smells fishy to me ...

So ... the PDaddy has been spending the morning going over his fishing ... stuff. He mutters phrases from time to time that sound vaguely familiar like "Wow, this is older than I thought" ... and ... "where the heck did this come from" and "I can't even remember buying this". I can not tell you how good that made me feel. I tried to confess to him that these are the very phrases that I mutter when I go through The Stash. I'm not sure he heard me.

I didn't repeat it.

As you can see, I have been doing a bit of fishing myself. These beauties from the deep blue sea are my latest hand applique project. I have a somewhat similar machine applique project in the works. I may or may not wear sun screen while working on them.

Does your husband have a hobby/sport/electronic obsession that helps you to justify your own crafty/sewing/paper obsession purchases? Do tell.

(Yes ... I would be the one who placed the package of goldfish to give him something to aim for. He has yet to catch one. You can't say I didn't try to help.)

Fuss Budgeting

So ... I got nothin'. Zippo. I absolutely refuse to discuss the 110+ heat anymore and the fact that it has now been combined with sticky-icky humidity. Seriously ... I refuse to talk about that. What I do have is my July Block for the Block O'Fun over at Bunny Hill. I really, really had fun with this one. Maybe because I wasn't under other sewing pressures while I did it.

You must know that my cardinal rule in sewing is that I must ... must ... sew from The Stash. This rule also applies to embellishments. Which explains why I had 3 of these precious stars to sew on ... but not a fourth. I'm okay with it. Really.

I took my time to fussy-cut the leaves and the flag and the lambie's tail just so. I don't know if you can zoom in on her pink tail, but I can definitely say that it has character.

And just in case you are wondering, this is the scrap that I found for it. I don't even think this scrap is originally from my own stash. I believe it came from this daughter's stash and was left behind at some point. Like I say ... I always sew from The Stash, but I didn't say to what lengths (thievery?) I will go to to add to it. I have even stooped to dumpster diving after classes I teach. Pathetic? Yes. Clever? You betcha.

Oh ... and for all you Mrs. Dub fans out there waiting for some big news from me? Not yet. But I'll let you know ... I promise.

Stars. Stripes. Streamers.

So ... Happy Fourth.

I hope your day involves bright lights in the sky and a lot of greasy food.

I hope you enjoy these flags from my very first block-exchange quilt from 2002. It was during the construction of this quilt (after poring over every single square and salivating on a few because these women were "real" quilters) that I decided to become a "real" quilter.

Unfortunately, when I got this out of the closet this morning and photographed the squares, I came to the sad realization that styles and fabrics have really dated themselves over the past seven years. Please excuse me while I momentarily panic over the shelf-life of my Stash. Anyone out there want to join me?

Our Fourth will involve a visit from Daughter #1. I'm thinking that we'll get out an old bike and make her put crepe paper streamers through the spokes and find ourselves a parade.

How about you? What's on your agenda? And more importantly ... what's on your menu?

Clean up on aisle one ...

So ... on Saturday ... when I had many, many better things to do ... I played with my fabric. I didn't sew with it, mind you ... I just played with it. I really should have taken some 'before' pictures, but suffice it to say that it appeared the shelves were throwing up the fabric ... after a very large, very colorful meal.

I took each piece and lovingly stroked it and folded it. I smiled and oohed but mostly made comments like "I have no clue when I bought this" and "I have never seen this piece of fabric before in my life". Which pretty much made Saturday morning ... Christmas.

I had one extra space as things came together so I made a separate pile for my dots. I do love my dots. My dots make me smile.

(You do realize, of course, that what I have in these bookcases represents less than half of The Stash. I split them up over a year ago, and contrary to what either of us thought at the time ... I have pretty much used each half of The Stash equally.)

So ... let me ask you ... when is the last time that you played with your Stash? (fabric, paper, buttons, ribbon, you name it)

And if no one answers yes ... do I need an intervention of some sort?

Register to VOTE!

So ... I have finished all 12 of my butterflies. Each one from a different genre of fabric style. Each one more fun, fun, fun than the last one. Each one from fabrics in The Stash.

Here's the deal: All you have to do is VOTE for your favorite butterfly/style/fabric group. One Comment/One Vote. On Friday (October 10th) I will put those comments/votes into a "hat" and the winner gets a fun stack of fabrics from me in that same, favorite group. Free.

Aah ... butterflies are free afterall.

So ... do you vote for ...

