Bubbaroo

I've Been Busy

2011-09-29T14:09:00.001-07:00

I know I've been absent from this blog for the past little while, but it's because I've been busy getting ready for a cool family photo shoot that we did and also I've been trying to get all the crafts ready for our Super Saturday which is in a couple weeks. So I will be posting a lot of pictures soon. Right now I am going to post some of the items I made for the photo shoot.

We have been wanting to get family photos done for a long time and have just never taken the time to do it. When we finally made the appointment with Chris Talbot to get them done, we started thinking about what we wanted to do for them. We knew the location, but we weren't sure what to wear. We had recently purchased a 1947 Plymouth and thought that would be a lot of fun to use in the photos. So we decided to make it a 40's themed photo shoot. I started looking around trying to find something that I could wear that would fit that theme. There's not a whole lot out there that isn't really expensive. So I started looking at patterns instead. I found this pattern and thought it would be perfect. Especially since it was from 1947.

So I bought it and some fabric and gave it a try. I couldn't find the fabric I was looking for, but this print caught my eye and I thought it would look nice. It was a fairly easy pattern, but a little tricky in some areas. I am actually impressed with myself. It doesn't look very good on the hanger but looks pretty good on and is really comfortable.

Next I had to decide what to do for the kids. What kind of clothes did children wear in the 40's? I looked online and got a few ideas. I knew Donevan needed a hat and I happened to have a pattern for the perfect hat. I lucked out and got a huge piece of suiting type fabric at Saver's for like $2. It was about 4 yards! Score! I used that and was perfect. It makes me happy to see how cute he is in it and even more happy that he actually likes to wear it.

I made his pants out of the same fabric from a pattern I scored from Grandma Jessie a while ago. They ended up being a little big, but I'd much rather them be too big than too small. I was very pleased with myself, because this was the first time I actually made a pair of pants with a fly and belt loops and everything.

For Iris' dress I used a pattern I already had on hand that looked somewhat like the ones I saw online. Generally the dressed in the 40's were a lot shorter (think Shirley Temple) but I liked this pattern and knew that the brown fabric would be adorable. Not too fancy, but really cute.

And now you all get to see what all my hard work was for. A week's worth of sewing for this:

I'd say it was totally worth it. These pictures will be some of the most memorable because of the story behind it. I love how they turned out and am getting excited to make them into cards to send out for the holidays.

See, doesn't it look way better off the hanger? My sister gave me the idea to add the sweater. (Thank you Haley!) And I was trying to figure out what to do around the waist. It just needed something. So I swiped my skinny black belt from one of my blouses and used that. It was perfect. Evan looks so handsome. I think he needs to wear suspenders more often.

Anyways, those are a few of the projects that have been keeping me from the computer. I will work on getting all the other crafts on here too. I am getting really excited for Super Saturday. If you want to go HERE you can see the crafts we chose to do this year. I think we picked some good ones. I will take photos of all the ones I make and post them later.

Too Cute

2011-08-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking a little on getting my Sewing Day projects on here. I actually missed a week or two, but last week I made these little cuties.

I made them from THIS pattern. I got this fabric at the huge going-out-of-business sale at Ben Franklin Crafts. Everything in the entire store was 80% off. The next day was 90% off but I'm glad I went the day before because I heard there wasn't anything left. I got $1100 worth of stuff for $228. Not too shabby. I stocked up on anything and everything. I especially went crazy with the fabric. So now I have a ton of fabric to sew with! Yeah for me!

Anyways, I thought this fabric would be really cute for these shoes. I was right. They are adorable. I love for Clara to wear them. I am seriously thinking of trying to make some in my size. I loved them so much I made a second pair to send to a friend that just had a baby girl. I hope she likes them as much as I do.

Skirt and Shorts

2011-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was selfish this week for Sewing Day. I only made stuff for me. I had purchased a queen size fitted sheet at Savers at the Memorial Day sale when everything is 50% off. 50% off sales at thrift stores are CRAZY!! People go nuts! We did manage to snag some good things. Mostly clothes for the kids, but I found this pretty print in the form of a bed sheet. And it was $2 so I had to get it.

So I finally pulled it out and looked through my patterns trying to decide what to make out of it. I almost made a shirt dress but settled on a cute flowy skirt. Super easy pattern. Only 3 pieces in the whole pattern. The front and back are just huge half circles sewn together at the sides and then the front waistband connects in the back with hook and eyes and the back waistband ties in the front. I love it!

Then I took a pair of pants that I bought at Old Navy when they were on clearance, and made them into capris/shorts. I never wore them as pants because they were ridiculously wide at the bottom. Comfy but wide. So I cut off the bottoms and narrowed the legs a little then hemmed them up to make me a new pair of shorts for the summer.

Car Cozy and Diaper Clutch

2011-07-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

This week's Sewing Day projects are a couple of things that have been on my list of things to make for a long time. The first is this Car Cozy/Carrier/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I made it so Donevan can keep his cars in this instead of stuffing his pockets full of cars anytime we go somewhere. Not that it's going to stop him from stuffing his pockets, but at least now he won't HAVE to. He thinks it's pretty awesome so that's a success in my book.

I like how it rolls up into a nice little bundle that I can throw in the diaper bag to have some entertainment for the boy.

I made the pockets a little bigger to fit the "Cars" character cars since they are a little bigger than your average Hot Wheel or Matchbox car. Those are the ones he plays with the most.

The next project was a diaper clutch to carry all the diapers and wipes for the diaper bag. So instead of searching for a diaper and the wipes I can just grab this and save myself the trouble. Plus it keeps all the diapers crumb and juice-spill free. I hate to admit that I just use a plastic baggie for my wipes. I used to have one of those nice cases but it got left somewhere in some random restroom. I sure hope that whoever found it enjoys it. I've been meaning to buy another one, but the baggie works for now. That's three size 4 diapers, three size 3 diapers and a baggie of wipes in there.

I love to make anything out of denim. Anyone have any denim they need to get rid of send it my way. I have lots of ideas for using up denim.

I am so proud of myself for sticking with this Sewing Day thing. It is letting me get so many things done that I kept telling myself I didn't have time for. Things keep getting checked off my list. The only problem is that my list keeps getting longer. I am also pleased that with all the projects I have made so far, I haven't bought a single thing to make any of them. They have all been made with materials I've just had on hand. Not bad.

