Saturday Projects-Bike Basket

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday and it actually SNOWED most of the day. She was kind of bummed out by that, but TODAY. . . I think Spring has finally come to our neck of the woods as evidenced from the daffodils in my neighbors garden.

All my daughter wanted for her birthday besides a few spring/summer clothes is a new bike. She loves to bike with her friends and the summers are spent riding about and enjoying the lazy days of summer. She's always wanted a basket on her bike and we found this smart duo at a local bike shop. The only thing missing thing was a basket liner which I made this morning.

Isn't it just adorable?

The fabric we actually found at IKEA and the blue fleece was a blanket (also from IKEA) that cost a mere $2.49. We were super excited and bought 2 yards of the floral print that cost $3.99 a yard. What a deal!!! My daughter's friend has the same bike in a different color and I just measured the basket liner that she bought with her bike.

I started cutting and sewing soon after I got up this morning. I couldn't believe how quickly it sewed up. I love how it turned out. I may have to make a few more, they're just so cute!


This is our cat Sneakers. He just turned one year old in March and he was our daughters birthday present last year. Since he's an indoor cat he can only go outside on a harness and with some supervision. He's a special breed of cat that you wouldn't want to lose. Anyway, he loved sitting in the basket and going for a bike ride and my daughter was in heaven. We tied his leash attached to the harness to the handle bars so he wouldn't jump out but, we didn't have to worry as he sat there perfectly and sniffed the fresh air and soaked in the sunshine. He LOVED it!!!

Here they are riding around the neighborhood.

They are so happy to be outside on this glorious spring day.

Stopping for a little snuggle.

I love how his paw is hanging out of the basket.

Hope your Saturday Projects are as fun as ours.

Now I'm headed out to do my Easter Shopping.

Handmade by Me

Several bloggers have been searching on the internet for a bag called "Handmade by Me" and I thought it was really cute that you thought there was a pattern "Handmade by Me". . . I simply used that wording to say that instead of buying the sewing bags already MADE by someone else I meant that I had actually Handmade the bags for my friends and one for the giveaway using my own two little hands . I hope that makes a shred of sense. lol.

Anyway, this is the pattern I used and then I changed it to suit my needs. You can see the flying geese bag in the lower right hand corner of the picture below.

Click HERE to buy the pattern.

I also made the flying geese pinwheel bag but it was a bit big for me and I didn't like how the bottom pinwheel wrapped around to the bottom seam.

I'm just picky that way and hated losing part of the flying geese to the bottom of the bag.

It's a darling pattern and I do love it or I wouldn't have bought it. I especially love that cute sewing machine, too!!!

Here's the basics on how I changed the pattern. . .

(I'm sorry there are only a couple pictures but hopefully that helps)

• I only made 4 flying geese for the front and omitted the 4 flying geese for the back.
• I sewed a 9 1/2" square to the bottom of the 4 flying geese.
• I cut out a 9 1/2" x 14" piece of batting and put it on the backside of bag.
• I quilted it following the lines of the seams and a 1" grid on the black polka dot.
• I cut out a 9 1/2" x 14" piece of fabric for the bag lining.
• I added fabric ends to each side of the 9" zipper to make the zipper smaller.
• I attached the zipper.
• I turned it right sides in making sure the zipper was unzipped for turning later.
• I sewed up both sides of the bag.
• I opened the corners by matching the side seam and the bottom and then measuring up 1" from the corner tip and then sewed across the seam.
• Then I turned it right side out and pressed it.

Tini Treat Bags

Over the weekend I started the "Tini Treat Bags" that were designed by Monica Solorio-Snow from Happy Zombieland. You can find the pattern HERE.

I'm making these bags for some of my friends at work who have October birthdays and for some friends from church that I visit teach. I thought it would be fun to fill them up and spread some Halloween Cheer.

I've managed to cut out 12 bags and I've completed 5 bags with 7 bags to go. All 12 have been sewn together. I just have to sew the 4 corners and turn the bags right side out and then press them. It shouldn't take me more than an hour, I'm hoping anyway.

Finished Bag Size: 4" x 4" x 2"

This is another one of Monica's patterns that she did last year called "The Poochie Bag" and this is the LINK for the larger version. The smaller version (as seen in the picture above) is called "The Itty Bitty Poochie Bag" and you'll find it on the Moda Bakeshop HERE.

If you love bags here's a BAG that I designed for the Moda Bakeshop. It's big enough to hold a few charm packs or fat quarters and any other little goodies you may want to give to a friend for a birthday or special occasion. I love making, designing and giving little things to friends.

These are the 7 Tini Treat Bags that I have yet to complete.

