Summer Sewing

Hope you don't mind a little mindless conversation. Most of my blog posts lately have been for blog tours and promotions which is fun, but this post is just me rambling. :)

Summer is almost over. I still have a ton of things on my "want to do before summer ends" list.

1. Go to Farmers' Market for corn and tomatoes.
2. Go to the beach.
3. Go on a bike ride.

I have gone to the pool as much as possible. Went to the Summer Market. Went to an Indians game. Went to Soak City. Discovered yummy ice cream cones in the frozen section at Aldi.

And spent a lot of time sewing. In the air conditioning. Because it has been hot and humid. Like summer should be. It's nice not being on a school schedule as I can stretch summer all through the month of September, which is the BEST month in northeast Ohio.

I've joined a swap and a block exchange. Because I needed to remember how FUN sewing is and the connections that can be made from it. The quilting community on Instagram has so many amazing quilters who are so generous of their time. Organizing a swap is no small task!

I am super excited about the Dwell Swap. I made 20 identical houses over the summer (well, mostly during the Summer Olympics) and these are the full size houses. So that I will have an actual quilt when I receive all the blocks and stitch them together. I am already looking forward to finsihing this fun project. The blocks are due on 8/31 and I finished AHEAD of time!! Me, the queen of procrastination finished a whole week early!!! All of the swappers are sewing with Bonnie and Camille fabrics, and as I was stitching my polka dot Ohio Stars and aqua quirky houses, I realized how much I love Bonnie and Camille fabrics. Ruby is the fabric that started my love of quilting and their fabric never fails to inspire me. I think Little Ruby was perfect for this project!

I also joined a block exchange. Again all the blocks are made with Bonnie and Camille, and this is so fun and just for me! These are spring star blocks for my first exchange and I am officially addicted to making 12" blocks. Some successfully and

others not so much. I need to remember to read ALL the directions. Cutting with a dull rotary blade is another NO NO!! I didn't realize how much a dull blade can throw off the accuracy of your pieces!! Wow!! Making these blocks makes me remember why I love patchwork. For me it's all about color!!
I love this great granny block and want to make an entire quilt from these blocks. This one has at least one square from Bonnie and Camille fabrics starting with Bliss and ending with Little Ruby. Can't wait for Handmade to arrive!! These blocks will end up in one of my quilts. Not perfect enough to send to someone, but still lovely enough to use.

I love summer, but have to admit that I look forward to pumpkin spice everything. This is probably the 4th or 5th time that I've made this pumpkin block from Vintage Farmgirl. I am always amazed at how much orange I have in my scrap bins!! I'm still hopelessly head over heels with stitch 22.

If you've gotten this far, thank for stopping by and hope you're still enjoying the last bits of summer!!

Learning Curve

I remember the very first time I saw this amazing pincushion. It was just over two years ago and I had just started my quilting adventure. I remember wishing that I could make something that lovely. It looked so complicated and difficult. Something that I could never possibly make. I forgot about that pincushion until this afternoon, while I was working on an Etsy order for a little half Dresden pincushion that I make for my shop. I am always looking for a new challenge and that pincushion popped into my head. I started cutting more little Dresden blades and then went back and found Mary's wonderful tutorial. I don't have the patience to do the amazing hand work that Mary does, but I love my finished pincushion. It's actually too cute to stick pins into, so it is going to live on a shelf in our TV room.

Most of the past few weeks have been spent working both at my "big girl" job and on a custom order using Country Girls.

We also celebrated a birthday and are anxiously waiting for Spring to arrive. Can I just say how much I love turning the clocks ahead???? It is pretty close to being my favorite day of the year. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Winter Sewing

Hi! Are you all ready to break up with winter yet?? 

Before I get going with this post, I wanted to thank you for all of your sweet comments on my last post, and to clarify my closing question. After reading your comments, it occurred to me that you thought I was asking you to tell me which of MY projects was your favorite, which sounds super conceited. Which I hope I'm not. What I was trying to ask was what is your favorite thing that YOU have made.  My writing skills need some help. Hope you'll share :)

So, I am so over winter. Cabin fever has set in and I have been trying to organize my sewing room. Which is actually kind of fun. Cute stacks of colorful fabrics.

Decorating this happy little cottage that my daughter found at the thrift shop. She painted it white, and I am having fun looking for cute little treasures to add to the shelves.

Pinning WIP to my wall. I have been so inspired by all the color, and have been starting lots of new projects.

An alphabet quilt. Have you been following the quilt along over at Moda? It's Spell It with Moda, and it has my name written all over it. Letters and quilting?? Count me in.

A teeny tiny great granny square. Lots more of these coming up....along with a give away coming very soon!

I've also been working on my Quilty Fun quilt. I am so happy with how this is coming along. Making one block a week has been so much fun, and so easy to keep up with. Only four more weeks to go.

I've also been working on my custom order using Country Girls. Love making prairie points. Especially pink, red and aqua ones!

Happy Weekend!!!

Hello from the Sewing Room

Hello! Here's where I've been spending lots of time while it looks like this outside...

 

This is what the Polar Vortex looks like. Lots of snow and really cold. But that's fine with me. I just surround myself with lots of color.

The start of something cute...a pillow? A table topper? Not sure yet.

I've been having a blast with Lori Holt's Quilty Fun Sew Along aka as the school of quilting. I kid you not, my quilting has improved by leaps and bounds since I started quilting along.

