My How you Grew!

How cute is this!?  This is a panel that I found at the Quilt show in Virginia.  It is a growth chart to hang on the wall at the correct height and using a fabric marker, you can record the child's height as they grow.  Love it!

Also found at the Quilt show - and yes - Kira was the winner at this show - I found these panels to make fabric Golden Books. The inside of the book even has the same design as the real books.  Coordinating fabric can be purchased if you choose to use the panels to make a quilt.

Kristin found the panel for this ABC book in Charlotte.  It is a nice soft flannel.  So cute. Kira loves it!

Breast Cancer Purse Notebook

Just a nice little notebook for my purse.  It seems like I'm always looking for a piece of paper in my purse.  Not anymore!

Kira's Halloween Shirts

Opps - one more Halloween item.  I forgot about this one because I did it a few months ago.  At the quilt show last year I bought this design from Charming Station Embroidery.  It's a neat technique using a sheet of Mylar film under the emboridery to give the shiny effect.  The onesie has the pumpkin and a sweatshirt  with a pumpkin on the front and a silly candy corn line up across the back.

Let it Snow

  On my trip to the quilt show in Virginia, I found this embroidery pattern by Cindy Losekamp.  I bought a ladies Hanes sweatshirt at Walmart for $6.00 and cut it apart to use the fabric to make the new shirt with a Kwik Sew pattern.  I learned to do the coolest things.  I have 5D Software which is a compliment to my Pfaff machine.  In that software, you can put designs together, cut pieces out, move them around.  One of the things you can do is take a picture of the garment, upload that photo and place the design precisely where you want it.  When it is just how you want it, save the design to the USB stick, plug it into the embroidery machine and stitch away.
Kira loves it so much she hugged the snowman!

One last design for Halloween this year.  These are both designs from Quilting Celebrations magazine.  Now on to Christmas sewing.  It's not that far away!

Smocked Jumper

I'm so pleased with this little jumper for my Granddaughter.  This is the first smocked project I have made, outside of a class,  with my Amanda Jane Pleater.  I probably shouldn't have used pinwale corduroy for my first pleating project.  It's a little harder to pleat because of the weight of the fabric.  But, if I can do cord then there's no stopping me. The smocking was done in the hoop on my Pfaff Creative Sensation with a design I purchased from Elizabeth's Embroidery Designs. http://elizabethsembroideries.com/         I have taken a couple classes with Deb Yedziniak on pleating and smocking.  If you want to learn this art, Deb's the one to teach you.  She is a wonderful teacher and  does amazing work.  She knows all the ins and outs of it and created the smocking stitching for the Viking and Pfaff line of machines.  She's a Viking and a Martha Pullen educator and her web site is  http://www.designsbythread.com/     The pictures on the right show the pleater set up, the fabric pleated coming off the pleater,  and the bodice with the design embroidered                           Thanks Deb and Elizabeth for being so creative!

 

Original Sewing & Quilt Expo

 Once again this year I traveled to Northern Virginia to the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo at the Dulles Expo Center in Sterling, Virgina.  My sister Anne and my friend Glenda went with me and my daughter Kris came up from Charlotte, NC to join the fun.  There were lots of venders selling and demonstrating so many interesting products and projects.   I purchased a few things  and got some good ideas.  We had a great time.  On the way there Thursday, we stopped at Wilson's Quilt Shop in Hagerstown, MD and did they have beautiful quilts.  Oh my.  Then it was on to one of my favorite shops - Web Fabrics in Purcelleville, VA..  Friday we spent all day at the show with a stop at G Street  Fabrics in Centreville, VA. before heading back to the hotel.  Saturday was kind of a free day and after a stop at the Jinny Beyer Studio in Great Falls, Va. for Glenda it was off to the Metro and a ride into Washington D.C. for the day.  Anne and Glenda have never been to D.C. so it was fun to show them around the museums and monuments.   Kris' friend from college was in the area and joined us for the afternoon. 

I made this wonderful travel bag from a pattern by Amy Butler and the matching travel roll for the trip.  The bag came home full of fabric and goodies from the trip.

