My Cotton Creations

On my bathroom mirror this week

2012-03-06T10:32:00.001-08:00

Little Gathered Shorts Tutorial

2012-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful spring day today in Utah. Unlike a few days ago when I was sewing these little shorts together and it looked like this outside my sewing room window...

So please forgive my terribly dark pictures in my tutorial.Basically I used the same method as I used with my Pajama pants tutoral. For the Peter Pan collar on the little t-shirt I used THIS tutorial. My origional project was to just add the collar to the t-shirt and be done. But once I got started I wanted to complete the outfit with a pair of spring/summer shorts.

Instead of using a pair of pajama pants for my template I used a pair of shorts that fit my daughter well and cut a couple pockets from the left over collar fabric.

Sew your shorts together using the same method as THESE super simple pajama pants.

To make the pocket I just cut two pieces in the shape I wanted my pockets to be and sewed the two together, right side together.

I left a little hole to turn my pocket right side out. I then ironed it flat and pinned it to my pair of shorts.

As you can see I added a cute little pleat to the pocket. I then sewed it to my shorts, leaving the top open. Be sure and leave your turning hole on the bottom of the pocket so when you are sewing the pockets to your pants your stitches close up that hole.

After I added the pockets I thought they still needed a bit more detail, so I gathered up the side of each leg and simply stitched back and forth a couple times to secure those gathers.

Taking a bit of the left over bias tape from my peter pan collar, I tied a couple bows and hand stitched those on top of the gathers.

Today we got a break from the winter weather and I think it got pretty close to 60 degrees outside. Still a bit to cold out for my daughter to wear her new outfit outside but she enjoy running around the house in it. Tomorrow it's supposed to storm once again. Spring weather is such a tease.

2012-03-02T15:17:00.002-08:00

I've listed a couple of quilts for sale on my etsy site!

Go HERE to check them out in more detail. I've listed them at such an awesome price because I made them for display at my favorite local quilt shop (I didn't have to pay for the materials), so I'm passing the savings on to you :)

A Handy Little Guide

2012-03-01T14:22:00.003-08:00

So the other day when I was browsing unitednotions.com (Moda) and came across THIS, I also discovered their measurement charts HERE. I right clicked on each one, printed it out and threw together this handy little guide with some left over scrapbook paper I had on hand.

This will be prefect for a quick reference or to bring along with me to the quilt shop.

The back is cute too...

I like the little ruler. I'm always looking at my fingers trying to judge how big an inch is. I never get it right.

Swoon block #10?

2012-02-28T09:12:00.005-08:00

Yes, I know there are only 9 blocks in the quilt. Are you getting tired of my Swoon blocks yet? I am. Here is my last block, the one I made to replace that block that just didn't work for me. I'm very happy I took the time to replace it. I think this one looks much better in the quilt.

Whew... now to add the sashing. Thanks for letting me share these with you, it helped me stay on task, knowing you were just dying to see the next one ;) I actually really enjoyed making them. It took awhile and there were a few bumps in the road, but each one felt like making a different mini quilt. It was a lot of fun seeing how each one turned out in the end.

On my mirror...

2012-02-27T07:11:00.002-08:00

My Button {make your own!}

2012-02-25T08:04:00.006-08:00

I've got a new cute little blog button. Feel free to grab one :) Do you need a button for your blog? It was actually super easy to make once I found this "Grab My Button" Code Generator. I started with a search for "how to make a blog button" and ran into some crazy complicated directions. Then I found this site. I think it is pretty self explanitory but my tip is, when it asks for your image URL (yeah, I didn't know what that meant either) you need to have the picture you want to use for your blog button saved on a photo sharing site, like photobucket, which is what I used and it worked perfect. If you don't have a photobucket account, it's free and as easy as picking a user name and password.

Once you have you picture uploaded onto photobucket, drag your mouse over your picture and you'll see it gives you a bunch of codes to share your picture with. Click the code labled "direct link" and it will copy it for you. That is your "image URL"!

Once you've added in that information to the code generator click on preview and then "get code". You'll see it will give you a big long code to copy and add to the side bar on your blog (add it as a HTML/JavaScript).

Ok, maybe that was a little complicated. But if you have your own blog you've been playing around with it, I think you'll understand what I'm talking about for the most part. Trust me, using this code generator was a lot easier than trying to write my own code, which is what all my other search results were telling me to do.

Favorite Fabrics

2012-02-22T20:16:00.004-08:00

One of the little perks I got to experience while working for a quilt shop was the occasional glimpse at upcoming fabric. I quickly discovered who my favorite designers were, and which ones weren't for me. It was a lot of fun anticipating all the beautiful fabric, and it was especially fun watching the UPS man pull up outside the shop and hoping "today's the day!"

One of the ways I got to check out upcoming fabric was through the Moda fabric catalogs that would come back from market. I'd look through them and tell myself I was trying to memorize the fabric lines in case a customer had a question or wanted to know what lines were due out soon, but really I just LOVED looking at all the fabric. Since I quit my job I've missed feeling like I had my little toe in the door, like I was an "insider". The other day while I was shopping I seriously considered asking my old co-workers if I could have a peek at the new catalogs.

So... imagine my suprise today as I was browsing around unitednotions.com and came across their latest fabric catalogs! Maybe they have been up for awhile and I've just missed it (usually the case) but I was super excited. You can look through pages and pages of little fabric swatches that will be coming out throughout the year. If you have the next hour or so to devote to pouring over beautiful fabrics, go check them out HERE. My favorite lines were...

Hello Luscious by Basicgrey (all those beautiful blues) Feb. 2012

Summersville by Lucie Summers (super fun and different) April 2012

Blitzen by Basicgrey (cute big headed snowmen and gorgeous colors) June 2012

Joy by Kate Spain (love the panel) June 2012

Cherry Christmas by Aneela Hoey (little winter clothes on a line) July 2012

Monster Bash by Sandy Gervais (the kids will LOVE it) May 2012

Serenade by Kate Spain (the owl and woodgrain prints)

Lucy's Crab Shack by Sweetwater (favorite!) June 2012

and of course...

Vintage Modern by Bonnie and Camille (I'll be buying lots!) May 2012

I'm fully aware that perhaps these catalogs have been available to the public all along and I wasn't so special after all, but I'm pretty excited to have found them again. And in case you were unaware that they exsisted... enjoy!

Blocks 7, 8 and 9!

2012-02-21T09:57:00.005-08:00

My final 3 swoon blocks...

OK, so I'm thinking I need to redo that one...
I'm really wishing that it was opposite, so that the red was in the middle. How it is now it looks like a completely different block than the rest. So, apparently in the end I'll have 10 swoon blocks to show you. I better head to my favorite quilt shop right away and cross my fingers they still have this fabric.

Bathroom Mirror Inspiration

2012-02-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

My mom always keeps reminders on her bathroom mirror. She's been doing it all my life. I've walked into her bathroom before and seen whole lists of groceries, errands, reminders for my Dad, as well as quotes and inspiration. It's a great place to put a reminder because it's the first place you look in the morning (well, maybe the second place, the first place I look is into the big eyes of my 5 year old staring at me while I sleep). I know a lot of people now a days keep their calendars, lists and reminders on their phones, laptops, etc. ... but I am still a sticky note on the bathroom mirror kind of girl.

I've decided to share with you my bathroom mirror inspirations for the weeks ahead. These little quotes strike a cord with me in some way. I'm not going to offer a "printable" for these quotes, but you can still feel free to save them and print them out for your own bathroom mirror if you'd like.

Printing on fabric

2012-02-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

*Don't use your printed fabric on anything washable, unless you use a colorfast ink in your printer, the ink will bleed. *

Using my cheap ink jet printer I printed these sweet little labels to use as gift tags. The first time I tried it I backed my fabric with freezer paper, but the fabric didn't adhere well and it slipped off, causing a bunchy mess of fabric jammed inside my printer (shh... don't tell the husband). I don't recommend that method. The second time I used Heat n Bond Ultrahold and they turned out great. Of course now my fabric is fusible, which could be a plus I guess, depending on the project.

All you have to do is cut a piece of Heat n Bond the size of a piece of paper ( 8.5 X 11). If you have an extra fancy printer I suppose you can do it larger. Whatever size your printer will hold. You then iron that to piece of fabric roughly the same size. I like to cut my fabric just a little larger than the Heat n Bond and then trim the extra. It's easier than trying to get it perfect and you don't gunk up your iron if you are off a little bit.

After that you just run it through your printer like a regular piece of paper.

A sheet of cute little labels...

Cut them out...

And iron on (after the ink has dried completely)...

*Please excuse the Christmas stocking pictures, I know Christmas is the very LAST thing we are all thinking of right now. Personally I am dreaming of the hot hot sunshine on my shoulders and flip flops. Trust me, I'm not being extra prepared by getting my Christmas already done for next year... these were supposed to be finished last Christmas. *

To be honest I tried this method because I didn't want to bother with embroidering everyone's name onto their stocking. In the end I think it turned out cute, and much quicker.

Swoon Blocks 5 and 6

2012-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

Swoon Block #4

2012-02-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Well, shoot! I didn't finish two blocks last week. Due to a nasty root canal and getting caught up on some Downton Abbey episodes, I only got one block done. It's a pretty one, though. That red looks very bold compared to my other blocks, but I repeat it again in a couple blocks to come, so I think it will work out in the end. This is a new kind of quilt for me actually. Usually my quilts are very matching and most often I stick to just one line of fabric. Though the style of my prints all seem to be the same, they aren't as prefectly matched as I'm used to. It's making me a bit nervous, but it's good to try new things.

I also finish a Pinterest project last week that turned out great! Have you seen the pin of the t-shirt turned cardigan? I'm not comfortable unless I'm wearing a cardigan. My husband teases me that I even own "sleeping cardigans" (which is more true than I like to admit) I picked up this t-shirt at Target a few weeks ago for 3$. It was an XXL so I had to take it in in the arms and sides alot, but it gave it that great long length. Doesn't it feel good to use Pinterest for real motivation, instead of just an incredible time waister? Love Pinterest!

Valentines Day Craft {Heart Pockets}

2012-02-06T08:02:00.000-08:00

We do a lot of little crafts at our house. My kids love them and it's my way of interacting with the kids without having to come up with conversations between a Barbie and a stuffed dog (which I notice the older I get the harder it is to imagine things for Barbie to say. How was it I could play with my dolls for hours as a little girl?) The key to kids crafts is simple, simple, simple. I didn't always follow that rule. I used to get overly excited and create projects that were way to complicated and expensive. It finally occured to me that even though I may have spent my childhood glueing cottonballs to construction paper and find it incredibly boring now a days, my kids haven't grown tired of it yet. They love to be able to do projects themselves...the simpler the better.

So even though this project is an oldie, it's a goodie. My girls were excited to see it laid out for them when they got home from school, they enjoyed putting it together and from start to finish we spent about 15 minutes, which was 15 minutes of one on one time with a mom who was relaxed, happy and not overly concerned with the constuction of our project.

I gathered all my supplies from good ol' Walmart. Red paper plates, a bit of ribbon, a stapler is nice and some stickers, paper hearts, and glue.

