Dandelion Quilts

A bag for a friend...

2012-02-18T09:52:00.001-05:00

I know, you've been wondering if I drowned in a pile of UFOs or scraps in my sewing room. Nah, life has just been busy (I know you can relate). Although, the state that my sewing room is in...I could have easily have fallen down and never been found again. That is a project for another day. Sometimes, when life gets like this....it does cross my mind to maybe stop blogging. But, then I think about all my kind friends who always seem to be there when I get back at it. I really do enjoy it. And then I get a sweet comment like this...."I adore these darling bags. I guess I'm afraid of zippers, but you've inspired me to take the plunge and try one. Love your blog, visit daily." from a blogger, Dianne, who I have never heard from before...and that just makes my day. I always see all the "hits" my blog gets and I always wonder who is stopping by for a visit. I love hearing from you! I also have been in "lurker" mode lately myself, so I get it. Sometimes you just want to see what is going on. I often have people leave me nice comments, but in their blogger profile, they have it set up on No Reply....so I cannot answer your question or just say hi myself or if I am having a giveaway, I can't contact the winner. Just something to keep in mind.

Well, the swap wrapped up. I still need to do the drawing for the prizes. I was very pleased with all the bags I saw. If anyone had a less than good experience, I would hope that you would email me in private with your concerns so that I can make some adjustments next time. All bags have been shipped. All but 1 were on time, which is a fantastic statistic. And, I did read all of your comments and suggestions on the last post. Seems many of you are eager to get going on another swap. We will have another....I just need a bit to catch my breath.

Well, last Sunday I had to give myself a good kick in the pants to get a gift done for my girlfriend. I needed it done by Monday. Nothing like waiting to the last moment, right? I had started it the week before, but wasn't happy with my fabric choices. I made her this bag, which is actually the Libby Bag by Clover and Violet, but I opted to put a magnetic snap inside it and skip the binding and the flap. Maybe next time. This pattern did have a little typo, but I caught it. It called for you to sew 7 rows of charms, when you actually needed 8. Nothing big, just something to note if you intend to make one yourself. The picture diagram showed 8. I also think I did my own thing on the handles. But, that is typical me.

This bag is a great size. I love big bags, and this has lots of room for a teacher to put folders in it, and it has great, great pockets, for Ipads or Nooks. I'd darn near call it perfect, really. I used the last of my Strawberry Fields charms on it. A sad day! LOL. My friend loved it, so it was worth the stash sacrifice. My apologies for the winter pictures. I would love for the sun to come out again.

SWAP update- attention all swappers

2012-02-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

Might I just say, you ladies are mighty impressive. I have never had so many early birds before. I thank you and I know your partners thank you as well. And, I am seeing some really cute bags on FLICKR. If you haven't had a chance to post, please do!

Yesterday was our EARLY BIRD DRAWING deadline. I haven't heard from a few of you listed below. If you did ship, please let me know via comments or an email. I'm sure a couple of you did ship, and just forgot to let me know. I know some of you were very close to being done. I don't want to exclude anyone from the drawing.

Melinda F
Melinda C
Liz B
Carla F

While the date for the drawing was yesterday, you do have until this Saturday (Feb 11th) to ship and "officially" be on time. I suspect that this will be the case. I do hope everyone is on time because I would hate to have to exclude you from any future swaps. No one likes having packages arrive late, myself included. Please don't put me in the position to be the meany.

I think I will be drawing 2 names, and each winner will receive one of the bags in my my SWAP bling picture and a bag pattern I bought. I am thinking of trying to round up a sponser for the next SWAP. Feel free to throw me ideas on that topic.

One last note, Sharon created a darling tutorial for her bag and you can find it here.

Nine

2012-01-30T21:24:00.003-05:00

Only 9 swap packages that still need to be sent.
Don't forget to submit your photo to our flickr group found here.
It is fun to see what everyone made.
I did have a couple of ladies say they forgot to snap a photo prior to sending, so feel free to submit a picture of the package you received too.
Let's go 9.....snip, stitch, and ship!
Be on time! Better than that, be early!
I have some nice drawing gifties to give.
You don't want to miss out.

PS
Kelly is having a heck of a clearance inventory sale over at Cotton Charm Quilts. Time to stock up! She even has some RUBY at a great price. Great shipping, too.

Gathered Clutch

2012-01-26T21:32:00.001-05:00

So I made both my partners a gathered clutch. I found my inspiration here at Clover and Violet. They found the original directions here at Noodlehead. I had actually made Noodlehead's original gathered clutch a while ago and loved it.

I also used some scrap to make some more these fun fabric portfolios for my partners. I found the original directions for the portfolios here at The Cottage Home. Great fast and easy project! Great directions.

This is a picture of the back. I love these little labels from Sweetwater. You can find them here.

I also made couple of mug mats. I wish they were a bit more fun though.

Stay tuned...I'll show you what my fabulous partner LeAnn sent me in my package! It is BLISSFULLY sweet. We have had 17 packages sent out as of to date.

Eleven

2012-01-24T18:56:00.001-05:00

11 swap packages already shipped
good job gals
21 left to go
you can do it
11 days left to get in on the early bird drawing
you don't want to miss that do you???
18 days left to just be on time
imagine the look of delight on your partner's face when the mailman blasts the horn
and she runs out to get her package
priceless

Have you shipped yet?

2012-01-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Swappers,

Can you believe how fast time is flying by? My swap packages are wrapped up and ready to ship tomorrow. Please remember to contact me when you ship, so I can mark you as done early. Remember we are having a giveaway drawing for EARLY BIRDS. I think we are up to 5 swappers shipped.

Also, here is a Flickr group for you to join and post your projects on.

Happy sewing,

Kris

Lilly Aprons

2012-01-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

I finished these aprons last Saturday. Love them. Makes me feel like baking. The pattern is called Lilly Apron. This is my version in some scrap material of Heather Bailey:

This it my Bliss version:

Dear Zappos

2012-01-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

Dear Zappos,
I would like to thank you for allowing my credit card information to be stolen. I especially enjoyed your light-hearted, almost joking email about it. Especially the part where you told me that only the last 4 digits of my credit card were taken and therefore, I was most likely "safe". Tell me, what are the chances that the very same day you let me know this, that my credit card company also let me know that there have been fraudulent charges on my card, exceeding $200. REALLY? I suspect it is not a coincidence. I also think that you should have returned my email by now, 24 hours later.

I think it only right to warn other customers, don't you? Especially when my credit card company representative told me that I was not the first customer who was in this predicament that had reported also receiving the letter from Zappos. Fortunately, my credit card company has had outstanding customer service regarding this situation. The same cannot be said for you right now.

Sincerely,

Me, the mom who only wanted to buy her son a pair of soccer cleats from you

Zip it

2012-01-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

I thought I would pass along an online store that Jen passed along to me. Zipit. Beautiful zippers. Terrific prices. Fast service. I hand picked 25- 14 inch zippers, in my assortment of colors for $12.50! Even with shipping, it still saved me a bundle compared to Joanns and now I have a nice little stock.

They arrived 3 days letter at my doorstep. :) Love it.

Check it out.....Zipit

PS- I've had 2 swappers already ship! Don't forget to let me know when you ship.

A Christmas finish

2012-01-15T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here is another finish from Christmas break. I love it. That Santa is so jolly. I am glad it is done. The quilt top sat in my closet finished for a year.

Headbands

2012-01-14T15:18:00.002-05:00

Over break, I made a couple of head bands for some little girls birthdays that are coming up. I admit, I was a little nervous that they would be too big, so I asked Buddy to try them on. He was not a sport. So, I paid him. That's right, I had to pay him.....and swear to never speak of it again. But they turned out cute and I am sure they will be even cuter on the girls. I used scraps and followed this tutorial. I found the flower tutorial here. They were very easy to make and a good scrapbuster.

Accessory Bag Closed - Partners Announced

2012-01-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

Please check your inboxes for an email from me. Contact me right away if you did not receive your email. Please double check your partner's information I sent with the list of partners below. If it doesn't match, please email me so I can fix it.

Kris P. - Melinda F.
Kris P. - LeAnn H.
Helen M- Jen W.
Naomi V. - Narelle L.
Traci K. - Michelle K.
Jen S. - Jessica T.
Judy C. - Mary S.
Robin M. - Wendy C.
Kim S. - Liz B.
Mary W. - Mary Grace M
Leslie L. - Nicole H.
Mary Ann B. - Carla F.
Heather O.- Janet K.
Kathy H. - Sharon P.
Carol L. - Michele A.
Margaret R. - Melinda C.

