Recently Made : :

Today I decided to stop the house tour and spare us all of an overload of dining room pictures and share some of the things that have been made recently in my new sewing room!

First up, a new Fox Pillow -- this one with a fabric fox and linen combo!!



It's an 18" sq and I do love the linen for this project. It is my contribution for a Woodland themed nursery in the works!!



He or she, hmn? looks very formal in our vintage chair, don't you think?!



I also have a couple of new things for my etsy shop!



A Three Little Birds Pillow. This one was made for Simply Handmade Magazine's Sewing issue for Fall 2012.



Made with one of my favorites -- Summerlove by Pat Bravo! You can find this little pillow available in my etsy shop  here!



I decided to turn a dress I had started for Haila into an apron for my etsy, as well. Originally this was going to be a Summer dress for my girl. She picked out the sweet pink and Yuwa fabrics herself and we were both excited! As time went on we both changed our minds and agreed this week that it would make a sweet half apron for tea parties, pretend play, and dress up for a little girl who loves pink and horses!



It's completely reversible and I do love that ruffle and those swirly stitch details!



I'm off to work on more orders!! Happy sewing! ♥,  Maureen

Back to it : :

Last night I finally changed that broken needle and got back to it! My finger is still sore, my pride -- possibly a little sorer! But when there's so much sewing to be done, it's best to just dive right back in, with projects that are both simple and familiar.

Remember that Summerlove Spring Bird Pillow? I made another and it was just a quick and rewarding as that first one. I do love simple sewing projects!







Next, I started another Charlotte Apron Dress for my little girl. My only rule was wanting to use some of my new Robert Kaufman Essex Linen as the main dress fabric, and then I let her choose the rest. She did amazing!! I thought she would go in a completely different direction, so she really showed me! First choosing two of my Yuwa fabrics that she has loved since the day they arrived here, then two coordinating Pure Element Solids, and finally the soft pink flannel. She did so, so good!!



Since this was my second go at this dress pattern, I wanted to have a little fun by adding in a few extra little somethings along the way. First, I added a sweet little stitch to the apron ruffle detail with some of my Auriful Lana Wool thread in this pretty coral color.



and then I tried another new stitch on my Janome -- This great little loop-dee-loop stitch, I love it!



Last night I finished up the skirt, but before I move on to the bodice today I have birthday crowns to make!!

How about you, what are working on this week?? I'd love to hear about it! ♥ Maureen 

p.s. My Charlotte Apron Pattern Dress Giveaway continues HERE!!

Better : :

Thank you so much for all the sweet comments yesterday, that really meant so much! I have been wanting to share a few personal things for awhile now, but with all the making I've been doing, I haven't felt like there has been much time for me to get any those things out. Today, I thought I'd take the time to share just a  little.



Yesterday I had every intention of doing...well, nothing. Which didn't last long. We built a pillow fort and watched a movie and by 10:30 we were both so ready to do something else. Naturally, we headed to the sewing room, this time to have ourselves a little photo shoot. I had made my little girl a new, quick and easy cross-body bag over the weekend and decided I should get those pictures sooner rather than later after imagining her filling it with popcorn and deciding the birdie applique needed chap-stick. You never know!



Even though we were in my studio, since I had declared I was taking the day off, I didn't let a rush of all the things I needed to be doing come at me. I simply started taking pictures, which did lead to finishing a few orders, which led to this and then that...we had so much fun! I had forgotten that when I woke up this morning sore, still tired, with an eye half swollen shut, that I had felt defeated, like throwing my hands in the air and giving up.

I felt better.



So many of you have reached out to me privately over the weeks since my sharing post, to make sure I have been feeling well and to share your own stories with me, which has been so nice! I am still not sure how to discuss or even deal with the ups and downs that come with having overlapping auto immune diseases. I often think that you might want to hear it, but then I decide that you really don't -- trust me. No more than I want to think about it and write it all down. While I'm sewing, I'm wishing it all away. While I sew, most of the time I don't even think about any of it. I'm focused on creating something beautiful, which makes me feel wonderful in a way that is far greater than any bad things I might be dealing with. That's the truth!



Later in the day yesterday, when our boys were home from school, we had a chat about the passing of Maurice Sendak. My kids were genuinely sad. I had remembered an amazing documentary I saw on him and went searching for some clips, and I found this video. It was the most perfect thing I could have heard yesterday. I can't stop thinking about his words and how deeply I connect with them,

"it is sublime
to just go into another room and make pictures
it's magic time
where all your weaknesses of character
and all the blemishes of personality
and whatever else torments you
fades away
it just doesn't matter
you're doing the one thing you want to do
and you do it well
and you know you do it well and...
you're happy"



There are so many reasons to be cheerful!

Spring Birdie Pillow Winner!!

Thank you to all who entered my Handmade Giveaway!!

