Monday, May 31, 2010

Holiday Weekend...


So it's been a busy one, so far!


We fixed up and then drove my daughter her car from high school out to meet her 1/2 way, in Pennsylvania. Getting it ready was an experience in and of itself! Ah....the stress of fixing and getting a used car to pass inspection...But ... done...check!


Packaged up orders off ebay...remembering to put Tuesday's date as the shipping date...OMG...how did June come our way so quickly? Done...check!


Went to Keach Park in Concord with the family...nice place for a quick lunch and then playing on the playground! WAY too much fun w/my grandson! He LOVES to swing! That is HIM at the top of this post! Fun...done...check!


BBQ'd steaks from a new source: WOW was it good!! Anyone local to us: Harris's Convenience NOW has meat!! I know what you are thinking...but it's amazingly good! More fun...done...check!


Now getting ready to head to Charmingfare Farm with my son, his wife and their son ~ can't wait!! Should be soooo fun! Means lots more pictures! Lol! Wicked lots of fun...to be done...sort of check?


Then, we'll probably end the weekend with one more BBQ...basic burgers this time, but yummy!


Overall, perhaps a bit more balance for me than my normal weekends! Those of you who run your own business, will know what I mean: free time means work time, time to create, time to put what you've been working on out there! A "work-aholic" who works for themselves, out of their home = dangerous combo! But hey, at least I AM here if need be...right?


So....off to make a picnic lunch...ready to head to Charmingfare! Enjoy YOUR weekend, all!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Weekend Shout-Out: Bluebird Gardens





This weekend I peeked through my Facebook fans list and ran across Charlotte from Bluebird Gardens Quilts and Gifts. I always enjoy reading what she has to say, so I thought I would give her this weekend’s Whitt’s Kits Shout-Out!

Charlotte describes what she does on her Facebook page:

Welcome to Bluebird Gardens Quilts and Gifts! We help you make quilts, gifts, refinish furniture, cook fun dishes and garden so you can easily make gifts and home decor that make people feel special.From personalized baby quilts to photo memory quilts and handmade pillows, rag dolls, hard to find but practical and whimsical gardening, quilting and pet gifts, we've been helping customers make special gifts for 11 yrs.

While perusing her Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bluebirdgardens ), the red hand quilt caught my eye ~ could have something to do with those years as an elementary teacher! I would have LOVED one of those to mark the time spent with my students! Nice job, Charlotte!

She also has a wonderful blog filled with creative ideas on gardening & quilting and soooo informative!
http://www.bluebirdgardens.com/bluebird_gardens_blog/ I really liked the blog about container gardening...may have to give that a try!

Thanks for sharing your world with us, Charlotte!
Quilty Hugs, Carrie

Friday, May 28, 2010

Thankful for...

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve had a chance to pop in here.

I was thinking about what I am thankful for in my life the other day, lots, actually!

I am thankful that I was born into a family that live close by one another. I knew one great-grandmother and all my grandparents ~ having wonderful memories of all of them! Had the best time recently chatting with my cousin about our paternal grandparents…such wonderful memories I didn’t even realize were there! In turn, my first grand child just moved next door and lives in the house his great, great grandparents lived in!

My family also valued all the people in it. Each of us brought/bring “something to the table” as it were. It sometimes amazes me how genetics works: we can LOOK so alike and yet BE so different sometimes and yet so similar other times. To see my dad’s eyes in my son and then him in his son…amazing…all I can say!

I am thankful for the wonderful man I married ~ my best friend for more years now then not! Someone who brings the best to the world each day and is a gift to others as well.

I am thankful for my children ~ healthy, happy, adjusted buggers that they are! Each of them is my “hero” for their own reasons ~ each has enriched the world in their own way, and mine as well.

I am thankful for all the friends I have made in these 50 years ~ friends who’ve come in and out (women are like that…LOVE that about us!) and back in again…who I can call on at a moment’s notice…who “have my back” and vice versa… and who are facing this whole “aging” (aghast!) thing together.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a coach and a coach’s wife. It has brought (and continues to bring) so many wonderful young people into our lives. Their energy, their strength and their weaknesses brings the reality of life into our world day in and day out.

I am thankful for my home. It may not be the nicest on the block, but I realize it’s a place that my family and our friends are comfortable in. That comfort, like the MasterCard commercial, is priceless.

