A few weeks ago I took you along with me to Iron River, MI. In that post I mentioned that I would be returning to teach at a quilt show in the UP in October. The Wild Rivers Quilt Guild is putting on the show, and here’s the link for anyone who is interested: https://wildriversquiltguild.org/quilt-show/.
It’s going to be a wonderful show. Maybe I’ll see some of you there!
And now for something completely different 😁:
While in the Scottish Islands last May I picked up some shells along the shore of the North Sea. They were a pretty periwinkle blue and I later found out they were simply mussel shells.
One of them was especially interesting. It had a hole in it and it looked like something had been growing on it. I did a bit of online searching and I think it’s some sort of barnacle. Whatever it is, I found it fascinating and decided to put a cord through it and wear it as a necklace that might spark some fun conversation. Before I could do that I needed to coat it with a clear finish. This caused the blue areas to darken in an interesting way. Now to thread a cord through the hole and wear it!
Working with a shell I picked up while traveling took me back to a necklace made from a rock I picked up in Rostock, Germany in 2014.
This took place while on our Sew We Go cruise on the Baltic Sea . During a walking tour through the city our guide showed us some local rocks that had natural holes in them. She recommended we each take one and even had the strings to make the necklaces.
From there we went to the Blaudruck and Handdruck shop ~ and it was a memorable visit. I wrote a post about our visit and the dear man who didn’t speak a word of English, yet demonstrated his craft beautifully while making us all laugh.
His name is Reinhardt Haase, and this is his family’s shop (please click here to read the post).
Do you have any jewelry you’ve made from found rocks, shells, or ??? Please email me photos at
And then… Mike and I recently attended the:
We like to go every year and it is a very classy show with some unique and creative artists. I found two of them particularly interesting. Stacey Stewartson is a leather mosaic artist from Milwaukee.
She told us that she cuts her leather pieces using a rotary cutter and ruler – and then glues them to a base. She uses value well, and her work is beautiful.
Click here to visit Stacey’s website!
The next booth that intrigued me was filled with fascinating weavings by another local artist named Julia Keuler.
What really attracted me to her work was that she leaves areas open with the warp threads showing so that the wall behind is visible. It reminded me of my Crossings quilts where the different parts of my quilts are held together with beads, buttons, etc., and the wall can be seen through the gaps. Her pieces are finished with the base threads as part of the design. Some are woven into frames while others are on the looms she creates to weave them.
I couldn’t help myself. I had to have one of them. The nails that hold the threads are visible, as are the threads and wood behind the opening under the left arm of the copper cross.
It looks lovely hanging next to a beautiful macramé piece my daughter-in-law Betsy made for my mom ~ and that now belongs to us.
It’s such fun to meet and learn about the work of other artists ~ especially fiber artists!
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And one more thing… after last week’s post about puzzle quilts Lorraine sent me this email and photo.
“Here is my version of a Sudoku quilt. Each fabric represents a number from 1-9 so the quilt represents a complete Sudoku grid. All you need is a stack of fat quarters. It was such fun to make!”
Being a sudoku fan – I love it! – Thanks Lorraine!
Mary Wedor says
Fun adventures-hugs
judy raddatz says
My husband found a sweet rock at the artic circle in Alaska and had it put into s gold basket. I love it. Your post was wonderful as usual.
Doris Rindfleisch says
Thank you for mentioning Stacey. I know her from our church! She once gave me leather scraps. I cobbled some together to make a very gnarly vest for my husband to be a pirate at our church’s Trunk-or-Treat.
I like the Sudoku quilt idea and the quilter’s rendition of it.
Eileen Diercks says
I went with you on the Baltic Sea trip. What fun and what wonderful memories of visiting the Blaudruck and Handdruck shop!
Diane MacIsaac says
When I went to Girl Scout camp in the summer, we called rocks with a hole in them “lucky rocks”, because they were so rare and special. I still have my lucky rock that I found when I was 11. Nothing exciting to look at, but it brings me back to such wonderful memories.
Ellen Lewellen says
I have some jewelry made from Petoskey stones. Petoskey is in northwest Michigan, just across the “pond” from us in Wisconsin. The stones are conglomerates with tiny fossils in them. You can buy beautiful polished ones in gift shops or you can walk the beach and find them yourself. One more amazing thing of Creation.
Jodi Grzeczka says
Another wonderful message where you “tickled my brain”! Sadly, I won’t be able to go to the show in October, but I do always keep an eye out for interesting finds! The fibre art piece is stunning!