littlebrooke

sneak peek #2

2010-06-06T20:00:00.001-04:00

sneak peek #2
Originally uploaded by gloryof_80s

i have decided that i will be relaunching my etsy shop with lots of new and different merchandise in late 2010! stay tuned for more sneak peeks as i finish items :) i will be taking my time and making things that i really love with some really great fabrics. the shop name will be the same, but overall a bit different than it was before. i'm very excited, but won't be sharing much except for sneak peeks until everything is completed! i can tell you that everything will include hand stitching, which is super fun!

finished the last two blocks for this, this evening in the midst of a huuuuge rain storm. once i figure out the backing fabric i can work on the really fun part - the hand stitching. i have grand ideas for this! :)

my little guy sleeping soundly.

2010-03-02T20:45:00.001-05:00

my little guy sleeping soundly.
Originally uploaded by gloryof_80s

still in the (neverending) process of weeding things out and deciding what to keep when we move. the LOVE print that was in our bedroom is now in the living room so that i can do a little touchup painting on our bedroom wall. but, i think wookiee likes it here just fine ;)

another project.

2010-02-06T12:21:00.001-05:00

another project.
Originally uploaded by gloryof_80s

i keep piling them up and messing around with them... but this is the one i am going to make next. another for the living room (since we're potentially in the middle of changing colors up a bit in there, with the arrival of a new coffee table tomorrow!). its mostly kaffe fassett's (including the three shot cottons) with a few anna maria horner, and of course the magenta bees! i'm not sure which pattern i'm going to do yet, but since i'm currently working on a bento box i am going to choose something different. something that can incorporate a lot of different prints...hmm.... i'll have to be on the lookout for my inspiration quilt on flickr! ;)

2009-10-11T10:26:00.001-04:00

my blogging is moving over to apriltwoeighty. its becoming increasingly more difficult for me to blog in two places at once, so i am combining my sewing/inspiration blog with my personal/decor blog. please please follow me over there if you follow me here, as this one will no longer be used!!
xo

2009-10-10T11:35:00.005-04:00

jennifer over @ madebygirl posted about our apartment this week :) you'll get to see the photos that my amazingly talented friend jessica weiser took for me. eventually i will be putting up a whole slew of them (that didn't make it into jenn's blog) into a website for my home decorating business - my schooling is going really well so far and i'm enjoying it so much! the program is challenging but also interesting. (i tend to blog more about that over at my personal blog. follow me there, too, if you'd like!)

i'll be spending my free time this weekend working on two custom orders. they've both been cut out and i'm in the beginning stages of the sewing parts of each. one will probably come along faster than the other, so that is the one i'm focusing most on this weekend.

the top blue fabrics are for a baby who has yet to be born. i'll be doing a 9-patch quilt with two matching pillows. the bottom car/truck fabrics are for a little boy who is four and loves anything with an engine! (that is the one i'll be working on mostly this weekend.)

snowball quilt;

2009-09-27T16:09:00.004-04:00

i tried a new pattern today, and it was much easier than i expected! i actually made the blocks smaller than the pattern called for, so it was a little different, but it still came out well. i used fabrics from the "figgy pudding" line, can't believe its almost time for holiday decorations! (well, kind of ;))

you can see the finished product with info etc, in the shop!

i definitely want to make a larger quilt using this pattern (and the larger 8" blocks that the pattern called for) for myself at some point - maybe one with all of my flea market fancy fabrics, and another one using my heather ross/munki fabrics!

tiny art mini quilts.

2009-09-20T15:24:00.005-04:00

new in the shop!!

i'm so excited to introduce a new selection of
mini (and i mean, so tiny!) art quilts!
the smallest one is only 8x8" <3
more on the way, but for now, check them out!

de-stash.

2009-09-19T17:36:00.002-04:00

over @ my destash shop: brand new scrap bags! lots of colors, awesome fabrics from some of my favorite designers! if you love little treasures & fabrics, you'll want one. or maybe you know a friend who'd like one, too! :)

Etsy
Buy Handmade
littledestash

(all proceeds are going into our cruise fund. just ten more weeks til we go!)

brand new for fall!

2009-09-13T11:13:00.002-04:00

check out the new Echino "Chelsea" pillow
in the shop!

once i can get around to it, i'll be heading to the store for some new quilt batting and some pillow forms, to stock up for fall/winter. i'm doing two custom projects this fall (a car/truck quilt for a 4 year old boy, and a new baby's nursery quilt and two matching pillows), but still hope to get some new items up in the shop when i can. i have a Heather Ross Far Far Away quilt in the works right now (blocks are sewn up), and about five or six others planned out awaiting their turns (little red riding hood themed, heather bailey's fresh cut, and erin michael's lush ...to name a few!). so stick around. schoolwork & the custom work will be at the top of the list, but i can't wait to create some new things to share with everyone!

END OF SUMMER SALE!!!!

2009-09-05T20:05:00.002-04:00

EVERYTHING in my shop has been marked down for our END OF SUMMER SALE!! its for a limited time only, so be sure to take a look :)

also, i've started a more personal blog over @ apriltwoeighty. you're welcome to follow me over there if you are interested in my more day-to-day life :)

another one!

2009-08-23T17:34:00.003-04:00

another new quilt in the shop!

new in the shop(s)!!

2009-08-16T15:45:00.004-04:00

i managed to finish up my little kawaii quilt last night, i seriously can't stand how cute the fabrics are! and i love the wonderland fabric for the backing <3 the quilt is for sale in my littlelegwarmers shop.

meanwhile, there are a few new listings over at my destash shop:

weekend.

2009-08-15T16:42:00.005-04:00

this is such a beautiful weekend here.. and i'm loving it so far! last night we went to a beautiful nighttime wedding <3 this morning we got up and went to the beach, then did a little sightseeing. this afternoon i worked on spraypainting some more frames for our bedroom (photos to come eventually...still waiting to hear back from our landlady if we can paint the room or not), and tonight i'm going to work on some sewing for my shop. but for now, until i have some real projects to show you, here are some photos from our recent adventures :)

weekend in the sun.

2009-08-09T19:33:00.001-04:00

pat and i made sure to enjoy most of the sunny day yesterday, with a trip to portland headlight.. sat out on the cliffs and the beach! i love maine summers <3

2 new quilts.

2009-08-09T16:18:00.004-04:00

up in shop!
loving the orange/blue/brown color combo!

working a bunch more... reds/turqoise.. neptune collection.. red/green.. yellow.. midwest modern II... (if i can find the time to sew in the next few weeks!!)

goals!

