Crafty Bugger

Fabric books and Angry Birds...

2012-01-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

Its been a while, but as always, its because I've been busy. I really, really need to make up a "blogging" schedule. I'm crafting whenver possible but rarely post. Bad blogger! So... in my quest for baby crafts in the 24 hours before my son was born I stumbled across this beautiful thing called a quiet book. However, one thing I noticed was that people seem to call pictures books (with no activities) as quiet books. Call me upity or anal (I am both) but I define a quiet book as a book with activities. A book made of fabric (with no activities) is a fabric book. I know. I'm crazy.

Over the last few days of my winter break I started to make my son a colors fabric book. To put it kindly... it was a disaster. However, I didn't purchase a single material for this book. Everything I used I had in my stash.

The cover:

I used binder rings, button holes, and white cotton twill throughout the book.

I cross stitched the names of the colors and sewed them onto the pages (something I WILL NEVER try again).

Yes... I know I skipped white, but that was in all honesty, be being lazy. I intend to make him another one (that's less crappy). But there you have it, my very first - designed by me - fabric book (not a quiet book!) I am working on a quiet book for him. I've set a deadline of Easter for myself so that I can put it in his very first easter basket. He won't be able to use it yet, but I think it'll be cute.

Onto geekiness... my comfort zone. My husband is loves Angry Birds (See his birthday present here after the jump) and I wanted to incorporate that into Valentine's Day somehow. So I came up with this:

I stitched it on 14 count Aida and placed it in a 3" embroidery hoop. I sold one just like it in my Etsy shop. Haven't sold anymore since, don't think I will, and I'm okay with that. I do plan to release a pattern (though any experienced stitcher can probably figure it out by just looking at it) for free when I find sometime to convert it to the computer and upload it to google docs.

Coming up:
1. Birthday gift for the husband (yes, its in June and I do have a while to go but this year I'm def. outdoing myself)
2. A quiet book for the little man
3. Harry Potter cross stitch
4. Star Wars fabric book
5. Recipe book and menu planner

Keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks.

Catching up: Part 2

2012-01-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

In the previous post I mentioned that I had been crafting, but not posting. This is the second part of my "catch up" post series. Hopefully the last catch up post. I'm sure I've got all the photos tthat I need off of my husband's computer.

Here is the remainder of the diapers I made for my little man. I made these using the Babyville Boutique PUL with the dinosaurs, monters (my personal favorite), and yellow.

After making the diapers I had a bunch of extra PUL so I went onto Babyville's website in the hopes of finding some projects and I did. So for my little man I made some cubes (which I stuffed with filling). I made one with 5" squares and another with 3" cubes. For the 5" cube uses the dino PUL and the 3" cube uses the owl PUL.

Onto other things...

My mom had this tradition at Christmas that every year each of kids got a Christmas ornament (she still does it). Back in the day she used to cross stitch our ornaments every year. So I've started this tradition with my son.

I wrote his name and the year 2011 on the back with a fabric marker.

For Christmas, I made my son a monkey out of yo-yos. (Love those things!). I used a simplicty pattern that I picked up during a JoAnn's 99 cent sale. On the top it said "Simplicity Archive" on it, so I have a feeling this has been around for a while. He's bigger than my son:

... and that my friends, wraps up all the crafts I completed in 2011. What a year!

Picture Dump

2012-01-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have been very busy crafting, however, I've been very bad about posting. However, I feel that being a full time mom, wife, teacher, and part time student earns me a little bit of a reprieve. Life has been busy!

My husband and I took the little man up north (where it was about 27 degrees outside) and he needed a winter hat and mittens! So on the drive up (it helped that we got stuck behind an accident - no one was hurt - that shut the freeway down for two hours) north I completed two hats and two pairs of mittens for him to wear on his adventure to see Santa.

Both of the above hats were done on the pink KK loom. All the blogs and tutorials online for knitting baby hats on the loom said to use the small one, but sorry, my son was born with a 14 inch head, there was no way this loom was going to make a big enough hat. It took some experimentation to finally figure out which size was good enough.

Next was the challenge of having to create mittens for the little guy. I couldn't find any decent pattners online for making infant mitts on the loom, so again I experimented and are quiet proud of what I created. Simple, but very effective.

I will draft up a pattern eventually for the mittens. If you've worked with the looms before you can probably figure out how I did it, it was really simple. Mittens were completed on the flower loom.

After all that, then I had to tackle Little Man's stocking for his first Christmas. I was just going to buy one, however, my husband instisted that I make his, since I made everyone elses.

A close up of the super cute fabric:

I made him several stocking stuffers (in addition to what I bought - he is such a spoiled baby!). The first batch is three different taggie toys:

The letter "A" is his favorite one I think. He's always grabbing for that one.

A few weekends ago I went on a diaper making craze. I wanted to have enough diapers to at least get us through a day. So I made several diaper stuffers and a few diapers.

I have many more photos to post but first I have to get them off of my camera.

End of Line

2011-11-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

Whew... caring for a little one is exhausting! I haven't had much time to post, let alone make anything. However, here are some things I've been working on in the last few weeks:

Dinosaur Ribbon Rattle:

I googled "dinosaur images", printed one out, traced into fabric, sewed it to together (with the ribbon), and stuffed it full of stuffing and jingle bells. My little man loves it. He holds it around the neck all time (because its the easiest place for him to hold it) so it always looks like he's strangling it. :)

I've continued to work on those diapers. I made him this orange one, using the same Babyville Boutique pattern as before. It leaked out the side a bit so we added extra snaps to make it smaller in length and it seemd to hold up okay:

He doesn't nap much during the day so I haven't had time to get any more of them done. (He does sleep through the night except when he wants to eat, so one must be grateful of that!)

Next up is my "mystery project" that requires lots and lots of yo-yos. Below is the first yo-yo that I made and I've fallen in love with making these things!

This "mystery" project also includes the following:

Care to take a guess as to what I'm making????

That's all I have for now to share. My little man just fell asleep is his swing so I'm going to take these few precious moments that I have and go clean up my kitchen!

Mom Days...

2011-10-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you have a 3.5 week old baby, you're exhausted, and you need to make dinner? You dig through your pantry and see what you make with what you got. Here's what I ended up making for dinner last night. Simple, easy, and best of all it is something that my husband will eat again!

Chicken Alfredo!

Here's what you need:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
Bread Crumbs (I used Italian)
Noodles
Alfredo Sauce

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg and then in the bread crumbs. Drop them in a 9 x 13 baking dish (I always line mine with foil first so that the clean up is easier). Drop them in the oven for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta, drain. Cut up the chicken breasts into smaller pieces, drop over the noodles, and cover with Alfredo sauce. Voila. Dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Onto the savings! As any good money saver/crafter knows, JoAnn Fabrics has fantastic deals over the holiday weekends. This weekend (being Columbus Day weekend) they had Simplicity patterns on sale for 99 cents. This time I was smart. I went into the store on Thursday (the day before the sale started) and wrote down the pattern numbers that I wanted. I went in Friday morning as soon as the store opened and while all the other ladies were digging through the books, I dug through the cabinets! Bwahaha!

Total spent: $10.98
Money Saved: $124.90

Woot! Woot! McCall's patterns go on sale Thursday. I've got the pattern numbers I want, so when my hubby gets home from work (or rather before he goes in) I intend to hit up the cabinets!

Earlier in the week I made a few bibs for the Little Man:

I had leftover fabric from his tummy pillow:

I had some Cars fabric in my stash that I picked up over a year ago at a Hobby Lobby and now I finally had a use for it:

I also had some snowman fabric left over from last Christmas.

I certainly won't be making any more bibs for the little man. Not that I didn't enjoy making them or that I didn't like them, but because he has so many of them! We've gotten bunches of them in the mail from family over the last few weeks, and bibs are certainly one thing he doesn't need anymore of!

Last but not least, some binky leashes:

These were made using ribbon I found in my stash and suspender clips (which were actually a pain in the neck to find! I thought for sure that stores like JoAnns and Hobby Lobby would carry them, but apparently not...)

And I put my new snaps and snap plier to good use:

I don't know how much use we'll actually get out of the binky leashes though, because so far he really doesn't use his binkys.

Okay, whew, I think I'm all caught up on things that I have completed and finished. My husband goes back to work tomorrow so I doubt I will get any crafting done while he's at work. Although Little Man has more or less slept through today, so here's hoping he sleeps most of the day tomorrow. I need to get his diapers done!

Adventures in Diapering

2011-10-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

So I've been trying to write this post ALL DAY. What happened to Little Man napping all day long and Mom being able to get stuff done? Like laundry, homework, craft projects??? He slept for a few hours this morning, which of course my husband and I conked out with him on the bed, because we were so exhausted. For the past three hours he's been awake and fussy. I couldn't get him to sleep or calm down. I hand him over to my husband and in less than a minute he's passed out alseep. What in the world little man? I swear he hates me, my husband says he doesn't. He just loves his daddy. Whatever, hubby, whatever.

