He Can See!

My youngest has wanted glasses for a couple years now. I'm not sure when glasses became cool. I remember when I first got glasses, I was in the 8th grade and I was devastated!

Well, his dreams finally came true. His prescription isn't very strong, but he says they make a difference in the classroom. We went to pick out his frames... I loved this pair. But obviously by the look on his face, he didn't.

This was the pair he fell in love with..

So, this gave me the perfect excuse to make him a cute little case.

I found a great tutorial HERE.

The tutorial called for a magnetic clasp. I didn't have one on hand, so I used a plastic snap instead. It works great!

Also, I had about 45 minutes to burn today and I was right by Goodwill. So I stopped in to see what they had. I found this plaid Full size flat sheet. I plan to use it for the backing on a denim quilt.

I also snatched these 3 vintage (aka used.. old) pillowcases for 99cents each. I think they will make great tote bag linings!

How about you? What kinds of treasures do you find at thrift stores?

Pin It

Busy Weekend and a GIVEAWAY!!

I had a very fun and busy weekend. My sister and her 2 grown children came to visit. We barely slept all weekend and we did a 5K on Saturday morning. By Sunday night.. I was pooped.

Saturday night after a little Just Dance competition on the xbox with all the kids, we sat down to sew.

My sister wanted some more of these iphone/ipad/ipod holders. And actually, they can be used for any phone or tablet.

The pattern is from HERE.

The pattern says to fill them with rice - However, I usually fill them with crushed walnuts. I like they way they feel. 

BUT, my sister really wanted them to be washable. So we filled them with those poly pellets that are used for stuffed animals. They are more spendy than the crushed walnuts but are definitely washable. 

I'm in love with the argyle fabric!

And finally.. I got my package of advanced copies of the newest 100 Blocks Magazine this past weekend as well.

It's great and full of inspiration so I'm giving one away!!!

All you need to do is leave me a comment. Just tell me what you would like for Mother's Day.. or what you have planned for yourself.

Giveaway will end Thursday noonish..

Pin It

Quid Pro Quo Part Deux

So you may remember a few months back when I made this trade with one of my Cousins.

Well, this weekend, we made another trade.

I made her this casserole keeper (similar to this one)

She makes a blueberry dessert that I love! So I decided to use blueberry fabric.

And this is what she gave me...

An old window and a screen. I've got big plans for the window! Still not sure what I want to do with the screen though. I'll need to think about that one for a while.

I also got a giant bag of Rhubarb from my Aunt and Uncle. This one had a root on it.. so we put it in a pot and I brought it home. I love Rhubarb. I'll be doing some baking tomorrow for sure.

And, speaking of tomorrow.. I'm planning a giveaway to celebrate someone special. So don't forget to come back and see what it is!

Pin It

Kids stuff

A friend in Arizona asked me to make a wall hanging for her newest nephew and God Child.. I decided to make a Growth Chart and personalize it.

This is what I came up with...

Those are big giant green buttons sewn on the tree.

I added the parents initials to the tree trunk..

And hand stitched the numbers...

And added baby's name on one cloud. The other has his birthdate and weight. Should have gotten a picture of that.

And I should have cut more of the stabilizer away... didn't notice until it was too late.

She also has 2 other God Children.. Maddie and Micah. I made them pillowcases and added their names to the sleeve.

Then for fun, because Micah and Maddie are both under 6yrs old.. I made them crayon coloring bags.

It's been a long time since I've made these. I forgot what a great gift they are for kids. And so simple to make. You add crayons and a coloring book inside and away they go!!

I have been sewing a lot lately. I worked on these last FNSI.. but never shared. They weren't finished until the other night. And now they are all in a box on their way to Arizona.

I hope everyone loves their gifts!

Pin It

Tutorial coming....

See this...

This is a "Corn Bag". The only difference is that I have added straps so you can tie it around your waist... or over your shoulder...

