sew & tell - yes, more bags

I'm so sorry I don't have anything exciting and new to show you but more bags.  But I do think they are pretty!

I helped my friend finish her bag up yesterday.  Her day opened up and she couldn't wait to get it finished.  I don't blame her! It's so cute!  She did a really great job.

I love the color combo - I want to name it the raspberry limeade bag!  This is from Patty Young's new Flora and Fauna line.  I love a good border print.  I also took a couple pics of her wearing it so you can get an idea of how big it is, and that it can be worn messenger-style. 

The next two were finished up last Saturday morning.  I was on a roll with my assembly line finish from last Friday and wanted to get them done.

This one is for Vanessa (from when we went shopping together).

I love this Nicey Jane fabric (Heather Bailey).  I can't believe how nice the drape is!  Definitely garment worthy.  I want to make some skirts and dresses now.

The last one is for my neighbor - she's gifting it to a friend who is having a baby in March. 

Erin McMorris, Park Slope.  This is a really fun mod print!  I love the green and hot pink with the navy and turquoise. I've had this for a while and wasn't sure who I was going to make it for.  I'm glad Ellen picked it!

This interior print is one of my favorites!  I have it in orange too.  It reminds my of another favorite circular floral, Henna Garden from Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market.

So there you go.  I do have some more bags I want to make, including a new one for myself.  But I'll spare you from looking at more bags for a few weeks.  I do have some UFO's to work on....

What have you finished this week?

I will leave the linky up until tomorrow morning. Can't wait to see what you have been working on!

(Following the guidelines for linking will ensure a good time for all! I have had to delete posts in the past, don't make me do it, please!)

1. Link to your specific post about a sewing related finish you had THIS week. (email me if you have questions about that.)
2. Please mention us here and link back to this post so everyone can join in. (You can mention Sew & Tell in your post and have the button on your sidebar or blog, that works too. )
3. Pat each other on the backs in the comments!

some embroidery (and just a bit of complaining)

So I've been trying to decide what to share with you all the last couple of days.  I've been a little sidetracked from blogging.  I have been helping a friend make a bag.  And she's been very clever.  I love working with other people on the same projects I do and see their twist on my design.  Here's what I'm talking about:

She's says to me, "it would be cute to embroider around the flowers".  I say, "Why, yes it would.  And maybe a few beads in there too!" and just look at what she did!

Now I'm a little jealous I'm not making this bag for myself.  Full reveal to come soon.  We've got to make some more time for another lesson.

I really love helping people learn to sew.  I mean really, what better way to make your home more beautiful, your accessories more personal, and have a creative outlet you can do in your free time (when not taking care of life's other demands)?
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I'm excited to be participating in this (click on the button for more info):

Tiffany emailed me and asked if I would contribute a recipe.  Of course, I picked the least photogenic food to share: meatloaf.  But what it lacks in good looks it makes up for in flavor.  I'll be sure to let you know when I'm up next week!

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I really think I'm entering the cranky, ornery, crying stage of pregnancy.  I watched this movie the other night and cried for Mr. Thornton (here's a clip - don't worry, it's not a spoiler).  I've been spending a lot of time on the hamster wheel that is laundry, food prep and kitchen clean-up, it's getting old.  And I'm feeling stressed by not knowing EXACTLY where we'll be moving in a few months.  And yet, every time I finish a small sewing project, or feel an elbow sticking out of my side or hear my daughter say something funny and my baby boy give me a big kiss, I think it's not all bad.

I've felt a little distracted from the blogging community lately.  Much due to the aforementioned time consuming tasks. I hope you will forgive less frequent comments and visits, but know that I appreciate everyone of you and your enthusiasm and creativity which is infectious!

I did finish those other two bags this weekend and have Penny's bee block to finish this week.  Maybe I'll have a lot to share on Friday!  I also need some help deciding what to do for my baby's quilt.... Care for any suggestions?  I have a stack of Amy Butler Love fat quarters.  I would love your input on simple quick designs I could use....

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And is it just me, or does Flickr run slow on Firefox?

sew & tell - assembly line production

Please make sure you read the guidelines before linking up at the end of the post!

I have definitely decided that assembly line production is the best way to work if you are making more than one of the same thing.  I have been working on 3 bags for a couple weeks.  I think the cutting and prepping the interfacing takes the longest.  After chain-piecing my quilt blocks last week, I decided I would do that as I stitched together these bags.

3 straps ready to go, and three innards ready to be sewn up!

So I did all the sewing up the point where I couldn't do anything next until the ironing.  Then I spent some time ironing and then the next step, etc. etc.   I had to slow down and change thread for each bag when it came time to do some topstitching, but all in all, it seems to go a lot quicker.  Plus, it makes it easier to sit down and work for shorter amounts of time and not be constantly getting up and down all the time.  And I don't have to worry about my iron cooling off (with it's auto shut-off feature) because I'm using it the whole time it's plugged in.

I'll admit, I rushed this morning to get one finished to post today.  But I'm going to finish the other two assembly style.

I used a little brown and turquoise polka dot ribbon for the key hook leash and topstitched in a dark turquoise.  This is Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom line.  I think I linked to her new Poppy line last week.  This fabric is amazing!  And so photogenic.

I love the way it turned out!  This is for one of my dearest friends who is having another baby this month.  She is one of 20 or so people that I know who are having babies!  It's insane. 2010, the year of the Baby.


What did you finish this week?
(Following the guidelines for linking will ensure a good time for all! I have had to delete posts in the past, don't make me do it, please!)
1. Link to your specific post about a sewing related finish you had THIS week.  (email me if you have questions about that.)
2. Please mention us here and link back to this post so everyone can join in.  (You can mention Sew & Tell in your post and have the button on your sidebar or blog, that works too. )
3. Pat each other on the backs in the comments!

