GIVEAWAY!

I did not forget...I promised a birthday giveaway and here I am with it.  Better late than never, I always say.  

I made another double-zipper pouch with Lotta Jansdotter fabrics.  The pattern is by Sweetwater and is so easy to put together...I rather enjoy making them!  This pouch measures ~9 x 7 inches.

For a chance to win this pouch (which I will fill with a few goodies), leave a comment on this blog post.  What would you use the pouch for...sewing supplies, make-up...could be wonderful for almost any use!  

I will draw a winner on Monday morning, March 2.

Here's the pouch...

front

back

Good luck to you all!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

One In and One Out...

It is time to say goodbye to Emma, my 16 inch model.  She's been visiting since July and now her mama wants her back home...so off she will go.  Goodbye, sweet Emma!  Thank you, Cathy!

In the meantime, a special someone arrived today...and I am very excited to have her here!  A lot of the patterns I have, and the clothes that I want to make (that I will need to make up my own patterns for), are for 18-20 inch dolls, so it makes sense to have a doll that size to help with fitting and modeling. 

So.  Without further adieu, meet Cassidy Jane...my 19 inch model.

did you see that she has ears?

Here they are together...Cassidy Jane and Emma.  Wow!  There are many differences in these two girls and not just in the size...

I plan to have fun with Cassidy Jane.  I just hope that what is in my head translates to paper and fabric. 

she has big feet!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

What I Made...

In my last post, I wrote that I had made a few things I could not yet show.  Well, those things are arriving at their destinations today, so I am finally able to show you.  Nothing that exciting, mind you...just a few things I made.


First off...linen napkins for Lindy.

Unfortunately, I only had enough of this natural linen to make 4 and she has a family of 6, so when I get more of the natural linen, I will make/send 2 more for her.  I also made her two face cloths...one red and the other green.  Sorry, no photo of them.  

Lindy is my 'almost' birthday twin.  Her birthday is the day before mine (the 15th...and, yes, her gifts were late) and she is a few years younger than I am.  We met on a rug hooking message board several years ago and started exchanging birthday wishes...which eventually turned into gifting one another.  Lindy is the one who gave me the Curio fabric to make this quilt...which, of course, needs to be finished.  This year, she sent a gift card for the Missouri Star Quilt Company!  I had fun spending it.  I bought a layer cake of Denyse Schmidt's Hadley collection, some yardage for binding, needles for Naomi Janome and a package of needles for hand sewing.  Thank you so much, Lindy! 

oh!  I must tell you...dealing with the Missouri Star Quilt Company is a very pleasant experience.  My layer cake was short two 10" squares, so I called them.  Instead of sending two 10" squares, they sent me yardage!  More than 1/2 yard!  Wasn't that nice?  This was not my first shopping experience with them and it definitely will not be my last.  Love to find suppliers that are willing to take that extra step to satisfy a customer!

Next up...more kleenex cozies.  Apparently, there are more people in the state of Maryland who have yet to receive one.  My sister, Joyce, is determined that everyone she meets receive one...so, of course, it is up to me to supply them.  ~grin~

fronts

backs

And, that is all I have done!  Well, I have been planning things, too.  That takes up way more time than it needs to most days.  But, you know, it has been so cold and gray...definitely saps any energy I may have.  Spring is not far off.   

Yes, I had a birthday.  And, the federal government honored my birthday by giving federal employees (at least some of them) the day off.  Nice!  ~grin~

One of the things I bought with birthday money received was...you guessed it...fabric!  I wasn't going to buy any fabric, but then decided that if I was going to, it would be better to spend birthday money than to take money out of my budget.  HA!  So, I ordered a fat quarter bundle of Anna Maria Horner's Folk Song!  It arrived today and I am in love!  Her fabric is so wonderful...the colors and the feel/drape of the fabrics are just something else!  When I made this quilt  back in September...

Pretty Potent by Anna Maria Horner

I fell in deep, deep love.  

So...want to see what I received?  

Folk Song by Anna Maria Horner

Oh. My. Gosh.  I love these colors...they are so vibrant!  There are only 14 fat quarters in this collection, but if I pick up a few of the coordinating solids, I will be able to make a very nice sized quilt!  Not any time soon, though.  It's going into my 'someday I'll make a quilt with this' container.  

Yeah.  So.  My birthday.  In honor of me, I am having a giveaway!  Not today, though.  Check back in a few days.  I need to decide what to give away.

In the meantime, stay warm and safe!  Have a great weekend!




