Quilt for Baby Number Four

I'm awaiting the arrival of grandson number four. I finished this quilt just in time because my daughter is in the delivery room as I type!

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

I will be staying an extra day visiting my son and his family because of a flight cancellation . Even though I need to get home, I get an extra day with my new grandson! This quilt was made from a charm pack that was given to me. Once again, I used a modified nine patch. 

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Ipad and Blogging

I'm doing my best to blog from my iPad while traveling. It's an exercise in frustration. I've played with Blog Touch and Blog Press for the ipad. Let's just say, I'd rather walk on glass. I'm now blogging directly from the ipad....

 This  baby quilt was made with a jelly roll pack.

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Kittens at the Beach Quilt

When I found this kitty remnant fabric, I new my grandsons would love it. I saw it as an opportunity to practice stippling. Even though I don't care for the color combo, the boys love it.



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Nine Patch

I love playing with the nine patch. This baby quilt is for my very pregnant daughter. Everyone is betting that she won't make it to her March 8th due date. 

  

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Quilt Number Four

I discovered a wonderful fabric/quiltshop less than thirty minutes from my Townhouse. It's in a wonderful old building nestled among antique stores and shops. You will find this shop, Inspire Quilting and Sewing, in Plant City, Florida. If you are ever in the area, it's worth a stop.The fabric for this quilt came from the shop. I love the color combo.

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Organization and Reaching Goals

Contentment has two sisters...Organization and Reaching Goals. When these two girls are in the house, life is good. I found a wonderful flow chart app that puts these two girls to work. I use it for everything!

Popplet for IOS is one of my top 10 apps. Here's a snapshot of my current projects. The pics on the chart are inspiration pins from Pinterest.

Contentment as a Way of Life

You can't buy contentment. Trust me, it can't be done. I do know it's inside of me. I get glimpses of it all the time. I'm working hard on drawing it out so it's with me all the time. When I finish a quilt, contentment glows brightly within...

My daughter asked me to make a t-shirt quilt as a gift for a friend. I immediately went to the Internet for help. After reading different tutorials, I found one that was easy to follow. This quilt came together smoothly. I wish I could give credit to the person who did the tutorial; however, I didn't bookmark it. I'll update this post when I find it.

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A Time to Quilt

My driving word for 2013 has been contentment. I think if I could harness the power of being content, my life would be complete. I'm thinking quilting and diy projects are great ways for allowing contentment to flow through my veins. We shall see...I'll keep you posted...

linked to A Creative Princess

Quilting Time

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wow! It's been over two months since my last post! Time slips away so quickly when an obsessive personality sinks its teeth into something...in other words, quilting has taken over my life! I have completed ten quilts during my leave!! Years ago, I took a hand quilting class. Even though I loved the actual quilting part of the process, the rest was slow and tedious. It didn't take long for me to lose interest. I wish someone had told me about modern quilting! When I made this discovery, it was like an adrenaline rush! It's fast and easy! My sewing machine is my new best friend! There are so many resources on the Internet that supply help and inspiration. I'm truly grateful for all the wonderful bloggers who freely share their tutorials. Here's my first baby quilt. I made it for grandson number three. He's the latest joy in my life.

DIY Bottled Christmas Trees

I love miniatures. When I saw a Pinerest pin creating antique white bottle brush trees from an assortment bag of green trees for Christmas villages, I had to try it. Purchased my trees at Michael's with a 50% off coupon. Using a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water, the little green trees transformed into wonderful vintage trees before my eyes. The snow is epson salt.  I added some German (glass) glitter to complete the look. Starbuck bottles and cherry jar were in my stash of jars…yes, I have a jar stash…I love jars, too.

DIY Christmas Faux Mantel

I love creating stuff on the cheap. Fortunately, the Dollar Tree and inexpensive burlap are great resources for creating some Christmas magic around the townhouse. The closest thing to a fireplace mantel in my place is a shelf above the stairwell banister. With a little imagination, it became the backdrop for my faux mantel.The little white trees are from the Dollar Tree. The burlap used to make the stockings was purchased with a 50% off coupon at Jo Ann's.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

DIYStockings

When you don't have a fireplace, being resourceful is necessary.
My fingers did the clicking until I found someone who used a footboard to hang stockings. Yes, I copied the idea.

Here's the link to source.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

DIY Instant Candle Ring

I was amazed to discover that my last post was November the 4th! Being a one track mind individual, my attention was on getting DIY holiday projects completed. This project is one of my favorites because it just happened. I had a candle holder, ornaments, and a white boa sitting around. One thing led to another…presto, a fabulous centerpiece! A white feather boa will make anything fabulous!

