Tobaggan Girl

 I kind of fell in love with this design and had to have it. I guess it stems from living up north. Your world is winter, cold and snow. You either embrace it or you move to Florida. The design from Applique Corner. The fabrics are a mix of flannel and polar fleece. I still need to do a little more trimming.

A Girly Mascot

 

 This little t-shirt is for my niece. The mascot for her elementary school is an eagle so I thought I would find a design for her. I checked the schools website and really couldn't tell if they had school colors so I just chose a red t-shirt. A mascot is suppose to be fierce, right? I put a bow on the eagle. A girly eagle can be fierce don't ya think! The design is from Applique Corner.

Give Aways at The Fabricologist

As you all know, I love fabric. I buy fabric from all over, all the local stores and online stores. So it's always fun to hear about a new place that sells what I hoard collect.

The really cool thing about writing this blog article is that I know Amy who owns The Fabricologist. I've been going to quilt retreat for maybe four years now and that's where I first met Amy. I'm very excited to see what she'll be selling and sharing on her blog. Amy doesn't know this, but early in the mornings, I walk around the sewing room while at retreat and I can leisurely look at everyone's projects. I'm also love sewing machines so I love to look at all the different machines. Well, back to my story, I always linger just a little bit longer at Amy's table because she is always doing something unique. Her quilts are spectacular, she has an excellent eye for color and pattern combinations, and she always comes really cool patterns, books or magazines. I highly recommend following Amy's blog because I'm sure she'll be showing some great projects in the future.

Now for the good part, look at all this sweet stuff that The Fabricologist is giving away.

 How Euro trendy is this pattern? If you do as much surfing as I do, you know the woodland creatures are very big. Hedgehogs are also big in the machine embroidery world.

 A sewing book with patterns is always a good thing. Kay Whitt's books are highly rated which makes this doubly good.

 Have you jumped on the handbag wagon yet? I've started to do my research but could use a good book to get me started.

 Everyone needs a snap setter if you do any kind of sewing, quilting or crafting. So easy to use.

 Fabric? Yes please.

I'm kind of lusting after that "Walk in the Woods" charm pack.

Ok, I showed you the goods. Now go out and enter for yourself! Use her blog link up above to enter. Hurry up because The Fabricologist will be drawing for winners this coming Monday. Make sure you check out the website, http://www.fabricologist.com/.

Gold Rush Kids

I 

I could be completely in error by using the Gold Rush name for Jordan. I don't really know anything about the San Francisco 49ers. You would not believe how many images of t-shirts and cheerleaders I looked at while trying to make these shirts. Are the cheerleaders the only ones to use the term "Gold Rush".

My daughter's friend was a cheerleader for the 49ers. Now she has two little ones. Lauren met Melanie when she first moved to NYC. Melanie was also a transplant and they became fast friends. I had been wanting to make Mikayla a little cheerleader shirt. I couldn't send Mikayla something and nothing for Jordan.

I drove this to the corner drugstore this afternoon when I was finished for shipping. I really, really wanted to keep this. I think it's one of the cutest things I've made in a while. You can't really tell by the picture but there are three different metallic threads in this design. The pom poms, the shoe ties and the bow. I was going to try using minkee fabric but decided to use a flannel along with the metallic thread. The applique is from Applique for Kids. The font is Kooks from 8 Claws and a Paw.

Mikayla was fortunate enough to be able to cheer last year at a game. I hope she likes the cheerleader.

I used this design before. For Jordan, I went down to a smaller design since Jordan is only three. I used a gold 49er color for the flames. Went I went on the hunt for ideas, I saw a tshirt that had the "9" and the "E" merged together. I decided I HAD to have that on his t-shirt. The applique is from AK Designs. The font is Whoa Nelly from 8CAAP.

I Need Someone To Blame

 Who is responsible for forcing me to buy all this stuff? My friend Yvonne went shopping with me two days in a row. I guess she's it. Day One was my fault. Day Two is Yvonne's. Yvonne had asked if I was interested in driving to Madison for the Library book sale and to check up on our college kids. I told her I would but I brought up a fabric/Viking shop that was closing it's doors two hours away. So on Friday we drove two hours north. I came home with two feet for my machine, two patterns, a little bit of cotton lace and some fabric.

Day Two. You didn't think we'd just stop at a book sale did you? Saturday, we went two hours to the west of us. That lead us to two quilt shops. I mistakenly believed I wouldn't be buying anything because I didn't need anything. Hah! I came. I spent. All fabric.

The greens and oranges are perfect for fall appliques.

You can never have enough polka dots. They go with everything.

I love this cow fabric. You can't live in America's Dairyland and not love cow fabric.

 

I needed this fabric like I needed a hole in the head. I have no need to make a baby quilt. On Day One, I see this  charm pack. It's called Little Rascals from Moda. I haven't heard of that particular line. Oh well, it was 25% off. I came home and looked it up and thought it must be an older line because so few online shops had carried it. When we stopped into JJ Stitches in Sun Prairie, there it was, about 15 bolts of fabric in this line. My $7.00 charm pack ended up costing me about $50.00. I guess it saved me from ordering online.

The Pattern Trustee

 Have you ever been entrusted with something special? My dear friend and former boss entrusted me with these special doll patterns. Connie took a position in Arizona and had a household of belongings to move from Wisconsin to Arizona. She went thru her sewing closet and I was the lucky one to be given these patterns. Connie also gave me several bags of fiberfil for sock monkeys and some quilt batting. The Simplicity pattern above is my favorite. It's for a Skipper doll and the copyright date is 1964.

Of course the larger doll patterns are wonderful also. Did any of you have a Chatty Cathy doll? I can't remember if I did or not. Surely with five girls in the house, one of use had to have had this doll.

Connie, your patterns are in good hands. They are a piece of history and a piece of you. Thank you for these special patterns!

This Isn't a Cooking Blog

Good thing.

I'm going to blame this on Pinterest. For those of you who haven't heard of Pinterest it means "Pinning Things of Interest". It's like an electronic bulletin board. How many times have you printed off a recipe or tutorial? With Pinterest, if I see something I like, I can "pin it". Its a place where you pin crafts that are too complicated or things you'll never afford. It's fantastic!

I had my quilt group over this week. I went to my Pinterest boards and looked under "Foodalicious" for something to make. There it was, little bowls. How simple. My brain was working it. Let's see, find some fall-ish ice cream, a little whip cream and nutmeg. How spectacular it will be. But my vision did not materialize.

 

This is what my snickerdoodle cookies looked right out of the oven. So far, so good. Think about this cinnamon goodness with my pumpkin ice cream inside it.

This is what the pan looked like as I tried to chisel the cookie bowls off of it. Trust me, it got much worse than this. Needless to say, there were no cookie bowls for quilt night.