Quilt Fest of Jacksonville

I am very excited to announce that my patterns are going to be at the Quilt Fest of Jacksonville Florida.
Here is the link: http://www.quiltfestjax.com . You can find a variety of my patterns on display at The Country Crossroads Quilt shop of Jacksonville Florida booth.
Dates September 24 - 26 2009.
Here is the link to Country Crossroads store: http://countrycrossroads.com
If you have never been to this quilt fest it is a must to go. It is the largest and with many vendors, quilts for sale, things to do for the kids and so much more.
Along with my patterns there will be samples of my bags for you to look at as well.
Stop by Lynn's booth and tell her I sent you.
Lv Jackie

So much going on with me...

First I am proud to show you my poohbear. This is her with her very first horse butter cup. She is gorguse palamino mare.

I am not able to bring her home yet. We are still working on getting the fence up and the barn. I tell ya, if you have never done this before, it is a lot of work. First the permits then the labor. Oh my goodnes... But in all it will be worth it.

Next I just found out yesterday that a very good friend of our family has diabeties. That was huge for us. So I am helping is wife and we are going to work together to conquer this. I have been doing a lot of research for recpies for healthy eating etc... there is a lot of information out there. That is wonderful.

Good news!! My patterns are in another quilt shop, Fireside Quilts, here is the link: http://www.firesidequilts.com . Fabulous store. Stop by if you ever have the time. Tell her Jackie sent ya.

Have a great day.

Elise Kitchen Apron Pattern

I wanted to share this with you. It is a new pattern for me. It is a fabulous kitchen apron that is now available. It is a section on my website that I have been slowly trying to get together. I love aprons. I have many people in my family who cook so I was inspired by them and of course "Neena" who is my mother.

The back of the apron has a wonderful tie. I think the bow adds a touch of feminine quality to an apron. I just love the full size bow. The waist band is very slimming.

The dish towel loop is what gives this apron the special feature that a lot of aprons out there do not have. You are always on the hunt for that dish cloth, keep it by your side always. It is perfectly positioned. No need to keep it on the counter or over the cabinet door. It is right there for you.

This pattern is so very easy to make and comes in all sizes, small to extra large. Makes a great gift as well. You can see more about this apron here at: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/NeenasKitchenPatterns.html

There will be more added to this page so keep stopping by. Thank you, Jackie

Easy Peeezzy Pockets for Your HandBag

You will love these pockets for your bag. You can make them with or with out interfacing. The interfacing just gives the pocket support. You will need 1piece of fabric, cotton is best, and 1 piece of light weight fusible interfacing both cut at 8 1/2" wide x 11" tall.

Your panels are going to be long wise.

Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the panel. Use manufactures instructions.

Fold in half long wise and pin to secure.

Sew using a 3/8" seam allowance. Be sure to back stitch on both ends to be secure.

Easy Peeezzy Pockets for Your Handbags part 2

This is what you should have once sewn.

Trim the access on each corner and discard, you are reducing the bulk.

Turn right side facing you and push your corners crisp, press if needed.

Fold under the raw edges into the cavity of the pocket. Press.

Pin to secure. Pocket made! Now when you place this on your lining panel, be sure the open end is facing the bottom of the lining panel so that when you sew it in place, the open end will sew closed.

More pictures of Libby

Here are a few more pictures of my Libby bag. This bag will be traveling to quilt stores all over Florida and a few in Georgia. My friend with Blank Textiles will be featuring this bag along with the fabric to purchase for quilt stores as well as the pattern. Hopefully you will see it in one of your stores soon.

Libby Drawstring Shoulder Bag

Isn't she cute. I have to say that I just love this bag. The fabric is so fabulous. The detail is amazing. The style of bag is perfect for the fabric. Full of life. Libby is just a great all around bag.
She has so much function. Inside is lined with a pocket. It is a draw string so closes tight. Double shoulder straps. Thin so they are not to bulky.

Libby is easy to make. She whips up in one simple afternoon. She has a flat bottom with pleats to give you tons of room with out looking bulky. Her size is 20" wide x 15" tall when fully open.

