese Fabric

2008-01-26T13:31:00.001-08:00

These little piggies should NEVER go to the market! Much too cute.

Beautiful heavyweight cotton/linen fabrics just arrived from Japan would make great bags, cushion covers, jackets or little Euro style kids pants (with big pockets). We have several super cute motifs, you just have to see them to appreciate the quality of the cloth and printed designs.

Hmmnn, what else...

Knitter supreme, Karen Wheeler just made the coolest beaded scarf (it's all the rage, doncha know?). She will be offering two - 3 hour workshops in March for those clever folks who may be interested in learning how to make it. Dates will be posted soon on our website.

Not to be left out of the action, our Home Decorating
department has some groove goin' on too.
New fabrics from Alexander Henry and Amy Butler.
Colors and patterns snazzy enough to shake you
out of your January funk.

That's all for now.
Stay warm!

Mary

wintersalewintersalewintersale!

2007-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

It's a Wrap! Part II

2007-12-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

"No sew" at it's chicest!

I promise, this is the last Furoshiki video.

(Hmmm...what's the emoticon for fingers

crossed behind one's back?)

adiosu,

Mary

It's a wrap!

2007-12-16T18:49:00.001-08:00

OK, I admit it. I am totally enamored with all things Japanese. Fabrics, books and now...
Furoshiki!
This ancient art of fabric folding is seeing a resurgence as part of the green movement in Japan. There's even a cute video on YouTube demonstrating stylish ways to use folded fabric. Check it out.

We've got lovely Japanese

books and fabrics in the store at the moment.

The quality of the cloth and the printing

is extraordinary. The books are filled with beautiful

images of whimsically creative, yet meticulously crafted items.

I've had a few people exclaim to me "but they're in Japanese!".

Not to worry, they are all precisely illustrated with easy to follow diagrams.

Last but not least I'd like to thank all who participated in our Handmade Holiday. It's always a scramble for me to put together these gigs, but with a little help from my friends, we were able to pull off a fantastically crafty event. Whew! Thanks all!!

Mary

Handmade Holiday

2007-12-04T19:27:00.001-08:00

Last minute par d'habitude...

Would have been better if I finished our website in a day,

but my superhuman cape was eaten by my dog.

Looks like I'll have to announce our

Handmade Holiday/Open House (extravaganza) on my blog.

Yeah! for blogs.

Here it goes:
Sunday December 9th
Noon - 5:00 PM

Celebrate the holiday season with us. Local artisans will be offering unique and beautiful handmade gifts. Sewing, knitting and craft demonstrations will be given throughout the day. Refreshments served.

Hope to see you there!

Mary

Quilt Market

2007-11-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

Just back from my first visit to Quilt Market

in Houston,TX.

They actually tried to get us to wear

"First Time at Quilt Market"

blue ribbons on our chests.

We carefully filed them

in our souvenir compartment (trash barrel).

First day we did a quick scanning of the joint.

Lots of oooing and ahhing on my part (1st timer).

My QM companion Joan McAnulty tried her best to keep us on task

and focused. She was also very useful explaining all the intricacies of the quilting world to me.

I'm thinking: "WoW! look at these groovy buttons!"

and Joan's saying: "Look at this lovely batting".

So, we were an excellent team in that respect. The best part of course was the fabric.

I finally got to meet my newly found vendor of the Japanese fabrics I love (Kokka etc.)

Also, lots of fabric world celebs (Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Heather Ross).

Alexander Henry has put out a new Home Dec line. Oooooo I just love Alexander Henry!

Looks like we'll be seeing more Home Dec collections from some of the other designers too.

Nothing new from Amy Butler fabric-wise, but she has new patterns which are,

of course, GREAT. Last, but not least, was the enormous quilt gallery. Hundreds of quilts

from all around the world. One of my favorites was an art quilt by Linda Gass.

She made a triptych of an aeriel view of San Francisco Bay, done in bold greens and reds.

The effect was stunning.

So, I may not be a quilter, but I am a fan.

Good trip,

Thanks Joan!

Mary