Mornin', loves!

I really like blogging, can you tell?  I look forward to it. I am short on time again today, though, so it'll be a quick one.

Ok, Boston. Craft Magazine Party.
My killer goodie bag from The Sampler.

Some crafty supplies:

Yeah, baby! Sparkley gluey stuff, pink crystals! Unicorn embroidery patterns from  Sublime Stitching!

Be still, my eighties-lovin' heart! (Do a girl a favor and pretend that you don't notice  how bad the lawn looks, mmkay?)

From Botanical Earth. Oh, bummer. I just looked them up to link, but their site is down and it says they are  closed. They hope to reopen in July, so I am linking anyway, in hopes that they do.

From Paloma's Nest:

Ooooh, a  stamped brown box-I  love it already.

And inside: 

A sweet (stamped!) little  ceramic dish. Wait a minute, what's that on there?

That's right, a bee! Yay!

There were a few other items, too, but this was the bulk of it. Isn't it awesome? Makes me  want to get a Sampler every  month!

I hate to tell you this, but I didn't take any pictures at the actual event.
I was too busy making yoyos: 

I like to pretend that Alison (the new boss of The Sampler) insisted that I take these buttons and circles of fabric home. But it was more like she allowed me to, since I wanted them so bad. Tee hee.

I had been wanting to learn how to make these for ages- it is so easy! I want to make a million of them. Perfect little  craft for the couch.

It occurred to me as I was sitting there in Greenward making these: Someday soon, I will be making yoyos with my own fabric!

If you are in the Boston area,  I hope you will stop by the Boston  Handmade Marketplace in  Somerville tomorrow! I'll bethere at Madelyn Macedo's booth. (I am talking to you, Tracey.)

Off to  work   now,  friends. I'll be back   soon.

xo, m 

I finished my Lemony Snippet quilt top the other day.

I love it.

Monday night I whipped together a less complicated (but still superscrappy) back. But then I thought, hmm, should I have this be two tops and do plain backs? I'm still waffling. (sorry no pics of the back yet)

The last couple of nights, I have been working on a greenie one.  I am not loving it as much as this one - I think I need more mid-range green. I have equal parts yellowy-green, medium green and darker green. I think what makes Lemony Snippet so harmonious is the prevalence of light-medium yellow, even though I hardly notice it when I look at it. It allows the other colors to pop and shine and makes the whole thing work. I've been taking pictures as I sew, so I'll show you what I mean about the green one soon. I am going to get some more medium greens and see if I can make it sing.

Lemony Snippet in the mint patch with old rake. 

xo

Good morning!

I just wanted to peek in and say hi.
I have some pictures to show you of Lemony Snippet and my killer goodie bag (from The Sampler, yes!) from the Craft Magazine party at Greenward, but I haven't uploaded them yet. I'll show you tomorrow, ok? 

I love my sunny quilt top so much that I am going to make a bunch in different colors. I think the next one will be greeny-bluey since I already have these:

They are kind of crazy-nine-patch looking, but they are faux. I really don't like following directions, so I just make everything up.  

Oooh! If I do a green one, I can incorporate some of these Jennifer Paganelli fabrics:

I would like to make a whole rainbow of these monochromatic (really, analogous, but whatever) quilts.
Pinky orange might trump greeny bluey, though. I do so love pink.

And a pinky quilt would allow me to use these new Park Slope fabrics by Erin McMorris:

Aren't they awesome? I just love these. Don't fret, I will be doing a giveaway soon. You know, just after I send out those packages from a couple of weeks ago. Eek! forgive me, I'm awful  about that!

You know, I really hope it rains today because the plants need watering and, well, I'm awful about that, too. 

I hope  you have a lovely day, free from struggle and sprinkled with laughter.  I really do.

xo, m

Aw, you guys! You are so sweet.

I totally didn't mean to guilt trip you! I was feeling  embarrassed for  being so needy but I'm over it now. I try not to beat myself up for that kind of stuff anymore. It always changes. Everything does.

