Help! Things that start with " i "

So I'm in this alphabet swap and i'm to put some stuff together for my partner in Australia--why do I always get partnered with someone from Australia?! hmmm.....well I'm having brain block and I can't think of what to put on there, sewing quilting and craft related that start with an I so I'm asking you guys out there for some ideas.

Copied right from her list....this is what it has to be:

(What is an alphabet swap you say?Well - it is quite literally a swap centred on letters of the alphabet. You and your mystery partner will both get the same letter and will have to come up with a box of little things related to that letter. There is no need to get too extravagant or spend OVER $30 - but be as creative and inventive as you like; you could include craft supplies, little treasures, words, foodstuff -ANYTHING! I know, dear readers, you are all fabulously interesting and original so let there be no limit to your ideas!)

My letter is I, I prefer to make things, I am already planning on making Ice Cream in a cone out of felt, kinda like a pincushion ice cream, and after that I'm lost. I can't think of anything that may be easy to make.

So your ideas would be greatly appreciated!

The Fortune or The Cookie?

So I had Chinese for lunch earlier today or since I'm a night owl and posting this super late, yesterday to some of you. It's still 'today' for me, I haven't slept yet. I had to snap these beauties. I've never had such perfect fortune cookies out of the wrapper. Mine were always smashed or already broken in half, but look at these:

So of course using my light box and a fantastic camera, I made the fortune cookies look even more scrumptious. I picked up my order and I don't know about ya'll, but I always have to make sure that they gave me my fortune cookies. Its not the fortune I care about-I could really care less about the fortune inside, I've gotten the "You'll win the lotto" several times & well I'm still broke, still waiting for that fortune to come true, but I just love how it tastes. I'll add a recipe that I've tried before and it just tastes really good fresh!

So these perfectly shaped fortune cookies made me snap to attention. I'm always looking for things to add to my items as a giveaway to my customers whenever they purchase things for example; magnets, cup cozy's, mini-wallets holding my business card, just that sort of stuff. Now I'm not chinese at all, and anyways the fortune cookie idea came from America, but I decided I wanted to make a fortune cookie out of fabric and add my label inside like the paper fortunes---DING DING DING DING!!!!

I'm sure people have already done this, but let me have my moment, and for figuring it out myself. ---By the way those participating in the swap--this is a good project for using up those scraps.

So with some messing around with fabric, I ended up with this as my first ones:

I loved it, and the fact that it's a NO-SEW project folks?! All you need is fabric, fusible, glue, and some beading wire & you're good to go. I should have taken some photos while I made the rest, but I just couldn't stop until I was done. They were just too easy to make. I'll post steps later when I make some more. For now here are the fabric fortune cookies.....ta da!

I'm still figuring out how to make the box, I'm gonna wash the chinese box and take it apart and use that for a template--once I'm done eating my leftovers of course. So I thought I would share this little project. So until next time, JOIN THE SWAP, and keep craftin'!

Ideas for Projects

We just started a Scrap Swap and I can't wait to see the fabric scraps that will be coming in and the projects that come out of it. If you're new, Welcome to swapping! You will find swapping to be addicting and you won't be able to stop at just one!

There are so many projects that can be made and you can only be limited by your imagination. To help give some of you some ideas, I found these blogs that have projects in them that can definitely work for our swap.--of course these are just ideas, you do not have to do one of these--you do what you want at your own pace!

Check Them Out!

Scrap Party Garland

Fabric Covered Barrettes

Fabric Wall Art

Fabric Coasters

Tissue Holder

Handmade Fabric Cards

Fabric Tags

Fabric Pom Pom

Fabric Magnets

These are such quick and easy projects, you'll end up making some for yourself. Please join our swap. Remember to enter through the link on my sidebar & be sure to leave a comment under the swap post to be entered in the giveaway. Visit and leave a comment on Handmade-O-Holic to also enter in her giveaway.
I'll be back with more posts!

Happy Scrap Swap

A new swap for you to join!

This one is being hosted by myself(Abbie)- The Handmade Quilt-er, and Kat over at Handmade-oholic.
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING......