2009-08-02T21:36:00.004-04:00

i very rarely write such personal entries as this, but i find its nice to share from time to time things that may be related to my sewing business, or just life in general. you never know who may be going through something very similar or who may have some great advice or opinions! please please feel free to share!

as the summer is dwindling on and is more than half over (i can't believe it! we've barely had a summer this year as far as weather goes..), i find myself getting ready to make my goals for the upcoming year. my boyfriend starts his school year in about a month, he's in the process of getting his second bachelor's degree (has one in biology) in engineering); i've been graduated from college for almost five years now (my original degree in sociology). we both work full time at the hospital, and although our jobs are getting us by, neither of us completely enjoy what we're doing, and hope to move up to bigger and better things.... and we're both trying to get on our paths for the future (which will hopefully include buying a house).

some of my goals for the next year include:

* continuing to work on paying down my credit card debt (which i had racked up living on my own for the first three+ years) - i have a tendancy to do really well and pay off a bunch, and then slip back and add to it. i've since cut up all but two of my cards, and have a running tally of what i owe where. it can be frustrating not having large lump sums to put towards paying each bill at a time, and resorting most times to paying only the minimum monthly balance.

* i have recently decided to open a destash fabric shop on etsy to try to sell though some of the fabric i have stashed in my studio that i may not want to use as readily. a great way to make space, and a little money! i have always liked to share fabrics with friends and others who may love to sew as much as i do. it has given me an oppurtunity tmae room for some fabrics i've been looking to collect, and also to put some money into my savings a tiny bit at a time (it all adds up). in conjunction with this, i have decided to do my best not to buy any more fabric, unless absolutely necessary (batting, backing fabrics, and sashing fabrics are not included in this, as i tend to need more of those with each project!) - i have a great stash of fabrics, and plenty to work with for the time being!

* i have a big goal to actually try to sew more! a couple of years ago, when i was working retail, my schedule was a bit more condusive to having my second job of sewing. now that i work a regular 9-5, i find when i get home from the OR i am often times completely unmotivated to sew and really just want to put my feet up on the sofa infront of HGTV or Food Network ;) ...so, my goal, starting this week, is to schedule myself for a couple hours at least a couple of nights a week up in my studio. after the last holidays, my shop was dramatically (and happily) depleated of quilts. sooooo, i need to bulk back up! i have a tendancy to start a bunch of projects and never finish them -- so i'm going to start with some of those unfinished projects and get them up on etsy. then, i have a whole bunch of projects i am dying to start! and as usual, i'll keep things updated here with works in progress and finished items!

* my biggest goal is to hopefully go back to school next fall. i'm not ready for this school year, as i still have some planning to do and funds to find ;) but i am hoping for an online bachelor's program (that will make two of us with two degrees each!) in interior design. i have had a love of interior design since i was a teenager -- i always used to rearrange my bedroom much to my mom's chagrin, and my college dorm rooms were always way more organized and coordinated and decorated than my friends' rooms. i have had so much fun living in apartments being able to design my spaces, and most of the time on a very limited budget. most importantly, if i cannot be fully supported by my sewing, i need to have a job where i am happy and doing something i love. i enjoy my hospital job, and the medical field is a very stable one to be in, so clearly i will not be leaving my job any time soon; but i am excited at the prospect of being able to study interior design -- i would love to be able to run my own business or have a business with others -- where i can incorporate my love of color, space, design, furniture, and creativity. it will be interesting trying to take those steps towards fulfilling this goal!

i have a lot of work ahead of me, and i am really looking forward to be able to look back at progress (on all of these things!).

quilt show.

2009-08-02T21:27:00.004-04:00

finally, here are some photos from the quilt show i went to in augusta, maine last weekend. such a great source of inspiration!!

ta-da!

2009-07-28T17:30:00.001-04:00

between swaps and the quilt show i went to last weekend, i have recently acquired a decent amount of new fabric. thus, i have spent some time cleaning out my stash and have a new etsy shop setup for my de-stash!! please check it out if you love fabric, there is some neat stuff there, and i'm trying to save up for our cruise! ;) lots more to be listed soon!

XO,
brooke

ps. pictures from the quilt show to come!

i almost forgot!

2009-07-24T21:22:00.002-04:00

just a few pics of some new things around the apartment...
cleaned up sewing corner in the second bedroom:

new quilt (from LLBean!) in the bedroom <3

finally hung the artwork in the upstairs hallway:

the new washer/dryer in the bathroom:

and FINALLY found a home for my favorite lamp!

a little fun inspiration!

2009-07-24T19:27:00.002-04:00

....just in time for the weekend! i'm heading to the quilt show this weekend and will have lots of photos (and i'm sure lots of new fabrics!) once i return. but for now, here are some beauties!

summer update.

2009-07-20T20:52:00.003-04:00

i admit, i haven't really done a lot of sewing so far this summer. i've been meaning to... there are piles of fabric ready to be cut, piles of blocks already cut waiting to be sewn, quilt tops that are partially sewn and ready to be finished... luckily it seems when i am least motivated to sew, i am snapped out of it by the potential for a couple of custom orders. i hope to finalize those plans soon, so that i can once again feel the undeniable happiness of successfully finishing a project.

mostly this summer has seen us out to brunch and basking in the sun (when it hasn't rained, thank goodness it has stopped raining! it rained for weeks and weeks...); we've taken up tennis, spent time at the small beach just a few blocks away from our apartment, slathered on the sunblock with high spf (for the boyfriend) and endured/enjoyed slight sunburns (on me).

we've been slowly but surely accumulating clearance/on sale summerwear to take on our cruise this november! bathing suits, shorts, strapless sundresses, sunglasses... we also purchased our first set of luggage together. (well, he paid for the cruise, i paid for the luggage!) i've started collecting travel size, travel safe, travel approved toiletries -- i can't even explain to you my love of tiny toiletry items, its weird how much i love the mini shampoos and toothpastes. we still need to get our passport, but we'll be doing that in a week or two! and then, we wait. 18 weekends to go until we're carribean bound!

okay, okay, back to sewing related things.. this coming saturday i'll be going to an awesome quilt show, and can't wait! i've gone the past couple of years and am always left feeling inspired and ready to tackle a new project. all of the vendors selling designer fabrics, though, is really my secret reason for going. last year i ended up with a new stash that lasted me until just recently! i'll be sure to get photos to share of all of the amazing work.

also, i've been getting good feedback on the mini quilts i posted to my etsy shop last week. i figured a few smaller projects were better than no projects at all, and i LOVE the wonderland collection of fabrics! the mini quilts are perfect to hang as wall art, to use as a doll quilt (or if you have a newborn preemie baby!), of even as a tabletopper.

i've been swapping hard to find and out of print designer fabrics in an online group, and have managed to collect some fabrics i'd been unable to find up til now! so exciting... its been fun to see what other people have in their stashes, and i can't imagine parting with some of the things they're swapping! my problem is that i collect these fabrics and then don't want to use them because they are so hard to come by! i just love staring at the gorgeous pile all stacked up! XD

so, in short, summer has been great so far -- hard to believe it is already half over, as it feels like we've just started! its been wonderful to share the sunshine with the boyfriend, friends, and family -- the first summer in recent memory that has felt so relaxed. here's to hoping the next month and a half is more of the same!

2 more!

2009-07-12T16:18:00.001-04:00

two more bright and cheery Wonderland mini quilts in the shop!

now there are four, and i just want to hang them all side by side forever <3

2009-07-11T12:28:00.001-04:00

got some great new sunny photos of the two new mini quilts for the etsy shop this morning, after basking in the sun myself for a couple of hours. i love these sunny weekends...

new in the shop!

