Another Hobby

I've painted wooden signs before, but lately it's become more prevalent in my free time activities...

This was a set-up for a MOPS bonfire at our house. 

A housewarming gift for one of Dan's coworkers. 

Multiple signs - gifts and door prizes and for myself!

This one ended up as a door prize for my MOPS Christmas party.

A few more additions...

Preschool and Sunday School teacher gifts!

And a few more... I've already got plans for painting more this Christmas, but I don't think it will be as many! It's always a battle to decide what needs to be done and what I really want to be doing. Between sewing and painting, I have plenty of crafty plans to undertake!

PS: Thanks to my inlaws for taking down the white shed... the wood is perfect for my projects :D 

A Mermaid's Christmas

E has this little pink mermaid toy that she received as a prize at the library. So, when Made for Mermaids came out with a free pattern for a Mermaid's Tail blanket, I knew that I needed to make one for Christmas!

The fabric is from JoAnns and the pattern can be found here. It is a very quick sew - I even made the doll blanket along with it. E has wore it/played with it a few times, but I suspect that she will enjoy it more in another year or two. I could have waited to make it, but I had time this year, and I have learned that if I want to make something eventually, it's better just to get it done when I have time - no waiting around or else something else will move ahead of it on the to-do list!

Christmas for Me

When I was little, Mom made us matching Christmas dresses two years in a row. I enjoyed it then, but I never knew if I would want to make matching outfits for E and I. 

Turns out, that I did! Honestly, I felt a little silly matching my toddler daughter, but I only made a matching skirt - not the entire outfit. I paired mine with black leggings and a black sweater top, so it wasn't overly-matchy-matchy.

This was a quick and easy pattern, which was wonderful during the busy pre-Christmas season.

Who knows, maybe I'll be making more matching skirts in the future :)

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Patterns Links

Peek-a-Boo Seattle Skater Skirt (Link)

Made for Mermaids Bonny Leggings with Separate Skirt (Link)

Christmas for the Girl

I've had fun sewing for the little girl lately...

I was going to wait until next year to sew this combo up, but I couldn't help myself!! It's a Made for Mermaids mash-up along with their free infinity scarf pattern (links at the end), and I just love how it turned out! A great, comfy Christmas (and after!) dress :)

Here is her other home-sewn outfit for the Holidays. 

We tried wearing this to go see Santa; she loved the thought of seeing Santa, but then we arrived in line and she no longer thought it a fun idea. Maybe next year ;) 

I'm thinking this outfit might work for around Valentine's Day... 

... it's red with hearts! The red fabric actually has the stretch going perpendicular to the stripes, meaning that I had to pick looser fitting patterns. The tunic and the skirts were the perfect answer to the stretch going the wrong way!

Ohp, there's a sneak peak at my next post (matching skirts!)

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Patterns Links

Made for Mermaids mash-up of Brooklyn (Link) and Riley (Link) 

Made For Mermaids Free Infinity Scarf (Link)

Love Notions Girls' La Bella Top (Link)

Made for Mermaids Bonny Leggings with Separate Skirt (Link)

Peek-a-Boo Seattle Skater Skirt (Link)

Christmas Quilt {December Goal Complete}

I finished binding this Christmas quilt in time to use it for Christmas! 

(Which also means I was able to finish it before the craziness of family gatherings started!)

Fabric: Cosmo Cricket's Dear Mr. Claus for Moda

Pattern: Adapted from "Parlor" in the book A Quilting Life by Sherri McConnell

I won the book in a giveaway last year, while I bought the fabric from the Fat Quarter Shop when it first came out; I think it was at the beginning of Summer 2012. 

I used low volume Christmas stash fabrics, some of which originally came from my mom and mother-in-law's stashes. The binding was just leftovers from the original fat quarter bundle.

The kiddos are always happy to jump into my photo shoots :)

December Goal Post Here

#27 in the Goal Linky Party

JT's Stocking {ALYOF November Goal Complete}

Shortly after our wedding, I started working on crocheting our Christmas stockings. Then, when I was pregnant with E, I made one for her. Now, it was time to make JT's stocking. 

I've used the same pattern for all of them (link) that I found through Pinterest and I bought enough yarn from JoAnns at the beginning to make all of them.

I look forward to having all four stockings hanging together this Christmas season! I only have a few more days to wait until I can decorate :)

Goal Post here...

