Sandra Sews :)

OOPS!

2012-02-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

I decided to work on a project today that I need for the coming weekend. I pulled out my cute rocket fabric from Joanns, and commenced a cutting. Looks like a child-sized apron, does it not? BUT WAIT!!

CRAP!!! I put the fold on the wrong side, and ended up with this arm-pitty looking piece, lol. I'll just cut it up and use it for something else - I had lots of fabric and was able to recut with no problem :D

Here's what that piece is supposed to look like when it's cut out properly -- notice the applique'd M ;)

Here are the last couple of projects I completed in January - 2 first aid bags ...

... a goldens zipper bag (using up the last few scraps of that fabric), and a quilted batik cat bag :)

I received a lovely package in the mail today ...

2012-02-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

1/2 yard bundle of Riley Blake fabric from the Summer Song collection :)

I won a giveaway during the recent After Christmas Sew Along --- the sew along was hosted by Karen of Sew Much 2 Luv, and the prize was donated and sent by Susan of Bratpackfabrics on Etsy :)

I got the fabric in the mail today -- it is GORGEOUS. I ripped the envelope and then the plastic bag open like I was diving into a bag of cookies, hehe. Thank you ladies - I'm looking forward to the next sewalong in July!

RIP Zainab, Sahar, Geeti and Rona - justice has been served

2012-01-29T23:18:00.000-05:00

Shafia Trial Verdict: Honour Killing Jury Finds All Accused Guilty Of First-Degree Murder

Courts and juries don't always work the way they should, but in this instance, justice was served when the 3 co-defendants were all found guilty of first degree murder. Perhaps now those beautiful ladies can find some peace in knowing that the people who were supposed to take care of them and cherish them, will spend the next 25 years in jail.

Posts Masood Nasir (I think this is a tweet?):

Thank God I live in #Canada where justice was served today for cold-blooded shameless murders of 4 women

I concur, Masood, completely.

On a happier note, our oldest lad Nick turned 23 today - Happy Birthday, Shorty!! The 4 of us went to The Keg for a steak dinner (yum!) then came home for Boston cream cake with icecream for dessert - it was a great day!

The word of the day is ... PINK!

2012-01-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

Living in a house full of males (hubby, 2 sons, 1 kitty) there isn't a lot of pink around here, so sometimes it's necessary to give myself a bit of a girly fix :)

First up is a little pink project made with ~~stolen~~ commandeered fabric from Nancy - the lining is pink with black polka dots :)

Here's a close-up of the beaded zipper pull :)

Next up - some soft babywale corduroy bags for a couple of young ladies who shall remain nameless (until the next photo, lol) :)

Here's the embroidery inside Emily's bag ...

... and the embroidery inside Samantha's bag :)

Here's a close-up of the zipper pulls - they're both the same. Hopefully they'll like their little surprise :)

And in the not-so-pink department, here's the last rocket boxy bag I had kitted up :)

Samantha and Emily :)

2012-01-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

I think I need a new tripod - mine is CROOKED! These are for a couple of surprise projects I'm working on ... one is done, the other will be completed, hopefully, tomorrow :D (Samantha isn't stitched down as it's going on the other project)

Zakka Style - I has it!

2012-01-25T11:44:00.000-05:00

Today's completion - a house pouch - designed by Julia Bravo - pattern published in Zakka Style :) My friend Nancy loaned me the book and this project caught my eye for some reason ;) There's a flower on the back as well, but I forgot to get a picture, lol.

Here are a few more recent finishes :)

Paisley fabric from Joanns - I love this print and need to get more of it :)


Panty bags - always cute! Fabric from Joanns :)

Close-up of the cute zipper pull (from ebay) :)

Another rocket bag set - fabric also from Joanns :D

The cutest fabric I've seen in a long time :)

2012-01-21T23:55:00.003-05:00

Goldfish crackers fabric by Timeless Treasures - what a hoot! I think I need to get some more of this, lol.

Rockets fabric from Joanns - another favourite - so cute for boys :) I think they should make it in pink as well, for girl astronauts!

Hedgehog goulash, LOL

2012-01-20T23:59:00.001-05:00

Hubby and I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie tonight- I quite enjoyed it, although it was a bit darker than the last one! I'll definitely buy the DVD when it comes out, and I saw previews for several other movies I'd like to see - especially Men in Black 3 --- I can't wait for that one, lol!

I got an old(ish) UFO finished today and tried something new - this is a clutch pattern that I downloaded a while back (when it was free) - it's quick and simple to piece after the QAYG construction is done :)

I used a sew-in magnetic snap set for the closure - I still prefer zippers so I'd like to find a bag in this shape with that kind of flap - but with a zipper! I suspect I can find a pattern @ Keyka Lou's site, lol.

My heart is beating just a little faster ;)

2012-01-19T23:23:00.001-05:00

I have a date with hubby tomorrow night - we're going to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie :) Well, more accurately - "I" am going to see it because I loved the first one - he's just going because that's what nice husbands do, LOL. Robert Downey Jr. + Jude Law = YUM!

A couple more completions from kits :)

Hoot hoot :)

2012-01-18T23:47:00.000-05:00


Blocks for a project I'm working on :) (and no, the one owl is NOT a mistake - that was deliberate!)

Using up some bits and pieces - these are for Blue Hills :)


Not sure why the camera turned the white background blue!


Again the camera turned the colours odd - the pink linen is a very pretty soft pink!

The V-Day boy bibs :)

2012-01-13T23:36:00.001-05:00

Jake is Shawn's nonnna/nonno's puppy - I thought he would appreciate the shout-out :D

I woof you!!! :)

Not much sewing going on so far this year!

2012-01-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

I've made a dozen quilt blocks for a project I'm working on, and not much else! Tonight I whipped these up for the girls, and tomorrow I'll make the ones for the boys :D

Sorry Albany, I forgot to give you some lace!

This time I remembered the lace, lol.

With baby sloths, there's no need for clothespins!

2012-01-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

EEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the squeak @ 24 seconds, lol!

Spring Fling, lingerie and birch bark!

2012-01-05T12:16:00.002-05:00

I entered this blog giveaway in December, and was lucky enough to win my choice of several of Anina's lovely patterns --- I chose Spring Fling - isn't it adorable? Log cabin + a bit wonky + scrappy = win/win/win in my book :) Thank you Anina and Twiddletails!

