the path less traveled market

and the winner is ....

2012-02-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

(I had E.G. help pick the number)

... number 5!

Congratulations Vanessa!

For the rest of you who didn't win (and I really wish I had time to send you each a garland for Valentine's), you can use the code
"LOVE12" for free shipping on any order until February 29th. : )

xoxoxo

a giveaway!

2012-02-06T10:47:00.002-05:00

And ooo, just in time for Valentine's Day, too!

I'd like to offer one of my 8-foot Romantic Heart Garlands in red to one of you sweet readers <3

Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to enter! (pretty easy :D)
For a second chance, click over to my shop and then leave a comment telling me what might go on to your wishlist.
And for a third chance? Share the giveaway! (and then leave a comment here letting me know that you shared and where)

The winner will be posted here on Thursday <3 {giveaway closed}

for your Valentines

2012-02-04T15:48:00.000-05:00

This was going to be a home-made Christmas gift post to go with my little mini-series from the Christmas before, but it's quite a bit after Christmas already (how in the world did that happen? and I was even planning a year re-cap post ... whoops!). So now it's a "just in time for Valentine's Day" post. : )

Have you seen the idea from Martha Stewart where you take a quilting hoop and make it into a card wreath? There are really excellent step-by-step instructions on her site, so I won't try to replicate them here. : )
I made one a few years ago, and this last Christmas I made two for my sisters-in-law. Notice the gold ribbons? I did that on purpose - not only will they be great for display Christmas cards neatly, but they will also work really well for displaying Valentines, Easter cards, or even family photos. We live a distance from some of our family, and pinning up photos of Grandpa, Grammie and Aunts and Uncles really helps the little ones with being able to associate a face with the voice on the other end of the phone. : )

So there you have it! A belated post saved from being deleted! Or rather, a special project just in time for Valentine's Day <3

xoxoxo

(I'm linking this at a few of these blogs {link here} - check them out for lots of crafty Valentine ideas!)

just a little update

2012-02-04T14:59:00.004-05:00

because, well, I've been pretty bad about that lately. : )

- Kind of fun: two items from the shop got featured in an Etsy weddings email last Wednesday! (I snagged the above screen shot from it - if you click on it, you can see the entire email)

- Even more fun: I keep getting busier and busier! which means more money for projects that have been needing to get done around the house (yay!) but also means that I've been having to juggle my time and priorities to get everything done (and blogging has definitely become lower on the list - so sorry)

- Even more fun than that: because of the increase in sales in the last few months, I was just able to donate $300 to Samaritan's Purse - amazing, isn't it?! (did you know that I donate 10%? no? well, I do : ), so that means that by buying goodies for yourself you are actually sending money to help those in extreme need - a huge win all around!)

Anyway, just wanted to pop by and tell you that. Now I'm off to sew a few more garlands before the kiddos wake up. If I don't stop by sooner (and I really do plan to, but, well, you are all keeping me rather busy mailing out orders), happy Valentine's Day!

xoxoxo

Angel Cakes

2012-01-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

Angel Cakes in San Francisco bought some of the cupcake toppers and now they're including them in their Valentine's special!

If you live in the San Francisco bay area and are looking for a new cupcakery, Angel Cakes looks pretty wonderful - I wish I lived close enough to visit (or that they delivered to Indiana - that would be nice, too)!

something exciting!

2012-01-17T16:52:00.001-05:00

Do you remember me mentioning a while back that there was some exciting news coming? No? Well, it was way back in November, and I can hardly remember it myself. : )

Well, anyway, way back then someone from this magazine contacted me, asking if I would be interested in allowing them to feature some of the garlands in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue, and if so, could I send them some sample garlands? Well, after squealing just a bit (Em and Ian didn't know what to think of me!), I responded with an "of course!".

Do you see it? (the garland, not the chipped nail polish ;) )

Look at that! My first time getting featured in print! : )

and then, a few pages later, they featured another one!

Their stylist has such a great flair! I love how they twisted white twinkle lights with the music notes, making them even more delightful.

I've been having such a hard time waiting to share this with you all (I wanted to wait until the issue had hit the news stands), and have even more great shop related news to share! Even though John and I have been praying for God to grow the business, it still amazes me and catches me off guard a bit when He does. : )

Stay tuned!

Style Me Pretty

2012-01-12T10:23:00.001-05:00

A while back a bride from Ireland bought some of my Romantic Vintage Garlands, and her wedding was just featured on Style Me Pretty!

image found here

I really love how the bride used them along with some other garlands for a rich and layered feel - and that she hung them vertically too. <3
It always makes my heart happy to be able to see photos of how customers have used and loved their purchases!

By the way, if you (or someone else) feature photos and links of your purchases from the shop and you then send me a link to it, I'll send you a coupon. : ) Thanks and love to you all!

my first Pottery Barn knock-off

2011-12-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

I finally did it - I made my own Pottery Barn pillow. I've seen bunches of Pottery Barn inspired things that other people have made, and I've finally joined their ranks. And I'm so glad! A few weeks ago the Christmas version of their catalog came in the mail and I quickly thumbed through it for decor ideas, and, to make sure that I wouldn't get too tempted to buy anything, I even stood by the trash can while I did it so I could just toss it in when I was finished.

And then I saw the photo of the poinsettia pillow. The one that was made of linen and had a white, fleecy looking poinsettia stitched on it. With gold bells. And I knew I could make one. For free. : )
So, I tore out the page and tossed the rest.

I dug through my fabric boxes for the linen and fleece and got the bells out of the Christmas box and got to work (and then got interrupted by small voices letting me know that nap time was over).

Over the next week I cut out 18 petals: 6 large, 6 medium and 6 small. I made up a simple envelope style pillow cover and one evening stitched the petals to it with white embroidery floss while John and I watched a movie. The next day I put the bells on during nap time and voila - it was done!

It was easier than I expected it to be, even though it took longer than I thought it would. (funny how mothering little ones can take up your time :D). I love the result, and am delighted to have added something else to our Christmas things.

gift certificates!

2011-12-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

The shop has gift certificates now! I've added 3 different versions: $20, $50, and $100. They're a perfect way to give a gift that you know they'll love - because they were able to choose it themselves. : )

a little update - and a coupon!

2011-11-29T16:09:00.001-05:00

Hi there!

Just wanted to pop in and let you all know that I have a coupon code that you can use in the shop for 15% off of your order - just enter "THANKSGIVING2011" at checkout. : ) It's valid until Thursday (sorry I forgot to tell you all until now - oops!) and you can share it with anyone!

Also, I'm working on a logo for the shop and some business cards too. It's still a work in progress, but I think I'm getting close to the idea I have in my head. : ) It'll be so fun to have them finished!

p.s. there's some exciting shop news coming up - stay tuned.

Pinning away!

2011-10-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of Pinterest? Do you have an account? (If not, contact me and I can send you an invite - it's so handy and tons of fun!)

One of my friends back in California told me about it quite a while ago when it was starting up, and a few months ago I remembered and signed up. Now I'm finding it hard to believe that I had spent years using the internet without it!

Pinterest has almost completely replaced the folders from the bookmarks on my taskbar, and I love that I can see the images that go along with the links that I've "pinned". If you'd like to check out what I'm loving online or follow along with me, click {here} to head over. : )

knitting again

2011-10-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

This summer has been pretty busy with Etsy orders and moving and my knitting got set aside for a while. I picked up the needles again a few weeks ago though. (so glad I did - had really been missing it)
The little ones and I were going to the pumpkin patch with our MOPS group on a Monday and I found this pattern {here} for a hat for Ian {on Pinterest here} the Friday before.
I had both orange and green yarns in my stash, he didn't have any warm hats that still fit (he has an amazingly large head), and so I set to work!

It knit up beautifully and was finished in time for Em to model it while "helping" John rake leaves. : )

The hat fits Ian beautifully and he loves it! Now I need to make one for Emma Grace (she seems to think I made it for her and can't understand that it actually belongs on her brother's head). : )

{I'm linking this up on a few of these blogs}

lovely limitations

2011-10-29T13:16:00.004-04:00

Have any of you read The Nesting Place bog? If not, you might enjoy clicking over. Right now she is finishing up a series of blog posts titled 31 Days of Lovely Limitations. Her series is inspired by this quote from Henri Matisse:

Her version of that quote goes like this:

Now, isn't that true? We (or at least, I) want to make a lovely home for our families, but usually have a rather small (or tiny) budget to bring it to reality. So we improvise with what we have. : )

I've been finally getting pictures hung up around our new house (I didn't tell you that we had moved? Or that I might not be posting for a bit? No? Hmm. ... guess that post must still be in the "drafts" section) and came across this frame that had gotten some red wax splattered on it.
It used to sit next to a red candle that, well, splattered once when I was blowing it out and the stain stuck. The spots weren't too obvious where I had had it in our apartment, but when I hung it in our bedroom in the house the spots stood out to me like a sore thumb.
I thought about taking it down and putting it somewhere else, but it really completed the wall. So .... then I remembered the Nester talking about working within our limitations, almost celebrating them.
And I remembered that I had some lovely old lace that a customer had sent me. (can you see what is about to happen here?)

