Color Inspiration: Getting to know Emily Green

It's not easy to wear a macaroni necklace out in public, but I have been known to do so if a particularly good one comes home from school.

I've wondered if a more adult version exists for some time and I think I finally found it.

Emily Green is an artist that makes her own clay bead necklaces out of Australia.  I treated myself to her 18 bead creation called Beatrice.  It's hardly a small ornament, but I don't think she's going for subtlety and when I wear it neither am I.  What caught my eye was the bright purple in the lower right side.  That is one of my favorite colors right now.

If I wanted to put the most perfect combination of colors together with the right amount of each I'm not sure I could do as well as Emily has here.

And if you cannot resist a somewhat 'ugly' green color (like me) you should see her version called Lola.  This one is probably better for summer, but Beatrice matched my newly minted handmade skirt better so the decision was pretty easy.

I'm thrilled to own my very first Emily Green creation and I'm planning to save up for another one.  

If you see me on the street wearing it, you may get a sore neck straining to get another look at it.  It's really that pretty.

Hope that you're finding your own small thrills to help your week along.

The stockings are hung...but I'm still sewing...

Are you still trying to finish up those Christmas gifts you decided it was a good idea to make? 

I'm sure you are smarter than that.

Really, who on Earth would still be sewing on Christmas Eve Day??!!

Only the crazy people.  OK so count me crazy.  The last minute is sometimes the only minute that I have.  Who knows if I'll finish or not, and I actually don't mind if I don't make it.

In the end, the kids will have a cool hand made gift - eventually.

Hope your holiday plans are cooking up beautifully.  I'm still here with my needle and thread...and loving every moment of it.

The above patchwork ornament was made for my sister's new baby who is celebrating her first Christmas this year.  She's like a living doll.

Merry Christmas!! 

-Marisa

It's begining to look a lot like...well, you know

Our household spent the greater part of the weekend decorating for Christmas.

- Lights on outside of house: Check!

- Christmas tree:  Check!

- Stockings hung by chimney with care: Check!

It's full steam ahead towards the holiday season, my favorite time of the year.

We had our monthly gathering of my small quilt group last weekend and I took a photo of the beautiful ornaments that my friend Carol made (above).

She has been making these for friends since the 1970's or so I believe.  She's promised to teach me how to make them, so I'm very excited about that.  I secretly wonder if you could use very thin handspun yarn instead of DMC floss...but maybe I should walk before I fly here.

Anyhow, thank you Carol for the beautiful ornament (she gave me the red one shown here, and I have a couple others from past years) and for allowing me to photograph these beautiful creations.

I love to make patchwork ball ornaments, but have been a bit behind in making them for the kids every year.  Didn't manage to make any last year...wondering if I'll end up having a few spare cycles this year to come  up with a few.  They take me around 3-4 hrs each, but they are hand pieced and quite relaxing to sew up and even more fun to stuff.  Time to break them out methinks. 

Hope that the spirit of the season is bringing some extra happiness your way.

Christmas in January

Christmas in July is so expected. That is when folks start their big projects for the upcoming holiday.

Christmas in January...now that's thinking outside of the box!

Truth be told, I made this above Christmas ornament for my darling niece back in December and forgot to show it off then. Cannot resist posting a picture of it for you to enjoy.

I used Jinny Beyer's book on patchwork puzzle balls and it was super easy.

Does anybody out there have Jinny's new book yet - Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns? I really REALLY want this book BAD.

And speaking of new books....Yoko Saito has just released a new book on basket quilt blocks. It is called Basket Made From Cloth.

Meanwhile, I'm still feverishly working on the crochet scarf that I mentioned in my last post. I will confess to you that I'm secretly really looking forward to wearing it.