amazing mae

bee mine appliqued shirt and pattern

2012-02-09T07:35:00.008-05:00

It's time to find a shirt and add an applique for Valentines Day! And with a few days until Valentines, you know you want to. I have a good friend who encourages us to make these for our daughters at each holiday and I am so grateful that she does because we get it done and have so much fun in the process. This time, she came over along with Melissa (who made a little something else and I am sure she will share with you soon) and we had fun (I mean- got to work).

It was a Bee Mine applique this time and HERE is the pattern for you to use as well. I used the original size of the pattern and for my friend, Vicki, we enlarged it 115% so that it was more proportioned to her t-shirt since her daughter is a bit older.The bee is done in fabric while the "mine" is freezer paper stenciled with fabric paint. The stinger is a zig zag satin stitch that gradually gets smaller. I attached the googly eyes with clear fabric paint. I think they should last in the wash if I turn the shirt inside out. But, I will test it!

Here's Vicki's shirt for her daughter Molly.

salt dough valentine heart necklaces

2012-02-08T17:09:00.009-05:00

My daughter and I thought it would be fun to make some necklaces for her friends for Valentines this year. In the past we have used salt dough to make heart magnets at Valentines for relatives and teachers. So, using that same salt dough recipe, we cut out hearts for salt dough necklaces. Here's how:

Salt Dough Recipe:

1 cup salt

2 cups flour

1 cup water

Bake for 1-2 hours at 200 degrees until dried out.

We cut them out using heart cookie cutters and added a hole before baking.After baking, Mallory and I painted the hearts using acrylic paint.
We added dots and hearts for detail.
When the paint had dried, we sprayed them with a glossy acrylic sealer - several coats made them shine.
Finally, we added 25" long skinny ribbon and made lots of bright pretty necklaces.And, because we had so much salt dough, we used the extra to make magnets for family and teachers.We added button magnets using E-6000 glue.

my french valentine

2012-02-06T16:42:00.005-05:00

I had one more pillow cut out of canvas sitting on my sewing table and over the weekend I finished it up. I used the same dimensions from my tutorial.

I decided to show some love in another language and freezer paper stenciled "je t'aime which is "i love you" in French. I used the treehouse font from da font -one of my new favorites.

valentine graphic sign

2012-02-02T14:32:00.003-05:00

The beauty of having a husband in the home building business is the joy of using up his scrap wood pile. The other day at lunch he told me he had some scrap trim he was going to dispose of and I followed him back to the house and stuck it in the car. I wasn't sure what I "needed" it for, but I knew I "needed" it.

Eventually, I knew what I wanted to use them for...Valentine Signs. I had my husband cut the long trim pieces down to 28" each. They are about 10" wide with the beveled lip.

I printed up my words of "love" in different fonts and made stencils then hand painted each word.

Figuring out the placement of each word was the hardest part, but once I got them all in place, it was a fun process.

simple silhouette applique for the baby girls

2012-01-27T16:00:00.015-05:00

Sometimes the simplest touches have a big effect. I love to applique (that's no secret) and sometimes my favorite things to applique are simple silhouette shapes. If you choose the right fabrics and use great colors, they can really POP.

For my friend's baby girl, I made a receiving blanket with 1 yard of hot pink flannel on one side and 1 yard of bright aqua flannel on the reverse.

To add a pop or color, I appliqued a butterfly on both sides in the reverse colors.

I used the butterfly shape found in my Photoshop Elements program and enlarged it to fit a 8 1/2"X11 sheet of paper.

Keeping with the butterfly theme, I appliqued tiny butterflies on to a onesie using shapes from the Martha Stewart template link found at the bottom of this post.

I used it once before on a shirt for my daughter here.

Since baby girls seem to be popping up all over, I made another blanket for a friend's baby girl using a bunny shape I found on the Internet(just Google "bunny silhouette" and make sure the images are royalty free).

I appliqued a white bunny in felt to the hot pink side of the blanket and a pink and white dot bunny to the pink and white polka dot fabric. Both pieces of fabric are 1 yard each of flannel.

I made a matching bib with flannel using the pattern from here from juicy bits blog.

Another friend's baby girl was born last week, so I appliqued a different bunny silhouette using a vintage pillow case as the bunny fabric on to a onesie.

Since the white bunny on the white onesie wasn't showing up (surprise!)I stitched around it in hot pink thread. I did highlight the nose with a pink satin stitch and add an eye with a french knot.

Here are a few ideas for silhouette images:

*The shapes feature in the Photoshop Elements Program
*Martha Stewart templates- bird, and butterfly
*Hummingbird Applique at Juicy Bits Blog
*Any free SVG images on the Internet - they are for Cricut machines and are usually simple silhouette graphics
*Rabbit Silhouette here on free clip art blog
*Check out any free clip art on the Internet for shapes

big shop update

2012-01-25T10:24:00.005-05:00

I have been adding all sorts of new charms to my etsy shop. I have a few new custom options -

tiny bracelet charms

graduate charms

CTR charms with initials

and custom name key chains

It's been fun having a little time after the holiday rush to come up with more charms. I wish I had time to work on all the ones I think about or see, but I guess it's best to do things a little at a time.

Check out the shop and since Valentines Day is coming up, be sure to have a gander at the LOVE charms!

new hair clips (i cheated)

2012-01-24T15:14:00.007-05:00

I wanted to make a few new hair clips for Mallory. I made a couple heart clips using Molly's tutorial from Purl Bee. I cheated on the others by just hot gluing resin hearts I got on clearance for 10 cents last year at Hobby Lobby to the other clips.

Now, I did some serious cheating with these star, flower and cupcake clips. I found these felt stickers by Pebbles on clearance at Michaels that come in four packs like for about $1. I thought that it would be easier to hot glue them on clips than to make these felt shape myself. Instant cute hair clips!

hello (kitty) FIVE!

2012-01-23T19:42:00.008-05:00

My youngest, Mallory, turns five today. All she wanted (well, almost all) was a Hello Kitty party. Since she had a party with friends last year, it was a party with family this year. So, she got to watch her brothers eat on Hello Kitty plates, use Hello Kitty napkins and drink from Hello Kitty cups.

When I was younger, I was lucky enough to have a Sanrio shop down the street. I remember saving my money to buy My Melody pencils and erasers and a Little Twin Stars wallet. Back then, Hello Kitty was a bit more unique. Now you can find it everywhere and as much as that takes away from the uniqueness, it does make it easier for a mom to pick up all these trinkets for her daughter!

For her birthday shirt, I appliqued Hello Kitty holding birthday balloons on to her shirt.

I just used the napkin from her party and put it right in the copy machine and enlarged it a bit. I then, used the picture as a pattern for the applique.

Happy Birthday Mallory!

a little more love

2012-01-20T12:29:00.009-05:00

It's an addiction all right. I have been cutting out sugar (my addiction) from my diet as of late due to some health problems, so maybe this has replaced it - the addiction of sewing Love pillows. It's a lot better for my health than the sugar! I made four more pillows using the tutorial I posted here.

I like them all, but I am digging the grey felt applique on the red striped fabric. This might be my favorite.

The hot pink looks cool on the white with black dot fabric. This photo doesn't show the colors well.

I freezer paper stenciled the cream and black one using black fabric paint. I have given a few of these away and plan on tossing the rest on people's door steps since I have been making a few too many.

