It's All About Me!

So this post is for a promo for Not Your Mama's Craft Market which is coming up May 4, 2013 in Marysville, Ohio at the Houston House. I will have a table and a tent outside where I will be selling my wares which will include some quilts, small zippered bags, as well as an opportunity to custom order something for yourself or a loved one! Be sure to look for my table! It will look a little something like this....

and I will be the one wearing this name tag...

I have been meaning to sit down sometime to tell everyone about myself, so I figure this is the motivation I need to do it. 

My humble beginnings began in the small town of Marysville, Ohio. Both my parents worked full-time and I have fond memories of playing in my Grandma's basement where she always had a quilt frame set up with a quilt in it that her and her sisters, as well as some friends, were working on. We used to lay under it and push it up with our feet as well as loosen and tighten the grips on it. There may have even been a stitch or two secretly sewn......but no one could ever prove that! My Aunt also watched us and she tried to get me going on embroidery at an early age. To this day, I just don't have the patience to sit down and do that! 

I was always a crafty person and mainly focused on scrapbooking throughout high school and college. I went to a small private college where I got my teaching degree. I then worked in the food industry while my husband finished up school. I had our son, he graduated a couple weeks later and 6 months later we moved to Nevada! 

Most people say, "Ohhhhh Nevada!!!!" I say "Ewwwww Nevada!!!" While I met many wonderful people there, the only season is brown and we forgot what rain was. The only good things was being able to look out our back window and see snow on the mountain tops almost all year round. While there I became a Stampin' Up consultant. 

About 2 years later we got out of the desert and headed to TX. Once here, I decided to get back into to teaching side of things and started the long and expensive process of becoming a certified teacher in TX. While doing this, I got out the sewing machine that had been sitting in my closet for years and had my mom show me how to use it. The first bag we made together was pretty sad looking. From there I started making table clothes and aprons. I made quite a few aprons! I even made some skirts for myself!

Eventually I started substitute teaching and the bag that I had been using to carry stuff in broke and I was trying to find a new when someone suggested that I make one. Well, I had never thought about this so I started researching and came across the blog of Sara Lawson. Let me tell you, this girl is awesome. In the 2 years that have been talking she has become a great friend and inspiration. She now has a wonderful store where she sells her custom made patterns. The bag of hers I made was The Naughty Secretary Bag. It was big enough to hold all my stuff and looked awesome. From this point on, I was hooked on bags and couldn't make enough. My husband once said that he didn't care how many bags I had as long as I made them myself....boy has he come to regret that!!!

Towards the end of our stay in TX I got into some paper piecing work as well as making quilt blocks and other random things. Then we move to Indiana. (Our final move!) Here I met some great quilting folks and visited some super cute shops. Sara needed me to throw together a quick quilt together for her for a sew a long she was hosting so I jumped right in and this quilt would be my first professionally long-armed quilt and I showed it at a local quilt show!! Definitely something I am proud of and it is displayed in my living room!

I love the blue background. This fabric is Amy Butler and the pattern is by Tula Pink who rocks my world with all she does and creates. 

So that's my story. Along the way I have become friends with some big names in the market and even done some work that will be featured in some books that are coming out in the near future!! (How stinking cool is that!!)

People always ask me what my "style" is. I find that it is hard to fit into the boundaries of a particular style. Someone once told me that they had figured out my style and that I didn't have one. At first I took this as an insult, but since that time I have learned to embrace "my" style and I think that my work shows it. I am not afraid to use bold colors or mix different prints and patterns. I do what I love and if you don't like it, that's fine, just respect the fact that a lot of love goes into each piece and that I enjoy what I am doing.

I have been asked a lot if I design my own work. I have done some and would love to do more. A major goal I have right now is to save up for some awesome quilting software that will help me create more and come up with some spectacular designs. 

Since we moved here I have been working at a little quilt shop and have begun substitute teaching again.....while trying to become certified here...don't get me started on the topic of Nation-wide teacher certification...
Part of me wants to teach while the other part of me wants to stay home and sew all day...which I do when I am not working. Someday I will decide....maybe....

Here is a sneak peek of some quilts that are going to be for sale at the Market....just a couple though!!

and I might have a few zippered bags adorning my table also!!

Well I hope you weren't too bored learning about me and what I do! Please be sure to check out the other great vendors that will be joining me at the show. Just check out the blog. And in case you forgot....

~Kim

I'm in, are you?

So the fabulous Tula Pink has released a new book. 

 I loved her last one too!

There is an amazing Sew A Long that will start next month over on Sew Sweetness.

I plan on joining and hope you will too! It will go thru the end of the year and each month will have a winner drawn. The final give away will be chosen by Tula herself. 

I can't wait. Check out her post to see all the info and how to link up on Flikr.

Can't wait to see what everyone does!

A Gift and a Tutorial All in One!

Last year while living in TX and working at Western Hills Elementary school, one of my dear friends was diagnosed with Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer. I knew that she would be doing a lot of going back and forth to the hospital, I knew that she would need a bag to carry everything in. I scouted around online and found some pretty teal ribbon fabric along with some pretty sparkly butterfly fabric from the same line. I made her this bag.

The handle was long to swing around and there was a pocket on the inside. Another friend of hers (who I had never met) made her a blanket from the same exact fabric!

