Things I love...

(Lots of pictures today so I uploaded them all small. Just click on them if you'd like a larger version.)



I am head-over-heels for these Yazzii bags! I am always on the lookout for ways to bring organization to my craft supplies. I am really picky though. I have no interest in organization that looks nice but is actually more work than being a slob.

My former method of organizing my embroidery and hand-sewing supplies worked well for me in some ways. I kept my embroidery floss seperated into baggies and the baggies lined up in a basket. And I have a tray basket that held my other supplies (scissors, thimbles, marking pens, needles, etc). This system worked pretty well but it was definitely not all that portable. And my stash of needles had grown far beyond my needlebook. My needlebook works well for my loose needles, but I really needed something to hold packages of needles.

Let me tell ya, these bags are dreamy! And I was able to use 40-50% off coupons for each of them at Joann.com! The small bag has four "pages" of zipper pouches. Each one holds a particular variety of needles (embroidery, tapestry, quilting, and a misc category for yarn/doll/bead/chenille needles). And there are pockets on the front and back "covers" that hold my often used supplies (scissors and such) and seldom used supplies (tape measure, marking pens).


And then there's the big bag. There are 2 main compartments. One has pockets and space for holding the current project and it's supplies (how amazingly handy-dandy and portable is that!). The other big compartments has pages of pouches that have been filled with all my embroidery floss. And I have quite a bit so that is truly impressive!

I am also still loving cross-stitch, though I'm not so sure I love working with linen. I'm trying, though. My new glasses certainly help. (Which, by the way, arrived in a different color than I ordered. But they go surprisingly well with with my new darker and grayless hair.) Here's my current work-in-progress, nearly finished.


And here are my future projects. I purchased these patterns from Handcrafts Online. When I'm finished with them they will live in my new sewing/crafty room. My husband is in the process of finishing the basement and it's really starting to come together.

We just tiled the part of the basement that leads to the walk-out. There's a hallway there that has the washer/dryer closet on one side. Since it's a small area we went with what we loved rather than what was most practical. We both instantly fell in love with this travertine. It took us about an hour of discussion, in the store, before we decided that we did, indeed, need to have it.

Please overlook the stray bits of construction debris. This is the only bit of the floor that isn't hiding beneath a piece of plywood at the moment.

Oh yay!! UPS just arrived with my new free motion embroidery foot for my sewing machine!! I was all pouty that there isn't any mail service today. I had forgotten all about UPS.

I can't wait to use it on the winter quilt. But first I plan to practice using it a bit. I plan to use this Martha Stewart slipper pattern as practice. I intend to use denim for the soles and quilt the pieces before stitching them together. I think the seams will have that cool raggy look. I wonder how many pairs of slippers I'll make before feeling brave enough to tackle the quilt!




And how can ya help but love a cutie boy at the sewing machine! He hasn't sewn anything of consequence yet, but he loves sewing little scraps together!