What I Made Today

Humble Pie

2012-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

Things that are humbling:

1) Making my first pair of baby shoes, proudly dressing my daughter in them, then having the gal next to me notice my handmade effort and say, "They can only get better, right?"

2) Posting a giveaway and having no one enter. Zero, zip, zilch, none. During the time I ran the silhouette giveaway, almost 200 people visited my tutorial. What did I do wrong? Does everyone want to make them themselves? Geesh, Super Mommas, I offered them for free!

I deleted the post, somewhat deflated yet somewhat grateful for the few minutes of free time I gained back by not having to make anything for my giveaway winner.

End the end, it's a good thing. Because now I'm up to my eyeballs in a quilt full of silhouettes! This is a class quilt that will be auctioned to benefit my son's school. Oddly, my son's teacher, who knew nothing of my silhouette skillz, suggested this year's class quilt be a - yep! - silhouette quilt. Wish me luck!

Snow Day

2012-01-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

We're lucky to get snow once per winter, and this weekend was it. I know some parents dread snow days, but I love 'em! I've been waiting for this for MONTHS. I bought Charlotte's snow suit and sled in the fall and have been itching to see her use them ever since.

Charlotte wasn't a fan of getting all bundled up. Does any baby like this? "Help! I can't move!" But as you can see from the top photo, she loved riding in her sled.

Lincoln's snowman. Yes, it took all the snow in the yard to make this frigid fellow.

But that didn't stop us from sledding around in the slush. Here Lincoln crashed Charlotte into his snowman, then stopped to eat said snowman's nose.

Craft alert: Credit for Lincoln's hat goes to Aunt Cheryl. She attached tiny turquoise cowbells to the tips (say that three times fast) so it jingles whenever Lincoln moves. Lincoln has to wear his "quiet" hat at school, but he sneaks this one out whenever he can. The snowman is wearing Brighton's scarf.

Brighton posing with his snowman. He used milk jug caps for eyes and apparently decided against a nose.

The green and blue cable-knit scarf was made by my mom.

Lincoln decapitating his snowman. Boys at this age - anything they build MUST be knocked down.

Diploma Mini Quilt

2012-01-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Look what my stepmom made! Is that the sign of a proud mother-in-law or what? You can tell by the dates that my husband graduated a while ago (with highest honors, no less - proud wife here, too!). But my stepmom's embroidery machine is a relatively new addition to the family.

I'd love to give you more details on the mini-quilt, but my husband took it to work the day after Christmas. It's already hanging in his cubicle. My stepmom didn't know this, but Ben's always wanted to hang his diplomas at work. The framed diplomas are too big for his cube, though, so this wall hanging is perfect.

Funny, my dad is also a Georgia Tech alumnus. I think their shared alma mater was Ben's only saving grace with my dad when Ben and I started dating. Now my parents love him, of course. But I'm not sure any father is thrilled with the idea of his daughter dating any boy. So for me to marry some who earned A's in Calc 4 at an engineering school, my dad couldn't complain about the brain power being brought into the family gene pool.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas Gifts from Grandma

2011-12-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

Grandma Patti came to visit a few weeks ago and brought these handmade lovelies. First, a pair of matching Christmas pillow cases. One for each of my boys. What cute needlework!

My boys have slept on these pillowcases for the past month. I was scared to death to wash them, but fortunately all the embroidery stayed intact and the pillowcases still look great.

Charlotte is still too young for a pillow. So Grandma made her a new stocking. Every child needs her own stocking, right?

Growing up I had a needlepoint stocking that my aunt made for me. I've asked my mom for a it a few times since I've moved out on my own. My mom still won't give it to me. I think she likes keeping mementos of family around to make her empty nest feel like home.

Back to Charlotte's stocking - If you look closely, you can see that that every piece is hand appliqued. Every sequin is topped with a tiny bead and sewn on by hand. This took a lot of time and love.

Isn't that a cheery, warm-hearted little snowman?

Grandma Patti also knit two bibs for Charlotte. I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture before I used them (duh me!) and now they're in the wash. Charlotte will definitely be sporting her Christmas bibs on the holiday, so hopefully I'll get a good photo then.

By Brighton: Christmas Knitting

2011-12-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

Brighton picked up a new hobby: knitting. Grandma Patti taught him to knit while she was here. But Grandma's a lefty; Brighton's a righty.

My one attempt at knitting bordered on complete failure. So Brighton took his knitting to his school, where handwork is encouraged, and his teacher taught him how to knit right-handed.

Brighton's making a scarf as a Christmas present for someone in the family, though he won't disclose who.

Doesn't this melt your heart? It's perfectly off-kilter.

Anyone else finishing up their holiday crafts?

Gingerbread House

2011-12-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

I am blessed with the most talented, generous friends on the planet. I really believe that. Look at this beauty! Remember the camouflage carseat cover I made? That mom-to-be brought over this HUGE - probably 18" tall - gingerbread house. I almost cropped my son's drinking cup out of the photo but decided to leave it because it gives the house some scale. Look at the windows. They're colored sugar glass. All of the edges are piped in chocolate.

The gingerbread house alone is impressive. But our friend also brought over a complete decorating kit. Wow! My boys were bouncing like pogo sticks when they opened this. Of course they had to take everything out and start calling dibs.

Dad was smart and claimed control of the icing bag.

But the boys had plenty of fun.

With uncharacteristic restraint, the boys saved most of the candies to snack on later. I thought every inch of the house would be covered by some sugary confection. But no, they wanted the house to look nice and stopped.

I love the little man waving in the front window.

The back of the house had flower boxes under the windows and a cannon on the ground. Yes, a cannon. Why a cannon? Why not.

The boys built a cannon in the front yard, too. They tried to build a gumdrop snowman, but it couldn't stand on its own. So the boys propped the snowman in front of the cannon, then Lincoln decided the cannon could blast the snowman up to see Santa Claus. I love my crazy kids. The brownie is a flower box with gumdrop shrubs.

Funny story: We made the gingerbread house last night. This morning I sent the boys downstairs to eat breakfast and get ready for school. 10 minutes later, I still didn't hear the clank of cereal bowls or pop of the toaster. I called down in my naggy mom voice, "Are you boys eating breakfast?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I don't hear anything"

"Don't worry, Mom. We are."

Then I remembered...the gingerbread house was still sitting on the kitchen table. Nice. That was breakfast.

Too Much Honesty

2011-12-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sad. This is what my craft room looks like right now.

The wall that used to look like this...

now looks like this.

The mess isn't what bothers me.

We're converting my craft room / home office into a bedroom for Brighton, my oldest son. My two boys have been sharing a room since before our daughter, Charlotte, was born. To make a long story short, my younger son, Lincoln, needs his own space. He needs to be out from underneath his brother's shadow. So Lincoln is keeping the boys' current bedroom and Brighton is getting a new bigger boy set of furniture and bedding. Lincoln's room (see HERE) is perfect for his age, plus it's the biggest bedroom in the house. So don't think he's being slighted by Brighton moving out and getting new furniture.

I'm sad that I'm giving up MY space. Is that selfish? It's not that I'm sad to get rid of so many craft supplies; I'm only getting rid of things I seldom use.

As a stay-at-home mom, my life centers around my family, especially the needs of my children. My craft room was my outlet, my escape, the place I could go when I wanted to do something other than dishes or laundry. I could walk into my craft room and see my creations hanging on the walls. I could see the glossy magazines where my cards are published. I could even see the medal I earned after months and months of training for - and finishing - a marathon. Yes, that was on the wall, too.

When was the last time I received a medal for folding laundry? Or for staying up at night to rock my sick baby? (She's been sick for a week-and-a-half now. I'm tired.) Yet here I am packing away another part of me to give even more to my children.

In two weeks, this room will look fantastic. Two large boxes from PB Teen are sitting in my front entryway waiting to be unpacked. I've picked out new paint and scheduled delivery of the furniture. Soon I will look at my son's new room and be proud of the transformation. Brighton is already so excited that it melts my heart. I will be glad that I cleaned out my closets. I will be glad that my younger son is happy in his space. And I will still have most of my craft supplies, just in less accessible storage.

I don't anticipate any change to my blog. I've already s-l-o-w-e-d my blogging to be available for my baby. But even now I have half a dozen projects to post - even a tutorial for a baby softie! - that I have ready to post as soon as I can make time. Plus, Santa Hubby let slip about my Christmas present. Check it.

Squeal!

So yes, life will go on. And I will make pretty things.

But today I will grieve and tomorrow move on.

Car Seat Cover + Canopy {skulls and camo}

2011-12-09T16:35:00.000-08:00

I recovered a carseat for this supremely talented cake artist / chef / all-around-Renaissance mother-to-be. You should check out her cakes. She's no longer baking for the public, but she could win any cake-off on Food Network. A cake-off is like a face-off, but with cake.

I LOVE the fabrics she chose. Camoflauge skulls. Seriously, when have you seen a carseat with camouflage skulls? Never.

Until now.

What makes the fabric choice doubly amusing is that the parents are the nicest, most peaceful adults you'll ever meet. The fabric is as hard-edged as this baby's ever gonna get.

Baby Boy will rest on soft brown minky while peering up at the calming yoga phrases covering the underside of the canopy: peace and love, relax, breathe, stretch.

I also give myself kuddos because the skull fabric is a knit. Yes, stretchy knit. When I sent Mom-to-Be to the fabric store with her shopping list, it never occured to me to tell her to get a woven fabric, preferably from the quilting section. Duh me. Knits are so soft - no wonder she loved the fabric.

As you can see, the end result looks great. I practiced first, then sewed slowly. Several of the pieces, like the canopy, reversed to the yoga print, which is a tradtional woven quilter's cotton. It was much easier to work with the knit + woven pinned together because the woven kept the knit from stretching as much.

I made a matching tent/canopy to protect Baby Boy from wind, rain, and peering eyes. Notice the rounded corners and brown piping. Details like that make such a difference to me.

The straps around the carseat handle hook together with velcro. The buttons are purely decorative.

For more details on construction OR to see the pinkified carseat cover I made for my daughter, CLICK HERE.

Halloween Recap

2011-11-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hope you had a happy Halloween. The weather turned cold here. It was in the 30's last night. But the boys wore enough hidden layers and numbed themsleves with sugar, so they still enjoyed a full two hours of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

By the time my kids are dressed in their costumes, they're far too excited to stand still for photos. I was lucky enough to get one good shot of Brighton. My mother-in-law helped make his magician costume. Magnificent!

We followed McCall's pattern pattern M2854 for the cape, bow tie, and cumberbund.

Lincoln was a tarantula. I wish I had a side shot of him. The costume is pretty awesome all the way around.

Here's the photo from Zulily, where I bought the costume.

Charlotte was a ladybug. Nevermind that ladybugs don't have tutus. The tutu made the costume.

Look how fluffy. I've waited years for this - YEARS!

One more shot. Indulge me.

I bought the tutu and antennae headband from Tootsie Tutu Shop on etsy. Yes, I bought it. It would have been fun to make. But since it took me two months and one mother-in-law to make Brighton's costume, I knew I didn't have the available time to finish the tutu. *sniff, sniff* But I supported a handmade, SAHM, American business. So that's good, right?

Lest you lose faith in me for doing nothing to make my baby's costume, be assured that I added the sparkly ladybug to the front of Charlotte's shirt and stitched velcro onto the back of her shirt to attach the wings. I'll overlook the fact that the wings came from a mega discount chain becuase I still had to use my sewing machine for the velcro. The two cancel each other.

Shoe credit goes to my mother, of course.

(Why won't this picture rotate?) Evidently Charlotte likes the feel of tulle. She spent most of the night grabbing her skirt and trying to eat it. The rest of the night was spent smiling at all the trick-or-treaters who fawned over how cute she was. There's something odd about having a blood-slathered preteen tuck her blood-slathered machete under her arm to reach out and tickle my baby's toes. But I'll take it as a compliment.

Hi there!

2011-10-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

Popping in to say hello again. Wow - I forgot how busy life can be with a baby! Add in two older brothers and I'm doing well to keep up with day-to-day life, let alone make fun crafts, let alone blog about the few crafts I do make.

I did, however, make time to take my first photography class. My baby is only a baby once - now is the time to preserve those images! Next on the agenda - other than continuing to improve my photography - is learning how to use Photoshop Elements to enhance my images. Any tips, tutorials, or books you'd recommend?

For now, enjoy this peak at the reasons for my scant posting. Prepare for picture overload.

My sweet Charlotte at 3 months.

My monkeys.

Monkey #1.

Monkey #2. Care free, the way summer should be.

"Put your shoes on, and hurry! I need to take the photos while Charlotte's still asleep!"

Um, Mom, I think I see a bee...

EEEeeeekkk!

My first baby - Chester, the Wonder Pug.

Charlotte wasn't sure what to think about our vacation to the water park. Isn't she ADORABLE? Look at all that chubby goodness. And that face! Makes me want to scoop her up and give her a squeeze.

Charlotte at 4 months. Back to her usual happy self.

Made you smile, didn't she?

Made for Charlotte: Poncho, Cloche, and Ballet Slippers

2011-09-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

My mom has amazing crochet skills, I tell ya. Thank you, Mom! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

My most favorite part of the outfit - the shoes. The colors, the styling, the flower and leaves...I love it all.

Here's my mom with Charlotte Rose, all fancied up in her new poncho, cloche, and slippers. Funny - when my mom told me she made a cloche, I had to look it up. "Cloche" sounds so much more fashionable than "beanie," don't you think? My mom has since sent a larger cloche for Charlotte, since this first one was was a bit snug.

Let's have one more look at those shoes. My mom used this pattern from The Lovely Crow. Did I tell you how much I love the shoes? Love them. Mom, will you please make me a grown up pair of these for Christmas?

Warmest Birthday Wishes

2011-08-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

*This is my second post for today. To see the pennant banner tutorial, please scroll down.*

This has to be one of my favorite cards I have ever made. I love all things felt and those fuzzy mittens turned out really cute, didn't they? I made sure to save the pattern I drew so I can make more of these cheery little mittens later on. The red felt is glittered - hence the little speckles in the photo.

