Quid Pro Quo

 I made a trade this past weekend.. I love trades.

I made a tote. It's a good size - the outside panels were 22 x 16.

The inside is this pretty red from "Reunion" by Sweetwater

I added a zipper pocket to the inside.

The outside is made from heavy canvas. I love how it turned out.

One of my cousins works for a restaurant supply company. She gave me some commercial baking sheets years ago that I LOVE. They are the best cookie sheets ever. Actually, I use them for everything.. not just cookies.

Well, now they come with lids! So she got me two more - one big and one small. They are 100% aluminum so they will never rust.

She also tossed in an omelet pan and a knife sharpener and set of amazing knives.

You know it's a good trade when you both feel like you got the better end of the deal.

Makes me want to bake something...

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Math Fail...

Ok.. maybe it had nothing to do with the math. Anyway, I'll get to that in a minute.

So I have this Santa and Mrs that I put under our Christmas Tree each year. They are very old.. My Mom made them in ceramics in 1978. We had them under our Christmas Tree when we were kids and I was lucky enough to get them from my Mom when my oldest was just a baby.

Each year I wrap them in something padded and place them inside one of my Christmas tubs. Well, this year I had an idea. Why not make a quilted bag of some kind for each one?!! Great idea huh!?

So I went and bought some Christmas fabric on clearance for super cheap.. grabbed some paper and started making my measurements. 

I waffled between a top with a velcro flap vs. a zipper. I decided to go with the zipper. Looks good right? Looks like Santa should fit right in, doesn't it? 

WRONG!!! The bag is big enough - but Santa's belly can't get past the zipper opening. Arrgghh... I so know how he feels! But that's ok.. because I can still use this for some of my other Christmas items.

So it's back to the drawing board. But first I need to go buy more clearance Christmas fabric.

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FNSI - Progress

One of the downsides to living in a smaller town is that we only have one big chain craft store - and it's not JoAnns. *sigh*

Well, I've been trying to work on this diaper bag for someone and I was stuck in limbo. My local craft chain was totally out of the magnetic closure.. for.a.very.long.time!!! So long, that it made me wonder if there is someone in my town that operates a purse/bag making sweatshop.

So I had to pay double the price from somewhere else - but I had to get this bag done.

I finished it during the FNSI. And the person that ordered it - sent me an email asking for another one for someone else. So I need to make another one this week. 

Not the best interior picture - but look at those little bunnies! So sweet. It's a personalized Diaper Bag. 

After I finished with that - I wanted to start a project with my new "Circa 1934" fabric from Moda. It involves hexigons. I've never worked with hexi's before but they didn't scare me. I was up for the challenge. 

AARRRGGGHHHH!!! Cutting these little hexi's about put me in the nut house! And look...

....I didn't get very far. And I don't even want to tell you how long those few took me to cut. I don't have a ruler type hexi template.. or an Accu Quilt thingy.. so I eventually had to walk away and made myself some hot cider. 

I could have kept cutting - BUT I was worried that if I don't have them cut right - it will make sewing them even more frustrating. Any quilter knows that accuracy is the key to a nice finished product. Right?

Do you have an Accu Quilt thingy?? Can I come over?  Pin It

From T-Shirt to Tote

Some of you probably already know how much I appreciate the teachers that spend their days with my boys.

I know how much work my boys can be - and I want to make sure their teachers know how much we appreciate them!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation week and the PTA is doing something everyday. From breakfast to lunch.. and a raffle next Friday.

I made this tote and donated it for the raffle.

I used a t-shirt with the school mascot and some navy canvas.

It turned out pretty cute. And when I dropped it off in the office this morning - the elementary secretary couldn't take her hands off it. Hopefully a teacher will be able to use this to carry papers and books to and from school for years to come.

If you have old t-shirts with your school mascot on them - you could turn them into tote bags, or maybe a wall hanging for the classroom?? Get creative and show those teachers how much they mean to us.. and our kids! Pin It

Checkers Anyone?

