My Pouch for the Zippy Pouch Swap

I am so excited to share my pictures of the pouch I made and received from the zippy pouch swap!  I am happy with the results of the one I made.  There is no pattern for it.  I just made my front and back and then took tidbits from zipper tutorials and boxed bottoms....and this is what I came up with:

Yes, it's a bit blurry but I wanted to show the charm I put on the zipper!  Some day I will figure out my camera!

Nothing to exciting happening on the inside.  But heck..it was my first big zippy!

Those lovely hexagons are only 1/4" in size!  

My cute fairy! French knots and running stitches for a little embellishment!

And here is the whole pouch.  In retrospect I would use a darker zipper.  Not a big fan of the off white one now that I see it in the photo.  Also in the picture are some journal covers I made.  I did all these while at retreat.

The pouch that I received came to me from Ireland!  Once I saw her embroidery I knew it just had to be for me!  But she remained steadfast in the secrecy... I even told her it had to be mine!  It had all of my favorite things...mushrooms, gnomes, hedgehogs and birds!  I love that it is a wristlet too!

I got these wonderful scraps and a lovely note from Ms. Sarah along with my pouch!

I have been so fortunate in all my swaps!   I am participating in another pouch swap and just signed up the Retro flowers quilt-a-long!

As I have been asked to make up a pattern for the fairy pouch I will be making that up one of these days and sharing my tutorial for that... I am thinking by June... How fun will that be!  I will be a little more diligent with this pouch and will write things down as I go so I can share the process with you.
In the meantime yard work awaits and so do those pesky dirty dishes in the sink!  Crap, I hope I shut my water off.  I think I started to fill the  sink before I sat to write this post!  Bahaahaahaa

Zippy Pouch Swap

Well, our Mouthy Mamma's have really done it this time!  They have organized a secret
zippy pouch swap and I am participating in it.  This should be a blast!  I recognize quite a few of the gals from the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap that I recently completed.  I look forward to chatting with these gals again and to making friends with the new faces of this swap.
 
Since I have never made a zippy pouch this could be challenging...but I think it will be a great time.  I am sure my pouch will turn out great... the hardest part is thinking of a design. But then again, that is also the funnest part too!
And what about the button they made for the swap?!   I LOVE IT!

I am just writing this in hopes that I will unwind.... it is late and I should be getting to bed..okay, it's not that late... only 9:30...but 4:30 comes pretty quickly.... and right now, my mind is all a flutter with design ideas for this pouch... fabric, applique ideas, what shape, color, should I make it wristlet???????? OH MY.. so many ideas, so little time.  I better just sign off and go lay down in bed with the lights out... maybe then my mind will quiet down.  Then again, maybe not.   Does the creative mind ever sleep???

What I did for my Friday Night Sew-in

I fell asleep!  I started out all excited about staying up late and sewing until the wee hours of the morning.  I grabbed myself a cold beer, my projects and some batteries for my camera and I downloaded the audiobook... The Hunger Games...  

I began to cut my pattern pieces out for my apron... I had to giggle when I realized that I put the pattern upside down on my fabric so now my chickens are dangling by their feet!  LOL  I did manage to finish making the  ties and the neck piece for the apron and have everything cut out and ready to sew.   I could feel myself getting tired and the audiobook was absolutely wonderful and found it hard to concentrate on the apron.. that's probably why I cut the pattern out upside down.  LOL...  so anyway I sat down on the couch and just listened to my book... next thing you know, I am asleep.... well, I didn't know I was asleep until I woke up a couple hours later.  LOL  

After I awoke from a 2hr nap, I went back to my sewing room and figured out what I  wanted to do for my quilt back...  I didn't get a picture of that....  :(   I would love to cheat and say I finished it last night, but truth be known I didn't.   I finished making the quilt back this morning and now the quilt is at Diane's waiting to be quilted.  It will be gone just long enough for me to miss it and welcome it back home.

Beer and batteries just what a girl needs for a   FNSI.
The beer never got drank..I fell asleep.  lol

The apron pattern

Facade quilt front.  ( I stole this image from my sisters blog! with her permission, so I guess it's not stealing)

cutting my apron pieces

I think I need to nap before I participate so I don't mess up my cutting. Or maybe give myself an IV infusion of caffeine!

Speaking of naps.... I think I will take one now.  My brother's annual birthday bash is tonight.  Right now I am a little sleepy and I have a slight headache... a nap is just what this non-napper needs!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

It's time for a Friday Night Sew-In!!!!!

