miesmama

more farming done today....

2011-09-24T18:00:00.001-04:00

Got a few more of these little gems done today, I was hoping to get four done, but oh well, it was dinnertime! I love paper-piecing, and these are a lot of fun. I was being a bit of a lazy farmer's wife though, and I've been skipping the freezer paper step of paper piecing, and I paid for it on the "Bat Wing" block, don't look too close to the edges!

{ Block #3 - Basket }

{ Block #4 - Basketweave }

{ Block #5 - Bat Wing }

now, a Farmer's Wife too....

2011-09-24T08:26:00.000-04:00

{ Block #1 - Attic Window }

{ Block #2 - Autumn Tints }

So, after watching everyone's pretty little blocks popping up all over Flickr, and my fave blogs, I had to give in and become a Farmer's Wife too! I joined the flickr group and the Yahoo group and got started.

I decided to paper piece all the blocks if I can, much less scary than using templates, and the patterns for those are posted in the Yahoo group. I'm so far behind it isn't funny, but that's okay, they are a lot of fun to make, and I forgot how much I enjoy paper piecing, that I'll just plod on at my own pace, and enjoy the inspiration that everyone else provides. So much fun! ♥

those darn wip's!

2011-09-17T09:53:00.002-04:00

I have too many wip's, it's official! Something must be done!

My { pitiful } excuse for this behavior is mostly that I hate basting, but hopefully I have found a solution to this problem - basting spray! I now have all the blocks back from the above quilting bee, they're just waiting to be sewn together and then let the basting begin!

If it works as well I hope it will, the many quilt tops I have laying around will be made into real finished quilts lickety-spit!

I love this particular quilt and I'm so excited to finish it. I love the way the "Tufted Tweets" pops out of the kona coal background, so fun. ♥

I ♥ love

2011-01-21T19:55:00.000-05:00

{ images courtesy of WeHeartIt.com }

Are you ready for Valentine's Day?
Are you feeling inspired to make handmade lovelies?

I'm thinking of making pretty paper garlands to decorate, and I always make a handmade card for my sweetie. This post is also about things I love, like Blythe dolls and Alice in Wonderland, constant inspirations.

What do you love? ♥

the art of joy

2011-01-21T19:09:00.003-05:00

This months featured Etsyblogger is The Art Of Joy, and what an awesome shop it is!

It is the creative shop of Joy, who lives close to my neck of the woods in the Capital region of Upstate NY. It is full of really lovely stationary just waiting to be personalised, anything from calendars, to invitations, to notecards. My favorite is the kokeshi dolls, but there's something for everybody, check it out!

Joy also has a supercute blog, where you'll find some lovely free printables, I can't recommend it enough, so go see already! ♥

Meet Amelia ♥

2011-01-09T13:25:00.002-05:00

Shamefully, I've had her almost a year, but only displayed her out of the box prior to last week! The reason for my hesitancy was my fear of washing her hair! She came to me as an ADG Roaring Red Blythe, who has very tight ringlets piled up on her head, not an everyday look for sure. Last week I read through the 'This is Blythe' forums, and braved it! It went much easier than expected , and worked very well. Her hair is long and a little wild, but I'll brave cutting it later I think!
Yesterday, she braved the snow outside, but decided that she'd really rather be quilting, haha!

Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

{ holiday traditions }

2010-12-15T08:49:00.002-05:00

{ building snowmen }

{ putting out favorite decorations }

{ mixing handmade and bought treasures }

{ wreath, birds and jingle bells }

{ the best tradition of all, decorating the Christmas tree }

There's nothing like the tradition of decorating the house and tree in preparation for the holiday, especially with small children, their joy and delight is a pleasure to watch. We got our tree yesterday, and tonight we will be getting out all the familiar ornaments from years past to trim it with. Another tradition is receiving a new ornament each on Christmas morning that can then be added to the tree, fun indeed to see what Santa brings.

Here's to the Holidays, whichever one you celebrate, it certainly is a magical time of year! ♥

It's my turn again, woohoo!

2010-12-12T14:52:00.005-05:00

It's my month in a quilting bee, and it's soooo exciting! It'll be like Christmas all month long, watching the lovely members of the Bee-Stitched quilting bee posting my blocks. I decided on a simple, but lovely, nine-patch half-square triangle block, using kona espresso as my background, and the lovely Innocent Crush in Petal palette from Anna Maria Horner's latest line.

I'll post another picture when I've got them all back. It's going to be a huge quilt, for my hubby and I's bed, the first one I'll have made that size! I may have to pay to get it quilted, we'll see.

I'm also making two more quilts, one for each of my sweeties. My son's is also a half-square triangle quilt, in kona ash and various green prints, and is looking lovely so far. My daughter's is going to be a pink and orange fairytale quilt, but haven't yet decided on the perfect block.

Happy Sewing! ♥

Scrappy Mug Rug rec'd!

2010-12-12T14:33:00.002-05:00

Rec'd my holiday time mug rug from the lovely Anita {aka - rhubarbpatch}, along with yummy fabric and holiday tea, and how cute is the postcard she sent too, lucky me!

The scrappy mug rug swap on flickr is such a fun swap, you get to use up some of your smaller piece scraps to make what is effectively a mini quilt, then you get one back to put your mug on! Got to love that! If you're interested check out the link to the right ----> and sign up for the next one, in the new year. ♥

Featured Etsyblogger for December is...

2010-12-12T14:05:00.002-05:00

...Pruitt Hand Crafts!

Congratulations Linda! Not only has Linda got an Etsy shop, but three no less! There's PruittHandCrafts, where you can find "all things fabric and fun", like ornaments, aprons and cup cozies. Then, check out her jewelry, like the pieces featured above, in her second shop, PruittDesign. And, then last, but not least, is PruittSupply, a shop absolutely chock-a-block with all the supplies you could need, like paper, beads, yo-yo's and fabric, a treasure trove indeed.

