Stitching, Sewing, Creating!

Greeting friends - happy holiday weekend! The summer has flown by, as the last couple months have been a whirlwind. We are still on a "night schedule" in our household, which continues to make life interesting. I have had a very hard time adjusting, but there are far less interruptions when I am working from 7:00 PM - 5:00 AM. I have been catching up on needlework finishing and custom orders that are long overdue, getting quite a few special project bags sewn for my Etsy Shop, and working on lots of fun projects for Therm O Web and Poppie Cotton. I have a list of new patterns (quilting and cross stitch) that I will be working on in a couple weeks. I am making a trip to Illinois to visit my momma and second dad in a week and I have a very long list to complete beforehand...then some pattern writing upon my return...design work brings me the most joy and is my favorite part of my job, so I am looking forward to taking the time work on some original designs. Today's photos are a look at some of the needlework finishing I have been completing for customers (not my stitching, just my finishing), a custom retreat mat that I created for a client, and project bags I have been sewing for my Etsy Shop (all created from my coveted/vast collection of vintage Blackbird Designs sampler fabrics).

Stoneware Bunny - Priscilla’s Pocket - finished with my signature
pillow finish.

May Peace be your Gift - Needlework Press - finished with my
signature pillow finish

Bluebird Boarding House - Blue Ribbon Designs (that’s me!) - finished
 as a mini quilt to fit a small stand.

Patriot Shield - Notforgotten Farm - finished as a mini quilt to fit a
small stand.

Quirky Quaker Queen Bee - Darling & Whimsy - finished as a quilted
needlebook with pockets.

Autumn Rules - Primrose Cottage Stitches - finished as a quilted wall
hanging.

Bundled Up Birdie - Blue Ribbon Designs (that’s me!) - finished as
a flat-finished ornament with two-tone twisted cord.

Sunshine and Shadow - The Prairie Schooler (Book No. 11) - finished as
 a 16” pillow.

 “Season 2 - A Year of Celebration Continues” - Hands On Design -
finished as ornaments with hangers.

Quilted Retreat Mat

A note about the special sampler fabric project bags shown below:
These are VERY limited BBD sampler fabric project bags - they are made from vintage Blackbird Designs fabric…these extremely limited signature project bags are custom cut to showcase the samplers printed on the fabrics and are only listed in my Etsy Shop…see listings, when available for size and details. These sell very quickly, so if you are looking for one (or more!), keep an eye on my social media and Etsy Shop. I am working through stacks of yardage, one specific print at a time - when the particular bags in each photo are gone, they are gone - I have used every scrap I have before posting. While I adore these fabrics and have saved them for personal sewing, I have realized there is no way I will ever have enough time to sew for myself...so, I decided to share the wealth and create for my shop. I am working from my vast BBD vintage sampler fabric collection and will add special bags each week until it is gone. I do not take advance orders (creating/sewing these bags brings me joy, taking orders steals my joy and adds quite a bit of time/stress to the process).

Thanks for visiting today - I hope you are inspired to create something special. I am signing off to finish a few more tasks, run an errand with my husband...then we have a neighborhood gathering this evening. I will be working on my September projects for Poppie Cotton and Therm O Web this next week, before taking a week off to visit my family. So many projects, not enough time! I look forward to visiting with you again soon...

Heart Happy

Happy Monday friends! I thought I would stop by for quick visit while I am at my desk this morning (now afternoon - where has my day gone?). I just finished up some correspondence, after spending several hours reporting almost two hundred copyright violations to Pinterest. Yes, I said two hundred. 😔 I could spend time writing about how much it hurts artists and designers when copyrighted charts, patterns, images, videos, etc. are photographed, scanned, shared, and posted illegally - how damaging it is on multiple levels - and how every few weeks when I have to do this I am a heartbroken mess...but instead, I will try to lighten my mood, be as upbeat as I can muster, and share some recent finishes. Like I mentioned in a previous post - I am trying to organize and remove the thousands upon thousands of photos from my iPhone. Today's post includes needlework finishing (not my stitching or designs...just my finishing work and finishing ideas), a couple gifts I created, recent project bag finishes, and some of my quilting. It is a hodgepodge of creative projects that I completed over the last month or so...some happy eye candy to start the week...

Posting these photos has already made my heart happier and I am ready to get started on my next project this afternoon. After a quick lunch, I have several design ideas to chart out and fabric to cut for my next project. 

Take a little time to work on something that makes your heart happy! 💗

My Apple Valley

It is such a blessing to have my fancy sewing machine up and running again...it has definitely been humming along in my new sewing room! May was a busy month of birthdays and special occasions...and when I know it will be well-received, I like to give handmade gifts. 

I knew I wanted to make my mommy a special little wall hanging quilt for Mother's Day. This is my own take on a pattern/kit called Apple Valley (Tiny Traditions Series #4) by Cozy Quarters - if you like tiny quilts be sure to check out Phyllis's designs...they are wonderful and her kit packaging is FABULOUS! For this design, I changed the shapes of the appliqués, but used the same layout as her pattern - I used various wool scraps for all the apples, leaves and birds and they were machine appliquéd. Once it was quilted and bound, I made a wood hanger for the back...and off it went to Illinois. I was extremely happy with the results...and I think my mom was too...

Next up, here is another recent quilted creation...
My very dear friend Robin (who just had a birthday) had asked me about fabric amounts and details for a cross stitching class/retreat mat...so of course, I made her a unique one for her special day! Over the last year or so, I have had requests and made custom retreat mats for many needleworkers that like to use them at their place setting for classes, retreats or cross stitch gatherings. These special little quilts are like a large placemat - they measure 16" H x 22" W (which could be adjusted) and can be made in variety of patterns. This particular gifted mat was made with a charm pack from the Blueberry Crumb Cake collection by Blackbird Designs and was backed and bound with coordinates from the same collection. The layout is my own design...

Finally today - here is a birthday gift I made for my BFF Terri in Illinois...a large project bag, small project bag and stitch starter ruler sleeve. The fabric has a bit of a story - I have been searching for a good Noah's Ark fabric for years to make this set (Terri and I actually met when she e-mailed me about creating a Noah's Ark cross stitch design). Every so often, I would search Etsy (and other sources) looking for a Noah's Ark fabric that wasn't too childish or cartoony...and a couple weeks before her birthday I found 1.5 yards of this border print (Country Noah Series by Daisy Kingdom) and I immediately snatched it up. After posting a photo on Instagram, I found out this fabric is vintage...from 1995! It arrived in new, perfect condition and I was thrilled. 😊 I was able to make her all three pieces and still have a yard or so left in my stash for future use...

There you have it...just a few things I have been working on since our big move...it has been great to be back at my sewing machine.

With my husband out of town all last week, I spent almost all my time in the sewing room and was able to catch up on most orders...so, believe it or not, last night I cut and prepared project bags to create for especially for my Etsy shop...in fact, as soon as I post this, I will be in my nest starting assembly...be sure to check out my Etsy Shop in a day or two if you have been waiting...