I made the card for my stepmom's birthday a couple of years ago. When I saw the latest Moxie Fab World Challenge: Fabulous Felt, I knew I wanted to repost it.

Another one of my favorite cards with felt is this happy little tree. (Anyone else remember watching Bob Ross?)

The tree was a ready-made creation by Basic Grey, but I still think it's adorable, especially all dressed up with these papers and ribbon.

Supplies - Warmest Birthday Wishes Card (felt mittens)
Paper: Stampin' Up! (Bashful Blue), Bazzil Basics (white).
Ribbon: Papertrey Ink (Pure Poppy).
Button: Papertrey Ink (Spring Rain).
Other: Stampin' Up! (linen thread), red and light blue felt, white embroidery floss, computer fonts (Honey Script, Times New Roman).

Supplies - Sending Birthday Wishes Card (felt tree)
Paper: Stampin' Up! (Bravo Burgundy, Chocolate Chip, Autumn Vine DSP, Naturals Ivory), Basic Grey (Indian Summer - Acorn.
Stamps: Papertrey Ink (Everyday Button Bits).
Ink: Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip).
Ribbon: Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip), rick rack.
Felt Tree: Basic Grey (Indian Summer Woolies).

TUTORIAL: Pennant Banner

2011-08-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

I finally squeezed in enough time to post the tutorial for the pennant banner / bunting I used for last month's ice cream party. This is a great project for a beginning sewer, it's inexpensive, and it adds a ton of pop!

Supplies

Fabric. I used 1/4 yard cuts of 5-6 different patterns.
Extra wide double fold bias tape. 2-3 packs.
If you don't have a way to hang your banner, 2 wooden dowels, spray paint, and vases/pots filled with pea gravel or something else heavy.
Standard sewing supplies: thread, rotary cutter, straight edge, sewing machine.

1. Cut your fabric.

For this banner, I used six patterns of fabric. When buying fabric, you'll need 1/4 yard each. TIP: Make sure you buy enough fabric to have 1/4 yard after it's squared. If the fabric is cut crooked, you might want to buy 3/8 yard. You do NOT need to prewash the fabric.

The striped fabric on the left is a dishcloth I found at Target. Since it's a big rectangle, I cut it the same way as the other quilting fabric. (I bought additional dishclothes and used them as a table runner.)

Iron your fabric. Fold your fabric in half wrong sides together so that the selvage edges are touching. Square the top and bottom edges and cut off the selvage. Cut your fabric 9" tall (1/4 yard).

Cut your pennants as shown above. Each pennant is 9" tall (the height of your fabric) x 7" wide. If it helps you to mark your fabric, start at one edge and mark along the top every 7". Starting from the same edge, mark the bottom at 3 1/2", then continue marking every 7". Use a straight edge and rotary cutter to make straight cuts.

Remember, you should be cutting through two layers of fabric. As you cut your pennants, keep each pair of pennants stacked neatly on top of one another other so they're ready to be sewn together.

2. Sew each pennant.

Take your pennant triagles - each with a front and back piece of fabric, right sides facing out - and sew them together along the two long edges. You'll sew the top together when you add the bias tape. Sew close to the edge, about 1/4" - 3/8". The exact measurement isn't important. I moved my needle to its far right position and lined up the edge of the fabric with the edge of my presser foot.

TIP: Start at the top (where a long edge meets the short edge) and sew down to the bottom point. When you get to the point, leave the needle in your fabric, then turn your fabric to sew along the other long edge. This will give a nice, sharp point to your pennant.

You do NOT need to backstitch (staystitch) at the ends. You'll catch these threads when you add the bias tape.

3. Sew the pennants together with bias tape.

Lay out your pennants in whatever arrangement you like.

I spaced my pennants 1" apart. Feel free to adjust the spacing however you wish. If you don't have a lot of fabric but need to fill a lot of space, spread your pennants farther apart. Conversely, you could sew the pennants with the top edges touching so there'd be no space between them.

Pin each pennant inside the fold of the bias tape. TIP: Leave a tail of bias tape on each end for hanging up the banner. I left a 12" tail of bias tape.

Sew the bias tape onto the pennants. Be sure to catch both the front and back layers of bias tape when you sew!

Your banner is done. Admire it and smile! If you need a way to hang your banner on a table, like I did, keep reading.

4. Prep dowels for hanging your pennant banner.

Cut your dowels to desired height, if necessary.

Use spray paint to paint the dowels. I painted mine a sunny yellow to coordinate with my fabric.

Fill flower pots (or the container of your choice) with pea gravel. Insert the dowels and hang your banner.

Enjoy your party!

Ice Cream Party

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

We hosted an ice cream party over the weekend. Friends of ours are moving to Israel. This was a farewell for their family.

I'm working on a tutorial for the pennant banner / bunting that I used for the table decoration. In the meantime, I thought you'd get a kick out of the kiddos.

This is my favorite photo from the festivities - a TOPPING CONE. There's not a bit of ice cream in it. It's whipped cream, chocolate chips, peanuts, and rainbow sprinkles, topped with - what else? - a cherry.

The kids kept reaching into the topping bowls to grab pinches of sugary goodness. I finally gave two girls their own napkins loaded up with toppings so these sweethearts could pinch sugar and lick their fingers to their hearts' content without contaminating the rest of us.

Lest you think my children behaved any differently, this was Lincoln's bowl. I think there's ice cream in there somewhere...maybe.

Here's the aftermath of the topping bar, complete with a grown adult reaching in to steal a cherry. I guess we're still kids at heart.

Made for Charlotte: Afghans

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is another beauty from my mom. I think she all but slept with her crochet hook attached to her before Charlotte was born. Things haven't changed, either. My mom's been making oodles of baby booties and hair bows - originally for Charlotte - but now that word's gotten out, people are requesting baby shoes galore. But I digress...

My mom crocheted this afghan to match the lavender of Charlotte's nursery. Also, see the detail in the butterfly pattern? Love it.

This was the afghan Charlotte wore in my favorite photo of her as a newborn. My sweet baby. My mom also made the head band.

This white afghan was knit by my husband's aunt. It's so soft it makes me want to snuggle up in it - if only I fit.

This is a dressy afghan, if that even makes sense. Maybe because it's white? White is such a timelessly classy color. Plus white + baby doesn't work for everyday use. This is the afghan we wrap Charlotte in at church. And yes, I was a nervous wreck bringing it outside for fear the wind would blow it into the grass and leave it with a permanent green stain. Fortunately the photo shoot was uneventful...

except for this little guy walking in front of the camera. This is Chester, the wonder pug. He was our first "baby" and still gets pampered more than most dogs should.

Made for Charlotte: Knit Cardigan + Booties

2011-07-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Wow. Just WOW. Isn't this one of the most beautiful cardigans you've ever seen? It's feather light and oh-so soft - the perfect gift for a Heaven-fresh newborn.

When I tell myself I want to learn to knit, making something like this isn't even on the radar. Ever. Look at the detail. Look how perfectly even each row is. I'm blown away.

A sweet grandma at my church made this for Charlotte. I think I'll see if this grandma will let me adopt her. You can adopt neighborly grandparents, right?

The back of the cardigan is just as beautiful as the front. I can't wait until Charlotte grows enough to fit into this.

The same sweet grandmother also knit a pair of baby booties for Charlotte.

If you look at the ankle, you can see the ruffle trim just under the strap (Mary Janes!) and sweet pearl buttons.

Also, not to detract from the cardigan, but can you tell I'm starting to learn how to use my new camera? I've been reading about photography (a little) and playing with various settings. I like how blurred and buttery the backgrounds are in these photos. It really draws attention where I want it - on the cardigan.

Made for Charlotte: Burp Cloths

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

I finally found the secret to perfect burp cloths. More correctly, the secret landed in my hands thanks to my friend Lisa, who whipped up these little gems.

With my previous babies, I packed my diaper bag with two burp cloths. One was the standard, white type that I used for nursing or when no one was looking. The second burp cloth was the cute one I only brought out in public. It was attractive, but not very absorbent. These new burp cloths from my friend are fantastic: fashionable and functional.

Do you see the secret? Chenille! This is one of those times when I want to slap my forehead because the solution is so obvious, yet I never thought of it. Chenille is absorbent and snugly soft so my baby can rest her head on my shoulder for hours.

Backing the chenille in the attractive fabric of your choice is easy peasy. (Layer right sides together --> stitch --> turn --> topstitch --> add additional quilting stitches for stability if desired.) Lisa backed all three of these burp cloths in feminine fabric designed by Amy Butler.

I have to give another nod to my friend Pam for these lovelies. Pam made her burp cloths long and skinny, perfect for tossing over the shoulder. Like Lisa, she used quilting fabric on one side. But Pam backed the burp cloths with waffle weave toweling, similar to what you'd use for dish cloths. It's absorbent, but not bulky. And look what Pam added to the bottom of the pink burpy - pom-pom trim! How cute is that! The pom-poms hang on the back of my shoulder now. But I'm sure the day will come when I'll flip them to the front so Charlotte can grab and tug the little balls of fluff.

These were the perfect homemade baby shower gifts - useful, attractive, and stitched with love.

Made for Charlotte: Mary Janes (Cute alert!)

2011-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

These aren't your Grandma's baby booties. These are stinkin' adorable!

Just look at them! Little mary janes with a girly pink accent. If ever I thought I wouldn't overindulge my daughter with shoes for every outfit, I'm doomed. It doesn't help that my mom is such an enabler. She's the crafty chica who crocheted these and all the other booties you'll see in this post. Our conversations go something like this:

My mom: Ooh, I just bought the most velvety soft black yarn! It'll be perfect for the shoes I'm making to go with the Christmas dress I bought for Charlotte! (remember, it's June) How about I make a pair to fit her now so you can see what you think?

Me: Um, heck yeah! And by the way I just mailed five skeins of yarn for you to make shoes for Charlotte's summer outfits, too.

The indulgent grandmother type - I love it! Thanks, Mom.

As for the velvety soft black mary janes, they arrived in the mail yesterday. LOVE.

These white mary janes are one of the first pairs my mom made.

You can buy the patterns HERE, though my mom has started tweaking the design a bit, especially the straps. Disclaimer: the day my mom bought and downloaded these patterns she got a virus on her computer. Mom mom's tech-savvy enough not to do any risky clicking. She says this was the only thing she can think of that might have affected her PC. However, this etsy seller has a high, 100% positive feedback rating. So obviously if this is how my mom got the virus, it's far from the norm. Just something to consider.

This is the same pattern as the white booties, but in lavender.

Side view. These patterns curve in and around the heel to help keep Baby from kicking them off.

These use the same pattern as the white and lavender shoes, but in pink. My mom also embellished the toe box with little crochet flowers.

You can see why we're getting carried away with this shoe business. :) I just sent yarn for shoes in ivory, gray, brown, and light denim colors, plus red and pink yarn for lots of flowers, two-tone soles, and other girly accents. I don't know when my mom will get tired of making these. Maybe she already is. But I sure am glad she's indulging me.

Made for Charlotte: Cuddle Sack

2011-06-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

I love handmade. I love creating with my own hands, I love giving handmade, and I love receiving handmade. And when all this creating, giving, and getting involves babies, it's even better. Fortunately I have friends and family who either share my passion for all things handmade or are willing to indulge me since they know I like it.

So for the next little while I'll be blogging the amazing gifts people made for Charlotte. There's a little of everything, from cardigans to blankets to hair bows. The handmade lovelies also represent a host of skill levels, from grandmas who've spent years honing their crochet skills to the elementary-age girls next door who sewed their first sock monster softies. Melt my heart.

Let the parade begin!

It seems fitting to kick things off with a gift set made by my own mother.

My mom crocheted this cuddle sack and bonnet for Charlotte. I've also heard cuddle sacks called cuddle cocoons or swaddle sacks. When you put Charlotte inside, the cuddle sack is a great way to keep her swaddled. The yarn has a little give, but not so much that Charlotte's arms flail.

I took these photos when Charlotte was a week old. My mom has what Ben and I call Baby Magic. She has a way of reading a child, calming her, getting her to sleep (or at least be contentedly quiet so I can sleep.)

When my mom left, I cried. How am I ever going to handle a household, two active boys, AND a newborn without her? True to my mom's belief in me, we're managing. But I still can't wait for her to come back. I miss my momma.

Charlotte's Nursery

2011-06-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

This is my happy place. It's clean and uncluttered. It's feminine. It's calm. My husband and I put hours upon hours of love, sweat, and probably a few tears into preparing this haven for our daughter. Now with the arrival of our sweet Charlotte Rose, the nursery is complete.

Allow me to show you around...

As I mentioned here, Charlotte's room is a knock-off of the Scallop Pique Nursery from Pottery Barn Kids. You can read the DIY info for the wall stencil HERE. The photo above shows the view from the doorway looking right. The photo below pans around. I think you'll see how the photos connect to show the layout of the room.

Framing the window is a pair of lavender Audrey Chenille Dot Panels from Pottery Barn Kids. The bookshelf and lamp are from Target. I've since added scalloped basket liners to the white wicker baskets, another feminine touch to continue the scallop theme in the room.

The ever-necessary diapering area and rocking chair. Seriously, how many times am I here each day? A dozen? Seems like it, at least.

The baskets on the dresser are both from Pottery Barn Kids, though I couldn't find either on the PBK website. I bought them in the store.

Isn't that doll adorable? My boys like to hold it by the feet and swing it at each other, caveman club style.

I had new white cushions made for my rocking chair. The old cushions were ivory, so not a match for Miss Charlotte's lavender and white nursery. Before you gasp about white upholstery in a child's room, be assured that the covers are removable and I chose washable fabric (that I bought on sale for $10 per yard - score!).

Going back to the opposite wall, here is a closer look at the wall art. Click HERE for more details about how I made each piece.

Click HERE for more details about how I made the crib bedding.

Still love the scalloped eyelet trim on the crib skirt.

For the finishing touch, we hung a crystal mini-chandelier. As my six-year-old neighbor said, it looks like it was made for a princess. My thought exactly.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T13:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day!

