sew grown

Rabbit Softie

2012-02-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a peak at one of the Rabbit Softies I made using this pattern from Hop Skip Jump. It turned out super cute! It was also super easy! The only tricky part was the dress which is something I created. Making clothes that small always gets a little tricky and it didn't help that the fabric was super thin. This one was for a special friends birthday. I had to sneak it away when Madeline wasn't looking. Don't worry, she's getting one soon!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Volcano Cake

2012-02-13T20:28:00.002-08:00

We celebrated Nate's 6th birthday last week. We decided this year to just spend time with family on his birthday and have 2 small celebrations with his friends on days that we would see them anyway. We celebrated with our co-op friends at the park after co-op with cupcakes. It was so nice to see his face light up as all of his friends sang happy birthday to him. We also have a standing playdate with a few of my life long friends. I hosted it at my house the week of Nate's birthday and the kids and I spent the day creating a fun party favor and a cake perfect for my little man.

For the party favors we took jewelry charms and stones and buried them in plaster of paris. We used food tins for the mold and after they dried popped them out and put each child's name on it. I put some wooden mallets and picks out and the kids had a great time digging out their buried treasure. When they were finished I put out supplies so they could use their treasures to make a necklace or bracelet.

The cake was total last minute. After the batter was mixed Nate requested a volcano cake. I wasn't sure If my plan would work but it turned out great. Would it win a cake decorating award? Um, no....It did make me mom of the year though which is even better! I let Nate put on the lava which was great fun and he finished it off with a box of sparkler candles.

I turned a bundt pan upside down and lined the hole with parchment paper. Look at the excitement on that face!

I recently read the Waldorf Parent Guide. A friend loaned it to me and it was a good reminder of what a birthday celebration should be for our little ones. A small celebration that is stress free so our children know we are excited to celebrate their special day and a party about friendship instead of presents. This year we pulled that off perfectly!

Happy birthday my sweet boy.

pdf sewing patterns

2012-01-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

My camera is still on the fritz so I thought I would share with you some of the great PDF sewing patterns I'm working on right now. I'm getting a head start for Easter with this pattern from Hop Skip Jump. I'm also working on her Poppy Doll Pattern. I couldn't resist buying this one. It was just too cute!!

Fiona is so tallented. She has a book out that I'm just dying to purchase that would be inspiration overload! So long China made toys! Presents will be extra special this year for our friends and family!

I also just purchased these two great patterns from Oliver + S. They have made their out of print patterns digital!

I'm so happy about this! I love Oliver + S designs but avoid buying them most of the time because I don't like to have to pattern trace. I know that sounds terrible lazy but I would rather create something from scratch than deal with pattern paper! Being able to hit print and cut out my pattern has made my week!

Here is a picture of Madeline in the last Oliver + S pattern I used and I will have lots of new pics to show you soon.

Happy Sewing:)

Rabbits

2012-01-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

We have been super busy planting, sewing, and homeschooling. It feels like Spring here right now so we have been taking advantage of it and getting a early start with our planting. We planted a Florida Peach Tree, Weeping Willow, 2 Oak leaf Hydrangeas, 6 Nikko Blue Hydrangeas, and 40 ground cover jasmine. I'm also working on Madeline's new wardrobe and a tutorial for you. I can't show you pictures because I somehow managed to loose my memory card. I keep hopping it will turn up and have been putting off buying a new one but I think it's time to face the fact that it's gone.

Our biggest adventure this week is going to be the purchase of these cute guys! I know what your thinking.... Don't get rabbits! Everyone has warned me they are not ideal pets but I can't resist a challenge. They will live outside so we won't have to deal with the mess and they offer a huge benefit to the garden with their waste. There is no need to compost rabbit poop. You can just spread it in the garden daily. It's actually Nate's birthday present. He is turning six in a few days.

We found this great chicken coop/ rabbit hutch on ebay. It was a great price for what it has to offer and will give them a safe place to sleep at night. They will have a run for daytime play. The boys are really going to enjoy building this with daddy as well.

I can't believe my baby is turning 6. He's such a cool kid and I love spending time with my guy! He thinks the rabbits are his only gift but I'm surprising him with these great finds. He loves this kind of stuff!

Click on image for link

Homesteading

2012-01-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

I love the word Homesteading! It creates images in my mind of cultivating a home surrounded by Gods creation. Raising kids in a simple world where nature is their pleasure. I looked up the definition of homesteading and discovered it was originally about living self-sufficiently but has recently been given an urban clause that brings is down to small-scale, sustainable agriculture and homemaking because land is no-longer freely available. That is bitter sweet to me. It's sad land is no-longer freely available but nice that there are ways to make it work in the world we live in.

I grew up in a small town and when I was 15 became a vegetarian. I remained a vegetarian until I turned 28. I never had a "save the animals" mission, although I think that is a great cause, it was more about recognizing that I didn't like "normal" and wanted to live differently. Vegetarian foods started showing up in the grocery stores by the time I was in college. I ultimately decided to change my diet after gaining 90 pounds during pregnancy, mostly water, and realizing that my healthy alternative life was not what I thought it was. I had moved away from healthy vegetarian meals to easy to microwave vegetarian meals that had more ingredients that I couldn't pronounce than a Twinkie. I wanted to go back to "real" food. The kind of food I grew up eating. Home cooked meals that may have a can of something in them but were made with love and effort.

Now we do our best to buy organic unprocessed foods and create our meals from scratch. We have also started planning the gardens so we can make urban homesteading a part of our lives. It can be overwhelming at times but I just keep reminding myself to take it one step at a time.

Here is the inspiration for our vegetable garden.

Homeschool Kindergarten

2012-01-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

We are half-way through the year and I finally feel like we have fallen into a really good routine. Since this is our first year homeschooling it has been a bit of a learning curve. The hardest part for me has been teaching reading. We are still using Horizon Phonics and Math but I've had to supplement and slow things down with the reading since we didn't do enough reading readiness pre-k.

I also found that worksheet work for Nate was not a good fit! It stressed him out just having a big workbook in front of him. I didn't want to give up on Horizons however because I like the fast passed curriculum and the lessons it covers so I decided to teach it in a more Classical style. What that looks like for us is doing a lesson over 3 days and verbally practicing the blends instead of focusing on filling in the blank. I add extra drill work when it's not sticking. I also have Nate do the spelling words on a white board instead of in the work book. All of these things have helped take the pressure of the workbook away and Nate is progressing beautifully. I recently purchased this Handbook for Reading from A Beka after a friend mentioned it and it has been a great way to reinforce the phonics rules along with the Horizon lessons. A Beka phonics and Horizons are completely different curriculum's but the way they teach phonics rules is very similar. This is actually a first grade phonics book but matches up with the lessons in Horizons Kindergarten.

For site words I purchased the boxed Site Word Readers by Scholastic. Each book covers 2 site words. I make a flashcard for each site word then after we learn the words we read the book. I try to cover 2-3 books a week. We review the site words that we haven't learned before each lesson and as soon as the word is learned it gets put in the back of the file box to be reviewed at the end of the month.

For spelling we use the The Phonics Road. A friend recommended All About Spelling and I wish I would have taken that advice because the price is so much better! Both programs are great! I really like the Phonics Road and have nothing bad to say about it other than the fact that I only use it to teach spelling rules right now so it wasn't worth the cost. At the time I was still trying to force the Horizon worksheets and we were really struggling so I was desperate for a new program. Nate's handwriting did improve a lot after I taught him the techniques from The Phonics Road and I will use the cursive lessons soon so it wasn't a complete waste but after looking over the program I decided it was best to keep Phonics/Reading, and spelling separate.

For Math we use Horizons. It's challenging without being overwhelming for Nate so I'm very pleased with it so far. Nate also just finished up "Math Matters" with our co-op group. We have such an amazing co-op group filled with the most talented moms and dads! He learned so much in that class and had a great time! We are doing Science for the second semester. We start class with a hands-on activity followed by a story and a science experiment. After the science experiment the kids fill out their data collecting sheet and we move onto a music and movement activity. We finish the class with another fun reinforcement activity and hands-on Science experience. This week we are bringing hand-made boats to class for sink or float and next week each child will be making volcanoes out of play-doh and erupting them with vinegar and baking soda. Fun Times! Every one of the families in our co-op brings so much uniqueness and talent to the group! We all have our own styles for how we homeschool at home but when we come together as a group we are in perfect harmony. It's nice to be in a group where our individuality strengthens one another!

For History we are reading Living Books and Story of the World. We are also involved with Classical Conversations.

One of the biggest changes that I have made lately is a reward box. I wasn't crazy about this idea at first but it has ended up being so much fun for the kids. I have a vintage basket filled with craft kits, activity sheets, lollipops, and some fun toys like rocket balloons, and magic magnets. It has been a great incentive and gives the kids another fun activity to keep their minds and hands busy during the day.

When I write it all down it sounds like a lot but its really just a few short 10-15 minute lessons spread throughout the day. Most of our day is still spent doing the important things like making mud pies, exploring the woods, reading books, and crafting.

One thing I've learned about homeschooling so far is it is constantly changing and each of our children are unique and learn differently. Giving my children the gift of a good education is important but most of the learning in our home comes from the time spent with daddy outside cutting down dead trees, fixing docks, building birdhouses and other wood working crafts, planting vegetables in the garden, reading books and most importantly having time to be who they are in a world were they feel safe and loved.

Deer swimming in the backyard

Add caption

Making crafts while listening to Charlotte's Web from Audible

A visit to our favorite park by boat

Dragonfly Clutch

2012-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a clutch I made as a gift. I used the left over scraps from the aprons I made for Christmas. Just something fun to say "I love you" to my sister in law. I hope she likes it!

You can see more on the apron here.

Happy Sewing!

Handmade and recycled Christmas

2011-12-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

As a family we are working to find ways to consume less and produce more. I struggle with this because even though I'm not a big shopper I like nice things. That's why I'm so thankful God gave us Craiglist! We did a great job this year buying used and refurbishing and making home-made gifts. I made 18 aprons, 1 clutch, a dress for my niece, and a cleaning tote for Christmas gifts. Here is how the boys aprons turned out.

