Itchin' to get stitchin'

Hey- hi! Remember how I said I'd be back with photos? Here I am! With photos! Yay!

Ever since my friend Carmen showed me her Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag, I've been wanting to make one. really badly. Carmen's version is so cool- with a patchwork bag body and black velvet straps. I've been wandering around the shop for weeks coming up with different versions of my Birdie Sling. Here's what I think I've settled on (for today anyway):

This one will be for the shop, so I want to make another one that I can use Right Away (rather than borrowing it from the shop when I want to use it)! Kinda dorky to make 2 bags, but, a girl has needs. This girl needs a Birdie Sling in gray and metallic Lecien fabric to show off this spring!

Next up is my current favorite shop display. It's bright! fresh! fun! And it has Wee Wonderful's Big Footed Bunny and Space Man, and Melly N' Me's Binkie and Magoo Monkey, all sittin' on the top shelf. I'm pretty sure they party it up after the shop is closed and dark. That monkey looks like Trouble.

And, last, but most certainly not least- it's our longarm! Mom and I both wish we could have it painted bright yellow. That would be rockin'.

That's a table runner I'm finishing up tomorrow.

And that's it for today, kids! We're off to see Slumdog Millionaire. I'm excited, as we don't really get foreign movies at the theatres here in our rural area very often. And I'm gettin' popcorn. for sure.

Huh?

Have I really not updated this blog since December? Oh my- I'm so sorry. I really truly have been thinking about it alot- gotta update! gotta update! Here's what happens though kids... I sit down to write something, and I sit there and sit there, and I write a couple sentences, and then I go back and edit, and edit some more, until I've been sitting there for ages and have only produced one teensy little boring sentence! I've decided to Get Over It. So here we are. I'll try not to be too boring, or too whatever...

So today, I want to tell you some Big News. It's kinda under wraps (but not really)- we got a long arm here at the shop! It's an APQS Millennium! I love the idea of finishing a quilt top and being able to quilt it right away and get it hung up in the shop- all like... voila! a new sample! But, oh my. There is a learning curve. This is one big machine. I'm not very good at it yet. I really give a huge shout out to my long arm quilting friends who've rocked our quilts over the last 3 1/2 years. Seriously girls- Kay (Kay Capps-Cross of Spring Grove, MN), Bobbi (Hugs and Stitches Quilting in West Salem, WI) and Carol (Carol Copsey of LaCrosse, ,WI)- you are amazing! You've always made our quilts look fantastic, and I knew talent and skill went into it, but NOW, I really know what you do! I hope I can be a teensy bit as good as you are someday!

I'll post pictures of the long arm soon. In the meantime, hugs to you my friends!!! Now, go sew something. Or something!