In preparation for Jamie’s upcoming trip and year in the U.S., a shopping spree at the local handicraft market was necessary. The variety of beautiful handmade items is a reminder of one of the advantages we have living in Ecuador. Read More
Lovely handicrafts
Posted in Life in Ecuador
Comments closed
Healthy Envy
Hmmm… is there such a thing as healthy envy? Well, this is an expression we use a lot in Spanish to indicate admiration for another person’s accomplishment. And in our Thursday sewing circle we find we use it repeatedly when it comes to our friend Mariangela. Read More
Posted in Sewing circle
Comments closed
A trip downtown
We all agreed it was about time for a day downtown, so we climbed into a cab and headed off for some fun time in the colonial part of the city. It is due to the preservation of this sector in Quito that it was designated by UNESCO (along with Krakow) as the first Cultural Heritage site, in 1978. Read More
Posted in Family, Life in Ecuador
Comments closed
Hope
Even with the grandkids here and a lot of hustle and bustle over the weekend, I managed to make a little sewing time and finished this little art quilt. This is the second piece Jamie will be taking with her to decorate her dorm room during her year abroad (you can see the first here). Read More
Posted in Tutorials, Wall hangings
Comments closed
The spirit of quilting
In our sewing circle this week personal projects were set aside and our time together centered on a collaborative effort: marking a quilt top for our friend Mariangela. I took a couple of pics and then forgot about it until this morning, when I remembered I had several pictures on my camera I hadn’t unloaded from my camera. Read More
Posted in Fabric dyeing, Family, Sewing circle
Comments closed
Finished wallhangings
In the midst of kid-oriented activities and posting patterns for our Christmas in July series there has been time for a wee bit of sewing! As usual, not as much as I would like (but then, there never is!), but at least a couple of wallhangings have been finished! Read More
Posted in Wall hangings
Comments closed
Fabric Dyeing with Shaving Cream
We spent the afternoon playing around a bit, dyeing some fabric the kids want to use in their sewing projects. We used a shaving cream method a little different than what you might have seen, to “tone down” our colors a little, as this fabric will be used for the background of the kids’ projects and we didn’t want the color to overwhelm the projects. Read More
Posted in Fabric dyeing, Family
Comments closed
Finished appliqué
Doing the “mom thing” sure does take time, doesn’t it? Yet I love having these kids around… days are full and happy, we are busy, busy and exhausted by nightfall. I must say I’m sleeping well these days. (-: Read More
Posted in Family, Sewing/Quilting
Comments closed
Alexia is back!
I’d forgotten how much time is used up when kids are around. I mean, I’m used to living in a world of adults where everyone takes care of him or herself. But for a short while now it’s back to actual cooking three times a day. It seems that right after breakfast and washing up I’m back in the kitchen preparing lunch! Plus laundry. Whew! Read More
Posted in Family, Sewing/Quilting
Comments closed
Thursday sewing circle
Well, our friend Mariangela is certainly on a roll and, as usual, outsews us all. Today she arrived with more projects to share. Another quilt for one of her kids, a sewing machine cover for herself (oh, so cute), and a wonderful purse she made following instructions from the book Omiyage: Handmade Gifts in the Japanese Tradition. Read More
Posted in Sewing circle
Comments closed
Little angels
I woke up early this morning and had to tiptoe around the house trying not to wake anyone up. Which at times is difficult with two dogs who love to bounce around in the morning.
I had time to check my mail, post the Christmas pattern for the day and still enjoy a nice cup of coffee before taking my son Jono to the airport for an early flight. Read More
Posted in Family
Comments closed
A day to celebrate
In a few minutes I will be leaving for the airport to pick up Alexia and Julian and their mom. Allison will only be here for a few days, so we have a lot of catching up (and sewing!) to do in those few days. But I get to have Alexia and Julian for a whole month. Read More
Posted in Family
Comments closed
Quilting classes
It has dawned on me that although I often talk about my quilting classes, so far I have never shared pictures of where they take place, or of any of my students. Read More
Posted in Teaching
Comments closed
I am a self-learner. I taught myself to sew and to quilt. And I taught myself how to draw. I love to dye my own fabrics, am a fanatic of free-motion quilting, and dabble with mixed media. I am a quilt designer and teacher, and design and publish my own line of quilt patterns. With this blog I would like to share the bits and pieces of my life. 
