WIP Wednesday 12/2/15

Oh how I am feeling the Christmas crunch!  Of course it's my own fault for procrastinating and just not having the sewing motivation that I like to have.

First of all, I got in my new sewing machine!  It was to be delivered on Friday, but due to the ice storms it came in on Monday.
I'm very pleased with it and have a lot to learn on how to use it.

Wanting to get right to using the machine, I went back to work on the microwave hot dish potholders that I am making for gifts.  It took all I had not to mark one and sew it, but I forced myself to get them all marked.  I've not started sewing on them yet, but that comes later today.  Prep work for projects a lot of times takes a lot longer than actually making the item.

I had been working on the dish scrubbies for the orders of those and had stopped on the hotpads until my machine got here.  I still have lots of scrubbies to also get made in time as they will also be for gifts from the person that is buying them from me.

How are you doing on gifts that you are making??

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
5 sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
Hot pad bowls for Christmas gifts


2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork
9 lined fabric bags
yellow crazy quilt lined bag
Pink hexagon table topper
Blue hexagon table topper
Yo-Yo Table runner
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Challenge quilt for quilt guild
Autumn wall hanging

I am linking up with the following blogs:

WIP Wednesday 11/25/15

I didn't do a lot in the way of sewing this past week.  I did cut a few more squares for my scrappy quilt and for the hot pads I am making for gifts, but didn't take time to take a picture since I shared that with you last week.

The biggest thing I did this week was to get my etsy shop up and running again.


While I was at it, I also reopened my zibbet shop as well.


I finally had enough of the chip bags piling up on the kitchen cabinet and have those cut now. If you wonder what I am making with them, you can check out my blog post here.

I got in an order for dish scrubbies so I have a start on them. I actually also got the black cut, together, and in a roll since taking this picture too.

And, so that I do have a picture that is sewing/quilting related I will share this box of fabrics that I am soon to start making in to yo-yo's. Our guild is having a boutique booth in the Wichita quilt show next June and yo-yo's made with other fabrics are on the request list for us to make to sell in the boutique. I was given this box, so sounds like a good plan for me to make them to help out.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
5 sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
Hot pad bowls for Christmas gifts


2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork
9 lined fabric bags
yellow crazy quilt lined bag
Pink hexagon table topper
Blue hexagon table topper
Yo-Yo Table runner
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Challenge quilt for quilt guild
Autumn wall hanging

I am linking up with the following blogs:

CM4's Q Card Case Makes the Perfect Stocking Stuffer!

I know several people who collect cell phone cases.  I know several people who use them for the practicality of them.  I am on the practicality side, and CM4's Q Card Case is something that I really needed.

With Christmas right around the corner, these really do make great gifts.  **And, keep an eye out later in the post for a super special Black Friday through Cyber Monday special!**

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. (Note:  cases are available for several models of iphones and androids, just check the link below)  The case for the S5 come in 3 colors as shown below:

I am currently using the one that they are calling green on my phone.

I love it!  The convenience of having my 3 most used cards on hand at all times with me is great.  I don't have to lug my whole wallet around with me anymore.  Plus I keep a little stash of cash inside too.  Everything is secure.
The case fits perfectly on my phone even with my tempered glass screen protector.
The buttons work easily.

The CM4 Q Card Case carries up to 3 cards plus cash.   They offers a lay flat screen guard and full frame protection.
Your cards will not demagnetize inside the case.
The fit will will be tight for 3 cards at first, but after a couple of days the premium fabric loosens.....but not loose enough that they are not secure in the pocket.    You can see in my photo above that there is a finger hole to help you easily get the cards and cash out when needed.
The front of the case has an amplifier slot.  This takes the sound from the speaker on the back of your phone to the front.  Nicer sound quality too.
In addition, each case also comes with a bonus screen protector and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Here is the deal you have been waiting on!

Receive 50% off all CM4 cases purchased from the CM4 Store on Amazon. Items must be purchased using the following link: CM4 Store on Amazon. This promo code is also valid for all purchases from cm4.com.

