… Not the space shuttle launch, but my book release! I almost forgot to tell you …

That’s right, Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry: Create Gifts & Glamour in an Afternoon is now available for your creative pleasure!

I’ve always wanted to wear my fabric stash, but without all the fuss of getting body measurements exactly right, making two sleeves that are the same length, and etcetera.

Luckily getting two earrings the same length is much easier {and faster} than sleeves. You can even get up early, make a pair to match your outfit, and wear them that very same day. Try doing that when making a blouse or jacket.

I’m working on the PayPal shopping cart for my new website. It’s nearly finished and when it’s done, (Friday 9-18-09 update: the shop is now open!) I will have a special offer for you, my wonderful blog readers:

One free Kurumi Mini Lanyard Kit with every book purchased through October 5, 2009 to get you started on your button adventure. This kit includes two Kurumi cover buttons and a silver-plated mini lanyard. Just enter “DIVA” in the coupon code box. There’ll be a box for if you want your book signed as well.

The online shop should be open this weekend. Until then feel free to look around. (Friday 9-18-09 update: the shop is now open!)

Here’s one of my Kurumi Mini Lanyards. Making a mini lanyard is even faster and easier than making a pair of earrings, because you only have to make one and it doesn’t have to match anything in particular. (Just follow the earrings instructions starting on page 41, substituting the mini lanyard in place of the earring finding and make only one instead of two.)

Hang your Kurumi Mini Lanyard from a USB flash drive, cell phone, digital camera, purse strap or belt loop.

happy beading! =(^_^)=

My daughter made this teddy bear quilt as a present for her best friend. She chose each fabric to remember the special things that they did together. It’s finished pillowcase-style and tied so that she wouldn’t get too worn out and discouraged by the sometimes long process of making a quilt.

She’s thrilled with the results and is also excited about designing and sewing fashions as well as quilts. And of course fabric shopping … I now have a ready-made partner for hitting all the fabric stores in town!

I’ve wanted to do a Wordle word cloud of my blog for quite some time now but just never got around to it. So, here’s the Wordle for my blog:And here’s a “Twordle” for my Twitterfeed (Do you Tweet? Follow me on Twitter):

Wordle Word Clouds ©2009 http://www.wordle.net

I resolved to skip the resolutions this year, I’ve got enough to do without worrying about a big to-do/wish list … but as they say, “Resistance is futile,” so here they are … with a twist.

Two simple things:

1). Each month choose something new to accomplish. January’s is to finish everything in the mending pile. I’ve done 3 items already so I’m off to a great start. In February I’ll tackle something else, and so on. After all I can do just about anything for a month at a time.

2). Have fun! I like to think of my designs as happy and lighthearted. If I’m stressed out over making my quilt, I believe that it shows in the final outcome, and not in a good way. I hope you will have fun with your quilting in 2009. Here are some ideas to get you started:

SEW SMALL All it takes is a little time and a few fabric scraps to make these the best dressed Littlest Pets on the block. (Thread spools for size reference. These are truly little pets.) Why not try sewing up a cute little dress or doll quilt for a favorite girl’s teddy?

SEW GREEN Why not take a tip from our quilting ancestors and recycle some old clothes into your next quilt? You could go through all the stuff you haven’t worn for a year or more, then sew them up into a fab quilt for the bed or wall. And the clean closet is a great bonus! Above are two charming thrift store dresses/fabric stash finds, a Waltah Clarke vintage cotton and a polyester marble print. Another idea is to make a memory quilt from special clothes (baby clothes, prom dresses, etc.).

SEW CHARITABLE Why not make some preemie quilts for your local hospital? Piece together some fun fabrics that make you smile … they’re sure to make a stressed-out new mother smile as well. Preemie quilts don’t need to be large, these are just 24 inches square. If you struggle with machine quilting on larger quilts, you’ll find this size to be manageable … even fun!

=(^_^)= happy quilting!

