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This ball keeps turning faster and faster. I barely catch my breath, and it's back to work or onto whatever it is that needs doing next.
However, it looks like everything changes again in a month. Seasons of life and the changing of the daily pattern.
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My girl graduates from high school in early June and prepares for her next adventures in life. Happily, that will still be close to home right now and she will stay with us for at least the next year. As she is our second and last and her brother is in Europe, I need her here for just awhile longer.
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My work life is busy, pretty much 24/7 right now. When I'm not working at home on the computer or in the studio, I'm getting ready to hit the road for the office at the hospital. In a few weeks, though, if all goes according to plan, a new software platform goes into effect, and I'll be working at home 100% once again, which I'm really looking forward to. Just in time, because my girl will be driving my car to college and work – if we don't get another car, and I just don't see us having another payment! So, for a little while anyway, I plan to just relish puttering away at home with no worries about being work-presentable and getting there on time and using all those freed up driving hours for much missed activities around here.
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Have you been following Pink Chalk Studios and Kathy's One Yard Wonders Sew Along? Well, this week, they are up to my project in the book, the Beach Time Towel Tote. I'm anxious to hear the reviews on my pattern writing skills. I sent Kathy a link to my towel tote set, so she and the person who sew it up know that it's much more than just a terry towel transformed into a tote bag.
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Well, that really sums me up right now. Lots of finished items have been mailed out the last couple of months. I love the big appliqué monogram (see above) for a little one's nursery, and my favorite project has been the "mr. and mrs." pillow cover set created just in time for the wedding season.
Speaking of weddings .... Loved it! I would also love to have a backside view as nice as these girls do. That's another (not so) little project I can work on when I'm spending more time at home! Oh, to be young and lithe again!
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Oh, how I miss posting! Not sure anyone out there misses my postings, but I love to talk here. However, a lot of work is keeping me very busy and I've been reading and working toward better internet business strategies as well, so there's no real time or creative writing energy left. Above is a photo of my photo shoot area in my studio. The lights my husband rigged for me last year are getting used regularly now. (West Elm home dec fabric on that tote up there.)
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To me, this photo of the fabric storage bucket is just perfect. I love how clear it is, and, yet, I really don't know what the difference is that makes one picture better than another in the same environment. I'm counting on Camille to teach me that as she becomes a more fantastic photographer everyday.
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I have to go now. Need to be at the hospital for work in just an hour. If you want to see what I've been up to most, check out the "Pillow Styles" gallery in my flickr gallery. Pillow cover sales have been marvelous!
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The past couple of months have been full of new ideas and organizing the old ones. You wouldn't believe the progress made in the studio apartment since January. I've gone about out that plan for years(!) now, but, finally, with the help of a couple of great friends, things are slowly coming together. I think the guy at the local thrift shop gets nervous when he sees my car pulling in -- again! However, no photos until it's done, maybe a couple more months.
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The calicodaisy etsy shop has been buzzing with custom orders for monogrammed pillow covers. Looks like the initial-only monogrammed pillow covers are the new trend. Other than finding great fonts in large sizes to embroider out, one letter makes the job very easy.
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What do you think about my new shop and avatar logo for calicodaisy etsy? I've been following Ink Obsessions for more than a year trying to come up with a design for the brand. None of my specific ideas have been really perfect yet, but Erin creates shop and blog graphic sets through her Erin Bradley Designs etsy shop, and I found the design above which seems just right for the shop and avatar appearance.
Now that that's settled, I need a new fabric label design. I can go with the design at the top of the post, as Erin has an M2M service for made to match graphics in proper sizes for labels, stickers, etc. My problem is that both "calicodaisy handmade" and "calicodaisyhandmade.com" are long URL names to use on a label, and I feel like I need the ".com" address on the label so folks can find me online. I can add ".com" on the square logo somehow, but in my mind's eye, I worry that it is too heavy and ruins the pretty little square.
I've been reading a lot of "the art of business" information lately. My head is full, but I'm trying to take one idea at a time. It seems to me that I need to figure out another URL to shorten my ".com" address and tie the two addresses to the designed website I already have (just what I need -- to own another url address). Last year I thought of using CDH dot com – for calicodaisy handmade, however, a consulting group has that one. Thinking on it, I could add a word right after CDH that means something to the business, like cdhsews dot com. If that turns out to be a good idea, my logo could be something like CDH with a whimsical flower superimposed over or around the letters and the shortened URL right underneath, and that might pull everything together.
Do you have any ideas for me? Does a better short word come to mind to add right after CDH?
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The last couple of weeks have pointed toward one moment: The moment our son returned from Germany on school break yesterday, Valentine's Day. Just perfect. The weather was gorgeous, the flights were on time, and I am so happy to have everyone home right now just where they should be!
Do you crochet? I made up those little hearts at the top on Sunday during breaks at work. Once I got going and timed myself (I am production oriented and like to know down to the minute what my efforts are worth!), each took about six minutes. A garland should be ready for next Valentine's Day; however, now I'm thinking about a petite flag garland created out of stripey sock yarn. The heart pattern is at Skip To My Lou. She always has fun things to try.