Your comments were amazing! I read each one and took notes and just as soon as I can, I'm going to share my plans and ideas of what I hope for this blog. That might take a little longer than I want, since I have had one crazy week -- 32 birthday crowns to make, a couple other projects to finish, and a new niece or nephew is on the way! YAY!! Not to mention, Friday is my hubby's and my 10 year anniversary and Saturday is my son's 8th Birthday. Double YAY!! And....well, you get the idea. When it rains, it pours. Very true!! All of these things are true blessings, I know!! 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SO...from the 506 entries Mr. Random says the lucky winner of my Spring Birdie Pillow and a few extra goodies is comment #436 --

Danny Heyen who said... I am a follower!!! 

But! Danny's comment just after that is much better, so I'm going to share that one, too, which read...

"I want to see more of your creations. This is your creative journal and I love that about your blog. You do what you want. Make what you want. Share what you want. There's something so freeing about that and it seems like it makes you happy. I love when you dive right into a project because it looks good in your head. I love that you share about your kids and how they help you. So that's what I want.
More of the same. Your blog is beautiful."

 Congratulations Danny and Thank YOU!!! I will be in touch shortly!

 I have yet another new fabric giveaway beginning this Friday morning!!  So be sure to stop back!! 

   p.s. Thanks to those of you who took the time to vote today! You're the best!!! :)

Studio Snapshots : :

Yesterday I didn't find as much sewing room time as I had hoped to after being gone for several days.  Honestly, the only things I kept thinking about really wanting to make back here at home, were more of those wonderful Scrappy Improv Chevron Blocks and more birds!

I did find all of about 45 minutes, with a little helper by my side, to be in my room. I walked in, immediately putting on Pandora, noticing the mess I had left everywhere, sat on the floor with my camera and I started taking photos. Want to see?

It's safe to assume that this is where Lily spent most of the time while we were away. I had left my large order of  AMH's Loulouthi Coreopsis sitting on my sewing desk, waiting there to remind me they needed to become curtains when I got home. I think she's going to be upset with me when I do start sewing with them!



I had left a small pile of Art Gallery Birds to remind me, just in case I were to forget, that I wanted to put a bird on everything last week. This week, I still do!



I'm excited to add them to these lovely new Robert Kaufman Linens and Timeless Treasures Texture prints from JAQS Studio, in the form of pillows, tea towels, and possible a new bag!



I whipped up this block on a whim a week or so ago, after getting an idea while thinking of this pillow, and I'm still not sure what it should be? Ideas appreciated! I was planning to add it to a back of a bag that I want to make in the very near future, perhaps I should just stick with that?



I snapped a quick photo of my huge stack of Urban Cowgirl that I had won a few weeks back from the Fat Quarter Shop! I still can't believe it and still don't have a plan for them just yet. I think I'll continue to admire them all bundled up so nicely the way Moda always does!



After spending a very special stretch of days with my family, it was extra sweet to finally turn my calendar to April and to find this image. My husband and I will be celebrating our TEN year wedding anniversary later this month, so it felt pretty perfect! Isn't it sweet?



When my 45 minutes of sewing room time was up, I felt as though I had accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, even though I didn't actually have anything to show for it. It was a great reminder of all the things happening and waiting to happen, but mostly that some days the best thing to do is just to sit and notice and just be.

Today, however, I feel like sewing! How about you? Have you made anything new lately? I'd love to see!

Summerlove Spring Birdie Pillow : :

Last night while uploading these photos of my new pillow I started thinking about how magical all of this is. Not just being able to share my handmades or how passionate and completely in love with sewing I am, but the magic of sewing itself. It's amazing, isn't it? Just think of how much pleasure sewing gives us all and how it has connected us. Sewing is such a creative meditation and a joy, but just think of all the folks who were and are forced to work all hours behind a sewing machine or stitching by hand. Their experience is so very different. Honestly, it's a privilege to be able to sew for pleasure!

How in one moment we can have an idea.



Reach for a beautiful stack of fabrics, designed by someone we can actually connect with and share with.



Then turn those fabrics into something beautiful and completely unique to each of us.



That we can love and share and use to inspire someone else to do the same.



At the end of a project sometimes it's nice to think about just how lucky we are!

This month marks my two year Sew-iversary and my love for sewing just grows more and more. I hope you can tell! I'm so grateful to have my go-to happy places -- this blog, to share and my own sewing room, both are filled with so much beautiful threads and fabrics, handmade things, art, peace, togetherness, and love. It's amazing!! And, honestly, it's a privilege! I love it.

For two years now, I've been teaching myself as I go. And I'm just a bit curious today, if you have a minute please comment here, and share your sewing story! Do you sew? If you do, what age did you start? Who taught you? What do you love to make right now? I'd love to know!

Weekend Spring Sewing : :

Yesterday I had myself the longest sewing day to date!

I worked on a tutorial for a Spring Twine Garland.



I admired my lovely new stack of Summerlove.



Decided I needed to cut into them ever so slightly, to realize a Spring Pillow idea.



Mostly worked on these, plus a dozen others that didn't get finished until the wee hours.



Made this ridiculous and smelly mistake at some point during all the making. Ack!



Had to cash in this coupon just as soon as the kids were home.



Continued to dream up a plan for my new sketch stitch girl.



Today, I'm wishing you all a wonderful Monday morning and I'm wondering, what did you make this weekend?