Juicy Bits

189: Kingdom in da house

Yes, the time has come to blog again.  Over a month is a bit too long, don't you think?  Even with summer as my excuse.

Well, while I've been gone we've checked off quite a few item on that summer to-do list.  Including fireworks, the beach on Cape Cod, and 5 nights of glamping in the beautiful Thousand Islands area of New York.  Great trip.  Beautiful weather (finally, not rained out!), interesting sights, yummy food, and lots of smiles on the kids faces.  This year we tried "hobo eclairs".  Yum!

These pix were taken at the Heritage Museum in Sandwich, MA.  If you are a bit of a hippie mom like me, you MUST visit. They have this new area called Hidden Hollow (below) that it one of the most amazing places for kids I've ever been to.  Everything is wooden and natural (most right from the grounds) and it has art, storytelling, blocks, sand, play house, theater, musical instruments, a tree house, and so much more wholesome goodness for the kids.  It was just MAGICAL and I totally want it in my back yard.

And now Kingdom is hitting the shops.  Woot!

I don't really have a comprehensive list of shops that are carrying it, so if you are one, let me know and I'll add you.  But here are a few places to pick it up:

Hawthorne Threads

Venezie Designs

Sew Mama Sew

You can get the free pattern for the Prairie Glass Squared quilt here.

Before I know it I'll have an advance copy of my book in my hands...eek!

I'd better get back to party prep.  This year, for Theo, it's a puppy party and I've got quite a bit left to do.

JT 

 

185: spring 2011 quilt market recap part 3

OK so since I might be the very last person to finish posting about Quilt Market, I give you permission to skip ahead to the giveaway...

But if you're looking for more eye candy, enjoy!

Jillily Studio served actual cones of sorbet! How cute is that booth?

I couldn't get over this puppy embroidery by Penguin and Fish.

Tula Pink's new Prince Charming.

I'm loving Summersault by Erin McMorris...

Wrenly by Valorie Wells.

Michelle and Gina at Cloud 9.

Lots of Kokka fun.

Joel Dewberry chatting on the phone in his booth.  Heirloom and the new patterns by his wife might be my favorite things from market.

Moda land was like a country fair.

Sweetwater.

Fig Tree and Co.

I think this is my fav picture from market. This vignette is from the Basic Grey booth, so is the picture below.

Zen Chic had a very distinctive modern aesthetic and won a booth award.

I love this new dress pattern by Sew Serendipity.

Notice the bathrobe in the Indygo Junction booth is made in my Gingko fabric? Sweet!

Quilt Story.

Now for the giveaways:

 

1. A copy of the adorable Moda Bake Shop book, Fresh Fabric Treats, signed by several of the authors, a copy of Fabric Trends, and a mini tote from the Sweet Hot Yams party.

2. A Kona color card, signed copy of Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter, a 1001 peeps notebook and bookmark, and a pack of charm squares.

To enter simply leave a comment here by Tues June 14th. I can't think of anything to ask you except I'd love travel destination suggestions.  I've just been toying with where we might want to go in the next few years. I'm open to anywhere in the world, family vacation or just me and the hubby. I like to dream about these things for a long time in advance...

JT

177: aloha!

I just got back from the trip-of-a-lifetime to Hawaii.  Sigh.  So amazing, yet so...over.  And here I am back in NJ and what does it do on the first full day of spring?  Yup, snow.

So, if I choose to live in my memories and these pictures of all the beauty and fair weather, you'll understand, right?

 This trip was an early celebration of our 10 year anniversary.  And, yes, we went alone and left the kids at home (luckily we had both my parents and my sister to stay with them).

Now, you're all aware of the tragedies over in Japan, and some of you may remember that tsunami warnings reached around the pacific, especially Hawaii.  Yes, that was our first night there.  We slept blissfully unaware until the sounds of evacuation sirens and text messages from loved ones woke us around 3 am.  Luckily we were staying uphill from the coast that night, and weren't really in danger.  But that didn't stop me from imagining giant 1000 ft waves sweeping in and carrying us all away.  Freaky, and a great start to the trip.  Thank goodness it was all uphill from there.

