ChE Craft

Halloween Costume & Catch-Up

2012-01-23T17:28:00.001-06:00

I received a lovely email from a complete stranger telling me how much she enjoyed my blog. That note made my day and gave me just enough motivation to pull out the computer and post something new.

Shortly after I posted in September we begun what would be 3 months of crazy travel. Our little girl has now been on 9 flights and traveled through 6 states! Although my crafting slowed during those months I did complete 2 things that were very special to me - her Halloween costume and Christmas dress.

Halloween is my favorite holiday and I aspire to make every one of P's costumes (at least as long as she'll let me!). This year I was inspired by this Pottery Barn Kids costume:

It's called the Witch Tutu Costume and anything that uses tulle is a good-thing in my book!

I wanted to make this costume simple but special at the same time. Since P was only 3 months at the time I didn't want to go overboard and overwhelm her in a huge costume. I started by purchasing a black long sleeve onesie on Amazon and black and white stripped leggings from babylegs.com. This served as the "base" for the costume accessories.

Using the Pottery Barn costume as a guide I decided to make a tulle skirt, cape, and hat to bring the witch to life. I bought a yard of 3 different tulle materials: orange glitter tulle, orange/black polka dot netting, and a velvet-burnished black spiderweb tulle. The skirt was very simple - layers of tulle stacked then folded over and sewn to create an elastic casing. I threaded elastic through and sewed it shut - I didn't even seam the back of the skirt.

The cape was also simple. I just drew 2 concentric circles and cut out a "V" shape in the front. I trimmed the netting with thin double-folded black bias tape. I love how the circle shape gently lays with some volume.

The hat was a little more complicated. I used freezer paper to make the cone and bottom shape/size then cut it apart and drafted a pattern. I fused the spiderweb tulle onto 2 layers of fusible black interfacing to make fabric that was stiff enough to hold it's shape. I then cut it all out and assembled. The hat is probably my favorite part!

All-in-all this took me over 10 hours to pull together but I love how it turned out. I think I could have been faster, but it's hard when you're sewing during nap-times and at night. I'm now back at work and it's even harder to find time to sew . . . however I will continue crafting!

Next week I'll post pictures of her Christmas dress

(my new goal is a post a week, we'll see how that goes!)

7 Weeks

2011-09-28T17:49:00.001-05:00

Seven weeks ago I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She weighed in at 6lbs 6oz and is just precious. We affectionately call her "P" - below are a few photos we had taken professionally when she was 5 days old as well as some more recent shots that I took. I'm happy to report that crafting has begun again - watch for posts soon!

Nursery Tour

2011-08-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

As my due date approaches, we thought we should finally reveal the nursery. It's not 100% finished yet - I still have to make a pillow for the rocking chair and there's a closet door that's waiting to be finishing and hung, but it's 95% complete and ready for this baby girl whenever she decides to come.

View from the Door

Crib & Chandelier Close-Up

We painted the walls a dark chocolate with a very light pink ceiling and wide white crown molding. My parents bought us the crystal chandelier and I think it fits the room just perfectly - not too prissy, but very classic.

The ruffle curtains are from Land of Nod (great prices at the outlet), and I made the matching ruffle quilt that's hanging on the crib from this tutorial. I also made the tutu bed skirt (over 9 yards of tulle!). The rug is made from pieces of t-shirt material that kind of mimics the ruffle detail (and is machine washable!). The picture you see hanging is a print I found from an artist in the UK called Famille Summerbelle. It's a map of Paris that shows all kinds of fun, quirky Parisian life - it's based on a hand paper cut the artist did.

Turn around and you'll find . . .

Changing Table

On the other side of the room we have the changing station and dresser. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the dresser has gorgeous crystal knobs and is quite girly. Above the changing pad are Tea Party fabric decals I found from an artist in Australia called Mae Well. The white decal on the left says "teatime" and I love the delicate tea-cups and cups cakes we've sprinkled throughout the room (especially the tea pots on top of each window).

Closet

Every little girl needs a great closet. Since we live in an old house we relied on The Container Store to design us an awesome Elfa system to really utilize the space. A fun fact - about half the dresses you see on the upper rack were mine from 1980 - can't wait to dress her up in them!

Reading & Rocking Corner

There is the last corner of the room - the glider and bookshelf. The glider is so comfortable, I have a feeling we will get our money's worth out of it! The bookshelf we found at the Land of Nod outlet in the Chicago area. My favorite part is the toy bin at the bottom. As you can see we have quite the head start on books and toys already! We again used the fabric decals to add some cupcakes and tea cup interest (I couldn't help myself!).

Well - that's it! What we didn't show you was the "before" picture where the ceiling collapsed from water damage and caused a whole domino effect of renovations. Over the last 5 months we replaced the ceiling, upgraded all the electrical, painted the ceiling and walls, refinished the floors, installed crown molding, painted all woodwork, redid the doors and hardware, and redid the closet. We hired out some of the work, but Will and my parents helped immensely as I couldn't climb a ladder or use any chemical-based product (Thanks again!).

Hope you enjoyed the tour, now we wait . . .

Mega Post

2011-07-22T15:59:00.001-05:00

I have been crafting - quite a bit actually! I've just lost all motivation to actually turn on the computer and blog - I'm chalking it up to the 100+ weather we're having and the fact that I'm 38+ weeks pregnant!

Anyway, let's catch up a little . . .

A friend from high school was due 4 weeks before me and I wanted to make something special for her baby shower. Of course I mailed it late - but I was really happy with the end result.

Quilted Play Mat for Baby Madelynn

At the time they didn't know the gender, so I wanted something modern, fresh, and gender neutral (which is hard for me).

Pattern: Baby Life Quilt tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop

Fabrics: Mostly Michael Miller (purchased from The Linden Tree) with some Amy Butler thrown in

Modifications: I satin stitched around all of the letter applique (even though I used Steam-a-Seam 2 to adhere it to the fabric permanently). Doing that satin stitch was pain-staking and I don't know if I love the way it looks (but I didn't want to take the chance of the letters coming off later). If I make another one for me, I will probably skip the satin stitch.

Quick Change Trousers

Before we knew the gender of the baby I was itching to sew something.
First up - gender neutral bicycling pants:

Cute contrasting butt which I love!

Pattern: Quick Change Trousers from Anna Maria Horner's book - Handmade Beginnings

Fabric: From Crafty Planet

Modifications: I didn't really have to make any! The pattern is written really well and the pants are totally reversible which makes them even more fun. I don't love shopping for gender neutral fabrics so I decided to use the reversibility of the pants to make a "boys" side and a "girls side".

Because these pants are made to "cuff" I will likely have to cut off the bottom and hem them (so they fit appropriately) and so you can't see the blue fabric cuff (which I don't love in the picture). But - I think this would be a really cute baby shower gift for anyone who wants the gender to be a surprise.

Coming Home Outfit

You've seen this dress before. But I wanted to make something to go over it in case it was a little cool out (which I don't think will be a problem anymore).

Cardigan Pattern: Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss (free pattern available on Ravelry)
Yarn: Bingo in light pink (100% merino wool)
Modifications: All of the reviews on Ravelry say that the pattern runs at least 1 size big - and the smallest size it's designed for is 3-6 months so I rewrote the pattern to size it down to what I hoped would be a newborn size. We'll see if I was successful . . . Additionally, I added a crochet scalloped trim instead of the knitted ribbed trim the pattern called for.

Handmade Gifts

2011-06-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate to have two beautiful baby showers thrown for me over the last month. Our friends and family were so unbelievably generous with gifts - we are very lucky! Since this blog is all about crafts, I thought I'd highlight some of the wonderful handmade gifts we received.

I got this little Goodie Bag from my friend Becky and her mom Sue

What's in it you ask?

Dick & Jane Quilt, Embroidered Bib, Changing Pad

Close-up of the Quilt (isn't it fun? I love Sally!)

Next Up:

A Doll from "Great-Grandma" Celia

She'll be well-loved!

Knitted hat from Michelle

I love this pattern from Itty Bitty Hats!
Top View

Sensory Blanket from Jenny

It's so soft and I love all the ribbon/textures the baby can feel

Are we spoiled or what??
Thank you to everyone - these gifts will be treasured!!

Easy Peasy Voile Summer Scarves

2011-06-14T17:38:00.000-05:00

My love of voile continues. Below is a simple scarf I made for a friend's birthday. With a yard of each of 2 different coordinating voiles, you too can also have this simple, soft, lightweight, heavenly scarf:

Directions:
*All of the voile I used is from Anna Maria Horner and is 54" wide

Cut 2 - 16 or 17 inch strips of fabric from each yard (you may even be able to cut it up to 18" wide depending on how generous your fabric store was while cutting). You want to cut across the width of the fabric, which will leave you with 2 ~16"x52" strips of fabric.
Trim the selvage edges and sew the strips together along the SHORT edge using a 1/2" seam allowance (you'll have 2 very long strips of fabric - 1 in each pattern)
Decide how long you want your scarf and cut to length. I typically cut mine down to 88-90" long
With right sides together, pin and sew the two strips together along the two LONG edges. I used a 1/2" seam allowance again
Turn the fabric tube right side out and press.
Now turn the unfinished short ends in about 1/2" and top-stitch them closed. You can even add a fun trim like the pom-pom trim pictured below (this scarf I made for myself).
All done!

Update

2011-06-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

I've been busy the past couple of weeks:

Had 2 baby showers where I got to celebrate with our incredibly generous friends and family!

Went to the Glee Live Concert with my Mom

Got a pedicure

Went to the hospital (everything's ok!)

Working on decorating the baby's room (here's a sneak peak!)

Prototyped a Pottery Barn crib skirt knock-off

(hope to sew the actual thing this weekend)

And most importantly - growing a baby!

8 weeks to go!

Receiving Blankets

2011-05-26T17:35:00.000-05:00

I love voile - and after reading this post on Anna Maria Horner's blog I knew I had to make receiving blankets out of voile and flannel.

Blanket 1 - For our nephew

Blanket 2 - For our little girl

Both of these were made using a yard of Little Folk voile and a yard of Little Folks flannel. I trimmed the corners using a plate then stitched them together using a 1/4" SA. I trimmed the blankets in purchased extra-wide double fold bias tape. I didn't have the patience to make my own bias tape, especially out of the slippery voile that's recommended. Super quick and easy and they're soooo soft!

Patchwork Blanket

For Christmas I received a fat quarter pack of the Little Folks voile in a pink/red colorway. I cut 89 - 5.5" squares then sewed them together using a 1/4" SA. I used 54" width flannel as the backing so I could keep the blanket on the larger side at 45"x45". Given the size of the blanket, I knew it needed to be quilted but wanted to keep it simple. I used my walking foot and stitched 1/4" on each side of every seam. It's trimmed the same way the other ones were - using extra wide double fold bias tape. This is one of my favorite blanket I've ever made - I want one for me!

Quilting Detail

New Crafting Space

2011-05-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

Baby Update: 3rd Trimester has officially started and is offically kicking my butt!

As I emptied out the old "craft room" to make way for Baby E, I was determined to keep a "crafting space" for me. The only other logical place was our guest room. After a few trips to Ikea (to buy and return bookshelves), some major Craigslist finds, and a new bookshelf from Crate & Barrel my space is ready . . .

Ta-Da!

We took down the huge bookshelf we use to have on this wall and replaced it with a smaller sewing desk, bookshelf, and my apron collection. I have a few more things I need to hang on the wall, but overall I love this space! All of my fabric/yarn/tools are stored in containers under the guest room bed. Everything has a place and it really feels way more organized than my old space.

Now off to get sewing before this rapidly expanding belly makes it harder to get my projects done!

Accessorizing the Baby

2011-05-05T20:27:00.001-05:00

I love accessories - hats, gloves, scarves, headbands, jewelry - you name it and I probably own it. I'm afraid the apple won't fall far from the tree because as I look to make things for our baby, I keep gravitating to accessories - especially hats.

