my life as a craftaholic!

Argyle Hearts

2012-02-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of my son's best friends is a sweet and sassy little girl named Hannah. She is full of energy and as cute as they come. AND...luckily for me, in dress, she is ALL GIRL! I say lucky for me, because her birthday gives me an excuse each year to put together something super girly. (With two little boys, its something I look forward to!)

I am sad that I didn't take a picture of the complete outfit, but this is the top I came up with for her.I love argyle. I love the 'preppy' look and clean lines. Being able to girlify by adding hearts is fun!
We paired the top with a super cute brown and pink polka dot petti-skirt. It'll be a fun outfit for her to wear this week for Valentines, but versatile enough to wear any time.

Recent 'Custom' Birthday Shirts

2012-02-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

I LOVE when people contact me and ask me to make fun stuff for their kids. I've recently had two separate customers ask for custom birthday shirts for their boys.

Order number one...

I was told that her soon-to-be 7 and 4 year old boys were having a reptile themed (combined) birthday party. She asked me to come up with number shirts to go with the theme.
Aren't these snakes just adorable?! I did a google search for 'cartoon snakes' for ideas, then combined a few and came up with my own original designs.My boys loved them and asked if I would make shirts like that for their next birthday's, so I guess we can call that a success!

Order number two...

The request was pretty simple. A birthday shirt for a FIRST birthday! She asked for primary colors and his name 'nice and big'. Mom was happy...and that's what matters!

I love getting to make a variety of things. It what makes my 'job' so great! Thank you SO much too all my customers who give me their business and trust me to come up with fun creative tops for their children.

The cutest Pachyderm around!

2012-01-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

I've made a whole herd of these cuties over the past two months.
Lots of color combinations.Lots of fiber fill.
Lots of smiles!

I found the original pattern and tutorial here, on the Riley Blake Designs Blog. I instantly fell in love. Of course, in my haste to make so many and get them in the mail as gifts I managed to only get a picture of one of them.

Not all of them came with a story, but I was 'on one' the day 'Punja' found her new home. She was made for an adorable neighbor of mine who saw the first elephant I made and had the guts to ask me to make one for her too. The elephant was left on the doorstep of her house with this note attached about her 'journey' to Abbey's house. It was fun. Abbey loves her elephant and takes it to school in her backpack almost every day to school!

{Excited}

2012-01-03T08:22:00.001-08:00

Do you ever have a project that you are just so excited to start that you can hardly stand it?

I have one of those projects on the horizon!

Not that I don't still have plenty of other posts and photos to share of my past projects, but I have to share my excitement some where. I figure since this is my blog than it is okay to ramble a bit, right?

I am patiently (okay, not so patiently) waiting for a package in the mail from the Fat Quarter Shop. (Side note: totally not being paid to say this, but I LOVE shopping online at the Fat Quarter Shop! I'm a regular!) I'm making my first quilt from this book...

(The Modern Quilting Bee - block party)

You have seen this book before, right? If not, you are missing out! I am in love with the improv trend in quilting, it's kind of my thing right now. This book gives lots of great examples of 'improv' quilts with easy to follow directions to get the look your going for. There are 12 'patterns' to jump start your creativity. Awesome.

I'm making this quilt for my friend, in trade for her awesome photography skilz! I think what I am most excited about is the color pallet... Greys, blacks, creams, whites, and yellows. I think it's going to be divine!

Enough rambling...off to go clear off my sewing 'to-do' list and clean up my cutting table so that I can get to work as soon as the package arrives!

Chenille

2012-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite projects of 2011? I'd say yes. This was definitely in the top 10!

A very good friend of mine had a baby girl, and I knew I wanted to make her something special. I wanted to do something different than I've ever done, so that I could learn a new technique. I came across a great tutorial on Pinterest (here) for making 'Heirloom Cheenille Baby Blankets.' It was just the 'cool & unique' that I was looking for!Whew! It was a labor of love, but the outcome was fabulous. I honestly can't wait to make another! I was prepared, yet still shocked at how much thread it took to sew so many lines. This quilt took me as long to make (actually even a little longer) than most of my pieced infant quilts.
Once all finished and given it's first wash and dry, the texture of this blanket is DELICIOUS! No other word can describe it's yumminess!Making one of these quilts is not difficult, just time consuming. If you can sew somewhat of a straight line, than whipping one up is easy as pie. I'd give it a 'Beginner Sewer' rating, as long as said beginner can be patient and avoid going cross-eyed from sewing line after line!

Projects...

2011-12-31T04:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if anyone even takes a look at my humble little blog any more. It's been slightly neglected as of late. Sometimes blogging overwhelms me. I LOVE looking at peoples blogs, I LOVE getting ideas from others blogs, there are some blogging ladies that I hold on a serious pedestal. I just don't think I've ever been 'that' blog for anyone else. Oh well, it's almost the beginning of a new year, and I have MANY projects on the horizon. (Which is part of my problem. There is so much I want to do, and so much I have done lately - that I don't often enough slow down to document the process.) I'm attempting to do better. Maybe I can inspire one or two of you!

As mentioned, I've been a busy little bee in the last few months. There have been multiple 'custom name quilts' a few baby blankets for friends, a whole herd of elephant softies (pictures coming soon!), and a slew of other holiday gifts. I managed to get a bunch of them out the door without taking pictures (bummer), but others I can show!

My neighbor, dear friend, and AWESOME photographer (check out her blog/website here), asked me to make some Hanukkah shirts for her four cuties to wear on the first day of Hanukkah this year. Other than giving me the shirts to use, she pretty much told me to use my own imagination and 'go for it'! It was a bit of a challenge, because before I knew Stacy and her family I didn't know the first thing about Hanukkah, but I've been able to learn over the past few years and came up with some totally adorable tops for her totally adorable tots! (Sorry for the cheesy words...the real me is coming out here!)Kind of fun eh? What is most important is that she loved them and her KIDS really loved them! Thanks for the challenge Stacy! (And thanks for the photo, because this is one project that I forgot to take pictures of before they left the door!)

Happy New Years Eve! I hope 2011 has been great, and I hope that 2012 is even better!

Zoe Quilt

2011-11-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

A friend commissioned me to make this quilt for her new beautiful niece. She chose the color pallet (brown, green, cream, and coral.) It's one I haven't necessarily worked with, but I LOVE it, and see myself using it again for sure.
It is quilted with an all-over meandering stitch (stippled).
I hope that it gets lots of love and use at it's new home!

My little Incredibles

2011-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

Fun costumes to make! Even more fun to watch my boys play in them and believe they really are Super-Heros. Happy Halloween!

Outfits for Disneyland!

2011-08-22T13:06:00.000-07:00

So...we were on vacation for like the whole summer, it was awesome! Something fun that we we got to squeeze in (a vacation within a vacation!) was a quick weekend trip to Disneyland. I LOVE Disneyland! (So much so that my husband took me there for our Honeymoon 10 years ago!) This was to be my boy's first time experiencing the magic of Disneyland. Me being the corney crafty mom that I am, I just HAD to make outfits!Luckily for me, JoAnne's had a sale on McCall's patterns, so I snatched up a couple patterns for shorts for $1.99 ea. I made up the shorts using those handy dandy patterns, and then came up with the applique on the tops on my own.My niece is a seasoned Disneyland goer (her mom works for JetBlue, so they fly there often!) She loved having something fun to wear that matched the boys too. I just made a simple 'tube' shirt using elastic thread in my bobbin, added a few straps, and voila!Three matchy-matchy adorable kids! (It was actually super convenient that they matched, because they were easier to see in a crowd.)

Summer Vacation project!

2011-08-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

Hey! It's been a little while since I've checked in. Not because I haven't thought about it often, but because I've been on vacation...like all summer! I'm not home quite yet, but will be in just a few days.

I don't know about any of you, but I have a hard time going anywhere for any length of time without taking a project to work on. I came across this "Yoyo along" and knew it would be the perfect 'take a long' portable project for the next few months.I've made what feels like a ton of these little babies over the past month! It's a great scrap buster project. The crazy thing is that I'm like just over a tenth of the way to 1000 yoyo's. This is one of those projects that I see as a marathon, rather than a sprint! It may take a year to get all the yoyo's sewn, but who cares! I'm just loving the process.If you've never made a yoyo, they are so cute and fun to make. Go get yourself one of the handydandy yoyo makers and give it a go! This will be a great fall-time project too, very portable to take along to all those little league soccer practices and games!

I interrupt this break...

2011-07-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

To bring you my latest project!

It's a random one, but really, doesn't everybody need to sew a travel golf bag for their son? (Totally joking, I think it's crazy that I needed to make one.) I didn't have a pattern or anything, just kind of went with it.I'm totally pleased with how it turned out. Kyle loves it, which is most important.
My six year old is quite the little golfer. He has a nice big golf bag that we use here around town, but he's taking off for Utah tomorrow with his Grandma for a few weeks, so I needed to make something much smaller profile that could fit more easily inside his suitcase. Hence the travel golf bag!

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. I've been ridiculously busy with life. Things have officially slowed down. I'm excited to get back on the blogging wagon! Thanks for hanging on with me.

Little Gift Bag

2011-04-20T04:25:00.000-07:00

So you all know I am positively obsessed with sewing, but every once and a while I get the paper crafting bug too! I had picked up a random little gift for a teenage friend of our family and wanted to give it to her in something cute.
I used my Cricut (Bags, Tags, Boxes and More Cartridge, Don Juan for the 'K') to cut out the bag. I've been holding onto this paper for a while now, thinking that I would pass it on to my friend who has daughters (I just couldn't quite figure out how to include hot-pink lips into one of my boys scrapbooks!) But it was PERFECT for this little project! Just the right amount of sass. And really, I just couldn't resist the sparkle monogram. I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as too much bling! (Well, except on those older ladies cardigans that you see in Las Vegas that are sparkleicious...those should be outlawed!)
On a totally different note, I hit the 2,000,000 stitch mark on my sewing machine yesterday. Wow! I've been sewing up a storm. Getting ready for spring 'craft fair season'!

Life..thankfully!

2011-04-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

You know when 'life happens'? That's where I've been for the past few weeks. I made a very last minute trip out to Utah for a week to spend time sitting in the hospital with my big brother. And many various other stuff. Just life! Although I am happy to report that my brother is out of the hospital and on the road to recovery...whew!

Amid all the craziness, I've still found a little bit of time to create!Just in time for Easter, I drew up this little critter. I think using the fuzzy yellow material is what makes the shirt. (That, and the cute little bow on the chick's head!) Maybe this can help you come up with an idea for a fun Easter top for your little angel! (Or if you'd like to just skip the headache, you can pick one up here!)

Happy Spring! We are in full bloom here in Virginia.