What: A swap of scraps from your scrap pile--please use scraps no smaller than a 4" square to your group partners. Each group will have 3 people in it, so you will have 2 partners. Fill two sandwich size Zip-loc bags with as many scraps you can fit into it. Try to have the same equal amounts of scraps for your partners. Send yours scraps out along with a self-addressed stamped envelope measuring 8" x 10"with 6, 42cent stamps on it.

In turn your partners should be sending you theirs as well with a self-addressed stamped envelope for you to mail their items to. When those arrive, mix it all up and create little gifts to make for your swap partners-2 in total, 1 for each partner out of the scraps you received. You should be left with scraps yourself and create yourself a gift!

When: Sign up is now until November 3, 2008, or depending on how many will be participating we may extend the dates further. Your 1st package of scraps in the sandwich bag should be mailed out no later than November 15th. Have your 2nd package of your gift mailed out to your swap partners by December 13th.

Where: Sign up is located HERE. Click on the word "Here" to be directed to our sign-up sheet which will enter you in the swap. You will also find a link to sign-ups on my sidebar.

Who: Anyone who signs up before November 3rd regardless of whether or not you have a blog, just be sure to provide your email address.

Any questions you may contact me at The Handmade Quilt-er or you may also contact Kat through her blog at Handmade-OHolic. Both blogs have the same information, sign-ups can be placed on either blog.

Kat and I will be sending out your swap partners by the 7th of November with their information. Please be sure to write the deadline dates down as we really want to make sure everyone receives their gifts before Christmas. Please note that the dates may change depending on the number of participants we have end date of sign-ups. You will of course be notified if there are any changes to the swap. The deadlines again are:

Sign-ups Until Nov.3

Ship Scraps out by Nov. 15

Mail Created Gifts by Dec.13

Keep checking back at either blog as we will be posting several ideas to make using the scraps you receive. If you know of some, please kindly leave a comment and share with the group.

********EXTRA*******GIVEAWAY************************

Place this button on your sidebar with a link to the swap and leave a comment on my blog and you will be entered in a giveaway.

Kat and I will each be having a give away and you are certainly welcome to enter in both--WE WANT YOU TO!

Kat is giving away this bag & matching wallet: .

I will also be having a giveaway myself which will include a bag and wallet to send out along with some fabric goodies and a quilting/sewing book to the winner through my blog. So if you're interested in our swap please sign in by clicking on my sidebar button, to enter the giveaway place the button on your sidebar and leave a comment on both blogs!

This will be soo much fun and I look forward to seeing the fantastic items that come out of this! Help us by spreading the word! The more people that enter the more fun it will be! Thanks again in advance for participating in our swap!

THQ's Sewing Area- Finally Organized

After organizing my ribbon, and leaving me with 3 empty drawers I had to re-organize my sewing items. WHOO-HOO!--you have to personally know me to realize how nutty I am about organizing and cleaning....everything truly has a certain place where it belongs.

It is my way of keeping sane and keeping my area from getting to crazy. You may have read in an earlier post and saw the messiness of my sewing area---and let me just tell you, that, that is a rare occasion. I love to organize, & I need to organize. What the organization is not helping me do is remember what books I have and what patterns & fabrics I already have.

There have been numerous of times I've ended up buying the same thing---and would you believe, I ended up buying 3, yes you read that right, 3 copies of one book--I guess I really liked and wanted that book, I don't know.

But here is how my area looks now after some major cleaning up and organizing:

Main Wall of Vintage Fabrics, the drawers hide my fusibles & quilt blocks

The other side where my laptop sits and printer where I print tut's from blogs or check up on your blogs, this is also where my serger sits when I'm in the mood for serging--very rare, and my back-up sewing machines.

All of my thread. Yes, that's 6 drawers filled with thread, not including the ones in the rack and my organizer full of embroidery thread behind the rack. On the top 3 containers are some of my wooly felt, all organized by color.

This is my sewing/quilting books & patterns & notions area. I don't know if you can tell, but there is a label on each box with a label of what supply is in there. The books are separated by quilting/sewing, and then by the types of projects....sick, I know.

My wall of designer fabrics from Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Anna Maria Horner, Sandi Henderson, Valori Wells to name a few and there are soo much more....thats just scratching the surface. Some quilting squares up top along with zippers and more notions. There's my quilting hoops & some of my fat quarter stash.

