Sunday, June 14, 2009

A Very Sis Boom Weekend!




Hello everyone!!!
This weekend has been full of fun! I met so many amazing and talented people! I had the wonderful opportunity to meet the Scientific Seamstress herself, Carla Crim, and her very sweet husband, Del, and her adorable son, Louie!!! What a lovely family! They were so down-to-earth and friendly. I feel like we have been friends forever. Carla is an excellent pattern designer and e-book author and I have been using her creations for the past few years! She is very good at explaining and teaching everyone how to sew...from the beginner to the experienced! Her blog, http://scientificseamstress.blogspot.com/ is filled with advice and inspiration and beautiful items she has made.
Carla herself:

So with the opportunity to attend the Sis Boom Spring Open House, Carla and I made plans to get together. She and her family came from Maryland to my house on Friday. We visited for a bit and the kids played. My girls loved "little Louie"! We went to dinner and filled up on yummy seafood. Then we walked some of it off on the Cape May boardwalk. It was a lovely evening!
Here are Carla and I trying to take our pic...


The kids playing a quick game of Candyland!


Checking out the building blocks...



Carla and Del....

Visiting whilst the kids played...
















Walking on the Cape May boardwalk after dinner....



Fast friends....

We played some in the arcade!



We got our feet wet in the Atlantic!
Some of us got wetter than others....lol!



Running!!!





It was cold!!!



Sarah!



Riding some kiddie rides!



Louie and Brooklyn driving away...



Bopp em on the head, Devon!



A horsey ride too!




So the reason for Carla's visit was that she had invited me along to Jennifer Paganelli's Spring Open House in Wilton, CT. Jennifer Paganelli is the talent behind Sis Boom Fabrics. Her blog, http://jenniferpaganelli.typepad.com/sis_boom_day_dreams/ tells it all. Her fabrics are to die for...really gorgeous, color-filled, inspiration artwork....something to be admired and savored. Her fabric masterpieces NEED to be integrated into everything...quilts are a good start but the fabric is for everything...clothing, furniture, household items, accessories....you name it, it should be made with her fabric! And that's exactly what her lovely home is....it's like a store and an inspirational museum wrapped up into one!!!
So here are some pictures of our visit:
All ready for our Sis Boom Day!




We left around 7 am and arrived in Connecticut around 11 or 11:30 am.
We truly landed in Sis Boom Heaven.
She had a beautiful wrap -around porch filled with color and tables of goodies.

Her back room filled with gorgeous clothing and accessories...





Her front study with a pretty painting and a sofa filled with pillows. Fabric swatches of her latest lines filled the table in front...




Outside on the side porch, your could pick out and have your fabric cut and packaged for you.



Beautiful quilts, a bed and neat fabric hobby horses brighten this corner of the room...




Ribbons, wallets, bags of goodies, purses, and handmade cards on the dining room table...



Fabric galore...


A women sat and painted pretty pictures on the front porch...



Del took most of these pictures while we were shopping. We tried not to get pictures of other attendees but there were lots of people milling about and shopping through out the day...




Del made the funny comment about how Louie seemed to disappear when he went into the house....I mean he really was camouflaged in his adorable bowling shirt amongest the fabric and slipcovers and pillows! LOL!

Here I am looking over the newest line of fabric by Jennifer, Dance With Me.


And more gorgeous fabric....






Carla, Jennifer and I visiting in the side yard! Jennifer was so upbeat and happy and personable! She was so fun to talk to!


Carla and Jennifer have teamed up to make some patterns for clothing made with Jennifer's fabric. What a winning combination!!! The latest design, the Patricia Tunic, is an adult-sized tunic and it is so easy to make and comfortable to wear. Carla and I made ours and wore them....many people stopped us with compliments! It was so fun to be able to share the news of the upcoming pattern release. Hopefully it will come out in the next couple of days! So be on the lookout!!!!!

Watching Louie play with his new cool toy ATV and action figure. It was a special present for Louie from Jennifer...isn't that sweet?!!!

Jennifer and Louie, who is really taken with his new "engine guy"


Smile! Louie was being shy....lol


We found this comfy sofa and kind of set up camp here during the party. The yard and woods were so pretty.



Carla made Louie this stunning bowling shirt with some of Jennifer's fabric. Carla designed the bowling shirt and it is another one of her patterns you can purchase. It is so versatile!


Here is the cool ATV guy, also named Louie, in the driveway!



