This is my mess...er, I mean workspace...

Yes - I am working. And I realize I should be embarrassed by my workspace, but I faced my shortcomings a long time ago. I will never be able to keep a neat workspace. Let's just call it "organized chaos". And I did clean up before I shot these photos. A lot.

Anyway, I am doing my first holiday gift/craft show in November - and as usual, I'm a little behind. My plans of getting things done over the summer just didn't pan out - good thing I work better under pressure. While I usually make bags, I don't think they would be big sellers at this type of show, so I'm trying to keep my price points under $20. Thinking along the lines of quilted holiday coasters, pot holders, drawstring totes (for kiddos), crayon/pencil portfolios, luggage tags, zippered pouches, etc. I need to be careful that it doesn't end up looking like a modge podge of "stuff" though and am being selective with fabrics to try to coordinate the best I can.

If anyone has any suggestions for big sellers, let me know!

Other than that, all is sunny again in the South. The rains and floods in Atlanta were truly unbelievable. The area we live in was not one of the hard-hit areas - thank God. These are some of the folks that don't have flood insurance...could you imagine?

Susan

Favorite Things

I thought that since summer is officially over for my crew (Kara started back to preschool yesterday), and because FALL is my absolutely favorite season here, I thought I'd list some of my favorite things about the season...

cooler temps jeans and sweatshirts getting to wear my favorite clogs hiking picking apples camping crisp morning air picnics pumpkins comfort food (cooking & eating it!) changing colors fall festivals

Uh oh...I might actually have to move my sewing machine out onto the screened-in porch. Seriously! I've got to get motivated here and now that the kiddos are back in school, I'm anxious to turn my machine back on. Not only that, but my last blog post was a month ago. How do you all keep up with all that you do? And I wish I could say I'm caught up on reading all of my favorite blogs, but the truth is, I am so far behind I need to lock myself in my room with my laptop and do some serious blogging. I'll get there one day soon and maybe without having to chain myself to the computer. I honestly can't wait to read up on how everyone's summer was and see all the lovely goods you have made.

Susan

The Carnival

Carnivals...I'm not a big fan. You know the ones...the old rickety grimey rides that pop up in an empty field for a couple of weekends. So, we're driving home from dinner Friday night and as we crest over the hill, there it is. In all its bright-light, spinning, whirling glory. And here come the squeals. And then "can we go can we go can we go (big gasp for air, followed by...) plllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!!". This is the perfect opportunity to for parents here...let's use this as leverage, right? So, dear hubby says if they are nice to each other for a whole day, we'll take them Saturday night. Now, this isn't really fair because, well, it just isn't. I'm thinking, there is no way that's gonna happen. I would let lots of bad behavior slip just so they could go - but not dear hubby. He means what he says.

Fast forward to Sunday. The girls lost their carnival rights probably in the first hour and dad promised to take them Sunday. On the way home from church, my oldest daughter remembers (of course! you can't promise a 9-year old to take her to the carnival and expect her to not remember!). And then, here it comes. Bad mood plus stress can make dad say dumb things. "I can't take you today - I'm too busy"... "But Dad, you PROMISED" and dad says "It's just a cheesy carnival...we'll take you to Six Flags sometime". This is one of those moments that, had we been sitting at a table, I would have given him a hard swift kick in the shin. But, seeing that my foot was on the gas pedal, I couldn't. Tears, cries and more "but you promised" ensued. But that whole "don't contradict your spouse in front of the kids" thing prevented me from chiming in too. While dad worked, I took the girls for milkshakes hoping it would lessen the blow.

Fast forward again to Monday night. Dinner. Talks of going out for ice cream. And then dad telling the girls that if the carnival is still there, we can go for one ride. What? One ride? You can't bring your kids to a carnival and only go on one ride? I'm pretty sure he was convinced the carnival had packed up and left, so this time I did chime in and told them if it was still there, I would stay if daddy needed to come home to get some work done. So off we go to get ice cream and as we turn the corner, there it is - the ferris wheel. And the squeals. And giggles. And more squeals. Truly, it was the best $50 we've spent all summer just to see the faces on the girls. And dad? Yeah, of course he stuck around. Not a chance he was going to leave after one ride.

