Merry Christmas

Hello! I hope everyone is having a very merry Christmas and spending the day with those you love.

I have been taking advantage of a few days off from work and filling those days with baking, sewing and creating. I am hoping to have some new stuff to share very, very soon!

Today I will roast a small chicken and do some more sewing....and cookie eating. ;)

Tomorrow we're supposed to get another snow storm which may mean a half day at work. Yippee!

All the best to you and yours. Thank you for visiting this space. I appreciate the friendship!

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I'm still here! Gosh, I don't suggest making a big move in mid October and jumping right into a job when you're barely unpacked. I feel like I have been treading water since my relocation to New York. I have been enjoying my time here very much and the new job is good, as are my colleagues.  The job has been busy with some weekend commitments the past 2 weekends, and time is flying.  I can hardly believe Christmas is 2 weeks away!

Anyone else feeling the Christmas rush?? Next year I vow to get started on Christmas gifts in June and send them in November. I am working feverishly behind the scenes to finish Christmas gifts and *maybe* get them out before the holiday actually arrives!

When I'm not working, or trying to get some sewing in, I am usually playing with Instagram. Here are some pictures I snapped over the past couple months.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season so far!

Daylight Savings and Some Sewing

The whole getting-dark-early thing is killing me. Not my friend. I am already having a hard time coming home when it's dark out. Typically 5:30 pm feels like 10:30 pm to me. Anybody else having this problem? That being said I am finding I don't have the energy to work on sewing when I get home. This makes me sad. :(

I'm also sad because I am missing Lola. This is a picture my mom took of me and Lola shortly before I moved up to NY. I can hardly believe I have been up here 1 month already!

So. The past 2 weekends I've done a lot of cutting.Rotary cutters are my friend. Unlike daylight savings.

I *finally* got the courage to cut into some of my favorite prints I had been hoarding  saving.
I am trying to adopt the attitude that I shouldn't hold onto my favorite prints because they should be used to make pretties.

Yesterday I stitched up some dresdens. Trying to work on some holiday items for my shop.

I also finally took pictures of this baby sized quilt that I finished when I was still in Florida. It should be listed in my shop tonight! I love the bright colors and how it all came together so well. I'm calling this one Salt Water Taffy.

What have you been working on?

Have a great week!

Getting There

Greetings! I am slowly getting settled into my apartment and at my job. So far so good! Not much time yet to do any sewing but I am hoping for some of that soon! I did spend some time today cutting, and I've been working on finishing up a custom quilt. Hoping to wrap up the quilt this week, pending loss of power due to Hurricane Sandy!

I was talking to my mom just this weekend and telling her how I find it ironic that Florida missed out on Sandy yet the poor Northeast is about to get pounded. I moved from Florida to New York just in time I guess.  o.O The news is calling this storm Frankenstorm and I think it's fitting. 

Can hardly believe Halloween is this week. I think it will be the first year in many that I won't be carving any pumpkins. How about you? What will you be doing to celebrate the holiday?

 Back in this space soon with some show and tell! 

Moving Day

The day is here! I got the job I interviewed for a few weeks ago, and today I am moving! Yesterday was spent loading the boxes into the truck and we start the drive to New York today. I'll be driving the car with my two cats...wish me luck! ;)

I'll be back in this space once I get settled and start my sewing once again.

Have a great weekend! 

Stitchy Stitchy

Yesterday I stitched up this super sweet zip bag. I love it! It's the Everything In One Place Zip Bag, from Modern Log Cabin Quilting by Susan Beal. It's the first one I've made so it took a little bit to read through the pattern and sew it up, but I'm already planning on stitching more! 

 I lined it using a cheery, yellow floral print by Lecien.

I used some of my favorite prints. I tend to hold on to my favorite prints for quite a while, but I'm trying to break that habit and actually use them.

I'm off tomorrow to a job interview that I am really excited about. I hope everyone has a great week!

UFOs

I've been making a concerted effort to finish up some projects.  And I mean projects. I've got several. I want to finish my UFOs so that I have pretty FOs, and not partially completed, at various stages, projects. Part of this desire comes as a result of my doing a job search and when the time comes for me to move, I do not want to move UFOs.

Anyway.  I stitched up these great granny squares that had been little piles of 2 1/2 inch squares.

Two nights ago, I stitched said great granny squares into a table topper. I thought I would add a little pizazz with a red border about 2 inches wide instead of the white strips used between the blocks. I like the way it turned out. I used Lori's tutorial to make the squares. It's easy and seriously addicting. If I had it my way I'd just keep making great granny squares out of all my fabric. Seriously.

Yesterday I pieced this diamond table topper. I had had the diamonds made for several months now and they sat languishing in a basket. I used a pattern in this book.  While I am fairly happy with how it turned out, it was my first go at a pattern like this and I had some challenges piecing the sashing. Some curse words may have been mumbled and sight frustration ensued. Not easy. But it was a great learning experience and I am happy to get the top pieced and closer to being a FO!

Are you working on any UFOs lately?  Have a happy Monday! 

Fabric Love and Current Projects

Friday and Saturday brought happy mail! Oh do I love some 1930's repro. Now to make some new goodies for the shop! 

I've been stitching away too. I put together a wall quilt using 6 great granny squares. Geez, these are addicting! I haven't backed or quilted this one yet, and I'm already stitching up more great granny sqaures!  This time I'm using white as the background and will make 4 blocks to put together a table topper.

 I'm also working on this baby quilt for the shop. Last night I quilted it. Now all it needs is binding. I'm really liking the way it turned out!

Well, back to stitching for me! My "want to make list" is forever growing! What are you working on? 

