Quilternity's Place

Just a reminder...

2012-01-31T11:01:00.000-08:00

The Soul Blossom sale ends today!

Scrappy Strip String progress...

2012-01-30T06:05:00.000-08:00

As you can see I'm making slow, but steady progress on my "string" quilt.

Still having fun and still cutting strips for this quilt and another one I'll start once this one is done. Although, after re-reading the instructions last night, I might have to take a break in between these "strip/string" quilts and make something sheerly for the "fun" of it. Not that they all aren't fun, but some are more work than others. At least for me.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and are ready to get back into your weekly routine.

Take care,

I'm kinda excited...

2012-01-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

to see two of my "blog" friends in Quilting Arts this month!

Holly McLean's article (page 24) is about combining gelatin monoprints with stitch. I love what she's done and can't wait to try it myself. So happy to see her in the magazine. She seems like she has a wonderful life and it's been a pleasure getting to know her through her blog and our emails.

Terri Stegmiller is part of the Twelve by Twelve group that's been so popular recently. Their article (page 28) talks about how the group got it's start and how it operates. Terri's always doing wonderful art quilts and other items (she does great handbags)! I've been following Terri's blog for quite awhile now and even got to see one of her quilts in person when it appeared in a show at CA State University Channel Islands. I just know that if I ran into her on the street tomorrow, I would recognize her in an instant!

Congratulations ladies!

I added a few more items...

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

to my "stash" sale at Quilternity Too/Two!

Hope you'll visit and maybe you'll find something you have to have! :)

Take care,

Soul Blossom SALE!

2012-01-25T05:59:00.000-08:00

Please come visit and help me make some room on my shelves for NEW fabrics!!

Take care,

It's time to start thinking about hearts...

2012-01-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

After scouring the internet for Valentine ideas....here's what I found. A little art, flowers, & baking.

From Eighteen25. I LOVE this Valentine Subway Art. Visit their website to download and print for yourself!!

It comes in a black and red version too!

There is more great Valentine Subway Art at Today's Fabulous Finds. Go here to download and print.

This also comes in several different colorations.

This idea is very clever and I love the fresh flowers!! I've never seen red pistachios.

Here's another vase along similar lines. Love the pastels! And the candy conversation hearts...they are my favorites!!

Look at this cute idea! I just love simple, yet clever decorating ideas. A burlap covered vase...very simple and elegant.

If you're a baker and love to give breads and/or cookies as gifts, you'll love this heart-covered wrapper that you can make.

Cupcakes are always a fun part of Valentines Day too and this site has some wonderful ideas, recipes, and information.

Valentine's Day wouldn't be the same without heart-shaped cookies either. These are elegant and lovely.

I love this simple idea too (my problem is that I love everything). Candy bar wrappers that have been personalized. Simple. Cute.

Hope there are a couple of ideas here that you like!

Last week's pillowcase effort...

2012-01-22T16:41:00.000-08:00

Last week I finished four more pillowcases, in addition to all the cleaning and purging I've been doing around the house. And will continue to do until it's finally done. No matter how long it takes me. THIS is the year!

These four are probably better suited for teenagers rather than younger children considering the fabric choices. Not nearly bright enough or "cute" enough for a younger child.

I've decided that I'll just keep making pillowcases until I get a good-sized box full and then I'll take them all to one of the local quilt shops in Pasadena that is collecting them on behalf of Conkerr Cancer. If I add these four to the three I've already made, I've got 7 so far.

It's for a good cause and it's helping me clear out my stash!

Take care,

The Graphics Fairy - DIY: Transfer Printable - French Typography - Flower Seller

You gotta see this...

2012-01-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

My sis sent this to me yesterday because it reminds her of my nephew. He l-o-v-e-s Star Wars!! It reminds me a bit of him too...he's a little character. I can totally see him doing this.

Regardless, you have to watch it...

...it's HILARIOUS!!

Take care,

Gothic Prairie finish!

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well....it's a top finish, and that counts for something, right?

I love my Prairie Gothic quilt top. I changed the border fabric from the medium print that I had planned to use to this much darker one and I really think it makes the quilt "pop."

The sashing fabric is what really makes it come alive though, and you all know that I love my reds/pinks/oranges/lime greens!

I was originally planning to send this off to be quilted, but now I'm not quite as sure that's what I'll do. It's small enough that it would be easy for me to quilt. I guess I need to decide the quilting design I want and that will help me make up my mind about what I'm going to do. I suspect that I'll still end up sending it out as that will free up more time for me to continue working on all of my other projects.

It's really waaaay too early in the year to be this indecisive. lol

Take care,

New Michael Miller fabrics...

2012-01-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

are in the shop!

I'm loving these...they are truly luscious!!

Take care,

40% OFF....

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

For one week starting today, Friday 1/13 through Friday 1/20/12...

Jill Gordon fabrics at $6.30 / yard!!

What's on the wall?

2012-01-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

This scrappy, string quilt is on my design wall presently. I've been making a block every now and then and will continue to work on it this way. Especially since I'm making pretty good progress on it!

Here it is in it's entirety at the moment. I'll probably shift blocks around when I get farther into it. I'm not even sure what size it will be when I'm finished. I like working this way sometimes...no plans...I'll just keep sewing and see where I end up. I'm really having fun with this one but need some more scrappy strips. Guess I had better get cutting!

My first three finishes...

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

of 2012. I'm sending these pillowcases off to ConKerr Cancer.

I'll be making more as the year progresses since I'm on a mission to cut my stash by as much as I possibly can this year. I'm not setting up any goal, but I'm just going to keep plugging along.

Come visit me...

2012-01-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

on my new blog, Quilternity Too/Two, where I'll be selling "stuff" (fabric, quilts, handmade items, etc.) from my stash from time to time. You might be surprised at what you'll see there!

Take care,

Re-stocking...

2012-01-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Some of our favorite Pie in the Sky patterns are back in stock!

Charms squares are sew fun!

2012-01-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

Since my niece told me she's started sewing lessons and a quilt in particular, I've been cutting charm squares to send to her. She's already made a tote bag and a pillowcase and her quilt is halfway done.

I'm so thrilled that she seems to love sewing already and I'm thrilled that my sister thinks it's important that she has the opportunity to learn. I think my sister is a wonderful mom to her two children.

