Obsessively Stitching

I-Spy Swap Link

2012-01-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lorelei over at Midnight Maker is hosting her first-ever I-Spy Charm Swap!
Her swap is for 5" squares, and her rules are a bit different than mine -- so please, read all guidelines carefully before signing up! :o)

Her signup post can be found HERE.

Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-12T19:20:00.002-07:00

We have a winner!!

Random.org says.....

And comment #86 was:

Thank you for your excitement, Mama Teaching 3! :o) I have sent you an email.

Thanks, everyone, for entering this little giveaway -- and for all your kind words! I appreciate it so much!!

New OYW Book Review.... and a giveaway!

2012-01-11T06:59:00.004-07:00

It's here!! My copy of the next installment of One Yard Wonders -- Fabric By Fabric! And I am so excited... TWO of my projects have been featured in the book! It's been such a fun and exciting project!

First let's talk about the book. If you aren't familiar with the format of the first book, which is packed with oodles of fun and simple projects you can make with one yard of fabric, this one is similar. Here's what you'll find:

First of all, look at this packet of patterns. It's one inch thick and absolutely jam-packed!

The book starts out with a section on Fabric Fundamentals. This section walks you through some of the most basic things you'll need to know for sewing... needle types, stitch lengths, presser feet, patterns, and -- my favorite -- Basic Sewing Practices. You'll save yourself time and trouble and get a much more professional look if you've got these basics under your belt!

The book is divided in sections by fabric type: lightweight cottons, quilting-weight cottons, home dec fabrics, flannel, woven pile fabrics, coated fabrics, fleece, knits, and wool. There are oodles of projects for each fabric type!

There is also a helpful glossary at the back of the book that will go over all the different terms you might come across during your reading. Even experienced sewists might find this to be a helpful refresher when in the middle of a project!

Now I just have to share my excitement!

Look! That's me! Hee hee!

My first project is a gathered pillow.

Such yummy texture! Here's the photo in the book...

...and the photo I took before sending it off!

Second project? Another pillow! This one is called Wave Illusions. I love their styling for the photo (and I want that couch!!), but look at this...

...this is how I photographed it! Which end really goes up? I like it both ways! :o)

There are a few bloggy friends/acquaintances who have projects featured in the book as well, including Anna from Noodlehead:

Check out her Fold Over Bag!

Also Lorraine from Ikat Bag (I <3 her writing! And projects!):

Look at those darling fleece piggies!!

How about a sneak peek of a few other projects from the book?

If you're interested, here is the schedule for the blog tour so you can check out other contributors' sites:

12/12/2011 Becka's Project Journal
12/13/2011 Craft Buds
12/14/2011 Patch Work Duck Designs
12/15/2011 Patch Work Duck Designs
12/15/2011 A Spoonful of Sugar
12/15/2011 Nifty Kids Stuff
12/15/2011 Becka's Project Journal
12/16/2011 Nom Nom Nom
12/16/2011 Quaint and Quirky
12/17/2011 ikatbag
12/17/2011 Two Brown Birds
12/18/2011 Sharon Sews
12/19/2011 LBG Studios
12/19/2011 Carolina Fair Designs
12/19/2011 Under Construction
12/20/2011 Little Blue Cottage
12/21/2011 Craftzine
12/21/2011 Neuroses Galore
12/21/2011 Emily Steffen
12/22/2011 Jenna Lou Loves You
12/23/2011 Spin Cushion
12/26/2011 Craft and Cackle
12/27/2011 One Inch World
12/28/2011 Sew Sew Etc.
12/29/2011 While Tangerine Dreams
12/30/2011 Studio Cherie
1/4/2012 Fiberosity
1/05/2012 Zuhause
1/6/2012 No Bad Days
1/11/2012 Obsessively Stiching
1/12/2012 Lu Lu Carter
January 2012 AfricanKelli

Who wants a copy of the book??
Storey Publishing is offering a copy of the book to one lucky giveaway winner!
You must be in the USA to win...

Simply leave a comment on this post, including your email address, and you'll be entered in a drawing for your own copy coming straight from Storey!

Giveaway ends on 1/12/12 at 6:00PM Mountain Time.
I will post a winner shortly thereafter!

Best of luck -- this is a FANTASTIC book! :o)

I-Spy Quilt for JellyBean!

2011-12-28T14:46:00.003-07:00

One of my Christmas sewing projects this year!

JellyBean has been wanting an I-Spy quilt of her own... and we had a great time picking out squares together! Each square represents something she likes, something about her, or is something she just plain couldn't live without at the moment we were choosing!

