Why can't I make it?

My husband just loves these words.... "I think I could make that". One time I said it and he gave me "the look" and I said, "What? You don't think I can do it." And he said, "Oh, I most definitely think you can do it." LOL....I always have some sort of project going on, and I think if he was honest he would admit that he thinks I'm a wee bit obsessed with new projects. In fact, right now I can think of a large handful of things I'd like to try.....but here's the short list of what I might attempt in the near future...

~Make my own laundry soap

~Re-cover our dining room chairs

~Make a dollhouse (for Samantha) from materials I already have (cardboard, fabric, etc)

~Sew a skirt for myself

~Make a peg board to organize my thread (I NEED this!)

~Make a scripture memory box

~Re-cover two small ottomans

~Paint my sewing desk and add new hardware

Wow...my short list was longer than I expected. Ok, so I probably won't try all of those in the near future...But a girl's gotta start somewhere, right?

I'm still here (This one's for you Jade) :o)

So as my last post was titled...Lots of stuff has been going on! I have been sewing and embroidering and sewing some more. I am ever so thankful for SweetSamantha and all the things happening there. I can honestly say that I would have never in a million years seen me sewing in this manner....let alone for other people. See, I always dreamed myself a creative type, but then I would see real creative people and think, "I am worlds away!" However, I have come to learn that creativity comes in a massive variety of forms and fashions....and that I guess I have a little creativity of my own....

Lately I have kinda left both of my blogs virtually untouched (is that a pun?) because honestly I haven't known what to do with them. My family blog got left because I was using it to share stories and pictures of the kids....but with facebook around it seemed I was posting everything in two places! It was kinda the same with this blog and my SweetSamantha FB page. Why would I post things here and there?

There was also an internal struggle on my part....I love my blogs, but I struggle with how much to say or not to say. I mean my feelings, thoughts, dreams, etc. are being made available to the world. And I'm a sensitive type. I have seen blogs I love get totally trashed...not because they're bad, but because...let's face it... everyone has someone who dislikes them. And I honestly would rather not know who dislikes me... or hates my opinion....or who thinks what I just said is the dumbest thing they're ever heard. So, I'm still struggling with how much of myself I keep just for me and how much I share with the big wide world (I mean only a handful of people will even read this...but still it's world wide accessible!)

So I'm still here and crafting and loving it. I'm still slightly obsessed with colorful cotton...and oh, I just got a new turquoise minky that I don't even want to cut because it is just so yummy looking! I'm still hoping for an organization fairy to come while I sleep and magically make my home the most organized place on the planet....like the kind you see in magazines....I guess it would help if I believed in fairies... Anyways....I digress...

Well, that's all for now. Maybe next time will be something more crafty. :o) I actually have an idea I'm doing research on right now. Who knew research was involved in sewing?

Till next time my friends....

Lots of stuff going on!

First things first....

I got an embroidery machine!!

So excited about that!!

However, I have been slammed with orders (that's a good thing) and I haven't been able to play with it much, but I'm getting there. May was an incredibly busy month for me...I had lots of orders, family visiting, and both my husband and my little boy celebrated birthdays. All of that stuff was great, but in that time blogging was the last thing on my mind!

Here are some new things I was making in that time:

Shape Pillows - These turned out so well! I'm really proud of them!

Monogram Zebra Print pillow - A new twist on an old favorite

A pillow case for my daughter with her name on it.

My first embroidery machine project!

I'm incredibly excited about what's next!!

Stay tuned!!

Sew Something New - Doll Dresses

For "Sew Something New" Friday.....err, Saturday... we happened to have two sweet little girls visiting with us (who also happen to be twins). Both of the girls absolutely love their American Girl Dolls! They love the books about them too, and I was amazed at how they knew the stories of each one and would describe their personalities (the characters) to a T. Since they love their dolls so much, I just knew I had to make something for their dolls. So, I made them both little dresses out of their choice of fabric!

The first chose zebra print and lilac fabric....

And the second chose a blue fabric with white and yellow flowers print and yellow with white polka dots....

You can't see the pocket very well b/c of the sunlight, but it's in the same yellow with polka dots print as the sash.

They were fun to make and I enjoyed seeing the girls enjoying them so much!! Thanks for the inspiration girls! :o)

Sew Something New Friday - Cornhole Bags

Lately sewing something new has been far from my mind! But several orders filled later, I'm ready to work on something new again. Cornhole bags are not necessarily a brand new sewing adventure for me, but they are still pretty new.

It all started when my brother asked me to make cornhole bags for him. Now I admit I had no idea what "cornhole" even was....let alone cornhole bags! But he was sweet and sent me some directions to make them, and I took it from there to do my research on them. (By the way, when I started sewing, I had no idea any type of "research" would be required). I found out from various websites that cornhole is a game played much like a bean bag toss game but slightly more complicated (find actual description here). I also found from my research that "regulation" size bags are a certain size AND weight. From the ACA website ("American Cornhole Association"...no I'm not kidding) I learned that "finished bags should be a minimum of 6" X 6" square and weigh between 14 and 16 ounces". I also learned that they are commonly made with duck cloth. Duck Cloth is a super strong fabric that comes in a variety of colors. My brother chose Clemson colors (Orange and purple) since he's a Clemson fan (and he plays mostly while tailgating at Clemson games), and while I'm a gamecock fan I obliged because well he's my brother and I do love him more than football. :o)

Here are the bags all sewn into squares but not yet filled....

"Homemade" funnel....i.e. Card stock rolled and taped into a funnel shape.....AND one of the most important parts whole kernel corn feed!

Here's what I think is the funnest part...Weighing the bags!! 1 lb. (or 16 oz.) even for this one! Doesn't get more perfect than that. (In case you're interested I use a food scale to measure the bags. I bought this one inexpensively at Wal-mart I think...)

Double sewn around the inside and double sewn on the edges to make them more durable. The bags are thrown for the game and do have the potential to burst open! Double sewing helps to protect against that, but my brother threw the other ones for almost a year before they busted. And they don't last for life b/c the more they're thrown, the more the corn breaks down, and creates a "powder" that is evidently valuable when playing the game.

8 bags total for a set....4 of each color!
This is my favorite picture! Don't they look fun?
So that's it!

P.s. This entire post was written by a girl who has only "researched" cornhole and not officially played it, so I can't help you with tips for playing! LOL.

P.s.s. These would make a great gift for the "tailgater" in your life! My brother said people are always asking about his set! Now I can direct them to my site!!

What about you? Have you ever played cornhole?

Here Comes the Sun

I am loving the sunny warm weather!

I was totally inspired by it to make this treasury...

Check it out....

"Here Comes the Sun"

"Rise and Shine" pillow by jellytoast

Felt Cloud Ornaments by onesunnysunday

"Let the Sun shine in" by jujudesigns

There are several more sunny items in my treasury! Go check them out!

It'll make you feel more sunny on a rainy day....

A Walk on the Wild Side

It's just keeps getting more and more wild....

And I like it that way! :o)