Here's the loot from the craft swap last week.

paper lanterns by Laura

necklaces by Suzanne (I was wearing mine on my birthday)

ribbon and pom pon trim dish towels by Brenda

night lights by Shawna

stick people by Carolyn

oilcloth party flags by Marcia

beaded dip bowls by Lynette

chalkboard clock by me (super easy to make - plywood square, chalkboard paint and clock kit).

Good stuff all around!  Thanks ladies.  I love swapping with you.

The tutorial is up!  Look over to the sidebar on the right and there it is.  Go on, get some elastic thread and get sewing.  I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Things will be quiet on the blog for the next few days.  I may pop in and post some pictures.  I am also trying to get my act together and clean up the blog - you know, update links and the like.  I want to start a flickr group for all those twirly skirts that have been popping up all over cyberspace, too.  I have some sewing I want to accomplish, including something for myself.  Oh, and a couple of trips to the pool.  We are so excited for that.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you to my lovely assistants, Kate and her good friend Laine.  And congratulations to Sasha and Marianne!  I will be in touch with you lucky ladies to discuss the details of your prize.

187 comments!!!! Yikes!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have that many birthday wishes even though I asked for them!  Thank you all so much.  I really appreciate the time you take to comment.

I know the candles say 25, but this really is me on Tuesday with my scrumptious chocolate cake.  I really am 36.  Fatty just likes to think of me as 25 and has since the day we met (when I was actually 22 and he was almost 28).  He walked out with the cake and had me laughing immediately.  I love that man.

Although I have a big head, I don't think we have a hat big enough to fit all of your names.  Kate and I will work on that this morning and I will be back with the winners of the tote and belt later on today.  The sunny day dress (and top!) tutorial will be up tomorrow.  I am almost finished - just some editing and a couple more photos to add.

Again, thank you all for playing along!  I had a great birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!

This is my brother Ryan and me, doing the "I'm a little teapot" songand dance number in my parents' kitchen.  I think I am about 7 yearsold which makes him 5.  Do you see the dress?  Elastic thread - that's what I am talkingabout!  Too bad the dress is long gone.

Because I like giving gifts just as much as I like receiving them, it's giveaway time.  Comment on this post and if your name is drawn, you could be the lucky winner of a patchwork belt or tote bag (not these ones exactly, but similar).  I'll post the lucky winners (yes, plural!) on Thursday.  C'mon all you lurkers, make my day!

OK, that's it for now.  I've got some celebrating to do!

I have all the photos uploaded for the tutorial - I just need to write up the directions.  That is the longest part.  It is easy to sew and snap pictures as you go - matching the photos to words is more difficult.  Bear with me....I will get it finished soon.

This is the pile of shirred garments (two dresses and one top) sitting on the kitchen chair waiting for my girls to agree to a photo shoot.  It didn't happen yesterday so keep your fingers crossed for today.  I may have to whip up another little number, just to make the kiddos happy.  We are busy today:  school, Kindergarten check-up for Kate, birthday party for a friend and craft swap (woo hoo!) tonight.  (Just a side note, I finished my craft yesterday unlike last time.  Feel free to pat me on the back because I am happy not to be having a craft-a-thon today!)  Tomorrow is an entirely different matter - not much planned, but Fatty has the day off and I can't wait to spend the day with my man.  And those teacher gifts.....Kate's out on Wednesday so I had better get cracking on that.

OK - off to tackle a bit of the tutorial.  Thanks for being patient with me.

Did I mention a giveaway?  No?  Oh, well, just stay tuned....

I appliqued some flowers on to a maternity t-shirt for my friend.  The flowers came off of an Alexander Henry print leftover from this shirt.

The light is horrible in this photo, but the shirt was given this morning and I didn't have a chance to take another one.  The color is more true in this detail shot.

I find these appliques extremely satisfying.  I like looking at what I already have and trying to use it in some other way.  My friend liked it too.

And just because, here is a photo of a beaten egg.  The girls and I found ourselves alone for dinner the other night so I made pancakes.  I really like the yellow in this picture - something about this shade is making me smile.

Happy Friday!

I like giving gifts.  I especially like giving gifts that I have made.  This is for a friend.

I was inspired by one in the Lotta Jansdotter book.  I gave the directions a read, but made mine differently.  The straps are longer on this one.  I also lined it and added a pocket.

I am so pleased with the results.  I think I am going to make some for teachers' gifts.  Gotta get on that - Kate is out next Wednesday and Jane is finished the following week.  Yikes.  Has it been a whole school year already?

I am working on the sun dress tutorial, but have been delayed a bit.  This is partly due to the procrastinator in me.  I started later than I had hoped.  The other reason is that the fabric I am using right now has a white background.  The elastic thread is white and so is my sewing table.  All that white is making it hard to see the details in the photos.  I am going to finish this one up and then do another colored one.  I think that should make it much easier to see what's happening in the photos.  Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait.

Oh, and since a bunch of you asked, I bought my labels through Namemaker.  Be warned:  it takes awhile to get them.  About three weeks or so, but definitely worth the wait.