Maybe I should move to Australia?

No luck on the button hole.
My camera however- that's a different story. After spending a good chunk of time googling, calling, researching and generally messing around with the contraption, I figured out how to make it work-
JUST USE IT UPSIDE DOWN.
Seriously. I have to aim, focus, shoot and use the menu- all while holding it upside down. It's a nicer model Canon, and it would be at least 120 to fix it- so guess what?

I'm moving to Australia. Just kidding. I'm just practicing using it the new "right" way before we go to the beach in a few weeks.

Ruffle coin purse

I've been working on a few new products for fall. I'm thinking of retiring the BlueberryKisses etsy shop. I've already reserved one under my new dba name Hustle Mama, as well as a BigCartel shop. I've heard lots about the difference between the two, and am intereseted to see how BigCartel evolves over the next few years. I used some of my free custom printed twill tape as the edge tag (does that have a technical term?) I love this stuff, and love twill tape in general. I can't say enough nice things about working with Jon at twilltape.com. Plus, I ordered this on wednesday afternoon, and got it friday. For reals.

In Quilting News:
My I-Spy squares came! There are some really great funky fabrics in the mix! I'm excited to get started on it. Trying to finish the New Wave first.

Didn't fix this pic- still upside down.

My aunt had picked up some great FQs for me in Seattle of foods for my I-Spy project. I decided to turn around and use them as a thank you to her for putting my whole brood up for a week. I thought they would be such fun cloth napkins! They are turning out really lovely, and I think I'm going to make some for us to use at home. What a great way to go green!
I cut 4 ea from each FQ- 9"x10.5". You cou;d make them bigger- but I thought this was a great everyday size. I used a .5" seam allowance, turned, pressed, and then top-stitched with a decorative stitch. I use any excuse I can find to use the fancy stitches that came on my machine. Trying to finish up a few projects today-

(Another great hostess or thank-you gift)

Turned this pile of white bar towels into safari themed powder room towels for my MIL.

-S

I wish...

Photo from seattle. See the Space Needle? Cool!
• Summer here was over. Becase I am over it. 116* today. For reals.
• I could sew a butt-hole. I mean a button-hole.
• My camera wasn't malfunctioning (somebody had a few too many jello shots on Independence Day, and may have dropped it)
• School was back in session. My kids are so over eachother.

Hmmm, I can actually control two of those thing.

So- tomorrow I am going to the camera shop to drop off our camera for a tune-up. And I'm GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SEW A BUTTON-HOLE!

Too bad I can't photograph it. Or maybe that's a good thing, because I think it's going to be ugly.

Seattle

Posting from Seattle. I'll be home tomorrow, and hope to stop neglecting the blog then, but until I get home:

I'm trying not to hurt my children. All 4 of us are sleeping in one room, and it's lost the novelty. Baby girl was up until 10:30 last night. Ugh. Missing the hubs, but having a blast. Hit up lots of great fabric shops, too!

Signing off!

-S

Birthday shirt tutorial

Things have been busy around here! The girls and I went up north for a few days this week to get out of the heat, it was so nice! Busy preparing for a trip to Seattle with the girls and my mom in a few days-

This one has started moving- in earnest! Ugh....

In the meantime, we've had birthday parties! Yesterday our little friend Colby turned six. We've also got a birthday party for one of our little school friends this afternoon. I wanted to share with you my go-to birthday gift (although the girls are getting a little irked that they never give toys-I try to tell them this is better!)

Supplies needed: Blank shirt, Heat N Bond light, scrap fabric, template

Fuse the Heat N Bond to the back of the fabric you wish to applique. Trace around your template number (or letter- initial shirts are way cute, too!) I used Pharmacy font- available at DaFont.

Peel backing off and position the applique onto your shirt. Iron on following Heat N Bond instructions. Stitch around the edges if desired. I use a tiny zig-zag stitch in a corresponding color.

I included a few hair accessories to match. Voila! Perfect for a birthday- or all year round!

Have a great Fourth of July!