A Recipe for Happiness

A new year - a time of inspiration for many. Soon the holidays will be packed back into bags and boxes and the is slate seemingly wiped clean, ready for new ideas and adventures. And, even if you don't make resolutions (like me), the new beginning presents an opportunity for taking stock and setting a course, however loosely.

Several Christmas gifts will help guide some of my quilting adventures in the coming days and months (and undoubtedly years!), not only on the project front but on the skill/technique front as well. Despite having Minnie and Anna Levins in the works, I've been feeling that I need to start yet another hand stitching project and these two books - Patches of Stars by Edyta Sitar and Slow Stitch by Claire Wellesley-Smith - reinforce my desire to enjoy the process and feed my soul with mindful stitching. A recipe for happiness.

I've enjoyed poring over them this past week while I wrestle with my cold - not much energy but lots of time for dreaming. Slow Stitch speaks to me on so many levels. It's inspirational to see what a variety of fibre artists have done and intriguing to think of where the possibilities could take you.

And, I am starting to imagine the fabrics for Patches of Stars (okay, there might have been a little online shopping in that regard too!). A small pile is starting to grow and one of these days I'll take the plunge. I may sew the sashing strips by machine and the blocks by hand, I'm just not sure yet, but I am quite excited to start this one.

Not be be forgotten is my love of baking and there were several wonderful treats for me in that regard too. I'll share more about these in a separate post but it is proof positive that all of my time will not be spent with needle and thread😊.

So happy New Year! Whether you are a detailed list maker or more of a dreamer with a casual idea of where you'll go, may your endeavours be a recipe for happiness too....M

Making Merry With Moda

I could hardly be accused of being on the leading edge of quilting trends - I tend to find projects  a few years after they are a hit, but that's okay; I see quilting as a timeless art so it really doesn't matter when you put your hand to a pattern does it? So, that secret squirrel sewing that I hinted at just before Christmas was a present block from 2017 that I'm making up into pot holders.

It's a Moda Bake Shop freebie if you'd like to give them a try. I'd highly suggest it as they are quick, easy and fun.

They were to be stuffed into stockings on Christmas Day but somehow I didn't take into account all of the other things that had to happen before Christmas Day arrived. Imagine! I decided not to fret about it and didn't get back to them until yesterday. We had another holiday get together last night and they were a perfect little unexpected treat, because you really can't have too many pot holders, can you?

I'm always in a quandary as to the right size for a potholder. I like a fair bit of real estate in mine but was advised in no uncertain terms when I donated some to the Holly Bazaar craft table a few years ago that they were too large to be pot holders - they were trivets. Downsizing was required!!!

There's one more to bind so that will be today's hand work. I've developed a wicked head cold so hopefully this will be the medicine I need to help move it along.

This block finishes at 6" which is just a tad on the small side, but they work. I made a few more with a wider border but they almost look to big beside these. Regardless, I will finish them up and make a few more. And just like that I'll have a start on next year's Holly Bazaar sewing!....M

A Very Merry Christmas To You!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Its been a flurry of activity this week. First there was Christmas Eve celebrations with fondue and cream puffs...

and then Christmas Day, which quickly knocked the stuffing out of one or two...

And a nap with your favourite duck just had to be snuck in amid all of the excitement.

Or maybe two.

Santa was his usual generous self and delivered fabulous quilty treats which I will share in a bit, but today is a PJ day, made for lounging and snacking on leftovers. The most wonderful time of the year!....M

Wrapping It Up

I am notorious for leaving my gift wrapping to the last minute, which is complicated by the fact that, as much as possible, I prefer to wrap gifts rather than use gift bags. It is a decidedly slower process but I love the anticipation as the gifts are opened - it just takes longer than diving into a bag. Well, this year I surprised myself and, as of today, I believe that I am all wrapped up. No one is more surprised than me!

The whole process was made a little more fun because I was able to use gift tags that I had made myself. Linda and Jane are the queens of stamping and about a month ago we got together for a day of stamping/card making. Suffice it to say that they left me in their dust, but I did dip my toes in and came home with a nice little bundle of tags.

I also came home with one of Jane's paper punches so I played around a bit and made up several packets of tags to sell at the Holly Bazaar - they were a great hit. (Yes, each of those little red berries is glued on individually. What can I say? I'm anal.)

I got a lot of use from that single punch, sometimes using the positive...

and sometimes the negative.

Use a different paper and you get a completely different look.

It was nice to be able to add those little personal touches to my gifts this year. Thanks for the tutorial gals!....M

p.s. No stitching is getting done this week given the holiday TO DO list so I'm not certain that my last minute Christmas sewing will amount to anything, but we'll see.