The Secret Stitch Club

Arizona Birthday Cookies

2012-02-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

I never realized how much I love the state of Arizona until I married a Utah boy and had to defend AZ all the time. It's too hot, too allergy-ridden, has bad traffic and bad pollution, too brown, too dry...blah, blah, blah. :) While all those may be sorta true, I love Arizona. There is so much that is good about her. Yeah, it's hot. Yeah, it never rains. But I love the warmth. I love the smell of desert plants and orange blossoms. I love the citrus that grows everywhere. I love the diversity...both in the land and the people. You can drive 3 hours out of Phoenix and hit the ski slopes or go camping. You can hike the various mountains surrounding the valley. I could go on and on. But to me it's home. Hubby is coming around. I think he'd miss it if we left. Sorta. :) Anyway, in honor of Arizona's 100th birthday on February 14th I decided to finally do something I've been wanting to do for a long time:

Ta-da!

I know it's far from perfect, but this was my first time. I found this cute AZ cookie cutter a while ago at ABC Cake Decorating Supplies in Phoenix. If you love to bake anything containing sugar, this is the place for you. It has so much stuffed into a little tiny store. Anyway, I finally decided to take the plunge and decorate some cookies. I've been researching this topic for a long time now and slowly collecting supplies. I've read tons of tutorials, watched tons of youtube videos and perused tons of cookie decorating websites and blogs. There is soooo much information out there. And so many talented people! These are a few of the blogs I went to the most often to learn:

Bake at 350
The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle
Sweetopia

These ladies generously share their tips and secrets. And they are super talented. I went with this sugar cookie recipe from Sugarbelle. The recipe calls for powdered sugar instead of regular white sugar. It makes a such a difference. And tastes so good! I also went with her royal icing recipe.

And since Valentine's Day is coming up, I made some conversation heart cookies. For the hearts on the AZ cookie and the wording on the conversation heart cookies I just used Americolor food safe markers. I just wasn't ready to try that with icing.

It was a good first experience with royal icing. I think I beat the icing too long, because it's a little to hard and crunchy now. But maybe it's supposed to be that way?? I also had to go buy more tips. I started off with a 5, but that was too big. I only had a 1, and that was way too small. So I bought a 2 and 3. The 3 was perfect to outline with. I also chose to decorate after the kids had gone to bed. I needed every little ounce of concentration I could muster. :) It was fun! I'm excited to try again!

Diaper Bag/Purse

2011-12-17T05:32:00.000-08:00

I made this bag for a Christmas gift for a friend. I found the tutorial on makebabystuff.com, here is the link. It was pretty simple to follow; I just had a little trouble with her wording for the last step of sewing the lining and bag together. Basically, just make sure right sides are touching. I'm sure that's completely understood by everyone else who reads the tutorial, but for me, it was not. But I have yet to complete a project without unpicking, so why not for this project?
The fabric is all from Joann's. I used navy canvas, cute turquoise patterned cotton, and a basic yellow with interfacing for the lining. The interior pocket took a few tries for me, but I love how it looks. If I'd do anything different; I would spend the extra money and buy pre-made straps. Fabric straps always seem to lose their structure.

Our blog has been quiet but we've been busy!

2011-11-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

We will have a booth at an upcoming Backyard Boutique located in Mesa. It will be held next Friday and Saturday. There are a lot of great vendors. Come get your Christmas shopping done early! We hope you can make it out! To see some items being sold, go to the Shabby Chicks Backyard Boutique blog. :)

DIY Cake Plate tutorial (Halloweenish style) and chandelier

2011-10-09T00:12:00.000-07:00

Cake plates are easy to make and quite trendy right now. The best thing about them is you can make them out of almost anything and for pretty cheap. This trio cost me $5 total. Here is a Halloween version we made to hold our glitter pumpkins and add terror and glamour to my kitchen table.

I glued these wood candlesticks to the bottom of these smallish 4-6 inch plates using gorilla glue. I'm sure you could use hot glue or any other fancy shmancy glue that I'm clueless about.

Next I hosed them down with glossy black paint. I like the glossy because it makes the wood look ceramic and the piece has a uniform look.

I painted the tops of the plate as well (I don't plan on using these for food).

And here is my finished project lighted by my gothic chandelier.

Speaking of chandeliers...

I wanted to dress up my chandelier for the holiday. Make it more gothic and worthy of the Haunted Mansion.

I spray painted some cheap beads, draped black tule, and strips of fabric. Everything is held together at intervals with bows. As a last touch I added the boa around the center. I know this picture doesn't do it justice. But trust me it is awesome.

My kids made the ghosts from Kleenex and cotton balls. We strung them up with fishing string. I love the finished effect. So there you go - idiot proof crafts in less then an hour.

Halloween Decor

2011-10-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

I LOOOOVE Halloween! I love the decor, the changing of the seasons, the falling leaves (ok. Not really in Arizona, but it is a few degrees cooler), and anything having anything to do with pumpkin food - I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast with apple cider syrup - scrumptious! So here's a few inspiring projects to jump start your fall season - happy haunts!

I saw this at Marshalls - so much fun to make. I think I might try this next year. A few printables on the computer, mode podge, and black paint.

This shadow box had a fun Halloween theme. I bit of lace some fun stickers - a picture or two. The possibilities are endless.

This bottle looks like it was spray painted on the outside, again a sticker. Martha Stewart has a whole line at Joann's of cool stickers and stuff. You could make a seriously cool apothecary (my goal for next year)

What do you do with an empty flower box? Turn it into a graveyard. My kids & I made this fun graveyard with cardboard cereal boxes, toothpicks, and a little tape.

This was just a cool find at Marshalls it was missing a wire and had a tiny tear in the front. I picked it up for a few bucks. It was a good buy and an easy fix.

This was a fun project in my dining room. I grouped 3 pics. I have a raven, a framed old lady/skeleton image, and a graveyard scene.

I had this frame and bought this picture of a raven from the dollar store. A little fabric, lace, and it makes for a cute holiday print.

Underneath I created a little 3D graveyard scene. I found a 'welcome mat' also from the dollar store (love the dollar store) and went to town with an exacto knife. The skeletons were also at the dollar store. The mat was taped up with poster tape and the skeletons have pins holding them in place.

This is the other half of the mat on my front room mirror.

This is the front room decked out for the season. On the left is a skeleton craft I did last year. The spider and skull are pictures from the dollar store that I put in an empty frame. The haunted mansion on the far right is another great dollar store purchase just taped over the print. Sha-zing! Insta Halloween.

Mimi even got into the spirit of things

I love the Halloween village although it did get displaced this year. We rid ourselves of the tragedy TV stand we had last year.

inspired from the internet

I'm so making this next year!!

My projects of late

2011-10-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

pretty girl - pretty apron.

I made this apron for a sweet girl who got married a few weeks back. I love the black and yellow. Its the Cindy Taylor Oates More Retro apron pattern.

Target had these crates on clearence for $2.48. Who can pass up that deal especially when the majority of your toys are in diaper boxes. Time for an upgrade, and when I saw this tutorial on Makeit-Loveit and I had to make liners for all my baskets.

I used scrap, an old table cloth, and left over Home Decor weight fabric because I knew my kids would be rough and tough on them. I think I made 9 liners in all. But I got baskets for all my sewing stuff and toys.

Don't they look better then diaper boxes? Much more colorful and fun. Instead of putting a draw string in I didn't hem up the edges. I left them serged and added elastic on 2 ends.

After getting a new couch 6 months ago, I decided the stock pillows that came with it just weren't cutting it. I didn't like anything about them.

Joann's was clearing out some of its special order fabric swatches for $1 a panel (you know they hang it on little hangers). It was the perfect size to make a pillows out of.

I love how they turned out. I made them in orange an teal.

....speaking of pillows here were some that I made last year that were on my chairs outside. You can tell our AZ sun had done a job

This outdoor canvas was in the clearance scrap section at Joann's. It was the perfect colors in gray, yellow, and orange.

I reused the stuffing and black ties that were now sort of grayish, but in good condition. I backed them in a yellow outdoor fabric. It was a steal for $2 and I'm happy it won't be fading in a year and in need of replacement.

Lastly I'm working on a quilt. I've never been brave enough for quilts, but we'll see how it goes. This isn't a full size quilt, but its not a baby quilt. Its a 'sit in front of the TV quilt' - I'm as little nervous but my little sister makes them look so easy so I'll give it a try. I'm making it for the boutique in November. I'll post it when I finish it. I've also made 6 little girl skirts and just started on these huge awesome Christmas stockings. I'm so excited for the Boutique.

beach bag goes on the bike

2011-10-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this post by Christie? She made a bag from the Target dollar section into an adorable beach bag. Paige is my currier for Abbey who lives down the street. She's always luggin' stuff back and forth for us so we took Christie's idea and made it work for Paige.

Didn't it turn out cute?

And there is my cute bike rider - biking in 113' degrees. Don't you just LOVE Arizona in September?

30 minute tote

2011-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

I came up with this after my son needed a tote for his piano books. We used pirate fabric, it works well with cute girly fabric as well. So get ready to crank this out quick.

cut 2 rectangles 26 x 12

cut 2 strips of grosgrain ribbon 18 inches long

Place right sides together and pin in place

place straps 3 inches in from the edge

pin straps in place

serge or zigzag along the shorter side on both ends

turn right sides out and press

top stitch along the edge

fold in half and serge or zigzag down the longer sides

turn ride side out and press

Viola! In 30 minutes (probably less) you have a great lil' tote.

Craft-O-Mania

2011-09-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hey, so I took advice last night and decided to finally share what I've been working on. It has been a busy crafty month for me. Sadly, not too many sewing projects, but lots of other stuff to keep me busy. Sorry if this is overload.

Shower crafts: Owl nuts - I made these using nuts in their shells, felt and tacky glue. Not too hard other than trying to cut little tiny pieces. This is for a shower that I am throwing at the end of the month. The mommy to be is decorating with owls, so I will put these on her diaper cake.
Shower Craft: Who knows how many showers I will be included in over the years so I made this versatile sign. It is made with felt and hot glue. The triangles are attached with bias tape. One side is pink and white for a girl; the other side is green and blue for a boy.

Flower Bracelet - I used scrap fabric strips and hot glued them into flowers. The cut out a circle of matching fabric to glue on the back of the flowers. Then attach all the flowers together on a ribbon and I used a bead and elastic loop at the clasp.

Candy Gum Bowl - This was a bit tricky to find pieces that fit together. The lid is a little small and just sits on top. Oh well! It is a Terra cot ta pot painted black with acrylics then modge podge on top to prevent paint chipping. The knob on top is a wooden "doll head" painted. The bowl is a rose bud bowl. All pieces are glued together with I think EZ600 or something like that (glue for wood, glass, ect...)

Boo Sign - Letters came from Joanns, painted black. Then Halloween scrapbook paper modge podged on it.
Birthday Sign - I want to make birthdays a little more special so I found this board craft. On a persons birthday they get to pick what to eat from breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then at the bottom pick a few activities they want to do on "their" day. It was a partical board shelf found in the "dump." I modge podged scrapbook paper on the laminated surface. Hot glued the felt backing and ruffle. I used letter stickers for the wording which was then modge podged on. The Ric-rack is hot glued on and tiny clothes pins hold the paper. There is a pocket on the back side for the extra paper slips.
Temple Dress - This was a beast, but good for me. It's been a long time since I have made a dress. I did get some help from my mother (because she is an amazing seamstress!). She put the zipper in for me because she was teaching me how to do it on stretch material. I did learn a few tricks about how to sew with knits. This was a knit/poly blen, but still a little stretchy. The key to not having rumples in the seams it to actually sew on a very small zig-zag for everything. A straight stitch will look lumpy every time, but the zig-zag doesn't show. Fabulous! There were a ton of pleats that were challenging, but overall not to bad. And it doesn't wrinkle so badly in my bag. Yipee!

Little girl headband - DIY tutorial

2011-09-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

This is what we are making today - an easy peasy reversible head band for little girls. This darling hair model is actually related to me (we're pretty sure they didn't switch babies with the supermodel down the hall at the hospital - although sometimes we wonder at this little ~~devil~~ diva)

So I know you'll read this tutorial and think I'm a nit-wit and frankly you wouldn't be too far off the mark, but for those of you out there like me (please tell me I'm not alone in the nit-wit club) here is a photo intensive and extremely easy tutorial that you can't help but scoff at my nit-wittiness. Either way I hope you like it and it inspires you to make something even better.

