Take a tee shirt out of your closet and turn it into a dress with a few simple sewing instructions.  I designed this child sized “T-Shirt Flounce Dress” for Sewing Savvy magazine.  The pattern and instructions are on their websie for free downloading so that you can sew a few before school starts  The dress is embellished with ribbon and has a ribbon flower that you can make.

I chose a yellow and orange color combination, but you can come up with your own color combinations based on the tee shirt colors you choose.  And why not enlarge the pattern and make one for yourself!!  It would make a comfy dress to shop in or even a cute dress for the beach!

Best to you and all that you do!

New sewing projects on the horizon!  I just completed a sewing project that I designed for a publication due out in a few months.  I can’t give any details but thought I would give a sneak peak of the fabrics I used.  I am a fabric junkie and just love bright colored fabrics. Its inspirational just looking at my fabric stash because of all the colors.  This is just a small part of my fabric stash.

I’m leaving Thursday for the CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) trade show in Chicago.  I just read a comparison somewhere that its like the World Fair of craft shows.  I agree and wish I could remember where I saw that, but my brain is in overload right now.  I am displaying in the Designer Showcase at the show and am working on last minute preparations.  The show is so exciting to attend and check out all the new products available to the crafters of the world

Best wishes for a happy day to each of you! 

Embroidery is a fabulous way to embellish your jeans (or jean jacket).  I just received the July issue of Sewing Savvy that has the “Hot Mama” chili pepper iean embroidery that I designed. 

Embroidery designs will add some colorful and spicy accents to your jeans, so check out this issue of Sewing Savvy, curently at your news stand, for the instructions and patterns. 

To see more jean embroidery designs that I created, click “Denimbroidery” in my category list to the right.  This link will show jean embroidery kits that I designed for Janlynn, Inc.

While you are looking through the July issue of Sewing Savvy, check out the ad for the Meow Meow cat fabrics that I designed for Quilting Treasures (Page 55).

I hope that you will give your jeans a little tweaking with a needle and a few strands of floss.  I would love to see what you stitch.

Home made ice cream - what can be better?  Hummm, home made peach ice cream.  We decided to pull out the ice cream maker that had been gathering dust and churn it out while celebrating the 4th. My friend Denise Clason had just sent her “Mothers Best Ice Cream” recipe last week, so we decided to give it a try.  Yum - really good.  We had our friends and neighbors, Billy and Shirley, over to help eat it. 

Here is Denise’ recipe - I added 8 peaches cut into small pieces.  Delicious! 

My Mother’s Best Ice Cream recipe

8 C Lt cream

4 eggs

1 pkg powered sugar

2 T vanilla

¼ t. salt

2 C milk or whipping cream, or 1 C milk and 1 C whipping cream

10-12 pounds crushed ice

1 box rock salt

1.  Heat 4 C lt. cream until scalded (not burned) in heavy sauce pan.

2.  In medium bowl with wire whisk, mix eggs and powdered sugar until blended.

3.  Gradually stir in 1 C of the hot cream.  Gradually pour egg mixture back into cream.  Heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the liquid becomes slightly thick – it does not need to boil.

4.  Add remaining 4 C lt. cream, 2 C milk or whipping cream, vanilla and salt and mix.

5.  Pour into the freezer container and chill in the refrigerator until cool.

6.  Follow manufacturer’s directions for freezing

20 minutes prep time and about 25-30 minutes freezing.

***Add these ingredients to get a flavor like Cold Stone:  1 C raspberry jam, 1 C cut up blackberries, ¼ C raspberry syrup, ½ C baby chocolate chips.  Stir together and freeze longer.

We started the 4th off with breakfast at Billy and Shirley’s house, with breakfast cooked outside on a huge grill. 

Billy, Shirley and hubby Danny (white shirt) chat after breakfast. 

Then there’s me relaxing in the hammock.  Actually Danny didn’t think I could get in it without flipping.  Piece of cake!

I hope each of you enjoyed the 4th in your own special way.  

I went to visit Audrey Jeanne Roberts blog today and it was gone!  She is a very talented friend who does wonderful scrapbook kits.  (This is her latest kit - beautiful isn’t it!). Needless to say, I immediately contacted her to find out where her blog moved to.  Not only does she have a new blog address, she has a new blog store as well as a new website!  Boy, has she been busy, but that’s nothing new as she is very productive.  I’ve often wondered when she sleeps.

I had hoped to see her this summer either in Atlanta or at the summer CHA show in Chicago, but she will be taking a fun trip with her husband.  That had to be an easy choice to make!

So if any of you have not been able to find AJ’s blog, check it out with the links above and in my blogroll. 

While enjoying all the beautiful glass art pieces in the shop at the Seattle Glassblowing Studio, I had a very hard time deciding which piece to purchase (no one was twising my arm, but I just had to buy something).  The decision on which piece to get was helped by airline regulations, you know, weight and number of checked pieces.  After a lengthy bit of time with a paperweight in each hand, trying to decide between the two, I saw this one, picked it up and walked to the register. I have a small collection of paper weights as they are easy-to-tuck-in-the-suitcase items so this one feels right at home. 

I did a lot of walking on vacation and just have to show you my very you my very comfy red walking shoes.  Brenda Pinnick - eat your heart out!!!!  (My very talented, fun friend who just happens to love red shoes!).

