Little Peanut

Goodbye, Blue...

2012-01-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

... hello, peachy pink!

Last night I finished my last blue block for the scrappy postage stamp quilt. All those pretty blue scraps made 37 blocks! I was pretty sick of blue by the time I reached the last block, but it felt so good to finish them up because now I can get started on the next color.

I discovered when sorting through my scraps for this quilt that I have two kinds of pink fabrics: traditional pinks and pinks that were a bit, well, peachier. Is that even a word?

So, on to peachy pinks. There won't be as many blocks with this color, but I think that will make it more fun since I'll be on to the next color sooner this time. Here's a look at my first block:

You can find this post linked up at:

P.S. Master W. was sick with a fever all weekend (I was hoping he'd be better by Sunday but he was feeling worse), so I wasn't able to attend the baby shower. This means, of course, a slight delay in posting a reveal of my super-secret project. Hopefully, I'll be able to post some photos soon!

Secret Project Finished!

2012-01-28T23:30:00.000-08:00

I was a little worried that I wouldn't finish my super-secret project in time for tomorrow's baby shower.

I still had a lot left to do just one week ago, so I set up a mental checklist of mini-goals to reach this week. I then shifted into sewing overdrive, and was able to put the last hand stitch in to the binding last night. Whew!

And with one day left before the party, I had just enough time to wash and dry it to make it nice and crinkly before wrapping it up for tomorrow's party.

And while I doubt my sweet friend is going to see this post before her baby shower tomorrow morning, I don't want to run the risk of ruining her surprise. So I'll leave you with a little peek of the front and back of the quilt.

I can't wait to show you how it all came together!

WIP Wednesday: First Blocks

2012-01-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

So here they are. The first set of completed blocks for my scrappy postage stamp quilt. I've had a lot of fun putting these together, and have even developed a method to the postage stamp madness that has overtaken my sewing table:

Sort scraps by color. (Done!)
Cut scraps into 1.5 x 1.5" pieces. (Done!)
Choose a color – I chose blue – then organize pieces into blocks. (Done!)
Make mini stacks of 16 pieces for each block and store on a cookie sheet for later assembly. (Done!)
Assemble each block. (In progress.)

I think I have about 16,587,309 pieces left to go on this quilt. Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration... but really I've only scratched the surface.

Miss C. loves this project. We've been phasing out her nap lately, and like to spend Master W.'s nap time together working on my quilting projects (or as she says, "Is it time to go play with fawic?"). She helps me out with the pinning, organizing and sewing, and we spend a lot of time simply talking. We have so little time together, just the two of us. I love that we can just "be" when we're together like this.

This is my first week ever linking up with Lee's WIP Wednesday.

Completed Projects:

None

Ongoing Projects:

Scrappy postage stamp quilt: 13 blocks completed
Super-secret project - 17 of 20 blocks completed. Woot!
Miss C.'s coat - No progress. I only have to pick out the buttons and sew them on to finish this one... no more stalling! I'm putting it out there now, so I must complete it by next week!

You can find me linked up at:

T.N.T. Thursday: Scrap Attack Quilt-Along

2012-01-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

I've joined my very first quilt along!

Rachel from Stitched in Color is hosting the super-awesome Scrap Attack Quilt-Along. (Can you tell I'm excited?) Participants choose their own quilt pattern and size, with the only real requirements being that your quilt top is made primarily of scraps and that you finish it by March 2012.

Now this is a quilt-along that I can get behind! Here's why:

I love scraps! I can't throw away even the smallest of fabric bits.
I've recently started a postage stamp quilt, which will make the perfect quilt-along project.
My fabric budget is super tiny. Or practically non-existent. I don't have extra cash to buy my dream fabric for one of the many other quilt-alongs that I've drooled over. This is definitely budget friendly!
I love scraps!! Oh yeah, I mentioned that one already. This one is different, though. You see how I put an extra exclamation point on this one? That makes all the difference, you know.

If you love scraps, or just want to get rid of yours, I encourage you to check out the Scrap Attack Quilt-Along over at Stitched in Color. It looks to be a lot of fun!

You can find this post linked up at:

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing a lot of year end wrap-up posts popping up in my blog reader these past few days and I must say I'm floored by what so many of you have accomplished. You ladies are incredible! You work (inside or outside the home), raise your families, cook, clean, organize and still find time to create gorgeous quilts, outfits for your kids and even purses and clothing for yourselves.

My own little sewing wrap-up may be small in comparison, but looking back I can see how my sewing skills are improving and my creativity is blossoming. Here's a quick run-down of what I accomplished in 2011:

Completed three baby quilts, with two donated to charity. These projects were great opportunities to experiment with straight line and organic line quilting, as well as my first foray into sashing my blocks.
Made several gift sets. The first was a mug rug and matching pin cushion for my daughter's preschool teacher. The second was a dolly diaper bag, diapers, wipes and quilt for my adorable niece, Miss E.
Made a preschool backpack and conquered my fear of zippers!
Designed a Darth Vader costume for my daughter's bear. This was quite possibly one of my proudest sewing moments in 2011.
Created Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny Halloween costumes for my kids.
Whipped up lots of goodies for my Etsy shop and even participated in a craft fair.

Not too shabby, considering I only have time to sew when the kiddos are sleeping.

As for 2012, I only have a few goals so far:

Complete the postage stamp quilt.
Complete a top-secret quilt to be gifted to a dear friend soon.
Try new quilting techniques. I'm slowly venturing into new territory with new techniques like flying geese, simple block pattern design and even (eep!) fabric/color selection.
Continue busting through my stash.
Buy fabric mindfully. Try not to purchase fabric without a project in mind - that's a hard one!

Happy New Year to you and your family! I'd love to hear about your accomplishments and goals for 2012 - be sure to include a link in your comment if you blogged about it.

