Top Ten Sewing Projects I Can't Wait to Try

If you've read more than 5 posts on my blog, you've probably gleaned that I'm a creativity junkie, crafter, novice sewer, etc. I always have a running list of projects I need to work on, followed by a rarely touched list of projects I'd like to try. I'm STILL working on the purses I promised to family members for Christmas gifts in 2008, so I won't be touching this list any time soon, but here are my

Top Ten Sewing Projects I Can't Wait to Try:
1. These darling baby shoes
2. This cute purse pattern
3. In-the-hoop appliqué/embroidery
4. Strip quilt
5. These storage cubes – love them!
6. KitchenAid Mixer Cozy
7. Aprons
8. Pillowcase dresses
9. Hooded bath towels
10. Sewing Machine Cover

I guess technically I could try #2, since it's a purse, and I'm working on purses! I'm hoping to whip a few out on Friday.

Click on over to ohamanda to join the Top Ten fest!

HEART THIS! 03-20-09

• I LOVE this idea for a cheap, fun table light. It uses an led candle light (the kind you buy at the dollar store), thread, and fabric stiffener. Can't wait to try this!


• This recipe for Hot Chicken Salad looks delicious.


• These Easter eggs are gorgeous, and share "The Reason for the Season"!


• This looks like a really fun party idea - Iron Chef at home! hat tip to oh amanda.


• This list of classic family movies made me smile. Many of them are available at your public library. I added some to my Netflix list. Remember The Swiss Family Robinson? I loved that movie!


• Struggling with saving? I know we are. I found this website both entertaining and enlightening.


• This interesting series has convicted me. How can I show sacrificial hospitality? I love this idea, and I need to get my head out of my trials so that I can see the hurt and need around me. hat tip to life as mom.

HEART THIS! Not-so-weekly Linkage

Remember me? I used to have this little bloggy and would post semi-regularly? Well, I'm finally back. Here's a bit of what I've been loving on the internet recently:

• Brian would love it if I'd whip up some of these Homemade Chewy Granola Bars. They look pretty yummy!
  

  ---

  
  


• Speaking of yummy...Baking Bites posted this sinful recipe for homemade Samoas. It's shameful, but I can't stop thinking about them.
  

  ---

  
  


• This is a really cool source for bottles, jars, and other neat containers. Makes me want to redo my spice cabinet!
  

  ---

  
  


• Check out this darling centerpiece project made with old tins from We Are THAT Family. LOVE it!
  

  ---

  
  


• Finally, I love this fun way to search flickr. Multicolr Search Lab by Idée Inc. Just select your colors of choice. Great for inspiration! Here's mine:

Petite Purse & Presents - My First-Ever Giveaway!

All these purse pictures have reminded me of a random story. Bear with me...I'm about to give you way too much information, 'cause that's the way I roll. But hey - you're here for a giveaway...might as well stay for the entertainment (if you can call it that)!

Several years ago, I decided to use some frequent flier miles to take my husband on a surprise weekend skiing trip for his birthday. We didn't have much money, so I searched the internet for weeks to find a good deal. I finally found a deal at Breckenridge that included a Winter Fun pack (or something like that). The pack included free lift tickets and boot/ski rentals for 1 night of night skiing, snow tubing, a sled/wagon ride, and much more. I figured one night of skiing would be enough (although night skiing is kinda hard if you're a novice!), so I booked the condo and away we went. (See, I told you...TMI!)

At our condo, we heard about this fondue place. It sounded fun and different, so we booked reservations at 9 (they were full until then). We saved our appetites all day. That night, after the town had pretty well rolled up for the night, we hopped on the gondola for the ride up the mountain. It was freezing cold that night, and we were happy to take advantage of the wool blanket in the gondola! At the top of that mountain, we boarded another gondola, which took us to a second, higher mountain where the restaurant sits. Cool. We entered and were shocked to find that it was a prix fixe menu, with the adult meal costing $57. Each. Gulp.

Well, we decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it, since it was such a neat experience and a special occasion, and since we were hungry and all the other restaurants in town were closed. We enjoyed our fondue dinner. I liked it more than Brian since, well, I like cheese. Oh, and chocolate. ANYwho...At the end of our dinner, I reached for my purse and discovered it was missing. I knew I had it when we boarded the lower gondola! Thank goodness Brian had his wallet!