Pattern: Little Sister from Petite Purls
Yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima as called for in the pattern
Size: Baby
Modifications: None - it's perfect!

I love this hat! The pretty scalloped edge, the big flower, the open crochet pattern - it's just so cute! And I have plenty of yarn left over to make the Toddler size. It only took a few evenings in front of the tv - less than 3 hours total to make the entire hat (flower included). Now off to finish that newborn sized shrug . . .

Simplicity

2011-04-28T17:00:00.001-05:00

I made this for a friend who just had her 3rd baby - a little boy named Michael.

I just love this onsie - sometimes simple really is best.

An Easter Dress

2011-04-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

There is no way this dress will fit our little girl next year, but since I both started and completed it this Easter Sunday - it's officially an Easter Dress.

Pattern: Itty Bitty Dress Tutorial from Made by Rae
Size: Newborn
Fabric: Anna Maria Horner Drawing Room (dress) and Little Folks Voile (lining) all from my stash!
Modifications: I sewed the lining and bodice together so that the seam was hidden, the directions weren't really clear so I just did what I thought looked best. I also serged all the seams and hemmed the skirt instead of using bias binding as instructed. Finally I top stitched above the piping to tack down the skirt/bodice seam.

This is a really easy pattern that comes together quite quickly. It took me longer to clip the curved seams and turn the ties right side out than it did to actually sew it. I'm hoping this is a contender for a "coming home outfit" - we'll see how big she is. I've also got an Oliver + S pattern in the queue to as another option, but I'm afraid the 0-3 month sizing will be a little big.

For those of you who are interested - here's me at 25 weeks. Aversions are getting better, although chicken still sounds disguising. I also have an outrageous sweet tooth (demonstrated by the impromptu cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast this morning. Seriously - no yeast required and they were delish!!!)

I haven't been blogging because . . .

2011-03-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

My House Looks like an Episode of Hoarders . . .

We're just finishing up all the repair work from the ice dam - what a mess! Since the rooms were mostly emptied out for the plaster/drywall we decided to finish the floors as well so everything is now in my living/dining room!

And . . . I'm Pregnant!

Those pretty fabrics hanging on the guest room mattress are for our little girl who is due in early August. I have been able to sneak in a little sewing and knitting but all the projects are in that green cabinet which happens to be pinned against a box that's too heavy for me to move - but I'll be blogging about it soon - I promise!

Presents for Luke

2011-02-26T21:00:00.003-06:00

Good friends of ours had a baby last August. He's made an appearance on my blog before - modeling here. I never got around to blogging about the baby shower gift I made so here it is:

Quilt

(sorry for the grainy pics, taken on my phone while babysitting since I forgot to take one originally):

Pattern: New Wave Quilt from Oh, Fransson!
Modifications: Since I wanted a smaller quilt I only did 7 of the "waves" and shortened the length. I also added the gray border so the wave sequence was centered. I think it makes it look less busy and more focused - which I prefer over the original design for a quilt of this size. It's hard to see in the picture, but I stipple quilted this with orange thread - it contrasts really well.

Valance (sorry for the grainy pics again):

This valance was salvaged from the nursery bedding. Since no one uses bumpers anymore, we decided to try and turn a part of the bumper into a valance. It was really easy, I just cut it down and then hand-sewed the seams to close (there was a little more to it, but that's the overview). Since the bumper already had crib ties you can simply use them to tie it to the curtain rod.

More recently I thought Luke needed something handmade for Christmas. Although I was almost 2 months late in finishing and delivering the sweater - I don't think he minded (doesn't he make a great model?)

Pattern: Baby Sophisticate (ravelry link)
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wood (as called for in the pattern)
Modifications: I just shortened the length of the arms and the body a bit. Otherwise this knit true to gauge and came together really quickly. I love the rolled collar - he looks like a little professor!

Houston we have a problem . . .

2011-01-12T17:57:00.001-06:00

I know it's been quiet around here, but I had a good reason.

Two weeks before Christmas I came home from work to find this in my craft room:

At first I didn't know what to think, then I looked up to find:

An ice dam had caused MASSIVE amounts of water to soak the attic, which then flowed to the ceiling. The ceiling is plaster so it just gave way and separated from the lathe. We have more water damage in the guest room, but that plaster is holding on (for now).

So, I'm without a craft room, until at least March when the contractor has his next opening (apparently a lot of people are having this problem). Crafting hasn't ceased, I've been knitting, but my progress has certainly slowed as we concentrate on getting the house in order.

Good news - I have TONS of projects I haven't blogged about so stay tuned.

If it makes you happy ...

2010-12-08T18:05:00.001-06:00

LOVE that Sheryl Crow song!

And this certainly makes me happy:

Fleece Cupcake Socks (complete with Sprinkles)

3 pieces + 10 minutes sewing = Super Easy

This was my "prototype" for Christmas gifts - who's the lucky recipient?

Advent Calendars 2 & 3

2010-11-30T20:38:00.000-06:00

I showed a sneak peak a couple posts ago, but I finished these advent calendars just in time for 4 little kids to get a special surprise tomorrow morning.

Calendar #2

Fabric: Hip Holidays by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup for Henry Glass Fabrics
Pattern: from Oh Fransson for Sew Mama Sew Christmas in July 2009
Modification: Used steam-a-seam 2 to apply numbers and did NOT zig-zap around edges

Back

I ran out of fabric and had to get creative

Another shot of the stippling texture (I love it!)

Trying to be professional . . .

Calendar #3

Can you tell the difference?

(it's the binding and backing!)

Hope you all have something special to look forward to tomorrow!

Do Something Good

2010-11-16T18:55:00.000-06:00

Click on the icon below and vote for 1of 3 great crafting organzations that do good in our communities (may I suggest Project Linus?) Voting is open until December 4th.

A little "Flair" for my Hair!

2010-11-11T19:47:00.000-06:00

Office Space reference anyone???

I whipped this up while watching Glee on Tuesday night and had a fresh accessory for Wednesday morning.

I think it's fun, it made me smile, and several folks at work commented that they liked it - that's a win in my book! However when I got home Will told me I looked like I was dressing like a "19-year old girl". What do you think?

"Creative Activities" Weekend

2010-11-07T20:30:00.001-06:00

I woke up Saturday morning and informed Will that it would be a weekend full of "Creative Activities" - we would ignore the laundry, cleaning, outside work, and home improvement for the weekend to just focus on our "Creative Activities" (named after my favorite building at the MN State Fair - I could spend hours in the Creative Activities barn). What do I have to show for it?

Saturday:

TWO 2010 Advent Calendars for friends (only 1 pictured)

Similar to last year's - but with different fabric. They're both sandwiched and ready to be quilted this week!
(Michelle and Leighann - these are for you!)

(Does it kind of freak anyone else out how OCD I am? - look at those safety pins)

Sunday:
Baking, Baking, and More Baking

I'm "practice" baking for a baby shower I'm hosting in a few weeks. This was my first attempt at Cake Pops & Bites (full post coming after the shower, I learned A LOT of tips/tricks) - check out more at Bakerella.

Pinwheel Cupcakes
(inspired from Foodspiration)

What did you do this weekend?

Two Crafts for the Price of One!

2010-11-01T20:36:00.016-05:00

It's been over a month since I posted so I figured I should post more than 1 completed project (that is if people are still following my blog!)

First up - a "chemo cap" I knitted for work. I donated a "handmade winter hat" for an auction fundraiser and the recipient wanted me to knit and donate a hat for cancer patients. After looking through many patterns on Ravelry, I chose the most fashionable hat I could find.

The Result:

Not your traditional "Chemo Cap"

Pattern: Esprit Chemo Turban from Elann.com
Yarn: Rowan Calmer (75% cotton/25% acrylic)
Modifications: I used a Size 8 needle so my gauge was a little smaller, but I like the tighter knit (especially with the ribbing which can relax). It's a really simple knit, just really long! You essentially knit 40 inches of a 4x4 rib pattern which took me forever since I'm a "thrower" not a "picker" (one day I will learn!). You then graft the edges together to make a circle and finish by sewing in a seam:

The seamed portion (at the lower left) is worn on the head and then you twist the loop around the back and again the front. I played around with it and there are so many ways you can wear it. I hope whoever receives it feels fabulous when they wear it.

Ready for craft number 2 & 3 (that's right, you get a bonus!)

Our good friends had a baby boy over Labor Day and I wanted to make something special for Baby Peter. Since Lauren & Justin moved to California I thought a little sleep sack would be perfect because even CA babies need to stay warm.

Pattern: Patchwork Sleep Sack from Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner
Size: Should fit 6wks to ~3months
Fabric: Assorted from my stash (lined with flannel)
Modifications: The only major modification I made was to the polka dot bias binding you see in the picture above. The pattern calls for the binding (on the right) to stop at the neckline since the rest of the seam would be hidden when the sack is closed. This just didn't feel finished to me so I mitered the corner and continued the binding down to the bottom. I also sewed the velcro on so you couldn't see the stitches from the front. Finally I also serged the bottom seam so it would be nice and neat. All small details but it really made the finished product look more professional. I love this sleep sack and will be making more for friends.

Second Gift: Personalized Toy Bag

I didn't use a pattern - I just grabbed some extra fabric I had and whipped this up to hold the "plastic food" I bought from work. I applied the "P" using Steam-a-Seam 2 then satin-stitched around the edge. It took about a half hour all told.

Now for an extra special treat!
Baby Luke (yes another friend's baby) models the sleep sack
(he was only 5 wks here so it's a little big on him):

Baby Quilt Complete!

2010-09-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

Do you remember these posts with some teaser pics of a quilt for Baby Ben? Well, I finished piecing and quilting in May but didn't get the binding on and shipped out until sometime in July. It's even sadder that I haven't blogged it yet.

Drum roll please . . . . .

Ta Da!

Great Texture

Fun Colors (Love the Bus!!!)

Quilt Back

I wasn't sure how it would turn out because I tried to just grab strips and sew them together. Then I had a mini-melt down and took out my markers and drew the whole quilt out w/ color and patterns. Once I had a "planned randomness" I felt much better (what can I say the Engineer in me loves order!!!) This is loosely based on the Scrappy Hedgerow Blocks from Oh, Fransson!.

I'm Alive!

2010-09-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost 6 wks since I blogged! I have a lot to share but not enough time right now so I'm going to post something that made me laugh so hard I cried. If you know me at all you know I love reality TV and the trashier the better! I came across these and although they are so wrong, they are so right on!!!

Real Housewives of New Jersey Anyone???

How about The Hills???

I tri!

2010-07-30T12:13:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to blog - I really have but I've been busy "tri-ing" lately. Yes - that's right, I'm doing my first triathlon in only 2 weeks! It's only a sprint (500yd swim, 15 mile bike, 5K run) but it's taking up a considerable amount of my weekend crafting time (and work has taken up my week nights unfortunately).

Besides training I've had a great summer - here's a quick recap:

Glee Concert

AWESOME!

These are really talented actors and it was such a blast to hear them sing and dance in person from the SECOND ROW! (thanks Mom)

Full Concert Pics HERE (it's worth browsing!)

Enjoying our summer CSA share and getting creative with Kale & Escarole

Car Show & Brewing with my Dad on Fathers Day

Biking to the new Target Field for a Twins game

Outdoor baseball finally comes to Minnesota!

and Finishing the kitchen (see last post - getting so close)

Hope your summer has been as fun and busy as mine - Keep checking back there are at least 2 projects that are 95% complete and almost ready for blogging!

