WOW - it's been awhile! Got really busy at work and then got pneumonia on top of all that. Day after Thanksgiving saw me in the ER, hooked up to an IV. 3 rounds of antibiotics later... I'm still coughing, but feeling a lot better. Didn't get any projects done at all since I first felt sick. I have a quilt retreat coming up at the end of January and better get my projects prepped! Not even sure what I'll work on even though I do have just a few, well, maybe quite a few, projects that need some TLC!

I don't think I want to tackle quilting my first large quilt in public. I made enough mistakes last year when I sat directly across the table from the hostess, Mary Huey! I felt like such a goof, but she was charming and helpful. A couple other ladies really helped me when I ran short of my quilt binding - 3 inches too short! They showed me how to create continuous binding with all the seams going the same direction. You could barely tell the few inches were different than the rest! My cousin loved it at her baby shower the next week. :)

Lunch bags

Made this cutie for a friend at work who wanted somthing either batik or woodsy - this fabric covers both!








Here is my Christmas quilt top. My mil gave me the black pointsettia fabric and the pale green pointsettia fabric and my girlfriend and I traded for the cream colored snoman fabric. It is covering a double bed and looks "big enough" doesn't it? I will have to find a quilter to do this for me. I don't think I'm skilled enough yet on my regular machine.












This chair is featured below with a little bag on it. I thought people might like to see it. My mil gave it to us when she was cleaning out her extra room. I've secretly always loved it! I love my mil too!











This batik beauty lasted only a few minutes on my desk! My friend snapped it up for a Christmas gift for her sister.


Tiny bird nests and pink flowers - very springy. I scored the fancy braid handles at the thrift store, washed them in my machine and they came out awesome! (update: my dd asked for this one for her teacher's Christmas gift.)
My favorite - I might keep it for myself... ;-)

Scrabble Score!

Pholph's Scrabble Generator My Scrabble© Score is: 29. What is your score? Get it here.

More bags!

The bag the "sisters" traded. I like htis one a lot myself. I still can't figure out why some shots are little and some are big. The 2nd one shows my tag: Custom Made by Ima Baglady (from www.Clotilde.com) The last little bag was made for DD's friend's birthday. We filled it with pre-teen type makeup. It was a hit and we made another one for another of her friends, but I forgot to take a photo. It has a bunch of antique buttons and some modern beads stitched to the flap. The pattern came from BHG Quilts and More Winter 2007 magazine.

One more, then I gotta make a few more gifts!

A quick bag from scraps. I loved the color combination, but I only had bits of each pattern. Mom loved it! Totally her colors.
Made this for a friend at work. She wanted a roomy gym bag and didn't specify any colors. I love this one too! LOL The little makeup bag was all that was left of the pocket fabric. I'm making the best of the 12 lb mystery box I bought from Fat Quarter Shop! (http://www.fatquartershop.com/)
This last one started out as a larger lunch bags fro one of my original customers. She fell in love with the bag I made for her sister, so they traded.

Latest creations

Not sure why this one is so tiny, but here is the bag I made myself for work.

Here is a special surprise for a special friend. It's in the mail for you! Won't you be surprised? A real antique button that I cleaned up went perfectly with the fabric.

This little treasure started out as a normal makeup bag to keep tissues clean in my work bag. I made the mistake of leaving my work bag on the floor. One (both?) of the dogs ate the corners of the bag to get at the tissues. I was not going to waste my favorite fabric or my awesome zipper application! So I sliced and re-sewed the corners. Kinda looks familar, doesn't it?
More to come!

Summer is over already?

Wow! Have I been busy. It all started at the beginning of the summer when I took over the training classes that my boss used to teach. As soon as we got back from vacation, we went non-stop at home and work. The kids were in all their summer camp activities (thank goodness hubby was home to cover the driving)! I was working lots of overtime and also making bags to order. I can't ever seem to make extras (a good thing for sure)!

Recently my work partner quit so now I'm doing my boss's job, my job and my x-partner's job... LOL no higher pay either. I don't know how I'm keeping my sanity. Maybe lots and lots of wine... ;-)

The first photo shows the gator that nearly ate our son. Not really, but there was a serious moment of panic! We were looking into the lagoon and DS poked his head under the split rail fence - inches from the drop off to the lagoon! My mom grabbed his arm so quick and hard, I think she left fingerprints!

