Trying Out My New Toys

Merry Cristmas!!!

I know I am late. I have been sick and then very busy. I got sick with C. diff just after I last posted. Boy was I sick. At the same time my liver started to act up. Because of my illness I take all kinds of medicine. Well one of them has been causing my liver functions to rise. With this last illness the levels got too high. I had to go in for an ultrasound and tons of blood work. I did have a doctors appointment with an Internal Medicine doctor yesterday. He has decided to do more blood work just to check for some off the wall liver illnesses. But he believes it is one medication that is causing all the trouble. In the week I was off it my liver functions got better. The lab drew 5 things of blood last night and we will know more in a couple of weeks. But he did say from the blood work and ultrasound already done I DO NOT have a "fatty liver". Which made me very happy. So more waiting. Until then lots of bland foods and yogurt.

I did receive some VERY cool Christmas gifts this year. Santa did very good. First off my husband and I bought a 55" LED TV and a Playstation 3 for the family. So cool. We have been having lots of fun win those two items. It is our first LED TV. Next I received an iPad Mini. I love it. I am having so much fun. I am trying to figure out how to blog from it. I am using Blogsy for this first post. So far so good but I will let you know after it is posted. Next I received a new sewing machine. It is The SINGER® PATCHWORK. It is so cool!!! I have never had so many features. 100 stitches. A foot up/down feature. A needle threader feature. So many things.

I borrowed this picture from the Singer website. If you click on it hopefully the link will take you to the right spot.

So I will be getting a few things ready for the New Year and hopefully I will be back and set after the holidays. I hope that everybody and had a wonderful time so far.

TTFN

Posted with Blogsy

WIP Wednesday

 

 I am linking up with Freshly Pieced.

Good morning everybody. I have been gone but I have been sewing. A little. We have been doggie sitting for a while and though the new dog is a sweet old fella my Chompie is being a pain! The doggy guest will be going home tomorrow then I can get back to sewing all the time again. 

I have been able to work on a few things for the shop. Here are a few Christmas items. Both made from my left overs from the 2010 Designer Mystery BOM. There was SO much fabric left. 

This is a nice size table runner. I only have the top finished. I will be able to quilt and bind it tomorrow.

 Here is a cute mug rug made out of some scraps. I was able to get the binding sewn on last night. I love this line of fabric. It is 12 Days of Christmas from Kate Spain. It is so bright!!

TTFN

Mug Rug Revival #3

I have competed my swap item for the Mug Rug Revival #3. I sure hope that my partner likes it. I sent it off in the mail today. 

I made the sandwich of backing, batting, and black top. I then used small zig-zag stitching and I stitched down many different scraps to the sandwich. It's like a quilt as you go. I love each of these fabrics. They all have meaning for me.

A different angle. 

Here is the back. I love the look of it. With all of the stitching you can see how the pieces sit on the top.

This mug rug is the one that my partner sent to me. I love it. The rainbow, the salvages, the extra fabric. It is all so cool!!

TTFN

Maniac Monday

I know I missed last Monday. I have been very busy. See this post!

I did finish my nephews Creeper quilt. I love how it turned out. Everybody at the party loved it. I even got another commission quilt order. HA HA! In the picture you can see the quilt with my nephew sitting in front of it in his Creeper shirt and his mom over to the left in PJ's and curlers. Because he just turned 10 he was not overjoyed by getting a blanket for his birthday but I know he loves it and will love it more as he uses it. His mom was overjoyed!! 

Here it is on my bed getting sandwiched. I only use spray baste anymore. My RA will not let me get on the floor and pin baste. 

In this picture my 6 foot 3 inch husband is holding it up for me for a last minute picture before we drove off to the party. It is 64 x 80 inches. I did straight line quilt in the ditch quilting. I think it turned out great. It is washed and ready for a 10 year old Creeper loving kid.