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Work in my studio this month has been pillows, pillows, pillows. The monogrammed pillow cover above flew off to Brussels last week. Belgium?? It's inconceivable to me that someone from Belgium where beautiful handcrafting abounds (right? lace, and I'm sure other needle arts) wanted something custom made by me. A man, no less, who was designing something for his sweetie. Sweet!
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A new design came to me from an etsy customer. Letter pillow covers. Just the initial monogrammed with a period after. Fun. Typographical. New idea. The hardest part of this is finding substantial fonts to fill the area without looking lost.
Well, I stayed home from Bible study tonight because I've been in the studio sewing half the day and online designing with new folks that have stopped by the shop. I never got to my transcription and must turn that in by the stroke of 12, so must move on.
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Meanwhile, I'll be delighting in the handcrafted chocolate champagne truffles my boy brought home to his mama. Lush! Love! Sweet!
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My studio time seemed to be all about pillow covers in January. A couple of custom orders required that I run out to the designer home dec fabric store, and I found these great fabrics. The one at the top is ooh la la gorgeous! Wouldn't a chair upholstered in that be fantastic?
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This one is such a a great find. A feedsack design style on lovely home dec fabric. The theme is "Tea en Provence." Love it in the lumbar pillow style. Going back down to sew up some more designs this evening.
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The end of the January? Good night! This was a quickie. Well, except for the week everything shut down in South Carolina for snow. Now that it's over and we didn't lose power or have any ice damage, I will say it was a lovely view out my front window for two days.
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In the meantime, I've spent the month finishing up the 2010 One Block Over Bee and getting a start on the new. I'm in love with the Fairy Tale house block we all made in December. I need to track down the fabric used for the center and make one of those for my own! If not a whole quilt – when do I actually get that done? – then a wonky block as above quilted and sewn into a pillow cover.
January was full of organizing activities. The loveliest day was the day when my friend, Robyn, spent her day off helping me execute the organization two rooms in the downstairs apartment. The blue room is looking great again (it's been about two years since I could say that), and the guest room is ready for company and/or for when my son returns home from Germany and lives downstairs during his senior year of college!
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My husband has a January birthday, and I made him what I understand to be perfect Red Velvet Cake cupcakes. Now, you know me. If it's not chocolate, pretty much I don't waste my calorie intake on it. I only want rich, chocolatey cake when I eat cake; well, that or my friend, Teresa's, cream cheese pound cake, the only other best cake out there. When I told the man I was making his favorite cupcake recipe for his birthday, he said, "Why don't you just pick some up at Publix?" Uh, hello? Game on! If my first batch didn't turn out absolutely perfect, by jiminy, I would try, try again until I could be featured on Food Network. However, my combination of ideas from Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and The Pioneer Woman recipes turned out perfecto! The frosting was lush and not too sweet. I even took a few to work with me and had the ladies there do a Cupcake War and grade me on texture, taste, and beauty. I won! By the way, I picked up a beautiful Red Velvet Cupcake at Publix a couple of days later, so I could try their version. I'm thinking that mix is from the box. Speaking of chocolate ... I have a yen for my double layer favorite.
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Well, the current news is that it will be icing and snowing after midnight tonight. That just shouldn't happen here in South Carolina, at least in my part. It totally cramps my schedule! Plus, I work this evening and will be driving home late and hope it holds off. However, we must be prepared. The grocery store was half empty last night, and I decided to stop in this morning to pick up some items for soup and salad, and Publix was packed! My daughter cooked up a Publix recipe for Pasta Fagioli a week or so ago, and it is so yummy. As I was picking up the ingredients to make it today, I decided adding meatballs would make it even better. Recipe below.
So, New Year, New Quilt Bee at One Block Over. I have the January block again, but my excitement of planning the block and sending out the packages to everyone is completely dimmed by the fact that I have two blocks left to complete for 2010. My shame hangs heavy on me, and I would have traded out January to someone else but didn't want to mess up the planned order. The photo at the top of the post is the October 2010 block I completed last week. Those fabrics are lovely together.
Drats! I just checked the OBO site to grab the link, and wouldn't you know, Linda has already sewn my block (please go to OBO and see). It is just gorgeous! I collected the Meadowsweet fabric set last year, and it has sat nicely washed, ironed, folded, and stacked waiting for me to get on with something. The bee is the perfect way to use all the designs well and get the job done. My favorite block from last year was a patchy log cabin, and I chose that style for mine this month. This has the potential to be a truly gorgeous quilt. Based on my history, though, I should probably hire out the sashing and quilting so it gets done in a timely fashion.
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So, what's for Sunday dinner at your place? If you have no idea but want something warm, cozy, and very quick to put together, check out the recipe for the Pasta Fagioli at this link. My tinkering included:
1. Pasta on the side for the wheat-free people here to choose whether they want it or not. I like "stoup," as Rachael Ray would say, so my bowl will be loaded appropriately.
2. Bag of small meatballs -- because I love them so.
3. No sundried tomato pesto at the store, so I used sundried tomato spread found right next to all the pasta sauce jars at the grocery.
4. I drain the canned beans.
Well, stay warm and safe. Pray with me that Jack Frost stays away, if not completely, at least until I'm back safe and cozy at home. Oh, yes, and a note to the electric company: Please put a blanket over the transformer that powers my older neighborhood and send a warm blast through all our above-ground power lines. We really need the electricity to stay ON during the storm.
