poppies and things

poppies.web Do you feel it?

Do you love the changing of the season?

Ohmygoshohmygosh. I'm raising my hand super high.

I'm so ready to shed off winter for good. And I'm starting to see and feel color again. I like winter. I really do. Especially here when there is lots of white snow, and we get winter light warming us in the library, and the winter animals that come out....But I'm kinda-sorta-officially done.

Give me flowers and give me color.

This illustration came to my head this week, and I had to put it on paper.

I'm still in the throws of catch up mode here at home. On all fronts: making books and making my laundry room (closet) look like it wasn't attacked by some alien explosion. But I've snuck in rearranging furniture, planning out new plants to put in the yard, and thinking about new art for the walls. And stitching and eating fresh greens.....

And stocking up on more band-aides and ice packs again cause little knees and feet aren't used to all this excitement.

I'm starting to feel like me again:)

 

This print is available here in the shop.

PS: I almost forgot to mention! Today is  big birthday for my darling, amazingly efficient assistent Ann who runs the shop. She really deserves a big high 5 for everything she does. We've had a lot of hiccups this year with some transitions happening behind the scenes, and I couldn't run this machine without her. Say Happy Birthday! And Cha-cha-cha:)

Hugs and kisses for spring!

xo

sarah

 

Around the world and web this week

Ooooooh. I love weekends.Especially today, because it's really feeling like Spring is here! And this week, looking back, there  has  been some really diverse and special online action that I wanted to share with you! Mostly cause I think you'd really be interested. I don't share a lot of what happens out there in the web here in this space, but this week really caught my eye.

1) GIVEAWAY:

First off, this adorable nursery is featuring basically everything you can imagine from the Out to Sea collection.

Not just the fabric, but she used the free templates I offered, a few Blog Tour patterns, you name it. It's adorable! And she's giving away a free Sarah Jane print. You for sure want to sign up! I haven't had a giveaway in a while (hmmmmm....that could be fun!) but there is a small pool that I'd love to see beef up a bit to show support for this incredibly creative space. And you could get a free print out of it! Horray!

Click here to enter the giveaway! Ends in 4 days.

 

2) AUCTION FOR CANCER RESEARCH

Next up is this amazing story of a mom and her daughter Charlotte who has been battling the trial of terminal brain cancer. Diagnosed at 3 months, she was given 3 months to live. But she's now over 2 years old, and such a fighter! This mom has been making quilts to auction off in order to raise funds for the Brain Cancer Research at Duke University, which is where she is treated. This quilt is already sold (darn!) but she's posting a quilt a week, and all funds go to support the people who are helping Charlotte, and other children with Cancer, fight the fight.

This part of her post brought tears to my eyes. Her whole room is decked out in Children at Play fabric, and she tells her little girl:

"Charlotte, right now, you're the one riding the pink elephant..."

"But one day, baby, you'll be the little girl who is waving the flags with both arms up."

How sweet is this little champ? Love this sweet angel.

Click here to check out her amazing quilts. 

And here to visit the post about her darling Children at Play room.

 

3) News Feature on Art for Kid's Rooms 

 

This week also, my 3 Chairs Print was featured in a Canadian news station in Toronto, City Line, where they were talking about art for kid's rooms that keep things interesting and creative. It's a great post! Check it out. Lots of great art to inspire your children when they are daydreaming in their room. You can see the blog post here. Thanks City Line!

 

4) Country Living FeatureScreen shot 2013-03-14 at 9.36.06 PM

Screen shot 2013-03-14 at 9.36.06 PM Screen shot 2013-03-14 at 9.36.14 PM

 

And lastly, remember this DIY project from, oh, maybe 5 years ago? It feels like yesterday that I had my toddlers on my lap making this project to keep them entertained on one of those crazy "mommy" days. I needed to do something with ALL the art they loved to make, and this seemed like the perfect solution. These templates have been circling the web for ages, but Country Living Magazine picked up this idea and shared it this week with their online readers! It's making me nostalgic. But regardless, it's a great little DIY. Click here to see the other ways to feature your kids art, and click here to download the templates for the project! 

 

Wasn't that fun? I love what I do, but getting such diverse feedback....from art prints on a news station to supporting a toddler with cancer to sharing how to be creative with your kids....and decking out a new nursery....I sometimes take a step back and just feel so blessed to interact with some really amazing people and meet so many of you who are able to use my art to share the love even more. Thank you!

