Treat Bags G and S

We had 6 days of record heat last week. Finally had fall arrive yesterday. Highs in the 70's. I almost want to break out the mittens.

After sewing the cowboy outfit this weekend I am in the Halloween mood. My plan it to make some mini treat bags for the ladies that work for me. I have 8 to do and big lofty plans of what I want to make. If I work on them now they may get them by Christmas.

Trick or Treat Bag

I like sewing from my head so much better than from a pattern. Although they both sometimes feel like they are in French (see previous post).
Scraps from the western quilt I made, added in a few scraps of the cow print fur for a pretty awesome trick or treat bag for the cowboy. The brown faux leather is scraps from David's messenger bag. The other side of the bag. Decided to put the gromets around the top and will pick up some rope or twine for the handle. The Mom of the cowboy's name starts with J also. I didn't want her to steal the bag so I put his name across it.

Out of the sewing room for the day.

Yee Haw

David is on call all weekend. Which is perfectly fine with me. I have enough things I want to get done around the house. I opened up a Halloween pattern last night to browse through the instructions. Can you tell what is wrong with this picture? One of the sheets if printed in French. Doesn't do me much good since I can't read French.

The good news is Butterick patterns are only 99 cents at Joanns this week. They didn't have another one in the size I needed so I just bought the next bigger size just for the instructions.

The added detail finished off the vest perfectly.

And what little cowboy wouldn't look great in these chaps.

Splash of Red

I was able to finish the other hip bag I started.
This one was made from the scraps of the other hip bags. I like the little splash of red.

And a little more red on the back of the bag.

New Toy

David's new toy.
The ladies in my office pointed out that Mason has driven it twice and David still hasn't turned over the keys to me yet. I have already warned David he gets nothing for our anniversary next month.

Back To Work

After I got moved I decided to play around a bit.
Totally forgot I had the dark brown circles fabric. This is what I am thinking of using for a bag for one of my nieces.

Then I auditioned fabrics for turkey feathers.

My boss has a birthday on Tuesday. I seriously doubt that he dries the dishes at his house. These are really more for his wife than him.

And one of the ladies that I just hired started working for me the day after her birthday I didn't figure that out until this past week. I have already posted a photo of the embroidery when I did the same design for my Mom.

David is the proud and do I mean PROUD new owner of a 2011 Ford Mustang GT. I have photos just one my other laptop. He even let Mason drive it Saturday night to take Megan to the movies.

Moved

I would like to say I am 100% moved into the new craft room but it is really more like 90% done.
Love the light in this room. But I am going to need curtains before next summer arrives. I can see it being too bright at times.

The closets need to be reodne and have the Closetmaid orgainizers put in like I did in the other closets in the house. For now I can stash stuff in there and close the doors. Plus a little sliver of wall space to put one of my paper racks on.

I also gained another shelving unit during the move. Nice to spread out and not have the shelves so stuffed. At some point I will go back and organize things. Just had to get them off the floor for now. And on the far right there is the 2nd paper rack my father in law made me. Nice to have all my cardstock in the same room with me again.

Brought up two tables from the garage to work on.

I still have some things tucked away in our master bedroom closet and under our bed. Hope to get everything contained into this room. Will sure make things easier when working on a project.

How Long?

How long do you think it will take me...
to move all of this...

up the stairs to this room?

David will be glad to have the dinning room back. I can't wait to stuff those two closets full of all my junk.

Japanese Festival

Mason volunteered at the Japanese Festival over the weekend. It was a nice break from the weeks drama until it started raining.

Of course Mason and David's favorite part of the festival was feeding the koi and eating Pocky. Afterwards they took me to Benihana's for my birthday. Notice the whole Japanese theme here, that would be Mason's doing.

My mother will be disappointed there isn't a photo of Mason. It was so dark under the trees I didn't get a good photo of him. I do have another Benihana photo of the three of us I will post for her later this week.

Running to the fabric store to look at fabrics for my craft room today. Need new curtains and to recover two chair seats. It is a good distraction for me.

