The Ca-utest Coin Purse E-V-E-R!!!

When I saw the darlingness that Madam Samm created out of her awesome brain, I just knew I had to be a part of it!!  Who could resist this darling coin purse, I ask you??  No one I know :)  Especially not ME!!  And when it was called the UR Priceless Blog Hop too- I just love a catchy title!  Miss Katherine was the head cheerleader for us and she is such a wonderful person!  I had my share of questions and she was so willing and happy to answer every single one, and quick too!  You don't beat that!  I had never attempted a frame purse and couldn't resist anymore!  I will say that it was a success!  I will definitely be making LOTS more of these beauties!

There is a seven day blog hop to celebrate the cuteness of this coin purse and the fun projects you can make with it!  I knew mine was destined for the new Heather Ross Nursery Versery fabric.  I love how it turned out!  The purples and pinks are just perfect!

 One of my very favorite parts is the the stitching that attaches the fabric to the purse frame- I love this part!  I stitched it with pink finca pearle cotton number 8- another first.  It was so wonderful to use and stitch with.  I just had to buy a few more colors while I was at it.  I also bought some pink pearls that I will be sewing down the seams also- just didn't get that part added in time for my "day"!  So many fun ideas swirling around in my little head!

 I lined the purse with a happy Kona color of my favorite shade- PINK!  

 This purse is tiny- the frame is 3" wide, to give you an idea.  Perfect for coins, or tiny hands, or just to carry chap stick around- perfect!!  The purse actually comes together very quickly and is explained wonderfully in the pattern and instructions.  As I said, this is my first frame coin purse and so I would encourage anyone to give it a try- with results as cute as this, it would be a shame not to!  And fussy cutting a cute front makes it all the more darling :)

Here are the wonderful bloggers who are sharing the first blog hop day with me!  Each of them are fabulous!  Head on over and share some love and check out their cute purses too!!  Such fun!--- 

Day 1 - Nov. 5th

Quiltin' Jenny
Hill Valley Quilter
Loopy Lou's Adventures Into Handicrafts
Just Let Me Quilt
Lixie Makes It
Beaquilter
Sunshine, Handmade
Buzzing and Bumbling
ANNIEOFBLUEGABLES
Needled Mom
The Slow Quilter
A Quilting Sheep
I Have A Notion
Quilt-n-Queen

If you would like to follow along each day, here is the list for the entire week long hop!! (HERE)

I had a marvelous time making this coin purse and so appreciate Madame Samm and Katherine for letting me participate in my first blog hop ever!  What fun and what a wonderful project!!  A fantastic gift idea for the holidays!  Have a sunny day, wherever you are and whatever the weather!

TA-DA!!! C'est Fini!

This is how it all started...

After four weeks of craziness, our little project is ready to roll!  It has been a labor of love and SOOOOO much fun!  I can't imagine a more perfect get away for our family, and we are so excited to go and do and see in our mobile beach house :)

 The fish net and flip flop lights is still a favorite part, and we LOVE how the aqua polka dot home decor fabric was a perfect match for the exterior and interior colors!  The bunk above the couch has an awesome circular the-dye home decor print covering that mattress!  Such fun!  Just makes you smile and take a relaxing breath!  LOVE it!

 The double layer of curtains was a definite must!  It would have been "ok" with just one or the other, but having both just sets it all off perfectly!

 And what's clamping without some chevrons??!  And a magnet board to boot!  And a hanging lantern sunshine- a beach must have some sunny days :)

 The kitchen orange was just what we wanted and our accessories added to the joy!

 The floor- VCT checkerboard- one of my favorite parts!  And I did it all by my little self- woohoo!

 Full length of the couch- so cozy!

 Fun all around :)

The sign was from the thrift store- we turned some arrows around, painted it, and made our "favorites" directional sign.  Then the beaded lamp jumped in my cart at Hobby Lobby yesterday!  It was too perfect- we had to go to 6 stores, literally, to find the special bulb for it though ;).  But it was the finishing touch to make us smile, with the purple lantern lights too!  What a great combo!  

For us, it's just what we wanted- now for some serious camping fun!  

The Donut Lady...

Yup, that's what I am this year :)  Probably the next few, actually.  My kiddos school as one day a month when the students can bring a parent, 30 minutes before school, have donuts, and read books together.  It's a great program and I am so excited that I get to be over the activity!  The past few years have been very dull and plain, but that's just not how I work!  So for the past few months, I have been scheming and planning and purchasing :).  

