Been Gone So Long

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....I can't believe it has been so long since I have been on here. The summer was so busy and crazy as usual so I didn't get any time to post. Now that summer is over for us up here and the market season is done I have more time to do some more posting. Well at least I will try. LOL! 

It was a great summer selling season and the weather up here in the north country was unbelievably nice. We normally have two months of nice weather and then August gets raining, but this summer we had only a few real rainy times. And the temps.....man they we unbelievable also. On a normal year we get about 3 days in the 70's...this summer we had 34!!! Can't believe it. There were a couple of days that were actually HOT! And we had to turn the air conditioner on in the car. Thought I was going to die. :)

Been working on lots of stuff trying to get ready for the Christmas local shows and I have been stocking my Etsy shop back up. It gets pretty depleted during the summer as I don't have time to keep it stocked. 

Lots of new fabrics have been added for Fall and Halloween sewing. Here are a couple of them...

I also started adding patterns to the shop. I have offered my own stitchery designs for some time, but I thought I would add some other types of patterns. Here is one for Fall or Halloween sewing.....

So if you get time come on over and see all the new goodies I have in the shop now. 

My shop is here....

Have a great day and talk to you soon!!

Colleen :)

NEW FABRICS!

Went on a shopping trip again last week! I just love to buy all this fabric! It really makes me feel good...HA!HA! :)  Anyway I thought I would show you some of the fabrics I bought. Beings 4th of July is coming soon I also stocked up on Americana fabrics. You can see all my new fabrics here from my Etsy shop. :)

I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee this fabric!! Of course you know it has to do with SEWING!! I use to have an old treadle machine that had an old machine like these. And I do love all antiques. :)

These vintage bicycles are so neat. Takes you back to the "olden" days. :)

Country is great for decorating. I wonder if there are very many people that still decorate with a country decor....hmmmmmmmmmmm? Anyway....I really liked this country sign fabric with all the animals on it. I thought this fabric would be great for placemats. I may actually take some of that fabric and make some. :)

And like I said......4th of July is coming so I stocked up on Americana fabrics. Here are two of the one's that I picked out. Get busy with those patriotic sewing projects. :)

Thanks for visiting and happy sewing! 

Colleen :)

Been Busy Sewing

Whew....my sewing machine has been in a whirl lately. I was so low on stock for the shop and upcoming summer season that I needed to kick it into gear. Normally I take a few weeks off after Christmas, but last year we did so well with the local shows and we now have our products in a local gift shop that our stock was sooooooooooooooooooooo depleted that I had to get started right away. :(

Anyway.....I thought I would show you some new candle mats that I made. I had some scrap fabrics laying around ( yep...laying around everywhere!!) that I thought they would make good candle mats/mug rugs. You can find them here in my Etsy shop. 

I like the folk art primitive look and I had some left-over fabric with small village and salt box houses print so I thought I would make these and use a checked fabric for the border. I think they turned out pretty nice and even hubby liked them so that must mean they are nice. :)

We don't have elk around here in the north country, but where we use to live the elk are very majestic and I thought this fabric was so pretty. I actually have used this fabric to make some coiled bowls, but I had a little left so I thought I would use it. 

I have always liked the Southwestern decor. I think the colors are so bright and festive even if I am a pastel person. I did an applique in the center and used hot chili pepper fabric for the border. This would spice up a kitchen. :)

So I have been busy sewing and sewing which of course I just love......get tired sometimes, but I do like it. So blessed to be able to do this everyday. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!

Colleen :)

Spring Sewing

I know there is quite a bit of winter left especially for us in the northern world, but I always like to think Spring. I have about three months left until I have Spring, but there are some of you that it is right around the corner. If you are one of those and getting ready to do some "Spring sewing" or if you are like me and do "Spring sewing" to lift your spirits, I have just added some new Spring fabrics to my Etsy shop that I wanted to show you. :)

I love Susan Winget fabric! She designs such beautiful fabric. This is one of her Easter fabrics.

