Bonnie
National Tie One On Day
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is celebrated annually as National Tie One On Day . . . tie on an apron, that is! Participants pause in their busy Thanksgiving preparations to make or purchase an apron and gift it to a friend or neighbor along with a freshly baked loaf of bread. National Tie One On Day provides the opportunity to return the “give” to Thanksgiving by simply sharing a kind gesture. You can read more about it here: Apron Memories.
Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon sewing up this apron for a friend. She was out of town with her family for the holiday and should be home this evening, so I haven’t given it to her yet. This morning, I baked a loaf of cinnamon bread to give with the apron. (Actually, I baked two, so I can tell you for sure that it is very yummy!) I hope she likes the apron and the bread, and I pray that it will bring a smile to her face and joy to her heart. (She has a way of always doing those things to me every time I’m around her!)
It’s all packed up and ready to deliver tomorrow! (Don’t you love my “upcycled” gift bag?)
Thankful
Happy Thanksgiving! Do you have exciting plans today? We’re enjoying Thanksgiving dinner this evening with our whole family and a few dear friends. The morning and afternoon will be spent cooking and preparing and munching! I’m starting the day with my morning coffee and a piece of Chocolate Pecan Pie shared with my sweet almost-2-year-old. The rest of the house is quiet still.
The quilt block above is one that I pieced last week to join others in a quilt for a grieving mother. My online friend, S, lost her unborn baby boy last month just a few weeks before his due date. My 12-year-old, Allen, prayed on Tuesday night, “Lord, help us to all be thankful, especially for those things that we don’t think matter very much.” That was a simple, beautiful reminder to me to be thankful for my husband’s smile in greeting from across a room, my oldest daughter dropping by with her little one just to hang out, my oldest son wrestling in the family room with his little brothers, my youngest daughter cuddling up and reading a story to my youngest son, my middle son pouring out praise in a song sung as loud as he can sing, my preschool son’s cuddles in the mornings and goodnight kisses every night, and my little guy’s “Side? Me? Pease?” when he wants to nurse. It’s the little things that we sometimes miss everyday that I want to be sure to be thankful for today. I should be more careful to be thankful for them everyday.
I pray that each of you has a beautiful Thanksgiving Day today, shared with those you love and filled with the joy of being thankful for the little things that we don’t think matter very much!
Quilt Market . . . the rest of the story
I swear I have not dropped off the face of the earth! These last few weeks have been packed full with filling and shipping orders, following up with people I talked with at Market, finishing up my pattern cover updates, working on a new pattern, and, of course, all my regular mom and homeschooling responsibilities. The new pattern is one that I previewed at Market, and my amazing group of testers is helping me finish a few last minute tweaks as we speak (er, I mean “type”). Want a little peek?
So, I promised to share a little more about Quilt Market. I really wish I’d taken more pictures, but I was so busy. Ray and I drove down on Thursday and started the set-up. Ray left me in the early evening to drive back to Dallas, and I hung out in the hotel room, finishing up stuffed apples until it was time to head to the airport to pick up my dear friend, Jamie, who flew down (all the way from Canada) to help me out for the weekend. Jamie’s flight was late leaving Toronto, so it was very late when she made it in and we headed back to the hotel. It was even later when we finally made it to the hotel after driving around in circles on the one-way streets of downtown Houston for . . . um . . . we’ll just say a while.
We spent the day Friday setting up our booth and enjoying some U. S. shopping. (I think Jamie took back half her body weight in fabric. It’s a good thing she brought an expandable suitcase.) Friday evening we dropped in for a bit at Fabric 2.0 where I managed to maintain a fairly professional appearance among people that I had never before met in person. Professional, that is, until I happened to see Rashida Coleman-Hale across the room, at which point, I might have sprinted across the room in an “Oh-My-Gosh-There’s-A-Celebrity-Who-I-Have-To-Meet!” moment. Rashida, by the way, is the sweetest! She very kindly acted like I was a perfectly normal person. (Even after I told her that I’ve been “stalking” her for years! Really, who admits to being a stalker the very first time they meet someone?) Not only did she encourage me and wish me the best, but during Market the next day, she stopped by to say, “Hello”. I was busy with a shop owner, though, and only got to wave.
From Fabric 2.0, Jamie and I walked over to check out Sample Spree. It was crazy and loud and loads of fun! At Sample Spree, designers offer sample packages of their latest fabric or patterns, and attendees purchase them at a discount to take back to their stores. Some designers even sew up their patterns or their fabric and sell those finished items for display in fabric and quilt shops. I’m thinking that I might have to join in and offer pattern samples at Spring Market.
