My New Project

Ok, it is not really new--I cut the original 3" inch strips and sewed them together in March of 2008. The next step was to cut them on a 45 degree angle, then sew them together again. I had a fear of the 45 degree angle, so I put the entire project under the bed and slept on it, literally, for over a year.

(This is the pattern I am using)

Today was the day I decided to tackle those cuts. My folding table is stored behind the back seat of the truck. My iron is in the linen closet. Scissors, rotary cutter, thread, magnetic pin bowl are in the wicker trunk in the living area. The sewing machine, folding chair, cutting mat and rulers are all kept under the bed. It took a while to gather everything together, but I finally got started. Then I couldn't figure out how to place the ruler on the fabric to accomplish the 45 degree cuts. Dang.


The guy who lives next door is a carpenter. I went over there and asked him about it, so he came over and helped me figure it out. Thanks, Dennis. Between the two of us we got it. He went home and I worked on it all afternoon. The picute above are all the strips I cut today. They are numbered because you have to sew them together in a certain order to get the pattern to come out right.



There are eight sections in all. I finished three of them today. This is going to be a really large quilt, queen sized at least. This one is for Becca and Ken. I have another set of strips all sewn together, with all the same fabrics except one (I didn't have enough of all the fabrics to make two quilts). The second one is for Seth and Sarah. I am going to send both of them to be quilted by the lady who quilted Becky's quilt for me. I think these are going to be gorgeous.

Getting Creative Again

One of my new co-workers is adding a baby boy to their family soon. I had bought these fabrics in Flagstaff on our way up in April, and have been letting them sit there for a while, while I figured out what to do with them. I think they will make a very nice baby quilt for a little boy, don't you? Now I just have to figure out what pattern to use...

I just love that puppy dog fabric!

Jewelry Making Class

Lynda and I went to our wire wrapping class on Saturday. The lady who taught the class makes some really pretty stuff, but she does not allow you to take pictures. I was going to show some of the process of making the bracelets we made, but she told me to "put away my camera".
I can show the finished product:


I made the bracelet on the right with silver and gold wire in the class. I came home and made the one on the left with silver and copper wire. I definitely need some practice but they are ok for a beginner.




Here is what the clasp looks like. The one I made in class looks a whole lot better than the one I made at home later. Again, it just needs some practice.



These bracelets are 7 and a half inches long. I think I need to make mine 8 inches to fit my "plus size" wrist.




Then, today, I used a different pattern but the same concept to make this bracelet for FabGrandpa. I used a piece of sterling silver patterned wire and gold wire in it. This was really hard to make because it was hard to keep all the wires together and to keep them from bunching up while I was making the binding wraps. I got really frustrated with it and walked away from it three times before I was able to finish it. I like the way the clasp on this one looks.



Here is the front of his bracelet. I can see the mistakes in it, and my father in law probably will too, but then again, it does look pretty good for a beginner, and FabGrandpa liked it.


So, tell me what you think. Will I be able to master this?

And The Winner Is...

Back on December 18th, I announced my Etsy store opening, and offered a contest to win a "Wait Book" in the color of your choice. I put all the names of people who entered the contest in a paper bag and drew one name out. And the winner is:

Christine of Chris's Coop! Whooooo Hoooo! Yay Christine! So, Christine, you can email me at FabGrandma at gmail dot com and we can discuss which color you want from the choices I have available.

Y'all stay tuned, I have more stuff to put up for sale in the coming week. I am having so much fun making things to stock my store with!

My New Project--An Etsy Store

I have been wanting to open an Etsy store for some time now. I love to make things because for some reason I have a need to keep my hands busy. When I am not writing, I am usually making something. So, a lot of my spare time for the last couple of weeks has been spent doing the behind the scenes stuff to get my store open.

So, for your viewing and shopping pleasure, click here.


Please take a minute to go over there and look around. I have more things I want to put on there, and because I am always making something, there will be new stuff up there frequently. I would also appreciate any feedback on my store, good or bad, and any suggestions you may have to make it better.

