The Surprise Quilt!!

Most of my close friends and family know all about this, but I wanted to make a blog entry to share the story!! Back when I first got my sewing machine I decided to make a quilt and it has taken me a LONG time to complete one. I always knew I wanted to give my first quilt to my Grandma! This particular quilt happened in stages and honestly, even by accident. I made some original quilt squares with odd sized scraps and called them "wonky" but just couldn't fall in love with them! I tried to help a friend, Charlene with a quilt and wanted to share my scraps with her. I cut them all to size for her before realizing I had measured wrong and cut all of them too short! Inspired by her quilt though, I used my scraps as practice and just loved the result!! From there, my first ever quilt was born! Its taken me about 6 months from concept to finish. I wasn't always plugging away at it. I gave the quilt to my amazing Grandma Prewitt for Mother's Day and she was just so thrilled! I was fortunate enough to have my family there to tape and capture her reaction!! Enjoy the pics!!

You can read more about my amazing Grandma by  CLICKING HERE!

           

   

Hello, darlings!

How has everyone been!?  I know, I know...I've been completely MIA lately.
We've had ALOT going on around here.  We're currently in the process of moving to a new city.  My husband is actually spending half of each week at the new house getting things ready for move in and my son and I are living full time at the old house until he's done with his 2nd grade year in June.  Then we'll all be reunited officially!
In the meantime, I've been doing a lot of weekend trips to the new house bringing things up little by little to make it more cozy for my hubby dearest and during the week I'm just completely consumed with my normal chores and housework, getting Gav to & from school, school projects and homework.

I've barely been sewing until recently when I got a big order in for several of my adorable little boxy pouches!
Right before that I was plugging away at a very special secret project.  I still don't want to spill the beans on it here, because the recipient isn't going to receive it for another couple weeks.  Better safe than sorry, I don't want to spoil the surprise!
It was such a fun project and a huge learning experience for me!!  I can't wait to share photos!!

I've had a little interest lately in seeing more on my Etsy page.  Several people have been requesting aprons!  I'm excited to try a couple new patterns.  I've already made a couple children's aprons for my son and my niece, but making a cute frilly adult apron will be a bigger challenge!

I apologize for my absence and silence!  I assure you things will pick up again when we get settled into the new house (and my new sewing nook has spotlights)!  I hate being away from my sewing machine for so long because its definitely my way to unwind and relax (as crazy as that might sound).
I recently went through and organized a lot of my fabrics so I know what I'm working with now.  I have more [and less] than I thought!  I have some amazing prints that I'm saving to use on new Etsy listings.  I tend to make a lot of things for friends and family (willingly, lol) so I want to save it for things I can sell to make strangers happy! ;) I've acquired quite a fabric stash and I'm not even done yet, haha!!

Anyway, I promise to be better at blogging...it was one of my New Years resolutions!
Just know that I haven't disappeared and can't wait to get back into my groove with everything!

\\xoxo//

How I Organize...

We are moving this summer...either to a different house, or a different city altogether.
I can't really start packing now, because that would be silly when we have 4 whole months left here.  Packing things away for 4-5 months means they aren't things we need on a day to day basis which is cause for throwing them out!
I started with the garage.  Mainly because we bought a new car.  Well, Ricky did.  It will be his daily driver, now that his new job requires a commute.  He's always driving me crazy about cleaning out the garage because there are things out there that just move from one house to the next but never get sorted through.  So I successfully hauled a bunch of things off to the recycling center with his dad and him and cleaned the garage out!
Then I got this crazy idea to tackle the office/guest room/ my sewing room.  I went completely OCD in there.  Printed labels for everything, sorted through every single drawer and the closet.  I impressed myself, haha.
Then I reorganized some of the kitchen cabinets and cleaned out the cabinets in our small laundry room.
Today, I sorted all the laundry...which feels like moving mountains to me.
I went through our master closet and pulled out a ton of clothes to toss or donate.  I did that mainly because my husband has lost 70 lbs. this past year and it was high time to clear out his bigger clothes in celebration of such a huge accomplishment.
Then I did most of the laundry (its still going) from wash, to dry, to folded & hung.
Finally, Gavin and I went crazy cleaning out his room.  I was very proud of him...he cleared out 3 large trash bags worth of junk!  
We are going to rearrange it tonight as soon as I come up with a plan to fix his platform bed which I messed up while moving it.  Anytime you tackle a clean up in Gavin's room its a HUGE task so to just toss that in randomly & finish (for the most part) felt great!!
Tonight and/or tomorrow I think I'll work on the bathroom & linen closets, the china cabinet, and our "junk drawers."
My goal is to have gone through every room from top to bottom and at least have everything sorted & decluttered by Friday.
Then I can enlist Ricky's help cleaning up the yard & hauling things away this weekend!
*whew*  Even this post was exhausting.

