Great Book for long winter nights and a Giveaway!

I used Random.org to find the winner of my giveaway. Congratulations to Veta! 

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:4Powered by RANDOM.ORG

I have been at it again reviewing another great book from Tyndale. Read all the way to the bottom of this post for your chance to win a copy of you very own. 

Boone Drake is a Chicago cop, a family man and a lifelong Christian. Life seems to be on a blessed track until an unexpected tragedy takes most of that life away. Boone’s personal journey back to God and the development of his career in the Chicago PD make up this engaging story.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The story of an officer whose goal is to take on organized crime and the street gangs makes for an interesting read.  The addition of the officer’s spiritual journey made for a fascinating read. I didn’t make it through this one without a lot of tears shed, but it was well worth the read and I would recommend it highly to anyone. Jerry Jenkins never disappoints!

In Boone’s personal journey, his inner searching eventually leads to his being able to witness to a new Christian – one of the biggest, baddest gang leaders in the city. His personal courage in that instance was an inspiration to me and brought home once again the fact that as Christians, that is our calling on this earth: to witness to the lost, no matter who they are, what they look like, how we feel about them or how hopeless it looks.

Jerry B. Jenkins was co-author of the now-famous Left Behind series and Left Behind for Kids. He also authored the amazing story of a prison chaplain and the prisoners he served, one in particular. It is called Riven and after you read it you will have a new appreciation for your Christian faith. He has written many other books and you can see a list here: http://www.jerryjenkins.com/books/fiction/ and here http://www.jerryjenkins.com/books/non-fiction/.

If you would like to find more books by great authors like Jerry B. Jenkins check out Tyndale's website. Tyndale provided me with a copy of this great book to review. I am part of their blog tour as well. So in celebration of that I am giving away a copy of THIS book for you to enjoy. All you have to to be entered is tell me what book or books you are reading right now. You must answer the question to be entered. I will draw a random number on Tuesday February 22nd around noon. Even if you don;t win I hope you get a hold of a copy of this book to enjoy. 

Great start to the year.

I was slow this year in mailing out most of my Christmas gifts. I still have a few packages to mail. ( hiding my head in shame) So most of my packages arrived after the new year had begun. I think it was a great way to start the year! This is just a sample of some of the things I made. I can;t post all pics yet because some packages have not arrived. 

First things first. I made some more of our reusable gift bags. I really enjoy making these and sharing them with others. My hope is that one day I will have given enough to family and friends that all our gifts will be wrapped this way when we exchange gifts. 

I made a few of these reusable grocery bags that roll up quite small to fit in you purse. Head on over to Daisy Janie and get the instructions to make some. 

These are some baked potato bags for the microwave. I used multiple tutorials when deciding how I was going to make these. You can find some good instructions HERE

These are origami bags that were fast and fun to make. I also made one for Lillie with Japanese Cats on it. Mairuru has this and some other great projects on her blog. Her blog is interesting to read. She has a new wee one and it is quite fun to see the similarities and differences in how we raise our children. 

In what has become a tradition I made my hubby some PJ Pants. I use a standard McCalls pattern for these each year. They are very quick to sew up. My sweet hubby bought me a serger for Christmas so now I can make them even faster. 

I made our youngest a new stocking this year. She has a thing for Olivia. Of the three gifts from us this year two of them were Olivia related. Who knows what will pique her interest next year. Only time will tell. 

Drum Roll Please!!! My favorite gift I made this year was!! 

Tilly's Messenger Bag

I had so much fun making this bag. When we visited my brother's family this summer my niece showed me this piece of paper that she had doodled all over. All I could think was that it would be great as fabric. I asked her if she could send me a scan of it. I told her nothing of my idea. I sent her scan into Spoonflower and had it made into fabric. I had them print it on a heavy weight cotton so it could take a lot of abuse. Then I searched through my bucket list of tutorials to find just the right one to use with this fabric. When I came to MMMCrafts I new I had found the perfect thing to make with this fabric. I made it in one afternoon. I am so proud of it. Ok I will quit bragging on myself. 

I have been busy sewing this last week and will be sharing with you all soon my newest quilts. I also have recently been asked to be a pattern tester for Quiltmaker's 100 Block Magazine. I am so excited. I am busy working on my first two blocks. More info to come later on this. 