Here are 2 stitcheries I did today for some panty bags I'm making :D Unfortunately I didn't save the embroidery pattern designer's name, but thank you to whomever came up with this cutie!

While at Joanns on Monday I picked up a couple of yards of this cute birch bark fabric for a project I want to do. The pattern came in the mail today so tomorrow I can get started! Can't post the pattern though, as the eventual recipient will figure it out ;)

Here's the selvage info if anyone wants to look for this adorable fabric :D

No more pizza :D

2012-01-04T23:08:00.000-05:00

No, that's not a New Year's resolution - it's a statement of scrap usage, LOL! Pizza fabric is all gone now, and the bag set sure looks delicious! ;)

Requested by a friend ...

2012-01-03T23:12:00.001-05:00

Valentine SBS :)

I stitched this out for a friend - this is one of the patterns I must have downloaded before I started keeping track of where they came from!

A woman after my own heart, but definitely NSFW!

2012-01-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

(Here, if the video doesn't work) :)

The last finishes of 2011 :)

2012-01-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

Here are my last finishes for 2011 - I didn't get them photographed until today :) I haven't sewn yet this year - have been too busy!

2 elf bibs :)

Police hunk bags :D

Rocket bags :)

Rocket pouches!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

I hope everybody had a happy and SAFE!!! new year - we spent the evening at a friend's house having pizza for dinner and playing euchre - that's my idea of a fun evening :)

Here are a couple of stitcheries I did a few days ago - I'll post the finished projects in a day or two - they're done but I haven't taken photos yet. Tomorrow hubby and I are going Stateside for a Joanns run (taking my gift card to use, Heather, THANK YOU!) so I'll probably post the finished items on Wednesday :D

Christmas stitcheries :D

2011-12-31T14:16:00.000-05:00


I stitched this out for someone who LOVES spiders ;)

A little assortment of stitcheries for a friend :)

Freebie from Pacific Northwest Embroidery's 2011 Advent calendar

Old Matryoshka of the month from the PNW-Embroidery Yahoo group

Freebie from annthegran.com - 15000 stitches, and it stitched perfectly!

Brian :)

2011-12-31T12:30:00.000-05:00

Brian and Nick, 1989 :)

Kim, Sherry & Brian 1998 :)

In memory of Buzz (Brian) - our brother, the other redhead - Feb. 25/64 to Dec. 31/98 :) I'm closing comments on this post - I get a little bit too emotional :)

Happy New Year to everybody, and please - STAY SAFE!

More Christmas gifts :D

2011-12-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

Taupe/black pillowcases for my SIL :)


Tall pouch for my brother Kim

Lining of Kim's bag - I couldn't find hockey card fabric but I did find a baseball version!

Tote and tall pouch for Jamie

Horse embroidery added to lining of Jamie's set

Name added to Jamie's pieces

Pouch for Graci - when she goes to a friend's house or to the vet or doggy park she can carry her treats and poop bags! ;)

The lining of Graci's bag :)

LL Cool B :)

2011-12-30T00:58:00.000-05:00

Great nephew Lleyton, 2 days old :)

I already have a folder on my laptop just for his photos, and tonight I changed my desktop background to do a Lleyton slideshow :D

More Christmas gifts :)

2011-12-29T23:54:00.000-05:00

Christmas tall pouch and gift bags, went to Alabama :)

Travel bag set and flower pins, now living in Michigan :D

3 owl embroideries (these apparently haven't arrived in Aus yet!)


Paisley bag set (these went to Sweden!)


Pillowcases for Amina (when she was living in California)

Cancan tall pouch, being used in Germany :D

Bunny and sewing stitchouts, living in the UK!


Goldens bag set, at home in Ontario :D

Humbug triplets :)

2011-12-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some Christmas gifts I made for my sister and her two daughters:

Patch inside Stacie's bag

The other patch inside Stacie's bag

Patches for Jenn's bag

Patch inside Sherry's bag

The other patch inside Sherry's bag

The triplets, completed

Back of the bags

Close-up of one of the bags

Names from: Free Embroidery Name Library
Stacie's tree and Jenn's wreath: Christmas Whimsies by Designs by Sick
Sherry's pretty tree: Freebie from Sew Teri-fic Designs
Fabric from: Joanns in Cortland, New York (which we found by accident when we were looking for a place to eat, lol).

Happy birthday, and Happy birth day :)

2011-12-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to my SIL Heather (today), and happy Birth Day to my newest great nephew (yesterday)! Jenn had her baby, Jenn had her baby, my sister is now a GRAMMIE!!!

Here's Grammie Sherry holding Lleyton (LL Cool B!) - baby momma Jenn looks fantastic only a day after having him - BRATTY KID!!

Proud grandpa Mark holding Lleyton - the star of the show looks ever so handsome and contented :) He looks like his daddy in this photo!

Thank God it's over

2011-12-26T22:14:00.001-05:00

I know I'm not the only one that had *husband issues* (ahem) @ Christmas - so for those of us that had crap, BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! I'm glad the whole thing is over for another year - I must remember for 2012 to arrange to be on another planet or a deserted island for the festive season. Or maybe just hubby can go to the far-off planet - that bears investigating!

On a happier note we're waiting for news about a special delivery from our very expectant niece --- I'm sure my sister (grandma-to-be) jumps every time the phone rings! Any day now ... *rubbing my hands with glee* :)

On a totally unrelated note (hehe) here's a project I completed recently - McCalls #M6368 - burp cloth, taggy blanket and bib :) I have a pink set under construction as well :D

Cupcakes and a doberman (dobergirl, actually, LOL)

2011-12-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

This is piece #3 of the cupcake set I wanted to make ... sorry about the gaudy colour - the white background photographed terribly (and greenishly?!)

Close-up of the cupcake embroidery I did on the front

Here's the cupcake picture from Julias Needle Designs

3 piece cupcake set - pleated pouch, boxy bag and gift bag :)

Freebie dobie pattern from embroiderydesigns.com

Dobie gift bag to hold my neighbours Christmas gifts - sorry, I should have pressed it first, lol!

