Crafty Vegas Mom

FNSI winner

2012-01-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

after making that fun margo bag friday night, i have a few more cut out and decided that this months winner will get the one i made friday night!!!

the winner for this month via random.org is:

#131 BETH D. at http://bethstherapy.blogspot.com/
shes working on a cute ninja for her son. Beth all you need to do is send me an email with your mailing info. CONGRATS!!

i hope you will enjoy this bag. it was a lot of fun to make.
i might toss in a few other fun goodies just cuz im nice like that :)

see you all next month for Friday Night Sew In!! the next date will be 2/17/12.

FNSI results---the margo bag

2012-01-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

you all thought i forgot about our "guidelines" didn't ya? WINK WINK
its 1055pm my time....heck i still have another 65 minutes to post. :)

i made a new bag pattern last night. its the MARGO bag by lazy girl designs. my sister had made me one last summer and also given me the pattern. last night with her help (thank you sista) i finally tackled this project.

im on a hounds tooth and aqua kick these days.

yep, that front panel IS a pocket! (actually 2) the bag is a nice smaller size but fits a lot of stuff. im eating healthy these days (yay for me) and im taking my breakfast, lunch and snacks to work in this bag along with a book and my ipod. there is a lot more room than you would think.

i did just a plain black corduroy on the back. not sure about that yet.....its still growing on me.
BUT did i tell you? that hounds tooth on the front is CORDUROY!!! i found it at hobby lobby. SWOOOOOON.

because my sister was so kind to help me via "ma bell" im also including a pic of her bag she made last night. we sewed "together"....virtually. she doesn't have a blog but she follows along a lot with us on Friday Night Sew In. i just wish we could sew together! (a lot of you commented about having family and friends for FNSI---im jealous!)

aren't her fabrics fun!! and wow....check out that scenery! she had some snow this week (record dropping) and was able to snap this beautiful picture this am on her deck. ahhh...she has the perfect morning coffee view. (inside joke) I LOVE YA GING!

be sure and check back tomorrow for the winner. the post will be later in the day.
hope you all had fun. i LOVED reading all of your comments! tomorrow ill be surfing your projects and picking a winner via www.random.org as usual.

Friday Night Sew In signups are here!!!

2012-01-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Friday Night Sew In time again !!! Its this coming friday, January 20th.

Here is a breakdown of the "rules". (i hate that word rules because no one will get in trouble for not participating). someone give me another word.....or phrase. LOL

anyhoo.......here it is in the quick and short version.
1. get your world in order on Friday and sew, craft, stamp, scrapbook, build, embroider, crochet, knit, or paint until your eyes wont stay awake anymore. make sure you have some comfy jammies on and a beverage of choice and a yummy snack. this night is for YOU. if you have kids, maybe include them in the fun. if your kids are older (like mine) order them pizza or give them movie money. LOL!

2. Take photos of what you did and blog about it on Saturday. This will enter you into the drawing for a FNSI prize :)

3. Sunday come back and see if you won. Ill be posting the winner at some point on Sunday.

thats about it. OH YEAH....HAVE FUN and tell all of your friends about our virtual party!

stamped washer necklace and keychain

2012-01-14T23:24:00.000-08:00

Pinterest is making me a craft junkie!!! i keep seeing all of these fabulous crafts to do and i just cant help myself!!! will someone take my computer, laptop, ipad and iphone away please???

yes, in case your wondering, im still into sewing.....but im also branching out into other crafting areas. wait till you see what i made today!

this is a necklace for a family member. HOW. CUTE . IS . THAT. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and a key chain for me. CHOOSE JOY! (that's my motto for this brand spankin' new year)

Harbor Freight has a great set of alpha stamps for like 10bucks! ive been on the hunt for these for a few weeks. long story short.....i got 2 wrong sizes today at michaels! 1/8 inch is perfect! (not the 1/4 or 1/16 at michaels.)

the washers are just your average-everyday washers from lowes. i found some simple necklaces on clearance at hobby lobby and some beads at michaels. Yeah, ive been all over this town today!

what do you think? it was definitely a quick project. the stamping is easy once you get it down. there are tutorials ALL OVER the blog world for these doodads. so i cant even link to any because i found like 278. (wee bit of an overexageration there).

after 6 lovely weeks off....minus the surgical procedure which started my "vacation".....i had to go back to work this past week. BOO HISS GAG! (yes im grateful for my job, but i loved being at home). after spending a lot of time healing physically and mentally (no stress) i decided to do a few things for myself to keep that good positive mojo going!

I started a Gratitude Journal on 1/1. Everyday I write 5 positive things i was grateful for that day. believe me, its not as easy as it sounds--LOL. but its a way to become more of a positive person. after 14 days of doing this, im already finding myself during the day thinking "yep, thats going in the journal". I CHOOSE JOY and it feels FANFREAKINTASTIC!

im sure some of you are wondering about the friday night sew in sign ups. if i can figure out that winky thing again, it will be tomorrow OR monday. ill be in charge this month because Heidi will be partying it up with her family. be sure and check back.... FNSI is in 6 days.

Apron Tutorial

2011-12-31T15:05:00.000-08:00

I've had a few inquiries about the apron i made and the "burrito" or "tube" technique which ultimately hides your seams inside so when washing there wont be any fraying. I thought the easiest way to show you all is through a TUTORIAL!! its a bit lengthy but I'm about the details. i like to show LOTS of pics/visuals. that's how i learn to do things. :)

here is the apron i made before christmas. loving my cows! this apron gives you a chance to use some of those FQ piling up in your stash and lets you have some fun with aprons. I've already made 5 of these. I'm thinking i need one for each day of the week! what a fun gift also. you could give this, matching pot holders and some kitchen gadgets!!! i could go on and on....but lets see how these things are made!

below is the one we are making today. my hubby did a quick modeling for you :)
(he is straight in the door from work, hence the nasty white t-shirt and sweats LOL)

List of supplies:
1 fat quarter of fabric for the body (18x22)
1/2 yard of fabric for the bottom/top sash and tie. (18 inches by WOF--width of fabric which is around 42-44)
thread
sewing machine
scissors
cutting mat and rotary cutter (or just a simple scissors and ruler)

here we GO!
1-fat quarter
1/2 yard of fabric for handles/borders

cut your 1/2 yard of fabric into 3 sections. all 6inches by WOF (width of fabric--usually around 42-44"). be sure and cut off any selvage (bottom) edge.

iron your fat quarter and also trim this piece up so it is even and the edges are nice and straight. ( cut off selvage if there is any)

take 1 of your 6xWOF pieces and cut it in half. this piece should now be 2 pieces of 6x22(ish). sometimes when removing the selvage it makes the WOF a bit shorter which is NOT a problem. this apron is very giving in measurements. you'll see this later.

ok, here is the FUN part. take your 6x22ish piece and place is right side UP. take your fat quarter piece and place the 22inch section right side DOWN. NO PINNING YET. make sure if your apron body has a directional fabric or words that this is the BOTTOM edge of your apron. your words would be upside down.

see, right sides together.

now, roll up from the bottom end in a tube. make it small but not tight.

don't roll all the way to the edge. now take your bottom fabric--the handles/sashing fabric--fold this up and over your apron body/tube.

see....its a fabric burrito and a TUBE! :)
DO NOT get any of the tube into the pinning section, because we are going to sew a seam here.

once this is pinned, sew a 1/4 inch seam all the way down.

remove your pins and pull the tube of fabric out. you shouldn't need any type of a turning tool. this should come out very easy.

VOILA!! the seams are INSIDE the tube and wont fray when washed. WOOT WOOT. now get that iron heated back up and iron this edge nice and crisp.

i like to sew and give this piece a nice top stitched look. you could get creative here and do all different types of decorative stitching too.

next....we aren't done with this bottom edge YET. now take and fold the sides of your apron (the 18" edge)over twice. (towards the back of the apron) i do about a 1/4inch seam x2. I also iron it down, which keeps it in place when sewing.

sew this edge down. this will not fray either when washing because your raw edge is inside. how sweet is that??!!!

lets get to the top and get this girl done!
take your other piece of band/sashing fabric which you had cut in half earlier. it should be around 6x22. fold the sides over x1 about 1/4-1/2 inch. iron this piece well so it stays in place when sewing.

lets do the burrito/tube method again! right sides together, roll, pin and sew.

when you pull the tube out, make sure you fold this end piece back inside. this will give you a nice seam when sewing in your handles/ties.

here is your apron body. FANCY HUH? if you have some overage on the top like i do its NO BIGGIE because once you add in your ties it will all blend together. this is why your measurements have some give.

time to make the ties/handles and we are in the home stretch. fold one of your pieces of the 6x44ish tie fabric right sides together, so its a long piece (3x44ish). pin if you don't trust yourself to sew this straight. I'm a bad girl and don't pin a lot. tisk tisk tisk.

STOP sewing when you have about 6inches to go. fold the bottom over into a 45degree angle. i eyeball this and use my nail to make a crease. sew down to the crease, with your needle in the down position, pivot your fabric and sew down your 45degree angle.

this will make the nice decorative end to your ties. after you sew down the crease, cut off the excess fabric you don't need. repeat this process with the other handle/tie.

teehee)

sew both sides and check out your handy work!!! NICE JOB! (except my little thread sticking out of the end HAHAHA)

NOW you can top stitch all the way around the top sashing/tie/handles. whatever you want to call those things.

lastly, put your apron on.....do a little dance around your house..... or go bake something. channel your inner june cleaver.

here is a picture of our completed apron....this time i grabbed my son to pose. THANKS FOR THE NICE POSE BUDDY! (he loves to read my blog)

these aprons can easily be made in an hour. you could cut up a bunch and sew them all at once. i love the options you have for the fabrics. you could mix and match all different colors and patterns, add different decorative stitches, add a pocket on the front or sides. seriously, have some fun with these!!

i have seen similar tutorials online for this apron, but i have changed and added a few of my own directions which worked best for me. this is the idea my sister and i brainstormed together and came up with. i hope you find it user friendly.

SEWMUCH2LUV has a good apron tutorial and HERE is an older tut from a different blog.

just wanted to say....

2011-12-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Apron

2011-12-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

last minute gifts are in full bloom at my house!!! my last chore was to tackle an apron. (this pattern scared me, so ive been avoiding it for MONTHS!)

once i got the first one done, i couldn't believe how EASY it was to make!!! i used a few different tutorials because they all had tips that i liked and disliked. (so i cant really give credit to just one). after a last minute emergency call to my sister , because she has made a bunch of these, we brainstormed an easier way to attach the top/bottom sash.

I'm loving this fun cow fabric found at my LQS!! this apron is for me :)

yardage used was 1 fat quarter for the body and 1/2 yard for the sashing/straps.

the idea we came up with was using the burrito/tube method for the top/bottom sashing--i have used it to make pillow cases. WOW did this technique make it SOOOOO much easier!!! it also hides the seams for you which guarantees no fraying of edges!!

Time to dive into my monster pile of fat quarters!!! who wants an apron for Christmas? Mrs. Clause is on a ROLL!

FNSI winners!!

2011-12-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

are you all ready for the winners???
i hope you enjoy these gifts. i would much rather make you all something like a pin cushion, but who has time when Christmas is just a few days away!

lets do this so we can all get back to our baking, sewing, shopping, decorating..... OH MY !!

the first chosen winner thanks to Random.org is:

#48
Deborah in Texas.
http://squaregrannie.blogspot.com/
very cute placemat and i LOVE the Santa hat that you made your hubby!

she gets THIS prize.

a brand new copy of the first Elm Creek Quilts book-THE QUILTERS APPRENTICE. also a pack of holiday recipe cards. I'm in love with this book series and am starting #7 tonight. :)

the second winner is:

#10
Mary on lake pulaski
http://maryonlakepulaski.blogspot.com/
i LOVE her figgy pudding table topper she is working on!!! I'm a HUGE fan of figgy pudding :)

she gets a circa 1934 charm pack and a pack of holiday recipe cards.

email me your shipping addresses and ill get them in the mail. CONGRATS!!!

time for the couch, my quilt and my new Elm Creek Quilts series book! this gal has done "too much" the past few days and needs to put her feet up!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

my FNSI results

2011-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

i started working on bookmarks for my coworkers last night. they are all avid readers so i know they will be appreciated. i spent the night messing around with different stamps. also i didn't get very far because i was working on another Christmas present which i cannot show. but can i just say this? I.SUCK.AT.ZIPPERS.

the bookmark is like THIS one i made a few days ago. Ive been using it and LOVE it. although its a little thick, im working on making it thinner. i used an interfacing on both front and back pieces to make it stiff, but now its thick. any suggestions?? for the life of me i cant remember what i used. decor bond maybe?

did you all work on your last minute projects? I'm kicking myself for not getting things done sooner. the holidays just came SOOO fast. this year has been quite a busy one for me. i had to put too many projects/presents on the back burner and tell myself there was NO way they were getting done. BUMMER. note to self....next july start sewing for christmas! thats why its called christmas in july right?

don't forget to come back tomorrow for the FNSI winners. ill be doing 2 drawings and have some fabulous prizes for ya!

Sweet n Sour Meatballs

2011-12-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

I just put these meatballs in the crock pot and thought....hmph...its been awhile since i shared some yummy recipes with my friends in blogland.

