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