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

Sew Red and Valentine's.....

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I think it is one of my favorite days because it was my grandmother's birthday, Clara Valentine....I miss her! This day is to be full of love and happiness...it isn't about gifts and roses and chocolate to me but the beauty of loving...

"We are reminded how short life really is, and how we are just passing through. So,all the people you haven't told you love lately, tell them, and live your days like you mean it." - Hal Sutton

I am excited to be posting about a great project that I was a part of.... Sew Red and the Sew Red blog tour....What is Sew Red? It is a really cool book with beautiful projects from a variety of folks in the Quilting and Sewing Industry... and everything is in RED....this book was created to raise awareness of the risks of heart disease in women! How amazing to be a part of such a great cause. I am blessed to not have lost any women in my family to heart disease. It is such a huge issue for us and it takes people like Laura Zander - the founder of Jimmy Beans Wool (btw an awesome yarn shop) to take a step up and make us all aware. Laura's from the knitting world and started her quest for awareness with Stitch Red... a needlework book that was filled with projects in red... This is an fun and important blog tour I hope you have the time to visit some of the other blogs for their projects and thoughts on heart disease....I have added a list to the end of this post on all the other folks contributing....

But I thought I would first share some pics.....

The book....

The quilt I did for the project....Love their photography!!!

Turned out so beautiful.... I really was honored to be part of such a great book.

Have a great HEART healthy Valentine's Day!!!!

XO

Valori

2/11 - Kay Whitt - http://blog.sewserendipity.com
2/12 - Marcia Harmening - http://www.happystashquilts.com/blogs/news
2/13 - Ty Pennington - He'll actually be posting on Stitch Red Blog, as he does not have his own blog - http://www.stitchred.com/blog.asp
2/15 - Patty Young - http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com
2/18 - Mark Cesarik - http://homeecny.blogspot.com and you!
2/19 - Amy Butler - she'll also be posting on the Stitch Red site
2/20 - Sweetwater - http://www.sweetwater.typepad.com
2/21 - Brett Bara - http://www.brettbara.com
2/22 - Saremy Duffy - http://www.saremy.typepad.com
2/23 - Nancy Zieman - www.nancyzieman.com/blog
2/25 - Tula Pink - http://tulapink.com/blog and Kaari Meng/French General - http://frenchgeneral.blogspot.com
2/27 - Anna Maria Horner - http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com
2/28 - Kristen Ashbaugh Helmreich - www.marinade.wordpress.com

Simply Made Summer.......

Happy Friday! As summer continues I am hoping for warmer weather for my garden....luckily we have missed the frost but there is not much new growth.....Looking forward to July when we have warmer days.....

I have been working on the instructions for the knitted edging for the Summer Nights Shawl and am happy to say they are done and ready for you......

here is the download able version Download Knittedlaceedging

This was my test version....on this I used two colors and make it longer. The pattern is for the original shorter version.

I used Shibui variegated sock yarn......as my obsessive personality continues I am now knitting the edging out of 4 ply yarn for my voile Fina skirt. To adjust the pattern so that the lace is long enough I measured the bottom edge of my skirt and added stitches in multiples of 12 to make it the appropriate length. I will share when it is done!

This is the back side or other side of the knitted lace edging.....I think it is just as beautiful as the front. Just in case you didn't get the Summer Night Shawl pattern here you go.....

and if you want to share..... Download SummerNightsShawl-web

Another great weekend project the Sassy T-Shirt Dress for your favorite little girl. My girls love their dresses and love it when I make them something out of my fabric. I am not sure at what age this ceases to be fun but for now they love it.

For market I took a picture of the girls in the field and added butterfly kites to the sky. This was blown up to a 4' x 8' panel and became one of the walls of the booth. I just love it!

So easy to make.....all you need is a t-shirt and some voile or cotton and about an hour....

Have a great weekend!!!

XO

Valori

Simply Made Summer.....June 8....

Happy Friday!!! Always a great day to start a new project.....I have a perfect simple project for you. A summer shawl made out of voile.....so soft and light and stylish.

Yummy Cocoon Voile....all you need is a yard of two different pieces.....

And you can make a beautiful shawl....

You can download this easy Download SummerNightsShawl-web and share with your shop or your friends!!!!

I love my shawl and I have decided to make it even better....I am knitting a lace edging that will go on the short edges of the shawl. Once it is done I will pass on a photo....One of my goals is to create patterns that incorporate fabric and knitting....

Have a great weekend!!!

XO

Valori

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

A New Purse..........

This is a little purse that I have been working on.....I don't get much time to knit these days. To actually finish a knitting project is amazing...I have SO many in progress projects.  I love the chevron pattern so I thought that I could use it to make a cool purse.  For the yarn I used Koigu  (LOVE) and Cashshoft from Rowan. Then I lined it with some of my new collection Cocoon....

Wouldn't this be so cool as a bigger bag, one that could hold more especially since I carry so much in my bag. I will just have to find some different handles. 

Anyway.......My brain is a bit fried from sitting in front of the computer today working on fabric. I need to do something with my hands other than moving a mouse around. Maybe play with some fabric, or quilt or silk screen....hhuuummmmm! 

Off to make something......

XO

Valori