Color me flattered- sort of a mention on Pink Chalk Studio's blog-

Pink Chalk Studio did a little blog post round up of the little wallets of Valori Wells and one of mine is in there, amongst many really pretty ones.  It's in the top row, middle.  It even got called out in one of the comments by a lady who really liked the fabrics I used.  All Kaffe Fassett fabrics, of course, that's why she liked them, because they all work so well together. 

 

The little wallet was an extra I included along with a mug rug for one our swaps.  It's a great little pattern, I've made many of them and given all of them away as gifts, except for the one I use myself.  I like to add a little loop on the side and a lobster clasp so it can be clipped on to something if need be. I use mine to hold all my credit cards and store cards, library card, ID, etc.  I don't carry an actual wallet, just this little one.  My money is in a zipper compartment in my purse so this is just perfect for me. 

This is the mug rug I sent that time- one of my all time favorites.... My partner liked circles a lot. 

Anyway, I just wanted to toot my own horn a little.  Please forgive me!

And I'm going to draft up instructions for the e-reader prop/stand one of these days, for those of you who wanted it.  I just need to get some ducks in a row and get organized, having my husband home everyday, all day, is seriously messing up my sewing schedule.  It's NICE, don't get me wrong, but it's weird.  

Turkey, E-Reader Stand and a Peek for Ruthie...

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!  Jim was sort of laid out on the sofa trying to recuperate from a nasty bout of sciatica, so I spent most of the day in the kitchen cooking and we watched some shows about Alaska at the same time.  I can see him from the sofa so it's like being together without having him underfoot.  It's OK, though, his dogs more than made up for it, if I said "get out of the kitchen" once, I said it, loudly, a thousand times.  Dogs, argggg!  Anyway, the bird came out nice, didn't it?  I love that rack/pan combo, too, got it several years ago at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a mere $20, and got a rebate which made it end up costing about $7.  Gotta love that and the fact that it's non-stick, clean up was a breeze!

 I got an e-reader a couple of weeks ago since our local library is now loaning e-books which will save me trips to the actual library.  I got a Sony PRS-T1, the new wi-fi version with a touch screen.  I like it a lot, it does a lot of cool things and the librarian was very impressed with it.  She's seen a lot more e-readers than I have and said this one was super user-friendly.  Yay, I need that!    Anyway, this is what I was doing when I was eating lunch, propping it against books and Jim's rubbery glasses case.  Not terribly convenient, ya know?

 I decided it deserved better and since I had made a pouch from some fabric selvages and then decided I didn't like it, I had taken it apart and kept the pieces for something.  THIS project was perfect for those pieces!  I added a little more to the top, adjust the angles on the fabric and sewed up a pyramid shaped base which I then filled with ground-up walnut shells for weight.  I made a little bumper for the bottom to hold the bottom of the reader and voilá!  A perfect little stand!

 I actually had to remake the bumper thing twice to get it to hold the reader at the right angle for me to sit and read, but still, it was a quick and very satisfying project. 

And here's a little sneak peek of the label for Ruthie's mug rug.  I had to photograph it now because it'll be hard to see once it's attached to it. 

 

Can you believe it?  A blog post with no mention of bitt........ well, you know!   Next time, for sure. 

Consider yourselves warned.  :)

Mug Rug Received, bitties made and how to track an errant cat...

 This is the cute Halloween mug rug I received from Jeanette/scrapnchick, I just love it and I'm still using it even though it's almost the middle of November.  I do love bats!

And one of November's Bitty Block Swap themes was science/biology.  I decided on dissected frogs.  

 Close-up-

 And we're doing a side swap of calendar blocks- I was assigned April, so I went with Easter bunnies. I found an image by Googling and thought this was adorable.  I had some perfect fabric for the background and so I made these.  I added blush to the ears and noses for some color.  This is not my artwork, but can't find it again to give the proper credit. 

 And one of our cats, Beeswax, has been scaring us to death, going off for 2.5 days at a time, worrying us sick.  He finally showed up one morning and then disappeared again that night for another 2.5 days.  This time, I was ready for him!  I got some surveyor tape and wrote our phone number on it in case he's going to someone's house or barn.  I don't think he'd let anyone touch him, so I wrote it big so maybe they'll call us if he is going to their place.  Our nearest neighbors are a long walk from here, though, so there's no real telling where he's going or what he's doing.  Beez is 8.5 years old and has been neutered since he was very young, so it's not girl-trouble.  Anyway, he stayed home for a solid week, so we thought he was over this meandering thing, but then last night, I guess he took off again, he didn't come home for breakfast.  It's a very full moon, I guess the lure was too much, whatever it is.  I just hope he's careful and comes home soon.  We love our Beeswax so much, he's the coolest cat and LOVES to sit on Jim for hours.  The other 4 cats are being very good and hanging around in the house, because it's chilly outside and quite wet, we got almost 5" of rain last week. (Updated to add- he's home again, he was gone 3.5 days that time and then again for just 2, now it's cold and wet and he's staying in, yay!)

