Visiting the Sun People

Another place that I visited in Spokane, WA was a very special eco-friendly store called Sun People Dry Goods Co.

The vision of the store that is found on their website is 'helping you transition to a sustainable and resilient lifestyle.' And, the store is filled with all sorts of products, many local, that fit this bill. It is a small store, housed in a warehouse built in 1918, but it offers a full range of classes on eco-important topics as well as a really diverse selection of products from hardware to household goods to beautiful letterpress stationery.

My daughter had marked the store as 'one you will absolutely love, Mom', and she was right. Actually, it isn't just the goods in the store but the staff that make it special. I listened while Angie Dierdorff, the associate manager, answered questions for customers and potential vendors. Her warmth and delight in sharing her knowledge just made you feel welcome and truly reflected the greeting as you enter the store: Turn Your Face to the Sun and Let the Shadows Fall Behind You.

If you live in the Spokane area, it is a great place to shop. Guarantee that you will leave with a smile on your face as well as some great finds in your shopping bag!

Gearing Up for a New Wave

I have often said that my creative spurts feel like waves. Right now I am a bit at a low point. I am busy sewing labels and sleeves on my contributions for our local Guild show as well as my two accepted entries for shows elsewhere. I am always amazed at the amount of time these 'finishing up' projects take. Between creating the sleeves and going over each quilt for errant cat hairs and loose threads, each quilt is a project in itself. And, with deadlines in place for when these quilts must be ready, I can't put off these finishing tasks. Particularly with travel for the SAQA Visioning Conference ahead.

As I complete these tasks, my mind turns to 'what next'. I expected to return home from my trip out to Washington State last week with plenty of inspiration. Unfortunately, the one theme I was sure I wanted to explore just doesn't please me now that it is sketched out more fully. The trip was successful in other ways though. Besides getting to run in Spokane's annual Bloomsday Race with my daughter and son-in-law, I was able to visit some of my favorite fabric stores in Seattle and Spokane. I brought home a great selection of fabrics:

And, when I returned home, I couldn't resist another source: Kyoto Kimono. I took a trip to Kyoto a number of years ago with the owner, Nancy McDonough, that I totally enjoyed. We roamed through gardens and open air markets. Nancy specializes in all things kimono and her current newsletter offered a selection of sleeves for sale as a package. I ordered one set, thinking I might use in that project I mentioned earlier. Alas, that project is on a back burner, but when the sleeves arrived, I realize they would be perfect for creating more of the silk scarves that I made a few years ago and were loved by many.

So, while I may be without a plan for my next art quilt at the moment, I suspect that I can fill in some days creating some scarves -- once I get those sleeves finished!

Beautiful Clematis

On a recent trip to Spokane, WA, I visited a friend's home. She had the most amazing clematis vine growing in her front yard. These flowers just jump out at me as wanting to be quilted! I think the bottom photo is just begging to be made into a quilt!