You heard that loud and clear, right Dad?

Introducing Charlotte Rose

2011-05-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Rose is here!

8 lbs. 10 oz.

20 3/4"

My sweet baby arrived and has a name: Charlotte. This labor lasted longer than both of my previous labors combined. But in the end I still got my healthy, beautiful daughter. I'm absolutely smitten.

My mom is here cooking and cleaning, spoiling us rotten, and getting in as much snuggle time as I'll let her. (I can't get enough of my baby, either, so I'm trying to share.) My mom also showered us with handmade gifts for our sweet baby. She made the afghan and hair band Charlotte's wearing in the photo - aren't they adorable! - plus plenty more crochet gifts that I'll get to show off later.

This little girl already has my husband wrapped around her little (and I mean little) finger. I think he's having more fun putting her in all of her girly hair bands and such than I am.

For now I'm going to enjoy my baby and my family.

'Til later, Rachel

Baby Girl's Nursery: Crib Bedding

2011-05-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

There's something calming about white. Combine white with feminine details like scalloped eyelet trim and this crib set becomes a restful haven for my little girl.

I made all three pieces of the crib set: bumper, skirt, and sheet. The crib sheet was so easy! I can't believe I never knew about this. I actually made two sheets - the one pictured is made with quilter's cotton. I made a lavender flannel sheet as well. Here's getting the word out, moms - if you're having a baby, pick your fabric and I'll gladly make a set of crib sheets as your baby gift. Not only can you pick the most snugly soft fabric - or go with whatever style floats your boat - these sheets fit much better than the store bought sheets you have to muscle over the mattress corners. If you're the DIY sewing type, I took the best from these two sets of instructions: HERE and HERE. I used the measurements and French seam instructions from the Michael Miller tutorial, plus the all-around elastic idea from Dana's Made tutorial.

The crib skirt is made from white cotton eyelet. Not only does the sweet scalloped edge mimic the scalloped pattern stenciled on the nursery walls, a prefinished edge means no trimming or hemming. Beautiful AND easy.

The eyelet fabric was 45" wide (on the bolt). One edge is scalloped. The rest of the fabric is embroidered with tiny polka dots. Since I only needed about 18" from the scalloped edge for the skirt, I had enough of the polka dot fabric left over to cover the outside of the bumper.

I made the ties using packaged quilt binding. (It's essentially EXTRA, extra wide double fold bias tape.) I cut the length I wanted (about 22"), turned under the short ends, stitched along all four sides, then sewed the finished tie to the bumper.

I made the bumper using these foam inserts from JoAnn. I've read good reviews about them all over blogland. So far so good from me, too.

The photo above shows not only the ties, but the piping I made and attached along the top of the bumper pads. To make the piping, I covered cotton piping cord with prepackaged extra wide double fold bias tape, using the same brand and color that I used for the ties.

There you have it. Crisp and clean with just the right pop of color to coordinate with the lavender walls. Hopefully my little girl will love sleeping in it as much as I love looking at it. :)

Baby Girl's Nursery: Wall Art

2011-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last night Ben and I finished hanging the wall art in Baby Girl's nursery. This was the last big thing I wanted to accomplish before her arrival.

I promise I'll post pics of the crib set and rest of the room soon. :) Consider this a sneak peek.

Also notice the stenciled scallops on the wall. Yes, my husband is amazing. He stenciled 250 scallops, give or take a few. Once he hit his stride he could paint 10 per hour. Yes, 10 per hour was the fast version. So yes, he spent forever paining. And yes, I love it!

The most meaningful piece of art is this trio of necklaces. From left to right, you'll see my first string of pearls. It was a gift from a dear family friend. He is Chinese by birth, but developed a close friendship with my maternal grandparents, who sponsored him and his family to help them immigrate to the United States. We now consider Daniel and his family part of our own extended family.

Hanging on the middle necklace is a diamond pendant from my paternal grandmother. I don't remember a time when Nan wasn't battling one of life's demons. Her last years were spent fighting breast cancer, then lung cancer. As a child from a poor family, she never thought she'd own anything as valuable as a diamond. I'm especially flattered that she gave such a treasured heirloom to me.

The silver locket on the right belonged to my maternal grandmother. She passed away last summer after 91 years of life. There's so much to say. For the sake of posting this sometime this decade, I'm going to move along.

Next is this shadowbox. I painted the frame silver, then covered a piece of white scrapbook paper with Prima flowers. The flowers came dusted with iridescent glitter, which adds such beautiful dimension and subtle sparkle.

Buttons, pearls, and knockoff diamonds - what's a girl not to love? All three pictures in this post show the background paper as a much brighter green than it really is. Hmmm...maybe it's just not a good lighting day? Very few are here in the rainy Pacific NW. Anyway, I arranged dozens of white buttons, pearl brads, and tiny white flowers with rhinestone centers into a heart shape. Attaching everything took less than an hour. Not bad and totally worth it, eh? The frame was a clearance find that I spray painted silver.

Finally, we have this pair of sparkly, beaded butterflies. You'll have to click on the picture for a close up. The butterflies are ready-made scrapbook embellishments - gotta love easy! Yet it still adds just the right touch.

Stay tuned for the crib set!

Take care, Rachel

Super Teacher

2011-05-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Making gifts for men can be so tricky, can't it? Brighton has a male teacher this year. I never know what to give as teacher appreciation gifts, Christmas gifts, and such for men. Food?

Fortunately Brighton's teacher is a big super hero fan. Or at least that's I assume from the dozen superhero action figures dangling above his desk. So for a superhero-lovin' teacher, we have the Super Teacher Shirt. The teacher's last initial is B, hence the Super B. I'm sure I'll aso be making a Super B shirt for Brighton...and maybe even Ben.

To make the Super B symbol, I first adhered the yellow knit fabric to the t-shirt using Wonder Under. I added the red fabric on top, also with Wonder Under, then zig zag stitched around the edges.

I also made a Super B card to coordinate with the t-shirt. I found a diamond shape in my Silhouette library, then welded a capital B to make the symbol. Paper from Stampin' Up! (Real Red, Pacific Point, Yoyo Yellow).

Thanks for stopping by!

TUTORIAL: Peep Jousting

2011-04-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the post-Easter tradition of Peep Jousting. Here's what you'll need:

Two Noble Knights: Leftover Peeps work perfectly
Jousting Lances: Toothpicks
Jousting Arena: Microwave, preferable with a rotating plate so you can better view the competition
Plate (I accept suggestions for a witty title)

Arm your Peep knights with toothpick lances. Stick a toothpick in each Peep, then place the competitors on a plate facing each other.

Place your Peep knights in the microwave arena...

...and let the competition begin! Brighton set the microwave at High for 30 seconds, which is more than ample time. 15 - 20 seconds will do the job. But my boys like to watch the Peeps melt after they've proven themselves in competition.

Watch the Peep knights swell and try to impale each other. The first Peep to be punctured loses.

Cheer for your favorite Peep. Or cheer for the one that gets the fattest first. Though be warned, the victor is not always the Peep who impales the other first. Often one Peep swells up so big it impales itself on its opponent's lance.

If you look at Brighton's reflection, this match is a real nail biter.

It's hard to see in the photo, but we have a winner! The Peep on the right had terrible aim. Its lance is up in the air. The Peep on the left scored a direct hit to the chest.

Don't you love the expression on Brighton's face?

Now we've moved from competition to spectator entertainment. My boys like to see how big the Peeps will puff up before 1) collapsing back down, 2) exploding, or 3) the timer running out. 30 seconds is about right for our microwave. The Peeps don't explode (ew - who wants to clean up that mess!?), yet they still puff up huge...

...then collapse back down.

Ha, ha! Look at the melted Peeps!

Two noble Peep knights sacrificed to the cause of entertainment.

The winner is clear. The Peep on the left impaled the Peep on the right. The Peep on the right held his lance too high and completely missed its opponent.

Hope you had a happy Easter. Happy Peep jousting!

Car Seat Cover + Canopy

2011-04-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Princess,

Your chariot awaits.

Love,
Mom

I bought a car seat cover pattern on etsy. I'm deliberately not linking to the pattern because, quite frankly, the pattern was horrible. The listing mentioned that it was a one-size-fits-most type deal with only the strap marking being specific to my brand of car seat. But I tell ya, I had to alter the car seat cover so much that it would have been easier to take apart my old car seat cover and use it as a pattern. (I didn't do that because I was afraid that if I botched the project, I wouldn't have any cover for the car seat.) Anyway, I'll chalk this up to a life lesson learned. I'm happy with the final result and that's what matters.

The center portion of the cover is a visibly soft rosette minky. The patterned fabric on the sides is Peacock Feathers in Sea Glass, from the Amy Butler Soul Blossoms collection. If you look closely, you can also see that I made strap covers out of the pink minky fabric.

I made a coordinating canopy (tent?) to let my little girl sleep in peace. I love the addition of the large pink ric rac around the edges. The buttons on the handle are decorative. Cute, eh? The straps are actually attached with velcro.

I didn't follow one particular pattern when I made this. Here are three free tutorials that I skimmed to get the general idea: here, here, and here.

Another shot showing the rounded corners (still love the ric rac!). I also rounded the straps to match.

Here's the car seat clipped into the stroller. The reason I bought this particular Amy Butler fabric was because it was the ONLY fabric I could find that incorporated the same green and aqua used on stroller. Thank you, Amy Butler.

Another shot of the car seat clipped into the stroller, this time without the big canopy. You can see how the Amy Butler fabric ties in with the stroller.

Brighton wanted me to take his picture. I was more than happy to oblige. :)

Baby beware, this boy practiced driving your stroller all over our corner of the neighborhood.

If Brighton keeps driving like he did today, this girl's gonna be in for a WILD ride!

WINNER: Silhouettes

2011-04-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

The giveaway winner is

#3 - Rebecca - I'll pick my 2 favorite kids. Don't you want to know which one I won't pick?

You make me laugh. I think I can handle making silhouettes of all three of your cute kiddos.

At any rate, one of Rebecca's little darlings happens to be in my Sunday school class AND happens to be celebrating a birthday this weekend. So that child's in for sure.

Congratulations, Rebecca! I'll email instructions for the photos.

GIVEAWAY: Silhouettes

2011-04-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have a selfish motive for this. But since one of you gets something for free, it's good for both of us.

My son's school is hosting a benefit auction later this month. I'm donating a pair of framed silhouettes custom-made for the highest bidder. No I'm not giving your silhouettes to someone else...stay with me here. The thing is, I need to make samples to display at the auction. I can't display the ones I made for my family because I'll be using different frames and matting. So here's the deal.

Leave a comment on this post by Tuesday night, April 12th. Be sure to include some way for me to contact you if you win.
I'll chose a random winner on Wednesay morning.
If you win, email me profile pictures of the two people whose silhouettes you'd like me to cut. These could be your children or you and your spouse. I need your photos by this Saturday, April 16th. I'll email instructions so you'll know what to do. Note: If you'd like silhouettes of your children but are the proud parent of more than two, let me know and we'll work something out. I don't have time to cut an entire Brady Bunch, but one extra pair of kissable cheeks is probably no big deal.
I will hand cut a pair of silhouettes sized to fit an 8 x 10 frame.
Your silhouettes will be displayed at the school benefit auction later this month. They will be completely anonymous - promise.
After the auction, I will remove your silhouettes from the frames and mail them to you. You will recieve something like this:

a pair of unframed silhouettes, ready for you to mat and frame as you wish.

Sound good? Alright! Good luck and take care, Rachel

Silhouette Wall

2011-04-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

I just finished decorating the wall above my piano with things near and dear to my heart: my family, the house of worship where Ben and I were married, meaningful words of inspiration, and the children's hymns my children and I have grown to love.

I used my super easy silhouette making tutorial to make silhouettes of my family. The exception being the mother and child on the lower right corner. That's an image I found online that I'm using as a placeholder until Baby Girl joins the world and I can make a proper silhouette of her sweet chubby cheeks.

I still haven't taken the camera class to learn how to use my DSLR, so please pardon the photography.

Behold hottie hubs. Using bookprint for artwork is fairly popular now. When I told Ben I wanted to pick up on that trend, though instead of using generic bookprint, mount the silhouettes over a background of text from our faith, Ben chose this document: The Living Christ.

I printed three copies of the document onto aged-looking paper, then collaged pieces together to form the background.

I chose The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

Since my posture looks terrible here, this silhouette is also a placeholder. Whenever I sat up straight, Ben (playing photographer) said I looked like I had a double chin. Maybe after I lose some baby weight off my face I can try again with better posture. I also think I'll replace this frame with an oval-shape frame whenever I find one the right size so there aren't so many straight edges on the wall.

Here's Brighton (with impeccable posture, by the way). All three of the children's silhouettes are mounted onto sheet music. For each child's picture, I chose one of our favorite children's hymns, scaled down the sheet music a bit, printed three copies of the song onto aged-looking paper, then collaged the print-outs just as I did for the silhouettes of Ben and me.

Brighton's silhouette is mounted onto the sheet music for I Love to See the Temple.

Behind Lincoln's silhouette is the music to Families Can Be Together Forever.

And behind Baby Girl's placeholder is I Am a Child of God.

Central to the wall is the Atlanta LDS temple, where Ben and I were married. I ordered the photo from Altus Photo Design. The Atlanta temple is short and wide and is typically photographed with a landscape orientation. I needed portrait to fit my wall, and the owner of Altus Photo Design worked with me to find an attractive portrait orientation that worked for my frame.

The Atlanta temple has recently been renovated and is open for public tours April 9 - 23, 2011, except for Sundays and Monday evenings. My mom and stepdad are volunteering as tour guides. If you tell my mom I sent you, she'll probably invite you over for dinner. She's just like that. :) Anyway, tours are free, though reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 1-866-537-8457. Feel free to read more about my faith here, or why Mormons build temples here.

Pottery Barn Kids Nursery Knock-off Part 1: Stenciling the Walls

2011-03-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

ETA: The nursery is done! Check out the finished room HERE. You can also find details on my DIY crib bedding HERE and my DIY wall art HERE.

