Hey Swappers

It looks like Tonya is the first person in our swap to receive her handmade item and it is fabulous! Heather did such a great job - I love the style and the pattern combo. And where on earth did you find that humongous ric rac?! I love it!

If you're participating in the swap, don't forget to have your item to your partner by the end of this month. I need to get crack-a-lackin' on mine soon.



You may have noticed I haven't been listing much lately. I've spent a lot of my week getting ready for our big community yard sale tomorrow and Saturday, and my freakin back is killing me again. Four hours in the car on Tuesday and another 3 hours in the movie theater last night didn't help either. And that brings me to my next topic...

The "Sex and the City" movie. Crafty Papa and I went to see it last night and we were both disappointed. I guess the movie itself isn't that bad if you aren't a big fan of the show. But we've both seen every episode several times (he reluctantly half-watches it with me) and I consider myself some what of a "Sex and the City" expert. The movie doesn't at all live up to the show. Very overly dramatic and not nearly as funny. I think I watched two different previews/trailers for the movie online and they pretty much give away the entire movie. I swear that I had already seen part of every scene on the internet and there were really no surprises in the story line. The first thing I said to Steve when it was over was, "I wish I had never seen that". I thought they had wrapped up the series nicely and maybe it was a mistake to make a movie. The one bonus was seeing Chris Noth on the big screen. I don't think I ever really noticed how handsome he is until his eyes were several feet tall and were staring straight into mine. All the groups of women who were there seemed to love it though and were clucking away about it in the bathroom. So, I'm not saying it's not worth watching. Just go in with really low expectations if you were a fan of the show.

RAOK Heaven!

I got the most wonderful and generous package in the mail today from one of my great repeat customers, Heather. Can you believe all of this fabric?! Not only did she send me some scraps left over from one of her sewing projects, but ten beautiful fat quarters too! I've always heard people say that a RAOK comes at just the perfect time, when they're feeling down about something or just need a pick me up and that's definitely true for me. A really great reminder of how caring and thoughtful some people can be.

Thank you so much Heather! I'll definitely pay it forward soon. I'm dying to get in the craft room and make something with the new fabric today but I must balance the checkbook instead.

Another Japanese Fabric Bag

I didn't plan on sewing this weekend but I came home from camping today to find I had sold lots of items while I was away and that was just the motivation I needed. I used two of the buttons I drove fifty miles round trip to find, and I think they're the perfect compliment to this colorful Japanese fabric.

Friday Favorites`

Land's End Open Top Canvas Tote Bag with custom artwork. This is what we gave our moms for mother's day and of course, I bought one for myself too. It's a really nice, quality bag and I think the artwork adds a really special touch. Bella drew stick figures of herself and Matea and Tater added some dots and squiggles. And I think they were a very reasonable price, just under $30 each, including shipping. Maybe a good idea for graduation gifts too.











































Gap Long and Lean Jeans. Best jeans ever. Please let the record reflect two things. 1. I NEVER spend this much on clothing. I had my economic stimulus shopping spree money and Crafty Papa's urging to buy them. He keeps pointing out how much money I wasted on cheaper jeans I didn't really like when I could have purchased these years ago. 2. My butt looks way better in these jeans than the model below. I tried for several minutes to get a good picture but the results were terrible. Who knew doing a self-ass-portrait was so difficult?

























Sandi Henderson's new fabric line, Farmers Market. Love all of the bright colors and fun patterns. I've instructed Jona to buy the full line for her shop and if she knows what's good for her, she'll follow my orders.

The Real Thing

This bag features actual Japanese fabric, not Japanese-inspired fabric which you see everywhere these days. Came straight from Tokyo to my doorstep and cost a small fortune. So, the bag is obviously a little more expensive than my other bags of similar size but the fabric is really unique so I think it's totally worth it.

Surgery Successful

Update posted on our fam blog.

A dress fit for a princess

I've had this super fun Alexander Henry print for several months now and finally got around to making something with it today. I have tons of family sewing projects I want to work on and I figure now is a good time since things are a little slower in my store anyway.

I'm really happy with how the dress turned out and for once, Princess Bella was pleased with my work as well. Notice in the side shot how I actually remembered to match up the stripes. I rarely remember things like that. I bought enough fabric to make one for Matea too so I'll be working on that tonight.

We've had a nice quiet weekend, spending lots of time together as a family. I didn't do much bag making but did list two new ones in my shop a few hours ago. And I think I've decided to go back to my regular sewing schedule rather than the super crazy pace I've been at the last few months. Being creative and coming up with one of a kind items 25 hours per week is just too hard for me and I don't like the stress of missing out on time with the fam. So look for me to be listing less frequently but hopefully that means I'll be more inspired and have more new ideas so the items will be even better.

On a side note, Bella has minor surgery tomorrow morning to remove a "thing" on the corner of her mouth. It's not a big deal except that she has to be completely put under with general anesthetic for about 20 minutes. If I know me, I'll be a nervous wreck. It's my baby. Anyway, think good thoughts for us tomorrow.