When you are out for the count....

I am working on day 10 of a cold... quite hard for this girl who likes to do things as well as has lots to do. Alas when your sick your sick....I found myself in our big red chair watching TV. I have finished the series Orange is the new Black. Interesting...series, I am curious if they will come out with a season 2.

What do I do while I sit and sneeze...

I cuddle under lots of colors to make me happy...

I knit.... and pick up knitting projects that I haven't worked on in ages but think I might be able to finish. Wishful thinking...

I think a lot about all of the unfinished projects in the studio....even wonder around thinking I might have enough energy to work on a project but find myself back in the big red chair but now with a sketch book and paper.

Got some great sketches with this cold.....and once I am bored with that I move onto embroidery....

I am doing this embroidery out of the sketch above for an Artist Satchel that I want to make to take on a trip to Mexico with my husband in November. We are celebrating 10 years of marriage with a trip to a beach to do nothing... except I will have my sketch book and camera and possibly knitting - yes, for sure knitting. I hope that I can get it done. I have this great vision in my head of what it will look like. Now it is just bringing it to life...

I think I am on the upswing of this cold...and at least it was somewhat productive time in the big red chair.

XO

Valori

Last chance to win some Wish!!

We will be drawing names tomorrow for Wish bundles.... Knit or voile for the Jillie Skirt or Lanie dress....
Have a great Friday!
XO
Valori

Vintage Val....

Happy Monday!
This photo is my "library" of fabric.... 15 years of one yard cuts. I think I counted 25 collections. I am cutting them into 1/2 yard pieces. I decided that I don't need more than that for my library. The other half yards will be sold behind the Stitchin' Post on Quilt Show day. Along with some other fabric that is left over from sample yardage that just need to be out of my house!

I will be cutting Wish this week. There is still time to leave a comment and win some fabric!

XO
Valori

Wrenly Christmas.... Drawing...

Folding bundles today and I had Teague help me pick numbers. There have been 44 comments. Six have been drawn out. Keep commenting all of the other names or numbers are still in the bowl.
I will be emailing the winners today during nap time. Hope you have a great Sunday. New Christmas ideas coming soon!
XO
Valori

Sketchbooks.....

I love my sketchbooks....I carry one around where ever I go. Kinda like my phone and wallet. The sketchbooks that I have found from Rag & Bone are the ULTIMATE! Perfect size, great paper, and beautiful covers.....

Rag & Bone use designer fabrics to cover their handmade journals. All of their product is made in the US. So cool! We send them my fabric and they cover the books and then we have unique journals in the shop. Kinda cool.....

Starting today Rag & Bone is doing a trunk show of limited edition designer books, journals and so much more! They used the Liv print from Cocoon for a series of books. I might have to go shopping.....

I have filled one sketchbook and am working on my second......I used to have a hard time keeping a sketcbook and journal but now I love it....

Images from my book.....

The paper is awesome....I travel with a little watercolor set and pull it out and paint in the sketchbook.

My new book is filling up quickly.....some new ideas for fabric.

Have a great day!

XO

Valori

PS.....not just a trunk show of amazing books but also a sale!

A photo a day in May.....

I am a big fan of Instagram and while I was looking through it this weekend I saw a friend of mine - HappyZombie - was doing A photo a day in May..... I figured I can do that. Especially since I take at least one photo a day... SO here is my start....

May 1, 2012

Ross and I were celebrating sending off the crate for market...... and look we found a wine called Novella. Which happens to be the name of my fall collection of fabric. Yummy!

May 2, 2012

My new belt buckles.....yeah!

May 3, 2012

New purse that I knitted and am putting handles on....

May 4, 2012

A pretty tree beginning to bloom....on my way to surgery.

May 5, 2012

Knitting while on pain killers....not too bad.

May 6, 2012

After Teagues escape from his nap yesterday we modified the crib to a big boy bed. He fell out this morning but should get the hang of it soon.

Today the photo has not been taken..... will come later.

XO

Valori

Need your help.....

Hello my friends....I need your help! There is a great on-line magazine called Fat Quarterly and they have started a March Madness competition based on fabric....March Modern Fabric Madness. I am honored to say that I have been included in the top 64 fabric collections to be voted on by their readers. Help me win each round and get to the championships....with the hopes of the title......Here are the collections that they have put in the mix....Looks like I have two fabric collections that they feel are worthy (that is too cool) - if I am reading the brackets correct.