Little Stocking Ornament Tutorial

This past week I worked very hard to get my annual ornament completed. With the help of my Mum I was able to get them sewn up and most of them sent out. I think they came out pretty cute. 

 To make these little cuties you need one charm pack, 1/2 yd of coordinating fabric and my Stocking Pattern. You will also need 48 inches of ribbon cut into 4 inch lengths. (not pictured.) This will make 12 little stockings. 

 Fold your fabric so you have 6 layers. The selvage should be at the top. 

 Use your scissors and cut out the first set. Then you will re-pin the pattern and repeat 3 more times. 

Now you have a stack of cut our stocking shapes.  

 Choose 12 sets of coordinating charm squares. Because I am using one charm pack I don't have matching tops but I tried to choose ones with the same primary color for each set. I think this adds to the versatility of the stocking. You can hang it on the tree either way. 

 Fold the squares in half. 

 Center them on the top of your stocking piece. Sew across with a 1/4 inch seam. 

 Do the same with the coordinating charm square on the reverse of the stocking piece. You should have a set like this when you are done. They are basically a mirror image. Do this step with all your stocking pieces. 

 Iron each piece pressing away from the stocking body. Go ahead and press all your stockings. 

I am sorry but this picture is not quite right. I finished all of mine before I realized that my picture was incorrect. I am going to explain the proper way to trim these up. The theory above is right. The only difference is you are going to take the two mirror stocking pieces and place them face to face (pretty sides of fabric touching) before you trim. The picture shows them stacked properly. It is just hard to see that there are two stocking units there. I try to angle my cut a little outward if possible so I can have a tiny flair at the top of the stocking. 

 Now after you trim you should have two mirror pieces stacked on top of one another ready to sew. 

 Place your piece of 4 inch ribbon between the two layers and pin in place. This is your hanger. Pin the rest of the way around your stocking. 

 Sew around the edges leaving the top open. 

 You are almost done. It is looking great. 

 This step is very important to make your stocking look nice and smooth. Make little snips around the edges on all the curved areas. make sure not to cut too close to your stitching. Only snip about an 1/8 of an inch in. 

 Turn your stocking right side out and press. Yay! You now have  a great ornament for your tree. Or, you can fill with candy and give to a neighbor or friend. 

The first person who makes this ornament and sends me a picture along with any pattern corrections. I will mail you a fat quarter of your choice.

Hard Candy Quilt

This is my newest pattern. I taught this quilt for the first time as a mystery earlier this year. I was so pleased with the results. This quilt is made from one jelly roll and 2 1/2 yards of background. You have enough strips left over to complete the binding as well. I get frustrated when I pick up a precut pattern and they want me to have various amounts of multiple fabrics. I want someone to be able to pick up my pattern along with a jelly roll and background fabric and be able to make a beautiful quilt.

Roger did the quilting on this one. I love how he did circles on this very square quilt. I think it added a whole other element to the quilt. He has an amazing eye for things. I am always so surprised at what he comes up with. 

This is a view of the back so you can have a better idea of how the circles look.  I hope to have the pattern in my etsy shop before the end of the year. 

Handmade Christmas gift ideas

I love to spend time looking thru tutorials online for inspiration. I have made quite a few things since I  happened upon this great creative outlet a little over a year ago. I used many different ones last year to help me make some special homemade gifts for family and friends. Over the last year I have taken the time to compile a list of my favorites. Or I could call it wishlist of the many things I would like to make.  I have been asked numerous times to share my list. I don't mind sharing it even though I add to it almost daily. If you make any of the great things listed be sure to thank the ones who wrote the tutorial. What makes blogs so appealing to me is the willingness of so many ladies and men to share their creative ideas. So without further ado I give you THE LIST! Enjoy!! 

