I forgot....

to show off my gingerbread man...a friend sent me this tutorial...and as soon as I saw, I just *had* to make one for myself......so here he is in all his half-eaten glory....

I'm a Procrastinator

See!? I even procrastinated *after* I typed my title, I wanted to check something else, and then I re-discovered a blog, and...well...here I am almost half an hour later...

Well...I've taken a TON of pictures since the 1st...and made/finished 24 projects...


This fella started it all...

Albert is a miniature elephant at just 5 inches tall, and because of his size he loves to climb rocks to get a better view. He is a little shy, but once he gets to know you, he is a friend for life! Made of a men's dress shirt, he is all about recycling! His big ears keep him cool in the summer, and are perfect for pulling over his face when he is in a crowd...



And then came this girl!

Elizabeth is quite the adventurous little elephant. She loves to play hide and seek, and is she ever the perfect size! 5 inches tall and full of energy!Made of a wonderful Japanese print fabric with circus elephants, balls, and circus tents all over it, and the inevitable "elephant" printed in cursive all over...so perfectly cute!











After that it just went kinda crazy...I've made 24 all together since I started on the 2nd....and that includes my new giraffe and zebra patterns...and I have requests to make other ones, hippos, lions, and stegousaurous...so once the wonderful holiday season is *over*...I gotta get back to work!
















All my Christmas presents are done, made a quilt and a red dress up cape for brother, a pink dress up cape for sis along with a pink tutu skirt(really need to find a tutorial somewhere that I like)....the whole layering and gathering wasn't fun, and didn't produce a very nice tutu look, of course I didn't give myself much to work with, only 4yds....
And tonight, I made the cutest owl, found a tutorial here and sketched(and measured) out my pattern...don't have a good picture of it, but I'll try to get a decent picture of it soon.

Had a wonderful visit with Mom's mother, short but nice....found a few vintage goodies, a set of 6 Pyrex mugs with collapsible stand in a 70s shag carpet orange/slightly brown, and a set of salt and pepper shakers that are egg shaped, in a really bright orange! I think someone must have donated them after storing it all for the last 30 years...haha...Hopefully though, I can make them work in my future kitchen....and a none vintage red belt, finally found a nice one that wasn't $50! I've been looking for the perfect width, perfect length, perfect buckle belt since around Feb....and finally finally found one!

And maybe once I get the cups and shakers washed....you all can see a picture of them!

Cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

Lots of fun goodies!

First up we have Edmund the donkey.

He is available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

To quote myself...heh...

"Meet Edmund.

Edmund has just graduated from University with his B.S. degree(that would be Bachelor of Sciences for some). He enjoys reading dictionaries and encyclopedias, Edmund would be the perfect gift for that new graduate that thinks they know it all!"

.
And here we have a lovely bright half apron, also for sale in my shop...This one has a carefully measured zig-zag hem...that was fun to do, and I could see doing a skirt with a fun zig zagged hem....very cute.

And here...Raggedy Ann and Andy...a custom order for a friend, who left the clothing up to me, I found the Simplicity Pattern(which BTW is a very nice pattern, has three different sizes of dolls, along with their removable clothes-these ones were approximately 26in tall) Anyways, these are not for sale, but I am willing to do a custom order if anyone is interested.

Last but not least....Finally a Mushroom purse, I have the totes, but never made a purse...I plan to make a larger one in the future, more of a messenger bag, but this one is adorable, as I was making it, I seriously considered keeping it for myself...you can find it here in my shop.

;

Until next time!

The Bella Modiste

Long time...

Sure has been a while....I really should leave a window open with my blog up, so I just *might* remember to blog...

In the time I've been *away* We've planned and cancelled a trip to the mountains, turned out to be a good thing we canceled. The nights we had planned to be up on the mountain, the temperatures were freezing....at the bottom of the mountain...so, yeah, we poor Floridians would have been huddled in the cabin, fighting over the TV remote, freezing our rears off....Not a pretty picture....

But! We had some exciting visitors last month...for oh goodness, close to a week or two...

Still not sure exactly what kind of hummingbirds they were, but there were around 1/2 dozen, several males, and a couple juveniles....very cool....Also got to hear them loud and clear, had no idea that hummingbirds were so *verbal*!

And this, no idea what it was, certainly looks like a type of warbler, but what kind exactly, mom and I can't tell for sure. it was very flighty, and super hard to photograph....

Anyways, I hope to have more pictures soon, Raggedy Ann and Andy, a quilt on the frame, and a clean(getting there) studio.....

cheers,

~The Bella Modiste

Also, I hope to be adding to my blog roll soon, so keep an eye on it!

And the Winner is.....

LuckyGirl!
---------------------------


Congratulations!


