Monster Icicles...and The Swap Meets is Extended

I'm not complaining, we do live in New England, but we've had one snow storm after another and there is more this week. The snow we have piled up will be here in July! The other night my husband and I happened to look out the windows of my sewing room to find these.




You can't tell by this picture, but the top of the icicle is about 5 inches in diameter.



and look how long it is!!! 48 inches and growing. My husband broke them all off the gutter before the whole thing collapsed.

Hope you're staying warm where you are in the world...snow or not!

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I've extended the Swap Meet Weekend until this Friday, so you can add your item that you want to trade all week. This is the first weekend for this, so we'll see how things go!

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Take care,

~Karen~

Swap Meet Weekend...January 29th-30th

Welcome to the first edition of Sew Many Ways...Swap Meet Weekend (S.M.W) What is a swap meet you ask? Well, I know we all love to go to thrift stores, yard sales and consignment shops, so why not have a blogging swap meet. Nothing better than thrifting in your pajamas!!! Not only will we find fun things to share, but just think of the wonderful people we'll meet!

Below is a Linking Party to add your picture of the item that you'd like to swap with someone else. Everyone will browse through all the items and click on the picture to link to the details. ALL items in this swap are FREE...NO MONEY will be exchanged. The only cost to each swapper is the cost of postage to mail your item (package) to your swap partner. Both swap partners will contact each other through the comments section or emails for the specifics of the swap. Both parties must agree on the items they will be swapping and the shipping costs. Sew Many Ways is just the middle man to bring the swap partners together.

Examples of swap items...

• fabric
• craft/scrap booking supplies
• gently used or new clothing items
• baby things
• new, handmade craft items...jewelry, purses, scarves, quilts etc
• pottery/china
• purses/handbags
• cookbooks
• collectibles
• teapots
• cookie jars
• home decor
• etc...

Here are the steps and instructions for the Swap Meet Link Party...

• you must have a picture of the item you'd like to swap on your blog or Flicker account or any other photo sharing website before you click the link button below
• you must have a description of the item
• location of item...state or country for shipping purposes
• don't forget to include a link back to Sew Many Ways Swap Meet Weekend, so every one can join in on the fun (you can grab the picture above if you'd like for your post or side bar)

The steps for filling in the Linking Party are easy!!!

• click the "Add Your Link" button below... 3 boxes will pop up
• First box...add your blog POST URL address (not your whole blog) or Flicker page URL...this is the address in the box at the top of the page...usually starts with http. Just copy and paste into the box
• next is the "Name" box...this will be the name of your ITEM (ex...1 yard of Moda fabric)
• next is your email address, which is not published at all. It's only if I need to contact you.
• last step is to click "Next Step" to choose a picture of your item for the party thumbnail picture. This may take a few seconds, so just click one time and wait for images to appear from the URL address that you entered in the first box. Just click on the picture that you want displayed in the party.

That's all...your picture and the link back to your post will be there for all to see and browse through. The Link Party will only be open until Friday February 4th to add your item, but the swapping can gone on forever!
Thanks for joining in on the fun,
~Karen~

Swap Meet Weekend...It's A Go For Saturday and Sunday

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on the Swap Meet idea...I think we are going to have so much fun this weekend! I will open up the Linking Party for Saturday and Sunday so you can add your picture of your item...then we'll have the weekend and all week long to browse through all the goodies and meet up with other swappers to make the swap.

I'll have all the details and instructions on the actual post tomorrow (Saturday, Jan 29th), but wanted to let you know now so you can add your picture of the item that you want to swap to your blog early. You can add the picture to your blog post any time over the weekend too, but just post it before you link up to the party.

Your blog post should include:

• picture of the item
• description of the item
• maybe a quick note of what you might be looking for in the swap...you could be looking to swap anything or you just might be looking for fabric or Pretzel M&M's (wink wink to The Chocolate Cat in Australia!)
• state or country the item is located, just so people can get a rough estimate of shipping
• link back to Sew Many Ways so people know where to find the party this weekend.
• You can steal this picture below and add it to your post or your side bar if you'd like.

