Crafty Chic

{Christmas} Tablecloth

2011-11-14T14:49:00.001-08:00

I know that I am the. worst. blogger on the planet. I truly do love to do it, but to be honest "crafting" just does NOT fit in my life lately. I hate that it doesn't! I really am going to try to squeeze it back in, but let's be honest; I've said that a gazillion times. I really do need this as an outlet though. I sometimes feel so overwhelmed by the daily grind that this would be a fabulous "escape" at times.

Anyway, this isn't extremely detailed, but I have a few people asking me about this tradition of ours. I started it back in 2008 and I'm SO glad I did! I love love LOVE looking back to previous years. It's our Christmas Tablecloth. We put it on our table starting on Thanksgiving night when we put up our Christmas decorations. Part of our night is signing the tablecloth as a family, then as the days go by and people come over to visit they also sign it. Then, when things are taken down after Christmas I'll work on stitching over the names for the next couple of weeks . . . tuck it away for next year and start all over again. I don't let people eat on it, when we eat we take it off, or if one person is eating they'll just push it out of the way while they eat.

We love it, and I love to think that someday it will be an even greater family treasure.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Reward System

2011-09-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have a . . . let's just say . . . challenging 3 year old. She's my third daughter and for some odd reason she came totally different than the other two. Why they all have to come different is a mystery to me {kidding}, but nonetheless, I had to figure out yet another discipline/reward system for her. Let me tell you right off, for her personality, this system has been AWESOME.

I hunted and hunted for some way that she could earn something {like the sticker on a chart type of system} where she could really see her accomplishments. For a long time we did a "token" system where when they did something good, nice, helpful . . . they got to put a token {a.k.a. poker chip} into a pail that they had decorated. This system did NOT work for her. I think because she could see her tokens unless I took her pail down and showed her. I knew I needed something that she could "show off" and the sticker thing bugged me because they weren't easily taken away. SO . . . I found these . . .

. . . at Target and thought PERFECT!! I knew I'd need to figure out how to put them on the wall but I figured that wouldn't be too big of a problem. Luckily when I got them home I noticed they had a certain piece {see top picture} that actually hung perfectly on a nail. WIN.

SO, here's the system: We were in the car and decided to call them something . . . the girls . . . after about 50 different names, decided to call them "gems"

When I notice them being good, doing something nice, doing things right when I ask them to without an eye roll . . . yes, that's a challenge for these girls of mine . . . I'll let them pick out a gem and hang it on their chain.

I have the right to take them away for back talking, being mean to their sister, not doing what they know is expected of them, etc. BUT once they get to 10 gems they get . . .

. . . one "spark" . . . yes they named these too. They decided that they can be sparks so that when they get a lot they'll be "sparkles" . . . GIRLS! haha

I bought a bag of the thicker craft sticks, pulled out the paint and we all decorated them, glued a sparkle on them and stuck them in a jar for them to pick them out when they "cash in" their 10 gems.

Once they get "sparks" I can't take them away. They can save them for bigger prizes or spend them when they get them. I have a chart with things like:

2 sparkles: picnic at the park

4 sparkles: frozen yogurt

5 sparkles: Sea World for the afternoon {we have passes FYI . . . I don't fork out that kind of dough!}

So far it's working like a "gem". We went on vacation for a week and a half and didn't use them and let me tell you, this girl did a 180 and was back to her . . . ways . . . in a matter of a couple of days.

THE Best Chocolate Chip Cookies . . . by FAR!

2011-09-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

My daughter went on a field trip to the USS Midway and brought me home this chocolate chip cookie recipe. My husband made them today and they are THE best cookies we've ever made. SOO good!! Enjoy.

1 lb butter, cream well {that isn't a typo . . . one pound!}

2 cups granulated sugar and 2 cups brown sugar: add both to butter and cream together

2 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla: add both to the mixture

2 tsp. baking soda, 1.5 tsp. salt, 4 cups and 8 Tbsp flour: combine these and then add to the mixture

1 bag chocolate chips {large}: stir into batter.

{we didn't have a whole bag so we used about 1/4 bag of milk chocolate chips and 1/4 bag of white chocolate chips. In our opinion they turned out perfect!}

Spoon onto sheet and bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Don't give up on me!!

2011-07-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, life has been a major roller coaster the past couple of months. The biggest blog set back lately {aside from summer of course} was that we were forced out of the house we were renting. The owners had to move back in and gave us 30 days to find something . . . only thing is . . . we couldn't find a THING!! So frustrating. Luckily we found something when we had a week left to get out. Big. Relief. SO, we held a garage sale to put toward our charity organization, Charish's Hope {charishshope.blogspot.com}, and made $300. Awesome! The next day, our house flooded . . . total bummer seeing as we only had a week left in there! Next day . . . my car got broken in to where I stupidly left my purse WITH the $300 fundraised money. REALLY!!?? Not only that but after my sister passed away I decided to use her wallet where I kept a few special things . . . like pictures of us etc. All of which was taken. Sad day for me . . . nonetheless life has been crazy with all of that junk {replacing EVERYthing basically. Who doesn't keep everything in their diaper bag?}and with the move . . . I truly H.A.T.E moving . . . things of the "crafting" nature have taken a back burner. So today I decided to get on and post something that I had done and never posted, only to find that the computer that actually works when I try to download pictures, in fact does NOT work. Sigh . . . so here we are, on the computer that "works" but doesn't work for what I need it to. I am in serious need of fixing that stinking computer so that I can get back to doing what I love to do while sharing my ideas with you.

So . . . I'm once again asking that you don't give up on me. Someday I WILL get my act together. Until then . . . please hang tight! Thank you!!!

More Fabric {Flowers}

2011-05-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Day one of our paper chain activities was to make fabric flowers. My girls have been asking me to teach them for a while now, so it was fun to teach them how to do it. I recently posted a different kind of fabric flower {here} if you're interested. This isn't the best tutorial. I was trying to focus more on helping them figure it out than taking step by step pictures, but I did take a few and I'll try to explain it the best I can!

We cut 2 inch strips of fabric, folded it in half long ways, and stitched {using a long stitch. I used the longest stitch that my machine goes to. That way it's easier to bunch up the fabric} along the raw edge side leaving long "tails" of thread on either end.

Taking one of the two threads on one end hold it tight while bunching up the fabric. Be really careful not to break the thread . . . if you do you'll have to re-stitch it and start again.

My 9 year old wanted to make her friend a "bright pink" flower clip. She told my daughter that she's the nicest friend she's ever had today . . . made her day! I guess this is her "thank you." I didn't take pictures of the process, but once the fabric strip is bunched all the way, I started at one end and wound it around itself, hot gluing all along the way {wrap, hot glue, wrap, hot glue . . .}. Once we got it wrapped all the way around she cut out a felt circle and a clip and hot glued it to the underside.

Didn't it turn out super cute!?

My 7 year old decided to also give something to her friend. She wanted to glue a flower onto a green pipe cleaner, but I ran out, so she decided it might be a cute idea to use a pencil for the stem. We just hot glued one end of the flower to the eraser side of the pencil, then wrapped around just like the first one {wrap, hot glue, wrap . . . you get the picture}

After the whole thing was wrapped around the end of the pencil she cut a felt circle with a slit in it . . .

then I hot glued it to the bottom to hide all of the loose edges.

My goofy daughter smelling her hot glue smelling flower. Fun little project . . . although I wouldn't let them hot glue. I've been burned one too many times and didn't want to deal with little burned fingers and tears.

