The Cliff Notes ..

I've been MIA from blogging, but I've been sewing!!

Got this fq bundle from Fort Worth Fabrics a few weeks ago because I wanted to make some placemats for my bff's 'new to her' camper.  She wanted to decorate in aqua/red.  I love how this bundle blends just the right shade of pink as well.

I got the camper fabric for the backing from eBay and and had the red dots on hand (I believe they came from Hancock Fabrics).

I loved the fabric so much, and had enough left to make my mom a set of placemats as well.

The backing and binding for hers came from Hancock Fabrics.

These two sweet babies came over for a visit on the Saturday before Mother's Day.  I call them my cookie monsters.  They love their Nilla wafers!



And at my Mom's on the Sunday after Mother's Day.

I also managed to finish up a commissioned order for a purse.

With a matching pouch / keystrap.

This little one's Momma got pneumonia and had to be in the hospital for five days so I took a week off work (so thankful for a job where I can do that) and kept her.  Oh my goodness what fun we had.  Especially when food was involved.

And this fashion diva got new specs. 

 

So that sort of catches you up (not really, but hey, it's Cliff Notes, right?)

And I'm going to try to do a lot better at blogging from now on. 

For My Mom ...

My mom oooh'd and aaaaaah'd over the purse I made my DIL for Christmas, and hinted (well no, she said outright) that she wanted one ... so finally, here it is.  

Along with a couple of zipper pouches. 

I used this pattern / tutorial for the purse.

M M Monday ...

Just a little something to help me get through a Monday at work ... 

Working on a purse for my mom. 

(The colors are much richer than they look.  Crappy indoor lighting)

Even though I made her this one for her birthday in September .....

I now have to make her one like the one I made for my DIL for Christmas.  

She has told me about ten times since then that she needs one "that size".  In fact, if it had been for anyone other than my DIL my Mom might have taken it away from her! 

Linking up with Marelize for Anything Goes, and Randi at i have to say, and Connie at Free Motion By The River, and with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

Christmas Sewing ... and baby pictures!

I already blogged about the John Deere quilt I made for a friend's little boy.

 This is the purse I made for my daughter-in-law.  The fabric is from the Norwegian Woods line.  I love this fabric.  My mom tried to take it from my DIL.  :-)

It is lined in an owl print from Hancock Fabrics that has the exact same color scheme.  I also made her a little zipper pouch to match. 

I whipped up a couple of these pillow cases for Gabbie-Lou-Who; one for her house and one for my house.  The penguin fabric is flannel and she is all about anything that is 'soft and fuzzy'.  

I also made Gabbie a quilt for her new baby doll, and a taggy/lovey for  Sadie Mae and a matching smaller one for the baby doll.  No pics.  It was down to the wire and I just forgot.

Here is our Sweet Sadie Mae.

And with her Momma and Papa.

 

Gabbie-Lou-Who is not opening the presents; she's not even looking in the bags.  She's just rearranging them.  From table to couch and from one end of the couch to the other.  She kept this up for about a half hour.

I was (for a change) just so caught up in what was going on and having fun (and playing with Sadie) that I didn't even get any pictures actually during Christmas dinner or opening presents.  But later my dad and I helped Gabbie put together her Minnie Mouse floor puzzle that Justin and Ashley got her.  My dad had a real hard time with that irregular edge -- he kept trying to pick out all the edge pieces to put together first like you do with a 'real' puzzle.  

We had a really happy Christmas.  I hope all of you did as well. 

I'll be doing a post later this evening showing you my great Christmas presents, one of which I have been putting to hard  use today! 

Ribbons!

Last week (for the very first time) I entered five items in our local County Fair. 

 

I won four ribbons!  One blue, two red, and one white. 

 

Sadly my Hexies by Halves Quilt did not win anything, but that particular category (pieced, machine quilted, lap/throw size) had a lot of entries.  A local group of ladies who get together a couple times of week had all been working on entries for that category.  (Never mind that my quilting on that one had a couple of little puckers on the back.) 

 

Now that I know more about what's going on (not only had I never entered before, it's been about ten years since I've even been to the fair!) I'll be better prepared for next year.  Plus I have a whole year to make things and decide what to enter.  I've really only been at this a few months you know!

 

I was very happy for my first ribbons. 

 

And my mom loved the purse (today is her birthday!)

 

You can find the booties and similar purses and baskets in my Etsy Shop, along with many other items!

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 Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday, Quilt Story, Show & Tell Tuesday, and Free Motion by the River.

