Hey, I missed you!

I'm home now from Cleveland, where I was, you know, on a flipping tv show. I am so glad it's over!

Even though I was exhausted and stressed, I did manage to have quite a bit of fun with the lovely and talented Anna, my room-mate.

The pictures I liked best were from my cell phone, go figure!

Over the next few weeks I'll fill you in more, but right now I am swamped with painting the shop, meeting with reps and ordering product. Oh yeah, and working full time.( Ok, that's a lie. I am down to 30 hours now at my job-job. But still.)

I will  tell you this: the producer said I was "a natural" and "an excellent guest"!

I was just happy that I didn't pee on the floor.

xo, m

Oh, you guys.

Thank you for being so wonderful, as you always are.

Your comments make me smile and laugh, feel comforted and valued.

Thank you. You are awesome.

One person commented that they feel like they are a part of my life by reading my blog and I really love that. I feel like you are, too. I know it's just a blog and everything, but it feels more like I have a bunch of pen pals that I write to all at once. And it's the interaction with you - the comments, emails back and forth - that makes this so much fun. You are my community and I thank you so much for taking the time to read what I have to say, whether I am being silly and lighthearted or introspective and heavy-hearted.

Oh, also,  thank you for not pissing me off. 

:o)

(On the blog anyways.)

Remember how I was all freaking out about my project fore the tv thing? Well then along came Yummy Goods: The Shop and , uh, I kinda blew it off  put it on the back burner.

Yesterday I set up an impromptu sewing studio in the back of the shop and worked on some stuff all day.

Today, thank god, I have the fabulous Jess (that crafty starlet) from Juicy Bits coming over to help.  The actual project part isn't that much work, it just makes me nervous about the show so I keep putting it off.  Yeah, I kinda just want someone to come over and hold my hand. Know what I mean?

I have been working on a Sugar Snap Scrappy Quilt to decorate the set with. And that I can show you because it's not the project itself, yay!

It got much scrappier after I took this shot. I'll take more today for you, ok?

Oh, look at this:

My pal Karen from Tumbleweeds (my local quilt shop) made me one of her awesome pincushions out of Sugar Snap!

It is just the coolest thing ever to see someone else make something with my fabric! I can't wait for it to be out in stores so I can see what you do with it. You are going to blow my mind!

Oh, hey, are you extra-special-coo-coo like me? I can't throw any of this stuff away:

xo, m

Good morning.

I have started probably 3 or 4 different posts in the last few days and ended up just saving them all as drafts.

I just did it again with this post!

I'm all stammery.

I think I will just make this entry a potpourri of snips from all of those saved drafts. Ok? You'll see how I keep getting stuck.

Random bits:

Doesn't that look like it could be a carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting cupcake?

Well, it isn't, so don't go gnawing on it. But isn't it so cute and dainty?

Thank you so much for your outpouring of excitement and encouragement about the shop! You may be surprised to know that I really have come to rely on your enthusiasm. As amazing as everything is, my heart is still heavy much of the time. From the outside, it's easy to imagine that...

(trailing off....)

All of these exciting things are happening and sometimes I get overwhelmed. And when I'm overwhelmed, I eat. Like, 5-ice-cream-sandwiches-in-a-day eat. What I really need to do is exercise to burn off that extra energy. I feel amazing when I am walking or running regularly. I feel like a slug when I am not.  I am trying to just be gentle with myself about this and trust that I will find my way back to some healthy practices after I get back from the television taping.

Oh my god, we tape next week! No one said it needs to be a secret, so I might as well tell you about the show, right? Do you know the magazine Quilting Arts? What about Cloth Paper Scissors? The show I am doing a segment on is the tv companion to those magazines, Quilting Arts Television.  I  fly to Cleveland (where the television studio is) on Tuesday. I am much less freaked out about it all now. A friend is taping at the same time, so I will be meeting her at the airport and we're sharing a room, so there should be some laughs. I'll take pictures.

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So many amazing things are happening and I am so excited and grateful.

It's also true that any success I am having feels bittersweet right now.

That's where I  get stuck.