We're having absolutely wonderful weather here - very "summer like" with temps in the high 70's and low 80's. I even managed to do a bit of pruning in the garden today since it is so nice out.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to all!

2011-12-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Whatever the holiday that you observe, I'm hoping it's HAPPY!

We received the nicest gift...

2011-12-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Have you had a chance to try the popcorn from Popcornoplis? Man oh man, it's sooooo good! Our tower of popcorn includes their 5 best-selling flavors: Caramel, Kettle, Cheddar Cheese, Cinnamon Toast, and, of course, Zebra™ Chocolate! Our favorite, of course, is the Zebra Chocolate but all of the flavors are wonderful - especially if you are a popcorn lover!

One other thing I liked about receiving this particular food gift is that it's wrapped very nicely. It's pretty, it's tall, it makes a statement and looks appealing (unlike so many mail-order food gifts).

We were really thrilled to receive this gift and although it's not Christmas yet, we did open it! :) Thanks MG in SD!!

What will our weather be like tomorrow?

2011-12-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

This was what the beach looked like yesterday afternoon around 1pm or so. Beautifully clear, gorgeous water color, and 72 degrees! Amazing. And I was almost the only one there. It was so nice since this area is super crowded during the summer months.

Right now, it's windy, cold and raining so I'm wondering what it will be like tomorrow.

I was also playing around with my camera a bit today. Trying to get some good bokeh.

Christmas tree lights always provide a good opportunity!

My tree skirt...

2011-12-15T15:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many years now I've been saying that I'm going to make a tree skirt and then never have time to get to it. For some reason, once Christmas is over I just don't feel like making a tree skirt even though that's when I have the time to do it! :))

This year I M-A-D-E myself do it and I'm very happy I did. Since we changed our color scheme this year, it was easy to find this red floral sitting in my pile of home decorator fabrics. I was actually planning on giving it away, but it just seemed to be the right fabric for the job. I have collected lots of fabrics with red in them and since I don't decorate with red any longer, they are going to be given away.

If you look really closely, you'll notice that it is still pinned together (for quilting). I started the quilting and then realized I just didn't have the time to finish it and rather than not use it this year, I decided to put it under the tree the way it is. No one but you and me knows it, so who cares? Now that it's this far along, I know I'll get it quilted completely next year! For now, I'm loving it!

I'm enjoying every single minute of this Christmas/Holiday season! I hope you are too.

Waterless Snow Globes...

2011-12-12T05:58:00.000-08:00

I've been making a few of these (some for me and some for gifts) and they are quite addictive. I originally saw them in Anthropologie and since then I've seen them all over blogland. They are really very vintage looking, which I think is much of their appeal.

And, they are soooo easy to make! Especially when you use empty spaghetti sauce & salad dressing bottles. How FUN!

Take care,

Sometimes we all need a little inspiration...

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you don't mind that I periodically show you some of the orders that I fill that I absolutely love. I find them very inspirational - in terms of fabric choices and in terms of color.

Especially when you consider these are ordered online - without the luxury of seeing them in person to verify color, etc. My customers just have excellent taste and color sense - what can I say?

Take care,

Christmas Stocking Idea...

2011-12-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a wonderful idea for a sewer? I absolutely l-o-v-e this! Very clever.

Take care,

Annual Christmas Wreath ideas...

2011-12-06T05:46:00.000-08:00

As usual, I've started looking for Christmas wreath ideas and I've found a few new ones that I like to share with you.

I especially love this one from Martha Stewart as I find it so elegant and simple.

Isn't this cute, and clever... I'm always looking for good ways to display my Christmas cards.

Since I'm a knitter I've got plenty of yarn around. I like the "handmade" aspect of this wreath and it's sheer simplicity.

This Button Wreath is another great idea for those who sew and have many, many buttons in their collection. Sound familiar?

I like this idea since it's super easy and could actually be used at times other than Christmas. It just seems so clean.

And, last but certainly not least, for the wine-drinking, cork lovers....here's a nice little wreath!

Even though this is about garlands, stocking, etc (and not wreaths), I think this is information that must be shared. Wish I had known about this many years ago. I've always been very careful and very leery about draping my mantle with garland because I was afraid of scratching (or otherwise damaging) the wood. Well, here's a great solultion!!

I know many of you already have your Christmas decorating done and these ideas won't help, but it seems like my wreath is always the last thing I get around to so I'm still collecting ideas!

Take care,

Time is flying...

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

I can't quite believe that it's already December 5th! It just sneaks up on me so quickly when it's holiday time. We put up our tree this weekend and I'm quite happy with it. We chose to go the "traditional" red, white and green route this year. I've been doing orange, magenta, lime green, and brown, which I love, for several years now, but we just thought a change might be nice. Funny thing is, just last year, I gave away most of our red, white and green ornaments since we hadn't been using them. Our tree is much more sparse this year in terms of ornaments, but I think I love it even more. It's definitely more "natural." We also got a Nordman this year rather than our typical Noble, and it's much more g-r-e-e-n.

Anyway, I'm still staying busy in the shop. Have listed a lot of wonderful new Michael Miller fabrics and am shipping lots of orders. Here's just one of them...one of my favorites. I don't want to give away too much, but there's one lucky little 6-yr old granddaughter out there that's going to be receiving a gift that uses each of these fabrics! What a terrific grandmother, right?

I hope you'll remember that I've made up some Fat Quarter packs if you are looking for a great gift for one of your sewing/quilting friends.
Take care,

Nothing crafty to report.

2011-11-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

I've not been doing any crafting/sewing/quilting for awhile now. Just getting ready for the holidays ahead.

I do need to get photos of my "Trip Around the World" quilt taken which has been finished now for about three/four weeks. It's in the back of my car because I'm just sure that while I'm out there driving around I will come across the perfect place to photograph it. The only trouble is....I only seem to remember it is in the back of the car when I pull into the garage after being out. -sigh- Wonder if I'll ever remember? :)

We are having some really wonderful weather - still very fall-like, which I am simply loving! The trees are glorious in all their color and there definitely needs to be some raking done. Do you think anyone in So Cal owns a rake? Does anyone in So Cal even know what a rake is?

Enamored...