After I finish the bags I will be starting on Kenna's Halloween Costume and working on the binding for my "Sneek Peak" quilt that I just picked up.

itty bitty ditty bag tutorial

Updated 9/14/09

I'm sorry to do this but, I've taken down my tutorial. I've just been notified by a fellow blogger that there is a pattern that is extremely similar to the one I put up on my blog so I'm taking it down out of courtesy to the other pattern maker. I'm so sorry if this causes any inconvenience for you, but you can go here to buy the pattern and guess what? It even comes in three different sizes, too!


Here's my itty bitty ditty bag with the matching Buttercup Bag that I finished making for my 200th Post Giveaway. I will announce the winner tomorrow.

200th Post Giveaway & More Incredible Women

Hi Everyone!!!

Thanks for your support over at Kara's "Really Incredible Women" Blog. She is so happy that all of you came by to say hi and left some comment love. I'm so happy you enjoyed learning more about me. I really worried quite a bit about it. Silly me! You are all so wonderful and incredible yourselves. I really have LOVED getting to know a lot of you and follow you on your blogs. You are ALL so inspirational to me!!! Thanks!

I sent Kara the picture of what I made special for the giveaway on her blog. She will be posting it today. So go check it out and remember to stop by each day until Saturday. Kara had me answer a total of 10 questions and you just may be interested in my answers. Also, I had a chance to finish my advice that you'll find on her sidebar. It's listed under Advice for Women and Advice for Moms. Hope you're inspired.

Now for my 200th Post Giveaway!!!

Are you excited? You should be....

You know how much I love my signature Black & White and Red All Over Fabric, Right?

Well...

I made this really cute "itty bitty ditty bag" and Darling Earrings and I'm trying to finish making the a matching "Buttercup Bag" to finish off the set for the winner of my 200th post Giveaway. I'm also giving away another set over at Kara's Blog but done in different colors. Go have a look.

Just so you know it's been a really crazy busy day for me so, I didn't quite get The Buttercup Bag made for my giveaway but I will add a picture of it later in the day or the next day (just in case I can't get it made). Anyway, you can imagine what it will look like right? Right!

Thanks for understanding . . .

Now here's how you can enter the giveaway. . .

• Leave one comment on this Blog Post for ONE entry.
• Leave one comment on Kara's Blog for today's Post for ONE entry.
• Then come back & leave me another comment telling me that you did it.
  
• The Giveaway ends on Saturday, September 12th.
• Make sure I can contact you by email or by responding to your comment.
• If I can't get a hold of you I will pick another winner.

Thanks again for being a FOLLOWER of my blog and WELCOME to any new visitors. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Schlep Bag & Texture Magic Shout Out

I saw this Schlep Bag in my local quilt shop called Just Sew. I really loved it and it appealed to me because they had made it out of my favorite fabric. I was really excited when I found out that it was a free download too. How fun is that? Pretty exciting!!!


While I was there I bought some more yardage for the bag because I'd run out of the black flower fabric. I hope you don't get tired of hearing about TM because it's been so fun experimenting with it and using it. I texturized an 11" x 44" piece ( WOF) of black flower fabric and then cut it into the 8" x 8" squares called for in the pattern. There's nothing like feeling the fabric after you steam it. I just hope you can see the effect it creates in the pictures. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them to get a closer look.


Some of you asked about doing a tutorial on Texture Magic and I can do that but in the mean time I did a tutorial on it here when I made the Patriotic Star Pillow for Moda Bake Shop. Go check it out if you have a question and if you have any more questions just email me.

Here's a closer look.

HERE IS A BIG SHOUT OUT From Nedra at Cactus Needles!

I know you have been reading a lot lately about my love of Texture Magic. There is a good reason! I work for a wonderful company called Superior Threads, and they are the distributors of this new product.

Reps Wanted
Superior Threads is recruiting independent sales reps in each state (*Utah Reps already selected), province, and country to introduce, demo and sell their popular new product, Texture Magic at local shops all over the world.

What is the role of a Texture Magic Rep?
Texture Magic is a very exciting product but, when only seen in a package the excitement and creative possibilities are not effectively communicated. What turns Texture Magic into a “must-have-I-can’t-wait-to-get-started-on-it” product is seeing and touching it in a project.

Superior Threads’ Texture Magic motto is: “Everyone who sees Texture Magic buys it.”

A Texture Magic Rep uses sample projects and a Demo Book to sell Texture Magic to stores and groups. The objective is to get Texture Magic in front of as many people as possible where they can see it and touch it in a project. When they see what it can do with fabric and touch the fabulous textures it creates they’ll want to buy it to create some of that wonderful “Texture Magic” for themselves.

If this sounds like a fun part time job, please contact kent@superiorthreads.com for details and an application.