She Who Sews Blog Hop !!!

I'm so excited about this hop!

I told myself that I would take a break 

for a while from the hops

and get caught up on some projects that need 

to get done......

And then Madam Samm went and did it.....

She posted this fantastic fabric called

"Handmaids" by J. Wecker Frisch and I was sucked in.

I'm pretty sure I squealed when I saw it.

This time around we are supposed to use the fabric

to update our sewing room.

Well I am constantly changing thread colors

and find myself with bobbins and spools of thread

laying next to my sewing machine.

And of course, I knock the bobbins on to the ground....Ugh.

So I went on ebay and typed in "thread caddy"

to see what I could find.

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!

An adorable vintage wooden rocking chair pin cushion

with pegs for your thread and bobbins!

I fell deeply in love.

So I bought one and decided to give it new life.

And then I bought 3 more....:)

I tried to google info about these darling little chairs.

I can't find any "one" source for them.

Each one seems to have it's own origin.

I've read that it was a pattern

 in an old woodworking magazine from the 50's.

One woman said her grandfather made them in his garage

and sold them door to door in the 1930's.

They are all similar, but still different.

I purchased 4 that had the scissor holder included.

I also found one that has a small drawer underneath for 

buttons or accessories.

I first sanded them down,

then used primer.

Then 2 coats of paint and a coat of acrylic sealer.

I picked my favorite "beauty" from the fabric

and embelished her eyes, lips, hair, wings, 

necklace hearts and pins.

Then I used coordinating fabric

to make the cushions for the little chair

that I painted red (of course).

I wrestled with the idea of painting white polka dots

on the chair, but in the end I wanted

the fabric to really stand out.

It turned out to be a lot more work than I originally thought.

But I have to say that I love them all

now that they are done :)

I have a feeling that my little granddaughters

are going to want to play Barbies with these

when they see them.

They would be the perfect size for Barbie after all.

It was my intention to make a new ironing board cover

with this fabric as well,

but I managed to catch the H5N1 flu

and I've been miserable and useless for about 2 weeks now.

So I will get it done very soon.

I'd like to Thank Madam Samm 

for another awesome hop 

and Carla (from Creatin' in the Sticks) 

for being such an 

awesome cheerleader!!!

Please be sure to stop by the other creative bloggers

who are sharing their creations today :)

Just Let Me Quilt

Hill Valley Quilter

My Whittle Adventures

Kids and Sewing

.

Moosestash Quilting

I Piece 2 Mary

A Tiny Bit Obsessed.....

So I signed up for the "She Who Sews" Blog Hop

over at SewWeQuilt.com

As soon as I saw the fabric we'll be using

I couldn't NOT join in.

What a fabulous excuse reason to buy it!

I'll admit I was smitten at first sight.

Am I a fan of Steam Punk?

No...not even a little bit.

But this fabric just calls to me.

The colors are perfection

and they match the colors of my sewing room!

The hop isn't until January

but as you can see I'm already stocking up :)

I just wonder if they used a photo of me 

for the green eyed brunette?

There is one other print that I am still waiting on.

It's multicolored buttons on a black background.

My brain is swirling with ideas!!!

In this hop we need to make items for our sewing room.

OH....I can't wait!!!

Pin It Blog Hop

Today is day 5 of the Pin-It! Blog Hop!

Thanks to Mdm Samm and our cheerleader Kristen @ Meadowbrook

 for hosting such a fun hop!

There have been so many awesome pincushions so far

and I can't wait to see what today brings!

Click on the button on the right

to check out all the pincushions from last week

and follow the links at the bottom of this post

for all of today's creative goodness :)

For my pincushion

I decided to make a Minion for myself.
He is my own design
and I did not make a pattern.
I think like all Minions,
he should be unique :)

Because as we all know,

If I only had a Minion I could get more done :)

So I'd like to introduce you to Kevin.

He is my new helper.

Just look at those sweet eyes......

There is NO WAY

I could EVER stab him with a pin......

So instead,

I gave him his own little pincushion to hold :)

Problem solved. 

Now he can just sit next to me

while I sew and smile his cute little smile.

