August Give-A-Way Results!

my aprons in various stages:

My oh-so-handy Mr. MK randomly selected a number between 1 and 15.

He chose.............................

13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (because it's such an *unlucky* number, he says!)

Congrats to Rachel!!!!

Rachel said...
I would like to be entered in your free giveaway.Thankyou Rachel

So e-mail me katie @ t-tapp.com by next Friday and the

1. needlecase


2. set of four coasters


3. the runners patterns

4. and last but not least, a adorable rose-y, dottie, shabby and chic---handmade Apron!!

I will post pictures of the final packet!!

Thanks everyone for playing--- I will have to do it again!!! Presents are fun!!

Give-A-Way!!!

(Ian is not part of the give-a-way----he's just helping me announce it, silly!!)
Get ready---it's just about time for the final reveal and the give-a-way drawing! I'm sure everyone is on the edge of their seats---right?



This last week has been very stressful for me, somehow. I don't really know why---it's just the way it is sometimes. But I am working on the final item, and it's a good one, so be sure to enter here before the end of the month. Someone is going to have fun!!

Happy Boy

Can you believe how much he's grown?

Look at those adorable legs!!!
I love you this much, Mommy!

Ian stands in his walker---

he even leans on it in the

direction he wants to go.

But thankfully his feet are still

"stuck" to the ground.

Just a matter of time.

Quilting Details

This is my first hand-quilted quilt. I really enjoyed the process, even though I was in a hurry to finish it---so my stitches aren't as small and even as I would like. I do so love the soft texture that hand quilting gives---as opposed to hard lines and ridges of machine quilting.

This is a nine patch quilt, simply easy to do---but alternating "Darks" for the prominent "5" or the receding "4". Does that make any sense??

Then the layout: the block on diagonal, with unpieced blocks (a large botanical/avairy print) and then the same fabric for the small border. It's very busy---but I like it. The binding is a wonderful stripe----I love it! It functions as binding and an additional border!

For the backing I really didn't want to go buy more fabric, so I used up what I had left, bits and pieces. It's feels homey to me.

HouseWarming Gift

A small quilt, the perfect size

for cuddling on the couch

for picnics on the grass

for nursing baby

For your new {old}home.

We miss you.

Spell with Flickr

this is fun---try it here.

Photos by Nathan

Nathan has a knack for pictures---what can I say?

He documents our life very well.

Give-A-Way week 3

This is a super fun, easy pattern for table runners using that loveliest of inventions--

the charm pack!!!

I bought this just last week, and had to buy one for you, too!

Comment here to be entered into the Give-A-Way!

More Grace for Mothers~~Nancy Wilson

Just the encouragement I needed for today---read it

here.

A Tough Day

It's really been *one of those days*. You know, the ones where nothing is the matter, yet everything is difficult and distressing. I really want to do about a million things, but all that I am capable of doing right now is heading to the couch for a quick nap---and prayers.

There's within my heart a melody;

Jesus whispers sweet and low,
"Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,"

In all of life's ebb and flow.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
keeps me singing as I go.

~~Luther B. Bridgers

Give-A-Way week 2

I am so excited about these!!!

I made these great little coasters last week before the kids were sick,

and they are just adorable!!!

To Give-a-Way:

4 pink-on-brown dotted coasters,

hand embroidered with quirky birds.

Slighty asymetrical and whimsical--

each one is different.

Lucky Ducky---whoever wins!!

Fun Friday!

It's been a long week, with sickness and Mr. MK working many hours.

It's fair week here though, and it's been great fun to take the kids,

spending time looking at animals, buying fair food, and of course,

the "bouncy house" is always a hit! Nathan with his hard-earned dollar to spend 5 minutes in the bouncy house! Ian discovered his toes!

Worth every penny!

And ice cream to cool down!!

Huckleberry

We were kindly invited by a co-worker of Mr. MK's to go huckleberry picking this last weekend. We have heard of huckleberries, but have never eaten or even seen a huckleberry.

Here's some scenery on the way!

We arrived and were shown the berry bushes (basicly every bush that we always have just thought of as underbrush---seems we have never been there in August!!)

Huckleberries are tiny, tiny, tiny!

Nathan was not feeling well, so after an hour of picking, we camped out!

They are sooooo good!

