Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Have a latte? I believe I will! Part 1

Welcome to my stop on this fabulous blog hop. When I saw the theme for this hop, I knew I had to join.  My kitchen is in red and yellow and coffee. My cats are named for coffee and tea. (Earl Stanley Grey and Espresso,  I also had Lipton and Java Jack) I collect tea cups and my favorite coffee cup says "all I need is faith,  and a strong cup of coffee." so I obviously had to be a part. My residents at the nursing home and I do Zumba to the song Java Jive  My post,  however, will not be featuring Dan's Have a Latte fabric, which is very sad. I had these grandiose ideas of finally finishing the curtains for my kitchen - I bought the fabric a while ago but they needed another fabric. Along came Have a Latte - perfect!  Except for the fact that I am still waiting for it to arrive at my house - in fact if you are reading this on Friday morning around 10 am it has probably arrived.  A little bit late for a 12am blog post.
So plan B- nope, can't do that one
Plan C? nope, not that one either.
On to plan D - - - > I have the fabric I originally bought for my curtains,  this fabric literally had my name on it so I *had* to buy it.  (my name is Bobbie StClair)
I plan to use the texty strip for the border on the curtains along with Dan's fabric. The cups and pots will be the valance. 
I couldn't cut into the fabric alot since I'm winging the curtains but wanted something to share.
I have the pleasure of having a coffee shop literally in my back yard. Yup go right out my back door and 2 houses down the alley and there it is. I try not to go too often but often enough.  So I decided to make the barista her very own Zarf.  I learned this word from Words with Friends.  A Zarf is the sleeve that you put on a coffee cup.  Also called a coffee collar or a cozy.  I have a few, even for my giant coffee cup, and they are fabulous. This is the tutorial I used, fussy cutting the Espresso panel and some other coffee fabric I had in my stash.  Instead of velcro I used snaps.  I quilted with  a bit of meandering FMQ to mimic steam. 
 I took a moment to run over to the coffee shop and "have a latte"  but the usual counter people weren't there so I brought my zarf home and will deliver it another time.
I hope you have a latte fun and fabric and coffee today. Visit these other sewing baristas and Perk up and let this hop be grounds for happiness. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Coffee Anyone?

Oh boy! the ladies in this hop have done a great job Espresso ing their love for a slug from the mug.  Please check out their fun projects - I promise it won't be a grind!

April 13

Seams to be Sew

I Peace 2-Mary

Janes Quilting

Moose Stash Quilting

April 14

How Art You?

Stitchin By the Lake

Selina Quilts

Beads and Birds

April 15

Just Let Me Quilt

Life in the Scrapatch

Grandmamas Stories

Wow I Like That

My day is Friday and I am impatiently awaiting a fabric delivery. I do have a plan!
I did finish up a tote bag yesterday (well I have to add a couple buttons) for the Sew n Swap  tote bag swap.  I am very pleased with how it turned out since I smooshed a couple tutorials together and changed a few things.  However, I can't show it to you yet. So here's a sneak peek

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Mysteries and Mayhem

the handprint belongs to the recipient of my project
I have had sew much fun just looking at everyone's Nancy Drew Projects! I have been sew amazed at the talent and creativity shown by everyone! Detective Samm and Detective Carol have done a fantastic job keeping us amateur sleuths in line! I think they deserve a promotion!



As I was puzzling over what to make for this hop, I started thinking of mystery stories in general. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Three Investigators, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames, The Dana Girls were all a part of my childhood, and I have a niece that loves to read as much as her Aunt Bobbie. Her favorite books seem to be the same ones I loved.  I knew I was making her a pillow, but I had no CLUE what pattern I would use. Footprints, clues, hidden treasure, creepy passages, old clocks, lilacs – nothing was clicking and then I had a hunch of my own!

“Read read read Thats all I can say”
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock




A Question Mark!  Every mystery starts with a question- Who Done it? The Three Investigators use the Question Mark as their symbol because “they stand for questions unanswered, riddles unsolved, mysteries unexplained." I couldn’t find any patterns on line or even a picture of a quilt with a question mark so I made up my own. 
 I picked up a few clues from my fellow sleuthy bloggers.  Every mystery has clues- footprints and .......
FINGERPRINTS
so I tried my hand  at FMQing some fingerprints into my quilt


I had to play with the color so the  fingerprints would show up in the picture.


Another thing a good mystery has is a secret, whether it is a secret passageway or a secret compartment-

"After Nancy had discovered Fay on deck, and Captain Easterly  had been sure he would not return, the thief had made two visits to the clipper and hidden in the secret compartment of the wardrobe"

the Secret in the Pillowcase
So of course my project had to have a secret compartment too (mine is not as cool as the books behind the painting that we saw earlier this hop, but it is hard to see.) Since this pillow is meant for a reader and that reader has glasses, I added a secret glasses compartment on the back of the pillow- if she is anything like her Aunt Bobbie, she needs her glasses right at hand.



Abby’s Birthday was the 3rd of March, but I didn’t have her present quite finished- we took pictures anyway!
Here is the finished project (without the pillow form)

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
— Walt Disney
 







Abby forgot to put Samantha's coat on her.
And then I sat her in the snow! :)

I was taking a blog reading break during my Nancy Drew project and Amy, over at Naptime Crafters was hosting Dressing Up Dolly. Mom 4 Reals shared a tutorial for a book bag for an AG Doll- I had a few “too small” HST’s  and squares leftover from the pillow top so I put them together and made Abby’s doll, Samantha a book bag.  What is a book bag with out books? I didn't have access to a printer so I wrote up some handwritten books. I used quotes from Abby's favorite books: The Bible, Little Women and Nancy Drew. I have plans for an Anne of Green Gables books too.  I stitched the bindings on the books with my sewing machine.


