A Christmas Gift

For Christmas, my oldest daughter gave me a gift card to my favorite fabric store!  Gift cards are so awesome because your mind just goes wild with ideas!   I always try to use them for purchasing something that I would not normally purchase with my hard earned pennies.  Usually something that I want but consider not entirely necessary at present, something that can wait till another day for purchase.  I'm sure you know the feeling!

Anyway, I was storing my ribbon stash in a drawer, and if you know my studio, you know that my space is limited and all space is premium.  Drawer space could be used a little more efficiently, for sure!  So see what I purchased!  Ribbon Storage!

Formerly this space was unused wall space.  Now my ribbon storage is vertical at the back of a plastic storage shelving unit, right alongside my tread, webbing and lace storage! Not to mention, the empty drawer space now ready for items that I use rarely and want to tuck away from view.

Thanks, Jackie! 

current project

This current project is just for me!





















I have shown this project in process and in pieces before in this blog, but finally it is all together--well, I'm just finishing the hand quilting around the edges! It's a wall quilt that is approximately 36 by 36 inches. It will eventually hang over my dark leather couch.







I just love the wheat motif in the center of the piece!







I started it when I was staying at my daughter's house. I had lots of scraps and decided to use them up! Obviously, you never 'use up' all your scraps, but I had always wanted to try crazy quilting. Actually, I do my signature quilt with a crazy block, but it doesn't have any embroidery on it. I really like embroidery and enjoy doing it. I can do a little here and there, between other projects, because it's not like you 'have to finish' this kind of project. With Crazy quilting it is difficult to decide when you are finished! It's all in the eye of the beholder!

Anyway, What inspired me was a book that I bought from my book-of-the-month club on ribbon embroidery. I'm sorry the pictures are not very good or you could see that I tried a different ribbon embroidery technique on each block. I also used beads for accents. And I love that nothing has to be symmetrical in this type of project! Overall, this has been one of my greatest accomplishments to date!

Summer Reading SALE!

Summer is the time for all kids [and adults] to be reading! Teachers remind their students to read during the summer to keep up their reading skills. My granddaughter hasn't been reading enough. It's such a temptation to swim, play computer games, have sleepovers with friends and forget to read a good book. Anyone you know need to have encouragement to read. Boy, have I got the perfect sale for you!

It's my Summer Reading - Buy One Get One FREE SALE. Idea:How about buying a book for a friend, putting it in a paper bag, and tying the top with one of my ribbon book marks! Makes a great gift! Visit my shop to see a selection of book marks and book hooks.

Also, I have another book recommendation. Take a look at the right column, down at the bottom, it has my recommendations.

Elementry Readers!

One of my granddaughters is in the sixth grade and loves to read! (Her mom has been known to stay up nearly all night "finishing" a book--her aunt too!) Anyway, recently I gave Kayleigh and her sister, Taylor, a couple of my handmade ribbon bookmarks. Apparently Kayleigh takes her book with her everywhere and her school friend, Mark, liked the bookmark so much that she asked me for another one for him. I had only one in stock that was not girlish, so she took it for her buddy.

This little story is so inspiring to me, because usually this age kid is not into reading! It's more like constant video games and wii. Now, don't get me wrong, Kayleigh is definitely a "techie" who knows all about computers and games and videos but when a little thing like a bookmark is a "sharable item" with one's elementary friends----that's inspiring to grandma! There are so many good books available for young readers, that it is just too bad when young people spend the bulk of their time with games---that's just a grandmother's opinion!

Check out Kayleigh's book recommendation listed in the 'Books I Recommend' section in the right column.

Ribbons for Bella!

Just recently, my son and his family came to visit. My new granddaughter, Bella Jo, was getting a little fussy while her brother was coloring at the table. The crayon roll he was using, (that I made) had a ribbon tie. Bella got hold of the ribbon and loved it! She fingered it, stuck it in her mouth and sucked on it. She was very vocal when we took it away from her, so I went to my studio and got a piece of green ribbon for her to have. She eventually went to sleep with it! So when she left, I made a cute little toy with ribbons on it. She'll be back this weekend, and I can't wait to give it to her! Creativity Rules!!!

(Click on the crayon roll picture to see more.)