Don't mess with the frog (SFW) :D

2011-12-22T17:50:00.000-05:00

2 down, 1 to go :D

2011-12-21T23:49:00.001-05:00

Here are the beaded zipper pulls I made for both bags ...

... and here are the two bags I completed with the last of this cupcake fabric :) If you look closely you can see the 3 heart buttons I put on each bag :)

Tomorrow I'm going to make a 3rd piece for the set, and that will complete it :)

Links: pleated pouch ... boxy bag :)

Time for cupcakes!

2011-12-21T12:49:00.000-05:00

Pleated pouch by Skip to my Lou, cupcake fabric from Hobby Lobby :) The fabrics on the right will soon, with elven help, turn into a boxy bag to go with the pouch ;) I'll be making beaded zipper pulls for these as my fingers are working well at the moment :D

Now Santa has a guide for his sleigh :)

2011-12-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Note to self: use pressing mat when using a hot iron on fleece *sigh*

At least his facial iron scar isn't as visible now that he's stuffed! Pattern available here :)

I made a pillowcase with this fabric, and had just a scrap left!

But do you recall ... the most famous reindeer of all?

2011-12-20T13:52:00.002-05:00

Well, he's not famous yet because he isn't finished, but if I get him done in time, he could perhaps do a very important job on Saturday night!! ;) Pattern is from preciouspatterns on Etsy :) I was busy working away on him but needed to come do some housework and get supper started, lol. Hopefully I can finish him tonight!

All 6 "Save the Ta-tas" bags done :)

2011-12-19T21:28:00.000-05:00

5 of the 6 "Save the Tatas" bags I made for the ladies on hubby's side of the family - just in time for Christmas :) Bag #6 has already been mailed - it couldn't wait for the group photo op :D

All the bags have this embroidery on the lining, in various shades of pink :D

The rooster crows at midnight :)

2011-12-18T23:02:00.000-05:00

This is the bag I made for my neighbour - I did bags for everybody but the hubby :) Dobie Xena's gift is here, their son's gift is here, and their daughter's gift is here :) If I have time I'm going to try to embroider a doberman on a gift bag - I tried the pattern already and it didn't work, but that may have been because I was trying to stitch on a suede-type fabric - it was very thick and I probably wasn't using the right combination of stabilizer/needle type etc.

She has a rooster collection, hence my choice of pattern :D The lining is embroidered with a rather naughty saying *ahem*, so I won't post it :D

A few Christmas gifts :)

2011-12-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

Daphne's pouch embroidery :)

Daphne's pouch :)

Hawaiian embroideries :)

December 16 FNSI :)

2011-12-17T15:11:00.000-05:00

Our Amanda wasn't able to make it last night, but Nancy, Susan and I got together for a rollicking fun time in the dungeon :D Susan brought her hubby along to meet her Aurora buddies - I think we probably scared the **** out of him :D Just kidding - he was lovely, and he's used to Susan, so Nancy and I didn't phase him, LOL. Hi Dave!

Here are a few photos of our evening frivolities - the sewing part, anyways - I forgot to get pictures of the ~~junk~~ healthy food we consumed :D


Susan's house ornaments under construction (tutorial here)

Nancy's fruitiness under construction :)

My embroidery-ness under construction :D

Stuff it! Stuff it!!

Turn it right side out! ;)

Nancy's lovely completions :)

Susan's lovely completions :D

My froggy completion :)

This is what I embroidered to go inside the froggy bag - it's the recipient's name :)

We had a great time - Susan's husband joked that he could tell we weren't having a very good time because we didn't make any noise downstairs ;) We could have awoken the dead (from abed! PML!) with our hooting and hollering and carrying on :D

I'm covered - the rest of you are on your own :D

2011-12-17T14:45:00.000-05:00

I made a pouch for our new neighbour's dog Xena - she's a dobie, and I'm of course attempting to buy her love :D This is what I put inside the bag, just for reinforcement! ;)

Here's the outside of the bag :D

I'm in my happy place :D

2011-12-14T11:53:00.001-05:00

My wench friend Nancy picked me up today for a quick run into town to go to the fabric store :D I only picked up a few little bits and bobs @ Fabricland, but found my big "score" @ Evelyns - Clover quilting pins, woooooooohooooooo!

I'm far from a "notions snob" - my favourite brand is "on sale" :D A few weeks ago I was at Nancy's house to sew, and happened to use her Clover quilting pins - I fell in LOVE, and have looked for them ever since. I was ever so pleased to find them @ Evelyns :) The price was kinda sucky but sometimes you just buy what you want, despite the extra few bucks. And WANT I DID!! I'm now the happy owner of 2 packages of these sharp little lovelies, and it has put a smile on my face - thanks Nanc!!! See you tonight :D

It only took 11 days ...

2011-12-11T21:33:00.001-05:00

Every year by mid-December I start to dream of going to a hotel on Christmas Eve and not coming home until Boxing Day. I never do it, but I dream it.

Things that care more about Christmas than my guys:
- a box of rocks
- road kill
- the lint in my dryer
- mold on bread

I made these today - they're first aid bags for my kids, who like most (some?) people in construction, come home with paper towel and electrical tape wrapped around the cuts and scrapes they get at work. Surely a little bit of antibiotic cream wouldn't kill them?! The first aid cross is a freebie embroidery pattern from annthegran.com - it stitched out perfectly both times.

Edited to add: the denim I used for the bags is reclaimed denim from their work jeans - very appropos ;) (and I'm running low on denim, so they need to wear out more jeans!)

Save the Tatas :D

2011-12-10T22:23:00.000-05:00

Save the Tatas :D

One of my SIL's was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, so I decided to make special bags for all the ladies in the family. I got the first bag done last night - here's what I embroidered for the inside ;)

Here's the first bag - the rest will be done in time for Christmas (if my embroidery machine co-operates!) :)

Little Christmas elves :D

2011-12-09T12:42:00.001-05:00

Guess who these are for? LOL!

