a pretty tablecloth and a little fabric gripe

Don't you wish this was on your Thanksgiving table?  Me, too.  I just sent this tablecloth off this morning,  If the postal service does it's job, it will get to it's destination by Tuesday.  Arriving in plenty of time to catch those inevitable gravy spills.

I was lucky to get this Joel Dewberry sparrow fabric.  The day after I placed my order I received a phone call from the nicest lady at Quilt Home.  She was calling to tell me that the fabric had been discontinued ( I knew that---this was the only place I could find any), and that they only had 3 yards and 11 inches of the 4 yards that I had ordered.  Luckily they had a 3/4 yard piece as well, that was added, and all was well.  She told me this was one of the most popular fabrics they've ever carried, and was surprised they still had any at all.  Thank goodness!

This leads me to spout off on something that irks me a bit as a major fabric consumer.  Why oh why don't designers keep producing fabrics that are insanely popular?  I'm no business genius, but doesn't this make sense?  Amy Butler, thankfully, is continuing to produce some of the most popular prints from her discontinued Lotus line. Nothing is more frustrating than finding the perfect fabric for a client's project, only to find that there is none to be found , and if there is, they want $30 a yard plus your first born.

My favorite discontinued fabrics:

Amy Butler's entire Forest & Sunbloom lines. 

Heather Ross' gnomes, bikes and VW's.  They were the best for kid's items.  Vintage, fun, and perfect. 

And this one, well, I had better get it while I still can.  My couch needs two more pillows.

myrtle eats

My cooking journal/blog is up and running.  A big thanks to Brianna for my headers.  She was amazing to work with.  She designed a fun header I'll be happy to see greet me whenever I wander over to enter a new recipe.  Follow her link over to her Etsy shop.  Her prices are extremely reasonable.  I hope you give her a consideration if you are in the market for such a thing.

I am drowning in orders due to the dreaded flu hitting our house last week.  I am grateful for tamiflu, understanding clients, a two year old who naps, and the fact that I am a major morning person.  Just a few of the things that are allowing me to get back on track.  The start of the Holiday season is no time to be behind! 

I was rereading last year's post about simplifying Christmas.  Thank goodness I started that last year, because this Christmas, and the ones to follow are going to be a comparative breeze to the years pre-2008.  My kids are really excited about our second year of the "want, need, wear, read" tradition, and I'm almost done shopping.  Love it.  Bring on the Holidays!

swimsuits in November

You are likely well acquainted with the "modest t-shirt companies". Sadly, my favorite is going out of business. They are having a great going out of business sale that is not to miss. Check it out. My recommendation: the swimsuits. The one I purchased from Modbe two years ago is still my favorite and going strong. That is no small feat, because I am beyond finicky in the swimwear department. Who doesn't like shopping for swimsuits in the middle of November?

And no, Mr. G. (If you're reading this) I did not buy another swimsuit. Nope. I have restraint. I'm just recommending that others do not. ;)

Happy bargain shopping!

in full disclosure

Lest anyone think I am anywhere near perfect, or that my seam ripper doesn't get much use, I offer this post. I had a couple of flubs this weekend. Luckily, they weren't on orders--just projects of my own. I'm less upset when I mess up on my own dime.

The first flub was a bag that I thought would be a cinch. I free styled this, and in the end my free spirit bit me in the butt! In theory the design worked, but in the end, it was far too bulky for my machine. Sad. It had such promise. I'm sure I'll pick it apart one of these nights and try something new. At this point though, I don't want to look at it ever again.

Flub number two really gets me. I do so many shower curtains these days, I feel like I could almost sew one with my eyes shut. I was making one this afternoon, and didn't double and triple check my measurements like I always do. As a result, I ended up with 11 slots at the top instead of the standard 12. Not a huge deal, it just won't match up with the holes on a standard vinyl liner. It is currently selling at a discount in my Etsy shop. Personally, the one less slot wouldn't bother me a bit, so I figured there would be someone that would love to have it.

While you are over in my Etsy shop, ( if you are inclined to visit), you'll notice a couple more additions:

A Custom Tablecloth:

Aren't these colors beautiful together? This particular one was a client order. I love it when someone orders something that I love so much, I want to keep it for myself.

and Custom Wide Legged Lounge Pants:

I'm excited to get working on some of these for Holiday orders.


Speaking of the Holidays, I'm taking my two flubs this weekend as a sign that I need to slow down! If last year is any indication, things are about to get a little bit crazy.

elephant crossing

I have seen my share of roadkill here in Oklahoma (and your share, and yours and yours). I've seen possums, skunks, squirrels, and the occasional raccoon. And that was just on my way home from Target today. You think I'm kidding?

Speaking of roadkill, when I saw this story in the Tulsa World today, I laughed right out loud. My favorite quote from the article:

Carpenter joked about being involved in such a bizarre accident on what is usually a peaceful church night.
"I don't know what was in the wine, but it must have been pretty strong," he said.

Only in Oklahoma.

bloom and such

Anne over at BLOOM asked me to do a little sewing post and I was thrilled to do it! I decided to share a tutorial for a quick and easy embellished towel that makes the perfect teacher's gift, thank you, or hostess gift. Heck, a stack of these would be the cutest bridal shower gift of all. Speaking of teacher's gifts, am I alone in giving the understated, if anything at all? I'm not kidding when I say that I have seen LARGE Saks Fifth Ave or Nordstrom bags being given to my daughter's teachers over the years. Again, not kidding. And what does that say about these mothers that they didn't put their gift in a regular gift bag? Or, maybe they felt the need to put the perfectly fine modest gift in the fancy-shmance bag. What does THAT say? Oh, I am digressing aren't I? I have way too much sewing to get done today to be doing this. Anyway, this is what my girls' teachers will be receiving this Christmas. And I'm not putting them in fancy bags, either.

Check out my tutorial here, and have a lovely Wednesday!

what I like about bathrooms

Do you know what I love about bathrooms? They are the only room in your house that doesn't have to coordinate with any other room. You can go crazy with whatever patterns and colors you want. I'm into that. Why not have a shower curtain that's as fun as this one? Not to say that there would be anything wrong with someone having a completely pink decor... You could, right? Not me, but someone.
I had a neighbor growing up that had a purple house, cars (all of them), carpet, walls, you name it. I'm not joking. I thought that was cool when I was a little girl. I think it's even cooler now. Not because I love purple, but because I realize how much her husband must have loved her. Seriously.


Speaking of shower curtains....I discovered that the large pieces I have left over from all the shower curtains I've been making are the perfect size for these yummy Amy Butler lounge pants.



I love when stuff works out like that. Hopefully I have enough time this month to get some made and in my Etsy shop before the Christmas rush hits.