Some Making

Of course, there's been some making going on. It keeps me sane and gives me something to do when the to do list is just too enormous. I suppose the logical thing would be to tackle the to do list, but I admit that I am entirely guilty of sitting down to knit instead.  It's a comfort to the soul...especially when combined with baby snuggling...

And, then there's the sewing. Every once in a blue moon I get a wild hair to sew clothes for the littles. This set is destined for Sophia's closet. We've still got some warm days left, so she'll get some use out of it. Plus, I made it with a little growing room, so she can wear it next year too.

And, then there's this...

A Waldorf doll in progress.

Eep. I'm totally thrilled about it, but now I also understand why they charge so blooming much for these things. It's not that they are terrifically difficult to make. They're just super time consuming. It's a fun project, though...which is good because I have two little girls, so another doll is in my future.

*The purple knitted bit is a sweater (pattern here) and the pink is a hat (pattern here)

I used this McCall's pattern for Sophia's new outfit

And, for the Waldorf doll I've used a combination of tutorials for the head (inspiration here), and I made my own pattern for the body.

Pinspired

I spotted this toddler sewing kit on Pinterest awhile back. Their use of non-slip drawer liner as "fabric" is simply genius. It is perfect for little hands trying to get the hang of stitches. I cut a circle of the stuff a little larger than my embroidery hoop and popped it in. Then I tied a plastic needle to one end of a length of embroidery floss and a button to the other end. You can barely make out the button in the picture above. It just keeps the floss from slipping through the hole. Levi has been playing with this for a few weeks now. He loooooves it. Of course, I love that he is digging sewing.

Have you been inspired by something you spotted on Pinterest lately?

Making

This sweater has been in the works for a few weeks. It's Levi's Gramps Cardigan...

It's my first go at cables, and I can't believe I was actually scared of them. Not so very terrifying after all. However, there are times (like when my children are bouncing off the walls) that I need a super easy project to turn to, so I cast on for the hat that Stephan has been asking for lately. (What he really wants is a Fair Isle hat. Ha! He's going to have to wait until our children are grown for that one. Maybe I'll manage a Fake Isle hat before then.) We went to The Knit Studio where he picked out the yarn and the pattern.

I measured his head, and I even did a gauge swatch. I knitted away for a couple of days, and voila. A hat......a hat that was way too big. What is up with my math skills? Sigh. I unraveled it, and cast on again. Then I set it aside because really I was a tinge aggravated. It didn't help that my failure coincided with Sophia teething and thus not sleeping much. I was in need of some immediate gratification knitting therapy, so I went with a cup cozy....

It was fast, easy, and patternless which made it oddly even more gratifying. Now maybe I can get to work on that hat again.

In between knitting I've started making Levi's Halloween costume....

In case the pile doesn't give it away, he's going to be either a dinosaur or a dragon. I'm thinking I'll make the wings detachable so that he can change his mind all last minutey. I've actually finished the spikes going up the hood, but I just haven't managed a photo yet. He's pretty particular this year. He wants eyes, teeth, and claws that "go like this not like this." Ahem. I think I'll have to teach the boy to sew soon if he's going to be so picky.

Some Sewing And Some Party Planning

I ditched the knitting needles for my sewing machine this week.
It was a nice break.
We're just having a little family party for Sophia's 1st birthday, but that doesn't stop me from party planning. We're going for a sunshine theme, since she has such a (mostly) sunny personality. When it's not sunny it's at least fiery.

Anyway, sunshine theme = a need for a yellow dress which = this*...

And, then I wanted her to have a special birthday crown**. I skipped the sunshine theme for it because I'm thinking we'll use it yearly. That is if I can hold myself back from making a new one every year. This was a fun and easy sew. I could become addicted to crown making. (In fact, she might have a sunshine crown by the time her birthday rolls around.)

I snuck the crown on her as she woke up from a nap. She didn't notice until we passed a mirror. Then she couldn't stop staring at herself and grinning. Normally she freaks over hats, but apparently crowns are cool.

As far as the non-sewn aspects of the party go, I'm thinking something like this for the cake, but made into a sun instead of a sunflower.
(Mom, are you seeing this? ;)...

                                      Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Madeline on Pinterest

And, this is her present...

The girl is in the habit of eating holes through our books. She can reek havoc on a book in just a few seconds...especially now that she has teeth! Hopefully, a wooden book will slow her down a bit.

And, just because I feel like I haven't posted very many pictures of Levi, here's a totally unrelated one...

He's seriously the sweetest boy alive....at least in my humble opinion.

*I used the Prudent Baby's Snappy Toddler Dress pattern. 

**I was just winging it on the crown although I know there's a pattern in a book around here somewhere. I just couldn't remember where. Sigh...mommy brain strikes again.

