tiny seamstress designs

2012 Valentines

2012-01-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

I saw the boys valentine idea on pinterest and just loved it! So I thought I'd try and make something similar. I love Ruger's face in his, so cheesy! Happy Valentine's Day...soon!

My prelude.

2012-01-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I began planning my trip to quilt market this coming May. I was scheduling flights, filling out my paperwork, and searching for hotels. And then one night my husband and I were discussing work and he was telling me about something he had coming up, when I felt myself getting frustrated because it was going to conflict with something of mine. I felt competitive inside and I didn't like it. I stopped myself from saying anything and later found myself with my head against the wall (literally) praying for understanding of my feelings and for a clear decision. Something wasn't right and I knew it because my emotions couldn't find a place to land.

I was stressed about leaving Remi. I was stressed about taking Remi. I missed Ruger's preschool graduation last year and I have another one of those coming up this year that I don't want to miss. On the other hand, if I don't go to market there will be opportunities missed and a loss of growth for my business that I've worked so hard to gain.

While this business doesn't seem like much at the glimpse of my little blog, it's a lot to me. It started because my husband had to leave for a few months of training and I had nothing to do. As my business grew a little, my family grew a little. It was then that I decided to go into pattern writing, so I'd have more time for my children. And when I come head to head with making a decision like going to market, I have to really weigh my pros and cons. Sometimes everything falls into place and my pros win. But sometimes, even if there are more pros, the cons will outweigh them.

Everyday for the past month I've heard the same tune in my head over and over. A quote by Elder James E. Faust,

"She need not try to sing all of the verses of her song at the same time."

At one point, this little business was really helpful in paying the bills and getting us to the next place we needed to be, but that's not the case anymore. The children are fed, housed, clothed, and loved. Life is good and my husband is taking great care of this family and so for now I will pause. I will still design at home and release new patterns, but going to market this year just isn't in the cards for me. So I will sit this one out.

I am not writing this post because I think you all are going to mourn my loss at market (I mean of course you will cry yourselves to sleep tonight) but, I am writing this for my children. I want them to know that I chose them as my prelude. I don't want to miss a single beat to my song or theirs and so I need to write this down and remember in the days and years to come that they are my number one. Everything else will have it's season. I know the days will quickly come when they are late for curfew and I am sewing up a storm, pacing the floor, wondering where on earth they are or when they're at soccer practice or wrestling or ballet, I will have hours and hours to sew and keep myself busy. But right now, I don't have a lot of time because while my children are still young, I know for certain that they won't be young for long.

Six Months!

2012-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Oh Remi, I just can't believe it's been six months already! I mean, just look at you! You love to blow raspberries until your clothes are soaking wet. You've discovered that it's really funny to pull Sawyer's hair and make him cry. You roll all over the house and often right into the hearth and then you cry. :) You always stop traffic everywhere we go with those big dark eyes (still not sure the exact color). You try really hard to clap and end up smacking your belly and then you giggle a lot. It's super cute! You suffer stranger anxiety more than most babies and that's probably because I never let you leave my side, but that's ok...for now! :)

You talk...a lot...a lot....and we listen. Your brothers adore you still and just can't get enough of you. They always make sure your warm and covered and happy. Ruger will bounce around the back of the van making sure you're never sad in your carseat and Sawyer tries to feed you fruit snacks all the time because he's so certain you would enjoy them. And you will, one day. You are tiny and chubby, but not. You are still very much below the growth charts but your legs are chubbier than any chubby baby has ever declared and I love it! You are tender and sweet and bring tears to my eyes with your big gummy grin! We love you chubs and still are so very happy to have you in our little family!

Benefit Concert for Amy Hamberlin.

2012-01-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

     Recently my sweet, sweet friend and neighbor Amy was diagnosed with 5 brain tumors and she just came home from having her first of many surgical procedures. I went to see her yesterday and she was her giddy, high spirited self...I know few people that can laugh through their struggles like Amy. And she will probably tell me to take this post down when she sees it. Telling me that she's fine and people don't need to be worrying about her but I don't care, because she's one of my very best friends and I love her to pieces. Do you know that when I had my baby girl, Amy showed up at my front door with 5 bags of groceries so I wouldn't have to go grocery shopping! She's helped me so much in life (especially with my business) and I owe her so much in return. So maybe posting this will help spread the word just a little bit.
     Her sweet sisters have arranged a benefit concert for Amy to help cover medical bills now and also those to come. The concert will include Nik Day, The Lost River Wranglers, and Jo and Jacie Sites and will be held at the Rexburg Tabernacle on Saturday, January 28th. You can read more about it and make donations if you'd like here: http://hamberlinbenefitconcert.blogspot.com
     I know that everyone who meets Amy is touched by her sweet spirit and generosity. So if you are able to attend the concert, please do and help this amazing family!

Welcoming 2012!

2012-01-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Remember this time last year? I really can't believe it's 2012 already. But guess what? I am so ready for a new year and a fresh start. Last year was great and I enjoyed all of it, but I'm anxious to get into our new routine, start cooking again, getting this house back in shape, and designing some more. I know that 2012 will be filled with trips like this to the grocery store:

and nap times like this:

and all of that is truly heaven for me! Ruger is reading like a champ, adding and subtracting. Sawyer is learning to write his name, crack eggs, and snuggle his little sister. And Remi has discovered her tasty feet, her noisy tongue, and her mommy's pushoverness (yea, that's not a word). We are just so blessed. 2011 was a great reminder of all of our blessings and 2012 is looking like a great year of enjoying those blessings! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! We'll be back next year with more blogging and new designs (sorry I've been such a slacker). But for now, you can hop on over to Annalee's blog for a fun Tiny Seamstress give away! We're giving away one of my new Clutch designs! Yay!!! So go enter to win...you know you want too!
See you next year!

5 months

2011-12-10T13:16:00.001-08:00

This little beauty will be 5 months old tomorrow! Can you believe it? She is getting so big, my heart can't take it!!! She is holding her head high and rolling over from belly to back. She loves eating her hairbows and blankets and is very persistent on spending time with daddy every. single. night. :)

We went out on a date for the first time since she was born and we left her with some close friends. When we came back she was super mad...I mean, wouldn't even break a smile, kind of mad. Needless to say it will probably be awhile before we do that again...however, it was fun hanging out with just my hubsand! She somehow manages to find her way into our bed each night and loves those silly brothers who sing and dance for her all day long.

We love this crazy bunch of ours!

Black Friday Sale!

2011-11-24T14:31:00.001-08:00

Hop on over to the shop for some super great deals on clutches, bags, totes, kits and patterns! My mom loves it when I make her a handmade bag for Christmas and I know yours will too! So snatch up a super cute kit before they're gone! Sale ends soon! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Pretty in White

2011-11-14T12:39:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Remi blessing day. It turned out to be a wonderful day for us all. I love having family in town visiting and I'm so grateful for parents on both sides that are so supportive and involved with our children. Remi was as beautiful as ever and well, naturally I was one proud mommy showing her off! :) Ruger was as sick as ever with the flu and Sawyer was off playing somewhere, so we just did pictures with her by ourselves. Love that girl! Love, love love her (in case you missed that)!

In record time

2011-11-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

In two short weeks, I will be attending the Unique Boutique in Idaho Falls, selling all my fancy stuff. :) And so I'm sewing away over here, staying up til the wee hours of the night. In fact, I just finished this beauty in record time. Three episodes of Last Man Standing (thank you Hulu). Do you like how I measure my sewing time in episodes, as opposed to actual time?
Anyway, I will be selling patterns, bags, and kits to make your own bags (i.e.darling bag shown above). I would love for you all to come and see me! You can get all of your Christmas shopping done in one stop and hey ,you can make a bag for your mom in record time, and she will love you all the way to the moon and back (at least that's how it works with my mom).

And just a little side note, I will also be hosting a little black Friday over in my Etsy shop, following Thanksgiving. So make sure you check back for some killer items!

xoxo, tiff

And a little something for her...

2011-11-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

I started this quilt before Remi was born and it's taking me forever to finish...I'm thinking it will be her Christmas present. ;) I love, love, love how it turned out! The pattern was a much bigger size and I just wanted a baby size quilt to match my diaper bag, so I took off a few rows and it worked! I was quite surprised I figured it out. Ha! Some day I'll get the binding done...some day.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

This has been our best year yet with Halloween. The boys are loving every second of it and have been overly-filled with junk food this week. Thank goodness for Uncle Brady! He fixed up all those cavities in no time and the boys never even knew what hit 'em. :)

So we're cavity free and ready for some serious trick-or-treating!

Happy Halloween everybody!

Three Months

2011-10-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

I snapped these photos with my cell phone the other day. Remi was is so happy almost all of the time and these snap shots show her personality through and through. She is a complete chatterbox (I have no idea where she gets that from) and she will talk to you and make noises at you as long as you will let her. She loves her daddy's voice and will just giggle even if he's in the other room talking. She loves ruffley dresses (or maybe that's me) and we've been working really hard on the word "ber-nin-a". We should have that down in no time. :) The boys (mainly Sawyer) thinks it's really funny to sing her name to the Chuggington tune. It's super cute and she laughs at them the whole time. We sure do love you lots and lots Remi Jean!

We have a winner!

2011-10-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who entered my giveaway! It was so fun reading all of your comments! And now for the winner...

#13 Just Julie who said...

The reds and yellows would look PERFECT in my kitchen for a fun table runner or placemats. Of course I always love making cute bags.. Great fabrics!!!

Julie please send me (tinyseamstress(at)yahoo(dot)com) your shipping address and I will get your Delightful! package shipped out asap! And if you didn't win you can still head on over to my Etsy shop for 20% off all of your favorite tiny seamstress patterns. Just enter the code Delightful at checkout!

Giving it Away!

2011-10-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

I know I said I'd post this last week, but in my defense, I have 3 children. And I went to visit my mom. And I picked up a last minute project for market. Yeah, that's all I got. So sorry.

On a brighter more Delightful! note, I have some fabric just sittin' up on my shelf trying to collect dust and it needs a home...really bad!

Just take a look at how pretty it is...

(image source)

My friend Amanda (aka the Quilted Fish) really can design. These fabrics are so fun to work with (trust me, I know) and they are just so bright and happy! They are bound to bring a smile to any seamstress' face!

So have at it! Go on, leave a comment (you know you want to) and tell me what you would do with an entire fat quarter bundle of this fabric! Me? I would make my baby girl a quilt and a little ruffly dress. :) Maybe I'll go do that right now...on second thought, I should finish my market projects first.

