Busy with Something Different

It's been awhile since I made any clothing, but I am back at it this week. I needed some freshening up of the wardrobe, dug into my stash of fabrics and found lots of clothing fabric that I had purchased in the past, and never got around to. I'm loving the snowman fabric I bought to make a shirt for a Christmas party at work, that was cancelled - to never be revived again. It will make a beautiful holiday addition.

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  A Vest for casual times

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  Beautiful, Icy-colored Snowman Fabric

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  '40's style robe, and shirts

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  Another view of shirts.

Another Busy Week

Got lots done this week, found and tweaked a set of social sharing icons for my pages (Thanks to simplesharingbuttons.com) that work in mobile and desktop. Changed some of the items out that are no longer available, added new items, added anchor tags to my 'for sale' page, moved content around to make the pages easier to use.

Reversible bags, halloween, holidays and more.

PLUS, Made these six reversible bags, including buttons and a free floating lining, to keep the side that's inside the purse clean and ready to turn out when it's time to change. Added more data and distant cousins to my family tree, breakfasted and lunched with family, started planning my next quilt, discussed life goals with the dogs. Didn't do so well on the laundry, dishes, yard work... got to knuckle down on those things, and find time to do them.

Getting Things Done

Well, I finally finished with adding closures and doing other hand sewing on the all of the bags I posted about here, and got my PayPal account set up, and re-worked all the images of sale items so that they would fit nicely on my 'What's For Sale' page. I've also started on some new bags, and tried to keep up with all the other things in life, you know, laundry, dogs, yard work, social media, eating, sleeping, this blog... It's not easy doing it all.

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  Blue Sparkle Trees reversible bag

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  Rudolph reversible Halloween bag

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  Rudolph raw edge applique reversible bag

Bags and Bags

 This week is was no less busy than last! These are just some of the bags I have been working on. They all still need a bit of hand sewing to finish them off. I have a set of Alaskan prints, Halloween/Christmas reversible's in what I have put together.

Tomorrow, I will start the 'finishing' on all the bags I have made, get them all finished, and then, get my paypal account set up, and on this site. I have decided to move on from Etsy, it feels like the right decision, now I just have to make the time to do it!

I also have to send out a very big Thank You to Georgia Lou Studios and Pedro for putting together the code and tools to create gallery's in blogger! I still have to resize all my images, but I am much farther along thanks to them.

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  Just a selection of the six I worked on today

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  Reversible Halloween / Christmas

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I have been working, working working on building up my 'stash' of bags, and adding new styles into the mix. I am considering a craft fair, and am awaiting information about one taking place not far away, in November and December, and I want to be ready. 

I am also moving from Etsy to just offering an option to use paypal on this site, to streamline the process of making and updating you with what I am doing.

Working on some new bags! They're beautiful, if I do say so myself.

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  Green and Pink 2-strapped

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  Round Wine Bag

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  Green and Pink 1-strap 

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  Halloween Dogs

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  Halloween Cats

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  Making Bags and bags and bags

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  Donatello change container

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  Raphael change holder

Getting Started on Christmas

It's never too early to get started on Christmas presents, especially if they are going to take a long time to complete. These are extra special, as they have two different functions. First, they are couch quilts, with a silky, velour like backing. But more important, they are giant game boards! Each has a 'start' square, specific goals to achieve, miss a turn blocks, and a 'win' space. Many of the quilts have more than one game 'baked in', and those will go to the oldest of my receivers. Using simple balsa like shaped pieces, squares, circles and ovals, and a myriad of stickers and glued fabric imagery, I have created pieces to collect while playing each game. Using people shaped wood and different colored heart stickers, I have created individual players, who can be further decorated by the folks playing with them. The point of using wood and stickers is that they can be easily replaced when lost.

 These are four tops I have now completed that I am making as Christmas gifts. There's lots of work still to do, making sandwiches, pinning/basting, and then top-stitching and binding. I think these will be very special when done. I also have 3 other throw tops sitting waiting to be completed. And some other projects, not necessarily quilts, to be made.

I created a kind of 'shell pattern' for these, as I knew what I wanted to achieve, and while very different, these are all very similar. There are sections that I can see, now that it's done to this point that I may have to rip out and start over with. Lots to think about, wonder if it's ok this way, or if I should rework it...

Want to know more, see the post in How I did it, with steps that I followed to create these quilts. 

Variations on a Theme

I have been busy, it seems like I am always busy. I made these three, 2 are tops only, the 3rd is a tropical weight or light quilt, with only a length of cotton muslin as the center. It's surprisingly a little harder to work with, as I find I expected it to be similar to the more full-bodied batting. There's so much less to hold on to!

They are all different, though similar in design and many of the fabrics included. I added frames (sashing and squares), but those are only to highlight the differences in these unique, individual pieces. The uncompleted pieces need to be pressed, but I do that when I am ready to build the sandwich and complete the project, which will be soon.

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  This one's finished and delivered

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  This is a top only, so far...

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  This is a top only, so far...

April 2018 - It's Been Awhile!

Commemorative Pillows from our Cruise to Alaska

Throughout November and December, I spent every minute designing, creating and sewing tree skirts. By the end of December, I was burnt out. From January - April I worked on a couple sewing projects, worked on my Genealogy (I have been doing genealogy for more than 35 years, maybe closer to 40 years, if the truth be told.) I also adopted a puppy, and that has taken a lot of my time... He's a handful, but I had lost a dog last year and my remaining dog seemed lonely. I am not sure that she's happy with the addition, but she's not alone any more. A couple of weeks ago, and feral kitten brought itself into my enclosed porch, and so we may have a new kitten around for a while. 

My New Puppy, about 4 months old here

A Throw I Put Together For a Family Member with embedded photos

Started Last Year, I Went Back to Work on This

Lots Happening in November, and it's Just Started!

Been a busy month! Finished, (but not started) each of these Quilts of Valor, and got them in the mail. When I make a QOV, I tend to make two similar quilts at the same time. They take lots of time and material, but I think that they are worth both.

The first pattern is the pattern I am teaching at Little Thimble Craft Studio. If you want to learn, or just quilt with me, sign up for a class!

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  American Chain (Irish Chain Pattern)

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  America the Beautiful (traditional pattern)

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  American Stars (traditional pattern)

I have also been experimenting, again, using Facebook Ads, this time for my quilting classes. See Denise Made It on facebook and my events page for more information.

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  Boosting a Post - I have no proof it's working...

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  An Event Ad

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  An Ad - supposedly they work better than boosts

Fingers crossed it works!