Scotties and Westies Mug Rug

Have you ever bought a piece of fabric for your stash

that you KNEW would make the perfect project,

if only the perfect pattern came along?

{Do you even know what I'm talking about???}

I do that sometimes.  A lot, actually.

My stash is filled with interesting pieces that I'm saving

for "something special".

One of my examples is the sweet

black and white and red

Scotties print from Urban Zoologie

by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman.

My mom's friend has a West Highland Terrier,

or a Westie, named Penny.  

Wouldn't a mug rug be the perfect gift for her?

{I knew you'd agree!}

{Photo via Pinterest}

Recently the Perfect Pattern appeared out of nowhere!

My dear friend from the UK, The Patchsmith,

recently published some darling patterns,

including one for a Scottie Dog Mug Rug!

This morning I pulled out my 

black-and-white-and-red-all-over prints...

And got started sewing!

My sister has also made up a version of this pattern, 

and as she predicted, I finished it in no time.

{Little Penny is meeting a new friend!}

I took a bunch of photos while I made the binding, 

and in the very near future I will be posting a free tutorial

right here on my blog

about how I make my machine binding!

{Machine binding looks almost as good on the back as it does on the front!}

As if that's not exciting enough,

if you hurry on over to The Patchsmith

by September 3, you can enter to win this pattern!

{If you don't win, or if you miss the deadline, it's available for purchase on Craftsy!}

The giveaway is part of the Quilting Gallery's Blog Hop Party!
I'm participating, too!
Visit this post to register to win a copy of my
Anita Vacation Tote PDF Pattern!

And look what else I had stashed away,
waiting for the perfect mug rug...
a Scottie MUG!

 

Have You Tried Bow Tucks?

It happens to all of us...every year...

another BIRTHDAY!

This week we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday.

{I know mother-in-laws have the starring role in many jokes, 

but I'm happy to say I've got a great one!  I'm very lucky, I know!}

I needed to come up with a present for her...

Hmmm...a new can opener?

{She just got one of those.}

A new car?

{She doesn't really like to drive.  Whew!}

A puppy?

{She already has a Grand-dog, so I don't think she needs her own puppy!}

It was time to GO TO my go-to present...

the Mini Bow Tucks Bag!

{Pattern by Quilts Illustrated}

I must have made dozens of these bags over the past few years.

Lots of my friends carry them...

And they ask me to make a new one every once in a while, when they want a fresh new look.

My mother-in-law likes to wear neutral colors like tan,

and fall is coming soon to Pennsylvania,

so I pulled out some chocolatey browns from my stash.

I decided to use lots of prints from Breakfast at Tiffany's

by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda.

{I think it came out in 2011, and I invested heavily in it!}

Here's the result...

I love this bag so much.  It's got the soft support that comes from

Pellon 987F fusible interfacing.

The inside has a strip pocket, for those of us who love an organized purse.

I add in my own modifications...a zippered pocket and a magnetic snap.

Most of all I love those sweet bow tucks...

they make the shape of the purse so youthful and pretty,

with no need for a visit to the doctor!

{Happy Birthday, Jeanne!}

Anita Vacation Tote Pattern Giveaway!!!

I'm so happy that I've finished my

Anita Vacation Tote PDF Pattern

just in time for a giveaway!

I've joined the Quilting Gallery

Quilter's Blog Hop Party!

The more blogs you visit, the better your chances to win a prize.

You can see the entire list of participating blogs here

at the Quilting Gallery.

It's Back To School time again for many of us.

We start school on Monday here in my area.

Pretzels!!!  via Pinterest

Whether you are celebrating back-to-school or not,

I invite you to join the party.

I'm giving away one copy of my 

PDF Tutorial Style Pattern for the

Anita Vacation Tote.

This pattern will TEACH you some sewing skills, like:

inserting a zippered pocket..

Stitching two-toned handle straps...

Installing magnetic snaps...

and making a divided pocket for the interior.

A confident beginner can accomplish all of this and more!

How can YOU enter to win my giveaway?

Just leave a comment below, 

telling me something about back-to-school in your life.

Even if those days lie ahead for you, or if they're in the past,

I know you'll have something to say.

via Pinterest

Here's my story...

After all these years, I still have dreams the night before school starts

{for my boys}

that I can't find my clothes or my school stuff or the bus or my locker...

and by the time I get to my classes, school is over for the day!

Please remember...

 make sure I have access to your email address, 

so that you can be my winner if I randomly select your comment.

If you are a no-reply blogger, you can include 

your email address in the comment.

Comments will be accepted until midnight at my house on September 3.

A winner will be randomly selected,

announced and notified on September 4.

{If I get a whole bunch of comments...

more than 100...

I will pick an additional winner!}

International readers are welcome to enter!

My pattern is sent via email in a PDF file, so there is no shipping or waiting.

If you don't win, my patterns are available for anyone to purchase

in several places including

my shop on Etsy, eamylove,

and on Craftsy.

I hope you'll take some time to visit my other blog posts, and will come back soon!  Remember to check out all of the other bloggers, too!

Good Luck!

Living Color - Earthy Neutrals

Did you miss me?

I told you I needed a vacation...

and I had so much fun!

{If you are interested in seeing more of my vacation photos, 

feel free to visit my Flickr page.}

Spirit of Peoria riverboat cruise

We had fantastic food, lots of laughs, and great family time!

{I came home with laryngitis!}

We stayed with my cousin's family,

and her home has been so inspiring for my husband and me.

Throughout her comfy home, she used earthy neutral colors...

olive-gold-gray-taupe tones on the walls and furniture,

with accents of black.

{I don't want to intrude on their privacy by posting actual photos from their home, 

but these are some Pinterest finds that will reflect the colors in their house.}

These earthy neutrals look great, all together...
olive-sage-taupe-gray-chocolate...

An occasional pop of black looks fantastic with them.

My cousin's kitchen is similar to this one, but with black cabinetry

and a dash of red.

She has a darling collection of polka dot dessert plates and mugs

in bright colors with polka dots, that really set off the neutrals.

{Sadly, one mug is no longer with us.}

She has this mixer...KitchenAid stand mixers are 

still modern after all these years.

It looks great with her stainless steel backsplash, island counter

and appliances!

Her powder room echoes this one...

These colors would work in any room...

Even in nature, they play a starring role.

I love the tones all together in these paper goods!

And just because I love fabric...wouldn't this make some great pillows?

You and I have Karen to thank for today's color inspiration!

{Love you, cousin!}

Lemon Twist Tea Time

I wasn't going to post today...

but I couldn't resist.

{My son was showing me how to use my father-in-law's awesome camera.}

Mostly I'm going to show you some photos...

{Maybe too many photos, but I couldn't choose which ones to leave out!}

Refer to my previous posts about Kitchen Towels

and Mug Rugs, if you like these!

{Let's go...no more talking...}

Have a sunshine-y day!