Appreciating the Endless Possibilities of the Creative
The winner of the four quarter yard cuts of Jenean’s Beechwood Park is BC Miller who said “That is such awesome fabric. Working on a an easy charm quilt throw.” BC, I’ve sent you an email so check your Inbox.
The weekend was busy with family. I’m just starting to get my bearings and hope to have some fun and very colorful things to share in the next day or two. See you then!
Happy Friday! I’ve got two fun things for you today. First up, a little project sheet to make a cuff bracelet. It takes no time at all to turn your favorite designer prints into wearable art. I made this one in Jenean Morrison’s Beechwood Park. The design is perfect for this application. A few buttons embellish the cuff. You might choose to do beading or add some sequins on yours.
Click here for the project sheet. You can also find it under the Freebies section.
Second, I’d love to share some Beechwood Park with one of you. Let’s have a sweepstakes!
Here’s all you need to do for a chance to be the lucky winner:
Due to the volume of comments during giveaways, I won’t be responding to comments for this post. But I’ll definitely be reading them. Thank you for visiting and entering!
When the opportunity arose to review Dena’s new book, The Painted Home, I jumped at the chance. I’m going to be posting about Dena’s two new fabric collections in the next couple of weeks. Reviewing her book couldn’t happen at a more fortuitous time. Between the small fabric stacks of Tangier Ikat and the Christmas collection, Love and Joy, and this new book, I’ve been in color heaven.
If you’re not familiar with Dena’s work, I encourage you to change that right now. She’s a creative powerhouse with licensed designs on a host of products. Her fabric designs for Free Spirit are just one small component of her business. Check out her website here.
But back to the book. Dena’s assistant kindly sent me a copy and when it arrived, I sat down and read through it immediately. Two words describe the feeling of the images, as well as the text: exuberant joy. It is clear she follows her own advice of surrounding yourself with what you love. Her home is filled with treasures–both found and made. As you flip through the pages, you’re taken on a journey through Dena’s home, a place where creativity is given free reign.
The book includes project ideas and instructions. Mod Podge features in several–something that delights me to no end. Other projects require paint. There’s a good mix of things to jump start your own painted home. I made a small paperweight from the book using Dena’s Love and Joy fabric.
I used a small glass votive holder because finding a small glass bowl was proving to be too time consuming. I also added the yo yo and button embellishments to the top because I couldn’t resist. And also because I am less likely to knock it over with that bit on top. If I had any vintage jewelry or other nostalgic bits, they would sit under glass perfectly. Perhaps I can keep an eye out for some. (If there’s a downside to the book, it’s that it makes you want to rush out to antique stores and flea markets, gathering treasure everywhere you go.)
Do you feel like you need a bit of encouragement to turn yourself loose in your own home? Are you restrained in adding personal touches because you think it might take things too far? Have you ever wished you had the courage to put your stamp on your home? If so, Dena’s gentle push is just what you need. She isn’t trying to sell you on her style. She’s providing the thoughts and ideas for you to create and execute your own.
You can find The Painted Home on Amazon and other online retailers. Or check your local bookstore for a copy. Grab one and get ready to be inspired.
On Saturday, Mr. P discovered the plant nursery across town had some of their fountains on sale. Like 50% off. So we hopped in the truck and headed over.
It didn’t take long to select a spot and get it set up. Slowly but surely, progress is being made in the back yard. It’s a good thing I’d already completed my sewing for the day.
This large roomy bag is Anna Maria Horner’s Art Student Tote. I used her Field Study linen for the exterior body, solid Free Spirit linen for the pockets, two pieces of Garden Party to trim the pockets and the rest is Loulouthi. I used Shape Flex for the interfacing and it adds just the right amount of body to the linen. I’m giving the bag to my oldest niece (who is actually older than I am). These colors are right up her alley. And she’s going to need an extra bag to keep her organized over the next few months. So…a perfect gift.
I hope you’ve had a good weekend too. Hard to believe a new week is starting so soon!
By now, you’re probably used to my creative rabbit trails. I can’t seem to help myself. I’m a doer not a dreamer. When I see something that really excites me, chances are I’m going to dive right in. 
A couple days ago, Diane posted a plastic canvas pin cushion needle keeper project. Within two hours, I was at Michael’s buying plastic canvas. I was hoping for 10 count but they only had 7. No problem, I just used left over yarn instead of embroidery floss. Not my first choice but I was desperate to begin. You can see why.
