Boxwood&Berries~Day 2

Another day in paradise!

On Day 2 we were greeted with Stacy's kit to construct our sewing basket.
In the front is Stacy's finished example. The redwork pieces in the back are the next Stacy Nash Country Sampler Club Kit that we got to take home with us! Woohoo!

Stacy had a little trunk show of her newest designs including her new Christmas patterns and her sampler commemorating her time at Notforgotten Farm. Of course all the designs went home with me ;) We had great fun putting the basket together and were surprised at Stacy's fun and easy technique.

Today on our lunch break we took a ride to the Woodshed - a sweet aptly named antique shop down a lovely scenic road from Spring Green. I forgot to take a photo of my purchase and will have to share it later...

It was such a treat to get the chance to visit with three lovely ladies from the Netherlands that attended B&B this year! Nel (stitcher extraordinaire), Liezbeth (cross stitch designer and owner of a cross stitch shop), me :), and Els (quilt designer - take a peek at her blog for more on Boxwood & Berries from her perspective!)

After class today, we took a lovely walk through the neighborhood to the incredible home of Ruth Haas! WOW! Once I walked in, I never wanted to leave! I tried to edit the number of photos to share here, but I just couldn't cut out any of these...

This lovely corner was the first thing I saw when I walked in the door. My heart was immediately taken!

Aren't these the best breadboards?!

I think that the buttery was my favorite room in the house!

Lovely views in every corner.

Isn't this the perfect vignette for a bathroom? I love each and every item :)

Ruth's house was so peaceful and calm. Lovely antiques, but absolutely liveable and wonderfully edited so that you can appreciate the beauty of each item.

*sigh*

I dragged my feet as I just didn't want to leave...

Do you see the witch's feet hanging down in the chimney?

Thank you ever so much Ruth for your kindness and generosity of opening your home to so many strangers and letting us wander each and every room!

and just think... Boxwood & Berries is only half over!

So much more yet to come...

Blessings, Patti

Boxwood & Berries~Day 1

At last Day 1 arrived!

When we walked into the Schoolroom, we were immediately struck by our project for the day ~ Maggie's beautiful wool bedcover. I was a little intimidated by the piecing of the background as I am not a quilter. But I should have known ~ with Maggie's straight forward style and shortcuts we would soon be on our way...
The Schoolroom itself is always inspiring with lovely quilts, needlework and vignettes scattered about.

At each place setting was our kit displayed so sweetly in a wire laundry style basket. A perfect place to keep my project while working on it at home. Of course, I dove right in before remembering to take a photo, so I had to take one now at home.

During our lunch break a few of us took a drive to Yore in Gotham, Wisconsin.

A sweet shop with antiques and prim home decor.

We pieced the main part of our background in the afternoon and started tracing and cutting the applique pieces for the urn of flowers.

After a delicious dinner, Maggie treated us to a trunk show of all of her projects from her new book "Buttonwood Farm". What an incredible treat to see all of these works of art in person!

To hear about her inspiration and creative process was a joy and made us want to create even more!

The Buttonwood Farm bed cover was stunning!

And as incredible as everything looks in the book, it made my heart sing even more to see it in person.

After seeing all these lovelies in person, I had to run into Country Sampler and purchase the kits for Old Blue Indigo Flowers Pillow, Wool Bird Applique Pillow, and 19th Century Wool Hearth Rug. And I think most of the other ladies in the workshop did the same :) If you are interested in the Maggie kits, you can find Country Sampler by clicking here.

Also, did you know that Maggie has a pattern featured in the December 2011 issue of American Patchwork & Quilting? We had to run out and pick that up as well :)

I think we all went to sleep at the end of Day 1 with visions of wool dancing in our heads!

I hope that this gives you a glimpse at our adventure at Boxwood & Berries!

Day 2 will follow shortly...

Blessings, Patti

Boxwood & Berries~on the way

I have so much to share about this incredible retreat and so many photos that I am trying to break it up into smaller posts, or it will take me forever to post and you forever to read :)

The drive from Chicago to Spring Green, Wisconsin is about 3 1/2 hours. But there are so many great stops along the way that it took me 7 hours and I still felt a bit rushed.

At one point I took a wrong turn and drove past the beautiful home pictured above. I was so glad that I turned the wrong way! The porch wraps around and the pumpkins continue around the side of the house as well. I've never seen so many pumpkins at one home!

The colors and scenery were so pretty that I drove slower than I usually do just to take it all in...