Linda is a lovely and supportive member of this team. She lives in the very creative Portland, Oregon, and is a breast cancer survivor, and a Grandmother to an amazing 24 grandchildren. An amazing lady indeed! So go check out her shops and then her blog and stay awhile. ♥

Handmade Holidays ♥

2010-11-23T14:57:00.004-05:00

{ handmade ornaments }
These were great fun to make! I sent these out as part of the Trim the Tree handmade ornament swap on Flickr! I found the great pattern in one of Tilda's lovely holiday books! ♥

{holiday mug rug}

This was sent out to my partner in the Scrappy Mug Rug 2 swap. She loves hexies, as do I, so I thought a little holiday hexie flower was called for! I also added one of the ornaments, I hope she likes her goodies!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! ♥

November's Featured Etsyblogger is....

2010-11-20T07:47:00.005-05:00

....Devine Designs Jewelry!

Congratulations! A whole month of lovely, and deserved, admiration from the rest of the Etsyblogger's.

Devine is from Florida, and fave place to be would be on a "desert island with a cool breeze, sitting under a palm tree on a soft cool sandy beach watching the beautiful colors of the sun as it sets and turns to nightfall." Sounds idyllic doesn't it?

In her daily life though, she happens to make beautiful, and unique, wire jewelry. My faves are the copper, but there are silver pieces also, check out her shop to see them all, still can't decide? Don't worry there are gift cards too, available in the shop as well.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend! ♥

holiday potholders sent!

2010-11-06T11:29:00.004-04:00

{ the total package }

{ the cute owl ornament }

{ one of the bear claw holiday potholders }

I had so much fun , as always, with this swap, Potholder Pass 5. It is the holiday themed version of this ongoing swap, so we also had to send along an ornament with our usual two potholders.
I was a little afraid of making such small bear claws, but using the Eleanor Burns method made it a lot easier. The colors were chosen by my partner, but happen to also be my absolute faves for this season, I'm feeling the red and white, and sometimes linen, of a Scandinavian Christmas.

It was hard to part with my little owl too. I have admired this particular Saffron Craig fabric from afar for a while, until another wonderful swap partner made me a mug rug using it, and sent me an extra owl along with it. But it went so cutely with the color theme, and the potholders. Such a fun swap, and now onto the next one! ♥

saVvy seasons sent and rec'd

2010-11-03T09:07:00.002-04:00

{ mini quilt rec'd }

{ awesome package rec'd }

These are the handmade lovelies that were sent to me by the amazing {Safieh}
She sent me the most beautiful mini quilt using the Lumiere de Noel line from French General that I love, and in fact I have a jelly roll of it to make a holiday lap quilt with, how perfect is that?
Also, she sent a supercute bunting, and the most adorable embroidered hoop. Lucky me!

{Christmas tree table runner}

{total package sent}

To my partner, the lovely Erin, I sent a Christmas tree table runner, a hoop tree ornament, and a holiday mug rug. My inspiration for these were Erin's mosaic and preferences, she likes simple, modern lines, and trees! I hope I nailed it.

What are you making for the holidays?

recent bee blocks sent out!

2010-10-28T17:14:00.002-04:00

{ the Fussy Cut Bee - October }

{ the Fussy Cut Bee - September }

{ Sew Fun 2 Bee - September }

Scrappy Pincushion swap

2010-10-28T17:09:00.002-04:00

{ embroidered detail }

This was my first time in this swap, and it's second round. It was fun to make a big pincushion, especially with one of my fave AMH fabrics, and it's so nicely weighted. I had no idea what really went into these things, according to the swap rules, one of the best fillers is crushed walnut shells. I had to go find a bag of them, and who knew, it's lizard bedding!? Now I have a 5lb bag of it, so I better make some more pincushions! haha ♥

what I've been making lately......

2010-10-28T17:00:00.002-04:00

{ my first mug rug }

These are such fun to make, I see many more in my future! I'm not sure who came up with the idea, but how awesome. A mini-mini quilt with a purpose, love it!

{ embroidered detail }

My last potholders to be sent for the Potholder Pass 4, you can tell I've been a bad blogger since I'm about to send out my holiday potholders for PP5!

What have you been making lately?

a wonderful mail day!

2010-09-11T09:13:00.003-04:00

What's more wonderful than receiving beautiful things in the mail, sure beats the usual array of bills and junkmail!

From the glorious Ibmomof2 I received my half of the Doll Quilt #9 swap. Isn't it beautiful? Not only did I get the quilt itself, but also some awesome bunting in the same fabrics, a cute candy bar of moda fabric, Breakfast at Tiffanys, and some fabric it was all bundled in. How lucky am I? Loooove it all, and I can't wait to find a special place to hang it.

Also, I got my half from the Potholder Pass 4 swap, from the wonderful Claire WoffDiTo. Not only two beautiful potholders, but also a market tote bag, and a pretty fabric notecard, looove! ♥
***
Thanks so much Ladies, you really made my day!
Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

what bird?

2010-09-09T16:23:00.003-04:00

Any ideas?

I know it's not exactly a great picture, my small camera has very limited zoom ability, and the birds weren't the thing it decided to focus on! Oh well, does anyone have agood idea as to what kind of bird these are? I've looked through all the warblers and none really match, the strip of color on their wings seems too yellow for most, like the pine warbler. It looked about the same size as the chickadees, so about 5".

thanks ♥
{ Yay, they've already been identified! They are female American Goldfinches! }

{ thanks to the forums at WhatBird.com }

Yay!

Upcoming swaps!

2010-09-06T08:44:00.003-04:00

{ the savvy seasons - a modern swap }

{ the scrappy pincushion swap }

{ the scrappy mug rug swap }

Three awesome new swaps, these mosaics are my faves of each genre and the colors and styles that I'm loving right now, they also serve as the inspiration for my swap partners! I know they look quite similar, but how wonderful to have lots of coordinating goodies coming my way before the holidays, and I'm really loving the red white combo right now, especially with that screenprinted, woodcut look! ♥
I'm also doing a quilt along with the Fat Quarterly team, which I have to cut fabric into a million little pieces this week, and start piecing next week!
Tomorrow is back to school for my two lovelies, and a new schedule for us all will begin, it means not a whole lot of time to myself, but hopefully I'll be able to fit all this in!
Happy sewing! ♥

DQS9 finished and sent!

