After a Few Attempts & Some Seam Ripping THE MUG RUGS

I have not been sewing that long and I am really a newbie at it all. This said I have the addiction like the pros and I am more than willing to try anything new and learn everything I can. I joined the Mug Rug swap.

I have not ever done Applique nor worked with such small pieces. This was probably the hardest still fun though sewing item I have done yet. I am excited with all I learned and I also messed up my iron badly with some excess steam a seam 2. Learned to not leave any over the edges. This was learning and it was very fun to watch it all come together piece by piece.  I will be looking for more applique in the future. 

These are made and packaged and sent off to my secret partner as of today! 

A Baby Quilt I Did Awhile Back With Baby

A very beautiful old time friend asked me to my honor to make her new coming son a baby quilt since I had just started quilting. I believe if memory serves correctly this is my 3rd finished quilt. I was late and baby Conner arrived a couple weeks before I had it finished and mailed out to Hawaii. As you all can see in the photo it was received and much enjoyed. This is also my own design and I had fun making it come to life.

This was a great honor for me to do and even be asked to do for such a beautiful loving friend. 

Sewing Room and Some More To Share.

Not As Productive As I Had Hope For The Weekend.

Well everything and anything odd has went on to keep me out and about and not sewing away in peace here at home.

I did get the sewing room at least up and running and able to sew in. Here as promised is not the best pic however a pic of the new set up. I am hoping I like it and it flows nicely.

I did get a bit of the Mug Rugs worked on and I will throw in a sneak peak.  I am finding this is a bit more involved working with such small detailed pieces. I even resorted to using a pin or two. (I am not a big pinner dont really like pins! LOL) 

 A call to get an old lady out of a ditch from Sherry. This was too much for me to handle and we called the tow truck and it took an hr or so. 

So there it is and a few other things went on like my mom needed a news paper since she did not receive one from the paper people today so I went out to get her one and that led to shared lunch with and no time with mom is ever wasted time. Time with mom is always a blessing I am gratefully blessed to share with her. 

A friend stopped over and than that turned into no more sewing and turn everything off and now I am here with you all. Life works out the way it should and I am gratefully blessed with all the beauty that is around me weather I am sewing or not sewing. 

Just Touching Base I Am Redoing My Sewing Room

TGIF No pictures today. I just wanted to come in and touch base and let everyone know that I am redoing my sewing room for the hundredth time. I am hoping that this will be it for now until I get the other room ready for the whole sewing room. to have its own place.  I will have some pictures coming this weekend! I am so looking forward to the Weekend and just time to chill  organize some of the room and just sew away some projects!!!!!

I hope to look like this all weekend long!!!!!!!! 

My 1st Design. My Cutting Mat and Ruler Bag.

I designed the pattern and did the quilting and added interfacing and the liner matches the in-the hoop portfolio I made in a class awhile back. 

I am very proud and excited about my new bag. I am taking some classes and going to some open sews now. I needed something to carry my 24" Rulers and Cutting Mat for protection.  Plus its a great easy bag to carry with the machine and everything else at the same time.

ADDING MY DIRECTIONS ON HOW I MADE IT

Since I posted this I am flattered away! I have had a lot of people asking for my pattern and I do not have one I just  made it on my own playing around in the sewing room.

1 yard outside fabric 

1 yard inside lining fabric. 

1 yard batting 

I sandwich the 3 layers placed my ruler and mat on top of folded sandwich to decided what size I wanted.

 trimmed to desired fit. 

Quilted the Sandwich / than added binding to the top folded raw edges

measured handles to fit around my sewing machine bag handle added them 

Sewed sides together and my bag was born. 

I used the fold for the bottom seam I feel it makes it stronger with no sewn seem to rip open. 

This will make the patterned fabric upside down on one side when you are finished. 

My thought is only one side shows when I walk with it. I keep the correct side out the upside down side to my body or machine bag handles. 

Your choice on what you like. Thanks

A 2nd Pillow With A Big Goof Oppps!

Here is another pillow I did and I never noticed until I was all finished I forgot to pin block seams in place and sewed them backwards. Since it is all together and going to my great mom it will work ok.
Moms love everything and don't ever notice the flaws.

I will always carry the lessons learned and triple check everything .

MY FIRST SEWING SWAP!

I have always loved mail art and swapping and trading creative anything. Now its time to join the love and passion of sewing with the love of mail art trading.  I am so excited and looking forward to this. I have already mailed out a couple of Fat Quarters. To get myself on the list.  

1/22/13 OK Got The Patterns Now I am Going to work on fabrics and getting ready for the fun of creation. 

Mug Rug Swap From Quiltinggallery.com

http://quiltinggallery.com/quilters-fun/2013-mug-rug-swap/

My First Quilted Pillow Cover.

