Sewing Machine for sale........

.......if mine doesn't get it's act together!!!! I have been fighting with my sewing machine the last couple of days. I was making such great progress with my projects and then my machine started jamming, eating fabric, breaking needles, etc. I think the machine was a little mad I had not spent a lot of time with it this past semester. So, I do have some pics from my hat I crocheted recently.


I have about 3 projects to finish this weekend after my machine and I work out our issues. I did begin assembling my first quilt. I will post some pictures of that soon. I am getting ready to work on some picnic bags which attach to our bikes and some picnic place mats for us to use this summer! Stay tuned!

Updates

Hello! What a last couple of weeks it has been! I have been home to see family and friends, finishing school and having the summer off (yay!!), missing a week from work due to illness - whooo! I am tired.

So, we have had a decent response to the Because I Matter Challenge!! I would still like to have more people join. Consider joining us. Follow the link above. I have some updates to show you. I have a hat that I have crocheted, a present for Heather (can't say what it is until she gets it - Seams to Me Swap) and a couple projects coming soon. I promise some updates this weekend. Just wanted to let you know I am alive and kickin still!!!!

And the winner is.........

We still need sign ups for the Because I Matter Challenge. Click here for info!

Sorry for the delay in the giveaway. I missed work all last week and spent some time in the ER. I had some pretty serious health concerns, but seem to be doing better now. I have a whole rant about doctors and the fact of being a woman and blown off when you say there is something wrong, but let's leave that for another day!!! You guys are here for the win!!!

The winner is:

Number 50 - Lisa of Unexpected Paths!

Congratulations! Send me an email at itching2Bstitching(at)gmail(dot)com with:
Your full name and address
What styles of fabrics you like
Any favorite designers!

Thanks for all who entered! School's out for summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because I Matter Challenge

Looking for the giveaway. Click here!


*** The challenge is now up and ready for sign ups! Follow this link for more info!***

I know that many of you feel the same way that I do - I would like to spend some time completing some projects for ME!!! It is always so much fun to sew for others and especially to do swaps - who doesn't love getting mail. However, reading several of your blogs this year, it seems many of us have a desire to spend some time creating for our homes, our wardrobes and just plain doing the projects we all have highlighted in our numerous craft books.

That's when this challenge came to my mind!! I have been working on a list of projects I would like to complete this summer. I still owe some gifts to friends and family (I haven't forgotten you ZOE!!!), but I want to spend some time creating items for me and my husband.

So here is the deal with this challenge.

• You will sign up using a form I have created.
• You agree to do some type of crafting for yourself this summer (Sew, crochet/knit, scrapbook, paint, etc).
• By the 30th/31st of each month from May until the end of August, you will send pictures to me of the projects you made for yourself throughout the month.
• At the end of each month, I will post all the project pictures and we will vote on our favorite.
• I will take the top 5 votes each month and we will then vote the first week in September for the best project of the summer.

There will be a $5.00 fee to join. This will help cover the cost of the grand prize at the end of summer. The grand prize will be a gift card to shop on Etsy. Can you imagine winning money to shop on Etsy???? We need to have some people sign up to make it worth while. Can you imagine if 50 people joined? That would be $250.00. If the prize money reaches high enough, then maybe we could have some runner up prizes too. $150.00 to the winner, $50 to the two runner up winners and so on!!

Even if we do not win the money, we will all finally get to make some projects for ourselves to enjoy! I am working on setting up a site for the challenge so we have one place to meet all summer long to talk and seek help if needed with projects. I hope to have the site up by today. Check back for a link.

I will take sign ups until May 15th. The sooner you sign up, the longer you have to make something to enter each month. You do NOT have to enter a ton of projects! If you only enter one project a month, that is fine. At least you made one item for yourself each month.

Giveaway!!!!

23 more days until I am out of school for the summer. I thought it would be a good time for a giveaway to help me celebrate. I am thinking of putting a countdown on here to celebrate a summer free of work and I can finally sew!!!!

So here is what I will do! You can enter the giveaway for 4 fat quarters (which I will purchase based on the winners preference!!). You can get more entries and chances to win by posting on your blog! Leave a comment about what you plan to do this summer and get one entry. Get 5 more entries when you post on your blog! Make sure you leave a comment linking back to your blog!

Help me celebrate 23 more days until sewing and crafting can begin again! Sign up by SUNDAY, MAY 10th and I will draw someone's name on MONDAY, MAY 11th once I am out of night class that evening!

Hold on just a bit longer.....

Four more weeks of school and then I can finally get back to sewing and posting more regularly this summer!!! I have also picked up some crocheting and I need to take some photos of my projects.

On an exciting note, I have been awarded with the Outstanding Master's Award for doing so well academically. I am quite proud of myself for being able to maintain a 4.0 while working!!! It has been hard, so it is nice to be recognized in the middle of my program. Now if I can just make it a couple more weeks!

Then...... schools out for summer!!!!

Projects coming soon, hang in there with me a little longer!

Fitness Challenge - Join Me!

Hurry...... only one day left to sign up. I am joining in the Fitness challenge being hosted over at Feathered Nest. You pay $10 and have 8 weeks to lose as much weight as you can. The person who has lost the most percentage of weight wins the jackpot!! Either way you win! You get healthier or win money. This is also right before summer, so we can all lose weight and wear bikinis (well, maybe not bikinis!!).

Here is the link: Fitness Challenge

Sign up and use this as a chance to get ready for summer. One of the rules is you must have to lose at least 10 to 15 pounds and there is a monday weigh in every week for the 8 weeks. You can't join if you "think" you are fat. You must be heavier and need to lose weight!! Join me, won't you? See you June 1st as a smaller me!!!

