The name says it all! My fabric, my family and other fun things in my life!
and I had planned (since like January) to get the kid’s Easter outfits made.
hmmmm
That might not happen.
But we have one Christmas tie ready to go!
We’ll see what I can get done in the next few days. 🙂
Hope your week is off to a great start!
I spent some time with my inventory today.
We laughed,
we cried,
we had a great time together.
But now it’s time to say goodbye….
especially to those bolts that have very little remaining!
So I’ve created a section just for the weekend filled with the most delightful fabrics that need new homes. 🙂 I don’t expect many of these to last long.
It was fun while it lasted!
A dear friend of mine had a little boy recently. I honestly can’t remember what I have given her over the years. (and that is if I got around to giving her anything. *sigh* I am THAT person. *double sigh* My issues could definitely fill this blog daily from now until eternity… 🙂 ) In any case, I was really excited when she had a little boy because it gave me a chance to use the Sock Monkey fabric from Moda!
It’s a little quilt. Just the right size for a crib or stroller cover up. Or for a little tummy time on the floor. Easy to throw in the diaper bag or stroller. I didn’t want it to be too large. I hope that she can use it and enjoy it. I enjoyed making it. I stole the idea from my friend, Elena. (Who will be having her little boy today! Of course, I can’t give a quilter a quilt…so who knows what I’ll give her!) My quilt has no plan. No rhyme or reason. Just some cute fabric cut into random sized rectangles and sewn together. Probably not the best approach, but remember, I am not really a quilter. Just a sewist that sometimes feels like quilting! 😀
All the sock monkey fabrics are in my here in my shop. And I’ve also started a section on my website for boys fabrics. It is not all-inclusive, but it’s a nice place to start!
This little area of the house has been neglected since we moved in. But to explain it, I feel like I need to back up to the very beginning. Okay, so you know that we built our house, right? If not, now you do.
So this area is actually above the outside entryway. It was supposed to be straight up to the sky (or maybe only the second story, I can’t remember). The window was supposed to be nothing more than an architectural detail. None of this was supposed to be inside the house. Are you with me so far?
But when our framer was framing the house, he said “hey, why don’t you frame this in and use it?” And we said “Excellent idea!” So we submitted our plans to the truss company. They approved our idea with a few minor changes to strengthen the structure, making it safe to occupy. Then we had to submit our plans to the city again to get their stamp of approval. It delayed the progress of the house…but I was really excited about having this extra little nook….because this is view from that area of the house.
SO….we endured the delays and the extra cost to give our house a little something special. 🙂 And a couple weekends ago, my husband built-in the bench seat I’ve dreamed of since we created that little area! While my parents were visiting, my Mom and I fashioned a seat cushion.
Next I worked on the decoupage letters that will hang on the wall (They will go in the place of the southwestern zipper art…which my Grandma made. Don’t worry, I will find a new location for the zipper art so they will still be appreciated.) And heaven knows, that plant needs some help. I’ll work on that too. Poor thing.
To make these letters, I went to Michael’s and bought the letters R, E, A and D. (Bet ya couldn’t tell that much from the picture, huh?!?!?) Now if you want to do your child’s name, I would suggest buying the letters in their name…unless their name happens to be Read, then I’d buy the same letters. Same goes for another word. It’d be advisable to buy the letters in that word. (Oh man! I am cracking myself up!)
Okay, okay. Focus!
After buying the letters, I took a charm pack and cut each 5 inch square into four 2.5 inch squares. (The fabric is from the new wonderful line “Make Life” by Sweetwater for Moda…which I ADORE!) Then I used ModPodge to glue the fabric squares to the letters. After drying overnight, I used an exacto knife to trim the excess fabric, and then put another coat of ModPodge just for good measure. (There are plenty of fabric squares left over. I plan to make a few sets of Craftapple’s Patchwork cards.)
Anyway, I’m excited to get the letters hung and some pillows made to complete the area. Oh, and I have all my blocks done for a quilt using the Make Life line also. I really do adore this fabric! Share more about that later!
four years ago today.
This little boy reminds me that miracles happen in our lives
and God is in control.
(I was 32 weeks pregnant.)
Taylor is such a wonderful little boy.
(And he is ALL boy!)
We’re so blessed to have him in our family.
Happy Birthday, little man!
(A few pictures from our recent trip to California. You can see the whole set here.)
First things first.
I started teaching sewing classes this semester.
I should have told you sooner.
I have no excuse.
Okay, so now that you’re in the know, the girls in my Monday class are starting on their library totes this next week. And I wanted to show you the fabrics they picked out. Each student does a great job selecting fabrics. They always amaze me with their design combinations. My photography, on the other hand…
I think they are really excellent! And I just LOVE watching the process of them choosing. Pulling down this and that, comparing options, getting opinions of friends and moms. It’s really really fun. And I love seeing the prints they gravitate towards.
