Baby’s Breath Quilts Blog

Quiet event – GREAT shopping! 

I spent the day in downtown Montpelier, at the T W Wood Gallery.  We had Day 1 of 2 for the Open Studio Weekend craft fair.  Only 130 or so people came today and very little was bought (most by me!).  This gem of an event has events throughout the state including 13 craftspeople at the Wood Gallery displaying their handmade goods.  You cannot beat the quality or the prices.  Here are some of the highlights (in my opinion) of the magnificent items for sale:

Trudy’s Fancy Handweaving – http://www.trudysfancy.com/ - Truly beautiful handwoven scarves from tencel yarn - a wood based fiber that is exceptionally soft and brilliantly colored.   Trudy’s scarves are very luxurious and I am now the proud owner of one in shades of lavender, maroon, purple and blue.  It was so hard to choose a scarf as each one is unique and truly beautiful.

Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams- 802-485-8387, 540 Bear Farm RD, Northfield VT 05663 – Lovely watercolor paintings of nature scenes, still life, and various flora and fauna.  Each painting is masterfully done and she uses several different styles and techniques in her art.  A renowned art teacher, she has been extensively exhibited at galleries throughout Vermont.  I know my Nanna will love the painting of the chubby little chickadee for her birthday!

Dick Ellsworth – Sensuous turned wood bowls from various wood burls.  Each bowl is completely unique as he works with what nature has given him.  Dick’s designs are complemented by the hollow of the log he turns a bowl from, the tunnels ants made in the wood or the water marks left after a flood.  An organic craft in it’s truest form, my father in law will surely enjoy his gift on Father’s Day!

Joan Marie Davidson - Whimsical, one-of-a-kind jewelry in a wide range of styles and colors.  You will love the fun approach Joan takes to jewelry be it in her bead-work or her new passion for antique buttons.  I particularly love her handcrafted earrings as I bought my second pair from her today.  She keeps saying she isn’t going to make any more earrings as they are so detailed and complex, but more keep turning up in her booth.   A treasure trove any lover of sparklies will enjoy!

Of course, I feel that my quilts are also a highlight of the event and would love to see some of you tomorrow at the T W Wood Gallery!

One of my biggest frustrations is the fact that fabric is only available for a short time before the manufacturers no longer make it.  Take, for example, the Michael Miller Mark’s Menagerie fabric.  I bought two bolts (30 yds) of it late last year and tried to order three bolts this winter. 

Nope.  Uh-uh.  Nada.

It had already been retired.  So in steps my ever enterprising husband who scours the ‘net for me and finds 9 yds from an on-line retailer.  HALLELUJAH!!  Time for the dance of joyfulness!

I had enough left over scraps, remnants and a 2 yd piece for the backing to complete one quilt for a special order and now, thanks to my DH,  I can offer the quilt again for sale on my site!  But this time, when I run out, there will be no husband to the rescue. 

Many people do not realize that I offer custom personalization on my quilts.  This is something I don’t do on any of my inventory of already made quilts (not very attractive on the back!), but I am happy to add it to any custom order.

One quilt I just completed is for a little girl, Scarlett, out in California.  Her Grandmother ordered a custom quilt based on a design for charity quilt I had made.  She picked out the fabrics, and I put it together for her once Scarlett was born.

It was a really fun process working with her Grandmother to find a perfect rose print fabric (the baby’s middle name is Rose).  But my one wish as a crafts-person is that I would like to know how the parents reacted to their new quilt.  I can experience some of the excitement the Grandmother had in creating the design for a handmade quilt, but it is a unique experience not to know the other half of the gift giving process.  Having only given quilts as gifts before I opened my business, this leaves me hanging without the closure I would normally get.  I am learning to work with this feeling, but it is especially wonderful when I hear back from my customers - and they let me know how much their quilt is loved!