New Craft I Am Thinking About Selling!!!

I was out on the town not too long ago and saw a girl with a bracelet on. I was obsessed with the bracelet instantly. She had taken some magazine clippings and words from a magazine and glued them to a bracelet. It got me thinking that maybe I could take some of my favorite lines from movies and books and make my own!! And I did! I went and bought a used Pride and Prejudice book and got to work. Here's the outcome:

I am thinking of putting some in my Etsy shop. I think maybe as custom orders. Nothing would be worse than making a few and no one buying any!!!! Pretty cool, huh?

I forgot to mention earlier that I am going to be putting some fabric for sale in my Etsy shop. I have too much and have to clear out some. I do have quite a bit that looks like country (good for quilting). If you are a quilter, you may want to check it out. I will have some other type of fabrics in there too. All the fabric should be uploaded by tomorrow morning! Pass the word. I have to clear some space in my craft room!!!

It's ALIVE!!!!

Yes, I am still here. Want to see what I have been up to lately?


Yarn from my mom for my birthday! Nice!!!

Birthday celebration with some close friends. We had so much fun that we forgot it was a work night. We had to go home and go to bed just when the fun was starting!!

We went with our friends to see the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Art Museum. SO neat!

I am inclusive!!!! Look how friendly I look too!

I didn't want to have to carry a purse around our 4 day weekend, so I made a hip bag at 1 in the morning. Late - I know - Totally fashionable - worth every late night minute!!

I received some fat quarters from the Netherlands - AWESOME fabrics!

I received another envelope of fat quarters!

A box of hearts came to use as decorations for Valentine's Day or other holidays!! They turned out great, ladies!

This was a room at the Art Museum. You would stand at the end of the tunnel and anyone at the end of the tunnel in the orange light turned black and white. We went into the room and I couldn't get over how awesome it was that I looked like I was in a old Lucy movie! You can see the camera did not see black and white. Weird how light plays with our eyes!

My husband dressed up and took me out for my birthday evening. I bought him the hat. He doesn't love it but he doesn't hate it. It probably doesn't help that I call him chap when he wears the hat!!!!

I am almost done with the Weekender bag for Bree but I still have to complete the bag for my friend Sarah. Baby steps!!

I should hopefully have some more to show you at the end of this weekend. Man, that four day weekend was great! Wish I had another one waiting for me!

Hello....is it me your looking for???

I have not left the country!!! It is the week before spring break. I have two tests and a HUGE paper due for a class. All by Thursday. After that - I have a couple days to catch up on here. I should have some new photos by the end of this weekend!! I plan to sew some over spring break, but my biggest plan is to work on some other school assignments so I can be ahead of the game instead of behind!!! I have barely kept my head above water the last month, so I am changing up the game plan and trying to float rather than drown!!!! Check back for updates soon- including some yarn photos from my mom for my birthday present. I turn 32 on Thursday! Where did the time go???? I feel like I was 22 just yesterday!

And the winner is.........

Seams To Me by Anna Maria Horner. Ok gals - here is the info for the next We The People Swap! If you are not a fan of Anna Maria Horner, you must check our her blog!!! I adore her! Her fabrics are fabulous and so is this book. I gave the sign ups a bit longer than I normally do to allow people time to buy her book . If you do not own the book, maybe some libraries near you will have it or maybe a friend will share with you!!

Rules:

1. I have selected some of the projects from the book that would be easy enough and time permitting enough to make for a swap! Fill out the form and mark all the boxes to the projects you would not mind receiving from your partner. You will then select ONE project from your partner's list to make for them. All partner's will be secret!

2. All items must be sent with a delivery confirmation number and emailed to me! I have had a couple people stiffed in the last swap or two - and I just can't allow it! If you stiff someone - NO MORE SWAPPING ON HERE FOR YOU!!

3. You must reply to me within 3 DAYS to let me know you received your partner's form sent from Wufoo (the form builder I use for sign ups!). In the past, some people have not received their partner's info and they didn't make anything. So, I hope this will keep that from happening!

SIGN UP DEADLINE: SATURDAY, MARCH 21st

PARTNERS SWAPPED: SUNDAY, MARCH 22nd

DEADLINE TO MAIL PACKAGE: SATURDAY, APRIL 25th

WHERE DO I FIND THE FORM TO SIGN UP??? HERE

Spread the word and let's get swapping. I will provide a link to Anna Maria Horner's Flickr Seams To Me group so we can all post our projects in her flickr album as the swap begins!

We The People 5 - Voting Begins!

It's that time again! I have 6 different choices and you can vote as many times as you would like. Voting ends Saturday, March 7th. Let your voices be heard!

I am Famous!!!

I was interviewed awhile ago by Jenna from Swap Dex. I am featured today!!!! I feel so famous and so glamorous! Go check it out. The weird thing is I couldn't remember what I had said until I read it again. How fun!

You can read my interview here!

More Projects!!

I received a wonderful package from Ann from Denmark from my Mini Scrap Swap. Here is what she sent me:

What an awesome package, huh?

I made some bloomer pants for a friend's baby that is due next month. I still have a shirt to make with it!

I completed some more bibs and got all of the buttons put on them for 2 friends of mine who have babies. I am almost done with a ton of burp cloths too! YAY!

I also made some progress yesterday on my Amy Butler Bag. I have one bag completely cut out and another in the wings waiting to be cut!! I am hoping to get more completed today!

Partners are switched!! Make sure to check your spam mailbox if you don't see it in your normal inbox. Your partner is a not a secret. You have their email address if you would like to make a friend! You can keep it a surprise if you would like, too!

NEW DEADLINE: Saturday, March 14, 2009

Email me if you have any questions and remember to try to buy Fat Quarters that your partner has requested or likes!