Is
that how the saying goes...because we had a fresh layer of snow on the ground this morning, and I'm not April foolin' ya.Oh well, I'll have to bring a little bit of spring into my day in other ways - like fun fabric.
So we took 6 classes down at the retreat in Saint George. Two of those were quilts that I haven't finished yet, I'll post those another time. The other projects were all finished by the time we headed home. First there was the mystery bag. Clue #1 arrived long before class with cutting instructions for our fabric. It did give you little hints like main fabric or accent fabric, but other than that it was a mystery. I felt a little like Nancy Drew :). Once we were at class, we would get the next clue with the next step. In the end, I
love how my bag turned out.
Shannon was an awesome teacher and is the local bag lady, so I can look forward to taking more of her classes. I also won this
little gem in her drawing and she's made
this block from my
Jelly Roll Quilt Along pattern - what a small world.
Next was the charm pack table runner. This one was simple and so cute. I used a Mary Engelbreit charm pack by Moda that I had sitting around waiting for just the right project. You can't see the back, but I used a large red gingham print. It reminds me of picnics on a warm day.
My all time favorite project was the
Abby Lane scrap bag. Again, an adorable pattern by a great company. I actually bent the rules a little and sewed directly on the cutting line for the flower. The petals came out perfect and rounded - and those fabrics - yum! Side note, the darkest aqua fabric in the center of the flower is the one I was cutting when I cut my finger - which by the way is doing so much better. I've also invested in one of
these.
The last class and the last finished project was this pair of slippers. I love them, but they are just the tiniest bit too small for my daughter. Some of the ladies used minky to line the inside of the slippers which made them super soft. Next time :) The pattern is
Happy Feet Slippers by Favorite Things.
So that's it for now. I wish I could post a picture of all the fun we had. I've learned that sewing retreats are much more than the projects, but the sisterhood and fun spent with kindred spirits. Not having to cook or clean wasn't so bad either ;)
In honor of Earth Day, I'm giving away 10 petite cloth panty liners! I kept playing around with the price or a special discount, then just decided to give them away for free :) 
The sun keeps poking out from behind the clouds, then changes it's mind and tucks in for a little while longer. The ground is wet and fresh. A few white blossoms fall onto the grass reminiscent of the last snowfall not so long ago. The lawn waits to be cut. Dandelions are almost ready to be wished upon. My thermostat reads 70. Spring has finally arrived.
Spring has also arrived in my family room. This thrifted privacy screen just needed a little bit of Martinique by moda to brighten up our home on these early spring days.
Tomorrow is Earth Day...I'm thinking rainbow cupcakes and a special discount on cloth pads...
Last week was spring break for us, and boy did we take a break. We slept in, hung out, sloughed on the house keeping and chores and basically didn't do much of anything - which, as you know, is sometimes the best thing to do - especially during a rainy spring break.
With all of that hanging around not doing anything, I did manage to read a book (snuggled next to a child reading her book), discovered my love for asparagus (who knew), hung out with a bunch of teenagers, looked at baby pictures, had my stitches removed (both of them) and made a decision to move my daughter to a charter school for next year, oh and paid off our last debt. So I guess I did get a little done.
And speaking of random - what about this curly headed 15 year old - what's up with that hair? From a family of thin, straight haired people comes these beautiful spirals. Where are my thick curly locks? The gene pool is a funny thing. 
Next was the charm pack table runner. This one was simple and so cute. I used a Mary Engelbreit charm pack by Moda that I had sitting around waiting for just the right project. You can't see the back, but I used a large red gingham print. It reminds me of picnics on a warm day.
My all time favorite project was the Abby Lane scrap bag. Again, an adorable pattern by a great company. I actually bent the rules a little and sewed directly on the cutting line for the flower. The petals came out perfect and rounded - and those fabrics - yum! Side note, the darkest aqua fabric in the center of the flower is the one I was cutting when I cut my finger - which by the way is doing so much better. I've also invested in one of these.
The last class and the last finished project was this pair of slippers. I love them, but they are just the tiniest bit too small for my daughter. Some of the ladies used minky to line the inside of the slippers which made them super soft. Next time :) The pattern is Happy Feet Slippers by Favorite Things.
So that's it for now. I wish I could post a picture of all the fun we had. I've learned that sewing retreats are much more than the projects, but the sisterhood and fun spent with kindred spirits. Not having to cook or clean wasn't so bad either ;)
