Purse Palooza#3 - Rock ‘n Romance Aragon Bag

I’m SO excited to share my newest bag with you called The Aragon Bag by Sara at Sewsweetness!  This is my 3rd entry for Purse Palooza and maybe not my last since I have SO many bags on my to do list!!  Even if I don’t win one of the prizes – my reward will be scratching some of those to do bags off the proverbial sewing to do list!!

I made this bag with Artgallery Fabrics Rock ‘n Romance by Pat Bravo and will be taking it on our vacation which just happens to be a short 12 days from today!  We will be going on an Eastern Caribbean cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale and we are extremely excited about it!! 

thanks for stopping by to check out my newest bag!

Gothic Brown Huntington Hobo purse–Pursepalooza 2013

Hi there – long time no post!!  I was so excited to see that Sara from Sew Sweetness was hosting another Pursepalooza this year.  I enjoyed participating last year (and was so happy to win a prize too) that I had to participate again because I am always on the lookout to make another purse!  I have had this fabric I think since February that I got at The Cotton Cupboard and it ended up making the perfect Fall purse for me!  This fabric is Kaffee Fassett Gothic in Brown *swoon*

I was  please to find the perfect coordinating fabrics for the pockets, lining, straps, bottom accent sides and zippers to really pull out my favorite colors in the main fabric.

 

Then I looked through my stash to find the perfect kaleidoscope zipper pull that I got at Zipit to complete my purse.  This is my 3rd version of the Huntington Hobo bag to make and I am happy to report that each one keeps coming out better than the previous one.  My next one will be a gift for my sister Deana’s birthday which is December 26. 

Thanks for stopping by to see what I made ~ hope you have a wonderful day!

Friday Night Sew in Results

It has been forever since I participated in Friday Night Sew In and I’ve missed it!  Thanks to Wendy for of Sugarlane Quilts for sponsoring in Heidi's absence.  Of course, there were many Friday nights over the past year I still sewed, but just didn’t bother with signing up or committing to do a blog post about it.  I thought it would be fun to get back into it since I started to blog again.  My oldest sister just purchased her first home and I am so thrilled about it!  Her and her family are so excited to have a bigger house and the kids to have their own rooms!  I look forward to my next visit so I can see it in person. 
I decided for her housewarming gift, to make her a quilt using Sweetwater’s Hometown fabric.  I actually won 4 charm packs a few years ago and I also purchased binding fabric and the backing fabric shortly after that had just been sitting around.  I think the fabric will be perfect because she said she was going to be decorating her house in the cranberry color that is featured in the collection. 
The hardest part, I believe in making a quilt, is figuring out the design.  This will be my 5th quilt and I am excited to start working on it. (I still have to share my 3rd and 4th quilts with y’all and will soon).  I spent hours perusing my quilt patterns and free ones online.  I almost decided to just sew the 5” squares randomly and make it simple, buuut decided against it because I wanted it to be more interesting than that.  So I am making HSTs.  The stack in the photo is what I completed on Friday night.  I have since been working on more during the weekend and have the whole stack sewn on one side of the center line.  Since I decided on the HSTs, I think I will have enough leftovers to make her more than just a quilt, perhaps a throw pillow and maybe a table runner and dish towels.  That’s my goal. 
In other news: We went to see Pacific Rim in 3D with DH’s coworkers yesterday, it was surprisingly good.  The 3D was amazing.  Not sure I would have liked the movie as much if it was in 2D.  We love going to the movies, even thought about going again today even but we have a lot of housework to do, so we may not. 
Thanks for stopping by – hope you have a wonderful week!

FNSI: Christmas in July!

It has been a few months since I participated in Heidi & Bobbi’s Friday Night Sew In and I sure missed it!!  There are 110 participants this time! 

I figured since it’s July, I should make this Christmas in July since I am trying to stay ahead of the game making my gifts so I can have a stress-free holiday!!    So I decided to make some potholders as gifts, which I believe can appeal to lots of people.  It comes as no surprise I decided to make a few for our house as well *wink* because I had to ‘test’ how they came out & how I would proceed, right? 

