All Day Apron!

And who wouldn't want to wear it all day? Lee and Charlene took the All Day Apron class at The Grove and decided on two really different looks, but both in the "now" colors of sky blues and sea greens.

Charlene used "Feeling Groovy" laminate from Michael Miller, which will be perfect when she's washing her dog! While many thicker laminates require a special "teflon" coated presser foot on your machine...this one was a cinch to sew without. She combined it with "Mingle", an abstract little open circle print in aqua and avocado ....

Great combination Charlene!

Lee selected a fabric called Filigree from a new vendor - Art Gallery Fabrics and combined it with lime/aqua dots and gray piping peeking out at the neck and the pocket tops! Very sophisticated pattern combination!

We love the back on this pattern - very flirty!

Great Job you two!

New Laminates!

I guess you know by now, that I love, love, love to buy fabrics! Before I started selling them at The Grove I always bought fabrics for projects. But as my schedule became so packed, I ended up just "collecting" fabric (time for sewing got squeezed out)! And for those of you who do the same....you know space soon becomes an issue! So buying and selling is the Best of Two Worlds!

I've been on a search lately for some fun laminates...something different than the vintage "cherrys" and "cowboys" and just got a shipment of two really cool prints! They're actually called "Coated cotton", but are usually sold much wider than normal fabric, at 54" to 60" wide. Great for covering outdoor furniture, tables, making bibs, changing mats...all kinds of things!

Here's my two latest...



They're both from Michael Miller...the one on the left is "Bicycles" and the other one is "Lil' Plain Jane". You might recognize the last one since I also have it in fabric too- the colorway is gray, citrine and white - a great color palette for interior design.

Stop in and see these great prints!

Scissor Sitter

January was full of buying trips...one to the LA Gift Mart to scan the aisles for any sewing totes or other fun things. Last year, this is where I found Amy Butler's stationary that I brought into The Grove to sell with her fabrics.

I also traveled to TNNA in Long Beach, the knitters and needle work association's trade show. While there I noticed a booth for Puffin and Company. Susan (from The Grove) and I bee-lined it across the aisle and checked out her stuff. I love Puffins! They are one of the most colorful birds!

While at her booth, Diane shared with us that the West Coast Puffin was the prettiest, even though there is an East Coast variety. I told her my Puffin story, that many years ago my husband and I took a trip up the east coast from NY and I insisted on stopping in Kennebunkport to see the migrating Puffins. Unfortunately, we were 2 weeks late....I still haven't seen a "real one". Guess I'll have to visit our famous San Diego Zoo for a live sighting!

But what I did see in her booth were beautifully handmade pieces of art that are so useful for those of us that sew!


The scissor sitters have a strong magnet on the back that holds it "pin free" to your top - hook the scissor on the cord and then the magnet holds the scissor on the "lamb"! So cool! I couldn't resist, so I got the puppies, kitties, dove, heart (great gift for Valentine's Day) and of course the cute little lambie shown here.

Susan brought in the stitch holders for knitters - so much fun! Check out Susan's blog for pictures of the stitch holders - or visit The Grove if you're in San Diego.

Time for Wishes!

Seems like we were seeing Christmas in every store window and ad even before Halloween, and yet it seemed like it would never arrive. Then before I knew it the "Christmas Whirlwind" was in full swing and everything took a back seat to decorating, cooking, baking, shopping and visiting with friends and family.

Here's a few pics of my holiday whirlwind!

Now it's time to look ahead at what 2011 might bring!

To envision doors opening!


A time to make wishes and make those wishes come true!

I wish you all a beautiful, wish fulfilled year!

Judi

The Beadmat Winter Collection is Here!

NEW ADDITION!
SOLD OUT!
Far Out Floral!

Far Out and Flash Back -
Such "trippy" print!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with my judipatuti beadmats, they are a wonderful addition to your studio or a great gift for your beading friends!