1. Cut two rectangles 23' x 2 1/4' - (seam allowance 1/4 inch)

2. Right sides together, pin, and sew on 3 sides.

3. I also serged my edges (but you don't have to) or you could zig zag stitch them.

4. Turn it right sides out and press.

5. Top stitch at 1/8th or 1/4th along the edges.

6. Turn in edges on the open end, and close with a top stitch.

7. Add velcro (this is my one stroke of genius, I have a huge noggin and most headbands squeeze all rational thoughts from my brain - this 1 1/2 inch strip of velcro saves this large headed pumpkin girl many a headache) Also makes it easy to rip off when your little diva is throwing a hair tantrum (I know mine is probably the only one that does that)

That's it. Didn't I say it was easy? Didn't I say you'd get done and agree that I'm a simple minded nincompoop? But it will totally add to your cuties outfit and give them that finished look. If you need a tutorial on the rosettes just go HERE. I put a pin on the back so I could remove the flower easily and flip the head band if needs be. Also the skirt I made for our upcoming boutique (Nov 18th & 19th) but you can make your own HERE for FREE.

Jill Week (aka 4 year Anniversary)

2011-09-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have had a awesome summer and that's why our blogs been a little quiet... well, and we are a bunch of lazy arses. But here goes catch up time.

Beka planned a fun swim day with Jill - here is a pic of the next generation of Secret Stitchers chatting away.

Here we are in all our Arizona sun tanned glory. My husband was teasing saying we are so tough in our sunglasses (hello. It is 110' degrees out and the sun blinds you - and we do sew on some seriously tough machines, that makes us a little tough right? Not tattoo tough - but sunglasses tough... ok. maybe not.)

Seriously.

This was a casualty of swimming with kids in the heat of this desert we call home. Mom's can't get enough of good swim days to tucker the little ones out (and who doesn't love a fat neked bebe!)

Dinner with the girls - yahooo!! I can't get enough of these. Jill chose Pita Jungle and although I did have to txt to talk with gals on the other end of the table but it was worth it. I love these fun ladies. L to R Jenna, Beke, Rachel, Me, Jennie, Christie, Jessie, Jill, Nikki, Amy.

Who is getting married? No one. Christie just decided to blow us away with amazing cake that tasted better then ____________ (use your imagination... dust it off, we'll wait)... and for an added bonus we made some adorable necklaces to celebrate 4 YEARS of sewing and great friends!!

p.s. as a side note many of us will be selling our wares at a boutique in November 18th & 19th here in Mesa on the Westside. We'll post pics and update you as it gets closer. If you see something you like lets chat and maybe you can finaggle a deal.

Easy Peasy Beach Bag Pretty-fying

2011-06-15T21:28:00.000-07:00

Don't you love the Dollar Spot at Target? I found this little straw bag, perfect for holding all the sunscreen and other summer essentials without having to lug around a huge bag --which I do. I use this beastly mama and love it. But sometimes you just need to downsize, know what I mean?

It's a cutie, but it needs a little pretty-ing up.

So I hot glued a ruffle of cute fabric. I tried a new way of ruffling that I saw somewhere on some blog in the crafty blogosphere, but don't remember where. You set your tension to its highest and your stitch to its longest. So, so easy and it makes such a pretty ruffle! I love this method! Try it you must (Did you hear Yoda's voice?? It's probably just me. My Star Wars geek of a husband has corrupted me for life.).

But it needs just a little more...

So I added a flower. I debated - fabric flower, silk flower? I went the easy route and hot glued a silk flower.

I don't know why it's looking all lean-y. It looks kind of warped. I didn't notice it when I took the picture. But I'm too lazy to go take another. :) You've got the idea, right? Trust me, it's cute. Perfect for the little trip to the pool or beach without having to lug around the beast bag. And it started with the Dollar Spot. Frugal, fast and fun!

Myla's birthday stuff

2011-06-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

(I got the idea for this poster here.)

Little Miss Sassy Pants had a birthday and I was probably just as excited as she was about it. We had a cowgirl themed birthday party, but what I was most excited about was her new room. We painted it lavender and then I got started on the pillows and other room decor. There is so much to do, but I'm excited with the progress we've made so far. These aren't the greatest pics, but whatever. :)
For her wall I framed some fabric that I used for the pillows (Aviary 2 by Joel Dewberry - my fave fabric right now). Then I hotglued some wood letters onto the fabric and hung them up! Easy peasy! I think I'm going to repaint the frames though. The bed is black so I think that's what I'm going to paint them.
Then I made the pillows. I searched around for some inspiration, so I can't tell you exactly which tutorials I used. I bought pillows from Ikea (a lot cheaper than Joann's) and made covers for them.

This pillow I did use a tutorial from Flamingo Toes.
I got the quilt at Marshall's. I figured it would be cheaper and less of a headache. I'm not a quilter...not yet anyway. Maybe that bug will hit me. Maybe not. :)
For her birthday party I made this Popover Sundress by Oliver + S. It's a free pattern and it's sooo easy and sooo cute and you sooo have to make it. It fits so well and it really was so easy. To simplify it even more I used ready made bias tape for the ties.

Quilts and Dollhouse

2011-06-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

My last three projects have been related to Maddie's 3rd birthday. I wanted to make her a quilt, so I decided to try out a practice one with scraps and Goodwill fabric. That is the top picture. It was a lot of cutting and piecing, but I learned from my mistakes.

The second quilt is her "magic quilt". In an episode of Little Bill, Alice the Great gives Bill a magic quilt to help him not be scared. On it are pictures of things that he can think about to take his mind off scarier things. This was the basic idea behind Maddie's quilt. I decided to applique pictures of some of her favorite things right now in her life: robots, triceratops, rhinos, band-aids, cereal, flowers, etc.

I first cut out the squares, then I drew the pictures and then cut them out with about 1/4" extra space. Then I clipped, turned, and basted the pictures down to their actual size. I then pinned them on the squares. I started to hand applique them onto the squares, which look a lot nicer, but took too long, so I used the hidden stitch (I think it's called) on my machine using invisible thread. Once all was attached, I then pieced everything together. I don't have the right foot for machine quilting, so I borrowed a quilting frame and hand quilted both quilts. All in all it was a long process, but I did enjoy it and hope to someday do more.

My dad helped me build the dollhouse for Maddie. He measured and cut the wood and told me what to do with it. I then glued and nail gunned it together, then sanded it all. Casey and I did the painting and wallpaper and flooring. It's definitely not professional looking, but we love the way it turned out. And best of all, Maddie loves it! We already had some dollhouse furniture and accessories we found at a yard sale last year, so we just bought a little bit of furniture to make it complete.

Its about time...

2011-05-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

...that I give an update on some of the things that I have been working on. I promise I have been sewing. It so funny talking to people here who sew and go to Joanns and they talk about how Joanns is ONLY 30 minutes away and that isn't that far. When I compare this to Joanns being probably 3 minutes away when we were in Mesa, 30 minutes might as well be across the state. So it is hard to get out there as often has I would like and so my sewing projects have slowed down by way more than I like. I miss having a project every night. I miss walking through a fabric store and touch all the different textures and fabrics and thinking up all the different possibilities for each one. I miss flipping through the pattern books and making up my pattern wish list and knowing that no matter how well I follow the instructions, my garment will never come out looking as cute as it does on the envelope. Most of all, I miss knowing that no matter the time or day that I go to Joanns, the chances are very high that I will see one of you at the store with me! **SNIFF** Okay, enough of that pity party, onto my completed projects:
First we have my newest dress for Elsie using the Oliver + S Playdate Dress.

The Oliver + S patterns are very nick-picky and you HAVE to follow the directions precisely but I LOVE them so much because they always turn out so adorable. You look at the pictures on the envelope and you know exactly what you are your garment is going to look like. I love that this ones reminds me of something that Cindy from the Brady Bunch would wear (in her curly pig tails days, not in the braided pig tail episodes).

I finished the dress and put it on Elsie only to find out that it was waaaay too short for her (surprise, surprise) so I had to add the strip of fabric at the bottom to make it work for her. My favorite part are the buttons:

Such a pretty crystal blue. This dress also has pockets at the side seams that you can't see right away but they are a pleasant surprise.
Next is a blinged out tank top for Elsie.

I followed This Tutorial from Shwin & Shwin. I found the tank top at Target for $1 and got the jewels at Hobby Lobby. I'm already planning on making a few more in different colors because I love it so much!!! It was a great project as I caught up on some of my guilty pleasure TV (old school 90210 episodes to be exact). Here's an action shot of Elsie wearing her shirt:

Then I made a Oliver + S Ruffled Halter Top. I made one of these last year for Elsie and couldn't wait for the weather to warm up again to make her some more. This is just the first of, I'm sure, many more because they are so quick.

Sorry about the crappy photo, its the only one that I could find.
Next is a skirt and matching hair accessory that I made for Elsie.

I used My Favorite Skirt Tutorial from Everday Chaos. I love how simple and quick this skirt is but that it is so unique and darling. I had some left over fabric and decided to make Interchangeable Head Band Tutorial from The Funky Polkadot Giraffe.

Her tutorial is for an adult version but I just made the measurements smaller to fit Elsie. Seriously, the easiest thing to make. I have already made 10 in hopes that one day Elsie will keep a headband on her head for more than 10 minutes. But I like that it doesn't overpower her head but is still very girly.
Lastly is a project for me. I know, I can't remember the last time I made something for me. When I was getting ready for our cruise, I really wanted a cute cover-up but I seriously couldn't get myself to buy one knowing that if I just found the right tutorial, I could make one for myself. And by the grace of the sewing gods, I found one. I used the Beach Towel Dress Tutorial from MADE. Using a $6 towel from Target seemed a lot more appealing than a pre-made cover-up and this gave me a chance to finally attempt shirring. Thank you Jessie for giving me the encouragement to attempt elastic thread and shirring. She told me that as soon as I see how easy it is, I will want to shirr everything. She is so right.

Well, there have been many other projects but these are the only ones that made the cut. For some reason, I have had a lot of misses in the sewing project department. I wonder if I forgot to pack up my sewing mojo when we moved to AR? My next project is going to be This Skirt Tutorial. Here's hoping its a hit and NOT a big, fat miss!!!

Still Sewing

2011-05-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have been in a sewing frenzy and a blogging funk. You should see my family blog. The poor thing is really neglected. So I finally sat down, uploaded a kajillion pics from my camera and started uploading pics. I wanted to show you guys what I've been up to because I'm so excited!

Remember this post about this apron from Anthropologie? Well, at 1:30am last night/early morning I finished it! And I couldn't be happier with it. Isn't that fabric fantastic!? It's Joel Dewberry's new line Aviary 2. Check out all the colorways here. Love it and can't wait to get my hands on more. I finally checked out Scrapbooks Etc. in Mesa and was thrilled at their fabric selection. I wasn't expecting that much fabric! I was in heaven. Good thing I gave myself a budget and only had that much money with me. I could've spent a fortune.

Anyway, the Anthro apron. I loved the ruffles and added a pocket with ruffles.

And a flower. And I'm in love. I just sat and stared at it last night when I was done. But I'm afraid to wear it. It's white. And I don't want to get sauce or juice or sticky chocolatey hands on my new favorite apron. Ah well, that's what aprons are for. I guess. :)

Myla is back in a girly stage (although you can't really tell with her scraggly hair and pirate tattoos - thanks Maren :). Anyway, she wants to wear dresses and skirts all the time now. So I'm taking it while I can. I whipped up these quick and easy dresses using long scraps of fabric that I didn't know what else to do with. Fun, huh. The pattern (Simplicity 2377) was great.

Same dress, different fabric. They are so comfy. I want to make an adult version.

This is an older project. For joy school we had a pajama party celebrating the letter P. I made each of the kids little pillows (P is for pillow too!) with their initials on it. I loved using up some left over flannel scraps.

Love the girl, love the fabric, hate the pattern. Ever have a pattern like that? This shirt was easy, but proportionally all wrong. Too wide and too short. I had to lengthen it. Myla hated wearing it. In fact, she took it off and told me to put it in her purse when we were out for dinner. Live and learn. Check out the shorts from this pattern: And this was after trying to fix it. Maybe it's me, maybe its the pattern. Either way, I probably won't be doing this one again. I've made lots of PJ bottoms and shorts and I've never had issues like this. Anyone ever tried this pattern? I'd be interested to know where I went wrong.

And one last one, Myla's Easter dress. I used the Party Dress tutorial by The Cottage Home on Ucreate. Super cute and super fun dress. Try it, you'll love it.

Okay, so I've seriously neglected my boys. I need to get to work on some things for them. :)

MotherDaughter classic apron set

2011-04-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

This was my second mother/daughter apron set and I love how it turned out. I just need a hottie mom to pose with my hottie daughter so I can get a picture of both aprons together.

