From An Igloo

New Life

2012-02-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

May I come back?
I know it’s my blog but I feel the need to ask after just disappearing without an explanation for so long.

The second part of 2011 was lousy. No doubt the worst year I have had in my adult life.
Life is hard.
Yet, most of us choose to keep living and to stay hopeful. I’ve decided 2012 is going to be better.

My youngest sister is about to have a baby girl. I worry about her a lot. She lives far away from me and I can’t be with her right now and it hurts. She called 2 hours ago to say labour is starting. Probably why I am coming here to post after so long. I’m nervous and anxious for her and wish nothing more than I could be there holding her hand. I don't know what to do with all of this nervous energy.

Last week I made this for my new precious niece.

Crummy unsharp photo taken in this dark room just now.

I’ve posted about both of these patterns in the past.

I crocheted the booties on what would have been my 2nd youngest sister’s 25th birthday (I have 4 sisters). This new baby girl will be named after her. Sitting here on that day I hoped it would lessen the heavy feeling in my chest.
My sister passed away this past summer.
My biggest hope is that this new baby girl who will have her name, will also bring some healing to those most hurting.

The little vintage buttons on them came from my grandmother in this box.
She passed away in the fall.
Although hard, it was easier to understand her passing. She was 90. She was the only other person in my life that talked sewing with me. Last week I donated some of the things she has sent me over the years that I will never use. One of the things was the moo moo. I can’t help but wonder where it will end up.

If you have ever had someone close to you pass away maybe you will have thought this way too. You wonder where they are exactly, what they are doing. If they are happy, if they are looking down on us so to speak. I’ve lost a stepfather who was a dad to me and I loved more than anything. Two years ago I lost my real father who later in life became a best friend. There have been times I have felt them so close and haven’t doubted they are still with me.
I haven’t felt my sister.
I’m comforted tonight knowing exactly where she is. I know without a doubt she is with my youngest sister surrounding her with love as this new baby girl joins this world.

No promises to how often I will be around, but I’ll try to pop in more often.

A Cute Little Dress

2011-06-11T17:05:00.000-07:00

Now that I haven’t been blogging so much, aside from working on a big project, I’ve had a chance to sew a few things from patterns.

This is the Hannah Dress from the pattern maker Yeppar, on Etsy. Truly one perfect pattern for my big girl. She is no longer a fan of princesses or anything twirly. This dress pleases both me, and her.

A little more tailored looking than your average little girl’s dress. A crisp clean collar and flared short sleeves.

The front on the dress goes quite low, but the front button piece can be moved higher or lower as needed. The lowness of the front could have been in part to the roomy fit of the dress on my girl. I could have easily made a size smaller for my string bean.
There are a few pleats on the front…

And they’re mirrored on the back.
If you like this pattern too, there are a few things you should know…

The pieces do not include seam allowances, and some of the pieces call for different seam allowances.
I think there is an easier way to do the armholes. Read through the instructions completely before beginning and you may think that too.
Even though I have a thin child, I feel the pattern is roomy. Take measurements, you might want to size down.

A tip from me…
If you think a dress might be roomy, or could fit into the next year, when cutting it out add an extra inch to the hem.
I forgot to take a photo but I made a deep 1 inch hem. Because this dress is so roomy on her, next year I can undo my hem and make it smaller, adding length to the dress.

Her personality in a nutshell. :)

I bought this pattern, and Yeppar has no idea who I am. Just wanted to share a pattern I liked.

Assembly Line Sewing

2011-05-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve missed you!

Without going into details, I’ve had an up and down kind of month. I’ve worked a little bit on a project I’ve had going for months, but am not ready to share quite yet. Other than that, my machine has been off until yesterday.

Our weather has been beautiful! And, finally with the presence of warm weather, I discovered little Dude just doesn’t have any warm weather wear. Two lonely T shirts, that’s all he had.
Well, until yesterday.

This was the first T shirt off the press (or machine).

Then came 6 more.

Sewn assembly line style (did all the cutting, then all the shirt bodies, then the bindings, then did the topstitching) enabled me to complete 7 shirts in just a few hours. And, sewing for a little boy, having the same style T shirt works A-OK. One shirt to trace and he now has a T for every day of the week.

Little Dude is obsessed (that’s an understatement) with dinosaurs and pirates. Lucky for him the few boy knits I’ve collected, mostly in surprise boxes, fit with the theme.

Do you sew for your boys? Truth is Little Dude receives very few things from my machine other than jammies. For a long time I worried that if I made him clothing it would look too “look at me and the funny lookin shirt my mom made me”. Then one day I decided just to go for it and I haven’t looked back. T shirts are so easy, so if you’ve never made one you should give it a try. Make one for your littlest and you will hardly use any fabric at all. All of these T shirts were made out of basically scraps. I should sew for the little guy more, but girl sewing is just so much more fun. There is a certain satisfaction to be had though with making half a play wardrobe in only an afternoon.

Here are some tips to create a great looking t shirt...

If using stripes cut your pieces so that when you sew them up your stripes are going to line up. It makes a nicer looking shirt, although you’d be surprised how many store bought shirts have stripes that don’t line up. It irks me. Line your stripes up and your shirt will look better than store bought!

To make your T look just like one you’d buy in a store, do two rows of topstitching around your bottom and arm hems. You can use a double needle, but I’m not friends with my double needle. I do two rows the old fashioned way.

Make sure to topstitch your neck binding down, and when doing so make sure that you take that extra time to make sure your topstitching is smooth and even. No wonky sewing or uneven seam allowance. Little things like this make all the difference.

Nobody will look twice at your Little Dude’s T’s and feel sorry for him that his mom dressed him funny.
And, he’ll love them more. These dino and pirate T’s came with lots of hugs and kisses.

Never sewn with knits? Check out my Knits 101 Post and Needle Confusion Post, they might help! You can also find a link to the Lil' Blue Boo Hoodie sew-a-long under the Tutorials tab at the top of the page for a few more pointers.

Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later! :)

Lily Bird Giveaway Winners!

2011-04-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right?
Ready to find out who the winners are?

#39, 91, 3, 17, 20, and 30

You'll have to trust me on this one and will have to look up your comment to see if you are a winner (although if you are I will do my best to contact you later tonight)!

I broke my right thumb. Ironically I was moving around the sewing room when it happened and dropped the lid of storage cube on my hand. Thus the hemming tips haven't made it to the blog. My Jalie pullover remains unhemmed.
Did you guys get yours finished? I'd love to see them if you feel like uploading them to the Sew-a-long Flickr Group!

My thumb has been hurting like crazy (thus I don't feel like copy/pasting all of the winner comments). You don't realize how much you use your thumb until it is hard to use. My girls went to school with really bad hair today. Looked almost like Dad did their ponies. And their buns for ballet. They were interesting. :)
I finally went to the Dr, and after him working on my thumb with a lighter and a paper clip, at least the throbbing has gone away (I won't go into details but I'm sure you can imagine what happened there- ouch).
Now I hope the bone heals quickly and I can get back to sewing soon.

Have any of you ever had a broken thumb? How long did it take to feel better? Thankfully mine is broken above the knuckle so I can still move it.

If you are popping in and this post is days old and you're wondering where I went, see THIS post.

Thank you again for reading! I'll try to pop in, in the next couple of weeks. :)

If you missed this past giveaway and haven 't been over to Lily Bird Studio yet, pop over and check them out. Adorable patterns for your little people!

Sew-A-Long Interruption

2011-04-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

If you’re keeping up with the sew-a-long and read my post yesterday, you know that I was having issues with photo storage.

Thank you to sweet Charity who commented letting me know about Windows Live Writer. It’s awesome! If you have a blog, you should try it.

That said, that is all I had time for. To figure it all out (I still haven't completely figured it out). I still do have a hemming tip for you, but that will have to wait until the weekend. We have a really busy day today.

You know, I just realized though that I didn’t share anymore with you about my now 7 yr old’s, sniff, candy themed birthday party.
Like usual, we went home made on the cake.

There actually is cake in there!

I first saw the idea HERE.
If you missed it, check out THIS post for free candy themed birthday printables. :)

Hmmmm...anyone know how I can get my signature to stay in Live Writer?

Jalie Sew-A-Long Day 3

2011-04-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ready to dive in and get most of your pullover done?
Before we begin, a couple of things...

I'm sorry for the crappy photos- it was dark.
I just reached my limit for photo storage on Picasa. Should I pay for more or is there an easier (free) way to host my pictures? Anyway because of this I had to scale down the pics. So, we're missing pics of a couple of things but hopefully what I lack in pics I can make up for in text! :)

What are we looking at? The result of losing a couple of photos (I promise I've kept the important ones)!
Try to ignore this photo for a moment and take your shirt front piece and your shirt back piece and put them right sides together. Sew the shoulder seams. Now we'll get to this picture.

Grab one of your arm pieces and matching the midpoint of the top curve to the shoulder seam sew on your arm piece. Do this to the other side as well.
It's a good idea to pin first, and it is a good idea to sew it on with the arm piece on the bottom and the shirt piece on top. Much easier to navigate the curve on your machine.

Now sew your side seams on each side. Start at the bottom of the arm and go all the way down to the bottom of your shirt.

Ok, Jalie now wants you to hem the arms and the bottom of the pullover. Don't do this just yet, we'll do it at the end. That way you can try it on and have a better idea of the length you want.

Starting a couple of inches up on one side of your neck opening, stay stitch 1/4 inch in. Go around the bottom and then up the other side a couple of inches. Jalie says to do this on the right side of your shirt, so do it on the right side unlike me (it doesn't really matter).

Make sure that your pullover is right side out and pin the bottom of your collar to the bottom of your neckline. See the next photos for more details on this!

When pinning on the collar make sure your raw edges are even and the 1/4 inch seam on the side of your collar is aligned with the 1/4 inch stay stitching that you just put around the neckline.

And on the right, same thing. Seam on the collar lined up with the stay stitching on the neckline.

Now, sew along the bottom of your neckline/collar to join the two pieces. Make sure that you start your sewing exactly where the 1/4 inch seam on your collar starts and end your stitching on the other side in the same place. DO NOT go over this line or you will end up with puckering on your neckline.

This was really hard to take a photo of, so stay with me and hopefully you will get what I'm trying to say. :)
To the right of the photo is the bottom of your neckline that you just sewed. After doing that start matching up the rest of your collar with the edges of your neckline and pin all the way around. This is about tricky at first, but just be patient. make sure the seam at the back of your collar is right in the middle of your back piece!

Here we are all pinned.

Now, starting at the bottom of your neckline, sew all the way around to join the collar to the body of your pullover. If you can, sew along the collar seam that is already there. As you can see by this photo I chose to sew just outside of it. If you end up not sewing exactly on the seam you will be able to see stitching when you turn it right side out and I didn't want to chance that.

Make sure when you first start at the bottom of your neckline that you again start your stitching right at the seam or you will have puckering.

Say a little prayer that you matched everything up perfectly and turn right side out and you should have this. no puckering! Phew! If you have puckering get out the seam ripper and try again. This can be really tricky, but once you get it, you'll remember for next time.

Now, we're almost done! Just need to hem!
I have a little trick that I like to do when hemming knits that I'll tell you about tomorrow.
That is, if I can find photo storage... :)

Jalie Sew-A-Long Day 2

2011-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I hope you can all forgive this late post. My sewing machine decided to give me a bit of attitude. The foot petal stopped working! It has been giving me some grief for awhile. When I start sewing it just wants to sew one stitch. Over and over again, slowly, then after a minute or two it runs like normal. Almost like it needs to warm up? Well last night it didn't want to work at all. After a couple of hours messing with it I was done!
Today, I turn her on and she is working like normal. Fingers crossed.

So, today we'll work on the collar. Did everyone get their pieces cut?
If you haven't started yet and need some guidance on knits to use, or needles, you can check out THIS post and THIS post back in the archives that touch on both.

Now, for our collar.

Take two of your collar pieces. Stack them right sides together and sew down the longer of the short edges.
Do this with the other two collar pieces. You don't need to finish these seams, they won't show.

Now, unfold both of your collar pieces and stack them on top of each other, again right sides together. Sew all along the top curved edge, from one end all the way to the other.

Turn right side out and PRESS. Please people, press! I don't like to iron things in my daily life, but this is so important while you are constructing a garment. It will make your finished results so much nicer. Press the seam in the middle of your collar flat.

Now, the pattern asks you to finish your bottom edge by using a zig zag stitch, and then putting in a stay stitch 1/4 inch up. If you have a serger you could just serge the bottom, but I'm using my sewing machine.
Now, I find when doing a zig zag stitch on knits it can sometimes bunch them up a little bit. Because of this, I chose to do a straight seam 1/4 in and then zig zagged the edge.

It is hard to see in the previous pic, but this is what you want. A straight seam 1/4 inch in and then a zig zag stitch finishing the seam. Don't mind my zig zag, my machine was having an issue...

Ok, now we want to fold our neckline as shown matching the short raw edges. See next photos for an important note.

When pinning the raw edges you want to make sure on the left that the top layer of your collar is pinned to where you have your 1/4 inch stay stitching, not right to the very edge.

And, on the right, the same thing. The bottom layer should line up with the stay stitching.

Sew together with less than a 1/4 inch seam allowance (I used about 1/8th).

Now, when you open up your collar (looking at that seam), this is what you should have. See how the seam allowance is free at either side?

Ok that is all for today, but now that my machine is back to normal we'll aim for a morning post tomorrow.
If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I'll try to answer them in that post! :)

Now, I need to go and scream. I just heard that we are expecting a snowstorm tonight. Tell me it will end!

Jalie Sew-A-Long Day 1

2011-04-12T06:18:00.000-07:00

Are you guys ready for the first day of our sew-a-long? Like always, if you have any questions, leave them in the comments section of this post and I will try to answer them in tomorrow's post. If this is the first you're hearing about this sew-a-long and are wondering about the details, see THIS post.

Today we are going to measure, trace and cut. Probably to many of you this seems pretty self explanatory. I don't want to leave any beginners hanging, wondering what to do. So, let's start with the basics.

Measuring

Jalie gives a great diagram on the pattern showing the three measurements you should take. You can then match them to the sizing on the envelope to choose your appropriate size. Now, if your measurements don't match a size exactly you will want to size up to the next closest size (of course if you are semi experienced with patterns you can cut between sizes but for those of you that are beginners sizing up to the next closest size is the easiest option).

It is very important for you to measure yourself! Don't just choose the size you think you wear in store bought clothing. Although Jalie I feel is pretty true to size, many pattern sizes do not reflect accurately the sizes found in stores. By taking the risk of not measuring you are putting yourself at risk of spending your precious time making something that will wind up too big or too small.
Try to not to get hung up on the number on the pattern and focus on the fact that you will have a well fitting pullover. We all wish we were a size 4, but what is the point in having a size 4 top if you'll fit a size 10?

Once you have figured out your size you can look at the top of the size chart for a coordinating letter. That letter is the letter you will want to trace on your pattern.

Tracing

The reason you want to trace your patterns is so that you can use them over and over in a multitude of sizes. If you cut into it you will most likely be stuck only able to make that size.
Now, those of you that sew on a regular basis I'm sure have your own way of tracing. Pattern Ease paper is very popular and like brands can be bought in your local fabric shops. Paper specifically made for tracing patterns. Easy to see through and easy to use.
I never, or rarely ever, use pattern paper. The reason is, it is expensive for me to buy here. Or at least more expensive than what I use....

