Jyl's Life

More Seat Covers.....

2012-02-09T16:25:00.005-06:00

Another thing that has been on my "To Do" list for a while has been to make seat covers for our Mazda Protege. If you've followed my blog, you'll know that I have already made some for our CX-7. You can see the pictures here. This week I decided to finally get them done. Todd and I had picked out the fabric a while ago and it's been sitting on the shelf. I also found some plain grey fabric that matched. So, without further ado,
this a photo of the seat "before"

And "After"

And I added pockets to the back (there were none before).

I was very happy with how they turned out!

Our oldest granddaughter has a birthday in a few days, so I decided to make something for it. Seeing all the neat stuff on Pinterest, I decided she needed a spa towel. I had to guess at the measurements, but found sizing info on the 'net and think I'm pretty close.

As always, comments are welcome!!!

One More......

2012-01-29T14:52:00.001-06:00

LOL!! I've been sewing quite a bit, and instead of putting everything in one post, I thought it best to break them up. This is the last one today, I promise!!!!

Todd has been getting pretty upset with my dog. He has a tendency to waste his "outside time" running after squirrels and such, and unless you really watch him and tell him to "GO POTTY!!!", he doesn't. But he'll do it in our bathroom or on the rug in front of the sliding glass door in our bedroom. I finally decided I'd had enough and made some diapers for him. Just having them on him when he's inside works wonders. There were a couple times (overnight when he's not in his kennel) that they were wet, but other than that, I take them off of him when he goes outside and put them right back on him when he comes inside.

(And I also picked up some fleece at JoAnn's to make him a bed to lay on when I sew - he usually just lays on the floor outside the office.) He seems quite embarrased to have them on since he doesn't want to look at me when I take his picture. They are made out of flannel, a couple of them I put a layer of terrycloth in them, but that's really not needed. I just used velcro to hold them on, and decided to put one underneath just to make sure they don't fall off.

Some improvements......

2012-01-29T14:45:00.001-06:00

If you remember, DH's grandmother passed away a couple of years ago and when we cleaned out her house, we brought home her round table and chairs. We also brought home the cushions. When the grandkids were over to decorate Christmas cookies, I noticed a couple of the cushions had some extra stains. So I decided to make some covers for them. I used the same fabric as the tablecloth and made them removable so they can be washed.
Before (this one is fairly clean, but some others are much dirtier):

After:

It's been a while since I've updated my blog,

2012-01-29T14:35:00.003-06:00

except for the quick one showing all the coupon holders that are available. After the craft show on Dec. 20 last year I took a break from sewing. With Christmas and New Year's so soon after, I was busy traveling back to Nebraska to see family and didn't really get a chance to until a week or two ago. So it's about time I post some things I've made!!!!!

My latest obsession is Pinterest. Along with Craftster, you can get TONS of new ideas of things to make. Pinterest also have great recipes, cleaning tips, etc. So if you have signed up there, !!!

A few things I've tried that I've seen on Pinterest are below.
First, I've been wanting a new "Spa Towel". I have one I purchased at a Hanes shop in an outlet mall years ago, but it's just too big, so decided I needed to make one.

So, of course, I needed a new towel for my head to match!!!! (I had made a couple out of old towels, but this one is made out of the same terry cloth fabric I purchased at Jo-Ann's).

Another cool thing on Pinterest was spa slippers!!!! So, of course (again), I had to make some of them!

Those all turned out OK, but I wanted to try to see if I could do better. After another trip to Jo-Ann's (thank goodness they have great coupons - 50% off one item, 20% off your entire purchase, etc), I ended up bringing home some Chenille fabric - mostly pink but some blue, too. So here's the 2nd "spa towel".

And matching hair turban

The thing about Chenille vs. Terry Cloth (besides the cost) is the chenille is one-sided, so I decided to add a layer of terry cloth on the inside of the turban.

And the slippers-

I had remembered seeing fabric with little plastic/grippy stuff that you see on the bottom of kids' footy pj's, so bought a little of that to use on the bottom of the slippers.

Overall, they are pretty nice! The right foot is a little big (both slippers are the same size, it's just that my right foot is a little smaller than my left due to falling out of a 2nd story window when I was really small.) I used two layers of batting on the bottom, and one layer on the rest. I may try them again, but for now they are nice to have on when I'm at home.

Coupon Holders Available

2012-01-11T14:18:00.001-06:00

I haven't taken the time to list all the coupon holders that are already completed on etsy, but someone asked and I thought I'd just post the pictures of them here. The cost would be the same, $23.00 including shipping. If you are interested, I can do a special listing on etsy and everything can go through there.

#1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5:

#6:

#7:

I do have other fabrics available that can be used to make custom orders, so just give me an idea of what color you are looking for and I'll see what I have. It seems to work pretty well to post pictures of the fabric here on my blog.

As always, let me know if you have any questions!!!

Jyl

Finally had time to list a few items on my etsy account!!!!

2012-01-04T11:26:00.000-06:00

Please check them out! (Also, contact me for a "free shipping" coupon code!)

Happy New Year!!!!!

2011-12-31T09:01:00.000-06:00

I've been extremely busy the last month or so, but after the first of the year I PROMISE that I'll update my blog. I have a lot of things to list on my etsy shop, also, so please keep checking back!!!!

Thanks!

Jyl

Thanks for visiting my blog!!!!!

2011-12-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

Browse to your heart's content! Feel free to contact me if you'd like a custom-made item. I'll also be at Parkside Community School on December 20, 2011.

In the mean time, please visit my etsy shop here.

Thanks and have a Merry Christmas!!!!

Jyl

I've been trying to use coupons more,

2011-11-16T20:22:00.002-06:00

and a couple of the ladies at work have, too, so......there was a need. lol

Actually, one of the ladies left for another job, and as a going-away present, I decided to make her a coupon holder. She had mentioned that she likes pink and purple together, so this is what I came up with:

the back

And after that, the other one had a birthday and a "hint" slipped that she might like one, too. (I had already decided that I was going to make her one.) lol Anyway, I made two last weekend and told her she could chose between the two, and I'd take the other one.

She chose the one made with fabric from Ikea:

back:

And this is the one I get to keep!!!!!

Love them!!!!!!!!!!!! And today I received an email from someone in Austin inviting me to have a booth at their school Holiday Bazaar. She found me on etsy and they only invite vendors to the bazaar (it's a Montessori school), so I was excited! She sent me more information but I need to find out when I need to give her an answer by. It's kinda late to do any other holiday craft shows, and her original email said she was looking for someone who made reusable produce bags. I can whip a BUNCH of those up in no time, but I'm hoping they will also let me bring other items like the reusable grocery bags and maybe some more coupon holders.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also made a set of reusable grocery bags and produce bags for my sister to give as a Christmas gift. The picture's not the best, but here it is:

I almost have my sister-in-law's purse done, so soon it will be in the mail!!!!

As always, comments are welcome!!!!! And if you'd like anything I make, whether for yourself or for Christmas gifts, please let me know!

For Penny

2011-11-03T19:01:00.002-05:00

Fabric choices -

Since you liked the brown, I thought I'd give you a few different fabrics to choose from.
This one is the only one I currently have at home:

I had meetings in Austin the last two days, so stopped at JoAnn's Fabric to see what they had to choose from. These are what I found: (A lot of the pictures turned out looking green, but I only chose the ones what had brown backgrounds)
#1 - Circles

#2 - Colorful Circles

#3 - Flowers

#4 - Swirls #1

#5 - Large Flowers

#6 - Flowers (with some Blue)

#7 - Swirls #2

And there a bunch of choices that we could use for lining.

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.!!!!!

Mom got her bag today,

2011-10-24T19:14:00.001-05:00

so now I can post the pictures!

I used Mom and Dad's jeans to make this. I think it came out pretty good!

Another Bag DONE!!!

2011-10-23T14:34:00.002-05:00

LOVE this bag. Kinda like the one I made my Mom (which she hasn't received yet, but once she does, I'll post pictures). Anyway, our church holds a huge fundraiser ever year called "Wurstbraten". We make sausage, sell it by the pound, then have a Sausage Supper.. It's the main fundraiser we have each year and this year it's on November 6, 2011. As part of the night, they also have a "Country Store" where people can make things to be sold and all the profits go to church.

Last year I made this pillow:

So this year I decided to make a tote bag kinda like Mom's. They are coming down for a visit sometime really soon (end of this week), so I thought I better get the bag done so I don't have to worry about it while they are here. I started it yesterday. As with most of the things I make, I don't use a pattern, just start out and see how it ends up. I got most of the piecing done yesterday, so today I just had to put it together. It took me longer than I thought it would, but turned out really nice!
Front:

Back:

Side:

Inside:

I added pockets inside this one and the hook and loop closure is about 4" long. You can't see it on the picture of the front, but I quilted a design on the sides of the pocket. It's 14" wide, 14 1/2" tall and the gusset is 5". I'm very happy with the result! After my list of things to sew I'll make me one (like I need any more bags - lol).

Comments are always appreciated!!!!! These would make great Christmas presents! Send me an email at jylslife at gmail.com!!!!!!

I've done LOTS of sewing lately.

2011-10-09T20:25:00.001-05:00

Sadly, most of what I've sewn are for gifts, so I can't post pictures yet. The only thing that I can post is the lastest baby quilt I made for our newest grandson who's due on the 12th, but can come any day. I've made each one of our grandkids one of these, so I hand-quilt them.

Front

Back

And yesterday I had the best trip to JoAnn's Fabric!!!! They had coupons out and would let you use more than one, so I decided to splurge. One coupon was 50% off any regular priced item, one was 40% off one regular price item and the other one was 20% off your total purchase! So even though I spent over $100, I saved $45!

I've been looking for some home decor fabric to make another purse. And of course, that also means I'll need to make another laptop bag, book cover, cosmetic bag, and other stuff that I have in the black that I'm using now. So this is the fabric I came home with:

and with the fabric I'll use for the lining:

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I bought a pink "Survivor" patch for my mom, and today decided to make a tote bag for her. At first it started really easy, but quickly became more intricate, so it took me all day. But it turned out really cute!!! If it wasn't for the "Survivor" patch on it, I'd keep it! Once I figure out if they are coming to visit soon or if I need to mail it, I'll post pictures.

So keep checking back!

Do you like egg mcmuffins

2011-09-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

but don't want to leave the house (or spend the $ on one)? Here's my version that costs less than one dollar!!!!!

I made anther reusable shopping bag

2011-09-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

to send to Todd's cousin in Colorado. And this time I remembered to take some pictures before I sent it off!

