Notes on a Friday Morning

Unless, of course, it is the afternoon/evening where you are at. 

• Yesterday I did ZERO crafting/sewing/anything.  I did clean up a bit, which translates to: I cleaned for a few hours and when I was done it was like I hadn’t lifted a finger all day from the cute messes that followed me around.  I did go grocery shopping, which was sorely needed. Does anyone else hate grocery shopping like me?
• I did work on something the other night, that involves this (picture taken after I cleaned off a bunch of puke after the baby cried too hard.  Bedtime is tough around here), so stay tuned:

• We had two fashion shows and two concerts, one being a dance concert, in our front room this week.  I think my munchkin would make an excellent ballerina. What do you think?

• Those of you basking below the Wasatch mountains in Utah better mark your calendars for June 3rd!  Our concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle has been officially announced, and tickets are available May 3rd.  No cost for tickets, you just need one to get in.  More info and tickets here.  Can I tell you how excited I am for it?  VERY!  It’s going to be massive.  FYI, we are a huge singing group, and lots of us are LDS with family in Utah (surprise!), so… just our group alone will take a lot of tickets.  Get yours fast!  I’ll remind you on the 3rd!
• Those of you in the East Valley can bask in a musical marvel on May 21st at the Mesa Arts Center.  We are singing with Collin Raye, which is super cool.  And no, we’re not singing country songs ;)  You totally don’t want to miss it.  If you attend, look for me- I’ll be the one in blue.  Ha ha.

So, if this post isn’t one giant advertisement, I don’t know what else is.  But really, look for that awful chair in the future…

Have a great weekend!

Spring Top #2: The Betty Top

I used another Simplicity pattern (3877) for this Spring Top Sew-Along top.  The pattern was actually for a dress, so I lengthened the bodice part a bit.  Well, I was still about 4” short (I was in a hurry cutting out.  Don’t hurry.) so I improvised with a Verna fabric on the bottom band to lengthen it and give it a little more character.  Not ideal, but it is what I had.

My favorite thing about this top is the Mandarin collar.  I love those.  It also has a nice front placket thingy that was pretty easy to put on, although if I made it again, I’d sew it on to the outside in a contrast fabric and have the collar match.  I think it would be more fun that way.

These stand-still pictures are so awkward for me.  Its because of my gangly arms.  Did you know my wingspan is 4 1/2” longer than my height?  Take that, Ewing- I’ve got you by 1/4”!  Anyway, it makes for some odd pictures.  I think only I would notice :) 

I had to take the front princess seams in (ahem, still loose) and so the sleeves were no longer a perfect fit.  So I gathered them instead of altered them.  A little more femininity.  Ooh la la.

But whatever my arms are doing, this shirt is really comfortable.  Really.  I didn’t make the darts in the back like the pattern called for, because I didn’t want to install a zipper.  Too fitted=zippers.  Let’s make this easy on ourselves, shall we?

The main green fabric is a cotton from Hobby Lobby.  It does wonders to my eyes.  Seriously.  Anyway,

So, I love it.  It’s a winner.  And because I like the top so much, I might go ahead and make the whole dress someday.  I’m naming this one Betty because… well, I don’t know.  Obviously I have trouble naming shirts (Martha!) so… we’re going for Betty this time.

I hope you all enjoyed looking at the wall that faces my condo.  And my shirt.  I likey.

 

Want to indulge in adorable, affordable crochet patterns?  Check out jenny and teddy!!

Cuddle Up in a Tweet Seat

Did you wonder if I was ever going to finish this quilt?  I bet you did.  I got stuck on the back, I was going to do a cool pieced chair, but as I was starting it, I wondered why I made things so complicated on myself, and just went for a simple back (by Ty Pennington).  I matched the pattern so you can’t tell where it is pieced ;)  You can, however, see where I fold it!

I went to Kirsten’s house and used her totally rockin’ new Bernina so I could have access to a walking foot.  I didn’t want any puckers or anything going on; I worked too hard on this for it to be messed up on the final steps!  I straight-line stitched through all the sashing and in the embroidered blocks.

