Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Super Cooper & Minnie Mouse

Happy Halloween!
This year Adeline chose to be Minnie Mouse. I chose to exaggerate the scallop-edge skirt and go satin.

Cooper opted to be a super hero, so we made up Super Cooper. The most challenging part was the appliques on his chest and arm.

Monday, June 11, 2012

My Reversible Skirt is Back!

Craftzine.com featured my Reversible Skirt Project from way back in the day. So fun to see projects still being circulated and appreciated. Miss my shorter locks, but still rock my reversible skirts and red heels! You can download and sew your own reversible skirt here.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Bonnie's Thimbles

My aunt Phyllis contacted me recently to let me know that she came across a small box of my grandmother's vintage thimble collection and wanted to know if I'd be interested in acquiring them. I didn't hesitate for one minute, having no idea what beautifully intricate thimbles were coming my way. When I saw the box in the mail yesterday my heart skipped a beat and my children watched me open the little package as if a magical troll was going to appear. I was amazed at her 6-piece collection with intricately designed thimbles in varying shades of silver. One was even from a Life Insurance company. It's the little treasures in life that bring the biggest smiles to our faces - thanks Bonnie!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Little joy

Ever once in awhile you come across a fabric you just adore. To keep pattern in tact, I made a very simple dress silhouette. The detail was in the bow at the neckline. I used a powder blue velvet ribbon for a softer texture.


Saturday, April 7, 2012

Bling it on!

I love to craft on the road, especially on a long family road trip. Recently I discovered the "Knitting Tower" tool. What a perfect way to pass the time while using very little brainpower. I whipped up this sweet necklace out of cashmere yarn remnants for my daughter on a recent trip. It's like a kid-friendly gold chain necklace!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Sew Proud to be Five!

When my daughter opened her big gift for her fifth birthday, my heart nearly burst as she unwrapped her first sewing machine. She has been asking for one for awhile so I did a lot of research to find a quality machine that will grow with her.
Janome makes an adorable 3/4-sized Hello Kitty machine that came with rave reviews. I was sold and my daughter was over the moon. And it wouldn't be complete without a sewing kit filled with thread & needles.
 Adeline in action. So careful.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Hankie-Pankie

Looking for a craft for the kids on a sniffly, cold, wet, rainy day? Customized hankies, of course! Crayola makes fabric crayons which are so easy to use. Simply have the kids draw a picture on a blank white sheet of paper (don't forget that the image will reverse, so help them write any words backwards!). Put the paper face-down on the hankie and iron on a hot setting. Be sure to find hankies that are made of synthetic fibers rather than cotton, as the ink will not hold up in the wash! To frame their little masterpieces I added an embroidered trim.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Lovebirds Galore!

Making valentine cards with my kids is beginning to rival the joy I feel making their Halloween costumes. I like the collaborative effort along with the handmade creations. My 2-yr-old's class is studying music this year, so we decided to make these framed art cards with a wooden bird whistle attached.
I found the wooden bird whistles at Oriental Trading Company and the foam frames at Joann Fabrics. The art is straight from Cooper's heart.
For my 5-yr-old's cards, we changes our original plan of making lollipop flowers with heart petals (via Martha Stewart's website). I realized that candy is frowned upon in her classroom, so we used the cut heart petals to make flower cards. The stems are metallic ribbon strips and we finished the centers with various white buttons. They came out adorable, even sugar-free.

Love Yourself

Couldn't resist making this adorable crocheted heart brooch for myself today. I used a gold metallic leather to make the arrow with a grey felt backing.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Martha Made Me Do It

Every year I troll the internet for fun, crafty, kid-friendly valentines to mass-produce for my kid's classmates. This year I was inspired by Martha Stewart's lollipop valentine project. It's a clever use of paper-cut hearts as petals around a lollipop. Will post pics once we make some more progress.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Operation Comfort Doll

This weekend I had the opportunity to craft with local ladies Rachel Carlson & Kate Matlock at SewPo. It was a night of crafting with a cause, sewing these adorable plush dolls for Operation Comfort Doll. The finished dolls are distributed to women who reside in domestic abuse shelters around the U.S. Not only was it heartwarming to make a charitable craft, but inspiring meeting more local crafty ladies!