Cute Little Wallets

I bought this great pattern by Valorie Wells called "Little Wallet" and they are just adorable. I made two the other day and they are so cute! They can hold credit cards or cash. I even put in some change and shook it around and it stayed put. I'm not kidding when I say "little" wallet though. Might be really cute for a child or for in that "fun" purse that you use on special occasions. They don't use much fabric and you can make the interior pockets scrappy and fun. I'm sure I will make many more!

Advent Calendar

I follow this GREAT blog and saw an idea that I just had to attempt to replicate.
Peanut Blossom Advent Calendar.
So I set out to:
#1 find such a calendar to "spruce up". Luck would have it that Target did have one fairly similar. So I got it.
#2 Select fun papers to do the job. Luckily I have a great resource at my church. A gal who sells "Stampin' Up" products.

So here is my product with MUCH help from Miss E. She did a great job helping me choose papers to combine and ideas to try. She became in expert gluer I must say!
They have loved opening it and finding the treasures and notes that lie within.

UFOs and not the flying type!

UFOs in the quilting world are Un-Finished Objects. In my sewing room, PLENTY of them reside. Samples made and never finished and left over fabric scraps just waiting for inspiration to strike. Soooooo I have been working on these "piles" around my sewing room and it is keeping me plenty busy! I even went to a quilt shop with a gift certificate in hand and DID NOT buy a piece of fabric. My piles at home are just calling to me to be creative with what I have and make something fun.

My Mom also gives me her great leftovers. It is like buying NEW fabric when I get something from her stash. Pictured above is a combo using blocks she had left over from a mystery quilt that she did. I made the diagonal striped blocks that are on a foundation square. VERY easy sewing. But it will be a cute quilt when done. DONE.... that is a word that fails me lately UNLESS it is a bag I am making as a gift OR something with a deadline.


But thinking about my life, I am a UFO.... an unfinished object. We all grow and change while we are kids, but once that "physcial" growing stops, then comes much growth in other areas. This spring I would like to grow in a few ways. Grow in my physical health. Grow in my ability to have patience with my kiddos. Grow in my ability to prioritize the important stuff day to day. I have a knack for the ability to ignore the piling laundry and go sew. Not always the best choice. Striking a better balance is what I would like.

So if you have any UFOs around your sewing room OR things in the corners of your life that you would like to change... Let me challenge you to do so! It's SPRING!! Great things are possible!

Baby Quilts Part 3

I made these 4 quilts for some kiddos who live in Kansas City. My cousin requested some quilts for them. She told me their favorite colors and I had fun making these colorful quilts to send to them. I tried some new patterns as well, which is always fun. The purple and green one with the stars was really fun and easy to do and quilt.



I have made several of these "I spy" baby quilts. They are so fun because you can play games with the quilts. My kids love playing "I spy with my little eye..." and it was fun to make quilts that could be cuddled with and played with as well.




This quilt wasn't a baby quilt, but was a graduation gift for one of our 1st babysitters! Her favorite colors are lime green, orange, purple and blue. WOW that was a fun palate to play with. I used a pattern from Atikinson Designs called Lucky Stars. The great thing about this pattern is that the stars "float". So you don't have worry about your points being perfect. Great for me as I was a beginner when I made this quilt.

Gala Purse

I made a really cute purse to auction off at the Gala for my kids' school this year.
This was the first time I had made this pattern calledMargo Handbag by Lazy Girl Designs. It is a pretty fun bag and I hope the winner likes it as well.

Purse for hire

I made my 1st "purse for hire." I have made oodles and gobs of gifts. I have made many store samples, some of which have been sold. I have also made some cute little library book tote bags for a friend, which I can turn out in an hour. But THIS my friends was my 1st "purse project" for hire!! My son has a wonderful teacher and she approached me to make a purse for her Grandmother for Christmas. I was so flattered! I have made many purses and bags for the staff at our school as gifts. But to make one for pay... hmmm... this is new for me. She said her Grandma liked tan, beige, etc. pretty nuetral colors. I had a gorgeous fabric hiding in my stash that plays on these colors, but is a little more interesting. I love how it turned out and so did her Grandma, which warms my heart to no end.

Baby Quilts Part 2

I really enjoy making baby quilts, as I may have stated before. I get to try new patterns and be creative and they are small and easy to complete.


This quilt I made for a great friend of mine. It is such a cute pattern with the pinwheel flowers. This quilt is made of batik fabrics and was fun choosing all the different green and blues to make the grass and sky!








This nursery rhyme quilt was made for one of my nephews. It was the color of his nursery at the time and a fun quilt. Kind of a "cheater" quilt as there is a large panel in the center. But the scene was so cute that I liked showing it in full.










This quilt is a popular pattern and a great one for beginners. It is called Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson Designs. I made this quilt for a good friend who lives on a farm. The fabrics have little piggies, cows, clouds and other animals. Looking back on it the colors are a little pastel for a boy. Much better "farm" fabrics have come out since then.







This fun quilt was for a great friend of mine from Graduate school. She loves COLOR and I knew her little girl would as well. Making all the stars in the sashing was great fun. The technique is not as hard as it looks. You add the triangles onto the long sashing pieces to create the star affect.