Gift Ideas

I know we are just kissing summer goodbye, but trust me it will be the "mad" holiday rush before you know it! I've decided to make random "Gift Idea" posts. Ones that I can dog ear and have readily available when I actually park myself in front of the sewing machine. My aim this year to actually begin these projects BEFORE Christmas Eve!

Some gift ideas swirling around this head of mine look a little something like these:

Pocket Book Cover from Crazy Quilt Mom

Dishtowels from Anthropologies,
or similar to these from Anna Maria Horner

And because I'm still not over my "house love"

{pics from my summer travels}, I would like to rifle through my scrap basket and make some more like these.

Hoodie

This was a custom order, special request, and I sent it out Wed. I think it turned out pretty rockin'.

The Nappy Bag

Don't you love that fabric?? I taught mi amiga the sewing basics the other day and together we created this diaper bag. We hit lots of speed bumps ie: not enough fabric, 3~3 yr olds, and the flu, but the end result is pretty snazzy??? It's the Nappy bag from Amy Butler. Then we used our "crafty leftovers" to make the matching burp cloth. You know me and scraps! Mi amiga was a stellar pupil. All that teaching started the wheels a turnin' for this summer's sewing camps...hmmm who? when? what? where? Summer will be here before you know it!

This is tentative, but I know I will have a ladies' class and a teen's class. I don't know if we'll do summer craft camps this year or not??? If you want to keep it place your vote now!

P.S. Is anyone else on blogspot having trouble posting pics? I've tried to post a dozen pics today and this is the only one I can get to post????

Do You See the Potential?

Trash to treasure, baby. Check out this chair someone was getting rid of on garbage day. I saw it, did a u-y and grabbed it. I think I will spray paint it white and make a seat cushion out of this great sparkly red vinyl I saw at High Fashion Fabrics. It's so great on it's own, I want to resist the urge to over do it.

My little muchkin insists that it's a chair for Herman. This is herman! I don't think Herman will be with us for long, so until I can undergo a new makeover project I'll let Herman hang out in the totally awesome brimming with potential chair.

Speaking of makeover projects, do you remember this post? I was nominated as a finalist! Thank you, Danielle. There were four finalist in my category (fabric...of course). Most categories had a winner and one runner up. My category had a winner and TWO runners up. I was neither the winner nor the 1st or 2nd runner up. I really, really lost, nah we'll call it "fourth place". Pretty exciting none the less, and my coffee table does STILL LOOK AWESOME (and protect noggins)!

Baby Quilts

These are ready to head out. These are my first two "completed" baby quilts. The pictures turned out yucky, but now the quilts are all packaged up and I can't retake the photos. They were made from the Moda American Jane collection. http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/ItemList--American-Jane-Fabrics--m-23_36_592.html

These quilts are farm-friendly. They make you want to rise early, put on your apron and gather chicken eggs or milk Daisy the milk cow. They are so cute. I can't wait to send them to the new babies coming into our life, expected to arrive this summer.

This apron is for a newly-wed friend, Rachel. Want to read a cute book? Check out her novel.

We'll call this apron "Domestic Bliss". This is what I give all my newly-wed friends. The "Domestic Bliss" gift basket. It usually includes one item off their registry in the kitchen section, a housekeeping magazine or book, and an original Jed's apron. Every now and then I get really lucky and score a vintage housekeeping book. Those are to be treasured. Oh they are fabulous. You know the kind that say things like, "Make sure you have the children in bed, your make-up fresh, and dinner hot for your husband when he gets home." Like the 6 o'clock hour isn't hard enough without all that extra pressure! I've even read one that said, "You have friends coming over for dinner and you feel a bit frazzled should you take a Valium or have a drink? The answer was a Valium because no one would smell it on your breath." Can you believe that craziness?? Anyhow, I think they make for fine wedding shower gifts. :) Very tongue-n-cheek, let's all be delusional, gift baskets.

Domestic Diva

These just out. Some charming wedding shower invitations for my friend Vanessa. It combined aprons and vintage images, two of my favorite things.

And speaking of aprons...the Pocket Gallery is up at Tie One On . I played around with some scraps and was planning on turning them into pockets for an apron that I would submit, but I never got around to it. A project for another day, I guess. Amy Karol of Tie One On/Angry Chicken also has a new book out that I'm dying to get my hands on. If I'm not mistaken her book came out the same week she had her 3rd daughter. WOW! I'm always inspired by those successful, crafty moms.

Summer Projects with Kids

Is it just me...my kids are crazy!?! They have completely forgotten how to entertain themselves. They take anything I'm using at the moment. And no matter how full the day was, they still complain. My five year old says to me, after a day of blueberry picking, swimming, gardening, building blocks, and watching a movie (whew) "you never play with me." Being the guilt-laden mother I am I instantly felt a sharp twinge of pain in my heart. But hours later after I digest those manipulative words more completely, I realize she cannot entertain herself. I am to blame, though, I have overindulged my children. Because of guilt, guilt that I must make my children content, confident, and happy I have robbed them of their ability to self soothe, self rely, and think creatively. No more, tomorrow is a new day! Mom's, don't feel guilty when you need to do things around the house, or for yourself that don't involve your children. As long as you give your children a healthy portion of your time, you do not need to feel responsible to give your children ALL of your time. When you leave them to their own devices you are allowing them time to get to know themselves, to be comfortable with down-time, and foster their own interest. Such valuable life long skills.

However, if you need some crafty activities to do with your kids on a hot summer's day. Here are some great ones to beat the heat with:

http://getcrafty.com/columns/west_coast_crafty/january_07_getting_crafty_with_kids.php

http://kiddley.com/


Whole sites dedicated to getting crafty with your kids.

This is next on my list. I remember doing this with my mom as a kid. I've been looking for directions for a while, and here they are.

(photo by Anne Margaret )


Crayon Cookies (don't worry, keep reading):


Supplies:
*all your broken bits of crayons (use all the same brand)
*muffin pan
*oven preheated to 300 degrees
Instructions:

1. Peel the paper off the broken crayons and break into small pieces (approx .5in -1 in.)


2. In each muffin tin mix 2-3 highly contrasting colors of broken crayons.


3. Melt in the oven for approx 5-10min. Watch until the crayons become liquid.


4. Set out on counter to cool. Wait until they have hardened again, and then


5. Put them in the freezer for approx 30 min. They should pop right out of the muffin pan.

Helpful Tips:

• don't overfill the muffin tins, that will get too messy


• put a cookie sheet under the muffin pan while in the oven


• these make great gifts for your kids friends


• gives new life to your tattered box of broken crayons

Hope it's fun. If you make these send me some pics and I'll post them. If you do any thing crafty with your kids this summer send pics and I'll post them. Parent's unite, we need the resources, right? It takes a village. :)

The Sewing Machine Beckoned...

After a week of lounging and "catching up" around the house (a job that is never completed), the sewing maching began to call my name. This time it called ALL the girls!

This fall when we were in Seattle, my whole family fell in love with the Ugly Dolls. http://www.uglydolls.com/
So the girls decided to make a version of their own. They designed, and I executed! Fun project!