creatively satisfied

Card Books

2012-01-13T00:32:00.001-08:00

Saw this idea on pinterest and loved it! I used the template from the blog to cut out the shape from cute scrapbook paper. Then I used stickers to spruce them up! This top one is full of all the cards we got throughout our pregnancy and after Edrie was born.

These two are for Christmas cards. I love the idea of bringing them out every year to look through! I made one for all of our 2011 cards and then another that I'll fill with just our family cards! This was a great 20 minute project to start and finish after the baby went to bed. Made me feel very accomplished! Looking for more quick, satisfying projects!

Tiny Mitts

2012-01-13T00:20:00.004-08:00

I'm kind of obsessed with how these turned out. They were such a quick and satisfying project. They still took me a month to complete (I have an infant...don't judge!) but I LOVE THEM!

my mom bought me this yarn...I need to make some booties or something because I have a lot left and it knits up so nice!

Don't you just want to eat her up? It is such a joy to see that face everyday! She likes her warm hands too!

More details on ravelry (if you are dying to know what the yarn is let me know and I'll dig out the tag)

Block Ornaments

2012-01-13T00:11:00.002-08:00

A few of my friends hosted a craft day last month and we made these awesome photo block ornaments. You can find the tutorial here. I LOOVE how these turned out. I made mine for two babies who were born this year.

Salt Dough Ornaments

2012-01-13T00:05:00.002-08:00

This was another project Jenni and I tried to complete with the kids underfoot. It went pretty well! I love how they turned out! Jenni just made a quick batch of salt dough, we rolled it out and stuck the kids' hands/feet in. Then we made a hole for the ribbon. I baked them for about a billion hours at 200 degrees.

I sprayed them with Shellac and put a little glitter to fancy them up! Excited to have these to compare to next year!

reindeer onesie WAY cuter on baby!

2011-12-31T00:48:00.000-08:00

Love a baby in mama-made things! Here is that Reindeer Onesie looking oh-so-cute on Miss Edrie.

I'm mildly obsessed with this hair clip...I want to make a hundred more. Jenni and I got together to make hair accessories a bit ago - I'll have to take pictures of the other ones I made. I used this tutorial for the bow. I don't think Edrie really appreciates them, but I'm in LOVE!

ps Are you all obsessed with pinterest like me? find me here.

Reindeer Onesie

2011-12-12T23:31:00.000-08:00

Jenni and I got together last week to attempt crafting with three little ones underfoot and we were successful! Edrie was strapped into the moby, Jenni's girls watched a movie and we embarked! We didn't completely finish, but we got a good start on it and had fun!

I'm not so good with the machine applique so I just hand stitched this onto the onesie. I LOVE how it turned out. The original plan was for this to be the top to some christmas pajamas, but really I don't think my three month old cares about christmas pjs so she will probably be wearing this lots and lots the next few weeks!

Hungry Caterpillar

2011-11-10T18:20:00.001-08:00

Edrie's Halloween costume was done at the VERY very last minute, but I'm in love with how it turned out! I saw the idea on pinterest which linked to this. I made a simple sleep sack and hat and then sewed felt on for the eyes, etc.

Pretty cute caterpillar, huh?

Carseat Blanket

2011-10-25T22:02:00.001-07:00

This is my baby about to lose it because she woke up and realized she was in this awful contraption we all call a carseat. The kid HATES it. Not good for mama's sanity, but we make do. Anyway, I started this blanket about a week before I had Edrie. When buying the fabric I was stopped about 20 billion times at fabric depot by people wondering when I was going to pop. Then I worked on this blanket while I was in labor and couldn't sleep. I finished it with a sleeping babe on my chest! It really was there through it all!

My friend has a blanket like this that ties to the carseat handles so that the blanket doesnt fall off while you are carrying the babe in and out of places. Turns out this is completely unnecessary for me because my kid won't stay in the seat long enough to carry it anywhere. The blanket is cute anyway, right? I looked up lots of tutorials when making this and none of them were what I wanted. They were mostly like this... so I just used the size estimations and made a simple blanket with ties.

The top side is a vinyl coated cotton so that it is a little weather resistant - I thought this important considering we live in a rainy place

The side that touches baby is that minky stuff. Super soft.

Rest of the Pre-Baby Handmades

2011-10-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

I completed all of these projects before Edrie arrived, but was lazy about getting them blogged. She has herself a stocking to match the rest of the family's. I just have to embroider her name on it and decide if I want to embroider the back of ours with mom and dad...

A tiny knit hat to fit a newborn. I washed it and forgot all about it in the load so it went in the dryer. I was really sad thinking it would be too small after it was accidentally felted. But it actually fit her perfectly for the first week or so.

And a little snail onesie...the snail is from Alicia Paulson's first book. She is almost too big to wear this too =(

Its a GIRL!

2011-09-19T08:56:00.004-07:00

Our GIRL arrived a week ago today!

Edrie Ruth

September 12, 2011 at 10:33pm

7lb 10oz, 18.5in

A few more baby handmades...

2011-08-31T17:23:00.002-07:00

I've been wanting to make some drawstring bags ever since Jenni gifted me one over a year ago. I used it for all kinds of things, but my favorite use was as a way to corral knitting projects. Anyway, I finally got around to making some with the hope of them being useful in my new diaper bag!

My mom bought me this beautiful messenger bag to use as a diaper bag. We found it on super sale and I LOVE IT!! Because its not meant to be a diaper bag there aren't tons of pockets on the inside. Enter aforementioned drawstring bags. I think they will work together perfectly!

I made a total of 7 bags of varying sizes all out of fabric I had on hand! I used a combination of this tutorial, this tutorial and also this one. Love them!

I had a shirt that seemed too nice to throw out, but that I couldn't wear anymore. I decided to make a few simple baby hats out of it. They aren't amazing or anything, but I'm hoping babe gets a bit of wear out of them!

Crafty To Do List for Baby (UPDATED!)

2011-08-27T09:40:00.001-07:00

Here is the updated list... making good progress!!

embroider
alphabet mini quilt
onesies (elephant) (~~elephants~~ DONE!) (~~snail~~ DONE!)

knit
blankets
bulky baby blanket
~~kicking bag~~ DONE!
clothes
newborn snug jacket IN PROGRESS
newborn romper
~~baby legs~~ DONE!
latte baby sweater
~~baby sophisticate~~ DONE! by Holly!
baby hoodie
hats
~~big wool little hat~~ DONE!
aviatrix hat
~~umbi hat~~ DONE!
pumpkin hat
~~cabled baby bib~~ DONE! by Holly!
booties
uggs
~~stay-on baby booties~~ DONE! by Holly!
toys
lamb
elephant

sew
stocking IN PROGRESS
~~wipes~~ gonna use washcloths for now
~~quilt~~ DONE!
kimono baby shoes
~~infant swaddler~~ have plenty of store bought ones for now
~~big butt baby pants~~ DONE! by Jenni!
~~rockin' baby gown~~ have plenty of store bought gowns
~~nursing cover~~ DONE! by Jenni!
~~diaper clutch (do these work for cloth dipes?)~~ made some drawstring bags instead...
~~pilot cap~~ bought a few...
~~burp cloths~~ DONE!
~~moby wrap~~ DONE! got a brand new black one at goodwill for $20
~~nursing pads~~ DONE! for now...made 4 pairs, but probably will make more
~~baby legs~~ DONE!
~~fabric bunting~~ DONE!
family tree wall hanging from stitched in time (put in large embroidery hoop in nursery)
lots of other stuff from this and this

glue
baby book/pregnancy journal IN PROGRESS

paint
~~freezer paper onesies~~ DONE!

drill
~~bookshelf~~ bought one...

Nursery!

