making a list, checking it twice

My day, from beginning to end, involves lists.  Loooooong lists that I never see the end of.  You know the feeling?  So I thought I might as well strive make lists prettier for me and my friends.

Taking an idea from Krista, I bought a whole bunch of little Moleskine lined notebooks, then dug into my scrap bucket to pretty them up!

These were quick and lots of fun.  I used a bit of glue stick to tack them on to the cover, then machine sewed around the edges.  Easy peasy. And they make great little gifts for friends or hostesses over the holiday season, each with their own little bit of personality.

I have snagged one for myself to keep and have already gotten busy with my list making. So, have YOU been naughty or nice???

ode to the sea....

It is mid-April and summer is nowhere to be found in and around these parts.  The snow on either side of my front walk is still tall enough to conceal my Kindergartener, and I am beginning to spend every free moment day dreaming of sun and sand.

I decided to make a little mini quilt, incorporating my favourite summertime quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."  

That is EXACTLY what I wish to be doing right now :)

I pieced random scraps of blue, using cottons, corduroys, linens, voiles, all adding to the texture, starting with darker tones at the bottom and graduating to lighter shades towards the top.  I added a scrap of precious Mendocino mermaids at the top.  I hand stamped the quote onto natural cotton, using lettered stamps from Stampin' Up and a fabric paint marker.  I cut the rows of blues in curves, to replicate the sea, and then straight cut in the quote pieces.

Free motion quilting was done in a sea colored thread, adding waves, crests and pebbles.

The binding is my favourite part: Joel Dewberry Aviary woodgrain fabric, cross stitched to the front with Pearle 8 thread.  I will be doing this again!

On the back, I added sleeves for a dowel for hanging, stamping my name and date, and what I was doing while I was making it :)

I am so very pleased with how this mini turned out.  As some of you may recall, our family had a summer cottage that was destroyed in a storm a couple years ago.  Finally, the rebuilding phase has begun, and I plan to give this mini a place of honour there when we start again.

I intended to enter this as my Sew Off Home Dec entry for week 2 of the competition.  And I DID make it through the first round- I placed 4th out of 12, with the top 9 progressing!  But, I opted out of the contest.  I am busy with so many other things needing my time in my life, and I realized I don't enjoy being judged for what I make...this is my hobby, my escape, and I want to do it just for ME!  So, thanks for your support and your votes, but this girl plans to stay contest free for the time being!

Wishing you a day filled with sunshine!

twinkle :)

Finished up my circle of stars mini quilt/ table topper!

I decided to do some hand quilting...I think it finished off the project perfectly.  I practiced using a couple different kinds of stitches...french knots, crosses and so on.  I just let it evolve and had fun. 

While I was stitching away, I was in my glory watching this movie.  Do you know it?  Classic stuff.  One of my favorites from the 90s....toe pick!

The plan is to use this as a table topper, but in case I change my mind down the road, I added these triangles on the back for a dowel so I can use it as a wall hanging as well.

And now it has a place of honour on the table for the holiday season!

 

I am so pleased with how this came together.   Sharing over at Quilt Story.

so this chick walks into a quilt retreat...

So this Chick walks into a quilt retreat, and the Girls are all like, "Chick, where did you get that rocking bag?" and the Chick is, like, "Girls, I made it." And the Girls are like, " No way!' and the Chick says, "Way!"  They were impressed by her mad style, righteous color choices and the ever so snazzy silver pleather handle and bottom.

And then of course they rejoiced once aware of the copious amounts of fabric and yarn the bag could hold!

Next,  there may have been some merry hoopla and fist pumping and maybe even some chicken dancing, but who could say for sure, because it was a QUILT RETREAT after all, and so of course there was a lot of alcohol involved.

True story.  {I think}

More tall tales of quilt retreat adventures to follow, stay tuned, you aren't gonna want to miss these ;)