Instagram Inspiration....

Instagram is addicting.  I can waste hours looking at Instagram...it used to be Pinterest that pulled me away from what I should be doing.  I still have binge Pinterest sessions, but I think IG is here to stay.

It's funny because it doesn't take long, before you pick up on what is 'hot' on IG.  There has been a fun curvy block floating around....sort of a wedding ring meets the flowering snowball.  Finally, I had to investigate and found it is the January Block designed by Liz at Lady Harvatine.

I purchased the block...great buy at $4!  And printed it off!  Made templates...started stitching!

It has curves...and is probably a little more challenging than the Flowering Snowball.

But I love curves!  And I am quite smitten with this block!

       

One block down and one cut out!  Looks like I have another start!

What's your latest start?

happy thursday

mary

** fabrics from sunny day supply ** YAY!

Hello, Is It Me You're Looking For?

Do you ever get so busy or distracted with other things in life that your sewing machine collects a thin layer of dust?  I mean that figuratively, of course. You all have a cute homemade cover for your machine!  

  

Well, I have had a rather stitch-less couple of weeks.

I did manage a little hand stitching!  My MCMB block for Elizabeth.  Now to get it in the mail!  

I have really enjoyed using the Lighthearted collection of fabrics designed by Ayumi!  These will be available at Sunny Day Supply later this month/beginning of February. I do hope Ayumi will be designing more fabric.  I just can't get enough of these bright happy prints.

I enlarged templates from 318 Patchwork to make this block. Not only does this book have fablulous paper piecing patterns, but many precious applique patterns.

    

   

And....

While I have been enjoying another season of Downton Abbey...I have been quilting this bow tie quilt.

It's a great block for hand quilting.  Bold stitching with black and red/orange Valdani perle cotton, makes the bow ties just pop!

And, I have to say, wool batting is so much fun to hand quilt!

Hope your machine is getting a work-out these days....my machine will be so jealous!

happy sunday!

mary

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Our mild December turned into frozen January!

Happy Chilly New Year!

So, since I am only going out of my house if we need milk...I am sticking close to the sewing machine!  Works for me :)

I have always loved a bow tie block.  Simple and sweet.  

  

I've put together the center and started on the borders...

most of the fabrics are from a Flower Sugar bundle I picked up at Quilt Market.  I threw in a few new Kokka prints, some gingham, and some text prints for the border.

I decided on two borders.  The first is a piano key border and the outer border will be these scrappy flying geese.

Very girly!  Luckily, I have three girls so I think one of them will be getting a new quilt!

If you have Amazon Prime or shop on Amazon, you know they are always up-selling.  Recommended other items you might be interested in.  Well, I am a sucker for recommendations and for quilting/crafting books.  So before I knew it I had ordered Zakka Handmades!

What a great little book!  

I threw together this cutlery carrier (which I will call a sewing carrier) in no time at all!  Truly a fast fun make!

  

Perfect to sit by the sewing machine filled with spools of thread!

The numbers fabric is a Japanese fabric (which will be available at Sunny Day Supply) and the lining is from the new C+S Cookie Book Collection...we will have this in a different colorway.  I can't wait!  

    It's another bone chilling day here...so you know where to find me.  Keeping my sewing machine warm!

happy thursday!

mary

The Big Clean Up!

The halls have been decked, taken down and put away for another year! It was a pretty simple Christmas this year...my extended family was dealing with flu and stomach virus!  Yikes!  So I stayed far away....

we had bigger fish to fry anyway....a dead car meant finding a replacement.  It's always a fun to find out a couple of days after Christmas that you will need to make a car purchase :( 

Oh, well, it had to be done.

I hope you have been able to avoid illness this Christmas and big unexpected purchases!

But Holiday Cheer did fall on my doorstep! I had a couple of wonderful packages from far away friends! Yay!  I love packages!

Sweet Clare surprised me with this fabulous stocking full of goodies and a lovely pair of socks (I love fun socks).  The stocking is fashioned from a vintage quilt top!  Clare stitched it so perfectly and filled it to the rim with goodies (most of which were eaten by the time I got a photo)!

And then, my dear friend, Susan, spoiled me with a super cute zippered pouch, a Liberty appliqued feather tea towel and sweet piece of gingham (which I already put to good use).  My daughter, Molly, and I could not get over the precision in this hand stitched applique!  The most delicate blanket stitch I have ever seen!  

I cherish these two friends....I am so lucky they spoil me so :)

I have been on a bit of a zippy pouch run lately.  I made several for friends and family for Christmas...and why stop now?  

If you recall I was stitching some clamshells out of wool felt...

      

I used Valdani perle cotton to outline each curve...bold and bright!

Then I used this piece to make a little zippy pouch!

         

A rainbow, clamshell, wool zippy pouch!

 

Add a pom-pom for a zipper pull...and a few gold chocolate coins....well, those might be a few of the goodies from Clare...

Hope you enjoyed your holidays!  Hope you stayed healthy (and didn't have to buy a new car)....

Here's to a quilty good 2015!

Cheers

mary