I got some of the most darling aqua gingham fabric to make a table cloth for the donut table I sit at :)  Think pinked edges- just darling!!  

I also found this printable online and enlarged it, covered it with felt that was close to the design, and will have the perfect welcome sign!  I love how 3-D felt makes things look.  The kiddos at school will love it too, I am sure!  

Then for me, I looked everywhere, online and in brick and mortar shops for donut fabric to make an apron.  Nothing spoke to me or had the colors I was going for!  So I bought a precious apron from Hobby Lobby, using the 40% off coupon of course, and designed my own "logo".  Then I pulled out my embroidery thread and got to work :).  I just ADORE how it turned out!!  The ruffle is so me, and the design is even more me!!!  

I also found some hot pink melamine trays at Hobby Lobby too, with coupons of course, to set up the donuts on.  

And then I needed something to give the kiddos that wouldn't be eaten in two seconds, and since they are reading with their parent, I thought of bookmarks.  I tried designing one, but without a great editing program on my computer, and not being able to figure out how to draw on the picmonkey program, I was not sure it would work.  Then I walked in Walmart a few days ago and saw a cart of school supplies on clearance.  Yup, the coolest bookmarks around, in packs of 25- hot dog :)!!  Buying the ton

I needed was still way cheaper than printing out my own- score! Now I just need an orange container for the bookmarks :). 

So beings my first year as "The Donut Lady"!  I am so excited and feel mostly ready to make this activity even more fun and looked forward to than it is :)  Ready or not, here I come!!

A Special Treat

I have been busy working on a special treat for the next newsletter for  The Intrepid Thread.  Miss Julie is amazing and has wonderful contributors with projects for each newsletter.  Along with an awesome coupon each month :).  I was able to be one of the lucky people who gets to design a project and use her yummy fabric to make it a reality!  I am getting close to having it done and in process of working on the tutorial.  Just a few hints:  piecing, embroidery, appliqué, and cuteness!  I'll get some sneak peeks to you soon....  EEPPPP!   So fun!

The Annual Dress and Family Picture Craziness :)

I am trying to learn how to sew clothing.  It scares me, but I want to make some things really bad! That beats my fear.  Adding the fact that I am a hopeless perfectionist makes it even more of an adventure, but one that turns out cute, not matter what the odds!  I have made an awesome poncho every winter (velvet lined with fleece) for my littlest little.  Imagine fun cute colors with pompom edging, two big buttons at the neck, and a Little Red Riding Hood style hood.  So much easier than putting on a sleeved coat each time you exit the car :).  I have made crazy awesome Halloween costumes.  And once a year, I make a dress for her for family pictures.  It takes a long time to find the perfect pattern and this year I knew it when I saw it- Mod Kids Chloe (I LOVE Patti Young's designs)!  I threw in my 7 favorite prints from Julie (http://www.intrepidthread.com) at the time and was off and running!

I must admit, I get a tad bit psycho when planning our family pictures!  I go overboard, actually, but it is oh so fun and makes for tons of smiles and memories all year long.  I don't like stiff classic pictures.  I like fun, living, breathing photos- like the photographer just walked up and caught you right in the middle of the best day ever.  When hubby married me, my one condition was that we would take family pictures every. single. year.  Just one condition (besides all the unspoken ones), but I meant it, and he meant it too, 'cause we have had them taken each year, faithfully!  This year involved painting a darling bench deep aqua, making a bunting/pennant in the below fabrics (and another), making this dress, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, my Supernova quilt, searching for months to find different colors (happy bright colors- that of course match the dress colors!)/styles of plaid shirts for all the boys in my life, and getting wild fun colored undershirts for the afore-mentioned plaid shirts.  I wanted to make me a shirt as well, but something had to give, and that was that.  So, I dug through thrift stores until I found the perfect color shirt and topped it with a darling sunshine yellow cardi!  Voila- after months of prep, we were ready!   

Well, with one detour...  We were going to take photos in an open wheat-looking field in front of our Blue Zoo, but the day before pictures, it got plowed under.  Next field, plowed under too, next- plowed under too!!  Three fields, all plowed under- backup plan!!!  I had driven by the coolest yard a few days prior, so I headed there.  We're talking barns, old pickups and ancient school buses.  The most awesome paint cracked buildings and archways and wavy-glassed windows.  Such fun!!  I knocked on the door and wound up talking with the sweetest older couple- of course, we could use their yard!  I was beyond thrilled and they made my day!  So pictures continued without a glitch, and we got some of our best shots yet, I think!  I am so excited to see them!  So there is my long version of why I defeat my fear and make a dress each year for pictures- it makes it more a part of who we are and lets our personality shine through.  FUN!