We only visited one island during our trip (well, 2 if you count a daytrip): Maui.  Heaven on earth.  We hiked in the Haleakala National Park to the Waimoku Falls and it was the most beautiful hike I've ever been on.  The bamboo knocking above our heads and the wind blew through it was truly mystical.

After, driving around and adventuring for a few days, we decided to settle in and relax.  So we hung out by this amazing pool.  The view and service were both impeccable and since no one under 21 was allowed, it was definitely serene.  And one night as we swam by the edge at sunset we were treated to a show by about 4 whales only about 100 yards away.  Amazing.

I did actually find a little quilt shop while I was there.  Some tropical florals were in order and I loved the hula dancers for a dress for Aurora.

Hopefully you won't all abandon me now because I've bragged too much. If you're still experiencing the winter blues, I feel for you.  I hope we can get away on another extraordinary tropical trip like this again in, say, another 10 years...

 And now that I'm home and back to work, I do have a big reveal of my next fabric collection coming up really soon.  No teaser pictures, but the collection is called Kingdom.

Aloha! 

JT

166: autumn revisited

I feel like I'll probably post these same kind of pictures every year.  Fall is just so photogenic and most years we'll probably hit the pumpkin patch hayride.

This year it was abnormally warm.  We were sweating.  And they were out of apple cider doughnuts.  Poo.

But it was beautiful and much fun was had.  Only got a few small pumpkins.  I don't think we'll be carving any this year...

We did also fit in a quick weekend trip to Cape Cod.  My childhood home has been sold, so I don't know how much we'll go back anymore.  It's a very bizarre feeling.  This was the first summer since like age 2 that I didn't go once.

Luckily we had a sunny brisk fall day to enjoy the beach a little.  Totally invigorating and we'd go a lot more often if it didn't involve 6+ hours of driving.

Well, despite the fact that it's only the 28th of October, both kid's halloween costumes are totally complete. (And even a quickie for me).  Parties and parades were early this year, so it wasn't exactly by choice, but I do feel relieved to be able to just enjoy the weekend.

I'll be back soon with some pictures of those to share.

JT

161: glamping bohemian style

Have you heard of glamping?  Probably not.  Everyone seems to go "huh?" when I say it, so I'll enlighten you.

It's camping but with style. i.e. glamour camping.  And if you know me, you know that styling a campsite isn't really a stretch.  Everything is better when done with a little flair, right?

So, you've gathered it's not exactly "roughing it".  In general, when we go camping I have rules:

1. Queen size air mattress

2. Wooded campsite

3. Campground must have flushing toilets

4. Campground must have hot showers

I think for most, glamping is about bringing a level of refinery to camping.  Real dishes.  Bed linens, not sleeping bags. Extra furniture. Etc.

For me it was about creating a look.  And if you remember, I've been lusting after the look of a gypsy caravan.  Very bohemian and colorful.  That's what I went for here.  

How'd I do?

Now, please don't be fooled by these pictures.  Our campsite looked like this for about 15 minutes total.  Then the rain came, and the trying to cook for 9 people (we went with my parents and some friends), and the kids playing in the mud... but the color was always there.

This was the "living room" tent which was useful when it was buggy, rainy, or we didn't want the kids playing in the dirt.  Sadly it collapsed from the weight of the rain on the roof after a few days and was no more.

If you were wondering, we went camping at Half Moon Pond State Park, VT.  It was a lovely quite campground with a nice smallish pond.  The big drawback was it was far from anything, and with 3 kids under 6, we really wanted to go "do something" more than just hang at the campsite.  We did go to Burlington which was cool.

It was a fun trip, but I think once a year camping with the kids is my limit.  The packing and unpacking is just too much...

JT

159: the most magical place on earth

I'm a disney freak.  Well, you knew that from my previous post.  Actually, I'm not quite as addicted as some people who get to visit the parks regularly and live for their next trip.  I might be a little jealous of them.  :)  But I try to go every few years and really submerge myself in the planning and enjoyment of the trip.  Trust me, it's so much better if you plan ahead.

Anyway, we had an amazing week-long family trip.  So many magical moments.  Previous trips without the kiddos don't really compare.  And it was great that my parents could join us.

 
 
Here are just a few of the highlights:

It was a trip full of character meetings.  Aurora loved it.  Tons of interaction.  We planned what she wanted to talk to them about in advance.

