The ClubHouse

Happy Friday! I hope you're doing well! Today is the debut of The ClubHouse over at The Quilt Show! Its a casual place for me to share projects with you. I hope you enjoy this first project, an unlined  canvas shopping bag.  Be kind though, since its my first time. I am not a pro by any means.

Had a great day at the Minnesota State Fair, you can see some photos on Facebook and Instagram. Hopefully my regular camera pictures will turn out so I can share them when I get home. Hot though people. HOLY COW.

Ok have a good long weekend!! Be safe!! Xo

Thursday

Good morning! How are you? Today had a dramatic thunderstorm and some rain, so exciting. I am glad it has blown over, so we can head to the State Fair.

So far so fun! Xo

Minnesota Morning

Hi there peoples. I am in lovely Minnesota having a coffee with Tomten. Hope you are all well! Xo

Tuesday

Good morning... how are you?  Today's the day I am headed to Minnesota for 10 glorious days with my cousin Linda and Mark, her husband.  I'm so excited as we always have so much fun hanging out talking, driving around looking at houses, going to see Roseann THIS YEAR AT THE FAIR!! and having a good visit in general.  I'm not going to lie though, a peek at the weather shows me I'm bringing some of my California  valley hot weather with me. Sorry Minnesota. It might be miserable to have me.  And, as a warm up for all things Minnesota, Sunday night we had dinner with Roseann's son Rob who is here on business. He was very charming and a lovely reflection on his parents.  And don't parents like to hear that? Thanks for meeting up with us for dinner Rob!

 

I'll be trying to blog some snippets along the way.. so it's not totally dark here the whole time!  I know we're planning on doing so much fun stuff, including  drinking a lot of coffee in the patio enclosure watching birds and squirrels and catching up on everything that's gone on since my last cup of coffee there May 2012 when I rode back to Minneapolis from spring quilt market with Roseann.   There are going to be a log of random over sized phone photos coming your way I'm sure!

My Minnesota mug in style.  Pretty cool.

Ok peeps, Frankie has my suitcase in the car so I better get my act together! xo
 

Insta-friend

Good Monday Morning!  How are you my lovely friends?  I hope well! Did you have a good weekend?  I've been pretty busy lately, not sewing, but just other stuff. I'm getting ready for my trip to Minnesota so there's lots to do so everything is taken care of here!

 

Today's coffee sits atop a lovely pot holder from my friend Beca.   I received a lovely package  chock full of potholders and a cute little strawberry pin cushion.

 

Hand stitched hexagons, like I'm letting that anywhere near the heating elements of my oven!!! I mean the prospect of them touching food KILLS ME. I'm a weirdo like that.  But they make lovely little mug rugs so that I might take a coffee in style.  And super cute kitchen décor. 

 

 

I've been very lucky to become friends with Beca over on Instagram. You can follow her here, and she has a blog, and she's on flickr.  She sews a lot and I mean A LOT and always has interesting pictures.  I love meeting people and making new friends and not just because of the darling gifts you know... because OMG so many wonderful people.  Like all my wonderful bloggy people.. you guys are the best.

 

So anyway, happy new week!  xo

Friday

Hi there..I'm off to a bit of a later start this morning!  It's Friday! Big plans for the weekend? I'm heading over to the studio this morning, luckily not too early. 

 

Remember when I blogged about the Pinhooks?  I got an email last night saying they're in the running to be 'on the shelf' at Walmart.  If you'd like to vote for their product, here's the link!  I went and cast my vote last night.  I think Pinhooks are a pretty handy product.

 

Ok, better finish up this cup of coffee and get ready!  Hope you all have a happy weekend!!! xo

Thursday

So how's the week going for you?  I'm busily working away on stuff, but it's all on stuff that I can't show you right now... but soon!!!  I'm off for a week of vacation to see my cousin Linda next week and I'm trying to get all my stuff in order before I go!  