After Brian paid, we went to the upper gondola and asked the operator if he'd noticed it in any of the cars. He hadn't. We asked him to contact our condo if it was turned in. We then boarded and prayed our way down. When we reached the lower gondola, I asked the operator the same question. No, he hadn't seen it either. I sighed, frustrated, as we boarded the lower gondola. I reached for the blanket with my numb fingers and felt a lump. I moved the blanket, and Hallelujah! There was my purse! What are the chances that we'd happen to board the very same gondola car? Pretty slim. Fortunately for you, your chances at this giveaway are much better! (See how I did that? Pretty slick, huh?)

So you made it through my story. Thank you for your patience. Now for the good stuff!

Earlier this week, Cindy @ Still His Girl (who is totally artistically talented and has one of the funniest blogs ever - check her out!) stopped by my blog and left several really kind comments. Totally made my day!

Anyway, Cindy asked me if I'd ever done a giveaway. I haven't. Partly because I didn't think I had enough readers, and partly because I haven't had anything good to give away. Well, now I have something, and I know at least 2 people are reading...so...really good chances!

I recently posted about a purse I'd made in early October. I loved the fabrics together, but the overall result looked a little too small and young for the lady I wanted to give it to, so I just put it away in my gift closet and started over. Lucky for you, dear readers, I've decided to pull it back out and give it away. I hope it will make one of you, or some sweet girl you know, very happy!

Here's another picture of the purse...sorry the lighting is not very good.


But wait, there's more....

If you act now (or between now and Sunday evening), you'll be entered to win not only the cute little purse above, but also these lovely bonus gifts! That's right, the prize package includes the handmade purse, a Willow Tree Angel of Freedom ornament (slightly used - it used to hang on a display tree in our gifts & antiques store), a small journal, a cedar fall leaf ornament (leftover from our wedding favors - 7 years ago!), and a pecan beeswax lip balm from Bath & Body Works (never used! and sealed! for your protection!). Oh, and whatever else I decide to toss in between now and Sunday!

All of these lovely prizes can be yours for the low-low price of....

Telling all my readers your funniest purse story!
That's right...tell me about the hideous purse you had to have in 8th grade, or the time your children unpacked your purse privates at a church social. Maybe you left your purse in an embarassing place or your husband used it as a tetherball. Edited to add: If you don't have a blog, be sure to leave an email address where I can reach you!

Having never done a giveaway, I'm not going to promise I'll use a random-number-generator-thingie...maybe I will, maybe I won't....but I promise to be fair and impartial. So join in, won't you? Maybe I can help you get some Christmas gifts out of the way!

Oh, and thanks for stopping by!

Edited to add: Sorry, this giveaway is only open to residents of the US (or those with a US address, Natalie!). I can't afford to ship overseas right now. Thanks for understanding.

Another Late Night Purse...and an Announcement!

Alternate title: Why do I do this to myself?
Alternate title: The Crazy Crafter Strikes Again.
Alternate title: The reason I don't have an etsy shop...yet.

But seriously folks,

I decided to do the cute Beauty Purse pattern from Amy Karol's Bend-the-Rules Sewing. I bought these pretty tweedy suiting fabric remnants at JoAnn Fabrics and thought the contrast of fabrics would look good with the pleats.

Well.

What I ended up with was a series of unfortunate events.

Event #1 - I didn't take a close enough look at the fabric content. It was polyester. As in doesn't take an ironed crease well. As in pain-in-the-heinie to press and sew. Lesson learned. Check your labels.

Event #2 - I piddled around deciding on which pattern to use and didn't start sewing until 9:30. PM. Now you know why it's a Late Night purse. It doesn't have anything to do with David Letterman.

Event #3 - I sewed pieces on backwards. Twice. Yup. Brilliant.

Event #4 - I tried to iron the interfacing that I substituted for the recommended flannel. It was a soft stabilizer, and had the same weight and feel as flannel. Seemed like a reasonable substitute. BUT. It was a heat-soluble stabilizer. Disappeared into the iron. Great. That may lead to another unfortunate event at a later date!

Event #5 - The fact that I still couldn't get a good sharp press when I tried to iron the finished product. So it ended up "poofy".

Finally, Event #6 - I forgot to sew a button loop into it before I sewed the top up, so I had to rip stitches out to get that in there. I finished the project at 3:00. In. The. Stinkin'. Morning.

Whew. So much for a professional-looking finished product! Thankfully, my friends are very gracious about my less-than-perfect handmade gifts. And it gives me a chance to practice and learn and hone my skills. And next time? Well, maybe next time I'll start at 7:00 PM.



