Baby Quilt Update #1, Plus Studio Sneak Peek

This past weekend I finally set up my sewing area. I got really lucky with the space in this house as I am able to use an entire half of the basement—which was formerly a wood working studio and has been immaculately kept and well lit. And I got to work on my next quilting project, which is a gift (I know that I promised myself I'd make something I could keep, but then two of my friends announced that they were pregnant, so there you go). I'm really excited that I found a way to use these Anna Maria Horner voile fabrics, which are so, so soft. Perfect for a little one to roll around on.

It measures about 3x4 feet and while I haven't quite decided on how I'm going to quilt it, I am eager to get started. I machine stitched about half of the top—until my bobbin started giving me agita—so I went back to hand stitching (which meant I was able to work on it over my lunch break yesterday at my desk!).

Okay, back to the work space, which you can see below. There is a huge work bench at a great height and after I covered it with an old floral sheet, it was transformed. I also made a little sitting area where I can work when I'd rather be sitting and I'm going to gradually cover the peg board with things that inspire me.

Sure, it's a basement and it's going to be chilly in the winter (and likely warm in the summer), but there is natural light, windows that open, and—most of all—it is terribly exciting to have my own little sanctuary with ample space for me to make things.

Weekend Highlights: Tulip Time

This weekend was filled with a wide range of activities, which on Saturday included heading out to Pella for the yearly Tulip Time. It was, unfortunately, a little late for the tulips this year (it's been so warm this spring that they were in full force about a month ago), but we got to see 2500 people break the world record for dancing in wooden shoes...

Eat some traditional Dutch food, like these pofferties (mini pancakes)...

And see the windmill all dressed up.

One of the highlights was checking out all of the pretty dresses and lacy scarves that many of the women were wearing (and repeating how much fun it would be to dress up, even though I have zero Dutch heritage in me to speak of).

 Had it not been in the 40s, windy and sprinkling rain, I'm sure we would have stayed to check out one of the many parades, if only so that I could have gotten a peak at Miss Tulip Time.
There was also a quilt show (with voting!), that we of course had to check out. Plus it was inside which made it a nice opportunity to warm up. I worked on my own new quilting project and set up my crafting area on Sunday and I'll show you both of them tomorrow. Until the, here are a few of my favorite quilts from the show.

A Note On Expectations

Lately, so much in my life has changed that it's hard for me to believe that it all feels so normal. I touched on this a little on Monday, but moving into a new house (with a boy!) in a new part of town and adjusting to the rythmn of life as two has been, well, unexpectedly simple. Sure, two independent people uniting their living spaces brings it's own set of challenges (like which way to hang the roll of toilet paper- I am a decidedly over the top girl), but I can't tell you how great it feels that figuring all of that out feels like exactly the thing I'm meant to be doing.


It's coming up on a year that I've been living in Des Moines and if you would have told me that this is what my life would have looked like as I packed my car and drove away from my tiny apartment in Harlem, I wouldn't have believed you. None of this—the darling house, the darling boy (who is a man, really), the lifestyle that lets me sleep soundly at night—were things that I expected.


And yet here we are. My only real conclusion from all of this is that change can be an amazingly good thing and that wonderfully unexpected things can come from trying something new. And whether that's as simple as trying a new recipe, a new yoga pose, a new way of quilting, or something as complicated as trying to get to know a new person, a new neighborhood or a new way of living (that involves driving), I am here to say go for it.


On that note, we're heading to Pella to partake in some Tulip Time festivities, including lunch with friends, a craft show and a quilt show (expect to see at least one shot of the town windmill on Monday), and I'm going to find some backing fabric for a new quilting project that I've been working on. I will share that next week too. Here's hoping that you all have a lovely weekend, in ways you can't yet imagine.


[Inspiring print above is from Dazeychic on Etsy. Click here to see be taken right to it!]

Link Love: Up A Tree

I am enjoying all of the leafy goodness that is happening around my house and it's made me more in tune with nature-inspired crafts. Here are some of my current favorites.


Above is the most darling Cherry on the Tree Swing embroidery pdf pattern from comfortstitches. I love Aneela's whimsical designs and that her blog is such a fantastic source of both quilting and embroidery info.

I'm going through a bit of a brooch phase and while it was hard to choose something to highlight from Lou Lou & Oscar from Lisa Aaron (go look at her etsy shop and you'll see why), this sweet Little Wooden Brooch fit for today. It's printed with a midnight blue ink and would be completely fetching on a simple blazer.

