Here are some other images that caught my eye on my morning walks…

This rock path was a nice counterpoint to the concrete sidewalk. It didn’t look like it would be difficult to construct.

Many houses had wisteria growing on their porches.

This Victorian house was in the process of being re-painted. It was interesting to see the raw wood among all the painted beauties.

This door, with its painted house number above, reminded me of a firehouse door.

This was really different. That’s a painting on the porch of birds perched on what looks like a window of the house. Pretty cool.

I was in Raleigh, NC, last week teaching at the NCQS. What a wonderful event! The quilts were lovely, the vendors were plentiful, and there were lots and lots of classes. I had the opportunity to visit with many friends – old and new.

I walked in the mornings with Hollis Chatelaine. She lives in the area so knows a lot about the architecture and plants. I was amazed at the colorful houses! I remember a time, when we lived in Tulsa, when I wanted to paint the trim on my house purple and my mom convinced me that that was just not a suitable color for my house and she was probably right, but I LOVE this purple house!

In fact, there are several new things on the Piece O’ Cake web site. You can pre-order the next book, Applique Outside the Lines.

There’s the new Tulip Basket ePattern that is FREE with any purchase!

And two new Santa Claus ePatterns: Dinner at Santa’s Table Runner…

…and an ePattern with both Santa in the Woods and He’s Checking His List.

I keep my eyes open for interesting compositions when I’m on my morning walk. Flower pots, cinder blocks, and the like are things that I don’t leave out in the yard so I noticed when saw this stuff neatly stacked next to a fence in Pigeon Forge. I like this – although I would remove the cinder blocks.

You’ve seen wind chimes. What about ceiling chimes? That’s what these painted strips of wood at Anthropologie reminded me of. Simple and inexpensive to make – wouldn’t these be great on a porch or patio?

The front doors of the Huisache Grill in New Braunfels, Texas, are painted different colors. It’s eye-catching. Why? Because it’s unexpected, different.

When you are designing a quilt it helps to remember that unexpected touches stand out and draw the eye.

By the same token, trees don’t always stand up straight. This tree, which seems to be waving, ought to be next door to the Huisache Grill, but it’s not. It’s miles away in Fredericksburg, TX.