Granville Quilt Festival

On Saturday, we took a road trip to Granville, Tennessee. Our destination: a quilt show, part of their annual fall festival. Oh the quilts! Amazing designs, outstanding stitching, fabulous colors, and a combination of modern and old standard designs, all draped over the pews at Granville United Methodist Church.

My favorites were the antique and hand-quilted categories. Tiny, perfect hand stitches, in narrow rows only ¼” apart made me feel totally inadequate but inspired. The quilters featured in the show are all artists. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The festival was spread over the entire little town on the Cumberland River. Quilts were draped over porch rails on most of the historic homes. The E.B. Sutton General Store, the Granville Museum, and Sutton Historic Homestead featured 1950's quilts along with their regular displays.

Demonstrations of frontier life, spinning, weaving, blacksmithing, wood carving, basket weaving and more went on all day. Live music at the gazebo and a lakeside stage for Jazz on the Cumberland kept everyone entertained. Booths were nicely curated (no tacky cheap stuff or yard sale junk here). Most were Tennessee and Kentucky craftspeople. 

As a former tourism director, I want to congratulate Granville for an excellent festival. This was the most organized event I have ever seen in a little town. There were helpful volunteers everywhere, excellent signage, trams & golf carts to and from convenient parking areas, all the shops and homes were decorated and I'll bet all the residents were participating in some way.

If you want more info, www.granvilletn.com has details.

Maple Syrup

I've been waiting to share this quilt until it felt more like fall. I mixed several dies to create four leaf blocks in rich autumn colors. 

Sashing is a coordinating vine print; backing and binding are a yellow and brown scalloped stripe. I quilted in straight lines with a creamy yellow thread. 

Maple Syrup is 27” square and could be used as a table mat or wall décor. It's hanging in my dining room now.

Autumn is a wonderful time of year. The crisp air is invigorating but relaxing. Brilliant leaves, cooler temperatures, hoodies, boots, camping, and fall festivals are my favorites. For the record, the pumpkin spice flavor craze in hundreds of foods and beverages is not for me. I love pumpkins as decorations but I can't stand the taste.

This year I plan to embrace the glory of fall by slowing down, taking it all in, and enjoying every moment. My life, my decisions, my journey.

autumn
shows us
how beautiful
it is to
let things go

What I Love About Fall

The first day of fall arrived last Friday...finally. I love to experience the changing seasons and this is one of my favorites. When I was working in tourism, autumn was our busiest time of year. With so many meetings, events, bus tours, tournaments and festivals, I really didn't get to enjoy the season. Now I have time to experience the things that make fall so wonderful. Here are a few of my favorites.

Warm Days, Cool Nights – Windows open kind of weather is fabulously refreshing. Highs in the 70's and lows around 55 are the best. I air out the house, sleep with windows open, and let the air conditioner rest after a long hot summer. Sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee in the mornings is just perfect!  And it's time to pull out a quilt or two.

Football – I haven't always been a huge fan, but as I've learned more about the strategies and rules, it's fun to watch some college and NFL games. Having the DVR gives me control of when I want to sit down to enjoy with a big bowl of popcorn.

Festivals & Events – There are many options when it comes to fall events in Tennessee. This year I'm adding a few new ones to my itinerary, like last Saturday's Handmade Harvest in Bethpage. (It was a great first year event, plan to go next year.) Quite a few of them are scheduled at the same time, which makes it difficult to choose. You simply can't attend more than one or two in a day!

Nature's Color – Observing the changing leaves is one of the best things about fall. Sometimes I think they must have done it overnight. Bright reds, yellows, browns and oranges decorate the landscape and create beautiful photo opportunities. Some flowers wilted by the hot summer sun perk up again for a last show of blooms, and happy mums begin to show their faces.

Sweaters & Flannel – I'm an absolute sucker for a pretty sweater, even though I am sort of warm natured. It must be the textures and rich dark colors that get me. I love soft flannel shirts, comfy hoodies and quilted vests too.

Yummy Fall Scents – Cinnamon, cloves, apples, hot chocolate, crushed leaves, moist air after a rain, mums, and more give my senses a treat. On a recent country drive, the smoky scent of tobacco being fired in a barn took me back to my grandaddy's farm.

Useful Notion:  Don't get so busy in your life that you forget to notice the beauty and peacefulness of fall. Use all your senses and take it in!

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air. 

– Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Five Fabulous Things About May in Tennessee

I love my home state of Tennessee. Each season has special qualities, and I try to enjoy all of them.  Here are five fabulous things about May, in no particular order.

Portland strawberries

Strawberries -- These sweet, succulent, bright red, juicy berries are my favorite fruit. I prefer them this way: shortcake, pie, cake, right out of the field, on ice cream, on cereal, on biscuits, coated in chocolate, with whipped cream, in a salad...you get the picture. Too bad they only produce for a few weeks. Fresh is best, but homemade jam or preserves run a close second. 

 

Festivals -- Tennessee has a wide spectrum of festivals and events during the month of May. We celebrate strawberries, barbeque, arts & crafts, colonial and renaissance fairs, music, main street and downtown, heritage, gardens and flowers.  Search online or go to www.tnvacation.com to find one close to you. 

Flowers –- Roses, peonies, and iris are blooming abundantly now. These romantic flowers are both delicate and hardy. Amazing arrays of color and exquisite fragrances delight my senses and sometimes cause a bit of sneezing! But their beauty is worth it.

Holidays -- Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day bring celebrations with family and friends. Mexican food, guacamole, and drink on the fifth, spending Sunday with mama in the middle, then a big finish grilling out or heading to the lake. Good times.

 

Yard Sales -- Warm weather around here sprouts more than flowers. Watch for bright signs with arrows that make diehard junkers slam on brakes and hang the corner on two wheels. Spring cleaning has produced lots of stuff from the depths of closets and basements. Ready to shop?

Useful Notion:  Be selective about the bargains you find at garage sales...think how you'll use, repurpose or incorporate it into your life before you bring it home. 

"Enjoy May's colorful blooms, green grass, songbirds and all of nature...soon it will be too hot to go outside at all!"  -- Anonymous

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