A Quiet Little Life

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-11-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

One year ago, I went through the most stressful time of my life. My husband's job was working him about 100 hrs/wk on night shift, I was 9 months pregnant, and the older two were 3 years old and 22 months old. Oliver was born on a Monday around lunch time, and my dear sister Brenda died early the next morning. I hosted Thanksgiving dinner two days later in a house much to small to fit everybody, and the day after that made a 4 hour round trip (more like 6 hr, said and done) with the two tiny kids and a very fussy 4 day old for the funeral. The next week, my husband started his new job 3 hrs away, only to come home on weekends. I parented 3 under 4 alone from December until March, when we finally joined him. Things got a lot better from there, due largely to the fact that dh is so much happier here, in a job and a location that he likes. Now, if only our house in Iowa would sell!

This is not the first holiday season that we will spend without Brenda, but it is the first time her name will not appear on my master list for gifts and cards. Likely due to the shock of the fresh event last year, I'm much sadder this time around. Brenda's childlike mind made for some lively discussions and happenings at meals and get-togethers. Now, there is no one to take your drinking glass to the sink to be washed before you're finished with it. No one to watch out the window, nails between teeth, worrying over who's late to the present-opening. No one will pull out his or her notebook and start their Christmas list for the next year just as soon as the last gift is opened. And for the life of me, I MUST find one of her hand-tracings with her ring sizes written on each finger!

Brenda, Easter 2009

There has been time to process some changes before the 2011 Christmas checklist was written up. Now more than ever, for some sad reason, I'm flooded with gift ideas for her. Here's one huge thing I learned from her passing: DON'T WAIT! If there's a small thing that you think would brighten someone's day, don't wait for a reason to execute it. If you feel like you should send a quick card for no reason to someone, do it! As often as it seems birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays come around, there's really no telling if they'll actually get here, is there? Nothing drives that home like an unexpected loss.

So this year, as Thanksgiving approaches and I am inundated with the seasonal tasks of menu planning, gift making and buying, and calendar keeping, my very honest thoughts on thankfulness are as follows: Take my money. Take all that is in my closet and hanging on my walls. Take our cars and our house (yes, PLEASE take our house!). Take our fancy dinner and the table we serve it on. Just let me enjoy my family--my loving husband, my precious children, my generous parents and in-laws, my siblings, my precocious nephews, and those friends who are close enough to count as family--for another year, and may I be so blessed to have even more.

Happy Holidays, from my family to yours!

It's Not "Free Time"...

2011-08-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

...it's insomnia. That's how I'm able to get things done these days. At least, that's how I'm able to blog about it! So, here are some things I've been up to over the last week or two.

I kept a pair of worn-out pj shorts that I LOVED and turned them into a pattern piece. To do this, cut them in half at the seam that runs down the front and up the back (where the good Lord split ya!). Since shorts are symmetrical, you only need to double layer the fabric, right OR wrong sides facing, cut out two mirror-image pieces of the same pattern piece, stitch them up the middle (right sides facing), sew the inseams together, and install a waist band. If you use the fabric's selvage as the bottom of the legs, you don't even have to finish the edges! A great use for stray pillowcases or worn-out sheets with a few good areas left. I have 2 pair and plan for many more.

I am just plain tickled with how this top turned out! A while back, I made standard front and back pattern pieces based off a dress that fit well, so there's no guessing at the right size when it comes to making a new top. I just use the pieces and alter them as desired. This fabric isn't stretchy, so to accommodate my need for easy breast exposure (ahem, I breastfeed, please remember!), I made the front about 5 inches wider in the middle and ran elastic thru the neckline. And because I think raw bra straps are tacky, I gave it wide straps that taper at the ends. And a pretty blue ribbon to match the tiny floral print, so that I don't look quite so pregnant (I'm not, btw). I LOVE it!

I have trouble getting this pattern to fit right, but with enough altering, this dress finally did. And tiny sleeves, because arm fat needs a camouflage and I intend to wear this to church. Gifted fabric--free clothes! The undershirt underneath was $3 at Kohl's, but was also the pattern piece (by folding it in half) for the next two photos...

As per the aforementioned public nudity (I'm being facetious--I assure you, I'm quite discreet) I was in dire need of undershirts with stretchy necklines. So I worked up a couple. The lacey scribbles are deliberately shabby-chic, and mainly for sleeping.

I wear this one in public. The fabric is a little thicker than I'd like, but it's a good lumpy-belly-hider because it's not too tight.

I got an email from Etsy about herbs. The kind that are everywhere, so you don't realize what they are. I'm still looking for mugwort and a few other things, but I was very familiar with the first of the herbs they featured: plantain. Not the banana's cousin. I never even noticed it was anything other than grass because it's such a ubiquitous plant but there it was, everywhere I looked, when I looked for it! The short story: the juice in plantain is supposed to take the infection and pain out of bee stings, bug bites, cuts and scrapes. By now you're familiar with my feelings on free and natural stuff, so I've been cleaning out those little plastic shampoo bottles that jump into your luggage at hotels and making little bottles of plantain tincture. If it works, then I'll have nearly-free, natural "medicine" and facial astringent in a couple of weeks. If not, I'm out a few ounces of apple cider vinegar and I've de-cluttered a shelf in the bathroom closet. I think it will work, because when dh, f-i-l and I picked blackberries last weekend I got scratched up and stung, and it seemed to calm my irritated hands. But that could have been all in my head, so we'll see, when the tincture matures. You can follow one girl's adventures in plantain tincturing here. (Search "plantain". I couldn't get the direct hyperlink to work.) She's pretty enjoyable. I think you'll like her.

This last thing is just a plain good idea. Not mine, but good nonetheless! It's like a seat belt, for a regular chair. I saw this done on a blog that belongs to a mom who is by far smarter and more talented than I, and I wish wish wish I could reference it but I have no idea who/where she is. So, if anybody knows, please leave a comment below!

Because I couldn't find it, I had to come up with a design on my own. Little Miss happily modeled it for me here. It's like if you were to strap a diaper to a chair, and strap the kid in the diaper. It rolls up neatly and can be tied with the straps. I was going to put some sort of pocket on it to fold it into, but really, who has the time??

Back view. I used D rings to secure it. (Don't buy those new--harvest them off of 25 cents thrift store belts!)

For the front strap, which goes around the child and the chair, I used an O ring and a plastic clip that, I think, came off of a pair of snow pants. I would have used those plastic clips that are on stroller straps, but I didn't have any on hand.

Here's my sketch, if that helps any.

And here's one of the three most important things I've been working on. See those 4 teeth?!?! They're SHARP! And I don't recall the other two biting quite so hard...

And now I'm off to potty train my two year old. I'm ready for only one kid to be able to cover me in poop. Wish me luck!

Tutorial: One Double (Full) Fitted Bed Sheet to Two Toddler Fitted Sheets

2011-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

When we moved, Grandma J gave us two toddler beds and the double bed that Little Miss used to sleep in became the bed in the guest room once again. We found ourselves in need of more crib-sized fitted sheets, and with a surplus of girly double sheets. In case you were wondering, as you can see in the pictures below, a double sheet is almost exactly the size of two toddler bed sheets. So, naturally, Mommy got an idea.

See how, when folded in half, a double sheet hangs off a crib mattress? This is a perfect size, when the corners are fitted, for a crib mattress sheet.

Also, notice the toddler in the picture. It is important to note the virtual impossibility of snapping a photo of a mattress on the floor in the presence of a toddler without said child bouncing on the bed.

Another view, another child.
Okay, here we go...

1. Fold your sheet in half. Cut along the fold line.

2. Finish the edge. Doesn't matter how. Serging it is fastest. I did that on one of the "new" sheets for sake of time and ease. On the other (in the pic), I folded the edge under and sewed a straight stitch to match the finished edge that was already on the sheet.

3. Looking at the corner of the sheet, you can easily see with a striped pattern that they meet at a 90 degree angle. This means that you can simply cut out a square and join the sides to make a new corner. This can be done by folding in one corner to make a triangle and cutting along the edges.

To find the size of the square I needed, I needed to know the length and location of the side of the corner that was already in the sheet. This was easy to find because of the stripes. I measured the seam of the existing corner to find the length, and followed the stripe across the sheet to find where the edge of my square needed to be placed on the long side of the sheet.

4. Place pins to mark where your edge should be. Fold in the corner to make a triangle, and pin in place to avoid fabric shifting as you cut. Cut two sides, using your triangle as a guide.

5. For the other corner, you can repeat step 4 or use the square that you just cut out as a guide. Just lay down the square that you just cut out, and cut around it.

6. Match your new raw edges, right sides of the sheet fabric facing.

another pic of the edges matched up

7. Sew the raw edges together. Finish edge (zig-zag, serge, or fold over and hem).

8. To figure out how much elastic you need to fit your corner, simply measure the elasticized length of the sheet. Do NOT stretch it out for this part. (There are no red squiggly underlines showing up, so I'm assuming that "elasticized" is, indeed, a real word.)

Obtain 2 lengths of elastic for this.

Because I used re-purposed elastic--and, come to think of it, a gifted sheet--this was a completely free project for me!

9. Find the middle of the elastic.

Mark it and match it up with the corner seam on the sheet.

10. Holding onto the middle of the elastic (which is pinned to the sheet), pull the first half of your elastic as tight as it will go and find the point of the fabric it reaches to. Start sewing it from there. I think I used a multiple zig-zag stitch, set on the longest length and widest width. When you get to the middle of your elastic, take your pin out and keep sewing, pulling your elastic as tight as it'll stretch.

11. And... you're done! If you're lucky your toddlers will be over the moon at the awesome sheets that Mommy just made. If you're really lucky, they'll give you a real boost by running to Daddy to gush about what a great job Mommy just did.
This day, I was lucky. :)

Quick Note

2011-05-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

I am working on a post that will act as a two-month update of what I've been up to. Unfortunately, it's taking about 2 months to complete, but I'm trying to get it done! I just needed to drop in for a quick holler about a blog that I just found and WISH I'd found months ago.

http://diymaternity.com/

It's awesome! I love it! If you're at all into DIY clothing and you're in the motherly way, or you know somebody who is, check it out! I found it while searching for nursing top ideas, and it's good for that, too. Love it!

Finally Settled

2011-05-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

We've been in our new house for almost four months now! (Sad that when I started this post, it said "two months"--that's how long it takes me to get things done around here!!) As per usual, I can't believe that time has flown by as quickly as it always does, and there's also the usual guilt about not posting in, like, forever. (I think 4 months qualifies as "forever" in the blogosphere.)
I have been thinking that I haven't done a lot that's blog-worthy, and then I realized that, with as much time as I've found for sewing, there's got to be something I can chat about for a minute. So, here goes! A little bit of everything--mostly money-saving projects and ways to simplify.
(Are we noticing a pattern here?)
Hmmm, let's go back. Way back to the beginning of April. Prom season. Our church in Iowa did a dress drive, as the area is economically depressed and there was quite a call for formal wear without the cha-ching. I agreed to help, and ended up remaking a David's Bridal bridesmaid's dress for a girl with a more edgy style.

before

I shortened it, added a gunmetal gray taffeta pleated ruffle along the scalloped edge that ran from the waist to the floor and to the top edge of the dress (I took the straps off to make it strapless), and turned the top 8 inches or so into a corset-style lace-up back (it was a hidden zipper that wouldn't quite close). I think we were all pretty happy with how it turned out.

after-front

after--back, everybody's favorite part!

Just another reason our old church--First Cristian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Keokuk, Iowa, was the most fantastic place I could imagine to bring up a family and get involved in the community. How we miss it!

Hmm, what else have we been up to?... There was a good idea from Tight Bod With a Pod that has proven quick and fun that I thought I'd share. We call it French Waffles.French toast on the waffle iron...

One happy French-Waffle-eatin' boy!

All you do is whip up french toast ingredients and soak the bread, but instead of frying it in a pan, you just lay it on the waffle iron. It's simple, easy, and if you're making waffles anyway, it's one less pan to wash. And I'm all about less dishes. :)

I'm also all about quality. So often quality comes at a reduced price when you're making your own stuff. Vanilla extract may or may not be one of those things, but it's certainly not as expensive as you'd think. We LOVE using our own vanilla extract! And if you've ever thought about trying your hand at it--or just eliminating the gazillion tiny plastic bottles and questionable origins and ingredients of store-bought vanilla--go for it! It's as easy as chopping up a vanilla bean, putting it in a glass jar with some cheap vodka (or bourbon, or whatever strong alcohol you find on sale), keeping it in a dark place for a couple of months, and shaking it every day or so.

Okay, so that sounds like a lot when I have to type it all out, but all you do is save the glass bottle from your last Snapple purchase, visit www.spidercamp.etsy.com for some very reasonably priced beans (hurry--I think she's almost done de-stashing!), adding 1 cup of alcohol for every three beans, and setting it in the cabinet in front of your coffee or cereal or whatever you get into every day so that you see it and remember to give it a quick shake. Try it. You won't be disappointed. And if you don't use much vanilla extract, then hey! Vanilla vodka! I'm on board with that. Anyway, read more here.