Please visit all the fine folks I have linked to my right-hand sidebar!

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Bama Top Done ....

Got the top done for Gabbie's birthday 'Bama quilt. 

It will be backed in fleece (also a Bama print) and bound in houndstooth.  Quilting with fleece will be a new experience for this inexperienced quilter!

I have about a month to finish it, but since she is at my house three or four evenings a week, I really don't have much time to get it done.  Basically I will have two Saturdays to work on it uninterrupted (of course, that is if nobody else interrupts me!)

Also made another purse.  This one will be for my momma's birthday in just under two weeks. 

Inside pockets on both sides.  This side is divided into three pockets, the other side is divided into two pockets.  Magnetic closure.

Linking up with Lee @ Freshly Pieced, and Sarah @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict, and Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation.

Tuesday's Tales ...

A few things to share this week.  

I've committed to join a quilt-along with Polly (see button in my right sidebar).   The first thing is picking out and purchasing our fabrics.  There's still plenty of time for you to join, check out the first post here. 

These are the fabrics I have ordered from Sisters And Quilters.  I'll be stalking the mailman again! 

I completed a custom order today for a co-worker's granddaughter.  Said granddaughter picked out her fabrics and brought them to me.  

I also have another custom order to complete this week.  Another co-worker's daughter has moved into her first apartment and needs pillow covers.  Daughter bought fabric and brought it to me, I will be making envelope back type pillow covers.

These are the two fabrics she chose (the beige is the sofa).

And, today I got Gabbie's bed moved from the small bedroom, to the large bedroom (which is also her playroom) so now I can start setting up the small bedroom for a sewing room!  Yay!  

And ... when Baby Brother came to help move the bed, he says he has a dining table I can use as long as I need it (which of course will be forever unless he decides he wants it back!)  He says he hasn't used it for anything but a catch-all in years (if he eats at home he eats in the living room in front of the tv).

Hoping to get it set up soon (maybe this weekend if Baby Brother can deliver the table for me).   It will be wonderful to have a dedicated space that doesn't have to be picked up, moved, put out of reach of little hands. I can just close the door and leave everything ready to use.  

I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Linking up with Fabric Tuesday and Show And Tell Tuesday and WIP Wednesday and Needle And Thread Thursday.

Finished - Gifted

I finished these little pot holders / mug rugs earlier in the week but couldn't post about them yet because they were gifts. 

They arrived at their destination yesterday, so now I can share.
 

 

They were sent along with this little purse I had finished some time ago. 

 

 

I finally couldn't wait any longer to send these gifts to my friend Linda - even though it's still over two weeks until her birthday!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA!!

 

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts today!

 

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Facebook / Etsy

Getting Good at Purses

So I'm getting the hang of the purse thing.  This is from some of my thrift store fabric. 

 

 

Those magnetic closures are so expensive, so I've been making flaps/buttons. 

I tried covered buttons this time and it was so easy! 

My new sewing machine has an automatic buttonhole stitch/feature so it's super duper easy to do a perfect button hole now!

 

I had a little scrap left so I made a tissue holder as well. 

These sew up in a quick minute! 

 

I even got some little labels!

 

 

Find it in my Etsy shop here: Sewy Stuff by Paula

 

Linking up with Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts, Braggin' Bout My Bag with Chris, and Gettin' My Whoop On with Sarah!

 

I will actually have a 'just me' day Saturday (something I only get once every two weeks), so I'm hoping next week I can show you a finished polka dot baby quilt!

 

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Edited to update:  Sold!  My very first Etsy sale!  Yay me! ;-)

Friday Finish!

Just in the nick of time (there's still 36 minutes left in my Friday!)

Made from today's Thrift Store Finds.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts Friday Finishes.

A Friday Finish!

Ok, so it's not a quilt, but it's finished. 

I did both of these projects last night.

And I'm linking it to Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions Of A Fabric Addict .

And The Scoop.

Tomorrow I will actually have a few hours all to myself (without the probability of a four year old calling for Aunt Paula to come get her) so I am going fabric drooling shopping. 

I have an idea for making a floor quilt for baby Sadie to roll around on (because even clean carpet is dirty and my carpet is old!)

Hopefully I can have it ready by the time she arrives (I have six weeks from tomorrow if she agrees with the doctor on her due date). 

I'd tell you what the pattern is but I have no idea.  I just saw something I like and I'm going to try something similar.  I will tell you this much: it's all rectangles and sashing.  No triangles, no corners to match!!

  :-)

 

And you can now also follow me on Facebook and Etsy!!