The boys and Tony made 6 bird houses to give out as gifts. Nate made the 2nd one with scraps off the floor and glued each piece together without any help. He's so amazing!!! I still can't believe my 5 year old not only came up with the design but was patient enough to glue each piece on and wait for it to dry before moving onto the next part. It took him 4 days! The last bird house is something my hubby is working on now. It still needs a roof. I just love how he used old trees and things from the yard. Who knew my hubby was so creative!

We found our big gifts on Craigslist. This swing set/ play house is 9 years old and was in bad shape when we got it. The hubby worked for 3 days rebuilding it with the help of my wonderful father-in-law and after a good pressure washing it looks perfect. I love how the top is an actual tree house. It will be a great place for the kids to camp out when they get older.

The kayak was a surprise for me and was also a Craigslist rescue. I couldn't wait to get out on the water Christmas morning!

Now we are planning out the organic gardens and chicken coop. I know we are a long way from homesteading but a little goes a long way and makes for such a great family life!

Christmas Sewing

2011-12-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Here is what I've been working on for Christmas gifts. Several of the girls will be getting these cute aprons with matching doll aprons and the moms will be getting skirt aprons to match.

I created a pattern for these and will hopefully get to post it after Christmas. It will be for sizes 2T-7T.

I also came up with this apron for some of the special women in our lives. I first saw this fabric and thought "how horrible"! As a walked past it again I thought "wow, that's just wrong"! The last time I walked past it I thought "I have to have this"!

I'm just hoping there is enough left over for me to make one for myself. My father is going to die seeing me cook Christmas dinner in this one! Hehe, It's the little things in life.

Side Board Make-over.

2011-12-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the side board I painted over Thanksgiving. I took a few short cuts since I decided to paint it last minute but I still love how it came out.

Here is what it looked like before. It wasn't bad it just wasn't my style. I purchased this on clearance at Home Goods.

The color is Gettysburg Gray by Benjamin Moore. I added dirty gloss and the electric sander to distress it. The short cut I used was painting it with latex paint. The proper way, I've been told, to get that perfect antiqued look is to either use oil paint with dirty gloss or chalk paint with the gloss and then finishing it with a wax coat. I plan on doing another piece soon using the chalk paint to see for myself.

The hardware I ordered from a local dealer. I'm still waiting on one more drawer pull. I love this hardware!
I was able to salvage the original hinges by sanding them a little to expose some brass.

This was actually my first big painting project and I'm hooked now! Watch out thrift stores!

I'll do a tut the next time:)

Boys Christmas T-shirts and a Dress

2011-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here is what I came up with for our Christmas photos. I decided to go with the easy and quick again. I think this is the only way I'm going to get them all into handmade clothing at the same time. For the boys I used the Tee for Two Pattern by Pattern's by Figgy's. It's a raglan style shirt and you can sew these up in about 15 minutes after you get a little practice with the neckline. I change my neckline a little each time as well. With these I doubled over the finished edge to make it more narrow and give it a cleaner seam. The Christmas robot embroidery patterns on the front came from Urban Threads. That is a great site if you are looking for unusual embroidery!

For Madeline's dress It's just a rectangle folded in half and sewn together along the side. I then folded the top down 6" and shirred. For the sleeves I attached two rectangles to the top and shirred 4 rows. I added the bows because It was a little plain without them.

I took photos for an hour and this is the best I got for our Christmas card! Oh well, we are still getting lots of wear out of these.

I was told I could never pull off this polka dot fabric for boys. I have to admit it concerned me a little but I really wanted them to wear some color for a change. What do you think? Can boys wear polka dots?

Just Say No!

2011-12-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

Every year I make the same mistake. I start off shopping for Christmas with a clear head. I buy the kids each a game, some science experiments and puzzles we can use for school fun, 1 or 2 toys that I know will excite them or that special thing they have been asking for and then I make them something special. Unfortunately as Christmas Eve rolls near I start to second guess what I got. "Is is enough?" "Will they be disappointed?" I end up making the mistake of purchasing an electronic game of some sort knowing that will surely make their day. I regret that decision the day after Christmas and ultimately end up getting rid of the item. I was talking with a friend yesterday and started to do it again!

We made the decision as a family that we would do little to no TV and video games. The thing I don't want however is for my kids to know we made this decision. I never want them to think these things aren't allowed, especially video games, because I don't want them to desire and wish for them. The approach we have taken is to just be busy and productive and don't bring it up. It amazes me how little kids actually want to watch TV and play video games when their minds are stimulated in other ways! It's when I want to turn off that they end up in front of the TV! Nate the other day told me his favorite thing to do was play video games. It took my breath away, especially since it had been well over 2 months since he had played. He asked if he could play his game on the ipad so I gave him a 10 minute time limit and let him play. He didn't even finish the 10 minutes. I came to check on him and the ipad was on the table and he was out in the yard playing. The further away from it we get the less exciting it seems to be.

This year I'm saying NO! No we don't need more and we don't need electronic games and DVDs! What we do need is to spend our days together being creative and giving thanks to God for all we have.

Siblings

Costumes

Tools and a creative mind

It's a marshmallow shooter

Nature and a daddy with strong arms

An extra pair of gloves for when we don't want to wear shoes

Sweet kitty cats and baby smiles

A great climbing tree and fresh squeezed juice

These are the real gifts.

Toy Rocket Ship Tutorial

2011-12-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

I know this took a lifetime for me to finish but I have finally made the Blast off Rocket Ship Tutorial and pattern available for instant download! I hope you enjoy and please upload your photos to the Sew Grown Flickr group. I would love to see how they turn out!

Download Now

Thanksgiving preperations.

2011-11-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we will have a house full of family and I'm so excited! I've missed them so much! Normally I would be rushing to get things done but the past 2 days I was lucky enough to have my husband home. It's been so nice to have time to enjoy preparing for Thanksgiving!

I found this side board at Home Goods on clearance awhile back and it was the perfect size for our kitchen. It's been sitting in the garage and I haven't had much time to even worry about it but I really wanted a place for desert tomorrow so I took advantage of my hubby being home and got it 90% finished for tomorrow. I will do a post later with the details. I have some amazing hardware on order and a few last touches but it turned out perfect in my eyes. I can't wait to see it in the house displaying the many deserts we have planned.

Here is what it looked like before. It wasn't bad it just wasn't my style.

The flowers are ready to be arranged.

The linens have been pulled.

And the first batch of cookies have been baked.

As you can see we ate most of them already so I have to get back to work! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Vintage Framed White Board.

2011-11-10T17:17:00.000-08:00

I keep trying to keep our beautiful homeschool library looking like a library instead of a class-room but no matter how hard I try the "school" supplies keep sneaking their way in. We needed a white board and I refused to go with the classic school style. I'm sure at some point I will give in but for now I made this one.

I used dry-erase paint on the cardboard backing of an old picture and it turned out great. The picture was something I had from my collage years that I wasn't using anymore and the size was perfect for what I needed. I was planning on painting the dry-erase paint on the glass which would have made for a much nicer surface but it cracked before I had the chance. Oh well, it works great and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I repainted the frame with several layers of old paint in the garage. To get this look I used a white/gray base then added dark gray and wiped some off with a rag. I then added beige and wiped some off and topped the whole thing with the main color Benjamin Moore's Coventry Gray and wiped some off as I put it on. To finish I added some dark gray into the ridges. The original frame was beige and looked a little cheap. I'm very happy with the frame! The color is so soothing. I also really like the dry-erase paint over a regular dry-erase board because it doesn't have that hospital stark feeling about it. It's bright white but still soft on the eyes. It was easy to paint on and left absolutely no odor which I was very surprised by!

Do you have any creative ideas for homeschool rooms? Especially ideas on keeping down the clutter?

Handmade Halloween Shirts and a Dress

2011-10-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I made all three kids something to wear to celebrate one of our family traditions! This is of course always my goal but I usually only finish one of the kids outfits in time. It helped that I used the super easy Tee for Two pattern by Figgy's. The pattern is for making raglan knit t-shirts or dresses. The sew time for these tees was seriously about 15 minutes each! I don't have a serger so I reinforced all the seams with a zigzag stitch since these take lots of abuse. The fabric is from Joann Fabrics. The black is a medium weight knit and the orange sleeve are made from double stretch knit. I've made several of these in the past and the boys love how comfy they are!

We go to the same place with family every year and make a very special day out of it. I love that I was able to make it even that much more special for them!

For the design on the front I used freezer paper, a bleach pen, and some orange fabric paint. This was really fun for the kids because they got to participate. We found designs on the internet they liked and printed them out. Next I traced the design onto the freezer paper and cut out the pattern. We then used a bleach pen to lighten the black so you could see the paint. Once the bleach was dry we finger painted inside the stencil with orange paint. If you head over to A Lemon Squeezy Home you can see Christie's amazing freezer paper Halloween shirts. Her haunted house was much more detailed and totally cool! She just used the bleach pen which left the design several shades of orange. That was my original plan but the orange was too light and didn't match the sleeves.

This is the color the bleached turned the black knit.

Cottage Fireplace Make Over.

2011-10-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show you what my amazing decorator has come up with to fix the massive 1980's cedar fireplace. I originally posted here that I was planning to distress paint the fireplace and have a rustic beam mantel put in. I tried every color and style I could think of and nothing looked good!!! I finally gave up and called in reinforcement. One look and she came up with this. She is amazing!!

Here it is now.

We are still working on some changes. I want to get rid of the cedar paneling all together and go with a more up to day paneling along the front. It just amazes me how the drywall makes the top of the fireplace vanish! You can see how they did it in this photo below. We have a long way to go with the house but this will make a huge difference! It's so big and right in the center of our home. I can't wait however for the kids to warm up next to a cozy fire and roast marsh mellows. Even if it still unfinished.

oliver + s swingset tunic and simple skirt for baby girl.

2011-10-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased my first oliver + s sewing pattern. I chose this swingset tunic and skirt pattern. I really want to be sewing more for myself and the boys but Madeline needs some new clothes. OK, let me rephrase that. I want Madeline to have some different style clothes. Everything she has is hand me downs and absolutely beautiful but I have been finding myself staring in her closet lately wishing for something a little less Easter dress and a little more Madeline. I think I got it right with this one!