I believe that we're a little past cherry blossom season, but that might make enjoying this Three Piece Cherry Blossom cross stitch set from Whimsy and Charm all the more appropriate. Tanya actually mostly makes "tsumami kanzashi", which is the process of taking small squares of silk and folding them (sort of like origami) into individual flower petals. i then take these petals and form them into a lovely little flower." So be sure to take a look at that part of her shop as well.



I'm going to try to remember/find time to take some photos of the yard and house this weekend to share with you on Monday—I'm on iris watch as they are getting pretty close to blooming!

Sponsor Spotlight: Patti's Pics

 If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of Things We Make, email me at thingswemake [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll be happy to provide you with info.

Name:  Patti Melfi*

Location: Exton, PA

Site: zazzle.com/pattirm1 

 

Tell me a little bit about your style of photograhy.

 I’ve been looking all over the world for my “style”. I guess I would say it’s eclectic.

How did you decide to start selling your work? 

My brother introduced me to Zazzle. Since one of my favorite hobbies is sitting in front of the computer, it seemed the perfect marriage. My pictures plus the internet equates to sales of my products.

What is it about taking pictures that you enjoy so much? 

The entire process. Seeing the shot. Attempting to catch said shot. Seeing it complete for the first time. Reviewing it in the future again and again. A moment on this earth, frozen forever.

How do you work- do you bring your camera with the specific intention to take photographs, or do you just keep it on you in case inspiration strikes?

 My brother once said my camera should be surgically implanted in my forehead. I have it with me all the time, waiting. There are frustrating times, when I see the shot and I’m driving. No shot. Times when I see the shot, shoot and miss the opportunity.  Times when I leave the house in a rush, for just a few seconds…and not take the camera...inevitably a mermaid riding a unicorn crosses my path.   

Is this your full-time work? 

No. I have a day job—the cubicle type—where I daydream all day, waiting to shoot, edit, produce and Zazzle again.

Where do you find your inspiration? 

Earth, whimsy, flora and wildlife seem to inspire me the most. I absolutely love to view pictures of people. Yet, when I see a portrait shot through my lens, it disintegrates in process—never resembles my idea. National Geographic is my awe-inspiring escape, both printed and on-line. Viewing those shots (with my jaw dropped in awe) fortifies my desire to check my battery and lift the camera to my face once again.

*Patti is my aunt, which means that I am often ducking out of the way of her camera. But it's really just because I want to give her more chances to capture the pretty flowers.

Fantastic Floral Brooches by Ruby-Jo

Mother's Day is fast approaching and I fully admit that it snuck up on me a little bit this year (isn't it usually later?). Anyway, I took care of my gifting needs yesterday—get excited mom!—but these floral fabric brooches from Jo of Ruby-Jo seem like they would make a perfect gift for any mom. I particularly love the range of fabric that she uses and that each one is it's own little sweet self.

According to Jo, "each piece is made with a little love and a whole lot of care and attention to detail" which I think you can see in the final result.

Jo also makes pillows and bags, so keep an eye on her etsy shop for updates!

Weekend Highlights: Making a Home

We've officially been living in our house for a week, which is a little hard to believe—it feels like this place where we live, the way in which we live, is completely normal and for lack of a better term, ours. To give you a sense of what we've been up to—and why I have been simply staring at pretty fabric rather than doing anything with it—here's some of what we've been up to around the house.


Moved in
Prepped, primed and painted the living room, dining room and kitchen (which I just finished yesterday and am happy to report that the hours and careful maneuvering required resulted in the prettiest shade of pale yellow)
Unpacked
Broke down more boxes than I can count
Washed the baseboards, some of the windowsills (I'm pacing myself with those), the floors (some more than once already)
Ate approximately 10 meals on the screened in porch, where I can sit and stare, or read depending on my mood, for hours.
Jiggled my fridge on more than one ocassion to make it stop rattling (so far, so good)
Learned that I have to deal with my small poorly designed sink because of the size of my otherwise lovely 1940s kitchen cabinets
Bought lumber for 2 raised beds, made said beds and filled them with soil
Bought tomato and pepper seedlings for beds from the farmers market and bought some heirloom lettuce, melon and herb seeds to plant (that will go with the beets, beans, and squash seeds leftover from last year)
Made ice cream for the first time (butter pecan, using the recipe from the Cuisinart booklet that came with the maker. So good and so easy!)

I'd bet that all of you know the particular fatigue that comes with moving house—there have been a handful of nights of getting into bed before dark—but I've already decided that even though I have one more door to paint, even though I really need to touch up the woodwork and  start learning about the plants in our yard, I'm going to sew next weekend. It's officially time to start a new quilting project.