Our Holiday Party

The ladies of Home a la mode know how to have a good time.  We spend so much time together at shows that if you overheard some of our comments and jokes to each other, you might question our sanity :)

For our Christmas party this year, we decided to head out into the world and let our creative juices flow.  We have a place in our area, as many of you do as well, where you come to learn to paint called "Painting with a Twist".  The teacher gives us the step by step instructions, all the while encouraging creativity and putting your own flair into the finished product. 

Here is how ours turned out.

 What are some of your favorite Christmas activities to do with your friends and family?

Coffee Sack Races

A very dear customer and friend of ours is a medical missionary.  She travels to Africa, Mexico, and beyond, helping to provide medical care for those in need.  A few months back, before one of her trips, she purchases a few of our Burlap Coffee Bags to take with her.  She was wanting to give the children something to do while they waited for their medical treatment.  She was kind enough to share a few of the pictures from this little village in Mexico :)

This little one was catching some big air!

I love the look of happiness in the little girl's face, as she is beating the boys

This is what pure joy looks like

Please share your pictures of our products at work in your life, and you too, might just get featured on our blog :)

Have fun!

And the "Affair" continues...

Once again, we have found our way to the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds for the Affair of the Heart show!  After a quick drive north (at least it felt quick since I was sleeping while Karen did the driving), we arrived, found our booth and began the TEDIOUS task of setting up.  It's not as bad as we make it sounds, and we have fun while doing it :)

Here's a little glimpse of what it looks like when it is "finished".  I say "finished" because if you've ever seen us at work, we NEVER stop moving.  We are constantly moving, rearranging, and sorting product.  You could visit us a few different times during a show and get a completely different look.

Come out to the Travel & Transportation Building, Booth #157 and visit us!  Mention this blog post for a special gift!

See what our giveaway led to...

A little while back, we did a Coffe Bag giveaway with BJ on her blog Sweet Nothings.  Our winner was Carlene from Organized Clutter.  She took our Original Coffee Bag and did a great upcycling project with a garage sale find.  Check it out here!

 

And keep you eyes out for more giveaways in the near future ;)

Laundry Room Makeover

Our fearless leader, Karen, has a great sense of design when it comes to using vintage products in creative ways.  Check out how she used an old chicken coup to create adorable shelving in her laundry room!

And I love how she incorporated some of our awesome products!  Which of our products do you see here?  Answers to be reveled tomorrow ;)

Winner!!!!

As we do at all our shows, we did a drawing after The Affair of the Heart show in Tulsa a few weeks ago.  And our latest winner of the $25 gift certificate is.... Kim! 

Congrats on winning and Happy Shopping!

"Say it" in your Craft Projects

Hello everyone in Blogland!  If you've been to one of our shows or warehouse sales, you were lucky enough to feast your eyes on our crafter's "eye candy", aka our "Say it With Words" samples.  In this day where greeting cards can cost up to $10, why not use that money to add some personalization and extra sentiment to you craft projects and quilts?

 

 

We have a full line of panels, including Mother, Sister, Daughter, Son, Grandchild, Friend, Spiritual, Encouraging, and much more.  With 41 different sayings, you are sure to find one that matches your sentiment perfectly.

Happy 4th of July (and a tutorial)

Happy Independence Day!!!!  We are so blessed to be living in an amazing country that allows us so many freedoms - and I love having a day to remind us of that :)

My girls, my dad, and I spent the day before picking blueberries (which is a yearly tradition in our family since I was a little girl).  Although the berries were a little hard to find, we had a great time.  And managed to come home with 14 pounds of berries.  Hint, hint... a future blog may a recipe of fresh blueberry preserves :)

 

We spent the day, as many of you did, celebrating with family and friends. My daughter Claire is playing Tic Tac Toe with her grandpa, with a game hand-painted by her great-grandmother out of rocks and pebbles.

I was so inspired by the adorable new fabric collections, Flats by Angela Yosten, that I wanted to make my girls some patriotic-inspired shirts for the special day.  I started with a tutorial I found on Pinterest for a toddler's Pillowcase Dress on the blog The Ribbon Retreat and just modified it to fit my girls.

And instead of doing the sash and bow (which my girls wouldn't have worn), I did an elastic band with straps.  Check out the steps below.

• I used the tutorial steps all the way until the part with the ribbon treading through.  Instead, I made straps.   I cut the fabric in a 4" strip and folded it in half and pressed with the iron.  I then opened it up and pressed the outer edges in half towards the middle seam - pretty much like you do when you make your own bias tape.  I then did a 1/8" seam on both sides of the strap to hold it all together.

