A Little Imagination and a Pile of Junk

portland highlights

 

 

speaking of traveling, washing underwear and the pride of life

Too much laundry to do this week, but that's more than ok because it's for a good cause. John is surprising me with a trip--sans kiddos--to Portland, Oregon! I say 'is surprising' because I accidentally found the airfare and hotel receipts and he is too lousy of a liar to think of one on the spot to cover his tracks. He wasn't going to tell me about it until we were on our way to the airport. I am soooo in love with that lousy lying man! Portland would not have been one of his top choices for a vacation, but it is somewhere I've always wanted to go. We have friends there--that we'll be visiting!--who've told us about the lush landscape and perfect weather and I've always thought it sounded like heaven. (In contrast to here where the heat is moving in like a pack of wild horses.) Not to mention the city life and crafting community. The book stores and fabric shops. The restaurants! I can't wait!

Oh, and one last thing, speaking of good news, I was thrilled a few weeks ago to find Artful Blogging magazine in my mailbox and my article inside. Yeah, me!

 

 

You'll really have to check this out. It is such a gorgeous magazine! And the photos and layout make me look so professional and sophisticated. I hope no one is disappointed when they actually show up here and find me going on and on about laundry and the weather.

self-proclaimed garland fest

I've updated my Etsy shopwith some lovely drapy garlands, if you like that sort of thing.

 

 

 

Some crochet, some fabric. You'll recognize the little vintage squares. They're what started this whole thing.

 

 

 

  

 

   

 

Simple pleasures. Sweetest bliss.

a garden kind of garland

Flying kites at midnight, such a dizzy height.

Up above the small town pulling moonlight down,

And wearing it skintight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

fiesta

Well, the little squares didn't make it to pot holders, at least not yet. I experienced an unexpected diversion when I woke up Friday morning and had the thought: Garlands (picture this as giant flashing neon letters in my brain). And I knew I must make garlands as if my life depended on it. So I did.

 

 

ready for phase 2

Those pretty little vintage squares turned out to be pretty fun to work with, but just a few of each pattern really go a long way. I think I could make a full size quilt from all the squares I have leftover from my sewing warm-up exercises.

 

I've had my heart set on making some of Ayumills' fabric baskets for a while, but I had no idea how cutie pie they'd turn out to be. They're about 6x3" and maybe 4" tall, not including the handles. Her great tutorial makes them much easier to make than I think they would have been otherwise. Once you put together your patchwork panels, the rest is cake. I chose to use the soft, thrifted linen-like fabric for the lining as well. Actually, I didn't so much choose it as accidentally cut the pieces out and decide to just go with my mistake.

 

I'm temped to O.D. on fabric baskets for a while (Wouldn't they look sweet all lined up along a windowsill?), but I think my warm-ups have served their purpose. I'm more than ready to dive right back into the sewing thing.

 

I'm not completely abandoning my teetering tower of little squares, though. I'm still working on some pot holders, also a la Pink Penguin although admittedly not near as cute. They're a fun project though and anything to make cooking more enjoyable is a good thing to me. Wait! I just had a vision of a row of patchwork potholders hanging along the empty space above my kitchen cabinets...kitchen art? Hmm, maybe those extra squares will get used up more quickly than I thought!