Lingerie, Shoes and Fabrics Obsessions

Another lackluster fashion season is upon us with lots of retail companies playing it safe to get them through one more fiscal year. Too dismal?? Don't worry, Fall is always the best season for style and fashion. There are still plenty of style obsessions for me to have. I once owned a fine lingerie boutique and one of my favorite lingerie labels is Aubade. Here are my picks from the new Fall collection. Clockwise: Russian Cancan, Neiges Brulantes, Dentelles Eternelles, French Kiss in Paris.

There's a lot of wishlisting going on around here. Here are my picks from Irregular Choice. Clockwise: we Found Love, Hook Line and Sinker, Take Flight, Lemon Pips.

 ...and my current fabric obsessions are: Penny's Garden, Whimsical Mist, Bluebird Park Rabbit, Peter Panda Bamboo.

My Sweater High Five's

We are finally feeling the Fall nip in the air in Bucks County prompting daydreams of sweaters, boots, puffy vests and bonfires...

Here are my Fall Sweater picks so far....

J Crew Camel Sweater in cashmere blend

Anthropologie Bushy Tailed Pullover

...and my obsession with pheasants is finally catching on! Anthropologie's  Faison Pullover

Modcloth Bake Sale Away Sweater

and from an awesome shop on Etsy, clever me Fox Sweatshirt from nicandthenewfie

Quilt It Your Way

I am very excited to announce the new name of my Etsy shop is now chaasBaby. I am in the process of building a second shop focusing on home textiles chaashome. I felt it was time for a simpler and more classic brand name. chaas is a play on my name that I've used before so it seems classic to me:)

This Fall/Winter season I am focusing on my stripe quilt blanket as my signature piece. They are full of texture and luxurious colors and patterns because of the nature of the stripe quilt. It allows me to use lots of different fabrics without the cost. 

I made it even easier for my customers to order a custom theme stripe quilt with this new listed item:

 There are so many possibilities!!! What the heck are you going to get your father-in-law this Christmas? Pick his favorite hobby,sport, favorite place to travel... order up a blanket and be done with it! Go in with a few people if you want to and make it a group present. They will be so impressed to get a handmade quilt just for them. I've done a few for New Home, in memory of loved ones, new babies... I love these because they are always different. my customers come up with all kinds of unique themes and put me on the hunt to put it all together. I've never been a fan of making the same thing over and over again. I don't know how the other Etsians do that. I need a new project(well, several new projects) going at all times!!

IDEAS!!!
Golf
Florida
Beach
Birds
Bicycles
Forest/Hunting
Aztec
Star wars




Here is Nautical Ocean Blue Quilted Blanket

  

One of my favorites is this stripe quilt using the Briar Rose printed collection. There are lots of little creatures doing fun things on this blanket. Little bees are flying around with baskets and hankerchiefs collecting there pollen and nectar and a frog family is enjoying a picnic at the frog pond. 

It's all done in a vintage inspired color palate and strawberry repeats.

So Darling!!!

Lentil snaps are a go

As I rushed through my grocer's produce section this afternoon, I spied these bad boys on an end cap. Lentil snaps- flavored bean crisps in tomato basil flavor. They were on sale and I've been weirdly preoccupied with lentils lately so the name caught my eye. I don't particularly like lentils so I've been curious to find a recipe I like. The classic French way to cook lentils sounds really enticing but I haven't tried them yet. They take a whole onion and stud it allover with cloves and place it in the cooking water and voila! French lentils.


Anyway, these are fantastic! Thankfully, they fit my criteria for a healthful snack, dairy free gluten free, low sodium, baked...and actually made of lentils packing 5g of protein per serving. If you are tracking your protein you know that is really good for a snack food at the grocery store-and at under $2.00.
I need to run back tomorrow and stock up:)

posted from Bloggeroid

Grandpa's Quilt

My grandmother asked me to make a winter quilt for my grandpop this summer. She told me no hurry which apparently I took to heart. Now, its two months later and I haven't pieced it together yet. My grandfather is one of my favorite people in the whole world, going at 88 years strong he will be turning 89 on september and I want to be able to present the quilt to him on his birthday.


My grandpop, Joe, is a World War 2 veteran who served in the Army Air Force in Asia. He was the gunner in the fighter planes. The cubby was so small for the gunner his parachute didn't fit. He has the most incredible stories that we all love to hear!







