Loving this time of year!

Molly, my 3-year-old getting a head start on some holiday baking

Tomorrow we are supposed to get a blizzard, and the whole family will be snowbound in the house together. Busy as I am these days, I am feeling a thrill at the prospect of the forced coziness. I have great plans for a jammy day, complete with holiday baking, candy making, crafting, and a bit of holiday sewing. For the first time, this year the kids are actually old enough to participate in a lot of these activities with me (well, some of them--my 16-month-old will be happily playing next to us). The enthusiasm is palpable around here among all of us, and hearing my kids brainstorm about the creative projects they want to undertake makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.





Speaking of firsts, The Fabric Fairy has begun stocking domestic quilting cottons alongside our famous ginormous knit collection. While we've had a selection of exquisite Asian and European cotton imports for quite a while, it wasn't until we visited Quilt Market this Fall that we were inspired to begin stocking some of the gorgeous domestic designer cottons we saw. Many of these new fabrics will be trickling in throughout the coming months, but I am excited to introduce some of our first groups.



Perhaps my favorite new collection of the season is Meadowsweet by Sandi Henderson, which you can see in the background in the photo of Sandi and me from Quiltmarket. It is so evocative of everything that is fresh and sweet and carefree about spring blossoms and summer picnics in the meadow that even at this time of year, when I'm feeling so inspired by the creative rush of the holiday season, I feel sorely tempted to put it all aside and sew peasant tops, tiered skirts, and sundresses for my girls.