Lindsay's Craft Corner

DIY Ruffle Tree Skirt…

2011-12-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

This tutorial has been floating around Pinterest, and my good friend made one and I just had to try it. It was a tedious project, but totally worth it! The directions in the tutorial are for a no-sew skirt, but I used my machine to ruffle the fabric strips first, then hot glued them down. I imagined I saved myself from hours of gluing.

To ruffle fabric: Set tension to the highest it will go (wheel dial about where you thread).
Set thread length the longest setting (mine is 5)
Remember to backstitch and away you go.
This will save you so much time when it comes to ruffles.

I then got to work gluing the rows of ruffles onto the base. I LOVE IT!!!
Visit My Crazy Life for the tutorial.

Felt Stockings…

2011-12-19T15:20:00.001-08:00

We have A LOT of family coming to town for Christmas this year. I wanted to do something for them, and figured since they were all coming from out of town stockings would be a good idea. I searched around for something super cute, but decided for cost purposes that felt was the way to go (I made 18 of them). Not only that, but it is super easy to sew.

Materials:
3/4 yard felt – red (I got 11 stockings (front and back) out of this))
3/4 yard felt – green
1/4 yard felt – White (top part of stocking)
Thread

Directions:
I found a stocking I liked on google images and traced it onto wax paper. I folded the fabric in half, and pinned the wax paper to the felt and used pinking shears to cut around it.Then I cut two pieces white felt (I guessed on the size…really whatever you think looks good).
Then put the white felt on the outside of 2 stocking pieces and start on one side, and sew all around the stocking.
When you get to the end stick a folded piece of felt and stick it inside the two sides of the stocking.
Then your done!
If you want, enlist a 4 year old who lost arts and crafts to help you decorate ;), then hang!

Merry Chirstmas!

Christmas PJ’s…

2011-12-19T15:08:00.001-08:00

I found this super easy tutorial to make pajama pants. I couldn’t pass up the chance to make them, and seriously they were the EASIEST things EVER! I made a pair in about an hour start to finish. The tutorial comes from My Cotton Creations. I followed the tutorial exactly, but used a pre-ruffled fabric for the bottom. That definitely helped speed things along. I measured a jersey skinny leg pair of jams for the little pair, and ended up with really skinny legs with no stretch. I tried them on my 19 month old, and they fit, but they were snug. I’d definitely measure wider next time.

Halloween Treat…

2011-10-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
My daughter had a Halloween party at pre-school today, and she had to bring treats to share with her friends. Yesterday we got to work, and made this fun treat! They are white chocolate covered rice krispy treats – ghost and jack-o-lanterns.
Ingredients:
Rice Krispy’s
1 bag mini Marhsmallows
Butter
White Chocolate – I just used white Chocolate Chips
mini chocolate chips
Cookie Cutters

Instructions:
-Make rice krispy treats. I followed the instructions on the box.
-Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
-Melt White Chocolate
-Cover one side of the Rice Krispy treat.
-decorate with mini chocolate chips.
-note: Once I added the orange food coloring to the white chocolate, it started to get hard. I’d probably buy orange colored chocolate next time.

Felt Wreath…

2011-10-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

I’ve seen these all over craft blogs and Pinterest that I decided it was finally time to make one. I am in LOVE with it! Run to the store to make this…you won’t regret it! I chose cream, because it was functional for all holidays. I can change the ribbons out, or add embellishments if I want too.

Materials:
3/4-1 yard felt color of your choice (make sure you buy it on the bolt. It is a lot better quality.)
Foam wreath
Straight pins

1. Start by finding a circle size you like. I used a big mug.2. Cut out lots and lots of circles.
3. Fold each circle into 4ths.
4. Put straight pin in the bottom of the triangle. The part that doesn’t open.
5. Pick a starting point on the foam circle and start pinning.
6. Pin felt circles 3/4 of the way around the wreath. I left the back open, so it would lay flat on the door.
Here is half of the wreath done. (the other half is from Daylynn helping me)
7. Add any color ribbon to the wreath and hang.

Necklace T-Shirt…

2011-10-01T12:48:00.001-07:00

What I’m still crafting??? Shocking I know! The last year has been a little crazy with 2 little ones that my crafting has gone down the drain. I’m slowly working my way back into it, and looking forward to all the fun things I’m finding on Pinterest (My new favorite site). About a month ago, I made some of these t-shirts for an auction and decided to make a tutorial to go with it.

Materials:
t-shirt. I buy mine at Target for $5.00
Fabric Paint
Ribbon
2 paintbrushes – different sizes
cardboard to put between the shirt - I cut up a cereal box.

-Start by putting paint on a plate and putting the end of the paintbrush in the paint. Just make sure the bottom is covered (not the sides). It will make a much cleaner circle.
-Press end of paintbrush on the shirt, and continue until you have a “strand” of beads from one side of the shirt to the other. I usually just eyeball it.
-The second strand I use the bigger paintbrush end, and add a glitter paint to the pink for some contrast.
-Continue until you have three strands.
-Add a ribbon bow (or any embellishment would be cute). I just put it on whatever side needs it…usually the one I’m trying to hide a mistake.
It’s done!
And another in purple.

Bustle Skirt Part 2…

2011-05-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

Here is the second bustle skirt I made from Simple Simon & Company. I used the same measurements as she did, and love it! I probably could have used another row, but I ran out of fabric. I only bought 3 yards, and could of used 3 1/4. We’ll just make sure to wear longer shirts from now on ;)

1st Birthday Skirt and Necklace Shirt….

2011-05-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

So I couldn’t let the opportunity pass to make by ~~baby~~ big girl a birthday outfit! I was searching on-line for something fun, and this is what I came up with. I’m sorry I didn’t take step by step pictures for this project, I was just too busy sewing and trying to get it done in time for her big day. For the tutorials you’ll have to visit the websites of the original creators (they’ll do a better job explaining then I would anyway!)
Skirt
I used a thicker white muslin as the base of the skirt (I bought a 1/2 yard, but it was WAY too much!)
Tulle. I used dark purple and light purple (the middle layer was one dark piece and one light piece). I made 3 inch circles and layered two pieces of tulle for each triangle.
Elastic (you need 2 inches less than your waist size)
Follow directions at Simple Simon and Company to make your own!
Next is this adorable necklace shirt (sorry one of the “strands” is folded under).
Shirt
$5.00 t-shirt from Target.
2 colors of fabric paint (I used lavender and a silver glitter that I had to mix with the lavender b/c it wouldn’t stick very well)
foam paint brushes (I used two different sizes) – you dip the bottom end in the paint to create your beads.
Ribbon for bow (or you could add a flower or any other embellishment)
Follow directions at Living Craftily Ever After

Candle Makeover…

2011-04-17T13:30:00.001-07:00

I have been looking for new candles for awhile now. Since my husband painted our walls to sand, these candles blended in. I did NOT want to spend a fortune on decoration candles. It was hard to find a good color for under $8. While at JoAnn’s, I saw a candle decorated in paper. My first thought was, “why would you do that?” Then it hit me that I should find a really fun paper to wrap around my candles! That exactly what I did.
Start by measuring the height of the candle and circumference (around) the candle.cut your paper to those measurements. (I ended up cutting mine smaller before gluing it on)
Center your paper in the middle of the candle.Hot glue the ends together.

The full look. (Notice the red wall gone!)

*Sorry for all of my pictures being crooked. I guess I can’t take a straight picture, and I don’t know how to fix it

Frame Makeover…

2011-04-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been introduced to the world of spray painting and it is addicting! Here is one of the many things I’ve spray painted over the last week (others include candle sticks, bookshelf, and a metal star). In my attempt to brighten my house, I thought it would be fun to change these picture frames. They worked well with the old décor, but were a little dark for the new look.

