The UFO from Planet Pain In The Butt , or Wanna See Something Embarrassing?

May23

I started to pull fabrics for a new project yesterday and that’s when the guilt set in. I have so many uncompleted projects laying around. I know we all do.

How does that happen to us?

Why are some projects just so darn hard to get motivated for a finish?

I have this one stinkin’ quilt that I pull out every time the guilt sets in. It is a mess of blocks, half square triangles, bitty squares, and loose threads from being in a bag for 6 or so years.

I was determined to get this one done. The problem was that I started this 2 houses, 1 sewing machine, and a couple of gray hairs ago. No matter! I’m gonna do it!!

I sat down and layed it all out and started putting the puzzle pieces together. About 4 hours later I had the middle top done, and I just finished the borders this morning.

YIPPEEE!!

The only problem is that it is hideous! LOL I’m not being modest here. Nothing meets, points are cut off, boders leave alot to be desired, etc.

It looks like it was the first quilt I’ve ever made. Embarrassing.

You know what I say to that? No one in my family is going to be looking at the points when they are snuggling up with it on a cold day, or using it on a picnic or at the beach, AND I don’t have to put my name on it! HA. It’s done , it’s usable, the fabric didn’t go to waste, and I don’t have to look at it in the unfinished pile anymore. =)

Now I’m going to be very brave a post a picture, but you are not allowed to laugh!!! hehehe (opps I laughed)

Oh my! You have to admit it looks better all scrunched up next to some roses.

Poor ugly thing.

Here’s something that is not ugly! My girls. We attended The BG’s youngest sister’s wedding this weekend. They danced the night away, little social butterflys.

Aren’t they looking crazy grown up? They are almost as tall as me and I am wearing heels!

My sister in law Andrea always makes the most AMAZING desert tables for everyone’s events. She made the desert table for the wedding. I thought I would leave you with some yummy sweets to reward you for looking at my quilt. (grin)

Have a super fantastic day!

Later gators,

Melissa

I’ve got wings!

May7

So I’ve been hearing from my adoring fans, okay adoring fan…..okay just my Mom that I need to do a blog post and check in!

We’ve been pre-approved for a mortgage, so much of our time is taken up by house hunting. It’s quite stressful actually: if it

has the perfect yard, then the kitchen is to small. If it has a great kitchen there aren’t enough bedrooms….you get the idea.

We lost out on 2 homes now. On the day we were going to make an offer, the homeowners accepted an offer before we could bid.

UGGG…shot to the heart.

It’s fun looking, but it sure isn’t fun making such a huge choice!

We’ve spent the last few weekends working diligently on the Shasta exterior. Sanding and prepping for the paint.

The girls helped out too!

We’ve got the front side stripe to do and the new door handle to install, but everything else is finished for our first camping trip this coming weekend!

I’ve even made the red and white polka dot awning. Pictures will surely follow of it all set up at the camp site.

She looks ready to fly with her new wings doesn’t she? Oh sweet, sweet summer I am sooooooooooo ready for you!

Two weekends ago I went on a Sister and Sister-in-law trip with the BG’s sisters to Saugatuck, MI. We had a great time. There were cocktails, condos, hot tubs, and mucho shopping involved.

I found these cute little shakers for the shasta.

On the sewing front I’ve been making sundresses, trying to use up stash for utility quilts, and working on some of my own patterns.

It’s a bit too rainy and dreary today to take photos, so I’ll have to share another day.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

Later Gators,

Melissa

Who turned the heat up?

Mar22

I haven’t meant to neglect my bloggity blog, but you can hardly sit inside with this insane summer- like weather!! 86 degrees RIGHT NOW!!!

So I have been doing a lot of this:

out in my little vintage camper

where I have been stitching on these

little retro looking towels for the camper

or out shopping for cute things to put inside the camper

(The BG and I made that little shelf…he was such a doubter, but I think it turned out cute and granny-ish)

Hearts & Ric-Rac glasses….oh my I couldn’t pass them up!

I have ordered some vintage aqua melmac mugs/sugar/creamer dishes to match my salt and pepper. Can’t wait to hang em up!

We are gearing up to do the exterior paint job, awning, and wings in the next few weeks. I’ll be sure to take photos!

So that’s all I have been up to: antiquing, stitching, and lots and lots of new quilt design making that I can’t share on the

blog. It’s hard to write a quilting blog when you can’t share any of the quilts you’ve been making!!!

