Sweet Sunny Happiness

Thank you MS!

Friday, I received this very special order from Sweetwater:

beautiful piece of art ... will be matted and framed.

Sweetwater blogged about this art print on Monday on there blog, here: makelifesweet.  My picture doesn't do this beautiful piece of art justice ... check out their post and then come back ...

Welcome back. :-)  As soon as I saw the script under the Sunkissed circles, I had to have this. I mean I HAD to have it.  I don't do this too very often ... really :-) but ... well, wait a minute, let me show you this next project I've been working on (before I discovered Sweetwater's artwork) and then I'll explain:

Sunkissed fabric by Sweetwater ... Of Course! ...
The design is mine, I was aiming for a 'sun-like' image. Center is paper-pieced, rest of it was a work in progress ... designed as I went.  It's not yet quilted, maybe next week...

I enlarged this picture so you could read the bottom of my wall hanging. ...

"U R My Sunshine"

Did you notice the song on Sweetwater's art piece?  "You Are My Sunshine"

Well, the story behind this special song for me, is a bit personal ... so skip ahead if you don't want to be bored ... really, I understand {{chuckle}}

Long before I ever knew "about" life, my lifetime's goal was to become a mother.  Long story short, God had different plans.  Needless to say, I constantly questioned his plans and through many false pregnancies, miscarriages and upsets, I began doubting I would ever achieve what I thought was my lifetime goal.

Fast forward from age 19 to 36, which spans a marriage, a divorce, several years single ... can you hear the tick tock ?? ... lol ... and by 36 I was married again, set on life as a childless women, unless I could afford to adopt, which really wasn't in the cards.

Until, wow, one day I was pregnant, and I remained pregnant ...  I was so thrilled that every day I would place my hand on my little baby-bump and sing "You Are My Sunshine" over and over again to my tummy.  Silly, I know.  But then, it became such a mantra to me, that I sang it to my daughter as a baby, my second blessing of a baby and then to both of my girls at bedtime or when their tears just needed a mommy hug.  Seriously, my girls are my Sunshine...

Thank you God, honestly and truly!

Okay ... if you've skipped ahead past the boringly personal story ... I've a few more shares for you:

My sister has a birthday on Sunday.  I made her this:

Adorable laminated material, isn't it? :)

Inside ... I really think this can be reversible, don't you?

Laminated materials I used.

So, what this is, is a laminated market/grocery tote.  I will not admit to being too lazy, or too cheap, to purchase a pattern ... I really thought there were lots of patterns for this type of bag online, for free.  My Bad. {{chuckle}}  Well, what makes this bag different is that it's laminated on the outside, and the inside. So, since I had to have this ready to be mailed this weekend (sorry Sherry, it'll be there Monday, a day after your birthday ... hugs! ... ) I didn't have time to purchase a pattern, nor run to town to find one.

If you'd care to, I'll write up a tutorial for this very quick and very easy tote.  I made it all in one afternoon and I believe it's good enough to be reversible.  Not bad for cheap and easy :) :)

And on a final note, I persevered and finished up this week's block for Blockapalooza ... keeping me caught up.  Here:

Kinda fun, isn't it?  Yay! I'm still caught up.

Well, the husband's off work and the kids are out of school for the weekend so I probably won't get much sewing done ... maybe ;) ... stitching in the car? lol

And on that note, I best be heading off to bed ... somehow the clock is close to that 1:00 hour again ... when I start getting silly, so I'll spare everyone and stop while I'm ahead. Hope the long post was too bad for you!! Hugs and luv to each of you ... thank you for stopping by and thank you even more for letting me know you stopped by!  Quiltastic day to you!!