Clockwise:
"My Little Chickadee" is the perfect name for this beautiful purse! Once again I've created a Hang Up from Tina Given's line named, "Annabella" for Free Spirit. This cleverly designed collection features a dreamy warm colorway in "mink." It certainly has a little something for everyone -- florals, dots, swirls, and even an adventurous bird or two! You might remember "Fields of Gold" that I made last month from this same line. "My Little Chickadee" features little birdies amongst amber flowers and lime green vines. You may not have many birds visiting your gardens this time of year, but if this tote heads to your home you could always have a chickadee close by!
"My Little Chickadee" is in my Etsy!
What surprised me this week?
Swirls, scrolls, thistle-like fleurettes, and mosaics combine to create a playful, cheerful feeling in this Michael Miller collection, aptly named "Whimsy," by Valerie Pillow and Anne Maxfield. I love the focused, uncluttered color palette in these fabrics that spotlight indigo blue, lime green and bright white. The fabrics I chose from this line for "Prairie Nights" remind me of a thick, dark night on the plains. Thistles growing. Grasshoppers singing. Moon glowing. Stars shining in an inky indigo sky. To me, "Prairie Nights" reflects the whimsical, vibrant sights and sounds of a night on the prairie.
Do you remember that 
Then I covered the cushion up with the filler that had been on the chair originally...
I tacked the fabric down with a cheapo $7 upholstery stapler/tacker that I bought at Hancock's Fabric. It worked like a charm. Then I bought some carpet tacks at Home Depot, which are longer than upholstery tacks, and hammered those all around the bottom inside edges of the chair. The reason I used the carpet tacks was because, on the top of the chair especially, I was going through multiple layers of thick fabric so I needed the longer "nails."
I remember complaining as I was taking off the fabric on the original chair that I had to remove tens of thousands of upholstery tacks. I thought it was excessive. However, as I was tacking and hammering I realized I was putting in just as many staples and tacks as had been there originally. I kept imagining someone sitting down on the chair and having every seam bust apart, tacks pinging around the room, etc. Thinking of the generous frame of Great Aunt Hulda alone, made me add 103 more tacks... (just kidding -- I don't have an Aunt Hulda -- but you know what I mean...)
For the top part of the chair I again added little more substance to the back cushion and tacked it into place using a needle and embroidery floss...
Again, I used the old fabric as a pattern and cut the new fabric out, cutting generous seams, and tacking it into place with the stapler and then securing better with the tacks. I trimmed all around the edges.
Then I made a pattern out of paper for the back cover. I used the pattern to cut out a piece of fusible interfacing and ironed it to the upholstery fabric. Then I cut the upholstery fabric about 1 inch wider than the interfacing and turned the upholstery fabric over along the edge of the interfacing to make a nice finish on the edge of the back cover. I tacked the cover to the back of the chair and then applied some trim with a hot glue gun to cover the edges.
And now for the finished product...
Approximate Cost:
And, the after...
Check out the following DIY linky parties:
Last night I made a batch of quite possibly my very favorite fall cookies. That's a bold statement for me because I have a penchant for cookies -- especially in the fall. Suffice it to say, that this cookie is filled with delectable fall spices and deliciously sweetened flavors. I love thick, chewy cookies. This recipe is chewy goodness at its best! Just thought I'd share...
Ginger Harvest Cookies
My muscley man popped off the top of it with his bare hands,
and I stripped off the stain and varnish and sanded it down.
Then we plugged up the holes left by the spindles and sanded some more, and more, and more.
I'm a quick study. It doesn't take me but one disasterous experience to learn my lesson. The more time you spend on prep, the better the end product.
On Wednesday we had a nice warm day, so I started the painting process. First, I primed the little table by using Rust-oleum American Accents Primer. I then added two coats of Rust-oleum American Accents Heirloom White spray paint in half hour intervals. That particular paint and color is the rage in furniture refinishing circles. Peer pressure drove me to use it, and in this case peer pressure was a good thing. I let all that dry overnight in my toasty warm garage.
Next I chose to add a little glaze. (Some call glazing "antiquing", others "faux finishing." Putting a glaze finish on furniture makes it look like something other than "new" wood. It adds highlights and "ages" the piece of wood or furniture.) Saturday when I went shopping for glaze, I learned that glaze comes in a clear form. You pour the amount of glaze you anticipate using into a small container and then add an acrylic paint to the glaze to formulate your color. This made me nervous. I like others to do the dirty work, so I can blame them if the color doesn't turn out right. Anyway, I reluctantly mixed my colors, which wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated, and went to work.
