Cottage pincushion

I  found this tutorial here

and had to make one!!!

its a little house pincushion!  a cottage!  CA-UTE!

if your a new follower....yah i LOVE pincushions.

if your a frequent guest....i know im obsessed!

are any of you going to 9/11 parades tomorrow?  my hubby, son and i are.  ours starts at 530am

to coincide with the east coast. 

i found us some patriotic gear.  my son even spotted the face tattoos.

we are proud Americans!

i always cry on 9/11----im sure most of us do.

that day is always fresh in our minds and hearts.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !!



Patriotic Pride in a picture

September 11

10 years later

seems impossible its been that long doesn't it?

my sister is a fabulous photographer! she took this photo yesterday down the road from her house.

what a beautiful photo!

i love how she caught just enough of the sun on the flag.

its the look....that look that a true photographer knows how to get.

(please do not copy or reprint this photo as it does not belong to me. she has graciously allowed me to show it off! )

Chicken Wire Board---tutorial

Ive been a busy girl this weekend.  yesterday morning something caught my eye in the corner of my room.....hiding....just DYING to be re-crafted!

this was the inside, which is covered up in the above pic.  i was prepping for spray painting.

a little outdated and no color scheme to match my sewing room.
do you all have one of these?  bless the people who made it, but im done with it.  ive had it for 6 years.

here is the finished product!!!  ill also give some pics and a tutorial of sorts of how i did it.

would you ever guess what was hiding under the burlap?  isnt she a peach?  im LOVING the finished product.  although i said a few cuss words, stomped my feet and glared at the back of my hubbys head while working on this.....im glad i did it and i did it all by my selves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so first step was i covered the inside quilt area with parchment paper and used stick pins.  worked perfectly. 

 have you all seen this beautiful color in blog land?  ive been trying to get my hands on a can of this stuff for months. 

here is the after spray paint.  and im talking like 3-17 coats.  (jk...only 4)

i pondered sanding / distressing it some....but got lazy.  its hot and humid today.  who wants to hang in the garage all day.  NOT ME.

i cut the burlap piece to fit, then starting hot gluing from the middle down. 

tahdah!  wait.....is she done?  HECK NO!  she needs some CHICKEN WIRE! 

my neighborhood is still being built.  well they use this chicken wire stuff for the walls here before they stucco.  (peuy, yuck, blehk.  i hate stucco)

welllll, they had a big roll of waste in their dumpsters one day.....so at 5am my sister trekked down there and STOLE it for me!  wait, is it stealing when its being chucked?  um NO!

when using the chicken wire, heavy duty gloves come in handy.  unless you want to risk tetanus.  just saying....

we also dug out our heavy duty power stapler.  (didnt even know we had it).  worked fabulous.  (santa, id like power tools for xmas please)

i made a little burlapy flower for the top, hot glued a button in the middle and VOILA---

it wont be staying outside.  i just had to get some decent lighting   :)

took me 2 days to redo.  took me 10minutes to clutter up.

linking to:




 

PINS

I'm playing around with some stamps trying to come up with some cute ideas for pin cushions.  check this one out....

i have a few different work stations in my sewing room.  i definitely need the diff pin cushions and diff sizes.  i tend to knock them on the floor a lot too.  have you ever stepped on a pin?  OUCH

this is the backing fabric.  i found this tucked in my FQ stash.  totally forgot all about it.  of course my top fabric is my fav drop cloth.  have you all discovered this gem yet?  shhh....dont let the hardware stores know about our obsession with painters drop cloths.  they will jack up the price!  people...seriously....you can buy it for C H E A P! 

i used these stamps and ink.  it wont be washed, so im not scared of the words coming off.  if they fade, it just gives it character.

crushed walnut shells.....they are a MUST for pin cushions.  they give it weight and also supposedly sharpen the needles/pins.   sounds good to me.

you can find the crushed walnut shells in your local pet stores.  it is actually "bird litter".  no smell, not nasty....i promise!   this was a huge bag and has lasted me a long time. 

are you sewing this weekend?  any fun projects out there? 

