Staci Sews

Necklace organization at last!

2011-06-09T18:26:00.003-04:00

I have tried many different types of necklace racks, both store bought and DIY and never found anything that really worked for me. Yesterday I couldn't stand the tangled mess any longer and tried one more time. I found a board I purchased months ago at the dollar store and some cup hooks that have been hanging around waiting to be put to use. A little white spray paint and a few minutes with my cricut later I have a fantabulous new necklace display! I think I finally found something that works for me. Now to figure out what to do with my bracelets and rings...

Come over and check out the other great projects:

I'm back...with a knockoff!

2011-06-04T22:57:00.001-04:00

I have been very lazy about posting. I still love to read other blogs and visit often, I just never post on my own. That is about to change! I got the new Anthro catalog and was browsing the website when I fell in love with this necklace.

I thought "hey, I could make that"...so I did! Here's my version:

Sorry about the crappy picture. I can't find my camera and had to use my phone. I have worn this for the last 2 days and LOVE it! I have a few more to share, but I'll save them for another day.

I'm linking up to:

It's a brand new year!

2011-01-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Now that the worst year ever has finally left us and we have moved on to a new year...a new decade...it's time for me to finally decide what I want to do with my life. Having the last 10 days off from my normal 8-5 job has taught me something. I hate my normal 8-5 job. I would love nothing more than to be able to stay home, play with my beautiful fabrics and yarns and make things all day long. I have always dreamed of owning my own shop. I would sell fabrics, yarns, misc. craft supplies, along with handmade items made by me and other talented people. I want to have time to create my own patterns for purses and other sewn items.

I took the first step tonight and applied for a NYS Sales Tax / Resellers ID #. Once that has been processed I will work on getting some inventory built up for my Etsy shop (which has been dormant for way too long) as well as for the upcoming spring craft shows. I will start looking into how to open an online fabric/yarn store with the ultimate goal being to also have a small brick and mortar shop where I can give sewing lessons for adults and children. I would love to invite other crafters and artists into my shop to give demonstrations and/or lessons on their craft.

I am excited and hopeful and afraid all at the same time. I think that this will be the year that I finally answer the question "what do you want to be when you grow up?"

And, because I can't have a post without a picture...

Happy Birthday Mom...

2010-09-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

I lost my Mom to Throat Cancer on August 2nd. Today she would have been 62. She was beautiful, smart, witty, crafty, loving...everything a mom should be and so much more. I owe who I am today to her. Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.

Dino Backpack

2010-09-06T13:48:00.005-04:00

My daughter asked me to make her a backpack / purse like this one I made her sister a while back. I used a different pattern, and Taylor requested fabric with a slightly different motif. She loves dinosaurs, especially T-Rexes. Here is what she picked out.

I think it turned out really cute...

Using the webbing for the handles was much easier than sewing fabric ones - I always have trouble getting my straps to look nice,

There's a magnetic snap for the flap...

...and lots of room inside all kept secure with a drawstring closure.

She loves it. Did I mention she's almost 19???

I'll be linking up to some great parties this week - come take a look!

First attempt

2010-08-29T21:54:00.006-04:00

I was at Joann's yesterday and found purse frames in the handbag section. I was pretty excited because I have been wanting to try making a little snap frame coin purse. The frames they have at joann's are the sew in style. I think I will order some of the glue in ones and give them a try too. This little purse was easier to do than I thought it would be and I'm happy with the end result. What do you think?

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Butterfly Art

2010-08-21T14:11:00.001-04:00

I have been seeing these butterfly specimen art pieces all over blogland and decided to give it a try. I found and SVG file of a butterfly and started cutting out butterflies with my trusty Cricut. I then went on a shopping trip looking for a frame and mat with enough depth that my butterflies would still have some dimension when the glass was put back in the frame. I found this framed artwork (I guess it could be considered artwork) at Dollar General for $10. I removed the "art" from the frame and covered it with a piece of linen I had left over from another project and got to gluing my butterflies. My original plan was to spray paint the frame and mat ivory and antique the mat. After thinking about it though, I decided that I liked the dark frame and left it as-is. (It may have also been that I am an impatient crafter and I didn't want to have to wait for the paint to dry.)

So here is it...my version of the Buttefly Specimen Frame...

A close up of some of my butterflies.

I'll be linked up to

Have a happy Day!!

Time sure flies...

2010-07-24T15:37:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has been over 3 months since I last posted. A lot has been going on in my world. My mom has not been well, we went to Illinois for my father-in-law's burial services, and on Monday I am starting a new full-time job. In between all of that I have been trying to keep my sanity by doing some crafting and sewing, but not a lot gets finished. I did make a bunch of drawstring backpacks to bring to my nieces and nephew in IL.

These are actually the ones that they did not choose so they are now up for sale in my Etsy shop. They are lined with water resistant nylon jacket fabric so they are great for bringing wet bathing suits home from the pool. I plan on making more of these to add to the shop soon - they make up very quickly and are a great way to use up some of the novelty fabrics I have collected!

So Cute - Baby Hats!!

2010-04-10T16:28:00.003-04:00

I made these hats because I love all things baby. I had no baby to give them to though - until a coworker became an Aunt! Now I have a baby to send cute little things to whenever the mood strikes. Here are 2 hats I sent to her over Easter.

Too stinkin' cute!! The crocheted cap is from a pattern I found on Ravelry, the sewn hat is a McCalls 4478 and the shoes are from a free tutorial I found on this website.

I'll be attending all of these fabulous parties this week - you should come too!

Spring dollar store craft

2010-04-05T18:01:00.004-04:00

I bought these white plastic frames at the Dollar Tree the other day. They were too white and "plasticy" (is that a word? I guess it is now!) for my taste so I sprayed them with black spray paint. That ended very badly. The paint bubbled up and looked horrible. I tried to glue twine to one (the letter G - you can still see the remains of the glue and twine hair) which was equally disastrous. I finally went and bought some of the Krylon Fusion spray paint made specifially for plastic. I got one witha kind of a sandstone texture and a touch of sparkle. It turned out well - but I will say that the paint was a bit of a pain to use. The nozzle kept getting clogged and I had to keep taking it off. I finally did get this all put together, and except for needing to get a new frame for the letter G, I like it! I think I will change it out for every season - I never realized before that every season has 6 letters - that works out very nicely! Without further ado, here is Spring:

I'm linking to the following parties:

Candle trickery

2010-03-29T15:37:00.000-04:00

I bought some new candle sconces at Kirkland's going out of business sale and have been looking for some tall, fat pillar candles. I was having a hard time finding some that looked bulky enough for the sconces - but were cheap! I found these at the Dollar Tree, but they were just way too short.

I almost passed them by, then I had an idea - glue them together! I bought 4 short candles and brought them home. I got out my hot glue gun and was pretty disappointed when I realized that hot glue does not stick to candles. So, I got out my candle lighter and melted the suckers together! Then in order to hide the seam I wrapped them with burlap, scrapbook paper and a couple of little brads with "K"s on them.

I'm linking up to the following parties:

More canvases!

2010-03-24T20:12:00.002-04:00

I made a canvas for each of my girls. The first was done for my youngest with a quote that I found that reminds me of her. The photo is one of her with her BFF, Kim. I used Gimp to make the photo comic book style then added a blue cast to the photo. The quote was cut out from vinyl with my Cricut and the rest is supplies I had on hand. I picked up the metal tape a long time ago at Big Lots and finally found a use for it. She loves it - and so does Kim!

The other one was done using one of my favorite pictures from my wedding. It's my older daughter dancing with my dad. We lost him to lung cancer in 2004, so this picture is very precious. The quote I used sums life up pretty well, I think.

The flowers were cut on my Cricut from the George and Basic Shapes cartridge that came with my machine. (Flower 2)

I'm linked up to:

Giveaway at No Minimalist Here!

2010-03-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

Check out the great giveaway going on here!

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If pretty tags, mercury glass and birds are your thing you will want to take a look.

Artwork with my favorite subjects - my girls!

2010-03-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

I got a Cricut for Christmas and have not played with it very much. I was at Michael's the other day and they had artists canvases on sale so a grabbed a variety of sizes along with some wood plaques. This is what I came up with! Sorry once again for the crappy photography. Those golden yellow walls drive my camera crazy!

I have been seeing all of the faux mercury glass all over and finally got around to giving that a try too. It was very easy, but tool several coats to get this look.

Here it is all together, I still need to put something in the little vases for some height I think.

I'm linking up to:

Spring!!

2010-03-14T17:14:00.009-04:00

Spring is just around the corner! I decided to put winter away and start decorating with spring in mind. I have seen these cute little birds on other blogs so of course I had to go to the Dollar Tree and get some for myself. My original plan was to attempt a faux mercury glass treatment, but I didn't like it. I ended up painting them ivory and using a black antiquing glaze over that. I love the result - they resemble concrete.

I dug out the candle stick I used for my fall table and topped it with a small grapevine wreath and some spanish moss to make a comfy little nest for one of the birds. The largest bird is sitting on a little flower pot I turned upside-down. The flowers are in a glass vase I picked up a while back at a great little shop here where I live. (Olde Homer House for any locals!)

I think it turned out very cute!

I'm linking up to these parties:

Super month long giveaway at It's So Very Cheri!!

2010-02-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

Cheri over at "It's So Very Cheri" is having a fantastic month long Share the Love giveaway. Hop on over and check out her blog - you won't be disappointed!

Baby Shower Gifts

2010-01-31T14:11:00.003-05:00

I attended a shower for a friend having her first baby yesterday. They decided not to find out if they are having a boy or a girl, so rather than go with the usual green and yellow, I asked to mommy-to-be what her favorite color is. She said RED! I was so excited to find this great red, yellow and blue fabric at JoAnn's that has little birds on it. I think these little bibs and burp cloths will be perfect whether they have a boy or a girl.

I used this pattern from home Made by Jill for the burp cloths and this pattern from ChickPea Sewing Studio for the bibs. The front side is quilting cotton and the back is chenille. In this photo the bibs don't have snaps yet. I couldn't find my snap setting tool so I had to make a pit-stop at JoAnns on my way to the shower to buy one! Luckily, I work there part-time so I was able to go in the back room and find a hammer and get the snaps applied. :)

I used the little birds in the fabric to make up an applique pattern for the bibs. This was my first time doing applique and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.

The funniest part was when she opened the gift - she pulled out the burp cloths and the expression on her face was priceless - she had no idea what they were! I could tell she was thinking that they were kind of little for blankets. LOL! Once we all explained what they were she loved them. Oh, does she have a lot to learn, but she is so excited and will be a wonderful mommy.

Sunday Visit

2010-01-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

The blog I'm going to visit today does not offer crafting ideas, or decorating projects, or even recipes. There are no photos to admire, or free tutorials to be found. What is does offer is a great laugh. If you can visit this Blog and not laugh out loud at least one time then you ought to check your pulse. I'm serious.

www.sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com is the creation of an American woman who is married to a British man. Not just ANY British man, mind you. This man has the habit of talking in his sleep. Unlike most people who mumble unrecognizable babble in their sleep, he blurts out hilariousness. One night she decided to use a voice activated recorder to document some of the random thoughts that he comes up with in his sleep and it has turned into a world-wide phenomenon. They even sell t-shirts with some of his sleeping thoughts.

Go visit Sleep Talking Man - you won't regret it. I should warn you that some of the language he uses is a little harsh, something his wife claims is not at all his usual character. I leave you with one of his more,ummm...."philosophical" mutterings.

"I haven't put on weight. Your eyes are fat."

Sunday Visit

2010-01-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to start a new tradition and pick a new blog to visit every Sunday. I spend ~~way too much~~ not nearly enough time jumping around blogland and I have discovered some fantastic blogs written by some amazingly creative people.

It's only appropriate that my maiden voyage be to the blog of one of my oldest and dearest friends. She is a stay at home mom to 3 rambunctious boys. Lets take a trip to the the land of Amy Short Art....

Amy is a sculptor, painter, photographer and illustrator. Her drawings of children are simply beautiful. She does commission work as well. Here are a few examples of her work (all available for purchase in her Etsy shop)

I suggest you take the time to go over and visit her!

