Friday Favorites :: Lovely Design

I think we all come across artists and blogs that we admire and find speak to us in style and content – and that would be Lovely Design for me.  I love her color palette – exactly what I love but can never seem to bring into my space.  Her photos inspire me – all of them, from the colors used, the designs made, the decorating, to her photos of her daughter and cats.  Lately she has started to create patterned papers for download on her site – and I love this.  I have been making patterned “papers” in Illustrator lately and I love the idea of using them all in little projects I have sketched out.  I have a problem with thinking of things in too complicated of a sense, and I need to remember to keep it simple – Lovely Design helps me to remember that.  I hope you find some inspiration, too!
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What inspires me in these photos :: 1. The papers inspire me to create more simple patterns with fresh colors; 2. The framed wall inspires me to create simple projects from patterned papers to frame my walls; 3. The dish drawer inspires me to buy beautiful dishes for Brice and create a drawer just for him; 4. The kitty in the box reminds me how much I miss having a cat indoors; 5. The dishes on the shelf inspire me to create simple storage solutions with simples dishes – I love the simplicity of cream/white dishes and the color and design can follow elsewhere; 6. The little shelves with children’s toys inspire me to create something like this for Brice’s toys that are a little more special – a perfect place to display his new photo book from Kathy; 7. The bookshelf under the window inspires me to use more basic pieces in my furniture arrangements – to use more white and paint some walls robin’s egg blue; 8. Paper-backed shadow boxes for special toys – Brice needs these!  Maybe I do, too!; 9. This Christmas card has me thinking about using the patterned papers i’ve been creating to create cute cards for use with photos – maybe our Christmas card this year.  It motivates me to get back to creating patterns. 

Around The Craft Room

The fabric above are bits and pieces I picked up at a sew expo a few weeks ago :: the basket contains Ginger Blossom that I got for Christmas last year…I’m still deciding what pattern to use with this fabric :: the pin cushion was made when I needed a quick sewing fix at 11 o’clock at night. 

You’ll Want to Enter This

If you read Sandi Henderson’s blog then you know she has been having a 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway…and today is the last day!  All week she has featured great artists and even some of her own fabric from Michael Miller. 

Today she is offering up $100 gift certificate for quilting – by ME!  I just thought you might like to know…

Beginning To Look A Lot Like…

It’s that time of year again!  And for the first time in a very long time, I'm actually looking forward to it!  I think it’s true what they say about having kids making it fun.

Rearranging

Just a quick note to let you know there’s a little rearranging going on at the blog right now.  I’m not sure if I like the way it is…so things will continue to change, but all of the information is still here to be found.  Most of what you might want to find is in my new menu bar under my header (instead of in the sidebar).  I get tired of the “mess” sometimes and have to clean it up a bit.

Autumn Orange

Yesterday we had a break in the rain – it was much needed here.  I’m tired of the soggy weather already, and we’ve only just started.  If only there was a promise of snow again this year…  Yesterday was one of our usual “liquid sunshine” days.  There was lost of blue sky, the sun was out and shinning and it was raining.  No joke.  Liquid sunshine.  I’ll take that over it being so dark in the middle of the day that I have to walk around the house-full-of-windows turning on lights!

Thank You

  
A big thank you to Westminster Fabrics for sending a box of fabric for the Give a Kid a Quilt project.  Please head over to the blog and read about their generosity and some updates on our progress with this project.  Not often do I write serious articles and I'm hoping to tug on your heart strings a little.

Quilted :: Her First Quilt

But first – I NEEDED to let you know that there is an FMFF giveaway going on!  There are some great goodies from Denyse Schmidt and some fat quarters of flea market fancy!  Head on over to the Flea Market Fancy Freaks blog and toss your name in the “hat”! 

I quilted one of the most beautiful quilts recently.  I’ve been waiting for it’s owner to blog about it so I could share.  (I don’t like to show the full quilts myself until it’s been seen/unveiled by it’s owner.)  I think I was in love with every piece of fabric in this quilt.  What had me in awe was the fact that this was her first quilt.  And it was perfectly done.  I was very impressed. 

I will leave you with just these glimpses of the fabric and quilting, but please head on over to Jeni’s blog to see the full quilt and hear her glowing review (her photos are much better than mine at capturing the quilt).  It is always a little nerve-racking quilting on someone else's quilt, it makes me so happy to hear someone is pleased with their quilting.  Thank you Jeni, for the opportunity! 

Quilted with the Retro Lines design.  There is still time to send your quilt in for holiday gifting!  1-3 day turn around!

More Quilting!

I have to tell you, the quilting bug has hit me big right now.  I have all this quilting I want to do, but no quilts to do them on.  I have a few in the works, but two of them will need to wait until after the holidays as they are about twin size and that is a whole lot of backing to buy.  I have plans of starting on another quilt, inspired by this book cover.  Since I can’t find the book in the US yet, I'll just have to make it up as I go along.  The main reason for this quilt…I want to quilt it the same way.  (The above quilts are my moms, quilted by me.  You will have to keep an eye on her blog for full photos of them.)  I’ll have another quilt to share with you as soon as it’s blogged by it’s owner.  Trust me, you’ll want to see it!  It’s beautiful!

Speaking of quilting, I met up with Tiffany on Friday to return two of her quilts I quilted.  (Again, you’ll have to wait until these quilts are blogged by her to see them in their full glory.)  We met by a local quilt shop for coffee and then enjoyed shopping with our little ones. 

