wow...its been forever

Well, it has officially been forever since I have written on my blog. No longer. I will be posting pics this week of some of my work and also the pics I had taken at the farmer's market yesterday when i get them. it has been really hard to get anything done since I have been working a ton. It is just enough to list things in my etsy shop and then a few comments here and there on twitter. However, I have gotten a lot done. I have officially used up two boxes worth of fabric this last week! It is awesome! Well, sorry to those who read this blog. it will be much much better the rest of the summer.

Ugh...the computer

So, my computer hasn't been working and then life got really stressful, and while I have been keeping up with my shop (mostly because I have been having some sales!!!!! Yippy!) I have done nothing else. I can't post pics because my SC card reader isn't working, however, I was going to make a cute little spring jumper with the last fabric. However, that didn't happen. I end up cutting the fabric in 5" squares and piecing them together for another blanket. How not original. I am not happy about it, but I couldn't find my jumper pattern and wasn't going to go buy a new one. Well, I have lots to tell about my shop and the new material that I acquired, but I can't right now. Sorry. I will post again soon.

Guess how I am going to use this material

So, I have been packing up my sewing room and putting fabric in boxes because my husband and I are getting ready to move. No worries, this hasn't deterred me from sewing. I just keep pulling fabric out of the boxes. That is what happens when you have no idea when and where you are going, but you have to move. So, I found this pack of fabric in the bottom of a drawer. It is one of those bundles that you just can't pass up but you have noooooo idea what you are going to use it for when you buy it. I think that I bought it last June. oops...and forgot about it. Then, it came to me. My project is going to be finished hopefully tomorrow since I don't have to teach much piano this week. (yay, for school spring break and vacations!!!!! I like having a break from teaching.) So, what are your guesses?

New types of pics

So, I realized today that I write "so" at the beginning of every sentence. Sorry. I took some new types of pics for one of my blankets. In the etsy forums that is the biggest complaint or critique about my shop. So what do you think? Do you guys like them?

Goggle Analytics

So, I signed up for google analytics. It is great. I tells me how many hits I have in my shop each day, where in the world they come into my shop and also what web sites they come through. I like this. Well, there was one disconcerting website that I got a referral from yesterday. There is a site called http://etsycallout.wordpress.com/ The person that writes on this blog tells of different etsy sellers and the stores they have flagged on etsy, stores that are just cons and not sending anything they sell and not refunding money, and things like this. I can't find what people clicked to come to my site, but nothing on this blog is something good. Should I be taking this as a sign that something is wrong with my shop, that I have tagged my items wrong. If so, I would hope that someone would just tell me. It makes me slightly uptight.

New Banner for my Etsy shop

So, I asked my brother if he would be willing to help me make a new banner for my etsy shop. I am super excited. The word in the etsy forums is that it is "classic," "soft and subtle like the things I sell." "goes very nicely with the fabrics in your shop." I am really excited. Click here and check it out! Tell me what you think.

Sale

So Etsy Supply Street Team is having a first weekend extravaganza. So, I decided to participate to bring people into my shop. Everything is 10% off with a free burper included in shipment. All alphabet blankets are not 10% but rather are $5 instead of $18. Take a look at my two new listings. A super cute blue and coral blanket and a baby boy blue blankets. Yippy. This is probably my last sewing for a couple weeks while my husband and I get ready to move. Packing---ugh...

New News and New Fabric store

Well, if you like fabric then you need to check out this new blog that I am following. Great stuff. I love what is posted on this blog......The Fabric Bar. She has a store on etsy and the prices are reasonable. You can find the link to her etsy shop on the side bar of her blog.

Besides that....I am just running running running between my two jobs and the sewing has definitely slowed down a tiny bit. However, I have been coming home everyday during lunch and talking in the etsy forum, chat rooms and twitter. I was featured as a seller in the forums yesterday and sold a couple blankets. I was sooooooo excited. I am glad to know that my favorite creations are the blankets that sell first. That makes them someone elses favorites in my shop. I am reducing prices on a few blankets today. If you know anyone that is interested send them to Amalie's Armfuls.

