Daily Beauty

I'm not referring to the twice-daily routine when I pile miracle products on my face, trying in vain to take 30 years off my face.(well, ok - 10)

I'm talking about Cécile Trentini's original and imaginative approach to design and creativity in her new book, Daily Beauty: 365 Ways to Play with Everyday Quilt Embellishments.

Full disclosure: Cécile's original approach to design and creativity was evident when I first met her as a student in a workshop I was teaching almost five years ago. With this book, Now I'm learning from her! 

The book is  a visual joy and if you love to stitch, it's full of ideas you can use as a starting point for embellishment in the best sense of the word.

Much of her work is inspired by the elements and routines of everyday life, and she manages to see beauty in what others might see as mundane. In this book, she turns an everyday object  (a cotton cosmetic pad) into an opportunity for unlimited creativity!   I have to tell you that even I am tempted to sit down at my machine and play with some of these ideas.  The book is beautiful, compact, clear, and fun! Check it out!

Of course, when I sat down to stitch this afternoon,, it wa to sew facings down by hand and deal with sleeves - not terribly interesting, but necessary, as I get a pile of work ready for my exhibit from May 5-June 23 in Chapel Hill, NC. ( Details when I get around to it.)

In the meantime, even coffee is not keeping me awake tonight, so the rest of the sewing will wait.