Starstruck!

When the designer of the fabrics that you used to make the item in your Instagram post makes a comment!!! Uh-huh! That's Joanna Figueroa! Just call me starstruck! #my15secondsoffame

Did Someone Mention Pie?

It's November, and along with a number of other seasonal things that come to mind, I'm thinking of PIE!  My family always really looks forward to our big family Thanksgiving and especially the dessert of the day, at least three different pies.  Maybe more!

But I've been working on pie of another sort, my Sweetie Pie Pincushion and Thread Catcher.  This one, made from the brand new "Sugarcreek" fabric line from Coriander Quilts made up perfectly! Almost looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?

More Tilda Love

I have blogged previously about my undying love for TILDA fabrics.  I anxiously await the release of nearly all of her new lines and these, her newest, "Old Rose", recently arrived.  Aren't they beautiful?  I certainly think so and my buyers do as well. These Sew Sassy Thread Catchers have been flying off the shelves of my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow .

 They made up so nicely in my Sew Sassy design.

And as a lover or the color red, this one is right up my alley!

I will be making up some new thread catchers in some of the other "Old Rose" prints very soon so as they say, stay tuned!

Seasons Change

Summer appears to be over here in our corner of the Pacific Northwest.  I am always a little sad to see it go but the fall season brings on more of Oregon's famous rain. The air has that delicious aroma of damp earth, pines and just a hint of wood smoke. This beautiful rose, from a bush that has been blooming like crazy all summer long, is not quite as perky as the summer blooms were, but it doesn't seem to mind the extra moisture.  I love the way that the raindrops glisten on the rose petals and the leaves, kind of like "seasonal eye-candy"!

Pincushions Galore !

You all know that I'm crazy about PINCUSHIONS, right? I love that there are so many opportunities to use little bits of leftover fabrics, you know, the ones that are too precious to part with but are not enough to make anything big. I also love posing them on my Singer Featherweights. Don't they look cute?!? These are all presently available in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow.

Perfectly Posed

Don’t these thread catchers just look so pretty all lined up on my old piano? These little beauties will be making their way to Florida tomorrow. It is my largest single order I have had to date in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow and comes from one of my wonderful repeat buyers. She’s gifting them to family members at an upcoming get together at the end of this month. 

I’m imagining all of the wonderful things that will be made using these thread catchers with their detachable Sweetie Pie Pincushions!

It's Summertime, Summertime, Sum-sum Summertime !

It's the first day of summer and we're having an absolutely SPLENDID day here in our part of the Pacific Northwest!  It's warm, the birds are singing and there is just a hint of "horse" in the air.  I love that smell!

These Thread Catchers are presently listed in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow, all in cheery warm colors and made from Moda fabrics.  I've got some really pretty pincushions listed, too.  Check them out!

Just for Fun

Who doesn't love a cute PUPPY PHOTO?!?  This is our sweet pup, Lucy.  She's five months old and as sweet as can be.  She has been fascinated by the horses in the pasture to the west of our back yard.  Here they are, nose to nose, getting to know each other.

Who Loves Tilda Fabrics?

Raise your hand if you love TILDA fabrics!  I certainly do!  Her prints and colors are,... well,...  right up my alley.  I just made this super cute pincushion using my Sweetie Pie Pincushion design and I absolutely LOVE the way that this one, made from the new "Lazy Days" fabric line turned out.  Slide on over to my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow to snag one for yourself.

Thread Catchers and Mother's Day

Mother's Day will be here before you know it and I've been working on making Thread Catchers to post in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow.  They make really great gifts for anyone who sews, quilts or does needlework of any kind and I get have lots of sales leading up to Mother's Day.

This particular Thread Catcher got to me just a little...  My mother loved blue and she would have loved this Thread Catcher.  Sadly, she passed 22 years ago. The woman who introduced me to sewing did not live long enough to see me succeed in my own sewing endeavors, business wise.  But I know that she was proud of the fact that I made most of my clothes as a teen, sewed for my children and made things for my home.

Each time I see this photo, I am amazed at how different we look.  She had dark hair, mine is lighter.  She had brown eyes, mine are green.  I wonder how in the world she got so much lift in her hair. And look at those eyebrows!  They're perfect!  I have never ever in my life worn red lipstick but my Mom rocked those red lips in this photo.

I think about my mother often, probably because I am sewing, OFTEN.  But I especially think about her around Mother's Day.

Love you, Mom.  I'll see you on the other side.  I hope that there are sewing machines there.

If one is cute...

