20,017 Comments For One Giveaway!

Can you imagine?  It’s true!  When The Pioneer Woman does a giveaway, she gets between 10,000 and 20.000 comments.  Check out her June 23rd cooking post.  Me,not having a clue, actually entered one of her giveaways.  She divided  it into 3 groups,  my comment was something like number 401.  Great I thought!  First one in the third group. Here I am I shouted and waved my arms right in front of my computer.  I was sure one of the three pink Kitchenaid mixers she was giving away was mine!

Ha! Did my jaw drop!  Over 10,000 comments in that one and #401 was swallowed  by the random number generator.

Over in photography she was giving away more things.  I figured out that to read all those comments you would have to start at dawn and go on for days.  Days of nothing but reading comments.  Strange how my mind even thinks of something like that.  LOL! 

She won the 2009 Blogger Awards for best blog and if you haven’t visited you should!  

And now to the point of this post, finally! It’s true I really want that mixer, but you can learn so much from her photography posts!  Read them, take out your camera and follow along!  I did!  Had no idea you could move the focus point around on a camera.  You can! Check out the photo of my pencil drawer!  I focused on the glass knob…the rest of the photo is blurry on purpose! 

Next time I’ll focus on some eyes or a quilt block or something exciting for you!   For now I hope you enjoy her blog.  She has great photos, recipes and garden and decorating tips. 

Back soon,  thinking about that mixer.  Should I use a credit card? 

Hugs,

 

Anne

Windows Live Writer

I’ve been blogging for over two years and just found this program about 6 months ago! If you haven’t tired it I highly recommend it. It’s called Windows Live Writer and it opens up all sorts of creative things for bloggers. Like what?

Like an album of photos arranged in any order you like! If you click on the picture it opens up a different screen showing all the photos. Click the back arrow to return to my post. Mooch is my poster girl for the purpose of this demo…

View Full Album

Or, let’s say you want to show a map of a city or location you’re blogging about….you can do it!

San Francisco, California

Or, you can insert a table with pictures! Just make sure the size of the table isn’t larger than 375 to 400 width for blogger.

How to make a carry me bag from a Honey Bun Roll	Chelsea loves to sew but she wants to go to bed!
Time to add that Timtex!	A finished bag!

Or you can insert pictures and make them FANCY! I make sure all my photos are around 375 width and they work just fine.

Windows Live Writer is like using Microsoft Word. It’s so great! You can save your post in draft form, or publish whenever you’re ready. Just set the publish date for your choice!

When you sign up you will have lots of choices of different things to add. I suggest just selecting Live Writer for now. You can always go back and add more when ready. Here you go. Sign up, give your blog address and you’ll be ready. You’ll have to play with it to figure it out...

Windows Live

Have a great weekend!

Anne

In love with toweling!

Is it possible? Can you actually fall in love with toweling? You know, it’s that fabric that comes with two finished edges. All you have to do is cut and hem two ends and you have a towel! A towel! So how exciting can that be?

Enter The French General! Kaari Meng thank you!

I opened up this piece of LINEN toweling today and fell in love. I can think of so many things to do with this! I may have to order bolts and bolts just to have…then line them up on top of the shelves in the kitchen to look at every day. If I tie a bow around the bolts they become decor don’t you think? 25 bolts? Is that enough?

It’s so wonderful and I’m going to do something really cute with it. You’ll have to wait a bit to see my pattern, but have faith. This toweling is going in my kitchen and hopefully yours!

L	O
V	E

Have a great day! I’ll be sewing on this toweling and dreaming of bolts!

Hugs,

Anne

Pure, Natural, Timeless and I love it!

I love this fabric!  AU.THEN.TIC by Sweetwater and Moda Fabrics.  It’s delightful, new and so creative! 

And I’ll be using it this week in a new design.  I can’t wait to get started!   If I can just stop reading the fabric long enough I might get something done LOL!

Just look at the fabric in the above photo.  Can’t you just see this in so many things?  I can!  I can appliqué and read at the same time.  Who could ask for more?

Or how about this print?  It’s exactly how I feel when I look at it!  These words say it all!  So, so cute! 

 

What’s black and white (cream) and read all over?  Au.then.tic by Sweetwater!  

So what do I have up my sleeve for this fabric from these two new mother/daughter Moda designers ? 