Thought I'd pop in to show you what my husband's been working on lately. We're expecting a baby girl in May. Hooray! So my husband's been busy painting Baby Girl's nursery.

We're doing a knock-off of this Scallop Pique Nursery from Pottery Barn Kids.

Look at what a great job Ben's doing with those walls!

The first order of business was painting the base color. Pottery Barn Kids teamed up with Benjamin Moore to pick their paint colors, meaning that every paint color you see in PBK stores or catalogs is a Benjamin Moore paint color and can be purchased from a Benjamin Moore retailer. Our local PBK store gave us a free pack of paint swatches. We picked the swatch that matched the photo in the catalog (Iced Lavender), then took it to be color matched for a less expensive brand of paint at our local hardware store.

The next order of business was creating a stencil. I bought a 10" x 18" stencil blank, a.k.a. stencil film, at JoAnn. (Click here to purchase one from Amazon.com.) Then Ben worked his magic to design this file on the computer. You can click on the file, print, and enlarge it until it measures 10" x 18". Note: You only need one dot between each of the parenthesis-looking things (that's an official term, right?). Ben originally printed his design with two dots to help him align the images correctly, then changed his mind once he realized he'd need to use a level anyway.

Ben designed the stencil, then printed the design on computer paper. It printed onto two pages, which Ben taped together. Sorry that I don't have a picture of this, but Ben placed the stencil blank on top of the printed design, then used an X-acto knife to cut through the stencil film, creating his stencil. If these instructions are as clear as mud, click HERE to see a video from PBK about making your own stencil, paying special attention around the 1:00 mark.

Now our walls look like this. Okay, really they look much more lavender than in this photo. (See the photo of Ben near the top of the post.) And this was as much of the wall as I could squish into the photo. One day I'll figure out the whole lighting/wide-angle lens thing. Still, you can see that my husband did a stinkin' awesome job on the stenciling.

Stay tuned for my DIY crib bedding.

Kiss Me I'm AWESOME

2011-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's the St. Patrick's Day shirt for the {super cute} non-Irish folk.

"Stand here, Lincoln. I want to take a picture of your shirt."

"Put your hands up so I can see the writing...oh wait, that looks awkward."

"How about you jump up and down waving your arms? Then you'll have fun."

"Whoa, wide eyes! How about looking down?"

"Love it. You're too cute. Now I just wanna take your picture."

I saw the phrase "Kiss Me I'm Awesome" on a t-shirt at Crazy 8. We're not Irish, but I sure think my kids are awesome, so it was perfect. I used my Silhouette to make a stencil for the lettering out of freezer paper. The shamrock and yellow strip of fabric are adhered with Wonder Under, then stitched around the edges. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Bunny Love

2011-03-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

I never get tired of making gifts for baby girls. This sweet bunny is for a little one whose mother loves all things vintage.

Look at those little floppy ears and arms - too cute! The body is a combination of soft quilting cotton and snugly chenille.

With button eyes and a yarn ball tail, this bunny's not a crib toy. It's more to play with while mom's around - or at least look welcoming sitting on a nursery shelf.

The pattern is FREE over at Sew4Home.com. Gotta love free. If you make one, I'd suggest machine sewing the feet and arms. I'm not sure why the pattern says to hand stitch them. No need. Plus I feel safer being able to secure stitch as many pieces as possible on a child's toy. (I know, after I added button eyes, right?)

Isn't that bushy tail adorable? Love it.

Hooray for new babies! Wouldn't this make a great Easter gift, too?

YOU Made It: Taggie Blanket

2011-03-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

This totally made my day! I love hearing that a blog reader used one of my tutorials, but usually I only find out when someone leaves a comment or posts their project on their own blog and happens to include a link back to my tutorial. Then if I'm following a link to my tutorial, I wonder if I'm being stalker-ish by going to visit that reader. (IS that weird? You'd let me know if it is, right?)

Needless to say I was thrilled when Hanna P. contacted me to let me know she made a taggie baby blanket using my tutorial...AND she sent pictures...AND her blanket's SUPER CUTE...AND she said I could share her project with the rest of you. Like I said, it totally made my day!

Isn't that fabric fantastic? I love the subtle pops of pink. The fresh green and yellow ribbons also add a fun touch.

The snuggly-soft flip-side in coordinating pink.

Thanks for sending pictures, Hannah! The blanket's adorable and should make one special baby feel very loved.

Dinosaur Party Invitations

2011-03-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

Lincoln's celebrating his fourth birthday with a dinosaur-themed birthday party. Two years ago my older son, Brighton, also asked for a dinosaur birthday party. That made planning this year's bash super easy. Same games and activities. Same invitations. Same food. Different kids. Score!

Instead of a card-type invitation, each child received a box with instructions to "dig up the details inside." (I even had the patterned paper left over from two years ago - it was just too easy.)

For instructions on how to fold an origami box, click here.

What's inside the box, you ask? A mini dino dig! I printed the party details on little tags, tied them to small dinosaur (dog) bones, and buried the bones in sand. Yes, I warned the moms that these would be messy and that kids should open their invitations outside. But seriously, how much more fun is this than a boring ol' card!?

Speaking of boring ol' cards... Actually, I like this one. This was my first shot at making invitations until I decided to do the mini dino dig. I ended up using this card as a thank you note.

Wish me luck on the party! Enjoy your day.

Patterned papers from the Archaic collection by Basic Grey.

TUTORIAL: Monster Backpack

2011-02-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

Rar! This monster backpack will keep any fiend away from your crayons and coloring books. Lincoln needed a new backpack for his birthday, and as luck would have it, MADE featured a fantastic boy-themed etsy roundup, including a Monsterpak from this fun etsy shop. Inspiration was born!

For this project, grab your stash of scrap fabric...

and a backpack with a fairly plain front. Lincoln's favorite color is green, so this pack was an easy choice.

If you're adding horns to your monster, you'll also need batting/stuffing.

Remove any labels.

Now you're ready to embellish your monster's face however you wish.

I started with teeth. I found white vinyl upholstery fabric at my local JoAnns. I'm not sure why anyone would want vinyl upholstery, but the fabric is sturdy, doesn't fray, and seems perfect for making monster teeth. A bought a six-inch cut, which probably makes for a lifetime supply of crafty critter projects.

Be sure to steer clear of the zipper.

Stitch in place.

Chomp, chomp.

Continue embellishing however you wish. To help me decide what size and shape I wanted my tongue and eyes, I set a piece of scratch paper on top of the backpack and doodled until I got a shape and size I liked. My sketch then became my pattern for cutting each piece.

I sewed the tongue in place. Fortunately the front pocket on Lincoln's backpack is big and my machine is extremely maneuverable, so I could applique the tongue using my Bernina. I don't think my old Singer could have handled this however, so don't be surprised if you have to applique some parts by hand.

TIP: When you're working with layered pieces, such as eyes, sew from the top layer down. For example...

sew the black pupil to the white eyeball...

then sew the white fabric to the blue fabric...

then sew the blue fabric onto the backpack. See how I never had to sew through more than two layers of fabric? That's much easier than sewing each layer onto the backpack.

TIP: If you're adding eyebrows, faux fur has nap, meaning that if you look at the fabric, the fur points in a certain direction. Make sure you line up your pattern pieces such that when you cut your right eyebrow, the fur points to the right. Then flip over the pattern so that when you cut your left eyebrow, the fur points left. Warning: When you cut faux fur, be prepared for a flurry of scrap fur to cover your workspace. Try to only cut the fabric backing, not the fur itself. Still, arm yourself with a Swiffer or a vacuum cleaner. You'll need it.

Stitch in place. Push the fur aside so that you're only stitching the fabric backing.

To make the horns, I wrapped my fabric around a styrofoam cone and pinned the fabric in place. I'm sure there are cone patterns online you could use, but since I happened to have a cone, it was faster to use it rather than hunt for a template. It also helped that my cone was still in its plastic wrapper, so I didn't get styrofoam bits on my fabric. TIP: If you use a cone to shape your fabric, remember to pin your fabric with right sides together. The right side of your fabric will face the cone; the wrong side of the fabric will face towards the outside.

Stitch your cone, turn, and stuff with batting/stuffing.

The styrofoam cone was taller than I wanted my horn, so I left the bottom few inches of my fabric cone unfilled. I gathered the extra fabric and tied the threads to form the bottom of my horn.

Pin the horn to your backpack and hand stitch in place.

You're done! Congratulations on making your own monster backpack!

Doll Pants: A (non)Tutorial

2011-02-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Remember this little beauty? I made her clothes without a pattern. I'm back to give a little how-to, at least for the pants. It's not a full tutorial, but maybe it will help someone out there in Blogland.

I started with my naked doll.

Using the body as a guide, I sketched what I thought a pattern might look like. This was mainly to help me with the length of the pants and the distance from the waist to the crotch. I wanted my doll to have fairly tight fitting leggings, so I didn't make my pants too wide. If you look at the photo...

and at the finished sketch (which is REALLY blurry - so sorry!) you'll see where I added length for the hem of the pant leg and for encasing the elastic waistband. My finished doll was approximately 15" tall. You can see by how much computer paper I used that the total length of the fabric I needed was approximately 11".

Using my sketch as a guide, I redrew the pattern so that the left and right sides were symmetrical, lines were straight, etc. Then I cut two identical pieces of fabric for the front and back of the doll pants.

With right sides together, I pinned the inner leg seams...

and sewed them on my machine. As with all pants, I reinforced the seam around the crotch. I'm not sure this is necessary for doll clothing, but it's habit.

Then I hemmed the pant legs. Yes, I know this step is different than traditional pants. Normally when making a pair of pants, you'd sew all of the side seams first and hem the pant legs last. But for a doll, the leg openings are so small that if you waited to hem at the end, the leg hole would be too small to fit on your machine. I have a picture father down that will help this will make sense.

I pinned and sewed the side seams.

TIP: Start sewing at the bottom (hem) of the pant leg and sew towards the top. This ensures that the hem is even. The top of the fabric will become the casing for the elastic waistband, so if the two pieces of fabric do not line up exactly, no one will ever know.

See what I mean about a small opening for the leg hole? Imagine trying to hem in an opening that small. It would NOT be easy getting that around your presser foot.

Now turn down the top of the pants to make the casing for the elastic waistband. Remember to leave a hole to insert the elastic. Insert the elastic, then sew hole closed. Voila! Done.

For the tunic, I also made my own pattern. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures. I'll try to describe what I did, but I realize it's hard to follow along without photos.

First, I sketched out what I wanted my finished tunic to look like, then mentally broke apart the pattern to see what pieces of fabric I'd need. Here I have the front and back of a body, plus two sleeves. I sewed both sides of each sleeve to the front and back body pieces of the tunic. (Front of each sleeve to the front of the tunic, back of each sleeve to the back of the tunic.) Then I hemmed the ends of the sleeves. As with the leg holes on the pants, I knew the arm holes would be too small to maneuver around a presser foot after the side seams on the sleeves had been sewn together.

With the sleeves hemmed, I sewed the sides of the sleeves together. Then I sewed the sides of the tunic together. At the top of the tunic, I made a casing for narrow elastic (1/4") around the entire neck area, added elastic, and sewed the casing closed. Then I tried the tunic on the doll to determine how long I wanted the tunic, took the tunic off, and hemmed the bottom.

How's that for a non-tutorial? If you know of a better tutorial, please leave a comment and let us all know where to find it! As always, if you make anything with one of my (non)tutorials, feel free to ask questions or give suggestions. I'd love to see your finished work! Good luck!

Photography Tips for Newbies?

2011-02-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

Look what Cupid-hubby brought me! He started planning weeks ago, getting advice from our talented photographer friend Bekah. Though I have the camera pictured above, I have two different lenses. Neither of which I know how to use - really use - yet.

Anyone have tips for me? Websites on photography for beginners? I have no idea where to get started. Heck, I don't even know what the little f means. For now, thank Heaven for auto settings!

Today I played with my telephoto lens (the long range one). Lincoln and I had a wonderful five-minute photo session until he had to go potty.

Not bad for five minutes on Day 1, eh? It helps that I have a stinkin' cute subject.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with all things heart-shaped...

made with, by, or for the ones you love.

And if there's a chocolate version...

all the better!

XOXO,
Rachel

Waldorf Doll

2011-02-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

Yes, you may clap now. This was completely out of my league! But it's done. DONE! And looks pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

When I got here, I cheered. Evenly stuffed legs. Feet. A head that doesn't wobble. Miracle after miracle. I could see the end in sight.

When I got here, I cheered some more. A face...hair...I'm finished! Then I took another look...the doll is naked. Oops, still not done.

I searched and searched online for free patterns for doll clothes. 15-inch, Waldorf doll, Bitty Baby. Nothing. NOTHING. Now, I know some talented mommy-blogger has posted something, but darned if I could find it. So I made my own doll clothes - are you ready to be impressed - without a pattern!

(in your best fashion runway voice) This 15-inch Waldorf doll is modeling a Rachel original: knee-length tunic with contrasting short sleeves and matching leggings. Fabric from the Amy Butler Midwest Modern collection.

I don't know that I ended up with enough pictures to make a full tutorial of the outfit, but I'll try to post general instructions.

In the Works (and kicking my boo-tay)

2011-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Anyone ever made a Waldorf doll? Ay yi yi. I was supposed to give this to my niece for Christmas. I keep dragging it out, then putting it away because it scares me. Shape a head? Roll wool into a firm, even ball? Even worse, roll TWO wads of wool into firm, EVEN balls. What...babies can't have one chubby leg and one skinny one?

This is NOT a project for beginners. I had help with the head form. The same helpful friend made the wig caps for me (WAY out of my league). You'll see two wigs on the table. My friend wasn't sure which shade of blonde I'd like, so she let me bring home two colors to audition. Now I'm attaching feet to legs, stuffing arms, mustering the courage to attach the head, and debating what type of clothing and hairstyle to give this plush little girl.

If you look at the right side of the photo, you'll see my husband's hammer and work gloves...

