A Little Hello

I have been quite noticeably absent for the past many, many months.  I see I mentioned our move from Florida to Ohio in the last few posts here, and that our sweet Asa finally started sleeping through the night at 14 months making me less of a zombie and  more able to craft.  What happened the very next  month threw me right back into the land of the overtired. ;)  We found out we were expecting again!  Enter exhaustion, nausea, another move (same town, different house), and I fell off the crafting wagon.  Or at the very least, blogging about it.

I'll be you can tell just from these pictures below whether we welcomed a baby boy or baby girl to our family!

Anna Reaghan had a happy belated arrival (following in her big bro's footsteps) on July 14th.  She is such a sweet baby girl, blowing her brother's sleep habits completely out of the water, and a delight to us all.  She IS sleeping amazingly well, but I still feel a bit of that newborn fog especially with chasing Asa around even if/when she is napping.  I am planning some holiday outfits for them, so I thought I might try to pick back up with this blog.  And Pinterest has given me all sorts of inspiration for crafting of all types!

Another minor change I made is getting this blog set up to post from the google account I use the most.  Originally I had it tied to a different email address I don't use as much, and it was a hassle to sign in and out of accounts in order to post.  With that remedied, this is much more of a simple "point, click, type" process.  Yea!

Here's to more crafting!

Craft Tote

 Awhile back, I saw a pattern for a craft tote in Ginia18's Etsy shop.  I saved it to my favorites and would periodically go back and look at it.  I think I was really trying to work up my nerve to try something that seemed like it might be a bit complicated.  I always get nervous before trying a new pattern, especially if it's for a new KIND of item to create.

Christmas provided the perfect opportunity for me to purchase and try the pattern.  I thought my 2 year old niece would love an art tote filled with coloring books, stickers, markers, crayons, etc.  I had the vision in mind, the tricky part was convincing myself I could bring it to fruition.

The seller promptly emailed the pattern and made herself available to answer any questions I might have as I worked through it.  I stared down the pattern for a few days before I found the courage to cut into my fabric and get started.  Fun aside:  Asa and I had the BEST time choosing the fabrics for the bag!  As you might imagine, I don't have a lot of pinky, girly fabric in my stash, so we roamed the aisles of the fabric store collecting fairies, tea cups, and more!  There was no need to contact the seller with questions--the instructions were great and I actually put the tote together in one night!  Well, I spent one evening cutting the pieces I needed and prepping them with stabilizer.  Another evening was spent actually constructing the bag.

I am so pleased with how it turned out!  Pockets galore filled with all kinds of crafty goodness. :)  My niece was pretty excited when she opened it on Christmas morning as well. ;)

I cannot wait to make this tote again!

Long time...

... no post.

I have been grossly absent from posting here.  I am finally getting into a routine around the house here in Ohio now, and with fall activities like Bible study beginning, some order and familiarity are returning to my days (yea!).  Asa still takes 2 naps, and I try to use his first name for Bible study and housework so I can use his 2nd afternoon nap for whatever I want (read: crafting!).  That Asa started sleeping through the night about 2 months ago hasn't hurt either. ;)

One of the first things I made when I felt a little of the "old" me returning after Asa started sleeping through the night was some drawstring sacks for a few of Asa's toys.  He has a set of wooden alphabet blocks (thanks, Holli & Todd!) that needed a storage solution for when Asa isn't knocking down towers of blocks. :)  He also has several matchbox cars.  He loves to drive them around on the floor (and sometimes the couch) and he loves to take things out/put them in containers.  I knew he  needed a car bag as well.

I whipped up this dog fabric bag for the blocks (Asa loooves dogs)

and this car fabric bag for his cars :)

Success!

Asa's Lamb

Asa's lamb did not turn out exactly the way I had it pictured in my head.  There is a smidge of a puppy look about it (partly from the nose, but the minky I used on the face was super fluffy and embroidery was just lost in all the fluff--a lesson for next time), but unless I finish all the other projects on my list of dream projects (which seems like a laughable idea with a 15 month old who is in love with his newest trick--walking--as of the past month) and make a version I love TONS better, I'm willing to let its imperfections go.  Which is big for me.  Really big.