Well my idea is to do some scrap busting but then I remembered I had this gorgeous fabric that I made John’s Christmas stocking out of last year and my brother-in-law loves purple so the one on the left will be perfect for him.  The one on the right will be ours since we love green more than purple. 

I loosely followed a few tutorials: Scrap busting potholders and Quilted patchwork potholders.  I quickly decided I would rather make the style on the left since it doesn’t have binding, therefore less work and I can put the little holder thing in the corner.  It’s difficult to do that with the binding style. 

Can’t wait to make more scrappy ones this weekend!!  Thanks for stopping by!

In Love with Stitch in Color

Back in February, my friend Stephanie and I visited our favorite LQS, The Cotton Cupboard because they were having a different sale every day that month!  As soon as I walked in the door, my eyes immediately were drawn to some new fabrics Stitch in Color by local artist Malka Dubrowsky (Moda fabrics).  I practically drooled all over them and proceeded to hem and haw over which ones to get and well, let’s just say that I walked out with way more than I usually do because I found the PERFECT fabric to make a Luscious bow tote with! 

I adore how this turned out and I am entering it in Ellison Lane Quilts Summer Sewing Contest!  This purse was a lot of fun to make and the pattern easy to follow too.  

 

Here is a picture of the inside, just as fun as the outside, wouldn’t you say?  Many months ago I was blessed to win an assortment of Aurifil threads and for this one, I used a FUN multicolored one, you can see the thread close up if you click on the photo. 

And because I am so in love with this fabric, I totally had to go overboard with my accessories too.  lol.  I made a simple clutch/makeup bag.

 

 

I made a cute little keychain.

 

 

 

 

I made a fun sunglass case.  Unfortunately I can’t find the gal’s blog that I saw the tutorial on it for. 

 

 

 

and last but not least, my FAVORITE besides the purse of course, is my Stitch in Color Zippy Wallet!  I made mine a little larger than Anna did so the credit cards could fit better.

 

I rounded out my collection by purchasing this book, which is signed by Malka.  TONS of great bold, fresh quilting projects in there!

Purse Palooza, new chapter and new ‘do!

First up is my new tote/purse I made this week to enter in the 2012 Purse Palooza contest that is happening at Sew Sweetness.  When on vacation in CA in April, I wanted to check out a fabric store or two but we only had time for one, and immediately my eyes locked in on these gorgeous fabrics by Alexander Henry.  The pattern is the Pleated Tote by Artsy Crafty Babe, Rebeka Lambert.  This is the 2nd purse I have made from her patterns, which are easy to follow and usually only require 2 (1/2 yd) fabrics.  The purse and inside pockets are Barcelona, straps and lining are Sol, which can be viewed here.  I just adore bold, bright prints for my purses so they can be worn with many colors!

Here is a view of one of the inside pockets.  I love that this purse is large enough to fit all the contents of my purse PLUS my Toshiba tablet.  Can’t wait to show it off! 

Here is a link to all the entries for the contest, there are some awesome prizes up for grabs!  I am enjoying all the inspiration for reviews of purse patterns, there are giveaways every day too so be sure to check it out! 

NEW CHAPTER: I am not sure if anyone noticed or not but the Gina K design team had a release about a week and a half ago and I am no longer a part of the team.  I stepped down May 1 after much consideration and prayer.  It is just time to enter into a new chapter in my life.  I am not ready to share about it yet, so just trust me that it’s for a great reason and I have incredible peace about it and am excited too!  I hope I do not lose all of my readers but if I do, that is o.k.  My posting will not stop all together but it will be sporadic and just when I feel like posting, not when I feel I have to.  I need to live a life of no commitments after having been on design teams for 4+ years in addition to working full-time.  Stamping was beginning to be more like a job (something I had to do), rather than something fun (something I wanted to do).  In fact, since I quit, I have stamped only 1 card and it was not as enjoyable as it had been in the past.  My sweet niece Gabriella graduated from kindergarten and I wanted to send her a card.  I felt bad I did not put as much effort into it as usual, but that’s how things have changed for me.  I am a firm believer that there is a season for everything and my season for design team work has come to an end. 