Birthday Shirt

2011-03-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

A friend recently contacted me and asked if I could make a shirt for her daughter's birthday this week. She's turning 6 and asked her mom if she could get a new '6' shirt for her big day. The only direction I was given was that she would be pairing the top with a tutu skirt in either orange, dark pink, or light pink.
I was pretty pumped when I found some material I had on hand with ALL THREE COLORS! Perfect! She can wear it with whichever skirt her little heart desires. I think it turned out pretty cute, and my friend LOVED it, which was most important!

The '6' is appliqued to the shirt then top-stitched for durability. I added the cute little bows on the sleeves for a little pop. (I tied the bows and then stitched them on using the button stitch on my machine...they are on there nice and snug and are totally washable.)

Purses

2011-03-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've been busy again! Sewing purses this time...

Two down and two to go.
The best part? My beautiful model! Seriously, I wish I was a better photographer, she's gorgeous. Thanks Kayleigh for helping me show off my bags!

new quilt start

2011-03-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

What I've been up to yesterday and today...I got a bee up my bonnet yesterday to start a new quilt. I'm using this tutorial from Elizabeth Hartman as my inspiration, but taking it to a direction all my own! If it turns out even partially like I see in my mind, I think it's going to be pretty cool.This is my first attempt at a 'artsy fartsy' / improvisational / abstract quilt. I'm actually really excited. (I came to terms a while back that I am as much of a crafty nerd as my awesome husband is a computer nerd. I get oddly WAY excited over random new projects.)

I've given myself a deadline of the end of the month for this quilt, so hopefully I'll have a finished product to share in a couple of weeks!

Car Seat Tents

2011-03-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

I've been a busy little bee lately. Sewing like crazy! Not a whole lot of exciting stuff to show off here though, I've just mainly been working on filling up my little shop.
Today's finished projects... Car Seat Tents.I never really found a tutorial for these that I liked, so I made my own. I'm happy to share my dimensions and directions if anyone is interested. Just leave me a comment!

Happy Friday Y'all!

Embroidery

2011-03-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

It's about dang time! I finally pulled out the embroidery module that I purchased with my sewing machine over three years ago. I've used loved and abused my sewing machine in the past three years, but was afraid to tackle the embroidery portion for some reason. It was all just a bit intimidating, especially because I am starting with no knowledge or past experience. I don't live close to a Bernina dealer, so I cant even really take classes on it. Here's to trial and error!In the past week or so since I have pulled it out, loaded the program on my laptop, and tried a few stitch outs, I have already made a bunch of mistakes - but I have also learned a bit!
My first 'real' project? I am making personalized receiving blankets for a friend of mine's photography business. She is giving them as gifts to her newborn sessions. Pretty snazzy eh?
I can't wait to get more and more familiar with my embroidery machine and software. I think the options will be limitless once I get it figured out!

My online shop is OPEN!

2011-03-01T05:59:00.000-08:00

It has been a LONG time coming, but as of yesterday my online shop is open once again! At a new exciting location...my OWN URL!! Etsy has been good to me, but I was ready to have a shop of my own. I haven't had the chance to list ALL of my products quite yet, but a good handfull of them are there.

Drop by if you get the chance!

In the next week or two I'll be having my official 'Grand Re-Opening' with sales and great offers (and possibly even a give away or two!) Keep an eye on my blog for details!

a quick selvage project

2011-02-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so two of my favorite quilting trends right now are selvages and 'wonky quilts'. I decided to put the two together and came up with this...It's just a hot pad, sorry if I got you excited! I constructed it just like a log cabin block, except I used scrap selvages and uneven angles. It turned out pretty fun. I made it for my mom's friend who has generously been saving her selvages for me, as a little thank you.

My interest (obsession) in selvages started last year when I came across this post on the Moda Bake Shop Blog; it kept growing when I started following the Selvage Blog. I actually have a selvage quilt in progress, you can check it out here! I'd say I owe my 'wonky' obsession to Elizabeth Hartman from the Oh! Fransson blog. I love her work. She's a quilt rockstar as far as I am concerned!

If you want to jump on the selvage train, check out the selvage blog I mentioned above. I suggest starting with a small project, like a hot pad!

A little love

2011-02-22T08:43:00.000-08:00

So, I realize I am over a week late on this post, but time has gotten away from me lately! Last week was CRAZY! My oldest son came home from school on Monday with a 102 degree fever. Holy Smokes! I ended up taking him to the doctor on Tuesday, and he had Strep. Poor little guy. The same day K-man was good enough to go back to school, Little-C started coming down with something. Seriously, I had no idea a 20 month old could loose so much bodily fluids out of such a small little body. The silver lining is that my mom (aka - my BFF) was visiting from Utah, which is always great. Unfortunately for her we didn't get to do too much 'fun stuff' since we were nursing sick kids all week, but I LOVED having her here to help and be quarantined with me.

Anywho, this was my only Valentines project this year. A much smaller version of this quilt I made a few years ago. I figure it can be a little wall hanging or a small table centerpiece quilt/runner kind of thing. It has made its home at a dear friend's house, so hopefully she can find a use for it!
Here's to hoping we can stay healthy and I can do some fun crafting this week!

Contrary to what may appear...

2011-02-07T19:24:00.001-08:00

I haven't fallen of the face of the planet...at least not yet! ;)

Things have been busy around here. I have been working hard. Not too much to show for it yet, but here is one of my in-progress pictures.
I've been painting and re-decorating the whole main level of my house. It happened kind of last minute, but once I got a bee in my bonnet I haven't wanted to stop. It's been a total make-over. I'll post more pictures when it's all done.

In the mean time, I did try my hand at a little cookie decorating for the big game yesterday. They looked a lot better than they tasted, but at least I tried, right?

ruffled edge 'quilt'

2011-01-18T05:58:00.000-08:00

I had to put the word quit in quotations in the title, because this isn't a 'true' quilt to me, with batting and lots of quilted stitches! But no matter what we call it, it's pretty cute and sassy if you ask me!
My friend bought this material months ago, when she was just a wee bit pregnant with her third child. Back in the fall I even helped her cut out the squares and gave her a sewing lesson. Fast forward a few months. She approached me the last week in December and asked if I could just sew it for her. She ran out of time and energy. With very little guidance from her, other than she wanted a 'random' pattern and the ruffley satin edge, I came up with the quilt above.
She also didn't want batting in between the top and back minky-dot material, so really this is just a larger, glorified receiving blanket. I kept the 'quilting' very minimal and only stitched in the ditch along a few of the seams (to keep the top and back from shifting.)
I'm not going to lie. This quilt was a little bit of a challenge for me. It combined two of my least favorite types of material to sew with...Satin and Minky Dot. I'm not saying I don't LOVE both of them for their luxurious textures, they are just a pain to work with. I think I conquered them both this time though and produced a dang cute quilt.

It was a different experience sewing a quilt with material that I didn't personally choose. I probably wouldn't have put the color combination together that Jen did, but it looks great. Props to her for 'seeing' what she wanted. - I have one more quilt to do just like it. She is going to use them for her daughter's beds as soon as the 4 year old and the new baby start to share a room. I learned a few things from working with the satin and minky dot material on the first quilt, so the second should be a little easier.

Thank you cards

2011-01-07T08:45:00.001-08:00

It's shocking, I know! While it seems that my only love is sewing, I actually really enjoy paper crafting as well. It has taken a back seat for quite a few months because I have been busy with sewing projects. This morning I busted out a few stamps, fired up my Cricut, and got to work!
Okay, so there is nothing grand about the cards. (I made 6) I really just needed something to send to Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles thanking them for Christmas gifts, these are sufficient. I had a glorified idea in my head as to what they were going to look like, and this wasn't exactly it... But oh well! It was fun to use a few of my paper crafting skilz. Maybe I'll actually get the bug to do a little scrapbooking this year!

Oh, and you can't tell in the photo, but the word 'snow' is cut out of glitter paper. It's probably my favorite part of the card!

First finished quilt of 2011!

2011-01-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I confess that I started the quilt the last week of December, but I can still call it the first quilt of 2011, right? Afterall, it wasn't completed until just last night.

I'm not sure what to call this quilt. I was thinking 'Spots & Dots' or maybe 'Spottydots'! What ever the name, It ranks up in the top three quilts I have ever made. I think it is something about the combination of colors and the simplicity of the pattern that draw me in.
When trying to decide how to quilt this, I played with a couple different ideas from just stitching in the ditch to stippling the white space or possibly quilting in circles. Then, for some reason I decided to do something that I've never tried and straight line quilted the whole thing. I am really loving the outcome. This is one of those cases that the quilting adds a TON of personality to the quilt.

The quilt measures about 38"x38". The perfect little size for a baby. I can't wait to deliver it to it's new home!

*The fabric used is Make Life... by Moda.

A step too far?

2010-12-23T05:20:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked me to make a scripture tote for her tween daughter (for Christmas). She didn't give me too much direction, just that she wanted her to have something fun. Translated in my mind meant 'sassy and blingy!' I'm a little worried that I took it just one step too far though...I'm on the fence about the blinged out handle.
I didn't have a pattern to follow, so what you see is just some crazy concoction that I worked out in my mind.
When I dropped the tote off to my friend a few days ago, I was a little worried. Hoping that she would like it. Success! She loved it (or at least didn't want to hurt my feelings!) And said that if her daughter wasn't enthralled with it, than she would keep it for herself.Changes for next time, if there is a next time...
*The ruffle needs to be skinnier, not so wide.
*The stiff craft-bond interfacing was tough to work with, use regular interfacing next time and the craft bond on JUST the bottom.
*To bling the handle or not to bling the handle? That is the question!

Frost Bite Quilt

2010-12-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

Isn't this quilt adorable? (I can say that because I didn't make it! *wink*) My mom finished this quilt top a few months ago. For her Christmas gift she asked me to quilt it for her. It was my pleasure!The thread I used blended so well with the top of the quilt that it was actually really difficult to quilt. Not being able to see where I had already sewn posed quite the challenge, it was kind of like quilting blind. Although, a quick peak at the backside shows just how it was quilted...
I didn't get any direction from my mom on how she wanted it quilted, so I hope she likes what I came up with!

Girly Apron

2010-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

I've been sewing like crazy around here and have lots of fun stuff to share over the next few days. This little number is in transit to my 5 year old niece in Utah. It's the little girl version of the 'flirty skirty apron'. I had a rough time getting a good picture of this little cutie, but I think you can get the idea.Does the main print look familiar? I call it a good use of left-overs! It's what's left of the material I used for this quilt!

Happy Holiday Crafting! Times almost up!