And if you're really ambitious you can enter a 2nd time for mentioning this on FB!

A 3rd time if you put it on Twitter!

And another if you blog about it!

Good Luck! Oh, and check Amanda's blog tomorrow for something super Delightful! and Jumbo Glamorous! hehe.

*Disclaimer: If Roni is the only person that enters my giveaway then I'm going to give her the bundle all sewn up in something baby like for her little bundle. Just kidding...maybe. :P

This giveaway is closed.

My NOT so average life

2011-10-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

     On his second day of school, Ruger informed me that he doesn't want to wear his hearing aids because other people will see them and ask about them.
     I said, "Did somebody ask about them yesterday?"
     He responds, "Yes. A boy asked me what they were."
     I asked, "What did you say?"
     He said, "I just told him that they were my hearing aids."
     I thought to myself for a minute, knowing that I needed to be very careful with my words. I then explained to him that it's ok if people ask about his hearing aids. They're only asking because they don't know or they don't understand. If they tease you or make fun of you then that's different and you need to tell them to stop.
     He said, "OK."
     The next day he wore his hearing aids and his teacher took a few minutes to explain to the class what they were and why he wore them. Since then he's had no issues with wearing them.

     One week later:
     I'm picking Sawyer up from preschool. He was looking a little down (really rare for him) and so I asked, "How was your day?"
     He said, "A boy in my class was teasing me."
     I asked, "What did he say?"
     He replies, "I can't tell you." (Code for he can't remember)
     "Well what did your teacher say?"
     "She told him to stop. She said, stop teasing Sawyer!"
     I said, "Well that's good."
     He says, "Yeah." (We're big on one word answers over here)
     He went on and on the whole afternoon about this boy at school that teased him. But he couldn't tell me why he teased him. So later when my husband got home from work I asked him if he thought I'd be crazy to email the teacher and ask what happened.
     He said he would think I was crazy. :) He also said that it seemed as though the teacher had already taken care of the issue and that she'd let me know if there was something to worry about. And do you know that it took every fiber of my being to not email the teacher? I wasn't wanting to be a helicopter parent, I just wanted to know. Are those two the same thing? Yes? Ok, fine. Whatever.
     So why am I writing all of this? I don't really know. Therapy I guess. I've been worried about my kids a lot lately. I can't help but feel as their mother, that I've given them these trials and so now I feel like I should carry their burdens. But then I watch them every day after their few hours at school and I see how happy they are. I see that they have made friends and that they are learning and absorbing at an incredible pace and so they must be ok? They're not coming home in tears. They want to go back. I'm not getting calls from their teachers (not yet anyway) and Sawyer now plays with the boy who teased him. So it's ok. Right? They will have hard times. People will misunderstand them because of their differences, but they will work it out. I think I've taught them to do that. Or at least I hope I have. It seems like this whole school thing is a determining factor in whether I've taught them enough or not. I guess we will see. :)

Inch Worm Tutorial-ish

2011-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

(Keep reading to find out about this "Delight!"-ful bundle)

OK, I am calling this a tutorial-ish, because I'm giving you the instructions on how to make the inch worm costume, but I don't have any pictures for you. Bummer. I made this back in 2008 for my little guy Sawyer and it was so stinkin' easy that I thought maybe I'd share it with you. And since this is a tutorial you can't get mad at my "-ish" instructions. :)

This tutorial uses a 1/2" seam allowance and the measurements listed are for a 12 month size.

Materials Needed:

A green or yellow onesie/tee the size of your baby (12 months shown in picture).
1/2 yard green minkie or stretchy fabric of some sort
1/2 yard yellow minkie or stretchy fabric of some sort
12" of elastic
craft wire (something sort of flimsy)
a beanie that fits your babies head

Instructions:

You're going to cut off the bottom of your onesie or tee. Measure from the front neckline down 5" and cut.
Cut two 5" by 21" strips of green fabric. Cut two 5" by 21" strips of yellow fabric.
Sew the strips together lengthwise, yellow, green, yellow, green.
Fold the bottom of the green piece under 1" and top stitch.
Run elastic through the fold and sew down at each end.
Fold strips in half lengthwise and right sides together. Line up seams and sew down long edge.
Line up side seam of body piece (your strips) with side seam of onesie right sides together and sew around edge. This completes the inch worm body!
Now the hat. Lay your beanie flat onto a piece of paper and trace it leaving a 1/2" seam allowance around the edges.
Cut 2 green pieces and 2 yellow pieces using your paper pattern.
Cut two 4" by 7" green pieces for your antenna. Fold each piece in half lengthwise and sew one short edge and one long edge leaving the bottom open.
Cut two 6" pieces of wire and slide one piece into each antenna, curving the bottom ends of the wires as to not poke your child.
Stuff each antenna with batting until firm, with extra at the bottom under the wire and sew them shut.
Measure 2" to the right from the top center of one of the green hat pieces and top stitch the end of antenna to the edge of the hat piece. Make sure your antenna is facing DOWN. Measure 2" to the left from the top center of the same green hat piece and repeat with second antenna.
With the antenna still facing DOWN, pin both green hat pieces right sides together and sew around the curve, leaving straight edge open. Repeat with yellow hat pieces.
Place yellow hat piece inside of green hat piece, right sides together (with antenna tucked inside) and pin straight edges together. Sew around the entire base of the hat, leaving a 2" opening to turn. Turn hat right sides out through the 2" opening and handstitch opening closed.
And now you have a really cute Halloween costume for your baby!

Wasn't that sew easy? Seriously anyone can make an inch worm costume! And now that you love me so much for sharing this tutorial with you and for reading this whole post I'm going to fill you in on a little secret! Shhh... You see that fat quarter bundle down there? Yes, that one down there!

A good friend of mine designed this fabric and next week I get to give it to one of YOU! Yes, that's right! One of YOU! YIPPEE!!! Can you imagine all the wonderful things you could make with that many fat quarters? I certainly can! Sheesh! OK, so here's your check list for the weekend:

Make an inch worm (or even a bumblebee...that'd be cute too!) for a precious baby you know!
Think of something fabulous you can make with a whole bundle of fat quarters!
Come back next week to enter a "Delight!-ful" giveaway!

That's not too hard, right? Ok, have a great weekend and I'll see you next week! ;)

A New Look!

2011-09-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

At Spring Market I made a wonderful new friend, Beth Feigner and once I saw her work I told her that I just simply had to work with her. I was so excited when she agreed and even more excited when I saw this cover for the first time! Isn't it gorgeous!?!? I love, love, love it!

This is just the first of many to come. So, tell me what do you think? Have you ever seen the Darling bag, looks so Darling?

I love all things black and white

2011-09-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

photos courtesy of pinterest.

Two Months!

2011-09-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

Please tell me that time is flying by and that I'm not the only one feeling this way. I can't believe this little angel of mine is already 2 months old! She really likes the camera (can you tell?). We do this every day. :)

Remi discovered her hands yesterday. It was pretty exciting. She also poked herself in the eye a few times while discovering. It was a little comical. She has brought pure entertainment to the house, so much so that we have to "tone it down" and "be gentle, be gentle, BE GENTLE" comes out of my mouth about a thousand times a day. This little girl is in for a ride with these crazy boys.

She's brought a whole new feel into the household. And we love it!

One more. I can't resist!

2011-09-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce our pal Simon. This insanely handsome little guy is getting lots of attention on facebook and now so is my inbox! I've never actually met Simon, but I have conversed with his mom, Jenn through tons and tons of emails (Happy Birthday Jenn!) and we have become great friends. It's hard not too when we have such cute boys the very same age! Simon is sporting the Owl Pack to preschool this year and I have to say that the pack looking this adorable on a child, was far from my imagination when I designed it! I love, love, love it! And I love, love, love this guy!

Thanks Simon for making this little business of mine look so good! Especially since, my little guy refused to wear something that didn't involve Thomas to school (more on that later). Love you guys!

**EDIT: Hey all of you that commented or emailed about being pattern testers, I'm interested in your info. So shoot me an email (if you haven't already) and we'll chat. Thanks!

You know you're loved when...

2011-09-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

...your super cute nieces decide to make one of YOUR bags to carry to school!

I mean come on look at this sweet face!

The Backpack being used for the special VIP days at Suzy's pre-school. :)

Maggie carrying the Darling Bag and isn't she ever so darling? OK, now I'm sounding like my mother! Hi Mom! ;)

And of course, little miss Kate with her Little Miss Business bag. This girl really is all business and then some!

Maybe I'm just a big cheeseball, but I was super flattered when they texted me from the fabric store telling me they'd each decided to make a bag! I mean really, that's just the best kind of love any aunt would ever need!

Happy Back to School to everyone!

I had to make something for myself.

2011-08-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the hardest thing about being a designer is that you get so caught up in designing what you "think" other people will like and you forget to just do what you like. Before Remi came, when I had all of those sleepless nights, I decided that there were a few things she and I both needed. One of which was a new diaper bag with all of the amenities! I sketched for awhile and decided that I'd throw in some of my favorite things from other bags and a few new ideas. This is what I came up with.

I L.O.V.E. it! Of course, I put pockets in the front and the back and all around the inside (cause that's what I like to do) and then I added some scrunch, a little bling (the fancy kind that I never splurge on) and a child handle. The child handle is pure genious and of course it's not my idea...it's Roni's idea. You know how when you're crossing the parking lot at Target or walking to the library and you don't want to loose your 4 year old, but your hands are filled with bags and a baby? Well the "child handle" is your third hand! Isn't that UH-MAAAY-ZING? It has worked wonders with Sawyer! In fact, he won't even hold my hand anymore...he wants to hold "Mommy's bag". Thanks Roni, for offering up your advice on how to better my diaper bag! Sure do love ya!

So there you have it...pockets, bling, scrunch, and child handle. My ideal diaper bag! :)

Coming soon to a quilt shop near YOU!

After I write a pattern, make some alterations, have it tested, printed, and distributed all around the world. So...it shouldn't be too long. ;)

Oh My Boys!

2011-08-21T21:35:00.000-07:00

This summer has flown by and I've barely kept up with birthdays...barely. Two weeks ago Ruger-man turned 6 and today Sawyer turned 4! They are both feeling pretty grown up, now that one will be entering Kindergarten and the other will be the big man on campus at Pre-school cause he's ahem, 4! Don't ya know? Oh and that minor bruise on Ruger's forehead? Oh yes, that was his clever dive off of the bed...he didn't calculate the distance between his bed and the train table. Silly boy!

