see jane run, go jane go

E-reader covers

 
Today's entry is posted by Amy DeCesare of Delmont, PA...

Lately I've been hearing a lot about electronic devices...e-things and i-things...did you get one yet???

 
 

A few months ago I decided to get in on the act, and I selected for myself a Pandigital Novel ereader.  I love this thing!  For once, my sons and husband have to admit I have the coolest digital thing in the house.

Recently I've read the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin...what a genius he was!  Everyone already knows that, but it was such an amusing and interesting story to read, even a couple of hundred years after he wrote it. 

 

But we're here to discuss fabric and sewing, right?  I wanted to protect my ereader from scrapes and scratches and bumps, so I needed a COVER.  But it had to be a knockout good-looking cover!  Hmmmm...step #1 was to pull out my Lanie Jane  box of fabulous fabrics.  I'll show you a few...

 

So I started to measure and cut and fuse and sew...And after 2 days, I came up with all this cool stuff! 

From Sandi Henderson's Meadosweet and Michael Miller Ta Dots

 
 From Patty Young's Flora and Fauna

 

Here's Heather Bailey's Pop Garden...

 

 

Some of the covers are for Kindles, and some for the Pandigital Novel.  I need to figure out how big Nooks are, so i can whip up a few to fit them, too. I know quite a few people who need ereader covers, and I will be putting extras up for sale in my Etsy shop, eamylove. {There's a convenient button on the sidebar if you'd ever like to pop in for a visit!}

You know from my previous posts that I am fascinated by Amy Butler Love and Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane lines.  I can't leave them out of my new craze, can I???

Love...

 
And Nicey Jane...

 

I experimented with "snug" and "relaxed fit."  I can't decide which I prefer - am leaning toward the relaxed fit in more ways than one, after Christmas cookie season.  Which do you prefer?

 

Happy Christmas to All...

 
And to all a good night!

 

Christmas Party Time --- Recipe for Grape Salad

Today's post is submitted by Amy DeCesare of Pennsylvania...

It's the most wonderful time of the year...friends, coworkers, and family members are gathering to share food, fellowship and Christmas traditions.

 

Friends of ours...actually just like family members to us...host an annual Christmas party at their home.  Hmmmm...I wondered what special food I could bring this time.  I decided to make one of my favorite new recipes I found this summer on the internet.  It's perfect for wintertime, too, with colorful grapes in a delicious sweet dressing.

So here's my recipe for Best Ever Grape Salad:

3 lbs. or so seedless grapes, red and/or green

8 oz. sour cream - I use "light"

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup coarsely crushed pecans

First take all the grapes off of the stems, rinse well, and drain on a paper towel.

 
 

In a really large bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.  Stir in sugar and vanilla, mixing well.

 

Fold the grapes into the "dressing" until coated.

 

Transfer to a serving dish or bowl.

 

Top with brown sugar and pecans.  Cover and chill for several hours, or overnight.

 

Now, you know I couldn't just take this thing to a party without glamming it up a bit.  I have the world's cutest Casserole Cover, shown here.  First put the cover down, and insert the casserole dish under the handle strap.

 

Pull the strap up, and place one loop over it.

 

Do the same on the other side.  Now you can put your hand into the carrying strap. 

 

My aunt Ellie taught me to make these casserole covers.  I think I'll carry a few in my Etsy shop, eamylove, after Christmas, so check back with me later, or let me know if you're interested.  I've done a few more, too...

 

Hope you will all have fun at your own holiday gatherings.  Be safe, and enjoy one another's company!

Winners of Key Fobs!

This had to be the world's easiest Giveaway, don't you think???

 

I promised 2 winners, and we only had 3 comments, so....I declare ALL 3 of you girls WINNERS!!!

Congratulations to Mary, Michelle, and Wendy!  Please send your shipping addresses to me via email at your earliest convenience, and I'll send your prizes right out!  Michelle, I hope yours will be ready for giving to your MIL in time for Christmas 2010!  You can email me at [email protected].  Please include any requests, if you have them, for colors or theme.  I have many that are not shown in the post or my Etsy shop, both holiday and year-round styles. 

{Now aren't you girls glad you commented?}

 

Come back soon for more HOLIDAY IDEAS!

 

 

Christmas Gifts - Part 3

Today's post is submitted by Amy DeCesare of Delmont, PA

COMMENTS FOR THIS POST ARE NOW CLOSED.

Welcome back for another GIFT IDEA for Christmas! 

On my last post, I gave a PREVIEW of today's topic, and I asked readers to leave a comment if they knew what was being shown in the last photo.  You guys are good!!!

 

It is, in fact, a KEY FOB!  Once you've used one, you'll want one for every season... 

They are not only pretty, but also very practical...

