A Little Giveaway Going On...

I made some headbands for my girls and enjoyed it so much, I am now offering them in the shop. I thought a little giveaway would be a fun way to start.

Here is the headband that will be given to one lucky winner. Rules are simple, leave a comment, and you will be entered for a chance to win. I will pick a winner on Saturday May 7th.

Inspired for Summertime Dreams...

Inspired to set aside simple and soft selections with a summer night chill in mind....just another charming use for those beloved vintage linens. New to the shop this Spring Season. These scarves were created from vintage linens of the softest kind. Poly cotton blends that that will be cool enough for a summer night. Soft against the skin from the perfect amount of love over the years but still retaining their quality for years to come. These scarves are made from striking prints made to make a statement for your outfit. Like beautiful paintings, gardens, or creatures they will tell their own stories and be one of a kind. Machine washable and dryer friendly. These scarves are extra long so that they can be worn multiple ways or even over the shoulders as a lightweight wrap.

WeEkEnD sALe-FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY....

The weekend sale is underway....25% off of all purchases. Type in coupon code "WEEKEND25" when checking out.

Have a lovely weekend!!

Organizing Fun...

The kids needed a solution to storage(alright-I needed a solution for the kids stuff). I have been taken with all the lovely fabric bins that so many are creating out there, so I decided to come up with some of my own. I love that the possibilities are endless when it come to fabric choices and designs! The construction is so simple and storage becomes eye candy. Here are the bins I was able to put together for the younger 4.

Madison is using hers to store her school books in. I used a combination of some more modern quilting fabrics with vintage bed linens.

Bell keeps all of her drawing supplies in hers and it sits on her bed.Bell's was similar to Madi's in that is was new mixed with vintage fabrics.

Joslyn's has become a catch all for the things she doesn't want to put away and we are working on that;). Joslyn's was made completely of reclaimed bed linens.

I have been using Noah's for his laundry. I used fabric that was taken from a crib duvet for Noah's, it had such a fun and playful animal design.

All of them were strengthened with a very stiff sew in stabilizer which gave them their shape. The handles make them awesome for carrying from place to place.

Bed Linens SALE TODAY ONLY....

All reclaimed bed linens are on sale today.

25% off of all bed linens.

O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus...

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches over His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth over them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heaven of heavens to me
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

I felt a familiar struggle welling in my soul this week as Good Friday approached. Knowing all that Jesus has done for us makes Easter a joyous celebration but first, for me, it means going through Good Friday and pondering WHAT He did for me-I do not want to just get through it by brushing it off, and if I don't(brush it off) then that means I tend to approach it with a hesitation because it means acknowledging how desperate I am for His salvation and forgiveness and that He suffered because of me.

This year has been the most difficult year spiritually that I can remember. So, as I began to get the kids ready for our Good Friday service tonight, the war waging this year was right there on the surface. I wanted to go, but my mind was cluttered, so I was unsure of what to expect and with all five of the kiddos next to me and Matt serving, I thought I would probably just get through. But tonight, the Lord met me just where I was at, He quieted Noah's spirit(my 3 year old busy little boy)- he was asleep within minutes of us sitting down, he slept the entire service cuddled up on my chest, giving me the chance to soak in the time of worship. By the time the service ended, instead of being ready to go, I found myself wanting to stay in my Father's house-deeply full of gratitude for this place to worship. And I saw tonight how precious I was to Him-He gave rest to my soul and mind and I was able to clearly speak to Him. Thank you Jesus for your rest. Thank you for your sacrifice.

A Special Gift from A Priceless Teen...

We have a very special student from church, who let us know this week that she has a gift for our girls. The Lord is moving her family on to a new home, new job and new church family so, she had something special to pass on to our girls and she called this afternoon to see if they could drop it off. I should have had the camera ready to capture my daughters' eyes when they brought this house through the door! We have occasionally stood wide eyed in the isles at hobby stores admiring doll houses such as this, so to have one seems like a lovely dream! The girls have been studying all the neat furniture they brought with the house and finding new ways to rearrange it in the house. Even Noah is having fun pretending with Bell right now. It is such a beautiful gift- But in all honesty, I would gladly trade in the house to keep them here. It is so hard to see them go even though I know the Lord has plans for good in their lives! The house will be a constant reminder of the blessing they all have been in our lives. It will also serve as a reminder to pray for them as they make a new start and look for a new church family.

As Soon as Her Eyes Were Open...

Just as I had suspected, Bell barely had her eyes open before she sat down to sew at the new sewing table in their playroom. What fun to watch her create! But now, she has finally realized she is hungry and I must get her some breakfast. Wake...sew...eat...yep, I understand that:)

WeEkEnD sALe-FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY....

The weekend sale is underway.....

EVERYTHING IS 25% OFF. AND I WILL BE USING A COUPON CODE FROM NOW ON-SIMPLY TYPE IN "WEEKEND25" WHILE CHECKING OUT TO RECEIVE YOUR DISCOUNT. HAPPY SHOPPING.

