Fun use of fabric scraps!

Hi! I know it's been awhile....sometimes life is so full of, well, life....anyway....
I finally got around to making Alex an outfit for summer. Let me tell you, the choice of patterns for toddler boys is pretty slim, but I managed to find this little one piece romper. And with the inspiration of a great blog I recently found, it came out pretty cute! I used the legs of a pair of Anthropologie pants (in seersucker) I had that never fit right.

You can find the tutorial here: Living with Punks
Don't forget to check out the rest of her cute blog while you're there!

Studio insights and Helpful Bloggers!

Thanks to all of you wonderful, helpful bloggers, like Studio Waterstone , and numerous others, I can finally sew in a zipper! (with the lining) After 30 some years of sewing, you'd think that would be a piece of cake by now! Anyway, I have been having fun making clutches lately. The size works out so well with some of the smaller fabric and leather upholstery samples I have collected .
These is a sampling of the clutches I have made lately (some of them for sale in my Etsy store )

sold 

sold

for sale

for sale

for sale

So, Thank you, Thank you!!!! for all of your generosity and great tutorials  that made these possible!

Bye, bye "Shag Bag"!!!!

Well, it finally happened. My "Shag Bag" sold. Five months after I opened my Etsy store, I was contacted by the editor of "Haute Handbags" asking me if I wanted to be featured in their magazine. After my initial "heart attack", I picked myself off the floor and got busy writing directions and sending everything in. Then I waited. And waited. And finally got the word that I would be in the Spring 2010 issue! My fifteen minutes of Fame! What a great honor! So it is with great trepidation, that I send off the "Shag Bag" to its new home in Michigan tomorrow.

Bye, and have a good life!!! Waaa Hooo!!!

My "i heart macro" hook up of the week

This is my macro of the week, linking up to Studio Waterstone's  Sunday feature! Check out the great macro shots and join the fun!

starfish

Precious memories and empty reminders...

Another precious, whirlwind trip has come and gone. It is so sad to see the empty bed and high chair that will be packed away until the next visit. The spilled snacks and blocks spread out on the floor, is the only evidence left of my grandson's presence here.

Jake, Cori and Alex are starting the last leg of their move, from Portland to Albuquerque. A grueling 3 day drive with 2 cars, the cat and a 13 month old baby. I can't say I envy them. What was a 2 hour total, visiting trip, will now turn into about 5 hours and make them a little fewer in between. I will miss them all so much! (I already do) Jake is taking such good care of his family, securing their future with a great new job! The three of them against the world! I am so proud of them all! In a few months they will be settled in and exploring the new landscape and enjoying new adventures together, and I can't wait to visit again. Until then, daily routines settle back to "normal" around here and life goes on........Thank God for memories like these:

sharing lunch

smelling flowers 

and laughter!

 Until next time, I love you!!!!     XOXOXOX  Grandma

This is determination!

We should all be this determined to succeed in our lives! LOL!

Studio insights

I have been having so much fun making fabric flowers and pins lately! I actually sold two of them recently, which is always satisfying!

sold!

 

sold!

in the works

for sale on Etsy

For sale on Etsy (on a handbag)

 

  

I also made a prototype for a new handbag, inspired by a design I saw at Anthropologie. I moved a grommet and messed it up, so, awww geee, I had to keep this one. LOL!

Now that I have it figured out, I will be making a few more. I think the design and fabric is cute for summer, what do you think? Got to go clean the house and cook now. We are getting ready for my daughter's visit on their way to the move to Albuquerque on Sunday. See you later!

The Best chicken EVER!! - really!!

Mother's Day was wonderful again this year! Hopefully for all of you too! Since my daughter is out of state, my son has taken over the get togethers. That is how we come to the title, Tom made the best chicken I have ever tasted, and, really, I am a good cook!

 The recipe:

boneless, skinless chicken breasts
a handful of each, fresh and finely chopped:
parsely
cilantro
onion
bell pepper
In a large dish, add a few TBLS of olive oil and half of the above ingredients. Lay down chicken, salt and pepper to taste. He used alot of black pepper, which was great! Turn the chicken pieces over and top with the remaining herbs. Start the grill. Grill chicken on each side, until the inner temp is 165*. This part is essential for a done and juicy piece of chicken. (He uses an instant thermometer, with a timer.) Let it rest for a few minutes and slice and eat. You won't care about side dishes! The best chicken EVER! Good job, my son!

Tom

my Mother's Day flowers

It was so relaxing, we listened to a ton of music, had a few beers and ate. Thanks, Tom...I love you! (you, too,Cori).

My "i heart macro" of the week

I finally got it together this week so I could participate in Studio Waterstone "I heart Macro"
photos. This picture is the bubbles from a freshly poured cup of coffee. It was a bit challenging, everytime I got close, my camera lens steamed up from the heat! It took a bit of retakes, but I finally got it.

