Heather DON'T LOOK!

Made for 2 WW members - I hope they like the fabrics I chose :D

Very low calorie cupcake :D

I have some girlfriends coming over tonight for a "hen party" - we're going to have supper, then come down to the basement to do some sewing.  We get together about every 1-2 months to work on different projects - tonight's project is hotpads!  I recently got this pattern, and just now whipped up a trial run.  Not only is it totally simple to make, but it is frigging ADORABLE!   Here's my first one, and it is cute cute cute - I'm definitely going to be making more of these!  Nancy, Amanda - I can't wait for tonight - we're going to have fun!

Matching zipper bag completed :)

Here's the wee zipper bag I completed to go with the owl tote I made last night.  I was using up all of the leftover bits and pieces, so it's a bit smaller than what I would normally make - about 6" x 7".  That's pink velvet near the zipper - I got a roll of it on sale @ Michaels a few weeks ago- so lovely!

YUP - moms have lots of stuff - it's the RULE!

I found a most adorable tutorial today for a pleated travel pouch (aka a zipper bag) - this will be my next project - it's too cute to pass up!  This photo is from their site and is posted with permission (thanks Liz @ sew4home!) - I'll post my own version when I get it made :)  The tutorial is posted here - I'm sure I'm not the only one that will be making this little beauty!

Tote by Khris by Sandra :D

My friend Khris in Australia recently posted a tutorial for a tote bag she had designed.  I decided it needed to be tested here in Canada, hehe, so I whipped one up tonight using some stash remants :)  I tried to use up all of the bits and pieces I had left, so I used the lining fabric for the outside pocket.  I had enough scraps left over to make a very small zipper bag, but I'll make that tomorrow.  Once I got the orientation organized (my fabric is directional so I had to make a few changes to the layout) I whipped the bag up in just a couple of hours.  I added Warm and Natural batting to mine which gives it the "heft" I like ;)  It finished up to 17" x 11" x 3" :)

It worked out perfectly, and I already have fabrics picked out to make a couple more of these lovely bags, lol.  Thanks so much for the tutorial and idea, Khris!

All the way from (and to!) Manitoba ...

My Manitoba cousin Shauna's oldest daughter Melissa is here in Ontario on a "Chamber Choir on Tour" (presented by the Canadian Mennonite University) - they're playing in Markham tonight (only half an hour away) so if hubby gets home from work in time, we'll be going to see them perform!  I decided to whip up a couple of zipper bags for her to take home - one for her, one for her sister Laura, and one for their mom - I hope they like them! 

A wee zipper bag to match the tote :)

I made a tote a few weeks ago out of some fabrics that had been given to me by a friend - today I found a remnant piece of the original fabric, so I whipped up a zipper bag to match :)  The zipper bag is self-lined, and the rick rack trim on the outside is the same as the rick rack trim on the inside pocket of the tote - I managed to use up not only a fabric remnant, but a rick rack remnant as well :D

RIP Fabricland Aurora - my local fabric store (only 10 minutes away by bus - it was SO convenient!!!) closed today - there's another one 15 minutes away by car (an even bigger store, actually) but - well - it's not my local little store that was so easy to get to!  I hope all the employees find new jobs quickly, and I hope a decent store goes in it's place!  A Joanns would be nice ... ROTFL!!!  Too bad we don't have that delicious chain here in Canada :D

The cat watches me :D

The sewing room, like the upstairs, is undergoing reconstructive surgery (aka being reorganized) - the cat likes to supervise, and of course I have the old laptop here for kijiji and printing off patterns.  I should have tidied before photographing, lol.

Here's the tote and zipper bag I got finished today - I have another identical set cut out - this used up 3 pieces of stash fabric!

 The tote lining and pocket :D





We kijiji'd tonight and bought a black leather couch/loveseat set from a seller in Richmond Hill - we put it in the living room  - that's where C's fancy tv and tv stand are used, so it's pretty much the boys room.  We'll be doing the room in taupe and black, so I'm watching kijiji for other goodies!

Please don't ... don't eat the daisies ...

The blue/daisy fabric one of the two that hubby won at the Amherst Museum quilt show this past Saturday - the fabric that he was kind enough to donate to *moi* ;)  I decided to use it up and make a tote bag - I had just enough of the daisies and just enough of the yellow gingham to do this set.  I didn't even have an inch left to go in the scrap bin - I used every last bit of both fabrics, which means that two pieces of stash fabric are now used up!  I want to pick up some trim at Fabricland to finish the project off - I didn't have enough fabric to make the straps a bit more substantial so I want to add a strip of white/yellow daisy trim to the middle of each, and then use the same trim on each of the two (self-lined) zipper bags.  I got everything done to the point of needing to attach the trim, so it won't take long to finish the set when I get the supplies!

Catching up on some photos

A few recently completed projects ("recently" being subjective, as I found them stacked in a "to be photographed" pile and I don't know if they've been posted yet or not, LOL) ...

3 bibs made to use up the last of those pieces of flannel - all are being donated

6 reusable fabric gift bags - better than paper :)





Banana zipper bag because - well - some people are just bananas, lol!!  This will be going to the animal shelter for a fundraiser :D

7 cat pillows and 5 cage quilts for the shelter - the cat pillows are stuffed with thread/fabric scraps from my sewing efforts, and with a bit of pillow stuffing washed and recycled from pillows that are no longer usable :)  I even cut up the pillow casing to use as stuffing - that way every piece of the pillow gets reused - none goes in the landfill!