2011-08-15T14:47:00.001-07:00

I posted pictures of our nursery and finished baby quilt on my other blog! Go check it out!

Baby Hat

2011-08-09T08:19:00.003-07:00

I made this quick baby hat last week. I'm not in love with the color, but I just grabbed some cheap cotton-ease on our way out of town so I'd have something to work on. I love quick and simple things like this...very gratifying to have something started and finished in a matter of days.

details:

pattern - Simple Baby Hat

yarn -Cotton Ease in Lime

...also detailed on my ravelry page

Babe's First Blankie

2011-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Soon after we announced that we were expecting, Grant's aunt got in touch saying she wanted to make us a blanket. You know I was excited, because I love all things handmade. Before I knew it this beauty was on our doorstep!

Isn't is amazing and so unique? She uses gingham and does it all by hand!

You can see how much dimension it has and she was even kind enough to ask if we had a color preference. I LOVE that it matches the nursery so I can show it off.

This was the first gift we received for the baby, but because of all our moving and life craziness, I just got to unpack it from the baby boxes this week. Everyone who has come by to see the nursery comments on it! Thanks so much Chris, we will treasure it forever!

Baby Crafting!

2011-07-19T12:30:00.002-07:00

After months of tiny little yarn on tiny little needles this freakin' bag is done! These pictures of me working on the sleep sack/kicking bag show the colors better and are prettier, but the complete picture is at the bottom.

I love this yarn and how it knit up, but I really wasn't in love with how long it took to make it 16 inches long!

details:

pattern - Kicking Bag for Babies

yarn - Berroco Sox in colorway 1453

...also detailed on my ravelry page

I had this flannel and had all of these cut out for about a year. I finally cut the flannel to back them and added some batting and got 8 done in no time! They are both kind of girly, but I'm keeping them even if this babe is a boy. He won't care what he spits up on, right? And if you didn't know these are my favorite burp cloths from homemade by jill!

oh baby!

2011-06-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to step things up in the baby craft department... this kid is going to be here before we know it! I started this onesie when I found out I was pregnant and just finally finished it last week. So cute, huh?! And you can see that I've been working on my quilt top too. I just have to add the border and the top will be done!

I got the design here and think it is just too cute!

I also had to make another pair of baby legs to match the Oregon onesie. I had these socks - they were just regular crew length so they are shorter and wider than some of the others, but I think they are cute none-the-less.

baby legs from socks...I'm ADDICTED!

2011-06-14T09:14:00.030-07:00

You can't get over the cuteness can you? Don't even try...its a futile effort! A week ago I met up with a few friends for a baby craft day. We tackled baby legs from knee high socks using this quick tuto rial. They are SO easy! It takes about 5 minutes for each pair and the result is to die for! The girly ones pictured above and in some of the other pictures I made for a friend who just had a baby girl...LOVE THEM WITH THE CLOTH DIPES! Can't wait to see this babe in my belly with some little leg warmers!

Baby Simmons craft day resulted in 5 pairs of baby legs and an AWESOME freezer paper onesie for football season! The two solid pairs are narrower and shorter to hopefully fit a newborn. I used the dimensions listed on babylegs.com to get an idea of what sizes they say fit newborns vs. older babies. The sizing for the 'one size fits most' seemed to work out well on Maddie, who is 2 months old...

You should also be proud... I took the giant leap from charm pack quilter to picking my own fabric last week! I went to fabric depot and all by myself picked out 9 coordinating greys, whites, and yellows, for my babe's first quilt. I was so intimidated, but I think its going to turn out well! I also was really afraid of all the cutting, but because its just a simple patchwork design I was able to cut all 81 squares in a few hours! Can't wait to share more baby crafting...its gotta be in full swing since I only have three more months!

Baby Legs DONE!

2011-05-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

It took two months, but I finished these! On what felt like the world's smallest needles using the world's smallest yarn. Really though I just wasn't taking the time to knit anything - in reality they progress quickly when you work on them consistently. Can you believe how friggin' cute they are??

Something about the little ankle bands kills me! I tried to put these on Olive so she could model them... but they didn't fit.

Look how cute they will be with this little onesie set! OMG this baby needs to cook faster!

details:

pattern - Baby Leggings
yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Amy's Vintage Office
...also detailed on my ravelry page

2011-04-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

source

I really like the idea of doing this in the baby's room. We sold our house in Missouri so we get to have a nursery now, at least some sort of nursery, even if it is just a nook in a one bed room apartment! There is a whole round-up of these alphabet walls in the source link. I better start collecting!

I'm BACK!

2011-03-21T13:54:00.001-07:00

I lost my craft mojo during my first trimester, but I'm back! I cast on some baby legs using the smallest yarn and smallest needles EVER! I'm in love with them already and can't wait to see them on some chubby thighs!

Crafternoon

2011-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got together with some friends for a fun filled crafternoon! We spent all afternoon cutting and sewing. I helped guide them, but they were all naturals.

We made two of my favorite projects - burp cloths & cloth napkins. Have I ever told you how awesome having cloth napkins is? I LOVE having enough to eat with at every meal. I feel so much classier and more eco-friendly.

It was really fun to just relax and craft and to see the excitement at the finished project. I will miss crafting with you girls!

Baby Newton's Quilt

2011-02-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

The shower that the onesie invitations were for was held this past weekend. I wanted to make something special to send out for my friend. After lots of humming and hawing I finally settled on making a quilt. Sewing is not my favorite past-time, but I love patchwork baby quilts so I decided to give it a go.

To make my life easier I decided to use this tutorial and buy charm packs. I am SO glad I went that route. For me, it was probably the only way this quilt was actually completed on time.

My mom and I did the whole quilt from start to finish the two days we were housebound because of the blizzard. She is SOO good at ironing - I had no idea what a difference good ironing could make in sewing. It was perfect - I would sew and hand it off and she would iron.

I decided to just tie the quilt to avoid my wonky sewing ruining the quilt top. I just used orange embroidery floss and then mom hand sewed the binding on for me.

Word from the mama-to-be is that she likes it! Can't wait to see Baby Newton playing on it!

Babe's First Knit

2011-02-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

Do you love how I throw a wrinkled piece of fabric down and call it a backdrop? But isn't this little hat the cutest EVER? I'm in love with it and want to make a hundred more. I finished it ages ago and just now finally took pictures. I haven't knit in weeks - I've been so relaxed and chill I don't mind my hands being idle. Not good for baby crafting productivity!

Since our babe will be born right into the fall and winter I think this will be the perfect hat to keep him or her all snuggly. We aren't finding out the sex so I've got to be good about keeping things gender neutral.

details:

pattern - Big Wool Little Hat
yarn - Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick 'n Quick in cream
...also detailed on my ravelry page

More Autumn

2011-02-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

I am still loving this pattern and have now made several more. They are so quick and cute!

Jess - this is yours...I promise I will send it soon!

Onesie Invites

2011-02-08T05:19:00.001-08:00

One of my very best friends is expecting her first baby and although I can't attend the shower I wanted to help plan a little bit. I had received an invite like this a few years ago and have since wanted to copy it. I used this tutorial to help, but they were really easy!

By far the hardest part is getting all the text lined up on the inside. I did that step first and then followed with all the cutting. I was able to cut two invites from each 12x12 cardstock. The last step was stamping the front and adding the little brads!

I LOVE baby stuff!

Winter Hat 2011

2011-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have this goal (like SouleMama) of making a beanie for my hubby every year. He is a man that likes a good beanie. The one I made last year got only moderate use - there were complaints of it not being warm enough so I set out for a super warm hat. It was also suggested that it should cover the ears.