And huckleberry muffins to top it off!

Rainy Day Box

It is not raining here, but the boys are still feeling sickly,
so I let them get into the "Rainy Day Box".

Do you have one of these?

It's nothing but a shoebox filled with quiet games
and activities that they haven't been allowed to play with
all summer long. Memory, dry erase boards, coloring books,
dominoes, a special airplane book, and writing paper with stencils.

I think I need to make up a Mommy's Rainy Day Box!
Hmmm, let's see:
chocolate, a small project to hand sew, a favorite book,
a new pair of earrings just to make today feel special!
and chocolate, dark chocolate!

Missing Church Today

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

~Dallan Forgaill

Frugal? Fancy? Fun? Friday!!!!!

Today I have so many ideas!!!

My brain is all in a clutter

(as is my sewing table!!)

and I can't seem to focus,

or make the simple decision on

what to blog about today!

I am going through a phase, (I'm afraid of phases---

they are such fun when you're in the thick of them,

but decidedly embrassing once you're out of them!!)

I am trying to simplify (yet fancy-fy at the same time!!)

my life and home.

Starting off with my spending, I have just joined ReFashion

and I am also resolving to "Use what I Have" in the sewing room.

For the next 4 months, I am going to challenge myself,

to be more creative by not always running out to buy some

new fabric when I want to make something.

Ok, I guess that ended up being Frugal so next week it's have to

be either Fancy or Fun !!!

First Give-a-Way!!!

It's about time for a give-a-way!!! I do so love giving presents!!! So for the month of August, leave me a comment on here on this post, and you will be entered into a fabulous drawing!!! I am going to add a new item each week---so a total of four wonderful, unique and totally unpredictable gifts for you!!!

Here is the first item---my new needlecase!! It would be lovely even if you don't sew for storing "modesty" safety pins on your dressing table ( I am always searching for a saftey pin on Sunday mornings to raise the opening of a button up shirt, or to keep it from gapping, or to secure a wandering strap!! ) Of course, you know exactly what to do with it if you sew---a perfect place for all those variety of needles---embroidery, quilting, sharps,......

So comment away, dear readers!!!

Teach Me, O LORD, to fear your name!

Read this.

Sewing Project #1---Needlecase

These most adorable wool Needlecases have been appearing everywhere. So hand-in-hand with my resolve to be more frugal and to use of my scrap stash, while having fun making things, I decided to do a picture tutorial as I crafted away while the boys napped.

Here's what I started out with: 1 small rectangle piece of wool, in a light, soft robin's egg blue
3 various scraps of cotton fabric---having fun with combinations
1 small button---mine was a cute two-tone pink (recycled)
3 inches or less of ribbon---a brown grosgrain
4 inches of white medium ric-rack


Ok, let's get started!

Layer your pieces of fabric, trimming them to the size that appeals to you. (My base wool is about 3 inches x 9 inches.)

Taking the cottons, sew around the edges, straight or zig-zag (or both!!)

Think things through a bit, admiring the color combinations that just flew together here!

Sew the cotton fabric to the wool, with a zig-zag. Then, tucking the ends under the wool, fold the wool over about a 1/2 inch, then stitch down, making a finished front edge.

This is the underside of what we have done so far.

On the other side, take your ribbon (or any other narrow notion to fasten the needlecase) loop it around, stitch on the center edged of the wool that is also folded over about a 1/2 inch.

Not pictured---hand sew the button on the front, in the center of the white ric-rack.

Stick some needles into the lovely soft wool, ooohhhh and aaahhh over the way they just slide in, and the way the silver needles and blue wool set each other off!!!

Fold in half, slip the ribbon over the button, and voila!!!

Finished needlecase, in the nick of time as Ian wakes up for a snack!!

Crafty Fun to come!

I have several " works in progress"

that I can't wait to show you!
More details later today!

Last night we spent a delightful evening in the garden of friends,
who so kindly shared their summer bounty with us.
They are garden experts,
even though she confessed to having no secret.
We are going to be hounding them for advice, though,
because we are the exact opposites,
garden novices.

18 pints of delicious summer,
frozen to enjoy when the warmth is gone.



My boy squirrel throwing bark down on us!

Ian (aka the Drooler Bug)

Oh, so cool in the shade,

barefoot without a care.

Playing around!