I guess the bottom line is that so much of my world is priceless…I am so fortunate to be able to do what I love along with what I like. Not everyone has that option in this world.
Thanks life! Like the saying on the T-Shirts: “Life is good!” It’s not always easy, not always fun, but all in all…it’s good!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend all ~ I hope you can spend it with those you love and create new memories on this day!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Monday, May 24, 2010

This week's special...


... (in honor of our first pillowcase making event) is on pillowcase kits! We've had great feedback from folks who've purchased them:


  • Nice kit. A+++ seller!

  • Waiting for another one of this GREAT kit! I love the Kitlady store!

  • Great fabric. Well packed, promptly shipped.

  • Incredible well cut fabric- Excellent EBay experience

  • Love THIS kit too! Waiting for more to show up in shop!

  • A++++ Fast invoicing, quick delivery, great communication, Couldn't be happier!!

Just makes you feel good all over! Mix that with the success people are having in creating their own pillowcases and it's a win-win!


So, to help more people give it a whirl, I'm running a special this week: buy 1 kit, get a 2nd at 1/2 price! You can get as MANY AS YOU'D LIKE!!! This is for all my fans on Facebook and Followers of my blog! All you need to do is pop into either my eBay or Etsy store and make a purchase. Email me with "I'm a FAN!" and I will invoice you for the correct amount! (ie: DO NOT JUST PAY!)


So, buy 1, get a 2nd at 1/2 price - by 2, purchase 2 more at 1/2 price, buy 3 and you can purchase an additional 3 at 1/2 price!


I HAVE to say that my cousin told me these are like "eating Doritos ~ you can't stop!!!" She is soooo right! At the Pillowcase Making Party yesterday, 2 of the guests were new to sewing: one had literally NEVER used a sewing machine before! They BOTH made 2 pillowcases (donating one and keeping the other) and one was so excited that she was doing two things at once: "This is a gift for someone, so THAT MEANS I've finished my first gift for the DIY Christmas Club!!"


So hop on over to my eBay OR Etsy stores and pick out some pillowcase kits to try! You'll receive directions for making the pillowcase two different ways, but I HIGHLY recommend the "sausage" method ~ seriously ladies: its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO easy!

Happy creating, all!

Carrie

PS. Here is a link to a GREAT, SIMPLE, QUICK AND EASY pillowcase with the "sausage" method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7moryq_ZRFY&feature=related

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Follower/Fan Drawing!

Thanks so much for "tuning it"! We hit 300 fans on Facebook, so as a "thank you" we drew from our followers here on Whitt's Kits Fabrics & Crafts Blog!

The winner is....Lynnell!

Thanks so much for following my blog, Lynnell! You need to zip into my eBay and Etsy store and pick out your pillowcase kit/kits! You can choose either a pair of matching kits OR two singles, your choice! Email me with what you'd like and your address for mailing!

We had sooo much fun at the Pillowcase Making Party today! Can't wait to see which ones Lynnell chooses and how they come out!

Have a wonderful evening, all!
Quilty Hugs,
Carrie

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Weekend Shout-out: Widow's Walk







Each weekend I dive into my Fan base and grab someone to chat about here. This week, I thought I'd share about Gail from Widow's Walk! Gail does some beautiful knitting and has some of the funniest conversations every day!

Here is some about her from her Etsy profile:

"Welcome to The Widow's Walk! At the age of 6 or so, a neighbor tried to teach me embroidery.

In 5th grade I discovered a love and talent for drawing and painting. In my teens I learned to crochet. And in my early 20's I learned to knit. I still love and dabble in all things creative, but my true love (for now) is knitting.

"Shop name: To those of you who may not be familiar with the term, this excerpt from a poem by Kenneth Finn is probably the best description I can provide. "On the tops of the old sea captain's houses is a walkway, high on the roof, called a Widow's Walk and the wives of the captains were supposed to go up there and look for the return of their husband's ship from the sea. A large percentage of the captains never came back. Thus the daily walks, had nothing to do with viewing ships. The walks were the recognition, that these women were not truly in control of anything in their lives. It was a constant reminder."

"When working outside the home full time, I always felt deprived of the time I had for my craft projects. Then, the "powers that be" out-sourced my job, which devastated me at the time. I now see it as one of the greatest blessings I could have received. It allowed me to have the time that I needed to care for my Mother, and caring for my Mother gave me the time to pursue my creations.

"I live on the coast of Virginia, and love everything associated with the sea, so the name and description fits perfectly, and doesn't pigeon hole me into only one area of creativity.

"Even if we are not truly in control of anything in our lives, there is always a silver lining to those thunderclouds if you look hard enough."