These beautiful springs birds are another one of her fabrics. 

This is more summertime, but look at the design on this fabric! I love the lemonade pitchers. I thought this fabric would make great placemats for a picnic table. :)

Butterflies are always a sure sign of spring! Look at all of them here!

I really like this fabric. Look at all the cute bugs all over this one. This one if from Hi-Fashion fabrics. I think it is just so cute. :)

As you can tell I LOVE fabrics of all kinds. I enjoy shopping for them and sewing with them. Yes...I am addicted to fabrics. LOL!  So come on over to the shop and check out all the new fabrics I have for you. Thanks for letting me show you all my new "goodies". :)

Happy sewing!

Colleen :)

Halloween Crafts

Time to get busy finishing up those Halloween crafts. I saw this posting the other day on my FB feed and thought I would share it with you. There are lots of different things to make for Halloween. There are several different links so you can pick what interests you. :)


Here is the link to the posting....The Country Chic Cottage. I follow her and she has some wonderful craft ideas and recipes! :)

Get busy with those crafts and happy crafting!

Colleen :)

Quilting Poem

I read this article the other day in The Country Register of Colorado and thought that many of you quilters(along with me) could relate to it. :)

Quilting

by Marlyn Hasart

About forty years ago

I was bitten by a bug.

I wasn't sick or feverish

Or drinking from a jug.

With paper and pencils, cloth and scissors

My "Artistic Juices" began to flow.

Cut and measure, snip and sew, rip and tear

This pile did grow.

Squares and sashing from fabric so smooth,

My feverish brow, it began to sooth.

Right sides together, seams to meet,

Sit and sew, press seams so neat.

Lay the block on the bed

All these ideas in my head.

Move blocks again till they seam right,

Alleluia, What a pleasing sight.

Back to the machine, I just had to buy,

And sew and sew-My how time flies.

Where's my dinner, my hubby did cry.

What are you doing? Up the stairs I did fly.

I'm making a "quilt" for our bed so warm

It will keep us cozy through the night's storm!

And now the years have so quickly passed,

The piles of quilts have grown so fast.

So now I give them to family and friends

And hope this bug lasts till my stash ends. 

Now I don't know about you quilter's, but I can soooooooooooooooooo relate to this poem. The stash just keeps growing and growing. :)

Have a great week!

Colleen :)

New Fabrics

I have lots of fabrics and I love to buy fabrics! Yep.....just like most quilters and sewers. Well I was thinking the other day....I really love to buy fabrics and I know I will never have the time to make everything that I want to so, I thought why not start selling some of these fabrics to all of you. So.........I added another section to my Etsy store and I am now offering fabrics for sale. 

If you are like me you visit your local fabric store many times a month and then the fabric gets to be the same things you see all the time. If the owner doesn't get new fabrics you have the same fabrics to choose from. This happens to me so I start to look elsewhere for fabrics. Recently I spent a week with my daughter in Minnesota and we visited some quilt shops and you want to talk about a kid in a candy store!! There were new fabrics everywhere!!!! I couldn't believe it!! So needless to say I was a shopping fool. LOL! :)  

I have fabrics listed in my shop now and I am always on the search for new and exciting fabrics to bring to you that you may be able to use on those projects you are working on. :)

Here are a few I have listed and here is the link to my section in my Etsy store so you can see what I have. I have by the yards and fat quarters. :) My Fabrics in my shop. 

I love these blue birds. They are so colorful!

Beautiful silhouette of a cabin and trees. I think this would be really neat for a small quilt. 

I bought this thinking of some fall projects that could be done with it. 

I also have several fat quarter bundles of all designs. 

I just love all the colors and prints of fabrics! Wish I had the time to make something out of every fabric design there is. :)  Thanks for stopping by and letting me show you all the new fabrics I have for sale. Please visit when you can....My Fabrics.