We have a lot of first time swappers. Just a few reminders, please ship on time. If something comes up let your partner and myself know as soon as possible. It does happen. Once I was in a swap, and my dear partner's husband was diagnosed with cancer. It was easy to be understanding when she let me know. PLEASE communicate. Also, while this is not a requirement, you may like to know that often swappers stick a couple of extra goodies/gifties in with their handmade item. Again, it is not required, but I didn't want you to be surprised that it may happen.

Happy sewing!

Accessory Bag Swap Sign Ups

2012-01-06T11:16:00.001-05:00

Wow! I have heard from a lot of fun ladies for the swap. I've just been collecting the information, but I know you will want to double check. So, to give you piece of mind here is my current list:

Jen W.
Helen M.
Wendy C.
Robin M.
Mary Ann B.
Melinda F.
Naomi V.
Traci K.
Narelle L.
Michelle K.
Judy C.
Nicole H.
Kim S.
Jen S.
LeAnn H.
Liz B.
Mary S.
Mary W.
Leslie L.
Mary Grace M.
Jessica T.
Carla F.
Heather O.
Janet K.
Michele A.
Sharon P.
Kathy H.
Carol L.
Margeret R.
Melinda C.

Due to overwhelming response, I am CLOSING registration for this swap.
I will be emailing out partner information very soon. Until then, happy sewing.

Accessory Bag Swap

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-27T10:40:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-21T21:52:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-11T12:24:00.001-05:00

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....

2011-11-26T21:55:00.001-05:00

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)

2011-11-24T11:39:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-19T15:31:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-11T16:16:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-08T19:54:00.002-05:00

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

2011-11-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-23T16:46:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-16T18:55:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-02T11:46:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-26T04:24:00.001-04:00

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

2011-09-24T20:21:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-19T18:00:00.017-04:00

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?

2011-09-18T13:17:00.001-04:00

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

2011-09-08T19:26:00.007-04:00

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

2011-09-06T19:25:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-22T23:59:00.000-04:00

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.

Company coming? Easy Dessert

2011-08-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

Thank you for your many kind comments about Buddy. He and I both appreciate your support. Originally I had plans to share this recipe yesterday. It is great for summer because it is a tasty no-bake dessert and it is perfect for company. I hope you will give it a try.

Eclair Dessert

Ingredients:
1 box of instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)
1 1/2 c milk
8 ounces cool whip
30 graham cracker squares
chocolate frosting

Whisk milk and pudding for 2 minutes. Allow to set up for 5 minutes. Gently fold in your cool whip. In your 9 X 9 pan, lay 9-10 grahams in the bottom. It is okay if you need to layer them a bit. Just cover it. Next, spread half the pudding mixture, and then top with 9-10 more grahams. REPEAT. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Frost before serving.

Today in the mail I received a very nice letter from the Joplin quilters that I sent that quilt kit to. They said they received over 500 finished quilts and loads of kits and materials to rebuild their guild with. I think that is pretty fabulous and they were clearly touched by the love of the quilting community.

Sometimes it is tough being a kid

2011-08-21T19:33:00.001-04:00

So, we went to the playground and five minutes later abruptly left the playground after cracking Buddy's head. We drove to med express, walking in the doors 5 minutes before they closed. I might add, if you are squimish...don't scroll down.

Luckily, we had the DS in my purse to distract him.

4 staples later, we left. The doctor said to me- We have this numbing gel that we can give him and he will feel nothing. But that takes 30 minutes and you would be keeping 4 people here for that. Or we can give him a shot which will be a poke and a sting but then it is over after a few more pricks. It is up to you. I felt pressured, but went for the gel anyway.

Another Camielle Bag finish

2011-08-19T12:38:00.001-04:00

I forgot to share this finish! Pattern: Camielle Bag by Quilts Illustrated

Fabric: Heather Bailey's Pop Garden

Another UFO bites the dust!

This was a birthday present for my dear friend, Megan.

For Brian and Brooke

2011-08-17T17:17:00.003-04:00

This is the quilt I made for Brian and Brooke. You see, they are getting married.

Brian was one of my very first friends in this world. While I was quilting, I thought a lot about Brian. Brooke, I know you are in good hands. I remember Brian convinced his mom to buy me this ~~hideous~~ beautiful green beaded necklace at a garage sale, when we were probably about 4 years old. I thought it was the most beautiful necklace. He has always been very generous, that Brian. Brooke, I am sure he will buy you lots of jewels and treasures, as well.

I also remember a time when these bigger kids came riding by on their bikes, and they were not very nice to me. Brian took care of them and told them to get lost. So, I know, Brooke, that Brian will take good care of you. He is very loyal, protective, confident, and in-charge. He has always been that way...he will make a wonderful husband.

So, to my friend, Brian, and his beautiful bride, Brooke...may this quilt help you make a cozy home together. While I quilted it, I prayed for a very happy marriage.

Easy Mini Tutorial- Blooming Table Runner

2011-08-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

After I finished this table runner, I thought to myself. That was easy. I should have made a tutorial. I think I can still walk you through it without the step by step pictures- it is that easy.

Ingredients:

1 pack of petite size charms (or cut some regular charms into 2.5 squares). You need 28 petite charms.
1/2 yard focus fabric for the center (mine is the dark chocolate with those big blooms)
1.5 inch strip of contrasting fabric (your strip needs to be at least 29 inches long)
1/4 yard binding material
1/2 yard of backing material
1/2 yard of your favorite batting (I used warm and natural scrap I had from another project)

Prepare your fabric:

Lay your charms out into rows, 2 rows of 7 charms (for each end cap of the runner). 4 rows total Sew them together, you know the drill. Iron the rows in opposite directions, and then sew 2 rows together for end "caps". Repeat for the opposite end. They should look like the photo below, just not attached to the focus piece or the contrasting fabric yet.

Iron your contrasting fabric strip wrong sides together. This piece is going to peek out. It will not be sewn in on both sides.
Now is the time to check your measurements. My petite charm end caps measured 14.5 inches long. So, I am going to cut my green contrast strip to that length. If your charms measurement is different, just cut according to that length because you want everything to match up nicely.
You also need to cut your focus fabric that length. So, again make your adjustments, but mine measures 14.5 long by 25 inches wide. If you don't want your runner that big, you may want to make the width smaller. IT IS OKAY. Make it yours.
Now that everything is prepared it is time to sew some more. On each end of your focus fabric (that is my brown fabric with the big blooms), you want to sandwich the raw edge of the green contrast fabric (not the folded edge) between your focus fabric and your charms. So lay the focus fabric right side up, lay the green raw edges on top of that, and then put the charms right side down on top. Be sure to match up all 4 raw edges and pin. Sew with a 1/4 inch seam. You have one end done! Repeat for the other end. IRON. Congratulations the top of your super easy Blooming Table Runner is done. Don't you feel accomplished?

After you make your yummy quilting sandwich (consisting of your backing, batting, and top), now you get to quilt it. Anything would look nice, even straight lines. Whatever you do, don't completely sew down your green contrast strip. I chose to meander in the center, cross hatch over the charms, and I sewed just to the inside of the seam of the green contrast strip. If you enlarge the photo, you can see what I did.
Finish it by binding using your favorite method.

Finished runner 14.5 X 34

If you have any questions, or if I lost you in a step...please feel free to ask!

Housewarming

2011-08-05T12:44:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow we are going to a BBQ at my cousin's new house. It is so nice to have family living closer now. First my mom and dad, and now my cousin. This cousin is pretty special to me, as I have lots of fond memories of her growing up. My grandma use to have these huge oak trees in her front yard. We use to play house on the base of them...it was so much fun.

Anyway, I bought her a new pitcher for her house. It had a bit of green in it and I thought it would go nicely with these towels, which I embelished with a bit of scraps I had. I thought the scraps were the perfect match, don't you??

Speaking of perfect, this cute boy just turned 7. It was a fun day.

I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, and he replied, "Your chocolate cake cuz my mama makes the best chocolate cake." Melt my heart.

This may just be my favorite yet...

2011-07-27T14:26:00.001-04:00

Top is done. Specifics here in case you missed them. I had a major debate with myself whether to leave it as the original pattern states or add the the white border. After I added the white border the question was whether to add a scrappy border with another white border like I did on my pinwheel sampler, to add the blue border, or to stop. Well, you can see the blue one and I am glad. I think it looks nice. I just wanted it a bit bigger than the original dimensions. I could have just added some more blocks, too. I love that this pattern is so versatile. I really do like the pattern, and plan on using it again soon.

