creative little daisy

Well I must not have been too bad,

I didn't get any coal in my stocking. How about you? I got as many gifts made as time would allow, the machine was humming right up to about 5:00 Christmas Eve. I must start earlier next year. We had a nice, low-key Christmas, just time with family, some good food, and of course, there were a few goodies under the tree. I'm so easy to please when it comes to Christmas. New underwear, (thanks Jessica)* some socks and I'm tickled pink. Throw in slippers and a gown and I feel like a princess. This year I felt like a queen, because not only did I receive all of the above, Santa, (aka Mitch) bought me a fancy, schmancy sewing machine cabinet.

I was fine with my shelving board and rubbermaid drawers, but this is so much nicer.  It has lots of room for all that stuff that accumulates around the sewing machine.

It has this plexi-glass thingie that allows the machine to sit flush with the table. Nice.

I kept the rubbermaid drawers and just rolled them under the cutting table along with some other not so pretty to look at storage. To hide it all I made a skirt from some red ticking I've had forever and stapled it to the underside of the table.

I'm so proud of Mitch for thinking of this. It's nice to get a gift that's a complete surprise, something I didn't even ask for, but am so happy to have.

Now all is clean and ready for some baby sewing. Before I sew for Bayleigh, I have another baby to sew for. A lady who was a close friend of my mom in high school is expecting her first grandchild and has commissioned me to make the crib bedding. Once that's finished, I'm not taking any more custom orders until I've had my fill of pink and ruffles and all things sweet and girlie. If anyone is reading who does custom baby bedding, please email me, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask.  There's a link to my email over in the sidebar.

*We draw names for Christmas gifts with Mitch's family. Jessica is my niece, every year she gets my name (even if we have to shuffle names a bit) and every year I get the same gift. I'm one of those set in my ways old ladies who only likes one style/brand of underwear and she knows what to get and where to get them. Love you Jessica! Sorry if that's bordering on TMI- they're nothing fancy, in fact they're darn near granny drawers. That really was TMI wasn't it? If Jessica didn't get my name every year, I would be wearing holey (not to be confused with holy) granny drawers.  Love you lots, Jessica!

Gift Making Frenzy- right up to the last minute...

I've spent the past several days happily sewing. Gift making is the best kind of sewing, don't you think? I hope the love that went into each stitch is evident. Surely it would be easier to just buy a gift, right? Where's the fun in that?

I have several more to go, but I'm coming up for air, tomorrow is another day. Here's what have so far. I'm not telling who they're for- you know, just in case.

Notepad portfolios made using this pattern.

This pillow is for my sister-in-law Kathie who fought and conquered breast cancer this year.

More handmade Christmas gifts here and many more here.

If I don't post again before the big day, Merry Christmas to you all.

It was nice while it lasted

The box weighed less than two pounds, but I felt like a 100 pound weight had been lifted walking out of the post office, knowing the last of my Christmas orders was complete and in the mail. I think I may have even danced a little on the way to the car, it felt that good. The good cheer continued once home. I happily cleaned the kitchen in anticipation of enjoying my Chinese take-out on the couch with a mind clear of worries about a list of unfinished work. Let the holiday season begin. Just me and my dinner and a book, on the couch enjoying the Christmas tree. I may have danced a little more just thinking about it. It was nice. The house was quiet, but more importantly my mind was quiet.
You know what's coming, don't you? Yea, it didn't last. Alyssa plopped down with a pen and paper, to help me make a list of the Christmas shopping I have left to do. Surely it can't be much, just a stocking stuffer or two right? Ha!  Since it's a little late to order online with any confidence, and my personal shopper (Alyssa) works all week, I have to go shopping. Me and the rest of the slackers who have waited until the last minute. Delightful.

Portrait of me, painted by Mitch. I'm not sure why some guy Mitch works with wants a picture of me on the front of his car, but whatever.

Next year I'm starting in July. I may have said that last year too, but this time I mean it. Really. Maybe even June. Definitely. Ho, Ho, Ho!

I'll leave you with this little bit of heaven I found last weekend.

It's 45" wide chocolate linen with a large scale print (the trees are about 9"). Birds, trees, linen. Perfection! I wish I could tell you where you can find it, because I'd love to have more myself.  I bought it at a drapery/upholstery outlet and got all they had (only 3 yds) I've looked online without any luck. The only info on the selvedge is P/Kaufmann Fabrics. I guess I'll have to be very selective with how I use it.