And then one of the darling babe...just because I can! :)

One Month

2011-08-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it one month. I'm still learning how to dress a baby girl and figuring out the whole flowers on the head thing. Remi sleeps well and is pretty low maintenance. She's just started cracking a smile this week, she loves, loves, loves to be held, and she enjoys trying to drink her bath water. We sure do love our little gal!
We even survived our first week of church! Jason couldn't be there so it was just me and the kiddos...there may or may not have been a bag of candy involved and perhaps one loud "cock-a-doodle-do" from Sawyer, but all in all it was a good day!

Family

2011-08-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

this is the family i came from. one mom. one dad. five brothers. one sister. it has now been joined by seven in-laws and 30 grandchildren. oh, and calvin's dog pepper. this family is wild. we are crazy. filled with emotion and dentists. supportive. fierce. lovable. and eternal. i am so happy to say that i am a part of the keller family.

Inseparable

2011-07-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

There's something so magical about having a newborn in the home. It's peaceful and spiritual. I've always tried to savor every single moment with my babies because I know that the time will pass quickly and I don't want to forget a single detail. So, I just sort of sit on the bed and stare at them all day long. :) I figure it's my right as a mother.

After Remi was born we had to wait several hours to hold her. She had some fluid in her lungs and was struggling to breath so they monitored her closely. The second I began to gain feeling in my legs again, they let me go to the nursery to visit her. When they put her in my arms, her heart rate jumped up and stayed consistent the whole time, until I put her down again. After that they felt it was best that she go back to the room and stay with Jason and I. :) Since then we've been inseparable.

So, if I'm not around much for the next little while, just know that it's not that I don't care, it's just that my arms are full and my heart is content. :) Lots of love from the Jenkins!

Mine

2011-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

Remington Jean Jenkins

July 11, 2011

9 pounds 2.4 ounces

19 inches long

Workin' hard for a train.

2011-06-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

My boys have been begging for new trains for the last two months. Ruger has been dying to get a "Spencer" train and Sawyer just wants whatever Ruger wants. So Jason told them that if they would help clean up the rocks in the backyard, then they would go and get their trains. We have a complete overload of river rock in our backyard, left from the previous owners and for the last 5 years, we've been cleaning it out slowly...a work in progress, but worth it. Oh, and if you'd like some it's free!

So Ruger worked hard all day, I mean all day. He loaded up two wheel barrow fulls and was such a trooper. I was so pleased with him.

Sawyer? Well, he took a bit more motivation. He was having too much fun goofing off. We went to the toy store that night to get Ruger a train. We explained to Sawyer that if he picked up his share of rocks that he could get a train as well. So later that night he went out with dad and worked pretty darn hard. He picked up almost everything and then woke up bright and early to finish his pile the next morning. Then he earned his train, "Patchwork". He picked that one because it was every color of the rainbow I guess. :)

And well, this is me. Two weeks to go! We had a scare a couple of weeks ago. I was excited thinking I'd have a baby, but instead was sent home and put on bed rest. Blah! Thank goodness for wonderful parents on both ends for coming and taking care of my wild bunch. It was really great to be able to spend Father's Day with my Dad here. That hasn't happened in years because we live far away, so I was pretty happy about that! I'm sure he was too...HA! The pic above was taken last week; my husband says I'm much bigger now and so does my wardrobe. We're pretty excited to have some girliness around this house!

Relieved.

2011-05-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

We took our annual trip to Shriners this week to see about straightening Sawyer's legs. They had planned to do the operation this summer, but his bones are still a bit small for the 8 plates that they want to use so we are waiting yet another year. We're counting this as a blessing because we had no idea how we were going to do both the surgery and a baby in one summer. And really, I would hate to see this little guy sad for even a day! Maybe by next year his legs will straighten out on their own and we won't have to do the operation at all!?!?!!! Wishful thinking I know. :)

Market Overload

2011-05-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

This year market was an entirely different experience than last year, but still equally as fun. Have a "tiny" bit of experience under my belt helped and I was able to focus on more than just selling patterns...which I loved. Especially the networking. It's so great meeting people in this industry. So here's the recap (in no particular order, because I'm feeling pretty lazy these days). My parents were able to come for Day 1 and see what market was all about. My mom had a glazed over look in her eyes the whole time, it was pretty funny. My brother Kim came for 2 days to help me figure out some of the business side of market and I was soooo grateful! He found out so much in two days that I've been trying to figure out in a year. Thanks bro!

You all know Roni! She was a champ and helped out so much with the booth and sewing and soda runs and driving and just being there...love that girl! Oh ya, you know she's pregnant too right? She is...due in November! Super excited!

Apparently my mom snapped this one of Kim and I chatting. And also...now I'm not only the "tiny" seamstress that everyone remembers for being so short, but I am also the "tiny" seamstress with the really "tall" brother (he's 6'6"). I love it! Everyone took pics everywhere we went because they didn't believe us. ha! They'd ask if he was my husband and I'd say, "No, he's my brother!" And then their jaws would drop! I love it! The ladies were really charmed by him though.

The three of us at my parent's hotel. Yep, I'm looking really big and exhausted so just keep scrolling.

Shari (center) has been a great friend and mentor to me this year. It was so fun to catching up!

Jason made these frames for me and I love them so much! They got more attention than the bags. I'm so excited to use them around the house now. :)

AND THEN...one night, after everyone was gone, we took a little visit over to the Quilted Fish booth to see Elliot. I was going to steal him, but I didn't because their were too many witnesses...but next time I tell you!

Quilted Fish booth again, with little miss Kayce.

I was happy to see Jess back at market this year. She has such great designs. I've known her for several years and have always loved her bags!

And for one of the great highlights of our trip! Roni and I were invited to the Riley Blake Party and we had so much fun. Even we were mondo pregnant and terrible dancers...it was fun!

All you get is a cell phone pic. :)

That was our super fun trip! We stayed with my brother and his family, which left for some highly entertaining late nights with Carlin! Thanks to all of my super-supportive shops (new and old)! You were all so fun to meet and work with! OK, now I have to go make dinner for tonight because well, I am still a mom (a very very sad mom who missed her boy's preschool graduation for market...more on that later...if I can stand to think about it).

xoxo,

Spring Collection 2011

2011-05-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Better late than never right? I'm so sorry for the delay on my patterns. Roni and I are back from market and still trying to find our energy. We had a great time and I'm so excited to share pictures later this week! Yay! So let's do this...This first pattern is Little Miss Business! It has a cell pocket and larger pocket inside, with snaps on the sides to allow for the bag to grow a few inches larger. The ruffles are my favorite though! It's so simple, with just a little bit of sass. I love it!My second pattern this season is what we like to call, a little scrunched... There are pockets inside and one large front pocket. Fits perfect over the shoulder and is small enough to just tote around on date night. Love it!And this pattern is completely random, but was quite a hit at market. Ha! The Funky Chicken includes a fun little baby quilt (super easy) with a little stuffed chicken that lays eggs. hehe. In the back of the chicken, under the tail there's a little pocket that kids can stuff with eggs. My kids have gone nuts over this toy...I hope yours will too!

So that's it for now! I hope you enjoy the patterns. I'll get them listed in my Etsy shop asap. So watch for them. You can also find them in your local shop! If they don't have them, tell them to jump on the bandwagon and get some! Everyone is doing it! ;)

Talk to you soon. -xoxo

Could you say no to this face?

2011-04-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

I couldn't either.

Farewell favorite jeans.

2011-04-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

I don't look like this anymore.

Those jeans (above), they're my favorite and they don't fit anymore.

I haven't cut my hair in two months, which is a long time for short hair.

I drop Ruger off to preschool in sweats nearly every day. :)

I take lots of short naps and I don't sleep at night.

Everyone makes fun of me for forgetting what I'm saying mid conversation.

I have a 3 year old sitting on my right foot all the time.

And a 5 year old who corrected me on his bedtime story tonight...it's true.

My husband says I'm much happier and more entertaining when I'm pregnant.

I think that's because I forget so much. Oh well.

I finally found a new doctor (did I tell you that my old doctor took early retirement...grrr).

Baby Steps

2011-03-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been going through old boxes lately...attempting to get rid of stuff. While doing so, we came across this little treasure from my childhood. It was a very special gift and means more to me now than it ever did back then. I'm so glad I kept it! I was thinking (now that it's almost April) that this would be a great motto for me this year! As a family we've witnessed a lot of great things come to pass for us this past year and maybe this coming year we can build upon those dreams one small step at a time. What do you think? Do you have any BIG dreams you're working on? Fill me in, I'd love to hear! xoxo,

It may be awhile...

2011-03-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

before I get my hands on a set of these.

photo

But I'll be ok, as long as I don't drop my tongs in the bottom of the washer again. :)

Boutique Nights.

2011-03-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

These cake pops were my fave!

A few months ago I was trying to think of a way to get rid of all of my old market products, as well as test my new designs to see what kind of response they would get before market. I noticed on a few blogs that people were hosting boutiques in their homes. Their concept was a little different, but the idea was the same. So began my boutique nights. My mother was so generous and brave to be the first to host and then my sister-in-law Betsy hosted another for me last weekend. Best. Idea. Ever. Both were a success! :)

Because my new patterns were in the mix you don't get to see pics of the products yet (sorry) but I will make you super duper hungry with shots of the incredible food Betsy whipped up! She's so fantastic...I think I'll keep her! ;)

It was so fun to mingle with all of the women at both parties and it's even more exciting getting those emails of your (already) finished products! I love it!

Thank you everyone for your support!

xoxo,

Never grow up.

2011-03-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what it is about having a new little one on the way but somehow it changes everything in our home environment. We appreciate things so much more. We get scared a little more of what the future holds. And we just want to be with our family all the time. Life is moving fast and every night when I set the table I wonder how on earth we made it this far. But oh, we're happy, we are so happy to just have each other. I hope you are all happy too!

First Things First!

2011-02-22T11:27:00.001-08:00

We need dresses! Lots and lots of dresses!

And maybe one of these...

Team Tiny

2011-02-21T02:01:00.000-08:00

Team Tiny: n., a small team made up of important people that makes TS Designs possible.

