6 a bar and a pig.

I haven't mentioned this here because it's not really related to my blog but my dad is opening a bar in our hometown soon.  He purchased a building last fall that needed quite a bit of work and he's been making a ton of progress on fixing it up.  It's not open yet but I'll share pictures of it when it's done...you know, just in case any of you feel like making a trip to the UP to check it out!  

While we were home a couple weekends ago, my sister and I designed a sign to put outside in front of the bar.  The bar is called "The White House" because...well, it's a white house, and also because it's going to have a political theme to it.  It's actually a tavern and grill, and they'll be serving foods like pulled pork, barbequed ribs, chicken, etc.  I came across this picture of a pig on Just Something I Made last year sometime, long before my dad even knew what he was going to call the place, and sent it to him so he'd have something to put on his business plan.  He loved the artwork so when it came time to design the logo for the bar, he asked if I could use the pig picture.  I went back to the JSIM website to check the copyright information, only to find out that the artwork came from a cookbook made in 1887.  I was a little shocked when I read where the artwork was from... the White House Cookbook!  

photo from Just Something I Made

It seems like the bar and the pig were a match made in heaven.  Or at least in 1887!  Needless to say, we immediately bought the cookbook on eBay.  And then we put together a proper sign for The White House Tavern & Grill.  Complete with a pig, of course!

Hopefully when we go back this weekend the sign will be up so I can share pictures of the finished product!  I'll be sharing some progress pictures of The White House in the next couple weeks, since it's the only project I plan to work on while we're on vacation! (3 more days of work and counting!)

0 lovely inspiration: couch to quilt.

Here's another idea for a quilt pattern, found on a couch at the Neocon design conference.

Wouldn't it be cool to replicate this fabric design as a quilt?  I'm loving the color scheme as well.

Here's a design that could translate into the actual quilting, something other than the stippling seen on so many quilts these days. 

Photos via Design Milk

I have never actually tried stippling yet myself, but I plan to soon.  I might have to try this design as well, it looks like it would be fun!

14 the latest arrival.

Guess what arrived at my door last week...

Castle Peeps by Lizzy House from Whipstitch Fabrics!  

This fabric is so vibrant and fun, I can't wait to cut into it.  It will definitely be used for a quilt or two, but I don't have an exact design in mind just yet.  

Any new arrivals to your own fabric stashes?  I'm now dreaming of some Far Far Away II. 

26 modern meadow stripe quilt.

A Modern Meadow stripe quilt for a baby boy.  (I got tired of waiting.)

Quilted with straight lines about 3/8" away from the edges of each row.

Compete with a pieced back in the same fabrics...

and bound with Kona Raffia.  With a little label at the bottom.

I used Kona Raffia, Midnight, Aqua, Olive, and Snow on both sides to coordinate with the prints.

This one is off to my cousin who is having a baby this month.

Inspired by filminthefridge

4 more modern meadow.

So when I said I'd blog about this quilt last week, what I really meant was this week.  Maybe.  If my quilt holder-upper gets off work before it's dark outside at some point between now and Friday.  Unfortunately I can't make any promises because holding up quilts doesn't pay the bills.  What I can do though is give you a quick shot of the back so I can at least say that I blogged about it.

I suppose I could get more creative with my quilt pictures rather than relying on my husband to hold them up all the time.  Maybe I'll work on that this week!

17 in need of opinions.

The bijou lovely shop is coming soon, but I have a fundamental question for you all.

Etsy or bigcartel?  I really want to hear your opinions on the matter, because at the moment I'm torn.

7 button jars.

When I was little, my great grandma had a jar full of buttons that she would let us play with.  I remember sitting in her apartment on Lake Superior with the buttons dumped all over the floor, trying to find the prettiest button in the jar.  I'm not sure why the button jar was such a big deal, but my sister and I would race straight to the button jar every time we visited her.

I recently acquired my very own button jar from my mother-in-law.  We sorted through one of about five tins of buttons from her mother and picked out the prettiest ones, just like I did when I was a kid.  Only this time, I got to take them home with me.

As usual, I'm not quite sure what I'll make with these yet, but I'm sure they'll be put to good use eventually!

I was also given a blue mason jar to store my new-old buttons in, and another to for my vintage thread spools. The blue mason jars are so lovely, I can't wait to display them in my sewing room!  That is, once I get a sewing room that actually has shelves in it.

p.s. I can't believe this is my 100th post!  I've decided every 100th post I'll blog about my great grandmother, since she was the inspiration behind this blog in the first place.

14 all together now.

Obviously I don't have a crib to stage this in...especially considering the fact that I don't have children! But here is a look at all of the custom bedding I made for Kelly. The box-pleated crib skirt completes the set, made of Nicey Jane Slim Dandy. 

Kelly's goal was to have bedding that was modern, sophisticated, and not too matchy matchy. All of the different graphic prints in coordinating colors accomplish her goals rather nicely I think. Hopefully she'll share pictures of the finished nursery with us soon!

1 lovely links: patchwork pattern maker.

Have you seen this patchwork pattern maker from the Victoria and Albert Museum?  You can upload a photo and it will turn it into a quilt pattern for you!  

via How About Orange

I'm going to have to start plugging some of my quilt inspiration pictures into it to see how it works. Seems like it might be fun to play with if nothing else.

Thanks to my friend Brooke from Claremont Road for tipping me off to this site!

5 fun with polka dots.

The latest addition to the baby bedding set for Kelly at Blushink, a polka-dotted baby bumper made with Nicey Jane Dream Dot.  How fun is this?

The polka dots sort of remind me of bubbles.  I love the way the yellow ones "pop" (couldn't resist the pun) next to the yellow pillow.

If you are interested in custom baby bedding, please contact me at bijoulovely@gmail.com.

5 productive weekend.

Here's a little taste of what's to come this week.

I did a ton of prep work and sewing during the weekend.  Lots of projects in the works, including a Modern Meadow striped quilt!  I am slightly obsessed with this fabric...I think I'm going to have to buy more soon.  I need to go on a bit of a fabric diet though for a little while to make up for something else I bought this weekend.


Blogger has not been cooperating with me today...I've been trying to write this post since 10:00 last night!

6 mason lee.

I have a new nephew!  Mason Lee was born this afternoon and he is super cute even in this blurry picture.

Now I'm counting down the days (17) until we can meet this little guy.  

Cute story...my niece Aliyah (Mason's cousin) found out it was a boy and started sobbing.  She is the only girl so far with 3 brothers and now 2 boy cousins!  She was really hoping for a girl so she would have someone to  play with.  She has now given up all hope for any other girls in the family.  I guess she'll have to keep playing baseball with the boys!  

9 intimidation and a little inspiration.

I don't know what it is about making clothes that intimidates me so much, but I am terrified of trying to make something that fits me.  Lately I've been thinking that I should try making some clothes for myself.  I really want to make a dress.  I have quite a few weddings to attend this summer and I think it would be fun to make a dress or two to wear to them.  I am completely clueless when it comes to sewing clothes so this should be interesting.  I'm undecided as to whether or not I use a pattern, but if I don't, I think I might be able to handle something like this dress from Anthropologie, maybe in chiffon rather than gauze to make it a little dressier.

I like the fact that it's shirred in the back which means a little wiggle room for me when it comes to fitting.  I would be really sad to spend time making a dress that didn't fit!

Any tips on sewing clothing and/or dresses?  Have you seen any cute ones lately that I should use for inspiration or know of a pattern that you think I should use?  Do tell.