Amy Butler Inspired Bag

So I did actually sit down today and make a bag for the Amy Butler/Craftzine contest. It's the same pattern as the bag from yesterday, except the handles are different. I'm not sure which version I like better yet, but I don't think I've found a handle that I truly like yet. My friend Stephanie and I were talking about this contest last week. Have you seen her beautiful bag? I think she's a sure winner!
At first I wasn't sure that I was going to participate, but I got some last minute inspiration. The thought of winning a $2000 sewing machine certainly helped too. I'm sure that I won't win as there are many other great bags out there, but it's worth a shot. I can't win anything if I don't enter, right? Perhaps I'd have a better shot if I could take pictures at night!! I can't wait for those long days of sun! Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

From Sketch to Bag

Usually when I get new fabric, it sits around for a while before I can bring myself to cut it. But yesterday, after I received all that beautiful Ginger Blossom, I was so inspired and itching to use them right away. I even risked some on a new design that I sketched last night. I had originally intended to use some leather at the top, but I didn't have any of the right color to use. Although this pattern needs a little tweaking, I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. I think it could use a good ironing too. And perhaps a little more care sewing the curves. It's amazing what you start noticing after you take pictures!!
If I can get my act together tonight, I may try to get one finished in Amy Butler fabric for the craftzine contest. We'll see about that.

Oh Happy Day!

It's a good day when your mailman shows up at your door with a box stuffed with this


Don't judge me because I just want to take a nap on it. Now, stop drooling and go buy yourself some. Go ahead, be bad, I won't tell your husbands.

You Know You Have a Problem when...

The back of your couch looks like this...and you got a library card just to check out these books...and your cutting table (for sewing) now has this project on it....And mind you I have a show that I have nothing done for in a month. I'm glad I'm not the only one with Craft ADD.

Finished Blocks

After knitting all week, I finally took my sewing machine out from hiding. I had shoved it (literally) under a table a few minutes before guests arrived last week for Isaiah's birthday party. I hadn't missed it much, until I realized that I made a permanent dent in our couch while knitting, and it was then I decided it was time to sew again. This afternoon I finished up the last of the blocks for the quilt-along. Now is the hard part deciding how to put it together. Amanda's way looks very nice, but I'm not sure I want to cut up so many squares! I think I'll ponder it for a few days before I do anything else. There are some nice layouts in the flickr group, but it still is so hard to decide. I may just cave in and do it Amanda's way, but we'll see. Sometimes it hard being such an indecisive person!

Oh, Hello There!

Wow! I've been away for so long. John told me that my blog was getting boring, and I needed to update. I couldn't agree more. It's always so hard to get back into blogging from a break because there's so much to say, and no quite the right way to say it.

I had a lovely trip in Florida. It was beautiful, sunny and warm everyday. We had lots of fun activities, including a new haircut for momma. I tell you, I feel like a brand new woman. The end of our vacation was a little stressful. Isaiah contracted croup two days before we were leaving and on his 2nd birthday nonetheless. So we had a night of no sleep, a visit to a new doctor in Florida, a shot, several medications, and a very tired (and sick) child and momma. We had an early flight on Friday morning and luckily we were both able to get a little sleep the night before. By the time we arrived home, I felt like I had run a marathon. Thankfully Isaiah had slept the entire plan ride and car ride home. I think I'm still catching up, but Isaiah is almost back to 100% (thank goodness).

Saturday morning, I met a blog friend for our first knitting class together. Stephanie and I had first met when she came to my craft fair. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and learning a new craft with her. What I am less excited about it having a new addiction. I've been knitting all week, practicing for our next class. I started out with a simple scarf (up at the top), but I need another ball of yarn. Since I've been admiring many fetching patterns out there in blog land, I decided that I needed to try it out for myself. Since I've never used double pointed needles, or done cables before, this is quite a challenge for me. I started the first one last night and finished it this afternoon. It is far from perfect, but I think it's pretty good for my first finished knitting project!
I may get started on the other one tonight. Or I may not. I'm starting to miss my sewing machine ;)

Some Very Good Mail

Yesterday I was surprised when I received not one, but THREE packages in the mail yesterday. I was anticipating the package from my Hanging Hearts Swap partner, Chris, as she told me she mailed it on Monday, but the other two were surprises!

