Cotton Spice Blog

Do you Inklingo? It is a fabulous way to make quilts. The quilts we usually stay away from - Double Wedding Ring, Hexagon Quilts, Drunkards Path…etc. Inklingo lets you print the pieces AND stitching lines directly on your fabric. This is a huge timesaver, and gives you perfect sized pieces every single time!

So, the Inklingo Blog is having a giveaway!

 A number of Inklingoists have put together prizes for this, the first Great Inklingo Give-Away. In the following 16 posts, you will see a variety of prizes utilizing shapes from all the Inklingo collections we have to date. We all know that this kind of a revolutionary new product can seem a bit daunting and that people may be hesitant to try. Those of us who have been using Inklingo for a while or, in some cases, since day one (or before!) know what an absolutely fabulous product it is and we want to give you a chance to see for yourself just how simple it makes stitching great blocks and quilts!

What will you receive? You’ll receive the fabrics shown in the individual Give-Away post, prewashed and printed with the shapes needed for that prize. You will also receive a test piece of fabric showing the various ink colours available when printing with Inklingo, an illustration or photo or pattern for the project, and in some cases a page from the applicable Inklingo project with some extra stitching hints for that particular shape collection.

So! What are you waiting for? Go visit the blog and start commenting!

I ‘made’ myself spend the weekend sewing. Yes, forced myself - simply refused to let myself do anything else. I’m disciplined huh?

Well, it’s lovely to finish projects. I made myself a new purse, more like a small tote, with some discontinuted fabric samples Mike brought home for me. I found the pattern here

Then I created {Penelope}

She is going to the US Davis Infusion Center, as a result of a SAL at CFAC, a charity group I’m involved with. Shannon named her Penelope, as I had no idea what to call it, I really have no idea what it is - but it makes you smile.

I also crocheted some Octopussessesssesss….. um… Octopie? I’m not entirely sure of the plural, but they’re weird little creatures too

And some coloring rolls

These things are so fun to make, it’s like playing for me

Do you ever hear someone on TV say something that just makes you go, “Whaaaaaaa?” Well, here is my favorite of last week - “It’s hard to sweep if you lose the first game.” - Al Hrovbosky (not sure of spelling) Just think on it a bit, you won’t figure it out. lol….

Have a lovely week!

Caroline of http://brrmidjidesigns.blogspot.com/

I’m leaving a msg on your blog - email me!

A person would tend to think I don’t know the meaning of the word ‘tomorrow’.

Ok this is the beginning of the sewing table. It’s simply an old banquet table, we cut a hole in it for the cords and it works just fine. I have an acrylic sewing extension table on my machine…not sure how I lived without it all these years. And an extra light, cause the light bulb above the needle - the wires are broken. The last time I took it in to be serviced, he said he fixed that. He didn’t.

the rest of the sewing table. I have all kinds of little boxes and storage drawers. All full. I tend to be a ‘piler’. I pile things on top of each other. I try so hard not to do this, but I believe I have the Piling Gene. It’s inevitable. If there is an empty surface, I must fill it.  Can’t help myself.

The end of the sewing table and on to my desk.

My desk and the printer above it. I love those cardboard photo boxes. They make excellent storage. This stack of 4 holds lace, vintage hankies, floss and various threads, odds and ends there are no labels for and my ‘good yarn’ Cashmere and Malabrigo lace yarn.

My desk is usually not this clean. I have file boxes hanging on the walls with lots of sticky notes and various things.

My shelves! Now, when we moved in here, I put these shelves up myself. Yes, you heard right. They don’t look so bad when all that stuff is on them, but if they are naked, they look like a Lucy and Ethel job. But the main point is…They’ve stayed up!

Under the shelves - filing cabinets, and drawers. I have a 2 x 4 board on top of the shelves, for an even surface.  And piles of copy paper, file folders, etc.

Now, under my sewing table, next to my desk are my phone projects These are easy, non thinking things I can work on while talking on the phone. I’m not a big phone person, but all my family lives in other states, so when we get on the phone, it’s usually for awhile.  I simply can not sit and do nothing. So, I have a headset for my phone and I grab my phone projects. It’s amazing how much gets done this way.

Well, now you’ve seen my entire studio, except for the middle of the floor, which is where I was standing.

I’ve sure enjoyed seeing your studio’s… keep ‘em coming! I’ll take comments and contest entries on this until Sat night. Then I’ll be drawing a name out of the hat.

Saturday I said there would be new pictures ‘tomorrow’ not realizing ‘tomorrow’ was Easter. So, today is tomorrow! (get that?)

My cutting table. It used to be in the kitchen, as an island. But when we moved, there was no room in the kitchen for an island. So, lucky me, I took it into the sewing room where it’s the perfect height for cutting!

The shelves above the cutting table hold buttons, embroidery floss, scrapbooking do-dahs, my ArtFire inventory (some of it) and various crafty things - hole punches, little dowels, etc.

Right around the corner, a stack of 4 drawers. From the bottom, the one my knitting bag is hiding - cards and stationary, various WIP’s, trims drawer and the top drawer holds scrapbooking paper.

And on top, a stack of books, cause my bookshelf is full.

I have 2 shoe storage things, and boy are they handy! I store all kinds of stuff here - Clover mini iron, some ArtFire stuff, lonely skeins of yarn, patterns…. They are hanging on a portable closet. It has a shelp on top, a hanging rod and then a shelf on bottom. I’ve utilized every square inch of this! As you will see….

Underneath I have a tote full of sewing fabrics (not quilt fabrics), my ironing basket which is overflowing (I love to iron, but even I get behind!) and my DVR sit there on that shelf.

I hang freshly ironed clothes there, or items I’m working on. On top I have boxes for patterns - Doll Patterns, and the red basket is name brand patterns (simplicity etc) and the last box is patterns I print out from Lekala or PMB4, or any other pattern printing service.

