RSVP Embroidery

Slow progress on the RSVP car quilt block, but it's been a while 

since I did any embroidery.

The fill should go quickly in red...

it's the chrome I'm a little worried about.

Those who were with us last year 

may remember my less than stellar use of the super thin 

(and incredibly slippery)

silver thread.

Have a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We're going to celebrate in our jammies and get plenty of rest while we can.

Looks like our dog has a head start.

Best Wishes & Happy Stitches,

Heather

Fun Mail Arrives!

The wheels are spinning with the new (to me) addition of Aunt Grace Friends Around the World!

FUN MAIL IS THE BEST!!!

Readers may remember some of the Dear Jane blocks done

in a few of these fabrics. 

{You'll find a few more are at G13, 100th Post & 5 Triangles}.

I had the hardest time finding the whole

set since they've been out of print for a while.

I have been searching for some of the pieces for a very long time...

including 2 trips to see Judie & Bob Rothermel's shop 

at the International Quilt Festival.

I have such a soft spot for Judie's fabrics. 

She's still my favorite designer

{and I'm beginning to think she always will be}.

Hmmm. Now I'm thinking about Jane again. 

Maybe this winter I'll pick it back up again.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

A Little Bit o' Christmas

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been 

getting the house ready for Christmas.

The garland is up, new wreaths adorn the front doors,

the big tree & kids tree are both up...

The kids even did their own decorating this year 

{lights and all!}. 

*Proud mama moment*

They did a fantastic job and didn't argue once.

_______________________________________

We're having a bit of work done on the house...

Our schedule seems a little off

-and to complicate things-

I managed to injure myself pretty well this week...

so sewing will be at bare minimum the next few weeks

while I'm on the mend amid the chaos of construction.

_________________________________________

HaPpY NeWs:

I found new (to me) vintage glass ornaments online

and am having a blast opening some fun mail. 

My tiny collection from last year has grown 

enough to make the move to the big tree, leaving the 

garland in need of some new finds, too!

The ornament hunt will 

should keep me out of trouble.

;o)

All my best,

Heather

Cats & Mice

Another Kaffe block to add to the design board. 

It's a fun one! 

{#17 Cats & Mice} 

=D

Homeward Bound

Blue block {fwqal #48} called Homeward Bound is up on the design board. 

The song by the same name is still running through my mind. 

You can't go wrong with a little Simon & Garfunkel.

piece.
Heather

Hovering Birds Complete

Happy Halloween!

One block quickly pieced before heading out the door on a busy day. 

It feels great to add another Kaffe block to the mix.

For those of you following the FWQAL, it's 'Hovering Birds'.

Happy Sewing {and trick-or-treating},

Heather

A Farmer's Wife Block

 A bit of quick sewing after work tonight & already another block to add to the mix.

 I'm loving this sampler...it's easy peasy!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Piece.

Heather

=D

Fast, Simple Tomato Soup

Simple Tomato Soup

2 cups organic chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1 six ounce can tomato paste

Heavy Whipping Cream to taste {optional}

& preferred seasonings

Combine broth & paste in a saucepan, whisking to combine until warm.

Add seasonings (dash of pepper, sprinkle of garlic powder & 1/2 Splenda packet).

If using cream, whip to desired consistency and heat through at a low setting.

Ladle soup into your favorite bowl or mug and enjoy.

*frozen Udi's GF white bread used for sandwiches*

This recipe is gluten free, HFCS free (high fructose corn syrup), can be adapted for vegans (veggie broth & skip the cream), costs LESS than canned soup AND it tastes better, too.

Warm Wishes,

Heather

Farmer's Wife Block

The weather is cooling off as we settle into autumn. 

With a warm latte in hand {ah, caffeine!}, I managed to

  complete a little farmer's wife block this afternoon. It's called Peaceful Hours 

(#65 for those following along with the FWQAL).

Piece.

Heather

It's a Beautiful Day

I have that U2 song running through my head today....

but it's true: It's a Beautiful Day.

We grilled skirt steak, played outside and basked in the sunshine. 

Off to play at the park, hoping you are having a beautiful day with your loved ones, too.

All my best,

Heather

Embroidery

Sorting through my embroidery floss the other day,

I came across some beautiful colors that have me thinking it's about time

to start up a little hand work project.

 RSVP has such good timing! This is the car I'll be working on the next few weeks 

{when I'm not piecing a Farmer's Wife block, that is}.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

=)

Farmer's Wife

A quick, simple block for tonight. 

Squash Blossom has been added to the mix.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

500 Turkeys Project is in the Works.

The top is pieced (table topper). I may still add a border, we'll see. 

It looks like some Kona solid for the backing, possibly sand.

Here's hoping some bidders like the color choices!

Happy Sewing,

Heather

Y Seam Practice

FWQAL #47 Homemaker 

provided a refresher on the Y {inset or set-in} seam. 

Use it or lose it, right?

=D

Falling Leaves

Purchased at SPOONFLOWER, a new favorite fabric just arrived! 

Deliciously fall themed 

{plus POLKA DOTS!!},

I'm changing my leaf project to include it.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

Farmer's Wife

Another couple FWQAL blocks join the others on the design board this evening. 

I'm loving these Kaffe
Fassett prints. 

L-O-V-I-N-G.

Happy Sewing,

Heather

decisions, decisions

So....I need to whip up a few fall projects. 

I've been contemplating some fabric combinations and think I have the piles just about right. 

What do you think?

Thanks to the Wandering Stars, I'm leaning towards pile #1 for the fabulous household. =D

Happy Sewing,
Heather

A Kaffe Block for the pile

A bit of sewing makes the day so much better.