Here's a re-purposing project I recently tackled. I could see this skirt in my head, based off of a bunch of lace scraps and some old fabric of a beautiful ecru color all given to me by a good friend at our old church, and I was absolutely tickled with it when it came together. Little Miss wanted one when she saw mine, so I made her one to match. I do not usually approve of Mommy-and-Me outfits, but I'm not dressing like a toddler and she's not dressing like an adult, so I was okay with this. They're beautiful, unique--I just LOVE how they turned out! And they were completely free to make. Think of all the possibilities! Take a tube of fabric that is bigger than your hips, your ribbon or trim scraps, elastic or a drawstring for the waist, and get to stitching! If anybody tries this, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your results!

We are making a conscious effort to follow an even tighter budget. I thought I knew what we were spending. I thought. Then I re-thought. And I got even more creative! Here are a couple of ways I've spent less and avoided extra trips to the store (a very valuable thing, now that we live 20 minutes, and not 5 from it.)

Homemade syrup! This is a FANTASTIC idea, especially if you have your own berries to pick. We use it on waffles, pancakes, smoothies, to flavor our homemade yogurt... infinite topping possibilities. I use this recipe as a guideline and use whatever pureed fruit we've got. Dear Husband is a big fan of raspberries, and I'm a big fan of Dear Husband, so we usually have homemade raspberry syrup in the fridge. Y.U.M.

I very seldom buy candy, and we don't feed a lot of it to our kids, so when DH went to a wedding and brought home a few favor bags of kisses, I saved them from a long, cold imprisonment in the freezer by making kiss cookies. Okay, so I know this qualifies as "feeding my kids a lot of candy" that day because they were gone immediately, but WOW they were good! I used this recipe as a guideline, but did a mix of equal parts of brown, white, and confectioners sugar. It's a mainstay in the recipe folder now. You know when DH is grumpy because he didn't get enough before they were gone, it's got to be good!

Brace yourself: this is a little personal! Since I cloth diaper, I'm not afraid of kid pee. I mean, come on. Just deal with it. Spring water, right?? lol If you saw Little Miss taking "enough" tp after a tinkle, you'd think she was headed to the resident neighborhood crotchety old man's house on Halloween. So I took a receiving blanket (one that was hers, so it was pretty and girly instead of the sea of blue we've been swimming in for the last 2 years) cut it into squares, serged the edges, and now we have reusable wipes! We also have greatly reduced paper goods bill and paper waste, and she gets dryer without any lint. They go straight into the diaper pail which sits in the bathroom, and everybody's happy! Mom, most of all.

We also found ourselves in need of kitchen cloths. Being in a rental (not to mention, a rental that is painted in a completely different color temperature than any room in my old house, so we have no matching decor!), decorating and coordinating is VERY slow going and tedious and... well, interior decorating just isn't my thing. And I'm NOT going to spend $$ on something like dishtowels, which SHOULD match something else--anything else--in the kitchen, which doesn't have a color scheme or theme, and will get stained up and overused and abused and heavily laundered. Not when I have a length of crazy-printed retro terrycloth, also gifted by a friend in Iowa, that was too unique to throw/give away but (previously) too ugly to do anything with. It's the right color temperature for the walls, so now it's my new set of dishtowels and kitchen cloths! You just can't go wrong with a serger, I'm tellin' ya!

In need of a small storage space for a few kid distractions in the upstairs living room, I whipped up this cheery little fabric bin out of an old table cloth that someone gave me. The insides are those plastic grid sheets that you get at craft stores that you can do yarn hooking with (no idea how to explain that further--I don't indulge in that activity). It's pretty flimsy, but when we retire it upstairs, it'll be good for trim scraps in the craft room. I think it took less than an hour to make. I used this tutorial as a guide, which I found on www.oneprettything.com.

A few other things I've been working on (and not likely to be done with any time soon!):

Baby Oliver is almost 8 months old! He is fantastically happy, and LOVES LOVES LOVES his brother and sister! They love him, too, which provides for some pretty cute kid interactions around here. And some scary ones, too, as hugs can be very tight and not-so-well placed. But all in love.

Why does it seem like during summer time, when there are the most daylight hours, you have the least time for anything?? Since we live in the country and no neighbors have a view of our back yard, my kids have been bathing on the deck! Just another clever way to multi-task! We fill up the baby pool with bubble bath, they play and get clean at the same time, and when it's time to come in we pour a bucket of water over them and voila! Bath time AND play time are done! Now, don't ask me how many time I have to throw all the bath toys and floaties back up over the railing from the yard, but it's totally worth it. And my aim is getting much better. :)

And here's what DH has been up to. This was taken a few weeks ago. My loving baby-daddy has been harvesting zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, and a pepper here and there, for a week or two now. And the tomatoes are coming in. Bring on the pasta sauce! Food budgeting just got a lot easier!

This is where I'd like to remind you of the best zucchini bread recipe I've ever encountered. And some tried and true "improvements": reduce the sugar to one cup, replace at least half the oil with applesauce, replace 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour (or more than 1 c if you're using white whole wheat). And adding in some nutmeg makes it a little more Christmas-y, which I love, but DH prefers it less spiced.

The homemade things I checked off my to-do list yesterday could make another 4 month long blog post... mayo, jam, breads, cookies, pillowcases... but I won't put you through that. Not when I'm so dangerously close to finishing this book!

I'm Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy!!...

2011-03-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Veggie Tale fans might recognize that song...

Anyway, we're entering a terribly busy week, one I've been dreading for quite a while... WE'RE MOVING!! So long, Keokuk, Iowa, and hello, Hallsville, Missouri! Well, the countryside between Hallsville and Columbia. We're getting the best of both worlds, I think--small community where everyone knows everyone, and good shopping just a few minutes in the other direction. When we were in Columbia last, I was sitting at a stoplight and found myself staring at a purely magical sight--a big, brand new ALDI!! And the size of their new Hy-Vee is almost shameful, so the grocery shopping part is all taken care of. Yay! And, of course, a real shopping mall, complete with a Target. Every girl's dream, when you consider what a nightmare it is to live more than an hour away from one.

Here we go, getting ready to leave our little Iowan oasis behind for good--or at least for mostly good, until we sell it. Anybody looking for a nice little mid-western stronghold, btw? :)

Brenda and August, somewhere around mid 2009

In other thoughts, today would have been my late sister's 41st birthday. It's tough to think about how much she loved her birthday, and to think about how I should have always done more for it. I'm learning a huge lesson in not waiting for a special occasion to send gifts, and not holding out when I do. She, as is the case with most people we love and take for granted, deserved more every time.

There is a fantastic site that I've recently found, and I feel I must share it. w ww.MamAmorDolls.com offers the most gorgeous handmade fabric dolls I've ever seen, and--are you ready for this??--they hold, give birth to, and breastfeed the baby dolls!!

I cannot afford one, by any means, and my crafty side wouldn't let me buy one anyway, so what do I do? Naturally, I do searching for instructions and patterns for making my own. I thought I was a progressive thinker, but I just can't bring myself to explain to my 3 y/o exactly where babies come from--I mean, I'll at least wait until she asks!--so mine is sans vagina.

And because she's a dry run, she's also without nipples and baby for the moment. But I did try making one, and they're much harder than you'd think! But Little Miss adores Mamadoll, and she's easy to sew clothing for, so we'll keep her around until I get better at it. I'm sure there will be pictures at some point, but she hasn't gotten up yet. I know, I know, it's 11 am! But with no baby, she gets to sleep in. (Remember those days??) Also, no way am I putting a picture of Mamadoll next to these works of art. No. Way.

If I could take an interesting picture of cleaning and purging, I might. But nobody cares about that stuff. And now I'm off to do more of it.

Picture Tutorial: The Basic Shoulder Bag

2011-03-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

I want to try a wordless tutorial.
Let me know if it doesn't work out (not sure what skill level this is good for).
Also, post any questions in the comments, and I'll be happy to answer them!

Off the Couch

2011-02-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Perhaps I should call this post, "Nursing on Demand for a Less-Demanding Baby", or, "Bigger Tank = Less Fuel Stops". Either way, being a slave to the baby is becoming a little easier, as these things usually do, and I'm finding a tiny bit of time for sewing. Now that I think about it, it most likely results from a long list of factors including, but not limited to, husband is gone during the week, craft room is actually a toy room where the most fun toys live, and a major seasonal/nursing-friendly clothing shortage. My closet is starving!

I'm pretty pleased with this project and I wanted to share how I did it. Partly because I love how it turned out, partly because I want to show people how easy it can be to make awesome clothing from just about anything, and partly because I'm awfully quiet these days and need something to talk about. I know I haven't been here in a while when I type in "aqui" in my address bar and nothing auto-fills in! Anyway, here goes...

My lovely and amazing friend Jess Z gave me the top of a 2XL wrap dress after harvesting the bottom for a skirt. It's an absolutely BEAUTIFUL color of blue, but a bit too big, so I started with downsizing. First, I overlapped the ends to make it a wrap top (they were just hanging loose from the harvest), pinned it to cover the girls, and took in the side seams under the arms. This turned it into something more like a Medium.

I rifled through my fabric stash and found this stretchy, drapey polyester with some accents that are the same color as the top. I measured out my hips, cut a long rectangle that was a few inches longer than my hip measurement, sewed the short ends together, and gathered the top edge. I didn't hem the bottom because this type of fabric doesn't unravel or fray, and I'm generally lazy and like shortcuts. :D Then I attached the gathered end to the bottom of the wrap top.

My fantastic and talented friend Shirley gave me a bolt of gunmetal gray taffeta that I've been dying to use. I wanted to use it for the skirt, but it has no give so it didn't work (the girls are big and finicky these days, and refuse to be *squeezed* into anything that doesn't stretch to accommodate). But it was the perfect color and texture to use for the belt. It didn't take much. I made a back piece (like a regular strap, about 1.5" - 2" wide when finished) that was about 14" - 15" long and tacked it down to the side seams. I then made another piece, probably around 20" long, and, by trial and error, figured out the right places to attach it to the dress (at the side seams) and the belt buckle so that I could get in and out of the dress. I tacked the belt down in the middle of the top to keep it from drooping once on, which may not have been a problem if the belt buckle weren't so heavy (I didn't want to use loops because I wanted to keep my taffeta smooth and without loose ends). Because I didn't attach it all the way around, the dress has enough stretch that I can unbuckle the belt and have enough room to get into the dress.

My favorite part? The whole thing was virtually free. The top was gifted, the taffeta was gifted, the skirt fabric was either gifted or part of that huge, incredibly cheap stash I bought at an estate sale, and the buckle was harvested from a Salvation Army belt that couldn't have cost more than $1. This is a PERFECT example of what you can do when you rifle through the sale racks... at home. :) It looks different on me than on the mannequin, of course, because I'm not half a person and because I'm not a size -4. The belt goes around my ribs just below my bust line, like a bra does, and I will have to wear a cami underneath to keep my dignity. But I cannot wait to wear this over leggings!

Etsy Shop Update: A Wristful of Roses

2011-02-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are, Oliver is almost 3 months old and I'm not nearly as UNproductive as I thought I'd be! The kids and I are still at home by ourselves during the week, so I should have a little more time to focus on my creative activities, right??? Ah... That's really funny. :)

Rather than list all the reasons why I have less time for "fun" than ever before, I'll just get down to business--this is what I've been up to after everybody's in bed for the last 3 weeks.

Aren't they beautiful???

They're evolving.

And they're listed!

Happy Shopping!

Quick Update

2011-01-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

There are tons of things happening here, but none that have been documented lately. :P

To begin with, we survived Christmas. I'm assuming most of you did, too, and those who know what traveling and celebrating with 3 under 4 is like can appreciate why this is worthy of reporting!

The kids got so many gifts that they're not even all opened yet. Not because I'm mean, but mostly because...

We're moving!
As soon as our house sells we're relocating to the Columbia, Missouri, area. This will get us closer to family. And it's a great area, so as much as I don't like moving, it'll be a good one for us. Finally, the roots can go down and we can officially unpack all the boxes! This will be the 6th move in 4 1/2 years (7 moves if we have to get into a rental first). I'm ready to be done with it!

Oliver's first official social smile showed itself at 4 weeks, and at 6 weeks it's coming easier and more frequently. The secret is making smoochy noises into his little mouth and on his cheeks, and he does this:

And if you keep working at it, it gets bigger:

My older two are doing great, too, even with the hacking cough and dripping nose they're sporting these days. And we're getting through Hubby only being home on weekends (he's already started his new job 2.5 hrs away). I'm insanely busy, trying to ready the house to sell and purge and keep up with it all, by myself. It's battle: me against the kids! We take it day by day. As anticipated, my Etsy shop is taking a temporary back seat to life for now. I'm hoping that keeping it in the forefront of my brain will get me back to it quicker, once we figure out a new "normal" with 3 babies and a new house. Wish me luck!

