Kitty Ears for Halloween

   My daughter has a love for kitties lately, so for Halloween, I made her a kitty costume! My camera died tonight and is charging, so I'll have pictures of the rest of it tomorrow. Meow!!!

        These are far from exactly centered, but I don't care, I think they turned out perfect! I took four pieces of black fabric and lined them with interfacing and cut into triangles. I then made smaller pink triangles and ironed them onto the front two pieces, then stitched down. I sewed the front and backs together with right sides facing then turned inside out. I then top stitched around the outside, leaving bottom open. I hot glued a piece over the top of the barrette then hot glued the ears on turning under 1/8 inch all around. I then glued bows on and some crystals.

Simple, Quick Valance

     When I painted my daughter's room a while ago, I planned on sewing a valance too. It kept getting put off and honestly, I had never sewn one before so I was unsure what to do. I bought 2 yards of fabric and found a valance I had on her window before that was purchased. I added about 3 inches in length and 5 inches in width to make it fit a little better. on the two short ends of the fabric I folded in about 1/2 inch and folded it again then stitched  in place. I then folded the fabric in half with right sides together and stitched along the top raw edges. Then I turned it right side out and stitched close to the top edge just to keep it in place. I top stitched again at 1 1/2 inches from top, then again about that far from the last stitching. Simple as that! no bottom hem needed which I love! :)



Christmas Cookie Countdown Calendar

   I made this calendar for my kids to count down the days till christmas with! It was so cute I couldn't resist! I remember the fun one my mom had for us as kids with a mouse that moves from day to day and above was Santa sitting in his house. I loved it and looked forward to moving it each day! This one is a little different. You start out with the cookies in each pocket and each day you take a cookie out and put it in the bowl.

     So cute!

    I purchased this pannel from http://www.etsy.com/shop/cjscraftcorner .  She is a very nice and helpful person and has such cute stuff she makes to sell and often has fabric as well.

         These cookies were fun to make! The instructions say to use paper backed fusible web- iron the fabric to felt. I took it a step further and used fusible interfacing to iron onto the fabric, then fusible web to the felt. I then stitched a decorative stitch around the edges and finally used a lighter to get rid of freyed edges. The freyed edges probably wouldn't be there if it weren't for the interfacing, but I like the extra stability it gave them. I think they turned out perfect!

         I wanted to have this hang on my fridge for now and if later we move or have a place on the wall fo rit, I will sew on some plastic loops to hang on the wall with or something. I glued magnets to the inside layer of fabric before I sewed it together. two problems with this method: 1- the magnets stuck to the table and my machine while I tried to quilt the top and I couldn't stitch over certain parts. 2- they don't stick as well to the fridge. I noticed there was a big gap between magnets because I only used  4 on the corners and it was saggy, so after it was finished, I glued 4 more on the back in between the others. now, it works great.

machine quilting around shapes. I also quilted around each day square on the bottom.

         I decided to do the pillowcase method to sew this together rather than the binding. I like the way it turned out! I also used interfacing behind the bowl piece rather than just a single layer of fabric flopping around, and I also put interfacing behind the whole top. I like the stuff and It makes for a longer lasting, more durable item. I look forward to my kids using this each year!!!

My biggest project ever!

Our Garage Sale Table

After (above) Before (below)

doesn't look a whole lot different, but it is.

             My previous table was one I had in my tiny apartment before we got married and it was falling apart..... REALLY falling apart. If we had guests over and they bumped it with their leg or something, glasses would spill. It even had a tendancy to migrate across the room. :) It was painted and just junk. We needed something bad! By perfect chance, we came across this table and 9 chairs at a garage sale for $25 and picked it up because it's a SCREAMING deal. the top needed work and was an ugly gold color. The chairs didn't match in color to the bottom of the table and you could scrape the previous paint off with your fingernail. It needed tlc but I was encouraged by my friend Tiffany that "we could do it!" My friend and her husband sanded all the chairs, we painted and distressed them and varnished over top. The table was my baby. I stripped the top and sanded it smooth, then worked on the bottom.

 I painted, distressed and varnished that too. (Tiff helped with the distressing because I didn't know what I was doing) The top was a little hard because I've never stained anything before. After some help from my dad, it turned out ok. it's dark, but that's what I was going for. I only put three coats of varnish on and now wish I had done more. Maybe I still will. :)

We reupholstered the chairs with micro suede fabric in tan and dark brown for the 2 end chairs.