2009-07-10T22:18:00.001-04:00

two new "Wonderland" from Momo mini quilts (approx 15x20") in the shop!

lovin' it!

2009-07-07T21:06:00.002-04:00

omg. someday i would love to have a fun little girly room like this.. LOVE the quilt with all of the amy butler fabrics!

onesie quilt, finished!

2009-07-06T21:57:00.002-04:00

a couple of months ago i started working on this custom order for christine in california.. a quilt made from fabrics from a collection of her baby's old onesies. i alternated the onesie fabrics with some great designer fabrics (amy butler, denyse schmidt), and bordered/backed the quilt with some sunny yellow fabrics! the knits of the onesie fabrics gave me a bit of trouble with stretching, but i did my best. i'm hoping christine loves it, and now she will have something to last forever to remind her of the days when her baby boy was itty-bitty!

CRUUUUUUUUUUISE!!!

2009-06-30T18:53:00.004-04:00

well, my boyfriend surprised me today by booking our cruise!! we had been talking about it for a while now, but he went ahead and did it!! we'll be going november 28-december 6th, on royal carribean! leaves from puerto rico, ges to aruba, dominica, curacau, and st thomas! OMG! i can't even put enough exclamation points to convey my excitement!!! plus, you know this is a great excuse to shop for things like carry on bags, bathing suits, and cute summer wear! right at the peak of summer sales! eeee! so, needless to say we're so excited and now can't wait for the next five months to fly by!! :D

here's the link to the ship we'll be on, check out all of the awesome things to do:
voyager of the seas

if you have any stories or advice on cruising, please feel free to share! xo i'm sure i'll be posting more about this as time goes on!

summertime sunshine quilt.

2009-06-21T17:37:00.004-04:00

new in the shop! :)

i also spent the afternoon working on my custom order, and the top is finally done.. now to add the borders and backing, and to figure out how i want to top stitch it! since the onesies are stretchy, i don't want to shift it all out of whack. hmmm....

can't believe the weekend is almost over! :(

score!

2009-06-20T17:54:00.004-04:00

well, we made the trek up about 45 minutes in the half-sun half-rain morning to go to the slummy surplus store that for some reason carries discounted fabrics (of my dreams! seriously!). i only make the trip up every six months or so, but its always worth it (if you can ignore your surroundings and focus on the search at hand). last time we went, i scored 6+ yards of denyse schmidt's flea market fancy sprouts in yellow (you can see a bit of it in my blog banner!), which is extremely hard to find since it is out of print, and can be very very expensive (i won't tell you what i paid, but it runs $20+ a yard on ebay, and i paid under $5 a yard!). i had wanted to buy the entire bolt but didn't want to go too crazy since i had some other things to buy. today we went up with the sole purpose of finding more, and i got THE LAST TWO YARDS. omg. i also got some other goodies, mostly to use as quilt backings. but i got about 20 yards of fabric for under $60!! regularly priced, it would have run me probably close to $200!

so, now that i've gotten a good bargain this weekend, i'm ready to lock myself in my sewing room tomorrow and work on some projects!!! first on the list, my custom order. second on the list, topstitching a quilt for the shop!

inspiration.

2009-06-19T18:58:00.002-04:00

i'm dying for some inspiration here on this stormy rainy day (though it seems to have let up a bit since i got out of work...)! here are some things to make it all a little brighter around here :) enjoy your weekend!!

switch-eroo!!

2009-06-19T18:43:00.008-04:00

recently we decided (due to noisy neighbors) to switch our bedroom and sewing room. ...i was hesitant at first, because that meant a smaller bedroom, but now that i get a larger sewing room its all good! ;) here are a few photos of the new setups, you can see the before-s if you scroll down a bit to some previous entries...

bedroom:

sewing room (& upstairs lounge area!)--

CELEBRATION!

2009-06-14T15:00:00.001-04:00

tomorrow marks my 3rd year anniversary of selling on etsy! littlelegwarmers has been very successful and so much fun.. and i can't wait to continue creating and sharing with you! to celebrate, all items in the etsy shop are on sale! new items, of course, to come in the next couple of months! thanks for all of the support, and take advantage of this sale while you can! here's to another three years!
xoxo

brooke

hex's.

2009-06-13T18:45:00.005-04:00

so even though my current stack of work looks something like this:
--1 custom quilt (cut out only)
--3 small/crib quilts (top sewn) that need borders, backing, binding for the shop
--1 flying geese quilt (top only 1/4-1/2 sewn) for the shop
--1 log cabin quilt (in the process of making the blocks) for the shop
aaaaand i'm trying (not as hard as i should be, obviously) to beef up the stock in my shop for the summer...

i still sat down this afternoon and started paper piecing some hexagons for a grandmother's flower garden quilt (for the shop). its going to be a lot of work since its almost completely hand sewn, but i had the itch to start the hex's and see how quickly (or not) i could do them. i am using a Swell charm pack (by Moda) for some of the hex's, and once i get those finished i'll just have to see where i need to go from there (30's repro?).

i'm the queen bee procrastinator, unless i have a super new project i can't wait to try. its just like when i was in college-- dying my hair was way more fun than writing papers! papers waited until the night before they were due! ;) that being said, no more hex's for tonight, and if i do any more sewing (we're supposed to be going out to the movies in a couple of hours..), then i'll be working on my custom order. and after that i'll be working on either my log cabin or my flying geese. the hex's...well....i'll just have to work on them while i'm watching tv or something.

because i'm kind of addicted.

east end beach.

2009-06-13T15:21:00.002-04:00

pat and i got up early this morning because it was just too beautiful outside to sleep in.. we walked the two blocks to the Front Room restaurant, and sat outside for breakfast. ate way too much :) afterwards, we walked the next three blocks or so down to the eastern promenade, and went over to the east end beach to bask in a little bit more sunshine, before heading back home to be somewhat productive (i spent a couple hours cleaning up, putting away laundry, and meandering back and forth on some sewing projects).

onesies quilt..

2009-06-12T19:52:00.004-04:00

sneak peek of the custom quilt i am making from onesies and great modern designer fabrics! i got all of the squares laid out this week, ready to start sewing! still deciding on border, backing, and binding fabrics. i chose to do just simple square blocks since the onesies' fabrics are stretchy knit and can be a bit more difficult to work with... but i think in the end its going to be perfect!

log cabin.

2009-06-08T20:51:00.004-04:00

i am about to start a new project.. a log cabin quilt for my shop. even though i have like four or five projects already started, the motivation has hit, and i'm in the mood. (in my defense, some of the projects i've already started are waiting for their backing fabrics to arrive in the mail...) here are a couple of inspiration pics of log cabins in the style i hope to accomplish (using mostly scraps!)--- wish me luck! i'll post pics as i get some progress made ;)

i also have a custom quilt to work on starting this week, christine in california sent me a great box of her baby's outgrown onesies and a couple of blankies, to be made into a quilt for the nursery! i'm pairing those fabrics with some awesome modern designer fabrics, and am really excited to get started! i've cut the squares out of the onesies, and am excited to see the other fabrics paired with all of the cute soft fabrics! i'll be sure to get some pics of that as well :)

bedroom update!

