baby quilt

I used a pattern for this quilt from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little ones book.  I like the way it turned out though I din't stitch in the ditch for this one, I hand quilted it instead.

double slice layer cake quilt

I am so happy to have found these tutorials from the Missouri Quilt co.  Great ideas they've so graciously shared.  This first quilt I did this year is for my daughter.  The quilt I made for her before she was born was so tricky and turned out so great that I never actually let her snuggle with it!  It was a wall hanging for the nursery.  Long story short, it's about time she had a quilt of her own to snuggle with.  I was was able to find the cutest layer cake (10" squares of pre-cut fabric) from Fat Quarter Shop.com.  ADORABLE!!! Looks like they don't have the layer cake any longer, but the link shows you each fabric.

the best plan... is no plan

I had some down time today (aka I put in a movie for the girls).  I've been saving these scraps for some throw pillows for my bed.  Here is what happened!

P.S. I love envelope back pillows.

back to school shopping... aka back to school sewing!

I've had my eye on this project for over a year now... I bought this book by Liesl Gibson on a date night with my husband at Powell's book in Portland right before we moved to Ventura.  I love Oliver + S patterns, and fell in love with the Messenger Bag at first sight.  What I appreciate about the Oliver + S patterns is that they are easy to understand with detailed instructions which are incomparable to any other patterns I've used.  

teacher gifts...

I guess the end of the year is actually here... I have a few teacher gifts to prove it!  I did the bow clutch everyone has seen on pinterest... gotta love pinterest and killer tutorials!  Find it here...

a quilt for a girl named Madeleine...

One of my favorite things is watching and hearing about good friends becoming parents.  These are my favorite lines in the email I received about the birth of a friend's first baby Madeleine... "She's healthy and seems happy and all is well. She's my favorite person. We'll talk soon."  ♥  this is my quilt for Madeleine. 

popcorn to go bag...

I love to make cute and practical things.  Things that get worn, used, and serve a purpose.  I realized today that what I love most is being able to make something on the fly because there is an actual need that has just popped up.  Since we've moved and don't have a microwave, I've been making popcorn the old fashioned way like my Dad used to make.  Pot on the stove with olive oil.  He used to dump the popcorn into a brown paper bag, add the melted butter and salt and shake to bag around to get all the goodness distributed.  News flash is that the popcorn tastes a million times better than the microwave stuff and eliminates the trash of the microwave bag.  I'm guessing it's way better for you too.  

So we're off to a soccer game and because I'm thrifty, we made our own popcorn.  Ready to toss in the bag when I realize I have no brown paper bags.  I'm off and sewing a popcorn bag.  Looks cute, gets used, and serves a purpose.  Another plus, is you toss it in the laundry and its ready to go next time... no trash.   I can see this going to the beach, picnics, basketball games, the movies in my "movie purse" (which is a bag big enough for a bag of popcorn, some candy, and a few sodas).   

It's a simple bag with box corners at the bottom, a simple hem around the top that can be tied closed.  

sea weed pillow.... or ruffle pillow?...

I made this crazy fancy ruffle pillow for a friend today... It turned out cute and I now have a new found respect for those who make prom dresses... YIKES! 

pot holders....

I've started to get ready for Christmas!  Scrap buster pot holders are the ticket this year!  I found this killer fancy pot holder tutorial here and I love it!  Perfect if you've got some fat quarters lying around! I modified if of course, and made it without a pocket. 

 I had a few fat quarters of this fabric and it turned out pretty cute. 

handmade bird costume for halloween....

Nothing like waiting till the last minute to make a halloween costume!  Tomorrow night is the first halloween event which means I had  better get my act together for my three year olds bird costume.  I've had my eye on this idea for quite some time now.... posted by handmade charlotte.  I had plenty of leftover fabrics to make this one work!  I added a little skirt with a few rows of feathers to complete this little pink bird. I'm more excited than she is I'm sure, but it was a fun way to spend the morning.  

lunch bag... perfect for a bento lunch box

I'm taking this making lunch thing to the next level... bento.  That's right, I'm completely sucked in and my first grader is loving it!  Cute little flower shaped cheese cutouts, little flower sandwiches, lunch meat kabobs.... it's on.  I found this awesome tutorial from pink penguin for a lunch bag which is exactly the size I needed for the little bento boxes I picked up the other day.

Check out this flickr pool for other projects done with pink penguin's tutorials!  Pretty great stuff. 

Some fabric I had left over from summer clothes a few years ago came in handy for this project.  There really isn't that much fabric needed. 

I love the little cover on top of the bag.  That way it looks cute, and keeps things from falling out!

What's inside... one of these cute sistema boxes (the size I got is on the top right).  Looks like Martha Stewart is teaming up with this company.  I found them at macy's in the Martha Stewart collection which means they are a beautiful blue color and hopefully excellent quality.  

Bento... I love the fun, and love the fact that I send her to school with absolutely nothing that ends up in the garbage.    

fabric origami... what the...?

Three C's describe this project.... Confusing, complicated, and challenging.   I found the project in a book written by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins called One-Yard Wonders.  Check out their facebook page for more inspiration.

The finished product turned out great!  

The finished product turned out great!  

burrito blankies

I made some receiving blankets this weekend!  Using the same method you'd use to make reversible napkins, cut two squares of fabric.  One measuring 34 inches and the other 36 inches.  I chose some cute quilters flannel for the smaller square and some great prints for the larger squares.  Lay the large square down wrong side facing up.  Center the smaller square of flannel right side up and pin all the way around.  Double fold the overhanging inch all the way around while pressing, and miter corners.  Pin like a mad woman and topstitch the binding all the way  around.  A cozy flannel lined burrito blankie for winter babies everywhere.

scrappy pillow

O- the joy of cleaning the fabric cupboard(s).  I've been wanting to convert these pillows I purchased at the Pottery Barn for years and finally took the plunge.  So a simple quilt square of fabrics I've been hanging on to, turns into this!  Great Sunday sewing project.