Accessory Bag Swap

Do you have the Christmas let down blues?  Are you looking for something new to look forward to?  Well, perhaps you'd like to take part in my Accessory Bag Swap! 

Please keep in mind . . .for those of you who fear zippers, there are nice patterns out there without zippers, such as this free Moda pattern. This swap is coming on the heels of Christmas, I totally think this would be a good opportunity to use some scraps from your sewing room.  There is no need to spend a lot of money on this bag swap.  What kind of accessory bags might work?  Hmmm....it is really up to you, perhaps it is a small change purse or a make up bag or some sort of bag for jewelry when you travel or a clutch for a night out or a sewing bag to hold tools or an ipod case.  A accessory bag. 

Here are the requirements:

1. You must e-mail me to sign up. My e-mail is located in my profile information.
2. Create a homemade accessory bag. Send it to your partner by Saturday, February 11th . Please only sign up if you feel you can make the deadline. No one enjoys not receiving a swap package when they put a lot of effort into theirs. If an emergency happens, be kind and let your swap partner know when you feel they can expect to receive their package. Also, please let me know when you ship.
3. After you have received your package, please email or snail mail your partner a letter thanking them.
4. Have fun.

If you are interested, email me this information:
In the subject of the email, please label it: SWAP information
1. First and Last name (I will not post last names on my blog.)
2. Your postal address.
3. Your blog address (if you have one, it is not a requirement)
4. Your email address.
5.  Would you be willing to ship international?

UPDATE:  This swap registration is officially closed. 

While I haven't quite worked this out yet, I am sure there will be a drawing for a prize for those who get their swap packages out EARLY.  To be entered in the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL drawing, your bag should be out by Monday, February 5th and I should have your email saying that you did so.

Here is your bling:

One last homemade present to share

Mom and I adopted a family for Christmas. The family had 2 girls, ages 10 and 12.  We had lots of fun buying girly clothes and other fun stuff.  I got right on the ball, and made 2 of these bags in some fun fabrics.  I also filled them with books and art supplies as both the girls loved to read and do crafts.  I used the Practical Bag by Grand Revival Designs.  I sure hope the girls liked them.

Kate Spain Vintage Hankie Quilt

I am really tickled with this quilt.  I love how the Kate Spain fabrics coordinate with the hankies, and it just is a nice momento from my grandma's house, don't you think?? 

This was a gift for mom this year, and she hung it up in her kitchen...looks great.

Sweet Repeat and a Winner

I hope you had yourself a wonderful Christmas.  We sure did.  Buddy was a lot of fun this year.  We are both enjoying our time at home a lot, and of course, break is just flying by.  Before Christmas actually happened, I managed to sew two more mug rugs, and I just love them in this Kate Spain fabric. 

Too cute, right?

As for last week's giveaway, I wish I actually had 19 to giveaway, but I don't.  So I asked Buddy to pick a number and he did.  The winner is Mary of "I Piece 2".  Congratulations, Mary.  Send me your address and I will get that mug rug out to you. 

Tomorrow, I post a finished picture of the vintage hankie quilt, which I did finish and gift in time.  It is now hanging in my ma's kitchen. 

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Well, are your presents wrapped?  Is the house decorated?  Are you ready because Christmas is here.  I don't know about you, but it has been a bit hectic here finishing up the last few presents.  On Monday night, after my son's holiday walk at school, I decided to finally get on the stick and make a few of these cute mug rugs from a Label Crew project.  What a fun, easy project!  I started them on Monday, but had to leave them "almost" finished so I didn't miss The Closer.  LOL.  Yes, pretty dedicated fan I am.  I mean, I knew I only had about 20 minutes of sewing left, just top stitching and buttons. 

Didn't they turn out cute?  Buddy gave them to the latch key supervisors, and I gave them to a couple of coworkers.

I had the Mary Engelbreit scraps from another project....I thought they worked perfectly.

I hope you are enjoying your holiday season, and I'd like to apologize for being so out of touch.  A week ago Sunday, I was sewing a baby quilt when the phone rang.  One of my coworkers of 12 years had died.  He was a very kind man, who in 12 years of teaching with him...I never once heard him complain or say a mean word.  The news just kind of sucked the fa lalala right out of me.  So, I want you to know, sincerely, I appreciated your comments on my last post, as I appreciate your friendship always.  And, I am doing much better tonight.  Today was our last day of school, and I think the break will be good for everyone's spirits.  I am gifted with working with WONDERFUL people, who I think of as family.  While it was a difficult week and half, it was easier because you knew you weren't alone in your feelings. 

