sew cute... by alex

Tissue packs

2012-01-30T09:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! I have been busy and productive and a vacation is on the horizon... Yippee!

A few weeks ago I made 160 tissue covers for the teachers at the Middle School and they were a hit. I used a lot of scraps and cleaned out my stash a little bit. We have a wonderful Hospitality Committee and their activity for January was a "stay healthy" bag for the teachers. We included tissues, chap stick, hand sanitizer and a few other goodies. They were delivered the week of mid-terms with a thank you note for all they do for our kids.

I also finished a very cool embroidered tea towel calendar for 2012 and other quick projects. Pictures of those coming soon.

Enjoy!

Baby Gifts...

2012-01-09T15:14:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Cluck Cluck Sew's Wednesday, Jan. 4th blog post: Flannel.

Just like her, I looked at the tutorials she suggested and in practically no time at all,

I had two very cute blankets with mitered corners.

my fancy new tag

Craftsy, January BOM

2012-01-07T17:17:00.000-05:00

A new project! Craftsy: Block of the Month Quilt.

Block 1

Block 2

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T15:49:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all a Very Happy New Year and a Blessed Three Kings Day!

Sew Cute will be back with more handmade gifts and crafty ideas this year...

I can't wait to share my projects with you and show you what I make with my new sewing machine. I'm one blessed and lucky girl!

Me with my adoring husband and beautiful girls, Christmas morning.

December!

2011-12-01T09:14:00.001-05:00

December is here! What happened to November?! It was a busy month in our household and it felt like it flew by. I was busy working and cleaning up my always messy sewing room. I made baby gifts like the one below and sewed lots of girl scout patches. Thanksgiving came. We went to the zoo in the morning and had our family over for dinner. We are so blessed!

Hanna and Dan

Hanna, Victoria and Alex

Our girls are so grown up!

strawberry onesie and baby quilt

ribbon turkey from Planet Applique for Baby Lyla

Labels

2011-10-28T08:00:00.031-04:00

I made my own labels! I was short on time to order and receive my usual name tape from NameMaker for a particular project (remember the crayon rolls), so I decided to give it a whirl and this is what I came up with.

So much fun to play with the fonts and sizes, typewriter
I went for easy to read!

Ready to starch, press and cut.

90 cut labels

Ready to sew...

Here is my trick to making fabric labels:

1. I ironed on a piece of freezer paper to a light colored muslin. Both pieces a little larger than an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Steam off or you will get wrinkles on the paper.
2. Then I cut the prepared fabric to exactly an 8 1/2 x 11 rectangle.
3. I played making labels on the computer as a word document (the labels option).
4. I fed the prepared fabric into my printer and let the ink dry about 5 minutes.
5. I peeled the paper off and pressed the back side. Dry iron. No steam.
6. I starched well and pressed them maybe 5-6 times. They were pretty stiff. The idea was to give them body and keep them from fraying too much as I sewed them.
7. With the rotary cutter, I cut them to desired size and in an hour I had 90 labels!

I have a few left for other projects and I'm keeping them in this cute stationery box I got at the Target $1 section. Not bad at all!

Crayon rolls...

2011-10-27T08:10:00.005-04:00

Recently I made 66 crayon rolls for a party. I have made these before but never so many all together. That's all I did for days... I'm happy to be done with that project and ready to clean up the mess I made! Below is a picture of what my floor looked like. Yikes! Those are the corners I clipped from each roll so when I turned them they would look great.

66 crayon rolls, upside down :)
just need 8 crayons in each

new crayons would be nice :)
{this is just the sample}

A Rooster?

2011-10-26T08:00:00.005-04:00

Yep! I love the whole rooster & chicken thing for the kitchen... So when I saw this Fig Tree & Co. kitchen towel kit, I had to have it. And guess what, I did not keep it! I wrapped it and sent it to a lady that I knew would love it, my Mom. If you want to give it a try, the kits are here and the instructions are very easy to follow. I had to look up how to do the freezer paper applique method, but there are a ton of blogs that will show you how. I use the method blogged on Fig Tree & Co. Hiding behind the rooster is the chicken, just in case you were wondering :)

Cute stuff...

2011-10-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hi, there... I'm still here. I have been working on cute stuff and wrapping up projects here and there.
But I want to show you something super cute! I got this measuring tape at a great needlepoint shoppe in New Orleans a few weeks ago.

I love it! And I wish I had gotten one or two more... These make a great gift! So I've been searching and you can buy them from Amazon. They will sell you anything. They are my place to go to get those really awesome leather dots I like instead of a thimble. If my fingers were a little fatter, I would have a collection of thimbles. Actually, I have a little collection... I'm growing it right now. Nothing super special, just a couple of places we've been to... more on that another day.

Working...

2011-10-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

chalkboards

back side of chalkboards

printing on fabric

name labels

66 crayon rolls

Tic-Tac-Toe

2011-09-19T16:55:00.005-04:00

This is the Tic-Tac-Toe Quilt I made today for V's teacher. Sending it in tomorrow along with other items on her wish list for the class... The Eric Carle fabric is a left over from the Brown Bear quilt kit I made a while back. Seemed perfect for this project!

front

back

folded, ready to go in your bag

Enjoy!

You can see me here too!

Ready for softball...

2011-09-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

Once again, we are Dolphins, Ready! Lime Green and PINK! Let the games begin!

Our banner

Hair Scrunchies

V and her pink softball bag

One more order...

2011-09-09T08:06:00.000-04:00

These are really sew cute! I have made lots and lots of Minnie and Mickey goody bags this summer. Mostly they are pink and red but these are orange. They are for a Halloween Birthday. How fun!

Enjoy!

Labor Day Sunday

2011-09-06T04:05:00.000-04:00

Labor Day Sunday with Friends at home... very colorful and sweet.

