Happy Halloween! I love this holiday, just a fun day for kids (and big kids) with no gifts to buy. I only wish my grand kids were here to help celebrate the holiday.I had to show you this pumpkin I bought. It looks like it's a cross between a pumpkin and a cantaloupe. I think it looks like its covered with lace everyone else thinks warts.

Again this year a group of the top floral artist from all over the Midwest gathered and created floral art at one of the designers home. The theme this year was "Floral Art - Museum Inspirations", with over 30 exhibits through the candle lit trail in the woods. This is open to the public with the entrance fees going to charity. This gazebo is the entrance of the walk. I love it and want to build one in my back yard.

This is a beautiful hand made cement bird bath set on a old tree stump. The following pictures are a few of the exhibits inspired by the great masters in the art world.

Along the creek was this exhibit inspired by the artist Andy Goldsworthy (1956-). A British artist that collaborates with nature to make his creations. Works with twigs, leaves, stones, reeds etc.

Guiseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) An Italian painter best known for creating portrait heads of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, books.

Ford Smith (current). Introduced to painting at age 12 by elderly Japanese painter. He paints primarily landscapes.

The floral artist who lives here designs and creates twig sculptures through out the woods.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Spanish born but lived in France. He formed a style known as "cubism". His works reflect crisis and conflicts in symbolic terms.

Alphonse Maria Mucha (1860-1939). of Moravia. Czech art Nouveau painter and decorative artist known for his images of women.

I believe everything is natural (no fabric etc. only some wire).

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). A Russian artist is considered the original abstract painter (painting has no recognizable subject).

Peter Max (1937-) Born in Berlin. A multi-dimensional artist who works with oils, acrylics, water colors, dyes, charcoal.

Tiffany (1848-1933) Developed the Tiffany glass and with colored glass made vases, cigarette boxes, lampshades, and tile for walls and floor. This "lamp shade" had bit of colored glass worked in. It was beautiful hanging in the tree tops.

Edgar Degas (1834-1917) French impressionist paintings of ballet dancers and other performers. He sold his paintings for a respectable sum.
There were many, many more wonderful exhibits along with homemade cookies, coffee, cider and other treats. If you'd like to know more, this is their web site www.naturescreativeedge.com.

Next week I'm leaving with my girlfriends for a week of quilting at our yearly retreat on beautiful Lake Michigan. I'll see you Nov. 10 with lots of "show and tell".

Home from Florida

We've been back home from Florid for about a week, I've been so busy at work (where I do all my blogging) I haven't had time to blog! I guess that's a good problem to have.

I did finish all their new full size "sports " quilts, I did the hand work on the bindings while on the ride down and finished the last one while they were in school. Here they are with their new quilts, big brothers I made a couple of years ago is on his bed. Hopefully I have everyone set until they graduate from high school!

As soon as mom and dad left on their vacation we got out all of the Halloween decorations. The quilt on the left is a wall hanging I made for them a couple of years ago but the twin thinks it's his bed quilt and sleeps with it every night. Their watching TV as I took the picture.

The littlest one loved this Halloween kitty.

We went to visit all the neighbors decorations. Big brother played football with the neighbors, he's growing up.

The littlest one didn't quite understand this scarecrow.

It was 94 degrees when we got there and very high humidity we spent a lot of time in the pool. The youngest loved the shop vac and was so funny vacuuming with his swimming gear on. He is such a character, he could have his own cartoon show.

Very seldom am I awake at sunrise but on the ride home we start early. This was a beautiful sunrise over a farmers field with hundreds of wind turbines.

Earlier in the summer I dyed with this bright red hibiscus flower and wanted to share the pictures with you. I picked a bag full of the blossoms discarding any green parts.

Simmered them in a pot of water until the petals turned clear, you could see all the color came out of them and the water became like jello. Added my fabric and let it simmer an hour, left it cool overnight. The fabric was purple when I took it out, I tried to keep it but as it hit the air and I washed it, it turned a gray shade. Half of the fabrics I did a after rinse with a little vinegar which made it a truer gray and the other half a added a little ammonia to the rinse water and got this beautiful green.

This picture does not do the color any justice, they are different dark greens from different batches of the flowers.

Row by Row Quilt

One of the quilt bees I belong to are having a "row by row" quilt exchange this year. We started by making our own first row. We then met and exchanged them. Next Sept. we will get our own back with an additional 5 rows and lattice strips added from each bee member.

I have been collecting Halloween fabrics for years always planning on making myself a quilt. This was the perfect time to finally get my "ultimate" Halloween quilt made. This is my row I passed on with a lot of other fabrics they can use. We exchange rows every 2 months. You won't see yours until next Sept. A close up of a great fabric by Alexander Henry.

An old traditional piecing pattern called spider web, I embroidered in the spider.

Laura with a snowman themed row.

Close up.

Joni's row by row, goes with her living room.

Close up.

Cathy's black and white with a spark of tropical color.

Close up.

Jody's row by row, goes in her living room.

Close up.

Jamie's row by row with Christmas theme fabrics.

Close up.

My husband and I are leaving for Florida to babysit our grandsons for a week. Living in Michigan it is peak apple, squash and pumpkin time. I went to the farmers market today and stocked up on the produce to bring to the kids. I also finished the little ones "sports" quilts and have them packed in the car. By the time I finish packing I hope hubby and I will fit in.