Covet

Have you ever had a somewhat crucial button pop off mid day?

Had a seam loosen or even break during a special occasion? (Oh yeah, been there, hello poorly made bridesmaid dress from David's Bridal.)

Or just had a loose string that caught your attention every other minute and drove you crazy throughout the day?

If so, a baby sewing kit could have helped save your sanity.

Check out this one from Fossil!  It looks just like a little clutch so it could stay in a purse of desk drawer!

Super cute, no?

Inspiring Monday

I'm back to serve up some weekly inspiration!  Enjoy!



Hot Cocoa Mug Rug by Noodlehead.  Check out her blog for more amazing goodies!

Makes you wanna make yourself a nice hot cup of chocolatey goodness doesn't it? Yes, yes it does.

Happy Everything!

In my family we have a big dinner and open gifts with immediate family to 'make room for Santa'.  Don't want him tripping over anything when he comes in preparation for Christmas morning! Then on Christmas day we do the big thing with aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, pet...the whole  shebang.  We eat insane amounts of food, take lots of pictures, open gifts, laugh, and just enjoy the time!  

I hope everyone out there has good times, good food, and good company!

Happy Christa-hana-kwanzaka!  Or just have a happy weekend!

Oh and check out this awesome holiday greeting from Rob Ryan! 


Seasons Greetings from Rob Ryan from MR. ROBERT RYAN on Vimeo.

Inspiring Monday

More holiday craftiness to inspire! Remember to click the photos to go their creators original uploads on Flickr!

Such A Great Week!

This week was so awesome craft and fabric wise!!  First off I won a Kona Cotton Charm Pack from the PMQG Blog!  Such bright pretty colors!  Thinking a rainbow baby quilt or mini quilt...hmmm so many options!

I also got my November ALFALC swap package this week from Isaacsmama! Such wonderful goodies!  A cosmetics bag, organic knitted washcloth, fabric, and of course chocolate!



I also spent most of the week in Baton Rouge, Louisiana visiting a friend of mine and while there discovered the most awesome fabric shop called the Fabric Krazy Quilt Shop! I was able to get my hands on several prints from Tula Pink's Plume line, Amy Butler's new Soul Blossoms line, as well as several other prints! Also they had so many precuts! I only indulged so far as to get a Dream On charm pack, but oh my goodness! None of the Houston shops have anywhere near that many precuts!



I am also expecting in the mail some Tula Pink Parisville precuts from Above All Fabric that I am super excited for! Not to mention I am anxiously awaiting my Modern Swappers package! LOL!

The Big Reveal

My Modern Swappers partner, who happened to be an awesome person named Krista, got her package last week as well so I thought I would share the pictures she took of what I sent her! She seemed to love everything so I am crazy excited! I made her a reversible table runner and 4 matching placemats. I also sent some Macaroni Love Story, Tufted Tweets, and Japanese prints, Anthropologie coffee mug, plus a bunch of notions, trims, and Neptune note cards.


(All photos taken by Krista and link back to her Flickr.)





And oh my goodness I am so excited her table runner fit her table! I was totally freaking out over the size and it magically fits perfectly! That was such good luck!



All in all participating in Modern Swappers has been the most amazing experience! I really feel like I got to know my partner and I am super anticipating my own package arriving! I absolutely cannot wait to participate in the next round!

Inspiring Monday

More holiday craftiness to wake up your creative brain!

Waka Waka Waka

For the HMQG we did a Secret Santa Ornament Swap and I got Sean, our Token Male member.

I decided to go old school.



I didn't include Pinky though as he is not a fan of pink. And of course I couldn't forget the ghosts alter egos...



These were so much fun to make and so easy! I was really pleased with how they came out and I think he liked them as well!

The fabric is called Black Ghosts by Timeless Treasures.

And the Swap is Sent!

I sent off my package to my Modern Swappers package on Monday!  I am so excited and can't wait for my Partner to get their package (not to mention getting my own! LOL!)

The hexagon card above is a free download available here. 

Inspiring Monday

Monday's are hard. You are tired, don't want to start the week, and long for more free time. And since I do most of my crafting on the weekends Monday's can be especially annoying. Thus Inspiring Monday! I want to share some of the things I find inspiring, things that get my brain feeling creative, so that when the weekend rolls around again I am prepared!

For December I thought I would focus on some holiday items that people are creating. I love this time of year too. I love the cold weather, the lights, the decorations, and just the feeling in the air of people coming together and being happy. Crafting gives me that same happy feeling year round so now I feel doubly excited!











Hope you feel inspired now! Go forth and sew!

Anthropologie + Lust

So there is this store...perhaps you have heard of it...Anthropologie...



I have a slight obsession with this store.  I lust after almost every object they sell!  They put handmade accent tags on many of their products, have the most beautiful arrangement and decor.  Especially their window dressings! I mean look at this toadstools with hand stitched accents.