He has a laundry list of projects, too. First, prepping the nursery for our baby. We moved my younger son out of his bedroom and into his big brother's room. Making two rooms' worth of stuff fit into one room was challenge enough! Now for the decorating...Here you can see my husband's priming the walls for a fresh coat of paint.

And what will that fresh coat of paint look like? I'm thinking of a pale aqua. Behold the fabric for Baby Girl's nursery set. When I finish the crib set (you caught that this is another project in the works, right?), it will mostly be red and aqua, with splashes of pink and brown. The red, pink, and aqua fabrics are all from the Bliss collection by Moda.

Lastly, when renovating a bedroom and prepping for a baby, it also sounds like a good idea to install hardwood floors and refurnish a dining room and a living room, right? I know, we're nuts. You can see my husband's already removed the molding and floorboards. Our new Brazilian cherry planks are sittin' happy while they adjust to the temperature and humidity. It takes a week for the wood to acclimate to a new building. Since we're redecorating my younger son's room into a nursery, you can also see piles of his old stuff waiting to be sold on Craigslist.

Does anyone else go nuts when their house is torn apart? I want it DONE! Sorry, this turned out more angst-y than I intended. I can take out my frustration by stuffing the firm parts of the doll. Stuff, stuff, smoosh, smoosh, SMASH.

Baby Gift Set: Pants and Applique Onesie

2011-02-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

With the deadline of a baby shower looming tonight, I spent the afternoon whipping up this snugly outfit for a Heaven fresh little boy. The sun was already starting to set when I finished, but I think the photograph still turned out well enough for you to get the idea.

I downloaded the pattern for the pants at Make-Baby-Stuff.com. For the whale, I searched online for free animal silhouette clipart.

I appliqued the whale using the same technique that I used in my Personalized Bath Towel Tutorial, then added a button eye.

Easy peasy and too cute, if I do say so myself. And I do. :)

50th Birthday Party

2011-01-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

A more appropriate title for this post might be, In Which I Pretend to Be a Party Planner. A good friend of my family celebrated her 50th birthday this weekend. I offered to help with the party, thinking I might make the invitations...maybe bring a plate of food...and ended up at the helm. This was a fun adventure for me. I've never hosted a party for 70. I admit I'm a total novice, but I sure had a good time pretending to know what I was doing.

The birthday girl wanted a medieval/royal/jewel-toned event. A crown with jewels became the decor element of the evening. If you click on the first photo above, you'll see that she penned a creative invitation to fit her theme.

Aside from the theme, the only other major request from the birthday girl was that she have a dessert buffet. One of the walls in the party room was covered in red velvet. I thought the dessert table would be placed in front of that wall - the red velvet making a nice backdrop - but no, the dessert table was set towards the back of the room. So please ignore the stacked chairs and tables in the background. Also, no need to watermark these photos, eh? No one's going to steal them. The lighting was terrible. This is the only somewhat decent picture I have without people in the background (who might not want their pictures posted).

Even with my bad photography, you can see how amazing these chocolate tortes are. The pastry chef who made these was also a guest at the party, so I wanted to give her credit for her talented work. Yes, these bundles of chocolaty goodness tasted as good - if not better - than they looked.

Colorful fruit tartlets.

I'm lovin' the candy-filled apothecary jar trend right now. Aren't they cute?

The birthday girl loves all things chocolate. So we dressed up a few chocolate staples from See's Candies: chocolate lollipops and...

three flavors of chocolate candy bars. I saw more than a few ladies tuck a bar into their purse. I'm with you ladies - a little now, a little later.

The place cards. Yes, I adhered every rhinestone on every crown by hand. For days and days, while my son did his homework, I sat at the table beside him, gluing my little heart out. Between invitations, placecards, and food labels, I used over 700 rhinestones, all glued one at a time...by hand...with tweezers.

The menu tickets. Guests were offered a choice of three entrees. Each person took a tag to indicate his or her preference. I overheated my new Silhouette making these. *sniff, sniff* Fortunately my friend Heather came to my rescue and let me finish cutting on her machine. And for what it's worth - I give the customer service department at Silhouette America a big thumbs up. Response time was speedy and they didn't give me any trouble about returning my machine.

Finally, here I am beside the dessert table. The sweater disguises my prego belly well, but if you look closely, you can see all five months' worth of the sweet little girl growing inside of me.

Cards with Gray

2011-01-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Whew, it's been a long time since I posted cards. In honor of Moxie Fab World's Gray is the New Black Challenge, here are a few oldies that never made it to the blog-o. All feature the color gray, of course. Enjoy your day!

Supplies: You Make Me Wild Card
Stamp: You Make Me Happy.
Paper: (Basic Grey, Basic Black, River Rock) Stampin' Up!, pattern paper by HOTP.
Ink: black StazOn.
Accessories: ribbon, Thickers by American Crafts.

Supplies: Celebrate in Style Card
Sentiment printed with computer.
Paper: (Basic Gray, Going Gray, Very Vanilla) Stampin' Up!, Amy Butler Lotus mat pad.
Accessories: gray ribbon, Kiwi ribbon, Amy Butler Lotus Faded China Purse, rhinestone brads.

Supplies: Fly Fishing Card
Based off a template from kaboose.com: http://crafts.kaboose.com/fish-card.html.
All supplies Stampin' Up!
Notes: The fishing line is a paper clip that I reshaped. If you look closely, you'll see that I stitched it onto the card at the top of the "water line" and at the top fold of the card. I made the water waves by wrapping strips of paper around a pencil.

Homemade Christmas

2011-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Christmas trimmings have been packed away for weeks, but I'm finally making time to post all the sweet, handmade gifts we received this year. Up first, the snowman family my mom crocheted. The middle snowball represents the new baby due to join our family in May. It's wrapped up in a Christmas sock/blanket.

Love the little charm on my scarf. :)

The boys upgraded their snowmen from decorations to playthings.

We had a few weeks of playing Find the Snowman before bedtime every night because I was so afraid that if I went too long without knowing where each snowman was, we'd lose one for good.

My mom also made this game for the boys. It's a two-player game. Each player rolls the dice, then based on what they rolled, puts a star on the board beside the appropriate symbol. The first player to fill up his or her side of the game board wins.

Both boys loved it, especially my three-year-old, who packed the game to take to all his playdates last month. That's my mom on the left side of the picture. Hi Mom!

Next up is this cheery wall hanging quilted by my stepmother. My stepmom actually made this a year ago, but since I didn't post pictures at the time, late is better than never.

Look at the detail in her stitching. Giving the tree trunk and branches texture...

Outlining the berries...and also adding sparkly paint to make the snowflakes extra shimmery.

My friend Jacquie cross-stitched this sweet little ornament for us. When Jacquie came to visit a few months ago, she taught Brighton how to cross stitch. Bless that woman! Brighton may be a quick study, but she has the patience of a saint.

Last but not least, the most quintessential Christmas craft of them all: the gingerbread house.

The boys got good and sugared up decorating these little beauties. My mom bought the supplies when she came to visit and took this as her project with the boys. I was glad for the help. And for the opportunity to snitch all the spearmint gummies while no one was looking.

Neighbor Gift: Spiced Apple Cider

2010-12-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

I hate baking. "Hate" is a strong word, I know. But it's true. Last year I got out of baking neighbor gifts by making these. This year I brainstormed all sorts of ideas from bath fizzies to felt ornaments to homemade granola (I don't count that as baking), when my husband suggested we give jars of spiced apricot-apple cider. (Click HERE for the recipe.) Mmmm...I love the way my house smells when I make a batch of cider. Deal!

I found these cute 1 liter bottles at my local Kitchen Kaboodle. I bought out the store's entire inventory - all three. So most of my gifts looked more like this...

quart canning jars.

Top the jar with some patterned paper, add a ribbon and tag, and voila! Still cute.

I designed the tags to pair together and lay well, but they still swing free of each other easily enough to see that the bottom tag has its own note and refrigeration instructions.

The assembly line.

My little helper. :) Since we make gifts for our neighbors and my boys' teachers (school, piano, church), I really like involving my boys in the gift-making process. Plus any time I start a project, my boys want to jump in - like it or not. So it works out well.

Because I poured the cider into the jars while it was hot, the lids sealed tight. After the jars cooled, Brighton added circles of decorative paper to the top and reattached the rings.

Lincoln helped make the cider by pouring ingredients and stirring. But since he's three and needs constant supervision in the kitchen, I didn't dare step away to snap photos.

Keep the box the jars come in so you'll have a way to pack them in your car for delivery day. Here's one case ready to spread Christmas cheer.

Hope you and your family are enjoying the holidays!

Supplies for the tags.
Punches: (apple punch) Martha Stewart, (tag corner punch) Stampin' Up!, Coluzzle circle cutter, (1/8" round hole punch) Fiskars.
Paper: (kraft) Stampin' Up!. I think the red is Bazzill, but it's really close to Stampin' Up!'s Riding Hood Red.
Ribbon: (Riding Hood Red wide striped ribbon, linen thread) Stampin' Up!, tan ribbon bought by the yard at JoAnn.
Font: Honey Script.

Christmas Ribbon Card

2010-11-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

I made this many moons ago and thought I'd post it here on the blog-o. I adhered the ribbons with monoadhesive, but if I were to make the card again, I'd stitch a border to keep everything in place more securely.

Supplies
Stamps: (Cute & Curly) Stampin' Up!.
Ink: (Chocolate Chip) Stampin' Up!.
Paper: (Chocolate Chip textured, Naturals Ivory, Always Artichoke) Stampin' Up!.
Punch: (Curly Label Punch) Stampin' Up!.
Accessories: LOTS of ribbon - all from Stampin' Up!, holly from Making Memories.

I'm So Crafty, I Make People

2010-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

I saw this, did a "What the...?" then died laughing. You see...

yes, the focus of my energy has definitely been elsewhere lately.

I've checked out a stack of quilting books from my local library, bookmarked dozens of blog posts (just in case I have a girl this time - I'm gathering ideas for my perfect nursery), and spent a ridiculous amount of time snuggled in bed, mustering up the energy to grow my little miracle while taking care of the two children already running around outside of me.

This precious baby is due in May. Until then, happy new baby day!

TUTORIAL: Mario & Luigi

2010-11-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

This is the final post in my Super Mario Brothers costume tutorial series - wahoo! Between making the costumes and putting together tutorials, I feel like I climbed Mt. Everest. Today I focus on the two most beloved characters - Mario and Luigi.

I'll start with instructions on how to embellish the hats, since the rest of the costumes are more assembled than made.

Supplies for Hats

Red or green hat. I bought these newsboy caps from Amazon.com.
White felt.
Red or green felt to match hats.
White embroidery floss.
Red or green embroidery floss.
Template (see below).
scissors, hand sewing needle, pins

1. Cut letters and circles from felt.

Click on this template to enlarge it, then print the template.

Use template to cut felt letters and circles.

2. Stitch letters onto white circles.

Using two strands of embroidery floss, hand sew letters onto the white circles. TIP: Be sure to sew the letter onto the circle before you sew the circle onto the hat so you don't have to sew through multiple layers of fabric.

3. Stitch white circles to hats.

Pin the circles in place, then hand sew using two strands of white embroidery floss.

Ta-da! Admire your work.

Now for pulling the look together. I'll start with Luigi. From the top down:

I bought this green newsboy cap on Amazon.com. There's plenty of elastic in the back so that the hat could be worn by a child or an adult. Amazon also carries the hat in red, both alone and as part of a deluxe Mario kit, which I'll show you farther down in the post.

This moustache was easy to shape, though my husband said it hurt like the dickens on his nostrils.

I'm sure any other time of year, I could have found green long-sleeve t-shirts at every discount retail chain. But this Halloween I had to buy one off of Amazon.com. What did our mothers do before the days of internet retail?

I searched several thrift stores for overalls, but my fruitless efforts brought me to buying these Carhartt dungarees. I have to say - I'm impressed with Carhartt. These are the most sturdy denim garment I've ever seen.

I used glue dots to adhere these big yellow buttons to the overall clasps.

These white gloves are also from Amazon.com. Size large were a bit snug for my husband, but they stretched enough that I'd still say they fit.

Last but not least is this Instant Mario Deluxe kit. I bought this to accessorize my mother-in-law's Mario costume. NOTE: before posting, I double-checked that this is the exact kit I ordered - it is. The hat I received is the one pictured. It's exactly like the green hat my husband wore for Luigi, only red. The gloves and mustache I received are also the same as the ones I had to buy individually for the Luigi kit, NOT the ones pictured. Looking at what's pictured, I'm glad I received the mustache and gloves that I did. The gloves in the kit were a size medium - too small for my husband but maybe a good fit for a child. My mother-in-law found her own poofy Mickey Mouse-type gloves at a thrift shop, so she wore those instead.

For her overalls, my mother-in-law found a set of bright blue medical scrubs at a thrift shop. She cut away the sleeves and neck to make the shape of bib overalls. Pretty ingenious, if you ask me.

Here we are as one big, happy Mario Brothers family. We even found a turtle costume at Target for our dog so he could join in as a Koopa. If you'd like to see my other tutorials, please click the links for Princess Peach, a Goomba, and Toad.

If you make anything using my template or tutorials, I'd love to see! Please leave a comment and let me know. Take care and belated happy Halloween!

TUTORIAL: Princess Peach

2010-10-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

The countdown to Halloween is on. I received a desperate email from a sweet reader begging me to please hurry up and at least post pictures! I love my readers - your wish is my command.

Behold Princess Peach, the beloved damsel in distress in the Super Mario Bros video game series.

I used a dress pattern to make Princess Peach's dress, altering here and there to make the dress look how it should. I'll do a quick run-down of the changes I made, then list the accessories I found to complete the look. *I also owe a big, huge thank you to my friend Carolyn for helping me sew the dress. We knocked it out in two mornings, even with kids running in and out.*

Supplies for Princess Peach's Dress

Light pink fabric (bodice and most of the skirt).
Dark pink fabric (band/trim at bottom of skirt, puffs on side of skirt, sleeves).
Dress pattern. I used Simplicity #2827.
Turquoise pendant (see notes below).
Crinoline/poofy slip (optional).
thread, zipper, hook and eye (per notions listed on pattern)

I used light pink satin for the bodice and majority of the skirt. I used sparkly, dark pink costume satin for the sleeves, skirt puffs, and band of color at the bottom of the skirt.