2010-08-29T11:45:00.006-04:00

All folded up and ready to go, along with the goodies I made to go along with the doll quilt. I decided on making a cute needle case with hexies, and a pincushion, who doesn't need these things right! It was such a relief to be sending it out, fun to make but now the pressure is off and I just get the enjoyment of waiting to receive mine, from goodness-know where, sooooo exciting!

This is the front of the doll quilt all finished. It is a modified double wedding ring, pieced and then appliqued, after which I decorated with three rows of hand stitching around the whole shape, I really love this part. Then finished by quilting in the ditch, and adding a polka dot binding. The idea for the quilt came from my partners inspiration mosaic and flickr favorites, and a preference for fabric, brights with white.

My partner also expressed a weakness for hexagons, so I added a strip of them to the back of the quilt, again with the hand stitching. I love the way this quilt came out, it was my first time making this kind of small quilt, and my first time joining the wonderful Doll Quilt Swap #9, an awesome group indeed! I guess my only regret is not being brave enough to quilt the white parts of the quilt, I think it would have been better for it, but I'm not confident at all about quilting ( I guess I should practice ) and I didn't want to mess it up at that stage, I hope my partner loves it anyway, much work and love was put into it! ♥

Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

hummingbirds!

2010-08-27T11:09:00.005-04:00

{ hummingbird in my backyard }

After reading this post on The Zen Birdfeeder blog, I went and found my hummingbird feeders and mixed up a batch of food for them. Then, I hung out their feeders and waited. My feeders hang on the log edges of my house, so you can't see them from the inside at all, and at first I thought they were not coming. Maybe they had already migrated to warmer climates. However, after just a couple of days I started to see them buzzing past the windows. Since then they've been a regular visitor, there's at least two pairs, and they take it in turns to fly from tree to feeder and back again. If you sit quietly in the corner of the deck they'll buzz right over your head, pretty cool hearing their little wings going so fast.

{ partaking of the waters }

some bee blocks finished and sent -

2010-08-27T11:00:00.003-04:00

{ bee blocks for the 3x6 sampler quilt mini bee }

{ beehive 5 - 3rd quarter }

{ blocks for Mary - Bee-Stitched August }

{ blocks for Heather - Sew Fun 2 August }

a nature walk at Moreau Lake

2010-08-20T12:37:00.005-04:00

{ beaver dam }

Last week the kids and I went to Moreau Lake and walked some trails, namely the nature trail and also the Mud Pond loop, about 3 miles'ish all told. it was a beautiful day, although in the morning we'd had a humdinger of a thunderstorm, and it kept threatening us with dark clouds on and off. There are many trails at Moreau, and I highly recommend the trip.

{ some kind of dragonfly/damselfly? }

We saw, and heard, lots of wildlife, ( if you can name any of the this posts inhabitants I would love to know, thank you! ) dragonflies, lots of birds, a heron, fish, millipedes, bullfrogs, lots of insects. We're going to start keeping a record in the form of a nature journal of all our nature walks, what fun! I certainly need to invest in some more field guides and get better at spotting different specis though, also next time we must remember our binoculors!

{ water lily }

{ deer having a drink }

{ unusual looking nest }

I wondered who they'd put this nest out for, do you know?

{ shelf fungi }

We all decided it was a great trail, and would definitely do it again, lots to see and hear along the way. Next time we may walk one of the overlook trails to get views of the whole lake and area, although this was just about the right length for the kids, especially since it was very humid that day. Happy trails. ♥

doll quilt in progress

2010-07-28T11:33:00.003-04:00

This time around I'm taking part in the amazing Doll Quilt Swap, DQS9 to be precise. It is an extremely inspiring group of people, and it took me a while to decide on the design for mine. My partner's preferences, inspiration mosaic, and flickr favorites all came into play for my inspiration. In the end I decided on an abbreviated double wedding ring design, which will be raw edge appliqued onto a bright white background. I can't wait to get to that point, as I want to play with some hand stitched details, and I think hexagons for the quilt back, mmmm, decisions, decisions. Oh well, off to the LQS for supplies, happy wednesday! ♥

Issue 2 out now!

2010-07-27T09:37:00.002-04:00

Issue 2 - Scraps
Originally uploaded by imagingermonkey

This awesome e-zine came out with it's 2nd issue today, got mine already, go get yours! at Fat Quarterly.
It's full of lovely projects for scraps, interviews, giveaways and lots more loveliness!

more bee blocks sent -

2010-07-23T09:17:00.003-04:00

Cute bento/quarter log cabin blocks for Chelsea, July's "Sew Fun 2" block.

I can't wait to see this quilt come together, I think it's going to look awesome! ♥

Loving Alice ♥

2010-07-16T10:03:00.001-04:00

(source : weheartit)

what I've been doing lately...

2010-07-15T08:25:00.003-04:00

....lots and lots of quilting bee blocks! Being part of three different quilting bees sure keeps a person busy, not to mention the odd swap here and there, oh and the plans for a couple of new quilts for my kids! Ahhh, stop, I'm exhausting myself! No, but seriously, it's a wonderful challenge, and a way to keep myself sewing when it would be so easy to be lazy, well as much as summer with my kids at home can be, that is!

Hope you're having an awesome, but creative, summer also! ♥

Thursday's toy

2010-07-01T13:34:00.001-04:00

365 Toy Project - Day 171: Mushroom Girl
Originally uploaded by Sakuya Masaki

I'm loving these sweet Pinky Street dolls lately, soooo cute!