Chris definitely spoiled me. She made this gorgeous pom pom garland that made me giggle with joy as soon as I saw it. I had wanted something like that for my Christmas tree, and this just may become a year round decoration. She also made this cute embroidered heart and very sweet heart napkins. Thank you so much Chris!! I love everything.The second package was from Mirre. I had won a giveaway on her blog last summer, and had totally forgotten about it. She sent these goodies, which are going to accompany me on my trip to Florida tomorrow. And yes, Mirre, you can blame the pregnancy for being late!! I know pregnancy makes us lose our minds. But don't worry, you package was worth the wait!And lastly, I had signed up for a PIF on Raesha's blog a few months back. She made this gorgeous doll quilt for my wall. Isn't it lovely? I just adore the colors and the quilting. It'll probably hang next to the one she made me when we were swap partners. Thanks Raesha!! Perhaps now this will give me incentive to make my PIFs!I leave tomorrow morning at 6:45 am for Florida. That is insanely early, and I'm hoping Isaiah behaves himself, because I know I won't be in any condition to deal with a toddler that early. Thankfully I'm going with my MIL who will assist with the child wrangler duties. Have a great week everyone!

Does this Potholder Come in other colors?

This is a quote relating to this doll quilt/wall hanging that I had made for my craft fair back in November. I had all but forgotten about this quilt, when I found it in a Rubbermaid bin this weekend. The moment I saw it, I started laughing at the memory of this poor guy, who upon checking out my table several times, finally came back and asked me, "ma'am, does this potholder come in other colors?" Of course, (because I'm not one to be able to keep it together in such circumstances) I laughed and tried to explain that it was a doll quilt rather than a potholder. He looked at me quizzically, probably thinking I was both nuts and rude, said "oh", and walked away. I swear, every time I think about it I just laugh.



The small pattern in the middle is directly from the free quilt pattern for the Katie Jump Rope line. I would love to make this a full sized quilt, but in reality, it might be too much of a challenge for me. This one is pretty small, I don't know the exact measurements (because I'm too lazy to actually measure it), but it's about 8" x 10". I was thinking of listing it on etsy, but I think that I does look mighty nice on that brown wall!

More Quilt Blocks

Wow! Thanks for all your lovely comments yesterday about my quilt. I really do love it and it has really made me want to quilt more. Not to mention wanting to buy a new sewing machine with which I can drop the feed dogs! That'll have to wait though. I've got to save some mula for that.

Well I have been busy the last week trying to catch up on the quilt a long. I've been averaging about two a night. As it stands now, I only have 3 more blocks to finish and they are already cut out. I slacked for a while on this project, but once I got going, I couldn't wait to start the next block. These are blocks 6,7,8, and 10. Somehow I skipped 9, so I'm going back and doing that one now. I think the yellow one is my favorite so far. I just love that thrifted fabric!

I've also listed a few new things on etsy. I have been doing a lot of sewing in the last week. I think I'm trying to prepare myself for a week without a sewing machine!

Birthday Quilt Finished!

The birthday quilt is finally finished. I had put it aside for a while since the last time I showed a sneak peek. I had fully intended to finish it that weekend, but I was getting frustrated with my inability to decide how to quilt it. I think that is the most difficult part, for me at least, because in a way I think it "makes" the quilt. So I settled on something easy, some straight lines and some squares, all along loving my new walking foot which has made a huge difference!

Anyway, more about the quilt. I used the Happy Things tutorial here. It's a really great process and it comes together pretty quickly. I love the randomness and it really reduced my desire to over think the whole design process.

I had originally intended for this quilt to be a Christmas present for Isaiah. A few days before Christmas, John gave me a free day to sew and finish up Christmas gifts. I had almost finished everything when I realized I had but one thing for Isaiah made. So, I started sewing strips like a mad woman, convinced that I'd be able to finish the quilt in two days, among all the other holiday obligations. After Mass on Christmas eve, followed by family dinner, we arrived home around 11pm and I started sewing again, determined to get the blanket under the tree for Isaiah in the morning. Finally, I asked John if I should admit defeat, and he lovingly hugged me and told me Isaiah wouldn't even know that I hadn't made him enough (but I knew). I reluctantly put it away, and it had been sitting for a while before I got the urge to finish it up.

Then, after I realized I'd be going to Florida for a week(yay) and coming back one day before Isaiah's birthday party, I decided to finish up the quilt. And boy am I glad I did. I love the way it came out, it's so warm and cuddly, and if it were just a tiny bit bigger, I'd be tempted to keep it for myself. But, it'll be a special present for a very sweet, loving two year old boy (2 years, how did that happen??).

