Sunday, May 30, 2010

Hello Yellow

My mom loves to tell the story of when I was a child and I couldn't grasp the concept of "Y" - specifically the Y infront of Yellow. It came out sounding more like "Lellow." She used to make me repeat the phrase "Yucky Yellow" in hopes of getting the Yucky Y to stick to the Yellow Y. Well I have mastered the art of "Yellow" since then and now take great pleasure in listening to my daughter say "Banilla" when refering to vanilla. I love it!

Speaking of Yellow I've done more than pronounce it correctly. I've also fallen in love with a pale buttercream ribbon that I just finished repurposing from the trim of a brown scarf into a delightful set of hair pins. You can see them at my shop. Enjoy!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Happy Face

I've been slacking off. Maybe I'm just not a summer time sewer. The heat has been motivating me to sit in front of a fan and fall asleep. Of course I chose the hottest night this week to sit down and finally sew all the green scraps into crazy blocks. And of course when I had 2 blocks left to do I reached for some green fabric and found there was none to be had. I had run out! So today I am off to Patchwork Passion to pick through their scrap pile and pick out some orange fat quarters in hopes of completing this rainbow soon enough.

In the mean time I wanted to show you something that makes me smile..every..single...time...I drive to work.





Can you see the face?





How about now?








There are three doors on this church. each one is identical to this. Every time I drive past them I smile. Does a smile a day keep the doctor away?

Saturday, May 22, 2010

love

I'll be honest, my green crazy blocks haven't made any progress. Unless you count moving the green scraps from my bedroom down to my sewing table. They've been sitting there for several days, waiting for me to sit and be patient with them. You see, I've been busy watching love instead.

My husband and I recently attended a wedding that really highlighted something for me. I know, we all expect to see love at a wedding. Everyone watches the bride walk down the aisle, her eyes transfixed on the groom, and he on her. Everyone gets a little weepy when witnessing such a proclamation, or at least I do. But when I was sitting in that pew watching two young lovers share their first kiss I was overwhelmed by their thoughtful and determined actions for each other. As they kissed I knew that if love could take a physical form, it would be this moment, right here, right now. Lovely, beautiful, magical...those are all adjectives I could use, but they feel small compared to what I witnessed. I don't even know if "overwhelming love" could do it justice. But it turned my heart all the same and I am thankful for that.

ps - dearest husband, when you read this, know that the one thing in my life I will always be sure of is marrying you.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Crazy...Yellow

I've finished up the yellow crazy blocks. But don't think that I have 3 out of 6 colors done now! I still have no orange fabrics, so I just skipped from red to yellow.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Soaking

For approximately 45 seconds this morning my daughter left me alone long enough for me to lay down in the driveway and look up at the leaves shimmering and shivering in the breeze. They reflected the early morning light. They looked and felt glittery and silver. I soaked it in.


I soaked it in when my daughter cried so loudly we had to leave church. I soaked it in when it felt I was ripping out more seams than I was sewing. I soaked it in when a nap was cut short and my toddler became a bundle of raw nerves for the rest of the afternoon. I soaked it in. And I survived.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Growing

Just so you don't think I stare at fabric all day, here is something else I've been working on and looking at every day for the past few weeks.
















mmmmm...pepper seedlings!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Crazy...

Now I want you to say "Crazy" like Steve Martin's line "because I am one wild and crazy guy."

Here is sneak preview of the red crazy quilt blocks.
















I started off with some lines I drew on the base fabric and then I started improvising. It goes against my need for straight lines and right angles, but oddly enough I love not having to cut the fabric perfectly and after awhile it makes sense to me. I might just be getting the hang of this. At least I'm sewing more seams than I'm ripping out now. That's a start.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Help!

I found this cute little sampler in my parent's house many moons ago and brought it home with hopes of finishing it one day.
















Well it landed in the mending pile and I finished it a couple nights ago. Since it had been sitting around collecting dust for years before I rescued it I felt it needed a cold water wash. Well it seems the cold water did not stop the red embroidery floss from running.



Anyone know what I should do? I don't even know if it's salvagable anymore. Bummer.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Mending

Since the last month was filled with quilts the mending pile has started to loom over my sewing corner. Pants to hem, baby blankets to repair, elastic to salvage. Last night was dedicated to mending, the less creative side of sewing, but it's just as satisfying to have the tasks finished. Have I ever told you that I'm a list person? My mother instilled this quirk in me long ago and now my perfectionist side can't let go of it. It is literally rewarding to me to cross off an item on my to do list (or mending pile as it be).

Don't worry, it's not all work and now play. Coming up will be some rainbow crazy quilt blocks. I'm just not so sure all the blocks will end up in a quilt. Placemats anyone?

I've started the red blocks, but I find myself lacking any orange fabric and short on yellow. Anyone know a quilting shop that sells scraps around here?

Monday, May 3, 2010

Rainbows on the Brain

Did anyone pick up on the rainbow theme? I can't seem to escape the myriad of bright colors in my life. Everywhere I go I see them. I'm drawn to them. So I decided to make my own rainbow. This pile of scraps will become a vibrant palate of colors for me. Lets see what I can make.