Secret Sister

The mother's group I am in organizes a secret sister gift exchange. Our big "reveal" was today, so I can show the gifts I had made for my secret sister this year. I don't think she's a blog reader (?), but just in case I hadn't posted any of these as to not spoil the surprise. 

First was a little ceramic sign. I actually somehow didn't get a picture of the finished one, but here's almost finished. Their last name + the year they were married. 

Homemade sugar scrub. Super easy to make - just use white and brown sugar, mix in olive or coconut oil and add a fragrance you like. I used lavender. Scrub your hands, rinse with water, and enjoy the inexpensive, homemade manicure.  : )

 And lastly, a knitted scarf. Kind of silly in this area since we are at the beginning of a good 4+ months of heat, but maybe she will go to the coast or somewhere and be able to use it.  

I don't remember the brand of yarn I used, but it was from Michaels. I love the turquoise color with just a little bit of purple to make it interesting. 

To wrap it up, I rolled the scarf into a ball and tied it with another short piece of yard. Pretty!

Traveling: Carry-On Bag

We travel quite a bit. Between camping, visiting family, and mini-vacations, we are on-the-go quite frequently (and we love it!). I feel like I've gotten the packing thing down to an art form (although I still have room to improve on the quantity of "stuff" it takes for our family to be away from home... another story for another day!). One of my favorite bags to bring along is what I've always called my "carry-on bag." Granted, 99% of our travels do not involve flying, but the name has stuck anyway.

I made this bag yesterday to use as my new carry-on bag for our road trips. It's about 15"x13" and is reversible. 

The straps are about ¾" wide. 

 My carry on bag is my stuff to do in the car. Magazines, books, ipad, and knitting. This bag is just the perfect size.

 It came together in less than an hour and feels pretty durable. Now I just need a little trip to "test it out..."  : )

Bee Vintage :: May Block

This month's block for the Bee Vintage sewing group is a wonky star block for Jodi.

The tutorial for this block can be found here: http://fiberofallsorts.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-favorite-quilt-block-wonky-star.html

The second block for May hasn't been announced yet.

Some New Things...

I've added a few new items to my Sew Handmade Blog - first, the new header above! Simple and more "me."

I've also created a new page - now you can see all of my quilts (currently at #59!) all on one page. If you see something you'd like to know more about, you can click on the quilt's title to go to the original blog post with more details. You can see my "All Quilts" page by clicking the collage photo on the right of the page.

Or click here: http://sew-handmade.blogspot.com/p/completed-quilts.html

If you read my blog on a subscription service or on a mobile phone, you may need to click over to the web version to see what I'm talking about!

Lastly, I also added a "subscribe by email" feature if you'd like to receive a message when I post something new on the blog. The sign-up link is also on the right side of the page, just under our family picture.

Thanks for looking!

Bee Vintage :: April Blocks

These are the two block for April for Bee Vintage. 

This lattice block is made from this Moda Tutorial for Emily of the Creative Chicks blog. I love how it turned out and might consider this for a baby quilt. It's cute, although a little confusing to make if you aren't paying close attention. 

This next one is for Pam of Mama Spark's World and is made using this tutorial. I love these two fabrics together and this was an easy, quick block to construct. 

I almost have all of my bee blocks for my tree quilt. I'm trying to be patient waiting for the final two blocks to arrive so I can make my quilt. I can't wait to show you - the blocks I've received so far are so beautiful! 

A String Block Pillow

This little pillow is about 12" square and is made from some of my most favorite fabrics. 

I love making string blocks... they are really quite addictive. 

This pillow is for sale - please comment or contact me if you'd like details. 

Crafts for Sale...

I've decided it's time for me to start selling some of my creations. After mulling over this idea for the last year (or more!), I'm jumping in. You can see what I have "in stock" by clicking here. I'm excited to see where this new adventure leads me.

Eventually I plan to start an Etsy shop, but I'm not quite ready to do that yet. So for now, email or comment if there's something you love and I'll get you the details. 

Marmalade Pillow

This cute little pillow is about 14x14" square and is made with Bonnie & Camille's "Marmalade." I love the aqua, green, red, and pink colors. 

Baby Boy Patchwork

This fun boy's quilt is made with a fabric called "Peak Hour" by Riley Blake. I am so in love with the little classified ads. It measures about 26x35" and is 100% cotton. 

Super cute fabrics.  

 I quilted this with straight-line quilting on either side of the fabric seams. This is a super-soft quilt. 

 The backing is a blue and green polka circles. 

Baby Girl Patchwork Quilt

 This colorful little patchwork quilt is made with Amy Butler's "Soul Blossoms" and Moda's "Summer House" fabrics and measures about 27x42". I looove these colors so much. It is the perfect size for a baby quilt or as a wall hanging if you love these florals as much as I do! 

It's quilted with straight-lines on either side of the seams. This makes for a super soft feeling quilt. 

The backing is a fun colorful polka-dot and the binding is a soft green floral. 

This quilt is for sale - please let me know if you'd like details.