Gail is a gifted woman both creatively both in yarn and in conversation. I hope you take a moment and check out her work!


Friday, May 21, 2010

Hit 300 Facebook Fans!


Well, that's pretty cool! My Whitt's Kits Facebook page hit 300 fans while I was sick with the flu, how cool is that?

As Facebook rules prohit contests, drawings and such, we have to do them on our Blogs....so, folks: FOLLOW THIS BABY and WIN!! Lol!

I am assuming people might have a crazy weekend like I do this week, so I will have the drawing Sunday night from my followers here on the blog. This time's prize is a pair of pillowcase kits, YOUR CHOICE from either my eBay or Etsy store! There are some pretty pillowcases there, so click that little button! You know you want to...go on...DO IT!

Have a GREAT day ~ it's beautiful and sunny here in New Hampshire!
Quilty hugs, all! ~ Carrie

PS. Here is a link to the ones in my eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Whitts-Kits-Fabrics-Quilting-Crafts_Pillowcase-Kits_W0QQ_fsubZ10463955QQ_sidZ56499600QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322
and here are the ones on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhittsKitsFabrics?section_id=6974143 so you can take a peek!
(The one at the top of this post is on Etsy, using RJR Heirloom Lilac fabrics!)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

So this grandparent gig: VERY COOL!


Despite the fact hubby and I didn't feel we were OLD ENOUGH to be grandparents, he reminded me that we were the same age my son is now when we had him...eons ago! Sigh...

So, that being said, it has been marvelous having he, his wife and adorable son living near by us now. What was seeing them once a month, maybe, has turned to multiple times during the week and lots of fun! Ah...the generational thing!

What that has done for my crafting world is to OPEN IT UP! Lol! Hey, I'm a Memere now...gotta make the latest goodies! My little bugger was up yesterday and I had things to wipe up at the ready...you know, 11 month-olds are like that! But they were plain...a bit boring...okay: naked white diapers! Can't be having that!

After sorting my world out today, I headed down to the studio space and pulled out the package of cloth diapers I'd picked up on a previous trip to the big city and then wandered into the fabric room...hmmm....the possibilities are so endless in there!

I ended up with some fun combinations. A handful are mine to use and the rest, yup, you guessed it: on Etsy! Here is one set: http://www.etsy.com/listing/47457054/pair-of-burp-cloths-colorful-butterflies They were way too much fun to do and I'll pop a tutorial up when I get the chance.

Off to pull the bread out of the oven and finish getting dinner ready ~ night all!

Monday, May 17, 2010

The experimenting continues!



So, now that I've gotten the fabric space of my "studio" organized (to the degree that the fabric is SORTED, so I use the word "organized" very loosely)it's time to get the proverbial buttocks moving!

I'm one of those people that like to do lots of different things so I spent time this weekend experimenting with ideas for items I could create using the materials I have at hand, ie: LOTS of fabrics under 1/2 yard!! I've been selling pillowcase kits, those are going well...have some in stock so, what's next?

Well, I had lots of fun making aprons for children this past weekend and thought I'd pop some pix up here and give some directions for anyone interested before I head back in and make some more today!

"Fat and a Half" Children's Apron How-To:

You need:
1 fat quarter (18" x 22") for body of apron and neck strap
1 skinny quarter (9" x 22") of coordinating fabric for pocket & ties (IF you make pocket 4" wide ~ otherwise, a 2nd fat quarter
pattern cut from paper

Directions:
1. Transfer pattern from sketch included to paper and cut out.
2. Fold apron body fabric in half the long way (22" side) and place pattern on the fold. The pattern is only 16" wide, so slide the fabric a bit so that you have the 2" hanging out and can use that piece for the neck strap. Cut out.
3. Place pattern pieces for pocket and ties on coordinating fabric and cut out.
4. Take pocket fabric and fold over 1/4" on the top edge. Press. Fold over again and sew.
5. Place pocket fabric right side up on wrong side of apron. Sew 1/2" seam. Flip to the front, press and sew 1/4" from edge. Your pocket creates a nice tidy bottom seam!
6. Press all edges of apron at 1/4". Turn and sew.
7. To make neck loop and ties: press under 1/4" along long edges. Turn right sides together. Sew across the end of each piece to keep neat and tidy and then turn right side out, press again and sew along open edge as close to the edge as you can get.
8. Turn under the ends and put that part in next to the fabric. Decide where to place your ties and sew them on the back side to secure. Do the same with the neck loop.
9. Ta da! You're done!