You can find this post linked up at:

Craft Buds

T.N.T. Thursday: Flying Geese

2011-12-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

This week I took the plunge and started a top-secret quilt that involves flying geese. Since this was my first attempt at sewing flying geese, I turned to my good friend Google for advice. I found a couple of great tutorials, but in the end I ended up using Pieceful Kwilter's no waste flying geese tutorial. There were certainly other excellent flying geese tutorials out there but I liked this one best for several reasons:

No waste! Don't get me wrong, I love scraps. But I knew I wouldn't be able to find a use for all of those itty bitty triangles that would be left behind if I used most tutorials.
You get four flying geese every time. This is awesome because I just so happen to need four identical flying geese for each block on this quilt.
There's a handy-dandy little chart to help you out with the math. A must for any quilting newbie like myself!

It's a great tutorial if you happen to be new to flying geese. As of this afternoon, I've finished four blocks and I must say they're ADORABLE!

I know what you're thinking... why the big secret? Why only show part of a block? The recipient of this particular quilt just so happens to be the one dear friend in my life who actually reads my blog and this post is enough of a spoiler as it is. You wouldn't want me to ruin her surprise, would you?

I promise that I'll post lots of photos as soon as it's finished and gifted!

You can find this project linked up at:

Happy Quilting's T.N.T. Thursday

Sew Happy Geek

Quokka Quilts Blogger's Choice FQ Bundle

2011-12-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

There's a fun little contest sponsored by Fat Quarter Shop going on over at Quokka Quilts. Contestants pick their own fat quarter bundle using any 12 prints and 3 solids that can be found in Fat Quarter Shop's inventory.

I'm new at putting together prints for quilts since all of my finished quilts so far have been scrap quilts, but I couldn't resist joining in the fun. I like the idea of mixing up fabric lines when putting together a quilt. Entire collections are wonderful, but I think you really stretch your creative muscles when you force yourself to come up with your own "collection" for your quilt.

My bundle for the contest is inspired by one of my new favorite lines: Woodland by Natalie Lymer for Lecien Fabrics. It's so fun and cheerful. Wouldn't it make a delightful quilt?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T07:14:00.000-08:00

I hope you and your families enjoy a wonderful, safe and very merry Christmas. May the light of Christ shine brightly upon you and yours.

Oh, and in case you're wondering... yes, that's our tree. And no, it didn't look this disheveled the day we decorated it. I think it took my kids a grand total of three hours to ~~destroy~~ "redecorate" it. Now nearly all of the ornaments reside safely on the top third of the tree.

Merry Christmas!

T.N.T. Thursday: A Dolly Gift Set

2011-12-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I get to meet my precious niece, Miss E., in person for the first time. She's 16 months old, and though we've Skyped a lot since she was born I've never actually held her or squeezed her cute little cheeks since my brother and his wife live in Texas and we live in Northern California.

And since my sister-in-law is expecting their second baby this summer, I thought that perhaps Miss E. will want some goodies to use to take care of her own baby doll (made by my mom as a Christmas gift for Miss E.) after her new brother or sister arrives. Miss C. carried her diaper bag everywhere we went after Master W. was born. She loved changing her bear's diapers and bundling them up for bed whenever I did the same for Master W. I'm hoping Miss E. will want to do the same with her own babies.

This is the first quilted bag I've attempted, and I'm completely in love with it. Every one of the fabrics was chosen from my stash. The one with the little girls and dolls was something that I won in a giveaway over at JAQS Studio. I think they all go so nicely together, don't you?

Inside the bag, Miss E. will find two doll diapers, three wipes and a doll-sized blanket (made using leftover scraps that my mother-in-law gave me after she finished Master W.'s cozy quilt). I hope Miss E. loves it as much as I do!

You can find this project linked up at:

T.N.T. Thursday: Teacher gift

2011-12-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

Today was my daughter's last day of school before Christmas vacation. Hooray! I'm one of those people who loves having my kids at home all day long. They're crazy. They trash the house. They're often exhausting. But I'm happiest when we're all together, so I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks.

This week I made a few scrappy gifts for my daughter's preschool teacher. We ran into Ms. Tara during lunch on a non-school day a few weeks ago and she mentioned during our conversation that she loves to take long bike rides with her family. Then I learned last week that she loves to sew. After a mental review of my stash (please tell me I'm not the only crazy person out there who has her scraps mentally cataloged), I knew I had everything I needed to make a scrappy mug rug and pin cushion with a cute bicycle fabric as the centerpiece.

This project was full of firsts:

First-ever teacher gift. My sweet little girl is four years old and attending preschool for the first time this year. Where did the time go?
First log cabin block. I've been meaning to try my hand at log cabin blocks for a while now, but for some reason was a little intimidated. No need! I found a fantastic tutorial for an offset log cabin mug rug over at Stitching By Starlight (a wonderful quilty blog that I follow).
First time using a 1/4" binding. I still love 1/2" binding best, but it was nice finally see how it would look on one of my finished projects.

My only regret on this project was forgetting to use my walking foot when quilting up the mug rug. I don't know what I was thinking. Okay, I do. It was late. I was tired. And... well... I just wasn't thinking! Other than being slightly off kilter, I think it turned out great!

You can find me linked up at:

T.N.T. Thursday: Postage Stamp Quilt

2011-11-30T21:55:00.001-08:00

This week I started my very first postage stamp quilt, which I plan to make lap size (another first) for movie watching, book reading, and general couch snuggling. Many thanks to the super sweet Jolene at Blue Elephant Stitches for sending me a ginormous mailer full of beautiful scraps.

This is probably going to sound incredibly geeky, but I swear to you I felt as though I had won the lottery when I poured them all out onto my couch!

After I got over my initial excitement, I spent a little time organizing them loosely by color, then bagged them up and threw in a few of my own scraps. Last night I couldn't resist cutting into some of the green scraps, which is why you don't see those bags (yes, there are two more!) here.

My plan is to cut the scraps to 1.5" squares and then sew them up into 4" x 4" monochromatic blocks similar to some inspiring blocks I pinned recently.

This should be fun, but I certainly don't expect to finish it any time soon!

You can find me linked up at:

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-11-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today is the very last day to enter Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival. This is my first time entering the festival, so it seems appropriate to enter my very first quilt for consideration.