And there you have it. Fun, eh? :) Happy New Year!

Tutorial: Boxes!

2010-12-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that I'd have time for a tutorial?? I didn't even think I'd have time to scratch my nose these days, but somehow it occurred to me to photograph this quick project. Okay, so it's not a hard project, but still...

See, here's the thing: I HATE spending money on disposable things!! And I feel very warm and fuzzy about reusing materials. This adds up to, among other things, reusing packaging materials to mail my Etsy orders (most of the time). MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) recently sent me an envelope of goodies that was reinforced with two 8.5" x 11" (notebook paper sized) cardboard sheets. I decided to try to make a box out of them, as they were pretty sturdy pieces of cardboard. And here's how it went:

Your finished box will be about 4.5" x 7" x 2" when using 8.5" x 11" sheets and following these measurements.

Start with 2 sheets of cardboard. Mark lines 2" in from all sides (2 inches is the depth of the box--change that as you please). Cut one side of the square in the corner, on all corners.

Be uniform in your choices of which side to cut. It'll look better that way.

Fold on the lines so that your sides come in toward the middle. Fold the corner flaps in, like in the photo.

Apply a good amount of hot glue or other strong glue (especially if you're mailing this box) to the inside of the corner flap.

(Folding to the inside or outside works--I just thought this way seemed more stable.) Hold the flaps down tightly until the glue hardens. Repeat for the remaining 3 corners. Be uniform on all corners.

Repeat all steps with your other sheet of cardboard. There is a VERY tiny (1/8" or less) difference in the size of the boxes. To make this difference, just move your lines in about 1/8" more from the edge of your second box. This will allow one to fit inside of the other, giving you a top and a bottom.

And there you go, a completely free, eco-friendly, customizable box!
Wrap it up, cover it with fabric, stamp it, paint it... whatever suits your cause.

So I'm thinking that using greeting cards could make adorable small boxes, and cereal boxes are probably the perfect size for this project. But really, it's a great way to reuse just about any pieces of cardboard that's big enough to fold up. It's fast, easy, cheap--oh, there's a very inappropriate joke in there somewhere... Anyway, I love it, so I just thought I'd share.

Happy Holidays!

Welcome Home, Oliver!

2010-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

I cannot think of how to start this post. The past week brought much happiness and much grief.

First, the baby! My 8 lb 5 oz, 19.5" long son was born at 11:39 am after a mere half hour of hard labor. I was induced at 7 am, had my water broken at 10:30, and there he was, just over an hour later! This was by far the shortest, easiest labor and delivery I've had, with the best results in regards to my body.

Here he is:
Oliver Daniel Jamison Schanzmeyer!

I truly believe that the ease of this birth had everything to do with the short chapter I managed to eek out of a Hypnobirthing book about relaxing through breathing so that you can let your body do what it's supposed to, rather than fighting against it. I didn't have much time to practice this time around, but for our next birth, I definitely plan to read the whole book and practice the techniques ahead of time. Perhaps that last half hour will go smoother!

The birth of a child can easily be called the happiest moment of one's life. My happy moment was followed less than 24 hours later by one of the saddest; my sister Brenda, at 40 years old, passed away unexpectedly. She was disabled and had been having medical issues that were never able to be resolved before she withered away. She died with a bad kidney function and high blood pressure after a period of intense weight loss.

The circumstances surrounding her death have left me with profound grief. It's such a confusing time, something to awful riding hot on the heels of one of the happiest events of my life. I'm trying to focus on the positive: I didn't have to labor and deliver a baby after she passed, for example. As hard as this is, I think that would have been near impossible.

And then, two days later, the Thanksgiving holiday brought a load of family to our little home, another happy day tinged with sadness due to Brenda's absence. Her favorite thing in the world was socializing, spending time with her family, playing with her niece and nephews. I missed her buzzing about, clearing the table too early, telling stories about her dog chasing skunks and licking her face. Who would have thought those things did, indeed, need to happen to make it feel like nothing was missing?

Now that we're back home (services were Friday, and we packed up our toddlers and newborn and made a seemingly LONG day trip out of it) I'm hoping to get to rest up and sort through everything. Here's another picture of our favorite part of the circle of life: the beginning.

Etsy Shop Update: Warm Weather State of Mind

2010-11-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

Here we go, the latest crop of warm goodness in my Etsy shop!
Thank you, again, to the lovely Nicole for helping to bring the products to "life"!

Ear Warmer, Scarf, and Arm Warmer Set in Winter White

Hat and Cowl Set in Pastel Green

One of my personal favorties...

Sweater Dress/Top/Tunic in Army Green, with matching pin

Shoulder Wrap/Shawl in Creme with Gold Ribbon Accents and Pins

And these fantastic babies...
Pink Cashmere Leg Warmers!

I'll go ahead and include this gorgeous ribbon and bead necklace, too, altho it's sold already. I plan to make more like it...

Beautiful!

Thanks for looking, and
Happy Shopping!

Little Miss Patriot

2010-11-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise when my three-year-old came out with this one day, start to finish. We've spent quite some time since discussing what all the words mean. I'm completely in LOVE with this video, so I have to share it with you!

Would-Be Shop Addition

2010-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to highlight a recent project that I was extremely happy with--and I wasn't the only one!

One of the items I've mentioned as needing to be listed in my shop was this lovely black top. It's made of an Eddie Bauer wool blend skirt. I turned it into a racerback tank dress/top and designated my darling friend Jessica try it on and give me an idea of what size it should be. And I always like to see how my things fit real bodies--you learn a lot from that!

Well, she saved me from the photographing and listing process by snatching it up for herself--a lucky condition of living close to me, I suppose. :)

She accessorized the heck out of it, putting together the most awesome outfit I've seen in a long time! The black flower pin came with it, but what's that on her wrist??...

Could it be the beaded cuff I made for her bday, like the one listed in my shop?!? :D
What a great look, Jess! Great job!

Pirate Shirt Tutorial Part I: The Body

2010-10-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the shabby drawing--I'm a visual learner, so I thought some may appreciate pictures, no matter how sorry looking! :)

This project is better suited for those with some sewing ability. While it isn't what I'd call "hard", I can see where it is not exactly a beginner-level endeavor. But don't lose heart! If you have a knack for sewing, certainly give it a go, if perhaps on a toddler scale. I constantly surprise myself--you probably will, too!
These instructions are for an adult-sized pirate shirt. Scale it down accordingly for children or toddler sizes.

1. Use a button-down shirt that fits your buccaneer as a pattern guide. I'll call this shirt the "guide shirt". The pirate shirt will be pulled on and off over the head, so don't use a tight shirt or a shirt made of stretchy fabric as your guide shirt.

2. Close the shirt front (i.e. button the buttons). Turn the shirt inside out. Tuck in collar and sleeves, and smooth out all the layers of material as flat as possible. Fold it in half at the middle (where the buttons are), so that you're looking at half a shirt body.

3. Get a width of material twice as wide as the full body of your guide shirt. Fold it into 2 layers (one wide of shirt body). Fold in half again (half the width of the shirt body). Lay your folded guide shirt on top of your folded pirate shirt material, lining up the folded (middle) edges. Cut out around the shirt, leaving an inch for seam allowance on the edges. This can be cut down later if it's too big, but you're better safe than sorry by allowing more fabric than you might need.
*You may want to make the shirt longer than your guide shirt, to allow for a belt or sash at the hips. This is especially the case if your pirate will be wearing tight leggings--cover up that booty! Consider this when cutting.

4. Unfold layers. You should have 2 identical pieces that look like the body of a shirt. With right sides together, sew together the shoulder seams and side seams. Be careful not to sew your arm or neck holes closed.
*You may want to leave 4-5 inches open at the bottom of the side seams for ease of movement, if the shirt falls at or below the hips (which it probably should in any case).

5. Designate one side as the front (shouldn't matter which). Trim the front neckline lower than the back by two inches or so. Cut a straight vertical line, about 4-5 inches long, down the chest of the shirt, beginning at the middle of the neckline. This will be the slit that laces up the front.

6. Make sure it fits your pirate, and make any necessary adjustments; take in the side or shoulder seams as needed. Finish the bottom edge.

Now you're ready to go on to the other parts of the shirt!

Etsy Shop Update: Keeping Warm(ers!)

2010-10-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished listing FIVE items in my Etsy shop!! That's right, FIVE! That's a bunch, and it takes a while to put the listing together, so I'm a little tired at the moment. :)

I may seem to be going a little warmer crazy. Perhaps it's because they're so stinkin' cute. I keep finding beautiful sweaters that I want to turn into hat/scarf/arm warmer sets... and so I do!

And who could have helped herself when spotting a pink 100% cashmere sweater at the Salvation Army??? Not me. I turned it into this:

It's GORGEOUS, and not just because it's on Nicole. :P

That's not all that I have ready to photograph, but unfortunately Nicole doesn't come in every size. I'll be spending some time this week trying to find a few more models for my larger-than-tiny dresses/tunics that are ready to list. Stay tuned!

And, as always...

Happy Shopping!

Just Stuff

2010-10-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

I really have been busy, but it seems that I've been doing more work for my Etsy shop than anything else. So I must apologize if anybody has missed my once-frequent tutorials or personal projects that haven't been around due to lack of time/energy/etc. I may seem quiet, but that just means I'm hunkered down over my sewing machine, or hauling toddlers around all day. Anyway, here are some random tidbits from the goings-on around our house lately...

Recently I took my first product pictures using a live model, my very gorgeous and gracious friend Nicole. They turned out very well! They definitely got my Etsy items noticed more, so hopefully she enjoyed helping me out enough to do it a few more times. Seems this is a great thing for business! And it's fun to see my stuff on a real body, too.

And today, when Gus and Hubby came back in from the garden, Gus ate about half of a giant red pepper, raw, all by himself, by the huge mouthful. Not terribly special, I guess, but it was funny and I got a couple of snapshots of it. This is also the kid who, like his sister, would pick basil leaves fresh off the plant and eat them. Not just one.

And Baby #3 has hiccups CONSTANTLY! It's cute, but a little annoying after a while. I mean, if I were twitching like this all by myself, I'd go stretch or change position. But nothing helps! So I just try to enjoy the fact that my darling fetus has a working diaphragm and not that it'll be jumping around like an Irish step dancer inside my womb for the next 6 weeks!

Oh, and how can I forget Gracie?? Remember my first serger project? Her mom was good enough to send me some pictures of her in the outfit I made. See how close you can get to a good fit by using existing clothing as a guideline? You really don't need a pattern all the time. What an adorable girl!

And that is all for this evening. Hopefully I'll have something more fun for you to read soon! :D

Etsy Shop Update: More Ribbons & Beads!

2010-10-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

This will have to be quick, as I am running out of nap time and am quite exhausted today for some reason. :)

These necklaces are getting so popular! I'm branching out into color--I know, quite a leap for somebody who designs clothing and accessories, no??--starting with red. I love this red necklace! It's just gorgeous!! I'm falling hard for how the ones with multi-colored beads turned out, too.
Couldn't. Be. Prettier!

I have listed 3 new necklaces in my shop this morning. They're all gorgeous and at $10-12, they're all very affordable!

Brown Satin Ribbon and Bead Necklace

Red Satin Ribbon & Bead Necklace

Brown Satin Ribbon & Bead Necklace

Go check them out! And, as always,
Happy Shopping!

I've Been Featured!

2010-10-05T17:45:00.001-07:00

There's this great lady, Carlee, who's also active on the boards at www.mommysavers.com, and she has this handy blog (www.athomemoma.com) where she does reviews and giveaways and such, all geared toward moms. And guess who's on it today! :)

http://www.athomemoma.co.m/2010/10/review-and-giveaway-mrs-designs.html

Check it out, and enter the contest for this black satin ribbon and green bead necklace! There are pictures there, too, and here are a couple from me.

Enjoy, and good luck!

My 1st Serger Project!

2010-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that my wonderful husband gave me a serger for our anniversary??
There's definitely a learning curve to it, but luckily I usually fall on the good side of those. :P

This is officially the first project I have made using my new machine. My friend, who has an adorable little daughter, wanted an apron knot dress with matching pants.

She was going to get it from a talented Etsy seller who makes lots of baby clothing, but the timing was too crunched. Being much less busy than the average professional seamstress (I'm guessing, seeing as how I'm not one), she asked me if I could make one by the weekend.

Must be my daughter's propensity for only wearing things with hoods and pockets, but I'd totally missed this cute little trend in toddler clothing. Nevertheless, it's not a hard dress to replicate, so as soon as she gave me the material and an outfit that fit Little G already, I got to work!

The whole outfit took only a few hours (like... 3-5, including bathroom breaks and boo-boo emergencies), and I'm very happy with the results!