Available at Amazon link: CM4 Store on Amazon

Dates: 11/27-11/30       Coupon Code: BLACKFRI

CM4 ships worldwide.

*Free shipping on domestic orders within the US.

Rates are calculated prior to checkout based on ship-to location. Orders are shipped via UPS or USPS.

All are orders are fulfilled from Austin, TX within 2 business days.

Now for an extra added bonus.  One lucky Marsha's Spot reader will win a case!  Just enter using the rafflecopter form below.  Be sure to visit their website to verify that they offer a case for your phone.  Winner will get to choose which case they will receive.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  I was sent product in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  

WIP Wednesday 11/18/15

I didn't get any more work done on my scrappy hexagon quilt or my hexagon flower table runner, but I did get some work in.

I got started on the hot pad bowls (not sure what you call them) that I am making for Christmas gifts.  I still have some fabric to cut for all of the batting that I have cut, but I think it's a pretty good start.

I worked on the locker hook rug.  I didn't get the black done as far as I wanted to, but you can see what my design plan in.  I will put colors in the black frames.  I have the purple strips cut but still have all the other color strips to cut.  I did cut ahead on strips for a later rug, which aren't pictured.

I bought this book at our quilt guild for $1 because I love scrappy quilts.  I've had this one in mind to make for a long time now.  A gal who works at the quilt shop cleaned out her sewing room and gave me 5 boxes of scrap fabric.  The boxes were full and are what you see in the picture.  I'm planning on only making the blocks from what she gave me.  I have a start on cutting the 3 inch squares for the half square triangles.
Yeah yeah, you don't have to say it, I already know......I have NO business starting yet another project when I have so many already started!  I just can't help it.  And, I figure that as long as I am working each day, eventually something will get done.  LOL

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
5 sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
Hot pad bowls for Christmas gifts


2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork
9 lined fabric bags
yellow crazy quilt lined bag
Pink hexagon table topper
Blue hexagon table topper
Yo-Yo Table runner
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Challenge quilt for quilt guild
Autumn wall hanging

I am linking up with the following blogs:
alt="WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced" />

Making a World of Difference One Quilt at a Time -- Book Review

Making a World of Difference One Quilt at a Time:  Inspiring Stores about Quilters & How They Have Touched Lives is by Ruth McHaney Danner,

Ruth quilts for several charities, most of them going to her quild's community outreach, but some are also featured in her book.
She knows that one quilt can impact the recipient as well as the quilt maker.
Her advice if you are looking for charities to quilt for is to just keep your eyes open.  Needs are everywhere.
She says the greatest joy of making a quilt for charity is thinking of the person it will go to as you are making it.
Her hope for anyone who reads her book is that they will read it to the end, and then get to work.  To find a way to give of themselves to help others.
Ruth wrote this book first of all because she loves quilts.  She's been making them since she was a child and as she's grown older she's realized that her greatest joy is making them to give them away.
She learned how to quilt from her mother and grandmother.  He grandmother quilted out of necessity and her mother for pleasure.
Her favorite aspect of quilting is the hand quilting.  She finds it both calming and therapeutic.


I loved reading this book and the stories.  They touch your heart.  There are 55 stories in all.  Each one ends with what she is calling the Binding Stitch.  This is where you can get more information on the charity and/or the group.

The quilt guild that I belong to does a community project each year.  Each year is a different project and a different charity.  It's not always quilts, although this coming year it is.  It's a wonderful feeling to know that what you are making goes to a good cause and the people receiving will truly be appreciative.  It's also the togetherness of other quilters all working together.
Our guild also constantly makes Quilts of Valor.

I also meet monthly with ladies from my church.  We simply call ourselves the Zion Lutheran sewing club.  We make many quilts that go to the Domestic Violence Center, but we have done lap quilts for the Good Samaritan Home, stuffed animals for First Call for Help, dog beds for the animal shelter, and others.

