Ever Herd Of Elephants?

Pun intended.

In trying to finish projects in order to pack my sewing machine, my home has been invaded by a pack of tiny pachyderms.  This is the one pattern that has totally been worth buying.  I have made so many little elephants.  Thanks Heather Bailey for making such a cute pattern!

These two for some coming baby boys.

 You can see the girl elephant, second from the left.

 There's something cute about a row of tiny pachyderm hineys.

This little guy is for one of my husband's attendings at work as a thank you.

Fittingly made from scrubs.

Now that these little guys and girls are done, my sewing machine is packed.

More projects to come from our new home.

Toy Mat

This is a Pinterest find courtesy of Freshly Pieced.  I simplified it and made it a little smaller, but the idea is brilliant.  It is perfect for toys that have a million pieces or that just need easier access for immediate playtime.  My youngest is newly obsessed with tea parties and play food, and my oldest likes to set up elaborate tea parties that eat up all the play time.  I saw this as the perfect solution.  And it's very inexpensive - price of two yards of fabric + cord from Hobby Lobby (about $2.99 - and it's way more than you need) + grommets and punch.

My mat turned out about 35 inches.

 I braided the cord so that it would be more durable and not get tangled. 

I love this fabric!

You can see how thrilled my youngest is.

Storage is a snap!  I could use a bunch of these.

Car Clean-up

I have become very annoyed with the state of my car lately.  It's always got a layer of wrappers, tissues, and empty drink bottles covering the floor.  I should be better at picking up after myself.  Two kids and an outdoor parking space has only increased this problem.  And with a deadline looming I decided to tackle the problem.  I made a trash bag for the car.  (Now, if I had not attempted this at a late hour I might have done it a little differently, but I was on a mission.) 

This is the finished product. 

     Twill exterior

     Laminated cotton interior

     Velcro closure to keep the stuff inside.

     Tie to hang from the head-rest of the passenger seat.

I should have taken a picture of the bag inside the car.  (Where it's doing a fabulous job, by the way.)  You will just have to take my word for it. 

Teacher Gifts

This was my first time trying to figure out what to do for my daughter's teachers.  I looked at so many good ideas via Pinterest.  They were all good, but I wanted to something more personal for them and from us. 

I found a free printable book plates from Lavender's Blue.  Then with a little adjustment in photoshop I made them extra special.  The lables were cute, but since the class were called the "leap frogs", I added a frog.

I wanted my daughter to have a hand in this gift.  After all she spent more time with them than I did.  I asked her to pick her favorite book from our shelf.  This is a great book!  A favorite of mine as well.  It's funny and has a very simple vocabulary - great for a kid going into kindergarten.  The teacher's loved it and hadn't already read it.

 Continuing with the leap frog theme we wrapped the books in green and made these funny little cards.  My daughter got to do most of the card work, except the detailed cutting. 

It was great to give something different to teachers that have done so much for my daughter this year.  I am very grateful for them.

Free Printables

I have been doing a lot of projects using Photoshop, lately.  I recently created some motivation charts for my oldest daughter.  They have really made a difference.  They are designed to print on an 8.5 x 11" paper.  Laminate them and you can reuse them with a dry erase marker. 

 Rose Chore Chart

Achievement Chart.

(I could offer a different color if there is an interest.)

I numbered the stars from 1 - 100.  We are tracking her allowance to help her earn the American Girl Doll she has her eyes on.

Leave me a message in the comments section if you would like me to email you the jpeg file.

Stuffies

I've been caught up in making stuffed animals and dolls lately.  I have yet to create my own pattern, so I can't take all the credit, but I really like them when they are done.  These have just been too much fun! 

 I liked this one so much I almost couldn't give it away.

 This one was just to see if I could do it.  Anyone need a platypus?  I think the next one I'll do will be bigger. 

Apples Continued

I don't know what it is about this fabric, but I really like it.  Go figure.  I'm trying very hard to complete projects and use fabrics from my stash, as it's slowly taking over my room. 

I found the idea for a wrap skirt here.  I thought it sounded like a good idea.  As always, I found a way to make it more complicated.  There wasn't enough apple fabric, so I added the dots.  And I made a wide bias tape to act as the tie.  Then I figured out why a wrap skirt is difficult for a four year old to wear.  So, I added a couple more "button holes" for the tie to act more like a belt.  It does a much better job.  Now I just have to teach my daughter how to sit in a skirt.  I guess I better do that before preschool starts anyway. 

