New member of the family

This Sunday is my birthday, and I will be 29.

There are a lot of people that say once you turn 21 there is no real joy in celebrating birthdays. 30 is considered a horror, for you have all these ideas of where one should be when they are 30. 40 is too far off to even think about at this point. So it seems that birthdays should be just a child's party and adults don't get the fun from them anymore, well I have to say, wrong.

I love being an adult on my birthdays, and even though I am some what fearful of my next birthday turning the big 30. What I love is that I am at the point of I know what I like and what I want, and even though I don't expect a large showering of gifts from family and friends, I can shower myself with gifts. Its the one time of year where there are no real rules on how celebrate being you. So I went out and purchased the one thing I wanted for my birthday.

Introducing my new family member



for the past 2 years I have been sewing with my mothers old sewing machine, of which I named Daisy, she was from 1972 and has orange and yellow flowers. Now Daisy will still be used from time to time, and actually I am a little nervous to use my new machine, but now I have 2 girls at my ready and I am one happy birthday girl.

Hopefully I will get some sewing done, but at the moment I am in knitter mode, I have several cousins all having babies, and some have chosen not to know the sex, which is so unfair to the knitters in the world. So I must be ready to cast on once the wee little ones have arrived.

Happy Crafting everybody

All snuggled in love

A few weeks ago I planned on making my Bella some Jammies using Butterick pattern B4910, which is the cutest and most comfy looking jammies for little girls, I plan on making several of theses jammies for many years to come. Any who, I planned on making my Bella some jammies for Valentines day, found some really cute flannel on sale at Joann's and purchased weeks before V day, washed and pressed fabric, then I spaced it, kept telling myself oh I need to do that, but I have time. Well I had time, and it got a way from me.

So yesterday morning, as soon as my Bella was on the bus, ran to the store to get dinner, came home and started working at said jammies and I have learned many things.
1. Do not wait till the day of to make someone jammies, duh!
2. Do not try to sew while suffering from a headache
3. Do not try to talk on the phone while cutting fabric
4. Do not cut the sleeves first

So has you may have guessed I did all these things yesterday, and by doing so, I messed up slightly by cutting the sleeves into the fabric which messed up cutting the back on the fold. Luckily I am feeling more confident in my sewing that I just cut the back into 2 pieces and sewed it up the middle. I also made the largest size, 8, and my Bella is just now getting into a 6, but I really want her to be able to wear it for a long time, I just love the fabric. I will be making 2 more pairs in the weeks to come (fabric already purchased washed and pressed) and hopefully I will have learned from my mistakes. So here it is my Bella modeling her new Valentines day Jammies.




The bottoms are also a part of her present but they are just a pair of adult jammies purchased at a thrift store I sized down to fit her.

Hope everyone had a great V day and spent it with the one, or ones you love.

Also I wanted to share my other crochet items I am very happy with







The top is a rose necklace I just love, and the others are hair clips one set with butterflys the other bows, they are so cute, fast and easy to make. I can not wait to make more in so many more colors.

The butterflys I found on pinterest (great site) and the bows Ravelry. I take no credit in making the pattern, just in loving them.

Falling in love, again.

I have fallen in love, again. With crochet.

My first steps into the crafting world was when I was 14 and my Aunt taught me how to crochet, she only new of a few stitches and couldn't read a pattern to save her life, but all the same I was happy to learn.

For many years after the only thing I did was make afghans to fit a giant, all in single crochet, I didn't even have to look at what I was doing I could just go, but then I got bored with it, tried several times to read a pattern all to no avail, so I stopped, entered into young adulthood not thinking twice about it, then I had a baby, wanted to make her things, but I only knew crochet, so I tried again, and it was okay, it was familiar but it didn't have the look of what I wanted, plus I was using Red Heart Supersaver, and the end look just wasn't pretty for me. So I learned to knit, started going to the local yarn shop and found wool, and cotton, and many other actual fibers and truth be told I became a yarn snob. I denied it of course. I feel in love with knitting and dropped crochet like a hot potato.

