Prepping For The Move...

Now that Christmas is over I can begin preparing to move my sewing room down to the living room!  I can not WAIT to have a room this big to create in and, most importantly, with it located on the main floor of the house I can seriously reduce running up and down the stairs. 

So, yesterday I listed my sofa, 2 wing chairs, 3 tables, 3 lamps, mirror, a decorative hourglass and my Lowrey organ on eBay.   Within 30 minutes I had bids on the chairs, 2 tables, 2 lamps, the mirror and the hourglass.  Even with the bid, I still see people saving the items to their "watch list".  Maybe that means I will get more than my starting bid amount as it gets closer to the end of the auction.  But, since my goal is to empty out the room as quickly as possible...I priced these things to sell! 

I have had 32 people view my Lowrey listing and one person has placed it on their watch list.  Back in 1974 when my parents bought me the organ, it cost $8000.00...an astronomical price!  But I had a gift and they were determined to do everything they could to help me reach my potential.  For the past 10 years or so it is impossible to buy replacement parts, so even if someone just purchased it to cannibalize it for parts...$25.00 is a steal! I think I may be quite emotional when "my baby" leaves this house, but I haven't been able to play it in years...so making room for a hobby that I still CAN do makes a whole lot more sense. 

Tomorrow J and his girlfriend will begin moving things around so that at least a few items can be brought down from my sewing room.  We know it is going to take several days of lifting and moving furniture...but it will be a start! 

This morning I have purged through my sewing catalog drawer and have purged through one bin of fabric.  There is a LOT more to do, but slow and steady will have to be my pace. 

A QUILT FOR A SPECIAL LITTLE BOY...

Now that I have quite a few blocks cut from his clothing I will begin the design process.  Designing this one is a little bit "backwards" from how I usually work.  Since his clothing varies from newborn to toddler, I have to lay out the design based on the maximum size square I was able to cut from the clothing, and how many squares I was able to get out of each shirt!  I haven't decided if the corner blocks are going to just be trimmed down to match the size of the other blocks, or if I am going to turn them into pinwheels.  I am going to do a "test" pinwheel out of scrap fabric and see how the size works.  I can't wait to work on it more tomorrow!!!

Toodles...

MY CHRISTMAS MINI IS FINISHED...

Okay, I'm horrible showing you the back first...but this is the neatest my FMQ has ever looked on the back (not that you can really see it)!  I think I have finally gotten the tension just right and I am darn proud of it!  I haven't done ANY free motion quilting in about a year.  Yes, there are a few line crosses...but I'm thrilled that there weren't more!

So here is the front...TA DAH!!!

I haven't tried it on my table top quilt stand yet because I had to glue the ribbon around the label.  I'm shaking WAY too bad the past few days to attempt to use a needle to hand sew!  I sewed on a button for my mom yesterday and stuck myself TWICE!  Thankfully I didn't bleed all over her off-white pants!  So I am going to wait until the glue is totally dry before I move it to its place of honor in my foyer.

Finally a finish to get my mojo rollin' again.  I have done very little "creative" this year due to the upheaval in the house with illness, etc.  BUT, I firmly believe that I really NEEDED the creative outlet on just those days.  So, for 2016 I am determined to "create" even if my life isn't cooperating!  I probably won't be around until after the holidays, so have a Happy, Healthy, Magical Christmas and a wonderful beginning to the new year!

I hung my mini quilt this morning.  NOW it feels like Christmas is on its way! 

Toodles...

Coming Along Nicely...

Ready for quilting...

What's On My Sewing Table...

More to come...

Thank You, Bonnie Hunter...

Thanks to watching QuiltCams by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville's Quips and Snips blog, I have learned the time saving joy of chain piecing.  Chain piecing is when you feed your fabric sandwiches under the needle, one after another, without cutting the thread between.  Above you can see the "chain" being processed for a Christmas 12" mini quilt to grace my foyer this holiday season.  It truly is an incredible time (and thread) saver!