As for following Simplicity pattern #2827, I followed the instructions for View C (the yellow dress on the package). Here's what I changed.

I did not use any trim along the bodice or sleeves.
I made the sleeves using dark pink fabric. I know this is a change from the cartoon version of Princess Peach, but I thought it looked best. The cartoon version of the dress is high-necked with a dark pink ruffle trim. I didn't want a high neckline - too pioneer dress for me - so to pull in more of the dark pink color I changed the color of the sleeves.
I added the skirt puffs pictured in View A. If you read over the instructions for making View A, you'll see that you attach the puffs to the bodice just before attaching the bodice to the skirt.
I added a dark pink band to the bottom of the skirt. If you look at the pattern, you'll see that the dresses come in three lengths: above the knee, mid-calf, and floor-length. All three dresses use the same skirt pattern piece, which has three lines marked on it, one for each skirt length. I cut the light pink fabric following the line for the mid-calf length. This left a band of the pattern that's the difference between the mid-calf line and the floor-length line. I used that band as the pattern piece to cut my dark pink fabric. I sewed the dark pink fabric onto the bottom of the light pink fabric, then followed the instructions as if they were one piece of fabric.

For Peach's turquoise pendant, I used this sparkly medallion. I found it at JoAnn's, packaged as a headband accessory. The back of the pendant is felt, so it was super easy to sew on by hand - just like a patch.

To add fullness to the skirt, I dusted off the crinoline I wore with my wedding dress. There's part of me that's super proud it still fit after almost 10 years. :) Nevermind that the waist is adjustable and velcro.

I found a tiara with stones the perfect shade of pink at Target. Look in the little girls' dress up aisle.

To wear under the tiara, I bought this Princess Peach wig. Though these blond locks looks fab in the photo, the real deal isn't nearly as glam. Does any wig ever come styled like it shows in the picture? My mother-in-law is coming to visit for Halloween and I've already tasked her with helping me style my unruly, cheap mane. If that doesn't work, I'll simply forgo the wig.

Last but not least, what cartoon princess is complete without opera-length gloves? I bought this pair off of Amazon.com and they fit beautifully.

Alrighty, if you use any of these tips for making your own Princess Peach costume, please leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to visit your blog and see your cute Halloween pics.

In case you're interested, please visit my other Mario Bros costume tutorials (which include more sewing instruction that this one). Please click here to see my Goomba tutorial and here to see my Toad tutorial. I still have to embellish the hats for my Mario and Luigi costumes and will be sure to post pictures. Take care and happy Halloween!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

ETA: For all the Mario- and Zelda-lovin' children of the 80's who have now grown up, my friend found this sketch of Princess Peach and Princess Zelda. Hmmm...would you rather be stuck in a relationship or in a castle? (don't answer that)

TUTORIAL: Toad from Mario Bros

2010-10-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

Does every momma look at her child and think he's even cuter than the original? :) My entire family is dressing a characters from the Super Mario Brothers games this Halloween and this lucky three-year-old gets to be Toad.

Alrighty, here's how to make your own super cute Toad. First let's start with the easy stuff - vest and pants.

Supplies for Toad's Vest

Blue fabric.

Gold trim.

Vest pattern. I used Simplicity #9854.

thread, sewing machine, fray check (or similar)

(optional) paper, tape, ruler - in case you need to lengthen the pattern

I'm all for originality, but when you can buy a pattern for $0.99, why reinvent the wheel? I used Simplicity #9854. Don't be fooled by the girls pictured on the package - when it comes to children's sizes, a vest is a vest. All of the vests on the "boy" patterns looked like the type men wear with three-piece suits, which is not the cut that matches Toad's vest.

TIP: Children's sewing patterns tend to be cut short and wide. My son is tall and thin, so I used scrap paper to lengthen the pattern by 4". There's a line marked on the pattern just for this purpose - to lengthen or shorten as necessary.

I made the vest following instructions for View F, minus the side slits. Rather than lining the vest in a contrasting fabric, I used the same blue satin.

Time to prep the trim. I used Fray Block on the ends, then tucked them under before stitching.

Sew on the trim. I chose this trim because I really liked the pattern, but it had zero give going around curves. Rather than fight with it going around the back of the neckline, I stopped the trim at each shoulder seam.

Ta-da! What a royal looking vest!

If you're lucky enough to find white pants in October, bless you! I couldn't even find sweatpants, so I made my own pants for Toad.

Supplies for Toad's Pants

White fleece (or other white fabric).
Pant pattern. I used Simplicity #9854, the same pattern that I used for the vest.
thread, sewing machine, ruler to measure hem
(optional) paper, tape - in case you need to lengthen pattern

I bought Simplicity #9854 for the vest pattern, but after weeks of unsuccessfully searching for white pants and finding fleece on sale for $3/yd, I realized how lucky I was that the pattern also included instructions for pair of pull-on pants. Score! (Again, ignore the girls in the picture. The cut of the pants is gender-neutral.)

Again, I lengthened the pattern by 4", though I ended up cutting off so much of the hem that it probably wasn't necessary.

I followed the instructions on the pattern to make this warm, fuzzy beauties. Fleece in October in Oregon is a good thing. :)

Moving on to Toad's signature topper - the mushroom hat. I owe a big, huge thank you to Kris at Summer at Grandma's House for helping me understand the structure of the hat.

Supplies for Toad's Mushroom Hat

White hat.

White fabric.

Red fabric, preferable one that doesn't fray.

Circle template. I used a round take-out container.

Batting/stuffing.

Narrow elastic for chin strap.

thread, sewing machine, scissors, fabric marker/chalk

I found a white sailor's hat in the costume section at Target. Lincoln wanted sparkly red fabric for the hat. Disco Toad?

1. Cut white fabric into a circle.

A 30" circle fit my three-year-old perfectly. For an adult, I'd probably try 36"-40".

2. Fold circle into sections for darts.

Fold in half...

...and in half...

...half again...

...one last time.

If you can finger press creases, great. I used my iron to make creases while my fabric was still folded. When you unfold your circle, you should see sections like this.

3. Sew darts.

I intended to make a dart ever other section, but goofed along the way. It's okay - I was still able to make it work.

To make your darts, measure along a crease approximately 6" from the outer edge. Make a dot using fabric chalk. Draw a line from the dot to the next crease on the edge of your fabric. (see photos above and below)

If you're holding one crease up in the air, the creases to the immediate right and left are touching. Pin those together.

Sew a straight stitch from the dot to the edge of the fabric, following the line you drew.

Cut away the fabric on the side of the line where the fabric formed a fold.

Repeat making darts all the way around the circle.

When you turn your fabric right side out, it should have the same shape as the head of a jelly fish. That's what you see, too, right? ;-)

4. Attach white fabric to hat.

Gather the edge of your jelly fish - er, fabric.

Pin to hat. TIP: Be sure to leave a hole for stuffing.

In hindsight, had I been able to find a beanie or other hat without a brim, I would have been able to finish the edges more neatly. However, the sailor hat worked. Plus it's a Halloween costume - I don't really mind unfinished edges that the rest of the world will probably never see.

Sew fabric to hat.

Stuff with batting.

My first attempt at making the Toad hat was waaay too big for my little three-year-old. I let Lincoln stuff the too-big-hat while I worked on the smaller version along side him.

Sew the hole closed.

5. Embellish hat with red circles.

Cut five red circles.

Pin to hat and sew by hand one at a time.

6. Add chin strap, if necessary.

You won't see the chin strap in the photo below. The photo shoot proved that my wiggly, squiggly three-year-old likes to wobble his head way to much for the hat to stay on by itself. I added the elastic later, then my camera battery died. But trust me - the chin strap works great!

Give your Toad a hug and have a happy Halloween!

Thanks for visiting my tutorial! If you make a costume based off of these instructions, please leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to see your good work!

If you'd like to see my other Mario Bros costumes, please click here for my Goomba tutorial and here for Princess Peach. Happy Halloween!

Sneak Peek: Toad

2010-10-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

I have too many baskets of neglected laundry to tend to before I post the tutorial, but hopefully I can pull it together within the next few days.

For the grandparents: this is Toad from the Mario Brothers game. Think toadstool (the hat)?

In other Mario Bros costume news...can you believe I'm getting almost 200 hits a day on my Goomba costume tutorial!? Crazy. And if you live in Boston and are handy with a sewing machine, there's even someone willing to pay you to make a version of my costume. Check it.

Wish Upon a Star

2010-10-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...back to paper crafts. At least for today. I'll have more Halloween costumes to post soon enough. Thanks for hanging in there with me in the meantime. :)

Supplies
Paper: (Alphabet Soup Boy "Ziggy") My Mind's Eye.
Chipboard Letters: (Rouge Lullaby Glitter Letter Thickers) American Crafts, (Cotton Weathered Wood) Pink Paislee.
Ribbon: (Real Red, Rope Cord) Stampin' Up!.
Other: sewing machine, ivory thread, wood star, red paint.

TUTORIAL: Goomba - Part 4

2010-10-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the fourth and final part of my Goomba costume tutorial. It's like the never-ending journey, eh? Thanks for hanging in there! If you' d like to see the rest of the tutorial, please click the links for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

The good news is that you've already made all the pieces you'll need for this part of the tutorial. All we have to do is put the pieces together.

It may help to take a look at the structure of the costume so we know where we're headed.

Here's a picture of the finished costume. Starting with the back half (from left to right in the photo): Goomba body (plain) -> foam insert -> Goomba body (with strips of loop Velcro). The front half of the cosume: Goomba body (with straps sewn onto it) -> foam insert -> Goomba body (face).

1. Sew the back half of the costume.

Lay the Goomba body with strips of loop Velcro sewn onto it such that the Velcro strips face up. Lay the plain Goomba body on top, right side facing down. TIP: The Velcro strips should be in the middle of the felt "sandwich."

Pin the edges, leaving ample room to turn and insert the foam body shape. If you click on the photo, you can see where I used double pins to mark where I stopped and started sewing. TIP: Leave your opening at the bottom. It's easier to close a straight seam than a curved seam.

Sew the body pieces together. Remember to leave a hole for turning.

Turn your newly-sewn Goomba right side out. (Sorry about the lack of photos here. I was so anxious to be done that I forgot about taking pictures.) Insert foam shape. You can either hand-sew the opening closed using a slipstitch, or you can do things the lazy/impatient way like I did. Did I mention I was ready to be done? I sewed the hole closed using my sewing machine. I used my fingers to push the foam out of the way and stitched really close to the edge of the fabric. TIP: Regardless of whether you sew the hole closed by hand or using a machine, pin the hole closed before sewing. This way you're not fighting with the foam insert while you work.

The back half of your Goomba costume should be done!

2. Sew the front half of the costume.
Repeat the same steps as for the back half of the costume.
NOTE: Avoid stitching over the straps or the eyebrows. Fold the straps down onto the body of the Goomba before pinning your pieces together.

Also fold in the eyebrows. Again, I forgot to take a picture. So your Goomba's eyebrows should NOT be sticking out like mine are in the photo above. Bend the eyebrows inward so that they aren't hanging off the edge. You'll reshape them later.

When you pin your body pieces together, you should have a fabric "sandwich" with the Goomba's facial features and the straps in the middle (right sides facing each other).

Follow the same instructions for finishing the back half of the costume: pin, sew, leave hole for turning, turn, insert foam, close hole.

Bend the eyebrows back into position and you're done! Toss on a brown hat, tan pans, brown shoes, and voila! That's one good lookin' Goomba.

TUTORIAL: Goomba - Part 3

2010-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you're new here, welcome! Please check out Part 1 and Part 2 of my Goomba costume tutorial. If you're already up to speed, read on.

Now that you've made the Goomba's face, set is aside. Completely aside. As in, go put it upstairs or in a closet or somewhere you will not be tempted to touch it. You won't need it for this part of the tutorial. (I'm being redundant on purpose. I start talking about a lot of different body parts - fronts and backs - and I don't want you to think I'm talking about the face. I'm not. I promise.)

Supplies for Part 3

2 Goomba body pieces.
4 pieces of light brown felt measuring 4" x 10".
Sew-in Velcro.
6 Snaps, snap setter, hammer. Or you could use bits of Velcro.
thread, pins, scissors, sewing machine

1. Make straps.

Start with 4 pieces of light brown felt (same color as the body of your Goomba) each measuring 4" x 10".

Pin 2 rectangles together. Sew around 3 sides, leaving the top (a short side) open for turning. Clip corners. Repeat with the other two rectangles.

Turn and pin. Be sure to turn under the edges where you left the hole.

Topstitch. TIP: Make sure you stitch close enough to the edge that you sew the hole closed.

2. Add Velcro.

I'll try to explain the big picture of what we're trying to do, then I'll break it down. We're going to stitch the straps to the front of the Goomba. Then we're going to add Velcro so that the ends of the straps will attach to the back of the Goomba.

Here's a picture of the finished costume. If you look closely, you'll see that the straps are sewn to the front of the Goomba. There are two strips of Velcro at the end of the straps, which line up with two strips of Velcro on the back of the Goomba.

Now for the breakdown...

First, grab two body pieces. One will hang on the front of your child, the other will hang on the back. It doesn't matter which piece you use for the front and which you use for the back, but if your felt has a right side, you want the right sides touching your child's body, not facing out.

Pin the straps in place so that they fit your child and sit comfortably on his or her shoulders.

Use a fabric marker or chalk to mark where you want your strips of Velcro. Remember, Velcro has two parts (hook and loop), so be sure to mark where you want your Velcro on the ends of the straps and on the back side of the Goomba.

Lay out the front half of your Goomba and adjust if necessary. Based on where you pinned the straps, your straps should be in roughly the right place. But you'll want to make sure your straps are parallel, the same distance from the edges, etc. Stitch the straps in place.

