Sweet Dreaming : :

I have good news! We should be HOME OWNERS on Friday!! So, I thought today I would share some of the inspiration I've been gathering for my little girls' room. Her room is first on my mind, even before my sewing room, because it really is the only room that needs some major love. It's currently a den/office space, with masculine dark painted walls and a library themed wallpaper. It's also a rather small space, so we're going to have to be creative with storage. It's going to take some time for these dreamy plans and projects to be realized -- but it's so fun to imagine it all! Want to see?

First, I fell in love with this Enchanted Forest Mural a couple of years ago and it's first on our list of major wants! Thank goodness it's still available. I still need to measure the wall we have in mind for this to go on, and make sure it will fit properly, without us having to trim away half of it, etc... If it simply won't work for any reason, then I'm considering a Mama-made mural??? I know she's love that more, but just the idea of it sort of stresses me out. Not because I don't love to paint, I do! But because it's Thanksgiving, then two December birthdays, then Christmas...time is not my friend this time of year and my patience is officially shot!

Isn't it pretty....

via Anthropologie

My daughter really wants a little hide-out, since her brothers will have one, and I think one of these canopy style play tents would be really sweet. This one is from the Land of Nod. I'm not sure if the floral will be right, and I like this solid, smoky purple fabric one, as well. Of course, I would LOVE to make one, too?!

via Land of Nod

The overall color scheme we have in mind are peachy coral pinks, buttery yellow, and smoky purples, pinks, blues, whites, & grays. She has a little Blabla collection and these Colette the Cat dolls are the perfect colors.

via Blabla

How cool is this Unicorn by Désaccord?! And, those hanging fabric stars!

via Désaccord

I've also pinned a bunch of smart and simple storage ideas and lots of other inspirational images here and here. This post was like a commercial today, but that's just because I haven't actually bought or made anything yet. Of course, my most grand plans will be ALL the MAKING!! I would love for you to share any pins, links, ideas you might have, too??

I can't wait to share how our first home comes together -- I hope you want to see!!  ♥ Maureen

Sewing Room Before : :

Oh gosh, I really hope I'm not jinxing myself with this post. We haven't even closed on the house yet, but that date is set, everything is signed, and we are all packing. So....  I'm dreaming!

Well, dreaming and pinning! I'll apologize now for just how much, if you follow me there. Sorry.
I just. can't. stop.

I thought it would be a good idea to share some before's today. The room that will be my studio is almost empty now, so I snapped a few photos yesterday to make my plans and to share. Here it is, just as you leave the kitchen and come into the dining room.



It's very open to the rest of the house, which I am not at all used to. In the last three years that I have been passionately crafting, I have always used that small awkward space, that's a little hidden from the rest of the house. That started with me using a huge closet, with a window for a little knitting room hide-away spot. Which moved to me taking claim of half of the playroom, once I began sewing. In this house we're in now, I have been lucky to have my very own room, a forth small bedroom, many steps away from the kitchen, which is where I definitely spend most of my time. It will be so nice to be able to just pop in and out of this new room.



Of course there's a little negative to it's location, as well. With it being so open, I'm going to have to be extra neat. I've already asked my husband for doors, but it will be awhile before that happens. Right now I imagine my sewing table beneath this beautiful window. What do you think? The shutters will keep me from staring out into the neighbors house, but I'll have some pretty light coming in right above be.



The carpet is likely to stay for awhile, too. Hopefully, one day, we can extend these pretty Pergo floors throughout. I love the look of them! Many things about this house are just our style, these floors are one of them!



They are in the family room, which is our very favorite room. Isn't it cozy? I can't wait to move into this room!!



And, here is my future sewing room from the outside. The first room to the right, just as you enter.



It is so exciting, I can hardly stand it! It's going to be so fun to plan and finally get in there and all set up. I really would love your advice and suggestions!! Here come the questions, ready? --

How do you feel about leaving the walls a neutral color? What do you use for fabric storage? Scrap storage? Thread storage? I won't have a closet, which scares me! But I do have my new huge cabinet, plus my current shelf space. Do you have any favorite art prints? I will finally be able to put nails in the walls, hallelujah!! I will have a desk for my machine, but I'm not sure if I should bother with a second table for my cutting, or just use the dining room table, since it will be so close?? I'll also need to find a creative way to display my quilts and all the items I make for sale. A ladder for the quilts? A shelf dedicated to sale merchandise?

