j carolyncreative has posted this tutorial for a tote bag. This is a 14 x 11 x 3-1/2 deep tote with one exterior pocket and two interior pockets—one zippered. It’s designed for hard wear with two layers of fabric at the bottom and straps that won’t rip off. While you’re there—and I know Valentine’s Day is gone for this year—look at her tutorial for a Valentine’s pennant and card. A neat idea!

For the animal lover, activist, or anyone with a warped sense of humor, this buck will make anyone proud. Use his antlers to hang your scarf or hat, your necklaces, or use him as wall art and dress him for any holiday you celebrate. Chronicle Books showsyou how. You make this guy is made from foam core and wrapping paper; however, that perfect hunting or camo fabric will work like a charm.

Made by Rae is offering this tutorial for her Buttercup Bag. The pattern uses a fat quarter of fabric for the outside of the bag and a little less of another fabric for the lining. You’ll also need a magnetic snap and a couple of buttons, although it looks pretty cute if you leave the buttons off. You could also try piping or ric-rac over the pleats. If you have little ones, be sure and look at her tutorial for star dust shoes. And it doesn’t take much to whip up a pair for your cutie patootie!

With Easter just around the corner, here’s AllSorts bounding bunny pin. He’s really teeny tiny, less than 3 inches across, but he looks very cute pinned to your sweater. He stitches up quickly, so you can make yourself a whole bevy of bounding baby bunnies for your Easter outfit…or Easter basket. 

Finally, Amy Butler has put out two new patterns: her August Fields duvet cover and Nora’s Mid Mod 2 quilt. I love that fabric in the duvet cover. My problem is that I live in a small town, and I have one quilt shop that sells Amy Butler fabric, and not her complete line. I just know that I’m going to have to go to Houston or Austin to find this.

Until next time!

Until next time!

This next one isn’t sewing, but these cupcakes are so cute I couldn’t pass them up. And who doesn’t love the Cookie Monster? Actually, any ‘critter’ from Sesame Street would make a cute cupcake. Made by Cynthia Rae gives you the instructions right here. Be sure and check out her other tutorials for a little boy’s camping lantern made out of a peanut butter jar and a battery operated votive candle, and her how-to on how to customize coasters.

Taffy Talk has a tutorial to make a Mickey Mouse hotpad or potholder. Anything Mickey becomes a favorite to me, so I know I’ll be making some of these up for my own kitchen. Another suggestion is to shrink down the pattern and make coasters. Be sure and check on the right side column for links to other tutorials they offer…cute ones!

Here’s another cute one: the Tag Monster. CraftSchmaft gives you the pattern and instructions here. He’s a cute little guy, but just the thought of sewing on all those ribbons makes me shudder. It’s a toy but after putting in all that work I’d probably be sitting the little guy on a shelf…up high away from little fingers or puppy teeth. 

Here’s a neat pin cushion.  It’s a perfect way to separate all your pins and needles by size and color. The great thing is that everything used to make it can be found around your house right now. You can make something functional out of scraps and trash! You can shut the lid when you’re not using it to keep out little fingers. Check out the instructions on Whipup here.

Until next time!

Roger and I are going to Las Vegas for a week in March. Texas A&M will have spring break, and we also get a couple of days off. We’re leaving on March 14 and will be back the following Sunday. Less than a month to go! I’m already deciding in my head what all I need to pack…clothes, toiletries, shoes, the kitchen sink. 

We’re driving, and we plan to stop and see some sights along the way. I definitely want to see the Hoover Dam and take the tour. I’ve spent some time online looking for things around Vegas that we’d be interested in seeing. We’re not big into gambling…a set amount and when it’s gone it’s time to leave. If any of you have any suggestions on things of interest in and around Las Vegas please let me know. I’m also interested in any quilt shops or fabric shops in and around Vegas.

Until next time!