This twin-sized quilt was a labor love, made just for my sweet little girl who was about 2.5 years old at the time. I took me four months to make, and is comprised almost completely out of scraps from my stash, fabric gifted to me from my mother, birthday dresses she wore on her first and second birthdays, and baby clothes given to her by her godmother.

I love that it was something I made, using fabric from the women in my daughter's life. And I love that she loves it.

"It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new."

2011-10-31T21:25:00.001-07:00

I hate to admit it, but Miss C. is 4 years old and this is actually the first time I've made her and Master W. a Halloween costume. Of course, this is also the first year that she had a specific costume idea in mind... and it was something I definitely couldn't buy in a store.

You see, Miss C. loves Beatrix Potter's stories. Our storybook collection is well worn and loved, having been read over and over again. And not just by me! Miss C. has them all memorized and can read them aloud word for word, often narrating the stories with her paper bag puppets (there is one for every character).

This year, my little trick-or-treaters went dressed as Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. They didn't Miss C. loves Beatrix Potter's stories, so I wasn't at all surprised when she looked to her favorite storybook characters for costume inspiration.

Here's how I put them together:

Bunny bodies were made from gray t-shirts and sweat pants. Master W.'s t-shirt was originally a onesie that I altered by cutting off the bottom. I added a white fleece tummy to each shirt using a simple zig zag stitch.
Bunny tails were constructed from cotton batting. These were actually pretty easy to make: simply cut a circle of batting, baste around the edge, fill the center with cotton stuffing, then cinch up the basted threads to make a ball. Hand stitch a piece of white felt over the cinched edges, then use a safety pin to attach to the back of the pants.
Miss C.'s jacket was made using blue fleece and a $1 McCall's pattern. I added four "brass" buttons and skipped the button holes since I was pressed for time. Master W.'s jacket is actually his own little corduroy jacket. I simply added a few rustic patches to cover the existing truck patches on the jacket.
The hats were made using a free pattern that I found online and altered to include bunny ears. Master W.'s hat fit splendidly and the ears actually stood up. I'm not sure what happened with Miss C.'s hat... the ears never wanted to stand up! Oh well.

Thankfully, Miss C. (who is a stickler for details!) loved the costumes. The kids had a great time trick-or-treating and happily fell fast asleep in their new bunny pajamas as soon as we got home.

You can find me linked up at:

Try New Things Thursday: I Spy Charm Quilt

2011-10-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

This week Melissa over at Happy Quilting introduced a new weekly link-up, called Try New Things (T.N.T.) Thursday. Here's my story:

I think I may have lost my mind last week. Not only did I push myself to finish a baby quilt for the 100 Quilts for Kids charity event, I also had a baby quilt to finish for a baby shower being hosted for my cousin's wife this past weekend.

I finally finished hand sewing on the binding around 10 p.m. Friday night. The shower was scheduled for the following afternoon. I was a little worried, but somehow I managed to get it all done in time!

This is my first attempt at making a quilt with sashing and my first time making a charm quilt. Overall, I'm really pleased with the results. I won most of the charm squares in a contest hosted by The Girl Who Quilts a while back (actually, I won two identical charm packs, filled with adorable charms) and had pieced the top together not too long afterward. I then added a single charm cut from my own stash to each row.

Then it sat. And sat. And sat. Waiting for a backing fabric and quilting. A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to my cousin's shower and I knew the quilt had finally found a home. So I dug through my stash and found some coordinating backing and binding fabrics. Of course, now that I'm writing this I realize that I never too a photo of the back... oh well!

Overall, I'm really pleased with how this little quilt turned out. This is the second quilt I've quilted using organic line quilting and I'm really loving the results. The only thing I might have done differently would have been to choose a binding fabric that offered a little more contrast to the white sashing. Still, I'm happy with the end result. And my cousin's lovely wife loved it too, which is all that matters to me.

You can find me linked up at:

Finished: Quilt for 100 Quilts for Kids

2011-10-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished one of my quilts for the second annual 100 Quilts for Kids charity event, sponsored by the DC Modern Quilt Guild. Quilt bloggers and Modern Quilt Guilds were invited to join in on this year's quilt drive, which took place from September 15 - October 15.

My initial goal was to finish up two UFO baby quilts that had been languishing on my sewing table. I was incredibly to take part in this year's event that I got started right away on a brightly colored baby quilt. Then disaster struck... three times. First, I had trouble with my quilting design (let's just say I'm not good a free motion quilting). Then, after I'd figured out a better quilting design I was plagued with bunching fabric on the back. I was nearly in tears the second (yes, second) time I ripped out the quilting. Oh, and my machine died right around this time, too.

I was ready to give up. Then I decided to hand quilt it with large stitches all around each block. That was great, only it's taken me a very long time to hand quilt it. The result? Well, since you don't see a photo here you can safely assume that I haven't finished it yet. I'm still working on it, though, and it will eventually be donated.

With the deadline approaching (and my brand-new Janome on my sewing table) I figured it was time to finish the other UFO quilt. My new machine made quilting this green dinosaur quilt a breeze. I decided on organic line quilting, and I love everything about it – from its improvised blocks to the monochromatic color palette.

This little dinosaur quilt is on its way to the Mother Teresa Maternity Home in Placerville, CA. This maternity home is a temporary residence for pregnant women in need and is near my hometown. They've been in need of items for boys lately, so I thought this quilt would be a good fit for one of their expectant mothers.

I've linked up here:

Sew Happy Geek

The Big Girl Backpack

2011-09-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? My sweet little girl started preschool for the first time just a few weeks ago.

So who burst into tears on the first day of school? Not Miss C. She was a little shy, but she did great! I, on the other hand, didn't fare nearly so well. Don't worry, though, I put on a bright smile while I was in the classroom. The waterworks didn't start until after I got back in the car.

I'm not going to lie to you, this has been the hardest milestone so far for me to watch my daughter reach. Letting go of that little hand and releasing her into the care of her wonderful teacher was heart-wrenching and bittersweet.

In the end, she did great. No tears at all! Twice a week she heads into the classroom with a smile. I'm so proud of my little girl.