The Christopher hat was perfect - very simple, but double layered for warmth and mostly covering the ears. I had never knit a hat like this. Its basically two hats connected at the lower border. You start at the top of one and knit all the way through until the top of the other - super easy, but now reversible and thicker! I LOOVE Jane Richmond's patterns - she uses affordable yarn so you can easily use what the pattern calls for and the patterns I've used are really easy, but way cute.

This knit up surprisingly fast and the best part - he likes it AND wears it!

details:

pattern - Christopher
yarn - Patons Classic Wool in Natural Mix & Mercury
...also detailed on my ravelry page

Candy Canes & Treats!

2010-12-27T05:30:00.001-08:00

I made a few of these sweet ornaments for friends and family this Christmas. This fit the bill of quick and easy with an adorable and big impact. All it took was some denim, felt, and embroidery floss and I had myself a candy cane!

I love how simple they are! But don't you love them? You could do so many cute shapes - tree, wreath, snowman.... love them!

I also made some of this awesome (and WAY easy) snack mix for me to give as thank you gifts for my preceptors at work. I'm all done orienting at my new nursing job!

Lastly, my hubby and I only exchanged stockings so I decided to make some of his favorite treats - chocolate covered pretzels. I wasn't going for most beautiful snack of the year, but I think they'll do the trick. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

three years in the making: christmas stockings

2010-12-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Three years ago, the first Christmas we lived together, I bought the pattern for these stockings. I tried to make us some that year, attempting to model them after the ones my mom made us growing up. I failed miserably - got VERY frustrated and gave up. The following year, we got married and just after the holidays moved to Missouri so there was little time for crafting. Then there was last year. I had a few weeks off of school and I thought there would be NO problem knocking out a few stockings. I was so wrong. A little being came into our life and TOTALLY took it over. I did have time to get fabric, thread, and I cut out a few pieces, but no sewing was undertaken. THIS was going to be the year. No excuses. And, remarkably, they got done!

Not without a fair bit of strife, but done. The pattern has a cuff that was just straight, but I wanted ours to be scalloped like the ones my mom had made. I'm not much of a seamstress so I struggled to make my own pattern piece and get everything to match up. I made Grant's first so it suffered a bit more, requiring complete redoing and embroidery of the cuff. But after that the other two whipped up pretty quick. They are, by no means, perfect, but perfect is overrated, right?

Can you imagine how excited I was to find CHRISTMAS PUPPY fabric for Olive's??? Totally made my day. Grant and I picked it out together. He thought her stocking should be smaller, but how would I get all her toys and treats from the doggie bakery in there? Big it is!

I embroidered our names on them, leaving the other side blank so that if/when we have babies we can decide if we want to put Mama/Papa on ours. My parents' stockings always said Mom/Dad so I kind of feel like its weird if the parents' say their names. Is that just me??

So the 'better' side is actually them hanging the other way, but since, in theory, they will be used for longer after we have kids we are using the crappier side for now. I'm SUCH a freak for thinking that all through, huh??

Tassel Hat

2010-12-08T09:40:00.001-08:00

I made this quick little hat for little one a friend is having super soon! We are so excited to get to send this off to help celebrate the little one's arrival.

The pattern is out of this book, which I love and have been hoarding from the library for 2 months. It has so many cute, quick baby hats!

details:

pattern - chocqua
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease in seaspray
size - newborn (0-6 months)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

Autumn for Winter

2010-12-03T12:20:00.003-08:00

Umm I LOVE this hat! It was super quick to knit and is really warm and I am loving the green. Grant can't get enough of it either - apparently he likes a girl in a slouchy hat - who knew?!

I knit the bigger size and I'm thinking I should have knit it a bit smaller, but I will be making lots more of these so there is room for changes. I also think I will increase the length slightly next time for a little extra slouchyness!

Don't I look happy freezing my ass off for these pictures?? My hubby is so great and indulges me in all my blogging photo shoots. He takes tons so I can pick my favs.

OH and I didn't mention that the other plus of this pattern is that it is mostly seed stitch which is my ALL TIME FAVORITE because the texture is so amazing. Yay! I love this hat!

details:

pattern - autumn by Jane Richmond (love all her stuff)
yarn - lion brand wool-ease quick 'n thick in grass
size - large
...also detailed on my ravelry page

its done! its done!

2010-11-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

I apologize for how washed out these pics are...I finally got photoshop, but I don't know how to use it and the picasa editing thing wasn't helping so I just left them as is. Anyway... I finally finished it! Can you believe that? I've been working on it on and off for SEVEN months, but all 36,799 stitches of it are done, ends weaved in, buttons chosen and sewn on and its even been worn a few times!

At first I wasn't sure if I was lovin' it, but its growing on me. I'm learning to be easier on myself when things don't turn out perfect and just be proud that I made it. That is really what counts, but sometimes I let the Type A in there convince me it should be better, perfect. So stupid, but something I constantly struggle with. What is important is that each time I knit something imperfect I'm training that voice to be quieter and calmer AND my knitting is improving so that things will turn out with less imperfection and more skill.

Can you tell how awkward it was for me to take these pictures?? I'm a bit of a freak! I will have to keep you updated on whether it gets much wear - I feel weird when I wear it like people will know its handmade...which isn't a bad thing I just feel weird about it.

PS...remember when this yarn was supposed to be something else way over a year ago??

details:

pattern - garter yoke cardi
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease in terra cotta
size - small
...also detailed on my ravelry page

Lainey's Shower

2010-10-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

HELLOO! I know its been forever and a day - life has been WAY crazy and it is all explained in more detail here. But I'm back with at least one little craft-ish update. Remember Lainey's little shower gift? Well here are the pics from the rest of the shower. We kept it pretty simple, but I liked how it turned out!

Dollar store cocktail glasses and italian soda in shades of red quenched our thirst.

favors - mini anti-bacterial smellies from Bath & Body Works and the little cups were for the kids that came.

I stole this idea from my friend, Lindsey, but I loved how they turned out. You just get the plain wood frames from the craft store and use ribbon, stickers, and scrapbook paper to class them up. I also painted them first so you couldn't see the wood color. We did the whole shower in her wedding colors ... red white and black.

cute, huh?? I love the banner - we used Lainey's sister's cricut which was so exciting! Also love the pom poms - we had those all over.

Me and the blushing bride - what a fun afternoon!

SMS

2010-08-30T06:00:00.002-07:00

Sorry, your browser does not support iframes.

I have a quick and important announcement! I adore Ryan and his blog Pacing the Panic Room - he speaks from the heart and his pictures are amazing. His son, The Littlest Buddy, has a condition called Smith Magenis Syndrome that we need to learn more about. Hence, the new charity album to benefit the study and research of SMS! You can listen to the tracks in the widget and buy the album from iTunes which is linked to above! Please help if you can!

bridal shower gift

2010-08-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

A very close friend is getting married in just three weeks! I am so happy for her and wanted to get her the perfect shower gift. I followed Homemade by Jill's example and got a little something from the registry and made the rest.

I know Lainey likes to use cloth napkins so I made her a set of four and included my favorite bread recipes to use with the loaf pan from Crate and Barrel.

The recipe cards were made using picnik and this tutorial. You can print them out as 4x6 pictures if you want...

Gettin' There

2010-07-18T06:45:00.000-07:00

i'm still working on my garter cardigan... just have the sleeves to go, but i HATE double pointed needles so its taking me forever!

baby baby baby

2010-07-14T21:00:00.002-07:00

i went to a baby shower last weekend so i whipped up a little coordinating set a la homemade by jill.

i just made a few burp cloths, appliqued the onesie, knit my fav baby hat, and made a little brag book. these brag books are my new favorite craft. they are kind of like oragami made into a little book.

here it is all opened up...you can see it folded up in the first picture. its kind of confusing to see how it works just in pictures, but you basically fold paper so that it folds all up nice and neat. then you can decorate your book and give it away so someone can add pictures!

this is the back side... see the covers on the ends?? if you all are interested it could probably put a tutorial together someday. its not my own idea...my mom learned about it from a friend and taught me... but i think i can still show you, right??

