Theme: Zippies of the Sea :)

Another theme set - I had a LOT of scraps and bits and pieces for this set, that's for sure!  After lots of sewing, lots of batiks for lining, and lots of zippers, I came up with this collection - I call it Zippies of the Sea :D

Here's a close-up of the dolphin keychain I used for the zipper pull on this dolphin bag :)

This drawstring bag looks much better in person than in this photo - the muslin bag doesn't show well against my white sheet on a piece of foam insulation .. I mean my fancy schmancy display board :D 

Here's a close-up of the fishy insert - I found 5 little charms (maybe 3" square each?), patchworked 4 of them into a strip for an insert, then prairie pointed the last square for a little "tag" on the side of the bag :) 

... and a bag to hold them all :D

I just realized something --- as I was naming the photos, I called the series "Fishies of the Sea" ... but it's supposed to be Zippies of the Sea, lol.  Both are actually appropriate for this set :D  This entire collection is going to Blue Hills - and now that I have the photos done, I can deliver it tonight at aquafit :)

Theme: construction :)

I'm having a lot of fun using up my collection of themed fabric scraps ... here's my latest set :D  It's too cloudy outside right now to get good pix on the clothesline, so into the dungeon I headed :D  Hopefully "autocorrect" at fotoflexer.com has brightened up the pictures enough :D

These projects were made from a bag of leftovers that one of my sewy friends gifted me with (thanks Chris!) ... and as I took the photos, I found a glaring error in one of the bags, arghhh.  I don't think everyone would notice it, but once I did, it was all I could see, lol!

Two composition book covers :)

Close-up of the cute print :)

GLARING ERROR! GLARING ERROR!  I pieced the directional print to avoid this problem - then stitched the Frankensteined pieces together incorrectly - what a dodo bird I am, lol!  And I didn't even notice it until I posed the bag for the camera >:(  Oh well - it's still a cute bag, and whichever kiddo gets gifted the bag, likely won't throw it against the wall in horror :D  So - we'll just label this photo ... boxy and zipper bags and I'll pretend that I know how to work with directional fabrics :D

5 little zipper bags, standing in a row ... :)

... and a (construction) bag to hold them all!

I'm very pleased with this set, and hope that the contents make someone, or a few someones, smile :)  Amanda - this is comin' your way tonight!  :)

Lots 'o pictures :D

I'm seeing my Blue Hills contacts tonight for aquafit, so this was a good time to get some finishes photographed so I could pack them up to deliver :D  Here's a random collection of projects I've finished up that hadn't made it to the photography stage yet, hehe.

More carrot zipper pouches :D

6 flickies for Blue Hills :)

I was trying to use up the last of this pickle fabric and managed to finish this front zip pouch  :)  I tucked some extra dental supplies into this one :D

Composition Book Cover with crochet flowers embellishment :D

 Using up scraps sometimes results in 5 drawstring gift bags :D  The 3rd and 4th ones were made with Osnaburg for the main, which is a fabric I recently discovered @ Joanns, and quite like :D  

Envelope style elephants pillowcases, using up a long ago purchase of fabric from a Joanns sale :D

Here's a close-up of the envelope closure :D

More pix to come, if the sun stays out :D  We have rain in the forecast but the weather network site tells me I still have several hours before it arrives.  I have a load of clothes on the line and another load ready to go out - I hope the forecast is correct ;)

Oh!  A bonus picture!  Here's my rhubarb last weekend before we headed out for our little USA holiday --- I wanted hubby to pick it before we left, so I could get it into the freezer, but he wanted to wait.  It's even taller now, lol.

LOVE me some rhubarb!  Some of this harvest is destined for our dinner table in 2 days, when the kids come for supper -- rhubarb strawberry sauce (for them to take home), and rhubarb cake are on the menu - YUM :)

More pictures :D

Earlier I posted fabric shopping pictures from our recent trip to New York - here are the last few photos that I didn't have time to get uploaded :D  It does take a while to photograph 30 meters of fabric  (she says with an embarrassed self-deprecating grimace!)!

Why yes - I *do* like polka dots!  In lime green, pink, grey, yellow and blue with cherries, thank you very much!  ;)

150cm (60") wide denim, Osnaburg (lovely fabric - great for gift bags - very textural) and polka dots with cherries :)

A buncha buttons for .50c a card - score :)  Most are acrylic/plastic ... the purple ones in the middle row are ceramic, and the bottom item is a package of studs that was .27c @ Hobby Lobby :D

7 different colours of a product called Oly-fun - on clearance for .97c per pack of 3 sheets :)  I'm planning on using these for finger puppets - they''ll fit beautifully into envelopes so I can send these to the kids as a surprise!   

And now - something you were never interested in waiting for .... proof that I am, in fact, a 12 year old boy :)  This is my favourite purchase from the trip, and one that guarantees eye rolls from my children.  I can't wait to wear it in the hot tub after aquafit, LOL!

That concludes the shopping portion of our blog post today - up next will be project finishes from the last little while :D  If only pesky housework and real life stuff wouldn't interfere with internet fun!  ;)

I have peeeeeeeeeectures :)

Hubby and I went for a mini vacation in New York a few days ago - we spent time in Watertown - shopping, and visiting my brother, sister-in-law and nephew ... then we headed to Clifton Park to visit our friends Barbara (Baye Leaf) and Brian, for chatting and shopping and eats and more shopping.  I wish we'd had more time because Barbara and I would have played sewing machine - I wanted us to make a fishy bag together.  Next time!

I managed to pick up 33 yards (30 meters) of fabric during our short visit.  Then there was a bolt of iron-on interfacing, 2 queen size quilt batts, some pretty buttons, some rope for baskets (inspired by Kathy, who has been making awesome rope baskets!) I didn't manage to find cotton rope so I bought something similar, just to try the craft.  If I enjoy it I'll hit Ace Hardware the next time we go Stateside, and nab some :)

Here are some of the bits and pieces I got - most of them were on sale, of course :D  I will admit that the turquoisey blue Jaws print was my favourite purchase of all of them - I don't even know what I'm going to make with it (or it might just ripen in stash for a long time!) but I had to have it - JAWS FABRIC!  What a world we live in, lolol!

Remnants

Fat quarters

My favourite of all my purchases - the Jaws print with a Keepsake Calico that works *perfectly* with it :)

Close-up of Jaws :D

Close-up of Jaws boat print :D

Jaws boat print :)

Pokemon print for pillowcase, with the turquoisey blue print I grabbed for the cuff

GIRL POWER!  Girl superhero fabric - why isn't there more of this around?!  Girls *are* superheroes!

OK I have to go get some housework done - it's a rainy grey drizzly day - perfect weather for staying inside and playing with the new fabric cleaning and doing housework :D

"I" 'm the dirty one? :D

^^^ Someone has a sense of humour!  ;)  Here's part of the salad I made for supper yesterday - apparently one of my pears has a side job as a cheeky still life model  :D

Yep - I'm a 12 year old boy masquerading as a 5x year old woman ;)  My kids and husband would definitely agree, lol :D