Sunshine and Shadow 2

Afternoon beauty.

Mice!

We have mice again!
But this time they are the good kind. The adorable, whiskery, cute fabric, pincushion-y, kind.

She stands 2 1/2" tall and has a 4" long tail.
What do you think? Could you love this little squeeker??
Patterns are available HERE and HERE.

The 2015 String-Along

String quilting.
It is an obsession around here.
I just can't seem to stop. And really, why would I want to?!

This star block, called Webmaster, measures 22" finished and is the center block in the 2015 String-Along (a free BOM). If you have not gotten your pattern yet, you can do so HERE.

This medallion-style project has 6 rounds and measures in at 84" square. That means you can be done by June and you will have A LOT less fabric in your scrap basket.

I chose a 7 color palette for this project: aqua, orange, raspberry, lime, purple, blue and yellow, plus a black and white polka dot for the background and a black and white text for the narrow borders. And I have to tell you, I have almost no fabrics left in my scrap basket in those colors!

I hope you will stitch along with me, and send me some pictures of what you are doing. I would love to show them off here on the blog!

Polka Dotted Dresdens

I have this wonderful stack of dresdens. Polka dotted dresdens!

They have been sitting around here for almost 2 years.
I am think of putting them on a solid yellow background, but I am not sure.
I am also thinking of something fresh and fun and modern.
Hmmmm....
What would you do with them?

Inspired by...

Anna Maria Horner's Mod Corsage workshop.

Improv piecing, broderie perse applique, free motion quilting, polka dots, Amy Butler and AMH fabrics, plus a few scraps...what's not to love about all of that! Such a fun and creative project. I am already thinking about making another one.

Low Volume

A work in progress.

It is coming along nicely.
I can't wait to show you how it turns out.

January Mood Board

images via:

1. Deer  2. Lamp post  3. Rose   4.Branch  5. coffee and skis   6. cocoa  7. lantern   8. Ice crystals

A little winter cheer.
I designed this mood board using a template created in Photoshop.
That template is available as a free download, along with lots of other goodies,  for newsletter subscribers.
If you are interested you can subscribe HERE.

New for 2015!

There are a few new things happening around here these days.
New and exciting things!
Things for you, from me!

Number 1...
How about a newsletter?
Yes, that sounds good.
But how about a newsletter filled with things you want (not just advertising).
Free things. Inspiring things. Things to create. Things to enjoy.
Yes, that's the kind of newsletter I am talking about.

This year, I am going to focus on six different types of content:
Patterns
Mood Boards (fully editable and customizable)
Desktop (and Mobile) Backgrounds
Recipes
Tutorials
Pattern Reviews and Discounts
You can sign up for the monthly mailer HERE, if you are interested.

Number 2...
How about a new Block of the Month?
Yes, that sounds good too.
But how about a FREE BOM!
A free, string quilted, medallion style, mystery BOM.
That's the kind of project I am talking about.
One that can put quite a dent in your scrap basket.
You can find the intro and pattern for the first month HERE, if you are interested.
And you can grab the button right here:

<div class="pieces-of-ranas-life-button" style="width: 125px; margin: 0 auto;">
<a href="http://www.sewnintothefabric.com/stringAlong.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
<img src="http://www.sewnintothefabric.com/Images/side%20bar%20150px/StringAlong1Button.jpg" alt="Pieces of Rana's Life" width="125" height="125" />
</a>
</div>

Number 3...
How about a great new book?
Yes, that sounds good too.
How about a book about modern string quilting.
A book filled with patterns (12 of them) to decrease your scraps and increase your level of cozy.
Hopefully you have already heard about this book, but just in case you haven't:

I wrote it myself and you can get a copy of it  HERE, if you are interested.

And finally, Number 4...
How about a FANTASTIC new house?
Yes, that sounds really good too.
But how about a HOME. A comfy, cozy little place on the central coast of California.
A place where a family can settle in and enjoy the changing of the seasons and the marching of time.
Together. With love and happiness and fresh eggs every day.
I have just the place for you, and you can check it out HERE, if you're interested.

(And yes, this is our home. We are looking to make a MAJOR change in our address. To start a new page and a new adventure in a new place. New. New, New. And a little old. Because you can't change everything. And who would want to? We will still be the same happy couple with the same time tested outlook on life and the same beloved small businesses. We will just be enjoying it all in a DIFFERENT place. A place where the changing of the seasons looks and smells a little different than here and where time still marches on, whether you want it to or not. And yes, the new place will still be filled with love and togetherness and fresh eggs daily, but our hens will be a lot more cold hardy!)

My friend Laura, of Dienzo Fine Art Photography, took these pictures of our home. You can find her HERE if you are in need of any amazing photography for yourself.

Marsala

 images via:

 1.pears  2.peonies  3.leaf  4.bouquet 5. center oval

The Pantone 2015 Color of the Year.
It is being described as: earthy, robust, full-bodied, seductive, nurturing and fulfilling.
That's quite a reputation to live up to, especially for a color!

What do you think? Are you in or out??