I hesitate to say it because I don't want you to think I don't appreciate what is going on. But it's important to me to be real here and not just share the pretty stuff. I suppose I can't expect any sympathy since everything is going so well, from the outside. I imagine you want to roll your eyes and say "oh poor you."

Frankly, I don't want to get comments that piss me off and make me not want to be open! ( and I haven't yet, but I admit I am afraid of that!)

Bah! See? this is why I keep not posting! Maybe this is why a lot of bloggers don't share this stuff?

Meh. I'll just risk it.

xo, m

Wow, you guys! Thank you so much for all of the well wishes on our new adventure.

I can't wait to fill up this shop with yummy goods and invite you all over to hang out! It is going to be so awesome and fun!

Oh my god oh my god I have so much to do. Trying to focus on one thing at a time.

Like getting the sign ready.

Just a simple sign to fit with the others on the building. Black background with white letters. We are in a historical preservation type area, so we can't go having any pink and orange signs. We'll save the pink for the inside. 

I just love that it's in the same building as this cool old general store! Just look at this newspaper rack:

Did I tell you that the back of the shop will be my studio? My brain is oatmeal with all that is going on right now, so forgive me if I repeat myself.

We haven't gotten in to paint or anything yet, so this is definitely a "before" shot. (But the floors!  Perfection.) The area from the posts back will be the studio:

I am so excited to set up a pretty workspace! It's not a huge area, but large enough for some tables for sewing and shelves piled with luscious fabric.

Enough room for a handful of people to take intimate classes and workshops. Enough room for winter knitting circle to hang out and drink tea. Enough room for a small Valentine-Making-Party.

Wanna come over? You should move to Cape Cod and come over.  You might think I'm kidding, but I'm not. 

I tend to get kind of isolated. Most of my close friends live off-Cape and the rest live far enough away on the Cape that we rarely see each other. This blog is probably the bulk of any socializing I do! Is that sad? That might be sad.  Does blogging count as a social life? Well, anyways. My point was that now with the shop, I will have an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. I want you to come visit, ok?

You know that saying "a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet?" Well it's even more true that a blog reader is just a friend I haven't met yet. Yes, I am a total sap, but it's true, yo!

Please keep telling me about any artisans and etsy-folk  you like, especially if you know that they sell wholesale. I am thrilled to have the chance to support some talented and creative people.

xo, m

 

Yep, we are opening a brick-and-mortar Yummy Goods!

From the front yard:

Yes, really! Oh my god oh my god oh my god!

Today is the West Barnstable Village Festival, so we wanted to do something in the windows of the shop to let the community know that we are coming. Yummy Goods will be in the same building as the Old Village Store, so it's a pretty high-profile location. 

Well, high-profile for West Barnstable, anyways! Ha!

Last night, Stuart, the kids and I spent a few hours over there making some little vignettes and signs.

This is a shot from the front steps of the shop (oh my god, the Shop!!)- the  girls walking over (!!) with some bouquets:

On the left side, beyond the telephone pole, that's our mailbox. That's how close we live! 

I sketched out some signs:

and Meredith and Camille  painted them in:

Stuart and Zach hung up the curtains for me:

And I mostly primped and posed the stuff in the windows:

Of course, we don't have any product yet, so I just grabbed a bunch of stuff I had at home to create a display of the "feel" of the shop. 

And I might be coo-coo to do this, but I invited the community to stop by the blog and watch it  unfold:

We are learning as we go, totally winging it. And having a blast!

(do you see that, behind the brooch? A yo-yo made with my own fabric!)

Wish us luck!

xo, m

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                            opening soon (ish)

                         ~~~Yummy Goods~~~

                               (gifts and such)

!!!

xo, m

Driving down the road in Providence.

What the...

Oh my god! 

A giant rooster?

I love stuff like this!

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Now that I have your attention, I have a totally unrelated question for you:

Will you kindly share with me your favorite etsy shops?
I don't want to post on the etsy forum because I figure I'd be inundated with people promoting their own shops, when what I really want is recommendations from customers.

I am particularly interested in  :

-bar soaps (vegan, scented with natural ingredients, not more than 5 bucks a bar)

-soy candles (scented with natural ingredients)

-sterling silver jewelry (fabricated)

-letterpress cards

thanks!

xo, m

I actually tried to pass this up at a thrift shop. 

