Surprise!

This past Sunday I co-hosted a surprise birthday/sprinkle shower for my best friend Rebecca. The idea started with Jessi and I wanting to do something for Becca to show our appreciation for all the things, big and small, she has done for us.
For those of you who don't know Jessi, she is pretty darn amazing. She is one of those gals who is always hosting fun parties and makes it look like a breeze. Her no nonsense, get it done, drama free attitude has always impressed me. We decided to have the party at my place and I couldn't have asked for a better co-host.
Then Aunt Mary called the night Jessi and I were getting ready to finalize the invitations so Jessi could get them ordered and sent out (yep, yet another of Jessi's talents, picking out adorable invites.) If you haven't heard of "Crazy Aunt Mary," Becca's fun loving aunt, then you haven't spent enough time with the Stiremans. She has definitely earned the nickname. Mary also happened to be planning a surprise birthday bash for Becca. Mary's ideas happened to be on a much grander scale, but when she heard we were already planning to have it at my house (my NOT very big house, I should say) she agreed to downsize things. Things took off from there.
I wanted to make some homemade presents tailored to Becca and Dave's tastes, but had just finished a big project for the Moda Bake Shop contest. So every day after work I would come home and get to crafting or sewing in my studio. Here is what came out of it.....

I wanted some simple but useful party favors, so I bought some magnets and picked some cute paper out of my stash.

After lots of gluing, waiting, and gluing some more this is what I got. I put them on paper with a cookie sheet beneath them to keep them from trying to get together and ruin my hard work.

Of course I had to make a dog burp rag with a dalmatian in honor of Lady! She probably would have tried to eat it back in the good old days.

I drew an octopus and squid for fun.

And the coral fabric from Parson Gray was perfect for this project.

More Parson Grey material for the elephant. Oh, and the onesie idea was another Moda inspiration from this cute blogger! There are templates for the elephant and giraffe on her blog.

I loved the frayed edges to go with the ocean look.

Silly squid.

Cute fish cut from Moda fabric scraps.

A "cuddle" fish inspired from a blanket Ali, Jessi's talented sister, made.

Some of the party favors just happened to match the boxes.

The surprise!

The arrival of the main guest.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. Belly friends. VaRonica is due THIS WEEK (an extra thanks for showing up is due here!)

The day was just about perfect. Thanks again to all the lovely ladies who came and a special thanks to Mary and Jessi for helping make things happen!

And here is one more special gift I put together Friday night for another important gal in my life. A dear friend's daughter was turning one year old, so I made a funky rag doll. The ribbon hair is fun to rub or play with and the bottom material is a pocket for her to keep "surprises" in. Inspiration came from my neighbor's pintrest which let me to this link.

All ready to go to her new home.

Sliced....

Today the Moda Bake Shop announced the honorable mentions for the contest. Out of approximately 120 entries, they listed nine that they liked that didn't quite make it to the final four. The finalists will be announced later today. I can't wait to see what made the cut. Unfortunately my Studio Apron did not make it, but I was lucky to be on the honorable mention list. Here is what they had to say:

JUDGES COMMENTS:

Absolutely love this studio apron/sewing caddy/chair caddy. Beautifully created with fabrics that coordinate well and create a very attractive organizational tool. Great idea which is very inventive, creative, and practical as it will save us time looking for all our tools. Must have this!!!

 

A Quick Contest Update....

Although there are officially 595 pictures entered in the Moda Bake Shop Sliced Contest, most items have 2-5 pictures. Let's say they all have five, that would make 119 items that people made. Wow! The four winners that make it into the next round will be announced on March 4th. I can't wait to see what makes the cut. Check out pictures of the entries here.

Fun but Intimidating

 I've now entered two pieces for the Moda Bake Shop Sliced contest. Making the projects was a lot of fun even though the pressure was on with the little time I had to make them. The only requirements were that they had to be original, have a buckle, and be made from Moda pre-cut fabric. Looking at other peoples' projects and seeing their creativity and use of fabrics has also been inspiring. Several people have links to their blogs and it is a little intimidating to see how many of them work in the field. Sewing has been a hobby that I love and creative outlet for me when I can fit it in my schedule, but for a lot of these people this is their profession. I have to admit I feel like I am in a little over my head, like a little fish in a big ocean, but I am still keeping my fingers crossed! Here is what my Studio Apron  and Mouse started as .....

My Moda Jelly Rolls of inspiration.

My first idea put on paper. I immediately decided that I like the idea of a rounded bottom.

So I used what was handy to round the bottom edges.

I chose charcoal to make the other colors pop in contrast.

Fabric I chose for my mouse pin cushion.

An old sweater I wanted to re-purpose.

I put a little foam board in the bottom of the mouse so that the needles wouldn't poke me!

And finally, my two projects together.

Wish me luck!

The Project Room/Sewing Studio

One of the first things Tim and I decided when we moved into the house was that I needed a project room/sewing studio. It is a great space that has been in transition the last few months. The table I have in there actually came with the house and was originally in the kitchen. It didn't have any drawers and we were desperate for more storage in the kitchen so we moved this into my little studio. Turns out to be the perfect fit.

Fabric storage. I got the idea from my neighbor's Pintrest (she loves to sew too, so we bond over our addictions to cute material and what to make of them.) Here is the link to where she got the idea from. I loved the idea of organizers but didn't have the money for the ones this blogger used. Another person commented that she made some from foam board and I immediately ordered some.

The old kitchen table makes a perfect storage area for my notions.

I made some bags for Christmas presents. They are the perfect size for makeup on the go. The pattern is Amy Butler's Style Stitches

The bags in pieces.

A Christmas quilt for Margaret that Becca and I made.

The design I made for Alice's quilt.

Alice's quilt completed.

I love all the fun baby material out right now. The material used for this quilt are from Material Girls Quilts , a fun little local shop my sister LeAnn introduced me to, and  Joann's.

Next on my list was a "Lovebird" quilt for Tim that I gave him on Valentine's Day.

The pieces. Some of the fat quarters I got on an amazing sale at Cottonwood Quilts, another local quilting shop.

The finished product.

I was so happy to find some roosters!

One of my muses. Charcoal is sleeping on some bags Krista sent me to turn into something new.  Thanks again Krista!

Timber sleeping in a cat bed. Cute old gal.

Lola found Charcoal and wanted to take his spot.

 And now for the project I have been working on this week. I discovered this contest about six days ago when I was browsing the Moda site. I had no idea what to make (it has to be an original idea) or if I even had the time to make it. I laid in bed that night and an idea popped into my mind. Next thing I know I am sewing like crazy after work. Here is what I created. It is an apron that can also be used as a sewing caddy or over the back of a handy chair. The good thing is even if I don't win anything, I still have a project that I love and is practical to use!

First I picked out some material from this Jelly Roll.

Being used as a sewing caddy.

Handy pockets.

I love the fun colors contrasted against the charcoal material.

The buckles help keep it snug over the back of a chair.

The back side.

Throw on a belt or some material through the loops and it is an apron.

 And finally, I'm not the only one who likes to make things in this house. Tim cooked up a storm the Sunday before Valentine's Day and made a rack of lamb and a killer cheesecake! Yum!!!