New Curtains

This past week I decided to take a bit of a break from work sewing to do some home sewing. I was badly in need of some new kitchen and dining room curtains. Ours were old, falling apart, and didn't really match either room. Given that our house is an old schoolhouse and has a bit of a rustic interior, I decided to go with fabrics with a country feel to them.

For the kitchen, I chose a patchwork fabric in burgundy, green, and blues. I think it's adorable and though dark, these curtains go with the room so much better!

For the dining room, I wanted to go with a more neutral tone since I change my tablecloth and linens by the seasons. So I chose a fabric with a cream background and blue watering cans. I absolutely love these! I'm not quite sure how I feel about the tie backs though. I may decide to remake them from the same fabric as the curtains.

Now my next project is to make chair cushions for the dining room chairs. I'm not sure what fabric to use for those. Should I go seasonal, or should I just go neutral like I did with the curtains? Decisions, decisions!

Creative Day

I finally finished making all the travel wallets that I had cut out today. To reward myself, I decided to do something new and completely different from my usual type of crafting. I had purchased some adorable sea creature applique patterns from Precious Patterns (you can find them on etsy) and thought "how cute would those look on onesies"! So, I thought I would give it a try.

I decided to do some research and see how what other etsians were selling their appliqued onesies for. There are so many sellers making them! Well, what could I do differently with a onesie to make mine unique? I was in a creative mood, so I came upon an idea: what if I made a dress out of a onesie? How cute would that be? And this is what I made! Isn't it adorable? I just LOVE it! I will definitely be making more of these in the future. And yes, I do plan on selling them. Maybe in several sizes and of course, different themes and fabrics.

Being Creative

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in so long! I've been quite busy the past two weeks! I've been making more travel wallets for my online shops. I have decided to go through my fabrics by theme (which is how they're organized) and choose which ones would make (in my opinion) cute travel wallets. I've already finished novelty prints and I am now currently working on animal prints.

I have eight animal print wallets cut out and ready to put together but I'm on hold. You see, my local quilt/vacuum shop was running a special $10 off a maintenance and repair check on your sewing machine. Since I hadn't taken mine in in quite awhile, I decided to take advantage of the special. They say it may be a week before I get it back. EEEEK!!! But at least it'll be all clean! As soon as I get My Precious home, I plan on finishing those travel wallets.

I have been working on some paper items while my machine is MIA. I'm making envelope and corner bookmark sets. These are GREAT promotional items for your business! I use them myself! I usually give a bookmark as a free gift with purchases made in my shops. I use the mini envelopes to put my business cards in also.

Recently, I ran across a blog that posted online handmade markets, so I decided to see what was available besides Artfire and Etsy. I found two that I decided to give a whirl. One is called Blujay. There are no listing fees and only a 2.5% selling fee. The other I decided to try out is Winkelf. This one is absolutely free if you get the basic setup. So you may want to check those out for yourself if you're thinking of expanding your online store(s). You can find the links to my shops there on the left side of my blog page.

So, that's about all I've been up to! What have you been busy doing?

What is Memorial Day?

I have just found out that someone had to do a Google search to find out what Memorial Day was all about. I cannot tell you how much that saddens--and worries--me. Is Memorial Day about a day off work and cookouts? No, it is not. It's about honoring those that served and died for our country so we could be free. It is not a "happy" holiday, it is a somber one. So, please don't wish anyone a "Happy" Memorial Day. And maybe, if you have time between grilling and playing games, remember those that gave their lives for this country. And if you happen to shed a tear or two for them, don't be ashamed of it. It shows you truly remember and appreciate what those brave men and women did for us. For our families. So we can have a day off work and cookout with friends and family. And if you do have a minute or two in your busy day today, maybe you could say a quick prayer for those that are still fighting for our freedom. Amen.

And PLEASE tell your children what this day is all about. Don't let them have to Google it to find out.

Organizing Time

I have a little dilemma that maybe my fellow crafters out there can help me with. I would like to know how you organize your crafting time--especially if you sell things. Do you devote so many hours per day/week/month to your craft or do you just craft when you find the time in your busy schedule? Do you write a schedule for the day/week/month? Do you make a list of goals that you want to accomplish for any given day?

The reason I ask these questions is because I read an article a fellow Twitterer posted that said if you treat your hobby like a hobby instead of like a business, it will never become a business. It said to set reasonable goals and to put yourself on a schedule where you can devote specific time/hours to your craft. I'd like to try this so I can see if it really makes a difference in my sales, but I'm wondering how best to do this. Should I set myself up to work a certain number of hours every week or play it day by day? Should I devote so much time to making certain items every week, or should I just make whatever I feel like at the time?

