iPad bag

So mom surprised me this Christmas with an ipad3.



I wasn't expecting it! It was such a surprise. Even if I did ask Santa for it.



Mom gave me the lovely green cover for it. But I decided I really needed a bad to carry it in too. December 26th I was working on a project for mom when she asked me if I had made an iPad bag yet. Well I took that as a challenge. And despite the fact we were leaving for PA the next morning, decided to make one. I pulled out fabrics first - Melody Miller ! I've been hoarding the typewriters in aqua and pink and some other prints. Then I searched through my pins on Pinterest. And finally found this Messenger bag with iPad pocket .



Front with flap down




Front with flap up



Back with attached pocket. As you can see I had a cutting error wi the directionality of the fabric. If I had just switched the crack of the bag...oh we'll love it as is. The strap is also a linen. I added a double pocket inside. I still want to make a cord bag to slip inside. The strap is also about 1.5" too long. I may just take it in a little at the side. I adjusted the pattern a lot and used magnetic snaps on both flaps. Warning , the pattern is difficult to follow if you are not experienced.


Keep dreaming...Colleen



Moms and her sister Emily laughing last night.

Merry Christmas!!

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas!  I'm writing this from my new iPad!!!

I'm trying to figure out how to get pictures from Flickr to my blog like I do on the computer. If anyone knows how let me know.  

Any way big news....one of my quilts was excepted into QuiltCon!!!!
Go here to see 123 Squared

Im excited!  Dad says it is the way he is holding it that helped!  Ha!

Enjoying a trip to PA to visit family and we are expecting snow in the am!!!!

I'll try to put pictures in later when I figure out the dang picture thing!

Keep dreaming...Colleen

Merry Christmas Parade!

Every year our town of Lewisville has a marvelous Christmas parade.  

It is long and huge crowds come out to watch.  My family has participated for a long time.  As a youth I road on my church, Lewisville UMC float where some dressed as a live nativity scene.  Later I used to drive the '72 Chevy my dad owned.   

That was fun!  I used to get all the guys calling out to me about how cool my car was!

Mom and Dad rode in dad's International Scout firetruck.  Dad had to sell the Chevy so now I ride on the back of the firetruck!

My sister if she was home would ride on the back.  And yes it is a fully functioning pumper truck.  It has a large water tank and different sizes of hose.  It was used inside Westinghouse plants to put out machinery fires.  It was small enough to drive up the aisles.    So here are the pictures form last Sundays parade.  It was a warmish almost humid day and the crowds turned out in force.  Oh yes candy was thrown.  We always throw chocolate!

I hope everyone remembers to pray today for the families, the school families, and the community involved in the Sandy Hook shooting.  

Keep dreaming...Colleen,

Found this picture of me and my mom at my sisters wedding. on my iphone.
It was a pleasant surprise as we are always the picture takers and rarely together.

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"Look for the Yarnell's in the Lewisville Christmas parade in the mini fire truck. I'll be inthe back throwing g candy!"

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The Instagram Team

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"Just found this cute picture of me & my mom from my sisters wedding!"

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The Instagram Team

Giveaway Winner!

Here is the winner of the vintage Christmas fabric in my sew mama sew giveaway!

The random number generator came up with...
(ignore the 100 below it should be 117 but for some reason it changed when I cut and pasted and wont let me fix it)

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:81Powered by RANDOM.ORG
That means 

Joy said...

81

I haven't made anything yet. I keep planning to, and then the busy season gets here and I end up not having made anything for another year.

Wednesday, December 05, 2012 12:50:00 PM 

Joy is the winner!  How appropriate!  Joy it looks like you are going to need to get busy sewing when you get this fabric, so start planning!  Email me your address so I can send your fabric right out!

Christmas ideas

89 pins

Edit

 If you are looking for great gift and Christmas decorating ideas check out the ideas and links in the comments.  I pinned a lot of them to my Christmas Ideas Pinterest board !

Thanks everyone for your comments!  I really had fun answering back.  If I didn't get to email you a reply it is because I have been sick and just finally had to delete emails I had too many to handle.  But I have thoroughly enjoyed all your ideas!  Thanks so much!
keep dreaming...Colleen

Dad helped me find a great tree last Sunday!

Strawberry lemonade sandwich cookies!

I thought I would share a new favorite very yummy holiday treat!  I made these last weekend for a bake sale and I don't have many pictures.  BTW these are so easy even your husband could make them.

