nanaCompany

Meet Plum Mouse

Many years ago I made a quick drawing in my sketchbook.  And I let it sit for years and who knows what inspires a person to work again on a sketch from so many years ago, but I picked it up during a snowstorm this month and cleaned it up... and this little drawing has become Plum mouse!

I have to admit.  She's awfully sweet.  I shared her on instagram and so many people responded positively about how they'd like to stitch her on stockings, pillowcases, etc. that I've fixed up the pattern and put it in my Etsy shop.  I even started a little story about her...

This printable PDF is included with the pattern purchase.  Please visit my Etsy shop: nanaCompany if you are in love with her as I am!  

xo amy

Tiny Toffee Designs | Dream Big

Two things get me every time: charming + little!  

Susi, of Tiny Toffee Designs, does both of these so well.  I love her foundation paper piecing patterns (see them all at her etsy shop) and I'm here to help celebrate the latest set "Dream Big" in its very own blog hop.

If you've never sewn using the foundation paper piecing method, I should probably mention that when I stitched the Gliding Swan, above, it was only my second time.  The wonderful Elnora Chambers gave me a lesson in paper piecing over a year ago ~ and that was the first time.  So, if you're familiar with this pattern, you'll see I made a mistake ~ but I saved it and I love this swan (mistake and all)!  I framed it in linen and turned it into a mini folio.  Inside there is a full length pocket and I haven't made the divisions yet because I'm not precisely sure what else I'll be keeping in it besides my notebook.

But I seriously loved making this charming little project!  ;)

I loved it so much I made three more hexies from the "Dream Big" set.  

A little appliqué, embroidery, a metal zip, and Art Gallery Fabric's new linen/cotton blend helped me to create my new favorite zip pouch.  Seriously, these little projects are the best.  Thank you, Susi, for creating such adorable patterns!  Check out the schedule for the rest of the blog hop here, and be sure to visit Mary and Kate who are also sharing projects today!

xo amy 

The Splendid Sampler | Snug As A Bug

By now I'm sure you know... Pat Sloan and Jane Davidson are running the biggest star-studded quilt-along ever and it's called The Splendid Sampler.

{ Block No. 1 by Pat Sloan and Block No. 2 by Jane Davidson }

They invited 82 friends to help design -- There are 100 blocks -- Two block patterns are released each week -- They're all free until next year (Feb 2017) when they'll be put together in a book -- And the coolest part?  Pat and Jane asked me to join the design team and today's my day to show you my block!

It's hard to see in this pic, but little Mia is snuggled beneath four quilts here.  It was just that kind of morning and I'm so happy to have so many quilts in every room throughout the house.  All are completely different, but all made with love of course.  Because quilts are.  "Handmade" takes so much more effort than a quick trip to Target but it provides a timeless ritual of love, mathematical equation, and color masterminding ~ it's a soothing busy-ness and all-around chicken soup for the soul.  But you know that ;)  I took this pic weeks after I designed my block and turned it in, but I thought it was so cool how Mia resembled the child I'd drawn in Snug As A Bug.

Such a sweet and simple embroidery block, right?  Use the back-stitch, stem-stitch, or whatever you like.  I made the design very simple on purpose.  Besides my love for unfussy embroidery, I think it's a block that anyone can stitch, even those who have never embroidered before.  Using six-strand embroidery floss, I used one strand of floss for the finer details and four strands for the rest ~ although I went back in, adding stitches, to vary the width of my lines.

{ Use your hand to cover one bunny at a time to see the difference best. } 

In the above sample, I've used my new favorite 12 wt. Aurifil.  I embroidered a single stitch line on the left, and on the right side I went back in and thickened the curved lines with extra side-by-side stitches.  Both bunnies are cute, but there is a subtle difference and sometimes I prefer the more dynamic look.  Another embroidery tip: never work with more than an 18" length of floss (to avoid knots and mayhem) and try out these Tulip Embroidery Sharps: thin assortment and thick assortment.  I really like these needles!

I have tried a lot of different brands, but I find myself reaching for these gold-tipped needles first.  Whatever you choose, I encourage you to have fun with this pattern and enjoy making it "your own".  (I love seeing what people are doing with the "quilt".)  Happy stitching!