New Wave Quilt

2010-12-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

When I saw this quilt back in March, I knew I just had to make it for somebody special. Lucky for me, my sister-in-law announced on Mother's Day that she was pregnant. Fast forward seven months, and here it is...
My take on Elizabeth Hartman's New Wave Quilt. I am happy with the outcome. It was dicey there for a while though. I was in love with all the prints, but had a tough time deciding whether to sash it with yellow or white. As you can see, I decided on yellow. I didn't love it at first, but after it was quilted and bound, I think it was a success.One of my new favorite things to do is piece a small portion of the back of a quilt, to give it a little character of it's own. I used scraps left from the front of the quilt to piece the back. The crazy thing with this back is that it can almost stand on it's own as a front...It's like two totally separate quilts in one. (Which I haven't decided is good or bad, there probably should be a little more continuity, but what's done is done!)
As you can see, I stitched in the ditch along the sashing lines with one line down the middle of the solid yellow, and then I did a pretty tight stipple through the hour-glass shapes. All in all, a success!Sweet Baby Ella was born just a few days before Thanksgiving. I didn't have the quilt finished and sent off quite in time for her arrival, but it found it's way there this week. Hopefully it can provide lots of years of warmth and love for my sweet new niece!

Hanukkah Treats

2010-12-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor is celebrating Hanukkah with her family right now. I saw the ideas for these cookies in Family Fun Magazine (while at the Doctors office with my youngest ;) and though they would be a fun gift for her young family...
They were SUPER simple to make! Just snip off two corners of a Newton cookie (I used Strawberry vs. Fig, because I like the taste better), break a skinny pretzel in half and gently push the broken edge into the jelly part of the cookie on the opposite side of the point. Whip up a small batch of butter-cream icing, and pipe on the decor. Voila! (I googled the 'symbols on a dreidel' to help make sure the Hebrew letters on the cookies even half-way resembled a real dreidel.)

Place Mats

2010-12-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

My good friend and neighbor asked me to make her a set of personalized place mats. She had a few simple requests, like brown for the main color, and the names in a color based on gender, but other than that she gave me artistic license! Here's what I came up with...There was six to do, and they actually took a little longer than I expected. Although, since I was being paid to make them (well, actually trading) I wanted them to look as professional as humanly possible.They are backed with fun prints, so just in case they don't want the name side up (or if it's just a little dirty ;) they can flip them over and still have a nice looking place mat. I used home decor material for the mats.This makes me excited to make some mats for my family now!

Tye-Die and Pouff Decor!

2010-12-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to host the baby shower for one of my dear friends. (The last two posts were gifts for her and her soon to be!) This being her first child and first baby shower, I wanted the decor to be fun and visible, but not too over the top. The final product was perfectly fun!
Not meant to be the spotlight, but turned out to be was the tye-dye clothes line. My super cute teenage crafter friend (first introduced in this post) came over one night and we had a tye-dye party! Kayleigh is a pro at doing tye-dying, so she taught me some of her skilz. I think this new little baby girl is going to be the hippest gal around. We had such a fun time creating. I can't wait to try my hand at tye-dying again.
And the other baby shower stand by decor...Martha Stewart's pouf balls! These three big ones were over the center of the food table, and then there were a bunch of smaller ones hanging from the ceiling of the family room (as seen in the first photo.)

Matching diaper changing clutch

2010-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Sheesh! I didn't mean for there to be such a delay between postings, but life happens, please forgive me. On the flip side, I guess I was just having too much fun over the Thanksgiving holiday to even get online! This diaper/wipe/changing pad clutch was a companion piece to the quilt from the previous quilt post. I made it with left-over scraps from the quilt, and a few extra scraps from my stash. It's kind of crazy, but cute, and because it matches the quilt, it's extra adorable!I love the design of this little clutch. It fits nicely inside a diaper bag, and when you have a diaper to change, all you have to take with you to the bathroom is the clutch, vs. the whole diaper bag. There is a pocket for the changing pad, and another pocket for travel wipes and a couple diapers.
I'm pretty sure that these plush covered travel wipes cases are my new favorite baby gift. They are quick to whip up, and so adorable. It's way more fun to get wipes out of something so cute rather than a plastic bag! Because I know the mommy this one is for, and because I haven't gotten do do a lot of girly accessories lately I had to girlify it a little extra with the sweet little ribbon bow. A fun touch.

Crazy Nine-Patch Lattice Quilt

2010-11-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

I've been super excited to post this project. It's been done for a while, but since it was a surprise for one of my awesome friends (soon to be new mommy!) I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

I'm kind of disappointed with my photos, because the pictures don't do the quilt justice, but it turned out absolutely adorable. The pattern is from Elizabeth Hartman (from the Oh, Fransson! blog). I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love her quilts. They are so my flavor. Anywho, back to the quilt...

I had so much fun picking out material for this quilt. The color pallet is a little different than I have ever worked with before, and I LOVED IT!
One of my favorite things about Elizabeth's quilts is that she usually pieces the back too. It adds such a fun pop to a quilt. Something kind of a little unexpected!
I tried quilting this one in a new way. I felt like the lines and angles of the quilt were all super harsh, so I thought that by quilting little circles all over it would soften it up a bit. The effect was just what I was imagining. It used a TON of thread, like three spools, but I'll definitely do it again. It was fun to quilt it, and I think it should stand up to multiple washes. (Which is key for a baby quilt!)
And icing on the quilt. I got to watch Natalie open the gift. Most of my quilts get shipped off to family that lives half a country away, so actually seeing somebody enjoy what I gave them was kind of exciting. She loves it...and that is all that matters! Just two or three weeks and she'll have a beautiful baby girl to wrap up in that quilt!

Gathered Flower Purse

2010-11-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

When I saw this purse and tutorial over at U create a few weeks ago, I knew I just HAD to make one!

So, here is my version of the Gathered Flower Purse...
and a little closerand even a bit closer shot of the flower.When I first saw the tutorial, I immediately knew that I wanted to make a 'fall version'. A houndstooth (is that spelling right?) pattern was what I first had in mind, but I couldn't find one I liked, so I ended up with this suiting material for the base of the bag. I used black pleather and jersey for the big ole' flower. I think the cute polka-dot interior of the bag is my favorite!
And because I just got back from an amazing week-long cruise with my family, here is a fun shot of me modeling my cute new purse!!

Grandpa's birthday gift

2010-10-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

So this is a pretty random gift, but my son is going to give this to my dad, a.k.a Grandpa Milt, a.k.a. Golf Coach for his birthday.
I made myself a sassy little golf towel a while ago and am loving it. I think the personalized idea is a lot of fun. My dad helped Kyle with some things this summer and called him his golf coach. I thought he would get a kick out of his new golf towel.

The letters are appliqued and then blanket stitched. I added a fancy grommet to make it feel a little more polished than just a simple button hole, and picked up the little caribbeaner from a local mountain sports store.

Like I said, it's a pretty random gift, buy my dad is the kind of guy that is impossible to buy for. If nothing else, he'll get a chuckle out of it!

Teachin' some craftin'!

2010-10-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

What is more fun than crafting? Teaching a few adorable teenage girls how to do it on their own! I've been telling Kourtni and Kayleigh for a while now that I'd love to show them how to make some of the fun stuff that they have seen me make. Kayleigh finally took me up on my offer. It was spirit week at her high school last week. These are the fun shirts we came up with for her and a couple of her friends. I can't take credit for the saying, Kayleigh came up with that. I just taught them how do to freezer paper stencils to paint their shirts. We also added some much needed 'bling' to complete the look!What a fun project! I had a great time working on it with the girls.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-10-04T06:42:00.001-07:00

So, it's nothing too original, but for my mom's birthday last week she got this in the mail...
The pattern does not call for a strip of velcro on the inside, that was my addition. Grandma S is kind of obsessed with being able to close her purses/bags up!
The colors are not usually a pallet I would choose for myself, but the bag was for my awesome mom, not for me! The patterns and colors scream Grandma S!

In case you are not familiar with it, this pattern is Amy Butler's Birdie Sling. I'm in love with the pattern and bag. Back when I had Baby C, one was given to me as a gift for a diaper bag. I'm still using it. I've now made a couple of them as gifts for some of my favorite people. If you've never sewn a purse or bag before, this would be a great place to start. It is pretty basic. (Side note, just because it is basic does not mean it is cheap to make...after getting all the nice fabric there is a ton of interfacing, etc. to buy. It is worth it though.)

And of course I didn't take pictures, but I also included about a dozen various hand-made cards along with the bag for her to add to her stash.

Happy Monday!

Fall Quilt

2010-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

So my mother-in-law finished this quilt top last fall. She promptly sent it my way and asked me to quilt it.I put it on my to-do list...and there it sat. For almost a whole year. Oops! Now that fall is officially on its way, I knew there could be no more procrastinating. Just this last week I got it basted, quilted, bound and sent back to Utah!

I had a really tough time deciding how to quilt this, which is a great part of the procrastination. I LOVE free-motion quilting, but the inspiration on how to go about this quilt kept alluding me. I finally had to just jump in. Here's what I decided to do...

I 'traced' each of the pumpkins and leaves on the panel and stippled the dark brown 'background'. Then I decided to straight line quilt through the blocks bordering the panel, and then stipple the far outside edges. It's a little crazy, but I think I'm happy with how it turned out.

I'm excited to hear what my mother-in-law's reaction is to it. She didn't give me any direction on how she'd like it quilted, so I just hope she's happy with it.

Since she's family and all, and since I had the top in my possession for so long, I decided to bind it for her too, so she could get a finished quilt in the mail.

Brynn's Party Dress

2010-09-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

My friend's daughter, Little Miss Brynn, turned 3 this week! Always looking for an excuse to sew something fru-fru, I made her a little party dress for her big day...She loved it! I was afraid that the boa around the bottom would be a little over the top, but she thought it was great. She kept telling everyone at her party how pretty she looked and then she would twist side to side to make the dress swish and twist. So cute!The dress was just a simple 'tube' style dress that I shirred on the top. The straps were a mini tube of material with thin elastic pulled through. Because I couldn't think of another way to add it, I hand-stitched the boa around the bottom. Simple, and cute, just how I like it!

For some great tutorials/tips & tricks using elastic thread to do shirring, check out these links...
1 - Your Fabric Place
2 - Pattern Review dot com
3 - About dot com thread

Diaper/Wipe Clutch - Baby Shower Gift

2010-09-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a baby shower in a couple of weeks. I LOVE baby showers! I LOVE making things for people that I actually know. (I obviously love making things for people I don't know too, or else I wouldn't have a little business.) I'm not so much in love with baby showers that request unisex gifts because the gender of the baby is unknown. It takes the fun out of fru-fru ribbons and bows for a girl, or cute dinos and trucks for a boy, you know what I mean? Anywho, I did the best I could for a unisex gift, and this is what I came up with...I wish I could claim this cute Diaper/Changing Pad Clutch, but I made it from a pattern. (pattern by All My Bags & Quilts Too) The pattern comes with directions for the clutch and a changing pad.The covered travel wipes case is my addition.
The blues and browns lean towards boy, but with the orange and paisley print, I felt thought it could easily be a girls gift too. I'm a pretty firm believer that girls can get away with just about any color, but boys can't! I may not be fashion forward enough, but I just don't think pink is a color for boys.

