Heirlooms by Ashton House

AURFIL THREAD GIVEAWAY and SPOOL PAPER

2012-02-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

I have received several inquiries about the spool papers used for the wooden spool heart I featured a couple posts ago. My friend, Michelle, the editor of Scrapbooks, etc.—the magazine that featured this project—tells me that it is a Jillybean Soup paper called Barley Pearls (below). Don't have enough spools to make this project? The magazine is offering a kit!

And last but not least—If you love Aurifil thread, be sure to stop by my previous post for your chance to win some of this beautiful thread. My fellow wool lovers might be interested to know about their 12-weight Lana thread—perfect for both hand and machine stitching. The giveaway closes this Saturday, when I'll be announcing the winners.

AURIFIL THREAD GIVEAWAY

2012-02-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, a quilting friend suggested I try Aurifil thread and I've been hooked on it ever since. It's become my go-to-thread whether I'm piecing, appliquéing, embroidering, or machine-quilting. I love the way it glides through my fabric, and my sewing machine also appreciates this thread as it produces practically no lint! Recently, the kind folks at Aurifil sent me a wonderful package of threads to try.

As a wool lover, I'm a big fan of their 12-weight wool thread (called Lana). I know a lot of quilters who use it for doing hand appliqué but I wanted to try it out on my machine. Because this thread is thicker than the others, I used a 90/14 topstitch needle. Of course, with a thicker thread, you will have to adjust your machine tension to get the best results. Aurifil also recommends that you use your vertical spool rather than the horizontal one. Normally I'd stitch this little brown bird in a matching thread color but I used a contrasting thread to help you see it better.

Aurifil Lana wool comes in all these gorgeous colors. I love having this handy color card to choose the perfect shades for my particular projects.

And their cotton threads are available in this beautiful rainbow of dreamy hues. With so many options to choose from, you can easily find the perfect one for your project.

And now for the most exciting news! Aurifil kindly gave me some thread packs to give away to you, my dear readers. The thread packs include an assortment of their different threads:
Wool Lana 12—great for both hand and machine appliqué, machine quilting, and hand embroidery
Cotton Mako 40—perfect for machine quilting and embroidery
Cotton Mako 50—ideal for piecing and appliqué
Cotton Mako 28—perfect for hand quilting and blanket-stitching
Cotton Mako 12—wonderful for embellishment and Sashiko

To enter the giveaway, just leave me a comment telling me what project you would like to use these beautiful threads on. You do NOT have to be an official follower of my blog to enter this giveaway and international entries are welcome. If you are an official follower, I will give you one extra entry (to get it, you need to leave a separate comment telling me you're an official follower). If you wish to enter anonymously, please provide your first name and last initial so I have a way of identifying you if you win. Be sure you are not a non-reply comment blogger or I won't be able to reach you! This giveaway closes this Saturday, February 18, at noon CENTRAL TIME. I'll announce the winners later that night and they'll have until Monday at noon central time to claim their prizes. If I don't hear from them by then, I will draw a new name. Good luck to all!

I HEART SPOOLS

2012-02-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those of you who left comments on my previous post. I am again encountering Blogger problems publishing my comments but I will post them as soon as the Blogger bug is resolved. On the heels of my previous Valentine's Day-themed post, here's another fun decorating idea for this romantic holiday (or anytime of year for that matter!). This nifty heart of spools was recently featured in my friend Michelle's magazine.

I think I know what I'll be doing with some of my vintage spools! I love the colorful medley of patterned papers the designer selected for this project.

ROMANCING THE HOME

2012-02-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I decided to set out a few of my vintage Valentine pretties around the house. I collect vintage Valentine candy boxes, and this one is among my favorites. I use the term "vintage" loosely here because some are as recent as the 1980s. They just don't make them like they used to! I was looking at all the candy boxes at the grocery store the other day and they seemed so uninspired with their plain cardboard exteriors.

I just started working on another pincushion order and placed the finished ones in my box until they're ready to make their journey to their new home. Soon the box will be filled with them! Wouldn't you love to get a Valentine box filled with homemade pincushions?! To me, that would be better than chocolate!

No matter what time of year, I try to decorate my surroundings with things that speak to me. They're nothing fancy but they are beautiful to me. I once read in one of interior designer Alexandra Stoddard's books that everything in your home should be either beautiful or useful. I first encountered her writings while interning at Traditional Home magazine as a college student (she had written a column for the magazine). As a young newlywed just out of college, I started purchasing her design books to glean some inspiration for beautifying our humble one-bedroom apartment. This copy of Alexandra's Living a Beautiful Life has traveled with me ever since then. As you can see from the photo, it is rather dog-eared after frequent readings!

I didn't have much of a decorating budget back then, but I found that even simple things like these vintage tins—garage sale finds—had the power to beautify a room. To this day, it's these inexpensive treasures that really take center stage in my home. I think it's their connection to the past that appeals to me. There's something comforting to me about a home furnished with well-loved finds from a simpler time.

Do any of you decorate with vintage Valentine candy boxes or decorate for Valentine's Day in general? If it's the latter, what kinds of items do you like to set out to celebrate this romantic holiday?

UPDATE: I'M HAVING PROBLEMS POSTING COMMENTS BUT THANK YOU TO THOSE OF YOU WHO STOPPED BY TO LEAVE ONE!

SNOWFLAKES AND STONES

2012-02-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

We've had an unseasonably warm winter here in central Iowa with barely any snow. Well, Mother Nature remembered us over the weekend with our first major snowstorm of the season. While I'm not a big fan of Midwestern winters, I couldn't help but think how pretty the snow was as it fell outside Ashton House. The symphony of falling snowflakes looked like something out of a Currier and Ives print. I never thought I would smile at the sight of a foot of snow but I found myself doing just that.

I had even an bigger reason to smile this weekend. On Friday night, I finally passed one of my three kidney stones! I was so elated I snapped a photo before sending it over to my doctor to analyze. After seeing that it was 1/4" wide, it became all too apparent why it was taking so long to pass!

The passing of the stone was reason to celebrate, so I headed out Saturday afternoon to do a little thrifting. I was more than ready to get out as I'd been pent up in the house dealing with the stone for most of the past couple weeks. I love exploring the booths in antique malls for that special something. I happened upon a booth filled with boxes and boxes of vintage trim—perfect for my dolls.

I also spotted these vintage dressforms in a corner. A vintage dressform has long been on my wish list but finding one in my budget and in good enough condition has proven quite a challenge! They're just so popular right now and ones in good condition are not plentiful. I don't need one in perfect shape (in fact, I prefer them to look well-loved but not too well-loved!).

This book about Queen Victoria also caught my eye but it wasn't in the best of condition, so I decided to pass.

I've enjoyed studying more about Queen Victoria over the past several years. I initially started researching her for a magazine article assignment but it grew into a hobby. If you're looking for a good movie about her, I recommend "The Young Victoria" (below) with Emily Blunt. I don't watch many movies but this one is in my dvd library.

So these were the finds I took home from my thrifting adventure. I found a trio of pretty pink trims from the many boxes in the one booth, plus a vintage Valentine postcard and greeting card. Vintage postcards are one of my favorite collectibles and I try to pay no more than a $1 for each unless they really tug at my heart. I also found a vintage tablecloth in pink and yellow but haven't taken a photo yet.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend, which is quickly disappearing! Oh, how fast they go!

WHAT'S INSPIRING ME TODAY

2012-02-03T14:38:00.000-08:00

Isn't the phenomenon of Pinterest amazing?! Although I have been using Pinterest for more than a year, I only recently started my own pinboards at the encouragement of a fellow blogging friend. Now I seem to be addicted! It's become my own personal inspiration board for decorating, quilting, baking, gardening, and crafting—although I'm old-fashioned and still keep a notebook filled with all of my favorite ideas. I originally started my binders to cut back on my ever-growing magazine stash. Now with more than 20 notebooks, I might have to start cutting back on them, too!

These are some of the items I have either found on the internet or uploaded from my own files to my pinboards. Usually I pin when I see something I love on the internet while it's fresh in my mind or I have a photo I took that I want to keep handy for future reference. I enjoy writing the little snippets that go with them as you will see in the examples below. My pins run the gamut from beautiful rolling pins (I found two pins just like these in a magazine prop sale 8 years ago)...

...to cute pincushions (this little guy reminds me of my hippo stuffed animal collection when I was a youngster)...

....to dream kitchens. I am in love with apron-front sinks. When my husband and I remodeled our Victorian kitchen six years ago, that was the big thing on my wish list. At the time, I was working as an editor with Kitchen and Bath Ideas magazine, so I had lots of inspiration from which to draw. This hammered metal finish has a weathered look that I really love. Mine is just a plain white apron-front sink. If only this one had been in the budget!

...to decorating (Pink and green seem to be a common theme)...

...to homes with storybook charm that look like they'd be fun to move right into...

....even my favorite ballerinas made famous by legendary choreographer George Balanchine...

I never thought I would jump on the Pinterest bandwagon but here I am. There's so much inspiration out there! What's your favorite thing to pin on Pinterest?

PUBLISHED IN PRIMS MAGAZINE

2012-01-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

I hope you are all having a good week. After a little blogging break, I'm back with a bit of exciting news. I was so ecstatic to receive my copy of Prims magazine, a beautiful publication for primitive doll artisans.

I'm always anxious to see the latest issue of Prims but this one was particularly special to me because my very own handcrafted doll Minerva is featured in its pages along with many of my fellow TDIPT artisans! Here is Minerva's page. Like all my dolls, she is made entirely by hand. I handsculpted her with papier mache, handpainted her face, then made her dress with 1800s reproduction fabric. Her shawl is vintage lace gathered with a vintage brown pearl button.

I also made and styled Minerva's auburn wool tresses. Here she is before she left for her journey to the magazine headquarters.

Speaking of magazines, have you seen the current issue of American Patchwork and Quilting? Kim Diehl has a glorious quilt on the cover. Last year, I found some of her new fabric line pictured here on my way home from last fall's Quilt Expo in Madison, Wisconsin.

I also enjoyed the neat article on French General fabric designer and store owner Kaari Meng. I'm a big fan of FG fabrics and have a lot of them in my stash. APQ captured some wonderful pics of the French General store. Would love to visit there in person!

LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS

2012-01-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

A series of pleasant surprises has brightened my world over the past month. I've been blessed with many work assignments that keep me busy in this time of economy uncertainty, my friend Merry gifted me a beautiful handmade scarf in a lovely shade of pink, my friend Betsy sent me a bundle of her breathtaking Hot for Chocolate 2 fabric, and my friend MJ gave me a bundle of cardstock for making my handmade cards. Another act of kindness happened just today. As many of you regular blog readers know, I go through A LOT of vintage spools making pincushions like these feathered friends.

Today I received the sweetest surprise package in the mail from my friend Amy. It was filled with these beautiful vintage spools. There were even some green ones and one in blue and orange! I have never found an orange spool. Can't wait to match it up with a feathered friend! I was so touched by Amy's kindness. I first met her through the Jo Morton Stitchers group. She is a very active group member and has organized many a fun project exchange for us.

I tend to be a realist, so these random acts of kindness really restore my faith in humanity. It's people like Amy who inspire me to pay it forward—a lesson I learned early on as a college student volunteering at the local animal rescue league. As a young 20-something, I became a volunteer tutor for the local adult literacy center. One of my students, a dear lady named Lupe, even came to my wedding.

And Amy's generous gift reminds me that it's again time to do my part for those in need. So I decided to donate to a local no-kill cat shelter, Furry Friends Refuge. They have several black kitties, who don't seem to find homes as quickly as the others. I used to make and donate little cuddle quilts to the cats at another shelter and hope to do so again. I'm sorry to wax philosophical here but Amy's gift really touched my heart. I hope if there's an opportunity for you to touch someone's life in a positive way, you'll take the time to do it. The good you do will come back to you!

LAZY AFTERNOON

2012-01-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Things are looking up here after a rough start to the weekend. I've been battling another kidney stone for the past few weeks and because it's been taking so long to pass, my doctor sent me over to get a CAT scan yesterday afternoon to figure out the stone's location, if there are multiple stones, and whether it's likely to pass on its own. It's a rather intimidating machine, although it reminds me a huge donut!

Luckily, the doctor set me up with plenty of high-powered pain medication to get through the times when the stone moves (kidney stones only cause pain when they're on the move—unfortunately I know this all too well after having had them four times in the last 15 years). I've had a good day today, so thought I should write a post while I'm pain free! I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon, curled up with a cup of hot tea and a good book.

My husband took pity on me during a rough bout with the kidney stone a couple weeks ago and bought me this encouraging book to read. I liked the subtitle—Meditations for Courage, Confidence, and Spirit. You definitely need all those qualities to get through an episode of moving stones!

I'm a big tea drinker and love this organic green tea chai from England. It's a mix of green tea leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and orange peel. Thought it was only fitting to sip it from my English teacup! The pattern is Royal Albert's Lady Carlyle.

And here's some other inspired reading—the latest issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine—hot off the press! As a regular editorial contributor to the magazine, I am always thrilled to see the results of our hard work in print.

You don't want to miss this issue! In addition to Cheri Payne's cozy basket cover quilt (above), you'll find other quilted treasures like this appliquéd beauty from Renée Plains. This issue even includes a bonus project from Renée—a vintage-style pin cube that would be perfect for your sewing room.

