Burps and bibs

Thanks to Wilma I have a new site for more burp pads and bibs to match. Check out Moda Bake Shop for the instructions. This is just one of the bibs from four fat quarters. Maybe tomorrow night I can finish the other two bibs. This pattern makes three burp pads and three bibs. Just click on the name of the shop and/or Wilma's name at the beginning of this paragraph.

Whew! Time for bed. I thought I was coming down with whatever Jim and Judy have had but I think I just had a bad allergy attack this afternoon. I came home early and slept most of the afternoon. Might've been the meds I took.

Monday night note

Thanks to Fran, I had a pattern to make a burp pad tonight. This is made with a layer of flannel and one of terry cloth. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to just put a binding around it or not, so I just sewed it, right sides together and turned it inside out. Then I topstitched all around. Thanks, Fran!


While surfing the 'net, I found a pattern for this cute little sunhat. It's too big for BG to wear now, but maybe by summer?

The trip to Lubbock was uneventful, thank You, Lord. Dad's legs are doing very well and healing nicely. We ate our usual lunch at Sonic and got home around 5 p.m.

Monday, Monday..

In the previous post, I showed you a section of the new straps for the Betty Boop diaper bag. Zlaty wanted to see the straps on the bag and so here you go.
I didn't have enough of any of the fabrics so I sewed the purple and orange leftovers together and, voila! These straps are a bit shorter than the first ones, but I can still sling it over my shoulder.
Just before bedtime last night, I thought I'd make another pair of booties. I found this adorable corduroy bear fabric in my stash and thought it would make a cute pair for a little boy. I'm taking them with me to Lubbock to give to one of the nurses at the Wound Care Center who just had a baby boy last month. I hope she's back to work by now.

Have a productive Monday!

Sunday post number two

After looking at my first Betty Boop bag, the diaper bag, I decided to change the straps. In doing so, I also wrote (with the sewing machine) the words "Betty Boop" onto the straps. I think it adds a nice touch and I like the batik colors I used instead of the red and white Betty Boop fabric I used the first time.
Now I have a change of pace. This quilt top, or flimsy, as some might call it, was brought to me by a client. It was made by one of her relatives and I have the honor of finishing it for her. Therein lies my problem. As you can see in the picture, the piece does not lay (lie?) flat. The red trim that runs all around the border has been appliqued by machine. I think that's what draws it up some. I'm wondering if I should remove it and try to square the whole thing up without the trim. Then again, I might just have to remove the entire border strips, put them on properly and maybe that will help it lay flat. I know if I ask Helen if it's ok to do that, she'll tell me to do what I think is best. I'll be looking for just the right backing to use on this. I will definitely look for a print to hide any mistakes I might make. lol

It's been a lazy Sunday. After working on the second Betty Boop bag, I did, in fact, take a nap and watch a movie, not necessarily in that order. I didn't get back out again since I will be out all day tomorrow. Another Lubbock Monday for Dad and me. I kind of look forward to these trips if only to get out of town even though it's just to go to a doctor's appointment.
I almost forgot to show you the Altoid tin I received in the mail. Linda made this one. Isn't it cute? I love it. She filled it with sewing notions and a piece of hard candy that Jim promptly made his own. lol He couldn't help it. It was one of his favorite kinds of candy. Thanks again, Linda!

Sunday musings and more Betty

Here it is, Sunday again. I didn't get up until just before it was time to run to Dad's to fix his breakfast. My hair was a total wreck since I wore my curly wiglet to work yesterday so I just slapped it back on this morning. Could not wait to get home again to take it off! lol

So, I got home and fixed breakfast, checked email, talked to Judy online for a bit and told her I was going to take a nap. Before I left the sewing room, however, I thought I'd make the straps for the new Betty Boop bag. Well, once the straps were done, it was just a matter of minutes to make the zipper casing. Okay, now all those pieces were ready, why not attach them? There you go..no nap, but the Betty Boop bag is now finished. The first BB bag I made will be, as I mentioned, a tote/diaper bag for carrying BG's things around once she makes her appearance and grama is blessed with being able to cart her around. THIS bag will be my spring purse, I think. I'm not sure about the buttons I've put on it so I will be on the lookout for cute, appropriate buttons next time I'm at WalMart or Hobby Lobby.


On the back of the bag (you can't really see it) I've designated a small pocket to hold my cell phone. That was Jim's idea. I really would've liked to have added a side pocket, but this pattern calls for the front and back to be sewn together therefore, there are no "sides" to sew in more pockets. I didn't want to just throw a pocket on there.

A side note..When the pattern calls for a 22" zipper, use a 22" zipper! LOL Jim and I both decided that since I didn't have a 22" zipper, a 20" zipper would fit just fine. Well, it does, but not until after a bit of a struggle to finish the ends off like they should be.

I do want to thank Deborah for the Betty Boop fabric. I don't know if she still reads my blog, but I'm sure she probably knew that I would put the fabric to good use. Some of the material in the first bag was a gift from her as well. Thanks, Deborah! Never let it be said that I don't try to give credit where credit is due!
I am MOST appreciative of any and all fabrics and notions that come my way from friends and/or strangers.