Looooving red, white and linen

2010-07-01T11:27:00.001-04:00

red & white doll quilt
Originally uploaded by megrje

a notepad cozy

2010-07-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

a notepad cozy
Originally uploaded by Pilli Pilli

Fabric Basket, Aunty Cookie

2010-07-01T11:20:00.001-04:00

Fabric Basket, Aunty Cookie
Originally uploaded by weepereas

Vintage Notions

2010-07-01T11:19:00.001-04:00

Vintage Notions
Originally uploaded by petits détails

My first pillow talk pillow sent!

2010-06-18T10:55:00.004-04:00

cute houses

some stacked coins for the back

with a pillow form, albeit a thin one!

What a wonderful flickr swap this is, and my first time joining in! The Pillow Talk swap is one of the wonderful swaps run by the amazing Heather and Kerri, and is full of the most inspiring quilters, a joy to be part of the group! This is my pillow sent to my partner, Michellesews, whose inspiration mosaic included a lot of cute houses, I hope she loves it!

I'll post pictures of the awesome pillow I received from my partner as soon as I get a pillow form for it, I can't wait for you to see it, it's beautiful! ♥

Happy quilting! ♥

blocks sent for beehive 3! ♥

2010-06-18T10:49:00.002-04:00

So, this was my first round in the 3x6 Sampler Quilt Mini Bee, and I had great fun picking the block, and then the fabrics! I was inspired by a version of the Grandma's flower garden block, but tweeked a bit, so the center colors didn't extend to the edge of the block. I actually only needed to send out six blocks, but couldn't choose between two for one of my partners, so she got an extra block, yay!

I also will receive six blocks in my chosen colorway, which is orange, grey and white, I can't wait to see how they all look, and will post the all together for you to see!

Happy quilting! ♥

DQS9

2010-06-09T12:40:00.001-04:00

Inspiration mosaic for DQS9
Originally uploaded by miesmama

Eeeep! I'm part of the amazing Doll Quilt Swap in it's 9th time round. It's full to busting with some wonderfully creative people, and this shows just some of the ones I loved the most. I can't wait to start planning when I'm assigned a partner, and get started with the fun! Luckily, we have the whole summer to complete our quilts, which may be just as well since summer is always busy with the kids. Fun, fun, fun!
Happy sewing! ♥

potholder sent

2010-05-31T10:09:00.003-04:00

This swap was super fun as always, I received awesome potholders and ot to play with something different in my sent ones! My partner had requested these colors to go with her mostly chrome kitchen. I wasn't going to add that little aqua touch, but I love the look with it, a little pop of color! ♥ I also added a matching teatowel to the package, I hope she loves them. Potholders are an awesome swap item, they're like a mini mini quilt, you get to try new blocks, new quilting, playing with the ways to hang them, new colorways, a win-win for sure!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, and happy sewing! ♥

new potholders!

2010-05-19T13:32:00.003-04:00

I received these awesome potholders today from Mari, as part of the Potholder Pass swap on Flickr. I couldn't be more happy, they are just my style, colorful log cabins with a little munki in the middle! Thanks Mari sooo much! ♥

yummy new stash!

2010-05-03T16:24:00.003-04:00

They arrived today, so a little late for a Sunday Stash, but delicious none the less! ♥

Bee happy

2010-04-30T10:33:00.002-04:00

Finished my blocks for Ruth, who was April for the Bee-Stitched bee, and got them sent out. These blocks were fun to make, she wanted one circle block, and one triangle block, and left the rest up to us. The fabrics, Hope Valley by Denyse Scmidt and Timber by Jessica Levitt, went together really well, nice fresh Spring colors. I got the circle block from the Block Party blog, and the triangle block is Oh Fransson's from the SewMamaSew blog, aren't they awesome? I'll be doing them again for sure.

These are the fabrics I just got from Chelsea for her month in the Fussy Cut bee, she has awesome inspirations for her blocks, and I can't wait to get started on them.

Happy Quilting! ♥

Pillow Talk Round 3 inspiration

2010-04-28T14:08:00.004-04:00

Pillow Talk Round 3 inspiration

I'm so excited to be part of this awesome swap for the first time. Heather and Kerri do a wonderful job with all their swaps, and they have such a creative bunch of people who take part in them, I'm humbled to now be in one of them. The style of their swaps is fresh and modern, using beautiful modern designer fabrics, just what I love about sewing/quilting. Flickr is such a wonderful place for inspiration, but particularly for new ideas which can't be found in any quilting magazines, that i've seen anyway, with the exception of the brand new e-zine, Fat Quarterly. So, I'm off to quilt a little now I've been inspired, what about you?

wednesday wip

2010-04-21T12:19:00.003-04:00

As obsessed as I am with just making the hexies themselves, I do have plans for some of them! This is just one wip for a flickr swap, I'm loving the grey and orange together, it may be my new color craze! If only I could still get hold of some this -

(drool)

and continues...

2010-04-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

hexagon madness begins!

2010-04-18T12:40:00.002-04:00

I've admired these little things for a while now on flickr, but never got around to starting any of my own. Well, I decided these would be great for a current swap that I'm part of. So, yesterday I printed off some templates and got going.......Well I can tell you, I'm totally addicted, I'd heard this could happen and it certainly did. I've been printing, cutting, cutting fabric, pinning and basting ever since!
They are just the most adorable little works of art, and I'm picturing them in many of my upcoming projects. Have a wonderful weekend, but I have to get back to my hexies, haha!

lovely new fabric for a fairytale quilt

2010-04-09T12:31:00.003-04:00

Lovely mermaids,

lovely unicorns,

and lovely princesses and their frog princes.