(Picture from last year's market experience)

It's 3 am and I CAN'T SLEEP! This pregnancy has been easy in the sense that I haven't had much sickness, but for the first time in my life I'm experiencing pure exhaustion. So tired that I break into tears over lunch at Red Robin or so tired that I take naps at 9am. And now here I am blogging because I've been up for hours just laying in my bed. The bonus to all of this chaos is the quiet time that has come to me, allowing me to plan my Sunday lessons, my meal plans for the kids, and better yet....MARKET! Oh, how I miss market! And now the countdown is on. 80 DAYS left until I get to load up my minivan (yeah, we bought one of those) and head on down to Salt Lake City for 5 days of craziness and fun! And so the checklist begins:

My patterns are in the testing process as we speak.
My booth plans are sketched out (we'll see how much of it falls into place).
Roni found her babysitter. Wahoo!
Reservations are being made with Priceline.com (did you see the new commercial? My brother had my parents come out to watch it being made...I was a little jealous).
Fabric is being ordered daily! hehe.
Team Tiny is so ready (and so not ready) to go! :)

We find out tomorrow if we're having a litte boy or girl! So until then, I will keep my mind stirring with market to dos, because otherwise I'll go crazy waiting and um, not sleeping.
Happy Monday!

Tags...& more tags.

2011-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get emails asking about my tags...sometimes. It's not a huge topic of conversation, but it's a little detail that people notice and tend to ask about occassionally. So I thought I'd explain it a little bit more. So here's the truth, a long time ago (like 3 years ago) when my husband and I were poor college students I was sewing bags just to learn. I was cutting corners everywhere I could, including my tags. My grandma (who has passed away since) taught me to do, what I think is called a backstitch when I was about 8. She was sewing a very special apron for me and was showing me the fine details of how to do it.
So one day I pulled out some muslin and thread and starting stitching. I had read online to print out your letters on the computer and then trace them onto your muslin. So I tried it and it worked! I made about 100 that way and soon enough I was able to just free hand the tags. None of them are the same. In fact, they probably look different from my tags 3 years ago, but they are made by me...every single part of the bag is made by me. I like that!

It's a process though. They begin in a large strip and then I cut them down and store them in this jar (the same jar I showed you last year). It just sits on my shelf.

And then eventually that tag finds a home inside one of my bags. Now, isn't that just an exciting process? I knew you'd enjoy it! Lol! OK, so really, I love this process and I don't think I'll ever just order tags because it's so enjoyable. It forces me to slow down and enjoy what I'm doing and I remember a little piece of my Grandma Keller at the same time. :)

BTW, I'm inviting you all to come follow me on Twitter! It's lots of fun and I make a fool of myself all the time because I'm not always understanding what I'm doing. But it's fun...so come play along!

Hugs!

Happy V Day!

2011-02-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

I'm still not sure (at the ripe old of 28) how I feel about Valentine's Day. I kinda think it's silly and I kinda think it's sweet. Maybe by 50 I'll have made my decision. I do know that there are many things I love though:

1. I love my little boys and my older boy.

2. I love sewing (as I learned after a whole week without my machine).

3. I love to throw things away (random I know, but it feels so good).

4. I love making hearts out of playdough with my kids.

5. I love getting packages in the mail!

6. I love having my husband home on his days off.

7. I love my family and friends.

8. I love chocolate and diet coke.

9. I love to shop.

10. I love to love and be loved. :)

Tell me, what do you love?

Sale!

2011-02-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

This bag is my newest top selling bag for a reason...it's absolutely Darling! ;)

So...I'm on vacation! Have you noticed? Sheesh. It was that time when I needed to get out of town and spend a little time with my Mom, being that it's her birthday and all! Wahoo! We love to celebrate around here and with all this excitement I felt it'd be appropriate to have a sale this week! Hop on over to my Etsy shop where you can purchase 2 patterns and get 1 FREE!!!!! Just leave your freebie request in the comments section after your purchase of 2 patterns. Easy as that! Patterns will ship early next week.

xoxo,

Happy Monday!

2011-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

This morning we made homemade playdough! And then we played with it and we made a mess and built squishy snowmen and laughed and shared and had lots of fun! THEN 45 minutes later we were done and ran off to watch Toy Story 3, leaving Mom to clean up the mess, but she didn't mind because we had a great time!

Happy Monday!

Feels like home

2011-01-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

I wish that I could express the amount of emotions I've been feeling lately. But I'm not sure that I can. I hesitated to write about this experience I had last week, but since it's been a week and I'm still thinking about it, I guess I'll write about it.
My boys and I have one major outing a week which consists of a little shopping, lunch out somewhere they love (typically the Target cafe...I know right?), followed by Sawyer's physical therapy in one town, and Ruger's speech therapy in another town. At first I dreaded these days, oh I hated every minute of it and complained via text to my mother the whole stinkin' day. But then something happened last week, it was such a little thing, but it was magnificent.
Ruger and I were playing in the ball pit while Sawyer was working hard in the other room and a girl about 7 came running in. She ran up to Ruger and said, "You wanna play with me?" He jumped at the chance and suddenly they were swinging from the rings in the ceiling and flying into the ball pit. They had conversation and they laughed and the best part is, they didn't care about each other's issues. They both have them, it's apparent (if only everyone's issues were physical for the world to see?) but no one cared. She didn't ask about his hearing aids and he didn't ask about her.
As I watched them I was caught off guard by the feeling I was having...I was homesick...for the hospital. What? Seriously? Isn't that strange? I had so many feelings come back and memories of children I would play with and watch late night movies with and no one cared about the other's issues. These hospitals for children bring such a comfort to their patients and for some reason, these obstacles that we deal with every day in the real world don't matter inside those walls. There's no pitty, no teasing, no pointing or laughing, we just are who we are.
So the longer I thought about this the more I remembered how much of my time I spent in those walls thinking about how I could some day come back and be a part of that world again. I had no idea that I would being going back there for my children though.
As we prepare for our first extravaganza to Shriners this summer for Sawyer's surgery, I will enter that world/home again, where I spent so much of my childhood. I will see familiar faces and feel those pains he has all over again and I will have complete comfort in knowing that he's getting the best care possible. Don't get me wrong I'm scared out of my mind! But maybe just the comfort of those walls will help us all make it through the summer a little easier.
I've been reading this blog and this blog a lot lately about words and dreams and while it's difficult to look in the future right now with all that lies ahead for us and think of those things, I think for now I'll just settle on seeing all the dreams and blessings that have unfolded infront of me...right now. I can't believe the support I've received through my shops and orders lately...but thank you so much! You're all helping to support this little family of mine and I am so grateful for that! You're making my dreams come true and all of your sweet emails with questions about the boys or thank you's for your orders really make my day! Please know that! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll be here setting goals, making dreams, finding words, and trying not to forget all thats been given to me thus far!

And if you're feeling lucky, Camille is hosting a fantastic giveaway over on her blog...it's a good one!

A work in progress.

2011-01-18T16:41:00.000-08:00

Well, we're getting there. This room may not look like much, but compared to where we started it's a complete transformation. We still have the base boards, doors and outlets to finish up before I can decorate the room anymore, but I thought I'd show you how it's coming (I also wanted a record of it for myself).

The boys quilts were finished on Christmas Eve, but I'm so glad they're done. Roni and I were able to sneak over to our friend Carma's house and use her quilt machine (thank you so much Carma! the boys really miss you).
Ruger begged and begged Jason to let him pull the train table back out of storage and Jason finally caved...I forgot what a wonderful toy it is! :) I'm in love with this carpet, prior to this we had green checkers and green walls (it was a sight to see). I've never felt so grateful for flooring...I love it!
And a shot with the window. I had just enough backing from Sawyer's quilt to make some little curtains. And Ruger has discovered that if he hangs the monster pillow on his bed post that he can hide his leapster and many other goodies at bedtime...sneaky guy! Hopefully I'll have more to show you soon, however, if I have to make the top bunk again, I may go into labor. Have a good one!

Cupid's Messenger Bags

2011-01-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holidays is Valentine's Day! I love it because it doesn't matter if I make it a big deal or not. If I want to buy my kids a balloon and call it good then I can or I can make them something super cute and fill it with goodies that they don't need. :) This year I thought I could help you make your children's V's Day

a little more enjoyable too!

Hop on over to my shop to purchase these little messenger bags!

There's no pattern (not yet anyway), just the bags and if you order more than one

your shipping is still only $2! Yay!

I have three listed right now and I will be working on more soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh to be organized!

2011-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Are you organized?

Is everything in your house in perfect order?
Are your toilets always scrubbed and is your sink always empty?

Or do people always trip on puzzle pieces and transformers when they walk in the door?

I'm the last one on that list. Oh how I try. I really do but I just get so distracted with the wonderful things in life like hide-and-seek, and texting, or even the mail. It's true! I can hear that metal box slam shut everytime the mailman leaves our porch and I run like mad, because a lot of the time there's something wonderful there waiting for me to rip open! :)

I try so hard to get things in perfect order, but what am I suppose to do with all of my receipts? And when I just finish cleaning my bathroom and my husband brings home 120 rolls of toilet paper...where the crap am I suppose to put it? I know, I know there are answers and books for me to read, but I don't want to.

People used to make fun of me when they'd come over because I kept my peanut butter in the Tupperware drawer...it was convenient and low! I could reach it and it was right by the fridge. However, I've moved it back to the cupboard this last year because I was made fun of so much.

I've been working on my sewing room all morning. I know what I need and how to make my folded fabrics look pretty, but as for the chapstick, and the spray adhesive, and cute little buckets I'm saving for market...I have no stinkin' clue! None! I guess I'll figure it out or shove it in the closet, but really these things are so hard for an indecisive, happy person like me. :( So stay tuned...maybe I'll get this crazy mess figured out and if I do, I'll post some pics for you!

Promise. Maybe.

Hugs,

It's in the shop!

2011-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I know, I know I took forever! But at last, it's here! Hop on over to the shop and pick up a pattern for yourself! :)

Happy Monday!

Thanks so much!

2011-01-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe all of your sweet comments about the baby! It's always a little scary (and exciting) when you find out about another baby, so your support is much needed and I'm grateful for every. single. one. of. you.

I went to the doctor yesterday and she said everything was looking good. Our little clan is super excited! However, the boys have no clue what's coming. Sawyer asked me yesterday if the elf that Ruger brought home from preschool was the baby from my tummy. That was a fun conversation.

I haven't been sick at all, which is amazing compared to the last two (maybe it is a girl?). However my appetite is somewhat disturbing. Hehe.