I will have more pics tomorrow and check back. To jump my shop, I am going to be giving away a blanket next week. I will keep everyone informed.

The Black Hole

I have always wondered how people can surf the web. I still am not that great at surfing, however, I have started following people on a few sites that do surf and there is some amazing stuff out there. Well, I consider the etsy forums and twitter the black hole. Once you go in you must literally pull yourself out, or have a husband that can do it for you. Talking and looking and talking some more. That is what you do on these sites. It is great to be talking with people that like the same things that you do.

Well, on top of that.... I did take a break today and I used my lightbox. I am learning how to photograph, so we will see what happens, but these are the new products in my shop. I am really into using my fabric right now and most of it is not for things around my house. I don't know why, but I am throughly excited about it. I think my husband thinks I have gone mad.

Well, here you are. The most beautiful teal and purple flowers.And this light blue butterfly fabric with paisly background.
What do you all think?

New pics using lightbox

So, I have been trying to best understand my camera in taking pics. I have wanted to show my product on my esty shop to its fullest. Well, last night I asked my brother for help. He sells on ebay and was a power seller for a while until he started helping his girlfriend with her shop. So, I thought that he would have some help. I showed him the pictures that I had already taken. I have to say, I was suprised with the look on his face. He was actually surprized with my pictures and said that they were pretty good. He just didn't like the background. Well I knew that I didn't like it and so I asked him about what I could do. Well, he had a light box that he said I could use. I brought it home this morning and started trying to work with it. Here are some of my new pics? What do you all think?
versus:

Blogging

So, I decided that I would post something that doesn't have links. That is weird to me. Why would you just write. But, that is what I do on twitter...so why not here. Well, I am going through all of my fabric and making the things that I have been wanting to for a while. I decided that I needed to enjoy life and do the things that I really want to do. I am finishing a bunch of baby blankets that I bought the material for in November. I know, I know... it just takes a while. I really want to have fun and try and sell some of my things at a craft show. That would be something fun to work towards and give some of my sewing a purpose. So, I am going to enter a couple and see what happens. I will update you all on my success if I make it.

Well, I finished two more blankets tonight. I am really really excited. They are soooooo cute. (Well, at least I think so.) I will be putting up pictures here, in my etsy shop and on flickr tomorrow. Hope that you enjoy!

New Spring Wall Hanging

So, this was my Sunday afternoon project. It took about 2 hours to cut, sew, iron and applique. It would have taken slightly less time if I hadn't had to unpick a seam that slipped while I was sewing. It is just the top. I got tired of working on it, and so I will put the back on tomorrow and quilt it a little. The pattern and material are from Connecting Threads. It is a kit called Mama's Daisy Wall Hanging. It was on sale a couple weeks ago and I bought it. It was soooooooo cute and I loved the material. If it hadn't been for the material I probably wouldn't have bought it. Enjoy!

Cute Craft

So, you should all check out this link. this is to see something completely cool and crazy. It is by Junkpunkart@etsy.com.....http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21842241

Etsy Fabric and misc. supply shops.

Here are some of the shops that i have been looking at. It has been so fun. I have been following some of them on twitter too!! By the way I really really want this purse from Antique Basket Lady, but I have to sell a couple blankets before I can justify buying a new purse. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=21382254 She has some really really great purses. I love the fabrics that she uses.

Riley Bean sells some very cute ribbon! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6670018

Fabric Supplies sells some great designer fabric. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5680709

Fabric Worm....http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5973558

Fresh Squeezed Fabrics (I love the banner in this shop) http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5757671

Lanie Jane Fabrics...http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6092683

This is my least favorite material store, but that is because I just don't care for those fabrics. I think that some of you will love Anthem Fabrics. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6234072

Hope that you can enjoy some of the finds.