I just used a solid purple Kona for the binding.  I think it looks lovely against that chartreuse backing!

I think it is magnificent.  I even slept with it on my bed last night and we’re getting into some pretty warm weather around here.  But I had to use it!!  This one is a no-kids-allowed quilt (since it is, after all, for me!), and will probably be up in my closet for most of its life.  The zig-zag quilt I made recently already has pen all over it.  So, this one will be carefully guarded.

I still love looking at all those chairs.  Now Mike has picked up a few of their names and will proudly say, “My favorite is the Klismos!”  So then my heart starts beating wildly because the man is speaking in Interior History to me.  ha ha. 

To see the individual chair blocks, Round 1 is here, and Round 2 is here.

(Quilt stats: Tufted Tweets by Laurie Wisbrun, Kona in Bone, Ash, and Mulberry?, and embroidered with DMC floss. Lap size, 47” x 61”)

Nordstrom Kids Knock-Off

For archival purposes, I’m putting my recent guest post at Craftiness is Not Optional up here on my blog.  If you missed seeing it there, here you go!  I have to say, this is a project I am really, really proud of!  No tutorial, since I just started and didn’t stop until it was done, and even took pictures unshowered and in my jammies I was so excited it was finished and adorable.  Can I say that ticking is awesome?  Yessiree, it is.
The Iris and Ivy Pencil Stripe Dress from Nordstrom Kids really caught my eye.  Adorable, but not to frilly.  Who doesn’t love a good pleat and some ribbons?
For our household, a $48 dress for a toddler just doesn’t cut it.  And it isn’t in the munchkin’s size.  Oh, but hey, don’t I know how to sew?
 


I loved the stripe on the Nordstrom dress, and found the perfect alternative with ticking.  Ticking is typically used to cover pillows and mattresses, but since this is 2011, we make dresses with it- it is comfortable, medium-weight, durable, and looks great when it comes out of the wash.  It came in several subdued colors (including a fun yellow!), and the munchkin requested blue stripes.  Blue is her favorite color.  If you are looking for ticking at your fabric store, you can typically find it with your utility fabrics, like Insul-brite.  Or, just ask someone :).  We paired the ticking with some natural broadcloth for the bodice- sturdy, but light, even when it is lined.  I used a Simplicity Pattern for the bodice, but we all know Jess has lots of instructions on how to use existing clothes to make a pattern!


The longest part in making this dress was the pleats.  First I had to figure out how to get 5 pleats across the front of a 13” (about a size 4T) bodice.  The pleats ended up being 2” wide with 1/2” space in between.  There are 5 pleats across the front, and 4 in the back (2 pleats per back section) to make room for an invisible zipper.  It took a lot of ironing, measuring, and pinning to get them to look decent!  After getting them all in place, I sewed a stay-stitch across the top of the pleats, and at the waistline so they’d stay nice and pretty.  After my pleats were done, I sewed the skirt pieces together, and then attached them to the bodice.


The ribbon in the original dress is Satin ribbon, but if you have ever sewn on Satin ribbon, you know how the stitch marks can pull, snag, and pretty much destroy your beautiful looking ribbon.  So, we went with grosgrain!  I sewed the ribbon on, then hand-stitched the ribbon bows and flowers on top.  The flowers are from a large bunch at Hobby Lobby.  And, lest you worry about the ribbon ends, we melted them with a lighter so they wouldn’t fray.


We also are a sleeve-wearing family, and since I thought this dress might not be as cute with a t-shirt under, I just added sleeves to the bodice using the same broadcloth.  They are loose and airy for lots of playing!


The center ribbon extends all the way in the back to tie in a cute bow.  It cinches her waist and helps the bottom of the skirt poof out a little more! 


And now we have a comfortable Nordstrom Knock-off!  I always buy with coupons, so this dress cost $10.  A little better than the original $48, wouldn’t you say?