This apron is from the Cindy Taylor Oats kids retro apron collection. They are all so cute and this was fairly easy to make. If I remember right it is lined.

close up on the ruffles (probably my favorite part)

This is The Emmeline by Meg, Montessori by Hand (Sew Liberated) - I think this apron is a classic. I love the shape and details.

This fabric was bought by Marilyn the lady the commissioned the aprons. She did such a good job picking it out and she bought them from my new favorite fabric store, Scrapbook etc.

She requested it just being 1 sided, but that's crazy talk when you make the Emmeline. She will probably never cook in a white apron but she can throw it on when guests arrive and look fabulous.

repurposed shirt

2011-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

I hate it when I forget to take before pictures, but this former shirt looked a lot like the Anne apron pictured above. IMagine it as a shirt, so probably 4 inches shorter, but everything else pretty much the same. Anyway Christie gave me a shirt she made that looked like the apron pictured above. She didn't like it because she said it made her look like she was wearing a tent. She gave it to me since I was really prego and loathed all my clothes, but it never really fit me right and I felt like I was wearing a tent. I always thought I could do something with it and that fabric was just to cute to throw away... so I did something with it.

This is what I did with it. It was supa easy. Just unpicked the straps, sliced them and diced them, and turned it into a band around the bottom. Isn't the fabric delightful?

This is my darling niece. I made a button hole in the top band and threaded a gross-grain ribbon through it. I think it turned out great. Most importantly she LOVES it!

The Hanging Bookshelf

2011-04-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

Elsie has gathered quite the book collection and since we try to hit up the library once a week, there is never a shortage of books to read. The only problem is that we didn't have a bookcase or any shelving to keep on the books on so they were nicely strewn all over her room. I tried to put them in piles but Elsie just can't stand having that kind of order and organization. But a few months ago I came across This Tutorial from Penny Carnival, I knew I had my solution. And the fact that I haven't been able to stop thinking about this project that whole time was a really good sign that I needed to do it.

I found this blue fabric at Wal-Mart, it was $5 for the whole bolt! It's not really good for clothing because it is extremely itchy and stiff but it will be great for different projects for her room. I have decided to go with pink and royal or navy blue for her room colors...I'm really excited about this!
Anyways, if anyone else is struggling for a cheap solution for your children books, I recommend this one. I have actually finished another one, I just need to get the hardware and get Ty to hang it for me. :)

crazy'n for raisin bran

2011-03-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

These are my two favorite recipes at the moment - I'm trying to get off all the weight I packed on before the pregnancy and these are tasty and weight watcher friendly.

Raisin Bran Cookies

(from the side of the box)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 Tbsp. water

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 salt

1 - 1/2 cups raisin bran

1 cup wheat flour

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup dried fruit chopped up

(they suggested apricots, but I'm sure you could use raisins, craisins, mango's, peaches, etc.)

mix: sugar, oil, water, egg whites, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add raisin bran and flour until well blended. Add walnuts and fruit, mix well.

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart on greased cookies sheets (or use parchment paper and skip the grease), I lightly sprinkled them with raw sugar to add some sweet and texture.

Bake 350' for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. (I baked mine for 8 minutes because they were teaspoon sized)/ makes 3 - 1/2 dozen.

weight watchers point value: 1 pt. per cookie

Raisin Bran Breakfast Muffin

(from The Fussy Eaters Recipe Book)

1-1/2 cups raisin bran cereal

1 cup milk, warmed

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup raisins

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup canola oil

2 Tbs. turbinado (raw sugar)

preheat 400' - line a muffin pan with 8-12 muffin cups. Put the cereal with the warm milk in a bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften up. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and raisins in a large bowl. Beat together eggs, brown sugar, and oil and add tot he flour mixture, along with the soaked cereal and milk in the bowl. mix.

Spoon batter into the muffin cases. Crush a small handful of cereal to sprinkle on top along with the raw sugar. Bake 20-25 min.

weight watchers points: 4pts. per muffin (if making a batch of 12)

* Let me know what you think if you try them... I found them yummers and I don't feel bad letting my kids snack on healthy cookies.

Matching Skirts

2011-03-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

I spotted this purple fabric at Goodwill one day, but was not going to pay $7 for it (even it was over 3 yds). So I waited until their super Saturday 50% off day, which is every other Saturday or something like that. I decided to do matching skirts for Maddie and I.

For me, I used this Party Skirt tutorial from Creative Spaces.

For Maddie, I used the Edith Twirl pattern.

I still have quite a bit left of the purple fabric. I asked Casey if he wanted a bowtie, but he kindly declined.

Create

2011-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Found this video and thought it would appropriate for our blog and for all of you. What a beautiful and universal message. Its only 2 minutes long, please enjoy!

Reversible Shopper Bag

2011-02-28T14:08:00.001-08:00

I just made the cutoff, but I finished the Reversible Shopper bag from the Style Stitches book by Amy Butler. I bought the book back in January when I saw the challenge on JemJam. I got January's bag cut out, but just didn't have time to finish it. It's now in my project pile waiting for some love. This bag, the reversible shopper, was so quick and easy. I grabbed some pieces of home decor fabric I had sitting around and went to town. I think of it as my little pink grapefruit bag with it's yellow and pink. The inside is lime green. It's sturdy and big and ready for beach towels, sunblock and summer. (By the way, in this picture it is stuffed with towels, which is why it's kinda funky-shaped.)

For Christie

2011-02-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is in honor of Christie. My mother-in-law had her birthday this month and I decided to take Christie's fabulous tutorial and make it into a present for my MIL. I think it turned out pretty good. Her favorite color is purple if you can't tell. Thanks Christie for inspiring me!

BuBbLe GuM NecKlaCe

2011-02-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

OK...wow....this is my first post and it's not about sewing. What is wrong with me??

I do have some sewing posts to make in the future but I wanted to show some of you where I get my love for crafts and creating. My madre, she is one crafty lady and somebody who inspires me quite often. She fatsassyandmrwonderful.blogspot.com has many talents....well recently she made a gift for my daughter for her birthday and I had to show it. She and I had both seen it on two different blogs but she beat me to it and made it cuter than I could've. She saw it here at One Charming Party I can't remember where I saw it, one of those blog hopping nights. I get so mad at myself when I don't save my favorites to my favorites. My daughter Karsyn loved it and has been pretty good about not eating them. Of course once they start licking them, things may get a little sticky.She even got my cute little dad to help.....he drilled holes in the bubble gum, yes drilled. I wouldn't have thought of that.

And by the way my son Seth may or may not have taken a bite today.

Buttom Up Shirt= Dress

2011-02-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here is the dress from the button up shirt that I made. I gave it to my niece for her birthday. I'm working on the others for Ada and will post when I get those done. It's cute, plus it didn't cost anything. (-=

Front

back

accessory (because every dress is more fun with one)

Boys Need Love Too!

2011-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, boys get the shaft when it comes to sewing. It's so much more fun to sew for girls with all the ruffles and the lace and the rick rack; and there are so many cute ideas out there. Poor Cade has been asking when I'm going to sew him something again. (Just pile on that mom guilt, will ya??) Well, Made and Made By Rae are trying to even things up by hosting Celebrate the Boy again. I remember them doing this last year. I'm so excited! They already got things started off by posting tutorials for Dragon Slippers and Boys Pants. I'm loving the dragon slippers. I think both my boys would love them too (especially if I can find a way to make them look like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. To say they are obsessed would be an understatement).

Apparently, they have so many guest posters and tutorials that they will be posting twice a day for the month, so we can check back often for some great ideas.

And, one of my favorite online fabric shops, Above All Fabrics, is offering 10% off all her boys fabrics and patterns (code: BOYZ).

Snow days!

2011-02-13T20:15:00.001-08:00

Holy crap, I have never seen so much snow!!! I grew up in Colorado. Went to school in Southeast Idaho. And still, I have never seen so much snow! 27" to be exact!!! The last snow day I can remember was in the 6th grade and technically it was only a half day. And on a Friday. So by the time Monday came around the snow had melted enough for us to head back to school. These kids here in Northwest Arkansas have had 10 snow days this winter! 10 SNOW DAYS!!! Do you know how many blanket and cardboard box forts my brother and I could have built in 10 days? But being snowed in as an adult isn't nearly as fun as it was as a kid. Elsie did get to watch a whole lot more T.V. than usual and we did attempt some potty training (I can't decide if Elsie isn't ready or if it is me...more on that later) but I also didn't get a chance to hit up the fabric store before the first big storm hit and I was going out of my mind after 4 days. You read that right, we were stuck indoors for 4 days. And that was just the first storm. We had another doozy on its way. You better believe I risked my life driving on some really icy roads to make sure I got to Hobby Lobby so I could have some projects to work on while we were snowed in again just two days later and for another 4 days. I'm telling you, it is just crazy! I also made sure I had more than enough Diet Coke to get me through the storms.
So here are some pics of some of the projects I was able to whip up while the blizzard raged on outside.

I had zero intentions of making anything for Ty's co-workers for Valentine's Day but when I saw These Valentine's I needed some sort of an excuse to make them. Elsie is too young to appreciate it so why not the people Ty works with? It was so fun to make and really brainless...just the way I like my crafts to be. Next year I think I am going to make These. Christie, I thought of you when I saw these because I also thought of Team Charlie. Hehehe!

I have joined a Quilt Block of the Month club (okay it is through the Relief Society but saying I have joined a club makes me sound like I am actually getting out there and being social) and this is the first block we have made. Eventually I will have 12 different blocks and then I will have a finished quilt that will go on Elsie's bed. I'm excited to see how it all looks. At first I hated the fabric and therefore, not at all excited about making anymore of this quilt but now I don't mind it and have great visions for the colors in Elsie's room. In fact, I got inspired for another quilt that I will show later when it is more than just a bunch of cut up triangles and squares. It is going to be super cute though.

First off, I apologize for the crapstastic picture. I have gotten so sick of finding straw wrappers all over my car and when I found this awesome tutorial I knew we had a winner! I love the way it looks in my car. Actually, Ty liked it and asked me to make him one too. Its a great project for those scraps that we swapped awhile back.

And finally, I had to make another Jump Rope Dress from Oliver + S for Elsie since she has grown out of her other one. I love this pattern so much, it probably is one of my top 5 favorite patterns I own. Next time I will maybe venture away from blues and polka dots and try something different but I just love the look of that combination with the style of the dress. Why try to fix something that's not broken, right?
Well, the snow has already begun to melt and I am forcing myself back into a normal routine starting tomorrow so the sewing projects will slow down but I am neck high in unfinished projects so I will take pictures as I finish them.

Genius!

2011-02-09T07:41:00.000-08:00

Picture from The Creative Homemakers

Check out this thread organizer from The Creative Homemakers! Isn't it beautiful?! I really want to make one of these. I have this thread rack that I got from a Black Friday sale at Joann's one year. It's nice and does the job well enough, but when the kids get curious about all the colors they find a way pull it down and all the thread goes flying around my room. This is wonderful because, not only does it organize the thread (out of reach of little hands), it allows you to store the bobbin with the thread of the same color. I love that idea! I keep my bobbins in the little tray in on my sewing machine, but that is getting pretty full and the strings get all tangled. It's a mess. This is a fantastic idea!

Refreshing the Nook

2011-02-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

In my bedroom, there is a corner that is all mine: The Sewing Nook. It's not a big corner, but it's a place I get to keep all my crafty stuff, including my sewing desk. Up until two days ago it was covered in left over Christmas wrapping paper, bags, unfinished projects and a substantial layer of dust. I got the cleaning bug and reclaimed my space. After scurrying my 2 year old away from my serger for the zillionth time, I decided my machines needed some covers. Whah-lah! These are what I came up with. I so love them. I just sat and stared at the finished products for about 20 minutes last night. My husband thought I was crazy.

Here is a look at my sewing area. I based my sewing machine cover (on the right) off of a tutorial I saw here. I added a red ruffle over the zebra stripe and embellished it with a flower. Definitely check out the tutorial by Stay-at-Home Artist. Her version is so cute. She adds a little bunting to her cover and it's adorable.
Here is the serger cover. Now, this baby gave me some trouble, probably because I didn't use a pattern. It was more of a pin and sew and see if it fits, then pin and sew some more. I wouldn't even know where to start for a tutorial. My suggestion would be to find a pattern somewhere. Here is one from Simplicity that could be cute. I took a page from Maren's book (scroll down a lot) and made mine with elastic around the bottom, so it stays nice and tight (harder for little fingers to get into). But my favorite part is the Chrysi felt flower. I love how big and poofy it is. The tutorial is awesome (and I love her blog!). The flower is so fast and easy to make. I cut out the pieces while catching up on What Not To Wear. (Sidenote: Did anyone see this week's episode with the blond and the bows? Most annoying episode ever. And in the end, she didn't even want to change. Yeah, that's a waste of $5000.)
I made a dry-erase project board using Maren's tutorial. I added a few little felt flowers to the frame. I used the tutorial from here. (Sorry for the weird angle. I was trying to avoid the flash in the glass.)

