Happy to Craft

Bento lunch

2012-02-05T14:02:00.001-08:00

I had to work this whole weekend, so I surprised my girls and made bento lunches for when I am gone. I need to do it more often! Then I know they are eating healthier than cup 'o noodles, lol.
This lunch is peanut butter & honey, a granola bar, fiber veggie wheat thins, raisins & chocolate covered pretzels. At the last minute she wanted fruit leather, so i used mini cookie cutters on top of the lunch punch ice cream cutters.
The girls both got Everest lunch boxes for Christmas and I have to say I really love the design!

{winter}

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

I seem to find myself doing most of my knitting during the winter. This green hat is one of my favorites, and Bug loves it too!

Once again...

2012-01-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

I say this every year- I can't believe my big Bug is getting so old! 5!!! She requested a special crown for preschool tomorrow so I spent my evening whipping up this "lemonade" crown for her. It was nice to get a little fun sewing done!

owl for my big girl

2012-01-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Somehow in the Christmas craziness I was able to make a couple dresses for my girls. I used LBB's new A-line dress pattern and love it! The owl shirt was not long enough on its own, so the black was a nice lengthener. I am amazed I get anything done some days, my sweet {almost} 9 month old does not nap for me. I am super pleased with a half hour nap once! Usually he will sleep for about twenty minutes for me, and I swear this boy waits for his daddy to come home & cuddle him to sleep! He is snoozing within minutes of when his dad gets home.

KCWC: Day 7

2011-10-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

Another simple refashion.
For Bug.
Yeah, I almost forgot about her :)

It was originally a tank I chopped off below the bust, I serged the top of what became the skirt and added the ties from the tank as a waistband. There is a zipper in the side that I'm pretty darn proud of... I don't do a lot of zippers but somehow it just worked this time. Yeah! The fabric has a little metallic gold to it in places, which is Bug's favorite part but it didn't photograph well.

KCWC: Day 6

2011-10-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Flutter sleeves.
I love everything about them.

Thankfully Moo does too!

{I am thankful she let me style this outfit.}

See the animals in the background?
Yup.
Bison.

I love where we live!
For this tunic, I modified the Sienna dress from LBB.
It is such a great pattern!

KCWC: Day 5

2011-10-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

My sweet 3 year old loves blue. LOVES blue. So it's fitting that she has a new blue skirt!

This took less than half an hour to make & take pics of. Hooray for a great refashion! It was originally a tank and I just chopped off the top & added an elastic casing. Perfect.

Unfortunately work has been getting in my way of sewing this weekend. I hate it when that happens! So when Monday rolls around I'll finish up the next couple things I had planned out & finish off the week!

KCWC: Day 4

2011-10-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

{twirl skirt}

I am so happy to have made it to day 4!

I went with simple today and made a black twirly skirt with another LBB pattern. I love the exposed white serged seams, and had imagined it with an orange halloween shirt. However, my 3 year old took over the styling for the shoot and we ended up with a favorite too-short shirt instead.

I think one of the hardest parts of this challenge is getting the pictures done!

KCWC: Day 3

2011-10-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to try Rae's Big Butt Baby Pants pattern, and I hate that it took me so long to buy it! Mister has been growing like a weed... or a little boy, I suppose. Somehow he's tiny and huge all at once.

This pattern rocks! Super easy to make.

I made my elastic casing before I looked at what size elastic I had in the house, so I ended up doing a couple more rows of stitching to make the casing a little smaller. I ended up liking the detailing it added to the top with the navy thread. Because they are a nice cozy flannel they are super easy for him to wear!

I see more of these in the future...

KCWC: Day 2

2011-10-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

Boy clothing is tough.

Really tough.

Every once in a while...

I find something great.

Today was one of those days!

Browsing the flickr group, I found this.

{source}

And fell in love.

Got out my sewing machine,

and got to work.

Less than an hour later,

I had a handsome drooly boy

modeling a great boy shirt.

My favorite features are the cuff sleeves and the band at the bottom.

I slightly modified the LBB Sienna dress pattern for the shirt. Another one of my favorite go-to patterns, I am happy it will work for a boy too!

KCWC: Day 1

2011-10-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

I am off to a great start! Day 1 done!
I have done this week challenge a couple times now, and I still find myself going back to the patterns that I love again and again. This LeilaandBen pattern I have used before during the KCWC (several times actually...) but I love it just more every time. And combined with polka dots... love!

I chopped it into a tunic length for a new school shirt for Moo. I couldn't help but make a matching tunic for Gretta :)

Hooray for finishing two garments in one day!

{American Girl dress pattern here}

kcwc

2011-10-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Yeah!

I am working full time for a couple months :(

so this next week is super busy already

but I'm excited to make some new fall clothes!

This girl's got moves!

2011-09-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

...or at least she thinks she does...

and it makes me happy.

I used the LBB Sienna dress pattern {gulp} again.

I really do love it!

Bug had originally picked this shirt out to be a 'night shirt' but since it had Hello Kitty on the tag, it was a favorite & she asked for it to be a dress. I love the green stripe of fabric on the side!

silly moo

2011-09-05T23:13:00.000-07:00

With both of my girls in Joy School together this year, I couldn't help but make them some new school clothes. Moo loves dresses, so we went with the Sienna dress pattern again. We made a special trip to the thrift store together and she picked what shirts she wanted to make into a dress. I love the creativity that sewing allows me & my girls! It really is art!

She was so happy to have her own 'school dress' that she didn't stop dancing through the whole photo shoot! She loves it & that makes me ridiculously happy too!

watermelon girls

2011-08-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

We have slowly been adding to baby Gretta's wardrobe. Our latest addition is this watermelon dress with the LBB pattern {again!}. Love these little watermelon girls!

{sleeping babies}

2011-08-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Moo's birthday was this week - I can't believe my little girl is 3. Wow. My mother in law has a tradition of buying the granddaughters an American Girl Bitty Baby when they turn 3, and Moo has been super excited for her doll for months and months. She picked the Asian baby, and has named her "Baby Dark Gretta". We are happy to have her in the family!

Since Bug loves her Olivia so much, she wanted to make something special for Gretta. When I saw this post at Lots of Pink Here, I knew that was it! I bought the pattern from Flossie Teacakes and made the pattern a little bigger to accomidate the 15" dolls. Super easy and I love how 'finished' they look with the bias tape around the edges.

Once I had finished Gretta's, Bug decided she needed one for Olivia too. Cupcakes, of course.

I might have gotten carried away and made one for my 3 year old niece as well...

and her 1 year old sister. She'll get the doll eventually & we wouldn't want her to feel left out... okay, okay, I couldn't help myself. These flowers were just too much fun.

Short & Sweet

2011-08-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have been working odd hours lately (still) and have been in a craft 'funk' because of it. I saw this great post and decided to whip one up. It was super quick & easy. Love that! I picked up some alligator clips this last week so I might be making more soon!

