Having Some Fun!

My brand new cell phone got a little scratch on the face. I hate that. I am so careful with it that I don't even know how it happened. :(

I didn't want to buy a case at the store, because they are too expensive. There are some darling ones on etsy, but I never buy things that I am capable of making myself......so, I made one. In fact, I made two so far, and I am having so much fun that I am going to make more and sell them all in my etsy shop, FourDogDay!!!

Here are the two that I have done. I love both of these fabrics! These hold a standard size phone, and then I am going to make some that are just a tad bigger for the larger phones. The insides are lined with felt so they are nice and soft.

Here are some that I have cut out, waiting to be sewn.

This will be another awesome way for me to use up some smaller fabric pieces that are sitting here on the shelf staring at me.

It's Friday....be sure to do something really nice for yourself today...like go for a walk! :)

Holiday Preparations

Yesterday was a wonderful day. I started cleaning the house and when it was time to take a little break, I made some hot chocolate and an English Muffin, put on some Christmas music and watched the snow fall. Then it was back to work.

In the afternoon, Irv and Bernadette met at the local park to introduce their Aussie Teagan to our little Maggie on "neutral " ground. It went well. Four dogs familiar with each other....now just two more to throw into the mix next week!

Bern wanted place mats for her dining room table. She found a tablecloth and napkins in the fabric she wanted, but no place mats. She didn't want a tablecloth, but the smart little girl bought it along with the napkins and decided to make her own. She brought the fabric over and we figured out what size she wanted and how many she could get out of the tablecloth. She left and headed over to the fabric store to get the fabric for the backs and the thread. She'll get it all washed and dried tonight and as soon as we can, we'll get together, get them cut and sewn. The fabric was awesome and they will look fantastic when she gets them done.

After that I sat and put the finishing touches on the menu for Friday's dinner. We will have eight people.....two are vegetarians and one is gluten free...so coming up with something yummy for everyone is fun and challenging.

I ended up with pork roast, roasted new potatoes, cheese and potato pirogi from a great deli, a broccoli cheese casserole if I can find gluten free cream of mushroom soup....if not, broccoli with toasted garlic and hazelnuts, roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans and a wonderful green salad. I am hungry just thinking about it.

We'll have lots of snacks, and I'm going to get some packages of gourmet hot chocolate in a variety of flavors and a great big jar of marshmallow fluff!!

Today we will be buying baby food and other baby things to add to the bags for our local food pantry. Haven't bought that kind of stuff in about 26 years!

Matti and Luna will be leaving Telluride early Tuesday morning. He will stop somewhere for the night and then finish the journey on Wednesday. I can't wait for him to get here. His girlfriend, Rebecca, is flying in on Christmas Eve. We are hoping for good weather so her flight gets in on time. We'll pop some pizzas in the oven and chat the evening away......

Is anything better than this time of year? I don't think so.

Introducing......

a few of my new tote bags!!! Tah Dah!!! Pardon the pictures. I just hung them wherever I could snap a picture of them and they need their final pressing. For the show, I will stuff some tissue in them so they display nicely.

I love fabric. I love the colors and the patterns. At times I struggle with certain aspects of sewing, but I am learning. I never took a sewing class, so I sometimes have to work really hard to perfect things that other people probably breeze right through. I had trouble with a couple of spots on two of the totes and I was ready to throw them in the garbage, but I stuck with it and finally got them to where I am comfortable taking them to the craft show.

I don't think I am going to put these in my etsy shop. I really want them for the show and I'm not sure how many I will be able to get done. I still have more aprons to make too!

The first one I made is a little zebra print with webbing straps. This one would be perfect for carrying my "junk" to work every day or for a trip to the grocery store. I'm working on another one like this one in an amazing green paisley print! I know I am going to want to keep that one, but that it against the rules.

This brown one is one of my favorite fabrics and this bag gave me such a hard time. It's huge and would be awesome for a trip to the beach or as an overnight bag. Although I do know people that carry around bags this size everyday.....I don't. I am a small bag or a no bag kind of girl.

The last one is so darn cute. I made a couple of pillows out of this fabric and loved it. It's a tan and maroon floral with wooden dowels for handles! I really like this bag a lot.