And because I LOVE that Chrysi flower so much, here is another shot. :) You must make one! You will love it.

So there is my little sewing nook. I can't wait to get started on all those projects!

My UCREATE submission

2011-02-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

I love Christie's tutorial. Paige had this dry erase board that's supposed to stick to the wall (it doesn't - so I had to improvise). While we were gluing ribbon to it, she wanted me to glam it up for her.

We followed Christie's rosette tutorial, and used scraps from the scrap swap. They turned out fabulous. Thanks again Christie!

Create with Me results!

2011-02-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

Check out what other crafty crafters did with the Rosette Frame tutorial with January's Create with Me project on U-create! I was so excited to see different takes on a similar theme. So fun!

go green (aka feel superior) - and sew it up

2011-02-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

(picture from Made)

I've been eyeing this tutorial for awhile now. I'm really curious to see if I could actually make these. I love that they are made from shopping bags (who doesn't get a zillion bags from Wal-mart every freakin' time they go?). She fused them together then sewed them up to make cute grocery shopping totes. The tutorial is great - tons of pictures, great directions... and the best part of going green is the self righteous satisfaction you get knowing your doing your part.

scraps that delight

2011-01-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

This apron came about because Nikki (Queen of the crafters) doesn't have a work apron - she has a frilly pretty apron that you can't technically do anything in (ie. painting, gluing, getting messy) - so I took it on myself to make sure she had something she could muck up (and I could bask in her creative coolness)

This is what I came up with for her (one of my fav patterns for practicality), and the fabric you ask?

I think one of my favorite anniversary parties we had for the SSC - was when we did our scrap swap. You guys thought you were ridding yourself of useless scraps ... while I was gathering them with open arms. I loved that scrap swap and have used them over and over. The front piece I got from Christie. I love the mismatchyness of it, and the grey bias tape doesn't match at all but ties it all together.

Craft on Nikki - as your minions (me) watch in awe. Yaaaaaaa-hooooooo!!!!
Here is a link to the pattern: Calico Cat Patterns or here

Baby Bib

2011-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is a tad lame for my first post with my new groupies...the Secret Stitch Sisters, but oh well. My daughter has a tiny neck and basically didn't have a bib that protected her clothes from food invaders. So, I got a plastic table cloth and used the bib I had for the outside and created a smaller sized neck. The Velcro in the back is longer so I can make it tighter or looser as she grows. So far! It is our favorite bib because it actually works as a bib should. There you go...guess I'm crafty now too!

What an adorable model right?

... a message on a pillow

2011-01-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

(picture from I am Momma hear me Roar)

I'm finally getting the baby/sewing room put together. She's still in our room for a couple more months, but I want to sew and the baby/sewing room is a disasster (that is not a type-o, it's where the pain originates)... back to my ramblings, so I'm ready to make a tutorial by I am Momma hear me Roar of baby hand and foot prints, but when I went over to her blog to retrieve directions - I came actross this adorable pillow. How cute is that pillow? I am really against sewing anything by hand - there is a reason sewing machines were invented (plus I am so uncoordinated and suck at it, so maybe that adds to my loathing).

(picture from I am Momma hear me Roar)

But this pillow reminded me of talented ladies I know (Jessie & Marj) that make sewing by hand look like it's so stinkn' easy and what's wrong with me that I can't just do it? (p.s. they are super-moms, actually spending quality time with their kids, can you imagine?)

(picture from Flamingo Toes)

I am Momma Hear Me Roar was inspired by this tutorial by Flamingo Toes. While at Flamingo Toes I clicked on her Tutorials tab, and she has a TON of cool tutorials - not the ones that everybody does with baby stuff, but cool fun practical things, and jewelry (who does that?). The best part is that her tutorials are LOADED with pictures. They are idiot-crafter-had-to-much-diet-coke-today proof. I can actually follow the pictures and read the directions YAHOO!

1977 Nightgown

2011-01-19T09:36:00.001-08:00

My goal was to make this nightgown for Maddie for her Christmas Eve jammies, but things just didn't work out. I did finish my little sister's nightgown in time for Christmas, so I'm not a complete slacker.

Nikki let me borrow a couple of her grandma's old patterns; it was exactly what I was looking for. One pattern had a piece missing, and the other I just couldn't follow and ended up with an extra piece. So, I obviously did a little "Jessie" adjustments.

I also accomplished my very first button holes on this project! I couldn't seem to figure out exactly where my machine was going to line up the beginning and end of the holes (even with 3 or 4 practice scraps), so there was a bit of unpicking going on, but what project is complete without having to pick out, right?

Despite the mistakes and largeness of the nightgown, Maddie loves it! She requested to wear it as soon as I gave it to her. Here she is modeling her new jam jams.

Sewing Subway Art printable

2011-01-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here's my little take on the subway art that is so popular right now. I thought it might go well with our little Keep Calm and Sew On print for our sewing rooms - or sewing corners, as is my case :). I'm thinking of making another rosette frame for it and maybe going a little bigger.

Just click on the image to bring it up in a new window, then right click and save (for us PC users). It should print out just fine up to 5x7. Email us at secretstitchclub@gmail.com if you'd like a larger one and we'll email it to you.

Check out our printables list on the left. It's not huge yet, but it's growing. (Totally check out Jessie's sewing journal printable. So great!) My next project is figuring out how to get these in pdf format on the blog. That would be nice!

travel high chair WINNER!!

2011-01-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS

Lindsay Ray - Lucky #17

My favorite that I received this year was my serger!! Best Gift EVER!

Wasn't a fan of the plastic egg holder for camping....guys always pick the weirdest things.For this year I am going to start creating more and get my self more organized around the house to get ready for baby #2!!

* Good luck on baby #2 - we wish you all the best!

Americn Crafter contest

2011-01-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

I just read about this brilliant contest on Nap Time Crafters and since I have some super crafty friends (and there are some super crafty people who follow our blog - thank you!!) I thought you might want to know about it too. Who cares if you just had a baby or just moved across the country or just have a million and one things to do as the executive homemaker of your household or work your booty off at a job?! Drop everything and get your crafty self over there and enter! Yes, I'm talking to you. :) (I'm feeling a little bossy this morning, and since my kids are still sleeping or off to school, I'm channeling my bossiness into the blog. My kids - and hubby - will thank you later.) I want to enter something too and have a few projects that I'm mulling over. The great thing is we have until January 27th to enter. Come back and let us know if you enter!

obsessed with kids cookbooks

2011-01-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

This is my latest fav cookbook. I get so bored with bologna sandwiches, mac n' cheese, chicken nuggets... I decided in the new year not just for me to eat better, but to feed my entire family better. These are fun, easy, recipes that you can make with your kids.

ADVICE:

The Author Annabel Karmel also gives great advice in her book, like "eating out: watch out for kids' menus in restaurants - they often read like a fast-food menu. Ask for a half-portion from the adult menu instead. Compliment your child on behaving like a grown up - children's tastes in food is more sophisticated then what you might think."

My Response:

I had never thought about doing that. I hate kids restaurant menus. Not just for the sucky nutritional quality but because they charge $5 for a 1/4 of a box of mac n' cheese that cost less then a dollar. It's a rip off and adult portions usually cost a few dollars more and are usually better for you.

A Family Rule:

One rule we have in my house is called "Green Eggs & Ham" - they HAVE to try everything once. If they hate it then they don't have to eat it, but they have to at least give it a try. Just last week I made Gumbo that had hotdogs, sausage, chicken, and shrimp in it. Paige and James were both like, 'we hate shrimp' I was like... do you even know what shrimp is? I pointed out the shrimp character on Finding Nemo and that made them laugh.

Then after they tried it they were like... um, that's kind of good. Yeah. That's what I thought, or sometimes they will say - 'we hate that' and I will say - 'no you don't. I made this before and you loved it... etc.' That sometimes works as well.

ADVICE:

"Eat together: Eating with the whole family whenever possible can really make a difference. Personally, I think that taking the focus off your child's eating and having lots of social chat at the table is helpful... we try to have dinner together and take turns telling one another some of the good and bad things that happened during the week. Sometimes kids don't realize that bad things happen to adults too so it doesn't matter whether it's trivial or important... Children are more likely to open up to you if you are open with them, and it's good bonding time."

My Response:

We all know this is common sense, but I never considered sharing with them bad experiences as well. Not all my woes, but getting a flat tire or small disappointments might be interesting for them to hear, as well as the good. One thing I like to do is ask them what their favorite part of the day was and hearing what they come up with. I hadn't considered telling them my favorite part. - Anyway, I like the recipes in the book, the pictures are great, and recipes look easy enough as well as the ingredients... So far we've made the omelets, and two types of smoothies (Paige & James made these all by themselves), and tomorrow I'm making the Butternut Squash Risotto. Let's hope this year makes for better eating, for me and them.

Giveaway - a travel high chair (closed)

2011-01-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since we've given away anything - so why not... I made this travel high chair based off one of my favorite tutorials. You can see it here. I love this travel high chair because it helps wiggley kids from falling off their chair (my kids are notorious for falling).

This is the inside, or the outside. Red with white polka-dot fabric. Could be for a little girl in your life... or a little boy.

Here is the outside, or vice versa. These are little baseballs on navy blue fabric.

This is it - all ready to use. The tutorial is very easy and quick if you just want to make one for fun. Would be a great baby shower or birthday gift.

And lastly an action shot - all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment. You can enter up to 3 times. Just tell me 1 thing you got for Christmas that you love, one thing you got that you hated, and 1 change you will make in the New Year - or just leave 3 random comments, either way your entered. ALSO PLEASE make sure I can contact you. Giveaway will end Saturday Jan 15th at midnightish. Winner will be announced Sunday morning and I will mail out the travel high chair Monday morning. Good Luck!

Fabric Letters

2011-01-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

I am soooo behind on posting some of my completed projects. Do I try to catch up or just start being better now? While I ponder that thought...I finally took some pics of a Christmas present I made Elsie this year. I used the Rag Quilt Letters Tutorial from Happy Together and created these:

**Don't you love you load pictures in the wrong order? Apparently, I LOVE it!**
Anyways, this was a really fun project to work on. First reason, because I had all the supplies on hand, I didn't have to go buy anything. Second reason, I got to dig through my fabric stash and use those little bits of fabric that I have held onto thinking I would someday need this little bit of fabric. Third, I got to use some of my most favorite fabrics. Fourth, it was pretty brainless. Trace. Cut. Sew. Snip the edges. Do that 26 times and DONE! No hemming, no matching up seams, no finishing the entire project and finding out that it doesn't even fit your child. This has happened too many time in the last month. But, I digress. And fifth, Elsie actually plays with them. When she first opened her present she immediately found the "O" and was so excited that she knew it! Super cute let me tell ya.
More pics of other projects to come, I promise!

Style Stitches Montly Bag Challenge

2011-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

JemJam is hosting a monthly bag challenge that I decided to join. Using the book Style Stitches by Amy Butler, we will be making a bag a month. There are 12 chapters in the book, so we will be doing a chapter a month. I'm really excited!

I just got my book in the mail and have been looking through it. It's a beautiful book and I think the projects in it will really challenge my sewing skills...which is exactly what I need. I really want to take my sewing to the next level and learn new skills. I'll have the book at the next sewing night so you guys can check it out. Maybe you'll want to join the challenge with me?? The first bag is the Cosmo bag, which is pictured above on the cover of the book. I am going through my stash now to choose the perfect fabric combo. I love choosing fabric for the bag...that's the best part to me. Then I'll get to work. It should be a nice church bag to carry everything + the kitchen sink to church in hopes of keeping the kids quiet. :)

SSC on Ucreate!

2011-01-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

Great, big, huge thanks to Kari from Ucreate for using the Rosette Frame tutorial for her January Create with Me feature! I was so surprised when she said she wanted to use this tutorial, but she said that she wanted to do something simple after the madness of the holidays. I'm so excited to see what other creative crafters do with it. I'm always amazed at what other people come up with!

Valentines Day outfit for my baby

2011-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I am already thinking about Valentines day, and so I made cute onsie with ruffles on the bum, with baby leggins to go with it.

Apron Inspiration

2010-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

I haven't sewn an apron in a while. I know, right?! It was our love of aprons that first initiated this little group. Well, I am anxious to get the sewing machine out because when I saw this apron from Anthropologie, I was instantly inspired. I'm a little in love with it. Nope, A LOT in love with it.

image from Anthropologie.com

Don't you just love the vertical ruffles on the bodice?? And the flower? Love it! Must sew now!

