A Busy Friday

I can't wait to share the furniture I am working on, in preparation of my new little "studio".  After moving my sewing into a tiny cramped space to keep it all from the toddler, I am moving it back into my semi spacious room.  My hubby and I have an affection for reclaiming furniture, or making it from old materials. So in addition to our bowling lane table, we will now add big heavy pained glass door sewing table.  The paint is drying as I write this, but I am so thrilled I just had to write about it.  To go under it will be a funky chair that we sprayed orange and recovered in neat-o Amy Butler fabric.  I will share pictures after my retreat this weekend.

I so love my hubby for his can do attitude, especially when I give him a project like "make these two doors into a desk please", and his love of lengthy bike rides.  I decidely do not like that can do attitude however, when it translates into me going with him on said bike rides.  I can hardly walk, and have taken enough Aleve that I could probably (Crude alert!) pee out a brand new bottle.  I can't wait for my little out of town excursion.  Have a wonderful weekend, and someone please pass me my wine.  :0)

Rainy Days...

The house is picked up, kids are at school, (or Grandma's) and it's doomy-gloomy outside.  The perfect day for hot coffee, candles, and sewing.  I am working on four different patterns simultaneously, and while that sounds very much "why on earth wouldn't you finish one first", this is just how I work. Plus I believe that when I debut the website, the Twitter, the Facebook page, I should have at least four patterns lined up. I like to give people choices. While four isn't as good as say, 13, it is better than one.

I have a retreat lined up for this weekend, at my sister's cabin on the lake.  I'll be working on craft-showy stuff as we are participating in a small boutique style show.  I hope to have some patterns ready to go by then, and maybe some custom fabric as well. (I so admit that last one may be a long shot) What I will most certainly have though, is lots of prototypes.  Bags, robot and bear plushies, purses, and ornaments.  It takes me approximately no fewer than five of something to make absolutely sure I get it right in the pattern.  Soooo looking forward to it!  (The cabin, the time spent with great gals, and good wine. Lots of good wine. ;0)

So happy day to all of you, and happy doomy-gloomy day to me as well!

Sneak Peak of the Reversable (Hobo? haven't decided yet) Commuter Bag

Just one of the five I have created so far, I really want to be sure the pattern has well written instructions and details!

Inspiration!

Inspiration can come in many forms, and today I was blessed with several. Dropping my little one off at Grandma's today I received lots of kisses, "bye bye(s)", (sorry, couldn't even tell you proper grammar for writing that one) and "got goo!" which is him saying I love you. Sooo sweet! Then stopped by my favorite fabric shop seeking inspiration, and that does it every time. Just the smell and fabric sets my world right. My friend there offered to do me bodily harm if I didn't get some work done on those patterns, so that too,  is inspiring! On my way home I got behind a jeep, top off, with a big sticker on the spare tire: "LIFE... LIVE IT". I thought about that for a while, and decided to paint that on my wall. Inspiring.

I am totally and completely loving the cooler weather right now as well! Fall is my favorite. The colors, and the pumpkin pie. The trips to the orchards for fresh picked apples and the corn maze, and it all leads up to my favorite holiday of all time, Halloween! I would love to say that I make my kids' costumes every year. Yeah, just can't back that up. But we love going to pick them out at the Halloween store, that counts, right? :0)

Well I'm off to work. I'll post a sneak peak at the Hobo Commuter Bag, and since I lost all my links on my blog I better do that too. Oh and research printers, (yes, almost ready to print!) and packaging. I need to figure out how to post a freebie pattern here as well. I'm having an inspiring day, hope you do too!

Another change...

Although I am not sure how many people actually read my blog, (hoping it's a few anyway! ;0) I am changing the URL to sweetbystefanieg.blogspot.com. This will reflect my new business persona, and be able to tie in to the upcoming website. I will still be posting regularly, and include my recipes, family reminiscing, and sewing news. I am working hard on several patterns right now, so that I can debut many, not just one! Having said that, I have been informed that when I change my URL, I will be (unintentionally) losing my links. Please come find me, I have so much to share, especially in the coming months!

Sign Me,

Beautiful day!

Today my hubby and I celebrate our anniversary, even though it's actually tomorrow. Yes, our anniversary is on 9/11, so while we will be reflecting on that tragic day, we will also be celebrating us. You might think it a coincidence, but it is not. My husband is a firefighter, and was deeply affected by the tragedy that occurred that day. It rested deep in his memory banks. Fast forward a few years, and we are at a bakery convention in Las Vegas. We had been dating only a few months.  He proposed over a beautiful room service breakfast, with long stemmed red roses, (by the way, exclaiming "Wow, this really is a great room, you get roses with breakfast!' encourages much eye rolling from your significant other) and what can I say, when you know, you know. (and having been married before, I used to scoff at those "who knew", yeah right...) But I did. I said yes, and he said, "We are here a couple more days, let's make this happen!" He suggested September 11. It became really important to him to commemorate a tragic day with a happy one.

We got married on September 11, four years ago. Him in a designer shirt and jeans, me in a hot pink lounge singer number. (FYI: It is surprisingly difficult to find a nice wedding dress on the strip, in the wedding capital of the world.)  We had many laughs that day, from the minister with the fake french accent, to our cab leaving the chapel and us having to ride THE BUS back to our hotel. (another surprising fact: You can call a cab from off or down the strip, but chances of it getting there are slim to none. They will always take the first fare, and they will always be flagged down by someone else before they ever get to you.) We enjoyed a fabulous wedding dinner at Prime, in the Bellagio, and celebrated further with the always invigorating Blue Man Group. (We able to take a cab this time. ;0)

It's not necessarily true that "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Turns out when you get married there, you come back with a husband. I couldn't be happier.

Oh, how was the bakery convention you ask? I don't know. I don't remember.  :0)

I will remember, however, the many lives lost on that September 11, and be ever thankful for what I have on this one.

First day of school!

Two things, kids (2 of 3 anyway!) went back to school, and I got to help at my favorite fabric store! I think everyone had a good day. The girls chatted on endlessly about their friends and teachers. (whew!) My son did NOT want to come home from Grandma and Grandpa's house. (sweet!) I was able to work with a great friend, selling wonderful fabric, catching up with customers, and sewing. (yay!)

While at the shop my friend came up with a name for the bag pattern I'm working on. I'm helping her make one on Thursday, and she told me she was calling it the Commuter Bag, as she would be using for just that. I was struggling with a name, (College Hobo Bag, anyone ;0) and eureka! Patty came up with the perfect name. It's large, has room for many books, and pockets for your lipsticks and goodies. Stylish and functional, with a wide strap that crosses the body to distribute the weight. I can't wait to see how she puts her fabrics together, as she is a phenominal quilter with a great eye.

I plan on working on it diligently tomorrow, right after kids go to school and I am sufficiently caffienated.