A bit of glue and a few minutes later and we had a solution!

Ta da!

The problem was fixed and the frame is lovelier than it was before. Yay!

{I'm linking this up on a few of these blogs}

Sweet Hearts

2011-08-20T10:06:00.003-04:00

I just added a new item to the shop - Heart Cupcake Toppers!

They are so sweet, and would be darling to use for birthdays, wedding baby showers, a special tea with friends .... or just to dress up your morning muffin. : )

I have plans to add ones made from music paper, red ones and maybe more - I'll keep you posted!

Thank you so much for following along with me here on the blog. I haven't been the most regular of bloggers - leaving you hanging for weeks on end sometimes - but I do deeply appreciate all of you who click over and read occasionally. : )

Also, the shop has had almost 300 orders (I can barely believe it! God has been so good.) and to thank the person who places the 300th, they are going to get free shipping on their order! (the shipping fees will be refunded once the transaction has cleared)
Please feel free to share the news with your friends! :)

garlands

2011-08-14T12:46:00.004-04:00

It's really fun to realize that some of the things in the shop are getting featured on websites and blogs (a huge thank you to all the wonderful people featuring them!!!). It brings a huge smile to my face. : )

I was so excited this afternoon to see that it had happened again last week! The blog that carried that post is called It's A Brides Life (here's the post). The author was writing about Etsy wedding decor and included the Romantic Vintage Hearts garland. :)

Scrolling through some of the posts reminded me of the hours I spent getting ideas from wedding blogs 4 years ago. *sigh* It was so much fun!

dolly diapers

2011-07-30T18:05:00.001-04:00

Emma Grace is in sweet stage where she loves her dollies. She loves taking care of them, making them "talk", holding their hands and making them "walk", asking for treats (real ones) for them to eat (and she then finishes what they don't, of course).

And of course, diapering them. It was getting to the point where she was using more (real) diapers and wipes on them than I was on her some days! So, now her dollies have their own special diapers and wipes which are reusable (and so much cheaper!). :)

I found the pattern for the diapers on Skip To My Lou, and got the idea for the wipes over here. I used flannel for the wipes (which I haven't taken a photo of) and just zigzag stitched the sides.

It's so sweet to see her lay her baby doll down for a change and then talk to her all the while. : ) Maybe someday I'll get a video of it so I can remember ... : )

a lacey heritage

2011-07-05T17:59:00.002-04:00

My great-aunt sent me a package that was almost overflowing with wonderful handmade lace pieces.
The best thing about this lace? It was made by my great-grandma and great-great-grandma.

Isn't it just amazing?

Aunt Noelle sent it for me to use, and I will. : )

Maybe to edge some dresses and tops for Emma Grace, maybe on some decorative pillows too. Even though I almost want to wrap these pieces in tissue and preserve them, this lace was meant be to be seen and enjoyed!

Aunt Noelle, thank you so much for the package. It was an honor to receive!

By the way, I'm sharing this post by linking up on a few of these blogs - you might enjoy checking them out. :)

hello again : )

2011-06-23T18:29:00.003-04:00

It's June 23 and Summer has officially been here for 2 days. And I haven't blogged since May 14 - yikes!

I had every intention of posting a new silhouette in the shop for Father's Day, using the one that I was making as John's gift as the example. Um .... I got his done on Father's Day afternoon. Definitely not in time to post.
His dessert this year was a Strawberry Upside-down Cake (recipe from here) and it was delicious. : )

Emma had seconds. : )

Blurry, but the best shot of John and the little ones from the day.

Father's Day was relaxed, fun and John got showered with loves from our children. He's such a wonderful daddy, and their love is proof of that!

So, yes, I have plans to post about all that I've been doing during the silence on this blog. And it's been a lot!

kind of fun :)

2011-05-14T17:19:00.001-04:00

can you see my garland up in the middle?

The Vintage Music Hearts Garland was featured in a treasury called "Daddy's little birthday girl" this morning, and that treasury has been on the front page of Etsy's treasury section all day! Kind of fun. : )

something new?

2011-04-04T11:35:00.002-04:00

-image source-

I just love the brides who order from thePathLessTraveled.
Not only is it fun to fill their orders for their coming weddings, but many of them have wonderful ideas of things that they'd like to see if I can make for them - often giving me ideas of new things to add to the shop (remember this post?)!

One such bride asked if I could make her some fabric streamers - of course I can! She sent along the photo shown above to give me an idea of what she had in mind: soft colors, maybe some lace too.
It sounds so lovely, so fluttery and romantic.

So what do you think? Add something like them to the shop? Would you enjoy using fabric streamers?
I'm king of thinking of using some instead of or with the classic crepe paper ones at Ian's first birthday. I could then roll them up and save them to use over and over - or maybe hang them across his bedroom ceiling. :)

my creative space today: sewing for baby

2011-03-31T09:39:00.001-04:00

We had a new nephew show up a few nights ago (so proud of you Leah! and so looking forward to meeting the little guy!) and so yesterday I quickly pulled out the material that I had stashed to make his blanket. :)

The blanket is brown minky on one side and a JoAnn's print on the other. I used the Scallop Baby Blanket pattern from Bend-the-Rules Sewing (such a fun book - if you haven't thumbed through it yet I highly recommend it!).

Brett's blanket is coming together quickly - now all I need to do is run it through the wash to get all the extra fuzz off and wrap it up for the little guy. :)

you find more creative inspiration over here today

my creative space today: wedding orders

2011-03-22T20:12:00.001-04:00

Right now I'm up to my elbows in wedding orders like this:

and this:

and I'm loving it.
Filling all these orders for Spring weddings (plus being wife and mommy) is keeping me crazy busy right now, but I'm loving it. :)

you can see more creative spaces over at kootoyoo :)

vernal equinox - Spring is here!

2011-03-20T20:06:00.002-04:00

Today it's official - Spring is here! The grass is getting greener, the buds on the trees are starting to swell and Easter is coming ...... just thinking about it makes me happy!

(and Peeps are back in the store, too :D)

we have a winner!

2011-03-17T18:10:00.001-04:00

I'm so sorry that this didn't get posted until today, but we do have a winner for the CSN Stores giftcard giveaway!

I used random.org to find our winner:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
There were 16 entries (a big thank you to all of you who shared the giveaway on facebook or your blogs). For some reason I can't get the winning number to display, but it was number 10! So congratulations to Gretchen :)

Gretchen said...: I posted about your giveaway on facebook.; March 9, 2011 5:03 PM

I'll email you all the info you need to claim your prize!

help me love Japan

2011-03-17T14:04:00.004-04:00

Romantic Hearts Garland - white with a single red heart

Have you been watching the updates on t.v. and online about Japan? Every time they show images of the devastation my heart goes out to the Japanese, wanting to do something more tangible than pray (even though I know that prayer does help).

So, I decided to donate all the proceeds (that's right, 100%) from my new garland - Romantic Hearts, white with a single red heart - to one of my favorite faith-based disaster relief organizations: Samaritan's Purse. They have a wonderful track record of not only providing relief and care to those most in need, but they also share Christ and His love with them.

If you'd like to donate directly through the website of Samaritan's Purse you can find all the info you'll need right here.

And, on a happier note, if you are itching to do some Spring-y projects you can find a ton of creative ideas over on these blogs. I'll be linking this at some of them. :)

sewing for babies

2011-03-12T16:54:00.028-05:00

Babies seem to be popping up all over this year (what joy!). It seems that every week I hear of someone else who is having a baby. :)
Our family circle is adding two - John's brothers are each having a boy. Emma and Ian are getting their first cousins this Spring! Of course, I have been itching to do some sewing for our new little nephews. :)

One of the things that was on my "Ideas" page was this tutorial for embellished burp cloths on Diary of a Quilter. I (kind of) followed it to make a set for each new nephew:

burp cloths for baby Owen, whose nursery is animal themed with bright colors

burp cloths for baby Brett, whose nursery is elephant themed with pale greens and blues

Each baby is also getting some of Ikea's wooden child size hangers. I bought some when we were expecting Emma Grace and have loved them ever since! They are really classic feeling - and they never break (a huge plus!). One of the last things I did before we left Cincinnati was to stop by Ikea and buy some for each baby (and their mommies). :)

There are a few days left to enter to win the CSN Stores gift card. If you haven't yet I highly recommend it!

And you'll be seeing this (and a ton of other people's crafty Spring ideas) linked at a few of these blogs (click here) - you might enjoy checking them out!

a little lace for Spring

2011-03-09T14:30:00.002-05:00

*there are a few days left if you'd like to enter the CSN Stores $25 giftcard giveaway! click here to find out how to enter*

A few weeks ago I was out and about doing some shopping for Emma's birthday party and found a package of little white paper doilies at the dollar store.

I picked them up thinking it's always good to have some doilies on hand, even if they didn't make it into the party decor. :)

It turned out to be a good thing that I did, because they turned into this pretty garland. :) I folded each one in half and then simply ran them through my sewing machine.
It was incredibly easy to do, and, because the doilies are 4" across, it was quick, too!