To make the heart pocket, fold 2 paper plates in half and slide one inside the other. Staple the bottom of your heart together and the top, one staple on each side so your heart pocket can open up to store Valentines inside.

Then we stapled some ribbon to each side so it can hang on a door knob or a little shoulder. Decorate your heart with stickers, glitter, dollie hearts, or markers.

Fill it up with Valentines and treats for your friends and you're all set! Simple.

Swoon blocks 2 & 3

2012-01-30T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, here is this weeks blocks. I stuck to my plan of making two blocks this week(so proud!) I'm not sure I really love either one of these though. I may even redo the one below, those curvy blue lines are really throwing off the star pattern of the block. But then again, all together in the quilt it might not bother me so much, I'll have to wait and see.

Add I apologize for the dark photos. Anyone looking though my blog would be able to tell what time of year it is, not by the date, but by the quality of my photos. Winter is so dark and dreary.

Free { mustache } Valentine printable

2012-01-26T20:19:00.000-08:00

My son once told me that his greatest ambition in life was to grow a mustache. He's a funny kid. At 10 years old he's not quite able to fulfill his life goal yet, but him and his friends should have a lot of fun pretending to have some pretty awesome mustaches this Valentines Day.

I had so much fun creating the mustache valentine that I wanted to make another...

MUSTACHE VALENTINE PRINTABLE

KISS VALENTINE PRINTABLE

My first Swoon block

2012-01-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

As in, the first block I've made from Thimble Blossoms absolutely gorgeous quilt pattern Swoon. Do you like it? I sure do! Want to see the rest of my Swoon quilt?...

There it is, all neatly organized into little baggies :) My goal is to finish 2 blocks a week, and then show you and share on THIS flickr pool. This block took me about 2 hours to make, so I figure 2 a week sounds do-able (depends on the week, I guess). I'm hoping that the completion of this quilt and this years tax return fall roughly at the same time because I have a feeling it's going to take the whole thing to get this baby quilted! The pattern is for an 80 X 80 inch quilt, but I'm going to add a border or two so that it fits our queen sized bed. And once I have such a beautiful quilt on my bed, I'll want to paint the walls to match. A project for 2012... I'll be sure and let you know how it goes.

The fabric I'm using is mostly fabric designed by Sandi Henderson, Meadowsweet and Meadowsweet 2.

Sweet Valentine

2012-01-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

Isn't this little quilt sweet?! I'm so happy I finished it before Valentines day. I love it so much I really don't think I'll be able to put it away after the 14th. I'm going to find a spot to hang it up and add a bit of sweet romance to our bedroom. The pattern is called Love Line and was created by Sandy Workman (Pine Mountain Designs). You can find it HERE.

Lots of LOVE!

The perfect gift for a reader

2011-12-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

This is actually the first piece of jewelry I've ever made. I saw this idea on pinterest and fell in love. I love to read but I especially love going back to my favorite books and rereading them. It's comforting to revisit all my favorite characters and stories. Maybe a lot like how my little 4 year old will watch her favorite movies over and over and over again. As I write this she is watching A Charlie Brown Christmas for the 3rd time in a row (she's sick so we are having a TV and pajama day).

I had a hard time deciding what book to use for this project but I ultimately decided that Lizzy and Darcy were my favorite. I also considered something from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Jane Eyre (a very close second) and yes even Twilight (but only for a second). I could make more and carry all my favorite literally characters around my neck, depending on my mood.

All I did was make a photocopy of a page out my very well loved and reread book, Pride and Prejudice. It took me a minute to find the perfect bit of text, but I really liked this one with both "dearest Lizzy" and "Mr. Darcy" so close to each other.

I used this Diamond Glaze stuff that I've had on hand to adhere and seal my text to the jewelry. I found this little charm at my local craft store. It actually had something else attached, a little picture of a bird I think, but it was so cheap it peeled right off.

My husband and I both love to read. I think it was one thing (one of the many) that made us fall in love, our common love of books. We have a seriously cool collection of old books on our book self. Some of these books date back to the 1800's. It's one of my favorite things in our home.

Silhouette Ornaments

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to show off this cute Christmas ornament I made. That's my little P, my 7 year old, my middle child. I'm excited to have used photoshop for something creative! I made ornaments of my other 2 children as well but I think hers turned out the best.

Also I wanted to share this really neat idea I found on Pinterest. We will be starting this in our little family on the 13th of December. I'm going to be a little selfish this year and instead of doing the 12 days of Christmas for a neighbor I'm going to keep it in our family and do it with the children.

PJ pants for adults...

2011-12-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

First off I want to say thank you for all the love I've been getting on my Christmas Pajama Pants Tutorial! It's been great reading all the comments and knowing I helped make everyones Christmas a little more homemade.

I've gotten a lot of questions about making adult sized pajama pants. I did make myself a pair once but honestly they didn't last long. I hesitate making them for me because a womens body has a lot more curves than a childs, and those curves are hard to work around. I consider myself a fairly medium sized person, but I have had 3 kids so the backside isn't as "toned" as it used to be :)

The basic idea for the adult size is you'll want to get enough fabric inches for the length of your leg, twice. I measured a pair of my most comfortable yoga pants and for me this is just over 2 yards. My yoga pants at their widest point are about 23", add a seam allowance and 44" wide fabric is just short of what I needed to get 2 legs out of one width of fabric. Since the legs of my yoga pants measured 36 inches long (and they are a bit long on me, but I like it that way) I bought that, twice. *Don't forget to add a seam allowance for the top and bottom, so to be safe I'd add about 4 or 5 inches to each leg. * Now, I think it best, because we all have wonderful curves to be proud of, you make adult women sized pants out of something with a bit of strech. That was the problem I had when I made a pair of pants for me and they eventually ripped along the seams.

I hope that answers some questions. The construction of the pants are the same for adults and I think if you used jersy knit or even fleece you'd have a more comfortable pair of pants that would fit a women better. If you just have to have those beautiful cotton fabrics though (that would be me) just make them roomy enough in the seat and they should work out, especailly if you reinforce your stitches along the crotch.

So be good for GOODNESS SAKE!

2011-12-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Is it just my kids who go a little nuts this time of year? I thought not. The "Santa's watching" thing only lasts for a moment and then they are back to WILD delight about the coming holiday.

So this year, in hopes of positive reinforcement, we are counting up the times the kids have been good. Santa will see our paper chain on Christmas Eve and is sure to be impressed!

The kids are super excited that it's almost reached to ground already, but I'm hoping by the 24th we'll have it wrapped around the kitchen. Every little good deed, from eating all their dinner, to letting mom and dad sleep in Saturday morning, to an A on a spelling test, gets an added chain.

Breezy Pinwheels

2011-11-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

So I know it's just a quilt top, but knowing me the way I do, I'm pretty certain it won't get quilted until after the holidays. In fact, I'm pretty surprised I was able to find the time to finish up the top this time of year. But I didn't want to wait to show you, because I think it could be my favorite quilt.

I took the red pieces out of my layer cake of Sherbet Pips and I think it turned out to be a really sweet color scheme. And then those little pinwheels remind me of spring, something I'm ALREADY longing for!

How adorable is Aneela Hoey's next line coming out this February, A Walk in the Woods?!

Since I just finished up this quilt top, I'm thinking something different for this line. Maybe little matching messager bags... I've been thinking about putting together a tutorial for a child sized one.

Winner! and 100THANKS

2011-11-18T13:18:00.000-08:00

And the winner is of the crochet ear warmer is...

#8 Angie Schlenz!

Congratulations Angie! And yes, I do remember meeting you once apon a time :) Check your inbox for my email.

Thank you guys so much for entering the giveaway and reading my blog and being my friends and giving me someone to connect to from here in lonely stay-at-home mommyland! I started this blog because I needed to reach out and know that there was a few people out there who would notice my creative adventures.

I wish I could make crochet ear warmers and send them out to all of you! But since my time and budget won't allow for that right now, I am offering a discount to my favorite followers. Just type in this coupon code when you are checking out at my etsy site

100THANKS

To recieve 20% off!

This coupon code will be valid for this weekend only, so hurry over!

In case you were wondering how I chose the winner, I used this sites random number generator, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to post the results on my blog.

100 Follower Celebration Giveaway!

2011-11-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

110 followers to be exact. I'm pretty excited about this! Who knew that people would actually want to read my ramblings? I want to thank you guys for being such great followers by doing a little giveaway!

If you head on over to my etsy shop you'll notice I listed some crochet ear warmer headbands for sale. I'm loving crochet and I think these ear warmers are way cute. The big flower and fun buttons make them super fashionable right now.

So, in celebration of passing the 100 mark on my followers list and finally having something to list on my etsy site, I'm going to give away not just one but TWO crochet ear warmers! One lucky winner will receive a Mommy and Me ear warmer set. One ear warmer for you and a matching one for your special little girl.

The child size should fit a little girl 3 to 10 years old. It has two buttons in the back to adjust the size. The adult size is also adjustable.

OK, are you ready? Here's how to enter my giveaway...
Leave me a comment after this post and tell me a little something about yourself so I can get to know all my followers better. What's your favorite craft? Are you working on any fun projects right now? Something simple but something fun. On Friday I'll use a random number generator to pick one of your comments and the winner for the ear warmer set! Be sure and leave your email address so I can get ahold of you to let you know you won.

This week while you're waiting to hear how lucky you are, go check out my etsy site and my other ear warmer options. I'm offering these custom order, so you can choose a color to match your favorite winter coat or sweater.

Thank you so much guys for sharing with me this fun passion of creating. And stay tuned, I have a super cute quilt top just about finished!

Mushroom Christmas Tree Ornament

2011-11-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Pretty cute, huh? It was actually made to be a pin cushion way back in the spring, but it never made it to the blog. It sat there looking sweet on my self in the office for a few months, then the girls got ahold of it and played with it for awhile. Now I've taken it back, hung it on a bit of mini rick rack and plan to make a few more to hang on the Christmas tree this year.

No, my Christmas tree is not up yet... we actually LIKE Thanksgiving around here. I had to dig out this mini tree from the basement to showcase what it will look like, in a few weeks, hanging on a Christmas tree.

I have a tutorial put together for you. I've also copied a pattern sheet to scribd that I'll link to. I have only recently discovered that scribd charges to download things unless you upload something yourself. I wasn't aware of this (probably because I am always uploading its never been a problem for me to download) and I apologize. I am on the hunt for someone new to use in the future who doesn't charge. I actually already downloaded this pattern a few months ago on scribd, so it's there now for those of you who can download it. I'll have my hubby (he's the one who knows how to work all that for me) download it to a better site ASAP.

But here's a few pictures to help you put it together. You'll want to first cut out 5 mushroom cap pieces out of polka dot fabric (The fabric in the picture is pink. I made a cute pink one too, but I'm going to let the girls hang on to that one. Pink doesn't match my current Christmas decor).
You'll then sew these pieces together, like I've shown below...
Once you have the mushroom cap pieces all sewn together, you'll sew that to the mushroom cap BASE. I cut my base and stem from felt. It is stiffer and you don't need to worry about fraying.
Here's a picture of me sewing the cap to the cap base...
I then cut a little hole at the bottom of the cap base. The stem of the mushroom will cover the hole so you don't need to worry about sewing it up. Just make sure you don't cut the hole to big that it won't be covered up by the stem. Now stuff the cap through the hole with a bit of fiberfill stuffing.
Now hand stitch the two short ends of the stem piece together...
and then hand stitch the stem base to the bottom of the stem...

