Advent

Since Ali is three this year, she really gets the idea of Christmas. I am really enjoying the wonder of Christmas this year since everything is new and wonderful to her. To help her understand Advent and help with the countdown to Christmas, we made an Advent calendar for our wall. Nothing fancy this year (although I love to make a permanent one for next year. We shall see). Here is what we did:Each number was written on an index card with glitter glue and a red or green circle was drawn around it. This card is taped to another card with our activity of the night on it. The activities include reading stories, cooking with Mom, and making crafts. Ali loves looking at the card each day and counts down the days to Christmas at least three times a day.

Some of our decoration include Ali's paper chains.

Ali and I working on a Christmas tree decoration. Ali was very excited about the glitter.




Here are some cards that Ali made to give to someone special. She worked very hard on them and was super excited to use my "special markers"; the scrapbook ones that sparkle.

Christmas sewing is underway!

Super Beckett cape for my nephew


Tinkerbell PJs for Ali.


Farm PJ's for Josiah.

Still to come: PJ pants for Jed and I, some purses and gift card holders, and some felt food and doll clothes.

Tinkerbell

My daughter knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to be Tinkerbell for Halloween. So, here she is, flying away.



I wish I could take credit for the great car Josiah is sitting in, but I had nothing to do with it. It's just cute.

I'm currently working on PJ's for the family for Christmas. I have a few other presents I want to make; we will see if they get done. And, if Ali had anything to do with it, I'd be making Princess costumes now also. She thinks she wants to be Snow White, Cinderella, or Belle. She told me I could make all the dresses, and then she could decide!

A little bit of my work...

A tutu a made a while ago for Ali. She had given one to a friend for her birthday and wanted her own.


Her doll and the clothes, diapers and bag I made for her. The baby's name is Curly, for reasons I still don't understand.

Ali in her "purple twirly dress". It's a bit short for a dress, so we wear pants under it. It's the Gracie pattern from Portabellopixie.

Neglecting

Not only have I been neglecting my blog, but my machine is feeling a bit lonely as well. I've started, but not finished a bunch of projects. My daughter is getting a new doll for her birthday next week, and I'm almost done with about a wardrobe of clothes for it (as well as some matching clothes for Ali). I'm also trying to figure out the crafts for the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) this year. I've got some ideas, but I'm trying to get myself all organized.

So, hopefully pictures will be up next week of the things I finish (before the birthday, I hope) and my sample projects for MOPS will show up as well, I'm sure. I also need to figure out what my almost one year old boy would like Mommy to make him for his birthday...and I've got a few dresses I would love to make for myself. We will see...

No Sewing...

My family and I went of vacation and since I got back I've been dealing with this:
about fifty pounds of peaches from the tree in our backyard. After lots of freezing, jam making and peach crisp baking, the peach situation is under control...until we pick the next thirty pounds still hanging on the tree.

To my poor, neglected blog...

I have been doing things, just haven't sat down to post. I suppose keeping up with my kids has something to do with that. I'm sure people understand.

So, what have I done...made skirts and dresses. Pictures? Here they are...
Three skirts for myself (Weekend Sewing Wrap Skirt, Favorite Things Bella Skirt, and self-drafted)
Two dresses for Ali: Weekend Sewing Flower Girl Dress and Portabellopixie pattern.

What other creative ventures have I had? They fall in the land of cooking. Anyone who has been to my house (or packed my house for a move) knows that I like cookbooks. I read them like books. They are interesting. I love them. I have lots of them. So, I decided that every week I'm going to pick a cookbook and cook five things from it. Week One was Yum-O: The Family Cookbook by Rachael Ray. Had good luck so far. I liked all five, Jed was neutral on only one.

I'm also trying to more cooking with Ali (my almost three year old). If you have a pre-reader who wants to cook and don't know about Pretend Soup and Salad People, go look them up right now. Ali loves them. The idea is great too. Both of these books (By Mollie Katzen) has the recipe not only in "normal" format (for the adults) but in pictures for the kids. Ali really feels like she is cooking and I am just helping. If you have a reader who wants to cook Katzen also has a cookbook called Honest Pretzels which is also great.

So, there you have it. That is what I've been doing. I'm now off to put together some puzzles (the 24 piece variety)

Why I will never work on an assembly line

Doing the same thing over and over just isn't my thing...but I did make 13 cup cozies for the teachers at my daughter's school. She doesn't have all 13 teachers, being seeing as how Jed's the pastor, we wanted to appreciate them all. We put a gift card to Starbucks in each one with a "thanks a latte" note. Cheesy, but cute.


In other sewing news...
I made this backpack for our friend "B" who turned two. No pattern used, but nothing fancy either. His sister was the recipient of the purse in the post below.

A dress for Ali:


A taggie blanket for Sy:

I have been looking through my copy of Weekend Sewing (part of my mother's day gift) and attempted to make the wrap skirt. The skirt is cut, and I learned about french seams (which I really like, by the way) but I'm glad that I made a muslim first. The skirt is way too small and will be refashioned into something else (either an apron or some other thing that I haven't decided yet)

Also, I'm trying to come up with good ideas for the creative activities for my MOPS group next year. If anyone stumbles across this blog and has any great ideas, please let me know!

My newest projects...a giveaway and a great idea

You know, I would love to come up with cute, creative titles for my posts, but some days I'm just not that creative. But, here are a few new things I've been doing.

The apron I made for Jenny (Jed's Office Manager). It's the Full Contact Apron from Seams to Me.

