Silk Plants Direct - Discount Code For YOU!

Hello, Friends!

Today I'm spreading the word about an awesome

source for silk flowers and greens.

Have you visited Silk Plants Direct online?

Look what I found for my own home!

These Boxwood Topiary Balls are beautifully presented

in flower pots, as a set of three.

The wire container stole my heart.

The dainty chicken wire design has a farmhouse feel...

just what I'm looking for.

Check out the detail of the handle!

The artificial boxwood promises long-lasting easy care...

something I appreciate in my busy world.

I ordered this set of four boxwood planters.

The little pots can also be removed to stand alone.

I really love grouping them in the wire baskets, though.

We're planning a graduation party next year.

I think the individual pots would look so nice

as a centerpiece for each table.

If you're interested in ordering some beautiful

silk flower accents for your own home,

visit Silk Flowers Direct and

use this discount code at checkout:

BLOGGER10

Good for a 10% discount on any products except Custom orders.

Deerly Loved Baby Quilt

There's a beautiful deer on my back deck.

Look at her!

I love this fawn's innocent face, especially those long eyelashes.

The soft colors are just right for a modern baby quilt.

The fabric is from Hawthorne Threads.
Check out the other side...I don't like to call it "the back".

I made this quilt for a sweet new baby

whose mommy just loves deer and other woodland animals.

When I made this pillow as a shower present,

the mommy-to-be asked me if I could make a matching quilt.

Baby quilts are so much fun to make!

I started with the crib sized Fawn panel in Aspen blue,

for one side of the quilt.

For the other side, I selected some

coordinating prints from Hawthorne Threads,

in shades of honey and a light blue called Aspen.
I randomly pieced together squares of fabric,
to make a large patchwork.

The soft colors made it easy to keep
a sense of balance in the overall design.

I love each and every fabric in this quilt...

the gray and gold cross print is very modern 
and adds graphic interest.

The deer silhouettes in gray and pale blue

carry the fawn theme into the quilt back.

They're so soft and subtle...very sweet.

The triangle prints add a modern note,

while the gingham and floral squares are more

sentimental and traditional.

I think all of these prints look very pretty together,
and I'm in love with this color palette.

I fussy cut a few squares to feature the little fawn,

and they are my true favorites.

Once the patchwork squares were pieced,

I used a grid of crosshatch quilting,
on the diagonal.

Simple quilting allows the overall

design of the prints to keep the starring role.

Is there anything more scrumptious than a

rolled up handmade quilt?

The soft middle looks just as pretty. 
It's so squishy!!!

I can't decide which end I love most,

but I really love the honey golden binding.

This gift is for a very special baby in our extended family,

who has been deerly loved right from the beginning!

Welcome to the world, Talia Rose!

Anita Vacation Tote Bag - Black, Red and Linen Version

Hello, Friends!

Are you going to be traveling this summer?

I took some business trips recently,

so I made myself a new tote bag.

Do you recognize the pattern?

It's my very own "Anita Vacation Tote Bag" design,

available as a PDF pattern here on Craftsy, or

here in my shop called eamylove on Etsy.

For this latest version,

I wanted a mostly-neutral bag that would go with

a lot of my business wear.

The main exterior fabric is a floral print

from the original Mama Said Sew line

by Sweetwater for Moda.

The contrasting fabric near the top of the bag 

is Essex Linen by Robert Kaufman,

in a color called Flax.

The interior of the bag is also made from

the Essex Linen.

I find it to be very durable, especially when interfaced with

Pellon 987F fusible fleece, as I do for all of my purses.

Inside my bag, along one edge,

I use a strip of pockets,

to keep my sunglasses and other key items handy.

How do you like that cute zippered inside pocket?

For the inside of the pocket, I used a coordinating Sweetwater print,

from Volume II. 

What about that magnetic snap closure?
If you don't know how to add those,

my pattern will teach you...it's sew easy!

Even if you're not going on a vacation,

you might want to consider making one of these totes.

They make an excellent gift for a new grad!

Come back soon...we'll chat about this sweet pouch

that I also made, to coordinate with my new Anita Vacation Tote Bag.

Summer Fun - Red White and Blue Zippered Pouch

Hello, Friends!

Who's ready for summertime?

I am!!!

Whenever I need a nice gift, I like to make a new version of

the Open Wide Zippered Pouch,

from this free tutorial by Noodlehead.

I've made so many of these...

and I've never been disappointed with the results.

This time I chose some red, white and blue fabrics

that I bought from Connecting Threads a few years ago.

The line was called Smooth Sailing.

{I love the anchors, all lined up!}

The addition of gray to the 

traditional patriotic palette looks so smart! 

That's why I chose a gray zipper to bring it out.

The lining fabric is a gray dot,

with a little red star popping up every so often.

The red and gray stripe provides a nice contrast 

for the bottom of the pouch.

I use Pellon ShapeFlex SF101 interfacing on my pouches,

for all of the exterior pieces, as well as the lining.

It adds soft shaping, and the pouch

is stable enough to stand, even while it's empty.

Once I've finished making one of these pouches,

I often add a ribbon for the zip pull.

I found this red gingham and could.not.resist.

I hope you'll have time for some summertime sewing, too!