Paper {Chain}

2011-05-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

It's ALMOST the end of the school year . . . about this time every year my girls get really REALLY unmotivated to wake up and be happy that it's a school day. Last night while discussing ways that we can enjoy the next couple of weeks my 4th grader came up with choosing a fun activity for every day until the end of the school year. In that idea I decided to help them make a paper chain where they could write different activities of their choice on each link.

They made a list of WAY too many things . . . so after some long discussion we got their list down to 17 things . . . one link for every day (even weekends) until the end of the school year. I went through my junk . . . er . . . I mean drawers of scrapbook paper {That's right . . . I went through "the scrapbooking" phase} and cut 1 1/2" strips.

We numbered all of the strips according to the dates we have left, and after looking at the calendar to make sure we didn't over schedule any of our days they wrote out their chosen activities on the strips.

{Notice the 6. Go to Golden Spoon strip? That's because I'm holding a fundraising event that night for an organization I started after my sister passed away called Charish's Hope. If you live close to Poway California and want to come support us and the American Heart Association come! June 6th from 6-10pm. I'll be there!}

Then after making sure we put them in the right order we taped the links together to make our chain.

The next couple of weeks are going to be action-packed . . . they're SO excited! Okay, I am too . . . especially for that "make brownies or cookies" day . . . bring ON the chocolate! ;)

Subway {Art} Tutorial

2011-05-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've seen subway art a lot lately, and certainly wouldn't claim this as an original idea . . . just another tutorial!

They have these pieces of wood at Michael's in all different shapes and sizes. Be creative!

First off {I didn't take pictures . . . sorry!} paint your piece of wood in the color you ultimately want your letters/shapes to be. Let dry COMPLETELY so that when you stick on your letters it wont pull off the paint. I would be safe and allow to dry over night {or all day if you paint it in the morning!}

There are different ways you can apply the wording. My cute niece let me design what I wanted on her computer and she printed it all out on vinyl on her Cricut. I've seen other ways using the sticky backed contact paper. You can just print your design {which, by the way can be designed on a bunch of different computer programs like Photoshop or even Microsoft Word}. You can't print right on the contact paper but you can print it out on regular paper the size you want, spray the back with spray adhesive and stick it onto the non-sticky side of the contact paper. You'll just need to use a razor blade and carefully cut out each letter.

After sticking all of your words/shapes onto your painted sign, {and making sure every letter is pressed down completely} paint over the entire board with the "background" color. I used kind of cheap paint, so it took a few coats to get completely black.

This is the part that took a lot of patience for me! I wanted to see how it turned out . . . but WAIT!! If you don't wait until it's completely dry it will peel off funny and mess it up. Just. Wait!

When you're completely confident that the paint is all the way DRY!! carefully peel off all of the letters.

You can stop here or you can take it a step further by sanding down the edges to make it look a little more worn/old.

I like to do my projects as cheap as possible, so a lot of times I'll just use some of what I already have to save a buck. {That's right, I'm cheap!} I save everything that looks useful {and no I'm not a hoarder}. A baby blanket I got was wrapped in this white ribbon, and look! I was able to use it! Go me! Only thing is, I wish it were more of a cream color . . . someday I'll go buy one . . . maybe.

I used just a regular stapler to attach the ribbon to the back. I just used one piece of ribbon and looped it for a hanger. Make sure if you do it this way, to leave quite a bit of ribbon on the back and staple 6 or 7 times {or more if you think it's not sturdy enough}.

If you want to make a bow at the top just tie it right onto the loop.

And just hang it on a nail. The great thing about just tying a bow right onto the ribbon is if it looks crooked on the wall it's easily centered.

Fabric {Flower} Tutorial

2011-04-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to make a few more flower clips for my girls out of the extra t-shirt material I have left from my sisters shirts. I made a memory quilt for her little girl {HERE} right after she passed away and couldn't get rid of the rest of it. My girls love their "Charish flowers" so I wanted to make some more. I thought I'd share how I do it.

T-shirt material is great fabric to use because it doesn't fray. I love it, but it also works well with other fabrics also. Not to mention fraying is sometimes really cute!

I'm going to apologize right now for two things . . . my lame, half polished nails, and my not so perfect pictures. My good camera is dead and the baby is being good. Didn't want to waste the opportunity to get it done so I used my junk camera. :-/

Cut out a few circles. For this one I used 6. They don't have to be perfect. I used a soda can as a template. Dr. Pepper is never far from me . . . so that was the most convenient thing. Maybe I have a problem?? ha

Cut a small circle out of felt to glue the pieces to.

Oh this picture is awful! So sorry. Fold the circle in half, and then in half-ish again. It ends quartered, but it's good to not make it perfectly quartered. I like to do it off center.

Put a dab of hot glue on the tips and glue them down onto the felt piece.

I know . . . really?! These pictures . . . sigh. I'm just trying to show them glued onto the felt circle.

Put some hot glue on top of the four already glued down . . . just in the center . . .

. . . then for your last two circles try to fold them an extra time . . . more like in half, and then thirds . . . just to give some extra swirls. Glue them down on top . . .

. . . then while the glue is still soft pinch the whole flower so that it sticks up instead of lays flat. {Does that even make sense?? My tired, new baby brain is fried.}

Once your flower is glued together, cut another felt circle . . . a little bigger than the first one so that it covers it completely. Clip your hair clip directly onto the felt circle before gluing it down. The felt in between the clip will help keep the flower from slipping in your little girls hair.

Cover the felt circle with hot glue and then center it on the back of the flower.

We love them. They're very easy and if you're not into sewing this is a great little project for you! Happy spring!!

{CREATE}

2011-04-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

"The more you trust and rely upon the spirit, the greater your capacity to CREATE"

I have loved this since I first heard it, and I think of it often. Just wanted to share! Enjoy.

S'more {Peep} Casserole

2011-04-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

First off . . . I'm alive. I know . . . it's been forEVER and I've probably lost every follower I had. So sorry!! I've hit a wall as far as crafting goes. I had a sweet baby boy in December and just haven't gotten back in the groove. I really need something like this . . . a "me" thing . . . so I'm going to work on bringing this poor blog back to life!

Okay! So I found this adorable idea on my friend, Heather's, blog. You can find her original post {HERE}. I fell in love with it . . . and anything that involves Peeps . . . LOVE.

Here's what you need:

1 sleeve graham crackers {crushed in a large baggie using a heavy rolling pin}

1/3 cup brown sugar {I like more brown sugar so I use 1/2 cup}

8 marshmallow Peeps

1 cup plain Easter M&M's

1 quart mason jar {I used a paper circle for the lid and some ribbon to decorate}

{to make you'll need to following}

1 stick butter {melted}

1 tsp vanilla extract

I went to Walmart looking for jars and found this box of 12 Mainstays brand for under $8. Can't beat that!!

I've made three of these now. The first time I had a hard time squeezing in all of the M&M's at the end, so the second time I mixed the M&M's with the graham cracker/brown sugar mixture . . . then it was hard to squeeze the Peeps in at the end. So the third time I decided to just layer everything. It turned out the cutest but still was hard to squeeze the Peeps in.

haha . . . slightly crazy, but I got them all in. NEXT time I'm going to pour in half of the graham cracker/brown sugar mixture, then M&M's, then Peeps, then I'm going to pour in the last half of the crumb mixture. I'm thinking this will work better . . . maybe?? haha

To make:

Dump all of the jar contents into a large bowl. Take out the Peeps and either cut them into small or large chunks or save and layer them whole on top of mixture before baking. Melt 1 stick of butter and add to bowl along with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well until everything is coated evenly. Dump into a greased 8x8 baking dish {or whatever you have . . . I don't have one small enough so I used a pie pan} and, with greased fingers, firmly pat the mixture down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool COMPLETELY before cutting into them so they don't crumble.

