Bag making

I am on a Bag Making Frenzy!

Lately, I have been busting out some Amy Butler bags and my new favorite a Bari J. bag!  My friend Jackie (click on Jackie and it should take you right to her purse) made a bag back in January that I loved.  I thought it was so cute and went on with my life.  Then a couple of weeks ago Leslie and I were at the Super Bowl sale at one of our favorite fabric stores in the city and I started looking at books.  I found Bari J's and realized that it was the same book Jackie got inspired to make her super cute purse. 

 I loved being able to use things I had in my stash of fabric for this bag instead of feeling guilty every time I look at it yet never use it!  lol! The flower on top and the blue bird are made out of wool.

 I embroidered my blog name onto it.  Holly wrote it on there for me because I couldn't write it as pretty. Unfortunately,  I did not give it the justice that Holly had put into her gorgeous hand writing.  I go to her ever time I need something to look eloquently written!

 As usual my work looks very "handled", but I love that it looks so homemade nonetheless:)

 The process Bari uses is just layering fabrics and free motion appliqueing it on.  What I love so much about this bag is that I got to make it really unique to me and use as much creativity as I wanted.  I even enjoyed adding a few bugle beads.

 I also made another birdie sling for myself.  This one is out of some of the new Parisville fabric that I am now in love with.

 This is also an Amy Butler bag.  It is her market tote and it is huge.  I am going to save it for our Disney cruise.  I bet I can cram a lot of my kids junk in this for our days on the beach (which really sounds like fun to most people but a lot of work to me!!! lol!)

Stir Crazy!!!!

We are going Crazy Around here!

We are going on 4 days of all of us staying in this house together.  So far we have all survived each other.  Ryan has been in bed the whole time with the flu.  I have been staying in Maranda's room every night (which has been surprisingly comfortable).  My parents and my sister Stefanie and her family all headed to the cabin in Angel Fire to get away, and now I am thinking that we should have followed!  However, my other sister, Stacie, and I worked on finishing up booking our Disney cruise for the spring with a extra few days at Disney World!  Being stuck in the house during this "blizzard" makes me really excited to go to Florida!  Ryan was actually in Florida all last week on a golf trip with a few buddies and it was colder there at that time than it was here!  ha ha ;)

Well, I  get a little tired of sitting at the sewing machine nonstop.  I love to sit down and do a little needle work (which is my favorite thing to do).  I started working on a Crab Apple Hill piece that is called Winter.  I still have to put the wool and beads on, and then finish the embroidery.  I am just cooped up so I thought I would share what I did all evening last night as my children ran wild through our home!

I got to use my tracing light again to trace the design.

I like to sit on the floor in front of the fireplace and t.v. to work.
(Yes Robin you are seeing all your beloved Valdani!! :)

Here is the pattern and some of the flosses I found to use too.  They are Weeks brand and it happens to be what the pattern called for.  I got lucky!

All I have gotten done is the names and the stems.

My mess on the floor.

Gabe decided he wanted to make a flower for me for Valentine's.  :)  My sweet boy!

Coconut has enjoyed some nice leisurely days in the house!  She absolutely LOVES the snow!

And to my mother in law Cindy...... Yes I have been cooking and cleaning.  We have sat at the table to eat dinner every night.  I actually let Ryan come out of the sick room for the first time in 3 days to sit and eat steak , potatoes and salad.  ;)  Then I made him go right back in.  He is at the doctor right now.  Pray they take the kids back at school tomorrow!!!!

Frenchy and Birdie!

I have been sewing my tail off in this blizzard!  I love making my Amy Butler bags.  My partner in crime, Leslie, just taught a class on the birdie last week and I missed it!  I won't miss her next one though!  This was my second birdie sling to make.  I think it may find a home with my dear girlfriend Holly:)

 I cut out the Frenchy today (always so much cutting!).  I put it together tonight.  

Over exposed pic sorry!  My plans are to make some pillows and ruffle pants for my Maranda.   We will see though.   I really need to work on my wool crazy quilt!  My next class is coming up soon and I need to get it done!

Blizzard Days

Valentine Table Runner

I love Valentines and I love the color's red and pink!  I found this pattern by Shabby Fabrics and fell in love.  It took me a couple of days to make it.

It is a table runner for Valentine's Day.  I first cut all my 5 x 5 squares and made the runner on Saturday night.

Maranda is getting over the flu so I was able to stay home and work on the applique` and beading all day.  I had to first trace all of my applique` with my light box.

The house was nice and quiet.  The boys were at Nana and Papa's all day, Ryan was at his folks getting their generator going for the blizzard and M was in her pallet watching t.v. all day as she recouped.  I sat on the floor with a nice cup of Tulsi "honey chamomile" tea.

Some of my hearts cut out!

I tried to contain all my mess into this container.

Ric rac, beads and sequence were sewn on to embellish.

This is a picture of it complete.  The applique` is on both ends of the runner.

Maranda is feeling much better finally today however Ryan is in our room  burning up with fever.  The kids and I are enjoying watching the blizzard blow into our neck of the woods.