You'll also find an ADORABLE mohair bunny named Seymour designed by Heather Lynn. What a fun way to welcome spring! I hope I've piqued your curiosity and that you will check out our Spring 2012 issue! It's filled with many more beautiful projects by more of your favorite designers—Paula Barnes, Maggie Bonanomi, Lisa Bongean, Lori Brechlin, Jan Goos, Lynda Hall, Dawn Heese, Janice Minear, Jo Ann Mullaly, Gloria Parsons, Marcie Patch, and Tonya Robey.

BUNDLE OF JOY

2012-01-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to those of you who left comments on my previous cover girl magazine post. I loved reading all 24 comments! Your messages mean the world to me. It's so great to know I have so many supportive blogging friends out there. Thank you!

Yesterday turned out to be a very good mail day here at Ashton House. After a long day of appointments and running errands, I returned to find three packages on my doorstep. The first was a surprise from quilt book author, quilt historian, and fabric designer extraordinaire Betsy Chutchian! As a quilt book editor, I had the pleasure of working with Betsy and her fellow 19th-Century Patchwork Divas co-founder, Carol Staehle, on their recent book, History Repeated, last year.

Betsy was so sweet to send me this surprise bundle of Hot for Chocolate II, the follow-up fabric collection to her previous highly successful Hot for Chocolate.

Doesn't it look yummy? I thought my green milkglass cake stand was a fitting stage for this beautiful fabric since it was such a delightful treat to receive! Thank you so much, Betsy!

Spanning dreamy pinks, rich reds, and dramatic browns in patterns of the past, this fabric collection is going to be so fun to play with! You all know that I am a pink and brown girl, so this collection couldn't be more me! And while I'm on the subject of Betsy, I wanted to mention how glad I am that she recently joined blogland. She's been thinking about starting a blog for sometime and it's great that she's finally taken the blogging plunge. Be sure to stop by here and welcome her to the wonderful world of blogging when you get a chance!

Remember I mentioned three packages? The second package was the owl fabric I ordered last week. At just $5 a yard, the price was right, so I decided to buy the last few yards of the seller's yardage in this print.

And the last package was from Amazon.com. The kind folks at KC Star Books had given all the editors an Amazon gift certificate for Christmas, so I decided to spend part of mine on this book that I had spotted at Barnes and Noble just before Christmas. Amazon had it for 41 percent off the cover price.

This section on meringues brings back memories of the ones that my grandmother used to make, though hers weren't quite this fancy or this pink.

And of course, there is a section on chocolate...

This weekend, I plan to dream up some ways to use my new fabric and new cookbook. I thought I might be able to find something special to bake for my mom and mom-in-law's birthday this February. They share the same birthday, Valentine's Day, and I usually host a special birthday luncheon in their honor.

I'M A COVER GIRL

2012-01-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

First, a big thank you to everyone who left comments on my previous post. I have encountered problems with Blogger trying to publish them, which is really a bummer since so many of you took the time to write. I'll keep working on it and I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually! And now on to this post! I'm so excited to tell you that the garden shed story that I produced and wrote last year made the cover of Country Gardens magazine! When I say produced, I just mean that I was hired to create, maintain, and help stage the garden for photography in addition to writing the article.

Last May, I planted the surrounding garden beds, some containers, and coordinated plans to add the inviting flagstone path to this enchanting outdoor retreat. Luckily, I was able to get all the flagstone pavers donated by a generous local supplier. As Mother Nature socked us with an unyielding heat spell for nearly two weeks during the summer, I started to wonder if there would be anything to shoot in August (those days found me watering the thirsty plants up to three times a day!). But thankfully, the hard work paid off and everything bloomed on cue for the mid-August shoot.

In other exciting news, the article I wrote for County French magazine also made the cover! It features the eclectic home of a Houston antiques dealer who masterfully melds centuries-old antiques with her home's new architecture. I had so much fun writing this article, and the homeowner was a gem to work with. She was even thoughtful enough to write me a thank you note telling me how much she loved the article. I really appreciated her taking the time to share that positive feedback as most people don't take the time to do something like that.

Thanks for giving me a moment to toot my own horn. I promise not to bore you with every single magazine article I write, but it isn't every day that one is lucky enough to write a cover story. So I thought I'd better relish the moment. It probably won't come again anytime soon!

QUILTED BLESSINGS

2012-01-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

After visiting the mosaic quilt exhibit in Lincoln, Nebraska, last week, we stopped by a few area antiques shops. One of them had quite a few vintage sewing notions and it was there that I spotted this cute little shelf of vintage sewing books that I had to have. The shelf appears to be original to the set since it seems to fit the books perfectly. To give you some idea of this piece's dimensions, the books are about two inches tall.

The books are actually little match boxes that open to reveal their labeled contents! Isn't that the cutest thing?! All of these boxes still had their original contents and all are in excellent condition given their age. Since I collect vintage sewing notions, I thought this piece would make the perfect addition to my collection. I fell in love with the imagery on the boxes.

The shop owner didn't know what era they were from. If you know anything about these little guys, please drop me an email. I'd love to hear any insights you may have. While she had not seen anything like this before, my sewing friend Linda M. surmises that they were made in the 1940s when design elements such as cameos and silhouettes and softer color palettes were popular. She was pretty sure they were post WWII when sewing supplies such as elastic, thread, and buttons became available again and seamstresses were eager to return to their sewing rooms and machines (These are Linda's words. Isn't she well spoken?!). During the war years, Linda said that ladies couldn't readily obtain these supplies. Thank you so much for your insights, Linda!

After we visited a few antiques shops and of course, a couple quilt shops, we headed on to the Omaha area to visit my husband's parents. While we were there, I was greeted by yet another pleasant surprise. My mom-in-law surprised me by giving me three of her vintage quilts! She said that all of them were found at flea markets back when quilts could be purchased for a song.

I actually have the matching partner to the Sunbonnet Sue quilt, which she gifted me early in my marriage. Now that I have this one, I'm thinking that I will display the duo on our Jenny Lind twin beds in the guest room.

My favorite quilt of the bunch is this cheerful pink fan quilt, which will remain in this room—my dining room, which is decorated in shades of bubblegum pink and spring green.

And who can resist the timeless charm of the Churn Dash block? My mom-in-law told me this one was kept on my husband's bed when he was boy. At the time, they lived in an old farmhouse on their family's century farm, so quilts fit right into the decor.

Those of you who are regular readers of my blog may remember that my husband's mother has gifted me many a vintage quilt over the years. You can see one here and another here. These family quilts are very special to me and I try to display them throughout my house. It seems a shame to let them languish in a dark closet or cedar chest. Before I close, I have one last little thing to share with you. My in-laws also gave me this owl ornament because they know how much I love anything owl-related. They asked if he would make my blog, so here he is...

NOSTALGIC NOTIONS

2012-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

While we were visiting the British and American mosaic quilt exhibit in Lincoln, Nebraska, last week, we also stopped to admire a small display of antique sewing notions and toy sewing machines just outside the gallery (you can see photos of the quilt exhibit in my previous post). This fancy French sewing box is paper-covered and the interior is compartmentalized to accommodate nifty notions like thread and a toy sewing machine.

I'd never seen a nickel-plated cast iron toy sewing machine like this one before. It was made in Berlin, Germany around 1896. The black one behind it was made during World War II in Nuremberg, Germany. What a lovely little thing to be made during such dark times.

I love the decals on these two little black beauties. The one in the foreground is a Muller Model #20 from pre-World War II Germany. I forgot to copy down the info on the one in back!

I was especially enchanted by this little child's machine in a velvet-lined case. It is another Muller model and dates to 1900 Germany. What a lucky child to have been gifted that machine!

And this tiny pre-World War II treasure was marketed as the smallest sewing machine in the world in pre-World War II Germany. It's aptly named the "Liliputian".

I loved these fanciful Black Forest bear thread stands and thimble holders from Germany. In the lower right, you can see a small silver seam knife and dagger scissors in a brass sheath, made circa 1850.

The exhibit also featured some nifty American-made notions and this sweet little sewing machine. Made by Foley & Williams, the "Reliable" was marketed for light sewing, travel, and children. According to the exhibit card, the first models sold in Montgomery Ward catalogs for $3.50-$5. I've often thought it would be fun to travel back in time to an old 19th-century or turn-of-the-20th century general store, buy a bunch of treasures, and travel back to the current day to enjoy them!

This little brass machine was labeled "Tabitha"—the same name as my sewing machine, Tabitha the treadle. If you're interested, you can see my Tabitha in this post. This little Tabitha was manufactured in 1885 in New York City.

And here are various American-made sewing notions—needle books, thimble holders, pincushions, tape measures, and pin disks—all from one woman's collection.

These notions all hail from the United Kingdom. Do you see the thimble holders in the shape of a goat cart, a brass shoe, and Jack and Jill figures with their water pail? There were also some lovely thread winders, pincushions, and emeries.

I love the bunny and roller skate tape measures in this photo. Do you see the needle case in the shape of a parasol? The designs are all so clever!

I hope you'll come back later this week to see the nifty little notion I found while exploring the local antiques shops.

MASTERPIECES IN MOSAIC PATCHWORK

2012-01-09T06:16:00.000-08:00

First of all, I must thank the 37 kind souls who left comments on my previous post, encouraging me to post photos of this amazing exhibit. It's reassuring to know that I'm not just talking to myself. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm sorry for the delay in getting this posted; it took me a bit longer to get all the photos set up than I anticipated. But without further adieu, welcome to my little tour of the Elegant Geometry exhibit at the International Quilt Study Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was so glad to get there before the exhibit closed yesterday. As you will see, the quilts were absolutely breathtaking!

I was greeted by a dazzling array of mosaic patchwork quilts culled from the IQSC collection. Drawing treasures from both sides of the Atlantic, the exhibit featured one of the earliest quilts in the museum's collection—a 1796 hexagon mosaic beauty by Anna Ruggles of the United Kingdom.

The exhibit card pointed out that Anna created a design challenge when she opted to surround the double rosettes in the center with a ring of single ones, thus preventing the single ones from aligning symmetrically along the quilt's vertical axis. Her solution was the stair-stepped outer border. Isn't it amazing what our quilting predecessors were able to do with less?

Anna was a master at fussy-cutting fabrics. Don't you wish some of these gorgeous fabrics were being reproduced today? Having a passion for pink, I was especially enamored with this one.

This medallion quilt made by Belle Abram dates to 1808. The quilt records reveal that the patchwork took Belle nine years to complete.

The smallest patches are in the center and their sizes increase progressively with each border.

There is no mystery about the maker behind this 1818 medallion masterpiece that spotlights chintz appliqué.

Frances Hawkins displayed her name prominently in the hexagons. She also put her fabric to dramatic use in the appliquéd dogtooth border.

Made in East Yorkshire in 1833, this medallion quilt was made by 12-year-old Mary Staveley. In its center, an embroidered inscription reads: "I have done this to let you see what care my parents took of me"—a popular choice for samplers of the day.

I was mesmerized by the embroidery work in this quilt—an artful collage of birds, blooms, urns, and other animals. Seeing its workmanship made me realize how much times have changed. Sadly, I can't imagine many of today's 12-year-olds being disciplined enough to create this quilt!

The embroidery in this exquisite British medallion coverlet was wrought in wool and silk thread. In the center, the maker stitched "Ann Stevenson 1734" but the actual coverlet wasn't completed until 1820-1840—a common practice of the day. Families often saved pieces of embroidery and incorporated them into later needlework projects.

This hexagon quilt was probably made in Maryland in 1830-1850. Today's quilters know this pattern as Grandmother's Flower Garden but as the exhibit card says, that name is an early 20th-century invention. It is not known exactly what was called in the early 1800s.

I was amazed that the fabrics were still so vibrant. Love this pink and green one! I enjoyed looking at the quilter's many color combinations.

This intriguing hexagon coverlet from Massachusetts dates to 1820-1840. I loved its inventive layout and the interplay of light and dark fabrics.

Here's a detail shot of some of the columns of hexagons.

According to the exhibit card, this hexagon coverlet was most likely made in the United Kingdom between 1810-1830. It features many single-color "eccentric" patterns comprised of distorted or wavy lines, which were developed for banknote printing in 1810 and adapted for British roller-printed cottons in the 1820s.

British block-printed panels like the one in the center of this antique fragment were often incorporated into decorative accessories such as firescreens and cushions in Great Britain during the early 19th century. The British have such great taste, don't they?

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of mosaic masterpieces! Come back later this week to see a few vintage sewing notions, including toy sewing machines, that were also on display at the museum while I was there. After visiting the museum, I stopped by a few antique shops and found a little treasure to bring home. More on that later...

ANYONE INTERESTED?

2012-01-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

I just returned from seeing the amazing exhibition of antique American and British mosaic quilts in Lincoln, Nebraska, which closes tomorrow. Would anyone be interested in seeing photos of the exhibition? I took several photos while there but just wanted to find out first if anyone would even be interested in seeing some photos from the exhibit? There were also some delightful antique sewing notions and toy sewing machines on display.

