birds and plus signs - a love affair!

Someday I'll bring these two elements together in some glorious quilty (sorry, to-do list!) but I'm just still enjoying exploring. It's kind of nice to do something over and over again, exploring the same form again and again but trying new directions and ideas. I've been meaning to try this plus sign design for a while (ever since making this back in January), and thank goodness I have the perfect excuse now - a lovely little lady due in January 2011.

And then I made a little blackbirdy something for a birthday gift. I'm lovin the asterisk - speaking of future explorations. This was also a lovely experiment in hand stitching. Boy, when hand stitching doesn't totally annoy me, it's kinda nice. And hey, wait a minute: is that a plus sign? Way down there in the corner....

among the flowies...

...with friends makes for a fine Sunday afternoon in the mountains. That's all!

busy bee

It's so funny with these online bees: you work and work and then you have to send all your handiwork away. Don't get me wrong: I love online bees! I feel like I've been challenged in so many creative ways. And I'm having fun along the way! They just tend to add to that know-I've-been-busy-but-don't-have-anything-to-show-for-it feeling. Ever get that feeling? Either way, here's a quick recap.

A few Common Threads blocks:

A (looong) strip for Rossie in our first round of the Mid Mod Quilt Bee (bottom left):

Oh yeah, and there was my potholder for Carrie (for our Asheville Modern Quilt Guild secret potholder swap-a-roo).

More in the works and coming soon... feeling the sewing and quilting bug taking over again! Oh, and the plus signs...

before & after: minty dresser

It's almost the end of summer... and I'm STILL dealing with the mighty furniture makeover bug. My latest installment is headed for my sewing room. I think I'm just in love with the transformation aspect. And then there's the getting something for cheap and turning it into something you love factor... It's been keeping me from my sewing machine for sure, but it feels like a creative process nonetheless. I'm especially proud of the little wooden piece I added at the bottom.

I'm working on an old desk now that will soon become my sewing table... and, of course, have a little minty minty of its own!

Holly, jolly... July!

Just a quick note to say that you should check out the loveliness over at Sew, Mama, Sew's Christmas in July. They'll be featuring several projects and designers from Fa La La La Felt (including some of my faves), which hits shelves early next month. Should be lots of fun, and it may be enough to put you in the mood for hot cocoa - though it's pretty unlikely in this extremely hot "mountain weather" here!

antique bar redux

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned the dreaded furniture-makeover-bug that was plaguing me. I finally succumbed to temptation... here's what I've been busy with while I've been neglecting my poor little blog (sorry about that, by the way).

First, I found this cool antique bar at the local Habitat for Humanity store. I was actually, believe it or not, in the market for just such an item. So maybe it was fate....

Combine that with my love for all things dark teal and my intense desire to cover something with tile and you get this little number, which looks right nice if I do say so myself.

I was initially planning to do something cool - plus signs, anyone? - with the tile pattern on top, but decided to pare down. Not sure the urges have been fully satisfied... sometimes you just get a bug! I'm thinking about taking an upholstery class this fall. Oh, the dark teal furniture I could make!!!

pardon the interruption

Gosh that month went by fast. Sorry for the silence on my part... I swear I was busy with things! First there was a weekend in the mountains (with the brindle squad, of course!).

Then some canoeing, some kayaking, some creek swimming...

And then I was involved in the taxing task of... drumroll, please... turning thirty! Now I'm not the type of person who gets too hung up on numbers, but it did seem like a fine excuse to get myself a fancy present. And fancy it is! Meet my new camera. After literally almost two years of research, I settled on this bad boy. It's, in a word, friggin awesome. And I had to have a fun new project to photograph... This blackbird mini was for a friend. I love how the new camera captures all those perfect imperfections! More fun to be had, I'm sure.