If you would like even more information about Libby please click here: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/Libby050.html . Thanks for looking.

Busy Busy Busy

I have not been blogging much lately, I got a terrible cold. Still have it. Not as bad as it was but good heavens, it put me out of commission for a week, if not longer. All of my creative juices sorta got put away for a while and now they are pouring out like tomato juice. lol..
I have already made a new bag pattern, oh my goodness it is adorable. I am not able to show you yet because I am still working on photos for the pattern cover and then all of the other stuff that goes along with it. I will have it featured in my July news letter along with a new apron pattern. Yes I have been very busy. If you have not signed up for my news letter you may want to so you can see them first: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/aboutthedesigner.html
I promise you will not be disappointed.
Have a great day!

A cute little wallet

This is one of my patterns. Her name is Claudette. Is is very cute. Easy to make with no trouble at all. She has everything you need. A zipper pocket, place for cash, credit cards and your check book. The front has a velcro closure for easy access.
http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/accessorypatterns.html

Allie Tote Bag Sew Along

This is my sew along bag I will be sharing for July. It is originally made for Allie, she was my swap partner on my bag group. Sue my moderator organized a very successful summer swap. It was a lot of fun. Thank you Sue.

The bag is a quilt block pattern with lots of pockets, no closure but it is deep enough so there is no worries. The back of the bag is all pockets, great for slip and run out the door.

I just love this bag, it was fun to make and hopefully everyone will have fun making it as well.

Lv Jackie

Daphne' Handbag Accessory

Daphne' is every women's favorite handbag accessory. She is full of style, and function.
This pattern has so many options they are endless. First, the accessory bag is a very easy to install inside zipper pocket. Not only does it have this feature it also has two slip pockets to keep even more of your favorite items organized. The zipper pocket is perfect for loose change and cash. The slip pockets are perfect for receipts, credit cards and so much more.The flap for Daphne' is a Velcro closure, very important to keep your credit cards safe.
The Daphne' accessory case has been made by Posh clients as a shoulder bag as well. It makes the perfect all around bag for anyone.

Daphne' also comes with a sun glass case the coordinated perfectly. The front of Daphne' has a slip pocket for easy access. The closure is a flap over the front Velcro. Inside can hold your favorite sunglasses, a small camera etc..
The handy hand strap is perfect for the on the go wristlet as well. Another great bag.
Size of accessory bag: 6 1/2" x 7"Size of sun glass case: 7 1/2" x 4"

For more information about Daphne' including purchasing information please click here:

http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/Daphne021.html

Thank you. Jackie

My Coconut Bag

This is my coconut bag. I recieved this coconut bag from a friend. She got it from a yard sale. It looks handmade, but I am not sure. Inside has a zipper lining to keep your things inside. It is really neat. My daughter just loves this bag.

Louie Our Crazy Weenier Dog

This is Louie, Louie loves to entertain himself by rubbing his back on the floor, normaly he has a sock in his mouth. Here is a video of our crazy dog for you to giggle about. "Oh that Crazy Dog!!"

My Wedding Gown

This is my beautiful gown. It has been years since I have seen it. It has been at my moms house. She was house cleaning and it was stored there. It was still in the original zip bag you get when you buy it at the store. So I pulled it out last night and decided to look at it. I just love my dress.

It is amazing house skinny I was. A 28" wasit lol.. Not anymore but I am working on it. I have a goal of loosing 55 pounds this summer. It is tuff. I love the beaded work and the way the satin was folded to create the rose buds. You can see a lot of work was done to make this dress.

The back of the dress has this adorable bow with beads on it as well. I did not get any alterations done to this dress, I made my self to fit this dress. I did not want the alterations lady to touch it. I was not sure of her ability and it was perfect the way it was. $728.00 for the gown is a lot of money to put towards it and I did not want anyone to make any mistakes. lol..

The dress is so beautiful, you should have seen my daughters face when I brought it out, she says mom, you fit into that, what happened? lol Oh kids you just got to love them.

