Twelve of us altogether, half of them Jamie and her college friends. Half of us quiet and mellow, the other half quite a bit louder – you can guess which half. Good food, good conversation, nobody overate, and in general we had a really nice evening. Not too late because son #1 had to be up at 4:00 am and I was his ride to the airport. Read More
Nice Thanksgiving
Flower blocks
Busy week, but I still was able to finish appliquéing my hibiscus blocks last night. Yeah! These are really small blocks – but then, I really like them small. I enjoyed working on these delicate beauties. Read More
Preparing for Thanksgiving
As you may or may not know, I come from what I describe as a “mish-mash” family: half of my family born in the U.S. and the other half in Ecuador or other Latin American countries. Read More
Hibiscus
I should really be printing out handouts for classes and organizing samples for the rest of the week. But today I would really like to sew! So I’m making some time for a project that I started several weeks ago yet will probably not be able to finish until sometime next year. Maybe you have already seen my hibiscus design? Read More
Fabric Finds
As any other quiltmaker, I, too, LOVE fabric! I wouldn’t describe myself, however, as a fabriholic. By most quilters’ standards, I’m sure my stash is quite conservative. This is only in part because I am careful, and probably more so because I live in a country where cotton fabrics are not easily available. Read More
Advent Stoles
I love the Christmas season. It’s probably my favorite time of year. Not the commercial hustle-bustle and the frantic shopping usually associated with this holiday. For me, this is a time to stay home and enjoy meaningful time with the family. Read More
Christmas Tablerunner
I confess: I’ve become addicted to English Paper Piecing.
I keep a bag with 3/4″ freezer paper hexagons (my favorite size) by the iron and have now developed the habit of ironing them onto small scraps as they become available from other projects, and from there into the little sewing case I carry in my purse. Read More
Fourteen book bags!
It’s been a while since I’ve dedicated this much time to sewing… practically a full day! Well, yes, there always are interruptions, but I was able to remain focused and finished the fourteen bags I had promised my mother in one day. Read More
What a mess!
The last several weeks have been all about Christmas projects. Sewing up samples for four different workshops I’ll be teaching each month all the way through November. Trying to decide what to include, making the samples, printing patterns and writing instructions. Read More
Dancing around the world with Matt Harding
Every now and then it is good to be reminded of what is good in the world, what is good in people. And it is great when every now and then a “common” person pops up and reminds it it doesn’t take much to build friendship and understanding between peoples… even if the path to that is somewhat unusual… although definitely fun! Read More
Christmas in July!
It somehow seems odd to think about Christmas sewing while some people are off at the beach enjoying the hot sun. In my neck of the woods, this should also be “summertime” for us. And though often enough over the last few weeks we have had some sunny mornings, most afternoons we are still getting rain, plus some pretty cold nights. Read More
A tearful farewell
In as much as possible, I try to live in the moment. Some would call it denial. So although I have known for weeks this moment would come, I’ve pushed it out of my mind and tried to enjoy the time given to me with my grandchildren. Sleepovers and frequent visits will no longer be possible (at least for quite some while), as Alexia and Julian are moving to the U.S. tomorrow. Read More
Christmas samples and learning boutis
It seems incredible that half a year has already gone by and here we are in July! And so much of my time continues to be consumed by teaching, with little time left for sewing and other activities. With Alexia out on vacation, though, I have been lucky to have a great helper. Read More