"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Scraps...

I played with scraps today.  That was not my intention when I started going through my tote full of miscellaneous fabric...I just wanted to sort it out so I would know what I had in there.  But, while sorting through everything, I decided to take out the pieces that were small (as in less than an eighth of a yard).  I ended up with quite a pile when I got done...

this is just a small portion of the pile

I set some of the pieces aside to use for doll clothes.  The rest was cut up into strips...

1.5", 2.5" and larger strips

  and squares...

2.5", 3", 4" and 5" squares

There is another container that holds 6" squares and larger pieces that I did not want to cut up. The containers measure 12 x 6.5 x 4 inches...and, with what I put in there today, they are full!  

I only started dealing with my scraps this way about a year ago.  Before that?  I put my scraps in two 16 quart enamel pots that I had once used for dyeing wool...and boy, they were stuffed full!  The last time I went through my stash, I gave away most of what was in those pots, as well as other fabric pieces I knew I would never use.  My neighbor was very happy to receive LOTS of scraps and pieces of fabric.  

I have done a bit of sewing this week, but am unable to show you tonight.  I'll be getting a few more things done this weekend, so will be happy to share it all with you next week.

Have a great weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAG!

 Today is Tag's birthday!
He is 13 years old.

He is...

my rock.

my helper.

my laughter.

my craziness.

my goofy boy.

my brown dog.

my cuddle buddy.

my constant companion.

He has more blog post labels

than anything else I write about.

He is...all there is. 

Happy Birthday to you, Tag E Butt!!!  

I love you beyond forever.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Good Grief...

It has been two weeks since I sewed anything.  What's up with that?  I have no clue.  Just no desire to sew.  I did some stitching and some reading, instead.  

I was absolutely determined that I was going to sew today.  I knew what I wanted to make and I knew what fabrics I wanted to use.  

Sewing has always been easy for me.  This pattern from Sweetwater offered no problems in the construction of the bag.  It was using directional prints that was, apparently, not so easy for me.

Right off the bat, I was in trouble.  Not only did I cut my first fabric in the wrong direction, but then I repeated that mistake when cutting my second fabric.  Boy.  What a dunce!  I ended up using one of the pieces, anyway.  It wasn't too big of a deal.  But, the big deal was that I then needed to piece the back of the bag.  It's okay...all is well and good.  The functionality of the bag was not compromised.  It's just that every single time I look at it, I know it doesn't look the way I wanted it to.  ~sigh~  It just bothers me.  Ya know?  

So, here it is...

 

See the gray paper clip fabric?  It should be orange paper clip fabric.  And, see the direction of the paper clips on the front...where they are going sideways?  Not supposed to be that way.  duh.

One thing that was kind of fun to see, though...the paper clips on the orange fabric almost exactly match up with the paper clips on the gray fabric!  It just worked out that way. 

 

I really like this double-zippered bag.  I will make another one (or more), but be assured that I will not be using any directional prints! 
 
If you'd like to order the pattern, it is available here.
 
Enjoy the rest of the weekend! 
 



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

As Promised...

Here I am, as promised, to show you what a lazy butt I've been I've finished since the holidays.  If attempts to get something done counted, I'd have a lot more to show you.  Just sayin'.

I made these two kleenex cozies...just for the heck of it.  For kids...or very young-at-heart...

Last year, I made two quilts with Vintage Happy fabrics by Lori Holt (see here and here).  I have enough of the fabrics left to make at least one more quilt.  But, before I do that, I wanted to ensure that I would always have some of the Vintage Happy fabrics around to make me happy.  So, I made this 24" square 16-patch mini quilt... 

And, that is all I have to show you.

Course, now that my interest in reading has resurfaced (if you have no idea what that means, click here and check out Random thought #2), there is time spent doing that.  I even added a widget on my sidebar so that you could track what I have read...should you be interested.  It seems that I am back to my old reading self...I am currently reading my 6th book of this year.  It's not like I'm reading every single minute of the day, either.  Lots of time is spent doing other things...or nothing at all.   

Onward and upward!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Fiona...Revisited...

Cathy and I redid Fiona.

Here she is in her sweater,

scarf, booties, top

and corduroy pants.

She is ready to go to her new home.

Gosh, she sure makes me smile.

 

If you have any questions, 

or are interested in purchasing

Fiona, click here to email me

OR

click here to see Cathy's Facebook post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I haven't gotten much else done, lately.

I'll share the few things I finished

with you in another post.