Number 33 in the goal linky...

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WIP (works in progress) List

• Christmas lap quilt (finish binding)
• Several dresses/tops/etc for E and me (patterns and fabric chosen... need to cut and sew)

UFO (unfinished objects) List

• Twin size quilt top needing a border then quilting and binding
• A quilt top from my grandma needing quilting and binding
• 6 baby quilt tops needing quilting and binding - will need 2 done by February
• A pile of Christmas half-square triangles that need to be trimmed and then organized into a table runner/table topper/pillow/etc

One More Christmas Stocking {ALYOF - November Goal}

Over a year ago, I posted this picture as an announcement of my pregnancy. I had started James' stocking to match the rest of the ours, but I had barely gotten past the centers of the 12 granny squares needed to create one stocking. I finally started working on it again last month and have finished the 12 granny squares, but now I need to put them together! 

November Goal: Finish James' Christmas stocking!

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WIP (works in progress) List

• Christmas lap quilt (finish binding)
• Several dresses/tops/etc for E and me (patterns and fabric chosen... need to cut and sew)
• SDSU hats for Christmas gifts (6 cut out, a few started, still need to cut a few more)
• Finish crocheting James' Christmas Stocking

UFO (unfinished objects) List

• Twin size quilt top needing a border then quilting and binding
• A quilt top from my grandma needing quilting and binding
• 6 baby quilt tops needing quilting and binding - will need 2 done by February
• A pile of Christmas half-square triangles that need to be trimmed and then organized into a table runner/table topper/pillow/etc

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

May your day be filled with blessings... good food, good laughs, good memories. 

Like I've said in previous posts, I'm really enjoying taking pictures of Ev lately... just has just cooperated so well! I'm sure it won't last much longer, but at least I was able to get these cute Christmas pictures before she goes all "no-no-no" to pictures :)

Also... I wasn't able to get one project done as soon as I would have liked, but at least I have until next Christmas before it's really needed!  Ev is getting promoted to a big sister this coming Spring, so little "Gus-Gus" will need a Christmas stocking next year!  (At least I have the first round of the 12 granny squares that make up one stocking done! Three more rounds to go, plus assembly and the cuff!)

WIPs and One Finish

It's about time that I do an updated WIP (Works in Progress) post!

But first, a finish! This was my quickest batch of burp cloths in recent history! A few days ago I realized that I'd be seeing 3-4 friends who are expecting this coming Spring. Well, their baby quilts are definitely not done yet, so I figured I could at least whip up a few burp cloths for a small Christmas present :) 

Here is a WIP that has been a long time coming. I've had the fabric for ages (Dear Mr. Claus), and I finally figured out what to do with them. The lap quilt has been basted and is currently in the "to-quilt" pile. 

Evelyn was in a cuddly mood after her nap, while I was trying to baste this baby quilt (School Days by Moda). This quilt was recently upgraded from the "to-quilt" pile to the "to-bind" pile. That pile resides out by the TV in hopes that one of these nights, I'll actually get ambitious and do some hand-sewing while I'm watching a Christmas movie (especially since my December goal has not left that pile... I should get going on that!).

She seemed to also like the backing to another baby quilt. I did eventually get her to move so I could baste it! She then got out one of her favorite "toys" at my parents' house... an old trike that I refinished in my 4-H days. It spent many-a year in an outbuilding at my grandmother's farm. Mom talked me into refinishing it for her (stripping paint, lots of steel wool sanding, and spray paint). It now is the throne for my American Girl Kirsten doll :)

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So, let's do a list... 

(a list that does not include projects that have fabric pulled but haven't been cut into yet!)

2 baby quilts needing binding

2 baby quilts needing quilting then binding

1 lap quilt needing quilting then binding

2 (or is it 3?!) knit dresses for E that have been cut but need some sewing done(!)

2 baby bags that are in various stages of completion

The best part of having a list like this? 

Knowing that it means that I'm using at least a little of my stash! Little by little!

Holiday Goodies {Christmas in July}

 In Honor of Christmas in July...

I have two recipes for you today!

Both can of course be made anytime of year; your taste-buds will thank you!