I have no photographic chronology of the glazing of the table. I was too busy to snap pictures. Suffice it to say, I painted the glaze on the table, sections at a time, and then rubbed some of it off with a soft piece of fabric. I used an old sock. It worked like a charm. At one point I had to get a damp piece of fabric to remove more of the glaze. The glaze and acrylic paint are all water soluble, so it's easy to remove more glaze if necessary. Clean up was a snap. (FYI: Glazing is an imperfect science. You just eyeball it till you get the amount of color and detail that suits you.) Then I kicked that little table around the garage and slapped it a few times to make it look distressed. I probably could have skipped that step. Ten minutes with the grandkids would have had the same effect. ;o)
Overall, I'm very pleased with the results, especially for a first time refinishing project. I can't wait to see our grandchildren gathered around this little table having fun!
I've linked to Funky Junk Interiors "Saturday Night Special". Click on the button to see more creations...
Clockwise, fromtop left:
Cost...
Again, I was drawn to the beautiful appliques and colors...
Hmmm. Months ago I read an article where someone had taken a placemat and transformed it into a pillow. I checked the back of the placemat and it was "lined." A beautiful possibility began to take shape. A purchase was made and I high-tailed it home to begin the transformation.
All you have to do is use your seam ripper and open a hole in the bottom seam. Stuff with a pillow form (14"x18") or stuffing and sew the seam back up. The whole process takes the better part of 10 minutes. Seriously.
Honestly, this little gal is just as pretty as any of the other pillows I saw and she was a fraction of the price. I'm dancing the happy dance. What's more, two more placemats came home with me and are awaiting their transformation (scroll up to see my favorite one completed)...
I love Chinese Lantern Lilies like the one to the left. This time of year I often see them in the stores. I am drawn to their shape, their color, and their paper-thin appearance. Nature is incredibly beautiful, isn't it?
I'd like to thank everyone who participated in my Breast Cancer Awareness Give-Away Give-Away. I was touched by the beautiful tributes of those who entered the contest. Thank you for sharing your very personal stories and experiences with breast cancer survivors and their caregivers in such a sensitive and loving way. It's obvious those you nominated are some very brave and selfless souls. I wish I had a tote for every nominee as all were deserving, but only one can win...
Although no one will be happier than I to hear this bit of news, I am sure you will be pleased to know that I repainted the 
As I was waiting for the coats of paint to dry on the above mentioned chair, I started a new project. Yes, it's not enough to be knee deep in one project, I needed to stretch myself thinner still by adding yet another cog to the wheel. A little background... I've been noticing more and more as I peruse "shabby to chic" furniture refinishing blogs, that many of the items bought to be refinished are purchased at Goodwill Industries. Last Saturday I coaxed my husband into taking me to a Goodwill retail outlet in a neighboring town. I was hoping to find and purchase a little table to refinish for the grandkids play area. It needed to be short enough for my grandkiddos to sit or kneel on the floor and use it, because I didn't want to have to store a bunch of chairs, so I went looking for an end table that I could shorten the legs and refinish. Are you following me???
It's not that I particularly love "I Love Lucy" style furniture, but look at the height of that first tier. It was the perfect height for what I wanted, and I loved its chunky spindly legs. I consulted with my husband who said he could rip off the top part of the table without any problem at all. My man has muscles. Here's the proof...
Perfect height. Perfect size. Perfect price. This, my dears, is why people shop at Goodwill...
And I got a sweet little Curious George sticker for no additional charge. Should have left that on for the grandkids...
Getting back to today... As I was waiting for the paint to dry on the chair, between applications I started stripping the stain and varnish off the table. In order to fill the little holes left from the spindles in the top of the table, we bought some wood plugs at Hobby Lobby. We filled the holes half way up with glue, popped the plugs in, and sanded a bit more...
I'm telling you right now, I am loving this little lady...
This next week, weather permitting, I'm going to paint her "Heirloom White" and add a little "antique" glaze to accentuate her curves. Wish me luck.
Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays. I love the whole idea behind having a holiday that is based on a virtuous principle -- that of gratitude. There is something wonderful about gathering family and friends together to celebrate our appreciation for blessings received. In comparison to other holidays, I think Thanksgiving has, for the most part, been unsullied by commercialism. That's a point in its favor as well!
It was time to put it all together... I've never had mad skilz when it comes to floral arranging. I always hand that chore off to someone else, rather than do it myself. Unfortunately my husband was hard at work, so I couldn't pawn the task off on him, and none of my daughters live at home anymore. It was up to me. Mores the pity. I took comfort in the fact that placing gourds in a tray shouldn't be that hard. I grabbed some twigs and leaves from my at home stash and went to work...
I like the fact that I can reuse this idea year after year and reuse the different items -- tray, vase, candle -- throughout the year. Plus, all said and done, it cost about as much as I would normally spend on a fresh floral arrangement. All in all a pretty sweet little score.
Row 1:
Trust me, I'm not making a political statement with the title of this post. Let me explain... Today I went shopping for some placemats for our casual dining area just off our kitchen. I had three qualifications: 1.) I wanted an autumn theme or colors, 2.) I wanted the placemats to look informal or casual, 3.) I'm cheap -- I wanted them to be inexpensive. I looked everywhere, including Target. Generally speaking, I can find anything I want or need at Target, but not this time. What's a girl to do when her favorite go-to store doesn't deliver? She makes them herself. That's what she does. A little acorn love = burlap placemats with acorn stenciling.
After the disappointment of not being able to find anything suitable, I drove over to Hobby Lobby to purchase some burlap. I bought 2 1/2 yards of burlap, four acrylic paints, and some thread for $10. The burlap was $2.99 / yard, but I used a 40% off coupon from Hobby Lobby's website that brought the price down to $1.80 / yard. This made six double thickness placemats that were 13 x 18 inches. I cut the placemats out using my rotary cutter which made the job really quick and easy. I used some interfacing (optional) that I had on hand, sandwiched it between the two burlap pieces, and zig-zagged around the edges of all three layers. Then I moved on to the stenciling...
Keep all of the pieces because you'll eventually use all of them. Now you're ready to stencil. I use a small piece of sponge to stencil with rather than a stenciling brush. I find I have more control with a sponge. I make my first acorn using the stencil for the top part and then using the stencil for the bottom of the nut.
For the middle acorn you need to cover up the bottom part of the first acorn so you don't paint over it, like this. Use the piece that you cut out of your stencil for this. You can use a little tape to lightly hold it down.
Then place the top stencil where you want it, like this, and stencil away.
Take the top stencil off and put the bottom stencil next to the already painted top and color in that part of the acorn.
I put three acorns on each placemat, but all that is personal preference. I think these would be cute with pumpkins or leaves too.
It took me about 2 1/2 hours from start (cutting out the fabric) to finish to make six placemats. These placemats have a rustic, woodsy, imperfect feel to them, which, I'm hoping, adds to their appeal. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself. Six placemats @ $1.66 each. I wouldn't use these for Thanksgiving Dinner, but for casual dining they'll work and you've gotta love the price...
"Lantern Bloom" by Laura Gunn for Michael Miller fabrics may be one of my favorite fabric lines of all time. I know I say that often about various fabrics. My problem is there are so many fabulous fabric designers that I am a bit fickle when it comes to declaring favorites. I'm like a 12 year old with a new crush every other week. Suffice it to say that this line, "Lantern Bloom", is gorgeous. This collection is filled with abstract prints with an Asian flare. Unique designs including hanging bird cages, tile mosaics and vases filled with delicate blossoms are presented in vivid hues. The fabric looks textured, distressed, earthy and alluring. It compels you to reach out and touch it and then examine every nuance. Laura Gunn, by her own admission is a "mother, artist, designer, and compulsive crafter." You can find her blog, "Paint in my Hair" here. She started out as a painter by trade, so as a result her fabrics capture the textures and variegations found in that medium. Very cool, sophisticated, and contemporary. I love them.
Having introduced you to the buttons, I will move on to the pleats... there's three on each side. I say this because sometimes a purse will be one-sided. By that I mean, all the special doo-dads will appear on one side but not the other. The extra special features on my totes cover both sides...
And finally, here she is in all her splendor. I wish I could give my little bird away with the purchase of the tote. She seems to fit right in...
You can find "Gilded Cage" in my Etsy.