Pin strips of Velcro to the back of your Goomba. TIP: Be sure that all the strips are either loop OR hook, not a combination. I suggest using loop for this part. Stitch Velcro in place.

Sew Velcro to the straps. If you used loop on the back of the Goomba, use hook on the straps.

You should have two pieces that look like this.

3. Add snaps. (Or if you don't have snaps, you could use bits of Velcro.)

Add six snaps to the costume - three on the left side, three on the right. TIP: Be sure you leave enough room near the top for you child's arms.

Your snaps will come with instructions on how to set them. TIP: If this is your first time using snaps, you'll need to buy two things. 1) A package of snaps. 2) A setting tool that fits your snaps. They're usually shelved next to each other, but I'm sure someone at the fabric store can also help you find them.

The picture above show the back half of the Goomba. Feel free to zoom in to check the details.

Here's a picture of the front half. Wire clippers...hammers...you didn't know sewing involved such manly tools, did you? ;-)

You should now be able to attach the front half of your Goomba to the back. (Snap the snaps and Velcro the Velcro.) This is what your Goomba should look like from the front.

Here's a photo of the back.

This was the hard one. If you made it through this part of the tutorial, give yourself a pat on the back...eat some chocolate...do whatever you want to celebrate! I apologize if some of my instructions were unclear. This was hard to explain! Hopefully the pictures helped and your good ol' know-how carried you the rest of the way. We're almost done! Please click here for Part 4 of the tutorial.

TUTORIAL: Goomba - Part 2

2010-09-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

In Part 1, I showed you how to make the pattern pieces for your Goomba. Now we're going to use those pattern pieces to make the Goomba's face.

Supplies for Part 2

Light brown felt for the body. I used about 1 1/2 yard of 72" wide felt.
White felt for the eyes and fangs.
Black felt for the eyes and mouth.
Black faux fur for the eyebrows. Or you can use black felt.
Four black pipe cleaners.
Wire cutters.
Pattern piece for your Goomba's body. (See Part 1)
Pattern pieces for the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and fangs. (Print from Part 1)
thread, scissors, hand sewing needle, pins, sewing machine

1. Cut fabric pieces for the face.
Use the pattern pieces to cut out the fabric for your Goomba's face. For you visual folks, here's a picture of the finished face so you can see what you'll need. Here's the same info in list form:

2 large white ovals for the eyes.
2 black ovals for the eyes.
2 small white circles for the eyes.
2 eyebrows. (see tip below)
2 white fangs.
1 mouth. (see tip below)
4 Goomba bodies. NOTE: You only need 1 Goomba body for the face, but you'll need 4 body pieces for the entire costume.

TIP: Faux fur has nap, meaning that if you look at the fabric, the fur points in a certain direction. Make sure you line up your pattern pieces such that when you cut your right eyebrow, the fur points to the right. Then flip over the pattern so that when you cut your left eyebrow, the fur points left.

In the picture above, the nap is pointing down. See those long hairs hanging off the bottom? That's how you can tell that the nap is pointing down. If you look closely, you can see how I laid out my pattern pieces to make sure the nap points in the correct direction. Warning: When you cut faux fur, be prepared for a flurry of scrap fur to cover your workspace. Try to only cut the fabric backing, not the fur itself. Still, arm yourself with a Swiffer or a vacuum cleaner. You'll need it.

TIP: To cut the mouth, fold a piece of black felt in half. If you look at the pattern for the mouth, I marked for one edge as "place on fold". You guessed it - place that edge on the fold of the fabric. Cut out the mouth, cutting only the three sides that are NOT on the fold. You should now have one long, skinny, symmetrical mouth.

2. Applique the eyes to your Goomba's body.

First sew the small white circles onto the black ovals.

TIP: When appliqueing several layers, start at the TOP layer and work your way down. In this case, the top layer is the tiny white circles. You may be tempted to sew the big white ovals onto the Goomba's body first...DON'T. By the time you add the black ovals and then the white circles on top, you'll be sewing through four layers of felt! NO, no, NO!

Sew the black ovals onto the white ovals.

Sew the white ovals onto the Goomba's body. (See how you never had to sew through more than two layers of felt?)

TIP: I appliqued the eyes using a narrow zig zag stitch. I started using a straight stitch (which could work, if that's what you prefer), but I found a zig zag stitch was more forgiving where I sewed around the curves.

3. Sew the mouth and fangs to the Goomba's body.

Make sure the bottom of each fang is flush against the mouth.

4. Sew the eyebrows to the Goomba's body.

If you look at the picture of a Goomba, its eyebrows stick out past the sides of its head. To make this work for our costume, I hand sewed pipe cleaners to the back of the eyebrows. (Otherwise the fabric was too floppy.)

For each eyebrow, cut two pipe cleaners and shape them to fit the arch of the eyebrow.

Hand sew the pipe cleaners to the back of the eyebrow. I drew a diagram so you could see approximately where I tacked down the pipe cleaners...(keep reading below)
If you click on the picture, you might be able to see what I did. Black on black stinks for tutorial making...but it's fantastic for the actual costume where you don't want the pipe cleaners to show. TIP: When sewing, try not to catch any of the fur under the thread. Just stitch the pipe cleaner to the back of the fabric.

Sew the eyebrows onto the Goomba's face. A zig zag stitch works best. Only sew along three sides (see photo below). Do not sew where the eyebrows hang off the edges. (It's hard to explain why, but trust me - it will be a big pain later if you do.)

TIP: When sewing, push the fur to the side so that you're sewing the fabric (not the poofy fur) to your Goomba's face. This keep the fur from getting tangled in your machine or matted down by the thread.

This is the back side of the Goomba's face. (I know, I can't believe I'm showing it.) If you click on the picture, you can see where I only stitched along three sides of each eyebrow.

Ta-da! Here's your Goomba's face. Those eyebrows and scowl look so perfectly angry, I can't help but smile.

Now let your child hold it up and get excited - it's starting to look like a costume!

Please click here for Part 3 of the tutorial and click here for Part 4.

TUTORIAL: Goomba - Part 1

2010-09-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my tutorial on making the world's most innocent video game villain: a Goomba! To remind all the grandparents out there - this is a Goomba. He waddles around the Mario Brothers games waiting to get bumped into or stepped on.

First, let's fast forward to see what the body of our Goomba costume is going to look like. Sometimes it helps to know where we're headed.

Now let's make our pattern pieces.

Supplies for Part 1

Large sheet of paper, such as bulletin board paper or newspaper taped together.
Large sheet of 1/2" thick foam.
Pencil.
Sharpie.
Scissors.
Pattern pieces for facial features printed onto computer paper. See below.
Optional - black paper.

1. Make pattern for the body.

Using a big sheet of paper, pencil out the shape of your costume so that it fits your child. Think mushroom. For my six-year-old, my Goomba is 25" tall x 34" wide at its widest point. TIP: I used a scrap of bulletin board paper from a teaching supply store. You could also tape together newsprint to make one large sheet of paper.

Here I've sketched out the pattern for the body, cut it out, and am laying it on top of my son to check the fit. TIP: Fold the body in half side-to-side and make any necessary adjustments to ensure the body is symmetrical on the left and right sides.

2. Cut foam inserts for the body.

Trace body pattern onto a thin sheet of foam. Here my pattern was slightly taller than my foam - that's okay. Since fabric requires a seam allowance, you need your foam slightly smaller than your fabric anyway.

Remember, our Goomba has a front and back, so you'll need two pieces of foam for your costume - one for the front and one for the back.

Cut out the foam body pieces.

3. Make pattern pieces for the facial features.
Now this is where I remind you that here in Blogland, you get what you pay for. And this tutorial is free. So please be nice about my hand drawn pattern pieces. :) Each picture fits a full 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, with the eyebrow and mouth going edge to edge. If you made your Goomba's body larger or smaller than mine, you'll want to scale your facial features accordingly.

To make your patterns for the eyes, cut out two of each shape. TIP: To help me visualize the face and make sure I had my proportions correct, I cut the pieces out of colored paper (see photo below). Everything that was supposed to be white, I cut out of white paper. Everything that was supposed to be black, I cut out of black paper. Remember, you'll use felt on the actual costume; these are just the pattern pieces.

Cut out even more pattern pieces... (I'll explain the place on fold comment when I get to Part 2 of the tutorial.)

Lay your pattern pieces on top of your foam to make sure you're happy with the proportions. Make adjustments if necessary.

Alrighty folks, that's it for today. Click here for Part 2 of the tutorial, click here for Part 3, and click here for part 4. Also, my entire family is dressing up as characters from Super Mario Bros. this Halloween, so you may get lucky and I'll still have enough time and willpower to post a tutorial on making Toad, Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach. Okay, maybe if you're really lucky. ;-)

I'm Published!

2010-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of the three cards published in Holiday Cards & More, a publication of Paper Crafts magazine. A 3 for 3 publication record is unheard of, so I count myself both blessed and lucky.

Hey Mom and Dad, you can pick up a copy of the magazine at places like JoAnn's and Barnes & Noble. My cards are on pages 12, 13, and 21.

In other happy news, I have a project accepted by Simply Handmade for their upcoming December/January issue.

Sneak Peek: Goomba

2010-09-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am amazing. I finished Brighton's Goomba costume on Labor Day. Labor Day! As in, 56 days before Halloween. That's gotta be a new world record.

As soon as I squeeze in time to finish the tutorial, I'll post it. 'Til then, please enjoy this photo of me sewing faux fur. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

TUTORIAL: Personalized Bath Towel

2010-08-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Continuing in the tradition of making gifts for the sweet girl next door (she and her momma love all things homemade), I made my neighbor a personalized bath towel. Here's the how-to.

Supplies:

Bath towel
Scrap of fabric
Wonder Under, or similar paper-backed fusible web
Name (letters) printed onto computer paper
Tracing paper
Pencil
thread, scissors, sewing machine
iron, pressing cloth (muslin or other medium weight fabric)

1. Print name onto computer paper.

TIP: Use a font with thick/bold letters. Skinny letters make for skinny scraps of fabric, which are hard to work with and barely show up on the towel.

2. Fuse fabric to Wonder Under.

Cut out the name. This helps you see what size you need to cut your fabric and Wonder Under. TIP: Cut your Wonder Under slightly smaller than your fabric --approximately 1/8" on each side -- so that none of the adhesive sticks to your ironing board when you fuse the Wonder Under to your fabric.

Lay wrong side of fabric against the bumpy side of the Wonder Under. Press for 5-8 seconds with hot, dry iron. Let cool.

3. Trace name and cut letters.

Now that your fabric is fused to the Wonder Under, flip your fabric over so that the right side of your fabric is laying on your table and the paper backing of the Wonder Under is facing up.

Lay tracing paper on the paper backing with the right side of the tracing paper facing down against the paper backing.

Lay your computer paper face down on the tracing paper. You should still be able to see the shape of your letter through the wrong side of the computer paper. TIP: If you can't see through the paper and are familiar with your computer software, you can print the name in reverse and trace the letters exactly as they appear on your printout.

Use the dull tip of a mechanical pencil to trace the outline of the letters.

Your name should look like this. See how the letters are backwards? If you picked up the strip of fabric and held it in front of a mirror, you would be able to read the name correctly.

Cut letters following the traced lines. When you flip over the letters so that the fabric side faces up, the name should look normal.

4. Adhere letters to towel.

Peel the paper backing off each letter.

Arrange letters on the towel.

Cover letters with a damp press cloth. With iron at wool setting, press firmly for 10-15 seconds. Repeat until each letter is fused.

Peel back your pressing cloth and check to make sure that the letters are bonded to the towel, especially along edges and corners. If the letters are damp, iron them to remove the excess moisture.

5. Edgestitch around letters.

Edgestitch around each letter. I used a narrow zig zag stitch. Remember, since your letters are already adhered to the towel, you don't need to use pins. Hooray! TIP: When you reach a corner, leave your needle down in the towel, lift the presser foot, and pivot the towel 90 degrees. TIP: If I made this towel again, I would use darker thread. The thread I used was an exact match to the blue in the fabric, but barely showed up on the towel.

Voila!

Wrap it with a bow and it's ready to go.

Hope this helps. If you make a towel, please leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to stop by your blog and see your good work. :)

HONK It's My Birthday

2010-08-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Hottie Hubs and I ran the mother of all relays: Hood to Coast. In a nutshell, a team of 12 runners run 197 miles. We start at Timberline Lodge near the top of Mt. Hood and run to the west coast, ending on the beach in Seaside, Oregon. Each runner runs three legs, ranging in distance from 3.7 to 7.4 miles, with difficulty varying based on the terrain.

Our team started running at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, continued all day and all night, and ended early Saturday afternoon. If you thought running was exhausting, try running three times without sleep!

Friday was also Hottie Hubs's birthday. With 12,000 runners, this was the biggest birthday party Ben's ever had. Of course I had to make a deal of it. :) The photo above shows the shirt I made for Ben using the freezer paper stenciling technique. CLICK HERE for a YouTube tutorial of how to make a t-shirt stencil using freezer paper.

Why paint the back of the shirt instead of the front, you ask?

Most of the 197 miles we run are on roads or sidewalks. Each van drops off their runner at the start of a leg, then drives to the next exchange to drop off the second runner and pick up the first runner. Rinse, repeat. As vans drive by, they look for their runners - but have to identify them by their back sides. We spend a lot of time in vans...and a lot of time looking at people's back sides. Plus we wear our team numbers pinned to the front of our shirts, so anything on the front would get covered up.

Ben said there were a LOT of horns honking for him as he ran. Mission accomplished. Plus most of the runners on his legs wished him a happy birthday as well.

I made a coordinating shirt for me to wear. You'll see I also gave Ben a birthday crown. It had an elastic strap to keep it in place while he ran.

Here I am at the start of the race. If you're wondering why I'm so bundled up for a race in August, it's because I ran the very first leg starting on Mt. Hood. With an elevation above 6,000 feet, the temperature was a frosty 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius). The sun wasn't fully up yet, so we had to wear reflective vests and blinking lights so vans could see us on the side of the road. BTW - my first leg was 5.6 miles with a 2,000 ft. elevation drop. Ouch! My poor sore legs!

