I found this bookshelf at the Salvation Army on Wednesday, which just happens to be 30% off day for furniture. Solid and sturdy, got it home and look on the back~ It's been signed by the maker, even has his phone number! If it was good enough for the maker to sign it, I should treat it with the respect it deserves! I want to make a dry bar for the sunroom to match these two pieces of furniture:

Which were not purchased together, nor do they match exactly. So to cover the back of the bookcase with something similar would work, don't ya think?

I shopped for some paintable wallpaper with a basketweave texture. The texture is too small and it runs up and down as opposed to diagonal. No prob, I'll just paste it on diagonally. A couple of small pieces of trim and I'm off!
I paint a solid coat of yellow ochre.Then a 'wash' of raw sienna, blending it in while the yellow ochre is still damp.

After a coat of varnish I paint a coat of burnt umber, then use a damp sponge to pull most of it back off, leaving the dark brown in the cracks and crevices of the basketweave.

I want it to look old and worn so this part is very uneven. Another nice coat of varnish. Paint the trim to match the shelf. The hardest part for me is to wait for each stage to dry, I'm so impatient!

Add the trim and a baseboard at the bottom.
Stock it with drinks and mixers and music and... Wall-AH! A dry bar! (without alcohol, I do have teenagers, ya know!)

Very pretty.

Sarasota

I went to Sarasota, Florida to the Friendship Knot Quilt Guild and taught this class, the bleach discharge class and presented my 'clothesline' trunkshow. I have been through Sarasota, but never stopped there to take a look around. What a beautiful little city! Very chic, sophisticated and (my favorite) artsy. It didn't hurt that I got a driving tour of the area with my hostess, Ellen Simon, who just happens to be chic, sophisticated and artsy!

I came to her shop on my last day. I wish I had taken the time to go there first! I fell in love! The Coastal Quilter is located in the "Village of the Arts" in Bradenton, FL, in a little cottage on a quiet street.

As you can see, it's more gallery than shop. As you come into what was once the main living area the long arm quilter takes up much of the space on the right. But that leaves all that wall space for art quilts!

The small fireplace and mantle on the left are covered with several different mediums, including pottery from Ellen's husband, Len. This picture was taken after I purchased 3 fabulous pieces of that lovely pottery! The dark green and purple piece in the foreground is one of Ellen's pieces made with beautiful silk ties. She also has some nice easy piecing patterns called 'Simple Simon'. Very clever.
This is one of Len's first fiber art pieces. I like it!

I also partook of some of the lovely fabrics the Coastal Quilter has to offer, some banana colored batik, and a couple of nice greens. I would highly recommend a visit if you are in the area, such a wonderful shop.

The 'real' Crandall Pasture

(Photos stolen, err...courtesy of Lee Parker)
Just before you get to the Georgia state line there is a place called Crandall Pasture. My Granddad brought his family here in 1944. Grannie had a general store at corner of Crandall road and US17, way before Interstate 95 ever came through. Parker Road now begins at that same intersection.

When Daddy and Mama got married they lived in this little house until they built their own. It had one room plus a bathroom. The kitchen was in the back and the bed/living area in the front. My uncle still uses it to house an old tractor and some lumber.

Almost all of my nature and landscape quilts are inspired by Crandall Pasture. If you saw the quilt I had in the Florida Museum of Natural History you might think these photos pretty familiar.

This cedar tree right beside the boat ramp might still have my initials carved into it's trunk.

This nice flat cleared spot was once a very long time ago part of the town of Crandall. It had a general store, church and school, a sawmill and post office. Here's one of the nicer houses (taken from one of my favorite local history books).

And here's one that I remember, Preston Nix was a friend of my Dad's.

Another trailhead, this one headed into McQueen's Swamp.

Hope you've enjoyed the virtual tour. These pictures can't even come close to the real beauty of Crandall Pasture for me. That may be because I have a lifetime of memories that accompany me through every trail and down every road.