The Cotton Patch & Wooden Gate

Every year while at the Alex Anderson retreat there is planned dinner on Friday. Instead we are free for the evening and a group of us visit a few quilt stores in the East Bay area followed by dinner in Danville at The Peasant & the Pear.

I have photos from two stores to share with you. The first is The Cotton Patch Lafayette, CA. Carolie Hensley is the owner and her shop has been open twenty years. She is also the original owner of C & T Publications, now owned by her sons, and mother in law to Jennifer Sampou who designs fabric for Robert Kaufman.

The store is located on Brown Avenue in an old house.



The entrance is very inviting.



Halloween was just inside the door.






The Bernina’s are all ready for a test drive.



A room dedicated to thread, notions, thread, fat quarters and did I mention thread?



There is another room with kids fabric, flannel and Minkee type fabric.



Most of the samples for upcoming classes hang together.



The last store we visit before dinner is Wooden Gate Quilts in Danville. Isn’t their logo lovely?

 

Marby Bennett who is the owner always has some great samples.



This was the second sample of the Dream Chairs quilt I have seen at the store. The previous one used Dr Seuss fabric and it was way cute.



Karen who rides up to the retreat with me was eyeing the orange and lime green. Two of her favorite colors.



 

They were getting ready for a special evening with Verna Mosquera of The Vintage Spool. Happy Hauntings is one of her Block of the Month quilts.



When all the shopping is done we cross the street to The Peasant & The Pear for dinner.



And our annual spiced pear martini. Next years retreat is really far away.



Stitch at you soon,
Dawna

Linking to:
The Tablescaper - Seasonal Sunday

Studio Sunday #3 - Alex Anderson Retreat

Sometimes the studio you are working in is not your own. Or it is a temporary studio that you set up in a small area on a retreat or when you go to a friends for the day. Today I will share the room at this years Alex Anderson retreat. To see some of the quilts from our show and share click here and here.

Some of us draw names and make pin cushions to exchange in honor of Marlene who we lost a few years ago.



One of the great things that can occur  at a retreat is there is always someone who is willing to show you a new technique. Alex had a small gather around and shared her method of doing Redwork. You can see some of the design boards in the background.



Our guest teacher was Sally Collins.



Her work in small scale is amazing. She gave a three hour lecture on borders.



I took a class from her a few years ago and highly recommend it. Even if you have no desire to work small scale it will up your game.



Linda who come from Texas for the retreat has taken her classes a couple of times. This is what she was working on.



The other side of the room was very productive.



Patti Hempen was working on a new design. Her first book came out this year.



Erica is our rocket scientist. She is pieces with precision and is not afraid to use her seam ripper if it isn’t right. She also has a fabulous sense of humor and keeps our side of the room in stitches (not the sewing kind).



Her area is always very organized and neat.



Stacks of blocks in progress.



Even her pins are aligned. I moved some of the yellow to the blue side and she corrected them immediately.



My table mate Cindy & I push our table together with Natalie and Joyce who are mother and daughter.


This year there was two mother/daughters, one MIL/DIL and three sisters. Julie and her MIL sit across the room from us.



My table mate and her roommate. We are the three musketeers. Cindy and I have been at the retreat all 12 years.



Deb is working on her Singer Featherweight she seemed very serious when I took this shot,



but I kept shooting as if I were paparazzi  and she started to laugh.

She makes beautiful traditional quilts and usually has this lovely smile on her face. She is also one of the ones who helps put everything together for the retreat. Susan who is in charge of our registration was ill this year. We missed you and hope you are feeling better.

We are very lucky that Carolie who owns The Cotton Patch brings a store to the retreat for us. These are just a few of the bolts that she brought. My post later today will show her shop from our little shop hop.



Thanks Alex. It was another fabulous retreat and we are all counting down the days to next year.



Stitch at you Soon, 

Dawna

Pumpkins & Pink – A Table of Hope

The month of October brings to mind not only pumpkins & Halloween, it also is Breast Cancer awareness month. For the past eighteen years Longaberger has partnered with The American Cancer Society. 15 Million dollars has been raised to help combat the disease through the sale of Horizon of Hope baskets and other HOH items.

We all have friends who have fought, or are fighting the battle and I set this table in honor of them  and of the women who lost the fight but remain in the hearts of everyone who’s lives they touched.



White pumpkins are my favorite and they are so much easier to find than they used to be. The little ones are the perfect size to fit into the dessert bowls.

As adults we are allowed to have dessert first right?



I know many wouldn’t think of pink as a fall color, but in my house it’s year round.

 

I used a combination of white and cream with the pink.



A mini teapot found at Home Goods, sits on a small pink cake plate. The doilies were made for me by an employee years ago.



A close up of the teapot. Isn’t it adorable?



A HOH bear sits atop a pumpkin so she may have a better view.



Click Horizon of Hope to watch Longaberger’s video for this year. 



A pink & white Tonquin transferware to hold butter.



The dishes :









The side board is set for a pink  & white fall.



Three Horizon of Hope baskets are featured.



The platter is Johnson Brothers  Historic America.The rim is decorated with oak leaves and acorns. Obviously I am not the only one who believes pink is a year round color.

White pumpkins can be so elegant. The lacy white ceramic one could almost be Cinderella’s coach. 

White pumpkins can be so elegant. The lacy white ceramic one could almost be Cinderella’s coach.

It’s a great nightlight this time of the year. Please be seated.



And raise a glass to  a hope for the cure. Be sure to have your annual checkup and don’t forget your monthly self exams.



Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna

Cast :
Chargers – Pier 1
Cream Plates & Pink Bowls – Longaberger
Plates – Johnson Bros. – English Castles
Salad – Deartis – HG clearance ages ago
Stemware – Lenox Monroe
Hurricanes & Cake plates – Gifts in the Attic
Lace Pumpkin – Quilt store – 6 yrs ago
Candle holders – Princess House
Pumpkin S & P Shakers – BB&B ?
Bears & Baskets – Longaberger

Linking to :
and then she snapped -  Show off Your Shot
The Dedicated House - Make it Pretty Monday
StoneGable - Tutorials Tips and Tidbits
Cuisine Kathleen - Let's Dish
My Romantic Home - Show & Tell Friday
Between Naps on the Porch - Tablescape Thursday