I've posted a tutorial previously on how to make the plain corn bags.. but tonight I'm working on a new tutorial for these little puppies with the "apron ties".

Stay Tuned! I'll have it posted in the next few days.

Pin It

Wool's where it's at

It's cold outside.. the wind is blowing.. snow is falling...

These are the best days to curl up by the fire and play with some wool.

I found this adorable little stand at my LQS and made this cute little wooly to hang. I like being able to do something creative without sitting alone in my sewing room.

Do you work with wool?

P.S. Stay tuned.. the January 20th Friday Night Sew-In will be posted tomorrow!

Pin It

Math Fail...

Ok.. maybe it had nothing to do with the math. Anyway, I'll get to that in a minute.

So I have this Santa and Mrs that I put under our Christmas Tree each year. They are very old.. My Mom made them in ceramics in 1978. We had them under our Christmas Tree when we were kids and I was lucky enough to get them from my Mom when my oldest was just a baby.

Each year I wrap them in something padded and place them inside one of my Christmas tubs. Well, this year I had an idea. Why not make a quilted bag of some kind for each one?!! Great idea huh!?

So I went and bought some Christmas fabric on clearance for super cheap.. grabbed some paper and started making my measurements. 

I waffled between a top with a velcro flap vs. a zipper. I decided to go with the zipper. Looks good right? Looks like Santa should fit right in, doesn't it? 

WRONG!!! The bag is big enough - but Santa's belly can't get past the zipper opening. Arrgghh... I so know how he feels! But that's ok.. because I can still use this for some of my other Christmas items.

So it's back to the drawing board. But first I need to go buy more clearance Christmas fabric.

Pin It

Double the Cuteness!

One very nice benefit of going to Arizona this past week for work - was that I was able to see some of my old friends.

Even though I missed my kids terribly, I was wishing I had more time to see everyone.

Just 4 short months ago, my friend Ashley had twin baby boys. I couldn't wait to meet them and to see their whole family. They went from a family of 3 to a family of 5!!

When I first met Ashley.. she was a single girl. Look at her now.

I made super soft flannel blankets for the boys. Since they live in the desert, I didn't want to make something too warm. They are self binding blankets - if you've never made one before, you need to consider them next time you need a quick baby gift. Here is a great tutorial. They are so easy to make.

I miss these babies so much right now!!! They are identical and so happy! Benjamin and Ethan... but I seriously couldn't tell you which is which. 

Here they are snuggling with the new blankies. I told their Mom that when I come back next year for their 1st B'day, I expect them to be dragging these blankies around as their favorites.

And here is Kennedy - she is so sweet. I brought her a Moose from Minnesota. 



The moose is wearing a wool sweater with a moose on it. The irony made me laugh.

Here are some better pictures of the blankets. 

This is my new "go to" baby blanket.

Pin It

Scraps and Resources

You may not know this about me.. but I love the public library! It was one of the first places we visited after moving here.

And I can usually be found sitting on the floor in the "crafts/hobbies" isle looking at old quilting books. I love paging through them and getting inspired by pictures of old quilts. It's a great resource for me.

My library keeps a jar at the front desk. In this jar they keep bookmarks that they have found in returned books. These bookmarks are "free" to anyone who wants them.

Now.. I can honestly say that up until this point, I had never taken one. I never felt the need to grab one of these free bookmarks. Until the other day..  I spotted one in the jar that I couldn't help but snatch it up before someone else did.

You probably can't read it.. but it says "Quilters 2002" and below that is the name "Margaret". I love this new bookmark.. and I feel bad that Margaret forgot it in a book. Probably a quilting book I'm sure. But I want Margaret to know that I love it.. and will take great care of it.

And if Margaret is reading this.. let me just say "Finders keepers.. Losers weepers"!! Ok.. not really - I'd give it back if I actually knew who she was.. and if she could catch me. 

Anyway - this little bookmark inspired me to make a few fabric bookmarks. 

