creativity 1 – limits

I pay attention to what helps and hinders my creativity. Surprisingly, limits seem to help me. So when my younger daughter asked for bolsters for her futon, I decided to try to use only the fabrics (in her chosen colors) that I already owned. My first problem was that none of the fabric was big enough. So I decided to piece them together to make the pillows.

Isn’t this so cute? If I had just run out to the fabric store, I would have bought a print with blue, purple, and tan and that would have been it. But using what I had, I had to get creative. That lead to the stripes AND to the embroidery to make it seem cohesive.

It has happened before . . . My older daughter asked for a gray and white quilt, and instead of hating the limits of no color, I loved the result.

And this trellis? I didn’t have enough wood to make all the horizontal pieces go all the way across, so I got creative. Limits really bring out the best in me. Does anyone else feel like that?

wine gift bags

Just in time for Christmas crafting, my latest article teaches how to make these cute wine gift bags.

Instructions are in Sew it All Volume 9. Let’s get stitching!

backyard love

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!

check me out

My latest article for Sew News is in the beautiful April/May issue – available now.

I teach how to make these cute herb cozies.

the joy of technology

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.

date pillow

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.

personalization

my new gym bag

I have a thing for personalized gifts. I think it comes from a long childhood of searching the racks of toothbrushes and  notebooks and bicycle license plates, always in vain,  for the name “Jodie.”

felt monogram

check me out

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.

geometrics and florals

I made some pillows for my bed.

I like how the geometric designs of the pillows contrast with the wild floral blanket.

getting quirky

I like to get quirky when I’m pairing fabrics together. It took me a little while to decide what to use with this beautiful red silk, but then I knew: a cotton drop cloth from the hardware store.I love how the rugged drop cloth fabric contrasts with the delicate silk.