Bibs 'n taggies :)

Here are some of the items I got done today --- will get a better photo tomorrow of all the goodies :)

Giraffes quilt finished :)

Here's the giraffe quilt I finished today, as part of a set I'm working on.  The hippo quilt is already completed, and up next are some little bits and pieces with the leftover fabrics :)

8 gift bags (with matching tags) completed for a challenge in a Yahoo group I belong to :) 

Last, but not least, a Patchyapple boxy bag I finished up today - it went right into my gift box for ?? - the occasion/recipient hasn't been determined yet :D

Happy royal wedding watching tomorrow to the billion or so people who will be watching the nuptials - personally I would rather watch paint dry so I'm planning on sleeping peacefully through the festivities :)

Zoomer and a quilt :)

Trying to be a pirate, perhaps?  He decided that the bag on the floor was exactly where he needed to stretch out - typical cat!

 One of the kids thought that the bag around his neck would act like a parachute if the cat started to run.  It didn't, LOL.  I had to rescue him before the kids tried throwing him off the roof or something ;)  He's such a good natured boy - even when I give him a pill the only thing he does is try to push it out with his tongue - he doesn't fight or squirm or howl or carry on - he just puts up with his silly humans, the dear boy :)

Here's my giraffe quilt top completed - this will go with the hippo quilt I completed a few days ago, and is destined for a set of twins :)
Tomorrow I'll do the binding :)

How much of a dope am I? LOLOL!

Jenn!  I finished the giraffe quilt top today and tried taking a photo to send to you.  I'm still figuring out how to use this camera and I must have pressed a wrong button.  When I put the stick in my laptop to download the photos, something didn't seem right - there were a bunch of videos and open office files ... it seems that instead of taking pictures I was making movies, LOLOLOLOL!!  I have no idea what I did, but I need to ask Chris how to fix it, hehehe. 

I did manage to get SOME pics, so I have no idea how I switched the format from picture to video *still scratching my head* :D  Here's a photo of some gift bags I finished up but you can see a bit of the quilt on the left of the photograph :D

I got some packages in the mail today ...

I did a bit of a "trade" with an internet buddy - I sent her some zipper bags and in return she sent me a bunch of delicious eye candy crocheted flowers and butterflies - thank you Trish - they're GORGEOUS!

Here's a close-up of the flower - I added a flower button for extra bling :D

The winter that just won't END!

When I woke up this morning I could see sunshine streaming through my bedroom curtains - I thought that it was shaping up to be a warm sunny summerish spring day - YAY!! Then I stuck my face out the front door to get a feel for the temperature before going out for my walk - BLAH! SNOW!!! These pictures were taken from my front porch - there isn't a LOT of snow, and it will probably be gone in another hour or so, but still - who needs this crap on April 21? LOL!

Every little boy needs a boxy bag ;)

Another wee set for Blue Hills - Patchyapple boxy bag and a zipper bag - this fabric, like lots of fabric in previously posted projects, was given to me by Susan -- and Susan - notice the black thingy (I forget what it's called - the metal ring on the tab of the zipper bag) - that's from you as well!  The ribbon I used for the zipper pulls was originally wrapped around some curtains I bought a year ago - I repurposed it right into my craft room, LOL.

Surfer dude boxy bag :D

Here's another Patchyapple boxy bag - this time I used surfer dude fabric I had in stash (thanks Susan!) - the lining is the same fabric as the outside - isn't this a hoot!  It's going to Blue Hills, and I think will make some young boy a fun treasure bag :D

Hippo quilt finished :)

Hippo quilt finished - 38x38 with red minky backing - soft and cuddly!  Up next is the matching giraffe quilt, then I'll use the scraps to make bits and pieces for the sets - bibs and taggies and stuffies :D

Getting used to the new camera :)

 Here are the zipper bags I completed the other day - today I got the zipper pulls done :)

 Ta da - beaded zipper pulls :)

 Boxy and zipper bag set ... boxy bag is from the Patchyapple tutorial :)

Danny the Dinosaur (from Sew It, Stuff It) - my first try at using safety eyes - they are SO easy to use, lol.  I wanted to stick a pair on a zipper bag today, but resisted the urge ;)  Danny has a jingle bell in his belly so he's a musical dino :D

Comin' up daisies :D

Here I used pretty daisy and blue TOT fabrics to make a composition book cover, 2 zippies and 2 mini notebook covers - tomorrow I'll make beaded zipper pulls for the bags :)  Thanks, Susan, for the fabrics - I used pretty much every inch of those pieces!

And in the comic relief department, here are a couple of pictures of our oldest son (22) being goofy, wearing a pink hard hat *grin* :D

I stole ... I mean borrowed - my son's Sony Cybershot :)

 Today I got the hippo quilt sandwiched and quilted.  Nothing fancy - just stitching 1/4" away from all seams.  Got one little pucker but it's pretty much hidden in the chenille :D

 Here's the minky backing showing the rows of quilting - I didn't have a feel for how taut to hold the backing when I was stitching so I got a tuck or two in the first row - then it was (fairly) smooth sailing :)

Here's a bit of a closer view of the quilting and the adorable fabric.  Jenn, I hope you like this!

