Iron Craft #10 - In Stitches

The challenge this week:

"This week we’d like you to pick up needle and thread and create some stitches of your own." (courtesy of Just Crafty Enough)

Oooh some hand sewing.  I can do this!

First I had to decide what I was going to hand sew on.

Ta da!  I admit, I spent most of the challenge time cutting and piecing this pretty petunia quilt block and not much time actually hand stitching.

Oooops!  But I did sew on a button by hand.  I don't think that counts.

And I free handed some pretty stems onto my leaf sections.

That totally counts!

I even got the green to match to that it's a subtle but pretty touch.

Now my question to all of you readers?  What on earth should I make with this block? 

Should I make a few more and make a quilt?
Should I stitch it into a pillow?
Should I make a huge bag out of it?

Any suggestions?

The quilt block is large (18 by 18 inches)

________

Anyway, go on over to the Iron Craft Flickr group to check out all the wonderful stitching from the other participants.  I'm sure they spent more time on the actual stitching and less time goofing around with what they were gonna stitch on hehehe

May Giveaway Day with Sew Mama Sew!

It's that time of year again.  The time of year I like to refer to as "Try your luck at a bunch of cool loot" day.

Actually, it's not even really a day anymore!  You will have almost an entire week to enter all the linked up giveaways.

Yay!

So here we go.

What am I giving away?

A brand spankin' new copy of One-Yard Wonders.

I got it for Christmas this past year from a dear friend who loves to encourage my sewing addictions.  But alas, I already have a copy.

So one lucky winner will benefit by receiving my extra copy.

Of course, you can't get started in on a book like One-Yard Wonders without having some "yards" to work with.

The lucky winner will also receive 3 or 4 or 5 or 10 one metre cuts of fabric from my stash.  Pictured above are the ones that I found at the top of the pile, but there will probably be more!  Ooooh.... Ahhhhhhhhh :D

And yes, I did type 1 metre cuts (which are slightly larger than 1 yard cuts). I'm Canadian and that's how I roll... ummmm... measure.... hehehe

Now what do you hafta do for a chance at winning all this loot?

Here's the ole' list.

I'm lazy this year so I'm letting Google Docs compile all my entries for me.  Awesome.  You should try it! :D




Here are all the details about this giveaway that Sew Mama Sew wants you to know about:
- I will ship internationally
- This giveaway is open until open until May 25 at 5 p.m. PST.
- I will email the winner by May 27th, 2012
- You will have 24 hours to respond before I draw a new winner
- I will ship the book and fabric out by June 1st.

Please visit the Sew Mama Sew link up site to see all of the other participants and enter a few thousand more giveaways (I mean it... there were hundreds last time and there are bound to be near 1000 this time).

Good luck to everyone!

Secret Mommyhood Confession Saturday #30

It was Mother's Day last weekend.  And all the commercials appeared on the radio and TV exulting the "go to" Mother's Day gift that every mama was sure to love.

A day at the spa.

"Get your nails done while peaceful lavender scents are pumped into the room."

"Let our trained masseuse rub away all your worries."

"Our stylist would be happy to create the perfect new hair style for you."

"Forget all your mommy worries and pamper yourself for the day away from your children."

Yeah.....

I confess:

I HATE the spa.  NO TOUCHY!

Ugh.  The thought of anyone touching me freaks me out.

I guess this all started because I had the worst circulation and all that rubbing from a massage would bring all of my precious circulation away from the core of my body and make me physically sick.

But it's not just that - I don't like people hugging me. I hated when adults tried to pat me on the head when I was little.  Don't try to lift me in any way.  Give me warning before you try to hold me hand.

"Wow, you have really long, thick hair - mind if I style it for you?"

No TOUCHY!


"Wanna hug it out?"

No Touchy!

"I'm a touchy-feely person who hugs anyone I meet and since you're a perfect stranger whom I've just met, I'm gonna hug you."

No Touchy!

"Those nails could sure use a bit of colour.  Want a manicure?"

No Touchy!

"You're in your best friend's wedding, so I'm gonna make you so pretty with all this goopy make-up."

No Touchy!  (although I'm probably going to have to submit to this one in August - boourns)

"I declare a thumb war!"

No Touchy!

