Capturing Inspiration

Today you'll find me over on the Pink Castle Fabrics Blog as a guest blogger for their Spring Cleaning Series. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this post about different ways to capture inspiration for your sewing projects. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic too, so be sure to come back and share any ideas. Happy Wednesday!

Retro Kitchen 2

Kristy has another set of Retro Kitchen blocks almost ready to go, and they're just as fabulous as her first round. I got to test out the scale...so much fun. Paper piecing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for me, it's therapy. I love working on these.

You can find all of Kristy's patterns here. I've already purchased her first Retro Kitchen pack, and have the pieces cut out for my next block: the coffeepot. One more and I have enough to make a table runner...

If you haven't yet, check out my Craftsy class giveaway here.

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday at Quilt Story.

Girl Friday Sews & a Giveaway

Image courtesy of decor8

I am addicted to office supplies. 
  
Something inside me does a happy dance every time I walk through the store and look at all those color coordinated paper clips, thumb tacks, and rubber bands. I love filling my cart with spiral notebooks and file folders, and every year I need a new day planner…or two. It’s not a recent addiction. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been excited about the start of each school year. To me, it meant new faces in the classroom, new books to read, and new worlds to conquer. That stack of supplies waiting by the door for the first day of school to arrive was a reminder that I was getting another fresh start, and I loved it.
 

When I became a teacher, my favorite part of the job every year was getting my classroom ready for the kids. I absolutely loved creating an environment where they would be excited to learn and grow. My advice to new teachers was always the same: “You’re going to spend as much time here as you’ll spend in your own home, so make it a place where you feel comfortable.” And as I started adding more personal touches to my classroom, I realized that it made my students more comfortable too. The same was true later on when I had an administrative office. I dressed mine up with retro touches -- WWII era posters, a CD player made to look like a vintage radio, an old fashioned coat rack in the corner -- and people often told me it was the most welcoming room in the building.

Now that I’m a stay-at-home mom starting the process of homeschooling my three daughters, I’ve found that it works both ways. Just as I once tried to bring the comforts of home into my workplace, I’m now trying to make my home into an environment where productive learning is happening every day. Creating school supplies for my girls not only gives me a personal connection to their education, but it makes them feel special.  There’s nothing my daughters love more than using something that Mommy sewed just for them. And I've found that I enjoy working at my own desk so much more when it's dressed up a bit. Surrounding myself with things that I love makes me happier to be there, and I find that I get a lot more accomplished that way.

For quite a while now, I've been wanting to do a blog hop about making items that can be used in an office, a home office, a classroom, a child's study area -- you get the idea. We spend so much time in these places where we learn and work. Why not make them beautiful?

 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it was back in 1940 when someone first coined the term "Girl Friday" to refer to "a female assistant entrusted with a wide variety of tasks." I couldn't think of a better way to describe what I do on a daily basis as I organize and accomplish the millions of tasks involved in caring for my family -- and, yes, do a little sewing along the way. And so I invite you to join us this April for the Girl Friday Sews Blog Hop. I have some wonderfully talented friends and incredibly generous sponsors coming along for the ride. Take a look...

Mon., March 11 -- Blog Hop Launch @ Fabric Mutt (Craftsy giveaway: free class)
Mon., March 18 -- Blog Hop Promo @ Fabric Mutt (Pink Chalk Fabrics giveaway: $25 certificate)
Mon., March 25 -- Blog Hop Promo with Tutorial @ Fabric Mutt
Mon., April 1 -- Heidi Staples @ Fabric Mutt
Tue., April 2 -- Kristy @ Quiet Play (Pink Chalk Fabrics giveaway: $25 certificate)
Wed., April 3 -- Becca Bryan @ Bryan House Quilts
Thur., April 4 -- Amanda Woodruff @ A Crafty Fox (Westwood Acres giveaway)
Fri., April 5 -- Lee Heinrich @ Freshly Pieced
Mon., April 8 -- Svetlana Sotak @ SOTAK Handmade
Tue., April 9 -- Beth @ Plum and June (Sew Me a Song giveaway: fabric bundle)
Wed., April 10 -- Taryn @ From Pixels to Patchwork
Thur., April 11 -- Lori Hartman @ Lori H. Designs (Fabricworm giveaway: Robotic fabric bundle)
Fri., April 12 -- Leanne @ She Can Quilt
Mon., April 15 -- Blog Hop Recap at Fabric Mutt

My deepest thanks go out to our sponsors: Craftsy, Fabricworm, Pink Chalk Fabrics, Sew Me a Song, and Westwood Acres. They've provided some fantastic prizes to share with you!