Catching Up

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

I haven't posted the last couple weeks worth of Sewing Day projects. So I'm going to play a little catch-up and post about them now. I was pretty excited to help Esmeralda cut out the pattern and fabric for her cute skirt. We used Simplicity pattern 9415 view E. The one in top right corner. The fabric was from the stash from Grandma Jessie. We didn't have enough time to get it sewn together that week so we just got it cut out.

I made a camera strap cover for Father's Day for the hubby. I used fleece so it's soft and padded. I'm gonna have to make some for me too.

At one of our monthly activities for our women's group at church we held a Service Auction. We donated items or services and then answered questions in order to earn points that could then be used to bid on the items. One of the items I donated was a pair of custom leather soled baby shoes. The lady that "bought" them said she had a granddaughter recently born and gave me the freedom to create whatever I wanted for her. This is what I came up with. I think purple and yellow together is the most cheerful of color combinations.

The next week Esmeralda finished her skirt. I was very impressed with how quickly she put it together. She told me she has never sewn before she started coming over. She even put a zipper in on the first try. No ripping out for her! And the skirt turned out really cute.

Another pair of shoes. A new pattern. Go HERE to see the pattern I used. It was a little difficult to follow as the directions weren't completely clear in a couple spots, but they still came out adorable. The second one is better than the first since I knew a little more what to do the second time. I love them!

So cute on Clara's little feet.

This last Tuesday it was just me for Sewing Day. I decided to make some Summertime jammies for the kids, since it has finally decided to get hot here. I just used some jammies they already had for patterns. Donevan's was made out of an old T-shirt of Evan's. The shirt seems short in the picture but it's because he was sagging the shorts down. Now they have some nice cool jammies to wear.

This project didn't come from a Sewing Day but I wanted to post it just the same. This idea has been floating around in my head for quite some time now. I finally just sat down and did it. It went so quick that I had it done start to finish all before the kids woke up from their naps. I found two of these boards with paintings printed on them at Savers a long time ago and knew that I could do something with them. Not that the paintings aren't great, they're just not my style. But I could see potential.

So I painted one a neutral color of tan.

While that was drying I used my Cricut to cut out the saying. Then I mod podged some paper on some clothes pins. I'm not a scrapper so I don't have a huge selection of paper but I managed to dig up some cute stuff. When the board was dry I stuck the vinyl on and hot glued the clothes pins on. Just like I pictured in my head. I still need to get a picture hanger for the back but for now thumb tacks are working just fine.

Now I have a place to keep all those random unmated socks. Seriously, WHERE do they go?

From now on I'm gonna try and keep the posts about Sewing Day up to date. So keep checking back for more great stuff!

Sewing Day

2011-06-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays have officially become Sewing Day at my house. The past two weeks three of us have gotten together and set up our sewing machines and gone to town with them. I have needed something like this. I have so many projects that I want to do and if I don't designate a time to get them done, then they will never even get started.

It kind of started by chance. These two friends had both recently acquired new sewing machines and wanted to get them out and use them. So I invited them over to set them up and work on whatever they wanted. I set mine up and got some alterations done for a friend who has recently lost a LOT of weight. So we had all three machines going at the same time. All the while, the kids were having the time of their lives getting out all the toys.

Esmeralda hemmed some curtains and made some capris out of too-short pants for her daughter.

Cami hemmed some pants for her husband and started making some super hero capes for her kids. She also made some bean bags. It was fun helping them get their machines going.

My machine with some of the alterations.

We all had such a good time and got so much done that we decided to do it again the next Tuesday. So I went through all the fabric that I've been stashing away and found a big piece that I swiped from Evan's step grandma's. She also gave me a ton of patterns so I found a really cute skirt pattern and made that my project for the week. I love it! It's not too often that I make something for myself. Especially something that isn't just a refashion or alteration. The pattern of the fabric makes it hard to tell that there is a yoke-type waistband, but it's there and then the skirt part is gathered at the top.

I love the pattern on the edge of this fabric. It made such a perfect border for the skirt.

I didn't get pictures of the other projects from this week. Esmeralda hemmed some more pants into capris and some pants for herself. Cami finished the capes and started cutting out a pattern for a really cute apron.

I am pretty excited for Sewing Day next week. I have such a long list of things that I want to make! I'm going to try and be better about posting all the things that I make. Having a designated day will help me stay motivated.

Happy Sewing Day!

I know you've been waiting...

2011-04-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

So sorry for the huge lapse in posts. For some reason, my camera and computer were having a fight and they didn't want to work together. But they have made up and I was finally able to load my pictures. Although, there are still photos on a different card in my husband's camera that I still need to get my hands on, so those will have to come later.

To start the line-up of projects:

A refashion!

Can you believe that this shirt, just a plain old T-shirt...

now looks like this!?!

It all happened because I received a beautiful shirt for my birthday. I wore it once and felt so pretty in it. It then got washed and accidentally dried. Needless to say, I could no longer wear the lovely shirt without somehow making myself 6 inches shorter. I was heartbroken. So I sat and stared at the shirt wondering if I should just donate it or make something for Iris out of it. I went to my stack of shirts that I have held onto to make into something else and saw sitting right there on top 4 plain white T-shirts that Evan was getting rid of. They were given to him but were too small. They were too big for me so I threw them in my stack. Anyways...my brain went to work and I came up with a pretty cute shirt. I took the collar from the birthday shirt and worked my magic on the T-shirt. What do you think? Improved?

Next is another refashion of sorts. I needed a birthday present for a young girl. So my mind went to work again. I looked through the bag of fabric I had just gleaned from Grandma Jessie's and found the cute pink flannel. I snatched a pair of jeans from the box of hand-me-downs sent to me from my dear friend Kayla (thanks again Kayla)...

and made them into this! A perfect little purse for a cute little girl.

I used the flannel for the lining. I even put some pockets on the inside. And stitched in a magnetic closure that I happened to have in my sewing box to keep it closed. Hope she liked it.

It had been a while since I made some soft-soled shoes. I thought Clara could use a cute black pair. So I used the black leather skirt I found at Savers for the soles and pink scraps for the lining. I wanted to put something on the top and happened to have this super cute pink lace in my box. I love them!

And the last is another refashion. Actually it's just an alteration. I really liked this shirt but it was always just a little to big and baggy for my taste. So I just took it in a little and wear it all the time now. Much better in my opinion.

Well that's it for now. I guess it's not too much, but it does make me feel better about finally getting something on here. Let me know what you think.