Ugh... ugly, ugly stitches there, but you get the idea. Now stuff your stem with some fiberfill stuffing. You'll then hand sew the cap to the base with a whip stitch and sew a bit of rick rack to the top to hang your ornament. I also added a couple little felt leaves to the top... that's just because I wanted to hide my imperfections where the cap pieces came together at the top. You can do that do if you like the way it looks, or leave it off if you are better at stitching than I am :)

Mushroom Pattern

Now in 3D!

2011-11-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

3D is the hot thing right now, right? 3D movies, TV's, video games... I know my kids love it. Personally, 3D just gives me a dull headache for the rest of the day.

But these cute 3D pinwheel blocks are no headache :) I love the way they are turning out! I'm not going to go into too much detail about how they are made, because I am using THIS pattern to make them, but I'll tell you they are fast and easy, and a layer cake and a bit of white is all you need.

I did do a search for 3D pinwheel quilts and I found this really fun one...

I think I like it even better than mine because you don't have to sew those little triangles... they are just folded! There is a tutorial for this one on her blog HERE!

To keep those little ears warm

2011-11-08T11:50:00.000-08:00

Crochet and Silhouettes

2011-10-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

Crochet is seriously hard! I finally made something though... besides countless little flowers that I have no use for. I look so goofy in this picture, but you get the idea. I used THIS pattern (check it out so you can see what the head wrap is supposed to look like, and the girl on the site makes a much better model than me) and refered back to my Crochet School over and over again. Also... I kind of gave up on the pattern and did it my own way. Crochet patterns are all written in code! It's impossible to figure out.

But I'm still excited to move on to my next project, which is going to be a white head wrap, or maybe gray, because I really don't see myself ever wearing this bright blue. I just grabbed the color for practice. I tried to give this head wrap to one of my girls, who would look much cuter in such a bold color, but it was way too big.

And my quest to figure out Photoshop... well it took a back seat to crochet once I realized how involved crochet was. But I'm coming along slowly. I made these silhouettes of my kids. They need some touch up work before they are frame-able. I used THIS tutorial to learn how to make them, and once I had my husband come sit behind me and tell me what buttons to push, they came together pretty quickly.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Some Improvement

2011-10-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a little better, I think. I like my crochet flowers.

I've been going to this crochet class for a month now, but I think I've learned more from online tutorials than I have the class.

Here's a link to the class I've been following online, it's really helped me a lot.

Tiny Bunting

2011-10-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

From the leftover 2 1/2 inch squares from my Ruby tablerunner, I put together an adorable little bunting.

I just ran the little triangles and mini rickrack through my sewing machine.

Sweet and simple.

A Decade of the Boy

2011-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

This adorable little baby boy turned 10 yesterday...

I have to say that not only am I incredibly proud of him, but I am also a little proud of myself. I've survived 10 years of motherhood. It's not as easy as some think.

Not only is he alive and well, but he's smart, gets good grades, loves to read, is legitimately funny, and is happy, friendly and caring.

In celebration of his birthday he wanted to go to Lagoon (Utah's answer to Disneyland, though us Californians think it falls a bit short of the mark). We had a lot of fun as a family and tried really hard to forget how much it cost us to get in.

We had a small party with both sets of grandparents Sunday night. I got creative and made him a Lego cake.

The past 10 years have flown by. The next 10 will hold puberty, the teenage years, high school, driving, dating, and the beginning of a Mormon mission. Now that I know how fast 10 years can seem to a mother, I plan to enjoy every moment of them.

Like my Lego cake? I got the idea HERE

Photoshop Basics

2011-10-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Recently we bought a new laptop. It was way overdue. No one can ever blame us for not following the advice to "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" (Boyd K. Packer) Our last computer was the old laptop that my husband used through law school. It was 10 years old! And yes, I was blogging on that old computer. It cost us 3,000$ when we bought it (an amount that was completely out of reach for young college students and got stuck on a student loan that should get paid off sometime around my husband's 80th birthday) and it was so slow and so filled up with junk that it would take most of the day just to "warm up".

Well, it turns out that kids need computers while they are in school... even 2nd and 4th graders. While Bruce and I could make do with that hunk of junk, the kids needed something better, faster, and reliable. And I figured since I like to blog and since we are buying a new laptop anyway, I might as well purchase Photoshop for it (notice silly new blog title and side bar buttons).

I'd never worked on Photoshop, but every time I ran into a tutorial for cute blog stuff, it always involved Photoshop. So I bought it without really knowing what I was doing... and I still don't. At this point I can make a picture lighter and darker, write some text over a picture and add some fun clip art (again, please notice my new blog title :) and make my pictures all crazy, weird and crooked. I know I must not be using this program to it's full potential.

So I am very happy to have found (thank you Pinterest!) what seems to be a very basic beginer course on Photoshop for bloggers. I thought I'd share. She's only on day 3, being the 3rd of October. It goes to the end of this month, at which time I may have changed up my blog title a few more times... bear with me, my mood changes very frequently.

If you are interested, you can find the 31 days of lessons on Photoshop for bloggers HERE.

My Console Table

2011-10-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

I see a blank space and I immediately start thinking what quilt can I put there. My pretty little console table by my front door needed a table runner. Of course I knew a table runner made out of the fabric Ruby by Thimble Blossoms would look perfect there. Most of my house is decorated in Camille Roskelley's fabric anyway.

Does this table runner look familiar to you? If you own THIS BOOK then it might. I was inspired by both the Sugar Rush Quilt in her book and THIS BAG. But I wanted to make mine out of a charm pack (cheaper than a jelly roll). So I cut my 5" squares from a Ruby charm pack into 2 1/2" squares. I like the look of all those little squares, but trying to match them all up was... well, impossible. My seams don't match up much at all. Oh well, good thing I'm not a perfectionist.

To be honest, this is how my console table looks right now...

I suppose my new table runner will just have to wait until the holidays have run their course.

I got the idea for my pumpkin HERE

My Halloween Quilt

2011-09-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last year I finished a Halloween quilt just in time to have it up for a few days before Halloween. I've been looking forward to pulling it out again. I made it for the kids mostly, I like my Halloween decor a bit more spooky.
Thank you little P for modeling for us during the 2 minutes we had before we rushed out of the door for school.
The fabric is last years Halloween fabric called Boo to You by Riley Blake Fabrics. I love the great big polka dots the most. And, as you can see I opted to use mostly the green, rather than orange, just to change it up a bit. I'm not sure if this fabric is still around, but this years Halloween fabric is very cute too.

In case you are wondering, I didn't have a pattern for this quilt. I was inspired by THIS QUILT, but wanted to use bigger pieces so the kids could see the fun characters on the fabric. For the most part I just took a large rectangle of fabric, cut it at a slight angle, mixed them up, and sewed them back together again.

Gereral Conference Printables for Children October 2011

2011-09-27T16:23:00.000-07:00

How to get your little children to listen to at least some of General Conference this weekend? I have no idea... but these printables are pretty cute. I'm not sure if they will really work on my kids, but perhaps I'll try. I admit that in the past I've sent the kids outside to play on General Conference weekend so that I can hear a talk or two. But I think they are getting old enough now that I can expect them to sit through at least one session.

Conference Bingo HERE

Coloring Ties HERE

Conference journal for kidsHERE

My favorite General Conference tradition... pie at my in laws Saturday night after the Preisthood session!

What is General Conference? Find out more HERE.

Sewn, not painted

2011-09-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

No doubt you've seen a lot of the chevron design across blogland lately. Most of the pillows and rugs I've seen have all been painted. Well...I do much better with a sewing machine than a paint brush.

Personally I think it was just as easy, if not easier than taping, painting, drying and then sewing. I finished my pillow in a day. If you look closely it's just a bunch of half square triangles. FYI I stared out with 3 inch squares and by backing it with batting and some simple straight line quilting it will be sure to last longer in my home with 3 children.

I backed it with a fat quarter of Bliss flannel. The kids have been fighting all week over who gets to lay on the new pillow, but right now they are at school so it's all mine.

Adventures In Crochet

2011-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

My mom and I have started taking a little crochet class once a week. Here's a pictures of my first work in progress. I'm totally loving it! I could really see myself spending many mindless hours in front of the TV making dozens of Christmas potholders :)

Here's a bit of crochet inspiration for you...

amigurumi elephant, baby blankets, flowers

New Friends

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

Starting school, the perfect time to make new friends... literally. The girls wanted theirs to look like themselves. I didn't plan on making the boy one, I thought he would be too old. He asked for one that looked like Harry Potter though. I think he has plans to do THIS with him... he's a big fan (with mom and dads supervision of course).

Made with love...

I used the Wee Wonderfuls pattern. A super cute and easy to follow pattern. It came with the patterns to make a bunch of diffrent outfits and shoes. I just had to wing it with the Hogwarts robes :)

Martha Stewart showcased the Wee Wonderfuls book and put up a link to a free pattern for a little mermaid. Super cute!

New Blog Design

2011-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

What do you think? In case you haven't noticed, I am not great with computers. I've taught myself how to do this blog from trial and error. I've learned a lot through tutorials online and I'm totally thankful to all those cute-free-blog websites out there.

I had to change up my blog again, something about "exceding bandwidth"... whatever that means. So, here's the new look. Not sure I like the header to one side like that but I'll have to play with it more later, kids are due home from school in 20 minutes and I've been on this computer ALL DAY!

Update: Ok, I think I fixed a few things that were bothering me (at least my header is centered now). I'll continue to work on it some more but for now I'm worried that it's just boring. Perhaps I need to just walk away for today.

Little wooden spools

2011-08-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

I found myself browsing a sweet little antique shop the other day when these little wooden spools caught my eye. The owner of the shop had a whole basket full... 1$ each. I could have grabbed the whole basket but I was feeling frugal and rummaged around until I was happy with 5 little wooden spools.

I brought my little treasure home, cleaned them up, dug out some scrapbook paper and little scraps of trim and ended up with these...

They make me happy :)

I was inspired by these from Nanacompany...

...so pretty!

2011-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well I finally did it. I've been saying I'm going to do it for almost a year. I quit my fun little job at the quilt shop. The little job that I looked forward to every Wednesday and Friday evening. The little job that gave me a reason to put on some make up and a new outfit. I needed to. I need to be home with my children in the evenings. The boy started 4th grade today and P started 2nd, and this evening I'm on my way to meet C's new preschool teacher. Last year homework was piling up and things were getting really stressful around here. For some reason it never seemed like it was just Wednesday and Fridays. Sometimes I'd need to fill in an extra shift, sometimes the weekly shopping needed done... some weeks it seemed like I was gone every night. Quitting is a sacrifice for me. I like to work and I like to quilt. But I'm not bitter or angry. I am excited for this school year. I am excited to be around more for the kids, excited to give my mother and mother in law a break from watching the kids, and excited to have some Friday nights to spend with my man ;) One more year and C starts Kindergarten... it will go way to quickly.

