My sewing has slowed down lately but with the start of school and some super cool fabric purchases , I feel back on track. I have to catch up with my partner who has been a sewing dynamo lately! I have lots of things cut and a few cute bibs finished and posted in our shop this weekend. Lots more to come too!

Here's to a happy holiday weekend!

getting organized

Having the kids back at school and the new year starting also brings the stacks. The stacks of papers and pictures and projects and forms and all the other stuff that I have to sort, save, recycle or fill out.

It gets overwelming and every year I try to come up with a system to keep it all under control. The best I have done so far is to have accordion type folders for each of them and file away. Once in a while I go back through and have the heart to take out the ones I really don't need as the file gets more full.

But it never fails that the stacks take over and I am completely overwhelmed. They are like little monsters waiting to control my counter, hiding the counter underneath and reminding me to take care of them or they will multiply like rabbits!

So this year, I am going to stay on top of it, well I hope to but I am trying. School has only been in for a couple weeks, so I will have to own up to these words in a few months.

I am not horribly organized but I secretly wish I was. So this seems like something I could control. Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

I did receive my yearly calendar today in the mail. I have been using this same calendar for at least 5 years. My dear friend Lillian introduced it to me and I love it! I even waited too long this year to find it locally so I had to order it online. For some reason I am attached to this school year little calendar and had to have it again! But it is one thing that keeps me organized, at least in my mind. I think I even jumped up and down a little when I saw it in the mailbox because I could write all my dates inside. How silly!

Hope the stacks aren't taking you over yet too!

amy butler

When you like to sew, you also like fabric and some of us (you know who you are!) love fabric a little too much. There are lots of great designers out there who make such gorgeous fabric. My stash is modest compared to some but I know I have more than I will ever get to sew. Amy Butler is one of my faves because I have been following her career as a fabric designer since she started and have a lot from her lines. Lately she seems to be on a roll or has quite a large staff I suppose because new lines are coming out all the time. I got this in my inbox today from fabric.com and really like it.
I have been on the search for fabric with navy to make some pillows for my bed. I think I will end up getting one or two of these designs, they go perfectly. I have looked high and low and have had trouble finding anything with navy. Amy's fabrics are full of beautiful fabrics, flowers and cool geometric designs. She seems to hit the nail on the head with most of her lines. And I love how the oldest fabrics form years past, i still love and now they are hard to find. Like a friend said, we should look at it as an investment. I guess the return is the joy of just looking at it and eventually having the nerve to cut it! Silly, I know!
I am challenging myself today to get some stuff sewn for our shop. So I can actually pay for all this fabric I love!
If you haven't ever seen Amy Butler's site, head over there to be inspired!

2 year old shirt

I meant to add that I did get around to making Kate a #2 shirt for her birthday! They are so cute and get lots of compliments. We have a few shirts in the shop like these for sale, and are also taking custom orders if you have specific colors or sizes you want!
Oh! And that bag was a gift from the talented and lovely owner of Brownrobin! You can click on over to her site on my side bar -------->

do you ever...

feel just like this? Just how I am feeling myself lately!

art by Sarah Jane studios

Here's to a relaxing weekend!

party on 2 year olds!

Today we had a birthday party for Kate and her close friends. It was so sweet to see them all running around in the yard and enjoying each other. She had such a good time. As well as all of the mamas who got a chance to hang out and chat. What a great group of friends we both have. After a hard week, it was just the company I needed to fill my spirits and remember the love and happiness our lives hold.

The memories of my children's childhoods are made up of moments like these!

::take a look::

Garden Party Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I came across this blog called Grosgrain Fabulous. If you have a little girl, check it out. This woman sews pretty cool dresses for girls and simply gives them all away on her blog to one lucky winner. How cool is that?

we've been invaded

Our Olliekate site has lots of new items this week. Rebecca has come up with some fun designs, icluding these cute martians. I think kids would really dig these, as the colors are cool and the martians are funky!

It is fun to add new designs to the site and broaden what we offer. Just dreaming them up and making them come alive is half the fun for us!
Also take a look at these cool ornaments as well! Never to early to think of holiday gifts.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

It's off to school we go! Can you hear the big sigh coming through the computer? Only joking, we had a great summer but they were both excited to get back this morning and I was grinning too, just a little I swear!