Christmas In July

I finished Sophia's Christmas stocking months ago. It's been hanging in my sewing room waiting for me to snap a picture and put it away. Obviously, I'm a procrastinator. (Just ignore the fact that I took these photos at night in bad light.)

Um, you should also ignore the uneven stitches. It adds to the handmade look, right?

This is what's on the back:

Now, I just need to get to work on Levi's stocking. You would think I'd have done that already, but then again you know I'm a procrastinator.

On The Craft Front

Lately I've tried to shift my focus to practical crafting. It's been hard to stick with, but there's a pretty long list that I've put off in lieu of more fun stuff. The soakers were the start of that list. I swear, though, that there is no end to the number of soakers one needs....especially if you take into account that they require a couple of days of drying time when you wash them....and, ahem, a certain very kind husband of mine might have an uncanny knack for shrinking them. Sigh. I've knitted soakers for Sophia until I'm about tired of them. But, I keep trudging along. I should probably try some new patterns out before I get bored to tears. At least the finished products look cute on her bum.

Then there are the curtains for the kitchen, living, and dining rooms. We've been making do with broken blinds and shades since we moved in. Something needed to be done about that, so curtain making is currently on the front burner. Does anyone else find curtains to be simply maddening? They aren't exactly complicated, but I still thoroughly dislike them. Thankfully, my mom is tackling that project with me. However, it's possible that she hates curtain making more than I do. It's also possible that we end up chatting about our mutual dislike a little more than we end up sewing.

Now, just because I'm sewing practical doesn't mean I have to dream practical, so here are a few sewing pretties that have been in my thoughts lately:

                                                   Source: flickr.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                      Source: pamgarrison.typepad.com via Madeline on Pinterest

                                              Source: blogcatalog.com via Madeline on Pinterest

Got any good crafts up your sleeves or any inspiration I should know about? :-)

Weekend Loves

A few good links...

: : First, read 'Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning.' I had no idea, but I'm glad I know now. (via Marvelous Kiddo). 

: : Onto lighter subjects. Have you ever tried making your own pop rocks? I'm probably a little too excited about this one.

: : I have a gorgeous skein of hand dyed linen. I think it's going to turn into this. Pretty, huh?

: : Toddler Sophia will be needing this dress. Can't you just see her in it?!!

: : I love this tent.

: : Last but not least, this dress is calling to me.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!!

Back To That List

Remember that list? I've been plugging away at it. Okay, so I've already broken my "rule" at least 10 times. I might have merged a thrifted shirt with a thrifted scrap of lace, and I might have turned some of Sophia's onesies into t-shirts. And, there just maybe were a few other new projects that I might have tackled....despite swearing off all things new. Sigh. I obviously have issues when it comes to sticking with lists. Buuuuut, I have managed to squeeze in time to knock a few more things off of that list. Yay me...right?

Here's the rundown...

I finished a diaper soaker. Technically I finished two. It's just that I hated the first one (crocheted), so I unraveled it and knit this one...

It's really a dark pink...not red. For those interested I used the Milo pattern from Vintage Baby Knits and Malabrigo worsted merino yarn (can't remember the color...oops). I added an i-cord drawstring. It looks even cuter on Sophia's adorable bum.

I also recovered a chair. Too bad I didn't take any before pictures. It was covered in red vinyl that was busted at nearly every seam...definite improvement...

Excuse the mess. I'm obviously a terrible housekeeper. I'd rather be knitting...or sewing.

And, I knitted two hats. One has yet to be photographed. It won't fit Sophia until winter anyway. This is the other one.

My apologies for the awful photo. It was dark...and on my cell phone...and then instagramed. (Have I told you that Stephan hates instagram. I quote, "Why would you want to take a bad photo and make it worse?" Ha! I still love it) Specs on the hats: The one photographed is from Itty Bitty Hats using a mish mash of leftover yarn bits. The other one is this freebie pattern except I just used a solid color in the suggested yarn.

Aaaand, I finished a sweater for Sophia...from Vintage Baby Knits, of course. It's huge on her...which is good because the summer heat is a comin'.

Oh, and I sewed some prefolds into prefitteds and stitched up a few diaper covers from my stash of wool sweaters.

Not too bad for a month...especially when you add in all the cheating. ;) Oh, and since the knitting pile was officially exed off the list, I went to the yarn shop and added...ahem...four more knitting projects to the queue. I know. I KNOW. I can't help myself.

P.S. Thank you, Mom, for taking Sophia's baptism dress off of my hands! Can't wait to see her in it!!

Weekend Loves

Photo taken by me over Easter Weekend.

A few fun links for your Sunday...

: : This dresser redo (actually the whole picture) makes me want to start over on Sophia's room.

: : I want Stephan to build this pergola for us someday. Ambitious? Nah. ;)

: : This pillowcase dress is just adorable.

: : Oh. my. Sophia is going to need a pair of these wings someday. Don't you think?