I am doing a patriotic theme for this quilt with rows of pinwheels, and triangles. I will get more done eventually!!

posted from Bloggeroid

Coaching to Pay It Forward

My job is about connecting with people and having the honor to walk with them on their journey. When I became an Independent Health Coach, I knew right away that what I was doing was aligned with my moral compass. It is often hard for people to believe at first that I am a free health coach, that I really am doing this to help people get healthy. I see this as a reflection of many people's fears and hopelessness. But it is true. We coach to pay it forward, to spread the hope and joy that comes with a focus on creating health and balance in our lives. So, this brings me back to the beginning; my job is about connecting, showing the beacon of hope, that there is a way out and you can do it.
We are so tired, tired, tired of feeling tired. Tired of unsatisfactory food and an unsatisfactory lifestyle. I know it. I've been there, too. The Habits of Health I learned with Take Shape For Life gave me the tools to put my health in focus and making the changes I needed to start feeling better on a daily basis.
Getting phone calls from my clients telling me how much weight they lost (and how they had to go to the next belt notch because their pants are falling down!) make my day and I remember IMMEDIATELY why I do what I do. Coach you to achieve Health. Love it!

I am an Independent Health Coach with Take Shape For Life. Connect with me and learn how i can coach you for FREE at www.passionforwellness.tsfl.com

Welcome to the Chakras series!

I am thrilled to begin a chakra series here on my blog. It will be an 8 part series beginning with the basics and breaking down everything you need to know about the 7 major chakras and how we can use them to improve our life, health and happiness. We will discuss everything from physiology and ailments to what foods and activities we can do to improve each chakra. I am so grateful to have you join me on this journey. We are going to have lots of fun! Here is the first video in the series.




I am a Usui Reiki Master Teacher and Independent Health Coach with Take Shape For Life, offering FREE Health Coaching. Visit me at www.passionforwellness.tsfl.com to contact me to share your desire for creating health in your life!!
Visit my website to learn more about Reiki at www.RisingMoonReiki.com

3-D Quilting

I just finished the High Seas Quilt(which I blogged about earlier in this post) and wanted to share a simple quilting technique that can add some texture and fun to your next project. These three dimensional strips of fabric stick up out of the seams and make for a really impressive look. 

I used these strips to define the watery waves beneath the Sailship.

This is a very simple technique. You measure out the desired length of your strip and fold in half longways. So, if you want your strip to be 3/8" that would be 6/8 plus your Seam Allowance 1/2"= 1 1/4". Baste your strip on top of the bottom row. 
*Important- Figure out where you want the strip to end and sew it between to pieces.
In this Sailship quilt. I left he raw edges and just stitched them down. But in the Bird Applique Quilt, I sewed them into the vertical seams for a clean and modern look. 

 These are two examples of using three dimensional pieces in quilting, one is modern and the other is more crafty. I look forward to really stretching this idea and incorporating more 3-D quilting techniques.

Sailing Aweigh

While sourcing fabric for a custom order I couldn't resist also bringing home a small set of salt water by tula pink. I've been obsessed with these prints for months and finally treated myself.


I could barely sleep dreaming up all kinds of projects in this briney brew.
I settled on a sailship baby blanket-in an effort to keep my etsy shop cohesive. (More on that in another blog)





I could build a whole collection with just these fabrics. Just saying. More to come later....
UPDATE!!!! Here is the front panel to the tallship baby blanket. I call it High Seas blanket now. It's a little chaotic and stormy. I added three dimensional pieces in the seams to replicate water. Now, for the back panel...I'll be back...

Alkalinity Video

Have you heard people talking about Alkalinity? What do they mean? Have you been asking, 'what's that all about?' I created an informative powerpoint presentation that covers all the basics on the topic.

Accidental quilting

I reached a big milestone this week in my career. -going full-time with my Etsy shop ZhalaClothing! I am also devoting more time to my health coaching business. I kinda dual-wield~
To get things started off right, I am rearranging and cleaning out my overly cluttered and disorganized sewing room/studio/office.
Of course, I quickly get distracted, and this happened:


I had these fabrics for about ten years and never found the right project for them- until today. I needed to break up the strong zebra print so I ran to my quilting shop and grabbed a 1/2 yard of this specialty fabric I've had my eye on. 

