After years of wanting one, weeks of planning, a few false starts, I have finished my first Amy Butler Weekender Bag. 

I used the quilt as you go method as explained by Elizabeth Hartman. Her method makes a super sturdy and solid bag without all that interfacing. 

Next time, I want to sew in the lining by machine. Chrissy @ Sew Lux Fabric shared a tutorial on how to do it. 

I'll also add more pockets to the inside of the bag. 

The worst part for me was sewing around the curves of the bag. The bulk almost got the best of me. 

Match your thread to your project. It hides the less than perfect sewing nicely. ;)

There is no need to fear making this bag. I won't say it's easy, but it is doable. Take your time, study the instructions and read the helpful tips and ideas from the other bloggers out there who have made this bag. Google and Pinterest were my friends. =) 

Here is a link to my Pinterest board with the links I found to be very helpful. 

http://www.pinterest.com/redeemedsheep/amy-butler-weekender-bag/

Have a happy week! I'll be posting another giveaway soon. =)

After years of wanting one, weeks of planning, a few false starts, I have finished my first Amy Butler Weekender Bag. 

I used the quilt as you go method as explained by Elizabeth Hartman. Her method makes a super sturdy and solid bag without all that interfacing. 

Next time, I want to sew in the lining by machine. Chrissy @ Sew Lux Fabric shared a tutorial on how to do it. 

I'll also add more pockets to the inside of the bag. 

The worst part for me was sewing around the curves of the bag. The bulk almost got the best of me. 

Match your thread to your project. It hides the less than perfect sewing nicely. ;)

There is no need to fear making this bag. I won't say it's easy, but it is doable. Take your time, study the instructions and read the helpful tips and ideas from the other bloggers out there who have made this bag. Google and Pinterest were my friends. =) 

Here is a link to my Pinterest board with the links I found to be very helpful. 

http://www.pinterest.com/redeemedsheep/amy-butler-weekender-bag/

Have a happy week! I'll be posting another giveaway soon. =)

Congratulations to Barb for winning my latest giveaway. =) I'll post another giveaway soon.

I am caught up on my Sew Sweet Bee Blocks. =) Missy @ Missy's Homemaking Adventures asked for a basket block. It was my first time making this block. I think it turned out cute. =)

Kari @ Lovely Little Handmades asked for a Dutch Pinwheel block. 

 Now I have three reasons to get to the post office. =)

Have a happy weekend, everyone!!

Congratulations to Barb for winning my latest giveaway. =) I'll post another giveaway soon.

I am caught up on my Sew Sweet Bee Blocks. =) Missy @ Missy's Homemaking Adventures asked for a basket block. It was my first time making this block. I think it turned out cute. =)

Kari @ Lovely Little Handmades asked for a Dutch Pinwheel block. 

 Now I have three reasons to get to the post office. =)

Have a happy weekend, everyone!!

*This giveaway is now closed.*

Welcome to my third of five Pay It Forward giveaways. For those who are stopping by for the first time, the reason why I am hosting these giveaways is my effort to pay back the kindnesses that has been shown to me over the last year . =)  All the fabrics are from my own personal stash.

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you! Those who use Goggle+, leave your email address in your comments, otherwise you show up as a no-reply and I cannot reach you. Erin @ Sew At Home Mummy has a great post on how to check your settings here.

You don't need to be a follower of my blog to participate, though I won't complain of you choose to be a follower of my blog, or Facebook or any other of my social medias. Links are found in my sidebar.  =) And, please, feel free to spread the word.  =)

This giveaway is open all, that includes my international readers. =)

Todays giveaway is a 16 fat quarter bundle of Cotton Candy by Sweetwater by Clothworks.

To enter, leave one comment sharing your all time favorite fabric line. Mine is Simplicity by 3 Sisters by Moda. =)

This giveaway will close on Friday morning. I will announce the winner on my blog and send the winner an email. =)

Have a very happy Tuesday!

*This giveaway is now closed.*

Welcome to my third of five Pay It Forward giveaways. For those who are stopping by for the first time, the reason why I am hosting these giveaways is my effort to pay back the kindnesses that has been shown to me over the last year . =)  All the fabrics are from my own personal stash.

