Celebrating . . .

Celebrating Aprons! 

I recently did some preliminary work for a local, yet international, factory/retail business toward the opening of a new small gift shop in their factory tour facility. (Their larger retail facility is shown here.)

I did a prototype apron for them.  The buyer wanted a vintage style apron that they could attach their logo to.  After being submitted, it had an "on again, off again" relationship with the company officials.  But finally, an initial order for three aprons "to try" has come thru!  I am so celebrating! (And sewing, of course!) Once they are in the shop, I will show you a photo! But for now . . . .

 . . . . to celebrate, I am offering the aprons that I have in my Etsy shop at HALF OFF!  You can share the celebration with me!  I would like to offer some new styles in my Etsy shop, especialy if this wholesale order takes off, so I am clearing out my existing aprons.  This is a great time for a SALE, since it is wedding season!  Also coming up are backyard BBQ's for the holidays.  Treat yourself to a new apron (you'll look so cute in it!) or purchase one to give as a gift!  Be sure to use coupon code APRON12 to get the huge discount!

Scraps, scraps, and more SCRAPS!

While working on my regular projects, I seem to accumulate lots of scraps!   I have a little wire basket on my sewing desk that I pitch all my usable scraps into. 

When it gets too full, I stuff them in a large plastic Ziploc and hide them away somewhere--in the cupboard, under the bed, anywhere!  What to do with them--When to do something with them? Recently,  I needed the space in my cramped quarters, so I started a crazy quilt top with them.  You can do it too! Anyone can do it!  No need for fussy cutting, or worrying about cutting the patchwork pieces extremely straight.  There's really no wrong or right way to do this!  And there's no pre-prep needed to plan out the quilt top!  Just let it evolve!  A fun adventure with scraps!

You can start with any piece which serves as the middle of your finished block.  Next, sew on scraps; just match a fabric piece to any side of the first piece, making sure you sew a straight stitch.  You can even use a length of fabric that is too long for the side.  Trim it where you need it to end, once you have finished the seam. You keep building, not unlike a log cabin block (tutorial here), until you have the approximate finished size of the block you want.  Then, iron it out flat, trim any seams that are unwieldy. Next, cut a finished block, discarding the uneven and odd edge cuttings that were not used if they are too small.  Toss large enough pieces back into your scarp heap if they can be used again. 

Here I used a panel scrap for a corner. It needed to be cut to fit after the seam was finished.  I only needed a little piece of the red dot fabric to make the corner.

I'll share the progressions of one block here (Started with the purple piece):



find a piece to fit your side 



I felt it was a little short, no problem!



Added another scrap to the end of my scrap!



Regardless of the side, sew a straight line stitch-- trim later.



Finished seam.



A nearly finished block.



Trimmed and ironed--ready for use!



This is a simple way to use-up (upcycle) your scraps.  I will be sure to show off the rest of the process to a finished quilt top in future posts!  Watch for it!  And . . . try this yourself! 

My Constant Companion WW

Nature Inspiration

My favorite Etsy team, Blogging Business Artisans, hosts a monthly challenge.  Team Member Sharla of beadedtail.etsy.com  has challenged us this month with:  "Your challenge is to incorporate your favorite inspiration into a project of your choice."

I always look to nature for my inspiration.  For me, just one look out my window into the tree tops is restful, calming and invigorating! It takes my mind away from the mundane and transports me into the infinite possibilities.  Ever really looked at a tree branch?  In one tree, there is a myriad of ways that the limbs and leaves attach to the branches, never to be redone in that exact same way again.  Ultimate creativity! And you thought a snowflake was really something!!!

So, I took my inspiration from the tree and created nothing as elaborate as God can create, but a tree none-the-less, a simple one!

 
This is my embroidered tree on muslin and homespun.  It's a button down pillow cover.  This is the first in my line of primitive country products for wholesale only.  Not available in my Etsy shop, at least not at this point in time. 