 

After a long day I sat down with an advance copy of Alex's new Scrap Quilting book.  Oh My Goodness.. she included me in on the list of acknowledgements and I was just so touched.  I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary over it.

I think you're going to enjoy this book!

 

 

I had hoped for some real sewing to show, but I didn't get to anything fresh and new, so here's some photoshop sewing I did recently!  It's my Winter Romance pattern done in Pam Kitty Picnic.  I keep looking at my strike offs and dreaming about really sewing with it. 

 

I'm just a little afraid when it comes I'll get stage fright and be afraid to cut it!!!

 

Ok, off to the dentist today.. filling time.  Luckily I'm not fearful and I have the greatest dentist, so it won't be bad at all. Hope I can get some sewing time.  Back to the studio on Friday.   I love busy times!!!  Hope you have a great day! xo

 

 

Green

Hi there, how are you?  Even though there's tons to do , sometimes the mornings seem so nice and calm and cool.  I recently picked some figs off my little tree for mom.  This year has been a banner year for figs.  This batch plus some in the fridge added up to 18 figs, and I have already picked maybe half a dozen and there's at least a dozen on the tree. This is my biggest harvest so far, they usually come ripe one or two at a time. I love the way the tree looks, and if course the best part is that it makes my mom so happy to have fresh home grown figs. 

Speaking of green and cool, I took this picture over at the studio last week.  It was hot there, but these greens are so cool and fresh looking it was a little respite.

 

I love them all, from the simple dot to the little dogs and that meadow of white posies.. to those daisies with the hint of blue in the center, or those cherries.. all of them cool leaves in a quilted garden. I don't like bragging so let me say again that it's really Holly's genius at work, I'm merely a drop in her vast pool of creativity that brings these to fruition.  I feel so lucky to be a part of something this beautiful, so I hope you'll forgive all the gushing.  Nothing makes me happier, except perhaps seeing all your Pam Kitty projects  in your homes and as gifts.. that my friends is a real blessing.

 

Ok, enough about this today.  I hope you're having a lovely week! xo

Three Cheers!

Hi there Happy Monday! How was your weekend?  I had a nice weekend at home hanging out.  I had spent Thursday and Friday over at the LakeHouse Studio doing some office support stuff, and then inspired I spent some time photoshop sewing.  This cute red strikeoff was just into the studio, and I was totally dying over it.  This print is a newly colored version of a print that was  popular last time, LH12061.. shown here in red.  I love the addition of the blue and yellow, I think you're going to love it in the white as well.  I suspect it will be one of my go-to backgrounds.

Perfect picnic colors, it has  a bit a patriotic feel.  And below here with the cherries on red, I can't help but feel like George Washington chopping down a cherry tree when I see it.

 

So of course I couldn't wait to do some photoshop sewing on this Liberty Road pattern from my favorite Patriotic Pair Minnick and Simpson.

 

I took great liberties with the number of fabrics called for in the pattern, and just got crazy, because it's easy to do in photoshop.  I just can't help myself.  Seriously.   And I love how it turned out.  It's a great pattern and I really like how nice looks all 'sewn up' in Pam Kitty Picnic. 

 

So did you do any real sewing this weekend? Tell me all about it! xo

Friday

Good morning!  Its almost the weekend, yay!  Any plans?  I have been over at Holly's helping out where I can.  Its a nice change of pace.  Hope you guys have a good weekend! Xo

Navy is Nice

So Holly asked me, how do you think that cute Strawberry Social quilt would look in navy? OMG! What a great idea. Yesterday I popped open photoshop and got busy trying out a navy version in Pam Kitty Picnic!

 

And I love it.  What I really love about photoshop is that I can pop in different fabrics and try them on for size at no risk.  Another thing I plan on using my navy for is Lori Holt's Butterfly Garden quilt. You can see her quilt and a lot of cute photos around her house here. Adorable.  I absolutely love navy and I can't wait till I get my hands on some Pam Kitty Picnic to start really sewing. 

