Giveaway #2

After looking over the paper stash again, I decided everyone from yesterday needs to be a winner! I'll be in touch to get your addresses!

Now up in the giveaway box are some purse patterns and zippers.

We'll do three winners again, this time the first three to comment win. Please let me know which pattern you prefer and what color zippers you would like (I have every color of the rainbow, only a few are pictured).

Times Up!

Remember this? Nope, I didn't forget. I didn't cave and spill the beans either. He really hasn't noticed!! I told you a few weeks ago that he actually set something on top of it and STILL didn't notice. So, while I think its kind of sad my husband's surroundings are that oblivious to him, I am happy that this pretty much gives me free reign on what enters or leaves my home. He'll regret this one soon enough!

So, I went back through the comments and I am calling Breanna's vote of "never" as the official winner! Congratulations Breanna - I'll be in touch!

Now, for the rest of you...
I've decided I can no longer live in the clutter of my home and so I am getting rid of stuff. It's hard though because it is just such good stuff you know? So, to ease the blow on myself we are going to have some giveaways so my treasures can find good homes.

First up in the giveaway box is a great assortment of cards and notepads. I think I've mentioned Gopher - the amazingly strange outlet for discontinued mara-mi and Roobee paper products. Anyway, my collection is getting out of control - not to mention the fact that I have been receiving amazing cards from generous bloggers (aka Mary Ann) that I would much rather use anyway! And, I've kind of been enjoying making my own lately too. Not to mention that I will no doubt go back to Gopher one day to find new stuff! Sad, I know. It's a disease. So, leave a comment! I have enough stuff for 3 winners (seriously there's a lot!). I'll announce the winners tomorrow and hopefully will have more stuff to get rid of then!

WARNING: To Sara and my mother and everyone else out there that cringes when I have no regard for the rules of sewing, patterns and the like - this may be more than you can handle on a Monday morning. Please read the rest with caution!!

Check out Nelly!! I made this shirt last week out of fabric I got at Mill End for 50 cents a yard! FIFTY CENTS, I swear!! They were clearing out their 99 cent bin and their 1.29 section and I found lots of great stuff! I decided on Thursday night I needed a shirt like this (I saw a chick on HGTV wearing a really cool shirt similar to this one) but no pattern was to be had at that hour. Plus, I couldn't justify paying more for a pattern than for the fabric, so I winged it! I got out one of my favorite shirts that fits the absolute best and traced around it. A little cutting, a little sewing, and LOTS of adjusting and here she is! I used my sis' serger to finish off the edges with a rolled hem. So easy! I will definitely be doing that again! Thanks to Vallen, I opened the book that came with my sewing machine and found I have a stitch made just for knits and stretchy things! Therefore, much less rippling with this project. It makes Nelly look a little boxy, but trust me I have a few more curves than Nelly and I fill it out quite nicely. Don't zoom in too close - it's one of those shirts that looks better from a distance! Since I did the shirt on the diagonal I used more yardage than I would have had to, so I figure this little number cost me about 75 cents!

If all goes as planned, you'll be seeing Nelly some more this week. Who would have ever thought I would enjoy sewing clothes?

Black and white and GREEN all over!

I've been spending a lot of time this week looking at this...

But managed to find some time to make this...

Hope summer is treating you well!

Happy Independence Day!

In honor of the red, white and blue I whipped up this little number for Sydney using this tutorial (well, sort of. That's where I got the idea anyway.) I used one of her shirts to get the shape right, but unfortunately it's a little snug. Maybe I will rip it apart after today and make it fit a little better.

Cute kid alert...Sydney says hello and had to show off her pretty fingernails, painted especially for the 4th of July!

So, regardless of your political what-have yous, I hope you can take some time today to remember all we have to be thankful for living in the United States. And say a prayer for those fighting to keep our freedoms. God bless America.

Kid-Sized Apron Gift

I've been a little apron crazy lately. Probably just because they are so fun and easy to make! This cute little number was for a little girl's birthday. (That's why it looks a little small on Nelly). I made her two of them so she could play with a friend. I've had this cute striped fabric for a while but could never come up with the perfect use for it. I think it turned out great as an apron. I especially love the rick-rack detail!

Mail Goodies

Seems like I've been slacking as a blogger lately. Sorry. I haven't been slacking as a crafter though, so I promise I have a lot to show you this week! First things first though...some special packages arrived in my mailbox!

The first is from Breanna at Graceful Designs. I won a contest on her blog and these are the awesome prizes she sent me. LOVE them all! I had the seamstress necklace on before I even got out of the car after picking up the mail. She does amazing solder work - seriously Breanna you do!! And Sydney loves her I Spy game! Thanks again Breanna!!

It was Raesha's birthday recently. I received this great package of paper goodies as a party favor! Doesn't blogland rock? Thanks Raesha! Hope you had a great birthday! This stuff will all come in handy for my class in August.

Hope to see you back here again soon!