Happy Wednesday all! It is Wednesday isn't it?

Got SPAM?

For some reason Yahoo considers mail sent via my gmail account SPAM. I'm not sure why or if they are the only one, but if you feel like I should have returned an email and failed to do so, take a look in the spam folder.

Does anyone know if something on my end causes this, or is it just yahoo and gmail not playing nicely?

I can't wait to kiss those sweet little toes!

I see lots of pink in my future, and I couldn't be happier.
                            It's a Girl!!

Fascinating waste of time

Let someone post a link to one of those what kind of flower are you, what kind of dog are you, what flavor candy bar are you... quizzes and I click it every time. I know I shouldn't do it, they are such a silly, pointless waste of time. I mean, really what does it benefit me to know if I were a flower, I'd be echinacea? Nonetheless, post the link, I'm clicking it. I'm always so fascinated when they end up being dead on despite the seemingly random nature of the questions. Today I determined my design style is Sweet Chic. ??? Never would have thought that, but after reading the description,

What's sweet chic? Nothing stark and modern for you! You're drawn to cozy interiors and a welcoming palate (think soft, sun-bleached hues). You like your patterns whimsical and your buildings quaint. You enjoy heirlooms with sentimental value, like a rocker that once graced your grandmother's nursery.

it sounds pretty accurate I guess. Go ahead, I know you're dying to know what your style is.

Did I ever tell you I love paint?

I do. I LOVE  paint. I can't go to Lowe's without a stroll down the spray paint isle and many times I'll buy a can or six, no particular project in mind, just to have on hand- you know, just in case some painting emergency should arise. They happen. Really. I've had this quart of blackboard paint in the garage for a couple of years and finally got around to using it this past weekend.

Old frame + some sort of smooth board Mitch cut for me + paint

= new kitchen blackboard.

I sprayed the frame with that fabulous Blue Ocean Breeze spray paint. Great new color Krylon! (if you follow the link, click on the spray paint can to see all their wonderful colors)   Once the paint was dry I aged it a little with some watered down brown craft paint. (the brown craft paint that started the organizing frenzy) Doesn't get much easier than that. Now what am I going to write on it? The daily menu? Bwaahahahaaaaaaaa!!!! More appropriate would be the phone numbers for pizza and Chinese takeout.
 

Charming Curtains....

More sewing with charm squares. I am loving the ease of these precut squares. I have  a curtain that runs wall to wall and almost floor to ceiling on one side of my sewing room to hide things I don't want to look at all the time. It's just a couple of white sheets. I didn't want anything busy, but the plain white sheets were pretty boring.

Adding a row of patchwork to the bottom was just what they needed.

Felt garland from last Christmas brought a touch of color to the top.

Not too busy, but not so boring anymore.

I'm a party animal...

I spent the weekend in my sewing room organizing. Everything had to be taken out when the floors were refinished and I'm still trying to get things settled back in place and as functional as possible. Is that an ongoing process for anyone else?
It wasn't a planned event. It started with a jumbled mess of embroidery thread, long overdue for some attention.

I did some painting and after taking out every bottle to find brown, the craft paint got some attention too.

By then I was on a roll.

I couldn't leave out the patterns,

thread,

felt,

or ribbon.

The top of my desk is visible, I can find what I need in the drawers and on the shelves. Now I'm too tired to do anything but sit and admire the rare beauty of a clean organized sewing room. I'm sure it won't last long.

Gratitude Friday...Contentment

I am grateful for the sense of contentment I have with my life. That's not to say I don't have things I would love to change, circumstances that are less than ideal. Boy do I, but they are just that, temporary circumstances, bumps in the road. As for the foundation of my life, the blocks that make up the house of Autum, I'm completely happy. I'm happy that I live in a quiet little town with the love of my life my kids and a herd of animals. I'm happy that I was raised by my Christian grandmother. I am happy that I am a southern girl, a wife, a mom, a sister, aunt and niece. I'm happy to teach Sunday school at the same church I've attended as long as I've been alive. I'm happy my in-laws love me like a daughter. I'm happy to have found blogs and to be part of this wonderful community of creative souls. I'm happy to be left-handed, hazel-eyed, and five foot four.  I don't look at the life of anyone else and wish to change places. I know there are souls who are painfully uncomfortable in the life they live, out of place in the world in which they live, unable to find contentment. I am so grateful for the little spot in this universe I happen to fill and for those who keep me company.