All brought together to be part of my daughter's new fairytale quilt. I can't wait to get started, I think it's going to be, well, lovely! Just have to decide on the right color kona to bring it all together, I'd love to hear any suggestions.
Happy quilty daydreams! ♥

my latest bee block sent -

2010-04-06T16:59:00.002-04:00

I just sent off this beautiful block to Greta, her's was the March block for the Bee-Stitched bee, and an awesome block she chose indeed. It was a little tricky I thought, matching up all those half square triangle seams, but it was so worth it! I love the look of this block, originally designed by Red Pepper Quilts, and the quilt is going to look amazing! The great fabrics, and the lovely grey kona really make it. Fun, fun, fun! ♥

I'm so glad it's Spring!

2010-03-31T09:46:00.002-04:00

( source : weheartit )

potholders anyone?

2010-03-26T14:30:00.003-04:00

I recently joined a really fun swap on Flickr, called Potholder Pass. This was actually it's second time around, so Potholder Pass 2 to be precise!

Basically, you make two potholders in your partners requested colors, and send them off. It is a blind swap, so you only know who you're sending to, not who's sending to you! Fun!

I really like how the backs came out, I used kona essex linen, and strips of the Hope Valley, which I love, I think I need to buy the entire line! Also, I have always admired others polka dot binding, so that's what I did, and I think I'll try to use it on everything I make, it's so cute! Love polka dots! ♥

I sent them off today, with a matching kitchen towel I had added strips of the Hope Valley to, I hope she likes them.

Have a happy quilty weekend!♥

Improv bee blocks

2010-03-14T11:07:00.003-04:00

So, yesterday I made my first quilt blocks for a virtual bee - the Bee Stitched bee - and they were requested to be improv blocks, designed by us. At first this was quite daunting, no guidelines at all, except the size and scope of the fabric pieces Sarah had sent. I have to say it was great fun, and I will definitely be doing more!

Also, while making these blocks I have come to really love this fabric line by Erin Michaels, it's called Lush and is lovely. The colors are really nice, but I love the details of the 'paint by numbers' style, and I have to get me some woodgrain fabric too! Love! ♥

Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

oooo, lovelies....

2010-03-12T13:51:00.002-05:00

I picked up a few lovely FQ's to go into the weekend with! Tomorrow is my sewing/quilting day, I hope it's a good one! I certainly can't wait to cut into some of these, who knows what they'll become? Have an awesome weekend! ♥

I'm totally in love with Tim's Alice!

2010-03-07T18:24:00.002-05:00

What an amazing movie this is! First, I should say I've always loved this book, always! And, second, I should say we went to see it in 3D, amazing!!!!!

What a combination - Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland, it had to be love at first sight. All the actors were equally amazing, and the cast is truly a wonder and the scenery is glorious and when seen in 3D, WOW!
I can't adequately put into words how much I loved this movie, so just go see it! ♥

a snowy winter wonderland -

2010-02-24T14:41:00.003-05:00

I guess I can't complain, I do live in the Adirondacks, but I hate it when snow stops me doing things, like going to work! However, there are some in the household that are absolutely loving having a snow day, and all the fun that brings. It may only be the first snow day this week too, since the forecast has us getting another storm tomorrow, and Friday! Oh well, we got about 20 inches today, which was no fun to shovel I can tell you, but it is perfect snowman-making snow, so I'm focusing on the positive, and we do have power! So, happy snow day and enjoy! ♥

Awesome Giveaway!

2010-02-20T09:36:00.003-05:00

There's an absolutely awesome giveaway going on at the A La Mode Fabric blog, here.

It's to celebrate Heather's blog turning one, congrats! ♥

You'll definitely want to check it out and get yourself entered, as the fabric she's giving away is simply wonderful. It's in two colorways, one for your boys and one for your girls, love that!

So, what are you waiting for, off you go and have a wonderful weekend, enjoy! ♥

shop update!

2010-02-19T12:38:00.002-05:00

New Collage
Originally uploaded by miesmama

I added and moved around lots of new stock in my Etsy shop today, it's fun to see all the colors together. This collage looks very Fall-like in it's colors, but there's lots of other choices. I think I'll have to make a snowier inspired one too.
So go and check out the new and improved shop, over at Etsy, enjoy and Happy Friday! ♥

lovely new bee-ready fabrics

2010-02-16T16:11:00.002-05:00

A whole bunch of Good Folks fabrics from Anna Marie Horner, I looooove all her fabrics! I'm also crazy about her Folksy Flannels line, and want to make a couple of quilts in that for my kids, but one thing at a time!

Munki Munki kitties - they're soooo cute, love them!

I recently joined my first online quilting bee, well bee's to be precise, as I actually joined two of them - 'Bee-Stitched' and 'The Fussy-Cut bee'! I'm so excited to be part of such lovely creative groups of people. I'm thinking for one I will choose a wonky log cabin block, and for the other an improv style block with fussy cut munki munki kitties! I bought this lovely fabric for one of the bees, not sure which, and then I'll need another bounty for the other! Fun, fun, fun! ♥

a block of the day

2010-02-11T11:50:00.002-05:00

I love this block! It's called the Stripy Circles Block, and I saw it on the Block Party! blog, here. It's a lovely block to do, you get all the fun of the strip piecing, but also the drama of a circle block, with none of the difficulty! You have to give this one a try, and imagine how awesome a whole quilt like this would be?

Happy Thursday! ♥

some eye candy for your tuesday

2010-02-09T12:26:00.002-05:00

This makes me almost happy it's still winter!
Nothing more lovely than a box of sewing notions, especially pretty colored thread.

Love these lamps!

Makes me want to find a lost leather case of treasures to look through.

(source for all images - WeHeartIt)

Hope you're having a magical Tuesday, enjoy! ♥

the spiderweb block -

2010-02-07T11:06:00.003-05:00

I'll apologise in advance for the poor lighting in these photos, and now that's out of the way onto my first spiderweb block. It is as much fun as the strip piecing block, as it is done the same, except for the measurement at the beginning to keep the white in the middle. I'm not explaining that well at all, but luckily there is a great tutorial at the Quilt It blog, here, I used it and it's wonderful!

I always find the pre-trimming a scary moment, but then magically you have a neat, precise block!

