{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
From SouleMama
*****
A visit to our local u-pick citrus. We've seen their little signs for years and finally made the time to visit.
It was one of our best adventures yet. Grapefruit, a cat, lemons, signs, tools, an alligator, friendly owners, and more oranges than we could ever pick (and just $9 for a 5 gallon bucket of oranges!).
baby bling! |
package front, multi lg chandelier |
Deciding that couldn't be the best route to go I attempted ironing the rhinestones on, which was a success. I decided to post a little tutorial so that other crafters could find the instructions for this, and wouldn't opt to glue each and every little rhinestone (I wasn't doing that, while I love the beautiful diva I was making this for that just wasn't going to happen!).
package back |
I originally purchased the product at JoAnn's Fabrics, but I don't know that they still carry it. The date on the pack of the package is 2007, so it may be out of production. Nevertheless, instructions seem useful.
Please excuse the quality of the images, the lighting wasn't optimal the day the photos were taken.
Purse n-alize-it Adhering Tutorial
Step 1: Press item rhinestones will be adhered to remove wrinkles and create a smooth work surface. Lay out the item so the rhinestone sheet can be easily applied.
step 1 |
Step 2: Remove clear plastic piece with rhinestones from package, discarding white plastic and paper pieces. Center, rhinestone side down, on item to be embellished.
step 2 |
Step 3: After item is placed where it is going to be permanently attached cover the plastic sheet with a piece of cotton fabric and press. After a few seconds lift the fabric back and see if the plastic sheet peels up leaving the rhinestones behind. If the rhinestones pull up too press for a few more seconds, gently moving the iron to avoid overheating the plastic. Continue pressing and checking until rhinestones are adhered.
.
step 3 |
Step 4: Remove fabric piece and peel back plastic, again ensuring that all rhinestones adhere to the item being embellished.
step 4 |
Step 5: Enjoy your new blinged-out one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
step 5: completed item |
I am so lucky! I won this awesome Amy Butler bag book from Melissa at Loblolly Quilts. I can't wait to dive into it and make a few bags ... and my oldest daughter has already picked a few she'd like (I think it's time for her to learn to sew. And cook.).
The book itself is terrific, with easy to read instructions and great photographs. I love it.
Thanks Melissa!
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
From SouleMama
*****
I can't guarantee Christmas delivery this late in the game, but I can guarantee that your purchase will be shipped as soon as humanly possible!
I have emerged from the sea of delightful holiday projects to announce the winner of the Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party Giveaway. The winner is commenter #8, Needled Mom who said, "I love the colors....they remind me of the beach." I couldn't agree more (but then, most things remind me in some way of water or beach ... one of the joys of Florida living). Congratulations to Needled Mom, who will be contacted by e-mail.
Thank you to everyone who visited and entered. It was a pleasure getting to know you a bit and visiting your blogs.
I won something too. Really exciting stuff which I shall mention joyfully, but first ...
Back to the projects.
And to watching the lights.
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.
There are only two days left to enter all the giveaway contests in the Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop Party, with the festivities ending Saturday evening.
Remember to enter here too to win the beautiful coaster set above.
Friday, December 16 is Free Shipping Day and Because I'm Me is participating (yup, free shipping on everything in the shop, even quilts!).
With Christmas around the corner and most of us with a few gifts left to gather, I'm extending the free shipping offer at the shop through Sunday. Hurry though, quantities are limited.
Today is the day!
Because I'm Me is the featured seller today and tomorrow, December 12th and 13th at BelleChic.
The site is offering my hand appliqued and embroidered onesies at half their regular retail price, which the lowest price at which they've ever been offered!
Register at BelleChic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales.
Thanks for checking out my moment in the spotlight at BelleChic!
If you're interested in being a vendor at BelleChic click on the application on their site.
Because I'm Me is the featured seller today and tomorrow, December 12th and 13th at BelleChic.
The site is offering my hand appliqued and embroidered onesies at half their regular retail price, which the lowest price at which they've ever been offered!
Register at BelleChic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales.
Thanks for checking out my moment in the spotlight at BelleChic!
