Party Day!

 

Wednesday is Party Day here at The Little Shop of Stitches!  Keren over at Free Pretty Things for You is hosting.  (Thanks, Keren!)  So many pretties, too little time.  :)

Featured!

After participating in last week's linky party hosted by Karen at Surviving the Etsy Madness, The Little Shop of Stitches is the FEATURED shop this week!  How exciting!!  Karen has taken it upon herself to give back to the Etsy community through her blog.  I, for one, am VERY glad she does!  :)

Karen and her husband have an Etsy shop of their own.  Native & Pilgrim offers beautiful, handmade tatting as well as Native American wares.  Check them out and tell 'em Jenn sent ya!

I think my favorite part of this whole experience is the photo from The Little Shop of Stitches that Karen chose to feature on her blog.  It's one of my faves, too!  Head on over the Surviving the Etsy Madness and check it out for yourself.  

Happy Stitching!

Fear Not, Fellow Stitchers!

Ever been frozen with fear when it comes to picking out coordinating fabrics?  Do you have a small project to tackle that doesn't need yards and yards of cotton?   Do ya just need...a little something?

Announcing...Fabric Sample Collections from The Little Shop of Stitches!

We've taken the guess work out of matching colors and prints.  These are sample sized fabric swatches -- big enough to work with, but small enough to take out the intimidation factor. 

Each collection contains 3-9 pieces of fabric, guaranteed to match!

These are great for building up your stash or making any number of small projects – 

• Patchwork pillows, 
• Miniature quilts, 
• Loveys for your little ones, 
• Wall hangings,
• Table toppers, 
• Christmas stockings, 
• Ornaments, 
• Coaster sets, 
• and much more! 

Head on over to our Etsy shop to check out the new Fabric Sample Collections! 

Happy Stitching! 

Surviving the Etsy Madness: Etsy Wednesday Linky Party

Surviving the Etsy Madness: Etsy Wednesday

Found myself a Linky Party!  A big hug to Karen from Surviving the Etsy Madness for setting this up!   If you click on the link above, you'll be directed to her party and blog where you will find other Etsians featuring their wares.   Lovely!  Can you find me in the list of thumbnails?  Can ya, can ya?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

A wise woman once said...

"Ask not what your fabric can do for you, but what you can do for your fabric."

Not sure who that was.  A born leader, to be sure.

Happy Stitching!

Quilt Geekery

I'm a geek!  And, proud of it!

It's easier to say that than to admit I am OCD.  :-)

If you read some of my earliest posts, you know that I am a former teacher.  Teachers love crayons.  We just do.  And, I have to admit that as a student myself, one of my favorite things to do with a brand-spanking new box of Crayolas was to take them all out and rearrange them.  And then, I'd do it again!

My brain was happy when the colors all went together.  My neurons were peaceful when the pretty points lived harmoniously in the box.  OCD?  Maybe.  Geeky?  Probably.

So, now that I've traded my crayons for cotton, I find myself doing what?  The exact same thing!  Observe...

It makes me happy!  Is that so wrong?

I am putting my geekery to good use.  New fabric bundles are being added to my Etsy shop.  You can share in my bliss!

And they succeeded

Can't help but feel reflective today.

Each and every one of us can have a flashback of 9-11 in a millisecond.  I was headed to work at the university's preschool.  Not yet being a parent myself, I watched helplessly as mothers and fathers rushed in to carry their babies home.  The terror in their eyes surpassed that in mine.

For some, that day brought memories of Pearl Harbor, JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lennon.  For all, that day came fresh on the heels of wounds not even begun to mend...from Columbine...from Oklahoma City.

The terrorists announced they wanted to change the face of America.

And they succeeded.

Ten years later, we are prouder than we have been in decades to stand shoulder to shoulder, neighbor to neighbor, and say, "Yes, we are Americans."

Ten years later, there are displays of Red, White, and Blue that are not merely seasonal decoration, they are permanent markings of patriotism.

Ten years later, we hold in our hearts a collective strength that continues to pray for peace.

Ten years later...

Today, I sat at the kitchen table with my 6 year old son.  Together, we made part of a meal that will be delivered tomorrow to our local fire station.  A thank you from his cub scout pack to the men and women he knows as "heroes." 

He knows little to nothing of 9-11.  But, it is in his eyes that I see the pride, the patriotism, the hope for peace.

Make your own sunshine!

It is beyond dreary here in the Ohio valley.  The remnants of tropical storm Lee has left us with only one color -- GRAY!  Did I mention that I HATE GRAY?!!

So, what to do about it?  

I found a FREE Amy Butler pattern that I will share with you here:

http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/Bloom_Quilt.pdf

It is full of color, color, COLOR!  You'll find eight different Amy Butler fabrics in my Etsy shop from her Soul Blossom collection.  Blues and pinks...

Oranges and aquas...

Sage and yet more pink...

Greens and calming cobalt.  Gray, gray, go away!  I'm going to make my own sunshine!

Happy stitching!

My most important sewing project

Look at that handsome fella, would ya?  

While I have a quilt project (or two or three) to work on, an embroidery project that I just started, and numerous holiday projects that I SHOULD get busy with, this good-lookin' Tiger Scout took top priority.

What I learned is that sewing patches onto a uniform is not fun.  No, it is not!  Don't let anyone tell you differently.

But, as the Mommy, I did my duty.  He was so proud to wear it to his den meeting.  And, no one but me noticed the chocolate schmeared around his mouth.  (Insert sigh.)

Suppose anyone would notice if I cheated and used Liquid Stitch next time?  Hmmm....

Welcome Riley and Michael!

If you are a true quilter, you already know what the title of this post means.

Admit it, we are all fabric junkies.  You may not say it out loud, but deep down, there is a place that tells you, "I've just gotta have it!"

That's what happened to me.

And that is exactly the reason that The Little Shop of Stitches is proud to welcome Riley Blake and Michael Miller fabrics to our little family.  

Every twelve step program has a first step.  ;-)

Happy stitching!

Rolling on the floor!

This one makes me laugh out loud each time I see it!  These chickens are getting busy in the kitchen!  They are wearing aprons for God's sake!  And you know these girls don't take any sassing in their kitchen!  Ha ha ha ha!!  My side hurts...

Makes me wonder what they're making...   ;-)  Leave a comment and take a guess!