When you have sewn four together, you'll have a full scrappy spiderweb block, yay! For this block I used a bunch of lovely Kafe Fassett fabrics, which really lends itself well to a scrappy block. I'm excited to do more now, I'm really addicted to the strip piecing method, and love the look of it! ♥

I ♥ string quilt blocks

2010-02-03T12:13:00.004-05:00

This was a new technique for me, and I loooove it! It is like freestyle paper piecing, with random strips of fabrics, all in random widths, can't get much easier, or more fun than that!

When you first sew the strips together, see above, it looks a little scary, but then...

...when you've trimmed them down to size, it looks amazing!

There are a few changes I'll make from my first attempt - use many more fabrics,
and not in the same order. Although, I love this pillow top to be, I think it was too uniform, and so looked like it needed to line up exactly, but didn't quite. Ooooo, it's so much fun that you have to give it a try!
I was inspired to try this block by my dear friend Kirsten, she made a pillow top that she blogged about here, and you can find an excellent tutorial here on the wonderful Film in the Fridge website.

quilting, revisited

2010-01-31T14:09:00.002-05:00

Recently, I have had an itching to start quilting again, and it's been a while! I've never lost the love of quilting however, and had bought an amazing book called 'Patchwork Style' last year and have dipped into time and agin for inspiration and eye candy. Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day to do a little sewing, and I learnt a new technique from this lovely book. The block is a normal log cabin block, but instead of being pieced first, it is sewn directly onto the batting like a foundation. The next thing I love is quilting the block itself, if you're making a whole quilt you still quilt each block first and then sew them together! Love that! I think it'll make it much more manageable through my small sewing machine, very excited to do a big bed quilt like this!

I love these fabrics also, a little of each from lots of lovely designers, purple, and polka dots, for me it doesn't get better than that. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of any to make a large quilt, so we'll see how what it turns out to be part of!

Love this book!

Happy quilting, or whatever craft you're creating with today! ♥

weekend inspiration - children's book illustrators

2010-01-30T09:00:00.004-05:00

Amazing children's book illustrators are this weekends newly found inspiration. I'm definitely going to have to start collecting anything, and everything, from these two super talents!
The first illustrations are by Marc Boutavant, aren't they glorious? I want to go exploring in the first one!

This is Mouk, a little bear who travels the world.

The second illustrator for today is Dahlov Ipcar. I just love the colors she uses, and the deer are just beautiful! What amazingly talented people, I hope they inspired your weekend too! Enjoy. ♥

a fabulous thrifty find

2010-01-27T13:55:00.003-05:00

I went and did a little thrift store bargain hunting lately, and came home with an absolute gem! This fantastic crocheted granny square blanket is big enough to cover a queen size bed, and currently resides on top of mine. I love that it has such a dark background, because it really makes the colors pop. Love, love, looove my new blanket! ♥

One day soon I will teach myself to crochet, and start one of my own, can't wait!
Since all the squares are so different, I think this must have been a scrap blanket. All the colors of the rainbow, tied together by the dark background. It works beautifully, so, never throw away your scraps of yarn, because you never know what wonders you can make with them!

a few embroidered lovelies to inspire your day...

2010-01-21T09:43:00.003-05:00

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Love the frames on these, need to go thrifting for some lovely finds of my own!

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You just can't beat foxes!

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I've always loved redwork, and acorns, a match made in heaven!

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Looooove owls!

I'm feeling inspired by everyones wonderful embroidered projects on Flickr. So, I'm running out to buy some more hoops and floss, have a lovely day! ♥

loving shadow boxes.....

2010-01-16T11:37:00.003-05:00

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It's a project that's firmly on my to-do list, but that list grows longer every day!

Have a wonderful long weekend, enjoy! ♥

I ♥ mint green

2010-01-13T10:25:00.003-05:00

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I absolutely adore this minty green nail polish - I have to find some to call my own! ♥

I ♥ Blythes anyway, but with this fantastic hair color, does it get any better?

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I'd love to get one of these fun cameras to play aound with, any of the fun ones, like Lomo, Diana, or a lovely Polaroid, or Fuji instamax - on my dream wishlist for sure!

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Painted birds in lovely colors, first saw this idea on Elsie's blog, love it - need to go thrifting to find my own candidates to be spray painted with loveliness!

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Love this bag!

♥ What's your favorite color of the moment, or color combo? ♥

spool knitting, and knitting spools....

2010-01-06T10:52:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday I actually got around to playing with a knitting spool, and it's great fun! I have never, that I remember, used one before, but once you get the hang of it it's very easy, and addictive! The red and white mushroom/toadstool is by far my favorite, but when I started exploring flickr, I discovered that there are lots of different designs, as well names for them! I really think this may be the start of a growing collection of knitting spools, maybe vintage ones, maybe cute new ones. Can't wait! I think this red braid is going to become a new garland, we'll see - not really sure what I can make with these braids, but they sure are fun to make! ♥

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Aren't there some cute ones out there, and who can resist the Spool Family? ♥

welcome 2010

2010-01-02T11:33:00.004-05:00

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Here's to a wonderful 2010! I'm hoping to be inspired by all around me, get more organised, especially with time lol, take more photographs, get more creative, learn new crafts and keep motivated. I'm looking forward to a great year with new horizons. ♥

a challenge of the utmost kind

2009-12-31T08:11:00.004-05:00

Above is one of my personal goals for the year 2010, I accepted this challenge from Tif at Dottie Angel, so you can just change my name on the pledge, and make it for the next calendar year. I'm excited by this challenge, I think it will actually be great fun, if I need anything it will become a mini challenge to find it at a local thrift shop, or artisan, or is it something I can make myself? It'll be great fun to find out! One of my other goals kind of goes with this one too, to try not to buy any new craft supplies, if anything needs to be made, it must come from the supplies I already have at home, also, that I have to try and use up a lot of them (especially the fabric which is piling up, I'm thinking quilts and cushions). The prospect is exciting, and I'm thinking it'll be inspiring also! What goals have you set for yourself in the new year? Please share, I'd love to know and maybe you'll even inspire me to add another to my list!

what are doing on New Year's Eve?