Hope you had a Great Holiday Weekend... Now off to school kids!

Isn't She Wee Wonderful?

2011-08-27T10:05:00.002-04:00

Tag A-Long doll from Hillary Lang's: Wee Wonderfuls
and hooded cape

Enjoy!

Summer is coming to an end...

2011-08-24T08:26:00.000-04:00

Summer is almost over... The kids are going back to school next Monday. We have had a wonderful summer and we are savoring the last days.
As of Monday life will go back to normal. Our days will be scheduled and I will be driving my girls around to softball, golf, guitar lessons and girl scout after school.
Here is a picture of the girls at the beach... Enjoy the last days of summer!

More bags...

2011-08-10T09:34:00.000-04:00

More bags for Camp Duenkel. These are for the girls and the brave grandma who takes care of the campers.

for Halle

for Victoria

for Hanna

for Grandma LaLa

Camp Duenkel 2011

2011-08-05T08:01:00.000-04:00

I'm making goodies for Camp Duenkel 2011, a week long of beach fun with the grandparents for my girls and the cousins... It officially begins tomorrow. These are for the boys, drawstring bandanna backpacks... More in a day or two.

Golf Play Day...

2011-07-31T12:01:00.000-04:00

Every Wednesday is golf play day and although some days it's hard to get up and go, it's fun every time.

Even if our game is not great that day something always happens that makes us come back. Maybe is one great drive off the tee box or one awesome chip off the bunker or running into nature, literally. This week we saw a momma deer and her two babies getting breakfast on the side of the cart path. We had to stop to let one of the babies get back to momma. It actually surprised us to see them just standing there. I saw actually, because we see them all the time in our backyard but not this close. Only once, one of them got so close that it was on the patio inches away from our beagle. And it scared me half to death!

H & V ready to tee off@ Shark Bite

crossing the cart path

the momma and baby

she had two babies with her

It's hot!

2011-07-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

Hello, again! It's hot... almost too hot to be outside. I'm still here, have not melted away! We've been at the pool and the beach and on the golf course or the range... Here is a couple of shots of our weekend.

The girls and their cousins at Bethany Beach

Dinner without kids... thank goodness for the older girls!

I wish I could say that there's been a lot of sewing too to stay cool, but I have nothing. Well, one baby gift (pictures after I give it) and I helped Victoria a little with her tic-tac-toe quilt. I have tried to crochet a little. Still practice more than anything. Hope to make something good this week and share more pictures with you.

Girls...

2011-07-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

My girls are home!

Sunkissed...

2011-07-07T14:00:00.002-04:00

Just a peek at the top of our new picnic quilts... One for us and one for the American Girl Dolls!

for us... click on this picture to see up close

for the doll, using leftover strips

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T10:14:00.006-04:00

Let's Celebrate and give thanks for our freedom!

There's nothing like being one of the people lifting the flag up at NASCAR...

Thanks for the blanket of freedom and safety you provide.

Treats for the hostest...

fireworks at home...

red, white and blue banner...

and Crochet watermelon trivet.

One star... for our soldiers...

so our colors can fly...

at the same time Our National Anthem is being sung at the races...

and we can celebrate with Fireworks.

The United States of America...

and a Red, white and blue twirly skirt...
(all sewing and crafty projects made by me)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Softball tote...

2011-07-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

for V, because she loves softball

with pleats and aqua rick rack

pink flowers with a sash

Enjoy!

Summer is flying by...

2011-06-30T09:10:00.000-04:00

June 30. This summer is flying by. My girls are gone to camp and on vacation. The house is quiet. I've been busy wrapping up project and cleaning my craft room a little... and spending time with my husband. I'm so lucky... everyone is happy!

V at camp registration

D and H right after we said "goodbye" to V
The next day H headed out to Montana to visit friends

Something fun...

2011-06-20T10:37:00.002-04:00

I love to wear an apron in the kitchen. I love aprons even more if they are vintage or at least vintage looking. I found one of those vintage aprons last season and I quick bought one! Sur Le Table had them and I got one. But you know me... I just had to try making one like it. Nothing like re-inventing the wheel! The zig zag skirt and the pom-poms had me at "hello"! So here is the one I made:

My model, Miss V.

The sun came out...

2011-06-18T07:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's rain clouds drifted away long enough for us to see the sun and enjoy the pool for a few hours. And at the pool I began working on this...

while my girls swam. I am a big fan of Sublime Stitching Embroidery. It's one of my favorite things to stitch along with The Floss Box and Sarah Jane Studio patterns. Go check out their sites and then hop over to see some of my embroidery on flickr.

Later it poured and the sun went away. We went to the movies and saw Mr. Popper's Penguins. It was so great to hear my children laugh out loud in the theater. It was a great little movie! Just because, I want to share this little penguin tote I made a little while ago. It has no owner, so if you want it... Just let me know.

Enjoy!

School is OUT!

2011-06-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

Yay! School is OUT! But is a rainy day here in VA, so those plans to hit the pool were washed away...
Instead, we'll hit the movies and catch any of the new releases.
Here are my two girls at the field last weekend after the softball championship game. I hope to see their faces this happy all summer long!
Is it true that we have 104 days of summer vacation?!

Happy Friday!

iPad case

2011-06-08T08:38:00.002-04:00

Hi, there... I made THIS a few months ago with a piece that I quilted in simple squares when I got my walking foot to practice. Very simple. Just an over sized envelope, a little velcro and a pack of bias tape. I have used it a lot... at least every time I take my iPad off its docking station!

Enjoy,

PS: I tried to take pictures of the USA map again and still no good. The sun is out today so perhaps they will be better today... hang in there... :)

Done...

2011-06-07T10:34:00.003-04:00

(sorry it's so dark)

more a little later... and better pictures!

