So happy.

Storage Bench.

2012-01-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

This was my fun New Year's project. I actually made it til midnight on New Year's Eve because I was priming this beauty. My grandfather made it in FL and my dad drove it all the way across the country for me, lovely man or men rather. He and my brother drove out to visit over Christmas and meet up with my mom and sister who flew in from Hawaii. The original vision of this bench was this gorgeous Herman Miller bench, which was only slightly out of my reach price wise...just a bit. My grandmother ended up seeing a picture of the bench over Skype, told my grandfather what I was wanting, and he surprised me with this in about one afternoon! I had no idea I was going to be able to have a new piece of furniture for Christmas! It was such a fun surprise.

I primed the wood, then painted it with a few coats of high gloss (wipeable!) warm white, and painted the inside a pretty blue (leftover from my bathroom). It took some time but I love how it turned out and it gets everyday use. We so needed a place to store diapers and wipes and blankets and books and all those things that pile up when you have six people living together. Plus the extra seating is awesome! I'm planning on making a removable cushion for the lid of the trunk space. And I have visions of a pretty tray with a little vase of flowers and a strategically stacked set of well designed books decorating the tray sitting beside the cushion. Perhaps that's a bit unrealistic with a near 1 year old, 2 year old, 4 year old, and 6 year old. More likely it will be a little spot to draw or build Lego towers. I'm good with that too.

*Side note: I made the pillows out of Orla Kiely for Target place mats.

Felt Brooches.

2012-01-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

The one thing that I did manage to make for Christmas was a few felt brooches. I really enjoyed making these and even made one for myself. I love it, adds the perfect finish to a sweater and would also look great on a scarf. I drew my inspiration from here. Mine aren't quite as perfectly executed as Applique Originals', but I'm quite pleased with them none the less.

Holiday table runner.

2012-01-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy 2012! Wow, hard to believe it is upon us. My family had a wonderful Christmas, I hope yours did as well. My parents, as well as my brother and sister, and her new baby girl and dog were able to visit and stay with us for a couple of weeks. It was a full house, but it was wonderful to see them and spend time.

I wish I had awesome handmade Christmas gifts to share with you, but I get a big fat "F" on completing my gift list this year. Don't worry my kids didn't go without. There were plenty of gifts from the grandparents under the tree. And I am looking forward to making all of the planned gifts at some point this year. They really are things that I am excited to make, I just didn't have the extra time this time. Oh well, it was a lovely holiday none the less.

I finally took pictures of the table runner I made for Thanksgiving, which was also used on Christmas and I'm quite sure will be used for various other occasions. It's been used and washed and has held up great, which is something to be excited about :). I just used odds and ends from my stash and had fun with the stitching. I love how it turned out.

I hope you've had a lovely welcome to a brand new year and are looking forward to all that it might hold. I for one am excited that I will not be pregnant this year. We are officially a complete set. There are 6 in the Emrich family and I am so looking forward to having my body and energy back to enjoy and be more involved with my family. That being said I still have a few baby pounds to shed, which is one of my resolutions for this year. I want to get back into those pre pregnancy jeans that are waiting for me in a box in my closet :).

Decking the halls, or hall :).

2011-12-01T13:02:00.001-08:00

December has arrived! I'm ready! It's snowing outside and it feels like Christmas. My family had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, I hope yours did as well. Thanksgiving with friends is super fun. If you've never tried it, it's the way to go. That being said my family is coming in just a couple of weeks to stay with us for a few weeks, and I couldn't be more excited!

December first is here. My two oldest have been waiting for it to arrive so that the advent calendar fun could begin. I made this calendar last year and it has been by far the most popular, most responded to project I have ever done. I've had multiple people ask me if I'm selling them or have templates for the project. All of your interest has encouraged me to take this project to the next level. So, I'm planning on creating a PDF pattern of this advent and a limited number of handmade ones to be available online for next year (November 2012). I'd love to hear your feedback, and if a pattern is something that you would be excited about. Anyway, that's the plan. I would be excited to and would love to be able to share this with as many people who would want to make one!

As far as decking the living room, I made some felt mistletoe (tutorial here) and completed our set of four Christmas stockings. I made stockings for my two oldest a couple, or three years back. And am now getting around to making Henry's (sorry buddy, but you didn't even notice what you were missing last year) and Audrey's. My focus with decor and gifts this year has been working with what I have. It's so satisfying to go look through my little fabric stash and make things come together without spending a dime. H and A's stockings may not be as elaborate as the first two, but they're still nice and they coordinate...and I didn't have to spend $20 on ribbon, for real. I've also hung some paper snowflakes and reused garlands and things from previous years. I love having the Christmas tree up and lit. The coziness of our home automatically doubles. Makes me want to listen to our Dean Martin holiday album on a loop.

I've been working on Christmas gifts, some of which I won't be sharing until Christmas has past. Some surprises in life are very fun. But you'll get to see some of what I'll be making, be sending your positive crafting vibes so that I can actually finish all the things on my list! And I did make a lovely table runner for the Thanksgiving table that I'll be sharing soon...also made from items in my stash :).

Well, Happy December to everyone! Enjoy the beginning of the holiday fun and all that comes with it!

Our Sweet Little Chick.

2011-11-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

Baby #4 on her first Halloween. She was so cute and squishy, and loved going trick-or-treating with her brothers and sister. Sweet girl.

Hiccup, a Night Fury, and a Terrible Terror.

2011-10-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

I just barely managed it. My two oldest were clad in handmade costumes for the Halloween event downtown. I finished Toothless' tail an hour before we left in classic Katie form. My kid's love the movie 'How To Train Your Dragon'. I'd be lying if I said I didn't also. Jackson decided he wanted to be Hiccup for Halloween and Olivia excitedly jumped on board with the theme declaring she must be Toothless. I had so much fun making these costumes. I designed them as I went, I enjoy the problem solving. I made everything from supplies I had on hand and a couple items from the thrift store. I should mention now, I did NOT make the green dragon costume. Two was all I could handle this year. Old Navy and their awesome seasonal sale helped out with that one. I was so excited to find out they had a dragon costume, otherwise I would have made myself tackle the task. Even Henry needed to be on theme. Since he's green the older two deemed him a 'Terrible Terror'...very fitting I must say ;).

The Toothless hat is actually a modified version of the 'Cozy Winter Hat' from 'O + S Little Things To Sew'. I added a center seam to the basic pattern to allow for the spikes, and modified the ear pieces. Then of course I added the teeth and the eyes. I got the idea for the wings from this tutorial. The dragon tail is simply sewn onto the waist band of a pair of Olivia's old leggings. I was so excited to see how that turned out while worn. It moves around great, looks perfect. Of course my daughter, full of personality as she is, thoroughly enjoyed shaking that tail around every chance she got. Her treat bag is a fish made from felt. Those of you who have seen the movie know that dragons favor fish as a snack.

Hiccup was pretty simple. I made his vest and fur shoe covers out of faux fur, his belt from faux leather, and his tunic from a XL men's shirt I found at the local thrift store. He borrowed leggings from his sister and I cut strips of an old t-shirt for the "leather" lacings on his tunic and around his sleeves. The viking hat we bought at one of those traveling Halloween stores, that was our splurge. That thing was probably more than all the materials for both costumes put together, but it does complete the costume. His treat bag is meant to be a basket full of fish, also made from felt. I made Henry a treat bag in the shape of a fish also. That was the only piece of handmade on him. Though he wasn't any less cute!

Our baby girl stayed home and napped. She's finishing up a cold and cutting SIX teeth! Her poor little gums were bulging that day. Three teeth have broken through and she's in much better spirits now. She will be dressing up tonight on the official holiday. She's going to be a little chick. Not exactly on theme. We're pretending she escaped from a farm on the Isle of Berk. I realize that's a stretch, but it's going to have to work. The costume is actually our oldest's first costume. Both the boys were too big for it on their first Halloween, so it's kind of sweet that we get to use it again.

So there you have it. A viking, two dragons, and a chicken (soon to come). Have a Happy Halloween!!

Caramel Apples! Happy Fall!

2011-10-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

We finally got our first cold weather snap of the fall yesterday. It was cold, windy, and rainy. So of course, making a fun fallish snack was in order. Caramel apples fit the bill quite nicely. Unfortunately, two of the three kids—that are old enough to eat them—got sent to bed because they chose not to eat their lunch. Therefore missing out on the caramel apple fun. As you can see our oldest quite enjoyed them! And I have to say so did mom and dad. Hope you and your families are having a beautiful autumn!

Crochet School with Craftyminx

2011-09-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Crochet School! Learn how to chrochet, or relearn like me. I've dabbled a bit, made a couple of bibs, but haven't really learned more than the minimal basics (which I've forgotten). I'd love to learn how to make granny squares and motifs like these beauties. If it sounds fun school starts on October 1st, right here. And it's free!

Yellow bunting.

2011-09-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Some scalloped bunting I made to brighten up my sewing corner in the basement. I referenced this tutorial. I LOVE the fabric! I'm not sure what the designer or line is. I found it in the remnant bin at my favorite fabric shop.

Pretty hair clips.

2011-08-28T15:06:00.001-07:00

My sister came over on Friday to hang out. So we sat and talked, ate chips and guac, and made cute hair clips :). These are for Miss O to fashionably keep her hair out of her face while at school. They look darling on her. They're simple and sweet; just a fabric yo-yo, a covered button, a barrett from the craft store, and a hot glue gun. You've seen tons of them, but there you go.

Monster Art Tote.

2011-08-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

I whipped up this monster tote the night before our road trip to IN this summer (about a month ago). It's my version of this, a bit more grown-up with colored pencil teeth for my newly seven-year-old nephew (isn't he a cutie!?). I completely winged it and had a ton of fun sketching out the monster face and piecing it all together. Though I wouldn't recommend waiting until the night before a long road trip to make a birthday gift. I was up until 1 a.m.! Which is why I didn't take any photos of my little project, and also why these pics look a tad nicer quality than what you usually see. These photos were taken by my lovely sister-in-law who has a little photography business (Thanks Jenny!). Anyway I love the pinstripes with the monster applique. It's a fun contrast and looks very boy. For the applique I used some faux leather I had on hand, some jersey from an old tee, a couple scraps of felt, and a couple buttons (sewed on by machine! You can find a tutorial here). I filled the bag with a big doodle book and loaded it up with twistable colored pencils (no sharping duty for mom). It was a hit. I think I'm going to have to make one for my oldest little guy. He would love his own pencils and a special place to store a coloring book or two. Olivia is our little artist and she usually makes claim over the nice supplies, don't worry she's forced to share ;). But it would be great for him to have a few things that were just for him. Hmmm, perhaps I'll make some templates of my monster that I can share next time.

First Day of School!

2011-08-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

Here is our oldest all ready for her first day of Kindergarten! Thus begins a whole new phase of life.

Checking in.

