Slow Cookin'! (and a giveaway!)

Is it seriously almost October?! This month has just zoomed by... It started off with us all having colds, then I got a sinus infection... no fun. School and fall activities started and learning to juggle 3 kids under 3 1/2 with all of this... WOW. I feel like a pretty busy momma these days. On top of it sales have been at their all-time high (yey!) and I'm working on lots of fun new things to add to the line - we all love coordinating accessories, right?! :) Hopefully within the next few months I'll have things all organized and be able to launch it all. Keep your fingers crossed!

I think one of the best things I've done this month is to re-visit the slow cooker. I seriously L-O-V-E it!!!! Dinner tonight took me 6 minutes to prepare. And it was healthy. And it was good. And it finished cooking while we were all at the playground. Love that. Would so much rather play than cook any night!

Got a favorite slow cooker recipe? Please share your favorites! There are a ton on the web, but I'd so much rather try your favorites :)
Post them here before October 15 and you'll be entered to win an Almond Sparrows Large (14" x 14") Wet bag (one of my best sellers!). I'll use the random number generator to pick a winner and announce the winner on Oct 16th.

Speaking of Almond Sparrows, here's a super cute small double pocket bag made for another wonderful Etsy customer earlier in the month: (tweet tweet!)

Happy fall everyone! :)Kris

Extend-a-long....

Yup, I'm talking about the Sew Along! We're thinking that perhaps it was a bit ambitious of us to think we'd get these projects done over the summer.... hindsight :) Here's to another month! Let's hope this one will be super-productive for all of us!

Double the Fun!

August has definitely brought tons of life to the woods around us - there's a fisher cat that has been stalking our house at night, I saw a black bear running down the street yesterday afternoon (SOOOO happy we didn't plant blueberry bushes or sunflowers!) and then tonight I found this little froggie hanging out on the window by our front door - too cute! (that yellow blob is Higgins, our yellow lab). We have HUNDREDS of these little froggies scurrying about the yard lately - some days it look like we have a bunch of fleas jumping all around :)


Sewing-wise I've been working on a slew of new custom orders, including several of the double-pocket wet bags. I love this bag b/c it's so incredibly functional - the front pocket is lined with ProCare (as well as the large inner pocket) and the seams are sealed too, so you can put wet stuff in 2 pockets! I think the large would be perfect for a gym bag for girls - hair stuff and deo in the the front, and stinky clothes inside :) For the cloth-diapering folk, the front can hold dry dipes or wet wipes, and the inside can hold the wet dirties. So many possibilities :)

A lovely customer from CA called the other week and requested some bags - here's some of what's coming to her:

Large Double Zip Stroller bag (2 snap straps!)
in Blue Gothic Rose and Clay Coriander

XL Double Zip bag with long adjustable and removeable strap
in Olive Lacework and Lime Dot
(there are d rings at the top and sides so the strap can be attached 2 different ways - hands free carrying!)

Hopefully this weekend I can finish up the Sew-Along project. Where the heck did August go?!
Happy Back to School Everyone!! :) Kris

Snack It!

I love when I get little notes from customers saying : "Kris, can you make this?" That's why I REALLY love Etsy - I've been given opportunities to make so many fun things that I likely never would have ever thought of!

Behold the snack bag. They are pretty popular these days and actually were on my little "To Try" list - always looking for a creative way to use up my scraps - especially the ProCare because, well, you can't really go and make a ProCare scrap quilt!

When Lynsie asked me to try making a 6" x 6" bag, I knew exactly which scrap to use - so happy to have found these critters a home!



There's a few things I need to change next time, but it's a keeper :) I still seal the seams, and the closure at the top is velcro. Thinking little tabs at the top would be nice to help opening it. What do you guys think?

For Thel :)

Thanks again for the opportunity to make this bag for you Thel!

(Bag Details: Double Pocket Wet Bag - Sealed Seam ProCare lining for both pockets; ~ 13" wide x 10" high x 5" deep; Removable and Adjustable Clip strap and matching key fob to boot! Moda Wonderland Fabric: Cream Tea Time and Jam Metamorphosis)

Free Shipping ends on 8/15!

Hello everyone! Just a quick reminder that I'm offering FREE US and Canada shipping in my etsy shop on purchases of in-stock bags until 8/15. I posted some newbies recently:

Euro Owls
(LOOOOOOVE this one! - anyone know who the designer is?)

Cosmo Textile's Owls (so cute for school!)

Red Mirabelle (small, med and lg available)


Amy Butler Brick Buds
(small, med and lg available)



Urban Chik's Blue Birds on Brown
(sniff, sniff - this is the last bit of fabric that I have in this print)


There's also a bunch of old favorites as well - Mocca, Olive Lacework, Apples and Pears on Blue, Brown Birds on Pink dots, and more!