This was when she met Belle and gave her a book because she knew Belle loves them so much.  Belle was so sweet and said it was the first time anyone had ever given her a book except when the Beast gave her the whole library.  Belle is her favorite princess because she is beautiful AND smart. 

Although, after the trip she has a new fav: Ariel.  She met her and Prince Eric one day.  Like many of the characters they made a big deal of her sharing the same name as Sleeping Beauty.  But when we mentioned we were having lunch with the princesses the next day, she said she'd be there.  Sure enough, she was and she had already told all the other princesses that Aurora was going to be there.  And they all made a fuss and paid her extra attention.  Even blowing her kisses across the room.  So sweet!

 

For the princess lunch and for our afternoon tea, she wore the Sleeping Beauty costume I made for her two years ago.  It fit much better this time around...

Theo's big wish was to meet Lightning McQueen.  We lucked out and got there one evening when no one else was around and we spent around 20 min all alone with him and Mater.  Sadly, at age 2 3/4, Theo already knew, he "wasn't real" probably because he didn't talk.

We also met:

Pooh, Piglet, Eyeore and Tigger

Jasmine and Aladdin (Aladdin swung Aurora around in a big hug)

Handy Manny

Leo and Annie (Leo showed us how to conduct)

 

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen (they were thrilled Aurora was watching their movie on my iphone)

Woody and Jesse (his boot didn't say Andy on it!)

Tinkerbell, Silvermist, and Rosetta (I may have been the most excited to finally meet Tink)

There were tons of fun rides with not too many long waits.  And, yes, it was hot, hot, HOT.  But we were prepared and took it easy, so not too many meltdowns.  If you're going in the heat and never heard of Frogg Toggs Chilly Pads, google them.  And one of the best parts was Aurora learned how to swim under water.  Definitely some magic in that Disney pool.

Can't wait to go back in a few years...

JT

155: Can you handle the cute?

I'll start by saying, yes, I am aware I'm a grown woman.  Nearly 35 years, to be exact.  But luckily I don't feel that means I have any obligation to act "grown up".

So when we were at Disney World (we had an amazing family vacation which I will hopefully post pix of soon) and I saw this adorable guy, I decided I had to have him.  Not one of the kids, but me.

He's Baby Buzz Lightyear if you can't tell.

I actually told my daughter I thought all the baby characters were "freaky cute".  But my heart belongs to Buzz.  Problem was I didn't buy him when I first saw him.  And then, as the trip was ending, he was nowhere to be found.  Apparently he was only available near the Toy Story Mania ride and we weren't going back there.  Boo hoo.  :(

I had to leave without the one souvenir I wanted.  But I was unwilling to give up the hope and even when I couldn't find him online, I kept looking.  Turns out Disney has a park merchandise hotline where you can order anything from the parks.  So $10 for shipping later....he's all mine.

I've been sleeping with him lately.  Even his little blanket is super-cute with stars inside, rocket ships outside, and a little rocket ship to close it.

And for more cuteness, I made this little outfit for my cousin's new baby girl.  I tried not to go over the top with girlie-ness because I knew she wouldn't like that.  Black, white, and red are her favorite colors, so this is what I came up with.  The bloomers are from Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing except sized down....and the guitar goes on the butt.

 

Hope you are all enjoying the start of the summer.  What do you have planned?  I hope we're going to see Toy Story 3 this weekend.  Maybe I'll bring Buzz.

JT

133: merry christmas

Since the season is in full swing, I'm going to disappear for a bit.  Hiding out with the family and just enjoying some relaxing time.

But I wanted to wish you all well and leave you with some holiday pix from my family.

 My mom and I took Aurora to NYC for the first time this year.  It was a totally magical day.  We had a carriage ride, saw the tree in Rockefeller Center, had "tea" at the Carlye (with the best hot cocoa ever), and shopped at American Girl and FAO Schwarz.  

 I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was to see it all through a 5-year-old's eyes.  She was so appreciative and excited.

We took the kids to see santa.  The actual pictures we bought were so green the kids looked like aliens!

 Aurora did a little dance dressed as a present.

 

And finally, my tree.  I mentioned before it would be a woodland theme.  

