Author Archives: mlwilkie

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About mlwilkie

Software Developer, Mother, Wife with keen interest in art, design and crafts of all kinds.

Mosaic Contest @ Stitched in Color

I have never entered in a mosaic contest, however, I just saw this contest at Stitched in Color. I love everything about color; mixing it up and pulling fabrics from different lines to produce a wonderful palette to work with,  this gives me that creative outlet.

The contest labelled Sweet Contrary, it is about using warm vs cold colors. It is sponsored by Lark Cottons. I decided to give it a try and here is my first entry….

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My first fabric choice was the Joel Dewberry Aviary 2, Sparrows – Lilac. I love this fabric and I based the rest of my choices to go with this piece. I chose green and teal for my cold colors and the lilac/plum and yellow for my warm colors. Lastly, I added grey’s as a neutral.

My second entry was based on the colors used for this Buqshan hotel in Khaila – Yemen (Photo by Eric Lafforgue). It was one of the first images I added to my pinterest design photo. The vibrancy is breath-taking.

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Representing this with fabric – this was what I came up with:
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What do you think of my fabric/color choices? The competition is open until April 29th so go over and take a look. Voting opens on the 30th April.

Husband’s favorite cookie – Oatmeal Raisin

Since my husband is feeling pretty poor at the moment, I thought I would spoil him a little bit and make him his favorite cookie – Oatmeal Raisin. I make them bite size, well bite size and a 1/2 🙂

 

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This recipe is using 1/2 measures of the Quakers oats “Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies” recipe.

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (1/4 pound), softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of quaker oats (I prefer old fashioned oats uncooked)
1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In one medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars together until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour mix to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins, mix well. Drop rounded 1/2 – 1 tablespoons of mixture onto a non-greased cookie sheet ( I actually use a silicone baking sheet I bought @ crate and barrel). Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on a cookie sheet, remove to wire rack.

This makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Let me know what your favorite cookie or the favorite cookie of someone close to you….do you have a recipe – feel free to leave a link below in the comments 🙂

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Fabric stash additions {21.04.2013}

Oh where to start, I suppose the best place is what I have added within the last 2-3 weeks….

I just realized that this may actually put some clarity and “accountability” on what I have in my stash.

Solids: I am in desperate need of solids. There are a couple of blocks of the month (BOM) or Mini Quilt of the month that I have signed up for and I really want to use bright solids.

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The first 3 on the bottom of the pile are actually Essex linens (which I am loving at the moment). The light blue grey and the blue are from our local fabric store – Thimble Pleasures and the Orange from Fresh Stash (an Etsy store). The rest of these solids are 1 yards of Kona cotton that I purchased at Thimble Pleasures.

Geometrics: Who can resist?

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The bottom of the pile are the tone on tone chevron from Riley Blake. I have always liked the yellow on yellow and my 1/2 yard is almost out so I brought this fat quarter bundle from Hoot Couture (an Etsy store).  I like most of it except maybe the brown on brown one. The hexagon fabric on top is probably one of my favorites at the moment – from a color perspective. The fabric is Oink-a-doodle-Moo Chicken wire by Jenn Ski for Moda and I purchased this at aMaterialGirlQuilts (an Etsy Store).

Favorite Complete Bundles: I have two complete bundles I have been hanging out to buy, both are modern and simple prints which is right up my alley. My only issue I am going to have is how do you break up the set or even make that first cut…..

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This first complete set is Pure by Stof. It is a 33 piece fat quarter bundle. Look at the first one – aren’t those navy and reds great together. The second picture equally amazing with the gray’s, greens (loving the mix of green and navy too), and plums. My only disappointment in this bundle was once I saw the plum fabric I wanted more. I hope that Stof consider to do another release with more of the plum and maybe orange or yellow print colors (and then more grays to go with that release). I purchased this bundle from Tactile Fabrics (one of the few Etsy stores that carried this line).IMG_7205

Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter, who can not like this. I am super excited to do her surface printing workshop in June to celebrate my birthday….I cannot wait….6 weeks to go. I was not sure about the indigo prints but the more I look at it the more ideas pop into my head about what projects I can do with this fabric. I think though that the bundle will have to stay complete for a while longer. Of course this new bundle is available several places, I did however want a 1/2 yard bundle with the solids included. I found that Westwood acres had the 24 piece 1/2 hard bundle (I love this Esty store; next week I will show you the other bundles I purchased from here..there is a list ;-)).

Fun Prints: Lastly, I have been buying prints for making kids pouches or pencil cases etc.
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I thought these prints are perfect for girly pouches or even chair bags. These are 5 prints are from the Little Matryoshka Collection by Lori Whitlock for Riley Blake Fabrics. I was not able to get them from one vendor. So from left to right; 1 yard of the Green polka dots and cream dolls were from The Sew Sweet Shoppe, 1/2 yard of Stripes from Bee Yourself Fabrics, and the last two were a 1/2 yard bundle, the pink polka dots and pink dolls, from Hoot Couture .

My last admission, is I am almost finished the 5th 100 comic board inserts set that I use to store my fabrics nicely (as you see above). So, the proof will be in the pudding – I need to start using some of these and put items in my Etsy store, that will be my goal for May and June. Linking up with Plum and June “let’s get acquainted”.

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Hope you all are having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment and let me know what exciting purchases you have made recently!!! I love seeing others fabric obsessions too 🙂