Chalkboard Tree

so...I think the tree did turn out pretty cool! or maybe I am just driven mad by the snow...15 - 20 inches more tomorrow...ha...hahaha...hahahahahaha

aaaanyway...my former sewing room turned playroom needed a little something to funkify it...and I have a can of chalkboard paint that needed using up...and I have been wishing I could copy Lightbluegray's gorgeous tree...and voila! I just drew the tree shape on the wall with pencil, painted it in with two coats of the chalkboard paint and then cut out bunches of leaves from my huge basket of fabric scraps. I stuck the leaves and squirrels to the wall using a cornstarch paste (recipe here) which is supposed to make it so the fabric can just peel off the wall when you want to change it up.

what do you think? cool or crazy?

Quilts!

all finished and ready to give...I used this wonderful tutorial from Aneela Hoey of Comfortstitching and it was a lot of fun...a lot of work ...not sure if quilting is really my thing but I am very happy that I gave it a try....we have been trying to get up to see the little babies the quilts are meant for, for about a month now...but it just. keeps. snowing. ..uuughh...hopefully we will get there very soon :)

since I am no longer doing too much sewing(read ANY) for my Etsy store or for fairs ...not really worth it in the end...I did learn this lesson years ago with my now extinct handbag business, but I guess I had to learn it again...we now have a little more space! ...the teeny, tiny room at the top of our stairs that has now been turned into a playroom for Lily...I am working on a very cool (at least I hope it turns out that way!) wall decoration...photos soon!

hope you are having a lovely weekend!

a wreath for my friend...new babies....new house......new year...we both agreed this morning that maybe, just maybe, the wind is blowing us some happier, gentler times...fingers crossed





the tutorial for this wreath can be found....here :) thanks Lindsay!

Norah and Penny's Quilts

my dear, dear friend recently gave birth to twin girls...the girls were born early and with a few setbacks but they are going strong now... miracles, really, both of these sweet little angels.

I wanted to make something special for them and I have also been plotting (during the ridiculously busy autumn and early winter) to slow down after the holidays and just relax and try sewing/making something new...quilting. Now, I'm not a very precise kind of sewer...quilting has always intimidated me with it's reliance on precise measurements and straight corners and such. But I saw this tutorial from Aneela Hoey of Comfortstitching and it was on!

...this is what I have so far...well, actually, I did stitch down all the squares and rectangles on one quilt top...LOVE...just meandering around with the stitching...not planning where I'd stitch next...and it all worked out!...a sappy cliche for the paths in life...next I'll add the little girls swinging on their swings and then embroider Norah and Penny's names and birthdays...I'll post a photo when they are done :)