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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 December ~ Baltimore Ravens DIY Memory Board

I can finally post the pictures of this cute memory board I made for a Baltimore Ravens Fanatic in my family since she has received it now for Christmas.  You can see the other memory board I made here that has more of a tutorial that I posted a few weeks ago. 

Let me know what you think in the comments below.  










I used 16x20 canvas boards like this but you can use any size you would like depending on the size you want to fill and other things besides canvas boards you normally paint on.  This is just how I did it.

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

Thursday, December 11, 2014

2014 December ~ DIY Memory Board Tutorial

I made this diy french memory board for a dear friend last week and I can now share the pictures since Santa brought it to her house early. =)  















The colors worked out perfectly for her sewing room, so I was really pleased with how it turned out and how much she loves it as well.  I used a 16x20 art canvas with two layers of 1/2" batting hot glued onto the art canvas frame to get the loft I wanted to achieve under the fabric. I would highly suggest buying an electric stapler like this one here on Amazon  it saved me so much energy I would have used with just a manual staple gun going into the back of the wood frame. I also chose a thin ribbon, I wanted the fabric to be the highlight where the ribbon and cute buttons were just the right touches to finish it off.  This was the first one I ever made, I would definitely make these again.  Let me know what you think. 
Here is a link to the newest memory board one I made in the Baltimore Raven's theme.

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy



Monday, October 6, 2014

Digging up Some Sweet Potatoes Today

Update:  October 25, 2014:  I will post many new pics soon but with the help of my two sons and a friend of my youngest over the huge mound was concurred and 3 different potato varieties were uncovered.  I still think there are more hiding in the dirt mountain, we found about half of a wheelbarrow full of potatoes!  So nothing to complain about that is for sure!  =) 

Yield of Sweet Potatoes from one plant!
This morning I went out determined to find sweet potatoes in my gigantic hill where they were planted and after several attempts of digging holes like a blind squirrel we finally went to the local hardware shop for a big potato fork thing that looks like a shovel but with the fork on the end (hehe, nice description, I know).  Then I managed to easily find some yummy sweet potatoes in the huge potato hill in our yard.  My plan was to cook some up for dinner tonight but I keep hearing I should cure them before eating them to bring out the sweetness and to help them last even longer. Anyone else starting to pull up their sweet potatoes?  I would love to hear how you cure yours, please leave comments below.
I have plenty more to dig up, enough for all my friends =)
Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Quote about Personal Growth by Tupac Shakur with a Beautiful Photo of Tulips

“I want to grow. I want to be better. You Grow. We all grow. We're made to grow.You either evolve or you disappear.” 
― Tupac Shakur

I took this beautiful photo above during this past Spring 2014.  I call it "Tulip's View to the Sky"  

2014 May ~ Rag Quilt Pictures Finally From

I am finally getting around to posting pics of the rag quilt I completed in May.  Seems like summer break just started for my boys a few weeks ago but the reality is school starts this Thursday!  By the time it slowly sinks in that I now have a 5th and 7th grader, it will be time to be decorate the Christmas tree, ohhhh shhhhhhhh, I said that out loud!  

So this was my first rag quilt, now while it was a simple style for me, it was still my first time.  One thing I learned while making one that I didn't expect was that the piecing thread should blend into the fabrics I chose.  I was expecting the raggy cutting area to hide it more than it does.  So that is one thing I would suggest if you ever make one yourself.  Let me know if you have ventured into making one of these before.  The most time consuming part of it was the cutting every 1/4 inch of the seams.  

I hope to be back to posting more very soon.  I have several different projects going on at once right now, but that is always the way right?  =)


This picture shows the true colors of the rag quilt
The true colors are shown in the picture above =)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

2014 May ~ Progress on a Rag Quilt

Hello everyone!  My current project has been a rag quilt made with 100% cotton from my local quilt shops (LQS).  Most of you know that I always am wanting to learn new techniques and challenge myself.  This may not be the most challenging of my projects, compared to the quilt that has over 1300 triangles in it that I am still working on but it does qualify as a technique I haven't done before.  The reason I decided to make one of these is I have a friend that may want 3 rag quilts for her adorable grand-babies and I wanted to make one of my own prior to making hers so I would know ahead of time what are some things I should look out for.  She wants them to be really snugly and cozy so we were most likely using flannels.  This rag quilt still needs to be hemmed around all four sides and then snipped on the seams so when I wash it, it will be able to bloom and give off the cozy rag quilt look many love.  Let me know what you think  in the comments section below.  =)
Go here if you want to see the finished raggy quilt!