 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! I have a lot of projects that I want to share with you....stuff you can make, and create with....so stay tuned!

And Happy St. Pat's!  We're corned beef and cabbage people...but just once a year:)

xo

sarah

And the baby is a...

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BOY!!!!!!

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I found out in the morning, and needing to hurry and run my kids' lunches to school (daylight savings kills me every year....We've been so sleepy in the mornings!), I decided to tell Addie and Ian the gender as a surprise when they opened their lunch. It was a hit!

All the kids were actually planning on a boy (it would make sense....girl, boy, girl...boy) but I think I was the most surprised.

 

So, baby boy coming in August. We couldn't be more thrilled to be adding another little boy to the family. It's all getting so real now!

I'm whistling a happy tune. It feels just right.

 

 

PS: Are you reading this in Google Reader? I'm assuming you've heard the news. It is to be no more. (insert pouty face). Make sure to resubscribe in a different feed! Don't want to lose ya! 

 

 

Spotted: CWkids

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Well, spring IS around the corner. I honestly can't wait. I spent the day with the windows open, digging out closets and rearranging furniture. Best feeling ever!

Here's a dress that a reader sent over to me from CWKids.  She saw this in their catalog, and I'm so glad she told me! It's darling. And for you non-sewers, this is a great way to get some of my fabric ready to go. Such a sweet spring dress!

And speaking of spring dresses....since when did Easter creep up so fast! Yikes! Time to start thinking of Easter dresses. I'll know what I'm having by then too. I can't wait!

Are you making dresses this spring? Or buying? I'd love to see your ideas!

xo

Sarah

16.365 Take the time.

16.365 Hello Monday! Hello to-do lists, and getting back in gear after the weekend. Hello jumping in full force before I'm ready. Hello Laundry I didn't do over the weekend.

You too?

This is my thought today. And my 5 minute warm-up before working (did I tell you I'm working on another book right now?)

And I'm skipping ahead because I'm not posting every.single.drawing-a-day.

Taking a moment to be grateful for the little things.

xoxo

Sarah

New Embroidery & Pillow pattern

quilts and more cover web quilts and more  

 

Maybe you've already caught this issue....or maybe you are like me and just picked it up yesterday at the store. I opened it up this Better Homes and Garden's issue to the page above and showed my kids without saying anything. Ian gave me a big hug, and then said "Mom, you have GOT to tell the store owner!"

It was so darling.

Anywho....

Camille Roskelley and Joanna Figueroa (two darling ladies who are such a hoot and super fun to laugh with twice a year at Quilt Market) host a Scrap Lab issue, and chose me as a guest designer this month! I was super thrilled to create an Embroidery Pattern for this issue, with instructions of how to make it into a pillow like the ones that I made for my booth last spring.

 

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And look how darling their other projects are! It's always so fun to see what other designers do with my fabrics, and this issue is packed with darling projects.

You can pick up the magazine at the store, but Better Home has provided an online link where you can download the instructions to make the pillow and print out the embroidery pattern.

click here to download

Thanks Better Homes for the shout out! Have fun stitching and sewing:)

xo

sarah

 

 

 

10 & 11 of 365 Drawings

3 bears line I'm actually drawing every day this year! This project has been great for me. I actually can't show you a lot of what I'm drawing though. Mostly cause it's top secret:) But I am hitting pencil to paper, which is a big deal. Mostly cause kids and house and life demands so much.

These two are totally different: one was made 3 years ago, and I just brought it back to life, and the other, inspired by some designs I saw in the Mini Boden catalog this month (it's a good one this time...well, as always I guess.)

I know a lot of you have taken on the #365Drawings project. Would any of you like to do a link party? I'm not really sure how to do that, but pipe up and I'd love to keep you in touch with all the other artists who have joined in.

Cheers!

 

15 week baby bump

IMG_6856 Thanks everyone for the well wishes the other week when I posted about our big news! And thanks also for the sweet comments and encouragement about my rough start to it all! I'm feeling SO much better. But I tend to have other complications with pregnancy, that I can only assume will be coming around the corner soon. All my babies wanted to come early. Too early. And while all three have been early (35-37 weeks) they all stayed that long because of either hospital stays or just good old fashioned bed rest. Here's to hoping this one isn't as intense!

In the mean time, I'm really loving this time right now with nothing too urgent going on. It's marvelous!

And I've decided. Pregnancy clothes are just so much cuter, aren't they?