I love this quilt and all of its Verna goodness. Bless you Kate Spain.

When I was debating, I laid the quilt out on Buddy's new bed and called him in for his opinion. He had a strange look on his face and he said, " Wow, I didn't see the flowers coming." That made me laugh. I told him..."The quilt isn't for you or your bed." That was quite a relief to him. LOL. He didn't help my decision at all.

Works in Progress

2011-07-26T08:24:00.000-04:00

So, I have been doing a bit of sewing. Yessiree...finished a bunch of blocks yesterday and have more cut for today. I am using my Verna fabric. It is a gorgeous line. I hate to cut it, frankly. Beautiful.

I am using this pattern, Elsie and Paige Sisters Forever. I was inspired to buy it by these quilts here. (I particularly love that Strawberry Fields version in photo #2.) You can grab yourself a copy here. I think it is a nice pattern because the directions are concise. There are nice diagrams. It seems to go pretty fast. And, there are multiple ways of doing quilts in here. I love choices, don't you?

Here is my favorite work in progress right here. Isn't he a handsome guy? I think that tooth that is missing just completes things, don't you? He was a junior host at the wedding. He passed out the programs. Did a great job too. As soon as the service started, I was told he looked at his grammie and said, "Grammie, get this flower off me now." LOL. You know, flowers are for girls.

Brunch, shall we?

2011-07-21T15:03:00.000-04:00

So, the bridal brunch was fun. The bride loved her runner and bunting. We had loads of good food. Although, I just thought I'd share a couple of great links here...

I served my picnic chicken, I forgot to take a snap of that one. Delicous, easy, and warms up great for leftovers or serves nice cold. You can find the recipe here at Taste of Home.

Some of the sides were:

Spicy Pasta Salad from Pioneer Woman

Maple Pecan Coleslaw from The Cottage Home. I made this with my friends special homemade maple syrup. Delicious.

and these bad boys went with us to the spa....

Smores Cake in a Jar by How Sweet it Is

They are best warm, but you can make them early and nuke them for 20 seconds. Delicious. I used 6 jam jars (8 ounces) instead of her 4 pint jars. It was just the right portion of cake.

A New Purse

2011-07-20T09:13:00.000-04:00

So, I ~~have had this bag cut out for over a year and finally got around to finishing it~~ whipped up this bag the other day and gifted it to my mom for helping me get ready for the Bridal Brunch I was throwing. She really liked it. The fabric is from Urban Chicks 1974 fabric collection. I wish they would come out with another collection similar to this one because I loved it. The bag is by Quilts Illustrated and is called Camilles Bag. I have made it before and you can see those color ways here.

More details about the brunch, including recipes tomorrow.

Also in the "must share" department, I did pick up some charms...

Sherbit Pips (How did I ever live without you?)

Ruby (Oh, I do think I will be buying a bit more of you, missy!) (Oh, and I picked them up at Emerald City Fabrics...but they only have 1 left.)

Finally, I want to thank LeAnn for this adorable bag pattern that I won. Love it! Can't believe I hadn't already picked this little gem up because it looks just like something I would "have to have". Thanks, LeAnn. If you haven't ever been to LeAnn's blog, you should head straight on over there for some beautiful quilts, inspiration, not to mention that LeAnn is a very sweet and sincere person to get to know.

Make Life Happy

2011-07-16T16:39:00.000-04:00

I sat down last night and knocked out the binding on my sweet pea quilt. I bought this label for the quilt....I just think it fits just right.

Make . Life . Happy

Birthday Girl

2011-07-14T19:31:00.011-04:00

I made a little birthday present for our sweet neighbor girl. I used one of my Label Crew birthday labels on this cute popsicle pillowcase. She really liked that touch. And I also made a matching pouch. I found these cute girly nailpolishes that looked like ice cream cones (sorry forgot to snap a photo of that). She can store them in the pouch.

Here Comes Goodbye

2011-07-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

One of my very dear friends from work is leaving us for a new and exciting opportunity. While I am of course very excited for her, I will miss her very much. I stumbled upon this fabric tutorial from The Cottage Home. Great directions. Easy project to make. I added a little extra stabelizer and found it more difficult to get share corners, so next time I won't and I think it will be quite sturdy anyway. This is my first time working with canvas. What a great use for some scraps.

Totally Fun To Make

2011-07-05T17:26:00.001-04:00

Finally I decided that I should make a bunting. Actually, I made two. And, I used my Go Cutter. Whoowee...what a snap and so cute. One day I was touring around blogland seeing the sights when I stumbled upon this easy tutorial over at Diary of a Quilter. I thought to myself, "Self, hold onto your britches, I think you have that Go Die." I ran lickity splittity right into the sewing room, and sure enough I did.

What a great use of scraps, which is what I made my bunting for the sewing room from.

Of course, for my friend's bridal brunch....I used the cherry material up. So cute. Cannot wait to hang it up.

Here is the finished version of the table runner after I washed it up.

Saturday doings

2011-07-03T10:56:00.001-04:00

Well, I actually had a really successful day of sewing.

First I'd like to report that I quilted and sewed my binding on my Sweat Pea Make Life Quilt. Where's the picture you ask? Well....I still have to hand tack the binding down. But, just as soon as I do...I promise you a picture.

As if that was not enough for one day! What now, you ask? Well, I am throwing a little Bridal Brunch at my house in a couple of weeks for my gal pal. She loves cherries. So, I made this cute runner last night. I thought I would have it out at the brunch, and gift it to her at the end.

Have you ever made this pattern? It is a great one. Quick. Plus, no binding! When you are done following the quilting instructions, you are done. I made my dimensions different...it called for 8 X 8. I did 3 X 6. I have done it with a charm pack before. Click here to see the different colorway. Now I have to wash it a couple of times to give it that rag quilt effect that makes it super cute. I want to get some Shout color catchers before I do that.

While I am at all of this sharing, look at this fabulous giant pincushion that my friend Judy sent me for my sewing room! It is 2 sided even. I love Bliss. Cannot wait for Ruby to be released. Thanks, Judy!

Last week, I also made these pouches using a pattern by Amy Butler. They were a snap to make, I just happen to think the other ones are cuter.

In other news....it has been hot around here. But, we've been beating the heat.

Unfortunately, this is hard to see...but you can trust me that in this photo Buddy has a python wrapped around his neck and his friends shoulders. I thought I would surely pass out watching it.

Pity Party

2011-07-01T23:15:00.001-04:00

Are you stuck at home over the 4th? Well, head on over to the pity party for some fun that you can create yourself.

I linked up my yummy triffle. Unfortunately, I didn't get that I should name the dessert, not myself. Duh. Oh well, people will tell from the photo, I guess.

Make Life Fun...Play with your scraps

2011-06-22T11:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Dandelion Quilts' Scrappy Edition. So I had some fun Make Life scraps and these coordinating cute buttons. What is a girl to do, right? These bags are from the pattern Little Glam Bags by Pink Sand Beach Designs. I struggled with the zippers, I will be honest.

Just for kicks, another shot of Buddy. This is his newest, most favorite shirt. LOL. It is getting a lot of wear. Look at those long legs! How am I going to keep him in pants???

Make Life

2011-06-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

So, I finally put my Make Life blocks together. For the pattern info here is my original post. I love how it turned out. It was a zip to put together...what took me so long, right?

I especially like the border fabric.

Sorry for the night time photos. Yuck.

Say hello to my fabulous new sewing chair. Bright pink. What more could a girl ask for? This chair is surprisingly comfortable and hits my back just right. Thanks, Ikea. Make life fun...think pink.

Friday Night Sew In

2011-06-18T08:24:00.001-04:00

I actually accomplished a lot during my Friday Night Sew In time. I worked on a few odds and ends to finish up the baby present.

First up, some personalized burp clothes that coordinate with the baby quilt. I was very pleased with these. They turned out great. I just love the fabrics, too.

You will also see some bibs in that shot. That pattern came from the last Quilts and More edition. It is a pattern by Camielle R. Very easy.

I also personalized these wash clothes. Doesn't look like much, but each took close to a half an hour.

All in all, we say this was a success! Have a good weekend and don't forget to give your dad a big hug.