It was a fun sew and very easy, even though I complicated it.  I think it would work better for an older girl or woman.  That's what I like about this tutorial - it lets you adjust it for your measurements.  The shirt was something I made up.  It was an experiment.  Thanks to Target, it was only a $5 experiment.

A Tight Leash

My daughter had a great time playing with her stuffed animals.  With the dog stuffies she needed leashes, of course.  She had been using one of my belts.  I only had one and there are more than one dog, so I promised her I'd make her some. 

 I found some 'D' rings in my stash, added some ribbon (just measured to my daughter's waist), minimal sewing and Ta-Da!  Super easy!  And in no time at all (the attention span of most kids), an accessory for the puppy stuffies.

The very same idea can be used to make a belt for kids.  Age 4 or 5 might even be able to undo them for potty breaks.

Sweet and Sour - Candy Apples

 Or, so I am told.  The whole not eating fruit thing makes me about the last person who should post about a fruit based treat, so I am going on the recommendations of my husband and daughter.  I wanted to make these for preschool graduation, but the original attempt completly flopped. 

The idea was to do a carmel apple, so I googled it, watched an episode on Food Network, and looked at dozens of recipes.  And I learned something:  cooking is not like sewing.  You can't just combine a bunch of ideas and have it turn out.  At least I can't.  I am now a by the recipe kind of girl. 

That wasn't the end of my stuggles. I didn't have a 'melon baller', so I picked one up at the grocery store. (Again, my lack of expertese with fruit would have been helpful here.) Well, about 10 apple balls into the project, it broke. You don't really need the handle, but it certainly helps. Then the caramel only kind of stuck to the apple, because it usually sticks to the skin of an apple, I ran out of sprinkles, and in the end the caramel stuck better to the paper wrappers than the apples.

It leaves such a funny looking apple at the end :)

Bound an determined to make this recipe work, I just cut up an apple and tried it with the melted peanut butter chips suggested by the recipe.  Remember:  I'm a recipe follower now and again without a 'mellon baller'.  They aren't as cute at the round ones, but my daughter ate them happily. 

The melted chips are much more kid friendly, too.  They don't have to be as hot as the caramel.

I am hoping to do more fun ideas like this during the summer. 

Preschool Graduation

The rotation of our preschool group fell to me.  I enjoyed searching the Internet for ideas that would be easy enough and fun for the kids, but enjoyed by the parents.  I like how it turned out, but I am biased.  I think the kids enjoyed it.

First up: caps
      yarn
     cardstock
     styrofoam bowl ( I couldn't find any paper ones, just dessert plates)
     large eye needle

Second: the program
I had the kids each say a line from this little poem.  And we learned a little song.  Short and sweet and even that was hard to handle at an outdoor venue. 

Poem:
Graduation Poem

Original Author Unknown
Do you remember way last fall
When I was only just this tall?
Now look at me! I'm up to here!
And my, I've learned alot this year!
In fact, you think I'm really great!
That's why I get to graduate!

Song:
Fun In Preschool

Sung to: “I'll Be Working on the Railroad”
I've been having fun in preschool,
Learning all year long..

I can tell you all about it,
Just listen to this song.

We've been learning shapes and colors,
Letters and numbers too!

I've learned how to share with others,
Now our year is through!

Both ideas were not my own and you can find more like them here.

The Girls' Room

Audrey got some fun paper dolls to decorate for her birthday.  She worked really hard on them and has been very proud of them.  They were taking up a little too much space on the top of the dresser, so I told her we'd display them.  When we got around to putting up these shelves for the girls, (that we've had since November)  it was a perfect place to put the dolls.  And I can change the decor if we get tired of it or she can play with them. 

Karin's side was finally finished today, too.  I just got around to painting the K bright pink.  I've had that K since before Audrey was born.  I bought the K and A at the same time because we had two names picked out for girls.  I knew we would use both of them.  Now we've used them up.  The pictures are things that are important to me or things I want my girls to grow up seeing - a picture of Christ, You Are My Sunshine print from here, a print of my favorite Georgia O'Keeffe painting and a frame to be filled later.  I like the shelf for the non-committal format.  We can change anything at any time.  It's a good thing to have in a child's room.  Their interests change so often.  The shelf is from ikea.

