A Flood of Creativity...

     Here we go again... I am starting to wonder if we inadvertently relocated to Seattle!

     And let me just say, right through the Fourth of July week, it looks pretty much the same. All this has worked well for sewing productivity, if not for gardening-- I've had another torrential downpouring of stitch-y progress this past week.

      I'm feeling very smug about my Sew Sampler Box projects this year.  I keep seeing boxes everywhere, and when I open them, they are--gasp-- empty! I've been using them to store little project pieces in, but honestly, I may have to consider throwing some out.

     The Cupid Box is an FFO-- ready to be gifted at the end of this week.

      For the May box, I had some extra pieces and was going to attempt a first ever pieced backing-- but this came out so darn cute, I think I'm going to make a little mini table runner out of it. My sister lives in Florida, so oranges would be perfect for her.

     I smashed right through the Liberty box in less than a week. This was a GREAT box, that sold out super quick. Why? No yards and yards of background fabric to purchase. Simple, but sensational pattern. Great fabric-- "Stateside" by Sweetwater. I hope Fat Quarter Shop sticks with this formula for the rest of the year.

      I did order matching backing fabric for this... I figured out, with just a little extra navy blue, I could make two of these-- GIFT and KEEP -- yay. So I ordered a navy blue for the backing and got a little extra. Just waiting for that to come in, then I will straight line quilt these and they're done! It won't be in time for the Fourth, but this is honestly a great summer decoration that I would keep up till Labor Day.

    The June box just came in-- I will get the checklists done for the "2023 Sew Sampler Challenge" Facebook group for this and the Liberty box soon. I had quite a chuckle when someone on the official Sew Sampler Facebook group asked where the checklists were! Of course, Fat Quarter Shop had no idea what they were talking about, and I didn't answer, because I'm sure they would not like a referral off their site.

     In June, as is mostly the case, it isn't fabric I would have gone out of my to buy, but I do like it. It is Camille Roskelley's "Sunnyside." 

     The pattern is way too intense for me, with a lot of additional background purchase, as you can see. 

     So after some consideration, I could either:

1) just make the center part of the given pattern. 

2) Make the Fat Quarter Shop's free pattern "Fruitcake" in a table runner size (which is made for fat eighths) or 

3) Make Robin Pickens Mod Flower Box, also for fat eighths. I've had my eye on that pattern for a long time. 

     The photos are linked to the last two websites because I am using their photos-- just click on them if you're interested as well. The Fat Quarter Shop pattern is free.

    I would love to hear your opinions in the comments. 1, 2 or 3?

   We are in HIGH birthday season here-- three birthdays in three weeks. I did some baking for the first one, but it's gonna be hard to keep up! This was a fun cake to make-- an exploding "Funfetti" surprise cake. Oh, to be 26-- and to give a hint, those exact candles will be used again in a slightly different configuration for my own birthday in August... yikes!

      For my hand stitching week, I took the challenge and did my own ornament design for the Fat Quarter Shop's Star Spangled Ornament series... what cross stitch set is complete without a cottage?

     I'm really happy with how that came out, and I now have a set of five Fourth of July decorations.

    I think I can get one more done for the Red, White, and June stitch-a-long... they stitch up super fast. I think I need another one with a white background and so it will be Uncle Sam's Hat.

     I am going to sit down next week and FFO these with the little tart tins the Fat Quarter Shop sells-- they produced a video on how to do it, and as long as I can find my hot glue gun, it should be easy.

    For San Francisco Stitch Co., a lot of bowl filler sets have been promised, and I really need to work hard to get them done. Summer is almost designed, but Fourth of July hasn't even been started yet. I'm feeling rushed-- it's a week away. Let's see what happens! The colors of Summer are still getting worked out-- so purple haters, don't worry!

   Another week for the history books-- hope you are a little drier than me, but still getting some quality stitching time in for the lazy days of summer!

xox

Carol

     

     

A Recipe for Success!

     Here is a picture I took down at the lake during the ten minutes it wasn't raining, raining, raining last week! Thank goodness for an obsessive indoor hobby. I can tell I'm crushing it by how many bobbins I'm going through!