DROOLING !!!

this recipe is an easy one for the holidays, potlucks at work, or just dinner/supper like im having tonight. i serve it with rice and a veggie.

im giving you the regular sauce/glaze recipe, but i double it for the amount of meatballs i make and i love the sauce for my rice.

SWEET n SOUR MEATBALLS

1 can 20oz of pineapple chunks in pineapple juice
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
30+ precooked meatballs (i get mine from the frozen section)
(green pepper optional---ive never done it)

Drain the pineapple reserving the juice to make 1 cup of liquid. If the juice doesn't come out to be 1 solid cup, add water to get ya to that 1 cup mark.

To make the sauce:
pour your 1cup of pineapple juice into large saucepan/skillet.
add the vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar and corn starch. mix on med/low heat until sauce thickens into a nice glaze.

Add the meatballs and pineapple chunks to the sauce. Stir well to coat the meatballs.
Toss into a crock pot and let it cook/heat for a few hours. (of course you could probably leave this on the stove top to simmer)

YEP, that's it!! super simple and delicious! the sauce/glaze is SOOO good you'll see what i mean about doubling it!!! ENJOY!

fabric stamped bookmark

2011-12-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

thanks for all the kind words and prayers for a speedy recovery! you gals sure know how to make a girl feel special :)

i did a little crafting this am. (BIG SMILE) I had this idea in my head after reading 5 books this past week. i needed a bookmark! it had to be fabric and then i saw on the internet a cute idea to stamp it also. its a little scrappy but those are the best projects.

i love the fabric with the bicycles! makes me think of being a kid. i have asked Santa for a new bike for xmas. i love those beach cruisers and ill put a basket on the front just for fun :)

bookmark bookmark....where was I? oh yeah, so i used some linen scraps i had (cuz i love linen). I also added the word "imagine" using these cheap little stamps i found at michaels. they were in the $1 bin !!!

I think ill make a few of these for xmas presents. who doesn't need a bookmark right?

back to the drawing board for some other ideas. maybe a small 9 patch on it for that sewing friend? maybe book shapes from scraps using diff colors and sizes? its a great way to dig into those scraps.

Friday Night Sew In info

2011-12-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

today's the day HEIDI will post the winner of the Friday Night Sew In winners. be sure and check out her blog cuz she made some really cute stuff this weekend!

my night was spent on the couch, with a new book series and my quilt. have you all read any of the ELM CREEK QUILTS books? i just discovered them and im hooked. they started like 10 years ago and i think there are 16ish books out as of now. i have read the first 3 and am on book #4. these books make me want to quilt and join a quilters club.

the best part about these books being so old is you can buy the first 6 novels in 2 huge books. the one pictures above has the 4, 5, and 6 books inside. how cool is that? i love amazon!

i know your saying to yourself "why didn't she sew or craft? where are her Christmas projects?". well.....I'm not looking for any sympathy here just stating the facts. i had surgery a week ago. I'm still recovering and don't get to do much. i have sat in my sewing room, stared at fabrics, journals, Christmas presents to make, but nothing is appealing to me yet! i still have a few weeks of recovery and I'm hoping to get some serious sewing time in soon! so for now I'm reading about quilting. I'm catching up on some serious sleep and taking it easy. yes, its driving me CRAZY but ill feel like a new person soon. YAY!

don't forget there is another Friday Night Sew In next week, 12/16/11, so we can all get those Christmas presents done!

A Christmas Scarf Story

2011-12-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine at work has this neighbor. the mom works 2-3 jobs to make ends meet for her 5 kids. over the past few years I feel as i have come to know this family as my friend has bragged about them and how fabulous the kids all are. My friend and her husband buy gifts for the kids and leave them on their doorstep each year for Christmas.

a few weeks ago, she came to me (knowing i enjoy crafts) and asked if i wanted to buy a crocheted or knitted scarf made by one of the teenage daughters of her neighbor. the girl was making them in secret after school and wanted to sell 10 of them....at $5 each (gasp) so she could get her mom some Christmas Morning pajamas, slippers and a robe. (yeah, this is where you get the tissues). she said "my mom works so hard for us and i want her to be able to relax on Christmas morning".

I OF COURSE jumped at buying one but NO WAY was i going to pay this girl ONLY 5 DOLLARS! so i gave a bigger donation and have told this story to many many people. see how beautiful that scarf is? (on the left)

you see, Christmas is about stories like this. a girl who has been raised with enough morals and values to do something this nice for her hard working mom. it touched my heart in so many ways i cant even begin to tell you all.

so, being the crafty bag maker that i am....i decided this girl needed a cord bag of her own and maybe a little journal/diary/notebook.

My friend was going to fill the bag with a few other goodies for the daughter. i hope this story has put some warmth in your heart as it did me.

Happy Holidays to you all!

ps.......HEIDI is in charge of the first FNSI for December....click HERE for the details.

journals and notebooks

2011-11-27T15:51:00.000-08:00

after all of my family left and i had a bit of the empty house syndrome, i decided i needed a little crafting time. I made a cover for a composition book. you know those cheapo books you can buy for like 20cents during back to school sales. (mark your calendar for next august to stock up)

the measuring tape on the side is just a ribbon i had. scrapbook paper and some stamps youve got yourself a pretty fabulous journal!!! there are a million different things you can do to these compo books.

this lead me to my next project. have you got those fun smaller moleskin journals lying around? mine was like 5x8 ish. i had one for craft room ideas already, so bing bang boom here she is all decked out. this holds ideas i see on the internet and pinterest for decorating ideas and organizing ideas.

last, my son always has codes for his PS3 games written on scraps of paper. well when i clean, it all gets chucked. so his fabulous mom (thats me) made him this book today. he helped me design it. funny thing we printed that picture of a game controller out like that in error. it turned out to be the best part of the book! (coming from the bottom of the page)

these projects would be a great stocking stuffer or xmas present for kids, teens and adults.

ok, time to go finish decorating the house for Christmas.

craft projects

2011-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

shewwww its been a busy week. are you all sick of turkey and stuffing yet? i think i officially am.

ive been busy making a few projects this past month for my sisters bday. i had promised to share them once she got her gifts.

I made her an embroidery hoop for her sewing/crafting room. the fabric represents the fabric we used for our quilts shown HERE from last summer. (Happy Campers by Moda)

All I did was print out a photo of us onto iron-on transfer and put it on linen. added the fabric banner and it was done. EASY PEASY!

then i made her a bag with hometown canvas by sweetwater with some corduroy. adorable! I even cut into the middle of my yardage to make sure her town was on the bag. ya, im that nice.

She even got a cottage pincushion . here is a link for the blog/tutorial. its a super simple design. you can make it fun and wonky too with fabrics from your scrap bin.

My sister flew in for the holidays and what a fun thanksgiving weekend we had!!! lots of food and laughs, just how i like it! she loaded up her new bag and even left one behind she had made and used on the plane.

we even braved the crowds and did some shopping. (which i NEVER do) can i just say WOW Joanns is scary on black friday. some GREAT fiskars deals tho! when we got there at 930am there were over 120 people in line just for cutting! UFF DA!

do you all brave those crowds for some great deals?

Friday Night Sew In signups

2011-11-16T17:46:00.000-08:00

yep, we almost plum forgot about FNSI this month. its in 3 days....WOAH!

my morning started off something like this:
snooze, snooze, snooze, yawn......wow....i cant believe next week is thanksgiving. turkey, stuffing, taters, grav....grav...omg....wait....WHAT THE FRENCH TOAST!!! Whats the date....whats the date? OH CRAP!

grabbing my phone, still half asleep, 80s hair and all. (my morning look).
call to my co host Heidi......um HELLO isn't FNSI in like 3 DAYS!?!?!?!!!?
silence....yep i swear she dropped the phone!

so ya, over 2 years and we finally are worthy of a visit to donald trumps board room. but hey, i don't know about you, but I'm mildly impressed we have pulled this off every month for like 28 months! LOL

click HERE and get on board....we only have 3 days to plan our projects :)
see ya Friday night :)

Sweetwater Hometown Canvas Bag

2011-11-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hometown by Sweetwater. I will never get sick of this fabric line! no, i still haven't finished my quilt i started a few months back......its in my pile of WIPS.

but check this out! my new favorite bag EVER! of course its got to have some corduroy! i used canvas hometown, black corduroy and linen for the lining along with some yardage for the handles and inside pocket.

i always make a large pocket on the inside and sew a seam down the middle, it holds paperback books perfectly. you could even measure for a nook, ipad etc. (shucks, why didn't i think of that before blogging!) the linen for the lining is simple but goes with almost every fabric. It also saves your yardage for other projects.

The handles are corduroy on one side and fabric on the other. its a simple technique shown HERE in a bag tutorial i did a few years ago. (forgive me but those tutorial pics are terrible--note to self to redo that tut).

see how cute the black cord is with the canvas. i.heart.corduroy!

the bag measured 18 x 15 before sewing. that's a pretty good size even for everyday use.

i have some authentic canvas (another sweetwater line) that screams this bag!!! i think i have some xmas presents to work on today.

Spruce up your Candles

2011-10-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I bought these ~~cheap~~ inexpensive candles and had just the idea for them! all you need is a little burlap, some raffia, ribbon and a hot glue gun. the candle tray was one ive had forever from a candle company.

A very simple project that took just minutes.

I needed something special for my new table built by my hubby and dad! its 7 feet long and fits my room perfectly! we have a HUGE great room with a monster sectional couch. so why not go big right?

my house is becoming the favorite Thanksgiving spot because of this couch. it has 4 recliners and can fit like 27 people perfectly. ok maybe like 8, but the guys all love it.

here is the table my dad built me a few years ago. he re-stained it for me this past spring and once i saw it, i knew i wanted a larger scale one for behind my couch.

i need some more things to put on my new table...... ideas anyone? ive been surfing pinterest all weekend long looking for projects. im pretty sure i blew about 3 hours yesterday on pinterest. are you all addicted yet?

linked to:
http://www.sistersofthewildwest.blogspot.com

Bloggers Quilt Festival

2011-10-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Its that time again for Amys Bloggers Quilt Festival. Its so much fun to see what everyone has been working on all year.

although i haven't made many quilts, the ones i have made are all special to me. I have made one for my parents, one for my sister, and 2 for myself. Thats it! (i better get working on all those WIPS i have cut out!)

Here is my favorite so far! My "Happy Campers Quilt" i made this past summer. I used Moda's Happy Campers fabric line from a few years back.

This fabric totally spoke to me from my childhood. I grew up in the 70s, and spent summer after summer camping. How could you not LOVE camping as a kid? Especially on the lakes of Minnesota. Playing in the sand, swimming all day, digging for worms and fishing off the dock, campfires at night. Pure heaven! When i saw this fabric a few years ago i knew one day i would make that special quilt for myself. The panel in the middle is of a vintage camping scene. too cute!

I backed it in denim for those chilly camping nights. Its so nice and warm! I also chose not to quilt it, instead i used good ol' fashioned Yarn Ties. My grandma always made our families quilts, and she used the Yarn Tie method. It just gave me that vintage feel.

my sister and i both made a pact this year. we were meeting for vacation this summer and swore we would both make a quilt with this fabric. Of course we knew that our tastes would be different, but they are both beautiful and show our personalities.

Hop on over to Amys blog HERE to check out the other quilts being shared by all the fantastic quilters out there!

FNSI winners!!!

2011-10-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

did you all have fun this weekend? did you get a lot done during this months FNSI? WELCOME again to all the new comers!!!

We have had a few fabulous sponsors the past few months for our monthly FNSI winners. I've been so excited all week to share mine with you.

CAMILLE ROSKELLEY!!! She is the sweetest!!! She sent us a bunch of goodies, so I decided to have 3 winners this month!!! If you havent surfed her blog....take a long afternoon and browse through it. OH MAN i wish she would send me her red polka dot chair. her quilts are so bright and cheery! everything on her blog is soft, warm and uplifting. not to mention her boys....absolutely ADORABLE!

I bought her book, Simplify, as my portion of the giveaway because it is full of fabulous quilt designs! its a MUST have for the book collection. Camille provided the rest of the goodies. (thankyou thankyou thankyou from me, Heidi and our winners)

soooo......here is the grand prize for my first winner selected by random.org.

#39 JOSIE at http://dillydimple.blogspot.com/
YAY!! you win the book, the xmas stocking pattern and a mini Ruby charm.

the other 2 winners will receive this pictured below: 1 pattern and 1 mini charm pack of RUBY. (i will randomly select the pattern when mailing)

the other winners are......
#132 TONI xxx at http://theredbootquiltcompany.wordpress.com/
#115 Barb at http://barbscreations.blogspot.com/

you all had some GREAT projects!!! thanks for sharing!

all you need to do is send me an email with the shipping info.