With that being said, my friend loved Christmas.  And, I think he would think it oh-too-fun to have a Christmas giveaway.  If you would like to win one of these mug rugs, just leave a comment.  I will try to close comments on Monday...as long as the holiday madness doesn't swallow me up.

In a last note about my friend, this is a story I think quilters could appreciate.  Last year, he wandered down my hallway with his favorite, worn, loved, cherished baseball hat in hand.  He said, "Kris, do you own a glue gun, because you seem like the type of person who would."  And I replied, "Yes, I do.  Why?"  He held out his other hand which had a Detroit Tigers patch in it.  He asked, "Would you glue this patch on my Tiger's hat?"  To which I said with a laugh, "John, I am not going to glue that on your hat, but I would be more than happy to sew it on for you."  And so I did.  Later in the day, to my surprise, I had countless staff members coming up to me sharing how impressed John was with my stitching and how you "couldn't even see the stitching at all"...I guess he carried that hat all over the building, he was so tickled with it.  I think so often our projects, no matter how small, mean so much to the people we care about and sometimes we have no idea how much people are touched, and I am glad to have this small memory for keeps.

Just Sewing Along

So, I will admit I am starting to feel the pressure.  I need to get some of these gifts done.  Now.  LOL.  I finally sat down and finished the binding on this gorgeous mini quilt.  Love it.  Fabric:  Strawberry Fields by Fig Tree.  Hard to giveaway, frankly...just keeping it real, people.  LOL.

Then I had even more requests for coupon clutches after the last round, so I zipped up a few yesterday.  Should have been zippy at least, but I was slowed down by several stupid mistakes.  Uggh.  Ever have one of those days in the sewing room when you know you should just walk away?  Yes, that was me yesterday. 

Shout out to Dritz....

So I had some nice comments about my Berry Sweet bag...and I got to thinking, that I need to share with you one of my favorite sewing tools.  It is called the Quick Turn by Dritz.  I found mine at Joanns some time ago.  I use it occasionally for purse handles or apron straps.  Makes like fast and a snap.  In this case, I used it on the strawberry leaves.  Yup.  You take the blue tube, put it into the unturned leaf, take the dowel rod, and gently shove the fabric through the tube.  EASY PEASEY.  I think I had all 12 turned in less than 2 minutes.  So, do yourself a favor and pick up a set.  They are relatively inexpensive.  The next time you have something to turn, you will be glad you did.

Berry Sweet Bag (Fig Tree Quilts Pattern)

 So we have a little friend having a birthday soon, so I whipped up this Berry Sweet Bag by Fig Tree Quilts.  What a great pattern!  I sewed this up this morning.  Sorry, I don't remember the name of the fabrics  used, but I did think they worked well with the pattern.

Then I stopped over to Noodle-head and followed her fabulous tutorial for this quick little wallet. I thought it was the perfect size for this little purse.

New bag

I've wanted a new purse since about August.  Today I decided...today I am going to sew one.  I found this new pattern a couple of weeks ago (first time I have been to a quilting store in months).  It is called Paula's Slouchy Sack.  Great directions, easy to follow, a nice big bag like I like for hauling my coupon clutch, wallet, and such...not to mention Buddy's DS occassionally.

I haven't worked with elastic much.  I ran into Walmart to grab some the other night and all they had was the woven, which was a mistake.  I couldn't get it snaked into that tight spot.  I had some smaller, so I used that for now...next time I make it to Joann's I will replace it with a wider version for that more puckered look.

That zipper pocket on the front is pretty fabulous, too.  This is the "medium" bag.  I think it is perfect.  There are also measurements for a large bag, that is mostly just longer.  This bag called for 1 y for the outer bag and less than a yard for the lining, which is exactly what I had in my stash of this pretty fabric by Windham fabrics.  I do like fatter handles, so I add 1 more inch of fabric to them (which when folded the way the directions call for ended up being a 1/2 inch wider).  The only thing I would change next time, I would sew in a key fob on the inside, I like those.  That was an after thought though.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family.

Sewing some presents

So, I have been working on this Christmas present.  A small Strawberry Fields quilts perfect for a wallhanging or table topper.  I just need to finish sewing that binding.  

This is a small signature quilt I made as a Best Wishes present.  I appliqued the little stars as an after thought because I thought it needed a little zip.