HOPEFULLY my daughter, with her bouncy blonde curls and brown doe eyes, will decide to stop dressing like she's going on a hike when she sees this outfit! :D

Etsy Shop Update: Great Guy Gifts!

2010-09-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the other latest stack of ready-to-list handmade wares to emerge from my work room over the last couple of quiet weeks: Mini Rice Pack Sets!

These are fantastic for anybody, but these prints are particularly suited for the guys on your gifts lists. At the moment I have these 4 ready to ship:

Brown and Gray Plaid Rice Pack Set

Black and Brown Plaid Rice Pack Set

Black and Cornflower Plaid Rice Pack Set

Blue Plaid Mini Rice Pack Set

They're pretty quick to sew up in almost any color or print--just ask!

Happy Shopping!

Etsy Shop Update: It's Getting Colder!

2010-09-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

In preparation for the even colder weather just around the corner, I've been working on a few fabulous hat/scarf/arm warmer sets made from thrifted sweaters. And I couldn't be happier with the results! First, I found a green and a red sweater. Then I got my scissors and matching thread. And then... out popped these beauties!

A little more about them: The scarves are "infinity scarves". That means that, instead of being one long line, they're circles! They are very cute draped around your neck once like a cowl, or wrapped twice. As for the arm warmers, I'm calling them "fingerless gloves" in my shop listings. They're cut out of the sleeve of the sweater, and they've got a slot for the thumb. They're the most adorable thing I've seen in a long time!

Olive Green Hat/Scarf/Fingerless Glove Set

Red Hat/Scarf/Fingerless Glove Set

I'm really hating that I don't have models, with the sad excuse of an exception of my own arm. I don't feel like these pics do the warmer sets justice. They just look so great ON!

And now, the romantic twist to my shop update:

Ribbon and Bead Necklace

This is a gorgeous accessory made with double-sided satin ribbon and acrylic beads. Simple and elegant, PERFECT for holiday outfits or just dressing up jeans and a cardi. The ties are very long, so it can be worn at any length from choker to mid-chest. I have a few of these that I wear constantly, and I'm finally getting around to taking the 1000 suggestions of, "You should sell those!" lol

So, there you have it for today. Stay tuned for a simple yet extremely practical (those 2 things usually go hand-in-hand, do they not??) guy gift! Coming soon... as soon as I can upload it. :)

Happy Shopping!

How to be the Dread Pirate Roberts on a Shoestring Budget: Part I

2010-09-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

You may remember the (in my humble opinion!) fantastic costumes Hubby and I donned for our friend's costume party a few weeks ago. (If not, go here.) Since Halloween's fast approaching, I'm going to go over the Dread Pirate Roberts costume and give some insight into just how cheap and easy it was to create. I think you'll be surprised!

The elements of this costume are:
1. Skull cap/head cover
2. Eye mask
3. Shirt and sash
4. Pants/leggings
5. Boots (spats/shoes combo)
6. Gloves
7. Sword

To begin with, some overall things to remember: *All of these elements must be black, and not all blacks are equal. If you've got something old and faded, it might be very obvious next to something new and dark. Pay attn to that, if details are important. *Nick was mistaken once or twice for Zorro, which made me realize that this costume can easily be converted to a Zorro costume, or any masked crusader or pirate you care to match colors or details to!

1. Skull Cap
The skull cap was simply a rectangular piece of stretchy black material. Nothing more. Because it was a kind of jersey, I didn't even finish the edges (jersey doesn't fray). A bandanna would work if you've got a black one around. A good condition t-shirt would be perfect, which you can usually find barely or gently used ones at thrift stores, or discount stores usually have them for cheap.

2. Eye mask
This is one long, thin rectangle with holes cut out for the eyes and a triangle cut out for the nose. Make sure you have enough left over to tie it behind the head. You'll only know where the eye holes and nose triangle should go by tying it on and marking the location of your pirate's eyes. Note: When I say "triangle", I don't mean you should end up with a triangle-shaped hole to stick your nose through. It'll be more like a pointy recession in the edge of the rectangle that goes across the nose, in order to prevent the material from riding up on the nose. Play around with it. You'll figure it out. :)
Perhaps the best thing for your skull cap/eye mask combo would be to find a dark black t shirt and use it for both these pieces. While they're two different pieces, the material should be an exact match in order to avoid a contrast. Your pirate will probably want to take off the eye mask at some point during the evening.

Oh, I almost forgot! DON'T forget the mustache!!!
Nick grew his out for a week or so. It was charming. :)

3. Shirt
This was the most difficult part of the costume. The only reason I was able to make it without buying a pattern is because I have a knack for free-handing. However, even if that's not a skill you have, you should still give some thought to creating it yourself. There are patterns available for this type of shirt, or you can use a shirt that fits your pirate already and go from there. Because it was a little more complicated than cutting and pasting, I'm going to save this part for another tutorial.
If you don't want to try your hand at sewing a pirate shirt, see if you can find a long-sleeved shirt with generous sleeves at a thrift store. You can dye it as needed. Don't rule out the ladies' dept--that's where you're most apt to find this style of shirt. And don't let ruffles on the neck scare you off. You can either leave them (that's an excellent pirate shirt detail in many cases, tho not Pirate Roberts') or just cut them off and replace them with grommets or button holes and add a black draw string. Anyway, more on the shirt later.
The shirt should be a little long, and a sash tied low around the waist or around the hips serves as a sort of belt for the shirt as well as a place to stash the sword. I used the same jersey material as the skull cap and eye mask. It was just a long rectangle.

4. For the pants, I found a pair of leggings on clearance at WalMart for $3. It was just that easy.

5. The boots presented a small challenge, but only for a second. I have no idea where I saw it, but it occurred to me that Nick had black shoes and all we really needed was the tall part of the boot. So I got a pair of black slacks from the Salvation Army, cut the legs off at the thigh, turned them down to resemble tall, slouchy boots, and spray painted them. I'd recommend stitching the top in place (depending on your fabric, you may need to finish the hem to keep it from fraying), and you'll probably have to pin them to the pants to keep them up. I spray painted them because I wanted to give them a rough, stiff, leathery look, and because the inside of the pants didn't exactly match the outside in fabric grain and shade. This step is entirely optional. If you're happy with how your spats look, don't bother painting them.

Wear them over black shoes. As long as they're all black, any shoe should probably work--especially if you're able to cover part of the shoe with the spat (get a slightly flared or boot-cut pant). Nick wore leather shoes.

6. I completely forgot to get gloves for Nick's outfit! Any black leather gloves should do. Roberts' flare out around his wrist and are just a little long. Or, NO gloves will do just fine, too, as it was much later that I realized we'd forgotten them! Clearly not a making-or-breaking part of the costume. :D
7. The final element to this costume is the sword. This and the shirt were the only real challenging parts of this costume. I went to WM and looked for toy swords. Bright orange Nerf wasn't going to "cut it", so to speak. :) So I made one out of dowel rods that I spray painted silver and picture hanging wire. I used an entire dowel rod for the shaft of the sword, and a 7" scrap for the handle. I used hot glue, but it didn't do much for reinforcement. If you think you have glue that would add to the stability, go for it. :) For the handle, I made a cross shape at one end with the scrap and wrapped some of the picture handing wire (any thin silver wire should work) around the two pieces to hold everything in place. Then, by overlapping lengths of wire and lots of wrapping and twisting, I made a sort of decorative handle out of the wire. I don't know that I could describe exactly what I did to make it, but anything you can figure out will work perfectly. You could also use wired ribbon, I think, or wrap some wire with silver ribbon.

And there you have it! Well, minus the shirt tut, which is in the works. Have fun, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see any pictures of costumes you come up with!

Etsy Shop Update: Beaded Flower Pin, Cup Cozy, and & T Shirt Bags

2010-09-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to an Etsy team that I'm on. It's the Fashion Remix team, and they have a shop exclusively for items made mostly or entirely of reclaimed materials. I have a couple of things in there--these awesome t-shirt bags perfect for grocery shopping or trick-or-treating, and this great felted wool cup coz y that I hand-beaded and embellished. I encourage you to check out their listings, as well as the individual artisans who make up this talented team of sellers.

One reason I joined this team is because I'm devoting more time and energy to doing my Etsy shop "right"--making a cohesive, focused product line, taking uniform pictures, etc. Basically, making a store people want to shop at! And sometimes that means I make something that doesn't fit in with my primary product line. I feel that the Fashion Remix shop is a good way for me to keep making these other things that I enjoy and that I think my customers will love, without having a hodge-podge store front. So, shop there! It's great stuff!

That said, my product line in www.MRSdesigns.etsy.com continues to develop in a good direction, and this week's addition is this very pretty beaded flower pin.

As I love to do so often, I made this piece out of reclaimed materials--a polyester scarf--and hand-beaded it to add a little pizazz. It's big and beautiful, and will turn an ordinary outfit into a stylish autumn ensemble in no time! And at $12, it's an absolute steal.

Shop eco-friendly this week and support some great artists in their crafty endeavor to make the world a cleaner, more stylish place!

Happy shopping!

Etsy Shop Update: Beaded Ivory Satin Brooch

2010-09-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

This one really came out of nowhere! It's almost like it developed entirely in my subconscious and my hands just sort of worked it out on their own while I watched SNL. :D I'm very happy with it--so happy, in fact, that I finished it up and put it in my shop this morning!

Constructed of ivory/antique white satin over 2 layers of stabilizer, with 2 brooch pins on the back to keep it in place. Measures 3" by 3". See more here!

Happy Shopping!

Etsy Shop Update: Three Brown Charlies

2010-09-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

What a week! What can I say?... I'm tired! We kicked off the week by sending company home from last weekend, I got to see what it was like to transport 4 under 5 to church and back on Wednesday (went quite well!), Gus had surgery on Thursday (also went quite well!), my mom stayed with us overnight to help with Little Miss, and I got almost everything on my to-do list DONE!! Which included constructing and listing three Charlie bag sets--that is, a tote, a pouch, AND a wallet--much like the one I made for myself, in my Etsy shop.

Brown and Blue Retro Print

Brown, Blue, & Green Plaid

Green, Brown, and Blue Retro Flowers & Circles

AND! To make matters even more impressive, that included an extra Charlie (another one made with the brown with blue circles) because the first one sold before I even had it finished! And I'm just going to go ahead and say this, because it amazes me and I'm very proud of it: the new owner of that Charlie bag bought it because she wasn't happy with her new Thirty-One bag. Imagine, someone buying something I made to replace a Thirty-One bag! I've never owned anything from that brand, but I have been super impressed by their catalog, so I'm taking this as a huge compliment! :D

To see more pictures, or to own one of these lovely ladies, head on over to my shop! Thanks so much for reading, and Happy Shopping!

Accessories on Etsy

2010-08-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

Shop Update!

I have been on FIRE today with my to-do list, and actually surpassed it in a few areas today. I FINALLY got around to taking good pics of the black flower pins that I made ages ago and listing them. I have 2--one with purple beads and one with green--and they're just as gorgeous as ever!

Actually, as is the case with the Autumn Blossom Brooch, it's probably a more appropriate season to list them now than when I actually made them, so my procrastination might not be altogether bad this time.

And, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE it so much, I made a Black Satin Beaded Cuff to list in the shop.

I think I like it better than the one I made myself (that always happens! you make something, then you make more, and you get better and end up with the "practice" piece for yourself!!). I'm still keeping up the listing for a Custom-Made Cuff, of course, because this is a great way to make a gorgeous, personal accessory.

Happy Shopping!

Aaaaas Yoouuuuuu Wiiiiiiish!!!

2010-08-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

My good friend decided to have a themed birthday party for her big three-Oh. The theme? Movie characters from the 1980s. Even tho the party had been planned for months, I only decided who Hubby and I would be about 2 weeks before the big event: Princess Buttercup and the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.

The back story:
My 6 month preggo belly looks more like 8 or 9, so I needed something that would either hide or incorporate my planet. I thought that Princess Buttercup's empire-waisted dress would hide it, but after looking at the pictures from the party, I was clearly WRONG!! I just look like a pregnant princess, huh? :D The good news: 1- it's a beautiful costume that you can wear even if you are obviously up the duff; 2-it was incredibly easy and CHEAP to make; and 3- Nick and I both won best costumed characters at the party, so I wasn't totally wrong when I thought they were great costumes. :)

Let me just say, I am WAY more impressed with the Dread Pirate Roberts' costume than I was with mine. First, the shirt: I had never made a proper shirt collar, cuffs, lined neck opening, or poofy sleeves. In fact, I don't think I've even seen pattern pieces for these things, to know what shape they should be. Using only a button-down shirt that fits him as a size guideline, I was able to freehand the entire piece, and it fits him PERFECTLY! I am officially impressed with myself. lol He wore black leggings (the shirt is a little long, so his tush wasn't hanging out too badly), and for the tall pirate boots, I cut the legs off of a pair of black pants, finished the edges, and folded the tops over to make tall spats, which he wore over black shoes. The skulk cap, eye mask, and the sash he wore around his hips to keep his sword in were all varying rectangular dimensions of stretchy black fabric. And that's all! The only "difficult" part of the whole outfit was his shirt, which wasn't too bad itself because I looked up a good tutorial as a guide. Oh, and the sword! Dowel rods that I spray-painted silver and wrapped picture-hanging wire around. And he looked FABULOUS!!