So after buying cheap spray paint, I went back and got Krylon. It works great! After one coat. If you look closely, you’ll notice the paint really isn’t adhering to the frame very well. It took several coats for them to look nice. Later we (a friend and I) learned that we should have used primer first. It makes a HUGE difference!
I filled the frames with some fun fabric! My husband says he still prefers picture (a nice way of saying he doesn’t love it), but I’m going to keep it to see if he warms up to it :)A close-up.

Letter Makeover…

2011-03-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

So I have two walls in my kitchen painted red, and basically everything on the walls are black. I really liked it at first, and still think it looks cute…just time to add some more color! I decided to go with the letter “E” that sits on the shelf. I used the same paint as I did for the pillow. My husband informed me that painting the e’s the same color might be overkill. Oh-well. The wall before.First coat. I thought it looked cool to leave it like this at first, but once I put it on the shelf I quickly realized it looked like I’d just done a horrible job painting it. I since added a second coat and it looks so much better! I realize the color doesn’t really go with the wall color. Eventually, I want to paint it back to a more neutral color. I’m not sure how my husband feels about it, but I’m going to give him some time to warm up to the idea :)

Pillows…

2011-03-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

I’ve been in a redecorating mood lately. Our place is starting to feel small to me, and since we won’t be moving anytime soon I decided the inside needs a makeover! So two things inspired these two pillows 1. add color and 2. I love the initial pillows. I decided to do both of those things with the pillows I made.

Initial Pillow Instructions:
Materials:
Pillow cover (you can make your own pillow if you want).
A stencil or letter cut out of paper.
Paint – fabric paint would be best, but I used acrylic paint for mine.
foam paint brush.

I used an Ikea 20x20 pillow cover. Be sure to put something between the layers so the paint doesn’t go through. I used cardstock. I cut an “e” out of paper for my stencil. I taped the paper down so I wouldn’t get paint under the paper. Be sure to paint carefully on the edges. Wait for paint to dry and pull off paper/stencil (Mine didn’t turn out perfect, but good enough).The finished pillow! I thought I had a pillow big enough to fill the cover, but I was wrong. So I’ll need to get one. I also used a teal paint to add color!
Purple Pillow Instructions:
Materials:
1/2 yard fabric
Pillow 16x16 (finished dimensions)
Flower: 4in x 34 in
Start by making your flower. Pinch corner and start wrapping fabric (flat) behind the fabric. Hand sew together as you wrap to hold flower together. (that probably doesn’t make any sense…just follow this link to show you how).Be sure to sew flower onto the pillow before sewing the 4 edges together. Remember to leave a small opening to flip pillow through (sorry I didn’t take pictures of these steps). I filled this pillow with batting from Joann's and whip stitched the small edge closed.
Finished pillow!
Both pillows together. I love how it adds color and fun to my brown room!

Table Fort…

2011-03-17T07:34:00.001-07:00

I saw this table for at Make-it-and-love-it forever ago, and finally decided to make it! Our place is getting small, and this just opened up one more place for my kids to play. I love that! I tried my best to give directions, but by the end I stopped taking pictures and just wanted to get it done. So it’s best to just go to Make-it-and-love-it’s website for the full directions.

I went to Jo-Ann’s to buy fabric and it was going to cost around $27.00 just for the fabric to cover the table (and that was on sale!) So I ended up using two top sheets and saved all that money!
I don’t have exact measurements for anything, because I basically just laid the sheet on top of the table and cut around the table. I just prayed it would end up working, and it did! I made 4 panels to add to the top sheet (2 long and 2 short)
On one of the longer panels I cut out a rectangle for the door.
I used biased tape to hem (finish the edges) of my door and windows (I used two packages for one door and two windows)
To make the corner, cut the bias tape into a “V” shape and sew along the “V”
When you refold it, it creates a nice corner.
Pin to the door and windows and sew.
Use clear vinyl for cover the windows.
Next, I added embellishments to each side.
Daylynn insisted on having a pink door so that’s what she got! I sewed it on the left side and attached ribbon and velcro to the other side to close it. I also attached a piece of velcro to the other side to keep the door open.
Curtains for the windows (side window)
And the back window.
On the other side I used fabric glue to add some flowers.
After this step, you attach each side to the top sheet. Please follow make-it-and-love-it’s link above for directions on this part.

And here you have one happy girl playing in her fort.

Cake Stand…

2011-03-11T14:37:00.001-08:00

For enrichment, we had a craft night (finally something to get me crafting again!) I singed up for all but one of the things, and finished two so far. Be sure to check post below for the second project. Now, this is a fun one! I can’t wait to make many more of these different ways for different things. I included some links below of other fun things you can do with it. I love the idea of using it for a jewelry stand.

Start with a plate and stand (cup, candle holder, vase, tea cup etc.) A great place to find fun dishes is the Goodwill/D.I. I unfortunately didn’t have much luck the day I went, but Homegoods saved the day! Thanks to friends who helped me find this adorable plate and Sundae dish.
1. Be sure to have clean your plate and “stand” well before starting.
I turned the cup upside down and glued the bottom of the cup to the plate.
2. Measure the diameter of the plate and the part of the stand that is being glued to the plate. This will help you find the center. (Truthfully, this part went over my head. You can just eyeball it if that’s easier).
3. Use Gorilla Glue to glue the stand to the plate. Just follow the directions on the back of the glue. Be sure to put something on top of the stand to keep the glue of expanding.
And there you have it! This is going to be the girl’s birthday plate! Addison’s 1st birthday is just around the corner (less than 2 months away!!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14323376@N08/3054194267

http://mimpimurni.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-cake-stand.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fcinnercircle.com/.a/6a010536b6f447970c0115703127cb970b-800wi&imgrefurl=http://www.fcinnercircle.com/fc_inner_circle/home/&usg=__t-_gDzzlnS4V_kWM9IMPxzpKr38=&h=400&w=400&sz=58&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=z6_8A5bBjQApbM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=147&ei=U6h6TfLJC9T6rAGskf3LBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcake%2Bstands%2Bfrom%2Bold%2Bdishes%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DvPr%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1600%26bih%3D707%26tbs%3Disch:1%26prmd%3Divns0%2C228&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1039&vpy=269&dur=956&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=137&ty=248&oei=Sqh6Tf6BI4qV0QGnp-jbAw&page=1&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:20,s:0&biw=1600&bih=707

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monbonbon/3054620598/

Flower Headbands…

2011-03-11T14:15:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe I have 2 girls, and NEVER made this before! It took me all of 5 minutes and the possibilities are endless! Daylynn is really into headbands right now. Her outfit isn’t complete unless she has one in her hair. So this was the perfect thing for her!
1. Take a fake flower.2. Cut the stem/back of flower off. Remove the front piece after that.
3. Pull pieces together and restack them by hot gluing.
4. Add embellishment to the center of the flower. I used an old fake diamond earring, but you could use anything.
5. Hot glue flower to headband.
6. Place on an adorable child and you’re done!

Valentine’s Box…

2011-02-09T16:14:00.001-08:00

Today for music makers we did a Valentine’s party. Each kid brought a decorated box/bag and valentines to pass out to all the other kids. Up until this morning, we didn’t have anything to put our valentines in. Thanks to Family Fun for the cute idea. Here is our version of it. I envisioned it a little more decorated, but Daylynn got bored and didn’t want to decorate anymore.
I used a graham cracker box, and covered it with decorative paper. Then we embellished with other scrapbooking items.
(sorry for the bent edges, I took these pictures after the party)
The back with a little stickerFull of Valentines

Valentine’s Decor…

2011-02-04T16:35:00.001-08:00

For Activity Days, we made this Valentine’s felt garland. Have I mentioned that I love making things out of felt? I love that it’s easy to cut, easy to fix if you make a mistake, and it doesn’t require any sewing??? It’s great! The girls had a fun time, which is always a good thing! What to do with a restless 3 year old? Pull out the scissors and glue! we cut a heart shape out of a cereal box, and used some of the leftover hearts from the garland to create this Valentine’s wreath.

