Giveaway Time

After my disappointing experiment with my blog last night, I decided it was time for a giveaway.  ‘Cuz nothing lifts the spirits that giving something.

I finally finished my table runner… it sat, unbound, for months.  But I just finished with the binding, and now I have an old TV covering half the surface area on my intended dresser, so I don’t have a home for it.

If you would like to have this in your home, or know of someone who would like it, just enter the giveaway.  This gray, white, and yellow friend is 46” x 16”.

Leave a comment describing your best gift ever before next Thursday, January 6, at midnight here in AZ.  My best gift was a framed print of the “Come Now And Let Us Reason Together” mural in the BYU library… it is a long story but it was the most awesome gift ever. 
…Once I asked my husband what he would give me if we had all the money/space in the world and he said, “A gun.”  A GUN???  Really??  We’ve had some discussions since then about my aversion to the things so hopefully he doesn’t try and surprise me with that someday.
Sorry.  That was a tangent.
Leave a comment.  Win the runner.  The end.

ETA: US peeps only. Sorry, low on craft funds :)

HTML Headache

I’ve been playing with my blog layout.  I decided it was getting too cluttered in 3-column format so I went with a new layout… and in the process, I deleted my custom background.

So I can’t read HTML.  It all looks the same, ok?

And I’m currently smacking myself in the forehead repeatedly. If I seem a little incoherent, it is due to the smacking.  Knocks things askew, if you know what I mean.

Now, while we lament the loss of my polka-dots, I am going to go take some Ibuprofen and get some rest.  My head hurts.

Top Posts 2010

I love having a blog.  I love sharing my projects and ideas with all of you, and having people actually look at my projects!  I thought I’d do a quick wrap-up of some of your favorite projects, as well as some of my favorites.
First, {some of} my favorites:
Upholstered Headboard

I like this one, a lot, because it is perfect to sit against and read a book at night, it looks good, and it was SO fun to work on with my husband.
Patriotic Pennant

So, Independence Day is my favorite holiday.  I get all weepy and nostalgic and start reading books on American History. This project was a great way to channel my holiday excitement.
Utensil Wall Art

This project was actually your second favorite this year, but my absolute top favorite.  I still stop and look at it when I’m in the kitchen/dining room.  It is fun to get close to the spoons, because your reflection is upside-down… and I am easily entertained. :) Have you made one yet?  You know you want to!!
Now, {some of} your top favorites:
Ultimate Twirly Skirt

This one is just a circle skirt.  But I have made several now, since they take like 15 minutes and are so dang cute. Good choice!
Cowl Neck Shirt Refashion

Can I tell you how often I wear this shirt?  Whenever I do laundry, this doesn’t even get hung back in the closet because I am anxious to wear it again.  EASY PEASY and totally cute.
Spiderweb Table Runner

This was your top favorite here at the Crafty Cupboard, with thousands of page views.  I can’t wait to break it out next year and remember the cramp in my hands again.  But it was totally worth it!!!
Thanks for making this year so much fun.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your comments, visits, and friendly faces over on my sidebar.  You’re the best!

(Linking up with Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous)

Well, hello!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend.  We were busy here; I had a fierce battle with a stomach bug up until Christmas day which resulted in some handmade presents remaining unmade, but there’s always next year!!  I do have some ideas I will share with you belatedly, but a gift is good at any time of year.
Being sick also meant laundry and dishes didn’t get done, so I am busy today as well.  Isn’t it annoying how life returns to normal?
I have to admit, as fun as all the festivities were this year, I am ready for a break.  Last night I was just itching to make something. Making something is therapeutic for me.  So I busted out a reliable pattern (Simplicity 3513) from this project and turned out a new shirt while watching a movie with my hubs. 

I took in the top about 2 inches to avoid the gathering, and put in full sleeves this time (since it is cold out, ha ha).  The fabric is a Heidi Grace design from Jo Ann’s. Heidi Grace has the only soft fabric in the whole quilting cotton section, in my opinion.  And it is cute to boot.

Can I just say how proud I am of my stash-busting this month??  Everything I made came from stash.  Except maybe some trim, but does that count?  I often buy fabric with a project in mind, but then another idea comes and the fabric gets put aside and forgotten.  I did receive some fabric for Christmas that I am keeping out, in sight, until inspiration hits:

Charm pack of Tufted Tweets!!  I studied Interior Design and Architecture in college, so this fabric line has been calling softly to me for a while.  It turns out that my sister responded to the call!  Thanks Katie! I am looking for a quilt pattern that is modern, and that I don’t have to chop the charms up- the scale on some of the prints is too big to be appreciated in tiny pieces.  Any ideas? 
Laundry beckons.

