Sew Fresh Fabrics Sponsored Giveaway!

I am thrilled to welcome Sew Fresh Fabrics as a new sponsor for During Quiet Time. They have a wonderful selection of both solids and prints in their Etsy shop. I only wish that they had a storefront. Do you know why? They are nearby and I would love to be able to drive over there and see everything in person! I am lucky to have the opportunity to partner with fellow Massachusetts fabric lovers, Peg and Becca. The first time I ordered from them, they refunded some of the shipping charges after determining the proper postage. That sold me on the spot. I just received my most recent purchase, Kona Peony. I will show you what I am doing with that soon. I know that you saw the words giveaway in my post title and would like me to get on with it.

Sew Fresh Fabrics is offering a half yard bundle of all six prints of "Pooches and Pickups" by Laurie Wisbrun. I can see all sorts of possibilities for them. I think that the bucket hat that I just made for Timothy could be one great project.
To enter, just leave a comment here. For a second entry, go take a peek in their shop and tell me what catches your eye.
Using the random number generator, I will pick a winner on Sunday, June 5th.
Welcome Sew Fresh Fabrics and good luck everyone!

Kidlet

Kristie has been making some really sweet clutches lately and I managed to hoodwink her into a swap. She is sending me a clutch with a chain so I can wear it across my body, keeping my hands free to hold onto my kids. In return, she asked for a pouch or some sort of storage basket using "My Happy Place" silk screened fabric in a red and aqua combo. She is also getting the remaining "My Happy Place" scraps and a Modern Blooms applique to add to one of her clutches.
The Kidlet is a fun little project. It's intended to hand on a door knob. The free tutorial is here.

"Mary's Fancy Sash Dress"

I won a copy of "Girl's World" by Jennifer Paganelli from a giveaway at a lovely blog called Flossie Teacakes. The giveaway included an online sewalong class for the cover dress, "Mary's Fancy Sash Dress" and a discount on "Queen Street" fabrics from Fabric.com in order to make that dress. While I didn't join in on the class, I took advantage of the discount and purchased fabric to make dresses for both Lily and Penelope. I was a little worried when I read the pattern and it described the dress as loosely fitting and able to slip over the head.

I went ahead and gave it a shot and have to say that I am disappointed. The necks are very big and gaping, even though I measured the girls' sizes properly. Lily's dress stayed on her shoulders fairly well but Penny's just kept slipping off her shoulders. Perhaps it will be more suitable for her next year. I think it will be long enough as I hemmed them with this thought in mind. The sashes also seem much longer in person than they did in the photograph. I think I may have Lily use Penny's sash this year. The other dresses in the book look like they have a bit more fit to them and the Josie dress has a zipper. I think I am most inclined to try that one next. I think that a slip on dress without any zippers or buttons just might be too good to be true for my liking at least.
I chose the picture above because I love the "monkey see monkey do" posing. Penny just loves to copy Lily and it drives Lily crazy!

Bloggers' Garden Tour Starts Here!

Yesterday, I replied to a comment from Carol and we started talking flowers. She had a wonderful idea; a bloggers' garden tour! I thought I would start up today! Each Sunday I will post a Blogger's Garden Tour linky and you can link to your blog posts from the week showing pictures of your yard, veggie gardens and flowers. I hope you will join in!
(I can't get the links to show up on my blog because my blog can't run the script. Maybe someone can help me with that? So you need to click below to see the links and to add yours. They will not appear as thumbnails below but rather on the host site.)

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Busily Gardening

I have been busily gardening for the past few weeks, whenever the rain would let up! This is an overview of my Williamsburg style garden (in layout only, not in plantings). I took the photo from the hayloft window in the barn. The bearded iris are beginning to bloom and the peonies have buds. The ground phlox and basket of gold have just gone by. My garden has the most color in mid summer due to my collection of various colored daylilies. I enjoy gardening as much as I enjoy sewing. Gardening is often more frustrating though because moles, deer, grubs, aphids and drought tend to leave my fabric alone but not my flowers.

My lupine are just beginning to bloom. They are a favorite of mine. And see that tree peony? My father gave it to me a few years ago and it is a slow grower but those blooms are so worth it! I am enjoying a few inside along with lily of the valley.

Orange is not one of my favorite colors but every now and then, a pop of orange is just the right thing. I love this combination of lavender and orange in my garden right now.

I love this orange fabric that I just purchased too. Perhaps it will be just the right pop of orange in some upcoming project. I just couldn't resist the sweet design.

This is my favorite ground cover, hands down. It's such a pretty shade of blue.

And the scent of lilacs bring me right back to my childhood.

The columbine are still going strong.

I had better get back out there and continue weeding and mulching. I just came in for a quick break.
I'll see you tomorrow with pictures of the girls in their new dresses as long as the weather cooperates.