(Please excuse the poor picture quality and backgrounds - I couldn't find my camera, so I had to borrow one at the office!)

NOW....since you've been kind enough to stick with me through the tedious and tiresome tyrade above, I have a special announcement.

Tomorrow Morning, on this very blog site, I'll be hosting my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Tell all your friends. I don't have tons of readers, so the chances will be pretty good! I'll announce the prize tomorrow...so please check back in!

Viva Fiesta....Wreath

Here in San Antonio, we're celebrating Fiesta. The cool San Antonio people are celebrating Fiesta by attending festive events downtown and in cool historical districts. Brian and I, on the other hand, celebrated by eating enchiladas at a church supper. And I made this gaudy tacky colorful wreath. Ole!

Wanna celebrate Fiesta San Antonio style in the privacy of your own home? Take a grapevine wreath base. Grab a handful of colorful ribbon. If you're smart, look for remnants in your closet or shop for remnants in the bargain section of your local fabric store. If you're lazy or foolish (and I am both), stop by Michael's and have an assortment of ribbons cut. I purchased 2 yard lengths of several different colors, then purchased a few 99 cent rolls of printed ribbon. Buy some cheap colorful silk flowers at Dollar General (or better yet, a thrift store or garage sale...or check your attic). Pull their heads off. And some leaves. Stick a low-temp glue stick in your low-temp glue gun. Glue some leaves down here and there. Arrange the flowers in a pleasing pattern. Lift each flower, add a dab of hot glue, then press into the wreath. Cut ribbons into short, medium and long lengths...I think I cut roughly 9", 15" and 20" lengths. Hot glue them in a row, alternating colors, along the bottom back side of the wreath.

Hang with Tex-Mex flair and have a couple of Nachos.

¡Viva Fiesta!

Did E'er Such Love and Sorrow Meet?

A shirt I designed for a "Tri-Choir" event (involving youth choirs from 3 local churches). One of their songs is "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", so I chose this line from the song and ran with it. The colors didn't come out quite like I envisioned, but I like the "grungy" look of it.

Oreo Kisses

OK, it's a little late for this year's Valentine's goodies, but in the interest of all things chocolate, please head over to Bakerella's for her delightful kissy-twist on the Oreo Truffles Recipe I posted about at Christmas (scroll to the bottome of this post). And while you're there, take a look at some of the other beauties she's created. Like these and these and these. YUM.

Bye Bye Birdie

(I totally hate that musical, by the way). So remember when I shared my ideas for the Widows' reception at our church? Well, today was the big day. I thought I'd post a few of the highlights.

Here's the buffet centerpiece:

The plants are Dusty Miller. They were sold in 6-packs in the Walmart nursery, and they were 50% off, so I paid 84 cents per 6-pack. My original intent was to use English Ivy or another trailing plant, but I just couldn't find any cheap enough and in small enough pots. We cut the 6-packs apart and wrapped the little pots in burlap, then tied them off with synthetic raffia ribbon. We also tied on little "You are loved" tags. In addition to this centerpiece, we clustered several more Dusty Millers in pots on a few of the tables.




We put squares of burlap on the tables, then added a large twig, a next (or a pot with Dusty Miller), a few eggs, and a couple of glass bowls filled with crinkled paper (we put Robin's Egg malted eggs in these bowls).




I even made cute little nest cupcakes. But I forgot to take a picture of them at the reception! Here's a picture of the buffet table, and you can kind of see them:


When I realized I didn't have a better picture, I took the leftovers out of the freezer and took this picture of a few cupcakes on top of the washing machine! And just so you know, after I took this picture, I had to eat one. Oh yes I did. And just so you know, Brian had to eat one too. I love frozen frosting. Reminds me of those little Baskin Robbins ice cream cone clowns I used to get as a kid. But I digress. So anyway, here's a closeup of the cupcakes on the washing machine. The colors are kind of wacko. In reality, the jelly beans are very pale mint green and a pretty turquoise blue. I only made small cupcakes for the reception, but I made 4 large ones because I had a little extra batter.


At the end of the reception, each of the widows received a long-stemmed rose:

(the cute nametags, by the way, were made by another deacon's wife, Rosalyn)

They also took home a Dusty Miller plant and a box of goodies:


We had a good time visiting with these sweet ladies. Some of them are under 45. Some of them are newly widowed. Some of them have been widowed for many years. God tells us to care for the widows and the orphans, but we were blessed today by our time with them.