A close up of such beautiful fabric....I don't even want to cut into them, it's too beautiful :(

These are all scraps, Yup all scraps organized by color in all of the bins. I ran out of shelving so this was the only thing that I could do. I'm planning on purging some of this and maybe have a giveaway with the scraps, fabric & books that I'd like to send off to a new home.

1/4 of my vintage fabric collection. I love vintage fabric!!

& of course some more fat quarters....all nice and organized. So soothing to me.

So my sewing area is done......it's now off to organize my knitting area.....I'm posting a before pic and hoping to add an after shot soon!

Everyone, meet Isabel or Bel, Beli-my 2 year old daughter. She wanted her picture taken.

I can't stand these bins. I need to come up with another way to display the yarn and my embroidery and cross-stitch supplies. HELP! Any suggestions?

My Knitting needles all in one bag.....I need to make some Needle cases for these....Another project to add to the already long list of projects I'd like to do, added to the orders I have to complete. Anyone feel like trading? Make me a Knitting Needle case and I'll throw in some yarn or scraps or books....whatever will call it even. I'M DEAD SERIOUS. EMAIL ME OR POST A COMMENT HERE.

Some more knitting & crochet books. Told ya'll I loved books.

& some yarn scraps in little baskets placed right next to my rocking chair. My relaxing spot.

So Kat & I have been discussing about arranging a swap of some kind having to do with our scraps. It's still in it's early developmental stages, but we are very close to having the final rules and will be ready to post about it. We'd like to get it started soon and have it end 2 weeks before X'mas so we all can get early presents. How many would be interested? I will also be having a giveaway soon with a lot of the stuff I purge from organizing & as well a quilt to giveaway. Check back, follow me to make sure you don't miss sign ups. Oh yeah. I was really serious about trading or bartering for some sewing/knitting/quilting stuff. I have plenty to give out or trade with in exchange for a knitting needle case/roll so if you're interested, please post a comment here or send me an email! Thanks for stopping by!

Ribbon Stash Clean-up

I haven't posted anything of substance because I have been organizing & spent most of the weekend cleaning up and re-organizing my stuff. One project that I made sure to do was organize my ribbon stash. On the most recent issue of Organize, there were a bunch of great ideas to help organize each room in the home, amongst them, a craft room. This is how my ribbons were:

Hidden away in my clear organizers, with no way of me knowing what colors I had and just mixed up all together.

This is the space that I found would best fit the new storage/display area for my ribbons:

I was ready to head over to WalMart & pick some wall shelves or towel rack, and that would have easily been $15-$20 or more for each one, but then my bff Kat gave me the best idea ever.....and definitely the most cheap & very doable for everyone. Her idea was to use paper towel holders--BRILLIANT!

I still went to Walmart & found a very sturdy holder for $7.85, I used that, but I still had plenty of ribbons left to hang....so the next stop?--The Dollar Store, they were not as sturdy as the one I bought at WalMart, but definitely worked, I screwed them to the wall above my desk, I had wooden dowels and cut to the length I needed to fit between the holder and VOILA! It worked & I couldn't be more happier with the result.

Here is how it ended up looking:

It ended up looking really cool, but it left a bare spot next to it, so I went back to Wally's and picked up a Dry-erase/Cork Board Combo and found that wooden oval rack and wrote the word "scissors" on it, now not so plain. I LOVE IT! What do you guys think?

Friday's Frugal Mom Giveaway!

This is my favorite this week!

The winner of today's giveaway will receive:

1. $100 Amazon Gift Certificate

2. Artsy Crafty Babe's Dotty Blossom Bag! --Bloggers know Becki & her wonderful patterns, and her "Pretty Little _" Books! If you haven't been to her site....visit her now HERE!

Visit Artsy Crafty Babe's shop, leave a comment at Frugal Moms Blog and you've just entered! Post about it on your blog, like I've done and you've earned yourself another entry! FANTASTIC! Make sure you enter by the end of today, the winner will be announced on Saturday!