I have to run now, because my hubby, dad and i are building a sofa table for me!!!!!! hot diggity!
The thing is 7 feet long and we are sanding, priming and painting/staining today. time to get DIRTY!

see you next month :)

FNSI results

2011-10-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

did you think i forgot to blog? its only 9pm my time, so i came in right under the wire. :)
ill be surfing your projects tomorrow. i cant wait to see what you all made!

i had a busy night last night. i worked on 3 projects, but sadly can only show you one. the other 2 are for my sisters bday. as soon as she gets her box, ill post the pics.

my show-able project is a zip bag for me. i made it from oilcloth....i think thats what its called??? its that shiny cloth on one side. wipe able type fabric. i had a little zipper trouble and it was the end of the night so its not my best work. i used just a simple linen for the inside.

here's a glimpse of one of the secret projects. LOL

i hope you all had a good time last night! we had a BUNCH of new crafters!!! I stayed up late and watched a fun movie while sewing. had the house to myself all night long. my fabulous hubby took the boys to some Halloween thing on the Vegas strip. brave fella.

be sure and check back tomorrow. ill be doing the drawing for a few winners. i still haven't decided how many, because our sponsor gave a few gifts along with something im tossing in! YAY !!!

Friday Night Sew-In signups--10/21/11

2011-10-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY NIGHT SEW-IN time!!! Are you all ready? Do you have those Christmas projects to work on? I am sure we are all a little behind.....

Here is a run down of the rules of FNSI. The next date for our fun filled crafting evening is 10/21/11.

1. sign up on the link below with your blog/web address. blog about it and invite everyone you know!
2. on friday 10/21/11 make something FUN. get your comfy clothes on and CRAFT until you cant go anymore.
3. saturday 10/22/11 be sure and blog about your project. post some pictures, talk about your night, surf other blogs to see what everyone else did.
4. sunday 10/23/11 check back on my blog for the lucky winners picked by random.org

I have some FABULOUS giveaways this month! We had another GREAT sponsor. I'm so excited .... i cant wait to show you what I'm giving you all! Last month we had Sweetwater! this month is.......well.....you'll just have to come back and see. (evil halloween laugh)

Yep, that's it.....cant get much easier than that! Each month my cousin HEIDI and I put on this event. we LOVE having all of you participate.

Lets do this!

Trick or Treat bag -- mini Tutorial

2011-10-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

A few years ago i made this trick or treat bag for my son for Halloween. ill give you a quick low down of how it was made. can you say S.I.M.P.L.E

The body of the bag (minus the handles) measures 16 high by 12 wide. (this is after sewing). of course judge your size/measurements by the age/size of your kiddies. i took a look at a pillow case and kind of went from there. my son was around 9 when i made this.

Take your front and back pieces (2) and sew them along 3 sides--bottom and sides leaving the top open-- right sides together. (good side of fabrics touching). then turn it right side out, fold down the top twice (to the inside of the bag), iron to create a nice seam, and sew around the top. see photo below. (this is all before adding the handles)

i made some simple handles, sewed them together then sewed them onto the bag as shown below. nothing fancy cuz this bag will be drug along the sidewalks by the end of Halloween night!

tada! youve made your trick or treater their very own halloween bag. of course there are some REALLY cute fabrics out there.....you could mix and match and make the entire thing really fun and funky! different color handles etc. get creative!

My son has used it for at least the past 3 years. It was a little dirty and was washed today, but i think we are beyond trickntreating so it will be packed up and put in our "memories" boxes. he is now moving onto the adventure of passing out candy and scaring the bigger kids.

we have a FUN new neighborhood that is planning some parent booths etc! i cant wait to actually stay home this year, see all the adorable kids and their costumes and pass out the goodies. this is a first for us....because for the past 18 years we have taken the boys out on halloween. im pretty gosh darn excited about it too!

happy halloween! if you make a bag, id love to see it! send me a link :)

Pinterest LOVE

2011-10-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

oh my.....i have been bitten by the PINTEREST bug!
i love surfing the net for pics, ideas, inspiration. well this is the place for me!!!
i have added a pinterest button on my sidebar. if you haven't checked this site out yet, beware---its addicting!

I'm off to Boulder City, Nevada for the yearly "Art in the Park" craft show extravaganza! I'm hoping to find some fun house decor or maybe some ideas for more projects. (like i need more projects teehee)

have a great Sunday!

Bench redo and house numbered pumpkins

2011-09-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm at it again.....
it seems like every weekend lately ive been a craft junkie. spray paint, sewing, project redos. of course the BEST ones are the re-dos. those are basically free!

ive had this bench around for years. my bro-inlaw is a fabulous carpenter and made me a set a few years back. they have been moved all around the country and are still in fabulous shape. i just dont have the "oak" thing going on anymore. (this small one has a bigger sister....who is getting painted as we speak--wootwoot)

A-DORABLE!!! i went to the craft store this weekend got some rubber/foam fake pumpkins. all i did was print out numbers big enough, trace them using a ball point pen (because it indents in the rubber/foam) and then painted the numbers with crafters acrylic paints. im going to spray them with a clear coat so the heat doesn't fade them. (we are still around 100 degrees....im not a happy camper!!!)

here is my bench before. i just sanded it a little bit with my handy dandy mouse sander.

sprayed it with primer.

spray painted it black. a few coats to ensure it was covered.

isnt she cute black? but shes lonely.....

she needed pumpkins!!!

happy fall!!!

linking up to:

FNSI winners

2011-09-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Heidi is in charge of the winners for this months Friday Night Sew In. click HERE to hop to her blog and see who won.

We also had a bit of a surprise this month.....we had SWEETWATER as a sponsor !!! how COOL is that!!! a big THANKYOU to the ladies over there for you prize donations. Heidi is giving a copy of their new book which i adore. have you seen the burlap bag??? L.O.V.E.I.T.

be sure and come back next month for Friday Night Sew In.....i have a little surprise for you all myself. :)

FNSI results and a goodwill find

2011-09-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

hometown....oh how i LOVE this line! i showed you the other night that i was precutting my squares. (168 hometown and 300something offwhite)

last night for FNSI i was able to sit down and sew alllll those 2inch white blocks on my 5inch squares. it doesnt sound look like much, but thats a J.O.B.

im going to make THIS quilt on Moda bakeshop. Road To Tennessee. i really really really love this quilt! I got up this morning and realized i needed (giggle) more fabric for the back and binding. so off to my LQS i went. i LOVE my LQS, Quiltique. After spending ~~millions~~ thousands of dollars there over the past few years, they finally know me by name. its like walking into the TV show Cheers! (NORM!!!)

anyhoo....as i was waiting for them to open this am, i decided to hop into goodwill. usually its a bust for me, but i had a good feeling today. well looky what i found! a new/used sewing room chair for me! its wood with rollers. i swear ive seen this in the pottery barn magazines. (thats what im telling my hubby who eye rolled me having another chair in that room!)

check out the price tag.....uh huh....that's right. $6.99 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here is my before chair. one that i recovered a few years back. no rollers, not a very big seat either.

MUCH MUCH better! I'm thinking it needs a larger pillow and maybe a cushion for my bum.

lastly.....i bought this at my LQS also. its a gift card holder. I'm putting this away for xmas. ill use it for that stocking stuffer gift of like an itunes card or something. i just thought it was so fun i had to share. after xmas it could even be used for a kids ipod. ??

did you all have fun last night and make some cute things??

FNSI is tomorrow night!

2011-09-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

i have already cut up my layer cake of Hometown by Sweetwater into 168-5inch blocks.

i have 288 off-white 2inch blocks to cut. i could possibly need 336, but i might get lazy for the backing.

its going to be a quilt. (YAY)

ill share what the design will be later this weekend when i post my FNSI results.

(Friday Night Sew In--click here to sign up)

I love Sweetwater and their fabric lines! Hometown reminds me of my "home".

**North Dakota**

do you know we only have 4 FNSI until xmas? thats crunch time gals and guys!

see you tomorrow night!

September 11---10 years later

2011-09-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

My alarm went off at 4am this morning. We have big plans today. Time to get my family up and ready to go pay our respects to all the victims in the 9/11 attacks. Vegas is having a parade downtown.....but its at 545am to coincide with the east coast. uffda!

By 5:15 we are all out the door. no traffic so we make it in record time. its dark and the weather is "cool" to us desert people.(heavenly) I'm still trying not to "choke up" because I know once I see those fireman and hear the bagpipes its all over. my kids like to laugh at me. I'm a big ol softy.

check this out----there was even a piece of the WTC on display

here are some photos of our patriotic morning in downtown las vegas.

my son with is face tattoo. :)

flags on the back of the firetrucks always make me want to yell USA USA USA!

our first responders and our military will always be my TRUE HEROES!

I love all of these "bikers".

you know...the patriotic ones who block protesters at funerals of our fallen soldiers.

my guys.....

they look pretty good for it only being 630am!

my son touching the piece of the WTC iron.

I'm proud to be an American.

So I figured I would do the most American thing I know today.....watch football and eat junk food.

Cottage pincushion

2011-09-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

I found this tutorial here

and had to make one!!!

its a little house pincushion! a cottage! CA-UTE!

if your a new follower....yah i LOVE pincushions.

if your a frequent guest....i know im obsessed!

are any of you going to 9/11 parades tomorrow? my hubby, son and i are. ours starts at 530am

to coincide with the east coast.

i found us some patriotic gear. my son even spotted the face tattoos.

we are proud Americans!

i always cry on 9/11----im sure most of us do.

that day is always fresh in our minds and hearts.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!

Patriotic Pride in a picture

2011-09-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

September 11

10 years later

seems impossible its been that long doesn't it?

my sister is a fabulous photographer! she took this photo yesterday down the road from her house.

what a beautiful photo!

i love how she caught just enough of the sun on the flag.

its the look....that look that a true photographer knows how to get.

(please do not copy or reprint this photo as it does not belong to me. she has graciously allowed me to show it off! )

Chicken Wire Board---tutorial

2011-09-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ive been a busy girl this weekend. yesterday morning something caught my eye in the corner of my room.....hiding....just DYING to be re-crafted!

this was the inside, which is covered up in the above pic. i was prepping for spray painting.

a little outdated and no color scheme to match my sewing room.
do you all have one of these? bless the people who made it, but im done with it. ive had it for 6 years.

here is the finished product!!! ill also give some pics and a tutorial of sorts of how i did it.

would you ever guess what was hiding under the burlap? isnt she a peach? im LOVING the finished product. although i said a few cuss words, stomped my feet and glared at the back of my hubbys head while working on this.....im glad i did it and i did it all by my selves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so first step was i covered the inside quilt area with parchment paper and used stick pins. worked perfectly.

have you all seen this beautiful color in blog land? ive been trying to get my hands on a can of this stuff for months.

here is the after spray paint. and im talking like 3-17 coats. (jk...only 4)

i pondered sanding / distressing it some....but got lazy. its hot and humid today. who wants to hang in the garage all day. NOT ME.

i cut the burlap piece to fit, then starting hot gluing from the middle down.

tahdah! wait.....is she done? HECK NO! she needs some CHICKEN WIRE!

my neighborhood is still being built. well they use this chicken wire stuff for the walls here before they stucco. (peuy, yuck, blehk. i hate stucco)

welllll, they had a big roll of waste in their dumpsters one day.....so at 5am my sister trekked down there and STOLE it for me! wait, is it stealing when its being chucked? um NO!

when using the chicken wire, heavy duty gloves come in handy. unless you want to risk tetanus. just saying....

we also dug out our heavy duty power stapler. (didnt even know we had it). worked fabulous. (santa, id like power tools for xmas please)

i made a little burlapy flower for the top, hot glued a button in the middle and VOILA---

it wont be staying outside. i just had to get some decent lighting :)

took me 2 days to redo. took me 10minutes to clutter up.

linking to:

PINS

2011-09-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

I'm playing around with some stamps trying to come up with some cute ideas for pin cushions. check this one out....

i have a few different work stations in my sewing room. i definitely need the diff pin cushions and diff sizes. i tend to knock them on the floor a lot too. have you ever stepped on a pin? OUCH

this is the backing fabric. i found this tucked in my FQ stash. totally forgot all about it. of course my top fabric is my fav drop cloth. have you all discovered this gem yet? shhh....dont let the hardware stores know about our obsession with painters drop cloths. they will jack up the price! people...seriously....you can buy it for C H E A P!

i used these stamps and ink. it wont be washed, so im not scared of the words coming off. if they fade, it just gives it character.

crushed walnut shells.....they are a MUST for pin cushions. they give it weight and also supposedly sharpen the needles/pins. sounds good to me.

you can find the crushed walnut shells in your local pet stores. it is actually "bird litter". no smell, not nasty....i promise! this was a huge bag and has lasted me a long time.

are you sewing this weekend? any fun projects out there?

book therapy

2011-08-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

so yeah....enough about changing your life and being a good person.
who needs positive words and some mental therapy when there is new fabric and books to buy!!! ill be doing some serious fabric therapy shopping this weekend. im dying to get my hands on some Sweetwater Hometown Yardage.

i had a date with amazon this weekend, and he is sending me 2 wonderful books that should keep me busy all winter long. that is if winter/fall/cooler temps ever come!!!! we have had excessive heat warnings for the past week. I. hate. summer. (whine whine whine) but remember im a girl from ND....and i know COLD. id MUCH rather freeze my buttooshky off than be hot.

sorry the heat makes me ramble on and on and on. FOCUS!

ok so back to the books. have you all seen sweetwater has a new one out? yeah yeah baby....its coming my way and should be here in the next few days. HIGH'Freakin'FIVE!

the other book ive been pondering ALL summer long is Moda Fresh Fabric Treats. do you all have it? is it heavenly? who doesnt love all those fabulous freebies the moda bakeshop puts out!!! well that is my second purchase.

come on mailman....make my day! I think when i get them ill call in sick. :)

Back 2 school and some thoughts...

