New Year, New Start, New Announcments

Sorry for the lack of posts for the second half of 2014.  I started to travel for work a lot and all of a sudden it was the holidays and now it's 2015.  During my absence I was still able to sew some projects and those will be written up in later posts.  But since it's the beginning of the new year, I figure this is a good time for me to have a fresh start on this blog.

And since everyone likes to have a new beginning, I'd like to set my goals for this year:

1. Sew and make something at least once a month and maintain consistent activity on the blog.  (This is a big commitment for me since I work full time and have two active toddlers)
2. Organize!  The house is a mess and it stresses me out.  I'm hoping to purge what we don't need and use what we have (including my sewing stash).
3. Eat healthier and lose weight.

Pretty simple goals and by documenting for the world to see, it gives me extra motivation to work towards these goals.

As for upcoming sewing projects, I've already signed up for the 2015 Secret Valentine Exchange.  It is now in its second year and I've already received my recipient's information.  I participated in the first SVE last year and it gave me the courage to start this blog.

Kids Clothes Week has officially been set.  The theme is Upcycled and I'm looking forward to it.  I tend to create things with clothes laying around the house that my husband and myself no longer wear or fit so it's great that I can participate in this season's theme.  Be on the lookout for a project during this week. =)

And one last bit of happy news..... THE Ohio State University won their game against the Oregon Ducks and are the National Champions!!!!!  It was one of the most nerve-racking games I've watched in a while.  In case it wasn't known, I'm Ohio State Alumni and graduated around the last National Championship.  It was my last year of school and the win was the icing on top.

image courtesy of www.osu.edu

So another national championship makes an excellent start to a new year. 

Secret Valentine Exchange Gift

I finally received my Secret Valentine Exchange Gift from Julie!  Apparently the first gift never made it to my house and she had to make a second gift. 

 It's a fabric covered plan holder and very thought out with the convenient strap. 

I definitely like the choice of fabrics and how soft it is to the touch.

Sadly the first gift still has not shown up in the mail.  Thank you again for going through the trouble of making a second gift! 

And below is the final result of what I made for my Secret Valentine Exchange - a little pouch for Nicole of Cicely Ingleside.

Pouch sewn for my Secret Valentine

Inside fabric choice

So this concludes the first online exchange I have ever participated in.  Looking forward to more exchanges and more excuses to keep sewing.

Secret Valentine Exchange

So I took a risk by signing up for the Secret Valentine Exchange.  I would have never taken the risk if I didn't enjoy reading Sanae Ishida's blog so much.  I love the clothes she creates, the writing style and the overall style of the blog. 

The Secret Valentine Exchange required participants to use what we already have and have the gift be handmade.  I'm not sure how crafty I could get with the items on hand but I had some cute fabric leftover from a previous project that matched my recipient's likes.

Below are the two fabrics I used to create a simple zippered pouch.     

Top: Birch Fabrics - Marine Too; Bottom: Monaluna - Circa 52

Silly me, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product before mailing it out.  I'll have to email my recipient for a picture of the pouch once she receives it.  Here's hoping she will like it.