Strawberry Lemonade sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

1 strawberry cake mix (I used the the Supreme version)

1 stick of butter, melted

2 eggs

1 can lemon icing (again I used the Supreme version)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F 
2. Dump the cake mix in the bowl.
3. Crack in two eggs.
4. Add the melted butter(make sure its not too hot or you will cook the eggs!)
5. Mix into a soft firm dough
6. Drop even sized rounded balls onto a cookie sheet.
7.  Bake 8-10 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool completely before adding a large dollop of icing and squishing with a second cookie on top. (Too hot and the icing will melt and your tops will slide!)  I stuff the icing into a ziplock back and then cut off one corner.

**Makes about 12-19 sandwich cookies depending on the size of your cookies.

**What's great about this recipe is you can substitute any flavor cake mix or icing.  Add a few drops of your favorite extract flavorings to plain mixes.

Mmmm yummy!

I had to eat the one that melted a bit!  Just to taste!

keep dreaming...Colleen

I went to the local tree lot to get my tree.

Giveaway Day!!!

Today is giveaway day at Sew Mama Sew!

Im giving away some vintage Christmas fabric yardage!  

I have two beautiful pieces that each measure at least 1.5 yards!  

The at least is because I dont count large attached scraps.  

(The background on the poinsettia fabric is cream not white.  Sorry for the bad picture)

All you have to do to enter is:

1. Leave a comment telling about a Christmas decoration you have made for your home.  

2.  Bonus comment:  Leave me a link to a fun project I could make as a gift for someone.

details:  

• Giveaway ends December 7 at 8pm EST.
• I  will email the winner by December 9 and share in a giveaway post.
• I will ship the winner asap! 

keep dreaming...Colleen

Stocking for the new dog-in-law Smitty.  He's a dog who likes to chase squirrels.
Notice the little squirrel ornament made form felt.  Tutorials can be found here and here.

My recent sewing confrontation

I am a reluctant machine quilter.  There I said it.  Well let me clarify.  Im a reluctant large quilt machine quilter.  I have no problem with small throws, wall hangings, mug rugs, etc...  But I have a trunkful of blocks and tops that are not quilted because of my avoidance of the issue.  I should also clarify that its the size and FMQ technique that makes me nervous.

So with all that in mind I recently FMQ a large-80x80 quilt I made for a friend's wedding.  You can read more about my quilting here.  It was a bear.  I sometimes felt like I was on a runaway train.  I learned I do not have the right machine for quilting such a large quilt.  There is not enough neck space.  I really I don't know how I finished it.  It came out good enough to give as a gift.  However I did realize I could do it if needed.  Some day I would like to get a different machine with more space.

I need to get this machine serviced so I can use it, too.  There is almost 2 inches more space in the neck.

Read about other sewing confrontations at Jess's blog Quilty Habit

keep dreaming...Colleen

My Doll Quilt Swap 13 mosaic.  This will be my third time in the swap!

Yard Sale Saturday

Hey Im linking up today for Yard Sale Saturday to do a little destashing.  

I have 13 DS Quilts Daisy Mae fat quarters $28.

Go here to purchase.

Medium flat rate box stuffed with printed and woven plaids $23

Go here to purchase and for more information.

keep dreaming...Colleen

Made these for our Sunday School bake sale.
 Had to eat the one that the icing melted out of.  Yum!

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"Running ladies rocked the color run!!!"

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving 

from this southern bird!

This fine feathered friend was happy to say hey but cant stick around for dinner.

He has other fish to fry.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

I know Im being a little silly but I was awarded a huge honor the other day.

#1 commentator on the blog So I married a Craft Blogger.

This rather dubious honor came about because I can never resist commenting with a little biting whit on Trevor's rather ironic and often sarcastically written blog.  His posts reflect a man's and husbands classic confusion with what women and their wives do when it comes to crafting and sewing.  If you don't know his wife Mandy of Sugar Bee Crafts you should check out her blog.  She is really very crafty and sweet and funny herself.  But then she would have to be to be married to Trevor.  Oh my.  Just writing about his blog gets my sarcasm up.  

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving day with family and friends.  I am thankful to be able to express myself on this blog and share projects.

keep dreaming...Colleen

Me and my color run crew from the Charlotte race last Saturday.  It was a blast!

The never ending wedding

*Ive been trying to post this all week since before my sisters wedding.  But the few moments I had time to my internet has been spotty.  I lost half of the post with the  pictures because it wouldnt save.  So pretend it is last Friday.  LOL!  Wedding post to come soon.