I took a class and the pattern is from the book in the photo. I am very pleased even though it came out a bit wonky due to my own fault of having the needle defaulted to the left and my seem allowance was off.  I am very excited and learned a lot to be added to quilting working. I would say this was a very worth wild class.

The information in this book is also very detailed and geared along the lines of Modern quilting. I believe this is one of the nicest books I have to date in my sewing collection. 

Another Quilt Batiks Are My Favorites

Here is my latest UFO to be finished and I thought by posting it here I would be committed to finishing it. This is a quilt for a friend that Crocheted me a wonderful afghan for my bed.  I am looking forward to this completed.

Still Playing With Embroidery and Urbanthreads

This is one of many hoodies I like to add to and play with. The top design is free from Urbanthreads.com  and say.

I CAME
I SAW
I CONQUERED 

Its truly fitting for this and goes well with my own lettering as well the purchased Urbanthreads.com butterfly design.  Lots to learn and I am not afraid to try and keep practicing. 

A few little in-the-hoop for a crochet friend

This was a great fun little In-The-Hoop Project that has 6 pockets inside and a working zipper to hole crochet needles. My friend is always loosing them I hope this helps her keep them save and happy ready to use.

My Not To Costly Labor Of Love Quilt

This is a quilt 100"x 82"  made from scarp 

old pairs of jeans cut up into 5" squares  cost free.

Craig s List Fabric found very cheaply $4.00 cut into 5" squares

Red boarder was maybe a cost of $4.00

Backed with a King size new microfiber (no batting) for $25.00

I may bind this or leave the serged edges still deciding on this. feel free to share your input with me.

A Small Free Motioned Baby Doll Quilt

Wow how funny a year in ones life can be so different than the 39 years before it. I would not of along with everyone around me, even come close to thinking I would be sewing away baby quilts. I am thinking there will be a lot more to come as I found it a great way to learn my free-motion designs too.   I am pleased at how this came out minus after binding it all I could think of was a place mat. hahhaha! Lets just hope the little  4 year old girl that gets it she will love it. 

A Fun Small Stash Score!

How cool is this 20 Fat Quarters  some great new thread.  

I Love Mail Art & Love Fabric Art Postcards Combine The 2 Loves

This is an in the hoop postcard that I was playing with and soon I will be digitize my own designs and would love to show them with you all. leave comments or keep an eye out for the soon to come post about how too get some of my own machine embroidery designs. I am working hard to learn the ins and outs of digitizing.

I Got My Perfect Rolled Hem Down. Time To Fashion Play.

Those that know me well know even after I donated my kidney and was in the hospital the first thing I asked for and put on was my Bandanna.  I am always wearing them and always looking for new ones that match shirts jackets and such. Now the world of fabric is at my fingertips to make any style I want! That’s what makes this project a big deal to me.

 Well here is my finally got it perfect 3 thread rolled hem set to 1.5 for me to make my own bandanna’s! on my huskylock s25

Here is the finished product sorry for my mug shot however I couldn't figure out how else to show the completed project. and pic was taken at 6:30 am and I am not the best morning person. Had to get moving for work!

For The Holidays My First Set of Stockings All 9 of Them!

I am sure there is an easier way than I did these however they are here finished and lovely. The family hit this year.  Each one made with 4 layers matching cotton patterned to the persons love in life or something that made me think of them in found memory and smile.

If you are a sewer reading this you know the addiction states we all need more than one machine to do things on. this are put together with My Topaz , Embroidery done on my Ruby, and tops of the all serged on my 25s serger. Yes I am a Viking sewing nut. I also newly have an Emerald 116 all mechanical zero computer anything I Love too.

A Cute Fun Little Bag Purse Made From Jeans and Scraps

A friend at work had faith in me and ask me to make her great 4 year old a bag like others she had seen I had made (sorry no pics.)  She gave me a pair of her out grown jeans and I added some scrap fabric for the lining and the belt to come up with this cute little bag. Made with the help of my beautiful amazing  Aussie Love  while we  where on Skype. She is amazing in all the help love and support she shares. We are a great team together!

Fabric Rope Bowl Making Fun.

Me on my Ruby creating my first fabric rope bowl for fun and learning. I have to share this was very much so a lot of fun.

The finished product which is made from some cotton quilting scraps just laying around and some cotton cloths line.  If you want to try and have not tried these yet. I'll recommend a #4 zigzag and a new needle slow speed and I used a Teflon foot with a red dot in the center kept me going without a missed stitch.

My Jacket With My first Digitized Own Work On it.

This is a denim thrift store jacket that  I put my first digitized embroiderer work that is all mine original work. Plus I added a cutting of words off from a thrift store tee shirt I found and thought would fit the jacket.

I am always happily surprised when I get compliments on this.  I have done a lot of commercial Urban Threads and other designs all over my hoodies as well.  I love to customize things to fit me for fun creative and originality sake.

Another Quilt Made For A Friends Wedding.

