2013

We're on the verge of a new year.  My goal for this year is multifaceted but in short it is that I'll grow stronger in my walk of faith.  And that, my friends is my prayer for all of you too.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

In our part of Canada we have to find snow.  So we did and it was worth it!

I'll be back, next year!

2012 in review - Suzanne

It's always fun to look at the past year to see what projects I completed.  Here's a sampling...Enjoy! 

1.Well Traveled Bento Box  2.Quick apron gift  3.My first bathing suit  4.Back of the Bento Box quilt  5.Placemat with text  6.Placemats  7.Sebastian's quilt  8.Another apron gift  9.Cathedral window pillow for Alisa  10.Quilt for my midwife  11.Outfit for Sebastian  12.Sunday dress for Anneke  13.Cheerful child's quilt  14.Purse for Sophie  15.Tessa's quilt

Wishing you all a blessed 2013!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33 NIV

Whose are they?

The sign on my sewing room yesterday

 and today.

4 pairs of pj pants, 1 full set and 1 nightgown - finished and wrapped.  Now I am officially finished my Christmas sewing.  But I have another idea percolating that I might make time for.  Always that way.

Toot toots, Bicycles, Snowmen, Argyle, Zigzags and Penguins

So, we have Gord, Benjamin (11), Melissa (10) , Deanna (8), Carolin (5) and Zachary (3) in our family.  Which pair is for which person?

Tag Love

My talented younger sister was making herself some amazing tags.  I sort of asked her for some.   

I had to put my own fabric in them and stick it all together.  But it was easy.  Melissa did it for me. :-)

First batch of teacher gifts.  Benjamin and Deanna made Gingersnaps today for their teachers.

Our piano teacher is moving (not happy about that.)  So we filled up one of my pouches with some goodies and cards.

Don't you just love the tags?  Thanks, Karen!

A Christmas Table Runner

I started this project with the intent to give it to someone.  But as it evolved I just couldn't bear to part with it.  It includes all my favourite elements - scraps, red & green and small pieces.  So after I decided it would be mine it sat unfinished for several weeks as I made other things.  I am glad to have finished it with time to enjoy it!

Most of the fabrics aren't even 'Christmas' fabrics, just red and green scraps.  I wish I could have done the binding in a solid red, but I didn't have any left.  So I used what I had and it works.

It is now happily residing on my kitchen table!

For those who like to know these things.... the squares are cut at 2" and the logs are cut at 1.5" wide.  I didn't actually cut them down to the correct size - I just sewed them on and then cut them off where I needed to.  (Does that even make sense?)  Anywho, I have to run!  Have a good day!

Pouches (2)

These ones didn't turn out as great as I had hoped.  But I hope they are useful and fun to use!

A little chocolate helps. :-)

Owl Baby Quilt

I just recently finished this quilt for a very special baby.  My niece (Gord's actually) is expecting her first baby very, very soon.  This is the first great grandchild for my in-laws and will make my brother/sister-in-law grandparents.  (So excited for them!!)

The fabrics and pattern were picked out by Kim and her mom.  So it was a pretty easy quilt to do up.  Baby quilts are fun!

I had fun quilting this one.

Please forgive my terrible photos.  West coast winters aren't too great for fabulous photos (not by me anyway.)

And I even hand stitched that binding down.  Love the plaid binding.

A Nursery Tour

I'll start off by saying that I am a very, very slow decorator.  I had all these ideas before Sebastian was born of how I'd like his room as this was the first time we actually had a specific baby room.  I did finish his quilt and valance and lamp shades but it was finally a couple of weeks ago when I got the last couple things hung!

I love the completed room and thought it would be fun to share it with you (now that he's 14 months old!).

We painted it tealy blue this past summer - these first two pictures are pretty true for colour.

The other side of the room

Quilt made by me and crocheted blanket from a friend - love how it matches so well!

These were inspired from a blog somewhere but I can't seem to remember now where it was.  They are dollar store canvases painted orange and then I made stencils out of contact paper.  Love them!

Behind his crib...a cross stitch made by my sil, hooks for the diaper bag (made before our 4th was born) and a train table from a neighbour.

close up of the valance

Changing station with mat I made using leftovers from his quilt.  I added wire baskets on the end this time and it works perfect for all the little stuff.  On the little shelf is a picture from when he was born and a cute card made by my sisters boyfriend.