My husband has been big on trying the cloth diapers, something that up until now I have been avoiding. But dang are diapers expensive! So dear hubby bought a one size only diaper from Bum Genius. We gave it a try and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The diapers are about $20 a piece, so to get 5 of them it would be around $100. My husband took one look at the price tags and the diaper he purchased and decided that I could make those.

Well then...

We went to JoAnn Fabrics and holy cow what do you know? There was new line of diaper making products put out by Babyville Boutique. We looked at the cost of items and the book and I dug out all of the 40% and 50% off coupons that I had stored up. The cost of materials wasn't too expensive (about $14.99 for PUL fabric for three diapers) and I got EVERYTHING at 40 to 50% off thanks to those wonderful coupons. So the cost per diaper (not including the cost of the tools or thread) is about $3.50-$5.00 a diaper. What a difference from $20.00!

Of course, like with every big project there is a crazy snag. The fact that the Babyville Plyers were out of stock at my local JoAnns. *gasp* So I had to go to the next closest JoAnns (which was only about 20 minutes away but I didn't want to be seperated from Little One for that long). So I drove up there, grabbed one of the lose bloody plier tools, slammed down a 50% off coupon and wnet home with my prize:

Now, I was armed and ready to make my diapers!

So I opened the diaper making book (published by Babyville Boutique) to the center pages to make the flannel pocket diaper. A few things I've learned:

1. DON'T invest in the template plastic as recommended. A regular hole punch will not reach where you need to punch the holes and trying to fold the plastic down to punch them is a pain in the butt. I recommend using a piece of cardstock. Heck, even a piece of paper would be good enough.

2. It is vitally important to make sure that the plastic snaps are centered on the snap pliers. If not, you'll crack the sides of the snaps. I did this about three times, before figuring out why I kept breaking them.

3. This is the best way I've ever seen to apply snaps

4. I hate sewing elastic. What a pain.

Snap Pliers? Awesome. Highly recommend this tool and the plastic snaps, even if you are not making diapers. WAY better than sew on snaps.

The book? I'd give the instructions a 4 out of 5 stars. I would not recommend this project to beginners (although why a beginner would want to tackle diaper making is beyond me). There were some items left out in the instructions (such as leaving space at the top of the diaper to turn it right side out) that would leave a rookie confused and with a mess on his/her hands.

One thing that really bothers me is that there are several places in the pattern book where they tell you to reference their website. Guess what? Their website says "COMING SOON". In this day and age I think its important to make sure that your website is up and running before your product hits the shelves, especially if you're telling people in your book to go to your website for more information!

But I digress, overall I am very impressed with Babyville Boutique and went back to JoAnns today to get more PUL fabric in order to make some more diapers.

It took about three hours (working here and there) to make the diaper and the soaker yesterday. I had to keep stopping because Little Man needed to eat (I'm convinced that he's going through a growth spurt because I swear he's constantly attached to me). I started with the diaper. I couldn't find microfleece at the fabric stores, so I ended up using flannel.

(somehow I messed up on the wings and I had to move my snaps back on the wings in order to make it a successful diaper.

After succesfully completing the diaper I started on the soaker (super easy):

I didn't want to test it out over night so we tested it out first thing this morning. I made the small diaper and the small soaker. He has some room to grow into it but not much, since I messed up on the wings. About five seconds after I put him in it, he pooped. I was hoping to test it out with some urine (what has motherhood done to me?) to see if it was as absorbant as it needed to be and if the legs were tight enough to keep it in the diaper. Oh well. Its being washed, so I'll update later with how it held up in the wash.

I wanted to try and make a one size only diaper today, but the Little Man is refusing to sleep. Its 10:45 at night and he's back to being cranky...

Things I Haven't Posted but Should Have... Part 2

2011-10-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I get the motivation to try and cook, bake, or make something edible. Sometimes it turns out great. Most of the time, its a mess. I still have fun with it and that, my friends, is the most important part! My husband and I broke in our new home by grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. I made his favorite pasta salad and some extra festive Fourth of July treats to go with it.

First up is a very festive looking beverage. I found the recipe here at Divine Dinner Party. (Scroll down). One very important thing that I learned is that, yes, the ice is important! I actually enjoyed it (considering the fact that I don't like Gatorade or Cranberry juice).

As directed, I served with a festive straw:

Next up is a Trifle Receipe that I found at the Food Network. My husband does not like Strawberries (than come to find out the day after our son was born, he's never actually TRIED one), so I topped it with raspberries instead. This was certainly my favorite desert that I've ever made. Its a good thing it was just the two of us, because this got eaten really quickly!

Finally, I found these really cute Fourth of July Rice Crispy Bars, thanks to Two Hearts Together. However, mine were... less than festive looking. The package of Air Heads I purchased didn't contain white, I didn't feel like going back to the store, and my husband doesn't eat them anways... so this is what I ended up with:

Despite the less than fantastic look, the rice crispy treats were still yummy, and that's what matters! :) Of course, I hope to perfect them in the upcoming years so that we have a backyard BBQ at house someday...

All in all, I would say it was a successful Fourth of July!

Things I Haven't Posted but Should Have... Part 1

2011-10-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

My one year anniversy is coming up in Nov. and *gasp* I STILL have not posted photos of my wedding dress. I used a Simplicity pattern as a template and modified it to fit what I wanted. When I got engaged, I knew the kind of dress that I wanted. I also knew that I could make it for cheaper than what I would pay for it in the store. I didn't take many in progress photos, because I was engaged in what I was doing.

I purchased everything I needed from the zipper to the fabric to the lining using those fantastic 40% coupons that JoAnn Fabrics sends me in the mail. Total cost: About $50.00. I started working on it over my fall break (less than 3 weeks from my wedding date!). I worked on it for about four hours a day for four days... while watching marathons of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress. (Man, I can be such a girl sometimes!)

This was an adventure, to say the least. I had to use horse hair braid and boning in this dress, both of which I have never worked with before. I was horrifed of screwing it up, but I'm really pleased with the results.

Here are some photos, while I was working (and playing around with it):

Below is a photo of the back. This was a pain in the neck because I had to hand stitch the zipper in so that you wouldn't see the seams.

Around the middle is a large chunk of black ribbon, which runs all the way down the back. I love the way that it looked (and it hid the seams that connected the bodice of the dress to the skirt):

A side shot:

Another side shot:

About 5 seconds into the wedding, I was SO thankful that I had made my own dress, rather than purchase it. Why? My darling husband stepped on the train of my dress, thereby jerking me backwards (hard! No, I didn't fall.). The dress stood up to the test, it didn't rip, tear, or even budge! Had I purchased a dress, it probably would've ripped. What a memory that would have been!

Some photos of the big day:

(the ribbon was tied around a heart shaped pin in the back).

I loved my dres so much. Too bad pregnancy killed my body and I won't fit into it anymore...

Getting Baby's Room Organized

2011-09-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

So.... this SHOULD have been done before Baby arrived. In all fairness, I was working on these the day that my water broke. I just didn't get to finish them until this morning. While crusing the internet (via google) I found this great tutorial on how to make baby clothes size dividers. Awesome tutorial by Craftaholics Anonymous.

I chose to use scotch tape rather than velcro to attach my numbers/letters. Mine are double sided and here's what I learned: Glue sticks are SO much better for glueing paper to wood than the Modge Podge.

I chose to use animal print scrapbooking paper and animal print ribbon to hang from the closet, given that the nursery has a jungle theme:

Notice how there's an extra one? Yeah... because I had to pack away my son's newborn size clothes already! (Granted, he arrived in this world at 8 lbs even, so...)

Close up shot of just the hangers:

Here they are with the ribbons:

Close up shot:

The One stands for one size only (the sleeper sacks only come in one size).

The ribbons themselves:

... and finally hanging in the closet (yes my son does need more clothes!)

This was a quick and easy project (or rather it would have been, had my little man arrived on time, rather than early). Still... I'm glad its done. With all the stuff he's starting to aquire (being the only great-grandchild, grandchild, and nephew on both sides of the family that's not a surprise), I want to get an early handle on making sure his stuff is organized!

Annoyed...

2011-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am so sick and tired of never getting recognition. Granted, that is not why I do the crafty things that I do. I do them because I enjoy making things. I do them to give the people that I love unique and wonderful gifts. However, once and while there are things like THIS that just burn my cupcakes. (I'm actually talking cupcakes here).

Back in June I posted these Angry Bird Cupcakes to my blog and also listed a post which can be found here at Craftster. Like all the posts I make at craftster I got about two responses, which for me is usual, and which is why I generally don't post there very often.

A few weeks later another crafty person found inspiration from my post and made cupcakes for her Dad for Father's Day (see here posting here.) I'm glad that someone else found inspiration in something that I made (that in all fairness I found inspiration from another individual and followed her tutorial).

But what annoys me is this posting here where the other crafty individual gets featured in an article and I'm just forgotten about.

Yes, its petty and I need to let it go. If this was the first time something like this has happened, I wouldn't be so annoyed, but this happens constantly in my personal and professional life. Someone else finds inspiration from something I did and this other individual is always the person that gets featured here or there or somewhere else.

