Happy Hippie Purse

THE HAPPY HIPPY BAG

OK, I did it. I hand pieced little hexies and made then into a bag...a BIG bag. It was so much fun to make. I had NO idea where I was going when I started piecing these little buggers, but I was having so much fun with my scraps, I really didn't care. Then I placed then on an ivory on ivory because I was going to turn them into a pouch, but then started playing around and voila....the Happy Hippy bag!

Here are some more pics

Let me know what you think. It is for sale at Stormy Blue Pottery in Murrysville, PA!

~Jamie

And the Winner Is..........

Hello, everyone!



The contest has come to a close and it is time to announce the winner and the name of my new bag pattern:

The winner is jrtruba! I have contacted her and she is picking which 3 pattern she would like from my shop (I'll let you know which 3 she chose in a later post). She is also in charge of picking 1 free pattern for the runner up. The runner up is Deidre with "The Skinni Mini"-- super cute name too, but something just hit me with the Slim-plicity! Deidre, I need you to send me your e-mail so I can e-mail you your free pattern!

Thanks to all who entered! I REALLY appreciated all the support in naming this bag, it was really eluding me. Stop back often and I have more patterns in the works and will have more giveaways!

Thanks!

Jamie

When It Rains, It Pours

OK, so the girls had their 'recheck' today for 1 case of peumonia, 1 double ear infection, and 1 case of bronchitis...all is well. Lyn still has fluid in her ear and has to wear ear plugs during swimming...no biggie. Casually mentioned to the doctor that E-man has had a cough that won't go away and I took in in today for a later appointment...Uh, Oh...he's got a sinus infection and enlarged tonsils...OK, I've had ENOUGH already! Well, I guess not because now I have to make a trip to the ENT. These poor kids have had one thing and then the other...rrrrggghhh. Who else is sick of all this sickness?

On a VERY different note. I love all the name for the bag that you all have been turning in...have to admit I have TWO favorites. Unless I get any more entries by the 9th (I think I forgot to mention that I gave the contest 2 weeks) I think I've got a winner. AWESOME AWESOME. I can't wait to reveal the cover page for the new pattern. It has a new look! I will defintely have a post on the 9th announcing the winner's name, the bag's name and a pic of the front cover of the new pattern! I have had so many people stop me while I've been out with my bag asking me where I got it! Oh, I already sold the bag I put on the front cover (very similar to mine!). The pattern is so fun to make, too! I've been carrying the bag for about 2 weeks and don't know what I did before I had it. It just fits everything perfectly and organizes everything just where I need it (if I do say so myself! :0)

OK, so stay tuned for the winner on the 9th! I will contact the winner first and ask for contact info to send....the 3 patterns of her choice! That's right! She gets to pick. She also gets to pick 1 free pattern for the runner up! Oh, didn't I mention there would be a runner up? Oh, well, I think extra freebies are ALWAYS welcome, right!?!

Later....Sew On!

My 1st Giveaway!

Ok, my 1st Giveaway! Wow. This is a milestone. I need a name for the new bag pattern I am creating....

I tho't I'd call it the Slimster, but I don't think it's descriptive or catchy enough. So, just leave a comment with what you would call the bag. The person with the best suggestion wins a set of 3 of my patterns...which ones TBD at a later date.

OK, Go for it! Let's see what you got! I'll post some more photos of another colorway later!

Bib for Madison

I am posting pictures of a bib I made for Katie for her niece MADISON!

This is the back.

This is the vinyl covered front with vinyl covered pocket.

I love Lakehouse fabric (cupcake and pink with white diamond stars) and complimented the vinyl covered applique embroidery by Designs by JuJu with some great Santorini fabric I made into bias binding. I hope you like it!

I probably should have looked a bit closer at the chair I used to take the pic in. My 3 year old sits in it to eat every night and it is, well, not exactly photograph clean. :0)

Stay Warm!