I just love glass and and all the fantastic shapes and colors.  Seattle is noted for producing beautiful glass art.  Since I had some time to myself in Seattle before my husband, brother and sister-in-law flew in to join me on vacation I didn’t waste any time and headed immediately to the Seattle Glassblowing Studio.

Wow!!! Not only do they have a shop filled with beautiful glass, but thrill of it all, you can stand in the back and watch the artisans at work.

I found it fascinating to watch and could have stood there for hours.  Although I may have the technical terms wrong, I will do my best to describe the process.

The studio has furnaces on one side where they insert their glass that is attached to a long rod.

The artisan sits between two bars and roll the rods with the glass to create the uniform design.  He adds foil, shapes the end with additional heat and other techniques to form the piece.

While the artisan is rolling the glass and creating the shape, another artisan blows the glass.

 More of the shop - it was all eye candy, better than real candy since there are no calories.  Of course, I had to buy something and with all the choices, it took me a while to decide. (I will take a picture of it and post tomorrow.)

The Seattle Glassblowing Studio has classes and I would absolutely love to take them.  Unfortunately, they are located completely catercorner across the US from where I live.  If you are in Seattle, stop by, watch and shop.  They are easy to locate and not far from the Space Needle.

After a wonderful trip to International Quilt Market in Portland OR, I took an absolutely fabulous 2 week vacation to Seattle and Alaska.  It was eye-popping every step of the way, including the unique trip to Seattle from Portland.

After arranging for a rental car to drive to Seattle and having increased fees added to my reservation on an almost daily basis, I decided to chunk the rental car reservation and take the Amtrak.  Let me tell you, it was a great idea - not only did it cost much, much less, it was a pleasant, scenic ride without the stress of driving and none of the hassle of going through an airport.  There was so much room, as you can see in the picture I took, plus dining and lounge cars.

Actually, this is business class.  It only cost $13 more to upgrade and since I was already saving a bundle of money, I splurged!  I really hope Congress passes bills to increase Amtrak’s funding so that we can have high speed trains like those in Europe.  I love traveling by train and want to be able to travel this way in the U.S.

Just imagine - getting to the train station 45 minutes before departure, checking oodles of luggage with no extra fees and boarding with no hassles.  And once on the train, you will have plenty of seat and leg room plus you can walk around and go to the dining and lounge cars to sit, talk, eat, read or have a drink. Oh, did I mention that there are bathrooms in each car - such convenience!

Once I returned home, I checked on the Amtrak schedules in this part of the country and they are very inconvenient for any trips I will be taking.  So I will have to continue to use my car for short trips and fly on the longer ones.   I look forward to the day when I can just hop on a train to go somewhere.

For the debut of the Meow Meow cat fabric collection that I designed for Quilting Treasures, I also designed a table runner and a quilt for their booth at the International Quilt Market trade show.  The table runner is shown in the photo with a cat pet carrier.  

The Meow Meow quilt was displayed on the wall in the Quilting Treasures booth.    

Both the Quilt and Table Runner patterns are available on the Quilting Treasures website for downloading.  While looking at these patterns, note the other patterns available.  I designed some of these as well - the Sophia quilt pattern and the Flintstones Nap Mat as well as the art and instructions for the Blanc et Noir quilt by Marie Osmond.  In addition, there is a free quilt pattern for the Sweetheart Ballerina fabric collection that I designed. 

Please enjoy using these free patterns - there are so many great patterns available for you to choose from.

As I walk the International Quilt Market, I am always in heaven seeing all the beautiful colors of fabrics and quilts displayed throughout the whole show.  Another thing that I really enjoy about the show is catching up with friends, which I did last month at the Spring Quilt Market in Portland.

I think all of my friends are interesting and unique.  I remembered to take out the camera a few times, but not often enough, to capture some of these moments.

Julie Stephani is sitting in the center and Carol Zentgraf is sitting on the right side.    Julie is the editor of Today’s Creative Home Arts magazine.  Carol is a very talented designer specializing in sewing projects.  Its always a delight to be with these two as our conversations are always filled with many, many laughs.   

I have to admit that I don’t know the 4th person behind us. She surreptitiously joined our photo session. We were in the Home Arts booth and didn’t realize until later that we were posed in front of a photo in the booth background - she fit in just like she belonged! Also note my tote bag - made with my new Meow Meow cat fabric from Quilting Treasures.

 I’m afraid that I interrupted Gina Halladay’s lunch in the booth of her and Stephanie Goudzwaard’s pattern company, Threaded Pear (introducing several new patterns).  Gina is such a cut-up, plus she looked simply fabulous.  I just loved the booth sign using red long johns - what a great idea and easy to spot!  Gina is also a blogger extraordinaire with her hit blog, Quilters’ Buzz.

Another friend, Desiree Overtviet, travels a great distance to attend Quilt Market.  She is from Holland where she owns a very successful online fabric and quilt shop, Desiree’s Lappeteknikk.  Desiree is fun as well as very interesting.  I enjoy hearing about her life in Holland, which she tells with a humorous slant.  And Desiree is definitely a shoe lover, traveling with many pairs of gorgeous and stylish shoes including some Jimmy Choo’s.

Proof reading this post reminds me of two quotes.  “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” (Victor Borge).  Plus “A good snapshot stops a moment from running away”. (Eduora Welty).  Note to self - remember to pull the camera out more often!