I'm going to curve off the edges with a plate and machine stitch the binding tomorrow - I haven't decided between red TOT and a polka dot print that I found at Joanns - I'll audition them tonight and make a decision.  The polka dots match the fabrics well, but the red TOT should really make the red in the print, POP!

FNSI for April :)

Nancy and I partied like it was 1985 for this FNSI, lolol. We went to her house and played with her sewing machines, and I got to meet her beautiful new Bernie with her sexy RED!!! carrying and accessory cases! She purrs - wow!

Nancy had a productive night even though she complained that she didn't get much done - she embroidered SEVEN!!! Tomte faces for me to use for Tomte dolls (I can't/don't embroider, so I mooch her services when necessary - thanks Nanc!) She also made a shopping bag using some quite delicious polka dot fabric - gorgeous!

I made 2 Christmas soft books - I had the panels last year and wanted to get them done for Christmas 2010, but didn't make it in time. They're ready for Christmas 2011 though - April's FNSI and Allie's Christmas Through the Year = done and done :D

 Here are the two books I sewed - Nanc is quite the photographer - thanks Nanc! 

I've already seen one FNSI post from Val in Aus who made a most delightful zipper bag - have you ever seen such cute fabric? Gorgeous, Val! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created - I only hope everyone had as much fun as I did - thanks, Nanc!! (And thanks Amanda too, who came for a visit, and who kept us entertained, LOL!)

The synapses aren't firing on all cylinders :D

1. Yesterday I made a lovely large pot of turkey broth from the carcass of the turkey I had cooked earlier this week. Today I made turkey and wild rice soup, using chicken bouillon cubes and water instead of turkey broth. !!!!!

D'oh #1!

2. Last night's synapse fail:

Froggy stitching required - rippit rippit rippit :D

D'OH #2!!

And now, from the NON-fail sector ... one of the "twin quilts" I'm working on - fortunately I had no brain freezes during construction, LOL! Presenting ... hungry hungry hippos! ;)

Babies here and babies there - babies babies everywhere!

I have 3 baby quilt gift sets to work on in the next couple of months :)  I've planned and organized these in order of baby due date - sets 1, 2 and 3 :D

Set #1 will be made with these sweet giraffe and hippo fabrics and has been ordered for a set of twins :)  The quilt design is the same as the one in the third picture - a simple quilt to showcase the themed fabrics.  Along with the quilt will be some other goodies including simple giraffe and hippo stuffies (still looking for the right hippo pattern, lol) :D

I wish I could remember how I "cropped" the previous picture to get rid of the black background/border, lol!  Here are the fabrics for a jungle print baby quilt set, set #2 to be completed.  The quilt will be a Trip Around the World version using the 5 prints, and the set will include a simple jungle animal stuffy amongst other goodies :D

The last set to be finished is going to friends who are becoming  grandparents this summer, to a baby girl :) The quilt top is already  finished as I wanted to test out a simple design with chenille - a fabric I haven't worked with a lot, but which I love :)  More chenille projects will be forthcoming as this stuff, while a bit difficult to work with, is delightful to touch - it's soft and cushy!

Those are what I'll be working on for the next while :)  I'm not quite ready to be a grandma yet, but it's sure a lot of fun to get in some practice making baby goodies, lol!

I Keyka Lou'd :)

I noticed today that Keyka Lou has all of her patterns on sale for $5 so I grabbed one I had on my Wist - the (downloadable) Zip Clutch.  I'm not 100% happy with how my front "sash" turned out - I think my ribbon is a bit too big and it doesn't gather the fabric enough.  I should be able to fix that tomorrow.  Other than that, I'm quite happy with the bag!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMchocolates :D

I haven't done any sewing in the last few days, hence no posts!  The weather has been crappy but I finally got back into walking daily [with my friend Nancy - YAY US - 2 miles a day!].  I just haven't felt like doing much of anything else!  I started getting the urge today, so I'm glad that's back ;)  To celebrate my return to my sewing cave -- TA DA!!

This weekend hubby and I are going to Buffalo - JoannsX4, Hobby Lobby, USPS, Aldi, Walmart, (possibly Michaels and AC Moore) here I come - save me some goodies!  In particular I'm looking for giraffe ribbon and hippo ribbon for some projects I'm working on, but I'm having a hard time finding exactly what I'm looking for - hence the visits to several different crafty type stores.  I know it will be hard *wipes away an imaginary tear* but that's what we do for our CRAFT!!!! ;) 

No April fools here :D

My first completions of April - these zipper bags are lined with electricians denim (denim jeans one of my electricians wore out, lol).  The frog fabric was an ebay purchase from years ago, and these bags finished the last scraps in my stash :)

The Mother Goose fabric in the centre of these bibs was given to me by a friend - I hope she likes what I did with her gift!