Sale

So, as I have been following people on twitter (which by the way is totally my new past time.) Anyways, I have been looking at some great new shops. I have been making a list that I am going to add so that you can all look at some great fabric and score some great deals. Well, I started following this site today and they are having a sale this Fri and Sat. Mostly their fabric is in house in Maine, buy they do have some stuff online. It is http://www.fabricgarden.com. Everything is going to be 20% off and also, there will be some machines on sale. Enjoy!

New Fabric Site

If you are looking for house fabrics, check out this site http://www.fabricwarehouseonline.com/fabrics-for-sale-page-3.htm.

While they don't have a huge selection, everything is $3.49 a yard. That is a swingin' deal for home fabrics.

The blankets

Ok, here we go, the pictures that I have been working on this afternoon. I am a terrible photographer, so don't look with a critical eye, but they are really really cute!!!! Ah, I love putting fabrics together.

Twitter

So, I signed up for twitter. www.twitter.com/amaliesarmfuls. I don't know why, because already it is addicting. But I guess when you get to start looking at other peoples shops and blogs it is fun. And reading their comments to get to know them as a person is amazing. So, I have 4 free hours this afternoon. Time for a photo shoot of the new projects... .... they are up and coming finally.

Ah.....

So, you know when life just gets really really really busy. Well, I think that mine was that before, but I still was able to keep up with what I was doing. Well, my mother-in-law came in town this weekend, which was great. However, I have so many things that I was going to take pictures of to put on here and in my shop. A free weekend, well, gone. Oh, well. I am going to have to take the time tomorrow to do it. Then it is spring break at the university that I work at this week and I have a morning off. That is going to be very exciting. I have finished quite a lot the last couple weeks. Oh, and some of the baby blankets are soooooooooooooo cute!!!!! I am so excited to see what people think, since I think that I think they are cuter sometimes then they are.

My Etsy shop

So, I have been sewing like crazy all the material that I have for blankets. I have been using some really really cute material I got on sale this week, from Moda, Michael Miller, and some other great designer fabrics. (I shouldn't have bought the fabric though. You know how money can get tight. Well, right after spending on material I got a flat tire and found out that I needed to replace two of them and the brakes and rotors on my car. UGH!!! But this is how life goes I guess.) Except for the fact that I forgot to get a yard and 1/8 and got only a yard of material, I really really like the material. I have made 3 more blankets for my etsy shop in the last two days......Pictures are forth coming.

Hm, what do you think of the material I chose?

So, I have been making this project for a co-workers birthday this week. She is really struggling with a lot of things in her life right now and I really hope that she knows that I just wish all the happiness in the world for her. Well, here are all the browns that I had to choose from.This is the one that I chose. My husband Russ said that he liked it, but then again, sometimes he just throws his head my direction for a split second and says, looks great. Now how am I supposed to know what that means? I ask him because he has a great eye for color, however he doesn't always use that.
The next two are pillows for some friends. I don't care much for the lettering from this pattern. I really personally like lettering like the sweet valentine one I made. So, last summer I bought some 4 inch squares from a lady on ebay and I was going to use them to make a fun, but very random scrap quilt. I have long since decided against it, since I really only like half of the squares. Well, while I was looking for material for the outer border on the pillow, I found the squares tucked away in a bag. I was so excited! If you have been reading my blog I am trying to use fabric I have to everything I am doing. I spent a lot of time deciding on different colors and taking them in to show Russ. He was doing some stuff for work and I think that it was a great distraction I cut the squares in halfOH, and here is a final picture of the sweet valentine pillow. Hope you enjoy!

Ah, why does it take me so long to find such awesome sites!!

Ok, so I was checking out the crazy mom quilting blog, which by the way I love and you should all check out. Well, I clicked on the link to her feature quilt on Moda Bakeshop. Wow, what a great site. I can't hardly believe that I have not found this before now. I love that they show all of the instructions of each project picture by picture. I have always thought that braided rugs were cool. They have such a great tutorial on how to make one. Hm, I am actually considering making one. How cool would that be!?!