2011-11-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

I'm still enjoying our "fall" color and the gorgeous leaves on the trees...

...and those that have fallen.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. We planned on attending Long Beach Swap Meet tomorrow, but rain is in the forecast, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Just look at these leaves!

2011-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

I know...for most of you this is nothing special, but we hardly ever see these kinds of colors in the fall. It's just been beautiful this year and much cooler/colder than usual. Today we're even getting some more rain. I love it.

I also wanted to show you another great customer order. Just filled it today and it certainly brightened up the day!

I just love this combination. I guess you can tell by now that I l-o-v-e fabric!!

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

APPLIQUE TODAY: The Toolbox

More FQ Bundles!

2011-11-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

I'm on a roll! Busy making FQ bundles while I have the time and the energy. I'm expecting a new shipment of fabrics on Monday which means new listings and photos sometime next week. That will cut into my FQ bundle-making time. :)

Anyway, I call these "Fire & Ice" and I really, really like this combination.

There are 10 bundles available. Remember Christmas is coming up (hint, hint)!

Take care,

Gorgeous fabrics...

2011-11-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

I l-o-v-e this combination of fabrics. So bright, colorful, and cheerful. This was a recent order I filled and it was such a pleasure cutting and assembling it.

I always enjoy putting together the fabrics that customers have ordered, but every now and then one just "speaks" to me. Like this one!

I'm curious what everyone has planned for Thanksgiving. How do you spend it? We wish we could spend ours with family but that isn't usually possible, so we're trying to think of something else to do that will make it special this year.

Freshly Squeezed...

2011-11-07T05:54:00.000-08:00

I'm busy making more Fat Quarter bundles for the holidays since they make such wonderful gifts.

If you are interested in these "Fresh Squeezed" bundles, they can be found here. Of course, I've kept one for myself and there are 8 more!

Garden display to brighten your day!

2011-11-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Thought you might enjoy seeing this display of succulents in pots. I love the simplicity of this design as it really showcases each little pot and what's planted in it.

Wish I was clever enough to think of things like this! :)

Still working on sewing my binding to the "Trip" quilt. One more night and I should have it finished. Yippee!

I've been playing...

2011-10-31T05:47:00.000-07:00

around with Photoshop Elements. I'm still a firm believer that the best option is to take photos that are as perfect as you can get them in the camera. But, I do have to admit that it's fun to be a little creative with PSE.

Oh, I received my "Trip" quilt back from the quilters and now will be adding the binding. I'm really loving it and think it will get tons of use this Fall season. Photos to come soon, I promise!

Anybody else having problems "previewing" your post with blogger? Ever since I changed my template it hasn't worked properly. I keep thinking blogger will fix the problem but maybe I'm being a bit optimistic.

It's been a fun week...

2011-10-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

We took a little drive up the coast this last week and had lots of fun along the way. We stopped at wineries, pumpkin stands, and farmer's markets, picked apples, ate cotton candy, watched sea lions, drove in fog that was so thick we couldn't see the car ahead of us, sent postcards, ate apple pie a la mode, fish and chips, and the best spaghetini with marinara sauce I've ever had, took pictures, picked and ate wild blackberries, bought taffy, Snaps, and winged gourds, and drove the most beautiful country roads and charming city streets.

We had a wonderful time.

I guess it's Fall here?

2011-10-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the late-morning and early-afternoon fog, it was such a pleasure to take a short walk yesterday and see this...

Today I'm going to take advantage of the cold temps and foggy atmosphere to make White Bean and Chicken Chili. I've made it before and I can honestly say it's great! Hubby loves it too.

Misty Morning FQ packs!

2011-10-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Just made up some new FQ packs for the shop. The fabrics reminded me of a misty morning so that's what I named them. Fabrics are from Kaffe, Brandon, Philip and Art Gallery.

I love this combination so I kept a pack for myself! :) 11 more are available.

Doodling...

2011-10-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

I know you've seen all kinds of gorgeous "Zentangles" out there in blogland and I have too. Two of my good friends (Diane and Terri) do such excellent work that I hesitate to even show mine. Of course, I would never dare to call mine "Zentangles"...they are merely doodles.

I had a good time when I did these. It's a bit like quilting in the sense that you really lose yourself in what you are doing. It's almost as good as therapy and it's very relaxing. As you can see I didn't use special paper or special pens (as most do)...I just grabbed what I had handy. I'm sure I'll do more of these because they are fun.

Just a couple movie recommendations!

2011-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

There was quite a long period of time when there were no movies that interested me enough to go the theater to see them. But in the last month, we've seen 3 that are wonderful.

The Help was heartwarming and funny....very funny. Surprising for such a sensitive subject matter. I give it ***** (yes, that's five stars!)

Moneyball was another really good movie. Not only because of Brad Pitt, although he's one of my favorite actors and I think he was great in this movie. But, if you like baseball you'll find this movie very interesting and entertaining. It really made me want to research the Oakland A's a bit more. I give it ****1/2

And, last of all but certainly not least, we just saw Ides of March. Well, what is there to say about George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. Both are exceptional actors and great to look at too! Quite the drama here...although I must say if you haven't already got a bad taste in your mouth regarding politicians, you probably will have when you leave the theater. I give it **** 1/2

It's been a lot of fun going to the movies again and we saw some previews that look pretty good too. Especially J Edgar, a Clint Eastwood film.

Fairy Quilt Godmother?

2011-10-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

One of my good quilting friends sent me this link via email and I thought you might like to have it too. Especially if you are a fan of paper-piecing, which I happen to love.

My friend says this is the first thing on her 2012 "to do" list and I like that idea too. I already went and got my Fiary Quilt Godmother pattern and it looks like it's going to be quite fun.

It's time for sashing!

2011-10-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I found a bit of time on Sunday to work on my quilt. I sewed some of the the sashing strips onto blocks and then sewed those blocks together into a strip. Now I need to do the sashing strips in the other direction and the posts. It is amazing to me how adding just a little bit of a complementary color really causes this quilt to come alive. I am loving it and am anxious to see the quilt proceed as I begin to add the side and corner triangles.

I've even got plans for my next quilt....good news right? I'm hoping my quilting funk is over for a good long while. I've never had it last that long before and it was a bit scary. I was almost thinking about getting rid of my stash....can you imagine? WHAT was I thinking? :)

Halloween ideas...final post!

