dessert party dress

Mary of Lake Pulaski made this dress from my Dessert Party collection for her sweet granddaughter. She used Kwik Sew #3775 for the dress. The hat tutorial she found here. If I had gotten a golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this is what I would’ve worn. I’m sure it would have won Willie Wonka’s heart and earned me the lifetime supply of chocolate.

(photos by Mary of Lake Pulaski)

rag and bone bindery trunk sale

I’ve been a fan of Rag and Bone Bindery’s beautiful crafted handmade books for quite some time. They have it all . . . hand-made photo books, albums, journals, guest books and a multitude of other stationery items made out of fabric. Today marks the beginning of Rag and Bone Bindery’s popular online Trunk Sale, featuring limited quantities of their handmade books in the latest designer fabric, including some of my fabric.

I was quite honored when I learned they selected my little turtles from my Urban Zoologie line to be a part of their collection.  Sweet, right? What’s even better is that items in the Trunk Sale are priced at 25% off of retail.  So, head over to  Rag and Bone Bindery to see all their lovely goods. The sale ends midnight, April 30th.

(photos via Rag and Bone Bindery)

fabric sighting: Sewn Toy Tales

I just had to share this stuffed giraffe with you. Meet Gerbera. Isn’t he cute? A friend emailed to share that he was in the Sewn Toy Tales book by Melanie Dekker and Rosalie Quinlan. It looks like a great book. And it made me smile that my fabric was part of such a cute giraffe. Thanks, Melly and Rosalie!

(photo via Melanie Hurston)

chevron fabric

I’ve gotten lots of emails asking about where they can purchase this chevron fabric. This little print was discontinued. But, I’ve got good news to share with you  . . . it’s coming back!  It’s being reprinted one more time (so stock up!). It should be in stores some time in May.

Also, congratulations to Martha who was selected as the winner of the Izzy skirt giveaway. Hope you love your skirt!

(photo by Kelle)

DIY pom pom pillow

Hello again! It’s Morgan is here from Sweet Stitches. I am here again to share with you this super fun pillow. Trimmed with pom poms and made with bright, happy fabric, this pillow is sure to make you giddy just looking at it!

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fabric sighting: argyle clutches

Clutches. This is on my list of things to get. A nice clutch for the spring and summer. Aren’t these sweet?  Made by Toriska.

(photos by Toriska)

custom “izzy” skirt giveaway

As spring is in full force and we’re all pulling out our spring skirts and clothes, I thought I would help spruce up your wardrobe a bit. So, I teamed up with the talented Karin of  K Bella Bambino to host a giveaway. One winner will be selected to receive a custom skirt made from my Izzy fabric collection. Take a look at how sweet K Bella Bambino skirts are. Perfect for spring, right?

izzy minky

My Izzy flannel designs are going to be on Minky fabric. Hip, hip hooray! Available in stores now.

(photo by Kelle)

fabric sighting . . .

I’m interrupting my “New York” post series, to share with you this sweet fabric sighting. I’ve featured Claudia’s work before, but she recently opened up a shop. And I couldn’t resist sharing with you her adorable bunnies, especially since there’s a lot of bunny talk with Easter being this weekend. Such a playful bunny!

(photos by Mirtilo)

fabric sighting

My sister and I loved playing with matchbox cars as kids. But, how fun would it have been to carry them around in their own little wallet. Look how snug the cars fit in the little pockets!  See all of them (and a bunch of other cute things) here.

(photo by My Happy Hobbies)

DIY covered seat cushion

I love thrifting. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I like finding old things and making them new again. Kinda like this chair. Head over there to the Petticoat Junktion blog to find out how Kathy transformed a $4.97 old chair into a playful one-of-a kind piece.

(photo by Petticoat Junktion)

fabric sighting . . .

I love these. I carry pocket tissues everywhere. They’re in my purse, in my car, etc. But, these would make carrying them a bit more fun, wouldn’t you say? Find more here.