2011-08-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

its that time again. YEEHAWW! new shoes are ready. (see below) new backpacks full of all those goodies we had to buy. new clothes laid out and ready to be spilled on and muddied up!

what this means to me is that my house will be clean again! YEEHAWW!

i think parents are always anxious to get back into a routine, even if you are a working mom or a stay at home mom.   i am a working mom.....40 hours a week at my "paying job"......2,654,920 hours a week of the "non paying" job they call being a mom-wife-maid-chauffeur-nurse-CEO-operator-referee-and any other job you can think of that a woman does after marriage and children. but i love every minute of it. i wouldnt trade it for the world!

ive had a strange year. its been one of those eye openers. one of those years that makes you re-evaluate everything in your life and how you look at things, people, priorities. i wish i could say that it was all happy experiences that got me here, but not all of it was good. mentally exhausting is more like it. so ive spent a good part of my weekend doing a little soul searching. trying to decide what is best for ME as a person. i know some changes need to be made and im working on them.

one thing i have learned over the past year is that i have a great family and a lot to be thankful for. i have the love of a GREAT man! i seriously couldnt have asked for a better husband and father.  he and i have become best friends and i cherish that!!!

my children are fantastic kids and have really good heads on their shoulders. i know ive done a good job, because people tell me on a regular basis how polite they are, how caring they are, and how funny they are! they have morals and have been taught respect. i know im leading them into the right direction, but its scary when you have to let them grab the reigns and take it from here. (my sons going to college tomorrow...sniff sniff)

i know im babbling.....but i just wanted to get some things off my chest.

life is too short to be miserable. life is too short NOT to be happy with the choices youve made. dont let yourself be a constant victim. dont blame others for what you do with your life. a job is a paycheck, pays the bills and gives you money to play with. a job is what you do, NOT who you are.  your life is YOUR choice and nobody elses. so they DONT have the right to criticize you and your universe. stand up for yourself. dont ever let anyone make you feel that you arent a decent person. those people arent worthy of your friendship and dont belong in your life. we all the have right to be happy and have happy people around us!!!!

"if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change". Michael Jackson.

FNSI 2 year anniversary giveaway!

2011-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

i still cant believe Heidi and I have been hosting this virtual sewing/crafting gathering for 2 years. for our big anniversary, we decided to EACH do 2 giveaways! thats 4 winners !!! we really really do love you crafters!!!

my first winner will receive.....

A handmade by me Bobbi Cord Bag (click on the link for the tutorial) !!! its really FUN done in browns and blues.

the second winner receives one of my new favorite Pin Cushions ive been making. see the cute french country style postage stamps? also a hot off the press Hometown by Sweetwater Charm Pack.

and the winners are------------------ (drawing courtesy of random.org)

for prize #1 (corduroy tote)

#117 .... Joan at http://joanatleschenault.blogspot.com/
congrats!!! send me an email with your mailing info please.

for prize #2 (hometown charm pack/pin cushion)

#32 ... Barb at http://corgitoquiltby.blogspot.com/
congrats!!! send me an email with your mailing info please.

you all have some really fun projects!!!

BUT dont forget to hop over to HEIDIS blog for the other 2 winners. she has some really cute prizes!

see you all next month!!!

FNSI results---ipad case

2011-08-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

I'm on a little "stay-cation" this weekend so i dont have a lot of my stuff with me. of course that only happens when im in a sewing mood. i could have sewed all night last night. i did run home a few times for some items....but that got old. my parents are out of town and HEIDI is actually hanging with them today for a family function. hence my stay-cation. im ~~pool~~ puppy sitting.

I made an ipad case for last nights Friday Night Sew In. after making it, my son was very nice to point out to me that i really should put a velcro strap/flap on it. so i think tonight im going to modify it a bit.

forgive me for the dirty outdoor table....and the bad picture. my camera is at home.

there are a lot of tutorials out on the web for these cases.....and of course i cant find the one i based my idea on. when i do, ill insert a link. it was pretty darn simple! all i used was my favorite dropcloth material and a cute fabric for the inside. also added some iron on pellon for the extra padding. definitely a quick project.

don't forget to check back tomorrow for the winners. Heidi and I have been co-hosting this FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN for 2 years!! hip hip hooray!!! so we have something extra planned for the giveaway.

also DON'T forget to blog about your project today so we can start surfing for the winner(s) tonight and see all of your fun projects you all worked on last night.

as always.....we LOVE doing this and a BIG THANK YOU to all of YOU for participating and making this fun each and every month.

how to hide from teenagers

2011-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

my house has been packed with teenagers the past few days (eye roll)..... so i have been ~~hiding~~ creating in my sewing room. what i have discovered about teen boys....they eat a lot, they're loud, they smell and make noises i dont care to discuss. they leave messes and try to stay up all night. hence the EYE ROLLING!

while ~~hiding~~ sewing this weekend i decided to make a bag for a friend at work who is taking a trip and wanted a large bag for the plane. this is a biggin'. i made it 18x20 before putting it together. i found these really cute fabs at hobby lobby. i love that store, but truthfully have never really browsed their fabric. i found some cute stuff in her color choices---browns and blues. the lining was even on clearance for $4 a yard -- wootwoot.

toss in a few brown corduroy pockets and corduroy handles and call it a "bobbi bag". :)
you know i love me some corduroy! (have i said that before?)

i also thought i would start tackling some WIPs. i really want to make some xmas quilts for family this year. but can anyone tell me why the weekends go so fast??? do you all sew after a long day at work? im just plain pooped after work. my brain is toast after 8 hours of numbers and big words. then toss in dinner, dishes, laundry.....oy vey! im tired just thinking about it.

dont forget to link over to HEIDIS blog for the Friday Night Sew In signups. its this coming friday night!
8/19/11

ill be ~~pool~~ puppy sitting for my parents....so im going to drag my goods with me and have a perfectly QUIET night to sew. maybe even alone. YAY!

pin cushions and superman!

2011-08-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

will i ever get tired of making pin cushions? I think N O T !!

i saw these french country pin cushions made on THIS blog and had to make some!! i used my handy dandy drop cloth and stuffed mine with walnut shells to give them some weight.

i added a painted stripe to this one and backed it with polka dots. i get all giddy over polka dots!!!!

here is the small one i made very similar to hers. this is sitting on my desk right by my machine.

all loaded with pins and ready to go.

see, fits nicely on my cutting table/dresser. :)

are you all sewing this weekend? my son has been begging me for a quilt. i found this fun superman comic book fabric at my LQS and he designed it. just a few basic blocks/squares. (thanks buddy).

we made it big for future growing, so he is having a wee bit of trouble holding it for me. he was always my blanket kid.

simple eh?

Pile O' Patterns

2011-07-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

do you all have one of these? a big ole pile of patterns, tutorials and freebies from the moda bakeshop?

I spent my last day of vacation organizing my MOM CAVE. all i have left is that big pile of papers on the floor. i have binders, but im not sure thats suiting me. what do you all use for your patterns?

i needed a different sewing area, because im in the quilt making mode and i cant sew against a wall. what do you do when your quilt starts bunching up against the wall?

i have an extra chair.....anyone want to come over and fondle fabric?

of course i had to toss in a few more vacation photos. look at this beauty? doesn't it almost look fake? LOL
i believe this waterfall is called "bird woman falls" or something close. (going off memory)

here are my fellas.....cute as ever. check out those raging rapids behind them. my hubby is a bit of a daredevil and likes to get CLOSE to the edges. he almost gave me a heart attack on this one. but after all of these years, i trust him. he hasn't gone over the edge yet. :)

FNSI winner, Yarn Tie Tips and more Quilt pics

2011-07-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

check out HEIDIS blog for this months FNSI winner. as i stated before, im on vacation :)

I have some more photos to share with you of my quilt. as i said in my previous post, i was able to finish my Happy Campers quilt before my trip. in this post, i shared some yarn tie pics. well, let me say i learned a valuable lesson about yarn tying. (Did anyone notice the difference in the color of the yarn?)

I had originally done the entire quilt in a nice brown yarn. it took me days....and i was leery on the color (brown) after just a few rows, but was too lazy to change. the brown took away from my fabric....but that wasn't the issue. i used a super soft yarn....and when i washed it a bunch came UN-TIED! ARGHHH!

of course this happened the night before i left for vacation. so when i got to my sisters in Montana, she helped me cut out the brown ties and we used a simple off white color in polyester yarn. a big THANKS to my sister for helping me because i was devastated!

here is a shot of the back. all i used was a denim and a strip of the fabric on the lower half. it was NICE and WARM!!!

here is my Chubby Charm Bag my sister made for me again. i just love this picture. the countryside is beautiful where she lives.

Again this is her bag and quilt front. same fabric---Happy Campers by Moda which is a few years old.

the back of her quilt. WOW! LOVE LOVE what she did with the panel and even appliqued a daisy on the strip. A-Dorable!

my hubby, my son and I with our walking sticks at Glacier. they have a bell on them to keep the bears away :) .... which got a little annoying. LOL

What a way to spend my anniversary huh? in gods country!

Glacier is truly one of the most beautiful places i have ever been too. The natural rivers, the going to the sun road, the walking trails, the nature and even the snow in mid July.

Happy Campers Quilt and Chubby charmer

2011-07-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

i finally finished the quilt! but i have a surprise "guest" also.....my sisters Happy Campers Quilt :)

here is mine. dontcha love this country scene!!

im in a land far far away from the desert.....where i can actually get some great shots of my quilt.

here are both of our quilts. we both fell in love with the Happy Campers Moda line a few years ago. we decided to each make a quilt that suited our styles, and compared what the other had made.

I fell in LOVE with her quilt ... it is absolutely adorable! ill be posting more pics later of the front and backs of the both of them.

we took an adventure this morning when the sun and the cows were both waking up to take these photos on some old abandoned land.

to my surprise....when i arrived at her house, she had made us both chubby charmers with her leftover fabric. let me tell you this bag is H U G E!! its a chub...as my sister says. our quilts fit perfectly in the bag for our adventures this week. yep, we drug them all around her state. it was well worth it when the temps are in the 50s at night.

ok......time for me to get back to vacation. this is me in the middle waving at you all while white water rafting. that is a MUST for your bucket list!!!

due to fun in the country, i wont be participating in the Friday Night Sew In, but Heidi has the sign ups on her blog. have fun this month and see you in august!

happy campers quilt update

2011-07-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

i spy........

yarn ties.......

(staying with my 1970s themed quilt)

this rubber thimble is a M U S T !!!

stay tuned

the finished product will be coming soon.

Happy Campers quilt top

2011-07-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

is the quilt top done?

i dont have a clue. LOL

i havent trimmed up the edges yet......

and im still pondering another row/strip on the top and bottom.....

and of course the wind came up while i was trying to take pics. typical vegas weather.

and now i also get the fun part of figuring out my backing.

im stumped folks. dontcha hate staring at your work so long you lose your UMPFH??

maybe ill work on my camping bag tonight. cuz a girls gotta have a bag to go with her quilt.

Happy Campers quilt

2011-07-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a fabric hoarder, like most of us. I've had this fabric for a few years (gulp) and I am now finally making myself a camping lap quilt! I'm back into the sewing mode....WOOT WOOT.

I have a vacation this summer that is going to involve some cooler weather, bonfires and chilly nights. this quilt is a MUST. (if only i could find flannel sheets right now for the backing....shucks)

I'm not doing anything toooo special for the design. just some simple charm pack squares and a panel section. I don't want to take away from the fabric and cut it up, because its my childhood. :)
with this long glorious weekend, I'm hoping i can finish it or at least get the top and back done.

when i was a kid growing up on the border of ND/MN, we spent MANY MANY weekends camping. this fabric truly brings me back. we had a pop-up camper and always camped on a beautiful Minnesota lake. it seriously is the land of 10,000 lakes. i remember my parents getting home from work on friday nights and patiently waiting for them to load everything up so we could head out for our weekend getaway. the drive seemed to take HOURS, but it was only 45minutes. LOL

This isn't "our" camper, but it looks just like it. i think this weekend ill have to dig through my moms pictures and see if she has any from camping.

we frequented a place called "Campers Point" on Pelican Lake, Minnesota. we spent a lot of weekends there, and now being a parent I cant imagine how much work that was for my mom. LOL
(kudos to you mom!)

you would come up over a hill then down into the campground. my sister and i couldnt wait to jump out of our 1970's mustard color Pontiac Bonneville and run around to find all the kids we had grown up with camping. there was a cute little campground store where mom/dad would give us a few pennies to go buy some candy. upstairs in the store was the church that we went to on Sunday mornings. there was even an abandoned haunted house on the property full of bats. (of course we all had haunted stories about it and dared each other to go in)

recently, my parents commented to my sister and I that they felt bad for not doing a lot of things with us when we were kids because they didn't have the money. we looked at each other.....mouths wide open....and said O M gosh are you KIDDING ME? Camping was a child's DREAM!!! digging for worms, fishing off the dock, swimming all day in a beautiful Minnesota lake, playing in the sand, s'mores on the campfire at night, sleeping in the outdoors. it was a kids 1970's heaven!!! freeze tag, red rover, hopscotch.

those memories for me are priceless. i have a date with the pool today, but tonight im going to FINISH this darn quilt.....because its the 1970s all over again for me and those were happy times. *sigh*

dum dum bouquet

2011-06-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

a crafty cousin of mine made me this. yeah, we are all pretty much crafty! LOL
i would love to have enough room on my desk at work for this.....but for now im enjoying it in my kitchen. (i work in a teeeeny tinnnnny module---no lie)

all i know is she used her cricut, dumdums and a styrofoam ball on the inside.

her pot is from hobby lobby. she said all their spring/summer stuff is on sale. check out that butterfly on the top. it has bling!!!

heres a picture to show you how big it is.
but wait.....oh jeez.....how pathetic am I??? im a techno geek right now. this is where im kicking it and contemplating my night.

laptop, ipad, cell phone, home phone, old fashioned rootbeer candies, Coke, and stuff to make s'mores because im seriously thinking that could be my dinner!!! at least my kitchen is kind of clean. just dont peak in the sink.

