Wednesday, May 26, 2010

A Charming Setting

Joel returned from Quilt market around 2:00 in the morning on Sunday. I think. I don’t know. I acknowledged his arrival with a kiss, but then rolled over to return to my blissful state of sleep. After four days of single-parenting, I was really tired. I shuttled kids around to Young Astronauts Club, Webelos Woods, piano lessons and two soccer games (one of which was hailed and rained upon the entire hour), spent an entire day sewing with my mom, spent two afternoons trying to clean the house after the kids tore through it like a tornado on the aforementioned sewing day and planned out the entire summer for keeping the kids entertained.

Oh yeah. And my exhaustion may have had something to do with the fact that I woke up to screaming children about four times each night while Joel was gone and felt so displaced when the bed was empty next to me. I never get accustomed to sleeping by myself when Joel is away.

Anyhow, I know Joel was exhausted also. He had worked late almost every night for a week leading up to his trip, and he NEVER sleeps well away from home (I guess he misses me just as much as I miss him). So, it was no surprise to me that he came home with a doozy of a head-cold that started to hit him his final day in Minneapolis.

Aside from his illness, he was excited about the trip and having reconnected with many people in the industry, as well as with having made a lot of new connections. Since I’ve yet to experience quilt market in person, I plied him for every possible detail so I could vicariously walk the show in my mind. I can’t wait until the show comes close to home next spring in Salt Lake. I will DEFINITELY be there…in our own booth!


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Anyway, prior to the craziness that led up to Joel’s trip, I sewed some placemats for the Mother’s Day dinner we hosted for my mom. Joel took one with him to Market and dozens of you requested the pattern. I got the basic pattern idea from a placemat I saw at Anthropologie that “said” to me it belonged on my table. However, the $18 price tag told me differently. I decided to make my own and to add a bit of hand-embroidery to add a personal touch.


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Joel thought I had lost my mind when I told him I was making 12 of them, and to be honest, I kind of thought I had too (I just wasn’t going to let him know that). They really came together quickly though and I found these placemats to be one of my most enjoyable sewing projects ever!

We’ve added the pattern and instructions in the sidebar for you to download, if you’d like.


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And, as promised, you can get the recipe for my irresistible chocolate chip cookies here. Enjoy some for me because I’m trying to avoid sugar for a little while…um, starting right after I make myself a cup of hot chocolate to warm up.


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They say Utah will finally warm up tomorrow, but after the spring we’ve had, I am a bit skeptical. For those of you who visit next May, I hope the weather here is so much more inviting than at present.


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eclecticmodern

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those are so fantastic!!!! And those cookies sound phenom!

I have a question for you! In one of your previous blog posts, I believe it was a giveaway post, your wearing an amazing skirt made from Joel's fabric...I'm wondering if you used a pattern for it?! It's really gorgeous!

NONU6 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NONU6 said...

I am in love with these placemats!!! I think it will have to be my next sewing project. And ditto the comment above me. If time allows. BTW, thank you for the cookie recipie.. they look delish!

Ps. Fantastic fabric line, it is by far, my favorite!

Abby and Stephanie said...

Years ago I saw a cartoon that epitomizes motherhood/housework--"cleaning your house while the children are home is like brushing your teeth while eating an Oreo cookie." So true.

Beautiful placemats. Thanks for the cookie recipe. Not much better than warm cookies from the oven with a big glass of milk.

Rafael's Mum said...

Love those placemats Laurie! They have come out so well. Very sweet with the little flower too, and all beautifully presented and coordinated in the table setting. Gorgeous!

Sherri said...

Love these placemats...printing as I type. Looking forward to quilt market in Salt Lake City!

Linda C said...

l have some scraps left over from making an 18th birthday quilt for my girlfriends daughter,( she chose YOUR fabrics from all the piles l had on the floor) and plan to make some of your placemats with them. They are lovely. Thanks for sharing the pattern.

Amanda ~ A Crafty Fox said...

I am thrilled with the placemat pattern and I am so so glad I found your blog! It is fun to see fellow Utahns on the web!!!

Happy Weekend!

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Your placemats are very stylish! I have linked to them :)

JG said...

While visiting "A Spoonful of Sugar" I found your blog. Thank you for the beautiful placemats pattern! They will be one of my summer sewing projects.

Megan/Brassy Apple said...

The placemats are gorgeous! I look forward to meeting you at the Spring SLC market! :)

Aminta said...

OOOH I heart these for sure! And what a lovely way to make your Mama feel special.
Happy Mama and Papa's days to you guys! Enjoy the lovely sun that has finaly graced us!
Hugs, Aminta

Benhurum said...

This place mat and colors are so nice. I like your blog and I'll be follow hereafter.

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