Good morning all! I want to let you know I am sponsoring a prize for this week’s Brag About Your Beauties link up. This is a new linky party happening over at From Bolt to Beauty.
I hope you will all click over the Michelle’s blog and check out the link-ups. This week’s linkup just opened this morning so if there aren’t a ton of posts linked yet, come back in a bit. If you are a blogger, please link up with Michelle this week! Let’s get the word out there. You might want to put her button on your side bar too.
You will have two opportunities to enter the giveaway and the prize is a $25 gift certificate to my shop. Who doesn’t love a free shopping spree??? Maybe this is your lucky day! 🙂
Thank you Michelle for creating this fun weekly link up!
This post is picture heavy and contains just a bit of sewing related info so if you aren’t in the mood, I totally understand! As you might already know, my son and his fiancé were married on Saturday. As the parents of the groom, we hosted a rehearsal dinner on the Friday night before the wedding. The couple wanted a Mexican dinner which we had catered by a local Mexican restaurant. I don’t usually do this but it worked out well for us. I had so much going on and not cooking the meal myself was so helpful.
When my husband and I thought about the dinner, we really wanted to have it outdoors. Our front yard is so pretty and very private because we live on rural property and don’t have neighbors close by. Again, I went the simpler route and rented tables, chairs, dishes, flatware and wine glasses. This really made for an easy party because we didn’t have to wash dishes afterward. All that was required was to stack the dishes, glassware and flatware in restaurant style racks and they picked it up in the morning. With the wedding the next day, it was great not to have to deal with lots of clean up that night.
The fun part was thinking about decorations. My first thought was I needed two brightly colored table cloths and table runners for the center of each table.
1970’s Caftan
My frugal self sent me over to the thrift stores in town to hunt. I didn’t find any table cloths but did find a fun vintage caftan. I decided to use a harvest gold table cloth I already had and a red one belonging to my mom.
My thought was to utilize the stitching somehow by taking it apart and reassembling it. I cut the bottom off, leaving a border of the green. I hemmed it all the way around and that created one runner. For the second runner, I cut a large swath of the solid fabric from the center of the dress. Then I cut the sleeves off so I could use the decorated portion of the sleeves. The width of the second runner was determined by how wide the stitching was on the deconstructed sleeves. I attached one section of the decorative stitching to each end of the solid color fabric so it ran vertically on each end. I did have to block the runners and starch them to get them to lay (mostly) flat. These had been laundered and worn quite a bit so the fabric was not at all square.
The runners are different but coordinated. (I didn’t take pictures of just the runners but this sort of gives you an idea.
Here is the other one.
To finish things off, I potted little succulents in small clay pots gleaned from my garage and. my mother’s. I added votive candles and small vases with Alstroemeria and dwarf Sunflowers. The vases are actually small pitchers I bought during a family vacation in Mexico a long time ago. We also tucked in some lemon halves that had a large number of whole cloves inserted across the cut side because we read that it might repel the Yellowjackets. (At this time of year, we often have yellow jackets and they are so annoying when we eat outdoors. My husband put about 1/2 dozen open cans of cat food and tuna in strategic locations around the perimeter of the lawn and this proved to be a good distraction for the bees. They were not a problem during the dinner). The lemons looked nice but I highly doubt their scent did much to help us.
Of course, way too much food!
The dinner was wonderful.
Toasting my son and his fiancé
We celebrated the bride and groom with toasts, laughter and great food.
Decorating the arbor on Saturday morning.
Saturday morning we all headed over to the venue (maybe ten miles from home) and got everything ready. My husband built an arbor for the kids to stand in front of for the ceremony. Now they will have it to put in their yard as a remembrance of their day. The bride wanted it draped with soft, flowing tulle. I found two colors at JoAnn’s and bought 15 yards of each the Eggnog and the light Peach colors. My husband patiently draped and re-draped it as we all stood on the ground giving direction. (You can imagine, right??)
It was a breezy day which was nice and it made the tulle float a bit.
My daughter-in-law’s Jackie O look. She is so funny.
Saturday morning was really a fun family time. Everyone was so excited about the wedding and just enjoying each other’s company.
The guys set up the chairs while we decorated the arbor.
This guy loves being a father!
My grand daughter had so much fun running around but we had to keep close track of her because there is a creek running through the property and a large pond as well.
Time for coffee and scones.
Once the arbor was set up and the chairs in place, all we had to do was place the tables where we wanted them. Then the wedding coordinator and the caterers came and set the tables. I wish I had a picture of this before the ceremony started. I am sure the photographer got some though. I will share them when we get to see them (likely a several weeks from now.) Spending the morning of the wedding day together getting things ready was so much fun.
I will share some wedding pictures in a separate post. Everyone has gone back to their real lives. The bride and groom are taking their honeymoon in May so they are back to work now. My plan for this morning is to tackle some housecleaning. It is a complete disaster! Then I need to get back to work. I received a box of fabric yesterday and there is another scheduled to arrive this afternoon so I have lots to do. If you have been waiting for Carrie Bloomston’s new line, Wonder, it should be listed by tomorrow, maybe late this afternoon if I can get to it! It is just fantastic.
Linking to my favorites! Including a new link up called Brag About Your Beauties, hosted by Michelle of From Bolt to Beauty. Come take a look – there will surely be something to inspire you!
Today I found myself getting frustrated because I have so much I should be doing and no energy. After a two day migraine it usually takes me two or three days to get back on track. This weekend is a big one because my son is getting married on Saturday. My kids all come home on Thursday which is so great. Anyway, I felt like I should be cleaning house or doing yard work, etc and really my body is rebelling and saying I should take it easy. So I went in the sewing room. Time in the sewing room is often a cure-all, right??
New Look Pattern 6578 and Radiant Menagerie Fabric by BariJ
I had most of this cute little dress made already. I started it at the beginning of August and when it came time to put the buttonholes on it (a task I dislike) I hung it up in the closet and pretended it wasn’t there. But it is so cute and it called to me this morning so I pulled it out. I wanted to make it for my grand daughter but it is late in the season so I made a size 3T in the hopes she will wear it next summer.
The fabric is called Radiant Menagerie (from Indigo & Aster) and was designed by the talented BariJ. I LOVE her aesthetic and carry a lot of her fabric in my shop (Wild Bloom, Indigo and Aster and now Virtuosa.) If you aren’t familiar with BariJ, she is a talented artist whose work is often quite feminine and usually features large floral designs. Her paintings are very pretty and some are quite whimsical. Take a look at her work here.
She has a lot of animals sporting floral crowns and I was thrilled to see her include them in the Indigo & Aster line (produced by Art Gallery Fabric).
Probably my favorite of the animals, no surprise there, right?
The fabric that features the animals is called Radiant Menagerie and is a border fabric of sorts. Each selvage edge is lined with the various animals.
In between the selvages are stripes in coordinating colors or pink, orange, green and blue. The stripes are actually dotted lines. So when using this piece in a quilt, it is simple to fussy cut the animals and then use the stripes as a coordinate.
I wanted to use this as a dress so I was careful to choose a simple pattern with a straight hemline (as opposed to curved.) This enabled me to use the striped portion as the bodice of the dress and the animals as the bottom. The back side of the dress mirrors the front with animals parading across the bottom and the colorful stripe at the top.
Front ruffle detailing.
As if it wasn’t colorful enough already, I decided to take it a step further. Using a four inch wide strip of La Floraison Lit (another piece in the line) I sewed a tube with the fabric and turned it right side out. Then I ran two lines of stitching down the center (with a long, loose stitch) so I could gather that tube into a ruffle. A quick hunt through my buttons resulted in these cute, colorful buttons to add to the ruffle. I really like the extra detail this adds to the dress..
Finished French Seams
My serger is (still!) not cooperating with me so I finished the seams with French seams. This will prevent any fraying. I do love French seams. They are easy and give a really nice finished look to the garment.
Lavender facing on the inside.
Because the fabric in a nice lightweight cotton, I didn’t want to use the dress fabric for the interior facings around the neckline and armholes. It showed through and didn’t look very polished. Instead, I used a scrap of a lavender solid (I think a Moda Bella piece)). It looks pretty to see that lavender bit popping through.
The dress is adorable and while I am certain it will be too big for now, I can look forward to seeing it on her next spring or summer. These little projects are so much fun. They don’t take a whole lot of fabric and I love seeing her in something I made.
It felt good to sit and sew the bits needed to finish this little dress up. Tomorrow I should have a lot more energy to be able to get things done for our big weekend. I am over the moon about this wedding as I really think these two are perfect for each other. We are so happy to welcome Shar into the family! I will share more about the wedding once everything quiets down again.
Sharing with my favorites, including a new linky party hosted by Michelle at From Bolt to Beauty. It is called Brag About Your Beauties and happens on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fridays of the month. Be sure to check it out!
Newsletter!
Have you signed up for my newsletter? It is published every month or so and is full of information about my shop, new arrivals, sales, and events. Click here to sign up!