Also, I am going to be having a contest! yes, a contest, to promote my store. If you would like to have an entry to win a "Wait Book" in your choice of colors, all you have to do is

1. Write a little bitty blog post with a link to my Etsy store. Here is the link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6518503

2. Leave me a comment here to let me know you have done it. Remember I will need your email address to be able to contact you if you win.

That is it. The contest will run until January 2. I will pick a winner randomly to win the prize.

Edited to add: I DO ship to Canada and Everywhere else, but I did not know how to add that option to my listings. I will fix that as soon as I can, but don't not enter the contest because you don't live in the US. I'll ship anywhere.

Finished Shopping

I started and finished my Christmas shopping today. All the gifts have been got, and wrapped, and put in shipping boxes, and addressed. They are going to Ft. Lewis, Washington; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Denver, Colorado; Villa Rica, Georgia; and Douglasville, Georgia. The kids are scattered out all over the place.

I only made one gift this year, but it is something I have wanted to make for its recipient for some time. I call it a "Wait Book".




He is a rather rambunctious little guy, and needs something to hold his attention when he is waiting for something. Whether it is when he is sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office or waiting for dinner to arrive when he and his parents go out to eat, he really needs something TO DO.



He likes to draw, paint, and color. He likes to tell stories about the drawings he has made. So, I made him this little book:



It will fit in his Mommy's purse, or he can carry it himself with the handles. It holds a refillable pad of paper and 16 crayons. There is a place for every crayon, so they won't fall out and get lost. He likes orange. A lot. I made him a quilt for his room a couple of years ago that has a lot of orange in it. No wonder they call me the FabGrandma!

Project 365 Day 54 Another Preview

Another preview of the new project I am working on.

Project 365 Day 45 Bias Tape

Bias tape comes in lots of colors. I have this crap coming out my ears this week.

Apron Strings

Have you ever read my "about me" thingy over in the right hand bar on my blog? Where it says I like to sew and quilt? Well, I do, and I love to make aprons. Mostly because I love to wear aprons.


When I used to work at a "real" job (you know, in an office, for a corporation) I used to wear really nice clothes to work. I loved nice blouses, and dresses. After work every day, I had to come home and make dinner. In order to keep those nice blouses and dresses looking nice, I started wearing aprons over them.

The problem with that, back in the late 70's and thru the late 80's, was that you could not find a decent apron. They all looked like Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show. The ones I could find to buy were either hideously tacky, or really flimsy material, so I decided to make my own.

I have made and worn, and made and sold, hundreds of aprons over the years. When I make them, I don't skimp on fabric, because if an apron doesn't have enough fabric to cover your clothing, what is the point of wearing it?

This week I am making aprons. My friend Lynda told me that if I had any Christmas-y crafts to sell at the Christmas tree lot that I could, so I am making some Christmas aprons. But, the ones I made today are everyday aprons.

This one is cotton, green and white checks with a pink flower print. I used a light pink bias tape for the edge of the skirt. It is really cute:




It has a bib that fits over your head, and a long sash that ties in a bow:



It is big enough to cover a big grandma sized girl, and has two great big pockets on the front:



This one is black and white checks with sunflowers, and has yellow bias tape for the edging:





I couldn't get FabGrandpa away from his computer game long enough to take a pic of me wearing it, but trust me, it is BIG too. It has three pockets across the front, and goes down to my knees.

I am selling these at the tree lot, but if they don't sell, I am going to put them on Etsy. If you're interested in maybe purchasing one, let me know. If you want one, I have the two pictured for sale right now. They are $30 each and that includes shipping to you ( I can take paypal payments. I'll be putting more on here as they are made. Thanks for your interest.

They Don't Call Me The Fab Grandma For Nothing

I am a Fab Grandma because I make things for my grandchildren and for myself. I make quilts, aprons, jewelry,dolls, home made soap, and other things. Here is a picture of a necklace I made last night.