Wishing everyone a happy, safe and delicious Thanksgiving! It looks like we’re going to have a wet and rainy Thanksgiving here in Cali, so if you find yourself with a house full of house-bound kids here’s a few autumn crafts they can try. After dinner you can deconstruct the cornucopia and make gourd people.
Or try crafting some pine cone birds. The eyes on these owls are made from beads and pipe cleaners and the nose is an almond. Add a bunch more feathers and you could have a pine cone turkey.
happy crafting! (^_^)

This Saturday we went to Corona del Mar. Considering that it was about 102° when we left Loma Linda, it was quite a surprise to arrive at the beach to find that it was closer to 62° there. Everyone had a great time in spite of the cold. All the kids even had a marvelous swim. From the top of the hill, the entire ocean was enveloped by fog. You wouldn’t know it by looking but there are quite a few boaters out there.
Once in awhile the fog lifts and you get a glimpse of the boats.
Sunday morning I had the bright idea to make scones. While cutting the butter into the flour I realized that I could drive to Starbucks and back before these scones would even make it into the oven. In fact I could actually walk to Starbucks and back home again, that’s how long this was going to take (and that’s also how close I live to Starbucks).
As you can see I persevered and enjoyed a terrific scone and pretty darn good coffee as well, all before lunchtime. Although it was a lot of work for just 8 scones, its very much like quilt-making. Sure you can make a bazillion trips to Wal-Mart in the time that it takes to create just one quilt, but you don’t need me to tell you why we spend hours at our sewing machines and quilting hoops rather than running down to the store and simply buying a $30 manufactured one at the 10 items or less register.

^_^ happy quilting!

This morning as I watered my tomato plants before heading out the door to a workshop in African Folklore embroidery, an unusual tomato caught my eye. When I took a closer look it wasn’t a tomato at all, it was one of my earrings hanging from the tomato vine. How it got there I’ll never know, but I just had to share. ^_^

Anyways, the African Folklore embroidery is simply awesome. I’ll post more about that this weekend. I want to include a bit about Leora’s lecture tomorrow (at Citrus Belt Quilters in case you’re local). I can tell you this right now, you will be seeing a lot more hand embroidery on my future quilt blocks, that is certain.

The June issue of Cotton Spice quilting magazine is now available online (and it’s free)! While you’re there, be sure to check out my Quilt Charms article. They’re what all the best dressed cell phones and flash drives are wearing this summer.
As always, happy quilting! ^_^

Kay asked me how Zephy did at Houston. I was quite pleased with the judges’ comments. They recommended more quilting and more variety in bead placement, both of which I can understand. (Check the detail image here to see for yourself.) The best features mentioned include: appliqué technique, binding, creative pattern, and embroidery/embellishment use. I’m encouraged by their comments as I make plans for my next BIG beaded quilt, aka “Quilt M”.

Rian mentioned enjoying “glorious grits” in Houston, so I tried some before I left. They were not bad, but I’m not going to give up my Irish oatmeal for grits any time soon.

I’ve been busy beading recently. Here’s one piece I’m almost finished with. I like the color combinations that come out in my jewelry. I might have to make a quilt or two using the beads’ palettes.

Houston day two, aka Something to do in Houston other than Quilt Festival. Our original plan was to do the quilt show over the weekend and visit the Children’s Museum of Houston on Monday. Only I didn’t realize that the museum was closed on non-summer Mondays. So I rearranged our schedule at the last minute and we visited the Children’s Museum on Sunday instead. Sure there were some things at the show that I had reserved to come back and do and see the next day, but even just the one day at the quilt show was outstanding. And there will definitely be other years to spend more days at Quilt Festival as well. My DD will not be little forever.

And surprise, there were quilts to be found even at the Children’s Museum. Here is a traditional Gullah quilt made by an intergenerational group of youth and elders, and led by Michelle Barnes of the Community Artist Collective.
Next is a story quilt, Gullah Ooman, made by Vermelle “Bunny” Smith Rodrigues. This quilt tells the story of her Gullah ancestors from their life in Africa before the Europeans arrived, the hardships of slavery, and the emancipation of the Gullah and other African people.Here is Annika at her favorite exhibit, Wireless Ping Pong. The idea is to learn about cell phone technology by sending a series of ping pong balls with words written on them to a person at a station in another part of the museum. That person can then send ping pong ball messages back to you. They will come down through the other tube.If you look up you can see the ping pong balls traveling through the tubes to their destination.After a busy day at the Children’s Museum we headed back to the convention center to pick up my quilt.I was glad to have my quilt back again after all those months. I was also very pleased with the judges’ comments. Now I have to put those comments to good use and start on my next quilt!

happy quilting!