But I just couldn't.

xo, m

Ahhh, feeling much better now. Thank you for your kind support and love. I'm feelin' it.

My pal Karen at my local quilt shop keeps imploring me to enjoy this time! And now that  I've made a decision on which project to do for the tv show I feel like I'll be able to. At least now I can be working on it, instead of hyperventilating about it.  (Thanks Karen and Mary for all of your support!)

Plus I had a total sobbing meltdown and that cleared a lot of the stress! I do love a good cry.

Look, that's some fabric that isn't Sugar Snap. I am afraid you'll start rolling your eyes if I show it in every single post, so I'll try to mix it up a bit :o)

Isn't it pretty? I can't remember who makes it, but it's from a "State Bird Collection." I think it would make a killer bottom panel on a skirt.

I'm glad I'm feeling less tangled.

Thanks for the love.

xo, m

I am Officially Freaking Out about this upcoming television appearance. I have a stomach ache.

I need to go up to my workroom and make a decision about what project I am going to do.

I know, I know: it's A Good Problem To Have. I am grateful that all of my hard work is finally starting to pay off. Things are looking good. It's All Good Stuff.

And I am a mess! Hardly sleeping, eating brownies for breakfast and Cheez-Its for lunch.

I'll feel much better once I have chosen a project and get some work done on it.

Off I go to the workroom. Hopefully I'll get somewhere and not just stare at the wall, paralyzed, like I have been doing!

xo, m

Oh, you guys.

Thank you so much for the Sugar Snap love! My heart moonwalks reading your comments.

I have taken a couple of half-days off from my job-job to  hang out with Sugar Snap. We had some catching up to do. We sewed a bit and and sat quietly together a bit. When we weren't doing that we were making out. 

Yes, I actually did walk around all afternoon with these scraps tied around my wrist. 

I was setting up a photo shoot for Sugar Snap! Who wants to see?

Well, ok. If you insist.

You do insist, right? Are you going to get sick of this? You better not. 

First, some silliness. I know, shocking.

Me, draped in Kimono:

Wow, the lawn actually looks good in that picture. It doesn't look that good in real life, trust me!

It has been so much fun getting to know the prints in fabric form. Last night, I sewed a pillow and an apron.

My first apron!

I totally made it up.

The main body of it is Kimono with a pocket made of Tendril in Jade and pocket  detail in Candy Dots.

The front waist part is in the pink Wiggle(not shown), with the ties in the plum Wiggle. The ties are long enough to wrap around and tie in front, or to make a wicked cute big bow in the back! All edged in thin pink bias tape.

I love it.

I have to tell you, I am not an amazing seamstress. I love to sew and have been sewing on and off since high school, but I am more creative than I am precise about these things. I do hope plan to become amazing, though. One of the cool things about sewing with my own line is that I want it to be perfect. I mean, my version of perfect, anyways! Perfect for me. Like, when I was making that apron, I used my seamripper. For maybe the first time ever. Honestly.  

As I was sewing the pillow I was chuckling to myself about how I was actually making the effort to center and line up prints and everything. 

Once I finished, I bounded down the stairs, pillow in hand.

"Hey honey, look at the pillow I made! I even lined up the prints and everything!"

He said, "Wow, you never do that!"

"I know!"

How about a few more shots of the prints themselves?

Kimono in shortbread (I think that's what we're calling it!):

Lace and Tendril in plum (with a side of Kimono):

All caught up in mint, Candy Dots ( I forget the color name!) :

On the right, Lace in cocoa:

A few details about Sugar Snap: The complete line is made from 7 designs in a total of 15 prints. The collection is available for stores to purchase now, and ships in early October.

From left to right, Candy Dots, Wallpaper (in plum?) and Tendril in sky:

Seriously, you better not be bored. You will make me cry if you are. I am all stressed out, too, so it's even easier than usual to make me cry . It's all Good Stuff, but I am not the most composed under pressure. Well, let's be honest: I'm not the most composed, ever!

And yes, I couldn't take it anymore. I cut my hair.

Actually, for the last couple of years, I have been wearing it even shorter than this! For the last few months, I was trying to grow it out. But then I remembered that I  hate it when it is any longer than an inch or so.