See you along The Splendid Sampler!

xo amy

Simply Stitched by Yumiko Higuchi | Giveaway

I felt a bit rusty, but it was fun to do an embroidery project this week.  I used a very pale mint green linen that I'd purchased years ago from JoAnn's as the base and chose a few skeins of cotton floss as well as some Appleton crewel wool.  (Appleton wool is made in the UK, however if you're in the States I've found a wide selection of colors here.) 

The pattern used was the one right here on the cover of Yumiko Higuchi's new English language book, "Simply Stitched" ~ brought to us by the awesome folks at Zakka Workshop.  The book will officially release in March, however you can purchase it now from Zakka Workshop on Etsy and yes, I do recommend it.  For years, I've been pinning Yumiko Higuchi's beautiful embroidery pics on Pinterest ~ it's so cool to have her book now and to get the chance to recreate the elegant designs.   

I love how this Dahlia Sachet came out ~ even if I wasn't paying full attention and had to make it slightly different.  It's so stinkin' lovely.  Of course, I've decided to give it away along with a copy of the book, courtesy of Zakka Workshop!

Yes!  The giveaway starts officially on my Instagram February 6th, but I wanted to give you ~ my blog readers ~ the heads up about it.  I know that some of you don't have an Instagram account (and feel strongly about it) and I don't want you to feel left out.  So, if this applies to you, you may leave a comment here to enter to win!  I'll pick a random winner from the combined entries soon. :)

xo amy

Not even a Mouse! | Where to buy: Paperie

There's a new mouse in the house.

This one's got a polka dot cap and his coverlet made from Paperie fabrics + Art Gallery Pure Elements (solids).  I even added a jingle bell to the bottom of his quilt as a finishing touch.  Gotta love him.  This mouse loves his teddy bear and has such a sweet tooth he sleeps with his candy cane! 

I stitched this one up using Aurifil 12 wt. in black and various Aurifloss for the colored details.  See previous posts about my "Not Even a Mouse" pattern here and here (find the pattern available for purchase at my etsy shop).

 

For those inquiring, here is a list of online shops I've discovered selling Paperie:

Westwood Acres

Fat Quarter Shop

Hawthorne Threads

Southern Fabric

Pink Castle Fabrics

Stash Fabrics

The Quilted Castle

The Intrepid Thread

Sew Modern

Tillalili

Janum 

Kiwi Fabric

Lady Belle Fabric

Llama Fabrics

Fabric Worm

Thimbleanna

OlieandEvie

SimplyLoveFabrics

Oklahoma Quiltworks

Fabric Shack

Fabric Bubb

Punkin Head Threads

Winter Creek Cloth

Fiberworks

Quilted Thimble Cottage

Janie Lou

The Homemakery (U.K. coming soon!)

Pretty Fabrics and Trims (U.K. coming soon!)

Muddy Ruffles (Australia)

Web Fabrics

Tula Fabrics

 

Happy Friday, everyone!  I leave you with some random shots I've taken during the last several weeks...

{ Paperie yardage! }

{ My fancy new desk chair from Ikea }

{ birthday flowers }

{ My very first nanaCompany holiday postcard: designed, printed and mailed this year! }

{ heart strings garland I ordered from Faith Essenburg on Instagram }

{ Paperie mini quilt }

{ Olivia, age 7, lost her front tooth ;) }

{ the tree in the girls' room, spectacularly decorated by them }

xo amy

winter sewing | Minted giveaway winner!

I have been planning and scheming with a spool of thread...

It's my new favorite: Aurifil variegated thread 4654 in 28 wt.  And I gave it a first try the other night, on a patchwork of AGF Pure Elements set against my "Stamped" print from Paperie.  

I've got bigger plans in store, but this was a great practice run with the thread and doubled as a quick hostess gift (potholder. stuffed with three layers of insulated batting!)   Did I show you the Tall Tall Trees cushion I made a few weeks back?  

(The Tall Tall Trees pattern is in my etsy shop, btw.)  But for this cushion I widened the sashing so the pillow measures 20" x 12".  Love it!

Here's another little pattern from my etsy shop that I'm revisiting:

A mouse doll quilt in Paperie is finished ~ now I just need a mouse! 

