I couldn't Resist

I figured since I had the fabric out, I might as well sew up the matching purses for the babies! I'm quite pleased with how they turned out!

Tuesday Tidbits

We're in the final planning stages for our cross country move to California. It looks like the pets and I will be moving out first to meet the movers and then I'll fly back for Mark's change of command and we'll bring the second vehicle and the last of our household goods. The timing is dependent on the movers but we should know by this week what our timeline is. We're excited to say the least!
I've been busy getting ready for our store stocking but found time to make a purse for Tabetha for her birthday. I have enough fabric to make matching miniature versions for the babies!

Getting ready for a store stocking

Ellie the Elephant


Dilly the Dragon, hope he doesn't fly away with those wings!

Jack the Cat, comes with his own fishbone!

Just things

I had a horrible week at work this week and was emotionally drained. I am fortunate to have the support of two good friends, some awesome daughters, and a loving husband, but sometimes... just sometimes it takes something more to lift one's spirit. For me, creativity, the touch and smell of fabric, the sound of my dream machine humming is just the spark I need. Saturday, after a deep sleep, I cut and sewed quilt blocks and the Sunday I spent the day assembling a table runner for my dining room table. I have to admit, sometimes I impress even myself. I'm not a quilter at all, I think the one quilt I have made in the past is mediocre at its best, but I have recently discovered fabric charm packs and knew I had to find some way to justify the purchase. I talked to a coworker who quilts, she assured me that binding a quilt was "a piece of cake". After the first few hourglass squares came out, well...square, I figured I would keep going. Three attempts to call my coworker, attempts meaning I never got to talk to her so I knew I was on my own. Me and the world wide web! I found instructions for binding a quilt that sounded pretty close to what my coworker had described and I figured, let's go for broke. I didn't understand how to end it, but found a way to make the join look pretty darn good, if I do say so my humble self! I figured it was for me, a treat to lift my sagging spirit, and since 1. I seldom sew for myself, and 2. no one was going to care but me how it ended up, I plunged ahead. I am so happy with the result, I have decided to make the girls each one for Christmas! Mark humors me, as usual, mentioning that he just had to walk through the dining room to admire the new table runner but I don't care, I do it as well!


I ordered a embroidery design for a magic princess wand and when it unsuccessfully downloaded, I emailed the owner who answered quite promptly, resent the design and then included an untested Birthday Girl wand that she asked me to test! I immediately put aside my to do list and made both the birthday and the princess and somehow figured out how to add Ayla's name to it! I'm on a roll with impressing myself with small victories so far this week! Ayla's is just a practice one, not sure I like the color, but I will finish it up and see how it looks. I just used leftover Valentine ribbon on the test Birthday Girl wand, in fact, the ribbon is just taped to the dowel I use to make korker ribbons. (translation....very curly grosgrain ribbon like you find on barrettes, etc)so I'm not sure how it will end up when finished. She passed the test though!

Clearance Rack jammies personalized for the grandbabies. Packed in their Valentines Day box, ready to mail tomorrow!

Bye Bye Baby Boy Blue, leaving for PA this week, dressed in a cloth diaper, crocheted sweater and crocheted hat

Bye Bye Toby, he's off to Walla Walla, Washington

Gizmo, the first in a new line of fleece robots, he became a thank you gift for a buyer

The machine has been humming this weekend, robots coming alive, waiting for arms/legs; planned for this weeks stocking of inventory. I finished the wallet to got with Jacq's purse and still want to make her a zippered pouch for misc makeup or whatever. The instructions weren't very clear, however, I suppose since they were free I won't complain. The next one I will make some small changes and perhaps embroider the front since I now know what IS the front!

Just a side note about a hero on the Eastern Shore. One of my favorite troopers risked his life Friday night to pull three critically injured babies from an overturned car that was fully engulfed with flames. He shrugged off the praise as "part of his job" which in my mind and heart is what is indicative of a true hero. My own rescue squad (Mark leading the charge) brought the babies to my partner and I at the ER and the entire three crews stayed until they were sure we had it under control...and I mean they stayed for hours! Another true bunch of hero's.

Busy Busy Busy

I have so many projects I'm dying to work on, I don't know where to start. I have the most adorable fabric to make Ayla and Sophie coordinating outfits but they're for summer so that's low on my list. I have all the stuff to make Ayla a puppet theater, but that's for her birthday in April, so move that down. I have the richest fabric to make totes for the mom's for mothers day, and the lining fabric arrived the other day, but...that's not til May. Jacqueline's birthday is in February so I decided that project should be first. I've actually had the fabric for awhile but today I put it to work. I made her an Amy Butler (if you're a sewer, you'll know who Amy Butler is, if not, don't worry about it! lol) purse. Colors in the photo aren't very vivid but its a wonderful chocolate brown and turquoise pattern. The inside is a coordinating polka dot! The purse is lacking the wood button on the front because I haven't found the ones I bought for this specific project! I'll make her a matching wallet and zipper bag to go along with the purse and of course wallets don't arrive empty, bad luck you know.


I made the girls dish towels to include in their Valentines Day package and one for me too.

I had made Ayla a sock monkey shirt and decided to make an appliqued onsie for Sophie. It was an adventure to say the least. This was onsie #2 since the first one was eaten by the dreaded embroidery machine!


Don't look at the next picture if nudity offends you! This little baby has male parts, which I refer to as "boy bits". A friend is expecting a little boy and her two year old daughter will have a baby boy of her own when he arrives! Complete!