Moo was not horribly interested in sitting still for pictures, that girl loves to be on the move.

camera strap makeover

2011-08-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

I made this camera strap a while back, and I didn't end up loving it. I could tell my camera apart from my sister-in-laws, but that was all I liked about it.

Enter the facelift: I picked the old one off (I just stitched it at the ends to keep it on) and made a simple cover from some leftover DS dots from Mr's quilt. It's still not quite right, although I do loke it much better. I think maybe some batting or interfacing would be nice to pad it some, so maybe you'll see round three in the near future. For now I'm just lovin' the dots!

ds hexagons

2011-07-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw the cover to {this magazine}, I knew I needed to make the cover quilt. When JoAnn fabrics released a line from Denyse Schmidt, it was a match made in heaven.

The top came together quickly, but I had a hard time sitting down to quilt it. I decided on a spiral pattern, and after I quilted the majority of it, I decided I hated the quilting design. Bummer. I pressed on and finished it in the spiral... mostly because I just couldn't stand the thought of spending hours with the seam ripper. In the end, I like it better than I thought I would. I embraced the wonky quilting and decided to love it for what it is.

Turns out it's a perfect size for Mr as a playmat outside while the girls play.

cousins

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

I was able to go visit my sister & her new baby a couple weeks ago, it was so nice to get away for a weekend! Mr. and Brenna are just three weeks apart and are just about the same size. This boy is my petite baby. I LOVE how their quilts turned out - we made them together last time I visited her.

Sweet little Brenna! This is one of the dresses I made during KCWC, I am so glad it still fit when we got there!

Celebrate America Lunches

2011-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

The girls have been loving our "fancy" (bento) lunches lately. I love them because I can sneak in foods that they don't generally love and usually they still gobble them up. This week we did a couple patriotic lunches- I love the themes!

{strawberries, blueberries, PB&honey star sandwich, liberty bell fruit leather, peppermint striped candy and -by request- bunny pretzels}

On Sunday we made white chocolate covered pretzels with colored sugar sprinkles for a treat. I am amazed they lasted long enough to make it into lunches the next day!

{yum}

{red & blue fruit snacks, roast turkey on picks, white chocolate covered pretzels, string cheese bites & raisins}

-linked up here-

LBB "America" dresses

2011-07-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

I took an unintentional break in June. My computer died, and I have had worked some extra shifts to cover for a coworker, but I am back now.
Yesterday as I was explaining what the 4th of July is all about, the girls asked for "America dresses" to go to the activities in. Hello, how could I say no? I hauled out a big mess of t-shirts from my stash and this is what we came up with. LBB patterns again, I can't stop with them.

Bug insisted Olivia match her again, so she got another dress to add to her ever-growing wardrobe. She is a spoiled baby!

Moo's dress has Popeye in the center of the star and she keeps calling it her "popper the sailor man" dress.

We went to all of the celebrations at Huntsman Springs in Driggs today, and although I do think it's kinda cheesy to dress up for holidays, I loved that they were patriotic.

Covering Up

2011-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

We have had all sorts of crazy weather in the last few weeks. It's just typical Idaho weather, and it makes me wonder why it is that I live here... but here we are, year after year! So to keep my Little Mister covered from the rain, snow, sleet, strangers, and the occasional sunny day I made a carseat canopy.

My hubby informed me that this is not a "manly" print, but I went for it anyway. I used these measurements and it worked out wonderfully!

Photo Fun

2011-05-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am still learning how to use my new camera, and when I came across this challenge I knew it would be the perfect thing to get me motivated to learn a little more. I'll be linking up in the flickr group!

{join here!}

6 weeks!

2011-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe my sweet Little Mister is 6 weeks old already! I am more in love every day! I love watching how all three kids interact, and I love watching my hubby come home from work and drop everything to cuddle them all together. Makes me rediculously happy.

This blanket measures 28x32 and quickly became our go-to blanket for outings & floor time. The animal print side is minky and I found this great stripe to match for the top. No batting, I just did straight line stitching on the blue stripes, and it cuddles in around him great in the carseat and stroller.

I felt ready to go back to work (mentally) after a month with both girls, but I am just not feeling it this time. I want to stay home with my kiddos all day. Unfortunately, financially it is not possible right now. Next week is going to be a hard transition for all 5 of us!

Sweet Pinafore

2011-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

We are headed to my niece's first birthday party this afternoon, so I made this pinafore for her. I used Heidi and Finn's Sweet Pinafore pattern- another great go-to pattern I have made before for my girls. I hope she loves it!

Kids Clothing Week: Day 6/7- dubble bubble

2011-05-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I lost a little steam by the end of the week, and just finished this today. Day 6 I spent over an hour just staring at the fabric deciding what to put together, and Day 7 was spent cutting and sewing. It seems silly that this dress took me three days when I got the cupcake dress for Bug put together start to finish in under an hour, but that's how it goes with 3 kids underfoot sometimes.

I am happy that Moo loves it too!

Kids Clothing Week: Day 5- beautiful butterfly

2011-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

I am super excited for spring to come... so I dug through my refashion pile and found a tank with this great print. I chopped off the top, made a casing for the elastic, did a couple rows of shirring with elastic thread, and was done in no time! Hooray for super cute easy projects!

Kids Clothing Week: Day 4- Sienna cupcake dress

2011-05-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

I am still so in love with the Sienna Dress Pattern from LilBlueBoo. I have made 20+ of these dresses and they are absolutely a staple in my girls wardrobe. I have been hanging onto the cupcake shirt for a loooong time waiting for the perfect fabric combination to strike... it took a while, but I absolutely love it. After I took this pic, I had her try it on and it was super long, so I took off three inches and did an exposed serged hem.

Thank goodness for warm weather! Indoor clothing pics are just not nearly as fun!

I am also glad I waited because suddenly she has outgrown the majority of her clothing and I had to go up a size for this dress. Apparently she loves it too because she insisted Olivia get a dress to match.

Our outdoor photo shoot quickly was abandoned for a much-needed hour at the park. So glad the snow from Monday did not stay long!

Kids Clothing Week: Day 3- Itty Bitty Baby Dress

2011-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

My sister had a baby girl just three weeks after I had Mr. This week of sewing gave me the perfect excuese to try out Rae's Itty Bitty Baby Dress pattern! I had some Amy Butler fabric in my stash, and it was just the perfect amount to make this dress. I love it when it works out like that!

Kids Clothing Week: Day2: Round two, Daisy Tunic

2011-05-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

As soon as Moo saw me sewing this morning, she began begging for her own dress. Since Bug had Joy School today, I snuck in a little extra sewing while she was gone and I only had two kids at home. Little Mister slept peacefully and Moo played Pet Shops by me so I was able to sew with not too much interruption. I used this tutorial at Celebrate the Madness to make the tunic. It was intended to be a dress, but I cut it a little short and had a "make it work" moment. I love how it turned out, and so does Moo.