Taco Ring Recipe

2011-06-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

I guess this is an oldie....but i have just discovered it! its super simple and the kids love it. Ive been told its a pampered chef recipe. they are quite creative!!

what you will need is:
1 lb browned hamburger.
1 pkg taco seasoning and water as directed
cheese
2 packages of crescent rolls
toppings of your choosing.

Brown the hamburger. Add the taco seasoning and any water as directed on package. let simmer for a few minutes.
add the cheese to the meat mixture or you can add on top as i did later.

i used a pizza pan tonight, but have also made on a simple cookie sheet. either way worked fine.

open your crescent packages and separate on the perforated edges. place on a circle pattern, like a sunflower. make sure the points are on the outer edge. you will overlap the rolls on the inner edge.

spread your taco mixture on the inner edge. i put the cheese after....but you can mix it in with the meat before putting on the crescents.

fold over the crescent roll "points" and tuck the points under. see your beautiful ring? oh wait....it gets better.

bake at 375 for 20-25....or until golden brown like below. when you open your oven, prepare to drool a little.

isn't that just yummy?

the toppings i added on my plate were salsa, lettuce, some avocado. you could do rice, beans, tomatoes....you name it!

hope you enjoy!!!

linked to:

MINOT needs help

2011-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

As you may know I'm a NORTH DAKOTA native.....and its always close to my heart.

I have family in a few different areas of ND, and Minot is one of them. A cousin of mine had to evacuate today at the last minute. its terrifying to watch what these people are going through. most of the city will be under water very soon....and I am talking a TON of water.

if anyone wants to help, please donate to the Minot Red Cross. These people will lose everything, and be displaced for a very long time.

anything will help.....but especially prayers!

We made it! He did it!!

2011-06-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

my son.....my graduate

my baby.....my soon to be a college student.

ive never been a prouder mom.

the proud brothers!

my 2 guys......my buddies.

im so grateful these guys love each other!

im lucky they respect each other.

me and my hubby.....the proud parents.

the cake.....lets not forget the cake!

to all of you parents that have made it through graduation......hats off to you! to all of us that made it happen after 13 longggg years of schooling....a BIG HIGH 5!!

congrats class of 2011

FNSI WINNER

2011-06-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

i decided not to make you all wait for this months winner ..... cuz you are all awesome!!! i read all of your comments....all 119 of them and i love how into this FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN thing you are! Heidi and I love doing this and thats why we have come back each and every month for almost 2 years. :)

the above photo is my giveaway this month. the saucer pin cushion and a box of moda sweet treats.

the winner is ........ (drum roll please) courtesy of random.org........
#51 Karen T. over at Sew Much 2 Luv CONGRATS Karen!!! she has made some ADORABLE pinwheel blocks! if you get some time, surf her blog because her aprons and bag are adorable!

Karen send me an email and ill ship your package out this week.

see you all next month.

FNSI results and some family fun

2011-06-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

my results for last night are sad....but its for a good cause :)

I made this pin cushion last night and thats it.....but its for YOU. its for the giveaway tomorrow.
very summery eh? if you want to see how i make these, click HERE to see my previous post.

my sewing room...."the mom cave".... also got cleaned. see i have family in town. lots going on this next week. have i told you my sons graduating? yeah, its FINALLY HERE! LOL
best thing tho....my house is spotless! (dont ya love it when that happens?)

here is my father in law riding this little contraption my son has. cigar in his mouth and all! HILARIOUS!

ok, time to get back to my family, my busy world, and my graduateeeee. im so proud of him!

be sure and check back tomorrow for the winner. I will be announcing it at some point.....but i have 2 airport runs to make, company to entertain, and shopping to do. so no guarantees how long i will make you all wait. teeeeeheeeee

stocking stand for the pink purse---its a RE-DO

2011-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Way back when.... like around christmas time i said i was going to redo my xmas stocking stand. well hold on tight....cuz i did my first paint/sanding/glazing technique.

i have become a new blogstalker of miss mustard seed. its all her fault i haven't touched real fabric in months. I'm now buying drop cloths, paint, antiquing glaze......oh my! but don't fret, tomorrow night is FNSI which means i HAVE to sew SOMETHING right?

well here is my new hall hat/jacket/purse/bag stand. ahhh....i think my foyer is now complete.....(yeah right)

my dad and i had made these years ago for our xmas stockings. not having a fireplace has always bummed me out, until we made these! all it took was a wood fence post, some 2x4 for the bottom and the hooks which i found at Pier One.

the low hook was always used for our dogs stocking. (yeah, he gets the goods from santy clause too)
well its PERFECT for my little hot pink summer purse. (how the heck do you get those lines out of a new rug???)

had to take an outdoor pic while it was drying. do you know i actually painted this puppy in my foyer last weekend? INSIDE the house.....LOL I'm an indoors crafter, what can i say.

all i used was a container of some oops paint from lowes that looked white/offwhite---for $3 i didn't care what it actually was. i sanded down the edges for the worn look and finished it off with valspar antiquing glaze. my xmas colors are coming thru on the areas i sanded, but i think it gives it more character.

my house is strange....i almost have 2 foyers by the front door. But the coat closet is in a diff hall. (because we added on a bedroom instead of a tandem garage ) The foyer to the left still needs some pizazz.....but im working on that in the garage in a few weeks. (a hidden small garage sale table....shhh don't tell the hubby)

those hooks were never really christmassy......so i guess ill have to make one for the xmas stockings. Its time to get those power tools ive been asking for!

bench pillows

2011-06-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

if your looking for the FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN signups....click HERE

im obsessed with pillows right now. ive been hunting for some to buy, but they cost SO MUCH $$$ !!!
they really are one of the easiest things i have ever made. so last night i got to work. i went to a local shop and found the pillow on the right 60% off because it had a fabric tear at the seam/cording. um H E L L O who cant fix a tiny seam right?

im in love with my pillows!!!

isnt this HOME one adorable? made from a drop cloth. my fav new fabric.

my lonely bench before....

my happy bench after!

i love being crafty!

linking too:

painted garage sale frames

2011-06-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

click HERE if you are looking for the FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN sign ups. 5 days and counting :)

you know those crazy gold painted photo frames? during one of my garage sale adventures this spring, i found a few for less than $1.00 and knew they would be adorable painted.

before

after

I am patiently waiting for the spray paint to dry. ive pondered glazing/antiquing them for a warn look. not sure tho.....im a little scared to tackle glaze.

im also working this monogrammed burlap pillow to put on my new hall bench. :)
i think ill save putting it together for this up coming FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN. have you all SIGNED up?

i have never sewn with burlap. is it a pain? is it shifty? any helpful hints?

LINKED TO:

Friday Night Sew In signups for 6/17/11

2011-06-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

this months Friday Night Sew In is NEXT friday.....June 17th. Below is the signup list. Here is a refresher of the directions:

The Friday Night Sew-In is a virtual get together hosted by myself and my cousin HEIDI
(aka handmadebyheidi)

We try to schedule the FNSI the 3rd Friday of each month. Here are the participation guidelines.

1. When the sign-ups are posted - add your name to the list with a link to your blog.

2. Make a post on your blog - letting all your readers know about the sew-in. Spread the word.. we could all use the virtual sewing support and encouragement.

3. On the night of the FNSI - Get your house settled, put on your comfy jammies.. maybe make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine.. and sit down to work on some of those projects.

4. Then, sometime on Saturday - publish a post about what you worked on.. show us a picture or two on Flickr. There is a FNSI group on Flickr if you haven't already joined. Totally optional.

The name of the Flickr group is FNSI.

Each month we giveaway something awesome to one lucky participant.. some times we select 2 people.

cant wait to "see" you next friday night! dont forget.....its NEXT friday night. JUNE 17

recipe---cajun chicken pasta

2011-06-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

have you ever eaten at chili's?
have you ever had their Cajun Chicken Pasta?

well......i have created my own and thought i should share it with you in blogland.

can i just tell you that this huge pampered chef bowl was at a garage sale for $4.00----SCORE!
i LOVE it! its perfect for the family dinners.

I'm sorry but i don't have many exact measurements, because some of it is more to your taste. but if you cook, you should be able to figure it out like i did.

CAJUN CHICKEN PASTA

1 jar alfredo sauce (any kind will do)
milk (maybe about 1/4-1/3cup)
cayenne pepper
salt/pepper to taste
fresh parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup or less)
1-2 pats of butter (do you know a pat is 1tbsp)
chicken (can make your own or buy a rotisserie from grocery store already cooked)
pasta--cooked
green onion tips
tomatoes if desired (i hate raw tomatoes so i omit)

cook pasta as directed on box, drain. i make the sauce while the pasta is cooking so its all warm at the same time. (the key to cooking is timing......something i have been told im good at ) :)

pour the jar of alfredo sauce into a skillet pan on stove top----use a med-low temp to prevent scorching.
add milk---small amounts at a time. don't get it too runny, but don't leave it too thick.
add cayenne pepper to taste. i wanted it a little spicy, so i used about a teaspoon.
add salt and pepper to taste. (warning....my sauce was already salty so be careful with the salt)
add your "pat" of butter.

I stirred it often to ensure it didn't burn on the bottom. add a little parmesan cheese while its cooking.....but warning #2---this can make it gooey (professional cooking term there). so only add a SMALL amount. maybe 1/8 of a cup if even!! you will add more at the end.

when it bubbles and is basically heated through, pour it over your warm drained pasta that's in your large serving dish. stir the sauce in. Lastly, sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on the top, the green onions and tomatoes if desired. add your cut up chicken and you have yourself some easy cajun chicken pasta!

serve with your favorite garlic bread and call it DONE!

now what i wanted to do was bake/grill my own chicken with some type of blackened cajun seasonings on it, but after a long hard day at work its all about easy! thank you to my local grocery stores for continuing to bake those yummy chickens!

I'm giving you a recipe because there isn't much crafting going on at my house right now.....BOOOOO
i am in full "holy-crap-company-is-coming-in-a-week" mode.
cleaning....scrubbing....cleaning....scrubbing......and don't EVEN get me going on my laundry pile!

i hope you enjoy the recipe! try it....its worth it.

chair redo with a drop cloth seat

2011-05-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

$5.00 flea market chair

before

AFTER!!!!!!!!!

If you aren't addicted drop cloths yet, maybe this chair will inspire you. (drop cloth that measures 4x5 at your local home improvement store for around $5.00) come on....i know you want to make something with this stuff! I've made a few pillows too. see HERE and HERE.

lets talk about my little chair. (perfect for a desk)

have you all seen a chair this gross? i wouldn't even let my dog sniff the seat. LOL

blehck!!! well, for those of you who think there is no way you could ever redo a chair, let me show you how SIMPLE it is. lots of people just throw chairs like this out on the curb....so keep your eyes peeled on garbage days.

i still might paint the chair, but for now the wood is in really good shape. all you do is remove the screws from the underside of the seat. there were 4 total.

yep.....i ain't lying. its that simple! the seat lifts right off. no one has glued it down or nothin'. weird huh?
i guess they trust their screws. ;)

now is the fun part. you pick out your fabric OR drop cloth and cut a piece large enough to wrap over batting that is your cushion.

then here is the NOT so fun part. i spared you the pics. you now have to pull all those staples out and remove the GaROSS fabric and batting.....it wasn't pretty. lucky for me a bunch of staples pulled right out with the fabric.

you have your piece of fabric/drop cloth all ready for re-applying to your seat. i made a few simple lines with craft paint. (you know pottery barn would have charged me like 150 bucks for one of these chairs).

don't forget to put a bunch of batting (or you can do foam) so your seat is padded again.

line up your fabric nicely and staple the fabric to the wood seat with your hubbys heavy duty staple gun.

YOUR DONE....VOILA....THATS IT!

