A little trip and some new fabric

I'm baaaaack! Okay, you might not have noticed I was gone, but we took a little get-away for Memorial Weekend and went to Blowing Rock, NC. What a beautiful little mountain town! It was great to meet up with some of our closest friends for a little R&R.

Little "T" had his first encounter with a live choo-choo....and we all discovered that they are frighteningly LOUD.

I was able to scout out a quilt shop in Boone, NC that carries some of my favorites and also some fabrics I hadn't seen before...

Have you seen the new Arcadia line by Moda? I was first drawn to it when I saw Barbara's quilts she made as new baby gifts for a friend. BEAUTIFUL.

I was a little giddy when I found my favorite red and white polkadots from Amy Butler...they've of course been discontinued and are getting harder to find. I also discovered one of my favorite prints by Kaffe Fasset, Aboriginal Dot, comes in red and aqua! CUTE!

I also ordered a few prints online that I can't find here. Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks Filigree in Chocolate...yummy...and Sweet by Moda, LOVE it.

Unfortunately, My sewing area has become ridiculous. Looks like I'll be cleaning the house this week and doing the "unpacking from a fun trip ritual". Stay tuned for more items in the shop!

Little Red Riding Hood

Lately, I'm loving all things "Little Red Riding Hood". I was looking at some of my favorite fabric online last night and decided to draw what she "looks like in my head"...

Here are some of my other favorite things featuring "Little Red"...

Japanese Fat Quarter from the Hey Day Shop

Vintage book from Librarie

Pendant from Bright Color Art

the Picadilly Lily Mini Quilt

I sold my first two items on etsy yesterday, and today, sent them off to their new homes! I'm so excited to get this little shop up and running. There is a new mini quilt listed today and I love the color combination...

This little sweety is called "Picadilly Lily". I had just enough natural linen left to use for the backing, but had to piece it, just to make sure I didn't "cut it too close" (funny pun!) It gave me a chance to use some "girly colors" that I just don't get to play with often, being the momma of a BOY.

I used just a little bit of some vintage pink fabric with a tiny, fuzzy yellow pindot. The mix of fabrics really gives it a vintage "feel". I quilted it using the same design as the Mini Pop Garden quilt. I think I'll be ready to go back to free-motion soon, I've had a nice little break.

Mini Pop Garden

Another sweet little mini quilt to add to the shop! I've started to list items at Pocketfulofpinwheels.etsy.com, so check often to see what's new :)

Quilted in a converging plaid pattern, I love how this quilt turned out. I also learned how to use my new walking foot...absolutely no puckers on this one! woo hoo! It's backed in natural linen and sashed in a "warm white" color. I love quilts with white sashing, don't you??

P.S....I think it's good to take a day of rest, so I'm starting to schedule Sunday posts during the week...I love how you can write a post and schedule it for later :) Hope you all have a restful weekend too :)

xo, Ariel

Mother's Day Gift

Here's what my hubby selected for my mother's day gift...(well, I helped a little). What a sweet little heirloom made by Vana at Le Papier Studio. She drew each silhouette from photos we sent of the T-man. I love it :)

Blush & Butterscotch MiniQuilt

Here is the completed mini quilt I worked on this week. I have yet to decide if I want to list this in the shop, or set it aside as my Spring Doll Quilt Swap piece.

I used mostly Heather Ross "Lightning Bugs", as well as "West Hill" and some "Mendocino". There is one square of Denyse Schmidt, just to keep from being too matchy-matchy. I like to mix things up a bit...I'm such a wild woman. It's bound in Amy Butler's "Seeds in Duck Egg".

Free-motion gave me such a run for my money on the Pop Garden Quilt, that I decided to quilt this one using converging lines. It's completely random, but I enjoyed letting my artist brain work for a bit on this one. It puckered on me in a few places, but it adds to the soft quilted feel.

I'm giving it the name, "Blush and Butterscotch" because the colors are sooooo yummy. Up close, you'll see the softest blush pink, cotton candy blue, and buttery yellow. I selected soft linen for the backing and it really brings out the quilting. A whopping 17" square, this quilt was a simple and satisfying project.

Busily Preparing

Okay, I've never been great at keeping a secret if it's something fun and exciting. Every Christmas, my husband receives his presents in November because I just can't wait to let him see what I found for him this year.

I've been busily preparing ideas and getting ready to open a brand new etsy shop called, Pocketful of Pinwheels. The logo is set, thanks to my awesome graphic designer friend, Mandy Freshour. Here is what she created for me:

Don't get too excited just yet ;) The shop is still empty as I prepare my first batch of items to list. You're welcome to visit the shop and see the logo! :)



I plan to be ready for business next week. You'll find "heirlooms for the modern family"... pieces to decorate your nursery or home...and yes, the sewing machine drawings will be there too! Thank you all for your sweet sweet comments about the swap piece.


In the meantime, here is a glimpse of something I've been working on this week...