Gehring Road

a bit of everything

This particular school year is testing me... my patience, my resolve, my abilities... just everything really. In the midst of it, I'm learning a great deal about my will and about perspective. So far, I've discovered that taking joy in the little things is essential... it's food for the spirit. Also, that apple pie martinis are really lovely. Back to perspective though. I've been treating myself to little bits of fabric, books that I find and love, a really expensive cup of coffee from an out-of-the-way stop in the morning... it just helps. With that in mind, I saw this beautiful bit of fabric at MissMatatabi's Etsy Shop. It's Nesshome's Feedsack Flower Pattern panel and contains eight different prints on each... just a bit of everything as it turns out. It couldn't be more different than the x plus Field Study blocks that I've been working my way through... a really nice change as it is. Some sewing with my growing stash of Japanese fabrics is in order. Sewing might just be the very best food for the soul... Happy Tuesday everyone! 

looking forward

image from Pinterest

It's really, really fall-ish around here and I'm loving it. We've had our first wood fires, butternut squash soup and cider. Oh yes, it is here. Besides the usual fall treats that I'm looking forward to (you should know Rob's apple pie is top on that list) I have a craving for some new fabrics. I'm starting to believe that work should direct deposit my checks to Anna Maria Horner... there are two fabric lines that I'm obsessing over from Anna Maria the Great. Dowry is just so beautiful and so filled with colors and patterns I love. I may or may not have already pre-ordered this line from Hawthorne Threads (you should know that's exactly what I did this afternoon, ahem). I cannot wait for this little treat... November is just around the corner. 

Anna's elemental line True Colors is another must have. 

image from Pinterest

I'm in love with this collection. The patterns are simply perfect and the spectrum of colors in this line are just magic. I can't wait to get my hands on some (you should know that I have zero self control and would have promptly pre-ordered this too had it been available at Hawthorne Threads... alas it isn't). 

The last line that I am planning on hoarding snatching up this Fall is Birch Fabric's new Charley Harper collection...

image from Pinterest

I love the prints in this collection... all of them of course. I love the unexpected images and the traditional colors in this. I cannot wait to sew with these! 

This fall has brought loads of changes at work which has been difficult and trying. There's a white knuckled grip on that vacation glow I wrote about a while back, but it's still there. This fall my goal is really to delight in the season, be grateful for things as they come, sew often and at unexpected times and buy some of that lovely fabric I've been waiting for. Welcome autumn, we're so glad you're here! 

lovely finds

A few weeks ago, I happened to run in to Joann Fabrics to pick up elastic for some teeny tiny pants (Anna Maria Horner's quick change trousers to be exact) in the making. Heading past the fabric I usually don't peek at (I don't always love the fabric at Joanns) I saw the most lovely collection of prints and was tempted to pick up a bit of each. I told myself I was there to buy elastic and a bit of backing fabric, but I did pick up that beautiful orange floral pattern. Certainly not fabric for a baby, especially one whose gender will be a surprise, but some of that lovely orange fell into my cart and the rest of the prints stayed in the back of my mind. Really small detailed prints, perfect for small patchwork projects and those times when one needs a near solid. The larger scaled prints, like my favorite orange one, perfect for garments and a staple dress or two. I was surprised to hear that the prints are from the talented Juliana Horner, daughter of another favorite designer around these parts. The prints are really lovely, and today I picked up a little bit of each. They must be a quilt, they look so beautiful together. And that orange print... still going to be a dress, just the minute I get around to it. Yay for lovely finds and new designs, can't wait to see what Juliana designs next... and bravo to Joanns for giving new life to their quilting section, these are simply lovely. Happy Friday everyone! 

love... again

I'm in love with sewing again, phew... After a stumble, I needed something to remind me of what I love most about this hobby of mine. And I am loving the process, the mess, the trimming, the piecing of x plus blocks today (totally inspired by this lovely quilt). I finished cutting fabrics today and just started playing around with some fabric combinations. Things matched, points pointed, seams look straight... phew. I have thirty six blocks to make, also (big sigh here) thirty six days left of summer vacation. Sounds like a fitting way to enjoy these last few weeks of these lovely days, no? I want to relish the process of the making of these blocks just as much as I'd love to relish these last (weep) summer days. Tomorrow's block sits next to my machine, ready for the making, ready to be put aside to finish some other projects and start other things anew. I love that about the creative process.

