MORE coaster!

Here are a few more coasters that I made these last couple weeks.  The first happy red and blue ones are for Lori and her new abode in Portland.

The second are for my gramma’s birthday earlier this month, it turns out she has been using the same corky-wooden ones since the 70’s, a gift from my uncle, so it seems they are not only useful but appreciated!

These are made from Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, the same as the last set and the same modification of using different fabrics on each side instead of the same.  The instructions say to use a high-loft quilt batting for the interfacing, which I did for the first set, but as mentioned I thought that a layer of cotton flannel would have the same effect after being quilted.  I didn’t go that far this time around, but on Lori’s I used a single layer of some bamboo/cotton quilt batting that I had instead which was FAR from being high-loft.  Additionally, on gramma’s I used two layers of that same batting.  The verdict?  I like the two layers my low-loft bamboo/cotton in this project far more than the other two variations.  Gramma’s coasters turned out to be just the perfect stiffness, and I think they are going to turn out to have better absorption too, bonus!

This is an easy easy project with almost instant result, my favorite part is the quilting, probably because of the OCD in me making sure all those lines are straight and spaced perfectly.

Problem Solved!

My chronic condition is slowly being treated one project at a time.

PROBLEM:  How do I EFFICIENTLY carry little as possible with me on short outings while still meeting the basic needs of a messy one year old?

Obvious solution:  Throw a few diapers and some wipes along with a snack in a bit of an over sized purse and woosh, I am out the door.  Nope, here lies the problem for you childless people, or even you dads who have not had to face such an embarrassment as crunched & mangled diapers falling out of your purse a THE MOST inopportune times!  Diapers don’t stay in their vacuumed packed state, they get mushed and mangled, quickly!  Who wants crumpled diapers floating around freely in their purse or anywhere else for that matter?

REAL SOLUTION:  A pouch to hold your most valuable of wipe holders and two or three diapers!

While searching high and low the closets solution I could find was Skip Hop’s Pronto, and even it, after I saw it in person was HUGE– for my needs at least, and heavy for an on-the-go quick solution.  So here you have it, the result of a months worth of searching, plus I got to stitch a bit which I have been missing since I finishing this.

This super simple pouch is made from 100% linen, and the lining is a print from Free Spirit that Lori used on Ella’s quilt, we used on her window treatment, and these.  It is coming out of my ears, and I cannot stand it any longer as a prominent fabric in my projects, so it has been demoted to lining fabric only, which I actually really like.  PLUS I wasn’t really sure if this project was going to turn out since it was a bag with a flap that I had never done before.  I always seem to get mixed up with all the right-sides, wrong-sides, and the turning, I was sure I was going to end up with something backwards.  Must be beginners luck!

There is more, continue reading! »

to ella on your first christmas, *heart* mom

This is little Ella’s Christmas present from me.  A bit late, YES, BUT it has been complete for a couple months, I just didn’t get around to taking her closeup.  I feel like I must explain the delay, really I have some great excuses!

You see, I received my sewing machine a year ago this week for my birthday, Ella was just four months old!  Not the best time to start a new hobby as involved as sewing with nobody to teach me except my trusty book from Lori!  Well, I didn’t get around to sewing until October, at which time I thought I would commit myself to the loony bin and MAKE everybody Christmas and Birthday presents!  Somewhere in there I also thought I would hit myself over the head and commit myself all together and make Ella this perfect little Olive by Hillary Lang at Wee Wonderfuls.  Needless to say, I didn’t actually start until a couple days AFTER Christmas… after all, 6 month ella won’t know any different, right?  Well, Ms. Olive here turned out to be much more difficult than this inexperienced sewist expected, and after the holiday marathon I wasn’t exactly committed to hanging in there with it.  Somewhere along the way a few months into procrastinating I regained my confidence and popped it out in a night, but then her rear remained un-sewn for a good month until I figured that out too– again, not too committed to the project.  And here we are August, Ella is nine months older, Olive is finally getting photographed, and technically still has no face…

There is a bit of an explanation behind her facelessness too.

There is more, continue reading! »

coming soon…

almost out of the funk…

yes, those are cut band-aids!

…wait until you see what I have planned for this guy!

A bit of strawberry cake goodness!

Another not so recent post.
Still in the Funk.
I plan to get better after the aproaching long weekend mini-vacay to Mammoth!

I have received a few requests for the recipe I used for the 4 dozen cupcakes at Miss E’s first birthday a few months back, and I just received another!  It is time to spill it, including all my hints for you non-seasoned bakers (me included)!

First off let me say that I absolutely adore Sprinkles, I imagine that they are the most scrumptious cupcakes around– but I wouldn’t know exactly because I have not exactly eaten one before. BUT, I have been promising myself a trip to Beverly Hills for paper and cupcakes, (sigh) someday!  Taste aside, I love the simplistic, elegant, homemade look of them.  The swirl is perfect.  Every one is a bit different, and the marzipan marking system is brilliant and lovely.  SO, you can imagine my absolute elation and lasting excitement when I found THIS and THIS!  The exact recipe from Candace herself, EUREKA! (I realize this may not be the exact exact recipe that is actually used, but please, don’t tell me that, I am perfectly content thinking that it IS!)