Add ribbon and hang!

Baby Shoes…

2011-02-04T14:37:00.001-08:00

My mom gave me a pattern for baby shoes a long time ago, and I finally got around to trying them. As I was sewing them, I realized I missed a crucial step (the batting/machine quilting) considering they are a quilted baby shoe. Nothing in the directions told you to do this, so I skipped it all together. After telling my husband this, he say, “you don’t like to follow directions.” He’s partially right, and I did find that step in the “materials needed” section. My shoes ended up flimsy, so I added a little iron on to the bottom, and it helped a little. They were really easy, and I have big plans to try some more out. *nearly impossible to get a good shot when they are on your 9 month old.

Nursing Cover…

2011-01-12T15:28:00.001-08:00

My best friend just had a baby, and when we visited her she said she didn’t have a nursing cover yet. I didn’t think much of that comment until I was looking for a project to do. I was inspired by her adorable Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag when I picked the fabric and colors. I think it turned out really cute! Instructions can be found here.

Camera Strap…

2011-01-12T15:20:00.001-08:00

Remember this camera strap I made a year and half ago? Well it was getting pretty dirty (gross), so it was time to make a new one. Luckily this is one of the easiest projects ever, so it was a quick fix. I used some leftover fabric from the nursing cover, and I love it. I tried to make it a little more masculine color wise, but my husband said it was still to feminine for him...ha.
*Click on the link above for instructions.

Ballerina Doll….

2010-12-23T21:29:00.001-08:00

Just 2 days before Christmas, and I finally got the doll done. I tried to be sneaky and not let my 3 year old know what I was doing. I told her Santa asked me to make something for her, and that she couldn’t look at what I was working on (like that was really going to work). I thought I was doing O.K. until Day said, “Mom Addison is going to get my doll.” She totally knew. Oh-well….I love how it turned out. I added a ballerina bun to her hair (it ended up a more square than I intended it too). Ballet Shoes And a ballerina tutu. I made a mini version of this tutu.

Ornaments…

2010-12-17T13:35:00.001-08:00

This weeks the craft I decided to make was ornaments. The first one I made (and didn’t take pictures of) was this from Little Birdie Secrets. She made a star wreath, and below showed making ornaments with the stars instead of the wreath. I made one and added it as an embellishment to a gift. It was really cute…if only I’d taken a picture of it to show you all.

The next ornament inspiration came from this Pottery Barn ornament. After making the signs last we decided we could make this ornament. So a group of us got together and that’s just what we did! We decided to make them square, since squares are so much easier to cut than circles. My friend Tori is planning on putting them on Martinelli’s bottles as gifts for families. Good idea huh??? I decided to just make them for my family (selfish I know), and put them on our tree.
Pottery Barn Ornament What you need:
Cardstock for squares (or circles)
-Big Square 9cm x 9cm
-Small Square 6 1/2 cm x 6 1/2 cm
Mod Podge or glue
Glitter
Hole Punch (I used my handy crop a dile for the hole punch/grommets)
Grommets
Ribbon
Letter (stickers or cardstock)
Scissors
Decorative Scissors
Glue Gun

Instructions:
Cut big square with decorative scissors.
Mod Podge/glue edges and add glitter – let dry
Use Glue Gun to glue the small square on top of the big square.
Punch hole in top (I did mine on the diagonal, but you can center it in the middle and have it hang square).
Insert Grommet
Add Ribbon
Glue/Stick on letter. (I traced/cut my letters out of cardstock)

The finished ornaments
A-Aaron, L-Lindsay, D-Daylynn and A-Addison
Sticker letters probably would look better, but it works.

Christmas Sign…

2010-12-11T13:30:00.001-08:00

My friend found this cute Halloween sign at The Bateman Buzz, and thought it would be cute to do one for Christmas. We originally want to have it say, “Merry Christmas.” When we really thought about it we thought a shorter word would be more manageable with all the kids. We went with Noel, and I am in love with it! I didn’t have any Christmas decorations in my eating/computer area, and this added just the right touch.

What you need:
Scalloped Note cards (one for each letter)– we didn’t have any, so we used cards and cut them with scalloped scissors.
Scrapbook Paper
Letters (we traced ours off the computer. Vinyl, stickers or dye cute would work great too).
Ribbon to string the cards
Hole Punch
Pom Poms (optional, but they do add a little something extra)
Sparkly pipe cleaners
Glitter (optional)
Glue Gun

Take note cards glue layer(s) with paper. Add embellishments like glitter, pom poms and pipe cleaners and letters. Punch holes in the top (easier if done before adding everythig), string ribbon through holes and hang. Now I have to make one for every holiday!

Blocks…

2010-12-07T14:34:00.001-08:00

I found these blocks awhile back after Daylynn was too old for them. So when a friend said she wanted to make them, I pulled out the tutorial I found on Make it and Love it, and decided it would be the perfect gift for Addison. I will give an attempt at a tutorial here, but you might just want to use hers.

Start with 6 squares. These are 4 x4.Decide which fabric you want to be the top and bottom. Then cut the coners a quarter inch in. It’s best to measure…I learned from experience. Sew the other 4 squares together. Fold strip of fabric in half right sides together and sew together creating a box. With the right side of the fabric inside add the top and bottom piece. Leave a small opening on one end of the square, so you can flip it out and fill with batting. When done, hand sew the opening closed.

Block one – Texture fabric. Block 2 – jingle bell inside. Block 3 – Tags Block 4 – crinkle paper inside. Set of 4 blocks! I got a preview of how she was going to like them last night. They were a big hit! She army crawled on over, and started grabbing them while I was finishing them up.

Doll 2…

2010-12-07T14:15:00.001-08:00

I made this doll (start to finish 2 hours) for my neighbor’s granddaughter. She lives in Hawaii, and thought the Hawaiian print would be perfect for her. I still plan on making one more for my 3 year old…just got to get motivated!

8 Hour Doll…

2010-11-18T13:12:00.001-08:00

O.K. so it’s not supposed to take 8 hours, but it did! Add 3 kids, 2 babies, 1 sewing machine, a short intermission for dance class, and it ends up taking 2 moms 8 hours to make one doll each. We noticed there weren’t a whole lot of girly baby toys, so we decided to make our own. We decided to make the always adorable Black Apple Dolls. I’m in love with this little doll! It’s going to be hard to wait until Christmas to give it to her. I added a tulle hair bow and some shoes to give her a little more character.A close-up on her face. And her feet. They didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted, but I do like having them.

Princess Party…

2010-11-09T13:11:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun putting things together for Daylynn’s princess party! I ended up making a lot of things, and what better place to post it than here!
Table Cloth
I bought this crown flannel and scalloped the edges to add a little extra touch to it. SO EASY!Princess Wands and Prince Swords.

Wand: I wrapped ribbon around the wood dowel, added some sequence strands and glued felt stars to the end. I finished it off with a little glitter!

Swords: The swords took some creativity. I wanted to buy them, but they were so expensive! So I wrapped the dowel with tin foil, cut a “blade” out of cardboard and wrapped it with tin foil. Then I bought some sturdy felt and cut the handle out of it. Tissue Paper Puff Balls Frog Prince bean bag toss.

This was one of my favorite projects! I love how he turned out. I found a frog prince on-line and managed to cut him out of the felt. I glued the felt to cardboard, and there you have it!I loved this adorable castle flannel, and made bean bags for the frog. This is the only time I used a sewing machine.

Pin the Crown on the Princess

I wish I could take credit for this one, but I can’t. Tyler and Megan drew and colored this. Thank you!

