Busy making for others

I have been busy making items for other people - for $$$.  I love making money of my crafts and having the ability to buy what I enjoy with that money.  I could blow it in a few moments if I allowed myself to stay on Etsy long!!  Here are some capes I made recently for a friend at work to take to some friends' kids:

They were such a hit that some adults have ordered some now.  We all need to have a little fun, right?  Think I need one to wear at work.  I have made some cute things for friends but have forgotten to take pictures.

I finally finished my picnic blanket. I am making another one to write up a pattern to it.  My first ever!!! Keeping my fingers crossed that I can make a pattern easy to understand!  I am working on getting it copyrighted.  I might eventually be able to convince myself to make one or two for my Etsy shop.....maybe!!

Portland Saturday Market Buys

I forgot to mention in the previous post about my finds at the Portland Saturday Market.  Here are just three of my finds. I bought a few more items, but these are some of my favorites.

 Love this wallet!!  All made out of duct tape. Crazy cute, right?

I bought this hat and wore it every day in Portland.  Not really the time of year to wear here in Texas!!!

I bought this clutch at the market too. I may just have to return her Etsy shop for more items!!

The inside of my clutch. 

Wish there was a market here like this every Saturday in Texas.  Guess I will just have to keep shopping on Etsy!!

Back from Vacation

Before we left for vacation, I didn't get a chance to download all that I had been working on. Now that we are back, I can show you some of the items I worked on before we left.



This pattern is available through my friend Michelle over at I like orange, too!.  Check out her cute patterns!

Here is the inside of the bag.  I love this Joel Dewberry Aviary 2 line. I can't get enough.

 A pouch from the Amy Karol book Bend the Rules sewing.  I can't make enough of these little guys!

I made a pouch for my friend at work who likes owls.  I unfortunately used white interfacing and it showed through in a few spots. I am getting some black interfacing and making another one.  Oh shoot - that means I will have to hold on to this cute thing myself!!

I had my first big order from my Etsy shop before vacation for a bride looking for bridesmaids gifts.  I made 9 sets of bags for the bride and her bridesmaids.  It was so much fun to make things for other people and to have my first big order!! 

I also completed some bags that a few of my friends liked at work but I forgot totake photos before delivering them before we left town. 

We spent one week in Portland, Oregon and fell in love.  What a great city and really an overlooked paradise in my humble opinion.  Here is a quick snipet of the vacation:

I have some orders from friends to begin to work on now that the vacation is over. I have to say the orders really do make my day though.  What fun it is to see people carrying something that you made.  Off to sew!!

Help My Non Profit!!!

Just a quick break from crafting.  I work for an organization called Cancer Care Services.  We help people in the Fort Worth area with medications, equipment, COBRA payments, and emotional support who have been diagnosed with cancer.  We are in a non  profit event with Chase that the first 100 agencies that are voted for through Facebook gets $25,000.  We could help so many clients with that much money.  If you are not interested, do not feel like you must.  If you want to help, you must have a facebook profile.  Here is a link to the site within Facebook: Chase Community Giving.

Thanks for considering the help!!  Now back to crafting updates - hopefully some more tonight!!

Summertime Preparations

I am starting to make bags, clutches, lap quilts and neck pillows for this summer's vacations.  Here are a few of the projects I completed this weekend:

My wash and wear bags for vacation for my...um.....delicates

A neck pillow for my husband.  No neck pains for us!!

The back of the neck pillow is made with orange

My neck pillow completed in a patchwork design

Love the Central Park line.  My favorite Sandi Henderson fabric EVER!!

An Artsy Clutch from Amy Karol's book Bend the Rules Sewing. I can't stop making these.

Heather Bailey's Smarty Girl Bag in Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2

My mom spotted this fabric line while we were shopping last weekend. I became obsessed with it and had to go back for it. I had the granite and yellow, and needed the aqua and purple too.  Needed it!!!! 

Still to do:

• A lap quilt for the plane
• Hubby's Bag
• My tote bag for the plane

Already completed:

• My travel wallet
• My eye mask

I travel in style!!!

Hello...Is it me you're looking for?

I have some great projects I have made and more to put up over the next few weeks.  I am working on some bags for the upcoming summer and fun events that we have planned.  Here are a few things I have done and I have some pillowcases to share soon!

The clutch was made from the book Bend the Rules by Amy Karol.  It is the Artsy Clutch.  It literally came together in about 30 minutes.  I used rick rack instead of elastic for my clutch.

 I am still trying my hand at quilting.  This quilt was made for my Big Boss' 20 year old daughter who was just diagnosed with cancer for the second time.  We all signed the back of a patch to show our support and love as she goes through treatment. I wanted to make a lap size quilt so it was easy to take to appointments and could give her a little coverage during chemo treatments.  I found this quilt pattern on the Moda Bake Shop website. If you haven't looked at that site: go here and look!  WARNING:  you will lose track of time!!

More to come soon!  I promise!!

When sewing gets dangerous....