I have them listed in the shop here if you'd like me to mail you one (or more!). <3 It's amazing how just draping a lace garland across the wall can soften it and brighten the room.

I'm linking this over at a few of these darling blogs. There are a bunch of gorgeous ideas for Spring being posted in their link parties - I highly recommend you checking them out. :)

just wanted to show you something

2011-03-08T12:05:00.001-05:00

One of the things I really enjoy about my Etsy shop is when my happy customers post a photo of how they're using their purchase or leave a comment telling me how much they love it. It's so lovely to know that I've been able to bless them!

A few weeks ago one of my customers posted something in her own Etsy shop, ZigZagArts, that she had made using the jar she bought.

Blue Jar Art Print 5x7

Susie makes lovely drawings, and she has been featuring the vintage jar she purchased in a few of them.

Blue Jar With Marbles Art Print 8x10

They're gorgeous Susie! I can't wait to see what you are going to do with them next!

And, remember, there's a giveaway going on here - scroll down the page and enter to win a CSN Stores gift card. :)

(the images are borrowed from ZigZagArts)

a giveaway!

2011-02-28T22:14:00.002-05:00

*giveaway now closed*

The second phase of our move is taking a bit longer than we anticipated, and as we are waiting I've been using some of the additional time to dream of possible "someday" crafting/office space - who knows, maybe if I think about it long enough I'll be able to work it into our new floor plan? :)

There are so many options available for creative combinations of crafting storage/home office furniture right now, and CSN Stores has a wide and fairly priced selection of furniture and storage solutions, plus they offer free shipping on most of the items on their sites (sounds like my kind of web site!).

I've been thinking about some flat paper storage (this one has free shipping),

and also a drawer unit (one like this maybe? I can dream!).

Do you all remember the giveaway that I hostessed here for CSN Stores? Well, they're offering another FREE $25 gift card code to one of my readers!

The giveaway guidelines are the same as last time:

-The giveaway is only open to my U.S. and Canadian readers since CSN Stores ships only to the US and Canada. International shipping charges may apply for Canadian addresses.

-You can have as many chances to win as you'd like (see below).

-Giveaway closes on Sunday, March 13 at midnight and the winner will be chosen randomly. I can't enter since I'm hosting it. (bummer. but it that means you have a better chance!)

For Chance #1: Just be a follower of the blog. It is kind of the point of the giveaway in the first place :) Leave a comment letting me know that you follow along. If you've been reading in silence for a long time, this is your chance to finally say hi!

For Chance #2: Visit my shop and then come back and leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is - I love getting feedback. :)

For Chance #3 (and more): Share the news! Let others know about the giveaway by blogging and/or posting on your favorite social media. Let as many people know about as you can! Because we could all use a bit of free money, right? Each time you post about the
giveaway come back here and leave a comment for an additional entry. :)

I'll announce the winner on the 15th and am looking forward to reading your comments!

another shop milestone :)

2011-02-28T14:06:00.001-05:00

The shop just got its 49th single order (yippee!) - to celebrate I'm offering free shipping to the person who places the 50th! :)

a Valentine's Tea

2011-02-19T17:13:00.002-05:00

A belated Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I have been working on this post for several days, hoping to get it posted in time to celebrate Valentine's Day with you, but life kept moving and babies kept needing mommy. Oh well - at least late is better than never. :)

Did you catch my brief mention that we are moving? This move is happening in two stages, the first stage of which is complete but now we are waiting on some paperwork and other details before the second stage can happen - so blogging here has moved a bit lower on the priority list!

As we were packing things up in the middle of January I realized that we probably wouldn't be settled by Valentine's Day - and that I really wanted to be able to celebrate Valentine's this year!
The solution? Celebrate early. :)

Emma Grace and I invited my sister-in-law and her friend over for the day and then we (I) pulled out all the red and pink things that I could find (read, all the ones that hadn't been packed yet). We had so much fun taking a break from moving to just decorate and enjoy the holiday. :)

We had strawberry scones, pumpkin bundt cake, lemon curd, sweetened cream cheese and my sister-in-law and her friend brought some cucumber tea sandwiches and a plate of baked ham sandwiches (Leah, if you still have the recipe could you email it to me? thanks!) that were really good.

I used this totorial to make a pom-pom garland. I loved making it (so fun and easy!), and love the actual garland even more! I'm thinking of maybe making more (in white perhaps?) to put in our master bedroom - or in the family room. :)

We had a wonderful time, and Emma Grace absolutely loved her first tea party.

I'm linking to a few of these blogs - can you believe that Spring is coming? They are posting some really darling decorating ideas!

sweethearts

2011-02-08T18:50:00.002-05:00

Sweethearts

(this garland was actually my husband's idea - one day he saw me making a Hearts By the Yard garland for a customer and suggested that I make one all in red but with one white heart - my Sweetheart has the best ideas!)

I love February. It's not my absolute favorite month, but I love it.

Partly because in California where I grew up, February was the start of Spring (now, in Indiana, Spring comes more toward the middle of April - still not used to that at all). The bulbs would bloom, the trees blossom, and you could start wearing t-shirts again - on some days.

But another reason that I love February is because it marks some important "firsts" for me: the first time John told me "I love you" (it was on the phone and I was so startled that I hung up on him - poor guy!), the first time John met my family, the birth of our first baby, and the day I opened my Etsy shop, to name a few. Plus it has Valentine's Day in it. :)

I can hardly believe that the shop has been open for a year now! I've had 45 sales so far, and it's been a wonderful year. Thank you all for joining me in it. You have all been so sweet and encouraging. :)

As a special thank you to all you darling readers, I've created a coupon code just for you to use during February. When you place an order just enter the code "1YEAR" to get 10% off of your order.

So, why do you love February? I love reading your comments!
Also, I'm linking this to a few of these fun blogs. You might love heading over and checking out some of their amazing Valentine's Day ideas - and I'd love it if you would spread the word about the coupon code for the shop. :)

hello again

2011-02-04T19:28:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days! And what has happened in that space of time? Um, a lot.
But at the same time, not so much.

We've been adjusting to our move (did I mention that we are in the process of moving? no? oops).
And we've had a lot of snow and ice.
January came to an end (really? already? wow ...).
And I've done a bit of thrift store shopping for the shop, started making a baby blanket (but can't post the pics of it because the baby's mommy reads this blog ;D) and been getting stretched a bit spiritually.
And kept being wife and mommy.

So yeah, a lot. But not much.

Emma's Holiday/Winter Dress

2011-01-21T18:36:00.001-05:00

A while back Prudent Baby posted a darling tutorial for a long sleeved peasant style toddler dress. When I saw it I immediately thought of the red polka dot material that I had bought on a whim (and cuz it was on sale) a few weeks earlier. I knew that, even though she already had several cute dresses, Emma had to have a polka dot one.

This pattern is really easy and so cute! Each time Emma has worn it she has gotten more comments than for anything else she has ever worn (of course, that might have something to do with the curly little red pig tails, too). It's one of my favorites now, and I have plans to make a bunch more - in other fabrics, of course!

I'm linking this to a few of these fun and crafty blogs. :)

my darling and her new hat

2011-01-12T08:50:00.002-05:00

Emma Grace has a new hat. And she like wearing it - because it's pretty and she looks so pretty when she's wearing it. :) (so nice not to be having battles about wearing a hat anymore!)

Really, she loves it (although that's hard to tell from this picture)!

I made the hat using the Petite Beret pattern from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies. It was a very easy pattern to work (although I still need to learn how to make an invisible seam when I'm finishing - maybe you could teach me Leah?) and the sizing was quite accurate.

I used a bit of super soft bamboo yarn for the hat band - so it would be soft and cozy against her face - and then cotton yarn that I re-purposed from a sweater that I wasn't wearing anymore for the rest of the hat. My mom had given me a small hank of red wool tapestry yarn last fall, and I used that for the trim.

running in the park :)

The hat took about a week's worth of free time to make up, and I'm so glad that she has it to wear with her little coat now. She's such a little darling. <3

I'm linking this to some of these blogs - they have some really wonderful organizing and Valentine's ideas up!

just a little something

2011-01-11T11:48:00.001-05:00

I just listed a new garland in the Etsy shop - the Hearts By The Yard garland. <3

It's $8 and super sweet:

"A lighthearted and romantic decoration for any time of year, this garland is made of paper hearts sewn together and would be lovely accenting a wedding, party, bedroom or nursery!

Made using paper hearts cut from vintage book pages and white cardstock, the garland is stitched together with white thread into a piece of bunting that is over 8 feet long.

There are loops of cream ribbon sewn into the ends to use for easy hanging."

handmade Christmas, part III

2011-01-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

I made several jars of Lemon Curd to go with the tea towels that I gave as gifts this Christmas, and they were a huge hit!

Lemon Curd - makes about 1 quart

6 lemons
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
6 eggs, beaten

Zest 2 of the lemons.
Juice the lemons to get 18 Tbsp juice.
Combine the zest with sugar, lemon juice, butter and eggs in the top of a double boiler over medium heat.
Stir frequently until thick, about 20 minutes.
Pour into jars, cool and refrigerate.

