In the Hoop Applique

I am on Spring Break this week and I have been learning a new technique on my sewing machine. I heard several people that I know talking about "in the hoop" applique embroidery. So I decided to try my hand at it. I have made several bibs and onsies using 'in the hoop". I am posting some pictures of some of the onsies and bibs.

Have a great week!

More sewing

I am in the middle of softball season so I am not getting the sewing time that I would like to but I finished a few items this past weekend. I love this fabric! The colors are so springy and fresh. This is a diaper/wipes mini bag with burp pads to match. When things slow down a bit I plan to make alot of these sets. I used fat quarters that I already had on hand. Linsi and I also made these adorable little shoes. You can get the free pattern for these at this website http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/ They are easy to make and so cute. All is going well here at home and we only have 49 days until school is out. It's hard to believe another school year will soon end. Haley and I are planning a trip to Italy and I am so excited. I have never been to Europe and this is going to be a nice experience I'm sure. We have several tours planned and of course we have included time for a little shopping! Have a fantastic Friday!

Size 4 Apron

This apron is the smaller version of the other apron that I made yesterday. The pattern is Cindy Taylor Oates "Little Retro Aprons for Kids". There are several different styles that you can make. It was easy to make and went together fairly quickly. The fabric was from "The Painted Pony Quilt Shop" in LaPorte Texas. It's called "Lily Ponds". Take care.

Another Apron

I made a new apron for my daughters friend, Abby. This pattern was really simple and I enjoyed making it. The fabric was from a quilt store in Austin "The Honey Bee". The fabric is a pretty a turquoise with pink roses. My next apron will be a size 4! I am headed to the store to get thread to match the green rick-rack. You would think, I would have a green that matched, I have tons of thread. But no, I have to go buy more! Does that ever happen to you? We live in a rural area where the nearest place to get thread is Walmart and it's about 20 miles away. This week has went by so fast. I hope your week is going good and you are getting alot accomplished!

Take care....

Nests and Starfish

I put together a couple of nests and decorated a starfish. The starfish was an idea that I got from the magazine Romantic Homes. The instructions were included in the magazine.

You will need the following:

1 starfish

Kiltz spray primer

Glitter

Jewelry, buttons, shells

Glue gun

Spray Mount adhesive

You can also use a drill to drill a small hole to hang with ribbon if you like. Spray paint the starfish with the primer and then spray with adhesive and sprinkle glitter on the starfish. Let dry and add the embellishments using the glue gun.

Antique Clawfeet

I found these antique claw feet on one of my junk hunts. They were very chippy with old paint. After a good cleaning and scrubbing I painted them with a couple of coats of clear finish. This also keeps the paint from chipping. I like the look of chippy paint but I don't like cleaning up the mess! You can use these lovely antique pieces for bookends or doorstops. I have a few pictures of how I displayed them in my antique booth. They would also look really neat on a mantle or a shelf. There are a few companies that have them for sale. They are around 54.00 - 85.00. I am not charging that much for mine. Dad made it home today.......welcome back!

Bathroom Project

This is the master bath that has been redone and I just completed the mirror trim. I bought the trim at Lowe's and it's that plaster type material that I painted black. This type trim is much lighter weight than wood trim. Since my mirror was so long I thought it would work best. We attempted framing the mirror and failed when we used a glue that Lowe's said would work. It did not. So I went to Home Depot and bought Goop Tape and that held the trim up. You should start at the top and put that piece on first. Use your level to make sure that it's straight. You may also have to notch the trim where the mirror clips are on the sides of the mirror. I used a sharp knife to notch my pieces. My mirror was put in when we built our house which was 25 years ago so it needed a "face lift". As you can see in the before pictures it had some places around the edge that were not so attractive. This project was much cheaper than buying a new mirror.

Making Bookmarks and a Shadow Box

Dad is coming home in the morning. He is still not a 100 percent but hopefully when he gets home he will get better each day. Thanks to all of you who prayed for him, I really appreciate it. I've been working on a few projects the last few days when I have a few hours of spare time. Working on my projects and crafts is relaxing and helps clear my mind. I made a shadow box from an old antique drawer. I bought the tutorial from "The Feathered Nest Too". The instructions were very easy to understand and I plan to make more when I find the time. If you have time to visit her blog site she has some great tutorials.

I have also been making bookmarks. I bought a package of plain bookmarks from Michael's, used a hole punch to insert the ribbon, and stamped them with some of my new stamps. I'm working on some of my furniture too. I am painting a desk black and I am cleaning two very old trunks to be put in my Antique Space. There were some neat things left inside these old trunks. I plan to use some of the items in my shadow box displays.

Gift Bag and a New Baby

We woke up early this morning and traveled to Seabrook to see the new great nephew! Garrett was born January 5, 2009 and he is gorgeous. We had a good visit with Allyson and Kahner and then headed home. I've been working on a few projects and finished one when I got home. I am working on a shadow box but I decided to make a gift bag too! I love the way it turned out. I'm still gathering up things for my shadow box projects. I should have those finished this week. My giveaway ends tomorrow night and I'll post the winner! I have tried to reply to all of you who entered the giveaway. I was on the road today so I'm still catching up with some of them. A big thank you to all my blogger friends for entering and good luck!