A perfect teacher gift or just to swing by a friends house to let them know you're thinking of them.

Happy Easter!!!

Advent {Calendar} Day 2

2010-11-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

Day two and we've completed three pockets and started three more. So on top of the two I made yesterday {both white with red polka dots} we have 5 completed . . . 20 more to go.

I made the green with lime green polka dots the same as yesterday. I traced the dots using a poker chip {out of everything I could find that was the best size, but you obviously can use anything or even free hand them}.

My girls made the other two. My 9 year old made the ice skate {it's hard to see but there are two snow flakes above the skate}, and my 6 year old made the present. I cut out a piece of paper for each of them the exact size of the pocket and let them design their own. Once they had them drawn out, they cut out their pictures so they could trace them onto the felt and cut them out. I think they did such a great job! And it will be fun for them to see their own creations on our calendar. They've both started another one. My 9 year old is doing stripes and my 6 year old is doing a snowman . . . both of which are turning out super cute. I have another green polka dot one going too, but ran out of lime green, so I'm throwing in a red polka dot for fun. Anything goes . . . gotta love doing your own thing instead of going off of a pattern!

Advent {Calendar}

2010-11-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

I have been really wanting to buy an advent calendar for the past few years, and while shopping for one this year I came across this cute Pottery Barn one. I fell in love, but didn't think I could stomach spending $69 {plus shipping & handling} on something that I think I could make . . . especially when I have so. much. stuff. stashed away from old projects. {I have an extreme amount of felt left over from when I was making {this} quiet book, and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. Ah. Ha. Moment}. Anyway, so instead of posting my completed advent calendar I decided to post as I go so that, if you feel the rush that I did, you can follow along.

We only have 2 1/2 weeks left! So that's A LOT of sewing to do if we want it done in time. You in for a challenge?! I know I am! So join me, or save the ideas {if you even like them} for next year when you have a little more time.

Here's the inspiration . . . cute, right!?

I like to sketch out how I want to do things before I dive in. I decided {I think} to just make mine a square instead of a Christmas tree. Although I'm making all of the pockets first, so I can always change my mind if I feel like it. There are a few pockets that I'm not sure what to do with yet . . . but I have plenty to "use" from the Pottery Barn one. Just haven't decided yet.

I'm cutting my pockets out of felt {but am not eliminating the idea of using some scrap fabric on anything either}. Each pocket is 4" x 5 1/2". {By the way, my camera must have been on a funky setting because the red I used is NOT that bright or orange. It's just a regular deep red}. I traced my circles using a "token" {aka poker chip . . . my kids earn tokens for good behavior . . . we don't actually play poker . . . if you were wondering. lol}. I'm going to make two of these, and then two more just like this using deep green for the pocket and lime green for the polka dots.

We have 25 to make and only 19 days to do it, so I'm giving myself the goal of making at least 2 pockets a day {but shooting for more like 3} so I have time to sew them all onto the main/big fabric and stitch all of the numbers on. I'm hand stitching most of them since I run around like a crazy taxi driver all week and sit through hours of sports with my kids. I actually prefer the hand stitched look anyway {not to mention every time I try to machine stitch felt it always stretches in absurd ways}.

So good luck! Let me know if you're following along so I can post more sketches the day before of the pockets I'm going to do.

And last note: it's good to be back!

So Sorry for Being SO {M.I.A.}!!!

2010-07-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Aaaaand we're back! Although I can't see myself getting my sewing machine out for another few days I just wanted to let you know that I have NOT forgotten about my blog. For the past few months I've been sick with morning sickness . . . and now that that has gone away {for the most part} we've been busy moving. My love was offered a job in San Diego {where we both grew up} so of course he couldn't say no . . . so as sad as I am to leave the great people of Irvine I am beyond thrilled to be back "home." I have unpacked most of our house and hope to bust out the sewing machine and TONS of fabric {most of which I completely forgot about until I had to box it up . . . "Uhhh . . . errr . . . where did all of THAT come from?!"} so I have plenty to work with and plan on coming up with something creative . . . hopefully!

Sooo . . . to sum it up . . . don't give up on me! I'll be back just as soon as I get the rest of our lives unpacked {priorities royally stink sometimes . . . lol}.

Best Recipe Website!!

2010-06-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I am a serious slacker! So sorry!! I've been in a major slump. I'm almost positive that it has something to do with the morning sickness I've had . . . I'm pregnant with #4 and have been SO. tired!! I really do intend to get this blog back up and running soon!!

I have been craving cake from my favorite little cake store called Nothing Bundt Cakes, and since I live nowhere near one, I decided to look up a copycat recipe . . . which led me to this website tonight . . .

I am in love . . . it's a fan stinking TAStic website . . . can't wait to try some of the recipes. Enjoy.

Charish's Hope

2010-04-25T11:04:00.001-07:00

My 8 year old, Hannah, came up with the idea to raise money {by selling bracelets} to help people with heart disease in memory of her Aunt Charish. {You might remember this post.} On Jan. 1 of this year she collapsed due to a heart condition called cardiomyopathy and passed away a few days later. She left behind three young kids and 4 nieces, all of which are understandably heartbroken. I'm so proud of Hannah for finding a way to channel that pain and do something good with it. She hopes that you will enjoy her creations!

Here are the three color options that she has come up with. From left to right, Cotton Candy, Watermelon, and Soccer Mom {she wanted to make one that boys would like too, and since Charish was an avid soccer mom, she decided to use the colors of her boys' soccer teams}.

Each bracelet is $2, and can be made Small {babies up to age 24 months}, Medium {kids 2-abt 11}, or Large {adults and kids 12 +}. We are going to set up a PayPal option for payment, but for now you can just comment to this post with your order and mail her a check {send me a message at lyricpoulson@gmail.com for her address}. I will try to get a PayPal account for her up and running soon!! Sorry for the inconvenience!

Thank you for supporting her cause!

{No Sew} Flowers

2010-04-19T08:54:00.001-07:00

I love Made {here}. If you read my blog regularly you already know that. She always has cute . . . usually easy ideas. She is doing something until Mothers Day called Celebrating Mom where she will have cute ideas you can do for your mom or other women in your life. I'm excited to see what she has thought up!!

This morning she kicked it off with these no sew flowers. Find her free tutorial {here}. I'm going to pull out the scraps and make a few. I think they would be cute in the girls room too. I think I might actually sew along the bottom though to ruffle the fabric making it easier to "bunch" . . . but then again, she knows what she's doing, so I'm sure it probably is easier how she posted.

Thanks for another great idea, Dana!

{Egg-y} Cuteness!

2010-04-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love LOVE coming across cute ideas for holidays . . . this is by far my favorite Easter blog post I have seen. So so cute. I can't wait to do this . . . hoping that I have enough time after planning a birthday . . . we'll see. :/

I found this idea on Poppy Talk. You can find the picture tutorial {here}.

Have I said I'm in L.O.V.E with this idea?! Happy Easter!!

Oh and {p.s.} . . . I promise, PROMISE I will get to the giveaway soon!! I have been SO busy with family and planning a GIRLY birthday party.

