Election Day Baby!

We are so excited! Our birthmom gave birth yesterday! So we have an election day baby, and we'll be bringing her home from the hospital tomorrow.

Baby "Shiny", as our oldest son nicknamed her long before we knew she even existed, will meet her big brothers, and one overly-loving lab/chow, as well as two of her grandparents, and whoever else pops over to the house tomorrow. What a day it will be! We can't wait!

More on baby "Shiny" as the days go on...

Happy Wednesday! Amy

Honoring My Kids' Birthmoms

It's November, and in honor of my kids' birthmoms this is the time of year I start preparing to write letters and send photos that will hopefully be received by them in time for the holidays. These amazing women have given me and my husband the most amazing gifts, and we try to do everything we can to let them know that the boys are healthy, happy, thriving, and barrelling toward the potential they hoped for these babies as they released their little ones into our arms.

In honor of my kiddos, and November being National Adoption Awareness Month, I have opened a new shop on Etsy: SABethany. Until now I have been using my SewArtsy shop to sell Hair Clippy Caddies, Baby Burpee Sets, and Baby Bundles alongside of the purses and fashion accessories. From these sales I have donated 10% of their price to Bethany Christian Services. Now I've opened SABethany to sell these items, as well as others that are baby- and kid-related, and have decided to bump up my donation to 25%. This new shop will allow me to sew more items that may not be so "fashion" oriented, but still have the great quality and style that you expect from SewArtsy products!

Please check out both of my shops regularly to see what new items pop up!

Happy Monday! Amy

A Revamped Nursery

So, you know I love to sew. You may know that I love African things. What you may not know is that I love artist Julia Cairns' prints! I think I have made, and am currently making, several things from each of her fabric lines over the past few years. Of course I've made totes for friends, but I have kept a few of my bigger projects because I just cannot bear to part with them!

Earlier this year I ordered her line for Quilting Treasures called "Radiance", and revamped our nursery, and I LOVE it! The colors are unexpected for a baby's room, yet are still soft and calm. And best yet - because it is not a baby print it will hopefully be well-loved for years to come by #3!

Included in the redecorated nursery are wall hangings I made using Anna Maria Horner's painted silhouette technique;



a gorgeous photo frame trio made by Fabrications By Lindsay;




















Vinyl wall decals of birds in orange from Ceejay77;









and made by me from the Radiance line are:

a new valance,












a covered pillow,















a do-it-yourself lamp
















a small wall hanging/cloth mini quilt,













and a lap quilt, into which I added some soft peach and green subtle prints from Moda.






I'm just so happy with the way everything turned out! What do you think?

I would love to know if you enjoy Julia Cairns' work as much as I do, and if you've made anything using her prints? Also, I have a fair amount of fabric left, and wonder if you have any wonderful ideas for nursery decor or baby/kid items to share?

Currently, I am also working on a new panel for a wall hanging from her "Sunset Safari" line. I'm trying a new quilting technique or two, so I'll post on that once I finish the project. And I'm soon going to be purchasing a stash of her newest line "Joyful Days" - I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Happy Tuesday, Amy

PS - the symbols I used in the silhouettes represent: peace (dove), wisdom and creativity (adinkra spider's web), charity (heart in hand), love safety and security (adinkra fence), trust and faith in God (adinkra stalk).

The Waiting Game Continues

So we're still in a holding pattern for baby #3, but one thing we know for sure is that each day brings us closer to her arrival. We are surely ready! We've pulled out everything from storage we can think of that this baby will need, and we've stocked up diapers, wipes and formula. Now, what are we forgetting?!




In the meantime I'm trying to get everything in my inventory reposted into my Etsy store. Stop by and check out what's available in my pre-made stock. Also, enjoy free shipping (within the US) through December 20th. It's my way of helping out with your holiday spending!




Until next time - I'm stockpiling my sleep hours, and spending as much time one-on-one with the boys before their sister makes her arrival!

Happy Wednesday! Amy

Getting Ready

We found out earlier this week that our birthmom start having contractions over the weekend! She's at home on bed rest right now after having been sent home from the hospital Monday night. Please keep her in your prayers, if you would!

While we still might have a few weeks to wait, we busied ourselves over the last couple of days to get ready to welcome our new bundle of joy home, whenever she arrives! Since I've already made some purchases for the occasion, I thought I'd share them with you.

