My Trees Grow Diamonds

A couple recent projects to cross off my current list

This is the Wonky Love Block from Kelbysews, a free pattern that I stitched up for a little challenge hosted by Stash Builder Box, who sent out the Art Gallery fabric (Nightfall by Maureen Cracknell) so that several of us could sew this block to be included in a charity quilt project. I will be sending the block back to them, but I am definitely inspired to make more like it. I am already working with my daughter on another one with fabrics she chose.

At first the blast of color inside the "O" seemed like not such a good idea. But I left it, and it has grown on me. I like the bold stroke.

Here is a finished mini-quilt top that I am glad to be done with. These are not my favorite colors, but I wanted to cut into some fabric that I don't like as much. It inspires me to be brave and use more of my stash. It's kind of like decluttering. Once you start, you get on a roll.

And may I just say, this pattern was a pain to piece! Too many points to match and unpredictable triangles to throw me off. Don't look too closely!

Speaking of cutting into the stash, I am still really trying to be good about not buying new fabric. The longer I "freeze," the easier it has gotten to stop impulse-buying. I am not wasting as much time perusing all the sale sections online (though I still have my favorite flash-sale haunts to visit every day!), and I am not spending as much money on fabric that will just sit there. I have bought a little, but I try to allow myself a little freedom to take advantage of a really good sale or thrifty find.

There is still color around here, though the crispy, dry leaves are no longer. We have had the rainiest fall in a long time.

I take the same walks over and over again, but I always try to find new things or look at the same things from a different perspective. It's a good life lesson, and it also inspires creativity.

Mossy carpet turns into a fairy wonderland when you get up really close.

The gross rainy day also holds treasures of beauty, if you just look around. When else do the ditches turn into rippling creeks? We enjoy just stopping and listening...can you hear it?

Finally, my favorite part of rainy weather is the sun break. The droplets dangle and sparkle like a million tiny diamonds in the trees, and it takes my breath away every time. See, it just depends on your perspective. From this side of things, my trees grow diamonds, and I am rich!

Nifty Thrifty

It was a good thrifting day today! I love these old books that no one seems to notice. This one is perfect for my nature study shelf, all about Jim's adventures in the woods and all the animals he meets.

I adore the colored illustrations and plates found throughout the book.

We've been doing a pretty good job of reading the things I bring home, if they are picture books. This one will find its home in my Morning Basket for sure.

I love the life-like illustrations of the animals as well as the poems that begin each new chapter.

The mountain ash was wearing

Her beads of coral red,

And the fuzzy caterpillars

Were all looking for a bed;

The thistle birds were calling,

And the air was crisp and clear,

"Summer has gone," said Buddy Jim

And Winter'll soon be here."

And the other happy find of the day...

If it has Melody Miller's name on it, I pounce on it. Ha. Gotcha!

This book is about creative ways to wrap gifts. But it is so much more than that. It is a craft and  sewing book. It is a photographic feast for the eyes, and an enjoyable read with quotes and anecdotes all throughout.

I love the colors and vintage vibe...

Here is a project teaching you how to make a box out of a vintage board game.

There are also ideas for bags, garlands, other types of boxes, and paper crafts. So inspiring!

I love this quote...

"Things are not difficult to make. What is difficult is putting ourselves in a state of mind to make them."

And finally, I got happy mail today! Stephanie from Modern Sewciety sent me this thank you package for the Boxcar Tote I sent her recently. I love this fabric and can't wait to use it for something special. I see more surprise packages to sewing peeps in the future, because it's just really fun to make things for other people.

Happy fall, y'all.

The "Say Yes" Challenge

I have realized recently that through the years I have said "no" to my kids a lot. "No" is a very good thing if I am teaching them respect, obedience, and self control. But when not balanced with a generous portion of "yes," you end up with some empty tanks, and that is not pleasant at all! My husband and I have made a little challenge for ourselves to say "yes," if at all possible and in their best interests, to the kids' requests. "Can you read me [this mile-high] stack of books?" "Can we go on a walk?" "I want to help you scoop the muffins." "Will you color with me?" It isn't always feasible, especially in the middle of cooking, but we have tried to be more generous with our responses. And in doing that, we have, like mine diggers, unearthed some otherwise hidden treasures of our kids' personalities and their particular stages of development, even revisiting childhood ourselves sometimes.

