Bag Review: Vintage Sheet Market Shopper from Artsy Craftsy Babe

I stalked Beki's blog when she was in the process of making this bag!  I loved it- it's roomy size, it's use of vintage sheets (my collection is probably way too big), and it's shape.  When she posted the pattern for sale, I think I might have been one of the first to buy it.  

It is easy, easy, easy!  I usually mess up something when I am constructing from a pattern.  I didn't do it on this one.  Yay!  I actually think it took me longer to cut it out than it did to sew it. A first for me.

It is roomy, for sure, and I don't mind that there is no interfacing in it.  I definitely mess things up when I add interfacing to things.  I need a class in interfacing.  Interfacing 101.  Maybe someone on Craftsy will offer one someday?  I would take that class in a heartbeat!  I just don't know how to use it properly, where, tips for using it, and examples of what kind works with what kind of projects.  Oh, off topic...

Anywho!  I love this bag.  I have one tip- when you use vintage sheets, they are definitely worn in- soft and lovely.  Sometimes when you are sewing two older ones together, it can be a bit slippery.  I recommend you use one that maybe isn't as worn as the other if you can.  It really helped with sewing this bag up easily. Or, you know, some spray starch. I always forget to use that stuff.

She has the pattern for sale here!  I love that I can immediately download these patterns and set right to work if I want. If you have a large vintage sheet collection like me, this is a great way to use up one little bit at a time and make something useful and pretty.  AND you can sell them too if you want! I really appreciate it when I buy a pattern and have permission to sell it.  I haven't actually ever sold anything yet that I have sewn, but to have the option is very nice. It seems like so much work to develop and write a pattern and I would never want to sell something that I didn't have permission to do so with first. 

I have gotten so many nice comments on this bag- and I have to say at Quilt Market Heather Ross (amazing and delightful fabric designer and crafty book writer) and Amy Smart of Diary of a Quilter (one of my favorite quilty bloggers in the universe) both noticed it was a vintage sheet and complimented it! 

Let's Do This Thing!

My favorite person to quote- Flint Lockwood from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Let's do this thing!

So much has happened since I (meaningfully) blogged last. Let's see...I will run down the list.

1. Molly turned 5. Then she turned 6. Jack turned 2. Now he is 3. Sheesh, I haven't blogged for a while... And help! I forgot how challenging 3 is. Any tips for 3 year olds?

2. I was pregnant, and now we are a family of 5! Everett Marshall was born on January 23, 2013. He is a delightful baby, 4 months old, and such a great sleeper. Probably jinxing it, but I have to crow it from the rooftops. I haven't ever had a good sleeper before! It's life changing.

3. I sewed some things. I organized some things. I spray painted some things. I read books to and played with my little ones. I did mountains of laundry. I bought fabric. I went to PMQG meetings. I joined Instagram. I made some new dear friends. I went to quilt market.

That about sums it up! Stay tuned...more to come!

Claiming my blog!

I was so sad when I heard that Google Reader was closing down. Thank goodness there are smart people out there that make it easy to transfer the blogs you follow from one reader to another. 

I chose to transfer the blogs I follow to Bloglovin' and I am so excited! I haven't had much time to read blogs for awhile. Bloglovin' makes it easy to read the blogs I love to follow. I am slowly catching up on all the posts I need to read. 

Hopefully I will soon start posting again here on Dear Spring Green! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Project #2: Finishing a Pillow

I was super lucky and was able to take Elizabeth Hartman's Free Motion Quilting class at Modern Domestic. If you have never taken a class there, and you are a local, you should!  Our class was a nice small size, and I felt like I had lots of time to ask lots of questions and get help when I needed it. Elizabeth is a wonderful instructor and I wholeheartedly recommend her class!

My pillow!

We spent the first day cutting our fabric and learning how to practice quilting with a walking foot. On our second day we practiced quilting on a second quilt sandwich with our free motion, or darning foot.  

This was supposed to be wonkier lines.
I learned I have to start really wonky for them to stay wonky as I go.