Contest!!

Another chance to mix and match fabrics :) So fun! We love camping! So this was the perfect combination for the great outdoors! The picnic print was my focal fabric with the other colors and prints taking off from there...

Head on over to see fun at http://www.imagingermonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/lets-have-contest.html!

Here's my combination...

The prints I used:

Lizzy House 1001 Peeps Illusion in Pink

Rain Drops in Water Blue Jack and Jenny

Dot to Dot in Red Sarah Jane Studios

Fly A Kite Ice Cream in Pink

Honey Bee Swirl in Herb Green

Picnic Time on Pink Gingham

Rounabout Dots in Orange Fizz

Mono Pez in Yellow

Hello Pilgrim Butterfly Sky in Blue

Teeny Mushrooms in Cloud Gray

Sketch Crosshatch in Lipstick Pink

Seeds in Gray - Fruit Slice

It makes me smile :) Hope your day is filled with sunshine :)!!

My entry and confusion...

I'm linking up with Lynne's small blog meet today!

Been busy working on the RV, getting it ready for the first journey :) Planning more curtains and bed coverings, etc!! Still looking for that perfect, thick fabric :) Here's hoping - and within the budget! hehe!

Made an entry for the Moda Sliced competition- only to realize that I think I was an hour late because I got my time zones messed up!!! I have cried and cried!! Horrors! I NEVER mess them up- that's my hubby's job, and I always correct him. Unfortunately, when it counted, I got it all skee-wam-pust! So I am praying that the quilt fairies smile down on me and a miracle happens and I can be evaluated for the contest. If nothing else, I am praying that someone will at least tell me what they thought of my entry. I created BOOK END FRIENDS :) Quilted, cute, wood 2x8 filled book ends, with an adjustable strap to expand or decrease with the books they hold. Batting, Moda fabric, and a buckle were the required items. I couldn't think of anything ingenious to enter until hours before the end. Inspiration hit and I worked like a mad woman to finish. So we'll see what happens- there are some amazing entries!!

A picture many be worth a thousand words, but a book is definitely worth a thousand pictures! Thus the "worth 1000" and the teensy pieced Polaroid pictures. Very me!! Here are my book end friends :)

Have a marvelous weekend, filled with SUNSHINE!!!

A Few in Progress :)

I have a few more quilt tops in progress- one for a teacher and one for a kiddo :) Here's the one for the teacher- using Miss Amanda's amazing fabric!! Delighted! It's all ready to be sewn together.

And here's the one for the kiddo :) The fabrics were all per request. The backing is the block center. I'm making Miss Fiesty Eily's Hello Pickles pattern and can hardly wait to get the other half of the squares pieced! The half I have to do have Ash in the middle and then the colors in pieces around the center. I'ts gonna be sooooo cool :) Hoping to steal a few minutes soon to work on this again!

More soon...

Blogland waits for No one :)

I have been swimming in LIFE lately! :) It's a very good thing, but it has kept me from blogging about the sewing I love. Actually, it has kept me from the sewing I love too :) hehe! Anyway, I am getting back closer each day, so that is happy news!

This past month there were 3 birthdays in my dear little Zoo, not to mention the tail end of Christmas festivities, so keeping up has been a bit of a joke for me. But I am here and ready! I had better be getting wildly busy because I have 5, yes, count them, 1-2-3-4-5!!!, quilts to finish by June :). How's that for some needed motivation? I also want to play along with Jennifer on the Modern Mini Challenge, and I will start Swooning along soon too :) Gonna go for the gigantic swoon option!

I have still found a bit of time to thrift now and then and my vintage sheets are overflowing their shelves. This is only part of the one I have. Oh dear- gotta figure out something :). Cause there is no way to stop buying these amazing sheets. I just need to sell more pieces :) HA! Actually, it amazes me how many international customers I have had lately. It has been so cool to send these bits of vintage goodness all across the globe in the past few weeks!

And I grabbed a few new little goodies- who can resist a SALE??!!! I just *had* to buy it since it was on sale :)

And Aunt Edna, who can forget about her??! These are what my local Joann's had, and my dear friend Kaelin is sending me some gray dots from her neck of the woods :) YIPPEE!!!