P.S. When I got home the night of my last day at work my husband and kids made me this cute cake. I love my family!

P.S.S. The quilting and sewing will continue, as well as the blogging... I've accumulated way to many projects working there the past 4 years.

Ruffles

2011-08-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

Aren't ruffles on a quilt adorable? They make this simple little quilt look so sweet and soft.

My super cute quilt model did a great job helping me display this quilt top for pictures this morning!

I have a handy little foot for my sewing machine that will ruffle the bottom fabric while sewing it to the top. This quilt took me no time at all to put together. If you can get your hands on a ruffle foot for your machine I highly recommend it.

I also found this FREE pattern on Riley Blakes Cutting Corners blog this morning. Love the little ruffles in the center of the squares!

I'm thinking about using this cute little stack of Halloween fat quarters with this pattern. What do you think?

Ruffled strip quilt pattern - Gathers & Giggles by Sew Much Ado
Halloween fat quarters - Matilda by Cosmo Cricket for Andover Fabrics

Inspiration

2011-08-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Look what I found at Barns and Noble yesterday. I was super excited, I didn't think I could get it in the states without having it shipped. It is as fantastic as everyone says it is!

My favorite project... these adorable little felt puppies! They remind me of the little felt animals I made.

I think I'll just have to get a subscription after all. I wonder how to get my hands on issues number 1 and 2?

The Family Reunion Dress

2011-08-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

Can I put pictures of a wrinkly dress on my blog? I know a few bloggers who would think not, but frankly I want nothing more than true to life on this blog. P LOVES this dress and wore it all day. I suppose I could get it off her tonight, iron it up and take some more "professional looking" pictures of it, but with the joys of summertime and the kids home from school...I just don't have the time or energy.

And I think she looks beautiful in it.

The style of the dress and the weight of the fabric is prefect for summer. It's like muslin with adorable little poodles and dots that looked "stamped" on to the fabric.

I dug through my button jar and chose mismatched buttons for the back. I thought it looked cute that way and saved me a few dollars (and a trip to the store with all 3 kids... priceless!)

The pattern is The Family Reunion Dress by Oliver + S. I was so thankful to have found this Family Reunion Dress sew along! There was a couple spots in the pattern that had me stumped, but the pictures and extra discriptions helped me out a bunch.

Yellowstone 2011

2011-07-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 years we have taken a week off in the summer to spend in Yellowstone National Park. My inlaws own an adorable little cabin 30 minutes outside Yellowstone in Island Park Idaho, so it turns out to be a fun and affordable vacation for us. We play games, watch movies, swim in the river, take hikes and enjoy lots of time with just the 5 of us.

We usually take 2 or 3 days to spend in Yellowstone Park itself. Some of our favorite sites are Dragons Mouth Cave (a cave that hides a boiling hot spring so it seriously looks like a fire-breathing dragon lives inside), Old Faithful, the stinky mud pots, the Junior Ranger Station at Madison, and the many waterfalls around the park.

On this trip little C refused to walk. Bruce and I try really hard to keep our spirts up and a happy face on during this little annual vacation of ours. We know it's going to be A LOT of work, but we also know it can be a lot of fun if we all have the right attitude. We were really put to the test by our little 4 year old this year!

But it was worth it to catch a few moments like these. Here they are, all getting along, waiting for Old Faithful.

More Christmas in July... last one, I promise!

2011-07-21T20:53:00.000-07:00

Do you remember these...

If not you can read more about them HERE.

A lot of the time when I make something I'm not too sure about, I hold it up for my kids and ask them "what do you think this is?" Kids are so honest that I know if they get it right the first time, I've done a good job. When I held up these slippers for the first time to my daughter and asked what she thought they were, she got super excited and said "Tinkerbell's Shoes!" Well, they could be Tinkerbell shoes too, I'm ok with that. They are also Elf shoes, I told her. She was happy with both (they might have spent more time being Tinkerbell shoes to be honest, but that just makes them fun all year long!)

I've decided to make the pattern free for you to download. Just click HERE. I don't have a "tutorial" with pictures, but I did spend a lot of time trying to write out a good pattern.

The pattern is for a 3 to 8 year old, but I highly suggest you measure your childs foot to choose the right fit. I started out with a half yard of green felt and a half yard of flannel. You'll also need 6 pom poms, 3 for each shoe. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll get back to you!

Christmas in July

2011-07-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am much more in the mood to think about our upcoming vacation to the cabin and laying out in the sun while the kids splash in the river. But if you want the best fabric selection you'd better start thinking about your Christmas projects in June and July, because that's when the fabric hits the selves. By the time November rolls around, it will be all gone.

Do you follow NanaCompany? I am in love with everything she does! I love all the sweet romantic fabric she uses. Recently she posted an adorable little story about having cookies and milk every night before bed with her little children and she made these too cute little cookie mats.

I wanted to make 5 (one for each of us) but I didn't know how much use they would get in our household. While working one night and staring at the Christmas fabric wondering how long it will be before it's all sold and thinking about buying some, I remembered the cookie mats. How about a little mat for Santa... Perfect! I pictured my children setting out Santa's special little mat with his homemade cookies and milk and I knew I had a darling project on my hands.

Looking through these pictures I think I still want to make some everyday cookie mats. Wouldn't they look cute all hung on a hook in the kitchen?!

NanaCompany's Cookie and Milk Snack Mat Tutorial

Most of the fabric I used is Sweetwaters new fabric line, Countdown To Christmas, except the black for the plate... I can't remember :( sorry.

A Quilt For Me and Cupcakes

2011-07-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

It's so often that I make quilts for work or quilts as gifts that it was a rare treat to be able to make this quilt for me. I fell in love with the fabric, I chose the pattern, I even added my own style to it and made it using raw edge applique instead of fusible web. I wanted to start on this quilt months ago but some other project that was more pressing always got in the way. And so my beautiful layer cake sat on the shelf, tempting me every day to drop whatever I was doing and make this quilt.

I finally couldn't take it any longer and during a brief moment in between projects I jumped in and started to cut up my fabric. It came together so quick and so easy that I couldn't stop and finished it in no time.

I am so happy with this quilt, it turned out just like I hoped. Once it gets plenty of snuggle time on the couch I plan on hanging it in my living room. If you've read my blog you know I like to use my quilts. An uncuddled quilt is an unloved quilt and that make me sad to see. Even if that means the quilt gets washed, folded, and a very small spot or two. It's worth it to know my family makes good use of them and enjoys them.

On a totally unrelated note, my son has been at Cub Scout day camp the last couple days, which means I get some time with just me and my two little girls. After a trip to the library we went and got cupcakes at our favorite little cupcake shop, The Sweet Tooth Fairy.

So much fun to place my little girls in front of every cupcake flavor imaginable and let them choose their favorite. C picked raspberry lemonade, P picked Neopolitan, Daddy got rootbeer float, and I went with my old favorite oreo cookies and cream (there will be cream cheese frosting in Heaven!)

Life's simple pleasures... quilting, cupcakes and family. I feel so blessed!

Quilt pattern by Thimble Blossoms called Marmalade, fabric also by Camille Roskelley called Bliss for Moda. Can't wait for her new line coming out soon!

Freezer Paper

2011-07-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

So I know I am not the first one to discover the wonders of freezer paper, but for anyone out there who hasn't tried it yet, this stuff works great for dress making patterns! I admit, this is my first time trying it out. I've heard it's great to use for all sorts of sewing projects, but I have a dirty little secret in that I usually just cut up my patterns instead of tracing... I know, it's horribly lazy of me. In my defense, I don't really like to make the same thing twice so I don't figure I'll ever need the pattern again. But spending 16$ on a pattern as cute as this and only use it once is pretty stupid of me. I bought my freezer paper at Walmart awhile ago and to tell you the truth I have no idea how much it cost. But I can tell you this roll is going to last me along time.

I laid out my pattern and tore off a piece of freezer paper. I could see through the freezer paper just fine so I traced straight on to it. When I was done I lightly ironed the freezer paper, shinny plastic coated side down, to my fabric. It stays just well enough to cut out your pattern and when your done peel away the paper and your piece is perfectly cut out.

I was really happy with the way it turned out and felt more that just a little stupid for not trying it before. My adorable Oliver and S Family Reunion Dress pattern stayed neatly intact to be made again someday or pass along to someone else.

Above All Fabric recently did a sew along for the Family Reunion Dress. There's no chance of me getting mine done by the July 15th deadline to be entered into the prize drawing, but it's helpful to have the steps laid out for you. I'll be sure and show you mine when it's all done!

Knot Shorts free pattern link

2011-07-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I whipped up these adorable little shorts for P yesterday. There's a tutorial that was part of Grosgrain's Free Pattern Month that you can find HERE. They ended up a little baggy, but there's room for her to grow. I used some home decor weight fabric that I found on sale for 5$!

I also had to share this picture I snapped of my youngest at church today. I have to admit, I was jealous of her little nap. I wish I could get away with that ;)

New Orleans over the weekend...

2011-07-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. I certainly did! We spent the weekend in New Orleans. My husband is an attorney and had to attend a legal conference. I tagged along and we spent a couple extra days together exploring the city.

We fell in love every time we turned around. New Orleans is such a fascinating city. So much history!

While my husband was in his meetings durning the day, I enjoyed walking around enjoying the architecture, shopping and eating.

We took a tour of the Mississippi River aboard the steamboat Natchez. Live Jazz and lots of yummy food made it one of my favorite things we did in New Orleans.

The houses, as you can see, are worth the trip.

And we definitely had to stop by one of their wonderfully spooky cemeteries. Because of the ground being so saturated with water, they have to bury their dead above ground in these tombs. I'd never seen anything like it before!

I didn't come across any quilt stores on our trip, but I did find a delightful store full of art work and these handmade dolls. A lot of the shops are owned by artists who sell and display their art in a gallery like setting.

We got to enjoy lots of live music. They aren't kidding when they claim to have live Jazz bands on every corner!

And eat some of the best food I have ever tasted. I am determined to find a decent Creole resturant in Salt Lake City... any suggestions?

It wasn't Mardi Gras season but this pink tree with beads drapped from it's branches was absolutely beautiful. I don't think you see it the picture just how great it was. It actually sparkled in the sun! A lot of the trees still held signs of a city who likes to have fun.

I highly recommend New Orleans as a vacation spot, especially if, like me, you enjoy history, shopping and FOOD (who doesn't!). I will miss New Orleans, I hope we get back there some day!

4th of JULY ideas

2011-06-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Everytime a diffrent holiday comes around I hear myself saying "oh I LOVE *insert holiday here*, I think it's my FAVORITE!" I just love holidays. I love spending time with my family, I love a day off work, I love all the fond memories I have of holidays growing up. I spent my 4th's as a child swimming in my Aunt's Pool in her backyard, playing with cousins, eating homemade ice cream, and waiting, waiting, waiting for the sun to go down. It seemed that the 4th was a day twice as long as any other day!