A LITTLE SURPRISE FOR THE GIRLS...

The girls and I spent some time cleaning the playroom today. Their needs in there are ever-changing and Noah always needs a little fine tuning on his train tracks. But after they went to bed this evening, I worked out a special little surprise for them(Bell will especially appreciate this) I dug out our oversized coffee table from the garage and cleaned it up for a craft table just their height! They are always sewing with my old machine, but it is a bit difficult for Bell especially. I always need to put the peddle on a stack of books for her to reach, but this table will be just the right height for all of them. Cannot wait to hear the squeals in the morning! So, wether it is sewing... or painting.... or coloring... or beads....this is their own table to create on.

BED LINENS SALE TODAY ONLY....

THE THURSDAY BED LINENS SALE IS UNDERWAY...

ALL RECLAIMED-UPCYCLED-RECYCLED-VINTAGE-MODERN LINENS...ARE 20% OFF TODAY.

HERE ARE A FEW PEEKS AT BED LINENS JUST LISTED THIS MORNING.

A LARGE BUNDLE OF STRIPED PILLOWCASES FOR THOSE WHO LOVE WORKING WITH STRIPES!

THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE PILLOWCASE BUNDLE FOR A SPIN ON BEING PATRIOTIC.

A CITRUS BUNDLE OF VINTAGE PILLOWCASES.

AND SOME MORE 6 INCH QUILT SQUARES IN RANDOM STRIPES.

At My Diningroom Table...

For the love of my children's impromptu creativity...

Sitting at My Table....

It has been awhile since I have done any quilting. Bell's quilt for her birthday was the last time I sat down to do any quilting and after doing her quilt while we were away for our Anniversary, I have had a strong desire to get back to quilting a bit more. So many ideas to work out and such beautiful prints to combine. So, this past week I have stolen away little bits of time to get these quilt tops quilted. They are all smaller baby and toddler sized quilt tops making them manageable in small windows of time.

This first one is a combination of modern and vintage linens along with some beautiful modern quilting fabrics. The center floral panel was taken from a pillow sham I found while in Door County for our Anniversary. I was so taken with how well the new and old came together! And of course the dots add some fun.

The second is made completely from vintage bed linens. I just had to showcase the floral print with some retro stripes. The fabric speaks for itself!

And the third is similar to some I have done in the past. It uses some of my favorite happy bright scraps taken from clothing, linens, and vintage fabrics. I used a lemon striped bed linen for the longer strips.

Just need to bind all of these fun quilts now.

I have also finished this past weekend, a boy doll for Noah, which he has been asking for ever since Bell got her "Elizabeth" on Valentines Day. Joslyn has also been requesting a doll for just as long, so I have now done one for her as well. Both of them just make me giggle and seem to have a personality all their own. Looking forward to surprising them!

Beautiful layers from the Past...

I finished with a big wholesale order this week and it has been a few weeks since I have sat at the machine for anything else:). Each night, I thought I would be able to sit down to work on some ideas swimming around in my brain, but the nights came and went with other priorities to tend to. But today has been a rainy day with no pressing needs outside the house, the kids have been hard at work on their studies and in between working with them, I was able to finish a new tote I hope to use at Easter. Most of my bags are pretty dark or wild:) so I have been slowly designing one that is neutral and a tad bit elegant for those dressier occasions.

Here is what I began with....

Two basic but lovely beige linen napkins-I found these at a thrift shop. I bought 4 of them for $2.00.

I have some muse boxes that I keep my laces, trims, doilies and hankies in not only for projects but for inspiration. I pulled these out to find just the right pieces to add to the tote.

I start by playing around and layering hankies and the needlework pieces I think I want to use.

Once I have it the way I like it...I take a picture for reference(the age of digital is so fabulous!) because then I back track and start sewing each piece on one by one, slowly layering them. Here are the steps I went through...

Sections of vintage hankies went on first.

Next I added the vintage needlework pieces, pinning them a bit just to keep them from bunching.

Once the front of the tote is finished( I left the back plain)-I picked out the fabric for the handles and the lining. This type of tote really would not need to be lined due to the way it was sewn but a little extra strength to it is always nice. I had set this striped bed linen aside for some summer beach pants for my Noah but there is just enough extra to cut a strap for the tote. It was just way to perfect looking to pass up.

Then for the lining I decided to pick this softer and subtle daisy bed linen fabric that kind of plays off of the yellow flowers on the hankie.

This is how it all turned out. It is a larger tote. I believe it is something like 20x20. But especially on Easter, with my husband being a Pastor, I am usually single- momming -it and require a few aides which require a large bag:) Let's call it the grown up version of a diaper bag since I no longer have babies but my wee ones still need a few things on longer mornings.

And here are a few favorite pics of mine of the process. ah..peace...

And last but not least, a quick pic of part of the wholesale order I filled this past week.

6 fun pillowcase dresses. It is that time again!