There were a few comments about whether you needed a blog or not. A blog is the easiest way to show off your item, but Kelsey from Faith, Family and Cute Kittens had a great idea to use Flicker to show off your item...I think there is a comment section on Flicker too, so people can get in touch with each other.

This is definitely a learn as I go event, so we'll see how it all works out. See you on Saturday and Sunday!
~Karen~

I Have An Idea For A Swap Meet...What Do You Think?

Some call them swap meets, yard sales, tag sales, thrifting, flea markets etc...whatever the name, I know we all love them. Why do we love them? The Hunt! The hunt for that perfect item to add to our decor, to add one more item to a collection, to find that perfect sweater that you would never find in a store, to find that beautiful vintage necklace, to find fabric that they don't sell in your area. What ever we are looking for, it's usually "The Deal" that makes "The Hunt" all the better. So I was thing...what better deal is there than "FREE"!

Why not broaden our area for swap meets by having one here at Sew Many Ways! This is what I was thinking...

• every weekend I will open up a Linking Party for any and all who have something that they no longer want or need, but will Swap with someone else.
• you can also swap new items that you may have in an Etsy store or that you have online
• swapping is like the bartering system
• NO MONEY will be exchanged at all for the items...hence the word Swap
• the 2 people in the Swap agreement will only have to pay the shipping to the other person.
• you must meet up with your other swapper on your own, through your blog or emails
• agreements must be made that the items being swapped are similar and/or of equal value to each person
• it doesn't have to be the same item. Someone could have a beautiful handmade purse that she is willing to swap for that Pottery Barn pillow that you have that doesn't match anything in your house...you both just have to agree.
• Sew Many Ways is just the middle man by hosting the linking party to get every one together.

This is how it will work...(I hope!! LOL)

• The Swap Meet will be held here every weekend. It will be like going to yard sales in your pajamas with a warm cup of coffee by your computer!
• the week leading up to it, you will have posted the item on your blog that you want to swap. Have a picture or pictures and a detailed description of the item...new, old, handmade etc.
• when the swap party opens up here, you will follow the linky steps to post a thumbnail picture of your item and the link back to your blog for the item's description.
• all during the week people will contact each other working out a deal for the swap...such as location of the items, shipping, etc. For example, you may not want to swap with someone in Australia from the US if you're not will to pay the shipping. But what fun it would be to swap fabric with someone from around the world!
• plans will be made to ship the items in a timely manner
• and the swap will be made!!

Suggestions for items to swap...

• fabric
• handmade jewelry
• handmade items...aprons, baby items, quilts, purses, scarves
• pottery items
• scrap booking items
• clothing items
• baby clothes
• china...do you collect tea cups? How about one from another country?
• cookbooks
• magazines...2 people could agree to swap a magazine each month. Great to read a different magazine without the cost of a subscription and Media Mail (books, magazines etc) through the Us postal service is super cheap
• Books...I know we all have books that we've already read and are just collecting dust. A book swap is perfect.
• sewing or quilting patterns. We all have a pattern that we've already used, but who wouldn't love another one.
• toys
• craft supplies...rubber stamps, candy making supplies, etc
• how about all those shaped cake pans that you've made for you children's birthday
• the list is endless...

Just wanted to put this out there now to see what kind of response it would have.
Let me know what you think and I can start one this weekend and see what happens. Couldn't hurt right?
Thanks in advance for your input,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Magnetic Frame- Picture Perfect Organization

Happy Tuesday! Today's Tool Time is a combination of a post I did last year and some new ideas too. This Picture Perfect Organization frame below is in my sewing room, but the ideas or the concept can be used in any room. I will mention a few other uses for this idea at the end of the post.

Give Away Winner...

I want to thank every one who left a comment on my give away post. All your kind words and thoughtfulness mean the world to me. You are the reason why I blog!