EDITED: Well, someone was way ahead of me and has already put together a tutorial for this apron! Lucky for us! Check it out here.

I love this mother/daughter/doll apron set

2010-12-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

This was my last pre-prego project. I wouldn't have made a custom mother/daughter apron set 5 weeks before my baby was due (energy level of a 35 year old at 35 weeks was 0%)... except it was commissioned for my sweet friend Tiffani from her mother-in-law and I teach Tiff's adorable daughter in my preschool and love that girl (and all her sass!)

but I'm glad I did and it turned out so cute. I used Cindy Taylor Oates, More Retro Aprons pattern book. This apron is really feminine and reminded me of the Funked Out Apron (which I loathe), but it was so much easier to follow and I love the end result. One nice thing about this apron is that it accentuates your bust whether you have one or not. It's so delightful and girly.

And what's the point of having a hostess apron without a little girly bling. Tiffani is the kind of girl who is always wearing cute things in her hair - so I figure this might get more use then a cute apron. It was my first attempt at rolled flowers, (Thanks Christie for the tutorial) they are easier then you think.

This is the apron I made for her 4 year old. I used the 5 ruffle SSC Anniversary Apron idea to make this one. I just had to make it a little smaller and I made the top double sided.

This is the bling I made for this apron. I blogged about this flower tutorial a long time ago and made all the flower cutouts and ironed them all with wonder under, but never assembled the flowers. I love that I had flowers ready to go in the right colors to match this apron.

I wish you could see the back of this better (all my models were at school or taking naps) but they are super long straps attached at the top and thread through loops at the sides. I got the strap idea from Cindy Taylor Oates Little Retro Aprons for Kids. The edges of my ruffles I left serged.

This one I threw in just for fun, it's made from scraps and took no time at all. The pattern I got from Cindy Taylor Oates kids apron book. I love it because it's cute and matches the daughter apron.

What would the doll apron be without it's own little bling? I even put a pin on it so she could clip it to her dolly's hair. This project actually turned out to be a lot better then I anticipated.

It actually helped pass the time 'til this little cutie came along... Now I know what busy is.

a last minute Christmas Craft

2010-12-28T19:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you remember my skeleton tutorial from Halloween, but I decided to use the basic idea and create the same type of craft for Christmas. Here is what I did:

I bought 3 cheap frames from Wal-Mart (they cost $3 each), 2 are 8x10 and one is 8x 12. The frames were black or dark brown so I bought a can of cream spray paint and went to town on them. I didn't sand them or use a primer (they are a cheapy plastic) and a few places it cracked, but it actually made them look cooler.

I also bought a pack of 10 Christmas clothes boxes for $3, using the glass for a template; I traced and cut them out. The ribbon came off a gift someone had given me. So it cost $0. I cut 4 pieces the same length and threaded them through the frames.

Don't forget to use a spacer so there is equal spacing on the ties. This is my camera battery charger (it was closest). Then I tied the ribbon in knots and cut the edges.

Here it is all assembled and hanging on my wall. Total project cost $12 - $15

Another cool thing is the Costco photo store online has a gallery that you can buy prints from. This frame is 16x20 and I think it cost me $2.49 to print this from the gallery. It was ready for pickup the same day I ordered it. I already had this frame and I think it's fun to buy prints that fit frames you already have and switch them out for the holiday.

Here is my holiday inspired wall. I love how it turned out. I didn't get it done in time for Christmas, but it's ready to go for next year.

Hot Chocolate Cupcake with Peppermint Marshmallow Filling

2010-12-13T06:56:00.001-08:00

Now that the stress of the Ward Christmas party is over I feel like I can finally get into my holiday baking. I'll save the bulk of it for next week when the kids are out of school, but I wanted to do a little bit for a family dinner we had last night. I thought about it (probably way too much) and decided I wanted to create my own little hot chocolate cupcake. Mmmmm, hot chocolate. I could drink hot chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I used a Devil's Food cake mix to keep it simple, but you can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe. The peppermint marshmallow cream is my favorite part. It gives the cupcake that perfect little peppermint zing that you get from real hot chocolate when you melt a small candy cane in it.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Marshmallow Cream Filling
Yields 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 box Devil's Food cake mix

Bake according to the instructions on the box. Allow cupcakes to cool.

Peppermint Marshmallow Cream
1 small (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 candy canes, crushed to powder
2 TBS cream or milk

Cream the marshmallow cream and cream cheese together until smooth. Put the candy canes in a heavy ziplock back and crush it to powder (or you can grind them in a food processor or blender - I'm just lazy and don't want to wash another bowl). Be sure to make it into powder, you don't want any chunks because it makes it hard to pipe into the cupcake. Add the candy cane powder and cream. Mix until nice and smooth.

Using a long piping tip and a pastry bag, pipe the filling into the cooled cupcakes. I show how to do this here.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
* adapted from allrecipes
1 1/2 packages of cream cheese (12 oz total)
1 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups of heavy whipping cream (minus the 2TBS used for the filling)

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream with cream cheese mixture.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, making them look like the whipped cream on hot chocolate. Sprinkle some cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix on the top of the cupcakes and add a small candy cane. And enjoy!

** You can also fill the cupcakes with caramel instead of the peppermint marshmallow cream to make Caramel Hot Chocolate cupcakes. I had a few cupcakes left over and I think that is what I'm going to do!

(PS - You'll probably have left over frosting. It goes great on graham crackers or any other cake recipe. It's also yummy as a little topping on Maren's recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes with Apple Cider syrup. It's my most favorite frosting recipe ever!)

Linked to:

Christmas Card Holder Anyone?

2010-12-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

(picture from Brassy Apple Blog)

Meg over at Brassy Apple created this adorable Christmas Card holder. Can you guess out of what? Embroidery hoops? Yeah. That's what I thought... but you'd be WRONG! Dollar Store burner stove covers... I know crazy right? But how clever is that. They are magnetic, makes sense. She modge podge paper over the cheesy prints they come with and strung it together with ribbon. What a fab craft to do for the holidays and so EASY. These would make great inexpensive gifts. You could make a snowman with magnets and let your kids decorate to their hearts content. She also has a clip of little news segment she was on where she shares all kinds of other ideas of what you could do with burner covers. Check out her tutorial.

I love this time of year

2010-12-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ok. So this clip made me cry - but that's not hard to do at 9 moths pregnant. I'm a ticking time bomb and cry over commercials, or just no reason at all... not so happy about being a walking leaky faucet, but I do love 'good will t'wards (women &) men and the kindness that people show this time of year"

Makia Craft Night

2010-11-30T07:16:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I won a free craft night for 10 from Makia Creations on Sugardoodle! Sweet!! I was so excited! Who better to share the craft night with than my Secret Stitch sistas. Because I'm a little obsessed with all things snowmen, I chose this supercute snowman craft.

I was so surprised at how quickly I got the huge box of supplies in the mail. It felt like no time at all. When I opened the box, there were all the supplies, neatly wrapped and packaged. It was awesome! We had everything we needed to complete the craft.

The wood snowman pieces are in the wrapped paper. Underneath that is a bag containing cute paper and wood button and nose pieces. The individual bottles of mod podge, stain, super glue and a paint brush are in the little plastic bag up top. All the supplies were already sorted, packaged and ready to create! It was the easiest craft night ever!

I live in a town house, so it was pretty tight fit. But I think we're used to that by now. :)

The girls painting, mod podging and glueing away.

Nikki, in the green, is the craft queen. She was our go-to girl for all things mod podge. (I have such a hard time with that stuff! It always bubbles. Maybe I just need more practice.)

Below are the finished products. I love how everyone of them was different in their own way.

Thanks so much, Makia Creations, for providing us an awesome, stress-free craft night!

Check out all the other sweet crafts they have available here.

make your own elf

2010-11-29T08:12:00.000-08:00

(picture from Pink and Green Momma)

If your wanting to do your own Santa's elf on a shelf - here is a great site Pink and Green Momma if you want to make your own. She makes these adorable ornaments out of wood beads, pine cones, and pipe cleaners. I think I'm going to have to make a few of these for my tree this year with my daughter and son. They will love these, or we can skip the tree and let them hang around the dining room chandelier.

(picture from Pink and Green Momma)

Thanks for sharing such a great idea MaryLea.

Spool Garland - how festive is your tree?

2010-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

I found this the other day at Joann's - it's like their holiday mascot. He is so cute and at 60% off it feels almost criminal to leave him there. So in the spirit of sewing and holidays...

(picture from Boutique Nutmeg Designs Blog)

I saw this spool garland at Nutmeg Designs. How cute is that? It marries two of my favorite things holidays & sewing. Actually my kids have individual trees in each of their rooms and I was thinking how much fun this garland would be to make with my 8 year old. Her tree is pink - so really these colors are perfect.

(picture from Boutique Nutmeg Designs Blog)

It looks so easy - I just have to figure out where to get the wooden spools now.

Keep Calm rosette frame tutorial

2010-11-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

I think I'm a bit late jumping on the Keep Calm train, but I just kind of noticed all the cute variations out there on the "Keep Calm and Carry On" saying. I thought it'd be a cute gift for my crafty friends to create a "Keep Calm and Sew On" print. Then I thought it'd be even cuter to put in it a frame with a cute flowery touch. Below is a little tutorial on how to create this simple, cute, inexpensive frame for a gift or to add a little decor to your sewing room.

First of all, here are the prints you can use. Just click on the print, it should come up in a new window, and then right click on the picture and save to your computer. Then you can print out in any size you want (up to 5x7 with no resolution issues) or get it printed at Costco or other printing place.

I thought it'd be fun to add a little Christmasy one, since we finally made it to the most wonderful time of the year! Just click on it, it'll come up in a new window, then right click to save to your computer.

Now on to the tutorial. Find your frames. I purchased these $1 frames from Michael's. They hold a 4x6 print. Paint them whatever color you want. Let dry.Rough them up a bit, if you'd like. These frames are really light, so you can't really see the roughing up I gave them. But it's there, I promise. If you want to distress them with ink or paint to further emphasize the roughing you gave them, go right on ahead.

All ready for embellishing.

Now for the rosette. Collect strips of fabric or ribbon and other embellishments like buttons, pearls, jewels, etc. Start by tying the end of the fabric in a knot.

Hot glue the knot to the frame where you want the center of your flower to be.

Then start twisting your fabric and circle around the knot and glue the fabric to frame as you go. Twist and glue, twist and glue.

Twist and glue until you get your desired flower.

Create other flowers and bling them up with jewels, buttons and pearls. Go even further with some tulle or other silk flowers. There's no limit to your creativity!

Here's another one I did where I added some tulle. Just bunch tulle up and glue it on before you add the rosette, or shove it in wherever you want and glue down. I love how just the smallest addition of tulle gives it a little more umph.

To make a bow to hang your frame, hot glue strips of fabric, tulle or ribbon to the back. Let dry and tie in a bow or knot. Hang your frame!

Or, if you prefer, prop it up!

So there ya go! Super easy, super inexpensive, super cute (at least I think so). Go ahead, make some for your own crafty friends. (SSC sistas, sorry to spoil your Christmas gift. :))

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-11-27T17:53:00.000-08:00

I saw the tutorial for a super easy ornament wreath on Eddie Ross last year that I knew I wanted to make it for this year. I grabbed some pretty ornaments on clearance after last Christmas and saved them. It turned out to not be enough, so I picked up some large jingle bells from Michaels. I had some plastic ornaments on-hand, but they didn't really work. They kept getting stuck and the ornaments wouldn't lay quite right. It was super easy and turned out just like I was hoping! I love it...lots. Here are a few tips I have, in case you want to make your own:

1. Use glass balls. The plastic ones break off, even if you glue them.
2. Definitely hot glue the top on or they will fall off. I learned the hard way.
3. Buy more ornaments than you think you need. The more the better, in my opinion.
4. The wreath gets pretty heavy, so be sure to have a wreath hook to hang it on.
5. Find the large jingle bells if you can. It makes a fun little jingle every time you open the door.

Santa's Elf of the Shelf

2010-11-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start a new tradition this year and read up on a few people remember as kids (the internet is full of them), I heard one on the radio a few years back about elves that doorbell-ditch and leave Christmas jammies, which has become one of our favorite traditions... lots of squealing and running (my kids).

This year I was reading about nostalgic adults that had versions of the same tradition where an elf sat on shelf and reported the kids behavior to Santa, what a cute idea. A few weeks later in the bookstore I found a mass produced version of this holiday tradition. I didn't really care for the book, the dollar store looking cheaply made elf, or the price tag... so I decided to come up with my own story and elf.

