WHAT'S A WINNER TO MAKE?

Would you make a dress like this one from Trillium Designs?

Or a peasant dress like this one from Lily Haven?

Or maybe a handbag like these from Dani Bags Boutique?

Oh, the list can go on and on. These lovely designers emailed me their creations and it gives me such pleasure to see all the each quilt, skirt, bedding.... There must be so many more goodies out there, I'm sure.

So in honor of my 100th post on SHOW + TELL I thought I'd provide some fabrics to help with the inspiration process. I will be giving a yard each of these three Flights of Fancy fabrics, and will throw in a square (3x3 image opening) photo frame from my Paula Prass Collection.

Leave a comment on what you might make. And please, if you already have completed projects, post a comment on what you made and add your creations to my Flickr Flights of Fancy Group.
I will leave this contest open for a week, so you have enough time to either finish up a project or consider what you'd like to make. May the creative juices flow! Feast your eyes on these spring color combos:

SPRING 100 POST GIVEAWAY

ALL OVER THE PLACE SHOW + TELL

What's a gal TO DO when her list of TO DO'S is too long? Escape! Tim and I spent some time wandering around an antique store, just for the fun of it. Spent a little over $10. The jewelry is vintage. I kept the beaded necklace and gave the orange and gold chain to Jennifer. She squealed..same as a huge "thank you" in my book. I'm sure the little bag is new, but couldn't pass it up. So, that's what I got. AND this is what I did NOT get.

Tim was almost disturbed by this. He couldn't get over it, so I suggested he use his new handy-dandy camera and snap a picture, so he could continue to critique it later. The picture isn't great, but I bet you get the idea. It's maybe a shrine to either Jesus or Florida, or both? The ceramic keg behind it was a separate lovely find.

On to something much more pleasant for your viewing pleasure. Kristen from Gock's Frocks made some adorable skirts out of my Flights of Fancy...cute, huh? She did a great job mixing ribbons and fabrics together, didn't she?

I don't think I've ever introduced you to my Tashi. On Thurs. we realized Tashi had been gnawing at himself and it was infected. Once I got in to the vet's, next thing I know we have a head cone, medicine, salve, and diapers to prevent the salve from spreading on furniture, carpet, etc. as Tashi is obsessive...he'll freak and try to remove anything he didn't put there himself.

We had to nix the diaper, as he was SSOOOO freaked. So Nurse Paula has covered the sofa and made a sick bed for him to recover. We hand feed him, wipe his chin when he drinks and scritch his neck and anything he can't reach. I even slept on the sofa with the patient a couple nights. Tim took him out in the snow, which Tashi loves to dive into head first. He became a live doggie SNOW CONE. Poor guy is on the mend.

My third fabric collection is finally finished and off to the Powers That Be, er, Kathy. My second strike-offs should arrive in Kathy's hands today. Don't think I'm lounging on the sofa with Tashi. Got a few things up my sleeve.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Don't laugh. Okay, laugh. I'm just saying, one might enjoy doing this on Valentine's night, especially if one's lover is across the country on business. A few of us "guys and dolls" went back in time....(majorly) over the weekend. We stepped inside this bldg and were immediately transported into the 50's or there abouts. I kept saying "I wish I had my camera". By the end of the eve I pulled out my IPhone and took a few very quick shots. I would seriously like to go back just to take better photos. There was a cigerette machine, old wall phones. Every turn of the head reminded me of being drug up three flights of stairs to the smoke filled bowling alley for a few hours a week. I could hardly breathe or see from the combination of cigarettes and grill food. Not fond memories as a child, but not bad either. Someone usually felt bad for the skinny little kid and bought me a "soda". Anyway, back then the duck pin bowling was another flight or two up, so that was unfamiliar territory until now.

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Besides the shock of walking into a 1950's "museum" of sorts, I used my broken arm/shoulder to throw the ball. I was horrible at that, so tried using my right arm... horrible, then tried bowling like a kid with both hands...horrible. Finally my wise girlfriend told my to try standing to the far right and much closer. It worked! I actually had fun. My shoulder is a bit sore, but I'm sure it's fine. I hope you don't mind the pixelated quick shots, but pretend it was smoke filled and you were just a skinny little kid and enjoy.

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I have lots in the works on the creative side, but nothing is completed and my quilt squares are getting a bit dusty. I am hoping the strike-offs from my 2nd fabric collection will be here soon. We should complete the third collection to send off to Kathy today. It's a LLOOONNNGGGGGG process indeed, but I am loving every moment.

