The Mint Needle

Somewhere in between projects, I came across this gorgeous pattern from Hawthorne Threads Newsletter (May 28th) and immediately had to give it a try! This is why you need to subscribe to their newsletter... ideas, ideas, ideas!   The Bohemian Quilt, designed by Sarah Laws for Cotton & Steel is amazing! I love the pattern and how it all flows together. I used Leah Duncan's gorgeous prints from Art Gallery Fabrics. Oh ~ if I could just keep them on bolts I would!!  I can't wait to hang this beautiful wall piece. If you're looking for a fun, quick quilt project that promises a very sweet outcome, you need to give this a try. You don't need a ton of fabric; mostly quarter yard and half yards. Here's the link on where you can get this pattern! Thanks to Sarah Laws for creating it and sharing it for free!  On another note.... I still haven't forgotten about the strip quilts I'd like to post along with random quilt blocks I've b...

There's nothing about sewing in today's post! Instead, I decided to bring the outdoors in thanks to my girls! What do you do when you have two little girls who love to play 'Spa' and you're just not interested in buying products whose ingredients list contains words you can't pronounce? You make your own! There are ton of ways to make rose salt scrubs, sugar scrubs, or even honey scrubs.  But I have to say, I love mine the best & here's why. For starters, I only use tea roses that are home grown with no fertilizers. Yup. These are the same roses I used to make rose syrup. You can find that recipe here.   So if it's okay to go inside your body, it's definitely okay on your skin! And second, I add yummy items like essential oils, coconut butter, & honey.  They're things that make a good smell even better! For Rose Salt Scrub #1, you'll need: ~2 cups rose petals (preferably a tea rose) ~2 cups Epsom ...

As I'm looking at the scattered fabric squares and triangles on the playroom floor, I can't help but noticed that teddy bears and stuffed animals are decorating the base boards of the room. I attempt to make a fast clean up, quickly noticing all the bins are maxed out. So instead of instigating an impromptu clean up with the girls... this crafty mom finds the positive and starts another project. Yup, that's what happens to those of us who like to create. Sometimes I think I'm the only person that can see a mess and even that will spark a new idea!  Fabric bins are great for so many reasons. They're washable, great for matching decor, you can use them from the closet to toys.... etc. etc. etc. You get the picture. Right? BUT.... I could never seem to find the perfect size. I really wasn't in the mood for running to the store to find a pattern and online sites... well....the fabric buckets are just to small. So, first I decided square bottom or circula...

Begonia love. That red goes perfect with the new Mesa quilt top! I think I have a really big problem. It involves fabric hoarding, some cutting tools, & pinterest. Seriously. I finally finished piecing together my quilt top from the lovely Cotton + Steel Collection Mesa by Alexia Abegg. Oh, how I love it! There's just something about the moment you take your project outside and watch the wind carry it a bit. It's like your watching your work come to life. The colors are so vibrant, so potent, that these pictures just don't do justice. Each flying geese is 4 x 8 inches, making the quilt a total size (so far) of 65 by 69 inches. "So far" because I'm still debating on leaving it like so or adding a mini geese border with the fabric leftovers. Could you believe all I used was one fat quarter bundle?  So what am I working on next? Oh, ya know, nothing like starting multiple projects at once. I've already got blocks cut up f...

  Hello everyone!!! So at the beginning of the year, I did a little post on where I find the best fabric deals. Some involved Etsy shops and others, established online sites that gets thousands of hits a day. Today, I wanted to upcycle that post into my current shopping sites. Why, you ask? For starters, one of those awesome Etsy stores closed their doors to pursue a dream in making essential oils and spa items... Ugh!  And second, I buy ALOT of fabric and sometimes, it's just nice to share where you get it at the best price. Having said that, this is how I've been able to develop a great stash over a short period of time.   ~ The New List! ~ pink castle fabrics ~ Such a  pretty site that has awwwesome monthly clubs!  Be prepared for a really organized shopping trip with a bit of retro flare. I love cotton & steal fabrics and this is a great place to check out that line! And that's not all. Shop for the coolest selection of apparel fabrics. Sooo...

Ooh how I've missed my sewing machines!! We've been so busy outside that yesterday, I made it a point to take some me time & 'disappear' upstairs to the sewing room. And guess what, I was able to finish a couple of aprons, one of which is pictured below. And, I even made a pillow case with some scraps I had lying around. Talk about some much needed sewing time! The sweetest thing was hearing my younger daughter say, "Mama, why would anyone want to wear your aprons?" In shock, I replied, "What do you mean?" (Please elaborate....) "Ya know, they're just too pretty. Who would want to get mustard all over those polka dots and flowers?" As for the pillow case..... Well, between leftovers from Pat Bravo's Blog Tour plus birchen quilt scraps, I came up with this little piece. Not exactly perfect ~ but I love it! I have a couple more ideas brewing, of course they involve more triangles.  I'm telling you, I...

Ohh fabric designers.... just slow down a bit so I could save some money in my pocket. Seriously. I have a humongous list of fabrics I want to work with and little by little, yes, I'm plucking away at the wishlist. I feel like it's the 'phase'. You know what i'm talking about. Sometimes you go to the stores and everything you see you could picture yourself wearing and sometimes, you shop and feel like you wouldn't wear a thing in sight. Well... i'm currently going through the phase of 'oh my, I neeeeed this....' To reiterate.. have you checked out the stunning collection Coyote by Hawthorne Threads?? Yowza! It's beautiful! I want to make a quilt with that gorgeous "wolf" back panel, some curtains, & some aprons for the shop! (That's just one example of a collection i'm currently crushing on.) The other one I'm luvin' is the collection Mesa by Alexia Abegg, of Cotton & Steel fabric. As soon as it came out, all ...