The only small ric rac I had on hand was pink - so my fabric choices were limited. But I dug through my scrap bin and came up with these two little jewels.

They were super quick to make - and would make nice gifts. If you are interested - my fabric was 2 1/2 inches wide and 9 inches long. Great little scrap buster project too! Pin It

Potluck in style...

Check out this Casserole Keeper..

With a spoon sleeve.

Here it is open..

and closed and ready to cart off to one of the many summer time potlucks in my future!

I love how it turned out. Now to try and make one that fits my 9inch pie pan. Pin It

From T-Shirt to Tote

Some of you probably already know how much I appreciate the teachers that spend their days with my boys.

I know how much work my boys can be - and I want to make sure their teachers know how much we appreciate them!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation week and the PTA is doing something everyday. From breakfast to lunch.. and a raffle next Friday.

I made this tote and donated it for the raffle.

I used a t-shirt with the school mascot and some navy canvas.

It turned out pretty cute. And when I dropped it off in the office this morning - the elementary secretary couldn't take her hands off it. Hopefully a teacher will be able to use this to carry papers and books to and from school for years to come.

If you have old t-shirts with your school mascot on them - you could turn them into tote bags, or maybe a wall hanging for the classroom?? Get creative and show those teachers how much they mean to us.. and our kids! Pin It

Easter Baskets

I wanted to do something different for my boys Easter Baskets this year. In the past - I've normally just purchased the Easter themed ice cream pail. But not this year!!

I found these plain wicker baskets in the craft department at Walmart. Not the Easter isle.. but way in the back by all the sewing/craft items. They were $3.99 each.

Then I dug in my stash for some "boy" fabric and made simple liners with elastic around the edges.

My plan is that when Easter is over - these baskets will go in their bedrooms. They will serve as a "dumping" place for items that I find around the house that the boys need to put away.

Hopefully - the plan will work. Pin It

Checkers Anyone?

Have you ever seen these large checker games?

My brother got this one as a Christmas gift this past year. He has always been a big game player.

He works in Afghanistan and travels back to the US every 3 months. He usually spends a night with other co-workers in Dubai while they wait for their flights home to various parts of the World. And typically they pass the time playing games.. checkers.. dominos.. etc.

Well, he asked me to make a bag to carry the game.  Do you think it's "manly" enough?

The pockets were his idea - he originally asked for a pocket for each checker so he would always know that he had them all packed. But 24 pockets seemed a little daunting. So I made 12 total - 6 red and 6 black (2 checkers in each).

What do you think? I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. He's currently home so I will get to see what he thinks about it this weekend when I see him.

And the best part - all the fabric was from my stash!! I only needed to purchase the zipper! I love when that happens. Pin It

Swaps are Fun!

I had recently avoided swaps because my TO DO list is WAY too long. But I did join the Once a Season Swap recently.

I made this Corduroy Tote and a matching zipper pouch for Toni over at The Quilting Pirate. I'm so happy she liked it!!

The next round of the Once a Season Swap is coming in April. Go visit Cheryll and keep your eye open for signups coming soon!

And if you are interested in a tutorial for the Corduroy Tote... Click HERE to see the one that Bobbi over at Crafty Vegas Mom has on her blog. Pin It

Giveaway Time!!

Well, I finally made it over to the quilt store to pick up my February and March Patch Abilities patterns/kits. I was late getting February since everytime I turned around, someone in my house was sick.

Here is the mini for February..

And here is March..

I'm not a fan of the fabrics that the quilt store put together for either month this time. They just didn't do it for me.

Here are the patterns.. and I will be giving one away to two lucky people. If you have a preference for one month over the other, just let me know in the comments.

Remember - these won't be for sale on their own until 2012.. so this is the only way to get them unless you are in the monthly mini club.

To enter.. just leave a comment.

I will draw the winner Tuesday morning. Good Luck! Pin It