My To Do List

I made this chalkboard picture frame back in November for a 'Give Thanks' board for Thanksgiving....  It's still not done.  As I was snapping this picture I thought maybe I should write on there Make the words TO DO with your cricut! :)  For now this sits in my guest/sewing room.

So.... my list.

Number 1 - Iron.   I always have clothes to iron so that will always be on the list.  I also always have laundry and cleaning to do but I don't write that on there.    

Number 2 - Sew Sacha's Gown!   YES!  I am finished!  I re-made a wedding gown from 1945 for a friend of mines May 7th wedding.  I will post pictures after the wedding.

Number 3 - Dress a Girl Around the World.  I started talking to a lady in the cutting line at JoAnn's about 6 weeks ago and she invited me to a sew-in they were hosting at her church.  I got all my fabrics out, got them ready to be sewn into little dresses and then got sick and didn't go.  But I have a pile of dresses to make and send away...

Number 4 - Did you read that?  My husband and I are going to Aruba for our very close friends sons wedding.  Very exciting. 

Number 5 - Done! 

I know that I am strange in the way I love 'To Do' lists.  I usually erase what's been completed but I sort of like seeing that yes, I've got something accomplished.

UGH, I just remembered I need to write Make a new table runner for April!!!

AND I just signed up for another round of Potholder Pass so that will go on there too!

I hope you are all getting your projects completed!  Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,

Butterfly Pillows

I work at a local Montessori school called Monarch Montessori. We needed pillows for our soft/library area so I volunteered. :)  I used fabric that I had on hand and only had to purchase the pillow forms.   I thought butterflies would be appropriate so I googled butterfly quilts and found something I thought would work.  I fooled around in pages, basically making a butterfly puzzle that I used that as my pattern.   

I literally cut out the pieces, adding a 1/4" around and then once I had cut all the fabric out had to re-tape the 'puzzle' back together again so I could figure it out.  I am sure there must be an easier way but since I am just getting back into quilting it was the only way I could think of!

I stitched around the border of the butterfly and free motion machine stitched around the border.  I added hand embroidered antenna.  

I was pleased with the results and the children loved them!

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings!  

St. Paddy's Teacher Gift

Here is a cute little gift that I had made for my kids teachers when they were in school.  I decided to make them this year for the teachers at the Montessori school where I work.  Here is the one I made in the past.  It says 'You are worth your weight in gold!'

I was a little unsure if that would be offensive so I went and made two new ones.  I found free pot of gold graphics on google images.  One has the old saying and the other says 'You are a Treasure.'  Here is that document if you care to use it.  

Supplies:

• Little bags of Chocolate coins- I found some at Joann's, $1.49 for 9 coins and at Walgreen's, $1.59 for 2 bags but each bag had only 5.
• Plastic goodie bags that you find in the chocolate making isle at Michael's or Joann's.
• Print out of document.

Directions:
1.  Cut out the print and fold in half.
2.  Trim the plastic bag down a bit.
3.  Staple the print out over the open end of the bag.


Wa-la!  Cute gift that lets the receiver know you appreciate them!


Blessings,

When Irish Eyes are Smilin'

Just sending out some love today.  Feel free to use.   :)


Blessings!

St. Patrick's Day Runner

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF MARCH! 

Last month I made a Valentine's Day Table Runner with strips that was super easy.  I thought I would do the same for this months runner but I was encouraged at my first sew in to try new things so I thought I would try a wonky one this time around.    I normally like things to match up so this was totally new for me.  When I showed my husband some of the squares I made at the sew in he said "I don't think I can handle that.  The lines don't match up."  :)  Well... To be honest I wasn't sure I was going to like it either but I decided it's only going to be on the table for one month so I was going for it.  Plus there is usually so many papers on the table he won't see it anyway! :)  

Here is how I made my St. Patrick's Day table runner.  


I started with 16 different pieces of fabric.  I only bought a 1/4 yard of each, except for the fabric I also used for the binding.  I bought a 1/2 yard of that.  I decided on greens, orange, and white to match Ireland's flag, and added some black.  I figured out my runner would be 18" wide and 54" long.  That meant I needed 12, 9" blocks.  Each 9" block is made up of 4, 4 1/2" blocks.  That meant that each of my blocks had to be 5" square.  I took a piece of paper and cut it to a 5" square to use as a visual.


1.  I cut strips of fabric all different sizes.  The laid them out so that the greens weren't next to each other and sewed the strips together. 

 2.  Using my paper pattern I laid it on top of my strips and using my plastic ruler and rotary knife I cut out my squares. 

This picture shows that I was able to get three squares out of one set of strips.  Then I had the 'top' and the 'bottom' sections.  I then took another piece of fabric, placing it between them and made new squares so I wasn't wasting a lot of fabric.

I kept doing that until I had all my squares.  I made 6 squares from each pattern and then I made 12 out of one set that I thought looked like the flag and placed one of each of those squares in each of the 12 blocks.

 3.  I took all my squares and laid them out on a table to decide how I wanted the layout.  I tried to spread out each different pattern and not have them too close to each other.   Then I sewed them together.  

                                
 4.  Once the top was sewn together I used spray adhesive and put the batting and backing together.  This time I also used safety pins to keep it together as I stitched the top.  Which will come back to haunt you if you don't remember to take them out BEFORE you place the paper over them....

  5.  I decided I was going to do free motion shamrocks so I found a shamrock I liked on google images.   I played around with it in pages to get it to the size and placing that I needed and printed it out.  THEN I took plain paper and with the copy on top sewed through the layers of paper on my machine, minus thread.  I did 6 at a time.  I placed the paper on the quilt, pinned it in each corner and then stitched right through the paper.  After I was done I just tore the paper away.  This is BRILLIANT.  Thank you Lisa!

A close up of my stitching.  I am just learning so don't look too closely.

Can I tell you that I just LOVE this one!!!  I think I will be sad to see it go when the month is over.  I guess I need to start thinking about April's...

Blessings!