So, my question to you is: how do you schedule your crafting time and decide what to work on (if you make more than one type of item)? Do you have a set schedule? Let me know!

The Smell of Spring

My favorite spring scent is lilacs. Oh, how I love lilacs! Such a pretty flower with a not-to-overpowering smell! They are one of my favorite spring flowers (I also enjoy tulips and daffodils). We happen to have a lilac bush in our backyard and a lilac tree in the front yard. For the past couple of years, they either haven't bloomed or they get hit with a frost before they can even blossom. Very disappointing.

Well, this was a good year for our lilacs. They were in full bloom when I got home from vacation this past weekend. I was SO happy to see them! So, today, I couldn't resist temptation and I cut a few blooms (don't worry, still plenty left on the tree!) and brought them inside. I arranged them in cups and put them in the bathroom, dining room, my computer room, and fabric room. They smell SO wonderful!!

I even cut some to try to dry out. I thought I might use them in sachets and eye pillows. Just imagine how wonderful your clothes would smell if you put a lilac sachet in your drawers (ok, that didn't sound quite right). Or how lovely it would be if you could lay down for a few minutes with a warm eye pillow over tired eyes and just breathe in the lilac scent. Oh, life would be wonderful indeed!

Home at Last!

I've made it back to PA safe and sound! Although the "safe" part of it was a bit sketchy when we flew into Erie. The winds were extremely gusty and they threw that little jet all over the place when we were landing. Talk about white knuckles! The humorous part was the fact that half the people on the plane headed straight for the bathrooms when we deboarded lol.

Although I miss my family, I'm glad to be home. I missed Mike and all my critters. My poor kitties were made to stay outside the whole time I was gone. But, Mama's home now so they can come in the house lol. I really missed my Scooter--she's my little lovey dovey. Although she's not little anymore! Mike had the audacity to let her grow up while I was gone. Now she's the size of Jinx (who weighs 13 lbs). Not quite as heavy, but just as tall and a bit longer.

Except for Saturday (the day I came home), the weather has been pretty nice. A bit cool compared to TN, but sunny. Today and tomorrow will be very nice days. Supposed to get to 65º today and 70º tomorrow. I've heard that it hasn't really warmed up here yet. I believe we'll probably go from winter to summer--no spring weather at all except for rain.

It was nice to see that the trees have gotten their leaves back and flowers are blooming while I was gone. When I left everything was still brown and ugly. The grass is even thick and green. PA is a pretty state when everything is green.

So now that I'm finally home, I'll have to get back to work. I plan to make some new items for my stores: wallet purses, tea pouches, and maybe even some dolls and stuffed animals. I do have two custom orders to work on first, but after that, I plan to get creative!

Christmas Day

Yesterday afternoon we had a Christmas get together. It was pretty fun and everyone came. Of course, I was basically the only one handing out Christmas presents, but that was ok. It was great to see everyone opening them and they all really liked what I made.

The kids loved their coloring totes and monster dolls. The women really liked their notepad holders, and the guys liked their things as well. I did have to tell them what the litter bags were, but that's ok. I figured I would lol.

I even gave my Dad a gag gift without meaning to. I made him a book weight and when he took it out of the box and held it up it looked like, well, man parts lol. I had to tell him what it really was lol. From then on he called them testes lol. So funny.

I also went to my great nephew Boogie's soccer game yesterday morning. I probably shouldn't have because I paid for it later. It was pretty hot out and we were sitting right in the sun. I got a migraine last night and I think that was the reason. I went to bed around 9:00 last night. I feel better this morning, but I think I should stay out of the sun for a couple of days. Just not used to that--or the heat.

All in all, I'm having a great time. Friday, I'm going to the zoo with two of my nieces and their little ones. It'll be fun. I haven't been to a zoo in years--I love the zoo. I plan to get lots of pictures.

Great Giveaway!

I usually don't post giveaways on my blog, but I couldn't resist posting this one! You'll find this particular giveaway at http://seekatiesew.blogspot.com/ and there will be 20 winners! The giveaways include jewelry, fabric, patterns, bookmark, beauty products and more! Be sure to check it out and post a comment for your chance to win!