**Update! I finished the quilt and you can see it now on my Etsy Shop here!



I love using fine fabrics and home fabrics in quilts; velvets, herringbones, flocked fabrics. They add much needed texture and luxury to a room. Texture is one of the most overlooked design elements, which is my pet peeve.
I tried a shortcut for cutting and sewing pinwheels where you cut two large squares and sew around all four sides, right sides together. Then, mark a line diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right., top right to bottom left. Cut along the lines and you've just created 4 pinwheel squares! Quick and easy!


I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend so stay tuned for more...

Join my LinkedIn group Etsy Artists and Crafts and chat with me about your crafting aspirations!

posted from Bloggeroid

Mother of Dragons

I finished reading A Storm of Swords, the third book in the epic series A song of Ice and Fire. -Finally. I waited to finish it until I saw the famed Red Wedding episode in HBO's series "A Game of Thrones". You'll find no spoilers here, but I am pretty doggone excited for next season. That's all I'll say.

Daenerys is such a strong female character, it is easy to see how she quickly became a fan favorite. Khaleesi, the Unburned, Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons... the girl has a lot of titles- and she deserves every one of them. I have been working intermittently on this Khaleesi Quilt for the past few months and recently added it to my shop. I chose the theme of her Khaleesi title to inspire me as I read her trekking through dust and sand in wild landscapes and all the exotic encounters she'd faced.

I collect vintage Indian Saris and used a few of them throughout this quilt. The first blocks I made were the large collages sewn horizontally with scraps of multi-colored silks and tie-dyed cottons. There are a few blocks of antelope skin where I kept the raw edge exposed for more organic texture. The hides came from my father from a prong horn sheep he fell years ago. I typically do not use animal products in my work but I know this animal fed me, so I felt it was consistent to use its hide in a special art quilt.

I printed on three panels of cotton for this piece. There are two panels that read, "Khaleesi" (I kept checking the spelling over and over again) and one the reads, "Moon of my Life" Wouldn't this make a fabulous gift to a girlfriend?!?! HINT. If you want to know more about print on fabric, read my blog post here. There is sari fabric included in this quilt that is gold silk organza with mirror sequins sewn on and shimmers soooo nicely in person. The Black repeat pattern reminds me of chain mail or similarly dragon scale, echoing the warrior edge. I would love to adorn my bedroom with this Khaleesi-worthy throw quilt. It makes the perfect accent to a rich and sexy boudoir. just sayin'.

posted from Bloggeroid

Pinwheels

It is pinwheel day! These little addicting triangles are so satisfying as you sew them all together. I stayed away from pinwheels for far too long, partly because they seemed so traditional. Whatev's cus they're fun.

I am making a queen size blanket for my grandfather in a patriotic theme. He is turning 89 years old this summer and he's healthy and active-love him! He is a WW2 veteran and served in Asia. I think he deserves his own post, so back to pinwheels.





Although I saw a great tutorial on a quick way to do pinwheels, I messed up and had to do them the regular way. I cut squares then cut them diagonally. Heres a trick though. Cut the second square in opposite direction. If you have directional fabric this is an issue. Here, I am making a scrap quilt in various sea-faring fabrics. Check my shop for new additions or create a custom quilt just for you:)

posted from Bloggeroid

Owl Infant Blanket Tutorial- Ribbons and Bows and Tags

 This Owl Activity Blanket is a fantastic developmental tool for infants as they begin to explore the world around them-especially tags! This blanket idea is a great use of extra ribbons, bows, seam tape and other do-dad's you have lying around. The Activity Blanket is a quick and fun handmade gift for the next new mother in your life. It is available on my ZhalaClothing shop here.

For this Owl Activity Blanket I added some vintage plastic rings that I've had forever and some linen bows I cut off some curtains years ago. Here's how I put it together:

-Size is 27 x 34
-3 owl panels sized  9 x 34 plus 1/2 seam allowance- so CUT 10 x 35 inches
-1 back panel
-Choose your ribbons and bows
-I had rings so I made loops for them 1 inch wide. -CUT 2 1/2 x 4 inches

After you choose your fabrics and ribbons begin to place them along the seams and pin them in place. At this point you can baste them if you are a perfectionist:)

Now, you are ready to sew your seams together for the front panel. (Right sides together) 
--Iron the seams and top-stitch them down.
Line up your front and back panels, right sides together, and sew up the edges leaving a 5 inch hole so you can turn it right side out again. When you are done, go along the seam and finger press the edges neatly. You can use a pin to pull out your corners. Edge stitch all four sides and voila! You are done a totally cute and unique baby blanket! yay!

