The Beginning of a Quilt

It's been busy around here. Not much time to just b-r-e-a-t-h-e. So, yesterday, out came the sewing machine. And out of the sewing machine came these blocks...the beginning of the quilt that I'd like to complete this year (mentioned here and here, too). All of the fabric is vintage, except for the greenish one -- it's new.

The inspiration for this comes from amazing quilts by Handmade by Alissa and Crazy Mom Quilts. I love the modern look of these quilts and it seemed like a relatively straightforward design (good for the beginner that I am :).

So far it's been a nice way to catch my breath and lose track of time. And, to top it all off, the cheerful patterns and colors are the perfect antidote to this gray weather we've been having here.

A Scottie Dog Made of Felt

I'm always amazed at how a few small pieces of fabric or felt (or thread or ribbon or you name it) can be transformed into lifelike little characters with distinct personalities. That's the case with this little Scottie dog based on a Jenny Harris pattern. Isn't this one -- by Christy of Sweet Tidings -- adorable?

Tagged for the First Time

Rêve de fil has kindly tagged me (Rêve de fil m'a taguée - merci à toi). It was the first time she'd been tagged and it's the first time for me, too. As I understand it, the "rule of the game" is to publish the sixth photo from the most recent photos I've taken.

So that's today's post -- this is a photo of some fabrics that I'm thinking about using in a quilt. I mentioned here that I'd like to make my first quilt in 2009, and I originally planned to use some pinkish and blueish fabrics. But after making a patchwork bag with them, I've decided that they might not be quite right for the quilt. It may be better to use fabric with softer colors like these, instead.

At this point (I'd better get started on that quilt before I change my mind again :), the plan is to mix these with solid white fabric to make a modern-looking quilt. I love old things, but when it comes to quilts, I really like the modern-looking ones. Hmm, is it possible to make a modern-looking quilt with vintage fabrics? I guess that's the fun of making a patchwork quilt -- you don't quite know what it will look like until you put all of the pieces together.

By the way, I'm supposed to tag six other blogs now but am having a hard time choosing them. So please, if you have a blog and you read this post, consider yourself tagged if you'd like to participate.

The Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much, everyone -- I really appreciate all of your kind comments! The winner of the red and white pouch is...

:-: Marie :-:

Congratulations, Marie!

The next giveaway, in March, will be for some vintage French fabrics. Hope you'll all be able to stop by for another chance to win. Thanks again and bonne soirée!

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Un grand merci à toutes -- vos commentaires me font chaud au coeur ! La gagnante de ce tirage au sort est...

:-: Marie :-:

Bravo, Marie ! Pouvez-vous svp m'envoyer vos coordonnées et m'indiquer ce que vous souhaitez que je brode sur la pochette (par exemple, votre prénom ou vos initiales).

Le prochain tirage au sort, en mars, sera sur le thème des tissus anciens. J'espère que ça vous donnera à toutes une autre occasion de tenter votre chance. Encore merci et bonne soirée !

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Here's what I used to draw the random number:
Voici ce que j'ai utilisé pour faire le tirage au sort :

:-: A Red and White Giveaway :-:

To thank you for your visits, here's a giveaway for this little red and white embroidered linen pouch (to be personalized for the winner). Good luck!

Pour vous remercier de votre fidelité, je fais un tirage au sort pour ce présent composé d'une petite pochette rouge et blanche en lin brodée (qui sera personnalisée). Bonne chance !

Eiffel Tower/Tour Eiffel:
from the book Répertoire des motifs and inspired by l'Atelier de Framboise Chocolat
inspiration de l'Atelier de Framboise Chocolat, tirée du livre Répertoire des motifs

How do I enter?
Just leave a comment -- anyone can enter.

If you would like to leave a comment but don't have a Google account, just 1) choose the "Name/URL" option in the "Comment as" dropdown menu, 2) enter a name, and 3) leave the "URL" field blank (unless you have a blog, in which case you can enter your blog's address).

When does the give-away end?
It begins today and ends on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 9 pm Central European Time (CET). The winner will be selected randomly (via www.random.org) and will be announced in a blog post shortly after that.

Comment y participer ?
Il suffit de déposer un commentaire -- c'est ouvert à tout le monde.

Si vous souhaitez déposer un commentaire mais que vous n'avez pas de compte Google, il suffit 1) de choisir l'option "Name/URL" dans le menu déroulant "Comment as", 2) de mettre votre pseudo et 3) de laisser le champs "URL" vide (sauf si vous avez un blog).

Quand sera effectué le tirage au sort ?
Vous pouvez laisser un commetaire dès maintenant et ce jusqu'au tirage au sort (réalisé à l'aide de www.random.org) qui aura lieu jeudi 12 février 2009 à 21h Central European Time (CET). Le pseudo du gagnant sera annoncé peu de temps après.

Wishful Thinking

Old French dishes, utensils, pots, pans, linens, bottles, jars, baskets -- anything having to do with cooking or the kitchen. These are some of my favorite things, and while talking to my husband the other day, I think I figured out why. My culinary skills leave a lot to be desired (this is an understatement) and I'm secretly hoping that if I surround myself with all of the above, the wonderful art of French cooking might somehow rub off on me. Wishful thinking, I know.

Oh, how I'd like to be able to make out-of-this-world quiches, heart-stopping profiteroles au chocolat, scrumptious sauces, and melt-in-your-mouth soufflés. And it would be nice to do it as effortlessly as some aficionados here do. Until that happens (and I'm not holding my breath), I might just try to learn a few things from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. When it comes to cooking (among other things), she's quite the talented gal.

A Reversible Patchwork Bag

Here's a little bag that was inspired by this cute one and that cute one, too, and that I made thanks to a lovely Pink Penguin tutorial. It's reversible, so no seams are visible on the inside. I used vintage/thrifted fabrics (the look and feel of old fabrics are so irresistible -- but I really like new fabrics, too). A bientôt...