2011-08-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hello! Sorry for the chirping crickets. Things are busy around here! Baby #4 is growing fast, seven months today! And she's staying awake more during the day and is becoming more mobile, which equals near zero sewing time in the afternoon. I suppose most crafty people sew at night, I'm just too stinking tired to want to :). I do have a growing project list though, which I'd like to get started on. We're also getting ready for our first born to head off to Kindergarten next week! Hard to believe! It's only half-day, which is nice for easing the mother in ;).

The weather has been beautiful around here, but I'm still looking forward to the crisp air of fall. Where in the world did the summer go?? Well I can't promise any sewing projects but I'm hoping to clean up my space (still in major disarray from manic towel robe making) and get the machine humming again.

Hope you are having a beautiful week!

Beach Robes!—FOUR of them :).

2011-07-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about these! I've been excited to share and am excited for them to get used all week long on our vacation that we take off for this weekend. I made all four of these a couple weeks ago. They were very fun and pretty quick to put together. My groove came to a halt when Wal-Mart ran out of the orange bias tape I needed. Both stores were out, Hobby Lobby didn't carry that particular orange, and JoAnn's is all the way across town. My youngest son's cute little robe just had to lay there unfinished for a week until I was able to find the right color. The striped towel I got on clearance at Wally World, but it was only big enough for the main body pieces. Instead of rushing back to the store I just grabbed an old white towel we had in the linen closet and used it for the hood, tie, and sleeves. I used the same towel for my other son's hood and tie. The other towels are adorable PBK towels that my mother in law got for the kids a few years ago, the edges were raveling so I gave them new life.

Let's talk sizes and options. My oldest son is almost four and wears a size four. The 3T-4T fits him great, with room to spare even. I made that one first and tried it on my daughter who is five and a half and wears a size 6. It fit her great as well just needed some added length. I think I added about 3 inches or so. For my youngest son I made the 18 months to 3T size. He wears 24 months and it fits him great with plenty of length for growing. My youngest is now in size 6-9 months. I modified the smallest pattern size (9-18 months) and created a slightly smaller version with a slightly different shape. I also nixed the tie and added a couple of bright buttons. I made a full tie for all of the others, added fun ribbon tags, and lined the hoods (except for on my baby girl's robe). The light green fabric is jersey knit from a t-shirt, the other is fun quilting weight fabric. They are not perfect, the bias tape edging around the curve of the ties did not come out too pretty. Either people are having the same problem or they have more talent or information than I do. Even still I'm thrilled with how they turned out. And for a mom of four the idea of not having to tote a huge bag stuffed with towels to the pool is fantastic! I have enough stuff to carry. Can't wait to see all my little ones running around in these next week!

You can check out and purchase the pattern here. I think I definitely got my eight dollars worth!

*Ha! Got my pics in the order I wanted by messing around with the html codes!

Yozo Craft.

2011-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled upon this lovely online shop. So many fun and pretty things to be had from here, and the prices are just as lovely. Thought you might enjoy having a look around :).

Bigger Little Boy Shorts.

2011-07-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Made another pair of Kid Shorts out of the discarded khakis for my oldest son. They fit great and he loves them :). Jackson looks like he's posing for a Senior picture or something, too funny.

*Still haven't figured out how to control the order of my photos, I'm sure I'll figure out the magic formula eventually.

Vintage goodies.

2011-07-06T13:14:00.001-07:00

Here are a few fun vintage finds I've found here and there over the last month or so. The cutie leather sandals are definitely vintage and I'm hoping will fit baby #4 next summer. The flower pot seems to be vintage. The label was old and it was made in Japan. The leather purse is a guess as well, if not vintage it was a cool handmade find. The patterns are all from the late sixties and early seventies. I hit the jackpot and scored these for about thirty-five cents a piece. I was giddy with excitement as I pulled one great style after another from the pattern pile at my local thrift store. Most of them are close enough to my size to modify I think (other than the girls dress and coat of course. Those my girls will get to benefit from). I'll be tinkering with that after I lose my baby weight. If I'm going to put all the time and effort in I want to be able to wear the pieces for a long while :).

*If anyone knows how to control what order the photos occur on Blogger please clue me in. I had a system a while ago and it no longer works! Was also going to post more close-ups of patterns but Blogger is being weird, sorry!

Little Boy Shorts.

2011-06-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to trying out the pants tutorial on MADE. It's been on my list for quite sometime. I referenced the tutorial and made my own pattern off of a pair of shorts that fit my little guy. These shorts were made from a pair of khaki pants that my husband no longer wore. He recently went through his clothes and I got to reap the repurposing benefits :). I thought I was all clever and was going to save myself some precious time by using the existing hem. Well I also chose to save myself some precious time and draw directly onto the fabric rather than making a template. You guessed it, didn't quite work out and I ended up wasting time fixing my lazy mistakes. The bottom hems didn't line up for some reason (like by an inch!), so I ripped out the hem and created new ones while fighting stubborn permanent creases. It all worked out in the end though, and they turned out really cute. I love the top stitching detail withe the contrasting thread. I'm confident the next pair will go much smoother and more quickly. I'm planning on making another pair for my bigger little boy out of the same discarded pants and then a couple more from some linen blend khakis that also made it to the giveaway pile. I love when I can meet a need with things I have on hand.

P.S. The wet spot on his pants is from the swing set (early morning dew), no accidents this morning :). Not the best picture of the shorts in action, but you get the idea.

Father's Day felt.

2011-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

I made my husband a felt bowl? box? (still not sure what to call it) to keep his essentials in at his desk. Now he'll never be fishing around for his wallet, phone, or keys...which happens all the time at home. Perhaps I need to make one for our bedroom as well. And maybe one for the kitchen :). I did some online looking and found similar fabric boxes, but nothing exciting in felt. I played with a piece of paper and made a template, then just sewed together three pieces of felt. Three pieces made for a sturdy structure and it's fun to see all three colors on the edges. The stitching detail came about when some unattractive bubbling was going on while I was trying to fold the edges up to create the sides. I love how much it ended up adding to the piece, provided more structure and great detail. If you wanted to make your own you could modify this tutorial.

And, just because I can, I'll gush about my husband for a minute. God was looking out for me when we found each other. He is my perfect match, gives me confidence and helps me recognize my beauty. He is a strong leader and wonderful father. Our kids will never wonder if their father loves them. He is my very best friend and I am so thankful to get to experience and share what having a family means and is with him. Happy Father's Day to the best man I know. And Happy Father's Day to all the best men in your lives :). Hope you all have a lovely Father's Day weekend with your family.

New Mom Bag!

2011-06-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I didn't make anything in this post. But I still wanted to share my fabulous new bag that my husband surprised me with for my birthday. It's coated canvas which means it's completely wipeable. Which also means it's completely awesome :). There are tons of pockets and the magnetic closures on the flap and back pocket make it really easy to get in and out of. The messenger styling means it won't fall off my shoulder and I can have both hands free—a very important feature when you have four kids five and under. I've had plenty of opportunity to discover what features would be best for a carry all bag for moms and this really does fit the bill. Plus it's super cute and will be great as a laptop bag when the kiddos are grown and I don't have to tote around half my house every time I go to runs errands. He even got me a coordinating wallet and zipper bags to hold all those little essentials. Good job babe!

*The bag is by Fossil and was purchased at Macy's. I don't see this style online anymore but there are other style options in this same line with the coated canvas.

Big weekend.

2011-06-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

The first week of June is a big one for me. My anniversary is on the 4th and my birthday is two days following. My husband and I celebrated our seventh anniversary this year! Two days later I turned 27! We've accomplished a heck of a lot in the eight years we've known each other. We met, dated for six months, got married three months later, moved to a new city, I got pregnant, had my beautiful daughter baby #1, we bought our first house and moved to another city, Josh started his own business, I got pregnant again, I graduated from college, had baby #2 a handsome boy, two years later I got pregnant again (seeing a theme) another handsome boy, Josh's business moved to a new location, I got pregnant once again and gave birth to another sweet baby girl. And here I am happily married to my best friend and absolute perfect match. It's been a whirlwind, but it's been a beautiful ride :). The happiness you see in our wedding photo is very much still alive and I am so thankful for that.

The little embroidery project was inspired by this tutorial. My hand sewing skills aren't exactly great, but when my five year old could read everything without help I knew my stitching was legible enough :). We went to the local drive-in for our anniversary date. It was a ton of fun. And I know what you're thinking, but don't worry we kept it G rated inside the van ;). Going to the drive-in is fun because there's nearly a two hour wait until it's dark enough for the movie to start. That makes for plenty of time to hang out, laugh, and talk before the show. It's one of our favorite cheap summer dates. It was a wonderful weekend.

*Oh and I got totally spoiled with an awesome new mom bag, I'll show and tell soon :).

Charm necklace.

2011-05-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeing necklaces like this for a long time. I had dropped a couple subtle hints, which didn't even make a blip on the hub's radar. Some how the topic of jewelry came up one day (which I'm not a big collector of), and I said that there was really only one thing I'd like. He asked me to send him a link. So I did some research. I looked at A LOT of different disc charm necklaces, several online sites and several Etsy dealers. I like the stamped letters, but don't like the overly handmade look. I wanted something classy and clean. I thought these, by Otis B. Jewerly, were by far the prettiest. Very beautifully done and very affordable. Come to find out I got one of my own for Mother's Day (a little late :) ). I wear it everyday. I love that it is simple, pretty, and so meaningful—a pearl for the month my love and I got married, and charms for each of our four beautiful kiddos. It was a surprise even though I picked it out :). Guess we can't expect our husbands to read our minds anyway. I also got a very sweet card telling me how wonderful I am, which never gets old does it ;)? Ah, I love my husband and my children. My family is wonderful.

Pinterest and tutorials galore.

2011-05-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've just discovered Pinterest. You may have already heard of this and have your own pin boards going, I tend to be behind the times on stuff like this. I just spent the last couple hours (don't tell. And in my defense it's raining and gross outside and both of my smallest were napping.) cataloging all of my tutorials that I've bookmarked over the last long while. Man, I didn't realize I had SO many web pages bookmarked! Anyway I love how I can scroll through pictures and pick out a project rather than hunting through sites I have marked or trying to remember what it was based on the site address. For a visual person such as myself Pinterest rocks. I'm loving it! So check out my DIY pin board and reap the benefits of my mad pinning :). Loads of good stuff there. So many lovely projects, so little time!

*If you'd like to start following my boards I added a follow button on my side bar.

My wreath's new spring look.

2011-05-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

My wreath got a make over yesterday. It's fun just to mess around with a hot glue gun sometimes, instant gratification. I referenced this tutorial here, only I used some fleece I had on hand and free formed the yellow flowers with fabric from the scrap bin.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

My Mother and I circa 1985.

Being a mom is the hardest, most beautiful, fulfilling journey I have and ever will take on. I am so thankful for my husband and children who have made me a mother, and the gift of parenthood. Thank you to my mom for being such a wonderful mother and giving me a great foundation to build upon as I mother my own children.

