She is my Sugar Baby!

Do you see that cute little girl in the middle of my fancy collage?  That is my Sugar Baby!  My first born child.  She stole my heart from the very moment I saw her grainy little peanut image on the ultrasound screen at 7 weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, inspired by Anna Maria Horner, I had the urge to hand embroider something.  It started out as the band of a skirt...then the skirt grew into a dress.  In my head, hand embroidery takes FOREVER.  I was quickly taken into the rhythm of the process though, and before I knew it, the border around the skirt was finished.  Mind you, it wasn't very intricate.  It was alot of fun to put this together with little pink touches here and there....like the facing on the collar and the inside of the bottom hem. 

Now, if I could just remember to snap a picture of her wearing her newest "pretty"!

New Jammies Anyone?

I am pretty caught up in the recycle/upcycle "movement". (makes it sound important)  For years, every time I would pack up and give clothes away, I find myself thinking about how else I could use each item.  But I never actually DID anything with the thoughts.  Enter a slightly "older"/"wiser" version of myself.  This version has spent a lot  some time with the loverly blog world and the much loved and addicting Pinterest.  You know where this is leading?.........

 Yessireeee...and upcyle project.
This is one of daddy's shirts that has finally, given up the gusto.  It has some holes in the armpits and along some side seams.  Honestly, this shirt is at least 6 years old and has seen ALOT of wear.  It happens to be a favorite and I was kinda sad to see it thrown out.  As I was lovingly petting it, saying goodbye, I realized that the body of the shirt was the right size for some...

JAMMIES!!!!

Using a pattern I had traced from one of Sugar Baby's tops, I cut up Daddy's shirt.  It was a super, easy project. 

A couple of seams, some scraps for ribbing, a little ruffle.....

and the finished product is quite fitting for my little sweetie,

who just happens to be a Daddy's girl!

What a fun use for those well worn, soft wonderful shirts.  I love the thought of my kids, sleeping all cuddled up in their Daddy's shirts.

Well, I'm off to chop up something else! 

Wish me luck  *wink*

A little Baby Bunting

I've mentioned before that I love to crochet.  I learned in a girl's group as a kid...probably around 10 or 11 years old.  The women in the group showed us very basic stitches and I was so excited.  My mom helped me learn how to correctly hold the yarn and hook and off I went......  I made potholders and pillows and shawls and ....  The skill was especially handy when I was in my Little House on the Prairie stage.  It felt like something Laura would do. 

I love the process of crocheting...however....I need the project to grow quickly or I get "sidetracked".  (as evidenced by the totes of partially finished projects and left over balls of yarn in my craft room)  Every single time someone I know announces a pregnancy, I have grand ideas and plans for baby afgans....and I have 

made a bunch.  My new love, though, is the baby bunting:

A cozy little cocoon of crocheted goodness....all the love of a blanket with a much faster progression.  I've used patterns.  I've made my own.  It is a sack...in the very brass tacks of construction and one can use any number of stitches to create said sack.  Enter:  my next new favorite thing.

 To say that I love this book would be a gross misrepresentation.  I LOVE THIS BOOK.  I checked it out at the library, somewhat half-heartedly as I have something similar tucked away somewhere in my crafting storage.  Then....I fell DEEPLY in love.  I love the stitches, I love the way the book is set up, I love the diagrams.....I LOVE THIS BOOK so much that I renewed it several times and then just broke down and bought it.

And I have not once, regretted this purchase!!!  Excuse me....I need to go swoon!

I wear my heart on my sleeve.....

Yep, I told you so!

I bet you are wondering what this is all about?  Well, I am gaining a brand new niece in November and of course that means I've been attempting to create some baby goodies.  This is a gown my two kiddos colored and drew on with fabric markers and crayons....you should have seen their faces.... 

 "You WANT us to write on the fabric? 

 Is this a trick?

  Will we get in trouble for this?

  Are you SURE? 

 Mom??"

The hot pink sleeves and ribbing are from an old shirt of mine.  The kids created the custom fabric for the gown and ...... instant fashion sensation!  I am thankful that my sister in law will totally LOVE that my kids made this for their new baby E.

This next one is made with eyelet and pink flannel.  Soft and cuddly.  The eyelet spent a former life as a curtain....I imagine she will see more love as a baby gown!

I cut out four gowns from this pattern.  I had never used it before and I learned a valuable lesson that kinda seems like a no-brainer but nonetheless: always sew the pattern at least once before cutting out a stack.  I found that I am not really fond of this pattern...so you will see that no two gowns are alike.  I tried a couple different techniques to see if I can salvage the pattern.....jury is still out on that!  But at least it gave me a jumping off point...right?

This next little gown was cut from a blouse of mine that I loved but it not longer fits.  I love pin tucks and insertion lace and all the goodness known as "heirloom" sewing.  So I held on to the blouse for a couple of years.  Now, I am so glad I did.  This is a quick way to make an adorable gown!

I really love giving hand made gifts. And I love crocheted baby blankets.  And I love to crochet.....just not so much, baby blankets.  You see....unless the project is something that grows quickly, crocheting looses my attention quickly.  I am an instant-gratification-kind-a-girl, I guess.  Welcome to my new favorite crochet project: a baby bunting!  All the fun and coziness of a baby blanket and the quickness necessary to keep me plugging away at it!

 I hope Baby E feels a hug and kiss from her Aunt Kellie when she is snuggled in, warm and cozy.  Oh, I so wish I lived close enough to hold that little sweetie when she arrives.......

Quilting Without Obligation

First I need to confess....
I've never made a quilt.... gasp... I KNOW!!