Winter decor

2010-01-11T18:13:00.008-05:00

Like many people, once I took all of the Christmas decorations down the house felt empty. There is still a lot of winter left in central NY so I wanted to do something that would help us get through the dreary winter days ahead. I re-purposed the snowballs I made for my tree along with the leftover snowflakes from my gift wrapping stash. The addition of some garland and picks that never made it out of the storage totes this year finished it off. Have a look!

In the first photo you can see the reflection in the window of the 3 larger snowflakes hanging from the light fixture. I couldn't get a good picture of them.

I'm linking up to:

Show and Tell

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T18:05:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, prosperous new year!

A snowy day project

2009-12-28T17:16:00.004-05:00

I purchased this little set of glass bottles at The Christmas Tree Shop a couple years ago. The have done their time sitting on the kitchen windowsill holding stems of various flowers. I decided it was time to make something better out of it.

I gave them a (much needed) washing, used some heavy gauge wire, burlap and my Cricut (my wonderful hubby bought me for Christmas) and turned that sad little set of jars into this too-cute-for-words photo holder!

It's hard to see in the photo, but there just happened to be 6 jars - and 6 letters in the word "FAMILY". Coincidence? I think not! I'm looking around the house for something to put inside the jars so the letters "pop" a little more - any suggestions? I'm linking up to

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:50:00.003-05:00

Before...

After.

I'm linking up to:

My favorite ornament

2009-12-08T18:48:00.006-05:00

My Dad passed away in November, 2004. He was the best Dad anyone could ask for and I miss him every day. Besides being a great story teller, he was an accomplished pianist. I have great memories of him playing piano and of his quartet practicing at my house. Last year I found some treble clef ornaments at JoAnns and make one of these for myself, my sister and all 3 of our kids.

Sorry the picture isn't great. I somply found some picture frame charms in the jewelry section of the craft store and added a photo of Dad. I used a jump ring to attach it to the ornament.

I also finally got around to taking down the autumn decorations from the top of my cabinets. I replaced them with some snowy berry garland I had been using on my tree but didn't this year. A couple strands of white lights finishes it off. The enamel ware teapots and scales are always up there. :)

I linked up to Show and Tell and Blue Cricket designs - check it out!

Christmas centerpiece revamp

2009-12-07T19:18:00.010-05:00

I finally got around to decorating the kitchen/dining area over the weekend. I wanted to do something new and more creative than the poinsettas I usually use. I remembered the cupcake stand my hubby had made for my DDs birthday and had him go dig it up from the garage for me. (Thanks hubby!) It was black, so I sprayed it silver. I found the cute green, red and silver balls at Dollar Tree (3/$1) along with the mirrored cone tree that I have been seeing all over blogland. I wanted to carry on the snowy theme I started on the main tree, so I also picked up some epsom salt. I used a glue stick to attach the strip of paper to the edges of the tiers and poured some of the salts in each one. I stole the votive cups from another cande display I have and removed the candles and filled those with epsom salt too. Each cup them got a shiny ornament. I used silver and black paint to attempt the faux mercury glass effect on the mirrored tree. On each side is a candle made by attaching a glass vase to a candle stick - both also from Dollar Tree. I think I'll spray the candle stickes silver too. What do you think?

I'm linking up to:

The stockings are hung

2009-12-05T22:39:00.005-05:00

I had a request for a stocking for a co-worker's new baby niece. She wanted something that she can use every year. I found this pattern (McCalls, I believe) and fell in love! The ruffle at the top and the big bow are perfect for a little girl. I think I will make some more of these - it went together quickly and was fun to make.

The fabric is from JoAnns - I loved the little touch of pink. I linked up the Funky Junk Interiors for the Saturday Night Special - come check out the great projects!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-11-29T20:20:00.010-05:00

I wanted to do something different with my Christmas tree this year. Both of my girls will be living on their own this year so I decided to let them go through and take any ornaments they want for their own trees. I needed a new theme - and it had to be inexpensive. I decided to go with a snow and cardinal tree. I started by putting artificial snow on all of the branches. Then I added some plaster snowflake ornaments I bought on sale at JoAnn's and glittered myself. I also made snowballs using stryofoam balls and more glue and artificial snowflakes. White sparkly bows and plain white candy canes from the Dollar Tree, white and silver glass balls and some felt cardinals finish the theme. I love how it turned out - what do you think?

I'm linking up to:

More before and after

2009-11-29T19:44:00.014-05:00

On a trip to the thrift store a few weeks back I found this lovely pair. They were priced at $1.00 each so I grabbed them. As you can see from the photo -I almost forgot to take a "before" shot - but stopped myself in time! I sprayed them black, found 2 frames and some burlap and...

TA-DAA!

Sorry for the icky pictures. I'm linking up to:

Let it snow!

2009-11-29T10:06:00.002-05:00

I found this completely addicting little gadget online where you can cut out your own virtual snowflakes. Go check it out - but only if you don't have anything else you need to get done today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T17:47:00.001-05:00

Candlestick gets a makeover

2009-11-22T22:03:00.005-05:00

I was in the Salvation Army the other day and found this rather ugly candlestick. But, I could see how some paint could bring out this diamond in the rough so into my basket it went. A little farther down the aisle the big glass vase caught my eye. It just so happened that the bottom of the vase was the exact same size as the top of the candlestick. Well, waddaya know! So, a little black spraypaint and epoxy was all I needed to take this...

To THIS...

I love how the ridges in the vase create the reflections on the wall when the candle is lit. The breakdown on this little beauty is:

Candlestick...$2.00

Vase...$1.80

Candle...$1.00

Not too shabby!!

Now, head over to It's So Very Cheri , Between Naps on the Porch and A Soft Place to Land to see all of the other fantastic things posted by the talented people in blogland!

I've been featured!

2009-11-19T13:41:00.008-05:00

I'm so excited! Cheri picked my painted floors as one of her favorite projects for her "It's so Very Creative" Monday Makeover party! Go on over and check out her blog - and while you're there make sure you take a look at all of the other great projects posted.

Thanks, Cheri!

Wonky Log Cabin Pillow

2009-11-16T19:42:00.003-05:00

I saw the tutorial by Jacquie at tallgrassprairiestudio for these pillows and had to make one in the christmas fabrics I've been collecting. I love how it turned out - I think I have enough left to make it a friend!

I painted my floor!