Craft Room Progress

2010-07-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Although not much crafting has been getting done... SOME progress has been made on the room it all goes down in! Its also our guest room... what do you think??

This is my new fav thrifty find! It was $10 or something... it was kind of scratched up and off white with black legs, but my parents got it all spiffed up to match my room! I HEART IT!

I don't know if it is a real Eames, but I LOVE it anyway! Maybe I will have to get the rocking chair someday to match.

Father's Day Fun

2010-07-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a ridiculously long time since I've been over here - life has been insane the past few months! Just three more weeks of school and life should be a little more bearable. In the midst of it all I saw this project on Oh Happy Day (one of my favs) and had to do it.

There are three dads between the two of us and I always struggle to decide what to send as a gift, but this was so easy with such a cute impact I went for it. Two of three made it to Portland in one piece, but all were happily received - my step-dad even sent a hero themed thank you note!

one

2010-05-07T10:15:00.001-07:00

i made another freezer paper shirt! this one was for the aforementioned birthday boy. i went simple with a J, for jude, on the front and 'one', because he turned one year old, on the back!

seriously, how can we all not want a cricut... oh! and apparently they can cut fabric too... applique anyone??

monster stuffie

2010-05-06T18:55:00.003-07:00

This little man's birthday was last week so we made the trek to SoDak to help him celebrate. A little handmade stuffie was in order for the birthday boy. cute, huh?? i found the pattern a long time ago and have been waiting to use it.

i am not even joking that this took me maybe 45 minutes to complete. do you see that i struggled to zig zag stitch around the eyes?? i decided it was ok because it is a monster and they are supposed to be crazy!

love the little heart!

probably the only time in my life that i could literally feel my heart swell - nothing better than something you made getting love. happy birthday sweet boy!

freezer paper + cricut = LOVE

2010-04-16T13:05:00.001-07:00

i've been wanting to try freezer paper stenciling for a long time, but never got motivated. THEN my friend, lindsey, and i were discussing how she could embellish some hoodies for a bridal party - i told her to try freezer paper stencils, but she had a good point... so hard to cut out letters to make 6 hoodies. THEN it hit me... she could use her cricut to cut the freezer paper...GENIUS!

we weren't positive it would work, but it worked beautifully! do ya'll know what a cricut is?? they are amazing and i want one...they cut stuff - letters in tons of fonts, any shape/thing imaginable.

anyway...when we were in Oregon a few weeks ago i wanted to give it a try and decided that the Schwake kids needed some t's to celebrate siblinghood.

sorry these pics suck... the light was horrible and i was too lazy to do anything about it, but you get the idea right?? don't you feel like you need a cricut so you can embellish everything imaginable??

this is the whole ensemble that i sent Alisha... i love handmade stuff!

eyelet cardi

2010-04-15T15:30:00.001-07:00

remember this little teaser?? well here is the finished product! i have a friend that makes really cute babies. she is about to have #2, so i thought her daughter might like a little something to commemorate becoming a big sister! this is the biggest thing i've ever knit and i am pretty happy with how it turned out.

i definitely still have a long way to go on knitting with a consistent tension, but i am definitely getting better!

this is the first garment i've made that required extensive seaming... OMG that takes forever! i didn't mind it too much, except for the armpits - those are tricky! the first one i did (on the left in the above picture) didn't turn out too good, but i think i figured out the right technique on the other side.

i love the eyelet yoke and seed stitch border... i just wish my eyelets were a little more consistent...

i heart this button... it is a vintage one i picked up a long time ago and i think it worked perfectly on this little sweater

come back tomorrow and i'll share what i sent along with the cardi...

details:

pattern - eyelet yoke cardi free on ravelry!
yarn - lion brand cotton-ease (my favorite!) in seaspray
size - 3 year
...also detailed on my ravelry page

shadow box

2010-04-04T09:43:00.002-07:00

my mom gave me this empty shadow box over a year ago and i've been wanting to put our wedding stuff in it ever since. i FINALLY got to do that this weekend and i am so pleased with the result!

its really cool because it opens like a book so you can always get to everything really easily if you ever need to retrieve it.

i was able to include a few cupcake toppers, our escort card/favor, flowers from my bouquet, one bridesmaid bouquet, and grant's boutonniere, a piece of lace from my dress, our vows,

my garter, a copy of the program, ribbon from my bouquet,

and i secured everything into place with pins from the bouquets and boutonnieres.

LOVE IT!

look at me!

2010-03-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

i thought i would pop in and prove that i am not completely lame on the crafting front. i try to always have something on the needles so i can pick it up when i am about to fall asleep in class. i can get some serious knitting done in my 3.5 hour friday lecture! can't tell you what it is yet, but hopefully it will be done and received soon so i can share more!

need 'em!

2010-02-11T09:00:00.003-08:00

i have become mildly obsessed with these shelves this morning. i WANT them! aren't they amazing??

house ornaments

2010-02-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

i was late getting these to their respective recipients so i am just now able to share! several of my friends bought houses this year so i thought house ornaments for christmas were in order. i used this pattern and went to work...

sorry for the sucky pictures - i only had a few minutes to take them between finishing them and getting on a plane for christmas!

they were pretty quick and easy to make and i was pleased with how they turned out! i love a pattern that still works out when i sew wonky seams!

dog treats

2010-01-27T04:10:00.000-08:00

before Olive even stepped into our life i had several dog treat recipes saved on all recipes. i found a tiny dog bone cookie cutter at hobby lobby so i decided to try it out with one of the recipes a few weeks ago. the recipe i tried was really simple and was mostly made from whole wheat flour, peanut butter, and pumpkin - i tried them and they tasted really bland, but Olive loved them!

i ended up throwing most of them away, because after a long car ride - poor little puppy puked a ton of these up. i think they might just be too heavy for her sensitive little GI tract! i will let you know if there is a round two of homemade doggie treats...

patchwork napkins

2010-01-23T06:51:00.001-08:00

i had been wanting to make something with my scraps for a while so when a friend came to visit - we went to work making these patchwork napkins. i had several flour sack dish towels laying around so we used those for the base.

we tried not to be matchy when we chose the fabrics for each strip and weren't picky about everything being straight or the same width.

we were able to use up almost all of my scraps and came out with two sets of four napkins.

they were pretty quick and simple to put together and we didn't spend a dime!

i am IN LOVE with them!

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-18T22:20:00.003-08:00

Craft Hope is truly awesome. I, like most everyone, am horrified by the disaster in Haiti and feel paralyzed by an inability to do anything to help. If I could I would adopt a baby - so so many orphans!

Luckily, Craft Hope is providing a way for crafters to help! Crafters donate items to be sold in the Craft Hope for Haiti etsy shop and all proceeds to go to Doctors without Borders!!

I donated my original buttercup bag - Rae allows donations of bags made from her patterns! I was so happy to be able to do something and with school starting tomorrow I couldn't make anything new. Worked out perfectly!!

