Love Hazel

I want to be a part of it....

2011-12-05T12:27:00.001-08:00

New York, New York. My husband surprised me with a weekend trip to NYC to celebrate my 40th birthday. He told me the night before we left. I have never been so stunned or humbled that someone would do something like this for me. We were there the 1st weekend of November and I think it may have been the best weekend of my life. I love him so.

Josh won tickets to see David Letterman. So fun. The guest was Bill Cosby.

Rockefeller Center, just outside of our hotel

I finally got to see the Statue of Liberty. A life-long dream.

Got to see my first Broadway Show, another dream of mine. Loved it.

This was the view when we walked out of Macy's. We then headed to Mesa Grill for dinner, Bobby Flay's restaurant.

I loved every second of this trip and I love my man so much that he did this for me. For me. It still blows my mind. I think about it every day. We did so much more that is not pictured, but I wanted to keep this post smallish. It has been so long since I have blogged at all. Thanks for sharing.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Mother's Day, definitely blog worthy. It started with my husband and kids making breakfast for me. Eggs, biscuits, and fruit. Delicious! Then church, which had a spectacular tribute to Mothers with the "Mommy Rhapsody", and a very calm class with my special needs kids. They were a delight, all excited about the upcoming Joy Prom this Friday. After church, a quick bite from Jimmy John's and a trip to the Durham Museum of Life and Science. The pictures here were taken in their Butterfly House. It was a great day for walking around the outside zoo/park like setting of the museum, low 70's and mostly sunny. The museum closed at 5:00, so we left and had a light dinner, then topped it off with DQ - a Reese's blizzard for me. Yum. Back home to a happy dog and a phone call to my sister, which I hate that I only get to see her a couple times a year. Started a new book (after finally finishing Jane Eyre), and right to sleep. A great family day. Perfect. I feel very blessed to be a Mom. Hope your Mother's Day was just as great!

last summer's ruffled halter

2011-03-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Last summer I made this adorable ruffled halter for my daughter and never got around to blogging about it. It was a free downloadable pattern from Oliver & S that was featured in Stitch magazine's summer issue I believe, and was the main reason I purchased the magazine. I used fabric from Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane line which debuted last spring. (love it!) I love how the halter turned out and it was pretty simple and quick to make too, a bonus. I can definitely see more of these halters in her future this summer!

**I snapped this picture with my phone while we were waiting for a table at a delicious restaurant (Mango Mango's) in St. Augustine, FL. You can see she brought all of her essentials to the restaurant: purse, blankie, and sass.

**Oh, and one more thing. I got this fabric at a steal for $5/yard and didn't even use an entire yard for this halter, so this cost me less than 5 bucks! See the value in learning to sew?!!

**Oh, and if you ever go to Mango Mango's, definitely order the corn cakes.

more on Savannah

2011-03-09T12:18:00.001-08:00

So last week we drove to Savannah Thursday afternoon and spent the evening and all day Friday before returning home late Friday night. Josh was there for a conference that was held Friday and so I was left to entertain the kids. First I will say that Savannah does not offer much for kids at this time of year. However, it is full of candy and open parks, so that sufficed. I thought I would take them on the trolley, but they weren't thrilled with the idea so why do that when it is so expensive anyway. We did a lot of walking, looking at monuments, and there was one particular park we played in for a good portion of the day.

We ate lunch at The Lady & Son's of Paula Deen fame. I must say that it was quite good, but at the same time I was disappointed and this is why. Last time we were in Savannah it was 2001. This was before Paula Deen was on the Food Network. We went to the restaurant then and I remember it being SO good. Well, now they have changed locations and it all seemed so automated, and the experience was just not the same 'taking the elevator to dine on the third floor' as it was in her original smaller restaurant. I enjoyed the food I will say, although I am sure it was better 10 years ago.

As the day went on the wind picked up. We spent a lot of time down on River Street, which is literally right on the river. As it neared 5:30 and it was getting colder and colder (remember I thought the high was going to be sunny and 70's and dressed accordingly) we began to stop into more and more shops to get out of the wind. One of these was Savannah Bee Company. Oh my goodness, what a delight and a great find. They had a kids corner for the kids to play in so I was able to shop around a bit. I loved everything and ended up buying hand and nail salve, soap, and 4 different kinds of honey. I never really thought about there being different flavors of honey before, but wow, I tried several at their honey tasting bar and I must say that it was hard to narrow it down to 4 flavors. They also had this cookbook, by Gena Knox, which has some recipes that feature their honey, and such beautiful photography. I just ordered it today and I am so excited to get it in a few days.

Yesterday was a sad day as we finished our caramel and pecan popcorn, but I still have 1/2 of a praline left which I intend on eating this afternoon! Hopefully I'll be back soon with some actual sewing stuff. The picture of the kids was taken on Friday on some (very steep) steps that take you down from the main street level to River Street.

Changing goals

2011-03-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hey there. Yeah, I know it's been a while. I've been watching all of you keep up your blogs with your fabulous ideas and projects and have been staring at the same Santa pictures on my blog knowing that no one is probably even looking anymore. We've been under a LOT of stress here, but I am hopeful that things are going to get better soon. I've been very, very busy. We participated in a kids consignment sale mid January in which we had to rent a U-Haul to take all of our stuff over to the sale location. That means that we had a ton of stuff pulled out from everywhere and a whole U-haul's worth of stuff to be tagged and recorded. It was at that point we learned some unfortunate news and have been completely stressed out ever since. So our house was left in a state of disarray from all of the stuff we had pulled out and had piled up everywhere. Awesome. Then I went to St. Augustine, FL for a few days at the beginning of February to visit my parents who were there for Jan and Feb this winter. It was a nice change of scenery. We also just visited Savannah, GA this past weekend so that was nice also. Would have been nicer if I had brought a jacket. So, between all of this and the basketball, karate, inline hockey, ballet, tap, and cheerleading, plus homeschooling; I have been kind of busy with not much time to sew. I have however been working on a quilt for my son who will turn 10 this month. I had hoped to get it completely finished to give to him on his birthday but I have had to change my goal to hoping that I get the top finished to give to him. Sometimes we have to change our goals, and that is ok. I am hoping to have some more things to share soon. I will try to post about the quilt and maybe some things from last year that I never got around to posting! Sorry for such a melancholy post, such is life sometimes, but things are gonna get better!

The above picture of the kids was taken in Savannah this past Friday. I was so inspired by this old stone wall next to the cobblestone street. Savannah is such an interesting city. Maybe I will post more about our trip later. On a side note, the dress Nora Kate is wearing is one I made for her November 2009. You may have seen it before. I love that she can still wear it paired with leggings even though it is a little short to wear as a dress now. Pattern was my own.

