And our winner is...

...Mel G, with comment 23. Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and left a comment, including special guest EllynAnne Geisel, author of the scrumptiously lovely The Kitchen Linens Book!

Here's a peek at one of my favorites in my own linen collection, a vintage embroidered table scarf from Trina.

One hundred

Well, now, here I am at 100 posts. Have I mentioned that I adore the online community of sewing bloggers, and I cherish the kind, encouraging, and inspiring comments you--my dear readers--leave for me? Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts!

In the spirit of sharing, I have a like-new copy of The Kitchen Linens Book to give away. If you're interested, leave a comment and O will randomly select a winner on Monday night, 7:30 p.m. EST, just before her bedtime.

P.S. A shout out to my mother, whose birthday is tomorrow. I made her this tote bag from Last-Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts. Happy birthday, Mom!

Whooo can't stop embroidering towels?

I just finished another owl towel, this one in the nick of time to give to a special teacher at tomorrow's kindergarten graduation. (Owls are the school mascot.)

Tree of Life

My mother made me this "Tree of Life" afghan for Easter. The photos don't adequately show the color; it's a lovely, soft tone of yellow (my favorite color). I'm amazed by the intricacy and the fact that Mom knitted this challenging pattern in about a month.









































Happy Mothers Day, Mom, and thank you for teaching me how to create beautiful things.

A dress for O

I took this photo at the end of the schoolday, and I'm afraid my little diva isn't as enthralled with Mama's creations as she used to be. After I made this dress, she said, "I actually don't need any more clothes, Mom." But it was fun to work with the darling fabric--a Japanese interpretation of the Wizard of Oz, featuring a blonde Dorothy.

I finally built one!

After drooling over the Spring Boden catalog this morning, I was inspired to make my own "Built by Wendy" top. I used the size 10 pattern, expecting it to be large enough to shrink nicely...but it's actually a little tight, even after I narrowed the seams to 3/8 inch. Still I'm quite pleased; it's been years since I've sewn clothing for myself. I figure I can wear it as long as I'm not going out for a big dinner.

My Happiest Tax Day Ever

No, I’m not getting a refund. In fact, I had to use that other IRS label…the one for the payment voucher…but let’s not talk about that. What made today so wonderful is the package that arrived from Jessica, my partner in Lindamade’s Patchwork Swap.

Jess sent a happy orange box filled with so much color and wonder that I can hardly stand it!


















Vintage and other gorgeous fabrics, ribbons, lace, ric-rac, trims, an embroidery pattern, a darling deer pin, colorful labels, and a charming little box of lovelies from her button collection.






























And then there are the sweet handmade coasters (!) and another package of the most wonderful fabric scraps for my crumb quilt...pieces she cut from favorites in her collection of vintage fabrics. And these aren't just scraps tossed willy-nilly into an envelope, either. They're carefully trimmed, artfully arranged little gems!















I couldn't have asked for a more thoughtful (and generous!) swap partner. Big thanks, Jessica, for making my day!

Happy Easter

One of the last eggs to be found in the hunt.














Spoils from the lambie cake.

Taxes due? Make a potholder!

I couldn't sleep last night from worrying about the fact that I haven't yet done my taxes. So I got up at 4:30 a.m. and sewed a potholder. I feel much better now. Maybe I'll go back to bed...

It's all about the cats.

This post was going to be about a new afghan I've started, but Sunshine (Violet's sister) was determined to steal the show.

36 squares

I fit in quite a bit of pleasant sewing time this weekend...and finished all 36 squares for the Mod Sampler quilt. Now I can't move forward until I select a sashing color, and I'm having a heck of a time with that decision. Jeff votes strongly for white, but as far as I'm concerned, more color equals more happiness. I'm leaning slightly toward a subdued yellow like the one in the print that's paired with the orange solid. Thoughts, anyone?

Therapy

What with the gloomy weather and a school decision weighing heavily on my mind, I've been down in the dumps. Today provided just what I needed...some warm sunshine and young pansies outside and new Mod Sampler quilt blocks inside.


