 

If you love navy like I do, please ask your local shop for some Pam Kitty Picnic!!!  They can order  from Checker, E. E. Schenck  or Needlecraft.

 

Ok, big plans today! I can't wait to tell you all about it. xo

Flashback

Yesterday I finished making my Thimbleberries pillow for my cousin Linda.  It was a year ago May that I last visited Linda and we had a great time.   Linda lives in a Minneapolis suburb and we went out to Hutchinson to see the Thimbleberries Quilt shop and check out some antiques stores. We'd been there years before and loved it.  Glad we went, as that shop has changed hands and Lynette Jensen has semi-retired I hear. 

 

I'd picked up the fabric to make a pillow and being a Professional Procrastinator, I'd managed to put off making it too it's just a couple of weeks till my trip back to Minnesota! So now it's done, just need to sew the buttons on the back.  I have a lot of fond memories of my Thimbleberries years, I used to run a club way back when the Thimbleberries club first started.  I remember loving the trips to market to see the new fabrics and the new club projects, then sharing all my actual photos of what was coming. You know, back in the days when just about everything from market was a secret till you got there! It feels like a million years ago.   

 

Ok how's your week going?  Guess I should get busy with the day! xo

Monday

Good morning my sweets! How are you? Lately the days have started out slightly overcast and I love it.  We've had a nice cool spell, but things will start heating up again soon.  In the mean time I'll enjoy all the cool breezes through the open windows.  Such a change for this time of year.

 

What did you do this weekend?  I worked on a little project for my cousin Linda.  I'll have to try and grab a photo soon.  It's something a bit different fabric wise.  Yesterday we met friends for lunch.  One friend was a baby we call Special K and he couldn't be more adorable.  Lunch along the water  in Foster City was wonderful and we all  had a great time.

Ok, it's the start of what I'm sure will be a super week! Lets all enjoy it! xo

Finally Friday

Welcome to Friday, the gateway to the weekend!   How are you and how was your week?  I had a busy one, not just with work, but with some fun days as well. The weather has been lovely here, Wednesday my sweet neighbor Alice-Jane had a backyard luncheon and it was really great to see everyone! It was a lovely resting spot in the middle of a jam packed week!

 

I do try and take a few minutes every morning to have a cup of coffee out back, sometimes I just watch the birds and enjoy the cool crisp air and sometimes I bring a little something to read. It's not a fancy place, but it makes me happy.  I brought Helen's book Pretty Patchwork Gifts with me  and imagine my surprise seeing some Pam Kitty Morning fabric in her projects. It's pretty exciting for me.   If you aren't a regular follower of Helen you should hop over, she just has posted the cutes Home Sweet Home quilt there.

 

Ok, I hope you people have a great weekend!! xop

Coffee Morning

Phew, it's already been a busy week and it's just Tuesday morning!  Is it the same for you? I see that kids are already headed back to school and it's like the pace of days just picks up, and I don't even have a school age kid anymore!  But even though Frankie is grown up now, I still feel the pull of that old schedule, at 3 o'clock I start feeling like I need to get home.

 

Anyway, over the weekend I was up early and it was foggy/overcast and I got a chance to sit out back and read the new Crafts Beautiful (August Issue).  Helen Phillips had a lovely little project with strawberries and she used a lot of Pam Kitty Morning and some Pam Kitty Love in it. You can read about it on her blog here.  I am so touched that people like Helen and Lynn have chosen my fabric for projects for publication.  And I'm really touched that you choose my PKM fabrics for your own sweet projects for yourself and for gifts.  It sounds totally corn ball I know. But that's how I feel.

 

Ok, busy busy week. I hope I get to work on something I can show you! It might be a couple of days before I'm back but I'm working on some interesting things with some interesting people! I think you're going to like it! xo

 

Fat Quarterly Morning

Hi there! How was your weekend? The weekend was great here! Sunday morning I woke up to this luscious quilt on my instagram feed!!!