See that photo above? I know, pretty horrible photo, but it is my pattern taped to my sliding glass door. It gives me more than enough light to be able to just trace my pattern onto regular easel paper. You know the stuff you buy your kids on rolls? Whenever any of my friends are going to the city, and to Ikea specifically, I get them to pick me up several rolls (it seems to be the cheapest place). They last me a long time and are really cost effective. I cut out my pattern pieces and store them in large ziplock bags.

Here are my pattern pieces. You should have a trace of pattern piece A, B, AB, C and then either D (collar version), or E (hood version). You will see the hood on my tracing but I will be completing the sew-a-long with the collar version (I accidentally cut through my fabric with my rotary cutter thus not giving me enough fabric for the hood).

Cutting

Piece AB is needed to make up the back as well as the front of your pullover. To cut the front, piece together piece A with AB as shown (remember to cut on the fold with your stretch going width wise).

And here we are with piece AB paired up with piece B to make up the back (again cut on the fold with stretch going width wise). The pattern advises you to tape the pieces together but I didn't.

When you're finished cutting this is what you should have.

1 Back Piece
1 Front Piece
4 collar pieces
2 Sleeve Pieces (also cut on the fold)

We'll stop here because I realized at this point that I didn't have any dark thread. :) See you tomorrow when we'll get sewing!

Lily Bird Giveaway!

2011-04-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

This may be the last giveaway on my blog, and it's a good one! :)

Have you heard of Lily Bird Studio? If you're thinking no, take a close look at the patterns. Cecilia from So Tei Tei has changed her name and has some new patterns for sale!

Love these cute skirted leggings! These are so popular right now, I see them everywhere.

What could be cuter on a little boy than a little button up shirt? Does Dad have some old shirts in the donate pile? They're perfect for making shirts for little boys.

Are you enjoying nice weather? Our snow is finally melting and it makes me so happy! Always puts me in the mood for summer sewing, and this dress is adorable.

These cuff shorts though, are still my favorite.
Many of Lily Bird Sudio's patterns go all the way up to a size 8, have clear step by step photos, and are really reasonably priced.

For the Giveaway

Head on over to Lily Bird Studio, come back and leave a comment with your favorite pattern.
6 winners will each win a pattern of their choice!

One comment per person please
Giveaway closes Friday April 15th 7PM PST
Please leave a way for me to contact you if your email isn't in your blogger profile.

Good luck! :)
Check out the Lily Bird Blog for free patterns and tutorials! Cecilia has some really cute things on her blog I think you'll love. You can also follow Lily Bird Studio on Twitter to keep up with all of Cecilia's latest pattern news!

See something you love and don't want to wait?
Lily Bird Studio is offering all of you a 15% discount on your order. Just enter IGLOO15 at checkout! This discount will be good for the duration of the giveaway. :)

See you tomorrow to start our Jalie Pullovers!

It's Quiet Around Here

2011-04-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have something to share with you, but first....

Are you ready for next week? We are going to sew the Jalie pullover! I know I haven't really advertised this sew-a-long since my post in early March. I hope some of you will still be sewing it with me. Truth be told I still haven't even opened this pattern, and I've heard through the grapevine that it can be a little confusing. Let's all hope this isn't the case, and I can actually help some of you! :)
If this is the first you're hearing about this sew-a-long, you can read a bit more about the pattern we chose HERE.

Now, for my news.
You have probably noticed things have been really quiet around here the past few weeks. I have been busy. Basically just busy with my children and everything that entails. My kids are really and truly my life. We spend a lot of time together and my husband and I both try to stay involved in just about everything that they do.
Because of this I sew at night, sometimes in the middle of the night. I steal other moments when I can. Sewing is really a great stress reliever for me and something I love to do. This blog has been such a great and fun place for me to come to share sewing related things as I don't know a single person in my real world that enjoys the same hobby.

That said, sometimes when I'm sewing at midnight, I just want to sew. Keeping up with this blog has often been a lot of work. Taking photos, editing them, writing posts.... An hour sewing project can easily turn into 4 or more once I take photos and write up a tutorial or pattern for all of you (which I have loved doing). But, I just don't have the time to keep up with it. Giveaway posts also take up a huge amount of time once I grab pictures, write up a post, write a winner post, email everyone involved. It may not look like it, but keeping up with a blog can be very time consuming.

I guess what I am trying to say, in this rather roundabout way, is that after the sew-a-long next week I will no longer be blogging like I have in the past. I was considering shutting down this blog entirely, but have been thinking on it and am going to keep it just as it is, at least for now. So, I hope you will enjoy looking up past tutorials and will pop in from time to time.

I hope to also pop in from time to time. Maybe a couple of times a month. I'll see how it goes.

Thank you for reading, thank you for sharing your photos, I really appreciate it! I didn't know if anyone would read when I first began this blog, and was so happy to meet so many others that love sewing as much as I do.

You guys are the best!

Maintenance Time...

2011-03-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm here, but we are currently on our second week of spring break. Instead of it being nice long lazy days, we've been really busy. Playdates, movies, trips to the play gym, swimming lessons....each day seems to be quickly running into the next. :)

So, its a bit slow around here because things are anything but slow at home. I had a bit of time today, but did some maintenance on the blog that was long overdue.
You don't see anything new?
Click on the "Tutorials" tab at the top of the page. I've fully updated it....I think. There you will find all of the patterns, tutorials, sew-a-longs, and recipes that have been posted here. Hopefully.... I've been known to forget the odd one!
And, yeah, I know the recipe section is a little topsy turvy, but I don't have anymore time to mess with it right now! :) Driving me nuts! One day I'll learn a little more about html...

I hope you are all having a great week! See you in the next day or two!

I Have a Very Important Question For You

2011-03-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt about it. To a kid, making cupcakes is fun.

Actually it's probably more decorating the cupcakes that is the fun part, right?

It's been a long week. I set them up with their supplies and retreated to some relative peace and quiet.
But, let me ask you this. Is the 30 minutes of peace and quiet worth the 60+ minutes it takes to clean up the kitchen afterwards? I don't know, I keep going back and forth on that one.

Those little circle sprinkles don't sweep up easily. They bounce. I always tell myself I will never buy them again, and then I do.
Note to self: don't buy the little circle sprinkles ever again.

What I can tell you, is the sugar induced meltdown that resulted from leaving my little dude alone with a bowl of M&M's for 30 minutes wasn't worth it.

Unfinished Projects

2011-03-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Do you hoard unfinished projects?

I don't. If something frustrates me I either persevere and finish it, or I toss it. Often I have more than one thing on the go at a time, but they stay out where I can see them until they're done.

Yesterday I did a bit of a deep clean in my sewing room and was surprised to find a few random unfinished projects.

I found this Bit of Whimsy Doll. I had started making her for a friend and I'm not sure why I became sidetracked and forgot about her. I was on a bit of a doll making kick awhile back as my 5yr old loves them. There isn't anything wrong with this doll, other than I can't find her other leg. I don't have anymore of that knit either, even in my scrap bin. Would it be weird to have mismatched legs?

I made this dress last summer and remember taking photos to share a tutorial with all of you. I didn't share it though, and can't find the photos. Maybe I will make another?

I finished it aside from the hem and buttons (I was going to add buttons down the middle). My husband said he didn't like it, so maybe that is why I never got around to hemming it. I think this will be too short for my daughter by summer. Maybe I will hem it and gift it, or donate it.

I know this project is close to a year old as well. This was going to be for my 5 yr old (then 4 yr old). It is hard to see on the photo, but when attaching the hood I pinched the fabric in one spot and there is a tiny pinch in the fabric along the neckline above one arm. It bugged me enough that I wanted to take the hood off and put it back on, but I was lazy in that moment so tucked it away. And, apparently forgot about it. I still need to hem this (it is dress length) and hem the sleeves too.
Do you think it is weird to have a nightie with a hood? I'm not sold on this as a dress anymore. Maybe I will take off the hood and just put on a regular neck binding.

And these leggings.....I have no recollection of ever starting these! The waistband still needs to be done as well as the legs hemmed. I have no idea why I made these as my daughter has a pair just like them. Maybe I started this and forgot I started them and made another pair? How does that happen?

So, what about you? Have any sewing projects you need to finish?

Candy Themed Birthday- Free Downloads!

2011-03-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

My oldest is about to celebrate her 7th birthday next weekend. 7?! I don't feel old enough to have a 7yr old, even though I am plenty old enough. Will I still feel this way when she is 17?

I'm not sure if this rings true for all 6yr olds, or just my 6yr old (she is still 6 so let me just live in this denial for a few more days), but she has agonized about her birthday theme for weeks. Of course I told her she didn't need to have a theme, but that suggestion just made her look at me like I was completely crazy.

But, then she came to me last week and said she had the greatest idea for her birthday.
Candy!

A girl only turns 7 once, right? I agreed it was perfect (her friend's parents are going to love me).

Browsing around for images to use for her invite, I came across these.

I purchased them from Woofy World. A cute little shop on Etsy that sells unique and sweet image collections. The images are emailed to you in both JPEG and PNG format and you can then use them in whatever software program you like to use, to create whatever you wish. Invititations, thank you notes, cupcake toppers, posters...really the possibilities are endless. The images are also really inexpensive.

Here is the invite I made for my daughter (I made mine using photoshop Elements)

Ok, this isn't the exact invite, but you get the idea. :)

I asked Woofy if I could make this invite available to you as a free download and she said YES! not only did she say yes but she made up some candy themed cupcake toppers and a cupcake wrapper you can download too. If you find yourself having a candy themed birthday party too, you'll be all set.

Now, I've made the invite completely blank. You can add text on your computer, or just print "as is" and add text the old fashioned way.

I made a blue one too so you can have one that is a little more gender neutral. These would be great for more than just invites. We will be using them for thank you notes also.
These are set to print approx 4 inches X 5.25 inches. I print my invites on high quality card stock.

CLICK FOR PINK CANDY INVITE

CLICK FOR BLUE CANDY INVITE

Here is a photo of the cute cupcake wrapper and toppers that Woofy generously made to go along with the invites.

CLICK FOR CUPCAKE TOPPERS

Aren't these cute?!
My little girl can't wait for her birthday and I'm pretty excited too.

When you get a chance, be sure to check out Woofy World. There are so many completely adorable images, I know you'll find something that you love.

Help me Design a New Room

2011-03-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

My daughters share a room. A very small room.

I know this is a horrible photo. This is one already on my computer from a couple of years ago, taken before the sun was up. That said, their room looks pretty much the same today. Swap out the stuffies for books, and we have the same room.
My girls no longer like their room. Or, at least the almost 7yr old doesn't. She says it is a baby room and she doesn't like fairies or princesses.

My girls need to continue to share. The way the rooms in our house are, the only way they can have their own is if someone moves downstairs. I don't want the kids on a separate floor than us while they are little.
As you can see the room they share is tiny. So, I'm thinking of getting rid of their nice Captain beds and making this.

Image from Ana White. Click over for her plans.

Or these...

Again Image belongs to Ana White and plans can be found at the click.

I would actually love to buy them some bunk beds, but white bunk beds are not in my price range. White is not so easy to find. Especially in Northern BC.

I'm thinking new comforters with duvet covers made out of this. These fabrics are from the Groovy Collection from Riley Blake.

image belongs to Fabric Shoppe

Or maybe the pink colorway.

image belongs to Spiceberry Cottage

Or, maybe both (one likes pink and one likes blue).

I'm personally in love with this other Riley Blake collection (Sugar and Spice), but my girls aren't sold.

Image belongs to Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Now, if I were to go with the 3rd collection, I would paint their walls a very pale turquoise. I think we will be going with the groovy collection though. What color for the walls? :)

How do I talk my girls into number three? :)

Fairytale, Frocks & Lollipops Winner!

2011-03-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Before I announce the winner of the Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops giveaway, I just wanted to thank all of you that commented on my last post. You guys made me feel so much better!
Lately I've felt so overextended and just "down". I find this happens to me every year around this time. It probably has something to do with the snow continuing to fall and not knowing when, if ever, it is going to end! I can't wait to see green grass and smell rain. On Vancouver Island where I grew up, it rained all the time. Makes sense as it is considered rain forest. Anyway, I don't think I have seen rain in at least 6 mos!
Isn't it funny. I expected to miss the mountains, expected to miss the beach, but rain never crossed my mind. Now it is one of the things I actually miss most.
Well, and my laundry is truly getting me down!

But! It is now spring break which means no school for 2 weeks! This makes me happy. I like having the kids home all the time. It's a bonus too to not have to go out in the snow, and to have lazy mornings. I also don't mind playing barbies here and there. :)

Now for our extremely lucky winner!
Remember, the winner of the Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops giveaway is going to win a $25 credit towards anything they would like in this sewing boutique!
And our winner is....

RachellaBella said... 51: Wow! awesome giveaway -- so much to choose from! I would definitely choose a pattern. The Krew Coat from Lily Giggle caught my eye on your post but upon looking at it, I totally fell in love! upcycled pockets and hood? seriously? My boys grow through hoodies so fast but we loooove our hoodies in Canada, eh? I'm putting this pattern on my 'I need it' list.

For those of you that weren't lucky enough to win, Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops is still offering 15% off your order until tomorrow! Enter SPRING 15 at checkout!

I know this blog post is all over the place, but stick with me. :)

I have hesitated to post on the devastation happening right now in Japan. The reason is I feel like I don't have the right words. It is horrible and my heart breaks for everyone there as I watch what is going on in the news. As much as I have tried to make sure my kids have only heard and seen age appropriate things about the devastation, little dude watched a video of the tsunami with me. I didn't realize he was paying attention and now it is all he talks about. He keeps asking me if we are going to have an "earthcake" in our world (his way of asking me if it is going to happen here). He also keeps telling me that the people there are crying and their houses are broken.
Hearing these types of things from a 3yr old, my 3 yr old, breaks my heart. I hate that he is worried about it. He talks about it everyday no matter how much I try to reassure him.

Yet, we are safe. We have homes and food and our family is together and happy.
I wish there was some way that I could help make that possible for those people in Japan that are struggling with all of the above. I know you feel that way too.

I just saw on my blog feed that Living With Punks is hosting a sew-a-long to send shirts to the children of Japan, using a free pattern from Pink Fig. Click over if that is something you might be interested in.

As much as I know we all wish there was something small we could do to help, I think what the folks in Japan could probably use most is money. I'm not sure what the mail is like right now, or how easy it is to get things to and from Japan, but I know there are many charitable organizations that can get the money where it is needed.
If you think you can spare anything, consider putting your weekly latte money somewhere it can make a small difference.

Again, I hesitate to post a list of organizations to donate to, as that is a personal decision.
I recommend The Canadian Red Cross, but that is only because that is the only organization I have some experience with.

If you can donate something, donate to an organization you feel most comfortable.

Thank you again for all of your kind words, and thank you again for reading my blog. :)

Is It Too Late?

2011-03-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Is it too late to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day?
I hope everyone had a bit of fun in their day today. :)

I had big plans to make my girls something to wear out of this ruffle fabric from Ruffle Fabric.

Let's just say my results were interesting to say the least. The good news is that I think I can salvage the fabric and make something else! It won't be for St. Patty's Day though, kinda like the Dr. Seuss attire. Yeah, still not done. Story of my life lately!

The only handmade thing I made for today (besides that apple dress I made months ago) was this little hair tutu (that is what I'm calling them).

Simple to make and really cute for ponies. If you'd like a little tute, I can post one for you.