: : I'm about halfway through knitting these soakers. So far this pattern looks like a winner. And, I just bought some pretty wool yarn...maybe for these (I adore the book these are in!) Of course, these look cute too...ruffles!!

: : And, to top it all off, here's a really good post on happiness.


Happy Sunday, y'all!

One Stack Down

Yesterday, during one of those moments when the stars aligned (i.e. baby napped while Levi entertained himself), I tackled the pile of socks waiting to be transformed into baby leg warmers.

I feel better already.

That's one less pile. 

And, since no matter how many foods I drop, the eczema on one of Sophia's legs never seems to fully heal, these are likely to be worn well into summer. They make excellent scratch guards.

The List

So, I went through the stacks. {At least, I think I found them all. Am I the only one who tucks projects away in every nook and cranny?} In all honesty, some things just aren't worth finishing. Those will either be tucked back into the stash or sent to Goodwill where, maybe, just maybe, some crafty gal (or guy) will know exactly what to do with them. As for the rest of it, here it goes....

Sewing:
X~ Sophia's baptism dress and accessories....kind of top priority around here since I've finally gotten around to scheduling her baptism in May.
~ Curtains for Sophia's room...that project has been sitting around for months. Does anyone else hate sewing curtains? Why are 4 hems that daunting?
X~ Recover red chair cushions...the current covering is popping open, and the fabric for the job is just sitting around waiting for me...has been for 2 years now.
~ Pillows for the living room.
~ Sophia's quilt...well, we know how quilts go around here.
X~ Legging's for Sophia...there's a whole pile of knee high socks waiting next to the sewing machine.
~ Dress for Sophia's bunny

Crocheting:
~ There's a largish pile of miscellaneous stuff needing it's ends tucked in.
X Diaper cover...a cute pink one that's halfway done.
~ Scarves...there's more than one...they seem to be ongoing around here.
~ Pillow cover for Sophia's room....it matches a runner that I finished forever ago and forgot to blog about.

Knitting:
X A hat for Sophia
X~ A shrug for Sophia.
X~ A sweater for Sophia....I'm really finished knitting the shrug and sweater. I'm down to the tucking in of loose ends and stitching up of sleeves...There's a chance she might be grown before I finish.
~ I'm fairly certain there's more, I just can't find them right now...same goes for the crocheting category.

Miscellaneous:
~ Yarn wreath...I finished one awhile back but have another one in the works.
~ Matching game for Levi

And, then there's the ongoing stuff:
~ Like the pile of wool sweaters waiting to be turned into soakers (as needed)
~ And, the pile of old shirts, etc waiting to be turned into diapers (as needed)

I'm not even counting all of the half done house projects. That would just be a little much don't you think? 

So, has anyone noticed the amount of crafty goodness headed Sophia's way. Yeah, I think my little man is getting jiped. That's reason enough to start a new project, buuuuuut I'm holding back.....sticking to my guns.....for now.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The mantel is decked.
Stockings are being filled...

Presents are being wrapped...

Just finished mama-mades are stashed in tippy top spots to keep them from prying eyes...

A playmat (that this mama swore she wasn't going to make for Christmas) is currently in the works...

And, a certain little boy has gotten into the spirit and made a gift of his own.  This one is especially for me.  :)

I hope your Christmas is wonderful and blessed.  As for me, I've got quite a bit of elving to do...not to mention cleaning, so I'll see you back here next week.

A Scrappy Garland

My weekend was spent trying to figure out decorations for a 7 ft tall tree with the not a whole lot of stuff that I have from previous years of decorating much teenier trees.  The garland had me stumped, and to be honest I was having a hard time committing to one enough to actually make it or (Gasp!) buy it.  We were on the verge of having a paper chain or some such other disposableness when it dawned on me that I have a huge bucket-o-scraps and some less than loved yarn to work with.  So, off to the scrap bucket with me...

It should now be obvious to y'all that I am a pack rat of the worst sort.  I mean do you see the tiny bits of fabric that I just can't part with?  Because, you know, I really might need them some day...like yesterday!  So, I dove in and chopped up anything that wasn't already small enough.  If your kids are hanging around they would have fun with this part too...

Then I cut a length of yarn.  (Keep the length manageable.  You can always make multiples.)  I plopped down my first scrap and started stitching.  If you're interested in the more exacts...the widest zig-zag setting was used to ensure that I caught my yarn.  I placed the scraps at random along the yarn leaving gaps in between and made sure to keep my yarn heading towards the center of my sewing foot.  I also back stitched a few times on the first and last scrap to secure.

This was seriously easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of stuff.

And I love the results.

As I was stitching these I played with overlapping scraps which produces a fun layered look.  And, if you've got metallic thread lying around, that would make a pretty addition.  However, I just used white thread and was super pleased.

If all goes as planned today, we'll be sipping hot chocolate, listening to Christmas carols, and decorating the tree!  Can't wait! 