OH, and quilt hanging up in this picture that I found on Cottons 'n Wool, too too too cute!
And last but not least....You should all check out Boutique NutMeg Designs. I love her stuff. I love the colors and the quilts and just everything. It is awesome!!!

New Kind of Finished Project

So, I had a ton of left over fabric from my valentines day wall hanging. (Which the pattern called for 3 times as much as you need. Usually it is a tiny bit more and it is ok with me, but when I make two of the pattern itself and then have enough scraps to make various other things, that is a little too much.) Anyways, my friend Abby had a birthday a couple weeks ago and she loves seasonal decorations so I put the pink material to use that this is what I came up with....I have had this pattern for quite a while. It is put out by Plaid Tidings Stitchery Designs by Krista Heaps and called "Sweet Valentine". I took the picture before I stuffed it because I think that that makes it look better in a picture. I don't like how she has you sew 5 extra inches of fabric together and then you don't use it all. So, I improvised and only used barely more than the cut pieces were and I saved even more fabric for one last project with the material. It is quite a bit bigger than I was thinking that it would be, but that will definitely help you see the stitches really well.

Well, i have two more pillows and a wall hanging on the way in the next couple days. Hope that you enjoy and come back to see more!!

New Material

So, my friend was telling me about a sale on Hancock's of Paducah. So I got on and was just checking things out. Well, I can't resist material. I really really want to make a quilt of bright oranges, pinks and greens. (yah, I can't resist those colors in anything. I bought two pairs of bright bright pink shoes at Walmart yesterday. I am totally crazy.) So, check out the fabrics that I bought for my quilt that I will probably make this summer.They are from the Bernartex Kitty Yoshida City Blooms collection. I also ordered a charm pack. That should be fun. I am thinking of making a cute bag with the charm pack. Anyways, hope that you enjoy. Check back soon, I should be finishing a couple pillow fronts that are so cute today or tomorrow!

The finished products

Here we go, pictures of the finished products. First I have some pictures of two blankets and some burpers that I plan to put on my etsy shop. This one is purple and green. I love those colors and the print is all butterflies. That is probably my greatest weakness. Any material with butterflies and I think that i must have it. Ps. Sometime I don't like blogger. I have the pictures right side up in the file that I upload the picture and no matter what I do they are still sideways. I really like this one. I love ladybugs and the green and red are a great contrast. Here is the batch of burpers with more to come.
Ok, here is the pink and brown wall hanging that I have been working on forever. This first pictures is one right after I quilted it. I know that the circles are not quite even and that is ok. It was my first attempt and I did it free hand. So, I am just excited that I tried and it wasn't awful. The second picture is one of the final product. I took it outside and it doesn't look great. I am going to have to have shayla send me a better picture so everyone can have a really good look at the final product. The pattern has buttons on each one of the white squares, but I liked it on just a few and so, that is what I did.

New Patterns

Well, so much for not spending anything. I got my connecting threads catalog out of the mail yesterday. I have been wanting to make some wall hangings for every month and season, and well, they had one for spring and the fourth of july. Those are two that I have been looking for something cute. I also needed to order some 505. This is great stuff. I learned about it from one of my piano students. It is a spray that helps baste your layers together when you are quilting on your own machine. I am sooooo excited to try it.

Here is what I am going to make for the spring.

And here is what I am going to make for the Fourth of July. It is sooooooo cute. So, I also finished a couple projects that I have posted in the past. I am going to take some pictures and hopefully when I get home from work tonight i will be able to post them. One of them in the pink and brown box front that I made back in Dec. for a Christmas present. I am going to sew on the buttons today while I am working. And then a couple new baby blankets for my etsy shop. I am so excited. Hope that you enjoy!

