Interested...........

I recently became a contributor for the blog "A Little Etsy Love"! It's an amazing blog that does features and give-aways for those that have Etsy shops and internet shops that deal in home-made goods.
I am currently looking for people that are interested in doing a give-away or having a feature done on them on this site. The site has over 1500 followers, and all of them look to our features to find good places to shop...
If you know of any shops that would like to get a little exposure with a give-away or a feature....or there is a shop you'd like to see on the blog....or if YOU would like to do a give-away or have a feature....drop me a line and let me know so I get can you on my 'schedule'!!!
Look forward to hearing from you.....

Merry Christmas

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and super fun New Year!
See you in 2011!!!

List of Quick Projects!!!

My sister is here visiting me from Alaska....I have a TON of projects that have GOT to be done before she leaves.....but I can't write them down because what they are are for people who read this blog :)
But, now that I've written down them I HAVE to do them because I'll have to report to my blogger-buddies :) :) :)
Wish me luck!

all GREENED out :)

The other day, we took family photos...this is one of my favs of me and my baby girl. I love the way that our green shirts brings out the color of my daughter's skin and my hair :)
I know she looks nothing like me - but she's ALL mine :) :)

Growing my Stash...

The other day, I received a phone call from a lady in my neighborhood. This was a lady that I didn't know all that well, but knew OF her. Really super nice lady. Anyway, she informed me that she was heading to the Goodwill with 2 bags of fabric, but wanted to give me first crack at them. Of COURSE I said sure...figuring it was just scraps to throw....
Imagine my surprise when the bags were HUGE and quite large pieces. This is a photo of the pieces that I chose to keep....
There was a pile of pieces just as large that I didn't keep (mostly small scraps that I couldn't think of what to do with). My kids had a BLAST trying to help me decide what to keep and what we could do with it...
Needless to say, I haven't had to go to the fabric store for QUITE a while and won't have to go again for an even longer while now!!!

M.I.A.

Yes, I know....I have not posted for almost a month! I have a REALLY good excuse...and part of it is just laziness :)
I recently found a company that I decided to work for called Guy and Eva (see my side bar button). Anyway, they're a jewelry company, and it's been a blast!!!
However, because of this, I haven't been sewing as much! Once I get the hang of everything and things calm down, I'll be back. I have, in fact, been making super cute bags for my parties, and will be posting some pictures of those soon.
So, check out my Guy and Eva site (just fun to look at!) and I"ll be back soon :) :) :)

PINK dress...

After my daughter asked specifically for a PINK dress, this is what we came up with! I got the fabric for $4 a yard, and only used a yard....yeah for me!!!
However, now she's starting to request "more pretty dresses, please"....guess I better get sewing.....
Right after I finish my witch's hat!

So AWESOME!!!!

I just won a super fun give-away over at my friend Elizabeth's blog. I won this super cute pattern and some fabric to make it with! I have already started cutting it out and can't WAIT to put it together! Thanks so much :)

Halloween Bags

I saw the other day some lady had made Halloween bags for her kids rather than letting them get those big orange pumpkins that are SO hard to store. I thought it was just a brilliant idea....so I "jaici-fied" it :)
I started by getting some fun black bags at Jo-Anns for $4.50 (after coupon) for a pack of 3....that's only $1.50 each :) I then pulled out my super fun bucket of Riley Blake Halloween Fabric. I like to make their stuff same-but-different, so I cut their initials out of the spider-web fabric (all same) then I cut their circles out (boys same, girls' different) and then added some ribbon (all different).
They have been carrying them around all day since I finished....and I am LOVING them!!!

Dress...

My daughter is getting so big, that she needed a new dress...her other ones were getting WAY too short for her...some even showed her diaper!
So, I found this super fun pattern and decided to try it out. I used some super cute blue/purple-ish fabric that my Auntie gave me and made it. I was so excited, and I thought it was super cute. So, I had her try it on.
When I asked her what she thought, she said, "I don't love it! There no pink!" It made me laugh, but then I realized what a true girl she is :) I had to go get some pink fabric to make her a new one...

