I showed Trent how I could adjust the dimness of our bedside light by adjusting the folded scarve I have wrapped around the shade. I thought it pretty cool.
 He said:
 'I love it when you solve a problem  just like Stevie Nicks would do'.

 We 're headed off to Indiana tomorrow to take a holiday break at my grandma's house. Hope to be back Monday with lots of pictures to share.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spent the weekend working away on projects, one for the wedding and the other, well, i'd like to keep it a surprise... if all goes well, or even if it doesn't, I'll share later.

I promise.

At the moment there is just so much to do!

Above is a quilt made by great grandmother, Rosa.

She was quite prolific in her quilting.

 I do envy her of that.

When I make my first quilt I'm sure I'll be so giddy and proud of myself. It will be completely ridiculous...

This quilt has not faired as well as some of her other quilts, but I like the worn, weathered look of it. I also think it's interesting, mostly because  her quilts are all done by mainly by hand, and this one has some decorative machine stitching going on, which makes me wonder if this was made in her later years when her health was not as good.

i feel a bit weathered myself lately,  we've got officially under a month til the wedding and there is still so much to do!

Tonight, it is sewing little flowers to stems. My camera doesn't take evening photos very well, so I'll have to get some tomorrow while the sun is out. Thank goodness for Angi who was so wonderful and helped me with the cutting and rolling up of the flowers. It's all quite the production.

I just need to find my focus is all, I need to put on the headphones, turn up the music, and get to stitching...

Spent my Sunday working on these little mums from The Alabama Stitch Book.
I remember back in 2001, or was it early 2002? cutting an article out of Vogue on Project Alabama and taping it up on my inspiration board. I still have that article, tucked away in my file full of magazine clippings.

I used to dream about packing my bags and setting off to Alabama to show off my handy dandy talent with needle and thread, as though there weren't hundreds of other people who felt the same way... there is just something so singular and special about Alabama Chanin.

I just love the use of a humble fabric like tee shirt material, and that it can be made in into some of the most beautiful stitchy tactile clothing.

My great grandmother's quilts often surprise me with the spontaneity that seems to radiate from her stitches, as well as her fabric and color choices.

I have not yet made a quilt, but I have wanted to for as long as I can remember...

There is something so wonderful about the connection the quilts have forged between us over the years.

When I look at her stitches I don't see someone who is self conscious about her work, as I tend to be, but rather I see a woman who sews with a  joi de vivre, using what she had on hand, creating something wonderful.

More Vintage Quilt Friday here.

Thank you, so much for the good advice about the reception!
This past week I have been really struggling with the wedding plans, mainly because we had not found a good location, but now we have a spot that involves a beautiful park and a nearby cabin for a small reception, and all affordable!
So now it's time to make flowers and get things ready for the hen party at the end of the week.
I'll report back on the progress of the flowers!

Oh the Holidays!

We have a little over a month before the wedding, which seems unbelievable to me.

How did this happen?

We've been engaged for years, and then suddenly here we are with only a month to go...

I may go crazy between setting up for the holidays at work, shifting never ending stacks of books, and getting all the plans hammered out for the wedding.

We are getting married outside and then a small reception back at the apartment..
It won't be fancy, but it will be very handmade.

Last night we made an experimental wedding dinner, just to see how the menu would work.
Pumpkin Ravioli, spiced apples on mixed greens, and fresh cranberries.
it was delicious!

But it also brought up a whole slew of questions for me.
We aren't really doing a sit down dinner after the wedding, more like a little buffet style set up.
But do we need to do a dinner?
Or can we just serve desserts at the reception?
I'm thinking, maybe save the dinner for later with immediate family and friends, or have one the night before... oh the decisions!