He works for bananas,

so he's cheap labor  easy to care for.

Check out these crazy talented bloggers!!!

De Zondagssteek

Ravelley

The Tilted Quilt

A Stitch In Time

Asimplelife Quilts

Jane's Quilting

Quilt Doodle Doodles

Dancing Moon

Bloom Where I Am Planted

Busy Bee Free

Marpie's Sewing Projects

The Stitchin' Post

Rose Creations

Lixie Makes It

Sunshine Reflections

Needled Mom

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Tammy Bag Blog Hop

Hello everyone and welcome to 

the Tammy Bag Blog Hop!

A big "Thank you" to Madam Samm

for hosting as well as designing this darling bag pattern!

Today I'm showing you my "Plan B" bag.

All this time I've been working on a cross stitch piece

that would have been the focal point of my Tammy bag.

You see I mistakenly looked at July

on the calendar instead of June

and thought my day to show my bag 

was Wednesday the 17th.

Guess what?

In the month of June,

the 17th is Monday!!!!

PANIC!!!!

I knew I'd never finish the cross stitch on time.

So I decided on polka dot denim

with red gingham lining.

I used some fun ribbon and crocheted flowers.

I love this little bag

but I'm planning on finishing up the original design

in my head in the next few days.

I can't wait to show it to you when it's done :)

Until then, I hope you enjoy

my denim Tammy :)

Don't forget to check out all the other

crafty ladies showing their bags today as well :)

Rosemary

Pauline

Kris

Pauline

Roxanne

Vickie

Martina

Jane

Marga

It's for the Birds Blog Hop

Welcome to day 2 of  "It's for the Birds" Blog Hop!

Thank you so much to Madam Samm for all her hard work

and to our Cheerleader Mary for keeping us all up to date :)

If you are interested in joining in on upcoming hops

just head over to Sew we quilt to see what is on the horizon!

A few months ago,

I came across this darling coffee mug

and I immediately thought of my sweet friend Denise.

(who is also sharing her talents today -be sure to check out her blog)

I bought it and stashed it away for her.

Her birthday is this month

and I knew right away that I wanted to make a 

matching mug rug to go along with it.

She loves little birds

and this one seemed perfect for her.

I can just picture her sitting at her desk

enjoying a warm cuppa

and it brings a smile to my face :)

When I saw that Madam Samm had announced a bird hop, 

I signed up as quick as I could.

It was fun finding little scraps of fabric

that would mimic the design on the front of the mug.

I appliqued the little pieces using a blanket stitch

to secure them.

There is a bit of back stitching and a few french knots as well.

I know it's small but it took about 4 hours

 of hand stitching to complete.

I love working on a project with a particular person in mind.

It's a chance to pour my love into it

and I know that she will appreciate it :)

Happy Birthday Denise!!!!

Don't forget to check out all these other talented sewistas

who are joining in the fun today

and showing off their amazing "bird" projects!

http://sunshinequilting.blogspot.com

http://feltfree-p.blogspot.no

http://busyascanbe.blogspot.com

http://quiltdoodledesigns.blogspot.com

http://buzzingandbumbling.blogspot.com

http://patchouli-moon-studio.blogspot.com

http://ecoughlindesigns.blogspot.com

http://mywhittleadventures.blogspot.com

www.natilittlethings.blogspot.com

http://justletmequilt.blogspot.com

http://ncweekendquilter.blogspot.com

http://Selinaquilts.blogspot.com

http://saneandcrazy.blogspot.com

http://abis-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com

http://roseprairiequilts.blogspot.com

http://marlarockscrafts.blogspot.com

April Showers Blog Hop!

Welcome to day 3 of the April Showers Blog Hop!

I'd like to thank Madam Samm of Sew we Quilt for all  she does

and our cheerleader Erin of Sew at Home Mummy!

We were challenged to make a mug rug that showcases

something that inspires us in April.

For me it was this adorable fabric I found

 that has these darling egg cups on it.

Eggs make me think of Spring and new beginnings.

It also reminds me of  breakfasts

of soft boiled eggs sitting in the most adorable egg cups.