The other picture was taken in downtown historic St. Augustine, FL. If you are familiar with the area, you may recognize the old Fort which you can see in the background of the photo. This was one of the many street performers, one of the things I love about that city. This guy's name was Jamey Turner, and he called his instrument the 'glass harp'. He was amazing.

visiting Santa

2010-12-21T07:37:00.000-08:00

My husband's workplace always has Santa night every Christmas and all the kids of the employees can come and visit Santa. It is always the same man, and he is so sweet to the kids. One year we stayed a little later in my husband's office and when we went out to leave he was in his truck right next to our van getting ready to leave. He had obviously forgotten his sleigh that night or else he was just preparing it for the big trip and had to use his truck that night. Anyway, when he saw us coming, he laid down in the front seat of his truck so that the kids couldn't see him and stayed that way until we left. So sweet. It was funny because my son's list this year was 6 pages long. He shortened it before going to see Santa by going through it and highlighting the things that he *really* wanted. He had things on there like "my very own cruise ship", "my very own mansion", "a water slide running through our house and out into the back yard", "bringing Abby back to life" (our little Westie dog that died almost 2 years ago), "bringing Grandpa Gene back to life". It was very sweet but a little self indulgent at the same time. Gotta love him. My daughter for the first time wrote out some of her list. She is able to make all of her letters this year and wrote out 4 items in addition to pictures she cut out of magazine ads and pasted on to paper. So cute. So, here are pictures from this year...

**Oh, and I did not make her dress. It is from Patsy Aiken Chez Ami, a direct sales kids clothing company based here in Raleigh. They have their factory here and have an outlet sale for one week every month with great deals on their clothes. A perk of living here!

The Christmas Dress 2010

2010-11-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I finished this dress on Tuesday and made the headband on Wednesday while the kids were at their PE/Art class (we're homeschooling now - more to come on that later). I'm very happy with how it turned out if I do say so myself. Fabrics used for the dress were all from Anna Maria Horner. The dress fabrics were from her new collection, Innocent Crush; and the sash was made from some of her first line of luxurious voiles, Little Folks collection. Can you tell I'm a fan of hers?! The pattern used was one that I have created myself. I've posted several variations of it in the past here, here, and here. New features of the pattern used on this dress were the 3/4 length sleeve (embellished with lace), and of course, the sash. I used a tutorial that I just happened to come across online to make the headband, and I can't remember where it was, but basically you just wrap fabric around a pipe cleaner and twist it to your desired size, then sew to a flower cut from felt and attach to your headband. If I can find the tutorial again, I will edit to give credit to that person. Hope you like. I'm thinking of listing it in my shop for a limited time! ***Rosette Headband Tutorial by Sew Hip Mama

Above All Fabric Wish List

2010-11-18T08:35:00.000-08:00

Ah. Create a wish list from an online fabric store for a chance to win $100 to shop at said fabric store? Why, yes. I'll play! Actually, I've mentioned Melanie before from Above All Fabric. She is top notch when it comes to customer service, she runs great sales, and I get a ton of my fabric from her. I think the greatest thing about Melanie is that she makes you feel like you are very special to her, and we all know that life is about the relationships you make with people. Not only does she help me supply my fabric addiction, but she has chatted with me through email or on twitter about personal things like my decision to homeschool my kids, holiday plans, and many other things. She even knows my favorite fabric designer! Anyway, without further ado.... here is my Above All Fabric wish list:

1. Anything from Anna Maria Horner, but I especially love her new voiles and velveteens, which Melanie is stocking in her store just for me!:) Also, I would love any or all of her new patterns.

2. Anything in any form of Tula Pink's new line, Parisville. Oh be still my beating heart. Have you seen this?

And that's it. No big shock, right?!! Of course there are tons of other things I would love to have from the shop, but these are the tops on my list right now! Now, go make your wish list too so that you can have a chance to win! Instructions for contest are here.

**Edited to add to my wish list....

-this, the schoolhouse tunic, a pattern I have wanted forever to make for myself. I have seen others that have made this and it looks so cute on!

-and this, the hoot-n-nanny tote, a pattern I have adored ever since Trish (of Two Peas in a Pod Designs) first posted a picture of it on her blog. I was so excited when I saw that she was going to make it into a pattern! I love it! The cuteness can't be described. You must see it!

pink fig holiday giveaway

2010-11-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Head over to Chelsea's blog at Pink Fig and enter her fabulous Holiday giveaway! She's giving away 2 quilts made from her beautiful new fabric line, Miss Modd! Can you believe that?! She has all the details over at her blog. You can enter the giveaway from now through December 1!

the notting hill hobo by Bari J

2010-11-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of summer, Bari J Ackerman asked me to test this pattern for her and send her the sample so that she could use it in her booth at Quilt Market. I quickly said yes, as I was so excited and flattered on top of that. I have been following Bari since I found her blog a couple of years ago and she was about to debut her first fabric line for Windham, Full Bloom. She has been a constant source of inspiration to me since that time, and she has been so willing to reach out with encouragement. This was my second bag to test for her. I'll have to blog that first one. I still haven't done that. Actually Bari gave me a choice of patterns this time, and I chose the notting hill hobo. The funny thing is that I consider myself to be an awful bag maker. I get so confused with lining and the fusible fleece and interfacing and magnetic snaps.... But I really liked the style of the bag and I wanted to challenge myself. So, after a couple of times of ripping the bag apart and some help from a friend, (thanks Carrie!), I finished it and off it went to live my dream, a trip to Quilt Market! I am thankful that Bari asked me to do it, and also that she was patient with me as I literally got it to her at the last minute. The pattern is great and actually very easy. (I think I just got caught up in the whole 'I think bags are hard' thing.) There are a couple of different options and sizes so you can personalize it to your style. Mine is the large, patchwork version and I used her special technique (which is outlined in the pattern) to applique the flower and butterfly to the front of the bag. Fabrics used were from Bari's newest line, Country Lane.

costume juggling

2010-11-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd better get this picture up before the end of the week! Up until a couple of days before Halloween, the kids were planning to dress up as Snow White or Ariel and Ulysses S. Grant. (Yeah, Samuel had to do a report on U.S. Grant last year for school in which he had to dress up for the presentation, and so we had bought him a U.S. Grant costume in the spring. We worked hard to convince him that this would be a very cool trick or treat costume, and I thought I had pulled over one of the best scams of the year when he told me that he indeed wanted to dress as U.S. Grant for Halloween, but alas, the mass produced, Target skeleton costume won out in the end. And since we had to go buy him the skeleton costume at Target, and the little princess was along, we also had to purchase a new costume for her to wear. The good thing was that since it was so last minute, the costumes were all 40% off.) So, I give you, the scary Skeleton, and Barbie Thumbelina. And no, I have never sewn Halloween costumes. I just don't have it in me. Truthfully, Halloween is just a 'holiday' (and I use that term loosely) that I barely tolerate.