New Bag

Last Week, Sew, Mama, Sew! had a cool little Bag week! They gave away some copies of Amy Butler's new book and did a Sewing Bag Swap...I mean, it was super cool! Anyway, one of the things that they did was put up one of the patterns on their blog. So, I immediately downloaded it and sewed it up. You can get your copy of it here. This gray and blue one is the picture of the bag that they had on their site! I debated back and forth about what fabric to use for my bag, then I remembered that my Auntie Anne had sent me this SUPER fun canvas...and I thought that it was just perfect!!!
Here is my finished product.... I think that I'm going to start using it as my diaper bag...I mean, it's big enough, right?!?! I can't wait to make another one, although my next one will be out of cotton.... :)

GO! enter :)

Gene Black is giving away a GO! Cutter!!!!!
Go HERE to enter!!!

Give-Aways....

Two of my blogging buddies are having some super fun give-aways.......
Check 'em Out!!!

Such A Sew and Sew
Sherbet Blossom

How Excited Am I????

A while ago, I entered a give-away over at Quilting with Debi. AND I WON!!! I was so excited, I feel like I never win anything....but keep entering them anyway....SO glad I did! Look at my goodies that I got in the mail just SECONDS ago!I am so excited, I can hardly wait to get started sewing with them...
I received, 9 Moda All about Color fat quarters, 2 charm packs, and 3 patterns!!
Now to decide what to do with the fabrics and whom to make the patterns for :)
Thanks Debi!!!

Out of the loop....

Sorry, I've been out of the sewing loop lately....

We are working on finishing our basement, so my sewing machine is packed away for a bit.....I am SO sad....and almost don't know what to do with myself....
Hopefully I'll get back into the groove again, soon!!!!

Give Away at Land of the Misfit Toyz

I can't remember how I found Michelle over at "Land of the Misfit Toyz", but I'm glad I did. She is very creative and fun to read. She is having a fun little give-away of these DARLING boards! It's only open for a few days, so jump over and enter here!

Good luck to everyone :)

Wreath...

I got this idea while blog-surfing....then "JaiCi-fied" it!! This is going to be my wreath for my front door this year! All it is, is wooden circles covered in Halloween papers and then glued together! Seriously - SO simple :)

I've already started my Halloween Project for tomorrow.....

Spooky!!!

I don't know why, but I just LOVE Halloween! So, I have already started getting all my decorations ready for our house. I love doing TONS of decorations, because it makes my kids happy to see and help :) This year, I saw a room in a magazine that had just a TON of Halloween-related words all over the house....so I"m totally trying that this year!!!
I am starting with these fun box letters..... I couldn't find any SINGLE color that worked for the letters, so I mixed up green and purple since they ARE Halloween colors. They are just paper mache boxes covered in Halloween paper and letters mod podged on!! Super easy.....
Now, to find a place to put them :)

Bald for Becky

My good friend has a friend battling Cancer.... She is a mother of 4 and they don't have a cure for her type of cancer! So, some people got together and they are having an auction for her HERE! It ends tomorrow - so please take the time to go over and visit...maybe find something amazing you'd like to bid on.....

Christmas Tree Skirt

So, I decided to make myself a Christmas Tree skirt....finally. It only took me 6 years to get it done (that's how long I've been married...almost!). It's got super cute Snowman and Santa fabric...and this pattern was BEYOND easy....honestly!!!!!
Now, to get it quilted.....

Skirt....again!

I know you're probably all getting bored of seeing the same pattern over and over - but I just love it! I most especially love the aloha print ones, adds some smiles to my day! This one I had MOSTLY done for a month...and just barely put the zipper on. It's amazing how one little thing puts you behind.....

KILLER AWESOME GIVE-AWAY!!!

Craftgossip.com is having an AMAZING give-away!!!!!!

They are giving out 3 etsy shopping sprees!!! ($100 each). Can you believe it?!?! It's like a dream come true, right?!?!?! I know it is for me...