Love the booty shot.

I had her try it on when I had the body put together and she refused to take it off. Refused. Eventually she gave into the granola bar bribe and took it off so I could finish all the openings. I am glad she likes it!

Kids Clothing Week- Day 2: Summer Dress

2011-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I finally cut into this Amy Butler Midwest Modern print I have been hoarding for quite some time! I had just enough to make this awesome summer dress for Bug. Now if only it weren't snowing outside... Seriously. "Spring" in Idaho is a little crazy. Because of the snow she insisted on wearing jeans in the pictures- I envisioned some cream leggings, but jeans works too.

I used the top of this pattern (again) and added two additional tiers at the bottom to make it longer. I only used the triangle top pieces, I just guessed on the measurements for the three tiers.

Kids Clothing Week: Day 1 - Octopus shirt

2011-05-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to be working on some boy clothes this week! Inspired by the great shirts at Mini Boden, I did a super simple applique on a shirt for Mr. I found at a secondhand shop and it turned out perfect for this project.

I would love to try another applique on a shirt using Dana's 90 minute shirt tutorial - maybe later this week if I get time!

{excited}

2011-05-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

For this next week!

The weather is {almost} nice and it's time for spring clothes!

{you can join up with elsie marley's kids clothing week challenge on her blog}

jungle monkey

2011-05-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

I sat down at my sewing machine the other day - it had been 2 1/2 weeks since I had last sewn! I have to admit, I have loved the cuddle time with all my kids, but it really felt good to accomplish a project.

I never really have used bibs much, I use burp cloths under their chin while eating instead. They measure about 8x17" and have terry cloth on the other side. Moo picked out the 'jungle monkey' fabric for me, it's almost starting to be fun sewing with boy colors!

{two weeks}

2011-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

... and even more in love every day!

+plus

2011-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by this quilt by Film in the Fridge, I made my own 'plus sign' quilt two weeks before I was due. With my mom's quilt shop being involved in a Shop Hop this month, it's was a benefit for her too, since I will let it hang in her shop for a while before Little Mister is a little bigger.

I am not usually drawn to these colors, but I am so in love with how it turned out! I used seven fabrics - 2 prints and 5 solids. I cut 1/2 yard of each, and used 4 1/2" squares to construct it. Super easy! With a walking foot I did diagonal straight line quilting and it was done in no time. Seriously, in under 24 hours.

little mister

2011-04-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

I finally 'finished up' the major project I have been working on for the last 9 months... our "little mister" as the girls call him. We are so in love!

He was 8 lbs 3 oz and 19" long - smaller than either of my girls. I forget how slow and painful recovery from a c-section can be, so we are just taking things easy for a couple weeks and just enjoying as much cuddle time as possible.

what i wore wednesday {39 weeks}

2011-04-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

I am now 39 weeks pregnant... and totally feeling it. Tomorrow this little dude is here! Since I work right up until I have my babies, I have been wearing scrubs to work for the last couple days (okay... yoga pants & t-shirts all morning as I spit-shine my house too, but I'll spare you the picture).

However... What I would love to be wearing is some combination of these clothes:

{Top, Shoes, Cardigan, Pants}

To accessorize... why not a great bag and a necklace that gives to a charity?

{Necklace, Bag}

Tomorrow, however my attire will look more like this:

with these wonderful accessories

{iv line, compression stockings and breast pads}

{goodies}

2011-04-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have been the lucky winner of TWO giveaways lately! Sometimes I think 'why bother...' but I guess it's paying off! First I won this great necklace from Barberry and Lace on Craftiness is not Optional. I love it. Such a cute little charm! I have my eye on several other pieces in her etsy shop too.

Then last week I got a note that I also won a huge stash of Buddy Fruit from Funny Days with Mommy and Maddie! My kids are not fantastic about eating fruit, so I am hoping that these will peak their interest a little. If not, I am more than happy to gobble them up!

uninterested

2011-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Moo has been begging for me to sew her something, so I pulled out my new Lil Blue Boo pattern again and made her a new skirt. I am totally in love with it! She was so excited to finally go do a photo shoot of just her... but was uninterested in looking at the camera.

Cute little kid was just too busy twirling.

for baby brother

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

I am so excited I have this quilt top done for baby brother! I did all-over stippling and bound it in a yellow polka dot. I can't help myself. I am sure by now you know where Bug's polka dot obsession comes from!

I am so in love with all the great Heather Ross prints!

helping hands

2011-04-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a new quilt for Moo...

she has been plenty of help!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

2011-03-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

I feel silly posting another finished girl quilt when I have yet to finish baby boy's quilt... but that's reality. I as much as I LOVE the quilt I made, I am having a hard time with "boy" stuff. I just love pink & girly.

For this quilt, I used a charm pack of Moda's Breakfast at Tiffany's line and followed these directions from I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts. I added two borders because it turned out so small... and I love it!

doubles

2011-03-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

I made two ribbon blankets last night - one for my baby boy and one for my sister's girl. I used leftovers from our quilts so I didn't have much fabric to work with, but they turned out super cute and a great size for the diaper bag (8x8").

{heather ross goldfish in bags}

{heather ross ice cream trucks}

Spinny Speller

2011-03-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

I came across this Spinny Speller at the thrift store and snatched it up. We are working with Bug on spelling and letter recognition and I saw this as a great tool to work with. She has been moderately interested, however Moo has loved it as a chew toy! I do love a good multipurpose item...

I did get a new camera {yeah for a wonderful hubby!} and am playing with the focus and all the fancy buttons and options. I am totally loving it.

lunchtime

2011-03-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some days it's all I have in me to make three meals... today I was feeling crafty but didn't have quite enough energy to get my sewing stuff out. So, crafty lunches instead!

PB&J roll-ups, Strawberry yogurt with sprinkles and apple slices

It's not super fancy, but my kids love when I put some effort into the presentation of lunch. Bug loves to dip apples in the yogurt and Moo had a blast dipping her sandwich rolls in the yogurt before she ate them. A little strange to me, but she ate lunch so it's okay with me.
Being now late in the third trimester of pregnancy and anemic, I am super exhausted. When Moo naps, Bug and I have traditionally done projects during that time - some simple, some super time consuming. Lately we have been cuddled up on the couch during that quiet time and browse "fancy lunches" at Another Lunch, Bentology, and Bento Lunch for cute ideas. {It's spending time with the kids that's important, not what you do together, right?} She finally talked me into getting a couple bento picks & accessories online and I hope they get here this week!

{linked up at what's for lunch wednesday}

{evangeline}

2011-03-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I have been super inspired by all the gorgeous quilts I have seen on flickr {like this}, and decided to make a quick baby blanket this last week. I love the pink and grey combo, although I am not quite sure why a month before I have a baby boy I am sewing girl quilts...