UPDATED PICTURES:

click on the photo to see details

again, click on the photo to see details

Enjoy!

The Abby Bag

2011-05-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

with yellow sash to match softball team colors

personalized

In ORANGE!

Off to make a few more... the next one I make could be yours!

A Make-Over...

2011-05-19T08:28:00.001-04:00

before...

my rocking chair with the new cushions... just to see how it would look

the arm cushions

another view

my little gift for the new princess

Hello! A friend in the neighborhood asked me to help her give her rocking chair a make over.

Here is the before photo and a few of the rocking chair after. I even made her the arm cushions! Snaps and all!!! And as a little gift I made her this pillow. Cute, huh? I tried to match her crib bedding, which is a very similar patchwork.

She promised me some pictures of the whole thing put together so I will owe you those for now. I will post them as soon as she gets them to me. She just had her princess on Monday so I think she might be a little tied up :)

She also has two other princesses at home, so she'll be busy for a while. Can't wait to meet the new little one!

12 minute table runner

2011-05-18T06:58:00.000-04:00

Here is the 12 minute table runner. Really! It took more like 15 minutes and that is because I wanted to make sure I did not mess up. It matches the cushions of my kitchen table. I can see this pattern done in all kinds of seasonal fabrics. I'm thinking I need one to match all my Fourth of July stuff...

Enjoy!

Things Moms Make...

2011-05-16T07:35:00.002-04:00

Banner for Victoria's softball team

A Spring Scarf

2011-05-09T17:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day!
I had a great day with my husband and my two girls.
This morning I made this simple Spring scarf out of the silkiest cotton that could ever touch your skin. It is so yummy and I love the colors. I am a little partial to that golden yellow you see in the background. Just like yellow... Anyway, this turned out fabulous and I can't take credit for it since it's not my idea. I saw one a little wider at Angelwing Needle Arts during my last shopping spree. Theirs was about 10 inches wide and as long as the WOF. I bought just a third of a yard of each print and cut them in half to make it twice the WOF in length.
Can't wait to wear it!

Goodies...

2011-05-04T16:04:00.000-04:00

I love to embroider and hand dyed floss is my absolute favorite. After our trip to Talladega, we stopped at the beach for a few days. Near Sunset Beach, NC there is a little town called Southport and I love to shop at Angelwing Needle Arts on the main street.

The owner of the shop is a lovely lady and I love that she helps my 12 year old figure out what she needs for her knitting projects, since I don't know much about that. While they were busy getting yarn and the right needles, I went looking for floss and look at what I found!

100% cotton and the juiciest colors ever! Weeks Dye Works is now part of my collection and I hope to use it all up in USA Map pattern of The Floss Box that I am working on.
My favorite is Calypso and I have to tell you that as I wrapped the floss on my little plastic bobbins, I could see (in my head) quilts made of colorful strips in the patterns that formed as I wrapped and wrappped.
Maybe one day, I can make one of those and share it with you. Until then, I will be working on my embroidery project.

Happy Easter...

2011-04-24T16:34:00.000-04:00

and many blessings to all! Enjoy these beauties!

Signs of Spring at Waterford, Va

Off to Talladega...

2011-04-15T09:10:00.001-04:00

Our snacks for the roadtrip...

... with my Heather Bailey bag to meet Dale Jr. & Kyle Busch. A girl can dream, right?!

So tired...

2011-04-12T07:24:00.002-04:00

Hello! I had another sleep study done last night and I'm so tired... and it looks like another rainy day for us.

Before I go take a nap, I want to show you the Abby Tote from V & Co. patterns. I made this for my BFF, Shannon. She picked the fabric to match the colors of her daughters' softball teams. Changing the sash colors and adding the monogram on the sash was all her idea... she's a very crafty chick too!
Maybe this afternoon I can start mine... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Our Saturday...

2011-04-11T07:37:00.000-04:00

Central Park, Sudoku Quilt by MODA

This is how we spent our Saturday... V's softball game got cancelled because it was a yucky, wet day and so we spent the day putting the blocks to her quilt together. And she finished all nine of them.
She was loving every minute of it and is already talking about her next quilt... I think she will suffer from the same addiction as me. I LOVE to QUILT!
As soon as I wake up and get going that's all I can think about. I don't sew or quilt everyday, but I sure try. Today will be another rainy day and instead of driving to doctors' appointment, doing errands and girl scouts this afternoon, I rather be home sewing... There's always tomorrow!

Lion at Rest...

2011-04-10T08:53:00.000-04:00

One more...

2011-03-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

Here is one more baby shower pillow... ready to be autographed by your guest!

lilac and yellow, autograph pillow

I'm still around... I have finished a few projects. And I'm working on a few more... I will be away in Puerto Rico for a few days. It's my newphews' baptism on Sunday! I finally get to meet the newest bundle of joy and see his big brother too!!! I promise that when I get back next week, I will catch up and share my new crafty ideas with you.

Enjoy!

Baby Pillows...

2011-03-09T13:54:00.001-05:00

This is "sew" stinkin' cute... Baby pillows for shower guests to leave the new little ones a message.

Something new...

2011-03-08T16:22:00.001-05:00

Hello! I am finishing a few projects and trying new ones. I just finished a baby quilt and a little surprise to go with it. I'm working on 2 baby pillows for a baby shower this weekend and making hexies... This is my new project. I just started last night. I have a few ideas, so let's see what becomes of these yummy hexies.

hexies made with CM 1 1/4 hexagon punch and jelly roll print

a little peek at the baby quilt

And I just want you all to know that I have not finished piecing the postage stamp quilt but it's coming...
It's so big and overwhelming! And you should see the mess in my sewing room!

Off to sew or clean up the mess...

Meet Effie...