Just enough time to whip up a FWQAL block & 

find some new Kona for the stash.

Happy Sewing,
Heather

2 more FWQAL blocks

I've been playing in the new fabrics & managed 

to whip up a couple of Farmer's Wife blocks this afternoon.

Happy Sewing,
Heather

500 TURKEYS

As the weather changes from warm and sunny to rainy and cool here in the midwest, thoughts turn to comforting meals at home with family and the simple things that make life worth living.

To make this possible for some families in our area, Jeni & Anna at Life Bridge Christian Church are coordinating 500 Turkeys. 

Those of you who read my tweets have seen a few mentions of this wonderful project 

but in case you missed it, you'll find details by clicking 500 TURKEYS.  

Jenni & Anna are in need of volunteers, auction items, a few Bunco players {just 15 tickets remaining},

and of course, turkeys and sides. If you're able to, please consider helping this local cause.

PayPal donations are being accepted via the 500 TURKEYS website.

Thank you.

Warm Wishes,

Heather

Mail Call!

Can you believe it? 

The fabric I just ordered from Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works 

arrived this morning already! 

My mind is swimming with possibilities. Looks like I'll

be whipping up some more FWQAL blocks this week after all.

Now, from what I understand, Jackie is adding even more KF selections

to her site!

Be sure to stop on by & check it out soon.

Another FWQAL to add to the MiX

FWQAL Block: Strawberry Basket

made for a wonderful Sunday morning of sewing. 

May today be one of many days of service in the US and beyond.

If you haven't found a project to volunteer for, spend a bit of 

your time researching online today. 

Donate your time and talents to a non-profit organization that meets 

the needs of your community every single day of the year.

Make a difference.

Wishing you the very best,

Heather

Finally! Farmer's Wife Update

Where does the time go?

It's been quite a while since I've pieced any FWQAL blocks in the Kaffe + basics theme.

Ordering some delicious Kaffe prints from Canton Village Quilt Works in the wee hours of the morning had thoughts of Kaffe Fassett prints dancing in my head through the night.

Wondering what I could come up with using scraps from the stash & taking full advantage of a day off today...

I found time to catch up with Mr. Fabulous & make 2 easy quick blocks to add to the little stack of completed blocks. 

Happy Sewing,

Heather

a little quick sewing

Some quick hexies whipped up this evening...

to add to the growing pile. 

There's nothing quite like a bit of sewing to make my day.

Enjoy your Labor Day.

Happy Sewing,
Heather

=)

A Morning of Sewing

Finally a bit of free time in the sewing room! Thanks so much for hanging in there with me.

Words cannot express how much I've missed piecing & sharing with you along the way.

To get back into the swing of things, I'm fussy cutting hexagons and am having a blast. 

They're ideal for practicing the Y seam **also known as set-in and inset seams**. While the larger sizes are good practice, it's great to get some smaller ones in, too once you're comfortable with the process {especially if you're considering taking on Jane}.

For those of you who love the look of fussy cut hexagons, you're probably going to be cutting with shears. People still use scissors to cut with? SHOCKING, isn't it?? LOL

It's true, there are some fancy machines available to shave some time off prep work but I've yet to find one that meets my needs. I've even toyed with rotary cut hexagons for a while but wasn't thrilled with the results and found it didn't save much time because to do them, you press your fabric strip in half. Try getting that center press out without distorting a little hexi! It comes in handy for your solid pieces but to highlight your favorite fabrics, it's not the best method.

MACHINE PIECED Hexagons

In any case, I'm taking it back to old school methods and am thrilled with the results. To make my templates, I use graph paper. I glue the shape on to template plastic and cut it out. That's it. Easy Peasy. On the rare occasion I'm out of template plastic, I have been known to use poster board or cereal boxes but they do not maintain their shape long if you're rotary cutting....fine for shears if you're careful. 

I do have one go-to acrylic for hexagons....it's a green Darlene Zimmerman Hexagon Template by EZ Quilting/Wrights. It's a bit hard to use for cutting piles of the same size hexagons, but a perfect reference tool.

It's great to be back!!

Happy Sewing,

Heather

=)

Love from Japan

  

I'm blessed to know some wonderful people and grateful I can call them friends.

 After a busy couple of weeks transitioning back to work (and absolutely no time in the sewing room)...

I had an amazing surprise waiting at my door this evening.

Warm wishes, incredible news & a beautiful package of Japanese fabrics from a wonderful friend.

Who could ask for anything more?

Thank you, Chiyoe!!

Have a wonderful weekend & Happy Sewing,

Heather

Embroidery Find

Thinking I was getting a deal on a table cloth, I snatched this beautifully embroidered piece without opening it. Little did I know, it was a hand embroidered top or summer coverlet that looks to be in perfect condition. What a fun find!

Farmer's Wife

Yay! Mr. Fabulous watched the kids & helped with dinner 

so I could have a bit of time in the sewing room.

One done and it feels great.

I've been missing the colorful Kaffe fabrics, the FWQAL blocks

{and playing in polka dots, too}.

Happy Stitching,

Heather

Treasure, Aye Matey!

I found a locked box at a garage sale and had to open it up and find out what was inside.

Once I did, I clutched the box and couldn't wait to bring it home. 

Can I just say I love wooden spools? I'm not sure where my fascination came from but they're so much cooler than plastic. It's so nice to add a few to my little stash. 

Thimbles?? Seriously...is there such a thing as too many? 

I love all sizes, ones I'll never use, metal, plastic, themed or not. 

The new additions have me completely giddy.

Vintage needle cases, too?? A box of goodness on a slow sewing week is just the boost I need to get back to my projects. 

 Now if only I'd have purchased her iron collection....