'm giving the soon to be mommy this clutch and a box of size 1 diapers. Hopefully she'll like it. It's not super personalized, but without knowing the sex of the baby, I did the best I could.

my new messenger bag

2010-09-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am constantly drawn to messenger bags. Doesn't matter whether they are in a store, catalog, or hanging from somebody's shoulder; I love them. I've wanted to make one for myself for a LONG time. Well...I finally got around to it!I'm not going to lie, I pretty much love how it turned out. So cute, and so functional!I didn't follow anybody's pattern, just kind of came up with it on my own. There are lots of tutorials out here in blog-land for messenger bags, but none of them were exactly what I had in mind, so I figured a way to make it exactly like what I had in mind! :)The exterior of the bag was made using one charm pack (Panache, by Moda), and I just used a khaki neutral for the interior. Even though there are a TON of tuts out in blog-land for messenger bags, I'm thinking of making one up for this bag too. It is just enough different that I think people might like it, and the fact that it uses just one charm pack + the fabric for the interior makes it inexpensive too! Would you be interested in learning to make one?

Golf Towel

2010-09-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a little nugget about me that you probably didn't know...I like to golf!

As if I didn't already have a few hundred other things on my plate right now, I decided this summer that I really like golfing. (Translate - I LIKE golfing, I am a golfer, I am not good at golfing!) Growing up, my parents and brothers played golf, but I never got the itch to play. I am married to a wonderful man who loves golfing (and actually is pretty decent!), and I have a five year old who is enamored with the sport. I guess it was inevitable that golfing would become a part in my life too. I must admit, now that I've given it a chance, (loosing some weight has definitely made it more enjoyable too) I'm HOOKED!

So, when one is a crafter and finds herself in need of a golf towel, one can not just buy a regular old golf towel, one must make a personalized golf towel!Half a hand towel, some scrap fabric, a little wonder under, and a few minutes at the sewing machine and...voila!
I made it just for fun for me to enjoy, you know, a little piece of my personality out on the course, but I actually think my mom and sister-in-laws might be getting something like it as part of their Christmas gifts. I won't subject my husband to something so 'cutsey', but my 5 year old, Kyle would probably get a kick out of a towel for his golf bag that has his name on it too. Oh the possibilities!

(K-man getting ready to head out golfing with dad.)

Do you want one for yourself or someone you love? Feel free to contact me, I'm sure we can figure something out!

attempt at making jewelry

2010-08-31T03:45:00.000-07:00

I am a self diagnosed craftaholic. (My husband definitely concurs with the diagnosis, although, he must be okay with it because he's never enrolled me in a recovery class. *lol*) I've tried my hand at just about everything. I love a challenge. Sewing, quilting, and papercrafting are my favs, but there is other stuff I can pull off too.

This weekend I tried my hand at jewelry making. Nothing too fancy, and I had to work with tools not necessarily designed for said project, but not a total disaster either. My friend's adorable daughter was baptized on Saturday, so this is the little keepsake bracelet I came up with...It is far from perfect, but it made for one happy little eight year old girl! I found the little photo frame charms at my local craft store, along with the other findings. I had fun making this bracelet, because of who it was for, but I'm not sure I am sold on making my own jewelry from here on out yet. I might leave that for my talented friends and sister-in-laws who actually know what they are doing!

Here is to trying something new! What have you challenged yourself to try new lately? I'd love to know.

Carseat Tent

2010-08-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

So, if you live in the West (specifically Utah or Idaho) you can't make a trip out to the store without seeing one of these, but here in the East, it's still a novel idea!I had to fly by the seat of my pants and make up my own pattern...but now seeing it on the car seat, I'd say it was a success! I imagine one of these would be Super nice to have. (I didn't have one when my babe was still small enough to fit in a infant carseat, but I can guess!) More than anything, it will be great for shielding baby from unwanted weather elements, and all those sweet meaning people at church who want to touch and love on your baby. ;)I made this one of a good friend of mine who just had baby boy #3! She's excited to give it a test run.

If anyone is interested in a tutorial, I'd be happy to make one, but I'm guessing most of you have already made one yourself and this is old news! Let me know one way or another.

matching fancy headband

2010-08-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, in an effort to make a matching headband to the dress from the last post, this is what I came up with...
It's a little big, but that's the style now, right?The pink in the flower is the same material as the pink on the dress, and I added pearls to compliment the pearls sewn onto the dress.
I hope she likes it. If nothing else, it was fun to make something so fru-fru!

dress up do!

2010-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine asked if we could sass up this white dress a bit for her eight year old daughter...She wasn't in love with these roses in front (they do stick out quite a bit) and she also wanted to add some color 'pop' to the dress.
A little collaboration and some of my sewing skilz, here's the finished product...Fun, cute, and sassy. Just like Abigail!

(Okay, so really my seamstress skilz are not super sharp, I consider myself a quilter and sewer, not a seamstress. I am trying new things though, and I am always up for a challenge. I was honored to be asked to help out with the dress. I'm trying to take every opportunity I can to better my skills.)

The 'Perfect Hooded Towel' Tutorial

2010-08-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

Items needed:
Bath Towel
Hand Towel
Coordinating Ribbon
Thread
Sewing Machine
Pins
Rotary Cutter/Ruler or Scissors

Step 1: Cut the hand towel in half. (1/2 of the hand towel will become your hood. Set the other 1/2 aside for another towel or project.)
Step 2: Using one side of the hand towel you cut - Place the WRONG side of the towel on your work surface and fold the finished edge back about 1/2" to 1" wider than your ribbon. (this will become the decorative border for your hooded towel.) Pin the ribbon in place and sew a straight stitch down both sides of the ribbon.
Step 3: Fold the towel in half so that the ribbon folded in half matches up. Sew the raw edge to itself using a 3/8" seam allowance. Zig zag or serge edge to avoid fray.
Step 4: With the WRONG side of your large bath towel facing you, mark the center of one long edge with a pin.
Step 5: Match the center point of your large bath towel with the seam of the hood you just sewed (which is the center of the hood) RIGHT sides together and pin.Hint: Place your pins on the hood side, rather than the large towel side...so exactly OPPOSITE of what the picture shows. I had to move mine! ;)

Step 6: If there is anything at all tricky about this towel, this next step would be it, but its really not bad. - Make a pleat in your hood like I've shown in the photo, about an inch long. PIN in place.
Repeat the previous step and make one more pleat.
This is how it should look from the top -
Step 7: Repeat step 6 and make two identical pleats on the left side of the hood. Pin in place.
Step 8: Sew the hood to the towel about 1/4" from the edge. Remove pins and patyourself on the back! You just make the 'Perfect Hooded Towel!'

Hooded towels make for great baby gifts. The color/ribbon combinations are endless. I have one for each of my boys and use them all the time. Hopefully you can now enjoy making some of your own!

Off to School!

2010-08-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe. We've waited for this day since he was a baby, and yet it seems to have come way too fast. My oldest, Kyle, starts Kindergarten on Monday. He is SO excited he can hardly stand it, and I am excited for him. This is one of those big steps in growing up!

The school requested each child to bring a towel with their name on it for 'rest time'. I couldn't just send him in with a towel that had his name written on it with a sharpie, so in true craftaholic fashion...Kyle got to choose the towel color, which I totally think is fun, and then I just free-handed the letters on some wonder-under and appliqued the fabric letters to the towel. For security, I blanket stitched around each letter. He likes it, and I got to 'craftify' it...its a win win!Wish me luck, Monday could be a little rough around here!

fun fabrics

2010-08-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Aren't these fabrics so much fun to look at? I got to go shopping (without the littles - thanks Mom!) at my favorite shop here in Utah, The Material Girls Quilting. There is so much there to dream about and lust over. These nine delightful prints are what I walked away with this time around. My plan is to use them in a baby quilt for a friend of mine. I can't wait to get home and start 'playing' with my purchases!!

girly skirt

2010-07-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

One of my cute little nieces, Lainie, starts school next week. While I am here in Utah visiting, I wanted to make her a little something for her first day of school. I came up with this simple skirt...Oh my, I forgot how fun it is to make stuff for little girls...especially cute little girls who love cute things! And little miss Lainie Lou is quite the poser! She loves the camera.I'm staying with my parents while we are here in Utah on vacation. I LOVE being able to hit any number of quilt shops (there are at least three amazing ones) within a ten minute drive. It was SO much fun being able to touch and feel all the prints (rather than shopping online) and to match prints for the skirt. Aaaahhhh, I'll enjoy it for the few weeks I'm here! (And stock up for when I get home!)

fun with Harley Davidson

2010-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so these fabric prints are way outside the 'norm' of what I usually work with, but perfect for what I was trying to achieve.I never knew that Harley Davidson could be 'cute', but somehow I think I managed it. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that almost anything 'little' is cute. (okay, except for bugs..yuck! and a few other exceptions ;) This gift-set is for a family that goes to my church. They had a baby boy a few weeks ago. I betcha' can't guess what daddy drives...???Hopefully it'll be some fun and unique stuff that will make them smile, if nothing else!

FYI - If you get the bug to do a little Harley Davidson sewing for yourself, save yourself the headache of searching for non-existing HD fabric (I'm thinkin' it doesn't exist?) and drive yourself right over to your nearest Wally-World. I don't usually use sheets for sewing, but that was the best I could come up with and the most affordable. Add in a few coordinating prints, and you'll be good to go! - If you want to skip the sewing yourself all together, let me know, I've got some more material and would be happy to do a private listing at our etsy shop!

Recycled Shirt Hoodie

2010-07-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is a milestone! I finally made something for my oldest son...and he loves it! I'm always making things for other people and to sell, but when Kyle asked me who this was for, he got so excited when I said HIM.

I used Lil Blue Boo's pattern and tutorial that you can get here.
It was actually really easy to make. I was able to get it cut out and sewn all in just one day. What's even better is that it is from old shirts that were in my thrift pile.
I guess it really is true that 'trash' can be made into 'treasure'! I can't wait to try variations on the pattern for other looks.

If you are a beginner sewer, this is totally a project for you. It was basic, the instructions and pictures are clear, and it is quick. All of which are a bonus!

Denim Bracelet Tutorial!

2010-07-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am always so inspired by all the tutorials I see out in blogland. This tutorial is painfully simple, but something I came up with all on my own, (and I think it's pretty cute ;) so I thought I'd share!
So, It's kind of cute and cheezy and cool all at once! A fun little denim bracelet that can be worn with almost anything! The idea for the bracelet formulated after I had altered some denim pants into shorts. I had cut the seam off first and tossed it aside. Later I came back to it and thought...huh, that might make something kind of cute! So...on with the tutorial. (This is SUPER simple, and would be a fun project to do with your tweens or teens.)