I'm also loving that sweet little lady Miss K who has been my constant companion during these days. She's happy to hang out in the sun listening to Pride and Prejudice (again) and the hum of my sewing machine (again!). I love being able to peek in on her during the day... oh summer, please linger! Happy Friday everyone, I hope it finds you staying cool and loving where life takes you these days. 

sewing this week

We've had a wonderfully full and lovely weekend. We had time spent with friends, escapes to the movies, many laughs, time to play with the camera (my goodness I have much to learn!), getting back into a routine that involves running, and loving our sweet girl. I thought I might share a few images from what has been keeping me occupied this week. I battled back from the horrible awful (thank you for your sweet words here and on Flickr, you all are incredibly good!) with some cutting of my Field Study bundle. I fall in love with that fabric every time I look at it... but the cutting has me eyeing certain special elements of the prints and falling in love all over again. This will be an x plus quilt. I love, love, love Hollie's version and am needing a sewing success right now. I know these blocks will have impact when they come together and I'm excited to be starting a new (and lovely) project. This week, the plan is to also work a bit on this and attempt some garment sewing. Wish me luck! Happy weekend everyone!  

a bit more on geese

The rows are pieced for my ode to Semiology quilt leaving just the rows to be sewn together. I thought this would be a good time to give a few more specific details about this quilt, I'm so looking forward to this one being done! 

My Accuquilt (a Christmas gift) made the making of this quilt manageable. With 396 blocks needed, and a few extras planned for the back, I loved the piecing of this. Based on Rita's example, I purchased the two dyes to make this block, the 3'' half square triangles (which cuts at least four with each pass) and the 4 1/2'' triangle dye that cuts the center (two with each pass). The fabric cutting was so easy and I learned a great deal about the dye cutter in the process. I mostly cut strips that were 1/4'' on all sides larger than the dyes. I tried putting 4, 6, 8 strips in at once. Each time, all of the fabric cut evenly without any problems, but the cuts with four did best and have behaved the best throughout the piecing. When pieced, these blocks are 6.5 by 3.5, which is perfect for my project. They require quite a bit of pressing at each stage of the process. I'm learning a few tricks with this as well. Make sure to set the seam with a blast of steam before pressing the fabric away from the seam allowance. This makes a really neat and well behaved block. Here they are in formation...

I used fabrics from all of my favorites in this: The light green is Lizzy House Outfoxed Jewels in Light Green, the dark green is Lotus Wallflower by Amy Butler and a third green in the fourth and last rows is Riley Blake Songbird Dots in Green. The reds are Anna Maria Horner's Field Study Fine Feather in Pomegranate and the plaid is Denyse Schmidt Simple Plaid in Red from Chicopee. In the "yellow row" the orange fabric (which looks red in this shot) is Architextures Crosshatch in Tangerine, one of my favorite fabrics ever. The floral center which is sprinkled in other places is a Sevenberry print I had just enough of. The solids are Kona Ash (I just can't get enough) for the geese, Kona Coal, Wedgewood and I'm blanking on the yellow. It's a buttercream color and a strong contender for binding on this... I should find that color! 

More "geese" posts here: 

In Formation

Many Geese 

Geese Progression

Today, So Far

 

I'll finish this top next week, this weekend is for cleaning and arranging the loft, it's a disaster. I'm baffled when it comes to quilting this one... any ideas? I might send it out to be quilted, it's a bit big for my machine, but I might just try some stitch in the ditch quilting and call it a day. I can't wait for this to be loved and used in our house. Happy Weekend everyone! 

i've got plans for you

A little, ahem, view of some fabric I've purchased lately. This is going to be the summer of sewing, I can feel it. I have plans for each little bit of that stack, which is nice, but intimidating. Want a closer look? 

1. After seeing this quilt, I knew I had to give half square triangles another go. I love the look and freshness of this one, and that stack of Bella Solids is some kind of wonderful. 

2. My Steam Punk quilt is in the dreamy phase right now. I'm still a bit scared of curves so I'm giving myself a day to test and tackle those. Not with that fabric... but I'll test drive some curves before I get going on this one. Tons of inspiration over at Jeannette's, each one of her steam punk blocks becomes my new favorite. 

3. We desperately need a new tablecloth and I needed one that didn't cost a fortune, mostly one I wasn't afraid of spilling on... I'm a messy eater. I purchased that yellow Loulouthi fabric and a bit of the circles from Form and Fabric's $4.20 a yard section... seriously. Four dollars a yard? Sold. I love their site and they ship super quickly as well. 

