Stitched Journal Project - December

The Stitched Journal Project is: Makers from around the world creating one "page" or piece of work per month and sharing. It is a project to get the ideas flowing, to process the days in a creative way, to try new techniques and to push past fears that keep us from making something.  It isn't about perfection, or getting it "just right," it is about process and perspective.

December - Mixed Media on hand dyed fabric

Wow! What a year. What an amazing journey The Stitched Journal Project has been! This is the last in a year long series of monthly pieces of work. I am so grateful that this project took flight and that so many wonderful makers have joined in and shared their work. 

Thank you all for participating in my small idea that grew into more than I could have imagined. Those of you who pushed yourselves, who were brave, who had fun, who shared so much of yourselves. I have learned so much from you! I have been greatly inspired. If you should choose to continue this project on your own, please be sure to let everyone know. You are fantastic artists all!

As for myself, I gleaned so much from this project; I was so often surprised by how my pieces came about and turned out. I can honestly say that I pushed myself and found a new way to express myself through stitching and mixed media.  This project became a really important part of my work and has changed my perspective without a doubt.

Thank you  too readers, for coming along on this journey with us.

Next month I'll share a gallery post of all of the 12 pieces as a body of work.

Below you will find links to the wonderful makers and their Stitched Journal Project pieces for December. Please keep your eyes on this spot in the next couple of days as more add their links. Be sure to visit them and leave comments!

This is the last of The Stitched Journal Projects that I will be hosting. 2014 was quite a year. I look forward to what 2015 will bring.

All of you wonderful Stitched Journal Project participants please link up below! Remember to add your photos to The Stitched Journal Flickr Group! and be sure to share with Facebook, Twitter, etc!

Big Talent, Bright Friends

I know we have talked about this before, but it bears saying again; the blogging, making, writing community is a wonder. Many of the people I have "met" on the world wide web since Lola Nova came to be, have become true friends to me, even if I have never shared any "face" time with them. And man oh man do I have some talented friends!

Of course, every once in a while I do get the chance to meet my friends in person, what a grand thing that is! I have found that our conversations come easy, it often feels as if we have really known each other for yonks and that having a chat over tea is something we do on the regular.

I recently had a chance to meet one of those friends (and one of my heroes) in person. Nicole Mallelieu of You Sew Girl, designer extraordinaire of Nicole Mallelieu Design patterns and author of the book You Sew Girl, Your Ultimate Guide to Sewing with Confidence and Style, (mighty big talent indeed!) was in Portland recently for Quilt Market. We made plans to meet up, at the fabric store of course, she with her little and I with my little (our girls are close in age).

During this get together, I was utterly remiss in taking photos, but Nicole took a few and you can read about her Portland adventures HERE and HERE. We had a fine time meandering my two favorite neighborhood sewing shops. Our girls got along, as well as two kids forced together because their mums happen to sew and write blogs about it, can. Funny thing, both of our girls just had to buy some fabric for their own personal projects even though both mums were well stocked with the stuff. I wonder where in the world they could have picked that up? We had some dinner together and chatted away. Nicole was just as stylish, smart, warm and lovely as I thought she would be. I do hope she can forgive me for dropping her off at the wrong train station in the pouring rain.

I am often struck by what a gift I have received in the people I have met through starting Lola Nova and this blog business. The opportunities that have availed themselves and the community that inspires me have truly been a wonder! I am so grateful.

Oh and speaking of grateful; Nicole gifted me with a couple of her marvelous patterns!

The trick is deciding which to make first! 

It's not you, it's me.

Whoops, slipped away there for a bit. Completely unintentional you know. I am in an utter state of shock that the year is almost half over and school will be out in a couple of weeks! How, I ask you, how in the world did that happen? I am going to make an effort to spend more time around here, because I miss you!

I did want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your wonderful comments on my last post. What a bunch of lovely readers you are. There has been no luck as of yet in finding our new home, but we are patient enough to wait for just the right place.

Not finding a house hasn't stopped me from day dreaming of decorating or imagining more storage! In fact, I accidentally popped over to Pinterest the other day, oh my! So many gorgeous ideas to see! Not the ideal thing to go looking at when you have a list of chores as long as your arm. I did that thing, you know the one, where you tell yourself "just a few minutes" and then an hour later you look up to see it's time for school pick up. Yes, that happened and I'm going to have be more careful in the future.

Well, I do have more to share, but I will save a little something for later.
Have a happy day!

Hello Monday and Thank You

Hello friends! I thought today would be the perfect day to send you a little love note. Part early Valentine and a heaping helping of Thank You!