2009-06-05T20:48:00.003-04:00

got a new print from madebygirl for the bedroom! the frame is from ikea, and was originally black but i spraypainted it white to go with our decor. still working on it, but i'm trying to make the bedroom as peaceful as possible (since the neighbors on the other side of the wall are SOOO loud!)...

busy busy!!

2009-06-01T20:42:00.003-04:00

we've been so busy with the new apartment that i'm just now finally getting comfortable and finding time to work in my sewing room... i've got a few little works in progress (plus two that are sitting next to the machine patiently waiting their turns..) that i'm anxious to finish up and list in my shop! stay tuned! :)

also, more photos of the apartment coming soon!

more of the apt....

2009-05-27T19:52:00.006-04:00

most of the artwork you see around the apartment was purchased on etsy! we still have some things to get (dining area bistro table, and about six rugs ;)), but we're getting settled nicely.

living room...

we'll be going to ikea this weekend to get one of these!!! to put the tv on in the living room, and i can' wait!!!

art in the bathroom:

music room/office...(also known as the "man cave")

update!

2009-05-27T19:41:00.004-04:00

finally got into the sewing studio to get some decorating done (so hopefully now i'll be more motivated to work! ;))! i love the space so much -- but i am already re-thinking the pink lamp and mirror (both items from my childhood that i recently spraypainted pink), i am thinking repainting them a more simple white. we'll see.. i'll be heading to Ikea this weekend to get a chair and side table (and lamp) to add to the corner underneath the pink mirror!

we're all moved in!

2009-05-24T17:57:00.012-04:00

we're all moved in, and its starting to look a bit like home... we're making a trip to Ikea next weekend, so i will wait to post pics of most of the rooms until we've gotten the rest of our furniture and rugs etc...

but the sewing room is coming along. i spent a lot of time this weekend making curtains for all over the apartment. i'm still looking for some shelving, and i haven't hung any artwork yet.. but i thought i'd share some "before"s, in the meantime :)

as you can see, i'm at least set up in there enough to get some work done. not that i have a lot of time for work related sewing, when i have so much fun stuff to do around here!!

here are a few sneek peeks of some other rooms we're working on...
the music room/office/homework room:

entryway/sunroom/kitty room/library:

bathroom:

bedroom:

coming soon: living room & kitchen & dining space!

2009-05-21T20:47:00.003-04:00

i promise i'm still alive!!! just in the process of moving into the new place........... we had our brand new sofa delivered this morning, and we'll be moving the remaining 30% of our stuff this weekend... i have four sets of curtains to make! and even though i have barely unpacked it or set it up-- i LOVE my new sewing room <3

i promise to post some pictures ASAP! xo

2009-05-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

in the process of moving for the next couple of weeks, but expect photos once things are looking relatively put together shortly thereafter! <3

2009-05-07T17:38:00.005-04:00

i chose a fabric (for my sewing room curtain) after much deliberation!

also, a pic of my newly painted desk in daylight, you can see my rug too:

8 days til we can start moving in! :D it will be almost a two week process, and we'll probably be without a sofa for part of the time (donating our old one to goodwill!), but its going to be great once we can get moved in and start decorating!!! <3

curtains.

2009-05-02T17:27:00.007-04:00

i'm in the process of trying to choose fabric for curtains for my new sewing room... you've already seen my new aqua frames and table... my other accent colors will be light pink and lime green (and white, of course)... i thought i knew exactly which fabric i wanted, but i've started second guessing myself and now have a big list of potential fabric!!! - which one do you like best?? (keep in mind, the aqua table/frames, my new chair will be white, lamps are both white and light pink, the area rug i have is white with a lime green squiggle across it- very minimal-, and there is only one sunny window in the room.) the style i'm going for overall is girly, but modern, with a pinch of vintage.

you can click on each swatch to see it larger...

diy weekend + packing...

2009-05-02T14:56:00.008-04:00

after a brief trip to home depot for some paint, i am in the process of re-doing some of the pieces that will end up in my new sewing room in a couple of weeks! my sewing table got painted a couple of years ago back in my old apartment, and at the time i loved the color -- but it wasn't going to fit at all into my color scheme, so a couple coats of Glidden's "Sea Fare" #17G 60/218 in satin finish, and its like new!!

also for the sewing room, i had got super cheap from ebay.. some frames for a handful of 8x10 prints i'd gotten from an etsy shop. i didn't like the color of the frames but i loved the style, so they got a new look too! (i'm actually going to spray them with an ultra gloss clear spraypaint after they are dry, to make them extra shiny.)

here is some of the art that will end up in the room, those 8x10s are the ones that will get framed:

i will be sure to get more photos in a couple of weeks once we start moving and i can get the new room all setup! it will be a fun process, i'll be shopping for a new desk chair and possibly a second desk, and some other things for the room at ikea. and i will be making my own curtains and some pillows as well. my mother also has an old lamp and mirror that may get a re-do for the room, too!

but for now, spring is here!

new apartment update!

2009-04-29T20:52:00.008-04:00

well, we found an apartment and are going on sunday to check it out one last time, sign the lease, and pay our security deposit and pet deposit and 1/2 month's rent (we can start moving may 15th)!! the place is first and second floor (!!!!!), and although its not a giant apartment, its going to be quirky and great -- downstairs: sun room, living room/dining room/kitchen all open together, good sized bathroom. upstairs: two bedrooms and a great hallway for artwork <3 [the sunroom is going to be great, we're thinking it will probably house pat's electric drumkit and our office, and possibly our gigantic ikea bookcase...]

the best thing is that i will get my own sewing room (instead of using half of our living room..haha!). i get the smaller of the two bedrooms (which the previous tenants used as a nursery)... i'm going to try to make the room as girly as possible, while still keeping it modern and funky. here are a few inspiration photos for color and design:

my hope is that we'll be able to fit a futon in the room, so we can have guests.. but i'm not sure how much room will be left when i get all of my stuff in there ;)

here's some other great dec inspiration pics, for fun...

busybusy.

2009-04-26T17:22:00.005-04:00

i had a three day weekend this week (second in a row! i lucked out!), but you'd never know it with how busy i've been. went and looked at 3 apartments yesterday and today, two were most likely a no, and one was a maybe. i liked the one, but P is not sold on it. we'll just have to see what this week brings on craigslist as far as apartments go. we're putting in our 30day notice this week! ahh! then the hunt will really be on!

i did manage to get some sewing done, though.. finished up my Neptune pinwheel quilt, and it is in the shop...

also did the unimaginable! i started work on our bed quilt!! ahh! no photos as of yet, but i hope to work on it a bit this week after work or next weekend. once i've made a bit more progress i will get some photos. its going to be so funky and bright and i love it!!

