Tag Archives: Brandi’s backpack purse

Swooning about the final row AND a Surprise!!!

Happy Christmas Week Y’all!

It has been a busy week around here… how about you?  Stay focused on my post today… at the end there is a SURPRISE!!!
First I must tell ya I have spent all week hoping this present would get there and it finally did yesterday!!!  I shared this pic last week…

 Now I can share these photos too!!!

And inside I added a specially bought label for this bag for my darling daughter… and as you can see in the photo to the left… I put feet on the bottom.. she loved it ALL!!!

I finally finished the machine quilting with a walking foot on the wall hanging…

 I sewed the binding to the front and spent a good bit of the week hand stitching it down to the back using a ladder stitch.  Then washed it and dried it and….  Tah Dah!!!!

 Here is a view of what you can’t see because of the tree…

 And a look at the sentiment on the bottom …

I really enjoyed making this and this is probably what I look forward to most in next years indoor decorations 😀  It makes me think of the generosity of my friend Jannessa who gifted this fabric to me then supported me as I did my least favorite quilting … that by machine and guided me in learning some patience with that way of quilting too ❤
My son sent me this photo of him and his girlfriend at a family event they went to…
Here are some mug rugs I made… 1 for Jannessa and 1 for her granddaughter Addi 🙂

 Our new business cards came in…

 I picked up a couple books I had ordered through the library system…

 I got a nice sized baby quilt for future use…

 And a layer cake I plan to use for a quilt for me and my honey in 2020…


The actual layer cake is on the left… I ordered from Hancock’s Paducah off eBay and they mailed it flat… LOVE THAT!  To the right is all the fabrics in this layer cake… LOOKS LIKE hardly NO REPEATS!!!

Here are the 2 blocks I will make into a quilt for us I think…

 Here is a Christmas funny for ya…

I also worked hard all week at making progress on the Swoon quilt and finally got this to show!  The final row is all that is showing now!!!!

 I finished the left border and made my way into the first swoon top…

 Y’all this is SEW EXCITING for me… unfortunately my bestie who this is for is working a crazy schedule at the moment… so she is unsure when we can meet!  So I will finish but the above photo is the last one that will be taken until we meet for her to get it!  Saving the best row for last too !!!

I am linking this hand quilting glory to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday HERE <<

And to my HQAL sisters too this week !!
Hand Quilt Along Links

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

KathyMargaretEmmaTracyDebSusan,  Nanette,  EdithSharonKarrinGretchenKathi,  BellaDaisy and Connie

Finally for the Christmas SURPRISE!!!  I am offering a giveaway!!!!  

A great book of quilt patterns “Romantic Quilts”… a pattern by Poor House Designs that is complete… a fat quarter of polka dots fabric by Tula Pink and Free Spirit fabrics…. and a blue water soluble marker (my favorite kind) for marking your quilt ~ useful for machine or hand quilting !!!

Leave a comment…
Share your favorite topic of all my December posts… I have been busy this month so there is LOTS to choose from!!!  Leave your response in the comments below INCLUDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!  I need a way to contact the winner!!!  This has been a problem for me in the past so that is a requirement of this giveaway… no email address in your reply then no entry.  I will draw the winner Wednesday morning for my Christmas day delight!!!

So scan my December posts and leave me a comment on this post for an entry to WIN 🙂
This giveaway closes on Christmas Day, December 25, 2019 at noon EST – 
USA only for this giveaway due to weight of the giveaway items all together 🙂

 ~ Merry Christmas!!! 

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Sew Happy Fall is Here!!

Welcome Y’all!

Grab a coke or a coffee and come see what all has been going on with me and mine 😀

We took a long planned on trip the first part of October… it was meant to be 3 days and 2 nights and a quick visit with my 3 of my kids during the visit too!  Well I got to see 2 of my kids in the end… but that isn’t all!!!

My honey worked on making a shed into a she shed… the conversion started!!!  Yippee!!!

My bestie Connie had relocated and added electricity and stabilization to the building… now it was time for my honey to work his magic.

This visit he changed the shed doors into a regular door that seals the building and locks 🙂

And he is able to accomplish all that during our 4 days and 3 nights…

Yep that is right we had to stay and extra day and Rick and I were completely drained and exhausted from the trip and all that was involved in our first trip of many to come for this job  🙂

What was the first thing that greeted me the following day when we finally made it to the post office to retrieve our mail…   I WAS A WINNER!!!

check out Virginia on Youtube HERE  ~ or Etsy HERE <<<

I follow her on Youtube and the above link will take you to the episode where I won these hand made pattern weights for bag making!!!  Both links will open in a new tab too btw 😀

I love these pattern weights though and had planned to make some… when I found some extra time 😀  I love her choices of fabrics too!!!