My costume was incredibly easy. Here's the dress it's modeled off of:

And here's what I did:
A peasant-style dress cut floor-length, a length of fabric for the cape, a bodice made from a dress pattern that I already had, arm bands, and $2 Salvation Army gold ballet flats. Oh yes, can't forget the spray-painted BK crown with hot-glued trim. Lovely!

I wanted to make this post in case I'm not able to talk more about costuming before Halloween. I LOVE making costumes, and perhaps this will give you some ideas for the upcoming season. And, if you're sporting a baby belly, some hope that there are, indeed, costumes you can rock out in, comfortably and stylishly!

*IF* anyone wants a few quick tutorials for these costumes, please let me know (like... leave a comment!). I'm playing with the idea of how-tos for them. Anybody interested?

Tag! She's It...

2010-08-23T11:47:00.001-07:00

Little Miss will be attending her first day of preschool on Thursday, and in preparation I have made her a very unique name tag for her not-so-unique Disney princess backpack which, I have a feeling, won't be the only one of its kind in the cubbies this year.

I haven't yet, but I plan to print our home info on transfer paper and iron it to the back.

I have this idea that, as she gets older, I'm going to teach her to have her own sense of style and not to be a slave to fashion trends--and, therefore, the trendy price tags that go along with it. I realize just how far-fetched this idea might sound, but I'm sure gonna try! Starting now, we'll at least mix in some nice handmade items into her wardrobe. And we'll see how that goes once the designer labels become a bigger deal, as she gets older. Wish me luck!

Scissor Organizer

2010-08-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

What I have done this week is absolutely NOT limited to this small project, but you'll have to wait for next week to see the full extent of my busy-ness from the past 2 weeks. In the midst of the big projects, I couldn't shake the need to make this scissor pocket organizer I saw on One Pretty Thing. I whipped this one up without reading the tutorial on Expect Moore, which I should have read because I like hers much better. Mine was probably a little easier, but hers is more compact and cuter. Oh, well. It still holds scissors, and anything else I care to slide down into the pockets.
This is actually sort of a project for the men in my life. To start with, the scissors are the first thing my ornery 18 month old son goes for when he sees Mom's sewing table unmanned. Now they're high on the wall--how handy! And secondly, dear husband doesn't know where any scissors in our house are, ever. Now I can say, "Upstairs in the sewing room, hanging on the wall above the drawers on the desk--and DON'T use the red ones!!!" :)

So, here's what I did:

1. I used a scrap off a denim skirt that I shortened for a friend for the back, and 2 Salvation Army cloth napkins for the pockets. They were something like 25 cents each. Might have been 10 cents each, but for the sake of overestimating and still being proud of myself, I'll say 50 cents total. I folded the napkins in half and ironed them flat, then stitched the long sides closed along the edge.

2. I centered the napkins onto the denim, pinned, and stitched around the sides and bottoms. Then I divided the napkins into equal sections--4 on top, 5 on bottom--and sewed a straight line to form individual pockets.

3. I folded over about 1.5" on top and stitched it down. If I want, I can run a dowel rod thru here. However, even a dozen pair of scissors aren't too heavy so I didn't mess with finding a rod this time.

4. Because I was skipping the rod option, I grabbed a ribbon scrap, cut it into 3 equal lengths, folded it over like an awareness ribbon, then pinned and stitched it to the top edge of the organizer. Make sure all your loops are of the same length, or it will be tough to hang it evenly.

In order to keep the option for a rod open, I didn't sew it onto the tube. I put my stitches even with hem.

Hang it, load it, and you're done! I didn't even bother finishing the edges. I mean, it's denim. Who cares?? :P And I tacked down the bottom corners with thumb tacks, just because.
This is an excellent, excellent beginner project, and a very good way to solve an organization problem with very little monetary and time investments. This whole thing might have taken 30-45 minutes, and wasn't more than 50 cents! I didn't have to finish any edges or do any real cutting, of course, but if you go thru your scraps, you might find that you don't, either! :D

And here's a bonus pic, because it's the first belly picture of me during this pregnancy. This was at 10:30 pm, so please forgive the hair and makeup and PJ situation. 26 weeks. And yes, there's only one in there.

Etsy Shop Update: Satin Rosette & Peacock Feather Cuff

2010-08-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Here it is:

Another gorgeous bracelet !

My parents have peacocks* and my mother is kind enough to pick up after them as their feathers fall out. Somehow the bag of feathers kept getting closer and closer to my bucket of beads and bracelet supplies, until I finally put two and two together and cranked out this beautiful piece which is, honestly, a little hard to sell! It's stunning, and I plan to make one for myself when I have more time.

I absolutely love it, which means that you're sure to as well. And that's why I've added it to my Etsy shop!

Happy Shopping!

*Back story on the peacocks: My parents did not choose to have these noisy birds. The thing is, they feed their flocks and their new neighbors do not. That's how you acquire a number of animals who are capable of wondering the countryside! By simply taking care of their own poultry and fowl, they are now the caretakers of these majestic, albeit LOUD, peacocks who leave their beautiful feathers all over the place. And that's how I got them! So, rest easy knowing that no animals were harmed in the acquisition of these crafty accents. Much to the contrary--they are spoiled rotten. :D

Etsy Shop Update: Custom Made Beaded Cuff

2010-08-14T16:10:00.001-07:00

This project was one of much creative searching, inspiration, contemplation, and inner reflection. It is incredibly unique and made especially to match the funkier side of my personality, and I just have to say, it absolutely does. And it pleases me to say, it's BEAUTIFUL!

Because it has made such an impression on those who have seen it--and one friend in particular who received one as a gift--I have decided to update my Etsy shop with a listing for Custom Made Beaded Cuff Bracelets like this one.

No, it's not inexpensive, but they take at least 8 hours to make and are something so unique and expressive that there is no way you'll not LOVE this!

Here are some pics of the 2 I have made in this fashion so far.

The great thing about these bracelets is that they can come in any color and they're so personal when your own trinkets are thrown into the mix.

Not to mention that you will NEVER run into someone wearing the same fashion accessory! :D

Happy Shopping!

My Charlie, brought to you by BurdaStyle, Free of Charge!

2010-08-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have found Burdastyle.com to be helpful on more than one occasion; from techniques and tutorials to free patterns (as well as ones you pay for) and a great community, they're just great all around.

One of their free patterns is for the Charlie Bag, which was originally meant to be a stylish reusable grocery bag. I loved the look of this bag, so I used it to make a large trendy tote.

I also ran up a matching envelope that I wanted to be the right size for a few diapers and wipes, but it's way too big so it'll store a change of kids' clothing, too. Which is okay, because the bag is pretty big, so it all fits!

I couldn't be happier with this bag set, and perhaps the best part is that the fabric to make it--between the Salvation Army and the Evil Empire--was less than $4.50!!

Hey, ya know, I think that may be a little expensive compared to my usual projects!! :D

My No-Brainer DIY $5 Window Treatments

2010-08-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

I can't say that this is anything spectacular but it looks good, was insanely cheap and easy, and gets the job done! My 18 month old son was up with (or before) the sun, so I needed a very dark window covering. Because I am me, I didn't want to spend any real money on it. So here's what I did:
First I bought two very dark blue twin flat sheets at the Evil Empire (that's WalMart, of course) for $7 total. Their length and width was exactly what I needed, when turned sideways, for the dimensions of the windows (one sheet = two curtain panels). When cut in half, I needed to only hem one side of each panel, and was able to use the other hems as already finished edges. So, no work there!
At the top, I folded over a few inches and stitched it to make a tube for the rod to go thru. I could have gotten fancy and added a ruffle at the top by simply adding one more straight stitch an inch or so down from the top, but I chose to be lazy. :)

Because I didn't want my darling husband to be pulling on the rods every time he wanted to open the curtains (the sunlight is good in this room when the curtains are open, so we don't need the lamp on all the time) I made some very easy-to-use tie-back hooks. This was the fun part:

First, I invested in 4 mug hooks. TIP: Cup hooks, which are a little small and cheaper, may have worked a little better. I originally wanted to put them on the side of the trim, but the size made it impossible to screw them in. Then I took felt scraps, cut out star shapes in graduated sizes, glued them on top of one another, and glued an elastic hair band to the back. I glued another felt strip over the band on the back for stability. Finally, I glued the elastic band to the hook so that it wasn't always falling off.

Then I drilled a tiny hole in the wood and screwed the hook in by hand. (Instead of drilling, you can hammer a tiny nail into the wall and then remove it to make the pilot hole.)

Now, whenever we need it to be dark we let the curtains hang, and when we need some light we use our elastic loops to hold them open. So easy! And cheap. And fun. And, if you can find a used sheet or curtain or material to use, it'll be green, too!

I'm overestimating the total cost at $5 per window. It's probably more like $4, but I can't find my receipt for the hooks, and we'll just say $5 in case you're buying everything new.

Etsy Shop Update

2010-08-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

And it's about time!! My Etsy shop has been neglected since we stuck Bun #3 in the oven; darn those hormones! I have been busy with a few different endeavors this week, and this one will go in the shop.

It is a microsuede appliqued cuff bracelet with a velcro closure, measuring 9" x 3".
Perhaps the best part: it's upcycled!! Remember this??

A small part of it (that flower on the sleeve) is now....

THIS!

Happy Shopping...

Don't Forget!

2010-08-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have been forgetting to advertise as much I need to, but my Etsy shop has a super clearance sale going on. Help me unload my handmade goods with FREE SHIPPING! Read a summary in this recent post, or simply visit the Clearance section of www.MRSdesigns.etsy.com

Just Thought I'd Share: Plate Wall Decor

2010-07-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Interior decorating is NOT my thing, but I've seen this great idea on sites like Apartment Therapy and maybe One Pretty Thing that I thought was totally doable even for me. So a few months ago I started collecting pretty plates, trying to stay in the green color scheme. They don't match, they don't always have green in them, and they're definitely not all the same style, but hanging asymmetrically together across the large wall in my kitchen definitely helps to make it feel more like home, and less like where non-imaginative people convene to eat (and where the more imaginative of us convene to throw food and make huge messes!).

This is a work in progress--when/if it's ever deemed "done" I'll post the finished results--but I'm just so psyched that it's coming together nicely that I wanted to share a picture. And, of course, cheap and easy ideas that make life easier and a little nice are always at the top of my list to shout about! And if you have a plate wall, let's see it!!

Just Thought I'd Share: Reusable Snack Pouches

2010-07-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

Have I shown you these? I think so, but it was a long time ago. Perfect use for those mylar bags that chips come in. Clean them up, flatten them out with a cool iron, and use them to line a small pouch with a fabric outside. They make the perfect attractive, green, re-usable baggie for sandwiches and snacks.

My friend has one for each of her kids, so there's no worry over sharing out of the same bag. What a great idea! It's not mine, but I do make them. And so should you! Go for it! :D

The Bib You Never Knew You Already Had!

2010-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Because I am terrible at getting stains out of clothing, I have finally given into the fact that bibs are not just for drool and have taken up the challenge of keeping one on my son while he eats. Wish me luck with that! But just after I strapped one on him for breakfast, I noticed that our bib collection is severely limited. So, off to work I went!

I cannot stress enough that there are 1000 ways to construct a bib, 1000 different materials you can use, and lots of ways to close it. Here I'll share how I made a completely free, lined/reversible, embellished baby bib using only items that I had at home already, which cost me little or nothing in the first place. To make 2 bibs took about an hour, give or take a wet diaper, a couple of boo-boo kisses, and a "No, no! We don't push!" or two. This is the kind of project that leads me to believe that I'd have made a good homemaker during the Great Depression, when you had to make do with what you had! :D

TIP: If you're reading this with the intention of making your own, first go take a look in your crafting stash and linen closet. Who knows what adorable, free thing you can put together!

To make the bib, I used an old bath towel and a flannel pillowcase. You'll need one bib-shaped piece of each (while you're cutting, you might as well make 2 pieces of each fabric and make 2 bibs--just a thought). One pillowcase and one regular bath towel will make about 4 bibs, in case you were wondering.

First, I traced the bib that I had on hand which fit the baby in question, and extended the length a bit. I used only half the pattern and folded the fabric into 2 layers to help with symmetry. To do this, fold your fabric in half the width of the finished piece and lay the pattern edge that would be the middle of the bib along the fold of your fabric (the zig-zag edge of the pattern in the pic, if you can see it). Cutting out two layers at once, rather than individually, will help both sides of the bib match.