The mats are made in the USA - San Diego to be precise and designed by bead artists for bead artists. The interior features a colorful box for storing your tools a double pocket for other tool necessities and a pocket designed to hold 3 bead tubes. At the top of your beadmat is a ribbon for tying on your "fireline" and the interior surface is an ivory plush fabric that keeps your beads from "running away"!

Your bead mat will have one of these juicy colored tool boxes!

The beadmat is a roll up (like a jelly roll - sorry...my sweet tooth is showing) ready to be dropped in your tote for traveling, or stash on a shelf in your studio!

Here's the Winter Collection!

Carnival Blooms - this time is paired with raspberry Sun Spots!
Great for creating color on a gray winter day!
SOLD OUT!

Spirit Panache is teamed with a great abstract line and inside
hides chocolate (fabric print) circles!
SOLD OUT!


How can you resist this great print? Fandango is paired with a
chocolate and vanilla
Organic Cotton.
SOLD OUT!

Blues and greens are so "in" right now and
Caitlin Blooms
gets it right!
SOLD OUT!


The popular Divine Damask is back!
This time I couldn't resist Lolli Dots
as it's partner!
SOLD OUT!



And for the Wild and Crazy in all of us....
my favorite (am I allowed to say that?)
Crazy Dots and Wild Flowers
SOLD OUT!

I use PayPal for your orders... the beadmats are $38.00 plus shipping. Just contact me through my email (upper right corner of my blog).

Don't forget to tell me which one you want...the quantities are limited and gift giving is right around the corner!

judipatuti

Christmas at the Store

Mandolin Orchestra

Our neighborhood stores and restaurants have a "Walk About" 4 times a year and last night was the Holiday one! Everyone turns out to sample tasty treats handed out by the restaurants and hear live bands at our internet cafe, begin their Christmas Shopping and sing carols to the Mandolin Orchestra hosted by The Grove, where I have judipatuti fabrics.

This year the weather was perfect...a sweater and warm scarf was all that was needed and the whole neighborhood came out! A trolley took walkers to different parts of the neighborhood and Santa, of course shouted Ho Ho Ho and visited every store and restaurant!



The Grove sparkled with Christmas glam from the little white lights, the Christmas Tree, the mistletoe crystal ornaments, Christmas stockings, wonderful sounds of Mandolins and lots and lots of delightful little sparkly's to give as stocking stuffers!

These trees are wrapped with silk yarn and topped with wool roving or a jeweled pine cone. A perfect Christmas Dinner centerpiece!

The Grove store owners Anne and Susan with the
Celebrity of the Night
Santa!

Watch my blog for the next shipment of Beadmats -
a perfect Christmas Gift idea for that Bead Artist in your group!

Coming Soon!

Halloween!

This holiday brings out the creative in those of us who still like to "dress up"! I'm always amazed at how creative we can be when we want to have fun and sometimes throw caution to the wind.

One of my Grove students, Lee, decided after seeing the Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland movie that Alice's dresses were a must have! And as soon as the opportunity presented itself...she got creatively inspired by the colors and grandeur and decided this would be her Halloween outfit!

After lots of fabric shopping for just the right colors, prints, tulle, hearts and bustier, she started cutting. On a "Drop in Sew" day at The Grove, I had fun helping her puzzle out the pattern and how to overlay and ruffle the fabric to get the right "look".


Here's a shot of it almost done on the sewing table and then Lee, complete with Alice curls, modeling the finished dress! Job well done Lee, it looks amazing on you!


As many of you know, when I'm not creating, I'm President of Fashion Careers College, and Halloween brings out the "creative spirit" in all our administrative staff! This year the looks were all very fun! We had a kitty, King, pixie, inmate, Wilma, and a witch to name a few. I had to attend a meeting off campus that day, so I threw on a quick outfit (when I returned)- Little Red Riding Hood, the 2nd from the right. The easiest outfit belonged to our CEO, who dressed in regular clothes with a sign "Nudist on Strike"!


Hope you Halloween was fun and you saw
lots of little "creatives" at your
door!