As I mentioned in my last post, I am participating in Mochi's New Year's postcard swap. Since we're painting, and I've been working late, and we've just felt really busy lately, I was worried I wasn't going to get mine done in time! I've had the idea since I signed up for the swap, so it was just a matter of execution. Well, I made it! Here are my ten postcards, ready to go in the mail.



They're on pastel cardstock, with a little felt doggie with embroidered eyes and nose. Here is a close up:



I don't think anyone I'm sending to has ever been to this site, so I'm not worried they'll see them early. However, I am worried the felt doggies won't survive the ride in the post! I glued them down as best I could, so hopefully they'll arrive unscathed.

I have so many project ideas floating around in my head, and three very busy weeks coming with no time to craft... It's going to drive me crazy! Cross your fingers I can make it through to some free time.

Labels: swaps

This is my 200th post! It is so hard to believe. I thought since I missed my 1 year blog anniversary, I'd make a big deal about my 200th post. It isn't really a big deal, but I did want to take the time to say how much this site has helped motivate me to try new things. I have so much fun sharing the things I make, and the things that inspire me. Even if it was still just my sister reading, I would keep posting! Those of you that have found your way here and comment just make it that much more meaningful to me. Thank you!!!

In honor of this occasion (hehe) I wanted to take some really good pictures of this cute tote I made over the weekend, but the sun and my work schedule have not been cooperating. So thanks to photoshop, here are some okay pictures!



I got the cute cherry fabric on my quilt shop outing a week or so ago, and I really love it. I still have a little left, so I'll hoarde it for a while before finding a use for it.

Here is a shot of the inside fabric, complete with my purse contents, since I was too anxious to start using the purse!



For those curious, my purse essentials include my pink iPod mini, my idea book spiral, my calendar, sunglasses, cell phone, awesome Levenger wallet (thanks, Mom & Dad!), and Sephora lipgloss (thanks, Katy!).

I'm participating in my first postcard swap, and I'm coming up on the deadline! We're going out of town Friday so I'd better get to work so I can get them in the mail before we leave!

I am going to a baby shower for my pastor's wife on Sunday, and of course I wanted to take something homemade. My mother-in-law had recently made an adorable rag quilt (for those who don't know, you basically sew the front and back of the quilt at the same time, then fringe the seams and wash it... see the picture below since it's just about impossible to describe!). Though my mother-in-law's was in sweet pastels for a future baby gift, I know my pastor's wife is having a boy (and I'm a fan of primary colors, even for girls). So I picked out some awesome flannel!



Can you see the sock monkeys? You would never believe how silly I acted when I found this. I love monkeys, and sock monkeys have a special place in my heart! Here's a close up of my favorite of the flannels, the monkeys and the fish:



I'm already watching for more cute flannel, since this blanket was so easy - what a great thing to have on hand for an unexpected shower!

Labels: quilting, sewing

This was certainly a weekend for my hobbies! Friday night I went to my first ever scrapbook crop, and to my surprise I got quite a bit done! It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends, chat, and also to see everyone else's scrapbooking style.

Saturday morning I met some other friends for breakfast and then we went down to an adorable quilt shop in Galveston I hadn't been to yet. I ended up getting some fun fabric for myself and then all the fabric I need to do a quilt for my grandma. I'm not sure if I'll send it for her birthday, or just as a "love present" as we call them in my family. I was like a kid in a candy shop at that quilt store, it was wonderful!

Today I sewed together the flannel rag quilt for the baby shower I'm going to next weekend. I love how it looks, but it's not quite square. I still need more practice! Pictures to come when I can get some good ones in natural light.

A post isn't complete without some pictures, so here are the first few pages of the anniversary album I'm making for myself... I did a lot of this at the crop Friday night! The books I made for gifts were such a hit it seemed a shame I didn't have one of my own!

Title Page:



First Anniversary:





Second Anniversary:





I also made two fill-in-the-blank pages for future anniversaries when I no longer scrapbook, but I think I'm going to change the system so that which the anniversary year is also blank, not just the photo. I figure I'll be scrapbooking another few years at least so I'm not sure when I'll need the blank pages...

Enough rambling, it's time for bed!

Also known as the quilt you thought I was just making up! Well, I wasn't making it up, and it's finally finished. The binding went pretty well - I started with the normal foot on my sewing machine, but was having issues, so I put on the new walking (i.e. "even-feed") foot and it was amazing! I wish I had used it the whole time. Here is the final product:



I'm not sure what I'll do when I actually want to make a quilt with batting. This one is again quilted to fleece - the softest, prettiest green. I couldn't get a good picture (I really miss that wonderful afternoon sunlight I get in the summer and fall!), but this gives you the general idea.



I made a quick lunch trip to the post office, so this is now on its way to San Antonio!

Labels: quilting, sewing

Ever since I was a little girl, I have absolutely loved stationery. I actually used it, too, even after I grew up and email was so much easier (sometimes). Mostly now I write letters to my grandparents, or a note to send along with a picture. To reduce my collection, I haven't bought any new stationery in a while. However, lately I keep running across these wonderful sites with beautiful designs, and I am having a hard time resisting my old obsession!

