Spring flowers

The last several days have been beautiful!  With temperatures in the 80's spring is here (perhaps not here but close).  The trees and shrubs loaded with buds ready to burst.  I have even seen spring flowers.  Many of the early bloomers are out!  Daffodils, phlox and magnolias are blooming, pushing away the gray dreary days.

I am dream of planting our garden and setting out pots of flowers.  Spring is definitely in the air.  I know it is still a bit early for planting and gardening but a girl can hope.  While I wait for that last frost to pass I am crocheting up my own little flower garden.  It is blooming slowly with each little flower.  Much like spring, it seems in no rush to arrive to it's destination. Happy to just bloom each day.

Crocheted Granny African Flower (also known as Paperweight granny) is a quick little crochet I have been quietly working on anytime I have a moment.  I am using a pattern I found on Craftpassion.com.     These cute little flowers of mine still need a white border row, but are pretty just to look at even without.

Quilty goodness

Okay, I hinted at quilting projects in process, now here is a visual sneak peak...

This is a custom quilt job of mine.  Believe it or not all of these squares used to be clothes!?! Still sashing this beauty more picts to come soon.

I also have been piecing hexes.  Inspiration struck about a month or two ago and now I have a pattern for all of these pieced flowers.  We shall see if they ever become an actual quilt. 

Last but certainly not least I'm working on several new Christmas stockings.  My inspiration pieces came from the book Modern Holiday by Amanda Murphy.  

Modern Holiday Stocking by Amanda Murphy

While I am not following her patterns to the letter. Her Hexi stocking pattern is sure to show up hanging on my mantle. Amanda Murphy had a blog tour last year if you're interested in checking out more projects from her book check out  Amanda Murphy Design for all the links.

Christmas finish {in July?}

This is the year!  I can feel it.  Every year I think to myself, "This year I will get Christmas done early."  And yet every year I am working on projects right up to Christmas Eve. Well, I say, NO MORE!  I declare that this is the year I will have all my Christmas projects done by Thanksgiving!

HA! HA! HA!  Good One!  Almost had myself believing it!

Doesn't matter how much I plan, how much I get done,  I will always, always find something to try to make and squeeze in at the last minute.  However, I have gotten one project out of the way.  My Brother and his wife brought a beautiful baby girl into the world this March.  This will be her first Christmas.  She will totally need a stocking for all her goodies.

Last year I made these stockings for my brother's family.  The new little one could not be left out of the matching family stockings.  I started piecing these hexies in June and just yesterday finished up the Embroidery for the name.

While I made each stocking similar, they are each a little different.  Different trim around the cuff, different Christmas decoration on the cuff and a different backing.  My own little touch to personalize them a little.

With this stocking I had this reindeer fabric from last season and I thought it would be the perfect thing for a wee little one.

I even fussy cut out a reindeer hexie for the front.  How Cute is that?!

Now what?

WOW!  What a weekend.  I feel like I need a vacation! We kept ourselves busy traveling to the coast.  We had a beach day and then did fireworks.  We also had a Fishing day.  Both days were beautiful, calm and relaxing.  There is just something about the salt air at the beach that just oozes relaxation.

 Or perhaps it was just the wine.

 I took the hexagons along for the trip.  I have been working ever so steadily on them. I worked on them in the car, at the fireworks, on the boat and in a stadium.

But not on a box
or with a fox.

So you could say I have been sewing a bit.   I am making a good bit of progress.  Now the question is...What should I do with them?

Originally, I was going to use them to make a tote, because the pattern is for a small purse.  I don't really use smallish purses.

I think I can use small purses but sadly, I can't.  I try.  I really do.  But all my c@#p just doesn't fit.

Here is the pattern piece.  Kinda hard to tell but trust me I have about 1/2 of the hexagons sewn.

Now I that I am over the halfway point, I want to make the purse.  Perhaps it is just the compulsive type A in me wants to have a project finished.  However, the creative part of my brain says, 'we can come up with something better!'  Okay, but what?