Having welcomed two boys into our home, this little girl is going to be quite a change for us. Instead of spending money on a new infant car seat, I decided to recover the navy blue and gold seat we already had. This set is from BellaBabyCompany.com, called Buttercup Bouquet. I don't like pink all that much, but this print mixed with yellow and green grabbed my attention - especially the incredibly soft butter yellow minky it is coordinated with. The set is $59.00 when purchased alone, and comes with the canopy and seat cover. I went ahead and purchased an extra seat cover ($32) made in the print so that I can easily change it out when I need to wash it. And a matching travel blanket ($19) for chilly trips to the bus stop! Additionally I could have also bought coordinating strap covers. Purchasing the set plus the 2 additional pieces at once saved me $11 - full set cost is $99.00.

Also waiting by the door, ready to be grabbed when necessary, is our bag-o-baby-stuff! Included here are the necessary newborn diapers (oh-so-tiny!), wipes and creams, pacifiers, onsies, and a new girly sleeper (well as girly as I've gotten so far!). I also have a new set from Susan's Treasures - a small lovey, burp cloth and bib featuring a Crayola print. I just love crayons!! A while ago I made my first Etsy trade with her for an adorable purse, and just couldn't pass up the Crayola print and red minky :o)



So for now we are in waiting mode again, yet trying not to act like we have a few more weeks, lest we get caught off guard - as babies tend to do to us!

Happy Thursday! Amy

More Hair Clippy Caddies to come...

...in all sorts of fun, novelty prints! So while I am sewing up a storm to get ready for fall shows, I’m still adding items to my Etsy store. I love these ditties! The Hair Clippy Caddy has so many functions, and in these fun fabrics, they are such an adorable display. In my listings I’ve come up with different uses. If you have one of my Hair Clippy Caddies, how do you use it? I’m sure there are other great uses out there!

Some of my uses for the Hair Clippy Caddy:

*In your bedroom or bathroom – holds your hair clips, barrettes, bobby pins and ponytail holders – almost any hair accessory you use!

*In your office - holds binder clips, paper clips, rubber bands, and extra staples

*In your laundry room - holds clothes pins and small stain sticks or wipes

*In your pantry - holds coupons, memo pads, small pencils

*In your craft room - holds quilt clips and small sewing supplies, even use it to thread your needle and pins into

Best of all, the Hair Clippy Caddy is one of my Adoption Support products!

Have a great week! Amy

Me, A Blogger?

"I know now, only one thing matters in these day. One thing, true love, love and love alone, true love." James Taylor, Jump Up Behind Me

June 13, 2008

Hi! I’m Amy, and last night I decided I’d really like to have a place to share my thoughts. So here they are, deep or shallow as they may be!

A little bit about myself: I’m 35, wife to Josh, and mom to Caleb and Samuel at this point. I love to sew and do crafts. I’m addicted to fabric—a condition I inherited from my mom, Bobbi. I swore I’d never have that sickness, but I found myself falling under its spell at about age 29, when my mom bought me my first sewing machine. I knew immediately how to use it after watching her sew my entire life, and the freedom it gave me to create my own ditties was incredible. Now I own my own little business, SewArtsy, and get to share my creative ditties with others. You can check out my stuff at www.sewartsy.etsy.com

I’m also deeply passionate about adoption! Josh and I have been blessed with our two little boys through adoption, and we are once again in the waiting process for another little blessing. I use my business as a way to inform others and support adoption by donating 10% of the sales from my baby items and Hair Clippy Caddies to Bethany Christian Services. Josh and I have been involved with them since 2002 when we started our first adoption process. Bethany treats birthparents with great care and dignity whether or not they decide to make an adoption plan for their child, as well as providing counsel and adoption services to those childless couples who face infertility or those families who want to add to their existing family through adoption. You can read more about their wonderful services at Bethany.org

Other things I like: the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Skyline Drive and the Shenandoahs, our doggie, Hannah, James Taylor, my ipod, browsing sites like Etsy, JCarolinecreative.com, Keepsake Quilting, and Fabric.com, sharing our adoption experience with others contemplating the decision to adopt, reading other blogs, and getting together with my girlfriends for our reading-is-optional book club!

Hope you’ll be back if you’re interested in keeping up with my musings! Blessings to you! Amy