Have a good weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Random Thoughts Revisited...Again

ohyeah...I have more random thoughts.  Never at a loss there, for sure.

Random thought #1:
I hate winter.  I hate being cold.  I hate the snow.  Actually, that's three separate thoughts.  But, definitely linked to this season.  Perhaps hate is too harsh of a word.  I harbor a very strong dislike of this time of the year.  Slippery sidewalks...being so careful, cuz if I were to fall...well, let's just say it would not be pretty.  Drivers not knowing how to drive in winter.  Five minutes of bundling up to go outside for two seconds.  Gray, dreary days.  Where is the sun?  I can deal with the cold and snow so much better when the sun shines.  

Random thought #2:
I started reading again.  What a good feeling!  I have been a voracious reader my entire life...always, always making time to read.  In fact, I read 84 books in 2010 and 90 in 2011...all while working and making lots of quilts and other things.  (I know this because I started tracking books I have read on goodreads.)  Then, something happened and reading a book was the last thing I wanted to do.  In 2012, I read 23 books and last year, in 2013, I read 8.  What?  It bothered me a great deal that I had no desire to read, yet not enough to make me do something about it.  You know, like pick up a book and read it.  But wait...I am very happy to say that I have read 2 books already this year and have 5 books checked out from the library that I am very much looking forward to reading...my book bag is being put to good use.

Random thought #3:
In random thought #3 of my second post of random thoughts, I wrote about using words...that my fave word is perspicacity.  Recently, I ran across a word I had never seen before (yes, while reading!).  So, of course, I have now added this to my list of fave words.  Percipience.  (Please note that it also begins with the letter P.)  ~grin~   

Random thought #4:
White Collar, a popular show on the USA network, has ended.  I enjoyed it very much and feel that they could have gone on much longer.  I will miss Neal and Peter and Mozzie.  Oh, but guess who showed up on one of my other fave shows?  Yeah, Mozzie was on Hawaii 5-O last night!  I was so excited to see him.

Random thought #5:
There are way too many food commercials on television.  Interestingly, even food I would never eat somehow looks delicious at the end of the day.  

Random thought #6:
Big dogs (especially those 70# brown ones) can fit into very small spaces.  If they want to badly enough.  Case in point...Tag decided that he wanted to curl up in the big easy chair with me last night.  Not the usual 'butt on chair, front end on ottoman'...but all curled up in a space that measures no more than 12 x 20 inches.  He must have been comfortable enough, as he stayed there for over an hour.  I love that boy.

That's my left arm behind his head...he is between my left side and the arm of the chair.

Random thought #7:
One of the very best things about American Idol is Harry Connick, Jr. 


That's all I have for today.  Hope you enjoyed those random thoughts of mine!
    


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

What's Next?

WOW!  The year of 2014 went by so fast!  My first full year of retirement and I am still loving it.  I was afraid that, once I became quite settled into it, I would find the days endlessly long...but that is definitely not the case.  All in all, 2014 was a good year for me...very productive, too.  Check out the tab '2014 Finishes' above...kleenex cozies, pincushions, doll clothes & quilts, zipper pouches, totes, pillow covers, pillowcases, and an entire bed ensemble.  Just to name a few.

I have given much thought to what I hope to accomplish this year.  The list includes:  production of doll clothes ensembles/mix & match outfits, quilting of the flimsies, and finishing of Snow Days.  And, let us not forget the linens...I have lovely plans for linens!

2015 looks to be a good year for me...challenging and busy.  How about you?  Any plans or goals?  Whatever you have in mind, I wish for you a year full of peace, love and blessings.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Pillow Covers and more Linens...

I meant to show these yesterday when I shared photos of my boys on Christmas Day.  These are the gifts I made and gave to them.

red and purple pillow cover for Rachel

au.then.tic pillow cover for Paul (to match a quilt that is a long time in coming)

black and white linen napkins for Matthew and Tiffany

The grandkids got money from me...they all want to buy their own things and that is fine with me.  By giving them money - or gift cards - I know they'll get something they really want.  

Today is Saturday, but it sure feels like a Sunday to me.  Next week, the days will be all screwed up for me, too.  I won't know from one day to the next what day of the week it is.  That is one problem with being retired...but I'll deal with it.  ~grin~  But, this time is going to be put to good use.  As I said in yesterday's post, I need to clean up and put my sewing space and fabrics into order.  It could be worse than it is, but it's bad enough.

Have a great weekend!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11