It was a fun reception, but now it's time to put all the birdies and nests away. I'm going to share one nest with one of the ladies that was there today. But now? Right now it's time for this little chickie to get some rest!

A Little Birdie Told Me...

Our church has an annual Widows' Reception, to honor and minister to the widows in our church. The deacons and their wives host the reception, and this is the first year we've been involved. I am helping with the decorations (along with 2 other lovely & talented ladies). Since we'll be on the verge of spring (it comes early in South Texas!), we decided to use a birdie theme. Here are some ideas I sketched up:

(click image to see it larger)

Next, I created a "palette":

Then I went shopping. I decided to start at Goodwill, as I was looking for inexpensive pottery/ceramic containers. Our plan is to purchase nursery 6-packs of English Ivy or other ivy-like plant, break up the 6 packs into individual "pots", wrap the pots in kraft paper or burlap, tie off with twine and a tag, and place the little pots into a larger pot. Some of the pots will also go on our cake stand towers. At the end of the reception, each lady will receive a long-stemmed rose from a deacon. She will also receive one of these little ivies, and a take-home box of leftover goodies. So I was looking for roomy pots at Goodwill. I spent $9 on all of the pots/planters. After the shopping trip (see what I found, below), I enlisted Brian to help me. We took a walk along the roadsides that surround our neighborhood. I, with a large basket, and Brian with a pair of pruning shears. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what we were up to! There is a greenbelt just outside our neighborhood, and we went and trimmed out creeping vines that are growing in / killing the trees. We also picked up moss balls and twigs. We went home and I started building "nests". It was a messy process, but I think they're pretty cute. I had to make some of them smaller because I was running out of materials, but I think it's good to have variation. So here's what I bought and made:


The little green planter I purchased on a previous trip to Goodwill. The eggs are resin, and hen-sized. They came from our family's store. Here's a closeup of the little white planter in front:

And here's a closeup of the largest nest:


It's going to be a dessert reception, so I'm thinking I may try to get these adorable cupcakes made. So cute!

I'll take pictures at the actual event and share them later. Then I may have a few nests for sale in my soon-to-come etsy shop...stay tuned!

A Little Valentine's Love for YOU!

valentine basket
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Just for you, dear readers! This Valentine and the cute little puppy and kitty valentine below are scans of vintage valentines that I purchased several years ago. I scanned them and used the scanned images in some projects for our family's store (now closed). I eventually sold the originals, but recently rescued these scans from my old computer. They were originally formatted in Microsoft PictureIt (no longer available), so I had to do some work to get them into .jpg or .pdf format.

These 2 images, and many more, are available to you, my bloggy crafty friends, for FREE! This one contains doilies, bits of old letters, an old wedding invitation, and a picture from a friend's wedding album, and some fabric swatches. These would make great scraps and layers for a homemade valentine or other project. This one contains scans of actual vintage valentines...very cute ones!

Please go take a look, and let me know if you create something special with these!

Happy (early) St. Valentine's Day!

Another Birthday in the Bag

purse2
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

No, it's not for my Dad! I whipped this little cutie up for a co-worker. I gave her this bag and a purse hook. I tried a new shape this time. I should have clipped back the top corners, but I didn't realize that until it was finished, and it was late, so I just folded them in. They're stiff enough that they stay. That's what I get for not working from a pattern. I'm very creative-free-spirit-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants when it comes to sewing. When it comes to most crafting, for that matter. Some might call it careless haphazard artistic. What results is one-of-a-kind, if somewhat less than perfect! Anyway, if I wouldn't be ashamed to carry it, then I figure it's good for a gift. Just being real here! Here's the inside fabric:

Yeah, an interior pocket would've been nice, but not at midnight!

Belated Birthday Bag

A belated birthday totebag for my sister-in-law. I love the combination of fabrics, and I loved using my mom's turbo sewing machine with special decorative stitches. So fun!

Gingerbread Fun

village
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Brian, my mom, and I helped my nephews build these cute (and cheap!) gingerbread houses from Dollar General. At $2 each, the kits were a great deal. I added a can of frosting, some marshmallow characters, some graham crackers, and some ice cream cones. We all had a great time. My dad judged the entries and here are the results:


3rd Place - Most Destructive! And that's not a volcano...it's a laser!

2nd Place - Complete with garlands and a stream!


1st Place - the Champ! Obviously, this is a winter estate!