This is a family favorite (my grandma used to make it every year for her church's Christmas tea) and is delicious on scones, toast, waffles, pancakes, crepes ... pretty much anything!

I'm posting a link to this on some of these blogs. :)

1-1-11

2011-01-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

2010 was a good year. A very, very good year. It was a full one, too!

In January I got Emma's closet/my craft storage area organized. It was so nice to see it all tidy. :)

In February I opened my Etsy shop. I had high hopes but no real idea of how well it would do!

I made Emma a little blue skirt in March.

I posted my first step-by-step tutorial in April, a flower pin.

May saw me in full nesting mode - wow, there were a lot of things getting done around here! There were the Chalkboard Storage Jars, the Hanging Votives, Moses Basket, made room for baby #2, and my February Sweater to name a few. And another highlight was that some of my projects were featured on other blogs - a fun first for me. :)

June had the biggest and best news of the year - our "little" Ian was born.

In July I added international shipping to my Esty shop (and have since mailed things to England, Spain, Singapore, Australia and Canada!), wrote a post about growing your own ginger, and posted photos of the blanket that I made for Ian.

One of the highlights of August was getting my flower pins featured on the front page of Etsy. :) I also posted a tutorial on how to make your own cushion covers, photos of the sweater I made for Ian http://path-less-traveled-market.blogspot.com/2010/08/bench-cushions.html, and about organizing my recipes.

September saw me sewing for Emma and a bunch of custom orders, winning a darling dress for her from Back Country Drive and joining the Kids Clothes Week Challenge to name a few things. That was a busy month!

In October we took a family vacation and when we got home I got another custom order, this time for a fabric garland. It was so popular, both here on the blog and in the shop, that I ended up writing a tutorial on how to make your own. :)

In November I (finally) joined Twitter, hosted my first giveaway, finished Ian's hat and sweater and a bunch of other things that got jumbled together into one post.

And in December I posted about painting wall words, making an ironing board cover, and my most popular post yet, making tea towels as Christmas gifts.

Yes, it's been a very good year. Thank you all for reading and joining me! I'm looking forward to what God has in store for us this next 12 months. :)

on the 11th day of Christmas

2010-12-23T13:11:00.000-05:00

Today is Day 11 of Steph's 12 giveaways of Christmas and you can enter to win ...

... 2 personalized 5x7 silhouettes from my shop and a bunch of other fun and gorgeous things!

Merry Christmas!

Handmade Christmas, part II

2010-12-23T10:55:00.002-05:00

This project was actually a Christmas present for me. :)

A while ago I saw this tutorial for sewing your own ironing board cover and saved it in my "ideas" folder. It looked so easy, and my ironing board definitely needed a face-lift! Then a few days later I found some really cute material on the remnants table at the fabric store. And now, several months later, I finally took the time to make it into this:

It turns out that the hardest part was getting everything together and taking the time to make it - so glad I did! :)

The ironing board cover takes 2 yards of fabric and about an hour to complete (or longer if you get interrupted;)). Basically, if you have a sewing machine, iron and ironing board and some basic sewing skills, you can make this!

Hmm, maybe I'll make a few more as Mother's Day gifts?

I'm posting a link to this on a few of these blogs.

I got featured :)

2010-12-21T14:04:00.003-05:00

Make and Takes just featured the Tea Towel project! Kind of fun :)

And Moms By Heart did, too!

Thank you ladies!

handmade Christmas, part I

2010-12-18T09:09:00.006-05:00

I made a dozen tea towels to give as gifts this year to, well, some of my loved ones (you know who you are already, so what am I trying to hide?). :)
They were so much fun to make, and so pretty that I'm thinking of keeping a few for myself!

I meant to post these and the tutorial right after I finished making them two weeks ago. Really, I did.
But you still have time to make some too, if you'd like!

To make them I used:

6 cotton "flour sack" towels, 30"x30"
a bag full of ribbons and trims that I've been saving
sewing scissors
iron and ironing board
my sewing machine

I cut the towels in half the long way to end up with 12 towels that were 15"x30".
Then I pressed them, ironing out a bunch of the wrinkles and pressing a hem on the raw edge.
Next I sewed the hem on the raw edge, making them finished on all four sides.

I have a bag full of short ribbons and miscellaneous trims that I've been saving and I spent an hour or so sorting through it looking for just the right combination of ribbon and trim for each of my loved ones (making them so cute and personal). That was the most fun out of the entire project!

The last step was sewing the trim on to the towels. Once that was done, all that was left was to wrap them up!

I'm linking this at these blogs - check them out for some terrific Christmas ideas!

Free Shipping Day

2010-12-16T19:23:00.001-05:00

the Path Less Traveled is participating in Free Shipping Day!

Today is the last day that you can place an order and still get it by Christmas Eve. I'll still be mailing out orders as they come in after today, though, just can't guarantee when they'll get there. :)

Christmas is coming...

2010-12-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

...and it's just around the corner! Seriously, how did it come up so quickly?
Steph over at Somewhat Simple is having an amazing Christmas giveaway event - the 12 Giveaways of Christmas:

She is offering 78 prizes in 12 days - pretty amazing!!! (But not nearly as amazing as the Gift we celebrate on Christmas Day)
And if you enter on the 11th day you'll have a chance to win two custom 5x7 silhouettes from my etsy shop. :)

funky DIY silhouettes

2010-12-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

Design*Sponge featured an article yesterday with a tutorial on how to make your own framed (and funky) silhouettes. The ones they pictured were of birds and so on, but the same process would look great as a personalized gift for a loved one - maybe of your kids or of theirs?

image source

goody goody goody!

2010-12-12T16:25:00.001-05:00

a little red ribbon was having a giveaway for one of her zippered pouches, and I won!

Thank you Gret - I'm so excited (grin!)!

(images from a little red ribbon)

Another Giveaway!

2010-12-07T14:29:00.000-05:00

A Little Nick Nack is hostessing a giveaway of a few little things from the shop!

Head on over to her blog and enter to win a Sky Blue Flower set and a White Scallop Garland (there might be a coupon code in it, too ;D).

<3

wall words

2010-12-05T21:46:00.002-05:00

Have you seen some of the amazing things that people have been doing with vinyl stickers on their walls? I've been loving them and have so many ideas of ways that I could use them too. But, if you've been reading a while, you know that I am really really ~~cheap~~ frugal, and would much rather make a knock off than pay for something.

I have been wanting to put a word or phrase in the little empty space in the middle of this picture grouping for a while and finally did it the other day.

I gathered:

a pencil,
soft erasure,
watercolor paints (the really cheap dollar store kind that come with a plastic brush),
cup of water and white saucer,
and a moist rag,

all of which I already hand on hand - so this project cost absolutely nothing!

My first step, after determining what I wanted to write (and making sure that Emma was napping so she wouldn't see me writing on the wall), was to pencil in the lettering.
I'm not quite confident enough to just take a paint brush to the wall, even though I would have been able to wipe it clean and start fresh if if didn't turn out just right so the pencil allowed me to adjust the spacing and height of the letters a bit, and stand back and look before I comitted to using the paint. At this point you can erase the letters completely if you decide that it's not the look that you're going for.

The second step was to mix the paint. I used a sepia toned brown that I made by mixing a bit of black and brown in the white saucer. Once I was happy with the color I moved on to the third step which was start painting!
My hand shook a little at the beginning, but I used the damp cloth to ease out any squiggles and just kept moving.
I kept adjusting and adding paint here and there to darken it as I went, and then after a bit stood back to look. It turned out great!

I really love the way it looks, and especially love that it was free! Also, A Little Nick Nack is hostessing a giveaway of some of my things - you might like head on over and enter :)

I'm linking this over on some of these fun blogs - head over and check out what others are posting!

My Advent Blessings (so far)

2010-12-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

I really didn't mean to take a week off from the blog. Really. But life gets busy. Amazing how that happens. :)

Since I posted last:

we had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving with John's family
I got most of the Christmas shopping done on Black Friday
we got (most of) the Christmas decorations up, including the tree
I got my hair cut - 11" taken off and donated to Locks of Love
and a bunch of other stuff that I really can't recall at the moment

the new hair :)

In the last few days I've also had a bunch of blessings! There has been at least one each day, and it's been kind of like my own special Advent celebration. All of them have been unexpected and made me feel so loved.

a fresh wreath arrived on our doorstep (thanks Mom!)
we were given a turkey
my haircut was free! (I guess that's normal when you donate your hair, but I had no idea when I walked in and was fully expecting to pay for it)
I found a dozen white roses on clearance for $2. They were already a few days old (hence the clearance) but I really love how they are open and blowsy looking :)
got this in the mail (okay, I kind of did know about it since I had ordered it, but I forgot about it completely! it was so nice to open the mail box and find it there!)

source

And it snowed this morning.

I'm really loving this Advent season so far. I used to think it was fun when I was little, but it's even more fun when you're an adult! Looking forward to what the rest of December - and my Heavenly Father - holds in store.