          I was worried that my daughter would ruin the micro suede with her juice, greasy fingers, ketchup, and yes, even pee. (not a fun thing to clean up) I decided to make a few chair covers that had plastic backing and could be thrown in the wash. They turned out different than I hoped, but they work. I wanted the ruffles to lay down better on the sides, but other than that, they are great! I HATE doing ruffles, and these seat covers had the LONGEST i've ever done. grrrrr. It took me all day I swear! aside from the being a mom part, potty training, snuggling and getting us fed. :)

ignore the dirty chair! :) I'm going for country style in my kitchen If I ever get it there! I need help! :)

This project was WAAAAAAY bigger than I thought, but It's rewarding to have worked so hard!

Making Pens!

     I just got back from my first vacation ever with my own little family. We went to Friday Harbor, WA to see my parents!!! What an awesome time we had relaxing and enjoying their company. The beauty of the island was just a bonus! Anyway, my dad is a really good wood craftsman, and I wish I had more time with him to learn more from him. Some of my fondest memories as a kid were hanging out in his shop with him talking and watching him work. He has recently discovered pen making with his wood lathe. He was so patient with me and my husband in teaching us how to work it. (It was not as easy as I thought it would be.) I think he has a way of making things look easy. That's what years of practice will do I guess!!!! :)  My pen is the dark one. I wanted it simple and small- my favorite part of it is the swirl on the top that is in the grain of the wood. This is a very hard wood and when it's all waxed up feels like BUTTA!!! I LOVE IT!!! I'm a little afraid to use it though, I might lose it!

THANK YOU DAD!!!

Necklaces

        I wanted to make a fun present for my mom's birthday this year, so I made here these cool tile necklaces in different hollidays. The tiles were super hard to find, I thought. No one around here knew what I was talking about. Hobby lobby told me to get mosiac tiles- those had painted on backs that would not come off with even a paint stripper. I looked on etsy for tiles, they had them but wanted an arm and a leg. I was told by a person on etsy to look here: http://www.sunandmooncraftkits.com/  They have affordable supplies and they ship fast! :) which, after all the trouble I went though, I wasted a lot of time. I think they turned out pretty cute! I got the tutorial here: http://www.simplymodernmom.com/2009/10/glass-pendant-necklaces-tutorial/

I made some for myself and my daugher too. She always wants to wear my necklaces, so I thought this way, she can wear her own. :) She LOVES it!

Ruffle Pants and Peasant Top

     Today, I'll be reviewing two patterns I've been meaning to for a while. I made this today with the intention to have keira wear it on her birthday but it is an ANYTIME outfit. I LOVE IT!

     I purchased the Ruffle Pants pattern from Dream Spun Kids. It can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DreamSpunKids?ref=seller_info  I love that they are curvy and have ruffles! So adorable! I did the size 2 pattern, and the pattern piece for the back was weird. She told me earlier that they discontinued the size 2 and was happy to see it came anyway. I was expecting it to be weird, so it's all good. The bigger sizes all look normal!! The instructions on this pattern were good. There were only a few parts where I had to read carefully and think a little. I've had a harder time reading and understanding the store bought patterns! I have a super skinny daughter, so these were falling off her even after I shortened the elastic 2 inches from what the instructions said, but I'm used to that with her. The rise in these is like low rise pants in women. When you bend over or squat down, your bum hangs out! LOL! I had to laugh! :) If my daughter was a little beefier these would be fantastic! It won't stop me from using the pattern though! I love these pants! I wish they made them for me! :)

   This pattern I use A LOT!!! for every outfit I think! It's one of my favorites! It is "Portrait Peasant Tops and Dresses" By scientificseamstress. Her patterns can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/scientificseamstress?ref=pr_shop_more   All her patterns are PERFECT and very detailed with many options! I've done this top with ruffles on the bottom and now with ruffle sleeves and plain bottom. I don't know if my daughter just has a long torso or if it is the pattern, but if I just do the length for the shirt to hem it, it hits her really high. It would be showing her belly button. :) In the crab dress I did in an earlier post, I used this pattern and just lengthened it to get it where I wanted and made a ruffle. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pattern! SO MANY OPTIONS! for this outfit, I just made a simple tie for around the waist.

Yay for sewing! I love it! I love etsy too. my fav place to shop! visit my store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SewinSanity?ref=pr_shop_more

Keira's Big Girl Room

           

        A few weeks ago I asked around to get some advice on my daughter's bedding choices! I love the choice I made and love how her room turned out! :) She loves it too! I loved hearing her scream and squeal as she climbed up and started jumping! :) The room we were working with was small and I wanted it to brighten up and feel light and cheerful! I think I got the result I wanted. I chose Behr "Springtime Bloom" in Satin and Disney color: I think it was "Baby Bee Yellow" not sure though. I did white trim and doors. Thank you Nancy for helping me paint.  I will also be making her a solid pink valance.  Her solid pink wall needs something. I am thinking some vinyl something. ???

BOW HOLDERS: 

A wonderful grandpa in our ward cut out the cute flowers and made the flower centers for me! I love them!

