Sew Crazy

Well it has been a busy time of creating here, and I keep having to reel my creative energy into line as too many ideas are flowing at once.  I keep writing them down to get them out of my head. Having my fabric stash and some works in progress on full view in my sitting room really contributes to more and more ideas.  The blue quilt above does not have a recipient at this time, but I am sure the right one will come along.  Blue makes my soul sing and is, by far, my favorite color to work with.  Cats make an appearance in all my quilts...cannot help myself, and then there is usually a donkey, too.

This is the center body of  another grandson quilt....it has some neat Gothic cats and other interesting fabric.  Last night I spent some time searching for the right tailored gray fabric for the wide border, but I still have not decided on a what the first narrow border will be or the backing.

This is the quilt I am making for myself and is a true exercise in going against the grain, as I would never choose these colors!!  Over the past several years, my bedroom has been evolving into a more and more peaceful space.  The walls have lovely natural grass wallpaper and then below wainscoting there is beautiful wood in a medium finish. The hardwood floors  are partially covered by a gently-textured berber carpeting. The room is basically very neutral.  There are ecru lace valences at the top and bottom of each window and over them are natural cotton fiber roman shades to draw down at night.  I have a very neutral colored down comforter on the bed with white quilted pillow shams.  Thus, when it came to making my own quilt, my usual blue was not going to work.  Also, I had some interesting, very old cat fabric I wanted to use, and it didn't blend well into blue.  Then I found the bird fabric and was off and running with warm tones.  The bits of orange and pale turquoise seem to work well, as does the deep magenta.  To keep the room neutral, I will form the backing of beige fabric and just have a corner of the quilt turned to the front.  We shall see how it all plays out.  Purple and white is going to be my next theme. 

In other news, last Saturday I visited 5 of my favorite thrift shops and came away with some nice finds.  Found this never-worn blouse for 6. and just love it. The outer layer is a chiffon-type matierial. It will be a nice addition to my Spring-summer work wardrobe.
 I also acquired a very high quality shirt covered with fish for a certain special someone, some lovely cotton fabric pieces which will be useful in future quilting projects, and some very nice  dress pants. A fun time!

As LM recovers from a really nasty bronchitis, I spent the weekend sewing, both hand and machine, as well as preparing my meals for the week using some interesting new recipes. I've been experimenting with kale for awhile, but not until I tried my friend, Karina's recipe for kale salad, has it clicked with me. The illustrations and description of massaging the kale had me intrigued, and I must say it is so easy to prepare and fun in the massaging, and all.  I made the salad and saved out some of the massaged kale to add to some chicken soup made yesterday afternoon while north east winds howled, and RAIN poured down.  If the temps had not risen we would be truly buried in snow.

A little after-note about the kale....I used some in the soup and it was delicious, and this morning I used the last of it in a green smoothie with spinach, pineapple, apple and some oat bran. It may sound unappetizing but really was delicious.


Love, peace and light to all!