Here are some photos of the cleanup in my sewing room!

Quilt Progress

Today I had the chance to bust out a ton of quilt work.
I spent awhile cutting my scraps to size, then sewed them once (I'm working on my own version of a postage stamp quilt).  Press, then sew those sets together.  Press.
I stopped here, because I wanted to see what it would look like using the postage stamp squares and pieces as a border for the 8" scrap squares I'd made awhile back but fallen out of love with.
So I'm using the little squares to throw off the big squares.
Anyway, I'll start putting them all together for real when I get it to cover my bed top at least.
I'm wanting it to be throw sized, mainly because its easier and I want to get it finished quickly in case I decide to give it as a gift.
Here of some photos of me working on the rough draft layout.
I'll have some sizing issues to work out but that will be down the road!
I'm farther along than I thought I was, so I just need to stay motivated to keep busting these pieces out!

Enjoy!
xo

Its Official!!

I have officially made my first Etsy sale!  One of my dear friends who I met ONCE many years ago when I was adjusting to living on an Air Force base bought a bag and a pouch from me!  I'm so excited!  I hope that there are many more purchases after that!

Of course, I have to keep making things!  I have plenty of ideas from friends that they're interested in so that will be my focus this upcoming week.  Keep in mind, if you ever see a fabric or design you love...let me know and I'll custom make something for you as long as I have the right materials!  When I'm done, I'll list your item in a custom listing on Etsy so you can securely check out.

I have a couple other projects I want to work on this week.  One is my scrap quilt.  I've organized all my scraps by color so I need to start cutting them down to size for a scrap quilt I've been working on off and on for what seems like FOREVER.  I can't ever get my ideas straight for this first quilt and I know its because I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself.  I want my first quilt to be nothing short of spectacular, scraps or not!
I also have an idea that I want to work out some fine details on.  A couple people I know are pregnant (one of them in my very own sister in law) and I've been racking my brain for out of the ordinary gift ideas I can make them.  I don't want to make something that will just get tossed in with the bundles of baby stuff they'll get at their baby showers.  So I have an idea for something a little different and I can't wait to start messing with the pattern and seeing what I can come up with!

As always, I am so grateful for your support and kind words.  I love comments so don't hesitate to comment on a blog post!  Keep checking my Etsy shop for new things!

xo
Beth

My newest fabrics!

My dad was just in Florida visiting me and he helped me stock up on some much needed fresh new fabrics!  I'm so excited to start sewing with these new colorful prints!  I'm going to have a few things listed by the end of the week!  Check back *soon* for updates! =)

I'm also going to be offering these little pouches for a few bucks.  I made some for Gavin's teachers for Valentine's Day and have plenty of fabric leftover to make more! Ours were stuffed with candy, but you can use them for just about anything because the pocket is high!

While my Dad was in town, I made him a little shaving bag to keep his bathroom stuff in.  I loved the mustache print and designed this bag myself using tips and ideas from random tutorials & patterns I'd used in the past.  Bags & pouches are getting easier and easier and I like to make each one unique!

 Found some cute new things to decorate my sewing room with!

STAY TUNED!!!

Wow, I am truly blessed!!

I have the most amazing friends and family.  You all have been out there spreading the word about me and my "numbers" have skyrocketed!!  My facebook page is growing, my blog views are increasing, my inbox is filling up with loads of encouragement, ideas, and future orders.
I am blessed to know all of you.  For those of you reading that I don't know personally...I'm blessed that you stopped by my little corner of the world for a peek.