2009-11-12T15:26:00.005-05:00

Funky Junk Interiors is hosting a "My Favorite Project Ever" party. This is by far my favorite project ever! It turned out better than I had imagined it would. Make sure to go over and check out all of the other favorite projects too!

Here is the original post from last year when I painted my dining room floors...

I linked up to "Metamorphosis Monday" over at Between Naps on the Porch and to "It's so very creative" at It's So Very Cheri- go over and check out all of the fantastic projects posted by the talented people in blogland!

My floors are in desperate need of refinishing. Rather than go through the hassle (and expense) of that, I painted a rug on my dining room floor. I had painted one several years ago right after we bought the house as a "temporary" fix. That was 11 years ago. That rug had pretty much all worn off, so this weekend I decided it needed to be freshened up. As usual, I was too excited to get started to take any before photos. Here is an after I took last night right after applying the poly and then a couple from today when I put all of the furniture back.

I love how it turned out! The only problem I see is that all of the animal fur really shows up on this glossy finish (and if you look very closely you can see pieces of fur stuck in the finish). I guess when you live with animals like I do hair is something you just have to accept as a part of your daily life!

Recipe Swap

2009-11-03T22:55:00.002-05:00

Amy over at Park City Girl is hosting a recipe swap. Who doesn't love finding a great new recipe? I have 2 family favorites to share. These are both originally from www.recipezaar.com

Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken

1 pkg Taco seasoning mix
8 oz Apricot preserves
12 oz salsa (your favorite - I like to use a spicy salsa to offset the sweetness of the apricot)
1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces (any chicken you like, I use boneless breasts)

Dump everything into a large ziploc freezer bag. Squish it around to mix well. I like to let it marinate in the fridge overnight, but if you don't have time for that no worries. Dump the contents of the bag into a baking dish and bake at 350 until juices run clear. I serve it with white rice.

Taco spaghetti (makes 2 casseroles - one for now, one for the freezer)

10 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine or fettuccine, broken
2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning mix
2 (11 ounce) cans corn mixed with chopped peppers, drained
1 1/2 cups colby-monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup favorite salsa
2 (4 1/2 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers, drained
4 cups lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped

Cook pasta according to pkg directions, drain.
Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion until meat is brown, in a dutch oven.
Drain off fat.
Stir in water and taco seasoning mix.
Bring to boiling and reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in cooked pasta, corn, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salsa and chili peppers Divide mix evenly between 2 lightly greased 2 qt casseroles.
Package up, label and freeze up to 3 months.
To serve remaining casserole, cover and bake in a 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Top with lettuce and chopped tomato.
If desired, pass broken tortilla chips and dairy sour cream as additional toppings.
To serve the 2nd casserole, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Bake, covered in a 375F oven for 1 hour or until heated through, stirring once about halfway through baking time.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
Serve with 4 cups shredded lettuce and 1 medium tomato, chopped.

Let me know if you try either of these - I'd love to hear if you enjoyed them!

Happy Haunting!

2009-10-25T13:06:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture of my girls many years ago getting ready for a big night of Trick or Treats! Mine are the little green faced witch and the happy little clown in the big bow-tie. If only they could stay that little...

I'm not ready for this!

2009-10-16T09:18:00.003-04:00

Ugh. It's only October 16th!

I am so excited!!

2009-10-05T11:03:00.001-04:00

I just bought myself a very nice gift! I found a Janome Memory Craft 6500P on Ebay for a price that I just could not pass up!! After getting my wonderful hubby's blessing I hit the button and now she's MINE! :)

The best part is that the seller lives near me so I don't have to wait for shipping - I can go pick her up myself.

I can hardly sit still...

Fall Decorating inspired by Connie at Shady Creek Lane

2009-10-03T11:19:00.005-04:00

I have been busy getting my fall decorating started. Autumn is my favorite season. It is beautiful this time of year in central New York. I was inspired by this post at Shady Creek Lane.

Sorry for the bad lighting in the picture - there are big windows on both sides of the table. I'm happy with how it turned out! I used a faux pumpkin and antiqued it to knock down the bright orange. Printed out "Welcome" on my computer and transferred the pattern to the pumpkin. I used a black paint pen to color in the letters. The berry spray and candle holder are from Hobby Lobby. The glass vases, candles, pebbles, little pumpkins and leaves are all from the dollar store. In all this pretty centerpiece cost me about $25. Not bad! The table topper is a lap quilt I made at a beginner quilting class last year. It fits my dining room table perfectly!

Here is a photo of me with my oldest daughter apple picking. I may be a little biased, but I think she's beautiful! :)

What a mess!!

2009-08-09T12:39:00.006-04:00

I began this day with the intention of getting my craft room straightened up and ready for the big move. No, we are not moving to a new house, but my craft room is moving to a different room. My DD and I are trading spaces. Her current room has fantastic natural light but is a little smaller. Her gradutation present is a room redo, because she is going to a local college and will be living at home. We decided that she would have the bigger room and I would get the room with the best light. It's a "win win" situation! Unfortunately, we are both SLOBS and it is taking a very long time to get our acts together.

This is mt daughter's room right now. Believe it or not - this is after a few day's worth of cleaning and doing mountains of laundry. She is a pack-rat extraordinaire. My favorite part of this room (besides the great light) is the patchwork wall. That was our creative solution to covering up a bad wall. I had the guy at Lowe's cut some beadboard paneling into 2' x 2' sqares. We painted them in the colors Taylor chose and put them up with a nailgun. The seams are covered with screen door molding painted black. I'm still deciding if I'm going to live with the pink and green or repaint it in colors more to my taste.

Here are a few shots of my craft room in its current state. The piles of fabric on the sewing table are actually in the beginning states of being organized. They are in piles of 1/4yd, 1/2yd, 1yd and up, fat quarters and charm squares. I purchased 2 book cases yet to be assembled that the fabric will eventually go on. I have a bin that is holding all of the scraps smaller than a fat quarter.

Stay tuned for the big reveals of the 2 new spaces!

2009-08-01T19:43:00.001-04:00

I saw this on this great blog and just had to share!

Great giveaway at p.s. i quilt!!

2009-07-29T15:06:00.003-04:00

Rachel from p.s. i quilt is giving away a $50 gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop!! Hurry - run! Go check it out!!

So much to do!