This handy little piece has such a fun vibe to it. You’ll notice my pin cushion portion is a bit overblown in comparison to Diane’s but it will hold a lot of pins. I used Dan Bennett’s fabric for the cushion and Red Heart sports weight yarn. Next time, I’m using a smaller count of plastic canvas and some of my gorgeous Anchor threads.
It would be a great gift for sewing/crafting friends–perfect for swaps. Head over to Craftypod and check it out.
The long awaited arrival of Jennifer Paganelli’s latest collection, Circa, has Sis Boom fans swooning. Circa is like meta-text for fabric. The collection brings a fresh wave of nostalgia for simpler times and days gone by; but for hard core Sis Boom fans, the collection looks back on some of Jennifer’s first fabric collections. Collections like Girlfriends, Mod Girls and Flower Power are still in high demand today, despite being discontinued and out of print.
From initial reactions, Circa promises to be just as timeless and popular. I’m glad I pre-ordered a bit for my stash. My favorite is the Bradlee stripe, so full of fussy cutting possibilities and just the thing for mixing with past collections. I used some for the border on this hexagon and diamond runner.
The hexies and diamonds were machine pieced. For the quilting I used yellow, blue and white Anchor pearl cotton. I’ve been telling Mr. P we need to get a white picnic table for the freshly graveled area near the grilling/smoking area. Can’t you just imagine this laid out on the table with a vase of pink flowers, a large jug of lemonade and some pretty glasses?
All of these prints are from the Circa collection. I purchased the stripes and backing from Hawthorne Threads. The sweet Long Ladies appear to have some at Marie Madeline Studio. It’s going fast and second shipments won’t hit until September for most shops. Don’t wait!
Over the weekend, we made progress here at Casa P. The beginnings of our rock/succulent garden are well underway. Eight hundred pounds of rock is only enough to build up the first section, so Mr. P will be making at least one more trip for more.
The cats helped out with the preparations and installation, offering quality control inspections and opinions about dirt. Stinka even spent time on pest control in the midst of all her other duties.
Pete was a bit more relaxed about the whole thing, preferring to give his input once everything was in place. He’s not that impressed. The flagstones in the shade of the pergola are still his favorite spot.
Now, if I can just keep from being distracted by those two felines, I cano get back to my To Do list. There are stacks of fabric sitting around here, just waiting for my attention. I hope your week is off to a great start!
Thank you to everyone who entered the Olfa giveaway and bravely admitted how many cutters they owned! Mr. Random Number Generator has selected our winner. Congratulations to Tina Bunton who commented, “I have 2 rotary cutters 
“! Tina, check your Inbox. I sent you an email requesting your details.
Have a great day, everyone!
Ready for a giveaway? Me too! Olfa’s newest blade on the block is Splash. I talked about it the other day on this post. And guess what arrived on my doorstep yesterday? Another blade from Olfa, only this time, it’s for one of you! (Don’t worry. It will come in its original packaging.) Thank you, Olfa!!
Here’s all you need to do for a chance to be the lucky winner:
Good luck! Please note that due to the large volume of giveaway commenters, I will be unable to thank you all personally for taking time to visit and enter the giveaway. So to everyone who stops by, “Thank you!” And don’t forget to check out Olfa’s FB page.
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. A winner has been selected.
Do you remember my EPP octagons and wedges? The ones in Amy Butler fabrics? I decided to use them on a large pillow cover. A glass of lemonade and some hand work is all I need for some relaxing summer days under the pergola.
When taking on something new, whether it’s a new paper piece shape or a new sewing technique, choose a small project. It’s less intimidating and you’re far more likely to finish. You will be able to acquire the necessary skill and familiarity without losing your sanity or nerve.
If you haven’t tried English Paper Piecing, you should! I get my papers here. While you can cut your own, I don’t recommend it if your budget can be stretched at all. Precision is key when it comes to those little papers and knowing they’re perfectly cut is worth the money. And remember, you can use them more than once.
Paper piecing appeals to me for two reasons. Okay, maybe three. First, hand work is very relaxing and can be done anywhere. Second, it’s a great way to utilize scraps. Lastly, it’s a fun way to play with color combinations and geometry.
So, what you are waiting on? Grab yourself some papers and scraps and get ready for summer!
An autodidact, book lover, coffee fiend, seamstress, crafter, quilter, designer, etc.
This is the place I share some of my journey, a few of my musings and occasionally unexpected bits of science, philosophy and other oddments.
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