I'm in love with oliver + s now! The pattern was easy to follow and I love how professional looking it turned out. The fabric I used for the top and skirt is something I've had in my stash for a couple of years and I can't remember who it's by. The pink paisley is a super soft voile fabric and I think it's by Anna Maria Horner but I can't seem to find it online so that might be wrong. I purchased it locally and was in such a rush I didn't even bother to look. It reminds me a lot of the fabric I used for Madeline's sunsuit and my shirred sundress. Its very thin and has the most vibrant colors.

I didn't follow the oliver + s skirt pattern. I decided just to do a simple elastic waisted skirt made from 2 rectangles. The waist band is really small because I used scraps to make it but I really like how it turned out. She has worn it a couple of times now and it looks super cute with a collared t-shirt. I need to get busy making more of these skirts and take advantage of this perfect bubble butt diaper age.

I didn't have any small buttons to cover with fabric so I went with invisible snaps again. I love having those to fall back on! I was not in the mood to do buttons anyway and she outgrows these clothes so fast that my standards for the fine details have gone way down! She is also a little monkey and is into and on top of everything so my sewing time has gone way down as well! But I know the time goes by fast so I'm enjoying every second of this sweet energetic baby.

A cute headband from the scraps and a rolled knit flower with vintage button and off she goes.....

Home School Days

2011-10-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

We don't always do what's planned but we learn. I say "we" because as we move through our first official homeschool year I'm learning that some days just need to be different. Yes, there is work that needs to be done but sometimes we all need a day to just enjoy God's glory. We didn't complete anything on our list today but we did go exploring in the backyard.

We played with our kittens. We got these two at the pound 2 months ago. The Calico is Chopper and the black cat is Diesel. After Diesel trains of course. Diesel is the girl.

We read good books and did unplanned crafts.

The homeschool library is still not complete but getting closer.

Used tools just for fun.

These are the days I love most!

Burda Style PDF Patterns

2011-09-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hi! So sorry it's been so long! That seems to be the theme with me this year. Things are busy with homeschooling and I'm still working on the house which takes all of my extra energy at the end of the day. I have found myself too exhausted to even want to sew which is very unlike me!

I have been daydreaming and planning lots of sewing projects however. I recently discovered that Burda Style offers instant down loadable pdf patterns! Lots of them! They also have a great gallery to view what others have created which is my favorite part.

I purchased this adorable dress pattern and hope to get a chance to make it this week.

02/2011 Dress with gathered rectangle skirt and cap sleeves

I plan to use this vintage table cloth for the fabric. I should be able to wear it for a few months with a little cardigan since we live in Florida. If I get busy making it that is!

Do you think the green is going to be too much?

Boys Wallet

2011-09-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we started our homeschool co-op classes. We joined a homeschool co-op when Nate was just 2 which was very early to get started but I was looking for like minded families to share the journey with. The group grew very quickly and last year 2 sister groups where started. We are still a part-time member of our original homeschool group which is a Charlotte Mason group and now participate in co-op classes with one of the new sister groups. We are so blessed! Both groups are so amazing and filled with the most beautiful families! There is no issue of any of our homeschooled kids missing out on socialization! Sometimes I have to take a time-out from all the fun we have with friends!

For Nates class they are doing "Math Matters" and learning about money. I was asked that we provide a wallet for Nate that will stay in the class all year and it needed to hold quite a bit of change. I new right away trying to find one at a store with 3 kids that would hold change and be "cool" was not going to be worth the effort so I headed to the computer and went pattern hunting.

I was so excited when I came across this Boys Wallet over at the very purple person. Fantastic blog by the way!!! She made this one for her son using this pattern from Napkitten Pattern at Etsy. I headed straight over to buy the pattern and unfortunately the shop owner was on vacation. I was so bummed! It was perfect with the little pocket so I decided to just make it on my own. Napkitten is back open now.

The Napkitten Pattern is for a girl's lace wallet and Novita changed it up to make it all boy. I copied everything she did. I added the zipper, did velcro for the pocket, and added the elastic strip to hold it closed. I still like hers a lot better with the cool skull fabric and rustic charm but Nate is happy with his and it works perfectly for what we needed.

Nate is all about race cars right now so I started with some scrap upholstery fabric I had in my stash and embroidered a race car for the front. This is the first time I've embroidered in over a year! I love that I can embroider when I get in a situation like this one where I don't have any cute fabric and don't feel like shopping for any but I have to admit that it's not my favorite thing to do. It was easy to reproduce this wallet by looking at the picture but I think I'm still going to head over and buy that pattern. I'd like to make a couple more of these when the boys get older and start to carry library cards and money of their own.

Oh, and have you seen Patterns By Figgys new sewing for boys book? Awesome! I can't wait for mine to arive!

Simple Dress

2011-09-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here is something I whipped up for Madeline before heading to Nina and Papa's house on Sunday. It's not much but I was really missing my sewing machine and needed a quick fix! It turned out really cute for the time I put into the dress.

It's actually 3 pieces. I first made a tube and did the shirring but it was way to loose and I wanted the dress to have lots of room for movement so I decided to size down the top and leave the bottom. I folded 2 rectangles in half, stitched them right sides together, flipped them right side out, and shirred 3 rows after they were attached to the dress. The fabric is by Amy Butler.

For the headband I sewed a piece of rose trim to 1/4" elastic. Super easy. I'm all about the headbands these days. She pulls everything else out. She can't seem to figure out how to get the headbands off yet....

Now I'm hoping to make the boys something to match her cute dress for co-op school on Thursday. My goal this year was to have them all wearing handmade school clothes and since we only go once a week I thought it would be an attainable goal. I'm not so sure anymore seeing that it's Tuesday already!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Homeschool Library Phase One

2011-08-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

The room is finally coming together! There are still a ton of little things to finish and I have to decorate but I wanted to let you have a peek out how it's coming along.

Here is the before!

The bookcases are the Billy Bookcases from IKEA. These are super inexpensive and I love all the option you can choose from! I will be adding cabinet doors to the bottom of the stand alone unit to hide some of our messy homeschool supplies and the magazine racks are perfect for displaying books for the kids to see and hopefully strike an interest.

We had a carpenter come in and add crown molding to the top of the bookcases, a 1X4 along the bottom and shoe molding to tie it in with the baseboards. We were updating all of the casings and baseboards in this room anyway so I had it built-in to the baseboards and chair rail but you can just do a quick up grade with crown and still get a great look. I also decided to fill all the excess shelf holes and paint the bookcases so they matched the trim work. I chose the window and door casing style to give the house a cottage look. The 7" baseboards with short ceilings also help add that cottage charm.

The windows need to be replaced but that won't be happening this year so I painted the black framing white to match the trim. It doesn't look great if the shades are up but we don't lift these shades ever so it was a perfect solution for now. The bamboo shades are from Lowes and I love the filtered light! I will be adding drapes for privacy and comfort.

My wonderful husband built the desk for me. This was so easy! It's just a piece of oak plywood and to finish the edge we used left over baseboard cap. When flipped upside down it made the perfect finishing touch. The desk was put in to hide the air return but is now my favorite part of the room! It gives the kids a place for writing lessons and me a place to prepare lesson plans.

Here are a few other Billy Bookcase inspirations.

This is a photo from Tricia at home made happy. This is actually one of my favorite blogs! She has such beautiful taste and is so inspiring. She also homeschools six beautiful children! You need to head over and check out her home tour!

If you head over to Maillardville Manor you can read a tutorial on how to create this bookcase using the Billy bookcases. She also has an amazing home tour!

What do you think so far?

Party dress.

2011-08-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the dress I made for Madeline's first birthday.

I added a little silk flower headband to match that she surprisingly kept on most of the time. It was super easy to make. I rolled folded strips of silk to make the flowers and glued them to a bow of tulle. I glued the tulle to a beaded strip of trip and then attached elastic to the trim. It took about 10 minutes and totally made the outfit.

I love this color pink on her! I made the ruffles one row shorter that I had originally planned because even though she is walking a little, she mostly still crawls. The good news is the bodice is a tad bit big so I think I will be able to add the 4th ruffle and she can get one more wear out of it in the Spring. I used invisible snaps to close the back. They are so much easier than buttons and look just as good!

It is 100% silk. The top fabric came pre-quilted and the bottom is raw silk. There is also a layer of brown tulle under each ruffle to add extra poof. I was all about the poof with this one! I started writing a tutorial but I decided not to torture you! This thing was an absolute pain!

What do you think? Is it worthy of a princess on her first birthday?

Happy Sewing!

Family tradition

2011-08-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long! Things are so busy and I've been too wiped out at the days end to share any of it with you. I have been planning our homeschool year. Even though we have been doing school, it's been selective because we have had so much going on. We plan to be back to full time starting September 5th. I have also been working on putting together our homeschool library. The carpenter comes Monday so that should be ready to show you next week. I'm so excited about it! The room is turning out beautiful! It will be filled with as many bookcases as I can fit, a family game table, some super comfy reading chairs, and some bean bag chairs so the kids can lounge during reading time.

We also celebrated Madeline's first birthday. Her party is not until this weekend but I did take her on her birthday to a very special place. When I was young my mother would take me to the doll shop and let me pick out a special doll. It was such a nice treat and I still have those special dolls. I decided to start this tradition with Madeline. Every year on her birthday we will go to the doll shop and let her pick out a doll. I think family traditions are so important!

Here she is at the doll shop.

I found the Pottery Barn Kids Pram at consignment. Score!

Now it's time to start building bookcases and planning her party. We will also be celebrating my fathers birthday this weekend and will have lots of family visiting. God is so good!

Do you have any birthday traditions for your wee ones?

Cedar Fireplace and House Photos

2011-08-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

I have been really hesitant to share house photos with you because the house is such a mess but then last week when I was searching the Internet working on some design ideas for the family room and trying to find a solution for our massive, incredibly ugly fireplace, I remembered that sharing is what blogging is all about. So here it is!