2009-07-17T10:31:00.003-04:00

In preparation for my daughter's graduation party next weekend I have made a long list of things I'd like to get done around the house in the next week. I took the week off from work so with a little luck at least a few things may be done in time!

Here's my "must do" list:

1. Pressure wash both the front and back decks and patio - DONE

2. Paint the Adirondack chair and lounge - DONE

3. Make new pillows for both chairs

4. Clean out the spare bedroom

5. Re-paint the dining room and hallway "rugs"

6. Fix the huge hole in the wall created by the dogs on the 4th of July while we were at the fireworks (the dogs are not fans of fireworks!)

Now on to the the "I'd like to have it done but doubt it's going to happen" list:

1. Stain both the front and back decks

2. Repaint the upstairs bathroom

3. Hire someone to do all of the above!

And, now just because he's so cute - here's a picture of my Seester's dog, Teddy

Testing, Testing...

2009-07-15T14:51:00.003-04:00

I am setting up mobile blogging on my phone - not sure why, it seemed like the thing to do while sitting in the waiting area at the mechanic.

Graduation Day!!

2009-06-29T08:24:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it - both of my little girls are out of high school. Where does the time go? Here are a few of my favorite photos of the day.

The happy graduate and proud parents

Sisterly love!
That's more like it!
BFFs!
I love the expression on her face! This is towards the end of the ceremony - she looks like she's thinking "Is this almost over?"

In the fall she is headed to the local community college for 2 years and then hopes to transfer to Oswego into the zoology program.

Some new bags

2009-06-28T08:50:00.004-04:00

I have been working on some new bags. The first was a request from DD#1. I finally found a fabric I thought she would like. The pattern is McCalls 4118. I am terrible at adding bias tape over the seams, so I'm glad that is all on the inside! If I make another one of these I will make a few changes. There is a zipper in the back seam that seems unnecessary to me, so I will leave that out. I will also quilt the outer fabric and line it separately rather than quilting it all and having to fight with the bias binding.

Front pocket - I'm not happy with the drawstring cording I used and will have to find something different.
Here you can see the zipper in the back. It opens up into the main bag, it isn't a separate pocket. I just don't understand the point?

This bag is a fantastic pattern from artsy-crafty babe. She creates the most fabulous patterns! I will be making another of these for myself! The next one I will use a stiffer interfacing and possibly some batting to make it stiffer. This is what the pattern calls for but I was lazy and didn't do it.

Close up of the patchwork inset. The pattern can be done either with the patchwork or with a solid piece. Really, the possibilities are endless with this pattern.

Curious George

2009-06-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

I finally finished the Curious George diaper bag. It turend out really cute - even though I'm not a fan of Curious George. Why do people insit that their diaper bags have to match the nursery? Or that they have to be made out of baby fabrics for that matter? They will most likely not be used in the nursery - and it's not the BABY who has to carry the thing around! *sigh* Maybe someday I'll get an order for a "cool" diaper bag.

Side pocket - once again I forgot to sew the velcro on before assembling the bag - once again had to hand sew it.

Side bottle pocket

Inside in all it's Curious George glory! I only broke 3 needles and only burned myself with the iron once - not too bad! :)

Frustration!

2009-06-16T12:15:00.002-04:00

I have been trying (with no success) to find a new presser foot for my sewing machine. If anyone has a good source for Elna feet let me know! Apparantly the older machines that were made in Switzerland require a different type of foot than the newer, Japanese made models. I have purchased 4 feet (2 of them specifiaclly for Elna machines from Elna dealers) and the needle hits every one of them!

Sewing Machine Survey

2009-06-04T19:23:00.004-04:00

Sew Mama Sew is celebrating Sewing Machine Month so I thought I'd play along and fill out the sewing machine survey.

What brand and model do you have?
I have an Elna Club 500. It's an older model from the early 90s (back when Elna's were still made in Switzerland)

How long have you had it?
About 6 months

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?
I bought mine from E-bay for about $90

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?
I mainly make purses and home dec projects. I also recently started quilting.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?
I don't get to sew as much as I would like - but on average I spend about 5-10 hours per week sewing

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?
I like my machine. I call her "Ellie". :)
What features does your machine have that work well for you?
I like the easy drop in bobbin, the speed control and the needle up/down feature. I also love that there is a true basting stitch - in bag making this is a great feature.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?
sometimes I wish it would go a little faster, and I can't get the buttonhole to work right. I don't do much garment sewing, so that's not a huge issue for me.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!
Nope. No great stories. Won her on Ebay (kind of accidentally) and I'm glad I did.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?
I would recommend this machine - it sews beautifully and is very easy to operate.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?
What kind of sewing will you be mainly doing, what "bells and whistles" are really necessary for you, the reputation of the manufacturer and reviews from users

Do you have a dream machine?
I am always looking at new machines - I don't have a particular make/model in mind but I would love a machine that has a longer arm for quilting, with a stitch regulator for free motion quilting.

Here is a picture of Ellie. :)

Finished project...

2009-05-31T20:17:00.002-04:00

Here it is! My old window has been transformed into a memo board for my craft room! I'm so happy with how it turned out. There are 2 magnetic sections, 3 cork sections and 3 fabric and batting sections. I will be making some pretty magnets and push pins for it - as soon as I figure out where I put those super strong magents I bought...

Some more happiness showed up in my mailbox yesterday. I ordered a bunch of fabrics from one of my favorite Esty sellers. I got Studio E "Flourish" in Orange; Holly Anderson "Songbird" in teal; and Michael Miller "Spotted Owl" in green and white. I love them all!!

I also spent some time this weekend working on my DD's graduation announcements. I used some digital scrapbooking supplies I downloaded from shabbyprincess.com and came up with this:

This will be the front of the announcement, the back will have all of the info regarding time, place etc. What do you think? I love that little kindergarten photo!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T15:10:00.002-04:00

I saw this idea on another blog - I loved the concept so I'm going to steal the idea. I'm sorry, I can't remember which blog - but if I do I will give credit where due!

Flowers and new projects...

2009-05-18T13:03:00.002-04:00

Here are my finished hanging baskets! I love how the sweet potato vine trails and the bright pop of color it provides. I did three of them to hang along the front of my garage. They look pretty now - but will need to some in tonight - we have yet another frost advisory. Sheesh.

