for Marti

Here is the finished sampler and swap package that I sent to Marti. I mailed it early, so she could be surprised. I think the only thing that I added from the layout post is that I hand sewed the image to the fabric using the blanket stitch.

This will be the last post for July. See you August 1st!

wednesday wow...with the hows

Such a simple and fun sampler. And a great way to use favorite snippets that you can't bear to throw away. Done on a 4 x 6" scale, the scrap pieces would be so small and cute! These pretty inspiration pieces originated, and the pattern/instructions can be found here.

my mini fabric sampler garland ... at halftime!

Here it is in all its glory! The one in the very center is the sample that I made as a swap badge and sample. (I actually made it a few years ago ) I meant to hang them all in monthly order, but I realize I placed March after January and before February. Oh well. These are not the best pictures, I apologize. I'm going to try to get some better ones... but I was anxious to share!

January- from Jan
February- from Pam
March- from Elizabeth
Middle- A Swap For All Seasons banner
April- from Heidi
May- from Bev
June- from May

I love them all.

summertime saturday

Follow this link to see the rest of the ideas, and to download the popsicles. What a great activity to do with a friend / child / your family on your own this summer. Hang a popsicle on the garland each time you complete the act of kindness! Such a fun and meaningful summertime project.

wednesday wow...from may

This is the wonderful June sampler that I received from May. Want to see the fab fabric she sent to go along with it? Check out my blog!

on the edge

Here is a great tutorial for how to do these great variations of the blanket stitch. It's such a handy stitch for finishing off edges or for attaching an element to a piece of fabric.

vintage image saturday

summertime fashion!

Special Delivery

I received a package in the mail yesterday filled with beautiful prayer flags! I am so very touched. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers and well wishes! And a very special thank you to Elizabeth for organizing it! I had weight loss surgery on June 17th. Everything went well and I haven't had any complications, so I'm very grateful. The recovery and dietary adjustments take some time, so that's why I've had to slow down a bit. So far so good! I know that the thoughts and prayers of my dear friends and family have made all the difference, so thank you!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful flags. In the order in which they appear, they are from Linda, May, Elizabeth, Patty, Sally, Debbie and Sherry. I have them hanging on my mantle to inspire me and to remind me how very blessed I am. I love each one of them (and each one of you) dearly!

wednesday wow

This is one of my all time favorites. This one is actually a small brooch, but it is very easy to imagine it as a much larger piece as well. I absolutely love the colors, the cup and the sentiment. Perfection! Made by...wait for it... Constanza!

my July sampler layout...summer fun

Once I saw this image, I knew it was the one. It really captures the essence of summer fun! Just a couple more details...

vintage image Saturday...Happy Birthday, America

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy these Yankee Doodle Dandies!

July

We are halfway through our year long swap adventure! For the next 6 months of the swap I will be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

I have so much going on in my life right now! I'm still recovering from some surgery that I had in June, so I need to pace myself over these next few months. (No worries, I am totally fine!) And on a happy note, I am planning a baby shower for my sister Susie's first grandbaby who is due in October!

I LOVE our swap this year, and I have so much fun working on the blog posts. I just need to make it a bit more manageable for the busy months ahead.

So let's get started! I am making my mini fabric sampler for Marti this month. Take a peek at what I pulled out of my project box. More summery sweetness, this time with patriotic flair!

vintage image Saturday...honoring dad

I wish all the dear old dads out there a Happy Father's Day. Feel free to follow this link to download this cute Father's Day clip art. (Click the blue "download" box when you get there.)

Today is the final post for June. I will see you all July 1st. In the meantime, take a blog hop to see some of the Mini Fabric Samplers our swappers have been making. The list of blog links is in the right column over there>>>>>>>>>>
You can also see some on Instagram at #aswapforallseasons.

For Bev

Bev has already received her swap package. I am trying to work ahead a bit so that the person I send to can be at least a bit surprised.

This is my finished sampler and swap package. I made a tag and a little art charm/ embellishment to send along. Also, I could not resist sending Bev a little solar hula dancer that does a hula dance when the sunshine hits her. I have one in my kitchen window and she makes me smile every day!