It's strange to look at my little guys now and watch as little preparations are being made with both of them. They are maturing a little faster than usual and they're acting out a little more. I felt this way before Sawyer was born too. The children can always sense that things are changing but they just aren't sure how. I'm grateful for those changes. I don't think I could feel at ease with another baby if I didn't see that happening. They play well together, better than most siblings, and I think that will be a great blessing in my favor. ;)

We're excited for our new journey and can't wait to share it with you all!

xoxo-

Welcoming 2011 + One!

2011-01-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

Coming this July!

And so the story goes...

2010-12-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Christmas this year! The boys are at that perfect age of grasping everything and actually being able to enjoy it all. We started our Christmas Eve off with a little Nativity recap and then the boys (& Grandma Wall who made a surprise visit) made cookies for Santa.

Followed with a letter to Santa of course!
And some Thomas and Scooby pj's from Grandma Wall.

And let's not forget the reindeer!

The boys sprinkled all sorts of glitter and reindeer food on the lawn

so our house wouldn't be missed.

AND THEN it was Christmas morning!

Some were excited and woke up at 5am sharp!
Others were tired and wanted to sleep a little longer.
The boys wanted exactly two things from Santa this year:

1. Knapford Station

2. Woody and Buzz race track

I think that my grand total of $34 is a record.

I know I will never get an inexpensive Christmas like that again!

Jason got an ipod nano that he had to purchase for himself last minute,

because his lovely wife forgot to hit the "pay now" button online.

I waited for two weeks for it to show up and it never did. :(

And I got a stupendous video camera that's so tiny it fits in my purse...I looove it!

We topped off our morning with some yummy cereal in the

cool new personalized bowls that Grandma K sent to us!

The boys went nuts over them, but I was so busy eating I didn't get a picture. :(

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas!

Seeing Double?

2010-12-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

It's the holidays and I haven't looked at a blog or written a post in forever! That's the way it goes right? Life takes over. Holidays also means family and friends coming to visit. Our house has been non-stop visitors for the past little while and we've loved every minute of it! Currently, my twin was visiting...

You know I don't really have a twin? I'm just talking about Roni! We're sewing our hearts out, eating terrible, terrible food, destroying the house, and even doing a little bit of prep for Spring Market (soooo excited!)

Our husbands have come to grips with letting us hang out 24/7. But I they're definetly having to do a few double takes.

And as for the kiddos, they're having a ball! Who knew boxes could be so fun! :)

-----------------------------------------------

Our basement is almost completely finished, I'm back into my sewing quarters, and the tree is up. Hopefully I'll have pictures for the parents soon!

Happy Holidays!

Fall Patterns...finally!

2010-11-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to release these patterns for so long and now I'm jumping the gun a little, but I can't wait any longer! You first saw the Darling Bag here, but now let me give it a proper introduction. This bag is my favorite bag. period. the end. I have carried this bag for five months now and I'm not sick of it. It's quite large, 12" tall by 20" wide by 5" deep and it has 10 pockets! That's right, 10 pockets! And honestly those pockets have been incredible for hiding treats from my kids. The straps are slim and fit perfect on any shoulder! One lady tried to steal this one out of my cart at the store because she thought I got it off the rack! Seriously, I had to show her it was filled with my stuff! No joke!

You can purchase this pattern in my shop right now, but the printing won't be done until after the holiday, so I will ship them out next week!

And then, we have the Owl Pack! I've discovered a new found obsession for owls, since designing with my friend Shari's Hooty Hoot fabric. I made this pack and shipped it off to market so quickly that I only have one photo of it. :( So hopefully you can tell how stinkin' cute it is. It has one strap that velcros across the chest (like the Diego pack) and it's perfect for little boys or girls (with the switch of some fabrics). We are still wrapping up the testing process with this one, when it's complete I will list it in the shop and let you know! I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! I will see you next week!

And to all a goodnight!

2010-11-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Things that make you go...

2010-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Ooooooo...

I bought a stamp. I'm so excited! Can you tell? I discovered Kelly's Etsy Shop during a giveaway one day and as I was browsing through her products, I knew right away that she was the exact source I was looking for. I've been wanting a stamp for a long time now, but just couldn't find the right place. So I emailed her and within a short time she had created a stamp out of the logo that Katie had created awhile back.

It arrived just in time too! I had a stack of brochures for my shops and a stack of invites for an event I'm doing in Nampa to mail out and I was able to stamp every single one! I love it! It adds the perfect touch to all of my product.

The Tiny Clutch!

2010-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

This tiny clutch is full of personality and is so simple to make. It's the perfect Christmas gift for anyone on your list. It works for all ages and is so simple and quick to sew! Seriously...maybe an hour...maybe.

This bag is perfect for the tiny things: wallet, keys, notepad, pen, sunglasses, etc. Or as one store owner said, they're packing their lunch in this clutch! Great idea right? I could even see my 12 year old niece, Kate, using this to pack her lunch inside her Darling Bag.

And yes, it's true, I didn't carry the Tiny Clutch this week. However, I know someone who did! :)

My sister Lesli, is very particular about the decisions she makes...she's much more organized than I am. She decided that she wanted a Tiny Clutch to go inside her matching Fabulous Bag. She keeps the clutch filled with diapers and wipes on a typical day, but then when she goes out with the ladies, she ditches the diapers for the necessities. Clever, right?

So hop on over to my shop for a tiny discount a pick up your very own Tiny Clutch pattern!

Once there was a snowman.

2010-11-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

It snows here...a lot! And my boys love it because they get to build snowmen with their daddy! Mom takes pictures and makes hot chocolate with our super cool hot chocolate machine that Aunt Betsy gave us!

Can you find our dog in the picture above?
This snowman has become our best friend and very worst nightmare! Everytime I walk out the back door I think it's a person and I scream. Nice, I know.

Girl's Trip 2010

2010-11-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

There are several reasons that I only attend Market once a year. Mostly because I don't want to take so much of my energy away from my boys but another reason is because fall is the time I get to have a weekend away with my mom and sister. This year we went stayed on Coronado Island. It was heaven. The picture above is taken from our hotel looking towards San Diego.

Here's Lesli sitting on the balcony enjoying her breakfast.

The resort had a spa that we took complete advantage of...massages, pedicures, and manicures! Here are our toes all painted up!

I'm not sure what I'm doing with my face in this picture, but my mom looked so cute, I had to post it anyway!

Notice the Tiny Clutch my sister is carrying? She has been handing out business cards left and right with that bag and I can't seem to keep her stocked! I love it!

On our last night in San Diego, we were able to enjoy an amazing dinner cruise on this ship! It was magnificent!

We were the only ones on the ship without spouses and I think the only ones drinking sparkling cider....you'd never guess it though! Ha!

I had the best weekend and can't wait for next year!

Have a good one! ;)

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

I think this year was my favorite year for Halloween so far! The boys are at that age where all activities are "super fun" and they have an opinion on everything. Our day started with a little bit of pumpkin carving. Here you will see Ruger telling Dad exactly how you carve a jack-o-lantern. Ruger wanted it a very specific way, so we were careful to follow those instructions.

Three triangles and a few sharp teeth were exactly how he pictured it.

THEN we put our costumes on...are you ready? OK, we had a family theme going at first where everyone was going to be a character from Scooby doo, but then Sawyer protested and we weren't going to force him to dress up as Scrappy. So he went as Thomas...oh my cuteness! Can I just say that Sawyer scored extra goodies by batting his eyes and shoving Ruger out of the way. What a guy!

And then there was our super-friendly and very polite Shaggy. He said, "Thank you!" after every piece of candy and didn't reach in the bowl for more...(ahem, Sawyer). This costume was not as easy as Thomas to put together. We couldn't find the appropriate color of green t-shirt and the hair, well, this wig was a close as we were gonna get....but he was thrilled and wore it with pride to every single carnival and event! Thanks for making all our pants Roni!

I had made my boys halloween totes to use for this year, but Ruger thought the McDonalds bucket was way better, so we went with those. We walked about 1/4 mile before the kids were exhausted and then we went home where they seemed to have more fun handing out candy. A great way to wrap up a fun week!

More of Grandparents.

2010-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sawyer and my Dad have this special bond. You could call it their "man" time or their "special" time, whatever you call it, it's there and Sawyer knows it. Our very first day at Grandpa K's house, Sawyer climbed on top of the counter and pulled out the blender, insisting that Grandpa start mixing up strawberries! I won't lie, I appreciate Sawyer's cuteness with it all, it saves me from begging him to make them. ;)

I love all of these pictures of Sawyer's face. He's just so excited! He had these for breakfast and dinner nearly every day...no joke!
We also got to spend an evening with Grandma and Grandpa Wall at Uncle Kelly's house. There's so much to play with there and the boys stay entertained the whole time (that's why you won't see Sawyer in these pics...he was 'busy').

Sorry about that pen Andrea! I guess Ruger was digging for something. Ruger loves his Grandma Wall...they're both pretty silly together.

I love seeing Natalie...she's about as close as I will ever get to having a baby girl. haha.

And Andrea...running from the camera again. Andrea and I grew up together...best of friends all through childhood....and THEN...I introduced her to Jason's brother Kelly...and before you knew it we became SISTERS! I love it when life works out that way!

OK, now I'm off to clean my house, because we are getting new windows today!!! I'm so excited!

Once Upon A Time.

2010-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a little girl.

She was always happy and never let people get the best of her.

But then one day, that little girl grew up

and she had a little boy who she loved so much

and wanted desperately to protect him from the BIG bad world

where cruel people exist.

I'm not sure if those cruel people had mothers that taught them

too much or too little.

Whatever the case may be,

some of those people weren't quite prepared for

over-protective, defensive mother's like me.

So...to the boy with the cell phone camera, snapping pics in the gas station--

I'm glad that my little death-defying, deprecating, piercing eyes

spoke loud enough for you to hear my thoughts.

Maybe next time your mother will teach you better!

The End

My bag this week!

2010-10-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

This week I'm carrying this diaper savvy clutch packed with

diapers and wipes inside...

This amazing purse that I inherited from my Mom's collection (oh, I'm in heaven).

This pattern has been one of my favorites! I originally designed this little number to coordinate with my Jumbo Glam Bag. But then I realized how stinkin' amazing the elastic works! You can cram as much or as little as you want into it and nothing falls out!

I have received wonderful feedback on this pattern. It's a super easy and quick pattern...perfect for gift giving and you can learn techniques with elastic and applique along the way.

So, hop on over to my shop for a fun little discount on this fantastic pattern! :)

Happy Monday!

To Grandmother's House We Go!

