Felted Wool

I must admit to being enamoured of late with felted wool. This post on The Purl Bee blog is gorgeous and I would dearly love to make one of these! Just look at this! The textures, the colors, swoon......

Sewing & Other Stuff

I've been on a bit of a sewing kick for a while now.

I made two skirts at Easter time for the daughter-of-my heart Mimi Flope who is also Miss B's best friend and has been pictured a time or two in the past history of this blog.

Then I made a dress for Miss B, altering it from the pattern.

Then I used some fabric I had purchased over two years ago and made a gown & robe for myself...but I'm not thrilled with them....the fabric is stiffish with no give.

Then I bought a really great book from Amazon and made a sweet top & diaper-cover for one of my SmallPeoples clients for her birthday.

I have three skirts cut out for Miss B. She chose all the fabrics. Two of them use the same pattern and she & I are going to each sew one at the same time in order for her to begin sewing clothes. She's been doing bags and pillows on her own for quite a while now.

I have bought 3 cute dress patterns for myself and have been reading a lot of sewing blogs and perusing lots of fabric sites.

Yesterday I ordered this voile fabric pictured at left and can't wait to get it and start sewing the pattern pictured above. I'm planning to make view "c" entirely of this yummy print! I hope to post a picture of it when I've finished.

Miss B. is currently on a missions trip with 14 other teens in her youth group in Staten Island, New York. They are partnering with some missionaries there in a Liberian area. She is having the time of her life!

Charlie is taking her place working with me in her absence. It's been fun having him hang out with me these last few days. He even changed his first diaper (not soiled, of course).

What have you been up to?
Leslie

Pink Saturday/Independence Day

It's Pink Saturday once again. And Happy Birthday America! Be sure to head over to Beverly's blog for links to all the celebrators! http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Two years ago when we were looking for our home, one of the features that stood out to me was the sunroom. It's heated & air-conditioned and is on the north side of the house where there are a lot of trees so it's really always bright & breezy but never suffers from too much intense sunlight. This little chest was given to me by my friend J, she decopauged it and dressed it up. I had the movers put it in this spot in the sunroom and it hasn't moved from here. I store my sewing & craft stuff in it (but not my fabric....it wouldn't begin to hold that!).
Here's a close-up of the vignette on the top. The plate on the left was a birthday gift from J, the little framed saying was from another friend. I found the pink Lefton vases on the right at an antique store a long time ago and I still love them! The same with the little dark pink powder box (I think that what that is). The little campodimonte basket of flowers is a gift I gave my mother when I was in college. Way in the back is an unused vintage bridal shower giftcard that I found in my Mother's things.


And because it's Independence Day too, I thought I'd show you my entryway vignette:


There you have it. Happy Pink Saturday! Celebrate safely!
Love, Leslie

Friday Favorites

I start today with a picture for all you quilt and/or baby lovers. Here's my grandnephew on the first quilt I made. I think he's exactly the finishing touch it needed!
I finally got tired of Charlie looking like a bumblebee (there's no shadow, that's all hair!):
And took him for a haircut. I'm going to have to stay more of top of this when school starts back in the fall!
Finally, I snapped a few pictures of Miss B as she headed out for dress rehearsal for her summer theatre class (she gets 3 credits for this!). The title of the musical is "Back to the 80's". Personally, I think her hair needs to be bigger!

Happy Friday!

Tulip Time

Warning....this slideshow is long on pictures and short on the subjects of the same. I took these about 3 weeks ago when we put down fresh mulch. Since then, the flowers got much more profuse and gorgeous and are now in the throes of death. But the hostas have gotten huge...now Guinivere is barely visible as she peeks over the tops!

My First Quilt

I finally finished my first quilt! It's a lap quilt done on the machine using a Moda Layer Cake called "Miss Jump's Scrap Bag" for the top and a Thumbleberries print for the back and hand-sewn binding. I started it back in October (I think!) and finished it last week. At first I just sewed together the blocks but after seeing how a nine-patch can be re-arranged, I took it apart and stitched it back together in what I think is called the disappearing nine patch pattern. I wish I would have used a Moda coordinate for the backing. The biggest reason that it took so long to complete is that I was scared of putting together the "sandwich" for the first time and of doing the quilting. My dear (and quilting-experienced) friend Connie visited a month ago and showed me how to do both of those and then I was on my way! I have some other decorating/sewing projects to complete first but I already have plans and material for my next quilt!

Friday Favorites

Best Thrifting Purchase

Yesterday I had a wonderful day up in Northwest Indiana.

Along with pampering myself with a visit to House of Bianco for a haircut by Katrina (thank you Dr. Love for agreeing to that!), I also visited with my friends at Pruzin Brothers, had a great lunch at Panera with B & T and then joined C & J to go thrifting.

The hat pictured was at the Salvation Army. I hesitated to pay $3 for it but then decided that since I will wear it and also use it to decorate--although not on this lamp shade, that's just to position it for the pic--I'd get it. I think I'll wear it tonight for "date night."

After we found all the bargains the van could hold, we headed back to C's where she had a crock pot with stuffed pepper soup and the most awesome corn bread I've ever tasted!

A huge Thank You to all of my friends for your time & fellowship yesterday!

It's Spring!

This lily-of-the-valley has traveled around quite a bit. They started out as my grandmother's (whom I never met) and when my Dad sold his home I dug them up and transplanted them. They've survived three moves and also wintered in Wisconsin one year when I lived in an apartment. Next to tulips, these are my favorite flowers.

The previous owners did quite a bit of landscaping. Isn't this gorgeous?!

The birds keep this little area along my back fence line busy all day!

Here is trusty Jacks guarding my front porch.

I really like the snail shape of these begonia leaves!

Guiniviere is the newest additon to my menagerie.

This bleeding heart perennial is another part of my Mother's Day gift.

Next to fall, Spring is my favorite season. I love to see everything come back to life and I enjoy the aromas and sounds. It also reminds me of the hope of eternal life. Isn't God good?!