Homemade Paper Heart Snowflakes

2011-02-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

I was looking at the snowflakes that I had cut out of paper and hung in the window thinking I should put something Valentine-ish up instead, but I liked the snowflakes. So I decided to try and make heart snowflakes. Doing the same basic thing as with the snowflakes, just folding and cutting. I am sure I am not the first person in the world to try this, but I am happy with how they turned out. I got more intricate as I went. It was pretty fun.

I am linking to:

A Vision to Remember

Tie Dye Booties

2011-02-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine asked me to make some tie dye booties.

Well...this is how it happened. We were having a service auction at church and were asked to donate things or services to put in the auction. One of the items I put in was a pair of custom crocheted baby booties. A friend of mine bought it. She said she wasn't planning on having any more babies, but wanted me to make some for her sister, who also isn't having a baby. At least any time soon. And she wanted them to be tie dye. Get all that?

Anyways, here is how they turned out. I'm actually wondering why I don't make more brightly colored booties. They are so cute and bright! What do you think?

Late Christmas Post and Other Stuff

2011-01-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

I was out at my sister's house this weekend and was finally able to take a couple pictures of some of the things that I sent her for Christmas. Well actually just the plaques that I made for her kids. The other stuff I still don't have photos of. Anyways...for an early Christmas present my sweet husband bought me a Cricut on Black Friday. He got a BIG discount. I was sooo happy. I've wanted one for a while. What a great husband!

So using my new toy, I made these for my nieces and nephews. I painted the board first then rubbed most of the paint off so it was really light. Once that was dry, I cut their names with said toy and stuck 'em on. Then I painted the board again, over the name. After more dry time, I peeled the name off and stuck the saying over the top. Attached some ribbon and sent 'em off. I actually really liked them and am planning on making some for my kids. Someday.

This is something else that has kept my Cricut busy. ( I think it's the actual reason my husband bought it for me.) He's been having me make these signs for the doors and other various signs for The Victorian House. (Go HERE to find out more about The Victorian House.) This is a pretty bad picture with my cell phone, but you get the idea. I will be taking more good photos with a real camera soon.

I have managed to make one thing for myself. I bought a bunch of these metal signs at the Dollar Store during Christmas. They had cheesy Christmas sayings printed on them with a snowman or Santa Claus. But I bought them knowing I would just be painting over them anyways. So after painting over it, I put the vinyl on it. Put a ribbon through the holes that were already there and hung it in our bathroom by the mirror. I've always liked the quote.

And lastly, another pair of booties. They were made for my nephew Cory's blessing. I had lots of time to make them and still stayed up and made them the night before. I don't know why I do that to myself. But the pattern was easy and they only took me about 4 hours to make. And that included the time spent getting two toddlers ready for bed and nursing an infant. So really not that long. I'm just glad I got them done. And they called for elastic to be threaded through and sewn but I like having a drawstring that you can make tighter if you want, so I just made one with a long chain. Turned out pretty cute.

Pink and Grey Beanie

2011-01-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

I actually made this hat before Clara was born and before my hands swelled up and became numb. I like the grey and pink together. I think I'm gonna make some cute shoes to go with it.

Lightning McQueen

2011-01-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

I know this is a little late, but I just realized I never posted any photos of the cake and cupcakes I made for Donevan's birthday. He is in LOVE with Cars and anything to do with that movie. So I decided to attempt a Lightning McQueen cake. I did the same thing that I did with Iris's princess cake and used Rice Krispie Treats instead of actual cake. Then I did marshmallow fondant. I used gel food coloring and had to use a LOT for both the red and black. I looked up some images of Lightning McQueen and kind of just winged it. But he was really happy with it and that's all I cared about.

I used the fondant again for the cupcakes. I had a hard time deciding what to put on the cupcakes for decoration. I thought about checkered flags or something like that, but settled on a car tire with a lightning bolt going through.

They were a huge hit and I can't wait for the next opportunity to make another cake. It is actually a lot of fun and lets my creative juices flow. Anyone need a cake?

Stockings and Sweets

2011-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

I made a bunch of stuff for Christmas this year. And then I sent it all to my sister without taking a single photo. Typical. So until I can get her to snap some pics or until I get out there to visit, you won't get to see any of those projects. I did take some photos of the stockings I made for us. I have been wanting to make denim stockings for a while now. I crocheted some that we used for the past couple years, but they were kinda small and I have always liked the denim ones. And since I needed another one for our newest family member, Clara, I decided now would be as good a time as any to finally make the denim ones. So I broke into my stash of old jeans and started cutting away. I made my own pattern. I tried to make each one just a little different using the seams on the jeans. Then I hand stitched the names on the back pocket and put those on for that extra little stocking stuffer. I used a belt loop for the hanger loop. They also each have a different Christmas fabric for the lining. I am really happy with the outcome.

The detail of the stitching for the names.

The green didn't stand out as much as I would have liked, but it still looks good.

I thought Iris would like the pink more than red or green. Fits her personality more, being a princess and all.

For Evan I made some Homemade Snickers bars. Those are his favorite candy bar and I thought he might like to have some made by me. They are soooo good. And they stay really soft in the fridge. I used this recipe and I suggest everyone give it a try. It's a little time consuming because each layer has to chill and set up in the fridge, but Iris and I made cookies in the time in between. So I didn't really notice. Oh so yummy!

A Little Christmas Cheer

2010-12-06T18:01:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to post a picture of the wreath I made. I haven't been able to do much crafting since my hands are swollen to an enormous size and the two middle fingers on my right hand are continuously numb. But I did manage to get this done. They built a new Dollar Tree out by us so I stopped in to see what good stuff they had. I already had the ribbon but I got the form and the bells there. I kind of just winged it since I didn't really know what I was doing, but I do like it and it makes our front door more Christmas-y.

Bootie Happy

2010-10-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

It seems like booties are all I have been making lately. I did manage to get a pair for my little one made before she is born so I'm happy about that. I still have a couple more pairs to make for friends and family along with a huge list of other things to make before the baby comes. We'll see if I get to the list. For now, here are some pics of the latest booties.

For these I used THIS PATTERN which is super easy and very cute. I like the brown and pink.

For these I came up with a pattern similar to the pattern I made when Iris was born. I changed it quite a bit and am pretty pleased with the results.

So until I get working on that list, I will just keep making booties. They are so easy to work on while watching TV at night and I can usually have a pair done in an hour or two. Although, during this pregnancy my right hand and arm have been giving me trouble and it's been kinda hard to do stuff. Takes a little longer. So some stuff on my list might have to wait till I have the baby and I can do things a little easier.