Joplin Quilters in Need of Donations

2011-06-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

I actually caught wind of this thru Allie. Fons and Porter has issued a plea for help for a Joplin group of quilters. Below is the copied article and here is the link where I found the original.

The Town and Country Quilters of Joplin, MO lost everything, including their homes, in a recent and devastating tornado. This quilting group is known for donating many of their quilts to local charities, and could use your help to get started again. They need all tools and supplies restocked because their storage house was also destroyed. Gone are all of the supplies used in the making of charity quilts (rotary cutters, cutting mats, batting, fabric, etc.). If you or your quilt guild would like to donate items, please send them to guild member:

Gloria Park

2921 N. Hickory

Joplin, Missouri 64801

****************************************

When I was cleaning out the sewing room I found a quilt kit that had been sitting there for several years. I have decided to ship it to the Town and Country Quilters. I hope that you will join me in rebuilding this groups' efforts. I know we all have something in our stash that they could use.

Giveaway!

2011-06-16T11:23:00.000-04:00

The giveaway is now closed!

I mentioned a couple posts back that I would be having a giveaway soon. Well, I decided after reading all the nice tips, suggestions, and compliments over the last 4 posts just to do a drawing from those names. So, had you left a comment, you were entered. Buddy drew Loralynn's name. Congratulations, Loralynn. I will be shipping that surprise package out to you soon. When I cleaned out my sewing room, I found a few sursprises in there. I hope that you can use them or pass them along to someone who can.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

2011-06-15T15:21:00.000-04:00

I finished hand stitching the binding on this beautiful baby quilt this morning at the car dealership, while I was having my tires rotated. I really am pleased with how it turned out.

The corners are my favorite part, I agree with you gals about that.

The binding is a nice mocha color with pindots. You gotta love pindots.

I threw this pic into the mix just for kicks. I thought my quilt holder could do this job. His poor arms were not long enough and had I rotated the quilt, he wouldn't have been tall enough. But he was a good sport anyway.

Friday Night Sew In

2011-06-15T09:30:00.000-04:00

So, I am planning on sewing this Friday Night. I have 2 projects in mind that I would like to choose from. I say this because in all likelihood I may walk into the sewing room that night and feel a different whim. LOL. Are you like that???

You should join in the fun. Sign up here. Big thanks to Heidi and and Bobbi for organizing the fun.

Have I mentioned how much I love my quilty friends?

2011-06-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

So, you were absolutely right. Thank you for the BLOGGER tips. Much better now.

Here's another question for those of you in the know...when sewing/working with laminated fabric, do you need to use a special needle?

Frustrations with blogger

2011-06-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

So for a couple of weeks now, I have been unable to leave comments on a few of my favorite friend's blogs! What's the deal??? I see that all of these blogs seem to have a different set up than I do on my page. Is anyone else having problems? What can I do to comment on my friends' pages??

Baby Quilt Top

2011-06-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

It has felt really great to get in the sewing room a bit. I have been working on a quilt for my cousin, who is having her first baby. This quilt pattern is called Bouncing Borders and it is a design by Bean Counter Quilts. It is charm pack friendly, but I used my fat quarters and my Go!Cutter.

When I get it quilted, I will take it outside for a better shot. This photo really doesn't do it justice.

Fabrics: Posh by Chez Moi of Moda Fabrics

Sewing Room in Progress

2011-06-05T15:42:00.002-04:00

Sorry the blog has been such a snore lately. Hang in there. I have 5 days until vacation and several big projects that I have to get accomplished ASAP. I also suspect there will be a giveaway in the future. I have actually been working on some bags, but I will show those another day.

So, I mentioned that I was ditching the guest room in lieu of my very own sewing room. We have been working on that. I had a trip to IKEA. Got some cool organizing stuff there. I need to make 1 more trip. I need to have the carpet cleaned. Meanwhile I did some serious cleaning, sorting, organizing. I decided that I couldn't wait any longer to show you some sneak peeks. Sorry the picture below turned out so dark, but I took it twice with the same result. I think you can still get the vibe though. I originally bought some Sunkissed fabric as my inspiration for pulling the whole room together. It is sitting on the ironing board waiting to be made into a new board cover. Then I bought 2 of Sweetwater's prints from their Etsy site. The one by the ironing board is the You are My Sunshine...which reminds me of my grandmother.

This is the other Sweetwater print which is an Irish blessing. It reminds me of my favorite high school teacher, who wrote the same blessing in my senior yearbook. How perfect, right? I also really like the magnet bar that hangs below it with those tins that I filled with buttons. That was a cheap IKEA purchase that I think is great for a crafting room. My embroidery machine is going to be set up on this extra sewing table. I know I will get a lot more use out of it if it is already up.

I wish I would have taken a before picture of the hutch- it was such a disaster and just looked a mess. I repurposed it with these great boxes. The flowery ones are actually plastic with snapping lids. They came from the Walmart clearance aisle, as did the matching frame on the bottom shelf. The green boxes are smaller, perfect for fq, and they came from IKEA. Very reasonably priced.

Here is a close up of the flowery box...they really hold a lot. I used them mainly for my precuts. On top, you can a charm pack that Jen sent me for my birthday (big thanks Jen, you know Fig Tree is a favorite of mine)...

Matt was really helpful re-doing the room. He convinced me that I would like a cutting table that wasn't shoved against a wall. For now, we are going to brace these cubbies together. Later, I may decide to add a laminate topper...we will see. I also have a super cool bar that is going to hang on the wall above it, it has these neat baskets that hang off of it. We just haven't quite gotten that far yet. (Another IKEA purchase)

I love the cubbies...there are 30 cubbies. They came from Home Depot and the foldable baskets are from there, too. Martha Stewart has her own line now. Love the baskets...they hold alot. I bought 24 of them and they were worth every penny. Some of the labels on the baskets are: pillowcase fabrics, bag fabrics, kits, projects in works, Moda, Moda, Moda, Amy Butler, Layer Cakes, Patterns, Magazines, and Solids. I think I still have 8 empty bins. Pretty exciting.

This was another birthday present from Judy...she made me my very own Abbey Bag out of Bliss....I can right home and shoved pins in it. I love it.

Is it not just the cutest?????

So, I love the new room. You'd think I would be whipping the projects out, but today I spent the day going through fabric. I really, really like just sitting in the room and staring at it. The first night I thought I'd die of pure joy just from having a complete space for a change. No more running out to the dining room to cut.

Some of you who have swapped with me with see your gifts sprinkled though out the space, unless they are seasonal. They make the best, final touch, don't you think??

Soccer and T ball Highlights

2011-05-21T09:46:00.001-04:00

Last night, we showed up for our make up game (we were making one up due to the field being flooded) only to find about 4 inches of standing water on the end of the field. So, the little boys played on the big boys field. Buddy slept great last night! He was tuckered out.

Although at first that field looked better, it was really wet as well. I now have stock in stain remover. We got home at about 8 and I had to wash the uniform for this morning's regularly scheduled game. Since I haven't heard differently I am assuming we are playing in the "pond".

In our other sports world, t ball is also very wet. Luckily though, we haven't had any games rescheduled due to the water. Buddy seems to be enjoying playing 3rd and pitcher...although there really is no pitcher at this age.

Aren't they cute???

A Lovely Surprise for Pincushion Swappers

2011-05-17T15:38:00.000-04:00

Hi Swappers! First and foremost, I must apologize. When the swap wrapped up, I was going to wait a couple of weeks to make sure all of the out of country swappers received their packages before drawing a prize for the swap. Well, a couple turned into a few weeks turned into several. I am very sorry. Life has been keeping us very busy with t ball, soccer, and helping my parents move.

But, I did remember. Since I didn't hear of anyone not receiving their pincushions, we are ready to draw. I used my original swap list and the random number generator. So congratulations to Wendy F. you are the lucky winner of 2 "Lovely" charm packs from Kelly's shop. A special thanks to Kelly for donating those. If you haven't stopped by the shop lately, you really should. Kelly has some very reasonable prices.

I must also compliment each of you because I did not have to hound anyone nor did I have to wrangle up some additional pincushions to make up for those that didn't post. It was my most favorite swap ever. And that being said, I am throwing a second prize into the lot. One of these very cute pincushions that I made. And the winner of the pincushion is, LeAnn H. Congratulations to both ladies. We will get those prizes out to you.

Stay tuned for a new swap coming up this summer...as soon as life slows down a bit.

Have you seen?

