This is Harder Than I Thought...

To keep up with blogging, that is. 

I really have had the best of intentions to keep up to date on my blogs (yes, I have 2...and the scary thing is that this one is more up-to-date than the other one!!). 

So, what keeps me so busy these days?  Life!!  The Diva is now in Kindergarten, and that keeps me hopping.  She has been getting weekly homework assignments, as well as extra reading assignments.  The assignments aren't difficult, just time consuming, and too much for her to do on her own.  Her regular homework assignments have been posters that she needs to fill in answers and decorate.  Simple enough.  Then, because she is so advanced in reading, the reading specialist is now sending home extra books and projects for her to do.  The objective is to keep her mind busy, and keeping school interesting and challenging for her.  The projects are fun, but because they are geared towards older kids (she is at a 3-4th grade reading level), they require some crafting assistance from you know who.

On top of school "stuff", the Diva has started Ringette.  Originally, the plan was for her to play initiation level/U6.  Perfect...one practice a week, no actual games, and fun with other 5 & 6 year olds.  WRONG!!  After going to one of the "Come Try It" events, she was picked out by the League President to try playing on the U8 Bunny Team.  That means, games and practices every weekend, as well as now playing with 7, 8 and 9 year olds!!  Did I mention that she's 5?!?!  I never imagined that we'd be Rink Parents this early on, but it looks like I know where we're spending our winter!!

As for crafting/baking/gardening, I've been busy.  Despite being gone for 3 weeks of the growing season, we did get a decent crop of potatoes, beets and onions.  Last weekend, I pulled out the last of my summer plants to prepare for winter.  i miss the color already, so I'm sure I'll be going mum shopping before too long. 

Recently we bought a new oven and I love it!!!  It has one door, but can be separated into two cooking spaces.  I've used that feature a few times and I love it.  I'm also getting more used to convection baking.

As for crafting, I have been knitting a sweater for Hannah.  She picked out some beautiful wool (girl has good taste) this summer, and though it is taking me much longer than planned, she'll have a sweater before too long.  I feel awful that I am not getting this one done in the two days it took me to make a similar one last year, but I have been having a lot of problems with my hands and I cannot knit as fast anymore.  At a recent doctor's appointment, I was told that I tested positive on one of the rheumatoid arthritis factors and I'm not surprised at all.  I'm getting re-tested in December, and considering that the Alberta winters do my joints no favors, I'll likely test even higher.  So, I take my time with knitting, and figure that my projects will get done eventually.

So, that's what I've been up to.  I'll do my best to post whenever I can, but please be patient with me. 

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!
Sharon

Spring Cleaning...in the Fall??

Hello All-

I have been pretty busy around here with all of my spring cleaning...wait, what?  Spring cleaning in August??  Yup...you heard right.  In the actual Spring season, I am up to my eyeballs in end of the year school stuff and planning my garden and Summer activities.  In other words, I had no time for cleaning.  This time of the year has always worked best for me, and now that Hannah is in school, I tack on cleaning out the drawers to the list, and my back to school shopping becomes much easier!!

This week I have been working hard in the bathrooms and laundry room, trying to de-funk the drains, faucets, you name it.  The first thing I tackled was the Master Bathroom sink.  Any house I have ever lived in has always had a slow drain in the Master Bath.  I'm sure it has to do with the amount of use it gets, as well as my hair.  In any case, I wanted to try a DIY natural solution before resorting to chemicals and plungers.

I found a remedy online that suggests pouring 1/2 cup of baking soda in your drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  Let it sit for 5 minutes with a damp cloth over the top and then rinse it down with steaming water.  I gave it a go, though it sat much longer, as I got chatting on the phone with my Mom.  I did find that 1/2 cup was a bit too much for my little drain, though it worked like a charm!  After I removed the cloth, I used it to clean the sink and shine up the faucet.  The drain now flows like it was brand new and I never had to buy or use chemicals to do it! 