Next to that is the door into the bathroom, we won’t go in there. It looks like every other bathroom, plus the cat box. Here is my bookshelf - completely full. My ironing board in front of the white cabinet which holds envelopes, shipping supplies and extra office supplies.

There is a small bookshelf on top of the white cabinet to hold fabrics, mostly fabrics for making doll clothes. And there is Molly, in her green school dress.

My TV in the corner, and then starts the sewing table. Inbetween, I have plastic zipper bags full of fabric, scraps mostly. I always save the plastic zipper bag from sheets or blankets. They make awesome storage bags.

Ok, more tomorrow (really!) Don’t forget to post about your studio! You could win a copy of Sew Pretty Homestyle.

I welcome you to my studio - Cotton Spice! clicking on the pictures will take you to a larger picture. I’ll take you in the door, to the left and all the way around to door again.

This is looking in the door. I found a handy spot to hang ribbons, right on the door.

This ‘the blue thing’. I use it for my cutting mat. It has shelves in end, where I store things like freezer paper, clear contact paper, timtex. And 2 drawers in front - the top one tips out and holds batteries and super glue. The bottom holds things I don’t need very often, cause there is usually a box in front of it!

Under the blue thing, I store boxes of paper, and a tote of some lefteover Christmas craft things. I have 3 trash bags in my sewing room, the first one is here. Since I cut at this table, it makes sense to have a trash right there. Also a basket with an unfinished knitting project in it.

Looking behind the door, you can see the bottom shelf of the bookcase I use for fabric storage. This bottom shelf and the floor next to it - see the boxes to the right? is where I store all the Dash prizes. I manage and mail out the prizes for Quilt Dash, Quilt Block Dash and Mystery Quilt Dash. Those boxes are filled with quilt Goodies of all kinds!!!!

This is the top half of the bookcase, where I keep most of my fabric. In the last couple years, I’ve cut my fabric stash by about 3/4. It’s time for new fabric See the door on the left? I have most of my rulers hanging there and also my circular knitting needles.

And on the top - boxes of Wool Felt, zippers, trims, lace etc. Good thing I’m tall and that we have high ceilings!

My design wall. This is my Jane Austen quilt from Inklingo It’s hand pieced and going slow, but I’m not in a hurry.

I’ll have more pictures tomorrow, so come on back! And don’t forget to leave a comment with a link to your blog and pictures of your own studio, you might win a copy of Sew Pretty Homestyle!

Now, go to the Studio Tour graphic on my sidebar and click Next to visit the next studio! Have fun!!!!

After a brief break, the Cotton Spice BOM Challenge is BACK! Linda has designed a fabulous scrappy basket quilt in neutral colors and I think you are going to LOVE it!

We have a full roster of awesome designers, who have designed some really cool basket blocks. If you like Basket Quilts, you must get in on this one.

The first block is up and waiting!

 Getting ready for this Blog Tour has been no cupcake! My first inclination was to straighten things up. Well, you know how things take on a life of their own? Before you know it, I was vacuuming and doing the hardwood floors. That’s ok, they needed it! I try to do them every couple of years, whether they need it or not. You know I’m kidding!!!!!

So, during this cleaning frenzy I discovered I have two copies of Sew Pretty Homestyle! by Tone Finnanger

This is one of my most Favorite books! This and her Christmas book. So, I’ll be giving one of these as a prize during the Blog Tour. Here’s what you’ll need to do -

I want to see pictures of YOUR sewing room/studio/corner of the dining room! During the blog tour, which begins April 10 and ends, I’m not sure when, post a comment with a link to your blog where you’re sharing pictures of your studio! I’ll put your name in the hat for a drawing.

Add my graphic to your blog (you can do this today) and get an additional 5 chances to win.

Link the Graphic to my blog - http://cottonspice.com/CSblog Leave a comment telling me where to look for the graphic and I’ll add your name 5 times to the hat. Yes, you still have to share pictures of your studio! I’ll trust you to put up the pics on the 10th!

Now, before you think you’re sewing room or what passes as a sewing room is not fancy enough to take pictures of, just remember we all started somewhere. I started sewing on the dining room table with an dresser to hold all my sewing things. I sewed on the dining room table for decades before I got my first sewing room. And my sewing room now is an eclectic mix of odd furniture. If it’s not be used (and sometimes if it is!) I snag it for this room! I don’t have custom made furniture for my room. My sewing machine sits on a 4 x 6 foot table we got from my mom, one of those fold up tables.

And if you’ve been following my blog for a time, you’ll remember I posted pictures of my MESSY sewing room. It was awful. I’m not looking it up to find it, but if you’re so inclined to go thru a few years of posts, go ahead!

I’d love to see your pictures!

April 10 kicks off a Blog Tour of Quilters Studios! Many quilt designers will be participating, and we’ll be showing you pictures of our studios and talking about them. Now, you just read about how I cleared out boxes of stuff, so if you’ve seen pictures of my studio before, you might notice less ’stuff’. Or not. lol… I don’t!!!

We’re set up on a ring, which you can see off to the right there… on my sidebar. I’m not sure if all the sites are set up yet, but come back on the 10th and join in the fun. I bet I can rustle up some prizes or something free for you to snag while you’re here.

I received some YoYo’s in the mail today, from a lovely lady who works with CFAC, along with myself. I’m the YoYo lady there, if you have the inclination to make YoYo’s, you send them to me, and I make quilt-lets out of them. So, anyway, I got some in the mail today.

I was in the middle of a big sewing room rehab. I’d put some empty baskets etc in the entry  way to make room for my manuevers. When the mail came and the packie of YoYo’s…I opened them and put them into a basket.

I guess Lucy thought I padded the basket for her.