Super cute idea to turn mason jars into sippy cups
HERE

Our 4th of July celebrations this year are going to be pretty low key. A lot of my family will be getting together in California (at that same Aunt's house with the big backyard pool) for not only a celebration of independence, but also my Grandma Bee's 95th birthday party! I wish so much that I could be there, but circumstances as they are, we will be hanging out at home with some treats, a slip n slide and a small box of fireworks. (actually sounds pretty nice when I say it like that!) I have to make it special for the kids though! I want them to have the same fond memories of holidays that I have. I searched the blogging community today for some fun and SIMPLE 4th of July surprises for the kids. Here's what I think I'll throw together for them this year.

Red Vines are the perfect treat for watching fireworks. I found this cute idea...

HERE

And I loved how you can change up these wands for other holidays by hanging on to the stick and just switching up the ribbon colors. I found this idea...
HERE

More "Melly and Me"...

2011-06-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Alright, this one has gotta be my favorite! I finished her up last week for my daughter. Another Melly and Me pattern called Bubbles The Unicorn. I'm not sure why, but my daughter doesn't seem to be as in love with her as I am. Maybe she's getting to old :( Probably should have given it to the 4 year old instead. Well... just an excuse to make another one!

On a totally unrelated note... look how pretty my sewing room floor looked today!

I finally broke into my Bliss layer cake. I hope to show you the finished results soon, but with summer in full swing it's hard to stay in doors!

For the boys...

2011-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Melly and Me patterns are some of my favorite things to make. Let's see... I've made a mushroom backpack, a moose, a mama bug, and koala couple, a dragon, a chicken and her babies, a unicorn, an elephant, and now a pair of fighting (and snuggling) Ninjas. I hope soon to get my hands on their lastest book, Sewn Toy Tales.Check out Melly and Me's fun blog HERE!

There is also a free Melly and Me Oopsie The Octopus pattern on Moda Bake Shop!

Strawberries

2011-06-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a trend in fabric lately that I can't get enough of... Strawberries. I love strawberries! I mean, absolutly crave them, always have, according to my mom and dad. I grew up in Southern California and remember often passing fields like this one around my home...

I don't know if it is because I am much larger than I used to be, but I distinctly remember strawberries being much bigger than they are now. I actually think it is due to my parents stopping at the little stands next to the fields and picking up the freshest, reddest, and largest strawberries California had to offer.

Lately I've been seeing a lot of strawberry prints in fabric. I, of course, have to buy up every bit I see! This new line from Fig Tree is the perfect example. So yummy, so pretty, I'm afraid to open my jelly roll!

Click here to check it out in more detail. Prepare to fall in love though!

You may remember seeing this quilt before. It didn't sell, which I am now grateful for, because it hangs in my sewing room. The little dress I made for C, and though it's not out of strawberry fabric, I think she looks like a little strawberry in it. It doesn't fit her anymore, but I love to have it hanging up where I can still see it.

I found this strawberry pin cusion on Heather Baileys blog. It's an older picture, not sure if she still has patterns, but it looked too sweet not to share with you.

And lastly, my favorite stawberry recipe comes from my mother in law. She is a fantastic cook and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing her Famous French Strawberry Pie recipe. I could seriously eat a whole pie myself!

French Strawberry Pie

2 baked pie shells or graham cracker crusts
6 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped stiff
2 pounds strawberries, cleaned, hulled and cut up
1 box danish dessert (found in the jello aisle)

Wash, clean, hull and cut up the strawberries. Prepare the danish dessert as directed on the back of the box for pie glaze and set aside to cool. Cream the cream cheese and then add the powdered sugar, cream together. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Carefully fold in the whipped cream. Pour the mixture in the two pie shells and spread evenly all around. Top with strawberries and then top with the danish dessert. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Enjoy! :)

For My Nephew...

2011-06-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

So I snapped these pictures really quick as my family was sitting in the car waiting for me to finish up so we could go to my new little nephew's blessing at church. I wanted to give him this quilt that day but I needed to get some pictures for me (and you!) first. Anyway, not my best photography but the quilt turned out adorable, if I do say so myself :) It is so soft with the minkie on the back. I don't like to use batting in my baby quilts if I am using minkie, it makes them too heavy. The pattern is called Coming Soon by Thimble Blossoms and the fabric is a collection of a few diffrent lines, mostly Sunkissed by Sweetwater, some Moda essential dots, and the animal print was out of Central Park by Kate Spain. A cute quilt for an even cuter little boy!

How I Spent My Day...

2011-06-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

FriXion pens

2011-06-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pine Needles blogged about these incredibly cool pens today called FriXion pens. I was trying to get around to blog about them myself, because I think they are that cool. But they beat me to it, so I'll just link instead(that's a lot easier!)

They have a video on their site that shows you how they will disappear with the heat of your iron! You can also purchase some at Pine Needles or through their website. Go check it out HERE.

Kaleidoscope

2011-05-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

The sun peeked through the clouds for only a few minutes yesterday, but it was long enough for me to snap these pictures. Even still, they are a little dark.

The cute quilting job makes all the diffrence with this one. I wasn't sure how much I liked it before I had it quilted, but now it's one of my favorites!

The pattern is called Kaleidoscope by Cluck Cluck Sew. Eagle Mountain Quilting quilted it for me and she did a wonderful job!

Refinished Chairs

2011-05-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

I gave my old kitchen chairs new life this week with a fresh coat of paint. I think they make for very bright and sunny porch chairs.

I started off with sandpaper, but quickly switched to an electric sander. I wanted to just rough up the surface before I applied the primer. The most satisfing part was sanding off the years of stuck-on food splatters and spills...GROSS!

I applied 2 coats of a spray paint primer by Valspar.

All spray paint is not created equal. The first spray paint I used was by Krylon, and though the red turned out ok, the green was horrible. I had to use two cans of the green (with the red and blue I only needed one) and I got a lot of drips. For the blue chair I used Valspar and it covered beautifully with one can.

My finished porch chairs (along with a little table from Ikea that cost a very reasonable 7.99$!). Just in time for Memorial day. I think will have lemonade and hotdogs on the porch this Monday.

My materials list...

100 grit sandpaper
electric sander, optional, but if you can get ahold of one it sure was quick.
white spray paint primer by Valspar (found at Lowes in the spray paint isle)
one can of Krylon Cherry Red Gloss spray paint
two cans of Krylon Ivy Leaf Gloss spray paint
one can of Valspar Mediterranean Gloss spray paint

I've thought about using a varnish on my chairs. I haven't yet, I may still... I'll have to let you know.

Rainy Days

2011-05-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Is it raining at your house? It is at mine. And has been, for months! My new swingset has not seen many children on it so far.

Time to get creative to keep the little ones from driving me CRAZY!
We made these wooden spoon dolls...

Teaching the kids about "sewing needle safety" :)

It's worth the mess if I get a few minutes break right?

I let them help themselves to my fabric scraps and leftover trims.

Here's another project we made that wasn't as big a hit, but still fun: eggshell mosaics. I even did a google search on mosaics, taught the kids some art history and brought up some pictures for inspiration (awesome parenting moment for me!)

Wish I would have thought of this craft right after Easter! Great way to use up all those colored egg shells.

International Quilt Market Spring 2011

2011-05-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

I mentioned last week how I had got my hands on a ticket to International Quilt Market, another perk of working in a quilt store. I was able to find some time this weekend (not nearly enough time) and browse my way through all the many designers' booths containing all their newest patterns and fabric, most of which have not hit stores yet. It was fantastic!

My favorite was the Michael Miller booths. They went all out and I fell in love with every thing I saw! Above is a picture of new designer Sarah Jane's booth. You can get a sneak peak of her first fabric line HERE. My manager at Pine Needles introduced me to her blog just a couple weeks ago, I suppose after working with me for 4 years she's gotten to know my style and knew I would LOVE it.

Another favorite booth was Sandi Henderson's. I love everything she comes out with but this looks like it could be the best so far. Her booth was gorgous, and though I didn't get a picture :( you can check out a sneak peak of her newest fabric, Secret Garden, HERE (UPDATE: Scroll down to bottom of post for picture!)

Here is a picture of Fig Trees booth...

And a couple shots of Riley Blake...

I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted. Not sure if that was because I was so overwhelmed or too intimidated. But it was a wonderful experience and now all there is to do is watch and wait for all this beautiful fabric to hit the stores, definitely the hard part!

UPDATE:
Here's the perfect picture (that I was not able to get) of Sandi Henderson's booth I was telling you about. I stole this pic from UCreate, go check out her blog post of Market, she also has some fantastic pictures of another favorite, Thimble Blossoms!

Hello again!

2011-05-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, long time, no see guys! Sorry I've been absent from blogging for the last month. I wish I had some fantastic projects to show you all, but mostly I've just been hanging out with the family, putting in a few extra hours at work, and trying to drop a couple pounds before the summer (not working by the way, but I do feel stronger).

I did finish this quilt top...

The pattern is called Kaleidoscope by Cluck Cluck Sew and the fabric is Hideaway by Moda.

And took a wonderful trip with my oldest daughter and my mom to visit family in California.

(Those are dolphin fins in the background!)

My husband and father finished building this swingset just in time for Mothers Day...

Didn't they do a fantastic job!

And my most exciting news... I scored a ticket to International Quilt Market this weekend! I've never been before, and I have to admit, I'm a little nervous, but even more than that I'm super excited. Not sure what the protocol with picture taking is yet, but I'm definitely going to take the camera and start snapping pictures until they tell me to stop!

Butterfly Baby

2011-04-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Don't ever throw your scraps away! Recognize this fabric? I didn't think I had enough left over to do anything with...

Love love love the little butterfly wings! Perfect for Spring.

I used a pattern for the butterfly wings that I got out of this adorable book...

This project sure taught me a lesson about hanging on to all my scraps of fabric.

Daydream Dress

2011-04-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Strictly for the fun of it, with no wild dreams about actually winning, I entered a fun contest over at Riley Blake Designs called Cruising With Riley Blake. The idea is to enter a clothing item made from Riley Blake fabric. I had my eye on this fabric, called Daydream Cottons, and the pattern was just in my stash. It actually came together very quickly on a Saturday night and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

The back is what sold me on the pattern (which is called Macy Giggles Sundress by Izzy and Ivy) I used a couple Riley Blake flower buttons as well, just to rub it in a little how much I love their products ;)

Sorry, no smiles from little P today...

The first place prize is a very cool beach cruiser bicycle that I would very much love to call my own. Second and third place will recieve Riley Blake fabric bundles (also very cool!)

You can click HERE to check out my dress in further detail.

Let me know if any of you have your own entries as well, I'd love to see them!!!

My New Couch

2011-04-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I saw this super cool pillow on Cluck Cluck Sew last week! She calls it a sprocket pillow. I've been looking for just the right pillows to go on our new couches. I didn't like anything I saw in the stores and I didn't want them to clash with all the quilts I have hanging in our home. But these pillows look perfect, because they already look so much like a quilt!

Check out her tutorial for how to make this fun and surprisingly easy pillow!

And I thought in case you were wondering about my other, slightly less cool, but fairly cute pillow, I'd show you how I made that one as well...

I used some scraps I had left over from a quilt I made awhile back, but a charm pack would be perfect (love those charm packs!) Sew a collection of 5" squares together...

Create a little template that looks something like this...

Use your template to cut a bunch of pieces out of white (or in my case Kona Snow) fabric. Enough to have a piece on each seam...

