art life

Kimono Quilts

2012-01-28T12:07:00.005-05:00

Bags on SALE! 40% off

2012-01-08T10:50:00.004-05:00

I'm discontinuing this bag style...after careful critique I've decided to redesign the project bags. The inspiration for these came from the old style newspaper boy/girl bags with the thick straps and deep pocket (oh, and not to mention my need for project bags to contain all of my various knitting endeavors around the house).

You can see all the bags that are being discontinued in this section in my shop.

24 degrees ~ from my back yard

2012-01-07T12:44:00.003-05:00

BTaylor Quilts Video

2012-01-05T15:59:00.006-05:00

My video, created by Jeff Derose of One Match Films. I asked him to create a short film about my creative work, which includes quilting and painting. It was especially important to me at this time, because I had been preparing for an exhibit at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts here in Massachusetts, and wanted to document that. At the same time, I had recently resigned from my job as Coordinator of Easthampton City Arts and was embarking on a new adventure...self employment, focusing soley on my painting and sewing.

It felt like the right time to make the video, with all these important events converging, and it became apparent that it was a good way to get the word out about what I am doing. Making the video has been such a great experience and I discovered things about myself and my work that I hadn't even expected. After recording several interviews, Jeff took all the raw footage, my voice, and stills that he had taken, and wove the narrative and images to create this story. I would have had no idea how to put this together, and I'm so happy with the results. This is why we hire the professionals!

Sewing Room Tip #1 - managing new fabrics

2012-01-03T08:39:00.005-05:00

I've made a resolution to reorganize the shop so that I use the space better. Like most, I have a limited amount of space and like to have all of my fabrics within site, so that I can quickly see all the possibilities while I'm working. Normally, when I get new fabrics, I wash them, fold them up, and organize them by color on a series of bookshelves. Lately, I've been looking at the piles of fabrics and wondering how to condense them so that I have more space. The answer, scarily enough, is ironing all this fabric!!

Believe me, I was not really keen on ironing everything, so I did a test to see if all the effort would pay off. While cutting out turquoise fabrics for another ocean themed quilt, I ironed each piece of fabric as I went along and then carefully stored them back on the shelf. I buy a lot of fabrics two yards at a time, but I do have a lot of fabrics that I've purchased the whole bolt....this takes up LOTS of room. After going through the turquoises, what was once three shelves of fabric now took up only one and a half shelves! Yay! It really worked!

For example, here is a photo of my green fabrics, you can see how much space it takes up, and how messy it is.

Now, here is a photo of the turquoise...all ironed and beautiful! I'm hooked :)

And so the lesson here is: time saved by not ironing = loss of much needed space in the workroom. I haven't gotten through my entire fabric collection, but I'm working on it :)

Early Morning, New Year's Day

2012-01-01T11:46:00.004-05:00

A walk in the woods in our corner of the world. Happy New Year.

For Black Friday - stay home and shop - buy handmade - buy local :)

2011-11-25T08:13:00.003-05:00

Living Design team treasury blitz

2011-11-17T15:05:00.001-05:00

Cat portraits and gift ideas for your Kitties

2011-11-17T10:33:00.004-05:00

Cat portrait. Isabella - October, 2011

From ScooterKnits on Etsy. I'd love to mash Thomas's head into this knitted pointy number. Oh the humiliation!

Cat portrait: Thomas, September, 2o11

I've purchased some collars from sweetpicklesdesigns. This one is called the Einstein. I had to order a "fat" size for Thomas! I am in no way saying that Thomas is smart like Einstein, because he is not. He's a big, hairy duffus and I love him :)

Cat portrait: Thomas, November, 2011 (it's hard to get an upside down cat to stay still.....say "cheese!")

And check out this knit mouse cat toy from VivaLeChat on Etsy. Only $6! That's a bargain. There might be some of these in the kitties stockings this year. So cute!

A new queen size quilt in the shop :)

2011-11-14T13:05:00.004-05:00

Pear Jam

2011-10-28T08:45:00.000-04:00

We have a pear tree. This year it was so laden with fruit that the branches were sagging and some even dragging on the ground. There are still about 6 gazillion pears out there on that tree and we've harvested one five gallon bucket full.

What to do with pears? Well, besides eating them straight away, we wanted to try pear jam, which I've never tasted in my entire life, but sounds good, right? My first attempt was made using the instructions found inside the SureJell powder pectin box. You get this long paper foldout instruction sheet with instructions for all kinds of jellies and jams. This version has you dice up the pears finely, add them to the pot with lemon juice and the pectin and heat it until it breaks down, liquifies (mostly), and comes finally to a rolling boil, at which point you add the sugar....lots and lots of sugar.

The first batch didn't set so well and hasn't completely jellified, but the chunkiness of the jam is really pleasing, almost a kind of marmalade version. It's really great on english muffins.

The second attempt, made yesterday, has produced a better set jelly, but the pear broke down so much that it's more like jelly than jam.

For the second batch I followed the instructions from the packet of liquid pectin (instead of the powder). I seem to always have a better result with the liquid pectin across the board, so maybe I have learned something here. Basically, it gave me an actual measurement for cut up fruit (4 cups as opposed to 3 lbs of pears in the first recipe....does that mean before peeling and coring them or what?) Anyway, you add the sugar first and the pectin after the boil.....seems the stirring with the granular sugar broke the pears down more, but the jam tastes more like pears than the first batch.

Note: After the jam episodes, I searched for more storage ideas and found Pear Butter over at Frugal living. Such an easy recipe and such delicious results. Honestly, I'd make the butter before making the jam again, hands down!

We've got a pretty good store of sweetness put up for the winter!

ArtHampton! Today October 1, 2011 from 10 - 3!

2011-10-01T07:58:00.005-04:00

Come and see me!

Check out the ArtHampton map

Open publication - Free publishing - More arthampton

I will be showing a limited amount of paintings, but mostly my quilting items. You can also meet and see work by Jeff Derose at Latent Echo, who is showing in my studio as well.

Update: What a wet, rainy, yucky day. It definitely kept the crowds down for the 2nd Annual ArtHampton event. Better luck next year.

Friday Deal!

2011-09-16T07:50:00.003-04:00

Today Only!

Start your Christmas shopping early! Get 15% off this set of nesting bowls by using "FRIDAY" in the coupon code box during checkout! (15% applies to bowls only). Thanks so much and Happy Friday :)

It's National Sewing Month

2011-09-05T11:02:00.004-04:00

Did you know this? Me either. It was created in 1982 by Ronald Reagan to recognize the importance of home sewing in our country. Sweet! Funny I didn't hear about this till just a few days ago. I can't remember where I saw it or how I was tipped off about it, but it is indeed true. It is National Sewing Month, and I plan on celebrating it!

A treasury I created firstly about memories of sewing with my Mom, but then decided it was about this month as well.

Part of the plan is to start creating table runners again. They were really popular. (see the detail of one above)

And over at Loft Full of Goodies you'll find this awesome needle book. I bought one recently, but it's blue, and I cannot sing its praises enough. If you hand sew, get one of these lovely little felt books to keep your needles in. I adore mine!

Check out the National Sewing Month website. They are holding a sewing contest through the end of September with three large baskets full of sewing supplies and notions as the prizes.

30 days of lists

2011-09-02T07:09:00.002-04:00

After my huge success with The August Break 2011 (LOL) I've decided to participate in 30 Days of Lists (sept. 2011)! I signed up for this one a while ago and got caught up in the excitement and challenge of posting a list every day in September based on a given theme.

You can still sign up by clicking on the link above, it's only day 2 after all, and I haven't even made my first list! I'm thinking that my lists might happen once a week (all 7 of them), given that my time is in high demand these days. There is a tiny subscription fee, I think it was $5.95 or something like that, but well worth the fun and challenge it gives for the cost.

I still haven't really figured out if it is ok if it's a blog/digital list. They have a flickr page that people are using to place photographs of their journal entries of their lists! Not sure if that's my cup of tea....or if I actually have time for it right now. So, mine just might be a blog entry. We'll see.

It's still early, the day is just beginning. Enjoy it everyone!

And the Winner is.........

2011-09-01T18:50:00.002-04:00

PoetessWug!!! Woooooo!

I'm sorry it's so late in the day, but my day was hijacked by errands, traffic, frustrating situations, and much more. I've just gotten home and managed to get to the drawing....it's 7:00 p.m.! I bet you were all wondering where the heck I was. Well, traffic with UMass move in day was a nightmare for one. Ok, I'll stop complaining.

Poetess, I will email you, or just come on over to your blog and let you know too! I'll be putting the bag in the mail to you tomorrow :) Yay!

Congratulations!

Ya, just in case is right

2011-08-26T17:12:00.006-04:00

From Nasa - check out this site for more awesome photographs
I don't know about you, but one of the most annoying things to suffer is a power outage (well, I'm sure there is a lot more....in fact I know it, but right now I'd be annoyed with a power outage)....Especially if it goes on for more than a day and you have well water and sew in your basement for a living. If you don't know why the well thing plays in, it's because you need electricity to actually pump the water out, and so, no water with no power. Of course you can fill up your tub, fill up spare containers, buy water at the store, but this won't give you the usual hot shower in the morning, which I have kind of grown to love. I don't know about you.

Anyway, I'm reading all the info on Weather.com, checking out our local tv stations to see if they really think this thing is going to create any significant damage. Turns out Patrick Deval has declared a state of emergency already for Massachusetts and Springfield has already canceled school for Monday. Really? And even worse, my Sister and I were at the mall today and the Gap girl told us that The Gap was not even going to open on Sunday....just in case. Gasp! I guess it really IS a dangerous storm. The Gap not open. Cripes!