Miss C.'s teacher told us last week at Back-to-School Night that they'd like the kids to start bringing a backpack to school to help with the armloads of artwork they bring home after school each day.

Sooooo... being the crafty mama that I am I couldn't resist making one for her. I picked up a copy of McCall's 6176 (on sale for $.99!) at JoAnn along with some pretty red bottom weight (Miss C. requested a red backpack) fabric for the main body of the backpack. The floral print is something I had in my stash.

I think my new Janome 3160 QDC gave me a boost in confidence because I'm not sure I would have ever attempted a (*gulp*) zippered backpack with my old machine.

I love how it turned out! And Miss C. loved it too. She couldn't wait to bring it to school yesterday. Success!

You can find this project linked up at:

100 Quilts for Kids

2011-06-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today I heard about a tremendous opportunity that I'd love to share with you. The DC Modern Quilt Guild is launching its second annual 100 Quilts for Kids charity event. Quilt bloggers and Modern Quilt Guilds are invited to join in on this year's quilt drive, which is scheduled to take place from September 15 - October 15.

Participants are asked to make a baby or toddler sized quilt for donation to a local foster care program, domestic violence center, homeless shelter, children’s hospital, or local military family support organization, or other charitable organization.

Works in progress, new quilts, quilts made through quilting bees are all welcome. I have two baby quilts in progress right now. Now I have a end-date for finishing and donating them!

Looking for more information? Check out Swim, Bike, Quilt!'s post or the DC Modern Quilt Guild.

And the winner is...

2011-05-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

PT_Sarah!

Congratulations, Sarah!! I just sent you an email requesting your address so I can send you your favorite pin cushion.

A big thank you to everyone who entered my little giveaway, left your sweet comments and chose to follow my blogs. You're all awesome!

Pin Cushion Giveaway!

2011-05-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

You really should be sitting down for this.

I'm serious.

Are you sitting?

Okay. So tomorrow morning is May Giveaway Day at Sew, Mama, Sew, where over 300 bloggers are giving away awesome handmade goodies and craft supplies.

It's kind of like a giant group hug. With presents! Squee!

I couldn't resist joining in on the fun, so I'm giving away a little something from my shop, agentjane.

One lucky winner (open worldwide) will win the pin cushion of his or her choice.

Entering to win is easy!

One entry: Head on over to agentjane and take a look around, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which pin cushion you'd like me to send to you if you win. Please also include a valid email address so I can contact you to find out where to ship your prize.

Bonus entries (2): Become a public follower of my other blog about the secret life of children's toys: If Toys Could Talk. Leave two comments here stating you are a new (or current) follower, and be sure to include your email address in both.

The fine print:

Winner gets to choose one (1) pin cushion from my Etsy shop.
Comments without email addresses won't be included in the drawing.
Giveaway ends May 25.
Winner will be selected on May 25 using random.org and notified the same day via email. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email with your mailing address. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll draw another name.

Good luck! And have fun checking out all of those giveaways - I know I will!

I'm a guest blogger!

2011-05-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by the super-sweet Krissy over at B. Inspired, Mama!, who asked me to contribute a guest post to her awesome blog. She had recently seen If Toys Could Talk and wanted to see if I'd be interested in writing a post for her in the same spirit as my posts over there.

I couldn't resist and had so much fun combing through her vintage toy and children's clothing shop on Etsy, binspiredvintage, for photos to use in my guest post.

If you get a chance, hop on over to her shop, binspiredvintage, and her blog, B. Inspired, Mama! You're sure to find something to love!

Darth Bear

2011-05-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Miss C. loves Darth Vader. He's her buddy. Her imaginary friend. And he's got a fun show at Disneyland that we watch every time we go.

Disneyland is a big deal in our house. We spend months planning and talking about each trip, and Miss C. loves to comb over the park maps with her daddy, who also happens to be a huge Disneyland fan.

Last winter, Miss C. asked me to make a Tinkerbell costume for her... and then promptly realized that her bear needed one too. I couldn't resist, and spent the last few nights before our trip whipping up an identical doll-sized version of her costume for her bear to wear on our trip.

I hadn't thought much about her bear's wardrobe recently, but clearly Miss C. was thinking about it quite a bit as our most recent trip to Disneyland drew near because just a few weeks before we left she popped the question...

Miss C.: Mama? My bear. He needs a new Disneyland costume.

Me: He has his Tinkerbell costume. Does he need a different one?

Miss C.: Yes. He needs a Darth Vader costume.

Me: You want me to make a Darth Vader costume for your bear?

Miss C.: Yeah. He needs a cape and a helmet. Just like Darth Vader. See? (Holds up Darth Vader action figure to demonstrate.)

Me: Okay, sweetie. I'll see what I can come up with.

I won't lie to you. I secretly panicked when she asked for this. I knew the cape would be a snap, but the helmet. Eek! I've never attempted a doll hat before, let alone a helmet!

Miss C.'s pattern.

After a few deep breaths, I dug through my stash and started sketching out the cape pattern. At this point, Miss C. took a deep interest in pattern making and decided that she needed to make a pattern for me to use on this project.

My daughter is a task-master by the way. No sooner had I finished the cape than she mentioned that her bear needed boots just like Darth Vader. I told her I wasn't sure I knew how to make boots and she quickly pointed to her pattern saying, "You can make it, Mama. Looks, it's on my pattern!" Thankfully, I'd just seen a cool baby socks tutorial on Made by Joel that would be perfect for some Vader-esque boots.

The helmet was on the back burner. Even though she asked about it every day I couldn't bring myself to start it. I was too scared. With the boots complete, though, I had run out of excuses. I made a test version using some leftover craft felt and though it was way too small for her bear's head, it was a start. I took a leap of faith and slowly started cutting and sewing the helmet together, fitting it to her bear's head while Miss C. slept at night. I didn't even make up a pattern... and somehow it worked! My husband suggested a chin strap to keep the helmet in place and suddenly it was done!

Or so I thought.

