handmade cass

My mom is the best seamstress I know.  I was shocked when she came over last week with an apron she had just finished.  I had seen it in various stages of completion (and I was there about a month ago when she picked out the fabrics at Rosie's).  BUT the surprise was the applique she had put on the pocket of the apron - a long haired dachshund just like my Franklin Wiener! She broke her wrist on the same night that she showed me the apron, so her sewing projects will be on hold for a while.  She's going to get bored really quick.  Wishing her a speedy recovery!

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A few months back when Craft Critique put out a call for reporters I got a rare surge of bravery and submitted a test review for the site.  I was so surprised and excited to hear that they had picked me!  And my first review was just posted here . The fine print: whenever I link to one of my reviews I have to mention that I was not paid or bribed for my opinion.   Since my next review will be on Clearsnap's Smooch Spritz I decided to make a card to celebrate.  And I needed something to do while my husband was finishing up our taxes tonight. On this card I started with the antique text paper that I had sprayed for the review - it has the meanings of girl's names!  Then added a distress flower that I had made with the Smooch Spritz and a McGill scallop punch a while back.  It's topped off with and a Papertrey button and twine.  Purple cardstock from Stampin' Up matted it quite nicely and then I decided to use the "celebrate" sentiment from one of Dawn

I don't know about anyone else, but I'll drag out my birthday celebration as long as possible.  My husband put an end to birthday month last year - too much pressure on him I think.  So this year I got birthday week.  I have a number of friends with March birthdays, so there is still plenty of celebrating.  My mom was kind enough to give me a number of crafty items for my birthday.  I think most of them were picked up while we were on the quilt run a few weeks back. Of course...Frank wanted to get in on the picture taking. And speaking of that quilt run, I had picked up a Mother Goose panel to make a book for an upcoming one-year birthday party.  In typical fashion I got all of the supplies but waited to start the project until the morning of the party.  I was proud that a few times I ripped out a couple seams and went back to make sure they were straight - something I never would have done a year ago.  It turned out far from perfect, but was absolutely made with love

A bunch of ladies in my family have been going on quilt runs for a few years now and this was my first time joining them. Glad I did - it was really fun! We left at 8AM yesterday morning to drive north for an hour to get to the first store and then 10 hours later ended at our 10th store for the day! It was quite a feat. But I got to see 7 stores that I had never been to - most of them fabulous and ones that I plan to go to many more times (a few not so much). I fell in love with all of the colorful quilting and projects artfully displayed at Starry Night Hollow Quilts & Crafts . Loved walking through each room in this converted house and was so happy to see a whole rack of 1930's reproduction prints. Near the end of our adventure we ran from our car in the rain to get to get to The Country Loft - another store that used to be a little bungalow house. The fabrics here weren't really my style, but I loved their selection of wool and wool felt and fell in love with a b