Who is Orange Sink?

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Rice Lake, WI, United States
My home town is Rice Lake, a small town in northern Wisconsin. I own Red House Wool Studio~ an in-home wool and rug hooking business. I enjoy collecting and decorating with antiques and primitives. Orange Sink Blog is a journal of my interests and ramblings about life. Cathy Greschner

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Quilt and Road Repair


I woke up this morning with a splitting headache. I believe the past few days have been too stressful with the moving of Dave's mom to assisted living and cleaning out her apartment from 20 plus years of stuff from the no-throw generation.  More about that later.  By 7:30 am was feeling a bit better after taking some medication and applying warm compresses to my poor head. All was quiet  but a few moments later the old familiar beep beep beep of the heavy equipment started in!  They are resurfacing the road past here and it's only a few feet from our house. 
I decided it was a good day to dig out an old quilt top I've had forever  to repair a few big holes it had when I acquired it. I needed something to work my hands and soothe my achey head.  And something to counter-act all the energy going on outside. 


The quilt top is a beauty of an old thing. Little nine patch squares all hand sewn together. The fabrics are what call to me. Old homespuns in mostly blues and browns. Look closely and you'll see a brown, blue and bittersweet plaid so faded and worn. 


My steam iron glides smoothly over the wrinkled fabric. The boys outside ( who by the way love their jobs... I asked them..LOL!) layer a load of sand and gravel.  My thoughts turn to the contrasts in our work.  It's kind of the same in a way too... we are both repairing something with skill and love. 


For my repairs I chose a reproduction civil war fabric with indigo blue flowers and creamy background.  On this all plaid quilt I thought the contrast of a flower print would be fun.  Then my thoughts turned to  the maker of this quilt. As she sat and hand-stitched her homespun squares what was going on outside her door?  Were the men-folk with tractors or perhaps horse-drawn equipment making her smile as her needle and thread made tiny and neat little stitches.  






The boys and their big trucks and graders work on!  Happy and content to be making another road safe and usable for years to come. 


Repairing my old quilt today gave me a sense of accomplishment. The hand-work soothes the mind as well. Perhaps now I can focus on tasks ahead. In another post I want to share with you some of the goodies we found while we dug through the years of accumulation at his mother's place.  I know... don't need to be dragging home more "stuff".  I did restrain myself for the most part.  But a few things were too good to pass up. 


Hope your day was filled with good energy and the works of your hands soothing as well!

Cathy G

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Aftermath!



Things have settled down slightly after the whirl-wind of the quilt show this past 4th of July weekend. I'm happy to report the second day of the show was much busier than the first!  I sold a little of everything and met a group of gals who I think may be my next class of enthusiastic rug hookers!  
While at the show I was working on the rug in the photo.  My 1820 Sunflower design that I am hooking for a customer!  I was able to demonstrate and get a few loops pulled on this commissioned piece as well!  Multi tasking at it's best!
So now that the show is history....


....and my wool is stacked neatly on the shelves again here in the studio  ( you know how much of a twit I am about that LOL!) I can concentrate on a few things for Fall.
Yup... Fall!  It actually feels like Fall here in Wisconsin this morning.  It is 60 degrees with a crisp chilly breeze.  I know we are probably still in for some humid hot weather... hopefully... but there are signs of early Autumn about.  



And as you may notice... a few signs of it in my studio as well! 

A gentle reminder to stop and listen to the chimes singing in the garden in the summer breeze. 
The loons calling as they fly overhead.

I love Autumn but need to slow summers pace.  So many things yet to accomplish in the next few weeks.  Moving my 92 year old mother-in-law to an assisted living home....traveling with family to a deceased aunt and uncles inurnment in Milwaukee are but a few of the things which will keep me busy as July zips by.

Cathy G







Friday, July 4, 2014

Quilt Show Video... the quilts! Different link so I hope you can see this one!

Another video I shared on FaceBook today of the quilts at the quilt show in Chetek, WI where I am set up with my wool booth.  I tried a different type of link so those of you without FaceBook accounts can view it I hope.  Let me know if this works for you.  I went back to my last post and changed the link so maybe you can see the video of my booth too.  I am so bad at figuring all this techy stuff out!  But I am so proud of myself for learning how to use the video on my phone.   I want to share so much more with you through videos.

So the show...  you may be wondering how it went today!  Well.... very very slow!  There was a 4th of July parade that is a hugely popular event in town!  I had a few customers and a couple of small sales. I'm told tomorrow is usually the better day.  There is a craft show in the park... so we'll see.  Kind of disappointing so far.  But lets see how tomorrow goes.  I decided I could force  myself to sit indoors one more day!  Sheesh... the most beautiful weather of the summer and I'm sitting indoors at a show with no customers!  

Well... hope you enjoy the video if you can view it!!

Stay safe this weekend.... Happy 4th of July dear friends!

Cathy G



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203013657720863&l=3589355724152020577






Video of my Booth at the Stitching Sisters Quilt Show Today!



Here is a video of my booth at the Stitching Sisters Quilt Show in Chetek WI that starts today July 4th!  My first attempt at a video with my iPhone.   I didn't speak loud enough but hopefully the video tells the story!  Enjoy!  Cathy G
                               
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203006877191354&l=8992180109458193214