2011-05-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

I admit it...I am in love. Did you happen to make it over to Make Life Sweet Blog lately? I think I need some of those charms. I am not going to market, but it sounds like I will be in luck anyway, as they will be posting them on their etsy site. I bought a couple of prints from their etsy site while I was there. I act like I went somewhere, but really I did it from this chair in my pajamas. Yup. Easey Peasey. The prints are going to be part of the transformation that I mention below.

I haven't had much to blog about lately. I apologize. Nor have I been on blogs. Nor have I sewed. Busy times here. Soccer. T Ball. Soccer. T Ball. Tired Mama. Repeat.

But, I do have an exciting undertaking going on here. Or exciting for me, that is. My sewing room is getting a make over. Thank goodness. That is all I will say on that. But. There is a lot going on right now. I suspect I might not get much sewing done until the make over is complete because frankly that is just how I feel right now. Have you seen the sewing room?

It is also the smallest room in the house and a guest room. That is about to change people. You see something quite exciting happened just a few short weeks ago...my parents, who have always lived hours away, bought a house just 8 miles away. Not only do I get to see them any night I want (which is just totally terrific) but I also don't need to house this bed for them to sleep in anymore. I get to have a cutting table in the same room. Pinch me, is this for real??? Big changes coming.

Just you wait and see.

Baby Boy Gifts

2011-04-25T21:43:00.001-04:00

Can you tell I had a couple of days off from work, soccer, and tee ball?? Yessirree...did some sewing here. Felt great to be in the sewing room, too. I loved every minute of it.

So, I had a baby shower gift to make. First up, I made this quilt from the Moda Bake Shop. You can find the recipe here. I really liked the pattern. Very easy to follow and everything seemed to line up for me pretty well. I used a bit of Lake House scraps that I had along with some Kona solid grey. I was inspired by many quilts I have seen and liked on the blogs with grey.

Next, I personalized these burp clothes. The frog design is from SWAK embroidery.

Finally, I had some backing material left over and I really wanted to use these scraps up. That seems to be my thing these days. So, I made a storage basket out of them (doubles as a gift bag) using this tutorial. Now, you should know that I did not have any plexiglass on hand...so in addition to the craft fuse I used on the outer and lining, I just put a triple layer of adhesive batting, adhesive batting, and craft fuse pellon (a 8 X 10 square) on the interior of the outer basket layer. It is super sturdy as well as super cute. I also added 12 inch handles on the ends, and I omitted the hanging basket loop. This was perhaps one of the easiest projects that I have ever made. No joke.

Little Retro Birdie

2011-04-25T13:04:00.000-04:00

Graduation Time. Or at least it is getting close, right? I have a few towels to embroider this year. I am adding them to the laundry bags I already made. I really like this retro birdie. So, there you have it...my towels this year. I have another set. I am going to make them the same way, different name. The bird came from SWAK embroidery.

Mother's Day Project- Tulip Pillow

2011-04-22T22:03:00.001-04:00

Last year, I made my mother-in-law a tulip quilt. I made a matching pillow for this year's gift. I found my inspiration at Twin Fibers and I thought...I can do that. I think this is my first pillow ever. Boy, there are so many cute ideas out there, aren't there???

My husband isn't fond of the pillowcase style and the ribbons, but I love ribbon. I think it is just the ticket. Plus this matches perfect. I almost didn't quilt the front, but I really wanted that quilted look. I thought my quilting might be rusty, but actually I was quite pleased with this one...especially considering my husband called me on the telephone 5 times while I was free motion quilting. Lucky I didn't run over a finger. I liked how the 18 inch pillow filled it up a bit more, but it stuck a bit out of the end.

Is anyone else working on Mother's Day gifts? I'd love to know what you are up to.

Some of that Disney Magic

2011-04-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

We started our Disney World adventure at Chef Mickey's. What a great dinner and a fantastic way to meet characters without standing in a long, hot line. We had a lot of fun here. To those of you planning your own trip, Chef Mickey's is located in the Contemporary Resort. You simply take the Monorail from Magic Kingdom there, but make your reservations as soon as you know you are headed to Disney. It is very popular.

Mickey gave Buddy a smooch. LOL. I missed the actual smooch, but you can see he is a bit red in the face.

Here we are waiting for the Electric Lights parade. We have been up since 4 in the morning traveling.

Look! We found Donald in Frontierland...what luck. Buddy loved his raccoon hat.

I really enjoyed Epcot's Home and Garden Festival. The topiaries were really cool.

Buddy also enjoyed visiting some of the countries at Epcot. We ate at an Italian restaurant. He also got a super cool cellphone with video messages from Kim Possible. It was a neat interactive spy mission that he really enjoyed.

We really enjoyed the Finding Nemo ride and aquarium at Epcot. We also had some firsts this trip: Mission Space, Fast Track, and Soarin'. All 3 were very cool rides.

We did go to the Animal Kingdom. We enjoyed the Safari Ride, the Finding Nemo Musical, and this character breakfast at the Tusker House.

We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. It was a total hit complete with pirate theme. We did a lot of swimming as it in was in the high eighties most of the week.

That is the short version of a fabulous vacation. We enjoyed Hollywood Studios as well. I guess I forgot to upload a picture from there.

Zippy Wallet by Noodlehead

2011-03-28T21:39:00.002-04:00

Oh. My. Goodness. Cuteness.

Why haven't I tried Noodlehead's Zippy Wallet tutorial before? Seriously. Cute. Easy. Love it. Many thanks for sharing it with me.

A girl has to accessorize her new purse after all, right?

Sew Savvy Bag

2011-03-26T20:37:00.000-04:00

Soon Buddy, Mom, and I are going to be taking a trip to see Mickey Mouse. I made mom a purse to carry on the trip, but I still needed one. I made this Sew Savvy Messenger Bag from the latest edition of Quilts and More. It was an easy pattern to follow and I only made adjustments out of personal taste. For example, I added a snap, which did require me to move the front pockets to the back, and the back to the front. I also sewed my straps differently than directed. Next time, I might make the flap a 1/2 inch wider as I am not sure I am in love with those holes at the top.

I haven't been good at all at my UFO challenge, but one of my own personal goals was to sew using more scraps of fabric. Originally, I had selected 2 one-yard cuts for this purse. But instead, I used fabric left over from a Amy Butler pattern, that was in odd shapes. I am so glad I did. I always liked this Moda fabric, and I think it turned out darling. So, I think that counts...using scraps is like a UFO....I have tons of scraps just heaping mounds in my sewing room, and it is nice to use those too. It makes me feel good.

I really do like all the exterior pockets on this bag, this is just 2 of 5.

I am happy to say, I heard from all pincushion participants, and it sounded like everyone was getting their pincushions out on time. Don't forget to email me a picture or upload it to our flickr group yourself. I know I enjoy seeing everyone's work.

Easy Peruvian Roasted Chicken Recipe

2011-03-24T14:30:00.003-04:00

This is an easy to make recipe that is always a big hit with the guys in my house. I love it, too.

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces of chicken with skin and bone (I doubled this recipe when I made it this time.)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 c white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I used the second this time)
kosher salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Marinade the chicken for at least 4 hours (I like to do it for the entire day).

Place the chicken in a sprayed cassrole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. (I use a thermometer to tell when it is done). Do not cover. Discard the marinade.

My guys fight over the drumsticks, so that is all I make anymore. You can use any piece of chicken.

Sorry....forgot to take a picture of the finished chicken. LOL. You have to be quick around here.

I think you will like this dish though. I usually serve it with this orzo recipe and some roasted zucchini. Delicious. It is everyone's favorite side.

Cute Pincushions Just Popping Up Everywhere

2011-03-23T18:38:00.001-04:00

A special thanks to Sinta, my wonderful swap partner, for this cute mushroom pincushion. I just love the button trim on it, and the polka dot stem. I think that the Fig Tree fabric really is perfect. She also sent me a collection of nice goodies in that cute wire berry basket. I love it all. I plan to use that Starbucks card tomorrow!

I hope everyone is getting close to ready to ship. I have only 2 participants that I haven't heard anything from. Please let me know your plan.

Pincushion Reminder. Pincushion Reminder. Repeat Pincushion Reminder

2011-03-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

Have you shipped? Have you shipped? Have you shipped?

There is 1 week left until the ship date of March 26 for the Pincushion Swap. Please, please, please ship on time. Everyone is looking forward to receiving their pincushion. We are having a drawing for some goodies for those that ship on time. Make sure your name is in the bowl. I emailed everyone reminders. Please email me when you ship or feel free to give me a status update. I have heard from 11 gals. If you got a reminder and you had already sent me a shipping confirmation email, please reply. I was out of town for a few days, and I am afraid I may have inadverntantly "deleted" a couple of confirmations...my sincerest apologies if that was you.

