Brideget's Bagetts

I sewed up three of these Bagetts from Atkinson Designs for the Sew Suite Studio over the summer.    I used up remnants of Paisley print from the graduation towel projects. I was tempted to use up an old vinyl table cloth for the vinyl scraps but in the end I went with a vinyl remnant.  If you do go the old vinyl table cloth route make sure (Are you listening? This is important!)  make sure you use tissue paper to cover the vinyl when sewing.  No matter how good your walking foot is vinyl will not run smoothly under it, ever.

These little pouches are TOTALLY scrap worthy.  They require only minimal fabric, 2 fat quarters if you are saving up your scraps.  They are a fast finish so they are high on the instant gratification list!  Because sometimes it is good just get one project finished!

The smallish size bags are the perfect size for buttons, bead, safety pins, wonder clips (LOVE THEM). Small sewing instruments such as scissors, rotary cutter or seam ripper can be kept in the larger bag-etts. Whether you are looking for a quick gift for a friend or a just a quick sew for yourself these bags to the trick.

How Sweet!

Can I just be honest?  Oh! How I love cupcakes.  Pillow of frosting on a mattress of cake. What's not to love? In one bite, a bit of frosting and a bit of cake.  They are neatly packaged it the perfect pleated wrapper.  Cute, sweet and require only a minimum of bites.  Face it.  They are the perfect little dessert.  

Over the summer I made the cutest cupcakes.  Why, you ask are they cute?  These, my fellow sew-ists were no ordinary cupcakes.  These were Cupcake pincushions.

Four in total. Some with solid frosting tops and others with prints.  I followed the Cupcake Pincushion Pattern by Cindy Taylor Oates

Having never made fabric pincushions that look like cupcakes, I can tell you that it was a bit of a challenge.  I say this only because these cupcake liners were filled with sand.  The sand makes them nice and sturdy. These little beauties are not going to roll off your sewing table.

I know you are probably thinking the exact same thing I thought, "What if the sand escapes and gets all over my sewing table?"  I can tell you now that would NOT be a good scenario.  The pattern even states, "Do not use these near your sewing machine." I can only imagine the horror of having sand inside your machine.   So if you do plan on making one or more of these little gems, be sure to leave it on your cutting table.

 The frosting layer I filled with fiberfill.  I suppose you could fill the entire cupcake with fiberfill if you wanted to fore go the sand.  I even contemplated rice in the bottom as this would give it weight without the worry of sand everywhere.  

In the end I followed the pattern. After I whipstitched the seam on the bottom closed I used a bit of hot glue to (hopefully) seal the seam. Take that Sand!

These little sweets whip up in no time.  They are great for all the cute little scraps that we all save and swear one day we will use.  They are simple enough to put together (minus the sand) and you can custom decorate your confection creation however you like.  I topped off my little sweets with a fabric flower rosette and little ribbon leaves.  How Sweet is that?

Did you miss me?

Beach Bag

Well, the rumors are true.  I am alive and well. (and still as busy as ever).  According to my calendar I have not written a blog post since March.  Can that be right?  WoW!  Quite a lot has happened since then.

My oldest graduated from High School and is now in College. (how is that possible?). Our beloved exchange student went back to Germany.  Both of the previous two boys were on crutches for different reasons. One school year ended and another began. We went on vacation/family reunion.  My two youngest had pneumonia over the summer, which prompted a host of doctors visits.  Band camp and Summer cross country camp came and went.  We are now back in full school mode and all that it entails.

One thing that didn't change.. I still kept on quilting and crafting.
Here are a few pictures of the things that kept me busy this summer...

Bee Blocks

Coaches Gifts

Beginning quilt class demo

cupcake pincushions

clemson t-shirt quilt

Graduation Quilt

Bee Blocks

Graduation Towels

I will go into more detail on the projects above soon.(plus a few more projects who's photos escape me;)

Little Purses

Recently I posted about some hand embroidery that I had been working on.  Well, I am happy to report that the Little Purses projects that I have been embroidering for nearly 2 weeks have all been finished.

I pulled the pattern from Best of Stitch Bags to Sew and am very happy with the results.  I made up 5 little purses using this pattern.  The first two I stitched up I used the Rainbow embroidery pattern that was included with the book.

The second two I stitched up I got my embroidery groove on and went out on my own!  Crazy. I gave each little purse their own cute personalized lining.

 I made the fifth purse out of some fabric I had on hand, that was already embroidered.  I made the fifth purse simple and basic.  My 'test' pattern.   I didn't want to mess up and ruin the little purses that I spent so much time embroidering.  Glue and I, as I may have mentioned, tend to get ourselves in some sticky situations.  (oh. come on.  It was screaming for a pun)

The instructions in the book are clear and concise.  The pictures are BEAUTIFUL!  I ordered the purse frames and Gutermann fabric glue from an easy.com seller While Baby Naps.  She was very easy to work with and had all of my order here in less than a week.  Suburb service.  All in all it was a wonderfully portable project, except for the glue.  Now these beauties are set aside for some special people who will undoubtedly find many, many uses for these cute little purses.