I've been busy lately trying to build up my Etsy shop a bit. Last week I finished off six dwipes (dwipes = a diaper and wet-wipe mini-tote) and included them in my shop. The little boy dwipes that I added are made from fabric from the Oh Boy! line by David Walker Studio for Free Spirits Fabrics. This line has a charming array of designs from dinosaurs to trains, lions to planes, and dots to robots! It's everything a little boy could ask for. 
Did you know that this month is National Breast Cancer Awareness month? It's actually more than that. This month is the 25th anniversary that, as a nation, we have recognized October as the month to remember those lost, honor those who have survived and reiterate a commitment to finding a cure of breast cancer. I'm sure I would be hard pressed to find an individual who hadn't been affected by this disease. In honor of those who have contracted breast cancer and their caregivers and supporters, I am hosting an impromptu party and giving away this perfectly pink tote, named "It's a Party!"
Come join us for a celebration of life and love. In the title of this post it lists this contest as a "Give-Away ... Give-Away." That's because this contest is going to be a little different. You will still be submitting your name for a drawing via a comment below, but the lucky winner will have this tote sent to a person of his/her choosing. (Yes men, too, are encouraged to enter this contest for a special woman in his life.) That's why I say it's a "Give-Away" (from me to you) "Give-Away" (from you to someone of your choosing). When the winner is announced, I will acquire the address of the intended recipient from the winner and send it directly to that person with a note from the winner!
Here's where you come in. Most of us know someone who has been affected by breast cancer - whether the person has lived with the disease themselves or been a caregiver or supporter of one. It's a tough job to work your way to a healthier self when you've had cancer, but it is also challenging to be a caregiver or supporter of a loved one or close friend who has the disease. All are deserving of our support. Your job is to think of someone you know who has been affected by this disease and nominate them to receive this Hang Up if you should win. Please give us a little insight into what makes this person extra special to you. If, by chance, you are a breast cancer survivor, then by all means nominate yourself!
Here are the specifics of the contest...
In memory of Dianne
I was listening to the Playlist on my sidebar this morning and knew as I heard the song "Fields of Gold" that this is what I needed to name my new Hang Up. "Fields of Gold" seems to fit this tote to a T. The fabric on this saucy little number is from the "Annabella" line from Tina Givens. Fabulous. This line is filled with rich brown, sassy aqua, lively pink, moss green and golden hues. It's one of my favorites.
triple pleats...
like a bouquet of fall flowers...
or a field of gold.
Mmmmm. Ever had home-made root beer? There's nothing better on a hot summer day than a little sassafras. It's a favorite of mine. Very sweet and intoxicating. Kind of like this new tote I created today. That's why I named her "Sassafras." She's sweet and intoxicating! I love these beautiful fall/winter colors -- root beer brown, salmon red, golden wheat, pumpkin orange with a kick of cool turquoise. Turquoise is the color of choice this year in many fabrics -- that's for sure. This (aptly named) fabric line, "Hot Blossom", is the creation of Josephine Kimberling for Robert Kaufman fabrics.
three of the cutest pleats you ever did meet...
I think she's adorable. 
Happy Bloomin' Tuesday
It worked.
I prefer it when things go my way. I'm an analytical person residing in an artist's body. I have my moments of creative panache, but deep down I'm a very structured person. If I have a plan, come rain or come shine, I'll stick to it, by golly. Problems arise, however, when "the plan" doesn't cover all the variables. That's what happened last week as I began the refinishing and reupholstering process of the chair I bought a month ago. You will remember I posted details last week of the first phase of my "shabby to chic" chair project -- the refinishing of the wood. I took photos (above) of the lovely wood chair I had painted. It was a beautiful, satin black, and I mentioned in my blog post that I was looking forward to moving on to the reupholstering of the chair. I'll pick the story back up where I left off, but I'm warning you the story gets ugly...
Several hours after the picture taking and the uploading of my blog post detailing the painting of the chair, I went outside to check on my handiwork and, much to my chagrin, I notice the black paint had started to bubble in several places on the chair. My calling as a fine furniture refinisher came crashing down around me. Apparently, I had neglected one of the elementary rules of furniture refinishing ... that of sanding. I had drawn the erroneous assumption that one either sanded or used primer. I thought one replaced the other as the first step. A lesson learned. It appears one must sand and prime to achieve the kind of finish one would capture from a professional job.