Updates

2010-06-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

Well some said it would never be done . . . that's right I'm talking about the kitchen remodel! Well, we are committed to getting it done by August (the official 2 year mark) and have started working on the finishing touches - here's proof (click here for a refresher on remodel progress):

Please admire these mitered corners, Will worked very hard on them thanks to an old-school miter box from Grandpa D (thanks again!) These windows also required an insane number of custom cuts which caused us to get quite creative.

We've started on the door trim and hope to have baseboards in soon. Tile is the last major decision left, and hopefully I'll nail that down when my mom is here.

In other news, we joined a CSA this year (food post coming soon), I just finished sewing a new dress, and I got accepted into Doll Swap 9!!!! (see the button on the right)
Summer of '10 is going to be a good one!

Baby Shower Sweets

2010-06-03T21:03:00.003-05:00

I co-hosted a baby shower last weekend for my friend Carlye. I tried to make as much of the food as I could from scratch and the cupcakes and cookies were no exception. The cupcakes were super easy to make and really went over well with the girls.

Recipe: Betty Crocker White Cake Mix and Magnolia Bakery Frosting (this is my favorite frosting ever!)
Decorating: Ribbon Chocolates made from Wilton white candy melts and this mold from Bake It Pretty. I simply piped the frosting on each cupcake using a giant round and french tip (also from Bake It Pretty). I also sprinkled some with course sanding sugar for a little interest.

The cookie decorated almost put me in tears. I love cut-out cookies decorated to the max, but I really struggled with these. I bought this book and used both the sugar cookie and icing recipe from it. The cookies themselves tasted great and really held their shape. The Cookie Craft authors really had some helpful rolling and baking tips in the book that I used and made the process much faster. The icing was another story. I never quite got the viscosity right and they ended up not fully drying out (even after 2 days!). I think the culprit was over-beating and humidity, but I'm going to continue to practice this recipe so I'm ready for Christmas Cookies!

Finally we needed favors to send home with all the ladies. I found these cardboard mini-loaf pans from Bake It Pretty (can you tell I love that shop??) and thought they would be perfect. I wrapped them in a cellophane bag and included the recipe for the Macademia Nut Bread on the back of the "Bundle of Joy" card. I hope people enjoyed them.

I also made a baby quilt for Carlye, but as luck would have it my camera battery ran out (forgot to charge it after the GLEE concert - more on that later!) and I didn't get a photo. Hopefully I'll be able to snap one in the next week or two and share it on the blog.

Super Simple Supper

2010-05-19T20:05:00.002-05:00

Spinach, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Brown Rice, and a Dill Vinegrette. I spruced it up with a little shaved parm and voila - perfection! So simple, so delicious - and healthy to boot. From Marth Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine (link to recipe).

There are lots of crafts going on but they have to stay secret for now. Looks for lots of updates come the first of June.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-05-05T20:29:00.001-05:00

We went to a birthday party for a friend a few weekend ago and I volunteered to bring desert. I was instructed that the birthday girl liked chocolate, caramel, frosting, and anything that used a pound of butter (my kind of girl!). That list lead me to these:

Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes

(scooped out and waiting for hot caramel)

Homemade Caramel on the stove!

(fleur de sel mixed in)

Add some homemade Dark Chocolate Frosting

(1 lb of butter and 2 lbs of chocolate in this frosting!)

Put it all together and you get deliciousness!
(sprinkled with a little extra fleur de sel)

Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book

(I'm loving this cookbook so far!)

Handmade Cards

2010-04-28T21:46:00.004-05:00

I love making cards. It doesn't matter what the occasion is, any excuse to go to Paper Source and I'm all over it. Here are 2 of the recent cards I made:

Crochet Pattern: Tiny Crocheted Hearts from julie-k
Yarn & Hook: Tahki Cotton Classic and Size D Crochet hook
Card Design: My own!

Baby Shower Card

Card Design: Anna Maria Horner's Blog (copied it shamelessly)
(It's also badly photo-shopped to remove names)

If you have any great card inspiration sites or ideas, please send them my way!!

Signs of Crafting

2010-04-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Progress on the Baby Quilt Blocks

Socks on 2 Circulars

Olive Juice & Co. Apron in waiting . . .

Tiny Crocheted Hearts

Thank You cards in process

There's a lot of crafting - but with my work and travel schedule I can't seem to complete anything!

And Thank you for all the birthday wishes! Becky the answers to your questions are:
1. Yes - ate it for Breakfast on my bday!
2. I missed Tori live but caught her Today show interview online
3. Still rockin' a dark hue for the hair, not sure what to do next . . .

And Rebecca, I would love to wear a skirt while roughing it - but see #7 (allergies) if I don't have long pants and shirts I break out in hives (and swell with any mosquito bites!).

30 Things

2010-04-04T19:25:00.000-05:00

Here are 30 things you may (or may not) know about me:

I learned to knit in college
My favorite food is Risotto
Martha Stewart is my hero
I rarely get to work before 8am
I love Tori Spelling
I drink over 40oz of caffeinated beverages a day
I'm allergic to almost all animals, mold, trees, and grass
I hate wearing pants, I would wear a skirt or dress everyday if I could
I actually like to 'rough it' and backpack camp
I own 38 different colors of eye shadow
I have big feet (size 10+ depending on the brand)
I believe Peeps are a gift from God
I wear sunscreen everyday
I drink bourbon and boxed wine
I love 1950's fashion, hair, and make-up
Corn Pops is my favorite cereal (and I like to eat it for dinner)
I wear aprons around the house
I like to dye my hair (in 2009: red, blonde, and dark auburn)
My favorite colors are Pink & Purple
I like to eat birthday cake for breakfast
I love bracelets but rarely wear necklaces
I'm addicted to reality TV shows (especially those on Bravo)
Glee (and Legally Blonde the Musical) make me happy
I try to make as much food as I can from scratch
I wear a lot of black
I (try to) work out 5 times a week
I have a lot of Coach purses
My favorite movie is Sleeping Beauty
I prefer Cream of Wheat over oatmeal
Today is my 30th Birthday!

PJs Revisted

2010-03-28T11:57:00.002-05:00

Remember this from last summer?

P-Man is a year older and his current PJs are getting a little short on him so for his 3rd birthday I made these (thanks to Tim for modeling!):

Pattern: Bedtime Story PJs from Oliver + S size 3T

Fabric: Riley Blake

Modifications: None - this pattern is awesome!

Porter looks happy with the results!

Baby Blocks

2010-03-11T21:32:00.003-06:00

Yet another good friend had a baby recently and I really wanted to make a quilt for little baby Benjamen (Leslie if you're ready this, sorry to ruin the surprise!). I saw these Riley Blake prints and immediately ordered a fat quarter set (In Highway Roads colorway). I didn't have a pattern in mind - but I remembered the Hedgerow Scrappy Tutorial from Oh Fransson! and started making blocks loosely based on the tutorial.

These are scanned images of the 9.5" blocks I created

(they didn't completely fit on the scanner glass)

"Blue Middle"

I started by cutting out 12 3.5" squares from the blue and brown large car/motorcycle/bus/bike print. I then added 1.5" and 1.75" strips to keep a "scrappy look" while at the same time using coordinating fabrics. I'm not completely in love with this yet- but I think once it's done and sashed in some great light blue fabric it won't look so busy.

"Brown Middle"

What do you think? Is this going to make the poor baby look cross-eyed with all the fabric craziness?

Crocheted Baby Blanket

2010-03-07T21:39:00.002-06:00

I've been a little absent from blogging and it's all the Year of Organization's fault. Last week I went through all of our paper files, reorganizing them into 5 color coded categories and relabeling. That was about 7 hours of crafting time lost to organization (and I'm still not done!). Our cleaning service also started last week and between my quest to get rid of clutter and now a professionally cleaned house, I'm feeling like the Year of Organization was a great idea!

Now onto the crafting. I made this blanket for my best friend April for her baby shower. At that time, we didn't know if it was a boy or a girl so I thought something neutral would be good. April's wedding colors were cream and brown so I went with that theme.

Pattern: Tiramisu Blanket from Alicia Paulson of Posie Gets Cozy
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Cream
Modifications: My gauge was really off so I had to cast on 20-30 more stitches to get the desired width. I also ended up using about half the yardage of yarn than what the pattern called for due to my gauge differences. Even though the sizing was off, the beauty of this blanket is that you simply crochet a square then add the lovely scalloped trim. The ribbon detail and scallop really make the blanket special. Although my pics don't do it justice, the blanket is so soft, shiny, and just simply beautiful. I will definitely be making this again. Crocheting a baby blanket is much faster for me than knitting - so I'll be on the lookout for more crocheted blankets in the future.

If you haven't used Knit Picks Shine it's one of my favorite yarns for baby items. It's soft, squishy, shiny, and machine washable - perfect for baby knits (or crochet).

A Lesson in Gauge

2010-02-22T22:26:00.002-06:00

Yes - that is an apple wearing a knit baby hat

Normally I'm pretty good when it comes to doing a gauge swatch - it's just not worth guessing and risking something not fitting. Baby hats are another story. Why do a gauge swatch when I have no idea how big a 3 vs. 6 vs. 12 month head is, and from looking at my friend's babies - it varies widely!

I started in on this hat using similar yarn and needles called for in the pattern. Not exact, but close enough I thought - I was wrong! As you can see this is a tiny hat, big enough for a baby doll or a newborn. I ended up remaking it after rewriting the pattern for my correct gauge (3 sts/in). Although I was only off by 0.5 stitch per inch - it made a huge difference in the finished product (sorry I didn't get to take a picture of the good hat!).

Crocheted Bowl

2010-02-15T22:14:00.002-06:00

Here it is - all finished!!!

I love the way it turned it - the pictures don't do it justice (and it's not yellow at all - that's just bad lighting) it's a lovely bright white that looks so sharp in our bedroom.

I almost ruined this bowl. I got impatient and thought it was dry enough to remove from the metal bowl after 2 days - not good. Will was the voice of reason and reminded me that I said 4-5 days on the blog - so I put it in a different room and forgot about for a few days. Once the bowl was completely dry it just "popped" off the bowl - no residue or sticking!

I made this bowl as part of the "Year of Organization" - Will needed something to put his "pocket stuff" in every night before bed. You know - that stuff guys take out of their pockets, leave hanging around, and them sometimes remember to grab in the morning?? Now that crap has a place!

There will definitely be more bowls in my future. I'm curious to see how this starch solution will work with colored thread (say pink??). I'm not sure if it'll dry clear or leave a snowy white residue. I guess we'll find out . . .

(a very pretty bowl for some very manly things!)

I did find a couple of minor errors in the book pattern. I emailed the author and she was kind enough to look at them and send me the corrections. I'm going to update my Ravelry project details in case any of you are interested.

Valentine's Treat

2010-02-10T20:40:00.001-06:00

I decided a wanted a little something special to wear this Valentine's day so I grabbed some leftover yarn from my Strasbourg Hat and made this headband in one night.

Pattern: From Creative Yarn
Modifications: None - I think I messed up the flower petals (wasn't paying enough attention while crocheting and watching tv) but I like it anyway. Can't wait to wear it to work on Friday and all day Sunday!!! I love the 3 strand headband base and will definitely be improvising other crocheted flower headbands from my yarn scraps.

View from the top

Granny-licious!

2010-02-03T21:04:00.001-06:00

I love doilies - and as soon as I saw the crocheted bowl from Crochet Adorned I knew I had to make it!

After soaking in the hot starch solution (2c sugar: 1c water) it's now draped over a bowl and drying for the next 4-5 days . . . come back next week for the finished product!

Twin Hats

2010-02-02T21:59:00.002-06:00

My parents came to visit a few weeks ago and during the weekend activities it became clear that my dad needed a knit hat. While my parents were watching the Vikings in person, I grabbed my leftover yarn and got started on another Turn a Square, finishing this quick knit before the end of the evening.

Guys in their "matching hats"

Another (blurry) pic to prove they really did like their hats

(even if it was a little creepy that they matched!)