2010-10-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

We are at one of our favorite places in the world...Grandma's House! I had to come to get my teeth fixed, I'm quite certain that my brother was having the time of his life torturing me in the chair. Lots of numbing and drilling, but now I'm good as new. Thanks Klint! ;) A quick pic with Ruger. Not sure we get too many of those together, because he's always, "too busy," as he puts it. His common sense is winning me over in every sense, but I'm lovingt his age all too much! And here's my mother. I love her too! And I have missed her so much! It's always fun to see my parents and just have a little time to chat and catch up.

And Sawyer. Hiding his face again. He doesn't like the camera anymore. :( Grandpa took the boys to McDonalds today for a Happy Meal and then off to the store for a new toys. Naturally they picked the exact same toy...oh well. They had so much fun though and my mom and I were able to sneak in a little shopping. shhhh....

OH, and I made some flower clips. I've been trying out various tutorials and such, trying my hand at other crafts in between patterns. This was a fun and slightly painful one, but well worth it. Happy Sewing!

The Darling Bag!

2010-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pattern coming very, very soon!

To Be Better.

2010-10-15T14:47:00.001-07:00

Have I ever told you that blogging makes me nervous? I fear that somehow I will offend someone or perhaps I'll portray things in a way that's not true. But recently I've decided I'll just rise to the occasion and let the worry subside. These past few months have been pretty incredible for my family. We've had our ups and downs, but amazing things (people) have happened to cross our path. We have come in contact with some pretty fantastic-ly ordinary people. People who have changed our lives for the better by simply being here. They've just been in our presence and have had conversations with us, making us laugh and cry and touching us with their sweet, sweet spirits. Our home life has changed as we've found happiness in just being.

My children are growing and changing my world. I don't want to miss one second of my boys and their existance (all three of them). I know that I will have this little family of mine forever and all eternity, but still sometimes, it feels like that's not enough as time goes by so fast.

My husband and I went to the Visitor's Center last night and watched a video called, "The Restoration," done by our church. I hadn't watched the movie in a long time, but I was grateful for the opportunity to go and even more grateful for the people we were able to share the experience with. At the end of it, we were asked that as we leave, we ponder how we can be a little better and be a little kinder. That's all I've been able to think about is how can I be just a little better? All of my answers haven't come yet, but they will and I'm anxious to see how it all plays out. I mean there's room for everyone to be just a little better right?

Sewing Night.

2010-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago I was able to host a fun little sewing night with some old/new friends and it was so fun to just get together, relax, and sew. The girls wanted to make the Halloween totes, so I was able to practice my teaching skills a little and it turned out to be a great beginning project. Thanks girls for such a fun night! Can't wait to do it again.

Coming along slowly.

2010-10-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Sooo...the consensus on my living room is that I need to add more color. After pondering your comments I came to the conclusion that I completely agree! :) Slowly I've been adding a little splash of color here and there. It's not done yet, but we're getting there.

I bought this bird cage at Ross and then spray painted it and covered the back with fabric. I want to put something cool in it, but I haven't found that "cool" thing yet. :)

And then I made some pillows as discussed in the last post...I loooove them! And I got the fabric at JoAnns (gasp!). I get a lot of emails from people who only have a JoAnns in their area and they get so frustrated with the selection there. So I've been doing a little searching there and thought I'd try and show you a few of combos that I have found and have come to enjoy, so then maybe you will have an easier time shopping there.

Happy Wednesday!

Edit: I posted this and then realized it's Tuesday! Haha, jokes on me.

Freshly Baked Goodness!

2010-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Grab those hot pads ladies because I have got a recipe for you!

This is one secret family recipe you won't want to miss!

Hop on over to the Moda Bake Shop for some Monstery Goodness from yours truly! :)

Our household is on a Monster kick and so anything with "sharp-white teeth" and a "big red mouth" are certain to be a smash-hit. This sweet pillow has a "secret" pocket for stashing goods and two handles to make for some awesome pillow fights!

Gauranteed to bring some yummy lovin' from your lil' monsters.

And maybe even make your night of trick-or-treating a little more peaceful!

Happy Halloween!

I'm Giddy!

2010-10-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard someone say, "Things don't just happen overnight!"? That saying is slowly ringing true to me...slooowly. I love sewing, but truthfully I love a lot of things. I love my family, I love my friends, I love working on our house, I love my faith and everytime I add something new to my list, I take a little bit more of my time away from everything. This leaves very little time for things to just "happen." Everything I do has to grow. My children have to grow and learn and nothing I do with them happens overnight. Sewing is grand but none of these designs happen instantly. I may sew the bag up in a few hours, but the whole process takes weeks or even months, because I have a lot to do, as does everyone. My point? Well, occassionally, really great things happen! Things that I've forgotten about because they "didn't happen overnight" and these things make me think, "OK this is taking a long time, but I'm getting there."

Click on the link below to see just what this crazy seamstress has been up to...

And I'm learning that if I keep my head in the game (the right game) great things will come (thank you HSM). They may come slowly, but I'm in no hurry, I have a lifetime to enjoy great things. I'll fill you in on a little secret though...there's more great things coming for you...soon.

_______________________________________________

Now, I'm on my way over to my Etsy shop to post those highly anticipated Halloween Tote Patterns. And because it's such a great day, how about we make that discount a little more discounted than usual? Yes? No? Let me know. ;)

Happy Monday!

Cleveland, Part 2

2010-09-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting the Postons, we had the chance to go to the biggest park my children have ever seen, Preston's Hope. My children were in heaven! I lost Ruger at one point as he was just wondering and enjoying himself. A few of Roni's friends were able to come with their families and it was so great getting to know them all.

Gabbi found the sand to be quite tasty! Yummy!

Gunnar

You know who my hooligans are above and below.

Emma

The Gomer and his wife

Princess Hannah

And well, what can we say...it was a long day. No wait, this pic was before we left. Ha! I just remembered that! Sorry, too lazy to put these in chronological order. :)

Preschool and Cleveland Part 1

2010-09-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Oh wow, I still can't believe this guy is 5! Because of our shocking turn of events last year with the hearing aids, we decided to keep Ruger in pre-school for one more year. So again, we have his "first day of preshool pics. " Isn't he a little stud?

Did I say little? I meant BIG stud! Look how tall he is? I mean, yes, I'm short, but he's still so tall! Dad had to work this day, but we had Grandma W. in town to snap pics for us. Ruger is looooving his new preschool. So much, that I can get him to make his bed, brush his teeth, and do his chores without even a whimper before school. Which makes me love his preschool too!

Ruger attended exactly 3 days of preschool before we headed off to Ronis. We had a blast with the Postons and will do it again in a heart beat (notice I said will)! We woke up every morning, showered, sent the kids off to school, and then sewed or shopped the day away. We spent little time primping, because we felt it was a waste of valuable time...and what's the point in a west-coast girl even trying to fix her hair while visiting the east coast (not to mention the fact that I'm attempting to grow out my hair so I can be Velma for Halloween)?

Between the 2 of us we made 6 pairs of pj bottoms, 4 bags, a camera strap, a diaper savvy, 10 halloween totes, an apron, some flowers, a halloween wreath, 2 wallets, a Thomas costume, and patched a pair of jeans in the two weeks I was there. Sewww worth it! I remember taking about 20 pics while I was there, but when I came home I had 240...some were of leaves and some of feet....I'm assuming that someone was comparing our new cameras (she got a Nikon and I got a Canon...mine's better). haha! Oh yes, this photo is real...sadly! We made this mess over and over again, but what fun it was!

And because you kind of sort of got to see the bag I've carried for three weeks, I am going to do FREE U.S. SHIPPING on everything in my shop for one whole week! So hurry, hurry! Happy Monday!

The wife is BACK!

2010-09-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have determined that when someone doesn't blog for three whole weeks, that means they're having lots and lots of fun! I have pictures to share and new designs that we hashed out and we even planned out the booth for Spring Market 2011, but all of that has to wait because I haven't seen my hubbie in three looong weeks, I'm still catching up on sleep and jet lag, I owe hours of conversation to my mama, a primary program to finish writing by Sunday, many errands to run, calls to make, OH and mile high packages to mail because my poor shops have been so patient waiting for me! :) But once I'm done with that I will hop right back into the blogging scene.

And I'm sorry about my lack of email responses, but to answer a few questions:

1. I will be posting my halloween tote patterns soon.

2. I will go back to my bag of the week soon (I didn't realize that would be missed).

3. And yes, I am THRILLED with my husband at all for the magnificent work he did on our basement! He is amazing and I'm loving him more than ever for his hard work! I've been living in 2 bedrooms and 1 bath of our house for the past year and I'm so excited to almost be converted back to our 5 bedroom, 2 bath space...I'll keep you posted with pictures!

I came home to a detailed car (thank you nieces and nephews), a stinkin' clean house (thank's Ranee), an advance on the remodel (love ya Jason), and a super cluttered sewing table (thank you self)! I consider myself to be the happiest and luckiest woman in the whole wide world! Now I'm off to finish my to do list, so I can have my Friday night date with Jason! Thanks for putting up with me! I love you all and please let me know what you're up to! I will also be reading blogs again soon....sorry friends!

While the wife is away the husband will play

2010-09-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

So as you you might be able to tell, this is not Tiffany. This is her husband having a little fun while she is away. I thought it might be fun to post my activities during this weekend (seeing how it has been the only time I have had off since she has been gone). Tiff, I hope you enjoy.

This is going to be the doorway to the future master closet.

This is the new doorway.

What's next?

I cut open another new door.

I had some hired help and took down another wall and

then I started to put it back together. Pictured above is new wiring for outlets and lights.

Holes in the ceiling for recessed lighting with wires run.

A light (not finished), but you get the idea.

Insulation in the walls to improve energy efficiency.

Then comes the Sheetrock.

And more sheetrock.

Well that was fun. How was your weekend? This is the first time I've ever written on a blog before. Thanks for taking the time to enjoy.

Aren't they adorable?

2010-09-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

My Mom, my Dad, and their 95 lb. halibut in Alaska.

How do you do Fabulous?

2010-09-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

OK, yes lame title for a post, but I'm dusting off my creative writing skills...not as creative as they used to be. :) So how do you do fabulous? My fabulous looks like this...

I love, love, love these Amy Butler fabrics below! They were discontinued once and then they had to bring them back because people love them so much! I think I have made every single one of my bags out of these fabrics, but none of the bags look as good in this fabric as this one:

I designed this bag for Roni specifically. She requested that I make her a bag with a hidden pocket so she could hide her gum from Gunnar. I thought about it for weeks and weeks, and then when I was visiting my mom, she had on this really funky shirt with some crazy cuffs that I just loved. That's where the idea for the flap came...in fact, I sewed it up that night.