This past weekend I said "yes" to a walk outside with the Littles. I really wanted to do my own projects, but I chose against that. And look!

We have been hunting for four-leaf clovers (at least, I have), and I found one! I have never found one in all my life. Oh, the joy of saying "yes!".

We also found some other treasures. Seeds of all sorts, and something that's not a seed.

I just love those times we spend together. Without getting all sappy, I will just say, saying "yes" helps me treasure the moments that so quickly fade away.

Here is my current work in progress. It is the Cateye Pouch from Thread Riding Hood. I have made it a couple times, and I love the pattern so much. It is another surprise for someone unsuspecting, hee hee! I found the orange shot cotton at Value Village yesterday. I am on a fabric-buying freeze except for scraps and solids. So I didn't cheat! Angus the dog made it into the picture too. I love the colors in that book.

I did meander into a quilt shop the other day, and I began to drool over a bolt or two I found in the clearance section. But I walked away with empty hands. Pat me on the back!

Some other goodies I found at Value Village yesterday. Someone must have purged Grandma's linen chest, because there were all sorts of pretty embroidered things there. But I couldn't buy them all.

Look at this gorgeous crocheted apron I found for $2! I think it would be so dainty with a little Easter dress.

I believe it was handmade. And the blue satin ribbons sealed the deal for me.

Here's to a new week of "yes." Try it--I bet you will like the results.

Delightful Friday--Churn Dash and Eggrolls

It felt so good to come to the end of this day, the end of the first week of school for me and many of my friends. It was a good week. We worked hard. My piano studio is the fullest it's ever been, and I have added my own kids to the roster as well. That makes 19-20 kids! I am so grateful for each one that walks through my door. Making and teaching music is the joy of my life!

I think the highlight of my sewing week was letting the Boxcar Tote cat "out of the bag." Ha ha. It is a funny story--I was listening to a recent Modern Sewciety podcast and happened to hear Stephanie joke about wanting someone to send her a Boxcar Tote. I thought, "How cool would it be to actually make her one and send it to her?" So I did! And she received it and loves it. I love surprising people! I feel like I made a new friend in doing so.

Sewing time is a little scarce now that school is in session. But I sneak a little here and there. The Churn Dash quilt top is nearly finished.

Churn Dash blocks completed!

Cute mess of dog ears

Block layout of the wonky Churn Dash quilt

Of course no project is complete without a roadblock or two. I had to reorder the gray Essex Linen. When I cut out the remaining pieces, I still came up short. Sheesh. So I ordered it again because I want to add one more row to this top. It will end up a little bigger now. I am going for a square top.

This has nothing to do with quilts, but it does have something to do with Friday. A little while back my husband discovered these $1.29 egg rolls at Safeway. Often we will take a kid there and have a little time together. It's close to home, doesn't cost much, and they love it. Sometimes we talk, and sometimes we just sit there and enjoy our snack, no words necessary.

It is a rare occasion that I am at the store by myself. Well, today I was, and I sneaked an egg roll (no, I didn't steal it) and ate it all up as I sat in the parking lot. I didn't have to share it. It was absolutely delightful. It even dribbled all over my shirt, and I didn't care. It was so good. Three cheers for mama moments. Just what I needed this afternoon after a full teaching day. Thank you, Lord, for simple pleasures.

Boxcar Tote Finished!

I finally finished the Boxcar Tote--check! And I love it so much I want to keep it. But I am sending it off to a good home, a surprise for an unsuspecting person. More on that later!

I will give a little review of the pattern and what I might do differently next time.

 This bag is pretty large. At first I didn't think I would like the size, but looking at it completed, I kind of love it. I can just imagine this being convenient for some large rulers, a stack of fabric, and lots of other supplies you would take to a sewing class. Next time I would sew a seam down the middle of the pockets to divide them. They are pretty large. It's too late to do that once you've assembled the bag as it is very unwieldy under the small throat space of my machine.