I've started working again full time, so haven't had much energy to do much in the evenings. I have one baby afghan done and am working on another one. Once the second one is done, I'll post pictures and tell the story of them. :D

For Kathy

2011-08-17T06:38:00.001-05:00

I went through Nel's fabric that I brought home and here are the fabrics that would be big enough to make a reusable shopping/grocery bag out of:

1) This is just a little thicker than regular cotton fabric and has a "shine" to it, but it would work fine

2) This one is some sort of synthetic, but would also work:

The rest are regular cotton:
3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

A few of them I'd have to find another coordinating fabric for the lining . I usually use muslin and have both off-white and white already. Let me know if you like any of them.

Did a little sewing over the weekend.

2011-08-08T13:48:00.002-05:00

Inspired by this post on craftster, I decided to try a couple of "buckets". The first one turned out really bad, not surprising, so that one went in the garbaga, but the others I made were pretty good! Now just to find a use for them. lol

First (good) one - the green is a denim-weight fabric and the lining is a much lighter fabric. Would work fine if you had the right stuff in it, but alone it doesn't stand up very well. It was really tall, so I folded it over - I think I like that look!

Inside:

So I decided to do another one and add some heavy interfacing - that helped A LOT!

Keep in mind they were supposed to be square, but these didn't turn out very well, So I tried again!

This one is much better! I used actual canvas for both the outside and the lining.

I didn't have any regular brown thread, so tried to use some that was thicker - and that's why the top is funky. I had the heavier thread in the bobbin. But I was happy it stands up on it's own! Again, not sure where I'll use it, but we'll see if I can find somewhere. I'm also thinking of making some small ones to organize things in the bathroom (q-tips, cotton balls, etc.).

More Reusable Shopping Bags!!!

2011-08-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

Last week one of our television stations aired this story about Austin banning plastic bags in stores. So I thought "What a great time to make some more reusable shopping bags"!!! I bought some more pretty fabric and took a few days to make them. I decided this time to make a whole set and also include produce bags.

Here are the pictures:
There are three t-shirt bags

All with button holes and tabs to hold them on the racks at the store

The produce bags are two different sizes - three large and four small

The last one I didn't have enough fabric for the whole outside, so decided to make squares for the "quilted" look. I did use batting in this bag so it's a little stronger. It also has a long handle - great to carry two gallons of milk (or something similar).

And they all fold up to be carried together!

I posted them on my etsy account for sale here. I have an example of what all they hold there.

And while I was at it, I also posted some other bags that I had made.

This set of three is also available here.

This set of two is available here.

And a couple single bags

Available here.

and

Available here.

If you are interested in any of these, leave a comment with your e-mail address and I'll send you a coupon code for free shipping!!!!

I still have another fabric that I haven't started on yet, but I'll be making another set. Pictures will be posted as soon as I'm done!

GO GREEN!!!!! lol

I've done a little more sewing......

2011-07-16T11:56:00.001-05:00

and finally took some pictures. The previous post had a reusable shopping bag that I made out of an old curtain we brought home from Todd's grandma's house, and I used the same fabric for these. The first thing I made was a travel jewelry holder. Last month Todd and I went to Nebraska for a week, so I needed something to put my jewelry in. This one is much larger than the others I've made and works great to just throw in my luggage.

Here it is closed:

Open:

The other thing I made was a tea wallet! It will be nice to carry around this winter!!!!

Open:

It holds 12 teabags!!!

I'll probably have more time to sew now that Todd has gone back to being a truck driver. He's been dreaming of owning his own truck since he was 18 and finally bought his own truck. So while he's on the road, I'm at home looking for a job. I haven't been working since the end of March when the owner of the insurance agency I was working at decided to close it completely. Yesterday we went to get Todd's truck (again - see my post here to read about what happened) and he's on his way to his dad's, then will be in Sabetha, Kansas Monday morning to get things ready for his first load. It will be quiet around here again, just me and Brute. When Todd was driving before we still had Buddy. But I'm looking forward to finding a new job and have more time to sew, knit and crochet. Oh, and spend time with the grandkids!!!!

Another item has been added to my etsy shop!

2011-06-23T09:32:00.001-05:00

I used a vintage curtain that we brought home from Todd's Grandmother's house for this vintage reusable shopping bag. The curtain lining was also used for the lining in the bag. This is larger than the typical t-shirt bag, measuring 16 inches wide with a 15 inch tall body and 26 inches total with handles. Visit my etsy shop for more information and to see other items I have for sale.

Anyone who leaves a comment or sends me an email at jylslife@gmail.com will receive a coupon code for free shipping!!!!

Thanks for looking!

I don't think I've posted these yet

2011-06-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

I was playing around in the office/sewing room a while ago and decided I wanted to change a pair of my flip-flops. I put velcro on the top, then started making exchangeable tops for them. I have some to match a short sets that I made, but there's no picture yet. I also made some headbands to match a couple of the tops. And I can always add to what I have!

Flip Flops with one of the exchangeable tops:

And some of the other tops:

(the black ones will go with anything)
I'm pretty happy with them. They are really easy to make!

Chemo Caps

2011-05-18T08:11:00.003-05:00

Mom has been undergoing chemo treatments for Breast Cancer. [I just hate reading that - it makes it too real :'( As one of my Facebook friends so eloquently said, "Cancer Sucks"] Since I'm so far away and not working, I offered to make some caps for her to try since she's lost her hair. She just wanted something to wear on her head, but nothing that would be too hot. Had she been going through this in the winter and needed something to keep her head warm, it would have been very easy!!! Flannel would be good and I could knit her all kinds of things to wear. Hopefully she'll be done with chemo and her hair will be back by the time it turns cold in Nebraska.

Anyway, I found a pattern I had purchased a while ago and decided to try a couple caps from it.

Here's the first one I made:

I thought it was a little big, so revised the pattern some and made a few more.

They don't fit my head very well since my hair was in a ponytail, but I think they'll fit Mom better.

This is the back of them:

This is another one from the same pattern (this one was really easy once I figured the pattern out):
Turban:

I found an old shirt that was made out of pretty light fabric, so quick made one out of it before I mailed them to her:

I also found a couple patterns online:
Beret:

I had another one that I found online, but apparently forgot to take a picture of it. (I need to find a fake head to put them on instead of trying them on me.) lol

I made a few more but wasn't very happy with the way they turned out, so only mailed six to Mom. Then I found really super thin fabric at Wal-Mart for $1.50 per yard, so bought 1 1/2 yards that will be enough to make a few more. She said she likes the white ones with ties the best (which were the ones I liked, too), so I'm going to use that pattern for them.

We have a large family reunion on Mom's side in June, so Todd and I will be going up for it. We'll spend a day or two with his Dad in Falls City, who is also undergoing treatments for a kind of skin cancer. Then up to Milford to see Mom and Dad. After we get home, I'll start looking for a job. (I've been browsing and sending out resumes if something looks interesting, but not trying too hard.) Hopefully one will come along soon. I'm getting pretty bored staying at home all the time and I end up worrying about Mom and Todd's Dad. lol

Comments are appreciated!!!

No, I haven't forgotten about my blog. ;D

2011-05-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

I've been sewing a little and knitting a little. Since I'm not working right now, I always have something I'm working on. Todd left this morning and will be gone for a couple days, so I needed to find something to keep me busy. I've been meaning to take pictures of my latest projects and finally got it done this morning.

First, I found instructions for a knitted headband and decided to try it. The first one came out a little wider than I'd hoped for (but I'll probably be able to wear it over my ears), so I tried it again and adjusted the width. I used the same yarn as the beret, scarf and fingerless gloves that Alyssa models here. The buttons are some from Todd's grandma and not exactly straight, but I'll fix that later.

You knit part of it, then divide it up into three separate parts and braid them. Then attach them to the beginning and add the buttons.

I also made a couple koozies for water bottles and drinking glasses. The yard I used is 100% cotton. LOVE THEM!!!!!

And I've also made a few more reusable shopping/grocery bags. We have a HUGE family reunion coming up in June and we always have an auction to raise money for the expenses, so I think I'll take them to be auctioned off.

I made them larger than the ones I use, which is nice because you can really pack them full. They will easily hold two gallons of milk. The other adjustment I made was making the handles a little longer. They are really great!!!!!

The first one I made was out of a vintage curtain we brought home from Todd's grandma's house. I really liked the fabric so wanted to bring it home. The bag is lined with the same fabric that the curtain was lined with.

I also added button holes and a slip on the back so it fits easily on the racks at the store.

I also used one of the vintage tablecloths that was large enough to make a set of reusable shopping/grocery bags!!!!

They hold A LOT!!!!

Organizational Tools

2011-04-18T16:06:00.001-05:00

We had some of the grandkids over yesterday to color Easter Eggs and do an Easter Egg Hunt. (See my other blog here.) I always have a bunch of Egg coloring kits because I go to Wal-Mart after Easter and buy the kits for really cheap. I try to be "thrifty" that way.lol So I decided instead of just throwing everything back into a white plastic bag, I'd sew some bags so I could tell what was in each one. I had already done it with Christmas fabric to keep cooking cutters, decorations, etc in it, so decided to do the same with some colored "egg" fabric I had, and while I was at it, why not use some Halloween fabric for the pumpkin carving stuff? So these are the bags I have now:

I'm lucky enough to have a pretty large pantry, so I put them on the top shelf so they are out of the way.

It will be SO NICE to just grab the Halloween bag when it's time to carve pumpkins again!!!!!!

The tutorial for making the shopping bag is on Craftster and can be found here. They are very easy to make and I get lots of compliments on mine when I use them to get groceries. Here is a link to the post with the shopping bags I use - they are the first ones shown. LOVE THEM!!!!!

More knitting projects!!!

2011-04-03T11:13:00.001-05:00

And I used Alyssa for a model.

First I made the fingerless gloves. The pattern was on some yarn I bought. They had cables on them and I thought they were pretty. Then I decided to make a scarf to match, also cables. The patter for that I found here.
I have a few other scarves I've made out of that pattern and it's pretty easy. The beret pattern I also found online. The first time I made the beret it turned out ok, but I wasn't very happy with it, so ripped it out. Then I decided to combine the beret pattern with the scarf pattern. It took me a while to figure it out, but I think it turned out pretty well. The beret is kind of small, though. I think it looks pretty good on Alyssa!!!
The whole set

Better picture of the scarf and fingerless gloves

and a couple pictures of the beret

I finished one more sock this morning. I'm taking a couple knitting projects on our trip so hopefully I'll have the other one done when we get home.

As always, comments are appreciated!!!!!

What's better than handmade slippers?????

2011-03-13T12:58:00.001-05:00

Handmade SOCKS!!!!!! I had been thinking of trying to make something with my double-pointed knitting needles, but wasn't sure what to start with. I read www.craftster.org quite often, and someone posted there about making socks, so I thought about trying that. I tried a couple and they worked OK, but decided to try them just a little different. The main difference was I made 2x2 ribbing all the way down the top of the sock.