I considered making my own elf, until I saw these at Marshall's, They are elves made by Annalee Dolls. They are adorable and completely bendable. I think I picked up a 9' elf for $14. The faces are fabric and painted on, I think they look impish and like Whoville people from the Grinch.

Anyway, next I came up with a poem to read to my kids and begin our new tradition. I would love to share it with you as well - if you want to start this fun tradition too, please feel free to us it.

a few more places to land yourself a silhouette

2010-11-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

So I think I know what happened... the Silhouette Company made a kazillion of these and handed them out to everyone who went trick or treating at their shady factory in the scary industrial section of American Fork, Utah (ha, ha, ha... like that exists tee, hee) - anyway so now they are passing them out for giveaways to anyone who has a craft blog (okay so maybe just a select few - but 'How Does She' boasts 17 blogs/site giveaways (although she only had like 9 listed on her site)... Anyway, I've listed all the ones I can find below and if you can't win one after entering all these damn sites - there is something WRONG with you.

(obviously we are NOT hosting a giveaway, we are just not that cool... we only giveaway our own homemade crap)

Homemade by Jill
http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2010/11/silhouette-sd-giveaway.html

How does she?
http://www.howdoesshe.com/silhouette-craft-cutter-cyber-monday-deal

Tater Tots and Jello
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-in-time-for-christmas-silhouette.html

We are THAT Family
http://wearethatfamily.com/2010/11/i-give-you-the-silhouette-sd-giveaway/

Thrifty Decor Chic
http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/11/silhouette-craft-cutter-giveaway.html

Grosgrain
http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/2010/11/another-silhouette-machine-giveaway.html

Kara's Party Ideas
http://karaspartyideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/another-silhouette-craft-cutter.html

Make it and Love it (previously posted about - stupidly thinking she was the only one hosting this giveaway)
http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/11/are-you-ready-for-fantastic-giveaway.html

Infarrantly (is that a word, I really don't think it is?) Creative
http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2010/11/silhouette-giveaway.html

I looked for the below sites all on my own (no thanks to 'How Does She?')

Southern Savers
http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/11/silhouette-sd-holiday-giveaway/

Curbly - THIS ONE ENDS NOV 23rd, TUES Midnight
http://curbly.com/chrisjob/posts/9379-curbly-giveaway-win-a-silhouette-sd-digital-cutting-machine-a-300-value#newest_comment

UPDATE: Here are a few of my entries - you can use these if you get bored, just try not to use them on the same sites. It's not like they read everyone... what's a little repetition and I'm feeling a little witty for once in the past 9 months, my sugar intake is high and my caffeine levels are dangerously low - this is what my friends call 'Prego sasssss'

Thifty Décor Chick entry - I think it would be fun to make stickers for my kids to wear to school. Just to give other people a heads up of what they may be walking into... "Paige is a beast this morning, keep your distance... Keep your distance!" "Please make sure James flushes and washes his hands" or "Maren is late today because she spent too much time primping in the bathroom" (my dad actually wrote that when I was in JR high and my teacher died laughing, I of course was mortified.

Kara’s Party Ideas entry - ummm... I would probably cover myself with temporary tattoos. Yep. That's what I'd do - then make T-shirts for the Secret Stitch Club Ladies that say, "That's how we roll on the WEST side" (I know super dorky, but that's how we like it)

Homemade by Jill entry - I would love a silhouette for Christmas. I think it would be awesome to make temporary tattoos for my preschool class. Wouldn't their parents love if I recorded some of the crazy things they say and then put them on their arms or faces that take days to wash off... oh it would just be too much fun! 

How Does She entry - I really really really want a couch for Christmas. I know it’s so lame, but the one we have is 12 years old and looks a lot older. Our 3 kids have had their share of marking up this poor couch. Paige drew over the cushions, James spilled a bottle of red paint on it, and Abbey ripped off the sewed on cushions by flipping over the back of it. I believe in you Santa… I’ve tried to be a good mommy most of the year. oh, please. please. please

Tater Tots and Jello entry – I want one to make temporary tattoos. Really I was too chicken to ever get a real tattoo and here is my chance. I'm 9 moths pregnant and ready to pop with #4. Couldn't you just see a temp tat that said, "tick, tick, tick - back slowly away." I LOVE it. I could change them out for every lame comment people give me about my insanely huge belly.

We are THAT family entry - I think I would make really lame bumper stickers for my car. I hate trying to figure out what people mean by their vanity plates, yet I can’t look away and I still think about it days later. With my very own silhouette I could type up some of the gibberish my 2 year old comes up with and get a kick out of people reading it and going… what the h..? or I think that lady might be crazy. When they pull up next to me and see me cackling like a witch all their suspicions will be confirmed. ‘yes, yes, she’s crazy. don’t make eye contact kids.’

Grosgrain entry - I really am intrigued by the temporary tattoo feature. It's just the endless possibilities that get me all excited... I could make some for my kids. I can see the babysitter reading my kids cheeks- 'no matter what we say bed time is 7:30' and 'please remind me to brush my teeth' - or for my 2 year old 'give her a bottle and put on Dora and back away slowly'. I wouldn't get sick seeing that. I would hope the temp tats last longer then a couple days.

If I had a million dollars...

2010-11-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

So if I had a million dollars, I would of course be somewhat responsible, pay off debt, school loans, fix up my house (or just buy the Willis' house - no I think I would buy the Baker's house. I love their new kitchen and their backyard, but I'd have to put in a basement with a few more bedrooms) - but after all that your allowed to be frivolous with some of it right?

If that's the case - I would buy all my SSC ladies new Bernina's that cost more then most of our cars. This is the lower end, so if there are a few SSC's that wouldn't want the high techie-ness of it all they could slum it with this beauty (and use the balance to pay off their cars) - Jill, you can still keep Hans, everyone needs more then 1 machine right?

For the rest of my sewing buddies - We could all get these fun new top o' the line Bernina's and customize fun skin to go on them. Aren't they so cool? It's only 30$ bucks for the skin and all the $ goes to breast cancer research, that's pretty cool of you Bernina... to not just come up with something my generation would love BUT make it go to a good cause.

This is what my skin would look like, except I would make Jenna take new pictures of me and shave off about 30lbs. - but isn't it so fun? (too bad they don't make these for models that are 10 plus years old). Couldn't you just see us all at Beka's cabin (or my new cabin next door) sewing the night away.

Giveaway - A SILHOUETTE really?

2010-11-20T10:17:00.000-08:00

Hi Ladies... I just entered the giveaway for the Silhouette over on Make it & Love it blog. It's open until Sunday night (Nov 28th). I didn't even know these existed until I was at the park the other day with Christie and drool literally fell off her lip as she was describing it's awesomeness to me... Do I have an extra $300 bucks for fun stuff I don't really need to survive? no. But if someone just gave me one? BONUS. Head over to MAKE it and LOVE it to enter.

My Space

2010-11-17T13:25:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to show you guys my new sewing space.

The sage green magnet board that is right above the table is the very first Bunko price I had ever won (prizes picked my Ms. Maren) and I have been carting it around from place to place waiting for my very own wall to hang it on and I LOVE that I kept it all these years! I've already put up fabric samples that I am drooling over and can't wait to buy and decorate with. Next to it is a framed poem that relative wrote about my Grandma Brimhall and all the amazing quilts that she had made through out her life. She is was so talented and loved to share her talents with others so it is only appropriate to hang it above my work space. And the best part, I don't have to unplug the machines. They stay right there and I just have to pull them forward whenever I need them! And having the computer right there is perfect for those opportunities to iChat with all you ladies during sewing night and work on projects while I do so to really make it feel like I am there in person.
And now that I have my little space just for me, here are somethings that I have finished.

A few months ago I found this tutorial for a chandelier from Brassy Apple and when we moved and Elsie finally had a room of her own, I knew immediately that this was the project I wanted to start right away. Sorry the pictures are so crummy, it has been pretty cloudy here and my camera isn't fancy at all but you get the idea.

The chandelier is inspiration for Elsie's room decor that will be coming a little bit at a time. I found the most adorable Paris home decor fabric that I can't stop thinking about that I think I want to use for the window and maybe for a bed skirt (when Elsie actually get into a bed. I'm not ready to say goodbye to nap time so I am not pushing for a big girl bed just yet). The room looks totally bare but the chandelier is a step in the right direction, right? Thank you Megan for sharing all your creative ideas with us!
I also finished another Sunday Brunch Jacket and Skirt for Elsie so that she had something warm to wear to church on Sundays. Poor girl, she has to wear tights with sandals because being from Arizona, you never have to wear anything but. Hopefully I can help warm up her wardrobe a bit because winter really sets in (I love that it actually is getting cold though).

The skirt fabric game from the stash exchange we did a few months ago and let me tell you, you ladies were so generous because I have been able to complete a lot of projects with all the scraps I hoarded away from you. I love the fabric and was excited to find a pink corduroy for the jacket that matched perfectly! Another reason to love fall, CORDUROY! Ladies, if you have made any projects from the fabric swap, I want to see them! I want to see any projects actually since I won't be able to see them in person anymore (**sniff sniff** That is such a painful thought).
I'm currently working on projects for a little prego momma in AZ but sorry, Maren, you are just going to have to wait til I mail it out to you to see what it is! But I think you and your little Elinor will love it!

maybe because I am prego... handprint/footprint craft

2010-11-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

Every time I had a baby (3 times now) - I've bought the cheap frames & baby feet or hand stamping kits from big name stores. I'm always happy to hang the prints up because nothings sweeter then to see how tiny your baby was, but the frames are cheap and the kits are usually not, and after a while that cheap-ness takes away from your baby's sweet print. You eventually end up scrapbooking or putting the print in an album and chucking the cardboard-ish crap of a frame (that didn't go with your nursery colors in the first place)...

I found my solution for baby #4. I am MOMMA hear me Roar! has come up with these adorable prints you can download in pdf format and use for FREE. She rocks! And best of all I have tons of fabric I could use with spray glue that already goes with baby #4's room decor, and add another layer of texture with the paper. It's brilliant. I told you I love blog stalking - so many good ideas... to keep these not-so-idle hands out of trouble.

(all images from I am MOMMA hear me Roar! blog)

My Fabric Wishlist

2010-11-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Above All Fabrics is one of my favorite places to shop online. In fact, it's really the only place I shop online for fabric. Melanie, the owner, lives down in Tuscon and is so friendly and helpful and quick (I get my order within 2 days). And I love that I'm buying from a fellow Arizonan. :) She frequently has great sales and her blog is full of fun ideas. So, if I had a little shopping spree this Christmas here are a few things I'd like:

I love this Monaco collection. You all know how I love bright colors and this collection is full of vibrant colors. It's organic fabric too, which is interesting.

I've been eyeing this pattern from Oliver + S for awhile (along with about 5 other patterns they have). I love it! Myla has decided that she will wear skirts now (this week anyway), so I'm definitely considering getting this pattern. If I made it, I think these fabrics are possibilities.

And these (the paisley is corduroy - perfect for winter!):

... no big dill - just a really cute bias skirt

2010-11-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

I spend way too much time blog stalking and it never does me any favors. It just adds to my every growing list of stuff I want to sew. I wonder if I will ever be like that commerical where the guy reaches the end of the internet? Even if I found the end of internet sewing related blogs ( - sad... so sad). It will never happen because the world is full of amazing clever and talented women who love their sewing machines and are blessed with creative minds that inspire me daily.

Here is one. I love this skirt. SO stinking cute. I think I might have to make it 3 times over (the problem with having 3 girls), I'm thinking for Easter. I could make them in pastels - pink, yellow, green. Baby Elle will be 3 to 4 month-ish, so her's might have to be more of a sundress, but can't you just see it?

But because I do love the matchy-matchy, but think moms should be a little dignified, I think I will have to make this skirt for me. Oh, the list just begins to grow. Katy is literally no big dill, you have to check out all her tutorials. You can waste some serious good time doing it.

More, more pillow love?

2010-11-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

I think my biggest fear is to have a ton of unfinished projects when this baby comes. I have a few Christmas presents left to make... some baby shower gifts, and even a couple projects from July for a trade. Yeah. I know I'm behind and this ticking time bomb in my belly reminds me the weeks are quickly getting away from me (not to mention finishing up my marathon of a thesis).

But I finally made these darling pillows. A good friend of mine wanted some new pillows for her couches. Her mom even paid me to do it, She gave me 3 pillows but has a HUGE sectional, so I threw in a few more. I love her fabric combo and I thought the jumbo rick-rack would look clownish, but it actually turned out pretty cool. Yeah for more pillows... just so you know, you haven't seen the last of pillows from me. I have a couple more in store. Yee-ha!