My day was busy (like it feels like it has been for weeks). I would love an assistant to help me run my life. Do you ever feel like that? I'm a stay at home mom right now. I should be able to handle everything, shouldn't I? Kinda makes me feel like I'm not very good at it sometimes. I've been going to bed with the kids and still so tired and unable to get everything I want to get done in a day, done. *sigh*

I see other moms. Other moms that look perfect, have perfect houses, their kids look perfect, they always have time for cupcakes and cookies and always seem to get their errands done. They make nutritious home cooked meals every night and always seem patient with their kids. How do they do it? If you're one of those moms, I need tips!

Anyway besides the shrieks of excitement I woke up to this morning (a leprechaun left chocolate coins), which was a great way to start my day, I also received this...

Really exciting for me as I sew so much and have wanted one for years! So, now I can't buy myself anything for a really long time because I feel guilty about this (my husband and I just don't buy ourselves things and this wasn't cheap to ship to Canada). The only bummer is I won't be able to plug her in till this weekend.

So, how was your day? Anyone else feeling overwhelmed like me?

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes With a Hidden Surprise

2011-03-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

Do you do anything fun for St Patty's Day? I don't usually do anything other than green pancakes for dinner. Of course a leprechaun visits our house when he remembers, and has been known to turn our milk green and leave a bag of chocolate coins. Last year the girls set a trap to catch him, but he is really clever!

My girls and their friends put together an elaborate trap a few weeks ago. It consisted of a large box, the stairs from their Barbie house, pom poms, glue, glitter and an obscene amount of sequins dumped in the bottom. I'm not sure what the actual trap was supposed to do but it has been sitting in the corner of our family room since.
That is until Little Dude, in a fit of frustration, grabbed it and decided to dump it all over the floor.
Let's just say my vacuum hasn't recovered.
My girls reassured me though.
"Don't worry Mom, we can make another"
Great! *sigh*

Ok, back to the cupcakes. Little Dude and I made these yesterday as a bit of an experiment. The hubby said it would never work.
He was wrong!

So to start we needed green batter. We just used a box mix and added some food coloring. Little Dude wanted the cupcakes to be green and white so I separated our batter and tinted only half green. Then kinda stirred the green into the white, trying not to stir too much so we would have a marble effect. It didn't work great. I suggest just tinting the whole batch green. Or, use a darker food coloring (I just used the light green I had on hand).

See, the green isn't super green or much different than the white.
Where's the surprise you ask?

He didn't see the surprise at first either and knew it was in there (after all he helped me put them in). This is his face right before things get ugly.

Can you see it now?

Before cooking your cupcakes add a chocolate coin to the center! Fill your cupcake pan with batter like usual and then push a coin down into the cupcake batter just until the top of the coin is covered (this will ensure it doesn't sink the bottom and will wind up in the center). The hubby said they would melt and leak out of their wrappers, but they didn't. Just make sure you let your cupcakes cool thoroughly before serving or the chocolate will be all melted in the wrappers. If you wait for them to thoroughly cool, cake won't be stuck to them and the chocolate will be nice and solid again.

By coincidence they are both wearing things I've shared on this blog

He found the coin! Phew, close call.

Super fun St. Patty's Day treat, don't you think? Do you have anything special you usually make? I would love to hear! :)

I used very large chocolate coins for my cupcakes. Please do the same to ensure there is no chance of swallowing. These may not be best for the littlest kids in your life and should be eaten with supervision. Tell the kids beforehand that there is a surprise in the middle!

Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops Giveaway!

2011-03-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about this giveaway! If I could enter my own giveaways I would love love love to enter this one!

How many of you already know about Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops? For those that haven't yet come across this sewing boutique, it is as whimsical and fun as it's name! If you like to sew, you will absolutely love it! Full of beautiful eye candy and in many ways a one stop shop if there is a sewing project you want to tackle.

I'll share a few of my favorite things. :)

Beautiful beautiful fabrics, from many different designers. No matter the project I can guarantee you'll find the perfect fabric.

Trims and notions galore. Buttons, designer bias tape and silk flowers to name a few. Need rick rack or ribbon? They have that too plus so much more.

Tons of patterns, both paper and PDF. They have one of the most extensive pattern collections you can find online!

And, not just patterns for girls, but boys too. Also patterns for everything else you can imagine. They have a huge selection.

Sewing books too! They also carry sewing kits for those of us who would like a project sent to us all ready to go. This shop is really full to the brim with so many wonderful things, there is no way I could tell you about all of them. Click on over and see for yourself. This is going to be one store you'll want to bookmark!

For the Giveaway!

One super lucky winner is going to win a $25 credit to Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops to spend on whatever they choose! :)

How great is that?!

All you need to do is hop on over to Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops. Come back and leave a comment telling me what you think you might buy if you were to win. I know it's hard to even choose!

One comment per person please
Giveaway closes Friday March 18th 7PM PST
Please leave a way for me to contact you if your email isn't in your blogger profile

Did you find something you love and don't want to wait?
Enter SPRING15 at checkout and save 15% off of your order until March 21st.

Good luck!

So Tei Tei Giveaway Winner!

2011-03-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

The winner of the So Tei Tei giveaway wins 4 patterns of their choice from the So Tei Tei shop!

Ready to find out who it is? :)

Anne said... 64 I just bought the cuffed shorts pattern, which she was nice enough to size up for me. I haven't had time to make the shorts, but the instructions are VERY detailed. I would love to have several others of her patterns! Thanks for the chance to win!
My faves:
Pink Dress
Summer Blouse for girls
Unisex pants with Adjustable Waistband
Sleeveless blouse for girls

Congratulations Anne! I hope you enjoy your new patterns!
For those that didn't win, So Tei Tei has some great package deals in her shop right now. Click over to have a look! :)

See you tomorrow for another giveaway you're going to love. Well, only if you love fabric, and patterns, and notions, and and and..... :)

Sew-A-Long Info

2011-03-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

If you've been watching the poll, you will have noticed the Jalie Pullover (2911) was our winner!

I'm excited about this one, who doesn't need another pullover in their life?
I'm a bit nervous too. I've never tried a Jalie pattern. So, hopefully I will actually be some help to some of you. :) If not, hopefully we can muddle our way through it together.

So let's get ready. Find a pattern, find some fabric, and mark this date on your calendar (button to come when I have more than a few mins)...

Jalie Sew-A-Long

April 11th to 15th

I hope most of you are going to make this pullover for YOU, but the great thing about this pattern is that you can make this for your child instead if you choose.
If you order from the Jalie site, I noticed this morning that they are having a sale. Buy 3 and get 1 free (I'm not sure how long the sale lasts)!

Now, some of you have commented and emailed to ask if I would suggest fabric for the pattern that is chosen.
On the back of the pattern, they suggest you make this in a knit with 10% stretch lengthwise and 30% stretch across the grain.

What this means really is that you can choose pretty much any knit as long as it has some stretch to it. Think of the comfy items of clothing you have in your closet. All of those comfy T's have stretch. This is a pullover so you will want stretch to have wiggle room to get your arms in as well as just so it turns out comfy!
I will say that I think you could use a jersey if you really wanted to (or even sweatshirt fleece), but if you do this I would go up a size as jersey usually does not have stretch, or very little.

What am I going to use?
I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a nice stretch french terry.
French terry is a thicker knit, like a thick interlock, but has a brushed underside. You can buy it without stretch, and with stretch. So if you're going with french terry like me, look for the word stretch in the description!

Sewzannes has a great selection of stretch french terry that is nice quality. It is what I used for my girls' Valentine's dresses (I'm not affiliated with Sewzannes in any way).

Tulip Sleeve Dress Little Ruffle Dress

If you'd like some more info on knit types, see THIS post.

I hope many of you will sew along with me! We haven't had a sew-a-long in awhile and I'm looking forward to this one.

Little Ruffle Tunic....or Dress

2011-03-09T06:05:00.000-08:00

How many of you have come across this amazing pre ruffled fabric? Yep, that's what I said, pre ruffled. See all those rows of beautiful ruffles? One piece of fabric. Love it!
When I first came across this fabric I couldn't have been more smitten. I am a mom to two girls, and if you have girls I know you'll want some too (fabulous for mama wear as well). Wouldn't this make a cute clutch?

I was over the moon excited when Ruffle Fabric offered to send a couple of yards my way to try out. They have the biggest selection of ruffle fabric I've seen anywhere, with so many colors. Beautiful, beautiful colors!

So, let's fast forward past winter for a minute, maybe even past spring, and pretend warm days are upon us.
If you're already experiencing warm days, well, lucky you. :) Send some my way please!

I think this tunic is perfect to be a bit dressy at a friend's birthday, or just to be extra girly with a pair of jeans. This would be super cute lengthened as a dress, no? For the record my girls are fighting over this. The 5 yr old loves it because it is pink and frilly (this little one loves all things girly) and the 6 yr old loves it because she says it looks like a rock star shirt (this little one thinks she isn't so little and is anti anything she thinks is too girly).

She's a grump by nature

This tunic is super simple to make. Less than an hour, really. One of the things that is so great about this fabric is that it doesn't need to be hemmed. Just like knits, it doesn't fray!

To get her to smile I had to ask her if tonight I grew a gigantic green fuzzy wart on my nose, if it would be ok if I helped out in her class tomorrow. She said yes. Now that's love.

The bodice is made with knits. Easy and comfortable to wear, and easy to sew (no buttons or zippers).
This tunic (or dress) is also custom made to your child's measurements, so will fit like a dream.

Want to make one? You won't regret it! :)
Ruffle Fabric has so many beautiful options, your hardest part will be choosing a fabric (Someone please make one with the Blue Belle....in love with that one).

Here we go...
This tunic is constructed in much the same way as the Bubblegum Jumper, just without the opening at the back and in knits. If you have been scared to try that tutorial, try this one first, it is easier. :)

Measurements

Measure around your child's chest. Call this measurement A
Measure from where you would like the bodice to sit on the front, over the shoulder to the same spot on the back. It is really easy to make your straps too long, so measure conservatively! Call this measurement B
Measure mid chest down to where you would like the tunic or dress to fall. Call this measurement C

Use 1/4 inch seam allowance unless otherwise noted.

Pieces

Bodice Pieces (cut 4)
Take measurement A, add 1 inch for ease. Divide by 2 and then add 0.5 inches for seam allowance.

My measurement A was 23 inches.
(23 + 1)/2 = 12
12 + 0.5 = 12.5
I am going to cut 4 pieces 12.5 inches long by 2.5 inches
(this will make a bodice piece that is 2 inches wide- If you would prefer a wider bodice adjust accordingly)

Strap Pieces (cut 2)
Take measurement B and add 0.5 inches for seam allowance

My measurement B was 10 inches.
10 + 0.5 inches = 10.5 inches
I am going to cut 2 pieces 10.5 inches by 3 inches
(this will make straps that are 1.25 inches wide. If you would prefer a wider strap adjust accordingly)

Body (Ruffle) Piece (cut 1)
Take Measurement A multiply by 1.5 and add 0.5 inches for seam allowance (call this measurement D).

(23 x 1.5) + 0.5 = 35 inches would be my measurement D

Now, cut a piece of your ruffle fabric measurement D by measurement (C + 1/4 inch seam allow)
My measurement C was 15 inches.
So I will be cutting a piece 35 inches by 15.25 inches

Now, on to the sewing...

Take a strap piece. Fold it in half lengthwise right sides together. Sew down the long edge. Do this with both straps.

Turn right side out and press with the seam going down the middle. Topstitch both edges. In hindsight I should not have used black for the tutorial, but this is simple enough hopefully you can follow along! :)

When I say to press with the seam going down the middle, this is what the back will look like. Set aside.

Grab two of your bodice pieces and right sides together sew down the short edges creating a tube. Do this with the other two bodice pieces as well.

Take one of your "tubes" and right side out pin your straps raw edges meeting and seam side up to the top of the bodice. Fold under to the back of the bodice and pin to the same spot on the back.

For this step it is a good idea to try the bodice piece on your child and pin the straps to their best position. I usually just pin 2 inches to either side of the middle of the bodice and don't have fit issues.

Now, put this bodice piece inside your other bodice "tube". match raw edges and sew all the way around the bodice on the side your straps are pinned. Leave the other side open.

Turn right side out, press and topstitch around the top of your bodice piece.

I forgot a photo of this, but fold your ruffle piece in half widthwise and sew down the short edge to create a tube.

Along the top sew a row of gathering stitches (this fabric is very thin on the parts that don't have ruffles and one row is enough). Gather to fit your bodice piece.

With your bodice piece right side out and your ruffle piece right side in, attach your gathered ruffle piece to your bodice matching raw edges. You can zig zag your seam allowance to finish the seam or leave it as is. These fabrics won't fray!

I lined the seam in the ruffle fabric up to one of the side seams but you could put it mid back. You might notice we only have one side seam. I was ok with that as the ruffles hide the seam pretty well. If you aren't ok with that you could just sew down the other side to create another seam before attaching the ruffle fabric.

Turn right side out and you have a finished tunic! You can topstitch the bodice if you choose (I chose not to).

I've seen lots of skirts made out of this fabric, but it works really well for cute frilly tops too!
Looking at this photo it occurred to me that this fabric would also be super cute on a baby as a little romper. Now I wish I had a baby to make a romper for! :)

Now, I also have a yard of this. What to make....
I'm thinking St. Patrick's Day..... stay tuned!

So Tei Tei Giveaway!

2011-03-07T06:03:00.000-08:00

I took a little giveaway break last week, but I'm back this week with another fun pattern giveaway I think you're going to love.

Before I introduce you to So Tei Tei, how was your weekend? I know things have been slower than usual around here, but that is because things have been so far from slow going at home. I've had so much to do and then throw sick kids in the mix, makes for an exhausting week!

So today, Cecilia from So Tei Tei is here to share her adorable children's patterns. Cecilia runs her shop on Etsy and shares her patterns in an easy to download PDF format. I'm going to share a few of my favorites with you.

When I first saw this cute little summer dress all I could think of was how my almost 7yr old would love this. And, she doesn't like dresses. Isn't this dress so cute, yet mature enough for a 7yr old? Almost 7 yr olds shouldn't be mature. Why is mine? My husband and I had a long conversation about this last night. Like, why is she asking for an ipod for her birthday and not a Barbie, or a baby doll? The hubby thinks kids are just more mature these days. I argue, as our 5 yr old is as 5-yr-old-like as can be. The bigger the twirl in the dress the better and she plays with her baby dolls all day long. I don't see her changing that much in another 16 mos when she is as old as her sister. Is it a first child thing?

This dress is so classic and sweet. The perfect dress for treasured fabrics, don't you think? little buttons down the back make it a favorite for me. I love projects where I can use buttons.

I think these shorts are by far my absolute favorite! Look at the cute cuffs!

All of So Tei Tei's patterns come in sizes 1-6 and some even up to size 8. Cecilia even has some patterns that would be great for boys!

For the Giveaway!
Head on over to So Tei Tei. Pick out your favorite four patterns and come back and leave a comment letting me know what they are.

One winner will win all 4 of their favorite patterns!

One comment per person please
Giveaway closes Friday March 11th PST
Please leave a way for me to contact you if there isn't an email in your blogger profile

You can also read more about So Tei Tei, see additional pattern photos, and find some free tutorials on the So Tei Tei blog.

Good luck!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-03-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know it was Dr. Seuss' birthday today?
Today I was going to post a Seuss upcycle. A dress my kindy girl wore to school today to honor the man that wrote all of the wonderful books my kids love to read. What would we do without Red Fish Blue Fish, or Green Eggs and Ham?
I learned to read with these books, and my girls have too. Which Dr. Seuss is your favorite? We all have a favorite, don't we?

Anyway, I was going to show you the dress she wore to school today, except it hasn't been sewn yet.