book therapy

so yeah....enough about changing your life and being a good person. 
who needs positive words and some mental therapy when there is new fabric and books to buy!!!  ill be doing some serious fabric therapy shopping this weekend.  im dying to get my hands on some Sweetwater Hometown Yardage.

i had a date with amazon this weekend, and he is sending me 2 wonderful books that should keep me busy all winter long.  that is if winter/fall/cooler temps ever come!!!!  we have had excessive heat warnings for the past week.  I. hate. summer.  (whine whine whine)  but remember im a girl from ND....and i know COLD.  id MUCH rather freeze my buttooshky off than be hot. 

sorry the heat makes me ramble on and on and on.  FOCUS! 

ok so back to the books.  have you all seen sweetwater has a new one out?  yeah yeah baby....its coming my way and should be here in the next few days.  HIGH'Freakin'FIVE!

the other book ive been pondering ALL summer long is Moda Fresh Fabric Treats.  do you all have it?  is it heavenly?  who doesnt love all those fabulous freebies the moda bakeshop puts out!!!  well that is my second purchase. 

come on mailman....make my day!  I think when i get them ill call in sick.  :)

Back 2 school and some thoughts...

its that time again. YEEHAWW!   new shoes are ready.  (see below)  new backpacks full of all those goodies we had to buy.  new clothes laid out and ready to be spilled on and muddied up! 

what this means to me is that my house will be clean again!  YEEHAWW!

i think parents are always anxious to get back into a routine, even if you are a working mom or a stay at home mom.   i am a working mom.....40 hours a week at my "paying job"......2,654,920 hours a week of the "non paying" job they call being a mom-wife-maid-chauffeur-nurse-CEO-operator-referee-and any other job you can think of that a woman does after marriage and children.  but i love every minute of it.  i wouldnt trade it for the world!

ive had a strange year.  its been one of those eye openers.  one of those years that makes you re-evaluate everything in your life and how you look at things, people, priorities.  i wish i could say that it was all happy experiences that got me here, but not all of it was good.  mentally exhausting is more like it.  so ive spent a good part of my weekend doing a little soul searching.  trying to decide what is best for ME as a person.  i know some changes need to be made and im working on them. 

one thing i have learned over the past year is that i have a great family and a lot to be thankful for.  i have the love of a GREAT man!  i seriously couldnt have asked for a better husband and father.  he and i have become best friends and i cherish that!!!  

my children are fantastic kids and have really good heads on their shoulders.  i know ive done a good job, because people tell me on a regular basis how polite they are, how caring they are, and how funny they are!  they have morals and have been taught respect.  i know im leading them into the right direction, but its scary when you have to let them grab the reigns and take it from here.  (my sons going to college tomorrow...sniff sniff)

i know im babbling.....but i just wanted to get some things off my chest.

life is too short to be miserable.  life is too short NOT to be happy with the choices youve made.  dont let yourself be a constant victim.  dont blame others for what you do with your life.  a job is a paycheck, pays the bills and gives you money to play with.  a job is what you do, NOT who you are.  your life is YOUR choice and nobody elses.  so they DONT have the right to criticize you and your universe. stand up for yourself.   dont ever let anyone make you feel that you arent a decent person.  those people arent worthy of your friendship and dont belong in your life.  we all the have right to be happy and have happy people around us!!!! 

"if you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change".  Michael Jackson.

FNSI 2 year anniversary giveaway!

i still cant believe Heidi and I have been hosting this virtual sewing/crafting gathering for 2 years.  for our big anniversary, we decided to EACH do 2 giveaways!  thats 4 winners !!!  we really really do love you crafters!!!

my first winner will receive.....

 A handmade by me Bobbi Cord Bag  (click on the link for the tutorial) !!!  its really FUN done in browns and blues. 

the second winner receives one of my new favorite Pin Cushions ive been making.  see the cute french country style postage stamps?  also a hot off the press Hometown by Sweetwater Charm Pack.

and the winners are------------------   (drawing courtesy of random.org)


for prize #1  (corduroy tote)

#117 ....  Joan at http://joanatleschenault.blogspot.com/
congrats!!!  send me an email with your mailing info please.

for prize #2  (hometown charm pack/pin cushion)

#32 ...  Barb at http://corgitoquiltby.blogspot.com/
congrats!!!  send me an email with your mailing info please.


you all have some really fun projects!!! 