Here they are... all in a row. I really need to get the pressure washer out and get rid of all those spiderwebs. Yuck.
I spent some time this morning getting the old glass out of this window pane my DH brought home from the dump for me. I love dump gifts. :)

What do you supposed I have planned for this? Any guesses?

Good Stuff and Bad Stuff

2009-05-17T18:48:00.001-04:00

As we all know, last weekend was Mother's Day and my girls did not disappoint. My youngest, Taylor, found me the biggest, most beautiful hanging basket of deep purple petunias I have ever seen! This plant must weigh 20lbs. The photo does not do it justice. I have it hanging on the railing to the front deck so it is the first thing visitors see.

My oldest, Mackenzie, made her gift this year. Back in kindergarten she made me a little bag with different items in it to represent different things. A band aid for all of the boo-boos I've kissed, and things like that. She decided to make me a new version of that gift this year in the form of a bookmark. She used different charms to represent different things. She wrote a note to explain all of the different charms. I love both of my gifts!

Now for the bad stuff. We found out on Thursday that our local JoAnn's is going out of business. I have been working there part-time since last summer and I feel terrible about it. Both as an employee and as a long time customer. The ladies who work at the store are a great group of women and I will miss them. We have until mid Spetember. The plaza where the store is located has a new owner and apparently he and corporate can't come to an agreement on the terms of the lease. Moving to a different location isn't worth the expense to the corporation so they decided to close the store. In an effort to show corporate that we ARE worth the expense I did my part and bought a bunch of brown and turquoise fabric for a quilt order. :)

Now, back to the good! My sister and I went flower shopping today! We hit up about 5 different nurseries and found some beautiful plants. This is a sweet potato vine, some orange and yellow marigolds and deep purple petunias (the color in the photo is off) that will fill the 3 hanging baskets I bought to hang on the front of my garage. We have a frost advisory tonight so for now they are safely tucked away in the garage. I also bought some shade plants and some "mystery" flowers. The tag just says that they have an unusual flower. There are a few buds on the plants so time will tell.

I'll post some pictures of the finished baskets when I get them hung - maybe tomorrow!

New curtains and new family members

2009-05-04T12:07:00.003-04:00

I spent a couple hours yesterday making this window treatment. It didn't turn out quite like it looked in my head...but it's growing on me!

I finally finished painting and moved on to windows. You will notice the not-so-neat painting around the trim. That's OK because we are replacing all of our window and baseboard trim very soon.

We also welcomed another furry member of the family over the weekend. I'm such a sucker. A friend of my daughter had this little bunny. She's moving and needed to find her a home, so of course Taylor thought that home should be ours! What's one more furball in the house?

Show and Tell

2009-04-24T16:52:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday!!! Here in central NY we have a gorgeous weekend ahead and I can't wait! I also have a lot more sewing projects rolling around in my head that I want to get started on too. This is a dilemma. Stay inside and sew or go outside? I'm afraid going outside will win! I can always sew after the sun goes down. :)

Since I probably won't be getting many new projects finished for a while, I thought I would share a few of the projects I have recently finished.

First up is the little case/wristlet I made for my new camera. There is a pocket on the back that was meant to be for a cell phone, but I didn't add darts to it so it's too tight. There is also a pocket on the inside for cash / memory cards / credit cards...etc. The idea behind it was to be able to carry just this one little bag and have everything I need. If I make another one I will make the cellphone pocket bigger. I love this Amy Butler print, and I happened to have a small blue print in my stash that goes with it perfectly!

The next little project is a matchng set of booties and a hat. I love these little booties and the hat is just the cutest! I think I'll be making up more of these sets for Etsy.

Last but not least is the quilt I just finished hand sewing the binding on a few minutes ago. I love the little ducks!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I plan to!! :)

How cute are these??

2009-04-16T19:46:00.001-04:00

Two posts in one day! I just have to show you the most adoreable little baby shoes I made using this tutorial. They took all of 10 minutes. I can see that these could become an addiction. The problem with that is that my "babies" are 17 and 19 years old! I suppose I can hold on to them until that day in the future (way waaaaayyy in the future!) when I have grandbabies who can wear them!

SCORE!!!!

2009-04-16T17:01:00.002-04:00

I was at work yesterday when my DD called with a crisis. She was at the mall (45 minutes away) and had locked her keys in the car. *heavy sigh*
Being the wonderful mom that I am (and being incredibly bored at work) I told her I'd bring her the spare set of keys. Since I was now taking an unscheduled trip to Binghamton, I decided to do a little shopping. I went to the Christmas Tree Shop and picked up a few things, then decided to make the trek down to the Parkway to check out JoAnns. This is where it gets good! I was browsing the decorator fabrics because I have been wanting to redo the kitchen/dining room. Then I saw it! This gorgeous stripe in just the colors I had been thinking about. I looked for the price (expecting it to be around $30/yd) and was thrilled to see that it was a red tag fabric for $6/yd!! Wait - it gets better.

Here is a closeup of the fabric. It's a nice decorator weight - but not stiff like some. It feels like a heavy linen and I love the crinkly texture. Oh, anyways...back to the story. I said it gets better. Well, as it turns out, the red tag home dec fabrics are on sale for 50% off! I got 15 yards of this stuff for $3/yd! Plus, I work at JoAnns (a different store) so I also got my 15% employee discount. CHA-CHING!
Now I have to stop procrastinating and get painting - and sewing!

Catching up

2009-04-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

I finally got my Project Improv block finished and in the mail. I made so many of these before finally getting one I was happy with. If you haven't yet - check out the rest of the fantastic blocks by clicking on the project improv banner in the sidebar.

I also got my round 2 blocks sent out for the Swap-Bot friendship quilt swap I'm in.

It feels good to cross projects off the "to-do" list!

You Can Make This contest!

2009-03-30T08:55:00.006-04:00

I found a great site for projects of all kinds - from beginner to seasoned crafter. They are about to launch a new site that is just for quilting called www.youcanquiltthis.com . In honor of the launching of this new site they are giving away a Marie Osmond 200 Quilter’s Companion by Janome. Check out all of the details here.

Good luck!

Signs of Spring

2009-03-28T15:53:00.008-04:00

It is a beautiful day here in Central New Your so I thougnt I would take my camera for a walk around my yard to look for signs that spring has spring. Here is what I found...