If you too want to donate see details here.

turn a square II

2010-01-15T08:11:00.004-08:00

This is my second time using this pattern and I really like it - it knits up quick and easy.

i am not overly impressed with my color combo, but i am still learning how to combine colors. it is especially difficult with the self striping yarn because you can never be sure exactly what colors you are going to end up with in your project.

i didn't get a good picture of it, but my jogless stripes turned out much better this time around! and i also solved my knitting tension issue (lets just leave that at: i am an idiot!).

grant is a man who loves a good beanie, so my hope is to make him a new hat every year like soulemama does for her man.

details:

pattern - turn a square free on ravelry!
yarn - a cheap grey acrylic bought a long time ago and noro yuzen in colorway 1
...also detailed on my ravelry page

mittens

2010-01-05T20:06:00.002-08:00

hi there! this Christmas we decided to forgo exchanging gifts with our families and with friends we did ornament exchanges. it was so refreshing to have that burden lifted. this is the first of two ornaments i made.

i made these little mittens for some of my classmates and also sent them to some friends. i am really happy with how they turned out and especially like that all of the materials came from my stash!

fun, cute, simple...just the way i like my crafts!

no sew puppy sweaters!

2009-12-18T09:52:00.002-08:00

this is olive...we got her yesterday and are totally in love. she is just a baby and gets very cold when we take her outside so i started looking for an easy puppy sweater tutorial. i didn't want to spend too much time since she will be growing so quickly.

this was just perfect! i have had several old sweaters lying around waiting for me to repurpose them so it took a total of 10 minutes for Olive to have two new sweaters! i left the blue one a little big so she can wear it for a bit.

she doesn't really like the way they feel on, but she stays outside much more comfortably!

so cute and EASY!! i LOVE no sew stuff!

i have a few other little projects to share, but i probably won't get them up until after the new year...SO happy holidays! see you in 2010!

mountain baby blanket

2009-12-10T19:44:00.003-08:00

i am up past my eyeballs in the middle of finals and one of the few things that brought a smile to my face was seeing this. it is the quilt jenni and i made for the mountain baby blanket project! check out jenni's blog for more pictures and details.

5 more days...and then i am free. (for 4 weeks...)

umbilical cord hats & a sweet buggy

2009-12-04T13:18:00.005-08:00

can't you just picture the little baby heads in these? OMG its too much...even G said we need a baby to put in there! that man loves him a beanie...doesn't matter if he has to admit he wants a baby to express his beanie love!

the un-umbilical cord hats are for girl twins due to one of my professors. i am SO excited for her. we surprised her with a mini shower this week and it made her so happy. love things like that.

i tried to embellish them with knit flowers...what a pain in the ass. seriously - i won't try that one again! they are cute enough without - love the swirl at the top!

then i had a 12 hour clinical shift on labor and delivery with only 1 delivery - a c-section =(...so i spent the day knitting up the third TRUE umbilical cord hat. that one is going to a sweet baby boy...hope it fits!

and back to my wonky stitches...you just can't deny how wonky these are! what the F? it is DRIVING.ME.INSANE. i think i need to go to the local knitting shop after finals and figure out a solution to my tension issue. switching to continental might be the solution, but it kind of frightens me.

lastly i made this little card for our professor so we could all share our congratulations. my buggy shape leaves something to be desired, but for how annoyed i was getting trying to get my thread tension right i think it turned out ok. i found it here, which linked to here, which was originally created here. whew! that is how blog land will suck you in and you won't come out for three days!

details:

pattern - umbilical cord hat in stitch 'n bitch
yarn - cotton-ease in stone & azalea (8401)
...also detailed on my ravelry page with mods

in my element

2009-11-29T12:19:00.003-08:00

grant caught me spending my day the way i wish i could spend most of my days...staying in my pjs, archiving my pictures, looking at fabric with it all in arms reach. back to the grind starting tonight...

thank goodness!

2009-11-28T09:35:00.003-08:00

quilt squares for collaborative quilt with Jenni for Mountain Baby Blanket Project

it has been such a great week filled with crafting, friends, food, and festivity! only two and a half more weeks of school and then a WHOLE month of this!

wedding quilt

2009-11-25T08:09:00.002-08:00

{all photos courtesy of simple beans}

Oh man... did i receive the package of a lifetime last week!! in general getting mail is one of my favorite things. it is one of those simple things that can make your day so much better...

so you might remember that we (i) decided that we wanted our wedding guest book to be a quilt. one of my bridesmaids headed up the project...she designed the quilt, cut all the fabric, and brought it to the wedding. we had all of the guests sign a rectangle of muslin and she took them all home to stitch it all together. she finished it a few weeks ago!

i am IN LOVE! Grant and I hadn't read any of the squares so it was really fun to sit down and read them together. i am so excited to have this to remind us of that day.

for a while there i was getting SO tired of our wedding fabric,... just saw it so much while planning the wedding and i have a TON left so i always am staring at it in the craft room. well...when this arrived all that went away. i am back in love!

jess enlisted the help of our friend, jenni, to help do the actual quilting. didn't she do so great!? she stippled over all the patterned fabrics leaving the signed parts alone so they were easier to read. oh the talent of these women!

thank you both so very much. grant and i will treasure this for the rest of our lives...we truly appreciate it. Jon - you too receive a special thanks... for moral support and fabric input ;-)

toasty

2009-11-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

yay! something for me! I really want to start knitting more for Grant and I - I love knitting for others, but there is always a birthday or holiday to make something for someone. There will be a few more store-bought gifts, but I think that is just fine. These are really great. I was all about the Toast pattern without the thumb hole, but then I saw jenni's and started thinking about how cold my hands get while I type - gotta have the thumb hole! So happy with the results! Although I am starting to get frustrated that my stitches are uneven when I knit. I keep thinking it will get better with time, but it doesn't seem to be improving - any advice??

Bottom line - these are awesome. you should make 'em!

details:

pattern - toasty free!
yarn - cascade yarns 220 heathers in grey (8401)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

so very necessary.

2009-11-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

after a bad day, all this + my rocking chair = much better evening.

oh man

2009-10-27T18:43:00.001-07:00

do i need this? i think YES!

coffee sleeves

2009-10-22T19:18:00.007-07:00

remember WAY back when i made a crafty to do list and (foolishly) thought i would get all of it done before i started school IN MAY?? anyway i had coffee cozy on that list to knit for a friend's wedding gift (she hearts starbucks!). that was march... i started and finished them this month. oops.

i made a his and hers. i am satisfied with them, but wish i had done something that didn't show how the top and bottom pulls to one direction. i saw one on etsy made in a solid seed stitch that was really cute. maybe next time.

you should have seen the look i got when i asked if i could buy empty cups at starbucks. the guy was like, umm...i guess i can just give you one. he gave me one tall cup without a lid...i didn't go further and ask for a second, but i sent the hubby back and he got two grande cups with lids in a bag. i guess he really knows how to sweet talk the baristas!

my plan is to pack them up with a few pounds of starbucks coffee or a gift card. i hope they like 'em. i get really anxious when giving handmade gifts lately!

details:

pattern - coffee sleeve free!
yarn - cascade yarns cotton rich dk in colorway 2730 (blue) & 5606 (green)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

warning: TOO CUTE

2009-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

i can hardly stand the cuteness! idina wearing her shrug...i'm so glad it fits! i think arie's is still too big...

bread baking

2009-10-13T05:46:00.004-07:00

i christened my kitchenaide this weekend...it was everything i thought it would be and MORE! we made bread together...she did all the work and i just assisted. it was awesome.

is everyone as messy as i am in the kitchen? my husband can't be around when i'm cooking/baking... its just too all-over-the-place for him.

this is the beautiful dough we made. its the french bread from this book (the only cookbook i've ever really used... good recipes that are easy with few ingredients and GOOD...you should get it)

after the first rise (1 hour) you roll the dough out and then form the loaf. it was so much fun!

here it is 45 minutes later after the second rise...she's a beauty, huh?

oh yea... we made the honey wheat bread from that book too. thick and hearty... she was pretty too!

the french bread fresh from the oven... SO GOOD! it was crusty, but soft and moist on the inside. it had a good 'crumb' as those in the bread making arena say. the second day the crust softened and it wasn't as good. next time we will be FORCED to eat it all in one sitting.

this is the honey wheat fresh baked. also good...you can tell its healthy...not sure if that is a good or bad thing.

each of these loaves required maybe 5 ingredients and a total of 20 minutes hands on time. the rest of the time they were rising or baking!

i also made this soup (one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE recipes), set out a few of our pumpkins, lit some candles...it was fabulous.

l+l embroidery

2009-10-06T18:05:00.003-07:00

we have some good friends who got married this summer... they had a fabulous wedding at the university of oregon. it was in true duck spirit. we were so sad to miss it, but i sent along this little congratulations a few weeks ago. (only a few months late...)

i thought the font i used was kind of cool, but it accentuates my uneven stitches. oops. i found this idea online somewhere... but i can never remember the link. jenni made one a few months go...cute huh?!

toast

2009-09-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

i know...i know... this is a goofy modely pose, but we were in a HUGE hurry to get a few pictures and my smile was all goofy in every single one. this was the solution. plus my husband thought i looked hot...so there!

on to the knitting! i made these wrist warmer's for Jess' birthday and i LOVE how they turned out.