As I suggested above … we don’t travel much since we moved… in fact since we moved into Daisy Meadows (the name of our little slice of heaven) the only 2 nights out were when my honey had his hip replaced in Asheville and that was exhausting and overwhelming also!!!

The hotel my friend found for us was AMAZING!  Only the size of the refrigerator in room was a disappointment… my name was even on the television when we would first turn it on!!!

During our stay in the hotel Connie presented us with this basket she had fashioned from tshirt made yarn… into a canister to hold snacks for our room .

We love that she chose our colors too…

It has the sole purpose now at home of sitting on the bar and holding our daily med boxes and bottles of vitamins that we take! lol  We truly love it… from the bits she has left over she plans to make us a trivet too… I must make sure this is cotton tshirts though!!! lol

While thrift shopping one day in Tennessee …we came across this wreath !!!  I fell in love and my honey found the perfect place to hang it when we got home too 😀

 While we were with Connie she shared the finished EPP rooster she finished for me (this is what she did for me quilting her quilt… she offered to applique it to the black background… but I kinda want to do this part…

Do you know of a video tutorial for adding a dark fabric behind a light fabric without a lot of shadowing???  

 >> Ideas anyone?? <<



I plan to add a thinner black border to stabilize the piece then add a brown mitered corner border like a picture frame around that to look like wood!




I got some fabric here… the burgandy and tan plaid woven.. to make napkins out of!  Now to find time for something that simple!!!

 I haven’t touched the quilting of the boy turkey yet either…

 But if you noticed… I did do some decorating around my 319 where I will be sitting to do this drasted machine quilting part… soon I will be to the hand quilting in the border!!!

I even bought a small 14″ PVC square frame to put together for the border…

 That inexpensive put together frame… will be the answer to getting to the outer borders instead of my round hoop I think… Connie has one and it works well for her too!

Jannessa finished her wall hanging to a flimsy…
and she has done all the machine quilting and is working on her hand quilting of fall leaves down each side!!!  She is quick and smart ❤

Finally, I was commissioned to make a bunting or 2 for a good friend… well  you don’t necessarily take $$ for things.. instead my good friend decided to gift me with 2 charm packs that match my kitchen… I fell in love with this 1/2 yard of fabric and it came in this week too…

 Doesn’t it look great together… I need a 60 x 20 table topper and a fairly large coordinating wall hanging .. Ideas are brewing for this… more on those buntings in another post!

Finally… while in Lebanon me and my honey went to a DIFFERENT thrift shop than where I found the wreath… and they were having a silent auction on this cool piece… and this shot does NOT do this fish wagon justice… We will get to have it during the next passing (probably January when Rick will do the electrical sockets and pre wire for lighting and add ceiling joists etc….)

 We added our silent auction bid… and then Connie went back and bid on it for us again … then Connie missed sleep after a long night at work to win this for us and gifted it to Rick for all the hard work he accomplished giving her a new front and door to her evolving She Shed!!!!  WOWEEE!!!!!

Seeing 2 of my 4 children (all are grown and have special people in their lives now)  I am blessed for sure!!!

So here is a cool collage I made to share with you all!

Finally, I got lessons on how to crochet around these little blocks I have been sewing and blanket stitching by hand!!!!

 and I am finally on the last round of my FIRST BLOCK! hahahahahaha  …

But I am enjoying it… and life is about enjoying the journey for sure!!!!

Speaking of enjoyment… during all this craziness… I finished the bottom of the 3rd row of swoons….

 And rolled the quilt down….

  Now I am happily making great progress on the middle of the 3rd row of swoons 😀

 If you listen to Virginia Lindsay’s video she mentions Skill Share… it is a Bluprint Like service for beginning teachers as well as accomplished teachers of all kinds of arts and crafts… they encourage newbies and have “classes” you can watch to learn how to become an online teacher of your fave craft!  Check out the link in Virginia’s youtube video … 2 months free I think too to try it out ❤

 That is what I am doing 😀

Got any old wool sweaters with holes in them you want to donate to me??? lol!