Have you ever seen these large checker games?

My brother got this one as a Christmas gift this past year. He has always been a big game player.

He works in Afghanistan and travels back to the US every 3 months. He usually spends a night with other co-workers in Dubai while they wait for their flights home to various parts of the World. And typically they pass the time playing games.. checkers.. dominos.. etc.

Well, he asked me to make a bag to carry the game.  Do you think it's "manly" enough?

The pockets were his idea - he originally asked for a pocket for each checker so he would always know that he had them all packed. But 24 pockets seemed a little daunting. So I made 12 total - 6 red and 6 black (2 checkers in each).

What do you think? I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. He's currently home so I will get to see what he thinks about it this weekend when I see him.

And the best part - all the fabric was from my stash!! I only needed to purchase the zipper! I love when that happens. Pin It

Swaps are Fun!

I had recently avoided swaps because my TO DO list is WAY too long. But I did join the Once a Season Swap recently.

I made this Corduroy Tote and a matching zipper pouch for Toni over at The Quilting Pirate. I'm so happy she liked it!!

The next round of the Once a Season Swap is coming in April. Go visit Cheryll and keep your eye open for signups coming soon!

And if you are interested in a tutorial for the Corduroy Tote... Click HERE to see the one that Bobbi over at Crafty Vegas Mom has on her blog. Pin It

Procrastination... I'm good at it.

So way back in March - a conversation with a friend from out of state went something like this..

Jackee - Hey Heidi, would you have time to make me two purses/bags?
Me - OF COURSE!!!! I can do them while the kids are on Spring Break!!
Jackee - Are you sure? I already have the fabric for one of them so I will mail it to you.
Me - No problem.. put it in the mail and I'll get it done.

Yeah.. like 3 months later!!!!! I'm so bad sometimes!

I'm really happy with how they turned out though.. This is a pattern from Lazy Girl Designs called "The Miranda Day Bag".

This is the one I made with the fabric she sent me...

And below is the one that I made with fabric I had on hand. I had to use corduroy on the very bottom of course.. because I love corduroy.

I'm getting them in the mail to her tomorrow!!! I hope they are everything she wants them to be! Pin It

My Friday Night Results

I have been looking at a lot of your blogs and pictures today and let me just say WOW! So much was completed on Friday Night. Way to go!!

I wasn't as productive as I had hoped. I was REALLY in the mood too!! I was working on some Corduroy bags that a friend requested and I finished one of three.

The exterior is black corduroy - wide wale and the interior is from the Cotton Blossoms line from Moda. One of my all time favorite lines of fabric.

I was getting ready to start bag # 2.. but then.. my older sister called. She lives in North Dakota and we talked for an hour.. by the time we hung up I had lost my sewing mojo. 

But I did manage to get bag #2 cut and pellon attached so it's ready to assemble when I have some free time.

(orange fab is also from Cotton Blossoms)

If you love these bags.. check out Bobbi's Tutorial on how to make them.

Come back later today to see who the winners are for the Giveaway.. Bobbi and I will announce once we connect and coordinate using Random Number generator. Pin It

April Friday Night Sew-In and a Giveaway.. with a TWIST!!

Ok.. storytime. When the Friday Night Sew-in began.. it went something like this.

Bobbi and I (although we communicate daily) live approx 260 miles apart. We had a new bag pattern that we wanted to make last year and we decided to make it "together" on a Friday Night. We helped each other along the way.. shared pictures of our progress via our cell phones.. etc. Not only do we sew "together" - but we've also been known to watch a few movies like this as well. LOL.. can you tell we miss each other. We really need to just live on the same street already.

And that is how the Friday Night Sew-In was born. Anyway - we decided to kick future Friday Night Sew-In's up a notch. We will be offering an optional pattern or project that we can all work on that night. Some will be free and others low cost... and all will be totally optional!! I can't stress that enough.

We want the FNSI's to continue to be that extra little nudge to cross projects off your To-Do lists!