Shop hopper's bag

2011-03-09T14:21:00.001-05:00

So, I made this for mom's birthday. She wanted a slim, trim purse for our upcoming trip to Disney...something to carry her room key, small camera, and her sunglass case. I remembered I had a pattern for something along those lines, so I started digging. I found one in the 2009 Edition of BHG's Bags, Pillows, and Pincushions. (Interestingly enough, I also found the original pattern for my pincushion bling, and it isn't giant size.) The bag is called Shop Hopper's Bag and I just made it a bit longer for mom's needs. I also made the straps 55 inches, so it would fit across the shoulders more like a messanger bag strap.

It also has sewn in "car" pockets near the top.

I love this fabric. It is very cute. Perfect for a trip, don't you think??? BTW, thanks for all the well wishes for buddy...he is starting to feel a bit better I think, I hope. Also, I loved everyone's hand stitching comments, they made me feel much better and some of them made me laugh. I went back and looked my work, and it didn't bother me nearly as much.

Squashin' the Resistance to Squash

2011-03-08T20:37:00.000-05:00

Have you met my friend, the spaghetti squash? This oblong yellow squash can be found in your local supermarket. Here's the easiest way to make this delicious squash:

First, I put the entire squash into the microwave for 2 minutes, to soften the skin to cut. Then slit it down the middle. It kind of reminds me of a pumpkin on the inside. Scoop the seeds out.

Then get a cassrole dish out, put a 1/4 c of water in the bottom. Flip your squash upside down (so the inside is in the water) and cover it with saran wrap. Put in the microwave and cook for 7-10 minutes. I usually take the other half of the squash and wrap it in saran wrap, refrigerate it, and enjoy it another day.

Take a fork, and put it into the flesh and pull...the "spaghetti" will form and then you can plate it up.

I like to salt, pepper, and put a little spaghetti sauce and parm cheese sprinkled on top. Some people like it with butter and cheese.

Strawberry Shortcake Pincushions pattern by Fig Tree Quilts

2011-03-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

So, if you have been around here for a while you know I love Fig Tree Quilts. Just love it. Fabric. Patterns. That sweet designer herself, JoAnna. Love it all. I just had to buy this pattern when I found it. I found it on Fig Tree Quilts website. Here are my strawberries. I did have problems trying to get the greens a bit more 3-d. But the last one turned out the best, practice I guess makes perfect.

I need more work on this kind of sewing project. My hand stitches....ughgh. That is all I will say about that.

How are your pincushions coming? Remember, you must ship by the 26th and that is less than 3 weeks away!

I have a sick little boy at my house. I sure hope he feels better tomorrow.

For my pincushion swap partner

2011-03-03T18:56:00.002-05:00

I have to tell you ladies, I am enjoying this swap! I sent my partner, Sinta, the pink and green pincushion you see above. I decided to make these Giant Pincushions. You can find the link here to the tutorial by Julie of JayBird Quilts. What a great pattern! So easy to follow and I just love the size of these babies. I also sent Sinta the bag in the picture below that coordinates with her pincushion.

And just for the fun of it, I sent our dear Kelly the yellow and blue pincushion and bag. Kelly is such a dear friend to me, I thought she deserved a little surprise in the mail.

The extra pincushion, I made for my mom. Mom seems to be missing her pincushion. So, this is going to be a little birthday present for her.

I really enjoyed making both of these projects and would recommend both to both expert quilters and beginning quilters alike.

I have heard from 1 other participant that they shipped. Don't forget to let me know! The deadline to ship is March 26th.

Charming Finishes for January/February

2011-02-22T10:21:00.000-05:00

Kelly asked the Charming Girls Club to post their finishes for January/February. Kelly, I have to tell you that I found it quite refreshing not to have goals. And, it wasn't that I didn't get things done either...but I really like that one a whim you can decide to go whip something up and not have the guilt factor.

This is the apron I made at our sewing party. Whenever I wear it, it makes me smile thinking of the fun we had that day.

This is my ironing board cover I whipped up. Should I mention that I have wanted a new cover for over 2 years? Well worth the time I invested in it.

These are all of my Squared Up blocks...totally pieced.

This is a small laundry bag I made as graduation present. So nice to have it done early.

This coupon clutch and Nook cover were birthday presents for a friend.

These bags will soon be given to quilting buddies. They are just the right size for a traveling sewing kit, I think.

Thanks for revisiting these projects with me. Happy sewing.

Oh...about your swap partner

2011-02-21T19:19:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all 28 ladies who signed up for the swap. I am so excited to see everyone's pincushions. Now there are just a couple of items to discuss before you get sewing, and I will make them brief.

First of all, EVERYONE has been sent an email with your partner's information. Please check your inboxes and make sure you received yours, the sooner the better. This time around, I set up the swap a bit differently than in the past. The partner you are sending to is also the person who is sending to you. For example, Sinta is sending to me, and I am sending to Sinta. Feel free to drop your partner an email and get to know them...completely optional. There is nothing that is a secret about your partner.

Secondly, I have set up a Flickr group for the pincushion swap here. Feel free to add pictures of your master pieces, or email me your pictures and I will add them. Everyone loves to see them.

LeAnn also let me know about Heather Bailey's pincushion tutorial, which you can find here.

Just remember, your deadline to ship is Saturday, March 26th. Please, please, please get your pincushion out by then. You are only required to send a pincushion, but a lot of times people send a bit more in their package just for fun. Looking forward to your emails notifying me that you have shipped, Kris

Sewing with some Honey Bun Strips

2011-02-21T12:13:00.001-05:00

Well, the snow has all returned. Mind you, two days ago it was sunny and in the 40's. Not now. All that snow that melted decided to reappear. The local schools have closed. We were already due to have the day off, so it didn't affect me any.

I needed some cheer, luckily Mary Engelbreit was near. You like the rhyme? I worked on it just for my readers. Have you ever used this free pattern found on Moda's website? It is called Sweet Treat Bags and is made using honey buns, although...you could really just use yardage if you wanted to. The directions are easy to follow. It would be a good one for someone who wanted to make a pouch but didn't want to deal with zippers. These don't look very big, but they are a good size. The picture is deceiving.

You can see I opted out of the velcro enclosure and inserted a snap instead. I also top stitched around the top as well.

I love this kid. I just thought I'd throw that in for the world to hear. Love him. He was fresh out the pool. I told him what a good job he did and he replied, "Are you kidding? Did you SEE me have to swim all the way down the big pool and back by myself? I almost drowned. I thought I was going to die." I assured him I had too much invested him to let that happen.

Swap Update-

2011-02-18T19:38:00.003-05:00

Hi ladies,

I know a lot of you are curious if I received your information. Thanks for the patience. I will be replying to everyone by Monday with the name of your partner.

I had several ladies curious about my pincushion pictured here in the bling (by the way, feel free to take the bling for your blog. . .I see several of you have already). I actually found this pincushion pattern in an old Quilts N More issue. However, you are in luck, BHG has it for free on their website here. I just added the ribbon because I liked the extra touch! Here is another freebie from BHG. The Moda Bake Shop has several great patterns for free as well, which can be found here.

Currently, I have 24 of you signed up (complete with addresses). Please check below for your name:

Cheryl T.
Sunny S.
Shannon W.
Kelly G.
Carol L.
Robin M.
Kim L.
Sharon V.
Dorothy F.
Kim S.
Carolyn S.
Jen W.
Wendy F.
Peggy F.
Amanda S.
Michelle N.
Vickie S.
Leslie L.
Dawn T.
LeAnn H.
Heidi R.
JoAnna M.
Sinta B.
ME

Debbie- I did receive your comment on my blog, but I did not receive an email follow up. Unfortunately I have no way to contact you as you do not have your account connected to an email address. Please email me ASAP if you want to participate...in fact, if even if you don't I would like to hear from you....even just a comment.

Let me know if anyone doesn't see their name, but thinks I should! :) Kris

Charming Girls' Pincushion Swap 2011

2011-02-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

Calling all Charming Girls. . .I am so excited to announce that I will be hosting a swap for us.

Kelly and I have been chatting about this for a couple of weeks, and I am so excited to get it launched today!

