Sugar Sugar

Perhaps one of my most favorite aprons ever:

Flower Sugar Apron

This little frock of cuteness was stitched from my stash of Lecien Flower Sugar. Don't you just love the bright flowers & scallops?  It's so reminiscent of vintage linen tea towels & tablecloths - the ones with the border prints of florals or fruits.

Keeping with the theme, here are a few similar vintage items from my collection - a well loved fruit theme tea towel & pretty poppy tablecloth. 

Vintage lovelies!

Both have border prints and are wonderfully soft from years of use.  I actually use my vintage linens, but this particular towel has been retired since the print is so faded.  I would hate to see the pretty design disappear!
This apron will be posted for sale in my shop shortly.  As with all my items, every piece is one of a kind - so get this cutie while you can!

Have a sweet Thursday!

Ticker Tape in Pink

Ever since I can remember, my mother's sewing machine has never had a proper cover.  Over the years she draped it with a blue & white stiped terrycloth towel which would now be considered retro.  I figured that after all the sewing my mom did for her family, the least I could do was contribute a pretty new cover for her machine.

Instead of regular patchwork, I went with a quilted ticker tape cover.  I had admired this technique from other blogs & had stored it away in my idea binder for just the right project (a great tutorial can be found here).  I like the thrifty concept of using tiny scraps - no, not trying to be cheap mom, just trying to weed out the scrap bin a little.  So I picked out some of my cutest pink scraps & went to town!

A bunch of fabric yumminess!

 Essentially, the cover is a doll quilt with ribbon sewn into the binding as side ties.  The options with this design are endless, and since they are simple to make, you will want a whole wardrobe for your machine!  Wouldn't it be great to do covers for the different seasons??

Candy striped ribbon to match.

In the meantime, I am working on a very special project that I can`t post yet.  For a hint, check out this cute inspiration at Monica`s blog (aka Happy Zombie).

Have a sweet Monday!

Cathedral Windows

One of my favorite quilt blocks.

Pretty & fresh cathedral blocks.

This block looks more complicated than it is - it's actually a very simple project.  It's also the perfect way to showcase bold prints & play with bright colors.  I pulled out my cheerful 30's reproduction fabrics for a red, white & blue theme.  Against the white, these colors & prints really stand out!

The finished block.

I bound the block to a coordinating feedsack backing that was double batted & quilted in rows.  The finished project is a very sophisticated trivet/potholder.  I added an embroidered stitched loop so it can be displayed on a wall as a cheery accent.

Pretty front & back!

If you would like to try this block, Heather at A La Mode has this great tutorial on her blog.  I used a combination of her techniques with block instructions that I currently have on file.  I have seen many versions of how to piece this block, so you may want to try out some different variations to find what works well for you.

Complete & ready for it's new home.

Have a sweet Wednesday!