Sew Pretty....touches of HAPPINESS

This little bird...was a sweet gift. I love the delicate lace design. Perfect, for a sewing room!

The metal basket is also a gift..it held various teas from a local tea shop and now holds special buttons. Replacement buttons...the perfect place to look in an emergency!! Don't you just love the scallops, they add such a lovely touch and the embossed top!! Sooo pretty!

A treasured gift from a very sweet elderly lady.

This is a collection of French Country fabrics I have been collecting...along with a red Japanese print (more Japanese underneath)!

I use this basket to store my favorites...waiting on just the right pattern and project.

Did you notice my LOLLIPOP!! This is by Laurie of Lollipop Binding.

I purchased this one at one of her first Quilt Shows to show off her new product. I don't know that I'll ever use it, as it's one of her first ORIGINALS!! She now has a website and has added more adorable ideas to her line of "goodies".
Her story is wonderful..
She started out making Quilts for Soldiers overseas..and in a group effort...she had them working on different areas...one was rolling the cut binding. She looked down at the table of rolled up binding..and VOILA!!!

The light came on..THESE LOOK LIKE LOLLIPOPS!!!

and they are the cutest...I love mine. With the real lollipop stick!

Her design has gotten more colorful...but I'm glad I have this one. I love the story behind it and having met her..she is a very sweet person.

Little touches of HAPPINESS and INSPIRATION in your sewing room can do wonders!


Do you have special TREASURE in your sewing room...little touches of HAPPINESS!

Life is a little bit sweeter, when touched with kindness and beauty!

Happy Crafting!
HOPE

Pleasant Sewing Comforts

I love my sewing room...it has all the pleasures of my heart!

Photos of my precious grandchildren...a sweet country hutch from my husband many years ago...Quilts...memorable keepsakes...Memories to cherish and reflect upon as I do my crafts...or take a peaceful nap.

Many of the items on my hutch, take me back in time. The little duck..given to me by my eldest son many years ago..with spending money of his own. Tea pots from luncheons with my friends...favorite photos...a small white bird given a a gift during my cancer journey...journals from friends with notes of meaningful events and people in my life.

This quilt on my bed table is one of my first. It makes a lovely table covering...the clock my youngest daughter gave me with her own money on one of my birthdays many years ago...the white watering can a gift for speaking at a Lady's Mother Daughter banquet one year at my eldest son's church..and the pink candle another cancer journey gift, the sweet yellow rose pin I purchased years ago ...to look and think of my dearest friend and missionary to PNG..SUE.

The mirror on the wall..use to hang in the bedroom my three daughters shared...years ago.

This music box was given to me by my Pastor's wife..she is an excellent seamstress and long time friend.

I store some of my Quilting books in my hutch...and patterns etc. in these
mini suitcases..I love these and would own a million if I could find room!

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and here is where I store my FAVORITE fabrics...

the hat box holds ribbons and trims.

I love WHITE and the clean, crisp air it gives to a room.

I have more to share..hope you will join me!

Happy Crafting!
HOPE

Sewing Stuff!!!

My POLKA-DOT .... FUN sewing box!!


I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to be CREATIVE!

Well, I take that back..my mind is always in the creativity mode!

And my HEART always desires to make something SPECIAL for someone.

I thought it would be fun to ASK...do you have a unique SEWING BOX?

What are your favorite sewing NOTIONS (tools)?

Are you currently working on a project..if so..please TELL!!

This is the open lid to my sewing box... I attached a lovely mini rosebud sachet my daughter brought me from Washington State. It smells so nice when I open the lid! Ever thought of putting one of these in your sewing box?? Or adding a lovely favorite BUTTON as I did.
The little pink flower reminds me of my g'daughters!

I love to make things PLEASANT to the eye...makes life so much more...LOVELY! Don't you think? A little touch here..a little there.


Like a small crocheted DOILY at the bottom1 What a nice way to look inside..

Lickety Grip..is WONDERFUL!!! You wipe your finger over the top ..no sticky stuff...just keeps your fabric to your fingers when FREE MOTION quilting or even just gripping the fabric for use. No slipping of the fabric! TRY SOME!

and the CALCULATOR..from a dear friend for my b'day one year...LOVE IT! Fun to calculate your fabric needs etc. GOT MATH..Noooo...GOT HELP..Yeees!

I'm going to post on my SEWING ROOM also in the next weeks. A tour of sorts with some thoughts.

A place of refuge...with a CREATIVE HEART.

Please join me again..will you? I'd love to see you here and sharing our love of creating..and friendship!!

BLESSINGS!!
HOPE


a

Coffe Cozy!!