In the past day and a half we have had a strange itchy rash (which seems to have gone away thank goodness), a broken van (which seems to be fixed thank goodness), and a fever (which unfortunately has gotten a bit worse).

Running around this afternoon...picking the kids up from school, Daddy up from work, this little guy just sat quietly in his seat (very unusual for him). Every few mins he would say "Mama, can we go home and will you sweep wif me?".
I'm not sure I've ever heard him say he wants to sleep. Isn't it just so sad when the little ones aren't feeling well? We have had a rough winter for bugs in our house. Hopefully this means we've had our share and next winter will be better!

So this evening I've been snuggled up with Little Dude and Tigery (not a typo- that's his name) working on blanket #1 and watching Wonder Pets (yes that's more yarn hanging off the dresser). Usually he takes Hot Wheels cars, or his toy camera, or plastic dinosaurs (pretty much any hard toy he has been playing with that day) to bed. He never takes stuffies no matter how I try to convince him. The fact that he wants to cuddle Tigery makes me sad because I know he really feels lousy. Although, I will be happy not to roll over on a metal car at 1am (yes, he is still sleeping with us a lot of the time).

Dr. Seuss, happy birthday. Tonight we read Wacky Wednesday (this story never gets old with my kids and always takes ten million hours to get through) and The Cat in The Hat to celebrate.

The dress will get done, just not today.

My Calendar Says It Is March

2011-03-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

It is March, isn't it?

Why am I still plugging in my van? Can you believe that someone actually stole my extension cord the other day?

This is the kids' soccer net. Anyone care for a game? Oh wait, Little Dude would disappear. We aren't playing in our back yard right now. This is why.

The snow isn't as deep over by the swings. Last summer Dad shortened the chains and the girls had to jump up to get on them. You'd never know that now.

Anyone care to take a dip in the hot tub? What do you mean, what hot tub?

It's March, and the low for the day is minus 39?!

Even this guy is starting to look cold.

Vote For Your Sew-A-Long Pick!

2011-02-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ok guys, it seems like most of you want to sew something for yourselves.
To be honest, my first thought was no way. I don't sew for me. I'm not sure why.
But, why not?

So, I've browsed around for patterns that I would love to make for myself, and I hope you'll like them too! After all, I don't want to make something I'm not going to wear.
You'll find a poll on the top right sidebar (if you don't see it quite yet, you are reading this just as I've posted and it will be there momentarily).
Please only vote if you think you will participate in the sew-a-long.

This is the Zip Front Hoodie (or it can be made without the hood) from Jalie. This hoodie comes in 27 sizes, from a child's size 2 all the way up to a women's 22! Jalie patterns are a bit pricey, but for this range of sizes I think really worth it. Hoodie jackets like this are a staple in my wardrobe so I would love to do this one.

Ok, don't be scared by the pattern photo! This is the Yoga Pants (also shorts) pattern also by Jalie. This yoga pants pattern looks amazing to me. They have seams down the back of the leg and look really quite like those overpriced yoga pants from Lululemon.
Please tell me I'm not the only mom that wears yoga pants almost everyday. I'm thinking this could be a really great pattern for me. Yoga pants, again a staple. Or, maybe I should say part of my mommy uniform. Again, 27 sizes.

I'm sorry. Another Jalie. For the record I have never made a Jalie pattern before but have only heard rave reviews about them. If I'm going to make something for me I really want to try one! :)
This is Jalie's Women's Pullover. Again, don't let the pattern photo in that weird snakeskin print scare you. I've seen photos of several of these made and I love them. This one can be made with or without the hood as well. You guys, this one might be my personal favorite pick! Again 27 sizes so can be used for kids and for mom!

And, because I LOVE Dear My Kids Easywear, how about this Shawl Wrap Cardigan from Dan.a? I've been meaning to make this all winter but haven't had the right fabric. I know we're heading into spring, but for those of us who live in chilly climates we will still be able to wear this for awhile. And those of us who actually get a spring, can tuck it away until next year.

What do you think? If you would prefer we could maybe make a bag of some sort and I could do these "must makes" on my own. :) I know I could really use a new bag.

Vote if you'd like to take part, and leave a comment if you like. :)
I'll leave the poll open until mid next week, and will probably schedule the sew-a-long for mid April (I know a ways away yet but it takes forever for me to receive things up here and I will need to order patterns and fabric).

I would also like to invite you guys to check out Sugar Cubes and Spice Cake. This is a new cute little sewing blog started by my sewing friend Sandra. She is hosting a girly sew-a-long coming up the end of this week. If you liked the vintage pattern I shared with you last week, I think you'll like the pattern she is sewing up! I'm hoping to sew-a-long. :)

Have a great Monday! I just heard on the radio that there is a moose walking around town. Let's hope I see it!

Tie Dye Diva Giveaway Winners!

2011-02-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Time to announce the winners of the Tie Dye Diva Giveaway! :)

Three winners will each win the pattern of their choice!

Now, for the winners (I have issues uploading photos sometimes on Sundays for some reason, so trust me).
The winners are...

#2, 62 and 75!

Tania said... 2: I love the Sweet Summer Halter Dress! And I have just the cutest fabric for the dress in my closet :)
Tanya said... 62: The ruffled diaper covers are so cute! Shannon H said... 75 I love all her patterns and had a hard time picking :) The Summer Halter dress would be the one I would love to have since I have two girls that LOVE halters!!

Congratulations ladies! I will try to email you momentarily. :)

Head on over and check out Tie Dye Diva's adorable patterns when you get a chance! :)

Warm and Cuddly Blankets

2011-02-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

The first thing I ever learned to crochet was a blanket.
Despite that, I have never actually finished a blanket. I get bored easily.

Well, I started a blanket. And, I may have told my kids that they'd each get one. There's no going back on the plan now. I told them that I will try to get them done by Christmas. Almost a year sounds reasonable, right? This one is for my 6yr old. Her favorite colours are turquoise, purple and green.

I found a great tutorial for this ripple pattern HERE. This pattern is actually really simple, you only need to know two stitches. It is also quick to memorize, so this is an easy blanket to put down and pick up where you left off without using much brain power.

So, I need to make three blankets, and I plan to make each one different. Suggestions on the next one? You know, because this one probably won't be done for months and months!

Also...while we're talking yarn...

I bought this yarn a few months ago to make this cowl for myself. The cowl pattern is easy. This yarn however, is not easy to work with.

Tips on working with yarn like this? I find it so hard to see my stitches and get so confused. I have started, and restarted this cowl over and over determined I am not going to let the yarn get the best of me. I think it might be time to switch to different yarn though because so far I've gotten nowhere.

Anybody else working on any crochet or knit projects?

Last day to enter the Tie Dye Diva Pattern Giveaway! If you haven't entered yet, go check it out! :)

A Lettuce Edge With Your Sewing Machine

2011-02-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

What is a lettuce edge?
We've all seen cute girly tops and dresses (sometimes even knit pants) with wavy hem or sleeve edges. This is called a lettuce edge, and you can do it with your regular sewing machine. No serger required.

The other night I sewed up this little top for my 6yr old for "pink" day. Yeah she has pink in her closet. For some reason when you have a mom that sews, asking her to sew you a new shirt the night before an event at school seems like a reasonable request (or at least she thinks so).

"But Mom, I don't want to look the same as everyone else."
(You see I had tried to talk her into a plain pink shirt already in the closet).
"You think I should wear a plain shirt?!"
(The audacity)

Ok, I'll make you a new shirt. Geesh.

A lettuce edge is great for when you accidentally cut the hem or sleeves shorter than you meant to (which was the case here). I didn't have the length needed for a traditional hem, so instead of giving this to the 5 yr old and having to make another shirt. Lettuce edge it was! :)

Now, just like shirring, every machine is different. What I do on my machine may not work for you. So, just like shirring, practice on a scrap piece of fabric until you get your settings right. A couple of things you will want to do is set your machine to a zig zag stitch, and set your machine to the narrowest zig zag possible. Just like you would do if you were wanting to produce a blanket stitch on an applique.
Then, you will want to play with your stitch width. I like mine fairly wide and prefer more substantial stitching on my edge.

To create the "lettuce" look to the edge you need to stretch your fabric. You have to use fabric that stretches. If your fabric doesn't have a good amount of stretch to it, forget about a lettuce edge. It isn't going to work. Cotton/lycra is perfect!
Now, you need to stretch from both sides of the fabric. When I say both sides, I mean in front of the presser foot as well as behind. You can't do this with one hand, I'm just using one hand in the photo as I needed my other to take the picture.
I use my left to pull behind the presser foot and my right to pull in front. You want to stretch the fabric as much as you possibly can while sewing and gently guiding the fabric through your machine.

See when you release the fabric after it is sewn, the nice ruffly edge it creates?
If you go around the hem once and find there are gaps between the stitches (which can happen if you aren't patient and are pulling your fabric through your machine), just continue to stretch the fabric and go around a second time over top of your previous stitches to fill in the gaps. Just remember to keep stretching even on the 2nd time around.

Lots of times I use embroidery thread to give the edge a bit of a shiny sheen. Regular thread is fine too though!
I like lettuce edges, they are so cute and girly and easy!

Now, go and clean out your machine! Doing this tends to create a lot of lint in my machine.

On an unrelated note, I purchased a few of these really cute embroidered applique patches from Holland Fabrics. Do any of you know where I could find a large selection of these?
I have an embroidery machine, but these are just so cute and fast to use (I like easy). I would love to find some more cute ones! :)

Pattern is my "go to" T shirt pattern- Farbenmix Antonia

A Little Vintage Goodness

2011-02-22T05:56:00.000-08:00

The Sewing Dork, and Brown Paper Packages are reviewing patterns this month. You can find an entire month of pattern reviews on their blogs! From vintage, to PDF's to paper patterns. They've showcased a little bit of everything.
I've had some vintage patterns I've been wanting to try out and when Cynthia asked if I'd like to review one as part of their pattern review month, she didn't have to ask me twice! :)

The only bad thing about reviewing a vintage pattern is that if you are looking for a particular pattern, it may be hard to find. Vintage patterns in themselves though aren't hard to find. just do a quick google search, there are thousands! I can give you a bit of general info though on what you can expect to find in a vintage pattern.

I chose this sweet McCalls pattern from 1968. Adorable, don't you think?
One thing to keep in mind if buying a vintage pattern is that many of them don't come in an array of sizes. This pattern for instance is a size 6X. It shows a range of sizes on the back of the pattern, but this is only to show the sizes it could be purchased in.
This is nice because you don't need to trace. It's a bit of a bummer too though if you'd like more than one size. I would have loved to have had this pattern in a size 5.

This pattern also had additional instructions on how to change the fit for larger girls. This gave me a bit of a chuckle. You would never find this sort of terminology on a pattern today!

This is the face of a little girl who doesn't want her picture taken.

Unlike some other current day McCalls patterns I've used, I felt this dress turned out perfectly. The pattern pieces were well drafted, and the finished result was true to the pattern photo. Unlike many patterns of the 60's and 70's that usually run short, this pattern was quite long and I didn't have to lengthen it. It was big everywhere else too though and needed to be taken in.

A promise of candy. Now she perks up!

I love the sweet little collar and puff sleeves. Such a cute, simple, classic dress for play. This dress was really easy to sew as the front is just a faux placket.

This is a great dress for showcasing great buttons. One thing about a faux placket though, is there has to be a zip down the back.

The only hang up I had on this dress was I had taken the collar off at one point to take in the dress a little to make it smaller for my 5 yr old. I yanked a little too hard, instead of picking my stitches as much as I should have, and made a rip in the back. So, see those two little back pleats at the top? Not supposed to be there...
I had to find a way to fix the rip without having to start over!

I really like this dress and will make it again. Next time I think I'll make one of the more grown up views for my almost 7 yr old.

What do you think?

I have to say I've become a bit addicted to seeking out vintage patterns as of late. You can really get lost on ebay browsing them. Give it a try, I think you'll love them too!

Tie Dye Diva Giveaway!

2011-02-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

I have another fun giveaway for you guys this Monday morning! :)

I'm pleased to introduce you all to Tie Dye Diva! Tie Dye Diva is a cute little shop on Etsy full of cute and fun sewing patterns for little ones. The owner's name is Jen and she has a passion for sewing! All of her patterns included color photos, are computer drawn, and have (most importantly) been tested. Here is a taste of what you can find in the shop.

I love this cute little reversible swing top. Perfect for summer! Are any of you doing any summer sewing yet? I have to admit that I am done with the winter sewing. Not because we are close to winter being over (because we are certainly not), but because I'm sick of it. :)

This Pat A Cake Dress is one of Jen's newest patterns. Look at that adorable little model!

Easter is on it's way, and for those of us who will still be in chilly climates, this fleece hat is perfect!

I have to admit, this is my favorite pattern!

For the Giveaway!

Head on over to Tie Dye Diva and check out all of the cute patterns. Come back and leave me a comment letting me know your favorite.

Three winners will each win their favorite pattern!

One comment per person please.
Please leave a way for me to contact you if you don't have an email in your blogger profile.
Giveaway closes Friday February 25th 7PM PST

You can also check out Tye Die Diva on their facebook page as well as their blog, where Jen also holds giveaways as well as shares tutorials. :)

For those that find something they love and just can't wait, if you purchase a Tie Dye Diva pattern this week and end up being a winner, Jen will gladly refund your money on the purchase price of the pattern you bought if you choose not to receive another pattern.

Good luck everyone!

Shabby Apple Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you for all of your well wishes! I've tried to take it easy this past week and I think I may be on a combination of meds that are going to keep the asthma in control until we can figure out why it isn't going away. It has been frustrating to say the least!
I'll need to see a specialist soon, which means a trip to the big city 8 hrs away. Truthfully I'm thinking less about the specialist and more about the fabric stores I'll be able to visit! :)

Now, on to what I know you've been waiting for, the winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Kristi said... 93 id pick the tuxedo dress...but love them all

The Tuxedo Dress is the one on the left.

Congratulations Kristi, and enjoy your beautiful new dress! :)

For those of you that haven't hopped over to Shabby Apple yet, what are you waiting for? Such a fabulous store to pick up a treat for yourself. Although, they do have things for the little girl and even boy in your life.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a fun Monday morning giveaway, and then some other fun stuff this week! I'm back!

Little Blog Vacation

2011-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten the wet bag tutorial and I haven't forgotten about the next sew-a-long discussion. I'm sorry to leave you hanging, but I'm taking a little break from the blog this week.

I haven't mentioned it on the blog, but I've been a bit under the weather as of late. Some of you may remember me mentioning that I had pneumonia in November. Well, I haven't been the same since. It seems it irritated my asthma and at the moment it is quite uncontrolled, and has been for the past three months. I'm having a particularly difficult week and am going to lay low for a few days.

I'm ok though and will be back soon when I can take a deep breath! :)

If you haven't already, make sure you enter the Shabby Apple Giveaway! It's a really good one!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

2011-02-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! How many of you have big plans for the holiday?
Not much going on in my house, but I do have a really exciting giveaway to share with all of you today. The winner of this giveaway is going to be one happy lady! :)

First, let me introduce you to Shabby Apple. Have you ever heard of them? Until recently I hadn't. I'm not sure where I've been. Shabby Apple is an online boutique specializing in dresses. Not any dresses, but dresses for women of all body types (you can actually shop by body type- so cool!).
Here are some of the beautiful things you can find at Shabby Apple.

Shabby Apple has both Vintage Inspired, and Boutique Collections, or you can browse all of their dresses by catagories (looking for a little black dress?). They even carry maternity (really cute maternity too)!

Although Shabby Apple specializes in dresses for women, they also carry a selection of children's dresses.