Here we are in Washington, D.C. in front of "my" monument - The Washington Monument.  I call it "my" monument because the first time my daughter took us to DC it was the first thing I saw when we came up from the Metro.  I was so taken that it was real - not just a picture in a book or on TV, that I actually stood there and cried.  And my kids were like - jeeze Mom - but it was a special moment for me.   Ever since when we go to DC I have to see it.  After reading the history of it, I wanted to see the plagues on the interior walls and not just the glimpse from the glass doors in the elevator.  But alas, the stairs are no longer allowed to be used.   But, my wish was to come true!  The second time we visited, we were all -l-l-l the way at the top of the monument when sirens started blaring.  Over the intercom came "Please go to the stairway. Do not go to the elevator"   They told us it was a false alarm, a malfunction but we would have to walk down, to take our time.  YES!!!  Everyone was very calm since  this was after 911 after all.   And my daughter and I took our time.  We took pictures all the way down and we were the last ones out of the building.   Would I do it again?  Maybe not. My legs were like rubber when I reached the ground level.  It is 500 feet to the top or 50 stories and 896 stairs!  But, I did it!!   Now the monument is closed due to cracks from the earthquake last year.  I hope it can be repaired so I can go to the top again! We also visited the WW II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, National Museum of American History - I won't go on about the Flag right now and saw the dinosaurs and the Hope Diamond and the Museum of Natural History.  That pretty much filled the day! That's Glenda, my sister Anne and myself in front of the monument.   Kristin's friend Taber and my daughter Kristin in the middle on right.   Did you know that all the monuments and Smitsonian Museums are FREE!!! You should go!

I'm still  stitching away on the Patrick Lose designs when I don't have another project on the machine.  I love this Apple and Pear design for fall. 

This beautiful Fall table runner was in the Quilting Celebrations magazine by Patrick Lose that I bought last year.  It sucked me into his designs and have doing them every since.   Most are quick and easy and make nice gifts.  I never got to this one last year but am sure glad I just made it.   I love it.

Another nice Fall table mat.

And onto Halloween decorations. More from Quilting Celebrations and Party with Patrick.  Love them!  And cousin Kathy - watch your mailbox next week so you'll stop whining!

Thanksgiving - we can't forget Thanksgiving - that's the holiday between Halloween and Christmas.  It seems to get lost somehow.  I can remember as a kid how we enjoyed Thanksgiving as a kid with all the family gathering at our house for a feast.  I think there was about 25 of us with all the aunts and uncles and cousins.  And of course, there was the kids table cause we couldn't all fit around the big table.  I remember there was a time that Mom would put a table leaf  between two chairs to fit some of us little ones at the big table.

And so begins the Christmas sewing.  This wonderful snowman table runner was a fun project from the monthly collection and is sparkled with heat set rhinestones. Thanks Nadine for the sparkle!

You all know that since my daughters have gone that I took over the large bedroom upstairs for a sewing room.  What to do when my granddaughter is sleeping?    I couldn't bear to get rid of this old Singer treadle machine and cabinet that I learned to sew on.  After all, it belonged to my Great Grandmother Sarah and she supported herself and two young children as a dressmaker in the very early 1900's.  Imagine making all those intricate floor length dresses on a treadle machine!  Anyway so  I brought down my non embroidery machine and set it on the cabinet.  Shades of Yesteryear just like when I was a kid sewing in the dining room in front of the windows.  So now when Kira is snoozing - I can be a stitching!

What's next - well - I've been taking lessons on pleating and machine smocking and I have a beautiful little jumper in pinwhale corduroy for Kira with a smocked yoke.  Watch for it!

I received the ultimate compliment from my daughter Erin.  She was shopping and was at a Vera Bradley store and sent me a message that although Vera's bags were nice, she liked my better!! Woo hoo!!!! But, she continued,  Vera has one thing on me and attached a picture of flip flops in the Vera matching fabric designs.  WELL - move over Vera!!  Not to be outdone by Vera, I was shopping in Buffalo and found this pattern.  Now, Erin has matching flip flops for the bag I made her shown in a previous post.  They were really easy!   You need to purchase a pair of thong flip flops and cut off the straps for the base, but save the plugs.  Trace the flips flops, and using layers of fabric, interfacing and peltex you create the top, add a binding and a strip for the ties.  Then it is glued to the rubber base.  So cool.  She may never wear them, BUT watch out Vera!