Big congratulations to the winner of the Minted giveaway... and thank you to all who entered.  If you haven't visited Minted lately I think you'll be surprised at the gorgeous range of products they sell all year long.  So much more than stationery.

All my Christmas cards have been sent on their way, our tree is up, and as shocking as it may seem, there's only 10 days 'til Christmas!  One more thing before I go.  The dress Mia wore in our holiday photo pics was made by my friend Heather Hales Designs and was gifted to me totally by surprise.  It's such a gorgeous dress ~ I just had to show you the hand-embroidered tag Heather stitched inside.  Such an amazing detail.

xo amy

merry and bright cushion cover | free PDF pattern

Now we're going way back to this cushion I made in 2012, for my Olivia.  It's simple, it's easy, and I've finally written up a pattern for you.  Make one for Christmas, make one for Valentines Day, make one for every holiday of the year (you know, with different wording in the sash)!  It's the perfect accent pillow and with easy instructions, you could stitch one up this afternoon.  Download the free "Merry and Bright" cushion cover PDF pattern here.  

And if the free pattern isn't cool enough, Pink Door Fabrics has put together some woodland themed kits just for you, using their adorable new Christmas fabrics ~ check 'em out here.  (Check back later today if you don't see them yet).

I made this one up using current faves from my stash and I kinda love it!

happy sewing!  xo amy

Summer's End

boo hooooo!  No, not really.  I don't mind at all that summer's ending.  I'm looking forward to the crisper air that arrives with fall, a little more structure in my day, and a chance to get some breathing space from the rugrats while they're at school.  Yeah, I'm ok with summer's end.

 

  

Did you have a good one?  An adventurous summer?  A creative summer?  A fun summer?  A relaxing summer?  I had all of the above ~ in parts ~ except for the relaxing part.  At the very beginning we took a family road trip (sadly minus Anne, who stayed home to work) and it was so much fun and so much adventure.  Loved every minute of it.

 

 

We've got a winner for the coin purse kit giveaway from Zakka Workshop...

Please email me your mailing address so I can send your prize! :)

 

 

The Sweetly Stitched Handmades Sew-Along on Instagram (#SweetlyStitchedSAL) has ended and I so enjoyed watching all the beautiful makes showing up in my feed.  If I missed something you made, you might send me a note.  By the third round I had become deeply involved in a project that took all my concentration and attention.  Learning to do something while you're doing it for the first time - on a deadline - isn't easy.  Luckily, I'm a workhorse and my husband learnt to cook dinner (honestly, I'm now in love with his simple cooking.  So simple and light and clean).  I just wish I'd been able to give the sew-along a bit more attention. 

{ airmail tote by Alisha Orlando }

{ Storybook Zip Pouch by Melissa of Oh How Sweet }

{ just a few makes from the #SweetlyStitchedSAL }

Thank you to Melissa, Anorina, and the amazing Lisa for hosting and judging.  xoxo.   And I have to single out one girl who was a true superstar of the sew-along, and that would be the grand prize winner: Faith Essenberg.  Faith (@faithessenburg on IG) ended up sewing ALL 18 PROJECTS IN MY BOOK this summer and has lived to tell the tale!  Amazeballs.  See her pics and blogpost here!

 

 

There's a new shop called Stitch Craft that carries ~ among other cute things ~ these adorable tiny embroidery hoops and I stitched up my first one last night.  I didn't use a pattern, I simply started stitching on a small cloth until I was happy with it, and, Oh!  Gosh.  So much fun.  A tiny project that can be finished in in an hour or two?  Gotta love it.

So today I'm giving away the miniature hoop necklace kit, seen above.  Just leave a comment below and I'll pick a winner by next week.  But seriously?  You won't want to stop at one.  See the available kits and sizes at Stitch Craft.

xo amy

so much sweetness

As shocking as it may seem: Mia turned three last week.  Yes, 3.  And we celebrated her in the simplest way possible, but with all the things she asked for...

... Cake, candles, presents, balloons and chocolate coins (she listed these things to me all the days leading up to her birthday).  Mia's best loved present?  Play-doh.  That's a big wad of green play-doh in her hand in the pic above.  Such joy.  Such genuine excitement for the simplest of things.  When we brought out her birthday cake and sang to our sweet smiling girl, she stared a long time at the three sparkly candles on top but wouldn't blow them out.  We thought maybe she didn't know how.  More! she finally said.  I want more candles!!  So I plunked the rest in her cake and lit them and quite suddenly Mia knew exactly how to blow those candles out.  My funny little miracle child ~ the happiest and sweetest birthday girl.  Ever.  Now 3 (sob sob!)

