Would you GIVE AWAY your HALO?

Listen up ladies, Lana on....itseamstobesew.blogspot.com  .... is having a nice give away.  But you have to hurry because it ends Friday.  I just received the email yesterday so don't get mad at me. :-)

Here goes, hope you make it in time.  

Would you GIVEAWAY your HALO? Posted: 13 Aug 2014 08:12 AM PDT I love little gadgets... don't you? I found this little beauty and thought... Wow! I NEED THIS!!! Are YOU into free-motion quilting? THEN YOU NEED THIS!!!! This my friends... is a Quilt Halo  Free Motion Quilting Tool It is described as:  Giving great support and control when quilting Rubberized, weight, and metal Safe to use with any domestic quilting machine AND.... it replaces the need for quilting gloves or embroidery hoops Well Now...WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO TRY ONE???? Sew... Let's have a little  GIVEAWAY!!!!! If you would like to enter... 1. Leave a comment here telling me what  you are working on right now... 2. If you would like another chance to win, become a follower - comment again to let me know! 3. For a third chance to win, Mention this GIVEAWAY on your blog! Be sure and come back and comment with the link! WAIT... Didn't I mention THIS would come with it? Now let's get  GOING!!!! Happy Hump Day! I will choose a winner on  Friday!!! Good Luck!!! itseamstobesew.blogspot.com

Making new friends

I have joined a group of ladies on "ETSY". They appear to be from all over the United States and several other countries. The ones I've actually talked with so far are nice and very patience. This group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/holidaybootcamp is a bunch of energized women that encourage each other to prepare their places of business for the upcoming holidays by giving tips, coming up with new ways to get their name in the public's eye, critiquing each others pages etc.

 I'm going to introduce some of them as I visit their blogs and find beautiful and interesting pieces of what they share with their viewers. You too might find new friends. So grab your beverage of choice and here we go.

Lin has a quick sense of humor and seems to enjoy helping others.  She has pulled me out of trouble a couple of times when I get frustrated with catching on to different concepts of building  my business.  She helps me laugh and get over myself.

    Lin is refreshingly unique in the look of her art of creating collages and cards . 

https://www.facebook.com/lin.collette

her four pieces (in the middle) at the New Hope Gallery is a fine example of her canvas art, she also makes cards of several styles..

 Lin Collette and Paula Gremour at New Hope Art Gallery Summer Show 

I would like these in my master bath room  with lots of frilly things around.  I don't think hubby would care for that though.

I'm getting ready for a couple of the blog hops coming soon so you should see more of me. Check out these               hops you might want to join.
                

http://kwiltypleasures.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-ghastlies-swap.html

http://www.sewwequilt.com/2014/07/feeling-rush.html

This should be a great time by all, and if you'r not able to join in, then just come by and see the fun.

Living with Santa

Hello all,
Those of you who have read some of my earlier posts know that I live with Santa, making things here a little different time to time.

Coming home from work Tuesday evening June 24th., ( pre Christmas Eve)  I had a makeshift Christmas tree on my counter with Feliz Navidad  playing in the air...

On my counters were paintings by Santa of Santa and a snowman

Proceeding on to the living room was a toasty fire and a Christmas DVD ready for an evening's viewing.

Pre-Christmas Morning (June the 25th) When I got up to make the coffee, Santa had arrived.

I had to get ready for work and forgot to take pic of our treasures wrapped in newspaper.  However I did put mine back on the counter to show off.  We just get each other small inexpensive things that each other will use for fun.

Our youngest daughter (Jessica 37yrs old I think) is staying with us for a short time,  Picked me some beautiful wildflowers and made Santa some cheddar/bacon filled biscuits  . I snitched one, they were really good.  Santa got me a book and watering can.

It made for a good time.  My hubby is one of a kind.  A keeper.

Be safe, huggs

I Won! I Won!

          I want to thank Paula Hughes for her "sewing machine mat" give away at  http://www.sassyquilter.com        

Is this not the cutest thing and now I can find my seam ripper and magnifier glass that would normally be  under all the paper and fabric.  Don't let me fool you my real sewing table is never this clear.

She has some great tutorials  and  beautiful quilts she shares.  There is always something to learn there.  You'll want to go and visit with her..

Thanks one more time Paula. 

Last minuet happenstance?