PICTURE CLOTHESLINE:

I hot glued some tacks to buttons for the end of the clothesline, strung some painted craft size clothespins on the line. Each of them had a tack hot glued on the back as well. simple as that! I used some different sort of string for it. not sure what it is.

BUTTERFLY:

This was a yellow butterfly I found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago and I painted it pink and green. I also left some yellow and added sparkle!

PAINTING DRAMA!!!:

          I thought I could knock this room out in a day like I used to be able to. WRONG! The first day painting we got a lot done although the yellow paint was thin and took 3 coats to cover! I think that is just yellow paint though. It seems I had this trouble last time I used yellow. That night my mother in law left me and took my daughter with her so I could get some more painting done. That night I was so sick. While I was painting I was having shortness of breath and felt I was going to pass out. I felt queasy and just plain tired and gross. I cut the pink wall in that night feeling that way and felt like I might die. Then It just got worse. all night I was up with.. "parvo". If you don't know what that is, look it up. :) it's a dog disease, but it works. :) (I used to work at a vet clinic for years and that's what we called it whenever someone was sick.) I didn't get painting done at all that night and felt terrible.

           The next day I worked all day and got it done. the white took 4 coats to cover and I got it all done while keira napped. I decided I'd clean up a little and I bumped the ladder that had the white paint on top. I left it out because I would paint the back of the closet doors once I got some things put away. You probably know what happened next. The gallon of paint knocked over, hit my head, covered my hair and eye with paint, fell to the floor and covered the ladder on the way. I got my eye cleaned out and saw the disaster I made. I started to freak out and called my husband who was hours away from being home. I started cleaning up best I could and called my friend for help! She came and brought her carpet cleaner and took my daugher with her to the part for a ward activity. I spent the next long hours soaking the floor with hot soapy water and sucking it back up. My newly painted walls had white runs in them. I cleaned it all up the best I could and noticed my hair was a matted crusty mess still. The inside of my ear was even covered. Gross. I went and soaked in the tub and took a brush to my hair... ouch. I went back to cleaning and putting her room back to order. The floor now looks like new and her walls ... well, the door is the only thing I notice has a run in it. I don't really feel like picking up a paint brush any time soon. The moral of the story!!!!! Don't paint when you are sick, exhausted or have small children. EVER. :) If you must like I did, put plastic down on the floor and prepare for extra days of mess.

Garage sale special!

   

         I started jogging a while ago (it's been a few weeks now since i've gone. :( it's just so blazing hot!) and my friend gave me a double jogging stroller I thought we'd have need for by now. With just my daughter, pushing a double around was heavy and used more energy to push than I wanted to. I found this awesome new looking jogging stroller for $5.00 a few weeks ago!

         ok.. get this. I bought the stroller, and 3 books each .50. and some mk face wash for 5.00.  The guy said.. ok how much will that be? I said 11.50. He said, how about 16.00 because I like your hair. I was like ... ok...??? and handed him my 20.00. I left scratching my head not sure what happened. maybe he only had 4.00 change. Oh well, it was still a good deal!

       ANYWAY.... while I was running, I noticed my daughter being a little uncomfortable where her head hit the back piece. It was just a curved bar with NO Padding at all. so I thought.. "I KNOW I can fix that!" I sometimes feel I have a small superpower. lol! I spend a few hours one night and finished the next morning on this padded stroller liner. It has about 6 layers of padding in the top part. I LOVE my old noisy sewing machine!  It's exactly what I hoped for. :) She likes it and so do I!  The sewn on straps for this stroller are shredding and can not be replaced, so I also made strap covers.

Look at what My husband did!

       I'm so proud! He works all week long In a different state and comes home on his vacation time and builds shelves in the Garage!!! It only took over a year to do it, but now that it's done we both love having them there! All our JUNK is off the floor and not in a pile. it's so nice! Thank You Josh for helping!!! :) WE can now park BOTH cars in there!

I would love to see my husband have a shop like my dad's! Peg boards up with all his tools organized and a big tool box  and work benches everywhere! someday! for now this works!

Peasant dress

This dress started out as a Pillowcase dress I did a trade for with http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/grannybsclothesline. She has done wonderful things for me in the past and her stuff is always adorable. I just recieved this dress and was bored with it. so plain and simple and no shape.I think I just don't like pillowcase dresses.  I decided i'd take a pattern I had for a peasant top and add length to it and make it a dress. The pattern I used is found here:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/67337831/portrait-peasant-tops-and-dresses  I love LOVE love this pattern, and I love the way it turned out!  it is so comfortable to wear. .... I'm sure. :)

I also took the ribbon that was in it and made her a bracelet to wear.

I got these projects done a few weeks ago, I just never got them posted till now. :)