Do you like my hat?

xo, m

I learned on the Today show that 8/08/08 is a very lucky day in the Chinese culture.

Turns out the number eight is the luckiest of numbers so a date that has three eights in it is pretty rockin' . Plus, it only happens once a century. On August 8th. You following me?

Today is an auspicious day to give you a better look at Sugar Snap, don't you think?

I was just notified of a new (and very short!) deadline, so I don't have it all planned out fancy-pants style like I wanted to. But I thought it would be cruel to keep you waiting any longer. You have been such dreamboats, giving me so much support and encouragement. Thank you.

Remember, this isn't fancy. I mean, I didn't even have a sunny day to photograph, but I am still showing you. And it isn't even really a full introduction, but I wanted to show you something! Ok?  Enough disclaimer?

(deep breath!)

Aw, Mercury. And in the front there, that's Jellyfruit. With two Tendrils behind it.

Wouldn't it be mean if I stopped there? Don't worry. I won't.

Here's something sweet for you to chew on!

From left to right: Kimono, Tendril in sky, Candy Dots, Wallpaper, Jellyfruit, and a little peak of Tendril in jade.

Wiggle and Kimono.

Kimono and Tendril:

Lace and Kimono (with mint):

Approximately 48 million more photos to come. Once I take them.

xo, m

Recent thrift finds.

This was the first thing I saw when I walked into Savers last time.

I gasped:

And yes, I found another one:

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Sugar Snap is here! Pictures soon, I promise.

How are you?

xo,

m

Yum. Just look at that fabric rainbow. Will there be a softie pot of gold at the end? 

Well my homeboy Ganesh is there, and he is The Remover of Obstacles, so maybe there will be!

This has been a week full of fun and exciting news/happenings/connections.

All of a sudden, things seem to be moving very fast and I am trying to keep up! Thank you so much for all of your support and well wishes on my upcoming television appearance! How can that even be a real thing I just wrote? Oh my god.

So, yeah, I am freaking a bit.

A bit?

Who am I kidding? I am way freaking.

Sugar Snap yardage is being rushed to me 3 weeks earlier than planned, so I can create a project with my own fabric for the taping! That means I am getting it this week! I am going to drape it around my shoulders, cape-style, and run around the house with it.

I am going to photograph it and pet it and smile at it and coo at it. 

.....................................................................................................................

Fellow Free Spirit designer news:

Have you seen Heather Ross's new blog?

Have you visited the blog of new designer Jenean Morrison? We chatted on the phone last week and she is a doll. I wish her adorable accent could come through in her blog!

Did you see that Denyse Schmidt is on  the cover of the current issue of American Craft Magazine?

Denyse and I had ice cream cones together on Friday. She got mocha chip and I got peanut butter cup. We borrowed the lawn in the cemetery across the street  (so the dogs wouldn't harass her) and chatted for an hour or so about life, business and family. She looked so cute in a stripey a-line skirt, brown girly tee and brown flip-flops (kicked off, of course). Nope, no pictures. My camera was acting up and plus I would have felt like too much of a geek, I think! Maybe next time. At her request, I gave her a tour of the weed patch garden before she left.

I gave her the one cherry tomato that was ripe. 

More crazy coo coo news to come sometime this week. Perhaps less exciting to you than the tv thing, but more life changing for me.

Oh my god. I hope I am just the right amount of crazy, and not much more.

xo, m

Ok, so here's the news: I'm gonna be on tv!

On Thursday, I was contacted by the producer of a crafty, fabric-focused PBS show and asked to do a ten minute segment.

I know this is old hat to some of the other designers, but for me it is another "holy shit" moment!

I actually have always had a hatred of being videotaped, of seeing myself on video, of other people seeing  me on video! We'll see how it goes. You know I'll keep you posted on all the details, right? I feel like I am bringing you along with me on this wacky road.  You are great company! Thank you so much for being so good to me. You have no idea how much it helps.

xo, m

Monday, I got the news that the Free Spirit reps will be heading out in a couple of weeks to show Sugar Snap! It reminded me all over again how incredible this is.  I keep saying to myself, "Holy shit! I really did it!"

And now I get to reveal the whole line!