If you're interested in being a vendor at BelleChic click on the application on their site.
Today is the day!
Today and tomorrow, December 12th and 13th, Because I'm Me is the featured seller at Belle Chic! I am so excited to have this opportunity to partner with such a wonderful company and to have my appliqued and embroidered onesies offered.
If you've not already signed up with Belle Chic, they are a boutique sale site featuring two-day sales of handcrafted items at savings up to 75%. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a different artist is featured and their wares are offered at a substantial discount. Click Here to sign up now at Belle Chic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales, and gives you access to the Because I'm Me sale going on now.
You definitely don't want to miss my sale so head over there! The prices for the onesies are at their lowest ever ... but just for two days and just at the Belle Chic site.
Thanks for your continued support and have fun shopping.
.
Today and tomorrow, December 12th and 13th, Because I'm Me is the featured seller at Belle Chic! I am so excited to have this opportunity to partner with such a wonderful company and to have my appliqued and embroidered onesies offered.
If you've not already signed up with Belle Chic, they are a boutique sale site featuring two-day sales of handcrafted items at savings up to 75%. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a different artist is featured and their wares are offered at a substantial discount. Click Here to sign up now at Belle Chic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales, and gives you access to the Because I'm Me sale going on now.
You definitely don't want to miss my sale so head over there! The prices for the onesies are at their lowest ever ... but just for two days and just at the Belle Chic site.
Thanks for your continued support and have fun shopping.
.
In the last three days I've:
Sewn one crayon roll and two pencil rolls, similar to this. Why did it take me so long to get on this train? They look great, are practical, and were really simple. I expect I'll be making more very soon.
Bleached one t-shirt, like this. Actually, I bleached two, but the first one I'd have to say "bleached the crap out of and tossed into the trash". Use bleach in moderation.
Infused vinegar with various flavors. And forced the children to drink Perrier so I could use the bottles for newly infused vinegar. Only 8 Perrier to go, I'm sure the kids will acquire a taste for it soon.
Left to do is:
Label soon to be empty Perrier bottles and holders (the 4-pack holders can be turned inside out and are then an empty slate for labeling). First, I must learn how to label things so the labels look good and stay on.
Lightly bleach or paint two more shirts. I've printed a handful of coupons and am heading to Hobby Lobby for supplies.
Sew one tote bag.
Sew one zippered duffel bag. First, I must learn how to sew with a zipper. Haven't done that in a million years, why not two weeks before Christmas?
Make two more pencil rolls.
Finish a quilt.
And I can't forget to share:
Quilting Gallery Blog Hop is going on now. There are so many great give-aways, check them out and comment to enter mine.
My sale at Belle Chic begins Monday. Register at Belle Chic now to get the e-mail reminder on Monday.
Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 16. The list of participating merchants is growing daily.
Sewn one crayon roll and two pencil rolls, similar to this. Why did it take me so long to get on this train? They look great, are practical, and were really simple. I expect I'll be making more very soon.
Bleached one t-shirt, like this. Actually, I bleached two, but the first one I'd have to say "bleached the crap out of and tossed into the trash". Use bleach in moderation.
Infused vinegar with various flavors. And forced the children to drink Perrier so I could use the bottles for newly infused vinegar. Only 8 Perrier to go, I'm sure the kids will acquire a taste for it soon.
Left to do is:
Label soon to be empty Perrier bottles and holders (the 4-pack holders can be turned inside out and are then an empty slate for labeling). First, I must learn how to label things so the labels look good and stay on.
Lightly bleach or paint two more shirts. I've printed a handful of coupons and am heading to Hobby Lobby for supplies.
Sew one tote bag.
Sew one zippered duffel bag. First, I must learn how to sew with a zipper. Haven't done that in a million years, why not two weeks before Christmas?
Make two more pencil rolls.
Finish a quilt.
And I can't forget to share:
Quilting Gallery Blog Hop is going on now. There are so many great give-aways, check them out and comment to enter mine.
My sale at Belle Chic begins Monday. Register at Belle Chic now to get the e-mail reminder on Monday.
Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 16. The list of participating merchants is growing daily.
Thanks for joining me for the Blog Hop Party and Happy Holidays. Grab a cup of hot spiced cider, some toffee (or at least the recipe, which you must try - it's easy and decadent), and enjoy your time with me today.
If this is your first visit to Because I'm Me welcome and please take a look around. It's great to have you here.
To introduce myself, or reintroduce myself if you're a regular visitor: My name is Jody, I live in south Florida, go to the beach on Christmas day, and sew whenever I can find the time, having begun sewing with my mother when I was 10 (stop trying to do the math, just go with "a long time"). Quilts are my favorite thing to make, but are by no means all I make as you'll see here and in my shop. I have six lovely children who are currently crazy for Christmas and thrilling me with their youthful enthusiasm. I home school four of my kids, one is in college, and the other is potty training. I also run the blog Because I'm Frugal, where I share what I know about saving money.
Ended 12/17/11 After meandering through Because I'm Me please click the banner (above left) to visit the rest of the Blog Hop blogs and enter their give-aways.
Ended 12/17/11Today I am giving away a beautiful handcrafted coaster set. The set contains four beautiful coasters created from two complimentary cottons, one a blue/green paisley, and the other a very large scale blue/green/lavender floral. I use two sets of these coasters at home and they're awesome - super absorbent and machine washable.
To enter, simply leave a comment below, with an e-mail address. The contest begins today, December 9th, and runs through December 17th. A winner will be announced on Sunday, December 18th and I, ever the merry elf, will contact the winner by e-mail at that time. If you fail to leave an e-mail I can't count your entry, so please leave that e-mail!
If you can't wait and must have a set of these awesome coasters now they are available in my shop in the "coasters and table decor" section.
If this is your first visit to Because I'm Me welcome and please take a look around. It's great to have you here.
To introduce myself, or reintroduce myself if you're a regular visitor: My name is Jody, I live in south Florida, go to the beach on Christmas day, and sew whenever I can find the time, having begun sewing with my mother when I was 10 (stop trying to do the math, just go with "a long time"). Quilts are my favorite thing to make, but are by no means all I make as you'll see here and in my shop. I have six lovely children who are currently crazy for Christmas and thrilling me with their youthful enthusiasm. I home school four of my kids, one is in college, and the other is potty training. I also run the blog Because I'm Frugal, where I share what I know about saving money.
Ended 12/17/11
Ended 12/17/11
If you can't wait and must have a set of these awesome coasters now they are available in my shop in the "coasters and table decor" section.
One more.
This quilt uses mostly whites. In addition to terry, sheeting, and chenille (in two tones, one is tea dyed) I added soft minky-like white fabric.
This quilt also uses burlap, a waffle weave cream, and a few other light creams with interesting textures and subtle patterns.
The quilting on this one is also done with simple random stars, this time in white thread. Yes, there's a tiny hint of the holiday season in there ... I can't help it, I love Christmastime. More than Christmas though, this one reminds me of a dream.
The backing fabric is a tea dyed cotton.
I have exciting news to share with you.
On Monday and Tuesday, December 12th and 13th, Because I'm Me will be the featured seller at Belle Chic! I am so excited to have this opportunity to partner with such a wonderful company and to have my appliqued and embroidered onesies offered.
If you've not already signed up with Belle Chic, they are a boutique sale site featuring two-day sales of handcrafted items at savings up to 75%. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a different artist is featured and their wares are offered at a substantial discount. Click Here to sign up now at Belle Chic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales.
You definitely don't want to miss my sale, which, again will be this upcoming Monday and Tuesday! The prices for the onesies will be at their lowest ever ... but just for two days and just at the Belle Chic site.
.
On Monday and Tuesday, December 12th and 13th, Because I'm Me will be the featured seller at Belle Chic! I am so excited to have this opportunity to partner with such a wonderful company and to have my appliqued and embroidered onesies offered.