**Linking this to 733 Knock-off Contest!

Spring Top #1: The Martha Top

I’m all about Spring Top week.  Except this year, it is Spring Top Sew-Along.  I consider it a challenge!  Last year I was in the final 60 which, to me, was a big deal.  I have been saving a vintage 1976 Simplicity pattern to use because I really love the silhouette of the top.  I just changed the sleeves a bit.  The pattern I had was a size 18, and since I wasn’t so “blessed” as to be a size 18 bust, I had to alter the pattern a ton.  The top yoke is straight from the pattern and is perfect- I thought it would be too tight otherwise, and I think I’m still right in thinking that.



I think this shirt is unique because the neckline is so high- it really has a vintage flavor, but with a modern silky print, it is perfect for today.  Never mind my striped pants with a polka-dot shirt.  And the fact that I tugged the shirt too far for this photo.



One thing I liked about the pattern was the ability to belt the shirt.  I might go get a cute skinny belt.  Anyway, it makes waist-less figures like mine look a little more feminine.



Do you like my ultra veiny hands?  Phlebotomists love me.



I’m calling this one the Martha top because as I kept referring to the pattern, the Brady Bunch kept popping in my head.  And even though I’m dressed more like Mrs. Brady, I kept hearing “Martha, Martha, Martha!”
(Even though, yes, it is Marcia- thanks Tracy ;))It fits great, is really comfy, and is perfect for my summer.  I’m trying to branch out of the T-shirts and jeans and dress a little more nicely this year.  I think this is a step in the right direction!

 

 

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Easter Dresses

I have a very distinct memory of my mom frantically working on three Easter Dresses the day before Easter (and I believe she sewed through the night) when I was younger.  I think I was 6-ish, but the dresses were a big, bright water-color-y floral print and all of the girls matched.  I don’t know what my little brother wore.  But the reason I remember that Easter is because I really did feel like it was a special day with all of us in our pretty new dresses, all matching, sitting at church together and then later, collecting those eggs with our cousins.  And I remember my mom thinking we were “SO CUTE!” all together.  And every time I wore the dress after that, I remembered that special Sunday.

So, here I am just continuing tradition, except I have my dresses done a few days in advance.  It kind of became a family joke how my mom would sew dresses for us up to the last minute.

I used patter pieces for the bodices and sleeves (usually I mix-and-match patterns for these pieces.  With a gathered sleeve, anything can fit anything, it seems!).  We had a… problem earlier last week where I cut into some beautiful, soft fabric and eked out every last inch of it with my pattern.  But when I got to sewing, I realized I didn’t cut out a piece (an important one!) and had to scrap the entire project when I couldn’t find more of the fabric.  So, this go-around I used a basic dress and it was casualty-free.

I picked out the baby’s fabric a while ago, and after the first dress disaster, I let the munchkin pick out her own.  She wandered around the shop for a few minutes and came back with the purple.  What a fun coincidence, and I am enjoying how they match.

I originally just had the contrast band on the bottom, but when I finished the dresses, they really needed some breaking-up of the main fabric.  So I added sashes, just top-stitching them to the bodice.  Now they are perfect.

I hope my kids get the feeling that there is something special about this Sunday for our family like I did those 20 or so years ago. 

Thanks for teaching me how to sew, mom, and for making us those awesome Easter dresses :)

Guest Posting Today

Hi friends.  I’ve been anxiously awaiting today’s guest post over at Craftiness is Not Optional where Jess (along with KoJo Designs) is hosting a great Knock-Off series called Sincerest Form of Flattery.  I was so excited when she asked me to join in, I got right to work.  To find out about my project, head on over today!

Some New Prints

I’ve been looking for ways to spruce up our condo, since it is a rental and we can’t paint or anything drastic like that.  We missed our window of opportunity for family pictures (I really want a gigantic family portrait on our wall) this Spring, so I needed something to put on the walls to make it less… boring. 

I found this print at Eighteen25, and guess what?  It’s a FREE printable.  And it comes in gray, red, and yellow too.  The Aqua has a little more green to it than I imagined, but I still really like it.

I am also slowly working on my craft area.  My pegboard is currently on the opposite wall, but since I don’t know where Mike’s (my) drill went, I am just keeping a huge blank space over my sewing/cutting area.  Someday we’ll make the switch and I’ll show you everything!  Anyway, my craft space wouldn’t be complete without this print from A Lemon Sqeezy Shop. Don’t mind the reflection in the glass… the picture is totally fun.  On the opposite side of the wall is my other print from her shop.

