Happy Aprons made by 4H sisters Anna and Emma using fabric from the Kites collection. The whole group with their pin pillows - so touched that you all used Felicity fabric! Continue reading

In New York for work a couple of weeks ago, Jeanne and I stopped for refreshment at the one and only Tea and Sympathy. We drank our Yorkshire Gold and watched as this brill London taxi pulled up with Cuthbert at the helm. Perfect. Sean says it takes 2 hours to walk a couple of blocks beacuse everyone wants a cuddle with Cuthbert. A truly nice cup of tea. A cosy corner. And don't forget some baked beans on toast with a bit of grated Cheddar on top. The world could use a little more of this T&S. Lovely Nicky... Continue reading

Nobody does it better... not James Bond this time but Johnnie Boden, another Brit, and we're talking design. Shoes, clothes, accessories for big and small. These yellow flats for girls are filled with sunshine, and the message "bloom through the gloom" is particularly warming to the soul. I dropped in a swatch of Plumberry in the Ochre colourway - I am seeing a little shift dress running around in the glow of Spring... bring on the bloom! Continue reading

Well, we know she sat on a tuffet and what she ate, but where did she keep her hankies and trinkets? In a little bag made from scraps of Charleston Farmhouse by the wonderful Joyce Bennett of course! Continue reading

Look at that California grass! If we East Coasters get to work we'll have a cloth ready and waiting for the first outdoor repast of the year (unless you are into snow dining). Another wonderful free pattern creation by Melissa Peda. Continue reading

Litlle chocolates wrapped in pink dots and covered with hand cut paper hearts and Rolos - the Valentines for Mrs. Mahaney's 4th grade class hastily formed into a heart over Charleston Farmhouse's Plumberry in Zinnia colourway. Almost missed the bus but it was worth it. From my heart to all of yours - love and gratitude always. Felicity <3 Continue reading

Never have I posted twice in a day, but I just received this beautiful picture from Melissa Peda, a pattern designer of 100BillionStars fame. I met some wonderful people at Quilt Market and she was one of them. She is offering this pattern as a free download here. Continue reading

A child, a box, paints, duct tape and, thankfully, newspaper - way to warm a cold January day with vibrant colour and a new luxury home for Doodah. Complete with peephole... And doorbell - what more could a dog need?! I am once again inspired by the uninhibited creativity of children and the bright, elemental beauty of their art. May this kind of artistry be with us all this and every year. Though we are well into it, Happy 2013 to all - Felicity Continue reading

I have been sewing a lot of late - presents for family and friends. Sometimes accompanied by a mug o' tea - this one is Lowry's and caused me to pause and think of the big L word that moves us all to share and give at this time of year. Next door Elisa has been sewing too - we have been inspired to make pillow cases this year and she has made some fun combinations from several of my Free Spirit collections - thanks for sharing Elisa! We got the idea to fill them with books, popcorn, hot chocolate... Continue reading

At the Westminster Fibers/Free Spirit booth with my new collection Charleston Farmhouse! WFI did a beautiful job with the vignettes for different designers and I was thrilled with mine. A washing line of little skirts to show the mixing of the patterns from the collection - I'll be including my inspiration for it in the next post... The Free Spirit pattern for a quilt in Charleston Farmhouse. Fabric will be available in stores and online in February/March of 2013. Stay tuned for where to buy... and for lots more sewing ideas. A huge thank you to all who put this... Continue reading

It's the time of year to appreciate the colours around us... and in our bowls. Golden Butternut Soup... Sun and purple peppers, red onion and garlic for a stew... And a September blue birthday cake with clematis and assorted M & Ms. Hoping that your Autumn is showered with good colours from every angle. Off to Houston and International Quilt Market tomorrow to unveil a new collection - can't wait to share it with you! Continue reading

It's no wonder that I am back to blogging on the first day of school - summer is always so gloriously filled with children and camps, busy days, travel, and work and flexibility... including a bit of Christmas cheer in August - the Caspari Christmas Crackers in my Small Dots pattern had just arrived in the post. Lowry and friend Zoe couldn't resist... 1, 2, 3 PULL! What do we have in here? Queen for a day :0) No waste - the shell becomes a kitten toy. Good tidings, All! Continue reading

Learning a lot about cooperation this summer - putting heads, hearts, and hands together to a good end... making cutting boards as a fundraiser for Elle's trip with Peru's Challenge was a family affair - we all helped with some component of the work. And off she went to contribute to the building of a classroom in the rural community of Miskiuno, Cusco. These pictures were taken by the group's photographer Cameron Martindell of Off Yonder. Thank you to Cameron and the amazing group leaders who enabled the trip which blessed so many. Mud bricks had been prepared before the... Continue reading