I am keeping the grey heart appliqued pillow for myself. Got to keep some of the Love at home!

valentine table runner

2012-01-16T08:19:00.006-05:00

I have needed a small little runner on my entry table for some time. I had plans to get one done for Christmas using vintage table cloths, but since the fabrics for it are still sitting in a pile upstairs by my sewing machine, I decided to move on and make one for Valentines day. It's not too long - just 42" and it's 13" wide. I just took scraps of my favorite red and pink fabrics and cut them in to either 2", 3", or 4" wide and pieced them together. I stitched in the ditch for the quilting part. I really need to branch out with some sort of free motion, but for now, I am staying in the ditch. I photographed it on my kitchen table and it looks tiny there, but it is the perfect size for my entry table. I am excited that I got it done. I actually might get the Christmas one done now since it came together so quickly!

love pillow tutorial

2012-01-15T21:28:00.034-05:00

Love Pillow Tutorial

I am so excited to share this simple tutorial with you. You can get this pillow done in about an hour. Isn't that awesome? Also, with so many different color and fabric options. I have made three and have plans for a few more that include hot pink and polka dots! So, let me share the tutorial with you:
You will need:
Love Pattern Pieces (One and Two)
1 front piece of fabric (I used duck canvas) 14" high X 19 1/2" long
2 back pieces of fabric 14" high X 12 1/2" long
fabric paint
sponge paint brush
freezer paper
1 travel pillow 14"X20" (I bought mine at Walmart for $3!!)
1. Print out your two pieces of the Love pattern and trace on to a sheet of freezer paper. Over lap the two so that the "L" goes in to the "o".
2. Cut out the Love letters (ha!) with an Xacto knife making sure you keep the insides of the "L", "o" etc. to use with for the stencil.
3. Iron the freezer paper stencil on to the front piece of the pillow, putting another piece of freezer paper underneath. If you want to look at a freezer paper stencil tutorial closely check out Dana's at Made. I centered it making sure it was 3 1/2" inches from the top of the "L" to the top of the fabric and 3 1/2" from the bottom of the letters to the fabric. And, approximately 3 1/2" from end of the "L" to left side of the fabric and 3" from the "e" to end of the right side of the fabric.
4. Apply the fabric paint to the fabric. It takes me 2 to 3 coats to get the coverage I want.5. Let it dry and then peel off the stencil. If there are any spurts of paint that have leaked, feel free to take a paint brush out and fix it as much as possible. (I had to do this a bit myself!)
6. Take the two back pieces of the pillow and serge or zig zag stitch down one 14 1/2" side on each.7. Iron over 3/8" on the two pieces you just serged and sew seam. I hope your ironing board cover is cleaner than mine!!
8. Line the back pieces and front piece right sides together and pin. Sew all the way around with a 1/2" seam.
9. Zig Zag stitch or serge all the way around to make sure the ends don't fray especially if you are using canvas.
10. Turn right side in and it should look like this on the front and back.
11. Stuff the pillow form in to the new cover and take it to the nearest couch to admire.
OPTIONS - You can also use this Love pattern as an applique like I did on this black and white dot pillow. I used the pattern to cut the words out of red felt and using Wonder Under and a zig zag stitch, I appliqued it on to the front of the pillow.

scruffy dog applique

2012-01-11T13:07:00.004-05:00

Last night I went to a baby shower for a newborn boy. For the baby gift, I appliqued this little scruffy dog on a onesie and gave it with some nice soft stripey pants.

Here are a few versions I have made in the past and thought you might like the pattern.

You can download it HERE.

simple tote

2012-01-05T21:02:00.004-05:00

It felt good to sew again. It was so cold up in my sewing room that I had to bring the machine down to the kitchen table. But, I was still able to make a simple tote in a few hours. I made it as a belated Christmas gift for a friend.
The dimensions I used were 15" wide X 17" high and the straps were each 24" long X 4" wide - folded in half and then in to itself making 1" side straps. I used the same method I used for the trinket keepers - hole in the bottom of the lining and pulling the outside fabric through. I added some stiff stabilizer to the back of the outside fabric, but not on lining or straps.The outside fabric is Paris Bebe and the lining is by Elisabeth Merrill for RJR Fabrics.
It made me want to sew more. I left the machine on the kitchen table. It won't help our family dinners, but it will help me sew!

new ornament

2011-12-27T22:26:00.004-05:00

I always try to add a few new ornaments to our Christmas tree each year that capture a moment from that year. This is a soldered ornament I made from a photo of me, my siblings and my parents taken at my grandfather's funeral this past September. It was so nice to be with them all and I love this photo of us together. Now, I need to make one with a photo of my family from our Disney trip in October.

merry christmas everyone

2011-12-25T15:30:00.003-05:00

neighbor gifts

2011-12-23T07:39:00.004-05:00

I kept it simple this year and thought I would pass it along. This Christmas I gave out Ikea frothers (thank mom for shipping them!) with hot chocolate. On the tag it says, "We WHIP you a Merry Christmas! Love, the Underwoods." I love these little frothers. They make your hot chocolate and hot caramel milk (my favorite) feel fancy. Sweet and simple!

surrounded by elves

2011-12-22T21:23:00.003-05:00

Just in time for Christmas...some new little elves. I have had the idea to make clothespin elves for my tree for quite awhile, but couldn't find the time. So, a few days before Christmas and they finally arrived. I took a few photos of them along the way, so that I could one day create a tutorial. That will have to be for next Christmas. I put thread through each of their hats and hung them on my tree today. Love that they could join us!

hand print snowman tile tutorial

2011-12-05T07:50:00.013-05:00

I needed a craft idea for my son's first grade class party and saw these ornaments on the eighteen25 blog. I found out that we couldn't do ornaments for his class, so we thought maybe little tiles that they can take home and put easels.
Here is how we did it:
Supplies -
White, black and orange acrylic paint
1 foam paint brush
1 4"X4" tile (I found a box of these in our garage - it's a mess, but also has a few goodies)
toothpick1 - Generously paint the inside of hand with white paint just down to the knuckles.
2 - Pressed it hard on to the tile and let it dry for about 10-15 minutes.
3 - My seven year old used a toothpick to create the eyes, buttons, nose and brim of the hat with black and orange paint.
4 - He used a flat 1/4" wide brush in a upward sweeping motion to make the rest of the hat.

It's done! Now, let it dry and put it on an easel or attach a ribbon with glue and hang it on the tree!

on my way to a craft show...my first

2011-12-02T12:48:00.004-05:00

I have had a few kind friends allow me to use their homes for Open Houses for my jewelry, but I have never been in a craft show. This Saturday will be my first. I am going to be at Christmas in Anchorage here in Louisville, KY. I need to be thinking about how to set up since that's going to go on tonight. Instead, I am on the computer searching for gift ideas. I guess I am nervous, so I am distracting myself. Here are a few new charms I made this morning while I was avoiding other things!

cyber monday is here

2011-11-27T22:09:00.004-05:00

I am posting this tonight, Sunday, because I need to run out early in the morning. But, there is a CYBER MONDAY deal in my amazing mae etsy shop and I am happy to offer 10% off your entire purchase. Use the promo code - CM10OFF. That's a 10 (one and zero) and then, OFF.

noel

2011-11-26T17:57:00.003-05:00

I bought the big gold letters spelling "NOEL" from Hobby Lobby last year for my mantel. I am not a fan of gold. I wanted to change them last year, but time got away from me. It is nice and warm today...perfect for spray painting gold things green, right?

so thankful for mom

2011-11-22T22:27:00.007-05:00

I got a package in the mail the other day addressed to my boys Boston and Trevor and myself. It was their birthdays so getting a package wasn't too much of a surprise. But, included along with their birthday gifts from my parents was a surprise for me. It was a Fall table runner that my mom had made. I needed and wanted one of these. I have a few tables around here that need some dressing up...real bad. So, it is perfect. It might have even inspired me to make one of my own for Christmas. We'll see...

applique turkey pattern

2011-11-21T09:00:00.005-05:00

For those who wanted the pattern for the turkey applique...follow this link!

*just fixed the link to publish on google docs. let me know if it doesn't work.

giving thanks for turkeys on t-shirts

2011-11-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

My friend had a last minute idea to applique some turkeys on t-shirts for our girls. She saw this one over here and thought we could do something similar. In a few hours we had two shirts appliqued - one for her girl and one for mine. I forget how much I like to sew since it seems like I rarely get a chance to do it anymore. I drew out the pattern for this applique since there wasn't one on the blog we got the idea from. Let me know if you want me to post it!

cyber monday

2011-11-08T10:57:00.006-05:00

I am going to be hosting a Cyber Monday deal over at Mique's Thirty Days Blog on Monday, November 28th. If you go to her blog that day, there will be a special deal in my etsy shop for Thirty Day readers. I am excited because I have been working hard on many new charms - in all new shapes and sizes for the shop! Check my facebook page (AmazingMaeCharms)soon for a preview.