Hi Everyone! As promised during my last post, today I am releasing the September Blogger Bundle. Everyone seems to be so happy to see a bit of cooler weather as summer winds down and autumn begins. I was very happy when Mari Heidt of The Academic Quilter agreed to curate the collection for September. Mari and I have communicated on-line since I first began blogging. (I think she started her blog just before I started mine). We worked together on different projects ever since and even got to meet in person during a vacation I had in Maine a couple of years ago. Mari generously traveled to Maine (she has a daughter thereabouts) and we spent a really fun afternoon together. Nothing better than finally meeting in person! Anyway, besides being a fantastic quilter, Mari is a college professor, wife, mom and grandma. If you are not familiar with her work, Mari does a lot of traditional blocks, loves scrappy quilting, and she designs great quilt alongs (block of the month) each year. Be sure to check out her blog!
Let’s take a look at the bundle for this month! A combination of florals, tone on tones, and a geometric print complete the bundle.
September Blogger Bundle, Curated by Mari Heidt
Included in the collection are fabrics from Art Gallery Fabric (the yellow daisies, the green floral and the pink geometric print) as well as from Windham Fabric (the orange tone on tone and the multi-color floral. with hidden kitties) and finally a vivid purple blender from P&B Textiles. They look so great together (though if you would like yardage of any one of them, they are all available in the shop). I think Mari knocked this one out of the park. She has a project started with the bundle and the blocks look great. Click here to take a look.
When I look at this bundle, I think of the flowers that bloom in the fall. By the end of summer, my garden is always very dry and looks stressed. But when the nights finally cool off, I have a large bed of chrysanthemums that bloom. It always makes me so happy to have these flowers blooming – they are the last blooms we have until the daffodils pop up at the end of February. The colors of the bundle are quite saturated and that depth of color reminds me of the mums that will soon be blooming in the yard. I can’t wait!
As with prior Blogger Bundles, this collection is on sale beginning today and running through Friday. Save 20% off of either the fat quarter bundle or the 1/2 yard bundle! Also, Mari is hosting a giveaway on her blog. Be sure to enter to win! If you purchase a bundle and happen to win the bundle (which happened earlier this year!) I will refund your purchase or you can have credit for another purchase.
Thank you Mari for curating this month’s bundle. It has been a lot of fun working with you!
Newsletter!
Have you signed up for my newsletter? It is published every month or so and is full of information about my shop, new arrivals, sales, and events. Click here to sign up!
I thought I would post a quick check in now that I am home from Vermont! If you are on Instagram, you might have seen the photos I posted from the trip. It was such a treat to spend so much time with my son and his family.
The first day there, my grand daughter woke with a fever.While I certainly don’t want to ever wish her ill, I have to admit, I enjoyed holding her a bit extra while she wasn’t feeling well.This girl is usually on the go and doesn’t have time for very many grammy cuddles.That Monday when she was under the weather, she was running around a bit less and happy to sit on my lap and look at books a bit more so that was a treat.
The rest of the week, she was a bundle of energy.We took lots of walks, ran a few errands and played in the back yard.Remember I posted about the projects I intended to complete during nap time? I was mostly successful. I started a blouse for myself.All that is left is to finish the neckline and the armholes.I brought the wrong type of bias tape so that was set aside and I will finish it up this week.
I did get a pillow case made for the baby’s bed.The pillow case with the kitties was made just before I left home.The baby got a kick out of it and pointed to the kitties as we meowed.
While in Vermont, I made one with a soft flannel from Michael Miller. (I love the flannels I have in stock – They are really soft and thick.) She loved the fish and we had fun pointing to those too.I kept telling her the colors of each one which would make her smile as we went along, though she really hadn’t a clue what I was saying.Haha – Grammy’s have to try, right?
When I cut the fabric, it was a bit shorter than I wanted. To remedy this, I left the selvages on and then bound the edge with a bright orange print from my stash (maybe a Dear Stella print??) This worked well and the pillowcase was generously sized.
Unfinished leggings for the Halloween season.
Also I made the leggings I had planned.I love the way they look on her though I didn’t remember to take a picture so you will have to trust me on that one. I used the same pattern from Toddah as I used for her reindeer leggings last Christmas.
Other than that, no other sewing took place.I am not afraid to admit she wore me out by the end of the day.The plans I had to sew after she went to bed each night didn’t materialize (no pun intended!) By then, I was wiped out and usually watched a bit of tv and went to bed.I did manage to finish a book, The Housegirl, by Tara Conklin.It was a good read and I would recommend it.The story is about a current day young lawyer who is working on a reparations case to recognize the descendants of African American slaves and it ties to a young girl who was a slave in the 1800’s.I thought it was really interesting and of course, a bit sad –still a good story though.
