trying something new & a winner

Oh you ladies are too funny! I'm glad to know I'm not the only scrap addict. I wish I had my own sewing room, but this is actually our dining room. Which we never dine in. So I guess technically it's my sewing room. The mess is not quite cleaned up, so no updated pictures, but it's clean enough for me to feel inspired again.

I have a craft fair coming up in a few weeks and I ordered these metal purse frames to try out. I've been wanting to do them for a long time but I was nervous about how they would come out. Turns out it's pretty easy albeit time consuming. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few more done in time for the craft fair!

And now for our winner of the scrap box.

Beth said...

Good for you. I always have problems starting a big cleaning project. And well scraps are just an additional bonus for the rest of us:)

Beth I've sent you an e-mail! Thanks to everyone else for playing.

cleaning

My sewing room has been in a sad state for over a month now. It's pretty obvious by my lack of sewing lately that I've felt overwhelmed by the mess. Yesterday I finally dug in and started some major cleaning. It's still need some work, but I'm feeling much better about it after just a few hours. I even tackled 5 bags of scraps that haven't found a home on my new shelf. I threw a lot of tiny pieces away, organized those that I'm keeping, and stuffed a flat rate box to giveaway to one of my fellow scrap lovers.

While I was cleaning, I also came across a whole bunch of scarves I made last year. Apparently I had anticipated listing about 10 of each colorway and never did. To make room for some new things, I've listed these in my etsy store for $20 each. They make great holiday gifts!

So you know the drill. If you want to win a box of scraps, leave a comment and I'll pick a winner Friday. I should also mention that it's not just scraps. I believe I threw some random yardage in there and some vintage linens as well.

blocks, john & a walk

Wow, I can't believe how long it been since my last post. Things have just been a little busy around here. I'm taking a few classes, working out with a trainer at the gym, and applying to nursing schools. To add to that, we found out that John was going to have to go through more treatments, so I've been stressing about that as well. Seems like there's never a dull moment around here.

Anyway, it's been raining for the past few days and I finally found the perfect opportunity to sew. I had a lot of virtual quilting bee blocks to catch up on, so here they are:

For Sandy




For Sam:



For Beki:



For Valerie:



For Heather:



I'm glad it's finally Friday. We are walking the Light the Night Walk to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma society. My parents are coming down for it and my sister-in-law are also here with her kids. I'm excited for all of us to be together to support this cause. A few people on our team still need to reach their $25 fund raising goal, so if you had a few dollars to spare, we'd really appreciate it. If you're able to donate, you can do so by clicking here or here. If you want to read more about the latest with John, you can visit his page here. Thanks for all your support. Hope you have a great weekend!

Swallowtail

For the first time, I finally finished a handmade gift before the intended day. A miracle in its own right. This was my first foray into lace knitting and I have to say it was pretty fun. It's the Swallowtail pattern by Evelyn Clark. The only problem is it turned out much, much smaller than I thought it would. It's more of a scarf than a shawl and I'm not sure its recipient would like something scarf-size. Since I have more of this yarn, I'm knitting another one with larger needles and probably adding more repeats. This probably won't be done in time, so I'm right back to giving gifts late. Oh well, one can try, right? And this picture of me? Taken by Isaiah, our new house photographer. Not the most flattering, but I'm impressed that it's pretty much in focus.

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl
Needle size: #4
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Lace Emerald

doll quilt received!

One of the best and worst parts of joining a swap is the anticipation waiting for your little package to arrive. For the last week I've been waiting and stalking my mailman for my quilt to arrive from the Doll Quilt Swap. I love this swap. I've received several fabulous quilts in the past and this round is no different. Today I was delighted to see a package in the mailbox after returning home from working out with the trainer at the gym (ouch, but that's a whole other story). I knew it had to be my doll quilt! I was so happy to open up this little gem and couldn't help but notice that my partner, Jennifer, was from VA, just stone's throw from me. Small world, right!??! I hung it up on my bedroom wall, a spot that's been empty since we moved here 3 years ago. I just love it! Thank you so much Jennifer!!

more thrift finds

I can't believe it's only Wednesday. This week feels like it has been so long! We went up to NY on Friday for a quick weekend trip. It was beautiful & fun, but way too short. Of course Isaiah and I are both sick, which is not fun since I've had class this week and an interview for nursing school. Hopefully we'll start feeling better soon. One thing that is brightening my day is these great thrift finds. Lately I've been having a lot of luck in the fabric/linen department at my thrift store. I found these 3 sheets and 2 pieces of wool/nylon/acrylic houndstooth still with the tags on!

Some of this will probably end up in my vintage etsy shop. I can only hoard so many vintage sheets here. I just have a major problem passing them up when I see them. If anyone's interested in any of them, let me know and I'll set up something for you on etsy. Hope you're all having a good beginning to your fall!

Little Houses PDF patterns ready!

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that the Little Houses PDF pattern is now available for sale in my etsy shop. The pattern includes templates for 6 different houses all using the paper piecing technique. Thank you to my testers, who made some very cute houses. Tammie has posted some pictures of hers on her blog and you can see them here. Mary also tested the blocks and finished a doll quilt which you can see here. It's soo cute! Each block is about 5.75" square finished so 6 of them together makes a perfect doll quilt. Of course you could make a whole bunch to make a larger quilt. I swear, once you make one house, it's hard to stop. They are so cute and addicting!

Also, to celebrate my newest pattern, I'm having a 2 for $10 sale. You'll get the house pattern and the ruffle wristlet pattern. Happy Sewing!