Friday, September 13, 2013

coffee date Friday



I thought I'd join Alissa's Coffee Date Friday this afternoon, just for fun! I don't often do linkups, but always enjoy them!



Tim Hortons. My favorite coffee place, and I wish the Canadian chain would open a location here in Washington, DC! I'd be such a happy girl! 


If we were having coffee together today, I'd possibly tell you how exhausted I am, and how much I need this cup of coffee! It's been a very busy week at work, with board meetings for two of the days, and I need a relaxing weekend.


This weekend though, will be very nice - Steve and I are traveling home to NH to visit my family! Today is Steve's birthday as well as my brother's birthday, and my family is also celebrating my brother's recent college graduation! So, lots of happy all around. We will celebrate Steve's birthday here in DC with friends next week, so the traditional birthday week will continue on! I'm taking him for dinner tonight. 


Labor Day weekend, we were in Iowa for a wedding, and we stopped at Steve's favorite hometown ice cream shop, which was a treat, as always! I had red velvet ice cream. Red velvet anything makes my heart happy, so I was pleased! 





I just ordered a bit of fabric from one of my favorite online shops. I found some fabric that I can use for a Christmas gift for my mother! I want to make a few more things this year than I did last, so I need to start early! I'm a slow quilter   :)    Also, I need to get going on some baby quilts I'm working on. Why can't I be a stay-at-home quilter?!?! 



Also! Scarlet Threads is introducing the new Chin Collection, and it's a beauty. We still have gorgeous aprons, including my favorite, Priscilla (those ruffles!), and they won't last long. 




Remember, if you need an apron or anything else from the Scarlet Threads collection, use the code lex25 for a discount on your pruchase! I feel so honored to be working with Carrie, Eileen, Hannah and the rest of the girls in this amazing organization. Empowering people through economic development is something that I feel so strongly about, and I love seeing the changes that these women are creating in their lives.


Also! I need to share a few new photos of my World Vision babies soon! They're getting so big, and I just love when they send progress reports and new pictures. 


In other sweet news (hehe!), I tried a cannoli cupcake from Crumbs last week and it was life-changing. I know I can;t even these as often as I wish I could, but boy-oy-boy....





Trust me, it's as amazing as it looks!
(filed under, cupcake junkie) 


What does your weekend look like? Any big plans going on? 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

a wee bit of sewing


I feel like I haven't had time for much sewing lately at all, and I'm behind, as I have a million projects to do...and then, every time I read quilty blogs and magazines, I see more ideas that I want to try! Eeeek! How do I become a stay-at-home quilter? 


I've made a few minis lately, which is nice, as they are usually finished in one day, so it's a bit of instant gratification. Also, minis are a good way for me to practice my binding (the part around the edge of the fabric that holds the pieces together), as this part is the hardest for me. I know what to do, and how to do it, but it never quite seems to work for me! 


This one is made with a fabric line called Cuzco by Kate Spain. She is one of my favorite fabric designers, and has the most lovely prints. For this, I used a tool called Lil' Twister, which allows you to cut and twist the fabric in interesting ways. 






I'm not sure what this fabric is called- it's not something I'd normally pick! My mother's local quilt shop in NH had a mystery grab bag challenge a few weeks ago. It was $10, and you would receive a small brown bag with two pieces of fabric in it. You could add a third fabric, whatever you wanted, but just one, and then make something. This is just about 12x12 inches square. I mailed it back to the shop where they were displayed, and customers could vote for their favorites. I didn't win anything, which I wasn't expecting to at all, but it was neat to try something new, though the pattern I did isn't terribly original! 





Also, now that fall is here, Katie's 100 Quilts for Kids is ongoing! In this charity drive, she asks that people make a baby quilt to donate to a local organization of your choice. There are prizes too! Of course, this has been going on since July, and I am just now getting started. As usual, I'm way behind. 


If you're in the DC area, we have an upcoming sewing day that we'd love to have you participate in, if you can! We'll be working on charity quilts, or anything of your choice, if you'd prefer. Come join us! 


http://swimbikequilt.com/2013/07/100-quilts-for-kids-charity-quilt-drive-starts-today.html


Come sew with us!