Pincushion and Purchase Knob hike

My friend, Joan, and I took a 6 (okay maybe 5.5) mile hike today to Purchase Knob which is inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We left home about 10, drove to a friend's house nearby and started from there. And, you ask what do pincushions have to do with this??? Absolutely nothing, except that once again I put a fabric project on hold to do something else. I am trying to make a pincushion and for all you fabric people, designers, etc., you will have no sympathy for the fact that I find a pincushion a challenge. BUT, please remember my last sewing lesson was 1964 home economics class at Glynn Academy. Cut me a little slack here, please.





Okay, back to the hike. Here are pictures I took on the hike today,

This is a view of the Smoky Mountains from "The Swag" a country Inn we hike by.



This is a view from near Purchase Knob, it is unbelievable we have this not far from our home in North Carolina.



Butterflies and Bumblebees on Thistle.

We saw so many beautiful things, such inspiration -- if only I had the ability to paint it.

OKAY, back to making the pincushions now.

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grsmpkcam/grsmpkcam.cfm this is the address for a webcam on Purchase Knob.

the cutest pincushion and grandchildren ever!

Please go to http://www.sweetfunkyvintage.blogspot.com/ and read about the vehicular mastitis. This young lady missed her calling -- instead of designing clothes, she should be writing comedy. These are the three children referenced, middle child is the dark headed one. Biggest child would be turning the cartwheels, and smallest child sitting on chair would be dragging bunny down the driveway. Three of my beautiful grandchildren.

Yes, we know the pink socks are a bit much, she insisted on them.

Then go look at this cool pincushion.

http://www.heatherbaileydesign.com/HBSquareDeal.pdf

I'm making these today!!

All these designers are so unbelievably talented.

here are a couple more to look at:

http://www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=514

http://www.thelongthread.com/?p=725

Blackberry walk

Yesterday I had the wonderful intention of creating fat quarter packages from the new fabulous Tina Givens Azur Tea Line inspired by her childhood garden in Africa to sell.

INSTEAD, I decided to take a walk, as I have not been as diligent about walking our aging wonderful chocolate lab, named Chocolate Sunrise, called Sunny, since I FINALLY FOUND my new Wii Fit. More about that later. I knew the blackberries were in full ripeness, as well as the wild blueberries here in the North Carolina mountains, so I grabbed a bag and off we went. To my great surprise, Sunny ate more blackberries than I could pick, even though I managed a few . . . here are pictures of her admiring her next snack, and the ones I salvaged.

And, now I must go make those fat quarters. . .