I'm on the hunt for an old hall bench i can do this to...... anyone near Vegas have one up for grabs? :)

call me........

linky to :

miss mustard seed friday link up party

sisters of the wildwest link up party

tatertots n jello weekend link up party

funky junk sat night special link up

sew many ways link up party

come on in and meet MARGO

2011-05-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

"MARGO" just arrived from Montana.

my sister made me a bag .... isn't it flippin sweet?!?!?!! here is the pattern--its a "lazy girl design" pattern which she assures me is an easy bag to make. i LOVE the colors. its SOOO me. orange, denimy blues. the inside is filled with pockets going all the way around the bag. my sister is REALLY good at thinking of special things when it comes to making bags. she made one of the pockets shorter in depth so your cell phone doesn't sink to the bottom. GENIUS!

its actually a lot smaller than you think....but the PERFECT daily use size!!!

i also popped into my LQS yesterday while running around and picked me up some of this fabulous fabric by free spirit. its grays, yellows, greens, blues. i actually want to make something too....not just store it in my forever growing stockpile of fabs. (if the world had ended yesterday, at least i would have had something to do---sewing with my foot pedal old sewing machine and stash of fabrics)

oh and guess what else? i met another blogger yesterday who works in my LQS. Carolina of http://www.alwaysexpectmoore.com/
she won the NO TOMATOES pin cushion contest with a VERY COOL cactus pin cushion......and she gave it away! She is VERY sweet in person. that is the first blogger i have ever met face to face.

OH OH OH and HEIDI has posted the Friday Night Sew In winners.
HEIDI worked on her pinwheel quilt and it makes me feel really bad for never following through finishing mine. someday.....maybe someday.

FNSI results--keep calm print

2011-05-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen THIS program that you can make your own "keep calm and...." posters? I'm working on some graduation projects and made this one last night. I'm starting to work on a picture collage for my son. i think this will be the center :)

I'm also going to make myself a tshirt for his party with this using an iron-on transfer sheet. maybe put our name on the back?? i know its not much, but that was my friday night sew in project. :)

this week we had awards banquetts, baseball, work, life......shew its been a busy one! my son lettered in speech/debate for 3 years in a row....and made it to nationals just this past month!!! (don't ever get into an argument with a debater---take my word for it). during his ceremony, the teacher has the kids give all the parents roses as a thank you for all we have to do for them during the year. well, lets just say my son, husband and i all were in tears. what will gradation night be like? LOL...sniffsniffsniff

the middle of the week i got to decompress at my other sons baseball game. it was so COLD that i had to curl up under THIS QUILT i made a few years ago. very odd for Vegas in May. (but i will NEVER EVER complain about cold!!!)

This morning was my play time.....i went to garage sales. LOVE LOVE LOVE garage sales.
let me tell you, I've gotten some fabulous deals lately and have only spent about $20 each time I've gone. kitchen chairs to refinish for $5, lamps for just a few dollars, pampered chef serving bowls, picture frames for 25cents. another persons trash is MY TREASURE woopwoop.

don't forget to check out Heidi's blog tomorrow for this months FNSI winners. she is picking 2 winners this month thanks to Me and My Sister Designs!!! those ladies are just FABULOUS!

NO TOMATOES pin cushion contest

2011-05-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

You know how i LOVE my pin cushions. well i have taken part in a pin cushion contest! I swear I could make them all day long. there are some really cute ideas and tutorials! you should HOP over to ARROW CABINETS BLOG and check out all the fun ones people made.

ARROW CABINETS is also on a mission.....they are trying to get a ton of facebookers to LIKE them. they are giving away things like crazy....they love friday giveaways (aprons, cutting mats, cases etc). EVERY time they add 500 people, they give away a sewing table! but the HUGE prize is going to be when they get to 5000 facebookers!!! jump on this people......who doesn't want to be in the running for sewing goodies? I want one of their chairs SOOO bad!

anyhoo-----are you all ready for this coming FNSI? have you SIGNED up?
do you have your projects ready? i have found a cute one.....I'm starting to dig in my stash to see what i can come up with. hopefully I don't get overwhelmed because I tend to fondle fabric but never follow through making things.
(does this happen to you?)

in honor of our military taking such good care of our country lately (GO SEALS), i have started making a camo bag. I'm stuck on the layout-but hopefully i can get it to come together. that could be another friday night project too.

Prom and the homemade corsage/boutonniere

2011-05-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

my oldest had his senior prom last night. **sigh**

i had to put this picture on here and tell the story of the corsage and boutonniere. the mom of a friend of my sons offered to make the corsage and boutonniere. my son found roses on clearance from a local shop for $1 for a dozen of them. yes, i believe i have taught him to bargain shop! WOOHOO

yesterday he went and helped her make the corsage and boutonniere! impressive huh? he was SOOO proud to put that on her wrist. he kept saying "i helped make those!".

family wall

2011-05-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

ive been slowly working on this wall project. gathering photos, frames etc. im so excited because i had almost everything in my stash of goods. last weekend i was able to get a few of these frames at a garage sale for $1. what a steal compared to what they cost in the stores.

doesnt it just make my house look like a home?

dont forget the FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN which is this coming friday night---5/20/11
for sign ups click HERE and be sure to blog about your project you worked on to be eligible for the giveaway. you can blog either friday or saturday. sunday we will announce the winner of a great prize Heidi has already talked about on her BLOG.

PURE baby bag and Friday Night Sew In Signups--the date is 5/20/11

2011-05-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

click HERE for this months Friday Night Sew-In. Heidi has some FABULOUS gifts for this month! be sure and sign up, blog about it and tell all of your friends. the date is Friday 5/20/11.
also, you must sign up each month to be eligible for the drawing. Make sure you are not a "no reply blogger".

OK....for some REALLY CUTE sewing news. check out this bag i made a few months back. (dang blurry night time photos)

A good friend of mine, Jamie from Modified Mix, had an adorable baby boy a few months ago. i made her some gifts and finally got them in the mail this past weekend. our mail service must have known my excitement, because it traveled to NY in record time!!!

It was hard giving this one away. But Jamie and Baby M are soooo worth it! I made a few burp cloths, a few potholders, a crocheted dish cloth and an owl pincushion. (forgot to take pics of some of it, but here are the burp cloths) i used chenille for the backing and pure argyle for the front.

but lets talk about the bag....LOL. I used the PURE line by sweetwater. perfect for a baby boy, but also functional for anyone who loves the blue/brown color palate.

i added a little "craftyvegasmom" touch and used corduroy on the front pocket and the handles. it just totally made this bag POP!!!

thats the back.....

the inside i used a plain linen which has become a favorite lining of mine. especially if i don't have a lot of yardage to use. the earthiness of the linen totally went with the PURE line.

the handles are extra long for that mommy who needs to dig inside to get a quick bottle or pacifier without removing it from her arm. we all know those days when a baby is on one hip and the rest of your world is on the other hip.

the pattern has always been one of my favorites by quilts illustrated. its called the "charm party tote". here is a link to the pattern. if you haven't made one of Penny Sturgis' bags, you MUST try this one out. her patterns are SOOO user friendly!

i hope you enjoy the bag Jamie......because you deserve it!!! shes a busy mom of 3 boys and a teacher! heck, she deserves more than a bag and some goodies made by me. :)

Happy Mothers Day!!

2011-05-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

MY MOM.....

i dont even know where to begin....because she is the best. shes loads of fun, loving, feisty, caring, thoughtful beyond belief, funny, hip, kind hearted, and the list goes on and on and on.

she LOVES being a grandma! she has created such a special bond with each of "her boys" as she says. how many grandmas do you know that will chase a little one around the house, teach them to slide on the wood floors, get in the pool and play horse with them. my boys are SOOO lucky to have her in their lives.

shes a great-grandma now too....but still looks about 50. look at her, she turned 68 this year!!! i truly adore the woman. she is my idol.

to my boys........i love being your mom each and every single day.

they give the best hugs EVER! i can hear them down in the kitchen....and they are about to cook up some breakfast. which means i need to shower because when the firemen come, i need to look my best! teehee

I hope your mothers day is filled with as much love and laughter as mine !!!

I was featured!

2011-05-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

one of my new favorite blogs is SISTERS OF THE WILD WEST. every sunday they do a link up party and i had my LETTER FRAME featured this week.

Thanks to the ladies for featuring a project of mine. what an honor :)

easter in the desert

2011-04-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

it was warm enough to "fire up the jacuzzi" as we say.....

not braggin'.....just saying

it was good to be us today :)

my great nephew showing me his eggs. hes such a ham!

hope you all had a happy Easter and spent it with your family and the people you love.

letter frame idea

2011-04-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

I've been surfing blogs and finding some great decorating ideas for my house. i love those link up parties so you can see hundreds of things on one blog!!!

tonight i made this to put on a photo/frames wall I'm creating.

its a very small frame i got at michaels with my 40% off coupon :)
i think this will be a nice small touch because i have a larger "L" to put in the collage. BUT i couldn't decide on a white letter or black!!! if it looks weird, ill just repaint it black. easy peasy.
and burlap....you GOTTA love burlap! this project cost me less than $3.00 to make.
frame, wood letter, left over white paint, burlap from stash and glue.

i just glued the letter to the glass. put a piece of burlap behind the glass and called it done.

here are those walls that need to be decorated. my puppy looking at me like im nuts. LOL

have you seen the pottery barn catalogs this past year? full of burlap, drop cloth pillows, canvas decor. i could spend days dreaming of things to make as knock-offs.

do you all have a favorite decor item in your house you made as a knock-off from PB?

id love to see it! i need more ideas! i have lots and lots of bare walls. talk to me goose......

linked up to:

FNSI Winner

2011-04-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

sorry this is coming so late in the day. I had to help my dad trim back some trees this afternoon. (yep, i have a tree obsession--LOL)

ok....im jumping right in because I have a movie date tonight with my boys. (wish i was on spring break too!)

first, i made this pin cushion from my garage sale find yesterday. the cup was too fun and needed some make life fabric. it gives it a spring look!

then, because i think these painters drop cloths are SOOO cool and make some fabulous pillows, i decided to toss in a pack along with a couple of springy fat quarters.

our lucky winner thanks to random.org is......
#173 REGENA over at http://thedistracteddomestic.blogspot.com/
CONGRATS to you !!! send me an email with your mailing info.

she has some very fun aprons that she has made....and she looked pretty busy on friday night!

thanks again to EVERYONE who was able to participate in our virtual sewing, crafting, painting, scrap booking, embroidering, knitting, crocheting and anything else you may have worked on friday night!!!
see you next month.

Blog Pillow

2011-04-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

I was fondling fabric in my sewing room last night and had a brainstorm. while sitting at my sewing desk, i realized i needed a pillow for my lower back while i sew. the brain started clicking and i came up with this idea. my sewing room needed something with my blog in it.....

I used Computer Printer Fabric and made a quick word document with some of my favorite photos from my blog. Then just cut some jeans scraps i had and used my left over drop cloth canvas from THIS project. VOILA.....its a "craftyvegasmom" pillow.

come back later for the FNSI results. ill be doing my drawing this afternoon.

linking this post up to:

Friday Night Painting results......WAIT....PAINTING????

2011-04-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

YEP, you heard me right. last night for FNSI i did some painting.....not sewing :)

first, it started off with a little sunflower seed chewing and baseball. GO #4....he is always ready to hit one out of the park. we know it will happen soon.

the park has some heavenly green trees. (if you ever move to the desert, you will miss trees-trust me) here is my soon to be graduate....my "baby". **sigh**

finally here is the project i have been working on all week. painting is hard because you have to wait for things to dry. this was a recipe book holder type thingy that has been in my kitchen. i bought it a few years back at a craft show in boulder city. they did a weird light stain on it....blehck.

here it is finished and painted black. i distressed it a little bit for an antiquey kind of look. i cant believe its taken me this many years to paint it! do you have a feeling it will be many many many colors before i ever get rid of it?? me too! It found itself a home in my sewing room. its just so big and bulky and always took up SO much counter space.

ART in the PARK is a huge craft show in boulder city, nevada every fall. (just outside of vegas at the hoover dam) its the first weekend in october. i have had LOTS of fun adventures there. when i bought this shelf, my sister and i had actually spotted a different one. we both wanted it. so we did what anyone would do with their sibling......we ROCK PAPER SCISSORED for it. my mom stood there and laughed with the seller.....who couldn't believe it was how we settled it. well, my sis won and i had to buy this one. over the years i have come to cherish my shelf thingy. (not sure what to call it) maybe someday when we get sick of ours, we could do a swap. :)

check out these little bowls.......thanks to some spring garage sales i paid a whole $1.00 for all 4!!!!
I'm thinking my giveaway will involve one of these little puppies and a pin cushion !!!

OK folks.....don't forget to post about your Friday Night Sew-In project today and tomorrow i will surf your projects. I will be doing a drawing for our monthly giveaway and post the results Sunday.

GOOD LUCK!

Friday Night Sew In signups and a new button

2011-04-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

the sign ups for Friday Night Sew In are HERE......and its this coming friday night. 4/15/11

AND there is also a new button! Heidi made us a cute new one.....but of course you can still use the old one.

click HERE to get the new button. she has provided simple instructions. so grab it and spread the word.

i LOVE the look of it.....makes me thing spring is really here. we had some snow yesterday in vegas if you can believe that! just some flurries that only lasted a few minutes.

remember to add your name to the signups, blog about your project and you will be entered into our monthly drawing. we also have a flickr group if you dont have a blog where you can upload your projects.

see you all friday night!

subway art....... PILLOW

2011-04-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

after a long debate with myself........i decided on a pillow. A-dorable if i do say so myself.