This first recipe was actually one that my brother's friend entered into their 6th Grade recipe book. Each student needed to share a recipe that was a family tradition... whether it be a holiday, birthday or ethnic food. Then, one the evening, each student prepared their dish (with parental help of course) and shared samples to parents, siblings, community members and teachers in the school cafeteria. It was quite the event.

Adam (my brother) did homemade ice cream (a few years later, I did Swedish Meatballs). 

Adam's friend did Marshmallow Balls! (and our Christmases were never the same again...)

It is a little time consuming, but they are always a favorite. Plus, they freeze well!

You should be able to click on the picture to see it bigger. Let me know if you'd rather me send it through email or I can type it out here.

 The second recipe, is really no recipe at all - it's so easy!

Christmas Ice Cream Cones

1. You lay out original Bugles (yes, they still make these!) onto a sheet of waxed paper. While laying them out, don't forget to stick one on each finger and act like a witch for just one second. Then eat the ones on your finger and continue laying them out :)
2. Melt almond bark in the microwave.
3. Spoon the melted almond bark into the opening of the bugle and lay a M&M in the opening. It works well to have one person spooning the almond bark and another laying the M&Ms... perfect to get the kiddos involved!
4. Wait for them to harden and enjoy their sweet-saltiness!

Happy Christmas-in-July!

Mom's Christmas Decorations {Christmas in July}

I thought it was time for a little Christmas in July action... here are a few pictures from last Christmas.

Some vintage goodies... I always had fun rearranging these little guys.

The very toy train my dad played with when he was young... and what I like to think of as the original "Elf on the Shelf" (err... ladder). Mom has decorated with that guy for as long as I can remember.

A Vintage Ornament. 

A Cute Bell. (Fun to ring... I wonder if my family ever got tired of me ringing this thing when I was younger...) 

Homemade Crocheted Stockings (the original family stockings were made by my grandma, but Mom has since made a few more as the family has expanded!).

My parents' Christmas China (Lenox Holiday). Mom usually receives one new piece each year. She is proud of all the pieces, but that punch bowl may just be her favorite. I mean, it even gets to come out for Easter and Thanksgiving and any other family gathering she deems punch necessary for. And it's always fun to explain why there's a Christmas punch bowl next to the basket of colored eggs and Easter Bunnies ;)

Christmas 2014 will be here before you know it! Happy Christmas in July!

Christmas Trees Table Runners

Before Christmas, Christa hosted a Modern Trees quilt-a-long featuring the Tri-Recs ruler set. I loved how the quilt looked and I bought the rulers at a local quilt shop on a whim with no definite plans on making it. Then, I made this tree skirt top and all of a sudden I had strippy, Christmas scraps! I cut the triangles - I got about 20 out of the tree skirt scraps. It wasn't until last month that I finally found the black fabric in my mom's stash and the brown fabric in my stash... along with the backings and the bindings.

It was time to make some table runners!

My quilting is a bit rumpled and some of my points are cut off, but overall I am happy with my two additions to my Christmas decorations! I look forward to using them next Christmas!!! When my mother-in-law saw my runners, she decided to make one, too! She hopes to make a few more for presents. I look forward to making more as well; maybe making more of those tree skirts will give me good reasons to make more ;)

Evelyn at Christmastime

 This post is only a month or so late... but better late than never!

There was the perfect little sleigh at my parents' house to take Evelyn's Christmas picture with. Mom actually puts all the Christmas letters in it, but I just dumped those out ;)

Later that day, Auntie Sarah gave Evelyn a new book (and Roxy gave lots of licks... Evelyn just laughed and laughed). This book has flaps and textures and has since become one of Ev's favorites. 

And who could resist sharing some of her crazy faces?

Then, with Dan's side there is a tradition of having Great-Grandpa pull the little ones along in the toy wagon. Evelyn wasn't quite sure what was happening, but she still gave out a few smiles. Don't you just love that bedhead? The following day, Ev enjoyed showing her second cousin her new toy... He is just 8 months older.

Finally, what is Christmas without a few carols sang around the piano? That top picture may just become a postcard for next year. She doesn't beeline for the piano as often anymore, but for awhile there, she couldn't get enough.

Merry Belated Christmas ;)

What happens when you use 2 computers...

I was cleaning out folders on the laptop while watching the Packers game on Sunday, when I can across this picture, already PicMonkey-ed and ready to post as a Christmas greeting. Well, I guess it will just be an Epiphany message instead :)

Happy Epiphany!



