Monday, August 20, 2012

From My House to Yours

Back when I worked in a cubicle, I didn't like Mondays.  These days, although I may complain about working on the weekend, Mondays are all right by me.  They're usually my slow day, until evening.  An anything goes kind of day, time to catch up on housework, reading, paying bills, errands, shopping Goodwill's 50% off sales, and, yes, sewing.

I finished this mini today, inspired by the vintage covered sugar bowl I found about a week ago at the thrift store.

Me and Juki Jane became reacquainted when it came time to quilting.  It was awkward at first.  I should have made a peace offering of some kind, blew the dust off her or at least given her a squirt of lube after all this time, but no. The P. did not stand for patience today.

It's no wonder she fussed and made big eyelashes on the back side on the first attempt at little curlicues.  She complained about the thread.  There was not enough tension, then too much.  And as for my part, I could not seem to settle into a rhythm with stitch length or speed.

(Flip side)
Still, we got the job done, compromising on a meander with standard thread.  I only sewed my Supreme Slider onto it once.  Nothing a seam ripper and a little Scotch tape (on the slider) couldn't fix.

Binding was uneventful, I am happy to report.  Nearly plum perfect, in fact.

Ah, home sweet home.  Where the heart is, the house, and the hedges, not to mention the horse, prancing up on the sugar bowl there.

You might not want to use it for sugar, but I'm thinking you could put almost anything in this little covered dish—jellybeans, buttons, jewelry, pocket change, love notes.  Maybe a little votive candle.  A hearth for the home.

You know, life is sweet.  I've been on the receiving end of much generosity and goodwill this past year, and I so appreciate the creative community, even though I've been somewhat sidelined and sidetracked lately with other things.  So with a case of the warm fuzzies (and I'm not talking about my mouth, which is a wee bit better lately, thanks), and as a small way to pay it forward...

I'd like to give this set away!   [Edited to add: Giveaway is now closed.]

That means the mini, which measures roughly 10 inches square, and the covered sugar bowl.  Simply leave a comment, telling me what you might put in this little dish, or any other sweet nothing you might want to say.  I will draw a winner on Saturday 8/25 at noon Central Time.

If you don't want to enter the giveaway but would like to leave a comment, just mention "no thanks" or "pass" or something so I know.

Please make sure your email address is linked to your comment profile, or type it out in your comment.  I need to be able to contact the winner by reply email or I will re-draw.

Thank you, and good luck!
August Finishes

23 comments:

Allison said...

I love the mini you made, it compliments the sweet sugar dish perfectly! you are very generous to give these lovelies away! I think I would use the dish to hold an emergency stash of chocolate near my sewing machine :) hope your mouth continues to recover

Elizabeth said...

That mini is SO cute! I love the reversatility of it (I just made up a word there; reversible + versatile). I have a mini of yours, which I LOVE, so don't worry about me for the drawing, but I wanted to say how adorable your little set is. Whoever wins it will be lucky indeed!

xo -E

Vicki @ DottyJane said...

Chocolate! That was easy:)

I'm so glad your mouth is better.

Sarah Craig said...

I think I'd put M&Ms in it - Lilli loves them and would be tickled to death to have a special place to look for them when she comes to my house!! Such a sweet give away - did you sense how much I was coveting these pretties??? ;-)

MomWaldsPlace said...

You are just the sweetest, and most creative, duck in the pond!

I'll let someone else enjoy your lovely set. However, I think it's getting to be time for a visit to the tea room in Madison and a plant swap.

Jenny said...

its such a darling set P. who could live without a pink and green house!? ill put my name in the hat, andthanks!

Julianne said...

Hmmmm...the mini is just so darling, I love the scene, the colors, everything about it...then theres the cute sugar bowl that inspired it..totally cute too!! I would definatley keep it in my sewing room, maybe put my Werthers candies in it...oh YUM!!

Julianne said...

and I meant to say that the mini would definately go up on my sewing room wall!!

Lori R. said...

Oh, your mini is such a cutie pie! I love little projects and I would love to be entered in your giveaway.

Cherie said...

Not entering the giveaway.
The mini is so cute though! It's a shame when machines wont cooperate with what you want to do =D

barbara woods said...

lovely giveaway would love to win thanks

BendingPins.com said...

I am in love with this mini!! Please include me in your draw. If I won, I'd use that adorable sugar bowl for bobbins & sewing needles. I can't believe you're giving it away!!!

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

That's so pretty - it looks just like my house. I have no idea what to put in it, but I really like the idea of chocolate or candy - jelly beans or M&Ms.

Mary said...

Spice drops! First thought that popped into my head. Your mini turned out so cute.

Anonymous said...

That mini is so adorable! I love you the houses match so nicely. I would probably put green jelly beans in the sugar bowl. Mint jelly beans are my favourite.

beaniekins84(at)gmail)dot(com)

Carolyn Sullivan said...

The mini quilt is adorable! and the sugar bowl... I love those! the era, late 40's 50's I'm assuming, it goes w some of my same ara tea pots! I never see a sugar bowl at goodwill w it's lid! you are very sweet to give it away!

Kathy S. said...

I would love to win this set. It would be so special coming from you. I would put it on my dining room table and put chocolates in to compliment the seasons, like red and green M&Ms, etc. You can never have too much chocolate! You are so talented, I am proud to be your friend!!
You have my e-mail. I am one-third of the breakfast-once-a-month group! Love ya!

Pokey said...

How did I miss this?!? LoVe your piece, it makes that sugar bowl even sweeter! Please put my name in, P! I would think about having the set on my school table where the teachers come eat lunch in my room ~
:-}pokey

greelyrita said...

I love the dish and mini quilt. They go SO well together. I was going to comment on both the minis. I love the border you used on the other one. The temperamental sewing certainly doesn't show.

Texas JennyWren said...

I love that mini quilt and the adorable covered little bowl. I think some sweet syrup for breakfast french toast would be just perfect. Thanks for the chance to win.
tx jenny wren at g mail dot com

MerryCherry said...

These minis are so sweet. And it's very nice of you to want to pass along the "sweetness". I think the sugar bowl could hold chocolates. Yum!
dustman8@windstream.net

Deborah H said...

Oh, wow, that's a fun and lovely set! In my house, that adorable bowl will end up holding paper clips or rubber bands or something. (I have to keep them out of reach of the cat.)

Glad to hear that you and the Juki Jane managed to work it out. :)

misc77@bellsouth.net

Anonymous said...

I wish you were still in your cubicle! But if you were you wouldn't have time to do your blog and projects and I do love reading them! lak