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January’s Update

Posted by: Ali on: February 7, 2011

In: Amy Butler | Crafts | Family | Home Decorating | Quilting
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Outside: Sunny and Cold. More snow on the way supposedly. I really haven’t minded being stuck inside though.

In My Kitchen: Made some double chocolate chip cookie sandwiches (from the Sticky Gooey book of course) over the weekend. Delicious. Found out that Kirkland (costco) vanilla icecream is creamy and delicious to go with. Also, made a delicious mango upside-down cake this past week. I didn’t have crystallized ginger, so I just used powdered.

I am wearing: A black knit dress, and a cardigan. Not really comfortable in most pants right now (at 35 weeks pregnant and huge).

Can’t Wait For: My baby boy to come! Also, my good friend Morgan to come back to KC for awhile! Happening at about the same time too.

Current Read: In January I finished the Hunger Games trilogy, which was enjoyable. Now I’m reading Deadhouse Gates Book Two of the Malazan Book of the fallen, which I wish I was liking more than I am.

I am hoping: to have more energy tomorrow than I do today. 🙂 I have a lot to get done in the next month!!

Around the house: Trying to get everything cleaned out, and ready for New Baby. Chad has been getting my new laundry room ready too. Still a ways to go unfortunately. Wishing I wasn’t lugging laundry up and down two flights of stairs today.

Simple Pleasures: voluntary kisses from the kids. and Dr Pepper.

Creativity: Finishing a quilt for L that I actually started before she was conceived– it’s long overdue. Starting one for B. It’s the one on the cover of this GREAT new book I just got. Also, finishing knitting a hat for B… maybe he’ll get to use it a month before winter goes away.

Plans for the Weekend: A date night, and hopefully celebrating two of my brother’s birthdays! Hopefully that means that the one that lives out of town will be HERE.

Family Update: The big kids moved into L’s room together. So far so good! That’s one reason I’m doing the quilts. We’re going for a sort of nature theme. A very loose theme it is too. 🙂 Trying to decide whether to change a couple walls (most of the room actually) from bubblegum pink to green or light brown. But that will happen after I’ve recovered from the baby a little anyway.

Lillian: Walks around constantly in a princess dress or Tutu saying she’s a princess. Although sometimes she is in disguise as a Halo Reach girl. Goody. Or a puppy that licks you.

Brendan: Is doing well in homeschool. He LOVES math. I need a little motivation in the whole school area right now though. Not exactly making it exciting, or even getting done everything I wish I were.

Patchwork Messenger Bag

Posted by: Ali on: February 19, 2010

In: Amy Butler | Crafts
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My newest bag– the Patchwork messenger bag. From my favorite bag designer (the one that designed my clutches too) I made it for myself (yay!) out of some of my favorite fabrics from Amy Butler (of course). Been toting around my knitting and my pilgrim’s progress in it. 🙂 I really like the size. Sometime I’ll get around to making a couple for the shop (I hope). Until then, if you are interested, then let me know! Special orders always come first! I have lots of cute fabrics to mix and match right now!

Inside flap has a little splash of color, and more pockets!

The Latest Edition

Posted by: Ali on: May 21, 2009

In: Amy Butler | Crafts
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This particular one is headed off to New England soon. It’s my first time using Heather Bailey fabric, and I’m loving it!

It’s been rather busy here lately. One of you might of noticed the little lapse in blogging. Last weekend was my birthday, and it was a good one. C and I got to hang out on Saturday, and he spoiled me a little. And we saw Wolverine, and it was OK. That night was my family party, and my parents made mexican. YUM. Gma made me a peach cobbler. 🙂 Got to see a good concert on Sunady, which I already mentioned in my last post. Monday my friend Lori through me a little surprise birthday party, and made me a delicious chocolate cake. I was so surprised! Very sweet. So, that’s basically the whole thing in a nutshell.

Oh, except one of those days B called me “super mom”.

Sewing Frustrations

Posted by: Ali on: May 9, 2009

In: Amy Butler | Crafts
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Sewing has not exactly been going smoothly these days. Two projects in a row have been killer! First was this dress. Harder than anything I’ve sewn before, but I thought everything turned out OK. Then I tried the thing on L. Or, I tried to. Couldn’t get it over her head!