Click on her logo below to be directed to her website:

Crrrrrrrrrrunch

What's that sound? Why, it was the sound of myself biting into a nice crispy cold pickle. Man, I love pickles & before you give another explanation, no, I'm NOT pregnant--Don't even say that to my husband--3's enough, but before I start rambling on I wanted to share a pickle recipe. Perfect for the pickle lover, sure to satisfy & cure any hunger! I eat these like popcorn!


Seeing as this is the only blog that I do have, I know I can add another one, but I just wouldn't possibly be able to keep up with 2.--I've been blogging mainly about sewing & quilting, but did you guys know that I am a whiz in the kitchen?....well let me tell you.......

I am proud of these pickles, when I was mixing all of the ingredients in, I kept my fingers crossed and hoped that it would taste as good as I imagined it. It far exceeded my expectations! With a tweak there, adding of an ingredient here and removing of one there, I now have the final sample for you to make.

I love pickles, whole pickles that is, just no pickles in my sandwhich or hamburger-I'm weird like that. So I wanted to share this fantastic recipe for Pickle people. *WARNING: THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A RECIPE WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION--PATIENCE IS NEEDED, IT WILL BE READY IN 3 DAYS AND SO DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT!!*

Ingredients:

1 Gallon of Kosher Dill Pickles, can be bought at Walmart or Costco-You can purchase whole or sliced, just know that if you buy whole pickles you will end up slicing it. I'm all for saving time and short-cuts so purchase the sliced pickles....you'll be that much closer to your pickles.

1 Large Clove of Garlic-Chopped

2 cups of Vinegar

6-7 Cups of Sugar

1/2 lb. of Jalapeno Peppers & Sweet Little Red Peppers

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take your gallon of pickles and drain all of the juice from them. Set them aside for right now.

In the empty gallon, combine your sugar, vinegar, garlic and peppers, mix well and slowly add your sliced pickles while stirring.

Leave on your counter away from sunlight for 3 days--make sure you stir at least twice a day until then.

After the 3 days, stir and you may serve it warm or place in refridgerator to make it nice & cold and crispy the way I like it.

ENJOY!

Sewing/Quilting Addiction

It's seems I keep alternating between my fabric & book addiction. Right now, it's all about books, all kinds of books. Mainly mystery, lots and lots of romance, fiction and of course craft books. Just this past week I added these books to my collection:

Ignore the fabric beneath those books, those are just layer cakes that I purchased about two weeks before....like I said it alternates--Last week I purchased the whole collection from Anna Maria's Chocolate Lollipop and Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market and Ginger Blossom, I also picked up several yards of Heather Baileys collections.

Anyways, I was talking about my addiction for books and then started to ramble on about fabric....you see what I mean? Not even in purchases and addictions I switch between the two, but in writing and talking, sorry for those that cannot follow my rambling. Where was I? Oh yeah, the books that I bought last weekend---I'm definitely loving them and finding lots of great patterns that I will eventually work on.

I also did purchase a few more patterns, I'll be posting them for sure on here once I have completed some.

Contests, Giveaways & Swaps

Keep em' comin'!!
I've entered several swaps, and some contest giveaways. As you may be able to find on my sidebar the number of swaps that I have entered. I just enjoyed my Gratitude Swap hosted by Mel so much, I scoured the blogs to find more swaps currently going on that aren't due anytime too soon, I also found a great blog during my search. This one gets us placed on the blogging world map. I know that there are some of you out there that feel your blog is just sitting there in the middle of no-where---you are definitely not alone. Thankfully there is a blog that has hundreds of members there that felt the same---not any longer! Everyone supports one another by leaving comments and visiting your blogs. The blog is the "The Secret Is In The Sauce" also know as, SITS, we call ourselves SITStas!

Head on over to their blog, join if you would like and add a cool button like the one I have onto your sidebar after joining! There is currently a Photoshop Elements 7 Giveaway going on right now for the month of October. Don't miss your chance to enter & read some fantastic blogs! I'm enjoying them very much and it has definitely kept me from reading my romance novels :)

Another swap is called "We the People Swap", what it is is purchasing a charm pack of your partners choice and choosing one of the patterns on their wish list, not to exceed more that $12.99--just for the pattern of course. The sign-up is until Nov. 4th, hurry up and enter, once you post on your blog you will be entered in a chance to win another pattern from you list...so the possibility of 2 patterns-- I LOVE PATTERNS! This one is to ship out by November 24th.