#1: Soft pastels/florals

#2: Bright florals

#3. Solids

#4: Two/tone -- Red/White

#5: Kid Motif -- "I Spy"

#6: Civil War

#7: Thirties/Retro

#8: Pinks/Browns

#9: Batiks

#10: Homespun/Primitive

#11: Black/White/Graphic

#12: Polka Dots

p.s. The actual explanation of this strange group of blocks will come when I announce the winner.

p.p.s. If you haven't actually registered to vote in the actual election, please do so NOW.

p.p.p.s. Admit it ... this is less stressful than the actual election.

It's Bustin' Out All Over!

So ... June has arrived and I am tickled pink. Truth be told ... it's my birthday month and ... it is officially the start of summer vacation. As an empty nester (you kids are in such trouble for having the nerve to grow up and leave home) summer vacation loses some of it's meaning, but for some reason I felt a little giddy yesterday when I realized that it was, indeed, June. So sue me.

This is one of my all-time favorite quilts -- which served as the paper-piecing and the machine applique sample until just recently. I was thrilled to bring it home and hang it in the ol' Kingdom. As you can tell, I am a huge fan of assymetrical borders. Let's face it ... I am assymetrical.

I have not one but two (and by the end of today ... possibly three) projects in the works as we speak. So ... not only is June busting out all over, but so is The Stash.

So ... what's your favorite month? Why? ("December" as an answer will not be accepted ... unless it's your birthday month.)

simply happy

So ... I finally, finally finished both of the samples I have been working on for ... forever!! All I can say is that I am simply happy to be done. I purposely made the two samples to compliment each other, even though they are for two totally separate classes. In the process I discovered a couple of things:

A* I would have probably enjoyed the process more if the second quilt had included new colors and fabrics ... I just plain would have enjoyed the change in scenery and the chance to play in the stash more.

B* I apologize to Mrs. Dub for having to drop a few too many of her glorious details, but I thank her for the inspiration.

C* I am simply happy to be done.

D* Ummm ... I'm still mad about Jim and Pam.

Going Green

So ... I like the Planet Earth.

As a result, I am doing two (count 'em 2!) things this week to help the cause of all things green.

#1: I am in the market for a new car and I plan to buy one with better gas mileage than the last one (which wasn't exactly a Hummer in the first place) and ...

#2: I am making a quilt with a rainforest theme.

This particular quilt will be a gift for my first grand-nephew who is due in February. When I asked his Grandma (my SIL) what colors to go with, she simply said ... "rainforest".

I had tremendous fun invading The Stash to find the fabrics. As you may or may not know ... I only sew from my stash. It surprised even me how many choices I had. There are 3 other theme fabrics with equal fun, frivolity and ... ecology. I will show off the finished product ... hopefully ... before this baby makes his debut on Planet Earth.

* BTW, I also plan to replace my lightbulbs but had a bad experience the first time I tried. The new 3-way swirly-bulb was too big to fit under the "harp".
** No secrets were exposed in the making of this post. SIL and niece are not bloggers.

Do me a Favor ...

So ... here is a picture of the infamous "favors". Pretty much I have Martha and Michaels to thank ... and The Stash. Oh, oh ... and the fact that Valentines is just around the corner and pink (and brown) candies are in abundance. Oh, oh, oh ... and the fact that for some bizarro reason, these particular pink beauties were on sale for 60% off ... even though (as has been previously mentioned) ... Valentines is just around the corner. Call it Kizmet, call it Carma, the "sale-fairies" were working for me that day.

But enough of all that. Let's discuss Martha. I've gotta tell you that I'm not a big fan. I don't like her magazine because I want my magazines to have full page pictures of real-life homes. I'm looking for inspiration in a magazine ... not necessarily step-by-step instructions. And I have never even seen her show.

Is that heresy? (Not to be confused with 'hearsay' ... 'cause it's the honest truth ... I've never watched her show.)

I really like her stuff at Michaels, but I like it best at 60% off. I spent a large part of my day on Christmas Eve touring some of her homes in Southern Cal and I really liked them. (As does this daughter ... and I sure like her.)

So ... let's take a vote: Yeah Martha. Boo Martha. Or ... You-can-come-to-my-home-and-bake-me-something-but don't-ask-to-be-my-best-friend ... Martha.

Let the voting begin.

It lives and breathes . . .

