The Gigi Skirt?

Recently, I told you my basic rule for sewing with Sis Boom  http://tabbodesign.blogspot.com/2012/06/happy-home-blog-tour.html...if you can't decide which to use, then use them all, or as many as you can!  That's how I came up with my Gigi skirt.  

  

 

I named it after my sister Gretchen (Gigi).

 It is lined and has a yoga band waistband, so it's super comfortable!

   ...and different from every angle!

 

OR, you can turn it around for a completely different look!  It's a really fun skirt and perfect for the Summer!  I made this one for myself...

 Unfortunately, Gigi lives in San Antonio and never came through on her promise to take better pictures of this awesome skirt I so GRACIOUSLY named after HER! 

Sooo, since I STILL didn't have a great shot of the Gigi...I made a mini version with a little added sass!

   Last week in Hilton Head my sweet friend Mary told me that when she grows up, she wants to be a Tabbo model!

       And she's such a natural!

  She put it on right then and got to work!

 She didn't even make me wait!

 I think maybe I should change the name from The Gigi Skirt... 

...to The Mary Skirt!

Idle Hands

You know that thing they say about turning into your Mother?  I think it might be happening to me.  For as long as I can remember, my Mom has been carrying around a little bag with a needlepoint project in it.

   And I mean, she carries it everywhere! When I was in high school, we had Astros season tkts and she would sit at the games and needlepoint!   I walked around her place in Florida the other day and took these pics of some of her creations.

 This one is my favorite.  It's a little antique stool that's all about her...tennis, piano, OU, her kids and grandkids initials, a needle and thread, crosses to symbolize her faith...isn't it great?

You really have to see it up close to appreciate the work.  Each block is done with a different stitch.  Truly impressive!

   She can't sit and watch a TV show, or sit on an airplane, or on the beach, etc. with idle hands.  So she creates these amazing needlepoint canvases and turns them into beautiful pillows, framed art, seat-cushions, Christmas ornaments, bags, you name it!

I have been chasing after young children now for about 13yrs, so I haven't had much "idle hands" time.  But now that my youngest is 7, I do find that I get very antsy when I'm not being productive.

  Friends will say, "...isn't it great that you are out of the baby pool now and you can just sit and read a book or look at a magazine when you're at the pool?". 

 What?!?  How long can you actually do that?  I'd go stir crazy!

  So, I took up a hand-sewing hobby myself...

 .... beading!   It's not needlepoint, but isn't it gorgeous?  I did it on the beach, by the pool, on the airplane...it's a little addictive!  I feel like my Mother!

Sis Boom fabric is PERFECT for embellishing!  No idle hands for the rest of the Summer!  Thanks for the inspiration Mom!

More is More

It's my turn for the Happy Home blog tour!  Happy Home is the latest book from Jennifer Paganelli and it is full of beautiful, easy to create, wonderful projects for the home.  I am honored to be among the group of bloggers showcasing these projects! The whole blog tour has been fun to follow and I'm so impressed with the talent of all of these women!  Click on the Happy Home button on the right to see the whole blog tour.  Or visit http://www.sewprettydresses.blogspot.com/. 

I decided to approach my project a little differently. I really wanted to show how you can look at this book and make the projects your own. I think that is really what Jennifer Paganelli wants you to do with Happy Home. Be inspired! The projects in this book are gorgeous and have clear, direct, instructions that are easy to understand and follow. Try them and you will love the results. Then, go back and look at the book as a starting point for your own creative voice. In the introduction of the book, Jennifer says, " ...let your creativity flow." "..."take risks...", "...have fun with these projects..." ! Take that advice and think outside the box. Use this book to inspire you. Try new things.  Challenge yourself!

Let me just tell you that I have a basic rule of thumb when I use my Sis Boom fabric...if I can't decide what to use, I just use them all!   There is no such thing as "less is more" with Tabbo.  So, when I couldn't decide on a project, I just used as many as I could,  all together! More is more!
I started with the Posh Party Tablecloth (pg.116) as my basic project.