4. I decided to get a bit of Anna Maria Horner's Field Study in Rayon for a staple dress. I still need to cut out and tape the pattern together which I'm told is a bit of a process. The rain this week promises to allow for some serious garment sewing. I can't wait to make a few of these for (gulp) back to school in the fall. 

5. We're experiencing a bit of a baby boom here... some tiny babies are on the way for a few special people in my life and it has me itching to make a baby quilt or three. I'm so in love with Krista's "Welcome to Nunaka Quilt" and have gathered some lovelies to make something similar. Probably devoid of half square triangles... you know my loathing of them.

6. This Kokka fabric is so sweet and also purchased on sale from Form and Fabric. It's really bright and happy and I see it as a whole cloth quilt simply tied with some purl cotton. Easy and nice for a quick gift.

7. I purchased these amazingly beautiful prints from Ayumi's Etsy Shop. I love this print and was delighted to see it in other colors as I've been oogling the blue for a few years. These will find their way into my Steam Punk Quilt (in theory). 

8. I'm still collecting Liberty prints and these were new to me. I love the stars print and the floral as well. These will also end up in my eclectic Steam Punk Quilt. 

 

Happy Weekend everyone, I hope it finds you enjoying the day, whatever it brings. We're enjoying Rob's return from a work trip, nursing a still sensitive stomach and ready to spend time with family. Hopefully a little sewing happens in between! 

summer voile

Some new fabrics and some sweet new scissors arrived today. I have a date with that stack and some geese this weekend. Summer is so close I can taste it and I'm so looking forward to having my days back to sew and create. Delicious. I've been hoarding collecting voiles for a bit now. I picked some up at Alewives during our Maine trip in April, and I picked up a few more at Franklin Mill Store on my birthday with a sweet gift card from my favorite guy. I wanted to add one or two more prints so I bought a very, very small bit of a few from Hawthorne Threads this week and am so glad I did. They really brighten up that stack. This will be a simple but eclectic patchwork quilt, that hopefully will be a quick little project. I'm going to back this one with voile as well and tie it at the corners. I'm needing something quick and (hopefully) easy. Perfect for a long weekend and a taste of summer... so, so close! Happy Wednesday everyone, I hope you are similarly finding the light at the end of the tunnel. 

while at Gather Here

On Monday, at Gather Here, I picked up some really lovely new fabric. My excuse to make the trip up to Cambridge (which is really only an hour and twenty minutes from us) was to buy some yardage for a new dress. Have you seen this beauty of a pattern from April Rhodes? It's called The Staple Dress and I can't wait to make a few of these. They look perfect for work (with a bit of a lining possibly), especially during the coming warmer weeks. I bought some of that lovely Liberty Lifestyle Stile in Lowke Spice for my first attempt. I'm goingt to try a mock-up in some muslin before I crack into my new fabric, though the fabric looks pretty easy, I'm waffling between sizes and styles. April has included many modifications for this project which is so lovely. I'll keep you posted! My second stop on my excursion was at Mike's Pastry. My poor father has been struggling with a nasty case of pneumonia and I decided to swing by to pick him (and us) up a few pick me ups. They've come in very handy this week. We're finding comfort in sewing projects, the beautiful weather we've had so far this vacation week and our small lady...

A smile and an... interesting face. Levity and light is good. I hope you are all well and comforted by those around you. Happy Thursday everyone, be kind to one another! 

sunday stashing

I can't say I've had the best weekend... it has been a bit confusing, sad and all around wrong. My silver lining are those two loves in that last shot. That sweet photo was quick and just perfect that other day, I love it so much I created a black and white version in Lightroom. It makes my heart melt, that does. Besides my two loves, there has been some amazing visits from our mail carrier this week. She brought a delightful package of Liberty (eep!) fat eighths and Bloomsbury "Charlston Farmhouse" yardage from Dry Goods Designs. I love their unique fabrics, they are quickly becomming one of my favorite go to fabric stores online. And then... my fat quarter bundle of Anna Maria Horner's Field Study Linen arrived from Westwood Acres in record time (I love quick shipping, but like when my packages arrive spaced more apart so it looks like I have less of a habit than I clearly do!). All in all, a very, very good week for fabric. Now if things would look up in all areas, I'd be a very happy lady. Happy weekend everyone, back tomorrow.