**Deep Breath** okay... I'm over it. I've said my peace. I'm going to let it go and get back to crafting things for my wonderful baby boy.

Hanging Baby Quilt

2011-09-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

As I had mentioned in my previous post, I made a baby quilt from fabric I found at JoAnn's to hang in my son's nursery. Here it is, in all its glory:

I chose to back it with giraffe print fabric. (There's Sandy, wanting to be in the middle of everything).

A close up of the back, I strung ribbon across the back of it in order to hang it on the wall:

Baby Overload

2011-09-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

I didn't get much crafting done in July or in August, as I was preparing to go back to work. Boo. I also didn't have much motivation. I was running around like a mad woman trying to get not only my classroom set up, but also get it ready so I can go on maternity leave.

My due date was Sept. 18th. I was planning on working up until I went into labor, but then I was feeling pretty miserable (mostly at night and probably because I was working all day), so my husband and I discussed it and decided to make my last day at work Friday, Sept. 9th. At that point I want crazy with surfing the internet (thank you google!) for baby crafts and digging through my sewing patterns stash (love those 99 cents sales at JoAnns).

I got to work pulling together a list of ideas and then materials (I've mostly been working through my stash, buying very little), crafting. I worked nonstop on Monday, Sept. 12th... then my water broke (more like slowly started leaking) that evening.

Baby Alexander was born the following morning (via C-Section, he was breeched). Good thing my last day was a week earlier! So... to make a long story, shorter, here's what I got completed before my precious little son was born:

First up, are some items I created using (and I hang my head in shame at this) Simplicity patterns. Good thing I refuse to pay full price for those patterns, cuz these I probably could have sketched up on my own - if I ever paid attention to babies and their things before.

These all came from the same pattern (I don't have the number in front of me) but I think the title was something along the lines of "diaper bag and diaper bag acessories".

This is a portable changing pad. I LOVE this item. Since our baby is sleeping in a pack-in-play with an attached changing table in our bedroom currently, this is a great item that we are using right now. Once we start traveling with our baby this can be rolled up and placed in the diaper bag. The fabric is sandwhiched between vinyl (I hate working with that stuff) and terrycloth. The vinyl is great (even though I hate using it with my sewing machine) because I can just wipe down any messes he makes.

The next item that came from this batch of patterns is a tummy pillow. No its not a breast feeding pillow (its not big enough for that). Once baby gets a little bigger (and can hold his head up) it'll be a great item to help make his tummy muscles stronger. My husband and I chose the jungle fabric because his nursery is jungle themed.

The final item that I managed to finish (from the Simplicity pattern) before Alexander made his debut was a burping cloth (well, actually three). Easy pattern. One side is the fabric the back side is terry cloth. I only bought enough fabric to make one (the pattern called for 3/4yd) but guess what? 3/4 of a yard gets you three plus some extra! I wish I had made more though... he spits up so much.

While my husband and I were digging through the nursery prints at JoAnn's, we found some fabric to make those awesome cloth books. I used fusible batting in between the pages instead of quilt batting (quilt batting would have been WAY too thick to make this work with my sewing machine). Oddly enough, the characters on the tummy pillow are the same characters in the cloth book and on the wall hanging that I made (which I don't have pictures of yet.)

Here's the book:

(I still need to use fabric markers to fill out the back page).

The final item that I managed to get through (well half way through) before my little bundle of joy arrived were these write rattles. I made WAY too many, but they were so easy to make, I couldn't help myself.

I found this great pattern on how to make wrist rattles. I use fabric scraps and fat quarters that I had home. The only thing new I had to purchase were the little patches (which came nine in a pack). I probably should have saved the patches for something else to make for him, but I was on a crafting overload. Plus these things were just too cute! I couldn't help myself.

I have TONS of more things that I want to make for my wonderful baby. I need more geek crafts (I have a Yoda and Boba Fett rattle in mind, along with a Star Wars Quiet Book and Mario Brothers booties). I also want to make some crinkle toys, bibs, and covers for my nursing pillow. I'm on maternity leave through Thanksgiving and I have the perfect little man who sleeps all the time, so we'll see what I get done.

Fish City Weeks 2 and 3...

2011-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well... that didn't last long! In my previous two posts I had mentioned how I was going to update weekly my progress on Fish City. While I haven't been updating, honestly, there's been nothing to report. My sister was in town for the entire month of June and honestly, I wasn't up to cross-stitching much. So... progress remains the same as it was during week one.

In other news... I should have plently to update with in the next few days with the Fourth of July just around the corner (happy Independence Day USA!).

Fish City: One week later...

2011-06-16T11:03:00.000-07:00

Its hard to believe its only been a week! I've was working on this project rather steadily at first but slowed down over the last few days because I wasn't feeling well (pregnancy is taking a drain on my body).

Here's where I was at the end of day one:

.

Progress after a week:

(Click on the picture for a larger image).

Overall I'm pretty pleased with how far I've come. The only thing that saddens me is how far I have yet to go. A long, long ways...

Fish City Day One

2011-06-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've noticed at some of the cross-stitch communities that I visit that some bloggers keep track of their weekly and/or monthly progress on a large project. Its not something that I've ever done (of course I haven't completed a large project in several years) and thought that this would be a good project to do it on.

Yesterday I started working on the Fish City pattern by Stoney Creek. The pattern is 18 pages, the design size (I'm working it on 28 count, white, evenweave) is 29" by 21". This is by far the largest project I've ever attempted.

I've done several TW designs, that while they can be difficult with the blends, special stitches, and beadwork, have never been large. My fabric is so large that I neded up going out and purchasing one of those stands for your hoops. So far, I'm not liking the hands free because I feel as though it slows me down, however it does keep my left hand (the hand holding the hoop and fabric) from cramping up.

I didn't start working on it until late yesterday afternoon and was unable to get as far as I would have liked yesterday (due mostly to the fact that I was an anxiety attack over this baby and I felt like crap physically).

So after working on it for I have no idea how long yesterday, this what I've got done:

I have a long way to go.

My goal is to take a picture Wednesday evening and post my progress every Thursday morning. I'm sure I can keep this going while I'm on summer vacation. Once school resumes in the fall I won't have much of an opportunity to work on it (between teaching, going to school, and a new baby) so update may become monthly in August.

Baby Gear

2011-06-08T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted a mega cross stitch post that featured two of the baby items that I had been wroking on for my own little guy (or girl). This is sort of a part 2 to that post.

First up is a baby bib that I started (and completed!) yesterday. The pattern is from the book Baby Bibs to Cross Stitch by Linda Gillum and Sandy Orton.

A close up:

It was a nice quick stitch and a fun project to do in lew of the jungle baby project I've been working on (I'm sick of looking at the same shades of green, blue, and purple!)

Earlier in the week, I posted about a stitch called the turkey stitch and what a headache it was giving me. Today I was finally able to sit down and practice. I practiced on 18 count Aida before attempting it on my project:

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. This gave me enough motivation to go ahead and attempt to do it on one of my jungle babies. (The only other one I've stitched.) The jungle baby patterns come from Stoney Creek (oh how I loathe and love the).

and a close up of the turkey stitching:

I don't think it looks as nice as the practice one, but I'm not going to complain. It was a pain in my @$$ and I'm looking forward to putting that tiny little nightmare behind me. I'm currently working on a purple rhino (also part of the jungle babies) but honestly I'm sick of looking at DMC 211 and may continue to work on other projects throughout the week.

Turkey Stitch Tryouts

2011-06-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I pleaded for help from some livejournal cross-stitchers on how to do a turkey stitch. I had about 4 people respond who had suggestions. One of them sent me this google video that seems to explain it well enough. I haven't tried it yet though and I don't know that I'm going to be able to do it today. My baby sister is coming in from out of state to stay with us for the month of June and I have a whole lot of cleaning to do today before she gets here.

Plus grocery shopping. EEK! I now know when so many of my coworkers moan about wanting to be able to quit their jobs and be stay at home wives/moms. Its hard work keeping a house clean and right now its just my husband, me, and our six fur babies. I can't imagine what the work is going to be like when this baby is born.

Whew.

Thankfully, my darling friend Emily has volunteered to help with some of the cross-stitch stuff for my baby since I'm due in about 3 1/2 months and am going to run out of time... fast!

Turkey Stitch

2011-06-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

So I'm working my way through the Stoney Creek "Jungle Babies" book for my own baby (due in Sept!) and there's a new stitch that I've never seen before, called the turkey stitch. I've followed the instructions and am beyond annoyed that it keeps falling apart.

I've been trying it out on some spare fabric but nothing seems to work. I've posted to a livejournal community for help and have googled for tutorials but have yet to find something that helps.

I think I'm just going to continue working each jungle baby and eventually do the "turkey stitches" on the babies when I'm completely finished. I've only finished 2 out of the 6 panels so I guess I have plenty of time to practice.

Christmas 2010... and a Lighthouse?