2011-03-04T16:28:00.005-05:00

Meet Effie... Isn't she just darling? I love the print too! It looks a little Indian to me. The tail, a grosgrain braid in orange.
From Heather Bailey's pattern available here. I enlarged it 150% and it was so much easier to work with than the orignal size.
Still, she's a little one, perfect for little hands to hug and love.

One more photo... a day later.

A little practice...

2011-03-01T12:45:00.001-05:00

A little practice... and the cutest 4 inch elephant pin cushion is mine to keep!

These little things are the hardest to make. Can't turn easily and just challenging all together. I just used this one as practice for a bigger one. Stay tuned to see how the bigger one turns out...

Challenge #2

2011-02-28T13:04:00.000-05:00

Here is my version of the Reservible Market Tote for February. The second bag in Amy Butler's, Style Stitches. Thanks to JemJam's for putting this together!
I'm having so much fun...

side 1

back of market tote

inside

side 2

She loved it!

2011-02-15T07:36:00.002-05:00

(original design by Missy Ballance)
This is my version of the girly-girl purse!

I added the long hair

Don't they say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery?
Well, thank you Missy for letting me copy you...

This little girl did not get a Panera card, LOL...
She got a Target gift card for books or any other little thing her heart desires.

She loved it! Her words exactly: "It is soooo perfect mommy! It looks exactly like me!"

And that just made my day...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T07:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Of course, we were crafting to get ready for today!

I made kitchen towels for V's teachers and the girls made valentines to exchange with their friends. We also made pretzel snaps with peppermint kisses and V-day M&M's... Yummy!

I want to wish my dear friend of 40 years (we've been friends since we were born!), a very Happy 40th Birthday today! I wish we lived closer to celebrate... Cheers!

Maritere and I, about 3 years old

I hope you have a sweet, love-filled day,

Sudoku

2011-02-02T15:28:00.000-05:00

This is the coolest thing I have seen in a while... My daughter V loves Sudoku. This is her project.
As you can see, she had to solve the puzzle and assign a fabric to a number. Then she followed the puzzle as her pattern to lay out the squares.
Next, she will begin sewing her squares. This will be one BIG quilt! The fabric is Central Park by Moda. This kit is available at FatQuarterShop.
I'll keep you posted on V's project.

Cosmo Bag

2011-02-01T10:14:00.001-05:00

Here it is! The Cosmo Bag from Amy Butler's Style Stitches.

As you know, I am participating in JemJam's monthly challenge and this is the product of challenge #1. To see other entries visit the flickr group.

I made mine to be a baby bag. Perfect for toys, diapers and all the other junk we carry as moms of little ones. I don't have a need for this anymore so one lucky girl will get this as a gift. Let's see what else I can make to stuff in there!

Kitsch!

2011-01-29T10:43:00.001-05:00

Just have to share... this kitschy Kleenex box mini sofa.
I got it as a gift for my birthday from a special friend down in North Carolina... She made it herself, no pattern, just one like it to copy it from! Pretty incredible, huh?

My Mom's Work...

2011-01-27T11:17:00.002-05:00

Hello! Just wanted to share with you my Mom's work... Isn't it amazing?
She's been busy making these blankets for my new nephew. They live in Puerto Rico so the blankets are light and embroidered by hand, made of pique and "estopilla". That last word translates to "cheesecloth" in English, but that is not it. If anyone knows what we call this fabric, please enlighten me!

Looking for inspiration...

2011-01-26T17:48:00.000-05:00

Two of my new favorites books.
A Rainbow of Stitches and Whip Up Mini Quilts...
I have gone to bed two nights in a row with these two books and while my dear husband reads about cars or just the daily news, I have visions of all the pretty projects I can craft.
I suggest you look for these and delight in their samples. You will not be able to help yourself. You will find yourself tangled in embroidery floss and using your scraps to make mini quilts. I promise!

Happy Birthday to me...

2011-01-25T11:06:00.002-05:00

The cutest cupcakes... chocolate with salted caramel icing
(I'm the naked baby, Dan is the other babe.)

with the ladies
(I'm all the way on the right.)

My awesome husband had everyone sing Happy Birthday to me...

It's the BIG 4-0! January 25, 1971 a cute baby girl, as you can see in the cupcakes, was born in Puerto Rico. Today I live in Virginia with my awesome husband and my amazing daughters, H & V.

This weekend we had our birthday party. My husband also turned 40 this month, January 5th. We par-teed with our friends and families on Saturday night. It was spectacular and unforgettable... I'm still feeling completely overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and love.

All I can say is that I feel so lucky and blessed.

The girls and Dan have something special planned for later, but we already had a great breakfast at a nearby Waffle House... now some crafting time and more celebrating a little later.

heart on sleeve

2011-01-21T12:41:00.001-05:00

heart on sleeve
Originally uploaded by sew alex

on my flickr...

Fabric from Stampin' Up...

2011-01-21T08:59:00.002-05:00

I LOVE Stampin' Up... and now even more! They just came out with a new line of stamps, rub-ons, buttons, matching fat quarters and the prettiest scrapbook that is just sew cute. I could not resist and got the one of the fat quarter combos and the 8x8 scrapbook. I'm thinking that I can scrapbook my work this year in the book and I will think of something to do with the fat quarters. Maybe I can use the fabric to make Kelly Rachel's, Little Letter Needle Book. That would be adorable!

(photo: Kelly Rachel)

Bowling goody bags...

2011-01-18T11:36:00.003-05:00

Here they are! The very cute bowling goody bags I made for V's party this past Saturday. They were a hit... all the girls loved them! We filled them with Mad Libs, a fleece scarf and chapstik. I also made a tag to match using my scrapbooking tools; which, by the way, I am dusting off and putting the work really soon. A few projects just landed on my lap this past week and I could not pass them up.

And other two samples of ones I made for my little cousins' parties.

Always be TRUE...