I made a 9-patch block when I was in elementary school. I was really into Little House on the Prairie and my mom made a quilt for the double bed my sister and I shared. So with her scraps, she helped me piece a 9-patch and I tied it. I still have it in my "collection". Then, around the time I was in junior high, my grandma started quilting and during one of our visits, she had me hand piece a block and taught me to hand-quilt. While I didn't fall in love with hand quilting, I did fall in love with the quilt making process.

Fast forward a couple months...oh wait, this is a confession...okay, fast forward quite a few years, more than a decade but less then a score (20 yrs) and you will find me with a stack of quilt inspirations, drooling on quilter's blogs. I am going to make one...THIS YEAR.

My grandma was a dedicated traditional hand quilter....and it made me feel a little bit guilty that I wanted to machine-piece my blocks and that I liked the improv quilts...I love the art quilt. I think that is why I never actually made a quilt. She died this past March and now I wish that I would have made a quilt...even an art quilt, so that she could have seen it before she died. I know she would have loved it because I made it.

I shared all of this to say....I am joining Jennifer of That Girl....That Quilt http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/2011/04/quilting-without-obligation-community.html
and her "Quilt without Obligation" movement. Wanna join? Go check out her blog and show that quilters choose to love each other, even if one hand quilts and the other uses a machine...and no pattern! Happy Quilting!!

Birthday Pillow

Somehow I have gotten myself on this "pillow" kick
....and it is really, a lot of fun!

Isn't this pillow wonderful!!??!! I just love it and think everyone might need one. It is just the right splash of "Spring is on the way" that one needs when living in the Midwest. (which is one of the reasons I am very thankful to have spent this last winter in AZ) I saw this too cute pillow on Cluck, Cluck Sew (one of my favorite blogs..go check it out) and promptly added it to my never ending "to do" list.

It is a must do and when my sister-in-law, Rachel's birthday was approaching, I knew this would be the perfect gift. Her birthday is in January and she lives in Indiana....really, it was a no brainer...she needs this pillow! How does the saying go?... "it is the thought that counts" .... Because I am me and my life seems to happen to me without my participation, the pillow is still sitting here waiting to be mailed. It is finished though.. :) I am really, quite proud of this one..it turned out fabulously...take a peek!

This is the front....obviously:
And the back....I saw a pieced back on another crafty-sewing blog and really liked the look so I pieced some strips and added a button closure on the back of mine...
I bought the pillow insert at the thrift store and picked this particular one because of the box edge...

I know the pictures aren't the best but I really, really love how this turned out! And I know that Rachel will too, if it ever makes it to her! :)

Finally.....

They have been delivered!!

Wow, that makes it sound like I am announcing the birth of long awaited babies....but this news isn't quite that exciting....

Remember when I mentioned that I was sewing pillows for my brother? Oh wait, while that has been a long project in real time, it has only been a post or two back in blog time :)

Well, I finished them and hand delivered them! C was thoroughly impressed. Actually, everyone was thoroughly impressed which does feel good for the ego, I must admit. C was very sweet, gave me a hug and thanked me for making him some cool pillows. That made my heart feel very happy!

You know what is funny?...the one I liked the least ended up being the one he liked the most! Anyway, without any further "ado".....here they are:

A quick close up of each one:
This was the first one and for a long time, I thought this might be the ONLY one. If you remember, it took me awhile to come up with this idea and I was so excited. Once it was complete, I sat down to start the next pillow and found that I was no longer inspired...I lost "that lovin' feeling".... (oh I crack myself up)
Remember this baby?

As I was saying, I lost all inspiration. It was as though the tree pillow used up all of my brain power. Finally..thankfully.. I came up with the idea for this next pillow. I thought it would be fun to add some "texture" into the project so I folded each strip in half, sewed along one edge and pressed the seam open, then wove the strips across each other and stitched them down. Right side, wrong side, raw edges and some weaving...ohh....creative! :) It still needed a little "somthin' somthin'" so I dug through my button box and miraculously found 4 that matched. With those added to the pillow top I turned my attention to the edges.
Hhmmm..yarn. Yep, I stitched the whole thing closed with some brown yarn and the blanket stitch. I think it is safe to say that texture has been accomplished!

I had come across this remnant of fuzzy faux fur and fell in love. It was a tiny remnant so whatever I made would have to be smallish. I debated about the manly factor...I certainly don't want to "gay up" (as my husband would say) my brother. He is not wanting to be a bachelor forever!! I really loved it and knew if I made a pillow for me, it would be trashed by my sugar babies in no time, so C got a fuzzy fur pillow. I am certain that he is manly enough to handle it!! When he has a girlfriend, he can blame it on me!! He tells her that I made it for him, that I'm crazy, yadda yadda yadda...he's good to go!


This one is my FAVORITE!! Can you pick up my love LOVE? I was digging around in the abandoned clothes pile (I am not quite a horder, but I like to hang on to some of the clothes that gets put in the "give away" pile.) and came across this long-sleeve tee. I didn't realize that Zac (my awesome hubby) had gotten rid of this shirt. It is sooo soft and cuddly and since that is what I had in mind for the next pillow...I cut it up! Then I hand stitched some torn strips onto the knit, added a layer of fleece and stuffed it until it was FULL....oh, I really wanted to keep this one. In fact, when I showed it to Zac he asked when I was going to make some pillow for us! He sure knows how to win my heart!

And that's it folks...Whew. I think I got a little wordy! Oh well, someday I'll look back and be thankful for all the little reminders about the nitty gritty on these pillows.

I really enjoyed making pillows and think that it might be time to make a couple for us!