Our house was built in 1986 and the owners who bought the house during the major house boom did some work updating the place but it still has a long way to go. This fireplace is all rough cedar. The photos don't really show how bad the wood actually looks. It was originally, and if you look at the top still is, very orange and if you touch it you will end up with about 30 splinters in your hand. I stained the bottom with a walnut stain hoping that would update it a bit but it only made it worse! It turned black in spots and wouldn't take stain at all in others. Why I didn't notice this before staining half the fireplace I'm not sure.

When we moved in pictures were hung where there were nails to get them off the floor and so far all I've done to this room is paint the built-ins and I had the handy man put crown molding along the top. The walls will be painted the gray/blue you see smudged on the wall. It is Ice Cap by Benjamin Moore.

The plan right now is to try and faux paint all the wood planks on the fireplace similar to how this chair was painted and have a more up to date mantel build. If the paint doesn't look good we can try to lay thin wood floors over the top. It's tricky because the built-ins are built up to the paneling on the sides and would need to be removed in order to completely replace the wood. That is not something in the budget right now! We have to work with what we've got since there is a lot more house that needs to be updated after this room!

Unfortunately vertical blinds didn't make the 80's comeback. I will be making linen drapes in a neutral color that will have a reverse pleat and will be lined and padded so they hang just to the tile and pile nicely together without looking bulky. They will also have hand sewn rings attached to make closing easy.

The ceiling is popcorn and has a lot of damage so the carpenter will be laying tongue and groove pine on the ceiling that will be painted white as well as a couple of beams. I really like the traditional cottage look! The drapes will then be hung 2 inchesbelow the ceiling to add some balance to this wall. The fan will be replaced with a large chandelier. The hubby is not happy about that one!

My wonderful husband will be redoing the casings on all the doors and windows in this style.

He is also adding wainscoting to the room that will look similar to this without the picture shelf.

Unfortunately we don't have a lot of time to worry about remodeling so these projects take a VERY long time but I will show you updates as things move along. Here are some of my favorite decorating inspirational pics in the meantime.

You can find the source by clicking on the photo.

Are you working on any house projects?

Anthropologie Rediscovered Flatware "A mini Tutorial".

2011-08-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was browsing the online Anthropologie catalog and was so excited to see their new Rediscovered Flatware!

I was excited to find this because I have been collecting vintage silver and silver plated flatware for awhile now. That means my idea is in style! Yea! I started collecting several months ago after I became feed up with replacing full sets because we would loose most of the forks. I was also never able to find a set that wasn't bulky and heavy. I had a few vintage silver forks in our drawer from my childhood that I loved because they were light and thin and had sharp tips which made eating much more enjoyable so I decided that was the way to go. I originally went looking for a full matching set for our every day use but the cost was too high. That's when I decided to mix it up! It's a lot more fun to collect them that way and a drawer full of silver makes hosting Holiday dinners and showers breeze. It's a show stopper when set up at the table!

These actually look very light and silver in person like Anthropologie's. I just couldn't get a good photo.

I care for my silver by throwing it in the dishwasher and then tossing it back in the drawer.

My only concern was how the hubby was going to respond when I finally replaced all the "old" flatware with "older" flatware. I started slow because it took me awhile to find enough to supply our needs. I began to notice however that he started to choose the vintage over the modern flatware. At first I thought it was because that was all that was clean but it turns out he appreciates the functionality of vintage flatware as much as I do.

If your interested in starting your own collection keep a look out at thrift shoppes, antique markets, and garage sales. The odd pieces are usually a really great price! Buy a bottle of Tarn-X from your local grocer, find a container you can fully submerge your silver in, get some disposable tongs and a pair of gloves, dunk, wipe, wash and your done!

Anthro's cost $36.00 plus shipping. My cost with the Tarnex is about $10.00 per 5 piece set.

Anyone else a lover of vintage silver? Oh, and Antropologie too?

Charlie Tunic for Her

2011-07-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Rae from Made by Rae recently released her super cute Charlie Tunic PDF sewing pattern. It's a boys shirt but if you head over to her site you can see lots of girlie Charlie tunic dresses being made. The boys refuse to wear anything but knit tees these days so I decided to make one for Madeline. I love Rae's patterns! If you are new to sewing she walks you through each step making it simple to create beautiful things while learning some sewing tricks and lingo. If you have been sewing for awhile her patterns are great because you can just print out the pattern and glance at the photos to see what comes next.

I made a few changes to the Charlie Tunic pattern and created the ruffled shorts out of the bling denim I mentioned in This Post. For the Charlie Tunic I shirred the sleeves, added some lace, gathered it a little just below the denim to give it some flare, and added a ruffle along the bottom. I made the shorts by tracing an existing pair and adding ruffles.

I also made a head band to hold back her hair. her hair is getting long and falls right in her eyes now but I can't bring myself to cut it.

What do you think, does the Charlie Tunic work for girls?

Bling denim

2011-07-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I have been working on. I've been sewing up lots of fun stuff but haven't had the chance to blog about them. Hopefully a new surprise from my hubbie will help with that!

These shorts are made from some fabulous denim I found at Joannes. It has gold thread weaved in it that makes it look really nice. These are a part of an outfit that I will hopefully be able to finish and show you this weekend!

Front

Back

I've also been working on our container garden. It's the worst time of year to do it but I like to rescue the throw aways and half priced/half dead plants that are easy to find right now. You will never know they were rejects come this fall.

Gardenias, herbs, roses, succulents, ferns, and a African Violet in a tiny tea cup..... They are all my favorite.

And tonight after I finish up Madeline's shirt I will be working on an iPad tote out of theses napkins from Anthropologie. I wish there was a store that sold this fabric!

My wonderful husband surprised me with an iPad this week! Totally unexpected! What a good boy;) My VERY old computer is upstairs in the sewing room and I disappear a lot to coordinate the kids events, plan homeschool lessons, and blog. I think he was missing me;)

Now I need to know if anyone would like a tutorial for an ipad case. I enjoy writing them and sharing with you all but they are time consuming so let me know if your interested!

It will not be a flip and fold table top style because I like the hard back with smart top. I plan on making something padded for protection that can be tossed in my purse when I head out.

A Special Gift

2011-07-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a special gift for a very special girl.

The Dress is from the Gracie pattern by Sandi Henderson and the fabric is Girly Girl by Art Gallery Fabrics. I usually don't make the ruffled mixed patterned type outfits but I had this pattern and the fabric so I thought I would step outside the box a little. It turned out super cute. I especially like how the polka dot sleeves give it a vintage look. It turned out smaller than I anticipated so I'm hopeful it will fit this special little girl. It's going to Madeline's half sister who I haven't seen since Madeline's adoption.

I love creating care packages! It's stuffed full of fun stuff that we have come across while running errands. Scrap book supplies, personalized hair brush, a diary, scripture book for girls, and lots of other girly girl items. All to remind her how much we love her.

Next stop the post office. I hope she enjoys it as much as I have enjoyed putting it together for her!

XOXO sweet baby girl;)

Made Beach Robe Ruffled Tutorial

2011-07-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

So here is that mini tutorial I promised forever ago. I'm so slow! We actually ended up with the stomach flu which set us back a few days. Yuke! What is it with the stomach bug these days? I remember when it was the "24 hour bug" now it seems to be never ending. It took us 5 days to fully get over it! I've noticed this reading other blogs as well. It seems to knock us moms out cold these days!

So while I was recovering I started back into house project mode. Mostly in the garden and I did a little make over on our porch floor.

This is it before.

Here it is now. Ahhhhh........

I used Quick crete concrete stain in (Colored Bridge). It's a creamy taupe. I originally chose Grayling which is a taupe gray but it turned out super gray and looked like an industrial garage. I would avoid all shades of gray if you choose to do this!

The process was super easy. I washed off the porch, waited for it to dry, then I rolled on the stain. It took 3 coats and each coat has to dry 24 hours. It also took one can per coat to cover our porch floor which is about 300 square feet so it's more expensive than paint but it looks so nice and wipes clean alot better than paint. It has a seal that keeps things on the surface which is great for all the morning coffee that gets spilled out there.

I also keep finding these super tiny frogs while I'm gardening. I can't get over how small they are! I know I get a little dorky with the nature stuff but I can't help it. I love the out doors and all of Gods amazing creations.

Seriously, is that not the tiniest frog you ever seen!

Click the pic for the Ruffled Made Beach Robe tutorial.

I love that sweet face!

Stay-cation

2011-07-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

One of our family traditions is to go out of town for the 4th. This year we decided to stay home and put the money into some much needed house projects. Tony still took off work and we have spent the past week enjoying our "stay-cation". We have had family and friends over, fireworks, festive food, swimming, boating, fishing, antique and thrift shopping, and we have been eating really well with our fresh catch from the river.

It's shrimp season. I can't believe my picky little eaters have been eating these up! The hubby has been sauteing them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and the kids can't get enough!

Cocanut Cake from Barefoot Contessa recipe. I love her! This cake is amazing and easy to make. It's also a show stopper if your looking to impress your quests.

This was a bad idea! Small ashes ended up all over the top of the cake.... It was still yummy.

Afternoon rain storms to cool us off.

Watching the fireworks from the dock.

Fresh flouder.

Red Fish.

Little antiqe rocker I found while thrifting.

Now it's time to sneak in a little sewing while the weather is rainy.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!

Book Club

2011-06-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start sharing my reading list with you in hopes that we can exchange book reviews. By book review I mean, this one was great, don't waste your time on that one. Reading is a huge part of my life right now and has been my saving grace! My kids are little so sneaking off to sew, paint and decorate, garden, even get on the computer and blog are all out of the question right now unless the hubby is home or some other wonderful family member comes to stay so I spend my extra time during the day reading. It's something I love to do and I can be outside enjoying some grown up time while still making the kids feel secure with my presence.

I'm in a book club and we are currently working our way through all of Jane Austen Works. We are on Pride and Prejudice right now which who doesn't love that one! By the way the link I've included is to a site where you can read all of Jane Austen's novels for free online. Our book club only meets every month so I was looking for something else to fill my time and a friend recommended The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. If I would have read the book description I probably would not have bought it. It's a bit violent and scary but I trusted my friend and went for it. It's a fantastic read! It's a trilogy and they are making a movie so you need to read them fast. I'm finishing the second book and it's just as good as the first. It is a bit violent and scary like the back describes but the book is more about the characters, and there are some good ones, so a lot of that stuff it turns out is not as traumatic as I was expecting. I'm a big wimp by the way!

