Have you met Riley? She’s 112 pounds of hairy love. And I do mean hairy.
I’ve made a bunch of scrap quilts to try to keep the furniture clean. I pull them up and wash them: so much so that they are now frayed along the edges.
I sewed a second binding to this ragged quilt and loved the result. Not only did I clean up the ragged edge, but I added a second layer of fun to the binding. Super cute. It makes me want to have a double bind on all of my quilts.
I am so excited! I am moving my office/sewing room from the attic to the basement. I am still organizing and decorating, but it’s starting to come together.
Sewing Room Storage Shelf
This space is so much nicer: not as hot/cold as the attic – and I can actually see some of my bird feeders from my desk. I enjoy that. So does Brittney, the no-longer-feral cat. (Pictures of her in the future.)
I made my first real quilt this spring at the request of my eldest. birthday quilt
And I have been hooked ever since. My 1981 sewing machine did fine, but I needed more open space to shove all of that fabric through. After much soul searching and internet searching, I decided I wanted a better quilting machine.
Ta Da!! This work horse has been such a great addition to my sewing room. The yellow space above ( harp space) is only about 1/4 inch higher and a couple of inches wider than my old machine, but it makes a huge difference in the ease of sewing large projects. And it is so powerful and has such features . . .
My second quilt, for my brother’s 50th birthday, sports a fancy machine- embroidered date label.
The close stitching that I love was way easier with the bigger harp space in my new machine.
And right after I finished this quilt, I started another. I am a quilter.
My firstborn had one request for her 25th birthday – a gray and white quilt made by me. “Yes!” my heart said – but I wasn’t sure. My first qualm was the 1981 sewing machine I use. My second qualm was the TIME. My third qualm was gray and white – like NO colors? I had QUALMS.
But I started cutting up my fabric and sewing it together and I pieced that baby together on the fly. It turned out great and my daughter loved it. And I loved it. And I love her. Happy birthday, baby girl.
Made with love in every stitch.
When I take the time to look critically at my surroundings, I often find things are looking tired.
A trip to the hardware store and a couple of hours later: things are looking fresher.
I like the changes in my life that come about naturally with the changes in the seasons. This time of year, as the garden fades into fall, I turn my thoughts and efforts indoors.
I gave the bathroom walls and ceilings a good scrubbing. After that, a little well-placed touch up paint worked wonders.
I sewed some new curtains to freshen up the windows.
Leftover fabric scraps pretty up the hand towels.
Now – on to the next room!
The weather hasn’t been good, so I have been doing some paper gardening inside. I made a sign for my kitchen using a great tutorial at Design Cuts. 
I also made some signs for my garden. I printed them on cardstock, sprayed them with clear coat, decoupaged them onto wood, and polyurethaned them. Not sure how long they’ll last out in the weather, but aren’t they fun?
The sun is out . . . Time to get dirty!
When I first read this quote by Iain S. Thomas, it made me cry. Not only did the quote describe the way I feel about my husband, but it reminded me of those first moments after my children were born: when I finally got to meet them. Then I cried again. 
Anyway, I made the quote into a sign, which I hung in our kitchen, just to give my family a warm little hug this February.
The New Year is upon us, bringing energy and excitement and hope for a finer future.
Here’s to 2015, everyone; let’s make it the best year ever.
Fall is here and it’s my favorite time to enjoy the yard: The gardening frenzy of the spring is long gone. The sloth of the sticky summer has blown away in the cool of the autumn breezes. Fall is the time to sit on my swing and admire the season’s hard work. (Of course, I need a nice cushion to sit on, and a quilt to snuggle.)
Oh, and a pillow, too!
It feels so good to get back into my sewing room again. (Sewing room in the attic + New Jersey summer = No fun.) I’ve been on a bit of a pillow kick lately.
I made this pillow . . .
To match this blanket.
I love my sewing machine, but there will always be a special place in my heart for sewing by hand. I love the organic look of hand embroidery, and ***bonus*** I can carry my sewing with me wherever I go. 
Here is a pot holder I decorated by hand.
My latest article for Sew News is in the beautiful April/May issue – available now.
I teach how to make these cute herb cozies.
I like mixing the newer art of technology with the ancient art of sewing.
Here, I printed the “m” and the circle onto a piece of fabric using my computer and printer.
My cousin recently got married. To keep with the green gifting theme, and because I knew she’d love it, I made her this pillow that’s appliqued with the date of her wedding.
My goal this Christmas is to craft a little more and buy a little less. AND before I go out to purchase that perfect thing to finish my crafting, I want to think a little harder about using something that I already have.
grapevine wreath
I had an old grapevine wreath to which I attached fresh evergreen branches and some Christmas ornaments. Snow optional.
My next article appears in Sew It All Magazine Vol. 5.
(Available in stores Dec. 4) http://www.quiltandsewshop.com/product/sew-it-all-volume-5/magazines
I show how to make this cute pillow I made for my sister-in-law.
I made some pillows for my bed.
I like how the geometric designs of the pillows contrast with the wild floral blanket.
I’ve been experimenting with simple pillow designs lately. Here is my latest:
It’s heavy canvas, which seems like summer to me: good for a boat or a porch or a hammock.
jodie richelle 