It's almost 2 p.m. and I'm thinking I'll go try to get that nap in now. I still want to do some paperwork and pay bills and change out my purse but a quick nap just feels like the thing to do. I hope you all are having a restful Sunday.

Betty Boop

The pattern for this bag is called "Too Foo Tote". So many pattern pieces! I enjoyed working with the Betty Boop and batik fabrics but the pattern pieces almost did me in. I'm used to just measuring a piece and go on. I know, the straps are pretty long. But, I plan on using this as my "BG" (baby Goff) bag (read, diaper bag), lol. The straps have to be long so I can carry the baby, too.

We had a nice dinner at Shogun's with Rob and April and Joe. It's so wonderful to have my kids in town! Thank You, Lord. Soon, we'll have another little one to show off at dinner!

It's time to shut this down and get to bed. With Jim being sick and Judy having a sinus infection, I feel as though I'm about to come down with something myself. Have a good Saturday!

If you can stand it...

One more picture of some little shoes. Jim saw these and said, "They're psychedelic!" lol Judy talked me into putting the bows on them. Don't look too closely at them. I had to make them myself.

Time to call the doc's office. Jim has coughed enough! It's Friday so it's going to be a busy day all around. Have a good one!

This and that

These booties might look familiar but they are actually another pair I made tonight. I added ribbon to these just for fun. These are so addicting! I can't stop making them. I made a pair this morning before going to work since I'd taken BG's shoes to her momma and daddy last night. The pair I made this morning is for a little boy. I took them to work to have for "show and tell" so I'll have to bring them home to photograph them.

Judy's been wanting a sewing caddy since I made mine and April's. I was going to make one and give it to her for her birthday, but I couldn't wait. Click on the picture to get a closer look.

Look at these little shoes!

Again, I found another site for another cute baby project. I have a feeling I'll be making more of these since I made these two pairs just tonight. The hardest part about them is deciding on fabrics to use. Baby Goff will have a closet full of stylin' shoes! lol

I told my sister and my husband that I think I must have ADD. I can't seem to concentrate on only one thing. With so many projects to be done, it's hard to stick with just one. That's ok. I really enjoy doing new things. I WILL get some of my UFOs done, though.

It's nearly bedtime again and I'm thinkin' I want some fruit. I had hoped my hint to Jim would've had him in the kitchen cutting up some apples. lol I guess it's my turn. He sometimes will surprise me with a plateful of cut fruit or a bowl of sugar-free icecream. What a guy, huh? He sure is feeling crappy tonight, though. This cold has gotten a hold of him with a vengeance. I'm taking Zicam every three hours in hopes I can escape the germs I'm sure are lurking around me.

A turtle for BG

One more little gifty for BG! Her mama likes turtles and when I saw this pattern, I knew I would have to use it.
This is a pillow slip that will cover a 16" pillow form. I hope they sell them at WalMart or Hobby Lobby!
The back is made with leftover blocks used in the baby shower quilt. Guess you could say it's reversible!

It's been a slow Sunday. Jim has a cold and Dad seems a bit weak. We think he needs his blood-building shots again. We'll find out this week. We are also mourning the loss of my oldest son's good friend. Rest in peace, Beverly.

Judy and I decided to use the last of her Christmas gift movie passes today. We went to see "He's Just Not That Into You". A cute little chick flick. We stopped by to visit with dad for a while and I came home to fix dinner and finish the pillowcase. It's almost 10:30 and I need to take my contacts out. I've had them in longer tonight than usual but I've been engrossed in finishing the turtle.

If you're off tomorrow for President's Day, have a great day off!

Valentine Surprise

A great big "THANK YOU" to Joann. I got home from work today to find this beautiful embroidered heart made by her hands especially for me! I am so proud of it! Thank you, thank you! It smells great, too. Just like roses. Your stitching is beautiful. I will treasure it always.

Jim and I had our Valentine's Day dinner at Leal's tonight. After our meal, we splurged on a dish of Fried Ice Cream with hot fudge. Yum!

Digital Picture Frame

Tonight has been spent playing with the digital picture frame that Rob and April gave me for Christmas. Between you and me, I'd been a little hesitant to work with it since I wasn't sure how to transfer pictures and I didn't want to break it. But, after reading instructions (gasp!)I find that it's not hard at all. So, my sweet, patient customers will now have a slideshow of family pictures to watch while getting their hair done. (I hope they don't mind.) While I write this post, I'm trying to process a video I took showing the frame while in motion. I hope it works.

I think it did work! I'm going to try to publish now and check it out. Let me know if it works for you. By the way, ignore the background noise. Was watching Private Practice.

Last bag of the week

I took the easy way out and made this cute, simple bag as the last bag I plan to make for the girly girls.