I'll email you for your address and get this out to you ASAP!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

A post about a giveaway and a skirt...

Soo...lets see...pictures pictures! Lots of pictures today!

First off...this funky dude...goes by "dad" around here...agreed to let me post a picture from his photo shoot the other day.... He designed the skateboard graphics last week, and was posing for his Etsy shop listing...trying to get the whole "cool teen" look going, but that happens to be his usual outfit...though the sneakers are often exchanged for flip-flops....Yes, that really is my father.

And I finally got this skirt done, I'll make a listing in my shop soon, for the skirt, but a custom one, made to fit up to a certain size...(probably whatever will fit in my adjustable dress form...maybe...I dunno yet...:)...anyways, I had dad make me some vinyl stencils of gears, which don't show to well in the pictures, but look really nice in RL....painted them with a gold paint(which now I think about it, I'm not sure it was *fabric* paint...so I'll need to get and try out some *real* fabric paint...but the above skirt is mine..all mine...in the picture it is over my white, too long petticoat(you can't see it hiked all the way to the bust under the vest...:D) so it hangs a bit *flatter* without the extra layer under it...I'll be making an underskirt later specifically for this design.

And now! The moment you've all been waiting for!

It is time for the giveaway! (This is open to US residents only) To enter...just comment...:P....

You'll get a set of 4 machine quilted coasters made of music note and checkerboard print fabric with a cotton batting sandwiched in between and bound with checkerboard binding...and maybe I'll add another small something to the package......

I'll draw a name out of a hat...on...Tuesday Sept. 16th and announce the winner that next day.

So you've got a week to enter!

Well look at that!

I want to thank Tina (A.K.A. Mom) of "Garden Goose" for awarding me the "E for Excellence" Blog Award....

...for receiving the "E for Excellence" award..I am to in turn bestow this award upon 10 bloggers that inspire, or that have a sense of "community"... blogs that are downright cool and inspiring,and just plain fun.

So......lets see....

1. Kristy at "This Bean Knits"

2. Aunt George at "Aunt George's House"

3. Bev at "Sew on....and Sew Fourth"

4. Kate at " Little Green Designs"

5. "Hyena in Petticoats"

6. Tess at "Made by Tess"

7. Nin at "Peachy Hollow"

8. "Chrysanthemum"

9. "Turkey Feathers"

10. Emily at "The Black Apple"

alright! I think that about does it! I do hate having to pick just a few people out of all the blogs i have saved.......

Gustav passed us right by, we didn't even really get rain from it, just a few drizzles...

anyways, its about time to get my two chickens in....(I think I mentioned that we have given Goldie and Marigold(now Albert Einstein) to some friends, to simplify, as well as prevent Goldie from angering our dear neighbors....she has a lovely habit of sounding like a very loud parrot early in the morning...so...off she went with the duck to live on 40+ acres in AL...

cheers!

~The Bella Modiste

This is a few tiny things I've made this month...

I've got a million more in progress....skirt fabric I painted yesterday ready to sew now...
a baby blanket to finish, two other blankets to photograph...A very full petticoat to put the final ruffle on, a quilt on the frame, and another cut out... A dress to turn into a skirt(poor thing started as my skirt, turned into a dress for little sis, and now will go back to a skirt so she can keep her "princess dress" a bit longer...:)...) Also two stuffed donkeys, a bunch of tea towels for a trade, and a bunch of other things buried in my project bin....haha
Anyways...
This is a little zippered bag i made out of some adorable Japanese print fabric that I got from a lady in California....I got a bunch of others, but haven't really used but one other, and i messed up on the bag I made from that....I was SO disappointed...the pocket went on crooked..it is 1/8th of an inch off....doesn't sound like much, but it makes a difference....haha
so that one is mine...and this one is sold, but I do have more fabric, so will probably make another one....but not identical...I have crafting ADD...I have a harder time making several things that are identical....if I have say 5 things that I am making that are the same, I go about it assembly line style, do all of a certain part, then next step...


And this, is an apron I've had cut out for some time....I finally made the bias tape to finish it about a week or two ago, and I have it listed in my Etsy shop now...
If I remember correctly, that is Micheal Miller Polka dot fabric...but I cant remember the name of the floral fabric designer...but it matches so perfectly....


Anyways, this should keep everyone happy until I can get these other goodies done and photographed....hopefully tomorrow provided I can get some good light in here...Gustav isn't gonna be fun....supposed to have Tropical Storm conditions tonight and tomorrow...I just hope it all isn't going to be as bad as they think....
cheers!
~The Bella Modiste

Hi!

