What I have been up to

I am really bad about blogging, I have many things to write about and post but time gets away from me and I leave it for another day, which in turn this time turns into a month and a half.

But I have a good excuse, my beautiful little girl turned 6 on Friday and I have been spending the better part of July and August frantically finishing her presents.

I had this idea to fill a picnic basket to the brim with felt food. I had seen some from Pinterest, and I thought how cute, and I started off like a rocket, with a couple of slices of bread, some eggs and pancakes, but then I moved on to another gift that wasn't technically from me, but I was informed I was going to do. And since it wasn't really my plan I was hesitant and unethusiatic about it, so of course I messed up a bit on it and decided to wait until the night before her birthday to fix and finally add buttonholes, which I had yet to do, but I went for it and the giftee was happy with it as was the reciepent
here a few before and after shots of what I am talking about

A nurses smock turned into another dress for my Bella, however like I said this wasn't from me, this was from Grandma. I all worked out and I am not afraid of buttonholes now, which is good for upcoming pajama sewing.

As you may or may not see, my Bella is wearing another handmade gift around her neck, it is her very own shawl, the http://www.petitepurls.com/Winter12/winter2012_p_princess.html

except I didn't do the crown stitch I just did a garter stitch, my yarn wasn't be helpful.

So onto homemade gift #3 her felt food, I found many tutorials online, but I mostly just saw the pictures and went from there, pretty self explantory. I must say I had just as much fun making these as my Bella will have fun playing with them.

I plan on making more, I have more bread to finish, and pancakes, and I have to stuff and ice some donuts, but I am happy with what I was able to get done. For Christmas I am hoping to have turned an old $5 desk into a little kitchenette, wish me luck. I was even more surprised at how much my 10 yr old little niece was enjoying the felt food, I have a feeling she maybe getting a box for christmas.

So I have been a very busy girl, and I have several yard sale items to share but will leave it for another post.

Happy Crafting to all.

Logical thinking

The weather here as been hot as everywhere else, and its the yicky, sticky, sweaty hot that makes you not want to do anything but lay in front of the fan and not turn into a puddle. So for the most part I am not making much, no dresses no nothing.

Turning on my iron is not what I want. Sitting down is not even fun when you stick to the chair.

So what is the best thing to do in the heat, well for me it was baking, (did I mention I am a bit crazy in my thinking)  and baking the one thing that I have been wanting to bake for over 4 years and that is bread. I made bread once and it was hard as a brick and did not taste very good, so the other day I said screw it and I started the process of making Challah bread and let me tell you the satisifaction of watching simple ingredients like flour and yeast become this thing that you can eat, it was different then making dinner or a dessert, it was so rewarding that I danced with my Bella over the rise of my dough, and I had a good laugh with my mom at the fact that I had just made bread, I concered my fear of yeast and I made bread, by hand no machine and it tasted good.

The smell was enough to say I must continue making bread, and it put so many ideas in my head of gifts to give to friends and family, and of desserts and breakfasts' to make, and the one thought in my head was "Holla, I made Challah"

So to everyone out there I hope there are little things, and big things that you finally say I am going to do it and you do and you are proud not because you did it perfect, cause trust me I didn't but that you quite telling yourself you couldn't and faced failure and you learned something new, and you danced a bit, even if in your heart.

Happy Thrifting

What is a better way to celebrate the birthday of our wonderful country then to go on a yard sale/thrift store spree and find a bunch of wonderful things to take home, well I tell ya that is exactly what I did and it was a wonderful time.

On Saturday morning we ventured out and first headed to a family friends yard sale where I saw with great delight and in very good condition an old-fashion and literally old Apple corer and peeler. Luckily I got the family friend discount of $7 dollars and I snatched that baby up and am soon putting it to use making  apple pies. (I totally spaced takeing picture, which annoys me cause I took a picture of something else and my new apple peeler was right behind me)

We ventured some more and found lots of wonderful little things, and I even got to chit chat with a wonderful lady who makes a living doing mosiac art pieces and she complamented me on the dress my daughter was wearing, that of course I had sewed myself. I love crafty conversations with people.