Ruffle Dress {Men's shirt refashion}

2010-04-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to try another shirt dress for a while {I tried the first one about a year ago . . . here}, so I finally broke out the old shirt {and white scraps from an old bed skirt . . . I know, I save too much junk}. I wish I would have figured our her measurements a little better . . . live 'n learn, right! {Oh, and I attempted an elbow length sleeve . . . didn't quite measure right on that one either . . . just looks like I made them too short . . . sigh}

Cutting up the shirt. By the way . . . the tutorial for this shirt is found on Dana Made It {here}. I love how she adds tutorials to the stuff she makes . . . the main reason why I try to do that as much as I can here. Of course, my daughter had to be all up in the action . . . gotta love her.

All made . . . I also made her a little hair clip to match.

A little picture happy . . . can't have too many. {Okay, probably not true . . . but I DID cut back a little bit and delete a few . . . I need help}

The back . . . I decided to turn around the shirt and have the buttons go up the back.

And that's it . . . I have a few tweaks to make. It's a little tight on the shoulders, but now I know for next time.

Crafty Chic is {FEATURED} on The Rubber Punkin!!

2010-03-23T07:36:00.001-07:00

My first feature!! I was so excited to get an email from Emily at The Rubber Punkin this week letting me know that she picked my blog to feature. Go on over and check out her cute blog and leave her some love. Thank you Emily!

{p.s.} I've reached 50 followers today!! I will set up my giveaway and announce details soon!!

Toddler Skirt {refashion}

2010-03-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Aaaand I did another refashion today. I'm having a fun time turning our trashed clothes into something cute. Today I took my 8 year old daughter's OLD trashed dress and made a skirt for my 2 year old. Not sure if I like it on her . . . but if I don't like it on her I will bring out the waist and give it to my 5 year old.

Here's the dress. A total mess. I cut it off at the waist, cut the zipper and lining out, and saved the top strip to make a flower hair clip.

Cut the waist band straight across . . . and sew up the side.

Fold over the top and sew about 1/4" to get rid of the raw edge . . .

then fold down far enough to fit your elastic through and sew, leaving about 2 inches open. Measure elastic to fit around your child's waist. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed it through the hole.

When it reaches all the way through, sew the ends together, pull tight to fit all the way inside the waist band and sew up the hole. Easy capeasy.

Using the extra strip of fabric from the top part of the dress I made a little flower clip. Tutorial to come . . .

To My {Followers}

2010-03-18T12:21:00.001-07:00

There has been a surge of followers to my blog lately, and it's so fun to click on all of you and find your blogs. I have found a few really fun blogs through you with so many inspiring ideas, so THANK YOU!!

I hit 40 followers today {what!?}, and it gave me the idea to do my first give away. When my blog hits 50 followers I am going to do a giveaway . . . not going to say what yet . . . but all of my followers will be eligible to win.

More details to come . . .

Crayon Roll {tutorial}

2010-03-17T22:35:00.001-07:00

I made my older girls crayon rolls for Christmas and they use them all. the. time. So we decided that for their friends birthday's this year I would make them one too. Birthday party tomorrow . . . sewing tonight. {I'm THE biggest procrastinator on the planet . . . but at least I usually get things done}

{Disclaimer} Before I get started I should point out that my dimensions are for the Crayola Mini Twistables crayons. I definitely prefer these over regular crayons because the inside of the crayon roll stays MUCH cleaner. If you want to use regular crayons you'll need to take the dimensions down a bit. Sorry, I don't have those, but I know there are other tutorials online and all the one's I saw use regular crayons.

Start by cutting out your pieces.

You'll need one piece of thicker fabric {I usually use home decor fabric . . . that way you don't have to iron on interfacing to make it thicker} for the inside, and one piece of regular fabric for the outside. They both need to measure 18 1/2" x 6".

Cut one piece of fabric for the crayon pockets. It needs to measure 18 1/2" x 7.

Fold down the 18 1/2" x 7" piece of "pocket" fabric in half . . . line up with the bottom of the home decor fabric and start sewing straight lines all the way down the pocket fabric. The first measurement will be 1 3/8" from the edge. All other spaces will be 1 1/8" apart. You should get 16 pocket's.

You don't have to use rick rack, but I think it makes it a little cuter. I used medium rick rack for this one. Go around and pin making sure to line it up so it doesn't go over the edge.

Sew on a button {sorry, I forgot to take a picture} about 4 1/2" in, onto the outside fabric. {I accidentally sewed mine about 5" in and it's pretty tight.}

Pin the outside piece onto the inside . . . right sides together. Make sure you leave a space open so you can flip it right side out. I always leave the side closest to the button open.

Flip right side out.

And push all of the edges and corners out so that it lays flatter.

Cut a piece of thin elastic about 4" long. Fold in half and pin half way down the edge. Make sure that it's on the same side as the button . . . the side I leave open.

Sew about 1/8" all the way around to flatten the entire thing . . . and closing the open seam.

Fill with crayons . . .

. . . and roll up!

OLD Nightstand . . . Painted {RED}

2010-03-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

My parents have had this nightstand for YEARS . . . I mean like 25 years +. They ran out of room and handed it down because I have been dying to have one {so so tired of not having something to put my book, phone, junk on}. Only . . . slightly ugly.

I've always wanted to paint some piece of furniture red . . . don't ask me why . . . couldn't give you a good answer.

{And FYI . . . Krylon spray paint at Joann = $7.99. Krylon spray paint at Walmart = $2.97 . . . learned the hard way that spray paint at Walmart isn't just slightly cheaper . . . it's WAY cheaper!}

I was hoping for a deeper red, and this picture came out a little brighter than it actually is, but it works and I like it better than the 80's "wood." I REALLY should have spent a little bit of time sanding it down . . . didn't hold the paint very well . . . live & learn, right.

Mom's Shirt = Toddler Dress {refashion}

2010-03-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it seems that March has turned into my "refashion" month. It's been a lot of fun for me to spend the baby's nap time coming up with ways to turn old things new. Love the "spending no money" part of it the most.

This time I took one of my old shirts that fit weird and turned it into a dress for my 2 year old. I started it a while ago, but decided to pull it out today and finish it.

This is when it was a shirt . . . always bunched up funny on the top . . . so annoying. Glad to find something else to do with it.

First, I cut off the top/strap part . . . {for some reason the other picture didn't download. I cut the top straight, turned it under about 1/4" and sewed a thin seam across the top}

To make the straps I cut 2" strips, folded them in half {iron}, then opened it and folded each end into the center {iron} . . .

. . . then sewed close to each edge to make stay flat.

I made the straps a little long, so I cut the ends off and made bows with the extra . . . thought it added a little cuteness to it.

To cinch the fabric, I used an elastic thread for the bobbin thread and regular thread for the top . . . then just sewed about 1/4" strips. So so so easy.

And it's done. I didn't move pockets or anything . . . seriously easy project.

This girl loves to wear dresses!

{Another} Ruffle Shirt {refashion}

2010-03-11T18:31:00.001-08:00

I've had a sick baby all week, so we've been cooped up at home . . . and instead of going bonkers I decided to make some time for ME, something I never do . . . but I should.

This time I took one of my old shirts that had a hole in it . . . another almost throw away. I just used it as a total experiment since I have no idea what I'm doing when there is no pattern involved.

Here it is . . . the guinea pig . . .

Cut off the sleeves and down the seams . . .

. . . then traced one of my 8 year olds t-shirts for a "pattern" on how big/small to cut it.