Felt Crowns to pin on the Princess.

Princess Cupcakes.

Sugar Cookies.

My mom gave me this set of cookie cutters last year, and it became my inspiration for the party.

All Decorated at the park.

Fall Felt Projects…

2010-10-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

We used scraps of felt to cut out an empty tree, and lots of different colored leaves to glue into the tree. I loved how creative she was with lining the leaves in the grass. Jack-O-Lantern
Scarecrow.

Addison modeling a re-fashioned creation…

2010-10-12T15:53:00.001-07:00

Last March as I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Addison (she’s a little over 5 months now) I was busy refashioning onesies for her. This particular one didn’t have a whole lot of umph to it just hanging on the hanger back then. Now with with our cutie to fill it, some baby legs and a puff ball it has come to life!
Things I’d do differently:
- I would probably use elastic thread for this project. When I put this on her this morning, some of the thread started to break. I now have to glue (I’d re-sew it, but my machine is broken) it back on.
-I’d make the skirt fuller. It’s cute as is, but it would definitely be more fun that way.
-I’d sew the skirt at least an inch higher up on the onesie, so it would sit around her waist.

Side Note: Gerber onesies run small! These are 6-9 month, and she has been wearing them since she was 4 months! I’m glad I tried it on, or else we might have missed wearing it.

I WON!!!!

2010-09-27T17:03:00.001-07:00

I’m so excited about this…I won the Cozette Couture Giveaway! I received it today, and I love it! Thank You Suzette!!!

It was pretty impossible for me to get a great self-portrait. The important part is showing!
P.S. If I look bald on my left side, it’s because I am. I have hardly any hair left after having Addison. The full headband.
My favorite thing is that it stays on my head. Other wrap headbands always slip off my head.
And the other GREAT feature…it fits Daylynn too! And she looks adorable in it

Cozette Couture Giveaway!

2010-09-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

Cozette Couture is having their first giveaway. She will be giving away this darling lace wrap. The winner will be announced TOMORROW! Visit her website for all the details to enter. I LOVE the things I have from her, and my shipment came super fast!

*Click on the picture to go to her blog!

Princess Wands…

2010-09-20T22:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, my machine is still broken. We have a princess party coming up in November, so I wanted to practice making some of the princess items for the party. The first being a princess wand. I think it turned out pretty cute, and will probably be making a bunch of these in the next month and a half. Here is a very basic tutorial.
Wrap stick with ribbon (in my case a pencil…remember just practicing right now).Let the glue dry. I let Daylynn mod podge the stick and sprinkle the glitter. (shortly after I had mod podge all over my carpet…ahhh!)

All glittered up. Now let it dry before adding anything else (I didn’t, and my fingers were a mess!)
Add embellishments.
Cut strips of tulle however wide you want it, and scrunch it up. I wrapped it with a plastic hair tie. Now fluff it up to a make puff ball.
Add to stick. (I wish I had added more tulle to this one. It looks pretty sad. I didn’t have a whole lot of extras to add to this since I just decided to make it on a whim. The ones for the party will be much prettier.)A purple version that I like 100 times better than the first one.

Yummy Dinner…

2010-08-31T20:41:00.001-07:00

I never thought this blog would include recipes, but cooking is a craft too, right??? So I found this recipe for creamy chicken taquitos on I heart Naptime. I halved the recipe, and I got 13 toquitos from it. They were very yummy, healthy and a more appetizing way to eat taquitos. Happy cooking and eating!!!We added salsa and sour cream to ours too…so good

Curled Flowers…

2010-08-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

So…just when I get back to crafting, my sewing machine gives me grief. It is something with the bobbin case, and could cost $40.00 to replace…ugh. In the mean time, I plan to do crafts that don’t require sewing (Addison’s shorts are on hold). I found this adorable curled flower accessory at I Heart Naptime (love the name of this blog!) I got started on mine and really had a fun time with this project. I plan to make many more of these especially for the shirts that get stained, but are still in good condition.
I cut circles of different sizes. I didn’t have any rhyme or reason with it…just cut the next one a tad smaller than the one before. Used fabric glue to glue them together. After this step, I added an embellishment.It’s hard to see, but I glued a piece of velcro to the onsie as well as the flower.A close-up on the flower attached to the onesie. The whole thing. Then I made this hot pink one (every girl needs pink!) I put these side by side to show the difference between the two. The first one I made (blue one), I used matches to burn the edges. The pink one, I used a candle. You can see that the blue one did not curl near as much as the pink, and it took twice as long! I also didn’t use as many circles as the blue one, and has more life to it. I’ll definitely be using a candle from here on out.I also did what I heart Naptime did by adding velcro to a clip, so it can double as a hair bow. I just love it!

Shorts…

2010-08-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

I haven’t had a whole lot of motivation to craft the last few months, but I finally got it back! I was searching through my blog roll, and found these adorable shorts that someone had made for their daughter. I was instantly in love, and decided to make some for mine. You can find the printable pattern and directions at Create and Design. I added some pictures as I went along, but I won’t give instructions as it isn’t my pattern. Happy short making…oh the possibilities with these!
P.S. these are super easy to make and only took 1 1/2 hours from start to finish.Cutting out the materials (I made mine the 3/4T size, and they are plenty big).Sewing the pieces together. Half of the shorts.The full shorts sewn together.Ruffling the legs. I stopped taking pictures after this, so I don’t have a picture showing how I attached the leg band. Just follow her instructions and you will be just fine! I love how they balloon a little before the leg bands. One happy girl, lovin’ her new shorts! *I’m in the process of making some for baby Addison. Watch for a matching pair in baby size.

Cozette Couture…

2010-08-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

Please check out my friend’s sister’s company Cozette Couture. She has the most adorable accessories for all ages! I have a couple of the hats with flowers, and just bought this bracelet for myself. I can’t wait to get it! Be sure to Become a follower of her blog, because she will be doing giveaways soon. And become her friend on facebook for updates on her things! For those who live in Utah check out her blog for a listing of local stores that sell her products. This stuff is seriously to die for…enjoy and happy buying!!!

Crafty Shower Gifts…

2010-07-13T17:53:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for ideas for baby shower gifts??? Below are a few that I received for Baby Addison that I just love! I have incredibly crafty friends who motivate me to keep on crafting! Enjoy!
Car Seat Tent
I received two of these. Each have their own unique touches that I just love!
The first is from Belize. I love the colors, and the handle decorations are too cute! Cute huh?Inside fabric.
The next is from my mom. This was something I was going to make for myself, but my mom told me I couldn’t. She was already in the process of making it. It is really fun fabric, and the giant ric rac is a great accent to the whole thing.
ric rac trim
Inside fabric. Diaper/Wipe Case
My friend Lynn came up with the adorable diaper/wipe case. This is not the traditional case we are used to seeing. It is much more practical, and the sweet finishing touches (bow on the front) make me love it even more!Two pockets – one for diapers and one for the wipe case. Hooded Towel
Lyric made this adorable hooded towel for me. I have a couple that Daylynn has used, and just LOVE them! They are a must for every child, and I’m glad Addison has a special one of her own. The ruffle/ribbon detail – too cute! Bibs/Burp Cloths
Anjanette made these great fabric/chenille bibs. Everyone needs bibs, and it’s even better when they are cute! Elise made this ruffled bib and two burp cloths (yes I know there is only one in the picture. The other is dirty).
Love the ruffle on this one too. Addison is going to be stylin’ wearing this!Laura made this cute burp cloth that she crotched around the edges. I’ve tried crotching, and it is a lot of work. Thank you!Shoes
Laura also made me these shoes. I love the print, and the leather bottom is great too!
Chelsee, my bff from college sent me these shoes. I about died when I opened the package…so cute! The puff ball was the perfect touch, since I’m loving the puff balls these days. I can’t wait for her to wear both of these shoes!
I wasn’t joking when I said that I had crafty and might I add very talented friends! Thank you!