To all of the mothers and mommas-to-be out there, have a most lovely Mother's Day!

side project and practicing avoidance.

2011-05-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

For a little change of pace I started working on this embroidery project. I should preface this by stating I have very little experience with embroidery and I've never done a project this big and I'm sure I'll use the wrong techniques somewhere along the way...if I haven't already :). Mostly I'm just doing it for fun and to add texture and interest to a grouping I'm working on for my bedroom. As much as I love to learn new techniques it's also just fun to play around sometimes, wrong or right. I'm very much enjoying watching the colors come together. It's also been fun listening to this series at night as I stitch next to my husband who is reading this series.

The real reason for this post is to put a little more space between me and the mess that we call a home. We have a friend coming over for dinner tonight, so I really do have to get my act together. Once I get started it's really not so bad, it's just the getting going. Anyone else like that? I suppose I've ignored the situation long enough better go tackle those dishes (and the bathrooms, the laundry, and my son's bed that has been a bare mattress for two days). Enjoy your Friday! Even if that means scrubbing through a sink full of dishes :). Try listening to a little of this, it'll put a bit of a bounce in your step.

Putting myself out there.

2011-05-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I've been doing a little thinking, I do that on occasion ;). I've been feeling a bit guilty about not posting regularly for my seventy-some readers (pocket change to some, but a pretty large number to me). I started this blog as a record of my new sewing venture, for myself and my family. My first project on this blog was my very first project, way back in 2008 (wow)! I've pretty much posted everything I've made since. I have no desire to have advertising or make money off of blogging. And I certainly don't want it to become something that is consuming rather than fun. I'm not saying goodbye to my little space here, which has kind of become my online home. I just wanted to be honest. I may not post regularly. It will probably be a really long time before I have a tutorial on here. I may never have a giveaway. I'm still going to document my ideas and my creations. But that comes and goes in waves. I have spurts of productivity and inspiration followed by dry spells. There's a part of me that wants to join in on sew-a-longs and contests, like this one...I may still have time. Another part of me is stinking tired and needs to spend more time hanging out with my kiddos. Some of you may be thinking, get over yourself girl. That's totally fine :). Just wanted to clear the air from my perspective and give definition to this blog—a record of my creations as they come. I hope you all still check in and leave comments. I love all the feedback, shared links, and getting to check out other crafter's blogging adventures.

Enough said I think. For those of you that read this, thanks for listening to me ramble :).

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm going to go join my kids outside and play. These four beautiful children are my greatest creation ever. I am truly blessed!

Have a lovely day!

Easter snapshots.

2011-04-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing weekend of church, family, and my husband's awesome carrot cake. It was lovely. Hope you had a great one as well!

another summer top.

2011-04-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Whew, it's been a tiring week for me at the Emrich homestead. I don't know if three months (or let's make it six) of interrupted sleep has caught up with me or what, but I haven't felt very productive the last few days. Here's another little top for Miss O. I used this great little tutorial by Sparkle Power as my reference and was also inspired by Dana of Made's version with the buttons. I found this fabric on clearance at JoAnn's quite a while back. Because of the embroidered edge that meant zero hemming. Doesn't get much simpler than that!

Have a beautiful weekend, and a beautiful Easter. I'm so thankful for the gift of hope and joy as I live this life because of the love and sacrifice of my Savior.

a little upcycling.

2011-04-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Here's another addition to my daughter's summer wardrobe that I've been working on. I found a women's top at the thrift store for $2 and thought it would make a fun dress for Miss O. I've gained quite a fondness for our local Arc thrift store. I always bring home such great finds—vintage children's books, clothes, fabric...their fabric section is great and on Sat most everything is half off! Plus the profits provide funding for children with developmental disabilities and their families, it's a win win!

Back to the project :). This was especially fun to make because it was so simple. Love me some instant gratification. All I did was take in the sides, shorten the existing straps, and then add a scrap of linen to create a modest neckline. The neckline I initially created ended up being still too low (I really should measure these things). I scoured my supplies to find something to add some extra height, because of course I'm not going to rip out my stitching and start over. Fortunately I found some vintage ribbon that was the perfect shade of orange, and created a pleated trim to give her little chest a bit more coverage. The top already had such great layers and details that it didn't take much to turn it into a lovely little dress. Sorry there's no "before" picture. I get all too antsy to get started.

Enjoy your Friday!

an attempt with knits and modern art.

2011-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. The weather here has been just beautiful, which has been great motivation for working on my daughter's summer wardrobe. Last week I tried sewing with cotton knit for the first time. I love how comfy knits are and the no-fray edges really speed up the sewing process. Though, even with my ball-point needle and zig-zag stitching it wasn't all smooth sailing. The stretch knit has definitely can cause some frustration when you're not used to working with it. I know there are some great tutorials and online info to help newbies along. I'll have to do some research and see if I can find some helpful tips. If you have any links or tips yourself please feel free to enlighten me.

Last weekend my husband and I went on a date and spent the afternoon in Denver at the art museum. It was wonderful to get out and do something a bit more cultured than Chick-fil-a, and to spend time with my guy. We are both artists/designers (he's by far the more talented one. Check out his work here, I'm just a little proud.), with roots in drawing and painting. It had been far too long since we'd made a trip down there. While taking photos of this dress and skirt it reminded me of some of the work by Colorado modern artist Vance Kirkland. His work often looks like a scene from space or the ocean with an explosion of color and what must be thousands of dots. The Denver Art Museum has three or so of his paintings. They are huge and have so much detail, really cool to view in person. I thought it was kind of funny that the pattern for the dress was named after another modern artist, 'The Warhol Dress'. You can find it here on MADE. I'm sure you all know of Andy Warhol and Dana's dress :). We got to see a couple Warhol pieces at the museum as well. The skirt was self-drafted, just a few rectangles sewn together. So there you have it. Modern art and knits. Every time I see my daughter running around in this skirt or dress, I'll think of great modern art and the wonderful afternoon I had with my husband.

a summer top.

2011-04-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have been cranking out summery clothes for my oldest...working on a warm weather wardrobe for her. I've accomplished quite a bit of simple pieces during nap time hours. I've got plenty to share, but first up is this lovely top. It's a Stitch 'N Save M6306 (one of the cheapies from Wal-Mart). It's not perfect, definitely room to grow in my garment making skills. But the lovely fabric makes up for all my short falls. The bodice is a cotton, linen blend and the bottom is Joel Dewberry (so pretty), with piping in between. Admittedly I bought this fabric for myself and was hesitant to share, but I'm glad I did. My daughter's favorite color is blue and she loves it. I have a little leftover for myself as well :). I ended up making a pair of shorts from the pattern in the blue—that linen blend is so lovely to work with. They turned out cute enough but it's hard to tell the front from the back. I added a little ribbon tag to help my five-year-old out while getting dressed, just hope I ended up putting it in the right side! Next time I make shorts or pants I'm going to reference a store bought pair that fit well just for a nicer shape and styling. Overall though, it's a great little pattern. I'm planning on making the dress variation of this top out of a vintage sheet I picked up a bit ago (the same sheet used here for the lining).

Have a beautiful weekend! Check back Monday for more show and tell of the summer wardrobe in progress.

Oliver + S Bucket Hat.

2011-04-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

*Please do not use pictures of Miss Olivia. Thanks much!

Hello! Here in Northern Colorado we have had a wonderful welcome to spring with 60-70+ degree weather! Then we got hit with rain and snow, but we're back to blue clear skies and sunshine :). The warm weather got me thinking about my kiddos summer wardrobe. The boys are covered with great hand-me-downs, as is our new tiny girl. But Miss O, the big sister, will be in need of a new wardrobe as the season changes. Inspired once again by necessity, I've decided to do some stash busting and make the essentials for her. I don't have much practice in the clothing department, so the small scale of kids clothes makes for a good place to start. I have a couple tissue patterns and some online tutorials lined up, along with my small library of sewing books to look through. I'm hoping to make a couple things for myself as well. I think I'll be able to pull it off and save quite a bit of coin in the process, which is always a plus in my book. I decided to start with Olivia's head and made my first project from my newest sewing book, Little Things to Sew by Liesel Gibson. This book has been all over blogland. You may have seen it here or here. It is as wonderful as everyone has been saying. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The styling and end result are beautiful. I made the size medium hat, which I think ended up just a tad small for my five year old but fits my three year old son perfectly. I'll be making him a boyish one soon. I may make Olivia another one using the large size and use this one as a gift for my cousin's three year old girl. I added the blue band on a whim and wasn't the most precise with the measurements, so the sides don't quite match up...but oh well. I used duck cloth for the exterior and vintage twill for the lining. Since the fabrics were both pretty sturdy I didn't need any interfacing to reinforce the shape, which worked out well since I don't have any on hand :).

I love the shape of this hat. The kids love the hat too, all have been known to walk around the house with it on. I'm excited to make a couple more. I think they will come together quite quick now that I've made one and know my way around the pattern and instructions. Looking forward to making other projects from this book!

Well, baby A has awoken and is paging me. Gotta go!

Heirloom pillows.

2011-03-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

My father's mother passed away earlier this year. I didn't know my grandma very well but just by looking at the few crochet pieces that I have of hers I can tell she loved to crochet, and the woman was good at it! After seeing this tutorial and a few other pillows online featuring crochet doilies I knew I'd finally found the way I wanted to showcase some of her work. I had thought about framing them on top of bright colored mat board, but I love how these turned out. The blue one I made for my Dad. The other I made for myself to add something special to our bedroom decor. This was my first attempt with piping. I found this online video very helpful for attaching the piping, though I just used my zipper foot and shifted my needle rather than using a piping foot. I found this video helpful for meeting the ends. I had fun with this. I love the look of piping and will definitely be using it again. The ribbon on the back, so pretty, came from my husband's grandmother's stash that she let me sift through the last time we visited.

It was really neat working on a project using something that my grandma had worked on and created, a collaboration of sorts. I think they turned out beautifully. It's something that I will treasure for years to come and I hope my Dad will as well.

Morning Chores Color Sheet.

2011-03-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

* I noticed a couple typos after I posted this yesterday. All is fixed now. Please excuse my sleep deprived brain.

I made up this chore chart today for my two oldest, ages 5 and 3. They've been getting up at what seems like the crack of dawn. So I figure they might as well be productive instead of pestering everyone else who would like to sleep for half hour or so. If you'd like to do the same just click on the image for the full size, save it to your computer, print, let you kiddo color it and make it their own, then hang it up in their room. We'll see if it works together :).

* This chart is designed to fit on 11x17 paper

Thrifty finds for my dining room!