 

Have you seen?

It is so much fun seeing the beautiful makes you ladies are stitching up with my book, Sweetly Stitched Handmades, and I'm really enjoying the sew-along (#SweetlyStitchedSAL) happening right now on Instagram ~ hosted by Melissa of Oh How Sweet (@ohhowsweetco on Instagram) and Anorina of Samelia's Mum (@sameliasmum on Instagram).  If you'd like to join in, it's so easy:

1. Simply sew a project from Sweetly Stitched Handmades.  You get to choose the project.

2. Take a pic for Instagram using the hashtag #SweetlyStitchedSAL.  

I get to see your makes and cheer you on, and everyone gets inspiration and support from one another.  There will be six rounds in total and each round lasts two weeks.  As a bonus, at the end of each round a project is chosen by our judge Lisa, of A Spoonful of Sugar, and is awarded a prize by me!

Here are just some of the beautiful makes from round one:

Airmail Bag by Chelle's Quilts

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On the Spot Trivet by Erin of Why Not Sew?

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On the Spot Trivet by Lisaannslife

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Home Sweet Home Embroidery by Rita Couto

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Home Sweet Home Embroidery by Sedef of Down Grapevine Lane

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On the Spot Trivet by Lisa of A Spoonful of Sugar

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Starburst Dresden Cushion by Faith Essenberg

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Stacked Hexagon Mugrug by Sally Anne Ness

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I just love them all!  To see the adorable winning project of Round 1 (and so many other gorgeous projects), check out the hashtag #SweetlyStitchedSAL and then... join in for Round 2! 

 

I stitched up another "My Sweet Home" mini quilt using Liberty patchwork and Kaufman Essex linen in slate for the center.  L's Modern Grey x's by Lecien for the binding.   

I'd finished it like this, but something didn't feel right.  So, just before sending it off to a sweet friend I decided to embroider some flowers among the words "home sweet home" ~ and then it truly felt finished.

I hope she likes it!  If you'd like to make one, too, the pattern is available in my nanaCompany shop on etsy.

xo amy

p.s. I found an old drawing that I'd offered as a free embroidery pattern long ago on flickr.  I just wanted to make it available here as well.  You can download the "lucky ladybug" PDF here.  Happy stitching!

 

My Sweet Home | PDF pattern now in the shop!

I always come back to the same themes and I hope you're not bored, because this will always be a universal truth: there's no place like "Home Sweet Home"!

I made this piece for my mom ~ for Mother's Day ~ and put love in every stitch.  If you'd like to make one too, I've written up the pattern and you'll find it for sale (and at an amazing price) at my shop: nanaCompany on etsy.

It's a very simple make, measuring 16 1/2" x 16 1/2" when finished.  Simple patchwork, simple embroidery, and simple appliqué give it such a sweet homey look.  And if you want to know a secret: I went out of my way to add wonkyness to this piece.  I really think losing the desire for perfection in your sewing opens up the possibility for so much charm.   I hope you enjoy stitching it too!

xo amy

Modern Medallion Workbook bloghop | Giveaway!

Two girls whose work I deeply admire, Janice Zeller Ryan and Beth Vassalo, have written a book about modern medallion quilts that is really a show stopper, full of inspiring quilts made by the most talented quilters out there (and me).  Yes, they asked me to be a part of it!

Throwing the word modern in front of the word medallion gave us designers a lot of latitude in dreaming up our visions and I (having really been enjoying cross-stitch at the time) decided to make my focal point a simple ABC cross stitch.  

As a mother of four, the inspiration from my kids and love of making things for them is an unending well spring.  So of course I created a simple and sweet wall hanging for my girls room that incorporated the cross stitch center, with triangle piecing, and raw edge appliqué.  

You'll find a whole range of quilting techniques and levels and styles and aesthetics in the Modern Medallion Workbook, with instruction on how to make each quilt, border by border, and with coloring charts and ideas on how to mix and match.  That's a whole lot in one book!  And that's the reason I love it so much.