Crocuses blooming in the garden

Our little bunny Bynx enjoying the lovely day in his "summer cottage" that my DH built for him last summer

Bunny nose!! He was hoping I had brought him a little treat I think.

The creek behind my house is ice-free and running very nicely

I think this creek is the main reason my hubby wanted this house - the dogs love it too!

My DH makes maple syrup every spring. This is his home made sap boiling setup. Pretty redneck, eh?

We live in a big maple syrup producing area. In fact, the Maple Festival is going on right now! My oldest worled the pancake breakfast earlier today and my youngest is working at the senior class speedie tent all weekend.

This ends our tour of my yard. Thanks for coming along!

Spring Fever!!

2009-03-16T18:17:00.004-04:00

I have officially caught a bad case of spring fever. Today was a perfect spring day. The sun was shining, birds were singing. I decided to go for a drive and enjoy the day. Bad idea. I ended up with a speeding ticket. Now, I am the first one to admit that I have a bit of a lead foot. I know that. What upsets me is that today I honestly did not realize I was speeding. I was on an unfamiliar road, driving along with the windows down and the radio on ("Baby Got Back" was playing) enjoying the beautiful views that Central New York is famous for when suddenly - lights behind me. I pull over thinking I'm letting him by to go after some poor sucker when he pulls over too and I realize that I AM the poor sucker. *sigh* He clocked me at 50mph in a 30mph zone. Yikes. Can't wait to see what the fine for this will be.

Baby Madison's Quilt

2009-03-04T20:14:00.006-05:00

Amy at Park CityGirl is hosting a virtual quilt show. She has asked us to post about our favorite quilt and the story behind it. Since I have only completed 3 quilts it was easy to pick a favorite. This baby quilt was my first attempt at free motion quilting. I was so scared but I am happy with how it turned out. Below is the original post about this quilt. Thanks for stopping by!

I finished my first baby quilt - and just in time! Little Madison was born yesterday. I'm waiting to get her weight and length before I give it to her so I can embroider it on the back. I'm very happy with how it turned out - this was my first attempt at free motion quilting. I followed this tutorial with a few changes in the size.

Here is close-up of the quilting. I hope Madison's mommy loves this as much as I do!!

The Big 4-0

2009-02-19T18:27:00.003-05:00

Well. It happened. I turned 40 yesterday. I admit, this has been a tough one for me. 40. It sounds so old.

It seems like such a short time ago that I was in high school, then college, then a single mom of 2 small girls.. Where did all the time go? I try to think back on those years and so many of them are a blur. I think about the dreams I had as a child. So many left unrealized, as is the case with most childhood dreams.

My life path has not always been easy, but it is these challenges I have overcome that have made me who I am today. I like who I am today. I have a great husband, two fantastic daughters, a comfortable home, and a family and friends who love me.

I am 40. I wonder what my next 40 years will bring?

Fantastic mail day!

2009-02-11T17:44:00.002-05:00

Here at my house we have either "good mail days" (no bills) or "bad mail days" (bills). Today was a FANTASTIC mail day!! No bills and my order from Etsy seller Mimis arrived! I got a bundle of 6 half yard cuts from Amy Butler and Joel Dewberry. Aren't the colors delicious! They remind me of rainbow sherbet. Now I have to work up the courage to cut into them! eeeek!

100 Things...

2009-02-08T15:01:00.001-05:00

So, this is going around some blogs I read....here's my version. You too can play along....cut and paste into your own post. BOLD the items you've done!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood or platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle-with someone else
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Blog Swap

2009-02-03T21:59:00.003-05:00

Time for another Swap-Bot update! Today's swap is a Blog link swap. I sent the link to my blog to 5 people and in return I will receive links to 5 other blogs. Here are the links I have received so far:

http://fibrejunky.blogspot.com/
This is a great blog about stamping and paper crafting. She does lovely work!

http://a1nnie.blogspot.com/
A blog about day-to-day life. A fun read - I like her "101 things in 101 days" list.

http://joanoh2.blogspot.com
This is a very fun Blog - the grandma got run over by a flying saucer is a must read!

Swappy Goodness!

2009-01-30T21:03:00.006-05:00

I love Swap-bot. It's a fun site where you sign up for swaps and you send and receive fun packages in the mail. Who doesn't love getting fun mail? This is what was waiting for me when I got home from work today:

The swap was a sewing supplies scavenger hunt. We were to send our partner something red, something black & white, something with polka-dots, something sharp and something in spring colors. As you can see - my partner did very well! She also added some cute snowman and penguin buttons, just for the heck of it. Here's what I sent to my partner:

I also added a little zippered coin purse I made with a couple strands of beads inside, just for fun.

I still need to send out my friendship quilt squares, my 10 random things and a handbag made from thrifted clothing. I'll post more pictures when they are ready to go.

25 things...

2009-01-28T19:08:00.002-05:00

I was tagged on Facebook to write 25 random things about me. I decided to post it here too,

1. I sometimes feel like the only person from high school who is still in Cortland
2. I wish Amy and Ellen lived closer so we could get together more often
3. My Seester is my best friend
4. The death of my Dad in 2004 impacted me more than I let on
5. I hate to cry and it is very rare that I allow myself to
6. I miss my girls being small, but I love the young ladies they have grown up to be
7. I love to travel but don't get to do it often
8. I have a lead foot and I tend to tailgate people who aren't going fast enough for me
9. I worry about my Mom and wish she could find happiness
10. I could live on bread and pasta
11. I love animals and have 2 rescued dogs, 4 cats and a rabbit
12. I am a sucker for my daughter Taylor's big, blue eyes (see the rabbit in #11)
13. I am terrible at handling money and never balance the checking account
14. I pay way too many overdraft fees (see #13)
15. I want to live near the ocean someday - but not too far south. I still want all 4 seasons, I just don't want winter to last for 7 months! Cape Cod, maybe?
16. I went through a lot of losers before meeting my hubby. He is the sweetest man I know and he has been a great dad to my girls.
17. I hate housework and if I ever win the lottery the first thing I'll do is hire a full-time housekeeper
18. I want to go back to school, but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up
19. I wish I could get up north to visit my family more often
20. I believe in ghosts
21. When I drive through wealthy neighborhoods I get jealous. Not that I'm destitute, I just want a 4000sf house (see #17) and a Lexus...
22. I spend way too much time online
23. I have the attention span of a gerbil and am easily distracted
24. I have a voracious sweet tooth. Why wasn't I born with a vegetable tooth??
25. I am very happy that so many people are on FB! Makes me think back to high school and all the great times I had.

