The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

friendshugs and merry wishesyumminess sharednapsspicy apple cake savored in the dim candlelightcandles glowing, crackling, and dancingthe story where it all begansongs of rejoicingsmiles and laughter from loved ones millions of miles away brought to us through the wonders of modern technologythe joyful anticipation of discovering new things packed in bright paperdinner by candlelight with my two favorite "boys"nice wine in a nice glassmelodic tunes bringing back those special childhood memoriessnuggly pajamassnuggle time with the little guysnuggle time with the big guysurprisesdeep sleeptaking it slowfive star breakfastlazy dayfamily ahhhh... Christm...

Read More

Something Missing

So have you noticed that something has been missing here these days? Perhaps a little red and green? I've been following what's going on in "Blogville" these days, pretty Advent calendars, sparkling Christmas decorations, tasty baked treats, and fun and creative projects for the "most wonderful time of the year"... and then I stop and think about my last five posts. Tja, and thinking about it, one would probably never even notice a color or season change. Putting aside the fact that I have been a rollercoaster ride of being "under the weather" for the last months, there is a part of me inwardly that has said enough is enough. The past several years for me have been a gradual, but significant...

Read More

Scrap Love Links

So, I thought I would wrap up my fabric scrap theme with a few "put your scraps to good use" links. If you don't have the patience to sew a million little quilting squares together, perhaps you could find a little inspiration here:1. Gathered Clutches, are the perfect gift giving idea 2. Whimsical Key Chains from Living with Punks would be great as a gift tag to add an extra something special to simple gift wrapping.3. Turn those fabric scraps into a decorative accent to perk up any corner in your home with trendy garland. 4. "A little birdie told me"... as found from the inspirational magazine Molly Makes.5. Paper bags using fabric scraps as a cute closure, just right to fill with special treats...

Read More

Great Minds Think Alike

... or at least that's what I've heard. So, this week we had a knock on the door from Mr. Postman, and guess what he had for me? A sweet little package from Juliette with a few handmade Craft It Forward gifts inside. And let me just say that it is super fitting, since I've been rambling on about it for days, that one of her gifts was made using fabric scraps. Aren't these "thank you" cards great?I love it when there is that extra added detail to things. I'm really loving the hot pink flower stamp that she used on the back of the cards. I'll share what else she sent me later... good things come to those who wait, right? Gee, I wonder how she knew that I'm a huge fan of Heather Bailey...

Read More

Bookworm

I'm still sorting through and having lots of fun with fabric scraps these days, not to mention that I had to try to find some creative outlet while my sewing machine was being repaired. My husband was actually laughing at poor, little ol' me, who was almost pacing the floor not quite knowing what to do without it. I'm super glad that the repairs did not take too long and I was able to put the finishing touches on these sweet little bookmarks. Several years ago my parents got me a Cuttlebug embossing and die cutting machine for Christmas (link für Deutschland), and I have to say that I have really put it to good use since then. There are all kinds of cutting and embossing patterns from simple...

Read More

Craft It Forward Countdown

Just in case you have forgotten about this, let me just send out a quick little reminder, and hope that you will pass it along too. It seems as though I often tend to be quite revealing about myself, including many of my bad habits and shortcomings... so what's one more thing to admit? Here it is... I'm a procrastinator. Yep, and I am very aware of this tendency about myself. Somehow, it's like I need the pressure of a deadline to get me going. At university, I always waited until the last minute to finish most of my assignments, and I have to say that some of my best writing was always done right before a due date.So I knew when I "signed my name on the dotted line" for Craft it Forward,...

Read More

Just to Say "Thank You"

So how is it with you... do you find that when you get on a "kick" that it's hard to get off? Sometimes for me when inspiration hits, it often comes from the same place and I have to work an idea completely through until I've gotten it out of my system. As you might have noticed from my last two posts, I've been working a lot with fabric scraps these days. Recently while wasting a little bit of time on Pinterest, I found a sweet little project combining paper and fabric that inspired me for my latest "I should be doing something else instead" project.

I don't know about you, but when I buy something online and it shows up in a pretty packaging, or with that special added touch, it makes me feel like I'm not just another random person whose only purpose is to make the company's bank account a little fatter... but that my business might actually be appreciated.

I've been adding little "thank you" cards to orders that I send out for quite a while now, but I've had a lot of fun working on this non-sewing way to say "danke"... just my little extra to make an order feel less like an order and more like a present.

What, did you really think that I could put the Anna Maria LouLouThi fabrics down for long? I have to say that this one is my favorite... somehow the fun color combination and the intrigue of seeing just a small little snippet of this fabric makes this one for me kinda special.

What do you do with your fabric scraps? Do you like to combine fabric with other mediums?