Took off all of the buttons and sewed down where the buttons were holding it together . . . then cut the sleeves down a little to make them her size . . . and successfully sewed them back on! {I think I'll make myself some brownies to reward that one}

. . . then cut three strips out of the material I cut off when making it her size . . . one to cover the hole {for some reason it didn't show up in the picture}, one to cover where the buttons were and one to even everything out.

Then as I sewed down the strips I tucked, sewed, tucked, sewed . . . {great instructions, right! haha}

And this is it, before any tweaks . . . which are definitely needed! But I'm proud of myself for putting it all back together! Next time it might actually fit right! :/

Ruffle Shirt {refashion}

2010-03-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

My 5 year old had this really old, really ratty/ugly shirt that I was ready to throw away, but yesterday I came across this post on Make it and Love it {here} and I thought I'd try to do it using this old shirt . . . because if I ruined it, then it wouldn't be sad for me. I feel like I could have done a better job, but for my first time using this technique and my first time sewing with knit {aside from the memory blanket I made . . . but that knit had iron-on interfacing on the back of each piece}.

ANYWAY . . . heres the ugly shirt with the stain that wouldn't budge on the right shoulder.

I cut a few 1" strips to take the length off and to get some material to use for the ruffling.

Then I cut another 1/2" strip to give the bottom hem a little "something"

I didn't take any pictures of how I did the flowers . . . just take the 1" strip and twist it while wrapping it in a circle. Then just pin them down and sew around onto the shirt. A great way to cover a stain. ;)

The bottom of the shirt . . . not much, but the thin strip added a little texture instead of just folding under and sewing.

And the back . . . didn't realize I got it wet when brushing her hair, but you get the idea. I also had to take in the sides a little bit to make the sleeves smaller for her.

And having a sick baby for a model doesn't ever work out, but I think you get the hint . . . right?

A {Memory} Quilt for a Little Girl

2010-02-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

With my sisters passing {previous post} I REALLY struggled {explains my absence . . . sorry guys!}, and with everything that was in me a lot of the pain I was {and still am} feeling was directed toward this sweet girl and the fact that she's just SO young that she will most likely forget things about her mom. I immediately made it a goal to do my part in helping her remember . . . so I made her this quilt out of Charish's shirts and nightgown.

This was the night that I gave it to her. She just laid down and stared at the pictures of her mom . . . so sweet and heart wrenching at the same time.

This rocking chair was from my grandma. She gave it to my mom when Charish was a little girl . . . about Chloe's age, so I thought it would be cool to take a picture of her memory blanket on the chair she used to sit in as a toddler.

The back, binding and border are all fabrics that I bought to hold the shape a little better. Chloe just let me know that it's her "favorite blanket" . . . totally made my day.

One of my favorite pictures of Chloe and Charish swimming last summer.

{Special} Request

2010-01-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

My sister Charish collapsed at work on New Years day and wasn't found until about 10-15 minutes later. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse, so paramedics came (which took another 7 minutes or so) and used the paddles on her and performed CPR. They luckily got her to come back, and rushed her to the hospital where she's been on life support. Yesterday they told us that they didn't think she had much of a chance since she had been dead for so long. Her brain activity (they think) is very low, so today we're transporting her to a better hospital where they have a really good neurologist who is going to look at her brain and tell us what kind of brain activity she has.

This of course is taking it's toll on the family. Her three young kids NEED her to pull through this, so I'm asking for your prayers! I'm a complete wreck and selfishly need her here. I don't know how I'm going to make it without her. I know that miracles happen and I'm holding on to that as tight as I possibly can, but we need the prayers. I'll come back and update what I find out today after the new dr. looks at her. Hopefully it will be some good news!! Thanks!

{Update}

I just got back from saying good bye to Charish tonight. The neurologist looked at her brain scans and let us know that once the life support is removed she has 0% chance of survival. Her brain was far too damaged from the lack of oxygen. I'm beyond crushed and can't believe that she's gone. Thank you soo so so much for all of your love and prayers. I can absolutely feel the warmth of everyone. Hold your loved ones just a little tighter for me.

On a positive note, it looks like they'll be able to use her eye's, liver, pancreas, kidneys, skin, heart valves, and other things that will save a lot of people's lives . . . some tonight. That's really all that's keeping me going, imagining other people's facebook pages and blogs saying how excited they are that they finally found a match. She was such a selfless, giving person that it would be ridiculous to let her go without helping others. Again, thank you for praying for her miracle . . . instead the miracle will go to others, and for that reason alone I'm okay with her going. xo

Adding Your {Signature} to Blog Posts

2009-12-29T23:01:00.000-08:00

I've been wondering how people have been adding their "signature" to their blog posts, so I was happy to find this tutorial {here}! Thanks Blue Cricket Design!

I {H.E.A.R.T} Finding New Blogs

2009-12-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

I came across the blog {Today's Creative Blog} where every Monday they do something called "Get Your Craft On!" a couple weeks ago and I love it. Anyone can add links to their craft blogs, so you can spend forever looking at everyone's crafty ideas . . . and in the process you find blogs you want to follow.

Just wanted to share! Happy crafting!

{New} Years Resolutions . . . LOTS of them

2009-12-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

{Warning: this post is long and probably doesn't interest you . . . but I needed to put it somewhere!}

So, normally I wouldn't share my resolutions . . . but I'm thinking it might keep me motivated to know that other people know what they are . . . maybe! I feel like every day I come up with something else I need to work on. This girl is FAR from perfect . . . sigh. So here we go. I plan on checking in with myself on the first of every month to see how I'm doing and if I need to do better {which I'm sure will be the latter}.

~ I am AWFUL at keeping up with "the basics" . . . saying daily prayers and reading scriptures, SO one of my more important resolutions this year is to say my morning & evening prayers and to read my scriptures at least once a day. Isn't it so obvious that life goes more smoothly and you're more patient when you keep up with these two simple things?! It is for me anyway. I found this reading chart that I'm going to print out and keep out in the open . . . I'm thinking I'll print one out for my 8 year old too.

~ Next, I have WAY. TOO. MUCH. crafty "stuff" that I just HAD to have, and then ended up doing nothing with . . . SO I am going to make something at least twice a week {my life gets overwhelmingly busy sometimes and I sometimes go a month without doing anything "fun"} and share a tutorial for each thing on my blog. I am really big about doing tutorials. I hate when you see something cute on a blog and then you have to go buy the pattern/directions. I've stolen enough ideas from other people over the years and it's time I give something back.

~ I used to have a daily photo blog where I would take a picture, no matter what, and post it on my blog every day. My life has dealt me some pretty lame stuff this year and I've gone away from doing it, SO my plan is to get back into the "daily photo groove". I love to look back and remember the little things in my life. And, to go along with this one, I am going to write in my journal every day using this website. Super easy way to keep up with journaling . . . you can even have reminders sent to your email when you've missed a day, or a week . . . whatever. Then you can have it printed into a hardback "regular" size book.

~ Christmas Eve I lost my grandma . . . a grandma who I used to be really close to but for one reason or another we haven't spoken in almost 10 years. I have felt like I should probably reconnect, but never did . . . and {for now} it's too late to do that. SO one of my resolutions is to strengthen my relationships with my loved ones. Life is too short to be selfish. I plan on writing {like on real paper with a real pen . . . no emailing - that's so impersonal I think} a card every Sunday to someone in my life. Strengthening relationships is really what this life is all about . . . it's about time I take that seriously.