Years passed and didn't even think of crochet, almost detested it for some reason, then I walked into my local yarn shop, and the owner asked me if I knew how to crochet, I said yes (I had through knitting, learned how to read a crochet pattern and became quite good at crocheting even though I didn't care for it) and was asked to become a instructor, I taught a few classes, and switched yarn shops, but all the while secretly not wanting to teach crochet, but then at the start of the new year, wanting to make some quick projects, I made a few hot pads and doilies. It was fun, wonderful in fact, so then I moved onto some projects for the Yarn store, and made a few samples, and I realized how much fun it was to crochet, I was actually looking for crochet projects on Ravelry, and now I am spending my days knitting, sewing (am currently learning how to do that) and crocheting. I have a large selection of Crochet Thread I have gathered at Thrift stores and Yard Sales and am making many things and loving every minute of it. I purchased yarn yesterday and plan on make a granny square blanket, one of I am sure to be many.

What I love about falling back in love with crochet is I already know how to do it, and because of that I can jump right into the deep end and have all sorts of fun with it without many road blocks that learning a new craft can bring. So I share with you one of my new labors of love with my newly found love of the craft Crochet.



Hopefully later this week I will show you the few pieces of jelewry that I have made with my crochet.

Am wishing everyone a happy week of love, whether it be a partner, a child, friend or just the love of life. Happy Valentines day

The snow has landed

It was bound to happen eventually, snow has landed in Northern Idaho. The last few winters have been pretty bare, and not complaining, but there is a sense of comfort in snow, as long as you don't have to drive in it, I find that is the number one reason people hate snow.

It gives me a sense of comfort and home, for when the snow is falling that is when you stay home, and eat, drink and cozy up to all things warm. I am planning on make a few warm treats, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry pie/cobbler and a big pot of chili with cornbread with butter and honey. So let the snow fall, as long as I have all the comforts of home.



Another thing I am loving about the snow is I am stuck home, and there for have no reason not to be working on all the projects I have piling up in my head, and I have one finished project to share. It is the Libby Top from Craftinessisnotoptional.com





Here is my Bella cheesing at the camera she was very excited about her new shirt, and even asked to wear it to school, a mother loves to hear these things. It was pretty simple to make, and for me that is saying something. I love Jess' blog, she is quickly becoming the sewing teacher I have so longed for, and now that this one is under my belt, I have many more projects in the works, currently a womans blouse to be a dress for Bella, and of course the Junebug dress from Jess' blog, which is going to be Bella's dress for an upcoming family memebers wedding in May. So to everyone, whether you are burried under feets of snow, or enjoying some sun, I wish you happy crafting

Welcome 2012

The beginning of a new year, I still am in a bit of a shock that it is 2012, last year went by in a blink. Hopefully time will slow down a bit. Probably not.

So the number one thing everyone is doing right now is thinking about what they want to do this year, what they want to accomplish, who they want to be, or not be, and for the crafters in us, what we want to make.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do make Crafting Resolutions, those are always fun.

Sarah's Crafting Resolutions for 2012

1.As always, finish what I start.

2.Make more things for the house

3.Make more things for friends/family

4.Wear what I make

5.Stop procrastinating

Simple enough but we will see what happens in a year.

So far I have been productive, but then, it is only day 2 of the new year. I have fallen for a fun craft that I am quite surprised about. Doilies. I am mesmerized by the simplicity of them, especially the vintage looking ones.
I have been grabbing all the crochet cotton I could find at yard sales and thrift stores and am hoping to have a nice little pile here soon of finished coasters, table runners, hot pads and potholders.



So to everyone I hope 2012 is a prosperous year and that all your crafting endeavours are victorious.

Any Resolutions you'd like to share?

12

I have been a very busy crafter, and not necessarily by choice.

Back in October my Aunt asked me to knit her 12 mittens, very basic, easy mittens. (She taught me to crochet when I was 14, and I have yet to teach her to knit) So being a good niece I accepted, also she said she would pay me, and this time of year money is always accepted. She was very precise in what colors she wanted. Navy Blue, and Orange. Odd colors, unless you live in Boise, Idaho, which my Aunt does. Those are the colors of Boise State University

So I went to work on them and finished the first pair in just 2 days, then I did what any crafter does, I procrastinated. It was October, Christmas was so far away right? Not so true when you have 11 mittens to finish, plus start work on your own Christmas gifts. And I am not the kind of crafter that likes to start to many projects, I like to start 1 maybe 2 and finish before I work on anything else.

