Green Apple Orchard

Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap!

2011-11-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

Stef over at It's All in my Head is hosting a handmade ornament swap! I am definitely going to do this next year. Better hurry, there are only a few spots left!

Join here!

Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas

2011-10-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

I wish I would have had the foresight to have taken pictures of this project along the way, but I'm just lucky to have finished it before our church Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday!

My daughter wanted to be Sally Stitches, so I went straight to work on this elaborate costume! It took me longer than I thought it would. First, I made a dress out of muslin by tracing the shape of one of my daughter's existing dresses. I looked at plenty of pictures of Sally online to see just what her dress looked like. I had most of the fabric on hand, but I ended up buying some corduroy for half off at Joann's to fill in the gaps and add some texture. I drew the shapes directly onto the muslin and cut pieces to fit out of the different fabrics. I used some Heat and Bond to attach the different pieces to the muslin dress. Then I zig-zagged around each different piece to secure it.

Next I took some black yarn and a needle and stitched marks around each of the pieces. This took me a while. I cut the sleeves and painted black lines on the yellow one with fabric paint. I attached the sleeves to the dress last.

I made the wig with two skeins of thick rust-colored yarn. I could have just sprayed her hair red, but I really thought that the yarn wig would look cool. I cut the two skeins into long strips, then carefully sewed them right in the middle onto a leftover piece of thick interface. Then I sewed a piece of elastic to go around her head and attached the interfacing to it in the front and the back. I added some elastic to the sides as well, so it wouldn't slide from side to side. If you are interested in seeing how I did it, I can take some pictures.

Last, I made the legs and arms. I dyed two pairs of white tights to a light blue color. I then cut some cardstock into strips and fed them into the legs so I could paint the stitches on. I just used puff paint and they dried really quickly. Then I flipped them over and did the other side. For the arms, I cut the legs off the tights and cut holes for her fingers to go through.

We used NYX Baby Blue Jumbo Eye Pencil and Cool Blue eye shadow for her face and neck. I put some pink eye shadow on her eyes and used an NYX white Jumbo Eye Pencil for under her eyes. I used a black eyeliner for the stitches. We finished her off with mascara and pink lips.

Yarn Wreath

2011-10-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

I LOVE wreaths! I have been so into yarn wreaths especially lately. They are super easy to make and easy to customize. I loved the color combination on this one, especially the gray and mustard. Perfect for Fall.
The wreath is really easy to make, although it can get tedious. This is a great project to do in front of the TV. I grabbed one of those raffia-type wreaths in plastic and kept the plastic on. I ended up rolling my yarn skeins into balls first to make it easier to wrap the yarn around the wreath. I made sure there was enough yarn covering the area I wanted to do, then pulled it tight and knotted it well. Then I just snipped the ends. You can see the back here.
When I was done wrapping the yarn, I made a variety of flowers out of wool felt (not craft felt) and hot-glued them right on the wreath. Easy!

Another Color Swap

2011-09-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Robyn is doing another color charm swap, but this time in lovely fall colors. I made my zig zag quilt top with squares from her last color swap. There are lots of things you can do with your squares!

Click here to check out her post and sign up! She still has a few spots left!

A New Quilt

2011-08-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

School is back in session for us here in Arizona, and I have been so ready! We have had a fun summer. I haven't sat at my sewing machine once since it started. It was nice to have a break.

I decided to do something with a stack of rainbow squares that I had from a friend's swap. I had 200 different squares, but instead of them being I-Spy prints, they were just a nice spectrum of color. I didn't know what to do with them, and I didn't want to do another patchwork, so I decided to try Crazy Mom Quilt's zig zag quilt. I loved her tutorial and found it super easy to follow. Plus, it yielded such great results! And this would make a great I-Spy quilt for I-Spy fabrics with smaller objects on them.
I wanted to map out the colors in kind of a mosaic look. I didn't think I liked it at first, but I think I really do now. Now to just add sashing and borders and send it off to be quilted! I will have to post the finished quilt when I get it back.

By the way, would anyone be interested in participating in a swap for colored fabrics like these?

Swap Link!

2011-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Sorry I have not been blogging lately, but whenever crafting and sewing and blogging feel like work, that's when I take a break. Summer is here, and I'd much rather be spending time with these rascals than at my sewing machine making pretty things to post about. I know you all understand :)

I wanted to let you know that Fabiola over at Sassy Crafter is doing an I-Spy Swap, so just head on over there and join! Click here.

Last Fabrics!

2011-05-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry the quality is so bad on these pictures, but I had to take them this morning so I could get the packages out today!

From Robyn: Valentine candy and anchors!

From me: I love the cookbooks and the shields the best!Yeah! This has been a fabulous swap! Thanks to everyone who participated. Let me know when you receive your squares!

New Squares

2011-05-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, did anyone else notice that Blogger was broken pretty much all day yesterday? Lame, right? I was so excited to post everyone's fabric, and instead I just ended up frustrated all day! Well, here they are now. And by the way, my trip to Florida was fabulous!

From Crystal: Love those tractors and ballerinas!

From Ixchelle: Carrots and sheriff's badges!

From Janelle: Tape measures and scissors!

Also from Janelle: Rats and yarn balls! And I love the little aliens!
From Chiska: Baby chicks, pigs and race cars! Chiska sent an extra fabric for everyone!

From Kim (borrowed pic): Love the sneakers and dinosaur bones!

From Manda: Tree frogs and Monopoly pieces!

From Vicki: Monster trucks and Santas! And my kids love the Halloween characters!

From Wendy: Paper airplanes and clocks! So cool!

I'm pretty sure there are just two left to post. Looking for one more package in the mail, and then I will post those and my fabrics! I have already started the dividing the fabrics out, so I hope to get these out soon! This has been a fun swap! Thanks, everyone!

Be Back Soon!

2011-05-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that I will be enjoying this place for the next few days:I am visiting a friend in Florida, and won't be back until Tuesday, so don't be alarmed if I haven't posted any I-Spy fabrics until then. My husband will be checking the mail and will pile all the packages received on my desk for me. It'll be like Christmas! Hope you all have as fabulous of a weekend as I do, and I will post fabrics when I return!

Using Your Sewing Machine on Paper

2011-05-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

I LOVE using my sewing machine to make cards or to package things. It's so cute, versatile, and unique, and not hard at all! Just make sure you use a separate needle than you sew with, because sewing on paper can really dull your needle.

You can't really tell, but I sewed around the outside of these pillowcase invitations to create a little pocket that the pillow invite could go in. And a package I wrapped using my machine! So easy and not the usual bag with tissue! I am a huge believer in wrapping gifts old-school style with paper instead of bags. So much more fun to decorate and open. You can't lose. * I got the idea for this from a random picture I found online, but I lost the picture and can't remember where it came from.

Birthday Party Invites

2011-04-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick look at the invitations for my daughter's PINK birthday party! I don't know what it is about girls; I never instilled a love of pink in her, but all the same, it's her favorite. And I've actually come around to the idea of pink! The funny thing is that she wants boys to come tot he party. Hope they can find the guts to wear something pink!
Crumpled strips of paper, lace flower with a button center, and little tag made with card stock and address labels.

A New Rag Quilt!

2011-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this rag quilt for some time now, and I'm glad it's finally finished! It wouldn't have taken so long, but it got put on the back burner for a long time. I am so happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait to enjoy this cuddly quilt!
It was made with all flannel material and one layer of Warm and Natural batting in between. I love the colors and the cute (but not obvious) Christmas theme. It can be used all year round!
You'll notice that the pattern on this quilt is different, using large and small squares. I wish I could take credit for this design, but I actually found a pattern for this from Quilt Country Patterns. You can buy it here, here, or here. Or if you are ambitious, you could figure it out on your own :)

Snowmen in Arizona? A girl can dream...Click here for my Easy Rag Quilt Tutorial!

More Swap #4 Fabrics

2011-04-28T20:02:00.001-07:00

More cute fabrics have arrived! Some of the packages only had last names, so I just guessed! :) Correct me if I'm wrong!

From Kate- I love the musicians and the cows!

From Susan- Love those crabs and the drums!

From Jacqueline- Leprechauns and stars!

From Care- Turkeys and jelly beans!

From Eileen- Sea horses and beautiful lighthouses!

Swap #4 Fabrics In!

2011-04-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

Got some fabrics in for Swap #4! Cute stuff, too!

From Nancy- Ski boots and wood blocks!

From Fabiola- Robots and firefighter hats!

From Michelle- Kiwi and peace signs!

From Lynn- Rain boots and telephones!

Looks like we are off to a good start! Don't forget the deadline is May 5th, so please get your squares to me by then. Happy shopping and cutting!

Recycled Relics T-shirt Bag Giveaway!

2011-04-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Tori from the blog The Greatest Show on Earth is having a fabulous giveaway! Hop on over to her blog to check it out!

Swap #4 Closed

2011-04-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Swap #4 is closed, but please leave a comment if you'd like the be an alternate or participate in my next swap!

I will send out details to those who signed up for Swap #4.

Swap #3B is on its way!

2011-04-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Audra got back to me today with the last few pictures! I'm sorry for the delay, but this swap has had some challenges! I guess someone dropped out at the last minute and Audra decided to just send out the squares instead of waiting for a replacement. With a USPS postage rate increase on Monday, Audra wanted to get the squares out before then. She divided up the extras so everyone should still have 200 squares. I'm sorry for the confusion! I hope you all like your squares! Thank you all SOOO much for your patience throughout all of this. Here are the last squares:

From Lindsay: Flamingos and mittens!
From Jennifer: Chocolates and that fire hydrant is awesome!
Jenna: Love that strawberry print, and cute moons and stars!
From Courtney: Whales and teacups!
This has been a great swap with lots of variety! Thanks so much for swapping, and for your understanding!

I-Spy Swap #4

2011-04-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I just got done with a swap, but I think I have a project in mind and I could always use more squares! Plus, I know that some people were left out last time, so this will give them a chance to have fun! Swap #3 B participants, I posted a note for you below. Please read everything thoroughly! I added some FAQs to the bottom of the post.

Thanks again, Care, for your wonderful instructions for I-Spy swaps!

*Very important!* Please only comment if you are going to be able to meet the deadline! Fabric should be in my mailbox on the date of the deadline, not mailed by that date. Thanks!

The Basics:

Mail me 200 I-Spy squares by April 30th.

Get back 200 squares, all different, by May 20th.

The Details:

1. I need 11 people* to join the swap. In order to join, just leave a comment with your email address included. (If you are not located in the USA, please send your fabrics ASAP.)

*IF I GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO COMMENT FOR A SECOND SWAP, I WILL DO A DOUBLE SWAP. SO IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT INTO THE FIRST 11 SLOTS, COMMENT ANYWAY AND YOU MIGHT STILL GET TO PLAY :)

2. Cut 20 4" squares out of each of 10 different novelty print fabrics (quilting quality cotton wovens - please no flannel). A 1/4-yard cut or fat quarter will get you 20 4" squares, so you will be purchasing a total of about 2 1/2 yards of fabric. This is NOTHING when you consider all of the fabrics you will be getting back.

3. In order to avoid duplicates, everyone will need to search out unusual or obscure prints. Try to look for things that aren't available at chain stores like Joann's and Hobby Lobby. Pick fun prints that you love!

4. Remember that we are looking for fabric with objects on it, not printy-prints. (A fabric with FLOWERS on it is very different from a FLORAL PRINT.)

5. No "licensed" prints: No Disney, Spongebob, Dora, John Deere, L.A. Lakers, etc.

6. Remember seam allowances! Be sure you can tell what you are looking at within a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square. Nobody wants only half of an object in their square -- cut them well! (Depending on your fabric choice, you may need to buy more than 1/4 yard in order to get an object into each cut square.)