Denim Bracelet Tutorial:

First you will need:
*an old pair of denim pants or shorts
*a good, sharp pair of scissors
*a button
*a ruler
*sewing machine

Step 1: Cut off a seam from your scrap denim. I like to turn the denim to the wrong side so that I can use the seam as my cutting guide. Cut just to the right of the folded/stitched seam.

Step 2: Determine how long you want your bracelet to be. I have found that most adult bracelets are somewhere between 7 to 8 inches long. I cut mine at 7.75" Cut seam to wrist size.
Step 3: Add a button hole to one edge of the cut piece. Make sure your button hole is large enough for your selected button.
Step 4: Add a button to the side of the denim that does not have the button hole.
Make your slit in the space you created your button hole, slip your button through the hole, and VOILA! You have yourself a cute, trendy little denim bracelet! Because of all the fun buttons available, and all the different widths of denim seams, the possibilities are endless! Here are just a few of the bracelets that I've made. I've already given a bunch of them away too. I wore mine one Sunday to church, and all the teenagers thought it was super cool, so I hooked them up!

I think the one frayed edge gives it that grunge charm that people pay so much for today. Kind of fun!

Eeeek....Yuck.... Double Yuck

2010-07-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Seeing this definitely ruined my day, and completely killed any creative thoughts I might have had for the day...Yes, this is MY GARAGE DOOR, and yes it was ALIVE. I'm still sick to my stomach thinking about it. I'll spare you the details, and I'm sorry if this just ruined your day, but on the brighter side...it didn't happen to you, so you can smile about that!

I'm heading off tomorrow morning for the weekend, so we'll see y'all on Monday!

I have a fun little tutorial planned for next week, so check back!

another book-purse!

2010-07-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

I tend to fall in love with something, and then can't resist making lots. Here is another book-purse that I finished last night...Even after making three of these bags (here is the first one...) I still love the novelty of them. The idea is so original and such a conversation piece.

Just like the last one, this purse is for a friend of ours that just graduated from high-school. While the purses are adorable, and oh so much fun, realistically they aren't too practical. It shouldn't be used if there is a chance of rain...because the outside really is just a hard cover book, and it can only carry small things, like a thin wallet, lip gloss, cell phone and small ring of keys. As a mom, I could get away using it only on girls nights out, when I don't have to bring the kitchen sink in a diaper bag, but for these younger ladies who don't have so much junk...perfect!

If you'd like to make one of these super fun purses yourself, click on the link above for the first book-purse I made, and that will take you to the tutorial.

Happy crafting!!

Aprons

2010-07-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

I was away last week at girls camp. (Church camp for young ladies, ages 12-17) Our theme for the week was 'Be All That You Can Be.' We went with the whole camo look to match our theme. Before heading off to camp, I wanted to make a little something special for the ladies who would be cooking our food the whole week. Making camo cute isn't too easy, but I gave it my best try...
Notice the 'bling' on the pockets? That was my favorite part of the above apron. My attempt to make it girly.
This apron was a little more simple, but the ruffles on the pocket and polka-dot straps helped to girlify it a bit!

And these are the two kitchen angels who cooked our YUMMY food for the week. They ROCKED the kitchen and made awesome food. Not an easy task when feeding 150 people three times a day. Thanks again ladies!

*FYI - the first apron is a pattern that I purchased a while back called 'Flirty Skirty'. The other one I just winged. I used a basic apron that I was given years ago to help size it correctly, but from there it was all me! It was SUPER SIMPLE.

so little time...

2010-06-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's been entirely too long since I've posted an entry on my blog. My mantra for this summer is definitely... SO much to to, SO little time! I have so much crafty stuff to get done that I finally had to make a 'To Do list' for myself. It is slightly discouraging that the list is growing at a much more rapid pace than the items being crossed off!

A week from Monday I will be gone for a week at a young women's camp for our church. I love camp, but being one of the leaders, and the 'crafty one' at that, has left me with a TON to get done. Wish me luck on accomplishing my tasks! I'll be sure to get up some pictures as I check items off my list!
In the mean time, there is a little something home-made I got done this week...I use the term 'home made' loosely this time! :) It was my contribution to a dinner we got invited to earlier in the week. It looked pretty and tasted great...a success in my book! (I got the idea years ago from a Food Network show to save the top of the pineapple to use for decoration. This is the first time I tried it. I like the visual appeal!)

it's a book-purse!

2010-06-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

It's a book...It's a purse...It's a book-purse!...I SO wish that I could claim this idea as my own. I think it is SO original and unique. But alas, like most things in the crafty blogosphere I got my idea from here. The tutorial is great. I wasn't sure how my first one would turn out, but I LOVE IT! I think I especially love the extra flowers and 'bling' that I added to the outside. It totally gives it an elegant 'pop'. (It's wierd, I am almost never attracted to floral prints, but for some reason this print just seemed perfect for the occasion. I might have to give florals more thought in the future!)
This book-purse is going to be part of a graduation gift for my niece. She's an adorable girl who loves bags and purses. This one should be different than all her others!

**Side note - I picked the books up at a local thrift store. I've also seen hardcovers on sale at the Library for like $.50 ea. I found the handles at JoAnn's.

baby shower gift..

2010-05-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

So this cute woman that I go to church with is having baby girl #3. It's pretty exciting, seeing as #2 is only 12 months old! There is going to be some crazy times in that household and one tired mommy.

I thought a little something special for the new baby was in order! I kind of just came up with this little quilt on the fly, using stuff from my stash...And because a new mom can NEVER have too many burp rags, I embellished a couple to match the blanket too. Just a little something extra!

I've never quilted flannel or minky material before, but it went just fine. I just decided to do a big stipple, as I didn't want to minimize the soft minky material. The quilt measures about 42"x42". I had every intention of making this a light summer quilt, but it ended up kind of heavy. Hopefully they'll be able to use it one way or another!

And because I think this picture of my baby is super cute, I had to post it too! My hubby and youngest...Colby. (As you can see, my boys get their beautiful blue eyes from their handsome daddy!) It's crazy to believe that Colby is turning ONE tomorrow. Happy Birthday baby boy!

it's totally divalicious!

2010-05-25T04:41:00.001-07:00

So I finished this fun little purse last night...Some good friends of ours have a daughter graduating from high school this year. I made her two older sisters quilts for them to take off to college when they graduated. I knew that she'd be expecting something too. Knowing that she is a lot more girlie than the other two, I gave her the option of me making a quilt, or a handful of different bags and purses. She chose the second option! (A girl after my own heart!) She is a fun girl, totally cute, and totally divalicious. This little purse screams Michelle! I love the bling around the monogram...so fun.

And because I was having fun making it all fru-fru, I decided to make it two sided...
It's amazing how much 'pop' can be achieved by just adding a flower. I attached the flower with a pin, so she can either leave it on the bag, or use it as a broach, or what ever her little heart desires.

The first bag I made for her is cute and functional...this bag is a little over the top. I think she'll love it! Two down, two to go.

Its a sCrapy quilt!

2010-05-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

Now that our big spring show is over and we have lots of inventory in our shop, it's time for some 'fun' sewing and getting projects done that have been on the back burner!

I've had the idea for this quilt on my mind for a LONG time. I've never attempted to make a quilt completely from scraps. I knew it was going to be crazy, because my scrap pile is so diverse, but the intention of this quilt is to go to a charity, so I figured a little crazy would be okay.I'm actually pretty happy with how my first 'scrappy' quilt turned out. I seem to have a plethora of strips, so I sewed the strips together and then cut the long rectangle into four right-angle triangles, which I then sewed back together to form my squares. I think the blocks have some fun motion in them. The material is crazy and non-matching, but I think It worked for what I was attempting.I'm not in love with the white on white material I used for the sashing, but I had it on hand, so I used it! (I'm kind of glad I stash busted that one, now I don't have to ever use it again!) For the borders, I just continued with my strip theme and used up by last bit of scraps. I would have liked to try out some fun new quilting technique with this, but the youth from my church need to get in a few service hours, so I'm going to let them tie the quilt instead.

I made the goal at the beginning of the year to make two quilts to donate to a charity in 2010. One down, one to go!

Old Town Warrenton Spring Festival

2010-05-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a long couple of weeks preparing for the the Warrenton Spring Festival. Now it has come and gone, and was worth every bit of the hard work and preparation!

Here's a glance at our tent...We filled the little front table with delicious looking headbands and clips...All of our boutique baby and child clothing, as well as the 'Just Like Mommy Aprons' were hanging up for easy viewing.We had a tower filled with carseat blankets and nursing covers...The table of headbands was a new addition, and a BIG success!
We created a 'wall' of hair clips -And there was one more tower with tie onesies and tie t-shirts, along with all the tutu's.

And last, but certainly not least - a picture of Lynette and I in our tent.I am so lucky to have such a wonderful and talented business partner. She's one of my best friends, which makes it even better! Thanks for such a fun day Lynette, I can't wait for the next big show! (Okay, I'm actually glad we have a little break, I'm ready to do some projects around my house that took a backseat the past few weeks :)

We had a blast meeting lots of new people and so appreciated our friends stopping by to say 'Hi!'

Now I'm on to new summer projects! Keep your eyes out for some fun new things!

hard at work!

2010-04-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

Lynette and I are both hard at work, preparing for our big street festival on May 15th. When we set up shop at the Warrenton Spring Festival two years ago, we were way more successful than we could have ever imagined. Hopefully this year will be much the same...or even better!

Below are a few cute headbands that I just added to the shop. Bright and fun... just in time for spring and summer!

BEE-autiful

2010-04-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our spring weather here in Virginia has been wonderful this week. I haven't done too much crafting, but I've enjoyed a ton of time outside playing with the boys, planting flowers, and working on our garden box.

This was a sweet picture I captured this afternoon. Our azaleas are in full bloom. BEE-autiful!

Show and Tell

2010-04-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

So, our family blog is where I post all the cute pictures of my boys growing up. (We live in Virginia, and the majority of our family lives in Utah/Idaho/Arizona.) But for a fun change...my two little men go to be models for our shop's photo shoot! (So being a proud mom, I just had to post!)

Kyle
Colby

As you can see, they are featuring our crazy cute t-shirt tie and tie-onesies. The ultimate in 'dressy casual', a must for every trendy little man's wardrobe! (More tops will be added to the etsy shop this afternoon.)

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Side note - My selvage quilt is definitely coming along. I don't get to work on it quite as much as I'd like, but its looking great. The main part of the top is sewn together, I'm just working on the border now. I'll show a photo when I completely finish the top!