I'm here...

Wow...is it really going to be August this weekend? Where has this summer gone? As you can see, I haven't been on blog land in a couple of weeks...spending the last days of summer trying to fit in all those summer activities we had planned to do. E. starts school August 10th - way too early in my opinion. Haven't done much sewing either - but will get back into the groove soon. Just wanted to stop in and say hi! Hope you all are enjoying your summer too!

Susan

Finished Goods

Ahhh...it sure does feel good to finish a project. I really should do that more often. My first and second quilts are complete - the binding on the first is a packaged bias binding (and really isn't the right green, but I just wanted to get it done). Nothin' to write home about.

For the wonderland quilt binding, I found a red/cream ticking in my fabric stash and while I would have preferred to have seen one of the wonderland fabrics on the binding, I thought this would do nicely. Since I'm guessing this quilt will get used quite a bit, I decided to do a bias binding.

This was the first time I've cut anything on the bias and I was a little nervous about it. I've read numerous tutorials on how to cut on the bias, but I am such a visual learner that I just wasn't getting it from text alone. They lost me after "take your square and fold the corner..." Any time I see any shape described in text, I'm immediately brought back in time to my 10th grade geometry class. Let's just say that geometry and I did not mix!

So, I found this tut and got it! Lots of pictures, which is exactly what I needed! And I love her method of stacking the strips so they are ready to sew together. It didn't take me nearly as long as I expected to cut and sew all the strips into one long continuous binding strip. This probably isn't anything new to most of you, but I sure felt like I accomplished something! Surprisingly, I enjoyed finishing the back of the binding by hand (using a ladder stitch). It went rather quickly and it was a pretty relaxing task.

Oh - I forgot to tell you how I ended up quilting this baby. I did straight-line quilting down the vertical sashing (and used painters tape as my guide). For the squares, I started out by quilting 1/4" from the seam on the inside of each large square block. Then, at first, I did diagonal stitching (a big X) inside the large blocks. I finished the 3 blocks in the center of the quilt and realized that I was seeing triangles! The "X" really took away from the smaller squares and I didn't like it. So, I ripped those stitches out and ended up stitching 1/4" from each seam inside the block so it looks like all the small blocks are outlined. Does that make sense? Anyway, I liked the look much better.

While this quilt is far from perfection , I love it (but that little loopy thread in the photo above is buggin' me!). I know it will be used for many years (if it doesn't fall apart when I wash it)! And, I learned a lot from it too. Looking forward to my next one!

By the way, thank you for all your kind comments and suggestions!

A week in review

Where in the world has this week gone? 10 things I've done this week -

1. laundry, cleaning & paying bills (ugh)
2. saw Ice Age 3 with the kids
3. sewed binding on first quilt - yee haw!
4. sewed up some zippered pouches from charm squares
5. took kids "gem mining" and on a gold mine tour, had lunch in charming Dahlonega and sneaked in a visit to the Southern Living Idea house.
6. finally scheduled doggy training for Toby. Better late than never, right? He'll be 1 on Sunday!
7. had a girls' night with K. the other night and watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua
8. slept in
9. started reading a new book
10. almost finished quilting 2nd quilt

Regarding #10, I am in the process of ripping out some of the quilting. As much as I don't want to, I didn't like how it looked. I'm trying to finish the quilting so I can do the binding over the weekend. I'm spending a few days at my parents' house without hubby and the kids, so I figure it might be a good time to finish it. I'll post more about that quilt when it's completed.

Have a great weekend!