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Country Living had some wonderful Halloween ideas I just had to share. This first one is especially spooky...

and I love black and white plates, I just never thought of using them as Halloween decorationgs. What a great idea!

This is a wonderful idea too! LOVE the orange feathers!!

This is not necessarily a new idea, but I always love using vintage postcards for decorations.

And these ghosts are made from white tissue paper wedding bells with cheesecloth draped over them. How cute!!

I think this is the most clever idea of them all! Florescent eyeballs made into a wreath. Wonderful!

We can always use more cancleholder and pumpkin ideas, right?

I like this costume because it reminds me of my little nephew. I'm going to send this picture to him in case he wants to be a Lego for Halloween! :))

Hope you have a very Happy Halloween!

Silly me...

2011-10-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

I just realized these Sunshine & Shadow FQ Packs by Jane Sassaman have been sitting on my shelves for quite awhile, but I hadn't listed them in my shop. Don't know how that happened, but they are there now and they are on sale!

The pack includes 21 fabrics and they are quite lovely! Hope some of you will think so too!

Take care,

I am grateful...

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have to remind myself of how lucky I am to live in such a gorgeous area. I tend to take it for granted since I've been here so long and have seen most of it many times before. But it really does change... every day, every month, and every year with every change in the weather and with every season.

Even a trip to the doctor's office for an annual visit delights me with it's lovely views along the way.

I hope you take the time to appreciate where you are.

Some fall decorating idea...

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year and this year it's been perfect weather too! Usually here in So Cal, we're having pretty warm/hot weather but this year it's been overcast and a bit rainy even. Cooler temps too - just perfect for fall decorating.

I was looking around on the BHG website and found this great gourd/pumpkin wreath. This would look great on my front door which is black, but I also think it would look good as an "inside" wreath too.

I love the look of fall branches/leaves in a vase but it's hard to find real ones here where we live and so far I haven't seen anything "faux" that looks good. My sis lives in an area where I'll bet she can find fall color.

This idea I like, not particularly for the Indian Corn, but for the use of natural items in jars in the cabinet. Love that look!

I love this front porch/entry. We all love mums right? But I also love the contrast between the neutral colors of brown door and the white pumpkins with the vibrant orange of the mums and the texture of the red bricks. Just gorgeous!

I haven't done much fall decorating yet although I did get 3 little "Wee Be Little" pumpkins for the mantle. It's a start!

Do you want to be an Evil Jester?

2011-09-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm selling an adult (size XL) Evil Jester halloween costume for $15 (+ shipping, if required). I've got it listed on Craigslist (and you can check it out there for the details) but thought someone here might be interested in it.

If you think you might want it, just email me and we'll figure out the shipping and payment (via Paypal) information. Of course, if you live near my "neck of the woods" you're welcome to pick it up.

Much better...

2011-09-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

I wasn't entirely happy with my previous, substitute fabric so I went online and found the correct one. I wasn't sure I would be able to find it, but there it was....just waiting for me to buy it.

I'm much happier now. :)

I'm actually making some progress...

2011-09-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

What a surprise! This is more quilting progress than I've made in a long, long time. It's been fun watching it come together. This is how it's looking on my design wall presently.

I had to make a fabric substitution since the fabric called for in the quilt was not included in the kit. I think it will work just fine though and I'm not going to worry about it. It's the middle dark block near the bottom of the photo that has two different fabric triangles with it. I'm going to use the lighter of the two.

It sure feels good to be quilting a bit again!

Halloween, Part III...

2011-09-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not sure I would make this a serving "tray", but I do like the idea...

What about this? Looks spooky doesn't it? Think I'm gonna try this one.

More spooky candles to try...

Oh....I love this carved pumpkin vase. Isn't it beautiful?

These are gorgeous. Cut-out pumpkins (to carve yourself or to purchase online)...

Hope you find these ideas helpful!

It's coming along...

2011-09-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

I really am making some slow progress on this quilt. See?

It's Labor Day...

2011-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

You can find the history of Labor Day here. This year it seems a bit sad celebrating this holiday with the outlook for jobs and the economy looking so bleak.

"The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker".

Standard of Living? Down. Greatest production the world has ever known? Not so much anymore. We have lost and continue to lose American workers on a daily basis. When will it stop? I beg you to think about this question and take the steps to help America recover - in any way you possibly can.

Off my soapbox now. Hope you enjoy your day!

Sally, this is for you...

2011-08-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

You mentioned you couldn't make out the name of the quilt pattern, so I'm showing it to you here...

It's a great looking quilt, made with wonderful fabrics, but one thing I have discovered is that the fabrics are not entirely represented correctly in the pattern photo. The border fabric is much lighter and I actually thought I had the wrong colorway when I started investigating. That's part of the reason I always take my own photos of the fabric I sell...I try very hard to make sure it is honestly represented.

Time for more Halloween ideas...

2011-08-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

I found some more wonderful Halloween ideas and thought I would share them with you:

This is from Good Housekeeping. Isn't it a wonderful entryway idea?

Cute, but creepy (also from Good Housekeeping)...

Check out this luxurious vampire's table setting...

Here's a place to get pumpkin carving stencils...

This table is hauntingly elegant, don't you think?

That's a whole lotta great ideas so if you choose to do any of them, will you let me know? I would love to see how you interpret them.

Off to the quilter...

2011-08-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

My Trip Around the World is finished and will be in the mail by Monday morning. Yippee!! I can't believe that I actually stuck with it and got it done.

Now, I've started a new project. I know....what a dummy! I have a million UFOs I could work on, but no, I have to start a new project.

It's gonna be a pretty one and it's one that I've been wanting to do for several years now. I bought it as a kit and I'm really disappointed in the company that assembled it. Very shoddy indeed! If this wasn't so old already, I would return it. Since I can't, I'm going to make it work regardless. It's easy since it's all big pieces just sewn together - once you get them all cut out. Fussy cutting (ugh!) I don't really know why, but I have never loved to fussy cut. I guess it's because I'm fairly frugal and there is so much waste when cutting this way. Of course, those extra pieces won't really go to waste - I'll find a way to use them. :)

You know what this means don't you?