This cute little dress is my favorite, and made in some of my favorite fabric!

I have to tell you this too...

They also carry really fabulous shoes and accessories!

For the Giveaway!

One lucky winner will win the dress of their choice out of these three stunning dresses

To be eligible to win, click on over to Shabby Apple.
Come back and let me know which dress you would choose. Will it be the Tuxedo Dress, the Cortez Dress or the Nine To Five Dress?

One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you if your email isn't in your blogger profile
Giveaway closes Friday February 18th 7:00PM PST

See something you love?
Until Friday, receive 10% off your order!
Use fromanigloo10off at checkout.

Good luck everyone!

A Little Valentine This and That

2011-02-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is the poster child for the word mischievous. What is it about middle children? I never believed the hype, until I actually had a middle child. Trouble is this girl's middle name. She has tested me like my other kids just haven't. She has taught me patience....or, she is teaching me patience. When I was looking through the photos I took, it is like she was caught red handed in this one. She is plotting her next endeavour.

Back to the topic at hand.
I have another little Valentine dress to show, that you can easily make with any T shirt pattern you have on hand. Comfy knit dresses are the best. Easy to live and play in.

For my T pattern I used the Farbenmix Antonia (my go-to T shirt pattern). This dress has a basic A line shape. Check out the Little Ruffle Dress Tutorial to show you how you can easily lengthen your T to dress length.

The only other variation I made to the T pattern was to shorten the sleeves and add a little ruffle. You do this the exact same way that you would for adding a ruffle to the bottom of a dress. I made my ruffle twice the circumference of the bottom of the sleeves. Cute way to dress up a basic T shirt dress, don't you think?

Now, I need your help. So far my sweet girls dress is plain, plain, plain. I didn't want her dress to be like her sisters dress. Should I add some type of heart applique? Middle of the chest, or along the bottom? Will that make the dress too Valentiney to wear after Monday? We don't want that!

Now, on to other news...
I am pretty scattered this week, as you can probably tell from this post. I thought I'd add these in here in case you are looking for an easy last minute Valentine treat. From start to finish you can do a bunch of these in about 10 mins tops!

Have any of you been around long enough to remember these Easter Bunny Suckers? You can make these heart shaped ones in just the same way.

Actually you can make any chocolate lollipop just like this. No need to ever buy chocolate molds! You can easily smooth the top of your lollipops with a small spatula if you would prefer them more polished looking. These were just for my kids and their play date friends so I didn't bother.

Have a great Thursday everyone!

If you haven't had a chance to comment on yesterdays post, please click over and give me your opinion!

Sew-A-Long Ideas Wanted!

2011-02-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

We have a tummy bug going around in our house at the moment, so the post I was going to have for you today will have to wait.

I've been thinking though, I think it's time for another sew-a-long. What do you think?

Problem is that there are so many patterns that I want to make, I can't decide.
Is there a pattern you've wanted to make but are too intimidated, or you'd just like some company?

Post the patterns on your list and I'll try to choose a few for a final vote! :)
I love it when I have buddies to sew with!

The Absolute best Sugar Cookies

2011-02-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry things have been scarce this week. I have lots to post, just not the time to do it!
I thought I'd pop in quick and share my most favorite sugar cookie recipe with all of you. If you're like me you might have some class parties to bake for next week (we have a Valentine ballet party today).

I promise these won't disappoint. If you like a soft flaky sugar cookie, this is your recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups real butter
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 eggs
2 Tsps vanilla
1 Tsp cream of tar tar
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp baking soda
4 Cups flour

Cream together butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs and add vanilla
Sift together dry ingredients and mix in with butter mixture
Chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
Roll out 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut
bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes (large cookies)

The key is to bake them until they are *just* done. Watch them close and try to take them out before they brown on the top. I like to take mine out when they are just barely cooked. I like soft sugar cookies. If you like them crispy, just leave them in longer.

I'm lazy, and not a great cookie decorator, so I like to sprinkle mine with colored sugar before putting them in the oven. :)

Mmmmmm.......

Birdsong Bows and Patterns Giveaway Winner!

2011-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

Someone is going to have some new adorable bows for valentine's Day!

And the winner of the Birdsong Bows and Patterns giveaway is...

Tina said... 25: I would choose Felt Flower Funky Loopy Bows and 3 tutorials with video access

Congratulations Tina!
For those that missed last week's giveaway be sure to check out Birdsong Bows and Patterns. Deanna has the biggest selection of bow patterns around. I'm certain you'll find something you can't live without. :)

On another note, I've had several emails as of late asking me where certain tutorials can be found. Maybe I need to make the links at the top of the page larger?
If you look at the top of the blog you'll see a "Tutorials" link. There, you'll be able to find all of the tutorials I've posted over the past year on the blog. :)

Hope you're having a great Superbowl Sunday!

When Winter Seems to Last Forever

2011-02-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon the two littlest were playing downstairs in the playroom while I was upstairs. There is a bathroom adjacent the playroom and I could hear the water go on, off.....a minute later on, off.....a minute later on, off (you get the idea). I thought I better investigate.

This is what I found.

Me: What are you guys doing?
Sweetpea: We're pretending that it's summer.
Me: What are all the pots of water for?
Sweetpea: They're swimming pools for our ponies!
Me: Oooooh, of course!
Sweetpea: Mama, how many more days till summer?
Me: Hopefully the snow will be gone by the end of April.
Sweetpea: Oh good! Yay!

It's a good thing she is 5 and really has no concept of how long it will be until the end of April.

I left them to their fun, the water bought me 30 mins of peace and quiet! :) After all, they did have the sense to put a towel down. I was impressed!

I've heard from people that have lived here their entire lives that they have seen snow in every month of the year. A friend said it snowed the day after her wedding. Which was in.........JULY!
Hopefully I will never ever ever see that.
3 out of the 4 years we've lived here there has been a snowstorm at the end of May. Isn't that lovely?

I know some of you haven't had a chance yet to enter the Birdsong Bows and Patterns Giveaway. Quick, go enter! Giveaway closes tonight!

Cropped Footless Tights

2011-02-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

They've been really popular the last couple of years for little girls. I love them. Love them because they bring new life to outgrown tights.

I find it painful to toss really cute tights, and I don't anymore. Now you don't have to either.

These are super easy to make. Like 15 mins tops!

Start by cutting the feet off. I usually just cut the feet off and my tights end up being really close to ankle length. In this case I bought some tights that were a size too small (I wanted them to go with her Valentine dress) so mine really were cropped. If you want them a little shorter, then just cut them a little shorter.

Now, I like using the sock to make the bands at the bottom of the tights. I like to do this so I know the bands will match perfectly but I know this isn't always an option. We end up with lots of tights where the feet are stained and yuck. Don't use the feet if they're like that.
If that ends up being the case just use a little piece of cotton lycra or stretchy interlock or rib knit. Cut a strip the width of the bottom of your tights X 2. Sew the ends into a tube and you will have what I have in this photo. I'm just going to use the middle piece and I normally cut 1.5 inches wide.

Fold your tube right sides together lengthwise, raw edges together.

Now, just put around the bottom of your tights and using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew to the bottom of your tights. Raw edges should be together and the fold of your tube facing up. Use a small zig zag or stretch stitch.

Flip down, and your done!

Give them to your girl and hopefully you'll get a cute toothless smile, or at least a cute smile.
My 6 yr old says these are cool, and the tights with feet are for little girls. I thought she was a little girl?
Too bad little miss lives somewhere where we just can't wear these during the winter.
She'll be wearing these ones on Valentine's day though. All in the name of fashion.

If you'd like to make the dress...

I think I'm in Trouble

2011-02-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

I like to do crafty projects, but I can honestly say that I don't hoard craft supplies. We don't even have a craft store here, and the last time I went to the nearest city I didn't even buy anything at the big box craft store. I know crazy, right?

And, even though I like to sew I can honestly say I don't hoard fabric either. I have one tall shelf beside my sewing machine and that is all the fabric I allow myself (although it does hold quite a bit).

I haven't bought fabric in a long time (well aside from the awesome french terry in my last post).

I've gone a little crazy as of late. Hopefully the hubby won't notice or I'll have some explainin' to do.

I've gotten all of this within the last week...

Some knits.

Some cord (Euro cord for $5 a yard?! Could I dare hope it's Hilco?), wovens and a bit of knit and twill.

Some delicious wovens. LOVE this Amy Butler on top of the stack!

And the package I've been most waiting for. If you feel like fabric splurging, Holland Fabrics has some really yummy Euro wovens. So so pretty in person, I can't wait to use these.

Of course I had to buy a couple of irresistible trims. Are these not the prettiest bias tapes? I would have bought all of them if money were no object.

All I can say is thank goodness I get the mail. :) I better get sewing...

So, what's your addiction?
I mean really, there are far worse things than fabric right? I shouldn't feel too guilty.

Hey, I just realized I missed my first blog anniversary! I thought it was a couple of weeks away, but it was yesterday.
I made it a whole year! I can barely believe it. I wasn't sure I'd last a week. Turns out I love blogging, and I love connecting with all of you.

Thank you for reading and sharing your stories with me. You have given me so much inspiration and a sense of comradery I've never felt before.

Thank you, truly.

Little Ruffle Dress Tutorial

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you have your raglan T patterns ready?
That's all you need to make your very own little Hanna knock off. For this little Valentine dress I used a red stretch french terry. If you were to use a jersey you would end up with results really close to the original Hanna dress with flatter chest ruffles. French terry is much thicker.
I'll also tell you how to add a ruffle to the bottom just like the original (I wanted to but ran out of fabric).

Now to get started!

Cutting out your pieces...

Don't be alarmed, yes this is a red dress. I took this photo from this tutorial as we will be doing the same thing. Ok, you need to do a few things before cutting out your body pieces to make your top into a dress.

Measure your child from their armpit to their knee. Add about an inch and 1/2 for seam allowances (if adding bottom ruffle only add about 1/2 inch).
Use your ruler to measure from the armpit of the pattern piece down that many inches and mark.
Line a ruler up with the underarm seam. You can see in this photo I have laid it diagonally so that by the bottom of the shirt it flares out in an A line shape by one inch. For my Valentine dress I did the same thing but flared it out 2 inches. In this photo my ruler only goes down to the bottom of the shirt piece but remember, for this dress you need to go down all the way to your length measurement.

If your front and back pieces are the same, cut two of these. If they are different, do the same thing with your back piece.

Arm Pieces- cut exactly like your pattern, but if they are long sleeves shorten them to desired length (I cut mine 1.5 inches below the armpit seam).

Chest Ruffles- Measure the front of your top and cut 3 strips twice that length X 2.5 inches

Bottom Ruffle (if desired)- Measure the bottom of your dress and cut 2 stripes twice that length X 2.5 inches

Take your chest strips and fold them wrong sides together lengthwise. Along the raw edges sew two rows of basting stitches.

Grab your shirt front piece, and using a washable fabric pen, measure and draw two rows of lines 1 inch apart from the top. To do this I used a ruler and made dots 1 inch from the top at random intervals and then connected the dots. This will make sure your curve is even and stays true to the 1 inch all the way across.

Pull your bastinhg stitches to ruffle your fabric to the length of your shirt front. Pin your ruffles to your shirt front (one against the raw neckline and then the other two on each of your drawn lines). If using a regular sewing machine you can just use a zig zag stitch to attach. Make sure you are using the same thread color as your dress. This stitching won't show as the ruffle on top will hide the seam allowance, but in case anyone gets a view up into the ruffle, you don't want your thread to be noticeable!

This is what your dress front should look like once all of your ruffles are attached.

Now, put your dress together according to your shirt directions.

FYI- due to the ruffles you will most likely need to bind your neckline using this method (cute free tank top pattern too).

When you get to the sleeves, I just folded min 1/2 inch in and used elastic thread to ruffle them a little bit. You could also do a casing and add 1/4 inch elastic instead if you have a hard time with elastic thread.

If using elastic thread, two rows will not gather a ton on a thick fabric. It gave just enough gather though, and in my opinion is a ton faster than making casings if you are able to easily use elastic thread on your machine.

Hemming the Bottom...

I just did a simple hem because I ran out of fabric. I turned my fabric up 1 inch and did two rows of topstitching.
If you want to add the ruffle to the bottom you just need to take the 2 strips you cut. Sew them right sides together to create a tube, fold in half wrong sides together lengthwise and do two rows of basting stitches just like your ruffles. Matching raw edges of ruffle to bottom raw edge of dress, and attach.
I would topstitch the seam above the ruffle once attached. If you need more instruction on this, you attach the ruffle here in just the same way as these ruffle jeans.

And you've made your own little Hanna-esque Ruffle Dress!

You can complete the entire look and make your own Hanna like cropped tights too! Absolutely perfect way to get more life out of cute tights that might be getting too short. In this case, the only heart tights I could find were one size too small. We don't have any selection in this town so when you find something cute you have to make it work! :)
I'll show you how to fix up your tights another day.

Have a great Tuesday everyone! :)

Birdsong Bows and Patterns Giveaway!

2011-01-31T06:03:00.000-08:00

You guys are going to absolutely love this giveaway!
Today I'd like to introduce you to a sweet little shop, Birdsong Bows and Patterns. Deanna is the owner and she is a bow making genius!

Birdsong sells the most complete, comprehensive selection of hair bow tutorials I've seen anywhere!

If you have a little girl, or have a special little girl in your life, these tutorials are a must! Hair bows, at least the really cute ones, are so expensive to buy. Birdsongs's tutorials are really inexpensive and supply you with all of the guidance you need to make special bows for the princess in your life. Perfect for gifts too, these would make really unique present toppers that won't get thrown away!
Birdsong also carries Hair Bow Kits complete with supplies as well as Tutu Tutorials. Click over to see everything Deanna has to offer.

All of Deanna's tutorials have been professionally designed, edited and photographed to ensure you get the clearest photos and instructions possible to ensure your success. As an added bonus, her ebooks come with access to video tutorials! So if you are one of those people who learns best by watching someone else, these tutorials would be perfect for you.

For the Giveaway!

One winner will win 3 single ebooks from the Birdsong Store (packages not included)!

All you need to do is head on over to Birdsong, choose your three favorite ebooks and come back and leave a comment telling me what they are! :)

Giveaway closes Friday February 4th 7PM PST
One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you if you don't have an email address in your blogger profile.

As an added bonus Deanna is offering a 10% discount to From An Igloo readers for the rest of this week!
Enter fromanigloo at checkout to receive the discount.

Also, if you purchase one of her ebooks and turn out to be the lucky winner, Deanna will refund your money!
(I've noticed her ebooks are on sale right now, so this is a great deal with the additional 10%).

Good luck everyone!

For some additional free tutorials and giveaways you can check out the Birdsong Blog.

Birdsong's lovely photos curtosy of Peekaboo Photography

Little Lizard Giveaway Winners!

2011-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

I know some of you are waiting anxiously to find out the winners to the Little Lizard King Giveaway!
Here we go...

Ok, wait...turns out Blogger is having picture uploading issues again. I wonder if this is a common Sunday thing?

Anyway, yet again you'll have to trust me!
The winners are....

#15 and #51!

philesian said... 15: I love the Elizabeth Claire dress and the Love me Knot! Too cute!
Amanda said... 51: All the patterns are really cute!!! But I really love the Peek-a-boo skirt and the apron knot dress!!

Congratulations ladies, enjoy your patterns!

Little Ruffle Dress

2011-01-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

I recently bought some beautiful Valentine red french terry and wanted to make some Valentine dresses for my girls. Something that would transition to spring, be easy to play in, but cute too.