I am not going to go into any detail about the making process, who am I to think that I can do any better job than Martha herself and Candace… but I will let you in on three things:

There is more, continue reading! »

A bit more back project briefing

I made this hankershief for Mr. K this past Valentine’s Day after he not so subtly dropped hint after hint that he wanted something hand made by ME. This created quiet the inner conflict– what the heck do I know how to make for a man, besides a card??? I make lots of things, but turns out nothing is suited for a man! Prior to his prodding I had never taken much thought to this, and was perfectly content not ever thinking about it, but the the request was made. It would not have been wise to bow out of such a challenge, so here enters the timeless monogrammed hanky with a bit of a bright twist. It doesn’t need much explanation except that it was my first stand alone embroidery project, small I realize but oh so satisfying! I used a couple small sheets of Sulky’s tear away stabilizer to help with the puckering on the thin fabric and it worked like a charm. I am not so sure if a seasoned stitcher would need such a crutch, but for my lack of consistent tension it was appreciated.

… and then of course there is always the token card that Mr. K has come to expect.

The red and white polka dots (which I see they don’t have any more, but they were part of the luxe collection) and beautiful chocolate paper are from my beloved paper-source.

Three wrens came for a visit…

I haven’t done anything crafty lately– I should I KNOW and I really have no excuse for it except that I have been in a bit of a funk. BUT I do have this picture of a project I did a couple months ago that I never posted about.

These are the quick wall hangings I did for Ella’s “baby room,” they coordinate with the, I guess you would call it window treatment, and the quilt that Lori so generously made for Ella when she was born. I had been meaning to do something with the remaining fabric from Ella’s window project but I was having trouble deciding on what. Ella’s walls stayed naked until I stumbled upon a great and simple idea from Anna Maria Horner which was then featured on The Martha Show. I already had the fabric and Modge Podge, acrylic paint is cheap, all I had to find were the square canvases. I eventually found them at a Joann’s, but not just any Joann’s, a super store of sorts, and then it was off to Micheal’s to pick up a couple great flat paintbrushes that I have wanted to own anyway! In an afternoon the project was completed and hung. Easy breezy. I decided to use the wren that Anna Maria featured because, well… I was uninspired to do anything else, and I really do like the realistic quality, not to mention my obvious obsession with silhouettes and birds lately.

They are hung above Ella’s changing table, which poses some problems when putting on pants now that she is one! They seem to be a bit irresistible to reach up and grab and knock off the wall, but I can’t blame her, they are tempting to touch.

love love LOVE

I am absolutely in love with both of my Mother’s Day gifts this year and I got the art part of it on my walls in a timely manner, which is a record actually, I haven’t even had them for a month! It really is something to marvel at considering I have other frames on my walls that have been begging for content for months.

Keith, err Ella, so cleverly ordered two fantastic items from my Etsy Wish List, these prints from Emily at The Black Apple and these perfectly great earrings. I am in love with both equally– I have worn my earings everyday, but I am so much enjoying the new prints in my dining room as I sip my tea in the mornings, I can hardly stand it.

There is more, continue reading! »

long awaited coasters

Since we have been married (4 years!) we have never owned coasters– despite having many nice wood surfaces that tremble at the thought of careless condensation! Pretty lame, I will admit! There is always a scramble for a paper towel, unused place mat, sock, plate, burp-cloth, you name it. It has gone on long enough! But before you jump to conclusions about the many reasons why it has taken SO long, let me tell you about a chronic condition I came down with many years ago called “I can make that.”

Here’s how it usually goes: “oooo, this is GREAT! Honey do you like it!?” “Yea, that is great, lets get it, how much is it?” I turn it over to reveal the price and then tell Honey with disappointment. “That’s not bad, seems worth it,” he says. “WHAT? That is awful… I can make that.” I say as I put it back on the shelf and longingly step away. As we get ready to leave the store Honey says “Aren’t you going to get that?” “What?” “The thing.” “No, I can make that.” “But you don’t!” “Shut up!” And so my list grows, more ideas clog my brain and our lack of coasters continued.

These little quilted gems are from Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts, which I am in love with by the way. I decide to do these coasters over something much more simple because I learned to use my fancy quilting foot, it worked like a charm. Instead of one rectangle to make the folded square that resulted in the same pattern on both sides, I created the rectangle with two different fabrics from Joel Dewberry’s Aviary collection, and then continued the directions by the book. The pattern calls for a high loft quilt batting as the facing which I used, but I am not all the impressed with the idea. They turned out much more flat and non-cushy than I was hoping, I think they would have much better absorption and probably even look loftier if two or three pieced of cotton flannel were used in place of the batting. I am sure that I will be making at least a couple more sets of these as I have proved to be pretty repetitive with new projects, meaning my current obsession with totes and bags, so when I try it I will let you know.

There is more, continue reading! »

Happy 1st Birthday, Haislea!

This week Ella and I made a sweet little tote for her new friend Haislea who turned one today! I love the way it turned out and I think that I will finally be making Ella one, that is, after I get done with other gifts for the baby shower I am going to in a week! I am yet to complete anything for us to keep. I really do need to remedy that! Until then, here are the stats:

There is more, continue reading! »