    SEW, let's get to it-- if you haven't been too excited about your last couple of finishes, here's a recipe for success to follow. Look for an older pattern you loved. Purchase new fabrics. Combine and bake. Voila!

    I am Sew In Love with this finish-- I'm calling it "Apple Cobbler" since I cobbled it together from the May Sew Sampler box fabric and a little stash, and the pattern from my favorite ever table runner I made in 2003 from a Thimbleberries book. Here they are together-- twenty years apart!

     The new one is slightly bigger-- due to repeated washings? or maybe the fact that I didn't care about scant quarter inches all those years ago?

      The new fabric is Fruit Cocktail by Fig Tree Quilts and the pattern provided for it in the box was a house-- I really wanted something more fruit-y and also something that I could make without an additional purchase. I had to go into my stash for some background and some extra green and yellow. I've come to the conclusion my stash is looking as dowdy and old as I am these days! None of these yellows were right at all...

     Oddly, after all these years I can remember what each one was purchased and used for, and sometimes even, where I bought it-- like, where is my purse though?

    I did have some other Fig Tree precuts hanging around, and I had to have a talk with myself about breaking them open to use some. "Catalina" had a square or two of the exact yellow I needed. And then I raided a Halloween and a Christmas collection for the backgrounds and an extra green. What am I waiting for? That "All Hallows Eve" Collection is currently reprinted-- and I haven't even touched the original yet? Now that I've broken the packaging, I may go even further in breaking them up and just adding the individual colors to my stash bins-- I'm also thinking I may just piece together those oranges for a backing on the table runner and quilt it myself. The Sew Sampler Box Challenge is going to get pretty expensive if I buy backing send out for quilting every month!

    

 The Liberty Box is in-- It's the special patriotic installment of these Sew Sampler boxes the Fat Quarter Shop does every year-- this one was a complete hit and sold out. I love it, and I even intend to make the pattern given this time-- it's super simple, cute, and you only need what's in the box to make the top for a change!

   There's just a little less fabric included than you need to make two of them-- I may turn again to my dowdy stash for some help-- my son was born on July 5th and loves patriotic swag. It's a good gifting opportunity to just make two at the same time-- and you know I always have to do something extra.

     July bowl fillers are here! And all sets are currently back on intro price if you need to catch up. 

     Then I also finished this cute thing for Fourth of July. I did a whole ABCs series-- one for each month, and there are currently 11-- the last one will be summer, and I will then market them as a set. There's a core group of people who love these-- and I love making them, but I haven't marketed them as a BOM which has hurt sales slightly. You people love a set of twelve, don't you?!

   I'm also going to release this one as a hand chart on my "Sugar Meadow Stitchery" shop on Etsy-- it's been neglected, as converting to a hand chart is just not on my radar after going through all the steps to get the machine embroidery set done. But I'd like to change that-- I frequently have people thinking they ARE purchasing a hand chart-- and when I explain what it is and how quickly it is made, there is a certain degree of amazement that is very gratifying!

  I do love a hand stitch myself-- here are three finished circles from Fat Quarter Shop's "Star Spangled Ornaments" book. 

    And as I promised, I made up one of my own-- what cross stitch project is complete without a little cottage? You are welcome to download this photo and make one yourself if so inclined. With the book, I should have thirteen ornaments-- that's one for each of the original colonies.

     I have the little tart tins and the sticky circles and whatever I have done will get assembled by the end of June. If all goes according to plan, this place will be looking great on Fourth of July with all of my new decorations. <3

     So that's about it, that's all the happenings here on Sugar Meadow-- besides a few Father's Day shenanigans for Mr. SFO.

    Hope you have some "therapy" to get you through this new week-- we'll chat again soon!

xox

Carol

Someone has some binding to do!

      I have settled into a beautiful summer routine of veggie gardening, chicken tending, and sewing, not particularly in that order. So one day just flows gently into the next. Blog writing has not been in my rotation and neither has picture taking! But if I get off my blog schedule of one a week, you may never hear from me again, so I'll attempt to fill in the blank and give a late accounting of myself last week.