NEW ‘DO: Now for my new hairdo!  I have been growing my hair out for a few years now, with the intention of donating it to Locks of Love, which I have wanted to do for a LONG time now but just never managed to grow it out long enough because it would bug me!  Here is the before picture.  I had a long, thick ponytail!

 

 

Here it is right after the ponytail cut!  My reaction afterward surprised me.  I got tears in my eyes, I couldn’t believe it was gone and tears of joy with doing this great thing for someone less fortunate who had lost all their hair. 

 

Here it is after it was blown out and straightened, which I may or may not take the time to do myself!  One thing for sure is, it feels amazing on my neck,  have so much hair, I put it up 9.5 times out of 10!  No need to anymore! 

 

 

 

and here is how it looked the day after.  I have more wave & curl to my hair so it is less work for me to let it go natural. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, whoever is still reading my blog! *smile*

FNSI results–more Hello Kitty gifts!

Here is what I made last night for **Friday Night Sew In – more Hello Kitty gifts for our niece Gabby who turns 6 next month.  I am so proud of myself for getting something done way ahead of time!  Her birthday is about 5 weeks away.  I made a pencil pouch based on this tutorial but extended the length to accommodate a standard pencil I had laying around but it’s still a little tight fit they have to lay in there sideways.  Maybe once they are used they will fit better.

Then, I made a simple little tote bag that is reversible.  I got this Hello Kitty fabric at Wal-Mart a few months ago, it’s not the best quality but not the worst either.  I hope she will like it; I just realized that I am a year late with the Hello Kitty…my sister informed me that was ‘last year’s party’ this year it’s all about ladybugs!  Oh well.  At least she will have something made with LOVE and not just something I picked out at the store, right??  This goes along with the Hello Kitty Softie I made last week and I found a Hello Kitty coloring book at Michael’s this week too. 

My friend Stephanie and I were going to hang out at her house last night for Friday Night Sew In but we decided to hang out today for a Saturday Sew instead!  So as soon as I finish this post, I plan to get my stuff together to do over there.  The guys will hang out as well and we will grab a bite to eat for dinner too.  Looking forward to it as we haven’t all hung out together since last month and we can only go so long without it.  HA 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!  I’ll be sharing at some of the following link parties.

Hello Kitty Softie!

I had a lot of fun making this Hello Kitty softie from this tutorial yesterday.  My 5 year old niece loves Hello Kitty just like I did as a little girl**.  So I thought it would be fun to make this for her birthday which is next month.  Yea for me since I am 6 weeks ahead of schedule for that! 

Ok, so it wasn’t ALL fun and games because I am a little disappointed her right leg is a little smaller than her left and I think her face should have been more rounded but it IS homemade after all!  I don’t think she can buy something like this at the store, right?  The reason this happened was because like a dummy I had the pattern ironed to my felt rectangle and started cutting it without the seam allowance.  UGH!  so I had to improvise.  What I am most proud of though, is her cute little pink dress I made with matching hair bow!  I used my rolled hem foot for the dress (it’s been almost 20 years since I made any clothing I think!)  I love the little lace detail around the top of her dress too.  I made the bow by taking 1/2” strips (total of 6) and braided 3 of them in two sections then secured them with a 7th strip.  Then sewed it onto her.  I think it’s very shabby chic.  I am tempted to make a 2nd version so I can perfect it.  Who knows, I may decide to keep this for myself since it was the first one I made if the 2nd one comes out better!  After all, remember I said I used to love Hello Kitty as a little girl** too??!?! 

Thanks for stopping by!  I am going to share in the following link parties this week. 

