Lite Read Giveaway

As summer is coming to a close, so is the summer reading season.  I enjoy having a "Lite" read to kill a few summer moments at the pool, on the deck, or in my gazebo.  Along with my many crafting books, I love fiction books in a series and I perpetually have quite a stack on my "to-read" shelf.  I need to catch up on my Elm Creek collection, I have one more to read in the Shenandoah series by Emily Richards, and I'm looking to start reading the Marie Bostwick series.  I also have been working on the Kate Jacobs, and Debbie Macomber knitting series.  I even have some cookbooks that I want to read ~ I like to save them for autumn. 

I haven't had a give away in a while, so I thought I'd pass these little goodies on to some lucky commenter.  These books pictured above are a few of the books that I've enjoyed this summer ~ at least they are ones that I'm willing to give away.  I like to collect books, but I'm usually willing to pass on a paperback after I've read it. 

So if you're interested, leave a comment at the end of this post, tell me what your favorite "Lite" read is, or your favorite author and I'll draw the name of a lucky winner on Sunday, September 5th...and maybe I'll learn of a few more books to add to my "to-read" pile :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words...

Have you visited Sew Picture Perfect yet?  I'm a sponsor of this simply awesome blog because I find it  a great way to start my day.  Jodi features sewing related pictures that she finds from all over the blogesphere, and lists where she found them.  I enjoy just looking at the pictures, so yummy...

found @ Keetersmama's Photostream

 

found @ SunShinesyrie's Photostream

 

found @ Three Kitchen Fairies 

 

People are so creative, and it makes for a peaceful few moments to just look at the great photos without alot of words getting in the way.  Make Sew Picture Perfect part of your morning routine, you'll smile at many of the pictures, and may find some cool new blogs to follow :)

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Handmade Halloween

We're finally feeling a little cooler, less humid weather which can only mean that Halloween is right around the corner.  That means my Trick or Treat Totes are back in my Etsy shop!  These reusable Trick or Treat bags were very popular last year not only because they are "green", but they're just the right size for the little ones to tote around and still roomy enough for lots of goodies :)

In keeping with the handmade theme for the holiday, here are a few of the many amazing indie items that can be found on Etsy:

Cute table runner from Tracy Designs

Great country crow wall hanging from 3 Stitch Creations

Happy pinwheel table topper from QuiltedHearts5

Elegant art quilt from Terry Aske Art Quilts

Cool witch silhouette wall hanging from Cinful Art

Quilted Postcard to mail to a friend from For Quilts Sake

There are so many wonderfully unique and beautiful handmade items ~ think about shopping on Etsy and supporting handmade this holiday season :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

Join Us in the Hive!

Have you heard of Creating the Hive yet?  My friend Mary introduced me to this new online community for the arts, crafts and hobby industry, and I wanted to share it with you.  At The Hive you can connect with others to share your favorite projects or get crafting ideas in all kinds of mediums.  You can read blogs, find local arts & crafts shows and events, and/or promote your own crafting goods or services to a wide audience.  Click here to register your membership and join in on the fun ~ it's free!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn
           

Goodies in the Mail

I got a sweet box in the mail today.  I love these shipments, it feels just like Christmas!  I'm going to be working on a project that I can't show you right now, but it will hopefully be out around the first of the year.  These yummy fabrics are from the American Heritage collection from Benartex Fabrics.  I have been busy lately, just haven't been able to show anything.  Hopefully some of the fruits of my labors can be made public soon!

And these are the other 8 Project Quilting entries for this week along with my little Miss Muffet quilt (second row, third column).  In case you missed it, the inspiration theme is Nursery Rhymes, and all of the projects this time are so creative!  Don't forget to go over to Kim's blog and cast your vote before Sunday afternoon.  This is the last challenge for this season, so leave a comment for a chance at a giveaway!   

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Fear Not Little One

I finished my last Project Quilting piece on time for the challenge this week.  That doesn't sound like a great feat, but I had tons of deadlines to meet in this catch-up week and wasn't sure I'd get to even participate.  The inspiration for this week was Nursery Rhymes.  I made a small collage art quilt using a vintage storybook picture of Little Miss Muffet, and added wool, ribbons, lace, ric rac, buttons and other embellishments to dress it up.  All of it came from scraps and leftover pieces that I held on to from other projects, including the scrap of Printed Treasures fabric that I ran through the printer, so this little piece was quite a practice in re-use! 

I have lots of favorite Nursery Rhymes (My brothers and I always favored the stories and poems that rhymed when my mom read to us ~ so much so that Edition 10 of our antique Jr Editions set completely wore out from use).  I especially liked Nursery Rhymes that had something scary, so right away Little Miss Muffet came to mind.  This vintage storybook picture that I found on a free-to-use vintage clip art blog had the spider in the lower left hand corner, but no spider web, so I inked the web in myself.

 

The whole collage was set on a Spider Web Block background that measures 15" x 15".  I chose soft muted colors in vintage looking fabrics to coordinate with the feel of the antique storybook picture, and with a child's nursery decor in mind.  The piece was quilted with decorative stitching around the edges and on some of the trims, and the overall quilting was to add to the spider web feel.  I named it "Fear Not Little One" because I think that was the general theme of many of the Nursery Rhymes, and this one in particular.  

