The strawberries and sugar combined into this sweet, sticky, crunchy yumminess on the outside crust of the bread.

And it was loaded with cinnamon and vanilla awesomeness (the vanilla was handmade by one of my sisters, a Christmas present I am still enjoying).

Then get quilting! I just did straight lines on either side of my pieced seams. I love it, though, and think it makes the fabrics really shine.

I used a lovely multi-colored stripe for the backing fabric.

Next time we do the binding!

This one I finished and features a block I hand carved and printed, plus some applique.

Now that I am down to the wire getting things ready, I realize how much more I still want to create!

Step one is piecing the squares together. Here’s the back, all neatly pressed:

And here’s the front:

My neighbors probably wonder about the crazy lady who photographs things on her front steps all the time. What can I say, I like the lighting.

And I had to show you these close-ups because check out those seams! Yea, baby. (Please note I didn’t show you all the spots where 4 squares come together. eh-hem.) This is the first project using my new quarter inch foot for my machine and I have to say, that is way more accurate than me eyeballing a quarter inch. (Some of you just shuddered at the thought of all that imprecision, I know.)

Are you sewing along, too? There’s still plenty of time to join in.

PS: I’m having a sale in my Etsy shop! Time to get ready for summer stuff so 40% off (yes, I said 40%) any purchase with coupon code SPRINGSALE. Spread the word and enjoy! Only good till the end of the month.

A is for Alligator!

We used this free printable from Crayola, which we printed on just regular copy paper. You could print it on cardstock, but regular weight paper worked out fine for us since you glue two layers together when you are constructing the alligator. All you do is color your alligator, cut him out, glue ‘em together, then attach all his body parts to him. Everything is marked, so this is a great project for sleepy mom brains. AND the Wee One loved it!

Then, for fun, we made some letter “A’s” on paper, too. Now to figure out what B is going to be.

The white with birds pocket goes all the way across the bag, while the bottom blue pocket is divided in half vertically.

Here’s the back:

I also made her this pin, using a block I handcarved and printed, then added some embroidery:

The Wee One also made his Nana something handmade: a hand “dyed” silk scarf in all her favorite colors. (We used Dye-na-flow, which isn’t actually a dye.) This is an amazing project because not only does it look gorgeous at the end, but it is a fun process and can be a great way to teach about color mixing. Here’s what we did:

Supplies:

• plain silk scarf (or other material) (here’s a good source)
• Dye-na-flow in various colors
• salt
• gloves and either a trash bag or plastic table cloth to protect your work space
• hair dryer and iron

Start by covering your work space and putting on a pair of disposable gloves (crazy pose after putting your gloves on is optional).

Then lightly wet your scarf and place it in a slightly crumpled pile in front of you. Go to town squeezing out droplets of color all over your scarf. Use your fingers to work colors together and spread them around the scarf as little or as much as you want.

While the scarf is wet, if you would like to add a textured effect, sprinkle some salt on your scarf. You will instantly see the colors move and spread out in a snowflake or crystal like pattern.

Let the scarf dry all the way. You can speed up the process by using a hair dryer.

Once the scarf is dry, brush off any excess salt. Then iron to get out wrinkles and to make sure the Dye-Na-Flo is heat set.

Then prepare to wow your gift recipient! Seriously, the pictures don’t convey how beautiful this scarf is.

I love birds, as you can probably tell from the name of my blog & studio. I have always been drawn to birds, feathers, nests, and egg imagery, and in grad school, I finally put words to this fascination: birds represent that dual pull I feel (and lots of people feel) of a longing to nest but a yearning for flight. This blog hop was the perfect reason to create something new with a bird theme.

The first project I made is a three-dimensional fabric & felt bird, based off of a pattern by Mummy Sam. I picked my favorite colors and had a ball making this bird. I did hand embroidered abstract feathers in a variegated floss of blues and greens on the white felt body, and the face is hand embroidered in charcoal grey floss.

Her coat is removable, made from grey felt with a button accent.

The back of her is two different fabrics I love (by Ellen Luckett Baker), stitched together into stripes.

