Monday, August 30, 2010

Stunt Work

Early in March I did some stunt sewing for Alex. She was working on an amazing grape quilt, and needed some help powering through the blanket stitching. Finally that quilt has been revealed in this month's The Quilt Life.

The thing that cracks me up about Alex is that when she says Celebrity Stunt Sewing she says it like I'm the celebrity... nope, when I do stunt sewing it for celebrities!!

Anyway, I absolutely DIED when I saw that she listed me there in the 'credits'. What a great friend she is. Be sure and check out the quilting on that quilt. Paula Reid's work is amazing. Each one of those grapes is outlined. It's beautiful. Hey, I just discovered her blog! Check out her first post on this quilt here.

If you'd like a chance to win a copy of The Quilt Life, leave me a comment. I'll draw a name Wednesday. It's a great magazine!

Hope you guys had a good weekend. xo

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Notes from my swing

We're experiencing a brief respite from the heat wave and it was positively blissful out on the swing this morning. Not a pretty sight out back right now, the heat really takes it's toll on the foliage. Plus we really really work on conserving water.. so no lush paradise for us. My black stemmed hydrangea has produced some odd ball looking flowers this year, you can see they're drying up. I wonder if Miss Jean has had the same experience, she's a wonderful gardener and I believe she found one of these last year.


My figs are perking along. Good thing my mother is stopping by today, she can pick that fig while she's here. Hardly a meal though, that's one tiny fig. Not as tiny as the one last week which was the size of a peanut.. a shelled peanut. What the heck?


My nemesis is back.

Hope you guys are keeping cool where you are! xo

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Back to School

No little kids here going back to school, those days of being a hands-on mom are over. But I happen to have this picture of a darling little Figlet on my camera and I had to use it. I had a very social week last week, including a trip up to Room with a Past with Elizabeth, which is where we ran into Joanna and her kids. Trips out with Alex, coffee klatching with BariJ, Elizabeth, Joanna and Susanne.. it was a whirlwind of a week. This week I'm sweltering home alone. I'm not complaining about the weather though, we've had a lovely cool summer. And I really don't want to tempt fate anymore than necessary.
I hope the week is going well for all of you! xo

p.s. Joanna is having a give away over on her blog.. check it out.

Monday, August 23, 2010

More things.

Yeah I know, more things on my ironing board. I'm sick of it too. This was the scene last week when I whipped out another bag for fall market. It is a fun bag, and like most the things that I make, very easy. It's going to have grommets. Let's just hope grommets are still 'in'. Talk about the last one to the grommet party.
It's warming up this week. I'm pretty sure I jinxed it when I mentioned to Elizabeth I felt like a baked mini-jack pumpkin, it's felt more fall than end of summer. Turns out it's back to summer this week. Sorry everyone who wants some delicious fall weather. My fault.
So people, hope the weekend was a good one. Anything exciting to report?

Friday, August 20, 2010

Sheepish

Yesterday morning I had a fun opportunity to go with Alex out to her friend Marilyn's ranch. Not before a little trip into the studio to take peek. That vintage suitcase was a gift from her mother to her father when they were young newlyweds. Alex is filling it up with fabric for a class she's taking at Asilomar.

Looks like a lot of pretty Hoffman batiks in there...

Back at the ranch.. (sorry I couldn't help myself) we had a nice visit with Marilyn. I remember coming on a field trip with Frankie to the ranch to see new lambs in second grade. (oh gads, about 17 years ago!!!)



Today in the barn we saw this fellow resting up. He has a busy night life.

Nothing cuter than barn cats.


Hope you guys have a great weekend!!!


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Feeling it

I'm really on a roll lately cranking out stuff. Elizabeth said she hoped I'd have a bag or two to go with Red Rose Farm and I think I have fulfilled that wish for her.

This is all the sneak peek you get for now, you'll have to check with her for anything more than this. Next up some quilty stuff. I'm ready for a change of pace. The Twitter diet has been pretty good at keeping me at my sewing machine. Not that I haven't fallen off the wagon a time or two!!!

Guess I should get at it. Tell me what's new with you! xo

Monday, August 16, 2010

Monday Morning

Coffee on the swing has been a bit chilly the past few mornings. I love it when the fog creeps into the valley. We've had a pretty good summer so far weather wise. Not to many scorching days and that's just how I like it. The weekend had it's ups and downs. Thankfully ended in a nice up, Sunday Brunch with Frankie. How about your weekend?