Slacker.... (sew-along update)

Well, the sew-along projects are due to be done soon, but... well.... I haven't quite finished mine yet and neither has Stacy, so we're thinking maybe you all are in the same boat as we are :)

How does an extension to Aug 31 sound?

AND, we'd like to open it to include any top pattern of your choice. Have your eye on a special tunic? A peasant blouse? Go for it!

Don't know about you, but summer is just zooming by! Matthew turns 4 months old already next week - I have a feeling that my blur of a summer has a lot to do with him and juggling the other 2 little monkeys :)

Not much sewing news to report - I have been missing my Wonderland fabric though, so I made some of these tonight. (click here to see the listing). Free shipping on all etsy orders ends tomorrow!

Hopefully next post I'll have some sew-along pics for you!

April Showers bring....

Well, if you live in the Northeast, they bring May, June and July Showers! We've got our fingers crossed that August will bring us some sunshine. We all REALLY need it :)

In the spirit of our weather-of-late, here's a new bag I just posted in my Etsy shop
(April Showers fabric by Alexander Henry)

BTW - I'm offering FREE US SHIPPING on all in-stock purchases from my Etsy shop until 7/31!

I've posted a bunch of new ones in the past week :)

Oh!! I have to share my latest favorite "mommy bling" by Lisa Leonard Designs.
Now that I'm officially done having babies (sniff, sniff), I've been wanting to get some neat things with the kids' names / initials on them. Below are pictures of my new teeny tiny initials necklace:

(picture to show the scale of the necklace - yes, that's Matthew's little head there poking up!)

Close-up of the necklace:

I also bought one of the Family Tree necklaces (will take a pic later) and love the simple beauty of it. I'm very tempted to get more of her goodies - she has some really cute birdie things!

A Sneak Peek..

at my sew-along project:

(of course I'm using birds!) :)

New bags!

Quick update! The sun has at last arrived in NH - YEY!!!!! After a month of rain, we are more then ready to get out and start having some summer fun :) Hopefully the garden will recover - it's a pretty pale shade of green-yellow right now...

Anyways, in between custom orders I've been squeezing in some new bags for my etsy shop:

Brown Panda Prints
(bamboo / cotton fabric)

Mod Elephants


Pink Birds and Brown Dots
(the back has MM pink dots on brown)

Have a great weekend everyone! Hope to have some more new prints up next week :)

6 Bridesmaids awaiting...

Okay, so it's actually 5 bridesmaids and 1 bride, but that doesn't fit as well into the 12 Days of Christmas tune that's in my head :)


These little wristlets are on their way to Singpore for a special bride-to-be and her buddies. There are clips at the end of the strap so the bag can convert to a little purse too. Might have to make up some more of these - just too cute for summer!

Also have some fun bags in the shop:

Traffic Jam (a 20 yard bolt arrived the other day - yey!)

Green Birds (Kaufman's Monoluna) - how cute are these little guys?
Also available with a yellow background.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend everyone! We're hoping that it might stop raining long enough to at least grill for a bit. I'm surprised the house hasn't floated away by now...Friends are on their way up, so it will be fun no matter the weather! Happy 4th!

PSST.. fabric.com coupon (act fast!)

The other day I received an email from the kind folks at Fabric.com - turns out they like my blog and they want to give my fantastic readers a coupon for $5 off any purchase (you can use it only 1 time)! Act FAST because this deal is for one day only - 6/24. Click HERE and enter this code at checkout:

blogyoucanmakeit

Perfect timing - you can get some goodies for the sew-along! Happy shopping!

New SEW ALONG Annoucement!

It's been a long time since our last Sew Along, but Stacy and I are back on track and are really excited! Amy Butler has just released 2 new FABULOUS patterns...

Mini Dress, Tunic & Tops
(includes girls sizing too!)




Field Bag & Tote



And guess what?! You get to choose which one you'd like to do for the sew-along! There's a little something for everyone - bag lovers, dress lovers, tunic lovers... and maybe you can whip something up for your favorite daughter / niece / grand-daughter / cutie-pie-next-door while you're at it :)

Want to join? Here's what you need to do:

(1) Join our FLICKR Group : click HERE
(2) Pick your pattern(s) and fabric (I have the patterns in my shop HERE) - use coupon code "monkey10" (without the "") at checkout for 10% off your whole order!
(3) Sew! (and please do leave us notes on Flickr with your updates, questions, etc. - these are new patterns for us too!)
(4) Post pictures of your creations by July 31

We'll pick a winner (with the random number generator) at the close of this Sew Along - the prize is yet to be determined, but we promise it'll be something "sew" fun!