Reversible Bucket Hat

Here is my last project from "Oliver + S Little Things to Sew." My son requested a reversible bucket hat. It took a fair amount of work so I was relieved when it fit! He is 8 and the size 6-8 years, large, fit him perfectly. I didn't have any boy fabric so my friend Amy pulled through and hand delivered some fabric from her shop...gotta love that. I used Michael Miller's tiny gingham in lime and "Honk Honk" in brown.

I love that it is truly reversible. The hat wasn't difficult to make but it takes some time to clip the seam allowances and pin the hat pieces.

This part made my eyes crazy. When stitching the 1/4" top stitching around the brim, I had super tiny lime gingham spinning while I was focusing on trying to achieve perfect lines! It was so hard to look at!
I am on a kids' sewing kick at the moment. I am partly through two new dresses for the girls but then I am back to quilting. I have a couple of project planned but not yet started!

"Cozy Winter Hood"

I know what you are thinking...did she just say "Cozy Winter Hood?" Yes, I did. Yes, it is the end of May. Yes, it is actually hot here in New England today. However, the copy of "Oliver + S Little Things to Sew" that I borrowed from the library is due back today and I decided at the last minute that I wanted to make a couple more things before returning it!

I had my eye on the "Cozy Winter Hood" for Penny and somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered a piece of thick off white fleece that was up in the attic left over from a baby blanket that I made for Timothy over eight years ago now! Miraculously, I found said fleece and there was exactly enough left for this hood! I lined it with pink stretch linen leftover from Penny's Easter coat. I have to say that the combination of the fleece and stretch linen, both of which had a bit of give, made it a breeze to sew those curved seams. The hat went together in a half hour and is really cute. Penny loves it so I had to quickly hide it away till the fall lest she melt.

I took this picture because I love the way her little curls stick out!
I made one more project from the book and I will share pictures tomorrow!

A Winner!

And the winner of the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day prize is number 858,
"PT_Sarah said...

I love this bag and the fact that you print your own fabric!

Sarah"
Congratulations Sarah! Thank you everyone who entered! I am really shocked by the number of people who commented (and delighted that you all like my work!).

A Pillow Swap

If you are here for the Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day click here.

My blogging friend, Nicolette, and I arranged a private pillow swap! She blogs at Dutch Comfort. A little while ago, I shared pictures of this kaleidoscope pillow that I sent her.

I received this beautiful half square triangle pillow in return! I put it on the floor here so that I could capture a bit of our bookshelf in the background. Doesn't it match nicely?? Her color choices were perfect for our room. I always love linen and half square triangles too.

This pillow will join the party on my office bench. The book pillow couldn't participate in this photo shoot because it's inside the new pillow cover at the moment! I need to get another pillow form (and one that is a little bigger too!).
Thank you very much for the fun swap Nicolette!

iPhone Pouch Tutorial

If you are here for the Sew, Mama, Sew giveaway click here.


A couple of days ago, I made a linen iPhone pouch for my son's teacher. I'm back today to share a tutorial with you in case you'd like to make one. This is the sample that I made using some fussy cut Sherbert Pips on the front. I loved swinging as a child so this one is for me to keep! I don't have an iPhone but my cell phone fits in here along with a credit card and license.
When you print the pattern, please remember to print it at 100% scale or else your phone will not fit! The finished dimensions of the pouch are 3" x 5."

iPhone Pouch Tutorial.pdf

iPhone Pouch Pattern.pdf

This tutorial is for personal use only. Please do not sell items made from this pattern.

One of my blogging friends suggested that I put links to my tutorials on my sidebar. It was something I had been meaning to do but hadn't so I added those just yesterday. Check them out by scrolling down.

Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day!

Welcome! I am participating in Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day. If you are new to my blog, I should let you know that I enjoy handprinting my designs on fabric and then incorporating this handprinted fabric into my projects. Today I am giving away a cosmetic bag featuring my silkscreen design called "My Happy Place." It's the fabric in the center with the little houses and apple trees! In the bag, there is a piece of my handprinted material for YOU to create something.

The bag is fully lined and has a cute little ribbon zipper pull.

The back is quilted, as well as the front.

I will choose a winner on Thursday morning, May 26th and ship on Friday (before the long weekend.)
Please make sure you leave your email address or that it is available in your profile. If I can't contact you, I will pick another winner. The winner will be chosen with the random number generator.
To enter, just leave me a comment; anything at all.
For a second entry, become a follower of my blog (or let me know that you are a follower) OR visit my etsy shop and tell me what you like best.