"Eskimo kisses?"

No Touchy!

"Tag! You're it"

No I'm not! No Touchy!

Source

(The No Touchy rule applies to Everyone with the following exceptions:
Sexy times with my husband continues until further notice hehehe.  And I relish hugs and kisses from my children.)

_______________

I'm sharing this confession over at All Work and No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something.  Share yours?

 
 

Wordless Wardrobe Wednesday: Size 12 Baby!

Secret Mommyhood Confession Saturday #29

I can survive for weeks just on the words: "I love you mommy."

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!

_________

Sharing this short and sweet confession over at All Work and No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something

Never Have I Been so Glad That The Man Couldn't Find The Hole

So.....

I had my first echocardiogram since my new valve was put in. 

I was a raw ball of nerves going to that appointment.  I didn't know what to expect. I have been feeling really good lately, but things don't tend to go perfectly when it comes to my heart.

But this particular appointment was awesome! :D

The technician took the first measurements of my heart post surgery.  It has shrunk back to a normal sized heart!

My heart hasn't been normal sized since.... um... forever!

Then the tech pointed the echo gizmo onto my valve. 

And I admit - I cried like a blubbering baby.

I have never had a working pulmonary valve.  Ever in my life.

This was such an incredible experience.  There was no backwash sounds, no backflow colours.  Everything was so perfect. It was just opening and shutting and opening and shutting.  How I love that picture!

Then the technician moved on to look the hole in my heart.  It has been the size of a quarter since Logan was born.  She looked and looked and jabbed my poor boob and ribs with that echo wand thingie.  Ow!

Hmmm... something was up.  She was very quiet.  About 20 minutes of jabbing later, she decided to get my cardiologist who happened to be reading echos in the next room at that very moment.  He looked and looked at all her measurements and then said he was satisfied. 

My hole is no longer there!

My heart has shrunk so much and so much pressure has been relieved with this new valve that the hole is NO LONGER THERE!

I cried again.  Right in the tech room. 

My heart is now functioning as close to a normal heart as it is ever going to get.

This is the most momentous, awesome, incredible, astounding, insane news I've heard in a long time.

Tawny is normal.

Well... as normal as I'm ever going to get.

And what does my brother say in reaction to my news yesterday?

"It must be all the steroids in the cow-grown organic replacement parts! Haha!  Good to hear, Sis! "

Oy! 

 

Iron Craft #9 - Think Inside the Box

For this latest Iron Craft challenge, we were tasked with:

Let’s do a box challenge.
Make something out of a box, pizza box, moving box, cigar box, match box… any box. And make it into anything. Or make a box of your own. (courtesy of Just Crafty Enough)

OK.

I thought a lot about all sorts of things I could make out of boxes, but the children wouldn't let me have any of their boxes and seemed personally offended that I would even consider that.

So I guess that left the make a box of my own part of the challenge.

But then that would mean the dreaded paper crafts.  I suck at paper crafts.

Observe.

My first attempt.  I used plain white paper because I knew I was gonna screw up. A LOT. And didn't want to use my good stuff yet.

What you can't see in the photo above is that this box is about the size of a tiny ring box.  Not big enough to hold anything useful to me.

Next, I tried to make the box bigger and more rectangular.  Terrible photo for a terrible job at folding. :(

So maybe bigger and square might be the answer.  The box I folded above actually looks pretty good.  But what on earth was I gonna put in it?

Back to trying out a rectangular format. Yeah - construction paper does not work for origami AT ALL.

Ta da!  I figured it out.  Not bad eh?  I even started using my good paper.  But could I make a decent lid?

Sorta?!

And look - my bracelets fit inside these lovely boxes.  Well, I might have to pack them with a little stuffing, or cut the cards differently. But still.  I think if I can get better at folding these little boxes, they might be a nice handmade touch to all my friendship bracelet packaging.

The second box turned out even better!

Isn't it adorable?  I just used sheets of scrapbook paper that I picked up at the dollar store 4 for a buck. :D

And my bracelets fit better!

PS: I used this wonderful tutorial to learn how to make the folds for a box with a lid.

______

If you want to check out the other Iron Crafters - and you totally do because they are going to be way more fantastic than this sad attempt at paper crafts, check out the Flickr Group.