I have made just blocks that I have sent to several blog owners for quilts they put together for charity.  That one is always fun!  One block  was going into a quilt for cancer research and I was able to personalize it with a note to my dad who died of cancer almost 20 years ago.

This book is such a joy to read.  I love reading inspirational stories.  Even if I wasn't a quilter, I would love this book.  I am sure if I wasn't a quilter, this book alone would prompt me to start quilting, or at least to find a group where I could help out.

Ruth is also the author of What I Learned from God While Quilting.  I have added it to my want to read list.  I am including a link to it as well.



Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the book as well as additional information for the purpose of this review.  I was not compensated in any other way and any opinions are my own.  Post does include affiliate links.

Online Earnings October 2015

Here are the places I received money or gift cards from in October:

zubeezone-- $4.70 paypal
redstaghits-- $36.22 paypal
swagbucks -- $25 amazon and $25 paypal
magical journey downline builder-- $4.55 paypal
apptrailers -- $4.50 paypal (if you sign up, bonus code predictableuranus2 for bonus points)

trafficmagician -- $14.51 paypal

perkTV -- $25 amazon (Use my code 860efbf6 and get 50 bonus points. )

This totals $139.48, which sadly is less than my net last month.  That sure hurts my goal.
The upgrades that I have at redstagmailer, postmanhits, trafficmagician and zubeedownlines comes to a total of $30.29 for the month.
This takes my net online earnings to $109.19.

This must improve!  I started doing a lot more this month in the way of  joining different traffic exchanges.  I'm joining more to take part more in the VTG games. (I need to write a whole post on VTG some day)  I even upgraded at traffic browser for the lowest $2 a month to be able to surf 10 traffic exchanges at once instead of 7.  This is getting more done.
I'm still working on this and will continue to do so.

In the meantime, I also am working on my crafts again and will soon have my etsy store open again.

Until next month....Happy Earning!

WIP Wednesday 11/11/15

I got in a little sewing/quilting/crafting work this week.
I started a new locker hook rug, but I didn't take a picture since I don't even have the edge on yet.  I forgot just how much that canvas hurts your fingers.  Hopefully by next week I will feel I am far enough to share a photo.  I've had a plan in my head for months on a design I wanted to try and finally getting around to getting it started.

I did get one flower embroidered around and part of another one on my rainbow flower table runner.

I also got a few more hexagons added to my scrappy hexagon quilt.  I think I will get out the hexagons that I have done and start working those in along with the ones I am making.  I know I have a very long way to go before this is a quilt top!

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
5 sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt


2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork
9 lined fabric bags
yellow crazy quilt lined bag
Pink hexagon table topper
Blue hexagon table topper
Yo-Yo Table runner
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Challenge quilt for quilt guild
Autumn wall hanging


I am linking up with the following blogs:

RawSpiceBar--Small Batch, Freshly Ground Spices (giveaway included)

Small batch, freshly ground spices, delivered to your door for just $6 a month!

I've never been an adventurous cook.  Only on occasion have I ever bought a spice that I've not heard of to try a recipe from a magazine or that I've seen online.

With RAWSPICEBAR that is all changing.   Each month your "box" contains 3 new spices from another land, as well as a recipe sheet.  Each spice has a description, history, and suggested used on the bag as well.

My 19 year old is a natural cook, and she loves to use spices such as what you get in the RAWSPICEBAR packages.  She's excited.  She even has little spice jars to put them in.  We love it when she cooks and she's never yet made something that we didn't all like.  I look forward to what she will make for us with the various spices.

