a few things

can't believe how quickly this week has gone!

here are a few pictures of what's been happening...

ben's favorite show lately - little einsteins.

so we made the printable characters and rocket.
fun and free!

he thinks they're pretty cool!

welcome goodies for two families with new babies.

muffins, bib sets with baby spoons, and a little something for the older sibling.
it felt wonderful to
sew!

fun to make and even more fun to deliver!

can't believe we're going to have one of those little people in our home any day now.

so exciting!!!

trying to do as much as possible - including a few little touches,
before baby arrives

 this quilt was jake's as a baby.
LOVE IT!
i stitched ribbon tabs along the top for hanging.

one of ben's favorite books at grandma's house arrived in the mail as the book of the month he receives through a program sponsored by one of our local banks.
it's fun to have a copy of it at our house now.

and some serious sorting and organizing that's been taking place to add a little
pink.

and speaking of organizing...
we've been busy trying to make better use of the space we have in our basement.
i don't have before pictures (truthfully - i would be embarrassed to show you what it used to look like!),
but here is the after.

we have now created a more open space for all to enjoy.
more room for play, room for sewing, and even extra room for guests.
it's a definite improvement!

today was spent in the city - just having some time together.
i'll post more about our fun day out later this weekend.

happy friday!

middle of the week

today was cold, cloudy and wet - we had both rain and snow.
and i'm not sure if it was the weather,
usually i LOVE this kind of a day,
or what - but i just felt - BLAH!
nothing seemed to come together very well.
and my productivity from monday and tuesday came to a dead stop.

so in an attempt to comfort myself this evening i made one of my most favorite chocolate treats.

hot fudge pudding cake

warm, yummy, chocolate comfort - even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
this is super easy to make - and requires only a handful of ingredients.

and i shouldn't forget to mention that i did have a very fun surprise last night-
i won a giveaway!
on one of my favorite blogs take heart!
it was for six patterns from this wonderful etsy shop.
and i'm super excited!!!

i hope to expand my sewing into quilting and fell in love with these fun and modern designs.
i figure i'll have lots of free time on my hands this winter...
right? just me, an active three year old and a new baby in the house all day.  :)
joking aside - i do hope to dust off the sewing machine,
and find time for some fabric and thread over the cold months.
we'll see how it falls together...

for now i'm off to get a bowl of chocolate pudding cake with ice cream, put my feet up
and watch a little tv.
good night.

a little piece of my heart

quite a while ago a posted a picture of a hand stitched project i was working on...
well, i've finally finished it.

and the meaning behind is one quite dear to my heart.
almost exactly a year ago we were expecting to welcome a new baby into our lives.
but that didn't happen.
it broke my heart.

but as time and prayer seem to do - i have healed.
and we are now ready to welcome our baby girl into our family in just a few weeks.
that said - i will never completely forget having the miscarriage, and i don't think i want to -
i want to keep a special place in my heart for the little one we've yet to meet.

that led me to stitching the crabapple.
it was spring time when everything happened, and our crabapple looked amazing.
it's directly out the view of  our kitchen window,
and i can remember looking out and seeing the beautiful pale pink and white blooms.
as the kansas wind blew, it was like it was snowing.
this gave me a sense of peace.

as time passed, i knew i wanted to make something that would allow me to remember without dwelling.
that's what this project was all about.
each lazy daisy, and each french knot were stitched with love.

hope you are having a lovely weekend.

still sewing

I'm happy to report that I am still sewing and filling orders.

And I look forward to updating my shop... one of these days.

gift set

A good friend placed an order for this gift set for the new parents of a baby girl.  

I love these fabrics!  

And I really enjoyed making this set.  

Baby Gift Set

Baby Bib, Burp Cloth, Toddler Bib, Washcloth, and appliqued Onesie

This gift was sent directly to the new parents, so it was wrapped and included a card with a message from the sender.

Please contact me if you are interested in a customized gift.

I enjoy creating special items, and will be happy to ship directly to the gift recipient.

turkey dinner baskets

 Our church is having their annual Turkey Dinner this Sunday.  Yum! There is also a Country Store at the dinner where gift baskets and products can be purchased through silent auction.  I thought it would be fun to make a couple of baskets with items from the cotton tree shop for the Country Store.
 

Each basket includes four items...

Baby Bib

Burp Cloth

Toddler Bib

Washcloth

I think they turned out looking great!