Felt Crowns…

2010-07-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

We had a fun play date the other day, and decided to make felt crowns. This was a very easy project, and fun for the girls. I used one piece of felt cut it in half, cut points into it, and glued the two pieces together. Then we cut pieces of felt to glue onto it. So easy!
P.S. Glue sticks do not work…I just couldn’t let the girls use the fabric glue.

Bows…

2010-06-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

I finally pulled out my supplies and made some bows for Addison. She has several outfits I didn’t have matching bows/hair accessories for, and it was bugging me. So I went to town. I even made it to JoAnn’s, first time in 8 weeks. (I’m sure my husband was happy about that…ha). I made some tulle puff balls from Make it and Love it. (Sorry about the picture quality. They are supposed to be hot pink, not red). Some traditional bows.And lastly some felt flowers.I couldn’t resist adding an adorable picture of my girls modeling their hair accessories.

We’re Still Here…

2010-06-21T16:01:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts…We’ve been busy with our newest addition, Addison Grace. She is 7 weeks, and the sweetest thing ever! I hope to get back to crafting very soon.

Hair Bow…

2010-04-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

*Note: These are NOT the best pictures, or a great tutorial for that matter.

Materials:
Tulle: 3 inches x 29 inches (depending on the size of each petal, it could take less. I think mine ended up being closer to 23/24 inches)
Matching Thread
Some type of embellishment: button, beads, pearls…whatever
Clip
Ribbon (to cover clip)

I started by folding the tulle into thirds before folding it over to make the first petal. Once folded take your needle and thread and make a couple stitches to hold it in place. Repeat the folding/sewing step until you have 5 petals (more or less depending on the look you are going for). Add embellishment(s), and attach to clip (covered by ribbon).
I also made this adorable bow (sorry no picture) from Make It and Love It. It’s the black tulle one. I think it is so cute, and can’t wait to put it in my little girl’s hair.

Charis’s Hope…

2010-04-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

My best friend recently lost her sister to a heart condition. Her sweet 8 year old, Hannah decided to make bracelets to raise money to help people with heart problems...all on her own. I told you she was sweet! Please visit her over at Crafty Chic Lyric to read more about her sister’s story, and order your bracelet. We received our first bracelet of many this afternoon, along with a handmade card from Hannah herself. We will be wearing ours proud in honor of Charis.

*Note: Leave a comment with what you would like to order. She is still working on setting up the whole PayPal thing.

Nursing Cover...

2010-04-21T08:34:00.001-07:00

I bought this fun fabric to make a car seat tent, but was quickly told by my Mom that I couldn't make it (she was already making me one). So I had two yards of fabric, and didn't know what to do with it. After some time, I decided to make a new nursing cover. I followed Sew Much Ado's tutorial (with a few changes of my own).

Materials:

1 rectangle 28 inches x 40 inches (main body)

1 rectangle 3 1/4 inches x 10 inches (strap that attaches to D rings)

1 rectangle 3 1/4 inches x 26 inches (strap)

16 inch boning

2 1 inch D rings

2 4 inch triangular pieces for the pockets

*Note, you can use coordinating fabric for the straps/pockets if you'd like, but you don't have too.

Fold in half and sew along the open edge 1/4 inch in.

I decided to use a coordinating fabric for the straps.

Take the shorter piece and slip it through the D rings. Fold in half, and sew as close to the D rings as possible. (I sewed a 1/4 inch around the outside of the strip to keep it from moving much).
On the long piece, leave one end open and sew a curve to close it off. Cut off the excess fabric after you've sewn it. This creates a nice point when you turn it inside out. For a better picture check out Sew Much Ado's site.

At this point, I took my large rectangle (forgot to take a picture of this), and hemmed the edges by folding the sides and bottom edge 1/4 inch, ironing and folding it over 1/4 inch again. I didn't the edges until the very end.

*Note: At this point, I only folded the top over once because you add the boning before folding over again (directions below).

I wanted to add some pockets to the bottom corners of the cover for binky's or whatever else I wanted to put in there. My triangle ended up being 4 inches from point to the flat edge bottom.

I hemmed the flat part of the triangle only, and placed the pointed side into the corner of the cover underneath the hem. (I made two of these, one for each corner).

Fold over once, and place boning in the top/center of the fabric (I folded the fabric in half to know where the center was). Sew along the top part of the boning. Now fold the fabric over again, but do not sew it up yet.

Place strap right next to the boning. Put raw edges underneath the fold, and flip the strap up before sewing it in place.

Place the longer stap on the other side of the boning,and do the same thing as the other side. Once straps are pinned in place, sew along the bottom. Finish sewing all the hemmed edges closed.

Here is the finished pocket all sewn in.The finished product.

Men's Shirt Refashion - Skirt

2010-04-13T08:17:00.001-07:00

I saw this on someone's blog (I can't remember who's...sorry), and thought it was a really cute idea. So here is my version of a men's shirt turned into a toddler skirt.

The finished skirt
(probably ended up being more like a 3T/4T skirt)

Start with a men's dress shirt (this was size L)
Cut right below the arms, and even out the bottom. Remove the pocket and any buttons that might get in the way of sewing. The middle piece will be the skirt. I did not cut the sides to make it smaller...just used the elastic to sinch it up small enough. I also cut another inch off the bottom before heming it up.
For the top waistband, fold over once and then again leaving a space big enough for the elastic to fit in. Sew it closed. Remember to leave an opening for the elastic to go through.

I put a 21 inch piece of 3/4inch elastic through the waistband.

Pull both ends of the elastic and sew together. Then sew the open hole closed.

Do the same thing (minus the opening/elastic) for the bottom hem.

The Front

The Back.

Finally Finished...

2010-04-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

I've had a few projects that needed to be finished, so I finally got around to it today. Here are a few that I finished.

Another variation of the ruffle-bum onsie with matching felt flower/headband.

A binky Clip
And another blanket done just like the one from my previous post.
A close-up on the fun stitch I decided to use this time.

Baby Legs (Attempted)...

2010-04-09T14:41:00.001-07:00

My friend has been busy making these lately, and I thought I would give it a try. I didn't have the right type of socks (too small/thick), but I at least learned how to make them. Once I get to the store, I'll try again. I followed this simple tutorial from Little Birdie's Nest.

Start with your socks.

Cut the toe and heel off.
Fold the foot part of the sock in half. Wrong sides together.
Attach the folded portion of the sock to the bottom of the top part of the sock. Raw edges together. (hope that made sense). Right sides together.

Sew three layers together (notice the grippers on these socks, they caused a lot of grief when I sewing them up). Use a longer stitch length to avoid stretching the sock.

Finished.
Notice how the sock looks stretched? It's because the grippers were getting stuck under the foot, and I had to pull the socks through.

They ended up a bit short, and too stretched out at the bottom.

Flannel Swaddle Blanket...

2010-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to go to M&L Discount Fabric Store this weekend (If you live in Southern California...you MUST go! I've had a couple friends recommend it, and why I waited so long to go I'll never know). It was very theraputic after a LONG week of potty training. I found some great flannel prints, and decided to make some receiving blankets inspired by the ever so popular Swaddle Blankets. It was my favorite blanket with my first, so I was hoping to make a few of my own for a fraction of the cost.

Materials:

1 yard of flannel

Matching Thread

I traced a large dinner plate to get the rounded corners.

Cut on the line.
After it's been cut. I took a lot of time ironing, folding and pinning it into place. I folded it over once about a 1/4 inch, ironed, folded it over again, ironed and pinned into place.

I used a decorative stitch to sew it up. I think it added a fun touch to the blanket.
The finished blanket folded and sewn!

