Spring Scarves

I've had my eye out for projects to make for my annual blog giveaway gift. This year the recipients are 2 of my sisters and my sister-in-law. When I saw this scarf, I thought it would be perfect for my sisters who both work at banks and have to dress appropriately. You can find the link to the pattern HERE.

I came across this cute spring fabric at Joann's and thought it would work well. It has white, black, and gray in it, so I thought it would go well with a lot of clothes that my sisters already have. Now that I'm looking back at the pictures from Make it and Love it, I think that she ironed the ruffles down and I didn't do that. So, to Jenn and Trish who received the scarves, you might give that a try. Here is my version (which I'm not loving against the black and it is a crummy picture in the house instead of in the natural light outside. I am also not much of a scarf person myself, so the model wasn't well chosen. Oh well.).

In the process of making these scarves, my sewing machine ended up dying and I had to run to my sister's house to use her machine to finish them up. I need to get my machine in to the shop. In the meantime, my grandmother was generous enough to loan me one of her machines to use.

I am dying for April to be here! It seems that the closer we get, the longer it takes for it to come. March has been dragging on for me. I am looking forward to the release of the next block for the BOM quilt I am doing. Of course, it doesn't help that I also have a ton of baby projects floating around in my head and April 1st brings the big ultrasound that will tell us the gender of our next little niece/nephew so that I can get to work on checking one or two of them off my list. Bring on April! And spring, and warmer weather, and flowers in bloom. . .

Happy New Purse Day to Me

I have this problem with messenger bags. If I see one, I want one. I don't know what the appeal is, I just happen to really like the style. REALLY like the style. I found this tutorial for an Explorer Messenger Bag. The idea was a bag for a boy to put all of his things in while he goes exploring. I can relate to this, because Zack loves to haul EVERYTHING around with him. The more toys he can fit, the better.

I know, you're wondering what this has to do with the title regarding a new purse for me. Well, the pattern seemed simple and quick enough to work up in a few hours (and it was!), so I thought I would make one for myself. I had some denim in my stash and I was planning on making some twisted fabric flowers to go on the front flap. Then I remembered the brocade fabric I came across as I was digging through boxes the other day and thought what a great lining that would make. As I was sewing the seams, I kept thinking it would be so great if I had done piping with the brocade. Another idea for the next bag.

The brocade fabric choice led to a new problem. Who puts cotton flowers on a bag with brocade fabric? Dilemma. I decided to try to make a different kind of flower from the brocade. It turned out great! I almost wish I had done another petal or two. I finished up and decided it needed a great big, gaudy, gold button. Completely out of my normal style, but I love it! You people who are naturally ornamental won't think this is gaudy at all. I must admit, my choices were limited and this wasn't quite what I had in mind when I left for the store, but it is fairly ornate for me.

I added a pocket to the bag and already wish that I added one on the inside as well. Next time around. You know, because I REALLY like messenger bags, so you know I will make another one. Maybe from another tutorial, or from this same one. Time will tell. Since I had all of the fabric on hand, this project only cost me $0.75 for the button. On to the pictures. Bask in the beauty!

All ready for it's first time out-- a trip to Tai Pan with the wonderful Root girls.

Spring Wreath

When I saw on Ucreate that the Create with Me craft for March was a spring wreath, I thought I would play along. I didn't have a spring wreath. I liked the idea of this an oblong wreath since it was a bit unusual. I chose greenery and flowers and went to work. I'm not a huge bow person, but it was my best solution to close up the gap at the top. The flowers were both really hard colors to match with ribbon. You can't really tell from the photos, but the ribbon is actually the same color as the edges of the wisteria flowers. These typically aren't my colors of choice, but I know the flowers in the nearby garden [that will hopefully make an appearance soon] are mostly yellows and purple. I'm pleased with it, but I may gift it to someone else when the season is over and make myself one that is more of my color scheme for my new house. . .when that day comes.