I had to modify a couple of the pattern pieces I drafted.  They just did NOT look right overall.  And I learned a valuable lesson when I went to turn the lamb in order to stuff it and sew it closed.  Stuffed arms and legs do NOT fit well through little lambie necks!  Next time, I will leave my opening in the torso instead of the head!  Whew! I was afraid I would pull it to pieces as I tugged and tugged and the seams strained and strained.

I love the verse God gave me for the lamb as well.  I searched and searched wanting just the right thing to speak of salvation and God's goodness and comfort.  I considered parts of hymns.  And then God led me to this:

I am excited to try a scripture animal again.  I don't know if my next one will be a lamb or something else, but I just love these scripture dolls--whatever form they materialize in. :)

I love the tail!

You can also check out the scripture dolls I made for my niece and nephew last Christmas! :)

A New Pattern

For my birthday, my parents gave me a sewing pattern I asked for from an Etsy seller.  It's the A Girl's Best Friend wallet pattern from Jennalou06. I was a bit intimidated by it; I'm still working through my anxiety about sewing from a pattern instead of drafting my own pattern or just figuring things out on my own.  It also has a zipper, which I have never done before... until now!

A sweet friend of mine graduated from high school this spring and will be attending the University of Alabama.  I was trying to think of something fun for a graduation gift.  Eventually, I set my sights on a Bama themed wallet with this pattern.  I look at Bama fabric, but none of it was very pretty.  So I did an Etsy search for "University of Alabama" and was quickly reminded that black & white houndstooth is signature Bama!  Woo hoo!  Now I could make a houndstooth wallet with crimson accents for my newest favorite Crimson Tide fan! :)

I spent part of one evening cutting the pieces, affixing the interfacing, transferring marks, and reading over the instructions.  During the following day's afternoon nap I completed the first three steps (out of six), and during today's afternoon nap I completed the remaining 3 steps!  It is a deceptively simple pattern that I had NO problems with!  I am really happy with how the wallet turned out and can't wait to get a gift card to put in it and send the gift on its way!

Here are my quick shots of it from this afternoon. :)

front exterior, velcro wrap-around closure

Interior.  The top half has a pocket big enough for cash, 6 card holders, and an elastic loop for a pen.

The bottom half has another cash pocket and a zippered (coin) pocket.

With some cards in it for example.

bottom large pocket

both big pockets

Craft Favorites Friday

It's time for the last February installment of Craft Favorites Friday! :) I hope you find something you'd like to try (I know I have!).

1. Watercolor Resist Trees

This project stood out to me because my niece LOVES Scotch tape. I hear about it because it's not one of those things parents are going to let you use for no reason, but when she's at my parents' house my mom (her G-Ma) will let her tape and create to her heart's content. So naturally I thought C might enjoy this craft. :) I love The Crafty Crow for creative and unusual ideas like this.

2. Paper Bag Books

This project makes me wish I was still teaching in the classroom. Oh how my students would have LOVED this. Awesome book report project or science chapter wrap up... even for math vocabulary or story publishing. Seriously. I will definitely be filing this away for when Asa gets a bit older. In the meantime, maybe Asa can "help" me use Rosy~Posy's tutorial to create a little special something for his grandparents or cuzzies. :)

3. Owl Softie

M.U.S.T. M.A.K.E. In case you don't know, Asa's nursery is decorated in a woodland forest animal theme... with lots of birds... and he sleeps with a little owl. The Rubber Punkin's tutorial looks very easy to follow. Now to choose the fabric for Asa's little hoot. :)

4. Bit of Whimsy Doll patterns

My brain about explodes from going into overdrive when I see these patterns. If only there were more hours in a day. :) Be sure to check out Bit of Whimsy's Boo Bear Pay it Forward deal also (free pattern in exchange for making 2 bears)!