Someday, when we have a house, I am going to paint my walls a really light gray with blue and yellow accents all over.  So, I’m just working up to those plans by buying/printing those things that will coordinate the best with my design plan.  I also want white frames, but since my walls are currently white… I opted for black!

I’m crazily trying to get Easter dresses sewn, the girls’ room clean and organized (a never-ending project!), and still finishing that Prom Dress alteration.  AND, it is time for the Spring Top competition again, so I am sketching out ideas and hunting down bargain fabric again.  Sorry if it seems slow on the blog front- I’ll have a lot to show soon!

 

Looking for fun, handmade items for yourself or your kiddos?  Look no further than NixoHandmade, one of our great sponsors!

Sponsor Highlight: Jenny and Teddy

You guys are going to love our newest sponsor.  The squeal factor is high on this shop!  Jenny and Teddy is the place to go for super friendly and delightful crochet patterns that come in PDF form.  Bust out your crochet hook, because I know you are going to be itching to make something!

How about some adorable bunnies for this Easter?  Hey, there’s still time!  Look at their clothes!!! Fun, right?

I’m just dying over these 3 1/2” friends.  Seriously, can it get any cuter?  I just start giggling every time I look at their sweet faces.

And if you don’t crochet, she has finished cuties in her shop.  I have my eye on this elephant, standing at 7.5”.  My girls would love these!  The little buttons, the tiny bow!  I love it.

Go and have a look-see at Jenny and Teddy.  Don’t die from cuteness overload, but I totally warned you!

Giveaway winner!

After going through all 205 comments and drooling over Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Cadbury Eggs, The winner of the Toss Up Pattern and Fabric starter pack (12 different fabrics!) was #200,

Megan, who said

“Wow, love this pattern and the fabric is beautiful! My favorite treat is peanut butter chocolate ice cream.
Thanks for the giveaway!”

Congrats, Megan!  You’ll love making this quilt!  Kirsten will be in contact with you!

Thanks everyone!  You can still pick up the pattern in the shop if you didn’t win. 

Friday Randomness

I have been busy this week, but only with unpicking pillow shams and altering a Prom Dress.  Why do I say yes to these things, anyway?  Those pillow shams, though, lead me to my first random thought for this Friday morning:

I wish people had pride in their work… instead of letting shoddy workmanship leave their studios/workrooms.  This is kind of bred into me by my professional of a mother, but really… if your name is attached to something, make sure it is awesome!  That way little moms like me don’t have to unpick the awfulness in the evenings instead of doing crossword puzzles and sewing Easter dresses.  Just sayin’. ETA: My mom wants me to clarify that the shams didn’t come from her workroom- she is the one fixing the things ;)

We’ve been watching Tangled a lot.  My baby loves that movie.  We all do, I guess.  But the munchkin decided to reenact Rapunzel’s early baby life by cutting a piece of hair at the nape of her neck.  Seriously, it is just like Rapunzel’s now! 

Random thought #2:  Don’t put scissors within reach of children even when they scoot chairs around to get extra height on things.  I will be taping them to the ceiling from now on.  The scissors, not my kids (although I’ve been tempted on the latter).

Our house is a hunter-gatherer society.  My husband Mike gathers everything, and then I have to hunt things down again.  Drives me nuts, but my messes drive him to gather.  In a recent “gathering spree”, the tension rod for the puppet theatre got smashed.  I need to get another rod since packing tape just isn’t working as well. 

Random thought #3:  The value section at my nearest large JoAnns has little animal puppets.  We get one or two every time we visit.

Up until this past Wednesday, we only had 3 dinner plates, 3 salad plates, and 3 bowls in our cupboard.  As in, that was all we had.  And none of them matched.  Mike, our resident gatherer, is also a violent dish washer and we have subsequently lost many a dish.  We had some family come stay at our place for the weekend while I was busy with Creative Estates.  It wasn’t until they had left that I realized 8 people were using the 3 plates/bowls, and when those were used, they had to resort to using Tupperware to eat from.  I did this all the time, but I was mortified to realize our company had to do it.  So embarrassing!!!  So Wednesday I went to Wal-Mart and got some Corelle dishes.  Cheap, boring, and I don’t care if Mike breaks one.  Plus the a-la-carte bowls are perfect for cereal.