Quilting tutorials Links
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/p/free-quilting-tutorials.html

piped binding
http://tlcstitches.blogspot.com/2010/07/faux-piped-binding-tutorial.html

gathered clutch
http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html

bright hope Blocks
http://wishestrueandkind.blogspot.com/2010/06/pillow-talk-swap-3.html

beach bag and towel all in one
http://girllovesglam.blogspot.com/2010/06/beach-bag-and-towel-all-in-1-tutorial.html

scrappy Stars quilt
http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/2010/08/scrappy-stars-tutorial.html

lunch bag
http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-lunch-bag.html

patchwork wrist pouch
http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-patchwork-wristlet.html

denim skirt
http://diaryofacraftaholic.blogspot.com/2010/02/denim-skirt-makeover-tutorial-and-denim.html

painting with kids
http://thelittletreasures.blogspot.com/search/label/activities%20for%20children

buttercup bag
http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern.html

cloth softies book tutorial
http://doahdiddy.blogspot.com/2010/08/cloth-softie-book-tutorial.html

lawn chair quilts
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/09/lawn-chair-quilts.html#more

play diaper bag
http://twelvecraftstillchristmas.blogspot.com/2010/09/pretend-and-play-diaper-bag-tutorial.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TwelveCraftsTillChristmas+(Twelve+Crafts+Till+Christmas)

Quiet book
http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/09/quiet-book-makes-its-debut.html

Bento box jelly roll quilt
http://quiltsoflove.blogspot.com/2010/06/strip-pieced-bento-box-quilt-pattern.html

bucket bag
http://welshquilter.blogspot.com/2007/06/bucket-tote-bag-tutorial.html

Snuggly Squares Baby Quilt (Layer Cake)
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/09/snuggly-squares-baby-quilt.html#more

sleep mask
http://doahdiddy.blogspot.com/2010/09/sleep-mask.html

alphabet rocks
http://thewritestart.typepad.com/the_write_start/2010/08/alpha-rocks.html

storybook puzzle blocks
http://www.camilledawn.com/2010/04/storybook-puzzle-blocks.html

poochie bag
http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=368

friend bag
http://www.psiquilt.com/2009/08/friendship-bag-tutorial.html

cart caddy
http://bluecricketdesign.blogspot.com/2009/08/cart-caddytutorial.html

fabric basket
http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2008/05/tutorial-fabric-basket.html

Snowman candy bars
http://n8swife.blogspot.com/2009/11/christmas-craft-snowman-candy-bars.html

word blocks
http://crystalscraftspot.blogspot.com/2009/11/mini-blocks.html

picture box
http://katiesnestingspot.blogspot.com/2009/11/exploding-box-mini-scrapbook-and-gift.html

piano bag
http://boredandcrafty.com/index.php/2009/08/21/how-to-make-a-piano-shoulder-bag/

great recipes for the holidays
http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2009/11/easy-make-ahead-recipes-for.html

chef's hat
http://curlypops.blogspot.com/2009/08/tutorial-how-to-make-chefs-hat-for-your.html

pencil bag
http://themonkeybasket.blogspot.com/2006/08/pencil-bag.html

messanger bag
http://makeitdo.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/sewing-school-bags/

pencil case
http://gluegunannie.com/?p=227

coasters
http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html

laundry soap
http://porterhouse.typepad.com/porter_house/2009/07/homemade-laundry-detergent.html

flower pin cushion
http://theobjectproject.typepad.com/the_object_project/2009/08/tea-cup-flower-series.html

coffee photo sleeve
http://theobjectproject.typepad.com/the_object_project/2009/06/fathers-day-photo-coffee-sleeve-tutorial.html

fabric potato head
http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/11/felt-mr-potato-head.html

ruffled skirt
http://grandrevivaldesign.typepad.com/photos/ruffled_skirts_tutorial/index.html

decorative pins
http://tuttifruiti.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-shrink-plastic-pins.html

ipod cover
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=740

wallet
http://melissaslilaclane.blogspot.com/search?q=clutch

boxy pouch
http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/

bento box quilt
http://sonnetofthemoon.blogspot.com/2009/01/bento-box-quilt-step-1.html

double hourglass blocks
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2009/09/tutorial-double-hourglass-blocks-easy.html

mini zippered bag
http://fishsticksandfries.com/blog/?p=178

paper snowflakes
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/chas/149370/

pincushion
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/07/giant-pincusions.html

hedgehog pincushion
http://matsutakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-marie-antoinette-had-been-hedgehog.html

stuffed animal
http://www.web-goddess.org/writing/tutorial/Image35.html

two sided apron
http://7layerstudio.typepad.com/7_layer_studio/2009/11/reversible-cafe-apron.html

