in the Alps

So here I am, almost at the weekend in this gorgeous area of Switzerland, about 1-1/2 hours outside of Zurich.  The mountain changes according to the time of day and the weather.  I have been here since last Monday and will be leaving on after the weekend.

  I have had a wonderful week staying with my friend Barbara and her husband, sewing with Barbara's friends, and being too well fed and pampered.  Today I got the $50 tour of the area and over the weekend, more.  But it was hard to take photos on those curvy mountain roads, so I don't have any to show right now. 

We had raclette for dinner tonight and it was yummy.  The first time I have had it!  Here are just a couple of pictures of tonight's meal.

Cheeses, bacon, hot peppers, tomatoes, cornichons, potatoes, and roasted peppers.  The cheese was melted, poured over the potatoes, and eaten with all of the other items. 

Delicious!  More, tomorrow.

And the winner is...

Thanks to all of you for posting comments on my blog.  Hilda Bakke is the lucky winner of Cindy's new book; I wish you could all have won a copy!

I'm in Switzerland this week and next.  Next Monday I am teaching near Geneva, but this week I am playing and relaxing with my friend Barbara and some of her friends -- looking at the gorgeous scenery, and doing a lot of eating, drinking, sewing, and laughing.  The laughing is the most important part!

Here was the mountain early this morning.

 And here it is, from a different vantage point, later.   Snow up there.

 

Bedtime in the Alps at this moment.  Night.

I just read a delicious new book!!

Nope - it's not a cookbook-- it's a gorgeous book on improv quilting that I've already read twice. Cindy Grisdela's new book is hitting the shelves any day now, and if you want a yummy new read with loads of information on how to work improvisationally -- here it is.

(and you can WIN a copy if you leave a comment on my blog!) 

  

After I read the book, I told Cindy that we must have been separated at birth.  We both work improvisationally, both stockpile leftover units and building blocks to pick up and create with when the mood strikes. We both use color intuitively, and there are lots of other commonalities.

BUT our work is so different  -- having started in a similar place, we've each taken a different road. That's that's the beauty of working improvisationally.  If you are new to working without a pattern, Artful Improv is a great way to get started. Even though I've always worked this way, I have already learned some new things from this book! I don't work with curves, but Cindy has tempted me.

And I especially liked her Five Techniques to add to your Improv Toolbox and her clear, beautifully illustrated section on design principles. 

I've loved Cindy's work for a long time. I always looked forward to seeing her (and her  artwork) at the elegant Palm Beach craft show -- her pieces are so gorgeously quilted,so coloful, and so beautifully presented.  Yum.  

But you'll have to see the book for yourself.  The blog hop continues elsewhere, so check out these blogs, leave a comment, and you'll have extra chances to win this book.  Here is the rest of the schedule.  Enjoy yourselves.  And oh,if you don't win, you can find Cindy's book on the C&T website or on Cindy's own website.  

October 13: Yvonne Fuchs http://quiltingjetgirl.com/

October 14: Sujata Shah http://therootconnection.blogspot.com/

October 17: Heather Kojan http://www.heatherkojan.com/

October 18: Generation Q Magazine http://generationqmagazine.com/

October 19: Cindy Grisdela https://cindygrisdela.com/blog/

Good luck!