Is there a Designer in the House?

YES! 

Check out your local JoAnn fabric store for great new names in designer fabric.  In the past few months, they've started carrying fabric by Julianna Horner (Anna Marie Horner's daughter), ModKid, and Cloud9 (100 % organic fabric).  They are fresh, fun, and I love them!

 

ModKid fabrics----Love these and they all coordinate

 

 

 

Cloud9....and one more ModKids fabrics

 

This is a small sample, there were many more.  Looks like I didn't manage to get any photos of Julianna's fabric.  Sorry about that.!

 

They are on sale right now for 30% off, so it's a great time to buy a little of each one you like.  But if you need yardage of just one, I'd wait until they AREN'T on sale and use a 50% off coupon on that special fabric.  Prices run around $12.99 to $14.99 per yard.

Seeing Red

With my machine in the shop,  I'm keeping busy using my Go Baby machine to cut all my red scraps into 2 inch squares.  

red scrap vomit?

 

 Why?,......... you ask?  In September, I attend the 2013 Northern California Sew On Retreat and had the pleasure of meeting Adrianne, another mom here in Northern California.   I decided to check out her blog, little bluebell .  Turns out she's currently making a "vomit quilt".  Gross!, right?  If you really want the low down on scrap vomit, check out imagingermonkey.    So much inspiration!

 

Because I've really been wanting to do some value studies (where fabric is selected by how light or dark it is), I decided to use only my pinks, reds, and dark reds, almost black, in fact.  For amazing information on selecting fabric based on value, please check out, Impressionist Applique  by Grace Errea and Meridith Osterfeld.  You'll look at your fabric stash  in a whole new light!  I've sorted mine into piles of light, medium, and dark....... for the most part.

 

Now it's time to cut a few more squares, sit back and take stock, and figure out what to do with these adorable little squares! 

.....dogs......wha....wha....what?

Welcome to my first blog post  e v e r.     So what's up with the name?:  Feeding the Dogs.? 
The dogs I'm referring to don't have big brown puppy eyes.  They don't love you unconditionally.   They don't even wag their tails.  Nonetheless, they have managed to steal my heart.    I'm talking about the feeddogs on my sewing machine, of course!  I find their steely grip, perfect rhythm, and insatiable appetite for fabric, positively addictive.  I feed them constantly. 

Quilt:  Oil and Water by Ellen Schmidt



 

Sadly, I will be taking my faithful Husqvarna sewing machine (Lily) to the repair center today.  She's getting a new set of feeddogs!  Not much bite left in them . . . . . completely worn out.  In the meantime, I'll be using my sturdy 1960's White backup machine (Gem) and . . . . . . . .

just keep feeding the dogs!