Wondering what the heck I am talking about? Stop by my Facebook page and go to the discussion area. I have more pictures there of the "how-to" aspect.
Happy creating!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Weekend Shout-out: Stuffed Silly

I’ve decided to highlight one of my Facebook Fans who creates their own products and selected Lisa, of Stuffed Silly as my first.

Her mission is to create unique, silly high quality plush toys and I find them ADORABLE and GORGEOUS! Take a peek!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stuffedsilly
http://www.artfire.com/users/stuffedsilly
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stuffed-Silly/254244957864

I have to admit that my favorite is the monkey ~ it is so sweet!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

My first (of many?) rag quilts


My talented cousin (yes, YOU, Joni!) made me some wonderful blocks on her embroidery machine of trucks/tractors/and such. While on a buying trip, I found a bolt of Blank Quilting fabric that just seemed to scream: "YES! I AM WHAT YOU NEED!" (I am sure you've heard that voice...) The rest, as they say, was history! I put together a fun quilt for my grandson's upcoming birthday and just have a few snips left to go ~ then it's off to the washer and dryer!

I thought other's might like to see it and perhaps give it a try! The directions are below. I posted this on my Facebook page, but one never knows ... things do go missing! If you'd like to give something like it a try, I have a kit up on eBay with the Blank Quilting fabric, flannel for the lining and two different flannels for the back. I only have one available at this time.

Just need some of the Blank Fabric? Drop me a note ~ I have a bit left on the bolt (It's $8.50/yard) Have the fabrics you need? Here are the directions to make it yourself! Oh...and if you do, that makes it a DIY ~ give it for the holidays and YOU are on your way in our DIY Holiday Club!

Tooling Around Rag Quilt

For this project you will need:
• 16 of the “Tooling Around” Blocks by Blank Quilting (#BTR4777) OR, if you can do machine quilting (or know someone who can) you can make up a set of 8 of the Construction and Service Vehicles from Embroidery Library at http://www.emblibrary.com and do 8 vehicles and 8 tools
• 16, 8” flannel blocks for the “batting”
• 8 + 8, (2 sets) 8” blocks of coordinating flannel OR 16 of all the same color

1.Cut out all your blocks, 8” x 8”. Put each in their own pile.

2.Lay out the tool blocks on a large surface, like the floor, and create the design you’d like. Take them up IN ORDER, off the surface and keep in a pile.

3.Now, you are going to make “sandwiches.” If you are using 2 different flannels for the backing, it is important to alternate back and forth for the design on the back, so be careful to check each time that you are taking the correct color. Take the backing flannel and lay it on the table, face down (right side DOWN on the table), lay a piece of the batting flannel on top if it and finish with your tool block RIGHT SIDE UP. (See photo below.)

Make up all your block “sandwiches” by sewing a ½” seam all around the block, sewing all 3 layers together.

4.Take a moment, before sewing the blocks together, to lay the blocks out and be sure you have the overall design you want. A minute or two here can save a great deal of using a seam ripper! After checking your design, pin each row of 4 blocks together to make 4 strips. Sew the blocks together just inside the seam you made when creating the sandwiches.

5.Once again, lay the strips one above the other to check on your sequence/design. All good? Let’s sew the rows together! One of the tricks here is to line up the seams FIRST, then go back and pin the beginning edge. When you pin them have the bulk of the fabric to the left away from your machine. When you get to a side seam, fold the TOP edge TOWARDS your needle and then bottom one (underneath) TOWARDS you. That way, you can see the seam and hold it down more easily than trying to keep an eye on the one underneath. (See photo) Sew each of the seams across the quilt.

6.Once your blocks are all sewn together, it’s time to SNIP! And snip you will! I was working with denim in the photos, so when it was time to snip 6 layers of fabric, one being denim, I snipped the denim first and then the other 5 layers. Snip the intersections first, to relax the seams a bit. (See photo) Then, begin snipping about every ½ ” along EVERY seam (including the outside edges)! Keep your hand underneath where you are snipping so you don’t cut anything you DON’T want!

7.Now it’s time to toss your quilt in the washer and dryer. Doing so is what gives the ragged look to the frayed seams! Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

DIY Christmas Club

Some of us were chatting about how we ALWAYS want to make things for the holidays, but somehow we suddenly find ourselves at Christmas Eve (the 9th hour) trying to complete something or other and wondering what the heck we were thinking trying to make whatever it was!! Sound familiar to anyone!

