Happy Birthday to...

We had a birthday last month...with a cowboy themed party... can you guess which one of us it was?

No!  It wasn't me! ;)  

Wy turned 1!

I sewed a bandana tie and some denim (from scraps from a denim shirt-turned-apron) onto a plain onsie we already had for a cowboy outfit.

And to complete the outfit, Grandma found a cowboy hat that fit perfectly.

We tried to leave it low-key with a pot luck get together, cupcakes and no gifts.

Somewhere I have better pictures, but since I can't find them, these will do.  Michaels had tissue paper with cow print, denim and a bandana print (score!) that I used to make pom poms (see them hanging there above the island?).

Michaels also had a large assortment of colorful bandanas.  A few pinking shear cuts, felt letters, glue and twill tape and a Happy Birthday banner was done.

I, of course, needed an apron for the occasion and World Market had a perfect set of dishtowels to make one.  I roughly used the pattern in Apronology (one I think I will return to again and again).

Wy LOVES bubbles (in fact bubbles was one of his first words), so i really wanted to have bubbles as favors to have out for people to use during the party and after.  I had the hardest time finding small containers of bubbles that weren't wedding favors.  In fact, I didn't find any other ones so I tried to disguise the wedding part with start stickers and by putting them in glass jars covered in cowboy scrapbook paper.  I'm not sure if people bought it, but they did blow bubbles and that's all that really matters I suppose.

More on my extended absence soon - just have to get pictures uploaded!

Sorry for the delay, here are the finished pinwheel coasters.  Not great, but they will do for now.

And this is some of what I did today...

Listened to some tunes while I worked...(I got the tip from Real Simple to put the iPod in a bowl if you don't have speakers.  It actually works pretty well and is super cheapo!)

A whole lot of bias tape made for new aprons today.  

Only one apron got (mostly) made (still needs pockets!).

Ah well.

Hope you had a lovely day!

Blessings

Finished Projects!

Hooray!  Some finished projects to share with you...

A sneak peak at my Craft Hope project!

All that's left for this project is the store bought stuff!

This is a pin cushion using a baby food jar.  Another idea I got in my head somehow and have been looking and looking for something to put in the jar.  Found these little birds at Michael's and they are perfect!

I'm semi-happy with how it turned out.  Needs some work on the top portion.  I think I'm going to try to make a felt pin cushion top for the next one and see if that goes better.  This top is just some stuffing in a circle of fabric that is gathered at the bottom into a big poof.  Then I had the problem of covering up the rim of the lid.  I think felt will be better over all.

And this poor apron was started over a year ago.  It is for a friend and was supposed to be a housewarming present.  She's been living in her apartment for over a year now!  I was working on the ties when my last sewing machine seized up on me and I got so frustrated I went to hand sewing for a long time.  I had already started this with machine sewing, so I wanted to finish it that way.  Better late than never, I guess.  The base is half of a pillowcase that my mom found and the pocket is made from a vintage sheet (I embroidered the A for Ali on it!).

My friend Andee (that is doing Craft Hope with me) has a little interview with me today, you can see it here.  I'll be interviewing Andee in April, so look for that here soon!

Blessings!

A few pictures

Family is in town this week, so here are a few pictures of what has been going on crafty-wise.

-notebook refashion-

(no, I did not eat all that candy myself, it was in the candy jar on my desk at work...)

-new over-the-door hooks to hold the aprons-

(my mom found this awesome hook at Ross.  thanks mom!)

-Maine collage-

(I've been meaning to do this for a friend forever...finally got it finished!)

-first attempt at making my own stamps-

(okay, so I had some of the chocolate...)

-probably should try something bigger and less intricate-

(trial and error, right?)

"like June Cleaver amid teenage angst"...and other stories

This was going to be post about how I successfully (or not so successfully) completed alterations on my jeans.  Because, well, the thing is, after I had the baby, my size fluctuated a bit and I got several different sizes on the way back down to my normal.  Now I'm back to my normal weight, but normal size???  Not sure that that will ever happen.  The last pair of jeans are still a bit big and I had great plans to take them in and make them my own.  

See, I even took a "before" picture.  I'm thinking this will be the "after" picture.  

Which reminds me: If you are getting rid of clothes that are still in pretty good shape consider taking them by a shelter or thrift store - go green/helpful!  Or, turn them into something else...it's not such a new idea, you know.  Our Grandmothers and beyond used every scrap they could.  And what a great way to exercise your talents and creative ways!

But where was I.... Oh yes!  Alterations.  So the plan was: I employ my fabulous (yet non-existent) alteration skills to my saggy jeans and transform them into bottom hugging things of wonder - or - I mess them up and end up going out and buying a new pair that actually fit.  I figured it was win-win!  It still is, once I get around to finding a pair that fit.

How about style?  That is one thing I'd like to work on this year.  Cultivating my own style.  I'm sure I have one now, but it's not one I'd like to be known for (randomness/sometimes kind of frumpy/blah?).  I'd like to wear more aprons and I'm pretty sure I need a pair of cowboy boots.  A waitress at a local burrito joint has become a huge inspiration for me.  For one, her outfit was adorable (description in a second), but a big part of it was how absolutely different her 'style' was from all the other waitresses and quite a few of the patrons in the place.  It was kind of like a cute little June Cleaver amid teenage angst.  Tiny cut-off shorts with fishnet stockings, lots of piercings and tattoos, dyed and crazy cut hair.  All fine and dandy, just not exactly "me".  Then, there was this outfit - plain white long sleeve shirt, jeans with the cuffs folded up about 4 inches, cowboy boots, a beautiful vintage half apron in a pink floral print and .... pearls.  Seriously, a small string of pearls around her neck!  I mean, come on!  Something to aspire to for sure.

