live . craft . learn

chasing away the dreary

over the summer i've been getting quilting lessons {like the real, experienced, perfectionist kind} from my sweet mil, whom i adore. practically every wednesday the littles and i head over to the compound {their outside is like a park. no. joke.} and while the littles run around screaming their heads off like crazy banshees children i sit in her cottage studio learning all about being meticulous while aligning edges, quilting in 1/4" and sewing a binding on properly.

i know how to sew. really i do.

i took pattern design & seamstress classes in college and know how to read patterns, tuck & dart and generally can whip something up now free-hand style or with my own pattern with ease. but until now i had never quilted. ever.

i was a patchwork virgin.

it's ok..... i say wuh? to myself about this all day, each and every wednesday.

and now, now i'm addicted my friends.

the placemats above are a gift for my sil {who's birthday was in june} so i'm even following in footsteps of others by sending my handmade gifts late. but with that scattered brown polkadot binding i'm sure i'll be forgiven.

and thankfully i can also say that this quilting has been saving my sanity since we've only hit the 90 degree mark for two days total this summer. yesterday was 75 and today it's coastland foggy, the deep misty, i feel like i'm living in stinson kinda cold.

dude. it's practically august. i need my sunshine!!

happy dreary tuesday!
xo

eta : for those of you who have emailed i finally have everything ready for the kR final sale. everything will go live at the kR etsy shop 10am tomorrow morning, wednesday 7.28.10. look for the newsletter announcement tonight. lots of past kits + destash grab bag boxes of papers + embellies.

a hambly peek

to say that this Hambly release is my most favorite ever would be an understatement. it's full of this beautiful floral and a calligraphy style script paper and then there's some whimsy too {more of that later, promise}. the most wonderful thing is that i can already tell it will blend so well with some other releases.

the silhouettes above are of the littles, hand cut about three weeks ago and i'm so happy that i have duplicates as this lo got shipped out the door to chi-town on friday. it's probably the first cha sample i've created that i almost didn't send, because it was too beautiful to part with.

my precious loves.

happy sunday!
xo

mrs fisher cat

the bean and i headed out this morning to meet mrs fisher cat, the "designer" of calico critters at our local small town toy store. to say that she was excited is an understatement. my girl is all about the animals and mrs fisher cat is probably one of the coolest ones she knows.

is that costune the cutest thing, or what? ;)

first thing, the bean went into a huge discussion explaining how she has the buttercup family and she had to show her each of them. seriously. but the best part was when the bean went into a 5 minute discussion {one-sided of course since a huge stuffed cat doesn't speak, lol} about how horses aren't appropriately represented in calico city and mrs fisher should think about creating a pegacorn family so they don't feel left out.

i kid you not.

my bean is smart and knows how to represent for those she loves; horses, ponies, unicorns, pegasus', and pegacorns {cause a pegacorn is different ya know}. lol!

i love this girl!!

happy saturday!
xo

paddington - 7gypsies

i got a request asking for some detailed shots of the tray i created for one of the summer 2010 7gypsies releases, paddington. there are loads of vintage goodies mixed in {of course} and i was also happy to add the newest mini vintage tags that they created to fit perfectly in the trays.

i loved how the red really makes the paddington paper and the tray pop! the ruffled ribbon is seam binding that i basted on the sewing machine and then gathered and tied of the ends.

mini compasses, button hole parts for a vintage featherweight sewing machine, milk caps, vintage metal butterfly clips {i adore these}

a vintage wooden ruler and the black white flower is an old rik-rak flower earring that i popped off it's backing.

i cut the waterloo paper to fit the bottom of the tray and love how it contrasts against the red accents in the top.

happy thursday!
xo

thank you jenni, ♥ kL