Here they are:

So I decided that socks are pretty fun to make! VERY WARM, even though Texas is probably done with cold weather for the year, I'll have them for next year. And I also learned that you can buy yarn specifically made for socks (these are made with some regular yarn I had started making an afghan out of). Sock yarn is very thin and some are stretchy. I bought some yesterday and will start one today, so when I have a good pair done, I'll post a picture.

And one of Sam's friends asked if I could make another baby afghan for her, so I did that.

It's the basic basket weave pattern. This is actually the second one I made - the first one I decided wasn't quite big enough, so I ripped it out and re-did it. I seem to do that quite often, but that's one good thing about knitting and crocheting - if you don't like how the project turned out, you can re-use the yarn.

Comments are always welcome!!!!! :D

So I decided I wasn't very happy with the prayer shawl I made,

2011-03-03T14:14:00.000-06:00

so I decided to rip it out and re-do it. The second one is MUCH BETTER!

So I decided to make one for my mom, too. She had surgery last week, so I got it made and sent to her before the surgery.

Both are made with Lion Brand Homespun yarn - mine is Barley and Mom's is Cream.

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post.

2011-02-06T14:49:00.001-06:00

I've mostly been knitting, but last week I also did some sewing. We purchased a new car last Monday, and we needed some seat covers to protect the cloth seats. In our old car, we just have big pieces of fleece and that works OK, but I wanted something a little nicer for the new car. After looking around craftster.org again, I decided I wanted to use a little heavier fabric, so went to shop in my stash. I found two fabrics that I thought I had enough fabric to cover both front seats, so took them outside to figure out which one I wanted to use. I didn't like the way the white one looked and thought it would get dirty really easy, so decided to stick with the paisley fabric. It happens to have a little purple in it, so it matches the car. :D

Onto pictures!!!!!
The new vehicle:

And the seat covers (it was hard to get a good picture of them):

(It's been VERY cold in TX, so I threw a couple blankets in there just in case.)

I think they turned out pretty good. I used some batting and muslin on the back of the main part. The back is just one layer. They should hold up pretty good with the multiple layers. And the best part was they didn't cost me anything!!! I had all the fabric, batting, muslin and thread already!

Since my last post, I ripped out the prayer shawl I made and re-did it. It's much better, but I haven't taken a picture of it yet. As soon as I do, I'll post it. I also started another prayer shawl yesterday. This one is for my mom, she's been diagnosed with breast cancer and will have surgery on the 15th. I'm hoping to get it done and mailed to her before surgery, but we'll see if I can.

Scarves!!!!!

2011-01-10T07:47:00.001-06:00

It's supposed to get cold here this week, so I decided I needed a scarf (or two or three, lol). And cold here is in the 30's and 40's during the day, yes, we're wimps.

And just really quickly, here are a couple (bad) pictures of the prayer shawl that I made - it's really warm and sometimes I use it as a lap afghan while watching TV.

I also made a scarf to match it - this was made with size 15 circular needles, Lion Brand Homespun yarn, the color is Barley.

I also made a cowl out of the Lion Brand Homespun yarn, but this color is Heppelwhite; also with the size 15 circular needles.

I can double it to make a neck warmer!

The next scarf I made is the "Basketweave" pattern, size 15 needles (circular but could have used straight), the yarn is Bernat Satin Sport, Taupe.

It's amazing how warm it makes my neck even though there's no bulk to the scarf.

I also made an ear warmer out of the same yarn, but used a size 6 circular needle but didn't get a picture of it.

I decided I wanted to learn how to knit cables and found this on craftster. I started the scarf a few times, but wasn't too happy with it so kept trying different yarn and needles sizes. Then yesterday morning I decided to knit a thin scarf with just the cables. For this I used the size 15 needles and Lion Brand SUPER BULKY yarn, color #300.

For my next project, I'm thinking of trying mittens, but we'll have to see. At the moment I can't locate my convertable gloves that match my poncho, so I'll need to find something before the cold weather gets here tomorrow.

Thanks again for visiting my blog!!!!!!

There was a need........

2011-01-04T09:09:00.003-06:00

for me to make something to put on the handles of our new refrigerator. I like to cook and bake A LOT, and get my hands really messy. Thus, the handles of the fridge get dirty and they are kinda hard to clean. So I decided to make some covers for them! I used velcro so I can change them out when one set gets dirty and I need to wash them.

I even had food-themed fabric for one set!!! It was out of the stash of fabric that was Todd's mom's.

And the other set - not quite as long, but still works great!

Bag for knitting/crochet projects

2011-01-01T15:47:00.002-06:00

Todd and I were at JoAnn's Fabrics and Craft store yesterday (passing time until the liquor store opened, lol) and I was looking for something to carry my knitting (and crochet) projects in. I found a couple things that looked like they would work, but the prices seemed a little high to me. After we got home, I decided to just make one (surprise!). As usual, I didn't have a pattern to work from, just an idea in my head. I found some fabric that I thought would work and picked another for the interior. (I always like using light fabrics on the inside of my bags because it's easier to find things.) I got most of the bag completed yesterday before we left to celebrate the new year with another couple and their kids and dogs. ;-)

I sat down and it took about 30 minutes to finish it this morning. I made it similar to the "Jordy" bags I read about on Craftster.org. I decided to add a zipper to the top because I wanted the bag to be mostly closed, and also added a pocket on one side. Good thing I didn't completely close the top, because if I ever want to carry my straight knitting needles, they will have to stick out the top. The projects I'm working on now are made with the circle knitting needles, so they fit inside.

I had to use a zipper I already had, so it doesn't match, but it's not too bad.

Of course I had to have pockets on the inside. One side I made taller and not wide to hold the circular needles and crochet needles. I actually could have made this side shorter.

(Bad picture, sorry) This side has shorter pockets and I made them much wider to hold other tools.

Inside view of the pockets.

I made this a long time ago to hold my straight needles and a few tools.

the back - not sure how they were stained. I've tried washing it and it doesn't come out.

And this is what I keep my crochet needles in. Also made a long time ago. It comes in really handy!

the back

Rolled up

Anyway, I'll use the new bag to take my projects with me to work. It's really slow and that's where I do most of my knitting. I had made a few other bags just really quick, but they weren't interfaced or anything. They worked, but this will be much better.

Comments are appreciated!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Food this time!

2010-12-30T08:07:00.001-06:00

I've been knitting and am done with the scarf and fingerless glove, but haven't taken pictures yet. Yesterday, however, I decided to make some Cinnamon Rolls! Todd gave me Pioneer Woman's Cookbook for Christmas (YAY!) and she has a recipe for them in it that's supposed to be really good. Yesterday, however, I decided to use our family recipe. First I tried to make the dough in the bread machine, but it's too big of a recipe, so had to finish it with the mixer. Anyway, I decided to snap pictures of the finished projects. :D

Pictures aren't great because I used my small camera, but they taste really good! Still not quite like when my Mom makes them, but still good. Maybe I roll them out too thin, not sure.

I'm thinking of next time use PW's recipe and see which one I like the best.

I took a quick trip to Michael's the day after Christmas because they had most of their yarn on sale, so I bought 6 skeins (2 skeins each of 3 different kind/color). I also had to get some Christmas stuff that was 50% off. And I bought a set of 12 holiday wine glasses (with gold on the rim) at Target for 50% off - $7.50!!! They will go great with the china we brought home from Todd's grandma's house in IL.

So I've started another scarf - this one white. I'm using the circular knitting needles again - I really like them.

After all of our Christmas celebrations are done, I'll have another post to show what I made for Megan and Kate.

Tomorrow is New Year's eve, everyone have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Shawl is done!

2010-12-22T10:13:00.001-06:00

I finally decided the shawl is long enough, so finished it the other day. I've been reading online about "blocking" knitted things, so thought I'd try it. It is usually done (I think) for lacy things so you can see more detail, but I wanted to try it to stretch it out, so we'll see if it works. Years ago when Todd bought my craft table for me from Craigslist, it came with a large cardboard thing and I finally used it! It really worked great for the blocking, because it's marked every inch and I used lots of pins. Then I sprayed it with lots of plain water,so I hope it works. Anyway, I snapped a couple of pictures.

It measures 11 inches wide by 68 inches long. I set it under the ceiling fan in the office, so hopefully it won't take too long to dry. It's going to be really nice when it's colder outside! (Yesterday it was 82 here, but Christmas is supposed to be in the 50's.)

I also finished a couple other craft projects, but they are Christmas gifts, so can't be posted yet. Once they are given out in January, I'll post them.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

I can't believe it's almost Christmas!

2010-12-13T09:32:00.004-06:00

Wow, where has the time gone? I've been busy - we traveled to Nebraska for Thanksgiving. That was a lot of fun and I've posted about that on my personal blog .

I did complete another quilt - this one is for our step-grandson. He wasn't in the family yet when I started quilting and made the rest of the grandkids quilts (which reminds me, I need to make one for McKenna!). I had already purchased fabric from Wal-Mart a long time ago and it's the same as the other Split Rail Quilts I made. Unfortunately, I didn't have quite enough for the inside border to be the same, so I had to improvise. Here's the finished quilt:

I need to figure out how to label it yet. The other ones I made printed off labels on the fabric paper that I used for picture pillows, but I'm not sure if they hold up very well. Since I now have my MIL's Bernina, I think I'll stitch a label, just something quick, but that's all I'll need to do. I machine quilted this with clear thread, but the back didn't turn out very well, but it will have to do. (I'm not going to post a picture of the back since I'm not happy with it.)

I've also been knitting and a little crochet. Before Thanksgiving, I decided I wanted a shawl and had a few patterns at home, so I bought some pretty yarn - Lion Brand Homespun Barley is what I decided on. I actually finished it while in Nebraska, but then decided I wanted to make it wider and longer, so after we got home, I ripped it out and I'm starting again.
This is where I was on it a week ago:

I've added to it since then, but still not to the size I want, so I'm still working on it.

Something else I decided I want to make are Fingerless Gloves. I have a couple pair of them sewn out of fleece, but wanted to make some out of yarn. The first one I did was crocheted, made out of the same yarn the shawl is: (Found the pattern on the internet)

I only made one and it's a little bulky, so wanted to try knitting one. I didn't have a pattern for these, so made it up as I went.

Still not happy with this one, either, so tried it with a different yarn.

That was better, but still not quite what I wanted.

So I went out last week and purchased some circular knitting needles. These let you knit a tube. This was the first try - it took me a while to figure it out but I sat down one morning and found a picture tutorial online and figured it out.

Showing the circular needles:

That was much better, but it turned out too big. Yesterday we were at Wal-Mart and I decided ot buy some more circular needles, but in a smaller size.
And yesterday I made this:

MUCH better! So I've started the second one, but need to finish the shawl to figure out how much yarn I have left.

So that's what I've been working on lately.