I am happy to be back home – I was gone nine days which is a long time to be away. While I was away, I didn’t have one single migraine. I have talked before about dealing with chronic migraine. It is really incredible to go such a long stretch without a headache. I have been home since Tuesday night and still haven’t had one. So it has been since August 25th. I was texting my sisters about this and one of them asked me how much time I spent on the computer while in Vermont. I thought about it and realized I hardly turned my laptop on at all. I haven’t been doing much blog reading at all and didn’t write any posts (I had written the Meet & Greet post earlier and scheduled it to post). I often bring a book on my iPad to read on the plane but I was in the middle of The Housegirl so I brought it to finish up, meaning I read a paper book, not electronic. This was really interesting and made me wonder if the lesser migraine frequency was at all related to the dramatic decrease in screen time. So, I am going to test it out. For the majority of September, I am signing off the blog and won’t really be reading blogs either. I do have the September Blogger Bundle coming up on the 12th of September so I want to do a post then. But I am very curious to see if this relief from the migraines continues. I cannot give up computers completely because I need to continue to work my shop. But I know I can lessen the time spent quite a bit.
So, I will be back on September 12th with a gorgeous bundle curated by my friend Mari who blogs at The Academic Quilter. Be sure to pop over to check it out. I love the colors Mari selected!! Until then, take care and happy sewing!
Newsletter!
Have you signed up for my newsletter? It is published every month or so and is full of information about my shop, new arrivals, sales, and events. Click here to sign up!
Today is the beginning of a Quilt Blogger Meet & Greet event hosted by Benita Skinner of Benita Skinner’s Creative Place. After designing quilt patterns for a number of years, Benita decided to begin a blog. She has been posting for a couple of months now and wanted to host an event for quilt bloggers to meet each other and for readers to find new blogs to enjoy.
For those of you who are new to Needle & Foot, welcome! It is always fun to meet new readers as well as new bloggers. I definitely plan to grab a cup of coffee and head over to Benita’s and check out the other blogger’s posts! But first here is a little bit about me and my blog.
I started this blog in June of 2014 and it is crazy to think I have enjoyed over four years of blogging, writing and interacting with our on-line quilting community. This post is number 458 which is a whole lot of writing! The first post I wrote explains why I chose to call my blog Needle and Foot. If you have a minute, you can read it by clicking here.
Five of us, circa 1965 (one more sister came along the following year.)
I grew up in the Bay Area, Northern California, with my five sisters. My father owned a fabric store and as a teenager, I spent many Saturdays working there with him. Growing up with five sisters and one sewing machine in the house meant someone was always sewing. With a lot of guidance from my mother, I made my first project in seventh grade, a baby doll nightgown and matching panties.
My first quilt was a queen size log cabin.
The first quilt I made was started in 1978, during my senior year of high school. It was a log cabin and I really had no idea what I was doing. Read the details on that project here.
My first quilt needs some careful restoration. It has been well loved over the years!
We used that quilt for many years and it is in desperate need of repairs. I look at it all the time, thinking I should work on it, but other projects always seem more fun!
The first bed size quilt I quilted on my domestic machine. So much pebbling!
Jumping ahead by about 40 years, I am still sewing and quilting. There was a long period of time where sewing happened infrequently as I raised four children and worked outside the home for a number of years. When I retired from my work as a manager of a Human Resources department, I started quilting again. Above is a quilt I made for my daughter’s bed. She chose the pattern. It was the first large quilt I ever free motion quilted. It took FOREVER to do all the pebbling. But it turned out nicely and I love looking back at this, my first attempt, to see how far I have come.
For me, sewing is very cyclical. Sometimes I am more focused on quilts and other times on smaller projects such as clothing. But one way or another, I spend a lot of time in the sewing room. I tend to like basic patterns that don’t require tons of piecing. I am not a patient quilter and fussy patterns are not my thing. I love lots of color, would not define myself as either strictly traditional or modern in style, and my projects seem to develop based on what sounds interesting at the time.
As with most of you, I have such a love of fabric. So much so that I started an on-line fabric shop in January 2017. This adventure has been nothing but rewarding. I love every facet of my job from researching new fabric lines, figuring out what my customers enjoy creating and what fabrics they want to use as well as planning events, promotions and sales to keep everyone entertained!
In addition to selling fabric on-line, I also have a booth at several of quilt shows for guilds in my area. I hope you will take a minute and browse the shop just a bit. If you would like to receive an occasional newsletter about new fabrics, sales or events at the shop, sign up here.
I am really looking forward to meeting more readers as well as new bloggers! Please leave a comment to tell me a bit about yourself so I can get to know you too. If you’d like to follow me, there are links at the top of the page on the right for Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin. Or, you can provide your email address and sign up to receive posts via email. It’s all up to you.
Lastly, I want to be sure and let you know there is a wonderful giveaway happening over at Benita’s site. Be sure to click over and take a look. Good luck with the giveaway!!
Have a great day and be sure to take a few minutes to sew.
