TCB

I recently had the opportunity to cross something off my bucket list. I am yet to actually define a bucket list for myself but this was somewhere I had always thought would be great to visit.

Graceland.

In Memphis for one day only, I didn't research any local quilt, craft, or yarn stores to explore - I really didn't anticipate having any free time. As it turned out I did end up having a few hours to myself in the morning and I decided a pilgrimage was in order.

On the way to Graceland I had a really interesting cab driver, a Memphis native who's Aunt had been a cook for Elvis and he shared some great stories with me which really added to the whole day. I'd heard the stories of Elvis giving away new cars to strangers and this cab driver filled me in on that as well as other philanthropic contributions to Memphis as a community.

My visit did not disappoint - it's a bizarrely kitsch and quaint experience.  The house itself is frozen in time - a fantastic 70's decorator nightmare.  Across the street from the house are other exhibits including a collection of Elvis's cars that is pretty awesome.

One of my favorite new Elvis insights was "TCB" - Taking Care of Business.  A motto he turned into a crude lightning bolt logo and plastered everywhere - on belt buckles, the side of his plane, and even ultimately on his tombstone.  Which is a little odd. But what do you expect? There were a lot of odd things about the King. 

Anyways, earlier in the week I inspired to take care of some business myself and I finally cut down and mailed off my fat quarters for the Vintage Sheet Patchwork Swap 2

I was not able to find any suitable sheets in thrift stores and believe me I looked all over the place.  Since I was traveling so much this summer I can even say that I looked in multiple states with no luck.  Either they didn't carry linens at all or they just had really bad boring sheets that lack any of the charm of the bright 70's prints.

With the deadline looming to mail my fat quarters off I finally called my mom and asked her if she still had those bright green sheets around. Turns out she still had a Cal King flat sheet and she was happy to part with it "in the name of art."  As much as I give my Mom a hard time for not getting rid of things this was one time I was really glad she hadn't!  I managed to get 18 fat quarters to send off to the swap and I have some good size pieces left over.  This is my first online swap and I'm really curious to see what comes back!

And so it begins....

I've been toying with the thought of blogging for quite some time. I've even started to set up a blog here and there over the years and abandoned them before my first post.  My main hesitation was that most blogs I've read are so wonderfully dedicated to a single topic, or craft ie quilting or knitting. While I admire this focus I've always been a craft dabbler. A little quilting, a little knitting, some crochet, and so on.

Recently I've been doing a lot of travelling for work and would find myself seeking out any local yarn store or fabric shop that I might be able to squeeze a quick trip to and the concept of The Craft Tourist was born.  I realized for me it's not just about the actual crafting, it's about the whole journey.  From browsing the internet, books, and magazines for inspiration to hunting down inspiring fabrics and materials.  It's about the new people you meet and the experiences you share.