Granny Smith Set

I've been feeling a little bad about the fact that Karin just doesn't have as many gifts made by me.  I know she doesn't know any better now, but when she gets older and looks back, I don't want her to feel bad. 

When I saw this little outfit on sale I scooped it up, but decided it was a little plain.  So, I added the apples and whipped up a matching burp cloth.  I love Karin in yellow!  It works well with her skin tone and she can always use another burp cloth. 

Birthday Party Creations

This year Audrey decided on a Pirate Girl theme for her birthday party.  It makes sense if you know the song - They Might Be Giants Here Come the One, Two Threes "Pirate Girls Nine".  We sing it in the car all the time and it's one of our favorites.  As soon as she said it I knew just how to do a cake for her.  I had had done one several years ago for Matt's birthday.  (Yes, we like Pirates that much at our house.)

Then I got really creative.  These are just a few things I did for the party.  I loved how things turned out and the kids told me they had fun.  That's high praise.  Lucky for me it was fairly low key - cake, ice cream, and one game at the park.  The kids took care of the rest of the fun.  I think I'm going to make this a tradition.

 What Pirate Girl would be complete without an eye patch?

 The clues for the scavenger hunt, written in Pirate, of course.  It was a photo scavenger hunt since most the kids couldn't read.  I read them the clues they found, but the picture gave them a better idea of what they were looking for.

 The treasure chest for the end of the scavenger hunt.  I found this idea online and it was one of the simplist and best ideas.  It took me 3 minutes and if the kids tear it up, big deal.  The treasure inside were jeweled ring pops to continue with our theme.  Oh, and the kids shreaded it to get to the candy.

 The base for the cake.  I think some who saw it still aren't sure just how I did it, so now you know.

 The cake was a simple 9x13 chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered with gold and jewels.

 An upclose look at those delicious jewels.  Yes, those are jewel shaped Gushers in there, too.   I thought it was a little weird addition, but the kids loved them.  And if you ever need kids to do something, chocolate coins are a HUGE hit!

 The final product.

I had to stick my hand in there to show you it's a functioning lid to the chest.  Just don't let it flop back, you'll smudge the frosting.

 This is the only project I didn't get to finish in time for the party.  It would have looked so cute strung up between the posts on the pavillion at the park.  (Too bad we didn't get to use the pavillion either.  We were the 3rd birthday party at the park that night.)

A close up of the fabric.  It matches the pillowcase I made for the birthdays at our house (probably excluding the one boy, since it's pink).  I loved how it turned out, I just have to wait another 8 months before we can use it. 

The best part of this birthday is that I managed to pull it off for under $100.  Hooray for homemade!

Birthdays

Grown-ups are sometimes hard to shop for and can be even harder to make something for.  So, when I found this pattern online, I snatched it up.  But the site I bought it from never sent me the pattern, so I made my own.  This is 100% my design.  And if the recipient likes them, they are totally reusable.  I love how they turned out and how economical they are.  (I won't give that away since they were gifts.)  I love it when things turn out.  Now I need one.

New Tradition

I'm starting a new tradition in my house.  I made a pillowcase for the girls to use on their birthday.  It's a silly little thing to make them feel special on their special day.  Some families have a special plate, we have a pillowcase.  I wonder if something like this would sell on etsy? 

I'm planning on making a matching reusable birthday banner, too, but we'll see what comes of this week.

Baby Boy

I have a hard time deciding what to make for little boys sometimes and what fabrics to choose.  I recently received these items for my own baby and have really enjoyed them and gotten comments on how cute they are.  (Thanks, Brooke!)  So I decided to make them for a friend who was having a little boy.  My friend has a ton of sewing and crafting talent although she is very modest.  But I love what she comes up with, including her own pattern for things.  I am inspired by her, so I used what I've learned from her and created the above car seat cover and car seat blanket.  I'm really only brave enough to create flat patterns, but I loved how they turned out.  And I got to make and use bias strips for binding, which is my recent obsession - ask anyone who has received a baby present from me lately.  Anyway, I'm glad they turned out well, and they really weren't difficult.  And I liked the fabric and have heard she does, too.  Bonus!  This is definitely something I can repeat.