However, for the first few times that I employed this time saving method, I still used a pair of scissors to cut the pieces apart...even trimming the ends of the thread even with the fabric.  Egads!  It was cumbersome and wasted all of the time I had just gained!  Then I heard a "trick" for cutting apart your chains quickly and safely.  Enter the lowly letter opener.  I used a piece of "velcro" to attach the opener to my sewing machine for ease of use and removal.  Goodness how that chain just flew through the opener!  Within a few short minutes I had all of my pieces cut apart, ready to feed back through my machine for the next step.

I am now a convert to Bonnie's method and see LOTS of chain piecing in my future.  The only "process" recommendation I can make is to hold the pieces of fabric taut as you pull them down into the letter opener, the connecting thread centered over the blade to be sure not to cut into your fabric.  Give it a try and let me know your thoughts.

Toodles...

A Gift From The Past Means Even More Now...

Last week my son, his girlfriend, and her little boy came over to help us around the house.  His girlfriend is a loving, considerate, sweetheart of a young woman.  She called me out to the car and, after reaching into a bag on the floor, handed me this adorable clock!  As she explained, this gift was a LONG time coming!  You see, my son and this young woman had dated for quite a while 5 years ago and apparently she had bought this for me way back then...only to have their relationship end before she could give it to me.  Life took them in different directions 5 years ago, but it has brought them back together again...this time with an adorable little boy as part of the package.  We couldn't be happier! 

Thanks to her I now have a clock near my sewing machine so I can keep track of the time without straining my neck to see the clock that is on the wall behind me.  Plus, it has an alarm to keep me from getting "carried away" (not that any of us ever do that!) with my sewing, possibly missing an important appointment.  The clock is a perfect color match to the zippered pouch that I use to hold machine needles close by on my sewing table.  It is bright, happy and Oh. So. True!!!  I need to live to 150 to finish all of the quilts that are floating around in my head!

As soon as the holidays are over I will be putting my living room furniture up for sale and will begin the job of moving my sewing room to the main floor.   This clock will have a place of honor as a gift from the past that means SO much more now.

Toodles...

Christmas Painting Through the Years...

One day last week I was thinking about Christmas.  No surprise there, right?  Most of us are panicking that it is already December!  But with a special little boy in our lives this year, my son wants Christmas to be an "old fashioned" Christmas like when he was young...a Christmas tree that grazes the ceiling, the "family recipe" Christmas cookies baked, and carols heard throughout the house.  That got me thinking back to MY childhood!

When my dad was young, a "tween", he would paint pictures on store windows to make money at the holiday season.  When I was in MY tween years my dad told my mom about his painting.  She was amazed that she had never known (they've known each other since the 4th grade)!  She immediately requested that he paint the large mirror over the sofa in the living room.  With a quick trip to the craft store, the painting began.  

Over the years my dad painted numerous scenes, and by the second or third year he even convinced me to have a go at painting the powder room mirror.  Gosh how I wanted to see those paintings again!

I called my folks and on Wednesday dad brought me a handful of photos.  Unfortunately, many have really begun to fade, but I am going to scan them into my computer for posterity before the images fade completely.  So between now and Christmas I will share these memories from my past...a time when life, and the world, was a simpler, safer place...

This is dad's favorite painting.  Unfortunately, you can no longer make out the scowl on the elf's face as he holds the sacks of toys from falling off of the sled.  It was totally precious!

This was my first attempt at following in dad's footsteps.  Not bad for a beginner!

So...anyone out there think they would like to give it a try?  Pick out your favorite holiday card scene, draw the design with an oil pencil and then paint.  Years ago we used "poster paint"...I'm thinking MAYBE a craft paint would work as well.  

From me and my family...let the holiday festivities begin!

Toodles...

A MOMENT OF REST IN A BUSY, BUSY DAY...

Dear Hubby and I have been busting our tushies for the past several hours.  Yes, I know it is early, but we have a ton of stuff to finish before work begins in our master bedroom tomorrow AND all of the family is coming over at 6:00 PM tonight to celebrate Dear Hubby's birthday last week!  So, we have been in non-stop motion since 6:30 AM and I am ready to collapse!!