2011-06-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I was digging through some old photos this afternoon (waiting for my husband to get back from PT so we can go to Red Lobster for his birthday dinner) and I found some old photos that I never updloaded (tsk, tsk). During the 2010 year my husband and I adopted two new critters. Sonic the hamster and Sandy the mixed terrier. Well, they needed stockings just like our cats and piggies have!

So I promptly sat down at my sewing machine and got to work! Sandy's stocking:

and Sonic's:

Here's the whole family:

Which remind me, I'm going to have to make another new one this year since our baby is due in September! I better add that on my to-do list for the year of 2011.

Last year I also started making candy from those Wilton candy molds. (However, I'm horrible about taking pictures). The problem is I always make more than what we can eat - its just the two of us, I'm not feeding those to my fur babies (although I'm sure they would enjoy it). I need to start bringing the extras to work. Food always disappears when you bring it to work!

So I tried my hand at Santa candy canes:

I also tried my hand at Oreo stuffed candies. These were SO good, but very sweet tasting so you had to go easy on them!

Overall Christmas 2010 was memorable and enjoyable!

Two years ago I made my mom a Lighthouse cross-stitch. It was one of those kits that came with the frame. I can't, for the life of me, remember the name of kit maker, it was so long ago.

The unframed item:

I framed it in an 8x10 frame using the mat that came with the kit:

I'm really taking to framing (or at the very least, trying to frame) my own cross-stitch becuase it is SO expensive to get them professionally framed.

Angry Bird Cupcakes

2011-06-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my husband's 26th birthday and every year I make him something. Last year it was gigantic X-box pillows, that he loved so I knew I had to top last year. However, he's such a difficult man to make things for (he doesn't think he is. If only he knew the HOURS of thought and internet searching that goes into his gifts...)

Like 2/3 of America he's obcessed with Angry Birds and I stumbled across this blog in my many hours of searching and thought that this lady was a GENIUS. I couldn't find the right kind of sprinkles and I dyed 'em too dark but considering the fact that I've never tried anything of this scale before, I'm pretty darn pleased. (And so is my husband).

I spent about $40 on supplies (since I didn't have anything except the cupcake pans) and 2.5 hours in the kitchen. I have LOTS of leftover candy and so I probably make a few more batches in the next few weeks to use up the candy.

A sampling of each:

The whole army of cupcakes:

Those bad, bad piggies:

A close up of each of the birds:

Sorry about the poor quality of the photos but my camera is busted and his is dead, so I had to take them with my cell phone. Let me know what you think!

Mega Cross Stitch Post

2011-05-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

So for the last several months I've been stitching (here and there) some of my own Star Wars designs. They're the same basic design and they've all been stitched on 18 count, white, Aida fabric. I cut the fabric down to 4" x 6" and stitched them in the center. I had these wooden frames purchased from IKEA, which I stained and glossed myself, and framed them in. I love arranging and rearranging these little guys... now I just wish I had somewhere to hang them up! Without further ado:

Princess Leia from A New Hope (at the end):

Queen Amidala from The Phantom Menance (her senate outfit):

Anakin Skywalker from Attack of the Clones:

Senator Bail Organa from Attack of the Clones: (I don't know why but I have such a crush on him!)

Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Phantom Menance:

Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi:

Boba Fett: (He was finished this morning and posted for sale this afternoon)

Had enough of Star Wars yet? There's more to come! I have about 90 more planned out but I'm going to finish about 4 or 5 more of these Star Wars patterns before moving onto my Harry Potter designs.

In other needlepoint news, I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant (with my first) and on summer vacation so now I'm working like a madwoman to finish the cross stitch things for my baby and his/her nursery before I have to go back to work in August (with the baby due to arrive in September. What timing!)

We're doing a jungle theme in the baby's nursery and so I've been on the hunt for any patterns that I can find that fit that bill. I've found some great things from Dimension, Stoney Creek, and Leisure Arts. (Let me apologize now for the HORRIBLE pictures, my husband's camera died this morning - we have no idea where the charger is - so I had to scan them int).

First up is a bib I stitched from a book called Baby Bibs to Cross-Stitch prodcued and printed by Leisure Arts:

He took me about three days working on it here and there. I have a few more from this book that I want to stitch up and then I'll be done with the baby bibs aspect of it all.

The next up is the first of six. I was so exicted to be finished with this little guy that I just had to post it. The pattern was put out by Stoney Creek (oh how I heart you!) I stitched this on 28 count Monanco Evenweave, stitching over two.

The patterns were designed to be stitched on an afghan but I'm not much for that, so I'm stitching 6 of the designs from the book, we're going to frame them, and put them on the wall in the nursery.

Coming up in the stitching category is Luke Skwyalker (farm boy, told you I wasn't done with the Star Wars yet!) and a blue elephant baby panel to go with the monkey.

Too Much Going On...

2011-02-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I looked like I dropped off the face of the Earth, but a little thing called real life (aka Darth Real Life) got in the way. I got married (dress photos to be posted soon) in Vegas in Novemeber, found out I was pregnant towards the end of January, have been taking online classes, already overwhelmed with my teaching job, my husband and I are trying to buy a house, and I'm in the process of applying not only for my master's degree but for my degree in Secondary Education.

Whew. I have been busy doing some crafty things and plan to get caught up with updating this blog of my soon. As for right now... I need to go finish up some homework (I'm only about two weeks behind in my classes... whew!)

Etsy Shop!

2010-10-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

Well I've finally done it. I've opened my own Etsy shop:

Geeky Stitchery.

New Summer Outfits (and one for fall)

2010-06-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

I live in Arizona and it is CRAZY hot during the summer. Over 100 degress is just too darn high, so I decided to create some strapless tops and dresses. I used New Look pattern 6468. The same pattern I used to make this Butterfly Dress. I've got these dresses nailed down to about 45 minutes each, when I'm working on them nonstop.

This first one I did was made out of Candy Corn fabric:

A close up of the fabric:

The photographs don't due the justice fabric. I'm planning to wear this on Halloween morning when we're up in Vegas.

This next one is a black strapless dress. The fabric is black cotton with dark black (?) spots spread throughout it in a funky pattern. I wore this dress all day today and it didnt' fall apart so I guess that was a very good thing!

This next one is the same pattern but purple:

I plan to test out this dress tommorrow. Its a looser in the top because I didn't stretch the elastic out on the way on the top, so hopefully it'll hold up.

And a closeup of the fabric:

And finally a green tube top:

(and yes it was used, using the same pattern)

I have one more dress to make using the same pattern (red solid fabric) before moving on to cover jackets and a dress made for work.

Xbox Controller Pillows

2010-06-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

My fiance is really difficult to shop for. I love him dearly but it is next to impossible to find a gift that will satisfy him. I searched for months and months before I finally came across the perfect gift: The Xbox Controller Pillow.

There was no instructions or tutorial (which is perfectly fine) so I made some assumptions and used my Home is Where the Xbox Is cross-stitch that I made for him as a guide.

Without further ado:

The birthday boy with his gifts:

(As soon as he opened the first one he immediately starting pushing the "buttons" and making "pew pew" noises).

I have some in process pics for those who are curious:

The first thing I did was draw (using a pencil) a free hand sketch of the shape of the controller and cut it out:

(I cut two at a time so it was easy to match up and sew. I used plain old broadcloth for the fabric).

I used a compass to draw circles on some poster board, cut them out, and taped them to the fabric:

My paint pallet:

(I painted the buttons and the Xbox logo using fabric paint from Joann Fabrics)

The colored buttons:

The Xbox logo I painted on using one of the circle patterns that I drew (just around it) and then drew the "X" with my paintbrush freehand:

Here's the whole pillow painted:

Then the paint needed almost 4 hours to dry, apply a second coat, and then another 4 hours to dry. :( Then I sewed the right sides together leaving a large gap for stuffing and turned it right side out:

I then stuffed the pillow and sewed up the bottom.

The finished product:

and finally...

on our bed:

Writer's Club T-Shirts

2010-05-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

At the school I teach at, I run "writer's club". I wanted to buy T-shirts from NaNoWriMo for them but everytime I check their website they are out of stock, so I decided to make them.

I used iron ons for inkjet printers and it took me FOUR trys to get it peel off without completely destroying the t-shirt. So yes... I have four crappy looking shirts in my closet and don't know what to do with them!

Stained Picture Frames

2010-05-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

I bought a pack of three for $2 of these

at IKEA. (Okay well actually I bought 4 packs of these so I had 12 picture frames).

I went to Home Depot for the wood staining product. I used "Early American". I applied two coats to the frame. I gave them 24 hours to dry and applied a glossy finish, again two coats, that I had picked up at Lowe's.

Each frame is a 4x6 and I bought them so that I had something to do with all those cross-stitch patterns I've been doing!

Here's the completed product:

Lego Love

2010-04-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

I've always admired those critters and things that geeks make out of legos so last night I thought I'd give it a try. I'm working on a large Mario brothers related project (to be revealed when it is finished) and this was something semi-related to it:

It took a while to figure out and he's nowhere near perfect but I'm pretty pleased with it considering the fact that I spent nearly 30 minutes on it. Yes, yes, I know the coloring is all wrong, but *shrug* my lego collection is severly limited.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

I saw this tutorial on how to make an easter wreath out of plastic eggs, easter grass, and hot glue. My first and only thought was, "I have to have one!"