A HOOT OF A COOKIE JAR

2012-01-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

It looks like the new year is off to a good start here. It's been a productive day of editing a quilt book and I finished two magazine articles earlier this week. I'm feeling good about my deadlines, which is always a good thing! As I was busy typing away on my computer, I heard a knock on the door. It was the UPS man delivering my owl cookie canisters! I love seeing the UPS man because it means it's going to be a good mail day! Who but an owl lover like me could get so excited over these silly things?

I chose these two because their colors complemented my kitchen's buttercream yellow and soft gray blue hues. They also have a lot of character. I thought they were the cutest things I'd seen. But they look hungry, don't they? Guess I'd better start making some cookies to fill their tummies!

SPRING-FRESH INSPIRATION FROM PRIMITIVE QUILTS AND PROJECTS MAGAZINE

2012-01-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm glad that 2011 is now behind us with its many challenges, including the poor economy. I know many friends and family are still struggling during these difficult times and I hope 2012 will be a brighter year for all. And speaking of a brighter year, here's some good news for all you fellow quilters who love primitive-style projects. As editor of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine, I bring glad tidings of the spring issue, coming soon to your mailbox or a newsstand near you! Here's the inviting cover with Cheri Payne's pieced basket quilt.

We've packed this issue with dazzling tabletop quilts, delightful bunny designs, scrappy quilts and much more to jump-start your creativity this spring. You'll find projects by some of your favorite designers—Paula Barnes of Bonnie Blue Quilts, Maggie Bonanomi, Lisa Bongean, Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm, Jan Goos of Goos Nest, Lynda Hall, Dawn Heese, Heather Lynn, Janice Minear, Jo Ann Mullaly, Gloria Parsons of Olde Green Cupboard, Marcie Patch, Cheri Payne, Renée Plains, and Tonya Robey. This issue also includes a bonus project from Renée—a quick and easy vintage-style pin cube inspired by her collection of these charming sewing notions. If you don't already subscribe, I hope you'll check us out! You can find the magazine in several quilt shops as well as Barnes and Noble.

GIFTS FROM THE HEART

2011-12-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

I have the best hubby (don't we all?!). He puts together the nicest gift packages for me every Christmas. The most touching thing about them is not the gifts themselves but the thought and care he puts into each one. He makes it a point to remember things that I like when we're out shopping and visiting antique malls throughout the year. I was so impressed with his wrapping and embellishing skills. The photo doesn't show it well but he even picked out some neat pink and brown ribbon and made a bow with it for one of the gifts!

Here are the goodies unwrapped. It was hard resisting the temptation to peek at the little quilt in my favorite shade of pink but it was worth the wait. I also got a drawer to store my Keurig machine's K-cups, a cute owl soap dispenser, a Williams-Sonoma cakelet pan, and two vintage glass leaf dishes in a soft shade of shell pink.

I think pearl buttons would look lovely displayed on these vintage glass leaf plates. The photos don't show their true pale pink color.

This quirky felted frog was the only item I put on my wish list this year. I think he's adorable!

I also got a kit to make this sweet little felted owl by the same artisan who makes the frog!

I adore this cozy scented heating pad filled with cassia seeds. It's so pretty in pink and blue.

My husband knows I love 19th-century books, especially ones with pretty illustrations, as I always stop and ooh and aah over them when I see them in antiques shops. I was so touched that he was observant enough to find this beautiful bound edition of St. Nicholas magazines from 1888. I can't wait to explore this wonderful treasure.

Even the inside covers, covered in beautiful illustrations from yesteryear, are exquisite.

And last but not least was this mini pie maker. In an earlier post, I spotlighted my cake pops and pie pops makers. Guess my husband thought they were the launching pad for other good gift ideas like this one! Thank you for making this another extra special Christmas, my dear hubby!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE PETS

2011-12-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas. I'm enjoying spending some time with my family. Yesterday, my sister came with her sweet dog, Albert, and a new puppy that she had just picked up the prior day. Her name is Tillie (short for Matilda). There she is on the left. My sister lost her other dog, Khloe, earlier this year, and Albert has been missing his companion ever since. So my sister thought he might enjoy having a new friend.

Tillie was remarkably spry for just having had been spayed a couple days earlier, but after fully exploring mom and dad's house, she got a little worn out.

Albert is a beautiful, bighearted Bernese Mountain dog. This picture doesn't really show how large he is. He is one of the nicest dogs I've ever met. Anyone who meets him seems to fall in love with him.

My mom and dad have three cats. One of them is this mischievous little black boy named Felix. He couldn't resist inspecting one of mom's opened gift boxes.

Can you tell that we are an animal-loving family? I grew up with dogs and cats. Although my lifestyle doesn't gear itself well to having a dog, I'm always very tempted to get one when I see cute ones like these! I'll be back tomorrow to share some gifts the hubby gave me.

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

2011-12-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

During the holiday season, I always revisit my copy of Truman Capote's touching short story, "A Christmas Memory", originally published in Mademoiselle magazine in 1956 (you can read it here). Those of you who are familiar with it know it's a bittersweet memoir of friendship between a young boy and a sixty-something woman who is his distant cousin. Inevitably, I end up reaching for a kleenex or two by the last paragraph! Truman Capote is one of my favorite authors. I can remember reading all the books I could find by him in the local library during one summer as a high school student. My favorite is his classic 1958 novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's, which also happens to be my favorite movie. For some reason whenever I'm down, I can watch that movie and feel better.

As I was thinking about Christmases past, I was suddenly reminded of the importance of recording those pleasant memories—or special memories that bless us anytime of the year. Someday they are all we will have of loved ones lost. So this year, I gave all my friends these Christmas memory books among other gifts.

As I look back at this Christmas, one of my fondest memories will be spending a lovely day with my friends, Belinda and Merry, for our annual gift exchange. Those of you regular blog readers are already familiar with their generous spirit and creative talents. This year was no exception, so I cannot resist sharing their heartwarming gifts with you. I will start in alphabetical order with Belinda! My heart skipped a beat when I unwrapped these amazing handmade gifts—a notebook cover and drawstring bag—both made up in my favorite owl fabric. Belinda told me that she had chosen this fabric because she knew I would not want to cut into mine, and oh, how right she was. That owl fabric is still sitting on my fabric shelf. I can't seem to bring myself to cut into it. Belinda even personalized the cover with my name on her embroidery machine!

Isn't this drawstring bag adorable? I would have been so grateful to have just have received one of these gifts! Can you believe the drawstring bag was filled with more goodies? Among them were this cute notepad, a delightful owl-adorned pin, pink polkadot scissors, the sweetest mini wooden ruler, and a lovely Modern Priscilla box kit for making an interior box cushion.

But that wasn't the end of Belinda's surprises. She also gifted me the most incredible quilt book! I can hardly wait to dig into it.

It's packed with photos of gorgeous vintage quilts and profiles on well-known quilters such as Ruth Finley and Averil Colby.

Merry's gifts were equally astounding. They both put mine to shame (I won't bore you by showing you the gifts I gave them). She actually knitted these cozy socks for me! The only problem is I can't bring myself to wear them because I don't want to get them dirty! They're too pretty. She also made this fun flannel blanket, perfect for keeping warm on those cold winter nights or during a winter car ride.

Merry even crocheted its decorative edge! I was simply in awe of the workmanship that must have gone into this.

Merry's generosity knows no limits. Would you believe she also gifted me all these goodies, too? Vintage mini oil cans to add to my collection, a faux book storage case, a handy little bag made with Jo Morton laminate fabric, an owl rubber stamp, handmade magnets, and the loveliest sewing tray I have ever seen—complete with a handmade pincushion and embroidery scissors.

I gasped with delight when I saw this homemade pincushion/tape measure! Merry made it herself. The cute little bee pins are handmade, too.

Being a gifted baker, Merry always surprises her friends with some edible delights. This year she gave Belinda and me a mouthwatering assortment of her homemade biscotti in flavors such as chocolate, snickerdoodle, almond chocolate, anise, and gingerbread. Yum! I love the smaller size, which will be the perfect treat with a cup of chai latte, egg nog, or tea.

As our holiday gathering came to close, I felt so blessed to have good friends who actually chose to spend their time making me these heartfelt gifts. Just like the young boy named Buddy in "A Christmas Memory", I'll remember times spent with good friends like these for years to come.

PLAYING CATCH UP

2011-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

To say I'm behind on my holiday shopping and wrapping would be an understatement. A hefty list of work deadlines has left me little time to make much of a dent in them. Over lunch yesterday, I was able to catch up on some of my holiday to-dos. I've been printing out holiday images on my Cricut Imagine machine that I can craft into gift tags. The machine is a huge time-saver because it both prints and cuts out these nifty images...

This pretty blue and pink package is one of my favorite images. Makes me think of all the pleasant surprises I've been blessed with over the years.

This sweet stocking in my favorite shade of green is going on my mom's package.

And who could resist a package adorned with this lovely paper ornament?

Things like this help get me in holiday spirit, and that's a good thing because I have a lot of wrapping to do the rest of this week! Late last night I finished wrapping a couple goodies. I found the cutest owl wrapping paper earlier this year.

After I wrapped the packages, I put them in these holiday bags and boxes. I hope they will bring as much joy to the recipients as they did to me, wrapping them. It's so fun to give, isn't it?!

A VERY QUILTY SURPRISE

2011-12-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

We had the first of our family holiday gatherings with my husband's parents on Saturday. After they took us out to dinner, we stopped by an antiques shop on the way home and were delighted to find a wall of vintage quilts. After we oohed and aahed over them for about 15 minutes, my parents-in-law told me to pick one of them and they'd get it for me! I was astounded! First of all, who knew that I would get such a special gift that day? And secondly, how could I choose from the many beautiful vintage quilts before me? There was a beautiful tangerine 1930s Drunkard's Path quilt and an indigo patchwork quilt among them. But of all the vintage quilts, it is the scrappy ones I love most. The many different bits of fabric seem to reflect all the love that must have gone into them. So I chose the scrappiest one. Thank you so much, mom and dad! I'll treasure this gift for years to come.

Last night, I noticed an email message from my friend Anne. She had sent me a scan of a reader show and tell clipping from Fons and Porters' Love of Quilting magazine. Three ladies had made my Oliver the Owl pincushion that had been featured in one of their previous issues! And what a kind friend to think to send this to me. Thank you, Anne!

Earlier this month, I made a few of my Holiday Hoots dressed in yuletide colors to sell on the prim marketplace selling site that I belong to. They have all flown the nest to their new homes. If you are interested in making your own Holiday Hoot, I sell patterns for them. I also occasionally sell finished owls.

TREASURES BIG AND SMALL

2011-12-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

Remember all those jars of vintage pearl buttons that my parents-in-law gave me that were in an earlier post? I've been wanting to find a nice way to organize and display them and finally came up with a fun solution.

In a previous post from last year, I shared a vintage button sorting box that I found at an antiques fair. It was just a simple old compartmentalized wooden box. This is a picture of how I found it at the fair. You can read more about my antiquing adventure from that day here. I found a lot of old good things there!

Anyway, the box worked great for stashing all those wonderful vintage pearl buttons. It even has a drawer where I can stash yet more buttons. The ones in the drawer are vintage pearl buttons I've found over the years. I especially love the pink and green ones on the right!

My parents-in-laws are coming tomorrow for our family holiday gathering and I am excited to show them what I did with their buttons!

In between button sorting and preparing a quilt book and quilt magazine for the printer, I had an appointment yesterday and on the way home stopped by one of my favorite thrift shops. This is what I found. It is well used and not in exquisite shape like Tabitha the Treadle but it was also a fraction of the cost at just $10. So I brought my new old Singer home to Ashton House. According to the Singer sewing site, it dates to 1923. If anyone else knows anything about this model, I'd love to hear from you. This one is not in its original case. With pink and tan colors, the case looks like it came from the 1950s or 60s!

My hope is to eventually find a vintage sewing machine to display in every room in my house (except the bathrooms—I do actually have a treadle in my kitchen that I will have to share with you another time). I have a ways to go and it will likely take awhile as my budget for vintage portable machines is $30 or under. The treadles, of course, are more expensive, but I think I have all of those that I can accommodate! The temptation is to buy just one more and with a big old attic that can hold a lot of junk, I really have to exercise self control!

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

2011-12-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

As many of you regular blog readers already know, I write for Victoria magazine. I recently had the chance to write an article on the historical Chatillon-DeMenil house in St. Louis, and it is in the soon-to-be-released January/February issue! Here's a sneak peek of the beautiful cover dressed in winter whites. Doesn't that cake look divine?

There's an interesting sidenote to this story. Years ago, I actually visited this house (We have several relatives in Missouri, including St. Louis). Who would guess that a decade later I'd be writing an article about it for my favorite magazine?! Life certainly works in mysterious ways.

Here is a sneak peek at the first spread of the 6-page article. Quilt lovers, notice that gorgeous crazy quilt on the bed? Alas, there weren't any details on it to write about. Hope you will check out this gorgeous issue once it arrives on newsstands! As I write this post, I'm at work on another feature story for Victoria and hope to share more details on it after the first of the year.

