~ Robin's Egg Blue ~

Years ago (many years ago) I cut this little picture out of a Victoria magazine and placed it in this little frame where it has since remained. I loved those pale blue eggs. I love pale blue ... along with a host of other blues.

Just recently one of my daughters gave me some pale blue egg ... soaps. They came in a different container but I placed them in this small etched bowl that I got on sale at Anthropologie ... also years ago.

I do believe that the eggs also came from Anthropologie. I love Anthropologie.

I love the little speckles.

I love how the little speckles match the brown straw.

I loved this picture that I came upon here (at JBiggsLittlePieces), so much so that I added it to my Pinterest Board that I like to call ... Just. Pretty.

I'm addicted to pale blue eggs. And to Anthropologie.

And to Pinterest.

How about you?

Linking to:
White Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Open House Thursdays

~ Flora & Fauna ~

I finished the "June Bug" quilt ... except for the binding.

What fun I had!

I loved every part of the (relatively short) process. The finished quilt will measure 30" square. It's not meant to be a bed quilt or even a crib quilt. Like most of the quilts that I make, it will be a piece of art hanging over her crib. Her two sisters each have one that also encorporates their name.

I had a little deja vu of a "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" variety. I loved creating grass and leaves and vines.

Bugs that crawled ...

And bugs that flew.

I sure hope my little June Bug knows how much I love her. 'Cause I do.

Linking to:
Freckled Laundry
Sew Happy Geek
Creative Me!

~ Go Ahead and Judge ~

A week or so ago ... I made this bookcover.

The outer fabric was from a scrap a friend had given me a couple of years ago. I purposely centered those lovely roses on the back.

I lined it with flannel because the front of my "book" is actually a screen and I wanted to protect it.

Then, in the process of designing my latest quilt, I got out my handy-dandy design notebook. I had forgotten that the same friend who gave me the fabric had helped me make this book cover, from a pattern she designed at Liberty Star.

She helped me with the construction and then I added the monogram on the front and the inside pockets. When I opened it up and saw the inside pocket I realized ...

... oh yeah, I had used that fabric before. Also to cover a book.

The back flap has a double-duty pocket.

Handstitched with some bright pink running stitches.

I love that the notebook is a graph book. I used it to design the appliques on my June Bug quilt.

Reading is a lot more fun than it used to be.

 Linking to:
Country Momma Cooks
Potpourri Friday

~ Color Day: TURQUOISE ~

The color turquoise did not make a statement in my home until I moved into this house. My proximity to the sea pretty much demands it. As does my Guest Bathroom ...

My Studio ...

The Master Bath ...

The Kitchen ...

And the Living Room.

Turquoise washed into my house on a frothy little wave.

Pretty soon I'll be able to surf on it.

Linking to:
Wow Us Wednesdays!
White Wednesday
Open House Thursdays
Turquoise Lovin'

~ Paper Passion ~

I have mentioned before how much I love "paper-piecing." For you non-quilters out there, this is a method to guarantee crisp points on even teeny pieces. You actually sew on the lines on a piece of paper ... and then you spend a great deal of time ripping the paper off.

But that's beside the point.

These pictures are of a sample of paper piecing blocks I did to advertise the class (on paper-piecing) that I was teaching.

Let me assure you that I wouldn't be able to handle these teensy-weensy pieces of fabric without this technique. (Although there are quilter who do and they have my undying admiration.)

I even did these Flying Geese blocks (easily done without using paper-piecing) to showcase the possibilities.

All of the blocks I used for that sample came from this book by Carol Doak. I just printed out the patterns off the CD and was able to pick the size I wanted. Way too much fun.

That isn't to say that I haven't designed my own paper-pieced blocks like these houses (seen in completion here) ...

... or this New York Beauty block (seen in completion here.)

Right now I am working on a quilt for my latest granddaughter. Her middle name is June. She is as cute as a bug in a rug. The letter blocks came from my Carol Doak CD.

The rest of the quilt will come from these fabrics.

Stay tuned.

Linking to:
Creative Me!
Sew Happy Geek
Made By You Monday
The Girl Creative