Another Cosmetic Bag

I received my second custom order for a cosmetic bag with "My Happy Place," much like the first sample I posted. This time, I thought I'd be smart about things and make two while I was at it. So there is one reserved listing and one twin in the shop...maybe for you? This time, the bag is backed in Michael Miller's Lil Plain Jane, an aqua and red floral print, and lined in the Aqua Ta Dot. The zipper ends add just a smidgen of Sherbert Pips.
I'll be back tomorrow for Sew, Mama, Sew Giveaway Day and later in the week with a tutorial for the iphone pouch.

iphone Pouch for Teacher's Gift

It's that time of year again! Timothy's 2nd grade teacher is never far from her iphone so we decided that an iphone pouch would be a great gift. My son did a little detective work and confirmed that her favorite color is green. With those two thoughts in mind, and the measurements of an iphone in hand, I drafted a pattern for this little pouch.

It's lined with one of my favorite Meadowsweet prints and has a velcro closure.

When I think green, I can't help but think of leaves. I used some of my favorite green scraps to applique little leaves on the front and back of the pouch.
I hope it is well received!

A Library Pillow

Who knew that people read what I write and remember it? Awhile back I said that I was going to make three pillows for the office bench that my husband built. I made this one and this one. Well, recently a previously quiet reader left a comment asking if I had made the third pillow and would I share a picture of all three. I then felt compelled to follow through! Sometimes you need that little nudge.
Since the bench is in our office/library, I thought that a book themed pillow cover would be fun. I was inspired by this bee block on Flickr.

It was a fun excuse to use a couple of selvages.

I used a book print from "The Grand Tour" collection by the Victoria and Albert Museum for the backing.

I had the most fun when it came to quilting. I freemotion quilted the word "read" over and over. I think that my freemotion cursive is neater than my handwriting. Pathetic!

I tried to take a picture of the bench but I have not yet resolved the window treatment issue so the light from the windows makes it tricky!

Potholder Pass Sign Ups

I can't believe that we are now on round 8 of the Potholder Pass! It's not just about potholders anymore. This round you will have your choice of swapping potholders with a summer/bbq theme, reusable grocery bags or linen tea towels. If you are crazy enough, you may sign up for all three!
Thank you to Amy for creating our button this round and to Alisa who created the potholder used in the image.
For all the details and to sign up, check out the Flickr group.

"My Happy Place" Screenprinted Material is Available!

My ink is in and I have begun printing and heat setting! I have some pieces of "My Happy Place" available in my shop now and will be adding more in the next few days (or maybe even today.)
Due to the limitations of my little home set up here, the fabric pieces measure 10.25" wide x 13.25" long. That is my maximum screen size. While I just love the look of the handprinted fabrics on my choice of Essex/Cotton Blend, there is something to be said for yardage too! I expect that some might want pieces larger than I can print. I have ordered a test print from Spoonflower and once I am happy with it, I will order some yardage for my shop as well. It is unlikely to be available till mid summer.
If you are looking for coordinates for "My Happy Place," I have a few recommendations!

I like this Michael Miller red and aqua bundle from Pinked Fabrics.

Have you visited Hawthorne Threads before? They have a "color grid" feature where you can isolate fabrics by color. I used this tool to search for the right shade of red and think that prints from the Riley Blake Sugar and Spice line would make for a really cute combination.
I have also found that I really like Moda's Bliss prints with my design. They work together well!

"My Happy Place" Armrest Pincushion

Here is a final project made from the last of "My Happy Place" test prints. I'm hoping that all these project inspire you to try some of your own once my fabric is available. I am hoping to add it to my shop midweek. For this armrest pincushion, I used my tutorial.

An armrest pincushion is a must for those who sew on the couch! It will save you and your loved ones from sitting on pins! Simply rest the pincushion over the armrest and hold your scissors, tape measure and other notions in the side pockets.

My print is used for the side pockets. The reverse side of the pincushion is made with Alexander Henry’s Farmdale apple print and is quilted with a free motion leaf design. The pincushion is stuffed with fiberfill and made with Moda’s Bliss dots in scarlet and pink. The binding is Kona chartreuse. These fabrics make for a cheery little combo.

You can fold the pockets under and store your pincushion like this when not in use...if that happens in your house!
This pincushion is in my shop.

Too Much Cuteness!

I asked my public library if they would buy a copy of "Oliver + S Little Things to Sew" by Liesl Gibson. And they did! I was flipping through it and just loved the vintage feel to the "Bias-Trimmed Apron" (page 36.)

I thought it would be another perfect project for some of "My Happy Place" silkscreen test prints! I used my hand printed fabric for the pockets. The apron itself is made of utility cloth with store bought red gingham bias tape edging. This apron isn't for sale; it's for my daughter Penny!

She helped me plant a Lemon Balm and some strawberries this afternoon and I snapped some pictures.

I had a very hard time self editing because she is so darn cute!

I hope you don't mind...there is still one more...