Yeah!   I love being able to sew in my  jammies!  Do you????  That is just one of the things making this a fun event... I participated with this last month and did do some sewing, but since it is more than a minute ago, I can't remember what I made!  LOL  
On my sewing agenda for tonight---an apron and a quilt back.
The best part of tonight????  I can stay up as late as I want.  I am no longer working the weekends at St. Lukes Hospital.  I am officially a weekday person!  Only 72 hrs (every two weeks) which still gives me full-time benefits (whew) and weekends of fun!
Last weekend I spent with my sister.  We had the first of many sister sew weekends.  I don't have pics to show  as the batteries died in my camera.... I am rambling..I need to be sewing!  So if you aren't doing anything join us!



Heck... I am not going anywhere tonight  I just might have a beer!   I am also listening to the first book of the Hunger Games...creepy but good.

Still calm even though.....

Christmas is so close.  I don't feel any pressure to get things done or to do last minute shopping.  I wonder why?  Could this be the reason.....???

A very nice Merlot from my secret Santa

Noooooo... its because there is very little for me to do and I still have time.  Check back with me on Friday morning... I may be a whole ball of mess then!  We are celebrating Christmas with my family on that day since I have to work all Christmas weekend... 12.5 hour shifts...  They are so kind to accommodate me.  But if you were to ask my OLDER sister, Cindy... lol...  she would tell you that it is always about me.  And, well, it is.  LOL...  I love my family... just sayin.  They spoil me rotten.

We had our Secret Santa exchange at work last night.... and beside the Merlot  labeled by Running with Scissors (how appropriate for a quilter~!)   I also received a gift card to one of my most favorite quilt shops in Cedar Rapids.... Pine Needles.

I can't wait to go and buy more fabric.... however, maybe I should get more thread.  I have been doing more quilting this year and my thread selection for quilting is dwindling down.

Well, I better get back to my sewing room.  I have to finish quilting a Christmas gift so I can put the binding on tomorrow morning... AFTER I have had my pot of coffee and not a minute sooner!

Another Friday Night Sew IN!!

Crazy busy getting ready for the Holidays????  Only a few days left to go and I only have a couple more small gifts to buy.  I participated in another Friday night sew in... it was fun and I did get a quilt finished quilted and bound!  Well, my sister actually pieced it... this is a gift for our niece, Jaycie.  She is a teenager now and we thought this was a more grown up quilt for her.

Opposites Attract by Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts
find pattern here

I also did more work on the Quilts for Kids quilt blocks.  I had fabric left over from the first set that I made and decided to make four more blocks.  

I still need to trim them down and then sew the units together (there will be two grey blocks and two black blocks)... I love this pattern.  Whodathunk that half square triangles would look so cool!

Its time to step away from the computer and change over the laundry.  I will be working on my other nieces quilt this afternoon and yes... my sister pieced it and I will be layering it and quilting it.  If I am fast enough I will be binding it too.  We will be celebrating Christmas with the family on Friday.  Time to suit up with my quilting mojo!

Charity sewing and Friday night fun!

One of the things that has always brought me joy was making quilts
for people in need.  Our local quilt guild, the Muscatine Melon Patchers, does  just this.
We make quilts for our domestic abuse shelter.  There are thousands of people that
use their services every year with the majority of them being children.  It really
breaks your heart when you see the numbers and know that these people are coming
directly from our county.

As I was surfing the internet this morning, more specifically blogs and flickr, I came across the blog of SoSarahSews.  She is the mastermind of Quilts for Kids.  This is an online Flickr community open to anyone who wishes to make quilt blocks, as directed by Sarah.  You may make one or a hundred!  Sarah puts these together and gives them to children in need.  The quilt I am helping with is for a little boy who is in foster care with his sisters. I believe that these quilts will bring lots of love to the children who may be thinking that they are not lovable, or that no one cares.  As quilters we have a great opportunity to share our passion with these children.

We know how much we love making our quilts; how much love we pour into each and every quilt.  And what about when we are picking out the fabrics... do we not love to touch the fabric and soak in the texture.  From the moment the idea first pops into our mind, to the purchasing of the fabric, cutting the fabric, assembling the top, the quilting and then finally sewing on the binding, do we not feel love?  Absolutely!  WE ARE QUILTERS!!!
 
So please join in on this.  There is a bit of urgency for this particular quilt... Sarah needs the blocks by Christmas but they will only take 30 minutes of your time if you send two. She still needs a commitment for 20 more blocks.  I am making four.  I challenge you to make 4 as well!  All you need is an 8.5" square of black(or grey) and 8.5" square of white. to make one block.

On a lighter note.........

 Friday fun night!!! What is this?????  well, it is my first time participating in Friday night sew in.  Fun, easy and free!!  It is an internet group that gets together..usually the 3rd Friday of the month but this month it is the 2nd Friday.... we sew in our jammies at our own home (unless you have a group of friends to sew with)...Then on Saturday you post your project in the flickr group!  Easy Peasy!!   The party starts here!
and  finishes here.  Oh...and how dare I nearly forget.....there's a  GIVEAWAY with each sew in!!  yeah!