A Colorful Day at the Farmers' Market

We went to the farmers' market last Saturday to get some Red Wagon Creamery ice cream http://www.redwagoncreamery.com/# (the Salted Milk Caramel is the best and don't let anyone tell you otherwise).  We hadn't planned to stay but all of the color reminded me of being in the fabric store.  It started with the radishes.

Then there were piles of gorgeous, sweet, fresh carrots....

not to mention the first sweet, juicy, Oregon grown strawberries.

It inspired me to keep my camera out and see what was really going on around me  that morning.  Any one of these images could be a wonderful quilt or a stitched postcard.  This lady was making Dakota black kerneled popcorn.  Ayla and her friend Saeda found her by the smell.  Notice her hiding behind the popcorn maker.

 

I have always wondered if you could get a beignet in Oregon and if it would be anything like in New Orleans.  I think the experience is in the place, not just the food.  It's like why sourdough bread doesn't taste the same anywhere else as it does in places like Seattle or San Francisco.

Next week I am going to make artist trading cards using these images so watch to see them again!  And do go enjoy your local farmers' market.  Think globally, eat locally!

In love with cuffs!

There is either time to sew or time to blog and I know which I would prefer but I have to share my latest passion.  My attention defecit disorder serves me well as an arty grrl.  This week I decided to finally make these layered fabric cuffs that I found in a Quilting Arts magazine.  It was one of those Gift ones that they do every Winter.  I have had the pages floating around for at least six months now and I came across them on the balcony the other night and started then and there.

I took at least four fabrics with complimentary colors but different textures and tore them (crtitical for the look I wanted) into strips.  The bottom strip has to be the biggest and the softest.  I don't know about you but I don't want burlap rubbing up against my skin all day.  That's right, burlap.  I used oilcloth, burlap, old linen napkins, Indian cottons, mesh, lace, wool felt, you get the idea.  I had to play with each one until I got it right.  Then I sewed on Sew-On Snaps in black from my neighborhood fabric store.  Well, that's a lie.  There is no longer such a thing as the neighborhood fabric store but you get the point.  I know I could have come up with some really cool closure but I wanted to wear it right now!

I loved the first one so much I made 4 the first night.  After it was done I thought it was missing something so I took this great leather that I had gotten at Mecca, which is a local materials exchange for artists in Eugene, and I sewed it on too.  MECCA is all used supplies waiting to be repurposed.  I am happy , happy , happy.