Miss C. was pleased with the helmet, but then informed me (two days before we left on the trip) that her bear might be cold without a shirt... one like Darth Vader's shirt. No problem! I already have a doll shirt pattern on hand, so I hand stitched a felt buttons and lights panel then added it to the shirt front piece before sewing it all together... the night before we left!

I had so much fun making this new costume for her bear. Miss C. was so pleased she dressed him in it nearly every day during our trip to Disneyland last week. And I'm pretty sure he liked it too.

You can find this project linked up at:

Petals to Picots

Baby Quilt #3

2011-03-31T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I must be wearing a sign that tells people to give me fabric. Seriously. I think at least 80% of my stash has been gifted to me by people. My mom. Friends. Strangers.

Yes, strangers have given me fabric.

Take this little baby quilt that I finished a few weeks back (soon to be another donation to a local maternity home). Both fabrics used in the quilt were gifted to me shortly after Miss C. was born. The peach fabric was gifted to me by a sweet little old lady that I've never met – a friend of my husband's wonderful grandmother – who thought I might like to make a dress for my daughter. The blue fabric was a gift from my bargain hunter mom, who had gone on a fabric and pattern binge shortly after becoming a grandmother for the first time.

I hate to admit it, but I never got around to making those sweet little dresses for my baby girl. Life with a high needs baby made it impossible to even think about sewing dresses that she'd grow out of in a month or two, so that big stack of fabric has sat in my stash for the past three and a half years.

I rediscovered them while hunting for scraps to use in my Project Destash baby quilts. The finished quilt is a bit more traditional than my usual quilting style (I'm a improvisational quilter a heart), but I like how it turned out...

... even though I chickened out at the last minute and decided against hand quilting it in favor of stitching in the ditch. Maybe next time!

Vintage-Inspired Hair

2011-03-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if you were born in the wrong era? I do all the time. I'm an old fashioned girl trapped in a very modern time. I may have a cell phone, but I dearly wish I could wear all of those beautiful '40s and '50s dresses and hairstyles.

My current hairstyle has left me feeling rather uninspired lately and I've been combing blogs and YouTube for tutorials that can help me transform my modern style into a more romantic, vintage style.

My hair styling tool kit consists of a round brush and hair dryer, so I've been waiting for a good deal on a set of rollers. I happened to be visiting Big Lots for the first time last week when I spotted two sets of foam curlers for $1 each. Ten minutes later, I had two dozen curlers and bucket of bubbles in hand (nothing wrong with a little bribery for good behavior in the store, right?). Score!

Today, I spent the first half of my day roaming the house old lady-style with a full set of curlers in place. I felt a little sheepish at first, but thankfully nobody laughed at me (thanks Miss C. and Master W.!).

A few hours later I had the kids down for a nap and a gorgeous, vintage-inspired updo in place. Many thanks to LisaFremontStreet's fabulous YouTube tutorial.

For L.

2011-02-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Dear L.,

Words will never adequately express my sorrow for the loss you and your family suffered in the loss of your son, K.

We've never met before, but perhaps you've seen me here and there in the Etsy forums these past few years. Even though we don't know each other, I wanted you know that the block I made for your quilt is filled with love and prayers for your family.

My hope is that this quilt, made up of the love and prayers from so many Etsy artists, will provide you with just a little bit of comfort as you grieve.

With a prayerful heart,

Tiny Tinkerbell

2010-12-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

I love my shy little girl.

Miss C. opened up her Tinkerbell costume on Christmas morning and was so overwhelmed by her excitement that she quickly shoved it back into the box and turned away in shyness.

I wasn't too worried; just a few moments earlier she had run away and buried her face in the couch when she opened her gift from her buddy Darth Vader. (Believe it or not, he's a pretty thoughtful guy. Somehow he knew just how much she'd like a lightsaber of her own.)

I spent the rest of the morning watching my little Tinkerbell bounce around the house in her pretty green costume, her earlier shyness forgotten in the excitement of Christmas. I love that something I made with my hands can bring such joy to my little girl.

And I love that I can feel such pride in how it turned out. I really stepped outside of my comfort zone on the project, mastering new techniques like the rolled hem feature on my serger and creating an enclosed elastic panel on the belt.

Our trip to Disneyland is just a few short weeks away. First on the agenda is picking up an official pair of Tinkerbell wings. Then we're off to Pixie Hollow so Miss C. can meet Tinkerbell and show off her pretty costume. I'm already excited!

Tinkerbell: A Sneak Peek

2010-12-20T13:21:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Miss C. and I were video chatting with my best girlfriend and her little girl, Miss K. They had just returned from a trip to Disneyland and the girls spent the morning chatting online about Miss K.'s adventure.

They talked about Miss K.'s favorite rides, which princesses she met and her favorite parts of the trip. But the big topic of discussion between our 3.5-year-old girls was Miss K.'s Jesse costume. She had dressed up as Jesse for Halloween and wore again at Disneyland. You can imagine just how excited she was when she got to meet and have her photo taken with her heroine.

We got offline and Miss C. says to me, "Mama, when we go to Disneyland what costume and I going to wear?"

I asked her if she'd like me to make a costume for her and her eyes got a little wide when she said, "Yeah!"

A few weeks later, we found ourselves flipping through pattern books at JoAnn so she could pick out a Disney costume for our upcoming Disneyland trip. She passed right over the princesses and immediately pointed to the little girl in a Tinkerbell costume. "I want to be Tinkerbell."

Tinkerbell it is, sweetie.

So here go, a little sneak peek at her Tinkerbell costume. What you see is the satin petal skirt, with a sparkly chiffon underskirt and four layers of tulle beneath. With the exception of a little bit of top-stitching, this is the first garment I've sewn using my serger. I love how it makes the inside seams look so neat and tidy, and of course I can't get over the rolled edges on the underskirt and tulle layers. It really gives a professional touch to the entire garment.

I told myself I'd finish it by Christmas so she could open it up on Christmas morning. There are just a few more details left to finish: the hook-and-eye closure at the back, a yellow satin belt and securing the elastic at the waist. It's not meant to be a surprise because I've needed to try it on her several times to check the fit, but I'm okay with that.

