owls

Owl Coin Purses

 

 

Fun to make and super cute!

 

~b

 



Willa

When I gave our granddaughters

 American Girl dolls for Christmas

I didn't realize I would be left without a doll

 to use as a model for clothing construction.

 

 

I resisted the urge to buy myself a doll,

(they aren't cheap)

until the first summer outfit I made instructed me

 to put the top on the doll for placement of straps.

 

 

I saved money by buying her on ebay

and I justified the expense by telling myself I am saving money

making their clothes versus buying them.

 

 

"Hi, I'm Willa and

my best friends are Emma and Rose.

We are also cousins."

 

 

Emma and Rose

 

Willa will hang out with me until we give her to our

10-month-old granddaughter five years from now.

 

~b

 

 

 

 

patience

My Mr. b has an overabundance of patience...

Honestly!

 

He was my driver this weekend

 for the Crossing Borders Spring Fling.

10 quilt shops in 9 cities in 2 states and all in 2 days.

They are called Shop Hops.

 

 

There is absolutely no one else

 I would rather spend 2 days in a car with.

We make a good team.

 

I took a few pictures along the way to share with you...

 

 

I love old architecture...

this café and grille was across the street from the first shop

 we went into in Luverne, Minnesota.

 

 

Of course I was also on the lookout for Carnegie Libraries.

This museum was next to the quilt shop in Watertown, SD.

It was originally a Carnegie library.

 

 

It was this same shop that had the most beautiful quilts.

 

Watertown SD is also home to artist Terry Redlin's Museum.

 

 

Would you say he is a huge promoter of the arts?

 

(internet image of Terry Redlin painting)

 

 

I loved this feed store quilt shop in Windom, Minn.

Mr. Feed Store sells feed out of one side of the business...

and Mrs. Feed Store sells fabric in the other side.

Talk about a team!

 

 

We saw this art work on the side of a building

 in Marshall, Minn.

 

 

The quilt shop in Dell Rapids, SD was my favorite...

from it's window display (above) to every corner inside.

 

 

It was definitely quilt overload...but I am ready to do it again.

I don't know about Mr. b.

 

~b

 



reduce...reuse...recycle...

I did some recycling this week.

 

My pile of blue jeans is growing

 and taking up to much room in my sewing room.

 

This was a fun project to use up some of that pile...

 

 

Wouldn't this be a great bag to take EVERYWHERE!

 

 

These jeans already proved themselves to be pretty indestructible.

 

 

The bag is my contribution to this week's Earth Day.

 

 

I love the lining I chose for it...

a red Hawaiian print.

 

 

Mr. b didn't know he was wearing a tote bag did he?

 

~b

 

 



3 Days

Three day projects:

1. Spring clean the house.

2. Paint a large room.

3. Prepare garden and flower beds for spring planting.

4. Organize the basement or garage.

5. Clean carpets and wax hardwood floors.

or...

 

 

6. Make your granddaughter a touch and feel quiet book!

 

 

Guess what I chose to do with my three days.

 

 

My book has lots of textures, colors, shapes and designs.

 

 

I love it!

 

 

I think it would have been a great project to do with

my 6-year-old granddaughters to give their little cousin.

 

 

While I was making it I said I would never make another one...

 

 

But now that it's finished...

I think I may have to start looking at new patterns

for a second one. :)

 

~b

 



yellow

Yellow is definitely one of favorite colors

and these are a few reasons why...

 

 

The yellow finches at our feeders

 make me feel like I live in a tropical location.

 

 

I have been experimenting with essential oils.

 

Lemon oil is recognized as a cleanser, antiseptic,

and an anti-depressant...

it tones and fortifies the nervous system,

 and can be used in a bath for soothing muscular nerves and pain.

 

I love the smell of lemon in almost everything.

 

 

I finished crocheting around the edge of this adorable receiving blanket.

I am loving that I can serge the edge of blankets

 for a nice clean edge to crochet.

 

 

Another sweet bonnet for baby to wear on a sunny yellow day.

 

~b

 



Play chicken

This post is all about chickens...

 

 

These are the neighborhood free range chickens.

Ya...they come over and visit us once or twice a day.

 

However they are not the chickens...

 

 

in todays soup!

 

I am still perfecting my homemade chicken soup.

Todays recipe was found on the blog

Joy the Baker.

I know I know...

chicken soup is pretty basic.

But I am always looking for that secret ingredient!

 

 

I made Joy's dumplings in my favorite bowl for my soup

but I gotta be honest with you...

I prefer Bisquick dumplings, shhh.

 

 

While the soup was simmering on the stove

and while I had chickens on the brain

I made a couple of cute bibs.

 

 

I'm crazy about anything chicken!

 

 

And now that the soup is finished and devoured

the chickens can come back.

 

 

The soup was delicious.

Thanks Joy!

 

~b



Whatcha Got?

I picked up the kit to make this see thru bag at a quilt shop...

 

 

The pattern is by This & That.

It's a super cute project bag...

and a girl can never have enough bags can we?

 

I may call it my dishrag bag...

but I could see sock knitting in it also.

Oh dear...I may need more than one.

 

 

I bought extra vinyl because I knew

 daughter knit and pearl would say...

"Make me one too!"

 

 

The tulips are poking up through all the yard debris

and are looking very pretty.

I don't take very good care of them...

and yet they reward me every spring.

 

~b



top shelf project

 

Wow! Here's an old unfinished project

 that got shoved to the back of the top shelf in my sewing room.

 

 

And of course...the pattern wasn't with it.

My sewing room is super unorganized!

Obviously I would rather be sewing than organizing.

 

 

One pouch needs a zipper...

really I quit at the last step?

 

 

And the second pouch had been pieced but needs quilting,

sewing together and a zipper.

 I am determined to finish them both and

maybe clean off that top shelf completely.

 

~b



Oh Boy!

As I was looking at one blog after another this weekend...

I spotted a free pattern for these knitting/crocheting bags.

 

 

The pattern called for a flat bottom.

 

I first saw these project bags on etsy.

The one I envied was a flat bag.

Picture courtesy of OtterburnPQ etsy shop.

I made both of mine with denim,

and lined them with a quilter cotton and pillow ticking.

 

 

What a great idea right!

There are times when you just don't know

 what to do with that skein of yarn

 while you knit or crochet.

 

I won't be selling them...

 

 

but I will be gifting a few of them to my knitting peeps.

----------------------

Remember that bonnet I showed you last week?

 

It was perfect for backpacking with her mama!

 

 

~b