disguising a DS

Recently a little girl in our house got a Nintendo DS for her 7th Birthday, I'm told this is just the beginning of electronics (and expensive) gadgets for kids these days....lovely....anyways....I thought being the "sewing mamma" that I am.....hey....that is an idea for a DS game...they have Cookin Mamma....how about a Sewing Mamma?......anyways....











This is what I came up with for her to use to store her DS. I used some of my cutsie, girlie fabrics, lined one of the linings with batting for a little extra cushion when dropped and reinforced the handle with some cording I had from another crafty project....

Then to close the bag I used a good, sticky Velcro....works like a charm! I got this pattern from Sweetwater last year when I won 7 of their patterns off their blog...this one is called "little details" so easy and so, so quick. Speaking of Sweetwater.....take a lookie at their blog....they gave a couple "sneak peaks" at a new line they have coming out in 2011........holy cuteness! DARLING!!!

I did a little fabric shopping last week on fabric.com (gotta love free shipping all the time on any purchase over 35.00!)....got a few prints I had been eyeing for a while....these 2 are from the Robert Kaufman line "metro cafe" I did not know what I wanted to use it for so I only bout 1/2 yard of each....I have a feeling I should have ordered more.

for Jenny and Lucy

About 2 years ago my sister-in-law Kim had told me that her Aunt Janet had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, instantly I felt horrible for her and their family....Ovarian cancer is so, so nasty (what cancer isn't?) My Grandma Heeter passed away from ovarian cancer at the age of 80 so in a lot of ways she was a lucky one....she was diagnosed at 78 and fought it 2 hard years so to die at 80 that is still a really full life. Janet too fought it for 2 hard years and passed away in May at the age of 60. 60 to me is NOT that old. Janet had 1 child, Jenny. Kim (my SIL) and Jenny are cousins and very, very close. Kim and Jenny asked if I could make a quilt using some of Janet's clothing...I had never done anything like it before but I agreed and got a bag of clothing in July and Jenny got the finished product on Thursday.
Jenny liked the quilt I had made for my nephew Garrett so I knew what quilt block I would use and she wanted something modern, not real feminine, no florals, just something nice and clean but incorporating clothing of her mom with the other fabrics I had too. I used a lot of my Amy Butler stash, it felt so good to use it for a project like this.

These are some pictures of what I came up with. In the bag of clothing was a skirt that Jenny really wanted to have in her quilt, it was a bit stretchy and a little challenging to work with but I did it. I also used a pair of her moms brown/camel colored corduroy pants, a pair of linen capri pants and some hankerchiefs. At first I thought it was a little odd that Jenny had included some hankerchiefs but then she told me why. She explained to me in a little note that these were the hankerchiefs that her mom had worn while she was going through chemo (gulp, lump in my throat) but then she also went on to explain that when Jenny was growing up Janet her mom was a single mom, no dad, no help, no support EVER. It was always just Jenny and Janet. Janet worked in a fish cannery and everyday would wear a kerchief to work. (double gulp, lump in my throat) I found myself while sewing these blocks imagining being a single mom, working in a fish cannery everyday to support myself and daughter and realizing how lucky I am to be a stay-at-home mom. Janet did everything she had to/needed to for she and Jenny.

After thinking about the hankerchiefs for the chemo and the cannery I remembered that I have some "kerchief" girl fabric and I knew I had to use it in Jenny's quilt. Above is a close up of one of the blocks with some of Janet's kerchief.

I also used the last of my little scraps of Heather Ross fabric with the little fish in a few of the blocks too....it all worked out so well.

Just for fun I added a little Heather Ross banana seat bike just because Jenny was born in the early 70's and what kid from the 70's doesn't remember riding a banana seat bike? :)

Jenny had also asked if I would make something for her daughter Lucy from Janet's clothing.....I wanted to go more feminine/girlie for this because Lucy is just 3 years old....I used a few of the kerchief pieces left from Jenny's quilt, the same linen as Jenny's and then a white with gray polka dot fabric from a blouse along with several different pink, red and blue fabrics from my stash. I also incorporated some red "kerchief" girl fabric in Lucy's so she has that memory too of her Grandma going to work with a kerchief on her head.

Her is the back of Lucy's, I backed it with chenille, it is so cozy. Jenny sent me a message and told me how much she loves the quilts and that Lucy slept with hers the first night. :0)

I have enough clothing left over to make Jenny's step-dad (Janet did marry when Jenny was 18 I believe) a throw and Jenny's mom too....I am hoping that I will have enough after that to make one for my SIL and her brother also to have a little bit of Janet to remember her by.

{click on any of the pictures to see them closer up}

sweet girl

Today is my little EmJem's 7th birthday...how time flies......we had a little family party last weekend, it was strawberry themed, she and I were really happy with how it turned out (I don't think anyone else noticed, ha ha!)
We found a little strawberry necklace at the mall, so cute!