2009-12-30T09:25:00.003-05:00

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So, to celebrate the beginning of the New year, 2010 to be precise, there will be champagne, good friends, beloved family, good music, laughter, and wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! I have a number of resolutions for my new year, I just hope they stick around for the whole year, and not just fade away like the last bubbles in the champagne!

What are doing for the New Year's eve, anything special, or just good times at home with those you love? Whatever it is, enjoy! ♥

Calkat, the jewelry junkie

2009-12-30T08:14:00.003-05:00

Koi Brass Bookmark by Calkat

Calkat is one of my fellow Etsybloggers, and she is being featured this month on all our EB's blogs. Her work is really cool, with lots of mythical and astrological references. She can primarily be found at her Etsy shop here, but also can be found in a couple of other shops - Ametista, TheClayShoppe, and YogaFairies. Of course, she wouldn't be part of the team if she didn't also have a blog, so go visit her there too, full of cute pics and awesome giveaways!

This team is a wonderfully supportive group of artisans who have Etsy shops and blogs. It is important, when starting an online business, to have this kind of support, as it can often be a lonely pursuit. So, please show us some love, and go visit Calkat this month, then in January we'll have another! Enjoy! ♥

my winter wonderland....

2009-12-29T17:27:00.003-05:00

Just a few pics of my house yesterday in it's winter coat, loving the snowflakes!!! Today is just darn cold, won't share that with you, it was 2 degrees when I woke up, ugh! Still looks pretty though! ♥

new doll coming soon!

2009-12-28T09:55:00.003-05:00

I couldn't stand being without a Blythe for any longer, so I went ahead and ordered an ADG Roaring Red Blythe, isn't she awesome? She'll be a great new friend for my two Pullips!
Whoever knew I would become a doll collector, even the words make me think of old white-haired ladies in twin sets with creepy porcelain baby dolls! lol! But after joining the wonderful world of flickr many moons ago, I happened upon the loveliness of Blythe, and other lovely BJD's. My first two doll's turned out to be Pullip's, yet I never really stopped loving the unique look of the Blythes, and now one is winging it's way to me as we speak, soooo excited!
Check out flickr for awesome doll inspiration, but also blogs like Danielle Thompson's for really lovely pics of her girls. Maybe you'll join in the fun and get one of your own!!!♥

loving the holiday lights!

2009-12-26T10:48:00.002-05:00

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Have a wonderful holiday weekend! We're planning on watching some movies, playing our new Wii, eating more good food and lots of candy, visiting a little, and generally still being merry! Enjoy! ♥

Merry Christmas Everyone! ♥

2009-12-25T12:20:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas
Originally uploaded by Gizmo_F

Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, may you have a wonderful, peaceful and happy day! Peace on Earth, and goodwill to your fellow man. Enjoy your weekend! ♥

some more gingerbread lovelies...

2009-12-20T11:34:00.002-05:00

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The Knitted Gingerbread House At Sewing For Pleasure, NEC

2009-12-19T20:55:00.001-05:00

The Knitted Gingerbread House At Sewing For Pleasure, NEC
Originally uploaded by Geraldine Curtis

We made supercute A-frame gingerbread houses with moose, kitties and toadstools today - pictures to follow after better light - but thought i'd share this awesome knitted gingerbread house, I found via flickr, with you! How cool would it be to have one of these to play in?
Enjoy your weekend! ♥

a pom-pom Christmas?

2009-12-18T11:44:00.004-05:00

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Soooo cute I had started a yarn wreath with not-very-bulky yarn and have figured out it's going to take me forever to wrap it all around, so maybe I'll start making pom-poms instead!

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I really want a few of these too!!!!

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Okay, I know what my kids are going to make this weekend, looove this project! We also have to make our gingerbread house this weekend too, wish me luck!

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I just love, love, love this, sooo cute!

I am completely in the warm glow of the Christmas spirit right now, I hope you are too? I would love to hear what projects you're doing, or planning this season, pleeeeeeease leave me comments and links, that would make me even happier! ♥
Have a wonderul weekend, and don't forget to watch the new Doctor Who Special on Saturday night! lol!

first snow day of the season!

2009-12-09T14:33:00.002-05:00

Wow! Our first snow day of this winter and we get about a foot! It looks beautiful right now, but hoping it won't turn to anything nasty, like freezing rain, later! Unfortunately, my daughter is sick and couldn't take advantage, but, since we live in the Northeast, I'm sure it won't be our last snow day! Enjoying the winter wonderland aspect of it all, and getting in the Christmas spirit! Happy Wednesday! ♥

the winter fern bag -

2009-12-05T12:46:00.003-05:00

I have a new bag in the shop, it's a felted clutch bag in a lovely icy winter white color, with a yummy olive green fern applique, last year I made bowls with this design and color combo and loved it! So, this year I thought a bag like that would be supercute, what do you think?

I'm really getting in the Christmas spirit, we went to breakfast with Santa this morning at school, and tonight it's the village tree lighting and candlelit walk, the kid's are super excited!

Also, this weekend is our time to decorate the house and tree, fun, fun, fun!

Enjoy your winter weekend! ♥

there's nothing like a little snow in the air to get you in the holiday spirit....

2009-12-04T12:53:00.003-05:00

Vintage Deer Print by JessyQ

Snowflake Art Print by MblemPhotography

Jolly the Snowman Art Print by MistFlowerPhoto

what inspired me today -

2009-11-28T11:56:00.003-05:00

the amazing Nathalie Lete -

Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend! ♥

new items in the shop NOW!

2009-11-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

photobooth - new creations
Originally uploaded by miesmama

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING FROM BLACK FRIDAY THROUGH CYBER MONDAY FROM MY ETSY SHOP! HAPPY SHOPPING! ♥

2009-11-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

shop update - new garlands!