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you! Those who use Goggle+, leave your email address in your comments, otherwise you show up as a no-reply and I cannot reach you. Erin @ Sew At Home Mummy has a great post on how to check your settings here.

You don't need to be a follower of my blog to participate, though I won't complain of you choose to be a follower of my blog, or Facebook or any other of my social medias. Links are found in my sidebar.  =) And, please, feel free to spread the word.  =)

This giveaway is open all, that includes my international readers. =)

Todays giveaway is a 16 fat quarter bundle of Cotton Candy by Sweetwater by Clothworks.

To enter, leave one comment sharing your all time favorite fabric line. Mine is Simplicity by 3 Sisters by Moda. =)

This giveaway will close on Friday morning. I will announce the winner on my blog and send the winner an email. =)

Have a very happy Tuesday!

After much research over the last two years, a scare on the Goldwing (we slid on some tar on a curve a couple of weeks ago. Praise God we didn't go down!) and Russ having to deal with a somewhat nervous wife on the back of a bike every time we ride, we traded in our Goldwing for a....

2014 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra! 

The big selling point on the Harley vs getting a Goldwing with a trike kit, was the navigation system that comes standard on the Harley. All the controls are at Russ' fingertips and that makes me feel much safer. Of course, being on three wheels eliminates all worries of tipping over. The ride back from picking up the bike was a dream. =) 

Russ is so selfless, always giving to me and the kids. I am thrilled for him to be on the receiving end of being spoiled. =) 

Guess what we are going to do today?? =D

After much research over the last two years, a scare on the Goldwing (we slid on some tar on a curve a couple of weeks ago. Praise God we didn't go down!) and Russ having to deal with a somewhat nervous wife on the back of a bike every time we ride, we traded in our Goldwing for a....

2014 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra! 

The big selling point on the Harley vs getting a Goldwing with a trike kit, was the navigation system that comes standard on the Harley. All the controls are at Russ' fingertips and that makes me feel much safer. Of course, being on three wheels eliminates all worries of tipping over. The ride back from picking up the bike was a dream. =) 

Russ is so selfless, always giving to me and the kids. I am thrilled for him to be on the receiving end of being spoiled. =) 

Guess what we are going to do today?? =D

The winner has been chosen by the random number generator and it is.... Tabitha!! Congratulations! =D I'll send you an email soon. =)

Here are a couple of reasons why I am having these giveaways.

A little over a week ago, I received a gift of fabric from Colleen @ Quilting Under The Sun. A friend gave it to her and she knew I loved Three Sisters fabric so she passed them on to me! They will play nicely with my Simplicity collection, too. =)

This is a sampling of what she sent to me. =) Pretty wonderful, huh??

A couple of days ago, Susan @ Pots, Pans, Pins and Prayers sent me this darling lamb embroidered pillowcase. 

After I gave it a good press, I hung it up in my window so I can look at it and enjoy it. =) 

These kind of kindnesses always blow my mind. I have never met these two dear ladies in real life and for them to be thinking of me brings me to my knees. They have been an instrument of God's love...It brings tears to my eyes to have such generosity shown to me. 

I am honored and glad to pass that type of unselfish kindness on. =) Three more giveaways to go! 

Have a happy Monday everyone!!

The winner has been chosen by the random number generator and it is.... Tabitha!! Congratulations! =D I'll send you an email soon. =)

Here are a couple of reasons why I am having these giveaways.

A little over a week ago, I received a gift of fabric from Colleen @ Quilting Under The Sun. A friend gave it to her and she knew I loved Three Sisters fabric so she passed them on to me! They will play nicely with my Simplicity collection, too. =)

This is a sampling of what she sent to me. =) Pretty wonderful, huh??

A couple of days ago, Susan @ Pots, Pans, Pins and Prayers sent me this darling lamb embroidered pillowcase. 

After I gave it a good press, I hung it up in my window so I can look at it and enjoy it. =) 

These kind of kindnesses always blow my mind. I have never met these two dear ladies in real life and for them to be thinking of me brings me to my knees. They have been an instrument of God's love...It brings tears to my eyes to have such generosity shown to me. 

I am honored and glad to pass that type of unselfish kindness on. =) Three more giveaways to go! 

Have a happy Monday everyone!!