P is sick this evening with a migraine, holed up in our dark bedroom with the fan on him... its been in the 70s+ all weekend! having the windows open has definitely been nice and we did get outside for a tiny bit.. hate that he has to be all tucked in bed for the rest of the night, though. boo to that. not sure what the rest of my night has in store for me, but i know it will be something quiet. which is okay.

oh! i almost forgot. i spent most of the nights this weekend watching HGTV or CSI Miami marathons.. and needless to stay i was dreaming about florida apartments ;) haha.. but seriously -- how great are these??!?! LOVE the multi lampshades!

decor inspiration...

2009-04-22T22:34:00.002-04:00

as always, i'm collecting inspiration for our new apartment (that has yet to be chosen)... can't believe we only have about 4 1/2 weeks until we move! ack!! we've looked at one place so far (which we liked, but may be a tiny bit expensive for the amount of space), with one or two more on tap for this weekend. the onslaught should come after people give their notices on may 1st *much like ourselves!* can't wait! i've been budgeting and marking so many things on etsy as favorites (fabric, art, etc) -- and we will have a trip to ikea in our future for furniture (read: sofas!) once we get settled in. but for now, collecting collecting collecting. ideas ideas ideas.

work in progress...

2009-04-22T22:28:00.002-04:00

still working on my Neptune pinwheel quilt. click the photo to see it larger! just waiting on my border fabrics to get here! i had lots of triangles leftover, so i will be working on the next one (see previous post for details) ASAP! :)

neptune.

2009-04-20T14:25:00.003-04:00

working on my first pinwheel quilt today.. with Tula Pink's Neptune line.. should be a fun project! any leftover blocks will be going into my next project, which will be a flying geese quilt.
(click to see larger photo...)

new in the shop!

2009-04-20T12:49:00.003-04:00

blossoming spring trees quilt!

i'm back!

2009-04-16T18:51:00.005-04:00

well, my long weekend trip to boston was wonderful. didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but who needs sleep in beantown?! it was so great see rae-rae and have some much needed girly time.. we mostly did shopping all weekend, even though we didn't have tons of spending $$. we did go to ikea, as well as urban outfitters, and a big fancy mall that had a sephora, anthropologie, etc etc. i made it home with a few trinkets, and enjoyed the train rides to and from. definitely would do it all again, any time! ;) here are a few snapshots from the road, and some of my finds.

the two kitties missed me a lot while i was gone, and i got lots of snuggles my first night back.. also, as you can see, rockie helped me put our new ikea duvet on our bed.. the throw pillow i made my first night back, from a tea towel purchased at anthropologie; it is stuffed with a down feather pillow form that i made out of an old bed pillow that had long since lost its shape (have you ever cut open a down pillow to cut it in half? oyyyyyy! hahah. what a treat!)... the greek pasteries didn't make it all the way home, i ate most of them on the train on my way back!
i also have a bunch of photos i took at ikea, of the things we want to buy for our new apartment! t-minus 6 weeks and counting until we can move. i'll try to get the ikea pics up soon!

<3

work in progress.

2009-04-06T20:53:00.002-04:00

custom quilt (baby boy)...

inspiration:

2009-04-05T21:25:00.002-04:00

LOVE this place!!

i have a short work week ahead of me, since i am leaving for boston bright and early on friday morning (coming back easter sunday) -- i won't have much time to do any apartment/moving planning/organizing/cleaning, because i have a custom baby quilt due at the end of the weekend! i got it cut out today. my goal is to get the rows sewn tomorrow night after work, get the whole top sewn tuesday night, get the top quilting/stitching (with batting/backing attached) on wednesday night, so all i will have to do is get the binding on thursday night (and then pack!)... admitedly, i should have done a bit more work on it this weekend, but it was just too nice outside. i LOVE that i've got a 4day work week instead of 5, as it will be a nice and much needed break. can't wait to get down to visit raea and have our girl time! plus, when i get back, we'll be another week closer towards moving!

<3

2009-04-05T18:47:00.005-04:00

it was a nice sunny day so i opened up the curtains and enjoyed some time in my sewing room this afternoon...

working on a custom boy baby quilt:

and i scored 6 yards of this discontinued denyse schmidt county fair fabric this weekend, at a totally discounted price!!

a few charm packs that are just waiting to get made into quilts for the shop:

birthday present from my boyfriend:

our "garden"!!

<3

spring has sprung!

2009-04-05T18:39:00.004-04:00

the boyfriend and i went out for a walk this afternoon, since it was about sixty degrees and sunny.. so nice to finally get outside! there are only a few tiny patches of snow scattered around the city.. YAY!

29.

2009-04-01T22:42:00.003-04:00

tomorrow, april 2nd (technically in just a couple of hours!), i will start the last year of my twenties! the big 2-9. i am so lucky to have wonderful friends who baked me cakes and sent me packages full of girly goodies.. and family who sent lovely birthday cards with checks inside! and my best love, who got me flowers and a dock/speakers for my Ipod! <3 we spent the night watching tv and eating pizza on the sofa.. snuggling and laughing. tomorrow night i've got some plans all to myself to celebrate, and i can't wait! it will likely be a long workday, so i am really looking forward to later on. here's to 29! its bound to be a great year, because 28 was awesome-- i've got a great job(s), an amazing boyfriend, and wonderful friends. what more could i ask for??

yay!

2009-03-31T19:46:00.004-04:00

i just made my train reservations for april 10-12! i'll be taking the train by myself from portland down to boston, to visit my most favorite lady, raea!

i am actually really excited about traveling alone with my ipod, journal, and book.. only bringing a small bag and my purse; with room for goodies purchased, of course-- we'll be visiting ikea and sephora and some other awesome places while i'm there.. mostly excited to spend a weekend being girly with her, though. its my birthday present to myself, about a week late (by then). :D

new in the shop!

2009-03-29T13:29:00.001-04:00

wool, linen, cotton, birdies, applique circles, buttons, organic batting!
"bird watching with papa" quilt -- new in the shop!

home office.

2009-03-25T22:10:00.005-04:00

i am very much hoping that when we find our new apartment we will have a small nook for a little home office. just for the laptop and a printer and some artwork and some pens and paper. a place where i can keep all of my etsy paperwork and receipts, where we can balance our checkbooks and send emails. where the boyfriend can sit to work on homework if he needs to. i have a great little vintage teacher's desk (that i'm currently using as a sewing desk) that we could use... but it will all come down to how much space we have (and how much $$ i have for a new sewing desk ;)). keeping my fingers crossed!

ART.

2009-03-25T20:37:00.006-04:00

i'm so excited! i just purchased an original from danny britto's brand new etsy shop! i followed him on livejournal, and now to his blogspot and etsy shop. and i LOVE it. its a tiny original painting on wood, and i can't wait to put it in the living room of our new apartment (when the time comes). owning original artwork is such a passion of mine with such artful and amazingly talented friends (photography, sculpture, painting...), so it makes me happy to add this piece to the collection (even alongside the warhols and lichtensteins).

i also recently acquired a large piece of art for the mantle and am hoping hoping HOPING that when we move we'll have a large enough wall or mantle to put it on, because its BAD ASS. it is also on wood, and so big -- its almost 3'x3'! LOVE. my boyfriend really likes it as well. i think its going to give our artwork that sort of urban feel i was looking for (living in the city, and all), to mesh with our real pop art. mmm...NYC <3

i'm so excited for finding the perfect new apartment and knowing that our new living room is going to be so artful and funky and fun and comfortable and colorful. and i can't wait! (even the boyfriend is excited, and is doing his part by making 3' tall speakers for our entertainment center from scratch --inside and outside!) we've all got our things ;) i'm still waiting for some fabric i ordered from thailand to arrive, so that i can cover a couple of throw pillows, too!