The girls asked me to make them a  roll to hold all their toiletries when they are traveling.  I came up with this design to hold small bottles of shampoo, etc., the size that can be taken on an airplane.  Using two coordinating fabrics, I sandwiched them with Sew soft batting and quilted them together.  I cut lengths of vinyl and attached binding strips to them and then sewed them to zippers.  They were stitched to the main fabric on the binding strip above the zipper to separate each pocket.  The bottom pocket was made by cutting the fabric a couple inches wider than the main piece and boxing the corners and stitching it on.  The  entire outer edge is finished with a binding strip. The blue one has part of a coat hanger inserted and the beige one has a large metal ring on a tab to allow these to be hung on the back of the bathroom door in a hotel.  Just add your items, roll them up and tie them with a bow and you're ready to travel.  Kris wanted a smaller one but you could make them any size, make the pockets any size and even divide the small pockets for a jewelry roll.   So many different things you could use if for.  Get your imagination going.

It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks trying to get ready for the first family reunion of the Reagan Family.   Being the "family historian", I had to get my files together and tried to fill in some missing links.   We had a wonderful dinner at the Brae Loch restaurant in Cazenovia  followed on Sunday with a BBQ at my brothers.  My sister in law made this outstanding sign to put at the road side for the BBQ.  Nice job Loy!   I embroidered these canvas bags with our family crest for everyone as a memento of the weekend.

For our vacation this year, our family traveled to Virigina Beach, Va. and then to Charlotte, N.C..  We had a great time and I was able to stop at a few fabric shops along the way.  I had been told about Mary Jo's Cloth Store in Gastonia, N.C.  http://maryjos.com/  but never expected what I found.  It is enormous and has every type of fabric you can image.  It was quite an overload to the mind.  Which section to go to first.  What to buy, what not to buy.  How much to buy, where am I going to put it. Oh my!   Can't wait to go back with projects in mind.  Not far down the road is  Long Creek Mills  http://www.longcreekmills.com/location.html which has thousands of cones of embroidery thread at VERY reasonable prices.  Another place for me to get in trouble.   I also stopped at a nice little quilt shop near Kristin in Charlotte  Qbee Quilts and bought a few things there. 

We had a great time at the beach with a room with balcony on the beach front.  The kids swam all day and played in the sand. 

We visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. and what a beautiful and enormous estate.  

This is an e-reader cover and eyeglass case to match the professional tote that I made for my sister which is shown below.

 And yet another bag for Erin with matching wallet, sun glass case and change/card holder.  Erin gave me the ultimate compliment.  She was at a Vera Bradley store and sent me a text that said "I like yours better"!!

Did a little sewing for my little cutie granddaughter Kira.  These are both Kwik Sew patterns and the fabric was purchased at Calico Gals in Lyncourt.
She's so precious - always on the "go".

AND - I finally made something for myself!   It's a beautiful laptop bag.  The pattern is from Indygo Junction and the fabric was purchased at Cazenovia Fabrics.

Lizzie's Prom Dress

 This is my beautiful niece Elizabeth ready for her senior prom.  I'm so very proud of Liz.  She started sewing only about 1 year ago and she not only made her dress, she designed it too!  It a royal purple satin with sparkles on it topped with layers of organza.  She made each of the flowers from the satin with tiny seed bead centers. They start at the shoulder and come down across the bodice and around her waist and continuing down the skirt. Her Mom helped with the flowers (Cause there were so many to make) and made the little shawl cape.  And she is wearing Grandma Clara's  antique amethyst necklace.  Grandma would be very proud!  You look beautiful Liz and nice job!

 Another baby - another diaper bag.  This one is for my daughters friend who will be a first time Mom.  I love making this bag.  It's full of pockets to hold all the necessities.  The diaper changing pad has a "Baby Tweet" embroidery from Embroidery Library.com. and has pockets for diapers, wipes and cream.  With the cross body strap, it's so easy to carry. 

Kristin bought the pattern for this bag and sent it to me to make for her.  It's a Valori Wells design and fabric.  It came out nice but I didn't like the directions or sewing sequence at all.  Not one I would make again.  Of course had to make a matching sunglass case and small wallet/card case to match.

My sister who sews  said - I wore out the bag you made me - I need a new one.  She picked out this fabric and I think that it came out beautiful. Again, it's the Professional Bag which I think I have made nine times now.

More Party with Patrick designs from Patrick Lose.  Just for fun.  They are fast and fun to do.

This is a 20" table mat just right for displaying a plateful of delicious cupcakes.

 The original design for this is the round table mats.  I scaled the pattern down to make a banner for the table top frame.