quilt designing...

I'm working on a custom quilt right now for a friend.  She wants a pottery barn-esq baby quilt with flower appliques, white chenille squares, and colored thread stitching and embroidery.  This is the design we've come up with so far.

The solid white areas are for a floral print that is still to be finalized.  We were excited to find pottery barn fabrics on etsy...hopefully one of them will be perfect! 

Marie has been raiding my closet again!  This time my thrift-store red heels (yes, an impulse purchase that I have nothing to wear them with!) with her blue Easter dress. 

She reminds me of Dorthey from the Wizard of Oz!

Be sure and check back here early next week...we're going to be hosting a review and giveaway with OttLite.  I'm sure you'll want the chance to win your own natural sunlight lamp!

Blessings,

Jessica

Summer Snapshot Update

(Elliot was so excited when he discovered he could cut a piece of construction paper into the shape of our state! Most mornings he eats his toast into the Oklahoma shape.)

(A cuddly quilt for a good friend's new baby.  Fabrics are "It's a Hoot" by MoMo, combined with pink minky and vintage hobnail chenille.)

(My lil' sister, Katie got engaged this month!  Aren't they cutie-pies??  And no, we're not making the wedding dress...she found an absolutely gorgeous one already!  Can't wait to see her in it!)

(Cowboy burp cloths for my sister-in-law's baby boy...this has been a summer of babies!)

(Marie wearing my tennis shoes around the house...she's my baby doll!)

(Sew Chic boutique nursing covers are now available in my etsy shop!)

(It's been a hot, hot, dry summer here...we are praying for rain and surviving by staying indoors, only venturing out to go to the splash pad or library storytime.)

(Last month we went out to visit my Great-Aunt Helen. I love this this lady and am so blessed every time we get to go visit her.  She and her brothers and sisters are a precious picture of what it looks like to grow older in the Lord with grace, faith, and lots of laughter!)

 

 (My kids are such goons!)

(And I don't know what I'd do without them!!)

(That's all for now, folks!)

Jessica

Bound Edged Tea Towel Tutorial

Saturday I needed a quick gift for a wedding shower at church the next day. I just wanted to do something simple and had a pack of plain tea towels on hand.  hmmm....

Mom had made me a couple of simple bound edged tea towels for my birthday several years ago and I LOVE them.  She made them to match my kitchen curtains, but I use them to cover up my sewing machines...because... well if I used them in the kitchen, they'd get ruined, you know!

Here's quick tutorial in case you want to make some up for yourself!

I edged two sides of my towels.  Start by cutting two long stripes about 2 inches wide and several inches longer then the towel edge you wish to bind.  Fold over 1/4 inch and press one side of each long strip.

Next, line your raw edge of the long strip against the towel about 1/4 inches from the edge of the towel with the right side of your fabric facing the wrong side of the towel.  The folded edge you just ironed should be toward the left.  Stitch it in place about 1/4 inches from the raw edge of the fabric (about 1/2 inches from the edge of the towel).

Once that's sewn, press the fabric strip open...it's looking pretty!

After pressing, flip the towel over, turn down the top and bottom raw edges that hang over a couple inches and then fold the pre-pressed edge over onto your stitching line that was just sewn, creating a smooth corner.  Pin along the length if necessary.

Finally, use a medium zig-zag stitch and sew the folded edge down, backstitching at the top and bottom. 

That's it!  You're finished!

Blessings,

Jessica