See those cute feet...I mean those chunky denim handles? I really loved that denim when I saw it in my stash. It is a nice neutral color and adds great textural variety. You can't tell, but it has a herringbone weave to it. However...that stuff gets really thick! This pattern calls for every piece to be interfaced with Pellon 809 Decor Bond. That's great for the structure of the bag. But next time I might consider not interfacing the denim. The handles were tough to turn and topstitch.

But look how nice it stands up on its own! I had fun adding those little scraps to the binding. Again, the denim was really thick and fussy to work with, so maybe I would choose a quilting weight next time. Or cut the binding on the bias to spread out the seams more.

The hardest part of this project was the binding around the top of the bag. The first time I tried it, I realized I needed to sew on a table big enough so that weight of the bag wasn't dragging and messing up the stitches. So I ripped it all out and tried again on my dining room table. Much better! But I still had a pretty hard time keeping my stitches even and straight, even using my edge stitch foot. Someone suggested using a walking foot. I would definitely try that next time. The other option is to hand sew, always a safe route. Looking at all the pretty pictures of others' Boxcar Totes on Instagram, I see so many pretty, neat, and straight bindings. I am just not good at machine binding! I am about to cry uncle on it and just hand sew!

I would recommend this pattern for a later beginner. Sewing the corners can be a little tricky, but definitely a good skill builder. The options for fabric choices on this project make it a great stash buster. And the final product is a sturdy, generously sized bag that will turn heads!

A friend brought me these dahlias from her garden. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

This one just takes my breath away.

One last little tidbit...I was at a yard sale today and fell in love with these antique quilts. They really had me in a swoon. But I looked at the price tags and then the condition of the quilts, and I just had to walk away. They were not in good enough shape for me to pay that much. Lots of soil, rips, and threadbare spots. It just kind of broke my heart, not that I couldn't buy them, but that they seemed neglected. Maybe someone will come along and give them the love they deserve.

Happy Mail Day

The weather has cooled off here, leaving it feeling more and more like fall. I'm sure there are several Indian Summer days ahead, but fall is definitely knocking on the door.

I am finally making progress on the Boxcar Tote. I had to wait for the 10-yard bolt of Decor Bond interfacing to be delivered. It came the other day, surprisingly fast. Way to go, Amazon. I laughed when I saw that it was an order fulfilled by Wal-Mart. Impressive, Bentonville!

I am liking the fabric combination. One way to test the contrast of fabrics is to look at a black and white photo of it. This one doesn't have a ton of contrast, but I am pleased with it. One thing about this pattern is that the layers are so thick! Nearly every piece is interfaced, and I chose a couple heavy fabrics in the first place. Yet again, Bernina does an amazing job muscling through all the thickness!

Happy mail came today! I had to order more Essex Linen for my churn dash quilt, so I added a "digital print" Kona sampler to my cart. I was expecting a cardboard poster. What a surprise when I opened the package and found it is a fabric panel! I love it! Isn't it pretty? I just want to hang it on my wall and imagine all the color combinations I could play with.

Another piece of happy mail arrived too. Sewn With Grace, whom I follow on Instagram, was doing a destash, giving away some of her fabric if she happened to have a specific piece named by any of her followers within a 30-minute window. I asked for Pearl Bracelets, and look! See, my bad Instagram addiction does pay off sometimes! Even better than the yard of fabric is the new friend I made. I plan on sending her some happy mail back. Thanks so much, Renee!

Baby Steps

I thought I’d post a few things I have been doing or plan to begin doing as we start the new school year. These are not earth-shattering ideas, but they are baby steps to a more orderly and pleasant routine. I am not good at making drastic changes. But these are little ideas, and by putting them here I guess I am making myself accountable.

I must preface that we have 10 people living in this house. There are always dirty dishes. Period. However, I have been really trying to get all of them put in the dishwasher ASAP so that my sink is empty. Every time I handwash, I scrub the sink. I love it so much more. That leads me to…

Mrs. Meyers, oh how I love you. Washing dishes and scrubbing the floor will never be the same. You transform housekeeping into a heavenly experience!