What Homeschooling Also Teaches

I am sitting in the recliner, still too sick to take any pics for this blog today, but feeling good enough to write. The kids brought me in the lap to so I could cruise the internet for a little bit and relist the pattern I sold this morning. I am sitting here barely able to breath with my role of toilet paper since we're out of tissues, typing in between giving my just turned 7 year old her math lesson...well, actually several math lessons because I don't have to talk as much with those. Everytime I talk, I end up in a fit of coughing. So Math it is all around today. She is learning to count on up to 18. She catches on pretty quickly, too! Sometimes I wish it would take her a little longer, because then I get a little bit more of a break in between lessons. Anyway, while I was totally KO'd yesterday in bed with a temp of almost 103, my 9 year old (well, she was 9 yesterday, today she is 10! - Happy Birthday, Shay!) cooked lunch and I'm not talking hot dog or peanutbutter and jelly....she made pizzas in the oven for herself, my husband who came home for lunch, and her little brother and sister. She made lipton chicken noodle soup with extra noodles on the stovetop for me and dished out a 1/2 a cup plain yogurt and 1 T. simply fruit for flavor, too and a banana for a very well balanced meal. 2 starches, 1 milk, 1 fruit, 2 meat from the cheese and pepperoni. Then she supplemented the roasted chicken Bob brought home from Giant Eagle by making boxed mash potatoes and microwaving some frozen green beans. How many 9/10 year old can do that? Anyway, she is now putting water on to boil and making me some coffee while trying to finish her test.

Why do I homeschool? Because it teaches so much more than just math, science, and grammar. It teaches lifeskills like cooking and nutrition, and, most importantly, it teaches COMPASSION. I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of me while I am sick...my kids are the best. Some days I wonder whether they are getting it...then I am down and out and I see how much they do get it. It is AMAZING how they can come through when you need them to the most. I love my kids. God is good.

Been Busy Lately?

OK. So you know we have all been sick. I am still sick, but Mary Ruth from Cotter's Country Cottage where I keep all the 'Crap I've Made' called me and said she was out of Steeler's Headbands and I needed to whip up a few, so for all you Steeler's fans....






Here are the headbands I whipped up. One of my daughter's so kindly modeled two of them for me. She picked out her favorites; they had to have bows, of course!


Valentine's day is just around the corner, so I had to do a few of those, too!





Here are the sewing projects I've been working on. Everyone asks me how I get so much done when I homeschool 4 kids. Well, truth be told. It is in stolen moments. 15 minutes here, 5 minutes there. I think about it all the time, though. That is the key. I know exactly what I want to do and then I go do it. I rarely spend any time in the sewing room thinking about what I want to do. I just go in there and do what I have been thinking about all day and night long.

That's where this quilt is coming from:






I also try to follow designers and patterns that they make that I like. I love Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs. I LOVE her Lily and Will fabric and now have a nice stash of it. I made this from it. She has such CLASSIC CUTE SWEET designs for babies:




So........I tried to make the lap top cover from a tute from www.crapivemade.blogspot.com and it turned out....well, it became this after I cut it all apart and put in a different zipper



I did eventually get it right with a few tweeks and putting the zipper on the long end like a sleeve. I wanted to make it eye catching so when my husband steals my computer from me to take the girls to the middle school pool for their swim team practice, everyone notices! :0)





Last weekend while my husband was down and out for 3 days with this bug (BTW - I have it, but am not allowed to be down and out for 3 days) I went to Office Depot with all 4 kiddos (during the Steeler's game because I knew lots of shops would be having great deals then -- which also tells you where I am going to be during the Superbowl because I really don't care about or like football - which means because I said that that I am probably going to move from Pittsburgh immediately) and bought 3 chairs. Here is the new one for my sewing room:




Yes! Finally. I should have done that 3 years ago. Leather, adjustable height and only $44.95! Yep! Only $44.95. I bought 2. One for the girls desk in their bedroom which has had a folding chair for 8 years. I also about a highbacked leather chair for the office for over 50% off, too! I did have to put them together which was easy, but time consuming. Where are you going to be during the Superbowl??? I am going to be shopping!

Ha!