Friday I had a nice surprise - we were at Todd's work Christmas Party and I received an email from etsy that someone purchased another item!! YAY!!!!
Melissa in Aurora, CO purchased one of my fabric book covers, so I'm stopping at the Post Office on the way to work to put it in the mail.

My sister also opened an Etsy shop last night, so if anyone is interested in Stained Glass pieces, she does GREAT work! Her etsy shop, and her website.
This is a Christmas ornament she gave me:

And while I'm promoting other people's work, my step-daughter, Megan, had a blog about the items she crochets, so here's the link to that. (She does great work, too! Really cute items for babies.) And her Facebook page. Too late for Christmas, but winter's not officially here yet!!!

I needed something to organize my earrings,

2010-12-05T09:14:00.003-06:00

so tried making something to hold them. I saw something on craftster, another one so the last time I was at Hobby Lobby, I remembered to get a sheet of plastic - I think it's used for cross stitch. I think it was 49 cents. Anyway, I knew I needed to be able to get to the front and back of it, this is what I came up with:

I hung it next to the dresser and mirror where I keep the rest of my jewelry, and it's really nice to have all my earrings handy. I probably should have made it a little smaller so I could at least put a frame around it, but it's fine for me.

I did start another quilt, this one for our step-grandson, Dom. It will be for him for Christmas. I thought I had taken a picture of the quilt top, but apparently I didn't. I'll have to take a picture when it's done, I've started quilting it (machine quilting so I get it done before Christmas).

I'm organizing my Photobucket account,

2010-11-15T16:19:00.000-06:00

so if you see any pictures that are missing, please send me an email or comment on the post and I'll correct them.

Thanks!!!!

No, I haven't stopped sewing.....

2010-11-11T15:23:00.002-06:00

Just haven't take time to update my blog for a while. After the tablecloth was done, I decided I wanted to have some place mats to use so the tablecloth won't get dirty right away. I had some fabric left over so used it to make place mats.

I made two of each of these:

And yesterday I decided I needed another wallet, so decided to make one to match my purse (of course, lol). It took me ALL DAY, but I designed one that had everything I wanted - mainly a zippered pocket for bills and coins, enough slots for debit cards, etc, and a pen holder. This is what I came up with:

Drivers license

So now my set includes: purse, coin purse, kleenex holder, cosmetic bag, laptop bag, wallet (this one), travel wallet, credit card holder, sunglass holder, book cover, notebook cover and a few other small pouches to hold things in in my purse. But I still have some fabric left, so we'll see what else I make!! :D

I've also started working on the quilt I made for our bed again. I've found Nel's (MIL) sewing machine quilts much better with the walking foot than my machine with the walking foot. Hopefully it will be done soon, but here is the picture I took today.

Happy Veterans Day, everyone! Take time to thank a veteran for their service to this country!

Tablecloth is done!

2010-10-31T15:01:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the tablecloth! I really shouldn't say finally finished, it really only took me three weeks.
I decided to machine quilt it, so worked on it all day yesterday and finished about 9 pm last night. The machine quilting took about 7 hours, but I'm happy with how it came out! Whoever invented the walking foot for a sewing machine is pure genius!!! It works so well and makes the quilting very easy. The worst part of machine quilting the tablecloth was all the turning I had to do. Anyway, on with the pictures!

I've worked on a couple placemats, but don't like how they came out, so I'll have to keep working on them. I didn't cut the binding for the outside on the bias, and that makes them not lay flat. As soon as I get some done that I'm happy with, I'll post them.

Back to the tablecloth - as intricate as the pattern looks, it really was pretty easy to make. I'm tossing around the idea of making another one so we have two to change out, but really should finish one of the other projects. Nel's machine quilts so much better than my machine, so I may work on the quilt I started years ago for our bed and quit hand-quilting it and machine quilt it instead.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

A new project!

2010-10-20T20:22:00.001-05:00

Since we brought home a round table from Todd's grandma's house, I didn't have any tablecloths that fit well. We brought a couple home with the table, but they are small. So last weekend I decided I wanted to make a quilted round tablecloth. I searched online and found this. What made me think I could do it, I'm not sure. The video just made it seem so easy, but later when I really sat down to look at the finished product, I started second-guessing my abilities (lol). All the corners and everything started to scare me. But I went to JoAnn's on Sunday. It's so hard to pick out the fabrics! I was worried about one of the reds. Anyway, I started working on it. I took it to work on Monday and pinned the pieces together, and that worked really well. (I have a hard time taking the time to pin things when I'm sitting in front of the sewing machine,) I had to make the boarders pretty large because the table top is 48 inches across, but I'm pretty pleased with how it came out.

This is just the top, I need to make the sandwich, then I'm going to quilt it with transparent thread. I'm hoping the quilting will smooth things out.

I'll post pictures when it's done.

Another Project - this one for church

2010-10-11T11:02:00.002-05:00

Every year the major fundraiser for our church is "Wurstbraten"

Todd and I always help and are going to again, and for the past three years, I've sewn stuff for the "Country Store". One year I made a purse, one year I made reusable shopping bags, last year I made some baked potato bags, so while we were at church yesterday morning, I was trying to figure out what I'd make this year. The bulletin for the service had this on the front:

I got looking at it and wondered if I could do something with it. Got home and started going through all my fabric and started playing with stuff. This was my rough-draft:

And this morning I finished it into a pillow! (I'm thinking of sewing about 1/2 inch around it so it fits the pillow better, but haven't decided yet.)

The nice thing was I didn't have to buy anything for it - all the fabric I had from things I bought or what I brought home from Falls City last year, and the pillow was something we brought home last year. I also used Nel's sewing machine for the wording on the bottom. (Took me FOREVER to get it just right.)

I hope someone enjoys it!

Chair is DONE!!!!

2010-09-29T17:40:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I received the upholstery supplies I ordered online, and was glad I didn't need to work today. So the day was spent working on the chair and it's DONE!!! YAY!!!

It took me all day long! (Remember this is the first thing I've ever recovered.) And I only had to make one trip to WalMart to get more staples, nails and tacks.

Here is the before:

And After with the ottoman:

Here is the ottoman before:

and after:

I'm not sure where it's going to go for sure, but for now I put it in the living room in place of the glider:

I'm pretty happy with the way they came out - especially since it was my first try!

Now I'll have to find something else to keep me busy when I'm not working. Maybe another trip to the thrift store???

Ottoman is DONE!!!!

2010-09-22T16:38:00.007-05:00

I ended up not working today, so decided to work on the ottoman. Yesterday I had taken it all apart and cut out the fabric, so today all I had to do was sew it (easier said than done).

At first I thought it had not been recovered, but found out it had been.

The bottom layer had the top as a pillow, not just smashed on like the green fabric. So I decided, of course, to recover it as it was originally done and not the "easy" way like the green fabric was.

This was the bottom fabric - I imagine it was very pretty when it was new:

So this is the "before":

And "after": I had to re-do the bottom twice because I goofed it up the first time.

It's not the best, but I'm pretty happy with it. I think it will go well with the chair once it's done. I have the supplies ordered, so as soon as they get here I'll try to get it finished. (And I still need to put the cambric on the bottom, and that's part of what I ordered.) I really had fun doing it - give me a nice sense of accomplishment!

Now I'll just have to figure out where to put them in the house once they are done.

The Chair is coming along......

2010-09-20T20:37:00.003-05:00

I finally had some time to work on the wing-back chair I bought last year. I had done the cushion a few weeks ago, but today I finally sat down to sew a couple of the pieces and put them on the chair. I broke down and bought an electric staple gun and that made things A LOT easier.

Here's the progress so far:

Front:

Side:

Back:

Other side:

Front with cushion:

It looks a little wonky because I just threw the cushion on, I'm hoping it will look better once it's all done and I steam it.

That's all I can do for now, I need to order the ply-grip and a few other things.

One of the things we brought home from Todd's Grandma's house was an ottoman, so I went to get more fabric and will recover it with the same fabric. I think they will look good!

I guess I can start taking it apart while I wait for the supplies to get here to finish the chair.
I'd LOVE to hear comments!

Excited! Can't wait to use this!

2010-09-15T09:57:00.001-05:00

Last week we went to Pleasant Hill, IL to clean out Todd's grandmother's house. She passed away last year and the house is getting ready to be sold, so the family all went last week/weekend to get what we wanted. Todd and I had purchased a 6x12 trailer for the trip and came home with it FULL!!!!! Among the other treasures we brought home was an old sewing machine.

I haven't tried it out or looked at it very close, but I'm excited to try it out. This will be my "work horse" - the older machines are made of metal, so they don't break like new ones do. The Kenmore I have is made of plastic and I've broken a few of the parts and had to replace them.

I'm going to update my personal blog with more pictures of things we brought home. You can find it here.

Since I worked this afternoon,

2010-08-12T17:51:00.000-05:00

I spent a few hours this morning working on the chair. I have all the fabric off!!!! This is how it looks now:

The frame of the chair is in really good shape, so I won't have to do any repairs on it or replace any springs. The next step is to use the pieces I took off as pattern pieces for the new fabric!
This is what Todd and I decided to use:

I'm not working tomorrow, so I should have time to work on it. The only other things I have planned for tomorrow are to go see "Eat, Pray, Love" (Kate gave me the book for Christmas last year and I finished reading it before we left on the cruise) and I have to be home after 3 pm for a "special delivery" we're getting from Home Depot. **happy dance!!!**

I've been working in the garage lately

2010-08-12T07:02:00.000-05:00

on the chair I bought last year to recover.

It got pushed to the side and kinda forgot about. Since I haven't started another sewing project since we've been back from the cruise, I decided to try to finish it before I start something else. Why I decided to do it when it's been in or close to 100 degrees outside, I'm not sure, but I need something to do while I'm not working full time. (My schedule for this week has been Monday and Wednesday morning and Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. More than likely I'll have Friday off, since I have for the last three weeks.)

Anyway, here are the two previous posts about the chair.

So far I've taken apart the cushion and the arm covers, removed the back completely and have started on the sides. Whoever recovered it before didn't use very long staples, so there are MILLIONS of them. Took forever to get the metal tacking strip off. I've also been searching online for the best place to buy the supplies I need. I don't want to have to purchase 100 feet of the metal tacking strip, so finally found somewhere were I can buy it by the foot, so that's what I'll probably do. I need to get it all stripped to find out how much I need before I order the supplies, though.

Todd and I finally agreed on what fabric to use on it. We decided to go with a basic brown, which will be much easier since I won't have to worry so much about matching the pattern, just the way the fabric is brushed. I bought it at Kinsey Interiors last year before I quit my job by their shop. I've also made a few purses out of it, so I know it's easy to work with.

I'll post more pictures as soon as I can show some more progress!!!

I added some things to my etsy shop,

2010-07-20T09:27:00.001-05:00

so please take another look! Here

I finally got a picture of Todd and I on the first formal night on our cruise, so thought I might as well post it here. This is the second dress I made, the one Todd really liked.