Good afternoon all,

Have you ever had an order that had you backed in a corner (yeah right)  as to just how or what you were going to do that would fit the customers wishes?  This was one of those weeks.  A customer of about  fifteen years, wanted a gift for his wife for their 33rd anniversary.  Iv'e been making gift baskets for him with Hummingbirds of some kind in every one.  This request is special because Larry is losing the battle with cancer that he has been fighting for about 5 years.  The only different thing I hadn't already gotten for her was a stepping stone.  They have beautiful flower and veggie gardens.  You have probably guessed, not a single stone with a hummingbird to be found.

I regress to a couple of weeks ago when another dear friend ( Carol )came into the shop with a denim shirt that ended up too being big for me and I just put it on the dresser.   While picking up my room Friday, I ran across the shirt. Yep, you guessed it (your getting good at this) It had humming birds on it.

I wanted it to be personal and  be something no one but Larry could give her.  Here is what I came up with . Let me know what you think.

Now you have to know Larry to appreciate this, but he is from old school and doesn't embrace  or touch women not in his family, plus the cancer is now in this throat and he can only whisper.  When I showed him the pillow he motioned me closer to hear him, but I got a kiss on the cheek instead.  That to me was more than any thing he could have said .

I was blessed today!

Blessing to you and be safe.

P.S.  I don't believe in happenstance.

Now where did she go?

Hello,
No, I didn't fall of the face of the earth, haven't been ill or gone on a vacation (I wish).  I have been sewing though. Had a couple of orders for bears.  And finishing two more now.  I have had to spring clean the shop and rework some rooms. I will post when completely done.  Then there is the planting of flowers around the shop also, and don't forget home too.  You know just stuff only you can do.  It seems to take longer each year, but I know that's just my imagination, right?

 But I'm back in the swing of things now.  Now if I can just remember how to download pics and post. Lets see, yep I did it.   Let me know what you what think of the Memory bears, the little girl was the pajamas of a customers mother and the little guy was her fathers favorite shirt.

Let me know what you think of them. Your reply really helps encourage me even if it is objective criticism.

Now for the ladies that ask about my nail art,  These are a few of the nails  that have been requested in the last couple of weeks.  All my art is hand painted.  If you would like,  I can add some of the different ones occasionally. 

Going to Disney World

These were Ky. Derby Nails

A hot date, oh to be young again

Going camping with hubby

    Hope you enjoyed them.   

Please be safe. 

Bye for now.

  

Just a little ruffled

Hello All,

   This has been a very innovative blog hop.  A lot of new ideas, and it is enjoyable and peaceful  having  a smaller amount of ladies  to visit in one day, we can take our time and browse their blogs  actually getting to know them a little better.  And yet look forward to more people to meet and creative surprises to see the next day.    I'd like to thank Madame Sam for her great ideas, along with Amy and the other cheerleaders for their willing to help boost our moral.  

  For my ruffle challenge I tried to think of something different and easy enough for me to do at the same time.  I purchased my ruffle foot thinking that would speed things up for me. WRONG!  I spent two days try to set the thing to the right spacing, never did get it right.  So I ruffled by hand.  So here we go.

  I picked up an old lamp, yard sales or thrift stores are a great place to look.  Picking a lite shade because of the fabric being lite.Then I cut my fabric into 3" stripes, and about twice the circumference of the shade for the length.  The last strip being 1-1/2" wide.

  I then seamed the thinner black strip to the lightest pink strip, folded over in half and pressed and stitched in the ditch from front.  This being the top ruffle and making it a finished piece.

 Then hemming the rest of the strips at little more than a 1/4 inch because I did not finish the hem on these.  Knowing it would not be washed and  there wouldn't be too much raveling.

After hand gathering, making sure it would reach around  to meet I knotted both ends so they would not slip.
I attached the bottom row with hot glue first, using the bottom of the shade as a guide going 1/8" past it. Then the top row with the seam of the two fabrics on the edge of shade giving me about 1/2" over the top.  I then spaced the remaining 3 rows equally in between the remaining space

After the assembling of the fabric rows I turned the shade upside down and lightly sprayed with  Mary Ellen's
Best Press and let dry.  I then turned it right-side up and sprayed with scotch guard, making it easier to dust later.

Contrary to the final picture the lamp will not be used outside.  :o)  It is going to be an evening light in
the up stairs bathroom at the shop, which I am now in the process of revamping.  I hope to have it done and posted in two weeks.

Hope you enjoyed yourself, and maybe I even surprised a few you with my selection.  Please leave a note and let me know what you think.  And don't forget to visit my fellow bloggers and fined all kinds of beautiful things.

March 13th

Seams To Be Sew

Tea Time Creations

Sew Peace to Peace

mila+cuatro

All Thingz Sewn

More Stars in Comanche

Stitchin' By The Lake