Pin It Weekly #238

Are you pinning? What's of interest to you lately? Here are a few pins from readers.

Tracy Trainer's "Great Ideas" board has over 2000 great ideas!

Here's something a little different. Cheryl Gushue has a board titled "Branding."It makes all kinds of sense, but it's the first time I've seen a board exclusively for branding purposes. Smart!

Here's hoping that you are inspired by what you see every day. 

Send me a card....

I have a place to put it!  Today I made a Christmas card holder.  I purchased some Christmas fabric at Quilts Bayou, a cute little quilt shop in Lake Charles, on our way home from Texas several months ago.  

I didn't realize it before but I've been hooked on this soft ice blue for some time.  I noticed it today when I decided to use the fabric. It has the same blue in it that I chose to use on this year's tree.  It's probably not a coincidence but it sort of feels that way.  

I decided to use the focus fabric separately to make a top for the holder.  Then used the other three fabrics for the back and the envelopes.

The olive is sort of unusual for a Christmas color but it contrasts nicely with the blue.  I love that one of the blue has the titles of Christmas songs on it.  Had I paid attention to that I may have used it for the back piece. However, it's a bit late for that now. 

Regardless, I really like my little holder and am looking forward to our first Christmas card.  I am fairly sure my mother-in-law will hand me one in a day or two....she is faithful to her traditions and giving out Christmas cards is definitely one.

I've decided this bird is a partridge.  Since I like it so much, I chose to quilt the bird by quilting around it and following some of the lines on it for detailing.  The end result is that the bird pops forward and the detailed lines really add to the look.  

I just wish I hadn't cut off the little guy's beak.  It's just a tiny little bit but still, it bothers me.  

For the rest of the quilt, I practiced some quilting designs that I learned in an Angela Waters Craftsy class.  The top block is quilted in squares, the second in shells, and the third in circles.  I really need to practice some more, but in a few days the quilting will be covered by cards and next year I will be laughing that I did such a poor job of it.  

What Christmas sewing have you been doing?

Pin It New Year's

Happy New Year’s to you and yours!  Blessings and best wishes for 2014. 

It’s a bit hard to believe that we are already in 2014.  But we are so let’s enjoy it, shall we?  Here are a few vintage cards to begin.

I have been making scarves for the last day or so, which has me thinking of beautiful sheer fabrics.  It’s a short jump to thinking of lace and romance—a beautiful way to close out my very active New Year’s Day.  I love lace.  Not for me to wear, you understand, to appreciate and stitch on non-wear items or for others to wear.  I can really appreciate these.

Again, best wishes for the new year.  May you and yours have a blessed, joyous 2014.

Mary

Cute, cute, cute! and Carla

 Cute, indeed!  I got a couple of packages in the mail yesterday.  One was a check from my sister, the second was a card and cash from another sister, and the third was a fat quarter from my bloggy friend, Carla.   

Since Angie's check and Laura's cash look like a regular check and regular cash (which I don't get to keep anyway) I'll just move on to the fun stuff: Laura's handmade card.  Laura is so very crafty (card-making) and talented (photography) to boot. 

I'm sorry that my photography skills pale in comparison, but you get the idea that her "delight in life" card is just adorable, right?  I wonder if she's aware that chevrons are all the rage right now.  I wonder if she knows that zigzags are chevrons.  I only know cause I quilt and she doesn't quilt, although she knew what fat quarters were about the same time that I discovered them, so perhaps she does.  Either way, she's right on the money with this cute card, don't you think?

Now that little package from Carla--well, let me tell you it was a wonderful, happy surprise.

First there was a sweet friends card, which I happen to love, even if I don't knit.  Then, there was a chocolate bar, which didn't make it in the house since Lane and I were on the porch when Rich came in with the mail.  I discovered the candy and it was inhaled in about two seconds. 

Oh, no, not just me!  Richard opened and broke it into thirds before I could consider a share...which I fully intended to do, if I'd had time to intend anything.  Anyway, tucked inside the package was a fat quarter of this bike fabric. 

Last week Carla wrote about a zippered bag that she had just finished.  I read her blog fairly regularly (and recommend it with high marks) so I saw the bag, which is very cute.  But the fabric she used really did it for me.  I fell in love with the bicycle on the front of her bag, so I asked her about it in the hopes that I could find it a local shop. 

She answered with an offer to send a fat quarter!  Now that is too sweet.  Of course, I took her up on it, silly.  And now here it is.  Not just the cutest?  Of course it is!  I've got a plan for it, but it has to wait it's turn, otherwise the QuiltCon fabrics may get upset.   I can't have fabrics fighting; that just won't do.  No, we play nicely around here.

I've chosen a favorite bike--this blue with the flowers.   However, the yellow with the plaid fenders is pretty darn cute, too, all bright and sunny!

 

I am so grateful to Carla for sending this fabric all the way from Canada.  We certainly have some sweet neighbors just a little to the north.  I'm praying that she's not too cold up there.  I have a feeling that tonight's late freeze rode in on a pretty little bicycle, while nibbling on chocolate!  And it worries me that Carla might be chilly, since there aren't many cold fronts that can pedal all the way from Canada this late in the winter.  They do tend to get lazy once March comes around.  That means they are all hanging out with Carla, partying up a storm and building strength for the winter.  Do go by and visit her, it'll warm her greatly to have visitors!

 

Thank you, dear Carla!

Happy Quilting,

Mary