• I then measured the desired length for the straps and added 1" for seams.  I cut both straps the same length.  I then measured the girls from collar bone to collar bone and subtracted about 1-1/2" for the front piece of elastic and about 2-1/2" for the back piece of elastic- depending on how much gathering you want.  (I used 1" elastic)
• Now just attach the elastic to your strap.  I sewed in this order: strap to front elastic, front elastic to other strap, and then other strap to back elastic. 

 

• Next, attached a safety pin to the end of the elastic and fish through the cased opening.  Once the seams line up, just stitch back over the existing seam.  Repeat for all the seams.  Once you fish the elastic through the final casing, just stitch the elastic to the strap and sew the strap into place.

• And voila, there you have it!!!  Your shirt is complete!!!  Check out these adorable little girls in their new shirts - ok, I might be a little biased, but I think they are "perfect" ;)

Mesquite Quilt Guild Show

We have arrived.  After a very busy set up day yesterday (and only one minor accident), we got all our wonderful products out and ready for our shoppers.

My little one was helping us and had small rack fall on her - as you can tell by the picture, she is fine :)

Come out today from 10-5 and tomorrow 10-5 at the Rutherford Community Center for the Mesquite Quilt Guild show.

Mention this post and get a special "gift" :)

Going, going... almost gone!

For those that are watching those napkins and tablecloths that Home a la mode has HALF OFF!!!  WOW!!!  We are out of the napkins now and only have about 4 tablecloths left!  Get one quick!!! They are going fast!!!  It's a french style look that is timeless.  Great gift for someone in your life that just likes to set a good table...  Have a great day!!!

Warehouse Sale #2

It's that time again... time for a WAREHOUSE SALE!!!  Come by this Friday (6/14) & Saturday (6/15) to take advantage of some amazing deals!!!

If you purchased from our sale last month, come by and receive a special discount for shopping again!

Click here for directions to our warehouse at 399 Tanglewood Trail, Pottsboro, TX 75076.

And if you aren't able to make it, watch our website for some upcoming sales and specials.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Tim to Hit the Lake

In our family, the beginning of summer means one thing - time to get out on the lake.  We spent the last few weekends with Jim & Karen at the lake.  It's a great way to get out and enjoy the day with the family.

 

And the rule is, if you ride on the boat, you have to help clean it.  The girls weren't all that thrilled to help, but they know the drill.

And with the kiddos out for the summer, I'm constantly looking for activities that can keep them occupied while I try to work, sew, cook, and clean up behind my little mess-makers :)  I am working on compiling a list for the blog that will include kid-friendly craft projects, but I would love to hear your ideas.

What is your favorite activity to do with your kids/grandkids to keep the summer boredom from rearing its ugly head?

TUTORIAL: Coffee Bag Tote (and a Giveaway!!!)

Have you seen our "original" burlap coffee bags?  Ever wondered what you would use one for?  Well, here's one idea... make a tote bag!  And here's the directions to do so.

First you will want to gather all your supplies:

Supplies Needed:

• Original Coffee Bag
• Approx 1/2 yard of muslin or fabric of your choice (I used Bella Solids - Black)
• (1) set of Leather Floral Handles
• Approx 1/2 yard of Craft Fuse
• Thread
• Rotary Cutter
• Scissors (not your good sewing ones, but sharp ones)
• Cutting Mat
• Ruler
• Straight pins
• Iron and ironing board

Directions:

1)  You will need to cut the bag apart on the seams to get one large piece.  Just beware, you will discover why we call these "original" coffee bags - here's what I discovered when I opened my seams.

2)  Press the bag open.  Burlap is very tolerant to heat, so use your cotton/linen setting.
Lay out your bag and decide what size you would like your finished bag to be.  Add 1" to that number to allow for seam allowances.  My bag is 18" x 16" so I cut the pieces 19" x 17".  I did a little researching about cutting burlap in a straight line.  It turns out it is a pretty easy thing to do.  You just figure out where you want to cut and pull that tread.  I found the tip of a mechanical pencil to be helpful to get this process started.

3)  You just keep pulling and pulling until the entire string is out.  You will find that you left yourself a nice little gap in which to cut.  You will just follow that line all the way, and there you have it - a perfectly straight line!  I was more than excited to see that this little tip worked amazingly well.

You can see the gap I created here :)

4)  Cut your Craft Fuse to the same dimensions as your bag pieces (19" x 17").  Iron bag pieces to the craft fuse.  Since the burlap will twist and adjust, make sure you iron it straight with the craft fuse being your guide.

5)  Put the right sides together and pin.  Sew 3 sides together with a tight zigzag stitch and 1/2" seam - this will make sure the burlap is properly sewn so it won't come undone.  Turn right side out and set aside.

6)  Cut your pieces of muslin or fabric to the same dimensions as the bag (19" x 17")

7)  Put right sides together and pin.  Then sew 3 sides, leaving a 4" gap at the bottom to turn the bag.