This is a labor of love the first thing made on my Ruby. I made and did some embroiderer on for my friends wedding gift than got sick and did not make the wedding and we are still trying to get together to gift it to her.. I have made a couple more quilts before this yet I can not find pics so please just trust and have faith more to come.

Here Is The Quilt That Started It All

My first quilt I made for my mothers Birthday. Its a made from a Bali Pop and  a sheet from something I found for backing material. I used natural batting in the middle. I am still proud of it and mom loves it.  No matter what I sew she says that's nice but mine was the first and the best. I can't believe your sewing these days.  Moms are great!

The Big Answer To "Why or How Did You Start Sewing?"

Hey now you never should judge any book by its cover! I am a bad ass marshmallow that looks to tough and punky to sew. I assure you my passion runs deeply for my sewing and I a may not be the best or greatest at it however I try like hell and love every stitch along the way.  So here is the deeply dark secrets of how it all really started. Beware if you decide to continue to read this.

Well its really simple with some complexity that got me started in all and those that sew know that rest of the story before I even share that.  Well the facts are that my mom's Birthday was coming up and I needed to figure something out. She loves Amish quilts and I had gotten one years ago. Now they are a bit out of my price range so to speak.  I had picked up a Viking Topaz about 3 years prior for something that never worked out so it sat in the closet. Well hmmm... I can do anything I want to and set my mind to I will make my mom a quilt myself! Yhep how hard could it be really.... ????
Off I went to a fabric shop got some fabric read a bunch of stuff and there we go. I tested my machine and learned to sew really fast with that help of a great beautiful in Australia who wrote me directions and helped me along the way to make a Bag for at the time My greatest friend and so much more at the time. The bag came out however in looking back if there way one thing in my sewing world I could change it would be to go back and remake that make with the skill set I have now. That bag is the one thing that got me started and I hold tightly to the great feelings and proud glow Lane and I shared that we melted away the miles of the ocean that separates us and in the end it was a bag for my greatest loved friend at the time. Moving along  now to make the quilt it worked and I made I quilt for my mom!!

WOW Yes I did it every night after work sew sew sew away and yes at the end a quilt was made!  A nice quilt one to be proud of still.  That was almost a year ago now.  Smiles!

Somewhat of a tragedy blow struck me slowing yet inevitable with the environment we shared together The greatest friend I made the very first bag for well things went south and our lives are so very different and we began to spiral downhill into a massive dark sadness  filled with numerous irreconcilable differences my heart shattered and my world filled with the loss of great love and friendship floating away out to sea to sail in different direction. What the hell does this have do with sewing at all.....

Sewing became my escape! Sewing is very therapeutic meditative almost magic. I found if I sat at my machine and sewed did not matter what even if I destroyed the fabric and made nothing of use I still was ok no darkness no sadness in that moment the sewing machine hummed and the fabric moved through my hands and things where created with success. It was like magic almost like a drug that washed away any all stress worries and sadness.  The addiction was born and I began seeking out classes in places I never thought I would be hanging out.  Some places and people even looked at me strange including my family in shock "you sew." I stuck it out and almost had and perhaps still do attitude "I WILL SHOW YOU!"

Now you all know the story how a new addiction and my great love of sewing was born. I am not afraid to reinvent myself and now through sewing my life is being reinvented for me along the way of my journey of life I am more than grateful to be living today. Thank You for sharing in my new life as it blooms.  May you all  enjoy the passions you have and please feel free to share with me and perhaps we all can create together!

The New Beginning of My Old Blog Lets Start Fresh

Hey all! I am going to re-welcoming you all to my blog that I have been going for over a year now. I am going to change the whole feel of Open Beauty now. I  just hit the delete button on the every so many old posts and decided to let go of the past healing and begin with a fresh start.  Sometimes the past just needs to be let go of and just begin again with a whole new fresh start so here it is.

I do live my life like this as well and just hit the delete button and start over reinvent and recreate from a new fresh open beautiful space while walking the path that is all apart of the wonderful adventure of life.

I am forever grateful for everything that has happened and led my life to where it is today and for real my life is in a place I would of never dreamed of. 

if you told me a few years ago I would be sewing away and have such a fun passion for it as well as meeting and hanging with sewing ladies and a couple guys and loving it. I would tell you you where ultra crazy and had no clue about who I am at all. 

HAHAHAHA well here I am sewing away and going to build up some sewing works here as well as lots more creativity to come. 

Lets share some creative growth through the beauty of art through any and all media. 

I am still the totally open full loving person I have always been and feel free to ask me anything just be ready for the open and honest in depth answers you will receive as my soul is naked and I will share anything with you I have nothing to hide. 

Everything I do in life is done through the love of my heart spirit and soul and therefor I am not ashamed of who I am or to share anything in my life.  

WELCOME TO THE NEW BEGINNING!  MY LOVE HONOR AND GRATITUDE IN SHARING WITH YOU ALL!