the "it" list

Hooray for Friday! The "it" list is back with a great round up of all sorts of goodies on the web... be sure to visit all these lovelies blogs for tons of inspiration this weekend!

• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle visits some of THE most fabulous boutiques and shops in Mill Valley and takes us along for the ride. She also hunts down amazing chandeliers along her way. Don't miss this goodness!
• merci blah blah rounds up tons of gorgeous drape-style dresses from all over the interwebs. And not just once... but twice. Um, I'll take one of each!
• good life for less gives us the highlights of her recent trip to Forever 21... these shoes were definitely a great find!
• a spot of whimsy forks over a delicious dose of Mad Men style and photos. I swoon, just swoon for that show!
• penguins gift is giving away a Stella & Dot bracelet for the little ladies in your life. So cute!
• style your life puts together a casual outfit featuring an unexpected item - a pencil skirt. I just love this look - so chic!
• spry on the wall gives us a practical and affordable version of this amazing outfit from Isaac Mizrahi's Spring 2010 line.
• the hillside home just bought a new house and is planning, planning, planning. SO FUN! Join her as they start picking out colors, finishes, etc. I just love the adventure of a new house!
• john's journal outlines a simple but fantastic looking diy roman shade project. You will absolutely want to try this. It turned out amazing!
• elena's custom designs makes a custom pillow out of a scarf/handkerchief. I just LOVE this idea!
• really cute stuff is featuring their "family style" notecards... a great gift for friends or teachers or just to have for yourself for thank you notes or notes to teachers. I love these ideas!
• good look for less is offering wardrobe consults at half price through the end of today... hurry and snag yours before they go back to full price for fall!

Have a great weekend... interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com !

Whirlygiggle Quilt :: Started!

Thanks to Amy over on Amy's Creative Side and her One Thing One Week Challenge, I got the motivation I needed to finally get started on my Whirlygiggle quilt! The Challenge instilled a sort of "homework" attitude in me, so when I woke up on Sunday morning, I knew I had a deadline I had to meet. Otherwise, I probably would have kept browsing the movies On Demand.

This is my stack of pieces I cut out way back in March when I was originally inspired to make this quilt. These have sat very lonely in my "in progress" drawer since then.

And here is the first one I laid out after I had cut all the pieces, as I was so excited I couldn't wait to see how they'd look. How I went from excited to waiting 4 months to start I'll never know.

My first sewn stack! It was lots of sew, open, press. Repeat. As apparently quilting tends to be.

My first stack pressed open! This is when I can honestly say I knew I wouldn't be able to stop, and powered through the rest of the afternoon.

Pretty pile of scraps from the first trim.

Itty bitty, teeny weeny scraps from the second trim.

Fun! A little chain-pieced garland! I suddenly see why those little bunting garlands are so popular.

This is when I get artsy and start using the macro feature on my camera.

My blocks are all DONE!!! I'm so excited, I can't believe I actually made it this far in just one afternoon! Funny thing: I went back to our bedroom and announced to my hubs that my squares were all done....he said, "ok, that's nice. What does that mean?" So cute.

All in all, I can honestly say that were it not for this challenge, I really don't know how long these pieces would have sat in a drawer. I'm so pleased with how much I was able to get done and with how well it all turned out. I met my goal for the week and already know my new goal for this week: finish piecing this quilt top! Woohoo for productive weekends!!!

What did you get done this weekend? Lots? Nothing, but relaxed? Share! :)

the "it" list

The "it" list blazes on... don't you love Fridays? Take some time today or this weekend to check out the best of the web here!

• merci blah blah is talking fall... her fall wish list to be exact. I love each and every one of her picks. I can feel the leaves crunching under feet already...
• the hillside home puts together a lovely summer/garden/cottage inspiration montage. It's just dreamy...
• style your life puts together a casual summer look for the guys. Ladies, raise your hand if shopping for your husband falls under your duties. It does in my household!
• spry on the wall puts together her take on Nina Ricci's Resort 2011 collection. This is pure genius!
• john's journal gathers beach chic inspiration from planet blue and then puts together outfits that are much more affordable. Love these!
• a spot of whimsy gives some food for thought for the women that want to do it all (this would be me...). I loved this quiet moment.
• penguin's gift has a great stationary giveaway. Check it out... you have a few days to enter still!
• elena's custom designs offers a great grab-and-go baby shower gift, check this out!
• one hundred inspirations lays out this Olivia Palermo outfit for less than $100. I love this!
• good life for less is participating in the 30/30 Challenge... that is 30 wardrobe pieces mixed and matched for 30 days. See how she does it!
• sweetie pie pumpkin noodle features her top 10 picks for earrings... it's impossible to choose a favorite, they are all so lovely!