DVD Bag
http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/12/portable-dvd-player-tote.html

marshmellow gun
http://n8swife.blogspot.com/2009/12/pink-princess-shooting-gun.html

travel pillow case
http://arieleldridge.blogspot.com/2009/05/summer-road-trip-pillow-tutorial.html

ornaments
http://katrinastutorials.blogspot.com/

Eye mask
http://prudentbaby.blogspot.com/2009/11/diy-honey-its-my-turn-to-sleep-in.html

felt food
http://treasuresfortots.blogspot.com/2009/12/felt-tortelloni-pasta-and-tin.html

candy bags
http://soyouthinkyourecrafty-tuts.blogspot.com/2010/01/candy-bags.html

shopping bags
http://cadouri-din-inima.blogspot.com/2009/12/shopping-bag-sewing-tutorial.html

cute pincushion
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/01/moda-love-pincushion.html#more

puffy pouch
http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-puffy-pouch.html

cardboard stars
http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/04/craft-coardboard-stars-from-toilet.html

rag rug
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/02/braided-rag-rug.html

spider web quilt
http://quiltville.com/spiderweb.shtml

Wristlet
http://twopeasinapoddesigns.com/2010/01/04/make-it-monday-patchwork-wristlet/

pot holder wallet
http://obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com/2009/11/pot-holder-clutchwallet-tutorial.html

Shoulder bag
http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/2006/06/shoulder_bag_tu.html

lined zipper pouch
http://projectsbyjane.blogspot.com/2009/03/fully-lined-front-zippered-pouch.html

bag with zipper on front.
http://projectsbyjane.blogspot.com/2009/08/recessed-zipper-shoulder-bag-tutorial.html

metal top clutch
http://www.liaspace.com/2009/10/scrappy-clutch-bag-tutorial.html

table runner
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/01/cherry-bar-tablerunner.html#more

juice pouch pencil case
http://getyourcrafton.blogspot.com/2009/08/rooty-tute-tuesday.html

binky clips
http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-tuesday-beaded-binky-clips.html

handmade flowers
http://emilys-little-world.blogspot.com/2009/12/handmade-flowers-tutorial-week-day-5.html

crayon bag
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/01/childs-activity-bag.html#more

keychains
http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2009/08/fashionable-fabric-key-chains.html

oven mitts
http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2009/10/oven-hand-mitt-tutorial.html

crochet flower magnets
http://salihan.com/flower-fridgies/

lollipop cookies
http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2010/01/play-dough-lollipop-cookies.html

fabric card and envelope
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=4778

baby Mac quilt
http://piecenquilt.blogspot.com/2009/08/tranquil-baby-tutorial.html

Stacked coins quilt
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/02/stacked-coins-baby-quilt.html

ruffle top
http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=791

flowers
http://bittybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/2010/01/kanzashi-flower-tutorial.html

machine cathedral windows.
http://april-makingendsmeet.blogspot.com/2008/07/cathedral-window-tutorial.html

lunch bag
http://peapodcreations.blogspot.com/2010/03/lunch-bag-tutorial.html

tutorial round up
http://comeandseetheseitz.com/2009/10/16/tutorial-round-up/

tank top tote
http://www.craftynest.com/2009/10/tank-top-totes-six-pockets-or-gathered/

Ironing board cover
http://33stitches.blogspot.com/2010/03/as-promised.html

small purse
http://7layerstudio.typepad.com/7_layer_studio/2010/03/tutorial-for-little-clutch-purse.html

flower tote
http://justanotherhangup.blogspot.com/2010/03/lil-girl-springtime-tote-tutorial.html

bloom quilt
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/03/let-your-imagination-bloom.html

Royal icing
http://www.prudentbaby.com/2010/03/how-to-pepare-royal-icing.html#more

