Dreaming

I was in Iowa last week at the amazingly fabulous Eastern Iowa Heirloom Quilters' show. Before the festivities started I spent half a day in the Amana Colonies. 

Historic buildings, lovely gardens, lots of Iowa corn fields and beautiful never-ending skies.

Something happened at Fern Hill, a shop that combines architectural antiques and quilt stuff.

Can you say heaven!?

I fell in love. 

I know, I know. Most people don't automatically start having heart palpitations when they walk into a basement full of crumbling bits of old buildings,

but I do.

Oh YES I do.

I would put this entire arrangement on my wall. Little bits of gates. Hmm.

Wouldn't it be amazingly cool to fill up a whole garden fence with a collage of iron fence bits?

And then... this amazing bank of drawers shot a comet sized, rare earth magnet straight to my heart.

Look at all those drawers... and I have stuff to go in every last one of them. Every. Last. One!

Measuring to see if it will fit in my suitcase. Or in my front door. 

Realizing, as the marvel is built all in one piece, that even if I get it into the house, I can't get it around the corner and up the stairs to my studio's new home. Help. The owner said her son, with a truck, is driving to Raleigh in October. I've had three dreams about this hardware store chest in the past week. Somebody help me. Please. I think I might waste away for the longing of it.

for Your Inspiration: More Old Things

 More heart stopping little chests full of small drawers, and lovely, odd, compositions.

For Your Inspiration: Old Things

Recently I had the opportunity to spend an hour browsing an antique store.

It's been years since I had the time to do so. 

I was out of town for a child's audition and didn't feel like doing the work I brought with me. 

What wonder and discovery.

Wow. They truly don't make toys like they used to.

 Can you imagine how beautiful this once was (and still is!?)

I love utilitarian objects that are works of art. A bucket of beauty.

Butter molds and miniatures. Surely made by hand. The time that went in to the making.....

 

Am I the only one who's heart literally races when I see cabinets with tons of little drawers?

I'm serious here - if any of you attend flea markets or estate sales - could you please be my personal shopper? I couldn't afford any of the price tags here.

How could I not fall in love with this. I am, after all, still a quilter.

In Paducah - still....

Weather isn't always kind to air travelers. Our little puddle jumper from Paducah to Chicago was delayed (and delayed and delayed) because of all the nasty weathery mess up there and down here and all around the country. After a quick consultation with "Mr. Mom" at home I volunteered to be one of the four passengers they needed to bump so that they could take on extra fuel to spend extra time circling up there. So here I sit in a paid hotel for an extra night or two instead of stuck in the airport up there waiting to see if my late night flight would be delayed or canceled.

So here are some more of my photos from Paducah.