There's a pinup girl in my house! ;)

2011-12-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

Gift bags - heron stitchery from Designs by Sick, pinup lady (heehee isn't that adorable?!) from Julias Needle Designs :)

First aid bag - this is a Christmas gift for the lovely nurse that comes to give me my Humira shot every 2 weeks :)

Nurse Lisa's name is embroidered inside :)

Pet stuff :D

2011-12-07T12:37:00.001-05:00

I wish I could remember where I got this pattern from (I think the proper phrasing might be "from where I got this pattern" but that sounds snooty and I would never say it that way, LOL) - it's called, I think, PetStuff - I downloaded it when I first got my machine and hadn't figured out yet how best to save file information. Cute, eh? :)

From heron in ...

2011-12-06T22:42:00.001-05:00


Heron

Bad pun, bad pun!! I stitched this out tonight but wasn't paying close enough attention to the colour guide - I used blue when it was stitching the cattail leaves, lol. I had a thread shred at one point but was able to fix it, now that I know how to "backspace" the stitching :D Tomorrow I'll try again with the proper colour sequence ;)

Winter wonderland :D

2011-12-06T14:13:00.001-05:00

This photo was taken from my front porch this afternoon :)

Taken from my front porch, the kids' public school is in the background, and the house on the right belongs to our new neighbours :)

We finally got a blast of winter snow - I sure don't like it, but it's definitely pretty! Prettier than my crappy photography shows, anyways, lol. Much easier to handle as I listen to my new favourite Christmas carol --- Michael Buble and Shania Twain singing White Christmas - GOOSEBUMPS!!! I have a crush on Michael, LOL!

I have an embro assistant - do you? :)

2011-12-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

I finished up a bag today with the help & supervision of my favourite assistant :) He works cheap and doesn't give me a hard time :D


First humbug tall pouch :)

Here's the bag I started last night - you can't really see it in the photo but instead of a zipper pull with a charm or beads, I tied on a jingle bell! Jingle jingle jingle!! It has 2 embroideries inside - a name and the Christmas tree I posted yesterday :)

Just like potato chips ...

2011-12-02T23:13:00.001-05:00

you can't stop at one! I stitched this tonight to tuck inside a Christmas bag I'm doing :) The pattern is from the Christmas Whimsies set from Designs by Sick :)

I learned tonight that I can fold my stabilizer in half (I generally cut it 7x9 to fit into my hoop) and just hold it in place under the fabric while attaching the hoop to the machine - it stays in place perfectly when the stitching starts and I don't need to use 2 x 7 x 9 sheets of stabilizer to get a double layer - now why didn't I think of that earlier? LOL!

Vroom vroom :)

2011-12-02T13:32:00.001-05:00

Close-up of embro


Reclaimed denim and (sexy!) convertible embro - this is the "wrapping" for a Christmas gift ;)

Embroidery pattern set is Redwork Convertibles by Designs by Sick :)

A little preview ...

2011-12-01T21:35:00.001-05:00

I stitched this out today to use on the lining of a bag I'm making :D I wish I could remember where I got the pattern - it was an online freebie in a set called PetStuff. If anyone knows, could you let me know - I'd like to post a link - thank you!

She's done :)

2011-12-01T11:21:00.001-05:00

Here's the Santa 'mingo zipper bag I made for myself (link to freebie embro pattern is here) - even the lining is 'mingo fabric, but I forgot to take a picture of that :D This is going right into my purse for Christmas use :) It stitched out SO perfectly - Teri did a wonderful job (and I'll be emailing her to let her know!). I'm very very pleased with how this turned out!

Hair and manicure - part deux - the completions :)

2011-11-30T13:54:00.001-05:00

3 piece set - tote, panty bag, round bottom bag

Close-up of panty bag and round bottom bag

Stitchery added inside all the bags

Blow dryer zipper pull

Brush zipper pull

Blogger insists on arranging photos the way they want them. Here's a zipper pull with a nail polish charm - I made this same pull for each bag in this set

Manicurist tote and tall pouch - panels are by Loralie

Back of tote

Nail polish stitchout in both bags

Santa Flamingo :)

2011-11-30T13:12:00.001-05:00

I decided to take a bit of time and make something for myself today - I found a cute Santa flamingo freebie @ Sew Teri-fic Designs - I downloaded it and am stitching it out right now onto a piece of reclaimed denim (salvaged from worn out electrician's jeans, hehe). So far so good! I'm using a jeans needle and 2 layers of tear-away stabilizer - the pattern is somewhat stitch intensive so I don't want any warping or stretching :)

It stitched out PERFECTLY - I think the extra layer of stabilizer made the difference. I have a bit of housework to do (booooooooooo, lol) and will be going out tonight, but hopefully I'll get the stitchout "installed" in MY project tonight and can post it :)

Hair and Manicure #1 :)

2011-11-30T08:49:00.001-05:00

I got a request for a gifty for a hairstylist and a manicure. Here are some in-progress photos:

Hairdresser tote lining

Inside embellishment for hairdresser set

I hadn't thought much about taking in-progress photos while I was doing the hairdresser set, lol. When I started the manicure set I had the house to myself for the whole day and evening (hubby and kids were going to a work Christmas party after work) so I got to play sewing machine and photographer all day! ;)

Manicure tote - panel is by Loralie

Tall pouch

Nail polish stitchout, for the lining of both bags

The nail polish pattern is the first embroidery pattern that I actually paid for - until I go that one, I had only downloaded freebies. I wish the designers would put their names/websites on the files so they can be given credit! I save files by topic, not by designer, and I don't even remember where I found this one - but it cost $3.99 ... HA!

Reporting in from Santa's Workshop :)

2011-11-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

Like most crafters, I've been busy in the ~~dungeon~~ workshop for a while now - here are a few photos I can safely post ;)

Pillowcases for Blue Hills

I misread the stitching directions and got an orange car instead of blue, LOL (stitched on reclaimed electrician's denim :D)

"Redwork" stitcheries for a friend, using variegated thread

Thread purchased during our recent trip to PA

Zippers purchased during our PA trip

Off to download more photos from Chris's camera ;) BTW - HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!!! Today is my brother's birthday - I called him on the phone tonight but he was out - hopefully having a lovely birthday dinner! As a gift, I did *not* sing Happy Birthday to him --- you're welcome, Kim! :D

Baby 1 and Baby 2 :)

2011-11-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

The colour in the second picture is rather scary - the bibs are actually a soft banana yellow - very pretty! These are for our expectant niece/nephew (well, nephew + his darling wife) who are expecting twins in the spring :) Right now they call the babies (a boy and a girl!) Baby 1 and Baby 2, hence the above project :D

Last night I drafted the text in Stitch Universal Era (a very detailed program, in which I can only do the most basic of tasks) and did the stitch-outs, then this morning I sewed the bibs on my new old 411 Singer :D Will deliver the bibs in an hour when we see hubby's family for lunch!