Pumpkin Carving Party at Country Lane

2010-10-25T10:45:00.001-07:00

This past week I made a dress for my daughter out of Bari J's newest line, Country Lane. She got the chance to wear it yesterday to church and then to a pumpkin carving party at our friends' house. It was the perfect choice for a beautiful fall day if you ask me....

favorite. project. ever.

2010-10-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

This has to be my most favorite project I've ever done. It's from Anna Maria Horner's latest book, Handmade Beginnings. First of all, I LOVE this book. It has so many great projects in it, and I have neither a baby nor am I expecting one, so don't be fooled by the title. It's truly for anyone. When I saw this project, I knew I HAD to do it! I knew my little girl would love it, and she does. The pattern is for the quilt, the baby, and diapers to fit the baby. I must say that I loved making the diapers. I loved doing the hand stitching for the baby's face and hair. But most of all I loved making the quilt. The 4 blocks were foundation pieced, a technique I had not tried before, but found to be very easy and satisfying. I love color and it was so fun to put so much color into each block. All fabric I used was from Anna Maria's collections. I even mixed in some voiles with the cotton, and a tiny bit of her home decor. Do I even have to say how much I love her fabric? Just got in some of her newest line, Innocent Crush. Sigh. Can't wait to get started sewing with it.

2010-10-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wow. I know, it's been a long time. I've been out of the loop for quite a while. I have a good excuse, though. We started homeschooling our kids this year. It was a very difficult decision that we put off until the last minute, but we are in week 9 now and although we have hard days (just like with anything else), it is going really well. More on that later though. I just wanted to peek my head up out of my 'cave' and let you know that I am still out here and slowly but surely, I am carving out little bits of time in my new schedule to sew.

What I am sharing today is the Madison Bag, a pattern I tested for Trish Preston. It's a great bag and I love how it turned out. Trish is actually about to debut her first line of patterns, which includes the Madison Bag, at the upcoming quilt market in Houston, last weekend of October. She has a sneak peak of them here, on her blog. I must say that ALL 14 of them look fantastic. I'm really impressed with how professional they look and the photography for the covers is amazing and makes you want to buy all of them! I'm so glad I had the honor to test 2 of them for her. Please, go check them out!

patsy ann apron top

2010-07-23T12:32:00.001-07:00

Yes. I am still alive. Wow, time has been flying by and I have been so busy. Did May and June even really exist? It all happened so fast. Now, we are at the end of July and I am still extremely busy, but have gotten really sick, so I have been forced to slow down, thus the blog post.

This is one of the patterns I tested back in April. It turned out really cute. The pattern is the Patsy Ann Apron Top by Trish Preston. You can read her blog here. Trish is a really sweet, talented woman who will be debuting her new pattern line in her very own booth at quilt market this fall in Houston! So exciting! I know great things await her!

my thoughts on the pattern:

First off, it's totally adorable! I love how it turned out. And it's practical too! I actually made a mistake on the length of the fabric when I cut it and instead of re-doing it, I just decided to go with the length I had. It should be a few inched longer, but I actually like how it turned out. The straps go over the shoulders and cross in the back and then tie, as you can see in the first picture. This could totally dress up an outfit and give your little diva's jeans and tee a new look. Love it! You can order the pattern here, in Trish's etsy shop.

guest posting

2010-04-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hey! I'm a guest blogger for Melissa over at the Polkadot Chair today! Go check it out!

Lily's birthday present

2010-04-24T13:41:00.001-07:00

This is a quick outfit I whipped up for my daughter's friend Lily. It was her 5th birthday party and her Mom is always so sweet to comment on how cute the clothes are that I make for Nora Kate, so I really wanted to do this for her. And of course, Lily is just a doll! The shirt was purchased from Target and I appliqued a flower from the fabric. Quick. Easy. Great gift.

This skirt was so easy and fast because of the fabric design. Using Patty Young's double border daisy design from her latest line of fabric, flora & fauna, this skirt was a breeze. I literally just cut a main panel from each edge of the fabric, showing the daisy border, sewed them together on the sides, hemmed the bottom & gathered the top. I then cut 2 ~5" x 19" strips from the middle of the piece of fabric (light green dots), sewed together on the sides, attached to the main skirt at the gather, turned in to make waist band, added elastic waist & tag, & voila. easy, cute, skirt. I think the double border daisy design comes in 4 colorways. You can buy them here from Melanie at Above All Fabrics, one of my favorite places to buy!

Another use of the daisy border design was in a quilt pattern I tested for Patty Young back in December. I blogged about it here. I used a solid piece of the daisy border design in the mustard colorway for the background of the quilt as her pattern directed. It was a great way to have a quilt background with a lot of interest, but was so easy because it was not pieced. Great fabric, and great pattern, especially for beginning quilters.

Easter 2010

2010-04-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday was great. A day to reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made for us and the glorious gift of the Resurrection! We celebrated by going to church, then coming home for a quiet family lunch, just the 4 of us. Later we went to a neighbor's house for a cookout. It was a nice day.

This year, for the first time, I made Nora Kate's Easter dress! It was truly a labor of love. I enjoyed every minute of picking out the fabrics, adjusting my pattern to fit what I had in mind, sewing it together, etc... I made this pattern back in the fall, drew it out on paper, cut it out, the whole 9 yards... I made a dress with it that she wore for our family pictures that we had done in November, then I used it to make a 'princess dress' for her for Christmas. I have to say that I LOVE this pattern. It is very simple, and there are so many variations that can be done. I also want to use it to make a top. Would like to 'go' somewhere with this pattern, hopefully in the future....?!!

I used Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane fabric for the dress, all except for the line of pink polka dot on the front which was a remnant of another fabric I had. I also made her hair clip, my first (and oh so fun!)

The only thing I was disappointed about was that I had originally planned to make my son a coordinating tie out of the stripe, but didn't get to it. As it was I just finished the dress on Saturday night. He had told me that he didn't want to wear a tie and wouldn't wear it to church, but would wear it for pictures. So, I knew it was going to be a battle that I didn't want to fight anyway. I may still make it and take him up on the picture thing....

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Oh, and if you want to win some of this beautiful Nicey Jane fabric of your own, go enter Ruth's Sew Love Fabrics giveaway on her blog! She's giving away a cool Heather Bailey pattern with fabrics to make it!

some stuff I've been sewing lately...

2010-03-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

These are 2 dresses I recently completed for 2 sisters. I really love how they came out, especially the knot dress. The peasant dress was a standard item in my shop, but the knot dress was a custom order.

