Hand-stitched, custom designed quilts and wall hangings. Customized walker purses, which I have been creating after making one for my Mom.
Custom designed stained glass, including table lamps and large window inserts.
Hand-made mountain whisk brooms, made from broom corn that I grow myself.

I've spent most of my life living near or on mountains. I grew up in the embrace of the Catskill Mountains in NY, and I spent 12 years studying the rain forest in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. I have always felt most at home in the mountains. I can remember when I first started coming to this piece of paradise two decades ago. Once or twice a year I'd drive down Rt 77 and marvel at the layers of majestic mountain ridges stretching into infinity. I was inspired by them then, and 8 years into making the Blue Ridge my home, I'm more inspired by them than ever. The attachment grows ever deeper. With the mountains comes the culture they nurture. Mountain music emanates from living rooms and front porches and from free for all jam sessions at the local restaurant or grocer after hours. The songs very often pay homage to these mountains where our communities nestle.
I would venture that the hearts of the people here, so big and so welcoming to this displaced yankee, are at least in part inspired by their surroundings. I know mine has grown a bit. And I've been inspired by the way art is integral to everyones life here. There is little division between artist and patron. As with the music, the artists and the audience are often the same. Whether you quilt or carve or paint, you don't need a fancy degree to show up and share your passion. Sharing is the point. Being in this environment is truly nurturing. It has helped me to explore and develop my own creativity. I find so much joy in creating and sharing my work in a community that genuinely values the creative journey. I feel so fortunate to be sharing my journey in the Blue Ridge!

Hawkstone Arts - Acrylic paintings, pen & ink drawings, prints of wild animals and knitted llama skirts. Prints of some paintings are also available. Calligraphy prints. Also an educational llama coloring book “Baby Ody” A llama adventure.

I have been weaving rag rugs and placemats for more than 30 years. My rag rugs are made from recycled materials as well as new materials salvaged from factory cutting rooms. The placemats are made from cotton yarn or material from factory overruns or cutting rooms. All items are machine washable. The average size of a rug is 24 in. by 42 in. and the average placemats are 12 in by 18 in.

Cotton fibers and beads are the materials used in making my one-of-a-kind fiber vessels and quilted wallhangings. The fiber vessels start ever so simply with batik fabrics and with embellishments transform into a unique fiber art.

Handmade crafts for all occasions. Christmas stockings, pillows, tree ornaments and halloween cats are just a few of the many items available. Write or call for a complete list of items, photos & prices. We also produce blueberry jam, jelly and sugar-free jam made from organically grown blueberries.

I have always been involved in artistic endeavors, and so I dabble in all things creative. Primarily, at this time in my life, I sew. I begged my Grandmother when I was six years old to let me sew on her new Singer machine, and she said I must wait until I was ten. I have never stopped, and the love of it has never left me. Mainly, I sew quilts, and almost entirely by machine. I love to enter quilt shows and challenges, and be with my friends in the Crooked Road Quilters' Guild. If I could not create, I would cease to be myself. The fulfilment of a finished work is a spiritual journey that my soul craves.

From the spare bedroom in a little house tucked into the Appalachian mointainside comes the sounds of an old sewing machine. Stitch...stitch... stitch... Turning bits of cloth into quilts, banners, coasters and an occasional work of art. Sometimes traditional, sometimes adventurous, always phenomenal.

I've been quilting off and on for most of my adult life. My mother taught me to sew when I was seven, and I remember stories about my great-grandmother piecing quilt tops entirely by hand. I usually begin with a traditional pattern, made with bright, clear colors, and I enjoy the process of hand quilting, although it does make for slow work. I've also learned to weave on a counter-balance floor loom and have been making table runners and placemats, as well as traditional rag rugs.

Michael Dees has been weaving and caning chairs for over 15 years. His interest in art and handcrafts began when he was quite young, and he cites many family members as influences. His son is also an artist. Michael will be occasionally teaching at the newly established Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in downtown Galax, VA. He considers his work to be traditional and his other interests include woodworking, crochet and just about anything to do with art and sculpture.

Camelia is an award winning quilter, freelance photographer, author and blacksmith artisan. She’s received numerous awards at quilt shows in Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. Her quilts have been featured in National Quilting Museum and American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show of Paducah, Kentucky (attended by 30,000, featuring quilts from eleven countries and forty-five states). She won a blue ribbon at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, Virginia, attended by approximately 10,000. She enjoys designing and publishing quilt patterns, sharing her knowledge of quilting through teaching and hosting quilt retreats.

I weave tapestry wall hangings. Tapestries are usually flat woven pictures, but many of my tapestries are three-dimensional. I weave several shaped pieces that are layered and sometimes there is stuffing between the layers to create a three-dimensional picture. My subject matter is usually landscapes and often scenes of Southwest Virginia.

Patricia Garrett has been tatting for over thirty years, after initially being inspired to learn by watching a neighbor. Patricia comes from many generations of crafting and she also does knitting, sewing, and sculpts polymer clay figurines. She teaches a class in beginning tatting at Kraftin' Korner craft shop in Hansonville and she sells her work at the Appalachian Arts Center in Tazewell County.

I use surface design on natural fabrics such as silk, cotton, linen and rayon, using Japanese Shibori resist dyeing and other surface design techniques. Using this one of a kind cloth, I then sew them into one of a kind garments and accessories. I also make laminated wool and silk felted scarves and garments.

Lindsey Gilmer, a Russell County native, now residing in Blacksburg, VA, has been crocheting for years and has a true passion for this traditional craft. She enjoys the art of transforming a simple piece of yarn into a beautiful, yet functional item. Lindsey primarily crochets jewelry, baby clothes and shoes, hats, and scarves.