This is love . . .

2010-01-27T21:50:00.001-06:00

My husband's love for his jeans . . .

And my love for him (otherwise I would never have spent the 4+ hours repairing these jeans - the ones sitting on my craft table are worse yet!)

As you can see - thread color is key. Will was in desperate need to get his "lucky jeans" fixed in time for a plant trial so I used what I had laying around. It's really better to take the jeans to the store and match thread to the faded and blue parts of the jeans. Below are the 2 techniques I have tried:

Use a zig-zag stitch that has the stitch length shortened to just above a satin stitch and sew down and back over the tear (using the forward/reverse button on your machine). I use a piece of scrap denim on the inside of the pant leg as a "reverse patch". It adds some structural integrity back to a worn knee.
Use the darning foot (with the feed dogs down) and a zig-zag stitch. This method is much faster, although it took me a little while to get consistent results (it's kind of like free-motion quilting). You also need a piece of scrap denim for this method. I would also recommend buying more thread than you think you'll need. For Will's jeans alone I've gone through 4 spools of thread!

If you start fixing jeans (or other pants) beware - it's an in demand skill. I've had jeans shipped to me from my sister, Dad, and even interoffice mail from co-workers! (People really love their jeans!)

Would you like S'more??

2010-01-25T22:05:00.003-06:00

Recipe: Inspired by the Graham Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting from Martha Stewart Cupcakes (unfortunately the recipe is not available online)
Modifications: I used a Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix for the cupcakes. The recipe originally calls for homemade graham flour based cupcakes but who has the time or $$$ to look for graham flour from a specialty store?? (Even though I *heart* Martha she is so impractical at times) The original cupcake is then suppose to be topped with a ganache and homemade marshmallow frosting. I omitted the ganache (I think Triple Chocolate Fudge is enough), but I did make the homemade marshmallow frosting. It's basically a gelatin based marshmallow recipe (make sure to add 1+ tsp of vanilla) that you QUICKLY pipe onto the cupcake before it starts to set-up (easier said than done). It's a pretty messy process, but totally worth it. After applying the frosting I stuck in a graham cracker stick and used my trusty kitchen blow torch for the browning.

"Free-form" Cupcake
I'm not sure which one I prefer

Caution: If you ever use the blow torch on a cupcake - turn the flame WAY low and use a sweeping motion from the top of the cupcake - not at a horizontal angle - or you will catch the cupcake liner on fire. I'm not kidding here . . .

Snowman Quilt

2010-01-20T21:51:00.001-06:00

Yet another Christmas present I have yet to blog about. I made this quilt for my mom, she loves to cuddle on the couch with a quilt and she's crazy about snowmen. When I saw a sample of this quilt hanging in the 4 Seasons Quilt Shop I knew I had to make it. Luckily I was able to get the last spot on the waiting list for the "quilt kit".

All the flannel fabric I needed (except backing) was included in the kit along with the original pattern. I thought buying the kit might make the quilt assembly/design a little easier and faster, but I was wrong. There were very limited directions concerning how to coordinate colors with the scrap yardage included so I had to wing it. In addition, all of the snowmen faces and accessories had to be appliqued onto the quilt top. I decided to ignore the directions for freezer paper applique and just wing it - needle turning all of the pieces by hand. I used a lightweight bamboo/organic cotton batting, but with all of the flannel fabric the quilt surprisingly heavy. For machine quilting, I stippled and free motion quilted similar to the shop sampler.

All in all I love the finished quilt (and Mom did too!). I added black buttons for the eyes and backed the quilt in the light brown polka dot you see in hat brim. It's about 48x60" - the perfect size for a lap quilt.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-14T18:33:00.001-06:00

I did pretty good with my 2009 Crafting Resolutions, learning to crochet and quilt were definite highlights of last year. So, now it's time to unveil my 2010 Resolutions (crafting and otherwise . . .)

Learn how to make clothing patterns and fit them to my body with the help of this book and some new supplies (coming soon!)
Blog twice a week
Wear lipstick/gloss everyday - it's amazing how something so small can totally change your attitude and mood!
Finally knit a sweater for ME!
Enjoy the small stuff
Read the Book Club book - just don't go for the gossip and wine
Join a sewing community (not sure how I'm going to do this one, I'm looking for a local club that has similar interests/age as me, but I may just join an online sew-along)
Try out pebble quilting (isn't this gorgeous? you should check out her blog)

On top of these resolutions, Will and I have recently started a theme for each year:

2007- Year of Responsibility (Will finishes a PhD, finds a job, and we buy a new house, incidentally I had been living the Year of Responsibility since 2002)
2008 - Year of Fiscal Responsibility (now that we're DINKs - we need a plan!)
2009 - Year of Being a Better Person (ask Will how this one went)
2010 - Year of Organization

What are your resolutions this year??

Will's Europe Hat (a little late)

2010-01-11T21:22:00.005-06:00

It's a good thing we live in MN (and we NEED hats) because I finished this one a little past it's deadline. This was definitely a keep-me-on-my-toes knit, but still fun. The texture is so unique, it's a great men's hat pattern (and trust me, there aren't that many great ones out there!).

Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn: Lana Grossa Bingo Color 206
Modifications: None - but I did depend on the comments and tips on Ravelry concerning this project. The pattern was pretty sparce so it helped that some people wrote out the cable chart. I have knit 2 of Jared's hats this past year (Turn a Square was the other one) and I'm happy to say I will be attempting a third soon (Will likes hats as much as I do!)

Saturday Night Dinner

2010-01-09T21:35:00.003-06:00

Recipe: Barley Risotto with Beans & Greens from Smitten Kitchen
Modifications:

2 onions
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1.5 c barley
1 c white wine
~6 c broth
15 oz can navy beans
1 c parmesan cheese
5 c arugla

This was an absolutely delicious, stick-to-your ribs dinner. Perfect for the sub-zero weather, I'm so excited to eat leftovers tomorrow!

Your eyes are not deceiving you, I finally decided to commit to a blog redesign - what do you think?

Grandma's Quilt

2010-01-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

My Grandmother has a collection of quilt tops that were HAND PIECED by my great-grandmother and other various women in my family. She bought this particular quilt top for $15 from her mother-in-law sometime in the 1960's. My mom was able to get me the quilt top so I could finish it as a Christmas gift.

Given the age of fabric there was some yellow and brown staining on the quilt top. I tried to use Retro Clean to brighten it up, but that kind of backfired. Although it worked great on some embroidered hankies I had, the Retro Clean caused all of the brown fabric in the quilt to bleed out. After extensive soaking and washing, most of the damage was mitigated - but I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears over the fear of ruining a family heirloom.

Machine quilting was another challenge. The quilt top was not square and even though I tried, I had to tuck and fold the fabric to get it to lie flat. There were also several holes in the fabric, so after much consultation with the ladies of Generational Viewpoints, I used a layer of 110" muslin between the batting and quilt top and then tacked down the edges of torn fabric (see photo above).

All in all I was really happy with outcome and I think my Grandma was too.

My Hats of Europe

2010-01-04T22:05:00.008-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

As many of you know, Will and I took a 2 week vacation to Europe over Christmas. We visited Paris, Strasbourg, Bruges, and Amsterdam. Since it was going to be cold (and we were going to spend the majority of our time outside exploring the cities) I decided to knit a hat for each city. Unfortunately Christmas crafting got in the way, so I only completed 3 of the 4 planned hats.

First up - City of Lights Hat

Pattern: Side Slip Cloche from the book Boutique Knits (one of my all time favs)
Yarn: Piccadilly from Needful Yarns in Pastel Mix colorway
Comments/Modifications:
I followed the pattern exactly and got a hat that I absolutely love. It's hard to see from the photo but there is a metallic thread that is woven through the yarn that makes this hat sparkle. I wore it all throughout Paris in snow, rain, and sun and it was just perfect. Small enough it easily fit in a jacket pocket but warm enough to ward out snow and rain and keep my hair dry. I've worn this around Minneapolis since we got back and one lady stopped me to ask where I bought it! I am tempted to make 1 more in a darker color . . .

Next: Strasbourg "Capital de Noel"

Pattern: Tillie from "Matilda and Tillie Pattern" by MK Carroll (size M)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed (2 skeins)
Comments/Modifications:
I lengthened the crown length a little so that it ended at the top of my ears as the pattern suggested. I also chose to knit the hemmed edge (which is very hard to see in the photo). Sewing the band and crown together to make the cloche style hat was a little tedious. I also decided to hand felted it a little to blur the stitches and shrink it a bit as the pattern suggested. Finally it had to be blocked over a large container of Clorox Wipes! The flower is made of felt from a Heather Bailey pattern I modified. I added the vintage glass button (from 195o's West Germany) for fun. This isn't a hat you wear in a strong breeze (it doesn't fit tightly against your head) but its fashion definitely makes up for any function it lacks. I think the sizing is a little generous - to make it again I would go down a size.

Finally: Bruges & Amsterdam

Pattern: Sideways Grande Cloche also from Boutique Knits

Yarn: Plymouth Yarns Baby Alpaca Grande (2 skeins from my stash)
Comments/Modifications:
I wanted something modern, monotone, and architectural for these two cities - and that is exactly what I got with this hat. My gauge was really off, so I had to downsize all 4 needle sizes called for (I used a 9, 8, 7, and 6). I also changed the hat construction slightly. After knitting the sides flat, I picked up and joined in the round to finish the crown. It was much faster than purling for stockinette and cut down the seam sewing quite a bit. This is by far the warmest and thickest hat I had on our trip - which came in handy for the howling, rainy winds in Bruges.

What about Will you ask? He had his own hat I knit last year (Turn a Square) but he did ask me to knit a new one for our trip. Time got the better of me and I was not able to finish it before or during the trip. It's sitting on the coffee table now and I'm hoping to get it done soon since it's -10oF outside!

If you're interested in seeing more pics from our trip check out my flickr site.

Advent Calendar

2009-12-13T20:59:00.003-06:00

This post is dedicated to Jenny for telling me that my book signing post was "so last month" and I needed to update it!

Since Will and I are spending Christmas in Europe we did Christmas with my family during Thanksgiving. There were 3 major projects I had to finish and I'm happy to report that they all got done (although I was cutting it really close!).

First up - Shay's Advent Calendar. Growing up we loved Advent Calendars!!! Even the cheap ones with the bad waxy chocolate were just so much fun. When I saw this project on Oh Fransson's blog I knew I had to download the pattern from SewMamaSew.

Fabric: Be Merry by Riley Blake (10 different prints, fat quarter of each)

Modifications: I used Prints for all of the pockets fronts instead of mixing with solids. I also used 4 solids instead of the 3 the pattern called for. To save time, I did not stitch around the fused numbers (I used Steam-a-Seam 2 to make sure they were really stuck on).

I quilted it using a Metallic Sulky Thread (which is prone to breaking, so it's definitely a lesson in patience and the right needle size). The stippling is done pretty tight which added some much needed texture to the wall hanging.

Close-Up of the pocket - it's really amazing how much each one could hold. I put a Halloween sized skittle in each one along with another surprise. I have enough fabric left over to make another calendar, I can't wait to get started on it after the New Year!

Book Signing!

2009-11-17T22:23:00.006-06:00

I've been lucky enough to attend 2 book signings in Minneapolis. First was the release party for One Yard Wonders which was co-written by the owner of Crafty Planet. The launch party was quite fun and there was a huge turn-out! The book is really cute and there are several of the 101 projects that I have my eye on.