I bound it while watching the Princess and the Frog, and named the quilt Evangeline after the star. It's bound in a black and grey print, although the grey is subtle. It is different than what I usually am drawn to, and I love it. I did a couple inches of the binding in the grey from the star and I am surprised at how much I love the pieced binding. You can't see well from the pictures but it was stippled over the whole quilt.

More quilts to come this week... I am nesting!

a mug rug

2011-03-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

A quick little project today!

I keep a water bottle on my nightstand and have just been placing it on a piece of junk mail to keep the condensation off the wood. Not pretty or ideal. So I whipped up this little 'mug rug' this morning while Bug was at school to use instead. Love it! The pieces are tiny, I started with 1" strips and pieced them together using this tutorial. It measures 4 1/2" square finished.

Ice Cream & Polka Dots

2011-03-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned before how much Bug loves polka dots... the obsession continues! We were out thrifting a while ago and she found this Ice Cream tank top (size 8... WAY too big) and insisted she buy it, so she did- pulled her $2 out of her wallet and paid herself at the register!

Since her Red Riding Hood dress was such a hit, I upcycled this in the same style. Using Dana's math to help with the circle skirt, it came together quickly. I serged the bottom and did a quick hem just folding under once. For the top of the 'skirt' part, I also serged it and then just did a topstitch along the existing hem from the tank.

Easy! I also took in the sides starting at under the armpits half way down the tank to help with the fit across the chest.

In action:

goldfish for the baby boy

2011-03-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

I finished baby boy's goldfish quilt this morning- it was nice to accomplish something after a long weekend with a really sick kid. Although I am not a huge fan of orange, I totally love this quilt.

We got the crib ready for baby this weekend and moved Moo to a 'big girl bed' which she totally loves. We just need a few minor things... like diapers and we are ready for this little one to join our family!

progress

2011-03-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

I have been dreaming about making matching boy/girl baby quilts since I found out my little sister and I were due just weeks apart, and we finally got together this week to make the tops! I packed up the girls and my sewing supplies and headed to Burley for two days to sew & play. Between my two kids and her five, we somehow managed to get both tops done!

Savannah does not sew as regularly as I do - but she still did a fantastic job. I chose to start with Heather Ross prints, and she wanted wonky stars, what a perfect mix for fun baby quilts!

Now (gulp) all that's left is quilting them... both in the next 4 weeks!

30 for 30, the finale!

2011-03-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

I am pleased that I made it all the way through Kendi's 30 for 30 Winter challenge.

Hooray!

Wednesday: I love this dress. It's not maternity, but I still love it.

Thursday: I can't believe I didn't put these together before, I love it! I will be wearing this again. Lots.

Saturday: Date night! I put this tunic in the mix hoping that I would get a chance to go out with my hubby. Unfortunately, the baby got sick and we couldn't leave her, so we cuddled up and watched TV on the couch together. We're so romantic.

I am usually one for simple accessories, and am wearing these earrings (silver plated). I love them. Love. My sweet hubby got them for my birthday... back when we had one kid and lots more money.

Sunday: With the kid (and now hubby) sick, I only went to church for a little bit, but I did wear this. Then yoga pants and a t-shirt for the rest of the day. I'll spare you the pic of that :)

Monday: The sun is shining and nobody has a fever... a great day in my book! I didn't think I would like this tank as much as I have, other than my skinny jeans I think it's the most-worn item from my 30.

I am so glad I did the 30 for 30 challenge, I certainly learned a lot about myself, my closet and what I like to wear! Can't wait for (post-baby) Spring 30 for 30!

30 for 30, week 5

2011-03-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Here we are at week five... wow! I seem to have eight outfits for the week, I left town last Tuesday and didn't include my outfit from that day in the last group. I ended up leaving the girls home with my hubby and traveled with my brothers & niece. So here I am, after 9 hours of travel with my brothers in the LA airport. Gorgeous, no?

I do have to confess I bought a pair of shoes for this trip. I haven't been wearing my snow boots, so I was one item shy... but I did purchase them. For a funeral, so it hardly counts, right?

Wednesday: My Grama requested we wear colors to the Funeral, otherwise I may not have chosen a green polka.dot dress for the service.

Thursday: I forgot to snap a picture while we were gone, but this was my outfit. I went on a walk to the park to watch ducks with my niece and ran errands with Grama.

Friday: My dad drove us back to the LA Airport, and we left with enough time to drive down the coast instead of freeway. It was raining, but there was a minute of light rain and we hopped out for a quick photo shoot. Minus the shoes... pregnant lady in wet sand and high heels... not a good idea.

Saturday: ran errands with the girls and out to lunch with the family. So nice to be home, I missed my little girls & hubby!

Sunday: Church and then work in the afternoon. I still can't believe at 33 weeks I can wear some clothes that are not maternity.

Monday: I had an OB appointment in Rexburg and then went grocery shopping in Idaho Falls with the girls. This outfit turned out to be a huge bummer - I had never worn the scarf before, and by the time we got to Idaho Falls (about an hour and a half) and ran one errand, I noticed that the entire front of my shirt was colored blue from the dye on the scarf. So frustrating.

Tuesday: Took Bug to Joy School and ran a couple errands with Moo. She is still heartbroken every day when we drop her sister off and she's too little to stay too. I wanted to get a couple things done with just one kid, but totally forgot that these shoes have absolutely no traction and I was slipping and sliding all over the snowy parking lots. Not practical shoes for Idaho in the winter.

Only a couple more days of this...

{crayon bags}

2011-03-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, I found this great tutorial over at We Wilsons. I originally anticipated making some as snack bags, as she had done, but couldn't decide on what to use for the inside that's food safe. So, enter the crayon bag. I used her directions, only used cotton on the inside and out. It turned out the perfect size for Crayola roll-up crayons. I used the cheap velcro from JoAnn's which is perfect because it's easier for the kids to get the bag open. Finished, it measures about 4x6 and holds about 10 crayons easily.

I have made several of these now, and I use a larger version for holding prepackaged snacks like an assortment of mini raisin boxes, fruit snacks, and fruit leather for when we are headed out for a while. It's nice to have a small bag of snacks {for the kids and this pregnant lady} packed and together!

30 for 30, week 4

2011-02-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

I am slowly plugging away at this, but realizing I wish I had picked more layering pieces instead of the cardigans! Live and learn... Here's what my week was like:

Wednesday: I love this cardigan! Not really sure if it is a cardigan since it has no sleeves, but for my purposes that's what I'll call it. The detail on the back is so unexpected and fun, although now I realize I had my hands in front of me and it looks like I'm armless. Whatever.

Thursday: Errands around town... Bug to Joy school, etc. My mom made me the hat, which I totally love, and the Jacket is Gap (thrifted). Outerwear doesn't count for the 30 items, and it was warm enough to just wear a jacket- even though it was snowing- so I took the opportunity.

