This week's lucky finds

I have a confession to make. I don't like shopping. Usually. But once in a while, I get on a roll and make great finds. This week was one of those times. It started on Monday when I visited Carac'Terre, a pottery expo. I fell in love with the little teal pitcher above, which was handmade by a ceramic student, and I just had to have it. My luck started there when I got the cup as a freebie with my purchase. How cool is that?

On Tuesday I went to a clearance store just around the corner from my office. And look what I found!

Vintage cotton ribbon in great flower and veggie patterns. Yards and yards of them! For next to nothing, only 2$ a roll.

I then took a few days off from my shopping spree, until my boyfriend suggested we go to a flea market yesterday. How could I say no to him? And what did I find buried in a cardboard box under a counter? This colorful textured tin can, dating back to when you could still buy something that wasn't made in China. This one came from Holland.

And I just love the painted flowers on the cover.

And now, the "pièce de résistance", this pair of wicker chairs that I found on kijiji.ca and bought from a nice lady for 35$. We picked them up yesterday. Once accessorised with cushions and throws, they will be a great addition to our living room.

Don't you wish every week could bring such lucky finds?

I will be linking this post to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality. Go check her great finds of the week and all the other links.

My first quilt top

This is such a relief to have finally completed this quilt top, my first ever. I started working on it months ago, and got stuck on the inner border which, according to the pattern, alternated black and ivory bands. I tried to do so, but I could never match my seams and the result was pitiful. So, I got bored with the whole thing, folded it and left it in a corner of my craft room.

Recently while reading Jane Brocket's latest book The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking, I realised that this quilt did not have to be so complicated. I liked the way Jane works from instinct rather than by following rules, and I thought why can't I do something like that too? So, I decided to digress from the pattern, although it really did look amazing, and go with a simple black inner border. This was much more within my reach, and at least it made me finish the quilt top.

Now I have to decide what fabric to use for the backing, and I can't think of anything. I'd like it to be colorful as the top, but I don't want to use any more fabrics from this Keri Beyer's collection. Any suggestion of pattern or specific fabric would be more than welcome, so please leave a comment if anything comes to mind.

I am linking this post to Amylouwho's Sew and Tell, where I have spied some gorgeous things, including her own Amy Butler's Love Quilt. You've got to check it out!

Sylvie

My Creative Space... Tulip Cups

I haven't done much sewing during my vacations, but I did come up with these little fabric cupcake liners this week and I am working on making a bunch of them. And don't worry, I will not actually put real cupcakes in them.

The thing is, I got this cupcake rack months ago, and since I am not exactly Martha Stewart, chances are that I will not use it in the kitchen more than once or twice a year. So I thought it might look good in my craft room, and be useful to store little knick knacks.

So here they are on the rack, waiting to filled up.

All I really need to do right now is make a few more... 22 to be exact! Wish me luck.

And don't forget to check all the links at Kootoyoo for more creative spaces.

Sylvie