     

     Biggest news-- my two Sew Sampler throws are back from the quilter. It's always such a thrill to see something this close to completion, isn't it? Here is my brick house quilt, made from the March Sew Sampler Box:

    

     The quilting pattern is called Sticky Buns-- I wanted something swirly overall. This is perfect for me since I'm such a sweet tooth. I think that blobby area is most likely icing dripping off my bun!

     Here is John and Emily's Sweetheart quilt, made from the Fat Quarter Shop Cupid Box:

     The quilting is swirly hearts.

    

      I embroidered their names on. This is the greatest and best reason to have and use an embroidery machine. People LOVE to get personalized items. It really makes a handmade gift that more special. So I you have embroidery capabilities and are not using them, you need to reconsider!

    So perfect for them. So it's a bit Valentine-y, but would look great on the couch in winter. I hope they love and use it.

     I am SO GLAD I challenged myself to keep up with these boxes this year. For those of you who don't know-- if that's even a thing-- it's the Fat Quarter Shop's Sew Sampler Box monthly subscription. It really has boosted my count of finishes. Last Christmas I had absolutely nothing to gift-- this year, I have a ton of finishes I really love-- and trust me, that Brick House quilt is going to really have problems leaving this house!

     In the box, there is an additional BOM pattern that you get-- the current series. "Pressed Flowers" is in Month 2, and I'm all up to date on that.

    

      For the current box, I did not manage to get any fruits stitched up-- part of it is, I have to draft my own pattern, and part of it is, I need extra Fig Tree cream fabrics for a background. This really needs to get solved TODAY-- the Liberty box has already mailed and then the June box will be here before I know it. I do have the center section pretty much there--  I need twenty fruits for a large border.

       

     For San Francisco Stitch Co., I have July Bowl Fillers, Fourth of July Bowl Fillers, Summer Bowl Fillers, Patriotic ABCs, and Christmas Tree Farm Mug Rug all in the works. That's quite a bowl full-- or to paraphrase the movie "Jaws," we're gonna need a bigger bowl!

     When I am not machine embroidering, I am hand embroidering. I joined the Fat Quarter Shop Red, White, and June Stitch Along-- all that means is that you share your patriotic cross stitch on Instagram-- LOL. I did buy their Star Spangled Ornaments book-- it is quite cute. I thought I would only get three done this month, but they work up fast, so I think I will  have double. 

     On the last page of the book, look what they printed up!

    Make your own ornament! I am not going to leave that page blank, and you can be sure my #6 will be of my own creation and I will share it with you as well. I already have it sketched! If you have graph paper and any creative spirit no matter how small, I would totally encourage you to try your hand-- it is not hard, once pencil meets paper, to make you own little design. In this case, just start by drawing the circle and see what happens from there!

     The meadow has sprung to life. Someone here was a gardener, and there is a little "arroyo" passing through will a little bridge. It's a wet in there after a big rain, but never turns into the babbling brook I had hoped for. We were thinking of adding stones to make it a nice feature. That could easily be accomplished by the rocks I just pulled out of the garden!

     I was trying to clean up some of these feature areas, but we focused on a HUGE vegetable garden. I'm still hoping to get to this gradually over the summer. We are looking totally weedy at this point-- let's call them Native North American wildflowers, shall we?

     We bought a hive! I am a bit sad-- you are supposed to crack it open every two weeks to check on things-- everything seemed to be going well until yesterday, when we notice no new eggs and couldn't find our queen. My DD is the only one who can find the queen-- she's not that much bigger than a regular size bee, and even though she has a RED DOT on  her, I still can't see her. I think we need to get a new queen right away, because without her, the hive has no future. I'll let you know what happens. 

     So that was my week. In lieu of excitement up here in the boonies, and I have constant little joyous moments-- a turtle, a blueberry for the chickens, going to bed really tired and knowing you will have a great sleep. I could live like this for a very long time.

xox

Carol

Camp Sugar Meadow!

