V and Co's Abby Tote

I feel like I suck at all this blogging stuff these days. I mean, I'm getting things done, but by the time I actually finish something and have a chance to take a picture, it's night time! Then, the next day, I forget and/or don't have a chance to take pics with daylight! (We won't even talk about the precious shirts I've made Noah with Expressions Vinyl iron-on vinyl- I want to show you but by the time I see him in the afternoon he's a mess and the shirt is so dirty!)

Well, not today! Yesterday I sewed up V and Co's Abby tote! My fabric (Robert Kaufman's Metro Living Rings in Pewter and Anthology Fabrics' Bryant Park Rooftop Garden in Yacht) came in the mail, I threw it in the wash then stayed up sewing til the wee hours of the morning (which seemed like a good idea at the time... but then 6am came early this morning!).
After school today, I actually thought to have Joe take a couple pics of it for me!

I look excited, huh?

As I mentioned before, I am a bit obsessed with the grey-yellow combo, though this is actually the first thing I've made with it! The bag itself was not tough to make- the pattern is very clear and concise. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a quick sew (like I thought it would be!), but it's not difficult! I like that it's reversible, but I don't know how often I will take advantage of that and may add some pockets soon to just make it a huge purse. I did add a 16"x6" fabric-covered cardboard piece in the bottom of the bag, but sewed a casing with the fabric rather than hot gluing it.

To summarize: great pattern, cute bag- remembered to take a pic in daylight. Woot!

current project (for someone else)

(please excuse the cell phone pics- someone has hidden the battery charger for the camera. I have my suspicions that it's a short, bald, handsome fellow. )

When I went back to working full time (while still working my 15/hr a week part time job), I decided I was not going to sew/embroider for people anymore.

The only thing is, I seriously SUCK at saying "no"... which is actually a good thing in this case!

I am so honored to be doing this awesome project for Mary Catherine, a sorority sister of mine from "back in the day". She contacted me, in oh January, and told me she has a bunch of aprons that belonged to her grandmother that she has had sitting around since she passed away in 2004- I immedately got excited. I got into quilting soley for the purpose of finishing my great-grandmother's unfinished quilt tops- I LOVE family things like this!

Mary Catherine asked if I could make 3 mini-quilts (about 24" x 36") for her and she is planning to frame them and give one to her mother, one to her aunt, and keep one for herself for Mother's Day.

So precious. How could I say no?!

After a lot of back-and-forth about the details/design, we decided on a simple half-square triangle design with Kona white. I think these are going to be awesome! The prints are all so different (to quote Mary Catherine: "some of these are really ugly"), but I think that's what makes it so great- I'm sure that each of these patterns hold a memory or two of her sweet Grandmama.

I can't wait to finish these up and send them to her!

you know what this blog has been missing?

This boy.

He's getting so silly, and refuses to look at a camera. That's getting old quick.

He even came to visit me at school yesterday to bring me lunch!

I love that boy.

DING! DING! DING!

We have a winner!
According to Random.org, the winner of the awesome quarter yard fabric bundle is...

... comment #14 - miamihoney!

(I have sent you an email- so please check it for further instructions!)

Thanks for entering, everyone- and thanks for the beautiful fabric, Down Shadow Lane!

Now get off the computer and go have a fun Saturday! :)

I'm embarassingly predictable.

This was my cart from Fabricworm a minute ago:

grey.

yellow.

grey.

yellow.

then i started thinking about the fact that my house is a little:

grey.

yellow.

grey.

yellow.

yikes.

the play/sew room is now ready for playing and sewing!

*If you're looking for the Down Shadow Lane Giveaway, it's in this post.*
***The giveaway ends tomorrow night so go sign up!***

This past weekend we almost finished the mini-redo of the play/sew room! We patched the walls, painted the room, hung shelves, made some new wall art (the Seuss fabric hoops) and organized, organized, organized!

I say "almost finished" because you will notice in these pictures:

A) There are no blinds! The old ones from the previous owners literally fell off the window. Strings snapped, huge disaster. But I'm ok with it because we planned to slowly replace all the blinds in the house with the 2" faux wood kind (I say slowly because that 63" window? $80 worth of blinds. YIKES!). The new blinds are here and will be hung this afternoon!

B) There's one more big blank space on the wall (to the right of the shelves)- but I'm ok with that- I hope to one day put a quilt wall hanging there!

Either way, I love the way it is now- so bright and cheerful!

(Hmm... I just realized that I might as well call this the IKEA room)

I love this idea that's been floating around the internet and it seemed like a great way to bring a little "theme" to the room without going overboard (or using too much of my precious Seuss stash!)

Did you get a look at those IKEA shelves? They make me so happy!

We put them both up there in the corner for my sewing supplies that are most often used. Thinking way ahead, we think that they'll also work there in the corner with a changing table underneath them, should this room ever becoming a nursery.

My silhouette and I went to work labeling and organizing everything.

Between this room and the mini-bolts in my fabric cabinet, I am so excited! I love getting organized, it's just keeping it organized that's the problem! I'm hoping having everything out of reach of tiny hands will help!

wordless wednesday

happy birthday to me.

(I'm not so good with the "wordless" part, am I?)