Not too long ago I learned about Grove Collaborative, an online subscription service for household items. They have great prices, automatic shipments (if you want them), and no membership fees or requirements. If I want to skip a delivery or have something shipped before the delivery date, that is no problem. Their customer service is fantastic, and they have options for free shipping if you order a certain amount. They also give a generous referral bonus if your friends join. Some other products I especially love are their walnut scrubber sponges (I use them all the time!), their kitchen towels (I give the as hostess gifts), and their glass spray bottles (pretty and functional).

Other simple things I have tried in the past and plan to re-implement: posting the weekly menu for the kids to see. When each kid asks me separately what’s for supper, that gets to be a lot. The same applies to my weekly personal commitments. They are now posted on the wall so no one needs to ask me who is coming or what the schedule is.

I like the idea of “pegging,” which is simply attaching a task to something you already normally do, like taking a shower or washing your hands. Wash your hands, clean the counter. Take a shower, immediately do daily Bible reading. I did some of this last year, and I loved it. I am actually well on my way to reading the whole Bible this year simply because I have pegged it to another routine.

Big things happen when you do them one little bit at a time. With that in mind, I am really looking forward to a great year!

Cold Water

Most people seem to have gone back to school already, but where I live we don't start until after Labor Day. We are still living the summer life around here...late sunsets, staying outside until dark, open-ended bedtimes...hanging on to the last bits of summer freedom that I love so much.

Last night I confess I really got a case of the back-to-school jitters. I was listening to a homeschool podcast, which I really enjoy, but it just really got to me last night. I don't have my perfect binder all printed up and organized, I don't have any charts made up, I don't even have pencils sharpened. I don't get all excited about school supplies like maybe I should because I know the newness is so short-lived. The erasers get chewed off the new pencils right away, the crayons break, and papers get scattered. And that's OK. I would rather step in the shallow end of Newness and get my feet wet first, 'cause that water's cold! I have had to repeatedly remind myself today that we are not cookie-cutter homeschoolers. Each family has its own personality and set of circumstances. I don't have to meet so-and-so's expectations, only God's. And He is with me, beside me, behind me, and before me. He already knows how we are going to get all this done this year. I like to remind myself that God is bigger than all I have to do. We will pass through the water on dry ground. And by the way, I do get excited about a stack of books! I do have those prepared and waiting on the shelf.

I have been working on my churn dash blocks. As with any project, I have run into a little roadblock. I did not have enough "Dove Gray" Essex Linen to cut out all the pieces. I have searched and searched, and only one website had that color. I am wondering if Essex Grey is the same shade. It has been a little frustrating. I feel like I need to buy more yardage in order to make the shipping cost worth it. Then I feel like I am buying something I don't need. Ahhhhh! The problems we have!

This Pam Kitty print reminds me so much of alphabet soup. I really like the grey linen with the pink.

Last night my husband said he thought it was great that I had such a nice stash of fabric. He was genuinely proud of my collection. Well then. He loves me an awful lot.

That Thing You Keep Looking At

There has been a mess in my kitchen I have passed so many times this afternoon without wiping it up. I have started to but then just walked away. I don't know why except that it's peanut butter, and I really don't like the smell of peanut butter on my hands, or anyone else's hands for that matter.  But why did I not stop the first time and grab a tissue and wipe it up? I can't answer that question. It only took a second to put the smelly mess in the trash.

I have felt the same way about my fabric stash lately. I walk by it every day, but I rarely take time to dig into it. If I have a project, I will grab pieces from the scrap box because they are more convenient to get into. Isn't it true that sometimes your stash can actually stifle your creativity? That thing you keep passing by, neglecting to pay attention to, sucks energy right out of you.

I recently decided it would be prudent to go on a fabric-buying freeze (maybe except for the scrap basket at my LQS and for necessary solids and supplies). I also bought Natalia Bonner's book Modern One-Block Quilts with the intention of sewing through it. I like that she gives 3 different sizes for each project, and I like that some of them can be made scrappy. Seems like a great stash-busting project.