     Last week was like being a kid again at a summer camp in the wilds of Maine! Up at dawn, big breakfast, outside to play, afternoon visits to the craft cabin, and nightly kayaking on the lake... if you are jealous, to cure you, I will admit I also look like a ten year old, too-- scraped knee, bug bites, sunburn and all!

    Oh, if I had only started a temperature quilt this year! One day reached the 90s, the evenings were in the 60s, and then we plunged back into the 40s at the end of the week. I am extremely tired of hearing people complain there is too much of a certain color in their temperature quilt or cross stitch, too much yellow, too much blue-- just move to New England, why don'tcha! You will have a mashup from ice blue to fire engine red, all in the same row.

     

Most of the week was spent sporting this manicure-- we are putting in a massive vegetable garden! By the time we had the rainy day, I was so happy not to have to be in it. This old body is feeling it, but, boy, did I sleep at night, like a true camper! On the rainy day, I desperately tried to move along my sewing for the week-- it hasn't been quite enough to catch up (what even is that?) but the weather report is now rain for the next two weeks, so progress is inevitable.

    

 I worked on Christmas sets-- I'll sneak peek you-- but none of this goes on the website until the fall. A little Tree Farm Mug Rug!

     I am in the early stages of infatuation with my Sew Sampler BOM project, "Pressed Flowers," so I did get the block just about done. It is amazing how things come along, when you work on them instead of looking at them and thinking about them. If you have limited time each day, I kind of broke this block down into 15-minute installments over four days: Cut the pieces. Sew corner triangles on. Sew rows together. Complete the block. This four part method works for most of what I do and I'm going to try to stick with it each month on this project-- it's extremely do-able.

     On the other hand, the table runner of the month did not see much progress. I am trying to recreate my favorite ever table runner with a summer vibe, using Fig Tree's Fruit Cocktail fabric received in this month's Sew Sampler box. I can't find the book with this table runner in it, so I started measuring-- if you have the finished piece, you have the pattern right? 

     

     The interior squares seemed like an easier place to start than the fruit border. I got out my ruler and the squares are 3-1/2"-- no, 2-7/8". Nope, 3-3/16. Ha, ha!

     

     As I tried to figure out how big they were supposed to be, I was filled with love for my former self. She wasn't worried at all about 1/4" seams or how all these parts were going to fit together. She believed that it would and completed what was to become her all time favorite table runner! I hope we all give ourselves the same love, forgiveness, and hope that she had twenty years ago. I do remember being somewhat dissatisfied with the decorative stitch here, but it didn't cause me to put it in a drawer!

   

      I went with 3" squares and my friend, graph paper, will help me unite the fruit blocks with this center portion when the time comes. I quickly put it together using the blues in the collection. I felt so daunted with this a week ago-- the Sew Sampler projects have piled up and I compounded the problem by signing up fot the Liberty Box. But great start here and I bet I can whip up some fruit blocks this week. 

     As a tribute to my former self, I am going to quilt it exactly like the original, with just a bit of stitching in the ditch and X's across the squares. Well, maybe not exactly like the original--I am red faced as I say this, but I used to think "stitch in the ditch" meant stitch to one side of the ditch.

    Longarmers are extremely backed up right now--  did you notice? Is it that everyone really needs a creative outlet in this crazy world? So doing it myself is really the only option to quickly get the Christmas one packed away and the summer one on the coffee table.

     For hand work, I almost have three Star Spangled Ornaments complete. They are super quick! This I am really hitting out of the park, as I had hoped for four for the entire month. I am following along with Fat Quarter Shop's Red, White, and June stitch along. I am going to give it the entire month and then finish with their tart tins and sticky circles-- there's even a QR code on the booklet that connects you with a video on how to do it. Anything Kimberly Jolly mentions on her weekly YouTube vlogs sells out really quick, so thank goodness I ordered all my finishing supplies in May. 

     I also bought this cute "Stitching with the Housewives" truck pattern-- they are super popular, but I've never made anything of theirs yet. It is also a small piece and I hope to have it quickly. Anything truck related is so appropriate for my son with the auto repair shop.

    So that was my week at Camp Sugar Meadow! The weather is souring a bit now, but it's always dry and bright in the sewing room. Have a great week!

xox

Carol