Here are the treasures that I found in my travels including the coverlet I used in the background and the two tickings under the great staved wooden bucket marked Spaulding & Frost, Fremont New Hampshire (a cooperage founded in 1874).

I was a tied up a bit with picture taking as I had a helper today... :)

Once arriving at Country Sampler, I had a bit of time to do a quick tour of the store and then it was on to dinner at the Feed Mill in Mazomanie WI. It was great fun to meet some of the women of the first session and I was so sorry to miss those that had to leave before dinner. The excitement and anticipation was building! And I was so happy to hear many of them say that Stacy's sewing basket would be simple and fun to construct, although I didn't quite believe them ;)

Well, I'll post this now and will try to get my thoughts and photos organized for Day 1!

Blessings, Patti

I'm back with a winner

I'm back from an absolutely perfect time at the Boxwood & Berries retreat at Country Sampler in Spring Green Wisconsin!
The weather was gorgeous, the projects were thrilling, and every person involved was a true kindred spirit!


I can't wait to share it all with you. First I need to get caught up a bit at home and work. Then organize my thoughts and photos. I promise to be back really soon to share it all with you...

Tonight my oldest son drew the name for the winner of a copy of Prims magazine.
The winner is... Kathy H. (no blog)!
As soon as I receive your address the magazine issue will be on its way...

Thank you ever so much for all of your kind & generous comments! They mean so much to me! I wish that I had a copy to send to each of you. And for those who emailed about a possible pattern for the cross stitch pillow and leaves... it is something that is definitely on my "to do" list, just need to find the time...

Please stay tuned for a full report on Boxwood & Berries :)
and another giveaway in early November :)

Do you love these pumpkins and gourds? These photos were taken at Peck's Farm Market East in Spring Green, Wisconsin - definitely worth the trip!

Blessings, Patti

Boxwood & Berries ~ here I come...

The bags are packed and loaded in the car.

It's time to head north to Boxwood & Berries at Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

I look forward to this in anticipation all year long...

I just can't wait for the wonderful classes with Maggie Bonanomi & Stacy Nash. My homework is done ~ just in time. Of course, I added a few tweaks... a few color substitutions... a long dog to honor our sweet Orion...

a black cat in memory of our sleek Bucky.

If you want to read about Boxwood & Berries from last year while I am gone, I had 6 long posts that start here :)

And don't forget to enter my Prims magazine giveaway in the next post down. I'll be drawing a name when I return...

Until then... Blessings, Patti

A Thrill, an Honor and a Giveaway

A Thrill!

My dream has come true! I've always dreamed of having one of my creations published and now that dream has come true!

Prims magazine has published a 10 page feature on TDIPT Mercantile. The talented Karen Brady Hammontree of Brady Bears Studio has written a lovely article about TDIPT Mercantile that accompanies the 10 pages of lovely creations by TDIPT Mercantile artists.

It is such an honor to be included with such a group of talented, nuturing and supportive artists. I was so pleased to see my creation featured on the same page as Suzanne Davis of Pear Tree Primitives. In addition to being an incredible painter, Suzanne was so encouraging in helping me to take the plunge into starting a blog and originally submitting my work to TDIPT. Thank you always & forever Suzanne!

This is the piece that I submitted and was published.

Ever (adverb) 1.at any time 2.increasingly 3.used as intensifier 4.always
Ever Thankful. That’s how I feel about my many blessings.Thanksgiving Day, one day, just isn’t enough. Instead it is a constant theme of my life ~ deeply embedded and heartfelt.

To celebrate this thrill and honor, it is time for my next giveaway...

The Prims Magazine Autumn 2011 issue (a $14.99 value). Then you can have the opportunty to read the entire feature on TDIPT Mercantile and see all of the lovely primitive folk art featured in this issue.

Simply post a comment on this post or send me an email at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with TDIPT/PRIMS in the subject line. I will draw a winner on October 12th.

Thank you so much for letting me share my excitement!

Blessings, Patti Gagliardi

Welcome October!

Another new month means time for the TDIPT Mercantile Update! Be sure to stop by and see all the lovely offerings froms the TDIPT artists!

I had fun creating autumn treasures this month. You can take a peek by clicking here.

I just realized that I am at 250 posts, so I think that it is time for another giveaway! That will be in my next post, so stay tuned...

It's time for me to decorate the house for fall. Judging from my favorite blogs, I think that I am the last one to do so!

Have a lovely autumn weekend.

  

Blessings, Patti Gagliardi