(added another pic)

I added a stripe of ribbon down the side. i had originally transferred the image onto a piece of linen. so i just cut that down and sewed it onto the canvas. i left a little edge so it will fray.

speaking of canvas........

have you all heard of using DROP CLOTH CANVAS as fabric for pillows? well ive been surfing a lot of home decorating blogs and this stuff is all over the place. people have even recovered old chairs with it.

well, i bought one yesterday for this pillow. after washing and drying its SUPER SOFT!

the cost for a piece that is 4ft x 5ft.......$5 at lowes. i figure maybe about 3 pillows worth???

OH .....and check this out! PRE-SEWN SEAMS for the flaps on the back. HIGH FIVE!

now its onto the garage for my next project thats already in the works.

more to come on that later. hope you are all craftin' this weekend.

linked to:

subway art--pillow or print?

2011-04-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on the times.....because subway art has been out for awhile. But I'm now addicted to it.
will someone please send out the CA bus? that would be the "crafters anonymous" bus.

HI, I'm Bobbi and I have addiction issues with crafts. :)

This is what I'm working on. its either going to be a pillow or in a frame. Its going in the loft so I'm not extremely picky.

I made it in word program, printed it on transfer paper (mirror image) and ironed it onto linen. Now I'm stuck. I truthfully am not sure how I want to showcase it. I wasn't very happy with how it turned out, the transfer paper wasn't very friendly and didn't peal nicely, but now it looks like it has some wear and tear so I like it again.

jeez.....how much coffee have i had today? did that above thought even make sense? my brain is going at like 200mph!

anyhoo....what do you all think? PILLOW or FRAME ??

2011-03-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

ill be a little absent.

life is crazy busy right now.

but good busy :)

we are doing a lot of this.

and planning something for this.

which means ill be doing a LOT of this

does anyone have a 20 foot tall ladder?

can anyone refinish a FREE kitchen table/chairs i was given? (yes i said free)

are you handy at landscaping in the desert?

yeah.....my plates a little FULL these days.

WISH ME LUCK! be back soon........

its not ALL sinful

2011-03-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

on your next trip to vegas....you should try and visit REDROCK. that is if you want to do something outdoorsy and not so naughty--teehee.

this is how i spent my saturday. heavenly!

this is what it looks like from a distance.....look at this cute face. love them dimples :)

the family is ready to roll....even the dog!

it was windy...hence the hats.

me and my little guy on a boulder. it was straight down behind us...so i was hanging on!

i might give up sewing for a few weekends to do this! happy spring!

FNSI winner

2011-03-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you.....but i couldn't wait to find out who won that fabulous giveaway sponsored by Arrow Sewing Cabinets!!!

drum roll please......

the winner Heidi has drawn per random.org is:
#175 BECCA at http://quiltingb29.blogspot.com/
she is working on an apron (very cute btw).....aren't we all apron crazy right now?

congrats to Becca!!! if you could email HEIDI your info, she will pass it along to Arrow Sewing Cabinets.

also don't forget to become a follower on Arrow Sewing Cabinets facebook..... you could win a sewing cabinet and other goodies.

the next FNSI will be April 15th....so mark your calendars and blog about it.
see you then.

FNSI results and exciting NEWS!

2011-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

It was a short night last night for me....but I made another saucer pincushion and also was able to crochet a few more rows in my afghan.

I could make a million of these little pin cushions. i know your thinking "what is she going to do with all of them?". well, i have a few friends that will be getting them in their swaps as a surprise (spoiler alert) but hey they wont know which one is theirs right?

the colors in my afghan are funky....but i love it. its very 70's to me and kind of reminds me of my grandma. you know how everyone in the 70s had one of those green afghans in their house? this granny stripe pattern by ATTIC 24 is so fun and easy make. i already have another color group to make for xmas for one of my sons. its going to be different shades of grays, black, white and blues. i can see it in my head. im also giving myself plenty of time to work on it. (if i start now LOL)

well.....the most exciting part of this weekend and FNSI is THIS----see the picture below.

have you ever heard of ARROW SEWING CABINETS? they make some phenomenal sewing cabinets and are sponsoring this months FNSI giveaway!!! woohoo!!!

they are giving away the above package to that one lucky winner.....so be sure and blog about what you made last night. Heidi and I will surf the blogs tomorrow and do a random.org drawing for the one lucky person to get that great giveaway gift!!!

oh....and theres more. you have GOT to follow them on facebook.....if you are on facebook that is.
every friday they do a giveaway......AND.. are you ready for this?.. when they get to 1,500 fans they will be giving away a Gidget II sewing table (Moondoggie not included). And every time they get 500 more fans.. they giveaway another Gidget (2,000… 2,500… 3,000.. you get the picture). And I’ve heard that when they get to 5,000 fans they have something BIG planned. can you believe that?

i hope you all had another great FNSI. its so cool knowing that we are all virtually sewing/crafting/knitting/crocheting/embroidering/scrapping/woodworking together. Did i cover all the crafts possible?

come back tomorrow for the lucky winner.....and dont forget to follow Arrow Sewing Cabinets on facebook. i know i would LOVE LOVE LOVE one of those sewing tables.

FNSI is here!!!

2011-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

tonight im going to make a few more of these saucer cushions. they are so cute, fast and fun.
then its off to baseball practice. but no fear....im bringing my crochet :) so ill be continuing my FNSI from the grass.

this past week ive gotten a few boxes. remember me saying how much i love my mailman?

look what i got all the way from NY!!!

the potholders and mugrug are from JAMIE!!! THANK YOU JAMIE!!! she even stitched my name on the mugrug. LOVE IT :)

then....i recvd a box of goodies from MINNESOTA! HEIDI sent me this very cool apron .....

this fun little zipper pouch.....
and some other goodies like my favorite OLD DUTCH potato chips. ill be taking those to the baseball park tonight. THANKS HEIDI!!!

do you all have your projects ready? got kids in front of the tv with a good movie?
a snack and a beverage at your side???

i live for fridays .....

Feta Pita recipe

2011-03-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

doesn't this look yummy? wanna make one? today for lunch? well read on cuz I'm sharing my recipe with you. i just made this sandwich up a few weeks ago. I'm thinking its pretty healthy too.

also---i will be blogging later today about some FABULOUS gifts i have recvd in the mail this past week. I had a few swap partners who gave me some very cool items! im just waiting for some good lighting to take photos.

OK, back to the FETAPITA. (focus bobbi focus)

below are the ingredients to make the Feta spread. this replaces your mayo / mustard.

all you need is: crumbled feta cheese-any flavor, green onion tips, pepper and oil.

sorry, i don't measure when adding the oil. i probably use about 1-2 tbsp. not a lot. chop up some green onions, sprinkle some pepper. mix well with the feta crumbles.

here's what your spread looks like when done. we use this a TON on french bread or even a baguette. its really good fresh out of the fridge cold. but works fine right out of the bowl.

now.....the pita fixin's.
*i bought these simple "salad pockets" or "pitas" that are whole wheat. the multi grains are also good. I'm trying to eat better :)
*use your favorite sandwich meat of the moment. mine is maple turkey.
*cheese....again your favorite at the moment or what your family hasn't eaten yet. mine is white american.
*thinly sliced pieces of apple. this is a fabulous addition to any sandwich. you get the crunch and flavor!!! it also helps balance the feta-which can be a little strong.
*shredded lettuce---not shown because i was out. grrrr

ok, come on..... doesn't that look fan-flippin-tastic?? i think i need another one for lunch today.

rachel ray....move over. this is a 10minute sammich.

linked to

march Friday night sew-in

2011-03-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

The Friday Night Sew-In signups are HERE.

go to HEIDS blog and read all about it.

3/18/11 is the date.

**date corrected....thank you and sorry about that!**

saucer cushion--ARROW CABINETS HOP

2011-03-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

WELCOME to all of you who are joining me from the ARROW CABINETS blog-pin cushion HOP.

I hope you enjoy my pin cushion project. after viewing my project, be sure and hop over to http://www.alwaysexpectmoore.com/ and check out Carolinas blog and projects. shes a fabulous crafter!

***updated pics and post to link to "made by me" parties ***

last weekend i saw these at target and had an immediate craftin idea. im thinking they are suppose to be dipping bowls??? see the angle? well, for a measly $1.84 i made myself a...........

...................PIN CUSHION!

see how it tilts forward? perfect for the sewing table. they are small, so they sit nicely near your machine and projects.

i dug through some old scrappin' stuff and found a daisy embellishment for the second one. i can see a million exciting and different ways to make these. you could put some scrappin letters on the side with the word PIN, maybe some ribbon along the edge, or how about some fun pom-pom fringe?

all i did was make a fabric circle a few inches bigger than the bowl. hand stitched around the edge of the fabric, pulling the thread. then stuff it with polyfil. once it is full enough, pull the thread very tight and close it by sewing the hole closed by hand, tie it off with knots. then i hot glued it into the saucer. DONE. that simple :)

possibilities----endless.

hours of fun---priceless.

linked to:

im still going....

2011-02-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

i havent given up yet :)
im using just a big ol mix match of colors....but the funny thing is it looks good when put together. (or atleast i think it does-LOL)...... kind of like a quilt. im just wondering how long this will take me. :)

ive had a sick house all week (not me thankfully) so i didnt get to do as much as i wanted. yesterday i disinfected everything i could think of....basically because i dont want strep throat!!! the plus side is my house is once again clean, so now today i can sew some projects and later work on my granny stripe. im anxious to move onto another color. thats how this granny stripe works. you do 2 rows of one color then switch, so it keeps it exciting.

time to surf a little.....then grocery shop. im making this for dinner because its cold outside. its also an easy recipe to made that gives you time to sew/crochet/craft.

FNSI feb winner and granny stripes

2011-02-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for the winner for Febs FNSI, please click HERE where you will find it on Heidi's blog.

I have had quite the lazy sunday. it was nice and rainy this am, so i started working on a GRANNY STRIPE afghan.....pattern by ATTIC 24. it goes together pretty quick. (considering im a very new crochet'er)
im just doing a big ol random color choice. I surfed flickr last night and found some really fun granny stripe blankets----one lady had only used like 6 colors and it was very guy'ish. if i can handle this, im going to put that on my to do list for an xmas gift. another lady had also created a different pattern using larger and smaller stripes. LOVED that one too. I do enjoy crochet'ing. its very relaxing.....and TV friendly :)

my FNSI results

2011-02-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here is what i made last night for FNSI. A purdy spring bag made from the Shoulder Tote pattern by Quilts Illustrated. i made a few different adjustments, but its always been one of my favorite "easy" bags to make. have you all tried the patterns from quilts illustrated? This bag was 16x16 before sewing. its a great daily bag to use for work etc.

A friend of mine had asked me awhile ago for a pinks and greens bag. After digging through my stash, the best fabs i could come up with were Woodland Bloom. See my quilt hanging next to it using the same line? I still love woodland bloom.

I had to get creative and move around the house to get a decent photo. Ive been on the go and forgot to take daytime photos!!! grrrrrr.

last night i locked myself in my MOM CAVE and sewed away. I drank iced tea, ate pretzels and cheese, listened to some nice mellow music.....it was a perfect night for FNSI.

These fabrics are so cheery.....

Because the outside was so busy, i made the inside very simple with linen and some fab pockets.

Remember to check HEIDIS blog tomorrow for the FNSI winner. im going to spend my night surfing at all of your projects. (oh how times have changed.....my saturday nights are so boring now--LOL)
I always get some cute ideas from you gals.

FNSI reminder

2011-02-17T20:43:00.000-08:00

tomorrow nights the night to get your CRAFT ON!

do you have your projects ready?

do you have some snacks in the pantry?

have you got some drinks in the fridge chillin?

if you answered YES to any of these questions your a "Friday Night Sew-In" kind of gal/guy/crafter!!!

dont forget to blog about your projects. the blogging can be done either friday or saturday. HEIDI will have the lucky winner announced on Sunday.

See you all tomorrow. (except our aussie friends who are probably already crafting)

ps.....i read ALL of your comments.....seriously all of them because my emails come to my phone. YOU are the reason we come back every month for this fun filled night of sewing, stitching, crocheting, knitting, painting, scrapbooking......

I DID IT!!!

2011-02-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

well, with some helpful tips from a lot of you.....i think i am well on my way to actually crocheting! THANK YOU!!! i have surfed tutorials, watched videos and actually managed to MAKE something.

wanna see it:? its a dishcloth..... (hiphiphooray)

OH and another one :)

not perfect.....but made by ME ME ME. yeah yeah i know its NOT an afghan but a girl had to start someplace right?

thanks to my friend JAMIE she turned me onto the lion brand website. they have a TON of free patterns and even how to videos.

i am trying to find a nice easy pattern for my first afghan. i have seen some really cute ones that are so much like a quilt. i found a 9patch that im dying to make. maybe ill take my dad to the yarn store with me today and have him help me get some easy to work with yarn. he is the one that taught me the double crochet :)

im going to retreat to my "mom cave" later tonight and work on some other projects i have going. but right now, its time to hit some garage sales, go buy some bushes for my yard, and take my family out to breakfast. its a beautiful weekend here in the desert southwest. its going to be around 70 all weekend.

