Previously Unphotographed Artifacts

I made this blanket for Eliana a few years ago for Christmas and I had forgotten to take a picture and then it was temporarily lost. While we were up visiting at the beginning of this month I was informed that it had been found. I was really excited because this is the best blanket that I have made to date.

I finally got a picture!

The kids didn't think it was right to take a picture of a blanket with no people in it. :)

That's Archie, Eliana, Kaela & Peter, such cute cousins.

I made a teddy bear for Kaela a few years ago for her birthday and I never got a picture of it either. I really like the yarn that I used for it; it's super soft & fuzzy. The bear's ears are a little low and I'm not very good at embroidering faces but all in all I say it's not too bad for a first attempt at a teddy bear.

Bear lying down.

Bear sitting up.

Curtains

Yesterday was Andrew's off Friday so I took the day off too. :) Andrew watched Peter and I got to sewing. I finally finished the curtains I've been planning since we painted Peter's room. I got the fabric at Ikea for only 2.99/yard! That's cheaper than I would have been able to buy them. Though now that the curtains are complete they look a little thin. I may have to get/make under curtains, which won't be too bad because the curtain hangers are for double rods.

Just the curtains

The curtains in the room

Peter Wearing the Sleep Sack

He likes it!!!

"What is this?"

"It's soft! I like it!!!"

I JUST Finished a Sleep Sack!!!

I got this awesome super soft fabric at Joann's as a remnant (less than a yard and half price!!) and I was really excited (it is usually really expensive. Anyways... I cut out the pieces maybe 2 weeks ago and I was all gung ho about getting started when I discovered that I didn't have a green zipper that would go well with the fabric. :( So last week I went with my friend Lauren to help her pick out fabric for some baby stuff I'm going to make for her little bun in the oven and found the perfect color zipper. So tonight after feeding the missionaries and putting Peter to bed and then getting sucked in by Bejeweled Blitz I got to sewing. So... TA DA!!!! Check out the cool sleep sack I made for Peter. I still need to put the snap on the flap that goes over the zipper, but other than that it is done. I will probably have to wash it before he wears it though, otherwise he will come out of it covered in lots of light green fuzz. :) I will also take a picture of him wearing it tomorrow. Andrew says in Holland they put toddlers in these so that they can't climb out of bed.



Sorry for the rambling, but sometimes it's nice to ramble. :)

Christmas Presents... Finally!!!

I made Andrew's Sister and Brother-in-law matching St. Patrick's Day aprons for Christmas. They are super into St. Patty's; every year they throw an awesome house party with pipers and corned beef & cabbage and soda bread and lots more. I thought that these aprons would be perfect.

My sewing machine can do basic embroidery so around the pocket on each apron it says their name. This one is Stephanie's; I forgot to get a picture of Sean's.

The aprons are practically identical except for the stitching around the pocket.

I made my Brother and his Girlfriend laptop cozies because I saw this tutorial and knew that I had to make one for them both. They are both into the retro games and I knew that this would be the perfect gift.





I had so much fun making all of these gifts. It really was great to finally be sewing for other people again.

Bumper Issue Solved!!!

I finally decided how I was going to tightly secure the bumpers to the crib. I took some leftover fabric from the dust ruffle and sewed it into a tube and then secured the ends together to make a loop and then I just tightly tied the bumper pads to it on each side.

Hurray for finishing projects!!!

Update on Projects in Progress

Previously I posted about the projects that I'm working on and I have a super awesome update for that list.

• Baby Quilt - DONE!
  

• Crib Ruffle - DONE!
  

• Baby Room Wall Hangings - DONE!
  

• Frog Wrap Blanket - DONE!
  

• Grandma Evelyn's Blanket - No change.
  

• Christmas Presents - Partially done...
  

• Thank You Cards - DONE!
  

• Mending - Haven't touched it yet...
  

• Learn to Make Liquid Soap - DONE! No pictures or story yet, will post soon.

Hurray for completing projects. It really makes me feel good about getting stuff accomplished.

My First Attempt at Making Cards

I realized as I was writing thank you's for my baby shower that I didn't have enough store bought thank you cards. So I decided that since I've got a ton of scrapbooking stuff plus a Cricut machine and leftover envelops from my wedding announcements that I would attempt to make cards.

These are all the cards that I made. I think they turned out rather well.

I found a cute stamp that says " handmade with love" that I put on the back of each card (it's kind of hard to see it this size)

Former To Be Pillows are Now Wall Hangings

Ta Da! The wall hangings are complete and up on the walls in the Baby's room. What I did was I took some of the extra squares from the quilt and sewed them together. Then I edged them in the same bias tape that I used on the dust ruffle (pictures to come... eventually). I did the bottom 3 sides first and then used a separate piece of the bias tape on top to get the pocket for the dowel. The hangers are yarn, the same that I used to tie the quilt with and also to make the frog & duck blankets with. Hurray for projects getting completed!!!