Inside is no different! check out these charm square garlands! I so want to make these for myself! Could you imagine Kona Cotton charm square garlands! Switch them out with Christmas fabrics during the holiday or florals in the spring! So many ideas!



Then in the kitchen section was an ENTIRE WALL of hand embroidered PAPER PLATES! Crazy right?! So imaginative and insanely awesome!



Here is a close up of another section!



All in all I was very good. I got the gift for my Modern Swappers partner that took me to the land of temptation in the first place, and maybe a little something for myself (I tried to resist but I couldn't!) Although I did manage to walk away from these - although it was CRAZY HARD!



Cute right?? That's why it was so hard to pass up on them but I was good! If you have never checked out their site or their catalog I highly recommend it!  So much inspiration! 

And sorry for the crappy photos, but I took them all from my iphone.  The inspiration was just too much to pass up even though I didn't have a good camera with me!

Quilts of Wood

I have been meaning to share this ever since I got it at Quilt Festival in Houston!



This ornament was made by Rob Nettleton.  He uses no stains or dyes. All of the colors are simply the wood's natural shade.  My favorite is the purple-ish tones wood at the points of the star!

I thought these were just so lovely and wonderfully creative. I can't wait to put it on my tree this Christmas, although it will definitely be out and displayed all year long!

Inspiring Monday

This week's inspiration stems from a single quilt block...



Block by the insanely talented Ayumills.  For more of her work check out her blog and her flickr.

I cannot say enough about this block! Look at all the details - the bite taken from the chocolate popsicle, the ice cream truck fabric on the left, the fact that the entire popsicle on the right is a penguin with a clock on his tummy and times on his feet - so many wonderful details!

This is what I aspire too. This is what I wish I could create. Thankfully just being able to see other's work like this one makes me hope one day I will be able to.

On a Roll!

Wow, yesterday I was on a quilting roll!  Was it on a one of my Christmas projects? NO. Was it on a Christmas gift? NO. Was it on a swap project? NO.

I am making Amy Butler's any way you slice it quilt from her EQ pattern. I have loved this quilt ever since seeing this one. And it will be ALL FOR ME!! (*insert evil laugh here*) I keep starting quilts for myself and have yet to finish 1!  Maybe this one will run the whole race!

I got 4 yards of fabric cut/pieced...



Ironed - Cleo was unimpressed...



And trimmed - she did seem to enjoy this stage in the process...



I thought about taking a picture of that pile after she finished playing with it, but really the carnage was just to much.



Also I got my A Little Fabric A Little Chocolate swap package ready for November and will officially be on it's way to my partner tomorrow! Hope she likes it! Here's a sneak peak (with really crappy lighting since it's dark!)





Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving this week and gets in as much sewing/crafting time as possible!

Covet

Vinatage Sewing Machine Necklace by ohhellodear

Inspiring Monday

This weeks inspiration...THREAD!

I Heart My Mailman

But he probably despises me! And this is why...



This has been the best mail week ever!

Goodies:

• Moda Lily and Will yardage for backing and binding.
• Tula Pink Hushabye for backing and binding.
• Tula Pink Full Moon Forest birch trees just because!
• Tula Pink Parisville because it is GORGEOUS and I have so many plans for it...
• Moda Arcadia stripes that I won from the lovely Sheree of Sheree's Alchemy! 
• Not pictured...Michael Miller key fob that I won from Pink Chalk Fabrics blog!

So again I say... best mail week ever (unless you are my mailman).

Round and Round We Go v. 2

You know I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person.  I have a graduate degree, I have common sense.  I can even do calculus - but can I do simple math when working with half-square triangles??

Apparently not.

Good grief...I cut it close with Safieh's row for the Houston Modern Quilt Guild Round Row Robin (only finishing it last night when the meeting is today) because I messed up the math on not only the original HST triangles, but on the borders I had to add to try and make the blocks big enough.

In the end though, it finally came together, though there was a bit of swearing on my part.  Either way I am super happy with the final look and I hope Safieh is too!

Me in a Bee!

I joined my first bee! The String Me Along Quilt Bee! So excited! Can't wait to get started come January!

EDITED TO ADD:
Just found out I have been accepted as a stitcher in the do. Good Stitches {Charity Bee}! Every month you make 2 blocks to contribute to a quilt that will be made and donated to charity. My group within the bee -"Joy"- will be donating blankets to My Very Own Blanket, an organization that donates blankets to children in the Foster Care system.  I am so pleased and excited to have been included in this bee for such a great cause!

Inspiring Monday

This weeks inspiration comes not from Flickr but from some of my favorite quilts that were exhibited at the Houston Quilt Festival this month.  I absolutely love festival.  I leave the convention center completely exhausted but beyond inspired and all I want to do is going home and sew all weekend.  This year was no different. 

Click the photos to get to the Flickr page which has a little bit of extra info.