Here's how it came out:

Up close of the ribbons:

The ribbon I will use to hang it up:

And one more picture for good measure:

Overall this was a super easy project. Just watch out for that hot glue gun! It never fails, I always burn myself.

Christmas Apron

2010-04-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I made this WAY back in December but forgot to post it:

Another one of those fantastic premade/predesigned fabrics where I just had to cut and sew! Eventually I want an apron for each and every holiday! :)

Butterfly Dress

2010-03-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

I made this back in October, and I just now got around to posting this. I made this over my fall break when my fiance was out of town. He's always saying how I never wear dresses so I made this for his homecoming.

The dress:

A close up of the fabric and the straps:

An action shot:

Action shot of the back:

Close up of the fabric:

I used a pattern from New Look (6468). I just love the New Look patterns, they're cheap (about $3.95) and SO easy to make. I'm goin gto make a dress similar to this one for Halloween this year (I'll be Vegas for Halloween!)

Virginia the shepherdess

2010-03-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

The one thing that I love the most about these little sprites that I'm working my way through is that they come together pretty quickly. I have another Tenth Kingdom sprite:

She only took about an hour!

Must Love Cross-Stitch

2010-03-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

So the last time I posted cross-stitch I raved about my Bria Tharen stitchery and I forgot to post a picture! Oops. :)

Next is Tenel Ka from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I believe she made her first apperance in the EU in the Young Jedi Knight Books:

The next two are from the fantastic NBC mini-series The Tenth Kingdom:

Cinderella:

Christine aka the evil queen:

Finally, Miss Parker from The Pretender. She's dressed in her white suit and pink top, its from the episode (I can't recall the title) where she finds the gun that shot her mother. I've always wanted this outfit:

Next up is some more mini cross-stitch from The Tenth Kingdom!

My First Shirt Reconstructions

2010-03-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

So all over the internet I see all these fantastic (and sometimes odd) T-Shirt reconstructions. After the turn of the New Year I did my yearly closet/dresser clean out and instead of taking clothes down to Goodwill this year, I threw them in a pile in my craft room and waited for inspiration to hit. I have about twenty shirts that I want to reconstruct. Today I did three.

First up, is a T-Shirt that my parents brought me back from Canada (they live 3 hours from the border) back in '07:

I turned this into a functional tote bag:

Its a little floppy because I did reinforce it with anything (or add any lining) but once I but in hardback books it has a nice shape. I also used this opportunity to try some fancy stitching at the top:

The next one is a "party shirt" that I picked up in Brussels, Belgium at a street market just outside my hotel when I was there in the fall of 2007:

Generally, I loved this shirt but I live in the desert now so long sleeves are a no-no and I don't party much, so I lopped off the sleeves and cut off the belt.

This one is made to be worn over tank tops. I love wearing tanks but as a teacher they're not appropriate at work, so I've been trying to come up with a cover to wear over them while I'm teaching.

And the back:

The last one is a black shirt that I've had since high school:

I cut it diagnoally across the front and back and did the same to the sleeves. I tried to make the sleeves different lengths but after hemming, they came out to be about the same oddly enough:

Action shot:

And the back:

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with these considering they're my first reconstructions. Now I just have to get up the nerve to wear them!

Save the Date!

2010-03-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

So I made these on the computer almost a month ago. I finally sat down this afternoon with Chris and we put them together. They're printed on good old fashion cardstock and then I stuck a magnet on the back.

We have the date and the city (Viva Las Vegas baby!) now we just need a chapel, hall, and hotel. Thank goodness Vegas has plenty!

Cross-Stitch, Wedding Planning, V-Day Gifts

2010-02-22T20:14:00.001-08:00

WHEW! I have BEEN busy! Over the last few weeks (about 2.5) I've cross-stitched Zoey from The Pretender, Han Solo from Star Wars, Bria Tharen from the Star Wars novels, Jayne from Firefly. I've created one of those great card books found at crafster and a wedding planning dream album. NOT to be confused with the wedding planner. More information found below! Enjoy the descriptions and the pictures:

First up is Zoey from The Pretender. She's stitched in the same style as Mr Raines and Miss Parker:

Next is the third Star Wars character in the same format as Queen Amidala and Princess Leia. He came out much cuter than I thought he would. Mace Windu is up next!

And a picture of all three:

They look a little different in size even though they are all the same size. Amidala's head looks SO much bigger but I think that's becuase of her head piece. :)

The last cross-stitch of the bunch. Jayne from Firefly, along with the lyrics from Jaynestown.

A closeup of Jayne:

This one isn't quiet finished yet. It need to be framed, but I need to save every last penny for the wedding, since we set our date for 11-01-2010 (yes its a Monday, but its the day we met).

Card books are found ALL over craftster, especially after this last Valentine's Day. This was the orginal post where I found my insipration!. I made one of these for Chris for Valentine's Day.

Forgot to take a picture of the back. Sorry!
Some of the things I had to say:

Really easy to make, just glued post-its to each card. I'm in the process of making a "sequel" (which'll be a small portion of his wedding gift), that one will be more in depth and more decorated. This one was actually done on the fly as a last minute idea.

And finally...

THE WEDDING INSPIRATION BOOK!

Now, I have a wedding planner (one I've designed for myself) to be shared when I've finished decorating it the way I want it to be. :) This is a seperate book in which I print off pictures of things I like and where I find inspiration. I have the WORST luck with computers so I decided to print off these things so they don't get lost. The best part of this little side project was that I didn't buy anything new for it.

The cover:

I took scrapbook paper and cut it down. Attached some stickers and cut outs. Covered it in contact paper and hole punched three times.

The back cover:

Done the same way as the cover. I then hole punched several sheets of cardstock. I then took three pcs of ribbon (purple, black, and yellow) and laced them through the holes. I tied them up in a nice double bow on the front. This allows for expansion (if needed).

The pages:

I am/will be making my own wedding dress so I pulled together some pictures for inspiration.

WHEW! Well that's about it for now. I'm working on my Mace Windu pattern at the moment, although everything for the most part is probably going to be put off for a few months (or several) as we plan the wedding. We're planning on getting married in Vegas so it won't be TOO much of a hassle and I am looking forward to all the craft projects I get to do for it! :)

Princess Leia has arrived!

2010-02-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

So a while ago I posted Queen Amidala. I started working on Princess Leia just after that but I lost the cross-stitch bug. Well its back!

Sorry about the image. I'll be retaking pictures with Chris's camera (which is currently MIA) when I publish the patterns. I have drawn out a pattern for Han Solo so he'll be the next one to show up.

Home is Where the Xbox is

2010-02-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Found this pattern here at the sprite stitch forums. I'm not a big x-box player, but Chris is. Its the only gaming station he uses, unless of course we're playing a game together (then its in the Wii).

I still need to iron it and then frame it. It'll fit nicely into an 8x10 mat and an 11x14 picture frame.

Turtle PJs to Turtle Robe

2010-02-07T09:43:00.000-08:00

To go with the turtle tank and shorts PJs that I made, I made a robe:

Super easy... and its SUPER warm.

More than Mario

2010-02-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Chris often tells me that I love Mario more than him... so I made this for him. It only took about a half a day. Its a 5x7 framed with his favorite colors (blue and red) in an 8x10 frame.

PJ, Corsets, and... some others

2010-01-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

First up is blue nightgown made from some broadcloth fabric I found at JoAnn's.

Sorry, I forgot to turn the picture 90 degrees.

Next up is a pair of fleece turtle print PJ top and shorts bottom:

A silk top that ties on the side of the neck in a big bow.

And a close up shot:

And a green corset. I've wanted a corset for the LONGEST time. Next time I'll use thicker bias tape and better grommets as these ones keeps nicking the ribbon.

Excuse the close up of my butt:

Candy Cane Tote

2010-01-07T23:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I made this right after Thanksgiving... I'm just now getting around to posting it!

The bag:

A close up of the fabric and handles:

The inside:

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

A non-crafting post, but to those who check for regular updates (coming as soon as I return home to Arizona in a few days... I promise!) I just want to say happy holidays!

Stocking Sunday

2009-12-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

So here's how I spent my Sunday (today). Making stockings. Six to be exact. One for me, one for the boyfriend Chris, one for our cat Mustang, one for our cat Mercedes, one for our guiena pig Artemis, one for our guiena pig Porthos. WHEW... I spent all day on this. However I spent very little money. I already had fusible fleece and used fabric scraps already in the apartment.

The lining of the stocking is made from the same fabric that is folded over the cuff of the stocking. All six in their christmasy glory:

Chris's stocking:

My stocking:

Mercedes the Cat's Stocking:

Mustang the Cat's Stocking:

Artemis the Guiena Pig's Stocking:

Porthos the Guiena Pig's Stocking:

And all the stockings hanging in their rightful place in the apartment...