2011-01-17T17:30:00.003-05:00

pattern: Sublime Stitching

Nothing like wearing your heart on your sleeve... or being True. I hope I always remain true to myself and to those I love and that my love for crafting grows as a I grow older. I can't imagine never loving to craft or to embroider!
Enjoy this Sublime Stitching pattern embroidered on the sleeve of an inexpensive Target cardigan.

Fleece Scarves...

2011-01-11T20:01:00.002-05:00

Today I made 12 fleece scarves for V's birthday goody bags. She is having a bowling party this Saturday to celebrate her 10th birthday.

This time, I did not want to get "junk", so I thought of three things that say V when you look at them. If you know her, then you know that she loves chap stick, wears a fleece scarf every day with her jacket and loves Mad Libs! So that's what's going in her goody bags. The bags themselves will be my next project... so stay tuned!

Seeing Red Quilt

2011-01-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

I'm seeing red... but oh, so happy with my version of cluck, cluck, sew's
Seeing Red Quilt.
Just used my red scraps and paired them up with an ivory tone-on-tone solid. This site is one of my daily sources of inspiration. I love all of her patterns and the happy colors she uses.
I hope to get this quilt sewn together this week and maybe even quilted!

Today I received the jelly rolls for the postage stamp quilt... can't wait to do the "leg work" for it! Take a look at the challenge and the finished quilt on Rachel's PS. I Quilt site. I'm using the same jelly rolls but the backing and binding will be pink!

Enjoy!

A new bag for H...

2011-01-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

the lining

A new bag for H... My first bag of the year is this cute black and white bag. It's a Grand Revival pattern by Tanya and Linda Whelan and it's called the Practical Bag. Check out their site for more patterns and beautiful flowery fabrics.

Have a Happy Sunday!

For the babies...

2011-01-06T07:57:00.001-05:00

Happy are those who give a little... Yesterday we received a thank you note for the blankets and baby hats that my almost 12 year old and I made for the babies at the NICU and it so warmed my heart that I just have to share it with you.

3 January 2011
Dear Alex & Hanna,
On behalf of the NICU at Inova Fairfax Hospital, we'd like to thank you very much for the handmade blankets you made for our babies. They are beautiful and as we share them with our families, know tha you have made the day very special for each of them.
Warmly,
The NPAC Committee

Every year we stop by the NICU on Christmas Day to bring the nurses, doctors and staff a basket of goodies. My 10 year old baby was born 12/25 and spent a while in the NICU. We have done this since her first birthday but this is the first time we added something for the babies. Being a NICU mom, I still remember and have that special baby hat I was given for my baby when she was a little peanut. I'm glad we thought of this...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-05T08:58:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year to all and many blessings of health and happiness!
2011 is going to be a great year. I have been cleaning my house and planning crafty projects for the year.
I began the 365 Project on January 1st as so many of my friends and we all hope to show you what 2011 meant for us in 365 photos, one photo a day.
I also joined Rachel at PS. I Quilt, for a quilt along and today I am picking up my copy of Amy Butler's: Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags, so I can join

JemJam's Monthly Bag Challenge. These three things are sure to keep me busy for the whole entire year!

2011 is a big birthday year for me... The BIG 4-0 is only 20 days away! Today is my husband's BIG 4-0 and I love that he refuses to grow up and stop having fun!

I plan to follow suit and have even more fun this year than I had last year... so much to look forward to!

I hope you follow me here on my little 'ol blog and check out my handmade creations and crafty ideas... and that you find them "sew cute".

Wishing for snow...

2010-12-28T09:28:00.002-05:00

Hello! We are wishing for snow... as the storm took a turn and missed us.
Victoria made this cute felted snowman, since we have no snow to make the "real" thing. This is her new passion. She has wool in every color and she makes these amazing scenes... Some abstract but the color combinations are delicious...
So happy that each of my girls has a passion and the talent to indulge their creativity.
Enjoy your day!
~Alex

Gifts...

2010-12-26T21:18:00.002-05:00

Hello! Here are a few pictures of one of our Christmas Day traditions...
Ten years ago my baby was born on Christmas Day and had to spend a month in the NICU. Every year to celebrate her birthday and to say "thank you" to the staff, nurses and doctors we stop by in the morning and drop off a basket of goodies. This year Hanna and I worked making fleece blankets and knitted caps to include with our gifts... Victoria made pearler bead ornaments!

gifts for the NICU babies

Victoria and Hanna after delivering the goodies...

~Alex

Fleece scarves...

2010-12-21T07:20:00.001-05:00

Hello! Just trying to stay warm and fashionable at the same time!
We made a few more scarves last night. These two are for Victoria's teachers. Per their request, pink and purple and blues.
So easy to make:
1. Cut one 7 inch wide strip of each fleece color
2. Lay each color neatly on top of each other
3. Stitch one straight line at the center (about 3.5 inches in)
4. Fringe carefully not to cut the stitched line, stop about .5 inch from the line
5. Ruffle up!

Now get busy making some gift scarves! I'm on to my next project... fleece comfort blankies for the babies at the hospital to be delivered Christmas morning.

Have a great day!
~Alex

Patches...

2010-12-12T13:18:00.001-05:00

Hello!
I have no idea how many patches I have sewn this year but I do know that it's been lots. Maybe in 2011 I will keep track of how many just to see... 100s would be my guess.
Here is one brownie vest with over 70 patches. I just love to see what the girls have done and all the different patch designs.

~Alex

December!