Today I am a year older! Heart Sachets and Mini Kleenex Holders

Today I am celebrating my 49th birthday! We had a nice dinner last night with my parents, my husband and youngest daughter Haley. My husband grilled delicious sausage, ribs, and tamales. I cooked beans and cornbread and my mom baked a fabulous pineapple upside down cake. Everything was great!

I have been rather busy working on some of my craft projects and running around trying to find antiques. I went to Canton on Thursday with my Aunt, my cousin, and her little boy and my friend Judy. This was my Aunt's first time to Canton and I think she may be hooked! We had a blast shopping and visiting. She has a precious grandson Austin and he was the sweetest most well-mannered guy ever. My friend Judy joined us later that evening on Thursday and we ended the day with a good meal at Mercado's in Tyler. We got up bright and early on Friday and shopped all day and then headed home. I found a few nice pieces for my antique booths and Haley and I unloaded everything on Saturday.

I have been sewing with my new machine in between all the running around. I made several "mini Kleenex holders" for my antique booths and heart sachets. I am including pictures of the ones I made and instructions for making them if you would like to make them. They are easy to make and they make cute gifts for Valentines Day!

Tissue Holder:

You need 1/4 yard of fabric. I use two colors so that the inside is a different color than the outside. Cut 2 pieces of fabric 7 3/4 inches x 5 1/2 inches. Put wrong sides together and sew across the top of the short sides. Turn the fabric right sides out and press. Take the sewn ends and fold them to the middle so that they touch. Now sew each end and turn inside out and you have your Kleenex holder for your purse! All seams are 1/4 inch. These are fast and simple to make. You can embellish if you like or even monogram them. Let me know how yours turn out!

Heart Sachets:

Cut a heart pattern by folding a piece of paper in half and drawing the heart (whatever size you like) and then cut out the heart using paper scissors. Use two pieces of scrap material for your heart sachet. I use a different fabric for the front and back pieces but you can use the same two fabrics if you like. Sew right sides together, leaving a opening on the long side of the heart. This is where you will slip stitch the hole back and it's easier to slip stitch when it's fairly a straight seam. I stuffed my hearts with potpourri and rice. You can use poly fill or beads to stuff with but this is what I had on hand at the time. I am also going to use lilac seeds for my next sachets. After you fill them with the rice and potpourri, slip stitch the opening and then add your embellishments. I added ribbon, rosettes, buttons, and whatever I had in my stash. You can hot glue them or hand sew the embellishments. I also added a ribbon to some of mine to hang on the coat hanger or in a closet. These are great for the car too! Good luck and I would love to see some of your creations!

Kitchen Makeover

I am finally finished with my Christmas Shopping and I only have a few more to wrap. We are planning a family gathering tomorrow at my parents house. We decided to have Mexican food instead of traditional food. We will have chicken enchiladas, Mexican rice, Charo beans, salsa and chips, and creamy jalapeno dip. After eating Turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas we wanted something different.

As some of you know we have been working on our kitchen for several months and we are coming closer to the end of this project! Mother and I made the curtains last week and I have decorated one wall with a shelf and art. I am shopping for a clock for one of my bare walls but haven't found the one I want yet. We still have to put trim above the cabinets and purchase a new refrigerator but that will come later. The man that was going to do the trim did not keep his word on coming and doing the job. I think my husband is going to do the work himself. I am going to paint my chairs black and probably the dining room hutch black. The weather has not been fit for painting. I am really pleased how everything turned out in the kitchen and I can't wait to completely finish the project. I bought the curtain fabric at "Interior Fabrics" in Austin and I also purchased the rings that I clipped to the top of the curtains from "Interior Fabrics". Each bag of Curtain rings comes with 5 rings in them. I thought that 10 rings would be plenty to hang the curtains but I had to go back and purchase 2 more bags. If you like to make your own curtains "Interior Fabrics" is a great place to buy fabric, lining, and all the hardware. I am posting a few before and after pictures of the kitchen. Have a Merry Christmas and a warm Holiday!

Before and After coming soon!

I will have several before and after projects very soon. After church, I got busy and primed a desk, a dresser, a mirror, and a tall set of drawers. I am using paint colors green, black, and turquoise. The green vanity that I have in my booth space is getting a mirror added to it! When I bought the vanity in Austin the man had broken the mirror that went with it but he still had the frame and hardware. I decided to take it just in case I decided to get the mirror replaced. When we refinished our hall bath we took the mirror down and replaced it with a smaller mirror. I took that mirror today and they said that they could cut that mirror to fit the antique frame. I also had another vanity mirror that was broken and I was able to salvage enough to cut a mirror for it also. So the old mirror from the bathroom made two mirrors for the antique vanities! By the way, we are supposed to have someone come and work on the kitchen project! This is the 3rd painter that has said that he would do the job. Hopefully the 3rd one is the charm! I am so ready to get that project completed. He is also going to paint the master bath, master bedroom, and my new sewing room. So keep your fingers crossed that he follows through with the job. I promise to post pictures when he gets started on the painting. I leave you with a few pictures from Wellspring Bed and Breakfast in Round Top Texas. Have a Magnificent Monday!