Have any of you taken a peak at Hanna Andersson's spring collection? I love Hanna. I love that the clothing makes little girls look like little girls. Something that many clothing designers for kids seem to be overlooking these days.
Anyway I fell in love with one of their current dresses (I hesitate to post one of their photos here).

If you love it too, dig out your favorite raglan T pattern. I used the Ottobre PJ shirt pattern I used to make these pajamas.
Any raglan T pattern will do.
Tutorial on how to turn it into this little Hanna knockoff to follow. :)

Last day to enter the Little Lizard Kings Pattern Giveaway. If you haven't had a chance to enter yet, click over!

Shawl Collar Pullover

2011-01-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

I have some fun tutorials to share with all of you, I really do. Time, however has not been on my side the last few days. Photographing and writing up tutorials takes a lot of time!

I do have something cute to share today though if you're looking for an adorable winter top or spring pull over for your little person.

Recently I made Dear My Kids' Shawl Collar Pullover.

I'm a huge fan of Karen's PDF patterns. They are well written with clear step by step instructions. If you do a search of Dear My Kids here on the blog, you'll find several photos of other children's patterns I've made up in the past. I think this shawl collar pullover is one of my favorites. There are minimal pieces to the pattern and it sews up really fast. If you've ever purchased a Dear My Kids pattern, I'm sure you can agree you can't go wrong! Thus, I'm excited to share the following with you!

Along with her felt toy shop (Dear My Kids), and her children's pattern shop (Dear My Kids Easywear), Karen also now has a women's pattern shop (Dana.a).
Dana.a has just been stocked with Karen's new winter collection, and her designs are amazing!

I am in love with her Shawl Wrap Cardigan and will be sewing that up for myself soon.

Karen is having a little giveaway on her blog right now, where the winner will win a pattern of their choice from the Dana.a collection. Do not leave a comment here to enter the giveaway but leave it on the Dear My Kids Blog. If you've never tried one of Karen's patterns before I encourage you to enter because I know you'll love them.

Also, until Sunday, use the code DANAWIN11 at checkout and receive buy one get one free on all women's patterns.

I thought you guys would like to know.
I would hope someone would tell me.
You know, because I need someone to enable me to buy more patterns.
You can never have enough. :)
Just being a friend here.

See yah tomorrow!

Ice, Lots of Ice...

2011-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

As it turns out I didn't get a moment's peace yesterday so the tutorial will have to wait. So today I thought I'd share a little bit of our weekend with you!

Every winter there is an ice festival in our little town. Ice sculptors come from all over the world and carve amazing ice sculptures. For the four winters we've been here, we've looked forward to it. We certainly don't have anything like this back home!

It was held last weekend. Last weekend that was in the minus 30's and 40's with the windchill. It was not only extremely cold, but my husband worked all weekend. I was too much of a wimp to bear it with the kids alone in that cold, so we skipped it.

The great thing about an ice festival and living somewhere that is cold, is that long after the ice festival is over and the sculptors have gone home, the sculptures live on.

This weekend was much warmer, barely freezing temps. The warmest it has been this winter, and to celebrate we went to see the ice sculptures in our bikinis (ok, who am I kidding, my bikini days are over). My point is, by this weekend the weather was warm enough to be out in it (some of the sculptures were even starting to melt).

Some nice folks told us that this used to be a Pegasus.

This one, a frog, jumping out of a pond trying to catch a fly (the fly is long gone). It is hard to tell from the photos but these sculptures are huge. I can't imagine the dedication and love for the art form it must take for crafters to sit and carve away for two days to create these in such extreme cold. I read in the paper that this was the coldest ice festival in history.
It seems even the young and mischievous in town can appreciate the hard work that goes into the ice festival. Even now, over a week later, some of the sculptures have melted and changed from the weather yet none look vandalized from what I could tell.

Along with the sculptures (I've only shown you a few) they always make an array of ice slides for the kids. Last weekend would have been too cold to enjoy them, but this weekend the weather was perfect!

Does that not look fun? :)

Not many children get to experience something like this.

Have you ever sat on an ice throne?

These paintings were beautiful. All carved from ice and then painted.

All I could think was all of the hours spent outside carving these. If you have ever felt minus 30, that's all you would be thinking about too! Unbelievable! One sculptor this year was sent to hospital with very bad frostbite.

There were a few snow sculptures as well. Little Dude enjoyed this one.

It was a great day. Days like this make you forget the bitter cold that keeps you stuck inside for days on end.
But then again, if I wasn't stuck inside for days on end, I probably wouldn't get much sewing done. :)

Little Lizard King Giveaway!

2011-01-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

How many of you have seen Little Lizard King sewing patterns? If you have, you already know that they are adorable, if you haven't let me introduce you to a new pattern shop!

Liz, from Little Lizard King, is here today with a super fun giveaway for all of you. But first, let me show you a little bit of what you will find in Liz's shop if you've never had a look before.

Tell me this isn't one of the cutest little diaper covers you've ever seen?

Little Lizard King has tons of patterns for little girls. This Apron Knot Dress is one of my favorites (this pattern now includes a pattern to make a matching dolly dress).

For those of you who who haven't taken the plunge into sewing just yet, this Pillowcase Dress would be the perfect place to start. This one also includes a pattern to make a matching dolly dress! Most of Liz's little girl patterns now have matching doll patterns included.

Do you remember the matchy doll clothes I made this Christmas? They have been one of my daughter's most favorite things. I hoped she would love them but didn't realize just how much she would love dressing like her doll. There aren't many patterns out there with matching doll patterns included so these are a great buy.

Not only does Little Lizard King offer adorable patterns for little girls, but Liz has some patterns for little boys too!

For the Giveaway!

Head on over to Little Lizard King. Choose your two most favorite patterns and come back and leave a comment letting me know what they are.

TWO winners will each win their two most favorite patterns!

Exciting, right?

Giveaway closes Friday January 28th
One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win

Good luck!

You can read more about Little Lizard King and find some free tutorials also on Liz's blog. :)

See you tomorrow with a new tutorial (if my kids give me a moment's peace). :)

Whimsy Couture Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

I hope some of you were able to take advantage of the wonderful sale Whimsy Couture had last week!

Now, for our Whimsy Couture Giveaway winner!

Anonymous said... 72: Adorable. I love the knotted overalls, apron peasant dress and the ruffled neckline top/dress

Congratulations lucky #72!

If you haven't had a chance to check out Whimsy Couture, definitely click on over and check all of the wonderful patterns! Spring is on it's way (hopefully) and Denise has so many adorable patterns to make up a cute little spring wardrobe.

If you're looking for a fun contest, don't forget about Denise's Valentine's Design Challenge. You can read all about it on the Whimsy Couture Blog.

I'll see you in the morning with our next Monday morning giveaway and then Tuesday with a new tutorial. :)

Twice The Fun!

2011-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of my closest friends back home just gave birth to twins! I'm putting these in the mail for her sweet new babies today.

This has been my most favorite hand made baby gift to give since I made the first one back in June. You can find the pattern at Inner Hooker.
Exciting enough that my friend just had twins, but they're boy/girl twins! So the hats couldn't be totally the same. Well, I guess they could be, but what fun is that?

I made this little crocheted flower using a tutorial from Mamachee's Blog. For the record, I've purchased several of Tara's patterns in the past and found them very user friendly and really cute! She has lots of other free little crochet tutorials on her blog as well.

I added the flower to an alligator clip so that it could just be clipped through the stitches of the hat, and taken off later once baby outgrows the hat and has some hair. You can read more about lining alligator clips, HERE.

The flowers are so quick and easy, you can make several while watching your favorite show and they can be interchangeable.
What shows are everyone watching these days? I haven't recovered since LOST ended, and no longer have a show. :(

I think this one is my favorite.

If you haven't entered the Whimsy Couture Giveaway yet, click on over! Tomorrow is the last day to enter! You don't want to miss out on a chance to win three adorable patterns.

A Sewing Accomplishment, and a Question....

2011-01-18T06:06:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I conquered a sewing fear of mine.
Let's all ignore the horrible lighting and the wrinkles. It gets dark in the afternoon here people! :)

The dreaded zipper fly. I always thought they seemed too hard. Sure I can insert a zipper in a dress, do a buttonhole, but a zipper fly? Other people could do them, but not me. But, I started thinking about it. Why not me? I'm reasonably intelligent. So I gave it a go. And, it worked on the first try and was actually fairly simple!

If you've ever wanted to attempt a zip fly too, this is a great video tutorial, that helped me bunches.
My sewing resolution this year was to try some things I've never tried before, and thought were too difficult. I'm glad I did, because now I won't ever look at a pattern of zip fly pants again, wish I could make them, but decide they were beyond me and go on to another pattern.

And because I'm pretty proud of myself I will subject you to a zipper shot. My button is a little out of place, but I had to make the pants a smidge tighter on my skinny minny even though they do have buttonhole elastic

If anyone is interested, these are the Tulip Pants from the fall 2009 issue of Ottobre (they're #12). I've wanted to make them since I received this issue. They have sweet little gathered front pockets.

Angled back flap pockets with cute little pintucks. This is the first project I've done in awhile that I've sewn purely and completely for fun. And, even though I'm generally an instant gratification sewer, these were fun.

Like almost all of the Ottobre patterns I've sewn, the fit is awesome on my little girl. If you have a thin kiddo, I'd go down a size though. My daughter could have easily fit into the next size down with some added length. We have the buttonhole elastic pretty tight.

Now, for the question.
As much as I loved making these pants and love the design of them, when they were all said and done I'm not sure I'm sold on them.
Is this cord a bit too wild for them? Cute with a little red babydoll top, or don't bother?
I can't decide if they're cool, or really not cool in this print.
I do plan to make another pair in a really thin lightwash denim. I think those will be really cute and vintagey. Especially with cute back buttons.

Do you have any sewing resolutions this year?

Whimsy Couture Giveaway and SALE!

2011-01-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce you to Whimsy Couture. Whimsy Couture is owned by the wonderful Denise and is full of boutique patterns, DIY kits, and ready made clothing for the special little people in your life (she actually has a few patterns for mom too)!

Here is jsut a little bit of what you can find at Whimsy Couture.

Not only are her patterns adorable, but they are showcased with beautiful photography.

A real visual treat, not to mention her fabric combinations are a source of inspiration.

I have to show you a close up of this cute little Apron Twirl Peasant Dress. So adorable and fun. It's around this time of year I'm itching to sew for spring and summer, how about you? The minus 30's are gettin' me down. Something like this might be just what I need for a little pick me up!

These Knot Overalls might just be my favorite, if I had to pick a favorite. :)

This little Reversible Jacket would be the perfect jacket to showcase special fabrics. Clean, simple, and reversible!

I've shown you just a tiny smidge of what Denise has to offer in her shop, she really has something for everyone.
One of the great things about her patterns are that several of them come in sizes from infant, up to size 6, 8, 10 and some even up to a size 12! I love buying patterns that have some longevity in them, don't you? Perfect for also making matching sibling outfits for spring photos!

For The Giveaway!
Head on over to Whimsy Couture and pick out your 3 favorite patterns. Come back and leave me a comment with the 3 patterns you would love to call your own.

One winner will win a 3 pack of patterns of their choice!
Easy peasy!

One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you
Giveaway Closes Friday January 21st 7pm PST

For The Sale!
Denise is offering From An Igloo readers 15% off any orders until Friday January 21st!
Just enter IGLOO at checkout!
This would be a fantastic offer to combine with her 3 pack and 6 pack pattern packages which are already such a great deal!

Foe some added fun, Denise is currently having a Valentine's Design Challenge. You can read all about it on the Whimsy Couture Blog. The winner can choose from 3 months of advertising on her blog, 6 ebooks, or a ready made something in the size of their choice. Sounds fun! :)

Good luck and happy shopping! :)

I Heart To Sew Giveaway WInners!

2011-01-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

Time to annouce the winners of the I Heart To Sew Giveaway!
4 winners will each win their favorite pattern!

I'm having some trouble tonight getting new photos to upload, so you'll just need to trust me on the winners. :)

And the winners are...

#15, #9, #46 and #20!

marisa said... 15: The Summer tshirt looks great!
felicia said... 9: I have been looking for a basic tee pattern so the Summer T-shirt pattern would be great. The new patterns she's gonna release look super cute too!
Katy said... 46: I would love to win the little dress pattern. Thanks for the opportunity!
motherof4 said... 20: I love the summer t-shirt pattern. I also love some of her new patterns that are coming soon.

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your new patterns!
If you haven't had a chance yet to check out I Heart To Sew, Alisha's new shop is worth a look.
She just released her women's legging pattern and will have a twirly dress pattern listed soon!

Treasures

2011-01-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

I recently received two mystery boxes in the mail. Don't you just love packages in the mail, especially when you aren't expecting anything?

They were from my 90yr old grandmother, and they were full of sewing stuff! My grandmother used to be a seamstress and used to make and sell undergarments to a boutique in the town where she lived. Racy stuff for so long ago! I didn't grow up around my grandmother, but wonder if maybe she passed the love of sewing on to me. I would have loved to have learned to sew from her. It may have saved yards and yards of fabric.
We talk about once a month on the phone, and after we talk about the kids, and her friends at the senior's rec center, we talk about sewing.

This is some of what was inside the boxes.

Spools and spools of thread, wound on little wooden spools.

A stack of mostly vintage patterns.

Most from the 60's and 70's. This one even has a size 6. I'm going to have to try the skirt version for one of my girls.

A stack of fabrics. Some are vintage bedsheets. She said she may have had one or two since around the time she got married. Yowsers. I have to tell you, these fabrics smell wonderful. She must have taken them out and washed and pressed them from time to time. I wonder how I can get my fabrics to smell like this?

Lots of buttons. I love buttons.

And some lovely trims. She keeps her trims so neat. She would be horrified to see my collection.

10 cents for 3 yards?! I wonder how old this is?

The day I received the boxes I gave her a call to thank her. She said "Now, in the bottom of one of the boxes you will find something horrific."

At first I wasn't sure what she was talking about as I hadn't unfolded everything.

"There is a flannel polar bear moo moo that a friend made me. Why she would think I would wear a moo moo of all things I don't understand, but I thought maybe you could use the fabric to make pajamas for the kids. I'm sure she went to a lot of trouble, and I do appreciate the gesture, but really..... a moo moo?"

I later unfolded said moo moo, and it is about 3 times the size of my grandmother who is quite slim and spry for 90. It also has football pockets and sleeves! Gave me a bit of a chuckle even imagining it on her, or anyone for that matter!

So, if you have learned anything from today's post, it is that just because someone is 90 doesn't mean that they would appreciate a moo moo. Of course they will certainly appreciate the gesture.

The Tooth Fairy

2011-01-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

Has the tooth fairy been to your house?

We just lost our sixth tooth. Sixth tooth for a six year old girl. Four missing at the same time!

When she lost her first tooth I told her I would make her a tooth fairy pillow. I haven't made it yet. So far she has been decorating envelopes and putting them under her pillow. I better get on that...

Cute story...
I woke up yesterday morning at 4:30am (the night before she had lost one of the front teeth).
The first thought through my head was "Oh s#$%, the tooth fairy!"
I raced to find my wallet...empty
Junk drawer...empty
Oh no!
Then, I remembered the laundry room.
I'm not great at checking pockets when things go into the wash. I don't usually find the things that were in them (things like crayons, chapstick, matchbox cars, money) until I hear it clunking in the dryer (I'm pretty good at getting out stains by the way).
Anyway, the money ends up on a little shelf beside the dryer.

