in a manger...

so sweet

this

baby is...

. laying in a manger...

hand stitching...

it has been

a long time

for me...

.

hand stitched applique

the look is so clean

so fresh

so appropriate for this

newest project...

blessed by backing...

it was late

very late

in the evening

.

i just finished piecing

the border around the acorn

it was becoming a cute wall hanging

for the upcoming fall season

a rich combination of colors

reminding me of my

favorite season in ohio

but where was the backing

i did not seem to have

enough yardage to

complete the project

i hate being in that situation

in the middle of the night

then i remembered

i do have keys

to a store

with fabric

how lucky i thought

and how very truly blessed

it still hasn't totally

sunk in

i now own bolts

not just a stash

with cuts and pieces

awesome...yes...

there's nothing like

a quiet

friday night

.

in the studio

with the form behind me

i was able to play

with awesome

and yes indeed

it is awesome

i decided to outline the leaves

and the stem

with a blanket stitch

by hand

had not done that in a while

it felt good

and i love the look

it gave to my leaf

awesome...not...

my favorite

time of year

is just around...

.

...the corner

and i have just the thing

to prepare

a charm pack of awesome

and acorn alley

the pattern

i even found a great

leaf template

to use for quilting

but not so fast

instead

i have the dreaded

pile of paperwork

to complete for my

daughter's school program

awesome will have to wait

until tomorrow

meet owlivia...

this adorable little owlet

is the creative invention

of sandy gervais...

.

the minute

i saw her posted

on the moda bake shop

i just knew

she was to be a part of our display

but time was running out

not to fear

the instructions were easy to follow

so my own little owlivia

was birthed this morning at

approximately 4:15 a.m.

weighing in at about 2.5 pounds

she's filled with lentils

not what the pattern called for

but the only

suitable thing i could find

in the cupboard

at that hour of the night

i don't think she'll give a hoot

as she is standing tall

princess of the roost

i was thinking of making more than one

then i would have a parliament

just discovered that is what you call

a group of owls

do not try this at night...

i have found...

there are some tasks

that must wait...

.

until the rise of the sun

such as

cross pollination

which had my eyes

well...

...crossed

as i was trying to line up the many

diagonal cuts and

intersecting points

it's a stunner though

now complete
a perfect backdrop

for the jellen's house of fabric

business expo display

cross-pollination...

...moving right along

to our next

project with frolic

.

cross-pollination seems

appropriate for this

2010 spring season

of extreme high pollen count

i wonder what sandy had in mind

when she named this pattern

i'm curious about those little details

this will be a first for us

utilizing a jelly roll and

turnovers

in the same quilt

should be fun

all pinned up...

and ready to go

to the

quilting machine...

.

the fabric is

frolic

the verna project sheet from moda

is the pattern referred to

so perfect for sarah to stitch
with straight lines and

little pattern matching necessary

we plan to use a

large flower as our guide

wish us luck

frolicing freely...

...all night long

by morn...

two little

.

bluebirds are born

i seriously covet all

charm pack patterns

designed by sandy gervais

easy peasy to make

and

charming as ever

soul mates

her charm creation for

frolic

love it

now i need to search for

two eyes

if i had a million dollars...

remember that song?

if i had a million dollars...

i wouldn't do anything differently...

because the excitement I feel

each time a box arrives

from the

fat quarter shop

is worth a million dollars

...today

mostly frolic

with a few coordinating cuts

from other

moda designers

like

me and my sister

and

pindots from american jane

and seven bella solids

it's going to be a busy weekend

a frolicing we'll go...

...a frolicing we'll go

high ho the merry oh

a frolicing we'll go...

.

frolic...

to behave playfully

and uninhibitedly

to engage in merrymaking
describes me perfectly

the past few days

as i stitch

and romp about with this newest line

by sandy gervais

spring's finest...

i love the color palettes..

the patterns

...the designers

flowers and butterflies

paisley and stripes

greens, yellows, aquas, oranges and blues

spring has arrived in my studio

My Dearest Santa...

I just read on this BLOG that you are going to be making a quick stop at the Fat Quarter Shop soon. I would so love to have the L'Amour fat bundle for Christmas. Sandy Gervais is one of my favorite designers and I think she has outdone herself with L'Amour. May I please take a moment to tell you why I have had my eyes on this collection since it was first announced...

...on February 7, 1990 my sweet precious baby girl had open heart surgery. She arrived with an extra chromosome and like so many babies with Down syndrome she was born with a congenital heart defect. Her ventricular septal defect was not diagnosed until six months of age and she was quickly whisked into surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Her recovery did not go as they hoped and therefore she spent quite sometime in the hospital. While I waited in the parent's lounge, I made a very small quilt for her using red and white calico. In the center I embroidered a heart with her name in it. We used that quilt for several weeks to cover all the tubes and wires coming from her tiny little body while she lay in the cardiac ICU.

Today she is twenty years old and this coming February will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the open heart surgery that saved her life. I would like to make her a new quilt to commemorate that day. This one will fortunately have to be a little larger than the first to cover her young adult body. I will once again put a heart in the center and embroider her name, Sarah. Our survivor.

Thank you Santa.
From a grateful mom.