(Photo by Sew Sweet Ladybug Designs)

introducing madeline

This one goes out to all you purple lovers. (I’m saying this in my “DJ” voice). Introducing my new flannel fabric collection, Madeline. (Totally off the subject, but have you noticed we name all my flannel groups after girl names? We had Sophie, Izzy and now Madeline).  Anyhow.  Madeline is set to ship to stores this spring. This will be the first time my fabric comes in purple. What are your thoughts on purple? It’s kinda a tricky color. I’ve had lots of people ask for purple fabric, though.

If purple is not your thing, we also have this color way.

My grandma is going to love this red fabric. It’s her favorite color and she loves making pjs out of my flannel. (I must remember to save her some!) Enjoy the sneak-peek.

(photos by Ann Kelle)

DIY Simple Girls Headband

Hi again! It’s Morgan here from Sweet Stitches with another sewing tutorial. As a follow-up to the headband tutorial I shared last week, I made a headband tutorial for little girls. My one year old daughter has hair half way down her back, so I always have to pull it away from her face. I came up with this simple headband to keep all the little whispies out of her eyes. Perfect for the summer!

With 2 kids, I’m all about fast and easy projects. This headband is so simple. All you need are 2 supplies. You won’t want to make just one! Go grab some scrap fabric and lets get started!

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slicker fabric giveaway

Head over to Jaybird Quilts blog to read all about it.

(photo by Ann Kelle)

fabric sighting

I “heart” Cherie of The Red Pistachio. We just finished working on a project together (I’ll share it soon) and I wasn’t sure if the colors I selected were going to work. But,  it turned out awesome . . . just like so many of the wonderful handmade goods in her shop. So, thank you, Cherie, for being brilliant. You’re simply one of the best!

(photos by The Red Pistachio)

fabric sighting . . .

These are the most sturdiest little fabric storage bins. Plus, they’re super cute and made by one of the sweetest gals, Christie. Visit her shop to see all of her beauties. Besides being a great organizer, it could also serve as a basket to hold goodies for a gift.

(photo by The Spotted Barn)

color crush

So, I thought I would fill you in on my current color crush. Mint. It’s colors like this that make me hesitant to officially declare pink as my favorite color. It’s such a relaxing color. I once painted my bedroom a light shade of mint. It was lovely. Come to think of it, when I first started my design business my logo was mint. I think my booth at the stationery show was even mint green, which got old to look at 24 hours later. Anyhow. Like I said, it’s colors like this that make it hard for me to pick just one. Pink better watch out because I’m totally smitten with mint right now.

(Photo credits: Girl in sweater, Happy Garland, Swatch watch, Clothespins,  Rose Ear Studs and Mint Mug)

DIY 10 minute headband

(Morgan is here from Sweet Stitches to share with you guys a SUPER simple tutorial . . . even I could make this with my minimal sewing skills).

Hi! I am so excited to be doing a guest-post here on Kelle’s blog! Thank you for having me! Got 10 minutes, some scrap fabric and a rubber band? Then you have all you need to make a cute and useful headband perfect for those bad hair days, working out, or hanging out!

I came up with this headband when I was pregnant with my daughter, for those days when I didn’t feel like fixing my hair. I probably made at least 10 just for me! It really is a very easy project, I hope you all get a lot of use out of it.
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cuddle talk

{Today we have an interview with Pat Wodskow of Cuddle Soft Quilt Kits. She’s going to talk to us a bit about cuddle  fabric, and even share a recipe with us}.

Tell us a little about yourself? I love to sew. I have made everything from my children’s clothing to quilts. I currently work for Shannon Fabric as a designer and consultant. It’s a great job; I get to make sample quilts at home and go to Quilt Markets to teach and work in their booth.  I also have my own web store where I sell quilt kits made from Shannon Fabric’s Cuddle fabrics. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family. I have seven children and 28 grandchildren.