My next big project was the washing machine.  The people who owned this house before us did not take good care of their machine.  Remember this post??  I knew the rubber gasket was nasty, but I had put off actually cleaning it until today.  I read in several places that good old water and vinegar would clean it up, so that was my first plan of action.  As you can see from the photos, it looks much better now, but there are still nasty spots that need to be dealt with.  I scrubbed them as much as I could without ruining the gasket and that didn't seem to be enough, so I think I'm going to try bleach and water next.  I'll be sure to post my results.


Before...I wanted to throw up!!

After...still not great, but MUCH better!!

So that's part of what I've been up to.  I know it doesn't involve pretty hand knits, quilts, or cooking, but hopefully it is helpful info.  Stay tuned for some "cleaner" posts...I have lots of ideas...just need a few more hours in the day to get them all typed up.

Cheers!
Sharon


Delinquent...again

Hello All!

After taking what was only supposed to be a little time off, I think I'm actually prepared to jump back into the world of blogging. I had full tensions to post things all summer, but as usual, I got sidetracked and then we were out of the country for a few weeks on holidays. I'm back now, and with school starting back up soon, I might actually have some free time on my hands for blogging.

Stay tuned, as I have many posts written in my head that I just need to type up. Some topics you'll be seeing soon are: Crock-pot cooking (my oven has been dead for a it now, so I have become the Crock-pot Queen this summer), back to school crafts, some Halloween party ideas, and much more.

As for my own crafting, I haven't done too much.  I did buy some fabric and yarn on vacation in New England, so hopefully that inspires me to get my butt in gear.

I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and thanks for following along on my crazy adventures!

Cheers!
Sharon

P.S. Hi Aunt T!! Thanks for the kick in the butt! Miss you already!

Oh Me, Oh My...I've Been Busy!!

Hello All-

My apologies for the lack of posts lately.  I have been so busy that at the end of the day, I just want to crash!!  Along with a trip to Calgary, a cold that knocked me on my butt for a few days, and trying to get my garden going, I have been knitting up a storm!!

Rather than bore you with a long post, here are the photos...

First, in my blogging hiatus, I worked on 5 (yes 5!) WCOBBS blankets.





 

Tulip Time- I did the top white garter stitch stripe.



 

Ocean Breeze- I did the navy and white stripe on the top.

 

The Board Members all started blankets to see who could assemble a team to finish a blanket first...this was the beginning of my team's blanket.

 

I started a "Mystery Blanket" that will get named by the person who adds the final border. 



And finally, I started a blanket called The Garden.

So there you have it...5 blankets in a short period of time.  I don't usually abuse my hands so much, but you'll see that I only did garter stitch stripes, so it wasn't too bad on my joints.  Most of my knitting took place while sitting in the car waiting for Hannah to get out of school.

As usual, my "ham" is doing what she does best for the camera!!

Speaking of Hannah, she got some handmade goodies as well.  I named this dress Summer Sundae, since the colors are that of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream.  The top is knit with cotton, and the bottom is fabric.  Sewing them together was a bit tricky, but not that hard. 

The straps on this dress are fully adjustable, so I'm sure she'll get quite a bit of wear out of it.

Finally, I made a summer hat for a friend's child who had an accident a few weeks back.  he had his head operated on, so Sarah wanted something to cover his head until his hair grew back.  So, here's my model doing her thing again with Desmond's Hat. 

I must say, she looks pretty cute in it, so another one may be on the needles before too long.

So, there you have it.  Along with all of these projects, I have a scarf on the needles and yarn bought for a few larger sweater projects.  I'm also plugging away at Hannah's quilt and a few other sewing projects.

Stay tuned and I'll be posting a preview of this year's garden.

Cheers!

Sharon

Update on Hannah's Quilt

Hello All-

Well, if you have been reading my posts lately, you'll know that Hannah's quilt had to go on the back burner for a bit.  Well, now that my special blankets are done, I'm back to getting squares sewn up for Hannah's quilt. 