This book is available now on Amazon and other online shops, as well as being stocked at quilt shops.  Also, C&T publishing has been generous enough to let me give away a copy of this book to one of you!  If you'd like a chance to win it, please leave a comment on this post (no emailed entries, please!) telling me your favorite thing about quilting!  Comments will close Tuesday, May 19th, 2015 at midnight and I'll announce the winner soon after.  Good luck!

For more inspiration and chances to win a copy of this book, here is a listing of all the stops along the Modern Medallion Workbook bloghop:

May 11th | Janice and Beth at C&T/Stash
May 12th | Melissa Richie- weshallsew.blogspot.com
May 13th | Amy Sinibaldi- nanaCompany.typepad.com
May 14th | Christina Lane- sometimescrafter.com/blog
May 18th | Erica Jackman- kitchentablequilting.com
May 19th | Becca Bryan- www.bryanhousequilts.com
May 20th | Karen Anderson-Abraham- bloomingpoppies.net/
May 21st | Latifah Saafir- www.latifahsaafirstudios.com
May 22nd | Kerry Green- verykerryberry.blogspot.co.uk
May 25th | Beth- www.plumandjune.blogspot.com   and 
                    Janice- www.betteroffthread.com

 

xo amy

Valentine hearts | Stitch Love

Can I just say, there's nothing sweeter than receiving a real valentine in the mail, in the middle of a Valentines day photo "shoot".  Thank you Renee, for truly brightening my day!

And Happy Valentines day to all of you!

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Mollie Johanson over at Wild Olive has been celebrating Valentines Day all week during her Stitch Love Valentine Blog Hop.  Check out each of the stops along the blog hop to pick up free valentine critter patterns.  They're all adorable but I fell in love with this little guy...

Eek!  Sooo cute, right?  I embroidered this otter with two strands of thread.  After I'd finished the outline, I went back in and stitched at random to thicken parts of the line.  Whether you're embroidering with thread or floss, stitching a line with varied thickness vs. a uniformly even line will give you a subtle but noticeable difference.

And I love this guy so much, I decided he's going up on the wall in the girls' room.  Thank you, Mollie!

p.s. These are also the kind of fun stitchery patterns you'll find in Mollie's new book, Stitch Love.  (Get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookdepository.com)

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Continuing on with Valentine goodness...

Seriously, I heart this block.  For Valentines day I stitched it up and planned to turn it into… something.  But as soon as the block was finished I realized I was in it for the long haul.  I'm going to make a BIG quilt in all the colors and I'm so excited to see the progress.  Get the candyHEARTS quilt pattern from EmilyAnnsKloset on Etsy.

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Today I have two winners to announce!!  Congratulations...

Congratulations to Susie, winner of the adorable doll quilt made by Marmalade Makings.  And if there was more than one Susie, it's the Susie who wrote, "How darling! I would give it to my granddaughter to help keep her bunny warm and snuggly!"  Thanks again to Teresa of Marmalade Makings for donating the quilt.

And, congratulations to Heidi Lyon, winner of the "Milk, Sugar & Flower" fat quarter bundle giveaway.  Thanks again to Fat Quarter Shop for that generous giveaway bundle!

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xoxo lots of love!

amy

Sweetly Stitched Handmades : A second chance to get your advance copy!

Wow.

Thank you.  Thanks to those of you who purchased an advance copy of my book last week.  I was so not prepared for all those orders to come in at once and it took an entire week to ship them all out!!!  And now a big thanks to my publishing company, Tuva Publishing, for making possible a second shipment of books for those of you missed out but would still like a signed advance copy.

Beginning at noon on Friday, January 16th, more books will be available for sale at my Etsy shop, nanaCompany.  Pop on over if you'd like a copy.  I hope you will enjoy it!!! 

Sweetly Stitched Handmades is also available for pre-order at:

Amazon.com 

BarnesandNoble.com 

Bookdepository.com

These pre-ordered books will ship on the official release date of May 1.

{ "home sweet home" embroidery pattern from the book, Sweetly Stitched Handmades }

By the way... did you know Sweetly Stitched Handmades has also been released in a Turkish language edition?

So cool, huh?  

xo amy

Better late than never!

Perhaps a little bit late...

But it's all this one's fault...