Then, procrastinated on this bag. Just haven’t felt like sewing lately. Trying to finish it up quickly yesterday. Of course the kids didn’t nap well at all. After I accidentally sewed the bottom of it on the top AND put the handles in I noticed that the pockets really wouldn’t work upside down. Ugh. While I was storming (am I crazy trying to get sewing done with a toddler and a preschooler?!) to myself in my brain I started undoing the seems, and undid TOO MANY. Argh. Extra sewing for me. If I hadn’t had to have it done for today I don’t think I would’ve kept working at that point. I was seriously missing the nappy bag!!

But, then I took it to the shower, and I felt much better. It turned out great:

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I made the straps longer this time. Much better. What mom has the hands to carry a diaper bag around? Definitely needs to go over the shoulder. Another Amy Butler fabric. OF COURSE.

Nappy Bag Ten

Posted by: Ali on: April 20, 2009

In: Amy Butler | Crafts
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p5070032-1 Here’s my latest installment of the Nappy Bag series. 🙂 It looks quite a bit different with this cool mod fabric (picked out by Ginny for our friend Stephanie). S really like that bag, so that was exciting. Good choice G.

I have to admit that I was not looking forward to making another nappy bag. This is probably my 9th or 10th one to make from what I can remember. But, making the new bag a couple weeks ago I’ve come to appreciate the simplicity of the nappy.

I also have one other new pattern to try out. I’m kinda saving it for Ginny though.

Finally Found My Camera!

Posted by: Ali on: April 6, 2009

In: Amy Butler | Crafts | Family
4 Comments

So, I’m going to start to get updated on the crafts I’ve been working on the last couple months!

Yellow Dress

First up is this little dress that I made from my newest Amy Butler Book. I made this a while ago, but only recently put the finishing touches on it, so this was the first time L got to wear it (Saturday at cousin Libby’s b-day party). I think that there must be some updates on that pattern that I haven’t gotten a chance to look up, because it had some major issues. Thanks to my Gma’s help it all turned out fine though.

Bag Bag#2

Then last week I made this diaper bag for my friend Anna who just had her baby girl, Delaney. It’s from the same book. I like it even more than the nappy bag I think. The fabric is just from Joanne’s! I’m pretty excited about that, since it’s so cool! I’ll be making another of these bags in the next week or two for another friend who is having a baby.

Baby Quilt

Posted by: Ali on: January 19, 2009

In: Amy Butler | Family | Quilting
3 Comments

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Thanks to my Gma– L’s quilt is finished! The kids have already been enjoying it! It’s made out of Amy Butler fabrics (of course) with bright pink felt letters blanket stitched on the front. Then Gma did an absolutely awesome job quilting it! I wish you could see it better. I tried to zoom in on it. This is just a slightly bigger and thinner version of the one I made for my baby nephew. I knew that by the time this one was finished she wouldn’t need a playing mat anymore, and boy was I right. hehe.

In this last picture L is showing off her downward dog. Pretty good, eh?

New Books

Posted by: Ali on: July 18, 2008

In: Amy Butler | Books
2 Comments

I’ve just been looking for a birthday gift for crafting friend, so of course that means my own Amazon wishlist is getting pretty long…

Looking forward to:

Anna Maria’s book is going to be awesome, I just know it! Her blog is on my sidebar.

I’ve just discovered this book. It sounds exactly like what I need! AND the author has a blog!

And how could I resist another Amy Butler book? 🙂 And Amy needs a blog I think.

I guess I’d better start saving my money!!

Nappy Bag

Posted by: Ali on: April 10, 2008

In: Amy Butler
5 Comments

I finally finished my Nappy Bag for Lillian. I’ve had the fabric (Ginny got it for me), since Christmas! It’s a good thing it’s an easy project, or I wouldn’t have it done now. Took me about 2 weeks, and an average of 15 minutes a day. 🙂

I love this fabric! It’s Amy butler of course. The lining is from Joanne’s. And I like the bag a lot… obviously, this is the second one I’ve made for myself and probably the 6th I’ve made overall.