Patriotic Celebration

I haven't ever sewn anything patriotic other than a potholder ... until now.  And I think I have learned why.  Nothing really grabs my attention and makes me feel like I've just got to sew that.  And red white and blue aren't my favorite combination for sewing. 

I noticed a couple of weeks or so ago on flickr where my friend, Carol (mamacjt) suggested a patriotic themed mug rug swap.  That threw me immediately into a patriotic sewing mood.  But I didn't want to sew for a swap.  But I felt like I wanted to sew ... something.

I thought of fireworks and how I love them, and wondered if I could make one with fabric and thread.

29" X 33-1/2"

I haven't decided if I was very successful or not.  I do think it's kind of fun though.  The gold tinsel thread really helps to define this patriotic burst a lot.  Without the glitz it was pretty darn boring.

  It's been a whole lota years since I've sewn with metallic thread and we won't discuss the grief it doled out to me here and there.  The point is I won in the end.

Happy 4th of July, America!

Annie

Fabric Postcard Recipients

I received overwhelmingly beautiful comments for my postcards.  Some were very touching stories.  So much so that I cannot resist wanting to make some very special cards.  And, surprisingly I found that I would love to make a card for everyone who would like one.  At this point that is not an impossible labor of love.  But for now,

My newest fabric postcard recipients are:

Tweet Bird will be mailed to Doris

and

Butterfly Post will be mailed to Terry

I just love that so many of you are so willing to help feed my addiction.  For a time now I will not lack for recipients, so I don't need to fret over making too many cards with no one to send them to...hooray for me!

Doris has reminded me that I challenged myself to make pillows and I'm now falling behind on that!  A few other works in progress going, but I'm always trying to sneak in a little break to make a postcard, so I'll have another offering soon.

Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind and wonderful words!

Annie

Hello, my name is Annie and I am a fabric postcard addict... 

...and you can help feed my addiction.

I've made a buncha fabric postcards over the past few years and sent them to family and friends for a variety of events or reasons.  But I'm worried now they may be tiring of them. 

But I'm not tired of making them!

This is where you come in.  I've had many admirers of my cards and I'm wondering if you would like to receive one?  As a follower appreciation gimmick giveaway, I want to sporadically offer up for grabs a postcard now and again.  Interested?

There won't be any jumping through hoops to win the cards, but since it's produced in appreciation of my followers and my flickr contacts, you have to be an already existing follower/contact when the card is offered up for grabs.

You can choose whether you would like me to mail the card to you from me (which means I write on it and address it to you and mail it to you naked), or you would like it to come to you ready for you to send yourself if you so choose to (which means I leave it blank and put it in an envelope to send to you). 

Mr. Random number picker will not be involved here.  I will just choose the winners, based on comments here and on flickr.  I would like to know that they go to caring homes.

Here are two cards up for grabs to start this off.  Let me know in your comment which one you would like.  Two recipients this time.

Tweet Bird

Butterfly Post

I so appreciate all the wonderful things many of you have commented in the past on my postcards.  I so love to make them.  Here's to hoping I will find some new recipients to send them to.  Cheers!

Annie

Blog Hopping

It seems every other blog I follow is in the middle of a blog hop.  It's so fun to see what so many are doing creatively, but I can't even keep up anymore.  Although I keep trying.  Dare I even say it's the latest craze?  **cringing**!

 

I work anywhere from 4 - 8 hours daily.  I try to keep up with flickr contacts and blogging buddies.  I'm doing good to see what those cyber friends are creating.  And I throw in a bit of blogging myself.  And now add blog hopping?...I can only get to that if I'm really feeling like lazing in my comfy chair and clicking...

...and that does happen now and again! **smiling guiltily**

When I'm working, I'm always thinking about what I want to do at my sewing machine when the time comes...usually right after my power nap.  It's hard to draw the line, but I'd much rather be creating something myself.  Then again, I'm so inspired with what I see on my computer screen.  Then again, it's not like I'm running out of inspiration.  Then again I don't want to miss something that could be the "ultimate" inspiration.  Then again....  I think this is called a vicious cycle.  STOP!

I am so happy to see that most bloggers have removed the word verification.  They've changed the legibility of those words to WORSE!  I hardly ever get them right the first time now and I'm sure some couldn't possibly be right, but I must have made a good guess.

I've got a few extra minutes, maybe I can check in on a blog hop.  Have a blogging fun day!

Annie

On The Bandwagon?

I'm waving to everyone on the bandwagon.  I jumped off.  It's too crowded for me.  It continues to travel far and wide and continues to have a great following.  I'm blaming the Internet for my lack of interest to "jump on the bandwagon". 

When all I had were magazines and books and sewing classes to inspire me to sew a specific project, my to do list really was never ending.  My list continues to be never ending, but for different reasons...such as life gets in the way of actually getting projects done in a timely fashion.

But, ..... the Internet is causing me to loose interest as fast as it inspires me!  I love it when I see a blogger or a flickr contact has created a fresh perspective for a quilting project.  I start getting inspired and mentally add the idea to my to do list.  Then, within a couple of weeks and sometimes even less, that fresh perspective starts popping up all over the Internet.  What happens to me being inspired happens to lots and lots of others.  It doesn't seem to take long after that for me to become uninterested in sewing the latest craze.

But I still love seeing every one's version of the latest craze.  I think all it's going to take is time for these newest fads to run their immediate course of popularity.  Once they disappear from sight for a while, I'm sure I'll become interested again.  I wonder if this happens to anyone else.

It isn't a bad thing either...it's also causing me to really dig deep for some originality to my own work and to add some personal perspective to work that inspires me from bandwagons long gone by. 

Just musing,
Annie