Using a 1/4 inch seam top stitch those down, leaving your edges raw...

Add cute buttons to the corners where they meet. Cut out a back to your pillow, stitch all the way around, leaving a whole to turn, and then WASH your finished pillow cover. Your edges will fray and look super soft and cute. After you washed and dried, then stuff and sew up your hole.

Thank you Cluck Cluck Sew for my adorable new pillow, it was just what I was looking for! She mentioned you wouldn't be able to sew just one, and she's right! I've started making a couple for my girls. They reminded them of Little Miss Muffet's Tuffet!

Charm Pack Easter Eggs

2011-03-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

(Sorry you have to see pictures of my half dead grass. Our yard grows weeds and rocks... that's about all)

I really do try hard to keep my fabric stash under control, but it is very hard when I work at such a cute quilt shop. If I love a fabric but know I am not going to make a quilt out of it, I usually satisfy myself with a charm pack. It's so hard to see cute fabric come and go without getting just a little bit of it. So, I have quite a few of these little charms packs lying around and I'm always looking for ways to use them up.

Here's a few of my most recently aquired...

Could anything be more perfect for Easter eggs than the zig zags, tulips and polka dots in this new line called Hullabaloo?

I don't have a template for you to print out, but basically I just used my Tomato Pin Cushion pattern and adjusted it very slightly to make it a bit more of an egg shape. As you can see below, I lowered the widest part of the wedge just a little...

(Here's a hint, the cardboard square that comes on the back of the charm pack was perfect to use as my template piece!)

You'll cut out 4 wedges for each egg.

Sew 2 wedges together, set that pair aside and sew the other 2 together. Then sew the first pair to the second pair, leaving a small hole to turn and stuff.

Stuff your egg and sew up your little hole by hand.

I found this cute little egg holder at JoAnns the other day. I'm excited to display the kids' Easter egg creations on it in a few weeks, but until then my fabric eggs will do alright.

It's pretty cool all the diffrent things you can make out of a fabric wedge. So far I've used it to make eggs, tomatoes, pumpkins, pears, owls, juggling balls and bowling pin people (huh, I haven't showed you that one yet have I?) and I have many more ideas, just not enough time!

Dreaming Of Summer

2011-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

It snowed here this morning. I haven't liked the snow since I was about 15 (the year I moved from sunny southern California to snowy northern Utah). I was dreaming of hot July days at the pool, firworks at the park, and barbques in the backyard as I whipped up these little bucket hats for the girls. Utah can get quite hot in the summer (almost too hot! Makes me miss that ocean breeze) so hopefully these hats will protect my fair skinned children, if the sun ever shows it's face here again!

I used the pattern in my new Little Things To Sew book by Oliver + S to make my hats, but I did a quick search and found a free tutorial for bucket hats HERE

Vintage, Baby!

2011-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of my newest quilt! It's for Pine Needles and will be headed there for display tomorrow.

I love the way it turned out. The raw edges are so cute and cozy! But let me tell you something, this was not the super easy, quick quilt I anticipated. When I opened the pattern and read "using your ruler and a washable marking pen, draw a 3 inch grid over your entire background fabric" I really wanted to throw the whole thing in a drawer and forget it! After drawing your grid you then line up all those little squares and use a fabric glue stick to glue them down. Then you start to quilt. I've decided that though I like the way it looks, I am not a fan of straight line quilting. I persevered though, and in the end... well, it's cute. Let's just leave it at that.

The upside to this quilt is that at Pine Needles you can buy a kit with all those little squares already cut out for you (I should know, I've been working on cuting out those squares to go in the kits for weeks!) They are cut out with a die cut machine so you get that sweet scaloped edge on all your squares!

I once had a quilter ask me if I would rather use a batting in my quilts that didn't shrink up when washed and give my quilts that wrinkled look. Oh, for shame! I absolutely adore that wrinkled, vintage, cozy look on all my quilts. As soon as I finish a quilt it goes straight in the wash. This quilt goes perfect with that look. In fact, the name of the pattern is Vintage Baby. Though I complain about the work involved with this quilt, the pattern was very well written and easy to follow. And as with everything else vintage or baby in my house, I love it!

2011-03-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Phew! I am feeling so overwhelmed right now. I think I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew. I have LOTS of projects that I am working on, some for the store, some just for me, and some for the 2 new babies that will be born into my extended family next month. Anyway, it seems like when I have too much happening, I lose motivation. It starts to feel like work instead of play.

When I have some more time, I'll have to update you all on my many projects. But for now, I knew you would love this sweet little quilter in these prints as much as me. I love being able to work in a cute quilt shop and breath the fabric air so often.

These prints are avalible for purchase HERE. I think I need the set for my sewing room!

2011-03-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

How fun! Now, when my hubby is pouring over his March Madness bracket, I can turn to my Modern Madness bracket for entertainment. If you love looking at new fabric as much as me, this is for you. Fat Quarterly has paired up fabric lines from this past year, created a bracket (just like the ones for college basketball), and is letting US vote for which ones we think are going to win. They are already voting on round 3 :( but it was fantastic to look over all the other winners and vote for my own.

Click on the link above and it will take you to the home page of Fat Quarterly!

Mini felt animals

2011-03-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Now that I've made them, what am I going to do with them?

I have no idea.
Don't they make you smile though?!

My favorite

The biggest one is only at 3 inches! Cute!

This etsy site has the pattern to download if your interested.

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

My little baby "P" turned 7 today.

Free download of this sweet reminder HERE

The Jump Rope Dress

2011-03-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

This classic little dress is my version of The Jump Rope Dress, a pattern by one of my favorites, Oliver + S.

So sweet, so classic, and just a touch vintage. I love the style of their patterns as well as their easy to follow instructions.

I also just purchase their new book, Little Things To Sew. Check out this darling trailer for their book...

I want to make EVERYTHING in this book! There is more in the book that they don't show, like a puppet theater and a "play town", all made out of the prettiest fabric. Oh, and of course, a set of their adorable little paper dolls, complete with clothes from the book... "a little something extra to keep young ones occupied as you stitch up new items for their wardrobes!" - Little Things To Sew, Oliver + S

Tips For Sewing With "Minkie"

2011-02-28T17:38:00.000-08:00

I love this fabric! It's called minkie, and it is soooooo soft. I've used it in quite a few projects, from QUILTS to OWLS to SLIPPERS. But, there's no way around it, it is hard to work with. I thought I'd share what I've learned about sewing with minkie in hopes that less people will make the same mistakes as me.

Tip #1
Pin A LOT! As you can see in my picture below I pinned this little owl like mad! Minkie stretches, shifts and curls so the more pins the better.

Tip #2
Spray adhesive is fantastic. When I am putting minkie on the back of a quilt, spray adhesive works far better than pins or basting. Check out THIS POST of mine for tips on quilting your own quilts using spray adhesive.
Tip #3
No heat! Minkie does not shrink in your washer, but don't dry it in the dryer! Especially if your minkie has those cute little raised dots. The heat will make you dots go flat. The same is true with an iron. Not only will your dots disappear but minkie can MELT!
Tip #4
Keep a lint roller near by, minkie sheds when you cut it and gets everywhere.
Tip #5
If you are sewing cotton fabric to minkie, stitch with your minkie side down and let your feeders guide the minkie along. It works a lot better this way and the minkie doesn't slip as much. A walking foot, I sure would also be great, but since I don't own one yet, you'll have to let me know :)
Tip #6
And lastly, just an idea, when you're putting minkie on the back of a quilt or piecing it into a quilt, like I've done HERE, (especially a baby quilt, that you wouldn't want too bulky anyway) try skipping the batting. It will save you a little bit of money (which is nice because good minkie can be pricey) and minkie adds quite a bit of softness, loft and warmth on it's own.

Making A Rolled Pillowcase

2011-02-24T13:06:00.000-08:00

The boy has been home from school the past few weeks. He goes to a year round school and they are on a track system. He is "off track" right now... which means he's home, and bored, and forgeting all the important things he learned while he was "on track" (I don't like year round school much).

While the kids are home I try and find things to entertain them, especially in the winter. This was our project for today... a pillowcase. I made him do the whole thing, including (gasp!) using my sewing machine! He was a little angry at first because he had to turn off the video games, but it only took about 45 minutes (perfect for his attention span) and in the end he said it was "cool".

It is pretty neat to see how it quickly transforms from a rolled tube to a comfy pillowcase. This turned out to be a great first sewing project for a 9 year old boy. There's a tutorial HERE! that shows how easy a rolled pillowcase is to make.

Tote Bag Tutorial

2011-02-22T14:38:00.001-08:00

Click HERE! to see my newest tutorial!

Sewing For Children - owl pillow pattern and tutorial

2011-02-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest compliments I ever recieved was from my little P. P and her friend were running wild through the house playing their games and as they passed by the door to the "office" (my sewing room) her friend stopped and asked "what is your mom doing?" (I was sitting at my sewing machine working on a quilt). P replied "Oh, she's making things. My mom's REALLY good at making things." Then the two of them ran off to contiune their play, while I was left with a very sweet moment to ponder and cherish. What more could I ask as a mother? My daughter is proud to tell her little friend about what I do.

I really enjoy making things for my children. It is so much nicer than buying toys at the store. Where is the love in that? I feel like my children appreicate what I make them as well. They watch anxiously as the little stuffed animals, quilts and clothing I have promised to them come together. I think that, even at their young age, they do notice the TIME I spent on their gift, and to a child TIME equals LOVE.

I am not a perfect mother. My children are three handfuls, and I have not yet mastered how to raise them with only 2 hands. I get sad and frustrated on a daily basis. I fall back on sewing as a way to escape. But when I sew for my Children I am not just doing their laundry, washing their dishes, or picking up their toys, I am creating something for them that is a lasting reminder of how much I really do love them.

I encourage you to make something for a child in your life. Why not start with these cute owl pillows? I am so glad I snapped a couple quick pictures before I gave them to the kids. Soon after I let them have their owls they took them outside and now they are very loved and very dirty. Awesome FREE pattern and tutorial for Owl Pillow HERE!

The kids "helping" me stuff their owl pillows :)

Sweet Pea Quilt

2011-02-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Just finished this sweet little baby quilt for a very special baby who will be born this spring (NO, it's not mine! Someone else I know). I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this little one and the trip my mom, my oldest daughter and I will be making to visit her.

Minkie, of course! Anything else on the back of a baby quilt just wouldn't do.

Perfect little bow for a perfect little girl.

Don't quilts look cute rolled up? It's how I store all my quilts, rolled up with a pretty bow.

The quilt pattern is called Sweet Pea by Thimble Blossoms. You can find it in her new book titled Simplify. I love this book, well, I love everything Camille Roskelley puts out! That girl has great style! The fabric is called Lilly and Will by Bunny Hill Designs for Moda Fabrics.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

In celebration of Valentines day I thought I would post some things I am IN LOVE with right now. First up is cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Here is my favorite recipe for these simple and delicious cupcakes...

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cup MINI chocolate chips
2 (8 ounce) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix the first 6 ingredients together with an electric beater. Add chocolate chips. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill with batter half way full (I always do half way full instead of 3/4 full and they turn out perfect) Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool. For cream cheese frosting, in a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick).