Well, this totally messed up my "plan" and my analytical self took a tailspin. I wanted this project to be packaged in a neat little box, instead it was turning into a nightmare. My precise plan and time-line for this chair's revamp was booted from here to Kansas. Dang! The only thing left to do was to strip all my applied paint and the old varnish and stain off the chair and start over. Humility is a hard pill to swallow.
Applying the remover was the easy part. Clearing away all that gobbily-gook was the test. All of a sudden all the handsome curves and rounded corners that I had bragged about on this chair became my nemesis.
In early September I decided to make three totes out of the four fabrics to the left. I had been to a fabric store that day and had a difficult time trying to figure out which of the fabrics to buy, because they all appealed to me for different reasons. So... I decided to buy them all and do a little experiment. I thought it would be fun to see how different or similar they would appear by using slightly different combinations of the four fabrics in three different totes.
Then I went on to create "Loose Leaf"...
Here they all are. Triplet sisters, but definitely not identical. Two are residing in my Etsy. One has already flown the coop...
Are you ready for a little soire'e? Well get ready, because it's "Party Time" at Just Another Hang Up! That's the name of this fun-filled tote I made yesterday out of Lila Tueller's fabric line called "Soire'e." I've loved this collection (currently on sale at The Quilted Castle) since the moment it was introduced.
As is much of the nation we are having some fabulous fall weather in Colorado. When we speak with out-of-state visitors, they are usually surprised by the weather along the front range in Colorado. Often they associate Colorado with freezing temps and heavy snowfall. That may be true in the mountain regions, but along the "front range" (from Ft. Collins in the north through Denver to Colorado Springs in the south) the temperatures are much more moderate and the snowfall considerably less. It's not unusual for us to have 60 degree weather on Christmas day. This time of year we enjoy crystal clear, cerulean skies and rich earthy shades saturate the landscape. The small photo above was taken a few minutes ago in our front yard. A couple of days ago I went into our backyard and took the pictures below to give you a taste of an October day in Colorado...
I hope you're having a beautiful day
I have read a number of posts recently where ladies have incorporated apples into their recipes. Tis the season for a little apple love. A couple of days ago I decided to make another batch of sourdough with the same recipe I gave you earlier. It's so easy to pull my sourdough starter out of the fridge in the evening, mix in a few things, and leave it on my counter to rise all night. I love that process. The airy, pungent dough greats me with a soft "hello" when I come downstairs in the morning. By mid morning we have the aroma of sourdough bread drifting through the house, and by noon there are loaves cooling on the counter. Surely there is bread in heaven.
How's a girl supposed to keep a slim-trim figure
You may remember several weeks ago I posted about a chair I had purchased and was looking forward to refinishing. It had the ugliest raspberry fabric covering it, but its bones were fabulous. Beautifully turned and carved features. I mentioned that I needed some advice as to how to reupholster and refinish it, as I had never done either before. I then mentioned that I was thinking of painting it black. That caused a bit of a stir. I heard, in no uncertain terms, that I should not paint that chair -- let alone, paint it black. If I had to paint it at all, a couple of you suggested that I paint it a lighter color to show off the beautiful detail of the chair. I've heard this advice before, and generally I agree wholeheartedly. I appreciated your advice very much.
Clockwise from top left:
Fortunately a couple of weeks ago we had a rather terrific windstorm that knocked a hefty branch off our aspen tree, so I had plenty of sticks to use. I just spray painted those babies, plopped them in a container (any will do), and whaalaaa!
These decorations incorporate the "Three "E's" of decorating.
I've decided to hang up another shingle. I believe I've found something better than sewing. Years ago my daughter encouraged me to open a bakery. That was back when I cooked on a regular basis. Judging from how often my oven gets turned on now, that thought probably wouldn't cross her mind. We even had a name for our bakery... "Sweet Mamas." Great name, don't you think? Well, if ever I should open that bakery I have found my signature item.
Maybe I'd better stick to sewing...
until you light it...
and turn out the lights.
Then it becomes the center of attention...
A real show-stopper...
This idea came from Sarah, at Thrifty Decor Chick. Here's all you need to complete this cute project. Many of the items you might already have at home. If not, Hobby Lobby has all of its candles and votives on sale this week at 50% off. These votives were on sale for $1.50 each (they are larger than most) and the candles were $1.25 for six! Google eyes were $1.99 -- enough for two votives. I had the rolled gauze on hand...