Happy Weekend!

~~~

Interested in learning more about the "it" list? Email goodlifeforless @ gmail.com!

Hexagons + Beach = Bliss

Ahhh...hexagons. A beautiful long weekend in Siesta Key, full of hexagons, sand and surf.

A big shout out to Courteney over on Flickr for swapping me such fabulous scraps! A dream come true full of Heather Ross, cutie-patootie elephants, and more.

Here's my little beach kit. A nice deep Tupperware container, as windproof as possible. I had a little hexie blow away on me, but I found him over near some sand castles.

What a beautiful weekend, filled with beautiful sights, feelings, people, and activities.

My Threads

Sew Mama Sew is having a super fun "Show us your Stash" for something that is sometimes overlooked as a final detail in our sewing...thread! Here is a peek into my thread drawer.

• How did you select colors for your personal thread collection? I've chosen threads for each project as I've gone along. At this point I have threads that match or coordinate with most of my fabrics. I restock when there's a good sale.
• Do you always match the color perfectly to your project? No, I sometimes just coordinate a complementary color that picks up an accent in the fabric.
• Do you ever use contrasting thread? Only if it picks up another accent color in the fabric.
• Do you use the same color in the bobbin as the upper thread? Always. It bothers me to see that little bit that can sometimes pull through when you use a different color.
• What if a fabric has big areas of very different colors? I use the dominant color.
• Do you have any tips or suggestions about choosing thread? Go with your gut on the color choice.
• Can you show us a picture(s) of your thread collection? Look up!
• Do you ever buy thread because you fall in love with the color (without a particular project in mind)? I try not to. Just because I like the color thread doesn't mean I'll find a fabric to use it with.
• Do you “invest” in thread? No, not really.
• What types of thread do you have? (elastic, quilting, all-purpose, wool, etc.) I tend to buy Coats & Clark Dual Duty for all my projects. I'll get quilter's cotton or hand quilting thread for a quilt or hexagon project.

You know you're a quilter when...

You see a Kona cornhole game at the bar and instantly think of fabric.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sewing Room Redo: the Big Reveal!

Here it is, the big reveal! Hopefully after looking at all the beautiful spaces I've featured all week mine won't pale in comparison. I had some family visit recently, so that was the true motivation behind the reorganization. In true "gung ho" form, I was up to my knees in bins and supplies before I thought to take a before picture--I'm so crazy that I almost put everything back in its previously messy state just to take a picture! But I trudged forward and have ended up with a well-organized room that makes me smile. I hope you enjoy the tour!

Here we are at the doorway. It's just down the hall from our bedroom, so it's conveniently located and I'm never too far away from the hubs.

This is the right-side wall. I have the stationary bike in there, since I exercise and watch tv on it at night.

Moving to the left, we find the armoire and cutting table.

Here is the cutting table on its own. I bought it at the JoAnn's Black Friday sale last year and I will say that my visits to the chiropractor have definitely gone way down! Working at the proper height is a real back-saver.

The sports pictures can be explained by simply telling you that I put them up for my husband. Although the room is very technically 95% girly sewing stuff, the pictures on the wall allow me room in the argument that I took over an entire room and that he has nothing in the whole house that is his. It is my saving grace in that once-in-a-blue-moon "discussion." I'll put up a supply pegboard and some cute sewing prints in the next house.

This is my sewing corner where I end up spending most of my time once things are prepped. I've decorated it super girly, so I love looking at it whenever I'm over there.

This is my Stila paint can/palette collection. I started wearing Stila makeup in college and began collecting these. Each can is from a different store opening or is a special edition for an event or holiday. I even have a few things up there acquired from limited edition Australian & Japanese releases. I got them all by either buying my makeup or swapping with other collectors.

(Incidentally, the little string dolls at the bottom right are ones I made when I was little. I found them at my mom's the other night. I would glue toothpicks together into a body shape and wrap them with embroidery floss to dress them up. I treasure them.)

This is my baby. My Baby Lock Ellegante sewing/embroidery machine. It happened to be in the dealer's shop when I went by to check out machines one day last summer. I had been in several times and was looking at another Baby Lock several notches down from this one. It had come in that day on a trade-in and I happened to have had perfect timing. I very nervously signed the papers and financed it. I won't say how much it was, as my husband might have a heart attack, so let's just say it was less than half of retail and a very good deal. :)

I am now officially spoiled and could never again live without the automatic thread-cutting button, among other things.

Where it all happens! All my options tucked into pages and pages of touch-screen buttons.

My bulletin board that I made myself. I ripped up an old Lilly Pulitzer euro sham, wrapped it around foam board, added the layered ribbons, inserted into loose white-washed frame, backed with pressed wood, and voila!

I have my orders on the top, with inspiration photos and pretty views elsewhere.

I've gotta have some background noise, so trashy reality tv is usually playing while I work.

The real reveal!!!

This is my labor of love! I desperately needed to reorganize and categorize. I had way too many fabric cuts, notions, and more that were lost in corners and therefore useless. Anyone else have that problem?