2009-11-16T13:03:00.001-05:00

garlands
Originally uploaded by miesmama

garland, garlands, everywhere...

2009-11-16T09:08:00.002-05:00

Lots of new colorways in the felt leaves garlands, I will post them to my Etsy shop as soon as I get enough good light to take them out and get pictures. Happy Monday! ♥

Spotlight on The Fab Miss B

2009-11-16T08:30:00.003-05:00

Monogram Cross Stitch Ornament with Glittery Frame, Letter G

Monogram Cross Stitch Ornament with Glittery Frame, Letter E

The Fab Miss B is based in glorious Hawaii, very jealous!, and makes it her mission to finding unique handmade and vintage items. She says of herself that - "I love to travel, write, paint, bake, read, ransack thrift shops, drink champagne and make beautiful things to use and enjoy."

Check out her blog here, which she describes "as a sketchbook I fill with the inspiration I find around me everyday."

So go ahead and discover The Fab Miss B for yourself, you'll be glad you did! ♥

turkey time, almost!

2009-11-14T12:34:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it's almost time for Thanksgiving already? Time is really flying! Etsy, as always, is full of goodies to get you in the mood for the holiday, sooo cute!
Chester The Turkey Boy Crochet Pattern, by Owlishly

Crocheted Thanksgiving Turkey Cotton Dishcloths by Donna's Crochet

Hello Kitty in Turkey Costume by The Fickle Pickle

Gobble Gobble Turkey Mary-Janes by JL Perillo

Have a wonderful weekend! ♥

a few things I love

2009-11-08T11:33:00.003-05:00

Dandelion Cloud, The Little Fox by SleepyKing
Love, love, love this fox, and the color combo is my current fave!

Two Birds Yarn Wreath by KnockKnocking

This is going to be my next home decorating project, it's soooo lovely, as are all of her yarn wreaths, you have check out her shop, there are some truly awesome holiday ones! I really want to try making one though, just lovely!

The debut album from The Asteroids Galaxy Tour is simply awesome!!!! The music is wonderful, and who can resist the style and loveliness of Mette, check them out you won't regret it!

Have an awesome weekend! ♥

An Etsy Sunday Moment for you, Enjoy!

2009-11-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T10:31:00.002-04:00

Scaredy Cat Circle Art by Miesmama at Etsy

Hope you have a wonderful weekend of trick or treating! Enjoy! ♥

International Day of Climate Action

2009-10-24T21:34:00.001-04:00

Wild Things!

2009-10-22T16:04:00.004-04:00

Wild Thing Max - Pen and Ink Illustration by Nan Lawson
Loooove this!!!!!

Where The Wild Things Are Max - amigurumi crochet pattern by Crafty is Cool
I sooo need to learn how to crochet, these are adorable!

Wild Journal - Rumpus by MamaRoots

Love these handy little journals, perfect for all your to-go creative thoughts.

Have a wild day!

such deer finds!

2009-10-20T10:30:00.004-04:00

Flocked Spotted Deer from The Thin Veil
How cute would these be on a nature table, or holiday tableau, or supercute cupcake toppers even!

Paint by Numbers Deer Fabric from Radish

Super, supercute fabric, love this paint by numbers look, I think this fabric is becoming quite rare too!

Vintage Deer Hook from Portuguese Vintage
How awesome would this be in your woodland themed room! Hehe, everyone needs one of those!

Wooden Deer Mail Holder from Magpie Mary
What mail wouldn't be made cuter in this mail holder, yes, even bills! lol!

Happy Tuesday! ♥

one of our very favorite places -

2009-10-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

Last weekend we all, including our dog this time, went to one of our very favorite places, the southern coast of Maine, for lots of time hiking, walking on the beach, finding treasures, camping, drinking hot chocolate around a log fire! Fun, fun, fun! A well deserved break for all of us, that was thoroughly enjoyed. Now do we really have to go back to school and work? Oh well, until next year! ♥

pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

2009-10-09T10:35:00.002-04:00

What is about pumpkins and squash? They are just sooo lovely, especially in the Fall, they become magical! My son and I went to choose our pumpkins, which will later become jack'o'lanterns, and a lovely big chrysanthemum to go on the step. What a lovely time we had, trying to find just the right ones, then looking at all the funny looking squash, and also getting some tiny ones for the dining room table. Fun, fun, fun! Another reason to love Fall!

Have a wonderful long weekend! Enjoy! ♥

mushroom hunting

2009-10-05T16:36:00.004-04:00

At the weekend, the kid's and I decided to go hunting for mushrooms in our backyard, and what a lot we found, all sorts of sizes, colors and locations. We had fun, fun, fun looking for inspiration in nature, I got a bunch of awesome pictures for my nature journal, and creative inspiration always, and the little ones came in and drew some awesome mushroom art. A good day!

I ♥ Fall

2009-10-03T12:36:00.001-04:00

I ♥ Fall
Originally uploaded by miesmama

Have a wonderful weekend!

Designs by Vanessa

2009-09-27T10:58:00.005-04:00

This month we're featuring the uber-talented Designs by Vanessa, a just delightful shop on Etsy. I mean, how can you resist that beautiful necklace with the birds?

Vanessa fills her shop with a lovely mix of jewelry and paper goods, all with her signature style stamped all over them, a really great place to shop.

Also, she has a lovely blog here, which has some really great ideas to share, check out her cute yarn bottle idea! So, please, go check her out, and enjoy! ♥

Darling Swallow Necklace

Pretty Birdie Cards

Sunday Loveliness -

2009-09-27T10:41:00.004-04:00

Not only do these girls live in an awesome house, but they both have cool Etsy shops, and a really great blog, here. I hope you enjoy your little Sunday supplement, and have a great weekend! ♥

40's Flower Jumper from ThirteenEightyFive

Recycled Wool Tote Bag from Forestbound