So, busy person that I am, I'm planning a no power plan of attack. I've got a great new book about the Quilters of Gee's Bend ready,(Jeff just gave it to me!) the new Smithsonian Magazine and Wired. (I've got new batteries in the flashlight too), and I'm making a bunch of items that require handsewing.... mostly the nesting bowls. I'll have plenty to do if we actually do lose power for a week like the Western Mass Electric Company is telling people. It's true, they are calling their customers and telling them to be ready for power outages that could last up to a week. I hope not. Be safe everyone, and don't go plan on going to The Gap on Sunday.

I'm not planning on posting again until after Monday when this all blows over. See you Tuesday :)

Badminton Season is Open

2011-08-22T17:18:00.002-04:00

requisite pre-game gin & tonic

Yes, my friends, badminton season is officially open at our house. We set up the net today and played a smashing game. I've always been way too competitive at sports like these, not that I'm a big sports nut, I'm not...at all.... but I just love a fun game you can run around swinging a weapon any which way with hardly any rules or guidelines.

I can't remember who I used to play with as a kid, but I know I played, and I remember playing hard, until the sun went down and you could no longer see the shuttlecock, the net, or the other player across the yard. Must have been my Sister, cousins, friends next door, my Mom, someone I can't remember. Probably because I was so fixated on not missing the shuttlecock every time it came my way.

Today was no different (well, except that we only played for an hour and it still wasn't dark when we quit). We played really hard, and reacquainted ourselves with our celebratory stances when we won a volley (mine is a kind of olympic gymnastic dismount landing, except with a racquet in one hand), Jeff has perfected the open legged, one arm raised swoosh.

The gin and tonic waits close by.

I did a search on Etsy for Badminton to see if I could find some vintage shuttlecocks or racquets. I did find this from Dain Larson

And this from IllknowitwhenIseeit

Apparently Badminton has an unconfirmed history. It was either played by the Japanese, or Chinese before Christ was born, or the Greeks or Egyptians, all ancient and all some different form or kind of game. It was called Ti jian Zi in China, but there were no racquets. It later was called Battledore and Shuttlecock, until it migrated to the UK with some British soldiers. It was also played in India and was called Poona. "In 1873, the Duke of Beaufort held a lawn party in his country place, Badminton. A game of Poona was played on that day and became popular among the British society's elite. The new party sport became known as "the Badminton game". In 1877, the Bath Badminton Club was formed and developed the first official set of rules." And so, that's where it got its current name. I wish it was still called Battledore. I can hear the monster-truck-pull-voice-over now!

OK, so the Mint Jelly demanded its own post

2011-08-21T13:49:00.005-04:00

Perhaps taking on two kinds of jelly making in one day is just asking for too much. Yesterday, I made elderberry jelly and following immediately, I attempted to make mint jelly. It didn't set. I'm guessing it must have been in a twist because I devoted a whole blog post, photos and all, to the elderberries, and all the mint got was a tiny mention at the bottom of the post. Ok, Ok...I get it.

So today, after another run to the market for more pectin, I devoted my full attention to the mint. Of course, the mint plants are completely flowered out right now and there are a gazillion bees, hornets, wasps, beetles, and a huge assortment of all kinds of crawly things infesting the whole patch. The recipe demands 1 1/2 cups of packed mint leaves....that's a lot of leaves and takes a long time to collect when you are dodging stinging insects. It didn't help that Jeff disturbed an underground nest of yellow jackets close by the mint patch the day before and has waged complete and entire war on these guys since yesterday, including running the nest over with the car a few times. Needless to say, there are some really pissed off yellow jackets zooming all over the place still trying to place blame on whatever happens to walk by.

My Sister will be happy to know that the jelly is successful this time, so I'll have some jelly to trade for those eggs this week! Yippeee! I'm hoping to make one more batch of mint this week. This recipe only makes 4 - half pint jars....not enough to get hungry bears through the winter. The jars, above, are the results. Only three squat jars left, so there's a regular 1/2 pint mixed in. The mint, when boiled down, turns an ochre color, so I added only one small drop of green food coloring to give it a more appealing color.

This is such an easy recipe, if you manage to follow the directions precisely.

Elderberry Jelly

2011-08-20T14:06:00.000-04:00

I've been documenting the elderberries since the early spring and have photographed everything right up to the jelly making as of today (August 20, 2011).

(April) The elderberry bushes have started to leaf out, new growth from last years cutting is starting to look like it'll be a bumper crop this year.

(June) Pictured here on June 27, the blossoms are starting to fall from the clusters. New berries are forming. They are so small, only about 1/8 of an inch when they are fully ripe. Last year we canned a total of 18 ounces of jelly. We waited too long to harvest, and another half of the berries were used in an art project. Check out this Syrup of Violet video, you can do something similar with the juice from elderberries creating color test strips that measure ph levels.

(July 12) A closer look at the forming berries (above). All the flower petals have come off of this cluster. If you look closely, you can see a tiny spider taking his hot afternoon siesta on the bottom of a branch. You have to be careful to not collect the spiders and other bugs and insects with the bunches when harvesting. They will float to the top when you wash them, although I'd rather have them stay outside.

The berries on August 19. Ready to go.

(August 19) We harvested the berries yesterday and started the process of washing, destemming, and going through the pile of teeny weeny morsels to take out any green or not so ripe ones. (if you ever do this, be sure to wash the berries while they are still on the stems, it makes it much easier.) The crop wasn't as prolific as last year and I've done some research about pruning the trees in order to encourage a more abundant crop next year. Elderberries are a lot like blueberries with their care and maintenance. Thankfully there is Simply Recipies where I've gotten both my recipe for the jelly and instructions on care and pruning. This recipe is wonderful, and if you've got access to elderberry bushes, I highly recommend trying this out. You will not be disappointed for all of your efforts. You need to collect about 3 to 4 pounds of berries to yield about 3 cups of juice.

We have several plantings and now that I know more about their care, we should have better results next year, hopefully. Maybe 2013. Jeff said he found a bunch of wild elderberry bushes on a walk in the woods yesterday, so if we are super motivated, we'll go out there and collect a second batch. You need about 3 to 4 pounds of berries for 5-6 8oz jars of jelly. 3 to 4 pounds of these berries is A LOT of berries!

(August 20) Here are some photos of the berries in various stages of processing. I'm planning on getting some Weck jars for next year! They are so clean and sleek....love them. These are 8oz Ball Jars. I get the flat ones because they are so compact and easy to stack on each other.

Our harvest yielded 6, 8 oz jars! I also made fresh mint jelly today from mint found out in our yard, although I put the sugar in too soon, so I'm not sure if it will set properly. If it doesn't set, I'll try another batch tomorrow.

August 19 - chicks, eggs, a couple things I like, and my September Giveaway

2011-08-19T16:54:00.003-04:00

My Sister has chickens. These were they....when they were wee. She just gave me 6 eggs! The little cluckers are laying their first eggs....sweet!

For August Break, 2011

I bought this (below) from Whatnomints! Can't wait to hang it in my shop...it's going right next to my sewing machine :)

I Love this piece from Chanabean

I am also loving this yarn from SunriseFiberCo

Also, do not forget that I am holding a September Giveaway! <----see details at this link! You can win this tote/project bag by following this blog and leaving a comment! You can also Like my btaylorquilts Facebook page and leave a comment here....two ways to win!

August 17

2011-08-17T19:18:00.002-04:00

The Bear in the back yard. This guy was right outside :)

Don't forget about my September Giveaway! See below

September Giveaway

2011-08-16T18:17:00.002-04:00

September always feels like a time of transition to me. It must stem from years and years of getting ready to go to school, new classes, professors, schools, and clothes. Even now, beyond my school years, September feels more like the beginning of the new year to me than January ever has, you can even buy calendars that start in September, so I can't be the only one who feels this way.

Anyway, to mark this fresh, crisp and wonderful month, I'm having a btaylorquilts give away! I'll be mailing out this tote/project bag (see photos below) to the winner, who will be drawn at random from all entries. See "How to Enter" after these awesome photos!

How to Enter:

Two things: follow my blog, and leave a comment!! If you already follow my blog, great, just leave a comment and tell me you follow. OR, Like my Facebook page and leave a comment here (see the link on the right ---> )That's it!

Get extra entries if you make a purchase in the shop! Buy anything valued $18 and over and get 3 extra entries. If you buy a quilt your name goes in 10 times!

The drawing will be held on September 1, 2011!! Start entering now :) and tell your friends!

August 15

2011-08-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Rain.

We were out on the river the other day with the kayaks and got caught in a rain storm. Jeff (latentecho)had his waterproof camera with him and was getting some amazing footage of some weeds under the water, full of fish, and streaming sunlight before the storm blew in. He got some great images of the rain on the water's surface. This morning we awoke to downpours, the morning so dark we wondered if it was still too early to get up. I asked him to put a little rain video together to mark the day. So here it is :) For August Break, 2011.

August 13

2011-08-13T18:13:00.005-04:00

Went to the long awaited Art In The Orchard opening today, at Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton. I'm including three photos for todays August Break, 2011 entry! Above is a detail from an installation piece by Maggie Nowinski called Recall, Recall. It includes an incredible audio loop, that's "undergone a performative deterioration process." If you live in the area it's worth taking a drive to see and hear it. The loop will play on Saturdays from 1-5 until Halloween.