TTFN

Shannon's Handmade Sunshine

I have to share the most incredible news with you all. I know that we are all mostly quilters and when we see a project that we like we think I can make that myself. I know I do. I will visualize how it is made and make it myself for a lot cheaper then I can buy it. Well there are a lot of people out there who just can't or won't do that. For those people the rest of us crafters can make things and then try to sell those items to them. One of the classes my DD#1 is taking in collage is Web Business Creation. She had to create a web business. Which includes coming up with a business of something she can sell online. Then going through all of the steps from web design, to product production, and selling and receiving payment for those item. The site has to be up for the semester she is in that class. If it makes money then great if not that is ok also, when the class is over you can take the site down. So you see where I am going. She started up a business for me!! Me mind you, little oh me. HA HA I am tickled. Now I know it might not go anywhere. I am ok with that. But until this class is over we are giving it one heck of a shot! 

Welcome to Shannon's Handmade Sunshine.

Hello! My name is Nikki and I am a college student. For a class, I started this online business for my mother, Shannon to expand her blog and sell her creations. She got started in quilting almost 6 years ago, started her blog 3 years ago, and began a quilt group in our hometown later that year. Laura, my younger sister, is a high school senior, and she will be helping with shipping. She also painted the Sunshine at the top of the page.

We are really excited to be able to sell our quality, handmade sunshine!!

Taken with permission by own of business and website, ha ha ME!!

 We will be making and selling handmade Coasters, Mug Rugs, Placemats, Table Runners, and Placemats and Table Runners sold in sets. I can not tell you how many hours have gone into this process from conception to the site going up tonight!! Here is a look of what we have for sell now. It is not much but it is a start.

Coasters in sets of 4

 Coasters in sets of 2

Mug Rugs

Placemats in sets of  4

Table Runner

Set of 4 Placemats and Table Runner

Please just drop by to visit the site. I know most of you can make what I am offering. But you never know you might have a friend who might like to buy something you don't have the time to make. 

We also have a Facebook page so if you are on Facebook come by and like our page. 

TTFN

WIP Wednesday

 I am working on a a quilt for my nephew. He is turning 10 and so into playing a game on the computer. It is called Minecraft. It is a game where you place blocks and built worlds. It is an easy concept and a lot of people play it. One of the bad creatures is called a Creeper. He loves them!! His mom asked if I would make a quilt for him. Here is my "map".

Here is the top half.

The bottom half. 

Sorry for the blurry picture. Do you see the dark green in the wrong spot next to the mouth? 

As I was trying to get blocks moved to get the dark green where it needs to be I ended up with a lot of doubles. So now back to the seem ripper to see if I can switch things around. HA HA Almost done too!!

Thank you for stopping by!!

TTFN

Maniac Monday

 My two mug rugs are finished for the swap I singed up for through Quilting Gallery. She has just started up a new swap. 

My September partner for The Inchy Hexagon Flower Swap requested surprise flowers. I kind of went for a fall feeling.  

Then my October partner asked that the petals be different than the centers. I hope she likes them.

 I also have been working on a gift for my nephew. I have 1/4 of it finished. Boy that is a lot of green.

TTFN

Maniac Monday

What a week. I have been sewing up a storm. And relaxing. I have big things in the works but I will have to keep it a secret for a bit longer. I can't wait to share!!

I have been getting caught up on my Saturday Sampler blocks. Here are two of them. I love the fun brights with the black.

 With Halloween coming so quickly I wanted to get two of my UFO's done and out of the way. I have had these two wall hangings for so long. I got them out and finished them. They are so cute. The top one I still need to add a few buttons to. The bottom one has 3D shutters that flap open and closed. I am going to give it to my nieces and nephew. I know they will like it. 

As I was doing all of this fun sewing I got a little careless. I cut my thumbnail with my rotary cutter. Luckily it only got my nail. No blood. You can see inside that black circle where the blade went. I am so glad it stopped. I would have cut the top of my finger off!!

I finished another UFO. Well Three. I have had this pattern from the very beginning back in 2010. It is Twice as Nice... Plus More from Eleanor Burns. When I started these little quilts I knew that my first Granddaughter would get them. I am glad to have them finished before she turned 21. HA HA!!

 Speaking of my Granddaughter. Here she is in her little Boise Bronco's cheer leading outfit. She is so cute!!

I hope that everybody has a great week!!

TTFN