Bless this mess

2011-10-27T13:04:00.001-04:00

Working on my template for a couple of days -- ignore the mess

seven magical days

2011-10-26T19:51:00.005-04:00

We just got back from seven days in Disney World. I never thought we would love it as much as we do. We went two years ago for the first time and fell in love with the place. I am tired from this vacation, but not complaining because we had a blast.

because one halloween banner is never enough

2011-10-07T21:37:00.004-04:00

I love making fabric or paper banners/pennants for holiday decorating. A few years ago I made this spooky banner to add to my Halloween decorations. This year, I made another banner. It's a Boo banner that I stenciled on using freezer paper stencils and fabric paint. Quick and easy.

soldered halloween ornaments

2011-10-06T09:18:00.004-04:00

I made a few of these soldered Halloween ornaments last year for my Halloween tree and decided to make a few more this year. I sent one home with my mom and gave the other to my friend. I still have the two from last year, so the Halloween tree is happy and full.

another baby quilt

2011-10-05T08:26:00.005-04:00

I completed another baby quilt this week. I used vintage fabrics and a vintage sheet along with fabric from Girlfriends by Jennifer Paganelli and yellow seersucker. I added 2 inch white strips in between the printed fabrics to help the colors pop. This quilt is for a baby girl, but I think the mom of this little girl is more of a cool mama instead of a girly mama, so I kept the colors cool and not too bright. I just stitched in the ditch for the quilting which made long horizontal quilting stitches. My mom was here visiting so I had her help me (or completely do) the binding. She likes and uses the binding tutorial from Heather Bailey's blog and as I watched her, it seemed much easier than the way I bound the last quilt.

free shipping in the shop

2011-09-23T07:39:00.005-04:00

For one week I will be offering FREE SHIPPING in the may and mae etsy shop! Just use the promo code FREESHIP at checkout and your charms will ship for free. The offer is good until October 1st! Check out the shop.

shop update

2011-09-14T20:23:00.005-04:00

Halloween is just around the corner and I have updated the may and mae etsy shop with some new Halloween charms as well as a few other fun ones - Alice in Wonderland, the Union Jack, and a few Christmas too.

a lil' cutie pouch for a sweet girl

2011-09-13T18:16:00.005-04:00

Mallory wanted me to make her a lil' cutie pouch from Noodlehead's tutorial and she uses it quite a bit as a little purse to carry her change when we go out. So, we thought it would be the perfect gift for her friend when she got invited to her birthday party. We added a special soldered charm necklace for her and put it inside the pouch. Instead of a key ring, we added a large lobster claw on the side so that she can hook it on her belt loop when she takes it out with her.

a stash bag

2011-09-09T07:42:00.004-04:00

Awhile ago I got a special bag in the mail from Dana at Made. It has become a perfect bag to carry in my purse where I can keep a treat or two just for me. Although, the fish on the front give it away and the kids know they can probably find some Swedish Fish in there. I thought that my friends might need some candy stash bags of their own. I made a few and this is the one I made for my friend Sara who has recently moved to Philly. I filled it with her favorites - dark chocolate. The pouch is just big enough to carry a few treats, but not too big that you might overload it (but, is that really a bad thing?). I followed the directions from Noodleheads's blog for the Lil Cutie Pouch and just beefed up the size a bit and eliminated the tab for the key ring. Oh, and I lined the outside fabric with fusible medium weight lining just to make sure it can hold all that chocolate and not collapse!

my very first bound quilt

2011-09-08T21:37:00.006-04:00

I am a bit sad that I don't have a photo of it right out of the dryer. You see...I finished it the day of the baby shower and took photos before I put it in the washer and dryer. I didn't get it pulled out until a few minutes before I left for the shower that night. I loved how it looked after it had been dried. The front fabrics are a combination of fabric left from outfits I have made for Mallory in the past. The back is fabric I picked up at a flea market a few years ago. I like that color combination is made up of both new and vintage fabric. I got so excited that I finally overcame my fear of binding a quilt that I have already started a new one for another little baby girl!

a personalized charm for a friend

2011-08-02T19:24:00.003-04:00

I have a friend who was able to go to Paris with her husband for their 17th anniversary. For some reason (I think she lost her camera while there) she doesn't have any photos from the trip. So, for her birthday, I made her this charm necklace as a reminder of her special vacation.

dog applique

2011-07-09T21:33:00.007-04:00

I am really not much of a dog person (so sorry), but I do enjoy drawing them and turning them in to appliques. I think they look so cute on clothes for baby boys. So, maybe I am a dog person...just in clothing! Here is a onesie I made for a new baby boy for my friend and neighbor. If there is any interest in the applique pattern, I can draw it and put it in google docs. Just let me know.

a few summer skirts

2011-06-28T19:54:00.006-04:00

I have been in the mood to sew recently. Plus, I want to use up my fabric stash. I had a clear a space upstairs in order to do it, but for a few simple skirts, it was worth it.

First, she wanted a skirt with a blue jay on it (just a blue bird) and that was easy. I think I made it about the main part of the skirt 15" and then added a 4" band at the bottom to applique the blue jay on. The bird applique is from this pattern.

Next I made a few from Dana's Simple Skirt tutorial. I made both double layered. I love them both, but am especially fond of the red, white, and blue one with bias tape. Perfect for the 4th of July.

shop update

2011-06-10T20:04:00.004-04:00

I have been working on some new soldered jewelry and have updated my etsy shop. There are new Patriotic/4th of July charms, initial charms, Coca Cola charms, and some new Paris/New York charms too. All charm purchases come with 24" nickel ball chains as well.

i can't quite tell...

2011-06-06T16:13:00.007-04:00

if I am extra busy so I don't craft as much or a bit lazy when it comes to crafting. I still totally dig it, but I think things changed a lot this year when my six year old started kindergarten. He has juvenile diabetes and it seems as though I spent a lot of time up at the elementary school. I have two older boys and I think I was up there more this school year than I was total the seven years before while the older boys attended. But, it has been a blessing to be up there and see him (them all for that matter) have such a successful first year. And, Mallory (my four year old), she keeps me busy too. But what mom isn't busy with her kids? I guess things just changed here for a bit. I still love this blog and I have been working on a few things lately that I wanted to share with you...

A Coke and diet Coke necklace for my dear friend and diet Coke enthusiast

A charm bracelet for that same friend for her birthday

a birthday shirt for a one year old who was having a doggie themed birthday party

and a birthday banner for that same little one year old for his party

another doggie

2011-05-19T16:28:00.005-04:00

I will put the pattern up for this applique soon since it's such an easy one and I am finding it to be my "go to" applique for every little baby boy.

mother's bracelet

2011-05-12T15:18:00.000-04:00

My mom has eight children. I wanted to make her something soldered for Mother's Day that had her children's names, but I also didn't want her to look like Mr. T with tons of charms on one necklace. The solution was a charm bracelet with tiny 1/2"X1/2" charms. Each charm has the initials of my brothers and sisters and their birth order. I made one for my mother in law too and put charms of horses and some of her other favorites in between the soldered charms since she only had five soldered charms on her bracelet. Can you believe I said the word ONLY to five charms? Five charms equals five kids and I think that's quite a lot!

I haven't put them in my etsy shop yet because I have to figure out pricing. The tiny charms (believe it or not) are a bit more difficult because of their size, yet I still want to make them affordable for those who have many children. We'll see...

it was feeling like summer

2011-04-27T07:31:00.003-04:00

At the time I appliqued on these tank tops, it really was beginning to feel like summer. Now, we are being flooded with non stop rain and thunder storms (that keep us up all through the night). But, as it was feeling nice and warm, I pulled a few tank tops out of my daughter's closet and had her pick a few things to applique on them. She chose the flamingo and an ice cream cone. If I would have had a third tank, there would have been a unicorn as well. Next time. She had a friend over the other day and as dress up, Mallory asked her friend to wear her new tank tops with her along with her tulle skirts from Costco.

this girl loves mud and new pjs

2011-04-11T16:19:00.009-04:00

This post was supposed to be about the new pajamas I sewed for Mallory. I took a few photos of her in them last night. We went outside to take them and when I was done, I went inside to get dinner ready. My six year old came in a while later and I realized he was muddy.

I went out to check on Mallory and realized she had turned the hose on a mud hole to make it even dirtier and was covered in mud. So much for new clean pjs. I can't say I was mad because of part of me loves that she likes to get dirty and play outside with the boys. I was a bit frustrated because I could have put some other clothes on her if she was going to start digging mud holes. I guess I will just have to soak them a bit!