Valentines Day

2009-01-25T10:51:00.001-05:00

In honor of Valentines Day I redecorated my blog - whaddaya think?

A New Beginning...

2009-01-20T09:15:00.004-05:00

I feel hopeful today.

Today we will see history - our first African-American President will be sworn in to the Oval Office. I am hopeful that he will be able to bring about a change in our country. Not only a solution to our economic crisis, but our social crisis. I am hopeful that he will help the youth of this nation to see that anything truly is possible, with hard work and determination.

Welcome, President Obama.

19 years..

2009-01-12T08:41:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my daughter is 19 today. 19 years have passed, just like that. I have watched her grow from a chubby little baby into a beautiful, poised, intelligent, responsible young woman. Happy Birthday, Kenzie. I love you!

A whole weekend off

2009-01-10T10:42:00.002-05:00

I managed to get the whole weekend off somehow. Woohoo! I'm planning on heading to Lowe's to find a better light fixture for my sewing room today. I bought one the other day and it just doesn't cut it. It's a 3 light halogen track light. Great for accent lighting, not so great for task lighting. *sigh* While I'm out, I think I'll stop in to the Salvation Army thrift store and see if there is any treasure waiting to be discovered there. I joke that my favorite fabric store is the Salvation Army. I love finding clothing to use in my bags and other crafty projects. When I get home I want to get started on the baby quilt I want to make, and I promised to make a zippered bag for a friend. I also bought 4 kinds of flannel to make some more PJ pants for DD and myself. Whew! Why am I still sitting here?!? I have a lot to do! Hopefully I will have pictures of my completed projects tp share by the end of the weekend.

Happy weekend!

My Grand-puppy!

2009-01-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

AAwwwwww. Isn't he the sweetest little guy? He's a Carin Terrier. My daughter got him yesterday as a b-day gift from her BF. his name is Bourke (as in Dooney & Bourke - her favorite hangbags!)

First one!

2009-01-03T09:44:00.007-05:00

Here it is! My first completed project of 2009. Actually, it's my first completed quilt EVER! My sister and I took a beginner quilting class and it has been sitting in my sewing room waiting to be finished. I'm pretty proud of it. I fell in love with the border fabric - I wish I had bought more! Here's a shot of it folded up so you can see the backing.

I mentioned my sewing room - would you like to see it? It's a mess...I don't know. Maybe I should clean it first...Oh, all right. Here it is...

This is the view from the door. The shelving unit and table were originally one piece that hung on the wall. My DH got it from a co-worker who had built it for his wife. The table was attached to the cabinet with a piano hinge and the leg is attached to the table with one too. The whole thing could close up into a 12" deep space. Pretty cool! When they built a bigger home she had a dedicated sewing room so she didn't need it anymore. Lucky me! I was using it as a wall unit in my old sewing room, but when my DD moved out I took over her bedroom and there isn't a wall I can use for hanging it so we took it apart!

I bought the mannequin and display rack from a store that was going out of buisness to use to display my bags at craft shows. Don't you just love my window shades? I wanted to do my room in red and teal and this fabric was perfect!! Did you notice my chandelier? I mentioned this used to be my DD's room. While it is very pretty, it's not very functional as sewing room lighting. There is only 1 60w bulb. That explains the work light clamped to the display rack. I also have a floor lamp, a table lamp and a desk lamp! Shopping for new lighting is high on my list of things to do!

This is my jewelry / beading area. The awesome sign hanging above my table was a gift I received in a swap a while back. Notice my pattern collection on the shelf above - I really need to find a way to organize them.

This is Ellie. I bought her on Ebay and I love her!! She's an older model, but she works great and had the needle up/down selector I wanted. My DH made me the extension table - isn't he great!?

All this talk about my sewing room has put me in the mood to sew. Maybe by the end of the weekend I will have an0ther finished project to show off. I'm working on the 2009 New Years Day Mystery Quilt from about.com. Here's the link if anyone is interested. http://quilting.about.com/od/quiltpatternsprojects/ss/2009_mystery.htm?nl=1

This quilt is a lot more difficult! I have never worked with such tiny pieces! I don't know how well it's going to turn out, but I'm determined to finish it! This is my progress so far.

I have a lot of work to do!!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:47:00.002-05:00

Here it is, the first day of 2009! I have always liked New Year's Day. Out with the old, in with the new. I have taken down the small tree upstairs and given the kitchen and dining area a good cleaning. Now I need to take a shower and get dressed (yes, I realize it's almost NOON) and maybe tackle the downstairs tree this afternoon. Why is it so fun to put up the holiday decorations and such a chore to take them down?

DH just headed for the store to get me the fixings for Reubens! Yumm! My family has a tradition that you have to eat sauerkraut on New Year's Day. They say the more 'kraut you eat, the more prosperous you will be in the new year. I think this is a PA Dutch thing? I called my older daughter, Mackenzie, to let her know I would be making Ruebens later and she said she will be over to have one with me! She and I are the only ones in the house who like them.

Well, off to shower and possibly finish taking down the Christmas decorations. I don't know though - my sewing room is calling to me and I have so many projects I want to complete. I have 2 quilt tops finished that need to be quilted, pj pants for my DD, Taylor, to be made, I want to make myself a new purse...the list goes on and on! The tree may have to wait until tomorrow...

New Year - New Blog

2008-12-30T12:31:00.001-05:00

With the start of a new year I have decided to start up a Blog. I can't promise daily updates, or that it will be particularly interesting - but I hope to try to share a bit of my daily life, musings and experiences. I guess you could say this is my New Year's resolution. I have tried the "I am going to lose weight" resolution for the last 15 years and it hasn't happened yet. *SIGH* I'm hoping that this resolution will be a little more fun and easier to accomplish.

Keep checking back for fun photos, interesting links, craft and sewing projects and much more!

Happy New Year everyone!