Nest....as you might recall is from this spring here is some images to refresh your memory....

Looks like Nest will be first competing with a collection called Marine. Now I have not heard of this collection and am on a mission to see what it is. If anyone knows please let me know!!! This is on the first round March 2....that would be tomorrow!

The second collection is Bliss from this fall....

Looks like Bliss is competing with a collection called Queen Street. Again, I feel so out of the loop I don't know the fabric collection. If anyone knows of it please let me know so I can check it out. The competition for this one is March 6...that would be Sunday.

I am going to try to find out what the other collections look like and post them.....better hurry!

Now what do you think? Am I worthy....I think this is going to be fun even if I don't make it far I will keep my eyes on the competition and place my vote.

Love to all!!!

Valori

Beach trip...

Enjoying a little sunshine on the Oregon Coast in our favorite little town, Manzanita. The whole family is here, we are staying in these awesome condos just across the road from the beach. It has been so nice to take a little break and spend some time together... I love watching the kids play in the sand and the cold, cold ocean! I even have had a little time to draw on some rocks!!! What a great day!
XO
Valori

So many things going on......

Wow, there is a lot going on here in the studio. Where to start.....Tuesday, I was in the studio and had a very productive day....it started with this quilt that I had been wanting to do based on the PomPom Dahlia. Here is what I have so far....

I am not much of a hand appliquer so I think that I am going to top stitch the petals down and then do some heavy quilting. I want to put this up in our newly painted entry way that is a greyish blue color. It should look pretty cool. It is a test quilt for one that I want to make out of my new Del Hi fabric. As I worked on this I also worked on a fabric design for the fall and a new painting. Here is the painting that I am almost done with.....

I am so excited about it - really a bit obessed to tell you the truth. There are days that I am so easily distracted with all of the different projects and ideas that I flitter around the studio back and forth. I figure as long as something gets done it can't be too bad. Anyway, what is next......My girlfriends little girl turned one last week and we were so privleged to be invited to her birthday.....the girls and I attened as Ross was at a Portland Trail Blazers basketball game. I felt very honored because we were the only people there that were not family. So, for Miss Vaughn's birthday I made her a dress from Amy's book Little Stitches.

Too Cute! I realize that I need to practice my sewing skills, this is my second attempt. I have the other one half ripped out as it needs some help. I had cut out two of them because I figured that Vi would look adorable in the dress - well good thing I did since I totally messed up the first one. I am determined to get better at sewing clothes. The girls need some cute clothes and it sure does save money.  Needless to say Andrea and Miss V. loved it. Can't wait to see her in it.
There is more to share but it will have to go into the next time - it is late and I should spend a little time with my hubby. We put the girls to bed and I started another painting and now am doing this post. Hope everyone had an awesome day!!!
Valori

Zen sketching....

When we were in Hawaii mom and I took up Zentangles. What is a Zentangle you may ask?! Well, it is a meditative sort of sketching that you do on small pieces of paper with a pen. The company has created a kit that has all you need to get started. I purchased two of them for mom and I so that when we were relaxing - ok, when the girls were asleep - we could do some sketching. I love the concept becasue it is very simple and freeing and very addictive.  At Christmas all of us girls were doing Zentangles while the boys were watching TV. Anyway, I have been wanting to show you some of my sketches and I finally got them scanned.

You start using a pencil to create a shape and then quadrants in the shape. Put the pencil down and pick up the pen and start creating repetitive shapes......

The kit has a dice with numbers that corespond to some of the suggested design repeats. It is a fun  way to start and you don't have to think. I find that thinking can ruin a good meditative setting....

Once you are done filling in the space you can use the pencil to shade if you like. Some of them I shaded and other I didn't. Kinda fun either way.

Once you get the hang of it you will start seeing simple repetive shapes all around.

I love that it is creative but doesn't put pressure on you to be perfect or have to figure out how to paint it or put it into repeat.....
I try to do one at least once a week. I am getting a great stack. Wouldn't they be cool on the front of a card. I love to send cards - nothing like getting a hand written letter in the mail. Not that e-mail isn't OH SO convient but the hand written note is time. Time that someone took to tell you how life is, or how special you are. One of my good friends from college and I have a letter/card relationship. We live only 3 hours away but we keep in touch, except for the occassional phone call, by writing letters. I love it, makes me stop and take check of myself, find the words, find the space to just be and write to someone.
Anyway, off on a tanget.....hope you like my zen sketching.
Have a great day!
Valori