It was rather warm last week and I realized that she didn't have many summer jams, so I was excited to make some for her. Plus, she said she wanted to have a pajama party with me. I have had this sheet for awhile and used Simplicity Pattern #4767 to make her a new set. I used the extra fabric to make a pair of pj shorts for myself. Mother/Daughter pj party, right? Well, since she got all dirty and I really was too tired, the party has been postponed. I know she won't let me forget that it still needs to happen. She says we will have popcorn, a movie, and "NO BOYS!"

bib for a babe

2011-04-07T10:24:00.007-04:00

Sometimes I am very short on time and don't have much to give to a handmade gift. But, I have a hard time giving a gift without a little something handmade. So, a handmade bib is the perfect addition to a baby gift. Here is one I made recently. I always seem to use this pattern from juicybits' blog.

personalized pillowcase tutorial

2011-04-05T10:32:00.006-04:00

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Bridget's blog - Mint Green with Envy a while back and even more fortunate to be asked to guest post over there about two weeks ago. For that post, I created a tutorial for a personalized pillow case. I made two - one for my six year old son and one for my four year old daughter. I will admit that I haven't made anything for my boys in quite a long time and I was thinking that my son wouldn't think much of the pillowcase, but I was wrong because he LOVED it. He is sleeping on it everynight. My daughter loves her's too, but I was expecting her to because she gets enamored with anything new...at least until the next thing comes around! The directions are simple and if you head over to Mint Green with Envy you can get the full tutorial. But, basically, you make a simple pillowcase and use the pattern found HERE to make the child's face and hair that best suits the child you are making the pillow for. I drew these and hope they work for you. You applique them on to the front of the pillowcase using the basic technique of Heat N Bond or Wonder Under to adhere them to the fabric and then stitch around the edge of each piece for the child face - head, hair, eyes, hair bows, etc. You can also applique the child's name using 2 1/2 to 3 " letters of your choice. It's all simple and a fun way to add some personalization to their beds. *Remember - the applique pattern is for personal use only*

soldered derby necklace giveaway at louisville family fun blog

2011-04-04T22:51:00.006-04:00

Right now the Louisville Family Fun Blog is hosting a contest to give away one of my soldered charm necklaces. The necklace in the contest has two soldered pendants that have a Kentucky Derby theme and a silver chain included. Go over check out the rules and enter the contest. It ends Thursday, April 7th, at midnight. Good luck!

PS - This blog is awesome for locals and anyone planning to visit Louisville as well. It has so much information on what to do around town and upcoming events. I always check it out for weekend information so that we can find something cool to do here in River City!

new easter charms in the shop and other stuff

2011-04-01T14:37:00.006-04:00

I listed several Easter soldered charms in my shop a few days ago. I also have some Kentucky Derby charms I am about to list soon. I tried to get them in the shop before I headed to San Diego last week, but I was too rushed for time. In San Diego I was able to meet my niece, Velzy, and catch up with my parents and siblings. It was so nice and relaxing. I just took daughter with me while the boys stayed at home with dad. We hit In N' Out, Konos in Pacific Beach, and I got to shop at Trader Joes. I always have a list of a few places I need/want to go to when I am out there. I came home to some very cold weather and was told I missed snow while I was gone. I am so looking forward to Spring. I have Spring Fever which means every day when I get dressed, I just look at my capris hanging in my closet and wish it were time to put them on. Then, I head to the jeans and longs sleeves and just stare - wishing it just wasn't so. Soon, right? In the mean time, I will keep going knowing that Spring weather is just around the corner!

for baby...again

2011-03-30T08:06:00.003-04:00

I haven't done much in terms of creating (unless you count messes) except for the appliques I made for a new baby gift. Lots of babies being born around here and I tend to stick to the same gift! Here's a lion and a dog that I added to a few onesies for this particular baby boy. Now, I need to come up with some for a baby girl that will be born very soon!

posting at mint green with envy

2011-03-17T22:55:00.005-04:00

Since I don't post over here as much as I would like, I thought I would try posting on Bridget's blog - Mint Green With Envy! I am posting a tutorial for a child's Personalized Pillow Case. My kids are already using theirs and tonight had a pillow fight with them. So, they are a hit - ha! Check it out.

lil cutie pouch

2011-02-27T19:12:00.005-05:00

I have had Noodlehead's Lil Cutie Pouch book marked for quite awhile now - wondering if I could make something with a zipper. I know, I know...it's not too hard to sew with a zipper, but I have this fear you know. One of the first dresses I ever made (which was a Sew Easy pattern by the way)had a zipper in the back and I struggled putting it in such a small 12 month sized dress. That might have scarred me a little.

Anyway, the directions for the pouch were so clear and it was easy to make. I made it for a friend for her birthday and filled it with chap stick and gum and then made a matching key fob to go with it.

And, yesterday I went to Hobby Lobby and bought 7 more zippers, so that I can make an entire collection of these little pouches. They are perfect to attach to the inside of your purse so that you have easy access to the essentials.

my new favorite necklace

2011-02-24T15:11:00.005-05:00

I have been making these soldered stick pendants (just 1/2" X 1 1/2") lately and I love that I can add a few to the bigger charms on a chain to make a little ensemble of my favorite things.

I have been finding images to put on the back of these new stick pendants. So far I have New York (Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building), Utah (vintage beehive), Paris (Eiffel Tower)- (not shown) and California (the beach and a few others). I am hoping to find great images that will represent many of the places you all might be from! Let me know what you might like on the back of these charms. I am interested in hearing. I will list the ones I have just made soon in the shop.

she loves pigs

2011-02-23T19:19:00.004-05:00

She loves them because they are pink (I think). She has about 3 or 4 stuffed pigs that she carries around and puts in bed with her at night. They are named piggy, cotton candy, taffy and one is even named Traci Underwood after moi (lucky me!). Whenever I ask her what she wants me to put on a shirt for her, she says, "a pig." I laugh and go on and add a bird, a cat, or a something else that is not a pig. I didn't think that she was serious about having a pig shirt, but after having her ask me to make one for almost a year, I decided it was time to give her "the pig shirt" she had dreamed of...
Don't tell, but she wore it for two days straight just so that she could wear it to preschool on the second day. It made me feel good that she liked it that much.
I tried to put the snout up high enough to make room for a mouth, but she said her pig didn't have a mouth because, "pigs don't talk mom." Then she said they "oink" out of their noses. She said she just wanted a bow on the top of the pig's head so that she would look like a girl pig. So, pigs don't talk, but they wear hair bows? I appliqued the pig face and snout on using my usual method - wonder under (or Heat n' Bond) and stitching around the fabric for securing it and adding detail. I used dots of fabric paint for the nostrils on the snout and for the eyes.

i made this bird for mallory

2011-02-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

But, I never got a great photo of her wearing it. They were all blury. She was too interested in playing on the computer instead of posing if you can believe? Then, when she came home after wearing it that day at preschool, she had blue marker all over it. I have tried to soak it in Oxy Clean, but there are still marks of blue. So, it's sitting on my dryer waiting for me to try something new to it. Soon... Oh, and the bird applique is from my drawing that I have a pattern for on my side bar.

did you say you wanted to see more appliques?

2011-02-14T08:00:00.004-05:00

I don't think that any of you did. But, it seems as though that's mostly what I am working on lately. I had another baby shower to go to last week and that calls for more appliqued onesies. At least in my mind it does. And, just to warn you...I have a few more baby showers to go to yet, so I don't think these are going away any time soon.

This time I only officially appliqued on one of the onesies. I found a cute doggie silk screened shirt in a catalog and made my dog to look similar. I love this little dog and re sized him a few times with the copier so that I could add him to a few other items in the future.

On the other I used a freezer paper stencil that I made from the image I found here (The Boy Trifecta Blog) and stenciled him on with fabric paint. I added a button for the heart. Don't mind the wrinkles!

making valentines

2011-02-12T08:00:00.007-05:00

The school my kids go to doesn't allow any food/sweets for holidays, birthdays or parties. Sometimes it's a bummer because it seems like the cute crafts have candy involved. I do know that in the long run we make up for the lack of sweets at school by having way too many at home. So, it may be a good rule for their school. Maybe. Because of this rule, I have to be a bit more creative when it comes to Valentines cards every year. Last year I found some for the boys that turned in to little soccer fields or basketball courts (little balls included).

This year, I found some for my nine year old that folded in to paper airplanes with 4 different styles. He thought they were cool, therefore, I was happy. For my six year old, I turned an easy Valentine cross word into a Valentine postcard. We added sports themed pencils to the cards for the boys and plastic heart bracelets for the girls. We just wanted these to be a bit better than the commercial ones where they just sign their names. Hopefully the kids will like the word search as well as the additional trinkets.

