See, I told you, pretty busy huh.  Oh well, that is me...busy!  I recently made a new tablecloth for our dining table.  It is a patchwork tablecloth that includes the fabric lines Echo, Simpatico, Hope Chest, Summerlove, Loulouthi and Modern Meadow.  Quite the eclectic collection!  I bought a fat quarter bundle of Hope Chest by Josephine Kimberling, cut the fat quarter into 4 pieces, added from my stash any fabric that I liked and matched, and presto...patchwork tablecloth!  I just love it, so pretty and so "me!"

This summer I participated in Rachel's Hand Stitched Class over at Stitched in Color.  One of the last projects of the class were some great hand quilted cloth napkins.  Well you can see those above.  I made eight and hand quilted each one with pearl cotton.  They are trimmed in ric rac and I just love them.  I have them folded into squares and nestled into the Fiesta Ware bowls, so I could show them off, they deserve special attention, don't you think?

The centerpiece of this crazy wild table are fabric stuffed fruit and vegetables that I made a few years ago for my first son to play with and to help him learn about fruit and veg.  Once they were completed my husband said they were too nice to be toys, so even though my kids do play with them, a lot of the time they work as a great centerpiece on our table.

Above you can see those cloth napkins in greater detail here.  I used a DS Quilts print from JoAnn Fabrics on one side and a Kona cotton on the back.  Below you can see a closer shot of the centerpiece, all the fruit and veg are nestled in a simple wire basket.  This collection contains two different types of squash, a carrot, banana, cabbage, egg plant, tomato, orange, pear, beet, corn, apple and string beans!  Can you spot each one?

I am entering this "tablescape" into the Sew, Mama, Sew! contest.  I stitched, then set it up, and now I get to enjoy this wild and crazy table.  Though I will admit, my plates, silverware and glasses do not stay out day to day.  I have two small children for goodness sake, I don't want to think about that kind of disaster that can happen by leaving out all those breakables!  Just keeping it real folks!  I also have handmade place mats that I could have added to this hot mess, but honestly, you have to draw the line somewhere!

I am also linking up to Tuesday at the Table over at A Quilter"s Table.  Make sure to stop by, get some great recipes and visit all the other link ups!

A bit disappointed that I was unable to attend Sewing Summit later this year, also disappointed that most likely I won't be attending Quiltcon.  Really extremely disappointed that I couldn't be part of the Anna Maria Horner embroidery retreat also.  Do you see a trend here?   I do.  Blah.  Being in the funk that I was, I started thinking about taking Rachel's Handstitched Class.  You know, the Rachel from Stitched in Color.  It would be fun to take a class this summer, so I bit the bullet and signed up.  I will admit that I have done a bunch of these techniques before, but there were a few that I had never attempted, and I thought it would be great fun to learn something new.

We are already in Week 3, though we have one week of lessons and one week off, so it is really like we are in Week 2.  Unfortunately for me, I am already rapidly falling behind.  Seven projects have been introduced, and alas this little needle book is the only project I have completed at this point.  I do so like it though, and this is the first time I have ever done reverse applique, which is really neat and has so many possibilities.  The blanket and running stitch are not new to me, so I decided to take liberties with Rachel's pattern and create my own design, thus my little needle book features raindrops and a sassy little umbrella.  I didn't have a fancy button, so I went with a clear one that would show off that funky thread that I saved from some packaging I received in the mail one day.

I thought the raindrop lining fabric was appropriate!  If you were wondering what is next to the scissors, it is my seam ripper, never leave home without it!

Below is my selection of fabrics for the Medallion Quilt we are making in the class.  A different palette for me, but I love the modern fabrics.  I was getting everything ready to start, but alas had wax paper instead of freezer paper, and yes, there is a HUGE difference.  Oh well, everything is a learning experience.  Hopefully I can locate some freezer paper soon!