8)  At this point, you could add a magnetic snap closure if you wish.

9)  Take the outer burlap bag and put it inside the liner so that right sides are together.  Line up the seams and pin the top.  You will want to stitch all the way around the top of the bag.

10)  Pull the burlap outer layer out through the opening in the bottom of the lining.

11)  Stitch up the bottom of the line and press smooth.

12)  Turn the liner inside the bag and make sure you corners are pushed out.  A great tool for this is the Crystal Point Turner by Lee - I have this and the Fabric Press and use them on every project I do, from sewing to papercrafting.

13)  The stiffness of the burlap created a perfect 1/2" overlap of the lining fabric.  Press it down and top stitch it down.

14)  Sew the handles on just like you would a button.

And VOILA... here's your fabulous new tote!!!  Perfect for the beach, vacation, running errands, and anything else you need.

Now, if you are ready to make your own, head over to Sweet Nothings blog for a chance to win a FREE coffee bag!!!

Our Newest Products!

Charm Pack Quilt for a New Prince Charming

A dear friend of mine was expecting her first baby.  So of course, I HAD to make her a quilt!!!  Her and her husband decided to go "old school" (which I love!!!) and not find out the gender of their little miracle.  While I decided to do the same with both of my children, you probably know just how hard it is do find the perfect fabric for a great gender-neutral quilt.  Well, of course I turned to Moda, the greatest fabric manufacturer in my opinion.  And anytime I can use precuts, I am a happy girl.  Even though I have been sewing for awhile, I am still one of the worst cutters of square fabric in the world!!!

Armed with 2 charm packs (which I didn't use completely) and some jelly roll strips, I came up with the simple quilt design.  It is just 6 vertical rows of 9 squares with strips in between.  And my favorite backing for a baby quilt is our 100% Cotton Chenille - it get softer every time you wash it.

Here is the mama-to-be with the classic "tummy shot"... doesn't she look adorable!!!

And just the other day, this adorable little man made his entrance into the world.  I can't wait to get my hands on this little guy and cuddle him up :)  But knowing how life goes after bringing home the baby, I'll give mama a few weeks before I show up :)

The History of Memorial Day!

Have you ever wondered the origin of Memorial Day?  Well I did, so I did some research and this is what I found...

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. 

 Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

(This information was found here)

So, as we go out and celebrate our 3 day (or 4 day in my case) weekend, take a moment to remember those who gave of themselves so we can live in freedom.

My favorite notion

Everyone has their favorites... favorite food, favorite places, favorite people, and of course, their favorite hobby!

One of my favorite hobbies is sewing and quilting (of course).  My wonderful mother-in-law (that most of you know as Karen, the owner of Home a la mode) began my love of quilting.  When I met my husband, she owned a quilt shop in East Texas.  When we would visit them on the weekends, I would go hang out with her in the shop.  She gave me some fabric, a sewing machine, and a little direction - and I learned how to quilt.  She took me through all the steps, including the worst part (in my opinion), pinning your quilt together.  I learned after trying to take short cuts, that you really do need to take your time and use as many pins as possible.  Then one day, I heard about this wonderful product called Basting Spray.  And my life was forever changed!!!  Ok, not that dramatically, but at least the part of life that included pinning quilts :)

Now, I no longer dread that step in quilting.  It now takes me less than 30 minutes to baste my quilt together!!!  Can you believe it!!!  I shared my excitement with Karen, thinking I had discovered this wonderful NEW magic spray :)  She informed me that she already knew about this - how could she have been holding out on me for over 10 years!!!  To which she responded, "well, you needed to know the proper way to do it".  Aaggghhh, I felt like screaming ;)

This week is your chance to try my favorite notion at 10% off.  Now through Thursday, May 23rd, ALL our notions are 10% OFF.

So, tell me, what's your favorite notion?

Warehouse Sale #1...done!

Well, this past weekend was our first Warehouse Sale - and it was GREAT!!!  We got a chance to meet some of our wonderful online customers, local neighbors, and people who just stopped by out of pure curiosity.

We had all our wonderful products out for everyone to see, touch, and of course, buy :)  It's always my favorite time to shop!

 

And while the sale was going on, the UPS man stopped by with our shipment of Flats by Angela Yosten.  Opening those boxes made it feel like Christmas in the warehouse - we have been waiting on pins and needles (get the pun, LOL) for this amazing fabric line to be released. 

As an insider with the designer, I have been able to check out these prints and have been dying to get my hands on them.  Being able to look, touch, and NOT have is pure torture! My mind is swimming with ideas (and tutorials to come) using this fabulous fabric.

FYI - our next Warehouse Sale is going to be June 14th - 15th.

Stay tuned for tutorials for quilts, craft projects and even some No-Sew ideas!