The Learning Curve

So, I was excited to try my first quilt. I decided to try a small coin quilt. Honestly, I should have tried a DOLL quilt - but I went with a lap-sized one. Lesson number one...start with pre-cut squares. I should be able to cut 4" squares right? I thought I did. And I should be able to sew 1/4" seams. I thought I did. Long story short, my "coins" and sashing didn't exactly match up. Okay. I can live with that. They weren't that far off. Lesson number 2...you can't stitch in the ditch if your ditches aren't matched up. My plan was to quilt 1/4" from each seam. Well, my seams weren't lined up, which made that experience, well, an experience. I'm not too good at stitching a straight line without a guide (a straight seam would have been nice). Let's just say that the quilting on this is beyond horrible. Thank goodness for gorgeous fabrics - because to the untrained eye (i.e. my husband), it looks great. Lesson number 3 - don't skimp on the basting process. I didn't make my backing and batting big enough and I didn't tape the backing to the floor. So, I have some nice puckers in my quilting as a result. Hopefully washing the quilt will hide some of the imperfections. And Lesson #4 - When the quilting experts say to start quilting in the middle, listen to them! In my defense, I really did forget about this rule. I should have remembered it when I saw some of my squares going wonky on me. sigh. Still have to bind this one too. Finished size will be 32" x 39 - which isn't a standard sized anything but my girls won't care!



Quilt number #2 has been started. I used (4) pre-cut charm squares in Wonderland (which I adore!) to make a block and then put a strip of natural colored cotton in between each and the same fabric for the sashing. I finished piecing the top yesterday and am almost done with the back. I had some extra blocks left over that I'm going to piece on the back. Finished size on this one will be about 45"x52" and it will be going in my family room.

I haven't decided how to quilt this one. I was going to do the 1/4" from each seam again, but once again, my blocks aren't completely lined up. I might outline each block 1/4" from the seams. But then I don't know what to do with the sashing. Or, I may try straight line stitches evenly spaced. I'm just worried about my inability to stitch straight! I'm open for suggestions!

Progress!

In the past two days I've completed (80) 8x8 page layouts, printed, trimmed and in the books. I am quite pleased with myself. I decided to complete albums for both the girls from beginning of 2009 to current. However, I think I'm going to end up doing different albums for various categories (vacations, holidays, summer, birthdays, etc). I personally think it's so much fun to see how everyone changes from year to year. The nice thing about that is it will be easy to take pages out of one album and put them into another should I decide to. I can also print out duplicate layouts if I do more than one album.

Anyway, with the categories in mind, I decided to start with the smallest category...Halloween. Mostly because Shabby Princess has the cutest halloween album put together called "Smell my Feet" (the photo above)! So, I finished Halloween layouts from 2003 through 2008 and put them in its own album. Emma got such a kick out of looking through that and seeing her and her friends over the years (all of whom still live on our street).

My sister-in-law looked at some of them and commented about how much ink I must be using printing them all at home. I have outsourced printing before from Scrapbooks to Share and they do a wonderful job. Definitely check them out if you don't want to mess with printing and trimming your own pages. They charge $1 per page for 8 1/2 x 11 or smaller. I would definitely use them if I decided to do any 12x12 pages since I wouldn't be able to print those on my own printer. As far as cost effectiveness - so far I've spent about $80 on ink and photo paper. The ink is still going pretty strong too. So, I'll save a little bit doing it at home, but I'm definitely not losing money. I'll be looking for less expensive photo paper (I'm buying it at Staples right now) - which will save me some $$ too.

Hope this will encourage some of you to give digital a try!

Sidetracked...again

What is it about me? I am so easily sidetracked. We just returned from vacation and vacation means lots of pictures. And lots of pictures reminds me of how behind I am on putting photo albums together. I'm not a scrapbooker...my poor kids. I mean, I think I only have one page completed for Emma's baby book and she's NINE! Anyway, back to the photo album thing. I go through these phases where I work on photos for several days straight - trying to put a dent in my stash. I discovered digital scrapbooking a few years back and while I tinkered with it (for hours and hours), I realized that I'm not very good at creating my own pages. This is why I love, love, love the digital layouts you can purchase (download). Check out Shabby Princess - I adore their piece-of-cake albums. I bought 3 last night and guess what I've been doing? It is so addicting! I use photoshop elements and print the layouts at 8x8 (so I can print them at home). Then trim and slip them into an album.