    You can recognize your own set of keys easily and find them in your purse readily.  You can put it around your wrist, freeing up your hands to hold {small} children or {big} grocery bags and packages.  You can put one on your luggage to make it easy to identify.  You can use one for all those little loyalty tags, and another for your keys.  And as Lisa suggested in the last post's comments... you could attach your jump drive to it.  {I'm seriously doing that!!!}

 

I made it myself, and I must admit I'm proud of my effort.  The HARDWARE makes it look like you could never make these yourself, but of course you can.  Where can you buy this type of hardware, you ask?  I found mine at an Etsy shop called everything ribbons.  When I bought my goodies, they included a free tutorial on how to make key fobs with fabric and webbing.

My own source was this fabulous tutorial from the sew.simply.creative blog.  I don't use any webbing, rather 2 strips of contrasting fabric, as in this tutorial.

I love using small pieces of fabrics in different combinations to create FABULOUS results!

 

They are especially sweet when they coordinate with other accessories and purses.

 

One of my {many, many} favorite fabric designers is Jennifer Paganelli.  Wouldn't these 2 fabrics make a CUTE key fob?

 
 
Guess where you can buy them...

That's right:  at Lanie Jane!

I'll be posting some of these key fobs on my own Etsy shop, eamylove over the next few days, so if you need any in a hurry, you can shop there.  {Convo me if you have any requests or questions, please...I've got a bunch of extras handy.}

 

If you leave a COMMENT on this post, telling me how you'd like to use a key fob, I'll choose 2 WINNERS, and I'll send each of them a KEY FOB of their own.  Hurry...comments will be closed on Sunday, Dec. 12th at midnight!

 

Gifts for Christmas - Part 2

 
Today's post is presented by Amy DeCesare of Pennsylvania...

"AN APPLE FOR THE TEACHER"

 

What is today's Christmas gift idea???  You could call it a List Maker, an Organizer, or - my favorite - a Portfolio!

This would make a thoughtful and pretty gift for a mom, a student, or a special teacher. 

{I'm partial to teachers...both of my parents were teachers, and we have DOZENS of teachers in our extended family.  They do such wonderful work with our precious children, giving them new ways to solve problems and be inspired.}

I made this portfolio for my son's very favorite student teacher when she graduated.  She tells him that all the other teachers are so JEALOUS when she pulls her portfolio out, to take notes at conferences.  It's so much fun to promote jealousy...in an innocent way, of course!

Let's open it up and see what's inside!

 
I filled it up with sticky notes and a little tablet.  There's a pen holder in the center.

  I found another version here, by JCasa at the Sew, Mama, Sew blog.  Cute, cute, cute!  {She has a downloadable tutorial, if you'd like to make one like hers.}

 

There are so many ways to make them...here are 3 more I made for two great 4th grade teachers and my lovely niece:

I LOVE this Eiffel tower print...

  

And sailboats remind teachers that summer is never too far away...

 

Here are the inside pockets - a little different than the Apple one.  I was having fun now!

 

And this Amy Butler one is sweet and charming, just like my niece Christina...

 

Look carefully at the interior...

 
 
Do you know what that thing is, beside the tablet, with the silver hardware? 

{Leave a comment if you can guess!} 

It's going to be the topic of my next Christmas Gift Ideas post!  Come back soon and see!

Gifts for Christmas - Part 1

Today's post is from Amy DeCesare of Pennsylvania...

Like everyone else, I'm turning some of my attention toward Christmas. 

 
(If you're already done sewing, shopping and wrapping, then just read as if I am discussing Christmas 2011.  Thank you.)

I like to make at least some of my presents from my pretty fabric stash.  One of the gifts I'm working on this year is THIS:

{Can you tell I live near Pittsburgh?}

 

Know what that is?  A COFFEE CUP SLEEVE!

You could call it a Coffee Cozy, a Cup Warmer, or even a Java Jacket, but isn't that cool?  I looked around and found some tutorials on the web.  Then I combined a few to come up with my own way to make them.  Here we go!

I picked up a free pattern  first.  This was the hardest part...I had to go to one of those nice coffee shops and enjoy make myself drink a cup of coffee.  Of course I picked up some bagels to go along with it, and I spent 3 hours visiting with a favorite friend, but that's another story. 

I opened up the paper sleeve and traced it onto a piece of Pellon 987F fusible fleece.  (Did I mention how much I love that stuff???) 

{Soon...I'm going to adapt my pattern to make it a bit smaller and symmetrical.  I had to be very, very careful to position the pieces properly, so that directional prints come out properly!}

I cut an outer piece from this pretty candy cane fabric, fusing the fleece to the wrong side and making it about 1/2" larger than the fleece on all sides.  I cut out the lining from the red polka dot fabric - same size as the outer piece.

 
 

 

 I put the pieces wrong sides together and inserted a small piece of elastic {half of a hairband} between the pieces, on one short end.  Leaving the end open that did NOT have the elastic, I stitched right along the edge of the fleece, barely catching it in the stitching.  {When I came to the elastic area, I stitched back and forth about 5 times for strength.}  I trimmed around the edges to leave 1/4" on all stitched sides, but 1/2" at the open short edge.