FAQs

1. Should I pre-wash?
Nope, just cut and send. I have never pre-washed, and have never had a problem.

2. What do you mean by printy-prints vs. fabric with objects on it?
Here is an example of a floral print:
And here is a fabric with flowers on it:
Remember, we are looking for objects, not designs!

3. I live outside the US. How will you handle postage?
I will just have you send me money for postage via Paypal, and I will take care of the rest!

4. I have been involved in Swap #3 and/or other recent swaps. Can I still join and do I have to purchase fabrics different from those I just recently swapped?
If you want in, go ahead and comment, please! Because chances are, this could easily turn into a double swap :) Please choose fabrics that you haven't recently swapped because chances are that most of us have been in those other swaps and we want variety!

The first 11 people who comment here will get to participate! Please leave your email address in the comment as I will be sending out an email with details of the swap as soon as we are full. IF I CAN'T GET A HOLD OF YOU, I MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE YOU, SO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL PROMPTLY! Also, feel free to tell any friends you have that might be interested in joining us!

Swap #3B Info!

2011-04-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Audra has received all but one package, as of yesterday. Becca, if you are out there, please email me!

Sorry for the delay, but we will figure it out soon and get your squares out to you :) More pictures coming soon! Thanks so much for your patience.

Fabrics are in the Mail!

2011-04-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

The first group's fabrics are in the mail! Here is the last set of squares, from Susan. I love the Monopoly pieces and the rocking horses!

This has been a great swap. Thanks to all of you for participating. Your fabrics came from Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin!

I will send out an email to everyone in the first group reminding you to be looking for your packages in the mail. Please email me back when you've received your squares.

For those of you still wanting to participate in a swap, I will be holding another one soon, so keep yourself posted! Follow my blog so you won't miss out.

Givaway on Cookienut Creations

2011-04-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Go check out the giveaway at Cookienut Creations! They are giving away some cute felt hair flowers!

More Fabrics for the Second Group!

2011-04-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

Audra emailed these pictures over to me to post. I think she is just waiting on four more packages to come!

From Brandy- Treasure chests and scissors!

From Manda- Ruby slippers and vegetables!

From Jenny- Chickens and musical instruments!From Nancy- Engagement rings and snow boots!From Natasha- Oranges and Christmas lights!From Tori- Balloons and robots!This has been a lot of fun. Thanks again to everyone who signed up!

A Few More for the First Group of Swappers!

2011-04-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are three more for group 1! We are waiting on one more package, which should be here soon, fingers crossed! I will get these out as soon as I can. They are already divided up and mostly ready to go, just need to add the fabrics from that last package. Yeah!

From Sherry-Looks like she sent in 11 fabrics :) I love the lemons and the ships! From Nancy- Sharks and the popcorn!
From me! My favorites are the tennis balls and the strawberries.Thanks again, everyone for participating. And a HUGE thanks to Care for her inspiration and wonderful instructions for I-Spy swaps that have made this all possible!

Robyn's Swap

2011-04-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

A fellow swapper, Robyn, is doing a COLOR CHARM swap. It's different from I-Spy, and such a cute idea! Go here to sign up and see a picture of the cute quilt you could make with your squares!

More Fabrics for the First Group!

2011-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry these pictures are so horrible- I wanted to post these and I was losing light!

From Tori- I love the anchors and the watermelon halves!

From Elisa- Lighthouses and bunnies!

From Michelle K.- I love all the fruit!

From Robyn- Ropes and fireworks! Cute!

I think the first group is waiting for just three more packages! I am hoping to get them soon and get these mailed out. I will post the last fabrics as soon as I get them!

A Note to the Swappers

2011-03-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

If you are confused about which fabrics you will be getting, I labeled each post so you can check on the left sidebar. If you are in the first group and mailed your fabrics to me (Connie), you can click on the swap #3A link. If you are in the second group and sent your fabrics to Audra, click on swap #3B.

Thanks so much for everyone who signed up. We already have some fabulous fabrics and a great variety!

Fabrics for the 2nd Group!

2011-03-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

Audra emailed these photos over today, so here is a sneak peek at what the second group will be getting!

From Audra- I love the purses and the sneakers!

From Ixchelle- Beehives and ants carrying food!

From Amy- Blenders and camping trailers!

From me: My favorites are the butterflies and the Hawaiian shirts.

From Janay- Love the construction stuff and the fish!

From Kim- Lanterns and money!

From Marie- Hot air balloons and planets!

From Vaunda- Treasure chests and spurs!

From Wendy- Balloon animals and corn on the cob!

Looks like lots of variety! Can't wait to see what else comes!

More Fabrics- First Group

2011-03-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

From Katie- Hammers and nails, and adorable cows!

From Ruthie- I love the states and the jungle animals!

From Audra- Bald Eagles and cute little girls!

From Care- Socks on clotheslines! And sports cars!

This is turning out to be such a great swap! Thanks to everyone who signed up, and I can't wait to see what else we get!

First I-Spy Fabrics!

2011-03-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

These are for the first group of swappers.

Here are the fabrics I have received so far! I have four more I got tonight and need to snap pictures of and post for tomorrow.

From Michelle C.- Lighthouses and Koi!
From Kelly- I am dying over the hot air balloons and gas pumps!

From Karena- I love the bows and the birthday cakes!

From Catherine- Grapes and toy cars!

From Ann P. - Sneakers and Oriental parasols!
From Linnea- Circus performers and treasure maps!Janelle - She couldn't decide, so she sent 11 fabrics! I love the rainbows and tomatoes, and matryoshkas hold a special place for me :)Ann S. - Chairs (from the Tufted Tweets line!) and butterflies in jars!More tomorrow!

YW Mini Table Runner

2011-03-27T20:47:00.001-07:00

This table runner was inspired by this one from The Polka-Dot Chair. I wanted to make something that I could use during lessons or for other Young Women functions. I tried to find cute fabrics with bright, vibrant colors rather than the usual boring and dated pastels. I think the colors look so cheery! The lady who cut my fabric probably thought I was crazy to pair all of these random non-matching colors, but it's really hard to find fabrics in eight different colors that coincide.

I bound it with a gray and white stripe and backed it with white Kona. It's pretty short, and in fact, I might make another one with larger pieces of each color, like the one on The Polka-Dot Chair.

Flower Brooches

2011-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, well I'm a little embarrassed. My sewing machine is in fine working order, with the exception of a broken light bulb. I feel so dumb! Dumb, but grateful my machine isn't broken! Thank you, Tori, for your comment.

While my machine was "broken," I felt a little stir-crazy. I wanted to make something, but I couldn't sew. I had found this tutorial on Make It Do for peony brooches. By the way, I LOVE Make It Do. It's a fabulous blog with lots of great ideas. I have wanted to make some large flower brooches for a while, and this tutorial was perfect! I only needed ribbon, needle, thread, felt, and a pin. I had all the stuff!

Calli made her flowers a little tighter than I did. I didn't gather the ribbon quite as much. I made two of my flowers (teal and coral) using 2 yards of wired ribbon and one flower(pink) using 1.5 yards. They turned out pretty big, just like I wanted, almost 4.5 inches in diameter. The ribbon is gorgeous! I don't know if you can tell, but the pink ribbon has a gold sheen to it. I got the ribbon from Hobby Lobby in the by-the-yard section. There. The perfect accessory!

Busted!

2011-03-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

My sewing machine is dead. I brought it to an activity at my church, plugged it in, flipped the switch on... and nothing happened. Ugh! Now I have to either take it in or start looking for a new one. I would love to be able to invest in a Bernina, but my Brother has been great. I'm really surprised it's not working.

I guess I'll take it in to a shop to see what can be done. I have projects that I want to finish!

Disneyland Salad

2011-03-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

While we were at Disneyland a few weeks ago, we ate at the Pizza Port. It's definitely one of the best places to eat there. They have good salads and pizza, as well as pasta, which we didn't try. My husband and I split the most delicious salad, and I recreated it at home and added chicken to it. Here's what I came up with:

"Disneyland" Salad

Field greens and baby spinach
Craisins
Golden Raisins
Grape Tomatoes
Croutons
Grilled Chicken
Toasted Sugared Almonds
Honey Dijon Salad Dressing

Okay, so most of this is self-explanatory. But let me tell you about a few things. For the chicken, I bought the pre-cooked grilled chicken strips you can find near the deli meat section, then cut them into bite-sized pieces and browned them over the stove.

To make the almonds, pour some sliced almonds and some sugar into a small pan and turn the heat to medium. Stir the almonds constantly so they don't burn. The sugar will start to melt and stick to the almonds. Cook the almonds until they are roasted a nice light brown. Take the almonds off the heat and spread them out on wax paper or a paper plate until they cool.

I looked for the right dressing for a while, and I think that the Honey Dijon dressing I found in the bagged salad section of Wal-mart is the best flavor for the salad. It's made by Marketplace.

Throw everything together and toss it with the dressing. A lot cheaper than at Disneyland, and just as yummy!

Opinions, Please!

2011-03-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am making a skirt for my daughter using this pattern (buy here):I chose this for the top fabric (it actually looks a little darker than this):I originally bought this for the underskirt. I know it's from a different line and it actually doesn't match perfectly (or maybe at all) but I liked the effect at the time. I also have a piece of this fabric that I could use as the underskirt. It's from the same line as the first one, so the colors match and everything. I just think it might be way too crazy of a print.
I didn't want a stark contrast between the colors of the two skirts, but now I'm thinking that the top is really busy and with either of these, the bottom might be too busy too. The red one doesn't really help with my desire to not contrast too much. I also don't want the fabrics to be too matchy-matchy. That's why I chose fabrics from different lines at first. I am one of those psycho people who match too much and my sisters have convinced me that sometimes not matching actually looks better, and I agree. I am trying to become more open minded with matching!

So which should I use, or should I just go buy a monochromatic print on yellow or light blue or something? I'm having a hard time deciding. Your thoughts?

Swappers!

2011-03-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

If you didn't make it in and still want to participate, you can comment and be an alternate. Sometimes someone drops out or realizes they have a conflict or something, and it helps to have back-ups! I will also keep your email address and email you before I do any future swaps.

Thanks to those of you who have responded to my emails. I'm excited to see what you all send in! I went shopping yesterday and found some cute things, and I will be cutting all day!

And...We're Doing a Double Swap!

2011-03-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

Amy and lxchelle, you are automatically entered in this swap, so no need to comment :)

Okay, I have been convinced to make this a double swap. That will give 16 more people the chance to participate! Hopefully we can fill up the slots. Go ahead and pass the invitation around! We have 16 open spots, so leave a comment if you want to join the swap. Here is the info one more time! Please read it thoroughly before signing up!

Wondering what I-Spy fabrics are? Click on the I-Spy or Swap Labels on the left sidebar to see what they are and what you can make with them!

*Very important!* Please only comment if you are going to be able to meet the deadline! Fabric should be in my mailbox on the date of the deadline, not mailed by that date. Thanks!

The Basics:

Mail me 200 I-Spy squares by March 30th.

Get back 200 squares, all different, by April 13th.

The Details:

1. I need 16 people to join the swap. In order to join, just leave a comment with your email address included. (If you are not located in the USA, please send your fabrics ASAP.)

4. Remember that we are looking for fabric with objects on it, not printy-prints. (A fabric with FLOWERS on it is very different from a FLORAL PRINT.)

5. No "licensed" prints: No Disney, Spongebob, Dora, John Deere, L.A. Lakers, etc.

The first 16 people who comment here will get to participate! Please leave your email address in the comment as I will be sending out an email with details of the swap as soon as we are full. Please check your email promptly! Also, feel free to tell any friends you have that might be interested in joining us!

