Check out this Blog Giveaway

Click on over to  Jandi In Stitches.  You'll love her blog giveaway!  It's awsome!
Her blog is great too.  See you on the Followers list.
Hugs,
Rebecca

Home from my Surprise Visit to my Mother's

What fun!
I gave my mother quite a startle Thursday night.  My husband and I drove to her house without announcing our visit.  I called Momma on my cell phone as we drove into the driveway.  I talked with her all the way into the living room.  She was so surprised to turn and see me standing there. 
She loved her peacocks!  It was a great visit.

While I was gone on  my long weekend get-away, fabric arrived for the newest project on my project list.
Barbara, one of our daughters, (mother of four herself), had decided she and her husband are going to renew their wedding vows with all the splendor of a great big redneck wedding.  You would have to know them...... to understand.  They live out in the sticks and well..... they are rednecks.  Dresses have been purchased for all the bridesmaids and the birde too.  But naturally, they are not quite what Barbara had in mind.  So she purchased satin (wedding dress weight) Mossy Oak.  She told me she wanted me to add it to the dresses.  Isn't that sweet..... she thinks I can do anything.      Hmmmmm.... well after much thought, here's my design plan:

• Open up all the side seams
• Remove straps
• Add a 4-5 inch insert of Mossy Oak from top to hem
• The bodice details include ribbon detail, so I will add looping at the end of each ribbon detail
• Sew in a tuck at the top and waist of each insert
• Lace matching ribbon through making side corsets then tie ribbon in a bow at waist

this will actually give the dresses a little give for .....
.... make it a little smaller because I am going to lose some weight         ....and
..... oh! no! I gained a little weight and now it is too tight.

We all know how that ends up.... don't we?

The bride's dress..... I have a special plan for that too...... but we will have to wait for that one.

Here is pictures of the before dresses.

Do you read?

I love a good book..... who doesn't?
Currently I am reading DEAR JOHN ... it's great!
All you folks out there who are creative and have that Type A personality understand that we just can't sit around and do nothing.  I keep a book in my purse for those occassions when I get stuck w-a-i-t-i-n-g-----.
The wheels just won't stop turning.  This is really a sanity saver for me... Give it a try and when you do........

You would probably really appreciate a
beautiful book cover like this:

 Don't forget to make yourself a fancy bookmark!

A matching wallet....

Momma's new bag needs a fancy new wallet.

Check out my wallet tutorial to get you started on your own new wallet....... be sure to use your own creativity to make it personally yours.  I would love to see pictures of yours and comments are so much fun too.  Have fun!  Notice I even added a zippered coin pocket to this one.

Sorry, the close up is a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.

I used different fabrics for the inside pockets to carry on the quilted feeling.  Besides................ the peacock colors were too beautiful to choose just one.

Now let me see.... I think that is 4 projects only 46 to go... whew!

My Mommy's Birthday!

    My mother loves peacocks!

Seriously, Momma does love those birds, to the point that my Dad actually bought peacocks for their farm.  Have you ever seen peacocks walking around the horse pasture of a Mississippi farm?  I have.... by the way, they are not always nice birdies..... but they sure are pretty.

It seemed to me, that Momma would love to carry along one of her beautiful birds with her... so with that in mind....

• 
  
  I found a collection of lovely peacock fabrics.
• 
  
  Designed a bright and vibrant peacock applique.
• 
  
  Wanting the applique to really stand out, I elected to use black and white for the tote bag itself.
• 
  
  After fusing the pieces of my applique in just the right manner for a most pleasing looking peacock...afterall, it is the males strutting themselves that are beautiful birds, the females are quite homely looking... poor things.  This is nature's way of protecting the females.
• 
  
  Follow up with a nice blanket stitch along the edges of the applique pieces in peacock blue.
• 
  
  Lastly..... add some decorative stitching for a feather plume on his head and feathers on the breast.

Love it!  Hope Momma does too. Her birthday is Wednesday February 17th.  She was born in 1944, lets see...... that makes her 66.  Way to go Mom...Love you.  I will be leaving Thursday the 15th, to make a surprise visit to her house.  Can't wait... haven't seen her in about 9 months. 

Computer went caput!.... but now I'm back!

I missed my time here.... more than I would have thought.
But--- no matter, my hubby, my hero reformatted my sweet, overworked, and just plain tired computer.  Poor thing gave up the ghost and went caput.

Even though I wasn't able to post... I have been busy.
Check out my work in the following posts.

Home from California!

Flew in tonight... glad to be home and a little tired too.
The wedding was beautiful and the family and friends were too.
Check out my new find in California
I read this magazine from cove to cover on the long flight home.  Love it, think I will try to get subscription.  Take a look at SEW IT ALL from the editors of Sew News.  There is an online link too.
www.sewnews.com/sewitall