Tile {revisited.}

I have had many questions about the tile backsplash we installed in our kitchen.  I realized I never posted a finished picture.

backsplash over range

backsplash around counter

Okay for those who asked we used Travertine tile mosaic that was in 12 X 12 inch sheets.  I cut the sheets in half and ran a 1.5 inch glass tile border in between the travertine.  I also used the glass tile mosaic to create the 28 X 16 inch frame that is over the range.  I purchased the travertine and the glass mosaic at Lowes.  I used pre-mixed mastic and a V-knotched trowel.  All tiles were sealed twice with water-based Stone and Tile sealant once before installation and once before grouting.

Pitted Travertine.

We used SpectraLock stain proof grout. I enjoy cooking and am proud to say, I am not neat about it.  My DH was insistent in the use of Stain proof grout. If you have never used a stain proof grout before I found quite a bit of advice on the internet.  We found it is different from working with regular sanded grout in two aspects. 

 One. The working time is only about 30 minutes.  Because the grout uses a two part epoxy in the mix it drys very fast.  We would mix the grout and place approximately 1/2 in the freezer while we worked with 1/2.  The cooler temps in the freezer will prolong the work time. 

Two.  This grout is a two part mix.  The epoxy and the color powder.  We found that the best way to mix this particular grout for spreading on wall tile was to leave out about 10% of the color powder, which the manufacture recommends.  If all of it is added to the  epoxy the grout is almost to thick to spread with the float.  In some places I actually did spread it with my fingers.

  

Even with the sealant it was impossible to keep the grout out of the hundreds of natural holes in Travertine.  I purposely chose a grout which was in the same color family as the stone to minimize the look of the grout in the travertine.

To finish up we purchased the tinted calk from SpectraLock as well.  Did not grout the area between the counter and the tile and the cabinets and the tile. The caulk is an identical match to the grout which looks beautiful.

Hopefully this answers all of the questions I have had on the Tile project. Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section!

{Post } Christmas round-up

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Well, it has been a long time since I blogged.  Wow!  I wanted to share a few of the handmade Christmas presents I whipped up.  Most of them at the last minute!  Why do I always commit myself to these projects with one week to go?  All I know is that I did not start packing for our trip to Ohio until 6pm the night before.  And that was when my DH stepped into my quilting space and exclaimed, "Okay, now you have to stop!"  Gee, some people.

First thing I want to show off is this adorable little apron and chefs hat I made for my 2 y.o. nephew.  His parents love to cook and I am told he is quite the chef in his little kitchen.

 I took this from 2 separate patterns and added my own little spin.  The chefs hat was from www.stardustshoes.blogspot.com.  The hat is adjustable which is good for growing little ones.
I liked the apron that was also designed by stardustshoes and was paired with the chefs because it was reversible and oh, to cute.  There was just one thing that kept me from making it...it needed to be tied by a grown-up.  Well if you have ever been with a two year old you will know that cooperation is not their strong suit. Using the pattern from www.sewliberated.com which is slightly smaller, and the pattern from startdustshoes I came up with this cute mix.
The apron has a pocket for carrying treasures, an elastic strap for pulling over his head and a Velcro tab at the waist for the all important, "I do it my self." 2 year old.

This little cutie also got a wonderfully warm and cuddly fair isle sweater from his favorite Aunt.  I knit up this sweater from Cottage Creations pattern The Big Sven Sveater. Although the picture is a bit fuzzy, I think you can tell it fits well! I am sure his hat and leg warmers are also hand knit, he is lucky that way.. Now I just need a picture of him wearing his hat and apron.  (Hint. Hint.)

front

back

Here are the three Hexi-stockings all hung in a row.  Don't they look pretty?

As I stated before the week we were getting ready to leave on Christmas Vacation I decided to "whip-up" 5 insulated casserole carriers. (Yes I said 5) Oh yea and I decided to try glass etching the sides to all of the casserole dishes as well.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of them all together.  I managed to snag a few of this last carrier before it was shipped off.  I used the pattern that can be found here at twolittlehooligans  It is simple pattern with great instructions and rather quick too!  I mean if your not trying to make 5 in one week.

While I was out at the fabric store picking up a little extra Christmas fabric I stumbled upon an adorable polar fleece.  I decided right then and there that I was also going to sew up some polar fleece goodies for my little nieces.  Don't worry this was the week before the 5 casserole carrier decision.  Plenty of time left..