Please share what you are reading or have read in the past so I can put together a book club list!

Thanks for sharing;)

Ruffled Beach Robe

2011-06-27T17:42:00.000-07:00

Here is what I worked on this weekend. The hubby took the kids almost all weekend so I could get a break and have some much needed sewing therapy. I think he had other plans for our family this weekend but one look at me on Saturday and he started taking over telling me to go enjoy myself. I must have looked as crazy as I was feeling. He looked a little scared of me to tell you the truth;)

I call this the "bark tastes yuke face".

I'm not sure what it is about summer but my kids loose their minds! All of my friends homeschooling and not seem to be going through the same thing. It's as if all the kids got together and made a pack to torture their parents this month! OK, maybe I'm getting a little carried away. We keep the same schedule for the most part but for some reason they are rowdy, whinny, and restless! I will say, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact the TV has slowly crept back into our lives. With ISR swim lessons at the house everyday for 7 weeks our schedule got out of whack and towards the end I was allowing a little TV. Now I'm finding myself turning it on to get a moments peace which is not good for any of us so tomorrow we will back to no TV and the next two weeks will be training and adjusting time AGAIN! I just need to remember the pay off is worth it and get back into my 6:00a.m. spin class to release some stress!

Now that I'm done whining I can share my new favorite pattern with you. Dana over at MADE has a fantastic new pdf pattern for sale. It is a kids Beach Robe made out of terry. I've made 3 so far. One for each of the kids to use when they get out of the pool. The best part is I was able to use stained towels that were going to be put in the rags drawer. You can't see any stains now! We go through so many towels so I'm hoping this will eliminate some laundry. Even if it doesn't they turned out super cute and the kids seem to really like them so far.

The pattern was easy to print and follow. I love pdf patterns! Just print, tape, and sew. I usually don't use patterns because I can't stand all that thin pattern paper that the kids think is fun to roll around in and I really don't like tracing patterns to get the right size. Here I go whining again. Maybe the problem is me not the kids!

I added ruffles to Madeline's and instead of a tie around the waist I added a vintage button. It fits her better this way and the tie was taking away from the sweet feminine look. I will be posting a mini tutorial this week.

Hehe, sewing is fun....

Is anyone else out there feeling whinny too????

knitted doll blanket

2011-06-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly preparing for Madeline's first birthday. She will turn one on August 9th. I can't believe she is almost one. It goes by so much faster with the 3rd! That little knitting project I have been very slowly working on is finally done. I made a small doll blanket to go with the baby doll I plan to make her. I think she will also be getting a baby doll stroller if I can find a cute vintage one at the thrift store in time.

The pattern I used is this pattern from Lion Brand. It has to be the easiest thing you could ever knit. It took me a week because I have to get up to clean a spill, break up a brawl, rescue a baby from under a chair, and a zillion other things every 5 minutes but even so it was a breeze! I made it smaller by using smaller needles and cutting my gauge down to 3X3.

If you are interested in knitting and don't know were to start you should head over to knittinghelp.com. I learned to knit 2 summers ago by watching the videos on this site. The videos are fantastic! Much easier than looking at pictures in a book!

I'm also going to be making this vintage doll for Madeline's birthday. After we decided to adopt I went on a doll frenzy. I just had to make a vintage doll! However, like most things I set out to do, it never happened. Life is busy right now and this lovely little doll just didn't make the list. Not by me anyway. A good friend made it for her daughter's first birthday last year and it turned out super cute! She did however say it was a horrible pattern to work with. Lucky for me she took notes of the changes she made. Thanks Corey;)

She also just made these which I am madly in love with!

Don't you think the doll sort of resembles Madeline? What's funny is she is exactly what I pictured she would be from the minute we decided to adopt and picked a name. Looks, personality, the whole package! God is good!

Homeschool Curriculum

2011-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

The reason you are not seeing much sewing going on right now is we have started school. I wanted to start early because I like to play hookie! The thing I have learned about homeschooling is there is no right or wrong way it's just what works best for your family. In our house it's about what works best for me since I have to manage everything! We use a combination of curriculum's and homeschooling philosophies. I love Charlotte Mason's philosophies of short lessons, living books, and nature study. We have a huge selection of living books in the house that we read daily. I also use living books in addition to our curriculum for Geography, Science, and Math. I've found it's a great way to make "education an atmosphere" and keep the kids busy during these HOT and LONG summer days!

Books waiting to get organized for the year.

Heading out to explore even with the smoke filled air. The wild fires are really bad this year!

Feeding the birds.

For math and phonics we have chosen Horizons K. It's a spiral math program and the phonics is very thorough. It covers the phonics rules from the beginning with lots of practice in each lesson. The books are also very colorful and have some funny pictures which helps keep Nate's attention. They add weird pictures like a crazy looking guy that is named Ed, we call him crazy Ed, or purple elephants. Nate finds this very entertaining! Looking at the 4 workbooks can be intimidating! My first thought was it was way to advanced for Nate but he is doing amazing with it. It's fast paced but it's done in a repetitive manner with lots of practice so once Nate gets the sound combinations he knows what to expect with the practice activities and is moving through them with ease. The math is similar. It seems to be a little more advanced than other programs but is laid out in a way that is easy to learn and retain.

For History we are reading Jean Fritz. She is a fantastic children's author that writes American History books that are fun and interesting for younger children. Especially boys who love history!

For Science we are doing unit studies using a combination of living books, activities from More Magnets to Mudpies, and Let's-read-and-find-out-science.

We have a reward system in place that my dad calls "bribery". Maybe he's right but it works so I'm not about to change it! My kids don't get allowance for house chores they are just a requirement but they get stickers which can be turned in for money for school work. There is a minimum that has to be completed each day to get a sticker and extra stickers can be earned for doing extra work. Each sticker is worth $1.00. So if they choose a toy at the store that costs $8.00 we black out 8 stickers. They also love to go to Ollie Koala (a kids game place) so they can trade in 12 stickers for a trip there. I use a laminated calendar for our sticker system which is how we do our calendar lessons for the year. Nate fills out the dates each month and gets a review of the calendar ever day he completes his work and earns a sticker.

So far things are going better than expected so keep us in your prayers with that!

I would love to hear how you do things!!! I'm always looking for inspiration!

We also like to play spider man hehe.....

Knitting tote tutorial

2011-06-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Cut fabric.

Cut 2 pieces for outer fabric 16"X13" and 2 for lining 16"X13".
One piece 13"X13" for the large outer pocket and one piece 8"X13" for the small front pocket.
Cut 2 fabric strips 21"X3" for straps

Step 2: Prepare pockets.

Attach bias tape to top of pockets. If you are using crochet pieces like I did you will cut the strip off and fold under 1/8" and iron and then fold again 1/4" creating a top that is similar to bias tape.

Step 3: Attach pockets to front of bag.

Place the small pocket on top of the large then pin both pockets to the front outer bag fabric.

Fold the bag in half creating a crease down the middle. Unfold and top stitch down the crease from the top of the large pocket to the bottom of the bag. Note: You will top stitch over the bias tape if you are using bias tape. I lifted the crochet up and stitched under because it looked better with the crochet. Zig zag stitch along sides and bottom of entire bag.

Step 5: Create straps.

With right sides together fold strap fabric in half long ways and sew using 1/4" seam allowance. Place a safety pin at the end and flip right side out. Iron flat with seam on the side and top stitch down both the right and left side 1/8" from the edge.

Measure 2" from both edges of outer fabric and pin straps to right sides of bag. Stitch using 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 6: Put bag together.

With right sides together pin the outer bag fabric along sides and bottom and sew using 1/2" seam allowance. Place hand inside of bag and open up bottom corner. Fold bottom corner open lining up seams. I always look on the inside to make sure my seam are lined up. Straight stitch across corner about 1.5" from the bottom. Repeat for other corner.

Repeat step 6 for the lining.

Step 7: Finish bag.

With the outer bag right side out and the lining wrong side out, place the outer bag inside of the lining so right sides are together. Tuck straps inside! Sew along the top using 1/2" seam allowance. Leave a 3" opening for flipping.

Straps tucked inside and lining placed over outer bag.

Flip bag right side out and top stitch using 1/8" seam allowance along the top rim.

You are finished! Know it time to fill it will all your knitting goodies!

Bandana baby sunsuit

2011-06-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

This weekend we attended a Hoedown with our homeschool co-op group. It was so much fun! Especially the dancing! I whipped up a quick baby sunsuit from 2 bandanas using the free baby sunsuit tutorial by Rae.

I changed the top straps. Instead of buttons in the back I made it tie around the neck to give it a more southern feel. That also cut off about 20 minutes of sewing time! It took about 30 minutes total to make her outfit from start to finish and the bandanas were only $2.50 so it was a huge sucess in my eyes! I also shirred with black thread which helped give it a little more personality.

For my outfit I went to goodwill and purchased a dress that I felt look horse back riding worthy. A friend loaned me the boots and the hat is mine. Every southern girl has got to have a good cowgirl hat!

I hope you had a fun weekend as well!

Knitting tote

2011-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

The latest knitting projects inspired me to create a new knitting tote. I'm glad the knitting got me out of my sewing funk! I forgot how much I enjoyed knitting. I think the best part is I'm stopping during the day and actually sitting down for change. It's like breastfeeding! The only time you sit is to nurse and when you finally do sit it is such a joy!

I've been using this tote bag that I made following Martha Stewarts Bias-tape tote tutorial. I made this bag 2 years ago and totally botched it! For some reason I didn't stitch up the bottom of the back 2 pockets so I ended up with these super deep pockets that were useless for most items. Then, we headed out of town and I needed a bag for my knitting supplies in the car and, what do you know, those pockets were perfect for knitting needles. My knitting projects have sat unfinished in this bag ever since.

Martha's bag

I should not have showed you a picture of my sad little bag next to Martha's perfect totes!