Read More

Scrap Sampler

Some time ago I stumbled onto this on Pinterest and briefly shared it when I was on my "button kick". But I think it's such a fantastic project for some of those fabric scraps that you might have lying around that I wanted to share it again. Here are two downloadable "sewing notion displays" from Design Sponge, just right for showcasing your favorite fabric collections. I still have to say that Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party is still one of my all time favorites.Also from the fabric and scrapbooking paper designers, Basic Grey, offer a bit more elaborate variations of these fabric sampler boards on canvas found here... oh, the possibliti...

Read More

Bits & Pieces

I just love it when I get a chance to use up some of the fabrics scraps that end up on the cutting floor, don't you? Since I've not really gotten into making quilts (yet), I find it hard to throw those little pieces of treasured fabric away... but quite frankly, sometimes I'm totally overwhelmed with them not quite knowing what do with them either. I had a tip that was passed on from Susanne recently of what she does with some of her fabric scraps (seriously, I would love to give you her link, but her blog is still in the process) I have always loved covered buttons, and really like some recent projects I've seen with them being made into jewelry, push pins, magnets, and even gift wrap...

Read More

Where the Heart Leads

Five years ago today, I got on a plane and left everyone and everything I've ever known... leaving behind my family, my friends, my house, my job, my way of life, my language, my culture, and yes, even simplicity. All for love. Of course it might make the story a little more readable, leaving one with that sense of an inner sigh, if I were to fluff it up by saying that "Prince Charming" and I lived happily ever after. But aren't such things exactly the kind of things that make up a fairytale?Moving to another land, another culture might be much more complicated than meets the eye. On the surface, there are so many times that I think that there are really not that many differences between...

Read More

Christmas, Apples, & Introductions

Have you already started working on any Christmas presents for this year? I'm proud to say that I've started, and have plans for lots more. Oh, I would so love to say that this Christmas will be a total handmade holiday for me... well, perhaps with the exception of my husband and a few other men in the family. (seriously... what can you make someone who is excited about tractors, wine, a good cigar, and grilling?) Aside from the new Lizzy fabrics, the super sweet collection, "Little Apples" from Aneela Hoey, was the other fabric collection that I have been waiting on since last spring to get my hands on. If you think this collection is sweet, wait until you see the new fabrics that she introduced...

Read More

Secret Garden

You know what they say... "when it rains, it pours", and that is exactly how fabric deliveries have been around here these days. Actually, I had originally planned that the fabric collections that I had ordered from Spring Market would be delievered one month after the other, but somehow a couple were early, a couple were late, and now it seems as if everything has landed at the same time, which leaves me only one thing to do... another introduction. (but I'm sure you don't mind, do you?)Sandi Henderson has been in the fabric design scene for quite some time now, creating lovely, sweet fabrics that are pefect not only for quilting, but epecially for children's clothing and other kids projects....

Read More

Lizzy House is in the House!

Out of all the fabric collections that were introduced this year at Spring Quilt Market, this is the one that I have been waiting for... the one that made me sit up and go, wow! I've followed Lizzy House's work for quite some time now, and am super excited to get a hold of a few of her new fabrics from her most recent collection, "Outfoxed".SourceOutfoxed is a super fun, super colorful, "walk in the woods" on fabric. I love Lizzy's graphic and whimsical characters mixed with natural shapes. Pretty pinks, reds, and blues add a bit of fantasy to trendy foxes and hedgehogs. ... or soft yellows, limes, and deep olives give the collection a completely different look. I love the pop of turquoise-green...

Read More

Stories, Confessions & Being Practical

So I guess the "how" and "why" behind what I've been working on these days perhaps might need a little explanation... including somewhat of a confession. Before you quickly scroll down to see what I've been sewing, let me first warn you that you are not about to view the most "wow" worthy thing I've ever sewn. In fact, I would say that anyone who sews, at one time or another has made something similar. Perhaps, I need to explain a little...As I've shared before, simple things like grocery shopping in Germany is much different than in the U.S. I shamefully admit that prior to living here, my weekly shopping trips included way too many plastic bags that only later found their way into the trash...

Read More

Pretty vs. Practical

When one has the opportunity to live in another culture, it is to be expected that it won't take long to notice all the subtle and the not so subtle differences. It certainly didn't take me five years to figure out that Germans, in general, are very practical. (if you are not included in this generally blanketed statement, please take no offense, as none was intended) This does not mean that Germans do not enjoy beautiful things, quite the contrary. Usually if something is only "pretty" without also being "practical", then it's a sure fire way for a German to overlook it. I do not find such a cultural characteristic to be a negative one, but just a different one.For example: On some visit to...

Read More

Falling Leaves

What's on your "round-to-it" list?... I found this pattern a while back on Martha Stewart and have been wanting to make these great oak leaf bowls for fall decorations. Even though felt is not my usual medium of choice, I've got a couple of wool fabrics that would be beautiful for these. You can download the pattern here and there's even a really great video to go with it. I've not managed to get any fall decorations out... and you?Also on my list are to get a few more "Craft it Forward" gifts out... I guess there's not too much time left in 2011. (there's nothing like a little pressure, righ...

Read More