EmptyCage jewelry.

2009-03-22T18:37:00.003-04:00

my favorite lady, raea, has an AWESOME etsy shop right now: emptycage! she's located just outside of boston, and sells funky and rock-and-roll skull inspired jewelry. its all excellent quality, sterling silver or nickel-free silver plate; she also uses glass beads and Swarovski crystals to make them all shiny and pretty! the necklaces and earrings (and hair clips!) are so punky and girly... (just like us! ;))

sale!

2009-03-22T08:40:00.000-04:00

i am having a sale over at the littlelegwarmers shop! you will find a bunch of items newly marked down!! and they won't last long, so hurry up and check them out! :)
xoxo

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
littlelegwarmers.etsy.com

got 'em!

2009-03-19T22:17:00.003-04:00

i broke down and ordered the two large posters i had my eyes on... i have my eyes on a lot more prints, both from etsy and other places online, but i will wait until after we move to order any more incase we have weird wall space. but for now, i love these. (even though one of my frames is warped. booooo!) they are exactly what i was thinking when i started my art search, and i think the colors will lend themselves well for fabrics for pillows, etc. i also bought a large piece of red matte board to make mattes for a couple of the smaller prints. there is some fabric on the way, and i can't wait to make a couple of pillow covers! i'm not going all gung-ho since we'll be moving in a couple of months, but it is still fun....

i am SOOO ready for the weekend to be here! one more work day, and a massage! ack! i can't wait for that either.... this weekend will be full of laundry @ my parents' house (while the boyfriend uses the basement workbench/tools to make his handmade speakers!), and some sewing projects. here are a couple of pictures of some works in progress (some have yet to be started ;))....

quilting inspiration!

2009-03-18T20:27:00.001-04:00

i have some great fabrics that i'm wanting to work with in the very near future, and i'm thinking of working with some triangles. (i still have a triangle/zigzag quilt that needs to be quilted and binded...tisk tisk!) here are a few little pieces of inspiration - so pretty!

my love for white decor.

2009-03-17T17:28:00.004-04:00

i have never been shy about my love for white decor. i haven't been able to quite pull it off (having a dark brown rug in our living room, and all...), but theres just something so air-y and wonderful about these rooms...

bedroom.

2009-03-15T16:50:00.003-04:00

it was beautiful and sunny this morning, so i caught a couple of quick photos of our bedroom.. after we move i would like to get frames for the rest of the art, find a huge wall mirror for above the big brown bureau, and will be making our bed quilt (and shams, and throw pillows ;)). i did manage to finish the pillow cases. so, for now....

new in the shop!

2009-03-15T13:19:00.004-04:00

"easter egg hunt by the lake"

xo

living room wishlist!!

2009-03-14T21:05:00.023-04:00

since there are only a couple of months until we start looking for a new apartment, i have already begun pulling together ideas and purchases for our new living room.

aside from being a seamstress and putting together fabric and colors that way, you probably have already figured out that i am in love with home decor as well. i like a good challenge, like a puzzle-- fitting furniture and pieces and colors and textures together to make a comfortable whole. my boyfriend also has good taste, but for the most part lets me decorate however i want. he likes black and white decor, and since he's a drummer he's a bit of a rockstar himself ;) i really want our new living room to fit both of our styles (not to mention i would like it to be the total opposite of our bedroom, which is more bohemian in style and color) -- we like bold prints, bright colors, but i tend to like a more minimalist approach when i can (and can clean out the clutter ;)). he likes sleek lines (on his way to his engineering degree, no less..), and i love pattern. the room that we have now is okay but not exactly what i'm going for- i have some serious ideas.

here is what we've got going on right now:
(our newly reupholstered black and white chair!)

i recently redid the Expedit shelf to hold our books, with color coordinated books on the front and the remainder of the books (and our boxes of dvds, cds, and photos) on the back side. [pardon the terrible photos, it was dark out! bleh.]

the main thing we want to get is a new sofa, since the one we have is an old handmedown; and even though i love it, it just isn't pretty and is saggy and so extremely heavy that we hate moving it (its a fold out!)... ikea has a sofa that we'd like to sit on next time we're there and see if it is worth the money:

as you can probably tell, i love the glam look of black and white damask and artwork prints (and the ottoman, mantle decorations, and the white coffee table.. it goes on and on). since we are in a very tiny space (half of the living room is my sewing room), it works well. but i know that once we actually have a whole room instead of half of a room, we'll want to spread out a bit. my idea is to keep a lot of the black and white, but incorporate a bit of pop art/ art deco inspired artwork and fabrics into the mix, to keep it bright and bold. i think with that new black sofa, we'll really have free rein on decorating!

obviously since we haven't found a place yet, i don't know anything about what our wall layout/situation will be.. but i am hoping that i can do an art wall, pretty much from the ceiling downwards, similar in style to these, with all of the different prints and frames collaged together:

i recently purchased some prints to mix in with those you see in my photo up above (with all of our framed black and white photos/prints)-- the ones we have already range in size (framed) from 11x14" to 16x24", so i wanted to find some smaller prints, and also a couple of larger ones.
from a shop on etsy, all 5x5":

i'll be getting just simple white frames at Ikea, no matting.

i also ordered two larger prints to help bring in the pop art feel:
24x31" (for me):

28x35" (for the boyfriend ;)):

i have my eyes on a couple of other prints on etsy, that i am excited to hopefully order, too (they are medium sized prints):

yessssssssss, joan jetttttttt! <3

and of course, some new pillows will be necessary. i always cover my own pillows, which tends to be a pretty easy afternoon project, so i'm looking forward to recovering a couple that we already have, as well as making a few new ones to go alongside some of the black and white damask. (that ikea sofa is almost seven feet long, so we'll need some more pillows ;))
i ordered this awesome fabric from thailand:

and would love to get some of this as well:

but i also have my eye on this pillow on etsy, that is made from an old ship sail! ahh! i want it so badly!:

i can't decide which color i'd get, but i know i can't afford both ;)

and these!!! from lama designs:

and then of course, alongside the sofa, there are all of the obligatory items from ikea...
like a new rug (4x6'):

and some other odds and ends:

(i LOVE that frame.. and they were sold out last time i went...booo.)

also, recently at work (in the OR), i acquired an old cart.. and after much washing and cleaning (hahah...ew.), it will end up as an end table in our living room! i love it, even though my boyfriend thinks its sort of weird. i love the quirky weirdness of having a piece of medical equipment as furniture! its a bit tall, so it will be interesting to find a good spot for it! i'm thinking it will be fabulous with a small lamp, pencil jar, a vase or two, some magazines, maybe a couple of folded blankets on the bottom shelf...

right now its just holding junk ;)

so, it feels good to have all of this clumped together in one post and look at it all at once.. since i've been trying to pull ideas from all over the place... i think its going to end up being really fun to put it all together; and hopefully it will end up as i want it to.. i really just want a fun but glam/rock and roll living room. functional but stylish. bright and bold, but still minimal. and i think having a new sofa (not to mention a totally new apartment) will make me feel a lot better!