Being from Holland,

egg cups are part of everyday life.

I've not noticed it as much here in America.

At least not with any of my friends growing up.

But we always had them in our house.

We had several different sets with matching spoons.

I have a cute set of 4 that I found on ebay 

with silly faces from Germany

that I just had to buy for my 4 grandsons :)

Each one is a different color

and each one has a different silly face.

I guess I'd better get some girly ones

now that the 2 little princesses have arrived.

My mother has the most beautiful

wooden egg cups with delicately carved 

and hand painted flowers that rise up

and hover over the egg.

For this mug rug

I fussy cut a small portion of the fabric

that had my favorite egg cups

and added co-ordinating fabrics

for the top of the mug rug.

I back-stitched the outlines

and drew some flowers and vines

for embroidering around the edges.

That little chicken and lamb just get me every time!

You can click on the photo to see more stitching details.

This little chickie didn't make it to the front

because there wasn't enough room

so I added her to the backside :)

Now I have a fun little mug rug to bring a smile to my face

when I enjoy an egg for breakfast !

Don't forget to check out all the other amazing crafters:

Hayley @ Mrs. Pickles

Karen @ Sew Much 2 Luv

Mélanie @ Les passions de Cliodana

Cindy @ Quilt Doodle Doodles

Jamie @ Busy Bee Quilts

Judy @ That Other Blog

Regena @ The Distracted Domestic

Amy @ Domesticity and other Ponderous Things

Denise @ My Whittle Adventures

Heather @ a Reformed Heath'n

Marica @ ~Englating~

Stitch Me Up Blog Hop!

Welcome everyone!

First of all

I'd like to thank Madam Samm and our Cheerleader Jane

for all their hard work behind the scenes

as well as the very talented Debbie and Cyndi

for sharing their amazing talent

by offering the beautiful patterns for this hop! 

This has been one of my favorite hops so far.

I used the "Nana's Chair" pattern

and shrunk it down a bit.

I wanted to make a ginormous pin cushion

and thread catcher.

This hefty cushion measures 7" by 8" by 3".

I used batting and crushed walnut shells for weight.

My wonderfully talented friend Denise

made a pincushion and thread catcher set

for me for my birthday last year

and I use it daily.

It's gorgeous and weighted

and the fabric is adorable!

I mean red polka dots.....nuf said :)

My only problem is that my sewing machine table

is slippery and I knock it down at least 5 hundred times a day.

So I will move that one to the living room 

to use when I cross stitch every night.

It sits so nicely on the arm of the couch :)

 

For this one I thought I would try
some of the fabric with the little grippy dots

that you use for footed sleeper jammies
for the under side of the cushion
to keep it from slipping

and it worked like a charm!

No more slipping off the edge

and on to the ground :)

I'm sure that my lack of grace and co-ordination

as I move through my little sewing room

may play a part in the pincushion ending up 

on the floor repeatedly...........?

The thread catcher unbuttons for easy emptying.

This project just kind of "evolved".

I didn't use a pattern

and I'm really quite amazed that it turned out so well :)

Here's a close up of the embroidery pattern I chose.

I'm in awe of people who can draw like this. 

And now for the giveaway:

How about a set of 10 fabric Easter eggs?

Just leave a comment telling me

about your favorite Easter tradition.

You don't have to be a follower to enter,

but if you are, please leave a SEPARATE comment

letting me know, for a second chance to win.

You have until next Friday the 29th to enter.

I'll announce the winner on Saturday the 30th.

(Please know that I love reading all your comments

but I may not be able to respond to each of you)

Good luck!

Don't forget to check out all the other amazing projects

today from these other talented bloggers!!!!

Keri@That Other Blog

Heather@That Other Blog

The Sewing Club

Englating

Kris Loves Fabric

Crazy'boutquilts

Quiltsmiles

Ninis Patchwork Blog

ArtFriendzy

Batiks by the Bay

Dancing Moon

grymerspalet

Love it Sew it

Dare To Dresden Hop and Giveaway!

Welcome to Day 4 of the Dare To Dresden Hop!

For this hop I decided to make 

a MUCH needed new ironing board cover.