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

Monday, April 28, 2014

2014 January ~ Baby Quilt for Hannah Addyson =) Applique & Horse Picture Piecing

I designed this baby quilt on my own and it was delivered to California in March.  Little Hannah, my niece was born in December and her mother rescues horses, so that was my idea behind including a picture piecing method of a horse head in the center of it and then personalized it with her first and unique middle name appliqued on it. I made it really big so she will hopefully still be using it when she goes off to college one day.  I did not do the free motion quilting myself on this baby quilt, I think it turned out fantastic, I will find out if she has a website I can share right here on my blog as well.  Let me know what you think, leave me a comment please =)

The back was a super soft cuddly minky!
Isn't she a cutie pie?!  =)

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Inspirational Quote of the Day ~ Be Yourself ~ April 10, 2014

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
Laozi, Tao Te Ching (Found on a great quote site called Good Reads.

I took this picture this 
morning, one of the 
new baby 
bunnies in the
 yard, decided to prune a 
few of my tulip tops. (It will 
still be beautiful!) 4-10-14
 
One day later, it has bloomed 
and still a beauty!  4-11-14


Saturday, February 22, 2014

Quote of the Day ~ Happiness ~ 02-22-2014

Real happiness is more than an absence of unhappiness. So what we need to recognise is that real and meaningful happiness (albeit realistic happiness) is a combination of positive emotions AND minimal (but not a complete absence of) negative emotions.  By: Dr. Happy. =D

Monday, February 17, 2014

My New Juki Sewing Machine!

"Sew" I received this new sewing machine made by Juki for a Christmas, birthday and Valentine's present.  I am in love and very blessed to have it.  Okay, I need to stop referring to by saying "It".  She had a name that was Japanese and I know it started with an A, but don't tell her, I forgot it.  So I think I have figured out another name for her and maybe this is semi lame but since "HZL-F600"  is the model and it looks like Hazel to me, that will be her new name.  My friend Stephanie suggested giving her a name and was on the phone with me when I first did, but she also forgot it...hahaha!  I have friends that name their cars and motorcycles so maybe it isn't so strange to name my sewing machine as well.  What about you, do you name your sewing machines / long arm machines or Sergers?  Leave me a note and share with me what you call yours.  =)



Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

2014 February ~ Beach Bag / Pool Bag FREE Pattern

So, I made my first grocery / gym / pool bag from this great free pattern I found.  So now, I have made another one that is much larger for my Amish neighbor.  This one can actually fit my 9 1/2 year old into it...hahaha!  Her favorite color is purple but it couldn't have any bold fabrics, so I went with purple and just made some cute stitching in black thread of hearts and flowers on the handles and around the top.  I also made this bag a bit larger then the original pattern calls for and added a pocket on the inside and the outside.  Let me know what you think.    Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy

Sunday, February 9, 2014

February 2014 ~ Spruced Up a Normal Pair of Jeans with Variegated Purple Thread

So I bought a new pair of jeans yesterday, they fit great even in my short leg department (hahaha).  But they were just missing something.  So I used my favorite type of thread, the variegated type and it also just happened to be my favorite color of purple and chose a cute stitch off of my new Juki that looked liked flowers and stitched it down the outside of each leg. 

I even had someone in my church this morning approach me to say how cute it was.  It was really easy to do and made a boring pair of jeans a bit more exciting!




Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy 

Saturday, February 8, 2014

February 2014 ~ Grocery / Gym Bag with Free Pattern & Tutorial

So I just finished making this really fun bag and I can't decide what to use it for.  My original plan was for going to the pool, since the bag I have been using a few times a week is a bit snug for my towel and other necessities.  The free pattern and tutorial did not call for the pockets that I added.  I put a big pocket on the outside of it and one a bit smaller on the inside for my phone and keys.  It seems though that the bag has other plans to tote my almost 10 year old around...hahaha!  Let me know what you think when you have a quick minute.

Hugs & Smiles, Tiffiny ~ Smilie Mommy  

Monday, February 3, 2014

Quote of the Day Regarding Happiness ~ 2-3-2014

"Happiness is when you feel good about yourself without feeling the need for anyone else's approval."  ~Unknown