Waaa-aa-aaaaa...
This is the time of year when Bloomin' Tuesday becomes a bit of a challenge. Seriously. There just isn't much blooming when temperatures dip to 19 degrees and snow is falling. Of course it is close to 60 degrees today, but this last weekend we had a cold front move through (emphasis on cold) and all of my blooms took a dive. This is what my garden looks like today...
My roses were blooming steadily through last week, but this is what they look like today. Can't even get them to raise their little heads. That's snow in the background of the photo ... and my tears on the rose!
Enough of the pity party. Take a look at the resilience of this leaf. He has one appendage that has turned into a beautiful russet red, but the rest of him is hanging on to summer for all he's worth. So funny. As much as I love autumn, I know how he feels.
All this chilly weather just gives me more reason to stop by the store and pick up some of these lovelies. It's as good an excuse as any to fill my house with flowers.
It's time to reveal the results of this month's "Give a Hoot!" Give-Away. This little Hang Up is sure to make one little ghost or goblin happy on Halloween night! Thank you all for participating in this month's contest. Feel free to come back often to peruse my blog and Etsy shop. All the rest have sold but there is one child-size Halloween tote remaining in my Etsy this morning, so feel free to grab it before it flies out the door!
I've also been feeling a bit "domestic" of late. I think it's the cool fall weather -- makes me want to fire up the oven. I've been craving sour dough bread, so today I made a sour dough starter. The only negative thing about making a sour dough starter is the strong smell that the multiplying yeast gives off. By this afternoon my kitchen will smell like a brewery. It's not a good thing for a little Mormon gal's kitchen to smell like a brewery. It's sure to raise some eyebrows. Within a few days, however, I'll be able to pop the sour dough starter into the fridge and my kitchen will take on its usual fragrance. I'm excited to have the aroma of sour dough baked goods drifting through my home as I bake some delicacies in my oven! Here's a look at that starter. It looks kind of scary and halloweenish if you ask me... waaa--aa-aaaa. This will be a great example of something good, coming from something bad. I'll snap some photos in the next few weeks of some of the items I bake with this awful looking stuff...
I'm loving the woodsy, fall colors that are permeating the landscape these days. Nature is putting on a fabulous display of rich, earthy hues ... luscious goldens, rustic reds, spicy oranges, chocolate browns, topped off with a few dashes of lime green. We have two oak trees in our back yard. I think all the squirrels in our neighborhood are using our still green lawn as a repository for their pillaged acorns. They are accumulating a substantial food storage.
Tina Given's line, "Annabella."
And finally, Michael Miller's Whimsy line.
I'm digging into the archives this week for a slideshow of photos I took last fall. I'm a bit out of commission (had foot surgery last week), so I can't meander about my garden to take photos. These pictures were taken at "Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch" in Longmont, Colorado. During October this organic produce ranch is all about pumpkins and squash in all shapes and sizes! They grow all varieties for cooking and carving. They also have a variety of activities -- educational tours -- carnival fun -- hay maze -- and pumpkin patch -- for visiting school children and every weekend in October they have a Fall Festival. Lots of fun going on there! Hope you enjoy the photos...
Today was a fall day that screamed "baking." I'll explain... Twice a year our church holds a bi-annual conference that is televised throughout the world. It's a two day conference with four two-hour sessions that feature speakers from the leaders of our church around the world. We love this time to be able to hear inspirational and spiritual talks from these wonderful men and women. This particular conference came at an especially good time for me. Since I'm still recovering from foot surgery and have, out of necessity, been in a reclined position, it was nice to be able to relax and watch these sessions on TV. However, the challenge with being in a horizontal position and watching TV, is that one has the potential of getting a little drowsy. I counteracted this tendency to snooze with sugar -- and lots of it.
So...today, since I needed a little sugar coursing through my veins to keep me attentive, I baked a batch of these pumpkin cookies. I'm sure you all have this recipe, but here are a few pictures just to give you the incentive to whip up a batch for yourself!
Happy Autumn!
What surprised me this week?
Several weeks ago I mentioned that when we received all the photos taken at our daughter's wedding reception, I would post some photos of the flowers for Bloomin' Tuesday. As promised, here is a sampling of the photos taken by Angie Wilson Photography. The flowers were arranged by the very talented Sarah at Painted Primrose in Boulder. She's amazing, as you can see...