So I finally ordered myself to sit and knit, you'd think I would relish at the chance to just sit and knit all day, but for whatever reason I wasn't all that amped up to do so, why? maybe cause it was not a knit I actually wanted to do, maybe it just got tedious, or the more likely reason, once given a task of knitting, I started thinking of all the other things I wanted to knit. But luckily I completed all 12 mittens, took there pictures and sent them on to there merry little way, and am oh so very glad to be rid of them. I told my Aunt that I would probably not be able to make mittens for a whole year, which isn't true. I started a pair for my Bella who keeps bugging me to finish, love it, and a pair for her teacher as a Christmas gift.



Goodbye, farewell, and I will never see you again :)


Now on the day that I finished I was so over joyed to be able to start work on my Christmas gifts, then I get a phone call, my niece asked me to make her cousin some Barbie clothes for her birthday, which is this Saturday. I was tired and didn't feel like making anything for anybody else, other then my loved ones. But when a family member, especially a young one asks for a handmade gift how could I say no, so I stayed up late last night and made a dress, shirt, and skirt.

Now as happy as I am that my family looks to me as there go to crafter, I am sorry to have to say, I am closed until after the New Year. Then I have baby knits and sewing to do, for I have 4 cousins all expecting in 2012.

I hope you all are having a great crafting year, and wishing you speedy hands. Anyone received special request from family and friends?

In Rememberance

It's been a pretty sad week here. Last Monday my sweet grumpy Simone left us.

Animals are awesome creatures in there own right, we get so used to having them around that when they are truly gone, we didn't realize how special or great it was having them there, in the background of our lives.

Here are a few little stories of my Simone I would like to share with you.

She was born on June 4Th when I was 14, so 1997. She was the first cat whose birthday I actually knew, I got her from my aunt's cat, when she was just a month old. She was Siamese.

She was so tiny that I would put her in my overall front pocket and she would fall asleep. I stopped when she peed, lol.

I had never seen a female cat in heat before, and when it was time to get her fixed, she was in full blown heat, and I found it quite odd. I learned a lesson, get a cat fixed before she goes into heat, cause she turns into a mean thing.

My sixteenth birthday my mom got me a bouquet of red roses, and I dried them and had them in a vase in my room, I woke up to my Simone chopping the heads off of each rose, so again, never get a cat fixed when she goes in heat.

I moved to Oregon when I was 20 and found it was better if Simone stayed with my mom, for she had lived there for 6 years and I didn't want her to get lost, she had always been an outdoor/indoor cat.

when I moved back with my infant daughter, I was worried about how Simone would act, like I said she turned kinda mean, but she was a real trouper, letting my daughter pet her, and carry her around the house in many uncomfortable positions, all the while with her grumpy face.

She always slept on the back of the couch, like she was going to lay eggs or something, and when she wanted food or to be petted she would be nice until she got what she wanted.

These last few months I had a feeling something was wrong, she lost a lot of weight, and was barely eating, sleeping next to the litter box, and peeing on the rug when she couldn't make it. It got really bad when she would come sleep in my bed or on my footstool, as if she were saying her goodbyes by being nice.

Her final night she slept have the night with me, and the other half with my mom, as if she where saying her goodbyes. Then the next morning, she slipped out the front door while feeding the other cats a can of cat food, and never to be one who liked being outside, nor being out all night, especially when its cold, she never returned. I figured it was kidney failure, I had a cat pass away from that when I was 18, at the time not knowing how serious Kidney failure is for cats.

It kinda hasn't sunk in that she is gone, I am crying a bit for the first time writing this post, it hits home the most when its feeding time and she is not there trying to stake her claim at the food dish, or when I walk down the hall and I don't see her on my bed,(where she spent the last 2 months sleeping) or on the back of the couch. She was a mean grumpy little thing, but she was a good cat and spent her last weeks giving us the affection she so rarely gave, by just being closer to us. I have only lost a handful of animals in my life, and it never gets easier. They are members of our family, little creatures that allow us to love in a way that we wish we could with humans. The creatures that depend on us for the comforts of life, and return that with there constant being of being fluffy and cute and always loyal, even if they are a grump.

So to you my Simone, thank you for being the cat you where, the house will not be the same without your grumpy little face. You are in the list of awesome family cats I have owned and you can never be replaced.