A few photos from our recent vacation :)

2011-11-22T15:29:00.001-05:00

Hubby sleeping @ Kim & Heather's house

Graci relaxing @ home

Sabretooth Graci and Heather

Kim and his girl Graci

Kim sleeping

Matt with a Graci scarf

Matt without a Graci scarf

Teddy, Seamus and Greta @ Mickie's house in PA

As usual I forgot I had a camera with me, and only got a few shots! A natural photographer - I am NOT :D The first photos (of my brother Kim, his wife Heather, their son Matt and their pupper Graci) were taking here in Ontario, and the last photo was taken in Pennsylvania, where Mickie lives :)

Jenn's shower gift :)

2011-11-21T23:11:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went to a baby shower held for my expectant niece Jennifer - here are the gifties I made :D

Playmat with loops and velcro to attach toys to keep baby entertained :) My friend Nancy made the stuffed seahorse and starfishies!

A matching wet bag and bib complete the set :) She also got a set of 4 Sens bibs I made when I first found out she was pregnant, lol.

Baby Black is due exactly one month from today - I know I'm excited and momma-to-be is excited, but I suspect my sister Sherry - soon-to-be-Grammie - is probably more excited than everybody, if that's possible, LOL!! Sherry "you're" in the home stretch!!! ;)

A few gifties for PA ...

2011-11-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Here are a few gifties I made to take on our recent vacation to Pennsylvania :)

Sunbonnet Sue zipper and boxy bags

Labels for panty bags


Panty bags for Kat and Peggy

3 flamingo stitcheries

Introducing ... Maxine :D

2011-11-11T12:04:00.001-05:00


Maxine the Owl :)

I bought this pattern on Etsy a few days ago and whipped one up to go with the quilt set I made recently. The pattern is quite simple, and easy to whip up. I see more owls in my future - this little lady is TRES cute!

The pattern is a shop called ginia18 - she has cute goodies and I was pleased with the quick service :) No affiliation - just a happy customer!

Reason 4,763 why I love my vet :)

2011-11-09T19:19:00.001-05:00

My kitty has on-going health issues but they're pretty much under control with medication. Hubby and I are going away for a week and the kids will be taking care of Le Beast. I took him to the vet tonight to make sure he's not having any issues, as the kids might not be as quick to catch them as I (hopefully) would be. Dr. Nora checked him over and pronounced him fine, and gave me some hints about his medication - then told me that the visit was on her, because she knows I'm very conscientious about taking care of his issues :) Zoomer and I both thank you Dr. Nora - your kindness is much appreciated! Everybody in that office is such a delight to deal with - so caring and concerned, and they treat Zoomer like he's their own kitty :D

I love my vets - 3 cheers for Drs. Nora and Jacqui!

I like big bundts and I cannot lie :D

2011-11-08T13:10:00.004-05:00

Tomato soup bundt (I call it Walnut Spice) made to celebrate I Like Big Bundts (#3!) -- 30 days of bundt cakes - by Mary, the Food Librarian :) I made this last night and had to slice and pack enough slices for our oldest son to take to work for lunch this week, lol. Yes, the cake went over VERY well - thank you Mary, as always, for hosting this decadent smorgasbord!

I think this will be my next one, although it's going to have to wait until we get back from vacation, lol.

Michael Miller's Strawberry Tea Party :D

2011-11-07T11:37:00.003-05:00

Had to take a break to get some stuff done - hubby and I are going on vacation this weekend and I needed to finish up stuff :D I'm not done yet, but I'm not in the frantic stage anymore, so that's a good sign :)

Here's a little set I finished up ... I hope the recipient likes it - and thanks Nancy for the binding fabric!

36x36 quilt :)

Minky-ish backing :)

Extra bits and pieces :)

I have scraps left over to make one last extra if I have time, depending on how my To Do list progresses before the weekend, lol.

When you're having a bad day ...

2011-10-28T15:29:00.000-04:00

and if you don't mind seriously offensive language in a hysterical usage, check out this site :D Warning - language definitely NSFW or for those of a "delicate nature" :D

I was having difficulty this morning with my sewing machine. A piece of the plastic thingy that holds the bobbin had broken off, and the bobbin kind of flops around like a fish out of water. I called Brother Canada and after being told the bobbin holder thingy was a consumable (like a needle or lightbulb! That's what they told me, until I argued, politely about it!) they said they'd ship me a new machine and I could ship the old one back when I get/test out the new one. Seems like overkill when I expected them to just replace the piece, so we shall see how this goes. In the interim I have no zigzag machine, ARGH. I'm going to have to figure out some workarounds for decorative/zigzag stitching - I can't wait for a week to get these projects finished - I have time constraints. Wish me luck - it wasn't a very good day today, LOL!!

I can't post a picture of this morning's completed project as the recipient will recognize it and it's supposed to be a surprise - so I'll post this instead - it's what my oldest son did one day when I asked him to peel some potatoes :)

Sign me ... Sandra, the Typhoid Mary of Sewing Machines!

Hmmmmmm I just found a "draft" post :D

2011-10-24T23:01:00.000-04:00

I started this post a few days ago and never published it - I guess I got distracted! A few photos to entertain and/or bore you :D

Panty bag with zipper pull added :)

Close-up of zipper pull :)

Ric rac bib set :)

Embellished bib set :)

Close-up of (twin needle) decorative stitching :)

Singleton bib, to use up the very last bits of this flannel :)

I know someone ... who knows someone ...

2011-10-24T22:56:00.000-04:00

who is having a baby, but hasn't received any handmade baby gifts. EEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeek that just seems wrong! I went to ~~Santa~~'s Sandra's Workshop and made these - I'm sure at least two of them will be suitable for the arrival of le/la bebe :)

What's under the quilt?