If you haven't checked out my personal blog, jump over there to read my cruise journal. :D
Here's the link - I made a post that has all the entries in order.

We're back!!!!

2010-06-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

Finally got home a little after noon yesterday from the cruise. It was the best vacation I've ever been on! I'm working on blog posts that I'll post in my personal blog later this week.

Todd was very happy with the dresses I made for the formal nights. I wore the black/yellow/red one first and he liked it the best. I don't have any pictures of us on formal nights, but my BIL took one, so hopefully I'll get that later.

Todd went to work yesterday afternoon and I started back to work today, so we've both been tired. Sometimes vacations can wear you out!!!!

Thanks for checking my blog! I'll post a link to my personal blog once I start getting info about the cruise posted.

Have a wonderful week!

No, I haven't forgotten about my blog,

2010-06-08T06:04:00.000-05:00

It's just that I haven't sewn anything since the last dress. I did re-do the necklace, but haven't taken a picture of it yet.

Our cruise is coming up soon and I've started a new job, so haven't had time to sew, but please keep checking back!

Thanks!

Finally - something else to post on my blog!

2010-05-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

I took a quick trip to Nebraska last week, and found some more knit fabric to make another dress for the cruise! I just used the same pattern, but made two straps instead of tying it.

Here it is:

And since I made jewelry to go with the first one, I thought I better make some to match this one. lol
Hobby Lobby had lots of their beads on clearance today. It took some hunting, but I found some that will work.
I've done earrings and a necklace, but the necklace isn't finished - I can't decide if I like it or not. Plus, I don't know if it will hang too low. Here is a picture with the fabric:

I also had to change the carry-on bag I made. It was too tall, so I just took the top off and re-attached it a little lower. It was less than an inch too tall, but I didn't want to take the chance.

We're down to 24 days!!!!!!

Dress and Jewelry for Cruise

2010-05-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to figure out what to wear for the formal nights on our cruise (there are two). I found this pattern at Wal-Mart:

I thought it was pretty, and WalMart also had this fabric:

It's a light knit, which means the dress won't have to be pressed or anything! I made the dress and it turned out very well. (Todd won't see it on my until we're on the cruise.)

Since the Red Poppy Festival a couple of weekends ago, I've been contemplating trying to make my own jewelry. When I was at Hobby Lobby recently I found some glass beads that were on sale, and they matched the dress quite well, so of course I had to buy them. I made a necklace, bracelet and earrings:

The necklace is made with memory wire, which is kind of hard to work with, but I think it turned out pretty well. The bad part is now it won't fit in my jewelry holder. Maybe I'll have to make another one!!! lol

Todd's making our reservation for a hotel in Dallas the night before we leave for San Juan, so that will be done. Only 31 days!!! :D

I made a quick trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday,

2010-04-30T07:32:00.004-05:00

I needed some transparent thread for my sewing projects, but while I was there I also bought a few other things.

I FINALLY bought a shadow box to put Buddy's collar, picture and poem in. Todd was pretty happy with it. And the frame was 50% off!!!!! :D

And since last weekend, I've been thinking of trying to make my own jewelry, so I bought some things to try it and this is what I came up with.
First Pair:

Second Pair:

I'd LOVE to hear your comments!!!

Here's the list of what I have done so far for the craft bazaar next week:

2010-04-28T21:13:00.001-05:00

4 sets of Baby Booties

2 Travel Wallets

5 Travel Jewelry Holders

4 Book Covers

3 Credit Card Wallets

1 flat Cosmetic Bag

7 Triangular Cosmetic Bags

5 Sleep Masks

6 Baked Potato Bags

3 Belt Loop Bags

2 Tote Bags

2 small Christmas Purses (the snowman one comes w/ matching cosmetic bag)

1 brown Purse

1 lime green Purse (it was crushed on the shelf - it will look better after I press it.)

Reusable Grocery Bags - (they all have buttonholes and hooks so they fit in the bag frames at the store)
1 set of three

1 set of four (w/ matching cosmetic bag)

1 set of five

I'm always available for special orders!!!!! Comments are appreciated and thanks for looking!

I've been sewing up a storm!!!!

2010-04-11T16:18:00.001-05:00

To get ready for our cruise in June, I decided to make another bag - this one will be my carry-on for the flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico. We don't have the flight info yet, but I'm assuming it will be a pretty long flight and there is a strong possibility that we'll have to change planes somewhere. We should have the flight info in a couple of weeks. I wanted something large enough to hold an extra set of clothing (in case the luggage gets lost - we learned the hard way), small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and contact solution (3-1-1), a little makeup, all of our cruise paperwork (plane tickets, etc will be in my travel wallet, but we'll still take some other paperwork), along with a book or magazine to read on the plane. Plus, it had to be small enough to qualify for a carry-on.

As always, I didn't have a pattern, just used a couple ideas from various bags I've seen, but this one I decided needed to be completely closed, which is different from any other large bags I've made. It was hard, but turned out pretty well. I put pockets on all four sides, so that will be nice to be able to put my books, magazines and paperwork in them. I also have pockets on the inside and plenty of room!

Here are pictures: Outside:

Inside:

I did something different - I wanted to put all of our contact info inside the bag, so used some thick plastic I had to make a slot for the cards I had printed up:

Another view of the inside:

Outside showing pockets:

So, when I was done with that, I decided to make a cosmetic bag to carry things:
(It's the same as all the other cosmetic bags I've made)

THEN, I also decided to try to make something to carry my jewelry in. I'll have my rings on most of the time, but want to take different earrings and necklaces for the formal nights and things. This was made without a pattern also, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. (Next time I'll do better, though!)
Inside - each compartment is closed with velcro:

The outside:

To close it, it folds into thirds, and the band has velcro on it to keep it closed:

So, here is the entire set!!! Pretty "springy"!!!!

Again, since they are all hand-crafted, there are a few imperfections but I'm still happy with how they came out!

Can't wait for JUNE!!!!!!

My latest sewing project(s)

2010-03-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

So I'm getting very excited about the cruise we're going on in June. I decided I needed a new bag for our on-shore excursions. I wanted one that is big enough to carry my camera, a bottle of water but can also close totally. My current purse, the "Samantha" design is great, but someone could easily slip a hand in it and take something out, and when it gets upset, things fall out, which is fine for me around town, but on the cruise I needed my possessions to be safer.

I made this purse yesterday - it just has a few pockets inside and velcro along the entire top.

Inside:

So today I made a travel wallet - one that specifically will hold all my travel documents including passport, ID and credit cards (or in our case, debit cards since we don't do credit anymore).

(There is also another place to store bills or things underneath the zipper)

Closed (front):

Closed (Back):

This is actually the second one I made today. The first one didn't turn out as well as I wanted it to, so I made another one that I'm happier with.

Last week I also made another blanket for McKenna. I hadn't made a faux Chenille blanket for her and the rest of the grandkids have one, so I thought she should have one, too.

Opposite Side:

A close up:

One of the flannel fabrics that I used was not a great quality, so it ended up pretty "stringy", but I did my best to clip as much of the strings as I could.

That's all that's new for now. Thanks for visiting!!! Feel free to leave a comment!

A New Purse and Laptop Case!!!! :D

2010-03-04T19:20:00.002-06:00

I'm going on a trip next week and have been thinking of making a matching purse and laptop case for a while, so finally started them this week. I finished the purse Tuesday and started on the laptop case right away. I made the "Samantha" design purse (my favorite) and used it for the laptop case with some adjustments. The design for the laptop case has been floating around in my head for a few months, and I made a list of what all I need to carry in it and how to make it. I also quickly made a zippered cosmetic bag and small carrier for the ear buds for my Blackberry.

Here is the whole set:

The purse has pockets on all four sides, the small sides are perfect to carry my phone in!

Inside of the purse (sorry it's messy, I already changed everything from my old purse):

I always make pockets on the inside of the purse, two different sizes.

And the laptop case (Front - no pockets on the outside of this except for the back)

Back with the pocket - I also have two small handles and one large, adjustable and removable shoulder strap.

Inside of the laptop case - this is what really stumped me. I have a large padded pocket for the computer, pockets for the mouse, ear buds, cords and books for my Blackberry (I'm supposed to be able to use it as a modem for the laptop, so I'm taking everything w/ me on my trip), and places for business cards and pens.

And this is how they look on my shoulder - handles perfect to be able to carry them both! They look kind of odd here because the laptop bag is practically empty, but I'm happy with them!!!

I also made these this afternoon - I need to do one more to carry coins, then I'm done with my whole set!
Zippered Cosmetic bag:

And the pouch for my BB Ear Buds:

Comments are greatly appreciated!!!!! Thanks for looking!!!

New Curtains!!!!!

2010-02-24T13:57:00.000-06:00

I was sitting at the kitchen table the other morning and noticed how cold it was from the windows, so decided to make some curtains. I made four panels hoping they would be enough, but it wasn't, so yesterday I went through my fabric stash and found some other fabric I had LOTS of. Yesterday and today I spent making the second set of curtains. Here are the pictures:
These are in the hallway :

And these are in the dining room:

The first set I made were blue, so I decided to move them to the office. I don't have any good pictures yet because it's too sunny outside, but I'll update them later.

So I decided to move the curtains that were in the office to the living room:

(The plant in the window is from Nel's
Memorial Service)

I'm also still working on the quilt top I brought home at Christmas. I'm still working on the "feather" stitch between all the blocks. I decided to work on the long seams first just to get more done.

I did get a couple of the short sides done and I'm very happy with the way it looks.

We have another quilt class coming up at church next month. We are going to do an Easter table runner. I'm going to use fabric from my stash and a lot that was Nel's. I'm anxious to do it again, I skipped the last project they did because I had too much going on and too many unfinished projects.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I'd LOVE any comments you have.

My husband asked me last night if I was 4......pj pants

2010-02-08T09:46:00.000-06:00

because I decided to sew myself some new flannel pajama pants. I have a pair of Flannel PJ's that I wear that are very warm, but the legs of the pants are so big they go all the way up to my knees during the night. So I've been thinking about doing this for a while. We've been having an extremely cold winter (for Texas, as least). This is what I came up with:

They are basic draw-string PJ pants, but I had to figure out how to add FEET! lol It worked and could have been better, but overall I'm happy with them.

This is how they look on:

They look extra "balloon-like" because I added elastic around the ankles. After I got them done, I decided I really didn't need the elastic. This fabric is some that I brought home from Falls City. I used it all, but there's a matching fabric that I may try to make a top out of. If I do, I'll post a picture (if it comes out OK). I usually don't sew clothing because it's so hard to make it fit, but plain drawstring pants aren't too bad. I've made TONS of shorts for summer using the same pattern.

