Ghastlie Blog Hop Winner...

Oh how Ghastlie...I won! 

Have you been following Madame Samm and her Ghastlie Blog Hop the past ten days?  I have and I wouldn't miss a moment of all the action in this Super Ghastlie Party. 

There were 54 participants and each one of them made the most amazing creations with some Alexander Henry fabric collection titled Ghastlie.  No two items were alike and it was amazing.  I got so inspired that I will have to order some Ghastlie fabrics and get sewing. 

Thank you Madame Samm and all participants for sharing your fabulous creations.  I certainly enjoyed this Ghastlie Blog Hop Super Party. 

Okay...I know you are in a hurry to go check out all the Ghastlie items.  See you later...

Making Reversible Tote Bags...

 Making reversible tote bags is something I have done for decades.  I love the utilitarian aspect of a good tote bag.  It can hold so many things...art supplies, groceries, books, electronic gadgets, return items back to the store and the list goes on and on.
Pink toile is just dreamy.  The scenes of daily life and the stories that can be told just looking at this wonderful fabric.  A couple of removable fabric and lace pins.

 Fun Parisian themed fabric on one side of the tote.  Good sturdy webbing handles covered in gathered coordinated fabric to add style and strength for carrying those heavy loads.

This one has a generous pocket either inside or outside depending on which fabric you turn over.  This pocket on the Parisian side is embellished with a lace doily and a lace and fabric removable flower pin.  Spending time sewing.  Making gifts.  Making items to sell in my etsy shoppe.  This is my favorite way to spend my waning summer days. 
Christmas in August has been a very good way for me to get a head start on the busy holidays that always get too stressed and hectic to enjoy.  I feel this year will be much calmer and much more enjoyable.
I have my list and I am checking it twice. 

Now for dinner...I let the crockpot do the work today.  Country Ribs slow cooking all day and Bushes Baked Beans with embellishments (oh yeah...embellishments aren't just for crafting!) and homemade cole slaw will complete this last of August Summer dinners. 
I am thankful Irene was calmer than expected and I pray for anyone still suffering the effects. 

Reversible Tote Bag...

I have not been taking time to be creative what with summer weeds to pull, housecleaning before, during and after company and whatever laziness I am enjoying with the warm summer days I love so very much. So several weeks ago I pulled out some fabrics. This red toile is one of my favorites.

With the weight of the toile I chose this sort of bandana fabric to coordinate. Next I cut out the pieces to make a reversible tote bag. I personally can never have too many tote bags.

Here is the bandana side complete with a pocket that I stuck some white envelopes inside of just to show it is there. This side of the tote is not my favorite however I think it works quite well for those times you might be feeling "down home".

Here is the finished tote with the toile side out. I love this scene of the boys playing and just living life. That is what toile fabric is...scenes of life. I made one of my lace flower pins and added it to the red handle. Of course it is removable if you want to wear it on your lapel or your hair or whatever.

I always enjoy making tote bags and am thinking I shall get out some more fabrics to match up and sew some more bags. My sewing machine is lonely and I am feeling creative.

What goodies are you making or planning for future projects?

Sunshine Summer Smiles to all...

Lost days of blogging...

Do you ever have a plan and your plan gets sidetracked? That is what has happened to me.
Bad Blogger.com really caused me to get my plan off track when it decided to have a two day breakdown. Yes, I admit I am addicted to blogging and so many super creative artists who blog. I was beside myself every time I checked my computer merely to find Blogger "unavailable".
Well I am flexible and I did manage to spend my time otherwise as well. I did a LOT of yardwork. It is amazing to me how quickly our five month very wet winter turned from nice moist ground to harder than a clay brick which won't release even the tiniest weed when I tug on it. So after spending untold hours on my hands and knees you would never even guess that I had done so much weeding. Argh............
I also sewed. The fabric in the top photo was purchased for a special yoke on a swing jacket. The grey circles are actually a bit metallic and I love the sheen they have.