2011-10-23T21:36:00.001-04:00

This is the view I came downstairs to yesterday morning. It's our oldest lad curled up on the floor under a quilt - I didn't have the camera at hand when the cat was sniffing him curiously, lol. I don't think he even knew I was photographing him!

Blog "removed" - now back ... maybe?

2011-10-23T18:30:00.003-04:00

Just checking to see if my blog got added back - for all of today it was GONE - poofed into cyberspace for ??? reason - along with my main email address. JUST TESTING! Maybe I can stop freaking out, LOL! (What a day I've had because of this!)

Oh - I don't like posting without a photo, so here's my niece's cat - ~~Lucifleur~~ Flower :D

October 21 FNSI - very productive!

2011-10-22T00:17:00.004-04:00

Tonight I got together with no-blog Amanda and Miss Nancy for an evening of fun, carrying on, sewing and general goofiness :D Nancy proved to be a natural at freemotion quilting - impressive! Amanda made herself a lovely bag (pattern compliments of Quilt a Bag in Markham!), and I completed 2 boxy bags, a tall pouch and a zipper bag. I can't post one of the sets as it's a Christmas gift and the recipient will figure it out due to the fabric theme, but I can post the other set :)

Nancy practicing freemo quilting

After about 3 minutes of practice she was ready to quilt her project, a lovely bag made with Tilda fabric :)

My project-which-cannot-be-posted - under construction - this is the tall pouch :)

Amanda's vest bag - ready to be worked on

Nancy's gorgeous quilted bag front and back! Note the container of homemade cookies in front, LOL - cherry and white chocolate! ;)

One of the sets I completed - pizza boxy bag and zipper bag :)

Amanda sewing the straps onto her bag :)

Amanda's finished bag - gorgeous!

Thank you ladies - it was a blast!! And thank you Nancy, who gifted me with two packages of twin needles (2 needles per pack) - in a size I don't have -- I can't wait to try them out, woooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!!!

P.S. I had already started my bags - they were cut out, interfaced and had the zippers attached - that's how I was able to get all 4 of them finished :)

"Electrician" Halloween costume, lol

2011-10-21T23:53:00.001-04:00

Hubby tonight brought home a special safety outfit designed for electricians working on live wires. He tried it on in the kitchen, much to the amusement of his photo-snapping wife - aka ME :) By the time he got all the pieces on he was sweating to death and had to rip everything off - I can't imagine how practical that would be on a job site, but it would certainly be safe!

#1 - getting dressed

#2 - adding the second pair of gloves

#3 - I told him to pose ... ROTFL!!! (at this point I could barely breathe because I was laughing so hard, LOL)

#4 - stripping everything off as quickly as possible because he was SWELTERING!

Tonight was FNSI night, and I had a blast with Nancy and Amanda - I have to download the photos from my camera and do a FNSI post - I had a very productive evening, plus the 3 of us had a blast sewing and being generally silly :D

LANT panties :)

2011-10-20T23:54:00.000-04:00

I wanted to try something out today, so I whipped up this panty bag (hey Katherine - look really closely at the zipper!) :)

Here's a close-up of the "LANT" (learn a new technique) part of the bag - I did twin needle decorative stitching on it, and it worked out VERY well! If you try it, just remember to handcrank the machine to test out at least one full pattern of the decorative stitch, just to make sure your twin needle clears the foot and plate - ask me how I know that's important, LOL!

Presented without comment, for Angela :D

2011-10-19T12:53:00.002-04:00

Ahem, Angela! ;)

Fauja Singh, I salute you, sir!

2011-10-19T00:02:00.000-04:00

Fauja Singh, 100, earned a spot in the Guiness World Book of Records after becoming the oldest person to complete a full-distance marathon in Toronto on Sunday. What an inspiration - I hope he makes it to the 2012 London Games!!

And in the "cute and funny but not world record breaking" department ... a little bag I finished this weekend - the pattern is from sewlover.com and the batik fabric was gifted to me by Nancy :)

Now, Angela ... I'm not saying

2011-10-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

that I *completed* our challenge, but I hope you've at least picked out a project to work on!! ;)

Challenge extended - and accepted :D

2011-10-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

My friend Angela in Germany (aka No Blog Angela) hasn't been doing much sewing lately. She's been distracted by something - we won't go into the salacious details, but suffice it to say she's having fun at a craft OTHER than one involving a sewing machine *grin* :)

Today I challenged her to make one zipper bag this week - she has until Friday @ 6:00 p.m. :) She accepted my challenge, so it's ON!!! Of course I, in return, will also attempt to make a zipper bag *bites tongue to stop from laughing* !!

Here's the project I'll be working on - the fabric is from Joanns, and I'm going to use a twin needle to quilt the fabric.

Here's a closer view of the charms I'll be adding inside (they say Made with love) and the lampwork beads for the zipper pulls.

Hopefully I'll be able to complete my own challenge, LOL! ;)

Hey Nanc - guess what this means?

2011-10-16T17:10:00.003-04:00

The new bobbins work - YAY!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving ...

2011-10-13T22:42:00.000-04:00

... to my Canadian friends :) The 4 of us (hubby and I and both boys) went "home for the holidays" to visit my family :) We had a fantastic time, and the weather was so lovely that we actually ate Thanksgiving dinner on the deck overlooking the lake - NICE!!!

I got a few little projects finished up over the last few days:

Chicken and coffee boxy bags :)

Two more cowboy bags (I'm waiting for the boot charms to come for the zipper pulls)

Halloween bibs for the twins next door :)

Mushroom zippy from fabric I salvaged from a project that went awry, LOL!

Boxy and zipper bags from the last of this dec fabric :)

Halloween bibs (gifts) :)

Zipper bags finishing up stash bits and pieces :)

Hey Nanc - front and centre!

2011-10-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

Here you go, my lady ----- you can pick them up at your convenience, and if you want the black crimp beads/lobster claws to make zipper pulls, let me know! I hope you and she like :)

Boxy and pleated bag set for Nancy for Miss B :D

Close-up of the buttons and quilting on the boxy bag :)

Close-up of the button on the pleated bag :)

The boxy bag is my usual boxy bag (based on the Patchy Apple tutorial), and the pleated pouch is by Skip to my Lou (see my sidebar for links). The buttons are from a previous Joanns trip, and the quilting on the boxy bag was done with a twin needle!!! Lovin' it!!!