If one of these sweet Dreamy Dresden Pincushions is cute, then six of them is even CUTER!  Lori Holt's new Farm Girl Vintage line is positively perfect for this design.  The tiny prints made up beautifully, didn't they?

I posted one of these pincushions on Instagram and was immediately inundated with orders and they've been selling like the proverbial hotcakes since.   It seems that others love Lori's fabrics every bit as much as I do.  That's when I started taking pre-orders since that's the only way that I could keep up. These six will be making their way to their new homes today with many more not too far behind in my production queue.     

Pincushion Crazy !

I don't know what it is about pincushions but I am completely crazy about them.  It is probably because they are a fast little project to make and as they say,... the possibilities are endless.  I recently posted a similar pincushion to this one on Instagram and received over 2000 likes in less than 24 hours.  Apparently other people love pincushions as much as I do!

This is my Scrappy Strips Pincushion.  As a result of that Instagram post I have had a number of people message me to ask if there was a pattern available.  There isn't...  at the moment... but that can change.  I have plans to produce this pattern and make it available as soon as I can get the pattern put together.  I love spreading pincushion love!

New Year, New Adventures Ahead !

What is it about the New Year that gives us all new hopes, new dreams and new inspiration?  It is an amazing thing, really!  Kind of like a cosmic King's X where all troubles and disappointments of the past year are just... in the past and new possibilities present themselves.

My 2018 has not been bad, in fact it has been very good.  Mr. T. and I have so much to be grateful for.  We are at a very comfortable point in life, we have a wonderful family that includes three fine and productive adult children that enjoy being with us as well as three grand children that we love and adore.  Who could ask for more?

On a business note, another very positive aspect of my life, this photo is my "2018 Best Nine", my most popular Instagram posts for the year.  I absolutely love what I do! Who would have thunk that I could have a killer income, doing something that brings me happiness every single day?

And the very best of 2018 is that sweet little grand-baby in the lower right photo.  She gets cuter and sweeter by the minute!

Just call me... GRATEFUL!  Here's to 2019!  And my very best wishes to everyone for a very Happy New Year!

Pin Pals

Do you love making pincushions as much as I do? If so, you will want to pick up the new book, "Pin Pals: 40 Patchwork Pinnies, Poppets, and Pincushions with Pizzazz" (say that three times fast!) by Carrie Nelson and published by That Patchwork Place. I have admired Carrie's quilt patterns published under the name of Miss Rosie's Quilt Company for many years. I pre-ordered my copy "Pin Pals" from Amazon and my copy arrived yesterday. What a fabulous little book this is! There are wonderful simple little pinnies as well as more complex designs. All are delightful! The book is available on Amazon, with PRIME!!! for quite a bit less than I paid for my pre-order. So go and get yourself a copy!

I am so very fortunate to have a number of my buyers return to my Etsy shop time and again.  One of those lovely ladies, Carol G., who lives in California, recently contacted me wanting to purchase Thread Catchers for a GIRLS GETAWAY with friends.  They are all traveling to Colorado and will be meeting up next week.  Carol purchased a Thread Catcher for all attending.  What a generous friend she is! I just had to line them all up and take a picture before sending them off.  Not the best lighting for photographs today, it's Oregon and it's raining, but they look pretty sweet, just gotta say...!

Anyone who follows T. in the Burg knows that I get very excited about new fabrics.  I look months and months ahead to see what will be released in the future and pretty much know what I am going to purchase long before the fabric lines are released.  This particular grouping of fabrics has been on my list for some time.  It's so appropriately named, "Mon Beau Jardin" and is from Ellis and Higgs, designed by Nadra Ridgeway.

I knew that these fabrics, along with a few others from Ellis and Higgs, would be perfect for my Sweetie Pie Pincushion and Thread Catcher.  The yardage has just been released so I have plenty to make this particular item to stock my Etsy shop!

Grandma in Waiting

I was in Portland last week-end to spend some time with our two daughters and our sweet DIL, Kendra, and to attend her fabulous baby shower hosted by her besties. She has such an amazing network of friends and family who love her and Ryan dearly, as was evidenced by the mountain of gifts she received. 

And I was finally able gift the baby quilt that I made over 10 years ago on a wish and a hope and a dream. It's not the perfect match for Baby G.'s beautiful nursery, but it was gratefully received. And... I'm in the process of making another baby quilt that will fit beautifully in that sweet nursery.