Saturday, Sunday and early Monday were busy with actual work! (Should you really call it work, when you enjoy what you do so much?) Ray drove back down Monday morning and with his help on Monday afternoon we tore down in about 20 minutes what had taken us two days to put up.
Jamie’s flight was due to leave Tuesday morning, and she thought she needed to eat a real Texas dinner on Monday evening. After a bit of searching, we found a BBQ place not too far from us and Mapquested directions that kept us off of the busy rush-hour highways. However, the fourth time we arrived at this intersection, from a different direction each time, we just drove up the entrance ramp to the highway and followed the GPS!
The BBQ was amazing! It was almost worth driving over one of those crazy-high, I-have-no-idea-how-they-don’t-come-crashing-down ramps. I hate those things, for those of you who don’t know that already. Jamie, on the other hand, thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was busy looking straight forward, praying that we’d soon be on the ground safely and begging Ray to please drive slowly while Jamie’s camera snapped away and she excitedly pointed out how very high we were above the multiple bridges circling beneath us.
Tuesday morning, we packed everything up, dropped Jamie at the airport and hung out in Houston until she’d cleared customs before we headed north to Dallas and home. (Actually, that last part is not really the truth. We got lost leaving the airport, and it took us until Jamie cleared customs until we figured out where we were–but we don’t have to tell her that!)
Building My First Market Booth
I’m home from my first Quilt Market! I had a great time, met some wonderful people and heard some incredibly positive things about my patterns! I couldn’t possibly have asked for a better first Market experience! I have a few things that I’d like to share over the next couple of days, but since putting together my booth is where I spent the majority of my waking hours over the last few months, we’ll start with that.
When I arrived at the Convention Center in Houston on Thursday afternoon, this is what the booth looked like:
We happen to have quite the collection of vintage apple crates around our house. (We use them in almost every room for storage and display.) Those crates inspired the apple orchard theme of my booth. They were perfect for displaying my dress forms, hiding boxes and adding some character!
I went back and forth for a bit between using real apples or handmade apples. In the end, though, I loved using the handmade apples that were sewn for my booth by a few of my wonderful online and local friends. My 13-year-old daughter, Samantha, is quite the accomplished knitter (Have I mentioned that before?), and she did a beautiful job on the dozen and a half apples that decorated the two apple trees that Ray built for me.
A custom-built mini-picnic table from One Plank at A Time here in Dallas and a few pictures for the “walls” featuring my favorite little models rounded out the theme.
A few hours of putting it all together (and a little running around in Houston to gather a few things that I had overlooked), and it was all done!
The Mama & Baby Bag
Searching for the perfect diaper bag for mama and baby? Having a bag that is fun, fashionable and functional for both you and your new addition makes life so much easier in those first few years! I designed this bag do that and more! I think it’s the perfect size for moms who use cloth diapers or disposables—not too big, not too small. I even included patterns and instructions for a waterproof zippered wetbag and a changing pad with a hidden waterproof layer.
The outside front of the Mama & Baby Bag features two elasticized pockets and two flat pockets for those things that you need close at hand. On the back side, you’ll find a large zippered pocket to keep important documents and records safely contained. Just below the strap, a side pocket holds mom’s cell phone within quick reach. The tie-on strap easily adjusts to exactly the right length, from shoulder bag length, to stroller bag, to messenger bag. The strap is designed to be worn folded in half over the shoulder or unfolded for comfortable wear when worn across the body.
Inside, a divider separates mom’s things from baby’s. Mom’s side features a divided pocket with compartments for a pen or pencil, business cards and notes. On baby’s side, you’ll find three elasticized pockets to separate diapers, wipes and changing pad.
This pattern will be available in pdf format in my Etsy store on Wednesday, 10/19. The paper version will be available after Quilt Market on 11/2.
The Which Way Out Jacket
I’ve heard rumors that it’s getting cold somewhere, and your little ones need some bundling! My Which Way Out Jacket is designed to keep them all warm and cozy. (Here in Dallas, it’s still in the 80s, but winter will come eventually!) This hooded jacket uses two layers of fabric and with the right zipper, it is completely reversible for two looks in one.
One of the things that I love about sewing outerwear for my children is that you get a lot of wear for your sewing time! Unlike tees and pants that get worn one day and thrown into the wash until laundry day, jackets are worn every time your little one is out of the house in the cooler months and because they don’t tend to get dirty as quickly, they spend a lot less time in the hamper.