Tie Headband...

2010-04-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

Before your husband throws away those old ties of his you have to try this 20 minute craft from Craft Envy. It really only took 20 minutes, and was such a clever way to make a headband.

Cut skinny part of tie.

Add Elastic (Mine ended up being too short).

Attach it to the other side.

Add a flower embelishment from the larger side of the tie.

Mine ended up being too small for my daughter, so I have to re-do the elastic on it.

Maternity Shirt Re-Fashion

2010-04-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

Luvinthemommyhood had a great maternity tutorial post that inspired me to re-fashion one of my shirts. The tutorial comes from Homemade by Jill. I have this very ill-fitting shirt my husband bought me at the end of my last pregnancy. It fit much better then (I was HUGE), but ever since has just been too big. I decided to give it a try.

Unflattering shirt (and picture of myself)

Side shot.
There really isn't much shape, and it makes me look bigger.

The shirt before

Take elastic and zig-zag stitch it to the side seam of shirt.
The tighter you pull the elastic the more it will bunch up.

Finished! I will be re-doing this shirt as I ran out of pink thread and the white thread i used on the other side is showing through (my tension was off). BUT you can get the idea of how doing that added a little more shape to the shirt.

P.S. here I am a little over 32 weeks.

New Craft Blogs...

2010-03-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

I had every intention of sewing today, but instead got caught up finding new craft blogs. I am loving this blog: (click on button/link to go to their site).

If you haven't already noticed, I tend to use other people's tutorials rather than come up with my own. I have already found a few projects that I can't wait to get started on! From Totally Tutorials, I was able to find some other new favorites. Check out the links below, and happy crafting!

Mary Janes and Galoshes

Mini Burp Cloths...

2010-03-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

My good friend Elise is always making these mini burp cloths, and I thought I'd give it a try. The best part about these is you can use scrap fabric, because there really isn't an exact size. You can make them as big or small as you'd like.

I used ribbed terry cloth and circo receiving blankets to make mine.

I cut my fabric 9 in x 7 1/2 in.
Pin right sides together and sew it up. Remember to leave an opening to flip fabric out.

Pull the fabric through.

Sew 1/4-1/2in in to reinforce it (and it's an easy way to sew the open edge up)

The finished product.

P.S. I'm in the works of learning photoshop elements, and am still not exactly sure what I am doing with it.

Infant Pants...

2010-03-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

My Mom bought a pant pattern by Jackie Clark, britches & bloomers months ago, and we never got around to making them. We always said we needed too, since pants, jeans inparticular are hard to find/fit my 2 year old. Today I finally made a pair. They are size 6-12 months, and I think they are adorable! I can't wait for Baby A to wear them!!!

I finally resolved to take more pictures of the sewing process, but since we bought this pattern, I'm not going to give any instructions today. Enjoy!

This is one side of the pants with a pocket and ruffle bottom. The other side was identical.

A closer look at the ruffle.

My first pocket...not the best, but not the worst.

The front of the pants...they are a bit wild. ha.

The back with the pockets.

Onesie Refashions...

2010-03-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had some extra onesies lying around, and decided to dress them up a bit. The first one I added a ruffle bum and flower to the front. The best part about this ruffle is it is pre-made ruffled fabric from JoAnn's. All you've got to do it measure it to the onesie, cut and sew on top of the ruffles. EASY!!!

A close-up on the fabric.

I used a strip of the fabric to add a flower to the front.

I ruffled some tulle and added a little tutu to this onesie. Again a very easy project!

Hair Accessories...

2010-03-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have the privilege of working with some amazingly talented 11 year olds through church. Today we made hair accessories, and boy did they girls go to town!

The girls showing off one of their accessories

A close-up of one of the girls.
For this tutorial and many more visit The Polka Dot Chair.

Love this one!

Showing off her whole collection.

The girls modeling all of their creations.

Crotched Flower...

2010-03-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

Since I am a pro crotcher now (not even close), I decided to try my hand at flowers. I think they are really cute embellishments for hair clips, hats, clothes etc. I found this helpful video on Little Birdie Secrets, and tried my hand at it. Below are my 4 attempts (I only have this mauve/tan yarn, so they don't look great). By flower #4, I was feeling pretty good about it...until it started to unravel.

Flower #1, Flower #2, Flower #3, and Flower #4

Attempting Grandma's Potholders...

2010-03-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

My Grandma recently passed away, and she used to make us the best potholders. I remember laughing every Christmas when I would open their girft to me, and lo and behold more potholders! After her passing a few weeks ago, my Mom and I decided we had to figure out how to make them ourselves, since we wouldn't be getting anymore. My mom found a tutorial at Mikell's Fiber Art, LLC, and away we went. We struggled at first, but managed to get the hang of it after awhile. We both decided it wasn't our favorite project to do, but at least we know how!

My mom had to take over mine, because I was struggled getting started.

Here is the potholder starting to fold over.

The finished front.
It ended up being really small, and more like a coaster than a potholder.

I still have yet to finish the open edge.

I think I need some help with it.

Baby A's Blanket...

2010-02-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've been on my own this weekend, so I decided it was a good time to make a baby quilt for Baby A. She will be joining the family in 3 months! I'm so excited to hold this sweet girl, and just love her! I went to the fabric store with a completely different color pallet in mind, but when I saw this Moda fabric I couldn't pass it up. It was a package set of fat quarters which made cutting the fabric way easy. I quilted it in the ditch using a wavy stitch to avoid seeing my mess-ups.

Valentine's Day Outfit...

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

I decided to make Daylynn a V-Day shirt. My friend sent me a link for a tutu shirt at Joys Hope, and I had seen the heart somewhere else (I seriously need to write down where I find things). I decided to combine the two, and came up with this fun shirt. I'm biased of course, but I think my baby looked pretty darn cute in it!

Valentine's Day Gift...

2010-02-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the fun ideas. I ended up going with a great idea I saw on Make and Takes Website. They had a guest blogger from Simply Modern Mom about a great date night idea. It is called Project 52, and is 1 date a week for a year. Since finding time to date has been hard since having Daylynn, I thought this would be the perfect way to start dating again! I tried really hard to come up with mostly at home dates, with a babysitter required date once a month or so. Below is a sample of the ideas. For a full list leave a comment with your e-mail (if I don't have it), and I'll gladly send it your way.

Onesie Dress...

2010-02-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

I found this adorable onesie dress tutorial at Barefoot In The Kitchen. I really like the way her's turned out, and was pretty happy with my first attempt. My skirt ended up a little shorter than I hoped, so I had to lower it. I really like how her's has more of an empire waist. I'll definitely be making another one...it was pretty easy!

Valentines Day Help!

2010-02-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

I saw on someone's blog (sorry I can't remember where...prego brain) where the husband and wife made Valentine's Day gifts instead of buy them. I thought it would be a fun idea, especially after just finishing 2 birthdays, Christmas and an anniversary...there just isn't a whole lot of money left over. So I'm coming to my crafty friends to help me with ideas. I originally thought we'd be doing something cheesy, but after talking to my husband last night it sounds like he is making something legit and nice. Any and all ideas are welcome!

Tulle Hair Bows...

2010-01-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with my new found ruffling technique and started to ruffle some tulle. Before I knew it, I was making hair bows out of them. Here are a few that I made.

Softie for Baby A...

2010-01-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

I went to a friend's house and we made more softies. She is due with a girl just a few days before we are. I decided to make this one for our newest addition. The other one was for Daylynn who is still attached to hers. This is the first thing I've made for Baby #2. I've been putting it off for sometime. We lost our last baby at 21 1/2 weeks, and I had to get past that time in this pregnancy before I could make anything for her. We are 23 1/2 weeks along now, and things are looking/feeling great with baby (not my waistline...ha).