The first time she tried it on for a fitting her voice sounded a little breathless when she said, "It's so pretty..." I can only imagine what she'll say on Christmas morning!

Happy Birthday, Master W.!

2010-11-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Master W.'s first birthday. When it came time to choose his birthday theme, I knew I had to find a way to incorporate his adventurous personality. One of his favorite activities is destroying Miss C.'s carefully constructed castles. (Miss C. isn't always a big fan of this activity, but most times she's willing to play along by building him something tall to destroy.)

Master W. is a miniature Godzilla these days, so a monster theme was the natural choice. First on my list was creating the design for the invitations and goodie bags. I just love how my monster trio turned out, especially the big guy holding the balloon.

Once the invitations were printed, addressed and posted to the mail I turned my attention to the party favors. What do you give six kids ranging in age from 2 months to 3.5 years old? After a little Googling, I hit upon a party planning gold mine: Juicy Bits, an amazing blog filled with handmade lovelies. One of the posts was about a monster-themed party she threw for one of her kids. At one point in her post, she has a photo of a small handmade monster; that's when it hit me...

Plush monsters... mmmm... yes, the perfect party favor for little Master W., Miss C. and friends.

Later that evening my first little monster came to life, and a few nights later I had a half dozen furry friends ready to party. Each little monster was made using scraps of furry fleece, cotton and felt. I assembled the monster bodies using my sewing machine and hand-stitched the faces. I can't help but think they're the cutest bunch of little monsters I've ever seen!

Miss C. helped assemble the goodie bags, giving each young guest a pack of crayons, some monster coloring pages (printouts of Mike and Sully, Grover, Cookie Monster, and a couple other less-than-scary monsters), stickers, a few bags of Goldfish crackers and their very own plush monster.

Almost everything was done by Friday morning. The only thing I had left to do was make the cupcakes. Now let me just say for the record that I did my homework and picked what I thought was going to be a slam-dunk cupcake recipe. Ummmmm... not so much.

I pulled the first dozen out of the oven and immediately knew something had gone very wrong. They were flat. They were greasy. And they just didn't taste right. I knew something was amiss when the recipe didn't have me cream the butter and sugar...

This, of course, put me behind schedule. I was supposed to have two dozen cupcakes baked and on the cooling racks by the time the kids finished napping. Instead, I had a dozen cupcakes in the trash and was furiously scouring the web for a new recipe when Miss C. woke up.

New recipe in hand, Miss C. and I whipped up a small batch of vanilla cupcakes in record time. Thankfully, the new batch came out perfect. Whew! A few minutes later, Master W. awoke from his slumber and we had to head out the door to pick Hubby up from work. So while I had finally found a good recipe, I still only had half the cupcakes made and I was quickly running out of time the night before the party. Eek!

Fast-forward through dinner and bedtime for the kids and the last batch of cupcakes went into the oven right after the kids conked out. I spent the next couple of hours frosting (the first cupcake recipe may have been a dud, but the accompanying buttercream recipe was incredible!) and decorating each one and sunk into bed around 11:30 p.m.

All in all, the party was a great success. The kids had a blast chasing each other around my in-laws' house and the adults enjoyed hanging out and catching up over lunch.

Happy Birthday, Bubby! I love you!

Figgy Goodness

2010-09-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

My best girlfriend, sweetheart that she is, gave me a bag of fresh figs about a month ago. And I, smart girl that I am, pureed and froze them knowing that I wouldn't quite get around to using them right away.

I watched those sweet little gems as they swirled around my food processor and wondered just how in the heck I was going to use them in a recipe.

Then it hit me: fig newtons. What could be better than a homemade version of that chewy cookie bar I grew up adoring?

After a little Googling, I decided on a recipe I found on The Boastful Baker. To be perfectly honest, the photos of the cookies are what sold me... Oh yeah, and the recipe seemed pretty easy too.

Grocery shopping complete and pantry full, I decided on Friday that this was going to be the weekend of the fig newton. I made the cookie dough that afternoon and the filling that night. The cookies came together Saturday night and were, well simply delicious.

It's not just that they're better than store bought. They're different.

Oh, and The Boastful Baker was right... something magical happens to them overnight turning a once delicious cookie bar into something divine.

Quilt 2

2010-09-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

I must have been feeling rather zestful when cutting fabric for Quilt 1 because once I had a quite a bit left over by the time I was finished piecing the quilt top.

I did end up dipping into my stash again for a few new fabrics to round out the quilt, but I think the end result was quite fetching.

Project: Destash

2010-09-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

I used scraps from my stash to create the top and binding on Quilt 1.

A few months back I found myself staring at the overflowing baskets of fabric in my craft room. How in the heck it got so out of control?

I could tell you that it's not my fault. That I'm not a sucker for the remnant bin. That I didn't squeal with delight every time my mom gave me a bag of scraps and yardage leftover from school projects. I'd be lying, course.

Sure, my fabric collection started out innocently enough. It used to consist of a small pile of scraps left over from various completed projects. Over the years that small pile has steadily grown and multiplied, slowly taking over my craft space. What used to be contained in a few baskets on a bookshelf now spills over onto my desk and into bins below.

I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by it. Deep down, I knew I'd never use it all on projects for myself or my children but I just couldn't bring myself to give it away. What if – *gasp!* – I needed it for something?

My mom and I picked out this bright pink print for the backing.

A week or so later, I was sitting in Sunday Mass listening to Fr. George's homily about using our gifts to help others. I remember thinking that as a mother of two small children I'd be hard pressed to find time to volunteer.

But then I realized something: I can sew. And I have this huge (at least by my standards) stash of fabric just waiting to be turned into something special.

That night, I googled charities and sorted through a mountain of fabric. Most of my stash is made up of juvenile prints, so baby blankets seemed like a good place to start.

