Finally, the Dishes are Hung.....

THANK YOU! JASON! XOXO

Squint Limited, My New Favorite!

Squint Limited...gorgeous! Unfortunately they are in the UK. What am I saying...I can't afford this stuff so it doesn't matter where they are...






I might be able to do something like it though...

Gina fired up the kiln!

and made dishes!

Chitter Chatter Sweet as Pie....

new pincushion pattern at the shop! I think this is cute as can be. Now I need to find some of these little fluted pans....

Kaisha's Day of Modeling

We made a batch of collars and, because Charlie and Lola's fur is so long (they are shih tzu's) you can't see the collars on them, we decided to get my grand-dog, Kaisha to model. It was a good idea, in theory. At first, she ran around like crazy. So we bribed her with a bone...
As you can see, the bone is still working to keep her still but she won't get on the special mat with the special background and lighting for her photos. She only wanted to chew on the bone while she was on the couch.
By the third collar, she not only wouldn't go on the "special mat", she would not open her eyes....sigh...
We decided to end Kashia's day of modeling. Oh well.....

Making a Bag...with Grommets!

Making a bag with grommets...


...instead of cleaning the kitchen.

Awesome Marking Product!

I love to mark quilts the easy way. This little quick raw edge applique baby quilt is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but I did want to sign it. I'm using the amazing new pen that looks like and writes like a regular ball point pen! I just signed my name and quilted over it. Then....
I ironed it and like magic it disappears! Just disappears with ironing! Amazing! Sorry about the quality of this picture but I have a cheap camera and couldn't get a picture that showed the ironed (but quilted) signature unless I didn't use the flash.

Here is the wonder pen! I've used them to cut out applique pieces, to mark quilting lines, to mark applique placement and more. I was going to buy them for the customers at the shop but I found them at Walmart much cheaper and in a bunch of colors! They are amazing so I thought I would share.

DIVA BABY BIB KIT!

We are making up bib kits for the shop. How cute are these?

Old and New....

Yesterday we received some new patterns from Vanilla House for the shop (just click on the pics if you want to see more about these patterns). I had to have this apron pattern because it is exactly like an apron that I remember my Grandmother wearing. She had several of these aprons made from feedsack fabrics. I remember going to the feed store with her to buy chicken feed and choosing sacks sacks of feed for some of my dresses. I also remember the little banty rooster who used to chase me around the yard....



We also got this adorable bib pattern with little monsters sewn right into the bib! These are new styles that I know little ones love to wear. They are fun, easy patterns that look great made in bright, cheerful fabrics.



So there you have it...patterns that inspire thoughts of the past and the present. I love them both!

For Our UK and Irish Friends!

Happy Mothering Day!

Kerry Stitch Designs - Gorgeous!

We are so excited that we are going to start carrying patterns from Kerry Stitch Designs in the 44th Street Fabric shop next week! Kerry is an uber talented designer and her work is original and fresh. Here is a sneak peek at a few of the things Kerry has designed:





From thread keepers to wall hangings to purses and more, Kerry's work is fabulous! Her patterns can be made in both cottons and wools. I'm going to do some of these patterns in wool and use the wool stash I've been collecting for years. We hope you like Kerry's creations as much as we do! Check out the shop next week for a better look at the gifts, treats and treasures you can make from Kerry Stitch Designs!

The Pool is Open!

and it's only March! Crazy!

LITTLE PIRATES...

From time to time I still make dog and cat collars for customers. I found some of the blue Pirate Baby fabric and made some tiny (really tiny) kitten collars for a customer.

She was kind enough to send me this photo. I just had to share because the kitten twins are adorable in their new collars. She said it took her all day to get a photo of them together that wasn't blurry. She finally had to rub tuna oil on a cloth so they would sniff it and she could finally get a pic of them together.

Here's another little customer, Macho, in his Pirate Baby collar. What a handsome guy! I just had to share the pictures of these little pirates! So, so cute!