Falling in love with flowers - flower hair art tutorial (flower clips)

2010-11-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

So it all started with this chica... meet Megan, my baby sis.

Megs was married in Nov - 2 years ago.

She wanted all the girls to have cute flowers to wear in their hair.

So, for all her nieces (8), sister-in-law (1), and sisters (5) - she stayed up all night before her wedding to make these awesome hair clips... or hair art as I like to call them.

This is the one she made for me. You can tell it has been warn quite a bit over the last 2 years.

I decided to make a few since fall flowers are cheap right now and even though it's an easy tutorial and you are probably yawning and rolling your eyes at the screen. I hate it when people just assume everything is easy and you can figure it out. I'm not so good at figuring stuff out on my own sometimes. This is for all the ladies out there like me who like to have their hand held while doing new crafts.

First, gather supplies. I bought my flowers (on clearance) and some feathers at Joann's with the 40% coupon (but even without the coupon) they are only a couple bucks.

I bought both hair barrettes and pins.

(optional) some buttons, bling, or old jewelry to glue in the center.

Let's get started.

1. I popped the heads of the metal stems. Don't cut them off, pop them... you can do it, pop away.

2. Next disassemble them.

3. Lay the pieces on top of the others to see how you want it to look.

4. Leave the center hole free from obstruction. We are using the top center piece with it's tiny baby of a stem to reassemble the flower. I put just a bit of glue on the petals, every other layer to keep it strong.

5. There's that tiny bitty stem we're using to thread the pieces back together. If you don't want to use the middle piece, that's fine just glue the layers together.

6. More gluing, glue, glue, glue (try not to burn your fingers)... mine still hurt.

7. Almost done - thread a small piece of fabric, felt, ribbon etc. through your barrette.

8. Smother the whole thing with glue.

9. Attach to your flower.

10. Your all done and have a fall/holiday festive flower to keep or gift to your bff, mil, or dd (do you know all those? I'm feeling quite cool with the txtrs right now)

(optional step) - Add the fancy pants stuff that will make you the envy of all the chickens in the coop. Add your feathers, bling, who-ha, or whatnot. This is my polk-a-dot feather collection.

This is my remake collection. I had all these elements - I just breathed new life into them by adding more leaves, flowers, feathers, bling, etc.

This is my pre-tween collection, all of these have been sprayed with spray glue and doused with glitter. Approved by 8 year olds everywhere.

Unfortunately my daughter wasn't home to model so you have to look at me. But you can see they are rather good sized (you wouldn't want to put these sucka's on a newborn, it would be hidden by the gargantuan flower on it's noggin)

up close - this one is my favorite. On the right side there are these spindly black feathers that I formed in a half circle... they just look damn sexy. I'm not sexy at 8 months prego (who are we kidding? or really any other time), but I can wear feathers that are.

Here's another one I really like. I put a pin on this as well as a barrette so I could have the best of both worlds. Notice sexy black feather is back and more noticeable on this one. Also adore the polk-a-dot chicken feathers. They are so cute, I can only imagine the poor neked chicken running around ticked looking for it feathers.

Stay away from my hat chicken. Stay far, far away.

A New Dress

2010-10-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

I found this really cute dress pattern weeks ago and I tried making it and the first time, it was a disaster. Its the Fancy Dress from the Danslalune Etsy shop.

I loved the femininity of the dress and really wanted to make it for Elsie before the summer was over. I did make it and it was a disaster. Those little ties really got the best of me. But when I found a whole bolt of fabric from Wal-Mart for $5, I knew I needed to try it again. And so I did and I am in love with it! Doesn't Elsie look adorable?!

She was totally posing for pictures after church, which NEVER happens. I bought her cowgirl boots from her Halloween costume and she wants to wear them all the time. I thought the boots gave the look a little country chic look.

I had to lengthen the dress a little to fit Elsie but other than that, the dress is very quick to make and fairly easy. Those little ties take some patience but they are doable.
Here's an outtake photo of our little photo shoot...I don't know why, it makes me chuckle!

Being Crafty Again

2010-10-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Awwwww, it feels so good to be crafty again. To be reunited with Hans and my serger (she really needs a name) and to be creative together...I've really missed this. I really miss being creative with all of you every Thursday (but let's dwell on that because that just brings tears and this is supposed to be a happy post). And I say happy because I just finished building this:

and seeing it finished really makes me happy!
I got the idea from I heart Naptime. Okay, so I pretty much stole the idea straight from her blog but how could you not when it looks so darling? I love that with just the change of the ribbon or fabric and the candy it can cater to all the different holidays. Candy corn for Halloween. Peppermints or candy canes for Christmas. Conversation hearts for Valentines Day. Mmmmmmm, Mini Cadbury Eggs for Easter. I love it! And the best part, it cost less than $5 to make. This would make a great Super Saturday project (sorry I'm about two weeks late for suggestions) since I was able to get it done during Elsie's nap. It really makes me so happy to have it on my counter right now.

Make your own oil cloth? Is that possible?

2010-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Beka recently asked me about the table cloth I have in my kitchen. It's a 54X54 square shaped table which is always hard to find any kind of table cloth for. So I decided to make my own. I found a black toile from the Home Decor section at Joann's, with black & creme check around the outside. It was exactly what I wanted and I love it... BUT it was a huge pain to make into a simple table cloth, because I wanted it water proof and easy to clean after messy children or craft projects.

I spent hours ironing on the vinyl (which is NOT cheap, even with a coupon - only 17 inches wide). After 5 years it has taking a beating. There are spots where the vinyl has come off (or my kids pealed it off), a few spots with magic marker, creases, bubbles, wrinkles, etc. You get the picture. It does it's job, but I think I would have gone for an oil cloth is there was more variety or it was cheaper (oil cloth seems kitschy or a little too vintage for my decor).

Well, I found my solution. You can make your own! Your grandma did it - why not? I definitely think I will next time I have enough energy to think about changing up my kitchen decor (ie tablecloth). I found a great website from modhomeecteacher with fantastic step-by-step instructions. Just go HERE. Let me know if you do it, I'd love to hear how your project turned out. Best part is your not limited to what fabric they have on stock - you can use ANY fabric your heart desires.

You can make so many things from oilcloth. Check this out.

(image from QuiltersBuzz.com)

or Martha has ideas on her website. We can count on Martha to not let us down...

(image from MarthaStewart.com)

Featured Designer - Ollie Lane

2010-10-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to Ashley. She is a stay at home mom of 3 and just started an online blog (store), Ollie Lane and will be featured at an upcoming boutique in the Phoenix, AZ area. If you are around the 15th & 16th of October (this weekend) go check it out. Here is a link to more information...

Check out some of Ashley's cute stuff:

the ever fashionable apron (can you ever have too many of these?)

diaper/wipee cases (I love the fabric!)

simple play skirts

Christmas Stockings (yes. It will be here before you know it)

Super hero capes for the little hero in your life.

Travel high chairs (I love the adorable model - but these are actually quite handy) - so cute! I will be there. Hope to see you there too!

SSC Girls Sleepover

2010-10-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

(L to R: Maren, Jen, Jessie, Christie, Jill, Nikki, Beka, and Rachel)

Here is a picture from last weekend when we enjoyed a much needed get away. The overnight was to celebrate Beka's bday and to say goodbye to a much loved member of our group. Jill is moving to Arkansas in less then a week and although we are happy her husband landed his "dream job" we are are sad to loose Jill from our "dream team" but know that with Jill, in no time at all the Arkansas chapter of the SSC will be created and thriving, and we will love all the new friends she makes.

(L to R: Beka, Christie, Jill, Jen, Maren, Nikki, Rachel, and Jessie)

Sorry this picture is blurry - I think our waitress was a little tipsy. Here we all are eating out and eating up everything in sight as 8 ladies out on the town only can. Everyone had a fantastic time.

more pillow LOVE...

2010-10-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

I love trades... when you know you suck at something, even when it's not difficult - or you just can't bring yourself to make the thing that you want. It's nice to know talented and super cool people willing to make a trade. My friend Tiffani makes the coolest chic hair bows, flowers, etc. So she made me a bag full of them - all I had to do was throw together a few pillows for her porch swing. uummm... yes. I can do that and come out on top. Here are her pillows and I have to admit, I use the flowers more then putting them in my daughters hair. Thanks Tiff for helping my self esteem by making me feel a little less frumpy, swollen, and pregnant.

My new SNEAKY obsession

2010-09-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

(photo from The Sneaky Chef website)

I've become obsessed with The Sneaky Chef. I was looking online the other day for lunch ideas to pack with my kids for school. I was reading reviews on a book that didn't really sound kid friendly despite the "kid" and "lunchbox" in the title. I was looking around in the same genre and stumbled onto The Sneaky Chef, the coolest thing about her - is the website. She has TONS of free recipes - you can take a "taste" drive (har, har) before you buy the book. I told myself I was going to make all the recipes she offers on her blog before I buy her book(s).

(photo from The Sneaky Chef website)

Tonight I made this little beaute. It looks and tastes like regular chili, except it's hiding broccoli, spinach, peas, cauliflower, and zuchini. It's not that my kids hate veggies, it's more like I'm pregnant and tired and thinking about making a side dish of healthy veggies - just about puts me over the edge. With this you feel like a super mom because you just made chili from scratch AND you chocked it full of added veggies.

(photo from the Sneaky Chef website)

I made this for Abbey's birthday dinner. She loves Mac n' Cheese ...and I do feel guilty putting butter and powder in her dinner. But this is like Mac n' Cheese back in the day before they put it in a box. You know when your mom used to make you grate cheese for an hour. You can either have it with sneaky zuchini & cauliflower or carrots, yams/sweet potatoes. None one the wiser.

(photo from The Sneaky Chef website)

I just finished making the "purple puree" (blueberries & spinach) for these little lovelies. If I can muster enough energy, I will make them tonight. They also have wheat germ, wheat flour, and oat bran. It's not hard to sneak some nutrition into your diet with this clever lady's help. Yeah for creative people. Makes life easier for me, and let's my brain shut down without any guilt.

Easy Halloween Decor Tutorial

2010-09-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

I was standing in line at Joann's and my son was looking through the Martha Stewart Halloween magazine. She has the coolest ideas and I was thinking I wanted to decorate a little more this year, but everything at the store was kind of cheesy or too small and I don't have ink in my printer to print cool graphics nor the energy to take on Martha -

... so I came up with my own Halloween artwork. I hope you like.

Start with 3 frames, matching or not. These were a few bucks each at Wal-Mart.

You will need 3 pieces of card stock (or use the inserts from the photos), aluminum foil, and spray glue.

1. Shake your tin foil back and forth a couple times to get some wrinlkles in it. 2. Hose down your paper with spray glue and lay it on top of the tin foil (I did it shiny side down). 3. cut off the excess and fold your corners in.

This is how it should look.

We had a cheap cardboard skeleton that's been around for about 7 years now that I cut up. I'm sure you could use just about anything or print some fun Halloween graphics from online. 4. Cut him to fit your foiled paper. 5. Hose him down with spray glue and attach him to the foiled paper.

6. Reassemble the frame.

7. Repeat the steps for his other body parts.

Might be good to put something under the spray glue - it coats everything close by whether intentional or not.

8. Put your frames together with ribbon or whatever (I used black bias tape - only thing I had on hand that was black at the time and I'm too lazy to run to the store in the middle of a sporadic project). I used pencils as spacers, so I could get my ties really tight and evenly space so it wouldn't hang crooked.

I hot glued them so they'd be able to with stand the weight of the frames (they might be cheap, but the glass adds weight).

Adds some fun festive atmosphere without too much energy or expense - my favorite kid of project, CHEAP & EASY.

I finally dusted off the machine...

2010-09-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

...to make Ty a super hero cape. Trent asked me to make one for him ages ago and I never seemed to get around to it. So last week he escorted me to the fabric section of WalMart to buy the necessary items. He even offered (and proceeded) to cut the felt for me, freehand the cape outline, etc... So maybe Trent made most of this cape. But after months of not feeling inspired to sew, I finally put my foot to the pedal again. I'm a little rusty, but it was fun. It felt good. And best of all, it produced these smiles!

I could list a dozen things that didn't turn out perfectly. My perfectionism is my biggest stumbling block with my sewing - I get frustrated at my inability to do something perfectly. But this project was fun even with my silly errors and hopefully I'll make something again before another year passes by. Thanks for the continued inspiration, ladies!