{cross-stitch design by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery}

Haaa!!!  I kept telling myself I'll share the Halloween pics once I've finished my Halloween Spooky Sampler and my goal was to finish the entire stitchery a few weeks ago (???).  Now my goal is to finish the frame by next Halloween (!!?).  Ah, poo, and I was totally right on track for a while.  But then life, and work, and germs ~ lots of horrible germs ~ got in the way.  Well, better late than never, I say!  Halloween is now so yesterday, Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet and I'm already way into Christmas.  Hmmph.  This is why they call them the holidaze, right?

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Let's talk about needles.

You've seen these Tulip needles everywhere lately, right?  The peeps who do the packaging are genius because seriously, who can resist?  Myself, I've only known for the past few years that there are as many different types of needles as there are different types of sewing.  (Self-taught can sometimes mean ignoramus, ya know?  It can also mean that sometimes you just get things done!)  But for years I always just reached for the needle whose eye was big enough for the thread or floss I was using.  Length, eye shape, and varying pointiness at the end of my needles all eluded me.  Oh, but I'm getting it now!  I bought these embroidery, quilting, and applique needles about a month ago and have now had the chance to use them all.  Verdict: Love 'em!  But as I've just explained, I'm no judge.  It's all great fun to me.  

This is the year I also bought myself a Clover seam ripper (aaahhhh, angels sing.)  Why didn't anyone tell me that the little ripper that comes with the sewing machine sucks?!!!  If you are a newbie to sewing and are looking for a helpful tip it's this:  Get a Clover seam ripper.  It'll be your best bud.  Well, you'll probably have a love/hate relationship, actually.  But you'll thank me, I'm sure.

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Oh that?  That was a heather plant I bought from Trader Joe's and killed within a few weeks (it was all dried out so I was tying some bundles to hang).  And, this?  This is a little something I've been working on for eHow... I'll let you know when it's published!

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Omigosh I am so relieved my little "secret" is out!!!   Sweetly Stitched Handmades is coming in May 2015 and for those of you wondering, it is available for pre-order now on amazon.com and they will ship to nearly anywhere in the world...

I'm so excited... ya want a sneak peek?  How about a closer look at the quilt on the front?

And say hello to my Ruffle collar baby bibs...

I really love these.  Alright, sneak peek's over!!!  (Slams the book shut!)  But I want to say a huge thank you to all those who've already shown such awesome support!  I can't thank you enough or say what it means to me!!!  So I'm sending out kisses and hugs xoxoxo

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1. Tea blossom, 2. Crochet Cowl, 3. QfQ quilts, 4. Huggy basket for a wonderful teacher. Fully handsewn and so satisfying., 5. Machine quilted placemats, 6. #farmerswifequilt #flock block (34), 7. Birthday Cake, 8. McElligot's Pool Quilt, 9. Untitled, 10. Priory Square by Katy Jones, 11. Morning, 12. Untitled, 13. Marrakech, tombe saadiane

I'll see you really soon!!  xo amy

Turning Colors

Where you live I bet the leaves are turning colors and the air is crisp and getting cool.  Boots and sweaters, socks and scarves are at the ready, right?  Where I am, it's still hot and steamy ~ 80+ degrees.  We're still wearing tank tops and sandals by necessity.  Blech!  Fall, please hurry up and get here soon!

Well it's October now, I don't mind showing you that I've been working in spurts on this cute cross-stitch from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery (if you're not familiar, they sell just the most adorable kawaii cross-stitch designs).  I bought this pattern last October and set it aside until a month ago.  I chose to stitch on natural linen ~ not Evenweave or Aida ~ and I kinda wish I hadn't.  I'd forgotten that the fibers in my linen are thinner horizontally than they are vertically, which makes a square... not so much a square.  I don't mind so much, but counting fibers can be a strain.  I find it nothing short of a miracle when my stitches all line up.  Next time I think I'll use Aida if I can find one that isn't sooo stiff.  Recommendations, anyone?