If you've not already signed up with Belle Chic, they are a boutique sale site featuring two-day sales of handcrafted items at savings up to 75%. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday a different artist is featured and their wares are offered at a substantial discount. Click Here to sign up now at Belle Chic. Signing up costs you nothing and gives you access to the great deals deals being offered, with e-mails sent out a few times a week announcing new partner sales.
You definitely don't want to miss my sale, which, again will be this upcoming Monday and Tuesday! The prices for the onesies will be at their lowest ever ... but just for two days and just at the Belle Chic site.
.
A special thanks to my friends at The Selling Sisters for the etsy link today, and for answering my eBay question. If you sell on eBay their blog is one to follow, lots of great advice on buying, selling, and customer service.
I used to sell a lot on eBay 12+ years ago but saw the market become oversaturated and shipping prices go through the roof. Personally, I have crappy luck there anymore ... I haven't been in the eBay "in the know" for a very long time.
Do you sell on eBay? New things? Used things? Handcrafted things? I'd love to hear and share your experiences.
One more little thing ... is anyone who uses Blogger having a hard time getting pictures to load? Or is it just me?
I used to sell a lot on eBay 12+ years ago but saw the market become oversaturated and shipping prices go through the roof. Personally, I have crappy luck there anymore ... I haven't been in the eBay "in the know" for a very long time.
Do you sell on eBay? New things? Used things? Handcrafted things? I'd love to hear and share your experiences.
One more little thing ... is anyone who uses Blogger having a hard time getting pictures to load? Or is it just me?
The second of the three quilts, again focusing more on texture and feel rather than color.
This quilt uses more of the tans than the other two. Each of the quilts has a different color value, depending on the quantity of whites and type and quantity of tans. I had a great time exploring the possibilities!
I love the rich feel this quilt has.
The red quilting was a must. It really adds just the right additional character to the quilt. I opted for random free-motion stars, a contrast to the straight lines of the first quilt. I was certainly influenced a bit by the Christmas music I had playing in the background and comfortable thoughts of snowflakes and snow and starry nights. It was all I could do not to take this downtown and photograph it in front of the Christmas trees.
After finishing the binding I opened the quilt and my first thought was, "Oh! This belongs in my house." It's a perfect match for my living room. But alas, it won't be staying with me and is available in the shop.
I'd like to say this is my favorite of the three. And it is, until I look at the others, then they're my favorites too. I have to say instead that I'm very happy with all of them.
I hope you enjoy the views of the quilt and that the start to your Christmas season is "merry and bright".
I set out to create some larger-than-small (ie - lap size) quilts that focused on texture more than color. White and shades of neutral whites and lights with diversity in fabric, character, and depth. As someone said, a more organic feel.
Instead of squares of fabric I used simple rectangles.
Fabrics include linen, chenille, simple cottons, muslin, batik cotton, tea stained chenille, terrycloth, and burlap. Yes, muslin ... which felt like cheating as it's one of the simplest of fabrics, but it was right for this. And yes, burlap. Not standard quilting fare, but when backed with a white cotton it's a great addition to this quilt. I wanted the fabrics to be simple yet intriguing, soothing yet a bit complex.
The quilting on this is done with straight lines, groups of them randomly spaced. Occasionally a row of machine sewn "blanket stitches" are added in. The quilting in one quadrant is done on the diagonal, to add a bit more character and voice to the quilt.
Mia and I left home with this quilt and his two siblings (three very similar, but different quilts ... the other two will be posted about later this week) in search of an old barn or rusty falling apart old outbuilding to use as a backdrop -something natural, organic-ish. Apparently those can't be found on every street corner - at least not without "No Trespassing" and "Don't Steal From Me and I Won't Shoot You" signs.
As we were meandering and searching I remembered a street I'd thought would be a great backdrop for people pictures. We headed there to see if it would work and were able to take most of the pictures of these three quilts there. The street is canopied by trees and Spanish moss, just a gorgeous "Old Florida" feel. Along the sides of the street are old fences, cow fields, and even a native plant nursery.
We couldn't have asked for more (save an old barn).
These quilts are available in the shop.
Hi Mia! She was an awesome helper, tired by the end but we took a lot of pictures. |