I'm doing a disappearing nine-patch pattern.  I was planning on making a twin sized quilt, but Hannah thinks that a crib sized one will be better for snuggling.  I guess I shouldn't complain at less work, right??

Sorry for the crappy photos.  The one up above won't turn, no matter how many times I try, and I noticed that the one to the left is blurry. Argh!!  Oh well, you get the point.  The squares aren't exactly in their final spots, but I was curious to see how they would look together. 

So, there you have it.  I made three large squares while Hannah was at school today, so a few more days like that and I'll be done in no time!!

Stay tuned for more updates!!

Happy Sewing!!

Sharon

Deja's Garden

Hello All-

I wanted to share with you a special blanket that I finished knitting the other night.  I have named it Deja's Garden, and the pattern is "Chevron Baby Blanket" from The Purl Bee. 

So, now the big questions...who is it for and where did the name come from??  Well, here's a go at...who is it for?

Recently, my Father-in-Law sent me an email that talked about two girls from the Dominican Republic who both have heart conditions.  Through the generosity of the Rotary Club in Maine, the girls and their families are being flown up to Maine to have surgery done...by Hannah's old surgeon!!  Dr. Quinn is doing the operations on both girls, aged 6 months and 11 years. 

As soon as I heard what was going on, I knew I needed to make something to send.  When Hannah had her surgeries, she was given the most beautiful hand knit blankets and quilts from complete strangers.  These blankets are the reason why I knit for charity.  I know how special they are and when you are going through the ordeal of having your child in the hospital, it is so comforting to know that you have the support of those around you...even those who you'll never meet.

So, I started looking online for pattern ideas and soon came to a decision...which leads to question two.  Where did the blanket name come from?

When Hannah had her third operation, we had moved to Alberta and were living in Calgary.  Her operation was done 3 hours away in Edmonton, where we ironically live now.  During our 3 week hospital stay, we became friends with a very special family...Deja's family.  We had never met them before, and they took us under their wing.  Deja was another heart child, and she was in the ICU when Hannah was there.  The family was from Edmonton, so they had lots of visitors coming in, and they always stopped to make sure that Hannah was well, and that we were ok...no matter what they were going through.  Even after Hannah was moved out of the ICU, we stopped down to say hello regularly and after we left the hospital, my husband and I regretted not staying in touch with them.  Even more, we regretted not ever getting the chance to actually meet Deja. 

About a year later, Hannah had to go back to Stollery for a follow-up cath, and as we were getting ready to leave, I heard a familiar voice.  It was Deja's Mom!  Hannah and I were so thrilled to run into her, and it was such a blessing to see that in the stroller she was pushing was Deja!  It was a short reunion, but one that I will never forget. 

Fast forward a few months, and I got a late-night phone call from Deja's Mom.  She told me that Deja had earned her angel wings on Easter...about a week after we had run into them at the hospital.  I cried for hours after we got off the phone, and I still tear up thinking about that call.  I hated myself for not knowing and for not being there to support a family that had been so supportive to us. 

Now, a year later, as I was pouring through patterns for a blanket idea, I decided to make one in honor of Deja.  Her Mom posted a photo of her wearing a chevron patterned sweater.  Deja's smile is the highlight of the photo, and I knew right away that this was the inspiration that I needed for my blanket!  A quick approval from Hannah, and we were off to pick out colors.

So there you have it.  In the heart community, you learn that everyone is somehow connected and how important it is to "pay it forward".  I hope that this blanket brings much love and support to the family in Maine, just as it's inspiration did for my family.

Happy Crafting!
Sharon

P.S.  The quilt I posted about previously is going to be given to the 11 year old girl. Both blankets are being mailed out this week to make it to Maine in time for the May surgeries.

I Sew Made That!

Hello All-

I have been crafting up a storm these past few weeks.  I am just about done a knit baby blanket and last night I finished my second quilt!!  I'll eventually tell the story of where the quilt and knit blankets are going, but in the meantime, I couldn't wait to share finished photos of the quilt.