Can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Dad Bag

When hubby takes Sydney or Ben out, he needs some minimal kid gear - snack, diaper, wipes, water. I got kind of tired of hearing "I'm NOT going out of the house with THAT!" (referring to a smaller / shorter version of the bag below):


(I love the front pouch to put my cell phone and keys!). So... I made him his own bag - a GUY bag :) And he loves it! No more complaints, and no more worries from me that the kids are going to be without the basics. He also uses it out on the boat to keep his phone, keys and camera dry.

In the spirit of Father's Day (next weekend!) I've posted 3 different camo bags in my ETSY shop, and they are on sale! I have a few of each and can ship the next day :)

Medium Camo Bag (twill)

Large Camo Bag (twill)

Large Camo Bag (Michael Miller Fabric)

I'd also like to carry a solid color bag - black / navy / brown - for guys who aren't into camo - would love your feedback as to which you think would work! Thanks! :) Have a wonderful weekend!

Jungle Jam is back in stock!

Just added a few more medium and large Jungle Jams to the shop - boy this print is popular!

There's a bunch of new prints that were added this week - more to come this weekend!

Some Newbies :)

Just posted some new bags for spring and summer!
(more to be added this week...)

Red Peonies (how gorgeous is this fabric?)

Almond Sparrows

Pink Sparrows

Blue Juicy Jungle (aka Jungle Critters)

Spotted Owls

PS: SALE!!! on Joel Dewberry and select Japanese fabrics!

AND.... stay tuned for details on the next Stacy Sews and Monkey Foot Designs Sew Along!
(click HERE to see our Flickr group)

XL Wet Bag Sale!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone! The pouring rain just stopped here, the sun has come out in full force, and all of the kids are either napping or resting. Life is good :) We're off to a bbq in a few hours - looking forward to some steak and perhaps an adult beverage (I'm SO happy to not be pregnant any more!)

Before I forget, I've got a bunch of XL wet bags on sale in my Etsy shop until 5/31 - get ready for the pool and beach!

Also recently listed these cuties:

Jungle Stripe (17" x 20")

Aqua Lava Flowers (14" x 14")

Traffic Jam (9" x 7")


Vroom! Vroom! (9" x 7")

I've also been taking custom orders for bags made with Moda's Wonderland fabric (my latest fabric obsession). This one below is an XL made with the tomato Tea Time and has 2 side straps (I'd love any input you all have as to the best strap set-up for the XL : 16" x 22" bags - 2 side straps are popular, but customers also often request a long strap that goes side - side or 2 top straps / handles like a tote).

And here's a matching small wet bag (with the GORGEOUS Metamorphosis / Butterfly fabric) and a burp cloth I added in as a little extra (turns out that when I make the XL bags, I get a scrap piece of fabric that is perfect for the burp cloths - expect to see more of these soon in my shops!)

Off to get ready for the bbq! Have a great weekend!

PS: Free Shipping!

Forgot to mention in my last post that I'm offering FREE US SHIPPING on all orders placed through my etsy shop this weekend (thru Sunday night). Have a great weekend!! :) Kris

Our newest addition :)

Hi everyone! Yes... I'm still here - and no longer pregnant! YIPPEE!!!

Baby Matthew James joined us on his due date (4/4) and was a healthy 8 lb, 5 oz. and 21 inches. Neither of us had any complications / issues, so we were able to come home on time. He's such an alert and happy little guy! Can't believe that he's our last, but I can't fathom having another one... I'm definitely savoring every snuggle with this little guy!



This past month has been one BIG blur... managing the three little ones on less than optimum levels of sleep has been a bit rough, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel :) Matthew is sleeping longer stretches at night and we've gotten our daytime routine pretty much down. I decided to start potty training Sydney (3 y/0) once Matthew reached 1 month old and she's doing incredibly well :) The first couple of days were rough, but now she's a champ (at home at least... outside is a different story, but we've got the summer to work on it!). This means she can go to preschool in the fall! YEY!

I'm also starting to sew a bit again - oh how I've missed it! So many projects that I'd love to do - all in due time :) I'm itching to whip up some skirts for spring and summer, but really would prefer to get a bit closer to my pre-baby weight. I think I'll get the go-ahead from the doc next week to resume running, so that will help!

In case you're curious of new arrivals to the shop, here's a few:

Another fun set from Moda's Wonderland line:

Another pink bird bag - just love this one!



A favorite Robert Kaufman print:


More Jungle Critters:


and a Heather Ross cutie:

I had actually planned on finishing these before Matthew came - had everything cut out, pinned and ready to sew on Friday night, thinking I had the weekend to finish them up. Then the next morning I went into labor... 6 weeks later and I've finally been able to get them done! Feels great!

I also have my website shop all stocked up (new designs!)- all wet bags are $2 off through the end of May, and shipping is free for all orders over $50!

Off to bed now - will pop back in soon with some new fabric and pattern finds. I love this time of the year - just wish I could make it to market to see it all in person!