Time Management....Not

I don't know if it's just me but it seems like time is all wonky. Einstein said that time is like waves and that when you are on the downhill side of the wave, time goes faster. That has to be what's happening. I so wish I could be like the people I read about who are perky, time management gurus. I don't get how they do it. My hat's off to you time management wizards! I read your "tips"...sometimes I even print them out! I'd share some of their tips with you but....sadly...I don't have time....sigh...

Quilters...

Thanks Mary Lou!

BLOG GIVEAWAY from Imagi Meri Creations!

One of my favorite artists is Meri from ImagiMeri's. I am SO excited to let you know about her giveaway! She is giving away one of her original pieces and you get to choose which one if you win! Now here's the amazing part. You don't choose a finished piece! You choose from the images on her website or send your own and she makes it into a 3 dimensional piece! She is soooo talented!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on her blog. You can click on the Giveaway announcement above to go to her blog and enter. Here is some of her art:







Amazing and adorable!

My Project for the Week...or longer...

and this is only one side of the studio...the other side will be my next project. sigh.....

Must Find These Dishes!

How I Choose Colors for a Quilt

People have asked me how I choose colors for a quilt. I know that some people are just gifted artists and have inspiration floating around in their heads. Sadly, I am not one of those people. So what I do is find a photo or other item that I love like this one.


This is my new favorite color palette by the way.

Then I go through my fabric stash and pick out the fabrics that have the same colors. I also purchase fat quarters and half yards of my color palettes to add to my stash (shopping is an important part of the quilting experience). So, ta dah! Here is the palette for my next quilt. Orange, dark yellow, aqua and hot pink. This is mostly a medium color choice so I add few darks and lights thrown in for some contrast. I have done so much applique lately that I think I'll just do a half square triangle quilt with this palette and let the colors do the work.

I'll still use my latest favorite (red, aqua, lime and yellow). I know the trends are leaning toward dark but I just am not ready to give up my luscious brights.

Tutorial! How to Make a Photo Mosaic!

I've always wondered how to make a photo mosaic. It looks hard! But I found BigHugeLabs.com! It is so much fun to play with your photos there that I almost feel the need to give you a warning! Okay, back to making a mosaic.

Click on the custom mosaics button that's on the home page. That takes you to the layout page. 1: Choose a layout. I chose "square tiles". 2: Choose the number of columns and rows you want. I chose 3 columns and 3 rows. 3: I didn't choose a backbround color or border color for this tutorial but you can play with that if you want. 4: The space between images I chose was 5 pixels. 5: I chose selecting the images individually. I have a Flickr page and I used the photos from that for this mosaic. 6: Then you click on the photo you want in your mosiac and copy and paste the url in the #1 spot. 7: When you have added your photos, click on the Create button. You will see your finished mosaic! Then click on the "Save" button and you can save your mosiac to your photos. Easy Peasy!

There are endless possibilities with this FREE program! I just wanted to show you the easiest way and then you can spread your creative wings and fly!

My Latest Project - Hoochy Mama Border

We recently found a source for Mary Lou Weidman's Book, Hoochy Mama Quilts and bought them for the shop. It's full of instructions for "wonky" blocks that are cut without a pattern. Mary Lou uses these blocks as the borders for her story quilts.

I've been working on a little quilt for Baby Dylan with a sheep (although Gina thinks it looks like a dog) and I couldn't wait to try making some Hoochy Mama blocks for the border.

Here's what I've done so far. I just pinned them together to take a picture and show you. I love making the blocks, although it's kind of daunting to not have a pattern or specific measurements. I'm going to have to make the middle of the quilt bigger to have the right scale for the Hoochy block border. Just thought I'd share...don't judge the little quilt yet. It has a long way to go to achieve maximum cuteness!

Felt Creations by Paulette Racanelli

I thought I would share a few of Paulette Rancanelli's felt creations with you! I am always inspired by the work of a talented artist and that is what I consider Paulette to be. Her work is amazing!



Beads and embroidery stitches make her little felt hearts so beautiful.



There are just some people who seem to be able to always create something special.



Hope you enjoyed this tiny show of needle art.