It's going to be hard to wait, but so nice to have time to plan it all out!! I can't wait to read your ideas!!  
♥,  Maureen 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Happy November 1st!!!

*  Thanksgiving Print  *  Autumn Owl  *  Feather Wreath  *  Plum Clafouti  *
*  Blankets  *  Leaf Garland  *  Paper Bag Flowers  *  Pears  *  Felt Leaf Garland  *

   *  Table Setting  *  Cinnamon  *  Fall Wreath  *  Fall Patchwork   *

*  or Pinterest  *

To be honest, this past weekend I had already skipped right past Thanksgiving to begin this years ever-growing Christmas "must make" list. Today, I decided to slow down! This Tuesday Inspiration is all about Autumn, Thanksgiving, and the warm colors of this Season. I hope to start a new tutorial idea for a Thanksgiving sewing project sometime today. And, I'll have a few Christmas things ready to share the rest of the week!

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Black + Orange + Halloween

Photos via

* Halloween Print * Haunted House Cake * Pumpkin & Owl * Felt Plushies * Spider Cake 

* Tree Pumpkins Bookshelf * Mice On Stairs * Vampire Pumpkins * Halloween Bunting 

* Cookies * Leaves Print * Plates On Wall * Orange & Black Cake *

or Pinterest

Remember our tablecloth from last week that mysteriously looked like it had been chewed upon while packed away in the garage? Well, it's come a loooong way since then. Literally. Most of the damage was done to the outer black and white check gingham border, with almost all of the adorable pumpkin appliques still in perfect condition. After a good, couple of washings, I cut each applique out and salvaged what solid black material I could and got to work.



I begin piecing using those appliques, coordinating thread, my new Riley Blake Halloween Fabrics, and a very festive bundle of gorgeous orange and blacks.



I knew I wanted this runner to be on the large side, wide and long. I chose not to use batting because of the size. I didn't want it to look like an awkwardly shaped quilt sitting on our dinner table.

Soon I was finished and faced with my first dilemma -- how do you photograph projects this huge, in action? It's not easy!



These are my attempts at full shots. eek! If you notice all the marking on my table you'll understand the need for it to be this large. I have a lot of things to hide on this really old, very used table of ours!



Do you see why I just had to save it, aren't these appliques sweet! They really are my favorite part. Plus, the original tablecloth had been with us for many Halloweens and reminds me so much of when our boys were just little things. We had a Halloween Party (or several) every year.



And here you see my second dilemma. Lily hair. I've shared many times how she loves to lay upon my sewn things. Well, white long cat hair, on black fabric, on our dinner table, has me quite frazzled and annoyed and our lint rollers being refilled daily. Grrrrr!



Does she pick the cute kitty pumpkin applique? Nope.



Quite fittingly she has chosen the little devil pumpkin applique to be her spot of choice. Of course! I am kinda, sorta wishing I would have just made a quilt now instead.  

How many days until Halloween?



I'm really not sure if me and this table runner will make it?! As for Lily? Yup, she's safe! Lucky for her, she does ridiculously adorable things like sleep outside my sewing room door like this.

Maybe I can convince her that she makes a much better doorstop than a centerpiece, hmn?


I plan to enter this new Halloween table runner in the Home Decor category of Celebrate Color and to make a new, matching bunting with the fabric scraps and remaining applique pieces.

How about you? Are you doing any Halloween sewing these days?

Tuesday Inspiration : :

rainbow + patchwork

Photos via Pinterest

Today I'm loving patchwork. Anything and everything patchwork!

It turns out that I am not recovering as well from this weekends excitement as my husband, naturally. Feeling a nasty cold settling in and just really run down. Blah! I think some hot Gypsy Cold Care tea and some rainbow, patchwork piecing is just the cure!