Friday: Oh, how my days run together. I can't remember what I did... but I am surprised by how much I liked this outfit combo. I was worried about too much blue, but I think it works.

Saturday: Shopping with the fam in Idaho Falls. Officially half way through the challenge!

Sunday: Church was cancelled due to lots and lots of snow, but I didn't know until after I got dressed. It worked out... got another day home with my hubby & girls and also figured out I have outgrown this shirt. I was tugging it over my tummy all day. Guess it's out of the rotation!

Monday: I don't know how I feel about the skinny jeans tucked into theese boots, it just seems strange. They don't stay tucked in quite as well as I'd like, but they get points for function in the snow.

a little gifting

2011-02-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

One of my little girls friends turned 3 this week, and I made her this little bag & skirt. I love a mom who appreciates a homemade gift, and hers sure does!
The bag I based loosely off this tutorial, and I think it's an adorable gift bag. It took way less than a fat quarter to make it, and was super quick to put together.

I also finally bought the Twirl Skirt pattern from Lil Blue Boo, I have been eyeing it for a while. This was the perfect excuese, I would have bought her a gift anyway, and I can reuse it for my kids!

30 for 30, week 3

2011-02-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

Kendi's 30 for 30; week 3
It seems like this last week was a super busy one, I worked an extra shift and I am totally worn out! Here's what the week looked like in outfits:
Thursday: Taught Bug's Joy School- it was a lot of hands-on science experiments, so I opted to wear a plain shirt so I didn't get food coloring on anything that still fits well!
Friday: babysat my niece, ran errands. This shirt is not maternity, but fits well over my 31 week baby bump!

Saturday: I have no idea what we did that day... this shirt is also not maternity, but I have almost outgrown it. One more week I think and it has to wait until after delivery to be worn again.

Sunday: Church- I work with the little kids, so I tend to go a little casual.

Monday: Bug had Joy School, so we took her there & back, Moo and I ran errands together - delivering valentines & such. Nice to spend time with just her once in a while!

Tuesday: I had a meeting with some ladies from church, which the kids love because they come and have a play date with friends.
I bought this shirt thinking I would love the linen-y feel to it, but never have worn it before. I finally figured out why: this awful lion mane collar! It looked super-matronly. So, I took my scissors and snipped it off, leaving a much nicer neckline.

The gypsy top

2011-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

A while ago, I stumbled across the Boden website and totally have fallen in love with their clothes. So, inspired by this top, I recreated the look of the shirt by modifying the Sweet Dress... again. The pattern has totally been worth the money!
Starting with a thrifted shirt:

I cropped the pattern into a tunic, shirred all the way around the top, and left the sleeves without elastic.
Our photo shoot started out a little rough...

But with Cat in the Hat on TV as a distraction and m&m's as a bribe, we both made it through.
I fought good and hard to add the button detail like the Boden top, but Bug insisted I was done sewing it. Can't win them all, I guess. In the end, it's perfect for my little curly-haired gypsy.

My sweet Moo dumped my good camera off the table yesterday, breaking it, so and I am back to my basic point-and-click, which I am not too happy about. Guess I'm in the market for a new camera!

30 for 30, week 2

2011-02-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this post by saying that I HATE our couch. The cushions are all floppy and never stay up right, they drive me nuts. I'm not sure what is worse, the ugly couch in the background or the bathroom lighting...
Apparently I only got dressed a couple times this week... between working in the afternoons and the temp being so low, I had no need to leave the house. That and anything tight makes my acid reflux a nightmare, so jammies help combat that. That's probabaly also why when I did get dressed, I wore a dress!

Saturday- I ran errands with the girls, left my hair in a ponytail becuase I worked that evening. Now that it's longer, I tend to keep it back... you never know what is going to happen at work! It didn't take me long in this outfit to figure out the belt isn't going to work anymore. Just not enough room to squeeze a wide belt in anymore!

Sunday - church. I love these boots for the fall & winter!

Tuesday: babysat my brother's girl and taught Joy School at our house. Never left, so no shoes. I love no shoes days, especially now that my feet don't fit into most of them!

Wednesday: errands with the girls (aka. running to the grocery store for food cravings...)

a little heather ross love

2011-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

I purchased a small bundle of Heather Ross prints with the intention of making my baby boy and my sister's baby girl (due 3 weeks apart!) matching boy/girl blankets. We agreed that we both love this style, {wonky stars} and I sliced the fabrics into little squares for the star centers. I ended up with lots of little pieces... too little to do much with, but too cute to throw away. Inspired by this great tutorial, I made a little "i spy" quilt for Moo's doll.

It took a lot of thought and rearranging to get it the size I wanted. Although I am still a little hesitant to give that child a blanket that is predominantly white, I love how it turned out!

{measures 15 x 18 1/2}

Moo chose a polka dot for the back (she may be brainwashed by this point... either that or all I have in my stash are dots!) and insisted on pink and pink for border and binding. These fabrics were so much fun to play with, I can't wait to get the rest of the fabrics together to make the wonky stars quilts!

30 for 30 challenge

2011-02-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

Being unsure if this will be our last baby, I haven't wanted to spend much on maternity clothing. I also don't want to wear most of the clothes I wore with my other two pregnancies. So, to celebrate what I do have, I have joined up with Kendi Everyday and am doing her '30 for 30' challenge. Read more about it here, but basically you pick 30 items in your wardrobe including shoes and sweaters, and remix them for 30 days. Here are my 30 items:

Tunics: 1- Ogle, from botique in Jackson 2- Loved by Heidi Klum 3- Momzee, borrowed from SIL

Dresses: 4- Gap, thrifted 5- Motherhood 6- No Boundaries

Shirts: 7- Anthropologie, 8- Target Maternity, 9- Motherhood, 10- Motherhood, 11- Motherhood, 12- Old Navy Maternity, 13- Downeast

Skirts: 14- Motherhood, 15- Old Navy Maternity

Pants: 16- Motherhood bootcut, 17- Skinnies from Ross, 18- Black slacks from Ross?

Basic tees- 19-21, all Downeast Basics (With plenty of weight gained by this point in the chest area, I usually wear one for a little more coverage...)

Sweaters/Cardigans: 22- Forever 21, 23- From Ross, 24&35, Kensie Girl from James&CoJH (my sister-in-law owns the company, when I am not pregnant it's where I shop!)

Shoes: 26- Steve Madden Boots, 27- Blowfish, 28- Target, 29- Steve Madden
I also plan on using my snowboots, mostly just because of where I live. So there you have it! My 30 items! I found it a lot harder than I anticipated because I am not sure how much I will gain in the next month (or so, it may take me a while to get through all 30 outfits!). Not everything is maternity, and I am wondering if I am going to regret those pieces... we'll see!