A GOOD NIGHT FOR READING

2011-12-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

This seems to be the perfect night to catch up on my magazine and book reading. With a hectic weekend spent editing a magazine and writing articles, I need a little R&R tonight. Being a magazine editor and writer, I must confess I'm somewhat of a magazine junkie. I could spend a small fortune on magazines if I wasn't careful. I've tried to narrow down my subscriptions to only those magazines that I really love. I've been subscribing to Old House Interiors for years. I love the color of the blue wallpaper on the latest issue's cover.

Although I could never afford the beautiful furniture featured inside, I find decorating ideas here and there that I can inexpensively apply to my own decor. My favorite piece of furniture in this issue is the wonderful blue hutch with the vibrant red interior.

For years, I have enjoyed Victorian Homes. It's truly a feast for the eyes. This issue had a fun article on Christmas ornaments.

And of course, I subscribe to more quilt magazines than I care to admit! How can I resist when they feature beautiful antique-insipred quilts like these?

The books have also been piling up on my parlor table. Luckily, I'm just in time to read one that I had pre-ordered this summer. It includes some fun vintage-inspired crafts from the 1920s-60s. I wasn't even alive in the 60s but love the crafts of that era.

I love the vintage graphics inside!

I'm also enjoying this book on the gentle art of domesticity. Love the title. And how could a book with French-style macarons on the cover be bad?

And I'm a big fan of any Tilda book. I have all of them and usually pre-order them from Amazon. I recently purchased some of companion Tilda fabrics so I can create a similar look to some of her projects.

So with all these good books and magazines piled on my parlor table, you might guess how I'll be spending the night. Yes, I'll be curled up with a good read and a little something sweet to drink. This mocha egg nog will do. It's the perfect blend of egg nog, chocolate, and coffee. Yum!

WOOL INSPIRATIONS

2011-12-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

The other day, I searched my wool stash for some pieces to inspire me and found myself with this harmonious quartet of colors. They remind me of spumoni ice cream.

Then I had to find a project for them! So I searched my stash of quilt mags and books and found the perfect one for the holidays—this pretty poinsettia pin. Granted this pattern doesn't call for brown wool but I might find a way to incorporate it. As I looked carefully at the photo, I realized I have the same herringbone green wool somewhere in my stash, too. So I guess it's time to get stitching!

I've also been making more of my wool flower ornaments for the feather tree. I just have to make a few more and I'll have just the right mix of wool flowers and other ornaments.

TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT?

2011-12-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

While thrifting with my friend Cinda several months ago, I found this vintage doll bed. I don't need another one but I couldn't just leave it there lonely on the shelf. The bed itself is in good shape but the paint has worn off in several spots. I am thinking about trying to sell it locally since I have another vintage doll bed very similar to it and I want to avoid the hassle of shipping it.

So I'm wondering—would you spiff it up with a fresh coat of paint before trying to sell it OR let the buyer decide what to do with it? I know some people love the timeworn look of chippy paint and might prefer to leave it the way it is. So please, fellow doll bed lovers, give me your opinions! Thank you!

LITTLE WOODEN WORKS OF ART

2011-12-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

History was always my favorite subject in school. I even majored in it in college but had to also major in magazine journalism since I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find a job in the history field. So whenever I get the change to delve into the history of a particular object, I gladly do it. I recently researched the history of German smokers—charming handcrafted wooden figurines made in the Erzgebirge region—for my P.E.O group, which meets tomorrow night. I'll be giving a program on them. Here are a few fellows (and one lady) from my collection that I'll be sharing during my program.

The holiday season is a fitting time to talk about these little guys since they're often associated with that time of year, especially in Germany where they are traditionally made. Many German households place these little figurines in every room of their homes to chase away any evil spirits that might reside there. They're called smokers because their interiors hold an incense cone. When lit, a swirl of smoke escapes their little round mouths.

Do any of you have one of these delightful little figures? I'm wondering how commonly they are collected here in the U.S. I keep mine out year-round because they add a lot of character to my surroundings. They are just one of my many collectibles!

I-TOP BUTTON MAKER WINNER

2011-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all who participated in my i-top button maker giveaway. If only I had one to give away to each and everyone of you! I really wish I did.

I let Random Generator draw the winning entry. Congratulations, Mimi! You have until this Tuesday, noon (central time) to contact me privately at the email button on the right-hand side of my blog. I need your full name and mailing address. If I don't hear from the winner by then, I will draw another name. For those of you interested in purchasing this nifty tool, check out the store locator here.

Mimi said...

I would love to have one of these tools!! I would make matching buttons for pillows and ornaments!! Thank you for the chance!

November 30, 2011 8:52 AM

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE...

2011-12-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's the little things in life that really make my day—like getting my new keyboard protector for my iMac yesterday. I've been wanting one of these handy little guys for awhile and finally ordered it a week ago. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner since you can buy it for pocket change and free shipping.

Now before you make fun of me for getting excited about a little keyboard protector, remember that I'm on my computer an average of 12 hours a day, working on writing and editing assignments. Needless to say, it's a huge part of my life! And one of my least favorite things to do is cleaning my keyboard! I'll never have to worry about that again, thanks to this handy new cover that fits snugly over all the keys as you type, while guarding against the inevitable spills and dust of everyday life. Best of all, it's totally washable! I can just peel it off and toss it to soak in the sink. I'm for anything that makes life easier.

My only problem with my new keyboard protector is that I ordered it in pink and I got black instead. Needless to say, a pink one is now on its way!

And before I close, just a reminder that time is ticking on my i-top button maker giveaway in my November 28 post. It ends tomorrow! So if you want a chance to win, be sure to stop by!

A VERY WOOLLY HOLIDAY

2011-11-30T13:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a very quilty kind of day here—not making quilts but editing a quilt book and a quilt magazine. Over the lunch break, I managed to carve out a little creative time to make some more button-embellished ornaments for my feather tree. Check out my previous post to see some other ornaments I made. A day spent with wool is always a treat for a wool-lover like me! I took advantage of my wool stash to make these fuzzy flower ornaments.

I used the i-top button/brad maker to make my wool-covered buttons. It works beautifully with the wool. To find out how you can win one of these nifty tools, check out my previous post. This ornament is made with a beautiful shade of midnight blue wool and a bright pink wool-covered button! I must warn you that making these little embellishments could be addictive!

I-TOP BUTTON MAKER GIVEAWAY

2011-11-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER HAS CLAIMED THE PRIZE!

Back in July, I blogged about a nifty tool called the i-top that allows you to easily make cloth-covered buttons. It also works great for covering brads, magnets, or badges with paper or even photo printouts. Well, the inventive team at Imaginisce—the makers of the i-top—have recently come out with a new and improved i-top 2.0. Here it is...

The previous i-top could make 16mm, 22mm and 28mm buttons. The new one allows you to make all of those, plus an even larger size (34mm). It is also lighter weight and has more space between the rubber heads, making it easier to use, in my opinion.

I've been putting my i-top 2.0 to good use making some simple ornaments for my feather tree. To make these quick and easy fabric rosettes, I just sewed a gathering stitch along the long edge of a fabric strip and added a fabric-covered button in the center. It couldn't be simpler! I'll share an updated photo of my feather tree once I'm done making all my fabric rosettes.

For more information on this nifty tool and a detailed tutorial on how easy it is to use, see my previous post at this link: i-top tutorial
Here's a shot from that tutorial showing how the tool works...

Thanks to the generous team at Imaginisce, I’m giving away one of these handy tools to a lucky blog reader! The winner will also get a selection of metal button sets so she/he can start using the i-top right away. Here’s how to enter the giveaway and how the winner will be announced:

1. Because the prize will be shipped directly from the manufacturer, only U.S. entries are eligible to enter.

2. You do NOT have to be an official follower of my blog to enter. However, I do want to reward those of you who officially followed my blog before this giveaway for your support with an additional entry. So if you were already an official follower before this post went up, please leave an additional, separate comment letting me know that. You need to leave a separate comment for it to count as an additional entry.

3. Leave a comment telling me what kind of project you'd like to use this tool for.

4. If you choose to enter anonymously, please include at least your first name so I have a way of identifying you if you win.

The giveaway will run until this Saturday, December 3 (10 p.m. central time US). I will choose a winner by random draw and I will announce her/him on Sunday, December 4. The winner must respond to me by Tuesday, December 6, at noon (central time US) to claim the prize. If I don’t hear from the winner by then, I will draw another name. Good luck to all!

THANKSGIVING AT ASHTON HOUSE

2011-11-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe another Thanksgiving has come and gone! I hope you all had a good one. In my family, I always host the holiday dinner, but guests always help out by bringing plenty of food. My mom makes the most delicious cranberry relish—a treat I've enjoyed since childhood. I serve it in my green milk glass turkey.

Mom grinds the cranberries and other fruit for the relish in her old-fashioned meat grinder and it comes out much lighter in color than this, but as the fruit marinates, it deepens to this rich red color.

Of course, the most anticipated dish was the turkey. Even the cats eagerly awaited a morsel of it. Here's Teddy on the kitchen floor, hoping that my husband, who carves it, will give him a bite!

My guests brought me the sweetest hostess gifts—a pretty speckled poinsettia, bags of vintage wooden spools, holiday ornaments, and more K-cups for my Keurig including a raspberry truffle coffee and milk chocolate hot chocolate!

They even brought our cats some goodies. Here is Poe with his bag of tuna treats. He doesn't look like he's starving, does he? Believe it or not, he is on diet food.

I gave all my guests these small glass turkey nest dishes, which I tied up with ribbon and set beside their place settings.

By day's end, I was a little tired and settled in to watch some television. Apparently, Teddy was, too. He curled up with me and took a nap. I caught this picture of him smiling as he slumbered.

There wasn't much time to sleep, though, as I was up bright and early this morning to do a little bargain shopping on Black Friday. I don't typically set foot near stores on Black Friday but I did brave the crowds today to get a printer.

A THANKSGIVING TRADITION

2011-11-23T16:49:00.000-08:00

In my family, I always host the annual Thanksgiving feast. And when I need a trusted recipe for the special day, I turn to my handy cookbook cupboard in my kitchen.

It is filled with cookbooks I've collected over the years. Many came from the prop sales we had at Meredith Corporation (publisher of Better Homes and Gardens magazine). Others are from garage sales or relatives.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I've had it for about 13 years now, and it has a delicious recipe for winter vegetable chowder, which I always make for the first course of my Thanksgiving dinner. So guess what I am doing tonight? Yes, I'm chopping up the vegetables and getting them ready for my soup. It even has a touch of sherry in it but I don't use as much as the recipe calls for since I'm a bit of a teetotaler. My husband and I have made it a tradition to make the soup the night before Thanksgiving so it's all ready when our guests arrive the following morning.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, however you plan to spend it. I am thankful our Midwestern weather is behaving so that our loved ones can travel safely to our home.

FRIENDS, FOOD, AND FELLOWSHIP

2011-11-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

Every month, I get together with my quilting circle of friends. Our get-togethers are held in our homes, and today was my turn to host. I started preparing for the gathering early this morning in the kitchen. This photo doesn't show it very well but our cabinets are buttercream yellow, which we chose to complement the home's sunny yellow exterior when we remodeled it shortly after we moved into Ashton House.

I finally got a chance to try out the egg souffle recipe that I got at the bed-and-breakfast in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, earlier this year. I love eggs and don't mind eating them any time of day!

I served the ladies their choice of tea, apple cider, or chai latte with my handy Keurig.

I didn't have time to make anything special for dessert but some miniature muffins and these chocolate-covered biscuits and wafers that I picked up over the weekend seemed to please.

After having a bite to eat, we retreated to the parlor, where I gave a demo of my AccuQuilt fabric cutter. The ladies seemed to be quite intrigued by this time-saving tool! These green velvet pieces were cut using the Fall Medley die.

I have been a member of this group for seven years and what I enjoy most is just getting together and catching up with everyone. They are a very encouraging group of ladies and I seem to come away from each meeting feeling refreshed and energized to start another project. One year, we decided to do a block exchange, using fabrics that each of us selected for our own quilts. Of course, I chose pink and brown reproduction fabrics. The ladies made me these blocks, which I've been working into a quilt.

REMEMBERING THOMAS ASHTON

2011-11-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

As we remember our military veterans today, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the namesake behind my blog and home—Thomas Ashton. We know very little about him but we do know that he enlisted in Iowa's 39th infantry in 1862 and fought in the Civil War. He also served as postmaster of his regiment. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Parker's Cross Roads and eventually paroled. After that, he returned to our small Iowa community, where he started a livery business and farmed on 136 acres of land. He is buried in our local cemetery alongside his infant daughter. Much like the simple home he built, his gravestone is humble and unassuming (we had a hard time even finding it!).

Someday, I plan to research Thomas Ashton, his wife, and children. So far, the trail ends in Modesto, California. Based on the information I do have, I just have a feeling there's an interesting story—and probably some eccentricities—behind this family.

PINCUSHION PACKAGES

2011-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

It hardly seems possible that another work week is nearly over! By day, I spend my time writing magazine articles and editing books, but late at night, I switch gears to making pincushions. I've been filling some orders for them this week and have a few boxes ready to send out. A box full of tuffets, strawberries, and a couple of my Parsley bunny pincushion designs are heading for California.

All those vintage wooden spools that people are kind enough to gift me sure come in handy for my spool birds. Here they are, getting ready to take flight!

Here's a batch of velvet strawberries and woolly tuffets all nestled safe in their box.