2010-11-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

sale!

2010-11-24T13:19:00.001-05:00

Hancock Fabrics has a bunch of their buttons on a really good clearance sale - 80% off! So I picked some up.

I really love these wooden ladybugs. :)

And these bears.
I have some ideas on what I'm going to use them for, but we'll see. They'll be darling, though!

Also, I'm having having a sale in my Etsy shop! Today through Cyber Monday, November 29, you can get 15% off when you use the code THANKSGIVINGSALE2010. And, in case you're wondering, this is on top of the $5 back when you buy any combination of a cookbook and apron.

We Have A Winner :)

2010-11-23T16:05:00.001-05:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
I plugged all of the information into random.org and we have a winner of the CSN Stores giftcard!
For some reason I can't get the image to show just which number the random generator chose, but it was #3:

Jill & Dana said...: We are making knit gifts and bailey handprint picture frames to give to family.; November 15, 2010 12:11 PM; Congratulations Jill!

Ian's Hat and Sweater

2010-11-18T09:18:00.002-05:00

A few days back I mentioned that I finished making the hat and sweater that I had started for the Kids' Clothes Week Challenge. So, here's the promised post (albeit a few days later than I had planned :)).

I made both the sweater and the hat using Caron Country Merino Blend in "Silver Service" on size 6 needles. The patterns for both are from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight.
Although Ian is only five 5 months old, he is a, ahem, large baby (routinely weighing and measuring in the 98th-100th percentile), so I made the Classic Cashmere Sweater in the 6-9 month size and did the math to increase the Baby's Beanie Hat to a 12 month size. They both fit!

A few things about the sweater pattern - the sleeves are made to be rolled up, so are an inch to inch and a half longer than regular sleeves. If you would prefer to have regular sleeves you would need to do the math to figure out how many rows to leave off.
The sweater pattern includes a few rows of garter stitch at the bottom hem to prevent rolling, and it really works! I've put the sweater through the wash 3 or 4 times since I finished knitting it on Halloween, and it still looks like new. No need to iron down the hem. :)

I love how the gray looks on him. So classic, so boyish, so him.

Remember to check out the sale at the shop and enter the giveaway for the CSN Store giftcard!

I'm linking this post at some of these blogs - there are some really wonderful holiday ideas being posted. :)

Holiday shopping?

2010-11-15T14:20:00.002-05:00

Strawberry and Chocolate Floral Apron

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is trying to stretch their budget when it comes to gift buying this year, so I'm having a sale over in the shop to help!

Vintage Good Housekeeping Cookbook

When you buy any apron and cookbook in the same transaction, you'll get $5 back.
That's $5 that you could use on a gift for someone else.
Or to get a Chai Latte.
Or to buy the ingredients for peppermint bark.
Or to send an Operation Christmas Child box. Yep. :)

Mommy + Me Apron Set

Remember to enter the giveaway for the CSN Store giftcard!

free money? yes, please!

2010-11-14T20:26:00.006-05:00

*Giveaway Closed (I'll announce the winner on Tuesday)*

I'm not sure about you, but I've been in the Christmas gift planning mode for ... a while now (okay, yes, I've been planning since Sept.).

I've been running ideas through my head with different gift options for our loved ones, trying to figure out the best gift for each person and how to give the most love for the least amount of money. Should I make them something? Shop sales? Hmmm.

I've rewritten my mental list soooo many times already (come to think of it, it might actually help to write it down. Then I'd know if I've come up with the same idea twice ... or three times).

Anyway, all that to say, I'd love to have a little free money. Or, while we're at it, a lot of free money.

There's very little chance that any will come my way, but it might come yours! Oh yeah? Yeah.

But first, have you heard of CSN Stores? I heard about it a while ago through my various internet wanderings, and it is quite amazing.

CSN Stores is made up of over 200 online stores, selling everything from children's backpacks (I've been thinking about getting one for Emma - how cute would it be for her to carry it as the diaper bag?!) to cookware to home furnishings to, well, you name it.

That all brings us to this piece of news - the folks at CSN Stores are very generously sponsoring a giveaway here!!!

They are offering the lucky winner a FREE $25 gift code, valid at any of their online stores!!! How nice is that?!

Giveaway guidelines:

-The giveaway is only open to my U.S. and Canadian readers since CSN Stores ships only to the US and Canada. International shipping charges may apply for Canadian addresses.

-You can have as many chances to win as you'd like (see below).

-Giveaway closes on Monday, November 22nd and the winner will be chosen randomly. I can't enter since I'm hosting it. (bummer. but that means you have a better chance!)

For Chance #2: Leave a comment telling me what your Christmas list includes. Are you making most of the things? Shopping sales? Buying their favorite perfume? I need ideas!

For Chance #3 (and more): Share the news! Let others know about the giveaway by blogging and/or posting on your favorite social media. Let as many people know about as you can! Because we could all use a bit of free money, right? Each time you post about the giveaway come back here and leave a comment for an additional entry. :)

I'll announce the winner on the 23rd and am looking forward to reading your comments!

Today in the wonderful world of Etsy ...

2010-11-11T12:46:00.000-05:00

The shop has been doing well the past few weeks and the little bit of added income has been really nice, especially with Christmas coming up.
Today I'm branching out just a little though, testing and putting my virtual toe into the water.
Today I'm trying out something new, something fun, something that I hope does very, very well.
Today some of the things from my shop are in the Etsy Weddings Showcase.

Etsy showcases are always fun to browse through - kind of like a virtual craft fair :) - and I decided to buy a space and give it a shot!
So, I'm excited about it. We'll see what happens!

How about you? Do you have an online shop for the works of your hands? Have you found an effective way to promote it?

A little bit random

2010-11-08T18:16:00.009-05:00

Did you know that Blogger has a statistics feature that allows you to, well, see your blogs statistics? It's pretty cool. There are some days where there have been a few hundred people stopping by. Pretty cool.

And, did you know that when I don't post anything here for a few days, I get a lot less people stopping by? Who'd have thought. I mean really, who wouldn't want to read the same posts over and over? ;)

So, for those of you who like to read new things, here's a new, albeit slightly random, post.

Lately I've been working hard on finishing up some of the projects that I've been meaning to get to, getting Etsy orders out (thank you again to the lovely people who have been placing those orders!) and keeping the apartment warm with baking (our apartment manager is finally getting the heat going this week).

The projects that I've finished include Ian's hat and matching sweater (I'm planning an an entire post about the set),

a lined pair of pants for him,

a coordinating skirt and pair of pants for the two of them,

and a set of matching lined jammie pants for Em and Ian to wear this winter.

And John went hunting.

So, progress is being made! It's so good to see the fabric pile in our bedroom shrinking a little (and I know John appreciates that a LOT).

I'm linking this to a few of these bloggy get-togethers. There are some amazing Thanksgiving and Christmas ideas and tutorials being posted!

And be sure to enter the CSN Stores giftcard giveaway. :)

do you tweet?

2010-11-01T10:48:00.002-04:00

Why yes I do (now!), thank you.

Yeah, it's taken me a while to get on the Twitter bandwagon, but now that I'm here, I'm loving it!

Want to follow along?

from a yardsale in October

2010-10-29T12:12:00.000-04:00

At the end of our family vacation a few weeks ago, I went to a yardsale with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.
It was the first one I'd been to a very long time (kind of sad that the first one this year was in October - the year is almost over!). There have been a few nice looking ones in our neighborhood over the spring and summer, but I almost never have cash on me and so haven't stopped to shop.
I still didn't have cash this time, but my mother-in-law did. :) (thank you again!)

Anyway, while there I scored a box of canning jars that had these in it!

Aren't they gorgeous?! There were four in the box, three round and one square. None of them had lids, so I decided to keep the square one to put pens, or scissors, or knitting needles or ...... something in, and added the round ones to the shop.
Lucky for you I'm willing to share. ;)

Yes, so, lucky for you. :)

Scallop Garland Tutorial

2010-10-23T15:48:00.001-04:00

Remember the garland tutorial that I mentioned a few days ago?

Well, it's about to start - 3, 2, 1 .......0.

The first garlands that I made were white, but I used a really pretty orange for this tutorial because, well, it's pretty. And it shows up better in indoor pics than the white did.

First, cut (or tear) a few 1" strips of fabric.
Fold each strip in half, in half again and again and so forth, until there are 12 layers (I found that 12 was about all that I could cut through).
Cut your stacks of strips into 1 1/2" sections.
Trace a half circle onto the top layer. I used a spool of thread for this one, but I've used other things too.
And then, cut 'em out!

Next, you'll need your pile of half circles, 2 6" strips of ribbon, thread and scissors. And a sewing machine. That really helps too.

Take one of the ribbon strips, fold it in half and lay it on top of one of the half circles.
Lay another half circle on top of this stack, sandwiching the ribbon between two pieces of fabric.
Run this stack through the sewing machine and line continue to sew the half circles, making a line of scallops as you sew.
When you have achieved a length that you are happy with, make another fabric and ribbon sandwich and feed it through the machine, back stitch and cut the thread.
That's it!

