Abgelenkt

It never seems to fail... every time that I have an upcoming deadline, goal, or major project that I am working on, I find that I am so easily distracted. When I want to work on one thing, then ideas for totally unrelated things keep popping up in my head... and I just have to go with it. How about you? My distraction has not been completely pointless. I've seen tutorials all over the internet for sweet silk rosettes, and I just had to try it. (really so easy!) Just a little something for my hair for an upcoming wedding... and how fitting that it matches perfectly with my dress!

Es ist so leicht, mich ablenken zu lassen... immer wenn ich ein ganz bestimmtes Ziel vor Augen habe, fällt eine neue Idee ein, die überhaupt nichts mit meinem Ziel zu tun hat... und bei Euch? Das Ergebnis ist aber nicht zwecklos. Ich habe im Internet oft Anleitungen für selbstgemachte Seidenrosen gesehen, und wollte es auch mal probieren. Eine kleiner, Haarschmuck für eine Hochzeit... ganz genau passend zu meinem Kleid.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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!

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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?!?

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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

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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...

I love Erin McMorris fabrics... so fresh, fun, and just the right colors for spring and summer, don't you think?

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Slow

I really love slow, don't you? This weekend was an extended weekend spent with my husband's family for Easter. I so much enjoy the slowed pace of things in Germany when it is a holiday. People aren't thinking about much of anything, but simply enjoying the time off. Vacation time in Germany is drastically different than in the States, where vacations and holidays are few and far between. In Germany one is off for Easter Sunday, and then "Easter Monday", which I had never heard of before... not only that, but there's not just one Christmas day, but two! How great is that?!?

So what does a spring holiday look like here?... kids playing outside the whole entire day until they can run no longer, lounging lazily on a spread out picnic blanket, coffee and cake time in the garden in the shade of that perfect tree, time to read when one would normally be too busy to read, and quality chat time with family... and what better way to top it off than my favorite German meal of fresh Niedersächsischer Spargel. Yeah, I'd have to say that it was a great weekend... and you?

Ich liebe Ferienzeit in Deutschland... irgendwie lauft alles ein bisschen langsamer, und man hat das Gefühl, dass nichts anderes so wichtig ist, als eine schöne Zeit mit der Familie zu verbringen. In Amerika haben wir nur einen Ostertag anstatt zwei... genau so zu Weihnachten. Aber natürlich ist es besser mit mehreren Tagen für eine kleine Reise... Kinder spielen den ganzen Tag draußen miteinander, Kaffee und leckeren Kuchen, etwas lesen, wofür man normalerweise keine Zeit hat, ein bisschen mit der Familie quatschen... Tja, es war ein sehr schönes Osterwochenende... und bei Euch?

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Tischdeko

For my husband's "birthday table" I wanted to do something really special. For the table decorations I made a small, simple wreath from birch twigs, added a sprig of forget-me-not's and a delicate white flower, wrapped them in moss, added a petite speckled bird's egg, and perched it atop a cognac glass... and done. It doesn't get any easier than that! Each person had their own personal flower arrangement... sweet, don't you think? What do you do for spring or Easter decoration... fresh flowers? Lots colors or muted and soft?

So, für den Geburtstagstisch für meiner Mann, habe ich gedacht dass es unbedingt schön sein muss. Einen einfachen kleinen Kranz aus Birkenzweigen, Vergissmeinnicht, eine süße Wiesenblume, eingewickelt in Moos, zierliche gesprenkelte Vogeleier, auf einem Congnac-Glas und fertig... einfacher geht es nicht! Jeder hatte seine eigene Tischdeko... süß, nicht? Was macht Ihr für Frühling oder Osterdeko... frische Blumen? Viele Farben oder gedeckt und sanft?
  Did you know that in Germany, even at age 80, the person is still called the "birthday child". Usually a "Geburtstagstisch" (birthday table) is set up and decorated where all the birthday presents are displayed. In my husband's family the birthday child is to stay in their room in the morning until everyone gathers outside their door to sing a birthday song. It is also a tradition that the birthday child has a small "kranz" (wreath) of evergreen, ivy, or other greenery around their place setting... birthdays are really special here and I love that about living in Germany. Do you have any special birthday traditions?

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Köln Hobby & Handarbeit

Speaking of fabrics... this past weekend I traveled to Köln (Cologne) and met Juliette for the annual Hobby & Handarbeit convention where companies within the trade gather to introduce new fabrics, patterns, ribbons, yarns, wools, buttons, zippers, sewing machines, and everything that a crafter could ever dream of. "Oh" and "Ah" are common phrases that one would use for such an event and I left totally inspired by what I saw.

... even though knitting, crocheting, and wool crafts are not usually my medium of choice, these projects inspired me to reconsider adding one more hobby to my list.

... it's hard to say if I'm more of a ribbon girl or a button girl... I think more of a ribbon girl. Who wouldn't be with these beautiful jacquard ribbons?

... no, no, wait, I'm definitely more of a button girl... or at least until I stumble on more fabulous ribbons that cause me to teeter on the verge of fair-weatheredness.

But for me the thing that excited me more than fantastic fabric, colorful wools, beautiful ribbons, or detailed buttons, was meeting someone in person that I really admire. Do you have anyone that you really look up to, hold in high regard, and really inspires you? You've heard me talk endlessly about the brilliantly designed fabrics from Amy Butler... I would probably even consider her the benchmark for quilting fabric designers, but after having met her in person, it became clear to me that there is a reason she is so successful... I guess I believe that a good part of who a person is often shows up in ones work.