Happy Birthday Kate! We Love You!

brown robin

Take a look at this etsy site: Brown Robin! This shop was recently opened by our friend Heather. She is amazingly talented and especially good with combining fabrics and quilting as well. She will soon have her larger bags for women on her site too. Right now she is listing these adorable child size bags They are gorgeous! I can't wait to buy one from her myself :)

twirly skirt

I have had this pattern saved in my favorites for probably over a year. It is a tutorial from the blog House on Hill Road.

I wanted to wait until my little girl was old enough to wear skirts, and decided to make it for her 2nd birthday next week. It came out pretty cute. Like the name implies it is very twirly and gathered. I got these fabrics last week from Cia's Palette. The orange is a Heather Ross print and the pink is Denyse Schmidt I believe. They are really sweet and fun! I have been in an orange mood. If I have time for more sewing I am going to make her an Olliekate #2 shirt to go with it. It is nice to make some time for some personal sewing projects now and again! She sat on my lap for most of the sewing so it is sweet to have her know I made it and see her run around in it moments later.

clementine & wednesday

Meet our new family members! The boys got hamsters yesterday. This is really not something I thought would be living in our house, but I ran out of reasons why we couldn't have them. (the reasons did last all summer though!) So I gave in, and we went to the pet store yesterday to get them.

Of course we had to get 2 of everything but they have been happy additions so far. If the novelty wears off and they become my pets, that will be an entirely new post!

Grayson's is the orange one:Clementine and Aidan has the other one:Wednesday. They are constantly putting them in these exercise balls and cruising around the house. With an 80 year old house our floors are terribly unlevel which makes for a funny hamster ride! There is one hitting my foot as I type. Oh brother!

we're back!

Well, we returned from the beach a couple days ago and I am just getting life back in order, laundry done and such. We had such a fabulous time. I think it was our best trip yet. Rebecca and I and our families all traveled to the NC coast for most of the week. With 6 kids between us, we had no dull moments and lots of laughter, fun, sunscreen and evening cocktails. Hello to the margarita bucket! In the rush to get out of town, I forgot to pack a ton of stuff. The most disappointing was my camera. So Rebecca was in charge of pictures. When I get them from her, I will be sure to post some!
Our families all mesh so well, they are such great friends, always fun to be with. I just wish it could have lasted longer!
But school starts for us in one short week, so we are enjoying this time until all of that hits.
We are still sewing too and Rebecca got several new items listed on etsy this week. We both came home to new orders of fabric so keep an eye out for those too!

off to the beach

We are off to the beach for some end of summer fun!

yummy!!!!

I had to share this recipe for these brownines that my neighbor told me about.
They are so easy, and so good I had to refrain from eating them all.

Simply make a box of brownies (the good brand, not a cheap one). When they are done pour Andies candies on top. They will melt right away and spread them . Put them in the fridge until the top gets hard.

::Enjoy::

happy august

Back to school is on our minds around here. A few more weeks and our homes get a lot quieter and our lives a lot more scheduled for good and bad.

I made the mistake of going to get school supplies today at Target. I was down to 2 kids and it never crossed my mind that it is tax free Saturday!

I remember totally loving shopping for back to school. All those shiny new notebooks, packs of pencils, crayons and markers. It was all so promising for a new year. We made the most of it despite the crowds and found most everything on both our lists. When we arrived home we were greeted with the infamous teacher letter! It is that letter you receive every year that alarms you to who your child's teacher will be for the coming year. Which is then followed by a flurry of phone calls to all their friends parent's to see if there is at least one kid they like in their class. Luckily we feel good about who they have and the friend thing is still to be determined. Last I spotted my oldest walking around with the phone and the school phone book in his hand dialing numbers :)

The wrapping up of summer vacation has had the opposite effect on our sewing. Both of us over here at Olliekate have had the sewing bug. Lot of new things showing up in the shop and even more in the works. So exciting to create. the flour sack towels I have been working on are finally in the shop and Rebecca has designed this new superstar tee that is cute and timeless. I think it will be a hit.



Our design ideas are always flowing and with kids returning to school in a few weeks, we can make more time to make those ideas real.

But first we will have an Olliekate Family trip to the beach. All 10 of us are heading to the beach for a week. More on that soon!

A little quote from my 6 year old from yesterday I had to share:

"Mom, if the clouds were made of rocks and cotton candy, would you hang out up there?"

Of course I said yes!