The pattern is called Urban Rose Quilt and I bought it as a pamphlet at Walmart.  One of the things I like about it is that it uses some pre-cut fabric to make it.  I am not the best when it comes to precision cuts, so having some of it done for me was helpful.  It uses one jelly roll and one 5-fabric bundle.  I used double-fold extra wide bias tape for the binding, and a mini-bolt for the backing.  All fabric was from Walmart. 

I decided to hand-tie this quilt for a few reasons.  One, I needed to finish it in a timely manner.  Two, I already knew how to hand-tie and felt comfortable with the method. And three, I like the look of using hand-ties when the quilt is mostly squares. 

I added the ties at the corners of each square and in the middle of each one.  Even after washing, only one knot started to loosen.  Not too bad!!

Because I went with mostly solids (there's a slight pattern to the fabrics), I decided to do something a bit funky on the back.  The fabric is done in coordinating polka dots, and though it isn't 100% straight, I think the dots hide that well.  Finally, I added a purple binding to pick up on the girly colors of the quilt. 

All in all, I was looking to make something that had a decent amount of work, while still being relatively quick.  I also wanted it to be a cheerful and bright blanket.  Something that makes you smile when you see it.  I don't know about you, but I am smiling, so I think my mission was accomplished!!

(Linked up to Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish it up Friday)
Happy Crafting!
Sharon

Paperdoll Suitcase

Hello All-

Hannah and I were cleaning out some of her old toys the other day, and we came across the magnetic paper dolls I made for a her a while back (for post, click here).  She always loved playing with them, but she didn't always think to ask me for a cookie sheet to use them on.  I asked her if it would help to have her own surface to play on and she said yes, so that got my wheels turning.

I had seen metal mini-lunchboxes at Michaels, but I thought I might be able to get a bit more creative at a lesser cost.  So, off to the dollar store.  There, I bought a cardboard lunchbox and a large dry erase magnet.  Each item cost me $2.00, so there wasn't much investment made. (If Hannah ends up using this a lot, I will likely spring for the metal box, just so the magnets hold a bit better.)

First, I traced the edges of the top of the lunchbox onto the front of the dry erase board.  You will actually be using the back of it as your front.  In the photo to the left, you will see my markings.  I shifted the top so you could see where I drew. 

Then, simply cut out your magnet.  You will have to tweak it a bit to fit inside the lid since the measurements you took were from the outside.  Don't forget to dry fit it and make sure that the bottom isn't too close to the hinges.  You want the lunchbox to close properly.  I had to trim a bit off of mine to make it work. 

Next, you will need to adhere your magnet to the box.  The dry erase board came with double sided sticky circles, so I used those.  You can use anything that you'd like.

Finally, find some paper dolls that would work well as magnets.  The ones I had already made Hannah worked perfect.  She can fit three dolls side-by-side and the lunchbox offers plenty of storage for the extra outfits and accessories.  As you can see, she is really enjoying her new "toy".

Some other modifications to this project that would also work, would be:

• Lining the top with felt and using felt dolls
• Using a metal lunchbox
• Making background scenes to go with your dolls.  These could be done on magnets or thin paper and held in place by the dolls

The possibilities are endless.

 

Happy Crafting!!

Sharon

P.S.  I've linked this project up to Creations by Kara's Look What I Made Linky Party!

Shrinky Dink Magic!

Hey Everyone!

Hannah has had a lot of time off from school lately (Spring Break and now Easter Break), so I have had to get pretty creative when it comes to crafts to keep her busy.  I was poking around on the net the other day and I came across the Disney craft website.  Hannah loves all things Disney, so I figured I would print out a few coloring sheets and be done.  Nope.  I stumbled across a project page for Disney Princess Charm Bracelets, and things took off from there.

As a kid, we had Shrinky Dinks once in a while.  I honestly don't remember what we used them for, so we couldn't have done them too many times.  I had no idea that they still existed, or that you could make your own at home!  So, off to Michael's we went...