For April - we came up with this super cute, super easy Canvas Spring Tote!

If you want to make it with us on Friday April 16th, you can purchase the pattern for only $5 on my Etsy site. It is in .pdf format and I will email to you.

There is also the option to purchase the pattern with a partial kit. I say partial because the kit includes everything needed except 2 fat quarters. The partial kit includes the pattern all for $10 and is also available on my Etsy site.

So, join Bobbi and I Friday April 16th for our monthly Sew-In.

Here are the "rules".
1. Enter your blog info below.

2. Make a post on your blog - letting all your readers know about the sew-in. Spread the word.. we could all use the virtual sewing support and encouragement.

3. On Friday – 04/16/10 - Get your house settled, put on your comfy jammies.. maybe make a cup of tea.. and sit down to work on some of those projects (or anything else that you want to work on).

4. Then, sometime on Saturday - Make a post about what you worked on.. show us a picture or two. You can post on Flickr too.

And finally - on Sunday 4/18, we will enter all participants into a GIVEAWAY for something fun! Maybe some fabric.. or a sewing gadget or two.

Friday Night Sew-in Participants

1. Bobbi 2. Cara 3. Pam in Texas 4. lisa 5. Ashley 6. Rene 7. Carol L. 8. Kimberley 9. Annie 10. Jane 11. Edna @ Needling Things 12. Libby 13. Terry 14. Manuela 15. Kerry 16. Polly 17. Karen W. 18. Celine 19. Jamie 20. Anne Lise 21. Crystal 22. Erin 23. Joanne 24. Donna @ Mudpies & Memories 25. marta 26. georgie 27. Dorothy 28. Jennifer 29. Valerie 30. Rachel @ Not-So-Plain Jane 31. Vikki 32. Debbie S.

33. Maria 34. Cleary Kipe 35. Karen 36. Sandy K 37. Oddbjørg 38. Satu 39. Linda -Texas 40. Bev C 41. Mary K. 42. dawn 43. Jill in Ohio 44. Linda 45. Kim P. 46. Jen 47. Jandi 48. Cheryl 49. Tracey 50. Carolette 51. Mrs Moen 52. Jessica C 53. Grethe 54. Susan E. 55. Susan 56. Jacque. 57. Kate quilts... 58. amy @ houseofbadcats 59. Madelyn 60. Annette @ Jindi's Cottage 61. Melissa 62. dianne 63. melinda c 64. Kristen @ beautifulordinary

65. Krista - Poppyprint 66. Sandy R 67. Balinda 68. Marybeth 69. Kim 70. Amanda@Busy Little Quilter 71. Dawn 72. Nikki 73. Joan 74. Sue M 75. Helen Koenig 76. Mikol 77. L. - Carbonated Creations 78. kimland 79. SoozeM 80. CJ 81. Lissa 82. Lisa M. 83. Debbie 84. Erica 85. Michelle - Dresden Quilter 86. Wendy 87. Kimberly Mason 88. Brenda 89. Sophie 90. Susan 91. Molly 92. Mary on Lake Pulaski 93. Laurie N. 94. Dawn Burchett 95. What Comes Next?

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

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What a ride!

We had such an awesome weekend.. so much laughing. The class was the best class we've ever taken. Me & My Sister are so sweet and so much fun. Here is a picture of them holding our completed bags at the end of class..

They had balloons that we all had to pop thru out the class.. some balloons contained a winning ticket for a prize. We played games and had contests... And I came home with quite a few goodies!

And.. finally.. here is my bag! I love love love this bag.. and the pattern was fun to make.

The interior of the bag is that hot pink.

We asked the sisters if they enjoy being designers for Moda.. and they said "We pinch ourselves everyday!" I am so happy for them.. they have a job that they love and it showed!

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Teacher Treats...

Well today is the last day of school before the Christmas break and luckily for the boys, it's only a half day of school. And while they were gearing up for a 2 week break, I was struggling trying to come up with a good idea for teacher gifts for Christmas. We had already contributed cash to the "class gift" so I didn't want to spend a lot.