It's been rumored by others that have met Amy, that she is authentic, real, and down-to-earth, but as I was chatting with her at the show I found that I could not agree more. What I expected to be quick in and out talk with maybe an autograph, actually turned out to be a lengthy and interesting conversation. I got the feeling that she was truly interested in meeting the people that are a part of the dream that she is living out. She had talked about balance... working really hard at what you do and enjoying it, but taking the time to enjoy "the fruits of your labor". So true... and as Amy said herself, "Beauty is in the way you live. Enjoy your surroundings. Let them inspire you. Follow your own path, and approach everything you do with love in your heart".

In addition, it was really great to hear first hand about a few projects that Amy has in the works... which only leaves me eagerly anticipating the next brilliant thing she puts her hand to. Want to hear more about the show? Check out Juliette's post..

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Moda on the Move

I wanted to introduce two new fabric collections from Moda. I have been waiting patiently to get my hands on both of these. The first collection is from Designer Kate Spain. Kate is relatively new to the fabric designer scene, but not in the graphic design world... and it seems as though Kate is a quite the busy lady. Not only does she design fabrics, but writes a really nice blog and her work can be found on everything from gift wrap to stationary, dishes to kitchen textiles... really fun!

Also designing for Moda fabrics is Sanae, with her fourth fabric collection that leaves lots of room for creativity. Originally from Japan, Sanae finds much of her inspiration from her native country.

So what is inspiring you these days? Pretty flowers, walks in the park, butterflies, and trees, various shades of spring colors?

Both Moda collections can be found here.

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All Measured Up

I remember in grade school first being introduced to the metric system. I thought to myself... why do we have to learn two different ways to measure things? So for tests and quizzes I could rattle off whatever the teacher wanted to know about liter, meter, gram, and so on and then how many milli-somethings, centi-somethings, and kilo-somethings were in each one.

... but as you very well know "use it, or loose it" applies to just about anything. (maybe except riding a bike... does anyone forget that?) So when I first moved to Germany, I had to dust off the corners of my memory where I had stored, what at the time seemed like "useless information". But even as much as I hate to admit it, the metric system really is the way to go. Everything is divisible by 10, no cheat charts needed to tell you how many cups are in a pint, how many ounces in a pound, no need to work with fractions, or rattle off silly measurements like 7/16th of an inch! (crazy as is may seem, I've even seen 32nds of an inch too!)

With all that said, that is why I love bake using German recipes... it's so easy! Zitoronkuchen (lemon cake), a recipe from my mother-in-law, has become one of my favorites... it's even become my "birthday cake"! I just have to pull out my kitchen scale and a bowl... 200 g of this, 200 g of that, 200 g of something else, mix and your done! No dry measuring cups, no wet measuring cups, no converting this or that... just the way baking should be.

But despite the fact that I have "converted" to the metric system in almost everything that I do now... I still use inches to sew! I guess some silly habits are sometimes too hard to break.

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Pinned for Easter

So, a special "thanks" goes out this week to Juliette, who introduced me to the time-consuming ecstacy and joy of Pinterest. As they define themselves on their own website, Pinterest "a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste."... and oh, is there some serious eye candy to distract you from the things that you should be working on instead. Since I seem to be on the subject of Easter these days, I wanted to pass along a few D-I-Y Crafts I found that would brighten up any Easter table, mantle, or other empty corner in your house... wouldn't these be great for gifts too?

1. Simple & Pretty Spoon Egg Holder 2. Flower Arrangements in Eggshells 3. Bird's Nest Cookies 4. Bunny Topiary 5. Fanciful Favor Bags 6. Crepe Paper Carrots 7. Feather Your Nest papier-mâché 8. Osternest aus Spanschachteln

So many ideas... too little time. Happy creating!

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Ostersäckchen

So, I guess I had a few plain flower vases lying around and decided to spruce them up a bit for my Easter table. This is not necessarily a tutorial that is anything "new", but if you've never made a simple bag with a round bottom, this could be helpful.... again, I'll show you how to get started and you take the creativity from there.

Using a double-sided interfacing, cut out the shape that you would like to apply to your bag and iron it in place. For the outer fabric I used a simple heavier weight cotton muslin (ca. 10.5 x 15.5 inches, 26.5 x 39.5 cm). I used both the "Hippity-Hop" and the "Hippity-Hop Friends" patterns. With the "Hippity Hop" pattern, I simply reduced it down and added a few "extras"(like a miniature version of the "Easter Deco" pattern).
Select a lining fabric for your bag and cut two rectangles the same size for the lining fabrics. Fold the fabric in half and stitch along the short edge of the fabric to create a tube. Iron seam open.
Cut a circle (ca. 5 inches, 13 cm in diameter) and fold it in half. Mark the fold line on both ends. Fold circle again so the marks match each other and mark the new fold lines on the circle. (you should have four marks) For the bag (tube), fold in half using the seam as one folded edge and mark on the folded edge. Open the bag, match the marks, fold in half again and mark the folded line on the opposite sides.
Match the markings on the bag to the markings on your circle. Pin the four marked notches first and then pin the rest of the circle in place easing the fabric in as you go. Stitch around the circle.

Once you have stitched all the way around, cut several notches in the fabric towards the seam, being careful not to cut through the seam. This is very important when sewing curves to make sure that the fabric lies correctly without bunching up. Iron seams. Repeat steps for second bag and lining.
To create a band, cut a coordinating fabric in a long strip (ca. 2 x 16.5 inches, 5 x 42 cm) Fold each edge the same distance towards the center and iron. Fold the strip in half again and iron.

Place the finished lining inside the finished bag wrong sides together. Open the band you just made and sandwich bag in between the band to create a finished edge.

Pin in place and continue around the bag until you come to the end. Fold the fabric back so you have a finished edge and pin in place.

Stitch around the top of the band in a coordinating thread and you couldn't have an easier way to decorate a boring vase or make a bottle of wine a special "Easter" present.

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