 

Earlier this year, Lynne Goldsworthy from the online modern quilt e-magazine Fat Quarterly emailed and asked if I'd send some fabric for a quilt in the summer issue.  HOLY COW YES I WOULD.  I've been waiting patiently ever since to see what she made.  Lynne is so talented, you might remember her from the wonderful tea cozy.  

 

Lynne said in her email to me " It was the retro kitschy feel of the fabrics that made me think of a happy housewife back in the fifties with a print dress, ermine trimmed gardening gloves and kitten heels waiting patiently for her husband to come home from work! " 

 

This quarter's issue of Fat Quarterly Issue 14 comes out today August 5th!  You can click here to buy your copy. 

Now let's get busy and have a happy week! xo

Pin-spiration Part 2

Happy Friday! How are you? How was the week?  Well you'll be happy to know I did manage to finish up that little project.   I even managed to get in a trip to Target before hand, along with a trip to  get a pillow form, luckily on sale for 40% off !   

Before I get started I want to tell you I was totally inspired by a pillow on Pinterest.  It's been pinned a bunch of times, you can see it here.  You totally need to go check it out, I think it's  adorable and it's been on my mind since I pinned it. 

Cutting the shape of the shield was easy.  I folded a piece of paper in half and just cut what I thought a shield might  look like.  For me it just seems easier than drawing something. Maybe it's because scissors  cut paper so smoothly, I'm just better at it than with a pencil.  I traced the shape on some fusible web  and fused it onto my shield fabric. 

 

Phase two after the shapes.. I made the bias stems the old fashioned way.  I love how cute the plaid looks cut on the bias.  I used my Go! Baby Rose of Sharon die to cut the leaves and flowers.  It's my favorite die, I use those flower shapes all the time and I think the leaves are perfect.  When I don't feel like getting my die cutter out, I use the June Tailor Mix and Match flower templates that are the same shape.  There is even a leaf template set. 

 

I cut four 8 1/2 inch squares and made a four patch, then centered my shield and fused it.  Then I did all my blanket stitching.  Have I mentioned how much I love blanket stitching?  You'll probably notice the pink striped bias pieces aren't there... I had planned on a bow but it just looked funny and after  consultation with Elizabeth I left it off.

 

The pillow front has a layer of batting with minimal quilting around the shield shape and down each side of the 4 seams. I think the batting gives it some substance.  I assembled it with an envelope back, and binding, that just seems so easy.  Right now it's on my chair, but it will soon head into the pillow vault with all my other pillows for it's own protection.

 

I will note that I tried a 16 inch pillow form and it just didn't do the trick.  I pulled out an 18 inch form I had laying around and it is perfect.  Now my pillow is nice and firm. 

 

Ok that's it. I'm glad I got it done. I'm very happy with my version of the pinned pillow.  Have you been inspired to make something you saw on pinterest?  Tell me about it.. I'm all ears.

 

Ok, have a great weekend! xo

 

P.S. It's Roseann's birthday, head over to Facebook and wish her a happy birthday!

Pin-spiration

I'm restless this week and just not focusing on anything in particular.  Do you have times like that?  I want to make things, and it seems like there are so many great things to make, I just can't settle down with one thing.  I continue to cut out pieces of my applique, but my attention span is pretty bad.  But every piece puts me one bit closer to  actually fusing it and blanket stitching. I love blanket stitching so much..  you're going to get sick of seeing it once I get started.  IF I EVER GET STARTED.

 

What's this you say? Well hopefully if I actually say right here that it's going to be a fun project that might be ready to show you tomorrow.. I might actually do it.  So I'm cautiously optimistic that tomorrow I'll be farther than this.  Don't get your hopes up though.  I'm inspired by something on pinterest, and if it turns out, you'll see it. If not.... well w e just won't speak of it again.

 

Tell me about your week. I'm all ears..