PS - The linky will close at midnight Pacific time - hurry and get your finishes in!

and the pillow winner is. . .

Thanks everyone who entered!  I really enjoyed reading all of the interesting things about you.  There were some good ones!

~ Cee ~ said... 67 I just love the Blissliving Home Mallory Turquoise 12" x 12" Pillow that you've highlighted. Hmm. Something interesting about myself ... I'm currently learning how to install hardwood flooring, as well as hang drywall and kitchen cabinets (we had some major flood damage). Thank you for this great giveaway!

Congratulations Cee!  I'll be emailing you shortly!

So do you want to know something interesting about me?  I was on a local gameshow when I was in 4th grade called "It's Elementary".  I got to shoot misspelled words, Star Trek style.  We even got beamed in and out of the game.  It was awesome!  And I still remember what I was wearing - some yellow corduroy overalls that my mom had made me.  See, the sewing is in my genes.

labeling, good or bad?

When labeling people, probably bad.  Unless the label is AWESOME!  What about projects?  Do you label yours?

I didn't start labeling things until I started selling them.  And now I like to put labels on everything I make.  But I don't like them to be totally obvious.  So on my bags, I used Penny's tutorial to make the labels and then I attach them on the inside pocket.  I never get a good picture once they've been sewn up, so I thought I'd show you these on some WIPs.

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Someone told me A friend's facebook status said the other day it was important to put seed out for the birds.  With all this snow covering the ground, it's harder for them to find the food they need.  So I threw some of my seed out on the back deck yesterday (I can't get to my feeder) and I successfully lured some birds out there.

The cardinals are a little elusive and don't like seeing me behind the window, but I caught this one in the tree.  I'm in love.

Not a bad view from my sewing table.
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You'll have to excuse the blog - I'm in the middle of making a few layout changes, but I'm stuck on something.  I'll have it fixed soon.  I hope!

decorative pillow giveaway!

As if there were another use for lots of pillows besides decorative?  Sorry for the unimaginative post title!  But as you know, I've had pillows on the brain lately!

I was so excited to be contacted by CSN stores to do a giveaway!  You see, I LOVE giveaways.  And I've been very lucky the last year or so, winning a lot of cool things fabric.  I'm really happy to have the opportunity to give something back!  I hope to do more of these in the future, to repay some of the goodness from which I've benefited.

CSN stores is a conglomerate of many product specific web stores.  They sell everything from bar stools to jewelry boxes to bunk beds (which I need!).  Cookware (Le Creuset, which I love!) and bedding too!  You can see a list of all of their stores HERE.

I was looking through the bedding section, because I like bedding (not that I need any....) and found this:

and this:

and this: (a king duvet cover + 2 shams for $49??!)

And don't forget decorative pillows!
How about this lovely number in turquoise (my favorite color)?

or pink + bird silhouettes?  Love.

 Or what about a little more modern piece in my favorite green? dark or milk chocolate? or orange?

the shipping date on this pillow is a couple weeks out though, but it was too cute!

So today - CSN stores is offering one of my lovely readers the choice of one of the three pillows above!  (And on the 3rd one you can choose which color you want.)

Giveaway will close Thursday morning 8 AM EST/EDT (whichever one is correct!) and I will announce the winner later that day.

You have several ways to earn entries.

1. Leave me a comment, tell me something interesting about yourself.

2. Blog/Facebook/Twitter about this giveaway, linking back here and leave a SEPARATE comment (for each mention) telling me you did so.

Easy enough?  So you can have up to 4 entries (one comment per entry will make me and you happy people!) Don't forget to leave me contact info if your email isn't already linked to your profile (here's instructions and reasoning why you should link up your email.)

Open to U.S. and Canadian residents.

Good Luck!!

sew & tell - more quilting bee blocks and some curved piecing

I'm embarrassed to admit that these blocks are from November, I think (so maybe it was October, I'm not telling).  They are for Allyn, and I took advantage of our friendship in real life, because I knew she'd forgive me for taking so long.  I have to admit, I was totally intimidated!  Which is part of why I kept putting it off. (Procrastinate much?)  But once I got going, things went pretty smoothly.

She sent out all the little pieces already cut out, with a link to these instructions for a Grandmother's Fan block, all we had to do was sew them together.

Sewing the little strips wasn't too bad, especially since I decided to try out some chain-stitching (or is it chain piecing?).  But working those curved seams required lots of pins and some stretching and giving.

I chain-stitched while I pieced all four of these blocks.  I'd had people suggest it to me before, but I didn't realize just how handy it was.  It saves time and thread since you just feed the next section to be sewn right after you finish one, without having to clip a thread!

Plus, working assembly line style keeps the work flow more efficient.  These are all chained together.

See?

And here is all of them completed!  This is going to be one amazing quilt.  I hope she shares it on Sew & Tell when she's finished!

Two more bits of exciting news:

1.  My mom's New York Beauty is bordered and almost ready to quilt!  She was totally motivated by all of your nice comments!  We all get to see it soon!

2.  I have a REALLY fun giveaway planned for Monday.  So please, check back in!  You won't want to miss it!

What have you been doing this week?  Did you have a lot of sewing time due to a few winter storms?  We did!

Show us what you've got!

What did you finish this week?
(Following the rules will ensure a good time for all! I have had to delete posts in the past, don't make me do it, please!)
1. Link to your specific post about a sewing related finish you had THIS week.  (email me if you have questions about that.)
2. Please mention us here and link back to this post so everyone can join in.  (You can mention Sew & Tell in your post and have the button on your sidebar or blog, that works too. )
3. Pat each other on the backs in the comments!