…at least for my sister anyway.

She was in town over the weekend, giving me a good reason to finish up a purse I’d started for her a few weeks ago. It also didn’t hurt that she arrived bearing a hearty offering of my favorite candy (these sour gummy things found only at the Fresh Market, which sadly is not nearby). She knows how my sweet tooth rages.

It all started with some not-so-subtle hint dropping after seeing this bag that I made recently for myself.

My bag was adapted from a pattern in the winter issue of Stitch. I liked the rounded shape, but deviated from there. I left the outside panels plain to showcase this pretty African print, added some cording for contrast, and made other changes to the handles and interior.

My sister really liked the African fabric, but wanted a cross-body style bag. Luckily, I’d been eyeing this one already.

I made hers with a similar print and used some heavier navy fabric for the contrast. (I think the navy was a left-over from a pair of shorts that I’d made.) Either way, both fabrics worked great, and I’m pleased with how it all worked out.

And on the inside, a classy, cotton print–with a stamped label, of course.

She’s happy, and so is my sweet tooth. Nice doing business with you, sister.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

I thought some XOXO pics would be an appropriate way to celebrate. Here are some that my friends have made. Most of them had never even paper-pieced before, and check out how well they did!

Have a LOVE-ly day.

ps. lots of love to Quilting Adventures for recently starting to carry my patterns!

Last week, I came across some miniMINI Sunrise blocks (included in my Sunrise pattern) that I’d made for Quilt Market, and I decided that making some more would make for a perfect bit of weekend sewing.

It started kinda like this…

and ended like this.

It was fun. But now I need to take care of this.

It always gets a little messy.

Next step, sew together and maybe add a border or two.

ps. big THANKS to Bolt for picking up my patterns!

ruler no. 1 : (4″ x 8″) My no. 1 for sure. The small size fits in my hand and covers most bases. Plus, I really like the 1/8″ grid. It’s handy, except when I’m working on something longer than 8 inches. Then, I’ll move to no. 2.

ruler no. 2 : (4″ x 13″) She’s pretty good too, and along with no. 1, I’ve got most situations under control. The markings are OK, but I still prefer no. 1′s abundance.

rotary cutter  : You’ve gotta be careful with this one, no question. I had a little accident a couple years ago that resulted in a trip to the ER and some stitches. In architecture school, cut fingers were a right of passage for many, and somehow I managed to escape without partaking. There goes that.

cutting mat(s) : I have several, and each is good for different things. In general, whatever size work space you have, get a good, self-healing mat to fill it.

rotating mat : To be honest, I was a little doubtful when I received this one as a gift, but to my surprise, I use it all the time.

pins : I pin everything and have a growing collection of all types. Currently, I’m using some really thin ones that might be for silk (not sure). They glide right through the fabric. My magnetic pin cushion may not be a looker, but she keeps the pins together nicely.

multiple waste baskets : I try to limit the amount of waste that I produce, so I have one for paper (to be recycled),  one for fabric scraps (to be repurposed), and one for anything else.

other stuff : iron (very necessary, keep it close), seam ripper (for me, a little “reverse sewing” is needed from time to time), lint brush (always), extra needles (I’m getting better about my breaking needle habit, but still), some scissors just for paper, and some scissors for thread.

May you go forth equipped.

It’s a brand new fabric design competition.

And I’m so very excited to be a guest judge.

It’s going to be fun.

Follow this link for more details.

I LOVE this pattern and have for a very long time.

There’s a lot to love–the traditional reference, the Denyse flavor, the shout-out to the single girl…

and it also just looks cool.

SO, it was with great pleasure that I ran into it at a quilt shop recently, and I’m thrilled to get started. I’ve decided to bypass the tedious-ness of cutting out the 30+ different shaped pieces and am instead paper-piecing this bad boy. That way I can a) be lazy with the cutting b) pick fabric as I go (and on the fly, my fave), and c) jump into this project a whole lot faster than I would be able to otherwise. But to each his own in terms of technique.

So here are my first ring-lets! My approach is the more the merrier in terms of color and print. Reproductions, kaffes, shirtings, and whatever else are all fair game. My hypothesis is that the single girl will allow for a lot of variety and still look cool so long as you pick a nice fabric for the background. We’ll see…

Right on Denyse.