Miss Parker Cross Stitch

2009-12-13T18:39:00.001-08:00

So... remember this Mr. Raines little cross stitch??? Well now I have a Miss Parker one to go with it:

Jarod, Sydney, Broots, and some other fashionable Miss Parkers will be along soon...

I heart Halloween

2009-09-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

I wish it was Halloween season all year long... especially after completing these projects. I hate to have to them away after October is gone...

First up is an apron. Nothing too exciting. I've just always wanted to try and sew one. I just bought the fabric and followed the instructions. Its's a Debbie Mumm design, I believe.

The ever necessary action shot...

The first pocket:

The second pocket:

A Halloween purse for ME:

I love this purse! I wanted to use candy corn beads for the handle but couldn't find them ANYWHERE. So I'll have to amek those out of Fimo clay when I get the chance. These handles will tide me over for this season though.

An inside look at the lining and at the snap:

Next is a tote bag that wasn't supposed to be a tote bag. It was supposed to be a purse. It came out HUGE. Oh well. Its got a flat bottom, a zipper, and I'm in love with the fabric. I use it haul all my stuff for work to and from. It works fantastic! I've loaded it with so many papers but thanks to the 20lb fishing wire and crimping beads this baby can handle the load!

The handles. Honestly, I had a REALLY difficult time coming up with handles for this bag that I liked.

The lining:

Both fabrics used is the tote above were part of those fabric quilters bundles you get from JoAnn Fabrics for about $10.00 a bundle. I had to buy two bundles to have matching fabric and now I have all this extra left over Halloween fabric that I can't wait to use.

The above purse was, also, another experiment to try and make the inside seams, seamless. It worked but the top part near the zipper is all cruddy. I'd rather just have seems on the inside of the bag. BUT, I love this one, all the same!

And finally, not Halloween, but throwing it in here before I forget about it:

I followed a pattern (Simplicity 2830) to make the smallest tote bag in the world. Man, this thing is SMALL. I bought the pattern to learn how to make flat bottomed purses. The pattern came with two sizzes (the above one is the BIG one). It barely holds one of those Banquet frozen meals in it, it is so small. BUT, I still use it to carry my lunch to and from work. It works.

Sarah Jane Productions Introduction

2009-09-27T13:57:00.001-07:00

I wanted to call my little etsy shop Sarah Jane Designs but that was taken, as was Sarah Jane Originals so I'm going with this. Not too shabby.

I'm opening up my shop with these two purses:

Candy Stripper is what I'm calling this one... and I'm in LOVE. I really, really, don't want to part with this one.

The ribbons weaved together are yes, Christmas, ribbons. The handles are made from crimping beads, 20lb fishing wire, and beads. The handles old up great with a lot of extra weight!

A close-up of the handle and how its secured to the purse.

This purse has snaps.

The purse is made from wired ribbon and is stiffed so it will stand up straight and not flop all over the place.

The second I call Peppermint, Peppermint. This purse was actually an experiment of using ribbons of different sizes.

Up close and personal with the handle and wired ribbon:

And finally, the snap and the lining...

The above purse is also stiffened.

Now I just need to do all the business aspects and get these puppies out of here. I'll be doign all that over fall break next week (Yippie!)

Whew... Long time no blog

2009-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Although, I have been crafting! Sort of. School has kept me going here and there and everywhere. I have parent teacher conferences next week (all week) and then I'm off for a week, so maybe I'll get some crafting done!

First up are some old, old projects that I did way back when I was first learning how to knit. I was going to wait to psot these until they had their counterparts done, but they've been sitting my "take pictures" pile so long I got sick of it.

The first up is a pink and white hat & scarf set made from knitting looms (the missing counterpart is mittens)

The second is an orange/yellow/red fingerless mitt and scarf set (the missing counterpart is the hat). I'm still learning how to circular knit with needles, yes its not that hard, but I have a small head.

I just LOVE this yarn!

Halloween Charm Bracelet

2009-09-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

I bought the beads and the charms from JoAnn fabrics. They had more Christmas stuff :( than Halloween stuff but I worked with what they had... and I LOVE it.

"SJ" Purse

2009-08-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

Back to school means ZERO time for crafting, which is a shame because I have a ton of materials that I can't wait to turn into projects, but sadly due to lesson plans, grading, and various other school related items, I have no time. I did however manage to punch out this purse despite the lack of free time.

I saw this Chanel purse tutorial on craftster and thought it was great, but I made a few change to make it more ME.

The full purse:

A close up the lettering. This part SUCKED to sew, I hate it. The thread kept knotting up and I was having a hard time turning it on the machine but I think it still looks pretty cute.

I punched these buggers in all by myself and didn't have to make my boyfriend do it. I was thrilled (and so was him).

Snaps. I couldn't find a green zipper that I liked so I decided to try snaps. They turned out pretty well!

And the inside of hte purse:

Free Stuff!

2009-08-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

JoAnn Fabrics (this is why I love them!) hosted a teacher appreciation day last Saturday. They gave teacher discount cards (which I already had) and a goody bag full of stuff, this is what was in my goody bag:

I don't know what I'll do with most of it, but I love it!

Queen Amidala

2009-07-23T15:17:00.001-07:00

This first of my Star Wars Cross-Stitch design line:

She is stitched on 28 count Aida fabric, uses 21 colors, and is 75 stitches in height and 35 inches in width.

I have 90 other Star Wars patterns in line to follow her, in similar design. As well as 59 Harry Potter, 6 Lord of the Rings, and 40 Star Trek: TNG.

Whew, I better get working!

Button Jewlery!

2009-07-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

This black and white button jewlery set is very similar to the green and blue set that I previously made. The necklace is designed a little differently and it is minus a ring, but other than that the two sets are nearly identical, save for the differences in color of course.

The whole set:

A closeup of the necklace layout:

A close up of the earrings:

Close up shot of the bracelet:

I've got a few more button sketches so expect to see some more button work in the next few weeks (I hope). I'm back to work/school next week...

Safety Pin Earrings

2009-07-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

I saw this post on crafster of safety pin earrings. I thought these were just the cutest and most unique thing I've seen in a very long time. They seemed fairly simple to make and exactly my style.

These were very, very easy to make. I whipped up several in the span of minutes.

This first batch was made using the larger types of safety pins:

This second batach was made using the smaller types of safety pins:

If I had more beads, I probably would have made dozens more, and experimented a little bit more.

Poncho... attempt?

2009-07-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you love your knitting looms! I attempted to make a poncho using the Serenity Loom. I followed the pattern provided with the loom but it created a short, chic like poncho and I was looking for something longer and more roomy.

Here's what the outcome looks like:

And the action shots:

I think its cute and it is comfortable but I've made some notes on where I need to make adjustments as the poncho I was looking to knit was about 3 times this size! Oh well, accidents help you learn.

Teacher Stuff

2009-07-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

I paid a total of $2.00 for all three of these kits at JoAnn's last year. I stitched them up in one evening and hung them up in my 6th grade classroom last year. I think for this year, however, I'm going to turn them into Christmas ornaments and hang them from the tree instead. They are cute, if not borderline cheesy. :)

The Star Wars Collection, Part II

2009-07-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

As promised in this previous post here are the photos of itty bitty Jabba the Hutt, itty bitty Jawa, and itty bitty Darth Maul.

Jabba the Hutt will require special directions for the tail, but its pretty simple.

Drawing the dark lines on Darth Maul's face with a sharpie is optional...

Isn't he cute?

Explosion

2009-07-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the back story (yes I am long winded as many of you have probably found out!). I went to JoAnn Fabrics yesterday for their 99 cent pattern sales and while walking down the ribbon section I saw the the polka dot ribbons and went huh! That would make a crazy purse. So I picked them up and then promptly went to find a zipper of good width. Then I headed back to the home decor sections and saw a pair of tassles, which I thought would be really cute on the zipper. I didn't know what to do for handles and figured I'd worry about it later, then on my way out the door I spotted the large chunky beads and this beast was born.

It only took a handful of hours (3.5 at the most, I wasn't really keeping track). I call it Explosion because its a very, very busy purse, but I completely love it!

This is the purse as a whole:

The much necessary action shot:

A close up of the handles:

A close up of the zipper and the tassels:

I had so many requests for a tutorial on the blue and yellow checkered purse that this time I wrote up a tutorial as I worked on it and took clearer photos and better action shots. I just need to proof read it and then I'll post it. I'm hoping to have it up by the end of the day.

Halloween Stockings

2009-07-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year. Each year I go more and more out for the holiday and it is with great sadness that we can't decorate our classrooms for Halloween. All the same, I tried these as an experiment and somewhere along the line they became my Halloween Stockings.

I saw a pair of fishnet stockings, somwhere, online that was knitted with regular knitting needles. I thought, hmm... I bet I can do that with a knitting loom... and I did!

The back of the socks, laying side by side. They are sewn up the backs with orange ribbon and tied up in a bow on the top.

