Sunday Stash #4

The other day as I was moving around one stack of fabric to get to another stack of fabric (don't laugh) and I couldn't help but notice that I have an enormous stash of Echino prints - especially some of the older ones.

A small fraction of the hoard

Do you know what's strange? I don't know the foggiest thing about Etsuko Furuya, the designer of all this yummy fabric. Isn't that odd? Other fabric designers have blogs, we see them in magazines, etc., but Etsuko remains a mystery. I did find a photo of her here, but not much else.

If you speak/read Japanese, would you mind giving us a quick translation of her profile on her web site?

Do you have a certain fabric designer you compulsively hoard? No judgment here - I completely understand.

Okay, I'm going to be scarce for the next few weeks. In the meantime - 

Happy Holidays to you and your family!

And may you find some time to do a little stress-free crafting ;)

-Annik

Counting Down

Today's the last day of the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day (week?). This my first time participating and the experience has been absolutely amazing.

In just a few hours I'll announce the winner of the Robert Kaufman Kona solids charm pack. Thanks to all of you who took the time to leave a comment (and become followers). I have so enjoyed reading your comments. FYI, color wheel, rainbow, and bowtie quilts are hot!

Wow, so many of you are quilters! Are you all new to quilting like I am or have you been doing this for eons?

Speaking of something new, I finished my very first mug rug yesterday for the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild holiday social/swap last night. What fun! I can see why everybody is making them. It's addictive, and talk about instant gratification. Here's my teeny tiny quilt:

front

back

I flipped through my mom's MacKenzie-Childs catalog during our Thanksgiving visit. Those checkerboards must have seeped into my subconscious :)


Now that my mug rug is done, it's time to concentrate on holiday preparations. I only started Christmas shopping yesterday (don't laugh). Today I'm tackling the physical clutter in my sewing room so I can clear out the mental clutter and get down to business. Wish me luck.


See you again at tonight. There's still time to leave a comment to win the charm pack, just head to this post. Good luck!


-Annik

The Stargazer Quilt and a Charming Giveaway

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

Randomgenerator.org selected #177. The winner of the Kona Solids charm pack is:

Faddict

Congratulations!!! 

A huge thank you to everyone who entered. I wish I could send you all a charm pack!

Hey, who knew? It's Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day and I just happen to be doing a giveaway in honor of the completion of my Robert Kaufman Kona Solids Challenge quilt.

Please know, dear readers, that I braved 12 degrees Fahrenheit without mittens to get this shot! Of course today it was 40 degrees. Figures.

My original inspiration was stars twinkling in the night sky, hence the name Stargazer. The many Kona colors look so pretty paired with the navy solid.

So what about this giveaway, you say? Well, I've got a Kona charm pack that needs a loving home.

To enter, leave a comment with the answer to this question:

What will you make with this charm pack if you win it?

For additional chances to win, do one or all of the following (no pressure, though):

1. "Like" the Mini Mushroom Facebook page.
2. Become a follower of this blog (that would make my day :)
3. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.

Leave an additional comment for each and all of these actions. Please make sure I can contact you. I'll select a winner at random next Friday, December 16th and announce the winner on this post.

And now I leave you with a quilt action shot:

Gwen after her nap. Check out the quilt back - awesome 80's whales by Ann Kelle.

Happy crafting,
-Annik

Tell Me Tuesday #3

Yes, I'm still doing Tell Me Tuesday. I refuse to give up! Today's question is an easy one, though, so please leave an answer -

What's your favorite color combination?

Right now I'm loving medium gray + a bright color (see TMT#2). I hope gray isn't passé because I'm not done with it yet. I wonder what the next "it" neutral will be?

Sherbet Pips WIP

Red and turquoise is still hot IMHO

Friendly yellow + stoic gray

Thanks for leaving an answer. I can't wait to hear about your color faves :)

-Annik

Toning it Down

True confession. I love bright colors. The brighter the better.

One of several eye-blinding (in a good way) buntings on my Etsy shop

This obsession with color started early with 3/4 sleeve rainbow shirts we all wore in the early 80's. I had the pastel version. Oh, how I loved that shirt. When the neon craze started around the time of WHAM! I embraced the movement with open arms.

Based on the the items in my Etsy shop, it seems pretty clear that all these years later I'm still a little obsessed with rainbows hues (thank goodness I'm no longer obsessed with unicorns - that would be weird).
 
Earth tones and muted colors don't come naturally (no pun intended) to me, but I'm trying.  Here's a sneak peak at my latest quilt. As I was squaring up endless half-square blocks this weekend, I kept thinking, I can't believe I'm working with this palette.

Blush by Basic Grey for Moda

Isn't it funny how the trends of your youth have a tendency to shape your taste later in life? Wait, they didn't? You mean I'm the only one??  ;)

Ciao for now,
-Annik

Field Trip Friday

Not so long ago, my dear sweet 2 year old decided she wasn't interested in taking a nap. I was deeply annoyed by her decision but was determined not to let it ruin my day. I loaded her up in the car and off we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to check out a fabric exhibit.

The show is called Optical Effects: 1970s Printed Textiles and here are some highlights for those of you who aren't lucky enough to have this wonderful museum in your neighborhood ;) Please note that I took these photos without the benefit of a flash, which means the pics don't do the prints justice.

I should have just taken a nap...

This was my favorite print in the collection.

Delicious selvage

More delicious selvage

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the field trip. If you're in Minneapolis, MN the show runs until 2/26/2012. While this exhibit is small, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is not to be missed!

-Annik

P.S. Dear sweet daughter passed out in the car on the way home. Figures!