Campbell Soup Diary: May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

When the Cat's Away...

... the mice will?....

a. sew like a mad woman
b. eat bon bons, lounge on the sofa, and watch soaps all day
c. play

If you chose answer a.... you are exactly right!?! Now, don't get me wrong, I can really get into answer c., but I just couldn't sit still with so much free time to sew, now could I?

... one thing marked off the list, and one more thing to add to the stack!

A Few Introductions

So once again I have quite a few long overdue introductions for some really fantastic fabric collections. I've been a fan of Jane Sassaman for quite some time... not only are her fabric designs innovative and unique, but her quilting patterns shed a completely different light on quilting all together. What she can do with these fabrics is amazing!

I've wanted to add some fabrics with touches of black for quite some time now. Not being the biggest fan of black, but opting for color instead, I knew I had to jump when I saw the "Garden Divas" collection.

Alexander Henry is known in the industry for creating unusual, "cutting- edge,
conversational print designs." Their "June Bug" collection is playful and fun and as AH puts it, "The birds and the bees are in full effect here with dramatic black accents of leaves, butterflies and dots." Super sweet, yet elegant and classic.

Also from Alexander Henry, the "In the Kitchen" collection is described as "the era when the kitchen had curtains, mom wore homemade aprons, and everything was made from scratch and filled with love." Bright, cheerful, and interesting designs make this a super collection.

... and now for the newest collection from MoMo, "Just Wing It". Butterflies, trees, and flowers all in one. MoMo's distinct, personal, style is clearly reflected, identifying this collection as her own. Super summer time fabric, playful accents for the home, or sweet dresses for an equally sweet little girl.

To view these and other collections... click here.

Flowers, Houses, and Ribbons!

One thing on my list to do before the show is to work on a display for my ribbons... or I guess I should say that it is on my husband's list. As I mentioned before, it's kind of hard to say if I'm a ribbon or a button girl, but let's just say with these new ribbons from Jessica Jones, now I've officially converted to being a ribbon girl... so super sweet.

You can find them here... what projects do you like to make with ribbons? I would love to see... leave me a link in the comments to show me what you've made.

Adding to the Pile

Another short and sweet preview for the weekend... which there won't be too much sewing going on this weekend since I have two parties to go to. Oh, listen to me, I make it sound like it's a bad thing. I guess every once in a while it's nice to take a break from everything that is piling up around you, right?

So a little shot of some of the new accessories that I've been working on. (I have to say that Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party collection is still one of my all time favorites)

But at least I can say that I managed to work a little bit on a goal of mine, but the problem still remains... so many fabrics, so little time. What are you doing for the weekend... meeting with friends, sewing, working in the garden?

All Stacked Up

So this is my first stack of many that you get to preview of before our big show... let's just say that I was very productive with my time off. I'm not usually so short and sweet, but the next stack is now in the works and waiting.

My newest creations are now lining the buffet cabinent in our hallway... not because I don't have anywhere to put them, but because it gives me a big sense of accomplishment to see everything lined up... do you do the same? Gotta say, it feels good to be getting somewhere!

For the Boys

So my husband decided to take the little guy to Omama and Opapa's for a couple of days so I could work on getting things reading for our big show. He just could not understand why I was so emotional when it came time to leave... but thinking about it, there has not been one day that I have not seen our little man. Sure, I've had day trips and times that others have looked after him so I could run errands, work on projects, or whatever else needed to be done without a small person tugging at my leg, but this is the first time that I've spent the night away from him... or I guess in this case he has spent the night away from me. Small as it may seem, this is my very first step of many to come, in allowing him to become independent, to walk on his own, and find his own path...

Oh, listen to me, he's only one... I have a while before all that, right?!?

Patchwork Meets Poetry

I am always fascinated how two people can take the same fabric and end up with two completely different results. Usually when I see a fabric for the first time, I know immediately what it is going to be. I can see it in my head… what ribbons I might use, or buttons, sometimes I have a piece of fabric that I purchased three years ago that I just know will make it really sing.

As I already shared with you, I am totally excited about the “Weekends” collection from Erin McMorris… so fresh and lovely, and I wanted to share with you what others are doing with this fabulous collection. Two years ago I introduced you to Anja’s wonderful “Poem Pillows”, and wanted to share with you a little bit of “fantastic-ness” that she whipped up… a beautiful and well planned mix of bright and vibrant colors, courageous pattern combinations, and thoughtful poems. Imagine snuggling up in your favorite chair with an exciting novel and that perfect little pillow in just the right spot… ummmm! On the back of the pillows is a band to keep newspaper, tissues, or that book that you just can’t put down.

Ich finde es immer faszinierend, wie zwei verschiede Menschen den selben Stoff nehmen können, und zu zwei total unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen kommen. Wenn ich einen Stoff das erste Mal sehe, weiß ich sofort, was es wird... ich kann es einfach im Kopf fertig sehen. Wie Ihr schon wisst, bin ich sehr begeistert von der Kollektion von Erin McMorris, und ich finde es interessant, mit Euch zu teilen, was andere mit dieser schönen Kollektion gemacht haben. Ich habe schon vor zwei Jahren Anja’s wundervolle „Gedicht-Kissen“ vorgestellt, und wollte noch mal zeigen, was sie aus derselben Kollektion gezaubert hat. Eine Mischung aus prächtigen Farben, mutigen Mustern, und gedruckten Gedichten.

Want to find out more? Just contact Anja at asteinhaus@edition7.de

Summer Collections

It's been a goal of mine for quite some time to create things as a whole collection instead of individual random items here and there, which is quite difficult to do since I have a new favorite fabric just about everyday (are you that fair-weathered too?) Just because it is a goal doesn't mean I always stick to it... because like many creative people, I'm a little ADD, especially when it comes to staying with just ONE collection.

But now is the big push to get everything ready for our big show, and boy is my list full of things to do. This is the time of year that I'm a little absent in blogland... not because I'm not creating anything, oh no, trust me, the sewing machine is humming, but to keep you updated with a sea of photos is easier said then done. So... just to share one of the collections that I've been working with recently...