The back in action

The front side of the sock. In the cuff of the sock I sewed in elastic to hold the socks up.

I do intend to write up a pattern/tutorial for it.

Mr. Raines

2009-07-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Pretender (1996-2001) was a TV show on NBC that I fell in love with. One of my favorite characters and villans is Mr. Raines. Pure evil in every shape and form. I sketched out this pattern from a computer image I drew several years ago and tested some DMC colors. This is what I ended up with:

This will be one of the free patterns offered on my website, when I launch it.

Jumping on the Bandwagon

2009-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Knitters everywhere were making swiffer covers and I jumped on the bandwagon. It was pretty simple. Just knit a flat panel and sew up the sides and then slip it over the swiffer.

I'll probably make about a dozen more. I hate paying for those swiffer covers at the store. They are so expensive. Plus, these are more environmental friendly.

More Cross-Stitch

2009-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

I just love these mini cross stitch kits you find at the craft stores for $1.99. They are nice, quick projects to work on. I like to use them to take a break from the big projects I'm working on.

First up are the Disney ones: Ursula (from The Little Mermaid) and Piglet and Winnie Pooh from Winnie the Pooh

A second Disney batch: Little Nemo (Finding Nemo), The Wicked Stepmother (Snow White), Lightening McQueen (Cars), Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)

I Love Dogs:

I think the Racoon is absolutely adorable!

Star Wars Cross-Stitch

2009-07-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

See? I wasn't kidding, it is a big part of my life (even though I'm 24 years old!) Actually, these were cross-stitched many, many years ago but when I was googling online - instead of prepping for the next school year ;p - I stumbled across a Star Wars website that I I had built about 10 years ago. I had completely forgotten about it. On it I found these photos - I do still have the completed patterns.

They were supposed to be Christmas Ornaments, however, only the Jar Jar one has been made into an ornament (when I dig out my Christmas materials in November, I'll try to remember to take pictures and post it).

Here they are, in all its geekyness...

The Naboo Crusier:

Qui-Gon Jinn:

Jedi Master Poof: (my 2nd favorite Jedi Master... Ki Adi Mundi is my first ;p)

Darth Maul:

Lott Dod:

Jar Jar Binks: (This one has since been made into an ornament)

Battle Droid:

There is also a Queen Amidala one but she hasn't been finished (and still hasn't 10 years later!), when - well... if - it ever gets finished, I'll make sure to post it.

The Star Wars Collection

2009-07-12T14:26:00.001-07:00

Star Wars has always been a large part of my life. It was a big part of my middle school years and and some of the high school ones. I still remember the exact moment (I was about 10) when I was introduced to Star Wars (long story and maybe I'll share it another time). ANYWAY, before I leave you down the looney road of my brain, the point of the story. Back in my late elementary years and middle school years, Beadies (those critters made from pony beads) became famous. Everyone had them and kids like me were obcessed.

However, I couldn't find ANY Star Wars patterns anywhere. And I looked. Believe me, I LOOKED. So while sitting in Mr. V's English class in 8th grade (bored silly) I grabbed some notebook paper and started sketching out my very own Star Wars patterns.

Since I'm looking to launch my own craft pattern website/business (it will include both free items and items for purchase) I went looking for some of my old cross-stitch patterns and art work and stumbled upon these beadie patterns filed away along with my sketches. So I promptly converted them to the computer (to be shared soon) and went out and purchased about $12 worth of pony beads.

Here's the end result:

First up is Prince Xizor. The main villian of the Star Wars Novel Shadows of the Empire one of my favorite novels of the Expanded Universe. Hmmm... maybe I should go pick that up.

Four lightsabers: red, purple, green, blue

Mara Jade. Another character from the Expanded Universe. This was made before my anti-Mara era (about the time the NJO books were being published) and was based on a model photograph.

Jedi Luke from Return of the Jedi. I just love the little black glove. :)

Princess Leia's most famous look from A New Hope.

Princes Leia at the end of A New Hope in her ceremony outfit.

Princess Leia in her Ewok dress. I've always wanted one of these for myself. How sad is that?

A Jawa. Yes he is a little square, but they always - for some strange reason - bring a smile to my face.

Han Solo. My first love. :)

Darth Maul's double ended lightsaber. Simple but effective pattern.

This second Star Wars collection is entitled the Itty Bitty collection. These are minature versions of the ones above.

This is one of the very FEW prequel critters I completed. Remember these were designed just after the release of The Phantom Menance. Emperor Palpatine. I think he's so darn cute even if he is evil.

Itty Bitty Luke Skywalker in his farmer's outfit. I'll probably design a bigger farmer boy Luke at some point.

Itty Bitty Princess Leia. She's one of my favorites. Sssh... Don't tell.

Itty Bitty Han Solo

I will have photos coming within the next few days of Itty Bitty Jabba the Hutt, Itty Bitty Darth Maul, Itty Bitty Jawa, and Leia in her Hoth outfit and Endor command outfit.

What's Cookin?

2009-07-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've been working on quite a few different projects over the last few weeks, but haven't had time to either finish them or post them. My family was out visiting two weeks ago and then I was in Boston last week... I just returned on Tuesday.

So here's what I have for you: two new purses. The first one I did following a New Look pattern and the second I did without a pattern.

This is the first one, which I consider to be more of a tote bag than a purse.

The Pattern: (New Look 6391)

This was actually the first pattern I purchased because I wanted to try something easy. This was much harder than I thought it would be, BUT that was due mostly in part to the fact that I didn't know what interfacing was, or how to dart, or how to machine baste, etc. I spent a lot of time looking up sewing videos on the internet and calling my mom (who lives 2,000 miles away...)

The Purse:

I found both fabrics at Hobby Lobby in their fabric scraps bin. I love them but didn't know what to do with them at the time I purchased them.

A Close up of the fabric:

I just love it!

This second one was inspired by some purses I saw for sell at those booths in the mall. They had them in all different shapes and sizes (as well as matching wallets and cell phone holders) that ran for $50-$80. I saw them and thought "hey! I bet I could make those".

This beast, which I've been calling the "moster purse" has taken me the better part of two days. However, to my credit, I've never attached handles OR a zipper before.

Well... here it is in all of its glory:

The zipper. I messed it up a little on each end but considering that this was the first time I've ever sewen a zipper, I'm plenty darn pleased with myself.

And a few action shots...

I took pictures and made notes of the whole process for my reference, so at some point I will probably write up a tutorial for it.

Goombas rule my world

2009-05-28T21:27:00.001-07:00

I'm walking through Hobby Lobby and find their latch key materials on sale. Hmmm... haven't worked with that in a while. So then and there, in the middle of the store, I decide to make a Goomba pillow from latch key materials. I purchase my items, check out, and promptly return home to turn my cross-stitch/seed bead/perler bead pattern into a larger latchkey pattern. It turned out VERY small, but I very much love it.

I used my sewing machine to sew blue fabric onto the back (sorry I have no pictures of that) and stuff it. It took me MULTIPLE trys and reaping out seams to get it right (I kept catching the yarn between the two fabrics and sewing over them).

I am pleased, although it is small, with the end result.

And the photos:

Yes... it is VERY small

The 10,897 bead scarf!

2009-05-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here's the story: I love scarves. However I live somewhere where is about 100 degrees all year long. Not a good place to wear a scarf. Not at all. So I came up with this "bright" idea to make a scarf completely out of sead beeds. What a beast. It took me weeks (working on it here and there) to complete it.

It took 10,897 seed beads (about $6.00 worth of beads) and completed it is 4 feet and 11 inches long.

I told my boyfriend when I finished I was never doing another one. That was until I finished it:

An up close shot at the design:

Action shot:

Action shot of the length:

I think next I'm going to do a green and black belt. I've already go the method picked out as well as the design. Now I just need the materials...

Blue & Green Panels

2009-05-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

These four panels were painted to decorate my very, very blah and white walls in the bedroom in my apartment. First I painted each panel blue. After they dried I pushed all four panels together and dropped a bit of paint in the upper left corner and used my brush to brush it out in every direction. I repeated this for the next three corners.

Intially I wanted more circles and thinner lines but the end result reminds me of seaweed and for some strange reason... I LIKE IT!

Buttons = Love

2009-05-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

I love Law & Order. Always have, always will. I've always wanted an L&O T-shirt but never felt like spending $20 on one. My first thought was to iron on the logo, but then the other day I was playing with my button collection and had a thought. So I took a good long look at the logo on my computer and assigned each letter/symbol a color. Then I laid on the buttons on the back of a notebook first.

I then transferred the design over to the tank top. I put tacky glue on the back of each button and placed it on tank top. After this was done, I went back and hand-sewed each button into place and washed off the tacky glue.

The result:

And as always... an action shot

Button Choker

2009-05-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

Simple red, button chocker made with red buttons and red cross-stitch floss. Wore it work and my 6th grade students just loved it.

A close up shot

An action shot

I've got more work to share but am behind on taking pictures, so expect to see some more up in the next few days.

10 years later...

