Inspiration

New Years Resolution 2012:  Be a better blogger.  Wow.  Epic fail!

New Resolution, May 21st, 2012:  Be a better blogger.  Today is the day!  I was inspired to write when Patty spent some time planting new flowers in the front of the store.  It looks so pretty!  It's no mystery to me why quilt designers are inspired by nature.  How could you not be inspired by beautiful colors that surround us?  The fabrics we have arriving in the store are an explosion of color and prints just itchin' to be stitched up into a new summer quilt. So take a moment to look around and let me know what inspires you!

Summer Sillies!

This summer has been hot, hot, HOT! Lucky for me I have an air conditioned sewing room so I can sew, sew, SEW! While we have been busy getting ready for our Holiday Open House next week my mind is really thinking about some fun little projects. Sure, the holiday quilts, table runners and other projects have been fun and look great, but really, it is summertime. Can I just take a break and sew something silly? I love the Bucket Hat by Betz White. Some of the funky prints we have would look great! Surely I could get that done in a jiff! Maybe I could even finish 2 of them before anyone even realizes I have strayed off task.

The Jack and Jill hat is also calling my name. I know the perfect little one to make it for. It is so cute and frilly. Seriously. It needs to be done. It is too cute and definitely fits the silly category.

Ok. Decision made. Time to sew a couple of sillies and then I promise to get right back to work on those Holiday Open House projects. Times-a-ticking. Deadlines approaching. Cute hats to get started! What kind of silly sewing do you love to do??

Little Miss Know-It-All

Sometimes I just think I am a Little Miss Know-It-All! Need a quick quilting project to whip up this weekend? I know just the thing. Have a big wedding this summer and want to make a special quilt for the happy couple? I know the perfect line of fabric to use. Need a tip on hand applique/fusibles/machine tension issues/bindings? I know the answer.

Last week a quilter comes in the store. This person is a long time sewer, new quilter and not real confident in choosing fabrics. She wanted to make a baby quilt for someone who loved purple and she didn't have a lot of time to complete the project. I made a pattern suggestion and a few fabric suggestions and then left her for a moment to help another customer.

She came up to the counter with her fabric selections and asked

my opinion. I had not considered this line of fabric but, I fell in love! What a wonderful, modern look she had. It included the purple she wanted, we paired it with white and it was just delightful. So delightful that I knew I needed to make one as well!

So it turns out I don't know it all! I never thought to use this line of fabric and turns out it was perfect for this project. Instead of giving the inspiration, I was totally inspired! That's why I love this business. Each day brings a new idea for a project, a new look for the delicious fabric we can buy, and new friends walking in the door.

This much I do know: Life doesn't get much better than this!

Finished Project:

(Well, almost finished!

The binding is not sewn down yet!)

Pattern: Bouncing Borders

Fabric: Weekends

by Erin McMorris

for Freespirit Fabrics

Happy Fourth Of July!

As I get ready to pack up my weekend bag and take off to enjoy a little R & R, it dawns on me that as I sit with my family, sipping a cool beverage, eating a little BBQ and catching up with those I haven't seen in quite a while, there are families that are not able to be together because of family members in far away places continuing to fight for our freedom. To those families I would like to say a big THANK YOU!

THANK YOU for the sacrifices you have made and continue to make.

THANK YOU for doing the job that many of us do not have the courage or determination to do.

THANK YOU for making it possible to live in the greatest country in the world.

I am humbled and honored to be your friend and neighbor. Here's hoping that your weekend finds you and your family safe and happy. Enjoy!

Pictured is Catch A Falling Star by Patch Abilities.

Ladybug, Ladybug!

I wanted to kick out a new table runner that fit my summertime mood and these little ladybugs were perfect! Machine applique makes it easy and quick. I like to use a fusible webbing that remains soft after fusing so my current favorite is Wonder Under by Pellon but a new featherweight Heat and Bond is being introduced from Therm O Web that I am anxious to try. It is supposed to be like the old Eileens which I loved! I will let you know my opinion after I check it out.
My sewing machine has many decorative stitches suitable for machine applique and I do use them when I am really feeling creative but my "go to" stitch is a buttonhole stitch that repeats the downward stitch, but not the"bite". It outlines the applique nicely and looks clean. I like the stitch to show so I usually use a Mettler Silk Finish thread. Sometimes I prefer the stitch blend in so I will use the Mettler Fine Embroidery instead and if I want the applique to have a more fancy look than Sulky Rayon Machine Embroidery thread is just the ticket because of the sheen.

The pattern pictured is Lady Bugs by Jeri Kelly. I love the little button embellishments!

Batik Geek!

Batiks. I struggled with them this week. I loved them, I didn't love them. I pulled together some wonderful bright batiks (Love) for a quilt but did not trust my instincts on the sashing and now I am not entirely happy with the results (Didn't love!)

Since I don't work with them often I decided I just needed to give it another go. I gathered up the leftover strips from the quilt (Love) and paired them up with a main fabric to construct a nice Market Bag. (Didn't love, again.)

Seriously. What is wrong with me? How can I go wrong two times using these beautiful batiks? On any given day I can pull together some terrific color combinations of regular fabrics that result in quilts, totes, purses and bags that I love. But these wonderful batik fabrics, made in far away places like Bali, during the rainy season, in some cases hand stamped with chops made from wood by skilled artisans? They confuse me. They taunt me. They laugh at me.

But wait. I am smarter than these batiks! I will not let them win! I can make something pretty, I know I can. Time for one more try. Trusting my instincts I will make another Market Bag. I will choose fabric that will make me happy. Carefully I approach the wall of batiks and start pulling dark, almost black prints that will make my brights pop. Don't Love. I switch out the brights for warm golds to go with my darks. Don't Love. Fine. I will try some comfortable pinks and greens. No, try pink and yellow. No, make that a pink print and a another pink print.


Well, here is the finished bag. I am not sure I won. Maybe the batiks are smarter than me. I Love the batik fabrics in this bag. They look OK together. It's cute. Not a WOW bag, but I'll take it as a small victory in my batik challenged quilting life.

One day, when I can catch the batiks in a weak moment, I will swoop in, gather them up and make something I LOVE!

Do Some Just For Fun Sewing!

Somedays you just want a nice, relaxing project to work on that doesn't require a lot of thinking and pre-planning but still turns out cute as a button! That is what happened the other day when Patty decided to take a break from a hectic "must-sew" schedule, and do a little something fun.

The Koin Keeper from This and That fit the bill. She had the fabric picked out and the project cut and sewn within two hours. Great therapy because Patty loved the result and was a happy little camper the rest of the day! Yea!