So, I've created a DIY Christmas Club. The challenge is to create AND FINISH (key words there) at least ONE handmade project (can be a gift of a decoration for your home) for this coming Christmas BEFORE December 24th, 2010! The choice of project is entirely up to you!

Would you like to join our "support group"? :o) Post a comment here to let us know OR stop by my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/whittskitsfabricsandcrafts?v=app_2373072738&ref=ts#!/topic.php?uid=111033148924330&topic=34 and sign in! We'd love to have you join us!

Note: start small so you can be successful! THEN, when you complete one project, move on to another...and another...and another!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Holly's Bag!


As a "thank you" to my fans on Facebook, I drew a name out for the latest drawing and Holly, of Hollycraft won! http://www.facebook.com/pages/HollyCraft/297674992935?ref=mf

So...I whipped up a bag JUST for her! It's "whimsical" and "colorful" ~ her two requests! Hope you like it, Holly!

Quilty hugs,
Carrie

Fan drawings can't happen on Facebook!

Okay, just when I was having fun sharing goodies w/Fans, I realize: "Ooops! A no-no!" http://www.insidefacebook.com/2009/11/06/facebook-updates-promosweepstakes-guidelines-for-pages-and-apps-what-it-means-for-marketers/

So, like some of the folks I've been chatting with, I am going to have to offer it here! (Am hoping THAT will be okay ~ if not, we'll find out!)

As I better understand HOW to working this blog, I am sure it will all look better and such, BUT for the time being, here goes!

** I am hoping that just automatically selecting a random fan each time I hit another 100 will be okay! (I use www.random.org to select a number) As long as it is, that person will win their choice of single pillowcase kit (not pairs) I have made up that is available on either eBay or Etsy! They come with complete directions and are sooooo fun and easy to make! So, stop by either of those sites (feed is to the right) and take a peek to see which one YOU want if YOU are the winner!!

This may still not quite fit the requirements. If so, I will change it to doing the drawings from here ~ just NOT quite sure how to do that yet! I am a "baby" in the blogging world!

Happy birthday, hon!

Well, hubby has joined me in the 1/2 Century Club this morning! YEA!! What a great place I find this to be! A year ago I was staring down the face of turning 50. I thought about how I wanted to celebrate this landmark. Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane did not appeal to me (I prefer sitting buckled in at that point!) swirling down the rapids in January? (A wee bit chilly, imho!) A vacation in a warm location? Now that was appealing, but it was during wrestling season, so I would have had to go alone...boring.

My boss and friend assured me when I figured out what it was, I'd know. So, I kept thinking about it. Then it hit me: rather than doing one thing that would be over and done in an instant (or perhaps NOT quite fast enough, if I'd gone w/the plane or rafting idea...) how about something smaller each month? Things that I'd always wanted to do, but never had the time, OR needed to push myself a bit to achieve? It was an "Ah Ha!" moment and now that I am almost 1/2 way through the year I've LOVED it!

I began by treating myself to a lovely pink leather journal (thanks Steeles, for such quality items) and then sat down wondering exactly WHAT did I want to do? I made myself a bit of a list and began to journal (infrequently, but hey, what can I say?) about what I was trying to do.

I am encouraged to say that I am about 1/2 way through the original list, but have ADDED (as all good listmakers know) a few along the way!! While at Disney with my daughter this February, we BOTH stepped outside our comfort zones & went on the Aerosmith ride! OMG!!! What a rush!! What fun!! We'll both do that again!!

I've also made some trips to museums that I wanted to go to (thanks, Michelle, for that wonderful trip to the Currier FOR my birthday and what fun with Kelly, Ryan and little Ryan to go the Quadrangle in Springfield!), have started yoga (Ms. D, you'd be proud) and am working on Christmas being hand-made this year!

Most importantly, life feels good! So, guess it's working!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Believe I said the "N-Word" (ie: never) about blogging...but here I am!

I was determined not to jump into this world, but have had so much fun reading other people's that I thought...oh what the heck! DO IT!

So, here it is...the very first Whitt's Kits Fabrics & Crafts Blog! :o) I hope I can have as much here as I do on Facebook, with my fans...perhaps even more?

I've been taking baby steps here in promoting what I do: first Twitter (http://twitter.com/QuiltingKitlady) and then a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/whittskitsfabricsandcrafts) and now this!

So, we'll see where this takes us!

Have a wonderful day, all!

Carrie