Something About Nothing

I'm thankful for my family and friends and the memory of many wonderful Thanksgiving's spent with them. Hope you have lots of extras.

It is getting to be that time of year where I need to really get my act in gear for Christmas if I truely want to make gifts.  I love sharing the things I make but as the items are gifts for the people who read my blog (well they look at the pictures actually - they rarely read what I write so I could tell all about the projects and not just post pictures ;)), I can't really share anything.  However I do have something to share that may be of interest.  I've run across a couple of blogs with great gift ideas and I thought others might want to check them out to get some great ideas: Chickpea Studio - My friend Juliette is very creative and posts fun projects to her blog. She has a list of tutorials down the side of her blog with fun projects.  She and also writes tutorials for Berninas Sewing Republic. I've made her key wristlets and crocheted baskets. She also has a great tutorial for a fold up, take along crumb catcher to put underneath a high chair....

They've all grown up a bit since these photos. This sleepy birdy became. . . a little princess in blue. And the little princess in yellow wore her big sister's poodle skirt for Halloween last year. . .   And this little superman was always some sort of superhero. . . including the sports legend kind.

Baby it's cold outside! The current theme for my 12x12 group is "Cold" and I suppose today is an appropriate day for my "Cold" quilt to make it's debut because we had our first snowfall.  My yard is covered with about an inch of the beautiful stuff but it won't be there for long since it is warm enough that everything is melting already. I had many ideas go through my head for Cold: cold turkey, cold shoulder, cold feet, snow, ice, icicles, and snowmen to name a few. I sketched out many of these ideas but when it came down to the wire this frosty face was the image I decided to go with. My son says it looks more like an image of warm than cold because of the big puffy coat.  However my thinking was more along the lines of a cold so frigid that even a big puffy coat will not keep you warm. A chill so cold that you don't want to open your eyes for fear of freezing your eyeballs. Perhaps I need to add more frosty bits (glitter perhaps?) al...

Halloween 1979 I'm the one dressed as the Hillbilly. And yes we seem to be the only high schoolers dressed up for Halloween in the entire cafeteria.  That's just the way we rolled. And I'm glad we did! My sistah is going to shoot me for posting this photo but I think it's the only photo I have of her in a Halloween costume.  By the way, I made the clown costume for myself for the previous Halloween and wore it to school too.  I love the pillow we put under the costume to make my sistah look fat because, of course, ALL clowns are fat!  However in this case she looks more preggo than fat.  Ah, good times. 

I work part time at a fun quilt shop: Whimsy Cottage .   Occasionally I work in the store but generally I send out the email newsletters, keep the website up to date (click on the words Whimsy Cottage and you will visit the website) and I also get to make fun samples like the Koala I made last week and this Amy Butler Birdie Sling Purse I finished up today.  Whimsy is unique because Nancy, the owner, loves pure color and it shows in every part of the store.    I have enjoyed being allowed the freedom to explore color while working at Whimsy.  I have amazed myself as I have helped cutomers pick fabrics for their quilts.  I think it is easier to help others pick their fabrics but I am also much more confident with my own color choices.  I have grown as a quilter and an artist over the past few years and I attribute a lot of that growth to my associations with the owner, employees and customers at Whimsy.

New Melly&Me Pattern I made up as a sample for the shop . I just think she is so cute. I love that I get to do these kinds of things!