<3

2009-03-10T22:45:00.003-04:00

more inspiration.... i LOVE this home featured on jen's blog! so funky and eclectic!!

i also really want to get this pillow after we move! love it.

and last but not least: my etsy favorites page, filled with art and funky pillows and throws that i'd love to get for our living room.. as well as some fabric to make some of my own for around here ;)

Etsy
Buy Handmade
littlelegwarmers

so in love

2009-03-10T17:50:00.002-04:00

with these!
..so much so that i am thinking of incorporating some of the ideas into our living room once we move.. to go with all of our black and white decor that we already have. i'm loving the little bits of color!

here's what we did instead:

2009-03-08T21:41:00.009-04:00

so, this was supposed to be a somewhat easy project. we figured, how hard could it be to re-upholster our living room chair? initially we had wanted to just use the staple gun... until we found out there wasn't anything inside the chair to staple the fabric into (the faux leather certainly wasn't going to hold it..).

SOOOO... i ended up sewing the covers for the two large cushions, and we lucked out with the arms-- they had wood inside the edges so we got to staple those! but DAMN. the project overall took us about five hours from start to finish. we had to take apart the chair completely, and that large of a pile of nuts and bolts scares me to no end.. but luckily pat was there to do that part and put it all back together. i just had to work with the fabric. he did help measure and cut, though. by the end of it, i had a small mental breakdown, but i love the end result.

the chair was one pat had in his old apartment, and i had hated the faux leather and wanted something more modern looking to go with our black and white decor in here. we'd wanted to get a new chair next time we went to ikea, but we just saved ourselves some money since the fabric only cost me about twenty bucks on etsy! i'll be so excited when we get into a new apartment and have a great "new" chair to use! and i have just enough leftover to cover a pillow or two for our sofa (which is a whole other story and i can't wait to get something to replace our hideous brown plaid ;))!

anyway, onto the photos. they will tell the story better than i can. unfortunately, i didn't get any pictures of when i was freaking out, or when i stapled the fabric onto the arms completely backwards and had to re-do it. too bad ;) [pardon the terrible photos with the awful flash. click on each one to see it larger.]

and for reference, here is what the chair looked like before:

and here's the rest of our living room (these were taken before i re-did the mantle):

what i should have been doing today:

2009-03-08T21:39:00.001-04:00

finishing the top quilting on this quilt for my shop:

i worked on it all last night with intentions of finishing it today, but instead we reupholstered our living room chair. more on that in our next post ;)

happy weekend!

2009-03-06T21:49:00.005-05:00

i am loving this apartment that is for rent, as well as this one. ...just a couple more months til we can start looking for a new place of our own!

in the meantime, here are a couple of other things that i love:

(this one has the exact colors i am using in our bedroom...)

AND, its almost time to shop for a new bathing suit!
(wishful thinking..)

have a wonderful weekend everyone! i am working in the OR just a half day tomorrow, and then have plans to work on sewing projects for the rest of the weekend... i'll be sure to update once i make some progress! xo

2009-03-01T22:36:00.003-05:00

i'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself here, but when we eventually get into a new/bigger apartment, you can bet 'yer butt i'm going to be doing this in one of the rooms. i LOVE all of the white lanterns grouped together like that!

me;

2009-02-28T15:53:00.001-05:00

new!

2009-02-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

just put up in the shop today, the 'round and round' quilt.. partially hand sewn, partially sewn by machine. this is a very modern, special and unique little quilt, and i lovelovelove it! :)

spring, amy butler style.

2009-02-27T22:26:00.005-05:00

over at decor8, she posted a whole bunch of amazing spring-time amy butler photos, which i had to re-post and share with you! especially considering we're supposed to get more snow this weekend... SIGH.
[click to see each larger..]

beautiful.

2009-02-23T22:30:00.002-05:00

i am longing for spring so much, with all of this newly fallen snow on the ground.. but i have some new decor magazines, a couple of new books, an amazing boyfriend whom i love very very much... and spring will come soon enough. and with it, new colors.

new in the shop!

2009-02-22T11:16:00.001-05:00

new this weekend, the spring wishes quilt! it has a supersoft(!!!) minky backing fabric!

i knew i had to get working on something blue/green this weekend, since i have four pink quilts listed right now! ;)

pets.

2009-02-21T23:37:00.001-05:00

our cat, wookiee, has taken to a very bad habit lately:

our other cat, rockie, is lounging somewhere in the bedroom right now.. last night we found her snuggled underneath all of the blankets on the bed. too cute.

& my parents' doggie is too cute, too:

dining room inspiration.

2009-02-21T22:25:00.006-05:00

right now our apartment doesn't have a formal dining room. our kitchen is very outdated, with old wooden cabinets and a gross linoleum flooring that we try to cover up with area rugs. we have a small table and two chairs that serves as our dining room, but we very rarely eat there. we are guilty of eating on the sofa infront of the tv. :/ while looking for a new apartment this summer, i really want to find one with a dining room. i'm so in love with very modern and clean and simple dining rooms, lots of white (i'd like to incorporate some wooden accents, maybe some clear lucite!, and definitely kelly green for chair cushions, napkins, and vases! (eee!!) i realize white isn't the easiest to keep clean, which is why i would want to keep it to solely the dining room, and not the kitchen or the bedroom, or any room that would get A LOT of use ;)

anyway, here's an assortment of my favorite modern dining room inspiration photos.

bedroom inspiration.

2009-02-21T19:52:00.006-05:00

earlier today, i posted about this fabric that i have for making us pillow cases, a bed quilt, pillow shams, and throw pillows.

i'm going to start working on those projects tomorrow.. i'm not sure where i'll start, but i've got to start somewhere!!

i'm going for sort of a bohemian chic style in our bedroom (i've also heard it called "urban hippie"), which right now is pretty mish-mashed. so far i have managed to get turquoise velvet drapes (thankyou, ikea!), a lamp with a mustard/gold velvet lampshade (ikea, again), a velvet wine/magenta throw blanket, and i repainted my bureau an awesome magenta color. i've collected some various artwork pieces from etsy but am waiting on getting frames for them; right now they are mostly strung up with mini clothespins. i know that once i get our pillows and quilt done, the room will feel more pulled together.

i've been collecting a bunch of inspiration photos to remind me of what colors and textures and feelings i'm going for.... a lot of the decor photos i found seemed to incorporate a Moroccan feel, but i don't think we'll be going in that direction exactly. definitely similar but with a more modern approach.

we can't paint our bedroom where we are renting now, and will probably be moving again this summer anyway-- so my goal is to work on the sewing projects, and after we move really work on getting the room pulled together with more lamps and frames for the art, and if the room is big enough i'd love a reading chair.. and rugs. mmm..rugs.... i'll be sure to post pictures of the sewing projects as i go along!