Make sure you take a look at the other swaps that I am involved it----I know, I know, before you say it.....that's too many swaps to do, but well hey, I've got somewhat of some free time on my hands and I could use these to keep me busy. Some of them still have sign-ups open so get on it, go by and sign up!

I'm Still Alive....was just locked up in my sewing room

I had taken a very long, a very needed break from sewing & quilting. I just completed some orders from the Biz Market. I apologize again to you folks who I kept waiting for a while for these items. I certainly hope it was well worth the wait.

I finished my embroidered quilt. I don't want to let it go!!! :*( I hand embroidered flowers on each vintage solid colored diamond. I didn't want to take anything away from the design itself and the embroidery so I did a simple quilting design by machine. I'm going to miss this quilt.

Here are photos of this quilt:

The Quilt Top finished

Batting added & Ready for Quilting

Quilting is Done.

Showing off the embroidery

Close-up of one of the embroidered flowers

Gotta add my label of course!

Ready for it's new home......

Other projects completed.......

Fiona Bag, by Jenna Lou Designs

My New Bag Tags.....I LOVE THEM! THANKS ED!

My Executive tote.....I have no idea what to name this

My fabric label & bag tag.....added to everything I make.

So that's it for now......pretty good progress in one week, I've got about 3 bags to finish 7 more quilts to go----gosh, why did I take that long of a break?? Well, I will be back to post more projects as I complete them. I just remembered.....along with these orders I have to complete....I also have to make 20 log cabin blocks for a swap, darnit! gotta go.

Spare Change Swap--Complete

I'm all set and ready to mail out my 5"x5" squares for the Spare Change Swap created by Juliette-"JuJu" of ChickPea Studio. It an absolute fantastic idea and I can't wait to create a quilt from it. I've already got some ideas in mind for the pattern/design. The swap is closed now, but you can definitely track the progress and view peoples quilts from the squares by clicking 'here'

For my squares, I chose to include a bit of the "old" along with the new, old is highlighted because they are based on vintage fabrics, but aren't exactly old. I love vintage fabrics and collect them and hope to make a completely handmade quilt with it someday.

For the new squares, I added fabric from designers, Amy Butler, Tula Pink, Kaffe Fassett, Valori Wells, Erin McMorris, etc....and so on....check my spelling on the last one, I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly, I know her first name is Erin though.

So here are my squares bundled, wrapped, packaged & ready to go.....along with photos of the squares I sent out.

Vintage Chic Boutique Messiest Creative Room Contest

Vintage Chic Boutique/Pink Fig Patterns Contest


What can make a room like this:

All Nice neat & organized....

With Everything in its designated spot

TURN INTO...............................

THIS??!!!!???

and this......

and last......this.

Lots of sewing & projects of course......but this particular mess was after one tote bag being made-----with thread and scraps thrown all over the floor.....(Doing it the Eleanor Burns way!-YEAH!) man, was this was killing me to leave it all on the floor. I used to have an OCD problem with being very neat & tidy, but well all that went to hell after having my 3rd child--mothers out there you all know kids can make a mess......

Without a separate sewing/craft room, in my first post as a blogger, I stated that my Kitchen/Dining area had to be turned into my working area.....sigh......the fam haven't eaten on this table for a while now.......my husband is threatening to leave a comment on my blog about my mess-----well honey(my husband).....don't worry it's going to be cleaned.....soon......just after I took some photos and enter it for Chelsea of Vintage Chic Boutique & Pink Fig Patterns Messiest Craft Room Contest.

It all started with Lila Tueller's Blog about keeping it real.......You go Lila! I was one of the very few that got the chance to read her blog before her revisions....and man....was it freakin' awesome----so you know what??......i'm following in their footsteps and "keeping it real" myself & allowing the world and my closest friends and family to see the "real" me now---not the after I've cleaned the house for so many hours because I know they are coming over and I can't let them see how messy I am "me".----So folks, this is one of many messy parts in my house.....don't even make me post a pic of my knitting area.....ay ya yay.....

Thanks Chelsea for making up a great contest and thanks to Lila Tueller for showing us how great and relieving it is to just be real.