It sure was fun, guys!

Wooly Cuteness

From a $3 wool sweater I picked up at Goodwill I made 15 ornaments for office coworkers. I brought the sweater home and felted it by washing it in hot water and drying it on high heat.


Cut out simple shapes (hats, mittens, hearts, stockings, & trees)and stitched them together, then added a few vintage buttons and some hanging ribbon and voila! I'm keeping the heart and the tree. They make me feel all snuggly inside!

The Holly and the Ivy

Deck the Mailbox
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Inspired by Meredith, I decided to decorate our mailbox (shared with our neighbor) with clippings from our yard.

We don't have native pine here, and I didn't want to mess with cedar, so I used the holly that Brian had just clipped, some English ivy that grows in our backyard, some sage, and some boxwood to create this little swag. I would have liked to have used more boxwood, but we trimmed them recently, and I couldn't clip too much more off without it being noticeable! I intended to go on a berry hunt just down the road, but then I found these little berry picks in a Christmas storage tub and decided they would work. The swag is weighted in back with a limestone rock to keep it from blowing away. I think it lends a natural and festive touch to our mailbox, and makes receiving Christmas cards that much more fun! And, the combination of the holly & ivy reminds me of this song:

The Holly and the Ivy - author unknown
The holly and the ivy, when they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom as white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to be our sweet Saviour
refrain

The holly bears a berry as red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to do poor sinners good
refrain

The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ on Christmas Day in the morn.
refrain

The holly bears a bark as bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ for to redeem us all.
refrain

The holly and the ivy, now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.
refrain

I also carried several holly clippings inside to add to the decorations in there. I'll have to remember to ask Brian to trim the holly next Christmas, too! Why don't you take a nature walk and see what God may have planted in your path to remind you of Him?

Christmas Roses

Christmas Roses
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Melissa at The Inspired Room hosted Creative Inspiration Week this week. She had so many wonderful guest hosts who shared the wonderful creative ideas.

After absorbing the creativity oozing from the ladies at McMaster & Storm, I was inspired to see what I might be able to do with tissue paper. This gift is for my sweet husband. I won't tell you what's hiding beneath the roses, in case he peaks at my blog! I had a lot of space to fill in this package, so the gift wouldn't rattle around ,so I decided to squeeze in a dozen roses. The roses are made with pleated & rolled up red tissue paper. The leaves are just torn scraps of green tissue paper, tucked in between the roses. One rose (middle of second row from top) is red paper with Christmas trees...just for fun.

I wrapped the package the traditional way, but I think my husband will be surprised at the special interior of the gift!

Thanks for sharing, Kara & Darcy!

FFF's 10/19/07

fff's 10/19/07
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

Forgot to do this last week, but I've been very inspired by some of this craftin' cuteness!

The four corner pics are the work of the talented hollydoodle. Click here for her shop+blog.

I'm loving the little felt pumpkin & cat, the outrageous-colored owl, and the funny little turkey. The pilgrim hat placecards are on the agenda for our Thanksgiving craft, Cody. Sound good?

And I'm just about to jump into that center picture - my favorite picture this week. I love me some autumn!

Now We're Cooking!

recipe box 1
Originally uploaded by thingspondered

One of my favorite kinds of crafting involves taking an old or discarded item and giving it a new purpose. While I'm on the topic of recipes, I thought I'd share this little recipe box and coordinating cards that I just "repurposed" into a gift.

I picked up the cute tin at a thrift store and knew right away it was begging to be a recipe box. It was just the right size! I took it home and scanned the side of it, then Photoshopped it a little to age it. Then I sent it to Publisher and faded it to make it the background of the recipe cards (you can't see it very well in these pictures). I also Photoshopped the big rose and put it on a black background. I added that to the recipe card and the magnet. I also included tabbed divider cards.

Here's the top view:


What have you "breathed new life" into?

It Pains Me to Show This...

Aggie Pillow Originally uploaded by thingspondered

But I need to celebrate! As a Baylor girl, I hate to wave the Aggies flag...er...pillow, but as an Aggie's daughter, I guess I can toe the family line just this once!

My mother-in-law ordered this pillow. It has been a challenge! It was my first time to do piecework, a quilt block, braided trim, and an overlapping back (like a pillow sham). You practiced seamstresses will recognize the faults, but for a novice like me, it's worth celebrating!

Here's a picture of the back:

Go Bears! (And Aggies, I guess!)