Tips on sewing with cuddle? Cuddle Soft fabrics (sometimes called Minkee) are slick and stretchy. This makes them a little harder to work with unless you understand a few rules.  Here are a few tricks that I have found to be very helpful:

1. Using the spray adhesive, fuse the back and the batting together.
2. After you have secured the backing and batting together, trim so the edges are clean.
3. A size 90 stretch needle works the best.
4. A walking foot really helps.
5. The key in making this blanket look so great is the spray adhesive.
6. Use a 3/8”-1/2” seam allowance.
7. Freezer paper is a great protector when using the spray glue.
8. Cuddle soft fabrics are really washable. Don’t be afraid to wash and love your quilt.
9. When using a batting the “sew and flip” method works best using an 80/20 cotton batting.
10. To make a soft snuggle blanket use the same “sew and flip” method, but leave out the batting.

For more detailed tips head here.

Where can we find more information? My web site is www.cuddlesoftkits.com. In my shop I sell all kinds of kits. While I focus on babies I also offer some beautiful quilts for everyone in the family. These quilts are so washable and easy to make that it is fun to make one for everyone in the family. On the web site I offer some great teaching videos in the Learning Center that will help even the beginner make a beautiful quilt. I offer everything you need to make your quilt; the kit, the backing fabrics, the batting, the spray adhesives and even the needles.

Totally not quilt related, but what’s your favorite dessert? Raising seven children requires a lot of cooking!  I learned to love cooking as much as I do sewing. We made all kinds of wonderful meals. One of our favorite desserts is Soft Gingerbread. It came from a blender recipe book that I bought when I had my first baby. We love to serve it with warm applesauce and whipped cream. It is also really good with this caramel sauce. Find the recipe here.

(photos by Cuddle Soft Quilt Kits)

DIY decoupage stool

Today I have a special treat for you today. I love painted furniture. But, after unsuccessfully painting a lamp, I retired my furniture painting days and found Kathy. Kathy’s from my hometown Clarksville, TN. After seeing a decoupage project on her blog, I asked if she could do a tutorial for you guys. She came up with this adorable little stool using my Ready, Set, Go fabric. It’s the cutest and I love the look of distressed furniture.

I’m passing the blog post “baton” to Kathy. Hear all about how she made this sweet decoupage stool . . . she even took pictures to accompany her instructions.  (more…)

a quilt inspired nursery

I discovered Lay Baby Lay a couple of months ago and was hooked. Her playful nursery inspiration boards are all centered around clever themes. She finds the most adorable prints, cheerful furniture and builds a room that leaves me wanting to see what she’ll come up with next. I asked her to come up with an nursery inspiration board based on this awesome quilt Melissa made. (Pattern used is Julie’s Dot Party). I thought it would be fun to see how to use this quilt in decorating a nursery or child’s room. Here’s what Joni came up with. Isn’t it cute? And how did she know I love the movie Grease?

(1) ivanhoe light (2) lightning bolt  (3) vintage toy car shelf  (4) red car print (5) letter p (6) blue plush monster (7) london underground poster (8) wash. heights poster (9) target poster (10) cabs poster (11) street sign (12) love poster (13) white century crib (14) pouf (15) yellow dresser (16) quilt (pattern from Jaybird Quilts) (17) orange rug (18) glider

fabric sighting . . .

Cute little coin purses. See more here.

(photo by Heart 2 Handbags)

sneak peek

The weather is crazy here in Tennessee. Is it really Winter? It’s in the 60s today, which is really confusing me. I’m thinking we’re in the spring and summer is just around the corner. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s February. Looking at my new watermelon fabric didn’t help. After seeing these prints, it reminded me how much I love watermelon (might even be my favorite fruit). So, I went to the grocery store looking for watermelon. It wasn’t pretty and confirmed that it’s clearly not summer . . . not watermelon season. Oh, well. My watermelon fabric is shipping to stores now. And summer will be here soon enough.

(photos by Ann Kelle)