I've decided to start current - 2009 - and am doing 8x8 albums for the girls this way. I figure once I get caught up on this year, I can go back to last year. and the year before. and the year before. That sounds daunting. What do you all do with your photos? My mom was so good about sticking everything in an album as soon as she got them printed. Nothing fancy, but at least we have pictures to look at! Maybe that's the key. Another reason I like the simplicity of these album page layouts. I see a few late nights ahead of me...

Ahhh...vacation

I wish we could have stayed another week! We spent the week at Isle of Palms in Charleston, SC with hubby's family (all 20 of us!) and had a fabulous time. My girls had a blast with all of their cousins - and the girls definitely rule in that bunch (8 girls and 3 boys). So, now it's back to reality...which, even though it's not the beach, is pretty darn good.

And the winners are...

Terry from Maine (Quilternity's Place) , Melissa from Ontario (My Shabby Heart) and CJ from Idaho (A Stitch and A Prayer).

I'll email you all this evening so you can pick you're wristlet! We'll pick in the order listed above to be fair (random.org decided). Congratulations and thanks for playing!

Thank you to everyone who participated. It was so much fun to hear where everyone likes to vacation! As for me, we love the mountains (NC, TN & GA since that's where we're closest to) and SC beaches (Hilton Head, Charleston, Fripp Island, etc.). There are lots of Maine lovers out there and that is one place I really want to visit. Last time I was there I was only 6!

Thanks Melissa for the link on how to add my signature!

My Favorite Tutorials

Just thought I'd post a few links of some of my favorite tutorials from some of my favorite creative peeps.

Oil Cloth lunch bag at Skip to my Lou. Her blog is so much fun so be sure to stick around and browse.




Cork board Wall Pocket at Craft Apple. Another fabulous blog with great info. Love her patterns too!





Crochet Flower Square at Rose Hip. Check out this post for the finished product. I love her blog...Beata creates the most beautiful things in such bright and fun colors.



Other links that I love are:

Sarah and Abraham's making notepads tutorial and her FAQs section. Very informative! Her papers and canvas prints are darling! Check them out.

Any of Lisa's tutorials on U-Handbag blog are fabulous. She is so talented and I've learned so much from her! Check out her shop too for fun purse kits and hardware.

Okay, the kids are calling...off to run some errands and then to the pool. Looks like another nice day! Have a good one!

Summer, Family and Etsy

I think I might be just as excited as my kiddos about the start of summer. Lazy mornings, lazy afternoons, lazy evenings...I think I see a pattern here! I always start the summer with such great intentions of having somewhat of a schedule, designated craft times, chore times, etc., but then summer just sort of takes over and well...things just sort of happen at will. I guess that's what summer is all about though - throwing all those schedules out the window for a few short weeks and just enjoying the time with the kids. I remind myself (daily) that these years go by so quickly and by the time our kids are teens, really, our job is almost done. A couple of our neighbors just graduated from high school this year...it seemed like yesterday when they were selling lemonade on the curb and ringing our doorbell to sell girl scout cookies. Where did the time go? E. turned 9 this year and as quickly as those years have passed by, I know the next 9 years will go even quicker.

So, time with family is of utmost importance to us. We took the girls camping over the weekend and lucked out with gorgeous weather. K. woke up the first morning and as she was stretching says "ahhhhhhhhhh, I love camping". And E. told me her favorite thing about it is waking up in the tent in the morning - cool air, sun peeking in. I'm just so glad we are giving our kids these experiences because it's those times I remember most with my parents and brothers.

Looking at my sparse Etsy store and feeling somewhat like a failure, I remind myself that my family does come first. And so does the laundry, dishes, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, bills, etc. I bring this up because while I truly enjoy sewing handbags and giving them to family and friends, I would still like to sell some of them (I have to find some way to support my fabric addiction!). I opened my Etsy store sometime last year and it took me forever to get anything into it. So, after several months and no sales, I decided to give Ebay a try. I put 3 of my bags on Ebay and they sold within 4 days. Those same bags had been on Etsy for 3 months (same pricing). Go figure. Maybe having to fill a "store" is too stressful right now and I should just list items as I make them on Ebay or focus on stocking up for the holiday craft shows in the fall. I know Etsy is all about marketing, but honestly, I don't have the time and it's not doing wonders for my confidence. I'm curious how you all have handled this. I'm thinking I should just put my store on vacation for the summer...that would take some pressure off, don't ya think?

