Vines In French Dreams

Years ago in my first house I wallpapered the dining room with this beautiful wallpaper, Nancy Vine. I had spent two days in the wallpaper store looking through every book available when at long last Nancy Vine jumped out at me and screamed, "I'm French, take me home!" I no longer have the little storybook house with the pink door, but I still have a few pieces of the wallpaper, which will now grace a paper-covered box edged with blue ribbon to use from which to sell furbelows at reenactments.

And at long last I have discovered a book on Jacobean quilting, The Graceful Garden, by Denise Sheehan, which can help me recreate the feeling of being in the sunlight in that long gone dining room,a quilt that will reach out and scream, "I'm French, take me home." Fabrics are taken from the Moda fabrics of Aviary [3 Sisters] and Collections for a Cause--Legacy and Heritage.

Kit Bag

Making this kit bag, p.96, Home Sewn by Kaari Meng at French General, was a piece of cake, IF you follow the directions exactly. Absolutely nothing wrong with following directions exactly. Hint: Kaari says to sew the vinyl backing to the fabric of each piece with an eigth-inch seam prior to assembling bag. This is the key to this bag's success. I like its generous proportions--it's big enough to hold all of my toiletry items--not just sample sizes. This is essential for me because this bag is my only storage in my bath. The «old» house I live in only has room in the wall for a straight razor and a shaving mug! Now my bag sits proudly on the top of the tank. Fabric is Block Print Multi, Rouenneries, by Moda, and some striped linen from my stash.

Here is a link a another little kit bag. Enjoy!

Summer - Topper in Progess …

Here is the center of the table topper, Summer, from On the Run, by Heather Mulder Peterson of Anka's Treasures. Now it's time for some appliqué … Fabrics are Rouenneries by French General.

Placemats in Progress …

Reversible placemats in progress … just waiting for the fabric to arrive for the binding. Quilting is next.

I plan to hemstitch some natural linen for napkins and monogram them with scarlet thread. Can't decide whether to use silver napkins rings or make some from scraps of Rouenneries by Moda for French General.

Lights, at last …

I have a little sewing room with one window, really just the landing at the top of the stairs, but the sloping walls really needed lights installed over my two machines, an Elna Carina and a Singer 201. Last night my husband attached two goose-neck lamps for me above each machine--now I can start on two placemats for the table.

Rural Jardin - new from French General

French General will be adding lovely blues and some different reds, Rural Jardin, due out in March 2010. In combination with «Rouenneries» these would be stunning with my «Rose Denim» wallpaper in my office redo. I need a quilt to use for warmth when sitting near the window and I think a chair pad and slip cover back would work well on my desk chair.

Irish Stitch Bible Cover

Irish stitch, outlining a canvas design in white or black, was a popular style in the 18th Century. I'm thinking of doing the design in only pinks and greens with white. Chart is from Piecework magazine.