Furry Friday

Ever since these two arrived, there have been some changes around here. Now i do all my work with a camera hanging around my neck to capture moments like this:

and this:

The cuteness is almost unbearable!

Which means there's a folder on my desktop with hundreds of pictures in it. Welcome to Furry Friday.

Dog lovers, you've been warned.

Have a great weekend!

P.S.: i love dogs too.

Surprises

In the July newletter, i let subscribers in on a little secret about a new collaboration and told everyone to keep their eyes peeled for new products this August at...

Yippee!! I'm so excited to be working with my fabulous partners at International Greetings to bring some colorful stationery and organization items to Michaels craft stores.

But guess what? I found out from one of my wonderful newsletter readers that they were already in her local store about two weeks ago! Maybe they're in your store too? If so, and if you want to roll your sleeves up and dig through the giant overflowing baskets of fun, you may come up with some of these goodies:

Notecards, magnetic notepads, pocket notepads, file folders, list pads, chunky pens, luggage tags and even emory boards! Great for back-to-school, party favors, or just to toss in your bag, keep by the phone, stick to the fridge...whatever!

And if there are any Fandango fabric lovers reading this..Michaels is also carrying these supercute desk items in the home office aisle:

Know what else shipped early? Precuts for Terrain! Exciting!

I found out from someone on Twitter. The bright side of not knowing when things are going to happen (exactly) is that it's a surprise for me too (and i love surprises)! So thank you for keeping me in the loop :)

Back From France

Did you think i meant me? I wish!

But if i close my eyes and squeeze them tightly shut, i can conjure a short slideshow tour of Paris on the back side of my eyelids. A panoramic view of the city from atop the Eiffel Tower comes into focus with its spoke-like streets radiating from the Arc de Triomphe at the hub of the Champs-Élysée. The winding Seine splits around the Ile de la Cité where the Cathedral of Notre Dame's flying buttresses anchor it to its small island. Then flashes of Titian, Monet's bright orange poppy field and Leonardo's great works come into view. Inhale and i can smell the sweet buttery aromas of fruity pastries and fresh-baked breads...

...but then...i open my eyes and *poof* i'm back in our little kitchen with this book in-hand:

covered in flour and trying to re-create the crusty, chewy baguette here at home. Le sighhh...

Meanwhile outside the dream bubble, my quilt and pillow just returned from France yesterday! As in the real France, and on a real airplane. I've been living vicariously through them since they left last November right after Quilt Market. But they brought back a souvenir of their trip that i'd like to share with you!

If you were at Quilt Market, you might remember seeing that quilt on the...cover!? (total surprise*faint*) hanging in my booth:

It's called "Great Lawn" and i loosely based the narrative design on the landscape of Central Park with its surrounding city skyline, tree-lined cobblestone paths, bricks and gardens. I pieced it and quilted it myself, which was probably why i missed it so much while it was away.

Some people had asked me if it was going to be a pattern and i'm so happy to say that it is now! You can find it in the Special Summer Issue of the amazing Quiltmania magazine, available online here. Also in that same issue (again, *faint*) is my "Bouquet" pillow from the Moda pillow talk:

You may have read about it here, and now you can make your own! To personalize it, you can put something unique to you under the peek-a-boo door (you don't have to put Hello Kitty under there). There are 11 other fun summer-themed sewing projects you might also enjoy in the issue. Quiltmania is such a treat to look through and the sewing instructions are very clearly written with lots of diagrams so it's perfect for a beginner or experienced sewist.

This is a first for me...having a quilt i designed in a magazine. I sure didn't expect it and up until yesterday when i finally held the issue in my hands, i had doubts that it was really going to happen. But here it is, and even so i still can't believe it! I'm thrilled and honored to be included in such a wonderful publication.

My friend Sherri will be sharing some fun news about her gorgeous "Carousel" quilt too:

It may have a little jet lag right now, but i'm sure you'll hear about it very soon!