~ I LOVE a clean and organized house, so I'm going to keep it that way. I started today on seriously going through every drawer, closet, nook & cranny to get rid of the "junk" that has piled up all over the place. There's no need for so much stuff, and I'm learning that organizing your space and making it more usable makes the entire family happier and less stressed out about life. I know it sounds weird, but it's SO true . . . try it.

~ And last, but probably most important - I'm going to spend much more quality time with my beautiful girls. They deserve much more than what they're getting. I don't even read to them anymore! I've become quite the pathetic mother and I know that that HAS to change before they lose interest in loving me just because I'm their mom.

So there it is . . . a lot to swallow, but I know that if I do these things I will be a happier, and more patient person. Here's to a new year. 2009 was awful for me . . . I'm REALLY excited for a fresh start! What are your resolutions? Figured them out yet??

Fun Tutorials {Galore}

2009-12-22T22:49:00.001-08:00

I've been super busy with Christmas stuff/traveling, so I haven't done much by way of craft blogging ... but I have been following my favorite blogs and love this post that Sew Mama Sew posted today {here}. This is SUCH a great list of good tutorials! I L.O.V.E. that I came across it! I am really excited to try a few of them when the holidays are over and life gets back to "normal". Just thought I'd share. Hope you're Christmas & New Years will be fabulous!

{First} Guest Blogger!

2009-12-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to have one of my very best friends {I swear we were meant to be sisters} post a fun idea on here. If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out {here}! I'm always looking for fast, creative, & {of course} cute gift ideas, so I'm so glad that she shared it with me. I just hope I have time to use it for Christmas this year . . . I'm drowning in projects {urg}. If not, I'll for sure be using it for birthdays next year! She has some great ideas . . . I'm sure you'll be seeing more of her in the future. Thank you Jennie! xo

Colorful {Bean bags}

2009-12-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

So with Christmas coming up, and having three kids and very limited funds, I decided that I would try to make the girls some of their gifts mostly out of stuff I already have. A friend of mine was making some bean bags for her son and it gave me the idea to make some for my 21 month old. Being the third child I haven't worked with her like I did with the first two, so I decided to make some to teach her colors.

It's a seriously easy project, and she saw them this morning and threw a monster FIT when I took them and put them in the closet with the other Christmas stuff . . . so apparently they will be a big hit.

{The journey . . .}

Cut out two of each color in the size you want them to be {adding 1/2" to account for the 1/4" seams}. I cut them 3"x3", so they're pretty small, but I wanted them to be small enough to take to church or wherever else I need her to play quietly.

Putting right sides together start sewing about 3/4 of the way down on one side, going all the way around, and stopping about 1/4 of the way down on the side you started, leaving a hole big enough to flip it right side out.

Flip it right side out . . .

and using a pointed object {I used a chop stick} push out all of the corners to make it more of a square.

After they're flipped out make a funnel with paper if you don't have a small funnel, and fill it with whatever you want . . . beans, rice, or I used "poly-pellets". {It took me FOREVER to find them the first time at Joann Fabric, and right when I was about to give up I found them with the doll making stuff. It has a picture of a doll and some stuffed animals on the front of the bag. Just a little FYI}

Hand sew the hole closed with a whip stitch.

I also decided last minute to make a simple draw string bag to carry them all in. I had visions of them all getting lost in the toy box, and I didn't want that to happen.

Fast Neighbor & Teacher Gift

2009-12-14T14:46:00.001-08:00

I am so excited that my best friend (sister-at-heart) asked me to post something on her crafty blog here! To be rubbing shoulders with all of you amazingly talented women is quite humbling!

So I know how crazy these few days before Christmas can be, therefore here is a really fast and fun gift for all your neighbors and friends. This also makes a great teacher gift and not to mention- it's really inexpensive :) which makes it nice for everyone.

I was so excited to get these done! Every one of them turned out with a little bit of individual personality as I tried to make the most of the scrap paper I had. Now go to your pantry and see what you have so you can get started!
You need pop top cans with the pull-back ring. Make sure they are not the kind with the rounded bottom edge. You need the regular can edge so you can glue the lid back on the bottom.

Start by using a safety can opener that cuts on the outside edge of the can. Cut open the bottom, and fill it with your own assortment of candy. Then glue the bottom back on. I used a hot glue gun, but I know there is other metal glue that might be a little easier to use. Be careful with the hot glue, you have to get the lid back on before it cools or the can edge won't slide back into the groove and fit just right.

I used scrapbook paper, stamps, ribbon and tags to decorate them up. I also thought fabric might be a fun and easy way to dress them. This part went really fast once I kind of got an assembly line going. My only suggestion is to make sure you use a strong glue that will adhere the paper to the metal can.

For the tops, cut a mat just larger and then cut out the little part to go around the pop- top ring. I have an oval cutter which worked perfectly for that part. Loop the ribbon through the ring to tie on the tag, and Voila! You're done.

That's it... I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I {LOVE} this!

2009-12-11T15:44:00.000-08:00

I saw this great tutorial {here} a while ago at UK lass in US, and liked it, but wasn't sure how I wanted to make it or which child I would make it for. Then today on Ucreate I saw it this way . . . a Critter Condo. This is PERFECT for my kids! I know I only have a week left but I really want to try to make it before Friday. And hopefully, if it's easy enough I'll make two of them for my two older girls.

This is the doll house version . . . and you can see more examples of what others have done on Uk lass in US's flicker group {here}.

{M.I.A} ... seriously!

2009-12-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know, I know ... it's been WAY too long since I've posted anything. Life has thrown me some curve balls and crafting hasn't been the top thing on my list. I have a few things planned for my girls for Christmas that I'm going to start on Monday when they're in school. I'll be sure to post everything I do with tutorials!! Sorry for being away so long! Hope your holidays are going fabulous and there isn't too much hustle bustle in your life {unless you like it that way!}. Stay tuned ...

Alice {in Wonderland}

2009-10-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

I had a very sick/grumpy little Alice today, so this is the best picture I could get. It ended up being a very cheap and seriously easy costume! For my "no sew tutu" tutorial go here.

Happy Halloween!!!

Ticker Tape Quilt

2009-10-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

I love finding new ideas to use my scraps, and I really like this idea from Crazy Mom Quilts! It's something that you can prepare and then just add to as you get more scraps. And the best part ... you piece and quilt at the same time! Go {here} for a tutorial.

I've also seen her do one that is more of a twin size quilt ... a lot of work, but so cute!

{No Sew} Tutu

2009-10-17T20:00:00.001-07:00

I made my 19 month old a tutu for her Halloween costume last night and she wore it all morning. I love how easy these tutu's are ... and they really are "new sew" ... except of course for sewing the elastic together to make the loop.

The journey ...

I bought 5 yards of tulle, and for as fluffy as I wanted it I should have gotten more like 5 1/2.

Cut 4" strips, then cut the strips into thirds {20" long}. This is for a baby, so for a bigger girl you can just cut them in half {30" long}. It's really all up to you how long you want it ... just remember that you're going to be folding them in half!

Stack up a few strips evenly {depending on how fluffy you want it, add as many or as little as you want}. For this tutu I used 6 strips {when folded in half it makes 12}.

Put your fingers through the loop to grab on to the ends ...

grab the ends ...

and pull through.

Position the grouping, then pull tight. {FYI ... I don't sew the elastic into a loop until the end because it tends to stretch when you tighten the knots}.

Once you have as many groupings as you need to fit around your child, sew the ends of the elastic together. {I usually add one more grouping to cover the rest of the elastic ... then shift some around to make them all even}.

