i have to say...

i am having a little giveaway...

...over on Soulemama's blog.  You just need to pop over and leave a comment on this post.  You will find sale codes too. 

Have a happy Sunday!

shop notes: new goods!

The new items are starting to roll in and there are many more to come!

Jennifer Paginelli's Poodle collection is adorable and the colors are just right. I love the vintage look of these ones.

Tanya Whelan of Grand Revival Designs has released two new bag patterns, the Emma Day Bag and the Metro Bag.  Both are available as a kit.

Make-It-Perfect's new Sprout Dress Pattern is simply adorable.  You can use quilting cotton or another light fabric to make it into a spring/summer frock for your little girl.

Have a lovely weekend!

it's sew-along day!

***Photo courtesy of Aubry.  :)

Well, the day is here, Ladies! 

It's time to get out your sewing machines, fabrics and patterns to make your skirt!

I will be checking into the Flickr group throughout the say to see if anyone needs some help.   All are welcome to join the discussion.

My hope is that this will be like an old-fashioned sewing bee where friends get together to make projects, share wisdom and have some fun.  Let's get to know each other.

I set up a Flickr set to show pictures of a couple of the steps.  If you are having troubles, you might find what you need there.

The discussion starts here and can be expanded.  Feel free to start your own topic.

Please post pictures of your fabric choices, progress and finished projects here.   Blog links are great!

Happy sewing!

my misadventures with lucy

Lucy is my sewing machine.  Since we are such good friends I thought she deserved a name, you know?

Well, Lucy and I had our first falling out today when I broke her. 

Poor girl.

I was trying to make buttonholes on my Sew-Along skirts and when I tried to pull down the buttonhole lever (for the first time since bringing her home) it wouldn't stay down.  Well, I tried and tried.  I pulled the white plastic part off and luckily it went right back on.  The trouble started when I tried sewing and pulling the lever at the same time.  It just wouldn't budge after that.  And since the lever is stuck, the machine won't sew.

Sorry, Lucy. Please forgive me.

I guess I should have taken the advice that I give my kids quite often: "don't force things.  It makes them break."

Good advice, wouldn't you say?

Well, what this boils down to is that when we meet up on Flickr tomorrow, the picture that I post of my skirt will be a bit deceiving since it will be held on with pins instead of buttonholes and ties.

Just don't tell anyway, OK?  The Sew-Along teacher is supposed to have things together.  I also won't mention that I did one of the steps wrong on my skirt.  Since it still worked, there is no need to share that information.

See you tomorrow!

vroom, vroom

I like car shows.

I know very little about the cars, but I love to look. My dad used to take me along with him when I was a kid, so it's an extension of that experience. He, of course, is an expert in car trivia so it's interesting to go with him. Another reason to lament living so far away...

There is a hot-rod show that I like to go to in June.  All kinds of cool old cars and a whole section of Deuce-Coupes.  Gotta love those!  There was one lonely deuce-coupe at the car show this weekend:

Wouldn't it be fun to drive around town in an old car?  Not a junky, beat-up old car, but a cool one that is fixed up and speedy.  If I had my choice I would have driven away in this baby........really fast:

Isn't she beautiful?

***I have posted something in the Versatile Skirt Sew-Along group.  Just a tip before you get started.

what a week!

This week has flown by!   It is really Friday?

On Wednesday I took My oldest daughter to the airport to fly to Japan to visit her hubby.  She was beyond thrilled to go and I was happy to see her off.  She has 2 weeks of wedded bliss before she has to come back, but her guy will be home soon after.  Then they really get to start their new life together.

So sweet!

Seamus got into a bit of a mess and required a bath.  Aubry was the photographer and I think she took enough pictures to make it into a movie.  Really, she took a TON within about 5 minutes.  A budding photographer perhaps?

The little guy wasn't too happy with our attention.  At every turn he tried to slip away quickly.  But we were quicker.

A clean puppy is wonderful. Of course, it only lasts a minute or two before he steps in something or rolls in the dirt.  But for just a moment he smelled of kiwi and strawberry and puppy breath.

Here he is all cleaned up in his collar courtesy of Lizzie Bees:

The jury is still out on whether or not he is a water-dog.

He may have to grow into that part of his persona.

Have a great weekend!

sunny days

It was a beautiful weekend!  The sun was warm and the outdoors was calling.

We went for a hike and took Seamus.  He was a trooper and kept up with us the whole time:

He tried to figure out if he was a water dog or not.  The jury is still out on this one:

He conked out for a while by daddy's side:

Our garden is finally done and it's lovely.  So much to look forward to!  Everything looked a bit wilted in the morning, but I am assuming it's a case of transplant shock.  At least, that's what I am hoping:

Aubry wanted to wash cars this weekend.  It's so nice to have a kid who thinks work is fun.  Why do kids grow out of that???:

Have a lovely day and keep the sunshine in your heart!

why i like nasturtiums

A bunch of years ago, when my thumb was not quite as green as it is now, I came across a package of nasturtium seeds and was drawn in by this description: "thrives on neglect.  too much water will result in lots of foliage and no flowers".

At the time, that was the flower for me.  Lucky for my kids, I was better at maintaining their well-being than I was with any type of plant.

I still plant these every year and I water them much less than everything else, and they reward me with flowers all summer long, and tons of blooms in fall.   I love their old-fashioned look and their sprawling vines.  So very pretty!

On Saturday we will finally get around to planting the garden.  Freeze warnings this week have slowed us down, but no longer.  It's time to get those veggies in the ground so they can start growing.

Have a happy weekend!

what you can do in 15 minutes a day

My "little bit at a time" experiment worked!  I actually have a finished project on my hands.

This top took me a while, but I accomplished it in about 15 minutes a day.  That's all the sewing time I have right now.

The pattern was simple enough, but my general dislike of patterns still shines through.  Reading the directions is a like a last resort for me, so I end up in trouble regularly.  Thank goodness I have a handy seam-ripper.

This top looks so cute on Aubry with a pair of denim capris.  If it wasn't for the super-cold weather we are having, she would be wearing it. 

It's on the end of her bed waiting for a warm day.

That makes sewing worth it, you know?

***The fabric is from the Old/New Fabric Collection by Lecien.  The pattern is Simplicity 2429.

i want a crabapple tree

 They have a short life of beauty, but WOW! these trees know how to stand in the spotlight. 

There is a little spot in the backyard with a dying aspen taking up space. 

Maybe my hubs will dig it up and plant me one of these scrumptious babies?

Gonna have to make it happen.

Yes.  I want a crabapple tree.