Brandi sent me this photo of her graduation quilt on her bed with the pillows and shams too… They LOVE them 😀

 I saw this on facebook this week…  Wouldn’t this be cool in a bedroom or library to display extra quilts 😀

 Here is a bag I will be making for my daughter for her Christmas …

 I will be using purple and gold though!!!  Ordered the hardware this week too 😀

Molly is 16 months old now!  And while we were in Tennessee…

 She stayed with my great friend Jannessa… I am blessed in the great friend department y’all!

 And Jannessa has Max (below)…

 and they love to play together !!!  Molly learned how to play like a dog with a dog during our 4 days away!!! YAY 😀


She and Max are great buddies… it is nice to have a quilty friend who has a playmate to share too!!!

Jannessa gave me an early Christmas present… the 2019 Hallmark sewing related ornament is a treadle!!!

 Can you see that little treadle on the shelf left of our old sewing machine and Raggedy Ann ??

 The 3 of us are planning a get together in April hopefully (when Connie gets a break from working ) to make barn quilts together!!!!  Here is one I find enticing …

 Here is your Bonnie-ism.. first one in a while too I guess…

She is getting revved up for a visit to Kenya, Africa with a travel company and others who enjoy exotic traveling!!!

So I hope you have enjoyed the catch up post.  I will add a link the Slow Stitching Sunday with Kathy and getting the low down on her retreat HERE <<<<

Have a blessed week y’all… be happy or be busy seeking it!!! ❤

Happy 8 Years Blogging >> with a Giveaway <<!!

Happy Sunday my bloggy friends 🙂

This coming week marks 8 years that I have been blogging… usually at least once a week or more!!!  YAY!!

Vintage Needle Threader
Water Soluble Marker
2 foam applicators
Snap Bag made by ME!!!

To mark this momentous occasion I am hosting a giveaway on THIS blog post of all the above goodies!!!

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY >>>>>   Just let me know what you like MOST about my posts in a comment along with your favorite post topic of the last 8 years 🙂 <<<<<

Now on with my post for this week…
I got these cool water soluble marking pens from Amazon this week after reading about them a couple weeks ago on another blog… I also read about using foam tipped applicators dipped in water to remove lines!!!!  I loved this tip so that is why I am including BOTH in my giveaway for YOU to try too !!!
I made GRAND progress in the hand quilting arena this week finishing Elliana’s name completely and rolling the quilt!
Here is my morning view today…

 And a side view…

 And a close up before I got a good start 🙂

Linking this progress to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching post 🙂  HERE  Come see what everyone else is stitching by hand today over at her place ❤
I also shared this photo last week or the week before.. I have been pondering it and even ordered some fabrics in a mini jelly roll format to add to my civil war stash to make a coordinating table runner in our kitchen colors…

To the right is 12 log cabin blocks laid out like the pattern suggests but missing the stars… needs the stars…. so I made more logs at the right size and whah lah…

Now to just add star points to the logs I added and sew it all up this week 😀
Linking the table topper designing and sewing progress to Wendy’s Peacock Party HERE 🙂
I also got lucky finding a remnant of this fabric that is about 25″ square with 1 selvage for a bag for my daughter she requested a couple weeks ago 🙂

 Lynn Hagemeier is coming out with a new book called “Kansas Troubles Prairie Life” I want to get where she features lots of cute things but it includes directions for this pillow cover…

 I will make mine pillow shams but she has a couple different patterns so I will support her work and buy the book!

Bonnie Hunter had a Quilt – Cam on facebook Saturday.. it will be on her blog today if you are interested…

 She made these cute tulip blocks and gave tips on putting them together quick and easy 🙂

A girl in one of my hand quilting groups made this table topper… I am envious and wanna give it a go when I find time…

 Isn’t it lovely??  Here is a link to the tutorial on youtube by Fons and Porter 🙂

We have sold 2 of these sewing machines this week… my honey does a great job working on them and polishing them up and getting them ready to sell.

 This one came with a box and clamp… we had another one that didn’t have all that though.. both sold fairly quick on facebook 🙂

I got the most lovely snail mail happy mail this week…

 From a hand quilting blogger 😀  I have already given the needles a test run and LOVE THEM!!!!

I caught Molly being very cute this week…

 And for the second time in a week my honey picked me flowers to keep by my computer…

 I love that!!!

Now don’t forget to leave your email address if you are a no reply blogger and your name so I can get in touch with you if you are the lucky recipient of this stash of goodies to celebrate my 8 years blogging….


And made sure to be in love with your life!!!