I have been having ice cream after dinner instead of for dinner, so that's progress, right? And no chips. When I want to start eating better, I begin by adding in good stuff, rather than taking away the junk. So, I am still eating candy (atomic fireballs, yum) but I have a protein smoothie for breakfast, add in fruit during the day and make sure to have a big salad in addition to whaever else I eat. As I start to feel better, the junk food will fall away for the most part. Water, though. Still need to work on the water.

I've been sewing each night. My workroom is essentially a storage room at this point, so I have been sewing at the dinner table.  I  love how the fabric looks piled up on the radiator:

The walls are so bare because we still haven't put on the second coat of paint! We are slow at that kind of stuff. 

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Watching:  So You Think You Can Dance.

Listening to:  Gillian Welch. 

What are you listening to?  I am always on the prowl for new music!

xo, m 

I like it  better when I post everyday.

Where have  I been?
Um, you  know, in the bathroom crying  a  bit. Followed by  Haagen Daz and potato chips for dinner.

You know I like to keep it real,but I think it  would be mind-numbingly boring for you if I really  kept you  up to date on all that happens up in here! I know I'm bored with it!

And another thing that has been keeping me away: thedamnspacebaron thelaptopisn'tworking! Ihave to gobackovereachsentence and poundon the space bartogetittowork.Letme tellyouthatisapain intheass.

New  laptop on order anyways (t0 accommodate the new version of my design program), but in the meantime, ugh. I need to get some canned air to blow out this keyboard. See? See how boring it is around here?

Bah. How about some pretty fabric photos? 

Some Joel Dewberry, his new home dec weight Ginseng line:  

I think we are going to use that pink orchid print to recover the seats on the dining room chairs. (The 'dining room' is just part of the living room, just so you know.)

I'm lovin' my Lemony Snippet quilt top so  much, that it inspired me to start a tote:

And the other side: 

Not sure what the lining will be yet. 

Maybe one of these prints from Tina Givens's Annabella collection:

I am behind on emails and sending out gifties. Please forgive me. And if you are a person who comments regularly, you know I usually like to respond to each comment and I am behind on that, too.

Your comments keep me company.
I must admit, I get a little pouty when  I don't hear from you! That might be a little pathetic, I  know. Oh, well. Maybe someday I'll be one of those bloggers who can post a photo of their cat's ass and have hundreds of comments. But for now I know I have to work for it and  I treasure each and every one! Has someone made a tee shirt yet that says "Will Blog For Comments" ? Because if they haven't, they should.

So  there. I am showing you my needy side.  It's not pretty! I am tempted to erase all of  that, but I won't. Just promise not to think less of me. I try so hard not to be a comment-whore.

And now I will attempt to bribe you into liking me by showing fabric that is destined for your hands.

That's right, future giveaway booty: 

Anna Maria's Garden Party, baby.

I missed you.

xo,m

 I finally cut into my precious Kokka fabric and made myself a tote.

I incorporated both of the prints, along with that grape-juice-colored  linen/rayon blend that I found wicked cheap at  Joanne's. 

Some freestyle stitching with the machine  gives the plain fabric panel and handles some interest.

I  love the handles:

I didn't want both sides to be the same, so I mixed it up a little: 

xo, m

I got some new fabrics that I wanted to incorporate into my Lemony Snippet quilt top. Been cutting and sewing. 

I started by laying down what I had so far.

Then, I gathered up pieces from my cut up pile of fabric, paired them up and sewed them together. Once pressed, I placed them next to the main quilt piece and arranged them in a way that kept a good balance and flow of  color  and print, adding more cut fabric and sewing as I found  sets that I liked together.

Of course, there were some visitors. 

I don't mind  the cats, it's the dogs walking on it that bother me. You'll notice I didn't take pictures of the dogs.  I try not to encourage them. 

A few larger areas shaping up: 

This way of quilting takes a long time (for me!), but it's  fun and satisfying.  It feels  more like working on a painting than a quilt,which I tend to think of as needing geometric precision. Geometrically precise I am not. I just like to play with color and texture.

Guess who else does? 

They just can't resist, can they? 

Aw,who am I kidding. I wouldn't want them to. 

xo,m 

oh, hey! I forgot to tell you that I announced  the winner(s) of the  200th post giveaway! Yep, follow that link if you wanna know!

That yellowy quilt top I started has grown:

Mmmm, buttery, sunny, golden, lemony.