We found the Shrinky Dink paper, and I will warn you, it isn't cheap.  For 6 sheets of inkjet paper, it was $22.  I had a coupon that took 40% off, so I wasn't too upset.  Also, if you want to purchase the type that you draw on, rather than print, it was much cheaper and comes in a bunch of different colors.

While at Michael's, we also purchased a pre-made charm bracelet, jump rings and split rings.  I figured I'd need the jump rings to attach the charms and if I wanted to make zipper pulls, the split rings would come in handy.  Thankfully, these both come in large packs, so I can make them last a while.

Once home, we had to decide what characters we would include on the bracelet.  The Disney site has quite a few options (a quick search for charms or cutie charms will lead you to several options), and Hannah had trouble deciding which ones she wanted.  In an attempt to satisfy my little one, and not waste paper, I saved all of the PDFs and then cut and pasted them closer together in Photoshop.  I managed to take 6 sheets and cut them down to 3.  all of the designs she picked printed nicely, just be sure to set your printer for Matte paper and High print quality.  (This is explained in the paper packaging.)

Next was the tricky part, cutting them all out.  I would suggest an adult doing this part, as it involves lots of tricky cuts.  Also, I encourage you to use smaller cuts, rather than trying to cut the shape out in one piece.  I found that the paper tended to tear beyond where I stopped cutting, so trimming off the sides periodically worked much better.  Once your shapes are cut out, you'll need to punch a hole in them for hanging.  My hole punch was touch larger than the circles already pre-printed on the shapes, but it still worked.  We only lost one charm because of the hanging loop falling off (Princess Tiana is now going to be made into a barrette or ring). 

The directions on the paper packaging says to bake the shapes on a cookie sheet lined with a paper bag.  They also suggest parchment or tin foil, and we went the foil route.  It worked great!!  Set your oven between 275-300F and within 3 minutes, you'll have charms!!  Hannah loved watching them shrink up!!

A few jump rings later and voila! a finished bracelet!  We still have lots of charms to use in other projects, so I may be headed back to Michael's for a few more charm bracelets.  I think we'll also make a few into barrettes by hot gluing them on to some clips Hannah already has, and I'm sure a few will become zipper pulls for her backpack.

One step that I don't have photos of, since we didn't have a chance to do it yet, is sealing the charms.  I suppose you don't have to, but I read that it is suggested to use a coat of clear nail polish on the finished charms.  Hannah has some clear with sparkles, so we thought that would look cool on the princesses.  You could also use a spray poly or other sealant to do the trick.

While making these, I was trying to think of other uses for Shrinky Dinks and these are a few I thought of:

•  Zipper Pull with emergency contact info printed on it for when you are headed to a large public event.
• A tag with medical information/allergies
• Party Favors with themed pictures printed on charms or tags
• Keychain for Mother's or Father's Day
• Hand drawn Christmas ornaments...what a fun way to capture a child's handwriting!

The list goes on and on!!  The Shrinky Dinks website has a bunch of pattern and ideas too.

All in all, this was a great project and worth every penny!  Hannah loves her bracelet and I love that we can spend time together doing fun projects.

Happy Crafting!
Sharon

Growing Spomething from Nothing

Hello All!!

As you know from my last post, we are anxiously awaiting Mother Nature to get with the program and "make" it Spring here in Edmonton.  Since patience is not one of my strengths, I have gotten an early start on Spring by growing some veggies inside.  these are a bit unique though...they are grown from scraps, not seeds.  Pretty cool, huh??

I first saw the idea to grow new veggies from old veggies a while back on Pinterest.  I even blogged about it here.  Well, things have taken off a bit and I would call this project a success!! 

Here are a few of the things I've grown:

First up, here's an update on the green onions I posted about a while back.  Once they got to be good sized, I planted them in some dirt.  They were getting so tall that I thought the stability would do them some good.  They are growing fantastic!!  As soon as they get too tall and flop over, I give them a haircut and they are good to go.  I take the portion that I cut off and with my kitchen scissors, I cut them into usable pieces.  I then add them to a jar I have in the freezer.  This is a great way to store green onions!!  You simply toss in the pieces, and then when you need some for cooking, you shake a few out!  They thaw instantly in warm food, so they are ready to go anytime! 