We all are like that, aren’t we? We have certain prints that we are drawn towards. A special way we go about deciding on the fabrics for our project. Some use a color to start with, other focus on a print they love first. Sometimes we have a project in mind first, but other times we love a fabric and just have to seek out the perfect project for it. And sometimes, we have to force ourselves out of the comfort zone!
Anyway, these classes have been wonderful! And I need to do a better job of sharing the progress with you here. 🙂 (And get my class calendar up online! Seriously, has anyone figured out how to add more hours to the day yet?!?!?)
Alright, I have more to share with you this week. And get this…I’m even blogging AHEAD and scheduling the post. WOAH! Aren’t you impressed? (Don’t get used to it. Ha ha ha) Okay, one last picture of the girls with the pillowcases they made last month!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m not Irish, but who cares!
Anyway, I wanted to tell you that our family is now the proud owner of a leprechaun trap. How awesome is that?
This was a project for Haley’s kindergarten class.
See the trap door on top? Oh that little mischievous leprechaun isn’t gonna know what hit him! 😀
My Tucson area Spring cleaning sale was this past weekend and it was great. THANKS to everyone who came out!!!!! I LOVED seeing/meeting all of you. 😀
My son was quite concerned that I was having a Spring sale because “it’s not Spring yet, Mom.” And a cleaning sale just makes no sense at all in his mind. 🙂
Anyway, my kids have Spring Break this week and my parents are in town. I do believe that in the couple days they have been here, more has been accomplished than the entire year thus far! The kids got hair cuts, the car serviced and vacuumed, new tires put on, the floor mopped, etc. etc. etc. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for me to do it all….and I’m really good at putting things off when it means I’ll have to drag 3 children with me! (Please tell me I’m not the only one!) PLUS the kids are scheduled to have pictures done while Grandma is here too!
Now…onto those Easter outfits!
Do you remember me saying that I was going to make Haley some jammies from the Anna Maria Horner flannels? Well, I did…see it here if you must. 😉 Anyway, when I asked Haley which print she wanted for her pajama pants, she surprised me by choosing this print instead and asked for her precious doll, Kaitlyn, to receive a matching pair!
Kaitlyn was very excited, because she didn’t come with any pajamas of her own. It may seem odd they are wearing a sleeveless shirt with flannel pajama bottoms. But it is Tucson and my daughter. So I guess that makes it make sense. If that makes any sense. Anyway, aren’t they cute? I know matching outfits will continue to pop up here and there. 🙂
I love the flannels from Anna Maria. I’ve made several blankets with them. Oh, and did you see on her blog the blankets with the voiles and flannel? You must check it out! One yard voile, one yard flannel and 1/2 yard of the solid to make the binding. And I also have a few of Sandi Henderson’s flannels in the shop. You can find them all here.
In the year of our Lord 2010, I am determined to sew more for myself.
And this doesn’t mean more bags
(although I LOVE bags, I think my husband might kick me out of the house to become a bag lady if I add too many more to my collection. hmmmm….maybe I’ll have to give some of the old away so I can make new ones.)
And I am so in love with Anna Maria Horner’s voiles, I knew I had to use them. SO I made myself the Socialite Dress. And it turned out. I’ve worn it a couple of times. It is a comfortable dress.
(Just fyi, if you are like me, I would leave out the pockets because I don’t need any bulk added to my already robust hip area.)
But here is the thing. I hardly ever wear dresses. Like 99.9% of the time, you will see me in jeans. So I decided what I really need to be making are shirts.
(Maybe I’ll make some pants when my hips shrink about 5 more inches b/c then I wouldn’t be buying the XL pattern. And if you’ve never sewn for yourself let me warn you: VERY rarely are you the same size as what you buy in the store. Like almost never. So when you’re a 6/8 with store-bought and you have to make the size 16 when you sew a pattern….TRY not to flip out. Because it’s just a number. It’s just a number. (I have to tell myself that repeatedly.)
Okay, so back to this. I wanted to make the Socialite again as a shirt, rather than a dress. Here is the result. I think it’s pretty cute. And on the back, I put 3 rows of shirring. I feel more confident that I will actually wear this shirt quite frequently.
So do you want to talk more about sewing with voiles? It’s wonderful to work with! I put the stitch length down to 2.0 and used pins. Nothing extra special. I really do recommend this fabric! I did not line the shirt, but with this light print, I’m wearing a cami underneath.
I have other Anna Maria Horner projects ready to photograph and share with you. So the coming week is going to be like an “I love AMH” week. I’ve put all her fabric on sale for too so we can all share the love. 🙂
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Fabric Family and Fun 