When I bought this pattern last year, I mentioned that I would do a comparison of the DMC and Cosmo floss colors included on the pattern's color key.  (Here's my disclaimer:  I was sent an entire supply of floss from both Cosmo and DMC, and I honestly don't prefer one brand over the other.  I do however think that both companies' floss is leagues better than any other brand I've tried in terms of quality.  In the beginning, I was definitely inclined to love Cosmo floss more than DMC and that's simply because Cosmo is a part of Lecien Corps. and I love Lecien, but you knew that, right?  I also told myself that Cosmo's colors were richer, but after having worked exclusively with the full range of DMC floss on my latest book, I've come to the conclusion that neither company has better colors ~ their colors are simply different.  It's like comparing the colors offered by two different car manufacturers ~ they don't offer the same colors!  FYI, Cosmo offers 443 solid colors and DMC offers 454.)  So, what I've learned is that a "comparison" is useless.  My pic below is just a visual guide to show you the recommended colors, side by side.  Sometimes Cosmo's and DMC's color dyes get very similar, and sometimes they just don't.  It's nice to know you've got choices, right?

So far in my Spooky Sampler, I've used a bit of both DMC and Cosmo floss.  What's most ironic is that after fishing out all the right colors, I think I'll be going with a slightly different color palette after all.  More like the colors in this pattern.  Go figure.  Anyway, if you're doing the Halloween Spooky Sampler this year, happy stitching my friends!

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On another note, my "Be Joyful" embroidery pattern (at the shop) has been updated so it now includes a Cosmo-DMC color key instead of just a Cosmo color chart.  If you purchased the pattern before I included the DMC colors and you would like the new key, please contact me and I will email you the file.  Thanks!

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1. ladies with birds, 2. Bearnard and Catherine, 3. Bythynnod gleision, 4. Untitled, 5. My colourful feelings, 6. It is growing! Or My design wall is shrinking : ) nice to have time to work on this! #nokids #loveSummerCamp, 7. granny throw for summer, 8. clothespin kids pouch, 9. Fieldcrossing Quilt, 10. navy gingham quilt., 11. First Sampler, 12. schnitzel and boo mini quilt swap progress, 13. all three completed!

xo amy

for the moment

There's been far too much work stuff and not enough fun sewing lately.  (I took the pic below for my secret summer project which I talked about on Pat Sloan's podcast ~ see the link in my sidebar ~ Did you catch it?)

And I managed some fun sewing the other day.  I stitched up this drawstring bag made of 2" squares and I feel better ~ for the moment.  Patchwork, linen, a little label.  Therapy.  The bag's now sitting in Olivia's room waiting for a purpose ;)

I really feel like making a quilt now, too.  In pinks and blues.  Olivia needs a new one since we've moved her from a toddler bed to a full size mattress (on the floor).  Really, the bed is for Olivia and Mia (that's why it's on the floor) but the bedding isn't quite right yet.  All the quilts are too small and I'm thinking a canopy or tent would be so much fun.  Can any of you recommend either a tent or canopy (a sturdy one) that won't break the bank?

I'm trying to lure Mia out of my bed and into a super fun girls' bed!

p.s. I'll be back with fabric choices for the new quilt... maybe you can help me?

xo amy

mouse house

Again, I have to admit ~ I wasn't intending to make a "mouse house" for Mia.  Again, something I began sewing turned into something completely different.  It's a prototype fail, but a "mouse house" success.  Do you know the book, "Goodnight Moon"?  (Within those cardboard pages you'll find Mia's favorites: "... a little toyhouse, and a young mouse.")  I guess that's why she took so extraordinarily to this soft pudgy house.

I put a chime inside for her.  And I embroidered a tiny mouse...

And she lights up every times she sees it.  "Houssse," she says.  And she turns it around to point at the mouse.  "Moussse."  I swear I'd freeze her exactly as she is right now if I could.  Even when she makes this big of a mess with a cupcake.

Though, I promise I'll never buy cupcakes with blue frosting again!

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I'm so happy to announce the winner of the Zakka Workshop patterns giveaway + the Old New 30's by Lecien fat quarter bundle from Simply Sweet Fabric.

Congratulations to Cecilia who wrote, "I love your pillow! I like the Patchwork House Pillow Pattern. I would love to make some for my daughters. Thank you for sharing and for the giveaway."  I hope you'll enjoy sewing some pillows this summer, Cecilia!  And cheers to all those who entered.  

xo amy

Everything But the Kitchen Sink X Giveaway

I wasn't just teasing.  I've got those 42 fat quarters right here...