Don't forget the giveaway in the previous post! Be sure to comment there to be eligible.

Another Chance to Win!

All Sewn Up is launching their new blog on June 1st (hey...that's today!) and has enlisted the help of some of us bloggers to participate in their LAUNCH PARTY! And who doesn't like a good party?!? Check out the link on my sidebar to get a little more info about their new blog. Also, look for a list of participating blogs as well.

That said, I've decided to join the party! I'll be giving away one of my zippered wristlets (pictured is one of Anna Maria's Good Folks fabrics). Oh what the heck, I'll give away THREE of them to three different people. I have them in several different fabrics (not all Anna's). The winners can choose which one they'd like. They are so practical - perfect for holding keys, sun glasses, etc. Since we are full-swing into summer, tell me your favorite vacation spot in the comment section of this post and you'll be eligible to win. I'll use a random number generator to select the winners on June 8th.

And the winner is...

Tanya from San Diego! Congratulations! Check out Tanya's Etsy store Weebeaks here. Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments. I had so much fun visiting your blogs (haven't quite finished visiting all of you yet, but look forward to it). You all are a talented bunch! Be sure to check back for future giveaways!

May Giveaway!

First of all, thank you to Sew Mama Sew for supporting a blog giveaway day! And, thank you for visiting my blog. I wasn't sure what to do for my giveaway - but I finally decided on this darling little number. The pattern is the "Coming and Going Bag" by That Darn Kat and fabrics are from Patty Young's Andalucia collection. The interior has one pocket and it has a magnetic snap closure. Purse measures 14" W at widest, 9" H at center of purse (not including strap) and strap has approx. 10 1/2" drop.

I would love to continue quarterly giveaways on my blog. I would do monthly giveaways, but honestly, I don't trust myself to have sewn enough to promise that!! Maybe some day... so if you are in for that, please let me know! I typically have a stash of fabric scraps, extra supplies or projects that I've completed and maybe don't think are quite worthy to put in my shop. I have learned so much from all of you creative bloggers out there, I would love to give back in some small way.

So, if you would, leave a comment below and you will be eligible for this giveaway. I will randomly choose a winner on Sunday, May 31st. I will announce the winner via blog post later that afternoon (we're getting back in town that day). But, make sure I have a way to get in contact with you (either blog info or email) so I can let you know if you've won. And since I'm new to blogging and need some more blog friends, feel free to follow my blog too! I do feel a need to give a special THANK YOU to those of you who have left your sweet comments to help me get going!

Making Gifts

I absolutely love making things for people. My poor friends though, they don't really have a say in the matter - they pretty much get what I envision for them. I made this bag for a friend of mine for her birthday this week. I'm pretty sure she told me at one time she liked the colors brown and green and she wanted something with polka dots. I actually started on a bag for her for last year's birthday but just didn't like the way it was coming out, so... it's still sitting in a WIP pile somewhere. As I embarked on this year's attempt, I blocked "polka dots" out of my mind and picked out the fabric and bag that I thought suited her. Never mind that it might not be anything like she really wanted, but I have to say, I just love the way it came out.

This is Amy Karol's bag pattern from her book Bend-the-Rules Sewing and I LOVE how massive it is. It doesn't look this big in the book photo, so honestly, I thought I did something wrong. But, even if I did, I like the way it turned out. A couple of things I did differently: I put a magnetic snap in, although I wasn't happy with the placement (I would have put it a little bit lower). And I had to piece the straps because I didn't have enough fabric - but I actually like the way those came out as well. I also interfaced the exterior fabric with a cotton drill fabric and then used the fusible fleece for the interior interfacing. The bag has a really nice weight to it.

I would love to figure out how to make a zippered version of this - it would make a fabulous travel bag (carry on or my "car" bag that I shove in anything I forgot to pack). And because of the size, it actually put a dent in my fabric stash. I believe I will be making one of these for me very soon.

