Ribbon Jar

So, I have told ya’ll that I am the Co-Coordinator for my local MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) right?  Well, one thing we do for our leadership team is secret sisters.  We each chose a lady out of a hat of sorts to encourage through the year with notes and little gifts. Then we try to guess who they were at the end of the year.   I always have a hard time because I feel if I sew something (although, I usually sew something at the very end when it doesn’t matter)  or get too crafty then they will guess me… urg.  I’m not the only crafty one… apparently… so maybe it isn’t such a big problem.  Check out what my secret sister gave me.

 

I KNOW… isn’t it SO cute.  I love it… I mean, really love it.  It looks like she took grosgrain ribbon and laid it across the jar top alternating colors and then super glued them down on the bottom side of the lid.  Very clever.  I just LOVE LOVE the green… I mean, who doesn’t love green?  If you don’t… don’t tell me… we might not be able to be friends.  Just kidding… kind of.  Anyhow I had to share.  I thought this would make a great handmade holiday gift for the neighbors or a family member who loves baked goods and really who doesn’t right?  Well, I actually am not a big sweet fan… seriously… I know it’s crazy, but true, BUT  I would eat any sweets out of something so cute.  These cookies look made for the jar.  And they are my hubby’s favorite.  So, really it is a gift for us both.  So, thanks, secret sister!

Quick Blurb

Just wanted to put out a quick blurb about the whole holiday fiasco coming up… oh, you know it is coming.  You wait and wait and wait and then all of a sudden you decide you want to do the whole “handmade holiday” thing because it gives more meaning, it’s easier on the wallet, and because it’s the cool thing to do… you know, EVERYONE is doing it.  Okay, maybe not EVERYONE, but I am going to try and to help you in that, I have put a couple of sweet handmade holiday links on the sidebar.  Keep checking those sites and you will be without excuse, my dears.  So, start now… no procrastinating this year!  AND I want pictures… okay?  Promise me.

Halloween success!

So, I know you are all waiting with baited breath over … “did she get in the costume??”  Well, my friends, not only did she get in, she ended up loving it.  Why does it always happen that way? ::sigh::

Aren’t they precious??!!  I know… every mama says that, but I fit into that “every.”  By the way… all of these pics are going to be “eh” because it was dark before I could actually get her IN the costume.  I was just happy that she did get in it.  The boy kept saying he wanted to be a “bumble bee” for Halloween.  I was like, “really?”  I must be missing something.  When he came home from the store with his dad with this costume, I was really confused.  There is a bumble bee transformer?  What do I know… I am just a girl, you know?

 

The back was really cute.  Once she found out what all the nice people were putting in her pumpkin, she was all about walking up to the stranger’s houses.  Cracks me up.  So, I did NOT make this costume, but I did get it CHEAP!  Yay for cheap.  But, because I was feeling like a sell-out for not making the costume, I made her some cute baby legs for during the day.

 

 

Cute?  Right?  I don’t know if you can tell, but they say, “Trick or Treat” and they have little spiders all over.  I just love these things.  The boy refuses to let me make him some… I wonder why… hee hee.  Oh well, the boys always get the short end of the sewing stick.  Poor guys.

Per request: The pumpkin all lit up.  Or at least the best I could do.  It looked really cool lit up.  It had rotted a little by Halloween night, but then it just looked like it had dirty teeth.

Even better.

TA for NOW!

The best pumpkin EVER!

Okay, maybe not ever in the entire universe, but definitely the best ever that we have had.  We had our annual neighborhood fall festival because that is how we roll down here in the south and my hubby had a plan this year.  He was going to carve the best pumpkin EVER… wuwahahaha!  I secretly thought he couldn’t do it when I saw his plan drawn out, but that is because I am a bad wife… really… I need to work on my hubby self confidence.  Okay, so here is him working out the plan…

That is the “I know you think I can’t do this, but watch me and then post me on your blog because I’m the coolest dude you know” look.  It worked.

I KNOW, isn’t it so cute!  I really love it.  Sorry if the reveal was a big let down to you pumpkin gurus, but I think it is just fantastic.  My neighbors did too.  Yay for hubby!

Hope you have a safe and fun Halloween tomorrow.  Pray I can get my little girl into her costume which she is presently terrified of…it’s a butterfly by the way… I know… very scary stuff.

Baby Legs

These never get old. I just love them. I love how cute they are and how fast they come together. So fun! I have made two pairs and I just bought some tube socks to make some for Halloween for my girl. I can’t wait. Just love these. I found two tutorials and I just kind of put them together to make my own. You can find the tutorials here and here. You should totally go make some… today… seriously… it takes only 10 minutes.  The hardest part was finding the socks to use.  Totally worth it! These are cute under a dress or skirt or just with a onesie… so versatile.

