Loose Threads

1211 S. Roane St., #5, Harriman TN http://www.loosethreadsquiltshop.com

At Loose Threads, it was all about family members pitching in during the Shop Hop to share what’s new and different. Owner Lisa Lee smiled as she pointed out the on-display quilt made with pre-packaged doggie cutouts. If you have a favorite breed, you can find it in quilt form at Loose Threads.

Rooms and hallways of fabrics direct you through the maze of many bolts to the giant teaching room where award-winning quilts displayed at the Tennessee Valley Fair take center stage.

Family members pitched in while we were there, showing us new store items and fabrics for the free Blooming Blue in Tennessee quilt block patterns that every visitor to the Shop Hop received. Non only that, this could be the happiest group shot I took all week — even though they asked if we could waive the mandatory mask requirement just for the picture!

Bernina In Stitches

408 S. Roan St. Suite 100, Johnson City, TN http://www.berninainstitches.com

Fresh colors and friendly staff greeted me at this little shop in a newly developed urban area of Johnson City. Bernina In Stitches was all about great ideas from creating a strip quilt and tote bag out of beachy fabrics to fashioning little Tilda dolls based upon books by Norwegian author Tone Finnanger. I even found a sewing pumpkin made out of notions.

The easy chatter between customers and salespeople made me realize that there is a lot of repeat business here, mainly because the shop is so welcoming and friendly. Great quilts, little gifts, and a few funky things extended my shopping time, ’cause I just didn’t want to leave these nice people!

Tennessee Quilts

114 Boone St., Jonesborough, TN http://www.tennesseequilts.com

Housed in a classic two-story Colonial home, Tennessee Quilts may have the largest inventory of any of the shops in the East Tennessee Quilt Shop Hop. If not, they’re close.

A wall of animal motif quilts greets you and makes you smile . . . right at the front door.

Upstairs, teaching samples and instructions await — all using the Blooming Blue in Tennessee fabrics. (Also upstairs — a back room featuring fabrics at super sale prices.)

But it was the wall, the extensive wall, of brightly colored fabrics by American designer Kaffe Fassett that took my breath away. If anyone ever wanted fabric for a dynamic project, the whole back wall of Tennessee Quilts would make someone feel like a designer in a warehouse.

The Sewing Bee

222 Headtown Rd., Jonesborough, TN http://www.sewingbeetn@comcast.net

Owner Carol Mahar said she wanted three things when she came to live in Jonesborough, Tennessee: “. . . chickens, bees, and quilts.” And then she told me the story. “Well, I had the chickens and the bees in my back yard, but I always dreamed of having my own quilt shop. The owner and I sat down for a long talk. And a month later, I owned a quilt shop!”

She’s evidently done well with The Sewing Bee in the little over a year she’s been the owner. Her husband works with her repairing and selling Pfaff sewing machines, and her work on display in the shop is creative, artsy, and fascinating.

No wonder she had a dream that became a reality. And I believe she’s pleased a lot of area quilters, too!

Gina’s Bernina Sewing Center

10816 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN http://www.ginasbernina.com

My last stop and the shop closest to my home was Gina’s Bernina! Praising this shop is easy for me since it offers a wide selection of fabrics, classes in a spacious back room using Bernina sewing machines, a children’s dressmaking corner, and staff members who are helpful and knowledgeable. Gina’s is a teaching store all the time, but for the Shop Hop there were extra tips on half-triangle rectangles and how to use measuring boards.

Amazing to me are the samples hanging on every wall leading crafty people forward in their choice of fresh, new colors or a set-up display of long-arm quilting techniques.

Gina’s is a go-to place for new ideas, but I still love some of the wall hangings that have been around — and charming customers — for a while like this little yellow and blue VW bus.

But there are also new quilts that show off fresh fabrics and patterns . . . like this little row of houses done up nicely in farmhouse colors.

