Giveaway!

Judi is having ANOTHER giveaway! Go check it out here! I think all I've been blogging about lately has been giveaways :). One of these days I'll get back into a sewing groove, but right now I'm busy with my kiddies - one is being potty trained and the other is starting to crawl... I'm having a ton of fun, there just isn't much sewing happening. As the weather starts getting more chilly and crisp, I think the sewing itch will kick in soon enough. Stay tuned!

Another Giveaway!

Judi is having another great giveaway on her blog - this time it's for a lovely bundle of fabric. Just leave a comment on her blog to be entered.

Also, just a quick update from me: I'm plugging away at my sewing projects, but only a little bit every couple days. Life has gotten so busy the last couple weeks! We're in the middle of potty training Peanut and we're trying to squeeze in all kinds of fun in the sun before the summer ends. I'll have to post some "in progress" photos one of these days. I usually like to save photos for when I'm finished a project, but I don't know how many projects I'll actually finish this month... I just have a bunch on the go...

I'm hoping to get back into a more consistent sewing groove when the weather cools down. I get lots of inspiration in the summer, but don't actually find the time to sew things until the fall/winter. I have a little sketchbook next to my sewing machine that I doodle all my bag, quilt, and clothing designs. (There is also the odd sticky note on the night stand from "middle-of-the-night-should-be-sleeping" bursts of ideas. If I actually have a "hmmm...what should I sew?" moment, I just pull out my sketchbook for ideas. It's always fun to tackle a project that has been tossing around in my brain for a while and attempt to make it a reality. Fun, fun!

:) :) :)

Check out the results here.

I'm just a little excited. :)

My take on the 'Throwdown' bag

I was recently visiting the Tiny Seamstress blog, when I noticed a friendly little competition. The challenge was to design a bag based on simple bag pattern brought to you by Tiffany of Tiny Seamstress Designs. As long as the basic bag and dimensions were the same, we have free rein. Fun! I'm always up for a great sewing challenge!

Here's what I came up with:



I've been considering making a bag for Peanut for some time. As he gets older (he's almost 3!!!), he's starting to walk on his own as opposed to constantly being harnessed in the stroller. Plus, he doesn't really need a diaper bag chuck full of stuff - a snack, a juice box, a couple diapers and he's good to go! He loves helping out and enjoys carrying things for me. Lately he's been carrying his own bag of books to the library, but all my totes are just too big for him. So, I thought it would be nice if he had a little backpack for our outings.



I decided to do a bit of quilting for his bag as well as applique his hand on the front. (He has a little obsession with tracing his hand lately, so I thought he would appreciate that detail :)) I also did a little stippling on the pieced part of the bag (my own recent obsession).



The back has two simple corduroy straps that are sewn to the top of the bag. I attached ties in the side seams of the bag and the ends of the straps to make a couple little bows. I did it because I thought it looked cute. Hopefully it's practical too. :) Also, this way we have the option of tying the two straps together for a single strap to go over his shoulder if he gets tired of the backpack.

He already loves his backpack and can't wait to try it out!

An amazing giveaway!!!

Judi over at Green Fairy Quilts is having a stupendous giveaway to celebrate her 100th blog post. She is giving away four and maybe even five of her lovely products including a quilt pattern, quilted bag, and more!

The "nice" side of me wants to share this great news with everyone. The "naughty" side of me wants to selfishly keep this fabulous news to myself. Shocking, eh! Well, Judi was nice enough to throw in 5 entries to anyone who blogged about her giveaway, so I guess I feel better ;).

Also, take some time to read about the charity Judi and her husband have organized. I wish I had a quilt laying around to donate, but I can barely stay on top of my own sewing projects lately. Maybe as my piles of fabric scraps and little kiddos grow, I'll have the resources and time to donate to this worthy cause.

Go check it out!

what I've been up to the last couple months...

I've been just a little preoccupied with the latest addition to our family. Our precious baby girl arrived in late April, and we have been busy loving and cuddling her. She's our little Sweetie. So, that's why I haven't been blogging very much lately. My understandable (I think) and lovely excuse.



In the midst of the snuggling, I have been able to finish a few sewing projects. I haven't been able to make all of my ideas a reality, but I have the rest of her life to make little dresses and girly things, right? :)


I sewed up a pair of kimono-style pjs for Sweetie from Amy Butler's "Little Stitches" book. The blanket in the first photo is also from this book. There are some cute projects in there! I'm excited to sew some more projects from this book for Sweetie and also for baby gifts.


Before Sweetie arrived, in the midst of nesting I decided to give the car seat a good cleaning. Well, after much scrubbing, the car seat still didn't look 'great'. So, I decided to sew a carseat cover. I made a pattern by removing the existing cover and pinning muslin to it. I didn't line or quilt it with any other fabrics. It fits nicely over the existing cover and it comes off easily for washing. Bonus!

Here are a couple 'non-baby' projects:


I sewed an apron for my niece's birthday. I added a little gathered inset for fun - I had to do a little girly sewing :).


I also painted a tree in Peanut's room last week. Slowly, but surely, his room is coming together.

Yep, we're staying busy over here. But it's a good busy - it keeps me out of trouble ;).

Darling Daisies

Today I decided to take a break from my big sewing projects. I just needed a little project that I could start and finish within a couple of hours to get the creative juices flowing again. The best parts of sewing, for me, are the beginning and the end. I love finding inspiration, designing patterns and coordinating fabrics. I also love the satisfaction of finishing a project and using or enjoying it. The middle is where I get stuck. So, to break up the monotony I like to find quick projects that help keep me motivated to finish the larger, more tedious ones.

I recently found this tutorial online, and today seemed like a great day to make a couple fabric flowers. They brighten up my sewing area and just, plain make me smile :).