You can grab your own blog button using this code:

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You can also join our Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/girlfridaysews/. Email me at hjstaples@gmail.com with any questions. Help us get the word out!

Now let's kick things off with our first giveaway. I may not be Craftsy's number one fan, but I think I must be somewhere in the top ten. If you've never had the chance to visit this incredible website, drop everything you're doing and go spend at least five minutes looking around at www.craftsy.com. While you're there, I highly recommend that you sign up for their mailing list so you can stay on top of the classes they're offering. You'll find everything from knitting to quilting to cake decorating, and each of the teachers are at the top of their fields. I'm currently in the middle of three different classes, all of which I'm loving, and I can't wait to start watching their free footage from QuiltCon.

The marvelous people at Craftsy are giving away one free class valued at up to $50 for one lucky winner. Just leave me a comment telling me an item that you would love to make for your work space. A new gadget case? A work tote? Pillows for your office chair? Do tell! Followers, both old and new, get an extra entry. I'll choose a random winner on Friday morning. International entries are welcome -- just be sure that you have an email address in your comment if you're a no-reply blogger!

*** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR ENTERING!! ***

I'm looking forward to a wonderful blog hop next month. Join us!

Linking up to the Let's Get Acquainted Monday Link-up.

The Old and the New

I've been meaning to post some pictures that I took when we visited my grandmother last weekend. A friend of hers shared some old quilt blocks and newspaper patterns with her, and my grandmother shared them with me. I was particularly fascinated by the patterns which are all from newspapers dated between 1931 and 1933. I'm so completely wedded to my rotary cutter that the thought of cutting templates out of the newspaper and using them to create all my blocks gives me the shivers. I don't think I'm quite that brave...

There are some beautiful blocks represented here. A few that stood out to me were Old Missouri...

...the Broken Stone...

...and Amethyst. Can you imagine these blocks done in modern fabrics? Gorgeous.

The instructions at the bottom of this block made me smile: "Many a simple pattern has been shown for the quiltmaker who is not an expert. This is for the woman who can make the most difficult pattern. Allow for seams, be careful when cutting the patterns. Patience and skill are required, otherwise leave this quilt to those who have both." They didn't mince words back then, did they?

Here was one of the actual blocks that were included in the bundle. I love the blue and pink flowered prints that make up the opposite edges.

In our little corner of the world there were two big news stories today. After much anticipation and only a few tears, Bunny lost her first tooth. I whipped up a quick tooth pillow in the half hour before bedtime, and she's thrilled to pieces that I'll be sneaking in there tonight to exchange her tooth for a quarter. Mostly I was just excited that she was expecting no more than a quarter...

And at last -- at long last -- I finished my Heather Ross quilt top. There were some dicey moments with this little top (I'll go into it more when I do the post on the finished product), but I'm so happy with the way it finally turned out. I believe that I'll be hand quilting this one, which will take me some time, and I just couldn't wait to share the finished top with all of you. That's my wonderful dad holding up the quilt for me -- it's been raining here all day, and I couldn't find anywhere to hang or drape this top that wouldn't get it soaking wet. He was sweet enough to help me out before all the light was gone this evening.

This is my favorite part of the quilt. Like I said, the light wasn't fantastic, so I'm afraid the picture is a little more blurry than I'd like, but trust me, you'll be seeing this block again...

Drop by here again on Monday for a special announcement and a giveaway. I can't wait to share more!