Yesterday I was finishing up the binding while watching the Superbowl. I had a needle in my mouth and scissors in my hand. Just a few minute before, John had said, should you be watching this with sharp objects in your hand?!?! Then the Giants scored and I almost swallowed the needle because I was so excited! Just goes to show that sometimes multitasking just isn't a good idea!

There are more pictures on flickr. Did you ever notice how hard it is to take a picture of a quilt? Kudos to those that can take good pictures!

Wonderful, Amazing, Relieving

The title says it all. All of John's scans came back clear. His PET scan did not show any sign of activity at all. The doctors were so pleased and encouraged by his results. It is such a relief, I can't even tell you.

And I know I already said it, but I really wanted to express my gratitude again. You have all been amazing, supportive, and wonderful and I cannot thank you enough!!

Today's the Day

As I mentioned before, today is John's big appointment. He's already at the hospital waiting to get the scans done and he has an appointment with the doctors at 3pm. I'll be going over there with his parents for the doctors, but until then, I'm just waiting anxiously. I'm trying to keep myself busy so I don't have to think about it. I did want to thank all of you that have been amazingly supportive and kind through this whole ordeal. I can't even express how much your words and actions have meant to me! Hopefully I'll be back later with excellent news!

On another note, I was mildly productive yesterday. I finished block 5 for the quilt a long and listed two patchwork scarves on etsy. I even started making some new scarves. These have been really popular this year since the craft fair. I keep getting requests for them and I'm oddly surprised. I guess you can never tell what will be popular!

Block 4 and more kid art

Last night I successfully finished another block, block 4 to be exact. I was a little bit apprehensive about the triangles at first, but let me reassure you that they weren't that bad. If you look too closely, you'll notice that some of the points don't match up exactly, but it's good enough for me.

Since it's cold outside, I've been trying to do a lot of indoor activities with Isaiah. You've seen the salt dough, and I've spared you his many "drawings," but today I bring you the glue-less collage. I'm sure many of you have seen this idea, I found this particular one over at familyfun.com . I think for many of us hoarders collectors, this is the perfect place for all those tiny scraps and things you can't bare to throw away. The actual directions say to use contact paper, but since I didn't have any around, I used a sheet of printable label that is sticky on the back. It seemsed the perfect size for him and I was able to just tape it to the table. Isaiah loved this project. He especially like the buttons and sequins. And of course my heart was melting each time he said "see-kins mama." Oh, so cute.

And I promise I'll get some more sewing done so I can stop showing of all the kid art. But for now, it's all I have!

Catching Up

I'm admittedly out of sorts this week. I've had days of great productivity, followed by some that included a lot of sitting around. Which wouldn't be entirely bad if it weren't the beginning of a week. I think that most of this is due in part to the fact that John has his scans on Thursday. It's definitely weighing heavily on my mind, so I'm just trying not to think about it. I know deep down we'll get good news, but there's always those "what ifs." Ugh, a few more days and it'll be all over.

Anyway, on Sunday I had the house to my self for the entire day. This place was a mess and I spent a good part of it cleaning, sorting, organizing, and finishing laundry. Of course now it looks as though I had never touched the place. But at least I know I cleaned. I also went to see Juno. By myself. Which is a big thing for me. I've never done that before and it took quite a bit of convincing myself to even do it. And I'm glad I did. It was a great movie and I really enjoyed relaxing in our new movie theater down the street!Today I finally started playing catch up for the quilt a long. I did the first block a while ago, probably when Amanda first posted it (and I've since misplaced it). This afternoon (even with Isaiah unexpected short nap grr), I was able to finish the second and third one. Hopefully tonight I'll be able to do a few more.

Hanging Hearts (or the Happy Hands Club)

The salt dough project is finally finished. What was supposed to take one day, ended up taking several, but so is life. Right? I apparently mixed something incorrectly because the dough spent 2 whole days baking and never fully dried. I tried everything from turning the pieces to increasing the temperature.
Isaiah spend the majority of yesterday running to the oven to check if his pieces were done. Finally I caved in and just let him paint them. This morning I sealed them with mod podge and assembled the pieces using ribbon. It's a bit fartsy looking, but it's going to a Grandma for Valentine's and I'm sure she'll love it. Especially since it is the work of this cute little guy (and of course some help from mom.)


