Upcoming giveaway

Okay, so since I totally blew it on my blog’s anniversary, I am going to participate in this years Sew Mama Sew’s Giveaway Day.  Yay!  I am excited.  I hope you are too.

So, on December 2nd they are going to post all the blogs and shops giving something away and then you go and follow whatever directions and hope to win.  How fun!  You may stumble upon some really great shops/blogs at the same time.  So, it is like you win even if you don’t win a “prize.”  Or at least that is what you can tell yourself if you spend hours on end entering into all those giveaways (like I will, no doubt) and your name is never drawn, but let’s think positive, shall we.

Ta for now, my blogsters (only one person voted so that is what we are going with for now)!  I’ll be back before December 2nd, but I will definitely see you then.

Lovin the applique

I just love how easy and fun appliqué really is (can you end a sentence with “is”??  oh, well, this ain’t no english grammer blog, ya know).  I just love how you can take a plain ole shirt and make it so purrty with just a lil bit o fabric (okay, I’ll try to stop now with the poor grammer, but no promises… I stink at grammer).    My sister in law and I took our kids for their annual “cousin photos” and my little girl was going to wear her oh so fun dress I made, so the cousins needed something to match.  I took some of the fabrics from the dress and made these stinkin cute shirts.

The boy got stuck with a navy shirt and khakis, but that’s what he gets for coming out a boy… ha, just kidding… I have to figure out how to make his clothes fun too.  Maybe by next year, I will come up with something (hint, hint… would love some ideas, bloggians.  On a side note, what should I call those of you who peruse my blog?  Bloggians… like North Carolinians or bloggies… like “what’s up my bloggies?  Any other ideas?  Moving on…).  So, since my sweet sister in law likes the appliqué so much as well, we decided that a class was in order.  Once she started, she questioned my judgement on starting her sewing adventures with such a project that requires more precise sewing, but since she is a perfectionist much like myself (I say that with love… there is no shame in being a perfectionist… embrace the perfectionism, I say), I knew she would do a wonderful job.  AND she DID!  You gotta trust Carrie with these things…

I KNOW, she seriously did that!  A novice sewer and first time appliquér.  Fantastic, wouldn’t you say?  I see more of this sort of thing in her future.

So, on another side note, check out the jewel I found at my favorite local discount fabric store.  You really have to dig in that store, but sometimes it really pays off.  I mean, I’m so not a digger… I like a good deal, but only if it doesn’t require much from me, but when it comes to fabric, I will dig for days and jump and giggle like a little school girl when I find something like this for $3.50 a yard…

Okay, so not only is it really cute, but it is probably the softest cotton I have ever laid my hands on.  It is Heather Ross fabric.  Have you ever had the pleasure of touching her fabric (although, I don’t know if it is all of her fabric, but certainly this one)?  I can’t wait to sew something for a little one with this… or maybe I will make some pj pants for me out of this.  Really, my bloggies, it is DIVINE!

Well, ta for now, my blogsters (Ha, I like that one too!)

More fun jars

So, I told my MIL that I wanted some jars to store some of my sewing stuff… you know, hardware, thread, other stuff, whatever… and she totally came through for me.  Sent hooked me up with these old canning jars that belonged to her MIL and her mother.  So, not only do I have cool jars, I have old cool jars that have been in the family for like forever!

I hate to even wash them because they are so great!  Don’t you love them? I have somewhere around 15 of these.  I KNOW… now, what exactly should I put in them??  I really want to find some old wood spools of thread to put in some just for some color in my studio.  Oh, I can just see the possibilities.  Now to find old cool sewing stuff… hmm.  Oooh, and vintage buttons in the one milk jug.  Very cool.  Any other ideas out there?  Help me out here.

Ta for now!

First time sewing adventure and mystery revealed…

I always love hearing those stories from seamstresses who grew up learning to sew at the feet of their mothers or grandmothers.  And, although, I have learned so much from my mother… sewing isn’t one of those things.  So, that isn’t my story, but I’m loving my story just the same.  My mom claims she isn’t crafty at all, but she has been watching me sew so much, that she decided to give it a try.  So, the daughter becomes the teacher.  It was such a great time.  I hope we do it again!  AND she did such a great job.

Pretty awesome for her first go… wouldn’t you say?   Nice job, mama!

Now to the mystery revealed part… dunt, dunt, DUN!  I asked my secret sister where she got the jar for the ribbon jar in my last post… well, I found this in my secret sister package today.

Jelly?  Huh?  Never would have thought.  She said she got it from a local discount bread store and almost threw it away(GASP), but thought it was too pretty to do such a thing… I totally agree (WHEW).  She thought it was funny that you all liked it so much and it almost ended up in the trash… that would have been a tragedy indeed.  So, there you go… check out your local discount bread store and find you some yummy jelly just to get the fantastic jar.

And speaking of jars… I have some really great ones to show you in my next post… I mean REALLY great.

So, Ta for now, my bloggies.

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!