Zag - by Matt Evald Johnson - taken with my Lomo app. It wasn't this dark and stormy.

Another favorite by Easthampton artist, Susan Halls, "Big Bully Boys Rabbits"

August 12

2011-08-12T16:20:00.015-04:00

For August Break, 2011

Mushrooms growing from a tree stump in the yard.

august 11

2011-08-12T14:32:00.003-04:00

For August Break 2011

On the Connecticut River. It's so low right now that the grasses are on the surface. What an amazing time to be on the kayaks on the river. You can see everything, including thousands of fish amongst these reeds. We also saw a huge mass of water bugs that sounded like popcorn when they were trying to get away from us and bouncing off of each other. So cool

August 10

2011-08-10T16:28:00.005-04:00

For August Break, 2011

These are not my images, but are from my friend Leah, who I met on Etsy. She bought the purple project/tote bag you see above and these are her amazing photographs of her new bag containing a new knitting project! I haven't heard from her as to how this project is progressing, but the yarn is beautiful.

I've quit my day job

2011-08-09T08:07:00.005-04:00

That's right! While it was bittersweet and one of the hardest things I've had to do, I left my position at Easthampton City Arts (ECA) as Coordinator. I've been with the group since its early days and started at 3 hours a week managing the website and encouraging other artists in the community to sign up on the brand new site. It slowly developed into a full time position and the group took on some pretty amazing projects, including Bear Fest 2009! It was one of the most amazing projects I've ever been involved with!

All along the way I've been trying to continue to work in my own studio and also manage a growing quilting/sewing business on Etsy. It became clear over the last year that I could not devote enough attention to any of my work, including ECA, and everything was suffering. Not really suffering, but I was just maintaining each thing at a kind of flat-line level...not really how I like to operate.

And so, I've taken the plunge and am facing the risks head on. BTaylor Quilts is doing great, and it can be better, and that's what I'm trying to devote my attention to. I've also got an exhibit this October at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts and am busily working on new paintings to include in that show (well, if it wasn't so hot in my studio!!) I feel so fortunate to be able to have this time to focus on my own work. It's more than a full time job, it's every waking moment for the most part, but I LOVE it! I've got a new long arm quilting machine in the shop, which is another story (I promise to tell you about shortly!!), and have been busy designing new products, quilts, and brewing other ideas for marketing and getting the word out.

August 8 - Happy Birthday, Mom

2011-08-08T19:32:00.003-04:00

Today would have been my Mom's 73 birthday. I miss her so much.

For August Break, 2011

August 7

2011-08-08T19:22:00.004-04:00

Late. New photos of this quilt.

For August Break, 2011

August 6

2011-08-06T16:30:00.004-04:00

We've been watching this enormous thistle plant since early spring (well, it's a tree really at over 6 feet tall!). I was walking around it taking some shots, and look who dropped in :). That's his tongue flipped out in the front!

For August Break, 2011

August 5

2011-08-05T16:47:00.001-04:00

For August Break, 2011

August 4

2011-08-04T17:51:00.003-04:00

Bad cat has been found. Missing the entire day outside, Mr. Thomas finally emerged from the forest and has promptly collapsed on the floor.

For August Break, 2011

August 3

2011-08-04T08:12:00.002-04:00

for August Break, 2011

August 2

2011-08-02T17:11:00.007-04:00

For August Break, 2011

August 1

2011-08-01T15:08:00.003-04:00

for August Break, 2011

my Mother's bench now resides in my own yard. She would have liked the spot.

The August Break 2011

2011-08-01T06:09:00.003-04:00

No, I'm not getting a month-long vacation. I spotted this project on The Curious Pug's blog and it sounds like a fun idea. There are no rules, really, you just try to post a photograph a day. There will be no blog police to verify your compliance, it's completely informal, so why not? You can even start mid-month if you want to. I'm not making any promises, except that I'll do my best. The originator is Susannah Conway and you can find it on her blog, sign up, and get started. It's August 1st today. The hardest part will be choosing what to post.

In season

2011-07-31T15:54:00.004-04:00

It is my opinion that one should eat as many blueberries as possible during the season. Today, we made our second blueberry pie. We should be on our fifth by now at least, so we are definitely behind schedule. I keep buying the fresh berries from one of the at least 10 places that grow them within two miles of my house, but we have been eating them directly. I did manage to make blueberry scones, but it wasn't worth mentioning here.

This year we are making our blueberry pie according to the Cook's Illustrated Blueberry Pie recipe and using their Foolproof crust. This is the single best crust I have ever made, or consumed, for that matter. You have to try it. It's worth following every instruction to the detail in the Cook's recipe, including using vodka alongside the normal water. You can read about the science behind using the vodka in the magazine, but I don't see it anywhere on this link. This is one of the reasons I love Cook's Illustrated so much...they really get into the science behind their reasoning, and explain the methods of testing they used to get to the final version.

Christmas in July on Etsy

2011-07-12T10:32:00.004-04:00

It's Christmas in July starting today through July 24, in my shop! Please use the coupon "JULYSALE" to enjoy 10% off anything in the shop. Don't forget that I donate 10% of all my profits from btaylorquilts to the American Cancer Society.

Jungle Wagon treasury

2011-07-11T10:56:00.004-04:00

A treasury today.

Introducing......BTaylorQuilts Bags!

2011-06-27T14:23:00.011-04:00

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted, but I've got a good reason. I've been busy designing and sewing a new series of bags. It's been a long time in the process, and mostly it just existed in my head, but I finally found the time to devote to getting this project underway. I'm really happy with the results, and will be listing them in the shop shortly.

The line up as of now is (from small to large):

credit card / change purse - from the wallet series
market purse / clutch - from the wallet series
small tote / project / market / lunch bag - from the tote series
large tote / project / market / beach bag - from the tote series

Here's a sneak peek :)

Photo Credits for this post: Latentecho

Large tote / project / market / beach bag

small tote / project / market / lunch bag

credit card / change purse

Special orders don't upset us :)

2011-02-11T07:43:00.006-05:00

The shop has been busy with special requests for weeks now. Just before Christmas, I received a request for a queen sized green gradation quilt with a due date in early Spring. I love it when I really have some time to work on quilts like this. It gives me time to peruse my favorite fabric stores close by and also my on-line resources for really nice additions to the project.

I'm also working on a custom oven mitt, and a cover for a KitchenAid stand mixer. So cool! I haven't made a mixer cover before, so this is a new project for me...it ought to be pretty fun. It's been fun so far working with the customer.

And now I'd like to share a whole bunch of photos of the quilt. These are mostly detail shots.

Mitten Saga

2011-02-09T14:31:00.009-05:00

"To be a good knitter, you must be a good ripper." These are the words of my Grandmother and I can hear her saying them still, and she's been gone a long time. She didn't teach me how to knit, but did teach me how to crochet when I was six. I taught myself how to knit with a little book called "Learn How" published in something like 1950 or so. I was so enthralled and enamored of knitting that I quickly became pretty industrious, and really good at it. I rarely had to rip out my knitting and got pretty good at translating complicated patterns so I wouldn't have to.I've been knitting a three color mitten, from the book "Folk Mittens: Techniques and Patterns for Handknitted Mittens" by Marcia Lewandowski. It's a fantastic book, loaded with technical expertise, history, stories, and amazing patterns. If you are into two and three color knitting, it's a great source for wonderful patterns. Here are some photos of said mitten in progress.

It's been a challenge, I've got to say, and mostly because I'm too distracted to follow the pattern strictly enough to avoid serious "ripping". I made the right hand mitten. My tension was way too tight, mitten was small. Ripped out whole thing. Start again.

It helps that the yarn I've chosen is a softer-than-you-can-imagine baby alpaca and bamboo called Qina by Mirasol in Peru. Their project is worth looking at. Anyway, when you are knitting more than six mittens for yourself, you need some soft yarn. I started the right hand mitten again, this time relaxing my tension and the mitten is perfect. Just need to add the peasant thumb and right hand will be done.

Pictured below is the right hand mitten, nearly completed, and the left hand mitten on the three needles in the process of being completed. You can see it in the first photo too. I was NEARLY done with the left hand mitten when I realized that I had placed the thumb opening in the right hand mitten position. After realizing my mistake I examined the thumb placement trying to figure out how to NOT rip out the 40 rows I'd knitted above it. I said to myself, "I am NOT ripping out all this work!!" And after careful consideration, and lots of bitching, I realized it would be a waste to have two right handed mittens. It just wouldn't work. I heard the words again, "To be a good knitter, you must be a good ripper" in my Grandmother's voice, and I ripped out the rows.

I Knew It!!!

2011-02-02T09:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks Phil!

snow anyone? My list of remedies

2011-02-02T08:03:00.007-05:00

It's all snow all the time. I really don't like snow that much, but have devised ways to try to come to terms with it and not get too depressed about how freaking cold it is in the winter around here. Seriously, it bugs me. I'm the one who likes it to be 80 degrees or more, so when it gets down into the teens and below zero, I kind of get pissy. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else though..born and raised here in Massachusetts and not planning on leaving it. Here are some of the ways, as a snow hater, I've tried to come to terms with my climate.

