~Vacation Sewing~

My Mom and I always sew together when I visit and this trip was no exception. :-)

My first project was to finish a bag I started for her before leaving home.  She has always wanted a really big bag to take to guild when she has quilts to show or when they have sew days.

I made myself this bag a few years ago and love taking it to retreat, so this is her new bag~

The inside~

I put foam core board in the bottom for stability.  I usually cover it, but the white makes it easier to see into the bottom this time.

 One side~

It has a lot of pockets both inside and out. The sides can be cinched for smaller 'loads'.  I can't remember the name of the pattern right now, but when I come across it, I will add it to this post. :-)

** found it!! **
'Getaway Bag' by Aunties Two Patterns ~~ link here
(but I did modify it so I wasn't binding all the seams. ;-)

I hope you have been enjoying some summer sewing too!

Until next time~

Happy Quilting!

Oh! The Places I have Been!

Hello!  I have so much to tell and no idea where to start! LOL

Remember the little dress in this post?  In mid-June my DS and his family traveled to the middle of the US and DH and I met them there.  It was easier to meet in the middle since we live on opposite coasts! ;-)

And I got to meet my DGD for the first time. :-)  And she modeled for me! LOL  She is two and quite the little ham--notice hand on hip?  (She learned to pose from her 10 yr old aunt. LOL)

                           My sweet friend Lindsay sent along the purse for her and she loved it. :-)

Ok that was in the middle of our trip~ I got ahead of myself.  ;-)

We started our trip the end of  May and stopped to visit my parents in SD.

I delivered a little-bit-late Mother's Day gift to my Mom~

It is a block board.  It opens one more time, but I didn't get a photo of that. Sorry. :-/

It has flannel on the inside to hold her blocks in place and closes up to take them along to her guild meetings.

She used it for her BOM class while I was there.  :-)

We only stayed a few days and then traveled on to Iowa to pick up our new summer house-on-wheels~

Pinch me!  We spent all of June traveling with it visiting family and friends and I still can't quite believe it! LOL  We had loads of fun!  And yes, I had my sewing machine along. :-)

More on those projects next time~

Until then,

Happy stitchin'!!

A Month!!

Oh my goodness I really meant to post sooner!  When the weather gets nice, time just seems to get away from me!  I have a lot to show and tell, but unfortunately, I got a laptop and my learning curve is taking a bit.  Hopefully I will get it all worked out soon.

In the meantime, here is block #5 in the Military Brat BOM Quilt Along.

I am really enjoying these blocks! 

I hope you are enjoying June and I will be back soon! :-)

Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!

I'm Not Always Quilting...

or making blocks or doing BOM's. ;-)

Sometimes my sewing is quite 'domestic'!  LOL

Hubby got a new tire gauge and asked me to make a little case for it....

he is so sweet I had to try! LOL

I made it with denim, batting and a little bias binding.

Easy peasy... but don't tell him that! shhh! ;-)

Next, DS sent me one of his favorite shirts and asked if I could make a dress out of it for his DD.

Yes, I can!

I just need to string elastic through the neckline and sleeves and it is finished.  I do that kind of 'busy work' while watching TV at night. ;-)

I'm working on a few more out-of-the-norm projects I hope to complete soon.

What are you working on?

Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!!

Military Brat BOM~

Link in sidebar

Another block to join my other three! 

I am really loving how these blocks are turning out, and Chris does a really good job with the directions.  (It isn't too late to join the fun!) :-)   The next block instructions will be up tomorrow. 

Until next time~

Make happy stitches! ;-)

May Bag-of-the-Month

The May Bag of the Month pattern is a very sweet little bag by Betz White. 

 Its called the Seneca Creek Bag.

The strap is long enough for over the shoulder, cross body, or it can be changed to a waist strap for a hip pack... or fanny pack. (I'm not sure if bags are called that anymore ...our kids sure had fun with that name!) :-)  There is a nice size pocket under the front flap, and an inside zipper pocket.

I made this for a b-day gift and I sure hope the recipient likes it. ;-)

You can read more about the Bag of the Month club by clicking on the link in my sidebar.  It isn't too late to join in the fun!

Until next time~

Happy Stitchin'!

Retreat Follow-up...

I have wanted to do this post since I got home from retreat!  

Sorry it has taken me forever. :-/

I go to a wonderful retreat full of quilters every Spring.  This year they asked if I would teach the Mystery Class that is held at every retreat. :-) I jumped at the chance and this is what I taught~

a simple wallet pattern, called the 'Wherever You Go Wallet' by Fishsticks

It really is an easy pattern!  What made it difficult was presenting it as a mystery.  Well, that and by the time I got to retreat I had 50 people in my class!! :-o  And by the time it was class time, there was no where to accommodate 50 people for the class. (the retreat center gave one of our classrooms away to a youth group at the last minute) So I had a hallway.  Knowing that wouldn't work for teaching how to put in a zipper, I divided the class into small groups of 5 or 6 and spent a whole afternoon rotating everyone through.  It worked!  I got a lot of positive feedback and I really did enjoy the teaching.  There were 109 retreat participants, so I go to know half of the ladies there.  :-)

Did you notice the white cloth under the pattern in the first photo?  That is one of my pressing cloths.  We needed them for the class since we were using fusibles.  I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some 99 cent white bandanas~~ they worked great!!  Just the right weight, totally washable, 100% very light weight cotton.  Perfect when you need one and really inexpensive. ;-)

Another thing I always take along to retreat, but use here at home too, is my sewing machine mat.  It is actually a floor mat (and I have one underfoot at my cutting counter).  At retreat it works wonders for bouncing machines on long tables.. really absorbs the vibrations wonderfully.  I like it under my machine at home too because it cuts down on any vibrations when speed sewing. ;-)

I got mine at Ross.  They come in two sizes and lots of prints on the front. I chose the big rooster to remind me of a chicken-lovin' friend. :-) LOL

That's all for today~

Until next time~

Happy stitchin!!