The second book signing was for Itty Bitty Toys - the third book from Susan B. Anderson. She was at Needlework Unlimited which is only a few blocks from our house. I got to the signing a little late so I was able to walk right up and get 4 (yes 4!) books signed. She was so nice in person and wrote the sweetest note to my mom. Here's an action shot:
Now that I've had a chance to page through Itty Bitty Toys I'm excited to get started on several projects. The reversible Frog/Turtle toy is at the top of the list after seeing it last week. For those of you that are not familiar with Susan's work, she wrote Itty Bitty Hats and Itty Bitty Nursery (I've blogged about quite a few of her patterns).

Now back to the grind - I've got 5 days to finish all my handmade Christmas gifts for the family. It's going to be a real nail-bitter to see if I make it (especially since I have to fit in the midnight showing of New Moon Thursday night!!!!).

More to come . . .

Quilts 2 & 3

2009-11-03T18:42:00.003-06:00

Two of our friends recently had baby girls and I wanted to make something utterly girlie. I used various pink fabrics and Kona Cotton "snow" sashing to piece them up. The quilts are almost identical except for the binding and quilting.

Quilt 2 - Pink Cotton Stippling with soft pink polka dot binding.
I love how the pink shows up on the white sashing.

Quilt 3 - Sparkly Stippling with Sulky Sliver Metallic thread (Metallique) and hot pink polka dot binding.

The sparkle is really quite subtle on the white/pastel background.

I made both these quilts from the Oh Fransson Mix Tape Quilt Pattern (Favorite Songs Version). I followed the directions and modified the size slightly. I had enough fabric with careful cutting for 2 quilts - which is why they're almost identical. I will definitely be making this quilt again. The pattern has instructions for 3 different quilt sizes with several variations for number of prints and scraps. I don't know if I can say enough good things about it. Since it's a PDF pattern, it's over 20 pages long with pictures and diagrams for every step. For a quilting beginner, it's a pattern you can master with confidence and grow with. Below is an example of the how genius Oh Frannson is - she includes a sheet to organize your fabrics to make block making easier. (I put mine in a page protector in my sewing binder for future reference - very helpful when trying to remember what fabrics you used).

I kind of suck at blogging lately

2009-11-02T21:36:00.002-06:00

Wow - it's been over a month since I posted, time really flies. Sorry for not being around. I've been busy crafting - but I have such a back log of pics to upload, enhance, and then blog about that it seems like more of a chore than fun. I'm traveling this week so I'll try to find time to comment on these teaser pics of Quilts #2 and #3:

A Blast from my Past

2009-09-27T21:07:00.007-05:00

The last time I visited my parents, I was on a mission to find 3 things: "baby", all of my Anne of Green Gable books, and my collection of Presidential Paper Dolls (don't ask). Luckily I was able to find all of the above (and more!) to bring home. Today however, we focus on "Baby" - my very creatively named baby doll.

My mom gave me this doll when she had to leave to take her CPA exam when we lived in Texas. I think it was the first time she had left me overnight and once I laid eyes on Baby she never left my side. When I was about 6 or 7 I decided Baby needed some new clothes - luckily I was spending Spring Break with my grandma who offered to help me make some.

My grandmother drew a pattern onto newspaper (still amazes me today) and we went to the local Wal-Mart to buy fabric. Here is our finished product:

Front of Skirt/Tunic - note the bow detail at the neck!

Sleeve Detail

I remember my Grandmother recommending lace because it would be the easiest sleeve to insert (it's obvious that we lived in WI at the time, why else would my baby doll have a Green Bay Packer Friendship bracelet???)

Neck Detail

We used a snap closure and added binding to the neck. I have no recollection of the neck binding and I'm shocked we went to such detail for a baby doll dress!

One thing that surprised me today is that my tastes haven't changed dramatically (I still love purple and polka dots!) . Upon further inspection, I am also pretty impressed with the quality of the product - I'm sure my grandmother did a lot of the sewing, but I distinctly remember using the peddle on her mint green singer and pushing the fabric carefully under the needle. This was my first "designed" project and I loved it. The freedom to chose my materials and create something new was really exciting. I received a sewing machine for Christmas the next year and made several other projects (clothes & blankets mostly). They weren't nearly as successful - and I can't find them anywhere - but I was hooked on sewing. (One day I'll post about my 8th Grade Halloween Costume, the yellow satin "Belle" ballgown from Beauty and the Beast)

Over the years I have picked up other crafty hobbies, but I really love to come back to the sewing machine. Both of my grandmothers (and my mom) can really sew - and I am always reminded of them when I sit down at my machine. I'm lucky to have had such good teachers.

A Kid and Adult Favorite!

2009-09-20T19:38:00.005-05:00

Do you need a dessert that's a true crowd pleaser?
How about a new take on a old classic?
Look no further!

Ingredients:

Box of Cake Mix & ingredients needed (I prefer Rainbow Chip by Betty Crocker)
Icing (again - it's your preference, I like to make my own but 2 canisters of Betty Crocker will do)
Ice Cream Cones (a non-waffle cone, size varies depending on manufacturer - make sure to buy at least 5-10 more than you need to account for breakage and some fill testing)
Sprinkles, Jimmies, Large Sanding Sugar, etc . . .
Note: If you make the entire box of cake mix I've found it will yield ~24 cupcake cones

Baking Directions:

Preheat oven according to cake mix directions
Make cake mix according to package directions
Take 3-4 cones and fill them to various levels - remember the cake will expand!
Put filled cones on rimmed cookie sheet and carefully place in oven. Cook for ~20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them and let cupcakes get a little more golden brown than you typically would. You want to ensure that the very base of the cone is cooked through. This is a very important step, a couple of your cupcakes will probably spill over onto the cookie sheet, hopefully one of them is just perfect and you remember what fill level to use for the rest of the batch!
Fill the remaining cones with cake batter (I use a large mixing spoon) using the LEVEL YOU DETERMINED WAS APPROPRIATE FROM STEP 4. Place filled cones onto a cookie sheet (I prefer a rimmed jelly roll pan in case I get spillage) - you can put them pretty close together.
Carefully place in oven and bake for ~20-25 minutes. Depending on the number of cones in your oven, it may take longer. Make sure to bake until they are golden brown - you really want the bottom of the cone to be done (it's the best part to eat!)
Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet.

Decorating
You can use a variety of frosting and decorating techniques - it's really dependent upon how much time and patience you have. You can frost each cupcake using a knife and "swirling" the frosting to make it look ice cream like. You can also take store bought frosting and color it with gel food coloring to spice things up. I believe that they should always be topped with some type of sprinkle - but again, that's up to you.

I like to make my frosting (recipe coming eventually) and pipe it onto each cupcake using a large star tip. I then sprinkle each cupcake right after piping to make sure the sprinkles really "stick" in the grooves before the frosting sets. I buy almost all of my decorating supplies from Bake it Pretty - they have a large selection and also offer a great "Cupcake Decorating Kit".

Let me know if you try these out. I just brought them to a party on Saturday night and I think they were a hit - all 20 cupcakes were gone and most of the adults went back for seconds!

For the Love of Beer

2009-09-15T22:24:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life got busy, we went on vacation, and I discovered Facebook (hours have been lost to Facebook, I can't believe it took me so long to join). Never the less, the crafts have continued (pics coming soon) as well as some kitchen updates. With all the projects on our list, Will and I decided we needed to add one more - the start of his semi-automated small scale brewery (it will make ~5 gallon batches).

The first step of this project was to build the stand on which the brew kettles will sit. We really wanted to make this ourselves, but we didn't quite know how, then it hit me - call Fred. Fred is a great engineer I use to work with and he has extensive knowledge of metal working and welding. We were lucky enough to spend a couple hours with Fred last weekend learning how to weld and consulting on the construction of our stand. Here are a few pics (taken from my camera - so the quality is a little questionable):

Will working on a weld

One side of the frame is tacked together

Checking to see if it's square (we still have some issues with this!)

The Master and the Apprentice

Will and I were able to borrow the welder and grinder to do some "homework" on our own. Once we got back to our house I was able to practice a little and LOVE welding (it's just like piping icing onto a cake or cookie). In fact, we were both so excited about our new welding skills we were brainstorming all sorts of things to built - Will suggested furniture, but I have a feeling you might see us on the Art Fair circuit next summer selling odd metal yard sculptures . . .

More beer updates (as well as crafts) coming soon!

Baby Gifts

2009-08-11T20:11:00.003-05:00

A friend of ours emailed me month or two ago asking if I would make gifts for some up coming baby showers. I was immediately excited and honored but worried if my skills were good enough to actually charge people for. That started a chain of conversations (one of which involves me opening an online Etsy Shop - any comments, would that be a good thing???) but it ultimately ended in these items:

Patchwork Monogram Onsie

Ruffled Butt!

Crocheted Mary Janes
Burp Cloth Trio (Patchwork and Ruffles)
Boy Monogram
Newborn HatCoordinating Burp Cloth TrioSince I was treating this as an official "order" I tried to wrap them up and package them as professionally as I could (care instructions are written on the other side of the card):

These were really fun to put together and I'm working on more Burp Clothes and Mary Janes for someone else. We'll see what happens with my shop dream - I did order custom labels which is the first step . . .

A Birthday Dress (for someone else!)

2009-08-05T21:12:00.008-05:00

Sorry - It's been awhile since I posted. Several craft projects, a new furnace, and an anniversary got in the way. Here is a project from early May that I never shared, it's a dress I made for my very good friend Adrienne.

Dress Front

Dress Back (with darts added)

Neckline/Armhole Close-Up

Fabric: Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room (Sketchbook my favorite print ever - I own yardage in several colorways!)

Pattern: Socialite Dress from Anna Maria Horner

Modifications: I widened the hip and added darts to the back to provide a more customized and tailored fit while keeping with the shift dress shape. I also lined the dress which I would highly recommend - that way it really is that super easy summer dress that you just pull over your head and go. I made an extra long skinny belt as well which Adrienne wears high on the waist.

Thoughts: I love this dress - it has hidden pockets, and I think every dress should have pockets. The neckline is really nice, the V-neck really draws attention to the face. It is super flattering for those with cute, slim figures. I'm not sure how it would look on a more hour glass type shape - but I think if you made it with a knit jersey, it might just drape a little better and flatter that shape. We'll see - I'd really like to make one for myself although Will is skeptical about whether or not it would be flattering. The lack of closures (zippers or buttons) makes this pretty basic for the beginner. The hardest part of is the neck gathers and placket sewing - again pretty straight forward, even a beginner should be able to tackle it with a little patience.

Happy Birthday Shay!!!

2009-07-23T08:44:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to a Sister who really knows how to have some fun!!!

Dinner

2009-07-13T20:22:00.005-05:00

Recipe: Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte
Source: Smitten Kitchen

I added a tomato and red onion. Will thought the thyme was a little much, but I thought it was perfection. I put the whole recipe into a 10-inch pan, it fit just fine. The potatoes were a little underdone, if you go for a big pan, up the covered cook time to an hour.

We will definitely be making this again!

Practical Sewing - Part I

2009-07-12T21:15:00.007-05:00

I often find that most of my time is spent on frivolous projects - aprons, pot holders, vinyl tablecloths (more on that later!) but lately I've had quite a few very practical projects that have piled up.

Before
During Christmas vacation Will tore out the elbows of 3(!) shirts. They've been sitting in a bag in our bedroom for the past 7 months, just waiting for me to figure out what to do. I thought about using them for quilting fabric, but yesterday the obvious hit me - SHORT SLEEVES!

After
These took maybe an hour to complete and Will is quite satisfied. He opted for longer short sleeves - no gun show here - and the result is 3 more shirts in his regular rotation. Repurposing never felt so good.

Up next: Part II - Jeans Repair.

