89 pounds of snuggly fun

Matthew took Max to the vet yesterday for his annual checkup and shots. They apparently lost track of time and were in a hurry to make it to the vet’s office on time such that Matthew forgot to put Max’s collar on him and take a leash. Thankfully, they were the only folks in the office while they were there.

Matthew called me at work to tell me how good Max had been there. Whatever Matthew told Max to do, he did. He sat, he stayed, he got on the examination table via a chair, etc. Matthew couldn’t believe he was so good. We have the best dog!

He is definitely a big part of our family. In showing the following, I am probably proving to you that I love my dog a bit too much. I am a scrapbooker and made the following scrapbook about Max during the Olympics. I finished everything but the journaling in August and completed the journaling this past weekend. It was a fun small project to work on and my first time to scrapbook in something other than a scrapbook. I found this journal at Target and thought it would be perfect for such a project.

Black & White Bag

I have had this idea in my head for a while but either have not been motivated to get it done or have been too tired to get it done. I think a little bit of both.

I used the pattern for the bag I made here, but made some adjustments. I really like the material I used in the first bag, but the bag is really big and does not hold its shape at all. I hoped I could make something a little bit different.

• I made the bag much smaller.
• I added some stuff to give the bag more shape.
• I added a pocket to the front (it's hard to see in the photos).
• And I added ribbon to the top so I could tie the bag closed.

Since I am so new at sewing, I was thrilled that I was able to make the measurement changes and add the pocket and ribbon without someone else’s help. Generally, I am uncomfortable trying such things on my own. Yeah for me! (Yes, I get excited about the little things.)

I am really pleased with how this bag turned out. I can’t remember when I started it…maybe Friday night. And I finished it Sunday night in time to start carrying it this week. I haven’t worked on my quilt at all since I posted about it last. I want to work on it and complete it, but it is just so overwhelming. When my mom was here in October, she brought one of her sewing machines with her so I could play with it. I haven’t touched it yet. I need to get that sewing machine set up and use it to work on my quilt. I have no excuses. Maybe I’ll work on that this weekend.

Quilt Update

As my dear friend Mel B (not of Spice Girls fame) moved across the country a couple of years ago, she brought me her grandmother's sewing machine as she came through town. It has been a treasure to learn and practice sewing without having to make an investment in a sewing machine. After all, I wasn't sure if I would even like sewing. This is a Sears Kenmore sewing machine in a cabinet. I have no idea how old it is, but it is made almost entirely of metal. Unfortunately, they don't make machines like this anymore. I consider this machine to be on loan to me. Anytime Mel wants this back, it is hers. We'll just have to figure out how to get it from one place to another.

While working on this quilt, I have had some frustrating issues...probably from my inexperience, but I like to blame it on the machine. Because of these issues, I didn't work on this for several days. I just couldn't talk myself into it. I think that I have found a way around the issues I was having though and have come to enjoy working on it again. This is going to take me a long time!

This is all I have finished so far. This is not a traditional quilt. When I hear the word "quilt", I think of patchwork quilts. The pieces of this quilt are appliqued to the base of brown material. They are appliqued using a zig-zag stitch. I have read that many quilters feel the imperfections are what makes a quilt so unique and fun. If that is the case, this may be the most unique and fun quilt ever. I'm not sure if it is me or the machine, but the zig-zag stitches have not been consistent. Even though I have not changed the settings, the stitching on the different blocks looks different. I realize these are not very good pictures, but I couldn't figure out the best way to get a picture. This quilt, if completed to its current size, will just barely cover the top of a queen size bed. I have so much farther to go.

So far, it has been a mostly fun process. It is just a bit overwhelming at times.

Next

So my next sewing project could possibly take the rest of my life to complete. I hope it doesn't, but I may have decided to take on more than I can handle. BUT I am committed to see it through to completion. AND I am really excited about it.

I have now read a couple of books, a couple of magazines, and at least a dozen blogs about quilting. I am starting with a simple quilt from a book I recently read. It looks pretty simple and says it is for beginners. Have I mentioned I am excited about this?

I started last Friday night at the fabric store. I was going to start small but got so excited about the fabric I was finding that I just couldn't help myself. I like the colors in this fabric and hope it will not turn out too matchy-matchy (which I have been known to have an issue with). Isn't it lovely and inviting?

I am a bit anxious to post about this so early in the process, but I thought it would (1) be fun to have an update each week and (2) encourage me to continue when I get discouraged or overwhelmed.

The first picture is of the fabric just after purchase and before washing. I got home so late from the store that after washing, I wasn't even able to get started until Saturday. The second picture is of all the fabric cut into 6" x 6" squares after it had all been ironed. I'm not sure if you noticed, but I decided I didn't have a large enough variety so I went to the store again Saturday afternoon for some additional fabric.

Now that it has all been cut out, I have to iron all 4 edges of each square. Last night, I ironed 18 squares. I have no idea how many I have left, but it is going to take me a good while to get that part done.

I tell you...there is a lot of preparation before any sewing can start.

Bag Lady

I am a serious bag junky...and have always been. When I was a little girl, I loved purses and wallets. I would ask my mother's friends if I could organize their purses if I was in the car with them. I was (and still am) weird like that.

While reading this blog recently, I found instructions for a reversible tote bag. Since I am practicing on my sewing machine, I thought I would give it a try. I had some leftover fabric (and I know it is quite busy, but I really like the colors and pattern) so I went to the store to find a complementary fabric for the other side of the tote. I made this yesterday and really like how it turned out. I may rework the straps because they are skinnier than I would like.

This floral fabric is my favorite at the moment. I have been trying to think of something else I can make with it.

What do you think?

Sewing

I really want to learn to sew and I really want to be good at it. I may have mentioned this before, but my mother is a sewing genius. Anyway, I finally got out some things last night to work on. And I successfully made a purse and a skirt.




I made the purse from start to finish last night in a couple of hours. I had cut the skirt out when I was at my mom's house in May. I just got around to sewing it last night and this morning. I don't think either project turned out perfect, but I don't think anyone but me will notice.


Yeah! I'm so excited to have completed something. I believe the only other thing I've made start to finish is a pair of pajama bottoms. Maybe this will inspire or encourage me to practice some more. I want to get good enough that I can make a quilt.

Catching Up

Recently, I got the bug to start scrapbooking again. I didn't realize how long it had been since I have worked on my scrapbook. I pretty much stopped while studying for the CPA exam and didn't pick it up again until last weekend - I started with the end of 2005. I bought some new embellishments on Friday so I have been enjoying using those. I have had a really good time and am pleased with how some of the pages turned out. I got some fun ideas from a couple of magazines I checked out from the library. I feel like a kid with a new toy!

Friday Night Fun

Last Friday night, I decided to see if there was any creativity in me at all. I had been wanting to play with all my paper and stamps to make some cards. This is what I came up with. The first one is my favorite. I think the paper is SO cute! I hope to get better the more I do this kind of thing. We'll see!