A GOOD MAIL DAY

2011-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

I didn't greet this Monday very fondly with its gray skies. But a good mail day can brighten the dreariest of days—especially when fabric is involved. And that's just what arrived today. I can't resist much of anything to do with owls, and this one was especially eye-catching to me with its pink and blue color palette. I'm not usually crazy about the color yellow but it sure brightens this print.

I loved this print so much that I also bought it in the blue colorway...

And the pink/red/orange...

As a cat lover, I'm always looking for fun kitty-themed prints that aren't too cutesy. This one caught my eye and I knew it would be perfect for a pocketbook project that I am working on.

I couldn't resist this trio of felines either. Love that little black guy, who reminds me of my cat Teddy with his wide eyes.

I fell in love with the colors in this new fabric line. After all, you can't go too wrong with a pink and brown color palette in my book.

Last month, I talked about how gray fabrics have grown on me in this post, and sure enough, I added this gray piece to my fabric collection (or should I say hoard?).

And last but not least, I got my Mollie Makes magazine! I've been subscribing to this inspiring publication since its debut issue earlier this year. You can't help but smile when you see all the wonderful projects in it.

I especially loved the cover of the last issue with the fun crocheted carrots and peas. Now if only I could crochet!

A WINTRY MIX OF CREATIVE INSPIRATION

2011-11-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the new issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine yet? I am so thrilled to be a part of this inspiring publication. I was fortunate to get to edit the winter edition! If you didn't see it in my earlier blog post, here's the cover that the publishers picked for this inspiration-packed issue.

As usual, you'll find projects from your favorite primitive designers—Paula Barnes of Bonnie Blue Quilts, Maggie Bonanomi, Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm, Rita Briner of Quilter's Station, Nancy Conn, Lynne Hagmeier, Lynda Hall, Dawn Heese, Heather Lynn, Jo Ann Mullaly, Gloria Parsons of Olde Green Cupboard Designs, Jan Patek, Cheri Payne, Renée Plains, and Tonya Robey of Mad Hen Primitives. So if you're looking for a new winter-themed project or gift idea for a fellow sewing friend, you definitely don't want to miss this issue. This sweet wool snowman design from Jo Ann Mullaly is sure to warm up your winter surroundings.

If you're looking for a quick and easy gift idea, check out Gloria Parsons' nifty tabletop project that uses a pre-made table runner.

As I write this post, we're already busy at work on the spring issue. We'd love to hear your feedback on the magazine. I welcome your comments, suggestions, questions, and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Feel free to leave a comment or email me at the email button underneath my profile pic in my blog's right-hand sidebar.

GLASS GARDEN ABLOOM

2011-11-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

As fall sets in here in the Midwest and the garden is put to bed in preparation for its winter slumber, my thoughts turn to my houseplants—particularly my African violets. After all, they're the only living blooms I'll be able to enjoy from now until May. Like the Victorians, I enjoy displaying my houseplants under glass. The other day I was trying to think outside-the-box a bit and found this weathered lantern that I'd stashed in our attic when we moved into the house. It makes a splendid home for a candy pink-and-white African violet on my dining room buffet. I thought a lady slipper orchid would look lovely in this, too, but I don't have one short enough to fit!

Violets like humidity and this particular enclosure has holes which provide good ventilation so my violet won't overheat.

You regular readers know that I am a magazine writer and editor by trade. Years ago, I wrote an article on the Victorian glass gardens known as Wardian cases—the predecessors of the modern day terrarium. I had such fun researching the topic since my other major in college was history. The Wardian case concept was discovered in 1829 by Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, a doctor and accomplished amateur botanist. I found some illustrations of these glass treasures in my collection of 19th-century ladies magazines that I thought would be fun to share.

During the Victorian era, many English botanists traveled to distant lands in search of exotic plant specimens to bring back home. To protect them on their long journey, they enclosed them in sealed glass containers—the predecessors of the larger Wardian cases. With their penchant for showy splendor, the Victorians eagerly embraced the concept and often displayed their most prized plants in these elaborate indoor glasshouses.

Even if you don't have a fancy Wardian case, you can create your own version with a simple lantern like mine—or a glass dome atop a garden urn like the one shown here. It's amazing what ideas you can come up with just a little creativity.

And there's another important advantage of having a few houseplants! They purify the air, removing up to 87 percent of toxins found in ordinary household products. Placing several in a room will increase humidity, which can help prevent respiratory problems—always a good thing during the upcoming cold and flu season! To purify the air, experts recommend using 15-18 plants for an 1,800-square-foot house. It might seem like a lot but that's nothing in my house, where some 50 African violets, orchids, and rex begonias make their home!

MY HALLOWEEN TREE

2011-10-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

I hope you are having a Happy All Hallow's Eve. It is a quiet evening here with my husband and the cats. Our town's Beggar's Night was Saturday night and we got lots of little spooks and goblins. Every October, I bring out my bewitching black feather tree with not-so-spooky ornaments and display it in the foyer.

Before I put it away for another year, I just wanted to share some photos of it with you...

It took several years to accumulate enough Halloween decorations for my tree, which is 3 feet tall, and this year I didn't buy anything for it.

Of course, there are lots of black cat ornaments, which remind me of my own dear feline friends, Teddy and Poe.

It's hard to believe another Halloween is at an end. Before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving—my favorite holiday.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

A GIFT FROM LIBERTY STAR

2011-10-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

As a quilt book editor, I get to work with a talented array of quilt designers. I count myself lucky to work in the company of Renée Plains, who is one of the sweetest people I know! We've worked together on both of her books, A Bird in Hand and most recently, Stitches from the Schoolhouse. While she was busy preparing for Quilt Market in Houston this week, Renée took the time to surprise me with her newest Liberty Star patterns in the mail! How sweet is that?!

Here they are—A Day in the Country, Saddle Bag, Peeking in the Barn, and Iroquois Pinkeeps! Hot off the press! Look for them in your local quilt shop or purchase them on her website here. Or if you happen to be at Quilt Market right now, stop by her booth. My only dilemma is which to make first. A Day in the Country sparks fond memories of my husband's farm while the pinkeeps appeal to my pincushion-loving side. And who can resist a good bag pattern?!

Earlier this year, Renée sent me a generous package of her past patterns—oldies but goodies—some of which are hard to find. I love how so many of them are accompanied by a doll or sewing accessory. Thank you, Renée, for all the inspiration!

While I'm talking about Renee's designs, I must share with you a couple of her patterns I've made. This one is called "Thistle" and was made with a kit from Prairie Star Quilts. I loved the color scheme and knew I had to make it! I appliquéd it on my trusty Bernina.

I made this little autograph quilt by Renée several years ago and embroidered the names of my teddy bears in the block centers. The quilt hangs in one of my upstairs hallways.

At the time I made the quilt, I was practicing my free-motion quilting skills and decided to machine-quilt the setting blocks and triangles with a feathered wreath design. You might notice my teddies have both traditional and not-so-traditional names. Benno is a Hermann artisan bear who came with that name. Grimaldi is a teeny handcrafted mohair bear just under 2 inches tall.

As editor of Primitive Quilts and Projects magazine, I recently had the opportunity to work with Renée on another fun project. For all you Renée fans, be sure to check out her oh-so-charming new pincushion project in our current winter issue. Here's a sneak peak for those of you who haven't yet received your copies.

PIXIE PIES

2011-10-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

During the first week of October, I was watching the Martha Stewart show and saw an interesting segment on pie jars with Seattle baker Dani Cone. She was making the cutest little apple-cheddar-rosemary pies and peach pies in jars. The idea immediately resonated with me because I had already pre-ordered her brand new book (below) from Amazon back in September, PLUS I was the lucky recipient of my friend Merry's scrumptious homemade mini pies in a jar earlier this spring. You can see Merry's adorable pies and read some of her helpful tips on making them at this link.

At the end of the segment with Martha, Dani showed a fun idea for making pie pops, or pies on a lollipop stick.

I'm not as talented as Dani, so I decided I could use all the help I could get with pie-pop making. I bought this pie pops maker, which just happened to come in one of my favorite shades of pink! It came with a few accessories and a recipe book.

This handy little gadget is supposed to make six little pie pops at once in a matter of minutes. I say "supposed to" because I have not yet tried it out! If you have actually used this product, I'd be interested to hear any any tips you might have. Feel free to email me privately or leave a comment. This weekend I'll be testing out my pie pops maker. Wish me luck!

While I was on the pie-pop making kick, I decided to buy the cake pops maker, too. The manufacturer also carries other cute electric bakers including a whoopie pie maker, a cupcake maker, and a mini donut maker. I purchased both of mine for $25 each, which I thought was a fairly reasonable price.

HANDMADE HALLOWEEN GREETINGS

2011-10-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

With one of my favorite holidays approaching, I've been making Halloween cards to send to friends and family. There's nothing like a handmade hello to let someone know that they are special to you. In this age of email and Facebook, I might be old-fashioned but I still prefer writing letters to electronic forms of communication! I don't have a lot of extra time these days, so I stuck with something very simple for my cards.

I just gathered up whatever I have on hand, including my handy Fiskars paper trimmer and paper punches. I have long been a fan of their products because I've always gotten great results with everything from their pinking shears to their punches. I particularly love the design of their punches like the one in the upper right hand corner of this photo because it's very easy on my hands! I don't have a lot of hand strength and I've really struggled with some companies' punch designs but these are a breeze to use.

Fiskars' portable paper rotary trimmer works great for trimming cardstock. It's compact, so it's easy to store. I also like the fact that it has easy-to-see gridded lines that make it simple to measure my cardstock and make accurate cuts.

One thing I really like about this trimmer is that it has a clear smudge guard that lets you hold things in place without getting your messy fingerprints on the paper. I'm usually stamping at the same time I'm cutting, so I would get a lot of smudges on my paper without it!

My trimmer also has a swing-out arm that extends beyond the width of the trimmer to stabilize larger scrapbooking paper.

My first card was quick and easy with some patterned Halloween cardstock and a few quick paper punches.

To give my card a little pumpkin personality, I used Fiskars' adorable Happy Jacks border punch, which lets you easily create continuous borders.

All you do is punch a section and then use the built-in visual guideline of pumpkins to line up your next punched section for a seamless line of happy pumpkins.

For the card's central medallion, I just used my circle punch to cut a green circle, stamped it with a Halloween greeting, framed it with a black punched circle and a patterned circle that I then scalloped-cut with my scalloped pinking shears (but you could also of course use the scalloped decorative paper scissors).

For my other card, I cut a piece of black cardstock on my trimmer, then switched the blade on it with a scalloped one to create the orange inner border. I can cut straight scalloped lines much faster with this handy set-up than I can with my scalloped pinking shears. However, I still had to use my shears for the curved cuts like the oval black frame shown here.

Then I just marked a spooky design on an oval piece of green cardstock with one of my rubber stamps—a witch in flight with wisps of stars, pumpkins, and skulls in her wake. A strip of orange pom-pom trim adds a final flourish to the design.

It all came together so quickly. For me, the key is keeping things simple so I can actually get all of my cards made!

If you haven't already, I hope you'll give holiday cardmaking a try. With the price of cards these days, it's an affordable alternative that also allows you to express your creativity. I realize there's an initial cost in buying the supplies but the punches will last forever and a little cardstock goes a long way! You can find Fiskars seasonal and everyday punches at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts stores. Come back later this weekend to see a fun idea for a fall/Thanksgiving card project.

WOOLS, SPOOLS, AND BUTTONS, OH MY!

2011-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I enjoy designing and making wool pincushions in my spare time. So I'm always on the lookout for wool, spools, and buttons. My parents-in-law, who visited us this Saturday, surprised me with this wonderful assortment of them that they'd found while searching an antique mall. The wools will make charming owls, birds, and bunnies for my pincushion orders. I thought the box that my mom-in-law put the buttons in was so sweet.

One of my favorite kinds of buttons are the vintage pearl beauties. I love it when they have a weathered patina like many of these, which my parents-in-law found for me earlier this year while at the flea market. They brought back several jars and bags of them and we had fun sifting through them one afternoon. We even found several fancier carved ones! This is but a small sampling of them.

I've started working on a new project to put some of these enchanting buttons to good use and will share it with you once I am done. Speaking of buttons, I'd love to hear what your favorite kinds are. Whether they're new or vintage, I can't seem to resist buying just a few more of them! And it's such a gift when others think to give you these little treasures.

TREASURES FROM THE PAST

2011-10-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, I promised to show you some pics from my recent antiquing adventure in another post, so here it is. Our first stop was a delightful antiques fair filled with wonderful treasures—most at very reasonable prices.

In one of the booths, I spotted this antique doll bed tucked in a corner. It wasn't getting much attention from other passersby but I always seem to gravitate to these things! And the price was right at $26, so it did go home with me. Here, you see my cat Poe inspecting it. He, too, gravitates to these beds—once they are outfitted with a plush ticking mattress and little doll quilt, of course!

In another booth, I saw this cute vintage child's ironing board in a vibrant shade of green. Again, the price was good too pass up, so we added that to our pile.

Another fun find was this vintage wall spool rack. Yes, it was splattered with paint but because of that it was a steal. And isn't part of the fun of buying old things seeing their possibilities? With a fresh coat of paint, it will make a charming addition to the sewing room. The lower part is a pincushion.

