It's been too hot to sew lately, but I've been making myself do some anyway. Someone had requested this card, I thought it might be popular with the tourists who are roasting up here, so I made a few extras!

This is my attempt to combine rosemaling, fabric and thread instead of paint, and an Alaskan wildflower...I tried one with just thread, but it took too long for reproduction:-) (Second picture, a forget-me-not...my mom and her rosemaling instructor collaborated to make me that design...it had a bumblebee too, but that would have taken even longer :-))

The outhouse cards have been quite popular, here is a summer version. I suppose it makes sense... after all, how many places can you GET a quilted outhouse? :-)

I decided to try some sheer fabric under my northern lights stitching, I think it worked a little better. (See two posts back for the first one)

I had a request for some directions for making my fly fishing cards. I don't sell a pattern for this one, so I'll put some tips in here. The background is all one piece of watercolor-y fabric. I cut it a little bigger than my finished card will be, and stack it with batting behind it, and a piece of interfacing behind that. The next step is to free motion stitch the background. I start with the line of trees, which are just up and down lines going across the back. Then some wavy stitching for the sky, some grass in the foreground, and some circles in the water. Then, using a darker thread, stitch the fishing line. The fish is cut out of a fish print fabric backed with fusible web. I usually stitch around the outside edge too. Then cut your little quilt down to size (slightly smaller than your card stock) and add binding, I use 1 inch strips and a very narrow, under 1/4" seam allowance. Last of all, stitch a fishing fly at the end of the fishing line, then glue or attach to your card stock using fusible web.

All of my card patterns have exact measurements and a template for cutting the final shape, as well as more detailed binding and gluing instructions, which would all be helpful even if you design your own cards. I probably shouldn't give away ALL of my secrets on my blog, I'll never sell any patterns :-)

I'm finally getting a few new designs made...this is supposed to be a polar bear and northern lights, but the northern lights aren't showing up too well (better in person at least) so I may need a plan B :-)

Today is our 26th anniversary. Usually we have a whole yard full of wild roses on our anniversary, but this year is way behind...I'll have to settle for a batch of rose cards!

It's been sunny and upper 70's to low 80's for eight days now. Two weeks ago today, we had fresh snow...This means I have not been sewing! So here's another one from the archives, made on a tri-fold piece of card stock.