Amy Butler!

A couple days ago, my dd (high school senior), came bouncing home with a special request. This Friday was the conclusion of "Freshman Week" and she wanted to take a gift to her "freshman" after torturing the girl all week! So I asked the child's favorite color and went about making the "pink" bag! Well, I had made the Amy Butler "Frenchy" handbag and shoulder bag and decided to make the shoulder bag. Since I only had fat quarters of the "Amy" fabrics, each side of the bag has a different fabric. I think it turned out very well!








the other side!





and a very PINK inside!

NOT JUST ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! NINE GIVEAWAYS!

Admittedly, most of my time lately has been spent blog-hopping and posting one giveaway after another. Today, I hit a jackpot. Jenny of Elfantz has started a blog along with eight other talented and awesome Australian artisans. To celebrate their "coming out", each artist is participating in the GIVEAWAY! Now you see why I had to blog about this event. There is a GUM TREE button on the sidebar ... just press that or CLICK onto the title of this entry and go on over!

WARNING! WARNING! Blog HOPPING amongst the GUM TREES is positively ADDICTING! lol...

RAGGEDY ANNS...continued

I have several primitive cloth "Raggedy Annies" around here and when I dig them out and put some clothes on them, I'll show them off. Here is one that is finished now! Now, isn't she just so "Annie"?

GIVEAWAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

This big button is to announce a really wonderful giveaway by Sew Fantastic...Click the Title and sign up before September 16! Good luck!

Mug Hug Swap FIASCO?

There's been a serious lack of sewing craft in my studio! Maybe today there will be some finishes. Of course, there are some finishes that have to remain secret! SSHhhhh...shut your mouth! Well maybe just a peep, later in the day!

Okay, okay...I am doing this mug hug swap and I got carried away. I made an applique with lace and ribbon! However, when I went back to Jenny's blog to check out how large this pattern was supposed to be, I saw pictures of the mug mats she made. OH NO! A mug is really supposed to sit on the pad...this will not do! No mugs on this baby, so now I need to start over. Stitchery only! How silly of me! HEAVY SIGH! this ever happen to you? ... sigh!

REMEMBER.......

NEVER FORGET!

THE MORE LOVING ONE by W H Auden

Naomi, my prayers are with you and your family as you say a final good-bye to your beloved Mum.....

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.


Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.


Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total darkness sublime,
Though this might take me a little time

A CANDLE FOR OUR FRIEND, JUDY MURTY......

Lord, hear our prayers, in Your mercy, bring us to your place of Peace and LIGHT the soul or your servant, Judy, whom you have summoned from this world.....Amen

...I want you to know what will happen to the faithful who have died, so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope...1 Thessalonians 4:13

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAGGEDY ANN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A MOST LOVED DOLL ******RAGGEDY ANN and her pal ANDY******!

My love for this wonderful doll began back in 1975, while working at JoAnn Fabrics. I've always liked dolls, but spent more time outside running with the boys and playing sports. My time with dolls happened on really rainy or snowy days...I would make an outfit for the doll, but really didn't play with them that much. So when the McCall's pattern became popular, my store manager suggested that "someone" make a doll...I made a pair with matching outfits....(sorry no pics)....put them on display in the window....came back from my regular days off and the dolls were gone and my manager was handing me $50 dollars. That was the start of my Raggedy Ann/Andy enterprise....lol.... I went on to make about 200 more of those dolls...we could hardly keep a store display....I made them in all shades! Years have gone by and although I don't have any in my collection, I still love her....I've made several dolls....all gifted away... THANK YOU to the creator of this much loved doll! Good thing I saved a pic of my last Raggedy Ann doll made from Deanna Hogan's "Averill" pattern! This is a picture of "RITA RAGGS" ... she was gifted in a Christmas swap!!

VINTAGE DOLL!

Finally! This little school girl has her undies and a dress....I found an old photo of a school girl ....she was wearing an apron over a dress that appeared to be made from a checked fabric.... I did my utmost to recreate the dress in a green gingham homespun type clothe.... The children wore knickers to the knees and over that a simple cotton slip. Here are pictures of her progress so far....apron and shoes next time!

BLOGGER's 50th ENTRY GIVEAWAY!

LOVELY BLOG GIVEAWAY! Lydia's Treasures is having a giveaway for her 50th blog entry....CLICK onto the PINK BOX to go to her blog....sign up NOW!

TODAY!

WHOOHOO I FOUND IT! I've been waiting for my favorite bookstore to get a certain magazine in ... went there about five times in the last two weeks....but, wait...why didn't I go to my local fabric store? I dunno.... Today I did and I found it! My doll is published.....YEY! WHOOOOHOOOOOOO! DOING THE HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!
Diadaiiro is published... there she stands with the other winners of the FOCD, Friends of Cloth Dolls yahoo doll group challenge. Kristy Effinger, group moderator for the "A Penny for Your Thoughts" doll challenge based on Claire Pruitt's Penny Doll pattern, wrote an excellent article on the challenge and posted pictures of the winning dolls to the editor of the magazine....THANK YOU VERY MUCH for that!!!!! My doll tied for third place in the 33 inch dolls. What a joy to make the pattern. I made and submitted two dolls in the challenge. Here are more pictures of my winning entry! WHOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!