You'll have identically shaped pieces of each fabric (sorry--this pic's a little wonky, but they did match!).

With right sides facing, line up all the edges and pin the pieces together.

Sew around the edges. The trick for a bib that doesn't bunch up around the seams when it's finished is making sure that your pieces are lined up flat together, and that starts at this step. Sew within 1/4 inch of the edge, leaving a few inches at the bottom of the bib open so that you can turn it.

Trim off the excess material around your stitches. Make sure all your edges of each piece are within your stitches.

Turn right side out and press if you're not too lazy (I am). Straighten out your edges so that it all lays nice and flat together, and pin around all the edges (this is important; don't topstitch without pinning it all down first).

Topstitch around all the edges of the bib. Try to stay about 1/4 inch away from the edge all the way around.

Be sure that you turn your open area under and catch all folds of material in your stitch. You don't want any raw edges sticking out.

Look what I found! In this collection: 2 patches sent to me from my lovely online buddy ConnieJ6; velcro pieces that were attached to a ribbon that wrapped up a baby blanket that was a gift; plastic snaps from a cotton bag that a store-bought sheet came in; and the metal snaps from a onesie that I turned into shirt for Little Miss. All completely functional, all completely (well, basically, to me) free! Hmm, decisions, decisions...

For the closures on my 2 bibs, I went with the snap from the sheet bag and the velcro, which I trimmed down a little. And here's where I got REALLY lazy. I hot-glued them all into place!! :D

And while I had the hot glue gun out, I attached the patches to the "front" of the bibs. I mean, you can't iron patches onto terrycloth, right?? That's what I told myself as I took the easy way out. :) I use the towel side as the front of the bib because that's the side that'll soak up more spills, but, as Little Miss pointed out when she had to match her brother at lunch, you can use the other side, too.

I've never asked this before (mainly because I don't really believe anybody reads what I write!!), but if you make a project based off of something you saw in my blog, I'd be so tickled to see it. There are just SO MANY different ways you can get creative with this particular project, I'd love to see what happens when you shop at home first!

Leave me a link! It'll make my day.

Product Reviews: St. Ives Cleanser & Moisturizer

2010-07-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Because I'm a total sucker for statements like, "We understand that little everyday choices we make can impact overall quality of life" and "not tested on animals" and "formulated without parabens and phthalates", as well as a very reasonable (read: LOW) price that leaves me feeling like I really got a steal, I look to the St. Ives product line first when deciding what beauty product to try next. And again--TWICE!!--I found a treasure there.

First thing's first: getting clean. I have been using a couple of different St. Ives products (Apricot Scrub and Olive Scrub) on my face with excellent results, but I was looking for something a little lighter for morning facial cleansing. That's when I found their Naturally Clear Apricot Cleanser. The tube reads: "deep cleans & fights blemishes without over
drying", and it does exactly that! It's almost like a creamier, less gritty version of the Apricot Scrub, so I'd feel safe in assuming that if the Apricot Scrub is too abrasive for you, this would be perfect. It provides exfoliation without being too rough, and moisture without being heavy or greasy. It's just great!! It's what I use every morning now. It was less than $5 (might have even been a little under $4) for the 6.5 oz tube.

And now, on to moisturizing. I haven't been this excited about a product for a long time. This is the Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer. The front of the tub reads, "visibly reduces fine lines & wrinkles". My facial wrinkles, altho I hate them, are minimal and I haven't bothered to scrutinize them in the 2 weeks or so since I began using this moisturizer. However, at under $5 for a 10 oz tub, I don't feel like I'm limited to my face when using it. Because collagen is good for skin elasticity in general, I lavish this stuff on the baby-sponsored stretch marks that creep farther and farther up my belly and boobs with new each ankle-biter and I do think that it has helped there. It doesn't exacerbate any current breakouts, doesn't cause new ones, and leaves my sensitive facial skin feeling soft and moisturized, not like I'm walking thru a swamp in July. I LOVE it!!

So... I guess the only question is, when is St. Ives going to start paying me to brag on them?? lol (Ahem, probably not while I'm willing to do it for free, right??)

Etsy Shop: Cleanin' Out My Closet

2010-07-20T13:56:00.001-07:00

I have had a few items in my Etsy shop for a VERY LONG TIME, and I need to be rid of these gems. Some items are some of the first things I ever made to sell. Please help me "spring" clean!

Because I love you dearly and appreciate you more than you could know, I'm listing this sale first on my blog for those who read this to take advantage of. Here are about a dozen items that, while I had a blast making them and love them so, need to clear out of my space and find a happier, more permanent home. For the full description on its Etsy listing, click on the link below the picture. All sale items are first come, first served.

Available for only $4 Total with shipping:

light pink retro print child-sized tote with purple gingham lining and one purple strap

bright pink retro print child-sized tote with blue gingham lining and two straps

orange and green vintage flower print child-sized tote with two green straps

patchwork needlebook with two brown satin ribbon ties and felt pages

Available for only $6 Total with shipping:

heavyweight eco-friendly corduroy bread bag with turned cuff and light brown palm leaf print tapestry lining
*This bag was never officially listed in the shop but it is identical to this bag, with the exception of a greener hue to the corduroy. To buy this bag, please email me at melodyschanzmeyer@gmail.com

heavyweight eco-friendly denim bread bag with three vintage buttons

heavyweight eco-friendly denim bread bag with turned cuff

red corduroy flatbag with applique and outside pocket

red corduroy flatbag with wide vintage floral straps

Available for only $8 Total with shipping:

lightweight blue paisley summer purse with tan lining and vintage button embellished velcro closure

creme woven cotton tote with green floral straps

Tidbits for Little Miss and her Friends

2010-07-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

WOW, it's good to be back! This is the first weekend in over a month that we've spent at home, and how nice it is to wake up in our own bed, go to our own church, put the kids down for naps in their own rooms, and hang out at our house on a Sunday afternoon!

My hot glue gun and I were on FIRE this afternoon (don't worry--only figuratively). I did some repairs, and then set to work on a small project for Little Miss. A few weeks ago (the last time I saw my craft room!), she brought me some scraps of Russian tulle that I had used for the bridal veil I recently made. Of course, I immediately put on my to-do list to make a pint-sized veil for her. I still had the practice flower piece from the real veil, so I glued some pearl beads to the center of the flowers (where the crystals had been on the real one), bunched up some extra tulle scraps behind it for added charm, and mounted a piece of tulle on the front for a blusher. A small hair clip glued to the back, and voila!

She's been strutting around in nothing but the veil and an old kids' square dancing petticoat pretending to be a bride since she woke up from her nap. It's pretty cute.

And because I've been privy to more than one sharing predicament during play dates, I made an extra one for her to share when a friend is over. I took a few pics along the way because, I mean, why wouldn't I?
I totally owe you a tut after my prolonged absence, and I've just been itching to do one lately, anyhow. :)

You need next to nothing for this project: some fake flowers, yoyos, ribbons, buttons, feathers, or any flair you want to use for the clip; a length of ribbon, popsickle stick, nail file, fabric scrap, or anything a couple of inches long to glue your stuff to; as much tulle as you need to cover the desired area of the face (or back of the head if you turn it around); a hot glue gun; and a hair clip (tip: the bigger the better, as long as it's all covered). After it was all done, I could have done lots of fancier things with it, but I was sticking with what I had on hand.

1. Glue all your flair to the ribbon (my "ribbon" was some left-over homemade bias tape). Make sure to cover the whole thing. Layer your flair for dimension.

This is the front of the piece, all layered up and covering the entire ribbon.

Optional: I glued a piece of tulle behind it, for added affect. Make it as big and loud as you wish!

2. By folding the top edge of the blusher tulle over a couple of times, you can gather it up so that it curves around the face instead of sticking straight out. This will help make it look better. Glue it to the back of the ribbon.
3. Glue on your hair clip. I found a little too late that small clips don't work as well (this was a no-cost project, I just used what I had on hand), so I'd recommend using something bigger or a big bobby pin. And... YOU'RE DONE!

These are the two I made. Little Miss is in love!

Clip it in over the forehead. It seems to work best to pull the hair back. Play around with it. You might find a completely different way to wear it. Any way you do, this is incredibly fast, easy, cheap (or free!), and such a great addition to any costume stash!

PS-- Pics are due any time from our stunning veiled bride, and I'll certainly put them up when they arrive in my inbox!

This Week I Worked Some Small Magic...

2010-06-25T06:21:00.001-07:00

Seriously. My deadlines have been mobile lately, and I've been terribly busy. Last week's wedding veil was needed 2 days earlier than anticipated (which doesn't sound like much but it REALLY put a wrench in my week), and this week's project ended up needing to be done Monday instead of Thursday, a huge deal since I was unable to even start until Monday!! So here's what happened:

I volunteered to sew costumes for our local community theatre troupe, specifically the children's production of Alice in Wonderland. I was asked to make the 3 Alice dresses--just the blue part, not the apron, thank God!--and was given some material. With nothing more than the girls' dress sizes (I didn't actually see these little people until I did the final fitting!), t-shirts that I purchased from the Salvation Army to get an idea of their body sizes, and pieces from patterns that resembled the dresses I planned to make, I turned 8 1/2 yards of material into 3 peasant-style dresses for 3 very different sized girls in 2 afternoons (and one evening, with the final fitting and hemming). In technical terms, I believe that qualifies as a small miracle. If you sew and you have 2 (and on the second afternoon 4) very small children, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Or, if you have any idea of the kind of work that goes into free-handing a dress for someone you've never seen without a pattern or measurements 3 TIMES... well, you get it. It's times like this when I feel like I could move the moon if I tried! :)
All in all, I think the 3 Alices look great! And I'm sure their show is going to be awesome! We won't be around for it, tho, as we're leaving today for a visit to my parents' house for the next week. So, have a great week everyone, and good luck little thespians!

Unveiling: the Preview

2010-06-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

But I have no "done" pics yet. So I'll give you a teaser. I've been working on this wedding veil for what seems like years now (okay, about a month, minus camping), and I put the seal on the envelope at 2 o'clock this morning. My bedtime has become 9:30 since sticking a bun in the oven, and the only reason I've seen the 2 am hour lately is getting up to pee, so I'm a little pooped today. But I'm managing.

Here's the flower piece on the clip. I LOVE how this part turned out. The rest of the veil is Russian tulle, which was a huge pain to work with, but all in all it's a pretty good project, I think.

I'm just hoping the bride approves! We'll see this weekend, when I can hopefully get a good picture of it on her. The ones I took at 2 am turned out... well, I'm not posting them. Nobody saw me at 2 am last night, and that's how it should stay! :D

And the lovely little box that I sent it in. This was a box of chocolates that Hubby brought me back from France, covered in wrapping paper, and I LOVE how it turned out!

Today In My Craft Room Part II: Ruffle Flower Purse

2010-06-03T05:47:00.000-07:00

First, let me say that I got this idea here.

Here are the supplies for the little purse that I made to match Little Miss' skirt:
1. Two outside pieces (or one long rectangle, like I had)
2. Two lining pieces (that's the denim) identical in dimension to the outside pieces
3. A coordinating strap piece, about 3" by your desired length
4. A yard or so of coordinating strip, about 3" wide, for the flower front
5. A length of coordinating fabric for the bottom ruffle, about 24" long by 3" wide
All these measurements are subject to how you'd like your bag to turn out. My bag is around 8" tall by 6" wide.

First, put the two outer pieces together with the right sides facing. Sew the two outer edges (since I used a long rectangle, I only needed to sew one edge). No need to finish the edges since they'll be enclosed once it's lined.

Fold the bottom ruffle strip in half widthwise and iron. Pleat it, pinning the pleats in place.

The strip should fit snugly inside the bottom opening, where you'll want to line it up with the raw edges hanging out a little bit (to make sure that you won't have any edges sticking out of the right side of your bag on the outside).

Sew a straight stitch across the entire bottom.

Turn right side out. This should be the end result.

Put the two lining pieces together, right sides facing, and sew around the sides and bottom. Clip the bottom corners so that it'll lay cleaner on the inside.

For the strap, sew a tube then turn it inside out. Iron it flat, and topstitch down both long sides.

This is where a little more attention is required. Line up the short ends of the straps with the top edge of the bag. Make sure to line them up with the exact sides of the bag. Pin.

Place the outside of the bag inside the lining, their right sides facing. You may want to pin the strap down to the outside of the bag so that it won't creep up and get in the way while you sew.

Line up the top edges of the lining and the outside. Make sure the strap ends are sandwiched in between. Also make sure the straps are lined up with the exact sides of the lining.

Pin all the way around. Make sure all the edges are even.

Sew a straight stitch around the top edge, leaving a few inches open for turning.
I'd recommend a little more space than what I left between the edge and the stitch. Probably about 3/4" or so.

Turn the whole thing inside out. This is kind of a pain.

Tuck the lining inside the bag.

