It's a mystery to me ...

why not EVERYONE loves to do this sort of thing.

Seriously.

Making stuff - 'specially pretty stuff - is THE.best.therapy.GOING! 

                    *               *               *               *               *

I've had a few questions about the size of my blades and the circle for this project.

I made this template for myself ...

But both Amy and Anne used this nifty tool.

And my circle for the embroidery finished at about 6" so cut it 6 1/2" in diameter.  That said, I'm not using an embroidery hoop so I don't need extra fabric.  If you like using a hoop, I'd suggest cutting a 10" square, tracing the design, stitching and THEN cutting out the 6 1/2" circle.  Make sense?

Happy Camper

My little dresdan blades have gone from these ...

to these ...

to this ... (wheeeeeeeeeee!  Yes, I totally squealed out loud when I pressed this little section together and flipped it over on my ironing board!!!)

(There may have also been clapping and jumping.)

And then this ...

Amy, if you were here right now I'd kiss you on the mouth!  LOL!

Kidding.

Maybe. ;)

And now I'm moving on to the embroidery.

I am one SERIOUSLY happy camper right now!

For the Fun & the Pretty

I've mentioned more than once how much I admire this girl.  I mean, seriously.  As far as I'm concerned, she is commander-in-chief of all things pretty. 

Just sayin'.

So when she posted this free pattern last week I practically knocked my chair over as I jumped up to grab fabric from my stash so I could start making this thing already!!!

I've had these FQs of old "Durham" prints from Lecien since it came out about 5 (?) years ago ... 

Until now I just didn't have the nerve to cut into it because I love them so much.  Sometimes I would pick them up, look at them, inspect them, arrange them on my cutting table, smile at them, study them, admire them, imagine making something with them ... break out into a cold sweat ... and then put them back on the shelf.

But if EVER there was a perfect project for my prized fabric ... am I right or am I right?

I've started on the dresdan blades using a new-to-me method I learned from another lovely lady I admire.

And I've tentatively selected these Cosmo embroidery floss colors ...

Very excited over here! :)

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along Week 50

No color theme ... I think the rest of my blocks will be done all higgledy piggledy.

Block #96 - Tulip

There's a very good reason I haven't made this block sooner ... I just.don't.get.it.  I admit it.  Where, exactly, is the tulip?  I mean, yes the 2 parallelograms in the middle can be interpreted as the blossom, but I don't get the rest of it. 

And the asymmetrical fabric choices in the book?

I don't get it.

I always thought I'd find a way to assign order and balance ... but I'm as surprised as you are that I ended up going all PICASSO with my version too! 

This is not like me at all.  (Although I couldn't stop myself from at least putting green along the bottom for leaves.)

And I'm even more astonished that I like my tulip! 

Block # 84 - Spool

Sigh. 

For such a simple block, it caused me a lot of anxiety. 

Until I noticed this print in my stash (that I've only used for the gingham and a few wreaths) ...

and got the idea to make my spool look like it had eyelet lace wrapped around it.

I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Happy Mother's Day

Fun Today - I'm Done!

2:55 pm

So, did you guess what I was making? (In case you're just checking in for the first time today, I've been posting all day as I worked on this pencil case ... if you want to start at the beginning, click here.)

I made one here and here too a while back...

Eeep!  In't she cute?

This is sort of my thing ... as a mom ... I always make a gift when my daughters are invited to a birthday party.  When they were younger I usually made little purses, and then monogrammed pillows.  Now that the recipients are a little older (this birthday girl is turning 11) I like making more practical things.

I have so much fun with these little birthday projects.  My girls are responsible for finding out what the birthday girl's favorite color is and then we pick the fabric together.

There was no hesitation ... my daughter went straight for my stack of Rosalie Quinlan's "Folkheart".  (Love her style!)

And now it's exactly time to do after-school pickup!  And then make dinner ...

Oh well, at least this part of the day was fun!!  Hope you enjoyed today as much as I did. 

Happy weekend to you!

Fun Today Part XI

2:21 pm

Confession:  If I weren't blogging about making this, I would have TOTALLY cheated and machine-stitched the second binding edge.

Does that make me fraudulent?

Fun Today Part X

2:02 pm

LOL!  It's been a while since I accidentally got my DNA on a sewing project.  (That li'l pin prick really hurt!)

But I'm on the home stretch now!

Fun Today Part IX

1:38 pm

With all these parts I'm starting to feel like I'm writing a Hollywood Horror series! LOL!  Hope this project has a happy ending. ;)

I wonder if it's normal to be this excited over perfectly matching stripes.

Oh who cares ... normal it TOTALLY over-rated! LOL!!!

Fun Today Part VIII

1:17 pm

Vetoed daughter's pick of a white zipper ...

to blue.

Because I can.