It’s always a treat to see what’s new at Gina’s!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this sample of the 2020 East Tennessee Quilt Shop Hop, a true display of the talent, innovation, and clever artiness of the quilters and proprietors in our area. With so many of us staying at home now, quilting and sewing projects is seeing a resurgence. And you can find quality fabrics and talented, resourceful people in my area as well as in yours.

I’d love to know what you’re working on and what shops you recommend. So, drop us all a line in the Comments below — we just may need to stock up for future days ahead!

Thanks, as always, for traveling far — or near — with us!

Rusha Sams

You may enjoy reading East TN Quilt Shop Hop (Part 1) here.

A quiet garden path dappled in morning light invites guests to climb and explore.

Although much of the U. S. (especially in the South) is blanketed with snow this week, many of us are dreaming of gardens lush and lovely.  Last spring, in Knoxville, one homeowner opened his garden during the Dogwood Arts Festival garden tour.  It was a chance for those of us who love flora and fauna to stroll quiet pathways and imagine ourselves indulging in nature’s beauty as we paused for a few moments of silence.

Beautiful spring garden in Knoxville, Tennessee offers a silent respite.

A weathered garden bench invites visitors to sit a spell and enjoy the quiet.

More photos reflecting a sense of calm can be seen here: Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence. 

Look closely, and you’ll see the handsome coffered ceiling and classy bar at Clancy’s.

A recent Knoxville event, Chef’s Table Tour, came with a surprise . . . an unexpected one.  After strolling downtown sidewalks listening to bits of history from our guide, we ducked into Clancy’s Tavern & Whisky House ready for good food and a sip of the Irish.  But what we saw redefined this downtown corner for us.  What was now Clancy’s Tavern had been — at least for all the years we’ve lived here — Clancy’s Optical, a venerable establishment known for quality eye exams and glasses.

The way it was: Clancy’s Optical. (Photo from Google Images.)

Clancy’s Optical stood on the corner of Gay Street and Clinch Avenue for 75 years in a building that has a storied history.  Before offering fashionable eye wear, Clancy’s had been the location of a bank, J. C. Bradford’s, The Shamrock, and The Exchange Restaurant.  But it’s been Clancy’s Optical as long as we could remember.

Members of Chef’s Table Tour file into Clancy’s, ready to be surprised!

In 2014, however, owners Danny Clancy and Josh Turbyville renovated and “repurposed” the old corner building for what it is now — the richly appointed Clancy’s Tavern & Whiskey House.

The richness of handcrafted ceilings by Art Clancy at Clancy’s Tavern in Knoxville

The classiness greets you at the door.  You can’t help but notice the rich browns and artful craftsmanship of coffered ceilings and restored wooden floors.  Designed by Art Clancy (family, of course) of Clancy Custom Woodworking, the old-world interior speaks to the elegance of fashionable members-only clubs and taverns known throughout Europe.

It’s a tribute to what’s happening now in downtown Knoxville — a renaissance marked by tasteful renovations and purposeful “repurposings” that are transforming the city into a destination in its own right.

Clancy’s Tavern & Whiskey House, Knoxville, TN

Thanks to new owners with a vision and savvy woodworking crews, the new Clancy’s is Irish done right!

For more “repurposed” locations and things people have posted, check out the DailyPost Weekly Photo Challenge: Repurpose. 

For more information:

Clancy’s Tavern & Whiskey House, 602 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN; 865.219.1266; clancystavernknoxville@gmail.com

East TN Tours: http://www.easttntours.com/

Looking for autumn color at Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Sometimes we travel near and far in search of adventures and great places to see, but actually there’s grand beauty in East Tennessee that we sometimes take for granted.  Thus it was on a recent weekend that we headed north about 60 miles from Knoxville to Cumberland Gap for a glimpse of what we hoped would be a spectacular fall view.

Although the colors haven’t turned brilliant yet, you can sense the beauty all around at Cumberland Gap from Pinnacle Overlook.

Established as a National Historical Park in 1940, Cumberland Gap stands at the entrance to three states:  Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.  Although it’s known as the gateway to the west — especially by the explorers who welcomed the site of a passageway through the Appalachians — Cumberland Gap National Historical Park could be called wilderness even today since 14,000 of its 24,000 acres are managed as such.