The tooth fairy usually leaves a toonie at our house. That night she left 3 quarters, 7 nickels, and 9 dimes. Yep, all under the pillow. Our tooth fairy is talented.

That morning, the first thing I hear is "Mom, mom, MOM!! Just look at all of the money the tooth fairy left me! She has never left me this many coins before!"

So, of course I remarked at the number of coins. What was the tooth fairy thinking? Very, very strange.

"And Mom, just look how shiny they are! She must have shined them up just for me!"

I know What I'm Going to Make....and a SALE!

2011-01-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

A few months ago some of you may remember I purchased this fabric from Plum Project Studio. I wasn't sure what I was going to make with it, but I fell in love with it. It's from the Circa 50 collection, 100% organic, and just totally adorable, don't you think?

I thought originally that it had pink in it, but when I received it, found it was more of a red. I actually like the fact that it is red even better. Perfect for girl or boy.

Anyway, last night I was thinking on it once again. I hate "sitting" on fabric. I keep a pretty small fabric stash and like to use things up quickly. When I don't, I find my kids outgrow it, or one day I look at it and don't like it as much. Does that happen to you?

I thought I would make something for one of my kids, but now I think it will be something else entirely.

It's going to be a wet bag for my sister and new baby nephew! Perfect fabric for a wet bag? I think so. My sister is going to start cloth diapering (so excited). Cloth diapering can be so much fun (I'm serious). I didn't sew my own cloth diapers but maybe you will see some in future on this blog...

Anyway, tutorial to come. You don't need to cloth diaper to put a wet bag to good use. They are perfect for swimsuits when you go to the pool, or in the summer at the beach. Great for storing sippy cups on the go or anything else you fear might leak.

If you're interested in making one, collect your materials and I'll post a tutorial within the next week.

You'll need:

1/2 yrd cotton woven fabric

1/2 yrd PUL

zipper- I'm not sure what size I will make yet so hang tight on this one.

Many of you may already know what PUL is, especially if you have ever cloth diapered, but for those that don't.....

PUL is short term for polyurethane laminated fabric. One side of PUL is usually polyester, and the other side is laminated with a thin layer of polyurethane. PUL fabric can withstand washing over and over on high temps, and is waterproof! Making this the perfect fabric to use in cloth diapers, but also to use as a wet bag! 100% waterproof without having a plasticy feel on the outside. Here I've tried to show you both sides of PUL fabric, but it isn't an easy thing to photograph. Plastic side on the left, polyester side on the right.

On another note, Plum Project Studio, where I purchased the Circa 50 fabric, is having a great sale right now until the 16th of January. You can find all patterns, tools, notions and needles for 25% off.
Not only that, but all orders within Canada or to the US over $100 ship FREE!
Plum Project Studio is stocked with tons of organic, fair trade and sustainable sewing and needlework supplies. In the sale section there are some really lovely Corozo and recycled glass buttons as well as lots of Oliver + S Patterns. Perfect time to grab some at a great price! The Jump Rope and School Photo dresses are on my mental list of things I want to make. Are there any you have your eye on?
While you're at it pick up a meter or two of Circa 50 fabric. It really is worth the price, it's beautiful quality.

I Heart To Sew Pattern Giveaway!

2011-01-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry things were quieter than normal last week. The holidays did something to me and I found it really hard to get back into our normal routine last week!

My sewing machine worked overtime before Christmas, getting out as many gifts as it could. I think I had a bit of sewing burn out and until this past weekend I hadn't turned it on in days. I think I have the sewing itch back though! :)

I have a fun giveaway for you guys today, aimed at those of you that need a sewing project for the new year!

I'd like to introduce you to a new pattern shop on Etsy, I Heart To Sew. Alisha is the shop's owner, and she brings you her patterns all the way from Melbourne, Australia. I think she must be enjoying summer right now, the polar opposite from what I am experiencing here! :)

Alisha currently has three patterns in her shop with others to be released soon.

For the most part, I sew clothing, but isn't this little T-Rex adorable? This would be such a cute shower gift or just to make as a lovey for your little person.

This is Alisha's Summer T Shirt Pattern. It may be called the Summer T Shirt, but has options for long sleeves and would be perfect for winter too (for those of you in the middle of it like me). What makes this T shirt pattern different than your standard shirt pattern, it does not have sleeves to sew in. Aside from the band pieces, the short sleeve shirt is only two pieces. Nice and roomy and a perfect pattern if you are new to knit fabrics, or just new to sewing in general.

Lastly we have The Little Day Out Dress. This dress is really unlike any other PDF pattern I've seen out there. This dress is a very classic style for any little girl, but what makes it different is that the piece on the front makes up front pockets! Very unique (no back zipper if you're scared of those)!

All of Alisha's patterns are computer drawn, come with step by step instructions including photos, and her clothing patterns come in sizes 1-6.

For the giveaway!

Head on over and check out I Heart To Sew on Etsy and show Alisha some love. Come back and leave me the name of the pattern you love most.

4 winners will each win the pattern of their choice!

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win
Giveaway closes Friday January 14th 7pm PST
One comment per person please!

If you like what you see you can also check out I Heart To Sew on their facebook page (Alisha has some previews of a really cute adorable dress pattern coming soon), and their blog.

I have not had a chance to sew any of Alisha's patterns as of yet but plan to review one in future. :)

The Best Kind of Hot Chocolate

2011-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Is one you drink after being outside in the cold.
The littlest two and I have adopted a bit of an unhealthy tradition.
We brave the intense cold every morning taking their big sister to school, and then we come home and have hot cocoa.
We did this one particularly cold morning, and then for some reason it stuck. Now we do it every morning.

This has been the best part of my week. getting back into the routine hasn't been fun, but I've enjoyed the return of our daily hot cocoa. :)

I thought I'd share my two favorite recipes. For when you want something a little more special than the powdered stuff.

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

I make hot chocolate in the slow cooker quite often in the winter. Awesome for when you are playing outside. Come in, take off your layers, and the hot chocolate is waiting! It will quickly take your kids' minds off the fact that their toes and fingers are cold, their socks got wet, or any of the other million reasons they might be crying as they come in (or maybe this is just my kids).

5 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 package of milk chocolate chips
Whipped cream or mini marshmallows optional

Add to slow cooker and stir.
Cook on low for at least an hour (I have left it up to 3 hrs)
Stir before again serving.

Be warned, this is a really rich, creamy, sweet, hot chocolate.
This is a modified allrecipes recipe.

I like mine with whipped cream....

The kids prefer marshmallows...

Old Fashioned hot Cocoa

Your standard hot cocoa from scratch as we make it in our house. So good!

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup water
4 cups milk
3/4 cup half and half cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
Whipped cream or marshmallows optional

Mix sugar, cocoa powder, and water in saucepan and heat to boiling.
Mix in milk, cream and vanilla and warm over medium heat stirring.

You can put the old fashioned recipe in the slow cooker as well. Actually, you can even slow cook the grocery store powdered variety.

Enjoy! :)

Enjoying The Outdoors

2011-01-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

How was the rest of your holiday?
Our new year has started out fantastic! The weather has warmed up and we've been able to spend some time outside the last two days. The kids really haven't spent that much time outside in two months, it has just been too cold. So, getting some fresh air has been really nice! :)

We don't have a snowmobile, but we have some friends that do. Daddy often pulls the kids around in the sleigh, which is fun, but not quite as much fun as this!

Little Dude wasn't so sure at first, but eventually agreed to ride with Dad.

Horrible blurry photo but shows a bit of the beautiful sky we had New year's Day evening (if you can call just after 4:00pm evening) :).

Yesterday it was only -7 degrees Celsius so we did a little bit of ice skating.

We don't skate outside when it is very cold. The kids' feet get cold easily in their figure skates. As it was, they only lasted about 30 mins and were crying they wanted to go home. It was fun while it lasted, but there is a reason I didn't get any photos of the two youngest. Well, I did, but they all include tears! Home, and hot cocoa it was!

We still have one day left of holidays here, how about you?
Not looking forward to the back to school on Tuesday. I really like having the kids home..... and not having to have everyone up and dressed so early.

I hope your new year is also off to a great start! :)

Drapes of Wrath Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fabulous New Year's Eve! We rang in the new year watching movies and eating popcorn. Can you tell we have three young children? :)

Time to announce the winner of the Drapes of Wrath Giveaway. One lucky winner will be winning this...

Here we go...

How cool is that? Sometimes the winner is #1!

Emillie Rose said... 1: I love the Apron Noir!! Thanks for the chance to win :) Congratulations Emillie! If you haven't had a chance yet to check out Drapes of Wrath, click over. Beautiful aprons that will make you want to spend a bit of time int he kitchen.

DS or DSi Case Tutorial

2010-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve! :)

I'm moving at the pace of a slug this week! The holidays have definitely put me in relax mode. I'm not looking forward to next week! :)

So, did any other kids unwrap DSi's this Christmas? I actually still feel a little sick about the DSi my daughter opened this year. We aren't really a video game family and I don't really like them. We don't have a Wii or any other video game systems. Don't get me wrong, when we are visiting, I'm down for the occasional game of Mario Kart, I just don't really care to have Mario in my house full time. I have a bit of an addictive personalty (thankfully so far this has only applied to sewing marathons and other crafty endeavors), but I could see myself going a bit nuts determined to beat Bowser and my kids having to fend for themselves. I don't worry about my kids, because I probably would never hand the controller over! :)

Anyway I wasn't sold on the DSi. It is the only thing my daughter asked for but I was pretty certain she wouldn't play it. Turns out I was right. Since Christmas I've seen her turn it on twice, and once was to take pictures. She does have it with her at all times though (she likes to carry little bags and purses).

This is the case I made for her, and hopefully will be helpful to some of you. I was going to buy her a hard case, but all of the ones I saw in the store looked cheap (but weren't cheap) and had characters on them (I don't like characters).
This would work for a boy too, just leave off the strap, or leave it on.

It has a small zippered pocket to hold a few games when you're on the go.

It will fit a DS, DS Lite or DSi perfectly. It measures approximately 4.5 inches X 6 inches.

Want to make one? Read on! :)
Your Pieces...

Flap Piece- 5 inches X 4 inches
Lower Back Piece- 5 inches X 4.5 inches
Upper Back Piece- 5 inches X 2.25 inches
Front Piece- 5 X 6.5 inches
Lining Flap Piece- 5 inches X 4 inches
Inside Pocket Piece #1- 5 inches X 2.5 inches
Inside Pocket Piece #2- 5 inches X 3 inches
Inside Lining- 5 inches X 6.5 inches
Same as #8
Strap- 31 inches X 2.5 inches (Optional)

Also cut fusible fleece for pieces #1, #2, #3, #4 and #10 and fuse to pieces (not shown).
You will also need a 2-3 inch piece of touch tape and a zipper at least 5 inches long (it is ok to use a longer zipper).

Use 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Now, before we start I want to tell you that this case will not be seamless inside. You can certainly make it seamless (I made two and the first one I made seamless). The reason I am not sharing a tutorial for a seamless one is that I know you won't like me very much. DSi's are small, and making the case seamless makes for some very fiddly sewing that I know many of you won't like! :) This tute still produces a very nice case, and the seams are only in the lining, not around the top. So, not visible!

Start by taking your flap lining piece and sewing a piece of touch tape to the bottom half. I sewed my velcro about 3/4 inch from the bottom.

Lay your front flap piece right side up and your front flap lining piece right side down on top. Sew together along both short sides and the long side closest to your touch tape.

turn right side out, press and topstitch around the three sewn sides. Set aside.

Now, find your two inside pocket pieces, back top piece and back bottom piece and press one 5 inch side in 1/4 inch.

Pin your top back piece and the larger inside pocket piece to one side of your zipper (pin the pieces to the zipper on the sides that are pressed in). Wrong sides of the fabric together. Don't worry if your zipper is not the right size. We'll cut it down later. Just make sure the end where your zip closes, the metal stop is at least 1/4 inch from the end.

This is what the other side will look like.

Using a zipper foot, sew together.

Do the same with the lower back piece and the other inside pocket piece. Now, cut the extra zipper off. make sure your zip is closed before doing this! You don't want to cut off the pull.

Flip the back of your case over, and with your pocket pieces right sides together match the raw edges and sew together down the long edge.

The reason one side of your pocket piece was larger than the other is because it sits on the top side of the zipper. Pressed down this makes for a nice even flat pocket.

Press the top edge of your back piece in 1/4 inch and then do the same with your front piece, and lining pieces.

Important! Grab your front piece and sew the other side of your touch tape to the front about 1 inch down from the top. I forgot to do this and had to sew it on at the end and doing that isn't so fun.

Sew your front piece and lining piece right sides together along the top.

Flip the lining piece over, press and topstitch along the top. Set aside.

topstitch along both sides.

lay your back piece right side up. On top lay your strap matching the raw edges of your straps to the top edge of your back piece and then your flap on top right side down. Your straps and flap should be 1/4 inch in from each side. Pin in place.

lay your lining piece on top right side down. Sew along the top, sewing twice where the straps sit to reinforce them. Flip the lining over and topstitch just as you did the front side.

This is what you will have at this point! :) Almost done!

Right sides together lay your front and back piece together and sew along all three edges. The two sides and the bottom. If using a regular sewing machine zig zag your raw edges. Turn right side out and press, and your done!

The zippered pocket is big enough to hold a few games, but shallow enough that your kiddo will be able to get them out easily.

Now they can take their gadget with them on the go and it will be protected. Those long car rides, Dr's office waits.........or they can just carry it around like my girl. *sigh*
I'm happy she isn't addicted to video games and I don't have to monitor the time she spends playing it, but geesh, pretty expensive thing to just carry around!

You'll be able to find a quick link to this tutorial under the Tutorials tab at the top of the page. Momentarily.

Have a happy New Years everyone!!

Shoeology Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

Tell me I'm not the only one who's house is still a disaster? I'm usually pretty particular about my house being clean and tidy, but this Christmas I've thrown caution to the wind! I've been laying around, watching movies, and eating. It's been a great few days! :)

Did you think I forgot to announce the winner of the Shoeology giveaway? Well, I kinda did! :) But, without further adieu....

Tory said... 58: I, like you, have many munchkins running around and therefore after the holidays feel that it is me time. I would love the 3 pattern pack women's slippers/shoes. I deserve don't I?

Congratulations Tory!

See you soon with a little tutorial. :)

Drapes Of Wrath Apron Giveaway!

2010-12-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

How were your Christmases? :) We had a wonderful fun filled Christmas full of excitement, smiles and FOOD! I think I probably don't need to eat for a week now! I will, however, be cleaning for the next week. My house is a mess! :)
Speaking of eating, and cleaning....

I have a really cute shop to introduce you to today, Drapes of Wrath! Drapes of Wrath is owned by two sisters, Mandy and Cami. Mandy and Cami specialize in creating one of a kind vintage style aprons from reclaimed and repurposed fabrics. Their aprons are really cute! They'll make you want to spend some time in the kitchen.

Isn't this apron adorable? Who doesn't want to look cute, even when they're cooking?

I think this one is my personal favorite!

For the Giveaway!

Head on over to Drapes of Wrath and check out all of the awesome aprons (you can also check them out on their facebook page)! Come back and leave a comment with your favorite apron.

One winner will win this beautiful and unique half apron ($25 value).

All of Mandy and Cami's aprons are lovingly hand made and because of the nature of their materials, no two aprons are ever exactly alike! Mandy and Cami are also happy to do custom orders, so if you have something in mind and don't see what you're looking for, don't hesitate to contact them!