She wanted pink (of course) cupcakes so we did 1/2 pink and 1/2 white and had little "7" flags and strawberry picks in them and some of the food trays. I had also found some fake strawberrys at Michael's so we put those out on the table too along with some strawberry candy and strawberry gum.

Here she is with her DS (enter singing of angels here)

Last but not least I took Emily, her brother and my niece to Build A Bear yesterday so she could pick out a little something for "Cutie" her cat...oh to be 7 again.........

back to school sew along

So a local gal...Megan....writes "crafty" articles for the Spokesman Review is having a "back to school sew along" thought I would join....gives me motivation to start and finish something with a time line, GASP!!! I have had this pattern for a year....maybe 2? Time to get crackalackin! Bad picture (I know!) but here is a picture of the pattern with the fabric that I helped Emily pick out (since this is for her) she originally picked a fabric with owls on it but standing in line at JoAnn's I kept going back and forth in my head about things she has that would "go" with the owls and it just wasn't happening....so on to plan "B"...the chocolate brown with all the colorful bubbles...perfect...

So here is the fabric.....it is 9.99 a yard...I needed 2 1/3 yards...had a scratch off coupon worth 70% off....got the fabric with tax for 7.87! YAHOO! I can't wait to get started on this....I was so excited too when I started reading the directions (always a good thing) and realized the buttons I was dreading to put on the jumper...just for DECORATION....Sweet! no button holes to make!!!

I don't know if I will get this done by the first day of school (September 1) but I know I will have it done by the cut off for the "sew along" in mid September.....

itching....

I am itching to work on something! We (my little family of 4) have been gone for the last 5 days on a little vacation in the Seattle area....we had such a nice time...but it it SO nice to get home...I am itching to buy 2 new books tomorrow on Amazon after my hubs gets paid (yeah!) I am itching to finish up a throw for my SIL's cousin, Jenny....I am itching for a birthday party for a special (berry special) 7 year old in our house and I am really, really itching to do some sewing!!

henna garden rainbow

I did a bit of fabric shopping earlier this week....I had to add to my "henna garden" collection. I love, love, love Sandi Henderson's fabrics, all of them...LOVE. The first patchwork quilt I ever made (for myself!) was from her Ginger Blossom line. Then she came out with a print in one of her collections that she calls "henna garden". I loved it the first time I saw it...had to have it...I don't even remember what color it was, the first henna print that I bought....She has several colors in it now. :) After my little fabric shopping earlier this week I THINK I have all of them now.

My most recent henna garden purchase.

Look at all of it...........a rainbow of henna.............SIGH, SIGH, SIGH :)

A close up :)

I am really thinking of getting this pattern....what do you think? With the henna print above? Or maybe the darker brown?

Eventually I want to make a quilt out of all of my henna fabrics...no hurry though....I have enough quilts in my house but there is always room for more....I am currently working on a special quilt for my sister-in-law's cousin. It is from pieces of her mom's clothing....her mom passed away in May and my SIL and her cousin (Jenny) wondered if I could make something out of some of her clothes....I am going to reveal it soon...I think she is going to really, really like it...I hope so!

berry birthday

We have a berry special birthday in the house this month....Emily will be turning 7. My hubs happens to be out of town on a business trip on her actual birthday so we will be celebrating a little early this year...just decided this a few days ago...the date...that was it....until Monday night when I stumbled up some berry cute strawberry and gingham paper napkins and cups for .60 cents for each package at Michael's! I was so excited, they are so stinkin cute....I ran the berry idea past Emily and she loved it. Also while at Michael's I strolled through the clearance isle and what do I see? Two darling packages of strawberries (see below in photo) for 1.99 each....adrenaline is pumping, ideas running through my head, fun fun fun!!!

Up until last year for Emily's birthday we always had her parties at home, simple, had a few friends over but the $$ always adds up so fast for the gift, goodie bags, decorations, food, invites, the time, energy...it can get a little crazy....last year we let her have her party at Chuck E. Cheese :/. I will admit it was nice having someone else do the party, tell the kids what to do, where to go and the little goody bags were included so was the hefty price attached with it for food, etc. Emily really, really wants a Nintendo DS this year, really bad....so I told her she could have a friend party or a DS...decisions, decisions....she settled on the DS...we still want to celebrate her and her day so we are having just a small family gathering to celebrate her with some family goodies from Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins....keeping it simple and small along with the price tag for the theme....so far so good....I have also picked up some darling cupcake wrappers, happened to see some cute "berry sweet" ribbon on an end cap (once again at Michael's) and used a 40% off coupon for the paper/envelopes for the invites, these cost me next to nothing!

We are leaving Sunday for 5 days to Seattle then her party is a few days after we get back so I am trying to get it all out in my head what we are going to use for a little decor here and there and the goodies and food but I am keeping it simple and inexpensive, still gotta get that DS!!

back to school sewing

I am looking forward to this, interested to see what tutorials there will be....I have made my kids a few clothing items, so I look forward to trying my hand at something new.