P.S: Thought i'd also share with you another interesting and perhaps lesser-known stop on the tour of Paris (we have only been there once, but dream of returning someday). In the square in front of the Cathedral of Notre Dame is a brass compass star set into the ground. It's called "Point Zero" and as the French tour guide told us, it marks the alleged birthplace and official center of the city of Paris. She described it to us as "not only the heart of Paris, but the heart of all of France" because it is from this point that all distances of roads and highways are measured throughout the country and to other major cities in Europe. She added that some people think it's good luck to rub the star with your foot and make a wish. I would say lots of people think that, because it was shining as though someone had polished it that very day!

P.S.S: As a random act of quiltie-ness, Melanie over at Above All Fabric is helping me give away a charm pack of Flurry! Not sure when she'll pick a winner, so you may want to head over and leave a comment on her blog. I'll be sending the prize out to the winner :)

Inbox

Checking my inbox to see what's on the schedule for today...

...looks like it'll be a busy one!

Sewing and Zucchini

Those are only two of the things i'm having a hard time keeping up with lately! Another you may have noticed is my poor ol' neglected blog. But you didn't come here to read about excuses, so let's just sweep that little fact under the proverbial rug, ok? ok. *wink*

My friend Kathy over at Pink Chalk Fabrics has been hosting "Where I Sew" month on her blog. Maybe you've been following along? The idea is simply to share some peeks of our sewing spaces — that means you, too! There is a "Where I Sew" button down there on the right sidebar that looks like this:

Click and it will take you to a page where you can add a picture of your own sewing room to the mix. It's been such fun (in a droolie kind of way) to see the variety of creative spaces that people have made for themselves. I've certainly picked up lots of great ideas for storage and shelving — you can never have too much of either. Kathy invited me to participate in the feature part, and today is my day! Go on and have a peek, but i have some confessions to make about the photo:

• My work table usually has piles of well, work on it. So yes, i admit it, i cleaned up before snapping the picture.

• I pieced the Fandango quilt top on my sewing table last December and have not gotten around to finishing it yet. It's my first UFO! I have to say it's kind of driving me nutso to see it folded and just sitting there on the shelf. But as you can see, i moved it closer to my sewing machine. Maybe that will do the trick?? Am i in denial?

• My entire work space, including where i sew and run my entire business is 11 feet 3 inches by 11 feet 2 inches. When a space is that small, believe me, every inch matters.

Kathy's online fabric shop is wonderful and her blog is informative and fun with great sewing tips/tutorials and info on trends in the fabric industry. In fact, i knew her blog long before ever meeting her in person and once we finally met at Quilt Market last fall, i felt i had known her forever! She's just that kind of person. Thank you, Kathy, for putting together this fun event and i can't wait to see where you sew!

And i leave you with...zucchini!

Those shades of green and the bright yellow blossoms are so beautiful, aren't they? But seriously, how do these things grow so fast?! It's gotten out of control around here. We're picking them by the armfuls and the situation has quickly gone from a gardener's delight to a cooking conundrum in a matter of days. All of these are sitting on our counter right this very minute:

Any ideas? I need your heeelp!

Furry Love

Around here, life is just not complete without a little fur. So a couple weeks ago, we adopted these two from a friend of mine. They're a brother and sister and they have managed to effortlessly wiggle their way into our hearts. Without further ado, i'd like to introduce you to:

I'm going to try not to make every post about them (i said i'd try), but if they keep snuggling together like this...

or this:

...it's going to be really really hard!

Happy 4th!

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your caring thoughts, compassionate emails, and generous outpouring of support. We appreciate your kindness so very much.

Today we will not only celebrate the 235th year since signing the Declaration of Independence, we will also celebrate you — our fellow citizens and friends — who strive to make this country better each day.

So while we are out waving our flags, hopping along in three-legged races, sipping lemonade and enjoying time with our friends and families, let's also try to be mindful of the sacrifices so many men and women have made throughout history and today, to uphold our democracy.

It is a privilege to have only ever known freedom.

Celebrate it!