Zebra-loving Birthday Girl

This post is almost 4 months overdue.  That seems to be how I roll lately, ha.  This is a card and gift I made for our niece Taylor, who turned 18 this past November.  It’s so hard to believe!  She was born pre-mature, a little fighter from the beginning who I believe weighed under 3 lbs!  I have seen her grow up from a rambunctious, talkative, sweet little 4 yr old to a beautiful, still talkative, **dramatic and sweet young lady!   Taylor has hopes of becoming an actress, and I do believe she would do very well at it** wink. 

Here is a picture of the birthday girl at her party.  We all went to San Antonio to the Magic Time Machine, it was a fun time.  She squealed with delight when she saw the Zebra card, scarf and fingerless gloves I made her because she LOVES Zebra.  It was real easy to make the scarf, I just put 2 layers of fleece wrong sides together and sewed down the middle then cut 1” strips on both sides.  If I make this type of scarf again, I would put sew more than 2 layers of fleece though, to make it more fluffy. 
When I asked Taylor if she was getting lots of use out of the scarf and gloves, she said, “yes I am , I love them Sooooo much ! They go well with my pink boots ! Ahhha”
The card was made using Gina K Designs Jumping for Joy stamp set.  The cardstock is Passionate Pink, White and Black Onyx pure luxury.  I stamped sentiments & confetti from the set onto the pink layer and the ribbon is black gingham. 
I just love it when I can coordinate my handmade gifts with my handmade cards – it makes it that much more special. 

Phoebe Bag & Zippy Wallet in Veranda

I am happy to report my laptop is not dead anymore!  DH just unplugged all I had plugged into it and it booted right up.  So now I am in the habit of unplugging everything when it’s not in use.  Then I also went out to get a 16 GB sd card to back up my stuff ‘just in case’! 
I was so excited to finally order some Veranda Fabrics by Amanda Murphy (for Robert Kaufman) and make a Spring/Summer bag!  A long time ago I came across this free tutorial for the ‘Phoebe Bag’ by Rebeka Lambert and was waiting to get the perfect fabric I thought would make a perfect bag!  Well, when I was ordering at The Fat Quarter Shop this week (Aurifil thread was the notion of the month for January so it was 20% off), I knew it was time to add some much coveted Veranda fabric!  For the outside of my bag I chose Veranda Sorbet Paisleys and Florals and for the inside (and front tab) I chose Veranda Leaf Ripple Dots.  Isn’t it adorable?  It fits perfectly on my shoulder too, just the right size to tuck in under my arm. 

Here is a picture of the inside of the bag and a closer look of the green fabric, isn’t it fun?  I love how the pocket has the tulip with the same leaf ripple in the paisley (total accident, not planned!) but I love it when that happens! 


Next up is a cute little zippy wallet I made using Anna’s tutorial that I also pinned** a long time ago!  It is the perfect size for credit cards, license, some cash and a little change.  There is a zipper area on the top.  I love the pearl snap on the front!   I think next time I make one, I will increase the size by at least another 1/2” because the cards are super snug inside and I would like a little more room.  But how perfect is this?  I even have some more fabric left so I plan to make a matching makeup bag too, I will just need to get a zipper for it since I used my last white one.


Now for the not so fun part of finally sharing what I did for January’s Sewcalgal Free Motion Quilting Challenge. oh my goodness…this.was.so.hard.  It just doesn’t feel natural, free flowing or anything!  It was so choppy and I was getting so frustrated I wanted to quit!  But, I usually don’t quit that easily and I keep hearing Darlene say that it takes practice, practice, practice.  Which is why we work on an 18” surface.  So, I will keep at it.  I was frustrated that my laptop died before I had the chance to share and upload this challenge in the month it was issued because I didn’t get in the drawing to win something.  oh well.  Next time. 

**About pinning – are you on Pinterest?  I know I haven’t spoke very much about what it is, but I have to tell you it is addicting and SO inspiring!  It replaces bookmarks in your browser, it’s a virtual pinboard where you have pictures of what you pin for later use and you can follow others and they can follow you.  I have added a ‘follow me on 'pinterest’ tab under my photo if you’d like to check out my boards! 