2011-03-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Our local thrift store has half price Saturdays, and every now and again I pop in there and check out the linen section. I always seem to find something fun and I love the thrill of the hunt. I've been wanting to make a set of napkins for a long time now but just couldn't bring myself to use up my lovely fabric for napkins...plus I didn't feel inspired to do all that hemming. So I was super excited when I found these fun vintage napkins in such great shape! I love the kitschy designs on them. The patchwork print reminds me of Holly Hobbie. I'd like to add some solid ones to the group and then I should have enough to get us through a couple of days before needing to wash them up and use them again :). I also found this great table cloth. I have no idea if it's truly vintage or just styled like it, but for $2 it was a steal! The colors match perfectly with our dining room and kitchen. It's fun to pull it out and change the look of the room a bit. And If I ever get tired of it, or it gets too stained, I'll make some matching aprons for me and my girls :)

1 old towel = 1 door mat + 1 dog mat

2011-03-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

I did a little more crafting out of necessity yesterday—which also got the tune "Mother Necessity, where would we be?" stuck in my head. Anyone else grow up with Schoolhouse Rock? Love that series. Moving on.
My parents are staying with us for a few months (and are such AWESOME help with the kids!) and along with them came their dog. He's sweet, but we needed a mat by the sliding glass door to wipe doggie (and kiddie) feet as he came in and out. We also needed a designated spot for his food and water in the kitchen. So I grabbed an old bath towel from our linen closet, cut it up, added some pretty fabric (vintage mid weight cotton), and came up with these. The binding had something against me on both of them. I resigned to a less than perfect job there since they were just floor mats. You'll notice I did not include any close-up shots :). They do their job and look much nicer than the ugly torn old beach towel and dish cloth that previously took their place. The door mat has an additional layer of towel between the top and the backing. The dog mat is backed with towel which makes it nice an absorbent when the dog, or more commonly my 15 month old, sloshes water around.
I really like the versatility of the dog mat. When my parents leave, taking their dog with them, I can use it as a counter top mat to dry dishes or even a changing pad for my littlest. Tucker seems to like the new home for his dog dishes. I'm pretty sure it makes his food taste better when eating off of such a lovely mat ;).

Baby Boy Belt.

2011-03-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

My littlest little guy just transitioned clothing sizes, but it was a matter of length rather than width. His new jeans would gradually slide down his little rump and would eventually be found laying on the floor somewhere in our house. Inspired out of necessity and all the boyish posts I've been reading, I made him this little belt. I used some duck cloth that I had on hand, a bit of 1/4 inch elastic, and some ribbon to add a bit of fun. The elastic provides a little give as my little man walks, runs, climbs, and crawls around. The closure is just some Velcro which makes for easy entry while changing diapers throughout the day. You'll probably notice that I finished the end of the strap the wrong direction. Avoiding any possible reason to rip the seam I just added some coordinating ribbon I had laying around and made it look "intentional". At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it :). The belt ended up being slightly wide for these jeans' belt loops, but fits perfectly in his other pants. I'm planning on making him one more, slightly thinner one, to cover all our bases. I've already had requests from his older brother and sister to make a belt of their own. This marks sign of success. And most importantly I don't have to hunt for the little ones pants while trying to get all four kids out the door.

I didn't use a tutorial to make this, just took some measurements and went with it. This looks like a great tutorial though and has been sitting in my to-do list for quite a while. I'm sure I'll test it out when I get to making my older kids their belts.

A Vintage Crib and Some Sheets.

2011-03-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

Please do not use pictures of my children. Thanks!

My mother-in-law gave me this vintage mini crib. Isn't it so cute? I love the styling and the size. I also love that my husband slept in there when he was a wee one and now his little one gets to sleep there too. And how about that mattress?? Totally fun. Kinda sad when the mattress is cooler than the sheets you made :). I made these up from a fitted sheet that I thrifted a little while back. I actually had four crib sheets started but only got these two finished before our sweet girl arrived. I referenced this tutorial on MADE, found it very helpful, and just adapted using my own measurements that I took from the mattress. The little bunny doll (sporting some Amy Butler on the back) is a free pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. I made her for Miss Audrey while still pregnant and have full intention of making her little bear friend. This was a really fun project and I love how it turned out. The last pic is just for fun because I think my babe is pretty darn cute, and looks especially sweet in her little crocheted bonnet—which is also handmade, but not by me. It was my sister's when she was a baby. My mom recently found it while going through some things. There's a little sweater that goes with it that is still a bit big, but looking forward to using that as well. It's so fun getting to use things that have a history and let them relive a bit :).

*I actually found time to sit behind my sewing machine a bit yesterday! Working on a project for my smallest little guy. I'll be ready to share soon!

Miss Audrey Jane—1 Month Old!

2011-02-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

My baby girl reached 1 month yesterday! I was hoping I'd have some fun sewing projects to share by now, perhaps something cute for my new little bundle, but who was I kidding?? With a 4 week old and her big brother being only 15 months, add a strong-willed 3 year old and 5 year old, my day is slam packed just trying to keep everyone fed and the dishes at bay. It may be a while longer before I have new projects to share. I do have some cute photos to share though. She's such a little beauty and such a great baby! Already a sweetie, so looking forward to watching her grow and seeing her little personality develop. Also looking forward to a bit more sleep in the next couple of months! ;)

Her little flower clip was made by a good friend of mine. I used it to hold together a clipping of vintage trim for the shoot. Oh and that is Micheal Miller fabric that she's laying on, ignore the fold lines please :).

*Please don't use pictures of Audrey, thanks!

Celebrate the Boy!

2011-02-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

I loved the boy-focused posts that were put together last year by blog stars Dana of MADE and Rae of Made By Rae. I'm so excited that they're hosting 'Celebrate the Boy' again this year. From the looks of today's projects it's going to be another great month of inspiration and tutorials. Even though I'm not quite ready to be back at the sewing machine (Baby #4 is doing great by the way, almost a month old already! Momma is doing great too, just a bit tired these days), I'll definitely be checking in each day and bookmarking tutorials like crazy. I'll have plenty of projects that will spur me back into sewing once this series is over I'm sure. I've already got a couple unrelated project ideas brewing that are itching at me. Just wish I had the energy and time :). Sleep will be granted to me once again soon enough.

Make sure you join in on all the boyish fun! Hope you all had a beautiful Valentine's Day!

Happy Love Day! :)

2011-02-14T14:07:00.001-08:00

She's here!

2011-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Baby Audrey is here and healthy! She came Monday morning, January 17th weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces and measuring 20 and 3/4 inches long. Labor and delivery was smooth and swift and we're doing great. There probably won't be any sewing posts on here for a few weeks. We're going to enjoy our new little family member and soak it all in. Wish me luck in finding my groove of being a momma of four!

*Please do not use pictures of my children. Thanks!

Ear warmer for me :).

2011-01-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

We've had a cold snap, which brought much needed snow but also brought high of 10 degree weather! I had an appointment to go to yesterday and thought I'd better cover my head so I whipped up an ear warmer for myself that morning. I love how quick these are to make. I also like that it doesn't flatten my hair the way my hat does. I've got a little head and need some volume back there :).

Hello! And Happy 2011!

2011-01-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

December has now come and gone. We rang in the new year recovering from the stomach flu, yay. It hit hard Christmas night and I think we've finally rounded the corner on the nasty thing. I finally got around to taking the rest of the pics of the gifts I made for Christmas and thought I'd share.

First up I made some ear warmers for my sister #1, mom, mom-in-law, and sister-in-law. I did make four but only got around to photographing two of them. These were super simple and fun to make and they look super cute. I'm definitely going to be making myself one in charcoal gray, like the one above. The fleece I had laying around and the pink waffle knit was re-purposed from a long sleeved tee. You can find the tutorial for the ear warmers here. I also made an super cute apron for sister #2, but failed to take a photo. Maybe I can get her to send me an action shot.

My husband collected nutcrackers at Christmas time as a child, so I made him a felt ornament in homage to his childhood :). I was inspired by this beautiful post by Hilary Lang.

For my two oldest I made super cute dolls from Mrs. Lang's new book. Her book is wonderful (pun not intended)! I love it and want to make everything in it. Good thing I've got lots of little kids, I should have plenty of opportunity :). I made the 'Eddie' doll for Jackson and added a super mask and cape that matched the one I made for his birthday. I love the faux fur hair! So fun. His shirt was made from one of Jackson's baby onesies and the pants from a pair of my husband's worn out cords. I used the bottom of the pants leg so that I wouldn't have to hem.

For Miss Olivia I made the 'Patchwork Penny' doll. The coordinating quilt is actually my first completed quilt! I used a piece of scrap fleece in place of batting (of which I had none on hand). I was supposed to do free motion quilting on the top but I couldn't figure out sewing with the feed dogs down so I just sewed the quilting lines as I normally would. I think it still gave the same effect. Either way I'm happy with it. The only other blunder was my misunderstanding of the directions on the yarn hair. I cut it half the length I was supposed to. So rather than cute long braids she has cute short pig tails. I didn't have any more yarn and it was Christmas Eve night when I finished her! Fortunately Olivia didn't know the difference. I already shared Henry's gift, which he loves.

All of the gifts were a hit and I reached my goal of only using things that I had on hand to make them, woohoo! Well, I did have to buy more Polyfil. But spending $2.50 on eight Christmas gifts still ain't bad :).

*With Christmas over the full realization that we're going to have baby number four in just 3 short weeks has hit! I'm hoping to get a couple sewing projects in before then, but it may be a bit quiet around these here parts for a while. We'll see what I can fit in! Hope you all have had a wonderful, healthy start to the new year!

Merry Christmas! See you after the holidays!

2010-12-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

This week is going to be a tad busy for me. We have family coming in tomorrow, my oldest turns 5 on Wed, then comes Christmas and all the fun that brings. I'll have a few fun things to share post gift giving. The kid's gifts are coming along great and I'm fully confident that I'll have them finished in time. But with sewing still to do and family time that I'm excited to make the most of I'm saying goodbye for now. Looking forward to having my husband around more often for a few days and cuddling up with all my cuties :). Have a beautiful Christmas! See you in 2011!

*As always please do not use any photos of my kids, thanks!

After You've Gone.

2010-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

My sister just released her second album! She's a jazz singer and has overcome recently becoming deaf and has continued to sing, not just sing but make a career out of it. You can listen to her story via this great interview featured on Colorado Matters with NPR. I've had the fun job of designing her albums. This last one was especially fun for me because I got to create a 1940's travel theme. I love that era. You can listen to sound bites of the songs on her album and can also order a copy of her album here. This new album of hers is great. She does a beautiful job and the musicians that she's working with are fantastic. Enjoy!

Doggie blanket.

2010-12-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

I finished my baby boy's Christmas present last week...one down, two to go :). He just turned one in November and loves blankets and dogs, so I thought I'd combine the two. I'm hoping he'll like snuggling with this as he watches movies on the couch with his two older siblings, or while he snoozes in his crib.

