Sally's Angelworks

{winner, winner, chocolate for dinner!!}

Welcome back to Sally's Angelworks!!!

I've been hibernating!! Not really. But I have been honing some much-needed skills to keep this blog a fresh and inspirational place! I'm super excited to share with you all about my refreshing experiences lately, but first...

let's pick a winner for my two charm packs of 25th and Pine...

Everyone who posted a comment to any of the Merry and Bright August posts was entered into the random drawing! Random.Org picked a winner...

Sandy K!!!! 

Yay!!! Watch that mailbox, Sandy!!! 

So, you didn't win?

Go grab yourself a piece of your favorite chocolate, and make it dark since dark chocolate is very good for you, AND get ready to get a guaranteed charm pack!!!

Create something using this little pattern by October 1st, and I will send you a Pedal Pushers charm pack for sure!! Who says you have to quilt for free? You are earning it, baby!!!

{these are my Pedal Pusher Clam Shells...You'll receive the 5" charm pack~ for free!!!}

You can change your word to something else and use whatever fabric you want! It would be fun to have a Christmassy theme, but I tell you what; I'm not holding you to that! 

I'll have a post on October 1st that you can link to. It'll be fun! Like a party! Can't wait to see what you do!!!!

So, a quick moment to tell you about some of the stuff I got and learned this last week at Find Your Lula! It was the most magical experience!!!! 

This picture above was one of my favorites of the photos I took on a rented Canon 6D on the manual setting. Manual has been extremely intimidating for me, but with a photography expert teacher next to me (Kristen Pack), I felt more able to experiment and fail and succeed. And that, my friends, was really what Lula was all about! Learning in a safe environment and expanding my creative voice!!!

We learned so much!!! and I still have a lot to learn and to practice! I have so much swimming in my head right now, and the next part is processing it...just like you process your pictures/film in photography! 

Thanks for being here while I process out loud! LOL!!!

Here's some of the loot we got last week!

This book is my Smashbook. It's a book with a lot of open space for you to do whatever you want to with it!!! We took notes, put pictures in it, documented processes in Illustrator and photography and just good business practices...

I also had a #selfieswithsally page! (Check out my instagram feed for that snapshot! LOL!)

Just a few examples of the inside of my smashbook!

Fun resource of awesome knowledge I gained at Find Your Lula!

I'll pontificate more about it a bit later! You'll want to stay tuned for that! So inspirational!!!!

My Make-O-Meter is on the rise again, so stay tuned for some super fun inspiration!! 

BTW, how are your Christmas gifts coming along??? I'm still making my list and checking it twice!!

Blessings!!

{a merry and bright august - the final edition!}

Ohhhhhh it's so sad!!! This is it for my Christmas in August fling here on the blog!!! Kind of, anyway! I will be posting Christmas projects from now until December 25th for sure!

And today's project is so awesome!!! And a big learning experience!!

I started with these fabulous fabrics, Chalkboard Christmas designed by Melissa Ybarra with Iza Pearl Designs! 

And I finished with this!! 

A Chalkboard Christmas Table Topper!

Comment if you want to have a PDF pattern for this topper!! It's made up of strips and half-square triangles. Not too hard.

Okay...confession time!! (I think I say this a lot!! Stop me if you've heard this.)

I messed up while sewing this together. 

So, I came to a spot where I had to make a decision. Rip about 8 - 1" blocks apart or just suck it up and see how you can salvage it after sewing the next strip on. 

Confession: I am not a perfectionist. 

When making that decision, though, I had to take a few things in consideration:

 

1. Am I keeping this?
2. Is it a gift?
3. Am I going to sell it?
4. Will the mistake bug me and keep me up at night?
5. Should the mistake bug me and keep me up at night?
6. Am I going to try to enter the piece in a contest or show?
7. Will mr gorgeous still love it?

 

and the best question...

Can I cover the mistake with buttons?

In most cases, the answer to the last question is yes. I actually took buttons to my work to sew them over my mistakes, but alas, I had forgotten a needle! 

I am not a perfectionist!

But that's okay...in most cases!!

I love the swirly quilting on this piece!!

It makes me think of snow!!!

Before quilting...

After quilting! And the binding? I followed Becca's tutorial that she taught us at this month's Houston Modern Quilt Guild meeting for machine binding. It took me 15 minutes to put this binding on. The only thing I would do differently is to maybe use matching thread OR a longer stitch with the white thread. But otherwise, it was soooooooo fast!!!!!!! And I think it looks pretty darn good!!!

Those words...sigh!!! LOVE!!!! 

Let me know if you want a pattern!!

Here's where I wrap things up!! (get it???)

What a blessing to start on Christmas early! And I so appreciate all of my readers and friends that have joined me here and encouraged me on!!!

1. If you still want to enter to win two charm packs of 25th and Pine by Basic Grey, comment on any post that is in the Merry and Bright August category!