Happy sewing! :)

Back From Vacation

Just got back from a weeks vacation visiting my daughter and her family. It was so great seeing the grandkids and her and...oh ya.....my son-in-law. LOL! Had a great time visiting them and getting to see the kids soccer, volleyball, and baseball games. Since we live so far away from them I don't get to see their games so I always enjoy getting to go to their games. 

A big highlight of my trip is always going to help my daughter deliver her papers. She is the publisher of The Country Register of Minnesota which is a shopping guide for the state of Minnesota. Some of you may be familiar with those nationwide papers. She delivers the paper to some of her advertisers closer to her town and when I come to visit we always time it so I can help her deliver the papers and see some of the shops! It is usually antique stores and of course..quilt shops! This time we went to see quilt shops and you want to talk about a kid in a candy store! What is really neat about doing this is that I get to see new fabrics. I am sure all you sewers have the same feeling, that I only get to see the fabrics my local shop has and then those get old so visiting these shops it was a whole new group of fabrics to see! I was doing the happy dance!!

Of course my hands were going crazy thru all the bolts and fat quarters. Here are a few of the fabrics I got. So many ideas of what to make with them and so little time to do them all. 

Another trip we always do when I go back since it is usually only one time a year (the plane flights are the flights from hell so I love to see the kids, but I hate the flights!!) is new tenny runner shoes. Here is my latest "fashion" purchase. Pretty snazzy huh.  :)

Well now that I have all that new fabric I need to get busy and get some new things made for my shop. Got to get my little fingers moving. :)

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Working On New Product

I have been sewing my little fingers off! Trying to get some new products in my Etsy shop and getting ready for the summer markets around here. 

Awhile back I blogged that I had purchased the EQ7 quilting software  because I wanted to design my own quilts . Well I did manage to get a few mug rug/candle mats designed and made....a few you say......how about 24 of them! I was a sewing fool. LOL! :)  Here are a few of them that I made. 

I also have been cranking out the fabric bowls. I just keep buying fabrics and making bowls! I love all the fabrics that I can turn into bowls. They are time consuming to make, but when they are done I think they turn out really good. Making lots of them for the shop and the summer shows too. 

You can see everything I made right  here. Still have lots of fabric to use up so guess I will be adding to my pot holders soon. :)  So what have you been working on? :)

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Let's Get Those Kids To Embroider

I know a lot of you out there are sewers, crafters, quilters and embroidery people. Now for those of you that embroider do you have children that you would like to get started with embroidery? How about having them start with this Burlap Embroidery for Kids from AllFreeSewing that I found the other day. They will use colorful shoelaces to make these designs and it looks like a great way to get them started. Wish I still had my grandkids around to do this project. :)

Happy embroidering and have a great day!!

Time For Tips.....

I get LOTSSSSSSS of quilting magazines and over the years I probably have enough magazines to wallpaper my entire house!!! Most of them always have a page of tips and I keep a running log of these tips. Some of them I actually try and they do work. Here are a few that I read in my American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine that I thought you might like. 

• When working on a quilt project safety pin a scrap of batting to your shirt and put any stray threads from your quilt top, sewing table or floor onto the batting scrap. This saves time because you don't have to throw pieces of thread into the wastebasket. (Now...if you are me....you throw them on the floor and when they get knee deep you finally pick them up!)

• When threading a needle keep a tube of lip balm handy. Instead of licking the threads so they stay together put a dab of lip balm on them. (Sounds pretty good and that way you don't lick your finger and get all those germs...might have to try this one.)

• To see what you are cutting when fussy cutting squares use a plexiglass square template which can be cut by your local hardware store. (Yep....off to Home Depot!) 

• Use clothing steamer to remove the wrinkles from a new package of cotton batting. Giving the batting a light steaming gets out the wrinkles and shrinks up the batting a bit. ( I actually use this one and it does seem to work a bit. )

Hope these tips help with your sewing projects.