What are you aspiring to, these days?  And while you're at it, check out this post http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/apronevangelism.htm.  I found it enjoyably worth the read.

WE DID IT!!!!!

Sold my first items at a craft fair this weekend.  Slow day for sales, but we had a GREAT time!

My friend came along to help with the set up.  She made chocolate chip cookies for the booth (and coffee for us!!! Thanks Jennifer!).  The cookies were great tasting AND they brought a lot of people in.  Definitely going to make cookies for every fair!

My aprons.  Love how they all look together on the clothesline.

I worked on hair clips throughout the day (hence the piles-o-junk around my chair).  It was really fun to be able to sew most of the day, and it got people to ask what we were doing.  Jen was making stuff and so was Brian when he came by - arts and crafts time all around!

I didn't even think to get the camera out when Brian "relieved" Jennifer or when J and Wy stopped by (Brian and Jen helped out because we didn't know what the weather was going to be like and if Wy would be able to stick around that long...he's only 4 1/2 mons. you know!) ;)  Next time...

Brooches from felt and recycled shirts

Hankies from sheets and a hankie holder from a shirt

Halloween, felt covered hair clips

I walked away from my "stall" after packing everything up at the end of the day and had an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.  Not all of the items went like hot cakes, but we DID IT!  Finally, finally did what I've been thinking about, talking about, wishing about doing for so long - and it felt AWESOME!  

felt is fun! (and other tid-bits)

Not sure what spurred it, but I'm suddenly very interested in felt.  I made some felt flowers (which I forgot to photograph!) and this little strawberry.

This little guy was created while I watched Top Hat (how can you go wrong with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers???).  I've been using the acrylic craft felt which I have not been happy with at all.  No stores in my area sell anything else, so I looked to 'the internets', as my husband calls it, where I stumbled upon Wool Felt Central (check it out here!).  It turns out the brick and mortar store behind the website is in Cozad, Nebraska!

"So what?" you ask?  Well, it turns out I'm from Nebraska and while Cozad is not all that close to where I grew up (South Sioux City), just the fact that it is in Nebraska got me really excited!

Well, when I found out they are in Nebraska AND they have great prices AND fun patterns for things I've never tried before but want to look in to (all these fun patterns), I had to give it a go.  A little package arrived a few days ago and I can't wait to get started - but I'm not sure when I'm going to fit all this fun in!  This is going to be a present for my mom so I'm not sure if I can share a picture yet...

I also thought I'd share a picture of why my craft space looks like these days.  It is close to being declared a disaster area.  But you know what, I'm getting stuff done!  And who wants to see a pretty, clean, organized studio anyways?  Doesn't that just happen in our dreams?

Out of that mess came this 'dress-up apron'.  

You'll notice that I match my furniture.  The pillow and napkin (that's the top layer of the apron) are from World Market in a retro strawberry pattern that I LOVE!!!  The napkins were on sale the last time I was there so I got a whole bunch knowing that 'someday' a perfect project for them would come to me. 

The layer underneath is a pillowcase (ruffles and all) that my mom found at a tag sale.  I added a flower made from an old t-shirt, a leaf from a green ribbon and some worded ribbon from the scrapbook stash.  My first apron just for me!

In other news...I was sewing along in my happy little way the other day, making an apron out of a sheet and a pillowcase for a friend, when my sewing machine jammed up.  After taking it apart, cleaning it, putting back together, re-threading, etc. it is still not working correctly.  Now, I found a shop that repairs machines, but I'm afraid it will cost as much to repair it as I paid for it.  SO - I asked my friend Trish, who makes the most BEAUTIFUL quilts, what kind of machine she used and how much I should paid for a decent machine that won't do things like this to me on a regular basis.  She has a Janome that she really likes.
What about you?  Any advice?

Busy Weekend

The Indie Biz class ended this weekend. :(  I have to admit I'm a bit sad about the whole thing!  I learned SO much from the class and had such a great time.  Elsie, Jill and Leigh-Ann are wonderful teachers - I highly recommend taking anything they offer!!

This weekend was full of distractions though, as my husband completed his first half-Ironman.  Whew!  I am so proud of him!  It was his first, and he finished just about where he wanted to!  He's pretty amazing.

That being said, unfortunately no craftiness happened here this weekend.  I was going to take some embroidery along, but there wasn't really time to work on it.   

The apron looks a little funny because it doesn't sit right on my uber pregnant belly!  In a few weeks I'm hoping it will fit just right. ;)  

These photos are from several weeks ago when I made a handy-dandy crafting apron out of a pillowcase I picked up at the thrift store.  One side is a rainbow of stripes, the other is a rainbow of dots.  Love it!!

I tried to write a tutorial on how I made it, but I don't have enough pictures and even though I'm not the one that did a Triathalon today, my brain sure seems to think so!  I'll make another one soon and share with you then.

One picture I do have, is of a sewing 'oops'.  

(Why is it that these always decide to be front and center on a project?)

  It's that purple bit in the middle.

The fix?  A lovely lavender bow, of course!

I hope your weekend was splendid and your Monday will be the same!