Brown and Pink Spring Pattern

So, I have been just putting my life in order since coming home from vacation and it just takes time. I cleaned my craft room, went through all the magazines that I have had in a pile. Now I am ready to start working again. So, in my Clotilde magazine I found this pattern. I have enough scraps I think from a ton of different things that I think that I might be able to do this one with what I have. This is excellent since I have determined not to buy any crafty stuff for an entire month. I have to use what I have and finish the projects that i have been posting. I have so many backs to put on different table runners and wall hangings. Oh well. That is how it goes. I also want to start working on my levi quilt. I have collected toooooo many pairs of jeans. Oops, sorry for the rambling. Here is the quilt. Hope that you enjoy.

Trip and cross stitch

Well, I am working on leaving town. My husband and I are going to California!! yay, Utah is freezing right now. It is not a good time with work and finances, but my cousin is getting married and we have been wanting to go the entire three years that we have been together, so off we go. Look for the pictures of the cross stitches that I am taking with me to do while we are in the car. I am hoping to make some major improvement in the next week. I have only been working on the one for 3 years now. Yikes!

yay!!! new fabric

Oh, check out this new fabric line! It is called Urban Flannel designed by Valori Wells for Free Spririt

This is just one of about 30 different designs in the line. They are so cute. Plus, they have a list of amazing free patterns that you can just download. I found this in an ad in my McCalls Quilting magazine. I think that i may just have to brake down and buy some to make some cute blankets with!!

Second, every one should go to Robert Kaufman Fabrics and check out the lines that are put out recenly by monaluna, about town and mingle. They are sooooooooooo cool.

Wow, a wall hanging and a table runner in the same weekend!

So, everyone has to understand that I love to buy fabric. I always have plans for that fabric and then I don't get to working on that project before I find something else. So, I decided that I wanted to work on using a bunch of my fabric and make the things that I have been planning on. Hopefully I can get a couple more projects done before I change my mind. This table runner (which isn't finished completely obviously. Only the top) is made using Shangri-la material by 3 sisters put out my Moda Fabrics and Little Charmers II patterns by Heather Mulder Peterson put out by Ankas Treasures. I bought the charm pack last summer on Ebay. If you can find the right auction you can get charm packs at such a great price and even with shipping they are cheaper than you could buy them in a local store. It is way way easy. I think that i took me about an hour and a half if that. The longest part of the time was just picking out the fabric for each part. Then the cutting and sewing time took about 45 min. Click on it if you want to see the picture a little bit bigger. Hope that you enjoy!

Wow, this craft room...

This craft room that is featured on Whipup looks like my husbands aunts craft room. Hers is all the area above their four car garage. It is awesome. This would be the most amaaaaazing space. Wish that you could get rich on simply dreaming and build the perfect space for everything you wanted.

The rest of the Welcome Sign

I guess that I should have just put all of the rest of the pictures on the same post, but I didn't know that I was going to have time to finish the front today. I have to admit, that one of the fun parts of sewing is that I put in a movie and listen while I am working, and I have watched Disneys Enchanted twice today. Too fun.

So here are the pictures of the squares inside boxes that go above and below the flowers. I didn't ever really understand the instructions and couldn't really see what they look like in the picture in the pattern or online, so I decided that I would do them my own way. While the pattern on the material is not upright the way that I did it, I really like it.
Then I sewed the flower border to the square border.Finally I sewed all three rows together.
Now I just have to decided how it want to sew around the applique flowers, squares and letters. I then have to find some material to bind it. (I always forget to buy that when I buy fabric.)

So, there is a cute welcome sign that so for has taken about 2 hours between the cutting, ironing and sewing. Of course, I was looking up to watch a movie so i can't totally gauge my time. However, I really like charm packs and the variety of material that they give you and also how easy they are to use. It would have taken a lot more time to cut them all out. I will post the final product when I finish with it.

