Puttering...

It's a tote!

No... it's a squished up piece of fabric.

See, the button in the middle? I was messing around trying to come up with a bag that could be folded and stored as an extra. In the end, I think I decided that the bag's so nice it could be used for every day, not just hidden in some one's purse or car as an extra. Anyone care to weigh in? I'm whipping some up for a craft sale in November. I'd love to hear people's opinions....

How can it be Tuesday, already?

We needed a slow weekend around here. And that's just what it was. Now suddenly the week is flying by again. It felt really nice to spend the bulk of last weekend with my husband and kids... some fishing, some hiking, some sewing, some hanging out, some weeding in the garden. More and more in the past year I have noticed that we do that. We have settled into a steady rhythm that is very comfortable. There was a time when I needed a whole day to escape from young kids, but now I find myself wanting to do more and more just the four of us. Maybe it takes six years (since the birth of our first) for everything to come together.

This is a little stuff sack that I made this weekend for my daughter out of fabric that she chose. She wanted something to hold her buttons which are the rewards she's received at school. (What's not to love about a teacher who gives buttons for rewards?!) It is truly fascinating how my daughter covets these buttons, looking at them, arranging them, lovingly storing them away. She "recorded" them on a cut out of her hand. Twenty buttons with room to add more, all carefully kept in her monkey sack.

This is a quilt that she and I finished. She chose the fabrics and then sat at the machine. She sewed the strips up, working the fabric under the foot as I pressed the peddle to control the speed. We were quite the team and she was so excited to sew on my machine. She asked me to quilt it with hearts, flowers, and swirls in hot pink thread. Yes, she's an average six year old girl, I've come to accept.

I hand sewed the binding for her when she lost patience with this part of the process. It totally warmed my heart to walk out the next morning to find her doll's bed all set up with the pillow and quilt that we made along with a doll quilt underneath made for her by a dear friend. (This sweet doll bed came from friends whose daughter is now sixteen. That sixteen year old also made it up for her dolls and stuffed animals when she was a little girl.)

It's kind of hard to explain, but I don't think my daughter could have expressed her gratitude any more deeply. Watching her play with the things that we've made together because she requested it... well, it's just such a reminder that I'm living the kind of life I want to live.

Soft spot for sock monkeys

I've got one... a soft spot for sock monkeys. I'm not exactly sure why because I don't specifically remember having one, but they were a part of my generation. Really though, what's not to love about a monkey?

So, I've made some more and they're in my shop. I downsized and made some sets with Crayola colored pencils too. It keeps the roll a little less pricey. Now, before you read the next paragraph I'll warn you that I have a serious bias. (Told you, I'm full of opinions.)

This is my sales pitch for the German made Faber-Castell. They're really just phenomenal for the $6 price difference. The pencil lead is thick and flows over the page. The colors blend. The triangular grip encourages proper hand position for young ones. They really are an artist's dream; I want to grab them up and start drawing. My guess is they last a lot longer too. They're made from wood that is from the company's own reforestation project. Do I sound like a Faber Castell rep? I could be, but I'm not. I really just love their products and I've noticed that my daughter intuits the differences in quality art supplies when she uses them. It's not like I stand over her and tell her which one I think is better. She just gravitates again and again to the higher quality art supplies. Even if you're going to make a roll of your own, consider purchasing these.

So there you go... sock monkeys and my favorite colored pencils. A nice combination for anyone. Should I ask Faber Castell for a commission on my sales?

I shouldn't have...

... but I did. I just get itchy to cut and piece fabric sometimes. I like the repetitiveness of it, and how it all comes together. Yes, the difference between meditation and addiction can be a mighty fine line sometimes.

Chinese stacked coins quilt top. For more inspiration, visit the Flicker group here. If you're brand new to quilting and want to give this design a try, there's a wonderful tutorial I found here on the right side of her blog.

There is something...

... about feeling happy. Just because. Not because life is necessarily perfect or without it's problems. There is something truly remarkable about feeling content. Yes, it is fleeting, like every other transitory moment or emotion in life. But are ya with me? There is just something spectacular about smiling and feeling happy.

First Friday of September

We're camping this weekend and so excited about it. This is the first time we've gone since the second one came along. Ahem... he's three now. I love Autumn in Western North Carolina, and it's felt so much that way this week. Cooler temperatures and a subtle shifting of colors all around; it's difficult to come inside and focus on what should be getting done. Definitely a spectacular time to be trying out the family tent. I'm looking forward to sleeping out under the stars, drinking wine with friends, and lettting the kids romp. Hope that you all have a wonderful, long weekend as well. See you next week!

Making the best of what we got!

These tomatoes are pretty much the prize from our garden. All of the other heirlooms blighted, beside for our sungold cherries. It's difficult to complain. Last year it was so dry that we never saw a tomato reach this size. Everything just sizzled up in the sun. This year, our produce was doing laps in their own swimming pool. Go figure.

We were lucky enough to have a friend share some of her tomatoes grown in her greenhouse. They were superb and so unbelievably sweet; I couldn't believe we were eating tomatoes. We ate them plain, with basil and mozzarella, and then we tried the Backseat Gourmet's recipe for panzanella. So quick and easy, and quite a hit with my family. This is Cheryl's picture of her recipe below. ( She's a much better food photographer than I am. Actually, she's also an amazing quilter, so go check that out too.)

It definitely feels like we're trying to hang on to the last vestiges of summer as we gobble down tomatoes and basil. Soon, I need to get busy making pesto. We freeze it in cubes and eat on it all winter, pretending we have summer in our mouths.