{Be Mine}

{Valentine's Day}, a day of romance, flowers, candy and love ... it is one of my favorite holidays. Not for the candy or the flowers, but for the air of mystery surrounding this special day. There are many different theories to just how this day got its' start, but only St. Valentine knows for sure. What I {love} is the anticipation and secrecy ... a day when we, as adults, can relive the giddiness of a child, waiting and hoping for a certain {note} or treat from a special someone ...

... to receive a special {Valentine} at this time of year is intoxicating. There are so many little delights to be had in these love notes ...

 ... so each year I make my {Valentine's} ... something that speaks of the past, a time when these notes were made with distinct care for their intended recipient ...

... this year I wanted to create a {Valentine} that was representative of a vintage {memory book} ...

... a miniature collection of mementos - vintage tinsel, cupcake paper flowers, stitching ...

 ... vintage book paper, ruffled and painted with a glittery coating and a petite silky flower ...

... itty-bitty letter beads and layers of pretty papers ...

 ... and lots and lots of sparkle ...

... a recycled fair ticket is cut into a stacked heart ... velvet and glittered ribbons are added as 

whimsical tabs ... a heart fashioned from vintage fabric is stitched to the card ...

... so many layers ... LOVE LOVE LOVE ...

 ... the pretty blue floral paper is another cupcake liner . The puffy fabric heart has been stitched across. My Sophie said it looks like {lips} ! ...

... the {Valentine} itself is an over sized tag shape with pretty pink & red stitching around the edges ...

... the top of this giant {tag} is embellished with either a shabby linen tie or a loop of hand dyed vintage seam binding,  and a glittered clothespin ...

... a hodge podge of {Valentine} mementos ...

... that will be a {sweet treat} for someone I {LOVE}.

 ...made with {L O V E} for all of my very special Valentine's!

... enjoy!

{linking up to some great parties here}

{farmhouse apron feature}

A while ago I made this sweet {farmhouse chic apron} ... it was, surprisingly my first sewing project ever, on a machine, even though I had been collecting fabric for years...and sewing little things by hand ...

... when I showed my pals, they encouraged me to send it in to (apron-ology) magazine. Imagine my surprise when they accepted it into their February 2012 issue!

I had posted a few photos but somehow when I was updating some computer/blogger information this post, among others, was lost. Since the apron is to be featured this month, I thought I should recreate the post ... so here it is.

... I am a collector of fabrics. I do not need a reason to buy them. I have stacks and stacks of favorite textiles lining the shelves of cupboards in the studio. One day I happened to move something and there was a little pile of neatly folded calico's ... and an apron was born.

... I have fond memories of a favorite grandmother wearing an {apron} at all times. She was the matriarch of a hard working farm. No matter which chore she was immersed in, you could find her bedecked with an {apron}.

... and while {Granny's} aprons were not neatly starched and spotless, they were {loved}. Each one of us grandchildren would find a way to bury ourselves within her {apron strings} ... she would dry our tears, wipes our mouths, and mop up our spills with her {apron}.

To don an {apron} is a wonderful thing for me ... a reminder of my past and the love that a sweet and wonderful woman gave to me. I think of her often, as I brush crumbs into my pocket ... Granny keeping her post tidy ...

... and so the {farmhouse style}. A gentle reminder of what I remember. What I {love}.

... enjoy!

{featured here}

{linking up to this great party here}

http://www.cloverandviolet.com/search/label/Stash%20Project

{burlap and ruffles}

I am a lover of {pillows}. Toss pillows, small or large are generally an inexpensive way to dress up a sofa, change up a bed or soften a porch swing.




Today I made this luscious beauty!
The added touch of silky {peonies} was such a lovely contrast to the burlap.

Recently I made these two pillows for a friend of mine ... I loved the mix of burlap and muslin, but wanted a pop of something a bit {dressier} for my own pillow ...

... on my newest pillow, the ruffles of shabby white muslin give the flowers so much added punch ...

 ... by extending the burlap over the end on the back side of the pillow and adding long tie closures the pillow has lots of extra {ruffly fluff} at one end ... which I {love} ...

... the floral center of the pillow is bordered with a vintage gauze like trim in a {fold-and-pleat} style ...

... the mix of textures is a great love of mine. The coarse burlap combined with soft muslin and a silky fabric just makes me want to reach out and touch it ...

... one day while I was in a fabric store I grabbed a bunch of this wonderful {silky} material. I am kicking myself for not making a note of what it actually was, because I know it was NOT silk. The price tag alone told me that. I think it may have been some sort of liner material. Whatever it was I love it and I will be hunting for more.

... the burlap was a different color. I usually gravitate to the natural brown color, but this day I found a shade just between brown and green. Not quite olive. It was lighter, interesting ...

... I am thinking of making a few more pillows similar to this to coordinate. They would make a beautiful {trio} on the sofa ... maybe one or two for the loveseat as well ...

... I used a candle to melt the edges of my {peonies} ...

... I love the way it makes some flowers darker and a bit shinier on the edges. It gives them character, much as you would see in nature ...

... one thing that I didn't really love about this project - sewing with burlap on my newish sewing machine. Those little hairs and loose weave make for quite a mess! 

... enjoy !

{ I will be linking this up to some great parties here}