Like the wonderful, simple designs by Port2Port:



And this other monogrammed set by Sugar Paper:



I would really love a set of notecards from Tobi Wood Designs:



The colors are fabulous! Others I love include Potion Brand, Elum Designs, letterpressed.com, and Carrot and Stick Press. Do you have any favorites?

Quite a few projects got put on hold to have time for Christmas presents. One of them was a baby gift for a coworker. I decided on yet another flannel blanket, but I finally got to do one for a girl! I found out her nursery was pink and orange and I think that very same day I found this flannel.



Then at Target the other day I found an adorable baby toy that rattles, and it's wings crinkle, and it perfectly matches the blanket.



I also got all the flannel to do a quilt for a baby shower gift in a couple weeks. My sewing machine is not going to get a break for a while!

(Can you tell I was watching Pirates of the Carribean while folding laundry last night??)

Tonight is our company "end-of-year" party - whether they were being thoughtful or ran out of time, they didn't schedule it during the craziness of the holidays, which I find quite nice! The dress is "formal/business attire", but for once I didn't take that as an excuse to buy a new dress. I did want something new, though, so I decided to make a necklace and earring set to wear! I am quite pleased with how it came out, though as usual it was hard to photograph.



It is funny how this is nothing at all how I intended it to look. I thought I had some wine colored freshwater pearls the same color as the dress I planned to wear, but when I compared them, the pearls were too orange and didn't coordinate with the darker color. I also had planned to use crystals with the pearls for some sparkle, but I tried a few different variations and couldn't get it to look right.



Still, I really love these iridescent pearls, and the necklace came out just the right length. I tried to take a picture so you could see the necklace on, but this was all I could get. I need to follow up with my New Year's goal of procrastinating less and figure out how to use my digital camera better for things like this!



In other news, I got a walking foot for my sewing machine yesterday! I am very excited to try it on my next quilting project. Maybe I can finally finish Wedding Quilt #2!!

Labels: jewelry

I find so much inspiration around the web in my daily surfings, and I found something recently I just had to share. I am so amazed at the creativity out on the web! Over at Tara's blog she recently posted a picture of this pendant. It is made by Tracy Miller and she is offering them for sale! Just email her (address on Tara's post) and she'll let you know more information. Take a look around their blogs, too, since they both have a fantastic way of capturing people, especially children, on film.

Before my sister's recent trip to Japan, I had mentioned how wonderful I thought all the Japanese fabrics were I'd seen all over blog-land. I was very excited to get the wonderful oragami paper she sent me in the mail, but I was even more excited to find she'd ventured into a Japanese fabric store to get the rest of my Christmas present!!

First there are these two wonderful canvas-weight prints.





Aren't the little tiny birds on the blue print wonderful? And I think I already have bag plans for both of these prints.

Next are these wonderful lighter-weight prints, more like quilting fabric but incredibly soft.





Katy had already purchased these four when she saw this last print on the remnants table, and she said she just had to get this as well!



Since it's a remnant, it was a great bargain, and there is a ton of fabric! I am having so much fun dreaming up what it will be. I may have to be boring and just make it into pajama pants because it is so soft and I would get to enjoy it all the time that way...

It was so fun to hear about her experience getting all this fabric. Of course there was a language barrier, but I am SO glad she figured out how to get this anyway! She's going back in February, so I'm going to try to talk her into braving the fabric store again for more!!

My sister and brother-in-law did a lot of international traveling this year, and boy did I benefit! My Christmas gift from them was so wonderful, all from far away lands. The first thing I pulled out of the bag was this wonderful handmade Alpaca - from alpaca wool!



She said they tie the colored fibers on their alpacas to tell which ones are theirs, so these are now my colors!And next I got this ball of beautiful chocolate brown Alpaca yarn. The locals apparently teased my sister for only getting one ball - "What can you knit with only one ball of yarn??" - but since all I know how to knit is scarves, I think this will be just right.



You also get a little shot of my desk, oops! One of the things on our wish list for 2006 is real office furniture - hopefuly that will help me stay a little more organized! I've got to do a little scanning before I can show off the rest of my well-traveled Christmas present, but I can't wait to share!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating, both the events of 2005 and the start of a fresh new year. I try not to make resolutions, but I like Andrea's idea of New Year's intentions. This year I intend to finish what I start, procrastinate less, and do what it takes to feel good about myself - to make myself a priority in my life as well as those around me!!

So, now on to the crafty. Rather than finish the wedding quilt that has been waiting for binding for months, I started a new project for my sister's Christmas present. Luckily she wasn't visiting until this weekend, so I had a little extra time - which I needed! I was putting the finishing touches on as they called from the Houston airport! I had already thought of this quilt and bought the fabrics on eQuilter when my sister mentioned she'd like a lap quilt with big blocks of color. Lime green is her favorite color, so here is the result:



I found some wonderful fabric for the backing. It was in the fleece section, but it is fluffier and softer than fleece... It is so cozy! I need to make one of these for myself one of these days!



I don't think I'm going to attempt any more quilting before I get a walking foot for my sewing machine. From what I've heard, it's definitely worth the minor investment!

I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season, and good luck with any of your New Year's Resolutions/Intentions!

Labels: quilting, sewing