Taking a break

I realized, again, that time has flown by so fast and I haven't blogged since Sat. or Sun. when I posted pictures of the shower. The evenings have flown by and all I've got to show for them are these little purses. I want to make one more to send to my step-granddaughters. One is having a birthday this month and it seems to me that I usually remember her birthday then drop the ball the rest of the year. So, my plan is to not only send a gift to the birthday girl, but to the rest of them, too. Good thing there are only four of them! lol

This is the bag I worked on last night. I wanted to do something a bit original and easy. I saw a bag with a pocket such as this one and thought it might be fun to try. I did't intend for the flap to be so big, but hey, it's another design element. This is a little purse that I've had the written instructions for a long time. There are no pictures with it so I was sewing blind there for a while. It's pretty cute. When it's all done, it forms extra little pockets on either side of the purse. The center opens big enough to put your keys and a wallet and lipstick, etc. Actually, it should be a bit bigger, according to the instructions, but this is all the quilted fabric I had on hand.
The strap posed a problem at first. I wasn't quite sure where to attach it (remember, no pictures to go by). I bought a length of this "leather" with the eyelets. Since it is black, I thought a ribbon woven through the holes, to match the bag somewhat, might be nice. I like the results.

I have one more bag to make tonight. It will be a simple one. I've got to get these in the mail by the weekend.

Dad is doing better. We've got one leg ulcer completely healed and the other one is getting very close. His back and hip pain seems to have been relieved with all the heat and cold compresses and the massages that Jim did for him over the weekend. Thanks for your help, Honey! I know Dad appreciates it, too.

Off to work! I really need a haircut...

Shower time!

The day of the Goff Baby shower finally arrived! We had a very nice time, thanks to Cynthia M. and all the generous hostesses! Here are a few pictures of the day.

This is a blanket made by April's grandmother, for April, when she was a baby. What a treasure! She also received some handmade items that were her's as a baby. I hope I got that right. The young lady taking down all the pertinent information is Amanda, April's sister-in-law.
If you follow my blog, you've seen this quilt. These blocks were painted back in the '60s by my mom, Baby Goff's great-grandmother Carmen. I took the blocks that were in the old, falling apart quilt and pieced a whole new quilt. I was able to salvage the old backing for the back, too.
Evie is signing the quilt top I made especially for the shower. It was a big hit with the ladies. I think we had about 28 signatures from all the guests present.
Cookies! Aren't these cute? Leota brought these cookies made by the same lady that made beautiful cookies for the wedding shower.
Here you see April's mom, Camille, me, April, and her maternal step-grandmother, Dorothy.

The hostesses did a great job and I am so thankful to all the people that have been so generous with their time and gifts for our precious baby-to-be. Only 5 more weeks! Can you tell I'm excited??

Remember the quilt top I showed a few posts back as the shower quilt? I changed my mind. This one uses fabrics that coordinate much better with the colors in the baby's room. This photo was pre-signatures.
I found this fleece fabric at WalMart and Judy suggested I make a baby bunting. I didn't have a pattern, but I searched the 'net until I found a site that helped me decide on measurements. Wasn't really hard at all once I figured out the dimensions of the pieces. My little doll fits right in it. Can't wait until our grandbaby wears it!
Last, but certainly not least, is a bag I made for my co-grandmother, Camille. Her grandchildren will call her "GraMille", hence the embroidery on the bag. I printed a few pictures on card stock just to show how the bag works. This was one fun bag to make!

Coffee Cozy

I've been wanting to try my hand at making a coffee cozy and when I stopped by for a cuppa yesterday, I realized I finally had my pattern. I brought the sleeve home and made a pattern. I embroidered my brother's name and the word "java". The two pics you see are actually one cup. If I make others, I think I'll make them a bit bigger to cover more of the cup. Henry will be so sick of seeing his name on everything he's getting for his b'day this year! lol I love my embroidery machine.

I'm up a little earlier today. I've really got to get my rear in gear a little faster. Not that I'm ever too late for work, but if only to be less stressed over my morning routine. So, time to get going. Have a great Thursday!

February BOM

While I cannot show you more pictures of baby shower gifts until after the shower on Saturday, here's the February BOM I finished last night.

I found the little oval hanger at WalMart. It's actually a coat/hat hanger I think, but with the little dowel, it works well for this. And, I can change the decorations on the wood since they're just stickers. I added a little "bling" heart in the middle 'cause I thought it looked a bit plain. I'll hang this at the shop today.

It's time to get ready for work. Have a great Wednesday!

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's....

SUPERBAG! Honestly, I have never made a bag this big! I found the pattern in the April 2009 issue of McCall's Quilting. The text reads "Bet you can't make just one!" LOL Bet me! It was fun and I really like the outcome, but I dunno... I still need to find a piece of lightweight cardboard to put on the bottom to give it some stability. The cardboard needs to be 9" x 17". Gives you an idea of how big it is. It will definitely carry ALL the necessities, and more!

The new Country Calendar BOM pattern is up. I want to get four of them done this month, so I'd best get to it. Today is Lubbock day and I must do some bill paying, as well. Have a decent Monday!