Here's our team at the end of the race. Bundled up again because the Oregon coast is cool. (I promise I was sweating bullets during the run through downtown Portland.) I'm the girl in the front row wearing a red jacket. Hottie Hubs is standing behind me wearing a baseball cap. What a way to spend the weekend, eh? ;-)

For Molly

2010-08-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

My adorable friend Molly lost her mother to breast cancer. I made this card for her two years ago.

Though I tried embossing, flowers, etc., nothing felt right until I decided to make something simple and understated. Sometimes you don't need a bunch of words and frills, you just need a hug. *big hugs, Molly...yesterday and everyday*

Name That Costume

2010-08-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Hi there, friends. Here's a peek at what I've been working on this weekend.

Halloween may be two months away. But this year my boys have begged, pleaded, and done all sorts of jumping up and down to convince our whole family to dress in coordinating themed costumes.

If any of you can guess what this critter is (or more accurately - what it's going to be), I'll be thoroughly impressed! Leave me a comment and let me know. Then you'll also know why I'm starting on the costumes NOW. (Think of a certain princess and the peachy-pink dress I have to make for that costume.)

Enjoy your day! Rachel

Sew Grateful

2010-07-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

I got to play today! Aren't those little pig tails cute? Yellow gingham ribbon added just the right touch.

The card was inspired by this super cute collection over at Dannisdoodles. I think I just found a new blog to love. :)

Enjoy your day! Rachel

Supplies
Paper: (Kraft) Stampin' Up!, (Measuring Up, Sew Much More from the Material Girl collection) Cosmo Cricket.
Chipboard: (Ready-Set-Chip from the Material Girl collection) Cosmo Cricket.
Computer Font: Freestyle Script.
Other: (yellow paper flower) Kaiser scrapbook, (scalloped edge scissiors) Provo Craft, yellow gingham ribbon, blue and white buttons.

Caution: Birthday Ahead

2010-07-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

I made this card and wanted to tweak it, but couldn't figure out what needed to change.

Lincoln figured it out. Yes, I needed to change the sign. Too large. Should've been a triangle (think: yield). Got it, L. Thanks.

I covered a card with "CAUTION" tape, and my son destroyed it. There's irony in this somewhere.

Supplies
Cardstock: (Basic Gray, Pumkpin Pie, Basic Black) Stampin’ Up!, (Summer Sunrise) Papertrey Ink.
Computer Font: Haettenschweiler.

Adoption: It's About Love

2010-07-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Heather. Heather was one of my first friends when I moved to Oregon. Though we met at church, we became friends through stamping. We've stamped and talked and laughed and commiserated for five years. Still, whenever I need a night of girl therapy, I know I can call Heather. She'll come over. And talk. Or listen. Or both. She's just good like that. :)

Heather and her husband, Reed, are in the process of trying to adopt. They have a beautiful daughter who is five, and they would love to have more children.

Here's an excerpt from an email we received from them:
"...we have been trying to add children to our family for many years with little success. After many attempts to have biological children, we have decided to add to our family through adoption. Our Adoption agency, LDS Family Services, informed us that many adoptions occurred via word of mouth. That is where your thoughts, prayers and actions can help us obtain what we’ve been trying to have for so many years."

If you know someone who is looking to place their precious little one with another family, please direct them to

The Nelsons' website: http://reedandheather.blogspot.com/.
Or the LDS Family Services Website: https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/.
Or the Nelsons' profile on It’s About Love: https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24022113/ourMessage.jsf

Here's Heather making cards with her daughter. To say five-year-old Miss A. is already well-seasoned crafter is an understatement.

See...a natural. She also says she'd LOVE to be a big sister.

Dad and daughter.

Thanks for taking time to read through this post. I pray the Nelsons will soon have a beautiful child to welcome into their home!

Yarn Stash Basket

2010-07-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

I recently started knitting. No, I haven't blogged any of my projects, nor will I for a while, because I haven't progressed much beyond making yarn worms. Wonky worms, at that.

But look what my sweet mom made to encourage me along! It's a stash basket for my yarn. I'm so silly happy in love with it that I've found half a dozen excuses to tote it around town holding anything but yarn.

To make the basket (pseudo-tote), my mom followed this pattern from The Purl Bee. If you have a minute, a few clicks around The Purl Bee blog or shop site are worth your while. I just feel all sorts of handmade, home-y goodness radiating from my monitor.

Also helping me through the knit, purl blues is this little gem. I tell you, this book's a goldmine! Dear Santa, I hope you're reading. I would love to find this book under my tree. You can find them used on Amazon.com for less than $5. Applique, embroidery, knit, crochet - I'm sold!

More love from my momma. She set me up with the things I'll need when I'm ready to tackle something other than yarn worms.

As for paper crafts, I finally had time to make cards this weekend. Yay! However, I have a handful of other, more personal posts to type up first. Thanks for bearing with me. :)

Thanks, Nancy!

2010-07-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't fallen of the edge of the earth. :) Summer brings lots of fun time with family and friends, which I love, but leaves little time for crafting. I'm woefully overdue in posting a proper thank you, though, and couldn't let this pass another day.

First CONGRATULATIONS to Nancy of Nancy's Creative Mess. Nancy recently celebrated her 1000th post! Yes, with three zeros. I haven't reached 100 posts yet; I can't imagine the dedication it takes to reach 1,000.

To celebrate her huge milestone, Nancy hosted a giveaway on her blog. Guess which lucky blogger won the gift certificate to Papertrey Ink. Sweet, huh!

Thanks, Nancy! I paired the gift certificate with one from my husband and got all this crafty goodness. Sorry about the bad lighting. It was night - I was ready to cut into some of the paper and play with the stamps. Had I waited to take a photo in the morning, you would have gotten a "messy desk" photo instead. So at least here everything looks all tidy. Thanks again! Rachel

Make Today A Play Day

2010-07-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

I made this a while ago for my super cute kiddo. My boys are my favorite people to craft for. They love anything I make, regardless of how it looks, so there's no stress to impress - I just relax and enjoy creating for them.

I bought several items from this cute monster line by Daisy Bucket Designs to make cards for my boys. Monsters are right up their alley, and I know they'll gladly use any leftover scraps for their own projects.

As for the polka dots, since this critter is just as round as can be, polka dots seemed like the way to go. This is also my entry for the latest Moxie Fab World Challenge: Finding Inspiration in a Layout. The featured layout uses various size circles to frame the focal image. See the connection? (I hope I made it clear enough - LOL!)

Take care. Hope you do something fun today. :)

Supplies
Cardstock: (Basic Black, Orchid Opulence, Perfect Plum) Stampin' Up!.
Patterned Paper: (Wasabi Dot) Bo Bunny.
Stamp: (Play Day) Daisy Bucket Designs.
Ink: (black) Staz On.
Watercolor crayons: Stampin’ Up!.
Decorative Scissors: Provo Craft.
Punches: (1” and ¾” circles) EK Success.
Other: watercolor paper.

Giveaway Winner

2010-07-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Comment number 3 belongs to Savannah O'Gwynn.

Congratulations, Savannah! I just emailed you, but if for some reason my message doesn't come through, please send over your mailing address and I'll get these shipped off to you.

Thanks to all seven of you for your kind comments. :) I'm a frequent (though usually silent) visitor to several of your blogs and had fun browsing around a new blog and a card gallery. I promise I'll do better to not be a stranger and share the comment love. Deal? Good!

GIVEAWAY: BasicGrey Stamps

2010-06-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Conversation with my husband last September when I started my blog.

Ben: Are you going to have one of those craft blogs where they do a bunch of giveaways?
Me: (laughs) No. Those are for big sites. Scrapbook companies send them products to giveaway. It's a form of advertising.
Ben: But you have enough stuff to giveaway.
Me: Very funny. ... Maybe I'll have a giveaway for my 100th post.
Ben: What about when you have 100 readers?
Me: Yeah right. ... Fine. When...IF...100 people ever read my blog, I'll host a giveaway.

Fast forward to this week.

Well hello there, readers! Glad you liked my tutorials. :)

And look where you come from! Turns out, it's not just my proud parents clicking around on here.

I'm such a dorky fan girl that a few months ago I started keeping a list of the countries my blog visitors come from. Though we live far, far apart, I love seeing how the internet can bring people with common interests so close together. As an added bonus, my knowledge of eastern European geography has improved tremendously since I started checking my site stats each week. :)

Now for the giveaway...I have three sets of acrylic stamps from BasicGrey.

I'd Pick You

Tweet

Inspiration

I also have a pack of BasicGrey Cozy Posies to give away. (That's a fancy name for chenille flowers.)

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me how you found my site. If you're a regular reader, I'd love to know that, too! Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win. (Either leave your email address, blog address, or make sure your Google ID links to your contact info.) I'll pick a winner on July 1st and will gladly ship anywhere in the world. If you're willing to visit, I'm willing to say thanks!

Good luck!
Rachel

When Kids Craft

2010-06-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love that my boys are well versed in arts and crafts, but some days I wonder if things have gone too far. Like the day when...

Brighton fed his entrepreneurial spirit by cutting apart my scrap fabric, tying fat quarter bundles, and labeling them for sale. As Brighton reasoned, Why sell lemonade for a quarter when you can sell fabric for a dollar?

Or when I woke up to find my boys had climbed the fridge, brought down the paints (which are stored on TOP of the refrigerator to prevent such wild hairs), made a paint-and-marshmallow collage, took my heat tool out of my craft room, and were feverishly drying their projects to surprise me before I woke up.

Or when they cut apart their socks (which still fit and had mates) to make hand puppet ghosts.

Or when Brighton repurposed my button jar for his fruit salad. Attach a spoon and it's perfect for a backyard picnic.

As my mother says, we pay for our blessings.

One Paper - Three Cards

2010-06-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law recently welcomed her first child - a baby girl - and asked me to make a card for her to give as a thank you note. It doesn't take much arm twisting for me to get crafty for my nieces or nephews - especially not for a baby girl. :)

As soon as I saw this paper, I knew I'd found it. The it that makes a perfect card. A card covered in irresistibly touchable damask goodness. Yes, it's flocked. The paper is baby pink and baby soft and makes for a simple yet elegant card.

These three cards share the same supplies: one sheet of damask paper, one sheet of pink cardstock, one sheet of ivory cardstock, and pink ribbon.

When I find a paper I love, I want to use every little scrap of it. Here you can see three ways to use one sheet of paper. Pick your card based on whatever scrap you have available.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Paper: (Lush Pink Damask Paper) My Mind's Eye, (Very Vanilla) Stampin' Up!, pink cardstock. Punches: (Scalloped Border Punch, corner rounder) Stampin' Up!.
Other: pink ribbon.

TUTORIAL: Silhouettes

2010-06-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love this. I absolutely love this. Of all the crafts I've made for my children, this is my favorite. Silhouettes are simple, affordable, and timelessly classy.

1. Take a profile photo of your child in front of a sunny window.

This provides a nice contrast of light and dark and helps define which line you'll follow as you cut.

2. If you're making more than one silhouette, use photo editing software to make busts the same size.

Since my photo editing software is pretty bare bones, the easiest way for me to do this was to open my photos side by side, set them to be cropped to the same size (5x7), and zoom in and out until the heads looked approximately the same size.

3. Print photo onto regular computer paper.

4. Using double-sided tape, adhere photo to black cardstock. (see notes below)

Adhere double-sided tape the the back of the photo. Use tape only on the outer edges of the paper. Do NOT use tape on the silhouette area.

Adhere photo to black cardstock.

5. Use an X-Acto knife to cut silhouette.

You're cutting through two layers at the same time - the computer paper with the photo printed on it and the cardstock.

TIP: Add eyelashes for definition. Even if eyelashes are not visible in your photo, your silhouette will look better if your subject has eyelashes to define his or her eyes.

TIP: Pay special attention to hair details in three places: the crown of the head, the forehead (bangs), and the nape of the neck.

My son had some wild hairs sticking out from the back of his head. I did a little artistic editing to smooth them out.

(I hope this doesn't destroy the big reveal at the end of the post, but it's easier to see details on the finished project than in the pictures above.)

6. Remove computer paper and clean up edges, if necessary.

After you've cut your silhouette, remove the computer paper. Use your X-Acto knife or a pair of precision tip scissors to clean up any edges.

7. If you're making multiple silhouettes, trim them to the same height.

Place silhouettes side-by-side on your cutting mat. Here the silhouette on the left is slightly taller than the silhouette on the right.

Use your X-Acto knife and a straight edge to trim height off the bottom of the bust (chest/shoulders).

Voila! Beautiful, aren't they?

If you make one, please leave a link in the comments! I'd love to see your good work. :)

You Used What?

2010-06-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

What makes a card masculine? Ribbon? No. Plaid or argyle? Maybe. Duct tape? YES. Dear Granddad, please enjoy your Father's Day card made with blue painter's tape and three colors of duct tape. This is my oh-so-close knock-off of the clever Stuck with You card by Jessice Witty, featured in the May/June issue of Paper Crafts magazine.

To find the focal point for this card, I only needed to step outside my back door. This was my end-of-year card for Brighton's kindergarten teacher. She opened Brighton's eyes to the world print, the foundation of lifelong learning. I am forever grateful to her.

The sticks make sense once you read the sentiment. I love the wisdom in children's books. Life's lessons can be profound and uncomplicated.

I've kept the same Winnie the Pooh mug on my desk since my college days, holding pens and pencils within easy read. It reads, "Some days are more tumbly than others." And that's just the way life is. Here are some other little gems from the beloved author A.A. Milne. Ignore the spoon in the picture. I don't have my camera on hand so I borrowed this pic from the internet.

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

"Sometimes," said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

"Some people care too much. I think it's called love."

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them."

"One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries."

"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is"
"And freezing"
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

Supplies: An A Is Just Three Sticks Card
Paper: Nutmeg mini deck by Cosmo Cricket.
Computer Font: Pooh.
Other: Scalloped border punch, twine, linen thread.