Thanks Blogging Business Artisans for the monthly challenge!  It keeps me creating!!!
P.S.  Visit  the blog link between the 26th and the end of each month to see what other members are creating and find out more about our team!

Last Day for BBA Giveaway

Tomorrow is the last day . . .
for a giveaway by one of my Blogging Business Artisans team members.  Be sure to go enter--NOW--so you don't forget.  It's a $50 gift certificate!  Nice giveaway!  

Nancy of NFallonDesignStudio makes wonderful knit items plus lovely art cards and prints.  I love her watercolors prints. Here is one of my favorites:

So go to Blogging Business Artisans blog, here, and enter the giveaway.  Remember it closes tomorrow, Sunday 11 AM Central time (although it is open worldwide!) 

My 500th Post!

I can't believe it!  This is my 500th Post!

When I started blogging back in December of 2008, I really didn't know where it would take me!  I started because I wanted to support my new fledgling online business and I was told that blogging was one way to do it! 

So, where has it taken me?  What have I accomplished?  Do I want to continue? 

It truly has been an adventure!  I have learned A LOT!!!!  Tags, and SEO; advertising, and content; link parties, and blog rolls--to name a few!  HTML is still a mystery! Wow!  Tons of education about Internet blogging.  And because of the need for blog content, blogging has forced me to do more online research, not a skill that I used much before I became a blogger!

I have made new friends everywhere--Other bloggers, Etsy team members, customers.  I read other blogs now, never did before.  Enjoy interaction with friends online. Thanks to all my wonderful readers!

Do I want to continue!  Yes!  Even though my regular readers are not so many as I would like, I find that I enjoy writing!  I will do it for me! (and you, of course!)  I am also thinking about having my blog posts made into a book for posterity's sake.  There are many online sites that can help with this task. I will list a few:

blog2print.com
blurb.com
bookemon.com
familyheritagepublishers.com

I'm not recommending any of these, just did my research and want to pass along the possibilities.  Isn't that want blogging is all about?  Sharing!!!

See you tomorrow!

Mom, is that you?

This picture was originally posted by my friend Laurie, on one of her lovely blogs. She collects all kinds of odds and ends and makes beautiful things! I don't know where she got this picture, but the two gals on either side of the lamp stand look exactly like my mother and her sister!  The brunette looking like my mom, Jodine, and the blond like my aunt Wilma.  Both sew, and have all of their lives.  They are both in their eighties now.   My aunt Wilma, even altered an evening dress for herself the other day, because she wanted it short, not long for her granddaughters wedding!

Wouldn't it be a hoot to find out that this IS a picture of them!  Mom lives far away from me, so I am re-posting this for her to see on my brother's computer.  We will see what she says!  

My Mother's Day

Yesterday was a wonderful day for me! (For those of you who don't know I am the mother of ten kids!)  Being a church day, the men of our little church served a moms day breakfast! Then for lunch, my youngest daughter and family took hubby and I out for Chinese.  At dinner time my oldest daughter invited us over for BBQ.  Later, we played a game--Mad Gab--with her family: the oldest against the younger--three of my grands and Katrine, our exchange student from Denmark.  The young ones beat us, even with a handicap! Also, some of my grands gave me roses, and, of course, I got lots of calls during the day, including a "Mother-in-law's" Day call from one son-in-law!  First time I ever got one of those, but it was nice! I love and appreciate all of my grown children and how they have matured.  It is such a blessing to enjoy the fruit of one's labor (not even mentioning their wonderful spouses and my grands!)

So here is a treat for you--I thought I would share all of their pictures from eldest to youngest. My prides (plural!) and joy! Obviously cannot show you all the family, spouses and grands, but tried to mix it up to keep it interesting!  



Don and family

  

Jackie and hubby



Tricia

  

Elaine and SIL who called me on Mother's Day





Penny

 

Paula and hubby



Jeremiah and wife




Aaron and family

 

Peter raises and shows horses with his wife



Suzanne with her Dad, my sweet hubby


Now, to show all my twenty five grand kids . . . just kidding!!

Hope you had a wonderful mother's day!