Oh, and the next person who tells me they are having a baby, is totally getting one of these.   I just love them and want to make one oh so bad! Come on, give me an excuse!

Muwahhh!  And ta for now, my bloggers!

Place Mat Tutorial… well, sort of

So, I was really going to do a place mat tutorial… I even took pictures while making one.  I know… good, right?  Good start for a tutorial.  But, here’s the thing, when I was looking at the pictures I took, I realized that most of them were just like the napkin tutorial that I already did.  There is a good reason for that… they are the same… pretty much.  So, here is a tutette (came up with that myself… impressive… huh, huh??).

Supplies:

Fabric (2 coordinating fabrics is what I used here)

Heavy sew-in interfacing

thread and all those other fun sewing supplies (scissors, pins, marking tool, etc.)

Okay, my place mats are 14″ square.  So I cut a 14.5″ square of each fabric and a 14″ square piece of interfacing.  Follow the directions for the fabric napkin tutorial all the way up to turning inside out and pulling/pushing out corners, but leave a slightly larger opening for your interfacing.  At that point, add in your interfacing through the opening you left.

Smooth it out really nice paying particular attention to the corners.  Then continue on with the directions for the fabric napkins.  Then you will have a lovely place mat.

If you want, you can make 8,364 napkins like I did (okay… maybe it was only 30, but if felt like that many) to go with them and then you will have yummy fabric stacked to take a yummy picture AND your household will be a little more green.  And really… who doesn’t LOVE green?

YUMMY!!  Don’t you just love some Laura Gunn fabric?  Hope you enjoy!

Ta for now, my loves!

Did you know?

Okay, I’m going personal on you guys today…. Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.  So today I am thinking of my little man, Jack.  My heart is heavy, but I feel so blessed to have been able to be his mama for a short while.  I am especially hopeful for that day when I will meet him again.  Until then, I rest in the knowledge that he is with the Father and receiving his inheritance.  He is in good hands indeed.

So, if you know someone who has lost a child, encourage them today… don’t be afraid of “reminding them” of their loss… they haven’t forgotten and they will be thankful that you haven’t either.

Sewing is happening

I am sewing… just nothing nothing new that is ready to be shown.  I hate weeks like that.  I am working hard, but there isn’t much to show.  I did finish another Hair Majiggy.   I love this fabric.  So fresh feeling.

Now for confession time… I missed my one year bloggiversary.  I know, bad blogger.  I’ll make it up to you, okay?

Ta for now!

Mod Podge Jars

So, I got this idea to Mod Podge some jars on Make It and Love It.  Love that sight… really!  You can find the link here.  I am really excited about these.  Two of these are baby food jars as recommended and then I found this other jar lying around begging to get pretty, so she’s all pretty now too.  I did these in like 20 minutes tops.  I would have done more, but my little one yells when she sees these because of the candy, so I thought I would be playing with fire and my sanity if I made more.

Cute, huh?  Well, these, my friends, are my only attempt at decorating for the season.  Oh, well, I do have a fall door hanger up too, but really that is IT.  Nothing more.  I always have good intentions, but I tend to fail… and fail miserably.  But, at least I can look at these and know I tried this year.  Maybe next year will yield even more.

Jumper Dress… a first for me

You know how some seamstresses like to do a certain type of sewing whether it be quilting, bags, clothing, or something else equally fantastic?  Well, I really think I don’t fall into any particular category.  I mean I really just like trying new things.  I like having many things in my “sewing arsenal” if you will.  So, I was jumping at the chance to try this new Jumper Dress Tutorial I found on Kindershop.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE (did you catch that?) this dress.  I love it because it can really fit into any season.  Fun for summer… pair it with a long sleeve shirt and it is great for spring or fall… add leggings and a sweater and wear it into winter.  I also love it because I got to put a zipper into a piece of clothing for the first time… an addition to the arsenal.  But, most of all I love it because my daughter screams to be put into it (she is 16 months mind you) and screams when I take it off of her.  Okay, I don’t love the screaming, but seriously how much better doesn’t it get when your baby who can’t even talk only wants to wear something you made.  Oh, be still my beating heart…. really.  I love it.  Oh, and did I mention how cute she looks in it??

I see more of these in her future… like several for each season until she is 18… okay so maybe not 18, but definitely awhile.  Oh, and did  mention that I got that oh so cute fabric at Walmart of all places.  I mean, I almost never get fabric there, but I just couldn’t pass this up when I saw it.  It was so non-Walmart-ish.  This was a really easy to follow tutorial.  Lots of good pics!  The only thing I changed (because we all know I can’t do anything without changing something) is I put some small curved divets in the armpits for a little more comfort.  That’s it… otherwise I followed all the directions like a good seamstress.

Ta for now, my lovely bloggers!