I had ordered a free motion foot and a walking foot years ago, knowing that someday I would want to use them to quilt something I had finished. I was pretty nervous to put them on my machine, but after the first class I came home and hooked up the walking foot. It was awesome! And after the second class, I came home and hooked up my free motion foot, and it was awesome too!

Pebble quilting!!!  Oh I was super excited to learn this one.

I finished up my pillow at home, and took it to our quilt guild meeting for show and tell. Yay! I had something to show! Not a quilt yet, but I'll get there.

Stippling.  The hardest for me!  I held my breath the whole time I did this square.
It turned out much better than I thought it would.

The fun part of this is I did most of it with little ones (literally) tugging on my sleeves...and pants. So if I can quilt like that, imagine what will happen if I have a little time to myself.

Leafy vines! I wanted to try stars on vines, but the ones I did looked like sad wierd triangles.

I am super happy I was able to take this class. I know I will be able to keep practicing the techniques and improve with time. What is your favorite quilting (or other!) class you have ever taken?  


Today I am Grateful for:
1. Sewing!  Quilting!  It makes me happy.
2. PMQG.
3. Learning new things.
4. Living so near PDX.  So many amazing ladies belong to my quilt guild!  I am lucky!

A Royal Garden

I love royal weddings!  I remember waking up early to see Prince Charles and Lady Diana get married when I was a little girl.  Now, I am going to get up very early to see Prince William wed Kate Middleton today!

Our flowers last year!

Molly and I have been picking out our seeds for our flower garden.  We have been royally influenced in our choices this year.

Sweet William is going to marry...

Flowering Kale, I mean Kate.

She is as sweet as an English Daisy.

She will become a part of the Royal Family!

The Archbishop of Canterbury will marry them.

And they will live happily ever after in misty Anglesey, Britain!

Are you looking for something cute to do with your little ones to mark the occaision?  Look here! (And then look at the other ideas to the right!)

Today I am grateful for:

1. Tivo.  If I don't get up early enough, Tivo will record it for me!

2. Summer is coming!  We can plant soon.  I have big plans for the garden this year.

Vancouver Adventures

We had a rainy spring break week.  I wish the weather had been better, but we had one day (sort of) with sun.  I think Mother Nature must be holding back for a super-terrific summer she has planned for us.  Right?  (Say yes.)


We decided to stick closer to home and have our adventure here in Vancouver.

The Pearson Air Museum is close by, and we went to visit!  It is located in a large hangar in Fort Vancouver, near Officer's Row and downtown Vancouver.  

The rudders and tail fin wiggle on this one! The propeller spins too.

Helicopter!

There are plenty of cute things for little ones to do, and lots of really great information for older children and adults on the history of flight, and specifically the history of flight in the northwest.

Here is part of the museum.  There is so much more!

The museum is housed in this hangar.

They even had a Snoopy plane.  Molly is pretty crazy about Snoopy ever since her Grammy showed her "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  She thinks Snoopy is hilarious. Though I am not sure she was as impressed with the Red Baron plane as I was.

As we walked through the parking lot when we were finished with the museum, we smelled something wonderful.  I had heard that there was a wonderful bakery nearby, so we followed our noses.

The Julia Bakery is located not *too* far from Pearson Air Museum!  We had to get out the GPS to find it though :).   Molly chose a cookie, I had a blueberry scone, and Marshall had a bun with prosciotto, ham, and olives baked inside.  We all liked our choices. 

Mmmm scones!

Today I am grateful for:

1. Healthy kids!  I am probably jinxing it, but everyone has been healthy for awhile.

2. Family to share holidays with!

3. Intermittent sunny weather.

4. A great crafting room to sew in.  I know I am lucky to have one!

5. My Dads!  I have two, and one has a birthday today!  Happy birthday Dad! (Ha, just realized he used to oversee/something the Pearson Air Field when he worked for the city.  What a coincidence!)

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Psalms 150:6