My sweet girl showing off her new tutu {I asked her to say "cheese" and instead of her smiling while saying it, she just said it, resulting in a goofy mouth. ha}

The beginning of Alice {in Wonderland}. Now I need to make a white apron and black head band. Almost there ...

Candy Bar Wrappers

2009-10-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

I found these wicked candy bar wrappers this morning on Skip to My Lou. I love when I come across such a cute and easy idea! So I give all of the credit to her ... I even copied her wording ... so thanks, Skip to My Lou. Everyone go check our her cute blog.

For the mummy, stick two wiggly eyes at the top of the candy bar, wrap white crepe paper party streamer around the candy bar, and fasten off with some tape.

For the bat, print out the template {you can get it here}, cut bat out of black construction paper, add eyes, tape ends of candy bar wrapper to the back. Place candy bar inside and wrap wings around candy bar and fasten with double stick tape or a glue dot.

Memory Quilt {lesson learned}

2009-10-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

Alright, today I did the second block for my memory quilt, but it didn't go as smoothly as the first. The difference; I used clothes with different types of fabrics. I knew that if I was sewing a knit fabric that I would need to use fusible interfacing, but the cotton ... or less stretchy ... stuff didn't need it ... or so I thought! I'm thinking that if I use the fusible interfacing on all types of fabric then it will work out a little better. That way there wont but such a difference in thickness. We'll see ... I'll let you know how it goes!!

So ... here they are. The first two blocks in my tedious {but fun} project. I wont have these two next to each other because every other block will have white for the outside border.

Memory Quilt {sneak peek}

2009-10-08T15:30:00.001-07:00

Okay, well I finally started sewing together my memory quilt {and let me tell you ... this is a PROJECT! If the fabric is knit ... t-shirt material ... then I have to use fusible interfacing so they wont stretch too much.}. I'm excited how the first block turned out ... I'm only hoping I can pull this off!

I really have been struggling letting go of all of my girls' baby clothes ... kind of sad for me since we wont have any more kids. So I decided to keep them and cut them up for a quilt.

I took a "before" picture of most of the clothes I'm using.

Here is my first square. I'm going to do each block like this, only on every other block the outside border is going to be white. I'm going to try to coordinate each square, but as far as all of the blocks going together ... they wont.

Here are some of the clothes I used ...

{All of my girls wore this one. There are only a few things that they all wore, so I'm really trying to use those pieces!}

{This one I only used the end of one of the sleeves - so far - for the "pretty" tag}

The Poppy Doll

2009-09-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have loved the Poppy Doll from Hop Skip Jump, and was so excited when she made her pattern available. {You can get yours here}. I got it a couple days ago, and made my first one today. I made it for my 18 month old, but my 8 year old has played with it all day. It was kind of a "whoever gets it first" battle all day!

I have been in the mood of refashioning things ... like turning my old shirts and my husbands dress shirts into dresses or skirts for my kids. I used an old bed skirt's middle for a crib skirt that I made {here}, so I used the actual skirt part of it for the skin of this doll. The pattern calls for a wool fleece, but I'm trying not to spend any money, so I used what I had.

I wish I could give more of a tutorial, but since she sells her pattern I didn't think it would be nice of me to do that. Sorry!! Go get the pattern!! It's fairly easy and it comes with patterns for a few pieces of clothing as well.

I used her pattern for a top and added a strip along the bottom to turn it into a dress.

I told her to put her new baby "night night", but I think she got confused and thought I told her to go night night on her new baby. She didn't move for a good 5 minutes. I thought she really would go to sleep ... no such luck! ;)

Ribbon Blanket & Block ... GIVEAWAY!!

2009-09-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you've noticed but I love Moda Bake Shop; a quilting blog with TONS of "quilty" tutorials. Today I checked out her site and found this cute tutorial, and at the end it directs you to her other blog, Our Cozy Nest, where she is giving away all of the fabric, ribbons, and batting to complete this project, as well as some other bonuses!! Go check out Our Cozy Nest and enter for her giveaway ... here's hoping!!

Memory Quilt ... ??

2009-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

So my husband & I have decided not to have anymore kids, and I have been going back & forth on what to do with all of these totes and boxes and bags of outgrown baby clothes. I have decided that I really want to make a quilt of some sort, but not sure what to do exactly.

SO my question is ... have you ever made one? I don't want it to just be patchwork squares, because I'm going to have a lot of items that I wont be able to get a full square out of. I'm thinking a log cabin quilt?? What have you done, or do you have any idea on what I should do??

Hit me with some ideas!! Thanks!!

I Remember

2009-09-11T10:32:00.001-07:00

Moda posted this quilt today that they made for all of the children born after 9/11 who would be missing their fathers due to the attacks. I thought it was so sweet and it makes me want to make something to donate to someone/somewhere ... maybe Children's Hospital?? I love inspiring posts!! Thanks Moda, for such a sweet and selfless gesture! Visit their website here!!

Christmas in July

2009-07-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting a cute advent calendar for YEARS, and I love, love, love this one! More importantly I'm so glad that Sew Mamma Sew posted this right now when there is still time to make it! Check out her blog for fabrics and tutorials. I'm LOVIN' it!

Twirly Jean Skirt

2009-07-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE this blog. It's called Make it and Love it. She posted this tutorial on another blog, Ucreate, and I am definitely going to try it as soon as my life quiets down a little bit. The tutorial is here. It looks REALLY easy, and is extremely cute! I can't wait to try it.

Camera Strap

2009-07-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to make a strap for my camera for a while, but have been consumed with my 9 patch quilt, so now that I'm frustrated with the quilt I decided to put it aside and do something seriously easy. I followed the tutorial on Make It and Love It somewhat. The only thing I really changed was the fabric. I wanted it to be one fabric, which was even easier.

I bought this black & white fabric to make a pillow for my daughters bed, but I had plenty and I love it.

After measuring the strap and doubling it, then adding about an inch it was 4" wide. After it was cut I ironed on some fusible interfacing for added reinforcement.

You'll want to cut the fabric 1/2" or so longer than the strap so you can tuck it under for the last step.

I failed to take pictures of the strap after I sewed it. You'll want to sew the strap right sides facing each other, then turn it right side out. Put a safety pin on one end of your camera strap and pull it through, being careful not to rip the interfacing inside. After pulling it through, tuck the ends under and sew directly onto the strap right under the leather piece, NOT on the leather.

I'm happy with how it turned out! It was so easy!

Blog Stalkers ...

2009-07-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Alright ... it's time for all of you who look at my blog to show your faces! haha ... I'm only kidding! I keep hearing about people who have found my blog and have been lurking without leaving any comments! Shame, shame! Just kidding! (I'm such a dork). I'm more curious than anything who has been keeping up with my sorry excuse for a craft blog. Please leave a comment or click on the "follow" button on the right. I want to know who I'm embarrassing myself in front of! haha. Thanks!!

A Girls Quiet Book

2009-07-05T14:16:00.003-07:00

Since I wont be posting pictures of my quilt for awhile, I decided to post pictures of an old project that I did for my kids. I wanted to make a quiet book for my kids, but couldn't find a pattern that I liked, so I decided to make my own patterns. I think most of them turned out okay, but as with everything else, I've learned in the process things I'll do differently if I ever make another one.

Tic-Tac-Toe page: has a pouch with pieces to play the game.

Flower page: has removable flowers that are interchangeable.

Gumball page: has gumballs that come off so they can match the colors.

Purse page: has bracelets, play lipstick, etc. inside.