Have a great day and happy sewing! :)

Mini Charm Mix Shortcut Quilt

As you know I love to quilt and I subscribe to the newsletter from the Fat Quarter Shop. In a recent newsletter they had an interesting short video on making a quilt from a mini charm pack. I haven't used charm packs a lot, but the few times I have used them I really like sewing with them. So much less cutting and I am all about saving time! :)

I thought you might like to see the video also, so here it is.....





Now.....we just need to find time to make one of these. Ya, right.....just put in on your to-do list right. LOL! :)

Happy sewing and have a great day!  

Getting Caught Up

So has everyone had time to catch their breathe from the holiday's yet? I know it takes some time to do that. I had sooooooooo many things that were half done that I just didn't have time to finish before Christmas. One of the things that were really a big hit this Christmas show season was my fabric bowls that I started to make. I couldn't believe how well they sold! I had a few cut out that I just didn't get time to finish so last week I said I needed to get them done and put in the tub for next time. So I thought I would show you the one's that I finished. 

This fireweed fabric is probably one of my best sellers. I have also sold a few from my Etsy shop. I just love the colors of this fabric.

How about the pictures on this fabric! I can't believe how pretty the loons are and this fabric shows the details so well.

And then of course if you have a southwestern decor it definitely needs some red hot peppers.



I really like making these bowls. They do take some time to make and my shoulder does get a little sore (age!), but when I am done I just love the way they look. I have several others that I will need to get made. I am a creature of lists and have lists of lists and yes I have a list of what designs of fabric bowls to make. Ha!Ha!

Well off to the sewing room. Have a great day!

PRESSING QUILT SEAMS

Sometimes we all need a refresher on our "sewing" techniques and I for one am diffidently one of those people. I think we all get a little sloppy sometimes with our sewing, not that there is anything wrong with that. Especially when it comes to quilting. All our little "quirks" just makes the quilt that much more special.

Anyway back to the subject of techniques. When it comes to ironing the seams (especially in quilting) there are times you press the seams open and this way and that way. :)

So if you are one of those people, along with me, that needs to be reminded how to press your quilting seams I found this article from Craftsy which I know many, many of you follow, but this is good information. So just click on here to read about how to press those seams. 

Happy sewing! :)

LOOK WHAT I GOT!

Even though I design most of my own items I have wanted to start designing my own quilts. I have done a few on my own, but they take an enormous amount of time and brain power so I thought I need to make things a little bit easier on me. So.........look what I got for Christmas!!!!

I have had my eye on this software for a couple of years and never wanted to take the plunge and purchase it, but I decided this was the year I am going to get it. 

I have been playing with it a little learning all the ends and outs of it. I told myself....self....now don't just jump in there and start slamming things out (like I normally do!LOL!) I am taking each lesson one step at a time and I am watching all the videos. Even though I want to get started on my own designs I have been very good at following the steps first. Aren't you proud of me. :)

So, I just thought I would show you what I am going to be doing this winter. I hope to get projects posted here when I get them complete.....well.....at least that is the plan. So stay tuned. :)

Have a great day!! :)

Craft Show

I did my first craft show of the season. It went fairly well. It was in the small town nearby (not that my town is so huge! LOL!) so my expectations weren't really high, but it did go better than expected. The spaces were a little smaller than I usually have so I couldn't put out all my product but we did get a lot of it out. 

I took the fabric bowls I have been making and did sell some of those which made me happy and some of my fall quilted items sold too. :)

My husband does woodworking and makes these cutting board and birch burl bowls. Both of these items do good in the summer, but during the holiday shows they do really well as people buy them for gifts and they didn't let me down. Sold several of them. :)

So....the first show is done. The next one will be in a few weeks so I am working on some new items for that one. More fabric bowls and I think I will do a couple of Christmas tablerunners and wall hangings. Well let's say I will "TRY" and get some of them made. :)

Have a great week! :)