Russ and our granddaughter, Brooklyn, have birthdays a couple of days apart, so it was celebration time this weekend. =) 

Brooklyn is seven years old!! She can ride her bike with no training wheels now. =) She has only crashed into a parked car once. lol!

When she grows up, she wants to be a vet and work at a zoo. 

Meerkats are her very favorite animal. =)

 We had a super fun weekend with our girl!!

Russ and our granddaughter, Brooklyn, have birthdays a couple of days apart, so it was celebration time this weekend. =) 

Brooklyn is seven years old!! She can ride her bike with no training wheels now. =) She has only crashed into a parked car once. lol!

When she grows up, she wants to be a vet and work at a zoo. 

Meerkats are her very favorite animal. =)

 We had a super fun weekend with our girl!!

Here it is. My first Sew Together Bag, by Sew Demented. I am going to assume you all have seen this cool bag already. Its been on the blogging scene for a while. Give it a Google or search Pinterest and you will have a ton of hits for pictures and tips. 

My thoughts on making this bag:

~  The best help is a quilt along by The Quilt Barn. I would have ended up seriously frustrated without her pictures and explanations. Bookmark it! You will not be sorry!

~ I did quilt as you go with scraps I already had. Next time, I would leave making the outside shell for last. My inside lining ended up being bigger so I had to trim that down. I would have much rather have made the outside shell bigger.

~ Use a longer zipper than the 18" one recommend. You can always trim it smaller if you want. The only zipper I had laying around long enough for the outside was a 20" white one, which I ended up not trimming.  Next time, I will buy zippers for this project with a larger zipper pull and wider tape on the outside. For pure aesthetics I should have used different binding fabric. I don't like the contrast of the binding with the bright white zipper. No, I am not going to redo it. *see below*

~ The part I struggled with the most was the binding. I did lots of ripping and starting over and it still looks sloppy. I had to walk away from it a couple of times. Lots of deep breathing and convincing myself I could get it done. A zipper with wider tape would have helped. I cannot stress enough to use  thread that matches your fabric in your bobbin and top thread. It helps hide the less than perfect sewing. 

I love the inside of the bag! This is really a very clever pattern and it isn't very hard. Fiddily, yes, to be sure, but not hard. 

Will I make this bag again? Yes!!  Now that I understand how it all works, I am hoping it will go much smoother and easier. 

How many of you have made a Sew Together Bag? Do you have any tips you would like to share? 

Don't forget to sign up for my Pay It Forward day 2 giveaway!=D

Here it is. My first Sew Together Bag, by Sew Demented. I am going to assume you all have seen this cool bag already. Its been on the blogging scene for a while. Give it a Google or search Pinterest and you will have a ton of hits for pictures and tips. 

My thoughts on making this bag:

~  The best help is a quilt along by The Quilt Barn. I would have ended up seriously frustrated without her pictures and explanations. Bookmark it! You will not be sorry!

~ I did quilt as you go with scraps I already had. Next time, I would leave making the outside shell for last. My inside lining ended up being bigger so I had to trim that down. I would have much rather have made the outside shell bigger.

~ Use a longer zipper than the 18" one recommend. You can always trim it smaller if you want. The only zipper I had laying around long enough for the outside was a 20" white one, which I ended up not trimming.  Next time, I will buy zippers for this project with a larger zipper pull and wider tape on the outside. For pure aesthetics I should have used different binding fabric. I don't like the contrast of the binding with the bright white zipper. No, I am not going to redo it. *see below*

~ The part I struggled with the most was the binding. I did lots of ripping and starting over and it still looks sloppy. I had to walk away from it a couple of times. Lots of deep breathing and convincing myself I could get it done. A zipper with wider tape would have helped. I cannot stress enough to use  thread that matches your fabric in your bobbin and top thread. It helps hide the less than perfect sewing. 

I love the inside of the bag! This is really a very clever pattern and it isn't very hard. Fiddily, yes, to be sure, but not hard. 

Will I make this bag again? Yes!!  Now that I understand how it all works, I am hoping it will go much smoother and easier. 

How many of you have made a Sew Together Bag? Do you have any tips you would like to share? 