What do you think, want to make one too?

I'm linking this at some of these blogs - head on over and check 'em out!

I did it!

2010-10-21T15:14:00.001-04:00

You know the "Ideas" page on the blog? And how it's getting rather, well, long?

Well, I finally made something from it!
I found the Heirloom Cut Chenille Baby Blanket on Aesthetic Nest a while ago and immediately knew that I needed to make one - or maybe more? - for my little ones.

It took me what seemed like forever (Ian has learned to sense when I'm sitting down at the machine and then decides that he needs to eat right NOW and that the blanket can wait!), but it's finally done!

I used cotton seam binding instead of the satin blanket edging that she recommended since I wanted the whole thing to be 100% cotton, and I really, really love it. The "flat" side of the blanket is a light moss green with cream dots, and the chenille side is made of light green, yellow and cream. I've washed it a few times since it's been finished (it is getting used!) and it gets a little softer each time.

Can I say again that I just love this blanket?

I'm linking to a few of these great craft blogs - head over and check out the creative ideas!

an idea + bits of fabric + thread = something pretty

2010-10-19T11:20:00.001-04:00

Well, hello there! It's been a few days since I've posted anything ...... but I have a good reason (I mean, other than being a mommy to two little ones, that is)! We took a week of vacation to visit family, and now are back. It was a good time of reconnecting with everyone,and my family especially enjoyed meeting Ian. His Grampa and aunts and uncles were completely smitten. :)

Things are settling into their routine again, the laundry is all washed and put away, and I am getting a few new things ready for the shop. One of the new items is something that I probably would never have made if it wasn't for someone else's idea.
A few days ago a woman over in England sent me a custom request for a garland that was similar to others that I have listed, but different - made out of fabric and white.

After a few emails back and forth, this is what we came up with:

I am so glad she contacted me - otherwise I might never have ventured into making something like this! It's really gorgeous, fluttery and delicate. It reminds me of snowflakes, dandelions, and almond blossoms. And mini marshmallows. :)
It would be sooooo pretty adorning a wedding. Or a nursery. A party. A Christmas tree. A mantle piece or doorway. Above a headboard. Pretty much anywhere!

There are more in the works for the shop, and I might just squeeze time in to photograph and post a tutorial. Maybe. :)

Once again, I'm posting a link to this on a few of these craft blogs - head on over and check out the amazing ideas other people are posting!

Mommy + Me (+ Me, too)

2010-10-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

KCWC (again)

2010-10-03T12:25:00.003-04:00

Well, it sure is taking me a while to finish posting about what I made for the Challenge! Here's the nightie that I made for Emma.

Emma's much loved Disney Princess nightie was getting quite small on her, so I decided to refashion an adult sized nightshirt into a little nightgown for her. I didn't take any photos along the way, but here's how it turned out.

Using the Princess nightie as a pattern, I cut the original shirt down and cut off the sleeves and collar (all of which I saved to use).

I wanted to keep the original neckline and buttons down the front, but they were out of scale with a toddler's body size - so I put in a cute little gather in the back! That took care of the neck sizing, but then the original collar was too big so I put three little tucks on each side of it.

a his & hers apron set

2010-09-30T13:06:00.002-04:00

My mom ordered a custom set of aprons to use as a wedding gift. I love how they turned out!

I like them so much, in fact, that I'm thinking of adding something similar to the shop. Thoughts?

and, once again I'm linking to some of these fun project round-ups. :)

Etsy treasuries

2010-09-29T18:52:00.003-04:00

Circles Garland - autumn hues

Black and Orange Circles Garland

If you've checked my Etsy site recently, you may have noticed that I've added some new autumn themed bunting to the shop! Sitting and cutting the 1" circles and then stitching them together into yards and yards of streamer has been fun - and Emma has loved sitting on my lap and "helping" as I put them through the machine. :)

One of my garlands was featured in two Etsy treasuries yesterday - so fun!

This one is called "Circles of Color" ...

... and this one, "Squash".

And then today the other new garland was featured in a treasury (called "The Fall of Orange - A Day in October") too!

empty

2010-09-26T16:43:00.002-04:00

there is something so satisfying about empty thread spools.

maybe because they speak of projects accomplished (!), clothes and things sewn. of love being put in with every stitch, inch by inch, foot by foot, yard by yard.
yes.

KCWC update

2010-09-23T11:38:00.004-04:00

Ian's hat, originally uploaded by Lizi Beth.

I've been working away, although a little at time, on my daily hour+ commitment for the KCWC. It's been so nice to have an excuse to sit down and make little clothes for my babies!

On Monday I made Emma a nightie using a nightshirt that I cut down and altered (pics coming in a later post). It turned out so sweet.

Tuesday, Wednesday and today I've been knitting up a little hat for Ian to wear this winter. His head is already a toddler size (big boy!), so the hats I was hoping he could wear are a bit snug on him. :)
The pattern I'm using is from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies and I'm knitting it up with Caron Country Merino Blend in "Silver Service" on size 6 needles (hoping that it'll fit longer).

I'm linking this to some of these blogs :)

Good Morning!

2010-09-20T10:27:00.001-04:00

Hi there everyone!

This morning as I was scrolling the blogs I check regularly, I found a woman who is participating in this, and decided that I would join.
It's a week long event - beginning today - that's called the Kid's Clothes Week Challenge. The idea behind it is that you make an article of children's clothing (or articles) during it, working on it/them for an hour each day. Fun, huh?!
When I saw it this morning I thought, "now there's something I can do!" So looking forward to it!

Click on over if you're interested! All forms of "making" - sewing, knitting, crocheting, pattern making, cutting, planning, seam ripping... - count. :D

winning and a new blogging friend

2010-09-15T09:17:00.000-04:00

So, a few weeks ago I entered a giveaway over on The Back Country Drive and, lo and behold, I won!!!
It was my first time ever winning a giveaway on a blog and it was so much fun. :)

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a few photos of what I won (it's pretty cute).

image from Back Country Drive

Quoting from her blog:

I used to have a company called Cottage Cowgirl. I made little cowgirl clothing. I have taken a break from it and am currently re-planning my business and starting back up this Fall.

This dress and skirt were made for your little cowgirl in mind. They are 100% cotton and have a cute little texas star design. The dress is a size 12-18 months and the skirt is a size 2t.

I chose the dress and it fits Emma beautifully. It has elastic along the back of the bodice to make sure that it will fit her for a while, too. :)

From 2010-09-11

I could post photos of Emma all day long! I'm thinking that the dress would also be darling over a pair of leggings or jeans as she gets taller. I've been doing that with some of her other dresses that I haven't been ready to consign to the depths of a hand-me-down box, and it's worked really well. And been super cute!

Thanks again to Cheech at Back Country Drive for the giveaway! We love it. <3

because I bought a muffin pan this morning ...

2010-09-08T19:23:00.003-04:00

... today I made muffins (recipe found here on Joy the Baker).

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.

Mmm, mmm, mmmmmm.

(I'm posting a link to this post on a few of these blogs - head on over and check out the other fun projects!)

A Custom Mommy + Me Set

2010-09-03T13:22:00.002-04:00

I was contacted by someone with a custom request through Etsy the other day. She was wanting to buy a Mommy + Me set for her sister-in-law and niece, but in fabric different than what I had on hand.
After a few emails back and forth, she decided on this gorgeous poppy fabric from the Michelle line at Hancock Fabrics (and it's on sale this weekend!).

I used a coordinating material for the facing to make them a little more fun. It turned out so cute!

Emma was watching me pack them up. She really wanted to "help". :)

This is what orders look like before I send them out, all wrapped in white paper and ribbon. I hope that the woman enjoys opening it. :)

I am really happy with how this set turned out and hope that the mother and daughter love it too.
Is anyone else interested in an apron or set in this fabric? If so, let me know. I might just buy the entire bolt of material!

Late Summer Sewing

2010-09-01T17:54:00.006-04:00

Emma has been shooting up like a little sunflower this summer! She's outgrowing her clothes again (my baby girl is getting so big! *sniff*).

I just packed away all her tops that were mid-drifting on her and realized that she didn't have very many left! Vemma is starting to take off but our budget is still pretty tight, so I didn't feel like going out and spending money on clothing that she might only be wearing for another two or three months. Also, I had this cute fabric in the closet and had found this darling tutorial and free pattern on Prudent Baby ..... so Emma got a new top!

I used some darling quilting weight fabric for the "skirt" of the top, and bits of a linen blouse that I've been cutting up for the neckline and trim around the bottom. The pattern is made to have snaps instead of buttons, but I was out of snaps and, on top of that, there were some vintage bunny buttons in my collection that I've been wanting to use - so I finally did!

Emma enjoys the soft breeziness of the top, and I am loving the adorable little one it's on. She seems to be getting more and more darling each day.

Linking to these parties - click on over and check out all the gorgeous fun-ness!