Here are the requirements:

1. You must be a Charming Girls Club member to participate.
2. You must e-mail me to sign up. My e-mail is located in my profile information.
3. Create a homemade pincushion. Send it to your partner by Saturday, March 26th . 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.
4. After you have received your package, please email or snail mail your partner a letter thanking them.
5. 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.

Again, my email address is available in my blog profile. Feel free to email with any questions.

The deadline to sign up is this Friday, February 18th, 2011 . I will send out partner information by Monday the 21st!

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 on time.

The Aloha Quilt

2011-02-13T18:19:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, I read The Aloha Quilt. I think it is my favorite Elm Creek Quilter Novel yet. I hope we get to see some more of these characters in the future. Have you read this installment? Jennifer Chiaverini has another book coming out in the month of February, if it isn't already out.

Sewing up some surprises

2011-02-12T18:16:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all of the get better wishes. Today has been a pretty good day...and I hope it is a new start. Like many of you have heard, I have had this on again off again, on again ear infection. I have went through 2 rounds of antibiotics...and I just wish it was cleared up for good.

I told myself I was going to feel well enough to sew today. I had to! My friend's birthday is today and I promised her a coupon clutch. I have been wanting to use up some scrap fabric and I did just that. Isn't it cute? I think it might be my favorite yet. I need to get better on these scrappier projects to reach for the scraps first before opening up a new precut. I have a lot of scraps right now.

Remember, I have made this clutch before from the Moda Bake Shop tutorial, which you can find here. They make excellent organizational tools for yourself, or cheap presents for your friends.

I also made her one of these Perfect Pouches by LazyGirl design...remember, I told you they were easy peasey to make. This is size medium, and you can see it fits my Nook well. In fact, I have my own pouch that I store mine in. I made this one because she is getting her own Nook and I stuck a Barnes and Noble gift certificate inside it. I thought they made a cute coordinating set. :) I particularly like the pink zipper.

So, that wraps up my afternoon of sewing, but I was pleased to get it all done! What have you been working on today???

Squared Up Sweet Pea Blocks

2011-02-03T12:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I worked quite a lot yesterday on my Sweet Pea blocks (Make Life fabric collection). I had to take a break after I had a little accident with the rotary cutter....I am fine, just stupid. Have no fears! Anyway, in the evening I returned to finish up my blocks.

I am suppose to applique 8 flowers on here. Do you think it is going to be too busy? I have a fq of the yellow fabric I was going to use. I was going to buy some of those coordinating buttons for the centers of the flowers. I think it is cool that this line has matching buttons.

Snow Day Sewing Project

2011-02-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

We were under a Blizzard warning last night. I knew I was going to have the day to sew. I got up this morning and began cutting this Make Life fabric from Kelly's shop. I am making Sweet Pea from Anka's Treasures. I am really excited about this quilt.

I got all my pieces cut this morning. I am going to grab some lunch and then do some sewing! I am pretty sure we will another snow day tomorrow. So I hope to get all of the blocks done.

We were really lucky to not have our power go out today. Less than a mile away, the entire village was out. Buddy enjoyed a little bit of playing outside with the neighbor kids.

The Big Daddy Laundry Bag- Tutorial

2011-01-29T19:29:00.000-05:00

This laundry bag would make a great graduation gift.

XL Big Daddy Laundry Bag:

Cut:
Top of Bag (main focus fabric): 24 1/2 inches X WOF (Width of Fabric)
Bottom of Bag (secondary focus fabric): 12 inches X WOF
Lining: 37 1/2 inches X WOF

Handle (optional): 6 inches X 15 inches inches

Drawstrings: 3 inches X WOF (cut 2)

Step 1: Pin and sew the bottom of the outer bag to the top of the outer bag (RST = right sides together). Press open. The outer fabric should now be the same size as the lining. If not, trim.

Step 2: Pin the outer fabric and the lining piece together (RST). Sew all 4 sides, leaving a 5 inch hole in the bottom for turning.

Before you turn the bag, snip all 4 corners to decrease bulk. Reach into the 5 inch hole, and pull the bag right sides out. Make sure to push out all corners and seams. Iron. Fold the raw edges of the hole inside and stitch shut.

Step 3: Fold the top of the bag over (towards the lining) 1 1/2 inch. Pin. Sew down. This will create the pocket for your draw string. You will want to fold over an 1 1/2 despite the photo below. It will make the drawstring step easier.

At this time you may wish to top stitch across the outer bag where the bottom connects to the top to add support to the seam. (optional)

Step 4: Sew your handle (optional). Take your handle piece. Iron the end pieces (6 inch sides) in half an inch.

Now, iron the piece in half the long way.

Open. Now fold each raw edge in so they meet in on that crease you created.

At this time you may want to slip in a 1 1/2 inch X 18 inch piece of interfacing.

Fold and iron in half. Stitch around the open edges.

Step 5: Create your drawstrings. Sew the two 3 inch pieces together on one end (RST). Press open. Now press them in the same manner you did the handle and stitch. This creates about a one inch finished "string".

Step 6: Measure down the side of your bag 5 inches from the top of your bag. This is where you will pin one end of your handle. Measure down the side of your bag 10 inches from the top of your bag. Pin the other handle end there.

Now fold the other side of your bag over (RST) on top of your handles. Pin the sides and the bottom of the bag. STARTING at the 1 1/2 stitch line (the draw string pocket) stitch down the side of the bag and across the bottom. BE sure to reinforce the stitching at the top and the handles several times. DO NOT sew the drawstring pocket shut. Start after it.

Step 7: Now you have to box the bottom of the bag. With the bag still inside out, pinch the bottom corner and center the seam. See below. It is very important that the seam is centered.

Lay the pinched corner on your cutting board. You want to measure exactly 2 1/2 inches from the tip of the corner and draw a line across the corner of the bag. This will be your sewing line and will give your bottom a a nice, square bottom. Lift up your ruler and pin to secure. Repeat this process for the other side of your bag (which does not have a side seam, so you will have to be careful) and both corners on your lining.

Step 8: Turn right side out. Thread your drawstring through your pocket. I use a safety pin on one end to assist in this.

Knot the ends of your strings. Your bag is done!

If you think this laundry bag is a bit long for your taste, here are the measurements for the Large Big Daddy Laundry Bag.

Large Big Daddy Laundry Bag

Top of Bag (main focus fabric): 19 1/2 inches X WOF (Width of Fabric)

Bottom of Bag (secondary focus fabric): 12 inches X WOF
Lining: 32 1/2 inches X WOF
Handle (optional): 6 inches X 15 inches inches

Drawstrings: 3 inches X WOF (cut 2)

Other ideas:

you could place a pocket on the front of the bag
embroider the front of the bag.
you could put a shoulder strap on it instead of a handle
use ribbon or small rope instead of making drawstrings

A finish- and sincere gratitude

2011-01-29T15:12:00.000-05:00

Well, first of all...I really want to thank each of you that commented on my earlier issue. Such good suggestions and I promise, I will give them a try.

So, I finished the apron. It turned out very cute.

I really love the ruffle with those retro flowers on it. I wish I had more of that fabric. CUTE.

Apron update and a question

2011-01-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

I really do like this pattern. If you like aprons or are looking for a quick and easy gift, then this one is for you. I was zipping right through it right up to the gathering. My thread kept snapping. UGGH. I tried doing 2 basting stitches and pulling them at the same time for extra support. I switched threads. I loosened my tension. I just don't know what else I could have done. Any suggestions? I have never had this problem before.

Anyway, this is where I am:

I have my straps sewn and pressed. I need to sew the ruffles to the main body and then attach the straps. How are your projects coming along today?

So you wanna have a party?

2011-01-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome! Kelly and I are co hosting a sewing party today! I hope you will join in the fun! Would you like to participate? Good news, you still can! Head over to Kelly's to catch all the details.

We're sewing from 1-5 today! My word was tranquil. I decided that I am most tranquil when I am creating something. So, I am going to sew a half apron for myself that I can wear when I am baking. I really like to bake or cook when I am a bit stressed.

Here are my fabrics:

Aren't they cute? I will tell you what wasn't so cute, when I went to cut them today I realized they shop lady that cut them was a bit stingy. So all of my measurements are a bit off. The straps are a bit narrower. The ruffles a bit shorter. Uggh. I will make a note on the pattern to buy a little bit more next time. It would have been okay had she cut straight, but her cuts were very slanted and wasted 1/2 inch to an inch of material. I was a bit disappointed to learn that. But, I am tranquil today, right? So I am moving on with it.