This little bag (from this tutorial) is for "A's" birthday. A is a family friend who turns five this weekend. Her little brother ("B") turns two on the same day. I'm making him a little backpack.

My friend Tracey over at Itching 2 B Stitching is having a fat quarter giveaway to celebrate summer. Leave a comment here telling about your summer plans and you are entered.

Tracey is also hosting a summer Not swap. See here for details. I think it is a great idea!

We are back!

The family and I were on two week post Easter vacation to Kansas (to visit my family) and to Texas (for the wedding of my college roommate). We saw lots of family and friends and had a very relaxing time.

The fabic I showed in the last post (Hoffman California "Reflections") was used to make placemats, napkins and coasters for the newly married Johnsons.

I also finished up my item for the We the People swap and packaged it up without taking a picture. The apron is done as well, but I need to take a picture of it and give it to the new owner.

Next on my list...birthday presents for a five year old and a two year old...any ideas?

Still working

Yes, I'm still here (since I'm sure so many people are paying attention). I finished dress one and will post pictures once the camera is charged again. I've been commissioned by Jed's secretary to make an apron for her, so the fabric is cut out for that. I've also got the fabric cut for my current swap...no pictures of it until I send it though.

But to leave you with one picture, I am making something with this fabric...stay tuned to see what it turned into.

On a separate note, I also enjoy cooking quite a bit. For Christmas I got Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. I highly recommend it. It gives basics on just about anything you can imagine. I used it today when I made hard boiled eggs and they are perfect..no green ring in the center and not overcooked. It's also helpful when you want to try something new (like parsnips, which are great, by the way). So, if you are looking for a general, all purpose cookbook, this is the book for you!

So excited....

That is how I have been feeling lately.I love getting mail and have been waiting for what seems like forever for these books. They finally came yesterday and I'm loving all three. They have some much great stuff in them, I don't know where to start!

This is the bag I got from the We the People Swap. I love how it goes great with the jacket I just bought!


My other projects, in no particular order...
A tunic shirt for my daughter. She picked out the fabric and was very proud of that fact. She wore it to church last Wednesday and told everyone that she had picked it out.

The project that is currently waiting for me. The pieces are all cut out, I just need to start the sewing. I'm making the version on the live model. My newest bag...the "Swing Bag" by Amy Butler. I really like the blue on the inside of this one.
My next dress. I'm making the green and white dress with no jacket. The fabric is washed and is waiting for me, but one dress at a time is about all I can handle right now.


A gift bag for a present. Now that I know how to makes this, I may never use wrapping paper again! (Well, not true, but you know what I mean). These bags are so fast and easy and the person getting the gift can use the bag for whatever that want!

Coasters I made for my MOPS group. I'm including two tea bags with them and giving them as table favors at the next meeting. These are the coasters from this tutorial. They are fast, easy, and fun to make.

I also made some camo PJ's for my husband, but I haven't snagged a picture of them yet. I'm trying to decide what to make for my son (he's only five months, but I don't want him to be left out). I thinking some blocks, or the ball in "Seams to Me". Right now, that is on the top of my list for him.

Working away

I've been working away on various projects, with pictures soon to follow. I've completed a pair of PJ pants for Jed (that would be my husband), a shirt for Ali with fabric she picked out, as she told everyone today when she wore the shirt, another handbag (they are my favorite to make!). I'm also busy making a favor for everyone in my MOPS group. Finally, I have the patterns and fabric for two dresses for myself. They are next on the docket, but they make me a little nervouse, so I just need to convince myself I can do it!

Hopefully pictures will be up in the next few days, but I wanted to update my progress!

How I've spent my time

Since Christmas, I've been on a bit of a sewing kick. I'm really enjoying it. It's nice to be able to make something and then use it right away. Here is what I've done so far:



This bag is Amy Butler's "Nappy Bag". I really like it and it was super easy to make. I did not put the cell phone pocket on the outside and only put pockets on one side of the inside. It's big enough for my stuff and the kids stuff.



A smock for my daughter, Ali. She LOVES it. I love the fabric. The pattern is from Bend the Rules Sewing.



A baby blanket for a friend. It is fleece on the inside with a barnyard print on the outside. It even has a hood in the corner. It's big enough to wrap my big four month old in, so most babies could use if for a while. It's from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones. The book has you adding buttonholes to slip a tie through, but I'm leaving them off. I'm using the same barnyard fabric to make a changing pad for another friend.



A dress for Ali. This is my first clothes sewing venture in probably ten years. It's a Simplicity pattern from their Project Runway line. Ali's love purple right now, and she really likes the buttons on it. Go figure.



Another dress for Ali. This one uses the JoAnn's fabric that only requires one seam. I added the ribbons for some fun detail (and because I just can't give my two year old a strapless dress. I didn't have one until my wedding.)

My next project is this:
Another bag out of these fabrics....I've got lots of other things in the wings; we'll see. I have to start Ali's Snow White dress before too long!

Weekender Bag

I joined my first swap and made this bag. The pattern is Amy Butler's Weekender Travel Bag. The bag looks great finished, but what a challenge to make. I told my husband as I was making it "This is kind of like childbirth. I'll do it again once I forget how hard it was." The hard part involved sewing all the layer together (fabric, heavy stabilizer and the cording trim). I only broke one needle, but my little sewing machine got quite a workout.

The fruit of my labor:

Welcome!

Hello! Why do I need this blog? It's a place to share my creative "stuff"...my projects, my thoughts. It's an expression of me. Welcome readers!