Glorious Time Away

I'm back from my little getaway and what an amazing time it was! I went up to Hershey, PA for a music festival called Mixtape which was held at Hershey stadium. I had never visited Hershey and what a swell place it is! 

 The weather was a little rainy on Friday but it didn't stop us from having the most fun time!
The band line up was pretty incredible and included LL Cool J, The Fray, The Wanted, NKOTB, Backstreet Boys, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepsen, and several others. I'm usually not one who enjoys large music festivals. Concerts yes, 2 full days of it, outside, no. But I enjoyed it immensely!

Here I am in the middle with my friend Angela on the left and my friend Anne-Marie on the right.

I really, really liked The Wanted. They were really upbeat and Saturday night they joined NKOTB on stage to sing their hit "So Glad You Came. Fun!

NKOTBSB put on the best concert I've ever seen them do together. The energy was so high!

 On Sunday morning we went to watch a softball game: NKOTB versus Backstreet. It was SO fun! One of the highlights of the weekend for sure. NKOTB won making it an even sweeter experience.

This is a picture of me with Anne-Marie to my left and Sue to the right. The two other girls on the end of the left are two sweet girls we befriended from Oklahoma. They were so, so fun to hang out with.
Part of the fun for me when I take these trips is meeting new friends and of course spending time with old ones.

Here I am with my friend Crystal to the left. She came from Seattle for the festival. Alicia, on the right, flew in from California. It was so good to see these ladies!

This is probably my favorite photo that I took this weekend. Great memories made! 

Now on to sewing! ;) 

Mini Hexies

How's it going peeps? I simply can't stop making these mini hexagons. They measure approximately 5/8 inch across and are so, so fun to make! I made a bunch of them while watching the olympics. These are a portion of what I made. Not sure what I'll use them for yet but I have a few ideas floating around my head.  I'm also still thinking about starting Christmas gifts. I need to start soon. Can you believe it's mid August??

I'm off on a short end of summer trip to meet up with some sweet friends in PA. We're going to a music festival and are super duper excited!  Oh how I love to take these getaways and I always seem to return home with a new perspective and gratitude. 

I'll return to this space next week. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the week! 

Saturday Stitching

Meow

Pincushions and A Tea Towel

Yesterday I went to one of our local thrift stores and as luck would have it, found this sweet embroidered towel! I am thinking it's vintage because of the weight of the towel. It's a nice, lightweight cotton or maybe cotton/linen blend. Sometimes I wonder how such sweet stuff ends up at the thrift store!

I just updated my shop with these oversized pincushions. I LOVE the way they turned out!

 I had made a couple as gifts a while back but then had someone express desire to purchase one so here they are!

Plenty of hand stitching involved here but I found it to be relaxing and something fun to do in front of some good TV!

And they match remarkably well with my "new" vintage towel! ;)

On to the next project! Enjoy your weekend!

Birthday, Kitty, Alice Adams...

Not necessarily in that order! 

I've been playing with these sweet prints, among others. I was bit by the Great Granny Square bug on Lori Holt's blog Bee in My Bonnet.  As much as I tried to resist, I couldn't! I know I have no business starting a new project at the moment with all my WIP's, plus the desire to start making Christmas goodies.  Yes, I said it. Christmas.  I see in blogland that many have already whipped up some adorable Christmas goodness.  A few years back I got started on Christmas sewing early, and it was such a relief to be finished with my holiday sewing by October/November.  Tell me, have you started on your Christmas sewing?

 While perusing google images I found this super sweet vintage kitty clip art.  Source

So charming! Of course finding said clip art sent me into an immediate search on Etsy for some vintage cat postcards to add to my collection. I found two I liked enough to purchase. What did we do before Etsy???



Recently I saw the movie Alice Adams for the first time. LOVE! Why did I not see it sooner?? Katherine Hepburn is absolutely stunning in this movie, and her role as Alice Adams is so well played. I'm not going to lie, I even cried a *little* because parts of the film are just that moving. If you have the chance, and you like vintage films, check it out. I caught it on TCM.  I found this original still online and new I had to have it.

Last week was my birthday.  One week ago exactly. My sweet auntie who lives across the pond, made me this super darling personalized, covered tape measure.  Love.   It appears she took a piece of vintage linen and embroidered my name on it, and then used it to cover the tape measure.  A sweet satin bow compliments it nicely.  If you feel so inclined, I know she sells her covered tape measures in her shop!

Thank you auntie! xx

Enjoy your week! 

Working On...

Some things for the shop!

Made some wedges for pincushions....

And pieced this baby boy quilt top. I absolutely love it! Searching for some material for the back later today. Then it's time to get 'em done!

Lucky (?) for me it's 90 some odd degrees outside with a heat index in the 100's (ick!) so I am cooped up indoors sewing and such. The pets are otherwise being lazy and laying around napping (how dare they ;) ) instead of being my supervisors. So I have to self motivate to get things done.  I feel like I get things done in fits and spurts. Does this happen to anyone else?

In other news, I've been reading in blogland that it is in fact Christmas in July and I am *slowly* getting motivated to start working on Christmas projects. The stocking pattern that Aneela shared on her blog yesterday is just awesome!

I've also been cleaning the old studio and just listed some fabric de-stash in my shop. ;)

What are you working on this week?

I'm Still Here....

Swooning....

Cat loving...

...and working out what I really want to do with my life. I know. Kind of deep for a Friday. ;)

I had started a new job in my new career and worked 30 days before coming to the conclusion that the office just wasn't for me. Onwards and upwards!

I'll be back soon. Have a great weekend!