I stitched up this little snow bunting for my niece who will be arriving one chilly February day. This is a Butterick pattern # 5091  . I think I have used this pattern at least 8 or nine times.  It's quick and easy and I love it! She will be warm and snugly when she comes home in this cute little bunting.  

Lastly, I sewed this little polar fleece dress for my 18 month old niece.  Here I used McCall's Pattern #9532 sewn for size 1. Matching polar fleece cousins.  Too CUTE! Emma and I picked up a long sleeve shirt and some lavender tights at Gymboree for an Adorable little outfit.

Here she is at our Christmas gathering.  Isn't she precious.

My New Year's resolution is to have all of my Christmas presents for this year made before December.  With a little planning and a lot of patience I should be able to accomplish that.  I'll let you know how that goes. LOL.

Stocking

It's official.  My Long-arm is sick.  I received the cable Saturday.  I had hoped that it would fix the problem.  Sadly, No.  She is all boxed up and loaded into my truck. Sniff.  Soon she will be on her way to Utah.  Hopefully she will be restored to her former glory and return home soon. sniff. sniff.

Meanwhile I have been busily working on another project.  Christmas Stockings. Remember when I said that I had found a new plan for my Hexagons?  Well this is it.

Cute!

Don't give me all of the credit.  I had a little help in the form of inspiration from Amanda Murphy's Modern Holiday.  She has four different and equally striking stocking ideas in her book.  But I saw the hexagons and just new I had to make it for my nephew.  I didn't follow Amanda's pattern, basically because I am lazy.  The pattern in the book called for enlarging the templet 300%.  My printer/copier doesn't enlarge.  And I just didn't feel like driving to the print store.  See?  Lazy.  

I simply made up my own by tracing a generic red and white felt stocking I had on hand.  I had to  modify the hexagons I had already sewn up by adding a row to the bottom and a couple to the side to accommodate the heel.

I embroidered my nephew's name by hand.  It finished up quickly, seriously it only took one Dr.'s Appointment to finish it up. I checked out TaDa! Creations for her quick embroidery tutorial and she just happened to have a stocking tutorial too!  Her embroidery is far superior to mine but her tutorials are awesome.  I even added the ruffle from her stocking tutorial!

I backed the stocking with Santa fabric.  In hindsight, red would have been a better choice, but for a 2 year-old I just couldn't resist Santa.

Now for the really fun part.....Filling it!

I really should know better....

I have Loads and Loads on my plate right now.  With a husband who travels, three kids (the end of school fast approaching)  and a long list of things on my "to do" list I really do have plenty to keep me busy.  Yet, that didn't stop me from wandering into the quilt section of the local library and checking out this book.  It is Amy Butler's Style Stitches. It has such cute patterns and I love Amy's vibrant colors and bold patterned fabric.  They really make the bags in the book POP!

I dug through my stash and came up with this scrap.  I just happen to have enough of this print to make a couple of other items in the book, just sayin'. 

I paired it with this light color aquamarine for the lining.  I really think light colors make the best linings.  It makes it much easier to see those tiny little things hiding in the bottom of your bag.

And here is my finished version of the Key Keeper Coin Purse. Isn't she adorable.

It really is a tiny thing measuring only about 5.5 in X 5.5-ish inches.  Just big enough for coins, or jewelry or a few Lego people.  It has a cute little loop where a key ring would fit nicely.

This zipper was not the easiest to install.  The entire time I kept thinking, there has to be a better way!  Perhaps reading through the directions first would have been wise.  Ya Think? I guess I was just too excited!  The inside of the pouch also has a pocket, a cute design option but I feel it is an unnecessary extra for such a tiny little thing. 

Amy's book includes a matching purse pattern, in two sizes.  I might have to make one up.  Later.

Duck Tape

It must be a 5th grade thing.  It certainly is a girl thing. For my girl and many of her friends making things out of duck tape is the new "in" thing.  After a recent slumber party where they did fun and crafty things my 5th grader came home ready to duck tape any and everything.  Thankfully there is YouTube.  There are lots, I mean LOTS of YouTube videos for making things out of duck tape. Duck Tape in hand Emma set out to make a few things.  First we have duck tape flowers.

You have probably seen at least one of these adorning a pen at your local Doctors office.  I know I have.  If you know us, rest assured you will have your own soon. I am talking to you Grandparents.  Next, Emma decided to make a few hair bows for her younger cousins.  Adorable.  These she made up herself.  I am sure there is a tutorial out there if you really, really want your own.

Lastly, she made this...

What is this you ask?  Funny I asked the same thing.  I said, "Hm.  This is an interesting..a...Bookmark?"  (notice the hesitancy) To which she replied, "Mom, It's not a bookmark.  It's a churro."  Well, duh.  I knew that.  A churro (the same cinnamon-y, sugar-y fried pastry popular in Mexico?  One in the same.)   No tutorial for this one folks.  This one is all Emma.