The blue picture is directly above the head of the crib and the orange one is above the dresser.

The yellow and green pictures are both above the long end of the crib.

The Baby Quilt

Originally I was going to self-bind this quilt, but I did 2 sides and didn't like the way it was turning out. Specifically since the back is fleece and it was stretching in funny (bad) ways. So I undid the self-binding that I had done and cut off the excess and instead sewed on the the silky baby blanket binding. It looks kind of shiny and white in the picture but it is a pale green. I am really glad that I finally finished the blanket. Hurray!! Now I'm on to other projects on my list.

Here is the front of the quilt.

Here is the back of the quilt.

Frog Wrap Blanket

I just finished stitching on the frog's face and I think he's a cute little froggie. :) This blanket is a bit bigger than the duck blanket, because I followed the original hook size for the duck. I am a tight crocheter so I will typically go up a size or two to space out my stitches a little better, which is what I did in this case.

Crocheted Baby Blankets

My ultimate goal is to crochet a blanket for each of my nieces and nephews but right now I'm hovering at less than half. I still need to make a blanket for my two nieces, Makalya & Bailey and the rest of Andrew's nieces and nephews: Archie, JJ, Shaun David, and unborn baby girl (due in February).

Makayla, Bailey and Archie don't have blankets yet because they were born before my crocheting habit began and JJ and Shaun David don't have blankets either because they are 3 months apart and I was going through a non-crocheting time. And I haven't even thought about a blanket yet for the unborn niece due in February.

I actually started on a blue blanket after I finished Eva's blanket but got frusterated with the yarn and the pattern and never finished it. And thus started my non-crocheting period. Thankfully I got over it but still haven't completed any blankets for the kiddos.

Baby Eva's Blanket

I made this blanket for Eva, Andrew's niece, last year. She was born in October but I didn't finish it until Thanksgiving weekend. We were down in Arizona visiting for Thanksgiving and I really made a big effort to finish it before we left for home back in Washington.

The picture below is not the actual blanket I made, it is the picture from the pattern book. I have my pictures stored on 2 different hard drives and haven't had a chance to sync them up and the external hard drive is not here right now. So until I get the hard drive back this picture will have to do. The actual blanket is lavender and I think it turned out really nice.

Eliana's Blanket

I made this blanket for Andrew's niece for Christmas 2(?) years ago. I don't have a picture of this blanket because I forgot to take one before I gave it to Eliana and the blanket is MIA and I have as yet been unsuccessful in getting a picture. The picture below is actually from the pattern book. The actual blanket is a really pretty bright purple and it was almost my first "perfect" blanket. I was doing really well and then I ended up messing up in one of the points at the end. I think the imperfections of the blankets really make them special as well as unique. Hopefully one day I will get a picture of it to share.

Scarfs

I learned to crochet years and years ago, when I was 12 or so, but never really got into it. I later, when I was in college, decided that it was something that I really wanted to do. I think that was partially because my roommate Abby used super huge knitting needles and made super cute scarves to sell. So I went out and got one of those crocheting kits and got my first finished crocheted item, the breast cancer awareness scarf.



The next scarf I crocheted was this awesome orange one. My cousin Adina knitted the awesome hat in the picture and I really wanted a scarf to match. And lo and behold one day while wandering the yarn isle at JoAnn's I found the same yarn she had used. Naturally I got enough to make a scarf and now have a super long scarf that matches the hat.



This last scarf I think was originally meant to be a Christmas gift for someone, at least that's what I told myself while buying the yarn. I made it and didn't know who to give it to so now it's hanging out with my other scarves in my closet. It's super soft and frilly.



The really funny thing is I have a ton of cute scarves and no need to wear them anymore. It just doesn't quite get that cold when I'm out and about. I'm sure if I were to do something in the middle of the night when it gets cold I'd use one but luckily I don't have to go out in that type of cold.

Grocery Bag Holder

In our last apartment I was really tired of all the plastic grocery bags and wanted to put them somewhere but didn't know where. So I searched online and found a tutorial (I'm not sure if this is the same tutorial but it's very similar) that showed me how to make a grocery bag holder from a kitchen towel . The main difference from what the tutorial shows and what I did is: I sewed wide elastic directly to the top and bottom of the towel and didn't make a pocket for it. The only thing that I don't particularly like about my holder is I don't have a way to hang it up, it just hangs out on the floor under my extension pantry.

This was so easy to make and I had all of the things that I needed on hand, so I was able to complete this project the same night I decided to make it. It's nice to have that instant gratification with a project every once in a while.

Pantry Shelf

In our 2nd apartment we had a pantry closet that was trying to be a coat closet instead; it had no shelves except for the one above the hanging bar. Since we lived in an apartment and needed that storage space Andrew decided to design a shelf that would fit in that closet. That is the tall, narrow 3 shelf piece you see in the picture. This was awesome and I really enjoyed helping putting it all together. Then in the 3rd apartment we lived in we had a similar problem with the pantry area except it was a long closet more like a bedroom closet. So we added the longer shorter piece to our custom shelf. In that particular place we had our extra tupperware type dishes in a green & pink trunk that served as a shelf underneath the taller shelf.