A Hoodie

2010-08-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

I went through a huge sewing funk a few weeks ago. It didn't matter how big my project pile was getting, I just did not have it in me to pull out all my sewing gear and get to work. I told Ty that I wasn't going to buy anymore patterns til I started finishing my projects that I had already started. That still wasn't motivating me into action the way I was hoping. That is until I stumbled across the Heidi and Finn Etsy site. I was drooling over so many of their patterns and knew that I needed them immediately. But I stayed true to my word and knocked out so many of my unfinished projects so that I could splurge and buy more patterns. I'm so glad that I did because I really want to make This Hoodie for Elsie in time for our big family trip in September.
So here is Elsie sporting her first hoodie:

I think that smile means she loves it. Poor girl had to model a stuffy hoodie when it is 100+ degrees outside and very humid. But she didn't seem to mind.
I think I am more in love with the lining fabric than anything else. I have been eyeing this fabric for years but never really had the perfect project for it. Another reason to love this pattern.

Oh and bonus, this pattern can be for a boy or a girl, how much do I love that?
Here were my thoughts while making this hoodie:
*The pattern originally called for three buttons plus three button holes. I hate making button holes. I know that the machines take all the work out of them but still, I don't like making them. They turn out cute and they can getting pretty messy after a few uses and the fabric is already pretty thick so the thought of sewing three holes was not appealing. So I added the three buttons but I cheated and sewed snaps on the back side of the button instead. So it looks like the hoodie is buttoned but really it is snapped. I feel pretty ingenious for thinking of this. Here are some pics to show you what I mean.

*I will make the bottom band a little bit thinner. I don't like how wide it is.
*I will probably do something different in the construction of attaching the hoodie to the band. Its too hard to explain what I would differently but I think the way she added the band creates too much extra bulk which then makes it really hard to sewing through extra layers of thick jersey. I'm not sure why she instructs us to do it her way but I want to play around with it next time I make one to see if there is a better way of putting it all together.
*This is not a project for beginners but the finish project makes all the cursing and frustration worth it.
I also bought the Cocktail Chic Swing Coat pattern, Ruffle Jumper Dress pattern and the Crisscross Top pattern.
Have a mentioned lately that I LOVE PDF patterns?

Sewing Paper Goods

2010-08-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

So the month of August is Secret Stitch's anniversary month. I wanted to do something for the group (and all of you) to celebrate. Along with sewing, another love of mine is design, so I decided to combine the two. I've been wanting to put together a book of my sewing projects, so I made this journal page so I can start. I thought Maren's tutorial would go great with this. I'll be bringing lots of copies of this to give at sewing night this Thursday.

I also made these book plates for all those sewing nuts out there. So, I'm thinking you can just right click on these and save them for your own use. If, for some reason this doesn't work, just send me an email and I'll send them your way. jessie.marie.lewis@gmail.com
Have fun!

Romper Fun

2010-08-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

I love this pattern I bought from Little Chickadee Patterns Etsy shop. It's so simple and takes hardly any fabric. You could totally use an old t-shirt to make one. This was my first attempt, and I've cut out three more. Next one I cut out, I'll adjust a little to make the front gathered just below the neck, and I'll also use a contrasting fabric for the bias tape neckline and the waistband.
I love rompers on little girls, so summery!

most delicious skirt of the summer

2010-08-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

Before

After

Nancy (clever girl) at My Blonde Ambitions - took a (fat man's shirt) size 4X shirt from Wal-mart and made it into this delicious skirt. She has a fantastic picture intense tutorial (you won't get lost - Thanks Nance!)...

I had to try it. This is a deep purple.

I did a few things differently. Instead of hemming the bottom ruffle of the skirt I used the finished edge of the t-shirt (I don't always sew straight and it was easier to add a piece for length then try to sew a straight line). Instead of using my serger I zigzagged the edges and made an "exposed" french seam. Also after I attached my ruffle I topstitched. People have asked where I bought them - HA! The ultimate compliment.

I also made it in black.

Here is a close up of my "exposed french seam. I sewed - right sides together and instead of making sure the seam is fully enclosed when you sew the wrong sides together, I sewed a shallower stitch so some raw material is exposed along the seam. It gives it a more casual look (I'm a t-shirt girl - so it matches my wardrobe better). In keeping with the casual look, I also attached the ruffle on the outside of the skirt so the rough edge along the top is exposed.

And I helped my little sister make one in gray. I think I bought these t-shirts at Wally for $4 each, and they are pretty long. If your a wee bit on the smaller side - Target has better colors (pink, etc.) just not the biggie big sizes. It's fabulous if you are prego, because you can make a larger waistband then add elastic or a drawstring post baby belly and still wear your "maternity" clothes without the fat frompy feeling. Hoorah for Nancy!

PJ Pants

2010-08-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been obsessed this last week. Can you tell with what? These are size 2T for Abbey. I got all the fabric in the clearance section at Joann's for 3$ a yard. The size 2T took 3/4's of a yard. I know some look a little boyish (like the deer fabric on the right) but the width was 35 inches. I didn't know fabric came that wide - guess that's what I get for assuming it's all 45 width.

These are all size 6. Some are flannel and some are cotton. Even though James is currently obsessed with sleeping in his boxer briefs - give him a few months and when it cools down and he'll be glad I made them.

I bought 2 yards of this light blue so I could make matchy-matchersen's for Paige & Abbey. I bought just a bunch of plain t-shirts at Wally to go with them for $3 each. You can't beat a full set of jammies for $6.

Abbey just wasn't so thrilled with the photo shoot.

New Bag for Mom

2010-08-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in CO a few weeks back, my Mom and I took a trip to Joanns so that I could make her new travel bag. She had a specific size that she was looking for and style but the most important requirement was that it had to look non-handmade. Not exactly the way that it is made and put together (because if that was the case she would not have asked me to make it for her) but the fabric. So we scoured that store and I have to say, my mom did a pretty fantastic job picking out the perfect fabric. Don't you think so too?

We used the McCall's M6131 pattern and it was actually pretty quick to make. Sadly for the last month or so I have been completely unmotivated to sew so it took me a while to finally complete it. But I am so glad that I did because now I am feeling the itch to sew again. Good thing because my project pile is getting really big and I told myself that I am not allowed to buy anymore patterns til I knock out some unfinished projects. And trust me, I just came across an Etsy site with some really darling little kid clothes and I really want them. If that's not motivation to get working, i don't know what is. Back to my mom's bag. The pattern actually called for a zipper but I hate how professional patterns do zipper instructions and my mom wanted something more simple so I opted for a basic snap. And the pattern didn't have a front pocket so I added that for her. She wanted the pocket so that she can put her ID and boarding pass in there instead of having to rummage through the whole back looking for them when she is at the airport. Which was a smart idea since this bag is twice the size we were wanting and expecting. Ty and I have been laughing at it for the last few days because it really is a monsterous bag but really, does it matter when it is so darling? I'm excited to hear what my mom thinks. If she doesn't like it, I'll take it off her hands for sure. You can always use a humongo bag for the pool or to tote around a medium size dog...it really is a big. but cute, bag. Enjoy mom! I'm glad I could make YOU something for a change.

Like them, you will...

2010-07-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Remember when we first started the SSC blog like 3 years ago and we would find pictures of fun aprons on the internet and post them on our blog? That slowed down when we actually started making aprons like crazy and showcased the ones we made instead. Well, since I haven't made an apron (or anything for that matter) in a while, I thought I'd share a few aprons I've seen around lately. Actually, Kevin showed me these aprons. I'm sure those who know us nerdy McMillans are not suprised. Those of you who caught my Yoda reference in the post title get an extra 5 points. Not sure what you will do with those extra 5 points, but yours they are. :) Hee hee.

image from here

(For when you're in the mood...or want to put him in the mood)

The Infamous Princess Leia Bikini Apron

image from here

(For when you're in a bad mood)
The Darth Vader Apron

Go here if you'd like to spend $25 on one of these aprons...they will probably become your next family heirloom. Funny, I am. Know it, you do.

Ok, I'll stop now. :)

(Totally off-topic: I'm hosting a $25 Kroger grocery gift card giveaway on my family blog. All you have to do is leave a comment. Go here to enter! Giveaway ends August 5th.)

Why I keep sewing...

2010-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

This was me 11 years ago. 23 years old and getting hitched to the greatest (and hottest) guy I knew (know). This was my wedding dress... well, technically I was wearing my mom's dress during the actual ceremony, keep in mind my mom made her dress when she was 19 year old. This dress was bought for my reception. It was my wedding dress. I loved it.

I loved that the top had beautiful detailed beading. I loved the short sleeves despite it being January and snow on the ground. I loved that the train bustled up in back and the empire waist was flattering. I loved that it showed off my best asset without being too scandalous. I love that Jason's parents wanted me to have the dress I loved and bought it for me.

But here you are 11 years later. What are you still doing here dress? You served your purpose, but now you are collecting dust in an ugly torn bag, taking up valuable closet space. You've not only served me well, but also a few others. The dry cleaners did a number on your bead work and frankly, I will never wear you again. Your life with me is over. But I don't want to just send you to Goodwill or give you away... I'm kind of attached to you. What if you get reinvented and live a new life?

How about as a dress for my gorgeous daughter?

After I took the seam ripper and a pair of scissors to a worn out but beautiful dress I would never wear again. I sent all the pieces to my mom and asked her to create something for Paige's baptism.

She created something really special. Simple and elegant. It has an empire waist, some nice bead work on the top and somewhat echoes it's previous life. We love it. It's perfect and someday I hope to be the kind of grandma that can return the favor to my own granddaughter - because I kept on sewing.

Winner!

2010-06-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Christie for her comment about The Papery Party Etsy site. She's the winner!

A-line skirt

2010-06-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been designing this little skirt in my head since I received the fabric in the mail. I got the fabric at a great price and couldn't resist getting it. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it when I saw it in person! I used the Barcelona skirt pattern from Amy Butler. I think this is my most favorite pattern of all time! A zipper is involved, but like Jill said, the instructions made it so easy to put in. You can really use your imagination and creativity to make different styles of skirt. And the a-line is so flattering. I love it.

The skirt has a lining, so I sewed a chiffon ruffle to the lining to give it a little personality. I made some bias tape (using this tutorial) and trimmed the main skirt in it and then added a little bow.

I'm entering this skirt into Crafterhours skirt week!

Party Supplies Giveaway

2010-06-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

An easy giveaway for anyone in need of custom invitations, cupcake toppers, etc. It's an Etsy shop dedicated to creating unique party supplies. Simply visit the Papery Party Etsy Shop and browse through the items. Then come back here and leave a comment about your favorite item. The winner will receive one item of your choice, customized to fit your needs and emailed to you. Giveaway ends Friday at midnight and the winner will be posted Saturday.

Skirt Week - a little nod to my skirts

2010-06-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

The ladies of skirt week said they'd pick a few skirt here and there to post pics of. These aren't winners, just some they think are cute, there are two entries of mine pictured above.

This one was all about the skirt in motion - thanks Jessie for taking an awesome picture of the adorable "Mannie" (as Abbey would say) wearing the skirt I made. Here's hoping I might walk away with more then just bragging rights. Ladies - you still have a week to enter. It closes June 18th.

For That Pretty Little Head of Yours

2010-06-08T12:30:00.001-07:00

So Maren bought some hat patterns during the BIG pattern sale at Joann and I have not been able to stop thinking about them. I love hats. I don't wear them often because I don't feel like I can pull them off and I get all self-conscience but I really do love them. I also wish that I could have lived in the 20's because I love style of that era, especially the hats. You know the kind that look like this:

I have two hats similar to this one that are sitting very nicely in my closet that I love owning but fear wearing. One is from Anthropology that I probably won't ever get rid of because that hat alone increases the value of my wardrobe significantly. And the other was $1 at The Gap a few years ago. It is too big for my head but it was a dollar and I just loved it too much to not have it. I think I have an illness.
Anyways, there is a great tutorial for that cute hat pictured above over at The Weekend Designer that I am very tempted to try out. I found this tutorial months ago but it was before I knew anything about interfacing and the thought of using interfacing scared me off but now I think I could do it. Would it turn out as darling as hers, probably not but it is worth a try right? You should check out The Weekend Designer's other tutorials, she has a lot of really great and free patterns such as this bag:

What a great looking bag! This one looks pretty intimidating with all that hardware and leather but really, how great would that bag be? Someday right?

Free patterns from Oliver+S company

2010-06-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

(picture from this website)

I found some really cute patterns that are FREE
from Oliver+S company and wanted to share them
with all of you.

One is a popover sundress that i think I will make for all
of my girls

and the other is a ruffled halter top for little girls.

(picture from this website)

Twirly Skirts.. small, medium and large.

2010-06-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

I made these skirts for my 3 girls to match. I got the pattern from
HERE
I can't wait to dress all 3 of them up in these.