On Saturday, after gardening all day, I took a nap in a quilt-draped hammock. Ahhh...Have you noticed how patchwork is even more magical when spread on  grass or a hammock?

Listening to: Jolie Holland 

Just finished devouring and am about to go  back for seconds: What It Is by Lynda Barry 

Lynda Barry friggin' rocks. Brilliant, hilarious, heartbreaking.  

About to watch: Paris, Je t'aime 

xo, m

Hey!

Won't you join me as  I continue the show and tell of the Memorial Day weekend  yard sale haul?

I love these old-timey prints. Reproductions, but still.

Smooth inside.

Some bits: 

Coats and Clark  is the parent company of Westminster Fibers (which produces the Free Spirit line that I design for.)

One of my favorite things, faux patchwork: 

And check this out, faux puffy quilting!:

The colors didn't come out accurately, but this one really makes my heart flip flop:

The orange is much more brilliant in real life, and the chocolate is dark, not milk.

Prepare to be jealous:

I know!

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This week, I sent off my second strike offs of Sugar Snap! We are now in production, baby!

I just ordered the newest version of the design program I use, Adobe Illustrator. Yay! Now I can work on the laptop!  I am psyched to get started on my next fabric lines. I tend to work on a bunch of stuff at once, then let it shake down into something cohesive. That's a fancy way of saying that I never have a plan.

Ok, kids.
Time for me to hop in the shower and get ready for my day job.  I love starting my day with you like this!

I hope you have an awesome day.

xo, m

I think it's gonna be a while before I can cut into these precious pieces of Kokka: 

Remember, these are the ones I got at Bolt that night in Portland?

Oh, how I love this one:

A-Line skirt? Jumper? Definitely some small bag in addition to whatever else I make.

Oh, Yum.

At Quilt Market, I bought a darling charm square pack from Bunny's Designs, a distributor of supercute Japanese fabrics. These are a few of my faves:

Killin me. Killin me with the cuteness! 

I've been sewing a little:

I am trying to grow out my hair, and it is making me mental. More mental than usual, I mean. So I am making some cute headbands to contain the craziness that is my hairdo these days. I'll take some pics soon. They're just some simple  little patchwork-y headbands. Reversible. I wear them every day now.  

I had cut a bunch of fabric a few months ago, so that when I feel like sewing I can just dive in. The other day, I grabbed a bunch of the yellow-y pieces and started some patchwork:

Not sure what I'll do with it yet.

But you know me: I never have a plan. And that's the way (uh huh, uh huh) I like it (uh huh, uh huh) . 

 A digression:
I saw KC and the Sunshine band in concert, you know. And no, silly, that wasn't the embarrassing first concert I mentioned before. I saw them maybe ten years ago  at the Melody Tent here on the Cape. ( This was the site of that first concert, though. No one has guessed yet, so there is still a prize waiting if you do.) So, yeah, KC and the Sunshine Band! They were awesome!

Oh my god, am I too silly for you? I am feeling all spazzy. 

Ok, back to , um...  what were we talking about? Fabric, right. Oh, did you notice that all of those pictures are super warmy-colored?

That's what happens when you take pictures in a pink room:

The whole room has a glow to it. It's great for living in, not so great for accuracy of colors in pictures. Oh well, I love it.
See how the cats have clawed the arm of the chair? Charming, isn't it? Yeah, I don't think so either.

Oh, hey, I wanted to thank you for all of the wonderful comments lately. I had always thought that only the people who commented really enjoyed what I am doing here. I love how a giveaway encourages people  to come out and say something that I might not otherwise hear. Someone telling me they are inspired by what I write or show- well that is just amazing. So, thank you.  

My 200th Post Giveaway is still open, so make sure you leave a comment to have a chance at a yummy bundle of goodness. I will start to gather up the goods this week, but it will probably take me a while to complete the package. I am kind of a perfectionist about these things.

Hey, what are you making these days? Feel free to leave a link to your blog or flickr to show everyone! 

xo, m 

Hey, how is your weekend going?

I went to bed really early  last night (9 pm!) and then this morning I went to yoga for the first time in 3 weeks.  It felt great. I hate it when I miss class for that long, though. I am going to be a hurtin' puppy tomorrow, that is for sho.