2010-12-10T09:00:00.003-05:00

Hello! I did not fall off the face of the Earth! Just got busy with life. I'm still here and would like to start sharing with you again my little adventures in sewing, crafting, and gift giving.
Since the last time you heard from me, we had a smashing Hallowing Bash. And I mean literally! A few cupcakes smashed here and there but we are all cleaned up and ready for the next party!
Here is a picture of the softball moms in our awesome costume:

I'm the mechanic in the gray suit with the Kyle Bush had and pigtails

Then, we hosted a very fun end of year softball party for Victoria's team and the highlight was the ball park themed food (soft pretzels, chili dogs, peanuts and cotton candy) and the fleece scarves I made for the girls and the moms. Those last games were chilly!

Dolphin, U10, Ashburn Girls Softball League

the girls enjoying treats

Dan and I
I love cotton candy! and had lots!

Right after that, I jumped on a plane off to Aruba with my girlfriends for the week!
Yes, one whole week of nothing but girl time! Had a wonderful time. (Pictures coming soon!)

Got back safe and sound and got ready for Thanksgiving a the beach. We love Sunset Beach, NC and for me that is MY little piece of heaven on Earth. Had a relaxing time and got ready for the holiday rush that awaited for us one we hit the suburbs again.

Now we are 10 days into December and I can't believe how this year flew by... I promise to catch up and share lots more with you before the year is over.

Have a HAPPY, happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!
~Alex

Fall is in the air...

2010-10-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

My oldest pumpkin, busy at work

My two pumpkins!

Dan and Chris carving pumpkins

A little blurry, but you get the idea...

Victoria's candy wreath for our party!

Hello! Just a quick post with a few of the things that say... Fall is in the air! Halloween is almost here and without a doubt MY holiday! After this weekend, I'll have lots to share...
Enjoy!
~Alex

Book talks in 6th grade...

2010-10-08T09:20:00.001-04:00

Hanna with her book and flag...

Her beautiful handy embroidery.

Book and flag.

Hello and TGIF! What a long week... I want to share with you Hanna's handy work. She is an avid reader. Can't sleep until she's finished the book reader! She got Mockingjay in the mail and that night she was done. How I wish, I was that kind of reader... Still working on the last Twilight!
This week she has a book talk for English and she chose to do it on this very popular book. Right after she finished reading the book the first time, she trace the bird and embroidered it, just for fun. It sat there for a while. As she prepared for her book talk she decided that she would make her work into a flag as a prop. She concluded this was appropriate since a surrender flag gets waved in the story.
Today is the day of the book talk. I can't wait to hear how it went.
I love that my kids love school so much and that they find time and ways to be creative with their school work. I imagine not very many kids are embroidering their own flags just because...

Happy day to you,
~Alex

New items on my ETSY shop...

2010-10-07T15:34:00.000-04:00

penguin tote

Hello! Just added a few things... totes, baby things and girl scout stuff.
Happy shopping... Alex

Making Dolls...

2010-10-01T17:17:00.001-04:00

Hello! I'm still here... Just been busy with life! Still I have managed to make a few pretty things and find a new favorite book: Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang. I love making dolls and this book is dreamy! Just what I needed in the middle of working on a pair of dolls for my mom. I am using Nicole's Raggedy Old Annies pattern but the next set of dollies will be from my new favorite book.
Enjoy!

My new favorite book!

Just painted with Vanilla Coffee (Starbucks). So yummy!

Coffee stained and delicious! The smell is so sweet and toasty!

~Alex

Back at work...

2010-09-13T09:36:00.000-04:00

Victoria-First day of school

Hanna is off to Middle School!!!

Monkey Blanket

From a JoAnn's kit but I can't make myself follow the pattern so I cut 4 1/4 squares and started piecing them in a pattern. I think it will be sew cute!

Hello again! With the kids back in school it's time to get back to work and do something about all those crafty ideas whirling in my head. I got started this weekend on this cute monkey blanket for a friend of mine that is expecting a little one soon. Other ideas in the works: an Olivia the pig girl quilt and a makeover for Hanna's plain white sheets. Also, I started working on an old Bucilla jeweled Christmas tree skirt that I began a few years ago. I will finish it this year! I even had the girls helping cut and sew sequins and beads to speed it up... they gave up after an hour! Any little bit helps!
Have a great week!

~Alex

A few projects...

2010-09-03T04:14:00.000-04:00

Sublime Stitching Onesies for the triplets

a baby gift

floor quilt for Adriana

a six-pack of terry washcloths

embroidery of paper

Hello, there... Just posting a few photos of some recent projects. I'll be back with more soon.
Enjoy!
~Alex

The V and Co. Favorite Bag, 2 part 2

2010-08-10T14:59:00.001-04:00

The V and Co. Favorite Bag

Close-up of the ribbon flower pin

Hello and happy Tuesday! The orange V and Co. Favorite Bag went out in the mail this morning... Jen, if you are reading- Happy Early Birthday! I quilted this one and I am quiet pleased with the result. I love the colors!
The flower is made out of one yard of 1 1/2 inch satin ribbon and a fabric covered button. It is attached to the bag with a pin. If you want to give it a try click on the V and Co. link on the side bar and get yourself a pattern from V and start sewing!
Enjoy,
Alex

Baby Gifts...

2010-08-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hello and happy Monday! We went up to NYC this weekend for my cousin's couples baby shower and had a blast. It was clear to me that handmade gifts are special. The look on their faces when they opened our gift was priceless! There were other handmade gifts there as well and we all got the loudest oohs and ahhs! My aunt wrapped all of their baby blankets and baby shirt (cotitas- typical baby layette in Latin-American countries) and gave them to my cousin as she explained to the crowd that these were worn by all her children, four of them, and the first grandson. This will be grandchild number two for my aunt and my cousin's first born. I remember my mom doing the same thing for me when my girls were born. Those are just some our traditions...
So by now, you probably want to see the finished quilt... Here it is!

Thanks to my quilt holder, Miss Hanna.

I found Maisy books in Spanish...

Another view of the quilt. Here you can see the hand-quilting.

Enjoy!

