St. Valentine day is in four weeks. A good time to get started about its preparation. In Bulgaria it is a double holiday - the adopted western St. Valentines day - celebrating love - and the local folklore day of wine and wine pruning. St. Valentine's day is on another day in the Orthodox calendar used by most of the Christians in Bulgaria. So I started these hearts as my first creation for the holiday of all the people in love. Or people who like good wine. They will become small useful thing. I do not love the idea of making something cute for the cuteness itself. It is very important to find a good reason to use it and not just put it somewhere to collect unneeded piles of dust...

This is a special print. It is cute, but not too baby-like. Makes me smile and has ladybugs on it! The best thing about is, it not has ladybugs on it, but coordinates with another quite different kid print... No little one around to sew something for with it and it is the only reason I am not having many meters of it... Made a little bad sheet with it for the appliques quilt, which was backed with the coordinating print.

I had a hard week and needed something to cheer me up. It came in my Inbox right on the hardest day - a Doll Quilt Swap confirmation. Yay!!! I am in! Sadly, it was not enough to make up for the hard time, but was a lovely, wonderful surprise... I had forgotten about the sign up timing at all... It might seem way too strange to be happy and announce it as news about something as simple as a swap... I know! But Doll Quilt Swap is so much than a swap and I am so happy, I am taking part in its tenth round! I need to make a mosaic, do some research, make some choices, make a quilt and than send it a stranger... And it is magical in every little detail. I felt a little nervous about this round - the 10th and the chances not to get in. It is crazy as I am too busy to make it... Yet, not making it in would feel not really good. Planning a mosaic now...

Do you like it? Pure Joy in the middle, the spring around and crafty bits among it? I do! Find it inspiring in a gloomy day, one of many, in a row... Flickr is the spring of inspiration for many people, including me. I am going to share some of the images there, I find inspiring with you here. Enjoy them! And here are the small letters for big credits and thanks for the authors of the pictures:1. pure joy, 2. mixed fibers, 3. spring dress, 4. Untitled, 5. Moss Green Elephant, 6. Repurposed Golden circle pendant necklace with rhinestone, 7. Pink Ranunculus Pincushion, 8. #621 綠啄果林, 9. Up in the Air, 10. Herlev Station, 11. Summer in a field of yellow, 12. The Flittering Flowers :-), 13. Untitled

Here it is - a baby quilt I made for a little girl. It took me so long to make it, she was able to grow and is not exactly a newborn now. Hopefully it will be liked a lot just as I loved making it. This is the quilt I mentioned sometime ago - inspired by a favorite on Flickr /one of the greatest simple quilts there in my opinion/ So here is the process story. When I saw the quilt I was sure I will make one like it. Not the exact plan, not even similar prints, but something with similar impression. As I saw a chance to make it for a baby, I wanted all edges finished and none of the frayed. I also wanted the flowers more baby-like - no vague ideas, but accurate flowers. I wanted it tactile - little ones love touching and exploring everything they touch. Thus the 3-D element was added. The palette was another challenge - wanted it fresh, crisp, flowery, pastel, not too curly, not too flowers-intensive, not too modern... I had some pre-cut squares in pastels, decided I want an old-fashioned roses print in the quilt and this was the quilt recipe. Then just mixed and matched other ideas around the squares and the print. I rarely choose white for background as I do find off-whites and ecrus more natural, relaxing and usually more stylish. It this case however, I white was a must to bring more air, so the white joined the fabrics. The original plan was to make a quilt and a bed sheet. I tend to use the back of quilt for a kid print and decided to use two coordinating ones for the back and the bedding. Finally a little hand quilting detail, added a princess silhouette to one corner of the quilt. It is the first time I do it. I think it will be one of many times - turned delicate and interesting.