I continue to struggle with knitting in the round on dpns and i also bound off too tightly, but luckily this yarn is very forgiving and blocked up nicely. i did have to go back on a few spots and reinforce the stitch because it was too big, but mostly it was just fine.

this is the nicest yarn i have ever knit with and i LOVE it. it is really, REALLY soft. too bad i can't afford it for everything i make!

gotta have one in-progress shot...

details:

pattern - toast free on ravelry!
yarn - Sublime Yarns Extra Fine Merino Wool DK in dusty grey (18)
...also detailed on my ravelry page

christmas came early!

2009-09-21T17:06:00.001-07:00

i might have peed my pants a little when i opened this package...

out came some pretty amazing fabrics. a friend with self - diagnosed SAS (stash acquisition syndrome) needed some help. i was obviously more than willing to do whatever i could to help her condition. now my stash has practically doubled!!!

new thrifty finds

2009-09-15T05:04:00.001-07:00

i love new treasures! my mom and i found this quilt while i was in Oregon for $5 at a garage sale. its a little worn, but there are enough good squares to make a pillow or something small.

its all hand pieced and hand quilted. isn't that insane? it makes me wonder who made it and who they loved enough to spend so much precious time on this quilt.

this might be my favorite new find. Grant doesn't like it so much, but i ADORE it. we both use bar soap to wash our faces and it gets the side of our sink all mucky. i had been looking for a pretty plate to use, but then i saw this. it had to come home with me.

i also love this plate. its so sweet and simple. it is enamel with a few rusty spots for good character. i bought it to start a collection of plates to hang on the wall in our dining room, but for now it hold our keys and other junk.

this is another oregon find. i just think its so cute and funny. its from the 1940s so its just interesting to see the things they focused on having the little girl scouts learn.

things like how to set a proper table (something i should probably learn) or how to be a good homemaker.

sunday morning rolls

2009-09-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

these are a fantastic way to spend a sunday morning...

birthday beanie

2009-09-10T19:04:00.002-07:00

So... I decided to tackle a hat.

This is for my bro's birthday... I'm only a week late! Grant was nice enough to model for me...his eyeball makes me smile.

first off... if you teach yourself how to knit and then take several months off be sure you are doing the knit stitch correctly. yup... figured out that i've been knitting wrong since i started back up this summer. everything turns out fine, the stitches are just bigger and bumpier. which is why the shrugs are so textured. who knew?!

second...maybe you should practice before you try double pointed needles (dpns) on a project you actually want to look good. especially when your friend tells you they suck...

this is the top...where the pattern gets its name. turn a square...there is a square. get it? genious, i know! anyway. see the 'seams'? they are where i had to transition between the dpns. they are loose and its annoying, BUT i'm over it.

all in all its a pretty cute hat. right? hope he likes it!

here it is in progress...never got around to posting it!

details:

pattern - turn a square free on ravelry!
yarn - cascade 220 wool in colorway 9465 and noro yuzen in colorway 1
...also detailed on my ravelry page

confection

2009-08-27T21:08:00.006-07:00

i've been dying to show these to you! i am so proud of myself. i know you aren't supposed to say things like that, but i just like how these turned out and they are my biggest knitting project yet. have i ever told you how much more i like knitting than sewing?? SO MUCH! mostly because i'm a more precise knitter than i am as a sewer. its a much more relaxing process for me. but really that is neither here nor there so we should just look at the pretty pictures...

i made these for my cousin's two girls. she has a 20 month old and newborn. they are the most beautiful little girls...every time my mom sees pictures or videos (they are her sister's granddaughters) she has nana fever! she wants someone of her own to spoil!

this is the 24 month size. it looks HUGE to me, but i haven't seen a 2 year old in a while so we're hoping it fits. i checked my gauge several times, but it was dead on. i've found that i ALWAYS have to use two needle sizes up from what the pattern calls for...i knit tight, but i'm getting better/looser.

this is the 3 month size. these were the first projects i ever had to actually knit in the round for...its pretty much exactly the same as regular knitting!

i added this knit rose to dress arie's up a bit. i saw it on another raveler's shrug and fell in love. i had a hard time getting it small enough, but i think it worked out ok.

details:

patterns - confection baby shrug & simple knit rose *FREE ravelry downloads!!*

yarn - lion brand cotton-ease (love this stuff!) in taupe & azalea
...also detailed on my ravelry pages here, here and here

burp cloths

2009-08-20T12:13:00.002-07:00

sorry for these pictures. they suck, i know.
one of my friends from high school saw the burp cloths i made for jess & jon on facebook. she was in love with the fabric. i told her where i got it (joann's) and that i didn't think i had any left.

it was no longer at joanns and when rummaging through my stash i found just barely enough to make two cloths! i used the homemade by jill tutorial and sent 'em off!

can i tell you i love making these? they are so quick and easy - its very satisfying. i would really like to sit down and make a ton and just have them on hand.

retrograde

2009-08-19T10:37:00.005-07:00

my husband and i are science nerds. most of our friends are science nerds too. one of our friend's gets REALLY excited about something called retrograde blood flow.

he is absolutely hilarious and so excited about it - i had to make him an I heart Retrograde embroidery for his office. see... i told you we are nerds.

travel knitting

2009-08-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

i'm back! there was lots of knitting while i was away and even some knitting instructing (see below). i hope to have finished projects blocked and ready to share by the end of the week...whether they are posted by then will depend on if my camera has been repaired.

i do have a few projects to show you that i finished before i left - i'll post them soon!

do you love this giant granny square blanket?? my mom found it thrifting for a few dollars - i'm so jealous!

ready

2009-08-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

got all my supplies ready to go for my craftiness while in Oregon! see you in a few weeks!

buttercup III

2009-08-03T08:22:00.003-07:00

whew! another buttercup done. this one is my favorite because it is BIG.

i challenged myself with a recessed zipper - not as hard as i expected, but kind of tricky to think through. i used this tutorial as a guide.

i also lined this with flannel and used heavy weight interfacing on the top panels. if i ever make another one of these i will use the flannel and interfacing throughout. i thought the interfacing might make the body of the bag too stiff, but i think it would be just the amount of support it needs.

a perfect summer bag for my Oregon vacation!

buttercup II

2009-07-28T11:29:00.004-07:00

apparently i have a thing for using the same patterns over and over. i was really proud of my first go at this pattern, but it was floppy, like REALLY floppy. i decided i needed to try again.

i cut the fabric out a LONG time ago, but was just able to sew it last weekend.

i was too cheap to buy flannel interfacing so i just cut up some flannel from my stash and pinned it to each piece of the pattern. i sewed as if they were one piece of fabric - if that makes sense?

i am MUCH happier with the results in regards to the floppiness. its much more sturdy and therefore more functional.

as i neared completion of the purse i realized i didn't ever figure out a clasp or closure method. the only thing i could think of that would work without pulling out stitches was a button and buttonhole. easy right? i have an automatic buttonholer on my machine. no problem.