My Camera has blink detection and after every picture of Samantha,
it said Blink Detected!
 Reminded me of a Trixie Belden Mystery-
 the case of the Blinking Eye

Abby said that Samntha LOVES her new books!
"They're just the right size!"
Like Madam Samm, I Love my coffee and I love tea too so when I came across a cup cozy in the midst of my sleuthing frenzy... I had to make one- Can't read a good  any book with out a cuppa -

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice





it fits my regular sized cup and...

I added a tab so it would fit through the handle
and be adjustable, however, it barely fits my big cup!  
I still need to sew the velcro on- the glue melts when the cup is hot!

Thank you for stopping by to see all my sleuthy projects- I hope you are having as much fun on this hop as I am! Be sure to hop over to my fellow detectives and see what they have come up with! I have a hunch you will love it!

Thursday, March 14, 2013 

Friday, March 15, 2013 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Cherry Blossoms tea cup & Mug Rug

Wow it's been a crazy month and its only the fifth! I had all sorts of plans to post last thursday and poof its next thursday already! I have been discovering lots of nifty neato peachy keen cool n stuff blogs from the lists on the sides of other blogs- I just haven't figured out how to put one of those lists on the side of *my* blog. I just figured out how to one on the side of *my* blog!  On one of these "ooh let's see what they have over here" adventures I discovered Cherry Blossoms Quilting- What made me peek at her blog? It was this:


Isn't it cute? I love all the details. Thanks to the Expo and a BOM from CaMom, I have been tinkering with applique- I played around with applique many moons ago- mostly sweatshirts using t- shirt paints instead of stitching. I did make a wall hanging for my MIL but the stitches were Faux- made with a pen. So, of course I see Cherry's adorable mug rug, and then I look at my mug rug



snazzy ain't it?

and think "I can do that, I need a cute mug rug." I printed out a picture of Cherry's rug and proceeded to copy it. I was going through some scraps at MySweetMommie's while she sewed her triangles together and came across fabric with hearts in a circle so I asked if I could have them. I got home around 11:30pm and had to play around with the mug rug. searching for the right scraps was alot of fun- except I never found the right scrap for the cat.
Notice the cup is turned around because I am left- handed!
Not because I forgot to flip my template, no no that's not it

Now I have a cute mug rug of my own- I still need to work on my stitching- everything I have read seems to indicate an open toe darning foot would expedite the stitching process because I'd be able to see where I am sewing. I have a whole box of feet (sounds psychotic, doesn't it?) but the only darning foot is a high shank and my machine is a low shank.  I guess I will have to get the right foot and make some more rugs to practice :)



  !Sew We Quilt! is hosting a month of kitchen tutorials and this morning they sent a lovely tutorial for a cup cozy- maybe I should make one to match my mug rug.....

It is Teacup Thursday and since I am sharing my rug from Cherry Blossoms I thought I would share a cherry blossoms tea cup too!








Also participating in Teacup Thursday:
Rose Chintz Cottage Antiques and Teacups The Rosemary House Lady Estelle's Tea Corner
Denise's Delights Faith Hope And Cherrytea Beautiful Clutter Martha's Favorites Breath of Fresh Air




I am  participating in a yesteryear challenge over at Quilt Monster in My Closet and finished a WIP on Saturday. It is not as old as some of my PHD's (projects half done) This quilt was supposed to be for my "daughter's" baby girl's shower (I am CindyLou's Mommy #2- I AM NOT M's Grandma tho') I of course was last minuting the quilting and on the day of the shower was feverishly quilting when my machine decided to rebel and I went to the shower with the quilt not finished and put it away. Since they live out of state, I forgot about the quilt- except when they visited.  M just turned one year old and we had a belated birthday party for her so I finished up her quilt and made a bunny too.



The reason my machine rebelled? my cone thread had been slit
when the box of thread was opened so I had all
sorts of short lengths of thread trying to go through my machine.

the back

















I was also inspired by Quilt Monster in the Closet to organize my stash. I now have 37 mini bolts of fabric and will have many many many many many more- especially since I know that CaMom sent me more fabric for my birthday which happens to be Easter Sunday- more on that tomorrow!

the first box of fabric- all from CaMom's stash
some of this fabric pre-dates 1978!
Have a great day!
Bobbie :)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Labor Day


From this

 I had planned to craft all day after work on Labor Day, but a much better offer came along! (I know, I know, what could be a better offer than crafting all day? )  Shopping and lunch with a friend-that's what! and THEN I came home to craft- stayed home and crafted for the length of a movie, was getting ready to start a new project and... went shopping again and out for ice cream! (with the same friend- to the same stores!)  The second time we brought her daughter along and she kept us entertained! She  kept the other customers entertained as well! Two and a half is such a fun age!

to That!

  Anyway, whilst we were shopping (the first time) I finally remembered to get coffee filters so I could make up some angels- I love these angels: #1 They are simple to make. #2 they are made from stuff on hand. (except when I run out of coffee filters-can you believe I used them for - making coffee?)  #3 They are super cute. and #4 they are personalizable (is that really a word? it is now!) I love making gifts that can be personalized!

On Saturday I also made this wreath from two wire hangers and some upholstery fabric samples. Thank you to Rachel at ps i quilt for the tutorial! It only took one movie to make it so I believe I will be making more. Can't you just see a baby quilt with matching wreath.... hmmm?! 
 Have a glorious crafty day!
Bobbie