So Simply Stephanie

Using this free tutorial , I made a cross-body purse for my mom's birthday.  She normally doesn't carry a purse, but I thought this might come in handy when she goes to Laughlin and Vegas later this year.  And who knows, maybe it'll bring her a bit of luck! I really like the design of the purse.  As seen in this picture, one side has a zipper closure.  The opposite side has an open pocket.  The top zips closed to keep everything safe and secure inside.

I have almost finished all of the quilted placemats for our dining room table.  Each one is a bit different.  Since I'm new to quilting I tried a few techniques - random quilting patterns on each square, straight line quilting, stippling (wow, that's hard!), and hand quilting.  Some have binding around the edges while others are turned and topstitched.  I like the mix-n-match look of them on the table. Here is my favorite of the bunch: (Some of the blocks appear orange, but they are a bright, cheery red with tiny white polka dots.) I used straight line quilting, which I think looks great on this placemat. The binding is scrap material from the blocks.  I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I like hand stitching the back of the binding.  It's a bit time consuming, but I really enjoy it. Once I am done hand quilting the last placemat I will post pics of all of them.  If you're interested in making some for yourself, see my previous placemat post for

I have been very busy sewing lately!  Here are my newest completed items: Baby gift set - 2 receiving blankets, 2 burp cloths, 2 bibs and a lovey.  I hope the baby boy and parents enjoy this set!

Cluck Cluck Sew Giveaways is hosting an AMAZING giveaway from The Quilt Shoppe .  It is for a fat quarter bundle of Whimsy by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda!!!  Go check it out HERE .

I'm participating in the  {Make} A Bag Sew-Along . I just completed part 1 - making the bag outer. If you like to sew and like bags, then you may enjoy this sew-along.  Join in the fun!

I whipped up a few bean bags for my son.  They are a great way to use up scrap fabric! Like to make some for your child?  These are pretty simply, but if you need some help then try this tutorial from Lil Blue Boo .

My mom's neighbor asked me to make some pot holders to match her kitchen decor.  Here they are: Pretty simple and quick to make!

I've decided to take the plunge & participate in an I-SPY FABRIC SWAP . Basically, you cut out 20 4"x4" sqaures from 10 different fabrics. Then you mail them to the swap hostess. She sends you back the same number of squares (200) but each square is a different fabric. This is perfect for making an I-SPY QUILT .  I've been wanting to make one of these quilts for my son since I first saw them.  So cute! Here are the fabrics I've chosen: Top (L to R) Bees, Cats, Socks, Mushrooms, Owls Bottom (L to R) Buttons, Dinosaurs, Bananas, Cars, Castles Here are the fabrics cut and ready to mail! There is another swap going on right now.  If you'd like to participate, hurry on over to Obsessively Stitching .  Be quick, as the spots fill up fast!