September is interNational Sewing Month! An ideal time to sew up back to school items like lunch bags, colorful fabric totes or for the cooler days ahead, a cozy throw or quilt. Holidays are right around the corner so sewing projects abound! Fun Halloween costumes, home decor harvest items or gifts for Kwanza, Christmas or Hanukkah.

With a new home pillows are my biggest sewing project this month. I love pillows and making them, my favorite style has been the flower pillow but for this Victorian home I am sewing up large floral and rich elegant velvet pillows. At present the fabric is just cut and wrapped around the forms but with a big event next weekend I am on a deadline to finish them up later this week.

The good thing about deadlines is they spur you on to finish projects that might drag on. Now that I have made a space for my sewing machine it is making my creative life much easier. My new studio at the back of this beautiful house will be under renovation for a while yet.

Looking forward to being completely settled in with all renovations finished in about three months. Here is to sewing projects, patterns and fabric stashes! Happy Sewing Month!

We all remember where we were on September 11, when our world, our lives changed forever. I remember coming home from a trip to Phoenix early that morning and my daughter's frantic call to me to make sure I was home safely. Our group did eventually all make it home safely. The New York bound members some lost those very close to them, one member her husband a firefighter who would have been a first responder had come with her on the trip as a vacation.

How we live is what we can offer in remembrance, we are a gift to and of this world, this life. To offer our best to live in a way that is compassionate, loving and joyful. To make the world a better place happens in the everyday living, the smallest of actions, of connections makes a difference, impacts lives and the circle grows wider and wider.

Live with love for I have always believed "Life is simply a Love story."

Finally Fowl Friday with Fran & Freda! Debra has been apparently too busy to remember what day of the week it is lately. Freda is quite upset and even her own room with flat screen has not appeased her feeling neglected! Today Debra was out again at the local artisan's shop doing something with the windows, perhaps cleaning them? (these chicken lips are chuckling)

It is officially fall and time for the annual Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, the shop needed the windows done so Debra decked them out with a pumpkin band called "The Artful Persuaders" with an appropriate musical theme. The downtown streets come alive with music everywhere and most of the store fronts create musical themes. There is a contest involved so keeping our feathers crossed for Artful Persuasion, a collective of twenty six local artists and artisans.

I have been neglecting my blog since I moved, upsizing and embarking on new ventures in a historic home has been a delgihtful hectic adventure so far. I love the place more each day.

However now the fall begins and new resolve to get back into my virtual routine. Last week I travelled to Cleveland to film a segment of Quilting Arts with host Pokey Bolton. It was a wonderful experience and everyone was so nice. Pokey is amazing shooting segment after segment with different guests with only a quick run through. Her knowledge of techniques and products was very impressive!

I admit to being more nervous with this taping as I had to handle everything not with "kid gloves" but rubber ones! I had practiced but it was slightly clumsy still and slightly messy.

The segment will air sometime in winter 2013.With being away again on the weekend I missed the Designer Craft Connection Blog Hop, the theme was crafting with vintage items. With sewing close to my heart and a love of pin cushions Michelle Frae Cummings vintage pin cushion with trim was a favorite. She shares a tutorial, quick and easy to make! http://faeriedustdreams-michelle.blogspot.ca/2012/09/designer-crafts-challenge-creating-with.html

With pins being so highly valued and precious, places to keep them were equally important. Many a creative seamstress sewed up a pin book or the iconic tomato pin cushion to keep the needle safe, sharp and rust free. I like dress forms almost as much as pin cushions so I created a dress form  pin cushion!

How do you llike to keep your pins and needles safe or off the floor!