I am linked to:

Blue Cricket Design

Night Owl Crafting

The Princess and The Frog

2010-10-27T14:34:00.001-07:00

For Halloween this year we decided to do The Princess and the Frog. Such a natural thing for the both of them. Donevan hops around like a frog all day long and Iris already thinks she is a princess so it was just another princess dress for her. Her dress was a little harder to make than I anticipated, but it turned out so cute. And I love how the frog turned out too. Getting pictures of them was the hardest part of the whole process!

They got to wear them to the Ward Chili Cook-off and Costume party and went Trick-or-Treating around the church and then again at Story Time at the library and got more treats around the library. So much fun!

Happy Halloween!!

I am linked to :

Blue Cricket Design

Night Owl Crafting

A Few Random Things

2010-10-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have not given up on me posting anything, this is for you.

I have so many friends and family members that are having babies this year, that my usual gift of baby booties has reached an incredible number. I love making them so I am glad to have the opportunity to make so many. I tried out a couple new patterns on a few of them. I used THIS pattern for these booties. I liked how they turned out, but it's probably a pattern I won't use again too much.

These I made from a pattern I designed earlier this year for my niece. I misplaced the pattern for a couple months and came across it and decided to see if I could make sense of what I wrote down. I didn't do too bad, but there are still a lot of changes I need to make before it is understandable to anyone else.

What do you do when one child has a pumpkin shirt and the other child really wants to wear a pumpkin shirt too and you don't have another pumpkin shirt? If you're like me, you go to the closet of craft supplies, find something orange, and get creative. The first orange thing that I saw was a zipper. I've seen a lot of things made out of zippers lately so I figured it would work. I think it's perfect, especially for a girl who likes sparkly things and pumpkins. Not too bad for having 20 minutes to make it before we had to leave.

I made another Pod Swaddler for a baby shower gift. I need to make a couple of these for myself before #3 comes. I wish I had some when Donevan was a baby because he loved to be wrapped up tight. I liked the old fabric that I found in my mom's stash and thought I was pretty neutral and could be used for a boy or girl.

I wrapped up Iris' doll to give you an idea of what it looks like all done up.

And I just wanted to throw these little guys in. We wanted to get in Halloween spirit. I discovered I really like bananas frozen. Iris mostly just picks off the white chocolate, but they are such yummy treats! And really easy.

Let me know what you think!

I am linked to:

I Heart Naptime

Under the Table And Dreaming

Skip to My Lou

Sew Can Do

Keeping It Simple

More Booties

2010-09-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

I finally got on the ball and got a few things done that I've wanted to for a while now. Two of my friends just recently had baby boys so I thought I better get these made while they are still babies. I now have a baby a month being born to friends and family for the next few months. I better get going on more...

These were fun. I made a pair similar to these when she had her first boy. I made up my own pattern, but in the last three years, it got lost somewhere. So I tried it again. I like these better I think. I am still tweaking the pattern a little, but if anyone is interested in trying it out just to see if it's even understandable by anyone beside myself I could email it to you.

These I made from THIS PATTERN. I thought they looked so cozy. It was a very easy pattern and I had them done in no time. Perfect for keeping those little piggies warm.

I still have a couple things that I want to get on here, but haven't taken pictures of so I will have to get on that. It just makes me feel better about getting SOMEthing on here.

I am linked to:

Somewhat Simple

Tea Rose Home

Super Slacker

2010-08-20T19:28:00.000-07:00

So...where do I start. I have been really bad about blogging lately. The weather has been so nice and I am outside so much with the kids. We have done a TON of work to our backyard this year and we have our own little park back there. The kids love it.

And then we went on vacation and I have a beautiful garden that I just want to spend all my time in. Anyways...I haven't posted for a long time.

And technically I am really not posting too much now. At least picture-wise. I haven't taken any pictures of the stuff I've made. But I do have some other stuff in the works so I will remember to take pictures of those.

I was in charge of our ward's Christmas Craft Night at church last night. I am so glad it's over, but am so looking forward to next year's. We did 6 different crafts and had a quilt set up for anyone to work on. Again...super slacker didn't take a single picture of all the wonderful ladies crafting the night away. I remembered to TAKE my camera, I just didn't use it. You would think as a professional photographer that things like that would come a little easier to me. I was just so caught up in all the good times everyone was having and all the amazing things they were making. I didn't have time to make any of the crafts myself after helping everyone, but I plan too and will then take photos.

While getting all the crafts ready for the big night, I borrowed a friend's Cricut (thank you Cami) and fell in love. I really want one now. She also has Sure Cuts Alot 2 which basically makes it so you don't have to have all those cartridges. Awesome!! I had so much fun. Looks like I need to start selling some of my crafts or something to earn some money for one of those.

Well, like I said, this post is nothing exciting, but I just wanted to get something different on here. Amazing things to come. I promise!

I want one!

2010-06-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

I would really like to win something like this. So many things you can do and you don't have to buy cartridges! So go check out this blog and try to win one, or don't, then I have a better chance of winning!

Thrifty Decor Chick

One More Pair

2010-06-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

I made another pair of cute booties for a friend who just had a baby girl. Lots of babies being born. I was going to use the pattern that I made myself but I can't find where I wrote it down, so I'll have to sit down and make another pair, writing it down as I go. I got this pattern from HERE and it was pretty easy. I'll probably be using it again. I was pleased with how they looked. Very sweet.

A Few Random Things

2010-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

I have a couple random items to post on here. Nothing too special...just stuff.

Some Scrabble Tile Pendants I made at craft group.

Some very delicious Carmel Delight Squares (yes like the Girl Scout Cookie). I was so excited to find this recipe and couldn't wait for an opportunity to make them. The chance finally came in the form of a church activity to which I was asked to bring 2 dozen goodies. I thought these qualified as goodies. So so good!

And here is a pic of some pretzels we made from some extra bread dough. Some with salt and others with cinnamon sugar. Also very yummy!

So there ya go. Not too much, but just stuff I've been wanting to get on.

A Princess Cake

2010-05-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

For Iris's 3rd birthday, she wanted pink and princesses so I decided to do a princess cake and some cupcakes with princessy stuff on them. So for the cupcakes I made strawberry cupcakes (pink) with cream cheese frosting. For the toppers I melted white chocolate and piped them into shapes like crowns hearts and stars. Then put sprinkles all over them. Pretty simple, but yummy too. Iris sure liked them.