Well, part of the deal of entering, is to blog about what you want to use your shopping spree for! Let me tell you, the wheels in my head were going CRAZY trying to decide what to get and whom to get it from and if that's what I REALLY wanted......all that jazz :) :) :)

I would first pick these super fun earrings (found here)! My sister and I are very proud of the fact that we have Irish heritage, and we love to let people know it. I think these earrings most definitely do the job, right?!?! Besides, I like green jewels :)

However, I would use the bulk of my spree to get me some new fabrics...
I am in LOVE with Riley Blake fabrics, and all the fun things I can do with them, however, they can be quite expensive for a stay-at-home mom of 3 :)
These are some of the fun fabrics that I like best, but there are so many that I would get.

Yup, I would most definitely use the bulk of my shopping spree to get Riley Blake Fabrics from The Fabric Store on etsy!!

Here's to hoping that I win!!

I was Featured......

A few weeks ago, Hannah over at Sherbet Blossom asked for ideas on organization. I submitted one, and she USED it!!!So, head on over to Sherbet Blossom and check out my post :)
(Thanks mom!)

Capes

So, I sew all the time for my daughter, but feel bad because my son kinda misses out! So, I ask him about 2x a week if he wants me to make him something - he usually says no. However, yesterday he said YES!! He told me he wanted a CAPE!!!
I thought, really?!?! But, ok...
So, I had him pick out colors and got to sewing...but then of course, sister wanted one, too!
So, they each got capes, but my son refuses to take a picture in his.
He did tell me that he wants a PIRATE cape (didn't know pirates wore capes), so now I have to go find pirate fabric.....

ANOTHER skirt

Here is another in a LONG series of skirts for my baby girl! She refuses to wear pants (really....REFUSES!) so I make her about a billion dresses....and she loves them all. This one's pleated different, and that's why I like it :).

Nelli's Apron

My super cute sister sent me this AWESOME apron!! I like to wear it when I'm sewing so that I don't get threads all over my clothes. My kids also think that it's the funnest toy ever :)

New Skirt for ME!!!

Most sewing and crafting I do is not for me, but for others. However, I got in the mood yesterday and decided that I needed a new skirt. I have a great reason....my sister's best friend from when we lived in Hawaii is getting married in 8 days (yeah, tuck!) and I decided that I needed a new skirt....so I got to sewing...
I used the pattern that I got from Joel Dewberry and some fabric that my mom got me in Hawaii...and got to it! It came together in just a few hours. I had to do some adding and adjusting for length, but I think it's totally worth it. All I have left to do is add an eye-hook at the top and then wa-la!!

More Pattern Testing!!!

The other day I received an e-mail from Laurie Dewberry asking me if I was willing to do some more pattern testing! I would have to be on something to say no, right?!?!?!
I immediately said yes, and anxiously awaited the arrival of these gorgeous fabrics.
The pattern was for a bag and a super cute one at that. It was different from any that I had made before so I was very excited to get started! I got everything all pinned and cut and ready to go when I realized that I didn't have enough cording for some pieces. Darn it! So, I had to postpone finishing until this morning when I could get to the store.
But, it is now finished and it is AWESOME!! My 2 year old calls it, "MY pretty!" and carries it around the house. Every time I take it away from her, she sneaks it back. I guess that's a good sign!
This pattern will be coming out with the skirt pattern that I tested here. Definitely keep your eyes open for it - it's worth the purchase :)

Busy, Busy, Busy

I'd rather be busy than bored...that's for sure!!

My son has been working hard on his garden... He has the most gorgeous flowers growing in the world. He does it all himself too. He waters them every day, and I can't believe how beautiful they are. Makes me sad because my grass is busy dying while his flowers are THRIVING!! Guess I'll let him work on the lawn, too....

I have also been working on this super fun project. I got tired of binding placemats and started working on something else... It still has a super long way to go, but it's super fun, and I like being able to see my progress... It still needs some words, and embellishments to make it complete...
My sister thought it had something to do with a witch, but I told her that witches don't wear green......

WIP...

I decided that I needed some practice with my Granni's quilting machine and made some placemats to practice on....

I forgot I would have to bind them all!!!!! Working on it.....

Look What I Got!!!!

So, the other day my Auntie asked me if I wanted some of her old fabrics because she's not being able to sew much because of her eyes... Well, any true quilter or sewer knows to never turn down freebies :) :)
I thought that it would be a few pieces....and THIS is what she brought me!!!!!!!!!
I am in stinkin' heaven...and at the same time floored. My Auntie always comes through for me.... Oh, and btw, not a single piece is less than a yard (spoiled, i know)
Now to decide what to make......any suggestions!?!?!?!?!

