Here I Am!

Thank you for your sweet comments and well wishes for my retreat! I had a lot of fun and accomplished a lot~ yay!  It is so nice to have dedicated days to working on your projects and getting things done without the interruptions you have at home. And we were treated like queens, the chefs prepare 2 meals/day~ which is plenty when they are sooo delicious and you are sitting on your back side all day. ;-)  LOL Yes, I think I came home with a pound more than I left with! :-o

They offered a bunch of classes but I had so much of my own stuff to do ;-) that I only took one.  A new-to-me technique using the Double Diamond Ruler.  A lot of the ladies worked on table runners, but just to try the ruler, I made this mini mat.  It was so quick! I never would've believed it if I hadn't done it myself! ;-)  I can see this design used in so many other ways~ I need more time to sew! LOL ;-)

I also worked on a few bags, blocks and a mini~ this was a 'just for fun' pattern I have wanted to make for me. I made one years ago and gave it away. I still need to add borders. This is 11 inches square now. With borders it will be around 15 inches.  It looks a lot brighter in the photo than it actually is in 'real life'.

I can't show you a couple of the bags I made, but I can show this one~ it is huge!!  Like a suitcase! LOL

Getaway Bag by Aunties Two Patterns

Loads of pockets inside

I changed mine up a bit by not binding the bottom and making my lining separate. It sure was handy for packing up when we came home! ;-)

I also made a new wallet to go with my bag. This pattern is Cyndi's from Cut Up and Sew!~ thanks Cyndi! I love it!! :-)

The outside~ please pardon my photo taking abilities~ I think I wiggled and made it a bit blurry. :-o 

And the inside~ love all the space for credit cards etc!

That's it for now~ I hope you had a great weekend too!
Until next time~
Happy stitchin'!!

A Little Fun~

I finished the March and April BOM's from Bird Brain Designs over the past few days. I just have to rinse the Sticky-Fabri Solvy out of them~ you can see it is a very sheer substance. I love using it! Just a quick rinse in cold water and it is gone. No muss, no fuss and best of all~ no tracing! :-)

This is a block I made from an EQ7 pattern for a block lotto. I am going to retreat for the next 4 days. :-) Our theme this year is a Quilting Fiesta. I got sent a 7 inch square of the black fabric that has the orange, yellow, green and turquoise in it and had to make a 12 inch finished block. Nothing like waiting til the last minute. ;-) LOL  We also have classes and a FQ lottery. Oh!~ and a fabric shop sets up right at the retreat for us!! :-) Oh yeah~ it is going to be fun!! :-)

Today I am packing up my machine and projects. Oh! ~ and suitcase! LOL Checking twice to make sure I don't forget anything. ;-)  Hope y'all have a good weekend~ I'll be back Monday!

Until then~
Happy Stitchin'!!

I ♥ Redwork

I love to stitch in the evening while watching TV with DH... he watches, I stitch. :-) LOL  I just completed this Redwork Sampler from Bird Brain Designs.

I need to find some red fabric to finish it off, but I am really happy with how it turned out. I ordered the pattern and the piece already printed on Sticky-Fabric Solvy~ boy is that stuff nice! After you finish stitching, a quick rinse in cold water removes the soluble pattern and it doesn't leave any trace of ink! Love it! :-) 

Now I need to get my next pattern printed~ or maybe I will work on a few dish towels. I love choices! :-) LOL

Hope you are having a great Saturday~
Happy Easter to you and yours!

My New Bag~~

Remember in my last post I showed a peek at my new bag? And gave a little hint about it not being any of the bags or patterns I had previously shown you? I was tickled pink to find an email from Clara of Clover and Violet.  :-)  Clara and Jennie are a very talented mother/daughter design team~ they have a PDF shop and also an etsy shop and they embroider. :-)  And they asked me to try one of their patterns!!! :-) 
I made the Brooklyn bag....

Yes! Mama has a New Bag!! LOL   I love it! They rate their patterns as to skill level and this one was rated as 'advanced beginner'. I like that~ if you have never sewn a bag before, and have just a little quilting experience, you might find the pattern slightly challenging. BUT~ they give you their email right on the pattern and invite you to write to them if you are having any troubles~ how sweet is that?  :-)  One thing I had to chuckle to myself about~ remember I shudder at the 'quilt as desired' line? This time it really was easy to decide what to do~ follow the lines. ;-)  LOL

The inside has pockets, lots of pockets~ I like pockets!  :-) And did you notice there is no button or snap? That is because they used a sew in magnetic snap! Very clever! It gives the bag such a smooth look.  I had no idea these things were even out there until I went shopping!  I  did a search and found them here~ but that price is crazy! Go to your local sewing store. ;-)  They also have a very clever way of stabilizing the bottom of the bag, and a nice lining technique, but I'm not going to give away all their smart ideas! ;-)  Just trust me, they are really easy. ;-)  I am very happy with my new bag, and still a little tickled that Clara wrote  to me. :-) Hands down it was the best April Fools Day surprise I have ever had! ;-) Thank you Clara and Jennie!

Now I need to get back to working on all the things I can't show you yet~ my row robins and HGTV BOM blocks for next month.... I have a long list.  ;-)

Until next time~
Happy Stitchin'!!

Mama Needs a New Bag~ Part 2

Warning:  Be careful when you title your posts! :-o (said tongue in cheek)  ;-)

The 'mama' I was referring to yesterday was me, but my Mom had another idea!! LOL :-)  But I was one step ahead of her~ which isn't easy! I already had a bag cut out for her! ;-)  I'm not going to show you it yet.... maybe later. I am going to a sewing retreat next week and plan to take hers along to sew there. Yesterday I had an offer I couldn't pass up! ;-) Nope, not telling yet, but it is a new to me pattern and it will be made from these~~

Thanks for your suggestions for my new bag. I don't think I am going to stop at one~ I like both of the patterns I showed you, and I wouldn't mind making another Margo bag either. :-)) Well, all I can say is~ yes! I come by the 'crazy' name quite honestly! LOL

I hope you are having a great day!
I'm going back to cutting~
Until next time~
Happy Stitchin'!!

Mama Needs a New Bag~

 I was looking through the purses and totes I have made and decided I need a new one. :-) LOL

Top 2 rows are mostly Lazy Girl patterns, the Margo Handbag and right below it the 2 sizes of  Miranda Day bags.
The far left on the second row from the top is the Bow Tucks Bag by Penny Sturges.  The green bag in the third row is Amy Butler's Sweet Harmony bag.  And on  the bottom row are a Sherrod Studio tote and bags in two sizes.

I also have a couple patterns I haven't tried yet~



Decisions, decisions. :-)   Which would you choose and why?

I think I know which one I am going to choose.... ;-)

Hope you are having a great day!

One More Little Bag

Before I worked on Kim's bags I had started this little bag for DD. The pattern is called Across the Pond from Moda. I tried looking on their website for it, and couldn't find it, but it is still at that link.  I didn't really care for the 'hot dog' look it had, so I lengthened it by an inch. It didn't call for any batting or anything, but I added some to give it a little body. I should have used something heavier, because it is still pretty flimsy.  I added the handle too.  ;-)

This one is going to be for DD~ she looooves pink. It is going in my Christmas box for 'Christmas Through the Year'. I think I am done experimenting~ I plan to make more of the Bloom Zipper Pouches, my new favorite pattern! :-)

Thanks for stopping by~
Until next time~
Happy Stitchin'!!