I hauled out a big bin of my favorite prints this afternoon and reacquainted myself with them. I chose a few to put together a mini-churn dash block quilt found in this book. I think it will piece together quickly.

I like to mix up collections--here is Tanya Whelan, Pam Kitty, Tasha Noel, Bonnie and Camille, and Essex Linen Dove Gray

I am still waiting on the Decor Bond yardage so I can move along on the Boxcar Tote. I had ordered it, then the store informed me they were out of stock. So I just went on Amazon and ordered 10 yards of the stuff. It ended up way cheaper per yard, especially since shipping was free. I did get the pieces I had fused to the fabric last night. I really don't enjoy that step--glad it is mostly done! Almost ready to sew the pieces together.

I picked up some books on free-motion quilting from the library yesterday. I have dabbled in it before, but it takes consistent practice to get good at it. I would love to get better at it. I have it on my radar to practice a little every day.

Got the little peanut butter mess cleaned up. The hardest part is just deciding to do it. I am going to go cut some fabric!

Summertime

A few glimpses of summer around here:

On clear evenings the hot air balloons often float right over our house. Sometimes you can even talk to the people in the basket. I am dreaming that one day they will land on our street. Or that one day I will go up in one myself. 

About eight years ago I made a sourdough starter from scratch. It was an experiment that I didn't realize would be such a success. But then the starter languished in the back of my refrigerator for a couple years, a dried hockey puck-like object I just couldn't bring myself to throw out. I finally decided a couple weeks ago to try to revive it. Sure enough, it came back. My family is so excited every time I bake with it. Bread, pancakes, muffins, pizza crust...

Have you heard of Buy Nothing groups? I joined our community's group a year or so ago. We have been purging the house this summer, and Buy Nothing has been an amazing venue to help us accomplish this. One lady came to pick up her items from my porch, heard my son practicing violin, and was so touched that she showed up the next day with this cherry pastry, warm from the oven! I have since had her over for coffee and made a friend out of the whole deal. Life is about so much more than stuff!

The big kids were away with my husband, a rare opportunity for me to spend time with the littlest two kids. So we went for a walk and found some treasures. One of these is not like the others; I just found it on the floor and tossed it into the picture. The veins on that leaf just seemed amazing to me. And the colors...

I have been sewing up a storm. I have 4 or 5 more blocks to go on Farmer's Wife 1930's. That will make 99! I don't know how I will put them together yet. A big quilt is intimidating to me. I am not very good at quilting yet. 

I recently read this article that just hit me squarely between the eyeballs. Instagram is my favorite social media outlet, but I have to admit it does tempt me to spend money. This sale, that sale, this destash, that new line you really like...it adds up. When I look at what I do have, I am almost paralyzed by it sometimes. So my new goal is to use what I have. I am going to try some bigger quilt projects to really showcase what I have (and I really only do buy what I love, and I very rarely buy full price). I am going to try more garment sewing as well. So there. Bust that stash!

Linking Up...

Because this is a new blog I am linking up to Lily's Quilts with a bunch of other new bloggers. There sure is a whole lot of inspiration to be found there! Sometimes the inspiration tank runs low, but in Blogland it is always easy to refuel.

I often think of my mom and grandma who didn't have the luxury of internet to inspire their Sewing Days. I remember trips with Mom to the fabric store, paging through all the pattern catalogs, those little pencils and pads of paper in hand so we could jot down our selections. I remember the smell of that store as if it were yesterday. It was a sad day when that store closed, and for a while there really wasn't a place to buy fabric, not decent stuff anyway. My how things have changed with the rise of the internet...

I do most of my fabric shopping online. Need a notion? I can have it here tomorrow morning if I have to. Don't have to go anywhere. Need a pattern? Got it instantly. Got my blog list to keep current on what's new. Got my Pinterest boards for plenty of ideas. What a world we live in.

And I have all these sewing buddies, which is one of my favorite parts of the internet community. There are swaps and Flickr groups, comment threads and sewing forums. Always a way to connect with other people who love this art.

Can't wait to meet more of you!