Footprints

I was just sitting at the table with my kids the other day and realizing how big they are getting...
Sometimes it makes me sad that they can't stay small...so I decided to make this instead :) My kids LOVED making this! My youngest son is 7 1/2 months old, and he just kept squishing his toes in the blue paint. And, yes, my oldest son and daughter's feet are almost the same size...and they're about 21 months apart :) :) :)

My Clever Sister.....

My sister is one of the coolest people ever...and on top of that, she is AWESOME at designing quilts! I called her the other day with a quilting challenge...and it didn't even phase her.

Her Challenge..... I needed a quilt design for a baby...gender not known!!! (thanks a lot Jessica) In addition, I needed colors for this quilt...but could not use red, yellow and blue.

Within about 10 minutes, she designed a quilt...explained it to me over the phone and picked colors. She even told me sizes and shapes! So, I promptly went out and purchased the fabrics and started washing, ironing, and cutting.....

These are the colors she chose...pretty awesome, huh?!?!

She decided to call her quilt "Citrus Peel"...can't wait to work on and finish it :) :)

Thanks Nelli

Ribbon Quilt

I feel like I am on a ROLL!!! Here is another finish that I have. I actually made this quilt about 18 months ago when my husband was in Japan for 3 months...needed something to do. Each square has 1-4 pieces of RIBBON on it. It was super fun to make, and allowed the creative juices to flow :) :)
I quilted it up on Granni's quilting machine (another one to practice on) and bound it. My daughter now won't let it out of her sight...good thing it was for her to begin with!

Jealous?!?!?!

I got this AWESOME package from my mom yesterday!She and my dad were recently in Hawaii, and I asked if she'd pick me up some fabric while she was there... She and my Auntie Flash went to the store...and I think had too much fun :)
Aren't connections great?!?!?!
Thanks mom (and Auntie Flash!)

4th of July Table Runner!!

Finally, it is complete! I have had this in my mind for FOREVER and finally finished it! I did it all on my machine, even the stitching... At first I wasn't too fond of the binding, but now that I look at it more, I am starting to love it! I figured it's okay to leave it up until September (memorial day) so that everyone can see my craftiness :) Now, on to my next runners...a birthday one, a Halloween one, and a Fall/Thanksgiving one.....

How Cool For ME!!!

I was featured over at the Quilt Shoppe's Finished Friday Parade! It was great. I was there with 29 other crafters, and it was amazing to see what everyone had been up to....great ideas are flowing now!! Just click on the picture below or on my side-bar and go check it out :)

BackPack Pattern...

Katie over at Kwilting with Katie asked me to do a test run on a back-pack pattern that she had created! Of course I jumped at the chance....

This is a picture of the bag she made from the pattern....I just love the red, white and blue....you?!?!
So, I decided to try some things that were a little different with mine, and I just love it!

I actually made my top with elastic instead of a pull-tie; mostly because I didn't have the proper materials at 10:00 at night....but it turned out ok. However, I will do the ties next time!! The thing I like best that I did was my straps, I did a small portion at the bottom with the same color as my contrast color, then the rest a normal color. I think it adds some fun character!! I just love it. Isn't Katie just so creative?!?!?! Next I'm going to try my hand at that super cute "Uncle Sam" character on her bag.....

Halloween Quilt

So, for the past 2 years, I have been quietly and slowly collecting Halloween fabrics...just ones that i LOVE that would go perfect in a Halloween Quilt. Took me long enough. Then, I finally got it all pieced together and ready to send to my mom (she lives in Alaska), but then my Granni told me she was buying a long-arm quilting machine...so I saved it (she lives just 10 minutes away)!
So, I finally took it over to be quilted at my Granni's house, and realized that I had used my back for something else, so we had to quickly sew up a back and put it on the quilting machine....
So, FINALLY, my Halloween Quilt was my first ever quilt that I quilted myself on a long-arm machine! And I must say, I am HOOKED... :)