Topstitch around the edge of the top of the bag. When you get to the opening, make sure that you aren't stitching below the open edge.

This should be your end result!

Now for the embellishment. If you have multiple strips, sew the ends together to make one long one. Fold your strip in half widthwise and sew closed. You don't have to turn it inside out, because you'll be hiding them. You also don't need to finish the raw edges if you're hot gluing, because you can seal all the edges down with the glue.

If you need to, draw a circle on your bag. I just eyeballed. Run a line of hot glue 1/4 of the circle, and press the raw edge of your strip into it, about an inch at a time. Every inch, make a small pleat and turn your strip to follow the glue line.

Continue until your circle is done, then run another line of glue along the inside of the circle, as far in a necessary to expand your flower but still hide your raw edge. Continue the flower in this way until you're done.

Tuck the end edge under and glue into place. Dab an adequate amount of hot glue in the center of the flower and stick on a bit of flair. Please be more careful with your hot glue than I was. I got a little messy! Add a closure to the bag top if you want, and you're done!

Today In My Craft Room Part I: Ruffle Skirt with Pockets

2010-06-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

This wasn't a project that I should have done today, if only because it's so low on my priority list. But at this point, still low[er than normal] on energy and inspiration, I'm just rolling with whatever catches my fancy in order to just get back into the swing of creating. So today I spent almost 2 (!!!) hours making a matching skirt and purse for Little Miss. And I snapped pics along the way, just for you! So, here's the skirt (which I should have made a touch bigger, but she hasn't taken it off yet so it must be adequately comfy).

I am disappointed in this pictures, because the skirt is actually a lot cuter than it looks here on the hanger! I'll have to snap a shot of Little Miss in it later. For tomorrow, we'll plan on the purse! Stay tuned. You're gonna want a Mom-sized one, I promise. :D

Thank You For Holding...

2010-05-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

...I appreciate your patience. I understand that you've been unattended for quite some time, but I'm sorry to report not much progress to show off. Here's what we've been up to:

I was putting together 2 tutorials, but neither worked out. Here's what that was all about:

I need a new cover for my calendar/checkbook bundle that I always have with me, but when I measured it all out I didn't leave enough room to slip the calendar into the sleeves! I think it'll fit a regular checkbook, but I haven't checked that out yet. Pretty disappointed about that.

And the curtains... Gus has been up with the sun at 6 am and taking very short naps, so I planned to block out the light from his very bright bedroom. I wanted to make roman shades out of mini blinds (tutorial here), but when I looked for the blinds that I thought that I had for those windows, I couldn't find any. Not wanting to buy more stuff for these curtains (I mean, I've already invest $4 in a bed sheet!), I had another idea--to encase a cord on the back of the curtains so that I can pull them up and tie them off into relaxed style roman shades. That did not work. At all. So, the farthest I've gotten is draping them over the curtain rods. Just. Lovely.
.....Not.

I've also been working on a swimsuit for a friend (since last September! *cringe*) but it looks as tho it's going to be WAY too short-bodied. However, she's in Maryland so I'm just going to have to finish it and send it to her to see. Looks nice so far. But that won't do much good if it doesn't fit.

And then there's the blue shirt. I'm making a top, and I'm not done yet, but it seems that every move I've made with this shirt has been a wrong one. I'd like to put ruffles and/or flowers on it, but I've screwed it up so badly so far that I've decided to take a small break from it before trying anything new. I don't think that poor neckline can take many more mistakes, and I don't know how it's not been fudged beyond repair yet. Discouraging.

But there have been a few successes here and there. The black flower that I made for our lovely MOPS helper was such a hit that I made three to sell. This is a huge accomplishment for me, even tho they're simple little pieces, because it's been a LONG time since I've had the energy to make anything to sell. One is earmarked already, but the other two are up for grabs, as soon as I can manage to list them in my Etsy shop (or sooner, if you email me or leave a comment request!). But before I do that, I need to make sure I still actually HAVE a shop--it's been that long since I've tended it. :(

Also, my kiddos found a large white fake flower in my crafting stuff and Little Miss requested that it be made into a hair flower. So, here's that... Pink button in the middle. She's worn it almost every day since I made it.

And I'm done with the official mock-up of the pin piece to the wedding veil that I'm making. It'll all be white, and I'll use frey check on the chiffon parts to give it neater edges, and it'll be all-around neater all over, but this is basically it. I like it! But of course, any suggestions are more than welcome, as fabric flowers are not my forte.

And one more pin that I made a while ago, completely out of reclaimed materials (except the pin back). This one will go on Etsy, too.
So, there you have it. What I've been up to for the last two weeks or so, outside of laundry, cooking, cleaning, and the rest of life. The weather's warmer here now so we're getting outside more, which just means it'll be harder for me to get crafty things done. But stick around. Hopefully I'll have some more energy to do more soon.

Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend!

This AM In the Craft Room Part II: Lacey Yoyo Button Pins

2010-05-16T19:01:00.001-07:00

The other projects I did for MOPS were these cute little things. They're incredibly easy, very versatile, and I probably have no reason to do a tutorial for them except that I did bother to take pictures, so... why not?!?! :) FYI: I made 2, so the pics have 2 of each part in them, but I'll write the tut for only one. Here goes...

Start by cutting out a circle about twice the diameter as your finished pin will be.

Sew a long running stitch along the edge of the circle. It should be wide so that you can pull it tight and close the opening. A finished edge is not necessary because it will be covered.

Pull the running stitch tight to close the circle.

For the lace layer, I estimated how much I would need to make the appropriate sized flower, cut the length, and sewed long a running stitch along the bottom. I then pulled it tight to gather the flower, knotted the string to stabilize it, and then whip stitched the end edges closed (right sides facing).

Grab your hot glue gun and layer in this order: 1. Yoyo. 2. A plentiful circle of hot glue. 3. Lace flower (right side up!). 4. A healthy dollop of glue. 5. Button.

For the back, I cut two small felt circles and glued a pin back to them. I then attached that to the back of the yoyo with hot glue.

Let the glue harden, and there ya go! I love these. They weren't anywhere near as complicated as the black flower, but they fit the personalities of the ladies who received them perfectly. And they're cute!

Think about putting these on a hair clip, headband, elastic band for a corsage... the possibilities are endless!

This AM In the Craft Room Part I: Punky Pretty Black Flower Pin

2010-05-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I make the flair for our MOPS group's Thank-You baskets that we give to our guest speakers. As an end-of-year thank-you, we're also giving these baskets to our Moppets workers (those angels who watch our drooly children). We have 4, and I need to make 3 baskets (the other one's a guy, and we give him a gift card). One of the 3 ladies is a teenager who is gorgeous, has very dark hair, wears a lot of dark colors and chunky boots and such. She's the sweetest thing, and a little goth. I wanted to make her something that would go with her punky style, but something that's pretty at the same time. So, going off the flowers that I made in practice for my friend's veil, I made this black one with tiny green beads on plastic wires, whisping around the outside. Pretty, but edgy in black with raw edges here and there. I LOVE it! But I couldn't get a good picture of it to save my life!

Anyway, here's how I made it:

I started with a length of fabric. This was left over from another project. It's not long; probably about 12 - 16 inches. It gets wider toward one end. That part's optional.

Fold it in half lengthwise, tuck in the short ends, and run a gathering stitch down the long raw edge.
My machine gathered mine for me. Not sure what that was all about, as it was at its regular setting. If your machine doesn't do that, loosen your tension and lengthen your stitch as much as possible and pull your bobbin thread to gather it.

You'll need a long rectangle for the back, to attach the flowers to, and a bunch of squares for the middle of your center flower and for the outside flowers. I can't remember exactly how many I used. Probably about a dozen for each end flower, and 5 for the middle of the center flower. They don't have to be perfect, or the same size.

Run a circle of hot glue in the middle of your backing and attach your center flower piece to it in a spiral shape. Glue all the edges down well.

For the whispies (what else would you call them??), I used fishing line that I found in a box (what was THAT doing in my craft room???) and some tiny green beads from an ill-fated barefoot sandal project sometime last year. Cut about 6 inches of fishing line, pinch it in the center, and pass a flame near the tip of the loop. It will cause it to crease. Thread a bead on the line, dab a TINY drop of hot glue on the crease, and immediately slide your bead over the glue.

For all the pieces with a raw edge, I used this method:

Take a square. Fold it in half. Fold in it half again. You now a have 4-layered square. Run a needle through the folded corner. Repeat with as many pieces as you need to achieve your desired fluffiness.

Run a few stitches in and out of the folded corner to keep it stable.

Tie it off and trim your thread.

Dab a ball of hot glue in the middle of your center flower. Layer the following:

1. Whispies, centering the middle in the glue ball.

2. One unfolded square, centering the middle onto the glue ball.

3. More glue.

4. Your folded, stitched squares (the little flower you just made).

You now have your completed center flower! Take about a dozen squares and repeat the folding and stitcking it on a needle parts.

Once all your squares are on your needle, fan them out. This will give the width you need. Stitch them all together so that they don't move.

Make 6 more of these.

Put a few squeezes of glue on the corner of your side flower. Lay 3 whispies across it, at the middle of the whispie.

Lift up the side of your center flower and tuck your side flower, glued end first, under it. Put all the glue you need between the center flower and side flower to stick it well.

Glue the side flower to the backing. Make sure it sticks well.

This is what you'll have:

Repeat for the other side.

Trim up the backing once your side flowers are in place.

Hot glue a pin on each end on the back. This is pretty wide, so it needs two.

And you're done! It really is lovely in person. I'm absolutely tickled with how it turned out. And I hope I'm not the only one!

Part 2 of This AM in the Craft Room will have to come later. I just received word that I might be let out of the house for an hour or two tonight sans Little Miss and Gusto, and I have a lot to do before I go!

2010-05-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to make a wedding veil! The only veil I've made so far is my own. Before I knew how to sew, when I was crafty-minded but not actively crafty, when I wielded only a hand-held needle and thread, I made my own. It wasn't hard. It wasn't even a challenge. Tulle, a comb, a handful of store-bought flower confetti, and a yard of trim, it was the antithesis of complicated. But holy cow! Have you SEEN the price tags hanging off those little lengths netting??? I couldn't even pay my half of the bills when I got married, and I certainly couldn't shell out that kind of dough for something that I knew (even then) I could make myself. But I digress...

This veil is not going to be as simple as mine was but, of course, it's going to be way better! My major obstacle: other than the bride being 3 hours away and communicating only via Facebook and not actually being able to see the dress, there are literally more flower choices (for the clip) than you could talk about in a year. Go try looking up all the ways you can make a fabric flower! Jeesh... But we're getting somewhere!

The other day, as I have 4 children under 5 underfoot, I get a creative kick in the butt (it always happens at the least appropriate times!) and I whipped out these practice flowers for the clip. I think we're going to go with the ones with the petals, and perhaps a little crystal flair on the sides and middle.

I guess the point of posting this, really, was just to share what I've been up to. (I'm always feeling bad about not being "busy enough for the blog"!) I haven't really thought about adding any to my Etsy shop, or advertising my veil-making services. Idk, whaddya think? Anybody got any ideas for these easy-to-make, pretty little flowers?

Other than making my 2 y/o and her little friend

the happiest dressed-up girls on the planet? :)

All Alone Here

2010-05-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Now is as good a time as any, I suppose, to let the cat out of the blog bag: I'm pregnant! Baby #3 is due November 21st, so it is not likely that you'll see us away from home this Thanksgiving. However, we just got a very comfy !!VAN!! (this excites me so because I have wanted to join the minivan mom club for quite some time) and it almost makes me want to go somewhere far away, just so that I can stick in a dvd and have a long, quiet, comfortable ride with the kids--something that I'm not sure I've ever had. Anyway, back to baby. We're not planning to find out the sex. We've got one of each already, and I think it'll be awesome to hear, "It's a ___!" and not to have known already.

So you're probably confused about the title of my post. I'm not alone because I'm pregnant. Since Saturday, my husband has been in France for a work trip. He's a chemical engineer, and he had to go learn about how to make something new so that his company here in Iowa can start churning it out and you can begin to enjoy it in your toothpaste and chewing gum. I hope that doesn't constitute a trade secret. :P I have tried to stay busy--and I have--but the difference in my productivity pre- and post-pregnancy is downright depressing. Remember when I tore out a cabinet system, cleaned it all up, and refinished the wall in 2 days?? I haven't even gotten the tiny bit of trim in our kitchen painted in the last 5 days!! I'm keeping a list of what I've gotten done while he's away, and so far this is it:

1. Matted the kids' picture in the living room.

Ooo, impressive, that should have taken all year!

Ugh. I'm just too tired! (I'm trying to avoid the word "lazy" here!)