So there you have it...my Fabulous! I will be toting this little number around this week and you can too! Just visit my shop for a fabulous discount. And I will just use my creativity on bags for now.

Happy Monday!

I could use some help on this.

2010-09-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to fill you in on a little secret...I don't know how to decorate. I don't know maybe I do, but it's more like I'm affraid I'll screw up so I just don't do it. Take for example my Living Room...

This is the view from the front door. It's not too bad right? Aside from the kitchen...we haven't remodeled that yet, so don't look. But the living room, it's not too bad, but maybe I could do a little more? Pretty pillows or something more with the mantle?

Then this is the back of the room...there's nothing behind the couch except a whole lot of floor space and then the top of the cabinets is really bare. Aside from Halloween, it doesn't get much attention. I've stared at it for four years (ever since we finished re-doing this room) and now I don't know what to put there. I thought about maybe some antique bird cages or garland, but I'm not certain I'm that kind of girl. Then I thought about getting a really pretty frame for our family picture and just putting it in the center? I don't know. Tell me what you think. If this were your home what would you use to decorate the cabinets? Oh, and should I have a pretty little entry table for behind the couch or would that be silly? Fill me in, tell me your thoughts...I'm desperate! :)

A Little Less Seamstressed

2010-09-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

Because it's Seamstressed week, I decided to offer this bag in my shop at a special 10% discount, ending soon. So hop on over and pick it up for yourself! The patterns and kits are still listed at a special rate as well.

Happy Shopping!

Birthday Wrap-Up!

2010-09-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

This year I felt like the birthdays just went on and on and on! I had a little party planned for both of the boys, but it couldn't be done until after their birthdays. So on their birthdays we did things as a family, which now I think we just did too much! Oh well. :)I had planned for a little birthday party in the backyard where the kids could play on the swing set and trampoline. I even made banners...but then it poured rain. Within two minutes the food was being rushed inside and we had to do our little BBQ in the kitchen. Again, oh well. The kids had a great time with their friends. I wasn't able to catch very many pictures amongst all of the excitement, so you'll have to settle with these shots of the boys and their sticky faces. Next year...one party, that's it! I think. We'll see. I'm really indecisive.P.S. Remember that "vacation" I mentioned? It's a go! I purchased the tickets last week for a luxurious two week getaway to Cleveland, Ohio for me and the munchkins...we will be staying at Hotel Roni, where the food is amazing, entertainment is unreal, and the chocolate stash is just fantastic. :) Can't wait!

The Seamstressed Bag

2010-08-29T22:18:00.001-07:00

The Seamstressed Bag was quite the adventure for me to take in sewing and I'm certain that I don't even have to tell you why. I had this vision and I was set on bringing it to life. I made a mini-version first to get feedback from my go-to girls and after their approval I went for it and this is what happened. Isn't it pretty?

(Fabrics by Riley Blake Designs)
I truly do love this bag because it expresses my personality more than anything else I've ever made. It says, "Here I am!" when it's carried into a room and if you know me, then you know that's totally who I am. :) This bag was designed for seamstresses to carry all of their seamstress stuff in. Hence the name, Seamstressed. It was made for cutting supplies and fabrics and notions and such. But if you'd like to use it for heavier items, you could just sew the straps in place and attach the buttons on top for extra security.

The absolute best part about this bag are the straps! You can keep them in standard purse position or you can convert them as shown below. Allowing you easy access to everything inside your tote and also easy to carry over your arm when you're lugging that 100 lbs of sewing machine.

(Fabrics by Amy Butler Design)

This bag has four surrounding jumbo pockets and secures with a magnetic closure. The pattern is once again, fairly simple with it's mounds of template pieces. Basically, you cut, sew, iron, and sew...basically. And the end result is priceless!

(Fabrics by Michael Miller and Riley Blake)

And just to show you that other people have actually made this bag...without shedding tears...or pulling out their hair...I swiped this picture from my sister-in-law's blog of the bag she made. She was my tester on the pattern and in one clean swoop this is what came about...

She did great, right? And conveniently there are kits for this bag listed in my shop and of course, I'm offering the pattern for a discounted price right now...so hurry, hurry, you don't want to be without...I promise!

The Backpack!

2010-08-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

It's official! My very first project has been posted over at the Moda Bake Shop! So hop on over and check it out! I'm a little nervous about this one because it's not my typical "handbag" so to speak, but I like it. I've definetly found a small passion for backpacks because I get to make them for my boys. You'll have to let me know what ya think?

And if you're visiting from the MBS you can find the colored pencil pouch tutorial here. Happy Saturday everyone!

Cuteness: according to me.

2010-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight we sat around watching as my husband set up the new swing set for the boys. We had a yard sale awhile back and sold some pretty large items (like the treadmill that I begged my husband for and only used three times) and decided that we'd put all of our summer earnings towards a new swingset for the boys. They did help earn the money and being that it's also their birthday time, we donated a little to make up the difference and called it one great BIG happy birthday present!

I am highly out-numbered in my little family and therefore all activities seem to consist of tools and trucks of some sort. The boys love it when Jason has a project to work on because they get to play with all of his stuff. :)

And the dog? Well, he's getting a little old and requires a lot of rest these days.

Be back soon!

Today...

2010-08-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

My hubbie took a boy with him to buy wood for winter. One child feels so easy.
I am meeting with a contractor to finish our basement. :)
I am making a mad dash to the post office! Hello P.O. ladies!
We have an appointment with the pediatrician for two handsome little guys.
I will be stepping into a quilt shop for the first time in months! Crazy right?
We are going to Ruger's preschool orientation...so excited!
I will return phone calls...and more phone calls.
I'm planning a vacation...keep you posted!
I'm cleaning because my mother-in-law is coming tomorrow!
I'm gearing up for the boy's little bday party this weekend.

What are you doing today? I hope it's exciting!

My Jumbo Glam Bag

2010-08-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

This week I will dust off (or perhaps I tossed it in the wash and hung it out to dry) the old Glam Bag! I will not show you a current picture because this poor bag has been abused and mostly, because it hasn't been ironed yet...but I assure you that it will be ironed and drug around town this week and there will be smashed crackers in the bottom of it by the end of the day. If we're lucky we will avoid all spilled beverages this week. ;)

I am so grateful for this bag and I know that sounds crazy because it's a bag, but if I could only tell you the relationship I've made with this bag. It has literally taken me the distance business wise and has given me every ounce of accomplishment that I dare to dream.

This bag was the second bag design that came to my mind and after a few rough drafts we were able to bring a simple sketch to life. This bag has two inner pockets, one large outer pocket and magnetic snap closure. The removable bow allows you to dress it up or dress it down and the comfy straps make it perfect for every occasion. I've learned that the bag can be made in any color, but black & white are most definetly it's most attractive combo. :)

I've broken many hearts by refusing to sell my one and only Tiffany Glam Bag. But how could I let it go? It has so much meaning to me.

This pattern teaches you to work with elastic, fusible fleece and snaps as well. And I've been told that the best part about this pattern is that their mistakes are easily hidden within the scrunching of the bag. ;) I've listed ONE pre-made bag (below) in my shop at a tiny discount:
There are still kits available and for a short time the pattern is listed at a discounted price! So hurry on over and pick up a glam bag of your very own or make one for yourself! Happy Monday!

***One more thing...I forgot to mention that my custom slots are all filled up. However, I have started a waiting list. If you'd like to get on that list just send me an email. :)

Oh Baby!

2010-08-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Today my baby turns 3! I refuse to have any more babies in August, because this is all too much to take. Sawyer is our happy guy--the entertainer. He gains the attention of everyone in the room without even asking. People are drawn to him and cater to his every need. We have to force people off of him in public, because YES he is that adorable! He is his brother's best friend and biggest rival. And he uses every ounce of his cuteness to his advantage. He gives the best cuddles and has the biggest pouty lip I've ever seen. I just can't believe he's already 3! Happy Birthday Baby!

Easy does it!

2010-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

You're going to think I'm crazy...but before you judge, hear me out! ;) Vanessa has been encouraging everyone to get organized over at her blog! Which is something I am not. Well I am but I'm not...basically I know where everything is, but it's probably not where is should be. At first I found myself just reading her posts and then slowly I found myself tossing out toys, unneccessary clothing and bedding, etc. Especially in the boy's room! I went out a few weeks ago, leaving Jason with the kids and I cleaned out the kid's section at Target. My husband thought I was crazy when I walked in with bins and shelving and sheets, etc. He was a sport though and helped me put it all together.

Also, while I was at my brother's house a few weeks back, I noticed that all of the children had 3 things on their beds--a fitted sheet, a pillow (with case), and a quilt. That's it, nothing else. I asked, "Betsy, does that work?" She confirmed that it's been the best way to keep their beds tidy and also to teach the children to make their beds. So I came home and I gave it a shot. Guess what? IT WORKS!!! Forget about the top sheet...just throw the blankets in the wash! Right?

So between these two ladies, I've come up with a system. Two quilts, two pillows, and two fitted sheets for both boys. I'm doing TWO so I can rotate bedding easily and not stress. They have their first sets already and will be receiving their second bedding sets for Christmas this year. Hence, the eeeasy square quilt above...and the extra bonus is that Ruger's learning to make his bed! He's a champ with laundry and dishes, so this shouldn't be too bad. :) I know, we're full of exciting news around here...bed making and potty training, life just doesn't get any better than that!

My Legendary Bag

2010-08-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

This is my Simply Legendary bag and it's the bag I'm carrying this week. Loaded with my Diaper Savvy coordinate, colored pencil pouches, snacks, wallet, etc. it's my best mommy bag ever!

(Fabrics: Marabella by Amy Hamberlin)

I originally designed this bag below for my Mom. She looooves pockets and long straps! She also loves cup holders in her car, but that's a story for another day (Hi Mom!). I used to be so scared to sew pockets in my bags (I don't know why) but my sweet mother helped me step out of that zone. Now we're working on zippers...give me some time, I'll get there.

This bag was a hit at market because of it's pocket overload...there's one in the front (as you can see) and then inside I've layered them so there are 5 pockets...yes, FIVE! A cell pocket, two bottle or longer pockets, a larger pocket for wallets and such, and then a small pocket for gum or keys. Store owners also enjoy the versatility of the pattern, allowing you to design your bag with long or short straps.

