November 18, 2011

Furry Friday And A Couple Other Things

It's been a little quiet on here lately and when that happens it can only mean one thing; it's deadline time in my studio...dum de dum dum. And i've been battling a terrible cold — not the best combo for trying to be productive. Luckily, this mug sample arrived in time for bottomless cups of hot tea and soup.
This is a pattern that fell out of my holiday fabric line Flurry, but fell right into the hands of the lovely people at Crate and Barrel. They did such a beautiful job rendering the pattern on to the gently arcing surface of the porcelain, and even extended the print onto the handle. One of the things i have the hardest time with (for any pattern or collection of designs) is coming up with a name, so it's a fun surprise to find out what the team at Crate finally decides on. Someday i would love to be a fly on the wall when they're in the board room discussing it! This one is called "Norwegian Chalet Latte Mug". Chalet Latte just rolls off your tongue like a little tune. So if you would like to have one for yourself or are looking for a nice gift to warm the winter months ahead, this mug is available online and in stores now.

Another something i almost forgot to share with you is that i finally sewed the binding onto my zig-zag quilt! Since so many of you suggested a scrappy binding to pull all the colors from the zigs and zags, that's just what i did. I used 5" x 2 1/2" strips of a few of the prints (heavier on the orange to balance the colors) and it made all the difference. So glad i listened to you. Thank you!
Btw, i have so much respect (awe/amazement//admiration) for those of you who hand sew your bindings on. I thought i would try it for this quilt, but got maybe 10 stitches in and called it quits. Back to the machine for me. How do you do it?!

Finally, some fur. These two continue to find new napping spots around here:
FYI: they had to climb up the ironing board to get all the way up there! I wonder whose idea that was?
Have a great weekend.
xo,
kate

24 comments:

  1. Love the Chalet Latte mug - I think I need one. I guess I enjoy the finishing touch to a quilt by hand stitching the binding - just finished one last night while I watched a movie and I have another set to go for tonight!

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  2. Beautiful job on the Chalet Latte! :) Love that you did a scrappy binding (I love hand sewing the binding!) and seriously, your kitties are SO CUTE!!!
    KZK

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  3. The mug really reminds me of the traditional Slavic patterns. Love it!

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  4. I need a Chalet Latte stat! Good choice on the scrappy binding, it looks wonderful. I hope you feel better soon. : )

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  5. I love that mug!!! Thank you for linking all of your items at Crate and Barrel, because when I tried searching for Kate Spain the other day, nothing came up :(
    Oh I just love your little kitties!! Ours like to play on top of the fridge and cabinets!

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  6. Love the mug! And the zigzag quilt. I still haven't been able to cut into my Terrain fabric yet.

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  7. I don't even like cats (I'm sorry!) but the paws and tail hanging off the edge are adorable!

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  8. Ooooooooh that mug is gorgeous. Must.have.one. I just added that to my Amazon wish list. I hope someone in my family checks that list this year. LOL

    I just adore your cats. Mine is not as inquisitive anymore. Your cats are definitely inquisitive. My kitty is getting old now and is very much a cat set to his daily routine. He sleeps in the drawer of my desk which is pulled out for him to keep him off my cutting table and off my machine. Ragdoll cats have strange fur that sticks to everything. You cannot pick it up! It seriously really sticks to everything and you must use a lint roller to get it off things. I try to keep him away from my fabrics at all costs so he's spoiled and has his own little drawer which, thankfully he lays in.

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  9. Love it all especially the mischief makers

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  10. *giggle*. I handstitch while I'm getting "quality time" in with the hubby. He likes to sit and watch movies, and it makes me feel SO unproductive. If I can at least be moving my hands and stitching down binding, I feel better - so I handsew most of my bindings so I can appear to be having quality time.

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  11. Love love love that mug! Great name too! I gave up on hand stitching my bindings a long time ago, but this is what I do now to make them a little more decorative: http://www.hookedonneedles.com/2011/10/tranquility-quilt-finished.html

    Your cats are too cute!

    MGM

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  12. love ur cats and luv ur quilt!
    VIckie E

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  13. Funny about the binding - hand-stitching that last step is sooo satisfying for me!

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  14. I machine sew the binding onto the front of the quilt, but then I fold it around back and handstitch the rest of it. I enjoy doing it, the handwork is calming to me.

    Pink kitty toes! So cute. :)

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  15. That's a lovely mug - a nice shape and the pattern makes it just beautiful! I, like so many, love hand sewing, hand applique, so sewing on the binding by hand is fine with me!

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  16. I love the mug - I think I feel a shopping trip coming on. For binding, I do a ladder stitch and love to sit in front of the TV but still feel like I'm getting something done. To me, hand stitching is relaxing. I hate having to wrestle a big quilt under the sewing machine needle (even though that's how I get the first side of the binding on). There's just such a satisfying feeling when I take that last hand stitch!

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  17. Love the mug! A Crate and Barrel just opened up not too far from my house and I can't wait to go and snap up that mug!

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  18. Just happened upon your blog while surfing the net. Lovely fabrics, coooool mug, and the quilts you show are lovely.
    best from Tunisia,
    nadia

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  19. A flurry and furry Friday. What could be better? well no cold - hope you feel better. I am off to Crate and Barrel - love their name for the mugs!

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  20. OOoh what a lovely mug! I don't suppose you or the makers would be prepared to give one away? I've been running a 'mug rugs of the world' competition at http://quokkaquilts.blogspot.com/p/mug-rugs-of-world.html all for the fun of it, but would LOVE to have a prize and that mug would be perfect - even better if you'd be prepared to pick a winner!

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  21. my very first thought upon seeing your latte mug was: Mom! Ordered one for her today!!!! With gift box:) We are 1200 miles apart, but cappacino keeps our family together! So happy to see the binding, too...scrappy is purrfect:)

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  22. Hope you're feeling better now! I have to say...when I saw the mug I was hoping you had a new Christmas line coming out! It's adorable! And congrats on finishing the binding, too--whether sewn on by hand or machine, it's always such a big project!

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  23. Ms. Spain--I just discovered your fabric designs this weekend and now, your blog. As I was busily buying fabric (Terrain and Fandango,) I asked my mom, "Where has Kate Spain been all my life?!" Thank you for all your beautiful designs. About the hand-binding: I am a busy mom, but when I *do* finish a quilt, I always hand-finish the binding (after sewing it on by machine.) I put on a good movie or a good recorded book and it flies by. :)

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