Shopping Bag
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=177482.0

easy square baby quilt
http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2010/04/hunky-dory-baby-top.html

kids car mat
http://fiskarscraft.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/03/onthego-car-activity-mat-fiskarscraft.html

disappering nine patch I Spy
http://obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com/2010/05/disappearing-nine.html

shopping bag out of a T-shirt
http://lovelybud.typepad.com/lovely-bud/2010/05/my-entry.html

potato bag
http://web.archive.org/web/20071202190308/http://www.atimetostitch.com/potato_bags.htm

bag sew along
http://kellyrachel.com/blog/2010/05/25/make-a-bag-sew-along-gather-your-supplies/

flower cupcakes
http://katharinesthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/05/monday-musings-colourful-cupcakes.html

1/2 yard bag
http://mollychicken.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/06/half-yard-bag-part-1.html

Love bird
http://mollychicken.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/02/4th-attempt.html

Stroller bag
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/09/2-in-1-bag-stroller-bag-into-messenger.html

Hexie pincushion
http://pennyshands.blogspot.com/2010/08/hexie-caddy-tutorial.html

wallet
http://lolanovablog.blogspot.com/2009/07/summer-wallet-tutorial.html

play mat
http://twelvecraftstillchristmas.blogspot.com/2010/10/stuff-your-stockings-saturday-mini-play.html

monster pillow
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2010/07/monster-pillow.html

oragami folded bag
http://mairuru.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-make-origami-drawstring-bag.html

recycled field bag
http://www.whiteoakschool.com/camp-creek-blog/2008/4/12/make-a-field-bag-from-recycled-clothing.html

small messenger bag
http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2009/11/messenger-bag-tutorial.html

headband
http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2009/03/headband-aka-serre-tete-tutorial.html

box pouch
http://modernquiltlove.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/perfect-box-pouch-tutorial/

fat quarter bag
http://cicadadaydream.blogspot.com/2009/02/fat-quarter-tote-bag-tutorial.html

drawstring bag
http://alittleredribbon.blogspot.com/2009/11/linen-drawstring-giftbag-tutorial.html

house pouch
http://thelongthread.com/?p=4623

tiny treat bags
http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/projects-ideas/bags-pillows/small-treat-tote_1.html

snow globe soap
http://www.alphamom.com/family-fun/holidays/snow-globe-soap/

mug rug
http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/2010/11/mug-rug-of-scraps.html

lunch money cuff
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com/2010/09/lunch-money-cuff-tutorial-she-christie.html

mushroom lunch bag
http://alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com/2010/08/mushroom-lunch-bag-tutorial.html

trinket bags
http://amazingmae.blogspot.com/2010/02/trinket-keepers-tutorial.html

kitchen towel apron
http://alittleofthis---alittleofthat.blogspot.com/2010/08/hand-towel-apron.html

hair wrap towel
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/09/04/towel-wrap-for-your-hair/

various bag sizes
http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=449

Please remember that these are for personal use only. You can not make any of these items to resell without permission from the artist.

Busy sewing

 This week I have been putting my new sewing machine to good use. I have been making ACU Kippahs. A friend of ours from Georgia asked me to make him a few. I did some market research and noticed that they are not available anywhere. I thought I would whip up some extras and list them in my etsy shop and see how they go. I believe they turned out pretty nice. They are a lot nicer than the ones you can get from the Chaplin, or so I think. 

I made them with many different linings. I have a few more cut out that I will try and get together this weekend. 

This one is my favorite. 

HOOAH!!

My first Tutorial

I have been wanting to write a tutorial for a long time. I read my first tutorial online a little over a year ago and I was hooked. I have made so many neat things because of others willingness to share their talents. It took a magazine deadline to get ME kicked into high gear. My mom works for the Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I have worked for them off and on when extra help was needed. We were asked if we would like to come up with a craft for their Christmas supplement. I have made scrunchies for years. I even have a friends who will request them whenever I go home for a visit. So I wrote out instructions. My first Tutorial!! I am so excited. 
Please go to the link below to see my article. 
http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/holiday2010#pg80
The Old Schoolhouse has out a lot of time into this holiday magazine supplement so if you would like to see a lot of other great ideas feel free to browse the pages and enjoy. 
I hope this tutorial will be the first of many. I want to celebrate my first tutorial so I am giving away the scrunchie pictured above as well as a red snowflake one. I will choose one winner from the comments below on Monday November 15th at 9:00pm MST.