I-Spy Swap #3

2011-03-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, we are full! I will send out an email to you all soon. Katie- I need your email address still. Please post it below! Thanks!

Yep, that's right. I'm doing another swap. I always seem to miss the swaps on other people's blogs, so here we go.

*Very important!* Please only comment if you are going to be able to meet the deadline! Fabric should be in my mailbox on the date of the deadline, not mailed by that date. Thanks!

The Basics:

Mail me 200 I-Spy squares by March 30th.

Get back 200 squares, all different, by April 13th.

The Details:

1. I need 15 people to join the swap. In order to join, just leave a comment with your email address included. (If you are not located in the USA, please send your fabrics ASAP.)

4. Remember that we are looking for fabric with objects on it, not printy-prints. (A fabric with FLOWERS on it is very different from a FLORAL PRINT.)

5. No "licensed" prints: No Disney, Spongebob, Dora, John Deere, L.A. Lakers, etc.

The first 15 people who comment here will get to participate! Please leave your email address in the comment as I will be sending out an email with details of the swap as soon as we are full. Please check your email promptly! Also, feel free to tell any friends you have that might be interested in joining us!

Sweet Strawberry Valentine

2011-02-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I love homemade valentines. This one is easy!

Download the template here if you want, or you can just eyeball this one. Just cut a heart out for the berry and a little leaf out for the top. The template should be sized to about 8.5 x 5. You can probably get about 5 strawberries out of one page.

You will need:
red cardstock
green construction paper (or cardstock)
googly eyes (14 mm)
tacky glue
a Sharpie
gold gel pen or gold glitter paint pen
glue stick
tape
labels

Trace the parts of the strawberry and leaf onto the cardstock and cut out a bunch. Get your kids and start assembling!

Glue the green leaf on with a glue stick. Glue the googly eyes on with tacky glue. Give it a minute to dry or the eyes will slide. Draw on a smile or have your kids do it.

Now take your gel pan and draw little seeds all around the face. If you opt to use the glitter glue or a glitter pen, make sure you let it dry for quite a while- maybe around 4 hours. It can get pretty messy and take a while with the glue. It's a bit more sparkly, but I think the gel pen is cute too.

Make some labels on your computer using you word processor. I used the sentiments "You are a BERRY good friend!" and "You are sweet!" for the labels. Let your kids put the labels on the back and tape a treat on.

And you're done!

Adorable Owl Valentines

2011-01-31T13:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick tutorial for these cute owl valentines! These are pretty easy, especially if you do a little prep work ahead of time. If you are making these with your kids, I suggest doing a lot of the cutting and punching beforehand. Then you can just help the kids assemble the valentines, which is the fun part anyway!

You will need:

This template (pdf)
tan (or other color) cardstock
construction paper in multiple colors
googly eyes (size 14 mm)
round white stickers
exacto knife
circle punch, 1.25 inches
valentine pencils from the dollar section of Target or Dollar Tree
Tacky glue
glue stick
tape
labels
a treat to go on the back

I know that seems like a lot of supplies, but chances are you have most of it on hand already.

Prep work
Figure out how many valentines you'll be making. You can get four owl bodies on one piece of cardstock, so that will tell you how much cardstock you'll need.

Download a copy of the template. If the image is too big, you might need to resize it to 8.5 by 6 inches. To make sure it's the right size, put the format on landscape before printing it off. It should be about the size of a half-sheet of paper. Trace four of the owl's heads per piece of cardstock. Keep the scraps because you should be able to cut the wings out with them.

Cut out your owl bodies and wings with cardstock and the faces with construction paper. For the faces, I just fold the construction paper in half and only trace half of the heart template and cut. But if you don't want fold lines, just trace the whole heart and cut. Then punch out a bunch of eyes with the circle punch, using cardstock. Use a variety of colors for the faces and eyes if you want.

Cut out a bunch of beaks and feet using orange construction paper. For the beaks, cut a bunch of small triangles down one side of the sheet. Then when you are done, cut a straight line down the sheet again and you'll have double the amount. Easy.For the feet, cut a bunch of slits in one side of the paper. Then cut little w's in the bottom of them. These don't have to be perfect- they are just valentines! Cut a straight line down the paper to cut all the feet off. Now you should have a nice little pile of bodies, wings, faces, eyes, beaks, and feet!

How to assemble

1. Glue the heart onto the body with a glue stick.2. Glue two circles punched out with your circle punch on for the eyes. Then center some white circle stickers on them. 3. Glue the eyes on with Tacky glue. Make sure they are centered and let them dry for a few minutes so they don't move. By the way, this glob I put on was too much! Use a little less than this so the glue doesn't blob out the sides.
4. Attach the wings to either side of the body. You can use a glue stick, but I like to tape them on. Just place the wings behind the body and tape on the back side. Add a beak with a glue stick.

5. Using your exacto knife, cut two slits near the bottom. Be careful not to cut all the way through the bottom- leave a good space so it can hold the pencil in well. If it is too small for the pencil, cut a little more towards the top. Glue on two little feet and put the pencil through.

6. Make some labels on your computer using your word processor. I wrote "Owl always be your friend!" but you can write whatever owl pun you can think of. Maybe "You're a hoot!" would be cute too! Stick the labels on the back and tape a little treat on.
And you're done! I'll be posting another cute valentine idea tomorrow.

I-Spy Quilt!

2011-01-13T22:54:00.001-08:00

For those of you who were in I-Spy Swap #1, you will recognize these squares! I wish I could take credit for this beautiful quilt, but this is the work of Yvette, who participated in the swap. She emailed these pictures to me and I wanted to share them. Yvette says she calls this quilt "The Road to Grandma's House." The quilt is 59 x 62 without a border, and she said it took her about a week to do. I just love it, and I know Yvette's grandkids will too!If any of you want me to post your I-Spy projects, let me know! Or if you have a blog, I will link back to it. It's fun to see what everyone comes up with. As for me, I made another I-Spy quilt, this time for my sister, almost identical to the one I made before. I saw the design on Crafterhours. I still have plenty of I-Spy squares left from Swap #2, and I'm sure I'll figure something out! In the meantime, I picked up a jelly roll, a layer cake, and some extra yardage of Moda's Dream On, which I have been eying for a while and I just love! It reminds me of the sheets I used to sleep on in the 80's! Another quilt?

Temple Blocks

2010-12-21T09:05:00.001-08:00

When I saw this idea on Lil' Luna through Cookie Nut Creations, I just had to make these for my Mia Maids. It was such an easy and cheap project too, it didn't stress me out too much! Go to this post on Lil' Luna's blog and download an antiqued picture of your favorite temple, resize and print it. I bought a 2 x 8 at Lowes for $4 and had them cut it for me (for free) into 5.5 inch sections. Then I sanded and painted the blocks, Mod Podged the pictures on (no coat on top) and decorated with embellishments. I have to thank my adviser for her help there- she is a master when it comes to embellishing! We had so much fun making these and I'm glad my Mia Maids will have their own picture of the temple for their rooms. Sorry about the blurry pictures!

Rag Quilt FAQ

2010-12-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have been asked a lot of questions about rag quilts, so I thought I would answer them all in one place.

The most often-asked question I get is
How do you cut your quilt?

I am not a quilter. Can I do this project?

Yes! The great thing about this quilt is that you can make mistakes and no one will be able to tell! It is a great project for a first-time quilter, so don't be intimidated. Give it a try!

Is this a time-consuming project? How long will it take?

This project can be time-consuming if you are new to sewing, but once you get going, you will get the hang of it and will be able to crank these blankets out like nobody's business! One reader said that she finished her quilt in about 20 hours.

Do I have to use flannel?

You can use whatever fabric you want. I would recommend something that will be soft, such as flannel, cotton, denim, chenille, or Minkie. You can even use a combination of fabrics. For instance, I have used cotton on the top and two layers of flannel on bottom, omitting the batting. You could also do demin on the top and flannel on the bottom. Cotton offers lots of options for colors and patterns and it washes nice and soft, so that is a great option. If using denim, you might want to use a stronger needle and thicker thread. I wouldn't recommend using knit fabric.

Can I omit sewing the X in the middle of the squares?

I wouldn't recommend omitting the X in the squares because that is what holds them together. If you do small enough squares you *might* be able to get away with omitting the Xs, but if it were me, I would still sew them.

Do I have to do a 1-inch seam allowance?

No! I wouldn't use a larger seam allowance than 1-inch, but you can definitely use 3/4 or 1/2-inch seam allowances if you want. The squares will appear bigger and the seams will be less fuzzy. This is a good option if you are concerned about excess fuzz in your washer or if you want to maximize your fabric.

Do I have to use batting?

No! You can omit the batting. With two layers of flannel, the blanket might be heavy enough for your liking. If you want the blanket to be thicker than only two layers of fabric but think the batting is too heavy, try three layers of flannel with no batting. Also, you would not have to cut the middle layer of flannel smaller than the top and bottom layer, like you have to with the batting option.

Will washing the blanket clog my dryer?

No, just make sure you clean out the lint filter before you dry the quilt. It will need to be cleaned out afterward as well.

There are fuzzy pieces all over the quilt, even after washing.

There are going to be fuzzy pieces. That being said, one way you can reduce the fuzziness is to reduce your seam allowances. You also might want to wash the blanket more than once. If you still have problems, just take a lint roller to it.

Should I pre-wash my fabrics?
Will the fabrics bleed?
Will my blanket shrink in the wash?

You can certainly pre-wash your fabrics if you want to. If you are concerned about shrinking, go ahead. I never pre-wash my fabrics and haven't had a problem yet. If you are concerned about the colors bleeding on each other, you may want to pre-wash. I always throw a Shout Color Catcher in the washer when I wash a quilt for the first time. If you are using cotton, denim, or flannel, you can expect a little shrinking.

Can I make a different pattern other than diagonal?

Yes, definitely. It will take some figuring out, but you can make a solid-colored border around the edge, or even do the whole top one color if you choose. I usually make mine in the diagonal pattern shown in my tutorial, but if you want it to look different, go for it! Just lay it out before you start sewing and make sure you sew the seams out so the right fabrics are on top.

How did you make the quilt shown in the video, with smaller and larger squares?
The answer is in this post.

I want to make a bigger blanket. How do I figure out how much fabric I need?

The blanket shown on my tutorial is a great size for little kids, toddlers, and babies. But you can definitely make a bigger quilt. Each of these blankets is made with 8-inch cut squares.

Baby blanket (shown in tutorial):
38 inches x 50 inches
a total of 48 sandwiches
6 squares across x 8 squares down
2 and 2/3 yards patterned fabric, 1 and 1/3 yards each of two other coordinating fabrics.

Larger Blanket:
48 inches x 72 inches
a total of 96 sandwiches
8 squares across x 12 squares down
5 yards patterned fabric, 2 and 3/4 yards each of two other coordinating fabrics.

Standard Twin:
70 inches x 90 inches
a total of 130 sandwiches
10 squares across x 13 squares down
About 6 yards patterned fabric, about 3 yards each of two other coordinating fabrics.

*Use a 1/2-inch seam allowance for a Twin quilt. Your squares will end up being 7 inches instead of 6 inches*

Hope that helps, and have fun sewing your rag quilts! They are easy, fun, and addicting! Feel free to send any other questions you may have my way. Leave a comment or send me an email. Thanks for using my tutorial!

Swap #2

2010-11-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

The packages are out and on their way! Sorry for the delay, but I was out of town all last week and had left before the last package arrived. So I sorted like crazy all night last night, and sent the fabrics out today. Thanks so much for your patience! Here are the last two groups. Sorry the pictures are so bad!