(Fabrics: Love by Amy Butler)

I've been told over and over that this pattern is simple to follow, especially with it's template pieces....I don't like to be the judge of my pattern's simplicity because well, I designed them and that just wouldn't be fair. So I'll just tell you what I've heard. ;)

This bag below is one of my favorites by far! It's in my shop right now! It's sewn with the longer straps. I think the mix of colors and Sandi's florals work for all seasons. Don't you?

(Fabrics: Meadowsweet by Sandi Henderson)

The Simply Legendary Pattern is also available in the shop! If you hurry you might get a

discount! Shhh...

Hurry Home!

2010-08-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

So life has been a rollercoaster lately. We've had grown-up decisions to make, babies to love and take care of, a house to clean, refridgerators to buy (we're on #3 this year), a mama to miss, hubbie's papers to edit, you know how it goes. And while none of it is tragic, sometimes life just gets full and the load seems heavy and so you remember the good times. Where there's always someone that remembers you and understands your troubles and keeps her cupboard stocked with cookies n' cream candy bars just for you (b/c you don't buy those things for yourself). And when that person's gone you feel a void and she just can't be replaced...so you wait out the four long years (3 more to go) for her hubbie to finish med school and you be really supportive, minus the venting on your blog. And while it's so entertaining to share those massive amounts of texts a month and hear your hubbie say, "I'll listen to you." It's just...not...the same!

Everybody Poops!

2010-08-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today my heart rejoiced and perhaps sang a tune as my baby (almost 3) used the potty for the very first time! NOW, I know that all children do this, but this was one of my greatest mommy moments thus far. The potty chair that Ruger used was just too big for Sawyer, he couldn't get on it and as for the regular toilet, well, obviously that would be too big as well. So I was sort of stuck and annoyed with the whole situation...darn near ready to snatch a bed pan from a hospital, BUT then today as I was walking through Target with my pal Lisa, I came across this little beauty...

I analyzed it for about 20 minutes, sent a text and Mom said, "BUY IT!" and off I went. I brought the little chair home, plopped it on the floor and a few hours later, Sawyer came running in saying, "I did it Mommy!" And he did do it! :) And we are all so proud! Ruger and I jumped for joy giving lots of praise. I knew he was ready, but I on the other hand was ill-prepared until now!

Oh and if you happen to like this potty chair, buy it online because apparently I really over-paid after my research and well, it's not like I can return it now. ;)

When did that happen?

2010-08-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today Ruger turns 5! Can you believe it? I sure can't. He asked today if he could be six...I'm so not ready for that! This little (BIG) guy has changed my world in so many ways and I love him so much for it! He's brought so much happiness and joy into our lives and I just wouldn't have it any other way! Happy Birthday Ruger!

Bag Kits

2010-08-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

I recently added some kits to my Etsy shop for the Seamstressed and Jumbo Glam Bag patterns. The kits include the pattern and the fabrics that are shown below.
I also have a few slots available for custom orders. If there is a bag that you would like me to make for you, please shoot me an email for fabrics and pricing. Once the slots are filled it will be a little while before I take orders again. Thanks so much!

A Little Bedtime Routine

2010-07-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Zoom In:

Zoom Out:
All in a night's work!

Winner, Winner!

2010-07-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

According to random.org our winner for the giveaway is

#11: Crystelle Boutique

You can email me to claim your prize tinyseamstress(at)yahoo(dot)com

I'll be back soon with more fun stuff! For now I'm off for a night with the family.

A tiny pattern and a tiny giveaway!

2010-07-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Fresh from the drawing room floor...I've been working hard in my little corner of the world for my debut over at the Moda Bake Shop. This pouch was an idea that came amongst other projects and mistakenly just fell right in place and I really wanted to share it with my readers. The companion for this project will soon be shown over at the MBS, but for now:

The Colored Pencil Pouch:

You will need:

2.5 fat quarters

velcro

fusible fleece

colored pencils :)

1. Cut two 2" by 22" strips with your 1/2 fat quarter piece. I curved mine out a little on the end cause I'm crazy like that, but it's optional. Cut a small square of velcro and apply to center of curved end (not shown in picture).
2. With strips right sides together, sew down long edges and across bottom. Turn right side out, press, and top stitch. This is your belt.

3. With 2 fat quarters cut two 16" by 17" rectangles. Cut one 16" by 17" piece with fusible fleece and apply to wrong side of one rectangle. Choose one rectangle to be your body (outer piece). Measure 5.5" from the top and pin belt across body. Sew down long edges, stopping 1/2" from the right side of body for seam allowance.4. Cut a 2" by 6" strip from .5 fat quarter. Fold top side over 1/2" and press. Fold bottom side over 1/2" and press.Fold in half, press, and sew down long edge.
Fold ends under and pin loop in place 3.5" from end of belt. Sew down both ends.
5. Apply strip of velcro 1/2" from end of body piece, but on top of belt.
6. With belt tucked in, sew both rectangles right sides together, around all four edges, leaving a 3" opening to turn. Clip corners if desired. Turn right sides out, press, and top stitch edges.
7. Fold up bottom of rectangle 5" to form a pocket. Top stitch down both sides of pocket.
8. Measure and draw 3/4" pencil pockets starting at your left seam and ending at the right seam. Be sure to avoid sewing over your belt loop on the back. You will have 20 pencil pockets when finished.Fold top in half to line up with top of pocket and sew down both ends as shown in picture below.

Fill with colored pencils!

And you're finished! Wahoo!
Now, for the giveaway! I will be giving away ONE Bliss kit (and you know this fabric won't be available until October right?) to make your own colored pencil pouch!

Here's what you have to do:

1 entry: Tell me who you'll be making this little pouch for!

2 entries: Twitter or Facebook about this giveaway and then come back and leave a comment saying you did!

3 entries: Blog about this giveaway, come back, and leave me your link so I can read it!

And remember to keep checking back. I'll announce when my project goes up at the MBS and there might be another teeny, tiny giveaway. ;)

We went again...

2010-07-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

I promise, I've been working really hard. It just doesn't appear that way. We have to do something to keep these little hooligans entertained though. :)

So I Never Forget.

2010-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my counselors and I decided that it would be best to have sharing time based around our sweet Preslee and we knew that the children would want to do something special for her. I decided that I would begin by explaining that there was a really sick little girl in our ward... and before I finished about 15 little hands shot up in the air. They were so anxious to tell me the story of Preslee that they already knew, followed in detail of the prayers and fasting that their families were doing together. They told me how Preslee was their neighbor or their friend, Ashley was their teacher, Pat was their buddy, and one time Preslee did this or that, etc. They all knew the Sullengers in some way. I think that every leader in the room was filled with tears as the children and I discussed what a hospital is like, what makes you feel better when you're sick, and how presents are the best medicine. ;) I asked the children if they had ever been in the hospital and one little boy raised his broken arm in the air, I couldn't help by chuckle a little.

They decided that they would each make a card for the parents (I can't tell you how many times I spelled out P-R-E-S-L-E-E and S-U-L-L-E-N-G-E-R) and then a little something extra special for Preslee. You might remember the quilt that I blogged about awhile back. We had packed this quilt to take with us to Sawyer's appointment at Primary Children's this last weekend. Coincidently and accidently the hospitals got their wires crossed and they cancelled our appointment, so we weren't able to go. We figured we'd take the quilt when we returned in August, but on Sunday those plans took an abrupt turn and that precious little quilt now looks like this:

Each child in the primary so carefully wrote their names in the designated spots. They were so excited to have something to send to Preslee. A week ago I didn't know what to do with myself in this calling. I wasn't sure what to teach these children or how to help them understand. Silly me, I should have known that I wouldn't be the one teaching in this calling! They're teaching me just what I need to know. And even if the squares aren't even and the names aren't straight, and perhaps some are written larger than others...they still did a much better job than I ever could on a quilt. They did it just right! They're passing every ounce of their love along and what greater lesson can there be than to just love one another? I hope that having all of these little names (each a Child of God) close to her will bring her warmth and comfort.

My Bags.

2010-07-13T18:48:00.001-07:00

I often get asked which bag I prefer to carry or if I even carry my own bags. It falls right after the statement, "You're the Tiny Seamstress? That's so clever!" So, I thought it would be fun to feature a bag each week, that I actually use, no misconceptions here. :) Sometimes you will see my bags and sometimes you won't and maybe you'll catch a few sneak peeks too. This has been my favorite bag lately, it's been a little too favored.

the Classy Sophisticated Bag

Roni actually made this one for the show and I snatched it up, not even allowing it to sell. I love the Amy Butler fabrics and the bag holds everything I need without letting me go into overload with unneccessary items. You know what I mean? Simple pockets and reversible!
***I also know that there is one Classy Sophisticated bag and some patterns listed in my Etsy shop.

Sweet Preslee

2010-07-12T20:18:00.001-07:00

You never really know what to say in these circumstances, so I will just say that we love this little family and our hearts are with them. The Sullengers are in our ward (church) and we've slowly come to know them by standing in the hallways with our children during Sacrament Meeting. Preslee has really used a lot of energy in this fight! She's so strong, but I think a little bit of our energy would help her fight a lot harder. We love you Preslee and hope for a miraculous recovery sweetheart! The whole primary is praying for you! For Preslee's story you can read here and to help out the family you can go here.

Today I will just be thankful.

2010-07-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

4th of July!

2010-07-05T09:41:00.001-07:00

This was our very first 4th of July without Jason and it was so tempting to just put the kids to bed and pretend like it wasn't a holiday at all, but really what kind of fun would that be? Our really good friends invited us over for fireworks and we took them up on that offer. I've decided that this is the best way to celebrate: throw the kids in their pjs, pack up the car, enjoy the show, head home. :)

Sawyer has always been the "tough guy" in our home, but he lost that image last night. The fireworks terrified him, poor guy. In this picture he's telling me to take him inside, which I did, and he played with cars until he fell asleep on the floor. This morning he said, "Don't want to boom! Don't want to mom!" Funny guy.

Ruger, on the other hand loved the fireworks! He usually covers his ears and runs, but this year I had to tell him to stay back all night. I guess he really is becoming fearless.

Both boys however, thoroughly enjoyed the sparklers. All of the kids loved them. Lisa would shoot off a few fireworks and then we'd have a round of sparklers and that repeated all night. It was so much fun!

Here's Lisa with most of the boys, we're missing one. The boys really had a great time together.I'm grateful to have friends willing to always take care of us when dad is away. We don't have family near by and so it makes holidays that much better! Hope your 4th was just as fun!