Lavender paisley set :)

2011-10-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

Boxy and zipper bag set :)

Close-up of twin needle quilting

Close-up of shell buttons and beaded zipper pull :)

A little preview ...

2011-10-03T13:16:00.001-04:00

I wanted to sit at Bella and do some zippers today so I could get some projects ready to be stitched together. Here's a set that's not near the top of my "needs to get done quickly" list, but it was in the pile so it got zip-ified :D It's a gift for N to give B :)

N - check out the fancified quilting!! And maybe get cracking on a couple of nice colourful zipper pulls - I have black lobster claws and crimp beads that would match the black zippers!

Some theme charms are ordered ...

2011-10-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

... for zipper pulls for these bags :) I have enough cowboy fabric for a boxy bag and another zipper bag, so the these ones will go to Blue Hills for a little boy :) I seem to have way more girly fabric than boy fabric, so I'm always happy to be able to even the score a bit :D

Speaking of boy fabric ... well, not really - these would be good for a boy OR girl, of the Canadian persuasion! These also will go to Blue Hills, and are limited edition bibs, as I used up the last of the fabric to make them :D

It's not exactly breakfast in bed ... lol!

2011-10-02T09:51:00.000-04:00

"I adapt to my environment - my environment doesn't adapt to me!"

It's an interesting way to eat breakfast - it was nippy in the house this morning - the furnace isn't turned on yet and it was only 16C when we came downstairs, so Nick was wearing a hat to keep warm - hence his quote, LOL!

His hat strings are on top of his head because they were falling in his cereal while he was eating :D

This is a pretty damn cute way to start my day!

Another dino ...

2011-10-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

and a cat the size of a small dino, LOL.

Here's my little couch potato, keeping me company while I play on the computer :)

And here's the other dino I cut out when I was making Shawn's dino last month - I stuffed him tonight while I was on the phone, lol.

iFinished :)

2011-09-30T12:38:00.000-04:00

Bug quilt finished - 40" x 40" :)

Time to mark THAT project off of my Christmas To Do list! Posting this to Allie's Christmas Through the Year challenge :D

A few last finishes for September :)

2011-09-29T22:21:00.002-04:00

3 bibs that I literally pieced together with the last bits and pieces of the giraffe and hippo prints, and the last bits of some red (and reddish) flannel :)

Nancy did you give me this fabric? I used it all up - this set will go to Blue Hills :)

My second wet bag - when I tried out the pattern a few months ago I kitted 2 of them, so now both are finished :D

Tonight I finished my bug quilt - it's in the washer right now so I'll post a picture tomorrow - it's a Christmas gift so I'm happy to have it done!

Seize the moment and DANCE :)

2011-09-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

I finally finished the zipper pulls for this ladybug bag set - I got little ladybug beads on Ebay a while ago that were perfect as the main stone for the pulls :)

More stashbusting, the burgundy boxy bag finished off a piece of corduroy I had in stash, and the pillowcase used up the last of this farm fabric :)

Turn your volume down if you're at work! Watch dad enjoying some music and dancing with his adorable baby - so sweet! My husband wouldn't ever have done anything like this, LOL.

Phat Cat Jazz :D

2011-09-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

HAHA pasta fabric! A friend - noblog Susan in KC - gave me her macaroni scraps so I whipped up a couple of zipper bags :D

Phat Cat Jazz fabric from supermom Susan - hey Susan - here's what I made with your gift - thank you!

Here's a close-up of the beaded zipper pulls on the boxy bags :) The bags are lined with a light royalish blue TOT fabric :)

Yesterday I got the borders sewn on my bugs quilt - tomorrow I'll cut out the batting and try to get it sandwiched - I hope to have it finished by the end of the month!

Something is bugging me :D

2011-09-23T22:28:00.000-04:00

A few recent finishes:

A Christmas pillowcase for Blue Hills (11 of 14 made) ...

... a boxy and zipper bag set for ?? I haven't decided yet - I just wanted to use up the last of that Christmas fabric, lol.

... zipper bag and Snap Happy bag (LANT, using the Snap Happy bag pattern). I'm not all that pleased with the design - I like the ones with the flex frame better, but I do like recycling the broken tape measure!

This quilt top is finished up to the blue piping - the flimsy is sitting on top of a big piece of black TOT fabric on my design wall, as I wanted to see how it would look with that fabric as the border. It looks mighty fine! You can't really tell but those blocks are all made with bug fabrics - this is a gift for a 1 year old boy :)

I love chirpody!

2011-09-22T13:54:00.000-04:00

I went to the chiropodist this morning with a mutant toenail - thick and - well, you know - ugly! It was wearing holes in my running shoes! He took a Dremel and sanded the nail down to a more normal thickness, trimmed it nice and straight, and now I no longer have a mutant toenail :) I'll likely have to get it "resanded" every 6ish months, but what a pleasure it was to go in and come out FIXED! If you have one of those errant nails you might be surprised at how easy (and low tech!) it is to manage the problem, lol! I wish I hadn't waited so long to get it looked at!

I got a scrappy quilt finished ...

2011-09-21T23:52:00.002-04:00

but I haven't taken a photo yet because I wanted to sew some buttons into the block intersections, as the quilt is birthed and not quilted. Hopefully I can get the buttons done in the next day or two - this quilt will be going to Blue Hills :)

In the interim, here are a few projects I *did* get completed - more stash busting, of course, and all will be going to Blue Hills :) The pillowcase cuffs are from my collection of TOT (tone on tone) fabrics and I used up all the hat fabric for the bodies. Those ladybugs and chicken fabrics are now finished as well, and even the zipper on 2 of those bags were from a thrift store :)

Pillowcases :)

Boxy and zipper bags :)

Fruit-a$$es - always good for a laugh :)

2011-09-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

Here we go - a couple of fruit-a$$ zippies using up the last of this delicious fabric :) Note the sweet crochet flowers, made by She With No Cape - aka Supermom ;)

I used strawberry charms to make the zipper pulls - these (and flamingo charms) were my first Etsy purchases a few years ago, lol.