Lamp shades.  I made these when I was over due and needed a little project to keep me going.  I covered the existing shades with white fabric that I had fused animals and designs from the quilt fabric.  I just used spray glue to hold them on the shade and added some bias binding as trim.

 

I used four different animals :)

A look into the crib.  I also made a couple matching sheets.  Even the little lion he got as a gift matches!

 Picture overload but I hope you enjoyed that!

A sleep sack for Sebastian

After finishing the sleep sacks for the CPC I put it on my list to make one for Sebastian because his was getting way too small.  I finished it just in time to give him for Sinterklaas when we do our gift giving!

I first took some pictures inside...

 But then I thought I'd try get better pics and venture outside.  So I trudged though this...

 

...to get this next picture, which really isn't all that much different.  But now you get to see how much snow we already have and it's not even half way through December!

The inside is a cute flannel print and the outside is regular cotton.  I used McCalls 2346 for the pattern pieces but used the instructions from Twice as nice Boutique's pattern.  She's actually closing up shop so everything is 25% off if you're interested in the pattern or a premade sleep sack!

Cookie Swap

Baking today for a Cookie Swap tomorrow.  I have to bring 6 dozen of the same kind of cookie and I come home from the party with 6 dozen (11 different varieties.)  Should be fun night!

We're doing a little gift exchange.  This is my gift all wrapped up.  I stitched it up inside the paper.  Can you guess where I got my wrapping paper from?  (Clue:  It was free)

Baby Sleepsacks

About a year and a half ago my friend Laura and I started making these sleep sacks for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center. Shortly after she was hospitalized because of placenta previa and had her baby early and then I had Sebastian. So for a long, long time these sat partially made but when a baby shower for the center was organized by our church recently, we had the push to get them done!

There was one more boy one that was still being finished up when the picture was taken.

These are all made with fabric passed on to me by my sister-in-law and a friend of Laura's and the linings are all made from sheets I got from another friend.  The only things we had to buy were the zippers!

The Matching Placemats

Today I sewed before I did my breakfast dishes!  I need this for tonight and I really wanted the relief of having it completed.  Now I just need to write out the card and wrap it up.

I am a little nervous about giving this gift as I don't know the recipient very well. 

These photos are really terrible.  It's down-pouring outside and there isn't a whole lot of light.  The placemats look much better in real life.

The braid look of the placemats was inspired by this recent MBS tutorial (which I pinned a mere 5 days ago!)  It was time consuming but worth it.

A Cheerful Quilt

I finished this quilt today, getting it done just in time for the silent auction at a bazaar at the kids school tomorrow!  I picked up the cute house/bicycle fabric this summer at Hamels in Chilliwack, BC for $2 a fat quarter and made the quilt around that and two coordinating prints. 

I quilted it with two lines diagonal one way and one the other.

I used bits of scraps, pieces of fat quarters and dug through a friends (who is also frantically trying to finish up a quilt for the Bazaar too!) stash for the patchwork.  Here's a close up of some of the fabrics on the back.

And my picture helper of the day :)  Maybe we'll have to bid on it ourselves...I wouldn't mind keeping it!

The finished size is about 45" x 55".  A big crib/toddler quilt or a nice child's lap size.

Hot Pads, Pot Holders, Trivets - What do you call them?

Since I can't get a decent photo of anything right now I thought I'd go all the way and give them the 1960's treatment.  Looks like my parents' photo albums.  Except I am pretty sure they wouldn't have taken photos of hot pads.

So, what do you call these things anyways?

Christmas Table Runner

I had a charm pack each of Bliss and Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille.  Rather than wait for 'some day' when I might use them I decided to take out most of the red and greens for a table runner.  I added a some solid red and green as well as a vintage dot I had in my stash.

It was rather a quick table runner to put together but I still love the result!  Christmas in a fresh way.

I decide to make the back in a different colour scheme.  Very simple but different than the front.  That way the recipient can turn it over when December is over and us if for another month or two.

Pouches (1)

I think this will be the "year of the pouches."  If you are getting a gift from me it may well be a pouch.  They are so pretty and useful though!

Side 1

Side 2

Love those zippers!

I am hoping to have a very productive week on the sewing side of things.  Next week I'll need to start baking!