#designstudiogoals

We're in the Riley Blake design studio and warehouse today!

Oh my goodness! I love how beautiful it is!

I need a wall of shelves like this... I may even be able to fill it :)

A sewing table right by the window is essential,

and check out these windows!

I can do a lot of it but those mountains, wow!!! I may just need to hang a series of paintings and have good light!

Done! Problem solved! Yup, that's what I do.

Riley Knows How To Party!

We've been having a marvelous time at the Riley Blake shop owners retreat! I'm feeling pretty crazy lucky to be here. 

Our first class was an adorable block from Lori Holt using her fabric line "Cozy Christmas" 

It's so cute!!! And so is she :) this is me and my momma while working on our project!

That was yesterday. We also got to do some English paper piecing with Sue Daley. Loved it and am only a bit worried about my future time having to be divided among regular tasks and cutting and gluing tiny hexagons. Of course Sue says once you do small hexi-s you never go larger! 

So I guess I'm toast. 

Today we did a class with Melly from "Melly and me" learning some great tips on making her adorable softies! She has quite a story, and is crazy talented!

This is from the last class that we took with Simple Simon & co! So awesome! We made maxi skirts using their excellent tips!

I can't even say how wonderful it's been to meet and visit with these amazing women! All of them are so talented and it's been a great retreat! Huge thanks to Riley Blake for putting this together and creating such an amazing environment of creativity and learning!

MSQC Windows - The Glory of Spring!

You've got to check out some more of the Missouri Star Quilt Co.'s window displays! I didn't show you the Christmas or Valentines displays, sorry! The spring ones are just as much fun!! The seasonal shop got a quilled paper furniture display!

Holy cow! That took sometime! It's so cute too! The chair table and lamp are all covered in tiny paper roses with a vase of them sitting on top. The lamp is an ombre design going from yellow to orange. The garlands hanging across the back are all colors and all sizes of flowers!

These are the windows at the solids shop. I like to do pretty color play stuff with these ones and I love the persimmon and green color pallette! I used everything from mint to a soft lime for a bright color pop! The lights behind it are from the Christmas windows but they still look good, I like having something bright to light up the windows.

These are pics of the Superhero display I made for the brand new Novelty shop! It's the sixth shop opened right there on main street. Quilted hills rolling across the window seat, with storm clouds (there's a second one up a bit higher to add to the dramatic skyscape) that light up with all the electricity going on inside them, as evidenced by the gigantic lightning bolt coming out of the lower one!

Eight tiny crocheted superheros zip through the sky saving anyone in need! They're very good at directing you to the door for your fabric needs. I believe they may live in one of the tiny quilted houses that sit tidily on the crests of several of the rolling hills. Honestly, this was so much fun!!

I don't have any pics of the main shop or Mercantile this time, also fun with fabric wrapped trees and tiny birds in one window, and the other with a dress made of woven fabric and an old quilt, and vintage lace floating around in embroidery hoops. Aaah, they make me happy. If you'd like I can tutorial the quilted houses. They make for very cute postcards when done on a small scale!

Falling for Pumpkins!

Fall's the best! I think Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

Since I've started designing the window displays for the MSQC's shop windows this is the first fall season.

It's pretty exciting! Plus, I love sewing with my momma!

We spent the night cutting and sewing till our fingers hurt! It was so worth it!
We made pumpkins, and fabric lashed through sticks and with a burlap moon, and gourds hanging from fabric cords. I love it!
And lucky you today we get to learn how to make the pumpkins for your home!

They're really pretty simple. My favorite kind of project!
 For a large pumpkin cut 4 strips of fabric 6"x19"
and 4 strips of burlap or other contrast fabric the same size.

Put a burlap and fabric strip right sides together and sew approx. 4" down then start gathering the fabric.
My mom and I gather fabric the slightly less precise, but faster way. You basically just slide and shove fabric up to and under the presser foot. Gather the edge till approx. 4" from the bottom edge then sew the last of it straight.
With these pumpkins the tighter you gather the better. It makes each of the pumpkin sections stand out really nicely.
That's my special trick for putting these together! Pretty easy huh!
Continue to chain sew the strips together till they are all gathered in the center. Add the double sections together, and continuing like this till all the sections are sewn together in a large tube.

With the tube inside out use a thick string and make a loose running stitch about a 1/2" from the edge.

Pull it tight and sew directly through the large bundle of fabric several times, from a couple of directions.

 Tie it off and turn the pumpkin right side out.
Add some stuffing making sure to stuff extra into the different sections.
Repeat the loose running stitch 1/2" from the top edge.
Pull it tight tucking the edge to the inside. Sew across the tightened end of the pumpkin.
Ta da!

Now all you have to do is find a short section of a stick or branch and hot glue it into place!
They're so cute!

To make smaller pumpkins - start with 4"x8" fabric pieces and sew the straight ends only 1"-1 1/2" long gathering the centers tightly, just like the large pumpkins!

Enjoy an easy Fall project and make some pumpkins for your table!
Happy Fall!

Lime, Minkee, Love, and a Finish

I love Minkee. 

I also love mixing things up a little :)

This is a Minkee Tween Quilt Pack in Lime by Benartex.

Of course I couldn't leave it at just 11" squares. I used the pattern I tutorial'd here with the MSQC

I love this pattern and the quilt all Minkee'd up is amazing! I've cuddled under it with almost everyone of my five children :) not all at once but I could have.

It's 3 packs of 20 - 11" squares plus borders to make a big double bed sized quilt. It's glorious :)

I loved binding it, my little guy spent the morning cuddled under it as I worked, and now it's super easy to find an excuse to go check on my daughter and of course sit on her bed... and pet it. 

Its a happy quilt, who else out there loves Minkee? 

Raise your hand! 

Oooo, Me! Me!

Inspiration Overload!

If you ever find yourself lacking in inspiration you can go the easy route and start checking out flickr or cruise blogland and see the amazing things happening there and you will have inspiration in the matter of a few clicks but did you know there is inspiration lurking in your own home! Yes! All you have to do is clean off your sewing table!

Hehe! You may know what I mean... Amongst the odd papers and bags of rocks (yes really) on my sewing table I've remembered what I was doing with all those stacks of fabric!
 I had quite a few projects gathered under the trims of Halloween ribbon intended for quilts, changing pads, bags full of fabric bits, and some fabric still awaiting the right inspiration. It's all just lying there, ready to be adored! If only they could be seen.
So, if you really aren't feeling the sewing bug just go clean the sewing table and you'll find it... or it'll find you!

Happy Halloween! I mean Easter wait who forgot about the Irish?

So I've had this pattern around for awhile and just in time for Easter I want to tell you about my Halloween Treat Bag Pattern! 

Ha, I know I must enjoy confusing the life out of my poor family and house. Nobody ever knows what holiday it really is here :)

 These are a tiny little pattern for an adorable Halloween trick-or-treat bag. I made some about 3 years ago for my own kids thinking there had to be something cuter (and with a larger capacity) than the classic pumpkins :) I made them with fabric lying around in green, and purple, or yellow, orange black, etc. You pick any of those Halloween colors and put it on a little kid in a cute costume and you can't go wrong! So they turned out adorable but I did learn a few things in the process :) So I thought I'd write it up and share! Now your kids can have even more fun trick-or-treating and the pictures will be fabulous!