With that being said, its apparent I need to kick it into high gear and start posting listings on my Etsy so you lovelies have more to look at!
Up until this point in time I've been practicing.  I make almost everything as practice and because I'm a perfectionist I give those things as gifts if even one stitch is out of place!

I've finally realized that I need to stop doubting myself and my talent because not a single person has ever called my work lackluster or imperfect.  I absolutely can't wait to share and sell new things!

So keep an eye out and definitely check back with me if you want a little piece of Miss B to cherish!

Comments, feedback, compliments, suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!
Tell me what you look for when you're shopping for handmade goods.  What appeals to you most?  What would you be most interested in purchasing if my talents allow me make it?  What are your favorite fabrics, patterns and designs?
I'm still molding Miss B Designs to be something that not only passes the time for me but also provides my friends, family and fans with things they'd love to have but might not normally buy.  I promise you reasonable prices and I guarantee that anything you purchase from me in the future will be made with love, care and a critical eye.

You can like my Facebook page HERE.
You can find my Etsy HERE, although I haven't posted much quite yet so please be patient!
You can also follow my personal Instagram under Jinxdkarma where I post photos of my work from time to time!

If you see any of my previous fabrics or designs that you absolutely love let me know because I'm always willing to use up what's left of each print.  The end of one yard means I get another!!

That's it for now!  Thank you all for your love & support!!

If you'd like to order something...

If you'd like to order something you've seen me make before, just let me know!  I'm still starting up but I've had several of my amazingly supportive friends interested in buying things from me and I'd love to offer you the chance.
I make many random things, mostly with my sewing machine.
If there's something specific you're wanting that I haven't done yet, let me know!  My favorite thing to do is practice and tune my skills by trying out all kinds of different tutorials and patterns!

For now, if you're wanting something just email me at bethgonzalez16@gmail.com and we'll discuss details & price.  
I have paypal to make payment easy.
I can also create a custom listing for you on Etsy for you to complete your purchase if you'd like.

Hot/cold neck wraps, eye masks, kleenex covers, tea wallets, credit card pouches, little boxy zipper pouches are some of the things I've done in the past.
I am also an authorized seller of these adorable buttercup bags (large or small).

If you're here to check things out for the first time and/or be supportive, that's okay too!  I love all your kind words and encouragement and I'm so grateful you stopped by my blog today! =)

Little Scarlet Riding Hood

Today I challenged myself to make a red riding hood for my good friend & her daughters upcoming 2 year birthday.

It was fun & simple!
I love the way it rippled when I used my zigzag stitch on the edges! !

*A New Quilt!*

Last Monday I received a package in the mail.  A large package!  I had been waiting for this particular package because I knew it would contain a new quilting square, some assorted scrap fabrics, and a bunch of gifts for Gavin's birthday this past weekend.

BUT THERE WAS A SURPRISE!!

My faaavorite Grandma sent me a BEAUTIFUL new quilt!!

So the story of this quilt is as follows.  Listening to my Grandma tell me her side of how this quilt got from Point A years ago to my house in Florida; Point B today lined up perfectly with what I remembered in my mind.

Years ago, this quilt...aptly named "A Bear in the Woods" was the very last quilt my Grandma and her good friend Ruth HAND QUILTED.  Yes.  That's right.  They quilted it BY HAND.  Listen, I'm trying to make a mini scrap quilt right now and it is more complicated than it looks.  I'm looking forward to just having the pieces sewn together for mine (which has already taken a couple months of my spare time) so I can run it through my sewing machine to quilt over the top and be done with it just to say I've finished a quilt!  However, I've been taking my time because I don't do anything unless I'm doing it to the best of my ability.  I can't even imagine quilting it by hand.  Its that kind of patience that makes Grandma's so amazing I think.  Anyway, its incredible how much love and work went into this gorgeous quilt she sent me...and it definitely makes me want to start trucking along to finish up my quilt as well!