...

2009-02-21T15:31:00.005-05:00

new in the shop!

dandelion afternoon quilt..

pretty in pink quilt..

& some awesome new sunny-er photos of the echino pillow..

*see! i told you the new doormat would show up in some etsy pics ;)

around the room(s).

2009-02-21T15:21:00.006-05:00

i have a couple of projects brewing for this weekend... but before i get started, i wanted to share a few more photos from around my sewing room.

i got some amazing new art from a fabulous etsy shop. eventually i want to get frames for them, but for now they're just hanging off of my shelf, alongside some of my valentines day flowers which are getting dried out (on purpose).

on the sewing table, you'll find my stack of fabrics for my bedroom projects. on the left side, big squares for our bedquilt (fabrics from echino, anna maria horner, joel dewberry, amy butler, and more). in the middle, four new anna maria horner fabrics to be made into a set of pillowcases. above that and to the right, scraps and more fabrics (from echino, anna maria horner, joel dewberry, amy butler, and more) to be made into a set of quilted pillow shams and two or three throw pillows. i have a lot of work ahead of me! but i'm excited to finally get started, considering i collected some of this fabric for this occassion back last summer. whoops ;)

this isn't in the sewing room, but i have to share anyway! also, from etsy, i purchased some little perfume oils, and i've been having a hard time choosing just one to wear each day! they all smell awesome.... i wanted to keep them all laid out pretty, but with the cats thats probably not going to last long; so now they're in a cute little bowl in the bathroom.

and last but not least, my new door mat <3 you'll probably notice it in some of the new photos in my etsy listings! ;)

happy weekend everyone!! xo

new!

2009-02-17T18:44:00.002-05:00

new in the my shop... a funky and glam pillow made from japanese imported Echino fabrics!

it was really fun to make, with the flappy border and swirly stitching!

custom.

2009-02-15T20:24:00.005-05:00

after having seen my feature on jenn's blog a couple of weeks ago, another customer contacted me this week about making her a set of pillows also. she loved the pink/green combo, so i dug out as many pink/green scraps as i could find. i think they came out really adorable!! and i even remembered to sew in my labels, which i shamefully forget to do most of the time. whoops.

i had promised her they would be done by midweek, so i am happy to have gotten them finished tonight! that means they can head out in the mail first thing tuesday morning! (why is it that i always have so much to mail on the days that the post office is closed?! ;))

and this is what i have on my plate for tonight!

around the sewing room...

2009-02-15T20:15:00.006-05:00

i tried to get a little time in, in the sewing room, tonight. i managed to catch a few snapshots of some of my surrounding goodies...

tiny piles of future projects.

backing fabrics & finished projects.

tiny artwork.

vintage quilt top that i have yet to back/topstitch.
(eventually i want to finish it for the living room...)

hi!

2009-02-15T19:54:00.000-05:00

here i am! :D

new in the shop!

2009-02-14T18:47:00.002-05:00

this quilt is brand new in my shop, and was made with adorable little japanese kawaii prints!! omg, i love them. there's the three little pigs, alice in wonderland, sheep in the woods, and little red riding hood! i also used some simple prints from amy butler and denise schmidt to coordinate with them. -- also a bonus: the batting is completely 100% organic cotton! yay!

inspiration.

2009-02-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

here's a little home dec inspiration for this weekend...

& i can't stop listening to kings of leon:

SWOON! their singer is so adorable.

happy valentines day!

2009-02-14T14:13:00.002-05:00

i hope everyone is having a wonderful and happy valentines day.. P and i didn't do much to celebrate, since he is working until 11 tonight.. he did get me flowers and cupcakes, though!

i am going to spend my long weekend (i have monday off!) getting some sewing projects finished. i have a custom baby quilt order to finish (which right now is only about 25% done), and 2 custom cushions to make. wish me luck!

etsy.

2009-02-11T22:35:00.001-05:00

not only do i love all of the awesome customers i have come across while selling on etsy, i also am so in love with all of the amazing items for sale... my wishlist literally grows by ten items a day. i tend to buy a lot of fabric from etsy sellers, but i've also purchased a lot of art, and some hand made soaps and things like that. i wanted to share my current wishlist, or at least what would fit in the grid ;)

Etsy
Buy Handmade
littlelegwarmers

organized.

2009-02-09T23:10:00.002-05:00

i went out and got a new shelf for my sewing corner this weekend. i accidentally got the wrong size, so i ended up with a huge shelf (when i really wanted the next size down)... but thats okay, because it fits everything perfectly.

and yes, its about 4x6'!!

some things i am totally loving right now!!....

2009-02-09T21:59:00.009-05:00

pregnant MIA.

amazing quilts (not my own).

the ForLikeEver print.

decorating with white lanterns.

spring!!! (too bad there's about 2+ more months of winter here...)

antigua! (we're looking to maybe go there in november..!!!)

and sassy colors in decor!

2009-02-07T21:45:00.002-05:00

i have a great "new" vintage desk in my sewing area, courtesy of one of the fine ladies of the OR. hopefully once we get to move to a larger apartment and i have a larger sewing space, this desk will become a homework/laptop desk elsewhere; and i will buy a bigger sewing table. but for now! i love it!

2009-02-06T19:11:00.003-05:00

[click to see larger:]

i found this wonderful quilt on flickr, and fell in love with it.. i've made a few zig zag quilts before, but this one is just so fun.. i'm dying to try something similar with the colors! .....but not until i finish top stitching the zig zag quilt that's still sitting by my machine ;)

custom.

2009-02-05T21:58:00.007-05:00

jen posted a blog over at madebygirl about the pillows i made for her! :) i'm so happy that she loves them. they were made almost entirely from scraps, which was really fun, and backed with a white and pink polka dot fabric. [there are currently some scrappy pillows for sale in my shop.

i have about four throw pillow inserts of different sizes sort of stuffed in the corner of my sewing room right now-- just waiting for covers-- to find their final home in my bedroom. who knows when i'll ever get around to quilting covers for those! (not to mention the quilt...) one of these days i'll get caught up on all of my other projects to work on those... but work always comes before play!

speaking of work: i'll be working on a custom order baby quilt this weekend.. but i do have plans for some new quilts for my shop in the coming month. a couple just need to be top stitched, ...while a couple still need to be sewn ;) -- yesterday i had a sale of two of my brand new quilts, already, so i hope to fill their spaces before this time next month!

for later on.

2009-02-04T19:44:00.005-05:00

[click each one to see it larger.]

library in dining room!? genius!
i wish our kitchen right now was large enough for this...hmm....
now i'm going to think about that all night ;)

also, i just ordered some totally awesome girly, shabby-chic,
easily frame-able (8x10") art for my sewing room.
from tiny bazaar <3

&