P.S. since making this softie, I figured out how to ruffle the silk with my sewing machine! It's going to make these things a breeze from here on out!

Here's how for those who don't know: Set your tension to the highest setting (mine is 9). Put your stitch on the longest stitch (mine is 5). Make sure to backstitch when you get started, and ruffle away!

Diaper/Wipe Strap...

2010-01-23T08:29:00.001-08:00

Here's another baby shower gift idea I found from Calico. I thought it was a clever idea. The best part was how easy it was! You use velcro to close it, so no button hole is needed. I used a little heat and bond to hold the fabric and muslin together before I sewed it up. It probably isn't necessary, but it did make it easier. I also hot glued my button on, since there were no button holes to sew it. I really like how it turned out!

Rag Burp Cloth...

2010-01-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

One of my goals this year is to make all of my baby shower gifts. When I saw this tutorial on Homemade By Jill, I decided to give it a try. I used some Target flannel receiving blankets that I never used to try it out. My printer doesn't work, so I ended up tracing my own pattern. I wish it was a little less peanut shaped, but it works!

Projects Attempted...

2010-01-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to applique onesies, and thought I would give it a try on a scrap fabric before I used a onesie. It didn't turn out as great as I would have liked, but I tried! Maybe after a few more attempts it will come together.

I found this cute knit scarf on Make it and Love it, and thought it would be easy. I had some knit fabric I got from the fabric district, and thought it would be a good way to use it. Unfortunately, I don't love the way mine turned out. I think the stripes were a little too much.

Silk Edged Softie...

2010-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to make softies with a silk edge, but thought it would be too much for me. It ended up being a lot more managable than I thought it would be. I bought pre-made silk binding, so I didn't have to mess with cutting and folding the silk. Saved me a lot of time! I used the longest stitch and ruffled it by hand. Once I got that done the rest was easy. I'm sorry I didn't do a tutorial for this one. I wasn't sure if it would work out, so I didn't take pictures as I went along. The next one I make I will.

Small Tote Bag...

2009-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

This is the tote bag I made for my neice. I lined it with a cute polka dot material, and added an "L" on the outside for her name. Hopefully she likes it!

Crayon Roll...

2009-12-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Today I finished two crayon rolls. I used the tutorial from Skip to My Lou. I didn't use any interfacing, because the light pink fabric was thicker (home decor fabric). I also used elastic and a button to close it off instead of ribbon. I should make a note...when I say "I" I really mean "We." My friend Lyric is really the inspiration behind these, and gave me those ideas!It hold 16 crayons.

Slacker to the Max....

2009-12-08T14:55:00.001-08:00

Wow...it's almost been a whole month since I've done any projects. It makes me sad, but pregnancy has taken over my life. Or it's just been an excuse to be lazy. I almost put my sewing machine away today. But after spending the morning with a friend, I think I'm motivated again to get some projects done!

On my List is the following:

1. A mini tote bag for my niece.
2. 2 crayon rolls
3. colored bean bags to teach/practice colors

I'd like to add more, but I should probably be realistic. These three might take me a month or more to complete the rate I've been going. If I know you will be coming back soon, it will motivate me to get some things done. Until next time...

Vinyl Table Cloth...

2009-11-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

My parents bought Daylynn this cute table for her birthday. I wanted to make something to cover it, and decided on vinyl. While at the Fabric District, I found the cutest vinyl to make it with.

(Sorry about the picture quality of the next two)
I wanted to make it a fitted table cloth, so I put the table on it, and cut the corners off. Then I put each of the two corner pieces together (right sides togetherforming a triangle), and sewed them up.

Then I flipped the fabric over and put it over the table. Unfortunately, this falls into one of my not-so-good projects. I made it too small, and had to stretch it over the table. It is not smooth on top, and is super tight around the edges. It works, but just doesn't look how I had hoped it would.

Diva Blanket...

2009-11-11T13:51:00.001-08:00

I recently made a trip to the L.A. Fabric District with some friends. It was nice to stock up again! We went to one of our favorite store Blue Moon, and got minky at a great price! I made this blanket for my little princess, but all I could think of while I was making it was "Diva." I bought one yard of each, pinned it together (no cutting required) and sewed it together! I timed myself and it took me 45 min-1 hour to make the whole thing. Not bad!

Honey Bee Costume...

2009-10-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished honey bee costume.
Headband with pipe cleaner antennas.Last minute wings made out of foam paper, and elastic for the straps.

Tutu with Styrofoam stinger.

Finished front.

Finished back.

Witch Shoe...

2009-10-28T14:48:00.001-07:00

I saw these cute witch shoes on my friend Laura's blog. She is quite crafty herself, and has done some fun projects recently. She saw an idea on A Bushel and a Peck of Fun for incorporating this shoe with October's Visiting Teaching message. I liked the idea, and since I'm a slacker V.T. I chose to copy the idea. Here are the templates for the shoe and lining. Oh the possibilities with these shoes...I see princess shoes for a 2 year old princess party coming up real soon (that's if I get my act together!)
Shoe before
Shoe after...filled with Chocolate

*For those not of the LDS community to learn more about mormon's and visiting teaching go to http://www.mormon.org/ or http://www.lds.org/.

Adorable Halloween Printables...

2009-10-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just saw this on Craft Pad, and I love it!!! Go to babalisme to print yours out for free!*Sorry the picture cuts off.

Halloween Tutu

2009-10-19T15:45:00.001-07:00

First off, sorry for the lack of posts. Being lazing + being out of a lot of things = no crafting for me. I hope to change that soon. In the mean time, I did finish Daylynn's honey bee tutu. My friend Rachel called and asked me to help her with a lady bug tutu. That, and a Winnie the Pooh book inspired me to make this tutu. I used just about 6 yards of tulle. I cut each strip 3 inches, and then cut each strip into thirds. Sorry for the poor pictures. The yellow is yellower than the pictures make it out to be.

Poppy Doll

2009-10-06T15:16:00.001-07:00

My friend Lyric showed me this cute doll, and asked if I wanted to make one. Her's turned out so cute, and I couldn't wait to make one. I bought the pattern here, and finally got the motivation to make it yesterday. I was burnt out after making the doll, that I didn't get to the clothes yet. I used an unfinished shirred dress and sewed the two pieces together to make sleeves. Not the greatest, but it works. I also wish I had put darker hair on the doll, but I didn't have any. Daylynn already loves it, and has spent a lot of time holding, pushing her around and changing her diaper.

*Just a cute story. Before the doll had any clothes on, Daylynn kept saying, "dolly naked." She ran back to her room, and came back with one of her shirts for the doll. I just had to laugh! Daylynn is a month shy of being 2, and she cracks me up. I just love her!!

Advent Calendar...

2009-09-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Craft Pad has some cute advent calendars on her blog, and I am in the process of making this one from The Land of Nod. I realize there are other things like Halloween and Daylynn's birthday that I should be working on right now, but this is easy and mindless (unlike the other two)!

Changing Pad Cover...

2009-09-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked if I would make a changing pad cover for her. I've never made one, but figured there'd be a tutorial on-line somewhere. Sure enough, there was a great (very easy) one at Forty-Two Roads.

I put the changing pad in the middle of the fabric and cut the corners of the fabric to where the pad was.Next you match the two sides together and sew forming a diagonal.
Then you fold over the edge to make a casing for the elastic (I used 5/8 in elastic)

All sewn and ready to be put on.

Finished product!

P.S. Sorry for the confusing instructions. Just follow the Forty-Two Roads tutorial...it's great!

Intentions...

2009-09-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

I had intentions to do more this week, but didn't feel like doing any of it when I got started. I am thinking of refashioning things, but I don't really have the right things to refashion. So those things are on hold. The other thing is I am down to scraps of fabric, so my projects have to be small...any suggestions??? The only thing I did make (and finish) this week was this headband. I like the way it turned out.

