Pretty Potholders

Look at the gorgeous potholders that arrived in my mailbox yesterday :) My lovely swap partner ended up being from right here in Canada and I just LOVE what she created for me. The cute little quilted christmas tree is actually made with same fabrics that I used for my partners potholders! Great minds must think alike *grin*.

I adore the stitching on this potholder, the way it created hills and valleys around the little squares of fabric... so crazy creative!! It actually reminds me of a game of pac man *grin*. They are perfect for my kitchen as it is red and the polka dot binding is just fantastic :) I don't think that I can bear to use them though in fear of staining them so I think that I'm going to use them on my coffee table for resting a candle jar on. That way I can enjoy them all throughout the holiday season and they won't get any pot roast or pie stains on them *grin*.

Along with the potholders came this super cute little felt christmas tree decoration to. Again more stitching so lovingly placed all over it. It will be a perfect addition to the handmade ornaments that the children and I have made for the tree :)

Thank you so much Val!!!
Hugs,
Rsoina

Seedy Saturday Is Upon Us

1. seedy saturday, 2. Runner beans, 3. Seedy Saturday, 4. packets 1

Okay spring fever has officially hit *grin*. There are seed displays in every garden market, grocery store, hardware shop, dollorama... you name it and they've probably got some. Not to mention the half dozen seed catalogues that have arrived in the last month :)

You can't escape it! Not that I really want to as it's so rewarding to grow your own vegetables but the cost can become astronomical if you don't watch your pocket book. That's where the 'Seedy Saturday' comes in!

Seedy Saturdays are a fantastic way to get heirloom, organic, untreated, non GMO seeds at great prices or for free if you have saved seeds of your own to swap with others :) The wealth of information is unbeatable to! These seeds are tried, true & tested and the guy or gal behind the table can give you the ultimate low down on how to raise up some mighty fine veggies *grin*.

This weekend there are nearly a dozen different swaps that I know of going on across Canada and I'm heading out to one in hopes of finding some new potatoes to plant, a few strawberry runners and whatever else catches my eye :)

Have a peek at the Seeds of Diversity website and see if you are close to one of the many swaps happening this weekend and on through the month. You won't be disappointed and even if you don't buy anything check out some of the seminars they're hosting or pick the brain of your local seed savers chapter and find out how you can hang onto some of your favorite seeds to.

See you out there!
~ Rosina

Finished Apron for Swap

I just wanted to share my finished apron for the Amy Butler apron swap that I joined in. We were allowed to pick out any apron pattern we liked but it had to be Amy B. fabric :) I sure hope my secret swap partner likes it! I had a lot of fun making it for her and am very happy with how it turned out. I finished all of the seams with french seams so that it looked just as great on the backside as it did on the front *grin*.

I had to have a little fun and try it out of course *grin*
Yup... fun and flirty, yet functional. LOL.

~ Rosina

Enlarging Patterns

Oh how I wish all pattern books supplied full size patterns instead of those itty bitty drawings that you need to photocopy and enlarge. My apron pattern for the Amy Butler apron swap just happens to be one of those itty bitty patterns and when I took it in to Staples to have them blow it up 400% there must have been some massive error in their calculations. I got home and pulled out the copies hoping to get straight down to business and found that they weren't big enough. EGAD!

The front panel pieces were supposed to measure 4 5/8" at the top of the waistband but it was only 3" and since I wasn't heading back into town before the mailing date I had to break out the tracing paper and ruler. I can't even remember the last time I had to think really hard about fractions! It probably didn't help that I didn't start working on it until after midnight either. LOL. Thank goodness when I pulled it out again this morning to double check the measurements everything was correct :)

It actually wasn't such a bad job and this way I got to add the seam allowances right into the pattern. Maybe I'll just do them by hand from now on.... then again maybe not *grin*.

~ Rosina

Fabric Eye Candy

I received my secret swap partner's name from Holly for her apron swap and thought that I better get my butt in gear and pick out some great fabric and hurry to so that I can get it mailed to me in time to leave me at least one day... maybe two to get it sewn up *grin*. I don't know what it is but I get a totally absurd mental blockage when it comes to matching colors! I must have clicked back and forth through the pages of Amy Butler fabric over at Fabric Supplies etsy shop more than a dozen times before I finally made myself a little collage of my favorites to help me sort out my thoughts :) I'm pretty happy with the ones I decided to go with so far. Now if only I could walk to the mailbox tomorrow and they would all be waiting for me.

~ Rosina

Amy Butler Apron Swap

Mommy Holly is hosting a great apron swap and if you love aprons and Amy Butler fabric then you are going to LOVE this swap!! You can use any apron pattern that you want but you must use Amy Butler fabric to sew a great apron for your swap partner. Hurry on over, you can still sign up until January 9th.

~ Rosina