And a sweet little kitty always helps too.


















So do pep talks from loved ones. Thanks, Mom and Gina.

Plan B

The solids weren't quite working for me. There's a gorgeous quilt made of mostly solids in Denyse Schmidt Quilts that I've always wanted to make, so I checked it out again the other night and realized I didn't have the right color tones.

Yesterday on the way to Costco I told Olivia I needed to go to JoAnn and get some more colors and she retorted, "You don't need any more fabric, Mom. You want it. What are you going to do when all the shelves in your sewing room are full?" My suggestion that I add a fabric shelf to her room was met with disgust. What a little teenager, and she's only six. But I guess she had a point, so I came home and started fresh. Here's the result, and I'm much happier with it.














The prints are from last year's vintage sheet swap, which Elizabeth also hosted.

Colors for the Mod Quilt and an Afghan from Mom

I was thinking I'd use all solids for the Mod Sampler quilt, but now that I've photographed them I'm not so sure. I was toying with the idea of orange, red, or pale yellow for the sashing. Now I'm rethinking the entire palette. I have to admit it's a pleasant dilemma....














And I wish I could take credit for this lovely creation, but alas I'm not much of a knitter. My mother, on the other hand, can do it all. When I was little, she sewed clothes for my Barbies and me; knitted and crocheted afghans, hats, and mittens; embroidered at least one glorious picture for the wall; and made various holiday decorations. Then she grew tired of stitching for many years until she was inspired to get her knitting needles out of the attic last month...and promptly whipped up this delightfully soft afghan for Olivia.

Back in the sewing room

Just when I needed some inspiration for a new sewing project, Elizabeth at Oh, Fransson has begun a quilt-along. I'm thinking my lovely stack of Kona solids, a recent treat from Pink Chalk Fabrics, is going to be perfect for the Mod Sampler Quilt.

Cookies, and a Onesie for Baby "B"

I'm getting back into the swing of things, thanks to the big pink Amoxicillin pills that are knocking out my two-week sinus infection. Yesterday we made thumbprint cookies. Really Olivia made them; all I did was read the recipe and help with measuring. I'm so pleased that she likes to bake. And oooh, they were tasty! Between us we must have eaten 12 last night.














Also I finished and packaged (but alas have not yet mailed) this onesie for Doreen, who won the December giveaway and is expecting a baby girl in May.

Working on...nothing

I'm in a slump. I've had a cold for a week. I recently finished everything on my "to-make" list and as I sit around on the sofa with a stuffy nose and empty hands, I'm frustrated to be lacking the energy to decide what to make next. Sure hope this doesn't last much longer; I'm bored!

Here are photos of the Valentine gifts we gave O's teachers. Crocheted cotton washcloths and homemade glycerine soaps.

A snuggle robe, not a Snuggie

My sister-in-law requested a Snuggie for her birthday, so I placed an order and forgot about it. When her birthday rolled around two weeks later and no Snuggie had arrived, I decided that the order must not have gone through...so I bought a fleece blanket at Target and made my own. The result is much thicker than the "real" Snuggie (which of course arrived the day after I started sewing), and I think the zipper makes it more useful.

Here's the birthday girl (headless, per request) modeling the homemade "snuggle robe."

A herd of elephants

My new sewing buddy, Mary Clare, came over this morning and we collaborated on a baby quilt for a colleague. We'd agreed beforehand to embroider elephants on bleached muslin using a cadet-bluish color with a little splash of other colors here and there. Today we framed the five embroidered (plus four simpler) squares with red prints.














One of Mary Clare's elephants (I wish you could see her perfect, tiny stitches here!)...














And one of mine--with, I just noticed--quite a bit of "disappearing" ink remaining...














That last one was a free pattern from Andrea Zuill.

Another Pillow

This one is for Gina too. She had a bedskirt made from this luscious dupioni silk, and we collaborated on this little pillow with the leftovers.

I got a big kick out of covering the buttons. So easy! I see many covered buttons in my future.