Her legs are a different fabric (from Monaluna’s Havana collection) torn into strips and wrapped around a wire base.

She, of course, is a sewing bird. I made her this little sewing machine (which is stuffed with dry beans so it stands),

a satchel for carrying her sewing things,

and a needle, button, and little stitching project of her own.

I am in love with this bird and have drawn a bunch of my own bird patterns to turn into 3-D sculptures.

I also made an appliqued bird wall hanging and a pin using a block I hand carved and printed:

Now for the giveaway:

I still have some charm squares of Nancy Drew fabric left from an earlier blog hop I did, so I thought I would share those with you, plus  some handmade beads and other goodies, all of which will arrive in this drawstring bag handprinted with one of my original bird blocks.

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post, being sure to include your email address so I can get in touch with you if you win. If you need an idea of something to say, how about telling me what your favorite bird is.

For a SECOND entry, follow my blog (email subscribe button in the side panel) (and leave me a comment here saying you did that) and/or like me on Facebook.

PLEASE make sure you leave an email address that you check regularly so I can get in touch with you if you win! The giveaway ends Friday May 17th at 8am EST. Giveaway now closed! The winner, chosen at random, is Patricia of Dogwood Lane Rambles. Congratulations, Patricia, just send me your mailing address and I will get your winnings out to you. Thank you so much to everyone who entered; your comments were wonderful! What a lot of different kinds of birds you mentioned, too.

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the other blogs participating today, too:

http://www.quiltsmiles.blogspot.com

http://sewdarnquilt.blogspot.com

www.cindycraftycreations.blogspot.com

http://madebymeinred.blogspot.com

http://featheredneststudio.com  (that’s me!)

http://cmyprims.blogspot.com

http://ukcitycrafter.wordpress.com

www.gracieoliverarts.blogspot.com

http://cateslinens.blogspot.com

http://quilterinthecloset.blogspot.com

http://quilttotheedge.blogspot.com

http://aroundthehomestead.blogspot.com

http://sewpeacetopeace.blogspot.com

www.caliquilter.com/blog/

http://pamela-kieffer.blogspot.com

Don’t you love kid questions? The Wee One asked me this when we were driving home the other day, and it spurred a wonderful conversation. In honor of my little sweetie who is the reason I am celebrating my fourth Mother’s Day today, here is a free pattern for a ladybug applique and embroidery. Enjoy, and happy Mother’s day to all those who celebrate it!

Click here for a free ladybug pattern (no tutorial, but it is rather self-explanatory).

I sketched his pattern out over a year ago, cut the felt about 6 months ago, then finally put him together recently. Something else just kept getting in the way of me finding time to finish him. He has a companion fox I need to make, too.

These cheerful kitty creatures were fun to make, too. They have machine stitched arms, little hearts on their backsides, and a combination of hand and machine stitched faces. I based their pattern off of my kitty-roos.

They, along with Edgar, are headed to Elissa Halloran‘s shop in Albany once I sew the stuffing opening on each one  closed.

Last night when I should have been falling asleep, my brain was racing. It was a combination of things– projects I am working on, issues with the Wee One (the subject of its own blog post), design projects for clients, not enough time to meaningfully connect with the Wee One and family in general, recipes I want to try… sketches, lists, and should-of’s were all whirling around in my head. Then it hit me– I didn’t sew. G had napped late in the day so he went to bed late, I had design work to do for a client, medicine to give the cat, etc. All this meant I didn’t have time to sew.

Usually in the evening when it is just us grown-ups left awake, my dearie and I put something on Netflix (lately it is the Inspector Lewis series; almost always it is something British), and I get out my embroidery or hand sewing. I listen to the lovely British accents, and I stitch. That stitching isn’t just of thread and fabric; it is also of my thoughts being stitched together into some semblance of order. Each stitch clears the muddle and settles me, calms me. I sew and I breather easier. Making something by hand is vital to my core being, my soul. Handmade isn’t just something I do for an end-product; the act of making is in and of itself important– maybe more so than the finished piece.