Out by the driveway, there were some ponies! Nancy Geaney from Dark Horse Farm (see her blog http://darkhorsefarmdesigns.blogspot.com/) came with some of her smaller friends. They were giving rides to the children and showing off their Sis Boom saddle pad and ribbons.

Here is Del asking Louie if he wants to ride...he said..."Noooo, I'll just pet the ponies!" Right behind them are two guests. The person on the right in the blue top is the creator of the pretty belts made with Carla's fabric...her blog is http://fireflyhilldesigns.blogspot.com/

Is this pony not just darling???


I had the chance to chat with Maritza, who makes all of those gorgeous pillows and slip-covers, and Nancy, who also loves horses and sewing, and is oh so talented!

Notice the Sis Boom apron that Nancy is wearing... I am pretty sure she made a handy horse grooming apron which works great at events like this or horseshows...it holds all your tools!




Shortly after, Jennifer joined us and we got another chance to talk and take more pictures...can you ever have enough???




Carla and Jennifer out in the beautiful yard and gardens which surround her home!






Carla's hubby, Del, made the yummiest homemade bread! Here is Jennifer opening hers. I believe she mentioned something about hiding it away .... hahaha.....its so delicious with butter or jelly.....mmmmmmm!




Finishing up our Sis Boom Day... Jennifer and I




Our ride home was long and uneventful. We talked about sewing and ideas and things like that. Poor Del! Here is Louie busy playing stickers! He was the most excellent traveler! I am not kidding! He kept himself amused with stickers from Jennifer, his "engine man and 4 wheel drive" and making straws...1000's of them!!! lol What a smart, well-behavied, personable and cute little boy...he stole my heart I tell ya!





It was a raining in NJ but Del did a great job of navigating the "motorway" for all of us!


And so ends our amazing Sis Boom Weekend!


I would just like to thank Carla, Del and Louie for the wonderful visit this weekend! You are the best! I really enjoyed getting to know you better and I hope we continue our friendship!! I really appreciate your help and thank you for including me in this fun-filled weekend!




Thank you to Jennifer Paganelli for the beautiful open-house and lovely warm manner in which you conduct yourself. I felt like I have known you forever. Your outpouring of love, generosity and talent fill us all up!

14 comments:

  1. It sounds like you had an awesome time with Carla! So cool that you got to meet Jennifer and see her house and all of her beautiful fabric! It's so fun to see pictures of your family and Carla's family all together! It's like 2 worlds colliding! LOL!

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  2. Wonderful!!!
    Looks like a great time was had by all!
    Wish we could have been there too!

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  3. Looks like you all had a fabulous weekend!

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  4. Oh My!!!!Fabric Heaven!!!!!!!!!!what a great time you guys had!!also joining in "wishing we could have been there " too!!!

    Linnette aka: mrsmiller

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  5. Everything looked amazing!!! Im glad you had a great time!!!!!!! Im contemplating that tunic for myself!!! lol!! you looked GREAT in yours!!!

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  6. Oh what a lot of fun that looks like!!!! I just love the picture of Carla amidst all the fabric!!! You guys are all so cute!!!!

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  7. Wow, you guys look so cute together! And all that fabric, I am so jealous! And that Louie and Brooklyn, did you tell Carla we arrange marriages around here? So much to love, thank you for sharing!

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  8. Cathy I loved meeting you and so glad you have become such good friends with Carla and so touched you came and enjoyed yourself but wait how cute are your girls in those dresses..I love your girls..amazing smiles. Thanks for posting you have touched me with your kind words...now you know first hand why Louis has a spell on me...so huggable..thanks and can't wait to see what you put into this world with your talents..I loved your top!!! xoxo Jennifer

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  9. Sooooo jealous!! How cool that you ot t meet Carla, Jennfer and all those talented folks!! It looks like it was a fun Sis Boom Day!!

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  10. Hi Cathy,

    It was so nice to meet you at Jennifer's!

    Annie from Firefly Hill

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  11. What fun! Jennifer's fabrics are beautiful and what a beautiful house! I think I am going to make me a tunic too. I want it as a cover up and really hoping to do it with a towel! I am preparing myself for the mess!

    Isn't Louie so cute! I bet you had a great time with Carla and family. The girls looked like they had a great time with them too!

    Is this a yearly event? Sounds like a meet at Cathy's house to then head up to CT!

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  12. Cathy,
    I did not realize that you were from NJ! What is your email? Send me one at fireflyhill@comcast.net. I wish we had chatted longer at Jennifer's!

    annie

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  13. Annie - I am in South Jersey...lol...does that count? My email is custommerrilykids@yahoo.com

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