Then I thought how fun to use my Texture Magic and sew a grid pattern on this fabric. I sewed four circles in each grid. Next time I would sew the same four circles but inside of each circle to see what design comes from the magic.

Now I have a photo of the sewn fabric which I have partially steamed and you can begin to see the pattern emerging. I do love the texture that this process creates. It does take a bit of time and a lot of thread but what a fun technique. I remember hand smocking with my Grandma many years ago and I can honestly say that was time consuming!

So now my fabric is all "smocked". What was I thinking? What plan did I think I had? The bulk that this fabric would create on the yoke of my jacket is far more than this mature body needs to be wearing.

Well, now I have a lovely piece of fabric and have scrapped the jacket yoke plan. It would make a lovely pillow however I have no rooms with these color schemes. How about a tote bag? I am flexible and will merely put the fabric on a padded hanger in the sewing closet to await the perfect project.

So this week has been quite the challenge in my planning department.

Today we are preparing for rain and snow tomorrow. Our temperatures have dropped and it is quite cold. Unusual? No. Last year it snowed in May. The Amgen bicycle race is supposed to begin tomorrow in nearby Lake Tahoe and then on Monday pass through our little Historic gold town. Do they even make snow tires for racing bicycles? Hmmm...plans and flexibility are what life is all about.

I hope everyone is recovering from Blogger misbehaving. May you each have a relaxing and wonderful weekend.

Now I am off to catch up on my favorite blogs I missed for two days. :o)

Clean, Fresh, Renewed Creative Space...

Here is Vintage Janey and she is welcoming you to my clean, fresh, renewed creative space also known as my sewing room. In my last post you saw the before photos of this sewing room and how messy it was after making some projects recently. Well, this room really needed a lot more of a Spring cleaning than I even realized. I spent two twelve hour days up and down on the ladder to get this room in shape. I removed everything from the shelves and cleaned them and then put back my treasures. This time I filled the decorative boxes with supplies and labeled them so I know what I put where. What a great concept...especially for me. :o)

Now these shelves are not only decorative but also functional. My desk is now usable as I cleared off the piles of fabrics and projects and put the typewriter on the conference table in the office since I use it so seldom.

This corner seating area is a real treat in this room. You can see my view which is like seeing paradise. From these windows I can watch the deer as they come right up close to eat my plants. In past years we have had wild turkeys hang out in the ferns and fountain area. Of course you can see rabbits, skunks, squirrels, birds of all kinds and even a possum and racoon or two. The native trees are Sugar Pines, Cedars, Oaks, Douglas Firs, Madrones and other pine trees.

This is the sewing machine station. I have a serger also which is just to the right of my chair. This Koala cabinet is wonderful and folds up to a small size with the machines inside to accomodate extra company who need to use this room for stay overs. The sofa is also a bed. Did you notice my hat boxes with the laces showing along the edges? I had these in the closet empty and decided to utilize them. I piled them up and put a stack of doilies on top just as though I am celebrating with a giant cake. I love this fun bit of whimsy.

This is the view from the door entering my wonderful creative space. Now with its clean, neat, refreshed and renewed inspiration I am thinking of my next projects I can now make.

I am truly blessed to have such a creative sewing space. My hard work for two days has paid off in more ways than I can express. Even though I know I will mess it up again it will be with fun and magical fabric and thread and lace and whatever else I select. This is a very happy room.

Cleaning and Organizing...Again!!!

My sewing room.

I love this room Mr. C built for me.

I am not ashamed of showing it like this as it means I have been creative and that is the best feeling. This is what this room was designed for. Sewing and being happy is in my DNA. I learned to sew when I was a very young girl. My Grandmother, Mother, older Sister and her mother all sewed and it was never even discussed that I would learn to sew and I did.

This is an old Singer that I got out of storage a couple months ago thinking I should be using it for all the paper I have been sewing. Hmmm...once you have a new machine like my Pfaff it is really hard to go backwards. I tried to sew on it but I must admit I keep using my new machine with all of its ease and features I have grown to love.