We get this wonderful break in activity because Dear Hubby needed to get gas in his car (he hates to stop on the way to work) and he volunteered to bring me back an iced coffee to "energize" me.  Sigh...  Love him to bits!

The painter is arriving at 8:00 AM tomorrow to convert our bedroom from Cottage Chic to a new sleeker, minimalist haven.  Fortunately, they will move the furniture to get to the walls and will remove any last minute wall adornments before they begin. 

The "cottage" wallpaper and border are going to be replaced by the same gray paint as is in the master bath.  I should have taken pictures when our bedroom was still "together" so you could see the floral curtains and matching comforter and pillows.  The bed linens have never been slept on and the curtains, which are in great condition, have been washed...everything is all ready for listing on ebay.  

The gazebo that hung between the two windows  and the rose picture  that hung above my cedar chest are going as well.   In a way I would REALLY love to replace our bedroom furniture.  But, as Dear Hubby points out, it is all solid oak and constructed much better than anything we could buy today.  Plus, we really don't have the money for a whole new bedroom set.

Now that my master bath is "spa-like", the bedroom was much too "fru-fru".  I am hoping that neutral walls, sleek cordless blinds at the windows and a geometric comforter with less ornate shams and throw pillows will camouflage the 1980's oak furniture so it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb.   Maybe I will even reupholster the cedar chest!

This room redo is just another step in the remodeling of our almost 26 year old home. Stay tuned for the "after" pictures!

Toodles...

FAVORS FOR THE HOLIDAY TABLE...

This year is the first year in a long time that we may be having more than just our immediate family here for Christmas Day.  My son really wants "an old fashioned Christmas" like when he was young.  Unfortunately, I have downsized almost all of my Christmas decorations!  My ultimate goal was to replace bulky holiday decorations with hand made, "easier to store", decor.

Although we will be having a buffet dinner, it would be nice if each visitor had a "little something"  special at the table.  I began to think about what I could put at each place setting that would give our guests a little something sweet to take home with them.

As is my habit, I started walking through my sewing rooms, opening doors and drawers, hoping something would jump up and bite me, declaring itself as the perfect solution!  When I got to my button storage cubbies I stopped dead in my tracks.

I had forgotten my suggestion, "way back when", that these cute little containers would be perfect to hold after dinner mints, nuts, etc. at parties and weddings! 

 Eureka!

Grabbing a handful of free mints from local restaurants, I dumped out the green buttons and filled the container to the brim with peppermint sweetness.  By Jove I think I've got it!

Although my green, red and white holiday theme will be perfect for Christmas...this idea would work equally well in fall colors for Thanksgiving or blue for Hanukkah!  I may even wrap each favor up in a bit of cellophane and tie on a bright Christmas ribbon!

Now if I can just find some green "Christmas" fabric in my stash and the time to complete construction before December 25th!

MAKING A LITTLE PROGRESS...

I have made some progress on the "little guy's" quilt.  Although I have a "general" idea in my head of how I would like it to look...a lot is being dictated by the size of the shirts that I have to work with.  The supply of clothing I was given runs the gamut from newborn to 2T.  I still have quite a bit of clothing to go through.  In addition to utilizing the "cute" part on the front of the shirts, I am cutting out plain squares of the back of the shirt to place between the 4.5" squares.  The charm packs at the bottom will be used to make pinwheels to fill out the quilt to a double size.  I think I am going to use dark blue as the color for the sashing and the background of the pinwheels.

This quilt has been a LOT of fun so far! 

Hmmm...I just realized that the photo above is backwards!  Don't quite know how I did that.  Talented, I guess!

Stay tuned as I make more progress in the coming weeks.  Fortunately, there is absolutely NO time frame on this project so I can work on it at my leisure.

Toodles...

IT'LL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER!

My sewing room is a MESS! 

Sorry I have been away for so long.  Things have been CRAZY in the cottage for MONTHS with multiple members of the family having health issues involving hospital stays, ambulance rides, outpatient procedures, doctor visits and UGH...too much!  The health issues have definitely caused more than a little stress for this girl!  But, Dear Hubby and I have just returned from two weeks of heavenly vacation in a warm southern climate; and the change has done us good!

