old quilts new life: business card pouch

old quilts new life: wrapover notebook cover

These little beauties are special...

...these were made to accomodate a mini notebook that you can buy

almost anywhere. When you have filled your yummy fabric journal with

lists, and notes and journaling - just pop it out and add in another!

old quilts new life: colorful art journals

 It seems I can't get enough of these beautiful vintage quilts. I love the

way they look as repurposed covers for a journal. Dyed binding, fabric

flowers, wool leaves and waxed Irish linen thread add charm to each

unique book. There is something very lovely about holding a book that

feels chunky, soft and well loved. See more of these repurposed journals

here.

old quilts new life: quilt block tote bags

There is nothing like repurposing a favorite find. You fall in love over

and over again - each time you  make something wonderful with it...

These sweet little beauties were created using $2 cotton tote bags

from Michael's Craft Store. Quilt blocks, flowers and ties were all cut

from a favorite old quilt. I added a small embellishment to the back and

an inside pocket - also cut from the quilt.

{Be Mine}

{Valentine's Day}, a day of romance, flowers, candy and love ... it is one of my favorite holidays. Not for the candy or the flowers, but for the air of mystery surrounding this special day. There are many different theories to just how this day got its' start, but only St. Valentine knows for sure. What I {love} is the anticipation and secrecy ... a day when we, as adults, can relive the giddiness of a child, waiting and hoping for a certain {note} or treat from a special someone ...

... to receive a special {Valentine} at this time of year is intoxicating. There are so many little delights to be had in these love notes ...

 ... so each year I make my {Valentine's} ... something that speaks of the past, a time when these notes were made with distinct care for their intended recipient ...

... this year I wanted to create a {Valentine} that was representative of a vintage {memory book} ...

... a miniature collection of mementos - vintage tinsel, cupcake paper flowers, stitching ...

 ... vintage book paper, ruffled and painted with a glittery coating and a petite silky flower ...

... itty-bitty letter beads and layers of pretty papers ...

 ... and lots and lots of sparkle ...

... a recycled fair ticket is cut into a stacked heart ... velvet and glittered ribbons are added as 

whimsical tabs ... a heart fashioned from vintage fabric is stitched to the card ...

 ... the pretty blue floral paper is another cupcake liner . The puffy fabric heart has been stitched across. My Sophie said it looks like {lips} ! ...

... the {Valentine} itself is an over sized tag shape with pretty pink & red stitching around the edges ...

... the top of this giant {tag} is embellished with either a shabby linen tie or a loop of hand dyed vintage seam binding,  and a glittered clothespin ...

... a hodge podge of {Valentine} mementos ...

... that will be a {sweet treat} for someone I {LOVE}.

 ...made with {L O V E} for all of my very special Valentine's!

{farmhouse apron feature}

A while ago I made this sweet {farmhouse chic apron} ... it was, surprisingly my first sewing project ever, on a machine, even though I had been collecting fabric for years...and sewing little things by hand ...

... when I showed my pals, they encouraged me to send it in to (apron-ology) magazine. Imagine my surprise when they accepted it into their February 2012 issue!

I had posted a few photos but somehow when I was updating some computer/blogger information this post, among others, was lost. Since the apron is to be featured this month, I thought I should recreate the post ... so here it is.

... I am a collector of fabrics. I do not need a reason to buy them. I have stacks and stacks of favorite textiles lining the shelves of cupboards in the studio. One day I happened to move something and there was a little pile of neatly folded calico's ... and an apron was born.

... I have fond memories of a favorite grandmother wearing an {apron} at all times. She was the matriarch of a hard working farm. No matter which chore she was immersed in, you could find her bedecked with an {apron}.

... and while {Granny's} aprons were not neatly starched and spotless, they were {loved}. Each one of us grandchildren would find a way to bury ourselves within her {apron strings} ... she would dry our tears, wipes our mouths, and mop up our spills with her {apron}.

To don an {apron} is a wonderful thing for me ... a reminder of my past and the love that a sweet and wonderful woman gave to me. I think of her often, as I brush crumbs into my pocket ... Granny keeping her post tidy ...

... and so the {farmhouse style}. A gentle reminder of what I remember. What I {love}.