Don't forget to sign up for my Pay It Forward day 2 giveaway!=D

* This giveaway is now closed. =)*

In an effort to pay back the kindnesses that has been shown to me over the last year, I am having 5 giveaways. =) All fabrics in the giveaways are from my own personal stash.

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you! Those who use Goggle+, leave your email address in your comments, otherwise you show up as a no-reply and I cannot reach you. Erin @ Sew At Home Mummy has a great post on how to check your settings here.

You don't need to be a follower of my blog to participate, though I won't complain of you choose to be a follower of my blog, or Facebook or any other of my social medias. Links are found in my sidebar.  =) And, please, feel free to spread the word.  =)

Todays giveaway is if for 17 fat quarters plus some scraps of Moda's Lily and Will in the pink color way by Bunny Hill Designs. 

This giveaway is open all, that includes my international readers. =)

To enter,  leave one comment sharing your favorite quilting/sewing gadget. 

The winner will be chosen on Monday morning. =)

* This giveaway is now closed. =)*

In an effort to pay back the kindnesses that has been shown to me over the last year, I am having 5 giveaways. =) All fabrics in the giveaways are from my own personal stash.

Please make sure there is a way for me to contact you! Those who use Goggle+, leave your email address in your comments, otherwise you show up as a no-reply and I cannot reach you. Erin @ Sew At Home Mummy has a great post on how to check your settings here.

You don't need to be a follower of my blog to participate, though I won't complain of you choose to be a follower of my blog, or Facebook or any other of my social medias. Links are found in my sidebar.  =) And, please, feel free to spread the word.  =)

Todays giveaway is if for 17 fat quarters plus some scraps of Moda's Lily and Will in the pink color way by Bunny Hill Designs. 

This giveaway is open all, that includes my international readers. =)

To enter,  leave one comment sharing your favorite quilting/sewing gadget. 

The winner will be chosen on Monday morning. =)

Yes, I am going to be a Farmer's Wife because I just won Karen Walker's generous giveaway of her first six classes on how to make the Farmer's Wife blocks using modern techniques. No templates! Yay!! If you recall, I gave making the Farmer's Wife a try and gave it up quickly. I found it to be too hard. I am so excited to follow Karen's tips and techniques on how to make the Farmer's Wife quilt and *fingers crossed* end up with a beautiful quilt. =)

Reading the reviews about Karen's classes had persuaded to give making the Farmer's Wife quilt another go. If I hadn't won her giveaway, I planned on purchasing them. 'Tis true! My husband has wanted me to make this quilt for forever, so he is one happy camper, too!!

If you would want to be a farmer, too, you can find Karen's Farmer's Wife Revival classes on Craftsy. =)

I'll be back sometime this week with another giveaway from my stash. =)

Yes, I am going to be a Farmer's Wife because I just won Karen Walker's generous giveaway of her first six classes on how to make the Farmer's Wife blocks using modern techniques. No templates! Yay!! If you recall, I gave making the Farmer's Wife a try and gave it up quickly. I found it to be too hard. I am so excited to follow Karen's tips and techniques on how to make the Farmer's Wife quilt and *fingers crossed* end up with a beautiful quilt. =)

Reading the reviews about Karen's classes had persuaded to give making the Farmer's Wife quilt another go. If I hadn't won her giveaway, I planned on purchasing them. 'Tis true! My husband has wanted me to make this quilt for forever, so he is one happy camper, too!!

If you would want to be a farmer, too, you can find Karen's Farmer's Wife Revival classes on Craftsy. =)

I'll be back sometime this week with another giveaway from my stash. =)

The winner of the Sherbet Pips layer cake and fat quarters is Jani!

Thank you all for sharing your stories with me. I haven't respond to all of you yet, but I will. =) I have been so deeply moved by them and I dearly wish I could give each and every one of you something. I do have four more giveaways planned. The next one will be posted after the 4th of July weekend, so keep checking back. =)

Have a happy week, everyone!!

The winner of the Sherbet Pips layer cake and fat quarters is Jani!

Thank you all for sharing your stories with me. I haven't respond to all of you yet, but I will. =) I have been so deeply moved by them and I dearly wish I could give each and every one of you something. I do have four more giveaways planned. The next one will be posted after the 4th of July weekend, so keep checking back. =)

Have a happy week, everyone!!