I made three 6" Dresdens 

and embroidered "wash" "press" "repeat"

in the centers :)

I used my old stained nasty  gently used cover

as the pattern.

Taking that sucker apart took way longer

than making the new one :)

Making Dresdens is totally FTS, (fun to sew)

but attaching them by hand is not my favorite thing.

I do love the final result,

so I guess it's worth it in the end. 

I'm one of the strange few that actually enjoys ironing

so this new cover just makes me happy :)

Now....on to the giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive

3 fat quarters of  Cotton Blossoms by Bonnie & Camille

and the Ruffle Potholder pattern by Sweetwater!

Anybody want this?

For your chance to win just leave me a comment

and tell me what crafty goodness you would work on

if time and money were no object.

You don't have to be a follower to enter,

but if you are....

leave a SEPERATE comment letting me know

for a second chance to win.

You have until Sunday Feb 3rd to enter.

Winner will be announced Monday Feb 4th.

Easy peasy :)

Don't forget to check out all the other

crafty bloggers showing their lovely Dresdens today!

A Peach in Stitches

Nancy W @ “that Other Blog”

L3 Designs

Bungalow Bay Quilts

Quilted Delights

Quilt Crossing

Lixie Makes it

A Quilting Sheep

Charlotte's Creations

Quilt-n-Queen
Domesticity and Other Ponderous Things

A Quilt and a Prayer

Amanda Murphy Design

Little Mushroom Cap
Kathy's Quilts

Sandra Kaye Design

In Your Words Blog Hop and Giveaway!

When I thought about words that would describe me,

the first thing that popped into my head was

Nana-razzi!

That's what my kids call me.

At every event, or even just a random Tuesday,

you'll find me snapping pics of my family,

especially my 6 grands :)

So I thought a camera strap would be fun.

I padded it for extra comfort

and stitched "say cheese" on one side...

and appliqued "smile" with another one of my trademarks....

the smiley face, on the other :) 

I tried to come up with a clever way to keep the strap cover

from sliding around so I added these fun button flaps

and heart buttons.

Over all I am really happy with the way it came out.

So you're probably thinking....

yeah that's great and all...

but what about the giveaway?

OK...so here'e the deal.

I've recently added these fun mug organizers

to my etsy shop.

Well one lucky person will win

their choice of mug organizer from my shop!

To enter just leave me a comment

telling me what you would use the organizer for,

(craft supplies, sewing supplies, make-up brushes, etc)

You can also get a second chance to win

by following my blog or letting me know if you already follow.

Make sure to leave 2 separate comments.

That's it....easy peasy!

Giveaway ends Jan. 16th at midnight.

Winner will be announced Jan 17th.

And make sure you stop by all the others in today's hop

for more crafty goodness and giveaways!

In Your Words Blog Hop Day 1

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch, Stitch  (Cyndi H.)

Kwilty Pleasures  (Kathy G.)

Debby Kratovil Quilts (Debby K.))

Sew Darn Quilt  (Carolyn R.)

Mary On Lake Pulaski  (Mary K.)

Traveling Quilter  (Debbie A.)

Just Let Me Quilt (Carol S.)

Vroomans Quilts (Sharon V.)

Cate's Linens (Catherine R.)

Nini and the Sea  (Denise)

Sew Much 2 Luv (Karen)

Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to day 10 

of the Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop!

Today is my turn to show off my Fall Themed blocks!

I have called them "the Bers" :)

Shocker I know....... 

 I decided to use homespun fabrics.

I used Osnaburg for the centers and 

embroidered September - December

on each square along with a few words

that represent what these months mean to me.

These blocks are already joined together

for a table topper and I'm working on the hand quilting.

I'm hoping to have it done in the next few days.

Thanks so much for stopping by today

and don't forget to hop on over to all the other blogs

that are displaying their blocks today as well!

Quilter in the Closet

SewMuch2Luv

Peanut's Patchwork

Quilting Lines

Mochawildchild

Ariane Quilts

Lily Patch Quilts

Cindy's Crafty Creations

Hill Valley Quilter

Count it *all* JOY!!!

Sew We Quilt