Here are my first two outfits:

{Moo took one look at these pictures and said "My Mama NOT look happy!" I was quite focused on trying to aim the camera... I'll work on incorporating a smile next time.}

{29 weeks}

It has been -30 these past two mornings, and has stayed below zero all day so I was not about to venture out for a photo shoot. Never mind the fact that it's too cold for my car to start so we're stuck home anyway. So, bathroom mirror pictures are what you get! Sorry! Because we stayed home, I didn't wear shoes.
I think I'll post the outfits a week at a time, just out of convenience. It may also take me a little longer than 30 days, unless we have errands to run (and the temperature is above +2) I stay in jammies until I work three days a week. Being a working mama pregnant with two kids, I am all about less laundry at the end of the day!

a boy banner

2011-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

My sweet hubby turned 30 this weekend, and we held a low-key party at our house with family and a couple close friends. I wasn't up for a lot of decorating. I made a quick banner with his favorite colors, made lasagna, his sister brought a cake and we called it a night!

I chose not to do any wording on the banner out of pure exhaustion, but by alternated the colors it has some visual interest and I am surprised at how much I love it that way.

a new fancy dress

2011-01-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

While I was sewing the boppy cover, Bug begged me to make her a 'fancy dress' next. It took me a day or two, but the nagging persisted and I eventually gave in and made her this.

I was inspired by Project Run and Play's challenge using the Sweet Dress pattern, Jess's version- even though she got voted off :( The fabric is a super soft cotton that just came out from Moda, and I wish I could make one for me! However, the baby's growing and I am not sure I could handle that much floral in one dress at this point.
As a side note, she's 4 today! She is thoroughly traumatized by the idea of not being 3 anymore, and refuses to turn 4. Her compromise is that she'll be "free-four" (three-four) for a while. She's not big on change, so I guess easing into another age shouldn't come as a surprise for us!

on the menu today...

2011-01-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

... A tutorial!

It's been a while, huh?

I love giving my kids homemade gifts, and decided to make some Menus for Bug {E’s} Restaurant – the kid loves to ‘cook’ all day in her kitchen.

Supplies:

2 fat quarters – one each for front and back

Inkjet Printable Fabric sheet

Lightweight fusible interfacing
Medium weight fusible interfacing
Basic sewing supplies - thread, machine, rotary cutter, ruler & mat, etc.

I made my menu template in Microsoft Word. I fit four to a page. Once you are happy with the layout, print on regular paper… just to make sure you really like it. You should allow at least 3/8” on each side for seam allowance. If it looks okay, print on printable fabric sheet according to package directions.

Peel backing paper away and trim to size. Mine were just about 4” x 5”.

Cut 2” strips from one of your fat quarters. Using ¼” seam allowance, sew a piece on each side of your menu, trim to size and iron seams out

Repeat for top and bottom.

I trimmed mine down a little here, to measure 6” x 7”. I suppose you could have just cut the strips at 1 3/4" to begin with... but sewing with two kids under foot I like to give myself a little room for error.

Attach lightweight fusible interfacing to these pieces following interfacing ironing recommendations.

With remaining fat quarter, attach medium weight interfacing to back and cut pieces to match menu front (6” x 7”).

With right sides together, stitch, leaving a 3” opening for turning.

Using a crochet hook, poke corners out to lay flat. Topstitch around edge at 1/8”. To further reinforce the interfacing, I also did a quick “stitch in the ditch” around the menu.

Almost done! Repeat with other three menus and then… head over to Lia’s Crafty Journey for her great Lined Pouch tutorial that I used to make the holder for the menus!

Using her tutorial and two pieces of fabric measuring 8x20” (again with lightweight fusible interfacing on one fabric to make it a little sturdier) I made a great little pouch to put her menus away at the end of the day.

Finally, wrap and make a little girl you know very very happy on her birthday! How fun would this be given along with some felt food?

sewing for baby

2011-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

A long, long time ago I found this great Garnet Hill crib sheet- new in package - at the thrift store. I promptly cut it up to make a boppy cover, then abandoned it just as quickly. Now, 10 months later, I finally finished it! One of my favorite baby gifts to make are these boppy covers {with a new boppy of course}, probably because it is one of my must-have baby items for myself!

I have to admit I am having a hard time getting excited sewing for this boy. I am just drawn to the prints and colors for my girls, but these trucks are adorable.

I did a hidden zipper on the back and somehow got it to lay nice and even!

So I decided to push my luck and make a little zipper pouch- just big enough for a couple diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes for the little dude. Cute enough for a little boy, but 'manly' enough my hubby can carry it through a store to change a diaper. Somehow the zipper turned out alright on this bag too! Any guesses on who influenced the fabric for the lining of this bag?

goody bags

2011-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

My big girl is turning 4! This is the first year we have done a 'friends' party for her, and she has been super excited. I kept it small, just her four joy school friends plus one other good friend from church. As a 'goody bag' I made these drawstring pouches for the kids - Bug insisted the boys get Hello Kitty on theirs too.

I could not find any Hello Kitty fabric at any of the stores I went to, but my favorite thrift store came through for me and I found a scrub top to cut up, hence the patches.

Mr. Gunny Bag

2011-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

It was my week to teach Joy School again, and in the lesson they introduced "Mr. Gunny Bag". He "eats" all the toys that are still left out after you clean up! There is a cute song about it in the lesson & Bug is terrified he'll eat her toys, so maybe this will be a little incentive in our house to pick up all the toys at the end of the day.

To make him, I just did freehand fabric paint for teeth, eyes & eyebrows on a pillowcase - since I made it at 9:30 the night before school, I opted to keep it simple and I am glad I did!

Muffin Tin Monday

2011-01-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

These girls love their muffin tin lunches!

{linked up here}

Nothing super exciting today, with no theme I just gave them what I found first...

Kiwi, ham sandwich, apple slices, marshmallows, raisins & yogurt dip

I feel like I have finally recovered from my quick trip to California to see my Grandpa, and am feeling creative again... time to pick up my sewing machine from the repairman and get to work on something fun!

.a.b.c.d.e.f.g.

2011-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

We have been working with Bug on letter recognition and writing, so I made up these mini 'i spy' bags for her joy school friends for Christmas gifts. They measure just 3 3/4" square and have the alphabet in little colored letter beads inside, perfect size for taking out & about!

copycat

2011-01-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

I have been super busy over the holidays, and it seems like i have had a hard time getting any projects finished. With the start of a new year, I am ready to finish {some of} what I started in the last month or two... I saw this post over at Samster Mommy and knew I wanted to make something like it. So, I browsed the J.Crew site until Bug started jumping up and down because she NEEDED this shirt:

I picked up two plain shirts and got to work! I only found silver sequins, so that's what I used, but I think the contrast is still great. I ended up stitching each sequin on with two stitches, so it was super time consuming.

