Ma vie en rose... and orange!

I have stayed away from the computer lately and have neglected my writing here. May has been a very busy month around here with all the work outside, getting the yard and the pool cleaned up after the long winter, fixing the patio deck, redoing the roof that has been leaking during spring and has ruined my dining room wall (this is still to be repaired).

Last weekend I attacked the flower beds. That was quite a challenge for the novice gardener that I am. We bought the house last summer and I let the plants invade the beds to see what was growing in there and decide later what to keep. At the end of summer, I realised that most of what had grown in there was rubbish and I took pretty much everything out, keeping only the irises, one hosta, one spirrea and one other plant whose identity I ignore, but whose leaves I adore. That left about 100 square feet of bare beds to fill this summer. So I started some perennials from seeds in the house earlier this spring and bought a few varieties of annuals from the garden center last week. It's only after planting flowers in the beds last weekend that I realised I had subconsciously matched orange dahlias with pink snapdragons.


This colour combination seems to stick with me so far this year. It all started when I bought some gorgeous fabric woven in bright orange, fuschia and light pink. I fell in love with the sunny colours and the amazing texture of this fabric. I had it on my mind for a while, trying to figure out what to make of it, something that would be integrated in my decor and allow me to see and touch it everyday, without being an eyesore to my boyfriend who, although he likes orange, could not make do with such a big splash of pink. All the while, with the fabric on the back of my mind, I could not help but to collect supplies in those two colours, pink and orange, even though I normally am not a big fan of pink myself. The result of that frenzy is that I now have enough orange and pink trims and flosses to last me for the next ten years!

Fortunately for me -- and for my wallet! -- I finally found a use for the gorgeous fabric, thus bringing an end to my overgrowing collection of orange and pink supplies:

My sewing machine was in need of an attractive cover to replace the cheap standard one that came with it. I made it reversible, but I doubt I will ever use the other side, which is rather plain in comparison with the exterior.

Now, since my machine is proudly sitting on my work table, I can have my favorite fabric in view everytime I go work in my studio, and my boyfriend cannot be bothered by the girly colour as this is not his favorite place to hang out. You're more likely to find him in his wood shop, in case you wonder!

Will try to be back soon!

Sylvie

More fun things

May Giveaway Day may be over, but there are still some fun events going on.

Ravenhill is having two giveaways on her blog this week. You could win some of the gorgeous fabrics she uses in her dolls. Yummy!

Two Hippos is organizing a Fat Quarter Fabric Swap. Oooh, I love that kind of swaps! Come and join in! Only two more days to register.

Sylvie

We have a winner!

What an awesome experience May Giveaway Day has been for me! I am very new to blogging and so this was my first time participating in a giveaway, and I've had a blast.
I am thrilled with all the visitors and the nice comments, and many of you have given me very useful sewing tips and great links toward tutorials.

This being said, it is time to announce the name of the winner. One comment has been randomly picked in a bowl by my boyfriend, under the supervision of our trusted Nounou, Daisie and Tofu -- our turtles!

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSAN!

And thank you to all who have participated! I'll see you all again on the next Giveaway Day!

Sylvie

Giveaway Day!

I recently found a very easy way to make my own bias tape. I don't have one of those bias maker and was considering buying one when I came across this great tutorial from Creative Little Daisy (you might also want to read her Public Service Announcement for a little laugh).
I tried the technique and loved it, it is so easily adjustable to the desired width. Looks like I will not be buying a bias maker after all!

Now, ok, I am getting to the point, the Giveaway. After making loads of bias tape - it was that much fun! - I thought I could give some of it, along with buttons from my vintage collection and a small cross-stitched flower appliqué that I made last weekend when I was meant to be cleaning the house ;-)

The bias tape is 2.50 cm (1 inch) wide by 4.50 m (almost 5 yards) long. Buttons are different shades of blue and the appliqué is 6 cm by 4 cm (2 1/4 by 1 1/2 inches).

So, if you would like a chance to win this little blue package, please leave a comment here. I would love to learn a few more sewing DIY techniques if you have one to share, but this is not a requirement to participate. I will be taking entries until May 31st at 7 PM ET and will randomly pick one comment. The winner will be announced on my blog on June 1st. Everyone is welcome in this giveaway, anywhere you live, I will happily ship it to you.

Best of luck to all of you!

Sylvie

Where was I?

Where have I been these past weeks? Time definitely goes way too fast. Now that spring has really set in, there is quite a lot of work to do around the yard, so I spent some time working outside. I was also busy preparing a brunch for Mother's Day, in honor of my mom and my sister. These are the cinnamon buns I made for that brunch, and you can see someone could not wait one second before tasting one of them...

I had prepared little presents for my sister and for my mother, small satin pouches covered with felt flowers


In which were hidden summer necklaces. My sister has a big thing for the color purple, so I made hers with that color in mind.

My mother recently went on a trip on the beaches of Cuba, so I chose shells and a sea star for hers.

Hope everyone is getting ready for May Giveaway Day held by Sew Mama Sew. I will be participating, so please come visit me here on May 27 and leave a comment to enter my giveaway.

Now going back outside to enjoy the rest of Victoria Day, how do I love this long week-end!

Sylvie

My bag and a walk in town

Wow, my first post was about this bag, and I've only just finished it last weekend. It sure took me some time, but I am very happy with the result. I like the country look of it, which fits very well in my home decor (or at least what I want my home decor to become...). Both sides are a little different, one is mostly reds and the other has more browns and greens.

We had a glimpse of summer last Saturday, when the temperature rose to almost 30 degrees. My boyfriend and I drove downtown and walked in beautiful old Quebec for the whole afternoon. If you have never had a chance to visit, let me take you on a little guided tour.


We started off at Place d'Youville and followed the walls of the fortifications.


Found the first flowers of the spring right across Parliament Hill.

Met some sheep behind Château Frontenac.

Admired the frescoes in Quartier Petit Champlain.


Spied on some cool roof terraces.


And walked down my favorite street, which is really a backstreet squeezed between the cliff and a busy street filled with restaurants and art galleries. This little street's name is Sous le Cap, which means something like Under the Cliff.

I couldn't resist taking one more picture of this favorite spot, Passage du Chien, or Dog's Lane if you prefer, a cute little dark alley.

And this other one, hum I guess I have a thing for dark alleys! This one is under the Musée de la Civilisation

And we finished our day sitting on the quay at Pointe-à-Carcy, watching the boats on the St.Lawrence River.

Can't wait to have more of these summer days!

Sylvie

Yummy!

This week I received in the mail some fabrics that I had ordered on Etsy. I always like to add new fabric to my humble stash, and I have a few projects in mind for some of these, in particular the blueberry print on top of the pile, which I fell in love with the first time I saw it!

Now, don't you think they look yummy? I know for sure that they'll end up in my kitchen!

Outside, the temperatures are rising, and I keep reading on beautiful blogs about flowers blossoming and returning summer backyard life. We are not there yet around here, we still have some patches of snow in the shady corners of the yard. However, I do see some promising green leaves growing in my flower beds, mostly irises, and in the meantime, our indoors peace lily is showing her first flower of the spring, after a long winter sleep. Thank you Lily!

Enjoy the weekend!
Sylvie