New Tim Holtz Fabric

During a recent trip to my local Joann store, my friend Carol pointed out a display of new Tim Holtz fabrics near the front of the store.  I had actually walked right past them, not realizing what I was looking at.

They were pretty, but they were a little more pricey than I was used to buying.  During my next trip, however, Carol showed me a BEAUTIFUL handbag she had made with the fabric, so I decided to splurge.

I bought 6 different fabrics and decided to sew them together in a patchwork design.  The bottoms of the bags are the same, but the top part and flaps are slightly different.

It's hard to pick a favorite, although I think I'm leading toward this third one.

The flaps are held shut with a Velcro closure and have a little gear as an embellishment.

The final dimension of the bag is approximately 20 inches on top, 14 inches on the bottom and 6 inches deep.  There are 6 pockets inside, with each being big enough to hold a Cricut Cartridge in its box.  I think this bag would be perfect for cropping events, don't you?

If you're interested in ordering one of these bags, email me at bckpiano@yahoo.com :)

Remembering Two Angel Babies

Recently, I met a new friend, Melissa, on my facebook page.  She asked me to make an iPad Mini sleeve for her.  The transaction started out just like all of my transactions do--with email exchanges filled with details about fabric, colors, and sizes.  Melissa asked if I would be willing to put a removable strap on her bag, so that she could carry it as a cross-body bag.  I was happy to oblige.  Plus, it was such a great idea!  I'm actually going to start making these for my Etsy shop.

After we got all of the strap ideas worked out, she made a special request for the flower embellishments.  She asked if I could put a taller purple flower in the center, with a pink and a blue flower on either side.  She explained that the purple flower would be for her, and the shorter flowers would be for her two angel grandbabies.  

When I read her request, I was so touched.  What a beautiful way to memorialize two special babies that were surrounded by so much love, even though their time on Earth wasn't long.

The pink flower is for Ryleigh Marie and the blue flower is for Ryder Michael.

 These are Melissa's words:  

I have 3 sons who are in the military. My oldest is married and they became pregnant twice. They lost their daughter at 20 weeks along in June of '11. Her name is Ryleigh Marie and they lost their son at 22 weeks along in Feb. of '12. His name is Ryder Michael. we were able to be with Ryder for about 1 1/2 hours before he went to heaven. Ryleigh never a took breathe. I miss them and think of them every single day. I am looking forward to another little token in their memory.

I'm so happy that I could play a small part in remembering little Ryleigh and Ryder.  My prayer is that God will bless Melissa and her family abundantly on this Earth, until they are reunited in Heaven one day :)

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

And the Winner Is...

The winner of the "Most Pathetic Cover" contest is...drumroll please...Kathleen!  Um...I'm not sure if "congratulations" is the right thing to say, because most people though your cover was the most pathetic. lol  But..the good news is you have won a brand new Kathy's Cozy, which will be sewn with EXTRA love for your machine.  God knows your poor machine needs as much love as possible. ;)

Underneath those pathetic bags are Kathleen's Expression, Mini and Cameo.

Pathetic Cover Contest

Here it is...the moment you've been waiting for...the entries to the first annual Kathy's Cozies Pathetic Cover Contest.  Vote for your choice as the "Most Pathetic" by leaving a comment on this post.  (One vote per person, please!  Comments/votes may not appear right away as they have to be approved by me first.  Only 1 comment per email/name will be posted.) Votes will be tallied on August 7th and the winner will receive a brand-new Cozy for her machine.  Here are the entries:

PATHETIC COVER #1

 PATHETIC COVER #2

 PATHETIC COVER #3

 PATHETIC COVER #4

"Most Pathetic Cover" Cozy Contest

The first "Kathy's Cozy" was made when I saw that my mother-in-law covered her Cricut Expression with an old towel.  How could such a splendid machine be covered with a faded, thread-bare, ragged old towel?  So, because I love my MIL and she loves her machine, I made my first quilted Cozy.  It turned out great.  She loved it (and me for making it for her).  Now, three years later, my little business has grown and I make Cozies for more than 30 machines.

This is actually the second Cozy I made for my MIL.  She picked the fabric and has a whole matching set.  I'm her favorite daughter-in-law.  (I'm also her only DIL...but I like saying that I'm her favorite.)

And...I know some of you are just like my MIL.  You're holding out and still covering your machine with an old towel, pillowcase or T-shirt.  So, this is your opportunity to win a brand-new, custom Cozy for a machine of your choice.

Here's what you have to do.  Take a picture of your machine with your pathetic cover.  Your machine can be a Cricut, Xyron, Silhouette, Cuttlebug, Sewing Machine, etc.  Make it as pathetic as possible!  Send the picture to bckpiano@yahoo.com.  I will send an email confirmation back to you when I get it.  You will have until July 31st to submit your picture.  Please submit only 1 picture per person.

On August 1, I will post all of the pictures here on my blog and the voting will begin to find the most pathetic cover.  Voting will end at midnight (EST) on Tuesday, August 6th.  Votes will be tabulated and the winner will be notified on Wednesday, August 7th.  The person receiving the most votes will receive a custom Cozy for that machine.