Thanks to the good folks at RJR Fabrics, I've got this fat quarter bundle of "Everything But the Kitchen Sink X" to give to one of you!  But first, I want to show you the quilt I made with this line along with two RJR solids that I love.

It's a baby quilt featuring appliques that were inspired by this print in the collection:

{ photo courtesy of RJR Fabrics }

See the bear and bunny hanging on the clothesline?  Eek, way too cute!  So I drew them up to embroider and applique, and I've turned the patterns into a PDF that you can download here: "Hanging on a Line" Bear and Bunny PDF pattern.

Because of its simplicity, I think this quilt went together faster than any other quilt I've made, and I really enjoyed putting it together.  Then, of course, it was entirely quilted by hand.  You can also see a doll quilt I made using these fabrics, here.  (I'm not sure which quilt I like better!)

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To enter the "Everything But the Kitchen Sink X" fat quarter bundle giveaway, please leave a comment on this post.  To make it even more fun, I'll be giving away a charm pack as well, to a second winner!  This giveaway is open to all and comments will close at midnight on Sunday, June 15th.  Good luck!

xo amy

meet Basil...

It's beginning to look a lot like summer...

And honestly... I'm terrified.  As a mom, I'm always a little bit intimidated at the task of filling up those long summer days ~ keeping the kiddos busy, entertained, and properly fed.  It's a hard enough job when it's you're only job, but I'm facing an absurdly ambitious work schedule this June and July.  I don't even think I'll be coming round here during those months, so please excuse me.  Two months ("it's just two months!" I keep telling myself) and it will be so worth it in the end, you'll see.  (Have I mentioned that I'm horrible at keeping secrets?  Yah, I'm dying right about now.)  Anyway, by August I'll be done and ready for a vacation ~ ready to sleep in late and hold onto my kids 'til they're screaming for me to let go... ready to spend the whole day doing nothing, being absolutely lazy.  Hoo, I can't wait.  Have you got any fun summer plans?  Will you share 'em with me?  I'd love to live vicariously through you ;)

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Oh, Basil.  How I love this bear, I do.  I made him for Mia as my latest project over at eHow ~ and now you can get the full DIY with template and instructions by clicking on over to eHow Crafts.  He's a simple softie with a personalized patch on the back that reads, "THIS BEAR BELONGS TO: ___."  The patch is my favorite part, but I also love his simple modern shape.  He'd make a great baby gift, don't you think?

Just for fun, I made this doll quilt, too.  It was a fast easy make because I used the scraps from the quilt I made for RJR Fabrics ~ the one that traveled to Quilt Market in Pittsburgh.  The collection is called: Everything But The Kitchen Sink X by Yuko Hasegawa and the pretty solids are from RJR as well.

If you like this fabric, you won't want to miss the giveaway that's coming up next ~ but only if you've got room for 42 more fat quarters on your fabric shelves ;)

See you soon!  xo amy

bound with yellow gingham

I think I've finished this baby quilt just in time...

The mama-to-be wanted a quilt just like this one ~ but she wanted it to look more vintage-y in pink, white, mint, and yellow.  While choosing fabrics, she 100% fell in love with Aneela Hoey's bouquet print.  Then we added some Lecien florals and minty dots, teeny yellow Hints of Prints, pink dots, and a floral stripe from JoAnn's.

A lamb and a bunny were embroidered onto the applique circles.  It was entirely quilted by hand, then bound with yellow gingham (how can you go wrong with that?) and sent off to mama ~ ready for baby.

I do hope the quilt arrives before baby does.  Such an exciting time.  Four times I've been there, and four times I nearly went mad with anticipation ~ just aching to meet the small wonder in my belly.  I say small, but did I ever tell you Nicholas weighed 10 lbs. 2 oz. at birth?  ya.

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My little wonder baby is turning two soon.  In about a month.  And yes, I can believe it, because everyday we stare and marvel at how far she's come (she was 4 lbs. 11 oz. at birth).  At almost 2, Mia likes watering the "garden" on our balcony, singing, dancing, making a mess, Peppa Pig, lollipops, and her bottle.

Oh, and cake.  Mia really likes cake.  I can't wait to give her a tiny one, all for herself, on her birthday.

xo amy