I spent a greater part of this Labor Day morning moving things around in my sewing room. Specifically, I brought my (current) favorite, most inspiring fabrics out of the closet and into the light. It took a great deal of angst to think of breaking up The Stash, but after much consideration, I felt it was for the best. I have not forgotten their friends who still live in the "old neighborhood". I have vowed that I will visit there often.

For those of you who are wondering, "Where did she get that lovely slipcovered wing chair?" the answer is this: I bought that chair (and an ottoman that doesn't really fit in the sewing room and is under the table) for a whopping 35 bucks at a yard sale several years ago. It was covered in a hideous fabric that would best not be described. I got the bright idea to slipcover them myself, even though I had absolutely no prior slipcovering experience. Just in case you are wondering . . . not the brightest idea to pick a wing chair as one's first slipcovering project, nope . . . not the brightest.

However . . . when I finally finished them, I could not have been happier. I just vowed I would, never, ever again slipcover my own furniture. I lived true to that promise until early this year when I slipcovered the sofa and love seat in my living room.

But that's another post. Another really long and difficult post. For now let's just be happy that I can smell my fabric from my cozy seat in the wing chair. It's just too bad I can still hear the other fabrics whining in the closet from there.

true confessions one and two

So . . . Mary . . . what projects have you actually been working on, you know, . . . as we speak?

Why thanks for asking. I spent most of last week (when I wasn't figuring out how to post, checking my blog, reading other people's blogs and just "blinking" my brains out in general) working on these two little numbers.

They are actually samples to be displayed at this store and will be taught by me in October at that same store in Grandma's R Us Club. They are a pattern from a book called Winsome Baby by Nancy Halvorsen at Art To Heart. Other than using my own fabrics from my own Store (see disertation on The Stash) I followed the instructions to the letter (the letters "e" and "T" specifically). Which brings us to True Confession #1:

I have a really, really, hard time just following someone else's design and not veering off into La La Land when the slightest whim catches my eye. I have never understood how people can enjoy making something straight from a pattern. Except that . . . I really, really enjoyed making these. And frankly, that scared me just a little. (That would be True Confession #1A.)

So TC #2 would be this: I sew really, really slow. Seriously, it took me way longer than it should have to make these, especially considering the fact that I wasn't having to make creative decisions along the way. What is the deal? Could it be because I have never been one to put the "pedal to the metal" in my car or on my Bernina? Could it be because I stop all too frequently to admire my work? ("Now that is one mighty fine seam.") Or could it be because I only sew for 2 to 3 hours at a time?

Let's face it I have got to speed things up, if I don't want The Stash entirely willed to my children. In the meantime I need your help with two questions:

Q#1: Any tips on the speed issue? (My children would be grateful if you could also apply those tips to my driving.)
Q#2: Do you think Miss Dub and L'il Gee will like their new toys?

The Stash

So, this is The Stash. Or -- more accurately -- a very small portion of it. Or -- to be honest -- this picture doesn't even cut the surface. But for the purposes of this post, it will do.

Every quilter has a Stash and she (I will always say "she" when referencing quilters, but that is only out of convenience and no offense should be taken if one does not fall into this category) displays it proudly to others quilters and sewers and friends. Oftentimes, portions of The Stash may be hidden from other "family members" who do not appreciate it's . . . grandeur. I am lucky enough that a) I keep my Stash in a closet where a simple closing of the door does the trick and b) my "family" (e.g. PDaddy) has no issues with The Stash and it's ever growing and blossoming nature.

And he shouldn't. Because I have rules where The Stash is concerned and I stick to them religiously. (And, let's face it, I am a religious person and don't throw that term around lightly either.) There are basically two rules:

Rule #1: Add to The Stash often* &
Rule #2: Always, always sew from The Stash.**

Perhaps a bit of explanation will help. *I prefer variety to quantity. I make smallish, scrappy quilts. As a result I see no need to buy 4 yards of any one fabric at a time. I buy half yards, third yards and fat quarters up the ying yang. Sometimes I'll buy 1 yard. Do I ever run out of a fabric I desperately need more of? All the time. That's why they call 'em "scrappy."

As to Rule #2** That closet is my own personal Store. When I am starting something new . . . I go to The Store. The choices are (somewhat) more limited than the actual fabric store, and that just makes life easier. I can stand there for hours at a time pulling out options and cutting off pieces of them as I make decisions. (Try doing that at the fabric store -- they really, really, frown on it.) Without exception, I always find what I need.

So, there you have it. The Stash. The Rules.

The End.