Back for a few, and a treasury : )

I'm back for a few more days, then off again.Thanks to all who have sent their best wishes for our move ; )


I also wanted to thank the little red door who included me in a treasury!! Her shop is one I've admired for awhile...Make sure to check out hers and the other great shops featured.

Let's see if I can get a decent pic up.... Alas, hard as I try I can never get a decent picture of a treasury... Anyone have advice for an easy free way ?

Have a great Tuesday : )

Packed and shipping

view from the front door

It was a very long day. I was out for most of it with little Coco and the girls.

Apparently the movers eyes bulged when they saw our boxes stacked in the kitchen, and said we were way off in our estimate -we had more than double what we had thought.

100% of these boxes were recycled from other projects, or will be.

The neighbors laughed when they saw everything out on the sidewalk. Maybe we win a prize for jamming the most amount of things into a 1200 sq. ft place? Is that good publicity for the new renters? Yes, you can cram a 4 bedroom into 2 !

The movers were breathing sighs of relief when it was all over. One of them came in and asked is that everything? I replied: Yes, I think so and he said: Shew, and wiped his forehead.

It's probably on the road by now. We won't be for a week. Nothing like camping in your own home, right? I'm not into camping.

I think the photos look worse than it actually is. They didn't stack them as high as we had them in the kitchen (lol). Our kitchen is pretty big for a condo.

I don't know if you can tell from the first photo but the view shows basically from our front door and wrapping up the sidewalk to the stairs....Sorry neighbors.

We're moving into a home that's a lot bigger-about 4 times bigger. This stuff won't even make a dent in there (I hope, crosses fingers). Today we're waiting for delivery men while we clean. A few new appliances for the renters.

What have you been up to lately?

My Sew Mama Sew prize

Hey, remember the giveaway for Sew Mama Sew? Well I won a little something too...

From Claychic.etsy.com...this great pendant....

My picture does not do it any justice because I am on someone's laptop surrounded by 150 moving boxes and just can't get a good picture right now....I promise it is very lovely. To check out her nice shop, click on the link above....
Thanks Clay chic : )

Chickened out

I admit. I just couldn't put my shop in 'vacation mode' . For some reason that is hard for me. Not hard to do, just don't wanna do it.
I think we got about 98% finished with the packing this weekend, so I feel better. I have an all day field trip today, Disneyland for the last time tomorrow, and another all day at the lake with 6th grade graduating class on Wednesday plus dentist. Daughters graduation Thursday, movers coming Friday-Saturday appliances arriving for renters, going out of town from Sunday to Tuesday, Family coming from out town Tuesday to Thursday and then we drive cross country probably Friday.
And I think I'll have time to go to the post office between all this. Those are just the big things to do. Not all the little errands in between. O.k, I think I'll just 'vacation mode' starting Saturday and I mean it this time(?)I think. Anything purchased Saturday, I can probably squeak in a trip to the post office that Monday-from out of town, but the shop reopening won't be until July sometime.
Have a great day!

Lovely blog award

The Little Fox has awarded me the 'Lovely Blog award'.Thank you so much
Here is a list of blogs I am nominating chosen from my most recent followers list. : )

1.http://ambersaccents.blogspot.com/
2.http://emandthegang.blogspot.com/
3.http://whimsicalrd.blogspot.com/
4.http://apocketfullofbuttons.blogspot.com/
5.http://ratherbecrafting.blogspot.com/
6.http://sewmanyprojectssolittletime.blogspot.com/
7.http://marcinfamnfriends.blogspot.com/
8.http://2livelovecreate.blogspot.com/
9.http://crazykbathandbody.blogspot.com/
10.http://craftyrie.blogspot.com/
11.http://allyjoserudition.blogspot.com/
12.http://albertinescreations.blogspot.com/
13.http://gypsywynddesigns.blogspot.com/
14.http://kimnfam.blogspot.com/


Here are the rules to follow:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog along with the name of the person and link who gave you the award.

2. Pass on the award to 15 other persons who's blogs you've newly discovered.

3. Remember to connect to the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Featured again-and vacation mode

I have been featured again on another blog: mermaidscloset.blogspot.com.
A nice morning surprise.
Things are getting really hectic around here and my plate is starting to overflow with chores and worry that it won't all get done in time for the movers Friday(next). So, I have decided to 'vacation mode' my shop sooner rather than later-from probably this weekend until sometime in July. If there is anything you like I might be able to squeeze in one last trip to the post office Tuesday.
I will be writing here on the blog as often as I can. I'm off to get work done---

Monday morning

I have come down with a bad cold. I think I overdid it with the packing on Saturday. Boy, was I sore and achy. Too much heavy box lifting all by myself. The days are getting busier with preparations for the upcoming move. Fitting in dentist appointments, doctors, preparing our condo, planning a cross country trip, volunteering, the list goes on and on.
Most of our things will be leaving our home a week before we actually go. We will be living like campers in our own home til we get our things back on the other side. Did I mention I'm not really into camping?
I will put my shop in vacation mode starting next Monday. It's going to be hard for me to do. I've been slowly adding some fabric and supplies to boxes here and there. I just have to finish up some teacher's gifts and then I won't be able to sew for about 3 weeks. I will try and blog as much as I can though. Trying to decide if I should leave out any small craft projects I can do/ take, or am I just crazy to think I'll have time?