The shelf is 2x4's and the wire shelving that you can get at any hardware store. We just screwed it all together. It's pretty easy to assemble and disassemble.

Currently it is as pictured and being used as an external extension of our pantry. We are contemplating bringing back the green & pink trunk and putting our bulk flour, sugar & etc. in it and using it as a shelf again.

Super Awesome Spice Rack

A couple of years ago I decided that I wanted a spice rack so I drew up a design and showed it to Andrew. He liked what I had but decided that it needed tweaking. So he tweaked the design and then we built this together. This was when we still lived close to his parents so he had all the woodworking tools he needed. The bulk of this rack was made from the wood from a homemade bed frame that my brother Wyatt had given us. Andrew used the planer and joiner to make our wood smooth and square. I really like our spice rack especially where it is now, I can reach even the highest shelf with limited effort. :)

My Jean & T-Shirt Quilt

This quilt was also a Personal Progress project. Basically I took all my t-shirts from my various activities such as Girls Camp, Cheerleading, EFY, etc. and cut out the front and back images and pieced them together to make a quilt. Some of the corners are unorthodox but it worked out pretty well. The back is a solid piece of denim; my Mom used to work a jean factory in Spokane, WA and bought a large bolt of demin before she left. This is a nice and heavy blanket that I love to curl up in.

Projects in Progress

I really like to be able to be a mulitasker but it doesn't always end up the way I want it to. For instance I have quite a few projects that I have started and haven't completed yet. I usually end up working on one project for a while and then need a break from that project and then I start a new project and the same thing happens so I will go back to a different project and that's how I end up with a list like this of partially completed projects.

Partially Completed Projects:

• Baby Quilt - I am using scraps from the baby bedding and some solid colors to make a nice quilt for the baby. It is sewn together and tied to the batting and the backing all I have to do is self-bind it and I will be done.

• Crib Ruffle - I have the ruffle panels cut out and the edging/bias tape is on. I don't have a serger so I have to do it by hand and I haven't decided if I want a gather or a pleat. Either way it will be a bit time intensive so I have put it off. Once I decide which style I want it all I have to do is pin it to the base and sew it all together.
  

• Baby Room Wall Hangings - I originally decided that I was going to make pillows with scraps from the quilt but then realized that I would have to buy pillows and that was just one more, potentially expensive, thing to buy so I decided that I would do wall hangings instead. I have the doweling and I am going to edge the squares with bias tape that matches the tape used on the bumper and the ruffle and then they will be done.
  

• Frog Wrap Blanket - I bought the stuff for this at the same time I got the stuff for the Duck Wrap Blanket. Once I "finished" the duck I started in on the frog but then we were able to move into our house and it has sat dormant for the past couple of months. I am nearly done with it as well. All that needs to be done is for me to sew the eyes on and embroyder the mouth on and it will be done.
  

• Grandma Evelyn's Blanket - My Aunt gave my Mom a bunch of my Grandma's old t-shirts and since I have done a quilt out of t-shirts before my Mom gave me the shirts and asked if I would make a quilt for my Grandma. I, of course, said yes and started on it right away, about a year ago. I have most of the t-shirts cut out and I really just need to piece them together, decide what kind of batting and backing I'm going to use and tie it all together.
  

• Christmas Presents - I have 3 different projects that I'm working on for Christmas Presents this year. I haven't started any of them except to buy the materials. I'm really excited about what I'm making and will definitely post them all after Christmas time.
  

• Thank You Cards - I have a ton of scrapbooking stuff that I haven't really put to use recently. I had my baby shower a month ago and afterwards I realized that I didn't have enought thank you cards to send out, so I decided to make my own; which is actually really fun. I've made most of the cards I really just need to finish writing in them and get them in the mail.
  

• Mending - I have a small pile of clothes, etc. that need to be fixed. I think a lot of what I have is resewing buttons, but there are a couple of bigger things to do. I really just need to sit down and get it taken care of.
  

• Learn to Make Liquid Soap - A couple of weeks ago, I went to an Enrichment Activity and learned how to make bar soap (I have some curing on top of my fridge right now). I really enjoyed it, but personally I prefer to use liquid soap instead. So I'm going to get together with Lauren (she taught the class) and we're going to make liquid soap. I'm really stinking excited and will be sure to share our experiment with all.
  

I think that's everything but with my forgetful pregnant brain I very well could be missing something. Either way I have a ton of projects and very little time in which to complete them. Obviously some can wait until after the baby or after Christmas, but then the question is how much longer will they wait? I'm going to be super diligent in trying to complete all of my projects in the next couple of weeks. Some will be easy and others just a bit harder. I'll be sure to keep you updated.