For the cake I kept trying to figure out how I was going to bake it without buying one of those special princess cake pans. Then I woke up one morning with this idea in my head. Why not just use Rice Krispie Treats? Then I could shape it however I want and frost it just like a cake. Brilliant! And then I kept going back and forth with if I wanted to use fondant or not. All the cakes that I saw online used fondant and looked really good, so I decided to go for it. Of course I didn't want to use regular fondant because, well let's face it, it's disgusting and completely inedible. So I made the decision to try out the marshmallow fondant I've been hearing so much about. Looked up a couple different recipes which actually all turned out to be the same. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. I didn't follow the directions exactly as it said to add the coloring after it's all made. I added it to the melted marshmallows before I mixed it into the powdered sugar. I didn't want pink hands and I didn't have any gloves to use. It worked great that way. The color was perfect.

I used a little of the cream cheese frosting to make the front triangle shapes and to pipe to words and around the edge. The dots are Cupcake Gems Pearls. I just squished them into the fondant. I cut some hearts out of the rolled fondant and used those to put the candle in, since there isn't really a place for candles on the cake.

I was really pleased with the results. There are a lot of mistakes, but not too bad for my first time. Now that I know how easy it is I will probably be using fondant a lot more. And it does taste really good. So it's not all just gonna get thrown away.

Iris loved it and was so excited the whole time I was making it. She was just so excited for everything to do with her birthday and party. So much fun! Can't wait for the next opportunity to make another cake!

The Dress

2010-05-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

This is an adorable photo of the beautiful little girl, Gabbie, that I made the blessing dress for. She is so cute!

Another Award

2010-05-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

I receieved this award from Angela at Comfy Country Crafts - THANK YOU ! That makes me feel so special!!

Wednesday May 19, 2010

1. Accept and thank the person who sent it to you.

2. List 10 things about yourself.

3. List 5 additional things you don't like.

4. Pass the award on to 10 other bloggers.

Here are some things you might not know about me:

1. I love pickles!
2. I hate to cook, but LOVE to bake!
3. I love volleyball but haven't played for a long time. Anyone wanna play??
4. I have a huge sweet tooth.
5. I LOVE to craft and am always looking for new crafts to try. I get that from my mom and grandma.
6. I grew up with 3 sisters and a brother.
7. I own a photography business with my husband.
8. I taught myself to crochet by reading some books that my grandma had. I think I was 10 or 11.
9. I have 1 cat, 2 dogs, 2 goats, 2 ducks, 2 roosters, and 13 chickens.
10. I love my family more than anything.

5 things I don't like:

1. Mushrooms.
2. Tuna fish.
3. Arrogant people or people who think they are better than you.
4. Being cold.
5. When I try really hard to make something and it doesn't turn out the way I invision it.

Now here are the blogs I am giving this award to:

Lily & Thistle

Sadie's Kitchen Adventures

Chocolate on My Cranium

Penguin Stands Alone

Boo Beary Binks

Little Birdie Secrets

Baby Shower Gifts

2010-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

I went to a baby shower this morning. I usually like to make the gifts that I give. Booties are my favorite thing to give. So I made a pair of nice white booties. This is not a picture of the exact booties I gave but it is the same pattern. I could not find my camera before the shower so this is what you get. They did look like this though.

I also made a Pod Swaddler. No picture of that either. (What kind of blogger am I?) But I have to say it turned out really cute. You can go HERE to see what a Pod Swaddler is. Thanks to my cousin Hannah who designed it. I did change it a little this time however. I rounded out the bottom a little more instead of coming to a point like the original pattern that I have calls for. But I used a cute neutral color farm scene fabric since they don't know the gender. And the inside was white knit. The mom-to-be was excited saying that she loves to swaddle and can't wait to try it.

I still have a bunch more pictures to get on here of other projects but this will have to do for now. I admire you people who find the time to post pictures and updates every day. Maybe someday, but until then...enjoy.

Without Further Ado...

2010-05-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the blessing dress for Lexy. I love it. She picked such a cute pattern. It turned out perfect. I couldn't be more pleased. So here are the much anticipated photos of the finished product. Enjoy. Let me know what you think.

This is the back. I scored with some vintage buttons that I stole from my mom's stash. Finished it off beautifully.

I made a slip to go under it. Just a simple tricot slip with snaps at the top. The lace at the bottom went with the crochet. (Another snag from my mom. Thanks mom.)

This is the bow right in the front.

I decided as a little gift for my good friend I would make the bonnet and booties that came with the pattern. They were just so cute I couldn't resist.

The back of the bonnet. Lovely swirl pattern.

I put it on one of Iris' dolls that I figured to be around 2-3 months size to make sure it fit. So this is kind of what it looks like on a child. Until Lexy sends me some pics of it on her precious one, these will have to do.

And the booties. Front view.

Front/side view.

Another front view.

Well let me know what you think. I am so glad Lexy asked me to make it. It was nice to be a part of that special day even though I couldn't be there for the actual blessing. I'm sure she was a beautiful baby and that it was special for all there.

Anyone that is looking for a special blessing dress, as long as I have 3 months to make it, I would love to make it for you. We can discuss price.

Thanks again Lex!

I am linked to:

Making the World Cuter

Pardon my absence

2010-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of pictures to post on here. I've finished quite a few projects, but am working on getting the pictures on here. So be patient and you won't be dissappointed.

Thank You!

2010-04-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

My good friend Angela, who I've known since 7th grade I think, just gave me this award. That made me feel so good. I didn't really think anyone paid attention to my little obscure blog. I love going to HER BLOG and seeing all the crafty things she comes up with. I won a notebook that she gave away and I use it all the time.

Thanks Ang!

Another Belt

2010-03-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

After posting the pictures of Donevan's belt I decided to just whip one up for Iris too. The second one took me even less time since I wasn't looking at the tutorial to see what to do next. She was pretty excited about it. Now maybe she can keep her pants up. I was also thinking of putting some of the button elastic in some pants like in THIS tutorial. It's so easy. Why didn't I think of that?

Fabric Belt

2010-03-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

I noticed today that the jeans Donevan was wearing were a little saggy and weren't staying up too good. So...I remembered seeing this tutorial on how to make a belt out of fabric and thought I would give it a try.

I used velcro instead of snaps for easier adjustment. And I used the fabric ring instead of a D-ring. I love how easy it was. Took me like 30 minutes to put the whole thing together.