I am almost done with the kitchen trim, to be fair to myself, altho it's taken me a lifetime. But no pictures can be taken this week, as Hubby took the camera with him and our crappy little back-up camera doesn't seem to be working anymore. Probably because it's tiny so Little Miss deemed it "hers" and carries it around whacking things with it all day. But, because we all hate posts without pictures, I'll leave you with this one. It was on my computer. I would like to have a scene like this running thru my back 40 some day. We're talking land here, btw.

Have a great weekend, if you don't hear from me sooner!

Found Another Awesome Blog

2010-04-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

I have finally been feeling up to doing... well, anything. But the things I've been up to are pretty boring; nothing to talk about, really, just mending and cleaning. However, if I'd taken before and after pictures of my sewing room, you would probably share my sentiment that I might as well have climbed Everest at record speed--WOW that place was awful! I've been mega-brainstorming top recons lately, as I will be needing a mini wardrobe revamp with the oncoming warm weather, and I ran across Tea Rose Home which is an amazing little blog by a very talented lady who makes gorgeous frilly items. It's worth checking out. I spent quite a while there this morning. Great stuff. I'll definitely be referring back to it as I continue to rifle thru my closet. I also added it to my blog list.

HOPEFULLY I will soon have some fun things to show you. It's supposed to be rainy today, so perhaps I'll be able to sit down with a project that doesn't include patching holes or sewing on buttons. Ta for now!

Pink and Green Felt Flower Brooch

2010-04-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

This year, I have been responsible for the flair that goes into the MOPS Thank-You baskets for our guest speakers. I realized at 9pm on Thursday night, after an exhausting day, that I forgot to make it for Friday's meeting! Luckily, a few days earlier I decided to invest a whopping $5 in a glue gun (I know--I cannot believe I didn't have one of these!!) so it didn't take hours to put together as it would have if I'd have sewn it all, like usual. It took one hour, start to finish, all done while I was watching the Marriage Ref, which is one of the funniest shows that I've seen on tv in quite some time. Anyway, I know the internet is swimming with flower pin tutorials, but here's one more, because I remembered to take pictures!!

I wanted a layered look, and the only felt colors I had that I liked together were this pink and green. I started by cutting out 10 pink petals. Nothing special. Just 5 little football shapes (well, a little pointier than a football, but you get it), and 5 little petals that are the same as the first 5 but with one straight end.

I then stitched the football-shaped petals together. I arranged them with overlapping ends and stuck a few stitches through it, making sure I caught all the petals. This is my bottom pink flower.

To make the top pink flower, which is the top layer of the brooch and needs more dimension than the other layers, I folded the petal in half length-wise and ran a stitch through the straight end. TIP: I thought I was going to work in the color yellow at some point. If I made this one over again, I'd use matching thread.

String all the remaining petals together in the same way, and secure the thread ends together.

How pretty!

Then I trimmed down the second pink flower to the desired size. This is why it's a good idea to cut your petals just a little bigger than you think you'll need.

For the green parts, I cut out 5 tiny football-shaped petals and a circle that was bigger than the flower. Now, on to the star-shaped green back flower. Most people can draw a 5 point star, right? I marked the points with pins, and cut out little arches between the pins. Using pins saved me from the hassle of having to draw out a star shape on it. If you're not confident in your star-eyeballing, just use a piece of chalk or a marking pen to draw the shape.

See the star shape?

Trim up the points. These are your green flower parts.

To attach these tiny green petals, I arranged them so that they were poking out of the pink petals of the top flower, and then glued them onto the back of the pink flower.

From there, it wasn't hard at all to glue everything together. Just apply the glue and stick your layers together. Then pick out a pretty button...

...and glue that on, too.

For the back of the brooch, I stitched a pin back to another green circle of felt. I then glued that onto the back of the flower. This makes it much easier to make clean-looking stitches.

And there you have it!

Another cool part? The pink felt was the exact same color as the recipient's jacket. Just her style!
TOTAL COST: Scraps and 2 mini hot glue sticks.

Fun in the Yard

2010-04-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the last brilliant day before a string of rainy ones, so we got the kids out for some fresh air before the drizzly weekend. Hubby worked on putting in 4 more raised beds (we had 2) in the garden, and Little Miss and Bubby ran around playing with the dandelions. Well, Rhyl played with them. Gus mainly chewed on them. What fun!

T-shirt Recon: Ruffly Gathered Pillow

2010-04-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today, I saw the inside of my sewing room for the first time in weeks. Feeling nauseous will somehow sap every ounce of energy right out of a body, and I just haven't had the gumption for much of anything. In fact, if you see my husband, thank him for feeding our family lately because I've barely even been cooking--let alone sewing! But the projects are piling up, and I so hate telling someone I can do something, and then NOT doing it. So, this morning I chose to work on Connie's pillow. Connie J6 is my internet buddy who sends me fun stuff like fabric and notions, and I make things for her in return.

Today, it was this...

I cut a rectangle out of the front of the shirt. I used all the logo that I could, but the collar got in the way of the top arrow.

Then I cut out the largest rectangle that I could from the back of the shirt:

I laid the logo rectangle onto what might have been a body pillow case at one time--this fabric remnant was free in a batch of stuff that was given to me. You'll need 2 of these. This is the size of your pillow. Since t-shirt fabric is stretchy, you'll want a non-stretchy material so that your pillow will keep its form.

Pin and baste stitch the logo rectangle to one of the white squares. You could use any kind of fusing to put it together, but I didn't have any of that on hand and it costs money, which I hate to spend! So I sewed it together:

Run gathering stitches evenly across the large rectangle. Gather it up and pin it to fit the second white rectangle:

Baste stitch the edges in place:

I ran 3 lines of stitches down this piece once the gathers were all smoothed out. This will keep it in place when you add the ruffles. If you didn't make evenly spaced gathering stitches, don't worry! It doesn't really matter. Here's where you sew a straight line anywhere you want a ruffle, and remove those gathering stitches if you need to (if you're covering them with a ruffle, why bother?). Cut ruffle strips, one to two inches wide, out of the sleeve of the shirt:

Sew a gathering stitch down the middle of all three: Gather them up to fit your pillow. Pin in place, then sew in place. It doesn't have to be perfect, since it's such a scrunchy look.
A tip I found handy: It'll look nicer to take your gathering stitches out of your ruffle strips. To make this easier, try putting the gathering stitch just a smidgen to one side of the center of the strip. That way, you can sew down the middle of the strip when you attach it to the pillow without sewing over the gathering stitch, which will make that stitch harder to remove.

Pin the rectangles together, right sides facing, making sure all pink edges are outside of the hem:

Sew three sides of the pillow, leaving 4 or 5 inches on one side open for turning. Make sure you're sewing inside all the previous construction stitches:

Clip corners and trim edges: Turn outside-in and stuff with polyfill, or your pillow stuffing of choice. You could even use fabric scraps, if you save them (as I do, but since this project is for someone else I went the more professional route and used polyfill): I was very tempted to use my sewing machine to close the opening, but I knew that hand-stitching it would look a lot better. So, again, because this is for someone else, I took the time and did a better job (that's how I approach all my sewing, in case you were wondering!): Make sure you carefully stuff it so that it's not lumpy and floppy.

I'm very happy with how this turned out! I sure hope ConnieJ6 is, too.

TOTAL COST: one old T-shirt and some fabric scraps. So, in most cases, FREE!

Adventures in Wine Making

2010-04-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Only time will tell if I should have titled this post, "Misadventures in Wine Making". I think it was oneprettything.com that featured this craftster.org post about dandelion wine making. Messing up all over the place, I have undertaken this endeavor and documented it along the way.

Here we go...

To kick off this great experiment, we needed 2 liters of dandelion blossoms. About an hour and a half in the yard and I had probably twice as much as I needed, but had spent some good time outside in the glorious sunshine with the kiddos, which was good for all of us. After a long winter it's getting warm here in Iowa, and we've been cooped up inside for too long. Our time in the elements resulted in two pretty tired kids. Gus at lunch:

And Rhyl didn't make it off the couch after a PB&J:

As the first of many mistakes that my batch of wine may or may not survive, I had many things that needed my attention, and by the time I got back to my bucket 'o' dandies, they were wilted:

Let's hope that doesn't ruin things too badly.

Then I rinsed them:

And then, after I'd put them in the pot with the water, I stumbled upon a little more Dandewine wisdom that grieved me. NO GREEN??? You've GOT to be kidding me! Some directions say no green parts at all. Some say leave a little green, but absolutely NO stems. None are more lenient than that. This is the type of tedious, headache-inducing stipulation that, had I known before I started, would have kept me from doing this. BUT, I'd already spent an hour and a half picking dandelions and corralling the kids outside. I wasn't going to waste that. So I got to cutting:

And I got about a quart of blossoms cut off the base of the flower before I decided I was done. My 2 liters of flowers are mostly blossoms with the tiny green leaves that you'd need magic elfin fingers to pick off.

Into the pot with water and juices, onto the stove to boil, into a dark corner to steep for 24-48 hours. Except, I forgot to add the yeast before the steeping began, so after 48 hours, I added the yeast and waited 24 more. I'm really hoping that the recipe I found that read, "Absolutely NOT more than 48 hours" was written by a very finicky person with a very particular way of doing things.

After roughly 60 hours of steeping, the sugar, spices, and orange peel stirred in, I strained it out:

And jugged it:

I'm curious to see how long it's going to bubble. After 18 hours, it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It smells great, looks delish... Only time will tell.

More later on this! But, it'll be a LOT later. It's got to sit for a few months. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed! Because if it doesn't work out, that was a LOT of wasted time! And I hate that. Clearly, since I've been useless for a few weeks. :P

Family Values

2010-04-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I've mentioned this, but I'm a farm girl. I spent years 2 thru 18 in the rolling hills of NE Missouri, cleaning out barns and carrying feed buckets. Okay, so that's not ALL I ever did but I like to think I helped out a good amount, and not just when I was working off a speeding ticket fine paid by my dad. So anyway, my point is, now that I have my own kids, I've got city-livin' out of my system, and the kids are nearing the age of participation, we're doing more and more outside in the way of agriculture. It's been mainly gardening so far but that has recently been extended to small-time chicken farming!

We got 12 frying birds and Hubby built a chicken tractor for them--a cage without a bottom that can be easily dragged to a new patch of grass. Six weeks is about all these birds need and they're ready to eat. Today, with Tapps in the back of my mind and hatchet in hand, we made our way to the killing post up in our shed. Our older 6 chickens met their fate with the help of some friends' boys, who were all too happy to play grim reaper for the afternoon.

Nick attached two milk jugs, which had the bottom and top cut out, to a post in the shed. The chickens were bound, inserted upside down into the jugs and beheaded. There, they flopped and kicked until their nerves were shot and then were carried to the front yard, like real rednecks, where we dipped them in boiling water and plucked their feathers out. Nick then took them in the house and cut them up. Six chickens got us one 5 qt stock pot full of meat pieces. Yum. Yum.

So, why title this post "Family Values"? Butchering chickens is one of my earliest memories.

From a very young age I was alongside the rest of the family, working on our food and learning about the cycle of life. It seems like overstating a simple chore but that is exactly what it was: building family strength and values.

Sure, it's gross, but talk about character building! These are the things I want to pass on to our children. Self sufficiency, a knowledge of the circle of life, the outcome of hard work (grumbling abounded once it was clear just how grueling the tiny feathers could be to remove), and the importance of treating everyone and everything--even frying chickens--with care and gentleness.

After all, head chopping doesn't have to be terrible.

I bet you didn't know that, did you?

It Strikes Again

2010-04-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

So, we've got another case of NBS (Neglected Blog Syndrome). Again, I'm sorry about that! Have I been sewing? No. Have I been building? No. Have I been baking? No more than necessary.

I have been feeling under the weather lately, and just sort of laying in, taking care of the kiddos. Palm Sunday and Easter weekends took us away to visit family, and it's been kind of difficult getting back into the swing of things, feeling crappy and all. I really hope to get back to normal soon, as I have a LONG list of things that MUST get done, and only less and less time in which to do them.

On the bright side, I did feel up to my morning blog surfing, and found 2 new blogs to add to my list:

First, From An Igloo is a pretty sweet little blog, especially considering that she's only been up for a couple of months (according to the archive, anyway). She does really adorable projects, and takes great pictures. She must live in a sunnier house than I. I never have that kind of light. :)

And next, Blue Eyed Freckle is like what I would be, if I were organized and focused. I think so, anyway. She does great stuff that is, well, focused in a main direction! My stuff is all over the board. I've thought about how I should direct my creative focus, but I can't settle on one style. Or, maybe I have a don't realize it. Still thinking about that one.

In the meantime, I'm chasing around my youngest. Lazy old Gus, at 14 months, has finally decide to take walking seriously, and is stomping all over the house. I do appreciate his progress, and I'm happy that he's doing it, but as a mom of 2 who's been feeling extra tired, I never said I was anxious for this! I know just how much busier I'll be now that the stairs are being climbed and the boy is on two legs. But anyway, congrats, Gus!