Ok Ok, I know, I've been terrible about keeping my blog up...
So!
What have I been up to! Well first off, I made a ton of aprons, 4 exclusive patterns for Napafarmhouse 1885 . Here is my page where you can find a link to the aprons for sale. You won't find these babies anywhere else(unless somebody copies me...*looks suspiciously around*)

oooh and I totally got featured on a blog!!!
Etsy Spaces by Renee from ReneesPaperandYarn over on Etsy. I tell you, she has got some rockin' necklaces! This Aqua one is gorgeous!! She puts some serious love and time into her work, and it really shows!

Anyways, made a petticoat Monday, and will finish an apron tomorrow...pictures to come.

After I finished the Aprons for Napafarmhouse, I took a two week break from sewing(eeek!!!!!...that was scary...) to help dad(somehow *looks innocent* he may have cracked a rib...WHAT!? he started it! and technically *I* didn't do it! he landed on the game controller! *ahem*) with his business, loading the heavy rolls of vinyl on the machine, as well as learning the ins and outs of graphics design. The I was helping mom finish painting the hallway, the trim, the bloody scalloped trim(against the wallpaper I add, so we couldn't tape it off) , took....15 blooming hours....I am so done with painting...Maybe I'll let this kid do my next room...rofl

Alright...I'm off, and tomorrow I'll check my site tracking...yeah..thats right...I'm watching you....bwahaha...no no really...I got that Google Analytics thing....its awesome! I had a grand total of 7 visitors on the 10th...:D

21 visits from NC since the 3rd...hmmmmm....anyone I know? rofl....sorry I haven't updated much! yeeesh! 3 visits a day, for three days.....rofl...I'll try to do better...sorry....:P

anywho...Hopefully pictures tomorrow, provided it doesn't rain anymore...whaaa....but we needed it, so I shouldn't complain...

cheers,
~The Bella Modiste!

What a deal!!

Today Mom and I headed out to go to some thrift shops around town, but between our other errands, and an estate sale...that didn't happen....

And this....is one of the lovely treasures I got today....a gorgeous Smith-Corona typewriter....like new........First they wanted $20 for it, which is a good deal in itself...but, I didn't want to spend the rest of my supply money on a typewriter(because I set out with $40 for supplies and I already had almost $20 worth of linens to use), so, I figured I'd ask, and figured you know, if they say $15 I'll get it...but if they stick with $20, I'll leave it....well hot dang! if she didnt come back and say $10!
And it came with a brand new 10-day touch typing course...on two records, the box is open, but the vellum envelopes around the records are still sealed....

I also found a whole bunch of sheets, pillowcases and curtains to cut up for aprons...which is exactly what I was going to look for today at the thrift shops...whooohooo!
So look for pictures in a few days of what I'm going to make with them!

















Cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

AWESOME!

So exciting! so, Sunday, the same day dear little Vanilla went to Chicken Heaven...

I discovered something...hidden among the peas....

whatever could it be...but an egg from sweet Penny! a lovely pale green color....gorgeous!

And then of course I had to set up some photos...hehe!

She laid a second egg today, but I was too late letting them out of the coop and so it got trampled( need to get those nesting boxes built now...)

But! She is laying now! which is fantastic! Goldie should start laying soon as well, she will lay just brown eggs, and my newest baby, Cinnamon will also lay green/blue eggs.

anyways...that was my exciting news! oh, and I'm finally finished with school for the year, so expect lots of new things for my shop!

cheers,

~The Bella Modiste

R.I.P.

Little Vanilla had to be uh, taken care of today.

She was doing great since Friday, but today when I was taking care of them, she was just laying there, not doing anything, so antibiotics, water, nothing helped, we separated her from Cinnamon, and kept an eye on her for the rest of the day, but she took a turn for the worse this evening, and so I allowed dad to do what he had said he could do if it needed done.

So, I'll just have three chickens, three is plenty.

anyways,

~The Bella Modiste

New babies!

Both are hens, both are unnamed, and as far as the feed store lady told me, they are both araucanas...and both are SO cute..names..I'm thinking Chocolate and Vanilla...rofl
cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

Farewell!

Cookie and Cream are going back to the feed store today and will be exchanged for standard size chickens, who have been sexed, because, as it happens...Cookie and Cream turned out to be Bob and Rob....two little roosters...the neighbors would so hate me!

The duck will be staying around, as she is a she....haha

I'll introduce the new babies when I get them.
cheers,

~The Bella Modiste

I've been busy...

So...what with the new babies, the dog, the older chickens, and finishing up the school year...I've been pretty busy...BUT! Finally a chance to blog....I got some more pictures of the new chicks, but now the pictures are a few days outdated...haha

Here we have what my cookbook calls "Double Apple Fantans" I rehydrated some chopped apples for this, instead of using fresh, ooooh yum, these are SO GOOD! We (family of 5) polished off the whole dozen that evening....yummm!
This is "Cream", I think at this point she was saying in her own way,"where did everyone go!?"