It was a little wider than I would have liked, but since it's fabric, it's easy to scrunch through the beltloops. And that just means he can grow into it. I also made it a little longer than she said in the tutorial for that same reason. I want him to be able to use it for a while. Now I need to make one for Iris who's pants are constantly falling off!

Nice Shoes

2010-03-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

I had made these for Donevan and never took any pictures. I made them for him to wear to church since he didn't have any nice shoes. I like the black leather. My idea was to make them look like little loafers. I love how they turned out.

My Latest Project.

2010-03-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

During our craft group today this is the project I was working on. My dear friend, Lexy, who is expecting her second, asked if I would make this blessing dress. I was so excited that she asked me! The pattern that she picked is so beautiful. It has been so much fun so far. I haven't worked with thread for a long time, so this was a good reason for me to pick it back up. I can't wait to finish it and see it on her little one. I will of course take pictures when I finish it too. Thanks, Lex, for giving me this opportunity to use my skills! (You get a nice little peek at how it looks so far!)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner...

2010-02-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

Without further ado...

The winner of these adorable shoes is...

Sadie!

Iris had fun drawing the name out of a hat. She wanted to keep drawing names. Of course she thought all of them said Iris.

Congrats to Sadie. I'll put them in the mail and you should get them soon.

Giveaway!!

2010-02-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

So here it is...another giveaway!

When I was making shoes at my parents. I got these all sewn together and tried to put them on Donevan's feet...but they were too small. Strange considering I cut them the very same size as the black and tan corduroy ones.

Anyways...my error is your gain. Someone should get some use out of these cute little babies. They are roughly a size 4.

All you have to do to win them is leave a comment below. If you want an extra chance, become a follower and leave another comment saying so.

You have until Friday February 26th to enter. So Good Luck!!!

A Giveaway!

2010-02-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

I am working on getting some pictures taken for a giveaway. I will have it posted tomorrow, so keep your eyes open.

Here's a hint at what it is:

Someone's little feet are gonna love them.

A Few Tidbits

2010-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

I finished that pair of booties for my friend, Afton. And I made a cute little beanie to go with them. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. I love brown and pink.

I was going to try and make a little flower to go on the side instead of a button, but I just made a little button out of yarn.

I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I loved it and thought it would be such a good idea for the kids to make valentines. Iris loved it. Donevan, not so much. After two, he was done.

While at my parents this past week I raided my mom's fabric stash and found some really cute stuff. I loved this corduroy and it made the cutest shoes. I made a couple other pairs, but haven't taken pictures yet.

Craft Group

2010-02-04T17:30:00.001-08:00

Our craft group met again today. Go HERE to see what we made!

Booties

2010-01-31T17:28:00.000-08:00

Here's the newest set of booties I've made. I've seen booties like this online and I thought I would have a go at it. It took me a couple times but I finally got it the way I wanted it. Even after I finished this pair, I thought of a few more things I would change, so the pattern is still a work in progress. I'm making a pair of brown and pink ones for my friend, Afton, who is having her first in February. As soon as they're done I'll post some pictures.

Flower Beanie Pattern

2010-01-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

So I wrote out the pattern for the beanie. I'm not sure if it will make any sense to anyone but me so hopefully you can use it. Also let me know if you have any problems or questions. I will be glad to help you out. Please enjoy.

Flower Beanie

Size G hook

Main color:

Ch 4. Join to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch1. 14 sc in ring. Join in 1^st sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 2. 2 hdc in each sc around. Join in 2^nd ch on beginning ch 2.

Rnd 3 & 4: Ch 2. 1 hdc in next st. (2 hdc in next st. 1 hdc in next 2 sts.) repeat between () around. Join.

Rnd 5: Ch 2. Hdc in each st around. Join.

Rnd 6: Ch 2. Hdc in next 2 sts. (2 hdc in next st. 1 hdc in next 3 sts.) Repeat around. Join.

Rnd 7: Ch 2. Hdc in each st around. Join.

Rnd 8: Ch 2. Hdc in next 3 sts. (2 hdc in next st. 1 hdc in next 4 sts.) Repeat around. Join.

Rnd 9 & 10: Ch 2. Hdc in each st around. Join

Rnd 11: Repeat rnd 8.

Rnds 12-15: Repeat rnd 9. Join with contrasting color at end of rnd 15.

Rnd 16: Repeat rnd 9. Join with main color.

Rnd 17-19: Repeat rnd 9.

Try on a little head at this point and see if it is long enough. The shells on the edge will only add another ½” or so.

Rnd 20: Ch1. Sc in same st as joining. (Skip next 2 sts, 6 dc in next st. Skip next 2 sts, sc in next st.) Repeat around. (You may need to do a little adjusting near the end to come out even skipping only 1 st instead of two, for example.) Join and finish off.

Flower (6 petals):

In center color ch 3. Join to form ring. Ch 1. 12 sc in ring. Join with petal color. Sc in same st as joining. (Ch 4. 2 dtrc in next st. Ch 4. Sc in next st.) Repeat around. Join in 1^st sc. Finish off. Sew onto hat with needle and thread.

Another Flower Beanie

2010-01-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

I liked the beanie I made for my friend's little girl so much that I decided to make one for Iris. I added a stripe to this one and made the flower with six petals instead of five. So cute.

Flower Beanie

2010-01-21T13:44:00.000-08:00

I made this beanie today at our first craft group. (You can see about the group HERE.) I like the colors and the flower turned out cute. I'm excited for this group. To have time set aside just to craft. It is a little hard with the kids still running around, but at least they have other kids here to run around with.

Another Repurpose

2010-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

I have another repurposing project I just finished that I want to show you. I went through my sweaters and found a couple more that I absolutely love but that don't really fit anymore. I just haven't had the heart to get rid of them. I'm glad I didn't. Now that I know that I can make Iris new clothes out of my old ones, it's a lot easier to "get rid of them". So here is what the sweater looked like before. I really liked this sweater. So comfy.

I took the sweater dress that I made a while ago and turned it inside out and laid it on top of the new sweater. I wanted this one to be a little more loose so I didn't cut right next to it. I added about 3/4" for seam allowance and to make it a little bigger.

This is how it looks after cutting.

Then I took the sleeves and laid them on top of the sweater sleeves. Line up the ends and that way you don't have to hem the sleeves. Again, leave enough for seam allowance.

For the second sleeve I just laid the first one on and used that for the pattern so that they would be the same.