In the mean time...while I'm working on my quilted bed runner. I thought you might like to see a FINISHED project I did a while back.
Great gifts for your Coffee Lovin friends and family!

My first attempt was using a famous drive in "M" Coffee cup! Matched the fabric color! I love their Mocha Frappe' with lots of whip cream!


For my Brother in law Dave...on his birthday.

I saw something similar to these on a blog an decided to try my own!! I saved a STARBUCKS cardboard coffee cozy for a pattern and began my "creative" journey!!

and these for my mom and sister...who meet often at the coffee shoppe. Now they can pull out their very own COFFEE COZY!!! oooh la la...


I traced a pattern onto colored card stock. Wrote "my" directions on the top. The LOOP you see, is for placement of....a STRETCH PONYTAIL holder!! Yep...frugal me! Buy them at the $ store and your all set. I recently bought a batch of various colors to go with the fabrics. Instead of just black.

I also purchased at the grocer...disposable coffee cups with lids for the gift presentation. The cozies actually go on "upside down"...so you need this to show how they actually fit on the cup. They do not slide either!!!
My cardboard cozy from the coffee shoppe would always slip.


I sandwiched the top piece with batting. On this cozy, I did a row of two quilted lines on (front) each side. You can use an overall quilting pattern as well..whatever YOU like! Nice option!!

I then placed the stretchy pony tail holder facing INSIDE as a loop (cut the size you want) for stretch over a button. The stretch can be long as I found it then fits various size cups. USE ONE LOOP. The other side will have a button on the front. As seem above in the "gift" photo.

Sew the back and front (right sides together) and leave an opening (one the side)..NOT near the edge)..for turning. When you turn...the loop should be on one side.

SUPPLIES..a Fat Quarter of fabric will make several...or scraps that fit the pattern piece. Cotton batting, pony tail holder...thread...and disposable coffee cup w/lid and your all set to begin your own COFFEE COZY JOURNEY!!


This is actually my practise cozy...love the leather button on this one!

They are also great for those very COLD slushes and stainless coffee holders that can be too hot or cold to handle.

Then stitch opening...and add your choice of button with shank...so loop can go over button.

VOILA... c'est fini!!

HOPE

Easy, Fun...Dishtowel APRON!

I made this recently as a gift for a very special friend..I met for the first time in person! Not only is she a fellow blogger, but a friend of my daughter's!

It was so much FUN...to watch an ordinary dish towel turn into a CUTE apron! ....and sooo usable!!! You can actually wipe your hands on this apron!

I took LARGE white rick-rack to border the edges. I also added the same rick-rack under the waist band as shown above and below.




I took some "country check" fabric I had to make the waistband/ties, folding over to make a clean edges on BOTH sides...as shown in the photo.





This is how the back looks with finished edges...I liked how the large rick-rack made a nice little scalloped trim on the front..but on the back a cute full rick-rack looking trim.






To finish off the tie edges I used an embroidery design from my sewing machine card.




I rolled the apron and placed it in a nice basket with this Rooster card that I thought was so Fun with the real feather!






I added also some apple potpourri, a handmade crocheted dishcloth and this cute "FRIEND" stuffed pillow hanging on the outside.



Turned out my friend (Jessica....made me
HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE!!!



Please visit her blog to view her talented card making and scrap booking ideas!!

I thought that was so neat that we both gave each other similar gifts...Homemade and APPLES!

I hope you enjoy the quick tutorial and idea and fun being creative with dish towels..I know I plan to make many more to come.

Here's my daughters...I turned this dish towel long ways and added pockets..I loved how this towel already had a crocheted trim...I added the black and white polka dot fabric border...cute button and used wide sage green gross grain ribbon for the ties...tied at the side with a big bow.(the button did match the ribbon..the color of the ribbon in the pic doesn't show well) I used ribbon three times the width of the dish towel. To make it tie on the SIDES..make sure you sew it as such with the longer tie sewn for ONE side.




Enjoy!
HOPE

Ladies Spring Luncheon 2010

WELCOME to the Bloom Where You Are Planted 2010 Ladies Luncheon!

I'll have to post this in several parts ..there is so much to share!


Each year I pick a THEME and Bible verse to match and display them on an easel.

It's amazing how FUN scrap booking paper is to work with. The lovely patterns in this packet were full of wonderful colors. This is Stampin' Up paper.




This green check was in a Martha Stewart Packet...



I also used rub ons for the wording and flowers. I just cut out what I wanted to use. EASY and look how cute..adding the ribbon was the final touch.

And...here is what I made to wear as Hostess...I gave you a peek at the fabric..remember?