My sisters wedding is tomorrow.  Im excited and relieved.  Excited for her future happiness and relieved because there seems to be a lot of stress associated with wedding planning.  Take my maid of honor dress which I went to pick up, again, today.  First time the dress didnt fit.  Despite the sample dress STILL fitting me perfectly, the one ordered of the same size did not.  They said the sample was all stretched out.  Mmm, lot of stretch. So they ordered a different size.  Now the top of the dress was way too big.  So they said they would take it in.  A large chain store specializing in dresses and alterations for those dresses should know what they are doing right?  Wrong.  Went to pick up my dress today.  Tried it on and the 'fitting' was ridiculous!  The sides of the bust were bulging with extra fabric and boning.  I look down and see large WHITE stitches just inside the tops edge of my very PLUM dress!  I mean really!  So tonight, between the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner I will attempt to pick it up again.  Luckily its close to the restaurant.

So here is some eye candy from a couple of weeks ago. 

 I found these awesome containers at a yard sale and bought them along with a ceramic white with green lid tea canister, four pieces of silver plate and two advertising thimbles all for $2!  You know my motto-Why spend $50 when you can spend 50 cents!  The middle one without the lid will be a thread catcher somewhere.

Extra!  Fun news!  Do you subscribe to Julie at Intrepid Thread's newsletter?  If not check it out. Her online store is one of my favorite places to get fabric from.   This month I have a pattern for a Simply Charming Tree skirt.  

The newsletter usually comes out on or around the 15th of the month and usually has some nice patterns in it.

***Saturday is the Color Run in Charlotte!  Can't wait!!

keep dreaming...Colleen

Awesome wedding weekend!!!

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"Kelly and Jamie at the rehearsal dinner at Bleu-good times, good times!"

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Quilt Bloggers Festival-time to vote!

Vote for mine as your favorite here

.

My entry is number: 496

 

I'm entered in :

 

Bed quilt;

Scrap quilt

Nominations run until November 4th 

 

Even if you don't want to vote, you should check out all of the talent.



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"I won a local education grant to create a secret reading garden in this space!!!"

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Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2012

Its time again for Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2012! 

 I actually have a selection of quilts to chose from this year.  It was a hard choice but I decided on my Scrappy Stellar Star wedding quilt.

I made this quilt for a friend's wedding.  A friend was teaching a class for her original pattern.  I loved the quilt and wanted to make it and spend two days with others in a class.  I LOVED making this quilt!  I want to make it again in Aneela Hoey's Sherbet pips.  You can make it with a jelly roll and some yardage for the background which I have!  The class was in August and I was all ready to go!

I had the strips and background fabric cut before the class.  I shopped my stash for a scrappy look.  Actually I had more then enough strips cut!

I even started making some string blocks with the odd left over scraps.  I still have plenty of scraps to make more...a new quilt?  

It was so much fun sewing with the ladies. 

 The class was two Saturdays in a row. 

 Two 4 hour days of nothing but chatting and sewing.

 It went together so smoothly. Everyone gave each other input.  I loved it!

Here are some of the other tops made with this pattern.  They are all so different!

Dad's Jazzy-girl helped me to baste the quilt.

I machine quilted in on my Babylock Sofia.  I've realized this is NOT the machine to quilt such a large quilt.  It has no room in the throat area.  But I persevered!

I sewed my gloves to the quilt a few times.  I know I'm not the only one to this.  These are 99 cent gardening gloves that work great!

It fits a full mattress nicely and has enough drape for a queen!

I had plenty of leftover strips to make a matching scrappy binding.  I love to make my bindings even before I finish the quilt top and wind them on these old bobbins.

I bought a bunch recently in Hillsville at the Flea Market.

I sewed the binding by hand while watching Bonnie Hunter on Quiltcam.

I used extra fabric to piece the back.

I did a little graffiti writing.  The couples names, their wedding date, handmade by me, and a few love is... quotes.

Im gifting it to this lovely couple next week.  Caroline and Davis.  Caroline is an artist I worked with.  She has always been so supportive of me when I returned to quilting 2.5 years ago.  She has been a wonderful friend I miss since she move away to live with her hubby.

I didnt just want to put it on a pile of packages.  I wanted to give it to them in person.  But they live 2 hours away.  Luckily they will be in town next week for an art show all three of us have pieces in.

Blogger’s Quilt Festival Stats

Finished quilt measures : 84″x 84″

Special techniques used : strip piecing, FMQ, graffiti writing.

Pattern:  Scrappy Stellar Star by Kelly Wood

Quilted by : Colleen Yarnell

Best Category : Bed Quilt, Scrap Quilt, 

keep dreaming...Colleen

Done!