I made the head and limbs out of fleece and added the details with embroidery floss and scraps of an old t-shirt. I used snap-on safety eyes for the eyes. The body of the blanket is cotton on the front (lovely Denise Schmidt stripe) and soft cozy flannel on the back. The arms, feet, and tail were all sewn into the blanket. The head is attached to a flap of fleece, that was sewn into the blanket itself, and secured with a whip stitch. I had embroidered his name on the back of the head but it got covered up with the fleece flap. I decided I'd rather cover it up and have the head securely attached than try to leave his name exposed. My only disappointment is that I had intended for the bottom feet to turn in, as bull dog feet tend to do. I must have sewn on the paw pads to the wrong side of the fleece, and rather than picking apart the blanket and remaking feet I decided it wasn't a big deal—or perhaps I'm just lazy ;).

*More gray around here, please excuse the graininess.

Plush Nativity.

2010-12-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

I've always loved Nativities. In fact I was a bit of a brat about the one I grew up with. I would never let any of my siblings set it up—and I'm one of those who knows if something has been touched or moved :). I hogged that job, even through high school. I was the first to get married and leave home so I'm sure the first Christmas without me they thoroughly enjoyed setting it up themselves and putting all the pieces where they "shouldn't" go. I've always wanted a set of my own, but haven't found one that I love. Now that I have kids I've been wanting one that they could enjoy. I've had this idea in my head since last year when I came across this tutorial. Last Christmas I had a two month old baby and sewing was at a minimum, and I was determined to start on this project for this Christmas. So may I present Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus! Next year I'll expand the set to include a donkey, a sheep, an angel, and the stable—with a star of course. I'd like to figure out how to construct a stable out of cardboard like this cool play furniture. I'm going to start watching for the perfect box :). For this little family I combined the idea of the One-Hour Softie with the Wee Bunny pattern, creating a triangular shape that would stand up easily. The design was inspired by the One-Hour softie and this nativity, which I do love, but can no way afford. I used wool felt for the fronts, bright and sturdy IKEA fabric for the backs—which adds to their modern flair, and weighted them with rice to keep them upright. I'm quite excited about how they turned out. The kids have already been enjoying them, baby Jesus is definitely the favorite. I'm excited about expanding and completing the set, but I've got to get my Christmas gifts made! So this project is done for now and will have to wait until next year to be completed. Fun to get past the sketch phase with it though, and that everything worked!

*Sorry about the not-so-great pics, it's been unusually gray here this week.

Advent Complete!!!

2010-12-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

I finished my advent ornaments this weekend! It feels great to finish up. The kids have been so excited to hang a new ornament up each day, it's been really fun. I really like how the snowman turned out. The snowflakes are fun, but a bit flimsy. They don't hold their shape all that well when being placed in the pockets, those may end up being replaced. We'll see. I placed the candy cane in pocket number 24. We have a little book that tells a story of a candy maker that creates the candy cane to share the story of Jesus—"J is for Jesus, God's son sent to earth." "...it looks like the staff that the shepherds used. They were the first to hear the Good News." "I added the stripes to remember the day that Jesus washed all our sins away." It's a really cute book that we've enjoyed reading together over the last couple of years. On the 24th the kids will hang the candy cane ornament, we'll read the story together and talk about the reason why our family celebrates Christmas, and then finish it off with a real candy cane from our tree.

This advent calendar was such a great project, I'm really glad I decided to join in! Now that it's complete I really need to get moving on my Christmas present making! I'm feeling quite behind, but am excited about creating the things on my list.

Necessary distraction.

2010-12-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Please do not use pictures of my children. Thanks!

It has been cold here in CO and my daughter was in serious need of a new hat. I knew I had plenty of fleece laying around and then I found a sweater of my husband's that has had a hole in it for two years and has just been laying around. I found this tutorial and knew right away that I wanted to give it a try. My first attempt was just to cut up the sweater as is and give it a go. That ended up being a wonky, stretchy mess. I'd heard a bit about felting wool sweaters but had never tried it myself. Then I came across this info on Martha Stewart.com (which is also where I got instructions to make the mittens). Just wash the sweater on hot and dry on high, sounded easy enough. So I threw it in the wash with some kitchen towels and wha-lah a felted sweater, worked great! I modified the hat pattern a bit so that it didn't have quite so much overhang on the front. I think it makes a nicer silhouette. I also referenced this blogger's post and found her suggestions really helpful. I do really like how it comes down in the back to cover the neck.

The embellishments were made from some vintage double knit polyester that I found at a thrift store not too long ago. I'm in the process of making a dress coat out of the same fabric for Miss Olivia as well, so she'll be all coordinated when I finally finish :). I referenced this tutorial to make the rosette but secured the flower with some hand stitches rather than fabric glue, which didn't want to stick to the double knit very well. I'm quite excited how everything turned out and that it fits! My daughter's favorite color is brown because of her love of horses, and I added some little horse faces on her mittens by covering a couple of buttons with some Heather Ross fabric. She's thrilled, which makes me thrilled. The wool exterior and cozy fleece lining will make a wonderful hat for her this winter. And the best part—meeting a need using only stuff I already had on hand...she looks pretty darn cute in it too!

Since my post featured my daughter I thought I'd feature some of her artwork which will now give a festive flair to our front window :). Have a lovely weekend!

*I think I needed a bit of an advent ornament break. I feel refreshed and ready to finish!

A week of CHRISTmas.

2010-12-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled upon a blog post featured on "I Am Momma Hear Me Roar". She's hosting a weeks worth of Christ-centered Christmas ideas. Today is day four of the posts. As my kids are getting a bit older it's very important to me that the true meaning behind celebrating Christmas doesn't get over shadowed by presents and Santa—which are good and fun things, I just don't want them taking center stage. I love the idea of creating tangible, fun ways to refocus why we celebrate Christmas and give gifts—that first and perfect gift of Christ sent as savior. Check out the beautiful decor and craft ideas that have already been shared. I'm really looking forward to seeing what is coming up next! Happy December!

So close!

2010-12-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm supposed to be completed with my advent calendar today. The last two days I completed a bell, set of three vintage ornaments, an angel (which almost did me in), an ice skate, and a cardinal. I'm five ornaments short—so close! Hopefully I'll get them finished up today and have my completed calendar to show by tomorrow. Those of you that joined in the sew-a-long, did you finish on time?? This is the first sew-a-long that I've ever done and it's kinda kicking my butt :). Trying to get this calendar done in one month with three little kids and a home to take care of is a lot of work! It's been really fun but I'm looking forward to finishing. My mind is already wandering to new projects. There's so much I want to accomplish before baby #4 arrives in January!

A little behind...

2010-11-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

I've fallen a bit behind this week with the sew-a-long. Hosting Thanksgiving dinner got me kind of side tracked, but it's been a wonderful long weekend so far! Hope you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend as well! Another fun distraction was a lovely shipment of felt balls, in which I made some new garland for our tree. Love the color that it adds. I ordered the felt from here, and was surprised how quickly it showed up in my mailbox! I've completed four more ornaments, little stockings personalized for each of my kiddos...baby A is due to arrive in 8 weeks! Can't believe how fast the time has gone! Only 12 more ornaments to go before the first! I hope I can make it.

Several of you have asked about templates for the ornaments I've made, although extremely flattered creating templates suitable for other people's use is just not realistic for me right now. I'd love to be able to do more of that in the future, time will tell. Thank you so much for your interest and kind words! It's been so fun to see the calendars that other people are working on. Hopefully I'll have the rest of my ornaments to show you this coming week!

My new wreath!

2010-11-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

Alright so maybe a wreath isn't all that exciting for some, but I've been wanting one hanging from our front door for a few years now, but just couldn't bring myself to spend $50 0n one. My mom went through all the stuff leftover from mine and my sister's weddings a few months ago and she had some grapevine garland leftover from my wedding 6.5 years ago! When I saw it I snatched it up with plans of having a holiday wreath hanging from my door this Christmas. Since it was so old I soaked it in the tub while I made my fabric flowers. When it was nice and limber again I uncoiled it and reshaped it into my wreath...yes it was a bit of a mess, which I'd have to admit isn't quite cleaned up yet in my kid's bathroom. I secured it with floral wire and hid the wire under the ribbon, then I hot glued my fabric and felt flowers into place. After all the intricate ornament sewing for the advent calendar it was kind of nice to do something fast and free-form. I really like how it turned out. I suppose it doesn't scream Christmas but I guess that just means I'll be able to get more use out of it. I could leave it up until after Valentine's day without it looking out of place. Besides I love that I made it out of stuff I already had, nothing like pretty decor that is free :). It's a slight detour from the tiny ornaments I'm supposed to be making, but I'm going to get back on that this evening. I have 8 to get done by Wednesday in order to stay on track with the sew-a-long!

Ornaments: Set #1!

2010-11-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

I've joined in Homemade by Jill's advent calendar sew-a-long, and I just finished my first set of 8 ornaments! These have been such fun to make in spite of the mess of felt scraps and thread and floss bits everywhere, all part of the charm right? :) My daughter has been my little craft partner in the mornings, drawing and cutting Christmas decorations for our windows. I think a little bragging is in order for her great little drawings. She's quite the little artist for a not quite five year old. There will be a post on that here soon. Part of what I love about felt and these ornaments is the opportunity for illustration and incorporating my fine art roots, drawing was my first love which translated into a fine arts degree with a concentration in graphic design. These kind of projects combine that background with my new found love of sewing, and I have a blast. I've designed all of these on my own as I go, rather than using templates. I've machine stitched in most of the details, since I kind of have an aversion to hand sewing. I guess I just really enjoy the process and neatness of the machine; the instant gratification is definitely a part of the appeal I'll admit. It's been fun seeing how each ornament fits on the tree and placing them in the little pockets. Now only 16 more to finish before December 1st!

Adventing.

2010-11-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've jumped in on the advent calendar project over at Homemade by Jill. My steps are a little out of order but I've had a lot of fun working on this and am loving how it's turning out, love the color combination going on. Wool felt is so beautiful to work with. I made a lot of progress this weekend. I've got everything finished up except for all the little ornaments. I saved the fun part for last :). Homemade by Jill has some ornament templates available and a weekly list of steps. She updates every Wednesday so be on the look out tomorrow. There's two more weeks of the sew-along if you want to jump in! I'm going to be designing my own ornaments and have already made a list and some sketches. I'm excited to get started on those and actually have this finished before December 1st! Projects like this are so special because of the memories that will come from pulling this out every year and counting down the days until Christmas. I think the kiddos are really going to have a lot of fun with this and I love the idea of keepsake handmade decorations. I hope to add to our collection as the years go by.

*I made my calendar a bit smaller than the dimensions given for the sew-along. My background is 18" by about 29.5". My tree is also smaller, but my numbered pockets are still 2.5" square.

Thrifty fabric!