Giveaways sound like soooooooo much fun so I've decided to take part in Sew Mama Sew's May Giveaway Day, which will start on May 27th. There will be bunches of giveaways from all sorts of crafters, so be sure to head over there on May 27th for your chance to win. For more information, please check out this post at Sew Mama Sew.


I haven't decided yet what my giveaway item will be...hmmm. And I'm not sure if it will be something I've already finished or if I'll be inspired to make something new. Well, I still have a week or so to decide. I'm looking forward to it!!

I'm a Proud Mama!

I am just so proud of my little girl! We attended an art show this evening where she's been taking some after school art classes. The students had to submit 2 of their pieces for the show. She has never been to an art show and she was excited to show us her finished pieces (I had seen them but her daddy had not). We arrived and were looking around when I noticed a little tag next to Emma's floral mosaic...1st place in the Youth Visual Art category!! She was so surprised and we are SO very proud! They announced the winners, read what the judges said about the winning pieces and gave the younger students a fun prize (she won a stained glass craft kit). (sorry about the blurry photo...taken on my cell phone since I didn't think to bring a camera)

After we left E. said to me "Mom, I've never won anything - I mean, I just thought I was doing it for fun". I reminded her that when we do things we love to do or create things we love to create and have fun with it, it shows. Did I mention that I'm so proud?

Because you can never make just one...

Since starting one oldest daughter's crochet blanket, of course I had to start one for younger daughter as well. My 9 year old will make sure I complete hers first, but honestly, this one is going much more quickly. I am a bit wiser after starting the first one and am using much looser stitches on this one. I was a little too ambitious on the first and started with my stitches too tight and they keep getting looser as I go...good thing our kids don't really care if the edges are even. I'm pretty sure it will end up as some unidentified geometric shape. I've learned my lesson and this one is much better. I'm also going to use it vertically like this and it will be more of a throw vs. bed blanket. I'll post the finished projects when I'm done!

Happy Mother's Day

to all you moms out there! I haven't read The Middle Place yet (on my list), but I absolutely love this clip of Kelly Corrigan talking about her mom. Enjoy and have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!!

One down...

and a bunch more to go (unfinished projects that is). I was a little motivated to finish this bag when I saw today's post from Sew Mama Sew. I really adore these fabrics and I think they lend themselves well to this bag pattern (by Artsy-Crafty Babe) - don't you? I do need to confess however that I'm not 100% done with this one...I still have to sew up the hole in the lining and press a little more. And add a bag bottom...hmmm...I'm still noticing a trend here with me not being able to quite finish up a project.

I did it again...

I just couldn't help myself. I just ordered this pattern from Artsy Crafty Babe and this fabric from Pink Chalk Fabrics and I did it...I started another new project. I have a million unfinished projects (okay, not quite that many, but enough that I shouldn't be starting another one)...but I just couldn't help it. The fabric and the pattern were just calling out to me, begging me to start ironing, measuring, cutting, sewing. The problem is, I honestly cannot sit down and make a bag from start to finish - I make too many stupid mistakes because I'm trying finish it too quickly - knowing that it will end up in the WIP pile if I don't. But, after I ripped out a seam because I failed to look at the instructions, I decided to call it quits for today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can show a little tenacity and finish this one up!

Family Time

Springtime in Georgia

and happy campers

Let's Make Waves!

I have to say, I'm really excited about this project. I learned how to crochet last year and honestly didn't know if it was one of those things that I would stick with. Usually a new endeavor for me lasts about 6 months and if I continue with it after that time, it's usually a keeper. Well, I'm proud to say I've been crocheting on and off for over a year now and it is truly one of the most relaxing things I do. I'd much rather pick up a crochet project (I'll admit, a mindless one) at the end of a long day than turn on the tv. I don't have much to show for my crochet craftiness other than a handful of miscellaneous hats that aren't meant for anyone and whose ends are still dangling (I still can't quite figure out how to prevent the ends from sticking out even after weaving in). And I have my "stress" squares that I work on when I really really need to unwind. Honestly, the thought of chaining something over 40 gave me heart palpitations.