Also, this week Drapes of Wrath will have their remaining Christmas stock in their shop at clearance prices. Perfect time to grab a festive apron for next year. :)

One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you
Giveaway closes Friday December 31st PST

Good luck!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to pop on and wish you all a very merry Christmas! I hope you are all able to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones, and that this Christmas will be filled with many fond memories.

I tried to get a tutorial up for you this week, but just couldn't fit it in! I promise to have it up next week when the hustle and bustle is over! :)
Right now I need to dash and get ready for our little family party tonight. It is a tradition. As a family we eat appetizers in the living room for dinner, listen to Christmas music, generally act crazy and get ready for Santa. We'll end the night with popcorn and A Muppet's Christmas Carol. There's no sneaking off to sew or wrap gifts, and the clock is ticking (anyone else have a feeling they will be up to the wee hours of the morning getting everything done?).

First things first, I need to scrape icing from counters....and table....and floors.....

Letting the kids ice the sugar cookies seemed like a good idea at the time.

The Countdown is On....

2010-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

I spent most of yesterday sweating and pulling my hair out! I have so much to do and so little time! How many of you feel this way? I have a list a mile long of hand made gifts I was going to make. Why didn't I start in August?

The past few days have been eaten by parties, unexpected errands, breaking up fights, potty training, and then yesterday, snotty noses times three. I will get it all done, I will get it all done, I will get it all done... this is becoming my mantra. How are you all doing on your lists?

Right now I have 5 gifts I have to get done and make (the rest I'll finish later if I have to), 90% of my Christmas baking, and 99% of the gifts left to wrap.... and I need to get most of it done today. Tomorrow is full of other obligations, and Friday is full of good family time.

Ok, deep breath. I tend to stress easily. :)

I hope to have a tutorial up for you all tomorrow which might come in handy for a last minute Christmas gift. Fingers crossed as it is one of my "must make" gifts. :)

Here is something that ate half my day yesterday. Actually what ate half my day was the cleanup. Don't give a 3yr old permanent paints unsupervised. The 10 mins you buy for yourself isn't worth it. :)

Salt Dough Ornaments

Ingredients

4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups hot water

Mix salt and hot water and stir till dissolved.
Add flour and knead until smooth.
Roll out into 1/4 inch thickness and use cookie cutters (or in our case play doh cutters) to cut out your ornaments.
Use a straw to poke a whole in the top for ribbon or string.
Let air dry, or put in 200 degree oven for a couple of hours.
Paint when hard

Kids love making these, we make them every year. Salt dough can be really stiff so you might have to help roll for the littler ones.

I always write their names and ages on the back.

These are cute to attach to the tops of Christmas gifts for family.

Of course, every year we keep a few for the tree.

This is a fun little Christmas craft to do with bored kiddos. Of course, if you don't leave your 3 yr old unsupervised and have to scrub paint off the kitchen wall. :)

I'll see you tomorrow......hopefully! :)

Shoeology Giveaway!

2010-12-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

How many of you are ready for Christmas? I'm feeling a little overwhelmed. My kids have a coutdown going and remind me how many more sleeps every chance they get. It makes my heart beat faster knowing I still have so much to do!
I love the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. I even like the stress. The music, the baking, Christmas crafts with the kids, even the wrapping. When Boxing Day comes I always feel a little down. I don't want this week to go by too fast! :)
Do any of you ever feel that way?

For those of you giving some hand made gifts this year, how are your projects going? I'm behind! Still looking for hand made gift ideas? I have a great one for you today!

Cheri, from Shoeology, is back today to have a little giveaway and also to offer you a sale on her wonderful patterns. You guys are familiar with Cheri's patterns, right?

Cheri's patterns are amazing! Her women's patterns can be made as shoes, or slippers, and come in sizes 5-11. What makes them even better is that all three of her women's patterns, The Sunday Morning Slippers, Upcylced Vintage Shoes, and Classic Maryjanes, come all together in ONE pattern! For one low price you receive all three patterns!

I have the perfect fabric waiting to make a pair of these. I hope to show them to you once the Christmas rush is over, because they are going to be for me! :)
These would make great Christmas gifts. I can guarantee that you will get a ton of "You made those?!"

Cheri is now also stocking a new soling material that you can buy separate from her patterns. You will be able to purchase it in black, brown or cream and it is the perfect material to make these into outdoor shoes! It is waterproof, durable, abrasion resistant, slip resistant and resistant to hot and cold surfaces. And, get this, Cheri assures it is also sewing machine friendly! I'm really intrigued by this, aren't you?!

Cheri is also the owner of Sweet Pea Patterns

I've shown you some of Cheri's adorable baby shoe patterns before, but in case you missed her newest baby shoe pattern I have to show it to you again.

Aren't these Super Slouchy Baby Boots so so precious? Why buy baby boots when you could make these?
This pattern comes in 5 different sizes ranging from 0-18 mos, as do the rest of her baby shoe patterns. They are really inexpensive too! Another perfect hand made gift giving idea! Who wouldn't love to receive little boots like this for their little one? I have made a pair of Cheri's baby shoes and her patterns are easy to follow with step by step instructions including photos every step of the way.

For the Giveaway
Head on over to Shoeology or Sweet Pea Patterns and check out all of Cheri's great patterns. Come back and leave a comment with the name of your favorite pattern!

One winner will win Shoeology's 3 pattern bundle pack!
One comment per person please
Please leave a way for me to contact you
Giveaway Closes December 24th 7pm PST

Want to make some of Cheri's women's or baby shoes for gifts this week?

Cheri is having a sale just for you!
Enter FROMANIGLOO10 at checkout at Shoeology
or
Enter FROMANIGLOO11 at checkout at Sweet Pea Patterns
And receive 10% of your order!

Have a great Monday everyone!

Gadanke Giveaway Winner!

2010-12-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

Time to announce the winner of the Gadanke Giveaway! Katie's journals are so wonderful, if you missed the giveaway check out Gadanke and have a peak. Such sweet gifts to give a special loved one, or a treat for yourself.

Now, for the winner...

Tania said... 20: My favorite is the Love Letters journal. I love wiring little messages to my husband and sons, but they often get lost. With this little journal they all can be bundled

Congratulations Tania! I will email you shortly! :)

Stamped keychain Tutorial

2010-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Last month I posted this tutorial over at Kojo Designs in their "Gifts For Guys" Series. In case you missed it, here is the full tutorial. These make really quick last minute gifts for both guys and gals! Also, if you missed Kojo Designs Gift For Guys Series, you should go on over and check it out. A ton of great ideas!

Stamped jewelry is really big right now and you can buy really beautiful pieces. I don't think many people realize just how easy it is and how inexpensive it can be! Let me show you! You absolutely do not need a bunch of specific jewelry supplies or expensive gadgets.

What you will need for a keychain:

I live in the middle of nowhere so I bought all of my supplies on Etsy. If you are not making mass amounts of jewelry an inexpensive metal stamp set will work just fine (I bought mine for under $10 and have used it a lot). You can use whatever metal you like best. I chose inexpensive brass (or maybe they were copper) discs. I just think they look more manly (and I was able to buy 5 for about $3).

You will also need:
- Hammer
- Black permanent marker
- Little piece of steel wool
- Drill and a small drill bit (don't be scared)

This is what your stamp set willl look like. There are letters or numbers at one end.

I'm showing this on a white background for visual purposes but you need to stamp your disc on a very hard surface. DO NOT use your table, you will damage it. I do this on a cement floor. You can buy special bricks to do this on but you don't need to. A cement floor works excellent.
Decide where you want your letter and hold the stamp at the bottom firmly so it doesn't jump. Hit the end hard with a hammer. I usually do this about 3 times per letter.

I suggest using inexpensive supplies and practice before doing the real deal. See, this one isn't too pretty. I've stamped several things and still make mistakes on spacing. This happens really easily when you have 3 kids running circles around you! No matter, my 6yr old felt we should write something else.

Once you have your message stamped out color over your imprinted letters with a black Sharpie. It looks messy and bad, don't worry. Really make sure you get into the grooves.

Now, using your steel wool to wipe the front of your disc and this will remove the extra ink not in the imprints.
You'll notice I also have a hole in my disc. If you buy discs like I did without holes you need to make one!
You don't need a jewelry punch if you are careful. Grab your husband's drill and use a small drill bit and just drill a hole in the top. If doing this on the cement floor be careful to stop once you are through the disc! You could accidentally break one of your husband's drill bits and that would be bad.

Attach your jump ring, key ring, and you're done! For the record, you should use a large jump ring. The ones I have are a bit small and I'm going to change it out when I get more.

These are so fun because you can customize and personalize for any man in your life. I am going to add our children's names around the front, or maybe on the back and they will give this to dad for Christmas.

I know this is a post for the males in your life, but inexpensive washers make really cute, easy gifts for the little girls in your life. My teenage niece will be receiving this necklace this Christmas. :)

How many of you are all ready for Christmas? I was in good shape early this month but now I feel so behind! Last day of school tomorrow and I have so much to do!
Can't wait for next week when we can all stay in our jammies till noon!

Almond Rocha

2010-12-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

This is one of my must make Christmas treats. I make this every year, and yesterday made it for teacher's gifts. Perfect neighbor gift, I guarantee everyone will love it. It's really that good.

Beware, if you have an aversion to unhealthy treats, look away. Look far far away. You're basically eating butter, sugar and chocolate here!

Ingredients

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
2 cups milk chocolate pieces
1 cup sliced roasted almonds

I always roast my almond slices. Put them in the oven at 350 for 10 mins or so. Try not to eat all of them when they come out.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat (use a larger one than you think you'll need as this bubbles up)!
Add sugar, corn syrup and water and stir stir stir until boiling.
Once boiling, let boil over medium heat stirring periodically until mixture gets to 300 degrees. At this point it will be a nice light brown colour (this takes about 15 mins). You really do need a thermometer for this one. Cooking it till the right temp makes all the difference.
Pour onto a foil lined baking sheet. I tip my baking sheet all around to get a nice uniform layer. Don't forget the foil or you will never get your almond rocha off the pan!
Let sit for about 5 mins so the brittle "sets". Now sprinkle your chocolate pieces on top and let sit for a couple of mins.
Using a spatula spread your, now melted, chocolate pieces so that they completely cover the candy brittle.
Sprinkle with nuts and put in the fridge for 60 mins or so to set and get hard. Break into pieces and serve (you can use any type of nut for the top- cashews are really yummy too)!

Need a closer look? I made this for the teachers and I'm afraid this recipe makes so much I had some leftover for me. Too much leftover for me if you know what I'm sayin'
My tummy hurts! :)

A little tissue paper and a pretty tin and you have a nice little Christmas gift that was easy to make and super yummy to eat!

Isn't this Christmas tin cute?

Make some, you'll thank me. :)

Holiday Traditions Broken

2010-12-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

Are there any crafty things you absolutely must do each year?

One of my favorite, and most fun things to do, is make my girls' Christmas outfits.

I'm a little sad, because this year I just didn't have the time. Or maybe, I just haven't managed my time wisely (probably the latter). Whatever the reason, I didn't get them done aside from these two pair of leggings.
I'm also sad because I think this might be the last year I can get away with dressing my girls the same for Christmas. Yesterday was their Christmas concert and when they got dressed I got an "I don't want to look like her." from the older one. I guess once they hit school it's not cool anymore.

All of you that take fabulous pictures of your kids, how do you do it? Like, what are they doing here and in 99% of the shots I take?

And, trying to get all three? This is the only one where the little guy wasn't just a smudge of blur.

I didn't make their matching Christmas jammies this year either. I'm really losing it.

Scarves

2010-12-15T06:10:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last couple of evenings crocheting a couple of scarves for my sister in laws.
Isn't there just something so cozy about a nice stack of knitted (crocheted) somethings?

I'm late to the Ravelry train, but if you like to knit or crochet you should join! Thousands of free patterns to download. So fun to browse around.

The two scarves I made I found there. If you have never crocheted a day in your life you could easily make one today, you only need to know two stitches. These were a perfect mindless project. No need to count stitches after the initial base chain, yet I still felt like I was being semi productive as I parked my butt on the couch!

I used a variegated worsted weight yarn for one (kinda fun to see what type of color pattern will unfold), and a worsted weight recycled yarn for the other.

So what do you think? Should I add tassles, or not?

When I have the time to start it, I would love for this to be one of my next crochet projects.

Photo belongs to Jennyraye

I've started many blankets but never finished a one. I find them so boring to make. I'm an instant gratification type of person. I love the look of this one, so may need to test my patience. Maybe after Christmas. :)

Have any of you knit or crocheted any Christmas gifts this year for loved ones?

If you are looking for a pattern and can't find what you're looking for on Raverly. La Boutique Josefina has their sale going until the end of December. Enter "happiness" at checkout to receive 25% off. I still have one of Gabriela's cowl's on my agenda. I'm actually going to make that one for myself. I need to go shopping for yarn as that is what the gray yarn was supposed to be for! :)

Snowman Soup

2010-12-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Looking for an inexpensive Christmas party favor or classmate gift? These are so cute and perfect for kids of all ages. Including the packaging these cost me about 50 cents each to make.
I found the idea for Snowman Soup HERE. You can download a printable to staple to the top of your party favors there also. I didn't like the printable offered so made my own. I don't like using staples on things for little kids, so wanted mine to be more of a tag. Keep reading and you can find the download to my printable below.

What I used for each of my Snowman Soups:
- Treat bag
- Ribbon
- Hot chocolate pack
- 10 mini marshmallows
- 2 Hershey's kisses
- Mini candycane
- Snowman Soup Tag

I just hole punched my tags and threaded the ribbon through them.

You can find the front of my tags HERE, then put the same paper back through your printer to have the back of the tag print. The back of my tags is HERE. I literally made these in Photoshop in 10 mins, they aren't anything fancy! :)

We made these for the girls in my daughters' dance class and their younger siblings. Sweet, easy gift that I think kids will have fun with.

Then again, you can always go easier and do pencils and lollipops (what my daughters are giving to their classmates). I didn't have it in me to make 41 more Snowman Soups! :)

Gadanke Giveaway!

2010-12-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

I have a such a fun giveaway to share with all of you today, and just in time for Christmas.

I'm so happy to introduce you to Katie, owner and creator of Gadanke. Gandanke is a beautiful online shop that specializes in hand made journals meant to inspire, and help you record those things most special to you.

Katie is really sweet, and leads an interesting and inspiring life. When you have a moment, check out her "About Me" page. :)
Katie's journals all contain writing prompts that are thought prevoking and to help to get you writing. Each of her journals come with a selection of cover choices, many come with tags, pockets and stickers, and all are printed on 100% recycled German paper.

I kept a journal all throughout my life, into my twenties. I'm not sure why I ever stopped, but seeing Gadanke's journals makes me want to start again.

For the Giveaway...

Katie is generously giving away one of her journals to one of you!
If you win, you will have your choice of Love Letter,

This journal is my favorite. With four different Italian paper covers to choose from, it is beautiful and full of prompts to create a special journal for a loved one. You could fill it with things for your spouse, or even your child.

or

The Little Things...

A journal to record to record those things you are most thankful for.

Head on over to Gadanke and take a look at what Katie has to offer. Her journals are really inepensive and a perfect gift for those that seem to have everything or are difficult to buy for. Gadanke also offers gift certificates so those you love can choose the journal most personal to them!

Come back and leave a comment with your favorite journal. If you win, Katie will send you your choice of one of the journals above.

One comment per person please

Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win

Giveaway closes Friday December 17th PST.

How many of you are giving out treats to your kids' classmates for Christmas? I'll see you tomorrow with some cute inexpensive Christmas party favors.