That's all fine and good, but why not make things a bit more... interesting? So, I decided to add a few rules to spice things up a bit:

Every blanket must be a quilt. Of course, I just recently fell in love with quilting so this should be fun!
Every quilt must include fabric from my stash, but can be augmented by new fabric if necessary. I can't wait to use up all of those itty bitty scraps I've been saving for who-knows-when!
Every blanket must be machine quilted by – *gulp* – me. Okay, so this is going to take some practice!
At least one blanket must be hand quilted. This is more of a long term goal of mine. I've always wanted to learn how to hand quilt, so I'm looking forward to this one.

I finished the first two quilts a few weeks ago and sent them off to a local charity. Future posts will include a bit more about the charity, as well as photos of finished baby quilts.

Lemonade

2010-06-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my mom came across this awesome vintage juicer when cleaning out her kitchen cabinets. She asked me if I wanted it, and of course I couldn't resist keeping a part of my childhood.

I can still clearly remember stretching up on my tip-toes, trying to pick oranges from the tree in our backyard to make fresh-squeezed orange juice on Saturday mornings. And a few branches from our neighbor's lemon tree hung over our side of the fence, so summer always tasted of homemade lemonade.

Of course, the best part about making homemade orange juice or lemonade was getting to use the juicer. Cut the fruit in half, push it cut-side down onto the reamer and... voila!... instant juice!

Yesterday, Master W. went down for an early nap so Miss C. and I headed outside to pick a few lemons off of our tree. She'd never made juice before, so we dusted off the old Juicit Juicer and made some awesome lemonade! I love how she giggled every time we pressed the lemon on the reamer.

The first taste test revealed that, as I suspected, I needed to add a bit more sugar than the recipe called for since our lemons are freakishly large.

A tall glass and several ice cubes later, we were ready for a taste of summer.

Yummy

2010-06-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this felt birthday cake look good enough to eat?

Miss C.'s wonderful godmother gave her this sweet little cake from one of my all time favorite wish-I-could-own-one-of-everything-she-sells Etsy shops, Nifty Kidstuff, for her birthday.

We've had a lot of fun decorating it over and over again, and singing happy birthday to everyone - from Master W. to Daddy to her stuffed animals.

Start Small

2010-06-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last made anything new for my Etsy shops. Master W. is 7.5 months old now and I haven't listed anything new since before he was born.

So, I thought I'd start small.

I'm always looking for fun ways to use up my scraps and pin cushions seemed like a good way to ease back into selling. This first one incorporates two fabrics that I used for Miss C.'s scrap quilt. The white one was used on the back, while the pink one ended up as the quilt binding.

Is this the beginning of a push toward a full shop? I'm not quite sure. We'll just have to see where it leads.

Happy Birthday Miss C.!

2010-06-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today was my little girl's third birthday!

A few weeks ago, we sat down together to decide on a theme. I offered up all kinds of suggestions, from butterflies to Mickey Mouse to Darth Vader (she's loves the guy, and has never seen any of the movies). A thoughtful look passed over her face, then she looked at me and said, "Ladybugs?"

She's got a thing for ladybugs, so I knew it would be perfect. I designed some ladybug-themed invitations and started dreaming of ladybug cupcakes. Many Google clicks later and I found my inspiration.

This week, I mixed up a couple batches of red and black marshmallow fondant – recipe courtesy of a very talented Etsian – then stashed them in the fridge. I cleaned the house. I shopped for supplies. I whipped up a birthday banner. I planned and made lists.

Yesterday came and went in a flurry of baking... chocolate cupcakes and vanilla buttercream frosting from scratch... before building up to the big moment. It was time to cut out my ladybugs.

I gathered my supplies (one rolling pin, one small oval fondant cutter, one plastic drinking straw cut down to 1/2 inch long, one large round fondant cutter and a butter knife) then got to work. An hour or two later I had 15 adorable ladybug cupcakes ready to go.

They were a hit at the party. Best of all? Miss C. loved them.

I Spy Bag

2010-05-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last week, we took the kids to Disneyland. The kids were really good during the long car ride from Northern California, but I found myself wishing that I'd had better car goodies to keep Miss C. happy and busy during the long haul down I-5.

The kids don't watch TV or movies, so the only things I could come up with at the time were books, crayons and paper, and flash cards.

Then it hit me - while we were on the road, of course – I'd seen some really cool I Spy Bags on Etsy recently. They looked relatively easy to make...

It turns out, I was right. In less than hour, I had whipped up this cute little rice and trinket filled I Spy Bag for Miss C.

Some of the goodies came from the bargain bins at a local party store, while others were things I scavenged from around the house. The fabric – one of my absolute favorites – came out of my scrap bin. And I found the vinyl in the remnant bin for less than a dollar at my local Jo Ann Fabrics yesterday.

Miss C. spent a good portion of the morning looking for all her treasures. Now all I have left to do is laminate the photo of the trinkets and attach it to the loop on the bag to make it road trip ready.

Drum roll, please...

2010-04-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

It all started with a basket of scraps. Four months later, I've finally finished Miss C.'s scrap quilt.

I love how it turned out, but the best part is that she loves it. She practically rocketed into her bed when I put it on top yesterday.

I'll never forget how her eyes lit up with pride and excitement when she finally got to snuggle up underneath her quilt.

Pretty in Pink

2010-04-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

After searching every local JoAnn Fabrics store, I finally conceded defeat: both of the fabrics I chose for the back of Miss C.'s quilt appear to have been either discontinued or forever sold out.

So I took a risk and shopped for something entirely new. All in all, I think it was worth it. This cute little Heidi Grace floral print coordinates well with both sides of the quilt and will be the perfect finishing touch for my little girl's quilt.

Domesticity

2010-04-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

I love baking bread. There's something so soothing about the simple act of sinking your hands into dough. The scent of yeast, flour and a bit of sugar bring me back to childhood days at the kitchen table where I spent countless hours over the years watching my mom or grandma bake loaves of bread.

I know it sounds strange, but on the days I bake the house is a little cleaner, more orderly. It makes me a better mom.

Lately, I've been trying to make my way to a comfortable state of domesticity. The beds are made. The dishes are clean. And the house is picked up.

