Ok, back to business...

New fabric - I predict this one will sell well -

A little tricky with the diamond pattern on diamond pattern

on the picture frame

but dynamite on the larger inspiration boards.

I changed the shape of the ribbon lattice to mimic the fabric pattern.

It works much better on this 24" x 36" custom memento board.

I love this.

Just shipped it out. The photo is not great, but it was fantastic !

So why will this fabric sell well?

The clover leaf is ubiquitous...here is my post from last year about the clover leaf...still popular

Reese Witherspoon and her fave: the Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace

Slow life continued...

the garden

Giant sunflowers at the local grange fair, August 2010

Inside the exhibition hall

Hand knit: slow life.

Not first place, but a ribbon nonetheless.

It was the grange fair that motivated me to finally finish this sweater

which has been on my needles for, dare I admit, four years.

Reading outside on a summer day: slow life

stopping all chores and plans

devouring a book in an afternoon

That is just how I enjoyed Dominque Brownings's new book,

Slow Love.

I absolutely loved it. It is a great follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love.

Browning continues writing about slow life on her blog,

Slow Love Life ,

of which I am devotee.

This idea of slow life brings me back to yesterday's Swan's Island post. The Swan Island newsletter reports on Dominique Brownings's visit to their studio. I encourage you to read the newsletter. click here.

The owners of the Swan Island Studio say this:

"Our approach for the past 20 years has been the same:

do things right, slowly and with love,

and the rest will somehow fall into place."

I tried to slow down these past two weeks. I was on vacation from the day job. The plan was to get my daughter off to college and then to work in the studio to prepare for the autumn MRR Design season. Sometimes things just do not happen the way you expect; life intervenes.

My true passion for creating things has nothing to do with what I do daily to make a living. MRR Design is my escape from my daily work routine. I create one object at a time, by hand. Nothing high tech about it. I am trying to build the business but it is hard to do 2 days a week. But I will persevere. I am good at that.

I will continue to pursue my passion at night, and on the weekends. Especially now that Miss Is is off to college, my days of daily, active mothering are over. Sad indeed, but exciting too. Life is evolving. It is thrilling and rewarding to watch Miss Is grow. I tried to do things right, slowly and with love as I raised Miss Is. I think it worked; Miss Is is blossoming into a young woman. Everything is falling into place. So now I have to work on myself, to do things right, slowly and with love. And hope it all falls into place.

I am trying to find balance. I am looking for answers. I am trying to rejuvenate my spirit because my happy demeanor has taken a few hits lately. So I scrapped the idea to work hard in the studio during my two-week break from the day job. I wanted to relax. To sit quietly. To think. Often my reverie was interrupted. But I kept trying. I simply sat down and decided to finish knitting a sweater that I started years ago. The goal was to finish by the grange fair. And I did. Slow life in motion. I started with skeins of yarn and two needles. Steady and slow like the turtle, then voila - a beautiful, cozy sweater. It is a bit short, but I am pleased. Every time I wear it, I will feel happy and accomplished. So now on to sweater #2, on the needles for 6 years or more. I am determined - it will be done by Labor Day.

Note the pink and white blanket pictured in the middle of this post; it looks like a Swan Island blanket. I found the blanket on Martha Stewart's now-defunct shopping site years ago. Maybe Martha was inspired by the originial Swan Island blankets.

Hard to believe, but it's time for the Autumn 2010 line

Here is a taste of what's to come...

just a few samples

I always buy too many fabrics

I simply cannot resist...

A fun fabric to remind me of a favorite summer pass time;

relaxed rides on bikes with the fat tires.

The design above reminds me of the ghost chairs

that are all over the

design blogosphere

I love the quatrefoil pattern

and

predict it will be popular

This shape is everywhere these days...

I did a post last year on clover shapes - click here

more of the sophisticated fabrics

and of course, mrr design must have lots of

happy,

bright,

fun

colors

and the graphics below are very special:

my friend Jennifer over at Sis Boom

named this fabric after me!