Flower vase page: the flowers are removable. This is the only page the baby can play with and she LOVES them!

Shoe page: laces for the kids to practice tying their shoes.

Puzzle pages: the three pockets have the pieces to three different puzzles, and the other page is for them to put the puzzles together.

Star puzzle.

Flower puzzle.

Heart puzzle.

Shape page: the shapes are velcroed on so they can match the shapes.

Hair page: has a pocket with hair ties so the kids can practice braiding and rubber banding the ends.

I stitched our last name on the back just in case we leave it laying around at church or something.

"Just Crafting Away ..."

2009-07-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

I hope Lindsay is okay with me posting her quilt top, but I thought it turned out so cute. I'm excited that she finished and that hers turned out so good ... gives me hope. ;) Check out her cute blog "Just Crafting Away ..." here.

Before the Rip-Out

2009-07-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

I decided to take a picture of what I had finished before I started ripping out squares to redo them. I've completed three squares so far and they're coming out good. Too bad I didn't pay close attention the first time. I guess this is how we learn our lessons, right!

Road Block

2009-06-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

So, I've finished sewing most of the 9 patch quilt top together when I realized how totally off my sewing is. It looks like I'll be taking it apart a square at a time to fix it. I'm really bugged that I've gotten this far before I realized that I need to re-do it, but oh well. I kind of knew I was off, but I figured that it would be okay when it was all done ... not the case this time. I'll post pictures when I finish ... which will be a while, I'm sure. Sigh ...

Getting Closer ...

2009-06-26T19:13:00.003-07:00

Scrappy 9 Patch Quilt

2009-06-25T09:23:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I found a quilt along on the blog, Crazy Mom Quilts, and told my mom and friend, Lindsay about it, and shortly after all three of us decided to make our own. Seeing as I didn't have 140 different fabrics/scraps (2 different fabrics for each of the 70 squares), we all shared our fabric with each other. Here is about 35 squares that are finished.

It's such a simple quilt; 9, 2 1/2 inch squares in each 9 patch. Once the 2 1/2 inch squares are all cut it goes super quick. It's been a fun project. I'm glad we started ... now just to finish!

My stack of what I have left before I have all 70 squares done. I want to finish them all today so that I can start sewing them all together tomorrow. I'm so excited to see the finished quilt top ... I'll post pictures as soon as I have more done.

Apple Pie Apples

2009-06-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

My absolute FAVORITE treat is the Apple Pie Apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I really could eat one every day, but at around $7 a pop it doesn't fit in my budget. I was craving one on Saturday, so instead of spending $7 on one, I spent around $10 on 8 ... not bad. I decided to try two different kinds of apples; the traditional Granny Smith green apple, and a sweeter one (can't remember the name, but they taste about the same as Pink Lady apples). I prefer the sweeter one, but my husband prefers the Granny Smith. They're both good.

I melted two bags of caramels and had a little left over. We'll probably use it for ice cream or for dipping sliced apples another time.

After the caramel, I dipped each one in white chocolate, and then a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. They didn't exactly turn out as pretty as Rocky Mountain's, but they were SO good!

A Walk With Friends

2009-06-15T17:48:00.001-07:00

We took a walk today with some friends of ours and let the kids ride bikes & run around while the moms played (tried to figure out) our cameras. I took probably 50 pictures and I only like these three. Maybe I'll get better soon ... hopefully. ;)

Almost Done ...

2009-06-01T16:19:00.001-07:00

Today I finally finished Charlise's crib set. I used a pattern out of Amy Butler's "Little Stitches", and I love it. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Now we'll just have to see how sturdy it is ... {crossing fingers}.

I wanted it to match the quilt my mom made for her (which I forgot to take a picture of. This quilt is the one I made out of the scrap fabric left from my mom's quilt). I didn't find the exact fabric I wanted ... until I was all done (of course). I got a yard of it, though, and I plan on making a pillow or something out of it ... which is why I titled this post "almost done".

A view of one of the pockets.

Oh ... there's the quilt my mom made! Guess I did take a picture!

The pattern said to make the ties out of fabric, but I decided that ribbon would be cuter ... so that's what I did!

Now all I need to do is paint the crib black! ;)

I.LOVE.SPRING!

2009-05-31T17:48:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love living in Irvine during the spring time. There are jacaranda trees lining the streets and I LOVE them! I wish it lasted all year ... but then I guess they wouldn't seem as special. I decided to have a photo session with my 5 year old daughter and the jacarandas on Friday ... enjoy.

I just realized she's wearing her shirt dress. Looks like she never changes, but it's really only the second time she's worn it!! Funny.

The Shirt Dress

2009-05-07T20:32:00.001-07:00

I recently ran into a fantastic blog called Made. There is a great tutorial on how to make these darling little girl dresses out of a man's old dress shirt. I LOVE the idea that the girls can wear their Daddy's old shirts. My friend, Lindsay, and I decided to tackle the challenge and spend the day making our first "shirt dress". It's an easy dress to sew, but it took us a while to figure out how to draw the pattern and to sew it for the first time. I'm happy with how it turned out, and Reha is SO excited that we cut up Daddy's shirt and made her a cute dress!

To make your own just follow the tutorial. I've included the sketches from her blog on this post, but she goes step by step on her blog. Have fun!!

Reha showing off her new dress.

She started having a little too much fun posing for the camera ...

Really, where did she learn these poses? I swear I don't do this ...

A view from the back.

My mouth is WATERING ...

2009-05-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Check out these yummy mellon popsicles I found while I was looking at a blog called Party Perfect. It's a super cute blog with some great ideas. She found them on Martha Stewarts Craft Dept. Now just to figure out how they made them ... !

Close Your Clothes!

2009-04-30T21:04:00.001-07:00

I can't get over how cute this Close Your Clothes book is that I found on forty-two roads ... a super cute blog I just ran into. She used some old clothes with different clips, buttons, zippers, etc. to teach her daughter how to dress herself. I'm so impressed and think this is a project I might do in the near future. Thank you, forty-two roads, for the wonderful idea!!

Charly's Crib Quilt

2009-04-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

My mom made my 13 month old, Charlise a twin size quilt, and I LOVE the fabric. There was quite a bit extra, so I decided to make her a crib size quilt using the same fabric so that I don't have to wait until she gets a "big girl bed" for her to use it. While I've made quite a few baby quilts in the past, this is my first attempt at machine quilting. I really like how it turned out. It's actually opened up a can of worms because now I want to make her a crib bumper and skirt to match ... both of which I've never made. I just hope I can do it without messing up. We shall see ...

The journey ...

Laying out the squares and beginning to piece it all.

The first look at a completed top.

I bought this purple-ish polka dot fabric a while ago because I liked it, and decided that since it was in the quilt I would use it as the back. Only thing ... it was about 5 inches too short. I had to go buy 1/3 of a yard more. I hate almost finishing something and having to stop because of lack of materials.

My friend, Lindsay, was nice enough to let me use her sewing machine to quilt it. I was just going to use a straight stitch and "stitch in the ditch", but I thought this wavy line was so cute ...

A look at the back after I was done quilting it.

Sewing on the binding. I have never used black in a baby quilt, but I really like it.

After the binding was sewn on and before the hand stitching to complete it.

The long and tedious process of hand stitching all the way around the binding to finish it off.

And three days later I finished. I've never finished a quilt in three days! I'm proud of myself and happy that it actually lays flat ... this would be a first for me!

More of the finished product ...

and another one ...

And one more!