For you pattern junkies, this pattern is called French Flea Market Apron by Busy Bee Quilt Designs. You can find it at the link.

Okay, so I have a few things left to wrap up before I start to sew. I will come check out what you've been working on this afternoon. Kelly has the Mister Linky up. So head on over there an link yourself up!

A big thanks to Kelly for all of the work she will put in today. She sure makes it fun to be a community of sewers, doesn't she?

Cookie Recipe- you could eat the whole pan

2011-01-27T16:59:00.000-05:00

I had to make a snack to send into Buddy's classroom. Hmm. What to make? Well, I have a feeling most first graders like chocolate chip cookies. So, I whipped up a big batch of my friend Esther's chocolate chip bar cookies. Let's all say hello to Esther.....she sometimes visits me here in blogland. :) Hi, Esther!! Esther is the sweetest. Maybe sometime she'll let me pass along her sugar cookie recipe to you....delicious!

I normally make these in 2 pizza pans as it calls for, but for little hands I thought bars would be better. These are the softest, bestest (yup, I am going to throw out the non-existent word) cookie in the world, mostly thanks to the cream cheese. My mom would make me these cookies and ship them in a pizza box to me at college...they were always a huge hit. In fact, I think she even sent the second cookie a time or two to the boys next door. It ships well and the cream cheese keeps them soft for days if tightly wrapped. You could even pipe on a message if you wanted it for a special event like they do in the mall cookie shops. Anyway, here is the recipe for the cookies.

Esther's Pizza Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter softened
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
1 package cream cheese- 8 ounces
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 package of Nestle semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts optional (I did not use these)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 2 pizza pans (or 1 large cookie sheet). Cream butter, sugars, cream cheese, vanilla, and eggs. Combine flour, salt, and soda in separate bowl. Add to cream mixture slowly. Stir in chips and nuts. Divide dough evenly in half and spread on each pizza pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown around edges. Cool completely in pans on wire racks. Cut slim wedges with your pizza cutter.

Happy baking! Kris

Three Bean Chili

2011-01-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

Since it is cold enough here to freeze your nose hairs, I decided to make this favorite chili of mine. It all goes back to when I was a senior in high school. I attended this really cool summer camp on Lake Michigan with campers from all over the world. It was a neat experience, let me tell you. (I still have one special friend who I still send Christmas cards to.) But typical of Michigan, mother nature decided to throw in a week of fallish weather. Since I hadn't packed too many warm items to wear, I hit the soup bar almost every day. They had a vegetarian 3 Bean Chili with zucchini in that I really, really liked.

Years later, I was flipping through a Family Circle magazine and came across a similar recipe. BTW, found this picture on the Internet since I forgot to take my own...we are going to call it close enough! LOL

Here is my version of that:

3 Bean Chili

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans,drained and rinsed

1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans (28 ounces each) of petite diced tomatoes

1/4 c ketchup

2 diced zucchini, small

1 diced onion, medium

2 sweet bell peppers, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 TBSP chili powder, 3 if you like it hot

1 TBSP EVOO

1/2 tsp oregano

Cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish

In a large stock pot, saute olive oil, garlic, chili powder, and onions for 3 minutes. Add peppers and zucchini and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, ketchup, and oregano. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the beans. Cover pot and cook for 3 minutes. Garnish if desired.

***********

If you are by chance following the NEW Weight Watchers Points Plus program, it is 8 points for 2 and 1/2 ladles of this soup, without the garnish.

Word Up Sewing Party- Don't be left out

2011-01-22T19:16:00.000-05:00

So, Kelly and I are cohosting a sewing party! Hooray. Do a dance. I think you get it. I am pretty excited about this.

Would you like to participate? Good news, you still can! Head over to Kelly's to catch all the details. Here is a brief taste of the event:

Party Details

Who: All "Word Up Girls" (It's not too late to choose a word if you'd like).

When: Saturday, January 29 (Kelly & I will be there from 1 to 5 p.m CST - maybe longer -feel free to come early or stay late)

Where: Charming Chatter blog. We'll be using Mr. Linky to stay in touch.

Bring: A sewing project that will be a reminder of you "Word" for the year and snacks.

You can make anything - a sign, a mini quilt, a pincushion or even work on a big quilt. It can have your word on it - but it doesn't have to include your word. It should be something that will remind you of your word and what you're trying to cultivate in your life this year! Oh, and snacks - can't have a sewing party without snacks!

So, if you're free, mark your calendars - get a project together and join us for the fun next Saturday!

****************
Note from Kris: Seriously, if you haven't picked a word that you want to inspire you for the year yet, it is not a big deal! In fact, I am about to announce my word right now. Are you ready?

tranquil

I hope we had lots of wonderful quilters joining in the afternoon of fun next Saturday.

Friday Night Sew-in: Laundry Bag

2011-01-22T08:00:00.008-05:00

So, I decided to use some of the fats in my stash to make a laundry bag using a pattern by Fig Tree Quilts. It is a super easy pattern. I love it. I do wish my finished bag was a bit bigger though. It is going to be a gift for a HS graduate this spring. I hope to embroider some complimenting towels as well.

Did you work on anything last night?

Friday Night Sew In

2011-01-20T15:58:00.002-05:00

Hooray....
I am going to do some sewing tomorrow night, I hope!

Saturday Sewing: A new iron board cover

2011-01-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying that today, a lot of things seemed to take longer, have more problems, etc. then they should have. But, this stitching project went just fine, so we will just skip to that part. This is a pattern that I used my Charming Girls Gift Certificate that I won on. I already had the fabric. For those of you who will want to know, it is Breakfast at Tiffany's by Fig Tree Quilts of Moda. Big shout out to Fig Tree....love your collections.

Anyway. The pattern is called: Patchwork Ironing Board Covers by Cottonway. You can find it at Kelly's shop here for a very reasonable $6.80. Go ahead, take a peek...I know you want to. I have wanted to make a new cover for a replacement to my disgusting cover forever, I just never got around to it. There are lots of nice, FREE tutorials out there in blogland, too, I just really liked the pieced look of these. I had some Bliss, too. I almost used it. But, I am just not ready to stop hoarding it and start using it yet.

So, I did mine up in Breakfast at Tiffany's and I love it. I think it is too pretty to iron on. Hmm. That is an entirely different problem, isn't it?

What have you been working on today?

UFO Bust

2011-01-09T16:55:00.000-05:00

Susan issued a UFO challenge. I happen to have a few unfinished projects laying around that I'd like to see get done in 2011.

Here is my list that I want to start with:

1. red quilted purse/bag- been cut out for a bit

2. yellow/green quilted purse/bag- already cut out

3. red Amira purse

4. Jolly quilt- quilting and binding

5. Swanky quilt- quilting and binding

6. Keyholes quilt- quilting binding

7. NY Beauty quilt- quilting and binding.

Also, Kelly has issued a challenge to take the pressure off one's self and just enjoy sewing. I signed up for both...I figure I am covered then! LOL. No really. My intentions are to feel like finishing up some of these projects. Wouldn't that be great? I pull out that box of quilt tops...and it makes me feel bad. They shouldn't be stuffed under a bed.

Many thanks....

2011-01-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry! Seems like I took a bit of a blog break. I had to return to work, and have just found myself a bit busy this week. Plus, I must admit that I received a Nook for Christmas, and I have found myself glued to it. First, I want to address the giveaway. Allie, you are the winner! Send me an email with your snail mail address and I will get your package out to you!!

Next up, apparently I won the giveaway for the Charming Girls Club this month! Hooray! Thanks so much to Kelly for all the work she does pulling us all together as quilters. If you aren't familiar with Kelly, she is definitely a someone you should meet. She has a great blog, which I love keeping up on. She also frequently inspires us all to keep stitching. I consider Kelly to be such a dear friend. She is one of the kindest, warmest blog friends I have.

She also has a wonderful online quilt shop, which I love to frequent, Cotton Charm Quilts. Her prices are hard to beat. I noticed she has some great new collections to entice you with right now, too.

What are you working on today? It is snowy these big fluffy flakes here...like my own private snow globe, I kid you not. We are suppose to head to a Detroit Pistons game tonight with Buddy, so I hope the weather doesn't delay us.

Also, I am making a new dinner today, Chipotle-Glazed roast chicken with sweet potatoes. I had never visited Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog, I must say I love it. If you haven't visited, it is worth your time.

I do hope to get some stitching in sometime soon, maybe when the newness of my Nook wears off.