I got the shirts for $3.50 each and split a $.97 package of sequins between the two, so total cost for two shirts: less than $8. Score! Much better on my pocketbook than the J.Crew original!

I enjoyed doing these so much I am thinking about making a goal of embellishing a plain shirt for each girl every month... just wondering what my craft time will be like in April with three kids! I am now 25 weeks along and super excited about having a BOY!

{my little sister - 22 weeks along - and I finishing up Christmas shopping a couple weeks ago. thinking maybe these cousing will need matching boy/girl quilts?}

Christmas skirts

2010-12-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

Nick's mom had a yard of this awesome velvet left over from a project and let me have it to make the girls Christmas skirts. I was super nervous, as she paid over $60 for the yard, but how could I not use such great fabric? I made my own simple pattern by tracing a skirt that Moo has and I think it turned out great. There is an elastic casing in the back and the flat front panel in the front. I love how it twirls!

Merry Christmas, Olivia!

2010-12-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Bug was digging through a pile of my fabrics this last week, found a piece she loved, and declared "We can make this a baby quilt for Olivia for Christmas!" And so we did! I let her pick the fabrics, and although they are not my first choices, I am one proud mama. She also 'helped' with the entire process of sewing on my lap. I hope her baby doll loves it!

... and she was done with the photo shoot...

treat bag

2010-12-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to make one of these for a while, inspired by Dana's tutorial and I finally got around to it. I seem to have sewn the fabric too close to the zipper, and it is a little tough to get open and closed, but other than that {minor detail} I really do like it. I did line it with vinyl, perfect for candy at church!

goldfish!

2010-12-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

I finally decided to dive in and use some of the Heather Ross fabric I have! With a borrowed sewing machine from my mom I got started this evening, and I have to say {even though I don't like orange... at all} I am in love with it!

in order

2010-11-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

My sweet husband really likes his holidays "in order" so I waited to post this quilt, although I made it two weeks ago. I am still in love with the "New Wave" pattern from Oh,Fransson and plan to use it again. I couldn't decide on just 12 prints, so I did 14 and I love the extra length it gives it. Again I used the walking foot and did straight line quilting, it looks so nice!

charmed

2010-11-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Since my sewing machine is out for a while, I am now getting around to taking pictures of what I have been busy sewing this month. I am surprised at how much I made!

I made this quilt a couple weeks back, it is made from Moda Bliss two charm packs and came together really fast. I had it done in less than two days. Moo helped with the layout or it might have gone even faster :) I used a walking foot for the first time on this quilt, and boy does that make a difference!

I think I will be making more of these quilts just because they can be made so fast with not much time into fabric choices.

bummer.

2010-11-22T12:18:00.000-08:00

My sewing machine took an accidental tumble off my table on Saturday. It's pretty bad, and to make it worse, we are snowed in at home and can't even take it to the repair shop in Idaho Falls. Once the roads open, and I can make it out there - hopefully the end of the week - it will take 7-10 days to get parts, another 7 to fix and then I have to make another trip out to pick it up. So... guess I'll be knitting Christmas gifts!

{sewing day}

2010-11-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Today has been incredibly productive! I needed a day like this! I made a huge batch of ribbon blankets and have gotten started on a Christmas quilt, hopefully done before the craft fair this weekend.

Linden Park Craft Fair

2010-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have been super busy this past week sewing up inventory for the Linden Park Craft Fair yesterday in Idaho Falls. It doesn't look like much inventory, but I feel like I have done nothing but sew for days!

My favorite creation of the week was the quilt, made from 2 charm packs & quilted with my mom's walking foot. Man, I need one of those!

Audrey and I are doing another craft fair this upcoming weekend in Driggs, and I obviously need to work on the display before then! Lots more sewing to do...

James Pirates

2010-10-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

I had great ambitions of getting our costumes done early this year... I got some done last month, but left the shirts for last minute yesterday morning. Of course, I forgot to take good pictures of the girls while it was light with the whole outfits... maybe if I'm ambitious today I'll give it a go.

The girls: Bug & Moo had leggings, pirate skirts, pirate vests and shirts with a pirate ship iron-on transfer. Bitty baby was a bumblebee. I sported the pirate ship shirt, skull bandana, pirate medallion, jeans & black boots with gold studs.

The girls out "trunk or treating"
Bug

Moo

Nick with the girls... he was a good sport and wore a shirt to match us. It was a super fun night, I am glad this holiday is over though!

Strangers have the best candy

2010-10-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

As I was working on Halloween costumes, I dug through my knits and found this shirt my friend gave me this summer to make her little girl a dress. Sorry it took me forever, Audrey! I thought it was fit for Halloween so I made it one morning while Bug was at school.

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-10-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

This week's theme: Halloween! Top row: Pumpkin muffin {recipe here}, 'witch' grapes, peach pumpkin jello jigglers,

Bottom row: mini pepperoni, yogurt covered raisin 'ghosts', applesauce with sprinkles

You can find the link up here, lots of inspiration!

Fall knitting

2010-10-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned cooler, and I have been knitting. Oh, I love knitting. I used this pattern (version D) and a nice 100% wool Daletta yarn. I braved the yarn store with both girls and let them pick their own colors.

Bug picked a nice light pink, and Moo quickly grabbed the color at eye level and then ran off to pull yarn out of baskets. I chose grey, my go-to neutral. Shown here with already a few baby pounds. I'm 14 weeks along and due in April! After I got done with the hats, Bug told me "I can't wait to get that hat for Christmas!" so... I guess I have one handmade gift already done.

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-10-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Confession: I am not very creative when it comes to food. I seem to get stuck on the same dinner meals, and I am horrible about lunch. I would prefer to skip the meal all together, but the girls don't agree, and I find myself scrambling for something every day. So, to help me get motivated, I have decided to join the Muffin Tin Monday group, and here's our first go: There was no theme today, so Bug helped pick what went in each spot. Her choices were: Doritos, string cheese, marshmallows, turkey sandwiches and raisins. Hopefully this will get me thinking outside the box and maybe my kids will try some new foods! I am also inspired by {another lunch} and {bentolunch.net}, just wished I lived close to somewhere they had great Japanese bento boxes available!

Twirly skirt

2010-10-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

... because a girl needs options! Shirt tutorial {here}

Skirt tutorial {here}

Gone Fishin!

2010-10-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Nick went fishing with his brother a last weekend and Bug has been begging to go fishin' with her Daddy ever since. I opted for an indoor version, and with a little inspiration from {Sew Like My Mom} I came up with this. Bug insisted the yellow was the pond, and carefully laid the fish out. A strong magnet on the end of a wooden spoon and we were set!