BUT dont forget to hop over to HEIDIS blog for the other 2 winners.  she has some really cute prizes!

see you all next month!!! 

FNSI results---ipad case

I'm on a little "stay-cation" this weekend so i dont have a lot of my stuff with me.  of course that only happens when im in a sewing mood.  i could have sewed all night last night.  i did run home a few times for some items....but that got old.   my parents are out of town and HEIDI is actually hanging with them today for a family function.  hence my stay-cation.  im pool  puppy sitting.

I made an ipad case for last nights Friday Night Sew In.  after making it, my son was very nice to point out to me that i really should put a velcro strap/flap on it.  so i think tonight im going to modify it a bit. 

 forgive me for the dirty outdoor table....and the bad picture.  my camera is at home. 

there are a lot of tutorials out on the web for these cases.....and of course i cant find the one i based my idea on.  when i do, ill insert a link.  it was pretty darn simple!  all i used was my favorite dropcloth material and a cute fabric for the inside.  also added some iron on pellon for the extra padding.  definitely a quick project.

don't forget to check back tomorrow for the winners.  Heidi and I have been co-hosting this FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN for 2 years!!  hip hip hooray!!!   so we have something extra planned for the giveaway.

also DON'T forget to blog about your project today so we can start surfing for the winner(s) tonight and see all of your fun projects you all worked on last night.

as always.....we LOVE doing this and a BIG THANK YOU to all of YOU  for participating and making this fun each and every month.

how to hide from teenagers

my house has been packed with teenagers the past few days  (eye roll).....  so i have been hiding creating in my sewing room.  what i have discovered about teen boys....they eat a lot, they're loud, they smell and make noises i dont care to discuss.  they leave messes and try to stay up all night.  hence the EYE ROLLING!

while hiding sewing this weekend i decided to make a bag for a friend at work who is taking a trip and wanted a large bag for the plane.  this is a biggin'.  i made it 18x20 before putting it together.  i found these really cute fabs at hobby lobby.  i love that store, but truthfully have never really browsed their fabric.  i found some cute stuff in her color choices---browns and blues.  the lining was even on clearance for $4 a yard -- wootwoot.

toss in a few brown corduroy pockets and corduroy handles and call it a "bobbi bag".  :)
you know i love me some corduroy!  (have i said that before?)

i also thought i would start tackling some WIPs.  i really want to make some xmas quilts for family this year.  but can anyone tell me why the weekends go so fast???  do you all sew after a long day at work?  im just plain pooped after work.   my brain is toast after 8 hours of numbers and big words.  then toss in dinner, dishes, laundry.....oy vey!  im tired just thinking about it.

dont forget to link over to HEIDIS blog for the Friday Night Sew In signups.   its this coming friday night!
8/19/11

ill be pool puppy sitting for my parents....so im going to drag my goods with me and have a perfectly QUIET night to sew.  maybe even alone.   YAY!

pin cushions and superman!

will i ever get tired of making pin cushions?  I think N O T !!

i saw these french country pin cushions made on THIS blog and had to make some!!  i used my handy dandy drop cloth and stuffed mine with walnut shells to give them some weight.

i added a painted stripe to this one and backed it with polka dots.  i get all giddy over polka dots!!!!

here is the small one i made very similar to hers.  this is sitting on my desk right by my machine. 

 all loaded with pins and ready to go.

see, fits nicely on my cutting table/dresser.  :)

are you all sewing this weekend?  my son has been begging me for a quilt.  i found this fun superman comic book fabric at my LQS and he designed it.  just a few basic blocks/squares.  (thanks buddy).

we made it big for future growing, so he is having a wee bit of trouble holding it for me.  he was always my blanket kid. 

simple eh?