2010-11-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

I scored big at our local thrift store a couple of weeks ago. Especially since everything was half off the already low price! A lot of these were at least 3 yard cuts of fabric. Found some fun vintage prints—one a single-knit poly, one a double-knit poly, and one a heavy weight cotton. The double-knit tulips are being used in a project already. I love the little retro nautical kids in their bell bottoms! The green plaid is a soft heavier weight cotton, at least 3.5 yards, and the fun orange plaid feels like it could be a wool-blend. I could be wrong, not really sure how to tell. I also have been on the look out for vintage sheets to make into crib sheets for our little one on the way. I think I did pretty good. I should be able to make 6 sheets out the the $7 I spent! Oh and I couldn't pass up the embroidery hoops. And since my purchase I've had an idea for Christmas ornaments and need to find some more of the tiny ones. I love finding a good deal and all of these fabrics were in excellent shape. Everything is washed up and ready to be transformed into something fun :).

Handmade birthday.

2010-11-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Both of my boys just had their birthdays, which are only 2 weeks apart. Since they are so close we had a combined party, just with family. Boy #1 turned three and boy #2 turned one! I made their birthday gifts this year and had a lot of fun doing so (I'm excited to start on the kid's Christmas gifts!).

For the big boy I made a tote bag to carry around his books and cars and other treasures. He was constantly borrowing his sister's purses and would shove as many cars possible into them :). I really like how his bag turned out, love the lining fabric...so fun with the car embroidery on the front. It will be great for the library as well. I filled it with a couple new books. He's been really into the Busy Town books illustrated by Richard Scarry since I found a series at the thrift store. I also made him his own super cape (which you may have noticed with the key element in his Halloween costume)! He also was always borrowing his sister's cape and I thought he needed something a little more manly than bright pink. I used the cape tutorial from the Long Thread, but designed my own applique emblem.

For the little guy I made a fabric ball from this great pattern here, which I've used on several occasions. It's a fun and quick gift to make and everyone I've gifted one to has loved it. I referenced these fabric tools to make the "hammer" and "wrench". These were a bit of a failed first attempt. The shapes are not quite right. I would definitely do some adjusting the next time I try these out. The "hammer" has become an axe like Astrid's (my daughter is a big How To Train Your Dragon fan) and the "wrench" is held at the wrong end and has become a sword for my three-year-old. I'm thinking I need to make him a proper fabric sword for Christmas...perhaps a couple so that there can be a duel :). Oh and this board book! LOVE the illustrations by Richard Scarry (a bit of a fan of his work). So beautiful, such a lovely book. I think, for as long as I can find it, it will be my go to companion gift with my handmade baby gifts for friends.

Happy Birthday to my sweet boys! I love you very much and hope you very much enjoy your gifts!

Halloween!

2010-11-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Whew, October was a busy month! It's been silent over here, but I've been one productive momma :). I finished a re-brand of my friend's hair salon, designed my sister's album cover/interior (2nd album due to release this month), made birthday presents for my boys, and got the Halloween costumes done on time! I've got some catching up to do, so I'll start with the costumes. We had a great weekend—good food, time with family, fun costumes, and of course candy. My kids had a lot of fun walking around the neighborhood this year.

On to the costumes:

Olivia was a horse, of course. She has a deep love for horses and if she's not drawing one, she's pretending to be one. Her costume was super simple but I think it turned out great. I just embellished a brown hoodie with yarn hair and felt ears. We added her horse tail, which I made for her birthday last year, and completed the look with a painted blaze and an oat sack for her tirck-o-treating bag.

Jackson was a super hero. I had made him a cape for his birthday (which we celebrated the weekend before), so that played as the main costume element. I added some felt accessories. The cuffs were inspired by these and I used a mask template found here. I lined the felt with scrap jersey so that it would be soft next to the skin. His t-shirt I appliqued with $1 solid shirts I found on clearance. My husband sketched out the emblem for me. The applique isn't perfect, it was a first attempt with appliqueing jersey on jersey. Next time I would add the step of ironing on my design before stitching it, then the knit wouldn't stretch and move around so much. But Jack was happy, so I was happy.

Henry was a little lion. This costume has gotten a lot of mileage. We bought it for Olivia for her second Halloween from Old Navy. Both of the boys have now worn it on their first Halloween. She was nearly two when she wore it, and they were barely one :).

That's this year's costume line up. Next year we'll have four little cuties running/crawling around in costumes :). Hope you had as much fun this weekend as we did!

Someday...

2010-09-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Wishing I had time to learn how to sew clothes for myself so that I could make dresses like these lovelies found at ModCloth. One of these days :).

Last minute gift.

2010-09-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Whipped this little bunny up the afternoon of the party. I had full intent on making it the day before but got distracted with other projects. So my hubs watched the kiddos for me while I cranked out this little softie; love when a project comes together without a hitch...doesn't happen often mind you. For a super fast wrapping job I found a bucket that we had that happened to match perfectly and added a tag and ribbon. For something kind of thrown together it looks very put together :). Our little friend turned one and I hope she has lots of fun with her new bunny. I love this free pattern from Wee Wonderfuls. I've made several of these guys and it will continue to be my go to gift for little ones. So cute and so fun to make!

Just a little something.

2010-08-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

My mom was going through all the leftover wedding things from my sister's wedding this past May. I brought home several white pillar candles which I've been enjoying the glow of in the evenings. Though they needed a little dressing up for the bedroom, so I grabbed some scraps, and my fabric glue and came up with this. Looks really pretty. It would be a great way to gift up some otherwise dull looking candles. Great way to dress-up a center piece for any holiday too.

It's A Girl!

2010-08-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound today (19 weeks 4 days) and we found out we're having a baby girl! She's due to arrive January 23rd. We couldn't be more excited! Our first baby girl, who's now the big girl (soon to be 5) has two little brothers and now a little sister who'll she'll get to share her room with and teach her all about horses, Star Wars, and Scooby-Doo :). While going through all my scraps to start my first quilt, I set aside these lovelies in case we ended up having a girl. Looks like I'll get to make it after all (Send any great baby quilt tutes my way) ! Baby girl looks healthy. She's pretty active already. I've been feeling movement for a few weeks now. Everything is looking great. Even though this is pregnancy #4 it never ceases to amaze me that a person can be created and grow inside of me! So excited for this new little edition to our beautiful family. It's so fun to see all their different personalities develop and interact. Love my kids!

W.I.P.

2010-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Work In Progress for sure. I've started my very first quilt! I've only got some of the cutting done (567 2.5" squares) but am looking forward to laying out pieces and trying to nail down my design and process a bit. I'm referencing this tutorial, kind of a scattered nine-patch. I'm going to be using white and natural linen for the solid squares. I'm hoping to kind of alternate bands of white and natural in the midst of the colored pieces, if that makes any sense to anyone but myself. In the end, if I'm successful, my husband and I will have a lovely summer quilt for our queen size bed. Sorting through all of my fat quarters and scraps was fun. At first I thought I'd just do a scrappy quilt and then I started sorting into color stories and now I have three other stacks waiting to be made into quilts as well. If baby #4 ends up being a she, I have a lovely pile of pinks, oranges, and yellows that may just interrupt the quilt I'm making for myself. We shall see. Either way, this one will take some time and I'll document along the way and share my progress. I'm kind of working through this blind, so if anyone out there has any great online resources for first time quilters I'm all ears...and eyes I suppose :).

*I've broken in my new rotary cutter and mat. I think I already need a new blade, and I think I need to start doing thumb exercises. Mine were pretty sore from holding down the cutter with one hand and the straightedge with the other. Cutting quilt squares is not for wimps!

More gift card fun.

2010-08-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

I received another gift card for my birthday, turning 26 really boosted my stash :), this time from JoAnn's. I had fifty bucks to do with what i wanted. My first priority was a rotary cutter and mat. I got lucky and they were half off which opened up the door to much more possibility. I found some great fabric in the clearance section—some embroidered trim cotton, , a cute cotton print, a couple knits, and some fun cotton lawn. After getting my fabric cut I noticed that the McCall's patterns were on sale for a dollar! Naturally I had to browse the book to see if anything caught my eye, ended up with a few of those as well. All this time my wonderful husband was occupying the kids so that I could play :). I checked out with 82 cents to spare. Maybe I'll buy a button or something.

Vintage lace.

2010-08-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

Another great vintage find while in IN—only this one came from my husband's granny's attic :). She had several boxes of ribbon and lace that she let me rummage through and I thought I'd share a bit of what I came home with. I never thought I'd be much of a fan of lace but I LOVE crocheted lace and the other was just too pretty to pass up. I'm sure I'll be able to use it somewhere on something. I have no idea how old some of these trims are. Granny just turned 86 this week and she sewed a lot when my mother-in-law was young, so perhaps some of these came from the 60's and 70's. Their attic is like a time capsule and treasure trove, full of antiques and odds and ends. It was so fun to climb up there and sift.

Vintage eye candy.

2010-08-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I found this Simplicity Sewing Book at a used bookstore while in IN. It's copyright date is 1970 and it's got some really fun photos in it. The details and colors are great. Lovin' the rounded pockets, with the flap and button detail. Bonus, it had this giraffe plush kit instruction sheet slid under the cover. I think the shape is really cute. I'm sure I could make a pattern on my own to try and replicate. Totally worth $4!

Lovely surprise.

2010-08-15T12:47:00.001-07:00

My family and I just got back from a road trip to Indianapolis last week. After two nearly 12 hour days in the car with three small children and three months pregnant with the fourth it felt fantastic to make it to our pretty little house in Colorado. To make my home coming even better these two lovely sets of thread were waiting for me. A few days before we left I had won a give away through Sew, Mama, Sew! I was super excited about these beautiful cotton fibers made to coordinate with Butler and Fassett collections. The colors are gorgeous, can't wait to use them!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

2010-07-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that it's been over a month since my last post. But I have a really great excuse...I'm pregnant with baby number four! I'm about 8 weeks along and finally feeling better. The last couple of months have been super busy over at our house and I've been feeling less than great. But now that the all-day-nausea has subsided I'm ready to dust off my sewing machine, finish up some projects left to sit, and start on some new ones. Speaking of which, my birthday was last month. On June 6, I turned 26 :). My fabulous husband surprised me with a sizable gift card to my favorite fabric boutique. Their shop is filled with gorgeousness. I'm super excited about the addition to my stash and fun new trims. Can you get over the colors?! So pretty! And to top it off it was the store's fourth anniversary celebration so I got some free goodies with my purchase! Can't beat that. Beautiful new fabric always gives me the sewing itch and I've already got a couple projects in mind. Now I just need to find the time :). With a 4.5, 2.5, and an 8 month old, it's not easy. I'm going to be one busy momma when #4 shows up! It will be a wonderful, final addition to our family and I'm looking forward to the adventure. Hope your summer has been a beautiful one and your sewing machine hasn't been as neglected as mine has. Another post to come before the month is out :). And hopefully of something fabulous made from some of my lovely new fabric.

Wedding crafting in full swing...

2010-05-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

My sister's wedding is only a couple days away and I still have plenty to do! I'm certain all be burning some midnight oil the next few nights after all the kiddos go to bed to finish up my to-do list for the bride-to-be. Thought I would share what I've finished up so far. Inspiration came from here, here, and here. I've got to get back to work! We've got a birthday party for a very cute three year old to put on today and then the wedding on Saturday! Lots of fun show and tell when this whirlwind of a week is over!

