There's been a lot of baking going on in my sewing room.....

“Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.”― Saint Augustine


Yes I have been baking up a storm in my sewing room lately.......I had seen the cutest little pin cushion pies online somewhere and had been wanting to try making one so the time presented itself with my SWF swap.  I decided (at the last minute, of course) to make a pin cushion pie for my partner but I didn't want to have to wait for the pattern, which was only available as a paper mail only pattern,  so I tackled it myself.......The biggest problems I had were finding the right fabric that would look like fruit and then finding the tart pan for it but after finding solutions for all those problems.....here it is......................looks good enough to eat, right??

I wanted to package it up to send to my partner, Sharon, so it would look like it was sort of in a picnic basket so I made this  little fabric basket

wrapped the pie up inside a blueberry checkered scarf

 and Tada!  It's ready to send off to Sharon......

and look at the fabulous pin cushion thread catcher that Sharon made for me...............she must have somehow seen the mess I always have on my carpet with all the thread on the floor....lol....and it even has a little hanging tool bag attached.....Love it!

So since I was in a "baking" mood..................I decided "why not make some cupcakes?"  While I was looking for patterns for the pie pin cushion I came across a downloadable machine embroidery pattern for a cupcake pincushion that is an "in the hoop" pattern.  I have so enjoyed my embroidery machine since getting it last January.   It is one of the best toys I have ever had and continues to bring me joy everytime I create something new with it..........check out this cute little cupcake............isn't that the sweetest thing?

and they are so fast to make that I decide I might as well make  some more.........................I made a half dozen total and have already given a couple away..........and they definitely satisfy my yen for "instant creative gratification" ..............

 they really do look good enough to eat but they are glued to the silicone cups with bathroom caulk so they definitely DON"T smell good enough to eat......lol.............but the smell does go away as the caulk dries so I might try one later...haha

ok then........................I'm off to do something.....don't know what but anyway Ta-Ta for now......................

Live Long and Prosper!

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in the quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

— Mary Jean Irion

As I promised.......here is the photo of the Star Trek Tote for my Trekki friend...........I have used this pattern three times now and I really love it......I actually used the idea from another pattern but used my own measurements for the sides and pleats....I can buy a half yard of fabric and cut it into 4 pieces, then I add a 9 inch contrasting strip in the middle for the pleat.....
This time I decided to add snaps to the sides so that it can be used for large or small loads..................here is the bag with the sides open all the way...........

 

 Below is the bag with the sides snapped together.... Did you notice the fabulous Star Trek Command Insignia I found to embroider on the inside of the pleat?....The blue color you see is actually gray, by the way......I love this look with the sides snapped, don't you?

 I also found the Star Trek Medical insignia which I embroidered on the opposite side............I took this photo  last night and it actually shows the gray color more as it actually is.....

................and, of course....a label which is doubles as an inside pocket.............

  

I also whipped up a quick hanging towel to give to the third co-worker on my shift.... she is relatively new to the shift and I tried and tried to find out from her what her likes are and she just really couldn't tell me much more than she likes beiges and rocks and natural colors....and "eclectic" so I will have to wait til I get to know what she likes before I can make her something more suited to her personality.   I had to rely mostly on purchased items for her this year........

I did find a fabulous rock from my own collection to give her though!! My sister's ranch has tons of these gorgeous rocks....the holes formed by dripping water....

Well, as some of you might remember......this is Friday and the start of my work week tonight....................so I am going to go back upstairs and try to sew some more before it is time to get ready for work..........................Ta-ta for now........

 

Belated Christmas Gifts......

 “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do." ---Henry Ford

My Christmas holidays were wonderful......had such a good time with family and friends and I count my blessings..........and I am only too aware that not everyone is as fortunate as me.......

One of my co-workers lost her husband right before Christmas this year....he became ill right before Thanksgiving so her Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year were probably the worst she has ever had.......due to that we postponed our little Christmas "party" that we have during our shift and decided to celebrate at a later date....

That being said.....I waited to finish the gifts I was making for them until this week.................one of the ladies I work with love ALL things "Day of the Dead".....so I made her these two ghastly items.....lol.....I just happened to see her admiring an apron in a catelog one day and then heard her say how she was looking for a tortilla cozy but didn't like any of the ones she saw......she will like these!

 My other co-worker loves Star Trek memorabilia so I found a fabulous Starship Enterprise Fleece throw kit and tied it up for her.............I am still working on her Star Trek Tote bag, which I will show you as soon as I'm done.........

I hope you are all doing well so far in 2014.........I wish you all the best wishes for a wonderful year!