3.31.2012

More 30s & Blooms

 Spring is in the air, 30s are my choice in fabrics and 
there are even more flowers out in the yard. 

Life is good.


 The strawberry patch has about 2 dozen flowers in bloom....and it's March! 
Can you imagine how many berries we'll collect this year?
 The tulips are a nice new addition to the backyard. 
And they're a welcome sight.
Ah, my violets. Nothing says spring like violets and these white ones with purple throats are my absolute favorite. They remind me of helping out in great grandpa Eddie's garden when I was just a toddler.

Wishing you a wonderful week,
Heather

3.28.2012

Dotty FWQAL Block


It's been a long, l-o-n-g break from the 
Farmer's Wife Quilt along.
Happily, the polka-dotty postage stamp block
{#68 in the series} came together without a hitch.
Looking forward to some more piecing soon.

piece.
Heather

3.23.2012

Spring is in the Air


It's unbelievable in this area to see a monarch butterfly March 20th.
But I did this year
and I've seen some smaller butterflies
over the past couple days.

Flowers and ground cover, hostas and violets are opening en masse...
it's like nothing we've ever witnessed here.

Our snow fall for the entire 2011-2012 'winter'
was an inch LESS than just one 
day of accumulation 2010-2011.

It's been phenomenal!

It's no wonder the sewing isn't getting done.

Tip toe through the tulips
Happy Dancing,
Heather

3.22.2012

Feed the Stash


Some sweet 30s reproductions to add to the stash.
Cute, right? 
I'm looking forward to getting back to a bit of piecing shortly.

Have a wonderful day,
Heather


3.18.2012

chick, chick, pastel chicken fabrics


Special thanks to Colleen of Lucky Duck Dreams for
reading the 'Which Came First?' post & answering my plea. 


Funny how things work out that way.

Maybe my Jane timing isn't SO bad after all.
I know with the redos on the list and some bits here & there
I can find some room to work these fabrics in
 to the final design.

Happy Sewing,
Heather

3.17.2012

Make Your Own Sanding Sugar!


Warm wishes from our family to yours this St. Patrick's Day.

We're having some luck of the Irish cake to start of our morning...
{not too shabby for gluten free vanilla}
but to spice it up and make it a bit more festive,
I added a sugar shamrock to each piece.

If you are ever in need of a bit of sanding sugar 
but don't have the color you'd like on hand,
save yourself a trip to the grocery store 
{and the $2.59 for a small container of single color}.
It's SO easy!

All you need is some turbinado sugar
(always on hand in our pantry in the individual packets)
and some food coloring.
Open a few packets of sugar and place them into a bowl. 
Add a drop of the food coloring and mix well with a fork. 
When all your liquid is absorbed, add another drop at a time until 
you have the amount of sugar you need and the exact color you're looking for. 
It's Easy Peasy. 
 Enjoy this little tip for year round sugar,
just the way you like it.

Heather
=D

3.16.2012

Shamrocks Adorn Us

These clips were so much fun to make, 
thanks to a fantastic tutorial by Christina Williams.
I purchased the smallest set of covered buttons for this project, using
some Judie Rothermel 30's prints {shamrocky, of course!!} 
so we can be festive tomorrow. 
The first set of small covered buttons
I purchased had teeth on the top's underside,
hoping the newer set looks a little smoother around the edges.
Oh, the possibilities!

Happy Crafting
& a Very Happy St. Patrick's Day,

Heather

3.15.2012

The {Usually} Windy City

Michigan Avenue will never be the same, Marilyn.
They don't call it the Windy City for nothing
-usually-
We've never experienced the city on a more beautiful day.
The weather was sunny and clear with just the softest breeze.

Warm, mild weather continues
and I think it's safe to say it's here to stay.

{knocking on wood & crossing my fingers}
With temperatures in the 70s, 
our first daffodils of 2012 arrived last night...
more to open later today, I'm sure.
For now, we're living it up in flip flops, 
outside every day basking in the sunshine.
Thanks for taking the virtual tour of Chicago 
with us this week.
Have a wonderful day,
Heather






3.07.2012

Sculpture Park



While in St. Louis, we visited
Laumeier Sculpture Park so the kids could run around 
before the long drive back home. 
I was lucky enough to catch up with an old friend and 
her family while the kids were busy. 
Miss you already, T.

Heather

3.05.2012

Roses, Roses Everywhere!





Here's what I've been up to...
I also made peachy pink corsages & white boutonnieres per the bride's request. 
Hopefully, I'll snag some better pics and share at another time. 
CONGRATULATIONS to Marisa & Mark!! 
Thank you for trusting us to create your flowers 
and for including us in your lovely ceremony.
All my best,
Heather



3.04.2012

Which Came First?


Some new Judie Rothermel fabric to add to the stash. 
Chicks, eggs & cute chickens...what could be better?
There is some little chick fabric on pastels I'm on the hunt for. 
Haven't seen it anywhere. 
If you happen to have some 
Authentic Prints by F+Z for SSI C1920's-1940's 

I'd GLADLY swap for some.


Thank you & Happy Sewing, 
Heather

3.02.2012

Sure Signs of EARLY Spring

Those are buds!?! Yes, daffodil buds close the warm brick and flowers blooming as they come up in the smaller photo on the left...first I've seen this early in the 15+ years I've lived in this state. 
Southern Spring, here we come!!

3.01.2012

I've Never Seen the Berry Patch Like This


It's so hard to believe that the strawberry patch is as green as it is. 
This photo was taken 2/29. That's right.