Four Wheel Drive - I've owned 4WD vehicles in the past, and don't really know why I ever bought a two wheel drive vehicle to begin with. I JUST traded in my little car for a 4WD, and what a difference. OK, so now I don't mind driving in it so much.
Snow shoeing - THIS is an amazing way to get out and enjoy the cold. You get warmed up hiking around in the woods (I've found if you put on like 26 layers, including ski pants and long underwear, you can actually sweat your ass off) and you get to see lots and lots of animal tracks and evidence of wildlife. This winter I've seen bobcat, fox, squirrel, mice, rabbits and mink trails. The mink trails are the best, they have these little slidey marks where they've scooted down hills on their bellies. So much fun!
Cross country skiing - Another fantastic way to heat up a bitter cold day and actually learn to enjoy the snow. There are many many groomed trails you can visit and pay to use, but you can also find lots of free places to ski...just look for snowmobile trails (but watch out for them...they are easy to hear coming so you won't be surprised).
Sleeping - here's another way to enjoy the cold. Stay Inside! It's fun to look out at the wintery landscape, and if you can afford it, crank your heat up or put on your electric blanket and get back into bed with that cup of coffee. There's always something to be done, but I'm learning how to relax and enjoy the winter landscape from the warmth of the great indoors.

Baking - One of my favorite things to do in the winter. Bake lots of cookies and some pies and you'll be happy happy happy. I just saw a recipe on Smitten Kitchen for Buckeyes...Wow, that's next.
Sewing - of course, I LOVE being tucked inside all day with nothing to do but work in the sweatshop. Surrounded by cats, a steaming cup of tea, and a great scene of snow falling outside my window, I can sew all day when it's like this.

hottentotenstrotelmutterattentaterlattengitterwetterkotterbeutelratte

2011-01-10T18:43:00.003-05:00

Page 164 of Mark Twain's autobiography, which I mentioned previously, I am reading, starts "The Beauties of the German Language" an indescribably funny account of the German phenomena of stringing words together. You can go read it here for yourself...just scroll back one page to get to the beginning of the essay.

Yes, that IS a word above. I highly recommend "hearing" this read on the Autobiography recording. Funny, funny, funny.

In the meantime, I'm almost at my goal of 65 items in the quilt shop. I'm officially at 63 today, with two more items to list tomorrow morning bringing the total, finally to 65! At last. Not that I plan to rest on my laurels at this point, as I hope to sell some of these goodies before long.

The shop is busy with three custom quilts in various stages of cutting and piecing. Surely, I've got lots of extra time on my hands to construct interesting and wonderful blog posts. LOL.

In other news, I've also started photographing my prints, from www.brianataylor.etsy.com which I've included here so you can see. The listings for my prints have only had the image, and I thought it would be nice to actually show the print and what it looks like. The paper is so nice. It would be hard to imagine the quality of the paper without seeing its edge, in my humble opinion, and I think these photos really are getting that point across. You can see it's not just a sheet of photocopy paper, it's a really nice, thick cotton rag paper, with a nice tooth to it. My printer, Evolv Printing in Easthampton, MA, does such a great job. I'm never unhappy with the prints.

It's been a great year! Word for the new year: Time Management

2010-12-30T15:02:00.004-05:00

(New coasters in the shop... well soon to be listed..see these for now)

So much better than 2009. I shouldn't complain, but seriously, 2009 really sucked. This is really the time of year to take stock, look back at what worked, and look forward to new ideas, projects, and plans to make it an even better year than last. 2010 was pretty darned good. I'm ready to make 2011 even better. Now all I need is the time to make it all happen. I don't know about you, but I'm constantly trying to figure out how to fit this in or that. Recently it's been trying to paint my kitchen, making new Kindle 3 cases, or reading any one of the great books I have stacked up to read. I need better time management skills. Or maybe I need less of a social life (I didn't just say that out loud). I'm not sure what it is, but there is never enough time to do everything I want and plan to do. It's the age old song that's been sung for time immemorial.....

(New Pot holders in the shop)

....I've just started listening to the Autobiography of Mark Twain (yes, listening, because the only time I have is the time I spend in my car from work to home and to the store, etc.)...and even before they've reached Chapter one, the narrator is talking about how Mark Twain started an autobiography over and over and over again during his lifetime. Sometimes dictating it, sometimes writing the words down, agonizing over how honest to be or how close to play his cards. He never really finished it, although he managed to write a tome of over half a million words when he could focus on it. He also had the foresight to have his autobiography published 100 years after his death (1910). Another unknown fact to me was that it took him, on average, a total of 3 to 7 years to write each of his major works. It normally took him this long because he inevitably had trouble keeping focused on a project and often put it aside for long periods of time. He mused on time a lot. Things don't change......

I find myself wishing I lived in a simpler time. 1910 for instance. But it wasn't any simpler than it is now, maybe worse, not sure, on the cusp of World War I, everyone realizing some of the fallout from the industrial revolution, etc. etc.... Maybe the 1500's.... Only if I could be nobility in some rich, stable foreign country. Honestly, all I want is some time to read a book.

In my reading stack now:

Just Kids - Patty Smith

The Murder of Bunny Monroe - Nick Cave

Packing for Mars - Mary Roach

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk - David Sedaris

The Sea Glass Chronicles - Christophe Brunski

The Mind's Eye - Oliver Sacks

Meanwhile, I teeter on 499 sales!!

2010-11-18T07:57:00.007-05:00

It's true, and I feel like I'm reaching a big milestone with the shop, and of course, want to have an excuse to get excited and celebrate...even if it's something small and only means a lot to me :) You guys get it! My next sale will mark my 500th sale in my quilt shop! Yay!

Meanwhile, my wonderful and most excellent friend, Jeff Derose, has taken some photos of some of my quilts in a gorgeous field in Amherst, MA. Nicole, at Lillyella had so kindly interviewed me for a featured spot on her blog, so I needed some really nice shots of the quilts, and an actual photograph of me to include. Thanks, Jeff :) Check out his websites. It's great to get someone else's perspective on your work, and hiring a professional photographer is pretty amazing. I highly recommend it, because they really see things that you just do not. Or, as in my case, I have a certain way that I photograph my items, for consistency in the shop and all that. Anyway, here are some of the photos from that shoot... enjoy!

Come and See Me! At the 24th Annual Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studios and Sale

2010-11-16T12:50:00.006-05:00

December 3, 4, and 5. Friday 12-5, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5. Come and see me and forty-four other artisans, when we open our studio doors for the 24th Annual Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studio and Sale! You'll find me in Studio 420 with my quilty items and paintings!

Get in on this giveaway, People!

2010-10-26T14:31:00.003-04:00

Photo credit: Jeff Derose

My shop is being featured on the wonderful Lillyella blog... Thank you, Nicole!

Be sure to check out her many interesting posts, including recipes, cool projects, and fashion ideas. I'm offering a giveaway from the shop, so check out the post to find out how to enter to win something cool from btaylorquilts!

Awesome weekend

2010-10-05T12:20:00.002-04:00

Participated in the 1st Annual Easthampton Studio Tour Day on Saturday, Oct. 2. We totally lucked out with the weather, after two miserable days of steady rain it was more than awesome to wake up to the sunshine. I was not intending to be outside with my table, but decided to move it outside when the weather just kept getting nicer. I've never set up my machine to sew outside before, and it was really fun...a little bright, you can tell by the sunglasses, but still completely fun.

New Camera :)

2010-08-26T14:36:00.003-04:00

It's pretty exciting around here...I've gotten a new camera. A Canon, EOS Rebel T1i 500D. It's a digital SLR and is really beautiful. A friend has lent me a lens to try and I'm just starting to learn functions, etc. The last camera that I really enjoyed was my Canon AE1, 35 mm film camera. It was simple. Basic. I loved it. It was easy to use, everything was aparent, with no menus or complicated settings. A short novel came with the new camera and with some time I hope to be able to take some nice photos, including images for my Etsy stores. So far I've only had one willing model:

Thomas

He's going to read the manual while I'm at work today and let me know the fundamentals when I get home.

Shop news: I've been busy lately taking some time for vacation and relaxing. I haven't mowed my lawn for about 7 weeks (it's actually not that bad..only in spots). I'm also busy with a personal sewing project that is taking an inordinate amount of time. Soon I will be listing new things in the shop....soon :)

Word of the Day

2010-07-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

Relax

New Kindle covers in the shop!

2010-06-04T07:31:00.003-04:00

I'll be listing some new Kindle covers in the shop over the next few days. I had borrowed my Sister's Kindle to see if I liked it...I was comparing the Nook and the Kindle, and had briefly entertained getting an iPad, but it was just too heavy and big for what I wanted to use it for.
In exchange for borrowing her Kindle I sewed up a cover for her. She was toting it around in her bag with no cover. Honestly, it was in near perfect condition anyway, so that attests to its durability with hard use.
A few weeks ago my own Kindle arrived in the mail and it is truly awesome. It is my "model" for my Kindle cover photos that you see here. Of course, I got really excited about the covers and have been making them a lot...part of my obsessive nature I suppose :) But they are fun to make and so very useful. I've made myself two so far and will probably make a lot more, so I can have a variety depending upon my mood. The Kindle feels good in the case, which is made of one layer of heirloom quality 100% cotton batting and all cotton fabrics. It's simple really and snug enough to hold the Kindle without slipping out all the time. Check them out in the shop, they are selling for $20 each.

Open Studio weekend at Cottage Street Studios. Come and see me!

2010-06-02T07:33:00.006-04:00

This weekend, June 5 & 6th, Cottage Street Studios holds its 22 annual Open Studio Spring Sale. For directions and hours and a huge list of participating artisans, please visit the Cottage Street Studios website.