As for my four year old...she goes to preschool, so her Valentines were full of candy!

charms for girls

2011-02-11T13:25:00.004-05:00

These aren't necessarily for little girls, but for hometown girls - Little stick charms to remember your roots. I am a Kentucky transplant and have been here over 11 years, but I grew up in San Diego, California and still consider myself a California girl. I am starting to feel like a Kentucky girl too since I really love everything about Kentucky. These stick charms are only 1/2"X1 1/2" and are perfect for adding them to a chain that already has an initial charm. I am going to make a few more and stick them in the shop soon.

for gavin

2011-02-03T14:21:00.005-05:00

A few weeks apart from each other - Abby and her cousin Gavin. So, I made few appliqued onesies for Gavin to welcome him as well. His dad is a surfer, so I thought the VW Bug with the surf board on top would be perfect. I also made a different version of the monkey applique I made here. I added the word monkey with a freezer paper stencil and fabric paint. As I was cutting it out with an exacto knife, I was wishing I had a Silhouette or a Cricut. Got to save my pennies for one of those!

for abby

2011-02-02T08:03:00.003-05:00

A new little niece means a new little dress with a bit of applique. I didn't make the dress - it was an Old Navy special (love the additional 40% off sale items). I love the pink and red together. Since it's a 12 month dress, I thought it might be nice to add a cupcake (it will be around her birthday) and in Valentine colors (it will be around Valentines Day). I hope I didn't go over the top by adding her name. It just seemed like something was missing when I got the cupcake appliqued on. Well, she won't be able to hand this one down unless she finds another little Abby to give it to! Now, all this dress needs is a pair of leggings and I found a pair of red glitter shoes at Target (you know the ones) in a size that I think will fit a 1 year old!

be mine banner

2011-02-01T15:21:00.009-05:00

I love seeing all the many Valentines banners out in blogland right now like here, here, and here. I already have 3 banners hanging up at my house right now for Valentines Day(this one, this one and this one), but I wanted to make one anyway. I decided I would make one for a friend. I had an idea of what I wanted and then when I went upstairs I started to make something totally different. A lot of times I end up making something with what I have on hand because I want to do it right then and don't have the patience to wait until I can get something at the store. Plus, I have this idea that some day I can use up all the fabric (scraps and all) that I have in my sewing room. Impossible? Maybe, but I am up for the challenge.
The banner is simple - just 14 6X8" tan rectangles layered in two's and sewn on three sides - leaving the top open. That made seven rectangles. Once turned right side in and pressed, I was ready to cut the BE MINE out of black felt with Wonder Under on the back. I used the Pointedly Mad font from dafont.com. I cut the heart out of red felt with Wonder Under on the back using a heart stencil. I ironed the letters and heart on each rectangle and top stitched around them. Then, I had a long piece of red double fold bias and attached them to in between the fold.
Don't mind the blurry photos. We have had overcast days and it seems like sunny days are few and far between. I guess I need to take what I can get!

mallory's turns four - think pink!

2011-01-24T16:41:00.015-05:00

A party of pink, pink, Princesses, Tinker Bell, Dora, unicorns, Tangled and more pink. This is what Mallory requested for her birthday party. So, I went with the theme "Anything goes as long as it's mostly Pink!" I decorated with lots of pink, a few princesses and a couple splashes of blue since she did invite two boys along with seven girls.

CROWNS - I made these out of large sheets of stiff felt. I found the pattern for the princess crowns from the Koala Brains blog. I added silver sequins to the bottom of each crown. Then, I chose a different color of felt for each heart that I appliqued on to the crowns. The fun part came when I went through all my brads and buttons and added them to the crowns. I was even more excited when I realized I had every one's initials in silver glittered chip board alphabet letters that I glue gunned on. I used a piece of 1" wide elastic and sewed it to the ends of each crown in the back making them fit everyone for awhile - a little give as they grow. For the shape of the boys' crowns, I followed the pattern from the Juicy Bits blog .

TISSUE POM POMS - I followed this tutorial on Martha Stewart.com. I used 10 sheets of tissue for each. They were easy, although some of them were a little bit funky in shape after I fluffed them!

CUPCAKE TOPPERS - I used Photoshop Elements to make 2" circles using the shapes in Artworks and Effects. I added "m's", "4's" and cupcake graphics from my digital scrapbook images to the circles. I punched out the circles with my 2" circle punch. Then, I punched color and patterned paper from my 2 1/2" scallop punch. I attached them to toothpicks and they were ready to put in cupcakes.

GIFT BAGS - For the girls, I had some Tinker Bell fabric I got on the cheap when Wal Mart was clearing out their fabric department a couple of summers ago. I just made simple bags with a drawstring at the top. I added each girls initials to the front of the bags. Now, for the boys, I had some vintage Disney Robbin Hood fabric that my mother in law had given me. They too got initials on the front. I filled the bags with candy jewelry, swirly straws, and PEZ.

GAMES AND ACTIVITIES - Each girl had a wooden unicorn (knights for the boys) waiting for them to color. We added liquid glitter to the manes when they were done. Then, they went to another table and made bracelets out of Life Savers, Fruity Cheerios and thin elastic which they wore throughout the party. We played our version of Pass the Pig. We passed Mallory's favorite stuffed animal - Traci , the Pig (named after me!), and when the music stopped, whoever had the pig was out. The last one remaining, won. After dinner, cupcake eating and present opening, we played Freeze Dance until the parents came.

BIRTHDAY SHIRT - I found a blank pink shirt hanging in her closet and appliqued a cupcake with a #4 on top of it. Quick and easy. The great thing was that she had leggings and a tutu skirt that matched pretty well to go with it.

END RESULT - Loads of Fun!

new valentine and french charms

2011-01-14T18:51:00.003-05:00

I am loving these stick charms - especially pairing them with larger charms on my necklaces. I made a few today for the shop. I plan on making many more. Here are a few of the ones I listed.

gifts from mom

2011-01-04T08:00:00.006-05:00

My mom is amazing in so many ways. To be honest, I love being the beneficiary of her talents. Last summer she came up with this cool camera bag (she needs to make a pattern for it!). I saw the one she made herself and wanted one. I knew I wouldn't sew one for myself. I had forgotten about until I opened up my birthday gift last week. Yippee! I have one and I love it. She made mine from decorator weight fabric (Amy Butler, I think?). It has a pocket on the inside and I love the detachable strap. It sits right on my hip when I wear it across my body. Perfect.

And, if any of you have been reading this blog over a year, you will know that I had great intentions of making this bag - the Amy Butler Birdie Sling. I had most of it cut out and even had the fusible fleece attached. But, it sat on my sewing table for too long until my mom came here in August. She took it home with her. She still has to clean up after me! She finished it for me (really, made the entire bag) and sent it back with my dad when he came to visit in November. I had forgotten about it (I tend not to remember much!) and when he pulled it out of his suitcase, I was in shock. It looked much better completed than sitting in pieces on my table.

christmas card 2010

2011-01-01T16:27:00.003-05:00

front
back

I like to see every one's Christmas Cards and try to get ideas for next year. I didn't have a family photo taken this year, unfortunately, but I was able to find a cute photo of each of the kids to add to this one. I ordered my cards at OvernightPrints.com as 4X6 postcards with envelopes for such a reasonable price. I love that they offer a gloss sheen and rounded corners. It's the reason I chose them for my business cards as well.

shop reopened and updated just a bit

2010-12-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

I put the shop in vacation mode for the past week and a half to spend time with my family. It was so nice, but when I looked for my shop on etsy - vacation mode means your shop is like a black hole. So, it was time to bring it back to life and this time with a few more charms. I have tons more initials to list as well, but as I was listing the current ones at midnight, a child woke up at that time sick. The poor boy was up all hours of the night (as were his parents!) and I hope he gets better soon. We have avoided sickness all vacation...until now. Hopefully, we will all be recovered for a New Years Celebration (or my birthday tomorrow!).

I have some new pendants/charms I am going to be working on for Valentines - the stick sized ones (1/2"X 1 1/2") with some cute sayings and maybe a little glitter. I'll work on those when the kids get back to school. In the mean time, we will work on recovering.

easy last minute gift - key fob

2010-12-16T20:51:00.006-05:00

I am have made some key fobs in the past and even gave many away. I still have pieces of the key fob hardware stored away. You can buy it on ebay pretty inexpensively. Well, I realized on Tuesday that I still needed a few teacher, visiting teaching, and bus driver gifts this week. It was time to make some more key fobs, but just a bit differently than the last time.

I cut out a piece of 5"wide X 11"long fabric and then another piece of extra stiff stabilizer of the same size. I ironed the stabilizer on the back of the fabric. Then, I ironed the fabric in half lengthwise. I opened it back up and then folded each end in to meet that folded line in the middle. Lastly, I folded it in half so it was a nice folded 1 1/4" strip (the correct width of the fob hardware). I sewed a top stitch (1/4" from the edges) down each side and then attached the key fob hardware and key ring. Viola - a quick, yet cute and usefull gift to give.

I made one of these for myself last spring and it is still holding up. I love the stiffness of the stabilizer because it makes it like a loose cuff around your wrist - making it easy to hang on to my keys. I made all of these with Amy Butler's Love fabrics.

cyber monday special at etsy shop

2010-11-28T23:45:00.004-05:00

CYBER MONDAY SPECIALS AT OUR ETSY SHOP -
*MAY AND MAE*

Free 24" silver linked chain with each charm purchased today Monday, November 29th!

Many new Christmas, Santa and Holiday soldered charms to choose from.

Melissa is having a special on her patterns!

Go here to check out the specials.

open house report

2010-11-20T22:53:00.001-05:00

Where am I? I have personally turned in to a solder factory over the last few weeks. Well worth the effort. The open house was so much fun. I enjoyed talking and eating chocolate. But, what's new? I appreciate all who came that night. Here are a few photos.

jewelry open house

2010-11-03T22:10:00.002-04:00

I am having an open house for my soldered pendants. I have a list a mile long of ones that I want to make sure I get done by then! Please come if you are in the area. Just email me for directions!

halloween tree ornaments

2010-10-25T21:30:00.003-04:00

I saw this tutorial and thought these would work great hanging from my black Halloween Tree. The stickers in the center are from the Martha Stewart line. Really easy to make. I need to get working on a few more.

enjoying autumn

2010-10-23T16:22:00.004-04:00

We thought this pumpkin looked like Pac Man

I know this is my favorite time of year because each day that I see the colorful leaves all over my yard, I am excited and don't even want to rake them up. Once when we had just moved in to our house, I had a lady stop by and I apologized for all the leaves everywhere and she said that I was lucky because I had my own natural Fall decoration. I have taken it as such ever since. Sorry to my neighbors who get all my leaves on their lawn!!! We have made our pumpkin cookies, breads and muffins. We have visited pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and have taken hay rides. I have made a few new Fall decorations. Yes, it's a great time of the year. Here are a few photo from our pumpkin patch trips, field trips, and back yard leaf playing.

custom charms

2010-10-17T16:33:00.004-04:00

I love making custom soldered pendants. And, I really love when people have me make them for special occasions. This one was for a friend's sister's 50th birthday. It has a photo of her and her sisters at the beach many years ago. She added a quote about sisters and another initial charm. I added the silver key and extra beads.

my parisian dress from mani mina patterns

2010-10-16T16:53:00.006-04:00

I bought the pdf pattern for My Parisian Dress from Mani Mina Studio on etsy. I wanted to make mine out of corduroy and after searching a couple of stores for print corduroy and not finding what I wanted, I ordered this Robert Kaufman cord on ebay.

Changes I made - (not very many)

*Added jumbo rick rack to the bottom hem

*Added 1/4" elastic to the cuff of each sleeve

another bib

2010-10-14T22:05:00.003-04:00

I made this one too. From the same pattern as this one. I think I made the Scottie Dog from clip art I found on Martha Stewart website.

a few new things

2010-10-08T13:50:00.005-04:00

I really am here. I keep wondering when I am going to post like I used to. I think life has a way of going in cycles and right now I seem to be busy with kids even though three of mine are in school all day. I can't explain it, but it's true. I have made a few things and haven't even taken pictures of them. Maybe that means I don't just make things to blog about them, but I am still not sure that is completely true. It's something I am trying to figure out for myself!

I made a few bibs for new babes over the past few weeks and took a photo of one of them. I used my owl applique pattern for the owl on the front and just used terry cloth for the back. I got this bib pattern from juicy bits blog. Mallory is wearing the bib in these photos and thought it was so funny to wear a baby bib.

I made this hair bow last Halloween. I just ran a long stitch along the length of grosgrain ribbon and pulled it taught so that it formed a circle. I made a smaller one for on top and then added a Halloween button I got in a package from Hobby Lobby. Simple and sweet. Mallory will now wear hairbows - sometimes. That's better than never I guess. Here is a photo of her with the wooden candy corn man I bought at the Country Living Fair two weeks ago in Columbus, OH (that I went to with Melissa) from company called Fried Green Tomatoes in Burlington, WI. He welcomes everyone as they come in the front door.

shop update

2010-09-21T07:36:00.005-04:00

The may and mae shop has had an amazing update! There are new charms - vintage Halloween ones, initials, fabrics, etc. and Melissa has added fabric kits for her bags in great combinations. I am still making more charms - some smaller 1x1 initials and vintage Christmas pendants. Many of the pendants (charms) now come with a chain!

Check out what we have so far.

shop update coming soon

2010-09-03T09:17:00.003-04:00

Been soldering away, so Melissa and I are planning a big shop update soon. Here are a few that are finished so far...Amy Butler fabrics, Keep Calm, vintage Halloween and Christmas postcards, lots of initials, dictionary pages, etc.

another birthday girl outfit

2010-09-01T07:27:00.003-04:00

Mallory had a little friend turn four last week. She decided Ellie would like a skirt and shirt. Since the skirt is a quick make and I have a bit of a stockpile on shirts, it came together quickly. I used Joel Dewberry fabric along with a red and white polka dot from Joann's for both the skirt and applique. The bird applique came from the pattern here.

just got back from

2010-08-03T15:13:00.003-04:00

Natural Bridge State Park and it was amazing. It is in the Daniel Boone National Forest about 2 hours east of Louisville and it is beautiful. Also right in the Nat'l. Forest bordering Natural Bridge is Red River Gorge. It has over 100 natural arches and it is just as cool. We stayed at the Hemlock Lodge at Natural Bridge for 3 days and were able to do some hiking and see so many beautiful things. Our first evening there we hiked up to Natural Bridge which you are able to walk up to and on top of. It was a unusually breezy night and there was no body else there. It was one of those moments with my family that was rare and so nice. We hiked around Red River Gorge as well and picked out where we wanted to stay next time. The Gorge is one of the best places for rock climbers in the US and we saw some of the enormous cliffs that they climb and were in awe. We ate at a place called Miguel's that had some of the best pizza I have ever had and it is also a rock climbing shop and camp ground.

sewing 101 series

2010-07-29T22:00:00.006-04:00

Chris at Pickup Some Creativity has been hosting a fantastic series called Sewing 101. Evey day she has had a different blogger post a basic sewing technique or tips to help in all areas of sewing. Today I am posting over there with Basic Applique.

After I sent her my post, I realized there were a few other tips or tricks that I wanted to include, so I will post them here -

If in doubt, go slow. Slowly but surly helps especially as you go around the curves.

Leave your needle down in the fabric as you do any turns.

Be EXTRA careful when cutting away the excess Stabilizer you have on the back of your applique.

This is the kitty applique I made the tutorial over at my Sewing 101 post.

It got me in the mood to make another one for a friend who had a baby girl a few months ago. I have white onesies in a basket just waiting for embellishment and it's one of my favorite baby gifts to give. I made this sweet baby a cute elephant out of lime green fabric from Amy Butler's Love collection.

wearing the dress

2010-07-28T19:39:00.003-04:00

My husband took a photo of Mallory with his phone after church because she was wearing the dress. She loves it. I love that.

ps - her other leg is behind her leaning on the wall!

peach summer salad

2010-07-25T18:27:00.005-04:00

I've gone to post about my new favorite salad several times, but I stop because I don't have a photo of it. I have decided photo or not, I am posting it because it is just too good not to. I am eating it right now and it is just so summery. I found this salad (or the bare bones of it) in Southern Living, but I changed it quite a bit and love it my way. Of course, I never tried it their way, so the original may be just as good.

Peach Summer Salad for Two

1 large ripe peach

1 large tomato

1/4 cup pecans toasted (and I add just a bit of brown sugar)

2 Tbs. red onions in little julienne slices

1/4 cup fresh mozzarella chunks

2 tsp. fresh basil chopped

Dressing:

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 Tbs. brown sugar (or less)

1/4 tsp. salt

Pour the dressing on the salad and let it sit. The longer it "marinades" the better it tastes. Enjoy!

the dress that followed your advice

2010-07-19T11:39:00.005-04:00

When I posted about my daughter's lackluster love of my homemade clothing for her, many of you gave suggestions to help solve this problem. I took that advice and let her pick out the fabric and the pattern. That was easy - why didn't I think of it before? She chose this cute fabric by Anna Griffin with bunnies. I even gave her a choice of a few dresses and she chose this easy McCall's pattern 5613 (view C). I made her the size 4 because she is a tall 3 year old, but it turned out quite a bit too big. So, I made a casing in the back top seam and added elastic to it which helped a lot. It is still a bit too big, but she can wear it. Before the elastic casing, it was so big that I don't know when it would fit her. She even tried it on and it's so full that she loved spinning around in it. It will look cute with her turquoise leggings. I think I am going to have more of a say a lot more often.

chirstmas in july

2010-07-18T18:40:00.009-04:00

Every year I tell myself in the craziness of it all, "I'm going to start so much earlier next year." It's hard to think about holidays (unless you are in Australia!) when it's blazing hot outside. But, you will thank yourself when it freezing and you are NOT running around like a chicken with her head cut off because you were so totally prepared for the holidays. Cindy Lou at Skip To My Lou along with According to Kelly and A Southern Fairytale are hosting a Holiday Bake, Craft, and Sew Along. Each lady will be posting baking, crafting, and sewing ideas that will prepare you for your gift giving for the holidays.

*This Friday, Skip To My Lou, will feature my Eyeglasses Case Tutorial. Check out these blogs each day to see the amazing ideas.

weekend yum

2010-07-16T18:48:00.003-04:00

My favorite candy bar is Twix. My husband brings me a 10 pack (the small ones) of Twix instead of flowers for Valentines Day and any other time I need a pick me up. When I saw this recipe at Baker's Royale, I nearly died and went to heaven. I am making these this weekend. Tell me if you do as well.

summer reads

2010-07-13T14:58:00.004-04:00

Lately, I have been asking my friends and family to give me some reading advice. Sometimes I just need to feel like I am on vacation while all kids are home and reading does that. The other day we went to our friends' pool and while the kids swam, I lounged and read. Now, who needs to go to the beach? I do, but a day like that will do when I can't. So, I thought that I would share some of my summer reads that have been kindly suggested by my sister Tanya, my friend Cheryl, and others -

1 - The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

2 - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

3 - Tess of the D'urbevilles by Thomas Hardy

4 - Hester: The Missing Years of the Scarlet Letter: A Novel by Paula Reed

5 - The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

I would reccommend all of these books. My favorite has been The Forgotten Garden that my sister, Tanya, suggested. I just finished it yesterday and now I am taking a break from reading for just a bit. Any suggestions for when I start back up?

a mosaic of pendants

2010-06-24T19:09:00.006-04:00

I haven't put any new pendants in our etsy shop in months. I have been busy making them for my friends and family and I love doing that. A lot of teacher and birthday gifts. I try to work on them just a few days a week, especially now that the kids are home from school. I think I will work on a few different lines for the etsy shop - pick an initial, then pick a back and I will make that pendant custom. It's easier do that rather than to guess what you all would like and putting them in the shop. I am going to work on that for next week.

new look pattern #6690

2010-06-19T22:54:00.003-04:00

This is an easy dress to make. I made it as the gift I wrote about in the last post. I used Tanya Whelan's Grand Revival Design's Barefoot Rose collection for the fabric and New Look Pattern #6690 view E. I left off the ruffle because I like to make things super easy and added lime green rick rack to the bottom. It was so quick that I am going to make one for Mallory and let her pick out the fabric just to be sure she will wear it!

i've never gone this long without a post

2010-06-18T17:46:00.004-04:00

We have been busy with Scout Camp and Cub Camp and Girls Camp and.... you know how it goes. But, I did spend most of my day yesterday in my bonus room cleaning up the area I craft in and it felt great. I did manage to make a few things while it was a complete disaster and that was a bit fun to craft in a room that you couldn't even see the floor, but I am thinking it might be better to make things with a fresh slate too.

My dear friend is having a baby any day. And she hopes that any day is today. Since she has moved across the country and we couldn't throw her a baby shower, we decided to put a Baby Shower in a Box together for her from a few of her friends back here in Kentucky. I am told she hasn't opened all the gifts because she is trying to save them and have something to look forward to after the baby girl arrives. Great for her, but I need to wait to show you a few things that I sent her. I do know that she saw this banner that was packed in unwrapped, so here is the banner I made for her baby girl's room -

And, here's the packed up box - all ready to ship!

mondays

2010-05-24T09:56:00.005-04:00

It's Monday and I will admit that I got the boys off to school and then headed back to bed just to rest for a bit. An hour and a half later I woke up and am feeling quite out of it. I wanted to get a jump start on the week because it's the last week the boys are in school and I have a TON to do. So, now it's 10 am and I am sitting in my work out clothes, trying to get this darn exercise ambition going. But, while I am waiting for that to kick in, I thought I would share a few things -

1 - The blog c.r.a.f.t has a m.m.m (making monday marvelous) feature and she has featured the Road Trip Pillowcases that I made last summer for our friends. I am going to make some for my children this summer.

2 - My friend Karyn at Releases by Rufydoof gave me a Kreativ Blogger award. Now, I met Karyn back in 1990 when she came from Australia to San Diego to be an exchange student with my best friend Angie. I had just gotten my driver's license, so we all had a blast driving around, shopping, and just having a great time. We still keep in touch sending each other gifts to each other for special occasions. This girl has an awesome talent for jewelry making and has been featured on the cover of beading magazines. For this award I must tell you 7 things you may not know about me -

1 - I got a degree in geography and tourism from BYU and still study the atlas at night before I go to bed.

2 - My husband asked me to marry him on the 50 yard line of the BYU Football field and I agreed because he had 2 tickets to Italy in his hand he was offering me as well.

3 - I grew up in a family of 8 kids and thought I would have 8 children as well. I now have 4 and truly believe that 4 is the new 8!

4 - My favorite music is ska. My favorite groups are Madness, English Beat, Special Beat, General Public, Ranking Roger, The Specials, and a few others. I need to make a good mix for my ipod to help me exercise. That might help get me off the couch!

5 - I grew up in San Diego and used to love to camp and the beach. One of my favorite things was when we would spend weeks and weeks camping at the beach and you would get so tan, even the tops of your feet and you would have Flojo marks!!!

6 - I love Kentucky. I moved here with my husband and family 10+ years ago and never want to leave. When I go back to visit my friends in San Diego they always ask if I am sure that I love it. There is just something good here - the people, the scenery, and the feeling. I pass by a horse farm every day on the way to the store and I live in the city!!1

7 - I love my family. I love these little pip squeaks that are in this house and my detail oriented, scout loving, Spanish speaking, home building husband. He's cool. Sometimes I am not. I am glad he loves me anyways. And, I love my extended family and wish that the states between Kentucky and California weren't so big (or even there - just put somewhere else, not gone altogether) so that I could see them more often.

Okay, enough about me on this Monday morning (it's now afternoon). I am off to exercise....maybe.

apron for kate

2010-05-21T07:57:00.004-04:00

I am grateful that my friend asked me to sew an apron for her daughter. I am happy to make it because it gave me a reason to dust off the machine. I'm serious - I need reasons now. I did find that as soon as I was done and had Mallory trying it on, she did want one. So, I now have a reason to keep the machine going since she wants one too. For the apron, I just traced a store bought apron I had for my boys. I added a ruffle and made it reversible too. I love a reversible apron because who knows what mood you are going to be in when you want to wear it and with this, there is an option. I think I need more reversible clothing! That would give me more options and if I spilled on one side, then just turn that shirt, skirt, etc. over. A thought. I added a bird applique on one side with a pocket, but since I don't like making pockets, there isn't a pocket on the other side just her name.

In other news, I went to see Wicked last night. Still love it. I decided next time I see it, I want to take the kids. They have been tortured with the music in the car for the last year and a half and the need to see the story that goes with it.

Okay, that's all, but let's hope my postings are a bit more consistent. Lots of jewelry, but I won't bore you with any of those photos. Cute custom orders though!!

confessions

2010-05-05T18:34:00.008-04:00

Do you want to know the truth? The truth is - my daughter won't wear anything I make for her. It's true. It's been since last Fall. Suddenly, she stopped and said no to anything handmade and went for her Princess, Minnie Mouse, and Dora shirts and dresses. She won't even wear hair bows and headbands. And, if you knew what happened last fall you would know that she really could use a few! I could blame it on my seamstress skills, but she's not that picky. I think I will blame it on our trip to Disney World in October (therefor a new love of Princesses) and the fact that she is the youngest of 4 and knows too much too soon. Why? I had three boys who don't really need for me or want me to sew much for them. When I had Mallory, that's when I really started to try things. I don't spend more than 10 minutes a week upstairs in my craft room. I can make jewelry downstairs and I have been doing that more lately. I sit upstairs and try to be inspired, but you know how it is...the more you do - the more the creative juices flow. So, I guess that means, if you aren't doing much, they might not flow at all! Will she grow out of this? I hope so. Are there other reasons to sew? Of course. I just need to get some juices moving again. Here are some tutorials that I hope to win my daughter over with -

- Lil Blue Boo's Border Fabric Sundress Tutorial

- The Pearl Bee's Rose Barrettes

- Simply Modern Mom's Retro Ruffle Dress Pillowcase Dress

- Calico's Easy Headband Tutorial

- Make It and Love It's Girls Ruffle Front Shirt Tutorial

Do you have any other awesome tutorials to suggest? I know I don't just sew because I have a girl, but it was a bit more fun - especially when she needed things like shorts, dresses, etc. and I could pick out at a pattern and make them for her. I just thought my window to make things for her would be a bit bigger!!!

derby pie

2010-04-30T14:28:00.006-04:00

Why not end on a sweet note? I love Derby Pie. Okay, I really love my version (that I got from allrecipes.com a long time ago) of Derby Pie only because I like to use pecans instead of walnuts and got without a top crust. Here is a bit of history about the original Derby Pie -

The pie originated at the Melrose Inn here in Prospect, Kentucky (my parents stayed there when they came out for my wedding reception back in 1996). George Kern came up with the recipe for this delicious pie made up of walnuts, chocolate and a great crust. When trying to decide on a name, many family members had ideas of what it should be called. They put all the choices in a hat and drew out Derby Pie. In 1968 it became so popular that they registered that name and patented the recipe. To read more about it go to the official website here. It's so popular that you can buy it in the freezer section of the grocery store any time of the year.

Well, I will give you the version I prefer and you can try it or you can order your own Derby Pie here.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie from allrecipes.com

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup and 2 Tbs. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust (I use the frozen ones!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, flour, melted butter, salt, lemon juice, and corn syrup. Mix thoroughly, then stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes until set and golden.

the mint julep

2010-04-28T09:50:00.007-04:00

I had never heard of a mint julep until the time I came with my husband to visit Kentucky during Derby time. I think we had been married about 2 years. There were ladies dressed up in old fashioned attire greeting arriving passengers at the airport by handing out bourbon ball candies. We went down to the Pegasus Parade. My father in law took us to the Seelbach Hotel for the famous Derby Brunch. And, we watched the Kentucky Derby and at Derby Pie. It was quite a Kentucky experience and I really loved it all. We didn't drink any mint juleps, but I did learn what they were and thought it fascinating that there was so much tradition in this one event.

Last year Bobby Flay was here for the Derby and I remember him having his own version of the mint julep that he was actually selling at Churchill Downs the day of the Derby. He was a preDerby host of a few events and his julep has a black berry twist to it.

Of course, the traditional mint julep is also popular because of the famous Kentucky Bourbon that is used in it. Here is a bit of the history about the drink. We are NOT alcohol drinkers, so this is a non alcohol version that would be great for all family members. It comes from a book (one that I love and use for parties) Drinks Without Alcohol by Jane Brandt

Kentucky Derby

4 or 5 mint sprigs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup lemon juice, fresh

1 1/2 quart ginger ale

Wafer - thin lemon slices for garnish

Rinse mint and remove stems. Place sugar, water and lemon juice in a bowl, mix and then stir in mint leaves. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Fill large pitcher with ice cubs, and strain liquid over the ice. Add ginger ale and lemon slices and serve.

And, here's a version at Family Fun that is pretty similar.

stick horses, floats, and other derby fun with kids! oh -and pendant WINNER

2010-04-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

I will admit that I depend greatly on the schools for celebrating the Derby with my kids. They always have stick horse races, float parades, and other fun and games. I guess it's like a local holiday - the kids even get out of school the day before on Friday for the Oaks Race. Here are some ideas of fun my kids have had thanks to their teachers and schools (and a bit of help from mom)-

1 - Derby Floats and Parades. In kindergarten, my oldest boy, Trevor, and I worked on a Derby Float that would be walked around the school in a parade along with all the other kids. We took small squares of tissue paper and wrapped them around the tip of a pencil and glued all over a shoe box. The highlight was the glittered horse on top. Trevor is 11 now and we just said goodbye to that float last year because he loved it so much.

I don't have a photo of Black Nitro (although I did just put him away in the boy's room, but there is an example of one like him being carried by the boy behind my son)

2 - Stick Horse Races - Another great event the kids do at school and we have done at our church Derby Parties. It's as simple as making a horse head out of poster board (doubling it) and stuffing it lightly with newspaper. Then, staple it all the way around, putting a large dowel rod in the neck. The one my oldest (again) made in Kindergarten is still around and he named him Black Nitro. The younger siblings still ride around the house on him. Of course, when you have an entire school that has made these, then a great horse race ensues.

3 - The Hats! If you pop on over to The Polka Dot Chair, Melissa's friend, Ali, has posted a few ways to make Derby Hats with your kids. There is no such thing as a visit to the Derby without a hat. It's what hats were made for.

4 - Games - Kentucky Card Derby Game from Family Fun. I tore this out of their magazine at least eight years ago and it was a hit with my kids. Head over to their website here and follow the directions and rules.

We spend Derby Day one year with our friends, the Deshlers. They had a great way to get all of us cheering for certain horses in all the races throughout the day. Did you know there are many races on Derby Day and the Kentucky Derby is only one of the many and not even the last race of the day? Well, you can easily find out all the names of the horses in each of the races online. Print out their names and numbers and for each race, let everyone pick a name out of a bag or hat. You become enamored with that horse and it's amazing how a no name one minute becomes YOUR horse as your cheer them on. The winner gets to pick a candy bar out of a bag. My kids loved it and it is something that we have done ever since we learned it from our friends.

Okay, now for the winner of the giveaway from yesterday - #6 Baby.Got.Craft

email me and send me your address and I will mail this little horse pendant to you ASAP. Thanks for all the kind comments and I love that there were so many horse lovers.

kentucky derby soldered pendant GIVEAWAY

2010-04-25T22:47:00.007-04:00

To get this Derby Party started, I thought I would begin with a giveaway of one of my soldered pendants and silver ball chain necklaces. This pendant has a vintage images of a horses on both sides. It's a 1 inch x 1 inch square pendant and has a glass pearl bead dangling from the top jump ring. It's perfect to wear on Derby Day or classy enough to wear any day of the week knowing you got it from a Kentucky Girl - transplanted Kentucky Girl! I am making this giveaway really short and sweet so that I can get it to you ASAP.

So, you have until tonight (Monday, the 27th) at midnight EST to leave a comment. I will pick the winner Tuesday morning and hopefully have it in the mail to you that day or Wednesday. That means, you need to leave an email or a way for me to contact you and get your address with your comment. It makes it quick and easy that way.

Good luck and as they say in cheering on the horses in the Kentucky Derby, "Go Baby Go!"

new business cards

2010-04-24T11:57:00.003-04:00

I ordered business cards from Vistaprint and they did not turn out great. They cut off the turquoise border even though I re sized it several times so that it showed that it worked on their template. I was frustrated when I got them. So, in the mean time, I printed some out myself and tried to spiffy them up a bit by sewing them on a scrap of fabric. I think I like the result. Now, I just need to find somewhere else to do the printing before I use up all the ink on my computer. Any suggestions?

derby giveaway

2010-04-23T20:55:00.002-04:00

Melissa at The Polka Dot Chair is getting the Derby Party started off a little early with a great giveaway. What a great addition to any Derby Party - Kentucky Derby Plates and a great napkin holder. Get over there and sign up because it's a quick one. She is picking the winner Sunday night so that she can get these to you on time to celebrate the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

warm california sun and a derby celebration

2010-04-22T11:49:00.009-04:00

I just went to visit the family for a week in San Diego. I took my two youngest (the ones not in school yet) and it was a greatly needed week with family. I was able to meet my new nephew, spend time with my sisters, celebrate my mom's birthday and spend a day at Disneyland. My two children that were with me on the trip had never been, so they were extra giddy that day. Gage claims that Mallory had been before since the last time I went to Disneyland, I was pregnant with her. But, I don't think that counts. My sister made a jewelry holder that turned out awesome and she and my mom were suggesting ways you could add a piece of fabric on the bottom to hold your earrings. I'll have to get to work on that.

Right before I left to San Diego, I finished up a piece of jewelry for a local cause that was having a Derby Preview Party and auction.

I was also able to make a necklace for my mom's birthday along with a case for her glasses. I finished some custom pendants as well. I love doing those, so if you need one for Mother's Day, convo me or send me an email and we can work together.

Okay and now that I am back and rolling, here is an invitation to join me and Melissa of The Polka Dot Chair for our Derby Party. It starts next week and here's what you can enjoy -

- Giveaways (starting this Friday, April 23rd over at The Polka Dot Chair)

- Craft Ideas

- Recipes

- Party Ideas

This is a chance to show you what fun we have during the Derby Celebration that started last Saturday with Thunder Over Louisville - a large fireworks show. We have chow wagons along the river that are there for two weeks and lots of activities, parades, and entertainment. We just pick out a few of these to attend and usually have a little Derby party of our own. Lots of fun, so come and join in!