Here we have Cream and Marigold, mom's new duck.

And here is the back view of Cookie following Marigold and Cream, now, I'm really afraid that Cookie will have to go to a new home, as "she" is showing characteristics of a rooster, fast growing comb, large tail feathers....yeah....I'm gonna give it another week or so....but I'm pretty sure I've got a little boy...:(

Anyways, nothing really exciting has happened lately, today had a nice visit with some out of town homeschooling friends, but it was a very short visit, as they had a previous engagement with someone else.

cheers,

~The Bella Modiste

Here they are!

Meet my new babies...both bantams and as of yet unnamed.

Hopefully I havent got a rooster, and I still dunno what type of bantams they are, it was a mixed bunch and they didnt know what they had or didnt have. But I do know for sure that they are not silkies, which is fine, I love them as they are...hehe...
cheers,
~The Chicken Lovin' Bella Modiste~

All set up!

oooh! I'm so excited! Off to the feed store!


For those of you going.."what!?" yes....I'm getting 2 more chickens...bantams actually....hehe!
cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

P.S. This is my 50th post...woooohooo!..kinda sad though...50 posts in nearly a year! should be 360+ tsk...shame on me...:P

Frog Prince?

This Handsome fella was found relaxing in the garden today, and while passing by I heard him say something real low...sounded like "Kiss Me"
So of course, I bent down low....and sure enough!

Kiss him indeed!....That my dear friends....is as close as my lips got to him...and even then I was fighting back laughter....

Here was right before I burst out laughing...can you imagine what the neighbors must have thought...seeing me "kiss" that poor toad?

And yes, I am back from my lovely vacation....I will probably post some pictures soon of the wonderful time I had..but for now, you should be happy with my Frog(toad) Prince....

cheers!
~The Bella Modiste

Will ya miss me?

I thought I'd let everyone know, that I'll be gone for the next two weeks starting tomorrow, it has been two weeks since I last posted, so it shouldn't matter too much that I'll be off for another two weeks, eh?
haha
I'll have lots of photos when I get back, so stay tuned!
cheers!
~The Bella Modiste

Lost World Giveaway

Jayedee over at Life in the Lost World is having a giveaway for a $25 giftcard for Ideal Poultry.
You can enter by telling her your favorite chicken breed. My favorite chicken breed, least of my two babies, is the Americana.
cheers,
~The Bella Modiste

OOOOH!! Look what I made!

Right, so I know this is a bit late, I finished this, a week ago, and am just now posting pictures!


What we have here, is a lovely but sturdy canvas tote, with a great red and white polka dot liner(I'll get better pics once the weather clears up...) not to mention the ribbon! and the mushrooms, cant forget those, the visual point of the whole bag! I've got another similar design to make up, just have to get time to actually sew! Please, let me know what you think!





Close-up of the design...






The ribbon embellished top, and ribbon tie closure...

The whole bag....








Oh gosh..what a day! I *almost* lost my dear dear sweet Penny today...I was going outside with a tray of newly sprouting plants, and heard/saw commotion in one of the flower beds, I look over and I see this huge pair of wings...maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I swear they were 4-5 feet...., I see this blur of brown go running towards the bushes. The huge wings(all I really saw, it happened so fast, in a few seconds) take off up into the tree, I run into the yard looking for Goldie, mom comes running out, she has seen my frantic searching, I can't find her, finally here she is, I find her, huddled under the bushes, scared and eyes wild.
Then I realize, oh no....Penny is missing!

I'm looking in the bushes, she is the color of dead leaves, I look in the lilies, mom finds feathers, lots of feathers...feathers from Penny, so many feathers, no blood, just feathers. No tears, Mom is crying, I kick the tree, the fence, the chair, then run to clean the chicken cages, and get the ducks in, I go to catch the *remaining* chicken, hear a small bird in the bushes, look, and....There she is...huddled under the bush, the whites of her eyes showing, scared so bad,
I grab her, run in, wrap her in a towel, take her to the bathroom, and check her over, no blood, no scratches, no blood! a huge section of feathers missing from her neck, but she is fine! The wild birds didn't start flying around again for about an hour, so I'm guessing Mr.Hawk was waiting around, hoping to get another shot at an easy meal....No tears, no, I don't have a heart of stone, I just keep things in, finally though, tears of relief, I almost lost my dear sweet Penny, but she's Ok now....my dear sweet baby, who runs across the yard to jump in my lap and get cuddled, My show worthy girl(picture above is old...I'll get some more of her soon, she is gorgeous, missing feathers and all!)....

Ok....had to get it out....Thanks for reading! :D
cheers,
~The Bella Modiste