**The next time I edit pictures on the laptop, I'll just have to create a draft post for it, so I don't forget it! Or, at the very least, I just need to be better at using my Dropbox account... (I usually blog on the desktop downstairs and closer to my sewing area.)

Comfy Christmas Dress with Leggings

The Comfy Christmas Dress

If you remember, I won a gift certificate to Pink Chalk Fabrics this past summer. I chose the fabrics with clothing plans in mind.

The pearl bracelets have already become a stripey skirt, but I just haven't had a good time to take pictures of Evelyn in it. I have, however, had a few chances to take pictures of Evelyn's "comfy Christmas dress" made with the Riley Blake knits - red chevron and solid. She had a few other "nice" Christmas dresses purchased at second hand stores and garage sales last summer, but I wanted her to have a comfortable dress to wear throughout Christmas festivities.

I used the Janey Jump Around Pattern, which is a free download to newsletter subscribers from the Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop. http://www.peekaboopatternshop.com/product/janey-jump-around-dress

I didn't follow the pattern exactly (the main change being that I didn't add the buttons because I didn't want to have buttons where her inquisitive, strong fingers could find them... I will however add them to any more dresses I make with the pattern when she's a little bit older. You can't see it in the pictures very well, but the faux wrap part of the dress really does need the buttons to help it from not folding out). It really was a perfect dress for Evelyn to wear during the Holidays!

I used a double needle for the first time, and I was impressed by how easy it was to set-up and use. I do think I'll need another double needle - one that has a wider space - as I thought that mine was a bit too narrow. This was the first time I've worked with knits in several, several years. My machine had some trouble getting started on the seams, so I used some paper to help out. The stretch zigzag worked really well for the seams. I look forward to making a Skipper top for Evelyn with the leftover chevron fabric.  I already have the pattern (Sew Much Ado).

There are umpteen hundreds of tutorials - written and video - around the internet for turning lady's knee high socks into baby and toddler leggings. These socks were from JoAnns, and a few quick cuts and one line of stretchy-zig-zag stitching made for the perfect leggings to go under Evelyn's dress.

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Now, let's see the dress in action!

Evelyn really likes paper. After a brief second of her being on the floor which led to a few stolen bows, we put her in the old walker. Hmmm... she still found ways to chew on paper!

Overall, she had a very nice Christmas. Lots of toys and books from lots of friends and family. She sure is loved!  I'll post again with a few more Christmasy pictures later.... for now, I need to go put a little girly down for a nap :)

Merry Christmas!

May your Christmas be filled with joy and love and laughter.

Rejoice together knowing that our Savior has been born!

*Two more vintage postcards for your viewing pleasure! I just love these :)

November Goal... Squeaking By!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! 

...but now, it's on to the next Holiday...

Merry Early Christmas 

(Advent starts tomorrow!)

 My November goal was to get this pieced - it's the beginnings of a Christmas tree skirt for a wedding gift. The wedding is July 5th!

 I keep experimenting with the old-faithful pattern that my mom has used for tree skirts since the 80s. This time I went down from a 7" block to a 6.5" and added a few 4-patches to spice it up. I also went with a planned-scrappy layout, instead of diagonal lines. I've had the Believe fabric for years, waiting for this friend to get married. The others are all leftovers from past tree skirts, both ones that I made and ones that Mom made.

 I brought it up to my parents' house on Thanksgiving, so Mom can bring it to the lady who always does Mom's long-arm machine quilting. This will also be a new change. In the past, this project would have been tied with yarn. Then we upgraded to embroidery floss. The last skirt I finished, I quilted it along the seams with my home machine. Now, it's time to have someone else do some FMQ on it! (Mom, thanks for having the nativity set up already to help set the mood for these pictures, ha!).

 I also need this tree skirt quilted. I've had this top done for over a year, just waiting for the right wedding announcement. I have another friend's wedding on May 31st! (Evelyn thought she needed to be a part of the photo shoot!)

 You can see the old-way layout of diagonal lines. Four of these fabrics were from Connecting Threads while two are from JoAnns.

While we're on the topic of Christmas projects. Mom's making one of these for all her girls (my two sister-in-laws and me). I found her the pattern in a thrift store - it matched a wreath wall-hanging also made out of log cabin blocks that she made years ago.