Have a good week, everyone!!!! :D

Our Memory Quilt is finally done!

2010-02-01T19:29:00.002-06:00

I worked on it this weekend, and finally finished it today. It takes a while to sew the binding on it because the back side is done by hand.

Here it is laying on our bed:

This is the middle of the quilt - one of my MIL's favorite sweatshirts. I saved this one for us since I sew a lot.

And the back:

The white muslin I used was actually my MIL's. It was some of the fabric that we brought home at Christmas when my FIL let my SIL and I clear out most of MIL's sewing supply. The binding I used on our quilt is also some flannel that was hers.

Here is the label on the front:

And the label on the back:

I also brought home MIL's Bernina sewing machine, so I used that machine to make the label for the back.

Todd doesn't want to use it very much, which is odd because he told me we need to use the quilts we have that our mothers made. He says they are made to be used, so we'll use them. So tonight when he said he didn't want to use our Memory Quilt much I asked why - he said because it has more "sentimental" value (since it's made out of his mom and grandmothers clothes).

Overall I'm very happy with how it came out and extremely happy it's done! I actually crossed something off my list of Unfinished Projects!!!! :D

Thanks for visiting my blog - I'd love to hear your comments!

Jyl

Finished another purse!!!! :D 1/24/10

2010-01-24T16:24:00.003-06:00

So another one of my aunts requested a purse a few months ago. I was supposed to take the fabric samples to Mom at Christmas, but since we didn't get there, I had to mail them when we got back home. She picked out the fabric and I started the purse a few days ago and finished this afternoon. I really like the fabric, it's a pretty brown with blue. I used blue for the lining of the outside pockets and a tan material for the inside. It turned out really nice!

Here are the pictures:
Front:

Inside - I used my MIL's Bernina for the decorative stitches on the pockets:

Inside:

Outside:

Another Etsy sale!!!!

2010-01-13T14:41:00.001-06:00

This cosmetic bag is going to Christine in Colorado! Thanks, Christine!

I've also created a Facebook page for my business. Here is the link. Please become a fan!! :D

Finally - the last Memory Quilt

2010-01-10T08:56:00.002-06:00

for Todd and I. It's been designed and hanging on my design wall for weeks. I actually worked more than 30 hours this last week so didn't have time to sew, but I decided to start on ours Friday night. I did receive an email from my FIL the other day and it was so sweet. "Oh, yes, wanted to tell you how much it means to sleep under "the quilt" every night. Thanks Jyl. " I cried when I read it. He's a man of little words, so that meant a lot to me. That kind of put a fire under me again to get ours done. Before I had actually sat down and made tags for it, number and letter combos so I could take most of it down and sew them. The tags were A through M for each row, then numbered 1 to 9 for each column. That actually made it go a lot quicker.

Here are pictures I took of it lying on the floor. I couldn't get it back up on my design wall because I have so much stuff there that we brought home from Nebraska at Christmas. (MIL's sewing stuff that I was given.)

I saved this sweatshirt for our quilt:

The label needs to be trimmed

I sold my sewing machine that I used to make the labels because the Bernina I was given does letters also. I finally sat down to play with it for a little on Thursday and it was a lot of fun. TONS of stitches and more than 5 fonts for letters. I need to take pictures of it and post them. Other things we brought were LOTS of fabric - including some heavy stuff I can use for purses, TONS of quilt batting - both unopened rolls and large scrap pieces, a few pillow forms, another cutting mat and lots of pins and needles for quilting. We thought ahead and took three large plastic totes with us and brought them home full of the machine and sewing supplies. That was a good decision because the weather was bad and we didn't have to worry about everything getting wet.

One of my other aunts wants a purse and I forgot to send fabric samples to my mom, so I need to get those out in the mail this week. And I'm working on a FB page for my business, so if anyone is on there, keep checking back and I'll post the link when it's done.

Have a great week, everyone!!!!

Quilt Top Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T14:59:00.000-06:00

Todd and I went to Fall City for Christmas. We were supposed to go to my parents, but weather prevented that and I was very upset.

In FC, my SIL and I went through our MIL's sewing things. I brought home her Bernina machine, which I am VERY excited about. I haven't sewn on it yet, but will soon, hopefully. We also split up her fabric, batting and other sewing supplies. We did leave a few items there so our FIL can mend things if needed. While we were going through everything, we found a quilt she started. She had 15 of the rows sewn together, the 16th row was still in pieces and there was one block missing. My SIL made the final block while I sat down to sew the rows together. It's a very pretty quilt and has the directions with it - MIL was very organized. After it was mostly sewn together, I volunteered to bring it home and finish it since I have more free time. After we got home, I got the last row sewn on and started on the feather stitches between the rows. Here's what it looks like so far:
This is the top spread out on our bed - they have a king size bed so it's much larger than our queen:

This is a little closer so you can see the feather stitching between the rows:

And much closer. Once I get some horizontal feather stitching done, I'll post another picture. It's going to be a beautiful quilt.

#5 is DONE!!!!!!

2009-12-09T13:01:00.001-06:00

I finished the fifth MQ today! Now all I have left to make is the one for Todd and me, and that can wait until after Christmas.

Here is the last one (front):

Back:

And all of them (front):

back:

and the stack of them folded:

I'm not sure how we are going to wrap them, but I'll figure something out. I do need to wash them before we go, so I'm hoping we have a nice weekend where I can hang them outside.

Not sure what I'll be doing with all my free time, now! I've been working on them since the first of October and pretty much spent most of my time on them (when I'm not working, which is not much). Maybe I can get a purse done for me before Christmas. We'll see.

Thanks for visiting my blog!!!

Off topic for a minute

2009-12-09T12:38:00.000-06:00

PW is having a contest on her site that I want to enter and I need to have a link to my favorite recipe. I can't find one on the net like this, so I'm going to post it here and use this link.

Best EVER Cheese Ball

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
1 jar (1 oz) Old English cheese
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1 dash worcestershire sauce
1 T chopped onion
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Allow cheeses to soften at room temperature.
Mix cheeses until well blended.
Add seasonings and shape into ball.
Chill; then roll in pecans.

Serve with variety of crackers.

MQ #4 is DONE! One left before Christmas!!!!!

2009-12-05T16:55:00.001-06:00

I finished the fourth MQ on Friday!!!

I decided to take pictures of the process of putting it together (most of it, at least).

First I have to lay the backing (I used muslin for them) on the floor. I have to use the entryway because that is the only floor we have that's big enough and not carpet.

Then I lay the batting on top of it. (Forgot to get a picture of that).
And finally the quilt top.

Then I crawl on my hands and knees and put safety pins all around to keep everything in place. That way when I move it, it doesn't shift.

Once the pins are in, I pick it up and take it to the office. That way I don't have to crawl around any more. I just use yarn to tie it. I tie everywhere the blocks meet and in the middle of each block. After all the tieing is done, I just add the border and it's done!

I've already gotten #5 started. The strips are sewn, so all I have to do is sew them together and the top will be done. After that, it doesn't take too long to put it together. The longest part is sewing the back of the binding on by hand -that usually takes me at least three hours.

They are really warm and that came in handy this week while I was working on the last one. We had really cold weather that I'm not used to anymore!

Today I went to the Christmas Stroll parade with the kids and grandkids. You can read about it at my other blog.

Have a great weekend!

Another quilt top done!

2009-12-01T17:26:00.001-06:00

Since I don't have a whole lot of hours to work this week, I decided to use my time to work on the memory quilts. I completed the top for #4 today!!!!!

I decided to use a different thread for the label this time.

And I never did post the picture of the finished Christmas Table Runner, so here it is:

It's too heavy to put on my design wall, so I had to take a picture of it on the table. I really like it! Still thinking of making matching placemats, but that will have to wait until I get the MQ's done. And I also have a new purse in mind that I want to make for me!

Memory Quilt #3 is DONE!

2009-11-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

The long weekend gave me lots of time to sew again, so after being bored on Saturday, I decided to finish the third Memory Quilt (which will be MQ from now on cuz I'm lazy).

I had enough materials to finish it, and decided to use white muslin for the back since the center piece was white. Sewing and tying the yarn really tore up my fingers, then sewing the back of the binding by had also was not easy on them, but it's done! I'm half-way there!!!!

Here is the picture of the front of MQ #3

And the back of MQ #3

And the quilt with the guard dog LOL!!!!

Yesterday I started on MQ #4. This is the layout:

This is how I have to label each piece so I sew them in the correct order:

I am only scheduled to work 16 hours this week, which is bad but at least I'll be able to get more sewing done and possibly I'll get #4 and #5 done before Christmas. #6 will be for me and Todd, so that doesn't have to be done before Christmas.

Thanks for reading my blog!!!!! :D Have a wonderful week!

Memory Quilts again

2009-11-27T20:44:00.002-06:00

It's the day after Thanksgiving, 2009 (Nov 27). Today my goals were 1) to finish the quilt top for the 3rd memory quilt and 2) complete the 2nd memory quilt. I started late morning, and it's now 8:40 pm and I have both of them DONE! YAY!!!!

First, here's the quilt top for memory quilt #3:

I started it earlier this week. They go pretty quickly now that I have all the fabric cut already. All I have to do is decide on a design and start sewing them together.

And here is the COMPLETED Memory Quilt #2:
(front)

(back)

I also completed the Christmas Table Runner, but haven't taken a picture of it yet.

I'd love to hear comments!!!!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Table Runner is pieced!

2009-11-18T07:30:00.001-06:00

Training was slow yesterday, I had lots of breaks, so I worked on the rest of the quilt blocks for the table runner. After supper I pieced it all together, so it's ready to be made into the sandwich. We are going over machine quilting next time we meet, so that is all I need to do for now. I'm VERY happy with it!

The binding will be the striped fabric that is the small inner boarder, so I think it will tie it all together very well.

I have a lot of fabric left, so I'm thinking of making placemats to match again like I did before, but not sure if I'll do them now or next year sometime. I probably need to get the memory quilts done before I do them. We'll see.....

Thanks for visiting my blog!!!!!

Home from quilt class

2009-11-16T21:10:00.001-06:00

At our quilt class we worked on the main block. It's similar to the block we did before, but a little different. After ripping out a bunch of seams and working hard to get all the seams to match, my block was finally done! It turned out very pretty!!!

I'm anxious to get the rest of it done. We're meeting again in a couple weeks to go over the quilting, so I need to have it done by then. I think I'll work on it and get the piecing done before I finish the second memory quilt.

Keep checking back!!!

Top is done for second memory quilt

2009-11-15T19:21:00.003-06:00

Since I started training for my new job on Thursday, I didn't do much sewing the last few days. I had already started on the second memory quilt and finished the top today. I had to cut more fabric - mostly denim. (If anyone close to me has jeans to get rid of, I'll be glad to take them off your hands instead of throwing them out.)