Now that I'm toting the knitting supplies around again I wanted something a little more my style. We have a thrift store down the street that I stop in every chance I get and lately I keep finding these crochet curtain panels. I LOVE crochet and lace so I buy them every time. For $.25 they are hard to pass up! I cut off the crochet and used it as trim on the new knitting tote.

The patterned fabric is Arcadia by Moda and the off white is the rest of the curtain. I added a little quilt stitch across the front to hide the panel seams.

So here is what goes in my knitting tote. It sits by the sofa when I'm home and is ready to go when we head to the park. I like how the tote has lots of room inside for larger knitting projects and can easily hold 6 balls of yarn.

Happy knitting;)

Turtle Nests

2011-06-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

It seems if you are a mama turtle our backyard is the place to be. Over the past 2 weeks we have seen 2 turtles lay eggs in the backyard and have found 7 nests total. The turtle in the picture below is a huge soft shell turtle that we were able to watch for about 30 minutes as she laid her eggs. Her shell circumference was over 24". It was so beautiful to see!

Immediately after she laid her eggs I noticed 2 black birds flying around. After about an hour they landed and started digging for the eggs. I couldn't believe it! I went into mommy mode and scared them off! Those are my baby turtles! I decided to cover the nest and we headed out for gymnastics. By the time we got home the cover had been moved and there were several holes dug. I dug around myself and was never able to find any eggs after that. I'm not sure if all of them got eaten or if she laid them in several spots. She had dug and rested in over 8 spots. The last one she stayed for the longest time. We keep checking the nest area for egg shells in hopes that at least one or two little hatchlings survived.

Older nest with a few remaining shells pieces.

I'm no turtle expert but these look to be boxer turtle egg casings. I was happy to see quit a few hatchlings survived from this nest. We are keeping a journal of the nest locations and types of turtles we see laying so we can monitor their activity for years to come.

We only found evidence of one survivor from this nest.

We have also had an otter that visits regularly, 2 deer that frolic in the backyard as if they own the place, and wild rabbits.

Nature study is going to be a breeze this summer!

Sarah Jane Fabric

2011-06-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Sarah Jane's new Children at Play fabric line? It is absolutely amazing!

Sarah Jane's artwork is so cute! I've been daydreaming of decorating Madeline's room with some of her prints for awhile. When I saw her new fabric line I could barely control myself! It's suppose to be on the market in 4-6 weeks and is being created by Micheal Miller.

Check out her booth at the Quilt Fair.

I have got to figure out how to make those fabric airplanes! You can see more photos here and see more of her beautiful work.

My plan is to use some of the "over the fence" and "after school" fabrics to finish the boys room. A few months ago I decided to sell all of their Pottery Barn Kids furniture and started over with a more realistic design with furniture from Ikea and the antique market down the street. I have to admit it was a tough decision! It was such a cute set and The Pottery Barn collection definetly looked more "model home" but the boys didn't use it and it took up a lot of floor space. Their new room is eclectic and practical and I love it! It's decorated to accomidate real life which we do a lot of in our home. Here's a picture of the old unit.

I'm in a total sewing funk so I can't promise any free tutorials this week! Everything I make lately turns out BAD and the simple things I've been sewing up that I've done in the past with ease are taking me forever! It's really frustrating because my brain keeps telling me I should be able to make all of our clothing by hand. Silly brain! I think it's time to bust out the knitting needles for a few days and give the sewing brain a rest.

What do you think of Sarah's new line?

I hope things are wonderful in your part of the world!

Baby Sunsuit Pattern Remix

2011-05-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! If you are visiting from Me Sew Crazy welcome!

Today I'm guest posting this Pattern Remix over at Me Sew Crazy as part of her super fun Pattern Remix month! The original pattern is FREE baby sunsuit tutorial by Rae over at Made By Rae.

The hat is a new pattern I'm working on that will be available for free hopefully by next week. It still needs a little reworking but it was so fun to watch her crawl around the garden wearing this hat. I couldn't believe she kept it on!!

I can't wait to show you how cute it looks in patterned fabric! The secret is a stiff big brim.

So head over to Me Sew Crazy for more photos and a mini tutorial.

Clasp Clutch PDF Sewing Pattern

2011-05-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

$5.00


This is an instant download PDF Pattern.

This pattern will be available for instant download directly after you have made payment unless you pay with eCheck which can take up to 5-7 business days. After you have made payment using pay-pal click on the "complete your purchase" button for instant download.   You will also receive an e-mail shortly after payment is received with the attached pdf pattern.

Details
This is a beginner to intermediate sewing pattern. It looks intimidating but I promise it's super easy and all of your friends will be impressed! These also make the best gifts! This pattern is for personal use only. If you are interested in selling these clutches please contact me for a license to sell agreement. I will be offering them at no charge.

Finished demensions of the clutch are approximetely 5X10" for the large and 5X8" for the small.

Supplies needed
2 fat quarters One for outer fabric and one for lining
Fat quarter size scrap of quilt batting
Fat quarter size scrap of fusible interfacing
E6000 adhesive Can be found at Wal-mart, Joanne fabrics, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or online
Clutch clasp   I provide links with the pattern for purchasing clasps at the most affordable price online

The pattern includes
Detailed step-by-step instructions
Detailed color photographs
2 pattern pieces for making a small and large clutch
Tips on where to buy supplies at the lowest cost

Other inspirations
Valentine Hipster Clutch
Clutch Giveaway
Antique Brass Clasp Clutch

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Pattern Remix @ Me Sew Crazy

2011-05-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share with you the pattern remix that is going on over at Me Sew Crazy!!!!

Jessica has a fantastic blog full of great tutorials and you have to check out her Friday Sew Crazy Features! Her taste is impeccable! Here is a peak at of few of my favorite Me Sew Crazy tutorials.

So head over now and catch up on the great Pattern Remix ideas and tutorials!

Butterfly garden

2011-05-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of our new butterfly and humming bird garden. I wish the pictures showed it off a little better. Pics just never do a garden justice!

It looks like a simple enough project but it was actually HORRIBLE! The bed is really large and under the first layer of sand and weeds was a 4" deep layer of rocks. It took me about 10 hours over the weekend to shovel them out and hall them away. Under the rocks was all sand so I had to remove another 5" deep layer of sand and fill it back up with compost soil. I also dug holes 2X the size of my plants root system and added compost to the holes. After all the plants were put in I put down weed liner then topped it off with pine bark. The fountain only needed a little work to get it running. We had an old pump and added the spray attachment, and with a quick wire fix and drain attachment it was ready to go.

Before:

I found the rocks to line the bed buried throughout our property. Score! That however was another miserable task! A few were toward the surface which is how I figured out they were there but the majority of them were buried pretty deep and had roots growing over the top of them. They were also in a straight line down the opposite side of the property so I had to carry them over as I dug them up. It was still a lot less painful than having to pay for them however!

I chose plants that attract Humming Birds and Butterflys that I've grown in the past and know from experience have long blooming seasons and grow into attractive plants in our area. Each side mirrors the other with my favorite antique rose the Louis Philippe in the center. This rose blooms almost all year in our area and is so beautiful and dainty. The topiary trees are Tibouchina Standard or "Glory Tree". They have beautiful sage green velvet leaves and rich purple flowers that bloom in our area most of the year as well. They will also get bushy on top and add a little shade for the Hydrangea. The Hydrangea won't attract butteflys but will give nice cut flowers for the house. The rest consists of Agapanthas, Buddleia or Butterfly Bush in white, Purple Salvia, Red Porterweed, Stokes Aster, Gaura or "Pink Cloud" and Parsley to attract the caterpillars and for making tabbouleh.

Glory in tree form

I hung a hummingbird feeder for extra nourishment for our friendly little birds. They are so fun to watch with the kids!

We also added a little southern charm "ferns" to our porch which is were I'm headed to rest! What happened to the days when you woke up after a hard days work in the yard and felt sore but good? I can barely move and there is nothing good going on with this body right now! Yikes! Do you know what I'm talking about???

Next project: Make that fence in the background look a little nicer;)

Anthropologie look-a-like tank tutorial

2011-05-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

I finished it! Here is the tutorial on how to make a simple knit tank top and if you choose embellish it to get that Anthropologie look. You can whip one of these up in under an hour with less than a yard of fabric! The embellishing is up to you. I listed instructions on how to make knit flowers and gathered straps but the possibilities are endless!

Please join the sew grown flickr group to show off what you create. I would love to see it!

Happy Sewing!

Things to know:
The pattern for this tank top is created by tracing an existing tank top and when using knits it's best to use a ballpoint needle. I use an 80/12 Jersey Ball Point.

Step1: Create pattern.
Trace an existing tank top onto your knit fabric. You do this by first folding the knit fabric by the needed width then fold the tank top in half and place the inside fold of the tank on the fold of the fabric. Make sure the stretch of the knit is running side to side not up and down then tuck any extended back parts under. Repeat for the back and cut out front and back pieces. Make sure you add seam allowances. I used 1/4" seam allowances.

Step 2: Sew front and back together.
With rights sides together sew front to back at shoulder seam and sides. Finish seams with serger or zig zag stitch. Iron seam allowance to the back.

Step 3: Measure for neck and arm trim.
Turn shirt right side out and measure the full circumference of the neck and one arm hole. Cut a fabric strip 1" wide by the circumference of the neck plus 1" and 2 strips of knit 1" wide the circumference of the arm hole plus 1". Make sure the stretch of the knit is running with the length of the strips.

Step 4: Prepare neck and arm trim.
With right sides together sew ends using 1/2" seam allowance. Iron open seam allowance. Next fold the fabric strips in half right sides together and iron.

I know, my quilt block is gross, but I'm attached.

Step 5: Attach neck trim to shirt.
Have your shirt right side out and with raw edges aligned pin the neck trim seam to the left shoulder seam of the tank top. (The folded edge of the neck trim is facing down and the raw edge of the tank and neck trim are aligned). Finish pinning all the way around. If the neck trim is a little short you can stretch as you go to make it fit just make sure it's not more than an 1" or so too short or the stretching will distort the neckline. If the neck trim it too long you will need to unpin it and make adjustments.

Stitch using 1/8" seam allowance. Add a reinforcement stitch to the inside of your 1/8" seam allowance to add durability or you can serge if your lucky and have a serger. So jealous! Iron seam down.