5. Something Yummy

I have less than a month until I try dairy again (I've been dairy free for Asa's benefit.... and ours because we get more sleep and have a much happier baby without it). I tried at 3 months and 6 months, and I'm trying one last time at 9 months. If Asa is still too sensitive, then I'm staying dairy free until he's weaned. All that to say, Matt and I joke at times about an imaginary list of things I have not had that I am really looking forward to indulging in when I can have dairy again. I've never eaten these before, but I sure think I will give them a try! They look delicious! Making the World Cuter's cupcakey-oreo-caramel-brownie-goodness, I hope I can eat you soon!

Personalized and Holiday Onesie

When Valentine's Day was approaching I wanted to make a special Valentine's outfit for Asa. His G-Pa and G-Ma sent us an outfit for the actual day, but I wanted something for Saturday as well. And I hadn't made him any clothes in awhile.

I decided to make him an "A" shirt that would work for Valentine's Day and still be wearable at other times. I had the idea to cut an A out of red fabric and cut a heart out of the top for the "hole."

I sorted through several red fabrics and settled on red with white polka dots. I ironed steam a seam to my little swatch of fabric, drew my A on the back (hooray for mirror-image letters!), and cut it out. Finishing the onesie was as simple as placing the A on my onesie and ironing it in place. I plan to go back and sew the edges of the applique to help it last as long as possible, but it's just fine without any sewing as well.

I wanted to share because this is such a simple, easy way to make something special, themed, or personalized, and you do not even have to sew to do it! I had not used steam a seam until recently, and now I am finding SO many uses for it! I am a fan!

Craft Favorites Friday

Oh my, where do I begin?!?

1. Yummy Felt Cookies

These cookie were made for Valentine's Day, but you could personalize them or "decorate" them for whatever occasion you like! There are lots of pictures and even a tutorial over at Pamela Susan. Check it out--they definitely look good enough to eat!

2. Framed Initial

I am all about monograms. I love the idea of using fabric--so many pretty patterns, weaves, and textures to choose from! Make it and Love it tells you exactly how to make a framed fabric monogram.

3. Floor Blanket

I do not have a tutorial typed up for this (yet)... but it could NOT be easier! My grandmother, Asa's Mimi, made him a floor blanket that we received at one of our baby showers. It has sweet teddy bears on the front, a thin layer of batting in the middle, and it is backed in flannel. She hand tied it to "quilt" the layers together and top stitched it with a decorative scallop stitch. A while back I ordered some fabric online. It had adorable animals driving cars and I thought it would be perfect for Asa or my nephew. When it arrived, the design was a MUCH larger scale than I anticipated. No little shirts or library bags to be made from it as I had been considering. Eventually I decided it would be a perfectly adorable floor blanket. What little boy wouldn't look scrumptious playing atop a mouse driving a cupcake liner and other critters driving strawberry, carrot, and shoe-mobiles?? This week I purchased my batting and found a bright, fun car-themed flannel for the back (I like having flannel on the back because it really helps the blanket stay in place when it's on top of carpet). I made my fabric sandwich, stitched it together (leaving a hole, clip corners, turn), and top stitched it (I did just a regular straight stitch). Then I found some bright red yarn to coordinate with the bold colors in the fabric and hand tied it. Now I am just deciding if I want to put silky blanket binding around it too. But Asa has already been playing on it (it helps protect the carpet from drool and the occasional spit up), and he looks MIGHTY cute on it too, I must add. :)

Craft Favorites Friday

I am back with 3 more sweet and simple ideas that are perfect for the little ones in your life. :)

1. Felt Brown Bag Lunch

I am huge fan of crafting with felt (as I've mentioned a few times). ;) It is just such a fun medium to create with and so versatile. Can you believe how amazing that lunch looks? You really need to visit Skip to My Lou to see for yourself how the sandwich pieces--complete with "plastic" sandwich baggie, brown bag, chips, and dessert all come together (super easy)! HOW FUN!