IN LOVE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

My husband has had one rough week and yet he had time to be the same wonderful guy I fell in love with. With only a few days in between business trips he was informed on Tuesday that his horse-pack-riding-buddy took his own life this week. It's been so painful, as you can imagine.

Back up: Tim got home last Friday eve from a week long trip and we literally raced to a marriage seminar (awesome time, even though I was almost the only one signed up without a potential partner; whew). Saturday and onward was filled with our usual commitments. Then the news of Tim's buddy...along with other major ups and downs took up the remainder of our time. Tim spent last eve at the funeral home; got home in time to repack, then left @ 4 a.m. Since I'm not very talkative at 4 a.m, we didn't even have a decent goodbye. I've been thinking of Tim all day and wishing he didn't have to leave again so soon. Then these arrived. I am still in love after all these years. Tim, if you read this...You are still my Jesus in blue jeans.

So many circumstances lately are reminding me to love well those that God has put in my life. We never know what even the next moment will bring.
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No sewing here this week. Believe me, I wanted to. We had a magazine shoot (more on that later) amidst us finalizing another fabric collection (yup, you read that right). So basically, we trashed the studio consistently, only to make it spotless again twice this week.
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We also had that birthday celebration last Saturday for my Princess Mia. 4 years old. Please check out my Jennifer's new fun blog: http://www.jennstorey.blogspot.com/ for the pictures. Hope you will say hi to her. You know how hard it is to start a blog and think you are the only one reading it.
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May you give and receive lots of love this Valentine's Day! Love to all of you!

BLUEBIRD SQUARE

I did want to post the next square I completed before the weekend arrives. Still having fun.

Tomorrow we celebrate Mia's 4th birthday. Jennifer and her friend Kelly are combining efforts to have a Star Wars Party for Jesse and Mia. Look at the cute invitation Jennifer created from a Halloween picture. You can tell Mia had already been partying hardy, as her BUNS were askew. So I'll show you another picture earlier that evening. Guess who Jennifer is? Aren't they adorable? Have a great weekend and May God's Force Be With You!

CRAFTY CLEPTO MARY'S QUILT

Now that Flights of Fancy is finally making the rounds I am delighted to see the creativity. Look at this quilt top that Mary made. I am flattered! If you don't already know Mary of Confessions of a Craft Addict, please let me do the introductions. Mary did some sample sewing for my FoF debut in Houston. Such a delightful gal, well except for this little problem she has. How do I put this...um, she really is a craft addict. Proof?

Okay, while Patty Young and a bunch of us were chatting in my booth Mary slipped across the isle. Fortunately she was caught on camera. Notice the blurred Keds as she tried to escape with one of Patty's adorably clad mannequins. The choicest part was Patty's reaction when she saw her mannequin and outfit moving rapidly out of the corner of her eye. So besides this little problem, Mary is quite creative and Confessions of a Craft Addict is a blog worth visiting.

snow BLOWIN IN THE WIND

Business first. Here's another experimental quilt square. Oops, what's that? Oh I must have accidentally used the salvage. Waste not; want not, right.

Okay, now I'm still laughing about this. I had a meeting this morning, and overslept. So I'm running around half awake thinking of all I need to do before I can leave. I remember I'll have to take the dog out. We had another snowfall yesterday and it was frigid cold, so I'll have to put his boots on. He absolutely thinks he's being tortured and involuntarily walks backwards in them. My guess is he's trying to walk out of them. So that will take longer. Then I realize Tim is out of town and I don't think I can get down our driveway. I call Jennifer and she agrees I probably shouldn't try it. She was on her way in and says she was going to try to figure out how to use the snowblower. I'm like, "Whaaaat? Do I have the wrong number?" Only our immediate family knows how funny this is.

So sure enough, she gets here and pulls out the snowblower. We stood and stared at it, then circled around it, poking and prodding. She was able to get it started, but it was so hard to move that I got behind her and pushed her. We were laughing so hard. Then figured out we were doing nothing more than shoveling with a heavy machine, and I wondered why snow wasn't blowing from the snowblower. Played some more, then cheered and laughed as she got it working. I then realized Tim or Joe would not believe this. I ran and got the camera. I risked my life to get a close-up shot to prove it was really Jennifer under that hood. Needless to say, I didn't make it to my meeting, but had an unforgettable morning.

LOVE SQUARED

A combination of being snowed in, husband on another week long business trip, new sewing machine and lots of Flights of Fancy scraps has led me to PLAY. As I've mentioned, I have never done machine piecing or quilting, so I decided to take baby steps and just have some fun. I'm guessing I'll make several more squares before I try to figure out what comes next.