DIY Mason Jar Candle Holder

My grandsons spent several sunny days collecting tiny acorns. We used some of them to paint and decorate as tiny pumpkins. Since there were plenty leftover, I used some to make a Mason Jar Candle Holder. I have a huge fear of real candles, so I purchased a faux one. It's a bit of a pain to light; however, I don't have to worry about forgetting to blow it out. I'm linking to Bouquet of Talent Sunday Linky Party. Kathy has a wonderful blog. It's worth a visit.

DIY Fall Wreath

My fall wreath is waiting for Halloween to end. This easy peasy wreath was created for about $6.00 after using Michael's coupons. I've seen similar at Pottery barn for a lot more… Today's link party:

DIY Reversible Purse

I hope fabric purses never go out of style because they are so much fun to make. This reversible "hobo" bag was super simple to sew. You'll find the tutorial here at Very Purple Person. She has a wonderful tutorial!!!

DIY Corded Rouleaux Strap

"You learn something new everyday" is an old expression; however, it is so true. I didn't know there was a "fancy" term for corded strap… that's right, I learned something new… I'm in love with making these little purses. This one is for my sister. It's just the right size to hold a cell phone, cash, debit card, and id. You haven't seen the last of these…

Resources to help you create your own:
Rouleaux Strap
Installing a Zipper

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DIY Rope Baskets

 Sometimes I do things and wonder why? About a month ago, I purchased a bunch of rope that I saw online. It seemed like a good idea; however, I really didn't have a plan in mind when I made the purchase. I guess that's impulse buying… Today, I put the rope to use. While doing my laundry room makeover, the idea of making rope storage baskets popped into my head. I'm glad I had that rope… an argument for creating a stash. I covered a plain white waste basket from Target,  three plain white dirty dishes tubs from Walmart and a large coffee can. The liners are faux, made from a Home Depot drop cloth, because the lazy side of me took over. The total cost of  creating the 5 containers about $35.00 . I think the frugal side of me is happy.

DIY Canvas Photos Tutorial

I'm in the process of a doing a laundry room makeover. It's a great opportunity to test some different techniques I've pinned on Pinterest over the last several months.  I discovered there is nothing easier than canvas art. In fact here's my tutorial:

Supplies
8 x 10 photos (Walgreens at 40% off = $10.24 for the four)
8 x 10 canvas (Michael's Value Pack with 40% off coupon = $9.00 for 10)
Mod Podge Matt Finish (in cabinet)
Disposable brush
Black Acrylic Paint (50 cents at Michael's)

Steps
1. Trim photos to fit canvas. I used my rotary cutter. Just a sliver needed to be taken off each. Careful!
2. Paint sides of the canvas black. Be sure to cut in on the front. You don't want any white to show when you mount photo. Allow to dry.
3. Paint a coat of Mod Podge on the canvas.  Mount Photo
4. Use the paintbrush to cover the photo with Mod Podge. Don't be afraid, it will dry clear and give a nice slightly brushed look.
5. That's it! Each costs about $3.50. Frugal side is very happy!

The little white dog is Benson. He's my party loving dog. The other dogs belong to family members…I guess they are Benson's cousins.

DIY Hand Soap

Link to Hand Soap Recipe

There is a frugal side of me that appears every so often. Making hand soap appealed to that side. It's an easy project and if you google DIY hand soap, you'll find many sites that will show you how to do it.  I originally stored the soap I made in a gallon milk jug; however, after a few weeks, it began to leak! Fortunately, I had been saving wine bottles. ..

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DIY Perpetual Tree is Born!

It started with branches in a vase and a burlap bow. It needed something else… I added autumn leaves…still needed more… Halloween ornaments and a blackbird. The grandkids and I went to Mcd's on cheap Tuesday and to our surprise they had vampires in the happy meals. Count D. was added to the tree.  Of course our tree needed lights…found lighted twigs. This picture doesn't capture the cuteness of it. I believe this the start of a perpetual tree.

Spider Cupcakes with Dollar Tree Spider Rings

I'm having such a great time doing Halloween activities with the grandkids. They love "scary" things. For $1.00 you can buy a bag of spider rings at the Dollar Tree. These great little spiders go a long way. I've used them to decorate our Halloween tree and now I've made "scary" spider cupcakes.  They were a hit at last night's cookout.  Hmmm…I still have plenty of spiders left…

Banana Bars with a Twist

I hate to see bananas go to waste.  Betty Crocker came to the rescue with a super simple recipe for banana bars. What's great about this tasty delight is it doesn't have a strong banana taste to it. The cinnamon gives it a nice spicy flavor…in a tasty way!

Recipe is here.

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DIY Shoulder Strap Wristlet Purse

My daughter wanted a wristlet to wear around her neck. I hope that makes sense.  It was to be big enough for iPhone, pen, and some post-it notes. I adapted the zippered bag I made the other day to meet the requirements. Hope she likes it!

Link is here!