Sick and Busy

I went to bed last night with an upset stomach, and woke up with one too.  But- I had BIG plans!!

Flash Mob!

So I hobbled out of bed, up the freeway, and through this gigantic mass of people to sing.  It was fun.  I am not the one taking the video- I am on the complete opposite side of the venue, actually.

And the plus is that I didn’t throw up on anyone.

I had to crawl out of bed to share :)

Post-Party Post

So there are things in life I can do.  And other things I can’t do.

Like cook.

I try- I really do.  It is a goal of mine to cook more “real” meals and have less pancakes or sandwiches or canned soups this year.  However, I get into a funk every once in a while because something screws up.  The last incident was when we had someone over for Hawaiian Haystacks and we all sat down to eat and I realized I never made rice. 

Last night was not free of its mishaps.  The munchkin and I assembled a yummy Hamburger stew and set it cooking in the crock pot for a few hours.  20 minutes before we had to go, the potatoes were still uncooked. Oops- LOW instead of HIGH heat setting! So we dumped it all into a pot and boiled it.

Then the brownies.  I made two box mixes, both the same mix, both purchased yesterday, and one made a nice fluffy pan of brownies, the other was solid brownie-looking things.

Then EATING the soup… I realized the Basil I thought I put into the stew was not Basil.  It was impalpable!  YIKES!  Turns out, Mike admitted to “maybe filling the Basil with something other than Basil” when we recently ran out.

So I went home and sewed.

While I can’t cook well, I can whip up some jammies. And I make cute kids.

Hope your food tastes better than mine this Holiday Season! :)

Quick Jean Skirt

This isn’t really a tutorial because, well, I didn’t take all the pictures.  But I’ll show you real generally how I made a quick jean skirt this morning.

I got a pair of shorts on clearance at Wal-Mart awhile back, and knew I could use the fabric somehow.  They were a 20X or something so I had a little extra to work with for my nearly 4-year-old.  A smaller pair would yield a smaller skirt. For wee girlies, I suggest this skirt.

I just chopped off one of the legs at the crotch. At this point, the raw edge becomes the bottom of the skirt. I considered embellishing the denim at this point, but that would mean thinking creatively and that just seems like too much effort today.  I’ll leave the creative awesomeness to you people.

Instead of cute appliques and utilizing existing buttons or whatnot,  I cut into one of my Bliss fat quarters.  I almost didn’t but since I wanted the munchkin to wear this skirt tonight to our family Christmas party, it was the perfect festive addition.  I simply cut two 4” strips (I only cut two because as festive as it may be, I still want a lot left for quilts!) and sewed them into a tube.  Then I ironed it in half long-ways, finished the edge, gathered it slightly (because I’m stingy with my Bliss) and attached it to the bottom of the skirt.  This was really to lengthen the skirt, since it would be too short otherwise.  It is a good day when cuteness meets practicality, huh?

To make it stay ruffle-down, I added a top-stitch to kind of match the existing stitching on the denim.

My elastic casing was already there- I just had to unpick a tiny section to feed my elastic through.  If your hem is smaller, just fold it over wide enough to fit your elastic and sew it down to create your casing.

Since the munchkin is all about putting on her own clothes lately (as you will soon see), I put a ribbon in the back at the same time I closed the elastic casing opening.

And, now she has a cute new skirt.  She has been asking for a new one for a while (she has outgrown almost all of her other ones) so she was excited.  I almost made this one for the baby but she started to cry when I told her that :)

Paired with some red knit pants and uh… a hot pink shirt? No fear, it will be white this evening! Or should I fear a White shirt at a Christmas party?

She’s excited, I’m excited, and it was CHEAP and easy.  My kind of project!

Joining up at Sew Much Ado.

Coal Sacks on Etsy

Oh, and if you want a Christmas Coal Sack... I put the remaining ones on Etsy.  Get one, get 4, get whatever you want, but get it fast! I'll relist when they sell out.  Please ignore the barrenness of my etsy shop ;)

What was I thinking?

There are… 9 days left for Christmas preparations.  I still only have one gift for my 3-year-old.  And yet, I just couldn’t move on from the doll projects.  Well, I am finally done!  I should have planned better, prioritized better, etc., but I am not good like that.

This quilt took me forever.  At least, it took me a lot longer than I thought it would.  I adapted Vanessa’s tutorial so it would be more rectangular and better suited for wrapping baby dolls.  I just kept cutting, and cutting… and sewing little triangles until I went cross-eyed.  Piecing always takes longer for me because I don’t have a 1/4” foot (been on the Christmas/Birthday list for 2 years now… perhaps I need to try something less subtle so the hubs won’t forget?). 