As promised , some of my fabric score from last week's estate sales:

I am not usually crazy about blue paired with yellow, but I like this:

The metallic gold which looks great with the blue, don't you think? While we're on the topic,
how do you feel about metallics on quilting fabric? You know, just curious...

I really like the thick outline on this one:

I absolutely love this:

>>>>Oh, hey, don't forget to leave a comment on my 200th post- and maybe some of these fabrics will be yours! I will randomly choose the winner of The 200th Post Giveaway on the morning of Friday, June 6th.<<<<

So, can you believe my score from last weekend? All those vintage patterns and the fabric- and this is just the blue fabric! Actually, it is just some of the blue fabric!

Plus, there was other stuff, like this:

That brief-case-toting (???) running baby is from this:

Yeah, I don't get it either, but I do love it.

Ceramic rooster, plastic deer, and in the background ---a bacon press:

I don't eat bacon, but damn, it does smell good.
I may be  overusing this rooster, but I don't care:

Instructions on how to make a sock elephant:

And a sock monkey!

Do you see that in the upper right there? It says "optional hats."
I don't think that fez is optional at all. That fez is necessary.

I haven't told you about our thing for fez-monkeys yet, have I?

Oh, we have a lot to talk  about.

Yes, really. Twice in one day.

I couldn't wait  to get started with showing you the awesome stuff I scored  last weekend.
At a church sale, I spied a couple of boxes of sewing patterns and started rifling through them.

I pulled out these first:

Followed by a couple of others:

Then one of the ladies who was working the sale excitedly said,"You sew?? Oh, I'll make you a great deal on these! How about 3 dollars for that whole box?"

Sold! And a smaller box for 2 bucks.

And look at what I discovered when I got home and emptied the boxes onto the lawn:

Vintage kid's clothes patterns!

Love those illustrations.

And how about these:

Oh yes, vintage apron patterns!

Some little pouches and smocking instructions: 

And a full shot of this one, wow:

Hey, if you haven't already, don't forget to leave a comment on the 200th post for a chance to win a Yummy Goods  Prize!
What will it be? Well, I'm still working on that, not sure. So far I'm thinking a bunch of fabric, maybe a little painting, jewelry supplies, cool rusty bits... Perhaps a vintage sewing pattern? You know, if you're into that kind of thing.

xo, m 

I haven't been sewing, but I have been cutting. 

As always, no plan. Just randomly cutting fabric into strips  and squares for when I am ready to sit down at the machine.

I feel a quilt coming on. 

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Spring! I love spring. It has been pretty much sunny for the last couple of weeks, which has helped my outlook immensely. I spent the afternoon in the garden on Saturday, for the first time this season. This is late for me!
I cleaned up a few of the beds in the vegetable garden, and most of the pathways between the beds. 

Need to get some peas in the ground this weekend. Maybe I'll grab some pansies at the nursery. I pledge to document my gardening this year!

Do you garden?  Vegetables or flowers or both?

If you lived nearby,  you would be so sick of me pushing  cucumbers and green beans on you every summer.

I was changing the sheets on the bed the other day and look who showed up:

When he hears sheets being shaken out of a folded bundle he comes running. He must romp.

Do all cats do this? Well, I guess not, because Mercury doesn't. Do your cats do it?

It's not just cats who must get in on the bed-making:

Oh, Zeus. How can I resist your cuteness?

No, this is not an adorable-animal-photos blog, but when it happens, you gotta go with it.

He was looking so photogenic, and the bed was actually made, so I took the opportunity to get some shots to show you that quilt I made a while back.
Ok, fine, it's patchwork.

If you're wondering why the wall behind the bed is so boring, it's because this is a temporary bedroom, still in need of skimming, painting etc.

This is taken from the head of the bed:

You can see some of the back on the folded over part.  I didn't go to the trouble of washing of the dog and cat fur before showing you. I thought about it, does that count? I mean, at least the bed is made, right?

I do really want to make an actual quilt. You know, one that's quilted. Maybe I'll do a throw.

I have been cutting more fabric into strips so that when I am ready to sew I can just jump right in.

