2011 - 52 Projects in 52 Weeks Challenge: Week 2

Week 2 Challenge - Complete!

If you know me, you know I am a huge Amy Butler fan. I love, love, love to create products using her beautiful fabrics. I have a stash of fabrics from her Belle line that I can't even bear to cut into because I know I cannot get any of them ever again! I have made hundreds of items from her Belle, Midwest Modern and Midwest Modern II prints. I was so excited when I found out she had a new line being produced, but when I first got it, I have to admit that I did not love it as much as the previous lines. Nevertheless, I was determined to combine them into a quilt top, and I am so glad I did - I really LOVE the result!

Here's a closer look at the fabrics in this line:





I settled on a simple patch design using 6.5" squares, then bordered it in 2 of my favorite prints from the line. I can't wait to quilt this - it is just begging to be snuggled (though it looks FABULOUS hanging on my wall too):



Until next week - Happy Stitching!

2011 - 52 Projects in 52 Weeks Challenge

Happy 2011! This will be the year I actually post to my blog on a regular basis (really!). I've set a personal challenge for myself to create at least one new item per week in 2011 - I mostly plan/hope that these are quilt tops, but new product ideas will likely be thrown in the mix as well.

Week 1:
I'll just start out by saying I have enough fabric to open my own store . . . I have more than a few boxes/piles/stashes of fabrics that I have bought with grand plans to sew into a particular quilt or project.
My first challenge project of 2011 was to sew up these cute prints into a quilt top - they've been cut and sitting on my sewing shelf for OVER a year now. . . no more!



This is a very simple design for using up small pieces of fabrics, and for combining lots of prints - sometimes called a chinese coin design. This quilt top features a variety of prints in pinks, yellows and blues and fabrics from Heather Bailey, some cute Japanese prints and more. Crib size quilt - I plan to back it with a cute polka dot print and do some simple straight line quilting on it.

Holiday Sale - Nov 26 - Dec 10

From Summer to Fall

Wow. Labor Day is upon us. For our family it means a start of a new school year - my baby girl is starting Kindergarten (how did that happen!?!) on Tuesday. It also signals that fall is on the way, football season (yay) and also time to get ready for the pre-holiday show rush.

We went from 90-some degrees earlier in the week to a crisp 65 today. What a change. I love summer time and the warm weather, but I simply LOVE the fall. During the summer I have a hard time getting motivated to cook - who wants to turn on an oven when you already feel like you are baking in the air? Leaves us in a bit of a crunch as I hate to eat anything that comes from a box, and detest fast food! (Okay, so pizza doesn't count as fast food, just for the record.) The cool weather has ushered in a cooking frenzy in our house. Friday night we had lasagna for dinner. Last night we had chicken and dumplings for dinner, followed by hot, fresh apple crisp for dessert. Yum! I find myself getting excited whenever I drive past the apple orchards on the way home - I can see the ripening fruit covering the trees, just waiting to be picked! Can't wait.

The Mom N Mia Quilts sewing studio has been going full steam - really, I haven't had much of a break this year at all, other than a few stolen weekends for family trips. No complaints.

This past week, I made over 100 reversible car seat strap cover sets - about 2/3 of those are for wholesale orders, but there was a rush on them in my Etsy shop as well.

Lots of wholesale orders to fill - proud to say that I am now supplying over 15 lovely boutiques across the U.S., as well as shops in Australia, Malaysia, Ireland, Switzerland, Canada and Brazil.

Easter's On Its Way

And this little cutie is all set with new Creative Kids Art Bucket -

Child Style Magazine - Owl Spotting!

I am honored to be included in the Winter 2010 issue of Child Style Magazine!

My On A Whim Owls in Pistachio Burp Cloth Set is part of a 2-page spread featuring oodles of adorbale handmade owls and other treats from Etsy creators!

Wrap It Up!

If you're looking for a fun, versatile gift for kids, check out our Wrap It Up Crayon Rolls (TM)!

I love making these because no 2 are ever the same. (Similar perhaps, but not the same)

My 2 and 4 year old take them everywhere. I especially love that I can fit them so easily in my purse or their bags. I also feel much better having them bring their own crayons than using some of the ones you get at restaurants (not the packaged ones, I mean the ones where you get a handful or cup of grubby crayons . . .yuck!).

Each Wrap It Up Crayon Roll comes with 10 Crayola crayons, but you can fit 20 or more in each Roll. Watch for more fun designs!