Inspiration: Japanese Tape

I think I might have a problem.

I can't stop buying Japanese tape.  Masking tape, shipping tape, scrap-booking tape.  Gotta have it all!

It's so pretty!

Inspiration: Red Polka Dot Christmas!

'Flawless Fun Confectionery' by CreaShines

Fun last minute holiday finds!

JOY Hand painted Wo... Daffidolls $15.00	Acrylic doily deer ... Iwannabe $22.00	tiny pompom candy4 dadaya $80.00
Vintage POLKA DOTS ... lunaparkfoundr... $36.00	0-3 Months Newborn ... deusprovidebit $24.50	festive ceramic pit... maryjudy $85.00
25% off entire shop... Ravenhill $25.00	Red polka dots skir... AliceCouture $78.00	Red Peppermint Nine... PeppermintPinw... $175.00
dr. Seuss Christmas... halfmoonorigin... $65.00	Red and Cream Polka... MemoryBeanDesi... $30.00	Handmade sterling s... littlebugjewel... $83.00
20 Mushroom Ornamen... Stemellina $33.00	Small Red Purse JoshRhi7 $29.99	Modern Personalised... savannahroom $88.50

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Inspiration: Sujata Shah

A couple days ago, Sujata from the Root Connection did a feature on her blog about my quilts.  What an honor!  I've been admiring her quilts through flickr as well and decided to return the love.  A girl who loves color, does strippy circles and stripey stripe quilts from reclaimed materials is a girl after my own heart!  She also designs patterns!  My favorite design that she has a pattern for is Wagon Wheels.

1. Wagon Wheel, 2. String Quilt, 3. Shirts from the Goodwill Store, 4. Inspiration from Gee's Bend

Making: Done, done and done!

Pink Bouncing Ball Quilt

Blue and Brown Peppermint Circles Quilt

Linen and Denim Stripe Block Quilt

Now, I just have to get crackin' on my Christmas list.

Making: Fun with Linen and Denim

Since I was dealing with a disaster in my bath-tub, I decided to make something fun.

I hand-dyed some linen curtain remnants, mixed it with a natural linen and threw in some denim as sashing.  It's soft and wonderful.  And it worked, now I'm happier!

Inspiration: Victoria Gertenbach

Quilts by Victoria Gertenbach

1. Rural Roads - Detail, 2. Rural Roads - Detail, 3. Farm Houses - Detail, 4. Work Quilt - Detail, 5. Work Quilt, 6. Work Quilt #3 - Detail, 7. Work Quilt #3, 8. Work in Progress - Work Quilt #2 - Layer 2, 9. Work Quilt #2 - Detail

I have been loving these "work" quilts by Victoria Gertenbach (aka the Silly Boo Dilly) since I noticed them on Flickr.  They look so wonderfully tactile.  And then I saw her post on her newest series of small quilts.  Totally love them!  I love quilts that incorporate and feature old fabrics and all their "flaws."  So, now I get to brag, I am the lucky new owner of Rural Roads!  Here is a picture of it, hanging in a place of great honor behind my sewing machine and above a baby picture of my grandfather. I love, love, love it!

Rural Roads posing with my  Bernina

Disaster, or why you should always finish projects in a timely manner.

This is the quilt top:

Silk Carnival Quilt based on a pattern by Norah McMeeking

...and this is what happens to it when you leave it folded on the sofa in your studio under the shelf where you often leave your tea...for months...because you haven't gotten around to finishing it yet...and then you open it up one day, thinking, perhaps this week, it will get finished...and find matching Rorschach stains of disaster.

...and this is what it looks like after you try to remove the stain.

Bleeding, rumpled, mess of ruined silk

Not a good day.

P.S. Just in case you think I'm completely mad for trying to remove the stain myself, after reading countless online tips for removing stains from silk, I did consult a dry cleaner, who was not at all willing to take the risk to remove it there as the entire thing is backed with fusible interfacing.  But, here's the lesson learned from that - if there's red silk involved, perhaps have them just give it a try before dunking it in a tub of oxi-clean???