It's a super sewing week, what's on your agenda?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Statement

So this week it's like I can't stop taking pictures of my ironing board. That's where the action has been for the most part. Here's my Kaufman Barn Dandy's fabric, I love the souvenir feeling it has. I've been hoarding it, but I finally found a project for it. Well for some of it anyway!
Seeing it laid out is the perfect excuse to show off some of my vintage state charms. I picked up one at the Alameda Antiques on the Bay show a few summers ago and spent a lot of time on eBay collecting up states. I have almost all the states that I've been to. I'm working on vintage state souvenir plates as well, but that's another story!

This past spring in Minnesota, Linda took me to Ingebretson's and I found this poster. I was DYING OVER IT. It's by Keep the Faye and I couldn't wait to get it in a frame! You should totally check out their Daily Disaster and Fantasy postcard collection. Hilarious.



Well that's it here. I have had a couple of very productive days and today as a treat I'm having a bit of an outing with Elizabeth! Life is good! Let's all be happy! xo

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

So how was your day? Mine was pretty good, productive. Ok not Sherrie productive, did you read about her weekend? HOLY COW. But still all in all, pretty good. Did a test block of something rather fun, and then started work on another bag. It looks really cute in my head.. we'll see how it turns out. Went to Target to run a quick errand and ran into my friend Kim and her completely adorable family. Super best part of the day!
Ok, more sewing sewing sewing. I'm finally feeling creative again. Hope you guys have a great day! xo

Monday, August 09, 2010

Testing

Good morning everyone! How are things in your world? We had a lovely cool weekend here. I got some sewing done and Bret has been working painting the kitchen cabinets. There's still tons to be done in there.. but oh my gosh it's looking so good. I've also been working on some sewing. Shocker I know. Getting stuff done. Buckled down this weekend by staying off the computer.. that means you Twitter. It's hard though, because there's so much fun chatting among friends there I hate to miss out.
I can't believe it's August already. It just doesn't seem possible. August means Quilt Market is just around the corner so we really need to get busy. New patterns aren't going to make themselves, right?
So what have you been up to?

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Dreamy

I was able to finally put my obsession over not getting Dream On at quilt market to rest this week when I finally got my package in the mail. How could I not have noticed this at Sample Spree? I got my pile-o'-bliss but yikes... missed this. And you know how I feel about my Chiks. I scoured the internet for some after seeing the likes of this. And there's more out there.. like this.. you have to scroll a bit to see it in action but it's worth it.. lots of eye candy.
Anyway I have what I hope will be a fun idea. I just love this collection.. and of course you know I don't have to tell you.. I know the Urban Chiks.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Time Travel

So yesterday Elizabeth and I got out and about for some fun. We're not getting out like we used to, which is weird. But we cruised down to San Jose to visit Prairie Queens and The Granary.
Prairie Queens was fun, but they have a no photography policy posted on their door when you walk in , no photos, sorry. They have a lot of wonderful things there and we had fun shopping. PQ is also the quilty home of the wonderful Keiko Clark. You've seen her lovely work in the Lecien booth photos.
Next stop was The Granary. I knew my friend Anne and her group used to sew there on Tuesdays, and I was hoping that maybe she'd be there. Anne managed Going to Pieces when I worked there, we were all great Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans. Anne and her husband used to be able to find a 'wild feed' of Buffy before the actual episode would air, so the three of us would pile in the car and go meet her and Bobby to exchange the video tape, like spies. It was a very fun and exciting time in our household. Frankie and I were just reminiscing about it last week. So seeing "Buffy-Anne" yesterday was a great treat, and Frankie went nuts over the photo I sent her. So Anne, Frankie says hi and sends a big hug.
We also had a very nice time a Kinokuniya and I found a copy of the July Cotton Time. Delicious as usual. And check out my cool handles from Prairie Queens. They go perfect with Red Rose Farm.

Ok, now I need to go get busy! Hope you guys have a great day !!

Monday, August 02, 2010

August

I don't know how it managed to turn to August all of a sudden. I mean seriously, wasn't it JUST the first of July? Weird. Yesterday I went to the grocery store and saw a bunch of back to school stuff and felt that twinge of sadness I usually feel, like it's the end of freedom.. but then I got a grip on myself. I'm free all the time.
Speaking about getting a grip, I finally finished up my butterfly pillow. It's 18 inches square and I used the pillow making method Elizabeth describes in her book. Doesn't it look cute next to the pillow she made me last year for my birthday?
I think the black background makes a much more dramatic pattern, don't you? I like both though, and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I made it as a gift for my sister, and I hope she likes it. I'm VERY LATE for her birthday as usual.
I don't appreciate the funky pillow form though, and probably will have to go grab another. This one makes my corners look bad.


So that's all the news here. It was a fun weekend, with Bret home for 4 days. He's busy on a painting project around here. The house is a wreck. I'm happy I can always find some calm in the sewing room. xo




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