From Sherri. I love the Santas and the garden prints!
And from me! My favorites are the apples and the suns and moons.
It has been fun everyone! I will maybe do another swap as soon as I get some Christmas projects under way! Happy sewing :)

The Lydia Dress

2010-11-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

I have had this pattern lying around for over a year. I even bought the same fabric the model's dress is made of. After reading through the pattern , I decided I wanted to wait until I had a serger. Well, I got one about 6 months ago, and it has been sitting on my desk collecting dust because I didn't have time to figure it out. I have heard nightmarish tales of how hard sergers are to figure out and thread. Well mine must be really user friendly, because it didn't really take that long! And I'm so glad I finally set it up. I am going to get some good use out of that thing; I have been putting certain projects on the back burner because of that until now!

So the first thing I wanted to do after setting up the serger was to make this dress. I was thinking about saving it for Christmas, but I already got my daughter two dresses for Christmas, and the child may want more than dresses. Besides, I kinda couldn't wait :)
I needed the serger so I could do the rolled hem. You can fold it up and sew it, but I thought the rolled hem looked much cleaner. I also opted to eliminate the apron on the front. I like the simple look with these fabrics.
It was my first time shirring! I have to say, shirring is very satisfying. It was pretty easy to do, even though it was hard to sew straight on the last few rows. Very fun!

I also made a little matching necklace and bracelet (not pictured) to go with the dress. I'm going to be making *at least* one more of these dresses. I was really simple and easy, and you know me, I can never make just one!

More Fabric!

2010-11-19T15:37:00.000-08:00

Got a bunch more! Sorry it took a while to post. You wouldn't believe the week I've had!

From Kirsti. I love the pencils and the school buses!

From Sang. Zippers, shoes, and toasters!

From Sonya. I love the stop signs and headdresses. And cute binkies!

From Brittany. Cowboys and seagulls!

From Audra. Ducks and polar bears!

From Laura. Flags and unicorns! So cute!

From Karen. The ships are awesome and look at the Norman Rockwell characters!

From Amber. Robots, princesses, and leaves!

From Ginger. I especially love the scarecrows, tarantulas, and acorns!

From the other Amber! Kites, bandannas, and pigs!

From Jill. Look at the crayons! And I love the blue transportation fabric!We are just waiting on one more set and I can send these out to you! I might not be able to get these out until after Thanksgiving because I am leaving town, but I will have them all sorted out and ready to go so I can just add the last person's squares. Thanks for being so patient!

Fabric Received!

2010-11-14T18:45:00.001-08:00

Sorry it took me so long to get these pictures up. I had an incident early in the week that left me walking like I was 100. But I am feeling much better now, so on with the swap! We have some cute fabrics! I apologize for the bad pictures. You might be able to see them better if you click on them.

From Dara. The cards are cute, and I love those apples and peace signs!

From SheriDawn. I especially love the gourds and the music notes!

From Care. I almost got that same blender print! And I love the potato chips and black cats.

From Janelle. The turkeys are too cute and I love the little raccoons.

From Rose. I love that we have so many music fabrics and that they are all different! The construction fabric is a favorite and I also love the donuts and ice cream!

From Jill. Crayons! Love it. And the blue transportation fabric will be a favorite with my boys!

From Carrie. I love the sheriff's stars and the stamps!

From Jenn. The umbrellas and the bananas are my favorites!

Yeah! Keep 'em coming! We are still waiting on 11 more packages. Tomorrow is the deadline, so hopefully I'll have a full mailbox tomorrow! If you are participating in this swap and are running late, just shoot me a quick email so I can keep everyone informed.

Thanks!

Holiday Popcorn

2010-10-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

I know this looks like caramel corn with pepper, but it's actually white chocolate popcorn with black sprinkles, and it's super easy.

You will need:
1 box of Baker's White Chocolate (the box is smaller than the regular boxes, but found in the same place)
1 bag of microwave white popcorn (no butter) or air-popped popcorn
parchment or wax paper
sprinkles, opt.
food coloring, opt.

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Pop the popcorn and let it cool down. Add food coloring to the chocolate if you want. I added orange cake gel for the Halloween popcorn. Now coat the popcorn in a large bowl with the chocolate. Lay it out on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Add sprinkles if you want. Put in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes until the chocolate has hardened. Then break it up and enjoy!

For Christmas popcorn, I leave the chocolate white, then drizzle some red or green melted candy melts over the popcorn. Such an easy and cheap gift or snack!

Swap #2

2010-10-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ready for another swap? I know I am! I want to have another swap before Christmas. I admit, it's partly selfish; I want more I-Spy fabrics before Christmas!

Read this thoroughly! Please only comment if you can meet the deadline so we can get the fabrics in time to make Christmas presents!

The Basics:
Mail me 200 I-Spy squares by November 15th.
Get back 200 squares, all different, by November 30th.

The Details:
1. I need 14 people to join the swap. In order to join, just leave a comment with your email address included. (If you are not located in the USA, please send your fabrics ASAP.)

2. Cut 20 4" squares out of each of 10 different novelty print fabrics (quilting quality cotton wovens - please no flannel). A 1/4-yard cut or fat quarter will get you 20 4" squares, so you will be purchasing a total of about 2 1/2 yards of fabric. This is NOTHING when you consider all of the fabrics you will be getting back.

3. In order to avoid duplicates, everyone will need to search out unusual or obscure prints. Try to look for things that aren't available at chain stores. Pick fun prints that you love!

4. Remember that we are looking for fabric with objects on it, not printy-prints. (A fabric with FLOWERS on it is very different from a FLORAL PRINT.)

5. No "licensed" prints: No Disney, Spongebob, Dora, John Deere, L.A. Lakers, etc.

6. Remember seam allowances! Be sure you can tell what you are looking at within a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square. Nobody wants only half of an object in their square -- cut them well! (Depending on your fabric choice, you may need to buy more than 1/4 yard in order to get an object into each cut square.)

The first 14 people who comment here will get to participate! Please leave your email address in the comment so I can fill you in on some of the details of the swap. Also, feel free to forward this on to any friends you have that might be interested in joining us!

Post Office Run!

2010-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am off to the post office today! It took me a lot longer than I though it would to sort and package all of the fabric, but they will be in the mail today. If you are local, get in touch with me so we can meet up. I think we got a great variety of fabrics in this swap! Can't wait to see what you all make.

I'm posting another swap in a few hours. I guess I just can't get enough!

The Rest!

2010-10-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest of the squares!

Let's start with these cute fabrics from SheriDawn! My favorites are the singing cowboys and the hot air balloons.
These are from Audra. The trains are too cute. And the bears and moose print? Love that!
From Roxanne. Popsicles! Butterflies! Letters!
From Heather. I love that football print. And the baby carriages are fun!
And, from me! I've got to say, my favorites are those kooky spider and the strawberries. I also love the jelly beans!
So there you have it! I will be sorting tonight and getting the packages in the mail tomorrow if all goes well! Thanks to everyone who participated. It has been a lot of fun.

For those of you who have been sitting on the sidelines, get ready, because I am going to be posting another swap really soon! Follow my blog to make sure you don't miss the post.

Two More

2010-10-13T17:36:00.001-07:00

These are from Alisha. Look at the soccer cleats and the school print!
And from Katie. The lighthouses and robots are my favorites!
Yeah! I am almost ready to send out the squares to each of you. Just waiting on four more packages, which should be here this week. I will send out an email when I get the packages out. Thanks to everyone who has participated. This has been so much fun. Can't wait to do it again!

Lots More!

2010-10-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

More fabric to show you!

These are from Christy. I love the planets and the lips. And Santa with his list!
These are from Bry. I LOVE the retro-looking kids and the dinosaurs playing sports are a riot!
From Nicole. You can't see it too well, but that tiny print is actually little elephants! And I am so glad someone picked Matryoshka dolls! They are a favorite of mine!
These are from Erin. Windows! How cute! And those cute cats in the top corner are sparkly!
From Chris. Look at those roller-waitresses! So fun and unique! And I love the houses and flowers.
From Amy. Flip flops! And tubes of paint! How cool!
From another Amy. Look at those orange cones! And I love the butterflies and little pirates!
Everyone is sending such cute fabrics! This has been so fun. Thanks to everyone for participating. If you didn't get in on the swap, don't worry, I decided to have another one pretty much as soon as this one is finished. So check back in late October or early November. Follow my blog so you don't miss the post!

A Couple More...

2010-10-07T10:57:00.001-07:00

I got a couple more packages in the mail! These are from Laurel. I love all the bright colors, especially the ballerina pigs and the tires!
And these are from Vicki (my mom!). I love the bats and guitars!
I'll be looking for more today in the mail!

More Squares!

2010-10-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

I got some more squares to post! These are from Kelly. I LOVE those little trees! The balloons and the little beetle buses are so cute too!
And these are from Kemra. I am still dying over those manatees! And I love the potted flowers. My son will love the penguins- he loves penguins right now.
Yeah! I have heard from quite a few of you that you are getting your packages in the mail soon. So excited to see what you sent!

I-Spy Swap Update

2010-10-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

So far, two people have sent me their squares. I hope the rest of you are getting yours ready!

These are from Yvette. I absolutely love the wiener dogs and the baseballs! And I love how that fruit print has avocados on it! So fun.
These are from Karena. I love those Oreo cookies and the presents! So many cute prints!
I can't wait to see what the rest of you have in store! Don't forget to email me when you are ready to send your packages.

Cookie Nut Creations

2010-09-19T22:02:00.001-07:00

My two talented cousins, Camie and Karena, have combined efforts to bring about this great blog. I wanted to share it here! They have quite a variety of great ideas from free blog backgrounds, recipes, and crafts to ideas for teaching children the gospel. Click on the picture below to go check it out!

Come Join My I-Spy Fabric Swap!

2010-09-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, we are all full!

Don't worry if you didn't get in; we will do it again sometime! For those of you who are participating, I will be shooting you an email soon with all of the details. This is going to be fun!

I participated in an I-Spy fabric swap over at Obsessively Stitching a while ago. It was so much fun, I thought I would host my own swap!

First a little note about I-Spy fabrics and what you can do with them. I-Spy fabrics are generally novelty prints which are then fussy-cut. You can use the squares of fabric for so many things! Look at Care's great ideas here and here. I used the squares from the swap to duplicate this beautiful quilt from Susan at Crafterhours. I am more than thrilled with the result. We have played I-Spy with our quilt and have used it to curl up on the couch with. I am so happy with the result. Here it is!

My kids love playing with it!

So on with the swap!

The Basics:
Mail me 200 I-Spy squares by October 11th.
Get back 200 squares, all different, by October 31st.

The Details:
1. I need 17 people to join the swap. In order to join, just leave a comment with your email address included. (If you are not located in the USA, please send your fabrics a little earlier than October 11th.)

2. Cut 20 4" squares out of each of 10 different novelty print fabrics (quilting quality cotton wovens - no flannel). A 1/4-yard cut or fat quarter will get you 20 4" squares, so you will be purchasing a total of about 2 1/2 yards of fabric. This is NOTHING when you consider all of the fabrics you will be getting back.

3. In order to avoid duplicates, everyone will need to search out unusual or obscure prints. Look for things that aren't available at chain stores like Walmart, Joann's or Hobby Lobby. Pick fun prints that you love!

4. Remember that we are looking for fabric with objects on it, not printy-prints. (A fabric with FLOWERS on it is very different from a FLORAL PRINT.)