The fabrics I used were from a line called Summer Soiree designed by Paula Prass for Michael Miller. The patterns I used were from Sandi Henderson's Portabellopixie Claire pattern. The knot dress was tweaked a little from her original design. By the way, Sandi has a new book coming out soon! It looks amazing and I have already pre-ordered it from Amazon! I can't wait to get it! She talks about it here on her blog.

Oh, a few more random things to share:

1. I've really been getting the itch to make another quilt.

2. I'm dying to make my daughter a dress, and my son a coordinating tie for Easter.

3. We successfully threw my son a football themed party this past Saturday for his 9th birthday. Ten 9-10 year old boys playing football and generally acting wild. And get this. I spent all this time and energy planning and executing the production of the theme colored cupcakes (with 3 different colors of icing and 'go team' flags in them I might add) only to have them pounced upon and devoured so quickly before my eyes that we were barely able to sing Happy Birthday (actually not 100% sure if we sang it or not....) and I did not even get a picture of their loveliness. Bummer. Boys are weird.

That is all!

did you see this?!

2010-03-08T09:47:00.001-08:00

I have been busy pattern testing again!

Did you see this?! Megan of the Brassy Apple has come up with this new pattern, the Maddie Bee Apron Top, and she did a feature on her blog showing the different varieties her pattern testers came up with, one of them being mine. Check it out. It's a great pattern, and can be used for so many different occasions or themes. The possibilities are endless! I used Sandi Henderson's newest line, meadowsweet. Love it!

the first step is...

2010-02-26T13:29:00.001-08:00

admitting you have a problem! Last week I received five packages of fabric that I had ordered, all pictured above (Denyse Schmidt, Jennifer Paganelli, and just a smidge of Amy Butler). It was a glorious occasion I must say. But, oops. I didn't realize that I had ordered quite that much. Ok, so I love fabric. What can I say?! I have big plans for all of this! What do you think I should do with it?!!

p.s. don't tell, but I ordered more this week.....

tutorial: bookmark this!

2010-02-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hi! Welcome to my first tutorial! Forgive me if I leave anything out! Also, this is my first try with altering my photos with text, so forgive the differences in font sizes. I am trying to improve my tech-savviness so just bear with me.

This bookmark came about this morning while I was working on an order. I cut the ends off of a 2" strip I had cut to make ruffles and I was left with 2 2"x 6.5" pieces of fabric. I thought to myself, 'hey, this looks like a bookmark', and the idea just flowed from there.

I missed pictures of the very first steps, so here is how you get started:

1. Cut 2 2"x6.5" strips of your choice fabric.

2. Draw letters (inverted) on to the back side of your fabric with pen. (you can also use any shape that you want. I cut around a floral shape on one of my scraps to enhance my design a little bit).

3. (this is text on the picture below, but I wanted to type it again here as it turned out so small). Following manufacturer's instructions, iron your letters to fusible web (that you can sew on).

This is a little small too, so this one below says:

cut your letters/ shapes out.

Now you take your 2 pieces of fabric and sandwich a piece of felt between them. The felt should be just slightly larger than the edge of the fabric.

This was really easy and quick to do. It is great for a gift for a teacher or friend, or even do a manly one for your husband. You can personalize it with a name or monogram, a school logo, or any holiday or theme. Really, the possibilities are endless with this one.

This only took me 45 minutes, including the time it took me to locate my fusible web, and retrieve my camera and take photos, so you can do this one too!

**A little off subject, but something really cool of a personal nature. I had chosen in January for the word LOVE to be my 'one word' for this year. I chose it because I am always repeating the word LOVE in my head when I am feeling frustrated towards someone. It helps me remember this:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I didn't even realize when I was making this, that it was my 'word'. I was only thinking of Valentine's Day and trying to have something small to give my kids' teachers as a gesture. (remembering last year when I didn't and was left thinking 'teacher's gifts for Valentine's Day?! really??!)

But then it hit me.

This was my word.

So I'm keeping this one.

in the land of pattern testing...

2010-02-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Lately, I feel like I have been living in the land of pattern testing. In December I had the opportunity to test a quilt pattern for Patty Young - the Hummingbird Quilt. I was very happy to be chosen to test the pattern and overall it was a very rewarding experience. The best part was getting a big box of fabric from Patty's newest line in the mail! I actually used some of the scraps from this hummingbird quilt in the quilt I made for my daughter for Christmas. (see 2 posts back, quilt of love 2) Patty released her newest set of patterns towards the end of January and all of the patterns look great. I got my copies of the pattern from Patty last week and it was really neat to see the quilt I had created on the pattern.

The down-low on making the quilt.... aka pattern review:

The quilt was really easy to do, great for a beginner that wants to try quilting but hasn't had the confidence. Using Patty's new double border daisy design in her newest collection, Flora & Fauna, there is virtually no work at all for the background. Just simply cut it to the correct length. The backing is also just one piece of fabric. I love the back almost more than the front! The daisies are irresistible! All the flowers and the hummingbird are raw edge appliques and Patty explains each step in her pattern very simply. It did take some time, but not the kind of time some quilts take. All quilts take some time and that is why they are so lovely. *This quilt used the mustard colorway of Patty's new flora & fauna collection. And I have to mention that I love all of the polka dots in this collection!

There will be more to come from the land of pattern testing in the weeks to come. I just finished testing a pattern for another fabric/ pattern designer last weekend, and received another in the mail yesterday from yet another pattern designer. Keep watching for reveals on these but for right now I'm not allowed to say anything. Mums the word.

poppies

2010-01-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

I must say that I cannot wait for this new fabric line from Laura Gunn to come out! It is beautiful! I have some projects already in mind for this collection!

quilt of love 2

2010-01-21T05:39:00.001-08:00

Here it is, the quilt I made my daughter for Christmas because I just didn't have enough to do. I made it completely from scraps and what I had in my (extensive) stash. I used only scraps for the inside part of each block which is made by doing a log cabin type block but without any measuring. I also did all the piecing using my serger, which I find to be much easier to use than my sewing machine. After putting the center of each block together, I then cut 4" strips of fabric for the outside of the block, then used my 12.5 x 12.5" square to square off each block and make them uniform. I loved doing this quilt. It was satisfying to use my scraps and I loved putting the fabrics together. They were all fabrics I love from my favorite designers, and I didn't just use the ones I wanted to use up, I used my favorites and was careful to put a LOT of pink! It was also great because it was kind of a free form thing, meaning that I was just making it up as I went along, which I enjoy. Following directions can really bring me down sometimes:). The backing and binding is done in a hot pink with white polka dots pincord cotton. It is also used on quite a few of the blocks, so you may be able to see it there. When I made my son a quilt a few years ago, I told him that it was full of love from Mommy because I had put LOTS of love into it while I was making it and when he put it over him, he could feel my love. So, he has always callled it his 'quilt of love'. He was very excited that I was (finally) making a 'quilt of love' for his sister because he had been telling me for quite a while that she needed one. Thus the name, quilt of love 2. And that's what makes it all worth while. And it really is full of Mom's love.