Come and see me working in my studio (#420), and check out the more than 30 artists with their doors open. They are all amazing artisans and are all looking forward to seeing you. We've got glass workers, potters, painters, photographers, woodworkers, illustrators, poets and more. There will be something for everyone.

Look at What I Got!

2010-05-17T07:39:00.004-04:00

I actually won a giveaway! Spectaclealamaison was having a giveaway on her blog, just about the same time that mine was going on, and I entered. I've only one a few things in my life, including once when I accurately guessed the weight of a huge squash at a country fair. I was only around 9 years old at the time, and I still remember that the prize was a dinner gift certificate at Bonanza or something like that. My Mom got a kick out of it, and we all had a good time going out to dinner for free :)

Well, lucky me, and my name was drawn, and here is my prize! A beautiful, handmade cuff, which arrived packaged up like a surprise gift!

Thank you so, much, Sanne, for the lovely cuff!

Went to a Really Interesting Meeting Today! What'd you do?

2010-05-12T16:32:00.003-04:00

That's John, asleep at our table. Stuart had wandered off aimlessly, but eventually came back to his seat when the next speaker appeared.

Actually, the meeting was pretty good...John really didn't fall asleep, but maybe it was because of the energy drink he consumed! Titled "Shop Local, Strategies for Starting A Community Campaign" it was held by the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative and Pioneer Valley Local First, and included some really amazing speakers from the Eastern part of the State. If you are interested in Buy Local campaigns, or maybe just exploring ideas about how to go about starting something in your town, check out the links at Pioneer Valley Local First.

Quote of the Day ~ Yoda was a smart guy

2010-05-11T15:58:00.003-04:00

"Do or do not.

There is no "try"

[Luke:] "I can’t believe it."
[Yoda:] "That is why you fail.”

And the winner is!!

2010-04-27T15:46:00.003-04:00

Yay! Ginny Huber has won the pot holders in my Birthday giveaway! It's been fun reading all of your comments about what you'd do if you knew you'd live to 100. Ginny, I'll need your mailing address so convo it to me!!

btaylorquilts birthday giveaway!

2010-04-25T08:16:00.003-04:00

Win this set of pot holders in my second giveaway! The chances are pretty good you might win because you actually have to do something to win the prize this time, and as of today I have only three comments!! See the post below for more details.

Happy Birthday to me Giveaway! Tell me what you'd do :)

2010-04-23T06:21:00.010-04:00

To celebrate my birthday this year, I want to have a giveaway surprise! Next Tuesday, the 27th at Noon, I'll be holding a drawing for this set of pot holders. Read on for details.

I want to share this bit of inspiration: A few years ago I read about a local woman who had recently passed away. She had died at the age of 100. They quoted her in the article..... "If I had known I was going to live this long I would have started taking violin lessons when I was 60. I would have been playing the violin for 40 years."

Painting by Tali from Tush Tush

THIS is important. As I get older I try to remember this quote. We just don't know how long we've got, so why not do those things that we've always wanted to do. It's not too late. Even if you might think it's silly. Who knows, you might have another 40, 50..... 70 years to live. Do what you love.

So now, to be in my birthday giveaway, and with this quote in mind, all you have to do is tell me what you would do or what you've always wanted to do. (Oh, and follow my blog and/or Facebook page!) Would you travel? Where to? Would you give money away? Would you buy yourself a new toy, or violin lessons? If it's a bunch of things, list 'em!

Happy Spring ~ Happy Easter

2010-04-04T08:22:00.005-04:00

It's quiet around here today. Only thing stirring is the rooster at the farm across the street. Well, the cows are up too, but other than that not a car has gone by and it's nearly 9 a.m. I love holidays for this. That sense of the world has stopped for a moment and everything has that muffled quietness about it. To celebrate the quiet and sheer wonderfulness, I wanted to share a couple of items from artisans in my Etsy Project Embrace team. Enjoy the quietude!

"Don't Wake Me if I'm Dreaming" Photo by Lori H.

Cottage Rose Plates by 5gardenias

Wedding Jar in Vanilla Tears Design by dbabcock

finally a treasury

2010-03-30T17:19:00.005-04:00

I know not all of you are Etsy sellers or buyers, but I think a majority of you are. If you are not, I highly recommend taking a look around Etsy. There are so many wonderful, handmade items, including cleaning supplies, home decoration, edibles, fine art, ceramics, perfume, soap, not to mention the vintage arena!

Click on the photo above, which will bring you to the treasury west area of the website and the current treasury that I have curated on the site.......to start, these sellers are part of Team Etsy Project Embrace, which you are all familiar with if you've been reading my blog for any time now. If not, most of them donate a portion of their profits to the American Cancer Society, which, in my opinion, is one of the most pressing health issues of the human race. I know there are many many other issues to be dealt with, but cancer is just insidious, and touches almost all of our lives in some way. It has effected me personally so many times..even my pets are not immune.

To read more about this fine team of artisans working to make a difference, please see the Etsy Project Embrace Forum thread. And please support their handmade efforts. You get something really nice and they are giving back in return :)

Etsy Easter Voter and Team Etsy Project Embrace

2010-03-27T08:07:00.007-04:00

Team EPE is well represented again in this week's Etsy Voter! My friends, Kerrin, from Sigmosaics, and Kim, from Slinkymalinkicat are in the running in this week's Etsy Easter Voter! Please take a minute or two to visit the Voter and cast your vote for your favorite item. The theme this week is "what would you like to get in your Easter Basket?"

Kim's chromolithograph from Rev. Canon Atkinson's 'British Birds' Eggs and Nests', published by George Routledge and Sons, London. Circa 1880

Kerrin's super-cute mosaic eggs!Visit these seller's shops by clicking on the items above! They both have such amazing and beautiful items on offer for your Easter Sweetheart. Enjoy!

To find out more about Team Etsy Project Embrace visit the forum thread...there you can find out what we are about, how to join, and what's happening today!

What's been happening over there?

2010-03-26T07:33:00.006-04:00

I know, I know...I've been so incredibly busy that I haven't had a spare moment to post for over two weeks now. One minute it was pancake breakfast and then all hell broke loose! It's been better weather for one...so I've tried to be outside as much as possible. I believe I mentioned my new friend too:

Thomas says hello!

Let's see...my quilt came in first place in the Etsy Voter :) Thanks so much to all who voted for it. It really generated a lot of interest in the shop and I had a flurry of sales and custom orders come in, so it's been a little crazy around here. There were so many wonderful shops in the Voter selection..they were all so great. Ruby included my quilt in her Friday picks blog post today. Thanks Ruby!

I also managed to get my taxes done! Wow! Every year it's the same thing..I scramble around for a week, putting together all the information, trying to find forms, and cancelled checks, and excise tax bills. Somehow I just cannot manage to stay organized for the whole year. Seriously, already three months into the new year and I haven't managed to straighten out the record keeping system. It always seems like I have better things to do than deal with receipts and paper. Anyway, it's done and I don't even owe money this year!! Yay!! On the way home from the tax accountant's office, I was texted by my good friend Dan to stop over their house for dinner. Andrea was making scallion pancakes and eggs! YUM!

Mollie, at roughmagiccreations also asked me to do an interview for the Etsy Project Embrace blog, which should be posted today at some point. If you do not know about EPE, we are a Universal Coalition of Artists whose main purpose is to create awareness and support for people who have been diagnosed with Cancer, whatever kind it may be. The project began as a way to help our friend and wonderful Etsian, Laura Slocum, who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is currently having chemotherapy. You can read more about Laura and her incredible uplifting journey here: http://www.etsy.com/profile.php?user_id=6760712 (taken from loveartworks post in the team forum thread. I donate 10% of my profits to the American Cancer Society!

A star from Laura's shop!

Oh My!! btaylorquilts Nominated in the Etsy Voter!!

2010-03-12T11:17:00.003-05:00

So Awesome! Thanks so much to all of my Etsy Project Embrace people who nominated me for the Voter! I'm really psyched to be included, and thanks to Etsy Admin for selecting my quilt out of the hundreds of nominations received. So Now Vote!

Did Someone Say Bacon and Pancakes? Gould's Sugar House!

2010-03-12T09:34:00.005-05:00

Head out on Route 2, West, in Massachusetts and you'll run into Gould's Sugar House, the home of the best pancake and bacon in the universe. I don't eat bacon a lot, but when you walk into the restaurant at 8:30 a.m. and the place smells like bacon, it is imperative that you eat some. I'm surprised that Yankee Candle doesn't make a bacon scented candle. (actually that would be pretty gross, so forget I said that!) It was a dark day, but well worth the not so photoworthy trip out there. It's an amazing operation...I think it takes something like 20 gallons of "sap" to make one gallon of pure maple syrup. It is so well worth the effort....the stuff is like gold....a gallon costs $50! A pint is $12. So worth it :)

The steam rising is amazing...this is the water evaporating off the sugar. It boils down until the sugars are left. Yum!

We got to sample the sap right outside the door of the sugar house. Here is the tap into the tree. One drop comes out about every minute. It's a slow process.

The sap tastes faintly sweet, but mostly like water. So you can really see how it takes all that boiling down to get to the sugars.
Gould's also has a great selection of handmade items from local artisans and farms. They have honey, their own syrup of course, maple sugar candy. They even sell fresh eggs for only $2 a dozen! That's an amazing bargain in the fresh egg market if you ask me.

Roolzz is Roolzz - And the Second Winner is!!