Man vs. Octopus - gorgeous! Happy ending - safe for work & kids :D

I'm such a noodlehead! ;)

Anna is the real noodlehead (actually her daughters are, but for the sake of clarity and brevity, I'll lay that moniker on Anna, hehe) but I'll be a noodlehead assistant - I made my first noodlehead zipper bag today, lol!!  It's sooo cute!!
I followed her directions for the gathering & front band, but then I did my usual Heart of Mary construction for the rest of the bag - I can do these in my sleep now, lol.  I love the way the gathers look - it adds a nice dimension and ZING to the bags - thanks, Anna, for the tute and idea!


On Saturday hubby and I went to New York to go to a quilt show at the Amherst Museum, and to do a bit of shopping.  He's always so good about taking me to stuff like that - he's a nice guy :)  (He even asked, on the way home, when the big show is in Kitchener so we can make plans to go!).  We went to the show and to several Joanns, Walmart, Kmart and Aldi ... I had a few quilt stores on my list but I was just too tuckered to shop any more.  How embarrassing!!  I did manage to find some pretties, and came home very happy :)  Not pictured - 2 queen sized Warm n Natural batts, 10 yards of iron on interfacing, and a Fig Tree quilts clutch pattern :D

Hubby won a doorprize at the quilt show, and he kindly donated the win to his loving and appreciative wife :D  Next time I'll remember to take my camera to the show - there were some AMAZING quilts on display - absolutely breathtaking!


It was a great day with perfect weather - I just wish our friends Luchy & Attilio NoBlog could have come with us - we'll be going again, tho, so hopefully next time they can make it :)

My next project - a "Noodlehead" clutch :)

I just found this tutorial and since I've been known to make a zipper bag or two (or 87) in my spare time, I think I'll give this one a try - it is QUTE QUTE QUTE!!!  Don't take my word for it - go peek at Anna's blog - then you'll know exactly how adorable this project is!  She has some other tutorials on her site as well - I'll have to have a closer look this weekend!

The new carpet is here!

The carpet guys are here right now laying our new carpet - family room, living room, dining room, downstairs hall, stairs going upstairs, and upstairs hall.  These were the first rooms we decided to update!  When I saw them carry the carpet in my first thought was ... errrrrrrrrrrrrr BORING!!!  But nope - it's a light caramel color - it has some punch to it (considering it's beige) :)  I like it, and they seem to be doing a nice job!  Our old $hit furniture (which is mostly green) is going to look like crap until we replace it, LOLOL. 

My poor kitty (who is feeling much better now, thankfully) is very annoyed that he got locked in the basement until these guys are finished - I didn't want him underfoot or stepping on anything sharp, and I knew that all the kerfuffle would just upset him.  He has his litterbox and food dishes down there, plus I put one of his little quilts on the floor for him.  AWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I'm such a furmom, LOL!!!

Made by request ...

for a friend's DIL - I think she has a monkey button or pin to attach to it, lol!

We just got back from taking Z to the vet - he was pretty sick yesterday so we got him checked out. Hopefully he'll start feeling better now. I asked DS1 to grab a photo when we got back - just because ... just because I'm wearing my jeans and a button shirt and they FIT :)  Fat people will know what I mean!

Now ... iDon'tLaugh!

ARGH I decided to finish up a project (simple tote bag) I had cut out and started weeks ago - I just finished stitching the lining and bag together, which means that the only things left to do are to topstitch the top, and to handstitch the opening (through which the piece was turned right sides out) closed.  THE POCKET IS UPSIDE DOWN!!!  The rick rack and opening are at the bottom!!!

I'm going to have to rip the whole pocket off, open the bottom of the lining, restitch the pocket in place, then restitch the bottom of the lining.  Yeah - I'm happy.  NOT!!! LOL!!!

Edited about 15 minutes later:  OK, it didn't take very long to fix the problem, and it wasn't very difficult, LOL.  I'll definitely pay closer attention to pocket orientation next time *rolls eyes* :D

iLaugh :)

When your friend is having problems with her dad (he's ill), what do you do?  You make her some panties, of course - zipper bag panties :D
Edited to add:  I could retitle this post SheLaughed, LOL - I just heard from the recipient and she quite liked the bag - YAY!!

Heather, don't look at *this* post either :D

Almost finished ... just a bit of *xxxxxx* required.  They almost make me wish I were working so I'd need to take a lun ... pffft hell no!

Heather don't read this blog post!!! Come back tomorrow!

A little something I'm working on for someone who shall remain unnamed *studiously avoids looking at the post title ;)* - I can't figure out how to get the text to go beside each photo, so we'll just consider this to be an Almost Wordless Tuesday post, and go from there ;)

Sibling rivalry? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

The graffiti is DS2's opinion of DS1's painting skills - as you can see, DS1 is rather entertained by the notion :D  Believe it or not, these two get along incredibly well - I don't know if it's because they're so close in age (17months apart) or ???, but they really are great buddies, and have been ever since they were little :)  Such good boys!!  Shhhhhhhhh don't tell them I said so :)

We got the downstairs primed yesterday - rather - the guys primed while I did laundry and supervised ;).  I thought hubby and I would come to blows with our disagreements about what would be done and what wouldn't - it was like a marital war zone at one point! We shall persevere, tho ...and hopefully get through this renovation in one piece, and still married!! ;)  He really should just do what "I" want - it would make life so much easier ... FOR ME!!! :D

P.S.  I revived my cooking blog so I could try to keep cooking/sewing+life stuff separate - here :)