Even without the fall colors, the ridges and valleys are a sight to behold in the afternoon sunlight.

Our trip was “pre-fallish,” if we were seeking lush, rich autumn colors.  But definitely no disappointment.  Perhaps those who read this post and see the pictures will be able to schedule a trip for later in October when a patchwork of yellows, oranges, and browns will spread out over the ridges and valleys.

Touches of fall color dotted the mountains at Cumberland Gap.

Be sure to take the short, easy walk to Pinnacle Overlook and gaze across the landscape.

A spectacular view of the mountains from Pinnacle Overlook at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Then look down at the little town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and out towards Middlesboro, Kentucky.

You can look down on the little town of Cumberland Gap where overnight lodging and restaurants are available for travelers to the area.

And enjoy the flora and fauna bordered by aging split rail fences along the walkways.

On the return trip to Knoxville, take Highway 25E toward Bean Station where you’ll be rewarded with this view  — spectacular with or without fall colors.

View from Bean Station overlook on Tennessee’s Highway 25E — just a touch of color for now, but it’s coming!

We returned home, thankful that we’d spent the day in our home state yet wondering why we don’t do it more often.  After all, the natural beauty of East Tennessee is hard to beat!

Come see us,

Bert and Rusha

For more information:

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park: http://www.nps.gov/cuga/index.htm

Driving Directions: http://www.nps.gov/cuga/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Boomer Travel tip:  Much of the scenic area known generally as Cumberland Gap can be seen by car.  However, the walk to Pinnacle Overlook is an easy one, so we recommend getting out and walking the 600 feet to the viewing area.  You’ll be glad you did!

Our foremost happy place is Knoxville, Tennessee, where we’ve lived for nearly half a century!  In 2013, artist Bobbie Crews led a group of artists to transfer her original design onto the side of the Visitor Center downtown.  It embodies the happy, energetic, diverse side of Knoxville, for sure, and a bit of why we love living here.

Colorful Visit Knoxville collage designed by Bobbie Crews.

But our other place is an “escape location” we’ve frequented one week each summer for three decades:  Pawleys Island, South Carolina.  Almost each morning of beach week, I climb the stairs to the widow’s walk atop our rental and watch the sun rise.  The peace and quiet, the awesome beauty it all, and the respite from obligations the rest of the year — all make it a glorious happy place!

Sunrise from the widow’s walk at Pawleys Island, SC.

For more entries in this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge:  Happy Place, click here.

A window with a view — Cades Cove, Tennessee

Cades Cove, Tennessee, is glorious.  With 6800 acres of quiet, rolling, tucked-away land in the Great Smoky Mountains, the cove holds the widest variety of historic buildings of any national park, but it’s the rough-hewn, still-standing cabins that we love most.

If you’re lucky enough to get up early on a Saturday morning and bike along the no-cars-allowed-before-10:00 Loop Road, you can meld into the landscape and pretend you were a settler in one of the pioneer log cabins.  It’s there that you can find your muse as we have — reflecting on how life was in the early 1800s and resolving to carve out more quiet times in unspoiled places whenever you can.

Nature photographer Bill Lea said it simply after his visit to Cades Cove, and we agree:  It’s where my heart is.

For more musings in the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse, click here.

The stately wooded gardens of Dr. Alan Solomon

(We are re-publishing this post from 2015 since Dr. Solomon’s garden will be open for touring as a Dogwood Arts Featured Garden again this year, 2017.  For more information on times and location, click here.)