 It's just a small tree...about 4 feet.  I didn't get a chance to make all the ornaments I planned, but I think I'll do the same theme in a year or two and finish it then.  I wanted to make everything handmade, but the straw "star" and heart ornaments are from IKEA and I thought they fit nicely.  

 To carry the colors through I added some green and aqua beads to the basic red strands and painted some of the "berries" on the star.  Next time around I'll make a custom tree skirt.

We gathered all our little woodland friends around underneath it.  Very cute.

  

So everyone have a great new year and I'll talk to you soon...

JT

121: consider this

your official invite.  If you'll at Quilt Market, come meet me.  I mean it.  I'll be hanging at the Windham booths.

Life's crazy with all the prep, but I had a little fun today.  I actually got to drive out and visit the Windham offices and warehouse.  I guess I'm a total fabric geek, but it was thrilling for me.  Seeing all those bolts stacked up, and inside seeing all the different storyboards and swatches...

I can't wait to see stacks of my own fabric. 

JT

***Notes: 

The bag hanging on the chair is made from the Catalina Sling pattern by Pink Sand Beach Designs.

The Dress is the Gracie pattern from Sandi Henderson.

The larger bag is Black Forest by Melly & Me.

111: peek peek

I'm back!  Did you miss me?

I was away on a family vacation with no internet.  Man, does it feel strange to break off from that connection...both good and bad.

And I think that's my general feel on family vacations...they're kind of a double edged-sword.  On the one hand I love to spend the time with my kids creating memories away from the pressures of everyday.  We get to do so many cool things, and their smiling faces are just the best.  Then it comes time to pack.   Ugh.  And there are all the details of life away from the comfort of home, not to mention that exhaustion involved in taking two kids to the beach all day (actually they are quite good, but bathing them when you really just want to collapse after a long day is a pain).

Anyhoo, we've made the long drive home and I'm finally plugged in again.  So just to say "hi" and tease you a bit, I thought I'd share these lovely threads that I bought to do some sewing with my Timber fabrics.  So I guess they give you a clue on colors, although I must say, they don't look at all "rainbow-y" like this.  Plus, these pix from a rainy, dreary day do not do them justice, but I'm too lazy to do another take.

So, I hope you don't get too attached to these and get disappointed when you see the real thing.  I believe I'll be able to truly reveal the designs in a matter of weeks!  I can't wait.  Maybe I'll figure out some more acceptable peeks before then....hmmmm....

JT

105: washed out

Hey all.

I'm back from a little family camping trip.  I'll try not to bore you all with too many cutsie family pix, but hey, this is what's going on with me right now.  :)

So we headed out for 4 nights of camping fun with a 4 1/2 year old and 2 year old.  We were feeling adventurous.  And it could have been quite nice were it not for the unrelenting rain.  As it is, camping with small kids is pretty messy, but the mud...oh, the mud.

Not to be negative...we did actually have a really great time.  The first two nights we did the tent thing.  

And the kids were pretty happy even if they had to stay inside it a lot.

  The rain let up every once rain while and we were able to have a campfire and stuff.  And one day was even sunny enough for the beach.

Plenty of sand and surf fun.  (We were at Cape May, NJ)

Aurora made sand angels.  At least they had showers at the campground.

I'm glad we squeezed in all the camping stuff we could, because night 3 was just a no go.  One of the tents was sitting in a 3 inch deep puddle.  It may have been possible to survive and not be totally miserable, but we opted for a hotel.  It was sad for Aurora who wasn't ready to say goodbye to the adventure (neither was I), but the indoor pool was a big hit and really useful before summer swimming lessons.

And while it was rainy or cloudy almost the whole time there, some of the breaks were long enough to enjoy fun things like the Wildwood Boardwalk. 

This is a view 

from this ferris wheel.

This is how we spent Father's Day...which I hope Dad and Pops enjoyed.

Of course with all the activity we were all feeling a bit like this by the end.

And now we're glad to be home.

JT

99: Quilt Market part 4: more of the same

So, at Quilt Market I was so lucky to meet some really fabulous people.  It's amazing how quickly you can instantly connect when you share one big common interest.  

