Spilled Milk, err Lemonade - Mug Rug?

I found some fabric I just LOVE and I bought two yards of it - JUST BECAUSE.

I wanted to buy ALL of it, but someone else must have loved it a lot, too, because there wasn't much left.So I took home my two yards but I REALLY really wanted to just sit and look at this fabric...
So I decided to make some COASTERS, so that at least I could enjoy a little of it.


I also experimented with a few other colors,
and I machine quilted some haphazard lines all over them.


I used batting in most of them, but then I realized I didn't want to use all of my batting when I had scraps of felt around the house, so I used felt for the last two. In fact, the ones with felt are a little better - they are sturdier!

In my final pieces, I ended up folding a 5 X 10 inch rectangle in half, but originally I was cutting two 5 inch squares, placing them face to face with the batting or felt on one side. Sew three sides together.

Then turn the pocket right-side out.

Finally, fold over the open side by 1/4 inch, iron, and sew along the outside, like so:

If you wrap them with a ribbon, you could give them as a gift!
Add some glasses and its an extra nice gift!

These were so quick and simple that I think I might make a few sets to put away for those times when I need a quick, thoughtful gift. They are fun to make, too!

I hope you get the chance to be creative today!

...from Lori @ Kitchenfunk

Blog Friends

My feet hurt, but I'm happy!

I know I said that I wasn't going to have anything to post tonight, but my meeting is over and I'm pumped up. (Anyone have any good inexpensive shoe brands for wearing heels all day? Short ones still make me sore after a long day...)

So I just got in, jumped into my sweats, had a bowl of soup, and I WAS enjoying some quiet time on HULU with my youngest child watching our favorite show. But she had to go do something so I'm sneaking here, reading my blogs, and typing, while waiting for her.

Anyway, while we are watching the show I am getting my first chance to pull out all of my fabric pieces that I received from the scrap swap I participated in - it is over now, but you can click the swap button and see how it was run, and also check out the blog of the terrific person who took the time to organize it all!!

Next I'd like to share the blogs of the two sewers with whom I swapped...

The first is Rhonda from:

Quilter in the Gap

Rhonda, Hope you don't mind that I used your picture!
But Rhonda doesn't have a button yet, so there you go.

But I would probably make her happier
by showing you one of her beautiful projects:

Isn't this gorgeous! I just love this one!!

The next sewer I swapped scraps with is Sara from:

Sew Sweetness

For some reason, Sara doesn't have a button either, but I was able to use her header and pop it in here with a link.

And here is something fun that she has got going:

And here is a project that she made, and my awesome
16 year old daughter loves and is begging me to sew
(yes, she is sitting right next to me as I write this, begging me for it, lol)

Look how beautiful this fabric is!!!!!

I am SO grateful to these ladies for the wonderful fabric I received in the swap. I cannot wait to use it! Yesterday I was reading a blog post of a person who wrote about an "I Spy" quilt, but I had a computer problem so out of the many blogs I follow I couldn't locate the poster - but anyway, I searched for "I Spy" quilt and now I know the pattern of the first quilt I am going to make... And I am going to use my awesome fabric scraps from these lovely ladies!!

Oh, wait - Don't hold your breath for the quilt...
I said it would be my first quilt. I didn't say when I would get to it!!

I hope you get the chance to be creative today!!
...from Lori @ Kitchenfunk

It's Official, I'm Amazing

My kids have declared that I am amazing!

All because of this bag.

Yes, it is my second bag, and I made it tonight!

I used the same tutorial I used in my post Sunday, from:

Because I wasn't making it reversible, I was able to do the top stitching around the edge. I love this look! Like I'm skilled!!

You can see it here, too. And you can get a good look at the 2 fabrics I chose:
I also made the bag a little bigger this time.


And you can see, above, that I made the corners wider as well,
to give the bag a roomier feel. Love this!

And I used 1/2 yard of each fabric. Both were $4/yard on clearance, so the total cost was only $4 for the entire project. Here is a good look at the inside. I love this fabric.
And here is a detail of the outside. I wanted a serious look for this bag,
a little professional but still fun.

This weekend I hope to get some time to sew a bag with pockets. Wish me luck!

(And though my kids are vying for the chance to use my new bag tomorrow,
I'm pretty confident I will be the one using it!)

I hope you get the chance to be creative today!

...from Lori @Kitchenfunk

A little note about silk flowers.
The tutorial from the other day can be found here.

See the difference between these two? The one on the left is flat and not as frilly and curled. You might like that look, but you might want to know how to avoid that flat look, and I don't think I addressed that in my tutorial.

When you hold the silk over the flame, hold it fairly high over it. You just need the heat. If you like a singed edge (which in this color seems to add more depth) then sure, go lower, but BE CAREFUL, of course!

Now, while you hold it higher over the flame you also need to NOT place the edges above the flame. Make sure the fabric, at about a half inch or more, is over the heat. This creates the curls.

I hope this helps as you make your flowers!


I hope you get the chance to be creative today!