This is the desk area with fabulous open shelves above which I tend to use as display for my numerous bits of this and that I collect and love. You can also see that I tend to pile things and pending projects on any flat surface I have. Drives Mr. C crazy however this is my room so I can close the door and he doesn't have to see it. :o) When I took these photos I didn't plan on posting the before and hopefully the after (not today!) so the photo cutoffs are a bit incomplete. Yes, you do see my covered up IBM Selectric II typewriter (with changeable font ball) that I will not get rid of. I actually still use it from time to time.

This is another random photo of my very messy room. So yesterday after I took these photos I got the cleaning supplies and a ladder and began at the top to clean and organize this wonderful room I love. Today I am continuing my journey of making this room just that much better for my creativity. I hope to complete my task and take new photos to share with you very soon.

May you have a wonderful and sunny and creative weekend...
Prayers and Blessings to all who have experienced family and/or friends who have been touched by the horrific weather across this country.

Easy Scrap Tags...

Here is my wonderful worktable once again. This time I am making some fun and super easy tags out of scraps.
See if you recognize some of the scraps I have used:
Green Hardanger cloth from the local thrift store costing $1 for all 15 tags.
Ecru ribbon from local thrift store 50 cents and most of the roll still left for more projects.
Buttons, thread, paper shapes cut from recycled holiday cards, used holiday postage stamps, fabric scraps, Bounce dryer sheets that tear or cut wonderfully, painted Lysol cleaning cloths, crocheted snowflakes, scrapbook paper scraps and tape transfers.

No two alike. So fun to just put each one together. I sewed most of them on the machine and some just with needle and thread.

Each one unique with a personality of their own.

As you can see...really anything goes to make these fun and easy scrap tags.

Cost involved is virtually next to nothing.

Time involved is truly fun and rewarding.

These tags are also easy to mail to those far away whom you wish to remember at this holiday season.

I do hope you have been inspired to make some fun and easy scrap tags. I hope you share photos of the tags you make. The possibilites are endless.

Happy creating...

Oops almost forgot...

Yes, I raised my hand once again. Mr. C has told me to just sit on my hands but I never listen and I am always volunteering no matter how little time I have to squeeze in more things that take time.
I usually do not share this on my blog, however, it is important to me and that is what counts. I attend a weekly Weight Watchers meeting and like it very much. Through the years I have become quite fond of food and therefore eat way too much and guess what has happened to me?!! Oh yeah...the scale does not lie. My weight has gone up and up as I age. Now I know all about the hormones and how our bodies really do change shape and even that we gain weight for the sake of aging. However, I also know when my clothes stop fitting and my joints begin to ache and I just am ought of sorts that I need to eat less and eat healthier. So that is what I am doing.

Meanwhile I keep track in a little booklet so that I can really be certain I am not overeating. This brings me to how I came to raise my hand. My group is doing a "traveling journal" for the next 90 days and I brought it home to keep track for the week. Yes, it will be shared with the entire group. Am I worried? No! We are all in the same need and it is a really great group of folks. So I just had to get some felt and make a simple cover for the little journal. Then I thought a nice felt heart would be cheery. And a place to put a pencil for ease of keeping track. And this is what I have to turn in and share with the others. I kept it simple and basic since it will work for women and men.

I love working with wool felt as it needs no hemming or lining. It is durable and easy to work with. The grey I used will not show handling dirt as quickly. And the heathered red heart...well that represents the goal we all have of being healthy!

Happy Heart to each of you...

Fabric Envelopes...

Here are some fabric envelopes I have been sewing. I began making these as birthday gifts which contained one of my handmade bracelets or pair of earrings. Then I thought how fun it would be to make these and list them since not everyone sews.
This soft feminine cinnamon colored one has tan felt lining so it will not scratch anything you might put inside.

This dusty blue one is my favorite since I am partial to blues. This one is slightly larger than the cinnamon one pictured above. It has white felt lining and is very soft. You might even put a special piece of lingerie in this envelope. Wouldn't this be a great unique gift for a wedding shower? No two alike with a gift like this.