Christmas crafts part 1

2010-01-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm a little late with posting all the crafty things I made for Christmas. Maybe I'm just still trying to recover from all the crafty things I made at Christmas! So, I will start with 4 things in this post, and I will try to get the rest done in another post. This is the bulk of it though unless you count the quilt I made for my daughter!

**also, a disclaimer. I just got a mac, so this is my first post on the mac and I am still trying to learn how to use it. I'm sure it will be a long process with my history of technical expertise (as seen in previous posts:)). haha!

First up is this angel doll. It was made as a gift for a little girl who invited my daughter to a cookie decorating party mid- December. My daughter picked out all the fabrics. I made the doll from scratch and had intended to post the pattern and a tutorial on here. Ah, those good intentions. The doll was about 9-10 inches tall. I must confess (very sheepishly) that after I finished it, I loved it so much that I tried to convince my 4 yo daughter to keep it instead of giving it to her friend (I know, nice. great example of true Christmas spirit). But, my daughter wanted so much to give it to her friend because she knew her friend would love it so much, and she did. I guess sometimes we learn from our kids, but man is it hard to give up some of the things you put your love and time into... anyway, I thought I would make another doll and also a smaller one as an ornament, but never got around to it unfortunately. Next year, next year..... for that pattern &/or tutorial too, next year, next year....

Next up, the fleece Vikings scarf. My husband and son drove to Charlotte Dec. 20 for the Vikings/Panthers game. They are HUGE Vikings fans. So, I made this scarf for my son. Especially impressive to my son was the sewn on Vikings logo which I had printed off the computer on to fabric. It was probably the easiest project I did this season, but one of the most loved! Unfortunately the Vikings did not prevail at this game, but they had a great time and made great memories, which was the point.

Remember in my last post when I said I was going to start on that 3rd quilt soon? Well, here is that third quilt! I actually had to reevaluate what I wanted to accomplish and realize that I was not going to be able to get it all done. (I should add that we have a family tradition of making something for each other for Christmas each year. My kids are aware of this and expect it. Although it's sometimes hard to fit in, it is fun and meaningful and those are the gifts we are most excited to give and receive in our family). So, I asked my son what he would like for me to make for him this year and he said a stuffed animal, so in the end, I went with this. He absolutely LOVED it and sleeps with it every night! Meet Fumy, short for Funky Monster. I did not have a pattern for this, just made it up, inspiration from OllieGeeDesigns etsy shop. It's kind of like a pillow pal type stuffed animal.

And lastly, for this post, was the requested princess dress. So, I had been working SO hard to make this beautiful quilt for my daughter, and then a week or two before Christmas she tells me that she really wants me to make her a Princess dress for Christmas. In my head I was like yeah, ok (making you a QUILT, ok??!!). But then a couple of days later, she was with me at the local fabric store and she went straight over to the thread and promptly picked out a sparkly pink. She handed it to me and said " Here Mommy. You can use this to make my princess dress." So I bought the thread, and added another thing to my already too long to-do list.

I couldn't fathom another trip to Joann's, so I used some fabric & tulle that I had bought with intentions to make her Halloween costume. (there are those good intentions again...) I was a little short on fabric, but made it work the best I could. I used the most recent pattern that I made myself for a dress that I had made for her. You can see that she loved it and it has already gotten a LOT of use.

Next post, I hope to show you the quilt I made for my daughter, and the scarf that I made 8 of for friends and family! Hope you enjoyed, & hope this post turns out ok layout-wise. If not, sorry, and I will work on it. That's one of my goals for 2010, to better my blog! These are all i-phone pics so hope they come out ok. Another goal, to show better photography on my blog. It should be easier now with a mac. ~thanks for reading!

it's official....

2009-12-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

I have completely lost my mind!:) I have been working so hard lately. Trying to turn this:

......into this:

It's really a good feeling to do something constructive with your scrap pile I must say. I decided while I was working on my first quilt this season the weekend before Thanksgiving that I should do another quilt for my daughter to give to her at Christmas since I have not yet made her a quilt. (this is the part where I lost my mind) So, long story short, my house is a complete mess, but I finished the binding on quilt #1 last night, and this quilt for my daughter is off to the longarm quilter. I'll start working on my 3rd tomorrow. not kidding. More on quilt #1 later. It is a surprise. How's that for some mystery?

picking favorites

2009-12-08T10:59:00.001-08:00

I don't usually pick favorites between my babies, aka the clothes that I sew, but I have to say that this little dress is definitely my favorite thing I have made for my daughter so far *I think*! :) I made this the day before we were having our family pictures done and I loved how it turned out. I did not have a pattern. I just looked at a shirt my daughter already had and figured out how to make it into a dress. I think there will be more of these in her future. It was easy too! Maybe if I ever get around to writing some of my patterns out, I will include this one. Bonus: you get to see my sweet little guy too whose shirt was the basis of our color scheme for the family photos as it was one of the only "nice" shirts he had! Love how the pictures came out too. They were taken by Christy Johnson here NC. http://christyjohnson.com/

match making

2009-11-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Do you, Sandi Henderson's vintage cherries in fall, take Patty Young's tapestry in lime and Anna Maria Horner's polka line in brown to be your mates on this very cool shirt? To stay together always making these little girls' personalities shine with all the delightfulness that they are? ..... hahahaha! I have happily joined these fabrics together to make these custom shirts for my dear friend's 2 little girls. I think it was a match made that was always meant to be. LOVE how they turned out and they are so fall-like. Putting fabrics together is one of my very favorite things to do! Can you tell?! I think this combination will live happily ever after....

making lemons....