This tablecloth is gorgeous and as I read through the instructions, I immediately saw the possibilities for so many variations in the design! Since Shannon already demonstrated how to add a ruffle, http://sewprettydresses.blogspot.com/2012/06/meet-shannon.html.  I decided to make my tablecloth with the "Box Pleat Bed Skirt" project (pg. 150) instead of the ruffle.  The box pleat creates a very tailored look that I thought would be perfect for a tablecloth.  Then, for contrast, I decided to use the cording  instructions for the Darcy Duvet project (pg.160).  Already my Posh Party tablecloth was developing into my own Tabbo design! All I needed was the perfect fabric. I have a very extensive stash of Sis Boom fabric, but this project seemed to call for something more. Something special. So I drove up to Waynesville, OH to my favorite fabric store to be inspired.  I had so much fun at the Fabric Shack planning out the design and putting it all together.  I wish I had gotten the name of the woman who helped me because we really had fun!  The staff at the Fabric Shack is always so wonderful...they make the drive worth it!  Check out their online store too...no one could possibly have a larger selection than this store!   www.fabrickshack.com.  After much deliberation, we decided on the Sis Boom laminates.  I have not worked with laminates before, but I wanted a challenge and I knew this would make the perfect Summer picnic tablecloth. 

                                             ...and I was right!  It turned out beautiful!

Happy Home has great instructions for making box pleats.  A large scale print looks really great with these!

I love the laminates!  I was really surprised at how easy they are to work with.

This book is full of fun, unique projects!  Try something new!  Think outside the box and be inspired by Happy Home! Thanks to Jennifer Paganelli for once again creating something so beautiful to inspire us!

Hilton Head

I'm really excited to be a part of the Happy Home blog tour!  Those of you who follow me, or should I say, both of you, :) know that I am a HUGE Sis Boom fan and Jennifer Paganelli is my all-time favorite designer.  So, I am honored to participate in promoting this book.  It is GORGEOUS, just like everything else she does!
I realized that when I put up the Happy Home post, other people will actually see the TabboDesign blog...which I have completely deserted these last few months!  I'm sure if people followed me they would be seriously disappointed in my lack of posts. (LOL!).  But, I'm thinking that maybe if I put some more posts up before the Happy Home post, the visitors will think I actually blog a lot!  And, who knows, maybe I'll start posting more often if people actually know I'm here!

So...here we go!  Welcome to TabboDesign, the blog!  I just returned from a week in Hilton Head with our BFF family.  I made them some matching outfits before we left and we tried to get some cute shots of them on the beach.  This adorable little boy is Mitchell...who didn't really want his picture taken!

Or maybe just didn't want to wear the Tabbo Tie!

Mary, Mary!  Who DOES like to have her picture taken!

Beautiful Tabbo girl, Lily...she's a natural!

And Anna, with her gorgeous hair!!!  (Do you see Bo fishing in the background?)

So sweet!

We finally got a smile from Mitchell, when...Bo caught a shark!! 

 

                                            Which meant the "photo shoot" was over!

 

 Sharks are way more interesting than pictures!  I don't care how cute you look!

  

  But it was fun while it lasted and the Ganim family looked awesome!

 

Aren't they beautiful?!?!

 

 I'll try to come back tomorrow!  Happy Father's Day!

New TabboDesign Logo!

This Spring we rolled out the new TabboDesign logo!   I could not be happier with how it turned out!   She pretty much sums up the Tabbo girl!  New business cards are in and we are working on the rest of the marketing design now.  A lot of great things are happening but Summer brings new challenges with four kids being home all day!  Hopefully, we will keep things rolling!  Stay tuned!!

 

Tabbo Scrappy belts!

New scrappy belts on facebook.com/tabbodesign

I've been working on getting these belts out into stores around town.  They are the perfect Summer accessory!  It's the Sis Boom fabric that makes them so awesome!  Just doesn't get any better!  I posted them on my FB page but I think I need to list them on Etsy.