***You may ask why I wouldn't just throw the shirts out, but Will stains/tears/ruins clothing at an alarming rate - I'm always looking for a "play clothes" equivalent for this grown man.***

4th of July Snack

2009-07-01T21:50:00.004-05:00

Last week Will had to bring in a lunch pot-luck item. After much discussion we landed on Rice Krispie Treats on a stick (so very Minnesota of us!). I've brought these to several parties and they are a hit with kids and adults alike (in fact 14 of the 15 were eaten at Will's pot luck). Here's what you need to make a few of your own:

Supplies:

Rice Krispies, Bag of Marshmellows, Butter
Paper drinking cups (size depends on how big/small you want the treats)
Popsickle sticks (I think I bought mine at Micheal's)
Original Pam Spray
Chocolate chips (white or semi-sweet chocolate)
Sprinkles
Wax Paper

Directions:

Set out 15-20 cups (you may need more or less depending on the size) and spray the inside liberally with Pam
Make Rice Krispie treats according to the directions on the box
Spoon out the rice krispie mixture into the prepared cups - fill the cup so it is at least 1/2 to 3/4 full
Insert the Popsickle stick
Spray your fingers with Pam (trust me, it makes this much easier) and press the mixture so that it compacts down around the Popsickle stick and takes the cup's shape
Let sit for 30 minutes (or until completely cool) then remove the paper cups
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stir frequently and make sure you don't burn the chocolate. If needed add a VERY SMALL amount of vegetable oil to thin.
Coat the bottom of each rice krispie treat - I find it easier to use a knife to apply the chocolate to get an even coat, but you can also dip the bottoms in chocolate if that's easier.
Sprinkle with toppings of your choice (I love large colorful dots)
Set on wax paper to set-up. If it's hot and humid out you may need to transfer them to the refrigerator to set; if that's the case make sure you line a cookie sheet with wax paper - it makes it much easier to transfer wet treats to the refrigerator.

Once set remove from the wax paper and enjoy!

My Coffee Just Got a Little Cozier . . .

2009-06-24T20:10:00.006-05:00

After seeing these on house on hill road I knew I wanted to make a few - and I had the perfect excuse, I needed a last minute birthday gift for a friend. After digging through my stash of fabric I found my favorite Anna Maria Horner Drawing Room print and got started.

I quilted both cozies with a metallic thread - it's my new version of bedazzling (you know I love sparkle!!!). And then assembled according to the tutorial.

I love the buttons! This was a quick, satisfying project that took less than an hour to complete. I gifted one of the cozies and kept one for myself. Every time I see that bird, I just smile.

One Happy Customer

2009-06-22T21:12:00.003-05:00

Our friends have the cutest little boy who just loves pajamas (especially the button-up Don Draper type). I've been meaning to make him a pair for awhile now - but last week I actually got around to it during one of my "1/2 day Fridays" off. I wasn't quite up for the full-collared button-up type (I'm still recovering from Will's version) so I decided to try out an Oliver & S pattern.

Finished Garment:

Pattern: Bedtime Story Pajamas by Oliver & S
Size: 2T (pattern runs very true to size)
Fabric: 2-D Zoo in Pool and Kona Cotton in dark blue for the binding

The pattern was super easy and could be made in an afternoon. At first I balked a little at the pattern price - almost $16 - but decided it was worth it after all the wonderful review Oliver & S has been getting in blog-land. The pattern was well worth it, with sizes ranging from 6mos to 3T I will get plenty of use out of this in the future. The pants especially impressed me. I often find patterns for pants to get a little wonky in the crotch; the rise/run is never quite right and I always end up adjusting it. This was just perfect and fit over a diaper to boot.

As you can see, the recipient is quite happy with his new "jammies"!

What better way to start the day??

2009-06-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

Than with fresh, homemade bagels. I made a half dozen on Sunday morning and sadly they were gone by Tuesday. Must make more this weekend!

Recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Uninspired

2009-06-09T19:00:00.003-05:00

I've been crafting - a lot! But, I just haven't felt inspired to write or share about my projects. And, since we had to delete some photos off the camera (long story) I'm still trying to recover pics of projects I have given away (Adrienne I'm talking to you - I'll be scheduling a photo shoot soon!). Here is a picture of my finished birthday quilt:

This was my first finished machine quilted project and I absolutely love it. What a great b-day present from Will and it has totally gotten me hooked on quilting (I've since finished 2 quilts and I'm halfway through a third quilt but that's another post!). Here is an upclose picture of the "stippling" I quilted and the resulting texture after washing and drying the finished quilt:

Here's a close-up of the back and binding of the quilt - I love the mermaids!

After all this quilting fun I'm hooked and therefore declaring this:

"The Summer of Quilting"

(stay tuned...)

OMG OMG You Guys!

2009-05-13T10:14:00.004-05:00

Here Shay and I are screaming for excitement as we prepared for Legally Blonde the Musical.

For those of you who don't know, "Omigod, Omigod, you Guys" is the first song of the musical.

A better "Sisters" pic - did you notice someone decided to go blonde??

(It's more blonde in person. After 3 bleach treatments and 4 hours at the salon, this was as blonde as they could get me for now - I never knew red was such a commitment!)

The opening curtain - we were hoping to get more pics but photography was prohibited and Shay was terrified of getting her camera confiscated!

The show was amazing - we had the best time. Since we both knew every song and lyric by heart, it was fun to see how music interacted with the acting and dancing. The dancing was phenomenal - especially the male dancers, they were such a treat!

The show is currently touring and will be hitting Chicago soon - if you're in the area, I'd highly recommend it as a girls night out. Now for your viewing enjoyment:

The Yo-Yos are Done!

2009-05-11T09:38:00.002-05:00

Now comes the hard part - arranging and hand-sewing them all together. I'm hoping I can take some time over Memorial Day Weekend to complete (and maybe bribe a certain houseguest who has experience in this type of thing to help!)

Entropy

2009-05-04T12:17:00.003-05:00

This pretty much describes our lives right now.

Quilting Class Update

2009-04-22T20:57:00.005-05:00

Quilting class homework has occupied most of my crafting time lately. Monday is our last class, so I thought I would show you my progress thus far.

Class 1:
Cutting Strips, Choosing Layout, Sewing Strips together
That pretty much says it all. We spent 2.5 hrs cutting and sewing - I chose the traditional rail fence pattern so the layout and sewing was pretty straight forward.

Class 2:
Cutting strips into blocks, Assembling blocks for quilt top

This is what I did Friday night and most of Saturday morning. It gets time consuming with all the pressing and pinning required to get near-perfect corners

Class 3:
Cutting Border, Sewing border to quilt top, Making Quilt Sandwich
The border cutting and sewing went pretty quickly. Sandwiching was much easier than with Shay's t-shirt quilt. Crafty Planet has a large table that is big enough to fit the quilt so there's no bending over and pinning on the floor.

Next week is our last class- cutting and attaching the binding. I'm attempting to actually quilt the top this week so it's finished for class Monday. I've spent 2 hours on it so far and am about 1/4 done I should get it done in time. More on quilting later.

And The Winner Is . . .

2009-04-14T22:01:00.006-05:00

Before I announce who won - let's take a quick stroll through all the unfinished projects . . .

Project 1: Unfinished Apron
Waiting patiently for one last bias tape seam for over 4 months!

Project 2&3: Bibs
Waiting for pearl snaps to be added - otherwise they are 98% complete!

Project 4: Crewel Sampler
Started either last year or 2 years ago on my birthday - I will finish this soon!

Project 5: Embroidered Towel
Waiting for the embroidery - I added the ribbon trim, but never got to the Christmas embroidery I had planned.

Project 6: Pedicure Socks
Started these on a work trip to Mexico then never finished - one day I will. These socks are larger gauge than normal socks and are toe-less, making them perfect for cold weather pedicures.

Project 7: Granny Square Pillow
Started this during my crochet class and have made decent progress. They just need to be joined together - and I need to make a large square for the back panel.

Project 8: MN Apron
This was for a friend - I bought a MN State bag at a Quilting show and intended to use it for aprons - this has been laying around since 2007 all cut up, I finally finished it on Sunday.

Project 9: Vintage Velvet ScarfI think this project is at least 3 years old if not older. I get in a groove with it then just get bored.

Project 10: Quilt
Started this last week during quilting class

Project 11: Barcelona Skirt
I made 2 of these one weekend and cut out the fabric for a third then I just fizzled. I need to finish soon with all the nice weather we're having.

Project 12: Jaywalker Socks
These were started during a capital project installation while I was still in Engineering which was over 3 years ago! I'm only half way through the first sock.

Project 13: Kiogu Socks
I started these as a gift for my mom but decided they were just too much work to give away (sorry mom!) I hope to finish them for myself one day. Again, only half way through the first sock.

Project 14: Crocheted Slipper
Started these the last day of crochet class - finished one but haven't really started in on the second one.

Project 15: Yo-Yo Table Runner
Yo-Yo's are almost complete (a couple more to sew up) then I can start the process of laying them out and sewing it all together. I'm waiting for a weekend when Will is gone so I can take over the dining room table and plow through the hand sewing while watching girly movies.

Project 17: Mother's Day Gift
(no picture - sorry!)
All the fabric is cut, sewing just needs to be completed

So, all in all there are 17 unfinished projects which puts Drew as the lucky winner!
Stay tuned to find out what Drew wins.

As a final note, the sad thing about all of this is that I have many more projects in the "queue" - these are just the ones I started and never completed. There are many more in the "idea" stage and a handful more in the "I purchased everything haven't had time to get to it" stage.
Maybe I should consider crafting full-time . . .

Contest Giveaway!

2009-04-11T11:02:00.004-05:00

This weekend I'm trying to tackle my WIP (work-in-process) and organize the house. Since I've been a little absent I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway.

Leave a comment guessing how many craft WIP projects I have (the kitchen doesn't count!) and you will win something handmade by me.

The closest person will win (in the event of a tie, the closest person without going over will receive the prize). Contest will close at 9pm on Monday.

Happy Guessing!

Just for fun, here's some bread goodness:

I'm Back and Ready to Craft!

2009-04-08T20:49:00.007-05:00

Wow - it's been awhile since I've blogged. Right around mid-March I came down with a nasty sinus infection and 2 weeks of work travel. I followed that with a trip to Chicago to visit family and then my birthday weekend last week. But, that doesn't mean I haven't been crafting (or baking more bread!).

For my birthday Will got me a quilting class at my favorite local fabric store. We're starting by making a simple rail fence pattern - I picked out really fun fabrics for my lap-sized quilt:

The top three are my light, medium, and dark fabrics for the "fence"

The bottom fabrics are the backing, binding, and border (from left to right, respectively).
Click on the picture for a better view

I'd seen these fabrics before - they're Heather Ross' Mendocino Line, but I never really liked them. However, I recently bought Heather's new book "Weekend Sewing" (review coming soon) and much of this fabric is featured in the book. The more and more I page through that book, the more and more I fell in love with these fabrics. I lucked out Crafty Planet happened to carry almost the entire line.

Monday was my first class - it went well, I finished all the strip cutting/sewing homework during class (I just have pressing left). Next week we start to actually cut blocks and assemble the quilt top - I'll be sure to post pics of my progress.

Bread Update

2009-03-19T22:16:00.003-05:00

It's delicious and addictive. My first boule was a little mis-shapened (Will said it looked like it was baked near a nuclear power plant because it split weird in the middle) but other than that it was perfect. The master recipe makes a very dense and moist bread with a very hearty crust. I took a couple of pics, but apparently the computer couldn't read them, so I'll have to figure that out this weekend.

Next on tap - more boule, some cinnamon rolls, and homemade butter (that's right, I'm churning my own in the kitchen aid!).

I can't wait to bake!

2009-03-18T08:48:00.005-05:00

It finally came - my very own copy of "Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day". I've seen reviews of this book all over blog land, and decided to give it a try myself. As soon as I got home last night I ripped open the Amazon box and read the first 5 chapters. This is a totally new way to think about bread.