Stay tuned!  You’ll have to wait to “read” my quilt! 

I can tell you this…this fabric = cre.aaaa.tive fun!

Au.then.tic by Sweetwater!  Great reading!

Hugs,

Anne

Truth or Consequences!

A day like no other in the life of a Chihuahua.  On the scale and the numbers don’t lie.  Do they?  Well here’s the good news…Chelsea didn’t gain any weight.  She stayed the same!  That’s good and bad.  This little body needs to fit into a bikini soon.  30% of it has to be gone in order to do that!

So she has to give up sewing for awhile and get into exercise.  Poor little dog.  Just when she was becoming so accomplished! 

I have to put her machine away.  No more sewing totes.  Maybe it’s a good thing because after sewing on this button….

…she was exhausted!  She picked a winner for her tote and that was all she could do.  Too much to ask for a Chihuahua. 

Wait!  Chelsea!  Before you nod off, who’s the winner?  Who?

Getchen # 47?  What did she write that you liked so much?

“Chelsea did a fabulous job helping with the bag. Hope I am the lucky winner!! Don't worry about the weigh in at the vet--everyone knows doctor's scales are always wrong.”

Well no wonder you picked her!  Those scales are WRONG!  

Congratulations Gretchen from Atlanta!  You win the tote from Chelsea!  Just send us an email with your address and Chelsea will get it off on Monday. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Hugs,

 

Anne & Chelsea

Chelsea’s Surprise!

I have no idea how she got this done, but she did. While I was making my “Carry Me Bag”, Chelsea made one too! Something about fabric strips called “Honey Buns” that she just loves!

I always read the comments about her out loud. Her ears perk right up. She loves them! So, to say “thank you” or “yip yip” she’s giving away the bag she made! (In case you didn’t know Chihuahuas “yip” not “woof”.)

She had a little trouble with the covered button! I promised her I would help this morning if she’d just come to bed.

So, on Saturday, when she picks a winner, her bag will have the prettiest covered button! And it will be coming to one of you! You know what to do right?

Oh, wish her luck. She has to go for a weigh- in at the Vet this morning. Things aren’t looking too good right now, and she didn’t seem to loose an ounce while sewing. Hate how that happens!

Have a great week. We’ll see you on Saturday!

Hugs,

Anne & Chelsea

Carry Me Bag almost finished!

Let’s finish this bag!  Chelsea can’t stand waiting for me to get done! 

Follow the pattern instructions for lining and pockets and insert lining into bag.

This tool is wonderful for pushing out the points of pockets. You can find it at Joanne Fabrics.

Time to add the Timtex!  Timtex is a little difficult to sew with but you can do it! 

If your Timtex has fold lines or is rolled, press it before you cut.  Put a pressing cloth over the Timetex and iron it flat.   Now cut to size according to pattern.

Insert Timtex into bottom of bag. Then insert  into each side of bag between lining and bag.  Pull up bag and lining to top of Timtex and pin in place.  

 

Open up free arm of sewing machine and put your needle in the needle down position. If your machine doesn't have a free arm, stitch with the lining facing up. 

 

Place bag over free arm and machine stitch the three layers together.  Here’s a few tips for this part:

1. The Timtex is awkward because it’s stiff. Be patient and don’t worry about bending it as you sew.
2. Start stitching at one end of the bag and stitch as far as you can. Remember you can bend the Timtex and it will go back into shape.
3. When it becomes difficult to stitch, backstitch, cut the thread and remove the bag.  (The only difficult part is the side section.  You have to pull the bag around the free arm a bit.)  Remember, the Timtex doesn’t break.
4. Put the bag back in the machine and begin stitching again where you left off.
5. Repeat this process until you have gone around the entire bag. 
6. When you come to where you started stitching, backstitch and cut threads

 

Follow pattern for binding, button loop and button.

Sew on the ribbon and it’s almost done!

This is what your ribbon will look like when you attach it to the sides of your bag.  

And that’s it!  The Carry Me Bag is finished!  Chelsea’s so happy she has a little surprise for you tomorrow.  Are you ready?

Have a great day!

 

Hugs,

Anne & Chelsea

Making the bag continued…

Let’s add the Craft-fuse interfacing…

Craft-fuse is wonderful, and it leaves any tote with a firm, but soft feel.   I’ve used it in the Carry Me Bag to give extra support to the sides, front and back. 