And if anyone's interested, I've made some new Valentine door knob hangers, and they are now in my shop(my sad, neglected shop). This one is my favorite. Have a great weekend everyone!

Sign-ups extended

Just popping in real quick to say that I've extended the sign-ups for the swap until Monday. I've had many new people stop by from Sew, Mama, Sew and wanted to thank everyone who visited. This will give all you new visitors a chance to decide if you want to participate and not feel rushed to decide. I'll still send out the partners early next week.


I'll be back later (hopefully) to post about my salt dough project with Isaiah. I would have posted earlier, but there was a bit of a mishap.

Hearts

With Valentine's fast approaching, I definitely have hearts on my mind. In fact, there were several projects complete today with hearts. One of which included me making an absurd amount of salt dough with Isaiah which is still in the oven 5 hrs later. Anyway, while thinking of ideas for this swap, I tried out an idea that I had an my head. The result was this cute door knob hanger. It has a pocket in the front for goodies or Valentine notes. I embroidered the word "love" on linen and quilted around it. On the pocket, an appliqued heart between two stitched hearts. I'm thinking it would be cute for a child's door to slip a little something special in for Valentine's. I had a lot of fun making this and may even make more tonight for my etsy shop. No promises though, I'm a little burnt out from the dough making episode. More on that tomorrow.

January Project--Button Scarf

The first project for Finny and Donk's Sewing Adventure was the Button Scarf. After failing to complete most of the projects from the InStitches along, I'm determined to complete all of these projects (and on time too!). This definitely was a very simple project. Like many others, I was not too into the faux fur that the pattern called for. I thought it was too impractical and "fancy" for my taste. Instead, I found some patchwork I had left over from some other scarves I had sewn and used up some of the surplus of fleece I seem to have from Joann's 50% off sale.
After scrounging around looking for my button hole foot, I decided to just give the old zig zag method a try. The buttonhole turned out alright, but the lines are definitely not straight. Thank goodness the button covers them up!

The scarf will definitely be of use. After having a week of very warm weather (nearing 60 degrees), we are now having a string of 20 degree weather. Ick! Where's spring?

a WIP

This weekend, my new best friend and I have a date together. Why is it that it took me so long to get a walking foot?!?!
And perhaps this WIP will get finished in time for a special little boy's birthday in a few weeks.


Have a great weekend everyone!

Snow and Catching up

Wow. I finally feel like I'm catching up on my life! This weekend was the last of our holiday celebrations. Usually we go up to NY for Christmas, but this year was a little different. Since we didn't all get to celebrate together during the holidays, we decided to have a little party at our house after all the holiday activities were over. My parents came down from Hyde Park, and my sister, cousin and her husband came down from Rochester. In addition, I have three cousins living in the area. It was so nice to have everyone together in our tiny little house. Lots of good food, wine, and laughs, but I'm glad that our holiday season is finally coming to an end. We took the Christmas tree down on Sunday and I'm working on the rest of the decorations today. A pot of soup is simmer on the stove, there's bread ready to make, and snow falling and covering the ground (finally).

Speaking of coming to an end, John finished his last chemo treatment on Tuesday. It feels like such a relief, but at the same time, I still feel anxious because there is some waiting to do. On January 31st he will have a PET/CT scan to see if the cancer is completely gone. By all accounts it should be, but you never know. It feels weird that we won't walk into the hospital again, that John won't be carrying around his chemo, or that he won't have to take the hoards of medicine he does. I am thankful, though. And I'm glad to be starting the New Year with this hope in sight.

At the last treatment, I sat listening to the Creative Mom podcast on my new iPod. I swear this iPod is my new friend. I really, really love it. And the Creative mom podcast. Wonderful. I know some of you probably already listen to it, but it's new to me. Amy has such a soothing voice and a way of speaking that just makes me want to create and relax at the same time. I also wanted to show off my new friend Kimberly. She was made by the talented Ginny, from iSew.Biz and her newest shop The Monkey Travel Club. I was admittedly stalking her new shop, waiting for the perfect monkey, and lo and behold, there was Kimberly. She is sooo cute and is keeping my new iPod nice and safe. I snapped this shot while John was getting his treatment. I wonder if that was legal ;) Thanks Ginny!!

Oh, and don't forget about the Martha Swap! See below for details!