My favorite find of the day was this vintage Mary Poppins book from 1952. I'm ashamed to admit that I do sometimes judge a book by its cover, especially when it is my favorite shade of pink! But really, it's also a lovely book inside, too. It's filled with wonderful illustrations.

And how could a wool fanatic like me pass up reasonably-priced wool like this—just $6 per half yard.

Anyone who knows me is aware of my love of sock monkeys, and one vendor had a terrific assortment of vintage ones. She had bought out a sock monkey collector's entire treasure trove of them.

Of course, there was plenty of other eye candy to admire at the show—like this vintage cupboard filled with blue-and-white antique china.

And this sweet child's-size grain-painted hutch...

The next day, we headed out to search for more treasures and happened upon a charming antiques mall housed in an old barn.

In my previous post, I mentioned finding an antique quilt. Tucked away in a corner underneath a table was this charming T quilt for $54. I was able to get another 10 percent off from the dealer, so I didn't think I could go too wrong for that price. I took it to my Prairie Women's Sewing Circle group this past Saturday and our group leader, who is also a quilt historian and appraiser, told me it is circa 1880. She also told me that the T stands for Temperance. I guess that is fitting since I've often been accused of being a teetotaler by my husband!

My other find from the mall was this sweet framed vintage illustration. I hope you can see the words. I tried to photograph it laying down but the glare was terrible, so I finally propped it against my kitchen canisters! Double click it for a closer view if you need to. I guess I was drawn to it because it reflects how my parents raised me. My mom, in particular, taught me the value of hard work and that anything worth having should be earned.

I thought this reproduction spoon rack was charming, but I don't have enough wooden spoons to do it justice!

Doesn't this cupboard look lovely dressed with pink china galore?

Although I'm not one to really cut up a vintage quilt unless it's already in an unsalvageable state, I thought this was a creative way to display an old quilt remnant.

Hope you enjoyed the little tour! It was so much fun searching for treasures before the long Iowa winter sets in.

A TERRIFIC TRIO OF QUILT SAMPLER SHOPS

2011-10-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly late in posting about my Quilt Sampler magazine articles as the issue has been out now for more than a month! But for those of you who haven't yet checked it out, I wanted to tell you about the three great quilt shops I had an opportunity to write about for the Fall/Winter issue.

A cozy-looking teal blue cottage is home to Thistle Bee Quilt Shoppe in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Owners Mary Ellen and Joe McInnis have created a quilter's paradise for both 1800s reproduction and modern fabric lovers alike. Although the shop is just 830 square feet, Mary Ellen makes the most of every square inch without making it feel cramped. Because of the limited space, the 70 shop samples are mostly doll-sized quilts and wallhangings—my favorite ones to make!

Variety is the spice of life at Country Fabrics and Quilting in Brainerd, Minnesota, where you'll find everything from traditional cottons, seasonal prints, and laminates to brights, batiks, and hand-dyed wool. An entire second floor is devoted to modern fabrics by designers such as Amy Butler, Denyse Schmidt and Tula Pink. Now in its 41st year of business, shop owner Deb Burton knows a thing or two about keeping customers happy. Customers flock to her shop year-round to glean inspiration from the more than 850 finished samples. Wow!

Quilting dreams take flight amid cotton candy pink walls and a soaring vintage tin ceiling at Happiness Is...Quilting in McKinney, Texas. Owner Laura Kay Houser's mission is to help quilters grow and she does that by hosting classes and workshops by a star-studded array of quilting experts, including heirloom machine quilting expert Harriet Hargrave, quilt-marking maven Pepper Cory, and precision-piecing guru Sally Collins. Laura also goes the extra mile to bring in unique inventory. At press date, this was the only quilt shop in the U.S. to carry a collection of imported reproduction Dutch chintz fabrics patterned after 17th-century textiles.

Be sure to put these one-of-a-kind quilt shops on your go-to lists. Someday, I'd love to visit all of them! If only I could visit each one when I interview the owners for these articles! Wouldn't that be fun?

AN AUTUMN DAY AT THE FLEA MARKET

2011-10-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of antiquing/fleaing/thrifting lately. I guess I just want to take advantage of the fun before winter sets in here in the Midwest. Fall is such a wonderful time of year for strolling through a flea market. My husband and I enjoyed just such a stroll the other weekend while we were home visiting my parents. Many of the dealers had their booths decked out in fall finery.

I resisted the temptation to stock up on these cute gourds and jack-be-littles. Usually, I buy some for our porch but I've decided to forgo pumpkins this year.

Above the pumpkins and gourds was a rustic display of stitched pillows, nesting boxes, and antique bowls.

At 7:30 in the morning when we usually get to the flea market, there is still a chill in the air. This sweet little fellow found comfort under a warm blanket.

I love birdhouses and was really tempted by this charming abode. The problem is I already have far too many of them. In my garden, the birds have even taken over birdhouses that were designed to be more decorative than functional. One even poked out the front door and moved right in!

I also have a weakness for primitive hutches like this one. We hope to remodel one of our bathrooms next year and I'd love to incorporate an old hutch like this and fill it with soaps, towels, and other bath-time accoutrements. But do I need it? The bathroom is already furnished with two washstands, a quilt rack with vintage linens, a bench, a spool-legged accent table-turned-plant stand, and a small tuffet.

Loved these vintage cat salt and pepper shakers. I was going to go back and get them if I didn't find anything else I liked better but that wasn't a problem!

This sweet vintage green typewriter caught my eye. Thought about buying it just as a prop for my office but it was more than I wanted to spend.

What a fun day it was! I can't remember a flea market with more beautiful weather than this one. It was 67 degrees and sunny—just perfect for me. Stop back later to see some scenes from an antiquing trip I just returned from. I even found a humble old quilt!

ARRIVING SOON: THE WINTER ISSUE OF PRIMITIVE QUILTS AND PROJECTS MAGAZINE

2011-10-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to edit the winter issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects, which is now arriving in your mailboxes and at newsstands. It is packed with great gift ideas, just in time for the busy holiday season. Whether you love quilts, bags, or pincushions, you'll find the perfect project. As usual, there's also something for you rug hookers, cross stitchers, and bear-makers. You'll find an adorable santa bear, a cross-stitched sewing pocket, and a heartwarming hooked rug.

You might notice a few changes with this issue. Our trusted pattern testers, who have the all-important job of verifying the accuracy of the instructions, are now assigning each project a level of difficulty to help you choose one that's right for your skill level. True to the magazine's prim nature, we've chosen a crow as our creative icon for this new feature. One crow represents a project that would be great for a beginning quilter, two for those with an intermediate skill level, and three for advanced quilters.

You'll also notice we added some blurbs to the cover. We realize you die-hard fans might pick up a copy anyway, but for those new potential customers scanning the newsstand, such blurbs are helpful in making a choice about whether to buy the magazine at a glance. Whether you're a regular reader or not, I hope you'll check out the latest issue. You definitely don't want to miss it!

HOLIDAY CARDS FOR QUILTERS

2011-10-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

I just received the new issue of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine—which includes a photo of a holiday card I made for them! It was a fun chance to work on one of my passions—papercrafting.

The Tips from Readers page features a creative idea from Jenedel Wilcox about how she incorporates photos of the quilts she makes into greeting cards. Following her lead, I printed the cover quilt image on my HP photo printer, then trimmed it into the shape of an ornament. To create the rest of the card, I used supplies that many quilters already have on hand, such as pinking shears, rick-rack, and ribbon.

The editor didn't want any fancy patterned papers or stamped images, so I stuck with the most basic of materials to show you how easy it is to make your own cards. Being a quilter, I couldn't resist adding a couple lines of feather stitching from my machine. Adding a festive greeting was easy with a "Happy Holidays" rub-on that you can buy at your local crafts or scrapbooking store. It's a quick and easy way to personalize your cards. For more information on this fun idea, check out the holiday issue of APQ!

VINTAGE CHARM AT THE AQS SHOW IN DES MOINES

2011-10-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, I went to the AQS quilt show here in Des Moines. There were so many fun vendor booths but one of the highlights for me was the Farmer's Dotter booth, where I had the chance to meet the owner, Brenda. I felt I already sort of knew her as we'd met through the wonderful world of blogging last year, but what a treat it was to meet her in person! She is just the sweetest. Her booth was so delightful decked out in her collection of vintage quilts and props. Here she is with her daughter Lindsay who was helping her out for the show.

I love the way Brenda displayed her quilts on vintage drying racks. What a great use of the space!

Inspired by vintage quilts, Brenda designs her own patterns and sells kits that incorporate vintage fabrics to help you craft your own piece of the past. I thought it was so clever of her to use actual 1930s fabrics in her kits! If you are interested in buying one, contact Brenda at her website here. She doesn't currently have any kits on the site but was thinking about eventually selling them there.

Here are some more of her vintage-inspired quilt patterns—"Little Lindsay", named after her daughter, and "Mae Flowers", named after her mother-in-law and her love of springtime flowers.

In addition to her patterns, Brenda also had a treasure trove of vintage sewing notions for sale—pincushions, sewing baskets, rick-rack trim, buttons, notions, and more.

Brenda also hosts quilt retreats at her home in Bedford, Iowa. The beds are all dressed in vintage 1930s quilts. There's something about a quilt that makes a bed even more inviting, don't you think? So if you and your quilting buddies need a getaway, keep the Farmer's Dotter in mind. And if you're looking for a guest speaker for your quilt guild or social organization, Brenda also offers trunk shows. I don't know how far she's willing to travel but you can ask her at the weblink I provided above.

GOING GRAY

2011-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

When it comes to colors, I've never been a big fan of gray. I've always thought it was a little bland. Well, lately I've noticed an interesting color trend in my purchases...gray! It appears this pink devotee may be a gray girl after all. I bought this adorable flannel to make a blanket for my friend Jess' new baby girl, Kennedy. I am backing it with Moda Snuggles plush fabric in a soft pink.

The other day, I found this fabric in a discount bin. At $3 a yard, it was too good to pass up. I was envisioning it made up in a fun bag or tote.

I found this Moda charm pack at Ye Olde Schoolhouse quilt shop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin last month. I love how this line mixes my favorite color (pink) with the subtlety of gray.

Being a cat lover, I could not resist this recent quilt pattern from Bunny Hill Designs. It looks so pretty made up in pinks and grays.

It seems I've even been gravitating toward gray when it comes to another one of my addictions—vintage buttons! I plan on using these two cards of gray buttons for my pincushion orders.

I've been collecting vintage hankies for more than 15 years but have never come across this one until recently. There's something about the pink leaves and gray flowers that made my heart sing.

But pink isn't the only color I like with gray. I love this damask pattern in aqua and gray. I found the remnant of gray velvet (underneath the sewing basket) at a fabric outlet and thought it would make wonderful pincushions paired with pink perle cotton and pink buttons.

And who can resist a few good scraps of wool for a bargain? I spotted some nice gray pieces of wool among other wool scraps in this generous-sized bag.

It's funny how your perceptions of a particular color can change! I'll never see gray quite the same way again.

AND THE WINNER IS...

2011-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

First, let me thank you all for the terrific response to my quilt book giveaway for Stitches from the Schoolhouse by Renée Plains! You all had so many great ideas for future quilt books, and I plan to share them with the publisher. We love hearing from fellow quilters. I think you're going to love our 2012 book lineup and I look forward to sharing more book projects with you in the coming months. And now for the big announcement! I've let Random Generator draw the winner and that lucky person is...

The Butt'ry and Book'ry who said...
Oh how fun it would be to win this great book! Samplers are always fun, it looks like a great book to have!
Many Blessings, Linnie

Congratulations, Linnie! Please email me privately at the email button in the right sidebar of my blog with your mailing address and I'll send the book on its way to you. If I don't hear from Linnie by this Sat., I will draw another name. I really wish I had a copy for each and every one of you who entered. It's packed with 19 fun projects that would be perfect to start this fall season! To read more about the book or order a copy, just click here.

QUILT EXPO PART 3

2011-09-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the third and final installment of my Quilt Expo posts, much later than I'd intended! I apologize for the delay but I've been swamped with work deadlines. So without further adieu, here are some highlights from our antiquing adventures throughout our Quilt Expo trip from early September. I didn't see many vintage quilts on this trip but here's one of the few. I liked its tangerine setting color.

I've always liked the Seven Sisters quilt pattern and often thought about making a quilt with that design.

Now that I'm collecting vintage tape measures, I seem to notice them more! This funny one pulls out from Santa's nose.

I really wanted to get these vintage curtain tie-backs but they weren't very practical as there wasn't much clearance for the actual material.

One of my other favorite collectibles is vintage cookery illustrations. I loved the colorful salad art on this page from a vintage cookbook.

Being an avid gardener, I was drawn to this garden-inspired vignette with a cheerful green backdrop.

I saw the next three photos at First Brick Antiques in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Pink lustreware goes perfectly in my pink and green dining room yet I resisted the temptation to buy one of these lovely pieces.

This charming doll cradle would have been perfect for one of my doll quilts but it was out of my price range.

This little tramp art desk caught my eye with its detailed carving. It was only about 20 inches tall.