• Use a dry iron when pressing Craft-fuse to the lining.
• Check the front for wrinkles.  If you see any, lift the Craft-fuse and press again. 
• Turn over and press the lining from the front. Don’t touch any part of the shiny interfacing with your iron or it will stick. 

Tip: Check that the width of your bag front/back is 7 1/2” wide.  If not adjust as necessary by trimming any extra from the bottom strip. 

Sew the bag front and back to the gusset section following the pattern directions!  Tip:  DO NOT STRETCH the curve.  EASE  around the curve  slowly. 

 

Bag front stitched to one side of the gusset.   Repeat for the bag back and lining. 

Next I’ll show you how the Timtex fits into the bag! 

Back soon,

Hugs,

Anne

Making the bag! Let’s get started!

The most fun part of making the bag is opening up the Honey Bun Roll!   I love how they come packaged with each strip on top of another.   Lots of little Honey Bun “crumbs” all over now, but they can easily be cleaned up.  Just look at all this fabric!

I’m choosing assorted colors (thanks Dianne!).  It’s a gift, and I’m not sure of her favorite color.  Love the scrappy look and sure hope she does too!

 

Here’s what I picked for the bag: 

For the gusset strips I selected slightly darker colors. This becomes the bottom of the bag, and i don’t want light colors on the bottom.

Handles:

 

Binding:

 

Lining & Pockets:

I have all my pieces cut out, including interfacing, lining and pocket fabric and I’m ready to sew.

Note:  On the first printing the yardage amounts for the Timtex and the Craftfuse Interfacing were reversed on the pattern back.  It should read 1 yd of Timtex and 1  1/2 yd Craftfuse. 

If you only purchased 1 yard Craftfuse do this:

Cut 4 strips 1” wide x width of the Craftfuse and overlap two strips on each handle. Repeat for the gusset measurements. It will work and you’ll have enough interfacing.  

Sew all the strips together following the directions and then press the seams. Press from the front and then flip your strips over and press from the back.

And speaking of pressing…

Here’s where I iron!  No one ever gets behind this door unless they work here!  I have a built in wall ironing board in my large walk in closet that folds down!  The iron fits on the inside shelf when it’s closed up.

 

I’ve sewn the bag  and the gusset strips together, pressed the seams and I’m ready for the Craftfuse Interfacing! 

Next post:  Craftfuse, gusset, lining and pockets

Stay tuned…

Carry Me Bag & Timtex

What’s that stuff inside the Carry Me Bag called Timtex?   Well I can tell you this…without it, the Carry Me Bag would be wimpy and limp.  I left it out on my first prototype.  Oh my what a disaster!  Had to stuff the bag with paper to make it stand up!  LOL!

Can’t have that, so in came the Timtex!  It saved the day! If you haven’t used it, you may find it a strange beast at first, but believe me it can be tamed. 

Timtex is VERY stiff and almost feels like a soft cardboard.  The good news is that it’s 100% polyester, washes like a dream, and can be pressed into almost any shape with a hot iron.  

Some thought it had been discontinued and rumors were flying.  C & T Publishing picked up the manufacturing of Timtex and saved the day.  Why on earth would a publishing company manufacture interfacings?  It’s necessary for a lot of the projects in their books!  Look what you can do with it!

C & T is also manufacturing a lot of other  interfacings.  Some sound very interesting like the Fast2fuse Interfacings.  I’ll have to give them a try!

Normally when you are working with Timtex you cut off the seam allowance.  Notice in the picture above the seam allowance shows.

The cutting measurements in my pattern are minus the seam allowance, except at the very top of the bag.  I tell you to stitch it into the binding seam allowance for stability.  That’s the only reason.  You don’t stitch it into the side seams or the bottom seams.  I’ll show you in a bit…

Before I go onto my next post and start sewing my bag, I had to show you these photos sent to me by Diane Brown of Richmond Texas.  She has the cutest blog here!  She picked the “Sultry” Honey Bun and mixed all the fabrics.  I LOVE the look, don’t you? those Honey Bun rolls from Moda are so much fun!  One roll will make 3 bags!  3 not 2 like I say on the pattern.  How exciting is that?  One for you and two for gifts! 

 

Thanks Dianne!  I love your bag.  Now I’m off to start sewing.  Back in a few…