INSPIRE! and a tee shirt

Kim from Fowers & Art recently made this really pretty little purse from a book cover!!!! Who would ever think to use a book cover in such a unique and creative way? She decided to give it away, and can you believe that I won it!!?? I recently won a little miniature dog that she made. Puddin (my punch felted pup) and this INSPIRE tag are going to be watching over my sewing. Puddin already does, actually. She sits atop a little plastic set of drawers that I keep my bobbins, needles, etc... in next to my machine! I am going to hang this tag on the cabinet next to my sewing table, so that when I look at it, I will think of Kim and be INSPIRED! She makes the most incredible miniatures you have ever seen. You have to go look at the bus that she is making as a home for her little pig! Yep, that's right, just go see for yourself!

Here's a close up of the sleeve that I inserted into the little top I'm making for "Eldest Grand" for her 10th birthday!

A close up of the fabric I "made" from three t-shirts. I layered the purple, then yellow, then coral shirts together. I then stitched the black zigzags in a random, curvy pattern. Then, I cut out the purple sections from some parts of the pattern exposing the yellow. In some sections I cut out the purple and yellow, leaving the coral to show through.
As Elle mentioned, I saw this done by Jonathon on Project Runway. I actually have done this technique on sweat shirts years ago. I stitched a Christmas patterned fabric to the under side of the front of sweat shirts. Then, I cut away a tree pattern, etc..... I don't remember exactly what I did. This was not my original idea. I don't know where I saw it done the first time. By the way, if you haven't checked out Elle's blog, it is a must see!! I actually met this wonderful lady recently. It is a small world!

Here's the back. I used the hem of the yellow t-shirt's sleeves to bind the neck. It looks a little off in this photo. I'll have to go back and see if it really looks like this. I may have to redo. I didn't notice it looking this way when I was sewing it.

Here's the front. I used the sleeves from the purple t-shirt to make the sleeves. I decided to flute the bottom of the shirt by slightly stretching it as I zigged!

A few weeks ago, when I was really excited about spring finally getting here, I took this photo. I posted it on my blog. Now, that my allergies are getting the best of me, I'm not quite so excited about all the blooming things in my yard, but I still like this photo. I have made it the wall paper background on my computer. I love the bright yellow sunshiny feeling it gives me.

Mother update : The day before yesterday my allergies had taken over and all I could think about doing was laying on the couch all wrapped up in my soft afghan and sleeping. I woke up about 4:00 in the afternoon and decided to call the nursing home to check on Mother. I was told that she was really doing okay, so I asked the nurse to please tell Mother that I wasn't going to be there to feed her dinner. I asked her to tell Mother that I had a cold, but that I was okay, etc..... Did she tell Mother? NO she did not!!! Did Mother freak out imagining the absolute worst things she could imagine had happened to me? YES, she did! So, about 7:30 I got a phone call that I really needed to come to the nursing home so that Mother would see that I was okay. So, I dragged myself off the couch, put on real clothes and went to the nursing home. To say that Mother was freaking out is an understatement!!! As soon as she saw me, though, she was okay, but by then they had already given her medicine that has now had her nearly knocked out for two days. The new medicine that the doctor prescribed had not gotten there yet, so they had given her the old stuff. She was still asleep through most of lunch today. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I wasn't very happy. The nurse who was supposed to tell Mother that I wasn't coming said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was busy and I forgot." UH....... she knows my mom and how upset she gets!!! YOU DON'T FORGET TO TELL HER THAT I'M NOT SHOWING UP!!!! I BET SHE WON'T FORGET AGAIN, BECAUSE I VENTED TO HER SUPERIOR. I wasn't ugly about it, but I made it clear that this nurse could have at least told someone else to go talk to Mother. OKAY, now I feel better!!