Another drawstring bag:

Well, I should have looked up the name of this fabric but I did not, and now I'm at work on my lunch break.  Many of you probably recognize it, but if anyone wants to know, give a shout and I'll find the selvege.  Isn't it great?  It's a lavender with citrine birds and leaves in gray birdcages, and gray for the top accent fabric.  And the lining and drawstrings?  Don't know that either.  Anyway, I still have the drawstring bug so you might see some more of these pop up from time to time in different sizes.  They make great gift bags, too. 
Today is Friday, yippee!  And it's law day at work, which means the judges go to conferences and no court sessions, so I don't have to get too dressed up,  nor will I go into the courtroom.  Just in case anyone cares - ha!
Have a wonderful Friday!
~ Jodi ~

Beginner's Quilt-Along

win!  Yes, I won again, this time from Pat Sloan of Quilting Gallery (button on right sidebar).  Lots of great batiks, and miscellaneous that I don't recognize.  Perhaps you've seen the pictures I've posted of my sampler blocks from the Beginner's Quilt-along that I'm doing?  Well, this pic above is of long strips, lots of them, that I won just from making the blocks and posting them on Flickr.  And I didn't even post ALL the blocks because I kept forgetting or I didn't have time.   Here thet are:  (lighting was poor in my sewing room at 5:30 a.m.)

I don't believe there's nothing suitable in my stash for sashing.  I'm going to put cornerstones in, also.  Maybe I should check my solids bin, there might be something in there.  And I just might audition some fabrics to get some opinions.  I like SOME of these blocks individually, but certainly not all together - ick.  Maybe I can find someone who does. 

~ Jodi ~

two more drawstring bags

These are so quick to sew up, thanks to Jeni.

After I made the first bag a few weeks ago, I loved it so much I bought her pattern.  She gives a free tutorial on her blog, but then if you want to make multiple sizes you can purchase the pattern, so I've been going to town.  So far I've made four different sizes, but she gives about eight, I think, maybe more (I haven't counted).  Jeni also has a fabulous blog that never fails to inspire me and make me smile. 

Happy weekend!

~ Jodi ~

Journal covers

front

back

                                                  inside flaps
This is my first stab at this fabulous tutorial from Rachel.  I love her style!  Her blog is very inspirational.  I can't wait to make more of these (even tho I have other projects waiting for me).  Isn't this piano fabric great? 
Have a great Friday and weekend!
~ Jodi ~

Dear Stella!

I won...

...this fat quarter bundle!  (I have been very blessed lately with winnings.  Of course, I have been entering lots of giveaways, so I guess it only stands to reason).  But this came to me from Natalie of http://www.beyondthereefpatterns.com/

Natalie has a shop with incredible patterns and fabrics, a fun blog with lots of giveaways, AND a beach cottage for rent that looks awesome! 

I think I will have fun with these fabrics!
Thanks, Natalie!
~ Jodi ~ 

An upholsterer I am not...

I mistakenly deleted the "before" photos I had - ooops.  

So here's the after photos anyway.  

I found this chair at Artee Fabrics in Pawtucket.  She has mostly home dec fabrics, but the selection is varied and beautiful!  The fabric that I used here was very generously given to me by my darling niece.  The colors look kind of blah in these pics but they're really very vibrant.   Do you see how the seat sits down into the wood?  (I don't know how to describe it).  But I had to try and get the fabric to fit smoothly at those odd angles.  It's a little bunched up but it works.

(These flowers are so pretty).  So now I have a nice comfortable chair to sit on while at my sewing machine.

~ Jodi ~

Quilting Gallery beginner's quilt along...

I have been keeping up with the quilt-along, I just 

always forget to upload to Flickr.

But that's okay.  I think there's only two more blocks to make.  I have learned some helpful

things.  And I'm using up some stash fabrics.  Excuse the water marks.  These pics were taken after the rain on my deck.  I need to learn how to crop out stuff you don't want showing in photos.  I like the look of that kind of photo.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
~ Jodi ~

Lookie what I won about a month ago:

 from Jodi of the Pleasant Home blog.  She hosted a Great Granny quilt-along and gave loads of these little squares to ME!
I plan on starting a Great Granny quilt, hopefully soon.  AND she gave me this pattern for an apron!  You should check out her blog:  www.pleasant-home.com  The quilt top is soooo pretty!
xo
~ Jodi ~

Drawstring bags

 I purchased a pattern from Jeni of "InColorOrder" and I'm loving making these bags in all different sizes.

 There are four young girls and a boy at church that help clean the nursery every Sunday so I let them pick one (the boy got a different gift because I thought these bags were a little too girlie)

Then I couldn't stop making them and have a whole bunch more to show you later.  I gave one to a friend for her birthday, and another friend had to say good-bye to her elderly sheepdog named Hershel so I put a jar of homemade strawberry jam in a little bitty one and brought it over to her house with a sympathy card.  So sad!  
So that's some of what's been keeping me away from this blog lately.
That's all for now, folks.  ~ Jodi ~