Show and Tell

Well, I must confess I fell-off the wagon. But my resolution lasted 2-months and I'm right back on. It was the economy that needed me, right? So it was very altruistic.

Here are a couple of little finds. These came from Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove. I needed some good solid neutrals and these were on clearance. Plus, my first pieces of Denyse Schmidt's Katie Jump Rope Strings. (They still had a pretty good selection of the collection, if anyone is looking for some.)
A really beautiful store. Really clean, well organized, beautiful lighting, fabric, pattern displays, etc. Unfortunately we got there right before they were closing and I was too chicken to ask if I could take pictures, but here is a little one from their web page.
It was so funny to take my aforementioned quilting-novice sister and to see her unbiased reaction to the different stores we visited. Not all quilt-stores are created equal. A couple were less-inspiring than some of the others - mainly display issues.

But you never know what treasure might be lurking. One of the last stores we hit on the way back up to Berkeley I walked in thinking, "Nope. Nothing here for me." And then my sister pointed out a plastic bag full of vintage buttons for about $3.00. They didn't look as appealing all thrown in together, but there were definitely some good ones and the whole bag was not too much more than the three green glass button's I'd bought the day before. So here they are sorted:

These ones are also glass. They are so cute! My favorites are the blue and white -mainly because I love blue and white china. So sweet.

I love this assortment of orange and coral buttons.

And then there were these stray metal buttons:With this little Salzburg button. I love it! I'll save it for if I ever make a Sound of Music tribute quilt. :)And finally these old "handmade labels." [Not that the labels are handmade. You know what I mean.] The packaging looks old, but am I just kidding myself? Is this how they still come now? Anyway, I'd never bought some before, so I figured they were a good combination with the old buttons.And there you go.

Good news on the nap front. The greatest solution ever happened: spring weather. After playing outside, the kid is much more worn out and is actually taking a nap AND going to bed at a decent time. Hallelujah. And Hallelujah for warmer weather. My snow is melted. YAY!!!!