In sizes 12 months to 5T, the Which Way Out Jacket features roomy pockets and fold-up cuffs. For extra insulation, you can add a hidden layer of cotton flannel or thin quilted batting, or you can turn your Hooded Jacket into a windbreaker and raincoat by using PUL (polyurethane laminate) as the outer layer.
The PDF version of this pattern will be available on Wednesday, 10/19, along with one other pattern that I’ll be blogging about later today. The paper versions of these patterns will be available after Quilt Market on 11/2.
Guest Post Tutorial at Sew, Mama, Sew! Stadium Blanket & Bag/Cushion Combo
I’m so excited to have my latest tutorial featured on the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog today! If you’re a sports fan or just have little ones who you cheer on from the sidelines, you’re going to love this project. Grab that stack of t-shirts that need a new purpose and head on over: Stadium Blanket & Bag/Cushion Tutorial
Giveaway at Create Hope Designs!
Things are taking off over at Create Hope Designs! Please be sure to take a few minutes, if you haven’t already, to check out the amazing sewing patterns available there and purchase to support China Little Flower Orphanage. While you’re over there, take a few minutes to enter Izzy & Ivy’s giveaway on the blog, too. They are giving away six(!) prizes to six different commenters: 3 winner’s choice of any 5 Izzy patterns, 1 box of Sprinkles, a box with all their favorite notions, and a finished Lucy’s Little Flower Dress in your fabric choice: Izzy & Ivy Giveaway.
30 Days to Market!
Shhhh . . . Don’t tell my kids that I’m showing you this picture! One of our house rules is that the dining room must stay neat and clean at all times. It’s the first room that you see when you walk into my house, and I figure that if your first impression is one of a tidy home, maybe you’ll overlook any mess that you see in the rest of the house! I just had to take this picture, though, because it occurred to me as I walked through the dining room this morning, that this is a picture of my life at the moment. The back half of the table is covered with dress forms waiting to be dressed for Quilt Market (which, if you’re counting down with me, is only a month away!) The front half of the table is covered with 50 pounds of tomatoes waiting to be canned and Allen’s homeschool books. Sewing, cooking and schooling . . . and more sewing! Don’t feel bad for me, though! I love sewing (and cooking and homeschooling), and I’m really excited about Quilt Market (and a little bit terrified, too. Am I allowed to say that?) I could use an extra me, though. If you happen to know where I can get one of those, I’d be thrilled!
I have a few fun things to share with you over the next week or so, including two new patterns and a couple of tutorials! I’m really excited about a tutorial that I put together especially for those of you who are football fans. You’ll be able to see it on Friday on one of my very favorite sewing blogs!
On the homefront, I have a few things to share. First of all, I have to share some great pictures of my oldest son, Sean, from a few weeks ago. He’s a senior in high school this year and was chosen as one of the finalists for homecoming king. Isn’t he adorable? (As a side note, the homecoming parade took place on my birthday, and I was so wrapped up in taking pictures, that I almost didn’t notice when the whole group of homecoming king and queen nominees yelled, “Happy Birthday!” to me from the parade! How sweet is that?)
On a bittersweet note, we took a week off to travel to West Virginia last week when Ray’s Great Aunt Hazel passed away at 94. Aunt Hazel, who you can see in the picture below with Charlie last June, was one of my favorite people. She was a beautiful example of a Godly woman, active and full of life, showing people the Jesus that she loved by just being who she was. Most of all, though, she was always laughing or making someone else laugh. She will be very much missed by all of her family and friends but remembered with great joy.
Watered with Love: A Layette for Create Hope Designs
Have you been over to the Create Hope Designs Store yet? The Create Hope designers have created a selection of lovely pdf sewing patterns that are available for only $5 each. All of the profits made go directly to China Little Flower Orphanage to assist in the wonderful things that they do day in and day out.
My contribution to Create Hope is The Watered with Love Layette Set. This new layette is designed for simple, comfortable dressing in those early newborn days. Included in this pattern are a cotton knit snap-shoulder raglan gown and top in both short and long-sleeves. The long-sleeve version has those great fold-up cuffs that keep baby from scratching himself. (They’re really easy to do! Once you sew one, you just might find yourself adding them to all of your newborn sewing!) The pattern also includes a simple knotted hat. All patterns are sized from newborn through 6-9 months.
The name of this pattern has a really special meaning. I really wanted the name to reflect the selfless way that the caregivers at China Little Flower give to the orphans entrusted to their care. They pour an unbelievable amount of love into those tiny souls. Like beautiful fields of wildflowers are watered with spring showers, these little flowers are watered with their love.