Coming Up for Air

I finally feel like I can come up for some air.

It has been one heck of a week. Kim, our 17 1/2 year old daughter (adopted in 2008) decided to run away from home last week. To make a long story short... Wasn't too hard to find her and we have since agreed to allow Kim to stay with her oldest sister and biological mother about 4 hours away from us. I have to believe that we served some purpose in her life and that this is the path that was chosen for all.

To find the bright side in this. The craft room that I gave up when Kim and her sisters first moved in 3 years ago is being reclaimed as my craft room again. It has fabulous closet space and great lighting. It will probably take me a month to move all my junk into it. Might just be good therapy.

Yes, Another One

The photo is a little blurry but you can get the idea.
I really need to buy some big buttons. I even had a chance to get another one about 80% completed. So far I am not tired of the pattern. Eventually I want to make one to keep for myself. But I don't even know what fabric I would use.

Happy Labor Day

Got a chance to do a little bit more sewing today. I have been using the embroidery machine alot lately but I do know how sew also. Unfortunately when I find a pattern or tutorial that I like I make it until everyone is sick of seeing it.

Still need the instructions for the cutting the fabric sizes but I got the rest of it in my head now. Think I can whip up one more before the day is over. I might even break into the "good" fabric.

Home Alone

Now that they are headed home I will tell you. David and Mason left Friday afternoon to visit David's parents for the weekend. Kim stayed a couple nights at friends house. So I have been home alone most of the weekend. Peaceful. This was one of the projects tucked away on my computer I have wanted to try. You can find it on Susie Country Garden. Look on the right sidebar for all of her tutorials. This is the Passport/Travel Purse. Still need to find a button for the turquoise bag. The finished size is about 6x8 1/2 inches. Great little on the run bag.

There is a pocket on the front and...

Even a smaller pocket on the inside. Look down in there and you can see the yellow pocket. Great project for using up some medium size scraps.

I did use fusible fleece for mine. The instructions called for it and I had plenty in my stash. If you don't have any available you can layer some batting scraps. Her instructions were fairly easy to follow if you have sewn before. I did have to read a couple of the steps a few times. On the second bag I left one of the inside seams open to turn the bag. That way I could have a machine finished edge on the top.

Does anyone own a serger? Do you have any advice? My birthday is this coming week. David keeps talking about buying me an iPad. As much as it would be cool to have an iPad I think I would use a serger so much more.

Back to the sewing room.

More

More fabric covered folders. The pattern and instructions can be found at Studio E Fabrics. The little frog case is a business card case.

And an exra one for an Aunt that likes frogs.

More fabric covered folders. Quite DNA-ish.

One final folder.

This one for a woman at my office.

I have a folder on my computer labeled More Projects. I save things there that I would try when I have time. Today I had some time. The business card case came from there. And I have another project I will show you tomorrow. Just one more day left of the long weekend. So far it has been more than I could have hoped for.

Fuzzy Little Guy

I ran out of kitchen towels and had to switch over to hand towels to entertain myself today. Had a little problem and had to rip out a bunch of stitches. Which is not easy when it is stitched by an embroidery machine.

Second try turned out better. He is so much fun to pet. Quite a fuzzy little guy.

Changing Season

If feels like fall here today. Not sure my Mom needs more dish towels but I will send them anyway. It was hard to find fall-ish type fabrics in my stash.

The mushroom tops are courdroy fabric. It gave them a nice texture.

It was fun to go a little crazy with the appliques.

I found a good deal on the towels at Marshalls.

A little more of the courdroy.

My friend that I did the craft fairs with last fall came by for a while today. She bought an embroidery machine late last year and hasn't used it. Ahh the horror.

Mini Quilt

The mini quilt has arrived at its new home so I can share it with all of you now.

The flowers are from a in the hoop coaster pattern. I thought they would be cute attached to the quilt also but left them loose for the new owner to decide.

Heating element went out in the dryer Sunday. Pulled it out to make room for a new one and found another pin hole leak in a pipe behind the washer. The leak fixed yesterday and the new dryer being delivered today.