So yesterday, in my state of desperation, I rememberd the kit that I had purchased from Sweetwater. It was perfect - I decided to make the cute gift bags with Authentic canvas and fill them with goodies.

We baked sugar cookies (well I baked, they frosted and decorated). I made more fudge and toffee. And then we added it all to the bags.

Problem solved!

P.S. If you are curious about my Santa - he and Mrs Claus sit on the floor in front of my Christmas Tree every year. My Mom made Santa in 1976 at a ceramics class. I can't beleive he's 33 years old. He was in front of our Christmas Tree when we were kids.. and when I was married and had kids she was kind enough to let me take him to my house. (Mrs Claus was made by her also.. but not sure of the year. It was later though)

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Friday Night Results

I hope everyone who participated in our Friday Night Sew-In last night had a productive one. I did get a lot done - but not as much as I had wanted.

First I made this crayon bag for a friends little 4 year old. His b'day party was today.

Next - I had made the top and back of this quilt a while back. I had been waiting to quilt it and was having issues with my machine. Whenever I tried to do any type of free motion - the back looked horrible. So, I decided to pull my Mom's sewing machine out of the closet and give it a whirl.. it worked perfect. So I was able to finally get this lap size quilt done. I used "Authentic" by Moda.

I still need to do the binding - I'm hoping to do that tonight after dinner. I wanted to get it done this morning, but with my busy house I wasn't able to do it.

So for all of you who participated last night - don't forget to post about what you worked on last night. We will be drawing a winner for the giveaway tomorrow!

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Old and Easy..

No.. this isn't a post about anyone's older sister! Although that would be interesting!

This is about some bags that I made about a year ago.. before I was blogging. I went to my local JoAnns one day and saw these cute halloween panels. Each panel had 4 pictures and some trim along the edges.
I cut the panels and turned them into Trick-or-Treat bags for my boys. I used the trim along the edges for the handles. They were so easy and quick to put together... and they'll last for years to come.

Happy Halloween!!!

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A Bag and a peek...

Well the Friday Night Sew-In was a success. We had a great time and boy did we get a lot done from our to do lists! I worked on a couple quilt tops Friday. (and Saturday.. and Sunday).

I had a very busy weekend.. shopping, b'day party for a great little 4 yr old! And the not so fun stuff too.. like laundry and mopping the floors. But in the middle of all that, I managed to get some sewing done.

This is a new bag that I made last night. The pattern is from The Tiny Seamstress. It was fun to make and it's very flirty! I love trying new patterns because it gives me so many ideas for the next bag.

And here is a sneak peek at the two quilts I'm working on. Hopefully I will find time this week to finish them. I have quite a few projects that I need to do for other people too. The first is with Moda Tranquility.
And this second one is using Moda Authentic. I love them both!
I will be busy working on all these projects the next week.. can't wait to share more! Pin It

Something old.. something new.. how's that go again?

I know you've already seen the picnic quilt - but I thought I would share some pictures of my kids enjoying it at the park last Sunday...

As I mentioned in the picnic quilt post - this is a pattern from the book Material Obsession. What I forgot to point out is that I got the idea to use the pattern for a picnic quilt from one of my Quilting Bee Buddies. Here is her picnic quilt.

And next.. this is a bag that I made last night. My husband requested it for the daughter of someone he works with. She was in the hospital recently and he thought it might cheer her up a bit.
And I'm loving the fabric so much that I might have to make another for myself.. I'm really obsessing over "Cotton Blossoms" by Moda lately.

And here is a wall hanging that I am working on for my Mom. I need to get it quilted so I can get it in the mail to her soon!!! I love the colors!

Come back in a few days.. I have an adorable baby blanket that I can't wait to share.. the fabrics are in the dryer as we speak.. I'll be sewing it tonight after dinner.. a walk with the kids and the dog.. and maybe a load of laundry.

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