Here's the other strawberry zipper pull :)

Gobble gobble - 3 turkey bibs which will be mailed soon - I want them to arrive at the recipient's house before our Canadian Thanksgiving :)

Here's a little set I finished a few days ago - I have 2 more sets cut out of that dec weight summer print (a Fabricland remnant) :)

FNSI projects :)

2011-09-17T22:42:00.000-04:00

Here's the dino stuffy I got started last night - I think I'll finish him tomorrow :) (See below for pattern info).

Hopefully the recipient will enjoy the scenery on the blue pillowcase, eh? LOL!

My favourite FNSI completion, this dinosaur is from Sew It, Stuff It by Robert Merrett - I made one earlier this year for our nephew Matteo, and this one is for his cousin Shawn :) Shawn is turning 1 next week so I hope he likes his little surprise :)

Another successful FNSI completed, and tomorrow I get to poke around and see what the other participants worked on!

September FNSI - report on progress :D

2011-09-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

Tonight is September's FNSI - I normally spend it with Nancy but today we were both feeling kinda of *blech* (that's blech, not belch, LOL). I'm not sure if she'll sew or not, but I hope she's feeling better! I'm going to work on a couple of small items and watch my ebay auctions :D

Goal #1 - prepare and finish 2 pillowcases for a gift - to be mailed the next time we're Stateside.
[X] DONE!

Goal #2 - kit the remainder of the Christmas fabric from #1 - boxy/zipper bags (gift), pillowcase (Blue Hills). [X] DONE!

Goal #3 - cut out and work on 2 Tomte dolls for Christmas gifts.
[X] NOT DONE! Couldn't find the fabric I wanted to use, argh.
Added a new goal - #4 :D

Goal #4 - cut out & finish a stuffed dinosaur.
[X] ALMOST DONE! Got 2 dinos drafted, one almost completed. Here's a photo during construction :)

I'll finish this little guy up tomorrow and post pictures of my completions :) I hope everyone else had a fun and successful FNSI - I sure did!

Edited to add - I did end up finishing the dinosaur at exactly midnight, lol. He is CUTE! He's getting some sleep now so he'll be fresh and perky for his photo shoot tomorrow :D

A hit (or 11) and a miss (or 5!) :)

2011-09-16T00:23:00.000-04:00

It was a productive day - at least the hits outnumbered the misses, LOL!

Hit: 4 pink bibs (using the last of the flannel remnant and bits and pieces of trim) - these are for Blue Hills ...

Hit: 6 rainbow gift bags (small - 6" x 7" x 2") ...

Hit: pillowcase made with fabric Nancy gifted to me (for Blue Hills) ...

The misses - I was kitting up the last bit of my Thanksgiving fabric to make bibs for gifts. The fabric is directional ... can you guess where where this might be going? ;) I cut one out properly, then turned the template the wrong way for the rest (5!!!!), so the turkeys run sideways, LOLOL. I'll have to MacGyver them into submission - I should be able to salvage all of them with a bit of fancy footwork - apparently, into every day a little oopsy must fall!! ;)

Taking advantage of working fingers :D

2011-09-14T23:41:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of composition book covers I made to use the last of the floral fabric from my ~~enabler~~ friend Nancy :D The crochet butterflies are from no-blog Trish! These will go to Blue Hills :)

A few small completions - snowman bib (gift) and zipper bags (Blue Hills) - I still have a few more snowmen to finish up, but all the buttons are sewn on by hand so I take my time and do them as my fingers allow :D

Here's what I worked on tonight @ Nancy's house - these are tiny little zipper pulls for bags I have completed or kitted to sew. I only make these when my fingers are in good working order! I ran out of lobster clasps so these will be completed when my ebay order (one of MANY, lol) arrives from China :D

(Edited to add - I just realized that I forgot to mention that the crochet flowers on the cherry bags [second photo] are from my favourite crafter's apprentice - Wendy!!! Sorry about that, hon!)

iSewed :)

2011-09-11T21:16:00.000-04:00

One more pillowcase for Blue Hills

Zipper and boxy bag set - a gift :)

YUMMY fabric!

The ladybug fabric is Timeless Treasures Ladybug fabric - debi-c1175-green - I didn't have enough lobster clasps to make the zipper pulls, but I did get the beads strung (with a ladybug bead in the centre of each pull). There's a crochet heart and little ladybug buttons on the small bags - all 3 are lined with pretty red TOT fabric from Joanns :)

Turn your volume down, but SFW and for kids :D

2011-09-09T15:56:00.003-04:00

The flowers on their heads kill me, LOL!!! (In case it's down on my site, check here :D)

Fruita$$es :D

2011-09-08T22:26:00.000-04:00


Fabric is Jungle Baby by Kate Honarvar

Here are the 2 bibs I made to use up the last bits and pieces of these fabrics - they're backed with luscious vanilla (ivory) chenille :)

Fruit Ladies fabric (by Mary Stewart)

Here's the boxy bag I made for Nancy's cousin Stella, using one of my all-time favourite fabrics :D My dear sister, when presented with a zipper bag made from the same fabric, called it fruita$$ fabric, and that's how I've thought of it since then!

Wordless Wednesday completions :D

2011-09-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

Floral boxy bag for Blue Hills

Zipper bag and pillowcase for Blue Hills

Travel themed zipper bag and notebook cover - a gift set :)

Surprise shopping trip - lots o'photos :D

2011-09-05T20:15:00.000-04:00

DH surprised me on Saturday with a fabric shopping trip to Buffalo for the day, YAY! I bought some fabric, and notions, and more fabric, and some groceries - it was an absolutely lovely day out with my favourite husband ;)

I got some sewing done today, and tried out a new recipe - pulled pork quesadillas - YUM! Next time I'll use my big pancake griddle next time so I can make more than 1 at a time :)

Today's projects:

4 winter gift bags :)


Panty bag for Nancy - crochet flower by Wendy!

Orange boxy bag - crochet flowers by Nancy :D

Some of my purchases - some from Hobbty Lobby, but most from Joanns :D

Oranges, orange flowers, mushrooms (LOL!) and a doggy print :)

Brown floral FQ set :)

Christmas print, red and black TOTs :)

Puppy themed FQ set :)

Colourful kiddy FQ set :)

Purple paisley and co-ordinating purple shell buttons :)

Fun notions, including some new velcro colours!

Goodies for Nancy :)