HA! it took me a while. it actually wasn't hard, but i had to practice A LOT in order to figure out the right tension on both sides. by the time i was ready to do it on the actual purse i was too lazy to mark the center and ended up with a slightly off-center hole. eh...what can you do?

i have one more version of this bag cut out and started...its the big shoulder bag version - excited to see how that one turns out!

craft room updates

2009-07-27T04:24:00.001-07:00

this is what my craft/study room looked like after we moved things around last week. can you say OVERWHELMING?

as overwhelming as it was... i was excited to have a desk for studying and another one for sewing.

and here it is all organized and put away. i still need to get a big storage unit so i can get rid of my plastic drawers, but after that and a few things on the walls i will be all set!

love my little knitting corner. and i still adore that rocking chair. although i wish it would have occurred to me to buy different paint after i bought the green chair...

study nook.

that is my new desk! can you believe we got it for $20?

**pics of my old craft corner here**

flea market finds... old and new...

2009-07-23T16:26:00.002-07:00

i found these lights a few years ago and am still very much in love with them. still trying to work out my plan for above the bed...

i wanted little stools for beside our bed because there isn't much room for bedside tables and i hate how they tend to accumulate stuff. i thought these were cute and rustic. our other bedroom stuff is kind of stuffy so i like that this helps break it up. my rule is that nothing stays on them during the day... you can see that i don't follow it very well....

do you love this chair? probably only if you are into old stuff, but we LOVE it. as we were leaving the flea market last week i pulled my husband over to see 'one last thing.'

we left with it. i LOVE how unique it is. and it is way comfy to sit in... makes me wonder why more chairs aren't made so you sit at the diagonal...

we also got a desk for me for only $20! its old and sturdy and i love it...

onesie cookies round deux

2009-07-20T04:00:00.003-07:00

i made more onesie cookies! these are SO MUCH FUN! a friend from school saw the other ones i made and asked me to make some for a shower she was hosting. it was weird and nerve-racking knowing someone was going to be paying for something i made...but its definitely something i could get used to...

baby B is a girl so we did pink this time... i matched the color to the shower invite so it was all coordinated.

i added a little decoration to the sleeves on a few of the cookies but i couldn't decide if i liked it or not so i didn't do all of them.

the baby's full monogram on just one cookie

cabeled baby bib round 2

2009-07-05T16:36:00.004-07:00

are you shocked that i ACTUALLY made something? we spent the weekend out of town with friends. it was such a welcome reprieve from spending our weekends alone studying and working on the house. while we relaxed saturday enjoying the weather and a beer i knit this bib up. i wanted a little project i could finish and not have to focus too much on. i had the yarn and pattern for this so it was perfect.

i think i like the colors in this one better than the blue i used the first time around. it felt so good to start and finish a project all in one day and even better to take some time to CREATE. i hope to continue adding crafting back into my life bit by bit.

this will go to a friend at school who has a 6 month old. she brought me a bottle of wine last week when i really needed it. plus, she is, amazingly, going to school and raising her baby on her own while her husband is in Iraq!

details:

pattern - modern cabled baby bib from gibsongirl on ravelry

yarn - lily sugar 'n cream in lime stripes

coaster swap!

2009-06-30T14:26:00.002-07:00

ummm WOW it took me a long time to get this up here. sorry! i got these amazing coasters as well as some great quarters and some chocolate from my swap buddy! they are completely hand sewn... can you believe that? thank you soo soo much!

in other news there has been no crafting around here. so so sad. i'm DYING to do something with my hands. i picked up my knitting last night and did a row on my flair (while rocking) even though i'm pretty sure i have to frog it. i've gotten farther than is pictured in that post, but i got all messed up and then put it down for 2 months. i thought i figured out the problem but i really don't know if i can salvage it...

anyway, we're going out of town this weekend and my monday test is easy next week so i've been hunting for a craft to bring... i might actually have something to share with you!

more coasters

2009-06-15T23:20:00.003-07:00

remember when i signed up for the kindred crafters coaster swap?? well i got my coasters done and sent off to my partner in Australia! she received them last week so i can show you now!

i was pretty happy with how these turned out. i did them a little different than the other coasters but basically the same idea. one thing i need to figure out with my sewing is how to get things to turn out all the same size - soo hard. i'm probably just too impatient when i'm sewing... didn't help that we were in the midst of remodeling and it was my first week of school...

i'm in LOVE with this flower pattern - remember the pillowcase bag?? these were made out of the matching sheet. maybe with what's leftover i should make myself a sun dress???

**i got my coasters too! haven't taken photos, but i will post soon as i can!**

flea market finds

2009-06-10T20:29:00.002-07:00

a few months ago i discovered a great flea market, but hadn't had a chance to go back. when my mom was here a few weeks ago we took some time out of working on the house to browse. we weren't sorry.

for the past few months i have been desperately wanting a rocking chair. i think because i know i'll want an antique rocker when we have a baby, but also because i LOVE the idea of knitting or reading while rocking. it is incredibly soothing. i had spotted this the first time i visited this particular flea market - i fell in love and kept talking about it, but i just couldn't swing it.
good ol' mom - she was just like 'get it. you love it so i'll just get it for you.' holy crap! i was happy. i'm in love with it. i know this color is puke green to many and velvet probably makes you cringe, but i just can't get enough of it. and it is in amazing condition.

i am a dark wood person. light wood has its place and people can make it look amazing, but for me - i just love the dark stuff so this fits perfectly with our other furniture and antiques. it has great details. i love the rivets and knobby posts!

i also found this great antique ironing board. i was looking for a table to sew at and i thought this could be great because it is narrow and long so you have lots of room for support of a quilt or something. BUT i didn't look at how the legs are situated. see those metal rods? they get way in the way of where your leg needs to be to press the foot of the sewing machine. i'm hoping to figure out a way to make it work, but i'll keep it either way. i think its charming for a craft room, no?

here is another view. as an aside - i'm not way in love with how the color on the craft room walls turned out. i'm hoping i can like it after things get in place and stuff is on the walls.

bag wrangler

2009-06-05T15:23:00.003-07:00

crafting has been about as far off my radar as you can go, but not for lack of desire. my time has been sucked so dry at times it is hard to breathe. BUT its friday and the deep breaths always come easy on friday. i made this a few weeks ago, but never had a minute to share...

this is how badly i needed a solution for our plastic bags. i know, its bad, right??

solutions have been all over the blogosphere and craft fairs forever, but i just recently gave in to the beast that is our plastic bags stash. we don't even use plastic - we have reusable grocery bags, but somehow they get in.

most recently i saw a version here and then the most recent issue of Living had a quick and dirty version made out of a dish towel.

i went for the dish towel version - i heart the dollar store for things like this. i took a part an old pair of pjs for the elastic so the total cost was $1 and i haven't had to find anywhere in our new house to hide our unsightly bags!

anything but quiet

2009-05-26T22:30:00.001-07:00

just wanted to pop over here and say hi. this space has been quiet because we've been frantically working to get our house revamped and move.

i hope to be crafting again soon, but there is no telling how 'loud' or quiet this little blog may be. you see, i started an accelerated nursing program today. i keep telling myself i need a good school/life balance but considering we already have two exams (not quizzes, exams!) next week that may all go out the window. i'll keep you updated...

hope embroidery

2009-05-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

my husband has been wanting me to make him a hope embroidery since i made the one's for nie. i finally got around to making it and he loves it!

