Saturday, December 19, 2009

simple dreams - - GIVE AWAY

I am finishing up a couple custom orders and decided to clean out my two shops and will be having a giveaway on January 1st. Just leave a comment on which item you would love to receive. I'll be giving away one item on January 1st and plan on doing this once a month as a way to clean, organize and share with others.........enjoy, Lisa

vintage mercantile
simple dream2
Click on the links for more descriptions. Leave a comment and I'll choose one on 1/1/10. Check back again as I plan to have a giveaway the beginning of each month. This is open to US residents as I can offer FREE postage with the giveaway. If you would like to enter as international please leave a comment and if you are chosen we'll work out the postage.
Lisa

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Here's the vintage floral table cloth.
Vintage floral backed by green plaid.

The side zipper make for easy cleaning.

I just love this look - -
green plaid with floral star held on with twine.

If you choose not to use the star for the pillow
it makes for a great candle mat.
Doesn't the plaid side of the star
change the look of the floral side?

Here's the plaid side as a candle mat.

This pillow is now listed in my shop
simpledream2.etsy.com
I have enough of 1,2 and 4 to make more covers.
There's enough of 3 to make only "one" more cover.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

projects waiting to happen...............

Take a vintage curtain panel, vintage table cloth and add some plaid gabardine and you get.........
You'll have to go to simpledream2.etsy.com to find out.

Greta's quilt

I've made another abi23 quilt, for Greta. Hope she likes it.

Thursday, November 12, 2009







We're back to my favorite season - - Fall. My garden didn't produce the pumpkins that I would have liked. My son found that our (his) puppy was digging up the plants and gnawing on the baby pumpkins. So I made my own.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Goin' to the country, goin' to the fair..........

I have so neglected my blog. Never did get around to posting the photos from the Country Living Event. Will have to do that SOON. Right now I am finishing up some things so that my son and I can set up at the Bakers Creek event on Sunday. Even made this banner for the canopy with my Etsy shop name. It turned out rather nice.
My son Ian, and I worked on this bike bag, he picked some of my vintage double knit polyester and some vintage trim. Looks cute doesn't it? It's currently listed in my other Etsy shop - Vintage Mercantile http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27714545
Off to Bakers Creek http://streetsofbakersville.com/2009/hd/ . But I have to make a homespun apron because period dressing is required. I'll try to remember to bring my camera and get some photos and actually post this time. Check back...............

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

On to Chicago and Country Living................

Here is abi23 quilt. The original - - It has been sold and I've since sold another. The one that I will be bringing with me is one that I made as a gift, and am borrowing to take to the show.


This "forest" quilt has been sold and the buyer has been gracious enough to wait for shipment as I feature it at Country Living.


What to do with all those vintage linens I keep buying? Make a quilt...this is the yellow/green one. I have enough fabric to make several more of this color range and have pinks/green and yellow/browns also cut and ready to go.
This particular yellow/blue is made from two pieces of fabric that a friend, Patricia, gave me "to do something with", she had bought it some time ago to make curtains for a home that she has since moved from. As soon as I saw the fabric I knew it would make a darling quilt and added a couple pieces of my own to the back and here's what you get.

This is the stash of quilts I am taking with me to "Pitch" at Country Living. The last two quilts were made for my twin sons as lap quilts, which started this whole obsession of making quilts. Well, actually my Grandma Lena White was the one that inspired me. She was a quilt maker for many years and I have a picture hanging in my sewing room of her, when she was 51, sitting at her quilting frame handstitching a dresden plate quilt. I'm not too far from 51.......and will stick with my machine quilting. I have tried my hand at free motion quilting, on the last three quilts, one was recently given as a gift and I would not ask to take with me. I just LOVE free motion quilting..I am hooked.
Almost as exciting as attending the Country Living Event is the fun I will have the next week shopping all my old stomping grounds, thrift stores, in Chicago with very dear friends. I'm sure that I'll come back with more fabric and trims.
So much for making quilts to destash...........





Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Country Living - Women Entrepreneurs 2009 Event in Chicago


It's sooo awesome that I am going to be part of the "Pitch your Product" at this years Country Living event in Chicago. What makes it more exciting is that I will be staying with friends before and after the event. I plan on "pitching" my Echo quilt(s) and tote bags, which means that I really have to get going on making a couple more items to bring with me. We have 5 minutes, 3 minutes to "pitch" with 2 minutes for questions. I have already been working on my pitch. A lot can be said in 3 minutes and I hope to make the most of it. I'll keep you posted.
If you've got any ideas and/or suggestions, please let me know.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

delayed

Today started out somewhat different then I had planned. The plan was an 8:00 dental appointment for check-up and cleaning...this turned into check-up, cleaning, replacing a filling that fell out last night AND having a tooth pulled. Needless to say working on the quilt has been.....delayed. I hope to have the binding on by the weekend, photographed and listed in my shop. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

echo quilt #6......forest......

The quilting is done.......here's the back......

.....a close-up of the back......
.....here's a close-up of the front.....
......finally.......the tree.

Now I have to bind and add the label.........then I can post it to my Etsy shop. It's always hard to sell something that I like soooo much. Oh well...keep an eye out. www.simpledream2.etsy.com

Sunday, March 1, 2009

can't see the....forest....for the tree

I've recently met with a SBA (Small Business Advisor) to get advice on how to "grow" my business, ie, http://www.simpledream2.etsy.com/


He suggested that I think about what I really enjoy making and focus on marketing that........

.......so I've been working on a lap quilt. With some the fabric I have stashed over the 30+ years. I am incorporating some of my stashed homespun, cottons, thrifted and occassionally a new print.

The pieced back didn't turn out with true colors...browns and greens. It kind of washed out.

The pics of the front looks pretty true to color. I actually have been enjoying quilting it today. I would like to learn free motion quilting, stippling, for future projects, but didn't want to try it out on this nice quilt. I plan to add more photos of the quilting soon.

Keep on the lookout for the finished project in my Etsy shop - -

Monday, January 12, 2009

Diamonds in the Rough

Tess is putting together posts featuring other recyclers. She just featured two of my items in her new posting, Diamonds in the Rough.

Check out this blog - - http://www.artsyrubbish.blogspot.com/







There are some beautiful pieces here.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

still working on creating the perfect purse......

I will keep working until I find the perfect purse.


Featured in Etsy Gift Guide - Environmentally Friendly 1/04/09

I feel so priviledged to be featured in an Etsy Gift Guide - -




I plan on making "red" birds and "black" birds........keep your eyes open and check out . . .