WHAT'S IN THE MONTHLY BOX

3 freshly ground spices & blends with a new regional theme

Kitchen-tested recipes for cooking 3 global dishes serving 4-6

Spice stories & culinary history of each new region

Surprises like bonus spices, toasting tips, discounts and other fun stuff

Here are photos of my September and October packages:

Right away, after reading descriptions on my spices, I knew what I wanted to fix first.  I used the Za'atar spice, mixed with olive oil, to spread on bread.  My husband and I had this at a fancy restaurant and I loved it.  Now the rest of the family also got to enjoy it. (Next we are using this spice as a dry rub on chicken)

Each spice packet is .4 oz, and as I said, each package gives ideas on the label as to ways to use it as well as it's origin and ingredients.  This is coupled with the recipes that also come each month.

Are you ready to get your spice on??  It's only $6 a month, which includes shipping.  No obligation, cancel at any time.  Well worth it to add a little spice to your life....and food, of course.

One lucky Marsha's Spot winner will win a 2 month subscription to RawSpiceBar.  Just enter using the rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!

(Open Internationally!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:  I rec'd a 2 month subscription to RawSpiceBar for the purpose of this review and giveaway.  I was not compensated in any other way and any opinions are my own.

WIP Wednesday 11/4/15

Well, it's been a long time since I've done a work in progress post.  Ever since my sewing cram session to finish 2 of the quilts that I put in the quilt show, I've just not done much sewing at all.
I hope to change that and be able to share each week again progress that I am making on projects.

This past weekend I attended a quilt retreat hosted by Cottonwood Quilts.
I loved it!  It's so nice to get away, socialize with other quilters, and just have hours and hours of sewing time.
I finished a fall wall hanging, which won't be pictured here, but will be added to my etsy once I get my shop back in order there.

I finally got to use the hand dyed fabrics by Vicki Welsh that I won in blog giveaway from So Scrappy, along with several of the hexagon flowers that I have made with the So Scrappy color challenge.

I pulled out a bag of black and white fabric that was given to me by a friend.  It's been hanging in my craft room for ages.  I had planned a string quilt, then I thought of doing a jelly roll style top, but in the end I decided to do a rail fence with some red thrown in here and there for a color pop.

And, I worked some on my hexagon quilt project.  You know, that never ending, or 10 year project.  I have over 200 hexagons done in my container, plus what you see here in my box.  I'm anxious to see just how large of a quilt these will make, but not anxious enough to work on it daily.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Charming Stars quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
5 sets of doll blanket, pillows and rug
Hexagon flower table runner
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt


2015 Finishes:

Locker Hook Rug
re-do binding on blue and peach patchwork
9 lined fabric bags
yellow crazy quilt lined bag
Pink hexagon table topper
Blue hexagon table topper
Yo-Yo Table runner
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Fractured Pineapple quilt
Challenge quilt for quilt guild
Autumn wall hanging

I am linking up with the following blogs:
alt="WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced" />

Make Garbage Great By Tom Szaky and Albe Zakes

Fully titled Make Garbage Great: The TerraCycle Family Guide to a Zero-Waste Lifestyle this book is AWESOME!

It's a large hardbound, 224 page, book.  You will find fascinating information, little-known facts, awesome graphics, and colorful images on every page.  This is in addition to the cool projects that are shown throughout.  Each project includes easy to read instructions and step-by-step photos.
For example, here are the pages for the project that I started with from the book:

While I am here, let me share a picture of one of the finished Food Wrapper Napkin Rings that I made.  These are cool, and lots of fun to make too.

So many other projects that I love in the book and hope to get a chance to make.  Just a few of those are:  Food Pouch Tote Bag, Tin Can Office Organizer, Window Picture Frame, and Eggshell Planter.

Make Garbage Great is set up into 8 chapters:
Plastics
Metals
Paper
Textiles
Glass
Wood
Rubber
Organics

Each chapter examines the material in our every day lives, offers a detailed time time of the substance, addresses the current state of affairs, contains a DIY section, talks about the future, and provides useful resources.  This in addition to lists of reuse ideas, quotes, interviews and more.

It will really open your eyes up to the importance of recycling and reusing plus give you some awesome ideas on things to Make Garbage Great.

I highly recommend it!



Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book, as well as additional information, for the purpose of this review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  Post does contain affiliate links.