So, I am now back to the mess that is my sewing room.  How did it get this way?  Simple.  I have begun purging through our almost 26 year old home in earnest.  It needs it!  Over the past 30+ years of marriage and 25+ years in this house we have accumulated way too much STUFF!  As our health has been declining, dealing with all of the things "in" the house have made life much more difficult.  And, if we were to need to sell this house and downsize, I don't want to have to deal with "the purge" when our health may be even more precarious.  If we were independently wealthy I could just pitch anything we didn't want to keep.  But we are not wealthy and the idea of throwing away perfectly good items goes against the grain.  So I have begun the purge through the house and subsequent listing on eBay or relegation to the garage sale pile.  In addition, following the creation of our new "spa" master bath, we are beginning the redo of our master bedroom this week...necessitating pulling everything off of the walls and off of the furniture surfaces.  Our wonderful son moved many of the things that we could not handle while we were away.  Thankfully the painters will move the furniture to access the walls.  The items that really can't be salvaged or reused in our bedroom redo have been tossed in the trash and the remainder is making its way into my sewing room for listing on eBay. 

And seeing as the above mentioned nutsy-ness isn't enough...I have finally decided that I AM going to sell off all of the living room furniture and move my sewing room and some items from my expanded sewing room down to our never used formal living room.  Having my sewing room on the main floor will save me SO much running up and down stairs.  I've grown past wanting the "picture perfect" house and am ready to make our house a "home" that works best for our lives as they are now.  Wish I had realized that little nugget of truth years ago! 

Moving my sewing room means...you guessed it...purging through my sewing "stuff".  As I come across items that I no longer feel the need to keep, I will be posting them for sale here on my website.  Stay tuned for more "good" nutsy-ness to come!

NOTHING MUCH...

...is happening here at the cottage.  I have not really "sewed" or "created" anything since before we went away on vacation in June.  BUT, a special little guy asked me to make him a pillow cover out of this fabric.  I was more than happy to do it! 

His mommy asked me to put in a zipper to keep the pillow in the case and also allow for frequent washing.  Eeeekkkk....I've never made a pillow with a zipper before!  I was happy with how it turned out, although I realized when I saw this picture that I should have ironed the zipper better.  It has already been given to the little guy... so there is no ironing now.  Oh well, he won't mind and I'm sure it is getting more wrinkles as he snuggles down into it. 

Hopefully life will be calming down in the next few weeks and I can once again share some projects.  I HAVE started a quilt for the same little guy made from his baby clothes.  It isn't really far enough along to show you anything, but stay tuned!

Toodles...

A HEAVENLY SHOWER...AND A TA-DA!!!

Remember the before picture of our bathroom?

Well this is the finished shower (please excuse the reflection of the toilet and vanity...a photographer I am NOT, LOL!).  This morning was the first time that we were allowed to use it due to the silicone around the glass needing to dry properly.  Oh. My. Word!  To take a shower in that much space felt truly luxurious!

Then you add in the rainfall shower and finish it off with pulsating jets, and yes...it was HEAVENLY!

Our Master Bath Redo is completely finished with the exception of hanging a mirror above each sink.  The frames that match our vanity are currently at the glass store being fitted with beveled mirrors.

On the wall to your left when you enter the bathroom is our linen closet.  We have lived for 25.5 years without a linen closet...and I love this huge storage space ALMOST as much as our shower!  This space occupies almost the entirety of the space of our old shower, so it is quite large and those shelves are DEEP! 

Next you come to our shower.  Since you have already seen the most luxurious part of our shower, let me show you the necessity part of our redo, the idea that sparked it all.  The BENCH.  The area where our shower is now located used to be the area of our large soaking tub.  Neither Dear Hubby nor I have been able to climb in or out of it in years.  So we decided to get rid of it.  Because of Dear Hubby's orthopaedic problems and my balance problems, we really needed something to sit on to make showering safer.  The most important part of our whole redo is the really large bench to make cleaning our lower legs, feet and tootsies safer! 