Next is my celery.  I simply chopped off a bit of the root end and placed it in a dish of water an inch or so deep.  within days I saw growth popping out of the center.  I left it in water for two weeks or so, changing the water at least every other day.  Once it had some established growth, I planted it in a pot.  Now, it is taking off and getting more and more lush every day!  I can't wait to get it outside for some warmth and sunshine. 

Finally, here is one more veggie that I actually just started today.  It seems as though this method of sprouting will work with most any veggie that has a strong core with roots.  So, I had some past-its-prime Romaine in the fridge and I'm going to see how it does.  I just put it in water this morning, so I'll keep you posted on how it does.

So, what is the lesson to be learned?  You can grow something from nothing.  You don't need expensive seeds or seedlings to have home grown veggies.  It also takes minimal work for maximum results...my kind of gardening!!!

Happy Planting!
Sharon

Spring Fever!!!

Hey Everyone!!
The fever has shown it's ugly head in our house recently.  No, I don't mean the flu (Thank Goodness!!), I mean Spring Fever!!  Though it is still clearly winter, we have been getting lots of sun lately, which has brought with it warmer days, lots of melting, and many many thoughts of spring!!

To help get ready for the upcoming season, I have been a busy bee.  We're in a new house, so I am still learning what plants are already in the ground (the former owner left me a very detailed journal...score!), and what grows best in our location. 

I wanted to share a few recent purchases with you, as well as give some updates on plants I have mentioned in the past.

First up, I scored some beautiful planters at Winners recently.  The tags said they were beverage coolers, but they screamed planters to me!  I am going to use the larger two for veggies out back and the smaller one for bulbs out front.

I've also collected a few seed packets and books about local gardening.  I'm still planning on consulting my trusty Square Foot Gardening book, but I figured I'd add a few more good reads to the mix. 


For seeds, I am trying a new brand this year,  Renee's Garden.  The various seeds I bought are all smaller versions of veggies, perfect for patio growing.  I'm going to miss my old garden in Calgary, but I think these seeds will offer a new and exciting growing method.  I bought my seeds at the Enjoy Centre, but based on their website, it appears as though they sell all over the US and Canada, as well as from their site directly. 

Even Hannah has gotten into the growing spirit.  A week or two ago, we went to the store and picked out some easy to grow seeds.  She picked Cosmos and Marigolds.  They are growing great, and she is learning a wonderful lesson about responsibility.  She sprays them daily and lets me know if they need a bigger drink.  I can't wait until it is warmer outside she she can pick where we plant them.  I saw some cute rubber boot planters the other day at the Enjoy Centre, so maybe those will work...we'll see!! 

Stay tuned for a few more gardening posts...tis the season!!

Happy Planting!
Sharon

Sewing into Spring

Hey Everyone!!

Thanks for sticking with me through my little break.  We did indeed have to put Ella down, and life around here will never be the same.  We're getting on, but it is still much quieter and lonelier without my pretty lady.

Anyways, moving on to happier things, I've been sewing again.  Hannah loves skirts and I wanted to try making her some.  So, last night we went through my fabric stash and she picked out some purple retro fabric that I had leftover from her photo book.  Though the pattern is crazy busy, my little fashionista loved it and thought it would be just perfect for a new skirt. 

The pattern I used was from MADE, and you can find the tutorial here.  I've had the link pinned for ages on my "I Sew Can Make That" board, and I figured it was time to add it to the done pile.  It was super easy, and the directions were very detailed and easy to follow.  I found that my measurements were a touch off, since it sits a bit low on Hannah's hips, but I have a few ideas on how I can tighten things up a bit. 

If you're looking for a super quick project (mine took less than 45 minutes) to make for your little one, I highly suggest giving this skirt a go.  The tutorial also explains how to do a tiered skirt, and how to customize yours with lace, etc.  I see many more of these skirts in Hannah's future!!