Perhaps one of the most magnificent areas in the Knoxville area, Dr. Alan Solomon’s gardens opens up a forest of greenery in an elegant fairyland setting.  More than 20 acres have been developed by Dr. Solomon who had little horticultural and landscaping experience prior to purchasing the land in 1971.  Now, with the addition of hundreds of wildflowers, coniferous and deciduous trees, and native plantings combined with over 700 tons of rock forming streams and waterfalls, the garden is a blend of natural and planned landscaping in a lush secret garden setting. It’s no wonder that this Knoxville treasure, Dr. Solomon’s garden, has been included in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens,

As we arrived on the designated Dogwood Arts Featured Gardens visitation days, Dr. Solomon greeted each guest in the parking lot.  And then in his soft-spoken voice, he directed the soon-to-be-amazed visitors to areas of interest, pointing the way on a carefully marked map he had designed. As we walked the property, tall trees formed archways through which we could look down and discover new areas.  Waterfalls added sound to the otherwise quiet surroundings. And all our senses were restored by the peacefulness and natural beauty.

But there was also humor to be found in this stillness.  Life-size frogs kept watchful eyes over the comings and goings of visitors or busied themselves with needed repairs.

The pinnacle of our tour, however, was the sight of Dr. Solomon’s home.  Named GATOP (God’s Answer to Our Prayers), the vast hillside property and the craftsman-style home afford the owners a spectacular view from the front lawn.  Artwork blends in — enhancing the view and offering new textures and forms to complement carefully planned areas.

Lovely craftsman-style home of Dr. Alan Solomon blends in with its surroundings.

Tall sculpture strategically placed to capture the view from the front lawn of Dr. Solomon’s home.

With its elegant twists and turns, this sculpture on the front lawn leads the eye beyond to a glimpse of Knoxville from the front lawn of Dr. Solomon’s home.

A tiny frog perches on the porch of Dr. Alan Solomon’s home with the gardens in the background

It’s not hard to find solace here.  But it’s also not difficult to see that the work of Dr. Solomon and many others have improved on the natural “good bones” of the land.  In some places, we couldn’t decide if gardens were built around art or art was placed in a planned garden. We had no idea what came first. Nor did it matter.  The whole was prettier than the sum of its parts.

Carefully placed sculpture enhances the natural beauty of Dr. Solomon’s gardens

After thanking Dr. Solomon for the opportunity to walk through the garden areas and stand quietly on his front porch, we asked if we could get a picture.  The camera-shy garden enthusiast allowed us to snap him at play with the dogs who have traversed the land so often right alongside him.  A beautiful day.  In a beautiful setting. We felt grateful to have been there.

Dr. Alan Solomon with his faithful companions

For more information on the Open Gardens and Featured Gardens during Dogwood Arts Festival 2015, click here.

For all of the posts on this year’s festival, click here.

This concludes our series on Dogwood Arts Festival 2015.  We hope you enjoyed touring Knoxville at one of the prettiest times of the year.  Please make plans to come see us in 2016 — the dogwoods and the arts and the gardens will be right here!

Bert and Rusha Sams

Giddyup at Coolidge Park Antique Carousel, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Why would you want to just stand and watch the motion when you can ride a horse and move like the wind?!

Constant motion on the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Or run with the wind on Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge?

Childhood = Constant Motion!

Want to put a little motion in your life?  Move on over to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion right here.

Favorite entry in Chalk Walk 2014 by students of the STEM Academy.

It its sixth year at the Dogwood Arts Festival, Chalk Walk has again brought out artists young and old, amateur and professional to create ephemeral art from mere pieces of chalk.  Although last year’s Chalk Walk was mostly washed away by heavy rains only an hour or so after completion, this year’s event left lasting impressions in Krutch Park and Market Square downtown. And the crowds loved it! Sidewalks were packed as viewers moved cautiously, elbow-to-elbow, careful not to disturb those carefully shaded areas of the designated, marked-off squares.

Chalk Walk is art.  But it’s also an event.  And this year’s combined the best:  great weather, huge crowd, fabulous art!

Artists at Work

The artists were as much fun to watch as they moved in closely or stood up to get a better idea of how the work was flowing.  Sometimes they talked to the crowd; sometimes they worked in silence.  We found it fascinating to watch an artist and then return an hour later to check on the progress.

Artists sometimes worked together to share chalk — whether the rainbow shades came in neat boxes or in sacks of leftover pieces like children use on home driveways.  Jerry’s Artarama donated some of the chalk, but we have a feeling that there could have been several runs to the store for more as artists wore the pieces down to nubs.