Then I pinned the sleeve onto the sweater making sure to line up the middle of the sleeve with the shoulder seam on the sweater.

To sew, since I don't have a serger (someday) I just straight stitched and then zig zagged the edges.

This is what it looked like after sewing on the sleeves. After this I just folded it in half matching up the bottom edges and then sewed one seam from the edge of the sleeve around to the bottom edge. On both sides. And I was done. The best is that there is no hemming or making collars.

And it looks so darn cute. My sister informed me that sweater dresses are very "in" right now. Iris loves them. She likes being my little model, when I can get her to sit still. Donevan thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

That's how easy it is. Hope I inspired you to go through some of those clothes you just can't part with and make something "new" and wonderful.

The Recipe

2010-01-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

I had some requests for the chocolate truffle recipe. So here ya go.

Easy Chocolate Truffles

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate chips with the sweetened condensed milk in saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Transfer to medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in desired covering and/or decorate them.

I actually dipped the balls in candy melt and sprinkled them with red and green sugar.

A lot easier than I thought. Good luck and let me know if you try them!

2010-01-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

I mentioned that I was really into repurposing lately, and I finally took some pictures of some of the other stuff I've done. This shirt I made for Iris mostly because we didn't have any coordinating shirts for family pictures and she was the only one that didn't have anything grey. So I took one of my old long sleeved t-shirts that I don't wear anymore and made one for her. I love how it turned out, especially the ruffles on the front. You can see one of the family pictures on my other blog HERE.

I didn't know what to do for Donevan's Christmas outfit. I'd have to say that girls are easier in that department. All there really is is sweater vests. I didn't have time to crochet one, so I decided to make one out of an old men's sweater vest. Of course I wanted to have a nice shirt to go under it too. So I used an old men's button-up shirt and made it into a little boys shirt. I think they both turned out quite nicely. I tried to get some pictures of him in the outfit, but that boy doesn't sit still for very long. Next time he wears it, I'll have to snap some.

This year for Christmas treats I tried my hand at making chocolate truffles. They were surprisingly easy and very yummy. I think I will have to make them more often. Let me know if you want me to post the recipe.

2010-01-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

I have two little hands, folded snugly and tight.
They are tiny and weak, yet they know what is right.

During all the long hours till daylight is through,
There is plenty indeed for my two hands to do.

-Bertha A. Kleinman

Getting it done is my problem.

The Winner...

2010-01-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

I went to random.org and entered the number 5 since only 5 of the commenters actually became followers and the random number it gave me was...

I gave each of the followers that commented a number and number 1 is...

Shari!

Congratulations Shari, I'll be sending your pendant soon.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that this year I can bring you some of my ideas and crafts and that I can inspire you to use your own creativity. Best wishes for this brand new year.

Explanation...

2009-12-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

I understand that some of you have not heard of Scrabble Tile Pendants, so I am going to explain what they are.

I took a Scrabble tile, and cut a piece of scrapbook paper the same size as the tile. I Mod-Podged the paper on it and then covered it with a glaze that makes it shiny and gives it some dimension. I then attached a bail which is a metal piece that you can loop a chain through.

After looping said chain through you can then wear it as a necklace. I hope my sister knew what it was when she opened it on Christmas.

Please let me know if that cleared up any questions and don't forget to become a follower to enter to win one. And to become a follower just click on the button in the column to the right that says FOLLOW. It's that simple.

Good luck.

Giveaway!!

2009-12-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

My good friend Angela gave me a good idea for another giveaway.

I'm going to make some more Scrabble Tile Pendants and I am going to give two away.

So all you have to do to enter is become a follower of this blog. If you are already a follower, just leave a comment telling me so. Since there are only three of you I guess I should already know. but leave me a comment anyways, 'cause I like comments.

Deadline is Friday January 1st at 7:00 pm.

I'll post the winner on Saturday.

Good luck.

Christmas Goodies

2009-12-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting about the stuff that I made for Christmas. Now that the recipients have seen them I no longer have to keep them a secret. Of course some of them weren't a secret, like this one. Iris' Christmas dress. I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out. I got the fabric for really cheap at Wal-Mart and the ribbon finishes it off really cute. She loves it and wore it for almost two days straight.

I made these shoes for Donevan. He had almost worn through his John Deere ones already. I made the top part out of leather too since that is where he was wearing it through. I like how they turned out. I'll have to get some brown fabric for the back for the next pair.

Lately I've been on this repurposing kick. Using old adult clothes to make kids clothes. I had this old sweater that I absolutely loved, but had shrunk a tiny bit and was a little too short for me. So I turned it into a sweater dress for Iris. It makes me happy to see it. It turned out fabulous. I have a few other things that I've made, but I haven't taken pictures yet. So when I do I'll get them on here. Isn't she so cute, being my model. It looked even cuter when we put tights on underneath.

Evan's Aunt Kathleen asked me to make a cradle blanket and pillow using this fabric. It was pretty easy. I just followed the lines that were already on the fabric to machine quilt it together. And made a little envelope pillow cover (not sure the correct term, but that's what I call it) to go with it. Her son is having a baby boy. I kinda like the red and black.

This is a cute little beanie I made for my sister's unborn little girl. Iris had a beanie like this and I loved it so I kinda copied the pattern, except that one was knit and this one is crocheted. Still cute though. Like a little neapolitan sundae with cherries on top!

I made this for my sister's family to hang on their tree. I used to make a lot of these. Most were needle tatted, but this one is crocheted. I need to make one for my tree! Of all the snowflakes and ornament covers I've made over the years, I don't have a single one on my tree. I always manage to give them away! Maybe next year.

I tried my hand at Scrabble Tile Pendants. They were really easy and turned out super cute. I made two for my sister and two for me. I want to make a whole bunch more. I could make one for every outfit.

These beanies I made for my nephews. The Simply Soft yarn is the best for stuff like this. It is so soft and flexible. And by flexible I mean that it's not stiff like some yarns. Especially with crocheting, stuff tends to be stiff, but this yarn makes a huge difference. I hope they can wear them. They'll need them after they move back to Alaska!! Bbbrrrrr!!!

So that is a few of the things that I have been keeping under my belt. I still need to take some pictures of some stuff. But I love Christmas and being able to make most of my gifts is half the fun for me. Hope you like 'em.

And the Snowman Goes To...

