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.

fresh

It's time to do a little changing and freshen things up on the blog and in the shop in time for SPRING.

I look forward to sharing over the next few weeks.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend! 

Here are some pictures from a warm afternoon earlier this week.

 

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.

giveaway at marigold road

Did you see this new addition to the cotton tree?

Now you can enter to win one over at Marigold Road.

 And while you're there, make sure to take a minute to visit Marigold Road's shop.

Wonderful items!

Things have been super busy around our home since last week.

And I'm really feeling behind on so many things - including this blog.  :)

But I have lots of fun things to write and share over the next couple of weeks - please stick around.

Welcome to December!

red and green

Just in time for Christmas!

Perfect for your little elf.

giving thanks

I am thankful for so many wonderful blessings in my life.

my husband

our son

our cozy home

family

friends 

good health

and moments like these...

 I am also thankful for all the great people who read my blog, 

and support my handmade shop.

 THANK YOU!

And on that note - this is also my 100th blog post!

So let's celebrate with a little shop giveaway.

$20 shop credit

the cotton tree

   

There are four ways to enter.  

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Share something you are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

2. Follow the cotton tree with GoogleFriends (on sidebar)
If you already follow, leave a comment saying you already do.

3. Follow the cotton tree on Twitter 
If you already follow on Twitter, leave a comment saying you already do.

4. Blog about it and/or Tweet about it.

Giveaway ends and winner will be announced sometime next Sunday, November 28.

populus deltoides

What is Populus deltoides you ask?  Well, it's the Latin name for the Cottonwood Tree, which also happens to be the State Tree of Kansas.  And why am I using Latin?  Well, how often do I get a chance to use my limited knowledge of Latin I learned in college?  Not very often.  :) 

Many people might disagree with me, but I find cottonwoods to be beautiful trees. They are not an ornamental tree to place in your front yard or display in a botanical garden, but across the Kansas landscape they are spectacular.  The leaves are a gorgeous green, and they shimmer in the wind.  And when the Kansas winds blow, the leaves shake and make the most wonderful rustling sound.  In the fall, the leaves turn a lovely color of yellow and sparkle in the sunlight.  A little difficult to capture in a picture (at least with my camera), but I did attempt to this afternoon.

Ben woke from his nap a little early, so we hopped in the car with juice, pretzels and jackets, and headed for a drive in the country.  Standing outside, listening to the leaves move in the wind, and watching the last of the yellow leaves shimmer before falling to the ground was truly peaceful.

 

It's also appropriate that I'm writing about cottonwood trees because they helped me create my shop name - the cotton tree.  I have lived in Kansas my whole life, and I love it.  But it's taken me a while to realize that.  In fact, as a teenager my plan was to be a successful architect on the east coast.  Obviously that isn't the path I have taken!  When I decided to open an Etsy shop last year, I was having a tough time coming up with a name that I liked and wasn't already taken.  I wanted a name that meant something to me and represented the products I was making and selling.  Eventually I decided upon the cotton tree.  It was everything I loved - sewing with cotton fabrics, living in Kansas, enjoying the outdoors, and living in a small town - simply put.  And guess what?  The name was available.  Perfect! 

I hope to continue to share more about me, my shop and the blog in the future.  

It's fun to share a little "history".

tote bags are red, bibs are blue

 I added several items to the shop over the weekend.

 

simple tote / library bags

toddler bib sets

Put the tote and matching bib set together, and you have a wonderful gift!

More for the shop to come soon - stay tuned.

And I'm almost to 100th blog post so a little celebration may be in order.

Have a good week!

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!

a blustery day

I worked on photographing some new items for the shop this afternoon.  The wind was making it challenging.  Yes, I know - I live in Kansas.  But it was still a blustery day!

You may have already noticed, but I felt like trying something a little different with my item photos today. 

That little chair use to be mine.  Jake is getting ready to paint two of these chairs and a table for Ben.  Today it caught my eye, so I hauled it outside with me. I'm pretty sure a few people driving by weren't quite sure what I was doing.  :)  Here are a few of my results...

 

 

 

 Look for these items in the shop before the end of the week.