I've made bread before - rolls, brioche, cinnamon buns - we even own a bread maker. However, it always requires up-front planning. After my first brioche (3 days of resting, kneading, and development) I loved the final product, but swore I would only make it for very special occasions. Even cinnamon rolls are difficult to make on a Saturday morning if you didn't plan ahead Friday night. But no more - with this book I have a 5-quart Tupperware full of bread dough waiting to be used anytime in the next 14 days.

The premise is that you simply mix 4 ingredients (no pre-conditioning the yeast!), let it sit in a container for 2 hours on the counter-top, then move it into the frig for use later. I ran to Target last night, bought a container, and started in on the dough. I used my kitchen aid for mixing and it took all of 5 minutes. 2 hours later I transferred it to the frig and tonight is my first boule!

When it comes to baking you simply cut off a chunk of dough, shape it, and then let it rest for 20-40 minute. Throw it in the oven and 30 minutes later fresh bread for dinner!

I'm starting with the basic recipe - there are a ton of different breads included in the book: whole grain, ryes, sweet breakfast breads, brioche, bagels, and soft pretzels! Using the basic recipe I should be able to make several types and shapes of bread (including cinnamon rolls!).

My second batch will definitely be the bagel/soft pretzel recipe. Imagine waking up and boiling/baking fresh bagels for breakfast before work. I don't know if that's really feasible for us, but I'm going to give it a try!

If you're new to bread making or don't like the fuss of traditional methods - I'd highly recommend this book. Tomorrow I'll blog the results of my first boule!

Crochet Class

2009-03-15T17:03:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned previously I took a 3 week 'Beginning Crochet' class at Needlework Unlimited. The first week we learned how to chain, single, double, and half-double crochet. I practiced by making 5 washcloths and a scarf.

These are dish cloths for the kitchen - simple squares with 1 or 2 stitches combined. I love using these to clean pots and pans, I don't think I'll ever go back to store-bought dish cloths.After the dish cloths I decided to step it up a little and actually use a pattern. I found this on wash cloth on Ravelry and loved the pattern so I made it for me.
After making a wash cloth for myself, Will had to have one too. Yet another pattern off Ravelry and I made this little number. The flower is separate, I was playing around with flowers and Will placed it on the wash cloth during the photo shoot.
Next is my rainbow scarf. I used leftover yarn from one of the many baby blankets I've made and practiced my single crochet. About 2500 stitches later, I know my single crochet.

The next class I learned how to make granny squares which are now one of my favorite things! I've taken all of the scrap yarn I have around the house and I'm trying to make a pillow cover for the couch - pics of that coming soon.

The last week I learned how to read a pattern. I chose a slipper pattern from Ravelry and used some left-over yarn I had laying around.

I haven't finished the second slipper yet - but I'm half way done with it. Crochet is really fun and very different than knitting. I'm still knitting quite a bit, but crochet allows me to work with color and shape in a completely new way - I'm hooked! (ha, ha - get it? crochet hook?)

Christmas Dress

2009-03-10T11:06:00.003-05:00

I realized as I'm planning what to make for my "birthday outfit" this year that I never posted pics of my Christmas dress. I saw this silver/black plaid taffeta at Joanns and just had to make something out of it. In hindsight I think a 1950's circle skirt might have been more appropriate, but I still love this dress - as evidenced my dancing in this photo:

I used a 1960's reproduction pattern and it fit perfectly! I might make another dress or two from this pattern modifying the neck-line and arm styles. My only concern is that the retro style of the dress coupled with the shiny taffeta made it seem a little "sci-fi astronaunt" but I still felt glamourous wearing it.

modeling is hard - I always look weird - do I look like I belong in Star Trek?

One of my favorite details: I added 2 of my vintage buttons to the collar to finish it off.

I have a dream . . .

2009-03-04T12:16:00.003-06:00

To one day raise chickens in my 0.1 acre backyard in Southwest Minneapolis. What, urban chicken raising you say? Yes - it's all the rage - read about it here, and here (Minneapolis Community Ed even has a class called - Chickens in the City!).

Even though I personally don't eat eggs, there's something about raising chickens and collecting eggs that just appeals to me - like I'm getting back to my roots (my grandparents were farmers!). Many of you that know me think I'm crazy, but my dream goes a little like this:

I get to take a sabbatical from my Corporate America job to raise chickens, tend to a garden, and craft all day long. Every morning I go to collect eggs in my (handmade!) apron. I spend my morning baking (and watching the View - yes this dream does involve cable television and DVR). I spend the afternoon doing crafts of my choice. Doesn't this sound lovely? I realize I will eventually (like 10 days into this experiment) go crazy, but it's a scenario I often day dream about. What is your unrealistic day dream?

And yes - I have been crafting - a lot. My Corporate America job has recently changed and I've found I have a lot more time at night to indulge in knitting and crochet (made Will a hat in 2 nights!) Unfortunately I don't seem to have more time to do things like clean or plaster the kitchen ceiling. Pics coming soon - my photographer has been a little busy.

Martha Wins Again

2009-02-22T21:48:00.003-06:00

I've talked about this book before - but I really have to praise it one more time. In the last 2 weeks we've made one of my all time favorites "Tortilla and Black Bean Pie" (we add shredded chicken to it) and I tried a new recipe tonight - Baked Shells with Winter Squash (I substituted chicken broth for the water). It was simplicity at it's best and is a great healthy substitute for baked Mac & Cheese. If you don't already own this cookbook, I'd recommend making the investment. (In fact I may have to buy a new copy - Will broke the binding while attempting a recipe one night . . .)

I knit & crochet!

2009-02-15T21:24:00.004-06:00

I have several 'New Years Resolutions' for crafting - one of them includes learning how to crochet. I've done a little crochet - mostly as picot or other edging in knitting patterns. I relied heavily on YouTube and the LYS to help me through it. So, last week I had my first crochet class at Needlework Unlimited. I had a blast and learned 3 stitches during the first class. I have high hopes for my crocheting future - granny squares, flowers, and afgans. More to come later . . .

On a separate note, look what a lucky girl I was this Valentine's Day. No, they aren't from Will, they're from the other special guy in my life - my dad. Thanks - I love you!

Taxi Tote

2009-02-11T10:12:00.008-06:00

As soon as I saw the hexagon-patched Taxi Tote on Anna Maria Horner's blog, I knew I had to make it. Luckily, I received the pattern for Christmas (from the book Seams to Me). After placing an order for a Fabric Stack I was ready to begin. It look about an afternoon to cut out all the hexagons and pattern pieces (I used 6 of the 8 fabrics).
It took several hours to sew together all the hexagons. I started by sewing them into strips, then it got a little harder. After much 'googling' I just decided to wing it and ended up sewing each individual side as in independent seam - backstitching at each end. I could then reposition and pin the next side. This resulted in hexagons that were mostly 'square' and met up at the corners. After my 'hexagon fabric' was complete, it was time for top-stitching. I decided I wanted to top stitch each individual hexagon in a coordinating thread. I think I used 4 different colors all together - that took another couple of hours.
I also took the liberty to have some fun with the interior pockets. I added 3 pockets in all - 2 large ones on the back side of the purse and one special pocket (note the ric-rac!) for my new phone :Assembly of the bag went quite quickly and was super easy. I opted to use purchased extra-wide double fold bias tape instead of making my own. I just love how this bag turned out - especially the explosion of color from all the different fabrics.

The shape of this bag is really great when hung on a shoulder (or door). But I also love how slouchy it is when you sit it down. And it's amazing how much it can carry - today my purse contained:

Diet Mountain Dew
Lean Cuisine
Yogurt
Umbrella
Sunglasses
Wallet
Ipod
Quart sized plastic bag full of lip gloss (can you tell I fly a lot?)

As the final test, I always question whether the handmade item I make is 'Anthropologie' or 'Holly Hobby'. The overwhelming response to this bag has been Anthropologie - which makes me think I should make a few more!

Monkey Sock Cowl

2009-02-03T20:22:00.005-06:00

I've had some lovely sock yarn laying around for a few years. I originally bought it while shopping with my mom at Wool and Company - it was destined for a pair of beautiful scalloped socks. However, I've now started 2 other pairs of socks and abandoned them mid-knit. I just can't seem to get over the sock-knitting hump. When I saw this cowl however, I knew I just had to make it and I had the perfect yarn already in my stash.

I started it last week while traveling to Baltimore, I hope to finish it over the weekend and get some wear out of it before the winter is over (although it was -1 when I left for work this morning, so I think we're in for a few more months of winter).

Will continues to practice and improve his craft (you'll notice the pics on my blog are steadily improving). I loved the above pic and hope you do too!

Yo-Yo Madness

2009-01-27T09:12:00.003-06:00

I've been cranking out yo-yos for a table runner for the dining room table. I'm trying to use fabrics exclusively from my stash, so each little yo-yo reminds me of a different project over the past few years. With the help of this little Clover tool I'm able to make between 8-12 yo-yos an hour (15 if I really commit and concentrate). I've been making them Saturday morning as I watch reruns of the original 90210 on SoapNet. I'm now over 150!

Snowmen (and women!)

2009-01-23T08:12:00.007-06:00

It's warmed up in Minnesota over the last week, but more cold days are coming this weekend. No matter what the weather is like outside, these guys are always cool inside: Felted snowmen from a pattern I bought at my LYS.

Made for my mom for Christmas.

This guy was my first attempt at snowmen back in 2006 - the hat is from a felted accessories pattern written especially for this snowman. All other accessories by me.

This is my 2008 version - I call her "Sparkly Snowwoman" (you all know how I love things that sparkle). I bought the buttons at Joanns and attached them using invisible thread. I also made-up the hat and scarf pattern - just winging it as I went along. This is probably my favorite snowman to date (click here and here to see the versions I made for my mother-in-law).

Wisconsin Slippers

2009-01-16T09:01:00.004-06:00

Pattern: Felted Clog by Fiber Trends

Yarn: Cascade 220

Applique: From The University Book Store

I made these slippers for my father-in-law this Christmas. I loved the pattern and they knitted up quite quickly, however I was disappointed with the felting. After moving to our Minneapolis house we now have a front loading washing machine. It works fine for felting small projects, but these took me over 5 hours to felt - and the left slipper is still a little wonky ! If anyone has any tips on felting with a front-loader, please comment.

Given that the temperature has been below -15 and my house slippers have suddenly disappeared I may be making a pair for myself this weekend.

Don Draper

2009-01-11T20:27:00.008-06:00

A week before Thanksgiving Will decided he had to have a pair of "Don Draper PJs" to lounge in while we were in Wyoming. We had just finished watching 2 seasons of AMC's 'Mad Men' and Will had been inspired by this scene. With less than a week before our trip, I got started on Will's own pair of "DD PJs". Here's a pic of the finished project - does it look like 1962?

Collar & pocket detail

After sewing all that piping I swore off any additional DD Pjs. Will was also quite a demanding recipient and I had to make custom pockets twice (the first one "didn't feel right"). But, I received a lovely piping foot for my sewing machine for Christmas (and I saved the final pocket pattern) so Will might be getting some "spring inspired" pajamas.

As for 'Mad Men' - I would recommend you run out right now and rent Season 1 & 2 on DVD. It's set in 1962 at an ad agency in New York. It's everything you love about 'retro' - 2 martini lunches, sexism in the workplace, and real fur! One of my favorite characters is the 'head secretary' Joan (she's very sassy!). Look like anyone you know?

P.S. - For those of you already hooked - check out this fun site:

What would Don Draper do?

P.S.S. - Apparently Will isn't the only one asking - check this out!

http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/talk/2009/01/dons-pajamas-1.php

Christmas Gifts Revealed!