I've been busy

2010-04-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I've been busy doing all kinds of crazy things this week. A little sewing, a fun photo shoot for the business, a super quick visit from my mom and older brother, a day in Williamsburg, VA., and a crazy day trip into Washington D.C. for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Whew!

As far as sewing goes, I've been working on a bunch of little aprons for our shop. We are having BIG SALE over there tomorrow on aprons, so we're trying to stock the shop!
Just a little example of what's over there...

On the agenda for this week:
-a few more aprons
-finishing up my selvage quilt top
-making a buttercup purse for a friend
-enjoy the beautiful spring weather with my boys
-start my personal 'The Biggest Looser' adventure - wish me luck!

apron gift set

2010-03-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is one of my best friend's birthday's. She loves to cook. (And is super good at it too!) She has done so much for me and my family, so I wanted to make her something special. Here's what I came up with...
It is a version of this apron that I made a few weeks back. The picture kind of looks like it is trimmed in black, which probably would have looked okay, but it is actually trimmed in burgundy, to match her kitchen! I made a matching hot pad and oven mitt with the scraps. I hope that she likes it!

a finished project

2010-03-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hooray! My husband and son are back from their father/son fun weekend away. Hooray because my technical support is back home! (The warm body in bed and kiss goodnight is nice too ;) I was able to get the pictures from our trusty old camera that I took a few days ago.

So one of my most recent projects was to try and make one of these...I've been in love with this bag since I laid eyes on the pattern. I finally got up my courage to give it a try. Here is my version...and an inside view...

The material I used was Joel Dewberry, Ginseng. Some adorable material that I picked up last fall on sale.

If you are new to sewing bags and purses, I'd give this pattern an easier-intermediate review. Amy's instructions are AWESOME. Great step-by-step directions, although there aren't a ton of pictures.

This bag is for a young lady (who I adore!) that is graduating from high school this year. I hope she loves it. (Because I sure do!) I will definitely be making more of these bags. I'm excited to test drive other fabric patterns.

if it's not one thing...it's another!

2010-03-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA for a few days...or so it seems.

It was one of those weeks that I just couldn't seem to get everything to fall into place. (You know that kind of week, right?) I'm not really complaining, it just is what it is!

I've actually been working on a handful of different projects, and even finished one! (Because even just finishing one project is something to celebrate, right?!) But...no pictures, at least not yet.

My hubby and oldest son are off to Arizona this weekend for their annual father/son trip. (They are watching a bunch of baseball spring training games.) They obviously took the good camera with them. The only problem is that I forgot to get the pictures off the SD card before they headed off. Then I had the bright idea to find our old digital camera to snap a few photos. Only to find that my laptop will not read the memory card from the old camera, and I can't seem to find a USB cable for the life of me. Argh.

On the bright side, in the next few days (once I can either get my grimy little hands on a USB cable or when the boys get home) I'll have some fun stuff to post!

table topper

2010-03-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to call this. It's not big enough to be a table cloth. It's the wrong size to be a table runner. Really it is just a glorified big ole' hot pad! (22" x 22")We just got a brand new table. I've been waiting eight and a half years of marriage to get a nice kitchen table, and my dream finally came true! (Okay, that is a little miss-leading. We actually have a nice formal dining room set that we got a few years ago and love, but it's not something we use on a daily basis.) We've lived with hand-me-downs since 2001. I think my excitement over the new table is almost unreasonable, but I'm pumped! - That being said, I want to keep it nice for as long as possible! My husband suggested that we should have something in the middle of the table to put serving stuff on so that we avoid scratches (we've got place mats to eat on too). I whipped this up with the left over material from my apron.

I've wanted a good excuse to try this type of quilting for a long time. I recently got myself a walking foot. I was kind of an unbeliever that I could quilt like this without any puckers, but IT WORKED!! I think that spray basting is the key.

I'm excited to try straight line quilting on bigger quilts now.

selvage quilt update...

2010-03-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

So when I started this quilt I knew that it was going to be a long term project. Something to sit down and do when I didn't have the bug to do something else. I am loving the process. Below are the blocks I have done so far...34 down and only 14 to go! I could stop with only two more, but I want a bit of a larger quilt. I don't know what it is about playing with a big stash of selvages that makes me happy. I can't wait to have it all finished.

My next dilemma is going to be figuring out how I want to quilt it. Any ideas?

Zipper Rosette Tutorial

2010-03-05T08:38:00.001-08:00

So...this is the first tutorial I've ever tried to make. I'm a little nervous. Hopefully the instructions are clear and you'll want to make some of your own!

How to make a Zipper Rosette...

Supplies Needed:
-zipper
-upholstery thread or embroidery floss & needle
-pliers (are helpful, but not always necessary)
-scissors
-coordinating (with your zipper) felt
-hot glue gun

Step 1
Take your zipper completely apart. This is where a pair of pliers can come in handy. Some zippers are just stopped with glue that can be forcefully pulled apart, or thread that can be sewn, but some have this little metal stopper that you can see above. To get them off I use a combination of pulling with pliers and yanking the zipper apart. As you can see in the next picture, all of the pieces don't always come off 'cleanly', but it shouldn't affect the final outcome.
*Note - I like to save the zipper pull to glue into the center of some of the rosettes, but its up to you.
Step 2Using embroidery floss, or some other very strong thread, knot the end of the floss and begin a running stitch about 1/8th of an inch from the bottom of a zipper half. I've found that a longer stitch is better (which is the main reason I do this by hand rather than with my sewing machine.)

Step 3Once you've sewn along the entire bottom of the zipper, pull your thread to form gathers. How tight you pull your thread is up to you. I've found that it is a lot easier to work with in the next few steps if you don't pull it as tight as you can. You'll want a little 'give'. Tie off your thread and snip.

Step 4This is the hardest step to illustrate, so I'll do my best to walk you through it. Starting with the edge of the zipper that you started your running stitch on, roll the zipper onto itself. As you are rolling, pull the raw edge from the beginning of the zipper (just a bit) through the hole in the middle. (This will make more of a finished middle and hidden raw edges.) Continue arranging the rosette by making each layer peak out from the previous.

Step 5Cut out a piece of felt that is close to the same size as your rosette. (Yep! This is the easy step!)

Step 6Liberally apply hot glue to the bottom of your rosette, and attach it to the piece of felt. Make sure when you glue it down to the felt that both the middle of the rosette and the very end raw edges are tucked under the rosette and glued down.

This is the point that you can add some 'bling' to the center of the rosette if you choose. (I like to use the zipper pull, but you could add a purl or gem, or something of the sort.)

Step 7Cut away the excess felt from behind the rosette.

You are now DONE!! Finish the rosette as you please. *I've added leaves to a few, but they are definitely cute enough to stand alone on their own too.* Attach to alligator clips, bobby pins, etc.!

Hopefully this little tutorial has been helpful! Happy crafting!

an awesome find!

2010-03-03T06:20:00.001-08:00

So I recently got these at a thrift shop...A huge big ole' pile of zippers. Random, I know.

The story: I live in a super small town. Apparently we are just big enough to have out own little thrift store. I have never been inside said thrift store until two nights ago. I went in hunt of some big picture frames to spray paint and alter for a new project idea. I came out of the store with a bag of zippers! Back in their 'random we don't know where to put this stuff' area, there was a bunch of old ratty looking sewing stuff. I poked around a little and came across this bag full of over thirty zippers of different sizes and lengths. There was no price anywhere, so I went up to the checker lady to ask about the price. She offered the whole bag to me for $3!!! Can you believe it? JACKPOT!

Want to see what I came up with?Lovin' it! I can't wait to try more. Check back in a day or two for instructions, I think zipper rosettes are tutorial worthy!

hanging towel

2010-03-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

I wish that I could claim this idea, but like most things out here in blogger land, I got the idea from somebody else. (Who I'm sure got the idea from somebody else, who got it from somebody else, and on and on...) No matter, I love it!I just made this for my kitchen. (It totally reminds me of those old ones that your grandma made with a crochet top. You know the ones I'm talking about, right? These are just such a fun more updated version!)

If you have a four year old boy(...or 44 year old boy for that matter) you probably know from experience that towels do not stay on towel bars. I think it is physically impossible for my son to not pull a towel off the bar when walking by or using it to dry his hands. I LOVE this hanging towel that can't just be pulled off. I'm not nagging at my son nearly as much...bonus!

lovin' it!

2010-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I finished my new apron...I'm lovin' it! I've been wearing it all day! I didn't think I'd get it done until Monday or Tuesday, but I just couldn't wait. My husband was happy to have an excuse to play xbox for a few hours last night (without feeling guilty for not hanging out with me!) while I sewed. I'm such a fan of aprons. I'm afraid they are becoming an obsession.

I hesitate posting this next picture, because I so don't love taking photos of myself, but I had to show off my creation with a real live model...and this isn't exactly something I could ask my hubby to model for me! :)
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On a completely separate note. Scott (my husband) totally rocks my world right now. He just hooked me up with the Glee Soundtrack. LOVE IT!! I'm listening to it right now and can't resist smiling. My nine month old is even smiling and waving. (Which I'm pretty sure is his version of dancing!) Okay, I'm off to dance with my boys and start dinner!

another new project...

2010-02-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

It's not like I don't have at least 57 other things going on, but hey, why not start one more?

One of my really good friends bought this apron in Spain like four years ago.As you can see, it has been well loved. The picture of it hanging on the door does not do it justice AT ALL. (It is super cute on.) Anywho, I've had my eye on it for a few years wanting to make something similar for myself. (I mean really, can a girl have too many aprons? I think not!) I just recently found some material that I think will be perfect. It is a light aqua with white dots, and I'm going to trim it in red. Hopefully by Monday I'll have the finished product to share!

Thanks Mel for giving up your apron for a few days so that I could get a closer look!

to bling or not to bling...

2010-02-24T05:34:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty happy with how this little top turned out. The question now is whether it needs a little extra pizazz on the crown or not...???It looks pretty cute on its own, but after chewing it over, I just can't resist adding a little bling. Really, who can? (Okay, don't answer that.) Here is the final product...
This is another top that I made using a freezer paper stencil for the word, and applique for the crown. (I so did not free-hand the crown, I'm not that artistically inclined. I just google image searched for a crown or tiara icon and this was one of my favorites.)

Happy hump-day crafting!

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P.S. Don't forget to enter the drawing for one of our car-seat blankets - FREE! Check this out for more info.

Check us out on U create!

2010-02-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

Lynette and I are super excited to be over at UCreate today! We got to introduce our little shop with a GIVEAWAY (of one of our favorite things!). Everyone loves a giveaway, so hop on over and check it out! Here is what we posted over there. We've got some fun things planned for our little shop in the near future, we'll keep you posted...we're excited!