It will take me a little while to pull it together to show you, so please give me a week or two.

You know, it's out of my hands at this point. I did the designs, worked out the colorways, babied them through to production time. Now I send them out into the world and hope that they do well, hope that they remember to look both ways and say please and thank you. I hope people find them beautiful and unique. I hope people are kind to them.

It's not in my hands anymore, it's in yours. If Sugar Snap does well, it will be because you love it. It will be because you ask for it and  buy it and use it and tell people about it. I absolutely cannot wait to see what you will make with Sugar Snap!

Thank you in advance for helping to make my dreams come true.

xo, m

p.s. awesome coo coo news next time!

You know what that means, don't you?

When you see little bits, you know I went to Tumbleweeds! I love that there is a killer  the quilt shop 5 minutes up the street from my house. (And it's on my way home from work. Good for my stash, bad for my wallet.)

I went there with a new friend. Jess is a reader who commented on a previous post about little bits. She grew up on the Cape and is a longtime customer of Tumbleweeds and she loves those little bits like I do!  We went to the same high school,  and graduated just a year apart.  

Currently living in New Jersey, she frequently visits her parents who live on the Cape. This is lucky for me because she is awesome! Sunday we met up for the first time, effortlessly gabbing away for a good hour and half like we'd been friends for a long time. Don't you love when that happens?

Jess's birthday was last week, so when we first sat down I said, "I have a present for you!"

To which she replied, "I have one for you, too!"

I squealed, "Ooh, I love presents!"

She said, "I know!"

Did  I mention how much I love blogging?

Look at this:

Pitter-patter goes my heart. A gift. Wrapped in fabric. Wrapped in bee fabric. Tied with real ribbon. Swoon.

I mean, that right there is thoughtful enough, right?

Beautiful golden honey! Local honey from where Jess lives. And I'm betting it didn't come with that little jammy fabric bonnet. This only occurred to me as I was photographing it. I bet Jess put that on there. I wouldn't put it past her. She is my kind of girl.

It gets better.

Can you freaking believe it? She made this for me! I am smiling right now just thinking about that. You know what's cool? It is the same size as the mini quilt that Scott made for me! They are going to look so cute hanging next to each other!

And a detail I noticed when I got home:

At first I thought they were flowers, but It's quilted with little four-leaf clovers! 

Wow. Thank you so much, Jess! So thoughtful and generous.

Visit Jess at her new blog Juicy Bits, where she has already started posting tutorials and sharing her mad sewing skills. Jess is one to watch!

xo, m

I have been itching to do a giveaway.

I finally put together the bundles for my 200th post winners, so I could justify doing another.

I mentioned that I am a wicked procrastinator, right? Well, that works to your advantage sometimes because when I make you wait that long for a present, I go a little overboard:

Next time I am going to put the bundles together first like a normal person. That way you'll only have to wait for me to get around to sending it.

xo, m

hey , thanks for all of the recipes! I'll ask my sister which one she tries and get the details.
You guys are awesome.

Today I spent a few hours at the beach for the first time this summer. And it's almost August! Yipes. First, we tried to get into Sandy Neck (which you may recall is inappropriately named) . I was happy that the lot was full because it's on the north side of the Cape where the water is freezing! So we went to Dowses Beach (home of the best rust ever) and the water was so warm. It was dreamy. I probably stayed in for 45 minutes just flipping around, floating, doing watery handstands, smiling.

I am sleepy from all the sun, so how about some pictures from one of my visits to Madelyn's?

That's an old cab in the garage.

It doesn't get out much.

I can relate.

xo, m

Hey, my sister Krissi is looking for a blueberry muffin recipe. Maybe you can help? You, with all your mad skillz.

this is what she said:

" i grabbed some from allrecipes.com and other locations , the one i tried i wasn't fond of
and the others are like 30 ingredients
so without trying all the ones i find called  the best blueberry muffin recipe in the universe( or world, solar system, town, etc.) i wanted to find one that someone i know actually says is the best blueberry muffin recipe in the universe, world , solar system, town. "

(Muffin designs done a couple of years ago. I always loved them! I know the formatting is weird, but I have to go to work.)

Help us out with a personally-tested muffin recipe, won't you?

xo, m