I opted to set all the squares together in rows with no sashing this time... that way we could cram in as many I-spies as we possibly could! There are quite a few of my Ultimate Favorite Squares in there... squares that, until now, were too "special" to use in any other projects!

There is a narrow purple border to frame the quilt, followed by another border of I-spies. She adores it, I adore it, and it is perfect on her "big girl" bed!

:o) HOORAY for I-Spy!! :o)

LAST-MINUTE Handmade Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

2011-12-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

We're getting down to the wire... but there is still time to whip up some handmade stocking stuffers! Check out my quick roundup of projects that would make fantastic STOCKING STUFFERS!

Finger Puppet Tutorials

Rhinestone Bracelets from Shoelaces

Pot Holder Makeup Bag

Sleeping Bags for Tiny Critters

Fleece Creatures

Coin Purse Keychains

Squishy Rubik's Cubes

Lacing Cards

Handcarved Stamps from Erasers

Covered Mini Composition Notebooks

Dolly Duffel Bag

Juice Pouch Coin Purse

Christmas Dish Towels

Tiny Covered Notebook Keychains -- a DSC Exclusive

Cupcake Pincushions

Goofballs

I-Spy Blocks or
Storytelling Dice

Tiny Kitten in a Box

Itty Bitty Oven Mitt Magnets

Um.... Hello?

2011-12-14T09:37:00.003-07:00

Hellooo!!

I am still here! I didn't intend to be gone for so long! I'm still alive and kicking, obsessing and sewing! :o) I guess I've had quite a lengthy sabbatical, but I hope to be back around here at least a little bit more often! :o)

I just wanted to share this ridiculous photo... That laundry basket right there contains all the 4" I-Spy squares I've collected over numerous swaps. Hee hee! Should I be embarrassed? Yesterday my sister-in-law and I busted them out and pawed through them, searching for those perfect squares for Christmas projects. It was like greeting an old friend again! Ahhhh, I-Spy.... The box contains uncut fabrics, ready for more swapping, which WILL happen again. :o) Maybe sometime in January/February -- the "doldrum months."

(It's a BIG basket, too!)

Anyhow, I have intended to create a roundup of QUICK and SIMPLE last-minute Christmas gift/stocking stuffer ideas before now, but must delay it a little bit longer! Watch for it in the next few days!

Crafterhours' Spoonflower I-Spy Swap Link!

2011-11-08T10:48:00.002-07:00

Hey, THANK YOU, everyone for all your fantastic suggestions on yesterday's post! I am feeling so much better about the situation -- and now I have a nice long list of ideas!! :o)

****

Well it seems it's that time again -- for the Crafterhours Spoonflower I-Spy Swap!
Susan only needs a few more participants to fill up her swap -- so if you are interested, follow the link and check out the guidelines. I participated last year, and it was so much fun. There are so many fantastic fabrics available at Spoonflower!!

School Lunch -- help!!

2011-11-07T09:14:00.003-07:00

Hi, all! Hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween!

I need a little help -- My son takes lunch to school every day, and he is TIRED of sandwiches. I am having trouble coming up with something to send that:

a) is not a sandwich
b) doesn't have to be reheated
c) has nutritional value

I am at a loss! Can anyone give me some suggestions??

MANY MANY THANKS!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:59:00.002-06:00

This morning we had jack o' lantern pancakes for breakfast... simply our favorite recipe with orange food coloring, and Hershey's syrup faces!

Hope everyone has a fantastic and fun day!

I-Spy Swap Link....

2011-10-24T14:40:00.002-06:00

Linnea over at Flynn N Fabric is hosting another I-Spy Swap.....

CLICK HERE for details and to sign up!

Ninja Party -- Super Inexpensive!

2011-10-21T09:23:00.000-06:00

Mr. S had his 5th birthday earlier this month, and after lots of thought decided he wanted a NINJA party. I must confess -- we threw this party together very quickly. On a Monday morning (BEFORE we had the theme) we ran to the store and got generic invitations for him to pass out to classmates at school that day. By that afternoon he had decided on the theme. The party was Thursday.

I called my brother, who is skilled in doodling, and asked him to draw me a quick ninja. I used his ninja to cut out posterboard ninja decorations for the front door

and the walls.

And, of course, at our house no birthday party is complete without T-shirts for all the guests! (Past parties with T-shirts: Super Mario Bros and Despicable Me!)
I found 16 long sleeve T-shirts, all XS, in four different colors at the dollar store. I worked my magic with my brother's ninja drawing, my printer, and some iron-on printer paper. It was a complex shape so it took a long time to cut out the ninjas, but it was most definitely worth it!