I put my everyday fabrics in bins, but so I could see them. If I need to take any of them with me, I just grab the bin and go. Easy peasy. I bought a few more bins and lots of drawers, and labelled everything. I have stash drawers, "special" stash drawers, notions and supplies, scrap drawers and more. Organization abounds! Click through to the Flickr pic to see all the notes and find out which bin is which.

Another view, peeking into the corner of the closet.

Thanks for stopping by and for taking the tour of my big sewing room redo!

Leave a comment so I know you were here and let me know what you think.

What are your favorite organization tips?

Sewing Room Redo: Famous Studios

These are some really cute sewing studios. The first is unmistakably Heather Bailey's room. Such a gorgeous space to create in...just look at those gorgeous and colorful stacks of fabric! She is definitely in my top 3 of fave designers, as she certainly speaks to my craving for bright colors.

The next room isn't from a big designer, but is more famous on Flickr. It is from *jenny b allsorts and is fabulous! Red and aqua and total eye candy. She has a great big cutting table with excellent storage underneath. The major gorgeousness is in the fabric buffet. Great big stacks and stacks of colorful fabric, buckets of bundles, and more. It's definitely my aspiration to have a studio this big in my next house. Nice work!

1. Wide Shot, 2. My Studio!, 3. My creative space, 4. New studio redo,

5. My creative space, 6. My fabric buffet

I think I'm sick...with Hexagon fever!

It's official...I've caught hexagon fever! It is darn contagious!

After just a couple of minutes on Melanie's blog, Texas Freckles, I was hooked! She makes it seem so simple, that the daunting task of creating 1200 of these little guys somehow goes into denial.

So I quickly put together a little kit and churned out 22 of the little guys yesterday. Here they are, in all their macro shot, stacked up glory. Ah, so pretty.

Ooh, a shot using depth of field! These hexies are fancy! lol

Here's my little kit. Can you tell I used to sell Tupperware?!

I cut up all of my stash, and even created my own charm packs to cut and swap...all before I even made 1 little hex!

While I know this is a stashbusting project, I may or may not have ordered half a dozen charm packs just so I would have something to swap with the girls on Flickr. I like joining in!

I have 26 as of today...where is your hexie count?

Sewing Room Redo: Supply Walls

There's nothing like using vertical space to maximize storage! Most of these favorites take advantage of that great pegboard system available at Home Depot. I haven't taken my own room to that level just yet, but as I continue to amass quilting rulers, scissors, and rotary cutters, I definitely see it in my future.

1. peg board, 2. My Scrap Desk, 3. Whose room is this???, 4. Thread Rack and Lace Rack - Northern Wall, 5. Craft Room Closet, 6. DSC06385.JPG, 7. pegboard with sewing tools and notions, 8. sewing desk/counter, 9. Craft Room Closet, 10. Craft Room 2, 11. IMG_6597, 12. my studio

Living Room: Before & After

Per my bestie, Raygan's, insistence, I'm posting a before & after of my living room. And in the spirit of this week's room reveal, I figured it was good timing.

Before

After!

I think the only major difference you can see is that I added the rug and drapes. I'm loving the serene blue of it all. I lusted after that Pottery Barn rug for a long long time. I waited for a sale, and then it sold out, then a year later it magically appeared on sale again. The drapes were a steal at $60 for the pair on Overstock. Love that site!

For all my sewing peeps out there, any suggestions for fabric to make new pillows?

Sewing Room Redo: Closets

These are really and truly the inspiration behind my sewing room redo, especially the top two with all the bins. As soon as I saw these, I was immediately drooling. I mean, talk about a place for everything and everything in its place! It's a great way to organize all your supplies and stash, and to protect them from dust and other yuckies.

1. Sewing Room, 2. into the closet, 3. fabric storage!, 4. Fabric Closet

Sewing Room Redo: Shelving

So if you haven't already figured it out, I'm an organization nerd. But as I am with most things, I'm an interesting hybrid; I'm very organized, but I'm also very lazy. So things don't always stay as organized as one might hope. I always take those personality tests and decor style quizzes and I always always always come up right in between 2 different results. I suppose it's my wretched flexibility!

Below are some of my favorite shelving options from my Flickr favorites. You might notice that many of them have that fabulous Ikea Expedit shelving. So handy! I love how there are so many options for your own room configuration, and apparently they sell modular baskets and containers that fit perfectly in each cubby. Alas, my room has no space for that right now, so maybe in my next house. I also snuck in a couple of pics from actual shops...that's not really sewing room shelving, but hey, a little fabric eye candy never hurt anybody.

1. fat quarter storage, 2. My studio, 3. Sewing Room 05-30-10,

4. spring fabrics and yarns, 5. My Craft Room, 6. Scrap Corner,

7. IMG_6595, 8. my sewing/ computer workstation, 9. My Studio,

10. Fabric and patten boxes on shelf

Sewing Room Redo: Tables

I just finished reorganizing my sewing room and couldn't be happier. New storage bins, labels, and I love it all! All this week I'll be featuring some of my favorite sewing rooms from Flickr, with a final reveal of my own room at the end of the week. I can't wait!

I'll start off by featuring some of my favorite cutting/work tables. I know that my life (and my back!) haven't been the same since I got mine.

1. Art Studio/ Work space, 2. my new work space!, 3. New piece of furniture,

4. Cutting table, 5. bookcase end sewing table, 6. DSC01667_0951.JPG