Thrift store goodies.

2010-05-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hello! With my cousin and her little girl staying with us we have been BUSY! Throwing that fourth kid into the mix makes a difference! It's been great fun but computer time has been limited. Her daughter will be turning three next week and we've been doing some thrift store shopping to find some fun things for her "Eden in Wonderland" party :). I found a few fun things myself while looking around, fun mini trays (for the kids future play kitchen), a Sanko Ware Show Pan, vintage Pyrex mugs, and some vintage tea towels that I think would make great tote bags. I love when I spot something great in the midst of what usually is a lot of junk. And leaving with a bag full of goodies for under ten bucks is just as satisfying.

To Florida and back again.

2010-05-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

I helped my cousin drive from Northern FLorida to Northern Colorado this weekend. I flew out of Denver at a cheerful 6:15 a.m. last Friday and we began our three day drive at 7:20 a.m. the next morning. 12 hours on day one, 12 hours on day two, and an easy 8.5 hour day to finish off our trip. We drove through ten states! Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and finally beautiful Colorado. Each has a specific memory attached. Florida, of course, was the beach...and my brief but glorious time with my feet in the sand and surf. Georgia were the cotton plants and dead armadillos lining the interstate. Alabama, a surprise to me, was the beautiful rolling hills...what a beautiful drive! Tennessee, we stayed in Memphis with a friend and drove on the same street as rail cars and Clydesdales pulling carriages covered in lights. Mississippi and Arkansas were unbelievably flooded...miles of farmland under water. Oklahoma was covered in wild flowers...we pulled over and picked some to spruce up the dashboard :). Texas was the most fun as far as site seeing. We drove segments of Route 66, took our picture in front of a ginormous boot, and made a quick stop at the Cadillac Ranch. We also survived severe fog, fierce wind gusts, and a slew of tumble weeds. New Mexico was a disappointing landscape...the corner we drove through was depressed and bare. Then we entered Colorado, greeted with the view of snow capped mountains. It was gorgeous and felt so great to be home. It was a long trip, but oh so fun :). Though we are still recovering. It's hard to catch up with any sleep with four little kids running around and needing our care and attention. But it is a wonderful start to what I know is going to be a fantastic summer, and I can't wait! So that is why it's been a bit quiet around my little blog, but not at all quiet around my house :). Sewing adventures are soon to pick up again with my sister's wedding in just two weeks! Lots to do and lots to show along the way!

Reversible head scarves.

2010-05-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

One of my daughter's little friends turned four on Monday. I wanted to make something for her but only had a 2 hour window, as it was the day of her birthday. Yes, I tend to do things last minute. I work better under pressure? Or maybe I just actually do the work under pressure :). I had made a little neckerchief for my son from the Simple Sewing for Baby book and had wanted to make some head scarves for my daughter based on that pattern. Seemed like a perfect opportunity to practice! I modified the shape a bit, replacing the ties with a bit of elastic. I also made it reversible which means NO hemming! :) Plus, everyone likes a two-for-one. They were super quick and easy, which tends to be a theme for most of my projects. They turned out really cute and little Ruby was pretty excited to try them on. She is one of four sisters so I'm sure they'll get plenty of wear. They also have chickens in their backyard, so of course while making these I was envisioning an idyllic scene of Ruby collecting eggs while wearing her head scarf. Now she just needs a little apron to complete the look! After seeing how adorable my Olivia looked in them I will definitely be making her a set to frolic in this summer.

More refashioning: spring scarves.

2010-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago a friend of mine hosted a clothing swap. This was the second one I've attended and I highly recommend it! It's a great girl's night and you leave with a bunch of cute stuff for free! Plus you get to de-clutter your closet and what isn't snatched up can be donated. After the last swap I left with a dress and skirt that were way too small but had great potential for refashioning. I loved the bold print of the poppies, and colors and vintage handkerchief look of the other. I meant to take photos of the original garments but I got a little scissor happy :). The poppy scarf was the skirt of a dress that I cut away from the bodice. I left the fabric as a circle and just hemmed the cut side—wah-lah, circular scarf! So simple and easy! The ruffled scarf was formerly the skirt. I just cut a strip and hemmed. Originally I was going to leave it flat, but I was unhappy with the lack of fullness. The available fabric from the skirt wasn't as wide as I needed. This tutorial was the answer to that. After the ruffling I think the scarf looks great, so much so I gifted it to a friend for her birthday. Hope she enjoys it! I will be making more ruffled scarves in the near future. And also may be checking out the dresses at my local thrift stores every now and again :).

Shirt Dress #1!

2010-04-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this little dress! I finished it this afternoon, took me a tad longer to complete than I thought. But now that I have my pattern pieces made, I think the next attempts will be much quicker. The tutorial is great and it ended up fitting perfectly, which I couldn't be happier about, and my daughter looks darling in it. I had these grand visions of getting her all gussied up in her new little dress and taking her to the local sculpture park or lake and doing a photo shoot like these super bloggers here and here. Then the reality of my messy house, two-year-old son (who is still in that phase where he likes to just take off), and 5-month-old son (who would probably be strapped to my body in some baby carrying device) sunk in. So I snapped some shots of the dress on a cute hanger instead :). I'll definitely have to post an action shot very soon, it just looks so cute on! Such a great use of a discarded button-down. I'm looking forward to making the other two. I'm usually not one for making clothing for my kids. I don't feel it saves much money with the cost of fabric (with my picky taste anyway) and the time that it takes. Especially when they grow so fast! But a repurposing project like this is right up my alley. This new little number didn't cost me a dime. I had everything on hand. I foresee many happy, sunny days of outside play in these dresses.

Hopes of an evening project.

2010-04-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping to get in some sewing tonight after the kiddos go to bed. My man is at a conference in Orlando for a few days, so I have plans for a few late night projects. This one has been on my to do list since I discovered "Made" a couple months ago...along with several of her other fantastic tutorials. I'm excited about my color combos and the chance to make some summer staples for my daughter out of shirts that have just been hanging in our closet. Hoping all goes well and I have a super cute dress to show off in the morning!

Impulse buy.

2010-04-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

I saw this cheerful, fun print by Alexander Henry the other day and it happened to be on sale! I thought to myself, "Oooo, that's cute! How fun for my boys, I don't have a lot of boyish fabric." Therefore I bought a yard initially not knowing what I would make with it, but I think I've thought of just the project for it. Though it will have to wait until I'm finished helping my sister with some wedding preparations. A little show and tell on that soon to come!

Vader iPhone Case.

2010-04-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my hubby turned the big 3-0! He's not the easiest person to shop for and our current budget doesn't allow for an iPad, which is still on the top of his list. So I decided to make him a gift, a first attempt. I've been sewing for close to two years now but have found it difficult to think of cool things to make for guys, especially my guy. That being said, I was quite pleased that he thought his gift was "awesome" :). Thankfully that was his response because this was the most frustrating project I've done to date! And it really shouldn't have been. It's felt. Doesn't get much easier to work with than that, right? Generally yes, but I had this great idea of cutting a Darth Vader silhouette out of the back to give the case some attitude and detail. It worked out great in my head...pin my illustration over the felt and cut with an X-Acto knife. Well lets just say easier said than done. I thought I had wrecked it more than once, modified while I cut, and somehow managed to salvage it. Once I was done with all the cutting and felt confident that it still resembled the helmeted villain, I thought it would be smooth sailing. Sigh of relief. Come to find out snaps are from the dark side! I went through a whole pack before I got the female snap in place and even with the one I got to work I ditched my snap setter and went at it with a hammer! I think I just got lucky there. There has got to be a better way. Maybe I should have used the force ;). Fortunately everything worked out (it fits like a glove!) and my man loved his gift, which made all the work and frustration worth it.

Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Josh! I love you!

Old Drawings, New Fun!

2010-04-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

We were running low on paper, which is a common problem around here since my four-year-old can go through a sketch book a week. Instead of resorting to printer paper I pulled out an old sketchbook and the watercolors. Most of her earlier work was done in crayon so it worked out perfectly. At first she was less than enthused about having to paint on pages that were already drawn on, but when she saw the magic of the watercolor over the crayon she was sold. She added new life to several old drawings and then I drew her a couple of hidden pictures with a white crayon. Horses of course. She was excited about those most of all, and the finished pieces received the honor of being pinned to her bulletin board. It was a very successful project. Nearly an hour of fun (and quiet) and several drawings got a second use before making their way to the recycle bin.

Instant gratification.

2010-04-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely Easter weekend, and I hope you all did as well, but I fell flat on my face with my Easter crafting. I had plans to make gifts for my kiddo's baskets and started an Easter basket for my son, which I still plan on finishing. I'll just be way ahead of the game for next year I guess :). I eased the pain of my holiday failures with some instant gratification. It doesn't get much faster or easier than a staple gun and fabric glue. Quick and simple but with a big impact, just what I needed. I've been wanting to cover my daughter's bulletin board for a little while now so I grabbed it off the wall and did it! I covered it with fabric left over from her curtains, cut a flower out of a beautiful scrap of Amy butler fabric, added some felt leaves, and done! Olivia really likes it and I'm pretty pleased with the result myself.

A Day in the Life of Me: Eau de Spit-Up

2010-04-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

All three of my kids were urpers. Well number 3, who is only 5 months, still is. For the first year of their lives my go-to accessory was/is a burp cloth and I felt/feel like I constantly smell like baby spit-up. Just today Henry spit-up ALL down my shirt. Right down the neckline. Not quite sure how it managed to flood the inside of my shirt without the help of cleavage, but it did. Every time my husband gets christened he makes a big fuss and has to change. If that were my reaction I'd go through about five outfits a day. And let's face it who wants to do that much laundry? I just wipe it up and move on. I guess I could smell like worse things, right? :).

Crib-side organization.

2010-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

My little guy had a growing pile of animal friends covering his bed and ultimately spilling onto the floor. I am a firm believer of the saying "a place for everything, and everything in it's place," and the toddler bed wasn't cutting it. A solution was needed! I referenced this tutorial (perfect solution, with the perfect name even) on Pickles and created a handy dandy place for Jackson's stuffed animals to live while they're not being played with. I used leftover fabric from his curtains and repurposed a pair of old jeans for the base and the straps. I've been trying to only use fabric from my stash lately, easier on the wallet :). Now he picks two buddies to sleep with at naps and bedtime and puts them away in the morning. No more clutter, and he likes being able to clean up his things on his own. It's a win, win.

Cane Syrup and Pumpkin Bread.

2010-03-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't a cooking blog but this bread turned out so yummy I thought I would share :). My mom gave me some pure cane syrup. I've been playing around with it and so far it's a new pantry must have! It is the secret to cookies that stay soft and chewy and makes oatmeal cookies reminiscent of these childhood favorites. It is wonderful in homemade bread and I used it to replace some of the white sugar for this pumpkin bread recipe. I haven't tried looking for pure cane syrup at my local grocery stores, so I'm not sure how easy it is to find. Though I'm sure you'd be able to find it at a health food market.