Be sure to check out her blog, it is one of the best out there!! And don't forget to enter your macro picture!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Time flies when you're having...........

Sometimes there are so many little things going on in life that nothing sounds too interesting to share. Then all of a sudden you realize you haven't blogged for awhile and should have shared, now there is too much to choose from and it's just all too confusing!! hahaha..... so here's what's been going on:

Had new steps put in the front yard. They are done, but now I have to figure out how to make it all look finished! I think I need to add a railing and stain the concrete and replace the dirt so I can plant stuff. Good, another project!!

 

I had a great custom order for 9 lunch totes:

I've also been training for a new job the last few weeks.(hence the mental overload!) I'm finally figuring that all out. I am working in Customer Service, doing returns and counting money and signing EVERYTHING I do. It is really busy and I like how fast the time goes.
The biggest piece of news is that my son-in-law got a great new job! Unfortunately they have to move from Portland, (an hour plane ride away) to Albuquerque ( at least 4 hours, NO nonstop flight away). A wonderful new opportunity and adventure, but the travel time really stinks!!!! They will be stopping by for a few days on their way down, in a few weeks. How I miss this adorable little face!

Today, I will be planting a zillion flowers around my patio, for the big BBQ we will have while they are visiting! (as soon as I finish my coffee). AND, even though I've been a bit quiet, I read and enjoy all of your fabulous blogs!! I am glad most of you are so consistently writing!!

 It's been busy around here again, but I wanted you to see what I will be doing tonite. First, dinner at Bistro 33 in El dorado Hills, CA. Then I get to listen to my husband, "guest perform" in my Son's band, Halfway Gone. This is from a performance last week on my husband's birthday. It was so much fun watching them play together! But, alas, I have to work the rest of the weekend. I'm tired already.....



Hope you all have a great weekend!

While I'm waiting.......

A new customer should be getting her lunch bag in the mail today. If she likes it, hopefully I will have an order for 8 more to give to her bridesmaids! Keeping my fingers crossed. The fabric was very important to her, so we shall see...
In the mean time, I've been trying to play a little catch up in my Etsy and Artfire shop.

This can be reversed to

This!

Tall lunch tote or wine bag

not quite finished..

I put the first two in my shop today, the rest will have to wait till later this week. I'm starving!!! Off to figure out dinner....

A Garden View -The Birds and the Bees....

Today's garden view is for the bird lovers out there! I love feeding birds and enjoy watching them, something my dad Bill and I loved doing while drinking our morning coffee out on the deck. I was so lucky to catch these shots of an evasion of my recently cleaned and filled birdbath. (Glad I got around to that)! There were a gazillion more in the tree above too!

 Throw in a little butterfly and a bee and enjoy the tour!
Here's to you Dad! wish we could share our coffee time again!

Felt Alphabet Tutorial and Featured Artist - Evgie!

As you may know, my grandson just turned 1 year old.

Alex loving his letters!

So of course, being a crafter and sewer, I decided I HAD to make him his gifts! I love pa-rousing the internet, especially Etsy for great ideas that I can recreate into my own version. I was so inspired by these wonderful felt alphabets in Evie's Shop that I wanted to try my own. This is my take on a set of felt alphabet letters:

my version

First, choose a font and size you want to use. I used Gill Sans Ultra Bold, size 340 in a Publisher program. Print out each letter, cut out and trace onto 3 layers of felt, using a disappearing fabric pen.

the letter "I"

I tried cutting the felt at this point, but I had a hard time sewing it and keeping the layers lined up, so I decided to sew it together first, and then cut it out, like this:

You can hardly see the tracing line in this pic, but it is there! 

Using a decorative stitch on your machine, sew the 3 layers together, along the traced letter line.

sewn letter "L"

Now cut out as close and neat as you can around the letter.

Voila!!

Now, for the bad news, it took about 3 days to make these, then, when I thought I was done and layed them all out, I found I was missing about 5 letters, (dah) and it took a few more hours to finish them. The good news is, if you like this idea and don't want to make them, you can purchase them here: evgie !   She has the most beautiful, felt alphabets, clocks, (yes, felt clocks!) mobiles and wall art, and more, all hand embroidered, made with eco friendly felt and perfect! I asked her if it would be ok to do my tutorial, and she graciously agreed. Thank you, Evgie!! Make sure you visit her shop, you will find the perfect gift for the special child in your life!!
A side note: I SKYPed with Alex last nite, and he LOVED the letters! He picked them up, inspected them, waved them around, threw them, picked up more. Again and again. It was great!! They are 1 year old approved!

(Note: all links to Evgie's shop by permission of Evgie)