Pincushions. Something new for my shop.

And a mug rug that's a gift for someone special. The cute Susan Branch print in the center was a gift from super sweet Amy.

Mini Swoon blocks. 8" squares of total cuteness!! My first block honestly took me three hours, but I am picking up speed.These have been my "go to" in between sewing orders and working on my Quilty Fun sampler.

Take THAT Polar Vortex!

This Week

This week was the kind of week I really hate to see come to an end. 

Making chocolate dipped Halloween treats and having a fun day with family and friends.

 

Gorgeous blue skies as backdrop to some of the most beautiful foliage I have seen.

 

A road trip to Ikea.  The car packed to the gills, with my grown kids in the backseat, laughing and joking. Looking in the rear view mirror was a glimpse into the past.

 

Fun little fabric finds to add to my stash. 

 

Carving pumpkins while cheering on the Red Sox in the World Series. We love adding cinnamon to the lids. Instant pumpkin pie aroma :)

Happy mail.

I'm hoping to have a chance to follow the Quilty Fun Sew Along and work on some of the blocks from the book this weekend. Can't wait!!

Happy weekend!

Little Bits of Happy

This weekend found me back in the sewing room making cute little things just for the FUN of it!! I've wanted to make one of these mason jar pincushions forever and finally did.  During a little retail therapy I scored some adorable packages of trim (40% off) to go on some spools that have been sitting in a drawer. I decorated them with some cute scrapbook paper and they are now sitting happily on a shelf in my sewing room.

Just in case you think my sewing space is neat and tidy, here is evidence to the contrary. Still makes me pretty happy. It's a CUTE mess ♥♥♥

I also finished my attempt at the Happy Hexagon Trivet in Patchwork Please. I am sure my childhood report cards read "does not follow directions" because I didn't read the part about enlarging the pattern. But it's a cute mug rug, don't ya think????

Another little bit of happy......it's time to break out the Halloween jewelery!!! The cute bracelet was made for me a few years ago by sweet Trish at Notes of Sincerity and the necklace is a birthday gift from my daughter Becky.  I love black and orange, which also happen to be the school colors of our local high school! :)

I Learned Something New!!

 

YAY!!! I finally figured out how to use photos from my phone on the blog!!! I think you all know how much I love Instagram, and I usually post at least one photo a day there. I don't think I have used my "big" camera in months. But I have missed blogging and am super excited that I can use all of the photos I take each day here too! Here's a little update of what I've been up to since I last posted.

 

We have been painting and painting and painting. Lots of dark walls are becoming a pretty, creamy white. My sweet Dad has been so awesome in painting the vaulted parts of the dining/living room and my sewing room. Did I ever tell you I am afraid of heights?? Well I am and can climb no higher than the second rung of the ladder....

  

Here's the dining room after. Ta-Dah! It is so light and airy, and it glows at night. We are about 3/4 of the way done and should have the entire room finished this week!

 

I have been doing some sewing for my shop and getting a few Fall and Halloween banners listed.  But it is still officially summer, so I've been spending as much time as I can here....

 

This has been my favorite part of the summer. Reading by the pool!! I think I have finished more books this summer than I have in the past few years.  Major Pettigrew was wonderful by the way.  I am going to miss the smell of sunscreen when summer comes to an end.

One of the things I promised myself when I moved was to have fresh flowers as often as possible. This is our TV room and the mix of sunflowers and red gingham makes me HAPPY! Trader Joe's has made fresh flowers really affordable, and I love choosing a new bouquet once a week.  I have a question for you though. The sunflowers get kind of smelly after a few days.....any tips???

A Day In The Sewing Room

Hello!!! Hi!!! How are you????

I've missed being here, but this is where you can find me most of the time

But really you can blame my absence on this

Instagram.  Lazy blogging at it's best!! I just point my camera, take a photo, upload it to Instagram. And it takes about 5 seconds. I love it! I am @happylittlecottage1. Let me know if you are on Instagram too! It is so fun to follow other creative people!! Did you notice the cute Pam Kitty Love fabric???? YUM!

This is what I have been sewing the past few days. Little Red Riding Hood. Tasha Noel designs some of THE cutest prints on the planet! Mushrooms, that darn wolf, the little house, aqua and red..... ♥♥♥

Gosh I love making dresden plates.  This became a pillow, but I didn't get a photo because I had to get it packed and shipped. Just before I came downstairs to write this post, I finished a half dresden pincushion for another order.  Love Love Love making those teeny blades!

Wish I had more to talk about, but right now it is all about sewing orders and instagramming :)

Catching Up

This weekend finds me catching up with Etsy orders, and catching up with all of you here on the blog.

My just for fun sewing has been a cute little log cabin pincushion

and working on my scrappy trip around the world quilt (the top is finished!!)

I have been making dozens of bunting banners and several quilts for my shop. Thanks so much to all of you who have supported my little shop ♥

I went on a road trip to Ikea for my daughter's birthday and basically celebrated her birthday all week long!!

I also have a new addiction called Instagram. I recently upgraded my phone and have been able use the Instagram app!!! If you want to catch up with me there, I have posted a link over on my sidebar.

The mailman just left a package from Amazon which contains Helen Philipps' Patchwork book, so I am going to go make a cup of coffee, grab a fresh from the oven oatmeal raisin cookie and decide what to make first!!!!