I hope you enjoyed this fun tutorial today. I'd love to hear from you! You can convo me on Etsy here or order a custom made one for your next baby gift or bundle of joy! Thank you:)

July is New Beginnings

July is a month of new beginnings for me. My birthday starts the month at July 1^st and because this is the first day of the second half of the year I often make goals to reach by my birthday. This year, back on January 1^st-my favorite holiday but more on that later- I set a goal to reach a sustainable level of business from my Etsy shop. Man, when you put something into the universe you better want it cus you gonna git it.

                OK, my etsy shop ZhalaClothing is pretty sparce at the moment but that is only because I am plum sold out of my collection! That’s a good sign. There’s no holding back for me now. I am pushing through this month and hope to be standing on the other side with a buzzing sewing machine and piles of shipments!

I hope to devote more time to all those ideas I jot down on a pad and forget about; classes I want to teach, tutorials I want to offer. This is a new beginning.

A Case for Beautiful Burp Cloths

One of my favorite items I make for my Etsy shop are the burp cloths. They sell in sets of 2, lined in thick terrycloth and usually match one of my baby quilts. I love to make beautiful things for babies and for their mothers to use. And one of the most used things for a new baby is the burp cloth. There is one either on your shoulder, in your hand, on your lap or under the baby's head. At all times. 
I use beautiful printed cottons lined with thick and durable terrycloth and, sure, you can keep them for special occasions, but you can also use them. Enjoy them. Let them cheer you up on a ho-hum day.  Despite our fears, these cotton beauties aren't going to disintegrate because your baby droolled on it. Babies aren't the stainers we think they are. Give them a year or two and they'll show ya. 

Here's link to my Burp Cloth Section- 

Simple and Honest Food

Remember when all the cooking shows were on PBS? They are still some of my favorites. I think Lidia is an all time favorite. My very good friend recently had her second child and the little bundle of joy has a touch of the colic. I visited her earlier this week and took the baby for the day and cooked a family dinner. Lidia's braised meat recipe has been in my arsenal ever since I saw her make it on her PBS show. I knew I could get it in the pot in 15 minutes and leave it alone until dinner time. 

I can't believe I actually found it on her website to share with you! There is no glamorous picture from me or from Lidia's site but believe me its so worth making. It is simple and honest and almost impossible to ruin. Even if you don't have all the ingredients, as long as you have garlic, tomato and meat, it will be good. Follow the recipe to the tee and it will be amazing. I usually use a mix of pork chop, chicken and sausage. 

Tip:
Remember to brown the meat first, take out, then saute the aromatics. 
Put everything back in, then simmer on low for two hours.
Have at least one of the meats include the bone.

 Three Meats Braised in Tomatoes and Rigatoni 
(There are more directions on this link)

For cooking the meats and sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 pound chunk boneless pork butt
1½ pound veal shoulder chop
½ teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
1 cup red wine
10 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, (without fennel seeds)

For Cooking and Serving the Pasta Course
2 pounds rigatoni
1 cup pecorino, freshly grated

Fabric Printing and Game of Thrones

OK.. I am going to get right to it. When I learned how to print on fabric using my inkjet printer, it was kind of a life changing moment. My mind started bursting with ideas, concepts, drawings... Anyway, for my first project I made a Game of Thrones Baby Quilt because 1) I am a super fan, and 2) I make baby blankets. I had some tutorials pinned on my Pinterest Sewing Board that were really helpful.

- Indestructibles offers tips for Inkjet Printing on Fabric
- Craftzine Fabric Printing How-To
- The actual HP website lists some tips and resources

Naturally, I didn't have all the materials they suggested so I ended up using some cardstock paper I had for other projects. It worked perfectly. I cut the fabric(I used some leftover muslin) to fit the printer and  scotch taped it to the cardstock. Super easy, right? 

Game of Thrones Baby Quilt is for sale on my Etsy Shop ZhalaClothing. 


TIPS:
-Make sure you tape around the edges so you don't get excess ink smudges.
-After your print on the fabric let it dry for 15 minutes
-When it is dry submerge into tepid water for 10 minutes. I used my bathtub. This is important because it sets the ink permanently.
-Let it dry flat and you're golden!
-I put it through the washer and dryer and it was perfect so no worries.
-I was printing all black so I opened each jpeg in photoshop and cleaned it up a bit with the eraser tool and strengthened some thin lines.