we have a winner!

the magic number was 6.... and so that means that miss Nicole wins the charm!
hooray!
Nicole, you'll have to send me an email with your request and address!
thanks for playing everyone!

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #1

Bee Happy - my month - urban neighborhood #1
Originally uploaded by libertyworth

I styled this square after our first place in a 2 flat in Chicago.

The assignment was to make a home/neighborhood square that would look urban and would reflect a place that the bee members like. I asked them to incorporate a house number that means something to them.

since I live in LA - I didn't want blue skies... smoggy gray herringbone, instead.

I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Now I have to do my other square - which I think will be representative of our current house.

Great gifts

Gifting is a love language. It seems that there are just some people who have a gift for gifting, and those of us who love to give gifts, often seem to attract gift giving friends too. Tori is one of those friends for me, she always finds great gifts to send my way and I delight when I find good ones to send to her.
My Christmas gift this year from Tori was these two adorable notebooks and a glasses case - all made my local artists in her new hometown.
What a treat they were to open.
Thanks, Tori! And thank you, local Starksville, MS artists!

Pinwheel quilt

I also finished this tonight. I hate it. It was supposed to be as bright as it is...a playmat for a baby or toddler. But it got all messed up as I was sewing and the thing will never lie flat, so I think I'm going to quilt with uber fat batting (normally don't like that) and I may be able to save it... Yuck.

Creatively compulsive

The reality of being me is that even when I have things on my creative to do list... 1) this month's bee block for myself 2) some beanbag orders 3) finishing up the big orange quilt and mom and dad's quilt top ... There are some nights where therapeutic sewing has to work it's way onto the to-do list. Tonight I needed it.
So I pulled out an old project... 3 wonky squares without mates and made 3 friends for them... Now I have 6 ... Coordinating in a great and odd color range, using all sorts of weird vintage and castoff fabrics. Now I just need to figure out what to do with them. Hmmmm. Thoughts?

Free scraps- 2 left!

I got sick of using the same scraps to make every scrappy project I make, especially with so many other fun fabrics waiting around to be used...
So a few minutes ago, I tweeted that the first 3 people to get back to me get an envelope of my (most random!) scraps... They're already claimed, but I made up a few more. Email me if you want one of the last 2 I made.

Breakfast with friends

One of our favorite things about weekends is having friends over for breakfast and now our kids had caught the bug. Today's table was "kid" set long before Daddy and I woke up. Then when the food got put out, everything needed their touch, complete with labels. My favorite being the ones for "QUICHE-with a period" and "skons".
Our guests are in for a treat.

English paper piecing

Ever heard of English Paper piecing? I've seen lots of people doing hexagons online, but it wasn't too intriguing to me until I saw that a bee partner if mine did the same with squares. She also mentioned it was a great "keep it in the car" project... As a taxi mom, I'm always driving somewhere to wait for someone... And my fingers love something to do... So... I've got loads ahead of me, but I'm in no rush... Got about 50-60 made so far. And you know me and new uses for scraps!

Wirework Giveaway

Creating things is how I cope with stress. J has been gone on a trip for work the past 2 days, and you all know that I've mentioned foster care can be a teensy bit stressful. (wink)
I am in constant search of things for my hands to do whilst running my day to day circus.
Yesterday I was back to wire nests, crosses, and trying out a few other shapes in wire for pendants.

And then in the spirit of one of New Year's Resolutions I made - to appreciate my old friends more - I decided it's been too long since we had a giveaway here on the blog for my bloggy friends. (you)
So I'm giving you the choice... Nest, cross? Gold/silver?

In exchange... Sign up to follow the blog... Tell someone about the giveaway... And write a comment that is either 1) a way you show love to friends or 2) is a meaningful New Years Resolution that you've made.
Giveaway closes next Tuesday (Jan 18)

Pouches

Once upon a time, we were a bunch of scraps and a few discarded quilt squares. (okay yesterday we were)... But today - today we are pretty, useful, and we have a purpose. And we are also on our way all over the country to beloved recipients.