The Communique Layout
Popularized by Rhonda Dort, who uses the layout in her classes, the Communique Quilt Layout works for both featuring large fabric and panel pieces, as well as a basis for multiple block designs.
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About Me
Welcome to Mouse in My Pocket! I'm Andrea, a web developer living in rural America with her husband and daughter. I'm excited to share my life with you as I explore some of the great things about living in the middle of nowhere. Be sure to check out the blog below to see a few of the things that are speaking to me right now.
On the Blog
Great Mail Day
Yesterday was a great mail day! I came home to a great big box on my front porch. That box came all the way from Canada and only had one big dent in it. And what was in this big box from Canada, you ask? Something soft, warm, and perfectly magical. 3 freshly quilted quilts…
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Precise Patterns
I am fortunate enough to have fairly good luck finding clothes that fit me at the store, though I often take them in to my favorite seamstress for a few adjustments. What my closet lacks, though, are those statement pieces that say something about who I am as a person. For that reason, I’d love…
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The Local Quilt Shop
The local quilt shop, or LQS as it’s known in the blogosphere, has been making a comeback in my area. Even if I exclude the big box stores like Hobby Lobby and JoAnn’s there are no less than half a dozen quilting stores in my area. This is really exciting for me, because I love…
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Christmas Wreath
A couple months ago, my sister asked me to make her a Christmas wreath. So, we went down to Hobby Lobby and picked up a wreath, some decorative picks, and a few flowers. I love the Hobby Lobby weekly sales. We got a great price on everything. For most of the last month, all those…
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Thoughtful Plans
I’m working my way through The Colette Sewing Handbook to help me learn some new sewing techniques, particularly the ones involved in making clothes. I’m amazed at how well written this book is. Not only am I leaning how to do some cool new things, I’ve also found new and interesting ways to look at…
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Simple Gathered Skirt
I recently saw a super cute skirt tutorial on Pinterest for Simple Simon & Co.’s Vintagely Modern Skirt. I fell in love with it pretty much immediately. The one problem? The tutorial is really for a little kid’s skirt. Well, I tried it anyway. And I’m happy to report that it looks great even with…
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Quick and Easy Projects
As many large projects as I work on, sometimes it’s nice to have a quick and simple project. Thanks to Anna over at Noodlehead, I have a super fun and easy project to do when I need a break – or run out of the fabric I need to finish the project I’m supposed to…
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A Sewing Handbook
I loved making my Colette Mini Bloomers so much that I want to learn more about sewing clothes. To that end, I’ve picked up a copy of The Colette Sewing Handbook. My goal is to work my way through the entire book, learning some useful skills and techniques along the way. I’ll be updating my…
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I Can Sew Clothes
Thanks to all the great people I’ve met online recently (mostly thru the #talknt tweetchat), I’ve really be inspired to spend more time in my sewing dungeon – also known as the basement. I’ve managed to piece, quilt, and bind a lap quilt, put together a Weekender Bag with matching Brush Roll, a complete the…
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Friday Favorites
There are things that I have always been my favorite – like my husband and mint chocolate chip ice cream. But, it doesn’t hurt to add a few things to my favorites list every now and then. Here are a few of my favorite things right now. 1. Epic Room Makeovers Vintage Revivals‘ recently did…
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Fiery Labyrinth Ready for the Quilter
I’m always amazed how much faster quilt backs go together than the front, even when you have a decorative back. The back on the White Labyrinth quilt was supposed to have a 20-inch inset block in it, using the fabrics from the front. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough strips in lengths I needed, so my…
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The Inevitable Political Post
So late last night it became official that Barack Obama would remain the President of the United States. But this post isn’t about the election, the candidates, or even the issues. It’s simply about the hatred that I have seen from friends on both sides of the aisle. For the last month, I have seen…
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