2009-11-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been so busy sewing, and I love that! I have not been taking the time to blog it all, and I am going to try to do better with that. So, ever have something great planned out and things just don't go according to plan? Well, that never happens to me either, but I have heard that it really stinks! :) Nora Kate had her school pictures scheduled for this past Tuesday, the 10th. I had ordered the cutest royal blue floral peasant top (which I thought would really bring out her blue eyes) from a direct sales clothing company ON OCTOBER 1 and still had not received the order. Turns out there was some kind of random problem with the sales rep that I had worked with and bottom line was that I was not going to get my stuff before her school picture date. So, I had to improvise. Now, these were her first school pictures EVER so she had to wear something unique is what I was thinking. So, in other words, I had to make her something uber cute that would bring out all her darling characteristics:) So, on Sunday I made her some new ruffle pants, and on Monday I made the top and finished the headband that I had started to go with something else I made for her. I really like how it turned out and I am in love with the fabric choices on the top. I just love color. I don't know why I fight this. The only thing I would have done differently is to make the top smaller. It was a little bigger than I would have wanted, with it being her school picture outfit. See, I was being lazy. I had cut the cherry fabric out as a mistake when I was making something for an order a few weeks ago, so I thought, hey, this looks cute, I'll just use this for the top part. Love it! Then later I realized that although I had originally thought it was a size 4, it was in actuality a size 6. So, oh well. She'll actually be able to wear it for 2-3 more years! (again with the making lemons.....:)

So on Wednesday I made her a pair of ruffle pants to wear to preschool on Thursday and also made a new quilt block from scraps! And I got 2 adorable matching shirts mostly done for an order for my best friend growing up's little girls and believe me, the fabrics on these shirts were always destined to be together! Look for more on this in future posts!

custom order

2009-11-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

I just finished this custom order this morning for someone local. I am really pleased with the way it came out! I made the skirt and headband with fabric flower, appliqued the 'm' on the shirt, and embellished the knee socks with lace and a pink bow! This is just another less than great picture from my iphone, so please excuse that. I seem to just grab whatever is closest. Someday I will actually take the time to take nice pictures with my nice camera! But for now, I just wanted to get this up quick! Hope you enjoy!

going out today!

2009-10-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got this order finished and it will be going out today! This was the largest order I have gotten to date. It was for all 5 of these pieces shown which are available in my shop. I am really excited as the pieces can be mixed and matched and can be worn a lot of different ways. I hope she likes them and they fit perfectly! Hopefully things will start getting back to normal for my blog soon. As you can see I have been busy sewing up a storm to get orders filled. This order pictured is actually just 1 of 7 that I have had in the last 3-4 weeks. Seems the new photography is helping sales in my shop! Thanks Donna! Now to attach my 'Love Hazel' tags and off it goes. Whew!

Sandi's new fabric!

2009-09-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't been this excited for a long time!! Look what Sandi just posted over at her blog:
http://portabellopixie.typepad.com/portabellopixie/

bathroom re-do

2009-09-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we re-did our hall 1/2 bath. I had this decorating itch that I just had to scratch so I ordered some home decor fabric (that I have been looking for a good excuse to order for a long time anyway). I used Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room collection. The fabric itself is absolutely stunning, as is everything else Anna Maria creates! So, I sewed a valance, embellished my hand towels with fabric, and created some "art" pieces for the walls. I picked out the paint myself and did so in less than 15 seconds, so for me this is the hardest thing. I am not sure I like it and am still getting used to it. My 8 year old son described it to our neighbor as "poo poo brown", and my 4 year old daughter walks in there shaking her head and saying "not pretty, not pretty". So it may be that they are giving me a complex, but it also may be that it really doesn't look that hot, because decorating is definitely not my forte! So, if you have an opinion, please leave it, good or bad. I am trying to learn. I must clarify that these pics were taken with my iphone so they are not the best quality pics, but you get the idea. You can only see the corner of the valance, but that is because I could not get the lighting right and it happened to come out ok in that one, so that is all you get of the valance. The "bird picture" is fabric stapled on to an art canvas and then covered in mod podge. I don't think I would do the mod podge step again unless it was for a bathroom or kitchen. It does make it look nice, but almost gave me a heart attack as it really wrinkled up when applied. I had to re-stretch and re-staple it. It all turned out ok in the end. **Ok, I am having a lot of trouble with the layout of this post, and I am running a fever. I don't know if the 2 are related, but I am just going to let it turn out as it may, so forgive me if it is all wonky.

this just in....

2009-09-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry again for the long pause. It has been very busy around here with school and fall activities starting and I have just been feeling a little down. I have been sewing and will try to start posting more about my sewing projects. That much has not changed. I am still in love with sewing, but still not in love with my Baby Lock 'Grace' sewing machine. I need to go have a class. Maybe I can now that the kids are back in school. Well purpose of this post.....I have gotten a couple of pictures back from the photographer of my clothes. These will be going up in my etsy shop very soon! I love how they came out! What do you think?!!

long break

2009-08-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

So I have been neglecting this blog. Sorry. I have been really busy as we all are, specifically with sewing. I have been sewing up a storm getting samples ready for a photographer who is going to take some nice professional looking photos for my etsy shop! I can't wait to see what she does. I got them sent off yesterday. I would have liked to have had more samples, but I really did as much as I could. This picture is one of my favorite new outfits I have created. It is a total hodge podge of fabrics and that's what I like about it the most I think! It can also be mixed and matched with other things very well, like the shirt can be paired with denim ruffle pants (also coming in my shop very soon), and the pants can be paired with numerous different tops. I plan on creating a peasant top or petal knot top in matching fabrics for those who like the fabrics to coordinate a little more! The shirt is also an original design by me (my first!)! I actually drew it out on paper and modified it, cut it out, etc. The whole thing from scratch! I am in the process of figuring out how to make it into a pattern and I am so excited about it! By the way, my 'model' wasn't being cooperative, so this was just a quick shot of the outfit laying on the floor with my phone!

my first quilt

2009-07-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

I loved Camille and Carrie's idea for the parade of quilts so here goes my contribution!

This was my very first quilt that I ever completed. It was made for my long anticipated niece, Rachel (who is now 12!). The picture is not great so I will explain. The center was a Precious Moments cross-stitch quilt kit that I bought when I found out my sister was pregnant. I was SO excited to become an Aunt for the first time! It took me a lot longer to complete than I thought it would. It was quite a project. I ended up not having it done when she was born, or turning 1, 2, or 3! When Rachel was 3 I found out that I was expecting my first child so I thought I better get to work on that quilt for Rachel. By this time she was too big for the little center quilt that was originally intended so I enlisted the help of a friend who knew how to quilt to help me figure out a way to make it larger. She really came up with the plan and I got to work. I had been collecting fabrics from our local Laura Ashley store and I used those to finish off the quilt. I tied it and I don't think I would do that again unless I was in a terrible rush. I also did a horrible job on the binding. I can say though that it was given with much love to Rachel on her 4th birthday and she still has it in her room!

This is my most recent COMPLETED quilt project! I made this little quilt as part of a get well kit for a friend of mine's daughter who was in a terrible accident. You can read about it here.

This is one of my very first quilts also. I think my second, but it was started during the time I was working on my first, so it is also kind of my first if that makes any sense!! Basically meaning that they were both done when I didn't have any idea what I was doing but knew I wanted to make a quilt!! This is the quilt where I learned that there is such a thing as a rotary cutter and you don't have to cut each square out by hand!! HA ha ha! (I guess I am a slow learner who does things the hard way at first!) This quilt still needs it's binding. I had just picked it up from finally having it machine quilted when we moved (again) from PA to NC. We have been here 2 years now and it still sits binding-less, but it is still close to my heart and won't be without it's binding forever! None of the corners match up on this quilt and I was a little embarrassed when I took it in to be quilted, but when I picked it up, the lady at the quilt shop told me how everyone had commented on the pretty bright colors while it was in the machine being quilted in the shop. I do love yellow!