2010-03-11T12:45:00.005-05:00

Sorry Furs A Flyin', rules are rules and I didn't hear from you in time. Here is my friend, Cindy, from across the hall at Eastmont Custom Framing, drawing today's winner! And the Winner is:

If I do not hear from mumumarie within 24 hours (via either a comment here on the blog, or a comment on facebook), I will be drawing ANOTHER name.... Good Luck!!

And the Winner IS!

2010-03-10T10:05:00.009-05:00

And the btaylorquilts winner is:

Today is the day. I've drawn the name from a "quilted nesting bowl" and the coasters are all set to be sent out to their lucky recipient! If I do not hear from Mary-Kate from Furs A Flyin' within 24 hours (via either a comment here on the blog, or a comment on facebook), I will be drawing another name.... Good Luck!!

Your prize!

At the State House with the Mass Cultural Council

2010-03-04T18:55:00.006-05:00

Drove out to Boston today. The Massachusetts Cultural Council announced the recipients of this year's Gold Star Awards. The Gold Star Awards honor exemplary projects funded by Local Cultural Councils across the state, and the Easthampton Cultural Council had nominated Easthampton City Arts to receive an award for the Easthampton Bear Fest. Six awards were given in all, and ECA was honored with one! Fellow ECA Coordinating Committee member, John Polak, and I attended to accept the award on behalf of ECA. Marcia Morrison, from the Easthampton Cultural Council was there too. For those of you who don't know, I am the Coordinator for Easthampton City Arts (yes, I work too! btaylorquilts has not gotten me to "Quit Your Day Job" status yet! ... and not that I'd want to either, it's a great job and I love it!!) Hall of Flags - In the State House, this hall displays City and Town flags from across the Commonwealth. It's beautiful.

It is the room where the MCC Program was held. There were over 100 communities represented in the room, many of which got to meet individually with their state reps. to discuss their needs and plans for the coming year. In all, there are over 2,400 volunteers that operate the Local Cultural Councils around the state, one of the largest networks of its kind in the country (according to Rep. John Keenan of Salem. Cake. We also got to do a little exploring around the State House. The whole building is decorated in mosaics just like this one above. This motif fills the room in the photo below all around the edge and the center of the room. There are large displays of flags in this area and they all had an amazing history, one of which still has the blood stains of the infantryman that carried the "colors" into battle.

John's got a spaceship landing on his head! Oh no!

This is me in the House Gallery. This is where the Representatives meet and vote. We also snuck into the Senator's Gallery but you cannot take photos in there, darnit.

Represenative John Scibak announcing Easthampton City Arts
Here's Rep. Scibak after the announcement, with our award!
It was too quickly over, and we had a freezing walk back to the car. Here is the Frog Pond Skating Rink in the Commons. It was snowing out and raw but people were still out skating.

John at Emmet's on Beacon Street....they have excellent shepard's pie!

The March Giveaway! Yay!

2010-03-03T09:45:00.005-05:00

I'm so excited to be holding my first giveaway! You can be automatically entered in the drawing in two ways. #1 ~ by being or becoming a "follower" of this blog, or #2 ~ by being or becoming a fan on btaylorquilts facebook page. If you are BOTH, then you get TWO chances to win.

Here's how it'll work. For lack of a more technological way to draw names, I'll be doing this the old fashioned way by putting all of your names in a bowl and having a friend draw the name. (luckily I don't have a huge amount of followers....yet) I'll then post the winner on the Blog! If I don't hear from that person within 24 hours, I'll draw another name. So be sure to check back. I'll be announcing the winner on Wednesday, March 10.

Here's what you'll get! A set of four quilted coasters from btaylor quilts! There are bigger plans in the works for the next giveaway sometime in April :)

It's like Christmas all over again (home improvements project #3)

2010-02-26T08:30:00.005-05:00

(photo: erinwallaceprint.etsy.com)

This IS like Christmas, but almost even better. Since the new boiler's been installed, the next logical step in the Home Improvement Saga was to do some research into getting the house insulated. Recently I had a contractor come to the house to verify that it was not insulated and to give me an estimate for insulation. Right on the first count. Not insulated. The rough estimate was $3 - 5K to do the job. Yikes! Still haven't gotten an exact number from him and that was last week.

In the meantime, I did some research on rebates one could get in Massachusetts on these energy saving measures. I am, after all, getting a $1325 rebate towards the installation of the new boiler, AND a federal tax incentive (credit? deduction? not sure yet), so it behooved me to find out about the insulation. I contacted the folks at the Center for Ecological Technology in Northampton, and they helped me set up a FREE MassSave Home Energy Assessment to get started.

To begin with, I thought that they were simply the "verification" in order to get another rebate AND the tax benefits, BUT NO! I was wrong. They send in an energy assessment dude and he measures up your house and presents you with a "contract" (not a binding thing), to have your house insulated (in my case) and they pay 75% of the cost!!! They assign you a contractor and they only charge you the 25% so you don't even have to go through the rebate process.

This is the best part. He told me the job would cost $2,697 and that my portion would be $633! I nearly peed myself with joy after thinking it would cost around $4,000 to insulate my house, I was now looking at only $633. Needless to say, I signed the paperwork and am awaiting a call from the contractor.

Teapot cards

The photo of the three teapots above is taken from erinwallaceprint at Etsy. I purchased these cards from her this morning after seeing the cat face card on the front page. She's new to Etsy and should surely do well. Three letterpress cards for $12.50! Yay! Check out her shop. She only has a few things in her shop right now but I expect she'll have lots more soon. At least I hope so anyway! Thanks, Erin!

Knit and crochet slippers from natalya1905

2010-02-20T13:56:00.010-05:00

On a quest for the perfect slipper. I really like to wear slippers in the winter. Sometimes a slipper with a rubber sole is good, ya know, when you need to run outside to grab the mail or bring the trash out. What I really wanted was a slipper that was soft, warm, comfortable, and that I could sew with. It's nice when you can feel the presser foot of your machine, and honestly, stocking feet are just not warm enough in Massachusetts.

I purchased this pattern from Natalya1905 a few weeks ago. Since then, I've made a pair and am well into my second pair (for my Sister...although hopefully she won't read this before she gets them :) If she does, then "Surprise!!" You're gettin' a pair.) And you are lucky, because now I've perfected the pattern and know just how to keep them on your feet.

In my first attempt, the heel was too low and the back kept slipping off of my foot. So I got out the crochet needle again and stitched another two rows around the heel and actually decreased the stitch to bring the heel in more....Presto! Stays on my feet no problemo. So here's a photo of the Sister's slippers in production. The photo above looks more purple than they actually are. The photo below is more accurate, (that is if you see a more red toned yarn on your monitor :), although more blurry.....

That's right. You do see four soles in the photo above, because you make two for each foot so the bottom is nice and cushiony for your little feeets. All-in-all it's been a great pattern to make. I plan on bringing it to jury duty with me on Monday so I have something productive to do. I don't think they'd allow me to bring my sewing machine in to quilt my current quilt. LOL.

More Etsy loves and a new Kitty friend

2010-02-19T07:22:00.011-05:00

More things that I'm loving....I also have to say that the photography is top notch as well:
From margaretwozniak 's Etsy shop. Wow, I really love this little cat. When I first saw the photo I thought it was larger, but it is 3 1/2" high. Reminds me of the Pre-Columbia pottery I studied in college. Something about the shape of it.

I adore these shoes too! From HydraHeart's shop. Too bad I'm saving my pennies to have my kitchen floor replaced...darnit.

In Other News:

I guess I haven't been sleeping that well, because I've been having these dream filled nights. Could be because I have a new little friend in the house. If you've read older posts, you know that my beloved kitty, Styx, passed away recently. Immediately I thought that I'd not get another cat, after suffering the loss of her, and three years prior, the loss of Gromit, my most ever favorite kitty. It was not to be so though. I had to go to the mall and bumped into a kiosk there from the local shelter (Daikin), and a little kitty's photo stopped me in my tracks. His name was Jaxon and it took me a week to track him down. Turned out he'd gotten a cold at the Leverett shelter and was transferred to Springfield. When I finally saw him it was love at first sight. Having a hard time with his name. I've been thinking of naming him Muad'Dib (pronounced Moo-aw Deeb), from Herbert's Dune . Basically, it means "desert mouse" in the novel. He's very mischievous and gets into everything! I'm not sure yet though.

A Dream I was shopping

2010-02-16T07:25:00.007-05:00

It's true, I had a dream filled night. Other than shopping I remember being in an airplane, and I had to lie down back in the tail section. When the plane landed my feet scraped the tarmac, weird. More pleasant than flying with one's feet out of the tail end of a plane, I also dreamed about shopping. Not grocery shopping, but fun shopping, and I know it's all because of Etsy, where I spend ungodly amounts of time browsing the works of fellow artisans and listing my own handmade things.

Here are a few favorite things I've seen this week that I really like: Senor Gato by MarianneW . He likes to ride motorcycles...well, then he's in my club!

These Love Quote earrings by littlebrownbird. Which way do you read these? Her question first? His statement first? I like them.

So, I actually DID buy something this week! I finally saved enough pennies to get myself an original Ozetta warmer! I didn't get the one shown above, but that's the color I ordered. If you want to see the style I ordered look here. Can't wait to get it! I've been admiring Ozetta's work for so long now. I own some of her Mom's kitchen dishclothes from CocoaBeans too :) I wrote about her shop back in November of 2008!! I still have the dishclothes, they are amazing!