I have had a heck of week with sewing.  I ordered an acrylic sew steady table as my birthday gift from my husband and it was cut incorrectly.  I then stab myself with my seam ripper and then run over a portion of my thumb with my rotary blade.  My husband suggested a break from the sewing room. I did take a few days off, but plan to head back in soon.  I have some updates of some projects I have completed to share this weekend with you.  I am hoping to finish the top this weekend to a picnic blanket I sketched out to meet my family's needs.  I am considering selling it as a PDF or maybe even cranking a few out for sale in my Etsy shop.  We will see....... it all depends on if I have any limbs left after sewing this weekend :)

In honor of my break from the sewing room and sewing tools, I am having a sale in my Etsy shop.  There isn't a whole bunch in there, but everything, including custom orders are 25% off. 

Use the code: Vacation

New Online Quilt Class

Have you been thinking about quilting but aren't sure where to start? Are you like me and learning how to make a quilt top and to free motion quilt? There is an exciting new class starting on April 6th - Quilt Class 101. The class will be online and 12 weeks long. Go take a look and see if you would be interested! I have a button on the side of my blog that will take you directly to the blog.

New Items listed in my Etsy shop

I have some wash and wear bags finally done!!! If you love to be organized when traveling, these are the bags for you. I am selling them for $25.00 a set. Stop by and take a look. They make great bridesmaids gifts or for your own vacation!

I finally have a couple of items listed in my Etsy shop. The other items I have listed is a custom made sewing machine cover in patchwork - pieced by me and eye masks. I am all about travel and have made a little line in my Etsy shop called Itching 2 B Traveling!! I still have some travel necklace bags to add in and picnic blankets designed by me. The picnic blanket is awesome, but is taking some time to put together. The listing may take another couple of weeks, but I am awfully proud of these blankets. I hope to have 2 listed in a couple of weeks!

Of course, you can always email me about making you something specific and I will be honest on if I can do it or not!

Stop in and look around. More items to come soon!!!

Single Girl Quilt Along Starts!!

The quilt along has started!! The first step was listed on Katy's blog yesterday. The first step is all about cutting out your fabrics. It isn't too late to join in the fun. The great thing about a quilt along in that you can move at your own pace - faster or slower. Think about joining the fun!!

These are my fabrics. I am making a twin size for the living room. We have mostly reds and grays in the living room. However, we have a few orange items too. I wanted to use red, gray, yellow and orange to tie the room together better. Watch as it begins to come together in the next few weeks.

This will be the gray for front of the quilt. I haven't made up my mind about the back. I am almost tempted to go bold and go red. We will have to see!!

Ukulele Bag

My husband is learning to play the ukulele. You may recall this awesome shirt I made my husband too.

Since he has returned to school, we can't send him to school without a cool bag to carry. I hope to have the bag completed in the next week or so. See the fabrics I will use below!! Pictures coming soon!!

Craft room Update

I had some hearts left over from the garland for the living room. I attached the leftover hearts to ric rac and hung it on my shelf

I made these project cards to use for different crafts. I can use them to keep different cuts of fabric separate while quilting. I also can use a white erase marker to sketch out some projects I am working on. I just took some scrapbook paper and lamenated them. Ready to write on!

I got this awesome project idea from Secret Stitch Club for two project boards. I had some frames left over and made these to track projects for myself and projects for others. I think it is a great way to reuse items and to help organize all the WIP's that crafters have!!

Heart Garland Completed

I finished the garland!! I think the garland really made our living room nice and simple for Valentine's decorations. I brought out my two red heart book ends that I usually have in my craft room to help spruce it up.

Heart Garland

There are a ton of new posts listed under this one. As you can tell, I have been a little back logged. Enjoy!!!!

I have been in the decorating mood a little more than I used to be. I wanted something something simple for our fireplace area, but nothing real crazy. I decided to make heart garland. I am in the process of sewing it together, but here are the hearts all cut out:

I am attaching the hearts to bias tape that I need to use up.

I was concerned on how to get the hearts to stay firm. Then enter this tutorial from How About Orange (who has her own cute heart garland tutorial) - who introduced Stiffen Stuff to me. I sprayed the hearts and let them dry. I will have to see if that helps the hearts not curl or wear. Picture coming soon of the finished product!!

Sassy Apron

As we all know, I suffer greatly from a condition known as "I can make that" syndrome. Why buy something I can easily make? The problem is.... I don't have enough time to make EVERYTHING!!

Then - every once in awhile - you get on Etsy (bad decision for the bank account) and you see someone else's handicraft and you are in awe. That is how I feel about Sassy Aprons. Her aprons are incredible. I pride myself on some of the aprons I have made. Sometimes you have to just say "I can't make that like she can, and I want one!!" For years I have stalked her aprons and just couldn't find the one I wanted.

And then...... this one appeared.

Check out the bow!!!

I had Christmas money left over and did a dance..... I immediately purchased the apron. I LOVE the Alexander Henry print "Bird Seed". So much so that my knitting bag is made from this and I ordered a crochet needle carrier from the ever talented Coyote Craft in Bird Seed. I haven't used the apron yet to cook. I think that is a problem with apron lovers - I love my aprons - what if I get sauce on them!! I know, I know - put it on and make something. I will soon. If I can just get Greta (my dressform) would stop wearing it!