2011-08-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

It means I'm sitting at my sewing machine working on completing this quilt top. It's about time, I must admit, but I've had to force myself to do it. :)

Although, once I got started I found myself having fun. My goal is to get the top and backing completed and sent off for quilting by the end of the week. If I get that done, I'll feel really good.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my "old" sewing machine. It's a Bernina 1090 and I would never for an instant considering getting rid of it (or even updating to a newer machine.) In fact, I'm looking for another one, so if you know of one for sale, please contact me.

Take care,

There's nothing better than...

2011-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

a original Toll House chocolate chip cookie. They are the absolute best!!

Made a batch tonight and I just finished washing all the dishes. I'm happy to say I only ate 3 cookies (because I could sure eat a bunch more than that). Hubby had 5 and the rest go into the freezer. We thought we were so smart years ago putting the cookies in the freezer. We foolishly thought it would be a deterrent to eating too many. HA! They taste even better frozen. :)

Kaffe's newest book...

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Quilts in Sweden

is available for pre-order from Amazon now. It's $16.13. I think I read it's supposed to be released 10/4/11.

Take care,

We finally got it!

2011-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember when I talked about doing some re-decorating and getting this mirror was one of my dreams. Well, that dream finally came true. We got it and even DH loves it! It's hanging on a large wall at the top of our stairs....just the perfect thing to see when you arrive at the landing and it also brightens up the space since it reflects windows which are directly across from it.

I'm so happy! I've been doing lots of redecorating and as time goes on, I'll post some of the photos of those improvements. Right now I'm just walking from room to room giggling because I'm so happy. There's still a lot to be done and more accessories and art to be purchased, but I've made a very good start.

Halloween already?

2011-08-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I was at Michael's today and although I do think it's a bit early, they had some of their Halloween decorations out for sale. It kind of got me in the mood and I ended up purchasing a skeleton skull. I saw a great witch the other day at one of the other decorating stores in town and it was priced at $120. No way am I going to pay that kind of money for a Halloween decoration in this economic climate. But, I think I can make it for a whole lot less. My skull, which was only $5.99 was a great start.

Anyway, I thought I would search for some other good ideas and here are a few I found:

I love the ideas here and they are really quite simple to do.

If you're having a party, these table setting/decorations would be lots of fun.

These cookies look like they would fun to make. I love doing this kind of stuff but I always run out of time before I get to it. Maybe this year, since I'm starting pretty early, I'll get it all done. Any bets?

I love decorated mantles, and even though mine is a very shallow one, I could definitely do something like this. I love the black ivy!

Hope these few ideas help you get excited about Halloween early enough to get your decorating done! :))

Here's a different view...

2011-08-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

After visiting a very dear friend in the hospital (he just had triple-bypass surgery), we took his wife and visited the new spot we discovered just a few weeks ago.

It was a lovely, warm but not too hot day and we had a leisurely lunch before embarking on our little walk. My DH asked me why I was taking more photos since I had already taken them on our previous trip. What a funny question. This was a different trip with different opportunities and besides, I love taking photographs and practicing.

This photo is taken as we were approaching the entrance to the walking bridge. Yes, it is for walking - no cars allowed - and it's wonderful!

Look at the Bougainvillea....this is one of the most gorgeous plants I've seen. Wish it would grow this way in my yard! :)

We spent about three hours here....eating lunch and then wandering the pathways. It was so peaceful and refreshing. Finally, a cold breeze starting blowing and chased us into the car. Love those Sunday drives/discoveries.

A new place to visit...

2011-07-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

on our Sunday drives. This was totally unexpected and a wonderful surprise. We found one of our favorite restaurants had opened at a new location and once inside we realized it was sitting right on the water! You certainly can't tell that from the front of the restaurant. Anyway, it was lovely and warm so we took a little stroll after lunch.

This next photo was taken looking from the bridge seen in the last photo.

One of these days we're going to rent one of these little "dinner" boats and cruise the harbor while we enjoy a meal. Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun?

I especially loved the Palm trees that lined both sides of this walkway. So peaceful and green!

We'll definitely go back to this restaurant and take this gorgeous walk every time. I just love discovering new places that are actually right around the corner from us.

Just Another Day at the Beach...

2011-07-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you suffering the terrible heat wave that has gripped so much of the midwest and east, let me just say that I'm sorry you are having to endure the high temps. I find that as I grow older I can tolerate the heat much less. I grew up in Las Vegas where it got up into the 110+ degrees every summer and I loved it, but not now! Anyway, I hope it ends soon and you get some relief.

Meanwhile here we're having cooler temps, morning fog that is so thick it's soupy and mild breezes, especially at the beach.

No quilting content...

2011-07-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything "quilting related" in a long time. I'm still in my little slump and although it's going on 6 months now, I'm finally enjoying myself and have stopped feeling guilty about it. It will end...as it always does!

My company has left, and I've seen the last Harry Potter movie so I'm feeling a bit of a "let-down." After a couple of months anticipation it's inevitable, but certainly not the end of the world.

I've started to re-read the Sue Grafton books. They are simple but enjoyable reading.

I've got new fabrics in the shop and more on the way!

Hope you're enjoying your summer days!

Only two more days...

2011-07-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

until this...

Pam and I always go on the first day of a new movie release and then we go to lunch. I want to see this movie and I don't. I don't want these movies (and books, for that matter) to end. It seems sad in a way.

For lots more info check out this site.

I'm still alive...

2011-07-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

That's in answer to my friend Sally's inquiry. I have company and we're staying really busy going to the beach, barbequeing, hiking, shopping, watching movies, swimming, eating, running through sprinklers, playing basketball, and lots more!

Hope you're having fun too!

OMG!

2011-06-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

I think these peonies are the most gorgeous ones I've seen in real life. They are stunning and about 5-6" across.

And I found them at the supermarket. Can you believe it?

Life is hectic right now as I'm preparing for company. Sometimes I just need that kind of motivation to get things done. :)

Tomorrow is the first day of summer! It looks like it might be a great one this year. At least I'll keep my fingers crossed. It doesn't have to be too hot, but a little sunshine each day would be nice.

Cherry-picking time...

2011-06-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

They are all washed and in the refrigerator. Fresh cherries right off the trees. And, man oh man, are they good! The cherries you get in the market just cannot compare.