One Last Project

I always think of something I want done before I leave town.  Usually it's not this easy and it gets left behind.  There hasn't been much time for projects with a new baby, so this had been waiting for a spare moment.  The binki holder was super easy, but much needed.  I ordered the clasps from the Sassy Paci Botique a little ribbon and voila!  It's nice to have something cute to attach to these enormous binkis that both my kids have used.

The barrettes were done this summer but I don't think I have posted a picture so far.  They look really cute in Audrey's hair. 



Sewing Up A Storm

The end of the year always has a lot of projects in store for me. This year was no exception. I have had to slow myself down though because I can't cut out fabric on the floor like I usually do.

 

This was a jumper I made for Audrey to match the adorable Puddle Jumpers Shoes my Mom picked up for me. They are so cute. And since Audrey still has trouble pronouncing "squirrel" it was too funny not to make her a squirrel jumper. She looks great in it.

I told myself that I wasn't going to get around to doing a Christmas dress for Audrey this year.  I knew what I still had on my plate and with a baby on the way anytime now, I was sure I wouldn't get around.  But then I felt bad and visions of what I could create kept me awake at night even when my bladder wasn't.  So, I went to fabric store and picked up all the supplies for $16.  Not a bad price for a Christmas dress!  I took it as a sign and started sewing.  It is a compilation of 3 different patterns.  It was an experiment that worked.  That doesn't happen to me often.  And I got to learn how to make a couple different kinds of flowers.  Only one of them made it into the final dress.  Since her favorite colors are now dark pink, brown and black I managed to talk her into this fabric combination.  Luckily I have a little girl who enjoys picking out things at the fabric store.

This was a really fun project! It was almost totally done on my new serger! I found instructions on how to make a baby hat out of an old sweater. However, loving my sweaters as I do, I was unwilling to part with any of them. So, I purchased a sweater dress from a local discount store and made 3 hats out of it. Then I added pom-poms out of matching yarn. It was a very productive hour and a half!

This I just finished today. These are the blankets I have made for the new baby. Audrey still sleeps with the blankets that I made for her. Now that this is done and Christmas has only to be wrapped I can relax and wait for the baby.

There are two other projects that I have completed in the last month. However, they are Christmas gifts, so I'll post after they are unwrapped.

Whew! What a busy 2 months!


Becoming 'Belle'

A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders... the Halloween costume is finished!  I am so happy with how it turned out!  It was not the easiest time I've had, seeing as my girl is so skinny I had to do quite a bit of tailoring.  It was my first time using a McCalls pattern and it was a little more complicated than Simplicity patterns.  The only problem was the sleeve.  I couldn't figure it out, so I scrapped it and made my own.  The pattern didn't have the second row of ruffles or the shawl around the top, but I've seen a lot Belle lately (we got the movie) and I thought it made it look more like the 'real' dress.

I made Audrey try it on and be my mannequin while I did the ruffling and pinned the hem.  It was a lot for a three-year-old to do.  But the pay off came when I had been finished for about ten minutes.  She had this gleam in her eye as she studied it (ala Project Runway) and said "It just needs one more thing."  Then she proceeded to pick out necklaces and bracelets to go with it for the next 20 minutes.  It made all the hard work worth it!

Bonus:  I got to use my new serger!  It's really fast and it scares me a little.

Getting Around To Things

With a baby coming before next year (probably) I have a desire to finish up old projects.  Only one of these fits into the that category.  But I am trying to complete my things to do list, since I will probably be otherwise occupied at the begininng of next year. 

Clutter busting.  Cute clips have been accumulating for some time now and I'm trying desperately trying to contain it.  The good news is it's a super easy project and very inexpensive.  All you need is a shape for the top, a picture hanger (the kind with the teeth), a grosgrain ribbon, and a glue gun.  I got the butterfly at Hobby Lobby already painted ($0.67) and the whole thing was done in about five minutes.  Cross another one off my list!

These have been a year in the making.  Well, sort of.  I saw something like this on my friend Ashley's blog last year and I started saving jars right away. (Ashley got it from these two blog entries - here and here.)   Of course I can't just do it like everybody else.  I had to make adjustments.  I am very happy with how they turned out.  Who would have guessed that I would like Modge Podge?  Halloween decor: check.