2009-12-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

After a grueling match of Eeny Meeny Miny Mo between the two entrants, the snowman goes to Haley. And after much deliberation, I decided to go ahead and send Sadie the other one. So you are both winners this time.

Thanks guys for showing interest in what I do. I have a ton of stuff to put on here. So keep checking back.

Crafts and a Giveaway

2009-12-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have a few Christmas crafts to share with you all. Just some easy fun stuff that I've made.

Iris and Donevan helped with this one by letting me trace their hands. Then I cut them out and made them into a wreath. Add a paper bow, there ya go. I only traced them once then used that one as a pattern for the rest. There was no way I was getting them to sit still long enough to trace that many times.

I thought these turned out really cute. It's just toilet paper rolls with legs cut out. Paint on a face and add some twigs and a bow and you have some friendly reindeer for your home. I also used a marker for the hooves.

These guys are my favorite. They are salt shaker snowmen. Just paint a wooden ball white and put a face on it. Then glue the lid of a salt shaker on the ball for a hat. Then glue the ball onto the shaker after filling it with salt first. Then add a scrap of fabric for a scarf and dot some paint for buttons. I've had people ask if you can still use them as salt shakers and the answer is no. The ball is glued on so it's just for looks. I like going to the thrift stores and finding the fancy shakers for like $.50. The little tiny ones are so cute. I've given all my little ones away.

Which leads me to the next thing......a giveaway!!!

I'm going to give one of these adorable snowmen away. Just leave a comment saying which one you want before 5:00 pm Friday December 18th and you could be the owner of one of these cuties.

Good luck!

Giveaway

2009-12-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

My friend Angie told me about this giveaway. Go on over and enter. Also there is a link on the right to lots and lots of giveaways. Check it out.

Patience...

2009-12-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of things to post on here...unfortunately, most of them are going to be Christmas gifts, so I don't want to post them yet. I like surprises. So after Christmas, I will post a bunch of stuff of here. So don't lose hope. Just be patient with me.
Thanks.

And the Winner is...

2009-10-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Prize goes to Teah Olson.

Teah said...
So cute!! If I win (cross my fingers) I'll let you pick the colors. The ones you posted were adorable.

Teah Olson

Congratulations. Email me your address and I'll get them sent out as soon as they are done.

kinseydahl{at}yahoo{dot}com

My Prize

2009-10-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

I received my prize from a giveaway my friend, Angela, was doing over at her blog Comfy Country Crafts. You should go check out all the cute things she does.

And don't forget to leave a comment on the post below to get entered for my giveaway! Only 2 days left!

My First Giveaway!!

2009-09-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

**This giveaway is now closed. Winner will be announced tomorrow.**

So I'm going to try this giveaway thing.

The Prize: I'm going to give away 2 pairs of the awesome shoes below. You get to choose if you want brown leather or purple.

How to win: Just leave a comment telling me which leather you would want and if there is a color scheme you would like or if you just want me to use my creativity and choose for you. Simple, huh? You can comment as many times as you like. I am going to randomly select 2 winners.

Deadline: I'm going to leave this open until October 11th. So tell everyone to hurry and enter.

Even if you don't win, and would still like to have a pair, let me know. I am working on the numbers to decide a price, but I would love to make them. And if you're the creative type and just want to make them yourself, you can get the pattern on the link below.

Good Luck!!

Shoe Fetish

2009-09-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to make these adorable shoes. I got the pattern a long time ago from HERE and have been meaning to make them. I've been looking at thrift stores for some leather purses or pants or anything to make the sole out of. The pattern just uses fabric, but I wanted them a little more sturdy. So I finally got a hold of two pairs of leather pants, one brown the other purple ( I'm not sure I personally know anyone that would ever wear leather pants, let alone purple leather pants.) I'm going to be able to get a bunch of shoes out of them. The shoes don't take a lot. You could easily use whatever scraps you have on hand. That's what I did. The first pair were the blue and white ones.

I loved them and Donevan wears them a lot. Then I made some for Iris with the purple. I actually had to adjust the pattern a little. And the first pair I made for Iris were a little too wide, so I adjusted the pattern again and ended up with these cute ones.

Then I made the awesome John Deere pair. I really love these. And the best part of them all is the elastic around the ankle that keeps them on. Normally shoes get kicked off really easily, but these stay on. So anyways, hope you like them.

The Pod Swaddler

2009-08-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Hannah, created a pattern for this adorable and very functional swaddler. I was lucky enough to be a volunteer for a trial run of the pattern. It is very easy to make and even easier to use. I really wish I would have had one when Donevan was a newborn. He loved to be swaddled and this would have been so much easier than using a blanket. You just put the baby in the middle under the blanket part of it and tuck their arms in. Then you tie the side flaps in the front. Nice and Cozy. And when they get older you can tie it with their arms out. You can go to Hannah's blog for more details or to buy one from her shop.
Thanks Hannah for the opportunity to try this out.

Bags & Booties

2009-07-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am finally putting some pictures of the denim bags that I made for myself. I didn't take pictures of the ones I've made for others. I didn't use a pattern, just kind of made it up as I went along. If there is anyone wanting one, let me know and we can talk. I use the Wrangler one as a diaper bag. I would like to have a more heavy duty zipper in it, but I really just wanted to get it done and used what I had on hand. The other one I used as a church bag but now I use when we travel to carry toys and books for the kids. I like that you can use the pockets and I like to put pockets on the inside too. The last one I made was for a friend and I put pockets with elastic at the top for bottles to go in. I can easily customize to whatever you want.

These are just a few of the many many booties I've made over the years. That has become my usual baby gift. I've used a couple different patterns and even made up some of my own, but this one is super simple and makes up really quick. I usually make white, but sometimes I mix it up and add pink or blue depending on the gender.

A Few Goodies...

2009-03-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to get something on this blog. These are a few of the things I have made for the surprises on my other blog. So if you were one of the lucky ones, you could be getting one of these soon. Nothing too fancy. Just practical. You can always use hotpads, right? And the other thing is a letter holder or I guess you can put whatever you want in it. We use it to hold bills and coupons. I designed it myself. Hope you enjoy.

Apron

2009-03-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

I saw this and thought that it looked really easy. Iris likes wearing aprons when she helps me cook/eat. So I'll have to give it a try and make a few of them.

Craftiness...

2009-02-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

I've created this blog to show off some of the crafts that I make. I am working on getting some pictures of stuff so check back to see what I am making. I am pretty excited for it and might even try to make some money off some of the stuff eventually. Let me know what you think.