The voting poll is up now for the Nursery Rhyme challenge.  You can go to Kim's blog here to see the other entries and cast your vote ~ and leave a comment to be included in her giveaway!  This is the last "episode" of this season, and I've throughly enjoyed participating and being challenged to come up with a quilt idea and execute it in just one week.  There's going to be a little break, but Kim says there will be a season two, so be on the look out and think about participating, it's fun and that's what it's all about right :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

And I Didn't Even Use Miracle Grow!

Wow, I haven't posted to my blog since last week when Abby was born!  Time has really gotten away from me this last few weeks.  Well, I'm back home now and getting settled in to the regular swing of life for the moment.  I took some time and went out into the garden today to check things out, and to my surprise my red spikey things (sorry I'm terrible with botanical names) were blooming beautifully in my center pot :)

But along with my flowers, there are some other things that are going great guns.  The Morning Glory's and some super sized grass type thing have taken over.  My little bunny is barely peaking out.  

This wild mess is my tomato plant box.  I have tomatoes everywhere, and the vines are so thick, I can hardly find them all!  This is looking like a lot of work here shortly... for somebody.

And what is going on with my Hen and Chicks?  I've only been gone two weeks, and they are mutating into some strange prehistoric plants.

That super sized grass is everywhere too.  I'm tempted not to pull it up, just to see how large it will actually get!

Hopefully I'll be getting to some sewing soon, but my sewing room has some "weeding" that needs to be done in there too.  From all my comings and goings it's quite a mess right now.  I think tomorrow morning I'll take some time and try to excavate my cutting table :)  Even if it means a lot of work, I am glad to be home!

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

I'm Starting a Granddaughter Collection :)

Free picture collage made with Smilebox

A Yoyo Play Week

I'm continuing my week of Play here at Elsie's house (still no baby as yet).  For the Project Quilting Challenge this week, since I am away from home, I knew that if I participated it would be something I could do by hand...so I decided to make something with fabric yoyos.

The challenge parameters were to make something with black and white, and only one other color.  So after visiting the local Hancock Fabrics to pick up some fabrics and a Clover Large Yoyo Maker, I made a bunch of white with black, and black with white yoyos, and chose a cute lime green for my other color.

I sewed them into flower shapes...

Then I sewed the flowers together.

The only other parameter was that the finished project could not be a square or rectangle, so I made it into a diamond shaped candle mat (that's now available in my Etsy Shop!). 

Don't forget to go and vote for this week's Project Quilting Challenge here at Kim's blog.  The entries are getting more and more artistic every week, I'm in awe! 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

In honor of the release of my Minneapolis Tote Pattern a few weeks ago, and the great reception that it's received...

I've extended the Grand Opening offer of Free Shipping on all Patterns until the end of August!  So hop on over to the Spring Water Designs Website and check out the current available patterns :) 

Enjoy the day!
~ Dawn

Repairing the Past

Take a cool old patchwork quilt like this one...

...and let Rover have at it, and this is what you get.

There were small holes on the back that didn't go all the way through too.

So I was commissioned to do a little first aid.  I added some thin batting, and then patched up the back.  (The quilter of this old quilt had used an old blanket as the batting.) 

Then after patching up the back of the big hole, I added some batting, found similar fabrics (that I pre-washed), and appliqued patches over the front hole.  I added two patches to the front to cover that big hole.  It's important to maintain the integrity of the vintage quilt to make sure any repairs I make don't alter the quilt indefinitely.  (Anything I do could be removed and the the quilt would still be in completely original form.) 

Now she has been reinvigorated, and is all ready to warm a few more generations ~ I love my job :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

Block Number Eleven

Just popping in for a quick post in between play time with Elsie.  I've been doing hand work this week in the evenings.  This is my latest finish for my Baltimore Album Quilt.  This is my 11th block. 

Now back to my real job this week :)

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn

The Princess and Her Castle

 

I've arrived at my daughter and son-in-law's house to stay with Elsie while Abby arrives ~ could be any day now :), and I brought Elsie's castle tent that I made for her bunk bed.  This is the same fabric I used to make the Growth Chart for Project Quilting last week.  (You wouldn't believe the amount of stuffed animails, little quilts and books that she can fit in there)

  

Turns out it fit the bed pretty well.  I was just kind of winging it because I had no bunk beds at home anymore to measure off of.  Elsie's bunk beds were actually Heather and Lisa's growing up ~ Cargo furnature was really a good choice for the kids rooms way back when.  We had separated the beds when the girls got their own rooms, and did away with the ladder and railing, so before Elsie can use the top bunk Grandpa will probably have to build something, unless we can find some somewhere.  

Anyway, the tent is made from the castle panel that you see in the center, and some coordinating yardage that I put on the sides, then I sewed one long purple strip across the top that gets tucked up under the top mattress.  The castle fabric is pretty old, but it was from a collection called Briar Rose designed by Nancy Smith & Lynda Milligan of Possibilities for Avlyn Fabrics. 

I added a window on one side so it wouldn't be too dark inside.  This could be done with tulle netting, but I found this dotted sheer curtain at Target and it made a perfect window to peak out of. 

So now I'm settling in for a week of play with my little princess while we are on baby-watch.  I should be working, but how can I resist this happy little kingdom? 

Enjoy the day!

~ Dawn