nanaCompany

a Pin cushion or Mouse pillow :: Giveaway!

Surprise mail is the best ~ especially when it delivers exactly the thing you didn't know you really really wanted.

Um no, not this canning jar pin cushion.  I was inspired to make that after I spotted the pretty things at this shop.

No, it's these cross stitch stamps.  They came in a small package last week from Lecien and I just about died over the cuteness.  Look at the adorable motifs... aack!  You can stamp them onto anything, but the coolest thing is that you can stamp them onto fabric with erasable fabric ink... and then embroider away.

I was anxious to get started.  (Not like I didn't have a hundred other things to do.)  What I love about the stamps is that you can make your own patterns, designs, or scenes so easily... just stamp as you like.  This little cherry stamp I did was a practice run.  I think it's only the second time I've ever cross stitched.  I enjoyed it thoroughly, but once it was finished I realized that the crosses are probably meant to be a little denser, maybe closer together.  I would, by the way, accept it as kind mentoring if any of you cross stitch experts want to throw me a few tips... ;) 

But, I think this turned out pretty cute anyway.

And one can never have enough pretty pin cushions, I say.  Still, I've decided to throw it in with my little giveaway.  It makes for a pretty, but flimsy, pin cushion... or better yet, a really cute mouse pillow.

Lucky me, I was sent a few of the stamp sets in multiples, so I thought it best to share.  I'm giving away this bear set, along with a few others.  (You can also find the cross stitch stamps available for sale at Superbuzzy.)  Lecien was kind enough to also send me some beautiful Cosmo Marble floss...

Each skein of Marble thread holds 15 meters of six-strand Egyptian cotton floss... and the color changes about every four inches.  I'm giving away these 16 different skeins:

Thanks to Lecien.  So, if you're at all into free floss, cross stitch stamps, and a handmade pin cushion (or mouse pillow) ~ simply leave a comment on this post telling me... your favorite line of fabric of all time.  Ok?  I'll close comments on midnight next Tuesday and announce a random winner (open to everyone) on Wednesday, May 1st.

But I'll be seeing you in a few days with a certain quilt top that I've been working on.  Cheers!

xo amy

:: making pretty

Quite suddenly I realized the pillow I'd made for Mia's bassinet is now ridiculously too small.   She's moved to a mini-crib (very convenient when you're crammed into a tiny house like ours) and her head has, like, doubled in size ~ definitely time for a new pillow.  I stitched up this pillowcase (and the pillow) one afternoon when Mia took a nice loooooooong nap.

Right now, at this very moment while I'm writing this post, she's having sweet dreams on that pillow.  I'm back to working on Olivia's quilt top using this, and this.  With the scraps from the quilt top, I've been paper piecing some diamonds for a doll quilt...

And that little grey basket up there?  I got it from Target a long time ago, from the dollar spot.  It was plain and grey ~ I gave it some top-stitching, a patch, a button, and a strawberry pin cushion made of wool.  It's a useful little basket (I always bring it in the car to hold my paper piecing stuff), but now it's pretty!

And yes, I love the woolen strawberry (made with Heather Bailey's pattern.) 

And I love all the new fabric I just got from Sew Deerly Loved.  This, above, is the new 2013 line of Lecien's "Old New 30's".

Pretty prints by Atsuko Matsuyama.

"Hill Farm" by Brenda Riddle for Lecien.

Can't forget the hexagon cheater prints from the "Old New 30's" line...

And these adorable prints are from Tasha Horsley's new line with Riley Blake, "Little Red Riding Hood."

And now I absolutely must stop buying fabric.  I figured one last stop at Sew Deerly Loved would be a happy way to go out.

xo amy 

We've got a winner!

You're the winner!  You've won a copy of the book, "S is for Stitch" by Kristyne Czepuryk and you're going to love it.  Congratulations.  (Luiza, please email me your details, thanks.)

I kinda got started on my abc soft book but after giving it a lot of thought, I realized I really want to make the quilt, too.  For my abc book, I hadn't planned to stitch all the letters ~ in fact, four pages is all I envisioned.  But I like so many of K's designs I would like to embroider them all.  And now I'm not sure if I want to do the quilt first, or the book.  Though, if you want to know the truth about how I work ~ it's most likely I'll do a little bit of this and that as inspiration hits.

Did I mention I'm working on a quilt for Olivia?  The top is almost all pieced.  I'd hoped to have it done by her birthday, but that was an impossible dream.  (We've been mighty busy around here lately.)

Of course, it would be a whole lot funner (I do know that's not a proper word ~ I say it anyway) if I could give you all a copy of dear Miss Kristyne's book.  But since I can't, do yourselves a favor, go over here and get yourself a discounted copy.  It might just be that kick in the pants you need to get started on an heirloom that will, undoubtedly, be beautiful in the end ~ handmade with love.

xo amy

:: Mint and Sorbet ~ the finished quilt

Choosing the binding for Mia's quilt was getting difficult until I remembered... I can use all three of the fabrics I like best!  One piece was full length, one was only a fat quarter, and the other was an odd length so I ended with a very randomly pieced binding, and I love it.

Love it. 
xo amy