New vs. Old

Can you tell which fabric was bought for 50 cents from the thrift store and which was bought for $9 at the quilt shop? 

Lecien vs. Thrift Store

I thought not.

I am in love.

I'm so in love with everything Sally Nencini makes that I can't concentrate on anything else except clicking around her website and her Etsy shop.  Really, I should be sewing up orders for my own shop, or at least cooking up some yummy Christmas fudge.  But  no, I must gaze upon the hand-embroidered sofa cushions.  Or stare at the matching cowboy/cowgirl knit pillows. 

Sally Nencini.  Knit Genius.

Aaaaahhhh, so much goodness.  There are hearts where my pupils should be.

Learning: Fat Thread Quilting with Mary Mashuta

I've been wanting to take Mary Mashuta's Foolproof Machine Quilting class for awhile, and finally, the stars aligned, my Saturday was free, and the class had a couple of empty spaces.  I've been adoring Mary's quilts for a long time.  I had her Cotton Candy Quilts book continually checked out of the Berkeley Public Library for months at a time until I finally found my own copy, so I was really excited to take a class from her.

She uses a process of quilting that doesn't involve marking your quilt top.  Instead, you use contact paper cut-outs to create designs that you then stick onto your quilt and quilt around.  She also uses very thick threads, and I love that look!

Here are a couple of my class samples. 

I can't wait to use this technique on a bigger project!

Let the Cuteness Begin!

I'm an auntie!!!  My sister has a new baby, so I feel like that gives me a good reason to go gaga for cutesy.  Right?

Here's the stack I'm starting with, some thick cozy flannels.

Jumpin' Monkey flannels from Cathy Heck Studio

And when I've worked my way through that, I'm moving on to the cutest of cute featuring LOTS of PINK!

Emma, also from Cathy Heck Studio

Where did I find this hot off the press fabric?  I just happen to be in the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild with one of the design team!  Thank you so much, Ellen!

Learning: Indigo Dyeing

I don't knit.  Or crochet.  So, I don't let myself go into yarn stores too often...or I might start a new bad habit.  Recently, however, a new yarn store called A Verb for Keeping Warm opened and they figured out a way to drag me in.  Back behind all the gorgeous yarn and wonderful spinning wheels, is a section filled with a beautifully curated collection of quilting cottons.  And, wouldn't you know, I go in for the fabric...and come out contemplating taking a weaving class. 

A couple of weeks ago, to celebrate their one year store anniversary, Kristine Vejar, the owner, opened up access to her indigo dyeing pots for anyone with a skein of yarn or a bit of fabric to come and use.  So generous!  And, of course I showed up with a little linen.

Pots of Indigo.  Yes, they smell a bit and live outside.

Kristine dyeing my linen.  When it first comes out of the vat, it's bright green!

I have to say, there's really nothing more beautiful than a drying rack full of recently dyed indigo yarns.

Once the dye gets more oxygen, it turns from green to blue.

You can see a video of Kristine explaining all about indigo and indigo dyeing on the Ysolda blog.  I don't think it mentions the little tidbit that she told us the night of the dye demonstration about how, long ago, in order to get the ph levels just right, the indigo pots were fed with a strange mixture of mashed bananas and pee.  Yes, urine, specifically from a young boy???  (Maybe that's because they'll pee just about anywhere...go ahead, ask me how I know.)

And, here's my linen!  It turned a beautiful soft French Blue.

Now I just have to figure out how I want to use it!  Any ideas?

A Gorgeous Give-Away

Head over to the rikrak studio for your chance to win some lovelies (including a Peppermint Pinwheels baby play mat!).  And don't forget to check out her Handmade Community Holiday Gift Guide!

It's that time of year!

Holiday shopping has begun!  I've already been going through my Etsy favorites to find some great handmade presents for the lucky people on my list.  (I say they're lucky because I only buy things I would want myself!)

Rik Rak Studio is making it easy for me to find wonderful new items with her Handmade Community Holiday Gift Guide*.  Each week, she picks a category and lets readers post their favorites in each category.  Check back each Tuesday to see what the latest category is, and be sure to add your favorite gift ideas of the season (so I can check 'em out!).