My assistant...

The Halloween costume production line is in full swing at my house.

Little Miss S supervises my cutting.

Thankfully, this year I have an assistant. Unfortunately, this assistant drools. All. The. Time. But we'll forgive her, right? She's still working on those first teeth. And she's oh, so cute!

Happy Thursday! Safe travels to all of you heading to the Sewing Summit. Wish I could join you. Take lots of photos, kay?

Oh Susanna!

Thank you to everyone for your kind comments. I'm sorry I haven't responded to all of you, but I trust that you understand and you'll forgive my rudeness. Life with 3 kids under 5 years old, is well, busy. But Susanna is sleeping pretty well during the day so I've had lots of time to spend with her big sis and big bro.

Sweet Susanna - 6 days old

In March, I was lucky enough to win a beautiful charm pack from Corey, aka Little Miss Shabby.

Beautiful Charm Pack from Little Miss Shabby

My original plan was to make a little quilt for the NICU ward at the hospital (our guild provides quilts for all preemie babies born in Prince George). However, when I made that plan I was convinced this baby was a boy. Now that she's here, I just can't resist the gorgeous prints Corey sent. So, I started sewing them together last night and I'm going to make Susanna a quick patchwork quilt.



Doesn't Susanna look sweet on her quilt?



And since I'm using Corey's charms for Susanna, I promise to use my own fabrics to make a preemie quilt too. They are small (max 30" square) so I don't think it is too crazy of a plan.

Thanks Corey for the beautiful fabric.

Home Made Christmas: Part One

I tried my best this year to make as many homemade gifts as possible. Here are a couple of them:

A car cozy for my godson:

I used this tutorial with a few simple changes. I put an "S" for his name on the outside, and instead of ties, I added small tag and velcro for the closure. I also used a scrap of fusible fleece and quilting weight fabric instead of denim and canvas.

This is a fun, fast project. And judging by how much my own kids played with it before I got it wrapped, it's a hit with kids.

I also made a quick tote bag for my mom. She saw a bag she liked in Patchwork Style by Suzuko Koseki and this is my interpretation of it. (I'd already returned the book to the library...)

 I love the combination of grey, black, white and aqua. Okay, I love anything with aqua in it!

I have a few other things to show you over the next couple of days. Enjoy the holiday season.

Last Minute Halloween Treak or Treat Bags

I decided at the last minute on Saturday that my kids needed home-made trick or treat bags. Needed. So bought my very first Halloween fabric, and worked late into the night.

 

I used this tutorial as my inspiration and added a few inches to both sides to make them a bit bigger. I want these bags to last a few years. I also referred to this tutorial for basic bag making instructions. I used some images from Clip-Art for my applique templates.

A pumpkin for my son:

 And a bat for my daughter:

These were so quick and easy and I was so happy that my kids didn't have to use pillowcases for trick or treating. Now I just have to start making home-made costumes!

Happy Friday!

Thanks for all of your kind words of support from my last post. It is wonderful to have such amazing, thoughtful comments to help me through a creative crisis. I think I've pushed through my indecision, and now I just have to add the binding. And maybe some buttons, to, er, um, hide some imperfections in my quilting. Oops. There is a reason that we are supposed to quilt from the inside towards the outer edges, isn't there? Let's just say that I had the lesson reinforced. I'll post a picture asap.

I also received the most amazing pillow yesterday for the same swap. But I need to run out and get a bigger insert before I post a picture because it is just too gorgeous to photograph without a proper insert.

And finally, the kids and I are really taking advantage of life in a big city. The other day we had an amazing picnic and play at the water park. My daughter was fearless...what a perfect day!

Have a great weekend!