Vacation Update

So far I've had a good time here. Saturday I went to my great nephew's seventh b-day party. Sunday, I visited with my niece and new great nephew. Monday I went back over to my niece's because she wanted me to show her how to make beer butt chicken (made it with chicken broth instead). Yesterday me and my Mom went to JoAnn's. Bought more than I should, but well, you know how that goes lol. And today I'll be hanging out with one of my brothers.

It has rained here a bit, but yesterday was pretty nice and the rest of the week looks dry and warm. I'm not sure I'm quite ready for 80º yet, but it sure beats 40º! I think I can adjust!

All Ready!

I am VERY excited about my vacation! Tomorrow afternoon, I will be down south! I started my packing last night. Have almost everything packed and ready to go (except for last minute items). I'm trying to use just one big suitcase because they charge for each bag. What doesn't fit, I'll be sending down via UPS. Believe it or not, it will probably be cheaper than just taking an extra bag with me. Crazy! So right now I'm in the process of deciding what to carry with me and what to send.

I'm not taking many clothes, but I am taking Christmas presents so therein is my dilemma with trying to fit everything in one bag. If it weren't for those, I could get away with a medium sized bag instead of my large one.

Tomorrow night, I'll be going to my great nephew's (who I call Boogie Face) b-day party. He'll be seven. I don't know if he knows I'm coming or not, but wouldn't it be fun if he didn't and I just showed up at his party??

I only have a couple of projects to make (which won't take me long at all) before I go, so I'm good to go! I decided not to take any fabric or anything with me and I don't have time to cut out any projects beforehand. I'll be going to JoAnn's while I'm down there, so if I get the sewing bug before I get home, I can always buy what fabric and supplies I'll need.

Monsters

I am very quickly whittling down my sewing list! These little monster dolls were one (or three) of the items I needed to make before I left on my trip. Two of them are belated b-day presents and one is a Christmas present. The pink and green go to a brother and sister (the b-day presents) and the little blue one goes to my 16 month old great nephew.

I think they're too adorable! They are another pattern from Bit of Whimsy Prims. Just love them!

Yearly Trip

It's that time of year...time for my yearly trip down south to see my family. It's been a bit longer than I intended since my last trip at Christmas in 2007. But, unfortunately, we had a very long winter this year and I wanted to wait until the weather was "safe".

I'm VERY excited because I'll be staying for three weeks instead of two like I normally do!! Since I don't really have a job per se to worry about, I can stay a little longer. I'll be leaving on the 18th (just a couple of weeks away!) and staying until the 4th of May. I will have to put my etsy and Artfire shops on vacation mode during the time I'll be gone. No problem!

I have a few sewing projects I need to finish before I leave: three monsters (whose limbs are all sewn & stuffed. Just waiting for chenille to go on sale for bodies), a new purse for myself (which is all cut out and ready to go. Probably work on that today), a camera case (have to figure that one out), and a wallet for my niece (going blind on that one too). But it shouldn't be a problem. Most of them are either a couple hour or one day projects.

Since I'll be going for three weeks this time, I plan to take some sewing projects with me just in case I get bored lol. Might even get my mom or niece to help me sew some things! I've burned a lot of patterns onto a CD to take with me too. I plan to have everyone look through everything so I can get a list together for gifts. This will help me tremendously come Christmas time.

So, all in all, I'm very excited now that I know exactly when I'll be going! Can't wait to see my new great nephew, whom I've never met--he's 16 months old now. My niece will be picking me up at the airport so he'll be there right when I arrive!

Wallet Purse

Since I plan to make my yearly trip down south next month, I thought that instead of carrying a big, bulky purse, I would make myself a small purse that would just hold my necessities: cell phone, sunglasses, cards, and money. So, this is what I made and I absolutely love it! It was rather easy to put together and I added more pockets than what the pattern called for (one can never have too many pockets).

Inside is a zippered pocket for money (including change), another pocket for receipts and misc items, and eight card wallets (which I won't be using all of those since I only have three cards I take with me).

On the outside back of the purse, I added another pocket that will hold my sunglasses and cell phone. The purse has a front flap and closes with velcro. I may have to make some of these to put in my etsy and artfire shops!

Bookmarks

I finished making 11 bookmarks last night. They are very pretty if I do say so myself lol. I made them from paper and card stock and then I laminated them this morning. They are listed in both my etsy store and my Artfire shop. Please ignore the etsy pictures--they look terrible. I think they changed their sizing or something.

Project Basket Finished

So, here's what I do. I cut up several projects, put them in ziplocs, and throw them in a basket I have sitting on my cutting table. That way, I can just grab and go. Well, recently (ok a month or more ago) I had decided to use up all my scraps for whatever projects I could. So, I cut a TON of small items (notepad holders, tissue cozies, glasses cases, checkbook covers, cup cozies, coasters, and card wallets) and put them all in ziplocs according to what they were.