I was looking through a magazine last night and found some pillows that are just the most fabulous things. I am already gathering what I need to make some of those before the show.....maybe I should take a leave of absence from my full time job so I can get all of this stuff done for the show. Think they would go for that? HA!

Moving Right Along

The aprons are coming along and as soon as I find a willing model I will get 3 of them into my shop. I'm hoping Tresa or Bernadette might cooperate. :)

It's really going well. I did run into some issues with one of the patterns I bought. It just didn't look the way I wanted it to look. It's okay, but I think I'm going to combine parts of one pattern with parts of another to come out with an apron I really like. This first one is a longer apron that uses a "D" ring for the neck strap. I like that style, but didn't like working with this pattern.

My first craft show/vendor apron will be done tonight and it is so cute. I used that watermelon fabric I showed you last weekend.

There are just so many things I want to do right now, but no where close to the amount of time I need to do them all. I really need to get my head out of the "hurry up" mode so I can relax and really enjoy what I'm doing. I got like this before and it really takes the fun out of my business.

I love this little peachy apron. The pattern was wonderful and I love the look. It's a tie neck and little shorter style.

So, starting today....I am going to slow down a bit. There really is no reason to rush to get these things in my shop. When they get there....they get there. Right? I think it is just the excitement that takes over when I find something I really enjoy making, and sewing seems to be my thing right now. Who knows what it will be next month. I can't seem to do any one thing for very long as you can tell my looking at MyOtherShop.

This sunflower one is the same pattern as the peachy one. It's so bright and sunny! If I wore an apron, this would be mine!!

I am just having so much fun with all of this. If you create and sell your work, do you love it so much that it's all you want to do, or do you follow a schedule of some sort? Me, I get home and say hi to Irv and I can't wait to get started. Maybe when I try to slow down today....I'll be able to sit for a couple of minutes to chat about our days before I run off to the workshop....but probably not. I can hear it calling my name before I even pull in the driveway! "Kathy, Kathy, get in here quick. Look how much fun we are going to have tonight. See all the pretty colors and prints. Hurry up, get in here and let's play!!!"

HAHA! Have a great day everyone!

Colors and Prints and Fruit...Oh My

Gee, I guess that wasn't very nice of me to tell you about all of the awesome fabric I bought for the new aprons last night and not show them to you was it? Well, here they all are. I am still so excited. I am headed to the grocery store and when I get back I will be washing fabric!

On a side note....I am really starting to like the hair....straight. I am going to call my girl today and tell her it needs some fixing. The two sides just don't look the same ....at all. :) I just keep telling myself that it is just hair and it will grow and no one will notice! HAHA!

Enjoy the fabric, and here is the new apron pattern with the craft show apron I'm going to try and then a pattern for grocery totes and bags I fell in love with. Not exactly sure when I will be making those, but eventually.

Have a fantastic Sunday everyone!

The Aprons Are Coming

I went straight from work to Joann Fabrics yesterday only to be very disappointed because all of the patterns I wanted were out of stock! UGH! It took me 50 minutes to get there with the traffic and a wonderful slow-moving semi. On the way home I decided to go try a fabric store that has been in the town next to mine for 3 years that I didn't even know was there! Hancock Fabrics. I found it online. I felt so stupid. 3 years!! I just never go that way.

Hancock had the apron pattern I wanted and then the search for the perfect fabrics started. I found four that I really loved and then had to drag myself out of the store. I could have stayed for hours just looking and touching. I love fabric. The colors, the prints, the texture.....talk about overload...but in a very positive and happy way! I'm sure you love the materials you work with as well. It's just so awesome, isn't it?

I washed and dried the fabrics since aprons will get washed...a lot...and I don't want them shrinking or getting out of shape at all. Now tonight I will be cutting out some aprons and getting to work on them.

I guess MyOtherShop is going to go from "things for the home" to "things for you and your home". I just can't help it. I am really into the sewing right now and there are so many things I want to make.

By the way, I don't wear aprons...because I don't cook. HAHA! Personally, I think every guy should have a nice fitting apron...don't you? I plan to make one for Irv! :)