2nd photo shows my mom propping up a steel pelican we both fell in love with at a local garden center.

Last shot is of a GIANT hydrangea blossom. It had to be as big as your head.

o no

yipe - two whole months since I posted. I have to download some photos and put them up here. Sorry! Lots going on around here at work and home.

Bags!

Here is my lunch bag.

Some of these are reversible bags, but are appearing out of order. First is a custom bag I made for a co-worker. I love this fabric - and so did she!

This is the reverse to the pink print bag in the next photo. I didn't have anyone in mind when I made it, but a co-worker claimed it asap when she saw it. She said it was perfect for her mom.
Middle bag is one I made for my hubby's co-worker. It has velvet ribbon straps. The turquoise bag has tiny fish on it. I have this fabric in lime green too.

On the left is a cowboy print gift bag made for another b-day party for DD. She s a social butterfly! The blue/green print is the first lunch bag I sold! It's my own design! The pocket doesn't show up very well, but was a hit with the new owner.

More puppies and a mouse

Here are a few more ofthe puppies I've made in the last year. DD at one point had 5 birthday parties to attend. I didn't have the time to shop for each kid individually, so I made pups out of whatever themed fabric I had on hand. Each kid loved it - especially that DD had picked out special fabric fro each friend. The Deere John puppy was of course for a boy...

DS had to get in on the photos too! His own pup is the middle size that I make. The largest dogs take a whole bag of stuffing! Needless to say, I sharnk the pattern after I figured that out!
Last is DD with her favorite critter. The owl needed a bed. Then "she" needed a mouse to keep her company. The mouse is really cute and the body is barely over an inch long. The things we do for our kids!

Puppies!

Puppy minis! I made these by hand. The pattern (I'll have to look it up) started out fairly large, but I kept re-drawing it smaller and ended up with little wool felt pincushions about 3 inches from nose to tail. Each takes about an hour from start to finish. I really like the blanket stitched one! I gave most of these as gifts.

Puppies! Real ones this time

Here are our "fur kids" Kaecy and Breta. Our first dog had died in February last year and the kids ("pink ones" as opposed to "fur kids" as my friend calls them) were clamoring for a new pet. The wound was a little raw and I wasn't sure if I was ready for a new dog, but we researched a few shelters. The whole faily traipsed to several rescues and shelters looking for just the right dog.

We first found a dog that looked a lot like our Penny, but we still wanted to look at another. Of course we fell in love with the puppies the 2nd shelter had! We left empty handed and went to dinner, excited about our new (hopefully!) pet. We couldn't decide! DH and DS wanted the first dog; DD and I wanted the puppy.

We were all a little slap-happy at this time from lack of food and water. DH finally chimed in and said, "We're getting my dog or two dogs." I gave him a look and asked, "What did you say?" He reprated, "We're getting the dog I picked or we take both home." Then he paused. All was silent. He finally blushed and said, "That sounded pretty bad, didn't it?"

Of course we all laughed because we realized we were getting two dogs!!!

The first shelter director visited our house and instected every inch. We were approved! And brought home the tri-colored puppy. She is supposed to be my DD's dog. DD struggled (crying, sleeplesness and drama) with a name. She wanted to name it after me! I finally relented and allowed my nickname, but only if she spelled it out. Thus an hour before I got home with puppy, she created the name "Kaecy."

Both our girls

Here is "DH's dog," Breta. Her name comes from our giddy dinner... He went through a pile of options. Tried naming her after brownish drinks: Latte, Cafe', Mocha after my favorite drink. DD heard that snd piped in, "Margarita?" Smart child! We still laugh over that one! Then DH is saying Cinna (cinnamon), Peppa (pepper), Bruna, Bronna (for brown). Ugh... She's a girl so all the names "had to end in 'a'" - according to DH.

Dinner finally arrives and we digging in, chewing quietly, when loudly he exclaims, "I got it! Breta!" Greta? Like the German name? I asked. No! bread-a, like toast! We laughed hysterically, but the name stuck! Here's Breta helping me make a baby quilt: