crafting by amy

4/6/2010

2010-04-06T09:42:00.003-04:00

That's right, I am back with the final post before baby Zelda Rae joins us (just 2 more days)! I wasn't expecting to have so much to share, but I have managed to crank out a few last minute items, so I am pleased with where I am with this impending break in craftiness. So lets get started, I have lots of other things to do in these next 2 days too.

First up, the last of the prefolds from Q have been used, finally (I couldn't belive how many I saved)...
I hopped on the serger and whipped up 2 extra soakers for each of the cloth diapers I have gotten so far (1 is a Fuzzibuns One Size and the other is the bumGenius One Size), I figured you can always use extra soakers. These were so easy, I just traced the ones that came with the diapers onto the prefold and stuffed them into the serger, it did the cutting and sewing for me. I don't know how I ever got along without it... And since there was just enough leftover for a nursing pad on each prefold, I whipped up another 2 sets of them.

Next up is a few matching burps/bibs for a friend's beautiful new baby boy... these were the first of this style of burp cloths for me and I love how they turned out, I will definitely be making more of them. Everything is backed with an inexpensive (but super soft) towel I got at Target.

Then I had a custom request for a zipper pouch in furry fabric, so I whipped this up real quick like. I could probably make zipper pouches in my sleep, I love the instant gratification projects like this.

I finally managed to get all the shirts I wanted to make for my cousin's son into the mail, these are the last 3... 2 stenciled, 1 appliqued.
First is a simple acoustic guitar (stenciled), second is an octopus (black is stenciled, the blue I filled in after), and the third is my favorite kids shirt ever... a flaming guitar applique, I just love how it came together, all the little detail stitching and such.

I really wanted to make a nursing cover for myself, but it seemed like there was going to be no time for it... luckily I managed to squeeze it in (and find the boning that I needed for it). I used a tutorial similar to this one for it (I can't find my original link, but it's almost identical to this one), Free Pattern to Sew Your Own Nursing Cover. Instead of making fabric straps I cheated and used quilt binding (lazy) and I actually made mine reversible (because I love things that are reversible), the other side is just the polka dot fabric.

Then of course I got bored since I thought I was done with my crafting, so I decided to give some Naugahyde cuffs a go. I loved these by a local lady, Holly Aiken, Runway cuffs, but they are kind of pricey for me, so I figured I would try to make some myself since I have a TON of Naugahyde in my stash and snaps. I love how they turned out! I can't wait to pick up some more snaps and try out some other color combos.

And then last but not least... I managed to get a matching pillow for my glider in the nursery made. I wanted to use the polka dot fabric that I used on the ottoman cover (because I ran out of corduroy), to tie it all together. The polka dot is a pocket style pillowcase over a homemade pillow form (it fits together quite nicely in the back, I pulled it apart for the picture to show how it works). I think it looks quite adorable in the chair.

And if you would like to see the whole nursery all put together with many projects previously seen here, you can check it out on my other (family) blog... ZELDA'S NURSERY!

3/22/2010

2010-03-22T13:44:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been 20 days since my last post and I am exhausted. This will probably be my second to last post, as I will be heading into the hospital on April 8th (17 days!) to have this baby. But have no fear, I will be crafting up until then, there are still things on my to do list to get done.
So let's get down to it...

My mom scored this sweet glider/recliner with an ottoman for me for the nursery. Only problem, it's black, all over black not matching my white/pink/green in the nursery. So I decided I needed to make a cover for it, just something to slip over that would come off easily for washing. It's not my best work as I mostly just draped, pinned, sewed, pinned, sewed, etc... and I ran out of the pink corduroy for the footstool so I had to get creative with it. But I think it turned out cute, it's nice and matchy in the nursery now and it will serve it's purpose.

Here's a before after shot of the chair, uglying up my cute nursery...

And now, after... so cute!

I decided I needed a few more sets of reusable nursing pads, so I serged up a few more (3 more birdseye/lightweight sets and 4 x6prefold/heavyweight ones), I should be all set now!

Then I started having trouble with my feet swelling if I spent too much time sitting with my feet down (like at the sewing machine) so I had to find something I could do sitting on the couch with my feet up. So I decided to get my circle Knifty Knitter looms out and "knit" up a baby cocoon in this cotton candy pink yarn I had in my stash. (Modeled by Q's bear "Mommy")

I also decided to make a few more onesie/burp sets in some of the leftover fabric from making BabyZ's dresses.

And then while I was at it, I whipped up 2 burps for myself, gotta have some cute stuff in my diaper bag too!

I also decided it was time to finally make a Triforce onesie for BabyZ (it's actually a pink onesie, just hard to tell) and a Big Brother/Little Sister for her and Q.

And I also made a few other onesies (for gifting/swapping)... it's hard to tell but the white image on the aqua onesie is an owl, it's cute, just hard to photograph.

And if all that weren't enough, I decided to make a batch of pillowcase dresses (using the Owly Baby "Betsy" Dress pattern, she is such a nice lady and makes some seriously cute stuff, check out her etsy shop if you get a chance!) to sell in my etsy shop. I am hoping to make some $$ off them so I can buy the cloth diapers I want (they are NOT cheap up front, but in the long run will save us a TON, think thousands of dollars). I didn't CD with Q but I am really looking forward to giving it a go this time around, cloth diapers now are just as easy as disposables, just snap/velcro and go, no folding/pins/etc... Ok... enough diaper rambling, back to the dresses! So I made a dozen dresses for my etsy shop, 3 different sizes, using fabrics in my stash, as well as binding from my stash (which was fun and often tricky to match up) and I did end up having to buy some ribbon, but most of it was from my stash (that also got a little tricky with matching things up). I love how they turned out. I think the cupcake ones and the Spongebob (YES, Spongebob!) one are my favorites.

6 month sized dresses...

12 month dresses

2T dresses...

And now I am off to list all those dresses in my etsy shop (going to be a long afternoon)... and hopefully I can get a few other things that I need to sew this week cut out as well. *fingers crossed I can actually check everything off my to do list before Baby comes* See you in 2 weeks!

3/2/2010

2010-03-02T10:53:00.003-05:00

A new month is upon us! Only 37 more days until Baby joins us (I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but we actually have a date now, repeat c-section scheduled for April 8th)... so I REALLY need to stay on the ball this month if I want to get everything done before she gets here!

So let's get started...

First up is a reconstructed project. I took an old waterproof pad we had used with Q (about the size of a changing pad), that was starting to pill and peel off it's backing (and was yellow gingham and I don't like yellow) and I cut it in half and then stitch some pink and green striped flannel to the top and then serged the edges... now I have some cute new waterproof pads that match the nursery (I love using them on the changing table to keep from having to change the changing pad cover so often).
Before

and After!

I wanted to add a little something to the other gifts I had made the week before (the changing pads) so I made a few little appliqued onesies...
I made 3 Tie onesies, so cute for little boys!

And so Baby didn't feel left out, I made her an initial onesie (yes, that is a "Z")!

While I was decorating onesies I figured I would go ahead and finish cutting out a few stencils I had started for some shirts, so I also managed to get 3 shirts stenciled...
A motorcycle one (for my cousin's son, he's not quite a year older than Q)

An octopus one for Q (he picked out the image, the shirt color and the paint color)

And the last one I made because I had the shirt in my stash and I thought the image was perfect for stenciling... it has since been claimed by Husband.

And to finish up this week's post... the last of the baby dresses... at least for now! I have more fabrics that I would like to use for dresses, but I think at this point she's got enough dresses to get her started.
I used McCall's pattern #2213 for both dresses. Super easy pattern to follow and the dresses were really quick to both cut out and sew.

The first one is View A (size Small, 13-15lbs), in a super cute bird fabric (thanks, Aimee!) that's reversible to a solid red (with a bird applique).

And the second is View D (in size Large, 19-21lbs), in another cute bird fabric with a coordinating aqua gingham. It could also be reversible but it would just be plain gingham on the other side, not very exciting. As you may be able to see from the photos, the dress when untied and unsnapped is actually 2 pieces...

2/23/2010

2010-02-23T18:35:00.002-05:00

ACK! I can't believe it's been over 2 weeks since my last update... I've been making stuff, I just haven't had time to get pictures of it and update here since I was busy trying to get ready for Baby Girl's baby shower that was on the 20th (it was LOTS of fun)! So this is going to be a big one... been working on lots of cool stuff (though I still haven't managed to get the last 3 dresses made for the little lady).

I guess I will start with stuff for the nursery.
First up is a super quick and easy liner for a metal bin. I found the bin under my bathroom sink and the inside was a little worse for wear so I decided to whip up a fabric liner to put in it to protect all the little things that would end up in it in the nursery. Simple but effective.

Next up in the nursery was the changing table... I bought it second hand and the shelves just weren't looking their best and plain white is boring, so I spruced them up with some contact paper. Again, simple but effective. Love it! (I didn't get a before shot of it so you will have to settle for one with the middle shelf still left to be covered, they all looked the same before, plain and white)

And lastly for the nursery were a couple different "art" pieces for the walls to go with the pink/green elephant theme... the first is made with fabric and heatnbond (mounted on a piece of 12x12 corkboard) and the 2 smaller ones are made from paper. I love how they turned out, just have to decide where to hang them...

Next up... how about some edible crafts...
A Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, made for my baby brother (yes, I know he's 23 now, ACK, but he will always be my baby brother), who's a Valentine's Day baby. Yes it was quite delicious and yes it was made from scratch.

And some treats I whipped up for the shower. They are just pink (strawberry) marshallows either dipped in or drizzled with melted chocolate and then covered in pink sprinkles (which are hard to see) and oreos covered in regular and white chocolate, also covered in pink sprinkles... YUM!

Hmmm... what's next... how about some baby gifts... I know, gifts for OTHER people's babies... that's insanity!
Another batch of changing pads... these turned out REALLY cute. They are reversible with flannel on one side and either a super soft terry/minky fabric on the back (that's the green) or a jersey knit on the back (that's the polka dots, that one is my fav). The ones with the green backs having binding all the way around, the other though was thin enough I could just sew it and then turn and topstitch it.

And another "Betsy" (pattern by OwlyBaby), pillowcase style dress, like I said before, for a gift for my husband's old officemate who is expecting a daughter in May.

OK... how about some crocheted stuff!
I FINALLY managed to fnished the Yoshi amigurumi I have been working on since October... I have 2 more of them started, hopefully I can get them finished in a timely manner... we'll see. Started with a pattern, but ended up working off it quite loosely since the pattern designer was not a native english speaker so following the pattern was a little tricky. I think he turned out quite despite it all!

And a purse, made from a pattern I found in an early 80s "Learn How To Crochet" booklet... I happened to have the purse handles in my stash from swapping and when I saw the pattern that used the exact handles I HAD to make it! I love the puff stitches!

Oh! I almost forgot this super simple project. I use these little cards to write quick notes to send with swap packages. I had a TON of these paint color sample cards from when we've been picking out colors to paint different rooms (can you tell we like color, you should see the house), and I couldn't figure out what to do with them until I realized they would be perfect for a little note, so I got out my stamps and went to work... they are perfect... another simple, but effective project!

And last, but certainly not least... my FAVORITE project from the past 2 weeks... I made it today without much of a plan, these handles were also received via swapping and I knew I wanted to make a fabric purse with them, I just didn't know how to go about it... after much head scratching I came up with this design and I LOVE IT! I want to keep it, but I will probably swap/sell it away, I don't need another purse, especially one that wouldn't make a very good diaper bag.

2/8/2010

2010-02-08T20:19:00.005-05:00

Update, update, update! YAY!

This past week was a light week for crafting... I had to split my time with cleaning (the house was a disaster), so there's not too much to share.

First up are 3 pairs of PJ pants (from quilting cotton) for Q. Had to make him something with all these dresses and such being made for his baby sister, he was starting to get jealous. He picked up the fabrics for them, all his favorite things.

Just one dress this week. Made using Simplicity pattern #2668, size S (6 mos). This dress was quite a pain, it has box pleats, a zipper and a round collar (that was the worst part, which is why it's a little fidgety). Obviously I forgot to switch my thread to a better color and didn't realize it until halfway through, so I just didn't bother (the collar was making me mad and I just wanted to finish it). But it turned out cute and I love the fabric, so it's OK!

More playfood for Q, some crocheted noodles, he's been asking for some spaghetti for a while, so I whipped these up, they were super quick!

Next up, 3 pairs of some super simple/plain reusable/washable nursing pads, using some old (from when Q was a baby) Gerber birdseye cloth diapers, they are 4 layers thick and are a nice lighter weight pad. Just serged around the edges, super quick project! I am planning to make another 3 pairs of heavier ones using flannel and some Gerber prefold diapers.

And last up a set of bibs, they are quilting cotton with a double layer of birdseye cloth diaper inside. I will be resizing the patterns for future bibs, these turned out a bit on the small side (especially the neck hole of the round one, there's no way a baby's neck is fitting in there).

2/1/2010

2010-02-01T16:12:00.004-05:00

I meant to get this posted yesterday, as my final January post, but oh well...
January turned out to be very productive. I made a total of 53 items (if you count individual things that are the same), that's kind of awesome, so I am hoping to keep the madness going through February as well.

First up, some felt playfood I whipped up for Q, he has been bugging me about making him a salad so when I ran across the lettuce leaf shape I printed it out and went to work cutting and sewing this pile of lettuce for him to make salads with. Was a quick project, even though I hate making felt playfood (I prefer to crochet it).

Obviously it's already being put to good use!

Next up I found some prequilted baby fabrics in my stash, I have no idea where they came from or how long I had have them but I decided I was going to use them, so I cut out 2 identical changing pads and grabbed some quilt binding from my stash and in no time I had 2 quilted changing pads. I love instant gratification projects!

Both are the same, one side is the animals/dots print and the other is the pink gingham, just the color of the binding is different.

This next item is probably my favorite thing I made last week. It's a reversible pouch sling, made using knit fabrics. I just love how it turned out! I used the Baby Sling Tutorial on the Handmade-Adelaide-Baby website, it was super easy and pretty quick (once I got it cut out, knits can sometimes be a little tricky to cut).

Q's bear "Mommy" is helping me model how it works. I am really looking forward to using it!

And now for what you all have been waiting for... this week's installment of adorable tiny baby dresses!

First dress was made using the "Itty Bitty Baby Dress" pattern from the Made by Rae blog. It's SOOOO tiny, think newborn/preemie size, I need to get a shot of it with something for a size comparison (it's hanging on an infant/toddler hanger, was a SNUG fit). I didn't make the dress exactly as the pattern does, for the bodice I actually sewed the outer parts together along the side as well as the lining pieces and then I sewed them along the straps RST and turned and topstitched them, then sewed the whole bodice to the skirt, this is how the other patterns I have been using did it, so it made more sense to me... though I am pretty sure the end result is the same. This is the only new dress pattern I tried this week (don't worry, the next batch of dresses are from 2 new patterns as well).

How cute is this fabric?! The print is SO tiny, so I thought it was perfect for such an itty bitty dress!

Next up is from the same pattern as the dress in the fish fabric from last week's post (McCall's 3598, this one is size 2 though). I have loved this fabric since it came out years ago, so I was excited to finally get my hands on some, I think it makes a very cute toddler dress (even cuter with the matching undies!).

And last but certainly not least... my favorite dress from the week... I know, how could they possibly get cuter, I will tell you... CUPCAKES! Made using the "Betsy" pillowcase dress pattern (same as the Owl dress last week, pattern by OwlyBaby) in 9-12 months size. This is another fabric I have been drooling over for ages, I can't believe Joann's had it, but I am quite pleased they did. I also got it in blue, haha.

(Lighting is weird in my craft space, so 2 pictures to get the full effect, anything with red tends to get weird with my camera).

And now to get busy on Feb.'s items... I have a bunch of stuff cut out waiting for me to sew it this week, so check back next weekend for more new stuff! YAY!

1/24/2010

2010-01-24T11:46:00.003-05:00

Had a very productive week! Spent most of my time sewing baby clothes, mostly dresses, nothing cuter than tiny clothes!

But I will start off with the other projects I finished up.

First up is a scarf I started last Spring (think April 2009)... it's a crocheted scarf using a mesh stitch that I found in a stitch dictionary... using a 100% cotton (mercerized) yarn.

Next is a hand embroidered tote, with a cute little owl (from a vintage pattern) on it. Q wants me to make him a shirt with this owl on it now, so keep an eye out for that in the future.

And now for the baby clothes!! YAY!
Group shot of all of the stuff for Baby Girl...

I actually made 2 of these cute kimono wrap tops (size 0-6 mos) (using the free pattern from the Habitual blog

A pink UGA skirt (6 mos sized) with an elastic waist.

The first dress has the cutest little pintucks on the top, I switch the buttons for snaps because I thought snaps would be more comfortable (and easier for me, haha). Made using Simplicity pattern #3808 in 0-3 mos (XS) size (I actually used the M size length for it, since technically it's supposed to be a top and I wanted it to be a dress)

The next one is a "Betsy" dress by OwlyBaby on etsy. It's a pillowcase style dress, so cute! I love this owl fabric (thanks, Aimee!) and this one is a 6 mos size, but will grow with her, which is awesome).

And last up is this cute little jumper, made using McCall's pattern #3598 in the 12 mos (1) size. I love the little elastic detailing at the underarms. Also replaced the buttons with snaps (I wish I had covered the snaps, but oh well) and all seams on this one are top-stitched, I think it adds a little something.

Keep an eye out for more dresses in the future... my goal is to get 2 dresses in each size (from 0-3 mos to 12 mos... so 0-3mos, 6mos, 9mos, and 12mos) made before she's born. YAY!

1/17/2010

2010-01-17T15:50:00.003-05:00

I know it's been over a week since my last update, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy... I have just been working on more time consuming projects (and some that are just plain boring to sew, so I end up taking lots of breaks). Let just get right into it.

First up, some hand embroidered tea towels, I bought a bunch of tea towels on sale ages ago and these were the last 2 I had. One has a kitchen theme and the other is a spinning wheel.

And a few stenciled items, a tote, a onesie, and a toddler hoodie (it's actually an appliqued stencil).

A naugahyde dachshund shaped purse (this is the last of these I will make, I am so sick of them after having made somewhere between 15-20 of them since October...), this one is a little different that the other ones I made though, I added a little polyfil to the legs, head/neck, and such, to give it a little more dimension and see if it wouldn't bend so much, I really like how it turned out (I kind of wish I had done them all this way). He's WAY bigger than he looks, 12in tall and almost 22in long... and there is a lined zipper pouch inside.

And then comes those blasted zipper pouches... I cut them out back over the summer... and they have been sitting in a box since then... they are quick projects but they are soooo boring to sew, so I do them in steps and take lots of breaks, and it ends up dragging out to much longer than it should. But now they are done! All 12 of them! Finally!

And last but not least... I consider food to be crafty as well... so I am including the cake I made for my FIL's birthday. He requested a German Chocolate Cake, so that's what I made, all from scratch (I don't use boxed mixes, yuck). I consider this cake a double success, not only was it quite tasty, but it illustrated just how far my baking has come since I got married. I made the same cake for my husband's first married birthday... it was edible, but I won't say there weren't scrambled eggs in the topping/filling... haha.

1/6/2010

2010-01-06T10:04:00.003-05:00

Yay, I am still motivated and staying on task... marking lots of things off my to do list!
Here's what I have managed to complete since my last post (on the 2nd)...

Two wallets (from the Favorite Things "A Safe Place" pattern)... I LOVE this pattern, it's the perfect sized wallet, holds everything you could possibly need (it has 12 card slots, 2 open pockets behind the card slots, a zipper pocket and a snap/velcro pocket).
The first is for a custom request

The second was because I had a few extra pieces in the orange cut out that I didn't want to waste, haha.

Next up is 3 fabric covers for binders (just like the fabric cover I made for the photo album)... I have had these binders in my stash for ages, waiting around to be covered like this... they will be used for storing patterns I have printed off the internet that are just sitting in a box atm.

Then we have a Halloween Trick or Treat tote bag (I made a bunch of these the Halloween before last, this was the last one, I didn't have any straps for some reason, so I made some cute ribbons ones for it (quick and dirty). I will be saving it for BabyGirl, so she has a matching Trick or Treat bag, just like Q.

And now another burp and onesie set... found the applique for the onesie in a drawer, ready to be ironed-on, so I whipped up another burp cloth to pair it with and they will be going into my etsy with the others.

And lastly we have something that isn't sewn! WHAT?!?! This is an upcycled project, using the bottom from a springform pan that the non-stick coating was rubbing off of, some cardstock/scrapbook & clear contact paper, a d-ring and some glue. This is the second one I have made and LOVE them... I keep waiting for one of my baking sheets to get ruined so I can make a big one, haha.

1/2/2010

2010-01-02T16:23:00.004-05:00

It's only the 2nd and I have already been quite productive!
Here are a few things I have been working on for the past 2 days, quick and dirty projects are the best.

I have a HUGE amount of blank onesies in my stash (lots of sizes and several different colors, all bought ages ago to be stenciled/appliqued for my etsy shop), I am hoping to get them all used up, either for stocking my etsy shop or for clothing my new baby girl.

So first up, here are 2 appliqued onesies for the little lady (who is currently trying to punch her way out of me)... a UNC Tarheels one and a cute pink owl one (I have been hoarding that fabric in hopes that one day I would have a little girl or at the very least a niece)

I also made a set with a matching onesie and tshirt for Q and his new baby sister to show their UGA love...

While I was making these I figured I should make a set of each team for my etsy shop, so I appliqued onesies with the UNC fabric and the UGA fabric and made a matching burp cloth to go with them...

Next up, I came across a less than attractive photo album in my stash that hadn't ever been used, so I made a fabric cover for it (I have a few 3 ring binders that I will also be making covers for, then I will use them to store patterns I have printed off the internet that are currently just taking up space in a box), I am going to send it to my dad (since I didn't make him anything for Christmas). Obviously he's an UGA fan, haha.

This next one was for a custom request. I also have a MASSIVE amount of naugahyde in my stash that I got for free that I have been trying to use up. This is a cloud shaped zipper pouch for a fellow STSer (crafster swapper).

And last up for today, while I was digging through my stash I found a half cut-out singlet style grocery tote (think plastic shopping bag, but made out of fabric). I had the outer fabric already to go and then I came across some plain orange fabric that matched perfectly, yay for finishing up previously started projects (who knows how long this bag had been waiting to finally be finished, possibly since before we moved back to NC, almost 2 years ago).

Getting Crafty in 2010!

2010-01-02T13:27:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!
In an effort to be more productive and to get my craft space organized before the arrival of Q's baby sister (in April) I am reviving ye ol' blog in order to keep track of what I am getting accomplished.
I got started the week after Christmas (woohoo for a jumpstart on the New Year) by destashing a TON of craft supplies, mostly fabric. I sent around 5 big garbage bags of fabric and 1 of random other craft supplies (including some yarn) to the thrift store and my mom took another bag of each for herself. Lots of stuff gone, though it still doesn't really feel like it, still working on getting everthing that's left organized and in it's proper place. While going through everything I did come across a large pile of half made items (mostly things that I cut out but never got around to sewing), so I have added them to my to do list in an effort to get them made and either swapped or in my etsy shop (that's another goal, restock my etsy shop, haha).
So I will be back to post things as I make them, hopefully every few days, so it doesn't get too overwhelming... I have a stack of 10 items that I have made so far this year (yes, since yesterday), so be on the lookout either tonight or tomorrow for a new post full of goodies!
Here's to being productive, at least for these first few months (I know things will be crazy with a newborn in the house in addition to the madness of having a 4 year old)!

Viking Dolls!

2009-03-02T09:33:00.001-05:00

I made some Viking Dolls for a swap (I will be back and post more about them in a bit), and they were chosen to be blogged about on geekcrafts.com, YAY!

2008-11-25T09:51:00.002-05:00

Charlie shopping tote (BurdaStyle - , all seams and egdes serged) (approximately 17in across bottom - 19.5in across top, and 22in tall including handles, it will hold a LOT of stuff)
Made from sturdy, medium to heavy weight canvas.
Blue Canvas

another one I made w/ a magazine to show size -

Reversile Charlie Shopping Tote
Same as above bag, only reversible, so it's 2 bags in one! Fabric is lighter weight than regular bags, but just as sturdy since they are double thickness, all seams serged, just as the others.
Polka Dots (w/ solid pink on alternate side, as seen on inside of handle)

Slouchy Loom Knit Hat
Blue&Purple-ish LionBrand Homespun Yarn - Knit on green round loom
Laying flat = 11in across x 11in tall

Crocheted Scarves
Crocheted with LionBrand Homespun Yarn
Pink (6in wide x 63in long) or Purple (5in wide x 60in long)

Crocheted Scarf with matching loom knit hat
2 tone scarf in fall colors w/ matching hat (knit on red round loom) in LionBrand Homespun Yarn
Scarf = 7in wide x 59in long -- hat = 9in across x 8in tall (laying flat)

Zipper Pouch (Small/Coin Size)
UNC print (#3 or #6)

Crocheted dish/wash cloths

Reconstructed Pants to Skirts
American Eagle Outfitters, size 6 Petite, Hipster fit

Dickies brand, size 30X32

Wishlist.

2007-11-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

So Christmas is coming up, as is my birthday, and I know you are all dying to know what I want. So here's my list.

First, my amazon wishlist.

There are 2 magazine subscriptions on there, but they are probably not the best idea since we will be moving in Jan. Otherwise it's lots of books, mostly craft related, and a few cds. An amazon giftcard would be fine too, if you don't know which to choose.

Next are just going to be some random links of things online that I like.

A few Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns; Krazy Kitchen, Kurt Halsey, and Winterland.

A couple of things from delias; "Sew in Love" tshirt (size small), Apple pj pants (size small), and Gavin hoodie sweater (brown, size medium).

Some taller tabi socks, black and/or white in medium.

These candy wall decals, from FredFlare, they would be cute on my soon to be craft room wall.

This awesome tshirt, "Crochet is the New Black" in black, size small.

The rest of these items are all from sellers on etsy.com.
Blackbird on pink pendant, little robot pendant, paranoid android pendant, and the sweet peach pendant all by imogen.
Lavender sewing machine pendant by thirtydash9.
Dynamic duo pin set, how perfect is that, by buttonempire.
Sew A GoGo shirt, long sleeve in red size medium by MoxieMadness.
I love all the kitchen towels by PataPri.
And because I love yummy baked goods, Christina Marie Designs; the peanut butter whoopie pies, candy cane marshmallows (so good in hot cocoa), marshmallow surpise, and the cinnamon-sugar pillows look especially delicious.

I also enjoy Joann's giftcards, as well as Target, Gap, and Old Navy gift cards.
I need a new planner (for 2008), 2 would be good, one small enough to go in my bag, and one normal sized one for staying on my desk. I like pinks, as well and blues/greens, polka dots make me happy, stripes are nice too.
One can never have too much fabric or yarn, so either of those would be nice too.
I think that's everything.
Hooray for birthdays and Christmas.

Items since July 2006 post

2007-11-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

So as promised, I am back to update with the items I have been busy making instead of updating this thing since the July 2006 post. I decided the easiset way to do it is to set up a flickr account and just link to the different sets. So I took a few days to get everything (well, everything I could find pictures for) uploaded and into sets, and here it is.
We'll start with costumes I made for us for Halloween 2006 for a party we attended, http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/H7195y.
Some swap items from 2006, http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/8aj622.
Most of the Christmas gifts I made/gave Christmas 2006 (there were a few I forgot to take pictures of, http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/H9kpvM.
Some stenciled photo tshirts (most of these are actually older (I have a listing for your very own just like it in my etsy shop), http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/eJ76gS.
That's everything for 2006. After I finished the Christmas gifts I packed up all my craft stuff for our move in Feb. this year. So everything else is since we moved into the new apartment.

More swap goodies, http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/55h8s3.
Bags, wallets, our awesome weekend bag with matching pouches, etc... http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/605262
Clothing http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/0496jC
"Housewares" (mostly pillowcases for Q's toddler pillow), http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/mW6c74
Stuff I've made for my store (not everything, just newer items, mostly what I made for the craft fair) http://www.flickr.com/gp/10414106@N04/68q05z

So that's everything (well, except all the stuff in that big bag I posted in the previous post, though there is a set for the Christmas gifts I have completed, if you really want to ruin the surprise), I think. It's enough either way. All the pictures have descriptions, but if you have any questions about anything, or want to see more pictures of any items, just ask.

Updating old posts and such

2007-11-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

I just finished reuploading any old pictures that weren't working anymore, so all the pictures show up. I am really surprised how much better I have gotten at my crafting since posting those items. I am almost embarassed by them now, but hey, you have to start somewhere, and that's my somewhere of starting.

I hope to get around to posting my older projects, anything between the last post before I started posting stuff about my store, and now (minus the crochet stuff, since I already posted that), but it's over a years worth of stuff, and I have been a BUSY BUSY crafter, so it's A LOT. So keep an eye out for the old but not really old and also new stuff that I will be posting!

Just to give you an idea of my busybee-ness, here's the bag of goodies I have already made for Christmas gifts this year (I started in August, but got sidetracked from it with birthday gifts, a craft fair, and other random crafting that I sneak into my schedule).

Boy that's a BIG bag of stuff.

2007-11-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple other crochet projects I have made in the past few months (since really getting into and actually learning it properly, in April).

Market Bag (this thing is HUGE) (it was my first REAL FO, that turned out usable)

Cupcake (it's tiny!)

Bowl (using fabric scrap strips for yarn)

Scarf (I know, it's just part of it, but the whole picture wasn't very good, didn't show the stitches, which are the coolest part, they imitate the dropped stitch look in knitting)

A panta/headband

Atashi (from a pattern I bought on etsy, she's a character from an anime)

Green Eggs and Ham (a gift for a friend who teachers first grade)

Slippers for Q.

A pumpkin.

A hat for Quentin

2007-11-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

I joined a Crocheted Dishcloth/Washcloth Challenge on crafster.org in August, the goal was to crochet 50 dishcloths or washcloths by the end of the year. Since I started crocheting in April and had been wanting to get into it more, I decided this would be a good way to get better, lots of practice, and lots of new stitches to learn. It was a lot of fun and became very addictive. I managed to get all my cloths done between August 6th and October 31st. So a little less than 3 months. So far I am the first to finish (I really must not have a life, haha). But anyhow, here are all my cloths, in all their colorful glory. Enjoy!

I am trying to keep up with this blog now, so I can showcase my crafts more for my family, since they are always curious what I am working on. I also want to go back and try to get some older crafts posted, so keep an eye out.

2007-10-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

And You Should Too!

2007-10-24T17:49:00.000-04:00

This has to be the coolest thing ever. It's my etsy shop, that I can post anywhere! Yay!

Community Market Festival

2007-10-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

I participated in my very first craft fair/festival, and it went very well. I didn't sell too much, but it was a great experience, even if I did only have 10 days to prepare for it. That's a whole lot of sewing and a very small amount of time. The weather was beautiful, and Quentin was the most well behaved 2 year old in the whole world (it was amazing). I am hoping to be able to do some more festivals in the future.

A few shots of my table/setup (that's my mom with Quentin behind the table in the first shot)

And a slideshow of my items (the tshirts aren't on there, because I didn't get pictures of them before we left for the festival, we actually grabbed them from heat setting in the dryer on the way out the door) (also any other missing items, were ones that were originally listed in my esty shop)

My Store!

2006-09-20T14:01:00.000-04:00

Amyzing Creations!

Crafting since last update (Feb.) LOTS!

2006-07-12T09:05:00.000-04:00

I've been very busy since my last update in February. All the pictures are small because there are so many of them, but if you click on any of them you can see the bigger version, so do it!!

A few onesies I stenciled for the first baby/kid craft swap I participated in.

The rest of these (the 2 shirts, lamb, and pillow) were for the second swap I was in. The kitty shirt is stenciled, the cow collar shirt was just a plain white shirt that i made a collar and sewed on.

The lamb I made using this pattern (http://www.patternbee.com/FREELAMBKIN.html) my first stuffed toy ever.

The pillow is made of fleece, the stripes are actully strips sewn together, the tooth is sewn onto the little pocket to put your tooth in for the tooth fairy.

These 2 items were for a favorite children's book craft swap I did. The book my partner sent was "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" by Shel Silverstein. The shirt is stenciled with a quote from the book. And the bag is made from naugahyde with the missing piece and the big o on the front (it came out really well, I was so proud. (Make sure you click on both to see them in all their glory)

This is a naugahyde cuff I made for a cuff swap. It's a simple design, laces up with ribbon. I really like how it turned out.

This is the naugahyde padded laptop bag I made for Forrest for graduation. It came out really well I think, and I am getting much better at working with the naugahyde (read, better at not breaking needles). It's lined with fleece and padded with half inch high density foam.

A purple messenger style bag made out of naugahyde, this is my first attempt at a bag with it. It was a learning experience. But it actually turned out nicely. If anyone wants it, let me know, purple's not my color.

Here are 2 coin purses I made with the naugahyde (clearly I have a TON of naugahyde to work with) The first is a peachy marbly print star (looks like a starfish to me) and the skull is bigger, more like a clutch, the mouth is the zipper. (If anyone wants the skull, let me know!)

This is a quilted coffee cozy that I made for my father-in-law, he loves the Chiefs and coffee. It fits on to a Starbucks coffee cop (closes with velcro). I'm going to start making these to sell, if anyone is interested, or if any loved ones would like one for Christmas, start making your list for me now.

I made this purse for a girl my mom used to take care of, for her birthday. I used this tutorial, http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=69434.0, thanks thingwraith. It turned out really cute. I'm working on modifying the pattern to a diaper bag for myself, I just have to find the perfect fabric now.

A purse and matching wallet/organizer (this is the second organizer I've made, using SewPixie's awesome tutorial, http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=16097.0).

A weekend bag I made for someone for graduation (Though I don't think she's picked it up yet, so sorry if the surprise is ruined). It's HUGE. You can stuff so much into this bag. I used this tutorial to make it http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=42927.0, thanks logsio!

A zipper pouch clutch I made for my mom to take with her to the grocery store, it matches the cloth grocery bags that I made for her (which I forgot to take pictures of).

Some coveralls I made for Quentin, I made the pattern by looking at another pair of coveralls he has, lots of tweeking to get it just right. I used an old scrub top of mine, it was just enough fabric.

An adorable little baby tee out of the same monster fabric I used to make his first pair of coveralls (back in the last post, maybe). I took apart one of his baby tees that he'd grown out of to make the pattern.

A dress I made for myself to wear to Forrest's graduation. I used Simplicity pattern 4119 (view A). The most complicated pattern I have worked with so far, and it came out a little big, but I took it in and it's super cute.

I saw a corduroy skirt in Delias (http://store.delias.com/item.do?categoryID=450&itemID=46204&sizeFilter=&colorFilter=&brandFilter=) that I thought was really cute, and then I remembered I had some polka dot corduroy that I bought for really cheap at Joann's, so I just made myself a skirt pretty much just like it. (Mine's longer and doesn't have buttons, and zips on the side) No pattern, I just sort of winged it.

This is the first skirt I made. I used Simplicity pattern 4285 (view C). My first time using a pattern, and it was super easy.

i've been a very busy crafter

2006-02-13T19:32:00.000-05:00

lets see, where to start

i found a this pattern (http://www.poopockets.com/free/footies/footies.htm) for these adorable baby footies and so since i bought a bunch of fleece for super cheap on ebay i decided to whip up a few pairs, the first is quentin's (they are a light brown color), as modeled by his adorable little feet and the second pair is for a baby girl that is due in about a month, they are a light purple color

then i decided since i have all this fleece, and my digital camera case is such a plain black thing, why not make a cute pink and green one, so i did! (the green is a very pale green, so its hard to tell in the pictures... i just based the pattern for it off of how the case it came with is constructed)

alright
enough with the fleece, on to birthday gifts

my best gal wanted one of these triangle purses (as seen here, http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=13316.0) so i decided to whip one up for her, the fabric is a canvas like black with pink and green dot print, the lining is icecream print) i was very pleased with how it turned out

and i also made her a vinyl heartshaped coin purse (as seen in the "bazaar bizarre" craft book) i have loads of this vinyl (lots of red, and some other colors) and i am going to try this out with a bunch of different shapes (if anyone has any requests let me know, im seriously thinking about possibly selling these)

and for my baby brother i made a messanger bag, this was a very involved project (but i had some help, http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=36676.0) and i am definitely pleased with how well it came out

and last, but not least, i made this adorable pair of coveralls today for quentin, this is the cutest fabric, i just had to get it when i saw it at joanns. i didnt have a pattern or anything, so i kind of just had to wing it, but i think they turned out great. this is actually the first piece of clothing i have made, that didnt start as another piece of clothing.

wallet/organizer

2006-01-27T16:45:00.000-05:00

this is my first attempt at anything this involved, and i'm really impressed with how well it came out. i used this fantastic tutorial, http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=16097.0. i wasn't brave enough to add the outer zipper pocket and i had to make the binding around the edges myself so it's not exactly even all the way around, also i addded the velcro just to be sure my cards didn't fall out the side. i'm going to buy some really cute fabric and some pre made binding this weekend and give it another go.

my new diaper bag and a baby hat

2006-01-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

I had been carrying around the little black diaper bag the hospital gave us, since we brought Quentin home. It was just too small now and I wanted something with a little more color. So while at Target I found 2 laundry tote bags in the dollar bins and decided to make them into 1 reversible tote. So I sewed the one tote inside out into the other tote and then added some little heart shaped buttons in coordinating colors. I also needed some little bags to go inside to hold stuff (since there would only be one pocket inside), so I used this tutorial () and made a matching blue pouch to keep baby stuff in and a pink one to keep stuff for me in. The blue one I made from baby washclothes and a waffle weave clothe diaper for the linig, and the pink one from a terry jumpsuit thing that I had that didn't fit me anymore and a plain white tshirt for lining. I'm very pleased.

I also made a little fleece hat for Quentin, I used a hat that I had from ages ago that was coming apart at the seams and this pattern (http://www.shelby.fi/kaava/403/403.php). I accidently sewed the bottom band onto the outside inside of inside so that seam is showing, but it still looks cute on him.

recent creations

2006-01-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

This is skirt I made from a pair of my husbands old sweatpants. It's so comfortable, and it even has a cute little heart that I added from a leftover piece of fabric. I hadn't attached it when I took the picture, it's on the upper left hip.

The woven magazine purse and journal that I made.

And a magazine bowl.

Dreaming of a Felt Christmas

2006-01-18T23:50:00.000-05:00

These are some Christmas gifts that I made for people this year, I went felt crazy, it was loads of fun.

Adorable small felt stuffed animals

The green pouch with the heart is a cell phone holder, the cupcake is actually a change purse, and the other 3 are clutches. I also made a pink polka dot cell phone holder, which I think came out best, but sadly I forgot to take a picture of it.

These are all badges/buttons/pins, whatever you want to call them, they all have a pin back.

This is a Hello Kitty hoodie I made. It was just a plain white hoodie, but i attached stuffed felt kitty ears and a bow.

Another hoodie I made, the robot is on the back and the gears and such are on the front pocket.

baby crafting

2006-01-18T23:04:00.000-05:00

these are a few onesies that i stitched while i was pregnant for quentin

this is a kitty

this is a cute little duck

and this is cartoon conan o'brien

im looking forward to making some more things for him, i have some bibs to stitch on and im going to get some fleece to make a cute little bear hat for him