Quilted Artist Roll-up : :

This past weekend I finally added my applique to an actual stitched up project! While searching back for the original photo I realized just how long she's been literally hanging around my studio just waiting to become something. Well, now she finally is!



Inspired by the Easter basket of goodies Stubby Pencil Studio is offering in this weeks special giveaway, I imagined how nice it would be to fill my own children's baskets this year with nothing but new art supplies and some handmade artists roll-ups made by Mama!



I recently picked up these awesome twig colored pencils and right away thought they deserved a special tin or holder for my daughter to carry them around in. Aren't they wonderful!?



I selected a Domestic Bliss print to match the bright colors of the pencils and a Half Moon Modern scissor fabric to keep with the craft theme. I added a layer of my favorite batting to add that softness and to make sure that nothing my little artist carries would break as this is surely to be slung around quite a bit!



I stitched in extra wide supply slots, to hold these twig pencils nicely, with room for more supplies!



When not in use, I think the addition of my little hanging girl applique will be a fun thing for my girl to roll up and tuck away!



To finish it off, I added an extra long fabric strap to wrap around and keep the roll-up nice and snug. In hindsight I would have added a simple elastic loop like Rachel did here.



Good thing I have two more to make to see just what will work best for my little artists!!

How about you, are you planning on making any Easter gifts? 

Be sure to enter my Stubby Pencil Studio Easter Giveaway right here!!

Wool.Easter.Basket : :

Well it certainly had been a while since I made one of these! Afterall, making felted items for children is where it all started for me. This project request came to me from a mother who wanted similar Easter baskets for her two little boys, and I had already made a basket for her first son -- how could I say no? Really, I couldn't. And I am really glad I didn't. I have had the same barely started project on the needles for quite some time now and with Easter around the corner, this really forced me to jump in. It seems as I get more and more into sewing, the knitting and felting that I use to just love, just keeps getting further and further away. This project made me think of {bunnies, fox, owls, trees, bees, butterflies, and Spring -- of course} but also about balance. How could knitting, something I was SO passionate about, be replaced by a new passion? Well, it shouldn't be. I love to knit! I love to sew! There you have it.

So, here is a little wool, nature themed Easter basket that required a lot of knitting, some felting, needle felting, embroidery, hand stitching, and just a little bit of sewing, too.






Here's hoping there is a lot of passion and a bit of balance in your life, too!

* * * * * * * * *

The Secret Garden Crown : :

I began work last night on something secret and extra special. A sweet, super flowery Easter gift for my sweet, super girly little girl.


This is my creative space -- Hop on over to kootoyoo to see more creative spaces and to play along.
Happy creating!  ~ Maureen