Her comment after she caught her first fish: "Isn't it a beauty?"I wanted the fish to be a little thicker than just two layers of fabric so I put a layer of purple felt in between the purple polka dot fabric. I used a pretty generic fish shape, they measure 5" from tail fins to nose. I also did one seam to sew the magnets into the 'noses' of the fish. One more rainy day game for the upcoming long Idaho winter!

{clothes for bitty baby}

2010-10-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Shortly after we had our birthday festivities for her baby doll, Bug decided her Bitty Baby was much better. I agree. She has been hauling her baby to Joy School, Church, and everywhere else we go. The ladies at our local thrift store even know "Baby Girl" by name. After several months in the same jammies, it was time for new clothes. I found this great tutorial for a shirt and Bug picked {surprise!} polka dot fabric. Oh, that girl is funny! I made my own legging pattern and was super surprised when it worked the first attempt while taking into consideration I had A LOT of help making the pattern. I also found a pair of 3-6m Old Navy jammies at the thrift store and altered them so she had more clothing options. I love being able to make doll clothes for $.50 and less than a half hours' time.I also have a Halloween costume for her in the works...

Joy School

2010-10-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

This fall, Bug is in a great little group of 5 kids for Joy School. It has been really nice to have some time with Moo while she is at school, and it was a blast to be able to teach this week! You would think I could get more crafting/sewing done with only one kid, but nope. We just play! My lesson was on the Joy of the Earth, and we had a great time making art projects, with free time play, and singing silly tree songs. It's a great program and has really worked well for what I wanted. Worth looking into!

kcwc: day 6

2010-09-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Kids Clothes Week Challenge: Day 6

I love how this turned out! It is a Heidi & Finn pattern, the 'Everyday Coat'. I got the black heavier weight fabric at the thrift store for $2 and my mom let Moo pick the polka dot fabric, so super cheap to make it! I am thinking yellow buttons, but I'll have to see what is available in our area. It might have to wait a week or two until I head out to JoAnn's.

The pattern was super easy, but I did make the mistake of not lying out all the pattern pieces on the lining fabric and ended up piecing one of the sleeves. Oops. It took one morning to make with kids interrupting, so definately worth the time to make a cute jacket!

kcwc: day 5

2010-09-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Kids Clothes Week Challenge: Day 5

Today Bug asked to make a small batch of cookies to take to grandmother, so that's what we did! She took her Red Riding Hood Dress off long enough for bed, then this morning she was right back in it. Oh, how I love it when the girls love what I make! Since I didn't really want to bake cookies, I pulled some felt from our stash and whipped up a couple cookies. As far as clothes, I did wash fabric for a coat for Moo and am working on cutting out the pieces, hopefully to sew it tomorrow morning before work. I am excited to try this pattern I just bought from Heidi & Finn!

kcwc: day 3&4

2010-09-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Kids Clothes Week Challenge: Day 3&4

Yesterday was a super busy shopping day, so I didn't get any sewing done. I did manage, however, to score a great red & white gingham, yards of red interlock and two different black remnants at the thrift store. That counts as time towards kids clothes, right? Bug has been begging for 'Red Riding Hood Clothes' so I was super anxious to get to work on these! When I saw this capelet tutorial, I knew it would be prefect with a hood for this project. I just used a hoodie from their closet for the hood pattern, and changed the dimensions from the tutorial so it turned out big enough for Bug. For the dress, I used a thrifted shirt and added a twirly circle skirt and a 'belt' to the bottom of it. I now wish I had tried the shirt on Bug beforehand and not made it a drop-waist dress, but she doesn't seem to mind in the least. It's perfect for twirling and going to take grandmother cookies. Total for both pieces: $4, with enough leftover fabric to make another capelet for baby sister.

kcwc: day 2

2010-09-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

With Bug off at Joy School, Moo and I were able to whip up two pirate girl skirts this morning! My mom found this great stripe and it totally works! I did a small elastic casing at the top with 1/2" elastic, then five rows with elastic thread. I am considering pockets... what do you think?

kcwc: day 1

2010-09-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

Kids Clothes Week Challenge: day 1
I have to admit, with as excited as I have been for this challenge, I did absolutely no prep work ahead of time. I woke up this morning with not one idea. So, I mulled around this morning trying for inspiration in the fabrics that I had on hand. I finally came up with this easy shirt, inspired from here. I did get a little heartburn cutting into the fabrics, but Moo loves it and that's what counts. Then I turned Dora's Pirate Adventure on and got started on pirate costumes! I got two of these vests done, and although they don't look like much now, they will work with the costume as a whole. They are fully lined and reversible. One of the great things about having my girls so close in age (and size!) is that I only need to draft one pattern and it fits both of them! More 'pirate gear' coming this week!

i've got a secret...

2010-09-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

On the way home from the Farmers' Market today, my kids had the following conversation:

Bug: mom, MooLunker is making me really mad!
Moo: {chanting} i've got a secret, i've got a secret...
Bug: no, i have the only secret, she can't have one!
Me: you can both have secrets.
Bug: no we can't! i am going to take hers away from her!
Moo: oh no!
Bug: i took your secret!
Moo: oh no, she take my secret, mom!
Bug: AND i am going to eat it!
Moo: {really in distress now} she ate my secret mom! she ate it!
... I just laughed. There was no logical way to explain what a secret actually was, and there was no way to eat it... so I laughed. and laughed. love those girls!
{this is one of my favorite pics from the Farmers Market this summer. cupcake ice cream cones. yum!}

One of a kind

2010-09-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Bug has renewed interest in her Bitty Baby she got for her birthday, but has been concerned that she didn't have a blanket of her very own. I let Bug pick fabric out of the kid scrap bin, and opted for an easy design. A mini ticker tape! I have been wanting to make a bigger one, but this baby isn't very big, and I was short on time so this is what we ended up with. I love how it turned out, and I would love to make another bigger, more colorful version soon! Bug and I both seem to love this pink fabric, I wish I had yards of it! When Bug showed it to daddy, she said "Look, Dad! I made it one of a kind!"

{excited}

2010-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

... for this! Maybe it will be the motivation I need to make some fall/winter kid clothes! Stop on by Elsie Marley for more info!

CELEBRATE!

2010-08-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

We have had a week of celebrating 'baby girl' turning 3 - the same age as her mommy. We went out to eat and she got some new stickers... She got her own custom dress (based again on this tutorial)... a new sun bonnett - I used an infant hat and made four rows of gathering with elastic thread in a desperate attempt to make it fit... ...and a custom i-spy bag. Her best friends even got new clothes for her party we had at home. Spoiled rotten, I think.

progress...

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

I seem to have been in a sewing/crafting funk for a couple weeks, but I am making progress with a new project this evening! It's nice to be back at the sewing machine.

tiny little flowers

2010-08-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

I saw these adorable crocheted flowers and challenged myself to learn to crochet. They are not perfect (or anywhere near!) but I am pleased with my growing collection of tiny little flowers. {i love the helping hands when i take pics. makes me happy!}