2 stitch rows to add reinforcement

Step 6: Attach arm trim to shirt.
Pin arm trim to first arm hole lining up raw edges and arm trim seam with arm pit seam. Pin all the way around. Stitch using 1/8" seam allowance. Reinforce stitch sewing 1/8" seam allowance on the inside of your first stitch. Iron seam allowance in. Repeat other arm.

Step 7: Finish bottom hem.
I did an overlock stitch along the bottom then folded and ironed 1/2" up and stitched 2 straight stitch rows. You can leave it unfinished as well.

Now it's time to embellish! My shirt turned out to be to wide at the straps so I added and secured some gather stitches. I also wanted a little gather along the neckline so I gathered about 6" along the front middle.

To gather increase your stitch width as long as it will go and stitch 2 rows across the sleeve leaving long free ends of thread. Next pull the thread ends and cinch up the fabric. Tie knots by hand with the free thread ends on the inside and outside.

To make the knit flowers you cut long strips of knit approximately 1" wide (again the stretch of the knit running along the length of the strips) and wrap it around 2 fingers 4-6 times depending on the size flower you like. Next pass the long free end through the center and fluff the flower. Secure it by hand stitching. First the center back then hand stitch up through the middle working your way to the outside rows of the flower making sure all rows are secure. Once the flower is secure hand stitch it to the shirt similar to how you would attach a button.

Wow, I need a mani!

To add ties to the shoulders you will cut 2, 1/2" strips of knit the length you prefer (mine are12") with the stretch of the fabric running the length of the strip. Align the center of the tie with the center of the shoulder strap and hand stitch the tie to the wrong side at the shoulder seam. Pull ties around to the front and tie in a knot. Trim ends at an angle.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed! Now it's time to show off your work! flickr group

Anthropologie Tank Top Tutorial

2011-05-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

So the title is a little deceiving. I actually haven't finished the tutorial yet due to a very busy life and some camera complications but I promise it will be posted tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest! I was planning on making it my Mothers Day Gift to you and was going to call it the Mothers Day Bouquet Tank but since that didn't happen here's a little peak.

The tutorial is on how to make a tank top by tracing an existing one from your closet then embellishing it to get that Anthroplogie look. You can stock up on some perfect fitting plan tanks with this tutorial as well.

Here is how one of mine turned out. Sorry for the bad photos! It's really hard to get a good photo of a white shirt. The roses look a little funky in the photo as well but are fantastic in person. I will get some better less rushed shots this week;) In the meantime, I would love to hear what you think!

Yogurt and Ice cream pops recipe

2011-05-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a little trick I do to cut down on the sugar the kids get while still giving them fun and delicious treats.

Instead of just plain sugar filled ice cream we mix it up a little. 2 cups ice cream, 2 cups plain yogurt, 1 cup milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Stir until ice cream is completely blended then pour in mold and freeze.

They are really delicious! I also let the kids add sprinkles and a few chocolate chips.

We took a few minutes to practice counting by twos.

Regency Gown

2011-04-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

This week I went on a 2 day vacation with the kids to see family, did a mini remodel of the laundry room with the help of my wonderful mother-in-law (photos coming soon), and made a period dress for my lovely young friend and babysitter.

She was attending a Regency Ball and asked if I could make her gown and she let me do her hair!!! It was so much fun! She chose the beautiful teal fabric and I used Simplicity 4055 costume pattern. It was an easy pattern but if I were to use it again I would replace the placket with a zipper. I also changed the waist and added an attached sash that tied and drapped down the back.

I added beaded trim work to the bottom overlay fabric which looked really beautiful. I didn't hand sew the trim work around the neck as you can tell! We were just too short on time for the fine details.

Here is a shot of the top of her hair. The braids went along the face and twisted in the back. The bottom portion was left down with long curls. She was absolutely stunning! Sorry for the rushed photos. We worked to the last minute to pull everything together and off she went. Hopefully I will have more photos to show you of her in the dress enjoying a beautiful evening!

The beaded head band is what I wore in my hair for my wedding 10 years ago this past April 13th! We got married on a Friday the 13th. It turns out that's a lucky day for us.

Happy sewing!

Easter Dress

2011-04-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

We had a change of plans. With all of the family in town everyone decided to go casual so there was no need for the ruffled dress I was making for baby girl. I will be finishing it for mothers day. Here is a peak at how it looks so far. I have a long way to go to get it the way I want but so far I like it. Pink tulle didn't show up enough for me and at first the brown seemed to be too much. It's grown on me however and I like that it has a little punk look about it. Something about this dress reminds me so much of my baby girl. Soft and lovely but also a little tough;)

Here is what she ended up wearing. Do you remember the bubble romper I made and posted about here? I didn't like the bodice at the time. It was awkward on her. It turns out it was just way too big for her! I cut off the bottom and made it into a dress for Easter and it is perfect now! I Made this out of super thin corduroy so it's not too hot and I embroidered the blue birds along the front with my machine. The lace came off an Anthropologie cloth napkin that had been turned into a clutch a long time ago.

So what do you think? Is the brown tulle too much?

Ruffle knit dress

2011-04-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a crazy week! We've had 25 guests over the past week and it has been so much fun but I'm in a total panic over Easter. I have the fabric for Madeline's dress and the design in mind but I decided since I'm using silk, which was a bit pricey, I better practice first.

This dress looks nothing like her Easter dress is going to look but the Easter dress will have 3 tiered ruffles.
The knit bodice with heavy ruffle skirt turned out to be a bad idea. I wanted to play around with some tiny knit ideas I've had in my head as well as test the ruffles so I went for it. The knit top design I love! I can take that in all kinds of directions after I do a little tweaking to the size and shape. Maybe even a tutorial;)

The ruffles still need some work. I think I've figured out how to get it right or at least I hope I have because there is no more time to practice! The dress, even with is flaws, is actually really cute on her and I've found myself tossing it into every wash load so she can wear it again. I think it's the knit top that makes this outfit the one I want to grab everytime. It's so easy to put on and perfect for our pre-summer weather.

That's it for now. I will give you some details on how to make ruffled slips after I finish her Easter dress.

A Charlotte Mason School Day (The early years)

2011-04-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

A picnic under the mulberry tree.

Collecting bugs and sticks.

Enjoying God's creation

Picture study

The Mulberry Tree

Vincent Van Gogh

Click on photo for more information

Read alouds learning math, science, and Bible.

Ending the day with purple hands and warm hearts.

Happenings

2011-04-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today we danced to praise music, played with our newest pet, and cleaned the house in preparation for company.

About a month ago my crazy kids started swimming in our pool and found this little guy swimming with them. He's bigger now than when we found him if you can believe that. He must have hatched and took a wrong turn. The plan was to keep him 2 weeks or so and learn about turtles but now we have become attached.

We also received our free Celebrate Urban birds kit from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It comes with a beautiful poster and pamphlet with lots of bird facts and if you live in an urban area you can participate by bird watching yourself and reporting back the data you collected. How fun is that for the kiddos! We are in a more rural area so we won't be collecting data to send but we will be collecting our own data. I also love how The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has incorporated art into their study. You should check out the site!

And just in case you forgot;)

Simple Skirt and Knit Shirt

2011-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here is an outfit I whipped up to wear to to co-op today. I was visiting MADE and saw she had a tutorial for simple skirts. I thought that would be perfect for our Sew Smart sewing class at homeschool co-op. I was nervous to make one for myself. The elastic style on us grown ladies can be not so flattering at times but I really wanted to wear one to show them in person. It actually turned out really cute! It is comfortable and I felt like Gidget all day! The skirt fabric is 100% organic cotton from the Beyond the Sea line by Coud9Fabrics.

I didn't have a top to match that style skirt so I whipped up this white knit top using KWIK SEW 3844 pattern. Talk about a super easy outfit. It took about 2 hours for the shirt since it was my first time and the skirt came together in 30 minutes. I highly recommend this knit top pattern! I messed up the bottom hem a little and it is rolling up which I don't like but besides that it is super cute and comfy! It also has a very practical fit but is still flattering. I wore a cardigan with it during the day for a dressier look then went running in it later that evening. Do you hear what I'm saying ladies? LESS LAUNDRY!

Do you want to see what that room really looks like?

Ahh! We have company coming on Monday to stay in this room for the next 2 weeks! Wish me luck;)

Shirred Sundress for mommy.

2011-04-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

I'm finally sewing some things for myself! I'm always hesitate to start and I currently have about 3 other projects going right now that I question will ever be completed. The biggest reason I don't sew for myself is the time commitment is longer and with 3 small children home all day, without television, it's impossible to finish anything in one sitting. I tend to loose interest if it takes more that 2 or 3 sittings. Bad habit on my part I know!

This dress was simple so I took on the challenge. Notice anything about this dress? So I'm not into the matchy matchy mommy daughter thing but now that I've finished this dress we will be getting a photo together for sure! I actually made Madeline's sunsuit as a test run to see how the knit and the voile fabric would come together because I had this vision of a dress for me in mind. I didn't want to cut the fabric to fit me until I was sure it would work. It's obviously the same Anna Maria Horner Square Dance Voile fabric from Madeline's sunsuit posted about here.

I was enjoying an evening with my boys at a friends having a "practice" Easter Egg hunt.

The top is made from double stretch Jersey knit and I doubled up the fabric because it was so thin to give a little extra support. I shirred the top to fit my bust size and added the skirt after. I decided to add a band of 1/4" elastic to the top so it would have a better fit and be less ruffled like a child's shirred dress. I also added a 1/4" band to the skirt at the bottom of the bust to give it a more mature shape.

The pattern of this fabric got a little uneven with all of the gathering so i decided to add a little velvet belt. It's attached with snaps on the sides and a snap at the bow. I think I will put the bow in the back from now on. I like the clean line better. You can see in this photo how the pattern just looked a little messy under the belt.

I added slits to the sides to give it a nice flow and that was it. I love this dress! It will be a go to house dress for me. It's comfortable, easy to move around in with kids and house chores, and something about it makes me feel feminine and beautiful even with the laundry piled miles high around me.

Would you like to make your own?

