Forced Integration

Happy Friday!

This week, I finally sewed in my sewing room.  It made me feel home at last.

Here is my closet.  It's not perfectly folded, but I know what is in there.
I've decided to apply forced integration with my fabric stash.  I used to keep them segregated.  Now modern, repro, toile' and florals all live together.  I do have Halloween and Christmas separate.   How do you organize your fabrics?

I installed a high shelf for lesser used stuff.

I've started a new project!  Here is a sneak peak:  Lavender!  (on a temporary design wall aka; a flannel backed table cloth)  Inspiration and purpose can be found here.

I'm making 2 HST at a time.  For whatever reason, I don't like trimming the dog ears after I sew.  I decided to clip before I press.  It works great for me.

Now these are scraps too small to use.

On the advice of my friend Susan, I am starching my fabric for this project with Linit liquid starch.  I'm doing it in batches in the kitchen sink.  After soaking and wringing, I air dry it for about 30  minutes then iron dry.

Here is my new laundry closet.  I corralled all my baskets into one area and put them to storage use.  I'd love to get in there and wallpaper, but that is a "level 4" improvement".....

Aaahhhh, set up for sewing again.  Watching Breaking Bad on my lap top until my TV gets hooked up.

Side project - little 2" four patches.  I guess I was engrossed when I made that renegade block... I'm keeping it!

Happy Labor Day and I hope the only laboring you do is creative :)

Lovely Lavender

Yesterday Susan hosted a lovely lavender party for the Cupcakers.  She had collected a couple of lavender crafts from recent magazines.  Lavender is one of the few plants she can enjoy with all the deer in her area.

So first we have to clean the dried lavender off the stalks.  It smelled really good, the dried lavender is really super scented.

Susan shared with us some of her lovely vintage hankies. After pressing and starching them, we cut them into quarters, then squared those up.   We hand sewed little envelopes to fill with the lavender and used old buttons to embellish them.  Aren't they sweet? 

We had enough lavender to each make two sachets.  We bundled the stalks to use in the fireplace this fall, won't that smell good?

We had a lovely fruity salad for lunch, thanks Jill!

We had a lively discussion about our Able Lincoln challenge.  Here is Susan's sketch -

 

And Jill's

Hopefully we'll have something new to show you soon.

Susan has finished her Hat Box top!  She used 5 really sweet vintage hankies here - isn't it wonderful!  We started this project way back and you can see it right here.

Missed you Mary, as we always do ---

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