Hey, first strikeoffs should be coming in about 3 weeks!
I can't freaking wait.

Some old-school crafty goodness:

The tube of glue, of course, is totally dried up but the packaging is just so awesome.

I love these ladies:

I got all of the above at an estate sale this weekend.

And these ribbons, too:

And these ribbons: 

And this:

Oh yeah, and some cute fabric, too:

And a bunch of other stuff that I'll show you later.

We got our new countertop this week! Pics to come. It looks sharp.

We were so excited about the kitchen's transformation that we decided to repaint the living room. We got a coat of primer on it tonight. We hope to have it finished by the end of next weekend.

When we first moved in, we scraped off all of the wallpaper, skimmed the walls and painted  them this wonderful warm brown. But the room just doesn't get enough light so it was always too dark even in the middle of the day.
I'll post before and after shots, of course.

Our painting soundtrack:

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen
Quintette du Hot Club de France by Django Rheinhardt and Stephane Grapelli
Monkey Business by Black Eyed Peas

Oh, hey, I bought my plane ticket to Portland  for Quilt Market! Ahhh! So exciting.

Hey, I'm going to do a Frequently Asked Questions thingy, so if there is anything I can add to the list after "How do you design fabric?" and "How do you get a gig with Free Spirit?" please let me know.

Framing the entryway of my local quilt shop is this gorgeous wisteria vine, dripping with last year's velvety pods. 

Can't wait for it to come into bloom. 

My haul: 

Tumbleweed sells bundles of fabric scraps for $4.95- that's what that plastic bag is in the upper right corner.

Here's what was inside this one: 

Here, you can see it better when I lay it out like this:

Not bad for 5 bucks! 

Uh oh, here comes trouble:

You know what happens next:

.........purrrr......

Not Thor, but Zeus this time:

I really like this striped fabric. Looks kind of bar-codey in this shot:

I might overdye this one:

Oh, and did my heart ever skip a beat when I saw this perfection :

The colors! The fruit! Or is it a vegetable? ( apple? tomato? radish?)

It's a vintage screenprinted long (double sided!) smock/apron kinda thing.

I looked up the name "scuda" but didn't find much, just a couple of vague listings on ebay.

Anyone know anything about it?

Hey, have a look at these vintage fabrics I scored recently:

So cute!

Someday I will have to photograph the rest of my stash. These days I take photographs right when I bring my finds home, but I still have years of collecting to document!

I love that  medallion type of stylized design mixed with the more realistic floral.

And while we are  on the topic of fabric, here are some of the goodies I cut up for the little bits giveaway coming up soon:

That's some old school Amy Butler right there.

And some new(er) school: 

Sorry the colors are so weird! I took these pictures in the evening with lamplight, not my usual daylight.

And some  adorable bunnies that I couldn't resist:

Giveaway coming soon!

Here is  Thor posing on  that quilt I made a while back.  

This is the underside of it. I made  it two-sided so  I could get two blankies for the work of one.

I'll get some better shots of it soon.
In the meantime, Thor will be getting it nice and furry.

Yep, another break.

Yesterday I went to Tumbleweed Quilts, the fabric shop that is a five minute drive from my house.

That's the place where I got those little bits of fabric from a few posts ago. I was mistaken- they are 50 cents, not 25. Still good though!

I was there to get some batting for the quilt that I've been working on, but (of course) I left with a bunch of little bits :

When I walked in, I immediately started rummaging through them. Glancing up from the treasure pile, I noticed two of the ladies working there and I mentioned to them that I love the little bits and that I posted photos on my website and that you all loved them so much.

 One of the ladies started asking me about my website, and I sheepishly admitted that it's a blog, and that I'm a fabric designer blah blah blah.

I feel so self-conscious talking about that stuff! I mean, don't get me wrong- I love it, but I feel a little, I don't know...embarrassed for some reason! I'm sure I'll get over it.

Karen was just a sweetheart, and we chatted for a little while about the line and all the designers' blogs and how addictive reading blogs  can be.

(Hi Karen! Don't forget to say hello!)

I also scored a bag of scraps that was just 5 bucks! When I got home, I was pleased to see that nearly half of the scraps were from fellow Westminster designers!

Ok, off to yoga now.