Addition to the stash

Two new pieces of fabric arrived in the mail.

lined and graph paper fabric

They’re from the Girl Friday line by Cosmo Cricket.  It’s fun to see so many scrapbook papers licensed for quilting fabric and this was a line I wasn’t familiar with until my awesome sister gave me a heads-up.  I think this fabric has been out for a while, but it’s new to me.  I was able to find some at the Fat Quarter Shop .

I’m so excited to use these prints, especially the lined one.  I’ve got embroidered love notes to my daughters dancing in my head… this will be the perfect thing!

I’m curious, what would you do with it?

Kona Cotton

One of my goals this year is to make some quilts with solids.  So, I ordered a Kona Cotton sample card, which is a 6 page fold-out with a one inch swatch of every color on it!  I was so happy when it arrived!

Kona sample card

221 colors.  Wow.  All so pretty!  I’m liking #200.  Pond.

Kona sample card 2

I can’t decide if I like chartreuse or lime better.

Kona sample card 3

In addition to adding new colors, Robert Kaufman Fabrics is also selling strips of these colors, jelly roll style.  SO fun!

Kona sample card 4


This is the roll I would choose!

True Up is hosting a giveaway
for one of these rolls.  All you have to do is leave a comment sharing which set you prefer.  So hop over there and enter.  They’re throwing in one of these sample cards, too!  The giveaway is open through Wednesday January 27th.

Kona cotton 5

Hope you win!  You can’t go wrong with these awesome colors.  I’m off to drool and plan some more….

My Creative Space

Last weekend I had so many creative ideas that I was just dying to spend a few hours creating.  However, it was one of those weekends when someone was tugging on my leg every 90 seconds, especially since there was no school on Monday.  I hate it when my day and my heart just don’t align well.  I had so much pent up creative energy that I felt like I was going to burst!

On Saturday I stumbled upon these pictures of Heather Bailey’s studio .  Instantly I wanted a room like that!  I especially wanted to go shopping for a bookshelf  that I could neatly stack all my fabric on, in plain sight, to look at for fun and to see everything and therefore use it all more.  Well, that wasn’t happening.  I’ve promised myself no more shopping like that until I have a basement empty of DIYs.  For a few minutes I very seriously considered stealing my cabinet in the dining room to use for my fabric, but it’s perfect where it is so I left it alone.

Instead, I started taking everything out of drawers and made a fabulous mess.  Then, over the next couple of days I got it all put back away, but this time I did it so that I can see all my fabric at a glance instead of having it laying in stacks (which means I forget what’s underneath).

So, while I’m no Heather Bailey, I can at least be inspired by the beauty that’s available to me.  Here goes:

drawer filled with pink and red fabrics

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Each drawer is now filled (I should probably say stuffed full) with my quilting fabrics, turned to stand up so that I can see all of them.  They’re sorted by colors.

drawer filled with blue fabrics

Hopefully I’ll use them all more wisely now that I can see them so easily.

drawer filled with green fabrics

There is another drawer for black and whites, another for browns, and a cupboard for decorator weight fabrics.
I also made a separate spot for Christmas prints, and for fall/Halloween projects.

A box full of flannels for baby blankets:

flannel fabric

I simplified the cabinet that holds my rarely used collection of rubber stamps.  Above it is a bit of vintage hand stitched red and white lace that I just love.  It is incredible to me to look at each little stitch.  I wonder about who made it and if it was art to her.

red and white decor

I cleared the fabric dresser top so it’s now free of clutter.

vintage blue jar with old paper flags

I also went through all the supplies that I keep in blue bins under my desk and was able to trim down on the clutter there as well.  I use a vintage doll cradle to hold the projects that are currently in progress or next up.  I reduced the number of projects in that category.

doll cradle with fabric in it

When I went to store something under the bed, I pulled out a box full of flannel fabric that I’d completely forgotten about!  I remedied this problem by storing things I use a lot next to things I don’t use so much.  I feel like now I won’t forget about any supplies, and will be able to use them all wisely.  This step included using my wire baskets on the bookshelf better.

basket full of craft supplies

Now the basket which was formerly full of vintage supplies I intended to use but forgot about houses those vintage bits along with the jelly rolls, charm packs and fat quarters that I use a lot.

Another basket full of good stuff!

basket full of craft supplies

I keep being tempted to start collecting cute pincushions, because they’re everywhere and they’re really fun.  I have a couple of cute ones, but for now I’m happy using my favorite, this awesome bird sitting in a nest  atop a vintage candy dish.

bird pincushion

There is a lot that I still want to do to this room, but I’m so happy with it even as it is.    Because it doubles as a guest room, I want to try to keep it simple  enough that it can also be a restful bedroom.  I realize that I’m tremendously blessed to have it.  I’m thankful for a husband who works so hard so that we can have a home that allows me a space such as this.

craft and sewing station

To anyone else who walked in the room, there would probably be no noticeable change.

bookshelf

But for me, it feels like a fresh start for a new year of creativity.  I’m pleased.

craft storage

It doesn’t hurt that I dealt with all that pent up energy in a positive way, either.

HH

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