If I Had Wings

Embroidery in circles! Look closely and see how each circle is stitched a bit differently. The stitching adds such dimension and character to each circle. Such a cute technique and a great use of pretty fabric scraps. The artist does lots of pretty embroidery, and calls this piece "If I Had Wings".

wednesday wow...from Bev

Bev had my name in May, and this is the delightful sampler she made for me. I love everything about it~ the fabric choices, the colors, the decorative stitching, the saying, and that wonderful handmade charm. It makes me smile, all over my face! To see the other goodies I received, check out my blog.

a little somethin' sweet for you!

Strawberry Dole Whip Recipe
(serves 4-5)

1 cup sliced frozen strawberries (120g)
1 cup frozen raspberries or more strawberries (120g)
level 1/4 cup milk of choice or canned coconut milk (60g)
pinch uncut stevia OR 1 1/2 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
2 tsp lemon juice
1/16 tsp salt
Strawberry Dole Whip Recipe: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Scoop out and eat OR put in a plastic bag and freeze ten minutes, then cut a hole in the bag’s edge and squeeze out in a swirl. (Or you can use a Yonanas machine if you have one – I used the bag method.) The addition of lemon might sound strange, but it really makes the recipe!

This recipe comes from one of my favorite sources, Chocolate Covered Katie! Her recipes are fantastic and she could not be any more adorable!

and the winner is.....

Sandi ! Your comment was chosen by the random number generator at mathgoodies.com Congratulations! Your Summertime Giveaway package is on it's way. Have fun with it!

vintage image saturday

I'm not so sure that this is vintage, but it's beautiful and interesting and perfect for June, so I wanted to share it with you.

SUNDAY is the LAST DAY to sign up for the Summertime Giveaway!

You don't want to miss your chance to win all of this summery fun!

To sign up, click on the Giveaway Badge at the top of the right column over there >>>>> It will take you to the Giveaway post where you can leave a comment with your email address to enter. The lucky winner will be announced on Monday, June 15th. The Giveaway is open to everyone, so sign up today!

from Heidi

This is the sampler that I received from Heidi in April. The colors fit right in with this month's summery feel. Every little element is so vintage fab and I love the way she puts things together. And I nearly flipped out over those vintage metal buttons on the top! Thanks, Heidi. I absolutely love it!

wednesday wow

Yet another masterpiece by Constanza Oh how I love her work! I love the embroidery, the colors, and the special spiritual touches in this piece. Beautiful.

technique tuesday

Is this delightful or what? If you are interested in learning how to make this banner,
here is the tutorial. I just love those strawberries!

my sampler progress...the layout

I decided to use pinking shears to cut out my fabric background. It seemed a summery thing to do! I decided to use an image, so I went browsing through my images looking for something cute and summery. Jackpot! I printed it on a fabric paper sheet designed for inkjet printers. I stamped the words (a Red Lead stamp of course!) on a scrap of the fabric paper sheet. I'm still tinkering with the layout. This definitely isn't it.

vintage image saturday

last day of school, school picnics ...summer carnivals...ferris wheels...cotton candy...the duck pond...oh the memories!

friday fun

This month: treat yourself to a new summer look!

Any other June babies out there?

Here are some other famous June Birthdays: Alanis Morisette 41, Morgan Freeman 78, Angelina Jolie 40, Liam Neeson 63, Anne Frank, Barry Manilow 72, Helen Keller, Meryl Streep 66. On a personal note, in addition to my daughter Mary Grace, my mother and father and my daughter-in-law Julie were all also born in June. Such a nice month for people!

wednesday wow

This looks to be a paper collage with fabric elements. I chose it because I like the happy fabric trim and the sentiment. I really like the way the colorful fabric strips are sewn. It looks easy and adds great dimension and color- so nice! It can be seen here.

Bev and Princess Grace

The first picture is what I pulled out of my project box for my June sampler. I will be sending mine to Bev this month. I can't wait to dig in!

The second picture is an ATC that I made many years ago featuring my little Mary Grace. Today my little Mary Grace turns 20 years old! She is my baby~ how can that be? Happy Birthday, Princess Grace!