Ladders are provided, but hardly ever needed. My hubby is tall and there are millions of cherries within reaching distance anyway.

We wear our oldest and crummiest clothing since there is usually some cherry juice that finds it's way onto clothing and/or shoes. :) And, plenty that goes right into the mouth. We always make ourselves sick with cherries before we are even done picking.

Apparently all of the orchards lost a lot of cherries to a late frost this year. In fact, some of the orchards have not even opened yet, which is highly unusual. The end of May is the normal time for cherry picking for us, but not this year. Everybody's weather is weird this year, right?

It was an absolutely gorgeous day today. About 72 degrees with a slight breeze, which is just perfect because some years have been scorchingly hot. Plus, we've been having our usual June gloom and where we go for cherries it's far enough away from the coast to have sunshine. Yippee!

By the time we were finished, we had picked 30 lbs of cherries. And, they'll be gone within the week. Once a year - what a treat! Hubby and I have been doing this now for 18 years!

What???

2011-06-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

While I was outside this afternoon photographing these...

it started to rain. In June. In southern California.

Unbelievable! Oh, and I've been sick for well over a week now...and I'm sick of it! :)) Hopefully I'll be feeling well enough to get out of the house for a little while tomorrow. I mean in the car! :)

Have a wonderful Memorial Day/Weekend...

2011-05-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that there has not been much quilting or knitting content on my blog for awhile. That's because I'm not knitting and I'm barely creeping along on the Trip Around the World quilt. It's ready to sew the two sides of the top together, sew a backing and get it packed up to send out for quilting. I've just lost a bit of interest in it all right now but I know I'll get it back. I know we all go through these creative slumps from time to time and I hope you'll hang in there with me in the meantime.

I've been cooking a whole lot more though in an effort to eat a more healthy diet. Plus, I l-o-v-e to cook and I've got a husband who loves my cooking and all the experimenting I've been doing with new recipes. I think we were in a food rut.

I started out the long weekend making Strawberry Rhubarb jam which is one flavor of jam I haven't made before. The Rhubarb has been looking so good this year I just had to find a use for it other than pie.

And, then of course this was breakfast....

I posted all of these photos because I've been playing around with custom white balance in my camera since my kitchen is extremely dark and difficult to photograph anything in. The iso is high so they are a bit noisy/grainy, but I'm still pretty happy with them.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend.

They're gone...

2011-05-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Both of the babies have left the nest. I saw one of them yesterday afternoon in the courtyard where the nest is, flying along side it's mom/dad. The other remaining baby was still in the nest. However, this morning when I checked on the nest, it's empty.

I was so lucky to get the above photo (and several more that are similar) of the dominant baby stretching and testing his wings while still in the nest. I'm still just amazed at the miracle of life. My husband can't get over the fact that they are able to build such a nest and that it manages to stay intact during the whole process. How fun!

I got lucky...

2011-05-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

and was able to get a shot of the hummingbird babies, just after they were fed. That seems to be when they are the most active. The rest of the time they don't move much at all.

Again, if you click on the photos you can see the larger version.

I also tried three different times to get a shot of mama/papa feeding the babies, but all three times I feel I spooked her/him away so I finally gave up. I did get the one shot which isn't great, but you can still make out the birds.

How fun!

Loved this combination...

2011-05-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

of fabrics when my friend Sally ordered it a week or so ago. It contains a lot of the newer Kaffe/Brandon/Philip Jacobs fabrics. Didn't I tell you they were gorgeous?

We have another Hummingbird nest and this one is situated right next to a window so I can actually get close enough to photograph it from inside the house. There's two babies and they are growing so fast I know they'll be leaving the nest any day now. If you click on the photo it will enlarge and you'll be able to see the bird/nest more clearly.

I love this time of year as it feels like a time of renewal.

Taking lots of fabric photos...

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of loading into the shop about 35 new bolts of fabrics. Mostly Brandon Mably and Philip Jacobs and I'm telling ya....they are really gorgeous fabrics. When I get some extra time, I'm going to make up either some half-yard or fat-quarter packs by color families. Which would you prefer to see? Half-yard or fat-quarter packs?

In the meantime, DH had a birthday recently and took the day off. We drove north, as it was a beautiful day, and quite warm so it was nice to drive near the ocean. We went north as far as Buellton, where DH encouraged me, on his birthday, to visit The Creation Station. He likes it too as they have such great marketing ideas. Their store is so much fun to walk through. And of course I had to buy a couple of things. On DH's birthday!

We continued over through Solvang, to Los Olivos where we purchased some lavendar from the stand there in the lavendar fields. And, where we were very surprised to see this....

As we were turning around to head back towards home, we were passing through Santa Ynez and found a new-to-us restaurant and decided to stop. You know...birthday Margarita's and chips were sounding pretty good about then, plus it was Happy Hour so there was lots of activity and people to watch. Don Carlito's is a very nice place, with indoor and outdoor seating, great food, and a wonderful ambiance. All in all, it was a great day!

Take care,

I'm still here...

2011-05-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

I know it doesn't seem like it since I'm not posting regularly,

but I'm just busy in the shop - shipping lots and lots of orders! Thank you so much for your patronage!

Wishing you...

2011-04-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

a very...

A couple of weeks ago....

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

we took another Sunday drive, this time heading north on the 101. It was a lovely, warm day and we just generally had fun. Discovered a new place for lunch, walked down to the beach, and visited one of our LQS (not super local to me) that's going out of business, where I did a little shopping. Yes, I shop for fabric too! :)

Here's what I bought. The shop was pretty picked over at this point, even though she was only offering 30% off but I still found a few things I had to have.

Our walk was about a mile and a half by the time we were done. A little adventure, since we had no idea where we were going. The path crossed over the train tracks and there were a few folks putting pennies on the rail so that they would be flattened when the train ran over them. I would never have thought to do it, but it was fun watching. Besides, I didn't have any pennies. Who carries pennies around? :)

As you already know...I love our Sunday drives.

Whew...what a day!

2011-04-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Really. What am I saying. It's more like "what a couple of months!" I'm super busy at the shop these days and haven't really had the time or the energy to even think about blogging much. I haven't attended my quilting group meetings or guild meetings for about a month and I'm missing the quiltng inspiration!