5. No "licensed" prints: No Disney, Spongebob, Dora, John Deere, L.A. Lakers, etc.

6. Remember seam allowances! Be sure you can tell what you are looking at within a 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square. Nobody wants only half of an object in their square -- cut them well! (Depending on your fabric choice, you may need to buy more than 1/4 yard in order to get an object into each cut square.)

The first 17 people who comment here will get to participate! Please leave your email address in the comment so I can fill you in on some of the details of the swap. Also, feel free to forward this on to any friends you have that might be interested in joining us!

Easy-Peasy Personalized Pillowcases Tutorial

2010-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

I made these for my kids for Christmas and they loved them! These would also make cute personalized birthday presents. They are so simple and fun to make, you might get addicted like I have!

You should already have most of the stuff. Here's what you will need for one standard size pillowcase:
1/4 yard white fabric- I prefer 65 poly/35 cotton blend. It's really cheap and holds up well.
up to 1 and 1/4 yard patterned fabric- So far I have chosen licensed prints for my kids, but anything will do. Read my note* before buying your fabric.
small piece of freezer paper- you can buy a roll at Wal-mart in the foil and baggie section.fabric paint- I like Tulip brand. It goes on nice and thick and I rarely need more than one coat.
X-acto knife
piece of leftover cardboard
paintbrush
cutting mat and rotary cutter
sewing machine
thread
iron/ironing board

your computer and printer

*A note about buying fabric

One thing to note is that you want the pattern on the fabric to appear horizontal after the pillowcase is sewn. The last thing you want is your Care Bears looking sideways. How much fabric you will need will depend on how the pattern comes off the bolt. For example, if the pattern comes this way, you will need 1 and 1/4 of a yard.You will need 3/4 of a yard if the fabric comes off the bolt like this...
The reason for this is that we are going to cut one large piece that will be folded at the top. Once folded, we will have the horizontal patterned piece of the pillowcase. We want it to look like this:

NOT THIS:

So keep that in mind while buying and cutting your fabric. If the fabric you have chosen can face either way or doesn't have a distinct horizontal pattern to it, you can just buy 3/4 of a yard.

That's it! Let's start. Set up your ironing board and plug in your iron. We will be using a 1/4 inch seam allowance for the whole project.

Cut a 26.5 x 38.5 piece from your patterned fabric. Set that aside.
Cut an 8.5 x 38.5 piece from your white fabric.

Fold the white piece in half longways and press; then fold it in half the other way and press. Now you know where the center is.

Get on your computer and find a cute font to print out your kid's name with. If you don't have any fonts you like on your computer, go to Kevin and Amanda's free fonts site and you're sure to find something cute. Open up a word document and enlarge your name so that it's no taller than 4 inches. That includes tall letters like lower-case d, h and l. Go to format in the menu bar and then choose character and chose the outline feature. That way when you print out the name, you won't use up your whole ink cartridge; it will just print a nice outline for you. Like so:
Trace the name onto a piece of freezer paper with the shiny side down. Using your X-acto knife and cutting mat, cut out the letters on the paper. Try not to make any extra slices because the fabric paint will end up seeping out of the stencil. Don't forget to keep any inside pieces like the loops in the letters e, p and d. You will need them! For really great and thorough instructions for freezer paper stenciling, check out Dana's tutorial at Made.
Center the stencil onto one side of the white fabric and then iron it on. Note: If you want the name to appear on a certain side of the finished pillowcase (right or left) you will need to put the small fold up and the long fold at the bottom of the name. For example, for the name to be on the left side of the pillowcase, you will place the name here:
The fold of the fabric should always be underneath the name. There will be no seam allowance on the fold, so you can place your name as close to the fold as you like. I like to keep in about 1/4 of an inch or more from the fold. If you want it centered from top to bottom, just remember that there will be 1/4-inch seam allowance on the top.

Place the cardboard under the fabric so that paint won't seep onto the rest of the fabric. Paint on a nice layer of fabric paint and let it dry for 3-4 hours. If you think it needs another layer of paint, go ahead and do that and let it dry again.

When the paint is dry, peel off the freezer paper. Doesn't it look pretty? Cover it with scrap fabric and press for a few minutes. Make sure to fold the white fabric lengthwise again if you unfolded it during the painting process. Now put the white and patterned pieces together (the matching 38.5 length sides), right sides together, (raw side of the white) and pin well. The name will be hidden as you sew. Sew the 38.5 inch length (remember all seam allowances will be 1/4 inch). Zig zag over the seam allowance. Now iron that seam up towards the colored fabric.
We're going to topstitch on the colored fabric just above the seam line, a little less than 1/4 inch so as to catch seam allowance underneath that we just ironed up. Not perfect, but it's okay!
Almost done! Can you believe how easy these are? Now fold the pillowcase in half, right sides together, pin it well and sew it closed. I start sewing where the white fabric is to keep it even. Zig zag your seam allowance. Inside it out and press. And you're done!

I'm Back, With Another Twirl Skirt

2010-01-31T20:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I figure I have taken a long enough break from posting on this blog! I wanted to enjoy the holidays without stress or distractions, so the blog was the first to go. I am happy to report that our holidays were great! It appears to have taken the full month of January for me to recover.

Anyway, I made another Twirl Skirt for my daughter, using these adorable matching fabrics I found at Hobby Lobby! I just fell in love with the colors and patterns. This time I decided that she needed a shirt to match, since the busyness of the skirt might look funny with just a plain shirt for the top. I gathered a strip of the fabric I used for the bottom stripe to make a little tuxedo top to match. I gathered two strips of black lace for underneath the fabric, then I sewed them all onto the shirt. I added three black buttons as well. I am happy with how it turned out, even though it's far from perfect. I highly recommend tear-away stabilizer for sewing onto t-shirts!

If you haven't made an Edith Twirl Skirt, I recommend you do! They are so fun.

Chore Charts

2009-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

I made the kids new chore charts a few days ago. I was so sick of cleaning up their toys or else risking an ankle injury, so we have a new system. Some my call it bribing, but I'd rather do this than yell, which accomplishes nothing, and the kids might even develop a good connotation for cleaning up!

The kids have other things they help out with too, but their main three chores are setting the table, taking their dishes to the sink, and cleaning up their toys at night. If they get three stars, they get a piece of "treasure." I got a treasure chest from Ross and filled it up with Dum Dums, Tootsie Rolls, and fun packs of M&Ms, along with some dollar store toys. You should see these kids clean now!

I found this document a while back that lists age-appropriate chores for kids. There are some great ideas there.

I made these using a ruler, plain white paper, a fine point Sharpie, Velcro circles, stars, sticker letters, colored pencils and laminating sheets. I just drew lines where I needed them, drew and colored some little pictures, added the names, and laminated them. Then I placed a Velcro circle in each space and stuck the other side of the Velcro onto the stars. Done!
Like my artwork? Ha ha, it's less than professional, but the kids get the idea. If you don't want to draw, just google some free clipart.

Jean Quilts

2009-09-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

I finished my two jean quilts, and here they are. I have had the jean top done for about two years! How sad is that? But I finally finished it and I even got two quilts out of it!

It's hard to find cute affordable flannel, but I think the purple paisley print is cute. My son picked out the Thomas fabric, which is not my favorite, but whatever makes him happy! These are just family blankets for camping and football games, and since all three of my kids love Thomas, I'm sure this blanket will be a favorite.

Easy, Beautiful Diaper Cake Tutorial

2009-08-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

Hey there! This is my tutorial for making a diaper cake. If you have never seen one, you might think that it's a weird idea (my husband does). But these make such cute centerpieces for any baby shower! It's a great alternative to giving someone a boring box of diapers. Why not dress it up a little?

There are a few ways to make diaper cakes. A lot of people like to throw tons of baby items onto the cake (binkies, burp cloths, onesies) which is fine, but I like to keep mine more simple and classy-looking with flowers and maybe one stuffed animal or a pair of baby shoes on top. You can make them two or three-tiered, but I always go with three. Whatever you decide to do is fine and will be cute!

To make a three-tiered diaper cake, you will need:

Around 80 diapers in size 1 (I get size 1 because babies grow out of newborn diapers quickly, plus the mom won't have to take the cake apart right away. I usually ask the mother-to-be what brand of diapers she prefers- my kids had picky bottoms- but if there isn't a preference, buy whatever brand doesn't have lots of pictures all over the diapers. Plain white looks better. Pampers Swaddlers are a good choice, but can be pricey.)
1 tall baby bottle, any brand
string or yarn
ribbon, 1.5 inches wide or bigger (You can use more than one color.)
fake flowers
a little stuffed animal, baby booties, or some other small item to put on top of the cake
florist pins (optional)
either a plastic platter or a platter from your cupboard to transport the cake

So here's what you do:

1. Take about half of the diapers and place them around the bottle like the picture below. (The recipient of this diaper cake preferred Huggies diapers, which had colors all over them, but what can you do?☺)2. Cut a piece of yarn and cinch it around the diapers. Pull tightly and tie in a knot. Don't worry if the diapers are unevenly placed; you will be able to adjust them after you tie the knot. Pull or push the diapers whichever way you need so that it looks pretty uniform throughout.

3. To make the middle layer, take about 2/3 of the remaining diapers and make another circle of diapers in the same fashion, around the bottle on top of the first layer. Adjust your diapers as needed.

4. Make the top layer by taking a single diaper and rolling it up. Grab a second diaper and roll that around the first one. Keep repeating this until you create the same layered look as the other two layers. If you don't use all of the diapers up in the final layer, you can always stuff a few diapers into the other layers. You don't want your top layer to be too big.To attach the top layer to the bottom two, I use the stems from the flowers, which also double as decorations for the cake. Place your top tier on top of the cake, and stick the flowers in between the diapers to secure it to the bottom two layers. I usually use quite a bit of flowers. The more you use, the more secure it will be. You can do this after you add the ribbon if you want.5. Decorate your cake. I usually start with the ribbon. Measure and cut your ribbon to fit around each layer of the cake. You can either tie it in a bow or pin it securely with florist pins (used for corsages). Both of these looks are shown below. (Click on the pictures.)

Once your ribbon is secured around the layers, take some scissors and snip the yarn tied around each layer and remove it. Place your decorations on top of the cake and stick the flowers into the diapers to hold everything on. Make a cute little tag, and you're done!

Shirt Dress Tutorial

2009-08-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are looking, here is the whole shirt dress tutorial from Dana at MADE.

Click here!

Just Wanted to Share...

2009-08-21T23:34:00.000-07:00

...some recent findings.

These cute printable lists from Vale Design are too cute to pass up. Check out her other free printables, such as recipe cards and greeting cards.

And these printable journal pages from Becky Higgins would make a great gift for a teen or friend. I made a cover for mine that looks like this:

Feel free to use it if you'd like! Just click on it and copy.

Update on the Quilt

2009-08-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

So I finished the top of the quilt yesterday and last night, I even got quite a bit of the back done. It has a few small flaws, but for my very first "real" quilt, I am pretty happy with it. I wish I would have had more fabric for the disappearing 9-patch part, but the line became discontinued since I bought this fabric, so I had to use what I had. That's why there's so much blue and green. It doesn't look too bad though. I had to add to the top and bottom because this is going to go on Jonah's twin bed.

I was stumped at what to do for the back. I had one row of cut 9-patches set aside for the back, but besides that, I didn't know what to do. I had a little bit of yardage from the line and a bunch of solid colors to work with. After perusing a few blogs, I decided to do a stripe pattern along the back. Here's how it looks so far:
It's pretty time-consuming, so I think I'm going to add some really big stripes further up.

So that's it! Can't wait to finish!