A new quilt

2010-02-15T08:18:00.004-05:00

A new quilt from the shop. It's great when you love what you do :)

Home Improvement Project #2 - Bathroom

2010-02-14T08:48:00.006-05:00

Before:

A built in medicine cabinet with three mirrors had to go.
Here's a nice shot of the old vinyl flooring. It matched the tiles, but didn't do anything for the room. Plus it seemed dirty all the time.

Here's the old sink cabinet, which stuck out from the wall about 23 inches. It was really hard to get up close to the mirror to put on mascara...honestly, who needs that!

Another shot of the old sink cabinet, just so you can really get a good look at it. Also, the old soap dish, toothbrush holder, and towel rack are now gone. I had never chiseled tiled off of walls before, at least strategically, but it wasn't too hard, just a bit scary, not knowing if I'd really be able to replace the tiles properly. There was a box of replacement tiles left in the basement workbench, and they worked nicely.

DURING:

The sink's been ripped out. Yay!

The new floor going in. Roy, from National Carpet, installed the floor. He's a master and has been doing it for 30 years.

My Brother-In-Law, Shawn, is back to the rescue and installs the sink plumbing for the new sink cabinet. It's amazing, the cabinet has drawers and all the plumbing fits behind this. He's a genius!

See how this all fits so nicely!

AFTER:

The floor is pretty dark, but I love it. It's made to look like slate. Not easy to get a good look at it in this photo. Perhaps I'll have to add another photo with a better shot of the floor? I kept the cabinet over the toilet because it helps to lessen the look of the toilet in the room. Otherwise, the toilet dominates the space...not truly a desireable thing.
The new sink cabinet! It's so great with the two drawers...the sink is wonderful. Has two faucets ~ wheeee!
And here is the new medicine cabinet. Given the depth of the sink, which is way less than the old one, only 19 inches, it is way easier to see yourself in the mirror. Not to mention that the mirror is significantly bigger too. Notice the tiling behind the faucets! It looks so great without the toothbrush holder, and other stuff. It's a nice, smooth wall now. Got some new metal miniblinds as well. They are silver and look so great in the room with the grays. I had demo'd the old mirror cabinet out of the wall and contemplated sheetrocking the space it left. For now the new cabinet hangs directly over the old hole until I can get to that project. Only thing left to do is paint the closet doors with all those slats. They are washed and ready to go. Oh, and the old light above the cabinet is still there...haven't found a replacement that I like yet.

Pretty Great Friends ~ and a Good Cause

2010-02-12T12:06:00.005-05:00

I've recently been mentioned in a couple of really great blogs. Rose, of Waterrose included a nice piece about Etsy Project Embrace, which is an amazing group of Etsy artisans who have teamed together to support the American Cancer Society. Inspired by Laura Slocum of LauraSlocumpainted, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year, this group is a driving force on Etsy. Waterrose is also an Etsian and makes fantastic embrodered items.

foxglove studios

Stacy, over at foxglove studios has a great blog all about handmade art and craft. She supports Etsy Project Embrace and her shop items can be found in several different platforms. See her blog to find links to all of her wonderful work, just click on her banner below.

Home Improvement Project #1 - heating system replacement

2010-02-01T18:30:00.010-05:00

Look at this monstrosity of an oil tank.

I have to be honest, I've never owned a home with oil heat and I wasn't really pleased that the house I fell in love with had this heating system. Firstly, it really stunk. The whole place smelled like fuel oil. The previous owners (who were very, very awesome!) said that the smell went away each year after they had the boiler cleaned. I know I'm really sensitive to smells like this and went into the sale knowing that the smell would never diminish enough for my happiness. Secondly, the boiler was probably as old as the house (1940's or so according to my neighbor, Ron, across the street), and it needed to be replaced anyway....oh, and along with the 30 year old water heater! It was a miracle the water heater still worked! So first things first, and the oil tank was removed. (That's my Brother-In-Law, Shawn, who is a Master Plumber- LUCKY ME!!) He owns his own plumbing and heating business with my Sister, Leigh, called Peabody Plumbing & Heating out of Chicopee (I highly recommend him :)
Shawn organized the whole system replacement, including removing and proper disposal of the oil tank, the water heater and the boiler. Below, he works on taking apart the oil boiler, and HOLY SHIT, I had no idea just what was inside of these things. Huge cast iron parts, all rusty, full of crud, stinking to high heavens. For God's sake, it was nasty. And lo and behold, the boiler had been slowly leaking fuel oil for quite a few years...soaked into the concrete floor underneath. You can see it in the photo below...that brown on the floor below is NOT a dirt floor. That is the oil soaked concrete. I'm still working on scrubbing up that crap with phosphoric acid, so I can finally seal it and stop the stink once and for all (hopefully). If not, I think I'll hire someone with a jackhammer to come and get all that concrete up and refill the hole. Any one know someone with a jackhammer? LOL.

And Viola! Here is the new system, all in place and really pretty! It barely takes up any room at all. I think this shot might have actually been taken before some final touches were done (Shawn probably wouldn't approve!!), but this is the system. It's a wall hung, super-high-efficiency boiler, that is 96% efficient! It's by Triangle Tube and called the Prestige. Fancy! The tank next to it to the left is the hot water storage tank. The boiler manages the hot water in the house, so no separate hot water heater is needed. That tank is 30 gallons. This system is a hot water priority system, so it will give you hot water until the cows come home even if you blow through the 30 gallons. In winter, it'll shift priority over to the demand for hot water out of the storage tank, shifting heating to that instead of to the house. I can't imagine when I'd use more than 30 gallons of hot water....anyway, I haven't run out of hot water yet. And the whole thing heats the house nice and cozy!

Heating bill costs, you ask? So this house is basically uninsulated (except for a layer under the siding...which doesn't really do anything much). There's a breeze in some areas of the house. At first I tried setting the programmable thermostat as I normally would: 60 during sleeping hours and work hours, 72 when I'm home for long periods of time (ya, I like to be warm :). The new boiler is so super efficient that in order to jump from 60 to 72 it takes a really long time. It finds the most efficient way to get to 72. Way too long for my tastes. Shawn suggested just setting it at the temp I like and see what my bill might be like for one month. Set it and forget it. Which I did. 72. For 35 days straight (that was the billing period on the first full month bill that I received from Bay State Gas). Bill: $207. Shawn thought that was high, and maybe it was. He thought it would be half that. Well, if my house was insulated it might be half that, but seriously, I didn't think that was a bad number. I've had $600 bills in some of my homes, and that was keeping the heat down too. For heat, hot water, cooking, 35 days straight, night and day, 72 degrees! That's pretty incredible, honestly. Imagine if the house was insulated? I have the folks at CET (Center for Ecological Technology) coming to do an assessment of the energy efficiency of the house, including insulation. They will give a rebate up to $1500 towards insulation installation. Not sure if I'm ready to spend $4 to 8 thousand dollars on insulation though. The payback would take years. It would be nice to get rid of some of these breezes though.

First project in the new house is nearly complete! Next report will be on bathroom remodel...nearly done as well!

Ode to Styxy

2010-01-26T08:43:00.009-05:00

Styx (Holyoke, 2004)

My friend, Styx, died yesterday after a brief and sudden illness. She was 13. Instead of reliving the past few weeks and especially yesterday, I want to remember her for all of her coolness and the awesome times we spent together. Styx found me, back in 1998, in Holyoke, in the parking lot behind my old apartment near the Highland Laundry. She was a little, dirty, beat up rag of a kitten and she came scurrying out from under the Highland trucks right up to me. We've been together since. Styx loved her bell toy on a stick with such passion, it was always a sure way to bring her from anywhere in the house. She adored morning scratches on the bed and chasing my hand around under the quilt. She played like a kitten until nearly the end, chasing the laser dot around the house, fetching her bell toy, playing with a new yellow mouse toy, and enjoying the evening can of wet food. She did not like Gromit too much (despite the photo below of them together on the chair and the couch), she didn't tolerate his antics and always hissed at him when he came near. After he passed away two years ago she was happy to be an only cat and blossomed into a very affectionate kitty. She couldn't really meow properly but was very vocal around the house, she'd grumble whenever she entered a room that I was in to announce her arrival, and she'd grumble a little louder whenever she was hungry. She didn't like to be brushed or handled in any way, but loved to have her ears and around her head scratched. I was looking forward to letting her do a little exploring outside this spring and summer, I really thought she'd enjoy that.

It's not even been 24 hours since she's gone, but the house is so obviously empty without her. I missed her on the bed this morning, and asking for breakfast after I came downstairs. There's a gap that her huge presence used to fill. It's amazing how such a tiny little creature can fill up your life so much, or how often they are in your mind throughout the day. I'm going to miss her. She was awesome.

Styx & Gromit (Easthampton, 1995)

Styx shortly after she moved in (Holyoke, 1998). Her hair hadn't grown yet!

A rare moment, probably the first and last time they occupied the stool together

The last photo I took of Styx. (Easthamtpon, January 2010)

quote of the day

2010-01-13T20:46:00.003-05:00

Those in a hurry do not arrive ~ Zen saying

Number 36

2010-01-13T13:46:00.013-05:00

Oh how I miss the summer. And Sugarloaf Frostee. And the motorcycle. Just a few short months until the warm weather reappears, but for now the bike sits in sub zero temps in the garage. At least it's not alone. This year it's stored with my friend John's two BMW's in my new garage, so they are keeping each other company. With the new two car garage there's room for everyone. I cannot wait for the first ride of the season. Last year it was in March sometime, and the first long ride was on April 26th to Newport, RI. It was 90 degrees that day...I remember it well. Then it rained until the end of June for the most part. Hopefully we'll have a great riding season this year...already in the plans is a trip to Assateague Island, in Maryland, and some shorter rides with a revisit to Gillette Castle. Talks of Nova Scotia keep cropping up, but no serious plans yet. This year was to be our cross country trip. Maybe. Just maybe.