2. Counting Book

Personalized activities set in your child's own environment and context--what a way to make connections! Here is a quick way to connect numbers and counting to things your child sees (and loves!) every day! I love the different things Lu Bird Baby thought to photograph. :)

3. Texture Book

In the same vein, here is a texture book made with easy-to-find materials. Asa is at an age where he loves to touch everything... from the carpet to the curtains by his changing table to toys, stuffed animals, and even his clothes (when I change him out of his pjs every morning, one of the first things he does is feel the texture of the clothes I have put on him for the day)! This book from Bloesem Kids and New House Project is another great idea. :)

Craft Favorites Friday RETURNS!

I know it has been several weeks since my last CFF round up. Between Christmas travels, settling in back home, teething, etc. I've been storing ideas but not posting them. I have 3 new projects for today though!

1. Dollar Store Wash Mitt Hedgehog

I read this week that the dollar store wash mitts are back. I have seen a couple different projects made with these, but the hedgehog is my favorite. I hope to scope out some dollar stores this weekend--I'll let you know if I hit the jackpot! You can find complete instructions by clicking the link above and going over to Darling Petunia.

2. Valentine's Heart Garland

Over at Little Birdie Secrets, you can find an idea for a sweet, simple felt Valentine's garland. We finally got our Christmas decor packed away (we usually try to enjoy it for an extra week or two once we return from our Christmas travels) and I decided to go ahead and put our Valentine's decorations up so we can enjoy them as long as possible. I have some other projects that require felt, so I just might try one of these while I'm at it. :)

3. Way Cool Geometric Floor Puzzle Pieces

I think this is soooo cool, and I really want to make some for Asa when he's bigger. I LOOOVE pattern blocks and used to have a giant bucket of them. I think they are so great for open-ended play and exploration. This is such a wonderful and inexpensive way to encourage some amazing creativity. :) Go visit Mer Mag--it could not be easier!

Christmas Presents

I only made one set of crafty presents this year, but I am BEYOND thrilled with how they turned out!

I had seen some scripture dolls online, and I thought they were something I could make--and would enjoy doing so.

First I tried drawing my own pattern. I posted about that attempt. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't exactly pretty either. ;)

I ended up using The Black Apple doll pattern, and it worked beautifully! Without further ado, here are the dolls I made for my niece and nephew--the scriptures were chosen by their mom. :)

I can't wait to make more! I already have the materials to make one for Asa, so stay tuned! :)

Lighting the Advent Candle

On Friday Matt informed me that our pastor asked us to light the Advent candle this week. What a sweet thing to get to do as a family during Asa's first Advent season!

On a very unspiritual level, I wanted something special for Asa to wear. We have an outfit for Christmas all picked out and ready to go. But I didn't want him to wear his Christmas sleeper for church today. I have been wanting to try to make him a jon jon/shortall. He has some cute ones, and I think they are oh-so-sweet on little baby boys. Whenever I have looked for a pattern for that type of outfit I have only seen patterns for bigger boys (toddlers), never for infants. After making a decent enough pair of pants by tracing a well-fitting pair he has, I thought I could probably piece a jon jon together by tracing the one he has that I like.

And so I set off to make a Christmas jon jon sans pattern! Ha! I was afraid I might have bit off more than I could chew (as I started sewing Saturday morning). BUT, I spent many feedings thinking through each step and picturing it all in my head. I found some sweet, rich, jewel-y green thin wale corduroy to go with some Christmas tree cotton I had (for a little insert, like if it were smocked across the chest). And miracle of miracles, Asa napped well enough on Saturday for me to trace his short summery jon jon and turn it into a pattern for a long, Christmasy jon jon.

I only had one major mistake where I initially sewed the legs together instead of stopping at the inseam. Other than that, it went really well! I even got the rise correct, which is what I usually have trouble with if I'm not using a "real" pattern!

There are a few things I would change, of course, like I accidentally cut the top piece of corduroy with the weave horizontal, but it is vertical for all the other pieces (didn't realize I made that mistake until it was all done). But it doesn't look bad. I would make the straps thinner also. But I tend to overestimate seam allowances and such when sketching my own patterns. I was SO excited to go look for cute buttons, too. I was hoping for Christmas tree buttons, but the only even wintery thing I could find was some snowmen. The colors kind of clash, but I can always switch out the buttons if I find some great trees.