Working on several quilt tops at the moment. I'll get photos as soon as they are pieced together! Until then, enjoy your sewing, and more importantly, ENJOY LIFE!!! It goes by too fast :) Sit back and bask in the sunshine! :)

Layer Cake Rainbow Swap- hurry!! hurry!!

Hey, if you are like me, you love some rainbow! Fabric and nature that is :) Anyway, I have participated in several charm swaps, and am excited to be in a LAYER CAKE swap right now! What a great way to add some variety into that rainbow quilt! There are a few spot open, if you'd like to play along! Here's the blog where Bree and Julie are hosting the swap- very fun!!

http://distantpickles.blogspot.com/2012/01/fancy-some-cake.html

Dreaming...

The Fat Quarter Shop is sponsoring a giveaway over at http://quokkaquilts.blogspot.com/2011/12/bloggers-choice-fat-quarter-bundle.html that had me smile. I had to try! I've always wanted to design my own "Blogger's Choice" bundle, and today I got my chance! You have to pick 12 prints and 3 solids and make a mosaic of them. I really love the retro and woodsy feel I wound up with. It makes me smile :) And maybe one day I can buy the whole bunch :)

Here's the print names :)

1-Annie's Farm Stand Pink Ring Tone Yardage-Pink

2-Ruby Cotton Lime Sundae Yardage

3-Woodland Teal Toadstool Houses Yardage

4-Butterscotch & Roses Ruby Acorn Mosaic Yardage

5-Pear Tree Cream and Orange Allover Eggs Yardage

6-Circa 52 Organic Cream Woodland Party Yardage-CREAM

7-Kona Cotton Cardinal Yardage

8-Happy Mochi Yum Yum TangerineCandy Yardage

9-Sketch Aqua Screen Texture Yardage-Aqua

10-Kona Cotton Bubble Gum Yardage

11-Far Far Away III Plum Guitars Yardage

12-Sew Cherry Green Sew Dots Yardage-GREEN

13-Sweet on NYC Grey Swirl Yardage-GREY

14-Kona Cotton Banana Yardage

15-Folk Heart Red Floral Lattice Yardage

16-FQS Logo

A Thrifing Chair

I love thrifting antiques that make my home more "cozy". My mom has a chair that I have always loved, and when I saw this:

I knew it would be close enough. It is an old rocker- so old, it leans back too far when you sit in it- how would you ever rock in this?? I am nervous I'll top over :) hehe! But I love how it looks in my front room.

It was covered in a gosh-awful print, from the 80's or 90's. I started ripping off layers of fabric, hoping to find a beautiful vintage print. I did, but it was so stained and soiled that washing would have torn it up. Drat! So, I got creative. I love corduroy and have an antique velvet chair in the same room this burnt rust color. I grabbed my matching corduroy, and since there was not a piece big enough, gave it a corduroy black strip for eye appeal. I really like how it turned out. And who can beat a free chair covering :) YAY!

Winner Winner!!

Ok, Mr.Random Number Generator picked # 3 (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to copy the silly results :))!! It's :

Longvacation said...

What a wonderful lot of goodies! Thanks so much for the chance to win.

I'm emailing you now :) Congrats!!!! Hope you enjoy your Delighted yumminess!! And thanks for entering everyone, I really wish I had enough for everyone!!

IT'S GIVEAWAY DAY!!!! YIPEE SKIPEE!!!

In honor of my Cutting Corners Course, Riley Blake told me I could give EVERYTHING I didn't use AWAY to Y-O-U!!!! And let me tell you, I wish I could win!!! :) There's a bunch of goodies here! I could hardly believe it when I opened the box! Here's the deets:

Some darling, and I mean DARLING, crochet strawberries- I'm tempted to keep these, but I will remain strong :) And some cherry red scalloped buttons!

Then some trims- beautiful grosgrain ribbon with green flowers on them, velvety ric-rac in the perfect aqua color! And precious green pom poms- the littler ones that are just too cute in any project!

And lastly, the FAT QUARTER SET of **DELIGHTED**!!!!! There is one FQ missing that I used for the front of the blanket set, and a few 6.5" pieces I used for the back and pillow, but other than that, it's all there!

I just can't contain myself! The colors in this line are dreamy perfect and the prints are more than wonderful! It makes me smile to just see it! I hope it will really make someone's day!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment!!

Extra entries can be earned from:

1-following my blog (or telling me you already are a follower) and

2-getting the word out via twitter, blog, fb, what have you!

So 3 entries possible- yay!!!