Not too long ago I heard the news that after a non-cancer related surgery it was found that the cancer was back and had spread. This was very heartbreaking for all of us but I know that if anyone can fight it off a second time it would be her!! 

I knew that I had to make her something else so I racked my brain and talked to her wonderful British husband and he suggested a pillow. Of Course!! I also knew that she liked British shows like me and I just happened to have a Tardis pattern that I had been dying to try. The Tardis is the space ship from Dr.Who which is one of the best shows ever!!

At the same time, I also needed to write a tutorial for the upcoming Craft Market that I am in....

be sure to mark your calendars for this!!

So my tutorial will be for adding a zipper to a pillow cover. I know that a lot of people are afraid of zippers and prefer to do an envelope type cover but I like the zipper....little boys are tempted to stick their hands and stuff in the envelope pillows! 

The first thing you need to do is finish the front and back of the pillow. Size is totally up to you and what you are making. Mine are a finished size of 18 in by 24 in. I accidently got a 24 in zipper instead of a 18 in one but longer is always better than shorter. 

 The next thing you are going to do is line up the bottom edges of the front and back covers, right sides together. 

The draw a line 1/2 in in from the edge across the whole length of the bottom edge.

Then draw a line one inch in from each side.

 Now you will sew along the line you made 1/2 in. in from the bottom. You will sew the first inch with a regular stitch, making sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of the one inch. When you get past the one inch mark, increase your stitch length to as high as it will go to make a basting stitch.

It should look something like this. I am using a more contrasting thread but you can also use something that blends in. No one will see this part of it anyways.

Now you are going to iron the seam open. See how it sticks up? (Please excuse messy desk in the background!)

Press open the seam so that both sides lay flat and open. 

Now you are going to lay your zipper face down along the crease where the 2 pieces connect.

I like to open the zipper a little so that I know it is inside the area it needs to be. This also helps you to be able to sew the ends down well. 

Then pin the zipper down along the length of it so it doesn't move. You may also mark a 1/2 inch in from the edges on the zipper so that you know where you started basting. 

Then it is time to put your zipper foot on your machine and start sewing around the zipper. I like to do extra back stitching at the ends to make it more sturdy. 

Once I get down to the opposite end as the zipper, I like to  flip it over and clip the threads right on top of the zipper so that I can move the zipper further down and out of the way when I get to the area that I started. 

Here is what is should look like on the front after you have sewn around the zipper! Now remember how I clipped the threads over the zipper pull? Now is the time to clip the rest of the basting stitches and pull the little threads out! (I really hate this part)

This is also the time to cut any over hang you have on your zipper ends.

 Before sewing your pillow closed on the other 3 edges, be sure to open the zipper at least half way!!!! This is very important. It is quite a pain to not open the zipper.....trust me, I have been there!

Sew them together, turn inside out, and stuff with whatever you desire!!!
Doesn't this look nice?!!

As I mentioned, I made this pillow as a comfy pillow. Instead of using a pillow-form, I made my own pillow for the inside. I got some Micro Beads to give it some weight and them I stuffed the rest with Pellon Perfect Loft to give it some comfiness!

Lesli received the pillow and loved it! I hope to be able to add picture of her and the pillow soon!

You can read more about her and her amazing journey here. 

Let me know if you try out my pillow zipper and if you have any questions!!

~Kim

Hi, my name is Kim and I am a pinner.....

Are you on Pintrest? Everyone should be! I just wanted to take a minute to share a couple things I have tried from there. 

BTW- this post is dedication to another fabulous Kim out there. She is wonderful and we post the same things!

For cleaning: 

Vinegar is AMAZING!! Use it on anything and it will clean it and make it shiny!!

http://www.isnichwahr.de/r97543604-life-hacks-by-inw-live.html

http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/11/explosive-showerhead-cleaner/

I also did this to my oven and it worked amazingly!!

http://www.thecouponersswagger.com/2012/12/27/how-to-clean-your-oven-after-the-holidays/

For kids organizing for school:

Have too many papers hanging around and flowing out of backpacks? I made one of these and you can too!!

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2010/11/school-paperwork-storage.html

Then there is food.....!!!!

I made this and it was fabulous! I think it would be even better with bacon in it!!

http://www.allthecooks.com/hamburger-pie.html

I made this is didn't really like it. The apples didn't cook all the way thru and it wasn't the same as a pie!

http://domesticdilettante.com/2012/01/11/applepie/

I made these and they were WONDERFUL and soo easy!!

http://recipenewz.com/recipe/Oven-Baked-Meatball-Sandwiches-201208301456/

Another fabulous quick and easy meal!

http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/2011/09/02/french-bread-pizza-done-right/

With living in TX for 3 years, I got addicted to sweet tea and this recipe is THE BEST out there to make your own!

http://cravingcomfort.blogspot.com/2012/07/sweet-tea.html

I made this for Christmas morning breakfast. Very dissappointed. It didn't cook evenly and it all stuck to the bottom of the pan. Has to be an easier way!!

http://sheldonrachel.blogspot.com/2009/03/french-toast-bake.html

I am sorry there aren't pictures of what I made- I never think to take pictures before we dig into them!
Hope you like my suggestions and I would love to know what you love on Pintrest!

~Kim