Random thought #4: Relatives should not have to eat off of Tupperware lids. 

I am so excited about your response to the Toss Up Pattern!  If you want to buy it now, go ahead!  If you end up as a winner, Kirsten will reimburse your payment.  Today is the last day to enter. 

Random thought #5: I love free stuff.

Have a swell weekend!

Creative Estates Awesomeness.

Ok, so I’ll spare you my entire folder of pictures I took at Creative Estates this past weekend.  But I wanted to share a few! 

When there are crafty stars out there, what do you do?  Snag them and take photos with them, of course!  There were many ladies I wanted pics with but really… every time I saw them people were taking their picture.  I thought I’d spare them the paparazzi.  Char and Amy had no choice, however!


Char is great.  She’s funny and absolutely genuine.  Which means you spend most of your time with her laughing.  Plus she dresses great and could possibly give me a tip or two. 


Amy is SO nice.  And, we both met our husbands at the Riviera Apartments in Provo.  So obviously we are cool together.  I spent a bit of my time tailing her because she made me feel really comfortable.

Another common sight besides famous bloggers was ladies with their cameras.  Seriously.  It was almost amusing! 


And where there are cameras, there are poses.


Back Row L to R: Stacy (Not just a Housewife)- who has the most beautiful complexion I have ever seen, Jamielyn (I {heart} Naptime ), Becca (Blue Cricket), Amy (The Idea Room),Front row L to R: Michelle (A Little Tipsy), Stephanie (Somewhat Simple), Amy (Ameroonie Designs)

L to R: Amanda (Every Crafty Endeavor), Michelle (A Little Tipsy), Jen (Tatertots and Jello), Stephanie (Somewhat Simple), Amy (The Idea Room).  Front: Shelley (House of Smiths)!


Kami (No Biggie), Lara (Less Cake More Frosting), Char

But it wasn’t all standing around taking pictures.  We had classes too!  One of my favorites was a craft session where we learned how to use the L Letterpress from Lifestyle Crafts.  Kami is not only really beautiful and sweet, she cranks a mean Letterpress.


I totally have to get my hands on one of these babies.  Not just for scrapbookers!!  I am on a mission to convince the world of that.


Isn’t this cool?

Anyway.  There were panel classes as well, and we got some good laughs in.  The biggest message I  took home was just to be myself; Char pointed out that "there isn't competition to be me" so that's what we should do.  I also learned a lot about blogging, how to improve posts, improve myself, and improve my home.  I am a blogging professional!!  My confidence in myself and my blog was totally boosted.  I know my blog isn't for everyone, but it is perfect for me! 

Creative Estates was so fun and totally worth it.  I did drive home every night so sleep in my own bed, but the girls who all roomed together in the hotel became fast friends at the conference.  I almost wish I had done that.  Almost.

Now it is back to life as usual!  I can't wait to meet more of you someday.  We'll have a blast!

New Sponsor Highlight: NIXO Handmade

I’m excited to introduce you to NixoHandmade, the Crafty Cupboard’s newest sponsor.  And she is a perfect fit with lots of great products for moms and kids!  Shall I give you a small tour of her well-stocked etsy shop?

The Buttercup Clutch is definitely a favorite.  I’m a small purse kind of gal, so this would be perfect for me.  And look!  A zipper closure!!!

How about the Upcycled Children’s Bag?  I mean, that contrast fabric on the exterior is none other than a vintage tie.  How creative is that?? I love it.

This gal is good at giving old things new life.  This adorable broach is made from a 100% wool felted sweater.  Perfect spring colors!

So go ahead, stop on by NixoHandmade and take a gander at all she has to offer you, my lovely readers.  She doesn’t disappoint!!

Welcome to the Crafty Cupboard!