Here’s a spot kids will like. Joe, from Toy-A-Day, has started a year-long project where he plans to design, construct and post a new paper toy from a basic template each day for one year. So you’ll have 365 toys at the end of the year. All the toys are free to download if you want to make them. You can also design and make your own by getting a copy of his blank template here. An easy way to keep kids occupied.

Many of you already may be familiar with Wild Ginger. Wild Ginger has a free program, Wild Things, that you can download to your computer. Wild Things! is a free software program that you can use to easily design and print patterns for hats, bags, shoes, and wraps. All of the patterns in Wild Things! allow you to specify the dimensions for each item you draft and prints them to the dimensions you specify. It has an embroidery design tool to help you place your design. Wild Things! comes complete with a ‘Help File’ as well as sewing instructions for each and every style of pattern. You do have to register in order to download the program.

Until next time!

Pantone has posted its fall 2009 color selections. I know, I know. We aren’t even into spring yet, much less summer, and most of us are still getting a blast of winter every few days, but at least you can see what we’ll be wearing come September—if you can afford to buy yourself new clothes in this economy. Pantone, however, considered the economy when picking the fall colors, and they are hoping their color choices will entice you to buy new pieces for your wardrobe. Here’s what they say:

The fall 2009 palette is more unique and thoughtful than the typical autumnal hues of years past. Designers recognize the desire for fundamental basics that speak to current economic conditions, but also understand the need to incorporate vibrant color to grab the consumers’ eyes and entice them to buy. Subtle contrasts make up the diverse palette for fall 2009. This season, designers play with a broad spectrum of color resulting in distinct, yet cohesive combinations. Like a painter’s palette, fall 2009 offers choice and diversity, but the unexpected integration of colors is what makes it so appealing.

A natural choice during uncertain times, patriotic American Beauty, a wonderfully balanced, true red, speaks to the need for cohesiveness. Perfect for all skin tones, American Beauty is a feel-good color. Purple Heart connotes a sense of refinement and sensuality, adding an air of creativity and excitement to the top 10, especially when paired with American Beauty. A warmer, more subdued Honey Yellow carries the 2009 color of the year through to fall and winter with its golden tones. Pairing Honey Yellow with its color wheel opposite, Purple Heart, will surely add a surprising flair. Or, for a more typical fall combination, group Honey Yellow with Burnt Sienna and Iron.

Strong yet understated Iron serves as the “new black,” making traditional basics much more interesting. Neither gray nor brown, Iron is a grounding color that coordinates well with all colors in the palette. Crème Brûlee, a grayed-down beige, and Nomad, which bridges the gap between beige and light gray, also speak to the need for timeless neutrals. All three classics can stand alone or serve as anchors when paired with other colors.

Fall would not be complete without a seasonal favorite like Burnt Sienna, a deepened, earthy shade of orange, reminiscent of an autumn sunset. Pair this versatile hue with Nomand and Rapture Rose for a different twist. Adding spark to the fall palette, Rapture Rose artfully captures the vibrancy of fuchsia and the softness of pink. Underscored by nurturing and feminine tones, Rapture Rose enlivens the more traditionally subdued fall hues. Look for it in cosmetics as well as clothing and accessories.

Like the olive in a martini, Warm Olive, a rich yellow-green, adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to fall. When combined, this tangy, intriguing hue makes all other colors come alive. Look for it paired with Majolica Blue, a deep, mysterious teal blue with more vibrancy than the usual navy. Majolica Blue brings an exotic flair to the group, especially when paired with Burnt Sienna or Purple Heart.

And here’s what was inside the red box.

This is called the celestial diamond necklace. It’s a depiction of The Pleiades, a constellation also known as the Seven Sisters. According to Greek mythology, when the sisters were pursued by Orion the Hunter, Zeus answered their prayers for help by transforming then into doves, and later into stars. The necklace is a depiction of the magic of the universe. There are seven diamonds, one for each sister.

And here I am wearing it (I got my hair cut this evening, which explains all the little bits of hair on my neck).

Roger gave me the cross last year…just because. It’s a Roberto Coin. His trademark is placing a ruby on the inside of each of his jewelry pieces. It’s based on an Egyptian legend that “a ruby touching your skin brings you great happiness and good fortune.” A ruby is always positioned closest to the skin in keeping with the ancient Egyptian legend symbolizing prosperity, beauty, happiness, and health.

Thank you Mr. Wonderful!

Until next time!

Read this: http://sadiasews.com/blog1/2009/01/05/hello-2009/! Did you see the paragraph where she nominates my ‘little ole’ blog’ for an Uber Amazing Blog award! Thank you Sadia! Okay, okay, I’m getting carried away with the exclamations. Hey…what can I say? I’m happy, thrilled, tickled pink!

I’m embarrassed to say that I just saw this on Sadia’s Blog, and she nominated me for this in early January. I’m honored to know that she actually reads my blog! I read hers. Doesn’t she create such beautiful embroidery designs?

Until next time! And, thank you again Sadia!

Okay, here’s a different project. Get yourself a cute bra and a couple of yards of fabric, and you can make yourself a new party dress. DIY Style gives directions here.  Just make sure that when you purchase a bra for this project that you make sure the back of the bra is made with similar fabric or trim as the front. Nothing worse than having one with elastic that looks like your standard bra!

Bitty bits & pieces has posted this tutorial for her love notes heart. The pillows are like a little Valentine card mailbox (remember making those in school?) that you can hang on a chair, a doorknob, or a bedpost. Just stick your love notes in the pocket. At the bottom of the tutorials she’s posted some photos of hearts she’s made using decorator fabric, tassels, cording, braided trim, ribbons, and metallic charms.

Chickpea Studio has a new tutorial for a pocket bag. Chickpea loves pocket bags because they are useful in preventing scratches from other things in your purse, they can be made in any size with no effort, they keep things clean, they use up all kinds of scraps, they use a ponytail elastic that comes in a lot of color options, and they need a button but no button holes! That last one is the best reason to like pocket bags. She has two different tutorials listed: one is a PDF and the other is a Word document.

I hope you’ll try some of these great tutorials. Until next time!

Michell came down from Tulsa on Friday night, and on Saturday the two of us, along with Debbie and my niece, Kristin, went to OKC’s Affair of the Heart. My sister has gone to this for years, but this was the first time for me. If you get the chance, you won’t want to miss out on this. This is one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the United States. It’s truly unique, with booths occupying more than five buildings throughout the OKC fair grounds. An Affair of the Heart was started by eight Oklahoma women who were selling their crafts at different shows. They started talking about what worked really well and what these shows could do to improve, and they realized they had enough experience and knowledge to start their own craft show. In 1985 they held their first Affair of the Heart. What started with 65 exhibitors has expanded into hundreds over the years. If you make crafts to sell you can look into getting your own booth at the event. They hold two of these a year: one in the fall and one in the spring. My sister stocks up on Christmas gifts at the fall event. It was a fun way to spend the day. Although, because it’s a three day event, you may need the whole weekend to really see the whole thing.  Here’s the website with more information:  http://www.aaoth.com/.

I picked up another ‘H’ to add to my collection. I’m going to hang these above my bed, as in this photo, but using just the letter ‘H’. Of course, this will only happen once I get the bedroom painted. I also picked up two wax tart burners along with several sets of wax blocks in different scents. My house is either going to smell very nice or it’s going to give me a raging headache from all the different scents. What else did I get? I picked up a purse organizer, a toothpick holder for the sun visor in Roger’s car, and some scented crystals that are supposed to smell like lavendar, but…I’m not too sure that I recognize that lovely floral scent in my new crystals. 

I bought this waterbead diffuser at Christmas. Kristin gave one of these to my mom, and I thought it was the neatest thing so I went out and bought one. It’s made by Moments by Upper Canada. You put the jelly-like beads into the glass vase, and then you add water and a little of the scent. You stir the beads to keep them moist, and you add more water and scent as they evaporate. It’s very unique, and a pretty way to scent a room. 

Until next time!