Mr.Random Number Generator Man will draw us a number a week from today, on Wednesday the 23rd! Now wouldn't that be a fun Thanksgiving surprise??! Good luck and talk soon :)

Giveaway COMING SOON and a TREAT :)

I have a big giveaway coming next week, in conjunction with a special treat! I am going to be a Course Instructor over at the Riley Blake Cutting College this coming Tuesday, and you won't want to miss it- it is so stinkin' cute :). One of my favorite projects, for sure!

And I'll be giving away something that's just **Delightful**!

Make sure you watch for the fun!

By The Seat of My Pants...

The only thing I had made for the Sewing Summit was my teensy quilt name badge :). The day before the Summit, I got a wild hair that convinced me that I *needed* a ca-ute cover for my note book. I wish time were no issue, but I got crazy and stayed up late getting my fun project done!! I used a tutorial from the lovely Vanessa over at http://www.vanessachristenson.com/ as a guide while cutting the main pieces and sewing them together.

I knew I wanted some of my favorite fabrics and linen, of course! So I pulled some favorites and sewed strips, teeny little strips! Then I cut them all on an angle. That was the fun part :). I had no pattern, just a picutre in my head of what I wanted to make the cover look like. I cut linen and tried to get the meaurements to work out. They did, thankfully! It was a great lesson in improv and just working to make something how I wanted it, without knowing exactly how to do that. Such fun and ca-ute--ness!! By the seat of my pants, that's how I refer to improv! :)

After hours of working on the front, I went for a simple slant linen and fabric stripe on the back :). I still love it too though. And let me tell ya, it was much faster :) hehe! I added a yellow flower button for the embellishment that held it closed, and was completely happy with what I took notes in for the conference! It was very me, and as Amanda says, it qualifies as a mini quilt. Cool!

So I wound up with 2 things that I had made for the Sewing Summit- woohoo! HA! Love it. Just being there was enough for me :) But I do love still being able to use my cute notebook that reminds me of all I learned.

I'm entering this in Celebrate Color, 'cause that's what it is for me- a celebration of color! Go see the amazing things over there- just beautiful stuff!

Delighted, Seriously!!!

Yes, sir ree, bob!! I was able to be Delighted!, completely and wholey, this Wednesday! It was Amanda's (http://www.thequiltedfish.blogspot.com) Launch Party, and I got to help! It was a dream come true! These ladies felt like coming home to kindred spirits- they all wrapped their arms around me and took me in. I asked questions and they got to know me too. I told Miss Amanda my dream and she told me to "Do it!" Not an ounce of hesitation or doubt in her voice! I wish her voice was in my head- well, now it is! I have that memory, and it will stay strong! She is a marvelous example of following your dreams and making beautiful things that brighten the lives of so many!!
Every table and window seat was decorated to the hilt! If I could decorate my house this way, I'd be in heaven everyday! All these boys around here would pass out though- teehee! It was so very ME and so very gorgeous! I love her style, the way she makes things feel, and the vintage-y goodness that was there!

This was the old timey candy tables- real live pulled taffy, in colors matching Delighted!, of course!! :) Other treats, and even a wroght iron ferris wheel with little seat cushions made from different Delighted prints! Ouuuuuu!!!

This is the window seat I got to decorate! She told me to make a "picnic", so I did! The old soda bottles she found were the perfect addition to the basket, blanket, flowers, and Delighted!! We had just gotten everything set up when the sun started setting. The light came in the room like in this photo, and it was truly magical! The whole room was full of sunbeams and just glowed! Definitely pure inspiration!! :)

Another window of fun! Miss Amanda appliqued this pick up truck with her fabrics and I fell in love with it! Such stinkin' cute-ness :)

The room from one doorway- you can barely see the row of large pom poms we hung from the ceiling and had huge bows at each swag! It was perfect! I couldn't have imagined more fabulous decorations- It made the evening a dream! So many people came and visited and enjoyed! There were incredible foods, a photo booth :), make and takes that were beyond cute!, necklace designers, fabric giveaways, and so much more!! My Mama came with me- I told her she had to come and see what my fabric craze is about!! It was so fun to have her "see" what my quilting side is like :). Thank you Miss Amanda for letting me help- it was an honor and priviledge! I am grateful to call these ladies friends- and hope to hang with them much more in the future!! So, the moral of the story is, Delighted! Everything about this fabric is wonderful, starting with the lady who designed it!! Grab some up quick- and make something beautiful- it will make someone smile :)