Enjoy!!

Happy Sewing!
Sharon

Taking a short break...

Hey Everyone-

Sorry for the lack of posts recently.  Our elderly cat, Ella, is in what seems to be the final phase of her life, and it has been quite rough on our family.  She's about 15 years old, and has been my baby for the last 7 years. 

Once things settle down here (and the tears stop flowing), I will get back to posting.  It will hopefully be a good distraction.

Cheers!
Sharon

So Tell Me Whatcha Want...

(Whatcha Really Really Want)

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for the Spice Girls reference...I couldn't resist!!  Lately, I have gotten a bit more traffic on my blog.  I'm thinking it is thanks to some crafty friends and good old Pinterest.  Anyway, since I have gathered some new readers, I'd like to hear what you want me to write about.  Knitting, sewing, cooking, baking, kids crafts, local stuff, you tell me!!  I have lots of ideas, but I never know what others would be interested in.

So, leave me a message with your thoughts.  While you're at it, feel free to start following my blog and my Pinterest page.  That way I know who I am writing for!!

Thanks to those who have continued to support my ramblings!!

Cheers!
Sharon

15-Minute Bandanna Dress

Hey Everyone!!

So, I was playing with my sewing machine again today and I whipped up a little dress for Hannah.  I saw this tutorial for a bandanna dress posted on Pinterest and I had to give it a go.  As with Hannah's Busy Bag, I won't do a step by step on here since the tutorial is really detailed.  I just give you a few of my observations and suggestions.

First, when I went to Michaels, I wasn't sure if I needed a regular sized bandanna or the over sized one that they offered.  Hannah is in size 5-6 and a regular sized one was just fine.  A bit big actually.  The bandannas come in a variety of colors and only cost $2.99 a piece!!  I found some ribbon with a touch of bling on it for $1.99.  All in all, a cheap project!


Before I started, I ironed out all of my pieces.  I know I should have washed them first, but they need to be hand washed and I was in a hurry to get going.  Hannah won't be wearing the dress right away (I don't think), so I have plenty of time to wash it later.  One thing I noticed right away was that the bandannas were neither actual squares or the same size.  They were a touch off, but when I pinned them, I just made sure the bottom hem was even on both sides and pinned them appropriately.  I was originally going to square them off when I sewed, but then I realized that you would be able to see the off seam around the arms.  So, I simply pinned the edges evenly and forgot about the misshapen fabric.  Once the dress was on Hannah you couldn't even tell!!

All in all, this was a quick little project that took very little time to make.  Since my sewing machine is downstairs in the Dining Room and my iron is upstairs in my bedroom, I pinned and pressed everything in one step and then came down to sew all of it. 

Hannah loves her new dress!!  I will likely have to cut the ribbon a bit since it seems a bit long to me.  One tip regarding the ribbon...make sure you buy something that is not itchy.  I couldn't imagine using scratchy tulle or sheer ribbon...ouch!!

(Don't mind that she's modeling it over her school clothes!)

Before I go, I also wanted to give you all a preview of the quilt I started.  I am using a Disappearing Nine-Patch pattern, and this is the first Nine-Patch square I've made.  I still need to cut and reassemble it.  My local fabric shop doesn't sell pre-cut Charm Packs, so I had to match my own fabrics and cut them all by hand.  I bought a new straight edge today that should help speed things along, so hopefully this won't take me forever!  I'll post photos as I go along. 

Here's a close-up of the bug fabric that I used as my inspiration fabric. 

Happy Sewing!

Sharon

Hannah's Busy Bag

Hey Everyone!!

I wanted to share a quick project that I made this weekend for my Diva. She is always asking to bring toys of some sort with her when we go out to dinner, and I never had a small bag to hold everything. Needless to say, my purse had become a bottomless pit of toys and I was bound and determined to put a stop to it.

Cue Pinterest and a tutorial for a cute patchwork bag. It seemed like the perfect size for Hannah's goodies, so I thought I'd give it a try. (We named it the “BusyBag” since it was designed to hold stuff that would keep her “busy” when we go out!)

