Summer Possibilities + Heather Ross Book Giveaway

I'll start off with another small detail shot of some of the crewel embroidery stitches I'll be teaching at the Crewel Embroidery Retreat here at the farm this summer. We'll be learning 18 new stitches which are not included in the Craftsy on-line video which I teach. BTW, Craftsy is having a fantastic "summer holiday" sale on ALL their classes beginning today. Here is the link to enjoy HALF OFF. Sale runs through midnight June 9th.

Click here to find out about the summer retreats at the farm.

I'm always late to put my veggie/cutting garden in. The ground doesn't warm up here too early so I try to work on other things outside - like cleaning up what is left from last fall and the winter debris. Here is what a disaster it is.....

Veggie and flower garden before tilling

....... until yesterday. It was tilled and now the rush is on to get it all planted before the weeds come up again. I am headed to Walker Farm today to do my annual shop of their fabulous seedlings. I have posted about Walker Farm here and it never disappoints. I love the look of the fresh plowed earth and all the anticipation of what is to come in the next couple warm months.

I've found a new garden shoe that I like quite a bit. They are called Sloggers and come in 3 heights. I have the low style right now but want to add the two other heights because I am frequently walking around in high grasses. You can check them out here. American made too. They are quite comfy and come in fun colors and prints. Julia has terrible problems getting shoes to fit because she wears orthotics. We got her a pink print pair (her signature color) and she loves them. 

There are only two weeks left for Julia of school this year. I can feel my rush to get stuff done before she is around every day. Although she is older and more independent, she still craves my attention and wants to be entertained some. We don't generally go away on a family vacation - it is too hard to leave the animals alone. It has been years and years since I have traveled anywhere besides a free vacation at my family's or for a work destination. It's okay, really, but once in a while I dream of going to London again. This is happening in the Spitalfields area on June 7th. What a fun day in secret backyard gardens this would be. Or maybe a visit to The American Museum in Bath where Kaffe Fassett has a new exhibition. Check out the video here about the installation and design of the exhibition. It looks more than FABULOUS. On until November.

I just finished reading Heather Ross's memoir How to Catch a Frog and other stories of family, love, dysfunction, survival, and DIY. Let me start this off by saying that I do not know Heather. I have followed her work in the textile field on and off through her blog. Heather is an incredibly talented illustrator, fabric designer and teacher. This is her third book - the others are Heather Ross Prints 2012 (includes a DVD for downloading prints, many cool craft and sewing projects, and a good introduction to how to create repeating designs in Photoshop for all of you who want to design your own fabric). Her first book was Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching (2009). She also illustrated the kids book Crafty Chloe kids series. What a talent.

Heather had an unconventional childhood in northern Vermont. The book is mostly words but is also illustrated with her incredibly sweet paintings and includes some how-to project ideas. How to Catch a Frog and other stories of family, love, dysfunction, survival and DIY is mostly stories about her childhood. Heather is a great storyteller in words - as she is in her illustrations. Her fabrics look like little stories of childhood on a piece of fabric - a childhood many people dream of in the country. Heather does not hide the fact that growing up in a rural area is not exactly what city dwellers think it is. Let me just say that and you'll have to find out more by reading. 

Heather runs Creative Retreats (including one in northern Vermont each summer). I have friends who have gone and had a fantastic time. You can check out her workshops here including an upcoming one on designing your own fabric in NYC in November. 

There is a rather in-depth review of How to Catch a Frog on Quilty Pleasures here. And yes, you will learn how Heather catches a frog - I have always been a bit squeamish around amphibians so I was interested to read the technique. This book would be a great summer read and it is also available digitally for those who prefer reading on a device.

I have a copy of How To Catch a Frog donated by the fine folks at STC/Melanie Falick Books. Would you like to win it? Here's how:

Answer the following questions in the comments section:
What is your favorite biography/memoir/ or just plain old book you loved and want to re-read this summer?

Contest ends Sunday, June 8th at 11:59 p.m. As always, please leave an easy way to get a hold of you - Rav id, blogger id or email. US addresses only.

Good luck everyone!