That's all that's happening here, except for a new Christmas mug rug swap that I'm trying to decide on what to make.  I can't tell you any of my ideas because it's not a secret swap this time, my partner is Ruthiequilts and I don't know if she ever looks at my little blog.  She's an amazing quilter/crafter though so I am feeling some pressure!

Bitties, mug rugs, Halloween and a rabbit in the kitchen?

 A while back, we made modern/solid bitties.  This one on the left was my contribution but I wasn't happy with how it fit in with all the others, so I looked for ways to change it so it looked better with its friends.  :)  I know, it's a cute block, but trust me- it stood out from the others which were more free-pieced and subtlety colored.  So I added black fabric to 2 corners, which eliminated the yellow and green and it really helped. 

 Then I added more to the other corners and thought that was really cool, too.  Striking. 

 Then- I tried using the original block and just adding strips around the sides, I like this one, too.  So it's amazing what you can do to an existing block if you're not happy with it.  Don't pitch it, change it!

 Our current swap is themed Doors/Windows.  This is what I made for my windows- damsels in a castle window.  Each one is different, either the dress or the hair or the background, no 2 are alike. 

 And for doors- I did cat doors.  You may not be able to tell, but there is a plastic flap over each cat, that is the cat door.  :)  Jim and I had fun coming up with names for them. 

  

I made a few extra ones for private swaps- this is my favorite- the Outhouse.  OK, I hate outhouses, in real life, but this one is pretty enough to like.  :)

Inside-

 My mother's favorite site in the early morning- the school bus leaving.   With us on board, of course! 

And I used some cute caveman fabric to make these- 

They crack me up.  You can pivot the rock to block off the cave entrance.  :)

 Halloween Mug Rug Swap time!  I made 2 for my partner- a round one that is functional and a rectangular, reversible one that is more decorative, but she can do whatever she likes with it, I'll never know.  :)  Also a bat/moon pin she can wear or leave on the mug rug or put it on her purse.  Some fabric scraps, too.

The backs-

And for weird crap I can do without- our Price Pfister Pfaucet sprung a leak.  Part is here- Jim is not.  He'll get to it soon, I'm sure.  Anyway, I wrapped it up to control the drippage and it looked like a bunny, it made me laugh.   Or an elephant with a toothache, you decide.  :)

Hope everyone is having a nice autumn, we are having the NICEST weather and I've been outside more in the last week than I was ALL summer long.  Too bad the mosquitoes are huge and eating me alive out there.

*Slap*

Been Sewing- Just a Bit(ty)!

While in Louisiana recently, I picked up some fabric to make a man's apron for our friend Lisa's husband, Richard.  We all picked out the fabric together, Jen, Lisa and I, so we're pretty sure he'll like this.  He does a lot of the cooking so it ought to get some use if it's not too hot in So. LA to wear it!  This side, modeled by my husband, is shrimp and crawfish and onions and peppers and all things spicy/Cajun, it's pretty fabric.  Has a nice big pocket for guy stuff, too.

 And the reverse is alligators!  Lisa and Richard live right on the bayou, so a gator in the yard would not be unheard of!  Eeeek.  I like her ducks, better!  :)  Richard is a wonderful host, as is Lisa, and Jen and I hope he likes his pinnie!  Enjoy it, Boo!

 I got all my bitties finished up, too.  A dozen toasters....

A dozen citrus juicers....

 ....and a dozen luna moths.

 Just for fun, I paper-pieced a blue lady bug, too.  This bug measures 1 5/8" wide x 1 7/8" long.

 

Now it's time to make some things for the Etsy shop, ugh.  I would rather sew for fun, ya know?  Making a dozen sewing organizers and a dozen crap caddies isn't all that much fun.  But, ya do what you have to do.   

The End of 2 Swaps, I'm so sad! Back from vacation, too.

Sad that the swaps (and my vacation) are over, THRILLED with what I received!  :)  Vaca was great, lots of fun, new experiences, so many laughs and good times.  Back to reality, though, which lately hasn't been too bad!  See the photos!