Pumpkin is more of a fall flavor but I had some puree in my freezer from our last trip to a local farm, and we keep getting snow dumped on us, and I love pumpkin any time of the year. I wanted a bit healthier version of the cakey quick bread that I love and this is what I came up with. The recipe uses 1/3 whole wheat flour and cane syrup and dark brown sugar replace half of the white sugar called for. The texture is firm, but still moist and the bread has lots of flavor. If you can't find cane syrup, you could probably just do a brown sugar/sugar combo, or you might want to try molasses and let me know how it goes :). So dig out that lingering can of pumpkin leftover from the holiday season, find yourself some cane syrup, and enjoy! Might as well go all out and make yourself some amazing oatmeal cookies while you're at it!

PUMPKIN BREAD (2 loaves):

DRY:

2 c all purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c sugar

2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 t (heaping) cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t cloves

WET:

2 c fresh pumpkin 0r 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3 eggs

2/3 c oil

1/2 c dark brown sugar

1/2 c pure cane syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients and sift together. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk together. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Spoon batter into loaf pans or muffin tins sprayed with cooking spray (I like to use one of these for muffin batter, and cookie dough for that matter). Bake for an hour or until the toothpick test comes out clean. Let cool in pans for a few minutes then cool on a wire rack completely before digging in. Enjoy! I'd love to hear if you try it out and what you think!

A little art lesson...

2010-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

My daughter really likes to draw, she truly loves it. She comes by it honestly, her father and I both found our art roots in drawing. Though it occurred to me that I haven't actually sat down and drawn with my daughter, sad but true. A couple weeks ago I dusted off my drawing pad, dug for oil pastels in a storage bin of art supplies in the garage, and set up a still life on our kitchen table. Olivia had just watched a short on Sesame Street about art class and asked me if she could go to an art class someday. So I decided to give her an impromptu art class that afternoon. It was so interesting to see her try to draw something from life. She draws from her head all the time and her visual memory is amazing and quite detailed. Her drawing from the still life started out tiny with little detail. I encouraged her to take up more space on the page but as you can see her objects are still flat color. Eventually she got bored with the still life and moved on to her own creations. Jackson got bored with the process too and swiped the orange. I was surprised how long it was taking me to do a simple sketch and felt the rust falling off my fingers. But It was wonderful to sit down and do something that I knew my daughter and I both enjoyed and I know I need to do it more often. I would love for my daughter to have fond memories of drawing with her momma at the kitchen table.

A little design work.

2010-03-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've spent far more time on my computer this week than on my sewing machine. A friend of mine asked me to design a header for her website and blog. She didn't end up going this route, but I really liked how it turned out so I thought I'd get some use out of the design and share it with you. Hope your week has been lovely!

Look, I'm famous! ;)

2010-03-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

My husband is an amazing designer and co-owner of this fabulous firm. They designed this year's VBS (summer church program) for Standard Publishing. The theme, as you can see, is Hero Headquarters, and those cute capes the kids are wearing in this ad? Handmade by none other than yours truly! Okay, so maybe it's not all that exciting, and I'm sure nobody even knew the capes were handmade, but it's pretty fun to have my handy work published on a real product :).

A little spring gift for you...

2010-03-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Spring is officially here and to celebrate I'm giving you a free download of this paper gal! If she ends up being well liked I've got ideas for a set of these gals and and maybe even a boy version. I started this project just for fun a couple years ago and dug her up this past week and finished her off! Her big cute head makes her a little top heavy, so for the optimal paper doll experience print on card stock and spray mount Chloe onto another layer of heavy weight card stock or better yet reuse an empty cereal box. Hop over here to download the PDF. Hope you like her. Have fun!

Travel companions.

2010-03-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

My daughter flew to IN last week with her daddy—it was the first time I saw her off. He had a business meeting and Olivia got to go along and have some Grandma time :). The morning of her flight I whipped up this pencil case and lap desk to take along with her. I used this tutorial for the pencil case (which is really well written and easy to follow) and got the lap desk idea from a friend of mine—just measure two pieces of fabric about the same size as your clip board, make a little pillow and hot glue it to the back of the clip board, simple as that! Both projects are super easy and quick and would make a great gift. My daughter was excited to have something special for the plane ride and even ended up using the lap desk as a pillow...came in more handy than I thought!

Springtime is closing in!

2010-03-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

It sure is feeling like Spring here in beautiful Colorado! Our grass is still brown and pokey but we've been getting 50 and 60 degree weather and it feels fantastic! I can't wait to have my windows open all day long, take bike rides (or walks—I do have three small children), and have spontaneous picnics at the park with my kiddos. Speaking of bike rides, this bicycle screams Spring! I was doing a bit of visual research on the wonderful Alexander Girard and stumbled upon a line of fabulously fun bicycles by Electra featuring Girard's work. Just looking at those designs and colors makes me want to pull on some pedal-pushers and get outside :)!

Couldn't help myself...(WARNING: Large post below.)

2010-03-09T17:21:00.001-08:00

Okay so I know that I said I'd be on hiatus until spring, which is still a couple weeks off, but I'm having way too much fun over here not to share. I've gotten my sewing groove on the last couple of weeks. I've gotten a few little projects crossed off my list and have a few more in the works. It's been a lot of fun making time to complete projects and sewing with and around the kids. So here's a few things I've been up to:

1. UGLY PILLOW TURNED FUN FLOOR CUSHION: I've been wanting to cover this pillow for a long while now, really since it entered our house. It's big and comfy but I'm not big on name brands and let's be honest it was begging for a cover. So I broke into my beloved IKEA stash, which I've had for over a year now, grabbed a zipper and gave this pillow a make over. Much easier on the eyes and great for the play room floor.

3. OLIVIA'S FIRST PROJECT (HOORAY FOR HEADBANDS): I was inspired by a blog post that now of course I cannot find. This pattern was used for two girl's first project. They looked close to Olivia's age and I thought it would be fun to introduce Liv to the sewing machine with it as well. Olivia picked out her fabric, nice choices I think :). She sat on my lap at the machine, helped guide the fabric, and was in charge of pulling out pins and pushing the reverse button. She got bored during the ironing, don't blame her, but it was a lot of fun! She looks fab in her new headbands and was pretty pleased with herself...where she gets these poses I do not know!

3. SEMI-HANDMADE QUILT: From duvet cover to quilt! I took my IKEA quilt cover added some batting, fun contrasting stitching, brown bias tape for the binding, and wah lah! A new crib quilt, much easier to deal with for frequent washings. Besides, didn't have an insert that fit the cover but I did have all the stuff to turn it into a quilt. Love the way it turned out.

4. TISSUE BOX COVER: I was tired of seeing the ugly mass-produced cardboard box on my night stand so I decided cover it up with some of the gorgeous fabric that filled my stocking. Plus if you're like me you know the importance of the tissue box matching the room that it resides in...now it always will :). I used this tutorial here.

*Sorry about the underlining. I have no idea why it's there or how to get it off!

Hiatus interruption

2010-02-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Just had to share my excitement about the Liberty of London collection coming to Target! Anyone else excited about this? I saw the commercial while watching the Olympics with my love and gasped in excitement :). I've always loved Liberty of London prints, from afar. Purl Soho has a beautiful collection. The fabric is a little too steep for my budget right now. But perhaps I'll have a chance to repurpose a sheet or shower curtain :). The collection arrives March 14th and you can get a sneak peek and download these fun wallpapers here. Just one more reason to love Target.

A short hiatus...

2010-02-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be taking a bit of a blog break. I've been so tired lately...only natural with a 3 month old and two other crazies to take care of...that it's been far too easy to sit on my bum and waste quite a bit of time on my lovely MacBook looking through lovely creations and lovely blogs. That being said I feel I need to limit my computer time and bring a bit more balance to my day again. Hopefully I'll get a bit more sewing in as well :). So fair well for now. Keep cozy as winter closes and I'll see you in the spring!

Darling Clementine

2010-02-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Just found this site via some blog wanderings. I love these pillows and illustrations. The colors and styling are fantastic. These fun finds then led me to this beautiful site with beautiful items. Why is it every time I find something I think is fabulous it's somewhere way far away, like Denmark?

Pretty Tape.

2010-02-15T06:46:00.000-08:00

How fun is this decorative tape!? This may be old news to you but it's relatively new to me. I never thought masking tape would end up on my craft supply wish list. All so fun and beautiful. What fast and fun embellishments these would make on envelopes and scrapbook pages, or a number of other crafts...like this great Valentine idea here.

A gift for my Valentine.

2010-02-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

Initially this was going to be all to this creation. Perhaps something for him to take to work and adorn his desk area. But as it came together I decided that I would scale down the pattern a bit and make three smaller birds on a branch below to represent our three children. In the end it will be a smaller, more personal, take on this mobile that has been on my to do list. I've never actually given my husband a Valentine's day present, usually it's just a note or card. He thought the mobile was really cool so hopefully he'll like this. I really love how this turned out. It was hard to photograph because of the length of the branch, but it looks really beautiful in person. Right now it's hidden in our closet...surprises are so fun :).

My polite little man.

2010-02-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

It may be my southern roots, but manners are important. Politeness, or lack there of, can completely change the attitude of the people around you. One can have things go their way a lot more often if one learns the proper words to say. My four year old daughter, Olivia, has yet to fully catch onto this idea. But my son Jackson, who turned two in October, has always been a fast learner in this department. Either he's just innately sweet or is a boy who knows how to get what he wants. Perhaps a bit of both :). Either way when I hear his little low voice say "fank you, Mommy" or "excuse me, Olivia," without any prompting, it warms me up inside.

Happy Valentine's Day.

2010-02-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

I've seen the Betsy McCall paper doll show up here and there around blogland, but she's so charming and fun why not let her pop up again? I love the illustration style and her fantastic dresses. You can download her first ten years here, and find a great craft idea here. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Fun thrift store finds!

2010-02-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

I love looking through the children's book section at our local thrift store. I haven't been able to browse all that often but every time I have I've found some really great vintage books. Plus being able to buy six books for the price of one ain't bad either :). I love the color and graphic illustration on the "Ready to Roll" cover. But my favorite find this time was a children's poem book by Robert Louis Stevenson, A Child's Garden of Verses. Aren't the illustrations fantastic?! The poems are wonderful as well. My daughter and I had a great time looking and reading through it last night. There are several updated versions on Amazon, but I haven't seen one with these illustrations. Fun reads and great inspiration for under ten bucks is always good!

A belated shipment.

2010-02-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

I'm a tad behind on sending this package. It was meant to be some Christmas gifts for my beloved cousin and her family. Better late than never I suppose. At least the delay allowed my daughter to contribute a couple lovely drawings made just for them. Perhaps a random package filled with goodies is even more exciting than an expected one—the thought makes me feel better anyway :).