sometimes thinking of a title is the hardest thing

Its been a long week.  Mentally exhausting.  Its going to be more exhausting this week too.  I get to go to long beach again to dispatch though, for which I am very excited.  My very good friend Marka is going with me.  I'm pretty determined it will be better than last year. 

I've worked on some projects too. 

My friend Katie's birthday presents are done.  She's coming to visit me the end of this month (woohoo!!!!!!!!), and I wanted to make sure I was ready for her! 

(Katie, if you read this blog, LOOK AWAY NOW!!)

Totally fun and frilly apron.  Inspired by this post...

Of course, what would one of my aprons be, if not reversible?

This is what I'm most excited about though...

A lovely leather purse!!  Inspired by this creative lady, but modified because I dont have a leather punch or leather string and really didn't think I wanted to go that route anyway. 

I used sashiko thread instead. 

And Mom - look at that big button!!!!!!

Its so cute, I want to make one for me. :)

This is the inside...the black and white fabric is actually two cloth napkins that I've had for what feels like forever.  The purple fabric doesn't match it at all, but I needed something to tie in all the purple thread!

Ah yes, and here's Atticus, my unwilling bag-model...

My brother Andre's present is just about done.  That literally took me almost all day.  Between laundry and his doofermajig...thats all I did today.  Oh yeah, and I broke my seam-ripper while compiling parts for his present.  How on earth does one do that?  Apparently I'm too aggressive with thread sometimes.

Thats about it. 

I really hate this new Blogger editor.  I think it should be easier to post pictures and words.  I mean, really?  How difficult is that?  Blargh.

"I had to order it because I wanted to say 'beaver' to a prisoner." ~ AJC

The big reveal

I just realized this is post 101.  I should have done something fancier for post 100.  Oh well, a post about Atticus and dog biscuits pretty much sums up my life most days. :)  Apparently other blogs do big giveaways and special things at milestones, but since I know and have met all my followers but one (Thanks for following me, Resweater!), its kind of weird to do something big.  However, since I just organized about 3 pounds of scrap fabric you're welcome to ask for the bits and pieces I like to call "too big to throw away but such a weird shape that I will probably never do anything with them". 

Anyways, that aside, I also should probably have lead up to this "big reveal" in a series of posts with snapshots and sneak peaks and something else.  Maybe a mention of one of my sponsors.  Oh wait, now I'm getting a little sarcastic.  I think I understand how the blog world works for the most part, but I"m here just to show a little bit about my life and what I'm up to and hey - if you like a project I did, I'll totally talk about it and tell you where I got the idea, and heck, even where I bought and what I paid for the fabric. 

I feel like I'm getting off track. 

Lets go back to the reveal.

First, a picture of the birthday card...just because I like it.

The card combines thread-sketching and sewing fabric onto plain cardstock type cards.  I gave credit to those ideas in a previous post, so I'm not going to do it again.  I'm lazy.

My "S" is a little wonky, but its REALLY REALLY difficult to do curves on my sewing machine. 

Okay, now...

* drum roll *

Introducing....Sarah's birthday rag blanket !!!!

Way cuter in real-life.  I realized when I was looking at the pictures I accidentally had lingerie in half the photos, so I was limited with what I could use.

Up close...

While I'm basking in a "project well done" mode, lets take another look...

I'm not even going to mention the back that I messed up a little, or the fact that this is about 6 inches skinnier than originally intended because I cut something wrong.

And its on my bed sideways, because I have a king size bed and I wanted it all to show up.  So technically, the stripes are supposed to go horizontal across the bed, not like I have it.

It was totally worth the blister I now have on my thumb-pit.

Anyways, whew.  Getting to the post office will be my next challenge.  Actually, finding a box, the first challenge.  Post office, second.

Sorry to spoil the surprise for all of you, I just couldn't wait to show it off!

"Ignorance is NOT bliss when educated people are subjected to comments like YOURS." ~ Punkinhead, a KitsapSun commenter

There's a new sheriff in town...

...and his name is Atticus...

I made peanut butter biscuits and used my new star cookie cutters...

It makes a lot of stars... 

Atticus was glad I had stopped chasing him around at this point. 

"Happiness is a warm puppy." ~ Charles M. Schulz

Kitchen stuff

Today's Haul

Goodwill:

A cool yellow baking dish (who knew Calvin Klein made dishes??), a new set of star cookie cutters, and a mini-cupcake pan!

Quick trip to the mall.

Kitchen store had 50% off everything.  Most of what you see was already 30% off, with the 50% on top of it.  Great stuff!

In other news, I finished sewing my niece's blanket!!!  But now I have hours of cutting ahead!

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." ~ John Lennon

Ghost

I was feeling antisocial today, so I holed up in my room and sewed for most of the day.  The only human interaction I had was going to the manager's office to rescue a package...

It made me smile...

Made the following bag for my friend Katie, inspired solely by the Moda fabric I just picked up at Pacific Fabrics...

I used this general idea, but changed the size and made french seams on the outside because I was too lazy to make more bias tape. 

Here's an up-close shot of the fabrics....the rest of my natural linen from purl and the "funky monkey" fabric...

Finished sewing the strips of my niece's blanket together, and constructed a really simple backing.  Hoping to get them sewed together tomorrow so then I can start on the tedious job of making hundreds of cuts in the seams....

Doesn't look like much right now though.

"Theres nothing worse than feeling like a ghost." ~ B.O.B.

Yakima

Yakima was exhausting.  So I'm just going to show you some pictures...

En route Yakima - heading through Snoqualmie Pass area:

W90 MP69...(for information, the milepost marker 69 is the most stolen milepost.  Some are blank, like the one on US101 in Grays Harbor County.  Some are up high and unreachable without a ladder, and some apparently have been left alone, like this one, maybe because traffic is approaching 80-90MPH)...

I82 - heading westbound out of Yakima this morning:

Small Story:

I'm walking down the hallway at my hotel this morning and some girl approaches me and says "I'm Canadian and I was wondering...is marijuana sold in the US?"

I was tired, grumpy, and not looking forward to the drive ahead.  So, I'd like to think I ruined her hopes a little by replying, "Not legally."

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us." ~ Joseph Campbell

All for a girl

So I might as well tell you.  For my niece's birthday, she requested a blanket like I made for her mother or family memory.

*big sigh*

Both involve hours and hours of work.  Both take up a lot of space.   But, I decided to go with a blanket because I think that will last longer than any game will.  So....I'm going to show you my progress on here to hopefully keep me in line and on task.  This will be no where near as involved of a blanket that I made my sister (a rag blanket made of 5 inch squares).  Instead, this will be a rag blanket made of really long stripes. 

Today I cut...

Its a big variety of fabrics - both in design and origin and probably original price.  Hopefully you can tell that the color scheme is blue and tan.  Otherwise, yikes. 

Anyways, I cut the fabrics then laid them out to make sure I had enough.  Yes, I could have measured up all the inches of these and compared it to something, but where's the fun in that?

Its a lot of fabric.  Jeez.

The next steps will have to wait for my weekend.  Later today (after I wake up) I need to finish all my plans to go to Yakima for work (its in reference to this).  I'm crossing my fingers I can find a kennel with an opening for Atticus.  Its a little late notice, seeing as I'm leaving on Friday afternoon (which is technically tomorrow). 

Anyways, I can tell you my good news now...I got a promotion!!!  I had to interview for it and everything.  It becomes official September 16th.  Unfortunately it took my good friend, Katie, leaving my job in order for me to try for the position, but such is life and so it goes. 

I'm tired and a little spent after my shift tonight.  I can't seem to get into the celebration mood.

"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break." ~ William Shakespeare