Hairclip Holder/Message Board

2009-08-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

I actually made this during that month-long hiatus from blogging a while back, when my sister was in town visiting me. This is the easiest project ever. I got a canvas from Michael's (using my 40% off coupon) and basically stapled fabric onto it with a staple gun. Then I stapled the ribbon on in the criss-cross pattern. To secure it at the intersections, I sewed buttons right onto the fabric-covered canvas. Done! Now with all of my daughter's hair bows and flowers attached, you can barely see the board!

Making a Quilt

2009-08-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Started today and I already got quite a bit done. If I can find some time, the top of the quilt will be done in a few days. I'll post more pictures soon!

Kreatvie Blogger Award

2009-07-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

I know I have been MIA for quite a while. What can I say? Lots of trips and family in town this summer. Soon we'll be back into the groove with school, so I'll have more time to devote to my hobbies! I am missing them!

Kimberly at The Cupcake Cuppy gave me an award! And since I haven't blogged forever, and I am really bad at passing these along, I am going to blog this right now before I find a reason to put it off.

The Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

7 things about myself...
1. I have three kids, ages four, three, and almost two (in September).

2. I love sunshine and warmth. I do not live where it snows :)

3. I love travel and have been to China, Russia, and Finland, as well as around the US.

4. I love Project Runway!

5. I love to read. Wish I had more time for it.

6. I love looking at craft blogs and feeling inspired!

7. I have size 5 feet. That means I can buy in the kid section too.

I chose these 7 Award-winning Blogs:

1. A Pleasant Sunday

2. Eden's Flower Garden

3. It's All In My Head

4. Mod Podge Rocks

5. The Piecemaker

6. Think It, Create It

7. This Old Chair

Check these awesome blogs out!

Hooded Bath Towels

2009-06-04T23:01:00.001-07:00

First off, for this project, I prefer to buy my towels at Wal-mart because they have a brand called Mainstays True Colors which are cheap and come in a variety of colors. But most importantly to me, they lack the ribbing that is found on most towels. I think the finished product looks better without a big stripe of ribbing going around the hood and down the sides. My opinion. The bath towels are $4, the hand towels are $3.50, and the washcloths are $2.50.

I have two versions of hooded bath towels to post. One is a very simple and easy version, and the other is even easier. Let's start with the even easier one.

First Version:

You'll need a bath towel and a washcloth of the same color. Fold the bath towel in half, right sides together, so you can find the center. Then place a corner of the washcloth at the center point and pin the side down onto the bath towel (right sides together if there are "sides"). Do both sides until it looks like this:
Now sew down the whole line, making sure that your seam allowance is as big as the binding on the side of the towel and washcloth. And you're done!
Second Version:

You will need a bath towel and a hand towel of the same color. You can follow this great tutorial at Skip To My Lou for this version.

There are a few things that I would adjust. When I made mine, I did not fold over the finished edge as shown in the second picture on Skip To My Lou. Also, depending on how tall you want the hood to be, you don't have to trim the hand towel to 10.5 inches. Leaving some length will give you a taller hood. This towel pictured was trimmed to 10.5 inches, and I probably would have left some length on it.

I added some large rickrack to the hood, and also down the sides. You can also add ribbon or embroider a monogram or name onto the towel.
This makes a fun, personal, cheap and easy gift! Give it a try!

Birthday or Dress-Up Crown

2009-06-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

I made this crown for my daughter's birthday party. There are lots of cute ideas out there for crown color themes and design, but I went with the strawberry theme simply because I didn't have any other colors!

All I did was measure my daughter's head, and cut a crown shape out of white wool felt. This is not to be confused with the craft sheets of felt. Wool felt is purchased on the bolt at JoAnn's or any fabric store.

I made a stencil for the monogram using my word processor. I just picked a font I liked and printed out a stencil. I cut out the strawberries and butterflies and then sewed them onto the white piece by hand. If you are good with a machine, you can do it that way too, but I didn't trust myself at the time! I added the yellow french knots on the strawberries and the buttons on the butterflies.

When the white piece was done, I attached it to the red by sewing the rickrack on. I made a casing for a piece of elastic for the back, then attached it by zig zagging it onto both sides of the back, and I was done!

It was a very fun project and I highly recommend it! It was fun and fast and I am very happy with the result!

Edith Twirl Skirt

2009-05-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

Isn't this skirt fabulous? Thank you to Kayleen for introducing this pattern to me! You can buy the Edith Twirl Skirt pattern here.

This looks like it might have been hard, but it really was an easy sewing project; it just took a while for me. But that's because I have three little ones distracting me from my sewing! Darn kids, right? I think that the embroidery at the bottom was actually the most time and brain-consuming piece of the project.
I think I might work on a shirt to match this skirt. If I do, I'll be sure to post it later.

The pillow cover tutorial is still coming!

Easiest Quilt Ever! The Rag Quilt Tutorial

2009-05-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Make a cute baby quilt, a TV throw, or a warm camping blanket! These blankets are so easy to make and customize to your needs. The nice thing about these quilts is that unlike "real" quilts, they don't have to be perfect! Now that's my kind of quilt! :)

The quilt shown in this tutorial is a finished size of about 38 x 50 inches, using 8-inch cut squares. The pattern uses 48 finished squares, 6 squares x 8 squares. You can make the squares bigger or smaller, and add squares if you want the blanket to be bigger. This size is good for a baby, toddler, or small child.

For my quilts I use three coordinating flannels. I have heard that denim works too. You can use as many (or as little) different patterns of fabric as you want, but you will have to make sure that you have enough of each fabric for the number of squares used in your quilt (both sides).

Here's what you will need for a baby/toddler quilt:

2 and 2/3 yards of patterned flannel

1 and 1/3 yard of a coordinating solid flannel

1 and 1/3 yard of another coordinating flannel (try to find a stripe, plaid, or dot)

48 x 36 inch piece of Warm and Natural batting (or enough to make 48 6-inch squares)

thread (two or three colors)
scissors
rotary cutter
cutting mat
ruler
sewing machine
walking foot for your sewing machine (optional, but highly
recommended)

Instructions:

1. Cut your fabric using a mat, ruler and rotary cutter. Cut the fabric into 8-inch strips, then cut each strip into 8-inch squares. I make 8-inch squares because it maximizes my fabric; I don't have big chunks left over after cutting each square.

*You should probably end up with a little bit of leftover fabric, including four 8-inch squares. I have made matching pillow covers with this leftover fabric in the past. I will post a tutorial for these pillow covers later on!

Note: Remember, if you have enough fabric, you can always cut your squares bigger. Just make sure that your squares are all the same size. You will also need more batting. No matter the size, you will lose 2-inches per square for seam allowance. So we are cutting 8-inch squares, but the finished product will have 6-inch squares and the excess will make up the fray in between the squares. That might be something to keep in mind. If you want your quilt to end up with 8-inch squares for instance, you will need to cut 10-inch squares.

2. Cut the Warm and Natural into squares that are 2 inches smaller than your flannel squares. In this case, cut 6-inch squares.
I find it is easier and faster to cut the Warm and Natural with scissors than with a rotary cutter. I double up the batting, draw a line using a ruler, and cut it with my scissors. Then I cut individual squares using my rotary cutter. You could also double the strips up and draw lines and cut with scissors as well.

Here is what you should have after cutting:

3. Arrange your squares in sandwiches: flannel on top and bottom (right sides out) with a square of batting centered in the middle.
If you have three fabrics, you should have double the amount of squares in one of the fabrics as the other two. That is because the patterned fabrics will be sandwiched together and the other two will be back and front to each other. So for this quilt, I will end up with all blue sandwiches, and sandwiches that are green on one side and orange on the other.
Remember if you are using stripes or plaid to arrange the pattern going the same way on all of the sandwiches. Decide if you want the stripes to be vertical or horizontal, and place them all that same way when forming sandwiches. For example, in this quilt, my truck fabric is placed horizontally.

4. Attach your walking foot to your machine. The walking foot keeps the fabric from bunching and puckering by helping it feed through the machine better. If you don't have one, sew slowly and you may need to help the fabric through by gently pulling on the back of the fabric as you sew. Walking feet can be purchased at sewing supply stores for around $20.

Thread your machine using contrasting thread. For example, I used orange to stitch onto the blue fabric, blue thread for the green fabric, and green thread for the orange fabric. Confused yet?

Thread your bobbin accordingly. For this square I am sewing, there is blue thread in the bobbin and green thread on top.
5. "Quilt" the squares together by sewing a line diagonally down each of your squares. Don't stop and cut the thread after each square; instead do a chain stitch by placing the corner of the next square and continuing to sew.
You will end up with a big long chain of squares. Cut the thread in between each square and do the same thing again, sewing a diagonal line in the opposite direction, making an X in each square.
You will now have 48 squares quilted together.
6. Arrange a row of 6 squares into a pattern making sure your horizontals and verticals are going the right way (back side too). I flip the orange/green squares every other time.
Then continue with the second row. See the pattern forming?
You might want to do this on the floor. You should end up with 8 rows.
Then you can bunch them together in order like this while you sew one row at a time. This is what I do, but whatever works for you is fine. Just make sure that they are in the right order.
7. Here's where it gets tricky. You are going to sew one row together at a time (six squares). Sew on a 1-inch seam allowance, with the seam allowance SHOWING. If it helps, you can lay your row out and pinch the fabric up where the seams would be to remember where to sew.

Here are the squares for my first row, with the first two squares sewn together. Notice the seam allowance is showing on the front side of the blanket.
Continue all the way down the row until it is finished. Make sure you sew the row so that all of the seam allowances are showing. Then finish all of the other rows one at a time.
Here is a picture of all of the rows sewn. The rows are not yet sewn together; I should have spaced them out so you could see that.
8. Now sew your rows together, still keeping the seam allowances showing on the same side. (One side of the quilt has the extra fabric for fraying and one side is flat.)
Make sure that you keep the pattern going the right way. One trick I use is to start with the bottom two rows and pinch where the seam allowance will be on top of the quilt. Then I go and sew those rows together. When I am done, I unfold it and place it back down where it goes. Then I pinch it together with the next row and so on.

One thing to keep in mind when you are sewing the rows together is to try and get the squares' seams to match up. It won't matter on the frayed side of the quilt, but you will see it on the back flat side. So if you care that they are perfect (or at least close) make sure they are matching up as you sew over them. You may need to pull the fabric one way or the other.

This is how I do it. I tuck the seam allowance on the bottom side up and let the seam allowance on the top go down. They kind of fit like a puzzle that way. I am no quilter; I don't know the correct way to do patchwork if there is one, but this seems to work for me. It won't matter which way your fabric goes, because those seam allowances are going to get cut up and frayed anyway.
The last sewing step is to sew around the entire quilt, again using a 1-inch seam allowance. You can sew completely from side to side, or start one inch inside and pivot your quilt with your needle inserted one inch from the end of that side so that it's one continuous line. You should end up with a quilt that looks something like this on the front:
...and this on the back:
9. You are almost done! Now grab a good pair of scissors and plop down in front of the TV. You are going to snip those seam allowances about every 1/4 inch. It won't matter if they are perfect. The intersections of the squares can be tricky, but it won't matter which way you cut them. I just cut along the rows, but whatever you do will be fine. Make sure you cut around the perimeter of the blanket as well.
10. And now for the easiest step of all! Wash the blanket in the washing machine. That's how you get this cute frayed up look. Make sure you clean out your lint filter before you dry it- you will have a lot of fuzz from this quilt.
And you're done! Here are some others I have made. Pillow cover tutorial to come!

More questions? Check out my Rag Quilt FAQ post here!

Check out my newest rag quilt (different pattern) here!

Freezer Jam

2009-04-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

What do you do when strawberries are 44 cents a pound at Basha's? You make jam! At least if you're me, you do.

