I Know The Designer

My friend K pointed me to the coolest web site. www.spoonflower.com allows you to design your own fabric and have it printed on cotton or canvas or a decent variety of other bases. Two to three weeks later the fabric parcel that arrives in the mail is one you invented yourself. My son R had the first idea for what to put on fabric, so his design is our test case. He expressed his current interest in Ancient Egypt with a pattern he reports says "colors of the rainbow" in hieroglyphics. I'm very impressed, and I trust R and I will come up with the perfect project for his one-of-a-kind fabric.

Seat with a View

My friend J showed me the idea of framing fabric in embroidery hoops. After combing through my stash of fabric for suitable patterns to group in round frames, I took the route of obvious success and bought fresh designs. All part of the same collection, these purple chairs decorate the wall behind the desk in my sewing room. Now I can sit, browse future fabric purchases, and enjoy the chairs.

Summer Dress

K is frequently with me when I duck into the fabric store for supplies. She is not a fan of linen or fresh needles or stabilizer. She likes bright prints, Disney characters or anything with sequins on it. From time to time she convinces me the dress modeled on the tempting project mannequins is perfect for her, and I should make it. This is one such dress.
Unfortunately, though she was with me to approve the pattern, K was not around when I picked out the fabric for the project. She was dismayed, therefore, to see that my finished dress is neither the same color nor the same splashy fabric pattern as the one shown on the front of the pattern envelope. The result is K consented to wear her new dress so I might take a picture of her in it if I gave her a piece of gum. She then immediately changed herself into a corduroy jumper, pink sandals and a Rocky Mountain baseball cap. I might as well go back to making fabric pouches.

Patch Basket

My entire side of the family is vacationing together this year. Four families and fourteen people are meeting at a cabin in Colorado. Since I've visited there before, I have a collection of patches from the Rockies. It turns out I really did need them. They fit just so as the center decoration on a series of vacation baskets. My thought is to pass the baskets out to folks to contain their keys, cameras and sunscreen during the visit, and maybe to serve a mail basket when they return home.

It's a Possibility

Someone visiting my booth at the Urbana Market at the Square last Saturday suggested an eyeglass case as a possible future project. This is a first attempt. It's a simple construction, slightly padded, lined in soft cotton, and top-stitched for a utilitarian look. K's new purple sunglasses fit inside the case well; I'll use it for awhile to see if any additions to the design occur to me.