Back to the story though... we were up visiting my Grandma and they were having their Church Bazaar.  I remember that Grandma didn't go that year but she put this quilt up for sale/auction at the Bazaar.  I was watching people look at it, admire it, comment on how beautiful it was and I demanded that we buy the quilt, because it seemed like such a shame to sell it to someone after all that work went into it!  Its always been a part of my life...watching her quilt.  For years my relationship with my *Granny* centered around watching my Grandma & Granny quilting together.  I know my Grandma doesn't keep every quilt she's made.  I have 3 of her quilts (now 4), my brother has a couple, my Mom has several, etc.  I wanted Grandma to be there to talk about her quilt to whoever planned on buying it.  So in between stuffing my face with slices of delicious home baked cherry pie I managed to convince my parents to buy her quilt.

We brought it back to Grandma's house and according to her, *she was in such shock that we returned with it, she never said thank you.*  I wish I could rewind back to that moment when she realized it wasn't sold to a stranger (which honestly, is unlikely anyway because in her small town everyone knows everyone and she'd undoubtedly hear about her quilt down the road).  Regardless, we got it back for her & although she remembers not saying thank you, I never thought of it that way...I just remember bringing her quilt back and being happy to do so!

It doesn't matter to me what quilt(s) I end up with in the long run.  This quilt brought back cherished childhood memories...of watching Grandma sew & quilt, helping her pick fabrics and pair them up for quilt squares, going to the church bazaar and enjoying pie and quilts and beautiful hand crafted items.

Blogging about the church bazaar also reminds me of my Grandpa and his jigsaw down in the basement.  Its now collecting dust bunnies, and not saw dust anymore which makes me sad.  I remember watching Grandpa from the stairs as he cut out teeny tiny intricate pieces of wood.  Everything he made was beautiful!  I'm holding out the hope that someday I'll be the very proud owner of one of his Lord's Prayer wall hangings.  Nowadays he doesn't have the same energy he used to so he isn't able to do any woodworking...but it still makes me smile to sneak down into my Grandparents' basement for a soda whenever I'm home (even though I gave up soda pop a LONG time ago) where the smell of wood and sawdust still permeates the air.

I'm a sentimental person.  My husband can tell you that, because I save the most random things in boxes piled up in our garage where he wants to park his precious motorcycle.  He doesn't understand why I saved my old license plate or clothes from when Gav was a baby.  Maybe it was because he moved around a lot when he was young.  Who knows!?  Regardless, I LOVE memories.

Needless to say, this quilt is such a blessing and an honor to have in my home.  

Five Dollar ($5) Sale!!

The holidays are here!

Right now I have TONS of adorable peppermint rice bags available for sale!  I will post some photos below.  They come in a wide variety, as I try to make the use of all my fabric possible so the smaller ones can be used as hand warmers in your pockets, while the largest would make a great size for your aching lower back, the longest are perfect as neck wraps and the smaller, more compact make wonderful cold compresses for bumps and bruises!

I am currently using the following fabrics:
Light Mint Green
Bright Lime Green
Bright Pink
Birds in Cages
Birds
Pink & Green Skulls

I am not taking custom orders, as I'm trying to clear out what I already have made which means they'll ship quickly!

I am charging $5 for each rice bag.
All are infused with 100% pure peppermint oil.
They are made with 100% Cotton Flannel.

They can be used hot or cold.  Heat them up in the microwave for 1 minute or freeze them (inside a ziploc bag) as an alternate to a harsh ice pack!  Great for migraines, achy or sore muscles or just to warm up on a chilly night!

If you would like to purchase one, you can pick a size:
Lower Back (approx. " x ")
Neck Wrap (approx. 12" x 4")
Small Compress (approx. 4" x 6")
Large Compress (approx. 8" x 5")
Hand Warmers (approx. 4" x 3")

How to Order:
Shoot me an email first and I'll send you an invoice to pay.  You can reach me personally at bethgonzalez16@gmail.com.
Shipping will be $1 on all purchases.

Please include the design and size you'd like in your email and your shipping address as well!

I've been busy making tea wallets as well, so if you'd like one of those (some styles represented below) they're also selling for $5/each.  Tea not included!

 

This Week's Goals, Tasks & Projects

Oi vey, I have been BUSY!  I say that all the time, I know...but life can be exhausting when you're nearing 30!