Enjoy the day and see ya later gators!

Melissa

Hunting and Gathering

Feb23

Mom and I spent a VERY productive day last week hunting and gathering vintage sewing supplies from our favorite antique spots.

Mom got so good at spotting old sock darners that she was even opening anything that looked like it could be a sewing basket and finding them!

We both have a nice little collection started.

I am so in love with these treasures of the past. I love to imagine hard working hands using these precious tools.

I found some more little treasures to make pincushions and trinket boxes with and will be listing them soon!

Mom told me that she read in one of her magazines that vintage sewing items are a hot collectible this year!! OH NO.

So we figured we better start getting them before the rich collectors do. Us poor folk like collecting to ya know! LOL

Have a wonderful day, Later Gators!

Melissa

Happy Love Day

Feb14

Wanted to make sure I popped in to tell you Happy St. Valentines Day!

My sugar pie husband never forgets me.

Where ever you are, and whom ever you are, YOU are loved too by a mighty and powerful GOD!!

Later Gators,

Melissa

Feb10

New pinkeeps and notions trinket box in the etsy shop today!

Have a great weekend!!

Melissa

Grungy Farm Egg Tutorial

Feb9

It is so spring like in Michigan that I can’t help but set my sights on spring time decorating.

I saw these grungy looking eggs at an antique store awhile back and I decided I would give a go at making them myself.

Wanna join me?

You’ll need some Mod podge, cinnamon, paint brush, various brown craft paints, a blue paint of your choice, and some paper mache’ eggs.

First give your eggs a light coating of blue paint.

When they dry mix in some brown and dry brush that on.

Keep adding and dabbing different brown mixtures until you are satisfied with the look.

Paint a circle of mod podge then dip in cinnamon.

When dry you can give it a light spray of matte sealer just on the cinnamon circle if you would like.

Before adding the eggs to your basket dry brush a little cinnamon all over the rest of the egg to give it a more matte, rusty, dusty look.

Pair your grungy farm eggs with a spring-y sign and wait for the spring to actually arrive!! =)

Lator Gators,

Melissa

Scrappy Patchy Pin Keep Tutorial

Feb3

Here’s a fun way to use up some scraps!

1. Use some neutral fabric scrap to make a foundation. Cut this piece whatever shape or size you want your pincushion to be, just make sure to account for seam allowance.

I wanted my pin cushion to be a rectangle around 3 x 6, so I cut my foundation piece 4 x 7.

please don’t mind my grubby cutting mat, you don’t know what kinds of things I get up to on this thing….CRAFTING things!!!

2. Dig out your scraps! This is liberatingly imprecise so just go with me. Cut your first 2 scrap piece 4 x whatever ( I suggest 1 1/2 -2 1/2 for all or your pieces)

One scrap you need to press about 1/4 inch wrong sides together

Ewww grungy ironing board too! Time to make a new one. It’s because I work so hard sewing all day people…it really is.

Now lay your first scrap piece (the unpressed one) on your foundation, and overlap the pressed piece on top. You can lay this as straight or as crooked as you would like.

I am doing a crooked version so I lay my pressed piece on a slight diagonal.

Now you can pin if you like, if you wouldn’t like just walk this over to your machine and sew as close to the edge as you can comfortably do.

Dear heavens you don’t realize how dusty/painty/thread-y everything is until you try to take close up’s for a tutorial. Next tutorial I will have sparkling clean EVERYTHING!!

3. You are now going to continue cutting scraps but from now on they need to be about 5 x whatever if you are laying them out on a diagonal. If you are doing a straight layout you can keep cutting them at 4 x whatever.

So press your next piece, lay it on, sew, then flip and trim.

Continue in this manner:

Until you reach the end of your foundation piece.

I sewed a little twill tape on mine you can too!

4. Cut a backing the same size as your foundation piece (mine was 4 x 7) and sew it up right sides together.

I am putting mine inside a box so I sewed all the way around with a 1/4 inch seam allowance, but if yours is going to be free standing you may want to leave an opening for turning that you whip stitch closed after stuffing.

5. As I mentioned above my back side wont be showing….so I took a seam ripper and carefully made a slit in the bottom piece, turned right side out, stuffed, then whip stitched the opening closed.