Alex

The V and Co. Favorite Bag, 2 part 1

2010-08-01T13:21:00.003-04:00

Hello! Busy finishing the baby quilt and already started on a new V and Co. Favorite Bag. This time, I'm quilting the fabric for a different look. Here's a peek at the first bag... The new one is orange and I can't show it to you just yet or my dear friend won't be surprised!

This is Sara's bag. When she got it, she wrote me to say that she felt so loved...

~Alex

Batik Quilt

2010-07-31T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hello and happy Saturday! I wanted to update you sooner but because of the weather we have been having power outages and when I was typing on Thursday and Friday the power went out and erased everything! So here I go again...
This is a jelly roll that I got two summers ago at Walmart of all places just because I loved the colors. Well, I finally got around to making something and that became this super cool quilt. It is approximately 44 x 48 inches. I think it's perfect for a baby girl or even a toddler. It's going up on my ETSY so check the store soon. I have a few strips of the aqua left so I will have to think of something else to make. maybe something beach themed...
We are off to the Kennedy Center to see Mary Poppins this afternoon so I'm giving my little fingers a break from quilting the Maisy Mouse baby quilt today. I hope to finish soon so you can see how cute it's turning out to be. And did I tell you that I found the Maisy board books to match the quilt? It's going to make an adorable shower gift for a very special baby that's on his way!
Have a great day!
~Alex

Embroidered Towels...

2010-07-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

Hi, there... What do you think? These are the first two towels I machine-embroidered with my little ol' Singer Futura after it was down for a looooong time. The girls and their cousins are spending a week at the beach with the grandparents and calling it Camp Duenkel. So I thought it would be fun to make these for all the kids... I have a few more to go and then it's time to get the kids packed. They are going to have a blast!
Enjoy,
~Alex

Maisy Mouse Quilt...

2010-07-27T08:06:00.006-04:00

Hello! I started working on Maisy and enjoying every minute of this project.

UPDATE (7/29): Here are some photos... I'm ready to start quilting!

~Alex

Birthday Girl Outfit...

2010-07-25T17:48:00.003-04:00

Hello and Happy Sunday!
Remember those cute Mickey and Minnie Mouse goody bags I worked on a few weeks ago... Well, today I finally finished the birthday girl's outfit. I used a pattern and boy were the instructions hard to follow... I was sure these were tested and re-tested so people like me can follow them and understand them! The whole time I was wishing I was at sewing class so the teacher could just show me :)
Anyway, it turned out adorable and it's completely reversible. No seams showing... just as beautiful inside. It's going out in the mail tomorrow morning and I will be starting a new project.
I have a million things that I would like to work on. One of them is Kelly Rachel's sew along bag. I got the fabric I wanted this weekend and I can already see it. But I think I have to tackle an interactive Maisy Mouse baby quilt first so I can meet my own self-imposed deadline and then my bag.

Enjoy!
~Alex

Stained Glass Store Sign...

2010-07-22T14:45:00.004-04:00

A girl can dream, right?! Isn't this gorgeous?! My very talented mom made me this sign. Now if I only had a little store front... It would look fantastic hanging from an old fashioned hook like the ones outside the shops in Old Town Leesburg. One day you might see my little store!
Enjoy,
~Alex

A short video for you... ART

2010-07-21T11:12:00.005-04:00

Hello! Just sharing a short video with you. Saw it on Kelly Rachel's blog a few days ago... I hope she doesn't mind me passing it along.

Visit Kelly's blog for the cutest sew along projects. She's amazing!

I hope you enjoy it!

~Alex

Making Swaps...

2010-07-08T22:15:00.009-04:00

Isn't this sew cute?

Denim tote, with Girl Scouts Think Green cotton print and hot pink ric rac trim and clip for keys.

Girls making swaps... even the dog got into the shot!

What a day! We've been having 100+ degree weather here in Virginia this past week and today was another hot one. The girls are surviving Girl Scout camp and drinking lots of water. Tomorrow is the last day of camp at Claude Moore and the girls bring in swaps to trade.
This is one of my favorite things about Girl Scout camp as I get to help them create a unique swap. Hanna is a helper this year and her nickname is "Yarn" so she made mini skeins of yarn for her swaps. Very cute! Victoria is in the Ultra Violet Lights group so we stamped purple light bulbs and made them into charms to hang on a safety pin along with glow in the dark beads and a tag.
I was lucky enough to spend part of the afternoon inside sewing... a little gift for Victoria's group leader, Daisy May. She has been wonderful and she deserves a treat after this week. So glad to have met her.
Enjoy,
~Alex

Goody Bags...

2010-07-07T21:04:00.001-04:00

Just finished making 20 Mickey and Minnie Mouse goody bags for a birthday party. The idea is to have a candy bar and each guest gets to fill up his or her bag with their choice of candy...

Enjoy,
~Alex

CSI: Girl Scout Camp...

2010-07-06T11:36:00.000-04:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday! Just a quick snapshot of the girls yesterday morning before we left for day camp. This year the girls are participating of two Girl Scout Day Camps: CSI and Hogwarts! YES, Harry Potter Camp! So far, so good...
~Alex

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T11:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourth of July! Hope you have a safe day!
Enjoy the fireworks!
~Alex

Making a Swingy Skirt

2010-07-03T00:00:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Pinksuedeshoe's pink swingy skirt, I decided to make my little one a skirt she could wear to our neighborhood's 4th of July party.
I took pictures of almost every step to show you, just in case you want to give it a "twirl"!