At any rate, I finally finished them all!! Yay me! So now I can finish up the rest of my Christmas gifts I hadn't gotten to yet lol. I know that sounds funny, but rather then sending gifts last year, I decided to wait until I went down south for my yearly visit and take them with me. I usually don't go down for Christmas (weather) so I never get to see anyone open their presents from me.

So, the other night, I finished up my SIL's present. I had already made her a purse but I needed to make a matching checkbook cover, cell phone case, and notepad holder. Well, the notepad holder is Tigger because she collects Tigger things (which I understand because I collect Mickey) and I always try to make her something with Tigger.

Today I hope to make a purse for my niece. This is the first time I'll be making this particular purse so I hope it turns out well. The fabric she picked is SO pretty too! I'm rather excited to see how it will turn out.

So there are lots of new things to look at in both my Artfire and Etsy stores!

New Shop

Well, I haven't posted lately because there hasn't really been much to post about! As far as projects go, I've still been working on my project basket. I hope to finish it off by the end of this weekend if all goes right. Then I will have to make a purse for a niece. Then I have a new idea for kids I want to work on: an activity tote!

Meanwhile, I did open another online shop. It's on Artfire-another fantastic place to sell and buy handmade goods! They were having a GREAT deal for the first 5,000 sellers to sign up and I couldn't pass it! I do have a few things listed: java jackets, bookmarks, tissue cozies, checkbook covers, glasses cases. I'll be working on the inventory in that asap.

And those are my updates!

Wonderful Comment

I recently had a repeat customer convo me to leave a very nice comment. It's these types of comments that really make a person feel good about themselves. I for one, truly appreciate them also. I was just so touched by it, that I decided to post it so everyone can see what she had to say:

"I must tell you that you are the type of seller that makes buying and selling on Etsy a pleasure. It's such a comfort to know that I'm dealing with someone who is honest and also a good friend.
My best to you,
Leslie"

Isn't that sweet?

Crafting Ideas

I was straightening up my computer room upstairs when I came across some old craft ideas I had cut out of some old Workbasket magazines. There were some neat ideas that could still be used today, so I thought I would type them up and just save them onto my computer. So that's what I did and I thought I would share w/the rest of the world, so here they are. I hope you enjoy them!

Thimble Pin Cushion
Materials:
Thimble
Polyfill
Velvet
Stuff thimble w/polyfill.
Cut a piece of velvet ½” larger than diameter of thimble.
Tuck securely around polyfill.

Sewing Boxes
Materials:
Cigar box
Batting
Fabric
Glue two thicknesses of batting on outside top of lid.
Glue fabric to entire box.

Potpourri Heart
Materials:
Lace
Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter
Ribbon
Glue lace around cookie cutter
Fill with potpourri
Glue ribbon around edges
Make a loop w/ribbon and glue to top for hanging

Note Holder
Materials:
Rat Trap
Paint
Sharpie
Remove bait holder, trigger, and staple from trap
Spray paint
Paint or glue picture of mouse
Write “Notes” across top &
“Not for mice
Not for cheese
Leave a note
If you please” on bottom
Glue magnet or hanging bracket on back

Water Bracelets
Materials:
Aquarium tubing
Lighter
Pencil
Food Coloring
Sequins
Measure tubing around wrist. Add 1”
Heat and seal one end of tube using lighter
Heat other end and insert pencil ½”
Fill tube w/colored water
Add sparkles
Insert sealed end into open end.
Heat and seal.

Doll House Sofa Set
Materials:
Sponge
Glue
Fabric scraps
Cut four pieces of sponge for sofa back, seat, and arms
Glue fabric onto pieces
Assemble and glue couch together
Cover small piece of sponge for ottoman

Greeting Card Bookmarks
Materials:
Card
Glue
Hole punch
Crochet thread
Cut picture from card
Punch hole ¼” from bottom
Using 15- 8” lengths of crochet thread, make a tassel
Attach tassel to punched hole.

Greeting Cards
Materials:
Heavy Interfacing
Iron on transfer
Paints or chalk
Cut interfacing to fit envelopes
Apply transfer to interfacing
Color background w/paints or chalks
Christmas Tags
Materials:
Cards
Colored paper
White paper
Glue
Cut pictures from cards w/decorative scissors
Cut piece of colored paper slightly larger than picture
Cut a slightly larger piece from white
Glue together.