This is that hanky quilt.  Those of you loyal followers will remember I finished this top a year ago.  LOL.  But, I quilted it today.  Those are my grandma's vintage hankies.  This is going to be a Christmas present for my mom to hang in her kitchen.

In other big news, Buddy finally lost that tooth that was dangling for a week.  I thought tooth fairy might have to leave a note of encouragment, but finally he got it out.  Unfortunately, he has forgotten how to smile normally.  It took me 20 shots to get this one.  No joke.  Either his teeth are stuck together unnaturally, his eyes are squinted shut, or his tongue is sticking out that gaping hole.  (notice all the above in this photo.)  Heaven help us, he is having his pictures professionally taken tomorrow and I am hoping we get a couple that are good.

What are you up to this Saturday?

Stitching up some Christmas presents

I had some fun last weekend making these coupon clutches.  It seems coupon clutches are the most requested gift around here.  I will be out shopping with a friend and they will see me pull mine out and then they say....hey, I'd love one of those. This is the one I made for myself. I've made several color ways in the past that were pieced with a brick pattern see here for a past gift.    These were some I made last Christmas.

The original Coupon Clutch Pattern came from Julie over at Moda Bakeshop.  It is a great pattern, even for a beginner.  I made some obvious variations on mine this time as I had some pretty focal prints I wanted to use.  So, I added some ric rac and yo yos.  I thought they turned out super cute.  I really like the PDF she uses for the inserts/organizers.  Make sure you have some tag board for those. 

What has been keeping you busy lately?

My Memories Suite Giveaway Winner Announced

Congratulations to Jen W. who left the second comment.  I used the random number generator and she was the lucky winner! 



Remember, you can still cash in on a really good deal on the software for yourself by using my code:

STMMMS44407

The code will also save you $10 off your order at My Memories!

My Memories Suite Digital Software GIVEAWAY

When Buddy was a baby, I was convinced I was going to be this scrapbooking mom.  Then reality set in.  I was tired.  I had no energy to haul everything out and set it up just to make an even bigger mess.  A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by My Memories (a digital scrapbooking company) about trying out their digital scrapbooking software.  I have a friend who is really into traditional scrapbooking, so we tried it out together.  I think it is quite fun, mess free, fast, and DO able.  It is even addicting! 

This is just one of the pages made....cute, right?  My friend made another one that was really sportsy.  A real eye catcher!  It featured her son wearing our team's football gear.  I'd love to show it to you, but with internet predators I felt it had too much information like his last name and our town name.  So, you will just have to trust me....it was cool.  If you want to see some eye candy inspiration this page has loads of cool examples.

If you think you might be interested in digital scrapbooking, you should visit their online store.  They have lots of cute templates and kits.  You can even read about the software here.  I think it is really reasonably priced!  IN FACT, I can offer you a $10 off the software coupon code!  My code is STMMMS44407

You can also use the same code (STMMMS44407) and save $10 off your total purchase at My Memories.  That is a $20 value!  Just highlight the code, right click your mouse and copy it.  You can paste it into the code box at checkout.

Now, I know some of you are waiting to hear the word giveaway....well, one of my lucky friends is going to win this nice software for their very own computer and scrapbooking fun.  To enter the drawing, simply visit the store and pick a template that you think is cute or that you would use.  Come right on back here and leave me a comment telling me which one is your favorite. 

If you would like an additional entry- visit their blog, leave a comment, come on back and leave me a separate comment telling me you did so!  This week on their blog they had a halloween scrap page challenge...the entries are so cute!  Be sure to check them out.

If you would like a third entry, head on over to their facebook page and "like" My Memories and come on back and tell me about it.

So, three great chances to win!  Plus, a guaranteed code STMMMS44407 to redeem at My Memories.  Giveaway ends Wednesday.....but you can continue to use the code.

Boo! to you

Halloween has arrived.  This year is flying by faster than a witch on her broom.  Crazy!



I have finally used this Label Crew project from last year!  I love it.  Very quick, and very cute! 

At first, I thought that these were going to be a bit small for my purpose, but turns out they hold quite a bit of candy....just right for the kiddos I am sending them to.  You can see one of them has some Bath and Body travel size products stuck in there for a college care package, too.

Have a great Halloween!

It's a Bling Thing

Sighh...I made it.  I put the last stitch in "It's a Bling Thing" on Thursday night at about 10 pm.  We made the drive to Indiana with the wrapped up quilt in the trunk on Friday.  Attended the beautiful ceremony on Saturday afternoon.  It is official, Amanda and Cory are married.  Many hugs and kisses their way.  It was a beautiful ceremony and I hope this beautiful quilt blesses their home. 