The middle of this is another one of Nel's sweatshirts. I don't know if she made it herself or not, but it's one she wore often.

At first I was going to make it smaller than the one I made for Larry. But this is how it was when I stopped:

It was too long and thin, so I added another row of denim on each side. This is the finished top:

And I added the same label to this one - I have them all made, so all I have to do is iron them on and sew around the edges:

Tomorrow (Monday, Nov 16th) we have another quilt class at church. This time Jean picked a table runner and we were to pick out Christmas fabric. It took me a while yesterday, but I finally got all the fabric cut. This is most of it:

These are the fabrics I'm using:

The off-white will be the main background, the green will be the large inner border, the striped will be a thin border and binding, and the rest of the Christmas fabric will be the star. The pattern is called "Shooting Stars". Here is the blog of the designer and it shows a picture of a finished one.

I have more training all week for work, then we'll be on the telephone answering calls. I'm excited to get back to work!

One Memory Quilt is DONE!!!

2009-11-09T17:34:00.006-06:00

I finished my FIL's memory quilt today. Yesterday I made the sandwich and tied it, so today all I had to do was put the binding on it. I also made a label for it.

I didn't hang it up on the wall, but here's pictures of it:
Front

Back (Muslin)

And the label I made

I sat down later this afternoon and made the labels for the rest of the quilts, so those are done. I need to iron the interfacing on the back so the stitches don't come out.

Memory Quilts

2009-11-06T09:38:00.005-06:00

The last couple of months have been sad ones for our family. On September 30, my mother-in-law passed away, then just 13 days later, on October 13, my husband's grandmother passed away. (You can read about them on my "Family Life" blog - you'll have to go back to older posts to see them all.) When I first really started sewing again, I went to Craftster, a website where people post things they have made and you can get great ideas there. I saw a post on there where a lady had made some quilts for a family who had lost their father, and the quilts were made out of shirts of the father. I thought that was such a neat idea! So after my mother-in-law passed away, I asked my father-in-law (FIL) if I could take some of her clothes to make us quilts out of. He said yes, and I brought home a bunch of her jeans, shirts, and her sweatshirts that she wore often. I fill up three Wal-Mart bags. We were home (from Nebraska) for less than 48 hours (we stayed for a wedding after her funeral) when we were notified that Grandma passed away, so it was another trip out of state (this time to Illinois). So I asked my FIL if I could take some of her clothes, too, to add to the quilts. I didn't take as many of hers as I did my MIL's, but at least I had some.

So this week I finally started to cut up the clothes.

These are the squares I cut out of MIL's clothes:

These are the squares I cut out of Grandma's clothes:

I divided everything up into six piles - that is how many quilts I'm going to make.

I decided to work on my FIL's first. I knew I wanted to use this sweatshirt for his:

So I took one pile and started sticking them on my design wall to start FIL's quilt - I put the sweatshirt in the middle. He's tall, so I knew I wanted it to be extra long. Here is the design before I started sewing:

And this morning I finished sewing it together:

His quilt top ended up being 47" by 71", which will be good for him. The rest I'm going to make won't be that long. I didn't have enough fabric from the clothes to make the whole quilt, so I had to add some squares of jeans, Todd's old shirts and other fabrics out of my stash.

I'm not sure when I'll get to the rest of the quilts. I also have to decide if I want to complete FIL's quilt (sandwich, quilt or tie and bind), or if I want to get all the tops done and then complete later. I'll have to see what I have as far as supplies (batting and backing). I'm also starting a new job on Nov. 12 working at home, so I won't have quite as much time to work on them, it will just be evenings and weekends.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to this week. Today I'm going to take a break from sewing and go to a bookstore to read the new PostSecret book that came out last month. I don't want to spend the money right now to buy it, so I think I'll go to B&N, get a coffee and read it. Maybe I'll get a gift card to a bookstore for Christmas from someone (hint hint!!!) so I can buy it later. lol

TGIF!!!

I've been sewing a little bit,

2009-11-01T20:01:00.001-06:00

but haven't taken any pictures of what I've sewn. I will one day soon. Sam's work is going to have a mini-craft show on Dec 3, so I decided to have a table. It didn't cost much, and I think it will be fun.

But I wanted to post a picture of the quilt we have on our bed. It was made by my mother-in-law (who passed away Sept 30, 2009). We have a couple quilts that she made, but this one is my favorite.

I just love the different colors on it and how vibrant they are.

I haven't been sewing lately

2009-10-18T20:40:00.004-05:00

We've had a couple deaths in the family and had to make two trips out of state. You can check my personal blog to read about them. Her e is the link to it.

I'll update as soon as I get something new sewn. :D

Another BLB (Belt Loop Bag)

2009-09-25T17:00:00.003-05:00

While I was out running around on Tuesday, I bought some more fabric to make some more belt loop bags. Someone asked me if I could make them out of leather, so I was looking for that, but the fabric stores only have poly-leather that they sell by the yard. The only REAL Leather piece I could find was about 18"x18" and the cost was $26.99 - not very practical for my bags. If I want to make a profit, I'd have to charge a lot of money.

Anyway, this was my first try - again, I didn't use a pattern, just made it up as I went along. The one thing I did forget to do was to add a label! UGH!

So this is made out of some of the poly-leather (brown, I also bought some black), with this fabric as the lining:

Here is the completed bag:

As always, comments are appreciated!!!!! :D

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Second Belt Loop Bag is done!

2009-09-20T15:55:00.004-05:00

I have so much fun making these! I cut this one out at the same time I did the other one, so it didn't take me long to sew it. I did add two pockets to this one and used Alexander Henry fabric for the lining. It turned out very well, too!

It's pretty much the same size as the other one.

And the same shape.

With zipper and tabs on the side.

But this one has pretty fabric (not that the other one isn't pretty)!!!!! LOVE this Alexander Henry fabric!

And the pockets will help keep things a little more organized!

Here is the listing for it on my shop. Christmas is around the corner!!!! (hint hint) lol

As always, comments are appreciated!!!!!!

FINALLY I have a new belt loop bag done!

2009-09-19T09:34:00.004-05:00

I started this a few days ago, but couldn't get it to go together correctly. I was going to try to put the zipper on the outside edge, but it didn't work. When that happens, I just have to sleep on it, then it dawned on me late last night to split the top and put the zipper in the middle. I also added some tabs to grab onto when you open and close the zipper, which helps A LOT! The outside is not real leather, it's pleather (plastic that is made to look like leather). The inside is the pink skull fabric that is really cool! I just LOVE this bag!!!!!

(this was taken in our guest bathroom - I didn't realize how dirty the mirror is!)

I didn't put pockets in the lining because I wasn't sure I could get it to work out, but I have another one cut out (with different lining fabric) that I think I will add the pockets.

I've posted it on my etsy shop for sale. Here's the link.

I'd love to hear comments! I'm VERY happy with how it turned out!

Another commissioned purse!

2009-09-17T07:18:00.006-05:00

I had my aunt Eunice request a purse, so when I was on my trip last week, I took along fabric samples for her to decide what she wanted it made out of. I also had the purse that I made for Todd's grandma along, so took that for her to see. She decided she wanted the "Samantha" design (which is my favorite one to make), and the brown fabric that I'm also going to cover the wing-back chair in (I have LOTS of it). I had some really pretty gold fabric that I used for the inside. I spent the yesterday afternoon on it and finally finished it right after supper last night. Today I'll put it in the mail, then spend the rest of the day job-searching.

Here are the pictures of her purse:

The purse is 10.5" by 4.5" and is 7.5" tall. The straps have a 13" fall. There are outside pockets on all four sides (velcro closure on the long sides), 6 various sized pockets on the inside and has a d-ring on the inside to hang keys.

I hope she likes it! All I need to do is print off an invoice and get it packaged up. I'm mailing it to my Mom since I don't have Eunice's address.

And a funny story about the purse I made for Todd's grandma - she was changing purses in her room at the nursing home, and figured out the pockets were too small for her to put her wallet and checkbook in. (Had I known she puts them in pockets, I would have made them larger.) One of her favorite nurses came in (the one who she says saved her life when she had her last heart attack and sat with her the entire day) and was looking at it, said they could rip a seam out so that it would fit and Grandma said she was really admiring the purse. So Grandma just decided to give it to her! Grandma was worried that I would be upset about her giving it away, but I told her that it's her purse to do with what she wants, so it was fine. She's really worried about Todd's parents (update on my personal blog here).

If anyone is interested in a purse, bag or anything else I make, please feel free to contact me! I can be reached at jylslife@gmail.com or via my etsy shop her e.

Thanks for stopping by! Comments are always welcome!

Another ETSY sale!

2009-09-11T14:45:00.005-05:00

I got home yesterday after a 10-day vacation to visit family and received an e-mail saying I had another sale on my ETSY shop!

This bag and matching cosmetic bag is on the way to Mary in Kansas! Thanks, MARY!

On my trip I also delivered Todd's grandmother's purse, she was very excited! Here it is:

I also received the hardware I was waiting on for Madge's belt loop bag, so here it is completed:

I put it in the mail today, also. (Sorry that's a bad picture, I took it just before putting it in the box this morning.)

One of my aunts also ordered a purse, so I'm going to start on it today and hopefully get it done this weekend. It will be the "Samantha" design (like Todd's Grandmother's), in the brown fabric with gold interior.

Fabric from my "Stash"

2009-08-30T15:50:00.003-05:00

I have a request for another purse, but need to decide what fabric to use. They want something dark, and these are the darkest I have:

Olive Green with burgundy accents

Shiny navy with orange flowers:

Navy with multi-color flowers:

Black with off-white flowers and red planters:

Purple (have some gray that matches that I could use for the interior):

and Brown:

Listed on Etsy for sale

2009-08-27T13:20:00.005-05:00

I started these bags months ago, but just never finished them. Since I quit my job on Tuesday, I finally took the time to finish them and post them for sale.

Here's the link. It's a set of four reusable shopping bags. I have some that I use all the time and love them! These are made of heave denim-like material so are washable and will last forever! You can really load them up (if you can get the checkers to, I keep having to tell them "Fill them full! These things hold A LOT!")

Adjusted Belt Loop Bag

2009-08-25T08:16:00.003-05:00

I adjusted the straps on the belt loop bag. Here are the new photos:

And she wanted a long strap, so she's getting a long strap (but it will be adjustable): lol

Time to go head to work!

Commissioned Belt Loop Bag

2009-08-23T08:44:00.006-05:00

I received a request for a belt loop bag, so I worked on it yesterday. The main bag is done, and I went to find the last piece of hardware to make the strap adjustable, but couldn't find the exact piece I'm looking for at WalMart, JoAnn's Fabrics or Hobby Lobby. I did find them online, so ordered them but don't know exactly how long it will take to receive them. Anyway, here are the pictures:

Hanging:

Top (no flap):

Inside empty- there are two pockets and I also added a d-ring:

Inside - I added my wallet, phone and camera so show the room in it:

The length from the top of the hooks to the bottom of the bag is 15 inches, width is 8.5 inches.