In the photo above -- top right hand corner -- is a side view of two of the layers of the wedding cake!
To see more Bloomin' Tuesday posts, go to Ms. Green Thumb Jean's and browse.
I'm a bit under the weather. A little more "unavailable" than usual. Flat out on the couch. Suffice it to say I had a little operation on my foot, so I'm laying low for awhile. I'm good though. I've got my pain pills within reach and my husband at my beck and call. And I do. Beck and call -- often. (Bless that man.)
I've also got some luscious yarns in my bag.
Plus, I'll be having a give-away come the end of the week!
I've had a sew-a-thon going on at my house. I don't know if I've ever cranked out as many projects within a two day period. I got all seven of the Trick-or-Treat bags finished for my grandkiddos and two more to boot. They turned out really cute. Some of the fabric I bought at fabric.com and the rest at Walmart. I usually don't purchase fabric at Walmart. The saying "you get what you pay for" seems to apply particularly well in the fabric department at Walmart. I never use their less-expensive fabric on my other totes. However, I decided since these Halloween bags will only be used once a year it would be foolish to buy an expensive fabric when a less expensive one will do. Plus they had a great selection of Halloween fabric and, did I mention, it was $2.44/yard? Yes, that was a determining factor as well. These little totes are fully lined and interfaced with fusible fleece. I might put some in my Etsy later this week. Anyway, here is a sampling of some of the Trick-or-Treat bags I created...
Notice the lining on the one below -- it cracks me up...
This morning I mentioned I was in a creative mood. I bought some Halloween fabric last week with the hope of making a little something for our grandchildren for Halloween. I decided to make little trick-or-treat bags that they could use year after year -- at least while they are small and need only a little tote (rather than a pillowcase). I drew up a pattern and hoped for the best. Generally, there is a lot of tweaking when I come up with a new pattern. It rarely works the first time. This time the original pattern worked like a charm...
Because this was a first attempt with this pattern and I anticipated having to change it, I didn't really consider my fabric choices very carefully. Honestly, I thought this little bag would make it about as far as the trash. If I'd known the pattern would work the first time, I wouldn't have put black on black fabric. Next time I'll do better with fabric selection. Still, it turned out pretty cute...
Don't know if I'll end up selling any of these. I'll see if I'm up to it after making one for each of the grandkids!
Last week I mentioned that I would be making three "sister" totes from four fabrics I had purchased. Most were from the fall-inspired fabric line called "Arcadia" by Sanae for Moda. I'm here to introduce the second tote in that trio...
I'll give you a better look at that voluptuous button so that you, too, can fall in love...
Here's the duo. Two totes with similar fabrics. Two very distinctive looks. Definitely not twins, but clearly sisters...
I told you about these fabrics last week. The orange leafed fabric on top is from a line called "Arcadia" by Sanae for Moda.
The fabric on the bottom of the tote is a Valori Wells creation from her "Deh Li" line. I adore them separately, but together -- ooh-la-la. Together they make me start spouting French.
What do you think of this real coconut shell button? Me? Do I like it? Thank you for asking. I am in love with it. If I wasn't already married, I would marry it. That's why I have taken approximately 756 photos of this bag each one with the button as the main focus... (I'm so transparent.)
This is the first of three bags I'm making with coordinating fabric. It will be fun to see how similar -- or different -- these bags will be with just a few minor changes in fabrics.
I think this new pattern will be a successful one as "Turquoise Tantrum" has already been bought and flown the coop. She's on her way to a new home in Ireland. (I should be so lucky.) I think she'll enjoy living there.
Fall is definitely in the air and all my flowers are feeling the effects of cooler nights and my neglect. Honestly, it has been wonderful these last couple of weeks not worrying about the yard quite so much. We obsessed over it all summer long -- trying to keep it in tip-top condition for the wedding reception. It feels great to let nature take its course and not work quite so hard!
I'm afraid that the last few weeks my poor herbs have been totally ignored. They've started to bloom and will go to seed soon. In the meantime I'm enjoying the beautiful, dainty little flowers of my cilantro and basil...
Have a wonderful Tuesday. To see more Bloomin' Tuesday posts, go to Ms. Green Thumb Jean's.