Artists worked together to select and share the right colors

Sometimes we wondered if artists dressed to match their creations!

Baby powder was the medium of choice for the faces in this entry.

Teamwork helped Faith McDaniel, Katy Rivers, and Sam Artman create this dancing lady piece.

Curtis Glover dedicated his chalk drawings of the characters from Monsters, Inc., to his nephews, Anderson and Max.

Young Artists

Some of the best entries in the competition came from students.  Teams and soloists from area schools gave it their all in the hot sun — and made quite an impression with their creativity and detail.

Taking a picture of the entry by students at Blue Grass Elementary.

Loved this picture even more when we discovered the artist was only 14 years old!

An eighth grade student from Vine Middle School worked on this creative drawing and then talked with us about what inspired her.

Sent a picture of this colorful tiger done by students at West High to the LSU fans in my family!

Summer Meiling Finn, the 2013 People’s Choice Award winner, won again this year in the Middle School category.

Personal Faves

Of course, any time you go to an event like this, you have some standouts. Here are the ones we remember most . . . just because we like them.

The artist evaluates the many shades of color in this portrait of a lady.

Many hands — students from STEM Academy — worked on this dreamlike creation while the principal and teachers cheered them on!

If you live in Knoxville and you love the Vols, you’ll crowd around (like just about everyone did) to snap a picture of their favorite hound dog, Smokey!

About the only thing I can remember drawing with chalk during my lifetime is a hop-scotch grid, so I’m thinking we just may have to join our granddaughter when she creates something special in our driveway this summer.  After all, if  you mess up a chalk drawing, so what?  It’s not like we could compete with the artists on Market Square.  They’re good.

Emerson quote rang true with a lot of folks judging by the number of photos taken of it!

Chalk Walk 2014 was sponsored by Avanti Savoia.  Chairing this event were Kathy Slocum and Jim Dodson.

For more information, click here for the Dogwood Arts Festival Website.  You can also check out the history of street art as well as the winners in this year’s competition.

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Barely open but on its way: Knoxville dogwood

April 1st is when it really opens up around here.  Tulips, daffodils, azaleas, and, of course, dogwoods — which bring on one of the loveliest festivals in the South:  the Dogwood Arts Festival.   It’s definitely not a one-day affair.  Knoxville, Tennessee, springs to life as blooms come out in full force.  From the painted pink Dogwood Trails to the frivolity on Market Square to the openings of artist studios, music venues, and gardens, Dogwood Arts Festival is somethin’ to see each and every April.

For this year’s festival, we’ll be dedicating most, if not all, of our posts on what’s up with Dogwood Arts 2015.  By no means can we see it all or do it all.  But we’ll have fun trying.

Dogwoods on the way!

Please join us as we show you some of what we enjoy — trails, gardens, art in public places, Chalk Walk, Rhythm ‘n Blooms, and more.  Might even throw in a few pics of dogwood blossoms just so you’ll see why Knoxville is the prettiest place in the South!

Just tiny buds now — dogwoods in Knoxville.

And because so many of our readers live in other states and other countries, we’re including links below so you can check out what’s happening in and around our beautiful city.  (Like our favorite Dogwood Bloom Watch 2015 — daily photos of the opening of a dogwood bloom!)

Here’s hoping you’ll join us all this month as we salute one of our favorite festivals in Knoxville:  the 2015 Dogwood Arts Festival.

Lovin’ the good life in Knoxville,

Rusha and Bert Sams

Dogwood Arts Festival 2015

Official Website: http: www.dogwoodarts.com

Calendar of Events: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/calendar-of-events/

Trails & Gardens: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/trails-and-gardens/

Bloom Watch 2015: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/bloomwatch2015/

Rhythm ‘n Blooms Music Festival: http://rhythmnbloomsfest.com/

Dogwood Arts 2014:  A beautiful beginning (Formerly published post on Oh, the Places We See)