Project Ideas

2010-08-28T14:37:00.000-04:00

Have you checked out the "Ideas" page on the blog? I've been updating it with things that I would love to do/make - there are some really sweet projects listed!

it's only taken, oh, about 4 years

2010-08-23T14:57:00.005-04:00

Yeah, you read that right. Four years.
It was at least that long ago that I started to collect recipes from magazines that I had tried and liked, or that looked tasty and I wanted to try.

I had whole file box full of clippings (it was pretty heavy). I kept adding to it whenever I cleaned out the stack of magazines, and we've moved that box with us three times. I planned to "sometime" go through it and put them all in a binder or something so that they would be more organized and accessible, but that "sometime" kept get farther and farther away.
Then I found these pretty downloads on Prudent Baby and decided that it was time to finish the project that I'd started.

the dessert binder

I really liked the aqua version of the binder cover, but our printer ran out of color ink in between the time that I printed the first one and the time that I realized that I'd need more (a span of about 2 months, since I started in the week before Ian was born). I had some pieces of vellum on hand, so I printed out a few sheets of the gray version and layered them over some full-page pictures that I pulled out of MSLiving (they have some really gorgeous images in there).

the baking binder

I tossed a ton of the clippings (I really only need one or two versions of buttercream frosting, right?), but there were still a lot of keepers - three whole binders worth (so far)! So now I have the recipes divided into Side Dishes and Main Dishes, Baking, and Desserts. Can you tell where my priorities are? ;)

It's so nice to be able to have them all at my fingertips!

Linking to these parties - check them out! There are some really amazing things being posted!

piles, piles everywhere

2010-08-23T13:47:00.001-04:00

Today I pulled out a box of fabric and made piles. Some piles for future projects, some piles for now projects.
Shop updates coming up soon!

off the needles

2010-08-16T11:34:00.004-04:00

The baby cardigan that I was working on for Ian is finished and ready to wear. It turned out sooooo darling.

I made it in the 3-6 month size, but it already fits him! Of course, Ian is a big boy (he was 9lbs 7 oz at birth and now is around 14 lbs). I also didn't take the time to knit up a swatch before I started, so it may have turned out a bit smaller than the one in Essential Baby. But I love it anyway. If it doesn't get cool enough for Ian to wear before he grows out of it I may give it away.

Or then again, I may just hold onto it. :)
The yarn is some soft cotton stuff that I saved when I unraveled one of my old ones (and has been used for so many baby things already).

linking to these parties.

bench cushions

2010-08-03T10:05:00.004-04:00

The sewing machine has been put away for the past month and a half. It wasn't really broken, but there was a rather crucial part missing (Emma was trying to be "helpful" and it got thrown away).

Unfortunately, you just can't go to the fabric store and ask which aisle the shuttles for Brother sewing machines are on! My Grammy-in-law very kindly gave me the name and number of a dealer that she uses, and now we are back in the swing of things. :) And a good thing, too, since my "ideas file" is starting to get pretty long!

The first thing at the top of the pile was covers for the bench cushions.

John made this bench and proposed to me on it, and right now (since we are living in a ~900 sq foot apartment) it is serving duty as our couch. I had bought the cushion inserts from Ikea with some birthday money, had measured and cut out the material that had been used in practically every room for some purpose or another, and pulled out the machine only to find it inoperable. :) Ah well, we're finishing now!

I cut three pieces for each pillow:
1 26" x 26"
1 26" x 22"
1 26" x 8"

Next, I sewed a 1" seam down one of the 26" sides of both of the smaller pieces (this would create a finished pocket-style opening).

Then I stacked the large piece with the middle-size on top, right sides together and raw edges matching on three sides ...

... with the smallest piece on top, overlapping the finished edge of the mid-sized piece. I pinned them all together and sewed around the edge using a 1/2" seam.
Since I wanted a really rumply and relaxed look, I didn't bother to clip the corners or press the seams.

For the last step I put a button and button hole in the middle of the edge of the pocket opening (I was using a rather slippery type of upholstery fabric. If you use some a little stiffer or less slippery, you might be able to skip this) to keep the edges from gaping.

I got featured!!!

2010-08-02T17:59:00.001-04:00

The Mini Bloom Pin Trio got featured on the front page of Etsy this afternoon!!!
It was soooo thrilling - I almost cried (that might have been influenced by post-partum hormones, but still, it was thrilling!).

they're here!

2010-07-30T11:25:00.001-04:00

I ordered some cards from vistaprint.com a few weeks ago, and the other day they arrived - and they are so much cuter in person than they were online!!!

fun new stuff!!!

2010-07-23T18:50:00.002-04:00

I've been experimenting with making some paper garland, and I'm loving the results! This one is made of some baby blue and kraft colored cardstock, sprinkled with some red vintage wrapping paper.
I made a listingfor it over on Etsy - check it out!

a blanket for our little one

2010-07-19T14:04:00.001-04:00

I made a blanket for Ian using the Scallop Blanket "pattern" (it's actually more like illustrated instructions than a traditional pattern) from Bend The Rules Sewing. If you haven't seen Bend The Rules yet, I highly recommend thumbing through a copy. My mother-in-law gave me the book for last Christmas and I am loving it!

Even though I didn't get an ultrasound during my pregnancy with Ian I was fairly sure that we were having a boy. So for his blanket I pulled out the yard of this airplane fabric that I had bought at Hancock when I was pregnant with Emma.
I already knew we were having a girl when I got it, but it was so sweet and classic, and, well, that ultrasound might have been wrong! Now it seems as if Hancock has discontinued the print, so I'm glad I went ahead and bought it instead of waiting until we had a boy.
The blanket has cotton flannel on the back to make it a bit more snugly. :)

Since I used a light color for the backing and the stitching was clearly visible (and since Ian was taking his time coming - he was a week overdue) I took the time to quilt four airplanes in the center squares. They are "flying" around the center in a circle and add a nice bit of detail.

making room - turning a corner into a nursery

2010-07-16T16:16:00.007-04:00

Ian has been sleeping in our room since he was born on June 8. We have a two bedroom apartment, and, while Emma Grace has enough space in her room for a bassinet/playpen, she is still only 16 months and wakes up pretty easily.
I knew that we could easily take care of one crying baby at night, but wasn't so sure about two!

So, towards the end of my pregnancy I spent some time making a spot for our new little one along a wall in our master bedroom.
I wanted our new baby to have a special space just for him, but also wanted to avoid making our room look like a nursery!

Before I started rearranging the room the wall had a collection of frames with photos from our wedding and of Emma, some meaningful notes that John and I have written to each other, and a couple of shadow boxes with some flowers and a pair of my mom's baby shoes.

(after)

I took those down and moved them to the wall above the dresser, and, with this canopy idea that I had seen on design*sponge in mind, made up a wall hanging to define the space.

I really loved how the canopy made the other nursery looked, kind of tailored but not preppy, and could see it working really well in our room. So, I went to the fabric store looking for some fabric similar to the material that was used for the hanging in the article.
The only fabric that they had that was even close was pretty pricey and available by special order only. I am a huge cheapskate (if you've been reading the blog a while you might have picked up on that!) and was really hoping to get the project done without spending large amounts of $$$. So ............. I looked on the clearance table!
This fabric was $1.99 a yard (I bought 4 yards) and I already had the brown that I used to edge it on hand from an earlier project.

the banner I was working on

We have since moved the playpen into Emma's room and have a Moses basket that my mom gave us in ours. (Ian starts the nights in his basket, and John and I often move him into our bed part way through the night.)

I found that, because the playpen was up against the wall and it seems so far from the bed in the middle of the night, I was never using it.

We'll probably move it back once Ian grows out of the basket, but for now we have a few extra square feet of space. :)

growing ginger

2010-07-08T13:59:00.002-04:00

I love the flavor of ginger. Something about it just seems so "homey" to me, and at the same time it can be fresh and a bit exotic, too.

the ginger tuber that I "harvested"

I have been wanting to use fresh ginger in recipes for a while now, but was hesitating to buy it because I knew I wouldn't use it all and the rest would go bad. And I couldn't stand the idea of buying something (that's not really in our food budget in the first place) knowing that I'd be throwing half of it out.

Last fall I finally took a few minutes to research (read, type it into Google) growing it myself. It's surprisingly easy! As I was doing that I found that you can store ginger in the freezer, and that frozen ginger is actually easier to grate (now, isn't that nice?). It also grows well in shady spots and indoors, quite handy since we don't get any sun through our windows.

So I splurged a little and bought some.

one of the ginger stalks (it looks like bamboo)

I found that ginger tubers grow in a similar fashion to potatoes: instead of planting seeds, you plant "eyes".
The article I liked the best was on eHow. The steps are simple and easy to follow.
Instead of planting the entire tuber, though, I cut it into inch size chunks and planted the ones with the most promising looking eyes on them and put the rest in the freezer to use in recipes.

10 months later, the stalks on the plant turned yellow and died off, just like the article said! I forgot that it was normal and that you are only supposed to harvest a little bit, so I dug it all up. But that's okay - I just replanted some eyes, and in another 10 months I'll harvest again! :)

just something pretty

2010-07-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

These are some of the things I have for sale in the shop right now, and I decided to pull them out of their hiding places for a while, so that I could enjoy looking at them.