Fabric Flowers...

2009-09-10T15:15:00.001-07:00

I've always wanted to learn how to make these, in fact I've tried with little success. I never was able to get mine to have any life. I found this tutorial on My Mama Made It, and it was too easy. Way easier than I thought it was. Also notice all the fun clothes she makes! The best part is she re-fashions all the time. Before you D.I./Goodwill your clothes, you might want to see what inspiration you can get from her. She is good!

I made these to match Daylynn's clothes. They ended up a little big for hair clips, so they will probably be attached to the clothes themselves.
P.S. I'm starting to run low on fabric (I never thought this day would come). I think L.A. Fabric District is calling my name...anyone interested???

Car Trash Bag...

2009-09-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

Again I got this idea from Make it and Love it (It's easy to get inspiration from her!) I've thought about doing something like this for a long time, but never got around to it. So here is the finished product! I used regular fabric and interfacing instead of home decor fabric. I didn't have any boning like she used to keep it open, so I used a thicker interfacing. It worked just fine! When I put this in the car, there was probably enough trash to fill it...ha.

Cork Board...

2009-09-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute cork board on Make it and Love it, and decided to give it a try. I got a cheap frame, mod podged the fabric on, and stuck cork board inside the frame. I used rolled cork board, and still have tons leftover. If anyone wants some...let me know!

Yo-Yo's

2009-09-08T13:24:00.001-07:00

I finally learned how to make Yo-Yo's. I didn't like them much because of a girl on Project Runway (a few seasons back) who used them on EVERYTHING! Now, I'm not so against them, and think they are a really cute detail. I saw them on Make it and Love it, and followed this tutorial here. I have no idea what I will do with them, but at least I learned how.

Summer's End...

2009-09-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

There hasn't been a whole lot of crafting going on here other than this little one painting! We have been enjoying the last week of summer by swimming, beach, friends and DISNEYLAND!! It has been a fun week, but thrown our schedule off. Here's to crafting next week, and one happy girl who really loves to paint!Dancing with her paintings

The Winner is...

2009-09-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Shepherd Family said...: I really like the two fabric skirt style too. I'd probably pay as much as $15 to $20 for the dress (depending on the size)...honestly I have no idea how much little girl dresses cost because I have a 19 mo old boy...but because I'm guessing they're sun dresses and don't have any layering underneath, that's what I'd pay. My favorite dress is the dark blue one (#4) with the big white circles on it. Hopefully I have a girl someday so that if you draw my name, you'll still send it to me ;) Miss you Lindsay!

Sarah! E-mail me your address at evans.lindsay@yahoo.com, and the blue/white polka dot dress will be in the mail shortly! Enjoy.

Thanks Everyone! I plan to have them on Etsy soon...

Tomorrow...

2009-09-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I am picking a winner tomorrow. Please feel free to comment. I appreciate everything that has been said, and am taking it all into consideration. Thank you!

Help me and win!

2009-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

I need your help! I've finally decided to sell something, and would like your feedback.

What style is your favorite (dress, skirt, or two fabric skirt)?
What is the most you'd be willing to pay for each of these items?
Which one is your favorite?

I'll be drawing a winner at random next week, and the winner will be sent their favorite one.

THANK YOU!!!

Dresses:
All dresses are halter.
Look here to see what the dress looks like on.

Size 0-3 months
(not completely finished. I still need to add straps and hem the bottom).

2.
size 18 months -2T

3.
size 2T/3T dress or 4T/5T long shirt.
(Dress 4 and 5 are the same size).
4.
5.

Skirts
Look here to see how it looks on.
Skirts 1-4 are sized to fit 12-24 months. My daughter (size 2T) can wear it waist wise, but it starts to get a little short.
1.2.

4.5.
size 2T (long) up to 5T

Baby Gift...

2009-08-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Robin wanted to make her Sister-in-law some cute things for her new baby. We had a fun time putting together a few things. It was especially fun to hang with Robin...love her!
Wipe Case (we ran out of the ribbon to cover the bottom part)

Diaper Case

Binky Clip

All three together. Really cute!

Towel...

2009-08-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by a Christmas gift I was given last year (thanks Chelsey). I found this towel fabric in the remnant section at JoAnn's for less than $2.00. So I decided to make Daylynn a towel cover-up just like mine. Other than the raw edges (I zig-zaged them), I am happy with it.

P.S. I wish I had a serger. Any good ones for a decent price????

Pants...

2009-08-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

I made my first pair of pants today. I said I would post the "Good and Bad." I think these fall into the not-so-good category. They didn't sew up as nice as I'd like, they are a tad shorter than I was planning, and the front area isn't flattering at all. But I did make them, and that's what counts right? I used a very simple tutorial from Diaper Swappers. I didn't make these out of a shirt like the tutorial, so I had to sew the sides up. Not a big deal.

Skirts...

2009-08-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

I made a couple of skirts this morning using elastic thread. I had three hours to myself while Day was at a play date! I made this green skirt for Annie (Day's play date's little sister).Then during nap today (I had a total of 6 hours to myself!) I made this cute skirt for Daylynn. Only problem...it's about an inch or two too short. It's still cute though!

Ruffled Poka Dot Dress...

2009-08-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

I made this ruffle bottom polka dot dress. I really love elastic thread now...I've actually gone a little crazy with it. More projects with elastic thread to come...
(sorry for the poor pictures. It was late and Daylynn was not cooperating)

Shirred Dress...

2009-08-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Laura, we were able to figure out the elastic thread. I can now say I am a fan of it like the rest of the world! Turns out the problem was the bobbin tension. If you are having trouble with it like I was, you might want to check that. Below is the dress I made. Again I got the idea from Made and love it!!!

Help...

2009-08-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

I am trying to make a shirred dress like this one from Made. I am using elastic thread, and followed this tutorial from Thread Banger, but my fabric is not shirring up like the one in the tutorial. Any pointers. I have a brother machine. Does that matter? Help!

Felt Food...

2009-07-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter has a Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Kitchen that she loves! It's perfect for young ages. One day her cute friend was over and he said, "I'm going to make cookies!" We didn't have any food, so he had to pretend. That reminded me of what I had seen on CraftPad. So I decided to make two sets of cookies and fruit for the fridge. Hopefully, it makes playing with the kitchen a little more enjoyable!I also think these kitchens from forty-two roads are fun:
Kitchen 1
Kitchen 2

Tote #2...

2009-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is my second tote bag. The other bag didn't have much life to it. This one is lined with Pellon #70 to add some stiffness to it. I used the same tutorial from Not So Fancy Nancy.

Family Pictures...

2009-07-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

We took some family pictures yesterday, and Daylynn is wearing her new dress. I think she looks adorable in it!

A-Line Dress for Daylynn!

2009-07-24T14:42:00.001-07:00

I did it! I made my first dress out of a pattern. The idea came from Creative Chicks, and the pattern is Simplicity 4927.

I learned a few things about a pattern.

1. Read the directions all the way through...FIRST!
2. Look at the pieces and read them carefully before cutting
(I made that mistake a couple of times).
3. Know basic sewing terminology.
4. Have a really handy mom who can fix what you mess up,
and figure out what you can't!

I really love it, and can't wait for Daylynn to wear it on Sunday!

Another Twirl Skirt...

2009-07-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made another twirl skirt, and I love it! Here is the first attempt...not so pretty. Definitely use the thicker elastic like the directions say to use. It makes it have a better shape. And I also love having the two different fabrics. It adds a lot. Here is the tutorial that I followed from Two Little Banshees.

Close up of her cute little bum bum.

One happy twirler!

*Next project: This a-line dress from Creative Chicks
using the cream, gray and mustard fabrics below.
It will be my first time following a pattern (simplicity 4927).
Any advice???