OMTWI

So, I FINALLY MADE IT!! Yes, I will be a contestant on One Month to Win it. You can see this fabulous competition at http://onemonthtowinit.blogspot.com

Go vote for your favorite there!! Also, I WON a prize from familylicious again! Thank you Debra:)

You should go check out www.familylicious.com I have won a red toolbox sample kit and a silhouette sd rhinestone bundle.

AMAZING!! Right now you can go and try win a petcakes, dinosaur train, eggo waffles, goddess garden product pack, a swaddle duo, and whole bunches more! It is super easy, just takes time. I usually enter when I'm lying in bed, or if we are out running errands.

A bowl full of lemons.: May Silhouette Giveaway!!

A bowl full of lemons.: May Silhouette Giveaway!!

Cute tote to cute purse, and another quilt!

My friend Diana (who is a self-proclaimed non-crafty person) asked if I could put a toggle or something on her little tote bag to make it a summer purse.

So, I went to Joann Fabrics with 40% off coupon in hand...but I didn't need it. The toggles were on clearance for fifty cents each.

Then, I made my own piping to have something to loop the toggle through. I used bias tape (on hand) and clothesline (courtesy of my mother in law earlier that day).

I simply pinned the bias tape around the cord:

Then I stitched as close to the cord as possible

I sewed a loop of piping on back, then after three attempts finally attached the toggle. It's off kilter to begin with, so I couldn't get it straight...so Tony had to help me. I used a piece of seam binding to go through the holes, then sewed them onto the center of the front. Voila! Cute little pursey thing.

And now for my quilt.

I just want to mention that the flannel heart fabric and denim with hearts were hideous huge pieces my Nana gave my mom who said "take them" because she didn't like them...so I made a quilt for ME!!

I started out by measuring and deciding that I could get the "most" out of the fabric by making 12.5" squares

And then I added my applique's and sewed the squares together.

Note I added double-scoop ice cream cones, and since the quilt is for me (and not a baby) button "cherries" on the cupcakes.

I had initially thought I would have enough flannel or denim for the border...but I didn't.  Then I remembered the big bag of fabric my friend Karen had brought me.  I had remembered seeing a large white piece in there...but when I pulled it out it was actually the bottom of a couch slipcover.  So, I adapted.  I ripped out the corner seams

I cut it into 8" strips and ended up with two pieces that were perfect for the sides at 60".  Then I found that two were perfect for the top, after the sides are added.  So I sewed on the sides first, then added the top.

Here is the quilt before washing (un-frayed)

Then I clipped and washed it...here are some pics including close-ups of the squares:

So, there's my latest creations!!

Other things I've been up to:
Entering giveaways!!
Check out the spellbinder's giveaway at Favecrafts.com

I don't think this will hyperlink...but go to fave crafts and enter to win!

My new addiction

I have been entering blog giveaways here and there, and pathetically stalking silhouette giveaways on blogs to try to win. And as you probably know by now, I FINALLY WON! Now the bug has bitten, if I won once--I can win again, right? Well, we shall see. I have been trying to win. I won the silhouette sd through www.familylicious.com. It is GREAT. You should really check it out. If you follow them on facebook they post on their wall every time a new giveaway comes up. They are currently running a two-day giveaway for Aveeno products. I love Aveeno. We all have eczema, and it is a great product. I would love to win this because my son has been having eczema flare-ups, and I am running low on lotion products for myself! You can enter to win here:

http://familylicious.com/aveeno-mother-and-baby-gift-set-review-and-giveaway/comment-page-1/#comment-165823

Check out Aveeno's great products at www.aveeno.com

I WON!!! And three rag quilts:)

Well, first off and most importantly, I WON!! What did I win? I won a Silhouette SD. It is the tool I have wanted for so very very long!!! I am so excited, ecstatic, and beyond words. I entered to win on about 6 different blogs. My favorite part of the entry process was finding some amazing blogs. I won at "Familylicious Reviews and Giveaways." You can see that I won here: http://familylicious.com/winners-5/

Seriously, check out familylicious.com there are constant giveaways!

How I found out:

My husband emailed me at work: "Shannon-I think you won the silhouette thingy"

Next Email: "I really think you won!"

Next Email: "CALL ME"

So, I called him, and it was true, I REALLY WON!!

So, my craft mojo is back. I had lost it for a bit, hence my absence from the blogosphere, but now it is back in full force! Thank you Debra, from familylicious. You have pulled me out of my funk. Thank you Silhouette for this amazing gift.

I should receive it in 4-6 weeks. It is the rhinestone bundle, so I think my nieces will be sparkly very soon, since I don't think my sons will appreciate the glitteryness:)

So, here's what I have made, and this is my own creation, no pattern, made almost entirely from scratch. Also, please note: this is without a silhouette.

First, I was in NY at my mom's and she had a bunch of leftover squares from various rag quilts. So, I decided to make a rag quilt, but I wanted to incorporate applique. So, this is not only my first rag quilt, but also my first real applique experience.

So I started with a couple of owl squares, and this was my original plan. After rearranging a zillion times I resignedly decided I needed to make more applique squares.

So after a lot of rearranging random pieces that is what I came up with. Owls, snake, snail, octopus with a mere four arms, umm...oh a whale and a turtle.

So, I don't have any pics after washing, but here is the front and back before clipping:

oopsie, forgot about the monkey:)

And after clipping:

So, then I wanted to make one for my cousin's baby.  This one is a girl!  So, I wanted to do cupcakes, but then I had an epic idea...ice cream cones!!  So, I had this huge piece of pink flannel my Nana had given me in her big de-stashing.  I brought a little piece of that to Joann fabrics and decided on some pink and green prints, and bought 1/3 of a yard of each for only $2.99 a yard!  So, this quilt cost about $5 (and six hours) to make:)

First I measured the fabric and settled on 11 inch squares, since that was the biggest I could get out of what I had purchased, and I laid it out (can you tell I make quilts backwards--plan after I cut:) ?

Then on a piece of paper, I drew the tops of ice cream and cupcakes, and the cones and cupcake holders.

Then I cut out a bunch of them, and tried different color combos until I settled on this:

So, using fusible interfacing I ironed them into place, and then stitched around the edges, leaving a raw edge for fraying.  I cut 9 pink 11" squares for the back (the back is all pink), I sewed it all together, and for the border I cut 8" strips of pink to make a 4" border.

I LOVE it. 

Then I wanted to make one for my friend's newborn baby (born Monday) so I decided to do ice cream and popsicles, and I cut out his name and put it in the center:

So, what do you think of my first three rag quilts??

And once again, I will try to audition for OMTWI, however, the competition is steep and I didn't upload my DSLR pics to the blog yet...so they aren't the best quality shots, but that's ok. You never know unless you try. I mean look...I WON A SILHOUETTE SD!