A quick rundown on games:

We started with Ninja Training. My husband was an excellent trainer, teaching them how to be quick on their feet by having them jump over a spinning sword, and teaching them how to listen well and be disciplined by playing Ninja Says. He and Mr. S even created a big obstacle course in the basement for everyone to run through -- it involved climbing over, crawling under, somersaults, and even throwing paper Chinese stars!

We played Pin the Sei Blade on the Ninja.

The cake? I thought we could make cupcakes, but Mr. S thought that didn't count for a birthday. So, the morning of the party we lucked out and found a black and red swirly-looking cake already made at Walmart. Hubs brought home some ninja legos to go on top. Perfection!

At a local toy store we found these FUN tiny dragons for 50 cents a pop. The original plan was to put them on the cupcakes, but...

...they were just right on each piece of cake!

At the END of the party, just before parents were coming to pick everyone up, we busted out the $1 foam swords (from Target!) and a huge pile of balloons, and everyone played "keep up" -- trying to keep the balloons from hitting the ground. This was everyone's favorite game -- and we saved it for the end to avoid any sword fighting among the ninjas. It worked out just perfectly!

So, to sum up: Everyone had a fantastic time. Each guest went home with a T-shirt, sword, and tiny dragon for a total of $2.50 per kid. Mr. S was beaming for days. Sounds like the perfect party to me!

Today's Lunch

2011-10-19T11:14:00.004-06:00

My kiddos were teasing me that they wanted to eat shirts for lunch.
Well... We made it happen! :o)

On Hand By Hand -- guest and giveaway!

2011-10-14T14:53:00.001-06:00

My lovely and talented sister-in-law Sarah is here today to tell you about her adorable etsy shop, On Hand by Hand -- and to tell you about a giveaway she is having!!

Here she is....

I'm Sarah. I am 24 and the wife of a wonderfully supportive and incredibly good looking man. I'm also the mommy/nanny/slave to a little black cocker spaniel and a freckly cocker/aussie mix. About a year and a half ago, my husband got accepted to PA school and we relocated to California. After living in CA for a few months, I discovered that this place just wasn't going to let me work a day job, so I started up my etsy shop, On Hand By Hand. It started very small and I just used some basic patterns and techniques. It's been almost a year now and I've been able to branch out a little and create my own patterns and styles, from muppets to finger puppets to marionettes. It's loads of fun and I'm so excited to see my business grow!

I recently participated in my first craft fair and I hope to do many many more in the future. I absolutely love being able to see people light up when they see my puppets in person. How can you not smile when you see a puppet? I truly believe that these creations can be loved and valued by anyone and everyone, regardless of age and status. As the great Jim Henson said, "The most sophisticated people I know -- inside they are all children."

As a little promotion for my shop and Facebook page, I'm having a puppet giveaway! From now till October 18th, you can enter to win one of my creations. All you have to do is follow these three steps:

1: Go to my Facebook page and become a fan
2: Share my page with at least 5 of your friends
3: Leave a comment on THIS FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY POST telling me which is your favorite puppet and why.

That's it! I'll randomly pick the winner from the comments on October 19th and message the winner for contact info. If these puppets don't make you smile, I'll give you $1.00. Well, probably not, but I bet you'll smile anyway! Happy Puppeting!

I hope you'll head over and enter! Check out her shop and Facebook page to see more of her puppets -- my favorite are the DRAGONS! :o)

It's birthday party time....

2011-10-05T13:05:00.002-06:00

It's birthday party time around here again, and you know what that means....

....lots of dollar store and dollar aisle shopping!!

This morning we went and picked up scads of T-shirts, posterboards, and balloons from the dollar store, and a huge pile of foam swords from Target's dollar aisle!!

Can't wait to share some details later this week!

See me on My Craft Channel tomorrow!

2011-10-03T14:45:00.001-06:00

So... Remember the little web show I did some filming for back in July? Well the show, Get a Little Creative, starts up on My Craft Channel tomorrow -- and the show I am a guest in is going to be the first episode!

Tune in tomorrow at MyCraftChannel.com to watch!! :o)

Yes, I'm still here.....

2011-09-23T19:44:00.002-06:00

I am still here, still sewing (sewing is LIFE!), still obsessing! I didn't mean to be absent from the good ol' bloggy for so long! Thought I'd pop in and show you a few things I've been up to....

Little dresses -- for Blythe, of course! These ones fit "middie" sized Blythe, who is 8" tall. The next photo shows what she looks like....

The finished dresses are about 3 1/2" tall, with fully lined bodices and lots of gathers. I must say, when working this tiny -- I admit -- I have become a fan of pinning! (Gasp! Shock!!)

....and I've been making even TINIER ones.
These dolls are 4 1/2" tall, including their big ol' heads. Their finished dresses are 1 3/4" tall -- and the bodices are fully lined. I have to say, it takes a certain amount of OBSESSION to do it -- and enjoy it, too! :o)

(I am very active over on my flickr stream, if you are interested in seeing more.)

What have all of you been working on?

Rainbow Swap Link

2011-09-09T07:11:00.000-06:00

Robyn at Bolo Heads is hosting another rainbow swap... this time in fall jewel tones.

Head on over to check out her signup post!

100 Quilts for Kids

2011-08-29T08:11:00.001-06:00

Tamir, who played along in the last I-Spy Swap, sent me an email with an idea for those spare I-Spy squares you may have left over....

The DC Modern Quilt Guild is hosting their second annual charity event called 100 Quilts for Kids. You can read details HERE. This sounds like an excellent way to use some of your unused (but still fun!) I-Spies, OR any other fabrics you have. The timing is very nice, with summer at its end and the holiday rush not yet in force. And, one of the best parts is that you can donate it to any organization of your choice! Why not whip together a little baby quilt and donate?

Check out the links!

What the what?

2011-08-22T10:01:00.002-06:00

Yes, it's true. Another garden post. Sorry.

But LOOK at this thing!!

It's the Tomato Freak Show!
Seriously, WHAT on EARTH??

It's sort of weird and alienesque...
and honestly a little bit TOO much like a creepy spider or something.

WEEEEIRD.

Lunch

2011-08-17T11:33:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhh.... garden tomatoes from which one slice covers an entire slice of bread.
Nothing better.

Final Fabrics for Swap 7-A!

2011-08-12T08:09:00.002-06:00

:o) Hoping to hit the post office this afternoon!! :o)

from Susan -- I adore those vintage clocks and the little owlies!

from Robyn -- YAY for cute mermaids and elephants!

from Yours Truly -- I love facepalm kitty and SOCKS! :o)

from Amber -- I love the funny farm animals and the purses!

from Jane -- I adore those sheepies and the two thread prints!

from Ryan -- I love the ants and bees!

from Stacey -- CUTE mice and birds in cages!

from Tamir -- gnomes! and look at that baboon!!

from Toni -- golf carts! and that funny ram!!

Final Fabrics for Swap 7-B

2011-08-10T08:22:00.002-06:00

SWAP B is ready to go!
:o) :o) I'm hitting the post office TODAY! :o) :o)

from Brielle -- Cute monkeys, and I love that giant pencil!

from Cammie -- funny owls and motorcycle riders!

from me :o) -- I couldn't resist the funny monkeys and ants!

from RuthAnn -- I love that guitar print and the money!

from Susan -- LOVE the donuts and knights!

from Allison -- that is the best raspberry print I've seen -- and the watermelons are so cute!

from Aubrey -- great guitars and tennis shoes!

from Catherine -- I love the crossword puzzle print and the pirates!

from Irelle -- GREAT balloons and candy!

from Julie -- More great guitars, and I love the birdies!!

I-Spy Swap 7 (Group B) -- Fabrics Received!

2011-08-08T14:17:00.001-06:00

from Denise -- I love those dinosaurs -- and WHERE did you get that yarn?? :o)

from Ginger -- I adore the silverware, phones, and cassette tapes!

from Lauren -- those kitties!!! and I love the food print!

from Mabel -- I loooooove those mice! And the footballs!

from Michelle -- GREAT fire, and I love the pencils!

I-Spy Swap 7 (Group A) -- Fabrics Received!

2011-08-08T06:42:00.000-06:00

from Emily -- love the umbrellas and paperclips!

from Jen -- Cute round pigs and teeny-tiny frogs!

from Jenn -- CUTE deer, and cowboy boots!

from Kristin -- I LOVE those pirate ships and bikes!!

from Lisa -- CUTE Hawaiian shirts and binkies!

from Tammie -- of course I love the kitties -- and the musical instruments!

I-Spy Swap 7 (Group B) -- Fabrics Received!

2011-08-04T07:11:00.000-06:00

from Jessica -- LOOOOVE the cassette tapes and cursive letters!

from Sue -- CUTE grumpy owls and a pirate dog!

from Fawn -- I love those sharks and houses!

from Kim -- those hills with tiny campers driving on them! and the construction signs!

from Lynn -- those shoes are the BEST -- and I love that sweet little fox!

I am still waiting on TONS of packages -- there are so many fantastic fabrics already! :o)