Have fun and be creative!  I can't wait to see your pics :)

~Kathy

"Your Little Piece of Cookie Heaven"

Recently, I was asked by a very polite gentleman from NYC to work on a custom Cozy order.  (Okay, I have to stop here.  In all of my communications with him, I couldn't bring myself to call them "Cozies."  Call me gender biased, but with him, I referred to them as "Covers.")

The first thing I noticed was that he was an excellent writer.  I really enjoyed reading his emails.  They were fun to read and were full of wit, light-heartedness and intelligence.  Turns out, he was a writer.  I knew it!

We exchanged some friendly emails, and then he sent a package containing an old plastic cover that I could use as a pattern, and two pieces of upholstery fabric.  I made sure I had all the details correct, and then I started to create his Cozies.

They turned out great and fit like a glove.  He even sent a picture.

But that's not where this story ends.  A few days later, I received a mysterious package in the mail.  I didn't remember ordering any fabrics.  And...the box was much too light to be the rice cakes I had recently ordered.  I opened it up and this is what I found.

My excitement grew when I saw a picture of a cookie and read the word, "bakery."

And yes, I was so excited, I even took pictures of each step of the unwrapping of the box.

 This is what I found inside!   Holy cow, these were (notice the past tense) HUGE cookies!

Where I live, these are called muffins.  But, in NYC these are called cookies.  I've never been a city girl, but these cookies could persuade me to reconsider.

By this time in the process, my husband and sister had gathered around.  I noticed they, too, were salivating.  So I (grudgingly) shared.  We broke out the milk and began to sample the 4 varieties of cookies from Levain Bakery.  There are no words to describe how good these cookies were.  They were crunchy, chewy, sweet, heavy, substantial mounds of cookie heaven.  

15 minutes later, this is all that was left of the first packet.  They were a lot better than the rice cakes.

Here's the card that was enclosed in the box.  "Your Little Piece of Cookie Heaven."  Truer words were never spoken.  Thanks, Bill :)

Do You Suffer from CWS?

Okay...I admit it.  I have taken my sewing machine along with me on vacation.  Sometimes warm oceans and sandy beaches and just aren't all they're cracked up to be ;)

But, in my defense,  I've only done that twice.  I will admit, however, that I'm not an outdoor-type girl.  I don't like being hot.  When I'm in the sun for more than 15 minutes, I begin the process of burn-freckle-peel.  And, did I mention that I'm a mosquito magnet?  I must have succulent flesh, because I can be standing beside my husband and he doesn't attract a single insect.  But I return to the great indoors covered with silver-dollar-sized welts that itch for days.

  I'm an indoor-type girl.  All I need to have a good time is some air conditioning, a comfortable chair, and a puzzle to work on.  For me, a vacation is a change in the routine.  It's a time to get together with my family.  It's a time when the stresses of life are forgotten for a short period of time and I have few responsibilities.

But, sometimes during a vacation, my CWS flares up.  (Craft Withdrawal Syndrome)  If I don't work on a craft project for long periods of time, I get restless, irritable, and short-tempered.  (This is not to be confused with PMS)   The only cure for CWS is to have a craft at hand.  Even a few minutes of crafting can lessen the intensity of these symptoms.

It's good to know that wherever you are in the US, a Walmart is no more than 15 minutes away.  In a pinch, I can go there and pick up a skein of yarn and a crochet hook.  It's a quick, inexpensive cure when the symptoms flare up.   

These are some baby blankets I have crocheted during bouts of CWS.  In spite of the nagging symptoms, I think they turned out pretty well :)

 

For more details about these blankets, check out my Etsy shop.  :)

A Few New Cozies

I don't have any grandchildren to brag about, but I dare you to ask me about my Cozies :)

I love these colors together!

Mmm...and it's even low in calories!

It might be hot outside, but this Cozy is guaranteed not to melt!

Thank you, thank you very much!

Loving this melon and chevron combination!!!

More cupcakes...and these are a little glittery.

If you don't have an outdoor garden, you can have an indoor one!

Check out my Etsy Shop for more Cozies!

Something Different

I love making quilted Cozies.  There's something about the hum of my sewing machine that is comforting.  And I just love fabric.  I'm obsessed with it.  I'm always on a quest to find the most beautiful fabric combinations.  And there are days when, after spending all day as a 4th grade teacher, I need the act of sewing random lines of uniform stitches at a high rate of speed to help me relax.  Quilting makes me happy.  

But long before I knew how to quilt, my mother taught me how to crochet.  And, although I don't have much time to do it, I still love it.  So...I found the perfect project for someone who likes to crochet pretty things, but doesn't have a lot of time:  fleece blankets with crocheted edges

A yard of fleece will make 2 baby blankets.  After I trim them to size, I add some holes around the edges using a skip blade.

Then, I just start crocheting.  Sometimes I use a pattern for my edges.  Sometimes I just make it up as I go.  

Sometimes I make shells, sometimes loops, and sometimes a lacy edging.

And...the good thing is, I can usually whip one up in an evening.

If you're interested in purchasing one of these blankets, check out my Etsy shop.