This is the doll quilt that I sent to my friend, Dena Wayne in New Mexico, and she really liked it.  I call it "The Wheel of F#@&(*% Fortune" quilt, because I did a lot of cussing while trying to line up points and seams.  A LOT.  Dena understands the title, because she "gets" me.  That's why we get along so well, we are kindred sisters.  :)  The only reason I didn't abandon this project is because I knew Dena would love it and appreciate all the hours that went into it.  It was one of the most complicated piecing jobs I've done, but paper piecing it really helped me to get those seams to line up.  That and about a million pins!  :)

 And this is what I received, from my partner Silvana, aka Silort on Flickr.  I totally love it, the quilt is one I had been lusting after as I watched her make it, she showed a lot of progress shots and I really loved what she was making, not ever dreaming it could really be for me!  I knew she was in a different group than I was, but the sneaky swap mamas played a trick on me and it turns out, it WAS for me after all!  I got home from my vacation to find this waiting for me- look at all the fun extras she sent, too!  That book is wonderful and very inspiring.  The chocolates are delish and so creamy and rich and they made it here in the summer without melting at all, I have no idea how she accomplished THAT!  lol

These tiny suns are just amazing, as is the rainbow border that she pieced.  Those little squares are 1/4"!  Just amazing the amount of work and skill that went into this little beauty!  Thank you so much, Sil!  I will treasure this forever!  Don't you love how she quilted it?

The mug swap is over for me, too.  This is what I sent to my friend Edy, in New Mexico.  She sent me the longest, funniest thank you note and it was heartwarming to read, what a sweet lady!  I knew she loved red, birds, cats, nature and humor, so I tried to cram it all into one little mug rug and it actually worked!  :)
Her Haiku-
Puddles are okay
but your cup of tea beckoned.
Some privacy, please?

And this is what I received from my friend Jules, chickenjulie on Flickr.  At first I was a little befuddled- it's a great colorful string mug rug, love that, but what is that brown puddle on it?  Then I read the Haiku, which was our theme for this swap and it made a little sense, it was gravy.  

The Haiku-

Gravey on mug rug

is totally better than

Gravy on mug rug.

 

OK.  Still a little odd, but OK.  lol  

 THEN, I flipped it over to see what fabric she had used on the back and there was GRAVEY!  Our little chubby girl, Gravey!  NOW it all makes perfect sense!  

Bwahahaha, how clever is this?!  Gravey is depicted sitting on the mug rug itself, it's a picture in a picture, totally clever and cute and it has my baby on it and I love it to pieces!  She did her usual excellent job with choosing a design, great fabrics and wonderful workmanship.  Her binding is incredible and of course, the cat steals my heart!   And the extras she sent are great, too.  A little rainbow package of fabrics, a spool of turquoise thread and a package of chocolate covered sunflower seeds, yum!  Thank you so much, Jules! This is of course, going up on the wall to be treasured!  Gravey has finally made it, she's officially famous now.  

 And no post is complete, lately, without some shots of bitty blocks.  :)  This upcoming month's themes are insects/bug and kitchen gadgets.  I'm signed up for both.  I made Luna Moths for the insects.  This is my prototype and I don't plan to change a thing, I'm happy with this as it is.

And for kitchen gadgets, I'm doing citrus juicers ....

 .....and toasters with real pop-up toast made from card stock. 

 I've seen some photos of what the other ladies are making (paper pieced butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, silk beetles and blenders,  measuring spoons and mixers, etc)  and it's going to be a fun month, getting all the great little beauties in the mail.  I'm addicted to these bitties like some perverts are addicted to porn, so when my husband brings in the mail, he calls out "porn call!" if there are obvious envelopes with bitties inside.  If the day is a bust and there are no bitties, we sadly sing "Porn Free" to the tune of  "Born Free".  Yeah.  We're a little warped like that.  :)  He likes to look at them as I open them and we oooh and ahhh over them together.  It's fun!

I hope all of you survived the storm OK and are having some fun as summer dwindles down. 

Girl time is the BEST time!

 Time for a get-away!  No, not to the beach, but I'm heading down to TX to a GF's  for a week or so.  We're jumping into the car again to head to Louisiana to another friend's house, to hang with her for a few days. 

 Here we are a couple of years ago at the beach- Jen, me, Lisa and Kate.  (Kate won't be with us this time, though.)  It was so cold and windy but we didn't care, we were on vacation!

 Lisa and Jennifer, 5 AM, I am a task-mistress! Get up, get up, get up, we have a long way to go today, fun awaits!  Jen has on her shrimpy Mardi Gras beads and Lisa is wearing her Star Trek communicator so we wouldn't lose her.  lol

Our friend Tiger made us all scarves that trip! The light above Jen's head looks like a big gold bow, bwahahahah!

So we're off to have more fun, see ya when I get back!