Fabric:  Fandango by Kate Spain of Moda Fabrics

Pattern:  "It's a Bling Thing" by Heather Mulder Peterson's Let the Good Times Roll

It feels nice to finally have something to post!  I hope you all are well.  Many hugs your way, too.

All pinned up

Well, thank you for your many, many well wishes.  I haven't tried any of the blogger suggestions as I just didn't feel like doing much this week.  Apologies again for not getting back to you...I will get back in the swing soon, just stick with me.  I finally started to feel a bit better yesterday, which was lucky because we took a family trip to the orchard and a hay ride out to pick the best pumpkin ever.

Then I came home and started working on this quilt.  Collection:  Fandango by Kate Spain; Pattern can be found in Heather Mulder Pearson's book Let the Good Times Roll book.  I had the blocks all together, so I added the borders and sewed the back.  I woke up this morning feeling even better.  Today I have been working on pinning this monster and getting caught up on laundry!  But, that is a different monster all together, isn't it?

Anyway, the wedding that this is suppose to be a gift for is the 15th of October....13 days away.  Pressure is on!  Will I finish it on time?  Stay tuned.

Sick

So I have a cold.  On top of not being able to sleep, now blogger isn't letting me comment on a blog I use to comment on.  I have tried signing out and then back in.  Anyone knows what gives?

Sorry about that

Thank you for all of your kind comments about Buddy.  I really do appreciate them.  I also hope you will forgive me for not responding to each of you in turn, as my husband had a serious infection this week and wound up in the hospital.  No worries.  He seems to be responding well to the medication they gave him and I suspect he will be home soon. 

Thanks again for your friendship.  Hopefully I will be back to blogging when life gets back to a sense of normalcy.

It's a soccer thing

Saturday mornings....you can find us on the soccer field.  Early.  Way too early. 

Soccer fever!

Don't you just love this face.  I could smother him in kisses...except we are at the age that it would be "too embarassing" for the world to know his mother loves him that much.  So, I take what I can get.

 Two games down.  5 goals score by #8 here.  He's on fire.  Oh, and the husband thinks that I should share that Buddy is his screen name.  LOL.  He doesn't want you to think we'd actually name him Buddy.  The name came from when he was still in my tummy...I use to call him Lil' Buddy because we couldn't agree on a name. 

Testing, testing...does this thing still work?

Not to worry, I am still here.  School has started, I am back to work, soccer is in midseason...life is crazy.  I had to give myself a major kick this weekend.  You see...we have a family wedding on Oct 15th to attend and I was intending on making a quilt out of my Fandango jelly roll.  Only the thing is, I hadn't even started it before yesterday.  I had nothing cut.  Nothing sewn.  There was a month left.  Ahh, the pressure.
So luckily, yesterday afternoon I got some sewing time in.  Shew! I picked out my pattern:  It's a Bling Thing by Anka's Treasures.  Perfect name for a wedding quilt, right?  I got to cutting and sewing.  I love this pattern so far.  I have all of my blocks together (yesterday) and all of my rows together (this afternoon).  My borders are cut as well. 

Unfortunately I need to go to the grocery store.  So this may be the point I stop.

What are you sewing???

Finally

Finally we got Buddy's basketball hoop up...

after 3 tries and 2 phone calls to the company for 6 missing parts

it is finally up, a month after his birthday/

Another way

I finished my second bag this weekend admist all of this back to school madness and mayhem.  I like this bag.  You can see that this time, instead of using 2.5 inch pieced strips, I just used a focal fabric and I think it is also very cute.  This bag is going to be a present for Buddy's teacher at Christmas.  This pattern is from the Moda Bake Shop book Sweet Treats.  Again, I did use my fancy stitches for the quilting on the pockets.

One done

Pattern from: Fresh Fabric Treats (the Moda Bakeshop Book)
Fabric: Bliss

This is a very nice pattern with good directions.  It give you an opportunity to use some of those fancy stitches on your machine.  Love the pockets.  You will notice that I did not use the loop and buttons on the side pockets, too, I just wanted those free for water bottles and such.  If you like handles for your shoulder, then you should also increase the length of these. 

I think it turned out super cute.  I am in the process of making a second, in a non-scrappy matter with a nice focal print for the pockets.  One of these is for Buddy's teacher for Christmas and the other will be for me when I head back to work later this week.