Thanks for stopping by – hope you have a great day and week! 

Sharing on the following link parties this week:
Flamingotoes
Sundae Scoop
Sew Can Do
Sew Darn Crafty
Skip to my Lou
Ta-Da Tuesday!
We Did It Wednesday
A Crafty Soiree
Craftionary 
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Show & Tell Saturday
Along for the Ride
Love Affair with my Brother

FNSI results: BB Bag!

Here is what I worked on for Friday Night Sew In!  My very own BB Bag (the pattern comes with 3 sizes and I made the largest one).  I used gorgeous fabric from The Cotton Cupboard but I don’t  know the name of it – sorry! It was real fun to make!  I worked on it until midnight and forced myself to go to bed and woke up early to finish more but it is not done just yet-I have to hand sew the binding which is why you see little clips all around.  Figure since we have a long busy day ahead of us (niece’s basketball game, lunch for BIL’s birthday, geocaching and spending time with friends this evening), I’m sure I can fit it in while in the car!  Then, I will show more of the bag like the inside and back.  I have to go get dressed for our day! 
Thanks for stopping by – hope you have an awesome day! 

My 2nd quilt and Friday Night Sew In here I come!!

It sure feels great to share a big accomplishment like completing my 2nd quilt with you!!   I was determined last weekend (3-day) to finish this quilt I started cutting last September during Friday Night Sew In!!  I sewed some squares in the middle of the week (Tue-Thu), took Friday night off, and started EARLY Sat morning (like 7:00 a.m.), stayed up until midnight.  Then, started again Sun morning about 9:00 because I slept in, then finished at 8:30 p.m. about 30 mins before John came home from his geocaching trip with a friend!   It was a marathon for sure!  I basically took restroom, eating, some housework and sleeping breaks (which included a few luxurious naps!) All the while, I watched almost all 3 seasons of The United States of Tara which is a really good series on Showtime about a mom, wife who has MPD  (multiple personality disorder) or DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder).  It was funny and heartbreaking at times.   Here is a link to a tutorial for a rag quilt.  I got instructions with the kit I bought.

I was so determined to be able to ENJOY using it for a little while because before we know it, Spring will be here and it will be put away until next Fall/Winter!  It is SO incredibly soft, cozy and clean smelling since I washed it right after I cut my last portion of it!  It is a RAG quilt and definitely not the last one I make.  However, it may be the only one I pay full price for the fabrics for though!   The front is made using a special roll of flannels by Robert Kaufman (Alpine Frost) by The Cotton Cupboard.  It was one of my last purchases on my quilt bus trip I took with my friend Stephanie back in July. 


In August when John was hanging out at Stephanie and James’ house (who live around the corner from there), I asked him to go get me the fabric for the backing.  I told him I wanted red if they had it (to pick up the berries on the holly fabrics) and some of the others that are in the front of the set.  Jessica (the store owner) and I chatted on the phone briefly as I told her I trusted her judgment in picking out the fabrics.  I was so pleased when he came home (and not just because I got what I wanted, but because he was willing to do it in the first place!) thanks Honey you did good!  *he reads my blog*  So here is the backing which I absolutely LOVE!  the POP of red is awesome especially because it pokes through the front because of the ragging!  You can enlarge the photos if you want a closer look! 

I am off to participate in the first of 2012’s Friday Night Sew Ins hosted by Bobbi and Heidi!   I will share tomorrow what I worked on!

sharing at the following link parties: Craftionary; Be Different, Act Normal; A Crafty Soiree; Think Pink Sunday; Along For the Ride; I {heart} naptime; Sew Darn Crafty; Ta-Da Tuesday! ; We Did It Wednesday!; Serenity Now!; Jaqs Studio

SewCalGal Free Motion Quilting Challenge, covered composition book and my favorite bag!

