Simple and Tasty

I'm hosting a Tastefully Simple party tonight. For those of you who don't know this company, they have at home parties (similar to Mary Kay or Tupperware) and they sell food. Everything is a mix that you only have to add one or 2 ingredients to and each item costs under $10. Here is what I need to put together for tonight:

I'm making the beer bread (YUM!), chocolate pound cake, 2 cheese balls and several dips. Next time I'm going to plan my party for the fall, since it's 85 degrees here, I have no air conditioning and my oven is on. But, the food is coming out good and I have Kenny Chesney playing in the background so it's a good afternoon. Plus, I'm not at work!

Today's tutorial comes from Better Homes & Garden's website. It's an Amy Butler clutch with an antique brooch featured on the closure. I can see this made up in all sorts of fabrics for any type of occasion. By the way, if anybody makes anything from any of these links, I'd love to see a picture! Here is the link, enjoy!

Vacation Days

I start my mini summer vacation tomorrow - I only took 2 days during the summer so I can take a full week in the fall - I love fall :-) Anyway, I hope to finish my Built by Wendy top. That shouldn't take long at all. I bought some knit on sale at Joann's today to play around with when my serger arrives (it shipped today!), so I need to get that washed up along with my Amy Butler dots. Then I need to cut out the t-shirt pattern from Sew U Home Stretch and cut out the dots for the Anna pattern. That should be enough to keep me busy!

I noticed that I have bookmarked a ton of tutorials. I'm going to start sharing the links here, since there are so many fun ones out there. The first one I will share is for the headband I made the other day. I love this tutorial and plan on making a million of these! Enjoy!

http://foofanagle.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/best-band-ever/

I was able to get some sewing done this weekend - I made a headband out of Heather Bailey fabric (it matches my planner!) as well as an attempt at another planner cover, this time for my monthly planner. It didn't fit, but it does fit my checkbook, so not a loss. I tried again today, but it still doesn't fit. I think I'm just going to use the weekly planner!



I got a new cutting table, which makes it so much easier to cut things out (a lot easier than the floor!), so I started work on another Built by Wendy top. I'm making it in a madras that I have had in my stash for at least a year. I just need to make the casing, insert the elastic at the neckline and hem it. Hopefully I will find time to work on it this week, I'll show pictures when it's done.



I received a bunch of the fabric I ordered and it's all so pretty! I can't wait to start using it...see the blue dots from Amy Butler - that is for my Anna Tunic. I was going to make a muslin for it, but I'm lazy! So, I'm just going to cut into the good stuff with a prayer!


Oh yeah - the most exciting purchase - a serger!!! I have wanted one forever, and when I read about this serger on a blog somewhere, I saved it to my Amazon wishlist. Then I saw that Stephanie from Creative Reveries has this one (I love everything she makes), and I read a ton of good reviews for it on Amazon and Pattern Review, so I was sold! My plan is to hit Joann's one of these days for some knit fabric to practice on and then I'm going to make the t-shirt from Sew U Home Stretch. I'll let you know how it comes out!

Planning

For once I woke up early, so I decided to use some of this extra time to make a new cover for my planner. I used this tutorial and just omitted the elastic and the register pieces. It fits my weekly planner perfectly and I'm going to make another one (hopefully this week) for my monthly planner (it was just a tiny bit too tight). I used a scrap of Heather Bailey fabric for the exterior and the white with pink polka dots for the pockets. By the way, Heather Bailey has opened an online store - I need to order a ton of the Freshcut before it's gone - and the purse pattern she has up is really cute too. :-)

Giveaway

No, I'm not giving something away, but here is a link to a really cool giveaway by Old Red Barn Co. Can you believe someone would give away a quilt like this? It's beautiful! I hope I win :-)

City Tote

I just finished my City Tote and I love it! This may be my favorite bag yet (sorry, Frenchy!)...it just went together so perfectly and the fabric was so pretty. It's the perfect size and it has 3 pockets (2 exterior and one slip pocket that I added to the inside - I also added a key fob, you can see this below). I used a tutorial for the slip pocket that I found on Sew Mama Sew (by Autum of Creative Little Daisy). I highly recommend this pattern and I think I'll be using this pretty bag for the rest of the summer!

It's Hot!

I know it's strange - a midweek post - I had to call in sick to work due to a bout with conjunctivitis. I was hoping to get some work done on the City Tote. I did get a little bit done, but I'm sweating! I am one of the few people left without an air conditioner (I am so getting one this weekend!) so I had to cut my sewing time short. It's just too hot to be working with a steaming iron! I do think this bag is going to turn out cute though - I love the blue fabric with the white twill and I think the wooden button will be perfect for it. I know I had written that I was going to work on some clothing items, but it's just so hot and I like quicker projects. Although I'm hoping that once I get an air conditioner I can work on some sleeveless tops and a skirt or two.

I'd like to share some crafty items I have purchased over the last few days. I'm still waiting for them to arrive in the mail (I love ordering online - it's like getting presents in the mail!). I saw this fabric and had to grab it. I was planning to line a bag in it, but now I'm not quite sure. I do love it though. And how cute is this necklace? I can't wait to get it on! I ordered this book off of Amazon, not that I need any more craft books...but why not?!?! I saw this kit on Ellene's blog and I had to purchase it. She just opened her second shop and I was her first customer! And today I put in an order with Sublime Stitches. I had to get these Black Apple prints and I also got another Artist Series print and these craftopia prints. Oh wait, I also got a few patterns too. Can't wait to get started on them all!

Hope you are all staying cool!

All done!

Finally finished - my patchwork pillow! It's a bit big, but I'm happy with how it came out. I think my next project will be a bag or the Built by Wendy top I have made before. I want something quick!