The shop owner makes the most scrumptious shortbread in several flavors including chocolate chip, lavender, and almond. I enjoyed this lovely cranberry orange flavor.

At Aunt Polly's Attic, a treasure trove of eye candy awaited. I was probably there for an hour exploring all the nooks and crannies.

This corner of sewing delights captivated with jars of buttons and button cards.

I even found a couple vintage sewing accessories to add to my collection—a thread holder in my favorite shade of pink and a squirrel pincushion.

The shop also included a vintage kitchen collectibles area filled with fun finds from the 40s through the 60s.

On our way home from Madison, we stopped by Kalona and I popped into one of the quilt shops and found some fabrics from Kim Diehl's new line.

Of course, we had to check out some of the area antiques while we were there, too. I'm a sucker for pretty vintage dishes and china.

This vintage cupboard was artfully arranged with pretty pottery in pastel shades.

Loved these vintage button cards from the Washington Pearl Button Company, but I try to stick with my budget of no more than 50 cents per vintage button card—unless it's something I don't think I can live without!

Hope you enjoyed these snapshots of our antique shop stops. And don't forget—it's not too late to throw your name in the hat for your chance to win a copy of my latest quilt book editing project, Renée Plains' Stitches from the Schoolhouse. See the previous post for more details. The giveaway ends this Thursday.

QUILT BOOK GIVEAWAY

2011-09-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

It's time to give away a copy of my latest quilt book editing project for Kansas City Star—Stitches from the Schoolhouse by Renée Plains of Liberty Star.

Renée's books are always packed with charming projects. This one features a whopping 19 that honor the legacy of humble one-room schoolhouses of the past. Five classic quilt patterns will please both patchwork and appliqué lovers alike, while stitchery fans will enjoy the trio of samplers that echo a simpler time. You'll also find an enchanting array of sewing accessories, including an apple pinkeep, a schoolgirl's sewing kit, and a wool needle book.

To find out more about the book, see photos from it, or order a copy, click on this link. For your chance to win a copy, just leave a comment on this entry telling me what topic you'd like see in a future quilt book. I'll chose a winner a week from today on Thursday, Sept. 29th, and announce her/him on this blog. The winner will then have until Sat., Sept. 31, to contact me with their mailing address. So be sure to check back here that day to see if you've won. If I don't hear from the winner by then, I'll draw another name. Good luck to all you who choose to enter!

QUILT EXPO PART 2

2011-09-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

While we were in Madison for the Quilt Expo, we ventured on to Cedarburg (about 2 hours east) to visit one of my favorite quilt shops. Last year I had the good fortune to write an article for Quilt Sampler magazine on Ye Olde Schoolhouse, a Cedarburg, Wisconsin, shop that I first visited the year before. You can read more about that in an earlier post here. Shop owner Jeanie Rudich had generously gifted me a stay in a local historical B&B. First on my list of places to go was her wonderful shop, located in a former 1887 schoolhouse.

It was such a thrill to see Jeanie again. When I first met Jeanie two years ago, I was struck by her genuinely kind character and enthusiasm for what she does. She approaches her business from the perspective of a quilter rather than a business owner. In fact, Jeanie describes herself as a quilter who just happens to be a quilt shop owner.

Stepping inside Ye Olde Schoolhouse is like stepping back in time. Quilt-covered walls and antique cupboards filled with cloth treasure make you feel at home from the moment you enter.

The shop's specialty is 1800s reproduction fabrics and it does it well. In a former life, the shop was once home to the local Masonic lodge. These pews once used for the Masons' meetings now host fabric bolts.

Jeanie has a knack for creative displays. I love how she rescued these vintage Jenny Lind bed frames and repurposed them into quilt hangers.

Jeanie collects vintage doll beds, which often find their way into displays. This recent acquisition looks cozy with a reproduction doll quilt. The shop offers several doll quilt patterns.

A vintage child's cupboard brims with fabric bundles and patterns.

If you visit, don't forget to look overhead, too. Jeanie takes advantage of every square inch when it comes to crafting charming displays.

The schoolhouse's original boys' restroom has been renovated into a colorful nook of 1930s reproduction fabrics.

This entry room is packed with inspiration for the 1800s reproduction quilt lover. Jeanie had a beautiful sample of the award-winning Pennies from Heaven quilt made up. I bought the book last year, hoping to make my own.

I was also taken with this endearing spool quilt!

While we were in town, we also visited the newly opened Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts, located on a historic farmstead.

This beautiful Baltimore Album quilt was donated to the museum in 2010 and dates to circa 1850.

One of the exhibits featured the hand-painted designs of artist quilter Karel Hendee.

After a long day of activities, we headed back to our bed-and-breakfast, the Washington House Inn.

They had a delicious breakfast with homemade fare such as blueberry coffeecake, strawberry trifle, and this scrumptious egg strata. The cook was kind enough to share the recipe with me.

Thank you, Jeanie, for giving us the perfect excuse to visit Cedarburg again. We had a wonderful stay and can't wait to return again some day for another visit. And for those of you looking for a new quilt shop to visit, definitely put Ye Olde Schoolhouse on your list! It's worth the drive. And for those of you who are interested, come back again to see some of the antiques I saw during my trip.

QUILT EXPO PART 1

2011-09-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last year I was gifted a stay in a wonderful Cedarburg, Wisconsin, bed-and-breakfast by Ye Olde Schoolhouse quilt shop owner Jeanie Rudich. So I thought it would be fun to coincide a trip out that way with the Quilt Expo in Madison. We just returned from our trip and I wanted to share some photos of the show with you. This exquisite masterpiece entitled "Vintage Button Bouquet" by Linda Roy took Best of Show honors.

It was truly a sight to behold with its fine hand quilting and hand ruched flowers.

This quilt called "Blooms for Baltimore" by Ruth Durig also caught my eye. Ruth's quilt designs were inspired by master quilter Diane Gaudynski, and she used Hari Walner's method of trapunto.

This crazy quilt called "Crazy with a Twist" by Mary Chalmers was absolutely spellbinding! The quilt took Mary nine months to make and is made mostly of wool or wool blend scraps.

It was hand embroidered with No. 8 perle cotton.

I forgot to take notes on this quilted beauty...

In addition to the marvelous display of quilts, there were 150 vendor booths to peruse.

With half yards of fabric selling for just $2.99, you can see why this booth was bustling...

I found these half yard treasures and yardage of another print I've been looking for.

Several vendors were offering fabric at an excellent price. I found this fat quarter bundle of 1800s repro fabrics at 40 percent off and a lovely piece of fabric at just $7 per yard.

Pink and green is a favorite color combo of mine. Speaking of pink, one of the booths was selling pink Rockport socks for making sock monkeys! I didn't even realize they made them in pink. As you might guess, I couldn't resist buying some of those.

Filled with pincushions and accessories made with pieces of vintage quilts, this booth was a magnet for quilters. The vendor makes all of them herself.

This sweet little pincushion wagon made of an antique quilt remnant came home with me.

The show offered plenty to love for wool lovers. I was especially drawn to the hues of the hand-dyed wool in one particular booth, where I found these treasures for a reasonable price.

In another booth, I met Gail of the Woolylady, who was demonstrating the art of rug hooking. Just look at the gorgeous colors in her rug-in-the-making and the quilt behind her.

For wool felt admirers, a great selection awaited in this booth's colorful cubbies.

Loving all things owl, I was captivated by this charming pincushion. The vendor was selling the pattern for him.

This booth was showcasing the Oliso Pro Smart Iron that automatically lifts when not in use. I liked the yellow color but I'm pretty devoted to my trusty Rowenta.

While I was in the Madison area, I also had a chance to visit some quilt shops and antique malls. Come back later this week for a little tour of them!

A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER PART 2

2011-09-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I talked about a special birthday outing I enjoyed with my friends, Merry and Belinda. While we were out and about, we also had the chance to visit some wonderful antiques shops—one of my favorite places to go! Belinda graciously offered to be our chauffeur as we went from shop to shop. This one was filled with eye candy, and all the treasures were displayed so nicely.

There were rustic cupboards brimming with pottery and yellowware...

There was even a kitchen area outfitted with a treasure trove of antique cookware. Baker extraordinaire Merry was right at home there.

Belinda, Merry, and I are all quilters. So when we came upon the quilt room, we were in heaven.

We had such fun looking through this cupboard of vintage sewing accessories—pincushions, tape measures, thread holders, buttons, and trims.

Next it was on to another antique shop, where we noticed this intriguing antique wooden doll. She reminded me of some of my vintage wooden peg dolls (see them in my blog sidebar).

At another stop, we enjoyed perusing a colorful wall of antique quilts in patterns of the past...

Known for its architectural salvage, the shop is truly a feast for the eyes. This amazing salvaged arch greets visitors as they walk in the door.

We were all drooling over this amazing multi-drawer cabinet and dreaming up ways we could fill all those compartments.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. Time really flies when you're having fun! Hope you enjoyed this little photo gallery of our fun stops.

A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER

2011-09-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been nearly two weeks since I've last posted! Things have been unbelievably hectic with work deadlines. I feel as though I've been living on my computer, editing and writing articles! I seriously needed a break from it all. Luckily, my two good friends Belinda and Merry came to the rescue by taking me on a birthday outing this past week. Merry and I share an August birthday and Belinda kindly offered to drive us anywhere we wanted to go. Our first stop was a quaint quilt shop, where I was smitten with a new line of brown and pink reproduction 1800s fabrics displayed in a vintage green hutch.

In addition to the repro fabrics, I found some gorgeous hand-dyed wool, some pink flat flower pins, and a penny rug pattern.

Our second stop was another quilt shop, where I found these goodies. It's been ages since I've cross stitched but I couldn't resist the cute Lizzie Kate snowman pattern.

Over lunch, we enjoyed chatting over some yummy food, and afterward, Merry and I opened our gifts. Belinda surprised us with a fabulous quilted tote that she designed and made. She is a busy cross stitch designer, so I was totally shocked that she would have time to make us such a thoughtful gift. How handy will this be for carrying projects along while on the go? I love it!

And can you believe she filled the bag with goodies for us, too? Talk about being spoiled. She made the sweet floral pincushion pictured below with her Viking embroidery machine. Earlier this year, she gave us a seam ripper that lights up. It comes in so handy when I'm working in the evening. This time, she gifted us a pair of lighted scissors. Can't wait to use those. What will they think of next?!

The bag also contained another surprise—this charming book called Colliery Days by Canny Keepsakes. I knew I would like it just from the cover, which features two of my favorite things—vintage-style quilts and dolls.

It's packed with nostalgic projects inspired by a colliery village (the authors hail from northeastern England).

Next I opened Merry's gift box filled with thoughtful surprises, including a vintage pastry cutter and pink egg coddler, French-style towels, a bag of sewing supplies, and some cute green clothespins. The black velvet piece embroidered with pansies is an antique crazy quilt remnant that she found for me. She knows I want to make a crazy quilt someday and thought it would come in handy.

I was so touched by her other gift—this handmade friendship book filled with meaningful quotes and thoughts about what it means to be a friend. How did she know that I love LeMoyne stars?! Sometimes I think my friends know me better than family!

Merry did a beautiful job presenting the pages with a variety of patterned papers, ribbon, trim, vellum, and envelopes.

Isn't this quote about friendship so true? Love the owl patterned paper she used!

The thing is I wouldn't have needed a single gift to have enjoyed the day more. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to call these two kind-hearted souls friends. They know just how to brighten my day and they constantly inspire me with their creativity, talents, and zest for life. Thanks for the wonderful memories, my friends! Come back later this week to see what else Belinda, Merry, and I did during our fun day trip.

A SATURDAY OF PLEASANT SURPRISES

2011-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to have a friend with a knack for baking the most delicious treats. Those of you who follow my blog regularly have seen some of the beautiful confections my friend Merry has given to me. We got to see each other this past Saturday at my local quilt shop's Prairie Women's Sewing Circle. She knows that I love macarons and she surprised me with a box full of them (below). Aren't they lovely? Merry made two flavors—orange flower water and lavender vanilla rose with vanilla bean buttercream filling. For those of you who are interested in trying your hand at making these French-style delights, check out Merry's blog here, where she has graciously shared some tips on making them and her recipe for floral-infused macarons.

Not only did Merry make these delicious macarons, she also gave me a bag full of her homemade jams and jellies. She knows that blueberry jam is my favorite, so that's the largest jar in the bunch. Among the other flavors were strawberry jam, peach jam, apple pumpkin butter, and a new flavor—honey lemon basil. Merry is always experimenting with new flavors and her friends get to taste test the results. Lucky us!

I photographed Merry's edible delights on my newest furniture find. A dresser with a mirror in a former life, this dresser bottom in my favorite shade of green had to go home with me (Sorry for the overly sunny photo—I'll try to take a better one later). I found it while thrifting on Friday and my husband picked it up for me on Saturday after my sewing gathering. I knew just where I wanted to put it. It seems perfectly suited for our sunny foyer, where I keep light-loving houseplants such as orchids and kalanchoes. I'm looking forward to staging it but for now, it's rather sparse with only my gone-with-the-wind lamp.

I'm always searching for furniture with good storage and this piece has it with three large drawers that will be perfect for stashing things craft supplies or other stray items that still need a home—like my ever-growing stash of fat quarters, perhaps?