This is my most recent quilt project that is not yet completed! It is a portion of the quilt from the quilt along at Old Red Barn. I used Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party and a couple of fabrics from her Good Folks line. I think I am going to love it! It will actually be 6 blocks by 7 blocks when I am finished. Can't wait!

I think that over the years I have learned that it's nice to be exact when making a quilt, but it's not the end of the world if you're not. I love to make quilts for the sheer enjoyment of it. Another quilt that I did not post but will have to post some time is the one that my Grandmother (Hazel) used to teach me how to quilt. I would drive an hour with my little boy who was just a toddler at the time to go spend the day with her and we would talk about how to quilt and eventually she showed me and taught me, specifically about how to do a 9 patch and hand quilt. Those are very special memories to me that I treasure as she is now gone. I think quilting is a way to give back joy and love to others and I try to do that when I make a quilt as a gift. My Grandmother used to make quilts for fundraiser auctions for their church and they would always bring in a lot of $$, which she loved. Sure, over the years I have learned to be more technical with my quilt making, but mostly I hope that through the quilts that I create that love and joy will flow through them to future generations.

I'm back!

2009-07-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

We have finally returned from our trip. Well, ok, we actually got back last weekend, but you know how it takes a week to recover from your vacation! We had a great time visiting family and a fantastic time in Alaska. I was not disappointed, there were many opportunities to ooh and aah over the pure beauty of the place. Snow capped mountains in every direction, moose families, bald eagles carrying sticks to their nests, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, rainbows, earthquakes, and calving glaciers to gawk at! We missed the kids, but it was great to actually be able to have conversations with each other, and when Josh went back to work last week, I missed him terribly. So here is a picture from my phone of us hiking on the Matanuska Glacier. It was awesome! I look forward to getting back to my sewing projects soon!

cool chicks

2009-06-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

I made these 2 little chicks for my kids at Easter for their baskets. We don't make much of a to-do about the Easter bunny here because to me, the real reason for the holiday is just too somber to cloud it with bunny propaganda. We mention it a little, but I think both of my kids "know". In case you're wondering, we do still do Santa, but to me, the 2 holidays are totally different, both still very joyous, but Easter really hits me when I think of the sacrifice Christ made for me, for all of us. *** Anyway, the kids have loved these little chicks, and they love that I made it for them. They named their chicks, and have played with them quite a bit. The egg comes out of the pocket and has a little removeable finger puppet baby chick that they can play with separately. In my son's chick, the egg is turned around backwards, and in my daughter's you can see the face of the little baby chick sticking out. I got the pattern from mollychicken, and you can find her tutorial for the Easter birdy chick here. I have been having trouble with my links, so in case they don't work, you can find the tutorial here: http://mollychicken.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/04/easter_birdy_tu.html

surprise, I can follow a pattern!

2009-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

This bag was made using a pattern by Amy Butler, and was done in fabrics by Amy Butler. I made it almost a year ago, and I was SO proud of myself! It was the first time I had ever followed a pattern to sew anything. Everything I had ever done before I had just made up myself. I kind of used it as a test to see if I could actually do it. I thought if I can sew this bag, I can probably sew some clothes for my daughter. So, it was really the start of something big for me! I have since sewn a lot of clothes for my daughter, pj bottoms for my son, clothes for other people's kids, and opened my own etsy shop! Sometimes what you think you can't do really holds you back from all the wonderful things you can do. Whatever it is that you think you can't do, give it a try. You may surprise yourself, like I did.

leaving things undone

2009-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have tried to keep up, but alas, I have not. I really thought I would finish all the tasks for week 3 of the quilt-along, I really did. It just didn't happen. All the tasks that come with the last days of school and getting ready to leave for 2 weeks came upon me, and I had to prioritize. I'm sorry beautiful quilt that you will be, but family has to come first. I'm sure you understand. So, I was able to sew almost all of my strips together (boy was that a big job!), and I have ironed almost all of my strip sets. I will mainly just have to cut my strip sets into blocks when I get back, sew them together and then do whatever weeks 5 & 6 hold, and I will be all caught up! No problem, right?! I actually do think I will be able to get caught up relatively easily, unless the quilt-along includes hand quilting. I will probably try to get mine machine quilted anyway which may take a while, depending on waiting lists. I have had to wait 6 months in the past to get a quilt machine quilted, but it is worth it in the end if you ask me. I love the way it looks and feels. I am comparing to hand tying a quilt, which I have also done, and I just love the machine quilted effect so much more. I can quilt on my own machine with small projects, but not something like this. So, I will still keep you updated on the status of my quilt-along quilt, I just may not be on schedule with old red barn anymore (see link on sidebar).

Speaking of links, sorry for the problems I have been having with my links lately. Not sure what is going on. I have been doing them exactly the same as usual, but they are not working for some reason. Most of the people I reference in my blog are also located on my sidebar.

And finally, YES, you heard correctly, I am leaving for 2 weeks. 17 days to be exact. We are going to visit family in OH, KY, and MN; and then Mr. P (my husband's 'mafia wars' name) and I will be going to ALASKA, yes Alaska, for a week!!! We are really excited about it. I cannot wait to see the beauty God has created that waits in store for us there! I remember when I was a consultant for Close to my Heart, an awesome scrapbooking company, and I flew to Portland, OR for our convention..... well, this midwestern girl (grew up in OH) had never been to Oregon, or seen the likes of anything like Mt. Hood. I think I nearly caused a scene taking pictures out the window of the plane! I remember being overwhelmed at such an amazing sight, and thanking God for the clear day to allow me to see just a small snippet of the beauty of this world which He has created. My friend who I was flying with that day had grown up in Utah, so she had seen a lot of this stuff, and I think she was a little tickled at my level of enthusiasm! (hey Melissa, remember that?!) Anyway.... hoping & expecting to have a lot more of those moments in Alaska. Just hoping one of those moments is NOT seeing a bear up close & personal! Our agenda so far includes hiking, a glacier cruise (with buffet - yum!), a midnight hike on a glacier, and probably a kayaking/ mountain biking excursion. Seeing as how I got worn out last week from my rotary cutter, I am probably not in the best possible shape that I need to be in for this trip, but I will do my best and will enjoy it every step of the way. Can't wait to tell you about it when I get back! Hoping to be really inspired! I have a few scheduled posts for while I'm gone, so keep checking back, and let me know if you've stopped by!! Thanks!