A special thanks to these 2 wonderful blogs-update, 3 wonderful blogs- have mentioned my crafts this week:

The 6 o'clock stitch-she has a flickr group I'm in...
and
Spool sisters- written by 2 sisters, one of whom won my coffee sleeve !
one little bird-has posted a couple of my money saving tips

Make sure you check out their blogs.


Have a wonderfully crafty day : )
andrea

Oh -and in case you don't always come back to read my responses to your comments in the comments section-I want to thank you all for leaving me kind words . I really appreciate the comments, read them all and when I can, try and leave a response here within the comments or on your own blog.

Little Red Riding Sleeve

Here's the newest addition to my shop.

We finally have a sort of -moving day, and I will soon have to put my shop in vacation mode. I'm procrastinating on this to the very end. Sometime around June 15th I will have to temporarily close-but don't worry -I plan to have it up and running asap in my new 'studio'.



About the cozy...I found out today that it can hold a 'Grande' size or 16 oz drink from 'your favorite coffee shop'. I did a little research-ahem. Next time I will research if it can go around a 'Venti'-or 20 oz. I'm thinking it might, but I'll check that out soon....



The Red Riding Hood fabric has been a fave in my shop. I love it too. Here are some more pics:

in front of a basket of goodies

You can see more pics in the shop : )

sewing machine review

Scroll down further to see the winner of the Sew Mama Sew giveaway-I've done 2 posts in one day!

Here's a little questionnaire from Sew Mama Sew. It's about sewing machines. They will publish the 'master list' at the end of June. I wish I had had something like this to read last year when I went shopping....

So here goes-and here's hoping this will help someone looking for a new machine:

What brand and model do you have? I have a Husqvarna-Viking Sapphire 850

How long have you had it? I have had my machine approximately 6 months-it was a Christmas gift : )

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? About 1200$

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec. projects, etc.)?

I sew a little bit of everything, but mainly crafty type stuff-pouches, bags, coffee sleeves, a little clothing here and there, some home dec. You can check out my shop to see what I make:andreacreates.etsy.com

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? Several hours a day(!) when I can.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I have yet to name her but I have been looking into it ; ) I think she should have a nice Scandinavian name.

I love my machine. It has never really given me any fits with the tension, like some other machines I have used in the past. It does a lot of things effortlessly. Mostly I turn it on and it does what I want with no issues.

There is something I thought it would be a little better at, one thing that had me sold on the machine- it doesn't go over thick or multiple layers as easily as I was imagining it would. I might have had unrealistic expectations. It does come with a part somewhat like a 'jean-a-ma-jig' that I'll admit I'm a little too lazy to use and the fact that I haven't taken any of the free classes might be part of the problem. The salespeople are always eager to answer all my questions when I go in, so maybe I'll do that next time.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?

I like that it has 137 stitches and 4 alphabets, enough for me, without being overwhelming.

I have also been spoiled by the the needle up/down position. That works well when doing patchwork and quilting. The presser foot can be raised halfway or all the way up. You can also lower it by tapping on the pedal.

You can wind the bobbin from the needle !

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? Nope, nothing so far.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!

My pincushion now sports a few 'flat flower head pins' with little perforations in the 'flowers'. I've accidentally sewn over a few and sewn them directly to my project! I will say, while I never recommend sewing over pins, the machine went over the 'heads' effortlessly.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

Yes, I think it is a very nice machine. I think the brand has a nice reputation. It has a lot of the features I was looking for.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

Quality is always #1 for me, price, features relevant to the types of things I make.

Do you have a dream machine?

I'm not sure if my dream machine is already out there or if there is one that does more than the one I already have. I'm happy for now : )

And the winner is.....

We have a winner!!! (please imagine the sounds of cheers and fireworks). Once again Coco has selected the winner of the Sew Mama Sew giveaway:

Coco looking through the bowl of 244 names! Yes, they're all in there- you just can't see them through her ears. Can you believe I cut them all out by hand?! Next time I will use the random number thingy, I guess I just wasn't prepared.... O.k let's get to the winner...


Tracy! I have already contacted you via a comment on your blog-please email me your address asap so I can send the tea sleeve your way, on or before the 3rd.

Coco gets a little treat for a job well done : )

Congratulations!!