So, this is why I'm so proud of this one! I saw some wavy / ripple crochet blankets recently (maybe on sew mama sew?) - and decided to give it a go. It's more of a lap blanket, but I did chain 150 to start! This is for my oldest daughter's room. I wish I could show a nice pretty basket of yarn, but my darling 9 month old cocker loves it when I leave yarn out. I have a hard enough time keeping it nice and tidy during a project, so it's quite impossible when he gets a hold of it.



I'll post the finished product when I'm done. I would love to see yours! Feel free to link in your post.

Birthday Gift

Since making my oldest daughter a purse for her birthday, she has been proudly announcing to her friends that I made it and that I could make them one too. I love that she thinks what I make is something special...it sort of makes me chuckle - especially when I see at all of the amazing and talented folks out there who make amazing and inspiring things. I was looking at some handbags on Etsy the other night in utter awe. Emma, looking over my shoulder kept saying - "Mom, YOU do that, you can do that!". Leave it to my 9 year old to give me a boost of confidence. I love it that my girls are proud of me and it does inspire me to be more creative for their sakes. In any case, I worked on this one late last night and finished it up today. I think it came out kinda cute (it's petite, which the photo doesn't really show - 7 1/2w x 8"h (w/out straps). I did scribble down the dimensions as I cut - which means I can make another! I could see a bunch of these lined up in different summery fabrics.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Oh, it's my oldest baby's birthday...she's 9 today. And that means she's definitely no longer a baby. And in today's world, while she isn't technically a "tween", she sure acts like one. We planted this gorgeous cherry tree on her 1st birthday and we snap a picture of her in it each year right around her birthday. We celebrated last night - she was thrilled she finally got the purse I'd been telling her I'd make for her and she got her first "Abercrombie" shirt...she has a 12 year old cousin who decided it was time for her to be indoctrinated. Let me be clear...I am not thrilled about this seeing that my daughter has never asked for nor indicated she even had knowledge of Abercrombie. Now that she knows the teens and tweens wear it and it's the cool thing to do, she announced this morning that "she's always wanted one of those shirts". Like I said, she's not my baby any more.

A Productive Day (sort of)

I figured since it's raining out today I should try to be somewhat productive inside. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out as planned, but I did get my blog account set up and managed to get a little bit of sewing done. I've been sewing like crazy the past few weeks...for birthdays, craft shows and to try to get some inventory in my etsy store. So today I decided to sew up a tote for me. It's only 1/2 way there and I did some seam ripping today since I didn't use a pattern and was trying some new things. I ended up going back to the basics and I think it will turn out just fine.

Pretty Books

I'm a sucker when it comes to books with pretty pictures. Don't get me wrong, I love to read a good novel but when it comes to decorating or craft books, the pictures are what lure me in. I purchased the book "Sew Pretty Homestyle" a couple of months ago and not only are the photographs darling, but the projects are too. On a rainy day like today, I love to browse the pages to get my creative juices going.

I have only attempted one of the projects in the book - the make-up bag. I adore the shape of this bag and it's really easy to put together. I was a little bummed out when I compared mine to Tone's, but honestly, there's just no chance for me! You'll understand when you see her creations. In any case, you can easily whip up a couple of these in an afternoon, and with mother's day coming up, it's a perfect little gift!

Blogging Newbie

Welcome to my blog! I have so enjoyed the crafters out there who have blogs and have learned so much from them that I decided to give it a go myself. For my birthday a year or so ago, I bought myself a sewing machine and decided to teach myself how to sew. I really should have listened to my Nana all those years ago when she tried to teach me - I'm sure it would have made the process a little less frustrating. I'm not one who likes to sit in a classroom - I want to dive right in! Thank goodness for the internet! The online crafting community is so generous with their knowledge and I have learned an incredible amount from them.

I am no expert, so if you are looking for expert advice here, you may not stay long. I will however post tips I've learned, projects I'm working on, sources I've found and hope to feature some fabulous artists and crafters out there.

Thanks for visiting!