Now I'm thinking about making some for the shop.

I almost forgot to introduce you to my new assistant...

 

He is very helpful. :)

Hope you are having a lovely week!

it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown

Every year I look forward to the Charlie Brown holiday shows.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown & A Charlie Brown Christmas are my favorites.
I feel like a kid again.  :)

This year I went a step further...

It was so easy to make this! 
Great if you're short on time and wanting to save money.
I spent less than $5 on the shirt and black fabric, and Ben is carrying his football.
There is no hat, no make-up and it is easily adaptable to changing Kansas weather conditions - shorts, jeans, undershirt, etc.

Are you making a costume? Please share - I'd love to see.
Ben was Super Ben last year.
 
And just in case you were wondering, you can watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Thursday, October 28, at 7pm CST on ABC. 

Trick-or-Treat!

sew...

Um, remember my post on Friday about getting things done?
Well, it's Sunday evening and I have done no sewing and added nothing new to the shop.

I do have good reason - Ben spent most of the weekend with Nanna, so we worked on a lot of projects around the house.
Here's what did get done:
serious yard work, updating Ben's room, rearranging living room, cleaning my sewing/studio workspace, fabric and supply shopping, and best of all...

some time with my husband - talking, eating, watching movies, and dreaming.
this was wonderful.

Tomorrow is Monday and I plan to have a week that is just as productive as our weekend has been - just in sewing and blogging of course!

Hoot!  Hoot!
I also had to mention Owl he's my favorite fall decoration and I forgot about him in my fall decorating post.
He was passed along to me from my Mom.  He was always in our home growing up. Very vintage.  :)

Hope your week is off to a great start.

sew much to do...

Here are a couple of photos of new items I'll be listing in the shop this weekend.
I have many things on my sewing project list for this weekend.
Including a trip to a new fabric store - all by myself.  :)

I also finished these two Library Tote Bags for a local friend.
Aren't they fun? I think so. :)

Back to work I go.
Sew, sew, sew.

something new

I just finished a new project!

Here's a little look...

This one is a gift, but I hope to add a variety of these to my shop later this fall.

Enjoy the weekend!

a little inspiration

Sometimes I see a half empty glass, and lose optimism in my hopes and dreams.

Tonight was a good example.

I started working on my sewing projects for my shop again.  

It's been almost two weeks since I've done anything shop related, and I found myself unmotivated and unproductive.

Then I glanced at a bulletin board by my cutting table and saw this...

along with a few fun, fabric pieces (and Christmas ornaments) there is a piece of paper my mother gave to me with this printed on it...

A dream is a path to the future,

a quiet belief in the heart,

A small, secret wish nurtured

deep in the spirit, where all

great accomplishments start.

A dream is an endless horizon

that only the dreamer can see,

A dream is a challenge to all

that you are...

a promise of all you can be.

-Amanda Bradley

Just what I needed tonight.

My glass is half full and I am optimistic.

giveaway #3

Toddler Bib Set
Juicy Lemon by Alexander Henry
Apples and Pears by Alexander Henry

- One Toddler Bib in modern design. Made with Juicy Lemon fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. 

A yellow pearl snap provides secure closure. Size 12.5" x 9.5"

 - One Toddler Bib in oval design. Made with Apples and Pears fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. A white pearl snap provides secure closure. Size - 12.5" x 9"

Leave a comment and you are entered to win!

*Giveaway will end on Friday, September 10 at midnight*
The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, September 11. 

giveaway #2

Baby Bib and Burp Cloth Set 
Apples and Pears by Alexander Henry

 
- One Baby Bib in oval design. Made with Apples and Pears fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. A white pearl snap provides secure closure. Size – 10.5” x 8"

- One Burp Cloth in oval design. Made with Apples and Pears fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. Size - 18” x 7”

Leave a comment and you are entered to win! 

*Giveaway will end on Friday, September 10 at midnight*
The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, September 11. 

giveaway #1

Baby Bib and Burp Cloth Set 
Juicy Lemon by Alexander Henry

- One Baby Bib in modern design. Made with Juicy Lemon fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. 

A yellow pearl snap provides secure closure. Size - 10.5” x 8”  

 - One Burp Cloth in modern design. Made with Juicy Lemon fabric on front and white terry cloth on back. Size - 18” x 7”

Leave a comment and you are entered to win!

*Giveaway will end on Friday, September 10 at midnight*
The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Saturday, September 11.