I was lucky that Brice wasn’t picking out fabric that day, I think Tiffany’s little girl made up for it.  They happened to have some Hello Kitty stuff and she was all over that.  I did find some pretty Lecien floral fabric, though.  Some of which will probably be used in the above mentioned quilt.  

Rocket Ships

Remember the Sweet Tweet’s quilt?  Well, Liz has done it again!  She has created another quilt, this time for the boys. 

It is her 3-2-1 Blast Off Quilt.  I am in love with this quilt.  She used glow-in-the dark threads for the outline stitching on the appliqué pieces and it is awesome!  I can’t wait to make one for Brice!  You can buy her PDF pattern here.  (Photos shown here courtesy Liz.)

Seriously?! Only 5 more weeks?

I feel like it’s time to get back to my regularly scheduled blogging…but it’s the holidays, so I'm sure that wont happen until the new year.  This time of year is always hard.  There are so many things I want to create, but not enough time to make those things when I have Christmas on the horizon.  I am just stunned that we have only [roughly] 5 weeks until then.  I have some serious crafting to get done!  Well, first I need to come up with the ideas.  Then I need to get crafting.  For whatever reason, this year seems harder to think of things to make for others. 

Another project completed!  This one will be a pattern, but probably not until after the holidays.  This bag is just the perfect size and I have used it a lot since completing it.  I needed something else to carry around now that we don’t really need to have the diaper bag with us at all times.  So this is “My Other Bag”.  And while on the topic of patterns, the Colored Pencil Portfolio is getting a great reception.  So thank you.  Mary had a great comment on the pattern:

“You seriously are gifted in pattern writing.  Things I never would have thought of were shown to me, mistakes I have made on previous projects now make sense because of the steps you explain.  You just rock.”

So thank you so much for that glowing comment!  (She also had wonderful things to say about the Rugby Stripes Blanket pattern, too!) 

I wanted to make sure to talk about the inspiration for this project.  It started with me trying to think of a gift for Sarah’s daughter Stella last spring, I had thought about making one of Terri’s crayon wallets (her shop is closed, but you can still buy her pattern via her blog’s sidebar) but was thinking that it was a little young for Stella.  So then I started to think about how at her age I loved colored pencils and sketching in a sketchbook – and thus the portfolio came about.  I looked all over for a pattern to make one, but when I didn’t find one, decided I'd just have to make my own. It works like that most of the time.  I originally had straight stitched pockets like most of the pencil/crayon rolls out there, but then decided to do a nifty trick for the pencil pockets, something that Terri has done herself in her crayon wallets.  It really does make all the difference.  And of course my inspiration for matching fabric to pencil came from Pink Chalk Studio’s pencil roll.  Well, that’s it for now – more blogging planned for this week!

Colored Pencil Portfolio Pattern

The pattern and written and in the shop for purchase – just in time for holiday gifting!  I honestly wasn’t sure if I would have the time to get this done before Christmas, but I'm very happy that I did.  I think these would make excellent gifts for the younger ones in your life…heck, I could see adults loving it, too!  I have another project completed this last weekend, and hope to have a pattern for it sometime soon.  I’ll try and share what it is this week.  Have a great rest of your weekend!

For A Cause :: Quilts For Kids

A few months ago Rachel of 2nd Avenue Studio contacted me about a project she was starting up for this winter.  She asked if I could help her create a button for the cause and if I’d be interested in joining in.  The project is “Give A Kid A Quilt” and it is a quilt drive for babies and children at or below poverty level.  I’m sure a lot of you had a special blanket as a kid (I did) and the security it provides, as well a the warmth, is something every child should have.  Out here in our neck of the woods we have the HIGHEST unemployment rates in the nation – specifically the county I live in (Clark County, WA) is the highest in the nation.  Currently the quilts will be donated to Community Action in Washington County, OR (Portland vicinity for those unfamiliar) and they will distribute them to the right spots.  It is also our hope to find an agency in Clark County Washington (Southwest Washington area – think Vancouver, WA USA) to donate to as well. 

Now that I’m a mother, and a victim of hard times, I more fully appreciate the need to help.  As Rachel explains on the causes blog: “…these months of highest unemployment are also our coldest.”  I hope that you will seriously consider reading more at her blog, donating to the cause and spreading the word. 

She’s looking for any finished quilt, 24” square up to twin size.  Unbound is okay, as she can finish it.  Quilt tops with a side 38” or less, and no longer than 55” can be sent to her for quilting and binding.  Rachel is very involved in community service and this is just one of many projects she has been involved in, and I’m very proud to be involved as well.  I hope to contribute many quilts as well as do some blogging at the blog.  Now, head on over and read up on it, grab yourself a button for your blog and donate some quilts!

November Favorites

I thought I'd share some recent favorites.  I feel like I've been “Favorite-ing” up a storm these last few days.  The ornaments on the bottom are of particular interest…with an 18 month old toddling around, the tree will need some toddler-friendly ornaments this year.  We have some from years and years ago when my brother and I were his age, but I think it’s time for a modern update.  I am looking forward to raiding the scrap basket to make some.  Oh, and the partridge in the pear tree in the second row…that gave me an idea for an advent calendar.  I’m hoping to have the time to create it.  Click on the mosaic to head to the Flickr page with links to each of the tiles.

There is still room/time if you need quilts quilted in time for holiday gifting!