Oh what a surprise...

My machine started acting funny last night and so I decided instead of continuing to try to sew and just getting frustrated, I would take it apart and clean it.

So I took off the foot and the plate under there and here is what I found.

I know its a bad cell phone picture but I still wanted to share. See all that dust crap? I bought this machine one year ago. Seriously! I do sew often but I had no idea it would get this bad in one year because frankly I know people who haven't cleaned their machines in many years.

I took the little stiff bristle brush to it and here is what came out.

I also tried to vaccum it but I can't find my tiny attachments so the hose wasn't able to get too close.

Just thought I would share that with you all so if you haven't cleaned the lint from your machine in a while I would highly suggest it. My machine works just like new now. :-)

Jamberry

Hello everyone! Thought I'd stop in from my mini-hiatus to fill you in on a little bit of what's been going on around here. My parents are moving back to my town so I've been spending a lot of time helping them and haven't been able to get as much crafty work done. That's ok, though. I really am happy that they're only 10 minutes away from me now!

I did finish up my charm square quilt top. I just need to put some sashing on and make a quilty sammich! I'm hoping to have it done by fall so I can curl up under it and crochet. :)

I did do the rows so they wouldn't line up on purpose. I know that probably sounds like I'm trying to cover up the oops, but I love the off-center look of the squares and really wanted each row to be unique.

I was going to edit these pictures, but I thought it was a little sneak peek into sewing nights with Brandi and me. We get together and let the dog and kid run wild (not really, but it sounded cute) while we sew up a storm at the table. I finished my quilt top during one of these nights and we wanted to take advantage of the second person at my house for photos of it and went outside and this happened. Fun, fun, fun! :)

I've also been preserving some deliciousness. My mom pinned a recipe for Earl Grey Peach Preserves. I made them:

Then I used some cherries, blueberries, and black raspberries (from my yard) to make cherry berry:

YUM! Need to get some more bagels so I can try them out! ;)

Hope you're all creating up a storm. What's new with you lately?

The purse we wont stop making!

Seriously between Meig and I we have made 4 of this same pattern (unless she has snuck one in without telling me)

First of all here is the free pattern : pleated tote pattern

Now here is all the versions we have made.


                                                                       For a swap.

                                                                           For Meig

                                                                     For me

                                                              The latest one, for my cousin.

We really love the pattern, its easy to follow and the bag is the perfect size. 

Party in My Pockets- Shorts

Oh my, I have barely made the deadline for this one! I have been too exhausted to sew but I did a little bit each night with these and finally finished.

  

This is my entry for Shorts on the line.

 

 I found some corduroy fabric and used an old pair of shorts to make the basic pattern. I added some extra width to make pleats.

 Blue with white polka dots for the pockets :)

Tiny lace detail around the bottom hem.

It seems that the older my daughter gets the harder she is to pose for pictures! She was so hyper I just couldn't get her to sit still.

Well that's my entry for the Sew along. I hope you like them as much as I do. Have a great weekend!

Shorts and a Sneak Peek

Brandi and I are doing the Shorts on the Line sew along over at imagine gnats. I set out sewing a pair of knit shorts for the twins that I babysit but when I got done drafting my pattern (using an existing pair of shorts), cutting, sewing, and admiring, I realized that they were big enough to fit JJ. Oops! I guess I needed to use a bigger seam allowance. I have this terrible habit of only using 1/4" seam allowances even though I really need 1/2" or 5/8". They turned out cute, though!

They're made from a t-shirt that I wore to work in Mexico when I went to build houses. I used part of the sleeve for the waistband and did a bit of a yoga pant style fold-over waistband for them. I also used the hem on the bottom of the shirt for the hem on the shorts to save some time!

Of course we got some shots of our little model. I may be a little biased, but I think she's the cutest 2 year old ever!

We're also doing a swap over at Pink Stitches and since I'm posting this, I figured I'd share a little sneak peek. :)

I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

Baby Pinafore

I pinned this free pattern a few months ago and I finally tried it out. It's so easy and very cute!

                                    Check out that cross over back! I love it!

                            I made this for my newest baby cousin. I can't wait to see her in it!

If you are looking for an easy beginner pattern I would definitely suggest this one. You should also check out all of her other projects on the blog Smashed Peas and Carrots

Well that's all for now!

A handmade, thrifted dress

On a recent trip to the thrift store my little Julie spotted this dress. Its handmade by someone we don't know and we love it. It reminds me of a little Amish dress and its Hello Kitty and we are HUGE Hello Kitty fans.

I just wanted to share with you our latest treasure. Have a great week!