On the other side of the room, across from the shower, you come to our toilet.  Okay, it's a toilet. BUT, it is a low flush toilet that saves us money!  And most importantly?  It's two inches taller than the usual toilet, which makes it much easier for someone with orthopaedic problems!  Don't worry though, it is just fine for me too!  It is typically the type of toilet you find in a 55+ home construction.  My parents are so used to their higher toilet that they feel like they are "falling" every time they come to our house and use the bathroom! 

Next is our vanity!  I chose a Corian top and a real wood base with soft close drawers.  Oh how we LOVE those drawers!  Easy access to our every day necessities.  Since the basic shape throughout our bathroom is rectangles in the tiling, I just HAD to go with Kohler rectangle undermount sinks.  Before now I never knew it was possible for a sink to be beautiful...but it is!

Above the vanity are our lights.  And, speaking of lights...I wanted it BRIGHT in the bathroom so we went with two fixtures that could use three 100 watt bulbs EACH.  We could have 600 watts of light!  Fearing that may be a bit too much we opted to put in 60 watt bulbs and the amount of light is perfect.  (We are still waiting for our mirrors, LOL)

Our contractor also installed a light above our shower and a fan/heat lamp combination fixture centered above the main floor area.  It was SO nice and warm this morning! 

And last, but not least...the final decorating piece that really ties all of the shower tile, counter, vanity and fixtures together...the floor!

So there you have it...our INCREDIBLE new master bathroom!  We had a WONDERFUL  contractor (who will be used again and again in the future as we make over our 25+ year old house) and his subcontractors who handled the Corian, shower stall glass and plumbing.  They were all fabulous and made this home improvement FUN!  Next job?  Our Master Bedroom!  Stay tuned...

BACK TO SCHOOL SALE...

"Back to School" time is arriving quickly here in the U.S.  If your "school year" is anything like mine was, you will be spending WAY more time in the car and on the "sidelines" than you did during the carefree summer months.  When my son was young I always had something with me to pass the time during music lessons, games that went into overtime and after school activities that always ran late! 

In case you are looking for a cute little carrier to hold your hand stitching, I'm temporarily reducing the price of my EPP/Sewing Kit Pattern on Craftsy.  I've dropped the price by $2 during this sale!  I remember the huge outlay of cash on school supplies every August and September.  Everyone's budget could use a break right about now!

Unfortunately, this sale is open ONLY TO THOSE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES due to shipping/tax laws. 

If you are interested, heck out my Craftsy link on the right sidebar.  Have a wonderful rest of the summer!

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS...

When I last stopped by my little blog, I showed you the "before" picture of our Master Bath.  WOW, things have REALLY progressed since then!

Here it is, all gutted!  I am SO happy that we chose to do this project NOW, as we found three different areas of water damage!  I shudder to think of the mess I would have had in my kitchen below if we had not caught the problem when we did!!!

Here is the bathroom with the wallboard started.  It's getting exciting...

The shower system has been installed, including a wonderfully big bench to make cleaning our "tootsies" easier!

Here's the little "niche" that will hold our soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc.  I am LOVING this big shower!

Yesterday our wonderful contractor started the tiling.  I can't believe how quickly things are moving along.  I could show you some "in progress" pictures of the tile, but I would rather save them for the big Ta-Da! (grin).  Suffice it to say I am in LOVE!!!  I took a big chance mixing tiles from two different "lines", but they have turned out beautifully.  My choices seemed to "gel" really well in the store, but I was really worried that once on the wall I would see that they did, in reality, clash!  Whew!  All that worry for nothing!  

In other news, all of the annoying, WORRISOME, pain in the buttocks medical testing has come back...NEGATIVE!  I am SO thankful.  It has been a scary couple of weeks with heart testing as a result of a change in my EKG and breast testing as a result of an abnormality seen on my yearly mammogram.  I am sick and tired of being "sick and tired" and told my Dear Hubby that nobody had better suggest any further medical tests for quite a while now!  Those unexpected tests, in addition to my normal testing, have meant a full month of running to and fro...all medically related.  I need some time to get back into the swing of things here in my home!