Pincushion Party

I recently had a buyer contact me about purchasing multiple items from my shop and she needed them FAST! Really fast! Sharon W. was going to be attending a quilting retreat in WV and worried that her order might not arrive in time. I suggested that we mail her order directly to the retreat venue and her order actually arrived at the retreat before she did. What a great photo showing seven happy quilters all sporting brand new Curry Bungalow Pincushions. Thanks, Sharon, for sharing this great photo! It looks like a PINCUSHION PARTY!

Big Sale !

I'm having a BIG PATTERN SALE!!! I'll be away from home for a few days and while I'm gone I am offering my three Curry Bungalow Thread Catcher Patterns at 30% off! SUCH A DEAL! This sale will be in effect through August 27, 2018 and applies to both digital downloads and printed copies. It does not apply to my Pattern/Supply Kit Combos. Prices are reduced at the listings.

Please note that all print copies and other physical items in my shop will not ship until Tuesday, August 28th. 

This is a great time to purchase patterns to make holiday gifts for your favorite quilter, sewer or needle worker. Or maybe you deserve a gift... just sayin'...      click here to be taken directly to Curry Bungalow.

"The Puddle Jumper"

I am totally dating myself here with this photo (not my photo, not me...) of what my very first car looked like, purchased for me by my father in 1968 for the whopping sum of $300.00.  It was a 1960 Rambler American, the sporty 2-door model in cream puff condition.  It was graphite grey with a white top and RED WHEELS!  I don't think that those red wheels were stock since I've never seen another but they did add that certain something... maybe funk-appeal!  Honestly, this was not the car that I really wanted.  My father and I set out to find me a car shortly after I graduated High School and the first one that we looked at was a used 1964 bright red Volkswagen Bug.  It had a new paint job and was ONLY $1000.00. Easy for me to say, only, since I didn't have any money to put in on my car, but Dad thought that was too expensive.  Later that day after looking at about a gozillion used cars, we found one just like the photo.  Cash exchanged hands and I had wheels.  I was a bit embarrassed to drive it especially since lots of my friends were driving Mustangs and VW's. I know. Shame on me.

My friends and I called it The Funk-Mobile but my Dad always called it The Puddle-Jumper.  My bestie Priscilla pronounced it to be, "so ugly that it's CUTE!".  It got me were I needed to go and served me well until I saved up enough money for a down payment on my dream VW Bug.  I sold the Funk-Mobile for $350.00 to a friend who drove it cross county a couple of times. It was a little champ!

I am not the same status conscious teen that I was back in 1968 and would SO drive this car today!    I would proudly drive this car and fly my FUNK FLAG!

Block of the Month Newbie

I belong to a very active quilters guild with lots of members who are super productive and prolific.  That's not been the case for me.  Honestly, I don't get that may quilts made.  I completely over-think quilt making. Will it fit into my home? Does the style complement the decor?  Do the colors match?  What I should really be asking myself is... do I want to make this quilt?

In the interest of working towards being more personally prolific, I have signed up for the "Sew In Love" Block of the Month through the Fat Quarter shop. I don't have a clue what I will do with this quilt but I was completely captivated when the first photos were published.  That's part of my problem.  My quilty friends just make the quilts that call to them.  I always think about where it will go or what I will do with it.  I need to get over that kind of thinking.

These fabrics!  Totally swoon-worthy!

I love just about anything designed by Edyta Sitar so this quilt will be right up my alley. I am a total Edyta groupie! I love the way that this quilt combines complex piecing with delicious colors. Adding to my excitement is that my dear friend, Janet C., has also signed of for this BOM.  She's a BOM veteran, having completed some absolutely fabulous BOM quilts.  I am so looking forward to beginning this quilt when the first installments roll out in August.  I will keep everyone posted on my progress.  STAY TUNED! 

Perfectly Posed

 

I've always loved gingham.  No idea why...  Maybe because my mother made lots of dresses for me from gingham when I was a child.  Maybe because I made clothing for my own two daughters using gingham. Maybe it's my "comfort fabric", sort of like those favorite things that we eat and call our comfort foods.

This sweet little pincushion is sitting perfectly posed on my 1937 Singer Featherweight, "Georgia".  I wrote about my first Featherweight here. Regular readers here at T. in the Burg know that I am an inveterate MATCHER, so this photo is right up my alley.  Is it just me, or does it look incredibly cute perched on Georgia's drop down extension.  Just listed in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow

Did I mention that we have a new grand baby on the way? We are SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED! We have two fine grandsons, aged 17 and 15. But we've been wishing and hoping for at least one more. This new baby is due in November and I am in a happy baby bubble, dreaming of all of the things that I want to make for him or her. I have a long list!