The entire bottom of the dress has the rose buds through dress to pull the while thing together. There are rows and rows of tulle to make it flow and beautiful.

For a time I made bridal bags. When I find the pictures I will post them.

I am glad I was able to share this with you.

Fay The All in One Bag

Most of you may or may not know that I live in Florida. In Florida we have many many hurricanes. I have to say, if you have never witnessed one, it is quite the experience. Sometimes you have to evacuate, sometimes you don't. It really depends on the category of the storm.
Well 2 years ago, one decided to come to Florida and never leave. She was not a very high category so most of us were not evacuated. But one thing they do not predict is the amount of rain. Sure they can give you there estimate, but lets face it, lol it is never on target. Hurricane Fay decided to pay us a visit one year and never leave. The rain she placed in Florida was unbelievable and left me and my family flooded in. Sooo as I sit there starring at my sewing machine and computer my husband says hey Jack, why don't you put a bag together that is named after the hurricane. I thought that was a great idea! So here she is "Fay" hurricane inspired bag. lol..

Fay was designed with you in mind who loves to have everything right there by your side with quick easy access, no fuss, no muss. No wallet needed because everything is right there. There is a zipper pocket for your small items, tons of slip pockets to organize all your favorite things. Now that is just handy. There are two flaps, one on the inside. You can barely see it because I used the same fabric as the bag body it is has a Velcro closure and one on the front to close every thing in, this has a magnetic snap closure. If I was going to rate this pattern for my self to make with 10 being the hardest and 1 simple, I would give it a 5. It is more time consuming then anything due to all the pockets. But I feel as tho this bag is worth the time, everything is right there for you and you look oh so faaaaaaabulous!!

You can purchase this pattern on my website at: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/Fay028.html

Beautiful Fabric!!!

I just love fabric and I am very very lucky to have the best resource out there. My favorite fabric is large flowers with bright bold prints. I love the natural tones as well. But nothing brings more happiness then those vibrant colors. These are photos of my recent ones.

All my fabrics come from: http://www.thefabricattic.com/ . Her name is Mickie and her only passion is finding the best quality fabrics, top name brands and the widest assortments for you to choose from.

She has names like Alexander Henry, Bernatex, Micheal Miller, Blank, Kona bay and so much more. Not only is she the best fabric store out there, she is my mother. :0) I am a living witness that her fabrics are truly beautiful. I encourage you to stop by her store: http://www.thefabricattic.com/ Tell her I sent you, I promise, you will not be let down. I will continuously post about more fabrics I get so you can see all the fun stuff I get! Future bags are waiting!!

Sewing Tip for June, Your Machine Needles

Sewing machine needles. They are our everyday tool to make those amazing handbags, quilts and so much more. We rely on them and expect them to function properly.
Often tho, they do not and we do not realize it. It is the little things that make the difference in your art.
What happens, the tip of the needle become blunt, if you look at it and touch the needle point it may seem normal to you, even feel sharp. But in reality, it is not as sharp as it was when you first began.
Running a dull needle will do many things, first it puts a lot of wear and tear on your sewing machine. It allows the motor in the machine to work harder then what it should, which in turn will put a lot of stress of the motor and cause you to send it to the shop more often then needed.
Next it will cause damage to your fabric, those fine fabrics will have little runs in them and if the needle is dull enough it will cause the same in those beautiful cottons we love so much.
If you listen to a new needle sewing in the machine, it pierces the fabric with out any friction, if you listen to a needle that has been used more then what it should, you will hear the needle pierce the fabric and sound as if it is going through paper and even struggle at times.
For every 5 small projects to 1 or 2 large projects, depending how much machine stitching you use. Change out your needle to a new one and throw the old away.
I know needles are expensive, but in the long run it will save you money at the machine shop.

Melyenda Wristlet Tutorial

Isn't she cute. I love this bag. I use one and I have to say it is perfect for going out to dinner. I hate caring my big bag so this is perfect. I place my cell, I carry a LG Incite, my credit cards, drivers licence a little cash, lip stick. My hubby carries the car keys. Get your machine ready you are going to want to make bunches of these.