NEW QUILT BOOK COMING SOON TO A QUILT SHOP NEAR YOU

2011-08-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months, I've been working on a fun editing project with the wonderfully creative and talented designer behind Liberty Star patterns, Renée Plains. And now I can finally share a few details with you! As those of you who are familiar with Renée's work already now, she designs everything from quilts and bags to pincushions and dolls. I was fortunate to get to work with Renée as her editor on her first book with Kansas City Star, A Bird in Hand. And now she's back with a new one inspired by the enduring charm of one-room schoolhouses. Hot off the press, this is the cover!

Renée's books are always packed with inspiring projects. This one features a whopping 19 projects that honor the legacy of humble classrooms of the past. Five classic quilt patterns will please patchwork and applique lovers alike, while stitchery fans will enjoy the trio of samplers that echo a simpler time (My blogging friend Cheryl of So Many Quilts, So Little Time made one of the quilts!). Renée even included a hooked chair pad and a cross stitch sampler. You'll also find a delightful array of sewing accessories, including an apple pinkeep, a schoolgirl's sewing kit, and a wool needle book. You're going to love them!

We shot a good share of the photography on location in a restored 1875 one-room schoolhouse in the Kansas City area that Renée found through a friend of hers. It was the perfect setting for the quilts. I snapped this fun photo of Renée at the teacher's desk and the above photo of one of her endearing quilts on the day of the shoot. Doesn't she look like she'd be a sweet teacher?

I'll be back in a future post to share more details about this delightful book as well as a couple more photos I took at the location shoot. The book should be arriving in quilt shops next month!

PRETTY IN PINK AND GREEN

2011-08-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

What colors spark creative inspiration for you? When I need to recharge my creative batteries, I turn to my favorite color scheme of pink and green. After seeing the famous vibrant green dining room in Mount Vernon 10 years ago, I was inspired to paint my own dining room walls a shade of green. A couple summers ago, I purchased some pink and green chintz fabric and some matching decorative trim from Calico Corners when it was on sale. My mom and mom-in-law came and helped me sew curtains for the three windows in my dining room.

To dress up the curtains, I found this reproduction Victorian pink glass hardware for a cheap price.

Earlier this year, I spotted the same fabric in one of my favorite magazines. The designer had used it to reupholster chair seats. I love the color of the chairs as well. I have some of the fabric left over and may just have to reupholster a chair seat or two in it.

Now when I walk into my dining room each morning, I can't help but feel a bit uplifted. For a violet lover like me, the room wouldn't be complete without a little living pink color, too. This miniature pink-flowering beauty is a welcome sight. Whether you decorate with just a splash of it or devote an entire room to it, I hope you've found a way to invite your favorite color into your everyday world.

And although this photo doesn't have any pink, here's some green decorating inspiration. When I worked at Kitchen and Bath Ideas magazine, we featured this gorgeous kitchen. The green shelves were my favorite feature!

I also love the pale upper green shelves in this pretty kitchen featured on the BHG website.

VISIT ME AT THE MODA BAKE SHOP

2011-08-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

As you regular blog readers already know, I'm a little crazy about pincushions and love to experiment with new designs. I recently designed a star pincushion—a fun twist on the traditional LeMoyne Star pattern. It's currently featured on the Moda Bake Shop blog. If you'd like to make one for yourself, come visit me over at the Bake Shop by clicking here and feel free to leave a comment on their blog letting me know what you think of it. I'd love to hear your thoughts. See you there!

A MORNING AT THE FLEA MARKET

2011-08-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

I've missed you all this past week. Work deadlines have kept me from blogland. I have multiple projects going on, including an interesting papercrafting assignment for one of the magazines. But thanks to a fun flea market we visited while home visiting family this past weekend, I do have some new photos to share with you. Sure, there's a lot of junk to sift through at these things, but the variety of items is quite amazing. Where else can you find everything from lovely antique china dolls...

...to miniature pot-bellied pigs (also known as "tea-cup" pigs)? This little girl was getting quite a bit of attention from curious passersby.

One of the dealers had an interesting assortment of antique sewing accessories, including this charming thread box. I was tempted to buy it but couldn't justify the expensive given its condition.

I also loved the artwork in the lid of this thread tin but the price wasn't in my budget.

I thought this vintage toy sewing machine was cute in mint green but it was missing its carrying case. So I passed on it but will keep my eyes peeled for one in the future.

One of the dealers had a fun booth filled with 1950s and 1960s vintage fabrics and accessories. Fabric packs were arranged sweetly in vintage suitcases. I bought the small aqua-striped suitcase on the left for $2.50. I wasn't sure if this was a lady's or child's carrying case, so I'd be glad to find out if anyone knows the answer.

Also, couldn't resist buying this vintage barkcloth from her as it was only $5 total for a few yards. I plan to use it for my pincushion orders. I found out she has a shop, too, so I plan to head over there in the near future.

And how cute is this little vintage pincushion—another fun find from the flea market. It was in pristine condition considering its age and it came with the original box.

One of my favorite finds of the day was this antique paper-covered doll trunk. It can be challenging to find them with their paper-covered trays still intact. The blue and brown floral paper in this trunk really spoke to me.

I am a sucker for vintage children's furniture and noticed this one in a dealer's booth but didn't buy it. I have a small collection of little cupboards from flea markets past.

I know a lot of crafters love to use antique skeleton keys for their creative projects. This dealer had a wonderful array of them and they were selling like hotcakes. Three people bought some while I was perusing his booth!

As you can see, it was a very fun day at the flea market. Come back later this week for a post about something fun that my parents-in-law found for me at the flea market.

ACCUQUILT GO! BABY WINNER

2011-08-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for an AccuQuilt Go! Baby Cutter. I had a terrific response, so I let Random Generator do the honors of choosing a winner and that lucky winner is....

Diane, who left a comment on July 30 saying:

I am a follower and would love to win. My choices are strips, hexagons, and Bountiful Baskets.

Congratulations, Diane! Please email me the following info by Tuesday, August 9 at noon (CT) so I can get your Go! Baby and dies to you!

Full name

Mailing address

Phone number

Email address

3 dies of your choice

A TOMATO, A FUN FIND, AND A GIVEAWAY

2011-08-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

What do these three things have in common? Absolutely nothing other than this post. It's been a crazy week here with work deadlines, so I'm afraid I don't have a lot of exciting sewing-related projects to share. I was up till 3 a.m. in the morning working on an article and then got up at 6:30 to enjoy a few precious moments working in the garden, where I spied the first heirloom yellow pear tomatoes ready to harvest. My husband and I don't eat a lot of tomatoes but we like to grow the heirloom varieties. If anyone in the Des Moines area could use some yellow pear tomatoes, we will have more in the coming weeks and would be glad to share.

While getting some supplies for a work project yesterday, I stopped by one of my favorite antique shops and found this. Af first glance, it appears to be a pink dog toy with a funny face but it also has another purpose...

Yes, it's a vintage tape measure made in the 50s or 60s. I hope she will forgive me for temporarily pinning down her tail for this photo but it was the only way to show you the tape measure part as it retracts immediately. At $15, I'm sure I overpaid for it but I love it because it is unique and in my favorite color.

She came with her original label...

If anyone knows anything about the history of these tape measures, I would love to hear from you. I know there is a wealth of knowledge out there in blogland, so don't be shy! Once things calm down, I'd like to do some research on them and will share my findings on this blog. I hope to be back to regular blogging by early next week when I can dig out from underneath my in-box. In the meantime, there's still time to enter my AccuQuilt Go! Baby fabric cutter giveaway here if you are interested. See you again on Sunday when I announce the big winner.

ACCUQUILT GO! BABY GIVEAWAY

2011-07-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

If you've been following my blog, you've seen some of the fun projects you can create with an AccuQuilt Go! Baby fabric cutter. If you didn't catch them, you can see them here and here. I'll be sharing more creative ideas in future posts. Now for some super exciting news! I'm thrilled to be able to offer you the chance to experience this terrific little tool yourself! Thanks to the generous team at AccuQuilt, I have one Go! Baby to give away to one of my followers. And for the lucky winner, they are even throwing in your choice of three dies!

Here's how to enter:

1. You must be an official follower of my blog. So if you aren't already and would like to become one, feel free to sign up. My international followers are also welcome! Go to the AccuQuilt site by clicking this link and check out their fun selection of dies, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me your favorite three dies. BE SURE TO SELECT DIES THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE GO! BABY. NOT ALL OF THEM ARE. To be eligible for this giveaway, you must list your three die choices.

2. For an additional entry, blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave another separate comment on this post with the link to it. If you wish, feel free to use the photo above.

3. And for another entry, sign up for the latest AccuQuilt news by clicking here and as a bonus, you'll get 22 free quilt patterns.

This giveaway will close at midnight (Central Time) on Saturday, August 6th, and a winner will be selected by random draw. The winner will be announced on my blog on Sunday, August 7th, and will have until noon (Central Time) on Tuesday, August 9th, to claim their prize by emailing me privately. I've noticed many of those who leave comments are non-reply bloggers and may not even realize it. If you are a non-reply blogger, I have no way of reaching you. So if you happen to win and I can't contact you, I'll have to draw another name. If I don't hear from the winner by August 9th, I will draw another name.

Best of luck to everyone!

A Twist on Tradition with AccuQuilt

2011-07-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite quilting motifs is the oak leaf. I spotted this lovely block in the traditional colors of red and green at a quilt show a few years ago.

So it's not surprising that I immediately fell for the Fall Medley die set from AccuQuilt (below) when they so kindly let me select some of their dies to try. It not only has an oak leaf but an acorn, pumpkin, and maple leaf!

To step outside my comfort zone, I decided to put a twist on tradition by making an oak leaf and acorn block in velvet instead of traditional quilting cottons. Yes, the AccuQuilt Go! Baby cuts velvet beautifully! I happened to have a bolt of a light sage green velvet, so thought I'd make use of it. If you don't have velvet, you might try velveteen. To prepare my velvet, I first ironed it from the backside and on a towel to avoid crushing the pile.

When cutting velvet on your AccuQuilt Go! Baby, do keep in mind that you won't be able to cut as many layers simultaneously as you can with quilting cottons. In my earlier Go! Baby post, I mentioned you could cut up to 6 layers of cotton fabric at once. I've cut up to two layers with the velvet and been very pleased with the results. The AccuQuilt team recommends you start with one layer and gradually experiment with more layers until you see what works best for you. For a tutorial on how to use the AccuQuilt Go! Baby and other projects I've made with it, see my earlier post by clicking here.

With my pieces cut, I was ready to play! I made a simple block with the oak leaves and acorn shapes. Instead of using the traditional colors, I opted for soft sage green and a dusty pink in velvet. After all, acorns don't have to be brown in the creative world of quilting, do they? Don't have velvet in all the colors you want? No problem! Just mix it up with your regular quilting cottons. I used regular quilting cotton for the background print and the acorn top.

To make quick work of the appliqué, I sewed the shapes down with a blanket-stitch on my Bernina. And to add a little panache, I feather-stitched the leaves by hand and embellished them with pink beads.

I guess the creative lesson of this story is to feel free to experiment with a non-traditional color and fabric palette. I hope this post will inspire you to give it a try. And to help inspire you even more, be sure to check back here tomorrow for your chance to win your very own Go! Baby cutter AND your choice of three dies! One of my lucky followers will soon get to experiment with her own Go! Baby!

For more information on AccuQuilt fabric cutters and dies, check out accuquilt.com or sign up to receive all the latest AccuQuilt news here.

TOTE OF TREASURES

2011-07-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

This morning dawned hot as ever (it's been in the high 90s all this week) but I wasn't going to let this heat wave stop me from enjoying the day. I went thrifting with a friend this morning and turned up some interesting finds. This time we hit some of the local garage sales. To minimize the number of plastic bags I bring home, I've started taking along tote bags to stash my finds while on the go. Last year, I found the cutest one that is made of 95 percent recyclable materials. If you click on this photo, you'll see a delightful menagerie of creatures such as owls, foxes, and peacocks!

My favorite find of the day was this vintage grocery list board, which my mom and mom-in-law tell me is from the 1950s. My husband's mom even remembers one hanging in her childhood kitchen. It's so fun to learn the history behind these treasures of yesterday.

I especially got a kick out of the last item on the list! Who knew it was such a regular must-have item back then?! While today's grocery lists aren't as simple as those of the 50s, I still thought it would be a fun addition to my yellow farmhouse kitchen. The board was missing its pegs but my husband is going to make me new ones.

I also found this vintage crocheted potholder and trivet and a wonderful little pottery crock measuring just 2 inches tall—perfect for a mini African violet! Does anyone know anything about it? It was only $1, so I don't think I could go too wrong buying it.

I also spotted this vintage English candy tin to add to my collection. The vintage sewing basket also came home with me. I often see the sewing baskets in the $25-$35 range so I didn't think $8 was a bad buy for this one, which was in really good condition.

This is what the sewing basket's interior looks like. There is a little ledge for spools and plenty of space for sewing notions.

And last but not least is this 22-inch-tall gilded antique picture frame complete with an instant relative for $15! I hope he will find his new accommodations at Ashton House most comfortable. My husband has already named him "Jeremiah". Welcome home, Jeremiah!