This mauve and beige envelope is very muted and soft. The felt lining is a very pale pink. Wouldn't it be super fun to store love letters in these?

For more information such as dimensions and photos of inside please refer to my etsy shop located here http://createology.etsy.com

What would you use a fabric envelope for?

Thank you for visiting and I really enjoy all of your comments and critiques.

Happy creating...

Good shopping visit...

In our small little town we have a wonderful Hospice Gift and Thrift shop. I like to visit it as I know I will usually find something I need for creating and that my purchases will help a very worthy cause.
This is an extremely popular place and lots of people shop it. If you see something you might want do not pass it up as it will certainly be gone by the next day. I have learned this by missing some key items.
I usually go with nothing in mind as that is when I find something I wasn't looking for. If I am looking for something specific then I seem to never find it and am disappointed.

The other day I was pretty much empty handed except for the little hanky and the brass Eiffel Tower and small book. I would have been very happy with these.
However I turned the corner and look at the bushel basket of vintage sewing trims I found. Seam bindings and hem laces. Each package was merely 25 cents. Being vintage some of the packages were marked 29 cents originally. Am I paying too much now? Not at all. I could not pass these up. I felt greedy trying to hold all of this in my hands. I did leave a few for others.
Now I am well stocked for some new projects. It will be fun to see what I make with these.
What do you like to find at the gift and thrift?

Satisfaction Saturday & Sunday...

A very simple watercolor and stamped post card using my favorite inspirational stamp. Can you believe the adorable charm to match? I found those and knew I had a match. I shall be doing more creative things with these two in the future. For now I mailed my little post card minus the charm to my sister just to say hello. I will give her the charm in person. Sometimes the mail handling is a bit rough and things get lost or mutilated on the way to their destination.
So for Satisfaction Saturday & Sunday...
My Finish It Friday was a success. I completed all five of the top priority projects that were on my desk. Today I mailed two packages that were deadline critical and I feel so much better to have them on their way. Now I feel like I can enjoy my weekend and spend some time relaxing with my DH who has been going through a very troublesome root canal for almost a month now. It is so not like him to feel so poorly and exhausted. This morning with no rain we ventured into town (remember our quaint National Historic Town in the Gold Country) and not only got the mailings done at the post office we also did a little walking. We happened on the monthly book sale at the historic library and managed to pick up several good books. His for reading and mine for artistic endeavors. Our purchases will help the floundering library system here locally. I always knew about the monthly book sale but now that I have actually been to it I shall for certain be going again. What a wonderful way to purchase some interesting books for so little. Then we stopped in the local coffee house and had a window seat to sip our beverages. We watched lots of people coming and going. It is always good to see visitors come to our tiny town. Upon driving home we stopped at one of my favorite neighborhood parks and we walked a short trail they have there. It was invigorating and led us right up to lunchtime. So home we came. Now we are settling in for an afternoon of reading in front of the fire and for me some hand sewing in order to complete some more projects.
I hope you and yours enjoy and have a Satisfaction Saturday and Sunday.

Hello September...

Hello September and welcome. August has come and gone in what seemed like record time this year. It was a very busy month and I enjoyed it very much. Even getting older wasn't so bad. I had wonderful times with family and friends celebrating and enjoying food, laughter, shopping and stories. So now we welcome September. The evenings are getting just a little cooler and it is beginning to feel like fall is in the air.
So with the coming of September I am reminded that Christmas is not far away. Therefore I have begun to work on projects that I always set aside. No photos for this post as dear hubby has my camera with him in Bonneville at the Salt Flats. I sewed some comfort dolls to send to Pat Winter. www.comfortdolls.blogspot.com This is a wonderful effort and you should check it out. Nothing feels better than giving to others.
I had some vintage Christmas stocking panels and decided to make those. I already have plans for them this year. I also have more projects to finish however I thought it was amazing I got this much done.
Now I am on to more projects which I will share later.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Stay safe and healthy.