All The Trend is a fun little shop full of unique and trendy items, mostly for babies and children. The creative minds behind the shop are Lynette, from Get your Craft on and Tami, from My Life as a Craftaholic. All The Trend has a variety of items such as 'Just Like Mommy' Aprons, Nursing Covers, and infant Sleep Sacks. One of the favorite gifts in the shop are the infant Car Seat Blankets. These blankets are not only fashionable, but functional.
This unique clover-leaf shaped car seat blanket is made to shield your baby from the elements, while keeping him/her safely buckled into their car seat. No more worrying about blankets falling on the dirty ground or hard to wash car seat covers. The Car Seat Blanket is easy to remove and completely machine washable. All car seat blankets are made with two coordinating soft flannels. It is sure to become every moms most useful and practical baby accessory.

All The Trend has lots of cute prints to choose from. Make sure to click on each one listed because there are even more options under each listing!

I swear by my carseat blanket! I LOVE IT. My son Colby is eight months old and we are still using the one I made for him. It is so much easier to deal with it rather than heavy coats in the winter. They are great for the summer though too, because it keeps them hidden from the harsh sun. Just an all around awesome baby accessory!

Just in case you don't believe Lynette or I, here are a few quotes from our customers:

"I just love how functional the car-seat blanket is and how absolutely adorable they are. I have TWO so that if one is in the wash I don't have to go without! (Because I love mine that much!)" - Sara C. - Warrenton, VA

"I have given a car-seat blanket to my daughter/daughter-in-laws for each of my new grand babies. I love the cute material and affordable price. The new mommies love how easy it is to keep their little ones warm." - Natalie C. - Riverton, UT

Thanks for stopping by ~~(and allowing me to shamelessly plug our shop)~~ and don't forget the giveaway over at UCreate!

huge mistake & a success!

2010-02-18T07:23:00.000-08:00

So, you know that awesome scrapbook weekend that I was able to enjoy last weekend? The one where I got 24 pages DONE! I can't believe it, but I dated EVERY SINGLE layout with the wrong YEAR. SERIOUSLY??? I'm not sure how I got off and I am totally ticked at myself. I'm big on including dates on my scrapbook pages. Now they all say month/day/2008, but they were actually all 2007 photos. Before I take pictures to show off my work, I have to correct my mistakes...it's going to take a while. BUMMER. BIG BUMMER! I knew it all went a little too smoothly.

On to my success...

Check out this little number that I made yesterday.
Is this not just delicious?! What a fun top is was to make. I combined a few different techniques; freezer paper stenciling, applique, and my new rhinestone hot-fix setter for the bling. I've had this idea in my head for a while, but I just had to find the time to make it happen. Since I don't have girls of my own, I have to live vicariously through the lives of those who buy stuff from Lynette and I!

Hopefully this sparks a few ideas of something you could try!

women's weekend getaway

2010-02-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

I made it home from my great vacation in Utah just days before heading off to Virginia Beach with a group of eleven other women for President's Day Weekend.

Although I missed my hubby a bit, spending Valentines Day in/on Virginia Beach was fabulous!Thanks Scott, for being an AWESOME husband and dad. Spending the weekend away with girlfriends was the best Valentines gift you've ever given me.

While in my heart I would have loved to sew the whole weekend, I used this weekend instead to scrapbook. (Which is of course another one of my passions...I seem to have a few of those. Passions that is!) I got a TON of pages done. I am super proud of myself. I haven't taken pictures yet, but I'll post a little slide show when I get the chance. Below is a picture of the inside of the beach house we rented. The space was PERFECT for a crafting weekend. We were able to set up a ton of tables so that everybody could spread out and work their little hearts out.
Thanks ladies for the awesome food, hilarious conversation, and good company. I already can't wait for next year!

my relaxing weekend

2010-02-03T16:39:00.001-08:00

I was able to spend this last weekend with my boys visiting my in-laws in Fairview, Utah. (Sanpete County, Central Utah) They live in a beautiful mountain resort. Visiting them is always a great opportunity to enjoy fresh mountain air and some much needed r & r. How cool is it that we got to see these just off their back deck?Definitely cool!

I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit a cute little quilt shop in the area! The shop is in Ephriam, Utah and is called the Fabric Shack. (It's on the corner of Main Street and 300 South) While it isn't a whole lot to look at from the exterior, it is seriously one of my new favorites. Why? Because they have TONS of Moda material in all the new hot lines. The amount of fabric they fit in that shop is amazing. Also, they are on average a dollar cheaper per yard than any of the shops down in the Salt Lake Valley. That's enough for my business! If you ever find yourself in the Sanpete Valley, it's worth the stop!

Too much fun!

2010-01-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

Whew! I am having so much fun spending time with my family here in Utah that I haven't taken the time to sit down and post.

Although I haven't posted, I have had the chance to visit a few more fun places. On Wednesday afternoon my mom and I found ourselves at a shop that is near and dear to my heart. Nuttals Bernina, in Riverton, Utah. I didn't take pictures, because it isn't as aesthetically pleasing as a lot of the quilt shops, it's not as much of a quilt shop as a fabric shop and machine dealer. Every time I have been there though, they are running some kind of sale or another, and they do carry some of the more contemporary quilt lines (although not a lot.) Why is it near and dear to my heart? It is where I got my OH SO LOVED Bernina Aurora 430 last year. (My husband and I joke that it is one of the most expensive appliances in our house...except that it isn't a joke!) I haven't regretted the purchase once. We visited the store because I wanted to ask a few questions, and I decided that I am/was ready to purchase a walking foot too. I can't wait to try it out. Oh yea, they also had what was left of their Christmas fabric on sale, so I got some yardage to make this tree skirt.

(the loot)

Yesterday (Thursday) we went and walked around The Quilted Bear. Talk about craft mecca! Seriously, it is just one ginormous craft show that is open all through the year. I love to go there to get fun ideas and usually pick up a thing or two for myself. We had a great time and I definitely got my 'crafty fix' for a while. (at least a day or two!) One of these days I would love to get a booth there and see how we do. What do you think Lynette?

Happy Friday!

Shop #2

2010-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

So, I've only made it to my second shop. Happens to also be one of my favorites! I mean seriously, the picture doesn't do it justice, this shop is awesome! They have a TON of quilts hanging on the walls & roof and examples of purses, skirts, table runners, etc. Their displays change constantly, and they carry the most adorable lines of fabric from all the top designers.

My shopping companions (the two cuties in the picture) are my sister-in-law Teresa, and my niece (her beautiful daughter) Mariah. We had a good time browsing. I bought a few fat quarters and will probably go back to pick up another pattern or two before leaving Utah. If you live in the Salt Lake valley and have never been here, GO! You won't be disappointed. If you are coming to Utah for a visit, it is worth the trip to check it out.

I love it here!

2010-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

My first Utah crafty purchase (first of many, I'm sure!) of this trip. I only had a few minutes this morning, but made a quick stop at one of my favorite quilt shops here, The Material Girls in South Jordan, Utah.They were having a little sale there, so I stopped in for a few minutes. The store was chaos, and I'll definitely go back again before I leave Utah, but I did make it out of there with a few fun things...The aqua fabric is for a apron that I want to make for myself when I get back home, the owl fat quarter was just too cute to pass up, and I can't wait to try out the two patterns. Aren't those jackets simply adorable on that middle pattern? There was an example in the store using some adorable Amy Butler material. I think I am finally ready to try to tackle another article of clothing for myself. (The first try was a bust, hence no photos.) I'm sure it will be a challenge, but if it works out, I'll have an adorable jacket to wear!

On a totally separate note. The picture below is of my super cute nephew, Jake. He's 16 and absolutely adorable. When I finally took a closer look at his shirt toay, it TOTALLY cracked me up. I asked him if I could take a picture of him for my blog because it is definitely blog-worthy!! All I can say is...

Yo VIP let's kick it
Ice ice baby, Ice ice bay
All right stop collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention
Something grabs a hold of me tightly
Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly
Will it ever stop yo I don't know
Turn off the lights and I'll glow
To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle
Dance go rush to the speaker that booms
I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope melody
Anything less than the best is a felony
Love it or leave it you better gain weight
You better hit bull's eye the kid don't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it ...

getting ready to head out!

2010-01-20T05:03:00.000-08:00

Whew! Getting ready to go out of town is a lot of work. My hubby is out of town this week for work, so I'm flyin' solo trying to get all the laundry, cleaning, and packing done for me and my two kiddos. We are heading out before the crack of dawn tomorrow morning for two weeks in Utah, HOORAY! I am attempting my first flight with two kids (one of which should be my 'big helper' but is now lugging around a huge cast on his arm) and no hubby. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

To make it just a bit more difficult, just four days after we get home I get to head off for a women's only scrapbook weekend with a bunch of my friends to a beach house in Virginia Beach. I am OH SO EXCITED for the upcoming scrapping-kiddo-free weekend, but I'm trying to get prepared for that too. A lot of preparation goes into getting ready for this kind of thing. I can't just take my whole scrapbook room, so I'm really trying to figure out just exactly what layouts I'm going to work on and what I'll need to make those beautiful!! The next few weeks are going to be a ton of fun, but I definitely have a lot to get done before the fun starts!

I'll quit rambling, I've already gone on too long. My posts might be a little spotty for the next few weeks, but I'll be back refreshed and more ready than ever before long.

the first few blocks

2010-01-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to have a few more blocks done by this point, but this is what I have so far...
Selvage quilting is as fun as I hoped it would be. I'm a huge 'shabby-sheik' fan, and I think this totally falls in that category. If nothing else, it's 'green'! (using up the part of the fabric that is always discarded.) So, I've got four down, and 44 to go. Whew! Oh, and I am loving the aqua color as my base, I think it's going to look pretty cool once it's all sewn and put together.

On a different note, I'm leaving on Thursday for a vacation (if you can call it that, it's just me and my two boys - hubby has to stay and work) to Utah. All my family lives there, I can't wait to see them! I consider Utah one of the crafting/quilting mecca's of the US. Seriously, there are at least five quilt/sewing shops within ten miles of my parents house. I won't be doing a lot of sewing or crafting while I'm there (although sometimes my mom and I play around a bit) but I do plan to visit my favorite quilt shops. I figure I'll do a mini quilt shop hop and take you along for the ride! Photos and tidbits about my favorite Utah quilt shops. Stay tuned!

starting a new project...

2010-01-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited to be starting this project, I can hardly stand it! I've wanted to make one since I very first saw it, but it's taken until now to feel like my 'stash' is big enough.

I'll give you three clues.

Clue #1Clue #2Clue #3So, did you guess it? The third picture is kind of a dead give-away! I'm starting my first Selvage quilt! This time last year, I wouldn't have had any idea what a Selvage quilt was, but I came across this blog, and have been totally intrigued since. I love a bunch of the projects that she has featured, but my favorite for sure is her quilt titled 'Red Zinger'.

(This is the photo of her quilt from her blog.)