2009-01-07T21:03:00.008-06:00

I've been working on Christmas crafts since October, but had to keep many of them a secret. Here is one of my favorites, modeled by the recipient:

Pattern: Seamstress Apron by Craft Apple

Fabric: Heather Bailey's Pop Garden and Bijoux

This was easy to make (took an afternoon) and was really fun. If I made it for myself I would probably do the fitted waistband it calls for, but making it into a gift - I just didn't know what hip size to guess so I just made long apron ties instead. To make again, I would also use a more lightweight interfacing. I used whatever I had in the house (which I think was technically lightweight) but after all the layering, the apron was quite thick and stiff. The good news is that a scissors shouldn't poke you, but I'm not sure how comfortable it will be.

The fabric is beautiful. I ordered it online because I couldn't find it at any of my local quilt shops - and it was even more stunning in person. The colors are wonderful and I can't wait to make more projects with these fabrics. All in all a present I was happy to give (and quite honestly wanted to steal). I hope you enjoy Joan (if you don't, send it my way)!

Kitchen Transformation in Pictures

2009-01-04T17:00:00.020-06:00

We're about 60% there - still have a ton of plastering, wood work, and tiling to do. Will and I have spent most of our holiday time-off getting this far - bets on when we'll finish?

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T16:55:00.005-06:00

This is a picture from one of my favorite New Years' Celebrations. It was taken the first year Will and I were married, just 6 months after graduation. All our college friends met-up in Minnesota that year and we had an unforgettable evening.

Here's to a safe and happy 2009!

Merry Christmas (a day late)

2008-12-26T20:41:00.003-06:00

We're spending time in Illinois relaxing and visiting with family. Merry Christmas to you and yours - I'll be back next week with pics and updates on sledding, handmade gifts, Rock Band, and more.

Toddy Time!

2008-12-19T09:47:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the "Hot Toddy" - more specifically the Tom & Jerry (or T&J as Will and I affectionately call them). This is a long-lived tradition that we inherited from my in-laws, and I don't know how I survived the long winter months without one.

T&J Recipe:

Put the following in a mug:

1 large (overflowing) shot of Brandy

1 heaping spoonful of T&J Batter

Fill mug with hot water and mix until frothy

Top w/ nutmeg (freshly grated is the best)

We can buy Tom & Jerry batter at the local grocery or liquor store. My in-laws have a great homemade recipe as well (but it doesn't last). I highly recommend that you try one this holiday season.

Thanksgiving Knitting

2008-12-15T22:26:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I knitted 2 great projects over Thanksgiving:

Patterns: Bounce & Toasty

Yarn: Malibrigo (1 varigated skein and 1 solid)

Needles: US 10.5 and 10 (Bounce)

Size US6 or 7 for Toasty (I can't remember)

Here's another close-up pic of the mitts, I was going to make them solid green but decided to accent with the varigated at the last minute. I'm glad I did.

As you can see, these pics are a huge upgrade from my typical self-portraits. Will has decided his new hobby will be photography and he's very eager to take pictures of anything and everything. We'll see how long this lasts (some of you may remember guitar playing of '06 and pottery and drawing in '07/08). In the meantime I'm going to ham it up and enjoy the attention!

Random fact: When you bring up 'google' while using an internet connection in Mexico, the page loads as Goggle-Mexico and everything is in spanish. Thought you should know.

Hiatus

2008-12-10T21:14:00.003-06:00

I've taken a bit of a break. It all started with our Thanksgiving trip to Wyoming. I had 3 goals, and accomplished them all . .

Finish 2 of the 3 knitting projects I brought (more on those later)
Read the first 3 Sookie Stackhouse novels (LOVE them!)
Wear my PJ's all day for at least 3 days

After much relaxing I just couldn't get back in the swing of things - couple that with work travel and I've had many excuses not to blog. I have lots of finished projects to share and a few in-process ones as well - hang in there with me, I've got lots to share!

Revelations

2008-11-18T09:27:00.008-06:00

A few things dawned on me several weeks ago:

I like to knit
I have a lot of yarn laying around
I live in Minnesota
I really, really like to knit
I'm cold
Must start knitting hats immediately!!!!

The Ozark Handspun hat from a few posts ago was the first hat I've knit for myself. I've made plenty of hats for other people, just not me. After making this pattern as a Christmas gift - I decided I needed one as well. Here is the finished product:

Pattern: Thorpe - with some modifications

Yarn: Lambs Pride Bulky and some novelty yarn I bought 3 yrs ago

Needles: Size 8 circular (it was a little tight, should have bought a 9)

I love this hat, I've already worn it around the house and to the grocery store a few times. It will definetely be coming with me to Wyoming on Saturday. I just bought some Malibrigo last night for another new hat - a beret! Pics to come after Thanksgiving.

Back to Basics

2008-11-13T09:56:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I took a "long-lunch" and went to the Galleria Williams-Sonoma for a book signing. We stood in line for a little over 1.5 hours and had our copies of this book signed:

Ina looked just like she does on her Barefoot Contessa show and seemed just as down-to-earth in person. Thanks to Kelly for suggesting the trip.

I sat down last night and paged through cover-to-cover and this book is amazing. I love my Barefoot in Paris cookbook and I know this one will quickly become a favorite as well.

A Button Shopping Spree & Some Old Friends

2008-11-10T20:43:00.003-06:00

Before I begin to discuss the joys of antique buttons, some old friends came to visit last night . . . that's right, they're back! Will thought I was crazy last night when I woke him up, but they were scratching inside the bedroom walls and squealing at one another. Needless to say we will be calling in the professionals quickly - since half the kitchen is still ripped up Will thinks they could actually get out of the walls and come attack us at night (he's little dramatic don't you think?). In the meantime we've set a ton of traps and now we wait.

On a much craftier note, I recently made a haul at an Antique Button Show. I just happened to be visiting LYS websites looking for Malibrigo and noticed that Linden Hills Yarn was having a button show. It was like I died and went to heaven. After much consultation I decided on 3 different button sets (although there many, many more I wanted).

All of the buttons are carded with dates and as much origin info as possible.

Although I didn't know what I would make with them at the time of purchase, I have since picked out projects for each button set (more on that later).

I'm not sure which is my favorite. Do you have a preference?
Finally, when I checked out the lady said "You really like shiny things". I immediately looked at Will and said "It's the Grandma Simpson in me". And as I think about it, she's probably one of the only people who would truely appreciate my button find. I might need to bring them with me at Christmas . . .

Best Tool Ever

2008-11-06T09:57:00.003-06:00

Do you hate making bias tape?

I mean, do you really, really hate making bias tape to the point where you would consider abandoning the project if it requires bias tape?

I do, and I will (when stressed)

Now - Look no further than the Clover bias-tape maker!(please ignore the ugly, stained ironing pad)

Now you still have to cut and sew the strips (which gets less scary each time) - but the act of actually double folding get much, much easier. I have these in 2 different sizes and am considering buying everyone they make.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T11:05:00.005-05:00

For those of you that don't know, Halloween is my favorite holiday of all. Unfortunately I didn't have time this year to put out our decorations, but I did do some Halloween crafting. Below is a tea towel I made for my mom using a Crabapple Hill Studio pattern. I added the ribbon trim as well to spruce it up a bit.

I also made a "Happy Halloween" banner for my mom. Also a Crabapple Hill Studio pattern. Here's a pic.

It doesn't look too impressive, but this is one of the cutest things I have made in a long time. I hope to make a "Let it Snow" banner for our house, we'll see what time allows.

"P" of "Happy" Up-Close

"A" of "Halloween" Up-Close

The banner letters are a combo of embroidered fabric triangles sewn onto 2 different peices of wool felt. They were a little putsy to put together, but I think it will be easier if I get the lightbox I want for Christmas (hint, hint Mom and Dad). I also made a last minute costume for myself to wear to work. Pics will come later, but I've chickened out a little wearing it. I had several high priority, tense meeting this morning and something told me I wouldn't be taken seriously if I wore my mini-veiled-witch hat at the MGO . . .

UDPATE: Ok - my hat is just too cute not to picture so I snapped one at my desk with my phone. The veil is hard to see, but it's the best part! What do you think, work appropriate???

Ozark Handspun Hat

2008-10-28T08:48:00.003-05:00

I picked up a skein of Ozark Handspun while Will and I were in Bayfield last year. It's pretty pricey ($40/30 yards), but it was so unusual and beautiful I just had to have it. The yarn is very "natural" and I often had to pick pieces of vegetation out of it while knitting. Using size 17 needles and the free pattern from their site (scroll down a ways), I whipped this hat up during an episode of Mad Men (which is less than 1 hour!). I wore this hat all last weekend - and loved how frivolous and carefree it is. Will calls it ridiculous, but what does he know. I'm currently working on another hat for me (from my yarn stash no less) and I hope to finish by the weekend. A girl's got to have several hats in rotation when she decides not to shower on a Saturday!

Lounge Pants

2008-10-23T16:43:00.004-05:00

I finally broke down and made myself a pair of Amy Butler's Lounge Pants from In Stitches. I used fabric from her new Daisey Chain line.

I would like to change the name of these pants to "Live-In" pants because I simply do not want to take them off.

As soon as I get home from work they go on - it's true love I tell you.

If you're able to sew, I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of her book, 2.75 yards of fabric, and set aside 3 hours ( a glass of wine helps too). You'll thank me for it.

Crafting with Mom & Dad

2008-10-20T21:29:00.004-05:00

While Will took off for a fishing weekend out west (trip was delayed from the previous weekend due to snow in Montana), I was home enjoying a long weekend visit with my parents. I recognized that this weekend was a prime opportunity to put them to work and help with the kitchen remodel. My dad is pretty handy, so I planned for the two of us to tackle the ceiling repair work. My mom patiently waited on us and difused any 'tense' moments that arose. All in all we had a very sucessful weekend - check out the results:

Progression of the 4 major celing holes - most of them are ready for final sanding and then priming!There were several moments of consultation required:
But in the end, we figured out a pretty good system. After repairing the old lathe we screwed the drywall in so it was secure. The next trick was using 2 different filling compounds: one that we mixed ourselves and hard set in 5-7 minutes (first coat - essential for filling holes in the ceiling), the second was a premixed compound that stays wet for 24 hours (great for finishing and feathering).

While all the ceiling repair work was underway my mom and I did a little side craft project. While shopping at Paper Source we found the cutest cardboard letters that could be covered. My mom wanted one for her office so we bought some supplies and got started.

Materials laid out and ready to go

'R' in progress

Completion!
We used 3 different papers from 2 different stores and I do not think it could have come out any cuter. We simply cut out the paper and glued it to the letter - nothing fancy - although it did take a certain amount of finess around the seams. I can't wait to make one for myself!

For any of you that were wondering, I think it's pretty clear where I got my craftiness from . . .

thanks Mom & Dad! (more pics here)

Baby Shower Fun

2008-10-12T21:29:00.007-05:00

As more and more of my friends start to have babies, I need to find new and different handmade gifts. I recently bought Amy Butler's new Little Stitches for Little Ones and it is full of great patterns. My friends Andy and Betsy are having a little girl, so I decided to really go girly for the gift. I went to my favorite store and found Amy's new line of fabrics - Daisy Chain. After her Lotus line, I really haven't been moved by her 2 recent fabric launches, but Daisy Chain is different. With each fabric I just picture a skirt, jacket, apron (more to come on these ideas later!). Anyway, I bought 3 different coordinating fabrics and here is the result:

Kimono-style PJ's, Custom burp cloths, and the book 'Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?'

(it was an ABC themed shower)

Kimono close-up

Burp cloth close-up

They were both a huge hit. Burp cloths are so easy to make and everyone is easily impressed by them so I use them as a standard add-on to any baby gift I give. The kimono was easy to make as well- it took about 4 weeknights which is only a couple of hours. I made the 9-12 month size (the largest in the book) and although it seemed a little small, I really didn't have a reference point. Amy's new book is delightful - I'd highly recommend it to any expecting sewing mama. One day (in the distant future) I think I will put this book to good use.