Yep, that's right. I found strawberries for 88 cents for a 2 lb. clamshell and bought up a whole bunch. I already had the sugar and the containers.

If you have never made jam and it sound intimidating, it is not! It is so easy, especially if you make freezer jam. I actually prefer freezer jam; it has a yummy taste. And you don't have to seal jars for it to stay fresh. In fact, I use glad plastic containers because they stack well and don't take up a lot of room. You can also make jam from a variety of fruits and even jelly from apple juice! Just follow the instructions inside the Sure-Jell box.
Here are the quick instructions:

1. Wash and hull all of the strawberries, then blend them up in a food processor until there are only small chunks.

2. Measure the right amount of berries and sugar and combine them both in a bowl. Let that sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat a package of Sure-Jell and 3/4 cup of water on the stove to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute while stirring.
4. Add the Sure-Jell to the strawberries and stir for 3 minutes. Pour into containers and cover them.
5. Let it sit on the counter for 24 hours before placing them in the freezer. Make sure you put one in your fridge too!

Of course after I made all of this jam, I found out a way to use less sugar and buy a cheaper pectin. If you live in Arizona, you can buy a product called Ultra Jell at Shar's Kitchen/Bosch Center in Gilbert. Apparently, it is only $12 for a small bucket and so it is cheaper than buying boxes of Sure-Jell. You can also use less sugar with the Ultra Jell and still make freezer jam (non-cooked jam).

Highchair Makeover

2009-04-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

I got this lovely highchair from my in-laws. It was in great condition although it was a little rickety and needed some screws replaced.
I decided to paint it black so it would match our dining room furniture. It was really pretty easy. I just used spray cans of primer, black semi-gloss paint, and a few coats of clear to seal it. I have not attached the tray yet, and I think I like it as it is for now anyway. It goes right up against our table and now Levi has his own chair and doesn't need that clunky plastic booster chair he was using.

He already loves it!

P.S. To those who asked, here is what I used to seal the highchair.

Bandanna Skirts

2009-04-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

I found this great tutorial from V and Co. on how to make a girl's skirt out of a bandanna. I thought these would be great for the 4th of July with red or navy blue bandannas. I made a black and red skirt and a navy and red one. I also added a little ruffle using a 6-inch spool of white tulle. I just folded a long strip in half twice (longways) then sewed a gathering stitch through it and gathered it. Then I just sewed it onto the top of the skirt pieces before sewing them together. Easy!

The finished skirts:

Seriously, these are so easy- you've got to make one!

Mod Podge Memory Game

2009-04-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this cute idea a while ago and have wanted to make it ever since. Robert's was sold out of the squares, so I decided to just do the rectangles instead. Sorry for the horrible pictures. I think the game turned out well. I do need to spray it with some acrylic sealer because the pieces are still a little sticky from the Mod Podge.

Also, if you don't want to go out and buy chipboard pieces, you could use cut up cereal boxes instead. Same cute result, but a little cheaper!

Husband's Old Shirt = Daughter's New Dress

2009-04-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

My cousin-in-law, Dana, whom I totally want to be like, made these adorable dresses for her daughter out of men's button front shirts. She posted an awesome tutorial as well. The skill level was easy, so I decided to take a crack at it. They were really easy to make, and this is coming from someone who rarely sews clothes!

I used the measurements that Dana used for her dresses and cut the shirts. However, I forgot to take into account my daughter's huge barrel chest, so they do fit a little snugly. I made the blue one first, using the instructions from the tutorial.
Since I had already cut out the yellow shirt, I thought it would be a good idea to have access to the buttons so I could actually get the thing on my daughter. The blue dress has the sash sewn straight onto the dress and the collar is sewn shut, so no opening the neck. Hmmm. I decided to make the sash separate and tie it around the back in a bow. I still need to add some small belt loops along either side of the dress.

I think I quite like this idea. She can wear it with or without a sash, and I could make different colors of sashes as well. Might be a good idea for a solid white or black shirt dress.
Anyway, these are so fun to make. My husband is lucky he has any shirts left in his closet. I am going to have to find more shirts at thrift stores! Thanks, Dana, for the easy-to-follow instructions and the new obsession!

Simple Monogram

2009-04-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

I have seen these huge monograms in lots of people's houses. Some people Mod Podge them with scrapbook paper or attach flowers and embellishments. But my friend has one in her kitchen that she just painted plain black and hung on the wall. It is really eye-catching and looks so simple yet so cute. So I decided to do what I do best- copy her idea!
These big letters are almost 2 feet tall and are found at Joann's. I bought one a while ago, and for the longest time, just had it hung on my wall as is. I was trying to get a feel for having a huge S on my wall. In fact, I didn't think I liked it, until I painted it black and added just a few ribbons. I really like the finished result! It'll look even better when my walls get painted...

Photo Book

2009-02-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but we have tons of relatives on both sides of our family. Our kids know my immediate family, and some of my husband's, but the rest they hardly ever see and that makes it hard for them to get to know their other cousins.
This cute little ring binder used to be my address book. But after so many years and address changes, it was time to get a new one. I couldn't part with the cute binder, so I saved it to make it into something. When my sister made my kids a homemade book with laminated pages for Christmas, it gave me an idea of what to do with this thing.
I bought some heavy laminating sheets at Walmart (Scotch brand, not Avery) and made copies of pictures of family members. Then I cut the laminating sheets into four pieces to make smaller pages. I typed out the person's name to caption each picture. Then I just punched the holes in the side and filled the binder. The only thing I would have done differently is back the pictures with paper so that you can't see through underneath where the names are.
The nice thing about this is that I can update a single person's photo without throwing out the whole book. And I can add people as I go too. I didn't add our relatives who live far away because I didn't have any pictures of them, but I think I'll ask them to send a picture of their kids so our family can get better acquainted at least with their faces.

Ribbon Banner

2009-02-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

I saw a banner similar to this at a baby shower I went to last weekend. I thought it was such a cute idea, and since I have a lot of ribbon and could do this project without spending a ton of money, I decided to try it.

I went to Michael's and picked up a few of these Styrofoam letters that can be painted.
I wanted something lightweight in case my daughter ever pulled this thing down onto her head (which is very likely to happen). The letters were only a dollar each, and they usually have dollar spools of ribbon right near the front door if you are short on ribbon. Those are basically the only items you need for this, unless you want to decorate it a little more with flowers or other embellishments. I bought some butterflies to attach to the garland, but I'm still not sure if I want to add them. They were a little too bright and sparkly.

I sanded the letters a bit with some fine sandpaper and painted them an off-white color. I cut a long piece of a thicker ribbon for the banner. Then I folded that in half to find the middle and pinned it.
I gathered about 20 different patterns of ribbon in 5 colors (purple, blue, green, white, tan) and cut long enough strips so that they would still be long enough if I made a double knot in them. Then I started double knotting them to the thick blue ribbon, varying colors and patterns as I went. I started in the middle and made room for my letters, then worked my way out until I ran out of ribbon, making sure that the banner was symmetrical.

The red arrow shows where my pin was.

To attach the letters to the banner, I used...ummm...duct tape. High tech, I know, but it was the easiest way for me.
I tied a knot on each side where I would nail it into the wall, then hung it up. Done!
It might be a little crooked, but I'm sure a 2.5-year-old won't notice!

Felt Food

2008-12-31T21:49:00.001-08:00

This year I made my kids some play food for Christmas. It certainly was a labor of love and took quite a while, but I was pleased with the results.

Donuts and Cupcakes

These pizza toppings are not attached so kids can create their own pizza.

Ravioli and Sauce with Meatballs

Check out the great tutorials at Lilly Bean Market for more ideas! Careful, making felt food is addicting!

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-15T20:18:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd share some recipes for the goodies that I make every year. Sometimes I try a new recipe here or there, but these ones always make the cut!

Connie's Peppermint Bark

2 or 3 bags of milk chocolate chips
2 or 3 bags of white chocolate chips or vanilla melting bars
red starlight mints or peppermint candy canes, enough to make 1 cup when crushed
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

Melt the milk chips in the microwave for 1 to 1.5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. When melted, spread on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Put in the fridge and let harden, about 30-45 minutes. Melt white chips the same way. When melted, add crushed candy and stir. Add about 1/2 tsp. of peppermint or however much you want, to taste. Spread on hard milk chocolate and refrigerate until hard. Break into pieces with butter knife. Store in airtight container in a cool place.

Sugar Molasses Cookies (similar to Paradise Bakery's Ginger Molasses Cookies, but better!)

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 cups sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda

Melt the shortening in a saucepan and let cool. Set aside. Cream eggs, sugar and molasses. Add remaining ingredients, then melted shortening. Store dough in the fridge 1-2 hours. Roll dough into about 1.5 inch balls. Roll into sugar. Cook on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Don't overcook! These are supposed to be chewy, not crunchy.

Spiced Pecans

2 1/2 c. pecans
1 large egg white, beaten in a small bowl

Add pecans to egg white. In a separate bowl, mix:

1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix dry ingredients. Pour coated pecans into dry ingredients and coat. Spread out and bake on a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Slide paper onto counter to cool. Store in airtight container. Great on salads or as a snack.

Lemon Bread (you can 1/2 this recipe)

2 c. shortening
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 1/4 c. milk
6 c. flour
1 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
4 lemon rinds, grated

Mix in order given. Pour into loaf tins. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 300 degrees.

Topping:
2 c. sugar
lemon juice from lemons

Mix together and pour over hot bread. Makes 4 regular loaves.

Freezer Paper Stencils

2008-11-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

I have been torn lately because I found some cute ideas for Christmas gifts, but since I need them to be a surprise, I can't post them yet. They aren't Christmas themed, so they will work for any time of the year. I'll post what I've been working on after Christmas!

In the meantime, I tried freezer paper stenciling. My cousin-in-law (I hate that term) is a pro at freezer paper stenciling and has a great tutorial on her blog, so check it out for detailed instructions. Basically, you can create your own stencil for fabric painting with freezer paper, which you can pick up at Walmart or a grocery store.I tried my hand at the stenciling, and although it can be time consuming depending on how intricate your design is, it is pretty fool-proof and therefore, a great project for me!

I decided to do a few pirate-themed skull and crossbones shirts with a few images I got off of Google. Here they are with the stencil still stuck to them.
And here are the finished products! I think they turned out pretty well for my first time. The boy shirt did bleed a little outside of the stencil, but I kind of like the effect!
I also made a few more girl versions in pastel colors and made a matching tutu to go with them. These sets would make great birthday gifts as well. I'll probably be selling these on my Etsy website soon.

Do I Love Mod Podge?

2008-11-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

Why, yes I do. I use it for so many things.

The other day, my husband came home with two of these butt-ugly lunch boxes from some work event. They are perfect for the kids to stick toys in or to bring a lunch on an outing (duh).
I decided to spruce them up a bit and cover up the text. I made a stencil of the indentation on the box, then cut some scrapbook paper to stick on there. I used Mod Podge and put a layer underneath, smoothed my paper onto the glue, then let it dry. After I let it dry for a minute, I added the kids' names with some rub-ons. Then I put another light coat of Mod Podge on top.
Voila! Personalized old-school lunch boxes. (They aren't as cool as my old Shirt Tales lunch box, but they'll do!)