2009-04-22T21:31:00.001-07:00

First thing I did after getting my tax refund was buy a sewing machine from JoAnn Fabrics. For the past month its been sitting in the corner of my guest bedroom as my fears overtook my desires. Fear of the machine... fear of screwing up a project... but mostly fear of breaking the most expensive equipment I own (seriously! I paid less for my laptop than my sewing machine).

Then the amount of sewing patterns in my hobby cube starting to grow and overtake the box they were in - thanks 100% to JoAnn's Daffodil Dash where the Simplicity and McCall's patterns were only 99 cents - marked down from about $15.00!!! - and I was left with no choice, and my desires overcame my fears.

I had already begun purchasing the fabric, cords, and interfacing for some purses I wanted to make, but before I making the purse I knew I needed to practice my skills. So I picked up some buckle ends and ribbon. I put the two wrong ends of the ribbon together and sewed them - becuase I wanted to see the stitches.

Honestly... the stitching was really messy, but more importantly I survived the experience! Now all I want to do is run out to the store and buy more materials (even though I have plenty!) I will certainly need to buy more bobbins though... and something to store them all in.

Without further ado, the photos of my major accomplishment for the day. Forgive me. I am proud. Its been 10 years since I've used a sewing machine.

A shot of the whole belt:

Up close:

Forgive me for the closeup shot of my butt:

Tommorrow I plan to swallow my fear again and make my coffee/purse tote.

Starbuck's Destiny

2009-04-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

The second thing I made after getting my perler bead bucket from Michael's (after my turtle) was Starbuck's Mandala. At first I thought about turning it into a pendant but I thought a ring would be fun. I'll probably make a matching pendant and earrings to go with it.

I ran wire through two of the blue perler beads and strung blue seed beads underneath it to create the ring portion of it.

Sorry about the poor quality of photographs, my cameara is great for action shots, not for close ups.

So many uses...

2009-04-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this fantastic yarn at Hobby Lobby by Yarn Bee (I don't remember what it was called) and was marked down from 8.99 to 1.99 so I scooped up a ball of yarn... I wish I had purchased more. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make a belt out of it. But the belt can also be used at a scarf. I did four pegs on a knitting loom

Using it as a scarf:

Now as a belt:

And I had some leftover yarn and decided to make a necklace from it based on a necklace by Ralph from Crafster. You can see the Firefly inspired jewlery here.

Harry Potter Scarf Earings

2009-04-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

I saw this pattern for house scarf earrings at Leaky Cauldron and fell in love with them. My knitting skills however leave something to be desired, so I figured I'd make them from seed beads. They are five beads by 29 rows. I made them on my beading loom.

Here's the patterns I used in making these. Click on the picture for a large image. If I had somewhere to upload a PDF file, I would do so. For each house I used a different pattern - just playing with colors.

Just a side note: My favorite pattern is the one I used for the Slytherin scarf and the one I used for the Ravenclaw scarf.

Patches

2009-04-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

So I was walking through Hobby Lobby the other day and came across a Wall-E patch. I knew I had to have it. What would I do with it? I'm not sure. Then I remember a plain black hat I purchased from Wal-Mart to make a mushroom hat and BINGO... I decided to sew him on a black baseball cap.

It was about a 10 minute project but I love the end result. Wall-E is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Product Review

2009-04-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today while making my (almost) daily trip to JoAnn Fabrics I finally broke down and spent $4.99 + tax to buy the Boyle Loopy Scarf Tool.

It took me a while to get into the swing of it, but once I started it went fairly quickly. I used two strands of yarn, each of a different color. Both were Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. One strand of Petal Pink and another of Shocking Pink. I won't make that mistake again. My resulting scarf was THICK. Now, that would be all well and good if I didn't live in desert where its only cold enough to wear a thick scarf about 2 1/2 months out of the year... at the most.

Next time I'll use thin yarn for a thinner scarf.

The hardest part is securing the loops so that they don't unravel. I did both the binding technique and fabric glue that was suggested. No go. I dropped it and tried to pick it up and had a loop come undone. I'll have to figure out another way to secure the loops.

The directions given were kind of foggy and I'd prefer better techniques on how to bid off the loops so that they did not unravel. Overall though I would recommend this product to anyone who loves scarves. The final product is fun enough... both to make (though not finish) and to wear.

The scarf laid out

Me wearing it. Sorry about the poor photograph, but I was home alone and impatient to share.

A close up shot to show just how thick it is. Excuse my facial expression but this was about my 4th time trying to take this shot. I hate doing self-photographs.

Organization is Key

2009-04-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my boyfriend and I did some spring cleaning. My major goal was to organize my craft materials, which have gotten out of control. Especially all of my knitting looms. This is a simple, easy method, but its FANTASTIC for me because we're not tripping over my looms that are not curretly being used.

Nails, extra space in the guest bedroom closet, and there you go! Nice organized looms.

Loomed Hat

2009-04-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is much older but I still wanted to share because I remember just how proud I was when I was finished.

Mushroom Cuff

2009-04-04T09:57:00.001-07:00

Using black fabric, cross-stitch floss, and tear away cross-stitch fabric I made this mushroom cuff:

The cutting of the fabric was a little messy but you can't really see it unless you're looking at the underside of my wrist.

I plan to make a few more. This was the first time I've used the tear away fabric and it was harder than I thought it would be. My stitches are slightly uneven but I'll get better with practice.

Goomba Jewlery Cuff

2009-04-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

I love Mario Brothers. After seeing all these mario brothers crafts online I decided to make this loomed cuff. Using images from Retro Game Zone I sketched out a pattern for the goomba. The background is made from clear seed beads.

Perler Tetris Earrings

2009-04-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

I love perler beads. I just recently started using them again after a... 15 year hiatus or so. The color is toothpaste.

Tetris Magnets

2009-04-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

I saw Tetris Magnets Tutorial at Geek Crafts and I just knew I had to have a set. Someone commented on the post about trying these with legos and I stole the idea. I already had glue sticks (for my hot glue gun), magnet backs, and legos so I got straight to work.

I love the way these turned out.

American Flag Earrings

2009-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

These earrings were made from wire and seed beads. The pattern is from Beadie Critters

Jewelry

2009-04-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Necklace and Earring Set

I made this the other day from a kit I bought a Micahel's a zillion years ago.

Button Jewelry

2009-04-04T09:39:00.004-07:00

I've been seeing button jewelry on blogs and message boards and here's my own attempt:

The whole set

A close up of the necklace

A close up of the ring

An action shot of the earrings

Sadly, I don't have a close up or action shot of the bracelet. I was having a heck of a time getting it on at the time.

Teacher Charms

2009-04-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

I saw these buttons at Michael's and used them to create a teacher charm bracelet.

Loom Knitted Socks

2009-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Using Yarn Gear's Sock Tutorial I made a few pairs of socks.

This was my first attempt using just some scraps of yarn:

An action shot:

Yes I know "Holy crap they're bright!"

This pair is my favorite. I doubled up on the yarn to make them thicker and this is also my first attempt at changing colors:

The cuffs are a little loose but they don't slip down or off ever so that's good. Next time I'll try the rib stitch to tighten up the heel since I have such small ankles.

On this pair the cuff is made from fun fur.

I'm planning on making another pair in green.

First Flower Loom Creation

2009-04-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

Using provo crafts flower loom I created this from some stray ribbon and hot glued it to a pin back.

I think it'll look cute on one of my many pain black work shirts/t-necks.

Earrings

2009-04-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Just a few action shots...

Loom Knitted Jewelry

2009-04-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

I used Isela's Tutorial to make this bracelet. Its a little messy but I like it all the same. Not bad for a first attempt.

No Idea What to Call This

2009-04-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

BUT I LOVE IT!

It was knitted on the provocraft loom that has 31 pegs (my loom is pink). I made it from Red Heart Lifht and Lofty color 9965 Zebre Stripe. It took 2 skeins. I knitted a flat panel and then sewed the two edges together.

I went out and bought another skein so I can make long fingerless gloves to go with it.

Turtle Panels

2009-04-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

I painted these panels for my bathroom which is full of turtle stuff.
They sit on the wall above the towel rack.

Loom Knitting Rocks My World

2009-04-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

Braided Tube Scarf

Pattern by Provo Craft

I changed it slightly from their instructions, but I love it all the same. I wore it school right after I made it and my students (6th graders) just fell in love with it. They're always asking me why I'm not wearing it. I used all the tools listed on the pattern (I love provo crafts tools)

A close up of the braid:

This actually took me several attempts. I'd never braided five strands before.

Fingerless Gloves Attempt

This was my first attempt at fingerless gloves, my second "major" (at the time) project on the loom. They're a little too wide and not long enough but I learned from it and that's the important part. :)

The gloves in action:

Simple Jewelry

2009-04-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just a very simple set of jewelry. Its all about baby steps...

Crafty Bugger...

2009-04-04T08:59:00.001-07:00

After teaching myself to knit back in January/Feburary I opened up this entire new can of worms... I opened myself back up to the world of crafting. Too lazy to create a website, I opted to create a blog to display all my crafty little works.