Why not cloth napkins?

We have a few sets of cloth napkins and tend to only use them when we have company. But why not use them every day? I go through so many paper napkins in one meal it really is wasteful. Generally it isn't because I need so much paper but because they are disposable I just use one after another.

 So I made up a few sets of fabric napkins for our house that we can use every day. Treat ourselves like guests is my thought. And it really doesn't take much to toss them in with other clothes or towels to wash them.

Check out my ETSY Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/mybluedaisy for some of your own.

There are so many options when it comes to fabric. The napkins I made here are with fabric from Jona's shop http://fabritopia.com/ where you can find something great no matter what mood you want to set.

I feel more like we're having a meal together when I bring out the cloth napkins. Not just eating food - which is what we tend to do.

And I like having options - even in my napkins!

Baby B Quilt Finished

I finished Baby B's quilt over the weekend. Now it is washed, dried and ready to mail.

It is so soft and cuddly I'd like to wrap myself up in it.

This quilt is easy to make but clipping the edges for the ragged look takes a lot of time. A few years ago I made a a similar type of quilt with "ruffly" edge. Because the fabric for the ruffly edge is cut on the bias instead of the grain of the fabric it requires larger pieces of fabric to work with than I had on hand this time. So I went with the raggy style and the patchwork blocks.  Next time... probably back to ruffly. Either way I like both quilts and hope Baby A and Baby B will like them too.

Baby A Quilt

I don't often use pastels because I tend to like brighter fabrics, but this Simply Baby fabric is sweet.

Baby A's quilt is ready when she is.

Now on to Baby B which will be similar but different. My mind is thinking of several possibilities but I suppose I won't know what it's going to be until I actually do it.

Simply Baby A and Baby B

   My nephew's wife is expecting twin girls sometime in April. Meanwhile, I'm getting some things together to welcome them when they arrive.

I'll be using some of this Simply Baby fabric that I found at http://www.aquiltersoasis.com/ and some from my stash:

These chicks are my favorite

        

I want the quilts to be similar but different. Not just to remember which blanket belongs to Baby A or Baby B, but because these little girls will be unique individuals and I want to celebrate that from the beginning.


Meanwhile, I can't wait to meet them!

Don't want to show you too much here because it would spoil the surprise -- but I'll put pictures up when the quilts are done. And Babies -- no peeking!

This, that and something else

It has been an interesting week here and I kept busy with a little of this


      (That's Baxter watching me work)



Bedside table before painting

  after paint

    

...and that laundry! 

and a bit of something else

I see my pin cushion has a few threads that still need snipped.

Have you ever heard of emery sand? Me neither. I had no idea that such a thing existed. That is, until I was researching pin cushions (Hey - I got curious) and found out about emery sand. Apparently this is a fine sand that when used in pin cushions cleans and sharpens the pins. 
Unfortunately, mine is filled with white stuffing so my pins will probably be dulled with use. This may become a decorative pin cushion if I get my hands on some emery sand and make more. 

What a Great Day!

I had the best day. I was able to spend time outside doing creative projects....mostly.
I started with this old table purchased in 2001 at an antique shop. It's been my bedside table all this time. Originally we had dark walls and the table looked great. But times have changed and this table needed some updating.
So it went from this 

 To this
                    








In between coats of paint I pulled some weeds. (I know, some of you are up to your knees in snow....)                                                                                                                  

Next, I posted these bags on my etsy shop:

  
  

    

There was also time to go to a women's group, pick Wes up at the airport, walk the dogs and just spend some quiet time with God. What a great day!

A Luci-Bug Original

A few posts back I showed you Luci's first stitching design. Luci is very creative and always ready to learn something new.

After Luci finished the stitching, I added some fabric cutouts and some free-motion quilting. Then the strips of red fabric (her request) and the fabric for the back.

Luci will add the stuffing and close the last seam and then she will have her very own  original creation.







Luci already knows how to make pillows so, other than the free motion quilting, she could have finished this herself. Maybe this summer we'll work on the quilting part!!


Here's the fabric I used on the back.
Great work Luci!

Stuff.... or great memories?

As we move through life we tend to accumulate a lot of stuff. Sometimes it's just junk. But sometimes that "stuff" is packed with memories that are too dear to part with. And when the memories clash with the space available to store them -- we have a problem.

But there are solutions! And they don't involve sorting, organizing, finding storage space and repeating the process every few years.

Memory quilts. 

Here's an example using a favorite shirt from a friend who is a Betty Boop fan. She had drawers of  T-shirts, nightshirts, socks.

 I took one shirt, added some 30s reproduction fabrics and now she has a  memory quilt. Lap size. Or it could be a wall hanging.  

And the rest of the worn out shirts -- bye bye. It's no longer necessary to keep them when you have a great memory quilt like this. 

The FUN Begins with Beautiful Fabric

Amy Butler's LOVE collection

 Turning it into this GREATcombination:   

and THEN

it becomes the GO-TO bag.

Available through my ETSY website or special order -- email me!

Luci-Bug

I've been teaching my nieces to "stitch". By stitch I  mean embroidery or redwork. Remember redwork?  Well redwork doesn't have to be all red! The nieces were excited about learning so I had them draw their own designs on paper first. Then with a water soluable pen we transferred their drawing to fabric. Slowly and deliberately the stitching started. I left Ohio for home while the projects were mid way to completion. Several months later, on a return visit to Ohio, Luci finished her stitching.                                                                                                                                                                      Unfortunately, during the process of her hard work "someone" (Sophie) wrote on her fabric with crayon. Luci was sure this would ruin her work. But she kept on and now that she's finished stitching I will take her creation, add some "patches" to cover the crayon and return her work to her to be turned into a pillow.

Here's Luci's original design and stitching: 

  If you look to the right and just above the bug you can see the remnants of the crayon. And there's a couple of little tears in the fabric. Luci did a great job! I'll add the patches and show you the finished result in a few days!  

It's All Part of the Process

  My goal today was sewing. Finishing a couple of quilt tops to be specific. I figured about how many hours it would take and planned my day accordingly. What I wasn't planning on was how much I would use the seam ripper.

  Good thing I have two... I spent a lot of time using each one. Only had a couple of finger stabs. Not to worry, no blood on the fabric.  

In Process

There are numerous projects in my studio at any given time. This photo is a quilt top from fabric in Amy Butler's LOVE collection. Much more beautiful in person. There are so many wonderful fabric selections and so many things to make. My ideas outlast my time.

Here's another one.

I love the creative process of selecting fabric, arranging it, sewing it together. I often have doubts, as I do about these quilt tops, that I haven't put them together well. I second guess my choices and sometimes put projects aside. But when I see it through to completion -- ahhh. That's what I love.

It's symbolic of life - my life anyway. Can I bear the process to the point of completion? That's my challenge to myself. Select, persevere, complete.

Getting Started

I have so many ideas I sometimes don't know where to start. Does that ever happen to you? I practically paralyze myself with options. So I'm just getting started. And we'll see where this thing goes.

Mybluedaisyblog  is about my sewing creations and thoughts along those lines.

The Grace Journey blog shares the crazy kind of life I've been having lately. And it's where I explore the spiritual journey that keeps life sane. Well, if not sane, then interesting.

Here's some aprons I made for Marcy to use for Christmas gifts. Aren't they cute?