Altered Clipboards Tutorial

2008-11-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming up, I decided to post a tutorial for altered clipboards. These are great gifts for teachers, coaches, or really anyone. You can find plain clipboards in smaller sizes too, which are great for shopping lists. You can buy the white little legal pads at Target- they come in packs of 6 and are pretty cheap. I keep a small clipboard hanging in my kitchen for lists and one in the game closet for keeping score for games. To make a clipboard, here is basically what you need:

a plain clipboard (whatever size you want)
2-4 pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper
Mod Podge, available at any craft store (I usually buy the Paper version although I don't think it matters. It also comes in matte, glossy, and glitter.)
coordinating ribbon
any extra embellishments like rub-ons
foam brush
Fray Check, available in the sewing section at Walmart

To begin, cut your scrapbook paper to fit over your clipboard. I usually place the paper where I'll want it, then mark the paper with my fingernail before cutting it with a paper cutter. (High-tech, I know.) I always use 2-4 patterns of paper so it doesn't look so boring. You can arrange the paper in any way that you want it to be on the clipboard; I usually do horizontal sections. Its a little tricky cutting out the part where the clip is. I just measure where the clip starts, then eyeball it and cut it out. It won't be that noticeable if it isn't perfect. You can also use a corner rounder on the corners before you glue the paper on, or you can do it later with scissors if you don't have one.
Pour some Mod Podge on a paper plate, brush a coat onto the clipboard, and place the paper on top while it is wet. You have to place the paper on just right or it will be a mess trying to reposition. Just do it carefully, and you shouldn't have a problem. (Sorry the pictures show different clipboards; I was making two at a time.) Make sure you smooth out the paper with your hands. This is very important so you won't get bubbles underneath the paper! Just rub from the middle to the edges with your hands so that the paper lays smooth. Make sure the edges stick down well- you can always add a dab more glue underneath if needed. Clean up any excess glue with a wet paper towel before it dries. Do this each time you glue another paper onto the board. Don't overlap the papers; cut them so that they will meet without a lip. Gluing the paper at the top of the clipboard is also a little tricky. You have to hold the clip open while you brush the Mod Podge on.
Once your paper is glued to the board, make sure that there isn't any paper overlapping off of the board. If there is, just take some scissors and trim the excess. You can also cut the corners off of the paper at this time. Let it dry for a few minutes; it doesn't take long. If you put a coat over the top when the bottom is wet, the paper will be too wet and you will get bubbles.
Now you can brush a thin layer of Mod Podge over the paper. Try to keep the strokes going in the same direction, because you might be able to see it when it dries. I go horizontally; I find it's just easier. Lift the clip and get in the corners as well. Let that dry for a few minutes.

When the board is dry, you can add any rub-ons. I have also used acrylic paint and foam stamps to personalize it with someone's name or initial or to add a word like love or family. If you are stamping it, I recommend another light coat of Mod Podge over the stamp to seal it.

You can also add any decorations to the clip with Zots or hot glue. I sometimes use scrapbooking embellishments or buttons.

Now for the ribbon. Make sure you have a good variety of colors, textures, and widths. I like to have rick rack, grosgrain, and organza on hand. Loop the ribbon through the hole and tie a double knot, leaving it long enough to trim. Keeping tying all of the ribbons you have chosen onto the clip, separating similar colors and styles. If you get one of those clipboards with a bar clip going across the top, you can either tie some ribbons to one of the sides if the clip or do the whole clip, but that will take a lot of ribbon. Trim the ribbon so that it's not hanging over the clip onto where you will be writing and then apply Fray Check to the ends.

And there you have it! This clipboard is for Jonah's preschool teacher. She seems to be someone who likes things simple, so I didn't deck it out too much. I almost put her name across the bottom, but decided to just do the flowers instead.
You can get as crazy as you want with the decorations; I like my clipboards to be functional, so I usually keep it minimal. But if you are going to hang it on a wall and just clip a picture to it, you can get more fancy. Remember that if you put ribbon or other stuff in the middle of the clipboard, it might affect your writing while using it. Here are a few other clipboards I have made:
Here's the one I have hanging up in my kitchen. I need to trim those ribbons shorter!

Homemade Bisquick- Updated Info!

2008-10-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you already know this, but I just learned that any mixes that have powdered egg products in them are not good for storing. These include Bisquick, pancake mixes, brownie mixes, cake or muffin mixes, etc. I was planning on stocking up on Bisquick at Costco (we like those Red Lobster cheese biscuits way too much to live without them), but if it goes over the expiration date, it can be really bad for you. So here is a recipe for making your own Bisquick. If you use it a lot, you will still be able to make it if you run out, or if you don't use it often, you can store it and use as needed. Homemade Bisquick should last 4-6 months* unrefrigerated in an airtight container or up to a year in your freezer.

*This is not correct! It will last 12 weeks unrefrigerated and 6 months in the freezer! Sorry about the mistake!

BASIC BAKING MIX (Homemade Bisquick)
8 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. non-fat dry milk powder
1/4 c. baking powder
1 tbsp. salt
1 c. solid shortening
3 qt. container

Sift flour, dry milk, baking powder and salt together 3 times. Cut in shortening until thoroughly mixed. Spoon mix lightly into 3 quart container, DO NOT PACK. Close tightly and store on shelf. Needs no refrigeration. Makes about 10 cups.

More to come on the subject of food storage!

Homemade Halloween

2008-09-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

With Halloween just around the corner, we should all be thinking about costumes, right? Unless you're me, and you start thinking about this around June...

Anyway, I know Halloween costumes can be pricey to buy and stressful to make. I am a huge fan of Halloween, and I always dress up. My husband and I once went to a church Halloween party before we had kids. We thought that the party was mostly for kids, so we didn't even think about dressing up. When we got to the party, we realized that we were literally the only two not dressed up. Not only were all the other adults dressed up, but they went all out! I mean, Catwoman, werewolves... not just a t-shirt that says "This is my costume." We felt pretty stupid and since then have adopted our Halloween motto, "Better to be the only one dressed up than the only one not dressed up."

I don't only dress up because I feel it's my festive duty, but because 1. it's fun, and 2. it enables me to create (which Elder Uchtdorf encourages).

Sometimes the stress of putting together costumes for my husband and myself, not to mention three kids, can be overwhelming. Over the years of dressing up, I have learned a few tips that I would like to share.

1. Halloween costumes are supposed to be fun, so don't let yourself stress out too much creating the perfect costume. I almost broke this rule this year with my daughter's costume. I am not a great seamstress, and I know that if I were, the costume could have been made in one day. But it takes me a while to figure it all out. Here's a sneak peak:

Front

Back

If things don't turn out perfect, who cares? It's going to be dark and no one will notice the flaws. Plus, it's better to have made the effort to dress up than to not have even tried.

2. If you are on a budget (or not), look in your closet before you decide what to be. Look for things that stand out. What weird or random articles of clothing do you have? Do you have a fur coat, boots, overalls, any hats? One year, my sister realized that she had the perfect fleece-lined coat to dress up as a lumberjack. Some boots, a drawn-on beard, and a homemade axe later, and she looked like Paul Bunyan. You can usually put a few things together that you already own, and you'll only have to buy a few things to fill in the cracks.

3. It's also okay to buy a costume. Some of you really creative types might disagree, but with three little kids, I find that I can't make everyone's costumes every year. I bought my oldest's costume this year, and the baby will be wearing a costume I bought a few years ago. Oh well, I'm not about to put together five costumes from scratch. If you are going to buy a costume, check thrift stores, craigslist, or ebay first. you can usually get some good deals there.

4. If you want your husband to dress up, but he won't go for it, start with a low-effort costume. Let him choose what he wants to be. Let him wear his old jersey and be a baseball or football player. Just go easy on him; most guys think dressing up is lame. If you don't put too much pressure on him, he might come around.

5. Go to thrift stores for accessories or otherwise expensive items. Dollar or thrift stores are great places to find cowboy hats, shoes, stockings, and other accessories that might cost double or more at party stores. They are also great for finding generic clothes for costumes like cowboys, farmers, and sports players.

6. Don't choose a costume that is too hard to create, unless you are willing to invest a lot of time and/or money. My little sister is notorious for doing this. Last year, she wanted to be Nacho Libre, and my patient mother actually made her the costume. This year, my sister wants to be Barney the dinosaur. That just is not going to happen. So unless you want to devote a ton of time to making an elaborate costume, choose something doable. There are actually so many easy costumes to choose from. Some of these (I have done almost all of these) include: a farmer, a scarecrow, a G.I., a witch, a gypsy, a cowboy/girl, a cat, a pirate, and a princess. Characters are great ideas too, and are usually pretty easy and cheap, depending on what you already have. Again, use what you have, and borrow or buy the small extras.

7. When making costumes for babies, remember they might grow! I made this mermaid costume for my daughter when she was a baby. I made it a month early and it barely fit her for Halloween!

8. Dress up! Halloween is so much more fun when you dress up. As a kid, I loved it when the adults handing out candy had dressed up. Halloween isn't just for kids, so plan on dressing up this year!

Birthday Party

2008-09-16T17:41:00.001-07:00

This post is long overdue. For the baby's 1st birthday, I made him a little appliqued shirt with the number 1 on it. I got the shirt at Walmart for a few bucks, and the polka dot fabric at JoAnn's. I cut some WonderUnder and ironed the fabric onto the shirt, then did a close zigzag stitch all the way around to secure the applique. Super easy. Don't look too closely- I'm sure there are mistakes!
This party garland was so fun, I might just make one in every color scheme and for every occasion. It was so easy that I pretty much made it while watching my new Office Season 4 DVDs. I picked up some invisible thread and about 6 different patterns of fabric. I think I got 1/4 of a yard each, maybe 1/3. I used this easy pattern from purlbee and cut it all up into shapes. Since it was for a boy's party, I opted for circles (just eye-balled it) instead of the cute flowers. Then I just chain pieced them together, adding the shapes as I went. Soon they were all connected. The great thing about this is that you can cut it to fit your decorating area, and then sew it back together easily if you make a mistake or change your mind and want to keep it long. The bad news is that I got sidetracked setting up for the party, and I forgot to hang the garland! So I will just have to throw another party pretty soon so I can have a reason to use it! I'm sure I'll get plenty of use out of it. I hung the garland up in our dining room to see how it would look. Too bad it's crooked, but you get the idea!

Bottled Butter

2008-09-12T16:04:00.001-07:00

After a lot of thought about this blog post, I have decided to retract it. I had heard lots of rumors that bottling butter was not safe, and figured that there was just a little paranoia going around. However, after reading this notice, I have decided that I don't think I will be bottling butter in the future. I don't think that there is any scientific evidence that bottled butter can cause botulism, but there also isn't any evidence to support it as a safe procedure.

If you would still like instructions for bottling butter, it can be found here. I advise you to use your own best judgment when deciding if this is a storage option for your family. And as always, if you feel uncomfortable about a storage method, don't do it and find an alternative instead.

One Old Pair of Jeans= Two New Jean Skirts

2008-09-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today I was bored again and found this old pair of jeans that don't fit anymore. I used to love these jeans; they were the jeans I wore on my first date with Peter...but it's funny how styles can change after only 6 years. Nowadays these would be considered frumpy-bottom jeans. So they went in the pile.

I decided that Eden needed some cute jean skirts for Fall, so here we are. This is pretty basic sewing, which (let's face it) is all I can do so far. But I am pretty proud of myself anyway.

I measured and cut the jeans like so:
Then I sewed up the sides and did an elastic waistband. With the A-line skirt, I sewed a scrap of fabric to fold over for the waistband so I didn't have to sew over that big huge seam folded over.
I made one A-line skirt, using the "bells" of the pants, and a straight-legged skirt using the thighs.
All that's left of the pants are these Daisy Dukes!
I just need to wash the straight-legged one so it will fray up. I tried to get some pictures, but the model was a little reluctant! The top two are the straight one, and the bottom two are the A-line.
Now I need to go buy her some boots to wear with these!