Icy cast

The light in February is gray and cold. But the quilts I hear tumbling in the dryer are warm and cheery. The frantic card game Speed is keeping our hearts racing. Curious dogs wanting to go outside to bark again and again are keeping our feet out the door.  And the forecast of snow is keeping us hopeful.  Warmer days will be here soon. Until then I will enjoy the icy cast of today.

-dana

Highs and lows

This one had her annual Sweetheart Ball this past weekend. She was crowned queen.

I sewed up a new tote late last week.  Before the dance.  Before my DSLR camera started acting funny. I seem to have now busted two lenses within the last eight months.

The Queen and I both have the flu.  All the couch time has allowed me the opportunity to get cracking on my embroidery stitch along.

Highs and lows.  Can't have one without the other.

-dana

Good days

These days have been so good.  The kind that fill me up and, at the end of the day as I close my eyes and settle into sleep, make me breathe deep with contentment, gratefulness and pure happiness.  I've been sewing big and small projects, perfecting my cake doughnut recipe, and working outside when the sun shines.

Simple. Everyday. Beauty.

-dana

P.S. I'm using the technique and free pattern from Westwood Acres for the hexagons in the first photo.  I will share my cake doughnut recipe once it is perfect.  The fabric in the last photo is Wee Wander by Sarah Jane for Michael Miller Fabrics.

Stitching Along

Awhile back I had an embroidery project going that I really enjoyed.  Since then, however, all of my supplies have been sitting idol. That is until I spied the stitch along happening on Stitch Supply Co. for their new Alphabet Sampler Embroidery Pattern.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the linen polka dot pictured.  I plan on heat transferring the pattern today and getting my floss colors together so that I can take this project with me where ever I go.  Are you stitching along too?

-dana

P.S. Visit Stitch Supply Co's blog for the stitch along schedule as well as frequent posts with additional instruction and tips.  They are also on Instagram as @StitchSupplyCo . They are posting helpful videos if you're unfamiliar with certain stitches so be sure to check it out.

What I've been working on

I've already mentioned that I've been working on making all 90 blocks of the Pony Club blocks from the book The Farmers Wife Pony Club by Laurie Aaron Hird.  Each block finishes at 8.5" square which seems small.  It seems especially small when you consider that many of the blocks have dozens upon dozens of pieces.  I've been rather singularly focused on my Pony Club blocks for weeks but two weekends ago I took a small road trip to meet up with a few friends for a weekend of sewing.

Lee and Nicole convinced me that I could cut and sew a quilt top in a matter of hours.  And I did.

And once home I've been right back to the Pony Club.  As of this moment I only have 14 more blocks to make. Now I'm dragging my heels.  Not because I've lost interest.  I liken it to a good book that you don't want to end so you slowly, very slowly, read the last few chapters.  That's how I feel about these remaining blocks. I kinda don't want them to end.

-dana

P.S. Are you making Pony Club blocks too?  Use the hashtag #ridethatponyclub on Instagram and Twitter so I can see 'em too.  Pretty please?

Patience and timing

I ran outside and snapped this photo of the daffodils reaching for the sun. In January.  Like they do every year. We've lived in this house 11 years and for many of those years I've stared at those January peeking daffodils and fretted. Worried they were too soon.  That they would freeze and the beauty would be wasted that year. But they are never wrong.  They burst from the frozen earth in the coldest month on the calender. All to bloom for a fraction of time in early spring.

Every January they remind me of patience and timing.

Nature is cool.

-dana

My book in a magazine? Say what?

It's not everyday . . . er, uh . . . It's not ever that I can say my book is in McCall's Quilting on newsstands now. Except today.  I can totally say that today.

I plan to talk about each quilt in the book and the story behind them soon.  Just as soon as I can get outside without tromping through snow, rain or mud to photograph them.  Until then I'm inside sewing up Pony Club blocks.

-dana