I usually have plenty of frosting, which is good because quite a bit of it ends up getting eaten by me before they ever get on the cupcakes :)

"Free" and "cute" are 2 words that I LOVE. Here are some very cute and totally free printable Valentines. Click HERE to print them out.

I LOVE this adorable Valentines quilt by Pine Mountain Designs called Love Line. Look at the little undies hanging on the line! SO CUTE!

And lastly, I was so excited to find out last week that there is a new Jane Eyre movie coming out next month (March 11th). I LOVE this book! I can't count how many times I've read it. I think the book is quite dark and am excited to see the movie looks the same.

I hope you all find lots to FALL IN LOVE with this Valentines Day!

Library Tote Bag Tutorial

2011-02-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Learn how to make this one quick tote bag, and you can pretty much make them all. There are so many cute bag patterns out there, but most of them come from this same basic pattern. You can change up the shape a bit, make it smaller or larger, add a button or more pockets, and you'll never need to buy a bag pattern again. I have made this bag so many times that I hardly need to measure, and I definitely don't need a pattern.

I picked this fabric because, well, you know I love this fabric, but the words also reminded me of my love of reading and how much I enjoy taking my little girl to the library. So I decided I "needed" a new library bag.

Supplies:
1/2 yard for main bag fabric (words)
1/2 yard for accent strip and lining fabric
1/8 yard for handles
Fat Quarter for pockets
1 yard rick rack
1 yard Pellon 809 (you may be able to get away with only a half yard if the Pellon is 44" wide. Mine was not, so I bought a whole yard.)

First thing you need to do is decide how big you want your bag. I wanted mine to be a library tote bag, so I made sure it was roomy enough to fit a lot of books. I cut 2 pieces of my main bag fabric (one front and one back) 15" X 16" and I cut 2 lining pieces the same measurements. This gave me a finished bag of about 14" X 14".

Once you have those two pieces cut, lay them out and cut your accent stip (like you see I've cut below). I cut mine 4 1/2". Tecnically you could make this bag totally reversible. I hardly ever reverse mine because I usually choose my favorite fabric for the outside anyway, and don't have much of a desire to reverse it.

Now switch your accent stips so you are pairing the the lining fabric with the outside fabric. You can see what I have done below...

You will now sew those accent strips to the main pieces of you bag. In the picture above you only see one piece for the outside and one for the lining, but of course, you will actualy have 2 lining pieces and 2 outside pieces. Sew accent strips to all 4 pieces.

I used Pellon 809 Decor Bond to give my bag some stiffness and shape. You will definitely want to use some sort of stiffener on your bag. There are lots of different weights, depending on how stiff you want you bag. I bought mine at Pine Needles, but Joanns carries it as well, or any other fabric store chain.

You simply iron it on to the wrong side of your outside pieces. Cut it excact so you don't get sticky stuff on your iron. You can follow the directions that comes with the Pellon if you need more help.

No matter what I tried this picture just would not turn the right way for me (ugh, I hate that!) But anyway, you can see my next step is to top stitch the rick rack into place on the 2 outside piece and to add your pockets. Add as many pockets as you want, inside, outside, all over. Measure your phone, your keys, everything has a pocket, and make your bag is perfect for you. *pocket tutorial link here*

Ok, now to sew your bag together. Place your 2 outside pieces right sides together and sew down one side, along the bottom and up the other side. Leave your top OPEN. Now do the same with your lining pieces BUT leave a small opening (about 3-4 inches) in the bottom of your lining, to turn your bag right side out when you are all finished.

To make a "flat" bottom to your bag, pinch the corners like you see below (I love tutorials for this reason, I have no idea how to explain how to do this without a picture) and sew straight across, like you see in the follow picture.

Yay, no further explanation required, the picture says it all, right? Do this to the corners of your outside bag as well as your lining. Some people like to measure, I eyeball, but do try and make all 4 corners the same, your bag will look much nicer.

As you can see in the next couple pictures, I cut off that extra fabric triangle and throw it away.

Your bag bottom should look like this...

Now I hope this next picture helps you. You are going to slip your outside bag into the lining, so that RIGHT SIDES are TOGETHER. Make sure that the seams all match up with eachother, and set that aside while you make your handles.

To make my handles, I like to do it much the same as you make a binding (not a quilt binding, a clothing binding, I guess). I took a strip of fabric that was 3 X 44in (width of fabric) and ironed that in half.

Then opened that up and ironed the sides into the middle...

Then folded it in half one more time (on my original folded line) and top stiched all the way down both sides. Then I cut that in half, to get 2 handles. I added one of my super cute lables from Sweetwaters Label Club (see THIS POST for more information on that) so everyone knows its mine!

Grab your bag that you have set aside and slip your handles inside so they are in between the outside of your bag and the bag lining. Line up the 2 edges of each handle with the top edges of your bag...

Now sew all along the top of your bag, catching your handles as you do so.

Here's where I always get out my trusty seam ripper and make my hole to turn my bag right side out, because it never fails, I ALWAYS forget to leave that hole. Hopefully you won't, but if you do...

Now turn the whole thing right side out through that little hole and you should have something that looks like my picture below. Hand stitch the hole closed. Stuff your lining into your bag...

and top stitch along the top of your bag to hold the lining in place.

And there you have it! A super cute, one of a kind tote bag. Make one for every occasion; library, chruch, work, picnics, craft supplies, date nights...

Kimono dress

2011-02-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

I bought THIS BOOK a few weeks ago and have been having fun stitching up these adorable little motifs during football season. I have no clue what I will do with these little cuties, but they make me smile.

And the other sunday, while getting ready for church, I pulled out this little kimono dress I made C a few months ago (it had to be on display at the shop for awhile) and thought she looked so sweet in it. She wore it to church that day, but took it off as soon as we got home "because it's itchy!"

I'd like to remake it some day in some nice linen fabric and maybe a few of the little designs from the book stitched along the bottom.

You can find the pattern I used for the dress HERE
and below is a link to one of my favorite blogs and the author of the book (yes I have linked to her before). She has lots of free embroidery patterns on her site!

2011-02-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Love the birdies

Love the fabric

Love that it's FREE

Check out this super cute block of the month pattern... HERE!

My favorite fabric...(right now)

2011-01-31T08:34:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite fabric designers is Sweetwater. I have loved every line of fabric they have put out so far. The quilt I made for my dad was out of their fabric line PURE. I also check their blog often and just recently joined their Label Crew. Every month they send me a pattern using their newest fabric, along with iron on labels to go with it, AND a personalized label with my name on it.

Here's some pictures of what I made with the January kit. Perfect for Valentines Day. It's a little diffrent than the pattern they sent me, but I was afraid to use up to much of my charm packs of Sunkissed. Sometimes when I get new fabric that I love I have a really hard time using it. I want it to stay perfect and I'm afraid I'll mess it up.

I should be getting the February kit in the mail sometime this week...

Meet the Gnomes...

2011-01-29T21:40:00.000-08:00

Nipsy
Fimble
Bombus
Deek and
Nelbin

Get to know each of them better at my etsy store Perhaps you would like to give one of these adorable little men a new home? :)

yo yo's

2011-01-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I talked about how we exchange gifts at work for our company party. Here is what one of my sweet and very talented co-workers made for me this year. Aren't they just adorable? I don't know how she made such a perfectly tiny little yo yo!

My favorite use for them so far... bookmarks!

If you would like to learn to make a yo yo, Heather Bailey has a fantastic tutorial HERE!

Shopping

2011-01-24T18:39:00.000-08:00

At risk of sounding like an advertisment for this store (which I am not, by the way) I just had to tell you about this beautiful childrens store that my mother and I visited yesterday. I couldn't help pull out my camera (and my wallet) and take a few pictures of my favorite things. I could have spent all day there.

It's called Oopsy Daisy and it is located in West Jordan, Utah (inside Daybreak for those of you who are familiar with the area)

This picture inspires me to make a bunch of cute aprons for all the little girls in my life.

Here's C enjoying a pink frosted cupcake at the bakery across the street.

Umbrellas hung from the ceiling. This looked so beautiful in person. I don't think the picture does it justice, but here it is, so I can remember the idea and perhaps do it in my own room someday.

And this picture reminded me so much of my own 2 little girls, one brunette and one blond.

It's fun to be a girl.

A Quilting Break

2011-01-22T18:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not a great cook. I have a few go-to recipes that I really love and besides that, well, we eat a lot of take out. I don't really enjoy cooking. I think it's because my 2 oldest children are such incredibly picky eaters that what I make usually gets shunned for a frozen corn dog. And that just makes me feel bad. It's funny because I really tried hard with my first two children to get them to eat healthy food. It wasn't until my third came along, and I completely gave up hope of having a child who at least tasted their dinner before pretending to throw up, that I got a little girl who LOVES to eat. When she came along, I had already given up, didn't care anymore, and tried to give her the frozen corn dog. When she pushed that away and reached for the broccoli on my plate, I almost fell out of my chair!

The 3 of us (my husband, C, and I) really like this recipe. My mom asked for it the other day and I thought "why not share with everyone". It's super simple, but people hear I'm making Ham Fried Rice and are impressed for some reason. It totally hits the spot whenever I am craving Chinese take out, which is often. Not to sure if this is a "healthy meal", but it does have vegetables that my daughter (and husband) actually eat.

Ham Fried Rice
serves 6

4 eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons oil
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 1/2 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 package frozen vegetables
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of pepper
Dash of chili powder (I put a couple dashes!)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

In a large skillet, cook and stir eggs in oil over medium heat, until eggs are completely set (just like making scrambled eggs). Remove eggs and set aside. In the same skillet, cook the rice, ham, garlic powder, ginger, pepper, and chili powder until heated through. Stir in the soy sauce and reserved eggs.

Our one vice (well maybe not the only one, but that's a diffrent story)... delicious Mountain Dew. So we aren't totally health conscious, but we don't drink alcohol so we have to replace that with something.

Papa's Christmas Gift

2011-01-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share this one for awhile, but I forgot to get a good picture of it (probably because I only finished it 2 days before Christmas) and it hasn't been at my house. It's been at Papa and Grandma's house , it was my Father's Christmas gift (his name starts with L). I wanted to quilt it in a way that looked very masculine, so I decided on straight lines. My quilter wasn't joking when she told me straight lines were the hardest, oh my goodness this was a pain to quilt! I was desperately running out of time, so I finished up the best I could and told my dad it may need a little TLC work after the holidays are over. Luckily, parents love everything they're children make, no matter how crooked and bunched it is. I do have to say, if you can look past the occasional bunch and pucker, I do really love the straight line quilting look.

Little C enjoying Papa's quilt

(didn't notice she had orange

marker on her hands at

the time!)

P.S. The pattern is called Jelly and Jam by Fig Tree, but of course in true Nancy fashion I had to mess with it a bit. The fabric is Pure by Sweetwater.

Happy 4th Birthday Baby Girl!