So today I have spent the morning "frugaling" my little heart out.  I have added to my "points" on five different websites, downloaded 3 free embroidery patterns and 2 free quilt patterns and entered 24 different contests!  There is so much available for free out in the world wide web if one just takes the time and makes the effort to acquire all that is possible!  I also needed to buy some ink for our printers.  I made what I call a "triple play" at Office Depot with my purchase.  I placed my order at Office Depot through the MyPoints website.  That will give me 3 points on my MyPoints account for every dollar spent and 2% back.  I had two coupons that I could use, one for $20 and one for a $15 gift card.  The one for the gift card was not working, so I called customer service and they entered a $15 discount on their end.  I have a rewards number at Office Depot and earned 10% back on my purchases.  AND, I dropped all of our used ink cartridges into a gallon zip-lock bag to return to Office Depot for more credit!  In my mind it has been a GOOD frugal day and I am more than happy to be back in the swing of things!

Toodles...

MOVING PAST THE MADNESS...FOCUS ON FUN !

Sorry I have been away so long.  Life has been totally crazy, and a call from the hospital yesterday just added to the madness!  More tests and more worries to come.  Sigh...  I won't bore you with the details of all that is going on, but suffice it to say...I'm ready to let the good times roll!  Life is meant to be LIVED! 

Soon (hopefully as early as Monday), I will shift my focus to updating our home...beginning with our master bath!  Now THAT is something FUN to focus on!  Our home is over 25 years old and the time has come to begin the overhaul.  Our master bath has held up pretty well, I guess.  However, a water issue behind our shower tiles and a huge soaking tub that we haven't been able to use for several years means it is time to bring this room up to snuff in function and decor! 

Stay tuned as I bring you along for the ride with "Before", "During" and "After" pics.  Let the good times roll!!

ASKING FOR PRAYERS...

A routine doctor appointment yesterday revealed some unsettling test results.  I have to have more testing in a few weeks.  Quite honestly, this surprise has me more concerned than most of my other issues.  Any prayers and good thoughts would be most appreciated!

WOOHOO...MY NEW HANDBAG!

It took a while (more on that in a minute), but it is finally finished.  I. ABSOLUTELY. LOVE. IT!

I cannibalized the handles and the heart from old purses.  Additionally, I pulled out the magnets from my old purse and used them as the closure on this purse.  They are STRONG magnets and the purse stays closed wonderfully.  Using that type of closure, however, required a bit of "improvising" on my part...but it was well worth it! 

You can't really see it in this photo, but the silver handle clasps that I took from my old purse are peeling.  I put those parts of the handles in the back and will look for replacements.

The inside of this bag has a TON of pockets!  Oops, just spotted some threads that need clipping!  Tomorrow I hope to make a zipper pouch out of the same fabrics to hold all of my medications securely.  The pouch I have now is quite beat up.

In the face of "true disclosure", LOL, I did make two mistakes in sewing...which I didn't notice until I turned the bag inside out.  I fixed the missed areas with Liquid Stitch.  All in all, not bad for my first try at making a handbag.

A VERY QUICK PROJECT...

I have wanted one of these pressing boards FOREVER!  For the past four years I have been using the fold up ironing board that J had in college...and even that takes up too much room on my table!  However, I really didn't want to spend any money on the supplies to make a smaller version. 

Today J was helping us purge through some things in the garage.  We came across an old shelf that was headed to the trash pile.  I asked J if he would cut off a portion of the shelf, which he was more than happy to do.  I used a scrap piece of Warm and Natural directly on top of the board and topped that with a scrap piece of InsulBright.  Since we don't own a staple gun (and I'm not about to buy one, LOL) I used duct tape on the back of the board to hold the batting and InsulBright taut.  Then I found a bright piece of fabric, wrapped it all around and duct taped it in place.  I think MAYBE if I am very careful with pulling off the tape on the fabric, I MAY be able to wash this cute little button cover if it gets dirty.  If I can't salvage it to wash and replace...I'll just wrap it with a different piece of fabric and once again hold it in place with duct tape!  Between MacGyver and J...I've learned to love the stuff!!!

I NEED A HANDBAG...