I am so flattered. I love the graphic punch!

Vacation from the day job is coming soon...

so is the departure of my dear miss is for college...

just one year ago this week we where touring the east coast looking at schools...

so glad that miss is will only be 2.5 hours away.

i am off to the cod

to do a little selling

and hope the ladies will do a little buying

and after a long day trying to sell my stuff

maybe I will see a view like this

I wouldn't mind a sail on this nifty red skiff

and then I will visit

with three sisters

and relax for just a bit

before I head back to boutique

at the Wianno Club

and try again the selling shtick

So even if the economy

wreaks havoc on my sales

I will have my sisters to put wind into my sails.

silly little poem

but...I was having a little fun

If you happen to be on the Cape and near Osterville

please stop by the boutique

Lots of great shops and goodies

and don't forget to

Say hi

Anyone who reads this blogs knows that I knit.

I bought this needle case 

from Martha By Mail years ago. 

(by the way, I miss that catalogue; it had great products.)

I love the needle case - I would never know what needles I owned without it.

Regular readers also know how I like to use up everything.

I made a few needle cases a couple of years ago

with some of my extra fabric

and sold them at Sea Beans Studio.

The needle cases sold quickly each time I brought them to the shop.

I kept meaning to make more, but not being a speedy seamstress...

I procrastinated.

Out of the blue, I was inspired to make more needle cases

for the upcoming Sis Boom show.

I guess I wanted to change it up a bit.

I patched a lot of my scraps together...

and used this great ribbon that I bought a few seasons ago;

one ribbon illustrates how to knit in 3 easy steps

and another has the words:

I wonder who is knitting for me? 

How much fun to use this ribbon for the ties.

So here are the knitting needle cases.

Each one is one of a kind.

I sewed in the studio all weekend long 

listening to my book on tape.

It was a perfect weekend.

I hated to stop.

These will all be for sale at the Sis Boom show

on June 11th, 12th and 13th

A created a few more goodies. 

Come back tomorrow to see those...

Check out one of the new spring 2009 fabrics.

 I just love these mermaids by Heather Ross.

In fact, I love all of Heather's fabrics.  

Whimsical, happy and fresh.

She has a great blog too.

This will be her last fabric collection for awhile 

because of a non-compete clause in a contract with a clothing manufacturer.

Read about Heather Ross here 

Here is another fun fabric

We actually brought a goldfish home in a plastic bag from a fair

and IT SURVIVED for almost a year.

Goldie was it's name, of course.

Remember last week when I posted about the Squam Art Camps

and I told you that we used to go there each summer for a glorious week.

Photo in the frame is from RDC

all the kiddies are going out to Loon Island for a picnic

in Mabel, the boat.

such wonderful memories

winter wonderland

inside too

sis boom show

look and behold all of these vibrant colors

too bad my pics aren't better

sparkly banners

tropical cottons for the winter escape

happiness everywhere in the color and whimsy

of all things sis boom

for all you readers who LOVE color

this stuff is for you

imagine greeting every morning with this quilt on your bed

hello sunshine!!!

last but not least my Christmas Card boards with Sis Boom fabric

Jennifer is having a big sale on Friday, December 12th

quilts and clothing 50% off

Christmas ornaments 20% off

go to her blog for details

Anatomy of my fun, cheerful 

Sis Boom Christmas Card Tree 

After weeks of procrastination, I got down to my task

on Monday night after a full day at the office

I cut the squares...

laid out a pattern of sorts

pulled out the sewing machine

looking good

all together

a little weary at 11:30 pm 

but pleased with the result

Tuesday - night of construction

voila 

Cheerful Christmas Card Boards

just slip the cards in between the fabric and ribbon

Ball fringe used for the first time - I thought it would look like ornaments.

Another late night finish

 just in time for the Sis Boom show.

Delivered to Jennifer's house on Wednesday 

along with frames and needle cases seen in yesterday's post