I love the colors in them: blue, crimson, spring green (they might be some of my favorites, come to think of it. they keep popping up around our home!).

So pretty.

international shipping!

2010-07-07T14:44:00.000-04:00

I updated the shipping policies of the shop this morning - I now ship to Australia!
I also ship to other countries, so all you who live in Great Britain, Europe, and EVERYWHERE else, you can now place an order. :-D yay!!!

happy independence day!!!

2010-07-04T20:28:00.002-04:00

May you have a wonderful day relaxing and celebrating our freedom with your family and friends. :)

summery pretties

2010-06-29T13:50:00.001-04:00

I listed some new flower pins over at the shop - they're really sweet and darling!!!

in the quiet moments

2010-06-22T08:42:00.004-04:00

I've been working on knitting Ian a sweater for the Fall. It's the Classic Cardigan (I'm thinking that a cardigan will be easier to put on him than a pull-over style) from Essential Baby, and I'm using a cream colored cotton yarn that used to be a sweater of mine that was always a bit too short.

I'm knitting it up on silky smooth bamboo needles, and the combination of holding the soft cotton, bamboo and baby skin is so relaxing.

drumroll please .........

2010-06-11T19:58:00.002-04:00

I'd like to reveal my latest project, one that has been 9 months + in the making:

Ian Andrew is here!!!!

Our little one (he turned out to be not so little at 9lbs 7oz!) finally made his awaited appearance last Tuesday morning.
He is doing quite well, eating and sleeping and enjoying the Moses Basket. He also has a remarkably loud cry (our apologies to the neighbors).

Some of the things I love about him so far:

the full head of hair (Emma was nearly bald until she was 6 months, so having an infant with hair is a new experience!)
the dimple in the center of his chin (not sure yet what family member that came from)
the gassy little half smiles
his funny little ears
the way he puts his hands over his head when he sleeps

and those are just some starters.

Our little family is getting to know the newest member, resting up from the interrupted nights and loving every minute of it. :) I had almost forgotten how wonderful newborn smells and sounds are .........

Celebrate Dad

2010-06-04T11:43:00.002-04:00

Father's Day is June 20th this year. How are you planning to celebrate?

My family usually tried to get up ahead of Dad and make breakfast to serve to him in bed before we all headed out the door for church. Then we'd come home, BBQ a late lunch and take naps in the hammocks afterwards. Or some variation on that theme!

The celebration always included BBQ and an afternoon nap. :)

The BBQ apron in my shop would make a great gift for Dad this year. I'm still looking for something for Emma and Baby#2 to give to John, though (we already have plenty of aprons on hands, since I make them :-).
Have any of you found something for your Dad, or your husband? I'm looking for ideas!

a little something about the shop

2010-06-01T17:42:00.001-04:00

Bloom Pin

Just a friendly little reminder - almost all the stuff I have listed on Etsy is ready made and can be shipped out quickly. Just so you know. :)

a project for the mama: February "Lady" Sweater

2010-05-31T12:09:00.002-04:00

After knitting for my babies, husband, siblings and friends, I finally took time to make something just for me: the adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater.

I used just over 3 balls of Caron's Country merino blend in "foliage" and am so happy with how it knitted up! The merino has a silky sort of drape to it, and, while warm, is light enough to be perfect in an air conditioned building this summer.

I also really love the a-line swing shape that it has. It eases nicely over my belly (due date tomorrow!) and will still be cute come this fall and winter when I am getting my normal figure back. :)
I really love it!!!

my preferred crafting spot

2010-05-28T11:56:00.003-04:00

close-up of a project for Baby#2

I am comfortable on the floor. Especially when I'm doing paper crafting. Scrapbooking ...... I use a table for that, but only because you really need a firm surface to work on. If we had wood floors I'd probably do that on the floor too!
I like the floor because:

I can see everything.

There's enough space to have it all spread out around me,
and I can reach it.

On the table I tend to lose things, or stack them up or put them in a box so that I can have more room and then I forget where I put them.

Some people have entire rooms devoted to crafting (Martha Stewart comes to mind ...). I think if I had one - even with counter tops and so on - I'd still end up on the floor. It just works really well for me.

Until naptime is over, that is. :)

homemade Moses basket

2010-05-24T08:53:00.007-04:00

After about a week of working on it, off and on, I finished Baby's basket last night.

I've been wanting to have a Moses basket for our babies, but just haven't been wanted it badly enough to fork over $70 (or more, depending on sales and the company I was looking at).

So, when I was walking through Walmart one day and saw this basket for $5 in their home decorating section, I decided to try to make/line my own. How hard could it be, right?

The first step (other than drawing up a pattern, which I figured I'd skip), was to figure out how to pad the bottom. I didn't have any batting on hand (and didn't want to spend any more money) so I folded one of the "rag" towels into thirds and laid it in the bottom. I traced the outline of the edge with a Sharpie and cut.

I sewed through the center of what was then a stack of three pieces of terry cloth to keep them from shifting.
Then I took some dark brown quilting weight material and made a sort of pocket that I slipped stack of toweling into. Sewed the end, quilted it, and the little mattress (of sorts) was done.

The first half was done, now to make the bumper!

-the layers of the bumper: inside, padding, outside-

I used material that I had in the closet for the bumper - more dark brown quilting weight and also some aqua and white seersucker from a blouse that had belonged to my Gramma.

This is the part that I really should have made a pattern for. If anyone reading this is thinking of making one, I'd really recommend doing a trial run with paper!
The bumper I made turned out really cute, just about 4" too small! Also, I tried to sew the entire thing together and forgot that I need to turn it right side out! So, more stitch ripping but both mistakes were easy to fix.

For the inside I did a colorblock pattern with the brown on the ends and the seersucker in the middle. I used the rest of the towel for the padding, and the last bit of the seersucker for the outside.

I really love how it turned out, but next time I will make a pattern and plan how I'm going to turn it right-side out!

exciting!

2010-05-20T10:04:00.002-04:00

This is so exciting for me: two blogs have featured my projects!

Last Sunday Prudent Baby featured the watercolor silhouette that I made for Mother's Day

and this morning Along For The Ride featured the hanging votive holders.

Really, it's so fun to click over to a site and see a photo of your project and a link to your blog. :D
Ladies, thanks for featuring me!

mobile for our little Ian/Kate

2010-05-18T12:38:00.004-04:00

Before Emma was born I made a mobile to hang over her crib using a quilting hoop, some birds made from scrapbook paper and some thread. Well, this little one is getting closer and closer to arriving, and yesterday I realized that he (or she) was still lacking a personalized sleeping space.

I still had the other half of the quilting hoop in my craft stuff, so I used it to make another mobile.
I am really suspecting that this baby is a boy, but since we haven't had an ultrasound I'm not absolutely positive (either way, we're excited!). I decided to use brown and blue colored paper for the mobile, thinking that if Baby turns out to be a "she" instead of a "he" it wouldn't be so masculine that I would need to remake it.

I used:

a quilting hoop
scrapbook paper
a circle punch
brown satin ribbon
glue
silk thread (I like using silk thread for projects like this because I find it is so much easier to tie knots with)

Since I had used the inside of the hoop for Emma's mobile, the half that was left had the clasp sticking off the side. I really wanted to get it done yesterday without running out to the store, so I just bent the clasp pieces over, put a bit of glue between them, and wrapped the ribbon over it all. It worked pretty well!

Fold circles in half (I used 4 circles for each pendant),

add some glue and stick the pieces together.

I wanted the pendants to hang at an angle so that Baby will have a more interesting view when he's staring up at them, so I poked the hole for the thread slightly off to one side of the center spine.

I made 7 pendants: I hung 6 of them around the rim of the hoop and the 7th I hung from the center of two threads that crossed the hoop at right angles.
Then I hung the whole thing from the ceiling. I really love how it turned out. :)

new shop listing

2010-05-15T19:48:00.001-04:00

The aprons are up! I took a bunch of pictures of them this afternoon, but it was cloudy and only a few turned out. I'll try to take some more another day. :)

middle of the night inspiration

2010-05-15T08:47:00.006-04:00

The idea for these little votive hangers came to me a few nights ago, during one of my (increasingly frequent) middle-of-the-night episodes of wakefulness. I think my average per night is up to three times now, and occasionally four. Just getting ready for those late night sessions with Little One!

I made something similar using mini jelly jars a while ago, but that night I had the idea to use some of the many glass votives that I have stashed here and there. (I suppose one could have too many votive holders, but I haven't gotten there yet. Or maybe I'm not the type of person that can have too many?)

I used some 18 gauge aluminum wire in about 18" lengths, and twisted it to make a ring that would hold the votive.

Then I took the loose end and wrapped it under the base, looped it around the ring and made a hanger. Twist the final loose end in place, and ...

... that's it!

a couple of new ones

2010-05-15T08:23:00.002-04:00

I made two of them and tweaked the design a little, switching from a wide center pocket to a single ruffled side pocket. :)

I'll be listing them later today (once I've taken some decent pictures, that is!).