Things We Love BOM

I have already mentioned that I am participating in the block of the month quilt offered up by Among the Gumtrees this year. I spent this last weekend working and have completed the first two blocks. I didn't press the blocks before taking pictures, which I'm regretting a bit now because the words aren't easily read pre-pressing. Can you blame me, though? I was excited they were finished and ready to post about. There are a few mistakes that I knew better than to make and there are some things I may change (still not sure about the sequin behind the bird's eye. I may just find a black bead but I didn't have any on hand when I was working), but here are the blocks.

I'm still debating about what to do for my sashing. I think that I am going to do a pieced border around each block rather than just a plain sashing. I was thinking about a saw tooth border, but then that will turn into a flying geese look that I'm not sure I want to bother with, because the geese won't all match up fabric wise without planning. Maybe I wouldn't care that they don't match up? I'm still pondering the possibilities and coming up with more.

If you want to make your own version of the quilt, check out Among the Gumtrees for the pattern. A word of advice: these blocks are REALLY small. If I had it to do over again, I think that I would enlarge mine a bit, simply for the ease of using a larger hoop than can fit on these small blocks. Or attach your border/sashing before embroidering. Since my border is still up in the air, that didn't work out for me. I am very excited for the end of the year when I will have this visual reminder of blessings and things I love ready to hang on the wall.

Airplanes and a Bit O' Rambling

I broke down and rearranged my mom's sewing room about a week ago. There was no room to walk in there, let alone work. Since we are going to be hanging around here for a while, I thought it would be good to have a workable space to set up shop. Oh, how I have missed my sewing machine! And OH! how I have LOVED having it out this week! I found a pattern for airplanes HERE and thought that they would be a cute gift for the little baby boy that is coming next month.

I have been feeling a bit of the mama guilt that seems to be going around-- I seem to never make anything for Zack. He was excited when he saw the picture, so I let him choose his fabric and made the first airplane for him. He was adamant that he have polka dots and I was relieved that he found a piece that wasn't my pink with black polka dots, even though I thought he could have chosen something a bit more boyish. Oh well.

He sat by my side through most of the process, periodically leaving to make lego creations, returning with an excited "Are you finished?!" I wanted to applique his name across the wings, but he was so excited that I decided to skip it and just finish the basic design so he could play. The darn little artist in him came out and wasn't happy with the finished product because I put the wheels in the "wrong" place. I don't know where he thought they should be, but he was not happy with my placement. This artistic eye is starting to drive me crazy because he has it, I don't, and he can't do it by himself and I can't see his vision to make him happy. I am glad he has it-- or at least I will be once he can do his art for himself (the one Valentine card we managed to make involved me being so frustrated and I tried to turn it over to Rich to figure out what was wrong with my rocket-- it ended up being an outer space card-- and have him finish up the card with Zack. Fair is fair, right? After all, Zack gets this artistic eye from Rich. . . Rich tried to just convince Zack it was fine, and I stepped back in, finally figuring out what Zack didn't like about my rocket).After finishing Zack's, I gave it a break for a day (or two?) and then decided I would make some girly planes for Lena and Phoebe for Valentine's Day. Zack wasn't interested in making cards and I thought it would be nice to make something that Phoebe could actually play with. I appliqued hearts on the ends of the wings (thought about appliqueing hearts all across the wings, but time prevented me from doing it). Here they are (please, ignore the crummy picture place & pics-- I was in a hurry to get Zack over to their house so that Rich and I could have our stay-in movie date. I was 40 minutes late!)

Zack LOVED being sneaky and leaving the valentines on the porch, ringing the doorbell, and running away to hide. I'm pretty sure you could hear his giggles a few houses down while he waited for them to answer the door. And, now that I'm looking at this picture, I'm having visions of painting this chest to make it look a bit more respectable. . . I wonder if Rich will allow it? It's his "weapons" chest. Any guesses what's inside? Actually, weapons. Of the martial arts variety. Along with a few Halloween costumes that he thinks are too good to be thrown in with the rest of our costume box.

And, the airplane for the baby to come that started this all? Still sitting in its pattern pieces, waiting to be put together. I started a new project today, but we have a sisters' craft day planned for Monday, so I should be able to get the new project and the airplane finished before the shower next Saturday.