The flower borders

So, these flower borders were really easy. I just traced the flowers, stem and leaves onto the Steam a seam and then ironed and cut out. Once you remove the steam a seam paper, you just iron the items to the material you want to add to. Now, I have to admit that that is very easy, I just don't like the time it takes to trace and cut. There are a lot of little different parts in this one. However, applique is not nearly as scary as it seems. It is rather easy using the steam a seam. Now I just have to figure out the stitch I am going to put around them to make them look like they are finished.
So, I am now finished with 2/3 of the front of the wall hanging. I just have to now understand the parts about the other squares. The instructions are quite confusing. Oh well. That is the fun part of the project. Figuring it out.

The start of the welcome sign

So, I decided that I would post the different steps of the welcome sign that I am making, mostly so that I can watch the process of a sewing job for me and about how long it takes me. Hope that you enjoy me first blocks. I am using a charm pack called Fig and Plum put out by Moda Fabrics. The pattern is "Flower Welcome" by Bloom Creek. (By the way you should all check out the OH, Americana pattern and just look through all their patterns. There are some really fun ones.) I first took and traced the letters onto Steam a Steam 2 and then attached them to the fabric. Here is the row unsewn. I really like the colors of these materials. Now, I know that these aren't the greatest picture, but it is a work in progress. I take terrible pictures. However, you can see one picture with the whole thing and the last couple a little closer up. I will post the next parts as I finish them.

Valentines Day Wall Hangings

So, Abby and I have been working on these wall hangings for a couple of weeks. The pattern is by the Crazy Old Ladies. I think that the pattern is called seasonal skinnies. They have patterns for several seasons. They are extremely simple and fun. They called for enough material to make two hearts and so I made two and gave one to Shayla. This is hers:

This one has a lighter pink border because I think that the lighter colors come out more in the heart.

The next one is a little different. I decided that I was going to try and so a little quilting on my own machine. I don't have a foot that is good for it, but I cut out some paper hearts, penned them to the background and border and sewed around them. I think that they turned out pretty cute. My husband thought that they were awesome. He really wanted me to try random hearts. Hope that you enjoy!

Riviera Table Runner

So, I was looking through my Connecting Threads catalog yesterday and I found this table runner. I mostly like it because of the colors of the material, however, I like the strips too. There are these two views on their website. I am going to have to go through my bright colored materials and see what I can do with them.

The new stuff

So, I was with my friend abby today working on a wall hanging for valentines day (which I am going to finish Friday and will post as soon as it is done. It is soooooooo cute!!) and I have decided that I just can't look at my own posts anymore. It just makes me want to go and buy all the fabric I find and do the projects that I see. But that is just not possible. I have to use what I have and wait to have a little more money to spend.

So, I started the card making lists and scrapbooking links in a new list on the side of the blog. I think that those lists are never ending. But, it is nice for me to be able to find the things that I look at and I will look at again.

I was at a baby shower yesterday and my aunt made the cutest baby blanket ever. I am going to have to make one with all the scraps that I have around. She took a large piece of muslin and used it as the backing of the baby blanket. Then she cut squares of cotton fabric into squares that looked like they were about 3". She then placed them on the muslin and topstiched them on. She left about a 1/4" around each square free, like a rag quilt, so that it could rag up. Because the squares are placed a little bit apart from each other, they looked like they had a white border sewn between them. She then used other fabrics and made a small binding for the edge. It was the cutest baby blanket that I have ever seen. If I can get pictures I will post them.

Hope you enjoy checking out the links.

Back Porch Bouquet!!!

Oh my!!! I found this incredible quilt and fabric today. I love love love it!!! It is from Maywood Studio and the line is called Back Porch Bouquet. This is the pattern with the pink fabrics.The next one shows some of the purple fabrics in this set. I love purples and some day want to make a big quilt of all purples. I don't care for the pattern as much.This site has tons and tons of patterns and has many free patterns. You should all check it out!