Friday Night Sew In signups for 2/18/11

2011-02-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

Are you all excited for this months Friday Night Sew-In? I know I am....ive been a craftin machine lately. Teaching myself to crochet, a wood project in the works, a few behind the scenes swaps to do. I have a huge list.....and need this night to give me the push to complete something.

Heidi and I love doing these each month.
2/18/11 is the date!

If you are new and need to know how it works.. here are the details:

1. Enter your blog info below. **If you don't have a blog - you can enter the Flickr group link as your URL.

2. Make a post on your blog - letting all your readers know about the sew-in. Spread the word.. we could all use the virtual sewing support and encouragement.

3. On Friday – 2/18/11- Get your house settled, put on your comfy jammies.. maybe make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine.. and sit down to work on some of those projects.

4. Then, sometime on Saturday - publish a post about what you worked on.. show us a picture or two on Flickr. There is a FNSI group on Flickr if you haven't already joined. Totally optional.

And finally - on Sunday 2/20/11, we will enter all participants into a drawing for the GIVEAWAY!! Heidi will be drawing the winner this month and sending the lucky person a box of goodies!

Mexican layered dip

2011-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

we ate and ate and ate today. that was a great game right to the end!!!
(even though im a vikings fan---football is football right?)

I thought I would share this delicious recipe my mom makes all the time. my kids refer to it as Grandmas Dip.

I have a few pics while I was making it today, but the good picture didnt happen because my family tore into it before i could get a nice side shot. :)

Ingredients:
3-5 ripe avocados
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1-8oz sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
1pkg dry taco seasoning
1cup chopped green onions with tops
1 can ripe black olives-chopped
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
shredded cheese----any kind you love and loads of it.

1. peel, pit and mash avocados. put in a bowl and add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. mix together well. set aside.
2. in a separate bowl, mix sour cream, mayo and taco seasoning. set aside.
3. dice/chop your onions, black olives and tomatoes. (i truly dont measure them to how many "cups" the recipe says. i guess based on who likes what and if i get sick of chopping)

on a large platter/dish, spread the avocado mixture on the bottom.

next, spread the sour cream/mayo/taco seasoning mixture. make sure you spread smoothly with a spatula, but do not mix with the avocado.

spread your chopped veggies. (onions, black olives, tomatoes)

put LOADS of shredded cheese on top.....and your DONE.
You can serve immediately OR cover and chill in the fridge.
Serve with tortilla chips of your choice. (we love scoops by Tostitos)

the original recipe called for beans on the bottom, but over the years we eliminated them due to a bean allergy in the family. im not going to lie....i dont miss the beans. LOL

enjoy!

Rack

2011-02-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

A girl cant have a sewing space without being able to display some of her goods. I found this adorable rack at Hobby Lobby--and with a coupon it was pretty reasonable. (i got the idea from a few other blogs). once it was hung up alone tho...it looked blah. I decided to move my S E W blocks above it. what do you think??

now it just needs more quilts :)
my next thing is to paint this room. "builder beige" just isnt working for me.

I finished the projects for my friends grandbaby this week. 2 pillows, 2 blankets, 2 burp cloths. its not twins, shes just one excited grandma!

im still attempting to crochet----maybe ill have a few rows to show you this weekend :)

Binding clips

2011-01-30T17:48:00.000-08:00

Do you ever make anything with Silky Blanket Binding? These binding clips are a life saver. My mom is the expert at these blankets. She taught me to pin the binding all the way around. WELL, i decided to use these little metal pieces of heaven today. The best part about these clips is you can move them as your fabric shifts. The corners are the hardest part of this silky blanket binding. I swear these clips saved me some serious time today---and also i didnt get poked once by a pin. :)

Im making 2 of these blankets for a friend of mine. She picked out the prequilted fabrics and just asked me to put the bindings on. Easy enough.

Do you like my table? LOL---- i had to make a large area to work on and put 2 smaller tables together. after working on this space all afternoon, im thinking my dad needs to build me a square wood table. I can SOOO see the benefits of it! (boy is my dad going to be busy)

A big THANK YOU to all you people out there who gave me all that encouragement yesterday as i was trying to learn to crochet. I did a little today, but had to work on these blankets. I promise to keep plugging away.

oh man...this isnt good.

2011-01-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

look what ive gotten myself into. another flipping ~~money pit~~ hobby. ive been on you tube trying to learn how to crochet. this isnt good...seriously.

my chain is terrible.....i cant figure out how to hold my yarn, the chain, the hook.....its all so confusing. i cant get a rhythm down for the life of me.

My father knows how to crochet. its something ive always wanted to learn from him. this is a guy who can also build you a beautiful wooden sofa table. he is a very talented man. but guess what.....he is on vacation!

he made me the above dishcloth. im not a big dishcloth person. they start to stink too fast for me....but for him i use it. I heart my daddy.

about 10 years ago he made me this above afghan. my house was VERY country at that time.

i made the mistake this week of surfing lots of blogs and have seen so many adorable afghans, that i couldnt help myself. i bought a pack of hooks and some basic yarn to practice with. have you seen this blog? ATTIC24

prepare yourself....once you see her granny squares youll be like me. dont say i didnt warn you.

anyone want to come over and teach me how to do this? ill make you dinner .... heck maybe even dessert.

FNSI winner

2011-01-23T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am in an apron phase....so the winner this month is getting this fun apron pattern/panel with cupcakes on it!!! Also the mugrug, a FQ with cupcakes and a springtime mug. Im sorry if most of you are still knee deep in snow, but maybe this will give you a little boost into spring.

Thanks to the folks over at random.org....here is our lucky winner!!!

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 164 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#164---Kelsey at http://www.kelseyprantis.blogspot.com/
CONGRATS Kelsey!!! send me an email and ill mail your package to you.

Kelsey is making a very FUN quilt for a boy. Superman and Batman! You have to take a look!!! click HERE to view it!

Thanks to everyone of you who participated!!! see you next month on 2/18/11.

footloose and friday night

2011-01-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of those days at work where you cant concentrate at all.....it was solely because i couldn't wait to get home and sew. Its hard for me during the week to do any projects. my brain normally wont let me. But i must admit lately my brain has not been on my work at all....and i think my job is noticing. LOL

I came home with a giddy up in my hitch all ready to make a mess and get down to business. So picture this...my night started off with a good laugh.

i get the family settled.....

i trot (seriously) into my sewing room.....

i turn on my radio.....(chicky kind of music ya know)

set up the ironing board.....

pull out my fabrics......

start to dance across the room because i am SOOO excited.....

as i do a quick swivel to the music from the movie footloose....i STOP in my tracks because the hubby is standing in my doorway watching me. HILARIOUS!!!

Later in the night, he even came and sat on my floor because he wanted to "hang out with me". (he got booted off the PS3 by a kid) but hey, it made me feel good that he seemed to care about what i was making.

so what did i make you ask?

well, i cant show you!!! like i said HERE, I am making some baby gifts for my friend Jamie at modified mix. I dont want to spoil her surprise. but ill give you a peak in a few.

First i did finish the binding on the mugrug for your giveaway tomorrow. I went to hobby lobby today and found this C U T E mug to go with it. Im in a spring mood....so its cupcakes in springy colors. I still have another surprise for the giveaway. Make sure you check back tomorrow for the winner and what i am giving.

Here is a peak at something im making for Jamie and Baby M.

thats all ya get, but trust me....i sewed last night and had fun doing it :)

Last year, i thought i was starting to lose my umfph for FNSI. but its definitely back. thanks to all of you and your encouraging words. It seems Heidi and I have inspired quite a lot of you.....all over the world. we THANK YOU all for your continual praise on our hosting this fun event once a month.

see you tomorrow......tonight im going to surf your postings of what you all accomplished last night.

Its a FNSI fabric discount....woohoo!!!

2011-01-20T20:56:00.000-08:00

Heidi and I have been doing the FNSI for awhile now, and have reached out to some folks to give you all a great deal on fabrics. i know you are all like me and have empty bins just waiting to be filled with fabric. ***insert evil laugh here***

In honor of the Friday Night Sew-In, we are so happy to announce that Canton Village Quilt Works has decided to offer all of you 10% of your entire order for one week - starting tomorrow 1/21 thru 1/28.

Yes - you read that right.. 10% off your ENTIRE order. Starting Friday 1/21 - just use the promotion code FNSI10 in the Canton Village Online Store

So now is the time to start planning a project for the February Friday Night Sew-in with some new fabric from Canton Village!!

are you all geared up for tomorrow night? i started sewing tonight.....maybe i should just call in sick tomorrow and keep it rolling :)

Jamies Giveaway....and baby M

2011-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

you have to check out a good friend of mines blog....she is doing a giveaway. JAMIE at modified mix.
she also just had an adorable baby boy. he is so precious! CONGRATS JAMIE on the baby and also its her 1 year blogiversary!

im making her a goodie box of baby gifts and hope to get those out soon. ive been patiently waiting for my mailman this week so i can finish one of her projects on friday night. of course there was a holiday thrown into the mix.......how many of those holidays do postmen get? dont they know we are waiting on fabric? dont they know we have a friday night sew-in coming??? jeez.

so hop on over to see Jamies sweet little baby M and what fun charm pack she has for her giveaway.

Friday Night Sew-In signups

2011-01-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

be sure and hop on over to HEIDIs blog to sign up for this fridays FNSI.

I will be in charge of the giveaway this month. i already have a few items but found something really fun tonight. it just might have to be my project for friday night.

we are having some springlike weather here in vegas the past few days. today was like 73 degrees. its so hard to think that people i know and love are freezing right now and burried under feet and feet of snow.
but im not complaining......im sitting here at 830 at night with a window open right next to me.

so whats new out there on the project lists? i try surfing flickr but im not a pro at that program. is that how you all learn about fun new projects? (like mugrugs etc) i do spend a lot of nights during the week surfing because after working my full time job, im too brainless to sew and create.

last weekend i went to my LQS and tried finding something new and fun and came up empty handed. wait...i take that back. i did add some fabric to my never ending stash. HEEHEE

do your LQS have fun projects and kits for small things or just mainly quilts? i wish they would offer more kits already made up. when i first learned how to sew and started with bags, Heidi and i found a quiltshop in flagstaff that had made their own bag pattern and sold kits. i guess that being my first experience spoiled me....because im always looking for some project like that. a sweet baggie of already cut fabs and a pattern. someone should start a small project shop with kits for mugrugs, pincushions, tea towels, aprons etc. those quick projects we all love.

see you friday.

domestic diva

2011-01-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

i am in love with riley blake.....

he wants to make me a domestic diva!

i bought some of this fabric line today. an apron is in my future.

girls weekend bag

2011-01-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

a couple years ago, HEIDI and i had a girls weekend with some friends in vegas. i made us each one of these bags and we filled them with goodies.

while digging through boxes in my organization obsession, i ran across it and thought it deserved a post. its kind of got the valentine flair.....with a kick.

see the "lips" fabric around the edges? LOVE IT. its a BIG bag---i think before putting together measurements were 18x20.

check out these fabrics....... zebra, cheetah, lips, hearts. I might be going on a trip soon....i think ill use this bag. its too fun to be hiding in my closet.

update on bookcase: nothing to report yet---but your ideas and tips were FABULOUS!!!
im doing a little shop hopping this weekend.....so stay tuned.

bookcase snafu

2011-01-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

ever done this? its a bookshelf for my craft room.

yep, the backing is suppose to be BLACK! but its backwards!!!! 26 nails later, it wont come off without ripping. it was an onsale and ~~cheap~~ reasonable bookshelf......but now what do i do?

my son helped me....and i left the room for a few....when i came back i even questioned him if this was correct, but he had it flipped over. always always trust a mothers gut instinct right?

ok, here are my ideas----but feel FREE to pipe in at any time.

1. paint the cardboard backing
2. cover backing with fabric (but will it shift all the time with me moving stuff like books/mags around)
3. cover backing with linen or canvas (see #2)
4. cover backing with some fun stick on wallpaper type stuff
5. toss and start over (not an option, but i just had to admit i thought about it)

well?

sewing and organizing

2011-01-03T21:26:00.001-08:00

over a year ago, i made some baby items for my bosses soon to be grandson. she has since left my work, but emailed me and said she has another grandson on the way and wanted me to make some baby things for her daughter! what a compliment! i made the above burp cloth using THIS tutorial. i used flannel that matches her baby decor. I just cant get over how simple they are to make and i love the softness of the chenille and the flannel together.

i feel so bad, my old boss went to joanns and bought all the stuff i would need, not knowing how to work sales and coupons. i told her next time, pick me up and we will go together. she had some sticker shock and now realizes how expensive sewing can be.

isn't this caddy FUN? i found it on sale last weekend at michaels and had to have it for my desk. I'm always looking for my scissors, my seam ripper, my pencils...etc. now its all in one spot. its also heavy duty canvas. my DH came in later and i had to proudly show off my purchase. he says "wow, its just like a tool box". whatEVER. (but i think he is right)

one of my resolutions was to get organized. well, the bottom of my stairs always looks like this....stuff to take UP. on the advice of my aunt who lives here, i bought a basket. it is a GENIUS idea. thanks aunt pat for the tip!

my little helper is giving the thumbs up as he walks by and didn't even grab his stuff---typical.