Book or Journal Cover Tutorial

2011-03-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the Journal Cover Tutorial. It is super easy to make and the design options are endless. You can also make book covers for the kids school books!

I hope you enjoy!

What you will need:

A book or journal, measuring tape, embellishments if adding any, and fabric.

Step 1: Measure you book and add 2" to the length and width.

Step 2: Cut out you fabric to the new measurements and add any embellishments. For mine I sewed on the fabric strip first than added the ribbon to the top and bottom edges by top stitching along both sides.

Step 3: Finish edges.

Use a zigzag stitch to finish all edges. I increased my width to give it a nice finished look.

Step 4: Put the fabric on your book and fold fabric along straight edges.

Step 5: Remove fabric and iron along the folded edge of the top and the bottom wrong sides together.

Step 6: With the top and bottom folded over you will now fold the other 2 ends towards the right side and iron flat.

Step 7: Sew a stitch using a 1/8" seam along the outside of the corner the length of folded fabric. This should only be about 1".

Step 8: Flip you corners out and slide journal in.

I hope you find this handy;)

Good Stories and a Journal Cover

2011-03-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've started a journal for each of my children. It's my way of staying connected with them individually. It's easy for me to get busy and put them all in the same box forgetting that they learn, love, and need differently. A journal forces me to not just think of our day and what we did but of our day and how that day affected each of my children.

I created this one for Madline. It's made from linen burlap and I covered a composition book. There is just something about a composition book that makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something;)

I went to a book seminar this week that was put on by Jan and Gary Bloom. It was a lot of fun shopping knowing that anything I picked was already carefully selected and worth reading! I found a few wonderful books for the kids and purchased a copy of Jan's book for myself.

I don't know much about good children's literature. I've gotten lucky over the years and by reading reviews and taking the time to read the books before I purchased them we have ended up with what I think is a great early children's library in our home. Of course I would like it to grow and grow and grow, preferably at the rate of my children, but for now I can't complain. Here are some of our newest books. I'm absolutely in love with the Dan Frontier series written by William Hurley & illustrated by Jack Boyd! It's about Dan's adventures in the early west.

I've always loved the Madeline books written by Ludwig Bemelmans. I often wonder if his Madeline character was a source of influence in me choosing our baby girls name. It was a name that came to me the minute I new we were meant to adopt. Hmmmmm?

I also purchased Jan's book Who should We Then Read?. I really love this book. It's a book of good authors of the past. She does a fantastic job of breaking it down into age group and categories and tells each author's story. She also told us a little bit of info that has stuck in my mind and given me a little motivation to pick up a book daily! If you read 15 minutes a day you will read over a million words in the next year. Huh. I might actually feel like an adult again instead of a kindergartner if I take on that challenge!

I'm so glad I attended this seminar. It reminded me that our journals should not just be facts but stories of our lives. When we are gone our things won't matter and pictures will sit in boxes but the stories of our lives together will be the gifts that stay with our children and get passed on.

Little Chick

2011-03-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the little chick with a makeover. I know some of you are probably thinking, "what did she do to that poor little bird?!" but he now fits perfectly in our home so I'm happy.

Before

After

I decoupaged over his previously decoupaged body with this piece of Anna Griffin paper. I have always loved this print! You can find it in a fabric here. He's cute I suppose;) Time is limited right now and I need to have my hands in something crafty to keep me sain, even if the project is small and a bit pointless. I added a little brown paint and beige glaze to age him.

He tried out several places around the house.

He spent some time near the birds next.

He hung out on the fireplace looking out the window.

He sat on the piano sadly wishing someone would play for him. No one ever did.

And lastly he found his way to my bedroom dresser where he ultimately had to turn his back on my messy unmade bed.

I think his place will be on the family table for Easter brunch which means I've made a least one thing in preparation!

Are you preparing for Easter yet?

Anna Maria Horner Sunsuit

2011-03-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

So I finally finished the sewing project I gave you a glimpse of on my last post. It's a sunsuit for the baby girl and I love how it turned out. It's so sweet and super easy to create! Rae, over at made by rae, posted this sunsuit tutorial shortly after Madeline was born and I have been dying to make it ever since!

I used Square Dance Voile fabric by Anna Maria Horner. It is a super light super soft fabric that reminds me of silk but without the hassle. It's so beautiful in person and perfect for hot summers!

I mixed the voile with a Jersey double stretch knit on top and added fabric covered buttons on the back. The best thing about these sunsuits is when they get to small you can cut off the bottom and uncross the straps to make a top that will fit well into the toddler years. I also used some scraps to make a headband. My girl has got crazy hair these days and needs the extra help right now;)

If you are unfamiliar with shirring, which is how the top of this sunsuit is made, here is a quick description on how I do it. You can read more detailed shirring tutorials over at craft stylish and pretty ditty .

I sew my garment together first then load my bobbin with elastic thread by hand without adding tension. Next I increase my thread width a little, and starting at the side seam sew 1/2" rows using a straight stitch. I back stitch a few extra stitches than I normally would when I start and finish and this holds the elastic in place really well. The more rows you sew the smaller the garment will get. It's important that you stretch the fabric as you sew each row other wise you will end up with pleats instead of shirring.

Stretch fabric while sewing.

Before stretching shirring out.

Stretch fabric while sewing.

Inside view.

Fun Finds.

2011-03-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today I had the babysitter come so I could grocery shop. I decided to go somewhere quiet first and do a little reading and I was so relaxed afterwards I didn't dare ruin the mood with the stress of grocery shopping! Instead I went window shopping and daydreamed of what I will do to the house some day when I get time. I did find a few items that I had to bring home. These came from a handful of stores and most of them where on clearance.

I found some great notions that will hopefully get me motivated to use up some fabric.

These finials were only $2.00 so I couldn't resist.

I am absolutely in love with these antique labels! They came from Ballard and although I have no plan in mind for them, I new if I didn't buy them one would come to me and I would regret not getting them. Any ideas?

This will come in handy in the homeschool office and look super cool. Can you tell I like the earthy look?

This little chick will be getting a makeover really soon. I like the pattern but it doesn't match our home so I have something new planned.

This was my favorite find of the day! It's a book of punch out games and toys. I'm saving this for rainy days.

I'm working on several great sewing projects right now but I can't seem to get anything finished! I'm not sure if its the time change or the beautiful spring weather or just burnout. Hopefully they will all come together soon!!! Heres a peak at something I'm working on. Can you tell what it's going to be?

Missing a loved one.

2011-03-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Spring comes with hope, joy, time outside enjoying God's glory, birthdays, time with family, a fresh start, and for me a memory. It's as familiar as that warm fuzzy feeling you get as Easter draws close. I've come to learn that It's a part of my internal clock yet I'm still surprised by it. Time heals the hurt but the memory of what happened remains. I find myself feeling nostalgic, looking at my life and my loved ones in amazement of all my blessings, and crying tears of joy and sadness. I hear my mothers words as I speak to my children and laugh. My beautiful daughter reminds me of her life story (my mother was adopted) and I wish she could answer my questions and take away my fears. Spring is a special time for me. It's a time spent with loved ones and a rekindling of a mother daughter relationship even if only by memory for now.

Are you missing a loved one?

A Charlotte Mason Home

2011-03-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

It is more than anything else the home influences brought to bear upon the child that determine the character and career of the future man or woman. Charlotte Mason

This quote is one I found at Simply Charlotte Mason and boy did it speak to my heart. Simply Charlotte Mason is a site dedicated to helping you homeschool your children using the Charlotte Mason method and wonderful philosophy of education. Even if you aren’t a homeschooling family it's a great parenting resource!

This blog is about sewing but from time to time our homeschool life evolves and requires all of my spare time. Over the last year we moved twice, adopted our sweet girl, and gave up nap time. The side effect has been bad habits! We've come to rely on the television more and more and lost the love of learning in our home. It has weighed heavy on my heart for awhile and a friend reminded me yesterday that there is such a thing as life without television for our children and although the TV seems like the easier option it makes things worse. My first thoughts were "how will I get anything done" and then I remembered it's not about me! Today the TVs moved out and guess what? We survived. We actually did better than survive. We flourished!

Charlotte Mason believed that "Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life". The "atmosphere" is our home, the "discipline" is training our children in good habits, and "life" is offering our children living thoughts. God has blessed my family with a different life than most and although it is scary at times and I make mistakes I have to move forward with confidence and do the work that he has called me to do. I have been chosen by the King of Kings to teach and train these children (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).

Here's to living fearlessly!

Bug Hunt Bingo Tutorial

2011-03-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

First I have to do a little dance and say that I finally figured out how to directly link to adobe! Now you can get my patterns easily and for free. Yea! I'm also going to add an adobe tutorial attachment for all of my tutorials so you can print or save them more easily.

So, tomorrow several of our friends from homeschool co-op will be coming over to join us in a game of Bug Hunt Bingo. If your wondering what that is I'm not exactly sure yet but I know we are going to have a blast! The idea came to me because the kids have been learning about bugs and who doesn't like Bingo? I made a card with pictures of different bugs that I see frequently in our yard and added a description of their habitat, diet, and clues as to where you can find them for the ones I was sure about. I also left 2 blank spots for other bug discovery freebies.

The plan is to break-up into teams, hunt for the bugs on the card, and hopefully get Bingo. Each team will be given a magnifying glass, tweezers, a shovel, and a paper plate. In case you didn't know, if you put a paper plate under a flowering plant and tap the branch you will most likely end up with 2 or 3 tiny bugs. Afterwards we will celebrate with this buggy snack.

I put together a small sample to show you.

For the moms there will be flaxseed muffins with carrots and apple. I didn't have 4 of the ingredients I needed but they are still yummy!

I also found this guy when I was picking oranges. It's a Stink bug and what stinks "ha-ha" is I took this bug off the bug bingo card because I haven't seen one in awhile. Oh well, I guess it can be a freebie now that I know where their hiding. I left the half munched leaves intact to show the kiddos.

Here is the easy to open attachment if you are interested in your own Bug hunt bingo game. Most of the bugs listed can be found in all regions.
Bug Hunt Bingo Card

Are you feeling buggy yet or still suffering the winter blues?