So I am attempting to make my own zinger quilt, but with the cool aqua/green color from above. It'll take some time to make, so don't be expecting any pictures of a 'done' quilt soon, but I plan on sharing my little progresses as they come.

A lot of the selvage edges that I am using are from my stuff, but I also want to thank my awesome friend Lynette, my sister-in-law Teresa, and my mom's good friend Janice for saving their selvages for me too. You ladies are the best!

giving service

2010-01-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

I am in constant awe at what I see on all your blogs out there in the crafty blog world. Both the quality and quantity of work is amazing. There are some I see that pump out almost a quilt a week, and we're not just talking simple squares here, but beautiful intricate stuff. Others that are constantly putting up tutorials for us to all enjoy, and sill others who just like to have a place to keep track of and post all their little projects. I love it, I love it all!

I don't always have the most exciting sutff to post, but it is what it is...it's me!

That being said, yesterday a friend called me and asked if I could quickly whip up a couple of receiving blankets to help finish up an Eagle Scout Project that her son is working on. She dropped off the material and I was able to get them done relatively quickly.They are nothing fancy. I am just glad that I could help her out.

I am thankful for this talent God has given me, and I am thankful that friends know they can call on me to help them out in a pinch. It feels good to serve others once in a while. (Isn't that the awesome thing about service? You help others, which makes them feel great, but you get the benefit of feeling great too. It's a win win situation!)

I'm excited now to go work on some projects just for me!! (And am going to feel no guilt at being a little selfish!)

my motto

2010-01-12T11:21:00.001-08:00

I came across this little quote a few weeks ago. It fits me oh so well. I liked it so much that I added it to my blog title, and ordered it in vinyl for my craft room wall as well...I can't seem to keep my crafting/sewing area cleaned and straightened up for the life of me. It's just that upon finishing one project, I already have two or three more in mind that I want to start. I probably need to find a little more balance in my life, but for now, this is a great excuse!

My sweet husband, Scott, worked SUPER hard in 2009 to finish our basement and give me a crafting space to call my own. Being surrounded by boys, this is the one place that I can be as girly as I want. It is a work in progress, I still want to get some fun things up on the walls (that aren't already covered by shelving) but it is super functional, and now we have our dining room and table back to use as it is meant to be used!

So anywho, this is my happy place where I am free to create and leave as messy as I want! (although I did clean up quite a bit for the picture :)

Sling make-over!

2010-01-11T05:26:00.000-08:00

I wasn't kidding when I mentioned in the previous post that I was pumped to give a face-lift to Kyle's little arm sling. He's a boy, so I couldn't put bows all over it, but this'll do. (I did add some tiny buttons for a little bit of 'boyish bling!')
Isn't it amazing what some freezer paper, a Cricut, and a little fabric paint can do? I LOVE freezer paper stenciling, it's pretty addictive. After I did it for the first time a few months back, I can't seem to get enough. I'm always looking for the next thing to paint. Anywho, I haven't gotten a whole lot else done this weekend because K-man has needed a little extra TLC, but there are plenty of projects in the works, and a bunch brewing in my head!! - Happy Monday!

not exactly how I planned to spend my evening

2010-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I had big hopes of working on a couple cute valentines projects that are in progress. (my next 'Just Because' gifts) Instead we got to spend the evening in the ER getting this...
My adorable four-year-old thought it would be a good idea to combine two of his favorite toys...
needless to say, the idea wasn't his best.

Okay, so now on to me being a CRAFTAHOLIC. He's going to have to wear this sling for the next few days...I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but the first thing that popped into my head when the doctor put it on him was 'sweet, it's a blank canvass, how can I dress it up?' I actually said as much to my husband. He's sweet and gave me a 'whatever' grin and slight roll of the eyes. I'm thinking of doing a little freezer paper stenciling/painting. I'll be sure to let you see what I come up with! (I mean after all, if Kyle is going to have to wear this for a while, shouldn't it look fun?) Right now the phrase 'I do all my own stunts' is what I'm thinking.

my Mom's quilt

2010-01-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

My mom made this quilt top last year. I felt honored when she asked me to quilt it for her. I mentioned a few posts ago that my favorite part of making a quilt is the actual process of quilting it. How fun is it that I got to avoid doing everything else and just got to do the quilting! I did a simple large stipple and am happy with how it turned out. (I am definitely no pro, but the more I do it, the better I get!)I really hope that she's happy with the result.

Flower Applique t-shirt makover

2010-01-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hey! So my friend Lynette over at Get Your Craft On is hosting the 'El Cheap-O Shirt Challenge'. I wanted to get in on the action. Here is a top that I made a little while back. I bought the shirt at wally world on clearance for $1. A few different flower print fabrics, some wonder-under, a few ribbon bows on the sleeves, and voila!

Christmas card recycle

2010-01-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, come the beginning of the new year, you have a handful of Christmas cards that you're not sure what to do with. I always hate just tossing them, but I'm not necessarily a clutter collector either. My suggestion...look closely at them and maybe there will be a few you can recycle/upcycle into Thank You cards or handmade cards for next Christmas.

Here is my example. Both of my boys got this card from their Great-Grandparents...
I needed to send out a bunch of Thank You cards to family and friends for Christmas gifts and such, so I came up with this...Ten hand made thank you cards that took me less than half an hour. Yes, they are simple, but they'll get the job done and the cost very little to make. (For speed purposes I bought the 'Thank you' words from JoAnns, which made the process even easier.)

Anywho, I know this concept is nothing new, but maybe it'll spark an idea in your brain as to how you could use some of your left-over cards.

a 'just because' gift

2010-01-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

I'm still feeling the Christmas spirit of love and giving. I want it to last well into the new year. I'm hoping that by acting on that feeling it won't fade as quickly.

One of my new year goals is to make something for somebody else at least once a month...just because. While most people already probably do this sort of thing, with a young family (and my 7 month old who is constantly crabby) I don't get to serve others and give as much as I'd like. I'm going to make more of an effort to do so this year. Even if it is only 12 times. Twelve is a start, right?

1 of 12 - I have a friend who is great. She's a true friend through and through. She is also a GREAT cook. She spent a year and a half living in Japan in her early 20's and can make Japanese food like nobody's business. (Bring on the GIOZA!) I figured somebody who likes to cook can never have enough aprons! So Sumer, this one is for you!
I've made this same pattern a hand full of times. I love it. I have one for myself that I use pretty much every day. It whips up in an afternoon of sewing. The pattern is by 'The Apron Lady Designs' and is called 'Flirty Skirty.'

***************************
after hearing from some of my friends that they love the idea of 'just because' gifts, I decided to issue a challenge!

My challenge to you. - Join in on the fun! Make an effort to give somebody a totally unexpected gift each month...Just Because! Why? Everybody love presents, I don't care who you are. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy to receive one. Let's spread the warmth and love this year.

If you want to participate (and I SO hope you do!) grab the 'just because' gift challenge button on my side bar and add it to your blog. Leave me a comment with your blog address as well...maybe you'll be the next person chose to receive one of my next 'just because' gifts!

Snow Family

2010-01-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

I'm excited that my first post of the new year will be a QUILT! I LOVE quilting. I don't have enough time to quilt nearly as much as I'd like. Piecing a top and then quilting it have to be two of my favorite sewing projects. (Although oddly enough, I LOATHE basting the quilt.)

This quilt project I titled 'Snow Family'. (I had every intention of getting it off to my in-laws for a Christmas gift, but didn't quite get it done in time. I'm sending it tomorrow since the Post Office is closed today!) The snowman material is a panel that I bought a few years ago with my in-laws in mind. I picked up the rest of the material at my local quilt shop (actually the green material for the letters came from my stash.) Overall, I am happy with the finished product, although it had to grow on me. I loved the top, before it was quilted, but then once I quilted it...the jury was out. The white thread on the blue and red is a little bold. I did kind of a double loop stitching that I first saw on crazy mom quilts. (Her version looks oodles better than mine, but I'm getting better!) Now that it is bound and ready to go, it looks better and is growing on me. I'm sure that they'll love it regardless! (I mean really, isn't that a parent's job? To love anything that their children give them?)

Finished Size 43"x47" (Almost square, not on purpose. I didn't have a pattern for this quilt, it just kind of grew. It's just big enough to cover cold toes on a chilly winter night!)

Hostess Gift

2009-12-31T15:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd round out 2009 with one last little post.

A couple of years ago, my husband's aunt introduced me to 'hostess gifts'. I love the idea, it is very southern hospitality like. I realize this is nothing new, but I love it nonetheless. Really it is nothing more than giving a gift to your host/hostess whether it be for a party you were invited to, or somebody's house you are visiting for the weekend. I loved the first time they came to stay with us and brought an adorable cookie jar. It's just nice to receive gifts for no other reason than because you are letting people into you home one way or another.

Anywho, we are headed to a New Year's Eve party tonight at a friend's house. The party theme is 'Tropical'. This was just a little something I came up with to say thank you. Sparkling Cider and Chocolate...you can't go wrong!

Git 'er dun

2009-12-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been WAY to long since I've posted. It isn't because of a lack of crafting...it's much the opposite. I have been so busy working on projects and getting stuff done that I haven't taken the time out to document any of it. The tragedy? I was in such excitement about finishing Christmas gifts and projects that I didn't take pictures of ANYTHING before it was all packaged up and shipped off to far-away places. I'm hoping to get pictures from my fam of everything in use...then I'll make a fun post with my real-life models!

I finished everything on the list from my previous post with the exception of quilting my mom's quilt top. She gave me the pass to not have it done by Christmas. That is this week's project and will be flying back with me and my boys to Utah on January 21st.

Completed:
*Two adorable purses for two of my adorable nieces
*An outfit for another adorable niece including: skirt, appliqued top, and matching purse!
*Advent calendar (It was a Nancy Halverson pannel from a few years back that just needed to be quilted, bound, etc.)
*Lots of sewing to build up our inventory for ATT
*Quilt for my in-laws for Christmas

And to finish out the list, I was able to help a young man that I go to church with, in organizing and carrying out a major sewing project as part of his Eagle Scout project. (48 mitered edge receiving blankets is no easy task, but we got it done!)

Whew! These next few months are my favorite time of the year. It's the time that I take for myself and sew projects just for me. I can't wait. I'll keep you updated!

Happy New Year's Eve!

#1 & #2 done!

2009-11-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

I finished the first two items on my list that is just getting longer and longer...

#1 - a 'Buttercup Bag' for a great friend who just turned 30.
#2 - a SUPER GIRLY car-seat blanket! This is probably one of the most fru-fru blankets I've ever made...and I LOVE it! Being a mom of boys is great, but I secretly love it when customers order extremely girly stuff...I live vicariously through the stuff make! This is for a friend of a friend. She did a great job picking out materials, don't you think?

Wish me luck in completing the next few items on my list!