On Saturday night I went out to dinner some fun ladies that I didn't know before, but now feel like I'm good friends with:  Mirynda (Fabric Hound), Renee, Kristen (Gocks's Frocks), Jamie (Maricopa Fabrics), and her mom Lori.  We went to this really nice restaurant up on hill looking out at this view:

Food was delicious and we even had a a free bottle of champagne sent over to us by the Seven Islands guys (who import Echino) because apparently Mirynda did a lot of shopping with them that day!

We rode down a incline tram thingy afterwards.  Some of them thought the giant foot long pencils were too cool and brought them back for the kids.  Things got a little funny later with the "knitting" with them...

Anyway, I've got a ton more booth pictures to share, so here we go:

Indygo Junction Patterns (the tunic Myrinda was wearing above was so in demand I couldn't even get a copy)

Vanilla House Designs.  

Check out their cute baby "activity" mat.

Lecien.  Those adorable bags are a free pattern by Melly and Me.  I'n sure I'll be making one in the near future.

Loved these pinwheels at Lakehouse.

This is Amy Hamberlin's Kati Cupcake booth.  Too cute.

And while we're looking at patterns, we can't forget Favorite Things.  I especially love the coat.

Art Gallery Fabrics had a really beautiful vibe.

And, of course, the yumminess over at the Seven Island section.

Heather Ross had a book signing, but sadly I missed it.

Oliver + S always has such a beautiful clean aesthetic. 

It was sad how few pictures I got of the Free Spirit section.  Just a couple quilts.  the first is Dena Designs new collection, Monaco, for which Scott Hansen designed/made the quilt.

And Erin McMorris's new collection, Wildwood.

OK I'm almost done with the Market stuff.  I have some shots of the beautiful quilts on display that I'll share next time.

JT

76: checking in, checking out

I'm checking out of here for a bit, 'cause I'm headed off for a few days of wonderful spa bliss...

It's our first getaway without the kids since Theo was born.  Many thanks have to go to my parents for babysitting.  

The sad (well, I guess it depends on your perspective) thing is....I'm most looking forward to lots of SLEEP!

Hopefully I'll come back with plenty of renewed creative energy so you all don't get bored by my lack of posting.

JT

25: gabby girls who sew

What a fun day I had yesterday.  You'll all be jealous.

 

I spent the day over at the soon-to-be-full-but-already-fabulous Yummy Goods on Cape Cod.  Melissa and I spent the afternoon being sewing buddies and it was just what I needed.  Sometimes I feel so isolated working alone in my studio.  Our house is on a hill and my window looks down over the neighborhood.  It can feel a bit like sitting up in my ivory tower.

But not today.  The space was perfect (bright, beautiful light, the smell of incense, groovin' tunes, and a gentle late summer breeze) and the company was better.  

How yummy indeed.

Melissa is off to tape her TV segment (what a rock star) tomorrow and wanted a little moral support getting all her goods together.  Of course I was more than happy to oblige.  And guess what that meant?  I got to be one of the first people to sew with Sugar Snap!  So sweet.  (I have to say how hard it was for me resist typing "sew" there and making the obvious pun...)

She also gave me a little of her precious first yardage.  Thanx Melissa!  (I warned you all you'd be jealous...)

We chatted the time away while managing to get some actual "work" done.  Can I just say: I LOVE blogging.  If I had know that a whole other world was going to open up to me and I was going to make some cool connections and even a really good friend or two, I would have tried this a lot sooner.  It's amazing to hang with someone that I already know a lot about and just feel immediately comfortable.  Sadly, so many of you amazing people live in far off places and I'll never see your faces, but I know what I read on your blogs will impact my life.

That's a little weird too, huh?

Can you imagine trying to explain this all to someone in the past (before the internet was invented).  It would sound like such a crazy mixed-up world.  But that's the way (uh huh, uh huh) we like it.

Melissa has promised I'll get to teach some kind of crafty class in her cozy new studio space.  I'm going to pretend you'll all want to fly in from across the country just for that, like when Heather Bailey gives a workshop.  But if not, and you just happen to be visiting Cape Cod...you've got to check out the store.

I'm sure you'll feel right at home.

JT

connecting and reconnecting

I just got back from another trip to my visit my parents on Cape Cod. While there I got the chance to meet with two friends...one old, and one new.