2010-01-09T11:16:00.003-05:00

Something new. Didn't I say I had Valentine's day on the brain the other day? Well, things haven't changed. These really fun soft hearts are in the shop now...they'll also be decorating the RED exhibit display case at the ECA/ECC Gallery for the February 13th Art Walk...cool!

Here's a new table runner too...I forgot how much I like to make these :)

Treasury today & inspiration

2010-01-08T07:28:00.004-05:00

I'm really happy with this treasury....blue and yellow are so good together. I think I'll just have to put something together in the shop today that reflects this goodness! I'll add it to this post if it comes together. I hope you are all having an excellent, creative, and productive day :)

Valentine's Day on my mind

2010-01-07T16:29:00.005-05:00

Yikes. I guess it's on my mind. I've been making treasuries (on Etsy) based on Valentine's themes, every time I turn on the sewing machine I'm pulling out the red fabrics. I'm curating a RED exhibit at the Gallery for February's Art Walk. After a year of solitude and singleness, perhaps I'm getting a little more comfortable with the idea of romance.....if I only had time for it...ha!

Bitter and cold outside, but nice inside

2010-01-03T16:52:00.004-05:00

If you are in New England you know how bitterly cold it is today. The wind is blasting and there are snow drifts across some roads. Yes, I did venture out today for the thrice-weekly trip to Home Depot for more home improvement implements. After that I stayed inside all day and sewed to my heart's content. Here's what went on today: A nice big pile of pot holders and coasters , some eye glass cases and moreOnce in a while I drag out my scrap boxes (I order my scraps by color...makes it easier if I'm looking for a specific color scrap)...anyway, I drag out my scrap boxes and put together some coasters sets. It's a lot of fun and the outcome is always unexpected and surprising. I'll be listing some scrap box coasters in the shop over the next few days.
Here is one set in browns, oranges, etc. and the blue one below is from another set. They really came out nice, I have to say :)

Treasury Update

2010-01-03T07:12:00.007-05:00

So many treasuries in the last few days. I've included five here that my work is included in and the last one is one that I put together for WMass Team which is up for one more day. I'd say these treasuries are top notch. If you click on the treasury it will take you to the shop of the person who curated it.

Spongetta rules at making treasuries. Thank you. Ozetta makes another fabulous treasury, she's great at it!

From Team EtsyProjectEmbrace! Thanks, Laura

This one is so pretty...I love the greens.

Thank you editionbw!

And one that I made.

A new beginning

2010-01-01T11:59:00.006-05:00

There is one day each month that the moon rises and the sun sets at approximately the same time. These celestial events are spectacular to see...in the East, the Moon, in the West, the sun. One of the best places to see this is from Goat's Peak on Mt. Tom Reservation. A group of us climb up there each month to celebrate the coolness. (I have to say that I am hard-pressed to walk up the mountain in the dead of winter, but I was convinced by my Sister to go this time....and I'm glad I did....thanks, Leigh!)

Gal leads the way!

Easthampton

Yoshi braves the cold and extreme heights

Definitely thought there'd be more snow

Leigh and Shawn in their AWESOME hats. Cheers!

John sets this thing up every month

The moon through the trees on the way back down.

The Best and the Worst of 2009

2009-12-28T08:27:00.010-05:00

I'm really, really happy to see 2009 in the past. I'll give you the bad news first:

Shitty stuff of 2009
1. My Mom passed away (March)
2. Sister diagnosed with MS
3. Broke up with boyfriend of four years
4. Lost two good friends (probably due to too much stress, I'm only guessing)

I miss you, Mom

Highlights of 2009 (in no particular order!)
1. Bought new Harley Davidson Softail Deluxe Nostalgia.
2. Sold Condo.
3. Bought new single family home.
4. Reconnected with JT (after 25 years)
5. Pulled off Bear Fest
6. Easthampton City Arts
7. Mountain View Farm
8. Selected to exhibit at Springfield Museum of Fine Arts (not until 2011!)
9. Open Studios
10. Over 5,000 exploration miles on the new bike
11. Made some new, good friends

JT, 1981 (17!)

The new Harley

an unexpected balloon launch found during an awesome day on the bike

The Bear Fest...cake at the end!

Treasuries update

2009-12-28T08:02:00.005-05:00

My nesting bowls made it to the Front Page. I thought that was pretty cool, especially because it was picked by admin to be featured...thanks!

The treasury I've got in the lists today (above). They are so much fun to curate, not to mention the challenge of being at the right place at the right time to even get a treasury! I know there are rules to it and you can determine (kind of) when they are going to open up, but you cannot account for folks deleting their treasuries, sometimes nearly taking an hour off the wait time.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner. This one is from sometime during the last year. I was particularly proud of this one and thought I should show it off.

Around the new shop

2009-12-24T08:48:00.006-05:00

Finally getting things organized around here. Another session of rearranging and making a total mess has made things a little more functional around here. I'm sure I'll go through one more "tear this place apart" whirlwind projects in order to make it just right. I have to say, my new house is a little less roomy...the kitchen and bathroom are definitely bigger, but the rest is smallll. I really don't need much more than this but it would be nice to have room for one more work table in the shop. One more adjustment to the height of the sewing desk and all should be right with the world.

I've been working on lots of special orders this Christmas, and it's been a joy. I love what I do and am so happy to finally be working all the time. It took a lot of discipline to get myself back into the swing of things after taking such a long break, but I'm feeling compelled to work all the time now. I work a full-time job as well, so along with sewing and working in my studio, I pretty much have three jobs. It's great to never feel like I don't want to go to work.

Happy Holidays - It's the Simple Things, Really

2009-12-23T14:15:00.006-05:00

Happy holidays, my friends. I hope all of your wishes come true. Mostly I'm just thankful to have made it through this year with some semblance of sanity. Every thing else is bonus. I'm taking lessons from my cat, Styx, who is pictured here with a little gift that she received from a friend. And that lesson is "it's the simple things, really". And that's all there is too it. I'm hoping for a simple, stress free, and peaceful holiday season and I wish the same for you.

Seriously?

2009-12-21T15:40:00.003-05:00

OK, is anyone as confused by this as I am? I spotted this at the local Barnes & Noble today and thought "are they serious....
semi-homemade?" WTF! I suppose if you think about it, unless I was growing my own cotton, weaving my own fabric, dying it, etc. etc...that anything I make is semi-homemade. This is a magazine about food, one that I had not seen before now. Why not call it Kinda-Sorta-Homemade" or Almost Homemade? Just a thought.

Something new

2009-12-19T08:54:00.008-05:00

Something I've been contemplating for a while now. Simple nesting bowls which are reversable, pretty, and practical. It's always fun to experiment and design but it often leaves a big mess in the sweatshop! I'll be listing these and others in the shop soon...probably after the chaos of Christmas is over and we are all concentrating on the new year. Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you are all having a great season.

A Special Order

2009-12-01T16:17:00.004-05:00

I've just moved, and with this I realize that there is a special order to everything. My well laid out, efficient home is completely disrupted and it seems like it takes me twice as long to do normal things. Mostly it's because I cannot find anything. I'm slowly unearthing things, but today it was the pin cushion with the needles I like to use. I could easily find the other pin cushion, but the one I wanted was elusive. Well, I couldn't work unless I found the thing so 26 boxes later I found it and happiness resumed.

Speaking of special orders, I had a request come in yesterday and while I was waiting for the plumber to arrive I had gotten a good start on the project. Low and behold I finished it today and it's ready to go. It is a wine tote...perfect for a really nice wine gift or for carrying your own bottle to the dinner party.

Cottage Street Studios Holiday Open Studios

2009-11-28T07:32:00.005-05:00

It's almost 2010. I've been waiting all year for it. I know it's not a good thing to wish time away, but I'll be very happy to see 2009 gone. There have been some good things, don't get me wrong, but this year has been exceptionally trying. I feel like I'm ending it off rightly though, and with as much positive energy as I can muster. I've just bought a new home and it's wonderful, and I'm managing to get myself back to work on my painting and quilting.

So please visit my Etsy shops to see what's new and also, if you are in the area this coming weekend (December 4, 5, & 6) stop by Cottage Street Studios. We are having our annual Holiday Open Studios weekend. I cannot say that I'll be completely ready to go after moving this week, but I'll have something on the walls

Moonset and Sunrise

2009-04-10T16:05:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you just have to get up at 5 a.m. to enjoy stuff. This morning's hike up to the Observation Tower on Mt. Tom to watch a simultaneous moonset and sunrise was so worth it. How cool are these photos, just minutes apart. It actually got colder as the sun rose and I had to put my parka back on, but it might have had something to do with the sweat drying from the long climb in the dark.

Quote of the Day

2009-04-07T07:38:00.003-04:00

"If you trust yourself, any choice you make will be correct. If you do not trust yourself, anything you do will be wrong." ~ Kwai Chang Caine

Support Hospice!

2009-03-25T08:55:00.002-04:00

I'm signed up to walk the annual Step Out for Hospice Walk on Saturday, May 30th along with my family. Please support the fine services that Hospice provides.

My fundraising efforts are in memory of my Mother, BettyAnn Taylor, who passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2009.

You can make a secure, on-line donation at: http://www.firstgiving.com/brianataylor