I couldn't use the random number generator this time, because there were some comments of congratulations, but they didn't want to be included in the drawing. So I did it the old fashion way...cut the comments up, dig deep and pick one!! and the winner is....

Tangos Treasures

Congratulations!!

Just need your snail mail address and I'll send your package right out to you!!

Thank you again for stopping by,

~Karen~

Blog Buddy...How To Comment On A Post

I haven't had a post in the Blog Buddy feature in a while. Blog Buddy is a feature that helps with different aspects of blogging. Just click on the button over on the right for more posts and helpful tips. Although I have other ideas for more Blog Buddy posts, I have recently had many emails asking how to post a comment...especially on my give away post

Posting a comment on any blog is easy. Different blogs might have their comment section in different places, but the process is still the same. Some blogs have the comment section in a Pop Up window when you click the Comment word, or some have it embedded below the actual post when you click the word Comment and some show up next to the post on the right side.

Either way it's set up, the steps to comment are relatively the same...

Join Me For Zlaty's Baby Shower...

Many of you who have read and enjoyed Zlaty's blog know that she is expecting a baby girl this month. I've only known Zlaty through blogging, but I'm so excited for her. I did a post a few months ago to invite any one who would like to make or buy her a little baby gift.

As you can see by the PINK button below, she is having a baby girl. For some color hints , she loves the color green and she is using light purple in the baby's room. For more color help, pop over to her blog (click here)and you will see some beautiful baby blocks that a group of friends are making for a baby quilt for her.

The tradition in Zlaty's family is to have a baby shower after the baby is born. I was thinking, if any one would like to send her a little gift, which will probably be in February...let me know and I will arrange an address for you to send it to her.

Leave a comment on this post if you are interested and when I have arranged the address with Zlaty I will email it to you. That way you can send her the gift directly. If there isn't an email address attached to your blog or if you don't have a blog, please make sure I have a way to contact you.

Thanks so much and I hope you can join us in celebrating this wonderful time for Zlaty and her family,

~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Door Design Wall

Happy Tuesday one and all. Whether you play with fabric when designing a quilt or sewing a craft project or your children/grandchildren play with shapes and letters...today's Tool Time will help with all your projects and it's hidden away behind your door! The door is the best place for this...it's out of sight when you aren't using it, great for a room that's short on wall space and really I think everyone has a door!

I think we all have wreath hangers around, especially right after Christmas. I bought these 2 in the clearance section for only 68 cents a piece.




They're adjustable too.



You don't need the adjustable kind...any 2 wreath hangers will do.

I wish these weren't clear for the photo...

but you can still see that I've placed one on each side over the top of the door.

Now you can place an old curtain rod, pvc pipe, yard stick etc through a hem of a piece of flannel from the fabric store, a flannel sheet or a flannel backed table cloth that you have cut to fit your door. I have a previous post on how to make one, so click here to bring you to that post.

The hooks on the wreath holder keep the rod from falling off even when the door is opened and closed.

Here is your quick and easy design wall/play wall!

The flannel will hold most all fabric on there to design your new project.

It's also great to audition fabrics to see which ones go together. This is especially helpful when you place them on the design wall and step away to get a better look. Sometimes fabrics look great up close when you're picking them out, but not so great when you stand back and take a second look.

If you are a mom or grandma and have little ones around when you are sewing, crafting or cooking, this is also a great place for kids to play. Take pieces of flannel or felt and cut them into shapes and letters and let them play on their own design wall while you get a little play time in your self! The kids can play with so many different shapes made with fabric...

• letters
• numbers
• geometric shapes
• states or countries
• animals
• flowers
• food
• cars and trucks
• holiday shapes

This design or play wall is great in any room. It's easy to take down, roll up and put away or just leave it hanging up behind the door permanently.

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Happy designing or playing...hmmm I think that's the same thing isn't it!

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~Karen~

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Don't forget to take a peek at my give away I'm having for my 2 year blogiversary!! See yesterday's post to leave a comment.