Melyenda is a draw string wristlet with a round flat bottom. She measure approximately 3" across and about 11" high.

Here is a view of the inside.

CUT AND SUPPLY LIST FOR MELYNDA:
1. You will need 2 panels 1 of fabric body cut 12 1/4" x 9" and 1 for the lining 12 1/4" x 9"

2. Cut 2 of light weight fusible interfacing 12 1/4" x 9"

3. 2 strips of double fold bias tape store purchase, each cut at 25" long (If you do not want to use bias, you can use cording or ribbon.)

4. Plastic insert for bottom of bag for support, cut 1/2" smaller then the pattern supplied.

5. For draw string casing cut 2 strips of fabric,1 1/2" x 6"

6. 2 circles cut one for bag body and one for lining 4" in diamater, or 2" radius

CONSTRUCTION:
1. You will need the cut 1 circle for the bag body 4" in diamater or 2" radius.

2. Using your cut panels, please fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the bag body and the lining panels.

3. Using the bag body panel fold in half long wise right sides facing each other and sew the short side using a 3/8" seam allowance.

4. With the panel remaining wrong side facing you, evenly distribute the bottom edge of the panel lining up the raw edges of the circle and bottom edge, pin to secure. Be sure the right sides are facing each other, bag body panel and bag bottom. See image below.

Sew in place using a 3/8" seam allowance. Turn right side facing you, press your bottom flat and seams.

LINING CONSTRUCTION:
1. Use the same instructions for the bag body to make the lining, excluding turning right side facing you.

HANDLE CONSTRUCTION:
1. Using the cut Bias tape, sew them closed by using a single machine stitch up the center of the Bias tape.

2. Tie your ends. Set aside for later.

COMPLETION OF WRISTLET:

CASING CONSTRUCTION:
1. Using your cut panels for the draw string casing. With wrong side facing you, press each long raw edge in towards the center of the casing.

2. Next fold each press each short end of the casing 1/2" towards the center.

3. Using the bag body, center the casing on one side of the bag 2" from the top. Pin in place.

4. Once complete press the top edge of the lining and bag body top edge 1/2", press facing wrong side of the fabric.

5. Slip lining inside the bag, line your pressed edge and the side sewn seam. Pin to secure.

6. Sew in place using a 3/8" seam allowance.

7. Using a safety pin attach to end of your binding slip into the right cavity casing and come out of the other casing right side, till ends meet each other. Slip knot those ends together. Using the other Bias tape attach safety pin and insert on the left side of the first casing you went through, then come out through the other left side casing meeting the ends. Slip knot those together. You now have handles on each side, right and left. Pull tie to close bag.

Bag Complete.

She really is fun to make and quick. Send me pictures of your bags I would love to see them and use them in my news letter. jackie1stb@yahoo.com

For a printable version of this pattern please click here: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/accessorypatterns.html

This pattern is under copyright of Jackie's Desighns Posh Pattern so please respect them Thank you.

To view the copy right please click here: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/aboutthedesigner.html

Praying Mantis

Check this guy out. Cool ehy! He was on the side of the house peeking in the sliding glass doors. I am lucky to grab this picture of him. It took a while but he finally left. Walking along the side of the house.

Chloe Wristlet

This is Chloe, it is an adorable wristlet. She is so easy to make with a lot of options for you.
She has a hand strap with a magnetic snap closure. The flap is unique and secures every thing you can place inside. This bag is great for your cell, keys, a little cash etc..

Here you can see under the flap, nice space to slip your items you need in a hurry. She really is great to keep your grab and go stuff inside and place in your bag.

The back has another slip pocket that I divided so you can keep slender items inside. You do not have to divide the slip pocket. Keep it a full size to add larger items. She really is adorable, quick to make and looks great with all kinds of fabrics. She has an easy pallet to be creative.

To get more information on Chloe click here: http://www.jackiesdesighns.com/Chloe027.html