Storage Cubes
Materials:
Cardboard Boxes
Glue
Fabric, Wallpaper, or contact paper
Select boxes for size and durability
Remove top flaps and trim edges straight
Cover outside with choice of covering
Arrange as needed

New Projects

I have been working on some new projects for the past two days. For some odd reason, I
felt like working with paper. I have tons and tons of scrapbook paper (haven't scrapbooked in five yrs), so decided I should do something with it. So I started making mini envelopes. They're so cute!! They're just big enough to hold a gift card, money, or a business card.
Or you could punch a hole in them and use them as gift tags! I'm making them in an assortment of colors and styles.

I also tried my hand at making corner bookmarks. They came out pretty nicely with not too much muss or fuss lol. They just slip onto your book's page corner so your place is marked nicely.

I will be selling both of these items in my etsy store so be sure to check them out! I also posted pics of both in my Misc album here. I can make either of these items in colors or styles of your choosing (i.e. animal, colors, elegant, fun, etc.).

Fat Quarters

For me, fat quarters are hard to resist--especially when they go on sale--because they come in the most wonderful and fun designs! Most of the time you can't buy that particular fabric off the bolt either. Plus, they're great for making smaller projects.

So, after much debating whether or not I should upload all my fat quarters onto my fabric albums site, I decided to go ahead and do it. I have a total of 92 lol. Wow. I guess I've been "collecting" them. Maybe someone out there will see a fat quarter they like and will HAVE to have something made with it :)

You can see all my fat quarters, along with all my other fabrics here: http://lilbitsassyfabrics.shutterfly.com/

A Little Early Spring Cleaning

Yesterday I decided to take a break from sewing and do a little spring cleaning. Since Mike wasn't coming home for lunch, I took advantage. I cleaned out and rearranged my kitchen cabinets.

I started with the two small cabinets that we keep glasses and cups in. Way too many!! We don't get many visitors, so I thought I would weed all the glasses and cups we didn't use out. I packed them in newspaper and put them in two (good sized) boxes and put them in the attic. That left me with two empty shelves once I got the glasses and cups I decided to keep back in the cabinet. So, I put my potatoes, onions , and chips (which were on the baker's rack in the dining room) on one shelf, and some smaller appliances (coffee grinder, coffee press, tea brewer) on the bottom shelf.

After that, I rearranged my baker's rack and put my Cuisinart processor attachments on it, my crockpot, and the toaster. So now I had some extra counterspace! Which I happened to be complaining about the other night while trying to fix dinner and no room to work! Now the trick will be to keep Mike from filling in that extra space! He's like his mother and thinks there should be something in every corner and nook and cranny--no empty spaces! It's annoying because I don't like clutter.

Then I went on to rearrange my cabinets a bit. I got all of my saucepans and pots in one cabinet! I also put all my baking pans on one shelf. So now everything is basically together and I don't have to open three different cabinets just to cook dinner. I still have two more cabinets to straighten out, but those won't take very long.

But I feel so much better now that my kitchen is a little more user friendly--not to mention a bit cleaner lol. Now if I could just get that bookcase out of the hallway......

Feeling Accomplished

I've been feeling very accomplished this week! On Sunday, I decided to start cutting out my interfacing for all those scrap projects so all I would have to do would be to grab a project and make it. It really cuts back on time if your prep work is done ahead of time. It didn't take as long as I thought it would either--so that was a bonus!

By cutting out all my interfacing, I've been able to get more projects made this week! So far, I've made two coaster sets (plus an extra for a free gift), eight Java Jackets, four tissue packs, three checkbook covers, two notepad holder, two glasses cases, two card wallets, and one pouch. Whew! Not too bad for a week's work!

Most of these are being listed in my Sassy store, but some are going to be free gifts and others I may keep to either list in another online store or hold onto in case I decided to do any craft fairs this year.

Java Jackets

Here are my Java Jackets! I'm so excited by these. I did a little research to see the different varieties that people make and came up with my own unique idea: there is a tab on the back with velcro that attaches to the cup. I also added a pocket on the front of the jacket for money or gift cards! I will be making several more of these so look for them in my shop!

Card Wallets

I have just listed some cute little card wallets in my store today. These are great for cash, credit cards, coins, or receipts. They are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or even the back pocket of your jeans.

These are one of the items that I'm considering giving away as promotional items when a purchase is made from my pattern store. I'm hoping it will encourage folks to stop and take a look at what handmade items I have to offer.