Ever since I can remember, I have had on my list for the new year to learn something new!  It has been fun too!  Last year it was learn to quilt and I completed my first one in July.  Well, this long weekend I was determined to finish my 2nd quilt which I started last September and I am still working on it but I do have a sneak peek later in this post!  In the meantime, I figured I would share one of the things I committed to learn more of this year; to free motion quilt better because I have several quilts on my to do list for the year and want to do that, instead of send it off to a long arm quilter to do it.   I made the pledge for the 2012 monthly Free Motion Quilt Challenge.   Read all about it – if you’re interested, it’s not too late to sign up!

Several months ago, I discovered SewCalGal’s blog where she shares insights on sewing products, blogs, etc. I made an easy composition book cover at her recommendation, to take notes during the challenge. I love how it turned out! I especially love the placement of the big red button for the closure – perfectly on the white flower!  Each month, we are going to have a FMQ expert share their tips for free motion quilting and issue a challenge for us to practice.  I am still working on getting my sample quilt sandwiches together!  There are prizes each month as well as grand prizes at the end of the 12 month long commitment.  How fun! 


I got the pattern for my cool 12-pocket bag I have not shared yet, from SewCalGal – using my FAVORITE fabrics from my quilt shop bus trip last July!   I absolutely fell in LOVE with them the moment I saw them and bought 1 yard of each!  I love the black background, bright floral and geometric designs on the fabric!   This is so ME!!





Her pattern was very easy to follow!  I use this bag all the time to carry my projects, books, sometimes lunch to work!  It fits a ton of stuff in it!   Imagine – 12 pockets!  Sometimes I have to go through them all just to find what I am looking for that I stuff in them!






Check out all the room inside!  Perhaps if I make another bag, I might put a zipper on the top or the inside.  I took these photos out on our deck in the hopes I could get a better ‘natural’ photo! 





Here is a sneak peek of the progress I made this week/weekend on the rag quilt!    I am so excited to finish this and snuggle with it for another few months before it gets put away until the Fall! 

Thanks for stopping by and see ya soon with the quilt reveal! 
Sharing on the following link parties: Craftionary, Be Different Act Normal, A Crafty Soiree, Flamingotoes, Along for the ride, I {Heart} Nap Time, Sew Darn Crafty, Love Affair with my Brother, Skip To My Lou

Last Minute Easy Wine Gift & True Friendship

I am a last minute Lucy this year – has mostly to do with the fact I was stressed out a few weeks ago and got sick so I decided to take it easy and scale way back so I could get through the holiday.  I like planning in advance, so back in July we bottled some wine for gifts this year.  It was a lot of fun because we did it with our best friends James & Stephanie!  This is going to be part of a gift exchange at my in-law’s this evening. 

I stamped the waterproof label with A Year of Borders (poinsettia) and greeting. Then colored it with copics. Isn’t it simple and pretty?  This morning I found the easy coasters to make – they took less than an hour.  If I wasn’t doing other stuff, I bet it would have taken less time!  I get distracted by Pinterest and Facebook a lot.  ha

		Easy Wine Glass Coasters VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Here is a visual of the steps I took to make these and here is the tutorial I found online.  I used Kate Spain’s Flurry charm squares I had. 

Lastly, here is a picture of the real wine label we had made to go on the wine we bottled (it is a DELICIOUS sweet red wine).  We had SO MUCH fun sampling all the wines the day we chose which wine we would bottle – geez.  I remember it fondly!  We chose to put an older picture of us all together (on the left) that we took in 2004 on a trip to Colorado Springs where we had a ton of fun!  We went in July for our anniversaries.  They are just a few days apart.  The picture on the right was taken on the day we bottled the wine.  It’s so funny we all wore red & blue on both days and it wasn’t even planned!  Great minds think alike.  It’s wonderful to have friends you can be your crazy self around and have them still like you – ha!  No matter what we do together, we always enjoy one another’s company and true friendship is something you hold on dearly to. 
We love these 2 people so much!


I want to wish y’all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Thank you so much for stopping by! 

sharing on the following link parties: Made by You Monday  The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime