Hope all my fellow Canadians have had a great Thanksgiving weekend and at least one turkey filled meal. My meal is today and I hope to spend the time around it crafting and snuggling my boys.
I’ll have to catch Wesley though since yesterday was his 6th birthday and he’s buried in new LEGO.
Have a wonderful day with your family and loved ones, even if it’s just a normal Monday for you.
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I got older yesterday, perhaps that explains it.
I’m super pumped because I’m going to something really, really exciting tonight. Which I haven’t mentioned because I’d rather share awesome pics later and yammer on about it with the glow of having been.
I didn’t finish my little cute bag like I said I would. Yeah I’m terrible.
Don’t forget to sign up for the scrap swap. I’ll be matching us all up on Sunday!
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Sooooo who wants to scrap swap?!
I’ve done a bunch of summer sewing and hope to do even more during the fall so let’s revitalize our stashes!
Leave your name here, make sure there’s an email address/blog/contact info and I’ll find you a buddy.
Sign ups are open until Sunday night, September 22nd, and then I’ll match us all up and let you know Monday who your partner is.
The keep everyone happy guidelines:
– scraps must measure at least 2 inches by 2 inches, there is no maximum size
– scraps must be clean and in usable condition
– scraps can be new fabric or vintage reclaimed pieces
– fabrics should be of relatively the same weight (cotton preferred) to allow for quilting, or mixing with other fabrics and use in the same project
– be ready to send 10-ish ounces to your partner by Monday October 1st.
Swap is open to everyone so please be aware you may be shipping internationally unless you tell me otherwise.
Posted in scraps, sewing, swaps, uncategorized
Tagged fabric, scrap swap, sewing, swap
This post is part of the Craft Book Month blog hop at Craft Buds.
Here’s what I made, it’s a wallet from Bags–The Modern Classics: Clutches, Hobos, Satchels & More
I love the wallet, it’s super cute but it did reaffirm my hatred of bias tape.
Initially I made my own nice red bias tape using left overs from this wallet I made, but I had a super difficult time catching the stitching on both sides. Instead I went for commercial made stuff which went better but still isn’t great. I have no idea how to manoeuvre this stuff around curved edges!
All month long in September, Craft Buds will celebrate sewing, quilting and all kinds of craft books by shining the spotlight on new releases, interviewing authors and editors who make the magic happen and giving you a chance to win.
Week One
Sunday 9/2: Hopeful Threads / The Jolly Jabber
Monday 9/3: Stitchery Dickory Dock / Me Sew Crazy
Tuesday 9/4: Olive & Ollie / Sew Sweetness
Wednesday 9/5: Fabric Seeds / The Busy Bean
Thursday 9/6: CraftFoxes / Stitched In Color
Friday 9/7: Katie’s Korner / A Prairie Sunrise
Week Two
Sunday 9/9: Sweet Diesel Designs / missknitta’s studio
Monday 9/10: Sew Tara / Clover and Violet
Tuesday 9/11: Sew Fantastic / amylouwho
Wednesday 9/12: Projektownia Jednoiglec / Two More Seconds
Thursday 9/13: Ellison Lane Quilts / Don’t Call Me Betsy
Friday 9/14: Live a Colorful Life / LRstitched
Week Three
Sunday 9/16: Fairy Face Designs / Canoe Ridge Creations
Monday 9/17: Inspire Me Grey / Freshly Pieced
Tuesday 9/18: Lindsay Sews / The Cute Life
Wednesday 9/19: The Littlest Thistle / Sew Crafty Jess
Thursday 9/20: Urban Stitches / imagine gnats
Friday 9/21: Sew Bittersweet Designs / The Plaid Scottie
Week Four
Link up your craft book project at Craft Buds from Sept 23-30 from your blog or Flickr account, and enter to win prizes. Winners will be announced on Monday, October, 1!
To participate in the month-long contest, link up any project you’ve made from a pattern in a craft book. That easy! Say a little about the book, the project, how you personalized it, etc.
No time to create a project? This month, just follow Craft Buds and comment to win some new craft books and lots of giveaways! They’ll also have expert Q-and-As to show you what it takes to write a craft book, from the initial idea to the layout, photography and the actual printed product.
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Well the good news is I’m down a bunch of weight. The downside of this is I can start shopping in new and wonderful places, like ModCloth. I picked up this dress and I loooove it!
I wore it to our friend’s wedding a few weekends ago. Sadly I only snapped phone photos of it.
Here’s hot it is on ModCloth in case you need to pick one up. It comes in other pretty colours too.
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Well this is it, it’s over for yet another year.
This summer wasn’t my usual relaxing summer. I found it really busy with a 5 year old and 3 year old to keep busy. Go figure. I spent a lot of time at splash pads, parks, play places, beaches and just generally out and about. Which is fine, I had books, iPad, crafting and texting to keep me company but it was still very busy. I don’t remember last summer being like that and a 4 and 2 year old are more work in some ways.
But alas, it has come to an end. Now our 5 year old is going off to Grade 1 and our 3 year old is going to *start* school with all day JK. I’m totally flabbergasted at where the time has gone! At the same time it’s a great change and I love fall. I’m going to have 2 afternoons off a week (I know I’ve said this over and over but I’m just so excited) and I plan on furthering my weight loss with some gym time. Then I’ll come home, eat a healthy lunch and work on this little SewTara thing.
It’s going to be a good year I think.
Enjoy the last day of summer!
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Finished my Melinda Zipper Pouch.
I don’t know if I’m getting faster at hexies or they’re just starting to grow on me, but they look pretty fun in a finished project and I’m liking this pouch a lot.
I even got fancy and placed those little kitties just so. The unique way to attach a label to this pouch was also kinda nifty.