It's raining here again today, but just as soon as I can get a few good pictures I'll have my Fall Dresden Pillow for my Mom and a new quilt top to share!

How about you? What's inspiring you these days?

Today : :

I adore this bundle! Available from Pink Castle Fabrics, the colors and prints make up the most perfect collection of fabrics for Fall sewing. And, it's on sale folks!



While perusing Pinterest, I found this gorgeous photo by Sara and immediately thought of this stack of fabrics sitting on my sewing table. Isn't it lovely!?



I really love making connections like this for inspiration. I hope you don't mind or get too tired of it! I actually don't think about inspiration very much at all. It has simply become a habit I follow regularly, because staying inspired is so important for us, isn't it? Making things, for me and for most of you, I bet, is a part of daily life that is about creativity, inspiration, and expression.




Sometimes, some days, it can be a challenge. But not today! I'll be making my Mom a new Fall pillow with these gorgeous new fabrics.

Happy Sewing, friends!

p.s. There's a new fabric giveaway (here's a peek) happening here tomorrow, so please do stop back!

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Purple + Green + Yellow + Blue

Photos via Pinterest

I really never buy purple anything for myself (for my daughter yes), but me? Nope, never. So I really surprised myself last week when I saw this lightweight, cream fabric with shades of purples, yellow, greens and blue at the fabric shop and had to bring it home. After I pulled some coordinating quilting weight cottons from my stash, right away I started sewing.



Using this palette and my new Simple Scarf Tutorial from last week, with just a few measurement adjustments, I made myself a new Fall scarf.



It's not very heavy and I like that. I'm not ready to layer on the wool until after the leaves have fallen. And, this way I can reach for it in the Spring again. The front is just an improv patchwork piecing of some of my favorite fabrics in these colors. I kept the width of the front 9" and kept piecing until the scarf length measured about 73". The back is made up of two pieces of the lightweight fabric sewn together to measure 9" x 73". I sewed the front and back pieces together right sides facing each other using a 1/2" seam allowance all the way around, turned it out, pressed and stitched all the way around again -- when finished this scarf measures 8" x 72".

It's not something I'll wear everyday. But making scarfs whether by knitting or sewing is just
so easy, quick, and satisfying it's just nice to do every once in a while, wouldn't you agree?



I'll be entering this scarf in the Wearables category of Celebrate Color. Which makes me giggle because I know that I am not a very good garment sewist. Regardless, it's fun just to join in! You should too!!!

How about you? What color combinations are you loving these days?

Tuesday Inspiration : :

Coral + Aqua

Photos via Pinterest

Coral and Aqua, such a beautiful color combination. So beachy and bright and fun and fresh. I really do love it!


Can you tell that Grey has become my new favorite neutral. It just looks perfect with so many colors!


And then if you add a yellow into the mix it's nice, too. What do you think? Yellow or no yellow?


I have no other yellow like this one in my stash, only brights and butteries. This one is a little special with a slightly lime greenishy thing happening. If used, the only other bits of yellow would be found there in the butterfly details. What do you think?


I'm actually planning to whip up something other than a pillow with these...can you believe it! That is usually how it starts, but you already know what happens.

How about you? What color combinations are you loving these days?

Easter Egg Inspiration : :

This week is sure a busy one! My husband and I (as some of you already saw) are celebrating our 9th Wedding Anniversary this Wednesday -- Hooray! My son Jacob turns 7 on Thursday, oh my -- birthday party to follow on Saturday, and with Easter on Sunday, that just leaves Friday for "Egg Coloring Day". We love this! It has become a tradition that we get together with our friend Leah, who happens to be quite the little artist, as are my own children -- so this year we have decided to kick it up a notch! We have colored eggs every way possible, used rubber bands, chalk, stickers, glittered and this year we are "Doodling". Since all I have to show you from my work this week are many more crowns, I thought I would show you some of the great ideas I found for this years "Egg Coloring Day." All of the inspiration I am sharing today came from pinterest.

Colored Eggs Inspiration : :


Doodle Eggs Inspiration : :


I hope some of you find these photos inspiring, as well. Happy creating! ~ Maureen