Without further ado, here is my creation!

I think Asa will wear this again for our Christmas Eve service. :)

Craft Favorites Friday, late edition :)

So I knew it was bound to happen. I did not get a Craft Favorites Friday post up last week. I think there was too much anticipation in our house over the arrival of G-Pa and G-Ma later that day. :) Or maybe it was that my little birdie has been waking after shorter stretches at night, calling for his momma bird to come feed him. Our 4-5 hour stretches have slipped to 3-4 hours, and that little slip is making a big difference as it continues to drag on for over a week. He's just so busy learning new things, like sitting all by himself (he doesn't even need to tripod anymore!), exploring spatial relationships, and disliking that Mommy can step away from him.... even for just a second. ;) I digress, today I got to try a project I've been wanting to try for a long time. It could not have been easier, so I hope you'll be encouraged to give it a whirl, too. :)

Homemade Baby Legs



There are LOTS of different tutorials for making your own baby legs on the internet. Just google it if you don't believe me! But I happened upon this one from Little Birdie Secrets, as it's a blog I follow anyway. Even though I have a baby boy, I am a fan of baby legs. I think they are utterly ADORABLE on girls under little dresses and skirts, but my little man can use an extra layer on his legs now that it's chilly. I imagine they might be nice when he starts crawling as well, as used alone there would not be any pants to get dragged down over his little bottom as he scoots around. We live in Florida, so it doesn't get too terribly cold. The joke is that winter is February 12. ;) Okay, so it's a little longer, but not long enough to warrant the purchase of realllly wintery clothes. We just layer it up when the cold week or two arrives. :) We're not to "real" cold yet, but it IS chilly enough that Asa's little legs get cool at night, even with warm jammies. His pant legs also ride up when he's in my mei tai carrier, but baby legs keep his legs covered even when the pants get hiked up. It's GREAT! My husband calls Asa "flashdance" when he wears them, but he is excited about the new patterns (argyle in particular) of baby legs our baby boy will be sporting for CHEAP thanks to this tutorial.

In fact, here's a picture of him modeling a $2 pair of knee-socks-turned-baby-legs that I picked up at Walmart. See??... cute!!

Magnet Board

My sweet friend's birthday was approaching, and I wanted to make something special for her. When I came across a tutorial over at craftynest for a fabric covered, framed magnet board I really thought I could tailor it to her liking. It seemed like a fun little something she could post verses, pictures of her adorable twins, or other fun notes on.

I know she likes pink, so I picked out some fun pink fabric and some coordinating fabric to cover the magnet board. I played around with a couple of ideas. I considered trying to make a city skyline from the coordinating fabric because she used to live in and loves NYC. I wasn't sure if I could really get it to look like a skyline though, so I made a monogram instead.

Without further ado, here's the finished product!

the little black square are magnets

a close-up of the monogram

Craft Favorites Friday

Welcome back to Craft Favorites Friday!

To start us off this week, we have something for the little ladies. :)

Little Girls' Fleece Jumper



This is another tutorial from Smashed Peas and Carrots. I love the silhouette of the jumper, the over-a-shirt-and-pants look, and I have to admit, I love that it has buttons. I have been eyeing buttons lately and trying to think of projects I can make for Asa that have buttons. So far I have come up with... overalls. :) But here's a toasty and cute jumper for the little girl in your life. :)

Next are some Coasters



Check out the tutorial for these coasters from Beneath My Heart. It would be so easy to coordinate this with decor in a particular room, a holiday, or personalize with a monogram. With just a few supplies, a couple steps, and a little time you have a GREAT gift as well!

Corner Bookmark



I thought this simple and sweet bookmark was definitely worth passing along. I like the "x marks the spot" embroidery, but you could also embroider with a monogram or other little design. The tutorial at Kootoyoo uses a magnet to keep the bookmark on your page. This would be a sweet addition if you plan to give a book as a gift! :)