tornado watch

2009-05-14T11:16:00.003-07:00

yesterday we had our first serious tornado threat. since we are tornado virgins my husband wanted me to be with him at work - its much safer there than in our apartment.

at first i was frustrated because i couldn't get my TO DO list done, but then i decided to look at it as a free afternoon to do whatever crafting i wanted! it was pretty much perfect.... computer, lots of fabric, copier to enlarge patterns, and my cutting mat.

oh.. and the tornado never came. it hit everywhere around us, but we were lucky.

cafe apron

2009-05-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

i have lots of vintage pillowcases laying around so when i saw this tutorial on One Pretty Thing i knew i wanted to make one. it worked out well because my mother in law's birthday was last week!

i really like the way a cafe apron sits high on the waist. that is somehow comforting to me. i didn't add any embellishments, because i thought the pattern of the pillowcase was busy enough. i did, however, use a leftover part of the hemmed edge to make a small pocket.

this project maybe took me an hour... and G's mom liked it! now i need to make one for me.

coasters

2009-05-11T05:45:00.001-07:00

for mother's day i made our moms each a set of coasters. last week was incredibly busy so i was looking for something quick and easy to make, but still practical and functional. i've had this tutorial bookmarked for a while so i decided to try it out.

i did mine slightly different using only 2 fabrics across the front top panel and i varied the size and order to make each coaster slightly different. i also topstitched around the edge to close the hole left for turning. its really hard to 'catch' all the fabric with only 1/4" seam allowances so next time i will try 1/2".

the first set i made for G's mom had the polka dot fabric on the front with the floral on the back.

my mom's set was opposite. they both seemed to like them and they were good practice for the coaster swap!

(sorry the grain in some of these photos is weird... i think iphoto did something to them...)

happy mother's day!

2009-05-10T06:29:00.001-07:00

come back Monday to see what I made to celebrate our mamas!

Let's Swap!

2009-05-05T14:50:00.004-07:00

the kindred crafters are hosting a coaster swap! i'm very excited to participate - its my first swap!! wanna join too??

nursing pads

2009-05-04T05:11:00.001-07:00

the mama of this little love bug had been hoping for some nursing pads, so i whipped some up last week using this tutorial. did i mention i haven't yet met jude, but i'm already in love?!

really though you just need to cut a few circles out of flannel, stick a thin bit of batting in the middle and sew. it didn't seem necessary to make them pointed so i opted for a simple flat circle. i think the flannel would feel alot better than the disposable ones and they are reusable so they are GREEN! yay.

baby shoes

2009-04-27T17:00:00.005-07:00

early last week i finished my second of the knit baby shoes gone bad. they are actually pretty cute, just WAY bigger than i wanted. i'm really curious to know what age kid they will fit. they are 5 and a half inches long! this picture really shoes how long and goofy they look. they looked way WAY better after i blocked them though. (as you can see... i also blocked the baby bib- it also looks much better).

i am glad that i made the second one though. they look pretty cute sitting in my craft space...

details:

pattern - seed stitch baby shoes from the book Beginner Baby Knits by Debbie Bliss

yarn - lily sugar 'n cream 100% cotton in white

flair

2009-04-27T08:21:00.002-07:00

this is my progress as of mid-last week on my first knit cardigan! i made some huge (for me) progress this weekend, but the weather is crap here today so i won't bother you with new, badly lit pictures.

this, if all goes well, will turn into the flair cardigan. i originally saw it on philigry and liked that she said it was a good beginner pattern. and so far she is totally right - i did spend three hours one night adding 18 stitches with the backward loop method and subsequently swearing and ripping them out when i ended up with 18 inches of extra yarn between my needles. little did i know that most people find that method of casting on obnoxious... thankfully i tried a different method and was able to move on.

i was planning to go with a neutral - grey or tan, but then i decided it is almost summer so something more punchy would be best. i was thinking a green, but grant liked this. i'll keep you updated on the progress!!!

baby quilt

2009-04-24T07:53:00.002-07:00

my husband was gone at a conference for SIX days. needless to say it was WAY hard to be completely alone for that long, but on the bright side i got a lot of crafting in. i've been slow to take pictures and post, but i'll get things up in the next few days.

the first thing i worked on and completed was my quilt! its far from perfect, but i am really happy with how it turned out.

it took me hours and hours to pull out all the stitches from the first time i tried quilting it, but once that was complete i pinned and pinned and pinned. i bought quilting pins and i really like using them over regular safety pins. my lines aren't very straight BUT there are no puckers!!

i really like how the diagonal lines look. and i'm really glad i didn't try to stipple it - i'm pretty sure that would have been a disaster.

as you can see the lines aren't all that straight, but it works.

there is that backing with no puckers!! ok so there was ONE but it got cut off when i squared the quilt off...

and lastly the binding. i was a little nervous about this because i had heard it was hard, but i actually found it to be quite easy. maybe because i've done mitered corners before??

so that is it! the kit i bought a year ago is finally a quilt!

PSif you haven't clicked over to kelly mccaleb's shop before - you should!

so great

2009-04-22T15:16:00.003-07:00

i learned about this poster company on apartment therapy today and i'm so in love! when we left oregon i had no idea how deeply i would feel the need to stay connected or how much i would miss the little things. so i've been wanting to incorporate oregon somehow into our new home.

i'm thinking grant's office will be the best place. i was originally thinking a big map of the state framed on the wall, but i REALLY like this PDX poster.

the heart is pretty awesome too. i used to teach human anatomy and my husband is a physiologist who primarily studies the cardiovascular system so it fits. remember the heart i embroidered for him?

which one do you like?? i feel like they are a steal at $20-$22!

doily pillow

2009-04-21T06:00:00.003-07:00

i have a serious love affair with doilies...

they are so beautiful and each one is unique. i used them to top the stumps that lined the aisle at our wedding. did you know that you can get them at the dollar store?? pretty awesome. they aren't as great as the vintage ones, but good when you are in a pinch.

i have been thinking of ways to use all my leftover doilies and then i came along this post (love everything on there!). this pillow is one of the things that she links to... can you believe how simple and cute? the stars aligned - i had a few pillows lying around that needed covering and some (fake) linen. i started picking out which doilies looked best together. (my pillow was sort of big - 20x20)

i affixed the doilies with pins and then used an embroidery hoop to keep the fabric taught. then i just hand stitched the doilies in position! do this BEFORE you sew all the pieces of the cover together.

for help with the cover i turned to the maker of that inspiring pillow she happened to have a pillow cover tutorial on her blog!

i am super impressed at how easy it was to make what, i think, is a really professional looking cover.

welcome!

2009-04-20T06:00:00.001-07:00

thanks for coming over!! i love crafting and blogging a lot so i decided its about time i started a craft blog. i have been trying to think of a name for this blog for what seems like forever.

a few weeks ago i was reading some blog (wish i remembered it...) and the writer described a project she was working on as creatively satisfying. that description really resonated with me. that is how i feel when i make things. albeit after the sweating, swearing, frogging, and seam ripping are over. so that is how this blog came to be named...

i've archived most of my craft & wedding posts from my other blog so all the craftiness is in one place, but if you can't find something - just ask!

i hope you enjoy!

archived: spring bird

2009-04-13T07:29:00.001-07:00

i hope everyone had a fun and festive weekend!

do you like my bird? i'm in love with her. i found her here and had to make one. she is so springy and happy.

i could never design anything like this with all these colors. i would go crazy trying to figure out where to put what. but i LOVE copying someone who isn't so anal - it makes for a beautiful result!

i heart french knots...

this will go in the mail tomorrow for a special birthday girl who i *hope* isn't reading this!

happy monday.