Here is the link to the tutorial...it is AWESOME!!

Since the tutorial is so wonderfully written, I won't comment too much on the actual construction of the bag, just a few things I found out along the way. First,for the squares...I had some jelly roll strips kicking around in the perfect Diva color, so I started there. They were already 2.5-inches wide, so I cut them into a bunch of squares. So simple!!

Next, I had Hannah help me lay the squares out into the pattern that she liked. I did this for a few reasons. One, if she was "part" of the project, she would busy herself long enough to see it finished. Second, it's her bag; it should be how she likes it, right??

I had some coordinating liner fabric (be sure to pick a good fabric...the bag is reversible!!) , so she picked the one she liked best and went off to play Barbies for a bit.

Sewing all of the squares too abit of time since I’m a beginner sewer, but the tutorial walked me through every step, including which direction to press seams, etc. 

All in all, the bag was quite easy to make.  When it came time to turn it right-side out through the hole I left, I decided to machine stitch across the bottom edge, rather than hand stitch it. I knew that Hannah would be stuffing it to the gills so I wanted it to be sturdy.  Also, the drawstring cording has started to fray, so I might be changing that out soon. 

The whole project took less than two hours and has already gotten a lot of use. The best part is that it can be easily sized up or down depending on your needs. 

I see myself making many more of these in the future!!  I bought some fabric with sheep knitting on it the other day, and I can see lots of knitting project bags being made with it!!

Happy Sewing!!

Sharon

P.S. Sorry for the poor quality photos from my phone.  I forgot to bust out my good one while I was making the bag.

Our Crafting has Gone to the Birds!

Hey Everyone!

Lately it seems like Hannah and I have been seeing more and more wildlife during our week.  Yesterday we saw 2 coyotes walking along the side of a city road (scary since they have to go through our neighborhood to get to the closest safe spot of them), and we've been seeing more and more birds flying overhead.  To celebrate the animals and to try to encourage our feathered friends to come visit our yard, we decided to make new bird feeders.  Our toilet paper tube feeders fed the magpies quite well, and we have been saving up more tubes for spring feeders.  In the meantime, we thought we'd try a different type of feeder. 

This idea originated from a Pinterest post of a project first posted on the HGTV website.  Click here for the link.  Hannah and my husband have been eating a lot of oranges lately, and he is a pro at keeping the peels whole, so I thought it would be perfect for us to try.

To make these feeders you need:

* Orange peels (try to keep them as hole free as possible.  One of ours had a hole from the bellybutton, so I used a snip of coffee filter to plug it)
* Bamboo skewer or chopstick (cut in half)
* Twine or string
* Hole puncher or nail

To make them, you take either your hole punch or nail and make small holes just a touch down from the edge of the orange.  You'll need to make at least two, directly across from each other.  I was a bit off, so I made four holes for better balance. 

Once your holes are made, slide your skewer/chopstick through the holes.  Despite having four holes, we only used one chopstick per feeder.  I wanted a bit of stability, as well as a perch for once the bird food gets lower. 

Then, simply tie the twine to the ends of the skewer, fill the feeder with your food of choice and hang in your favorite tree!!

You can fill these feeders with most anything.  We wanted to give the birds an extra treat, so we mixed up some peanut butter food for them.

To make the filling, you need:

* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1 cup of cornmeal or oats (we used a 1/2 cup of each)
* 1/4 cup raisins or any other dried fruit or nuts. 

Simply mix all of your ingredients in a bowl and fill your feeders.  For ours, we used raisins and dried apricots.  I found that the mixture was a bit too dry, so I added a touch more peanut butter to bind it all together.  You can adjust the amounts based on what looks right and what you have in your pantry.

We have two trees in the backyard, so we hung a feeder in each one.  Let's hope we see some customers real soon!!

This project is great for younger children.  They can help measure out the ingredients, mix everything together, fill the feeders and of course, eat the oranges!!

Cheers!
Sharon