...so this morning I cut out most of the pieces to make myself this ADORABLE Miranda Day Bag! 

My current handbag is wearing badly (it's pleather).  I really wanted a cute little fabric handbag to take on vacation.  Something lightweight and fun...but sophisticated enough for an adult woman.  I would have loved one of those expensive fabric bags (you know which ones I mean), but I REFUSE to spend that kind of money on a handbag that will eventually wear.  I've spent big money on handbags in the past, but they have always been made of high quality leather from the brand name companies who truly stand behind the lifetime warranty on their products.  No matter what the manufacturer claims, fabric handbags have limited lives.

Then I remembered a wonderful handbag pattern that was somewhere in my big box of "patterns to make" (someday, sigh).  After a quick perusal of the box, and quite a few "ooohs" and "aaahs" as I came across forgotten patterns, I found what I was looking for.   An even quicker check through my stash and I had come up with sufficient fabric and batting to complete the project.  But, I was missing interfacing.  I hopped on Ebay and found a store that was offering a great price on the interfacing the pattern recommended (thank you, Shoreline Handwerks).  I was amazed at how quickly it arrived!

I intend to follow the pattern for MOST of the handbag.  However, there are several pieces of my old handbag that I would like to cannibalize and use on this new one.  While the silver and black handles should be an easy adjustment, the closure mechanism...not so much.  My current handbag is a bag by Miche.  Miche handbags are great in that the outside of the handbags are interchangeable...held in place by a VERY strong magnet system.  This strong magnet also holds the top of the bag completely closed so nothing falls out if my handbag tips over.  I'm HOPING (notice I said "hoping", LOL) I can cannibalize the magnets out of the worn out exterior of the bag and use them on my Miranda Day Bag.  Should be an interesting endeavor, if nothing else!

Over the weekend I plan to find a few minutes to begin the first steps of the pattern.  I'll keep you posted on how my "project" is progressing!

Toodles...

SLOW GOING...

,,,but I'm having FUN!  I have a total of 14 tumblers completed, 7 in each direction.  It is going to take me FOR-E-VER to finish this quilt!  However...it is a charity quilt and that makes it all worthwhile!

 

I won this WONDERFUL scrap bundle from Brooke at Silly Mama Quilts!  THANK YOU, BROOKE!  As you can see, one of your scraps is front and center of my two latest tumblers!  Several of your scraps are used in the two tumblers before that.  Thank you, again, for helping me fill out my scraps to complete this quilt!

Toodles...

AND THE WINNER OF THE SMS GIVEAWAY IS....

LauraWilson25

Laura Wilson is the winner of my SMS Giveaway Day prize!  This giveaway was SO much fun...well except for fighting with the random number generator, LOL.  As you can see, I was unable to get a copy of it to show up here!  Last time I took and photo and inserted it in my blog post, but my camera is giving me fits today too!  Time to go back to bed and start over, LOL.

Laura, please email me your address as soon as possible and I will mail your goodies out to you!

Toodles...

IT'S SMS GIVEAWAY DAY!...

Today is Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day!!!  To join in the fun I am giving away a set of 4 fat quarters from DS Quilts with matching zipper, thread and buttons!  To enter, simply follow my blog (in whichever format you prefer) and leave a comment telling me that you are now, or always have been, a follower. 

That's all there is to it...easy, peasy!  The giveaway will end on Sunday and I will notify the winner on Monday!  For more fun, check out Sew Mama Sew's page for more giveaways! Open within the USA only. 

MY TRAVEL EPP KIT IS FINALLY IN MY STORE...

Two of my wonderful testers have emailed me photos of their completed projects, along with some suggestions to make the pattern easier for all to understand.  I am so thankful for the suggestions made by ALL of my testers, even if they haven't quite finished their EPP kits yet!  As we all know....life gets in the way of our best laid plans! 

Thank you, Joan, for your wonderful MooseStash EPP kit!!!

Thank you, Lorene, for your wonderful Monogrammed Kit!!!

I have had a great time developing this kit and hope that you will have as much fun making and using it as I and my testers have had!  ENJOY!