 
I turned it right sides out and pressed it, then tucked in the "open" edge.  Then I topstitched around the entire piece, which finished off the end I'd left open for turning.  I picked out a cute button and sewed it onto the sleeve.  Done!

 
Now I've got to make a whole bunch more...better make a cup of coffee first!!!

 

Today is a Happy Day For a Freedbie!!

A great day to have a giveaway! 

Check out this blog of Sandi Henderson's for all of the details.

She is posting a giveaway for me.

Portabellopixie

I've been thinking that a 1/2 yard bundle of

Sandi Henderson's Meadow Sweet Fabrics 

along with any pattern in my Store !

would make someone out there very happy. 

My only hesitation is that I might sell out and I won't have any left for me.

Kind of selfish I know, but I just love these colors.  

I have started a quilt with this fabric

and I have been saving my pennies

to get some more of it for the backing and binding.

I am hoping that I can order some more of it.

 

This is my Lone Star.  It is not quite halfway pieced together. 

Below I just layed it down as it will be when I sew it together later.

I am thinking that I want to back it with the strawberries.

What do you think?

I am using the "Quilt Smart" method.

I have some friends that are also doing the same.

When we are all finished we are going to blog about them all with lots of pictures.   

Well, back to the giveaway. 

Just to sweeten things up a bit,

I want to tell you about a  place

that is far too close to my house.

Just a few miles up the road is a world renowned candy making business.

 

It is between my house and my daughters home.

Yes, you guessed it, I have to pass it every time I go to visit my daughter.

I am finding that the older I get my self control gets weaker.

In light of this little bit of info, a surprise from the

"Peppermint Place"

would couple nicely with the Meadow Sweet fabric,

don't you thinks

The winner can choose any pattern that they want from the Lanie Jane store.

Good Luck to all!!!

Happy Thoughts,

Lanie



Love that Amy Butler Love!

Today's blog entry is submitted by Amy DeCesare, a faithful fan and customer of Lanie Jane... 

Hello from beautiful Pennsylvania, where we are enjoying autumn's glorious colors! 

Today I want to share some bags I've created using Amy Butler's "Love" line. 

 

The pattern I selected is available in a FREE tutorial by Rebeka Lambert (aka "artsy-crafty babe") 

She has named this sweet little bag PHOEBE!  You can find the tutorial here:

http://artsycraftybabe.typepad.com/artsycrafty_babe/my-patterns.html

{Look on the right-hand side of the blog for the area marked "Free Patterns and Tutorials."  There are quite a few of them!}

When I found this pattern, I noticed that it calls for 1/2 yard of main fabric and lining.  Oooooh!  That reminded me of something...a few days ago long, long time ago, I actually WON a half-yard bundle of fabrics from Lanie Jane!  They are Amy Butler's "Love" line, and I had been hoarding them for myself saving them for something special.

{By the way...when I won this prize I thought it was so coincidental:  my maiden name was actually Amy Love!}

Soooooo...I pulled out my bundle and a few coordinates and put together these little bags.  I made a couple of modifications inside - a zippered interior pocket and a strip of pockets for organizing.  Also, I prefer to add fusible fleece to ALL the pieces, including the lining.  I used a slightly different technique for the handle, too, but I think this bag would be fun for anyone to make.  The directions are well-written, and the STYLE is fabulous!  The darts in the bottom of the bag give it a CUTE shape!

   

 That one up there is my favorite fabric in the line...named Bliss.  Then I made up this red one.  I had already used a lot of it to make a backpack, so I decided to PIECE the back...I think it's very nice that way, too.

 

 
I just opened an Etsy shop called eamylove --- www.eamylove.etsy.com --- so I contacted Rebeka to obtain permission to sell some of my Phoebe bags there, and she graciously said Yes.  You can find more {not so giant-sized} views of these and other creations there.  I made them in Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane and Joel Dewberry's Aviary fabrics as well. 

Now, as all of you who have signed up for Lanie Jane's newsletters are aware...you can find Amy Butler's Love fabrics ON SALE right now for just $6/yard!

Go get some and have fun!!!

 

Mud Pies....

 

      Once upon a time in a place not far from here there were three little granddaughters.    

                      
                       
 

One day they decided to visit their grandmother's house.

The three girls ran and played in the hot sun.

 

 

 

Soon they were tired and hot.

So they asked grandma if they could turn on the hose and play in the water.

Grandmother said yes. 

Before long they were soaking in the cool, clean, sparkling water.

Suddenly they noticed that the water was working it's way from the driveway to a small patch of dirt.

Eventually, a small pond was forming at the edge of the garden.

Of course, the girls were enchanted.  

"What would Grandma think if we just touched the oohy gooy mud that was forming at the bottom of the little pool. 

Well, we all know that water and mud on a hot day is like eating potato chips, very difficult to just eat one. 

Before they knew it they were head to toe in mud. 

 

 
 
 

 Having a wonderful time.