Ah, it was very hard not to be there for the Jubilee... it's difficult to say why we love all this folderol, but we do, and we do it well. Homemade hats, lush cakes, street parties and pomp... I still have the pencil tin from our street party for the Silver Jubilee in 1977 and will never forget the fun of all ages having a good old time with patriotic food and silly games. Three generations - our friends the Mays - sporting festive crowns. Beautiful! Mini Victoria sponges with proper English strawberries. Little girl with crown. Photos courtesy of... Continue reading

Dear Mama - Thank you for the gift of mothering to me and now to my children - hours spent patiently working on projects or fixing messes... to mothers everywhere, peace and joy, today and ever. Continue reading

Compare and contrast... Snow and sun within the last couple of weeks - can you see the bleeding hearts in picture one? They were not deterred by the white stuff and are blooming beautifully still. We did lose an ancient lilac and many huge branches but I see new growth coming. That's the way it works, right? I love how the lily of the valley stem echoes the curve of the little jug - nature, not nurture, in this case. Continue reading

Ever encountered a three-quarter size Jenny Lind bed? You either have to have a custom mattress made for it or go the long way round and make it into a standard size... in this case my dear husband had to take the whole thing apart, cut the frame down to size, and remake all the joints. I got the FUN JOB of painting the new twin bed for Grandma's arrival from England last month! I chose Ben Moore's Habanero Pepper - a colour that is guaranteed to chase away the blues. Now on to designing some bedclothes... Continue reading

... Jacci Farlow of Aurora, New York! I am a little late in posting, but Jacci answered correctly that the language of Gypsies is Romani, and the name of the pattern on the Womanswork hat and gloves is "Up and Down" from my Gypsy collection. Well done, Mrs. F! And here is the Womanswork Apron hot off the press and in stores any moment now - What with the miraculous Spring weather in these parts I was inspired to dig over the herb bed sporting the new arrivals - loved the feel of the gloves - just the right thickness.... Continue reading

Truly it has been a mild and gentle Winter here, but still we long for the reappearance of Spring with her attendant tasks... which brings me to the exciting introduction of Gypsy with Womanswork gloves, hats and aprons (image to follow soon). They hit the stores in a week or two (Home Goods and TJ Maxx) but here is a sneak preview. Womanswork's signature Garden Glove with Arm Saver protects arms from light scratches and insect bites, as well as sun exposure. At the top of the elbow length cuff is a stretchy pull cord for cinching the cuff around... Continue reading

Fabric, papers, glue, scissors and a shoe box... Lowry designed her Valentine's receiving box with Round Flowers in pink and red and had fun with the Felicity Miller Small Dots pattern for Caspari in platinum and red. Open for business! Happy Day All. Continue reading

The next best thing to being there is receiving a photo from a beautiful friend standing in the Ancient Greece and Rome section with a Felicity bag! Ah, I feel in good company... Continue reading

Remember this post? Well here's the finished quilt - Elisa really is a wonder - in between finishing her degree at Cornell, feeding her family, and translating on work trips to Italy she has finished the two Gypsy quilts for her daughters. I made the European Square pillow from a tapestry crafted by my Mum - the colours go rather well I think. A little bit of knitting... I wonder if I will finish this project? Elisa's quilts were expertly machine quilted by Mandy Hares who is sporting a festive Gypsy apron that she made. Thanks to all for your... Continue reading

So it is now 2012 - how it is already the 16th January I know not, but it is high time to send out gratitude to all you readers out there - I have loved your comments and staying power - thank you, and all warm wishes for cosy hours with family and friends. Lowry and I have been reading the marvelous works of Tove Jansson and her Finn Family Moomintroll, the above just perfect for winter consumption. I love her playful prose and engaging, quirky illustrations of these priceless little beings. Required reading in my book! Gypsy bookmarks a... Continue reading

I am happy to announce that my first ever block design made it into Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks magazine! (Winter 2011, Volume 4). Specifically designed for my Gypsy collection, it is called Window Box and features the stylized Round Flowers at its centre. So far it is just a block - the quilt still has to be designed! I would love to hear your comments and would gladly feature a quilt (or other item) on this blog that you create incorporating my block. And get writing - the first person to comment on this post will receive a complimentary copy of... Continue reading

Don't know where the days of September went, but at the end of them I had the privilege of going Home to England for a week. Unspeakable joy. Family, friends, food - all good, good, good. And I got to meet my brother's little Elvis, King of Pugs. October, and Lowry had her heart set on being a Wiener Dog. After some futile monkeying, I remembered a metal bucket handle that I had saved (yes, I am English) in case of an emergency (and this was one) which we cut in half and used as a tail insert with a... Continue reading