I went completely with stash for every one of my doll projects. I am pretty tickled with myself!  The only cut I got sad about was the binding- it was a full yard, still uncut.  I have a hard time cutting into such big pieces of fabric.  I know, I’ll get over it.

But it was pretty worth it, right?  It is a decent sized doll quilt, and will keep our 18” doll warm as well.

If I were to do a doll quilt again, I’d go way simpler and either quilt a solid piece front and back or do a really, really simple block. Especially when I still have the munchkin to think about.

What do you make for husbands???  I might just break down and get him some bank notes (he is a collector).  We shall see.  I have done a few other things but for people who read this blog so… after Christmas you can see!

If I am MIA on here in the next few days, you know why!

In case you wondered: My Family

Do your Christmas photo proofs mostly look like this?



Luckily, you can make any photo look decent if it is built on a really cute card.  Heather from Chickabug has simple, modern printables on her etsy site as unique alternatives to the typical Costco options I usually go to.  I won a gift certificate toward her shop as a runner-up in Crafting With The Stars, and I knew she was my go-to for 2010 Family Christmas Cards.  She customized this card option to fit the ONE photo wherein we are all sitting still and looking at least near the camera with smiles.  ONE photo out of a bazillion! But, that’s all it takes!

I sent her the photo, and she had a proof back to me the very next morning, and another proof, and another (I kept changing my mind and made her jump through hoops for me), and I was absolutely impressed with her promptness in helping me get what I wanted.

She doesn’t have just Christmas cards!  All her party printables make me want to be one of those cool moms who has water bottles that match the favors and cupcake liners and… it just goes on and on. 
Sooooo, I was just so impressed I had to share my experience with you.
And now you know what my family looks like behind the scenes!

Handmade Gift #4: Baby Bib

Thanks for all your ideas on gifts.  This gift idea is all from Jess at Craftiness Is Not Optional.  She mentioned her daughter playing with mini bibs and I had a “DUH!” moment.  But, looking on the web for a printable pattern, there just wasn’t one!  So here ya go.

BTW, I think I am about set after this (and the previously mentioned blanket and diapers) for the baby, since, as I was reminded, she is only 18 months and will have no idea if she has one or two less gifts than her sister.  Sometimes I forget the simple things!

If you want to make a bib for your little babies (this fit my girls’ 15” doll perfectly, FYI.), download the PDF HERE (It is titled Bib pattern) and print it at 100%.

 

Then, bust out your stash.  This is a small project, and is great for scraps.

After you have your pieces cut, now would be a good time to embellish the bibs if you have that desire.  I decided to put a simple strip on this bib front.  Easy peasy. I know some of you will ruffle this up- admit it, you were thinking it!


Next, put the pieces right sides together and stitch around, leaving a 1 1/2” – 2” space for turning.  If you sew with a small stitch length, the little curves will be easier.



Clip and notch your curves.  I totally cheated and just clipped everything.  It is just for a doll, you know!

Turn the bib inside out and press it nice and flat, with the opening getting its edges ironed at a nice 1/4” as well.
Top stitch, closing the opening as you go.  I used a scant 1/8” seam allowance.

Round up some small pieces of Velcro.  I just happened to find some in my girls’ room (those pack rats!) as I was putting them to bed the same night I made these bibs.  Coincidence?  I think not!

Sorry for the switch in bibs… but sew your hook side of your Velcro on one side of the bib strap, and the loop side on the opposite side of the other bib strap.

It will close beautifully, and the babies these fit will not rib their bibs off in frustration.  No extra securing needed!

I ended up making 3 bibs, because we have more than one little hungry baby doll in this house.  Who knows how many more I will have to make in the future, but this will suffice for now!


And, leaving you with freaky baby pictures (at least you can’t really see the band-aid residue on it’s head in these pics), I hope you go make some.  If you do, be sure to put it in the Crafty Cupboard Flickr group… just click on my goofy picture on the side bar that says “Your Cupboard Space.”  It’s feeling neglected!

Dress-Up Gift Idea

How cute are these animal ears?  Stacy at hart+sew made these for her Little Miss to add to the fun of imaginary play.  When I saw them, I burst into squeals because they are just above and beyond awesome, and they look so simple to make too.

This would be perfect for dress-up bins, but would also work for Halloween, or even for when acting out the Nativity story.  It is hard to be a believable donkey without the ears, ya know!

I have a fun doll-related pattern for you, but the man took his computer to work (work computer to work? How dare he!) and it is my only link to his scanner. How ‘bout Monday?  See you then!