2011-01-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

Can I still call her that? Baby? Well, that of course is what she will always be to me, and her daddy and her grandparents, and probably her siblings too... the baby in the family. Oh how I love to spoil her. Turning 4 feels like a transition age. 3 is still a baby, but this year she will start preschool, she is a sunbeam at church (she goes to class now, with the cutest little chairs, instead of nursery where they just play the whole time) she has lots of little friends, and she can write her name! I marvel at my children and how well they are growing, with such a couple of imperfect guides as my husband and I (my husband having far superior parenting skills, but still, imperfect just the same). It's our love that has helped them grow so well, not our vast knowledge of child raising. But, all three are truly amazing, teaching us far more about life and what is really important, than we are teaching them. I am so grateful for my children, and especially you today little C! I love you!

To Market To Market...and felt food tutorials

2011-01-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

I just finished this darling little market bag, isn't it cute?!
I love all the sweet little felt food.

The pattern is by May Blossom by Simone Gooding (check out her beautiful blog HERE!). It was so easy to make, really, I'm not just saying that! I made it for Pine Needles and it will be headed there tomorrow (where you can also buy the pattern! The sooner the patterns sell out the sooner I get my cute little market bag back :), but me and C couldn't help play with it just a little bit before I took it to the shop. I have a feeling I will be making a second

one over the next few days.

There are so many adorable examples of free felt food patterns and tutorials on the web.

HERE! is a site that has linked to a ton.

Triangle, circle, square!

2011-01-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

For the employee party at my work we always draw names and make a gift for another employee. It's fun, but pretty stressful, especially when you are sewing for some VERY talented women. This is what I've made for my person this year. I'm going to tuck these in a little basket along with some sewing supplies, thread, needles, that sort of thing. Hope she likes it (hope she doesn't look too close at my stitches!).

The pin cushion is just my tomato pin cushion pattern NOT squished into a flat tomato shape. My husband gave me the idea to make a circle pincushion, square needle case and triangle scissor holder. Brilliant! I got the scissor holder from this cute blog... http://www.themotherhuddle.com/tutorial-little-scissors-case/

Sweet Slippers Tutorial and Pattern

2011-01-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Click Here To Print Off Pattern

I needed a little pampering after the holidays. My kids go to a year round school, which means I had them home for 4 weeks in November, sent them back to school for 2 weeks, then got to have them back home for winter break. Needless to say, I am ready for them to go back to school for awhile. In celebration of them going back tomorrow, I made myself a little "good job mom" present. My suggestion, before you begin the after holiday clean up, take a couple hours while the kids are back to school and make yourself a pair of these super sweet slippers, you deserve it!

I started off with a half yard of cotton fabric (Riley Blakes Sweet Divinity line), a half yard of pink dot minkie, and a half yard blue felt (not pictured). I had PLENTY of fabric, I could probably make 2 or 3 more pairs of slippers, depending on the size. You'll also need my super quick drawing of a pattern. You can print it off for free HERE!

You'll need to adjust the pattern to fit your foot (I really hope you're making these for yourself, because we all need a bit of pampering!). This pattern fits me perfectly, but I am aware that I have a rather small foot. I am a shoe size 6 and my foot's pretty narrow. If you need to make it larger, DON'T just enlarge the pattern on the printer, it will turn out too wide. You'll just need to add lenth (and perhaps a very little width, depending). Start by placing your foot on the pattern of the sole. You'll want it to be about a half inch larger than your foot. The best way to do this would probably be to actually cut the pattern directly in half and add inches to the middle, so it does not distort the shape of the sole. You'll also need to do the same to the side of the slipper. REMEMBER, these slippers are made to fit snug, like a sock. Otherwise they will slip right off! Don't make them too large.

On your pattern you'll see a side labled "fold". Place that side on the fold of your fabric (as you see below) and cut out twice from the cotton and twice from the minkie. With your sole, cut twice from the felt and twice from your minkie. You can use fabric instead of the felt if you want, I just had a hard time thinking about walking around my dirty floors which such pretty fabric on the bottom of my slippers.

Here is a picture of what you should have cut out for the outside of the slippers. You'll need all these same pieces cut out of the minkie as well. Make sure that you cut a right and a left foot! *see below*

Pair up an outside piece and an inside (minkie) piece and pin them together, right side together. When you are working with minkie you'll want to pin REALLY well. The stuff is so stretchy and so slippery. If it wasn't for how wonderfully soft it is, I would never, ever sew with it. Sew a scant seam along the inside curved edge.

You'll then fold the lining and material apart, and place the edges on the bottom (where the heel will be) right side together, with the lining against the lining and the material against the material...

I hope you can see that OK in the picure above. Make sure that minkie is touching minkie and cotton is touching cotton. Sew along that egde. This will make the heel. *see below*

You'll now turn it right sides out so it resembles the top of your slipper. Pin it in place, all the way around, like I've done in the picture.

You'll now want to sew the lining and the outside together. Sew a scant seam all the way around the slipper top. See my picture below...

Now to attach the sole. Turn the slipper top so you see the minkie side and pin that to the felt sole piece. You'll notice here that you need to pay attention if you are making the right foot or the left foot. Make sure that you turn one of the soles around so that you don't end up with 2 left feet.

Now sew where you have pinned, all the way around the sole. Once that is done, place a LINING SOLE on top of the WHOLE THING. Make sure that your get the extra fabric out of the way of the seams (as you can see in the picture, I pinned mine out of the way). Pin it in place (always pin!) and sew almost all the way around. Leave a small whole on the side, where you can easily reach in and hand stitch it closed, to turn it right side out.

Turn your slipper right side out, hand stitch your turning whole closed and slip it on for size.

Adding a cute little felt flower and a button (you can find my list of felt flower tutorials HERE!) gives it just the right touch.

My favorite place to nap? Up in the top bunk of my daughters' bunk bed, right after I make the bed, wondering what my 6 year old is doing right now at school. Ahhh, a few minutes peace...

... Until my 3 year old pokes her little head over the rails and tells me she's playing "princess barbies take a bath". Oh please let it not be in the toliet!

Have a Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't do it all this year. Here's a few projects that sat waiting, hoping to get finished. Now I'm out of time.
But I was able to get all the neighbor gifts out. Famous Franson Carmel Popcorn and wrapped candy bars with a free printable tag.

And finish my first Christmas quilt! I think it turned out great. I did the quilting by myself, used a free pattern (you can find HERE!) and used a bright red sheet on the back that I bought at Target for 7$. I love saving money!

p.s. That plain red is wonderfully soft minkie pieced into the quilt. I love to pet it.

And lastly, I have to admit I didn't actually finish these hobby horse reindeer this year, but I thought you might like to see them anyway. One of my (and they kids) favorite Christmas decorations/toys in our home.

Christmas Eve is tomorrow so I doubt I'll get anymore done before the 25th (except the laundry, I'm trying really hard to get it finished up so I don't have to think about it this weekend). I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season!

My latest quilt...

2010-12-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

A few of my favorite things...

2010-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

I am in love with these paper dolls! She'll custom make you a darling little boy or girl to look like YOUR darling little boy or girl. She also has lots of different outfit lines to choose from. I have been cutting and laminating for weeks now so both my girls can get a set for Christmas. It's been so much fun! You can click on any of these pictures to take you to the creators blog.

This site is full of the cutest little gnomes I've ever seen. I have a thing for gnomes but I try to keep my collection small because my husband thinks it's kind of weird. I have also purchased her latest book. It's full of wonderful little embroidery patterns for gnomes, animals, cupcakes and more.

This is my favorite quilt right now, and I get to stare at it every time I go to work! It was created by the owner of Pine Needles. I can't wait to get started on making my own.

I couldn't list my favorite things without mentioning these 3 little people! We took a trip to Temple Square the other night. It was sooooooooooooo cold! Still without a camera (hint hint Santa) so these pictures are pretty dark.

And lastly, a picture for my favorite time of year... CHRISTMAS!

Counting down till Christmas

2010-11-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

I bought these adorable iron on labels last January from Sweetwater Designs. I'm so excited to have actually finished something on time! I'll fill it up tomorrow with little treats and prizes for the kids, and will start the count down December 1st!

Sweetwater has a wonderful blog that I check far too often.

Here's the link to their ETSY site, where I bought the labels.

Elf Slippers Pattern and Fabric Kit

2010-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Every holiday season at Pine Needles the employees come up with some "quick gifts" to sell at the store. We create a one of a kind pattern and make up a whole bunch of kits to go along with it. Here's one of my creations... ELF SLIPPERS! They were SO fun to make, each of my kids will be getting a pair with their Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve.

Pine Needles is selling the fabric kits (which include the pattern for a 3 to 8 year old and the cute little pom poms!) for only $9.40. There are still a few patterns and fabric kits left. You can purchase them HERE and they will ship it out to you! The slippers are made from green felt on the outside and super soft flannel by Riley Blake on the inside.

P.S. Just to let you know, I also made the stocking and gift certificate holder as well :)

Thanksgiving Kids' Table Ideas AND Free Pattern for "Mayflower" Treat Holder!

2010-11-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe November is half way over! Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I did some searching for Thanksgiving kids' table activities this year and found so many wonderful ideas. I picked out a few that I am going to to with my family this year. I am hoping to make Thanksgiving more of an exciting holiday for the kids. As I get older I am loving Thanksgiving more and more each year. It has become my second favorite holiday, next to Christmas of course. But I remember as a kid not liking it much. For kids I think it just a holiday to get past so they can get on with the good stuff. But I am truly excited for Thanksgiving this year (despite what my husband will tell you. I was teasing him about wanting to putting up the tree today) and I really want my kids to have a good time too. Here's all the fun that will be happening at our Thanksgiving kids table this year...

THIS site has free Thanksgiving scavenger hunt pages to print out. I think I'm going to add to this though, I want to include all the cousins names on the sheet, as well as the different foods I know will be served this year. I'll probably hand these out to the kids in the morning and let them check them off through out the day.

One of my favorite blogs had THIS great idea. I love it!

We actually did THIS idea the other night for family night and the kids had so much fun. P is still wearing hers everyday and has retold the Thanksgiving story to us all a dozen or more times. The only change I made is we chose a sparkly white bead representing religious freedom. I thought it fit better.

And lastly my own knock off Pottery Barn Thanksgiving kids table decoration. I love pouring over Pottery Barn catalogs for inspiration. I think I can count on one hand the amount of things I have actually purchased from their store, but the catalogs keep arriving in my mail box every month just the same.

I drew up a really quick little pattern for this Mayflower treat holder. You can print it off HERE for free. I want to make one of these for each of the cousins to set next to their plates, and I really think that is an achievable goal, seeing as how fast they came together!

To make this cute little boat, print off the pattern and cut two boat sides and one boat bottom from brown felt. I was able to make 2 boats out of one fat quarter of felt. Put the two boat sides together and blanket stitch down both sides. Then blanket stitch the bottom of the boat into place. I used the blanket stitch on my machine and it took my a grand total of 3 minutes! Gotta love projects like that! I used some left over wooden skewers from cooking kabobs last summer to make the boats mast and cut a sail out of white card stock. I hot glued the skewer to the bottom of the boat to hold it in place and once I filled it with candy it held up the "mast" perfectly. When I presented it to the judges (my kids) and asked them what they thought, the two big kids both yelled out "Mayflower!". Perhaps it's been all the talk of Thanksgiving lately, but I was very impressed they even remembered the boat's name!