This was the order that kept me busy today. Second largest order since I started the business. The other one was here and was three times the size. I don't ever expect to get another order like that one. :)

It's 16 1/2" tall!! A whole lotta bolts it took to make this pile! :))

Hey, it's Friday....Have a happy weekend. It's really w-a-r-m here today.

Still working....

2011-04-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

I took some time over the weekend to sew. I'm still working on my Trip Around the World, but I'm half-way there. I'm making a king-size quilt - don't ask me why because I said I would never make another one, especially a "Trip."

At least I won't be quilting it myself, but still....look at all the sewing/piecing required for a king-sized quilt.

I know....I'm nuts!! Happy Monday all!

I see signs of Spring...

2011-03-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

in the fabric my customers are ordering. Lots of lighter, pastel colors which definitely seem Spring-like! I like it too since it's very cheerful cutting these orders! Actually, I'm staying very busy with orders right now and I love it!

That's the reason I haven't been posting much lately. I'm just pooped at the end of the day! :)

New fabrics in the shop...

2011-03-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

I listed these in the shop last week! They are from new Westminster designer, Melissa White, and I think they are pretty spectacular. I really love the color combinations in these luscious fabrics.

If you're interested, they can be found here!

Trip Around the World ... Yippee!

2011-03-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when I googled for Trip Around the World instructions and this link came up! I had long thought that this book was out-of-print (for a time it was). This is the book I use for my "Trip" quilts and it is absolutely wonderful. Easy to read and follow with great illustrations along the way as well as many photographs of quilts. Sizes included range from Wallhanging, Baby, Lap, Twin, Queen and King in traditional as well as the colorwash method. It's a GREAT book, in my opinion!

I encourage those of you who want to make one of these quilts to go ahead and do it. It's so much fun and I don't think I've ever seen a finished quilt that wasn't gorgeous! It will test your ability to combine fabrics in new and different ways and you will hone skills you didn't know you possessed. And, it's fun - did I mention that?

I went through many fabrics and many interations of the fabrics I eventually chose before I settled down and decided I was ready to start cutting and sewing. Even then, I wasn't sure about a couple of the fabrics. I can already tell it doesn't even matter. As I start putting the quilt together it is turning out to be even better that I thought it would be. I'm not being immodest here - just truthful! :)

I just want to add here and now - I use steam when I iron. Always. I know. Many quilters gasp when I tell them, but look how flat that quilt is lieing. I'm just saying...

I promised...

2011-03-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

that I would show you my strip piecing so here it is.

I'm making a king-size Trip Around the World using 24 fabrics. Whew!

I happened to mention at my LOE group that I was going to make one, and several of the gals decided they wanted to try it. They didn't feel confident enough in their abilities to choose fabrics on their own so they brought them to our meetings and we put them together as a group. They really do have the ability, but needed to see it done before they believed it of themselves. It's been fun watching them and I'm sure I'll be sharing photos of their quilts soon.

I've got three strip-sets done of the six that I need, but I have to admit that I got a little excited and started assembling the quilt (just one corner of it) - just to see how it looks.

It's such a fun quilt! Until it's done, you really don't know just how it will look. Anyway, I'll be sharing as I go along.

I highly recommend...

2011-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

this...

That's right. It's an ironing board cover. For someone like me - who loves to iron - this is the perfect ironing board cover. It's silicone covered and ironing on it is heaven! Read this comment - it's exactly my story - without me having to say it! lol

Oh yeah...look what I paid for gas yesterday!

Ugh.

Baby Laughing Hysterically at Ripping Paper

2011-03-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely the cutest thing I've seen in a long time! I LOVE it!

I laughed so hard I ended up crying! You know how that works, right? Hope you enjoy it.

What have u been up to?

2011-03-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've been strip piecing (I'll show you soon), folding & fondling fabric,

and studying, studying, studying (photography). Whew!

Stunning...

2011-02-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Hubby happened to look out our back window last evening a little before sunset and found this! I went out and took about 25 pics until it was too dark to take any more. This one was about half way through.

We were thrilled since we rarely see cloud formations like this. It doesn't take much to make us happy.

Sunday drives...

2011-02-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely weekend! It was glorious weather so we took one of our "Sunday" drives. We love to just get in the car and go. Usually we have no idea where we're going, just what direction we're going in. It's an adventure. I grew up doing this and I'm so glad. It's such a nice tradition to carry on.

Look at all the gorgeous scenery we saw!

It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon!

Did you know?

2011-02-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

That I provide great customer service?

An international customer purchased Amy Butler's LOVE FQ Pack and wanted it shipped in a global priority envelope. Well, that means that this...

had to become this...

in order to fit in the envelope. No problem, except that when I unfolded the original FQ pack all the fabrics were wrinkled. I couldn't stand that so I pressed each and every one of them before re-folding them this way. Above and beyond, I would say. But that's only cuz I'm crazy!!

Happy Weekend! It's a special one for me!

The drink that was/wasn't...

2011-02-14T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, on an assignment for my photog class, we drove up to browse the Farmer's Market in Channel Islands. Unfortunately, we were just a bit late and they were already packing up when we arrived. Not the best way to take pics of the Farmer's Market. Oh well...it's a lovely area and there's a great walkway along the harbor with plenty to see so we decided to do that instead.

But before we did, we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant we frequent quite often. They have wonderful food - it's always really good! This is the Salmon Bowl. I don't usually take pics of my food, but I did happen to have my camera and I am trying to learn how to use it better.

But the funny thing was the Bloody Mary's that we ordered. Oh my gosh...it was so funny when they came. Do you see what I mean?

It couldn't decide whether it was a Bloody Mary, a Martini, or a Margarita. And, with something (?) around the rim and a straw too? It didn't taste like a Bloody Mary either - more like a lot of tobasco sauce with a little tomato juice thrown in for good measure. I'm not sure there was any vodka in it at all! It was hilarious!! I wouldn't order one of these again, but it was great for a laugh yesterday!

Last Sunday...

2011-02-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

was a fun day. There was a little of this (his name is Jake)...

and this,

and this.

Oh yeah....and some football!

Some cute Valentine ideas...

