Friday Recap

 

I was thinking about my blog today and just how poorly neglected she is.  In the very beginning, back in 2009, I blogged every day.  I don't know what I was thinking because I knew that it would be hard  to sustain.  With the rise of Instagram, blogging seems to be becoming less and less of a thing. Why take the time to blog when you can instantly show things and talk to friends on your phone?  Today I am longing for those simpler times and I thought I would set a goal of blogging on Fridays to show some of the things that I've been working on during the week, or things I may have shown on IG.

The first two photos are skeins of yarn dyed be me.  I have been interested in trying this for quite some time.  I now truly appreciate all the indie dyers I purchase yarn from.  It is not as easy as it looks.  I do love the process and surprise of how the finished skein looks.  I have a couple of blocks of the month I'm working on.  These are from Fig Tree Quilts Nantucket Mystery Quilt.  It's so fun to get a little bundle of fabric and pattern to make blocks each month.  I've been knitting up a storm.  I loved making this ombre' shawl.  The pattern is the Everyday Shawl by Jenny Faifel.  I think it would be fun knit up in yarn left over from other projects.

Recently I purchased these tulips from my local market.  It may be cold and grey outside, but inside my $7 tulips remind me that spring is really coming...right?  Have a wonderful weekend!
 

Summer Stitching

When the heat cranks up outside, the sewing cranks up inside!  I really need to be outside in the flowers pulling weeds but it's just too hot.  I made the little star quilt from a kit I purchased from Brenda.  I just love it!  The Mouse House Doll quilt is from Amy's book, Sweetly Stitched Handmades.  When you "open" the door you discover little mice.  It was so fun to make!  The flowers are going bonkers in the this humidity and the colors are so vibrant this year.  Hopefully the colors will drown out the surrounding weeds!  Have a lovely day!

Color Boost

Spring has been slow in coming to my part of Michigan, or at least it feels like it.  Spring is probably right on schedule.  I've been gravitating to bright colors lately in the anticipation of spring.  I am usually drawn to much softer colors as in the second photo.  My favorite Japanese fabric company, Lecien, sent me their fabulous Modern collection in the bottom photo.  I am working on a couple of quilts to be displayed in their booth at quilt market next month and as free patterns on their website. It has been so much fun!  I had the itch to knit and have been doing that in the evenings.  I love how a new season outdoors inspires my creativity.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Waiting for Spring

We all want spring so badly.  As the snow melts I get excited to look out at the garden. The only thing I see is the dead evergreen wreath I tossed out the slider in January.  My solution is to purchase spring flowers at the market.  It always helps so sew with pretty spring pastels. One cute little churn dash quilt can sure chase the winter blues away. I also did a bit of fabric shopping and enjoyed pictures of gardens from some favorite magazines. I found a recipe for lemon lavender cookies and they taste like spring to me.  It surely can't be long now, can it?

Busy Hands

It is a cold and windy fall day today.  The high is expected to be 48 degrees.  It's a good day to stay inside and I would if I had any food in the fridge.  This time of year the weather fluctuates between warm and cold, sun and rain on a daily if not hourly basis.   I ventured out yesterday to Pink Castle Fabrics to pick up a book I had ordered.  Of course I came home with this pretty bundle of fabric.  I may leave them on the pink pedestal for awhile because for me, they are a yummy treat!  I took a break in my custom quilting orders to make the sweet patchwork quilt from a Tiffany bundle I had purchased this summer at Pink Castle.  I really love it.  One of my favorite things about it is that black and white polka dot fabric.  It just really makes everything pop!  In the evenings I've knit up a little hat for a new little cutie that was just born.   A bit of thrifting led me to this vintage child's dish rack and pretty transfers.  With the blooming of my Christmas cactus I'm reminded of the season that is upon us.  Time to start dreaming of gift making.  Have a blessed day!

xoxo,

Log Cabin Block

Yesterday one of my oldest, dearest friends came for a visit.  Amy and I were college roomies and have stayed very close all through the years.  She brought me these beautiful flowers.  I cannot tell you how the flowers and Amy lifted my spirits.  I love roses and hydrangeas.  When we moved to our house in June one of the first things we did was plant roses and hydrangeas.  The flowers are a wonderful reminder that spring, though buried under several inches of snow, is not too far away.  Today I completed my log cabin block for Clara.  We are part of Donna's Sew Sweet Bee.  I loved making this as it is one of my favorite blocks.  Amy was lovingly teasing me about my sewing room and the explosion of fabric and books.  She encouraged me to show you a picture, so here it is in it's messy state.  Notice the cute bins stacked for organizing but I haven't filled them.  So much to sew...so little time. Blessings!

Xoxo,

Fabric & Flowers

Thank you for all your kind words on the before and after photos of the house.  Things are coming along and I've been liking the progress.  This is my first week of being without the kids.  I find the whole empty nest thing like riding an emotional roller coaster.  I can be chugging away and doing just fine and then a quick curve and I'll find myself choking up while driving the car, out of the blue it snuck up on me.  I've been trying to stay busy and sewing up a storm.  I'm working on Sherri's Water Lily quilt from her book, "A Quilting Life".  I'm using Circa by Jennifer Paganelli.  The fabric colors are amazing.  I joked on Instagram about not being able to close the fabric cupboard door, so what do I do?  I drop a quilt off for quilting at the quilt shop and come home with the adorable snow man quilt kit.  Geez.  That emotional roller coaster has me justifying all kinds of impulse fabric purchases. Fabric and flowers seem to be my weakness right now.  As soon as one bouquet starts to wither I get another one. I think I'm trying to hold onto summer.  Michigan winters are long and cold, dark and long, did I say long?  I'm starting to unpack the upstairs more.  I hung the medallion quilt above Maddie's bed and the kids canvas pictures in the hallway where they smile at me everyday.  I better go, I'm rounding that bend again.  Blessings!

Smiles,

Flowers Make Me Happy

Today a friend of mine stopped by with this cute arrangement.  I love how the colors go so well with my table topper.  The little girl reminds me of the Sun Bonnet Sue quilt pattern.  I have been struggling with a health issue this week and she brought me some cheer.  I know we don't normally discuss these subjects on our crafting blogs.  Tomorrow I have some tests to see if I will need surgery so I humbly ask for your prayers for clear answers.  I'm off to the greenhouse to stroll along the flowers and keep my mind distracted.  Enjoy this blessed day!


Hugs,

For Baby

Today I packed up the baby quilt and sent it off to a sweet little bundle named Camdyn.  I wanted to share the pattern with you that I purchased at Cluck Cluck Sew.

This was a fun and easy pattern to sew.  It was especially good for hand quilting because you could do straight lines inside the squares and rectangles.

Last night Nancy and I hosted the Bridal Association meeting at the farm.  This is a quarterly meeting for vendors.  It gives us an opportunity to network with other people like us.  I was in charge of decorations and spent the morning making floral arrangements.  When I got them packed in my car, they looked so pretty I had to snap a picture for you.

Most of the flowers were in my Grandmother's large blue bell jars.  You can see some of them in the quilt picture above.  I also used a white enamelware pail.  All of the flowers came from my yard with the exception of the pink roses.  I used various hydrangea and hosta flowers.  It was a fun event!

Smiles,