Ahhhh, Spring!

We are having the most spectacular spring season!  All of the Rhododendrons are blooming at the SAME TIME! The Bluebird of Happiness made a brief appearance among the roses, irises and rhododendrons.

Pinnie Love

What is it about pincushions that completely warm my heart? These new fabrics from French General made up beautifully!  The colors are not the usual French General colors.  The pinks, lavenders, blue/greens and reds are simply delicious!

Do you ever purchase fabric and love it so much that you can't bear to cut into it?  That's kind of what happened to me with these "Tilda" fabrics purchased months and months ago.  For those of you who may wonder... Tilda fabrics are from the Australian designer, Toni Finnanger.  Up until last year they were a bit difficult to get hold of and don't even ask me about how expensive the postage was to ship from Australia. But thankfully, Tilda fabrics are now available in the United States.  Hooray!

 I've been gazing lovingly at them, not quite sure what to make.  And since most of what I make are thread catchers, well,... that's what I made.  And I'm in love!  As I've mentioned here previously, I don't always know what a thread catcher will look like when finished.  But as this one was coming together, I just knew that it would be something special.  My lighting was not so great for photos today, suffice it to say that I live in Oregon and you know what that means.  Rain, rain and more rain.  But the rain is what makes things so green and beautiful here.  I have made my own personal peace with the rain... but sometimes photos are tough to get right.

Just so sweet!

And this pincushion!  Check out that VERY OFFICIAL Tilda fabric covered button.  It's the perfect finish to my Sweetie Pie Pincushion.

Just listed in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow

This particular pincushion has been a great seller at my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow.  I kind of fell in love with these sweet "Gratitude" prints designed by Jo Morton.  It was something about the colors... and I knew that the small prints would be perfect for my Dreamy Dresden Pincushions.  This morning I received a somewhat FRANTIC message from my Curry Bungalow Facebook page, asking me to call a particular number ASAP!  So I called.  As it turned out, the caller was at that very moment at a Jo Morton Retreat in Nebraska.  She had somehow seen my pincushion online and announced that she absolutely had to have one!  She and I made arrangements for her to purchase, she thanked me profusely and I asked her to give my regards to Miss Jo, to tell her that I am a big fan!  I thought that was the last of it.  I'd made a nice little sale and that was that.  Well, since then I have received numerous calls from other ladies at the Jo Morton Retreat, all wanting that same pincushion. Apparently a number of the retreat attendees want one!  So I know what I will be doing for the next few days.  It's a good thing that I love making them but I especially enjoy that others love them, too!

Pretty Maids All In A Row

I am totally dating myself here.  I arranged these four custom order thread catchers to photograph and that old song by the Eagles came to mind, "Pretty Maids All In A Row", circa 1976 from the "Hotel California" album. This custom order request was from one of my wonderful repeat buyers, Rachelle S., who lives in NY.  You can read about her and the women in her family at a previous blog post titled, "Rachelle and Her Sisters".  Rachelle has returned to my shop time and again to purchase thread catchers for herself and various family members.  In fact, she has purchased more thread catchers from my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow  than any other single buyer.  We have both lost count!

For this order, Rachelle asked for reds and whites/creams as preferred colors.  She enjoys French General fabrics as much as I do and these are what I made up for her. (The third one's outer bag is actually a from Blackbird designs but went with the other FG fabrics beautifully!) It was something of a challenge working with similar fabrics but still trying to make each be unique. I am very happy with the results and so was Rachelle.  And I've been singing that song in my head for days and days.  Kind of a happy little blast from the past! 

New Year, New Adventures !

I love New Years Day!  Mr. T. and I expect 2018 to be a great year for our family.  We have a big wedding in July that we are looking forward to and we both have our fingers crossed that there might, just might be a new grand-baby in the family. (No pressure whatsoever, R & K!)

I spent the morning doing as I pleased, and that was sewing, of course.  I whipped up this little beauty using my new "Flower Mill" fabrics designed by Corey Yoder, one of my very favorite Moda designers.  Her sweet prints and cheery colors are so incredibly yummy!  I love the way that this one turned out!  Just listed in my Etsy shop, Curry Bungalow .

Holiday Greetings !

I mailed the last of my Etsy orders this morning and am now in high gear preparing for family who will be arriving momentarily. But I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I also want to send a sincere thank you for the support and encouragement that I have received throughout the year. I feel so very fortunate to be able to do what I love and that others appreciate my products. Thanks to all of you!