Does your family have any favorite Christmas tunes? 

Weekend Loves

Hello, Autumn.  I've missed you.

 

This weekend I'm loving the cooler weather.  This is Mississippi, so we're likely to see the reappearance of the scorching sun a few more times before Autumn truly settles in.  But, this week it's been breezy and pretty.  Leaves are starting to fall.  The weather has been perfect for wandering and exploring. 

Despite all the time spent outdoors, I have still managed to collect a few internet must sees for y'all.  A new baby does tend to keep a mama up late every once in a while, so I've not been short on computer/nursing time.  

: :  If you like taking a peek back in time, then these photos are fun to browse through.  While we're on the topic of photos, this is funny...at least once you read that swallowing the light did not kill the frog.

: :  Homemade fruit roll ups are easy to make, but Fix Me A Snack has just taken them to a whole new (and very cute) level.

: :  Next month Levi will turn 3!!!  His party is going to be tiny, but that doesn't stop me from browsing through party ideas.  I love this vintage toy theme and this birthday wreath.  Levi hasn't yet discovered the joys of outer space, but someday maybe I'll be digging this out of the files and begging my mom to make  it.  If you're looking for more girly inspiration how about this ray of sunshine?  And, depending on what colors you use this pin the candle on game could go for a boy or a girl.

: :  To accommodate both Levi and Sophia...oh, yeah, and us...our bed is made up of side by side queen and twin mattresses.  I'm on the hunt for ideas to make this look a little less sloppy and a little more intentional.  Since manufacturers don't exactly whip out headboards for such a strange set up, we're going to have to get creative.  So far, this is the best roundup of diy headboards I've seen.

: :  Two must reads...this (found here) and this (found here).  They are short, so I promise you have time.

: :  This is the coolest diy dollhouse.  You better believe I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a nightstand...preferably with curved drawers...loooove it!

: :  Not that I'm getting much knitting or crocheting done these days....but, I want to make one of these and one of these for me, and one of these for my sister, and this for Sophia, and this for Levi (he's crazy about snails). Too much to add to the list?  Nah.

: :  Just to make sure that I will never ever run out of things to do, here a few sewing projects that I'm smitten with...

              Strawberry pillows...for Sophia's bed

              An owl costume...maybe a few Halloweens from now.

              A softie flip doll...shouldn't every little munchkin have one?

              And, a firewood tote...first we should probably call the chimney sweep to fix our chimney.

             
So, what's grabbed your attention this week? 

Reno Update

This is the only pre-reno photo I could find of Levi's room.  Notice the large brown thing next to the window.  The previous owners apparently thought it was a great idea to place adhesive cork squares directly to the wall.  In case you too think this is a good idea...don't do it.  They won't come off without doing some pretty awful damage.  Also, those faux Tiffany light covers were all over this house.  And, you probably can't tell by the picture, but popcorn ceilings were also in every room.

This is Levi's new (and much improved) room.  The ceilings are now flat.  The paint color is actually almost identical to what was in his room at our old house, and those pictures above the bed are the ones I blogged about here.  And, of course, the very, very, very old carpet has been replaced with beautiful wood floors.  Thank you, Stephan!!  Just ignore the lack of pillows on the bed.  Levi doesn't sleep in that bed anyway, and I can't find the spare pillows....

My mom painted the cork, and we trimmed it out with lattice strips.  We have plans to attach a large chalkboard to the bottom half and hang some of Levi's framed art on the top half.  Also, the curtain is just temporary.  I have some super cute fabric waiting to add a little more personality to that window...

Excuse the junky closet.  Levi's is one of two closets that can currently be gotten to.  It will look much spiffier once we get some more functioning closets in the house.  The doors will not, however, be going back on.
Oh, and the cube shelves are awesome.  The piece of furniture that used to hold Levi's toys is being moved to the baby's room to hold diapers and such, so we were left with zero toy storage.  This is probably the first new furniture I've bought in 10 years.  I searched and searched for something second hand, but no luck.  We ran across this on one of our 5 million trips to Lowe's, and I'm so very glad...

It makes me happy that this little fella now has a home.  I gave him to Levi for his first birthday....

And, this is my oh, so wonderful sewing room.  Obviously it still needs some work....for instance that poor dresser needs its knobs put back on.  More furniture needs to be moved in, and some of the stuff that's currently taken up residence (like those metal shelves) needs to move out....but, I still smile every time I walk into it...

Stephan's got a little extra time off this week, so he'll be tackling the floor in the baby's room.  I'll be moving stuff around, cleaning, and sorting.  I'm kind of getting into this now.  I think it's the whole nesting thing.  I even cleaned and organized our storage rooms yesterday, because I decided it absolutely had to be done that very day.  If it hadn't been so dang skippy hot outside, the carport would have been next on my list.