~Lori

hot pink polka dot ruffle pants

2009-06-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

These pants are in my etsy shop for only $15! They are made from really nice cotton fabric from Chez Ami. I am lucky to live in Raleigh, where they have the Patsy Aiken/ Chez Ami factory and outlet. The outlet store is open for a week, once a month, and they have some of their fabrics for sale there. That is why I am able to offer these ruffle pants at such a great price, because I get a good deal on the fabric. I have found that you can pair these with almost anything, and she cannot wear them anywhere without getting TONS of compliments! They are SO cute. I love them. I just got the same fabric in a bright kelly green at the last outlet sale which I will make her a pair from that fabric too, and will have them for sale in my etsy shop as well. These can also be made as capris! Take a look!

getting to know grace

2009-06-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Grace is my sewing machine. She is a Baby-Lock, and their models are actually named, and I have Grace. Well, Grace came into my life mid-April, and we are still getting to know each other. I'm going to keep it clean, so let's just say that she has affected my progress this week on the quilt-along. Wow, have we had a lot of problems. There was the E6 error that kept popping up on the screen indicating the motor was locking up because of tangled thread. Then there was the improper threading of the upper thread (ok, that was not her fault....), and finally the ongoing problems with thread tension. I know it is a good machine, I am just having trouble adjusting. I LOVE my Baby Lock serger. I have the Imagine, and she has been a dream. My husband surprised me with the serger at Christmas and it was such a great moment for us. (my husband and I , not the serger and I!) It was so sweet of him. He knew I wanted one, but would have never expected one because of the cost. Don't say that girls don't like gifts that plug in... Well, despite the problems we have had this week, Grace and I are expected to finish the tasks assigned for week 3 of the quilt-along. I have 3 strip sections ironed and ready to cut (on the left in the picture), 5 sewn and ready to iron (on the right in the picture), and 6 still to sew. With 2 more days plus the rest of today, I am confident we will finish on time, something I was not so sure of a couple of days ago!

giveaway at lanie jane

2009-06-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Check out Lanie Jane. She is giving away some beautiful Moda fabric that she picked up at the sample sale at quilt market! See my sidebar for a quick way to access her blog regularly!

quilt-along coming along

2009-05-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I ironed all my 1/2 yards and cut them into the 2 1/2" strips today, and boy did I work up a sweat doing it! I don't know if I'm out of shape, or if I need to jack up the AC in our house, or maybe both. Ok, it's both, but mostly the first one. Yeah, that rotary cutter can really wear a person out. I have gained 10 pounds since last year and it really stinks. What a difference 10 pounds makes. I am telling you.... anyway....ok, back to the subject. Ok, I love my fabric and have spread it out like a fan so that I (and you) can admire it fondly until the instructions for week 3 are posted. I am really excited about this! Can't wait to have another quilt top finished and awaiting quilting or a binding. Currently I have 2 quilt tops that just need a border which were both given to me. One was done by my Grandmother Hazel and was given to me when she passed away. The other was done by my Aunt Nannie, who has also since passed away, and was also given to me to finish. Oh the pressure. I have another quilt that is finished and just needs a binding, and one that is basted together and is in the process of being hand quilted (for the past 5 years...). It is the quilt my Grandmother Hazel and I worked on together and the one she used to teach me how to quilt. Special. Maybe I can share with you on this blog as I take on these challenges, but I need encouragement people.....!

Oh, and there is a giveaway I failed to mention earlier that is going on over at Nutmeg Designs for some Texture Magic. I had never heard of it before, but she has a tutorial using it and it looks really cool. Giveaway ends May 31, midnight, EST, so hurry over.

get well soon package

2009-05-29T13:02:00.001-07:00

Some good friends of ours' 4 year old daughter was recently badly injured in an accident. I have put together this package to send to her as a little get well gift. The dog I purchased at Target for $10. The quilt I made from some fabric I have here. It was a very easy quilt to make and only takes about 1-2 hours from start to finish, depending on how much the other people in your house will leave you alone :) haha! I have made 2 of these for my daughter's dolls, and one for a friend of hers. I think they turn out so cute, especially for how quick they are. The first aid box was made from an empty Nestle container and holds the band-aids and gauze, which are for the little girl to use to nurse the 'injured dog' back to health. My son painted the first aid symbol on the front and wrote the words, and my daughter colored a couple of pictures for her. It was good for them to be involved in this, and they were both very pleased, talking about how much she was going to like this. My son will write a letter that will be included that asks her to take care of the dog, who was in an accident just like her. I got this idea from visiting the Wilmington Children's Museum in Wilmington, NC. They had a room which was like a doctor's office, and it was full of stuffed animals that could be 'examined' and 'treated'. I would have never thought of putting actual band-aids on stuffed animals before visiting there, but why not, and the kids loved it. So, this idea for a get well package, or even rather an activity for her to do during her recovery, was born. I hope she likes it!

fabric giveaway

2009-05-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

There is a fabric giveaway that you can still enter through the end of this week over at Terri's Notebook. I found this blog through Sis Boom Sightings flickr page, which I had arrived at from Jennifer Paganelli's blog. I also found Meg from Boutique Nutmeg Designs over there too. She is doing the quilt-along too, and she is using some beautiful fabrics from Paula Prass' Flights of Fancy collection. Her quilt is going to be awesome. She makes some beautiful bags too!

Today I have been working on cutting my fabric for the quilt into 1/2 yards. I will then cut the strips after I get all the 1/2 yards cut. I have also been working on a skirt order for my 'sunny day skirt', which is in my etsy shop. The skirt is also done in fabrics all by Anna Maria Horner, so it will match my quilt when I'm done! Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment if you like so I can come visit you too!

quilt-along

2009-05-27T13:49:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do something I have never done before. I am joining a sew-along, in which we are sewing a quilt! I have made several quilts before, but I have never done an anything 'along' with anyone else. This is being done at Old Red Barn Co. with fabulous prizes each week and an unbelievable grand prize! They have started week 2, but I will be fine catching up. I have so much fabric here at home that I was easily able to go through my stash and pick out the needed fabrics. They are using fabric by Paula Prass which I love, but seeing as I am behind a week, I will use what I already have. That way I am being thrifty too, right?! So, last week was gathering supplies, which I already have, and this week is just cutting your fabric. No problem. I am using fabric by Anna Maria Horner, one of my absolute favorites! I believe these are from her Garden Party line with the exception of 2 prints which are from her newer Good Folks line. I will post pictures as I progress with this 'quilt-along'! Check it out. Maybe you want to join too! It's not too late!

Coming Soon!

2009-05-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I hope to get started posting soon for this, my new blog! This blog will be focusing on things that I have sewn or crafted, but mostly sewn, as that is my main craft, at least for right now! I plan to post some things that I have made from patterns, original items, and perhaps a tutorial here and there! Looking forward to getting started! Check back soon!