First take your measurements to figure out your waistband and ruffles.
You will need to measure your natural waist. For example: 24 inches.
Then cut 2- 24 inches x 3 inches rectangles, this will be your waistband.
Next cut 2- 24 inches x 9 inches pieces, first ruffle.
For your next ruffle, add 12 inches to your waist number and cut 2 pieces.
For me that was 24+12= 36 inches by 9 inches.
For the last ruffle, cut 3- 36 inches x 6 inches pieces.

waistband (red polka dot), cut 2- 24 x 3 pieces
first ruffle (red flower print), cut 2 -24 x 9 pieces
second ruffle (red, white & blue plaid), cut 2-36 x 9 pieces
third ruffle (navy polk dot), cut 3- 36 x 6 pieces

Next, sew your ruffles right sides together to make each layer and press seams open. Serger or use your pinking shears to trim. I used 1/2 inch seam allowance to give me a little room to serger my seams.

Next, with right together sew the waistband to the first ruffle. Match your seams.

Press your waistband up and fold like this...

Finish your waistband to measure 2 inches wide, leaving an opening to feed elastic through later.

Next work your ruffles. I clip a little triangle at the center of each panel to help me evenly distribute the gathering when piecing the ruffles. Be patient and take your time. It will be worth it.

Undo the gathering seams and serger edges to clean up your skirt... or use your pinking shears.

Now, it's time for adding the elastic and closing the opening you left before. I used 1-inch wide elastic but you can go a little bigger if you like. There is room for wider elastic.

Finish your hem by folding up as desired and sew a straight stitch. I used matching thread to minimize appearance. You can see that I did the same at the waistband.

And you have a ruffle skirt!

If you are still looking for a cute skirt, try Freshly Picked and her elastic waist skirt. I might have to give that one a try next.
Happy Sewing!
~Alex

Victoria's Work

2010-07-02T08:04:00.000-04:00

Hello and a happy day to you... TGIF!
Just thought I show you Victoria's work from those classes at JoAnn's last week.
Victoria took Quilting 101 for kids and made this 9 rag patch bag. She also wanted to learn how to cake decorate so she took the Wilton 101 Basic Cake decorating class for kids. I was her helper, but the cake is her creation. I was there to hand her tools and clean up the mess!
Nice work, Victoria!

For the birds...

2010-06-30T01:07:00.000-04:00

Hello and Happy Wednesday! Half way there...
This one is for the birds! Just saw something like this on the Cosmo Cricket site and wanted to give it a try with a little twist-- and use up my Material Girl paper and awesome chipboard pieces. This was so much fun to put together and it will look lovely in my craft room.
Enjoy!
~Alex

The V and Co. Favorite Bag

2010-06-29T01:27:00.002-04:00

Hello! Here it is! The bag I made for my BFF Sara. She loved it!
I'm always looking for a new, practical bag pattern and this is it for sure. Her tutorial was so easy to follow that I will be trying out more of V and Co,'s Patterns very soon. Now my other BFFs are waiting for their bags. Girls, they are coming!
Enjoy!
~Alex

Coffee Cozy

2010-06-28T08:52:00.002-04:00

Good Morning! Here is a drink cozy for my favorite morning beverage, a tall, vanilla latte... If I'm feeling like being "good" I will make that a skinny, sugar free vanilla latte!
But there is something about being "bad" sometimes, LOL!

Today is our anniversary and I'm so happy to celebrate 13 years of marriage to my wonderful husband. I am a lucky girl! What would my life be without him? I can't even imagine! I still get butterflies in my stomach when I'm with him...
Have a GREAT day and Happy Birthday to my dear BFF, Sara!
~Alex

Scrapbooking for the day...

2010-06-27T03:58:00.001-04:00

I'm off scrapbooking for the day with my friend Kristen... I hope to get a few things accomplished and just catch up because I need to.
This is my page for a Cosmo Cricket inspired challenge. All Cosmo Cricket (at least 95%) and handmade flowers. To see my page go here. There are lots of other great pages pages entered in the contest. Good Luck, to all!
~Alex

Vintage Crochet Flowers

2010-06-25T08:02:00.003-04:00

Hello and Happy Friday to you! It's another beautiful Summer day here in Virginia and it seem the humidity is gone for the weekend. This hot weather is just perfect for cute, cool tops like this one I embellished recently. I got these awesome vintage crochet flowers at Scrap-A-Ganza in VA Beach from the Jenni Bowlin booth. When I saw them I knew that they would make a great embellishment and not just on paper crafts. So here is a quick project and I get to keep it! You can also see it on Jenni's gallery.
~Alex

My Second Home (this week!)

2010-06-24T17:15:00.001-04:00

That is how I feel... JoAnn's has been my second home this week. Victoria is taking a sewing class and I was there Monday and Tuesday getting supplies to make 20 Minnie Mouse goody bags for a birthday party. I could probably go to JoAnn's everyday and find something I need for this or that project!
~Happy Crafting!

A Sneak Peak...

2010-06-24T16:31:00.003-04:00

For My Dad...

2010-06-15T07:21:00.002-04:00

This is the Father's Day card I made for my dad last year. His favorite thing to do is fish and I have very fond memories of us fishing together...

Enjoy,
~Alex

Having a Little Girl Scout Fun...

2010-06-14T07:50:00.003-04:00

Saturday night our troop got together to celebrate the end of year party and the fact that we are Juniors with a family BBQ, a little face painting and cake and smores!
The girls and their moms and dads had a great time. Thank you for a great year!
~Alex

Shopper totes...

2010-06-10T08:15:00.001-04:00

Hello! If you are looking for a shopper tote to help SAVE THE EARTH, I have a few on my ESTY store. These are made of durable canvas and trimmed with grosgrain ribbon to embellish this very practical purchase. You will love the bright colors and how roomy they are. In my house they have doubled as overnight bags for the girls' sleepovers. Shopper totes, available in 3 colors (hot pink, chocolate brown and jet black... just $12. Go on, take a look and add my shop as one of your favorites! More cute stuff coming soon... baby blankets and more Girl Scout themed items and more.
Enjoy!
~Alex