First off, I met Melissa Averinos of Yummy Goods blog fame. I say fame because to me she's already a celebrity in the crafty little world I love, even though her first fabric line hasn't been released yet. I mean she did go to Quilt Market after all... and really I'm fairly certain that you've been reading her blog much longer than mine. As you would imagine, she is just as lovely in person as I knew she would be. So sweet and genuine and seriously easy to talk to. And she even brought me a birthday present!

Gorgeous fabric, no?

Thank you so much, Melissa.

We chatted for a while and then went fabric shopping at Tumbleweeds. While we were there I learned to use a fun new gadget

a yo-yo maker.

I've never made yo-yos before, nor had any real desire to do so, but after seeing how easy it was and how cute it came out, I can see they may be addicting. Can you see how teeny tiny the smallest one is?

I also got to see one of my best all time friends...we've been friends since kindergarten. And, as always, Jesslyn was charismatic and really "gets me". Since we forged our friendship (egads could it be) 28 years ago on the swings...it was cute to have our little ones doing the same.

I love you, Jess.

JT

juicy little bits

For the fourth of July I went to my parents house on cape cod. And, as always, while there I went fabric shopping.

The cape is great for that because it has, not one, but two, big beautiful quilting stores: Tumbleweed Quilts and Heartbeat Quilts. This trip I made it only to Tumbleweeds but boy did I have fun. Here's a quick glimpse of only a small portion of my purchases:

I love that their fat quarters are only $2. I have a hard time paying the $2.50 that many places charge because then they cost more than the actual yardage...

I also got a bunch of prints for the basement playroom I'm working on and also for my daughter's Bday party. And I dove into the big bin of "little bits" and came away with a juicy colorful bunch. These are the same bits that one miss Melissa Averinos of Yummy Goods has posted about. So addictive.

As you can see, most of them are Kaffe Fassett fabrics. This is because I have aspirations of one day doing something like this Lollypop Trees pattern by Kim McLean. I think I might first start small and do an applique on dress for my daughter. But for now this is one of those projects that has to put aside for a good long time. However, it does give me a good excuse to collect Kaffe fabrics....

And, of course, the ladies there were a pleasure..."hi" to Karen and Mary. i wish we had stores like that here in NJ.

JT

relaxing in the OBX

We just got back (and by "just" I mean in the last month) from a wonderful vacation in Duck, NC...aka the Outer Banks. We rented a lovely house by the beach and proceeded to hang out by the pool and almost never go to the beach. But we KNEW it was there so that made it all the better.

While there my sisters and husband and I tried our hand at hang gliding. Not as easy as I'd hoped, but fun nonetheless. (Yes, that's me.)

And, of course, while there I had to do a bit of shopping. I came up with 2 things I just love. First is this delicious mirror.

it was one of those stop-your-tracks-this-is-just-perfect moments. It was purchased at Urban Cottage, a cute little store with many things I could see finding a home in our house. But the mirror was a missing element in our bedroom, which I would really love to get cracking on the design of before the end of the year.

Also, at an art show I fell in love with the works of Donna Silvestri and her On U Jewelry. This is the necklace I finally settled on after quite a long time of trying them on.

I love that she thread/braids them with brown cord...it makes them a bit earthy. I also wanted her Lola Love ones, but I found them a bit short for me.

I did also get a few prints at the art from from Serious Whimsy (P. Carter Carpin).

The first is an addition to my son's nursery. The other two or for the basement playroom/tween hangout I'm designing for my nieces. (more on both later...)

Finally I will leave you with a few beach-y pictures of the kids...

JT

fourth of july hometown style

This is how they do it back in my hometown of Barnstable Village, Cape Cod, MA.

I don't always make it back for the celebration, but it really is one I enjoy. Mostly I love how all the kids get so into it. At some point in my youth I did participate in the parade, but for many kids it's all about catching the C-A-N-D-Y!

After the parade everyone heads over to the hollow for more wholesome fun including egg tosses, tugs-of-war, 3-legged races, water ballon tosses, and even a greased pole. You gotta love it. What could be more all-american?

While I no longer live on the cape, my parents still do. This is my super-cool photographer dad. You can't see his long hippie ponytail in the picture. :)

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend full of fun, festivity, and freedom. Yay for america!

JT