Next up is this quick little phone cozy from Michelle Patterns. I need a quick project as back to school looms this week, *sigh*. This pattern is only from the pieces, but if you’ve used her patterns before you can figure it out pretty easily. I’ll also tip you off when I write my post on Friday.
Well perhaps you noticed my full side bar this month, perhaps not, either way here are some lovely ladies who are floating around the interwebs. Give them a visit.
PULP SUSHI
Pulp Sushi is the name of my retro-infused handmade jewelry Etsy shop. It is also the name of blog – a small business & lifestyle blog where I share my passion for handmade, cute & stylish things, coffee & sweets and my life.
BENDING PINS
I consider myself a beginner quilter but an experienced sewer. I’m still experimenting and exploring the various possibilites and freedoms that quilting allows.
HOMESPUN DAZZLE
I’m a busy mom with a passion for crafting! I believe in creating quality products that are affordable and enjoyable. I make everything from my own home so you can enjoy it in yours. Please feel free to take a look at my website for my products and if you have any questions please let me know.
THE ORANGE WINDMILL
Hi, I’m Shirley! I like taking walks with my family, watching great movies, and reading wonderful books. I make handbound journals out of locally found recycled materials and I sell them online and in craft sales.
LIFE IN CLEVELAND
I was an architect, knitter, and world traveler before my life was happily hijacked by my kids – a fashion obsessed redhead and a baby so chill we call him the dude. Now I blog mainly about raising them in the city I love, Cleveland, Ohio. On my blog you’ll also find lots of diy projects and frustrations, free knitting patterns designed by me, and all sorts of random.
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K I’m just going to take a moment, because it’s my blog and I can, to write about weight. I know people blog about this topic with good and bad rantings and ravings but I’m going to go with something a little bit in-between. I have *never* been skinny in my life. There’s been ups and downs, but right now I’m happy so I’m going to shout it from the rooftops for a post.
I met my hubby in April 2003. A few months before we met I had just finished losing 40 pounds, thanks to Weight Watchers and some hard work. We met and started spending all our time together and when school ended in June I was moving with him back down to the Toronto area. He’s a foodie, loves cooking and meat and so a few pounds crept back on when I moved in that summer. We got married in July 2005, here’s me looking all beautiful.
So then we’re married and decide, because we’re crazy, to ‘try’ for one of those kid things. Well, 6 months later, that January don’t we find out we’re going to be having one. Pounds rush onto my already expanding body and while I lost 22 pounds from the time I left our house to the time I got back 12 hours later in October 2006, it wasn’t all the baby weight.
Then pass a few years raising that kid, add another pregnancy and you have me at my heaviest ever as I walk into the hospital to give birth to Nate in December 2008. This time I didn’t lose 22 pounds in the 12 hours I was out of the house (yeah I’m a rock star). And despite successful nursing the second time around in 14 months I still hadn’t kicked most of that weight. Here’s our photoshoot when Nate was just 2 weeks old. The pic of him is just for laughs, isn’t it awesome. He was gruuuummmpy.
Photo by the talented Rhonda.
My super round face and lack of collar bones.
So then it’s 2011 and hubby decides he’s going to diet. Of course because he’s a boy the pounds seem to effortlessly fly off. He’s eating no carbs, it’s all about protein, fat and veggies. He’s losing weight. I’m kinda grumpy about that. We head off to Belize on Boxing Day for a week long vacation. He falls off his diet wagon since we’re left with only resort food. When we get home I decide I’m going to play along too. Here’s a picture of me in Belize, first week of January 2012.
I hate this pic. I was mostly the one behind the camera so there’s few pics of me on this trip, but my mother in law snapped this one. Out of interest the other day I went digging in the Belize folder to find a picture to compare our weight loss and I found this one of me. I’m down 30 pounds now and I’m so happy. The other good news is that t-shirt had to go, I was swimming in it, and the shorts will once fall gets here because I can take them off without unbuttoning them. Here’s me last week.
Now I know I should be happy with who I am, and I totally am. I have a great life, hubby, kids, teaching job and a growing creative empire. But I also want to look better. I want the outside to match the inside. I want to wear awesome fun clothes that I can find easily, I want to enjoy shopping, I want to chase my kids at the park and be able to keep up and be healthy. So I continue my quest.
Today me and my BFF went clothes shopping. I tried on a pair of size 16 pants, I wasn’t sure what to get since my hubby and I have been purging our clothes almost daily it seems. The pants were a bit too big and I took them to the saleslady not sure if I needed a 14 or the 17. “These pants are a touch too big I’m not sure which size to try next” I said. She took the pants from me and said “Of course they are! These are from the plus side, you need to be at the front of the store from over here to . . ” She went on the explain the different sides of the store. I know them very well, I’ve been walking into stores like that for a while and ignoring all the stuff near the front to walk to the ‘plus’ section at the back. Anyhow, it was a great feeling. I left with 3 pairs of size 15 on the ‘regular’ side.
Now I’m still not where I want to be, another 20 pounds gone I think will be perfect. That’s still not where any BMI or doctor’s chart says I should be but I don’t care about that. I want to like how I look, order more things from places like ModCloth and just be an overall superstar.
Thanks for reading if you got this far.
Well the pictures are up and now so is the video. Photo credit: Claire Louise Foster. Here’s an awkward shot of me, I really have to get used to this posing thing. Here’s the full article on the Etsy blog with links to the speakers and such.
You do have to watch the video all the way to the end to see me, but it’s totally worth the 3 minutes.
Also I was getting nervous in an empty room with about 5 people just looking at me waiting for what I had to say, so pardon my fidgetiness.
Toronto Meetup from Etsy Inc. on Vimeo.
