Imperial Project

Just before I left for vacation, I worked on a special bag for a new beloved customer.  She chose one of my Medium sized messengers, and she also picked some of my very favorite fabrics designed by Amy Butler.  The outside and pockets are made from a print called, "Imperial Fans."


Here is how it turned out:  I just love that bold print and the silvery coloring!

New Things

One of Bronwyn's classmates just became a big sister.  I am friends with her Mom, and I wanted to make something special for the new baby boy.  I didn't really know what to make, but then I saw this sweet fabric by Heather Ross and knew.  A receiving blanket! 

The gnome fabric is a very silky, high thread count cotton.  It is unbelievably soft.  I backed it with a soft, unbleached flannel, and bound it with a snappy orange stripe.  I rounded the corners by tracing around a lid that I had in the cupboard.  It came out great, don't you think?

And yesterday, I forgot a critical part of honoring my blog award: to bestow the award on othe bloggers that I admire.  So here it goes:  I am giving the award to: Jen Khuns of the Cosmic Blue Monkey, Julia Moore, The Mayberry Sparrow, Sew Katie Did, Picciolo, Myrtle & Eunice, and Daisy Janie.

Another Zippie!

I belong to a group on Flickr that does fabric swapping and I recently participated with a lovely woman who sent me some extra little scraps with the main fabric she traded with me. I decided to make another little pencil case with it and look! Isn't it so cute? It's a japanese linen/cotton blend fabric with little turtles all over it. I decided that even though the turtles are slow, they DO win the race in the end. Therefore, I added a little orange racing stripe to make them appear faster! Image isn't everything, but it doesn't hurt either, right?

Time to Re-Group

I'm tired this morning. Bronwyn has been getting a molar and it's keeping her up at night. This morning at 3:00, I could hear her fussing and so I went in and laid down next to her. She gave me the sweetest smile and snuggled in. That moment is so precious. It's full of love and warmth, and normalcy. It makes me feel so great to know that I can provide such comfort. We read a chapter from Charlotte's Web (almost done now), and then dozed.

Today is overcast. Perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee and clearing my studio. I need to make room for all of my new fabric, and I've just finished another wedding project. I have a ritual studio cleanse after each project so that I can start the next with an organized mind. Pictured are the bags that I made for the aforementioned wedding. I actually used a commercial pattern that I found. It was just the perfect little bag and I didn't need to make any revisions at all. Plus, the pattern pieces were so few and simple that I didn't need to read the directions, which is where my trouble usually begins with commercial patterns.

Press Pot Cozy

It is raining buckets outside and we have no power at our house. I was feeling kind of down, but I went outside and the Red-Winged Blackbirds are back! They were singing their hearts out, staking out their territory. That put me in a much better mood.

Presently I'm at the library so that I can do a little administrative work for BCharmer, and connect with you! Here is a picture of a little cozy that I made for my press pot. It makes the process of making coffee so much better; kind of like wearing an apron when I cook. I love the details of formality, even if I'm a casual kind of gal.

Coffee and Me

Coffee and Me
Originally uploaded by BCharmer

Well my house is in the process of getting a new life (new siding, new roof, and some structural support). This means that right now my studio is closed and my fabric is packed away to keep things clean. I was looking at this picture and feeling the yearn for my space back. It will happen soon enough, I know, but in the meantime, I can look at this picture and dream about the days ahead. I covered this ironing board with fabric from Amy Butler's Nigella collection. It is a heavy weight satiny-twill and I think it adds just the right amount of chic to my chore of ironing.

Happy days, everyone! Love,

Colleen.

Good Morning

Turkish Apricot
Originally uploaded by BCharmer

It is fall here in the Pacific Northwest, and we're having lovely weather. It is supposed to be in the high 70's today (come on, tomatoes!). But the leaves are turning gold and russet, and it's chilly in the morning, and there's dew on the ever present spider webs. This little wallet reflects this particular time of year to me. It's just the right color combination and the round shapes remind me of the ripening squash and tomatoes in my garden. Have a lovely day, everyone!