{featured here}

home made: burlap & ruffles

I am a lover of {pillows}. Toss pillows, small or large are generally an inexpensive way to dress up a sofa, change up a bed or soften a porch swing. Today I made this luscious beauty!

The added touch of silky {peonies} was such a lovely contrast to the burlap.

Recently I made these two pillows for afriend of mine ... I loved the mix of burlap and muslin, but wanted a pop of something a bit {dressier} for my own pillow ...

... on my newest pillow, the ruffles of shabby white muslin give the flowers so much added punch ...

 ... by extending the burlap over the end on the back side of the pillow and adding long tie closures the pillow has lots of extra {ruffly fluff} at one end ... which I {love} ...

... the floral center of the pillow is bordered with a vintage gauze like trim in a {fold-and-pleat} style ...

... the mix of textures is a great love of mine. The coarse burlap combined with soft muslin and a silky fabric just makes me want to reach out and touch it ...

{grocery bag goodness}

No one ever said that {grocery bags} had to be green!

I fell in love with this utility fabric and decided to try my hand at creating a {reusable bag}.

It is nice and roomy and embellished with a pretty hand crafted peony, dyed velvet and canvas leaves.

{day 3. pin cushion with vintage gauze trim}

So I know that I have been going crazy with this {inky vintage gauze trim} but I just can't get enough of it. Today I used it as a shabby ruffled trim on a pin cushion I fashioned from a few scraps of muslin.

That tiny cream colored flower is from my vintage findings collection. I use them sparingly as they are so hard to find anymore. This one was part of a tiny "boquet" that still had the stems in tact. I just sewed over the stem a few times to adhere to the front panel of my pin cushion.

 Remember that hand dyed vintage seam binding that I used on that tiny package?

That is the creamy blue trim used to make the tiny rosettes...

I love this paper flower...it was stamped with letters in a really cool circus style font.

 I have been really great about using up what I have on hand lately, so I filled my pin cushion with some leftover "beads" that we needed for a school project. They are most often used to stuff fabric dolls.

Since the muslin is a very think fabric, the beads worked better than the traditional "sand".

No leakage once you have a few pin holes in your fabric.

 Another perk to using the beads, is that the pin cushion will stand quite easily too...

 Of course, the vintage style pins don't hurt either!

 I love the look of the free form stitching, so I just zig zag back and forth over anything I am stitching numerous times...this way it looks random and sweet at the same time.

 See how I stitched the stem? Just a few lines back and forth to tack it down.

 The same with the paper flower...{isn't that dyed gauze trim just yummy?}

 I have made more than a few pin cushions and I like to leave one whole side unstitched to fill it...this way I can hand stitch the last side to look gathered, or ruffled. I love this look. Makes me think of a vintage sack filled with some yummy textile.

 This little project only took about 40 minutes, including gathering supplies. I always take a bit of time laying my design out, so it could go quicker depending on how involved you make your front panel.

If you decide to make a pin cushion with your vintage hand dyed trim I would love to see a photograph of it when it is complete!

Happy Sewing!

{day 2 vintage gauze trim equals super sweet packaging}

I love the packaging of gifts. I could wrap things all day...I get great {JOY} each time I make a special little something and then {WRAP} it all up beautifully! It is almost like getting {TWO PRESENTS IN ONE} when you receive a  gift in precious wrappings.

My new inky gauze vintage trim makes for such a lovely finishing touch on a package. I love the way it looks so time worn and loved.  

This simple brown kraft gift box looks sweet with a piece of dyed vintage seam binding (coming soon to the 723 etsy shoppe) and a vintage lace rosette. Add lovely vintage hat pin and it is a gift worth beholding.

Whether it is a gift, a beautiful piece of mail art, or a simple vase you want to dress up, this vintage style trim adds just the right touch. A double wrap of  this dreamy {CORNFLOWER BLUE} gauzy ribbon looks beautiful on a simple brown paper wrapped gift. Add a few vintage stick pins and a vintage tag and it is simply lovely.

Sometimes, we just need a little bit of lovely to perk up an old item.

I love the way this plain silver vase was transformed into a timeworn center piece with just a small length of vintage inky gauze trim. I added a simple crystal star stick pin to give it a finishing touch.

Wouldn't these be lovely little centerpieces for a garden tea party?