My projects this week include the following:
1) Work on a quilt I've started.  I can't post many details here because its a surprise for someone special, but its a scrap quilt.  That's not entirely true though because my OCD plus my lack of a substantial scrap base to work with means that I've bought a few fat quarters to add to it as well as lots of thrift store/clearance fabrics (more on that in a minute).  So when I say *scrap quilt* I really mean that I'm not stressing about the small stuff.  Its my first quilt EVER and I learn something with every square I make.  I'm not following a pattern, just using random sizes pieced together...well, randomly.   I'm going to be making this quilt with 8" squares and it will be 76" x 60" when its done (give or take).  I am giving you a sneak peek here, but other than this post...info will be minimal.  I will just say that I'm hoping to finish it this month.  I'm 1/3 of the way done with my squares...hoping it gets easier and quicker from there!

My first 18 squares (that's 3 of 8 rows done)!  These were quickly arranged for the photos sake, but will be completely organized when I put it all together.  This was from scraps I had around the house already.  I am already sick of trying to find ways to pair up some of the colors/designs so I've been avidly searching for teals, blues, browns, greens and oranges to toss in.  I have 30 more squares to make...plenty of time to add in some extras!

2)  I'd like to finish this Strawberry Shortcake baby blanket I started.  Originally I was going to sell it on Etsy but I accidentally selected the wrong stitch on my machine and didn't realize it until halfway through and after wasting that much thread I didn't feel like seam ripping to repair it.  I will send it to my niece, Emerson for one of her dolls, because the stitching is sloppy and I really couldn't even give it away to someone without feeling like I was shafting them...but I know my beautiful niece won't mind the bad stitching. ;)  Not a complete waste!

3) Take better photos of my "products" to use on Etsy and then update the listings, as well as post a couple more.  I still haven't had any success making a sale, but I guess that will come with time.  I think mostly I'm just feeling the pressure of almost *needing* to sell something to a) make all the money I've spent on sewing things worth it and b) provide some kind of income to my family.  Things are a little tight right now with my husband starting a new job and I'd love to provide some kind of support/cushion!

4) Fall cleaning around the house!

Lions & Tigers and...DRAGONS, oh my!

Yesterday Gavin and I were bored at home and I realized that out of all this sewing I've been doing...I haven't done anything for him other than a quick handkerchief apron!  Throughout my many searches for patterns online I've bookmarked several sites for things I want to try eventually and I decided yesterday was the perfect day to make Gavin a dragon tail!

You can find the original brilliant Mom who designed it here: Tatertots & Jello

 Helping me add a little stuffing to the spikes because the orange fabric was an old sheet and very thin.  He even pinned after stuffing!!

 He loves it, acting silly as usual!

We used green flannel and an old orange sheet for the spikes.

RAWR!!!

The only thing I'd do differently next time (because you know he wants them in all different colors now, haha)...is make my strips for the straps a little longer.  Gavin is 7 and its really tight around his waist.  I might have to add extenders to the straps down the road.  Oh well, he loves it & that's all that matters!

My last 48 hours in photos.

 Made this "Knot Tote" from a tutorial I found online.  I was over it quickly.  It's very simple, but took me FOREVER.  Partially due to distractions, and partially because my machine wasn't cooperating.  I'm glad its over, the bag turned out really cute.  A little smaller than I thought, but I like it.  I won't be making another one anytime soon. ;)

Knot Tote Tutorial (& Pattern)

 Made this little card wallet for my friend, Jinni...just because I had some scraps laying around.  It turned out better than the rest.  I added little snaps to keep it shut (not pictured).

 My husband bought a motorcycle.  I have mixed emotions about it.  It was nice to see the boys bonding while washing all the cars...somehow I got stuck washing my own by myself because they were really making Ricky's vehicles shine, haha!

 Made some Kale Chips in the oven.  A little lemon juice, olive oil, fresh pressed garlic, & sea salt tossed with the kale then sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  Bake in the oven at 250 for approx. 20-30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so to avoid browning and evenly cook.  Done when flaky & crispy!!  My sister in law got me hooked on this.  Its normally dehydrated but I don't have a dehydrator machine.  Delicious both ways!

 Floppy card wallet for the Fall.  The black is part of my bulletin board & not attached to the card wallet.

I made this ruffle apron as a special order!  I like it so much more than the last apron I made.  I got the hang of gathering/ruffling the fabric.  Added a cute shimmery trim and ribbon ties!  LOVE! <3