I wore a white blouse and black skirt underneath.... it made the perfect outfit for a GARDEN themed luncheon.

...more to come!!

May your Garden bring forth fruit abundantly!!
HOPE

Designer Robe...on a budget

I bought a new PINK robe with a zipper front for my surgery date and decided I needed to shorten the arms... I always have THAT problem! Almost every sleeved garment I own has to be shortened! Yet. I'm 5.5 1/2 not really short.

Anyway....I didn't like the "plain" look and so got out my Fat Quarters

NO not a body part!( we went over this before..REMEMBER!)



....and found just the piece of fabric! Cut it the width I wanted, turned the sides in one quarter inch and pressed and sew.



VOILA...a personalized Robe.





I didn't want to touch this fabric until I was satisfied that I could enjoy it to the fullest. I think it is soo PRETTY. I had not really planned on a PINK robe, but this one fit the best...and since it is for Breast Cancer..why not! It actually has a PINK RIBBON on the zipper pull.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS



My husband actually told me...

WOW..looks like a much more expensive robe now!

~whew~ I was glad. I thought he might say...

mmm? Looks like you added fabric!

Okay now here is where I also found a solution to a problem I was going to face with my surgery site. Clothing rubbing the area of incision. I needed a piece of silk, which I did not have and not enough time to go shopping for it...

Just so happens...this robe has SILK lining in the pockets, around the neck trim AND at the end of the sleeves! YEP...that need to be shortened! I loved it!

Here is the SILK piece cut off at the sleeve...



...the perfect measurements I needed for the sleeve length I wanted. I Zig-Zag stitched the edges and it has worked PERFECTLY. By the way...the robe is from Walmart and is super SOFT! It FEELS like an expensive Designer Robe!


Amazing what a little piece of PRETTY FABRIC can do!

Check your Fat Quarter Stash...you might just have some Designer Clothing in there!

Blessings..
HOPE

Sewing for FUN...

I've had this French Provincial looking fabric for a couple of years now and still adding to the collection of different fabrics...waiting to make a Quilt...

In my latest sewing frenzy!! I decided I'd like to make a kitchen curtain to cover the bottom half of my window above the sink.

Instead of looking at the neighbors fence..how 'bout the SKY above the window!


I bravely and hesitantly CUT this gorgeous fabric...thankfully I had purchased several yards so there is actually enough left for QUILTING!! I have to make myself a French Provincial Quilt...one of these days!

But, for now..it's a French Country Kitchen!!



I'm not a huge fan of the color yellow..but this time...it was perfect and cheerful..and it matches my kitchen decor perfectly!



A little French Country rooster...here and there...





~VOILA~WELCOME to my French Country Kitchen!!



Stay tuned for more of this burst of energy that has come upon A CREATIVE HEART!!

Blessings...
HOPE~

Sewing with LOVE continued

I loved making this sweet dress. My g'daughter requested a GUS applique instead of the purchased poodle I had planned on. We do like GUS much better don't we?



I think he will be quite pleased to be the center of attention in this little girls life.




I included a PINK bow also to replace the black check..if she decides one day, she would like the doggie to be our dear departed Heidi.

To make the applique...I ventured into trying my own freehand drawn GUS with a white marking pencil...I was very suprised at how well he turned out! Thankful!!! on the first try...whew~




How fun to use my Creative Heart...for such special little girls!


I can just hear Genevieve right now...

"This is GUS.....SEE!"

Love filled Sewing

I'm taking time in the next few weeks to sew for two of my g'daughters. I love this very simple pattern. It makes up so cute. When my daughter was visiting in the Spring we made this pattern in two, reversed pink/black polka-dots.

This one in the photo is an adventure! I am hoping it will be as cute as I imagine...

a European "Swiss" look...you know Heidi of the Alps!

(actually as I type this post- I have it nearly done- Cute!)

Gus (my wonderful Schnauzer..wanted to SEE what was keeping me so busy)



I was given this fabric sometime ago by a sweet quilting friend...they seemed the perfect combination for my creative idea! I added green checked straps and plan to purchase some large green buttons. Debating on ric rac trim?

The next jumper will be a little on the dressy side...I made the gathered flower to either put on the jumper or might be cute glued to a black headband!!


I am also thinking of putting a appliqued poodle on the skirt. We'll see.



I find so much pleasure in sewing for my g'daughters, imagining them wearing what I've made. I can still recall the first handmade dress I was given. It meant so much to me. I hope my g'daughters remember these dresses when they are older...and the time Nana spent using her Creative Heart...for them.

Blessings...
HOPE~