After the last few yard sales where I scored on fabric, (no pictures for they are in the wash) my daughter and I could not longer handle the muggy heat, and let me tell you that is all we have been getting this summer, and it is horrible, I could not live in Florida or Arizona. We headed to a few thrift stores, and I am so happy to show a few things I lucked out on.

                                  

Yes patterns, mostly from the '70's and a few from the late 60's, and all children patterns. There was a lady who after seeing me go through the whole filing cabinet wanted a chance to scour through herself. They were 5 for a $1 and I got roughly $7 dollars worth, but I have 3 ultimate favorites

Unfortunately they are sized 4, but I am hoping to figure out how to size them up a bit for my Bella, Here a are a few close ups

I have gone through and luckily these 3 all have there pattern pieces, and so do the few I have checked in the basket. Its plain to see I will be extremely busy for a long time, which I have found I prefer.

Friday night to help relax and get ready for a day of treasure hunting we went and saw the new Pixar film Brave

 and I got to tell ya, I loved it, we where laughing so hard my stomach hurt and I even cried a bit in the end. My daughter and niece said it was better then Tangled, which I did not agree, but I thought was as good as Tangled then again I like any movie where the only way to solve a problem with a little needle and thread, and of course loving your mother. Don't want to be a spoiler alert so I will stop right there.

So to sum things up had a pretty good weekend with my girl, and will now be spending the next 2 days working on her surprise 4th of July dress, any reason to make a dress for my baby is a good reason.

Happy Crafting everyone and Happy 4th of July*

*(Please be safe out there)

All is well that ends well

I finished my quilt, I cannot believe I did it, I am so freaking stoked about it that I just wanted to hop in my car drive the 200 miles to my Aunt Judy's house (she is the one who taught me) and squeal   "look, look what me and my sewing machine made" however I can not so I will happily squeal here.

Look, look what I made, yay me.

Happy crafting everyone

I just can't seem to stop myself

I just can't seem to stop myself from crafting, everyone who knows me knows I love to make things, its what I do, its how I relax and take my mind off of the burdens of life for a moment or more, and I have found yet another craft, of course for my Bella to fall in love with doing along with about a million other things in progress.

Like the moms before me who have created such wonderful projects this is to become a Birthday/Christmas gift, whenever I complete it of course for my Bella. Not just the pizza but a whole bunch of play food.

So once again to everyone, Happy Crafting

P.S. I watched a tutorial on Youtube on how to make the pizza, I think it was Lilybean.com

A different take

Maybe, but lets try it a different way

That's better.

I think I'm getting the hang of this

I am no professional, and it wouldn't take long to look at the things I made and find about a million errors, but who cares I am loving my sewing machine and the things that we make together, here is a new little dress for my Bella, its her Father's Day dress, its only called that cause I made it and Father's day was coming up. It could have been easily her Friday dress.


she knows how to strick a diva pose

I found the tutorial via pinterest. I love that website, everything I make I find from there, plus the wonderful bloggers who creat such wonderful projects, this is the blog for this pattern http://thisismeinspired.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/recital-dress-tutorial.html the only thing I did diffrent was the strap placements, I think it would have bugged her and she wouldn't want to wear it as much. What I love about the dress and what my Bella loves about the dress is that it is twirly, and every girl loves a twirly dress

Every mother wants to hear right when they are done with sewing their daughter a dress is, "I want to try it on, I want to sleep in it, can I wear it tomorrow too" So who cares about errors, it passed the one test it needed too, and I thinkg I got an A. Happy Crafting!


(Oh and regarding my horrific lawn and the apparent lack of mowing, we have been getting rain for weeks now with only a moment of sunshine. So please ignore the jungle that is growing around our house as soon as the sun is out for more then a moment we will be attacking it. Happens every year)