Tool Time Tuesday...Quilt/Blanket Spike

Happy Tuesday! This week's Tool Time is from the hardware store in the tarp/painting section. If you passed by these little gems, would you think quilting, picnicking or the beach? Well, I did...a long time ago. We use these spikes every year at the beach. They hold down all four corners of our blanket or sheet. Just push them right down into the sand. A normal person would use these to hold down painting tarps, but on Tuesdays I'm not normal LOL!




These are 10 inches long, but they do come longer. I think they were about $2.00 each.



All you need is a spike and a length of ribbon (for each corner) and your quilt for a picnic or a blanket for the beach.

I used a piece of ribbon that was about 24 inches long. Fold it in half.

Place the fold on the wrong side so the fold faces towards the inside of the quilt and the tails of the ribbon are facing out.

Like this...sew in place.

Run the ribbon through the hole in the top of the spike.

Tie a knot or a bow and now you are ready to push the spike into the ground or the sand. This will hold down your quilt or blanket in any wind.

See that little hook on the side of the spike...you could also use a grommet on the corners of your quilt and this hook will latch onto the grommet. The grommet idea is in place of the ribbon.

You can also use suspender clamps or the clips from a name badge. You can find the suspender clamps in the notions section and the name badge clips at the office supply store.

Open up the suspender clamp...

place the teeth on the edge of the quilt and...

clamp it closed.

Slip in your ribbon through the ring and

tie it to the spike.

The name badge clip does the same thing.

Remember this Tool Time post I did a while ago. I used galvanized spikes to organize my ribbon. Well I used these spikes for this idea too.

These spikes are only 65 cents a piece.

Easy to drive into the ground and tie your quilt to.

I wish I could demonstrate how the spikes work in the ground, but this is how our yard looks. We had a storm Saturday and Sunday and we have 14 more inches of snow coming tonight.

I thought I would share this idea with you now just in case you were making a quilt for someone for this spring or summer. When you're done, you can just add the ribbon and buy 4 spikes. Place the quilt in a picnic basket or beach bag for a wonderful gift set.

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I hope you enjoyed this idea and remember...when you're in the hardware store, always think twice when you're looking at something and think outside the box...or just give me a call and I'll come shopping with you!

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Have a great Tuesday,

~Karen~

I Need Your Opinion...

I think I might take the plunge into selling some of my handmade items. However, I have a dilemma...well, not really a dilemma, but more of a business question.

When I walk into a fabric store or a quilt shop, I LOVE it ALL. I really do love all fabrics, but I'm drawn to certain ones more than others and continually buy the same type.

I love Moda's 3 Sisters (absolutely everything they've ever made)...






I swoon over all Moda's French General...








and so many others.

Then there are the trendier fabrics like Amy Butler that I love, but never buy...not sure why.

April Cornell...beautiful, but still never buy.

Other modern fabrics are Joel Dewberry and Kaffe Fassett. I think they're great, but for some reason they never end up in my stash. Maybe because they are out of my comfort zone or they're not the style of my home...not sure why.
So here's the question for you (whether you sell your own creations or not)...

• Do I make things to sell with fabrics that I love and I'm drawn to?


• or do I make things with trendy modern fabrics to please more people?


• or make things with both?

My thinking is a certain look for my whole shop...color, style, etc. Do I stay with a "look" or mix it up to fit a broader group of people.
Does this make any sense or am I rambling...ok that's another question LOL. I'll stop now!
Thanks for your input. I can always depend on my blogging friends.
~Karen~

I'm Guest Posting...

Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt @ Stash Manicure invited me to guest post today! I would love it if you could hop over for a visit. I have tips for organizing your stash and a tutorial for an endless scarf...quick, easy and uses one yard of fabric. Great to start making those gifts for...dare I say...Christmas!

Stash Manicure is a great site filled with guest bloggers and wonderful ideas from Madame Samm, so have fun roaming around!

Here's the link to the Stash Manicure blog...click here

Here's the link directly to my post...click here

Have a great day,
~Karen~