Another ETSY sale!

2009-08-20T20:19:00.003-05:00

My "Quilted Ballerina Diaper Bag" is on it's way to Greenville, TN!!!!

Thanks for your order, Leslie!!!!!

More pics of the Belt Loop Bag

2009-08-19T07:08:00.005-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the belt loop bag with the phone, camera and wallet inside. There is still plenty of room.

Wallet

2009-08-17T07:36:00.002-05:00

Here's a wallet I made that I use. It holds my Drivers License, two debit cards and cash. You could easily put change in it, too, but I just don't like the "bulk" of change. They would be easy to make to put in the Belt Loop Bags, the only change I would make is make it all out of the same fabric and use velcro for closure.

Possible fabric for Belt Loop Bags

2009-08-16T20:58:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple other fabrics for the Belt Loop Bags:

Pink Skulls

Faux Tooled Leather

The thing is about fabric other than leather is that they would be machine washable......

I think I'd do white in the inside of the pink and possibly white or off-white on the inside of the faux leather.

Belt Loop Bag Prototype

2009-08-16T18:43:00.008-05:00

One of my friends on Facebook asked me if I could possibly make a "Belt Loop Bag". I researched a little bit and found a few online, could not find any patterns or tutorials though. I went to a Harley Davidson shop here in town yesterday morning to look at a few. I started one yesterday, but the design didn't turn out so well, so this one I made today. It worked out much better, but I'm still not totally sure I'm happy with it. I would add slots for credit cards/drivers licenses inside and a d-ring for keys, so I'm anxious to see what she says about it.

Here is the finished project:

This picture turned out bad, but the bag is almost 9 inches wide and 6 inches tall (without the straps, which could make it as long as 13 inches if someone wanted it that long.)

Top showing zipper under flap - I could possibly put the zipper on the outside seam instead if right underneath the flap.

Open (and empty) - it would be hard to make a "divider", but I could definately add the slots for credit card/driver license and d-ring.

Inside - I put one of our old 35mm cameras and my cell phone to show how much room there is.

Instead of making the bottom flat, I made it go to a point so it would take up less room.

And this is what I would add to the straps to use to clip it onto belt loops.

The fabric I used was an old pair of Todd's work jeans and muslin for the inside, so the finished projects would be made with better fabric and would be prettier. I could also customize them with different colored thread for the topstiching, etc. Oh, and just a little bit of velcro underneath the flap to keep it closed. And of course, I could make some that do not have the flap at all.

So I'm anxious to hear what you think, Madge!!!!

Chair Update

2009-08-07T06:52:00.007-05:00

I went over the the Interior Design shop around the corner from where I work yesterday to see if they had some new upholstery fabric in. I think I need at least 5 yards for the chair. I have at least 3 (possibly more) of the black/floral I'm thinking of using. They still A LOT of that, but I'm not sure if I want to use it or not. They also have a lot of a brown fabric that I've made a couple purses our of, so that is also a possibility. I didn't buy any more fabric, I'm going to wait until I decide what I want to use. I did start taking it apart already, but it's been so terrible hot here, the best time to work on it would be in the mornings, but I work Monday through Friday, Saturday mornings I have to go to the bank and run errands (this week will be clothes shopping), and Sunday is church. So I guess it will sit until it cools a little - which could be OCTOBER!
But this is how far I've gotten so far - took everything off the bottom and started on the back:

This stuff really puzzled me:

Yesterday I got home at lunch and went in the office to get my laptop, and the shelves that Todd put up for me a while ago pulled out of the wall so everything fell down. Most of it fell on my table, but it's a mess and that will need to be cleaned this weekend. We'll need to get some better anchors and put them back up because I definately need the storage room!
This is what it looked like before:

This is what it looked like yesterday:

(OK, I'll be honest, it still looks that way. :D )

It's FRIDAY!!! I'm so glad. Work has been extremely slow and I'm not liking my job much. Need to decide what I want to be when I grow up (a funny thing to say when you are 43!!!!!). Todd and I have ideas, but going out on our own scares me financially. We'll see what the next six months brings us.

Have a great day, everyone!!!!

Another Thrift Shop Find!!!!

2009-08-01T14:38:00.004-05:00

I've been going to Goodwill and the Caring Place (thrift shop) every Saturday when I'm out going to the bank and running errands. The Caring Place has quite a bit of furniture and have certain colors of tags on sale, but today when I went they had ALL the furniture 50% off! I had seen this chair there before and it was $20 and almost bought it, but always talked myself out of it. Today I decided $10 was a good deal. I met Todd there when he was on his way home from work since he had the pick up.

Here are the pictures I took - right now it's in the garage and will be until I start taking it apart.
Front:

Back:

Side and back:

I can't decide if someone has already recovered it or not. There are a couple places that are coming apart, but the bottom looks pretty good so who knows.

I bought a book at Hobby Lobby on how to recover furniture, so that will come in handy. Once I figure out how much material I need, I'll decide what to use.

This fabric I bought to make my laptop bag out of (which was never made) would possibly work on it.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to start tearing it apart sometime soon. As long as it's not too hot in the garage, that is. The month of July was the HOTTEST in Austin since they start keeping records back in the 1800's. And July typically isn't the hottest month.

I'd love to hear everyone's opinions on the fabric. I'm wondering if the print is too big......

Not sewing related, but

2009-07-16T07:23:00.003-05:00

I started a GREAT book last night! "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young. Please click here to read a little more about it. Our church is going to have a few classes to talk about it in a few weeks, so bought it over the weekend. I HIGHLY recommend it!

My regular Saturday Morning routine

2009-07-11T13:13:00.000-05:00

is going to the bank, then checking the thrift stores in town. I went to The Caring Place to see if they had any cheap recliners so I can try to re=upholster it. They didn't have any recliners that I liked, but they did have FOUR old sewing machines - three of them had cabinets and they were each marked $15. I stood there and looked at them for probably 20 minutes and was really close to buying one, but decided that I already four machines, I probably didn't need another one. It sure was tempting, though! So after that I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a book on Upholstery - it was $19.95 and I had a 40% off coupon, so it didn't cost me much. I also bought a measuring tape for $.99 so I have one to keep in my purse. It's always handy to have one in my purse and the last one I had broke.

That's the closest I've come to sewing in the last week. One of these days I'm going to start another project of finish one of the many that are almost done!

It's been to terrible hot here lately we really don't feel like doing anything in the evenings. On the weekends, I hang all of the laundry outside instead of running the dryer. Today I'm doing our sheets - I LOVE crawling into a bed after the bedding was hung outside to dry.

I've invited Todd to go to a movie with me tonight. My boss gave me a little extra money yesterday - at first I was going to keep it for myself and add it to my blow money, but decided it would be nice to have a "Date Night" with my Mr. Wonderful. :D

Applique Pillow is done!

2009-07-04T19:54:00.004-05:00

And I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm really wishing I had a 4th of July one done, but I guess I have 11 months to get one done.

Anyway, here are the pictures -
Front:

Back:

I had problems with the button holes - I'm still not very good at them. They were too big, too, so I had to sew them shut a little bit, but overall, I think it turned out very well!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, EVERYONE!!!!

New quilting technique

2009-06-30T16:13:00.003-05:00

So our quilting class continued last night. We learned how to applique - something I've never done! So I was excited. Jean was nice enough to make kits for us, so all we had to bring was thread and our machines. We practiced on some other scrap material before working on our projects, just so we could get the hang of things.

Here is the finished pillow Jean brought:

It's the size of a travel pillow - she said she makes hers all the same and just changes out the pillow in different cases for various holidays - what a great idea!

Here is what I got done at class last night:

I still need a lot of practice, but it was really fun! I'm not sure when I'll finish it, but it won't take too long. I just need to work on the nose and mouth, then add the leaves, do the boarder and then the backing. (That sounds like a lot - it may take me a day.)

I ahve Friday afternoon off for the 4th, so maybe I'll be able to work on it then.

I worked on my laptop bag a little bit last weekend, but it's just not coming together like I wanted it to, so I'm back to the drawing board. Maybe I'll try to find a pattern online - or Todd says I should just buy one! We'll see. I just haven't been sewing much lately - ever since I signed up on facebook and became hooked on the games there............... lol

Valances!!!

2009-06-23T14:34:00.004-05:00

A friend of Sam's asked me to make some valances for their new house. She picked out the fabric, so I sat down last Friday night to make them. They were really easy and turned out pretty well! I took them over Saturday night and snapped a picture before I left. I also made her one for the kitchen, but didn't get a picture.

Wohoo!! Another ETSY Sale!!!!!!

2009-06-17T16:07:00.002-05:00

One of my tote bags is going to Virginia!!!! I'll wrap it up and put it in the mail tomorrow! So EXCITING!!!!!!

Placemats!!!!!

2009-06-15T13:05:00.004-05:00

Since I have the tablerunner done, I decided to get a new tablecloth because I was tired of the cheap one I had on the table. I found a really pretty off-white one while I was shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond on Saturday morning and it was the perfect size (our table has a leaf with it, so the tablecoths I usually buy are long enough to fit when the leaf is in it). This is just a few inches bigger than the table, so it fits perfect! Anyway, I decided I didn't want the tablecloth to get too dirty right away, so decided to make a couple placemats to match the tablerunner. I started Friday night and finished them Sunday afternoon. I only used the "Friendship Star" block, but I think they turned out pretty well! I did a much better job on the stars on these than I did on the tablerunner. I ran out of the dark blue fabric, so had to use pink for the binding on one, so I guess that one will be mine and Todd can have the one with the blue binding.

Just as a re-fresher, here is the tablerunner:

Todd's placemat:

My placemat:

And here they are together on the table:

I had taken a couple other pictures (at least I thought I did), but when I uploaded them, there were only three. I was going to take a couple more, but my camera is acting up and won't let me. The LCD screen on it quit working about a year ago, and now I can't take pictures at all! I'm going to have to tell Todd I need a new camera - and the one I want costs $900!!! Anyone want to break the news to him for me???????????

Not exactly sure what my next project will be. I have a new idea for a purse that will be really cool, and I still haven't worked on my laptop case much. We'll see.

It's DONE (the tablerunner)

2009-06-07T13:56:00.003-05:00

I stayed up a little later than usual last night to finish it. It turned out OK, but I still need more practice.

Front:

Back:

I decided to use the red for the binding since I already had cut strips. I also should have used an off-white thread in the bobbin, but the problem with that is if you don't have the tension set right, you can see the colors on the opposite side. Next time I'll try that.

Now on the the next project (not sure what it is yet, maybe work on the laptop bag).