2011-02-09T05:28:00.000-08:00

I love these ideas...they're simple and easy! Like the garland - wouldn't it be cute using red/white fabrics like stripes, dots, plaids and solids?

These lampshades are absolutely adorable! I think this is a great idea and unique too! Lots of opportunities for great fabrics here!

The wreath is probably the more typical decoration, but it's still very cute, nonetheless.

Then, there are these clever cards/tags created from stamped paint chips. I love this idea! It's from Country Living.

The first three photos are courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens.

Ebay is a means to an end...

2011-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

The end of my stash! LOL I've put a few things up for auction on ebay - if you are interested!

Fabrics (100% cotton) by Robert Kaufman. 3 pieces for a total of 4 1/4 yards. Pink floral - 1 3/8 yd, Yellow floral - 7/8 yd, & Garden fabric - 2 yds. Ebay transaction. Ends 2/14!

20 4 1/2" strips (100% cotton) Ebay transaction. Ends 2/14!

6 1/4 total yards - Rayon Challis Fabric (four different fabrics). Ebay transaction. Ends 2/14!

Quilts for Fabric Lovers & Paper Piecing - both by Alex Anderson. In excellent, almost new condition. Ebay transaction. Ends 2/14!

I'll be de-stashing a lot more stuff in the coming weeks/months and I'll try to let you know about it here!!

New "jelly rolls"...

2011-02-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

It took me awhile, but I finally got these design/jelly rolls put together. It's just because I'm such a perfectionist...it takes me way longer than the normal person. lol

These are all "dotty" or "spotty" fabrics from my shop which I combined to make a "Completely Dotty" roll.

How fun! Check them out here!

Absolutely scrumptious!

2011-01-29T05:12:00.000-08:00

Aren't these gorgeous fabrics? Don't you just want to take them all home with you?

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Do something FUN, if you can.

Interested in a Juki TL98e?

2011-01-28T12:13:00.000-08:00

Went to LOTE last night and got caught up with what everyone is doing. There were some beautiful quilts, but the lighting in our room is so poor I couldn't get good photos. The lighting is so bad we have to bring our own ott-lights from home in order to sew - but we don't care because the room itself is wonderful in every other aspect!

One of the gals in my group happened to mention that she is selling her Juki TL98e sewing machine. I have this same machine (we bought them at the same time) and it is wonderful!! Super fast and great for piecing and maching quilting as it has a larger harp - the open area above the bed of the machine. Even though it's not as large as the harp on a true long-arm machine, it gives you a full 8 inches of quilting space across the bed. And the arm is almost 6 inches tall, for lots of clearance. That is about 25% wider than regular home sewing machines and around 20% more vertical clearance. It's very well-built and sturdy and I use mine for classes as it's light enough to carry easily.

Photo courtesy of http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2006/12/not_marthas_sewing_machine.html

I told her I would mention it here. She's asking $395 (+ shipping) and says it's in excellent shape (I'm sure it is - she takes very good care of her equipment). Anyway, if you're interested, please email me and I'll put you in touch with her.

eta: The Juki is sold. I've had so many requests that I thought I should let you all know.

Pretty colorway...

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Wildwood by Erin McMorris....this is all I have left, but it's going on sale today through next Wednesday (12/2/11) at 25% off!

If you're interested in these fabrics, just visit the shop and search on "Wildwood."

Take care,

I'm in slow motion...

2011-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

I just can't seem to get sewing/quilting this year. Of course part of that is because I've been sick with a nasty cold for two weeks now. And, even though I haven't been in my sewing room for sewing purposes, I've been doing lots of cleaning, organizing and purging. The rest of the house too! I've still got lots left to do, but it feels really good to have made such a good start. But unfortunately, I'm still not in the mood to sew! lol

I've adopted a brand new attitude regarding my UFOs too! I might be giving some of them away - probably to my local guild where they will be finished and donated to those in need. That said, I decided that my first UFO to be donated would also be the quilt where I attempted hand-quilting for the first (and only) time. It was probably more than half way to being done, but I just didn't like my stitches. They resembled running stitches rather than quilting stitches. I know it's not in the stars for me to do hand-quilting so I realized that this quilt would never be finished, even though I did contemplate finishing the rest of it with machine quilting. Couldn't force myself to do that either - too weird a concept (hand quilting on part and machine quilting on the rest! So, I sat for about 5-6 hours the other night with my trusty seam ripper and pulled all those quilting stitches out. Yippee! I felt so relieved when it was done. Like I've been set free - which in a way I have!

We took a late afternoon drive on Sunday as it was the first time I've been out of the house is quite awhile. What a treat...the light was lovely and the hills are soooo green from all the rain we've had.

After we came out of the grocery store, this was what we saw. Pretty spectacular sunset, even from the parking lot!

Anyway, it was lovely to get out and appreciate our beautiful surroundings!

I rarely put these items on sale....

2011-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

but, I think it's time to do it! From today (1/16) through Wednesday, 1/26/11, all Bundles, Packs, Rolls, & Kits will be 20% off.

I hope you'll come visit the shop and take advantage of this rare sale!

Ha! Did I say trickle?

2011-01-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

I thought my order of Kaffe and Phillip Jacobs fabrics would be trickling in but I was wrong. The majority of it arrived on my doorstep this weekend. I've updated many of the re-ordered fabrics already but have yet to get photos of the newer stuff and get it listed. Soon, I promise. I need a bright day full of sunlight though before I can get some good photos.

In the meantime, I need to make some room in the shop so I'm putting all the Jill Gordon fabrics on sale at 20% off! Today (Sunday, 1/9) through Saturday, 1/15/11.

Happy New Year to you all...

2011-01-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

It's a new year already and I can hardly believe it. It seems as though 2010 just began. I hope your holidays were wonderful as mine were. I certainly enjoyed the time off and I think I needed it...I was running on empty. We even had time to see King's Speech, which is a wonderful movie!

Anyway, I want to let you know that I've placed a huge order for Kaffe and Philip Jacobs fabrics. Some re-orders (cuz I love all of his older fabrics) and some new. They should be trickling in any day now. I did receive 11 bolts to start off with...two of which are new fabrics I haven't carried before. Lotus Leaf in Ochre and Paperweight in Pastel.

I still get excited every time a shipment arrives! I L.O.V.E these fabrics!