I want to thank all of my lovely readers, new and old. You make my shiny place here sparkle even more. Thank you to all the new followers. Thank you for all of the wonderful comments you take the time to leave, I read every one and so appreciate your kind words and your saying "Hello".

I have been taking some time away from my computer of late, I think we all need to do that from time to time, but I'm feeling refreshed and ready to jump back in. Perhaps it is the arrival of the Lunar New Year, new beginnings and all. I am so looking forward to the coming days! And you my friends, are a big part of that.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart, your'e simply the best!

xo

Hello Monday - Giveaway Winners!

A big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I so appreciated all of the comments and the shares. I decided to go with assigning numbers to all of the entries then using a random number generator to pick the winners.

The winner of the copy of my book is Pomona of Little Cottage Comforts! Hooray!

And the winner of the Mystery Gift is Christine from The Alchymyst's Study! And the Mystery Gift is from the cover of my book, The Leaping Stag Cushion Cover! The cover will fit any standard 16" x 16" (40cm x 40cm) pillow insert.

So my dears, send me your addresses to lolanovainfo@gmail.com and I will pop your prizes in the post!

Congratulations to the lucky winners! Thanks again to all of you lovely people.

Have a wonderful day!

Hello Monday Mail Call

Silver pail necklace from Silverpebble Jewelry

There has been some rather exciting mail coming in to the little green cottage recently. There is nothing quite like receiving a parcel in the post, savoring the opening of the package and seeing the magical things inside. Since I began this blog, I have received such amazing things from far away places and fabulous friends. Hooray for that!

First, let me tell you, it was quite a thrill to get a note from the lovely Emma Mitchell of Silverpebble asking me to make a prairie dress for her sweet girl. Would I? Oh indeed I would! We came to the amicable arrangement of a swap, such a good idea you know considering she makes the prettiest jewelry. Oh, and did you hear? She was featured in Country Living Magazine UK along with her wonderful studio and garden!


While I sewed away here in the verdant green of the Northwest United States, she created away over there "on the edge of the watery fens in England." Off went our packages across the sea and landed on each other's doorsteps within a few days of one another.

I could not be happier. I spied this little silver pail necklace some time ago and I was smitten. It is gorgeous and a little quirky so of course I wanted it. Now I have one of my very own made with love and care by Emma. She was very kind and sent along a few little extras in the way of wee vintage doilies and buttons, yes I think she knew just what I would like.


Please go take a look at the Silverpebble shop, she has a whole array of beautiful jewelry to choose from.

I wish I lived down the lane from her, and not just to hang about in her garden and studio, as she also teaches workshops!

Thank you so much Emma! I love my necklace and so enjoyed our swap!

I'll be back tomorrow with another bit of truly magical mail.

Hello Monday

Hello, hello!

I am so overwhelmed with the amazing response I received from my last post. Thank you all for the encouraging and lovely comments you left. I am very touched.

Thank you.

I will be providing updates on the release of the book; dates and foreign language editions as I get the news.

Rainy days and Mondays are good days to tidy and catch up on the laundry. That is my big exciting plan for the day.

What are you up to?

Thank you

I am slowly surfacing, feeling a little better and hope that I am truly on the mend. I have been humbled yet again by what an amazing group of people you all are. I can not thank you enough for all the beautiful comments and emails you have left for me and my family lately. You have made me feel so cared for and encouraged, and I can tell you that it has meant the world to me. You are all extraordinary!

I am thinking that things will be getting back to normal (well, as normal as it gets around here anyway). And if all goes well, I might even have a little tutorial for you tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Have a wonderful day and again, Thank You!

Comfort and Joy

Thank you for joining me in my little shiny place here...for reading, commenting, encouraging, inspiring and making this a most amazing journey! However it is that you mark the passing of another year, I hope that you and yours are blessed with comfort and joy, love and peace, health and happiness!

I wish you a most beautiful New Year!

Hello Monday - Thanks

Hello,
today I'm just stopping in for a minute to say hi and to thank you. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are the best bunch of folks! I was touched and amazed by all the sweet comments you sent my way last week. With our anniversary and the first day of school, you all said such lovely things and made my heart so skippy happy! I read every comment (sometimes twice) and it really makes my day better to see your kind and encouraging words.

We are still settling in to our new routine and I think an adjustment period is inevitable. Since I have been busy with this adjusting, I have not been able to visit you all or reply to comments nearly as much as I'd like. I'm hoping I can pick up the pace soon. Please know that you are in my thoughts and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the love!

I will be back soon with more shenanigans.