Playing Hooky

I had the most fabulous time visiting with my dear friend Beth of Plum & June today here in Southern California. My wonderful husband stayed home with the girls, and I got to spend a few hours walking around the darling shops in Laguna Beach with a fellow quilter.  I haven't had the chance to play hooky like this in a while, and it was such a treat.

The bag you see above was a little gift I made for Beth. I whipped it up last night using Jeni Baker's famous pattern and a new patchwork cheater print by Suzuko Koseki.

The accent on the top is On a String in black from Valentina, the string is a simple black and white stripe, and the inside is a sewing notions print that I love. It was the perfect size for holding a little stack of fabric goodies. I will definitely be making more of these great little bags.

Inspiration was all around us this morning. I could have taken so many more pictures...and did actually except that Beth was good enough to point out to me the "please don't take pictures" signs to keep me out of trouble when I was blithely snapping photos everywhere. This is why I need a keeper with me at all times...

I love the colors of the shells and coral on these napkins.

How cute are these knitted friends??

A sweet little flower stand. The glass bottle vases hanging from the ceiling were gorgeous, and I love those simple white daisies in the middle. Call me cliche, but I agree with Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail: daisies are the friendliest flower. Okay, now I have to go find that movie...

I love being a stay-at-home mom, and I don't take it for granted that we can afford for me to spend this time with our girls as they're growing up. But being at home with three little ones every day -- with no car at my disposal, yet -- can get a little lonely as some of you know. Having the opportunity to get out and spend time with someone else who understands exactly where I'm coming from is a gift that I don't take lightly. This day definitely gets tucked away in my "happy" file.

Hipster

Just a quick post this evening on my finish for the day: a Tsuru Two Zip Hipster. This fabulous pattern by Erin Erickson of Dog Under My Desk can be purchased here, and I highly recommend that you do so. It's a great little purse, so sturdy and full of places to stuff things in a hurry, as I'm always doing.

My only wish is that it were just a teensy bit larger -- being a mom, I'm still carrying half the universe around in my bag, and I had to cram pretty hard to get it all inside this one. Though I'm loathe to give up my Zakka Style wallet which I adore, I may have to downsize to a smaller version if there's still going to be room in this bag for my sunglasses to breathe.

Both prints are from Rashida Coleman Hale's brilliant new collection Tsuru. The outside is 1000 Cranes in cerulean, and the lining is Of a Feather in ivory. The colors and prints are skipping past spring and heading right into summer for me today. I can absolutely see myself taking this bag on all our day trips with the kids once June arrives.

I wanted you to get a feel for the size of this bag, so I had my husband snap a quick photo as we were headed out the door to Five Guy Burgers and Bunny's Tae Kwon Do class. Looking at this picture, all I can think is that it just goes to show the difference that sewing has made in my life. I may still forget to put on makeup and jewelry, and I may wear t-shirts and jeans almost every day of the week, but at least I can carry a gorgeous bag with me wherever I go...

Linking up to Fabric Tuesday.

Marching On

1. Timber & Leaf Pillow, 2. Katie Jump Rope Pillow, 3. Patchwork Pocket Pillow, 4. EPP Portfolio, 5. Doll's Sleeping Bag in Use, 6. Alterations 2, 7. Directions 2, 8. Color Study Baby Quilt

February was full of lovely sewing: pillows galore, my first cathedral windows, a brand new case for English paper piecing on the go. I sewed quilts (of course), made a doll's sleeping bag, and was so pleasantly surprised by my first attempt at tailoring store-bought clothing. I also got the chance to participate in the Intrepid Thread Scrap Challenge through Stitched in Color, and my work was featured by two different online fabric shops -- the Pink Chalk Fabrics newsletter (for my valentine pillow) and the Pink Castle Fabrics blog (for my triple-zip pouch and EPP case). So much fun and so encouraging!

Fun things are on the way here at Fabric Mutt in the month of March. I have some new tutorials coming up in another week or so over on the blog of a wonderfully talented fabric designer, and I'll also have the details soon for a blog hop I'll be hosting in the month of April. I'm really looking forward to sharing it all with you in the weeks ahead, so be sure to drop by!

Linking up to Fresh Sewing Day.