2. Also, if you want to guarantee getting one charm pack shipped to you FREE, join me in creating this pillow!

 I'm extending the date (because real life hit and I overestimated my finishing ability!! LOL!!) to October 1st! It doesn't need to be quilted. It can be a mini quilt if you'd rather! You can have your squares measure anything you want (equally, you know! LOL!!). Mine are 3" finished. So it's going to be a big blue Christmassy pillow for us!! :) (love!) Post a link to your pic in any merry and bright post!! Make sure you let me know it's a link to your pillow top! ♥

3. Make sure you sign up for the newsletter! I have some fun things coming up, other blog series, and announcements for new products in the etsy shop, plus free patterns! yay!!!

I hope I've inspired a little bit of the season in your lives and gotten you ready to craft for your gifts and decorations this year! You've inspired me to continue crafting!! yay!!

Blessings!!!

I'm linking up to crazy mom quilts finish it up Friday!!

{a merry and bright august - the apron edition!}

Happy Tuesday!!!

I'm sad that this is my last week in this fun Christmas series!! I hope and pray that you have been blessed and have been motivated to start early on your Christmas gifts and decorations!!! I sure have!

Today, I have a great treat for you!! Two aprons that I made pretty quickly! You can, too!!

A while ago, I asked the girlies over at Riley Blake if I could have some Laminate fabric to make a waterproof apron for me and my crazy splashy dish washing!!

A couple of weeks ago, I got a sweet envelope in the mail from Riley Blake with gorgeous aqua chevron laminate! I rejoiced and set to making myself a waterproof apron!

Remember this apron? (tutorial linked to the pic)

I took this tutorial and changed it up a little!!

Basically, if you add up the measurements of top three fabrics, it equals 23.5" width. Then the bottom three = 8.5". Instead of sewing 6 layers together, I sewed two layers + three ruffle strips.

The top layer is a piece of laminate that measures 23.5"x34".

The bottom layer is a piece of muslin that measures 8.5"x34".

To add the ruffles, cut 2 strips WOF 2" wide and gather the top with a gathering stitch. Pin the strips to the muslin however you'd like them to look! Sew!!

Sew the two parts together (laminate and ruffle piece) and follow the rest of the tutorial!

One of the reasons I created this apron this way is to wear it high on the body so your tummy doesn't get all wet from your splashy dish washing!! LOL!! Also, this is the way Julia Child wore her aprons!!

{image source here}

Oh you want another apron? I'd be happy to share one with you!!!

This is my new Jenny Eliza Reversible Apron! I love that you can turn it around and I love Jenny Eliza, fabric that is more of Jennifer Paganelli's beautiful designs!

Super easy, too!!!

Take two half yards of fabric (preferably Jenny Eliza by SisBoom from JoAnn Fabrics) and sew them right sides together all around leaving a hole to turn it right side out. Turn it right side out and sew around the whole piece catching the opening in the seam.

 

Take your piece and fold it in half. Put a pin about 2inches from the fold.

Fold each side to the middle fold and put two pins about 1.5" from the fold. 

Open your piece with the pins holding the pleats together. Sew where the pins are about 2 inches down. 

 

Open out your piece and flatten your pleats and iron! Then you can sew across the top of the piece to set the pleats.

Time for the straps. Cut two 2" strips WOF. Sew them right sides together leaving the ends open. Turn your tube right side out and fold in the ends. Press. Cut the strap in two and press the ends in. Sew all around both straps. Sew them on the top right and left edge of the top.

Cut another strip 3.5" and fold it right sides together and sew! Leave one side open. Turn it right side out. Fold in the open end, press and sew. Cut it in half and set aside for the top!

Now, let's quickly make the top part. Fold a piece of fabric in half so that it measures 14" square (you are starting with a 28"x14"). Put the fold on the bottom, and mark the top in from each edge 3.25" on either side! Draw a line from that mark down to the bottom corner. Repeat on the other side (you are basically sewing a trapezoid!). Sew the sides and turn it right side out.

Fold in the top raw edge and place your raw edges of your straps inside against the folded corners. Sew along the top of the edge to secure the straps and the open edge! 

Sew the top piece to the bottom matching the middles of each, pinning and sewing!

Because I finished the bottom of the top, it's totally reversible!

 

So sweet!!!!

What is your favorite cookbook that you are cooking out of?

I'm loving this one...

Giada's Feel Good Food

There's a recipe for an awesome arugula-lemon sauce that Mr Gorgeous loves on his salmon!! I actually don't eat seafood, but as of this year, I cook it! I'm expanding my horizons...a regular renaissance woman!

I also love any Weight Watcher cookbook!! LOL!!! They do the hard work for me.

But it isn't really any fun to cook without a cool apron!! I hope these two above (really, three, counting the Valencia Thankful apron above!!) have inspired you to cook and to cook up some aprons! ♥

Here are some links to others I've made:

Mother/Daughter matching aprons

Art Smock Tutorial 

Delighted Scalloped Apron Tutorial on the Quilted Fish

 

Fun Flirty Girl Promenade Apron Tutorial on the Intrepid Thread

What are you cooking up today???

Don't forget to comment to enter to win two charm packs!!

Blessings!