I don't want to become a modern June Cleaver. But I'm a homemaker. I want my children to think back on these years with fond memories of playtime, stories read while snuggled together on the couch and the scent of freshly baked bread.

Just like I remember.

Burp

2010-04-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Miss C. I thought I knew just how messy this whole baby business would be.

I never realized that it would be years before I wore a perfectly clean shirt – all day long – again. Despite my best efforts, I find myself wiping spit-up off my sleeves, back, jeans, feet and shoes on a daily basis.

No amount of burp cloths will solve the problem, but every mama should have at least a few cloth diapers on hand to catch her baby's dribbles, drools and splats. Not only are they softer, they're also far more absorbent than virtually any commercially-made terry burp cloth on the market.

I was cleaning out my office yesterday when I came across a couple of organic cloth diapers left over from the days when I made baby care sets for my shop.

Never one to pass up a possible sewing project, I set the diapers aside and started digging through my stash for a fabric to decorate the backside of the diaper.

In less than an hour I had the perfect gift for my wonderful sister-in-law, who is expecting her first baby (a girl!) in July.

I hope you love them, J. Of course, I should warn you... that little baby is going to find a way to spit up on everything but the burp cloth on your shoulder. At least you'll look good wiping it off!

Beautiful

2010-04-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

I picked up Miss C.'s quilt this week and it's gorgeous.

A friend of mine is a very talented quilter, who also happens to have a long arm. We met up about a week ago to discuss what I'd like to have done with my quilt and, needless to say, I'm just floored by what's she's done.

In one short week, she managed to turn my sweet little scrap quilt into a real quilt – one that I hope my dear daughter will cherish for years to come.

All I have left to do now is the binding. I can hardly believe that I'm almost finished!

Das Diaper

2010-03-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge Volkswagen fan. I grew up in a family of VW owners; the first car I can ever remember riding in was a VW Bus. My dad and older brother have driven various vintage VWs – including a number of air cooled Beetles, a Karmann Ghia or two and even a Single Cab.

I've carried my love of Volkswagens into my adult life – between my husband and I, we've owned two Jettas, a Rabbit and a New Beetle in the last 10 years.

This week, I was contemplating trying a t-shirt diaper for Master W. when it occurred to me that I might still have an old VW t-shirt lying around in one of my drawers. I dug it out and within an hour or so I had a brand-new fitted pocket diaper for Master W.

All it needs now are a few snaps and a prefold for stuffing before it's ready for a test drive.

Master W. may not be able to drive for another 16 years, but he'll sure looks the part of the avid VW fan in this smart little diaper.

Finishing

2010-03-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today I dropped my quilt off for finishing. An old friend of mine has a long arm machine, and will be quilting a beautiful design through all three layers. And she's agreed to quilt a very special message from me to Miss C. into the design.

A few more weeks, and I'll have Miss C.'s beautifully finished quilt in hand, ready for binding.

I Must Be Crazy

2010-03-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

I started a new blog today. The idea came to me the other night when I was picking up my daughter's toys before bed.

What would her toys want to talk about, given the opportunity?

If Toys Could Talk is a quirky look at life with kids. I'm challenging myself to an entry each day.

Let's see...

Two blogs + two Etsy shops + one growing family = Insanity!

Getting Closer

2010-03-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

A word of warning to all you first time quilters out there: you're going to be just as obsessed with the back of your quilt as you were with the front.

I had no idea!

It took me a few weeks to decide what to do about the backing for Miss C.'s quilt. While I had at one point considered buying one length of wide-width fabric, I quickly realized that a coordinating print was going to be nearly impossible to find. The selection of wide-width fabrics is simply too small... and too ugly.

I was going to have to piece the back.

Of course, after spending weeks piecing hundreds of small swatches of fabric for the front, I was rather reluctant to embark on another ambitious piecing project. So, I drew out a very simple design for the back using two coordinating prints.

I like the simplicity of the design, and I think it gives the quilt a slightly modern look.

From Prefold to Fitted

2010-03-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Check out this cute little fitted diaper I whipped up for Master W. with the help of Betty, my new serger and the Very Baby fitted diaper pattern.

He's a wiggly little guy, so I know that there will soon come a time when I can no longer easily wrangle him into a prefold diaper. I've spent the past few months wondering whether or not I should even think about cutting up my precious prefolds to turn them into easy-to-use fitteds.

It didn't take long for Betty to convince me to give it a go. "Just make one," she whispered in my ear when I was changing out her thread cones. "Maybe you'll like it and want to make more."

You were right, Betty. I'm sold.

Etsy Baby Shower Gift #5

2010-03-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

This sweet little shortall is my last Etsy Baby Shower gift, made especially for Master W. by sewsosweetboutique.

The level of cuteness on this little outfit is off the charts. Not only did sewsosweetboutique make a custom-sized outfit for my little guy (with an appliqued a bunny and monogrammed initials to make it the perfect get-up for Easter Sunday), she also included a sweet little crayon roll for Miss C. And, of course, everything was expertly sewn together by this talented seamstress.

sewsosweetboutique carries all sorts of cuteness for little ones, from dresses to bibs to shortalls. Be sure to stop on by her shop!

Waiting

2010-02-25T22:06:00.001-08:00

Here it is. My new serger piping foot.

Right now, this is the only part of my new Brother 1034D in my possession. The serger itself is, according to Amazon, hanging out 20 minutes away in West Sacramento.

I feel rather tortured every time my gaze drifts over to my lonely little piping foot. I've read through the instructions at least three times. I've inspected it from every angle. Now I must wait.

Perfectly piped pillows, overlocked fitted diapers, superb seams and gorgeously gathered little girl dresses are just a few hours away.

Sigh.

An Old Nemesis

2010-02-23T13:32:00.001-08:00

It's been 15 years since I last tried my hand at sewing knits.

I can still remember the overwhelming frustration. The rage. The tears. All because of a teal knit dress.

I ripped out seams. I consulted with my mother. I swore up a blue streak as the cursed fabric stretched and moved while I stitched. And I vowed that I would never again pick up a piece of knit fabric.

I managed to avoid knits for quite some time. Yet here I am 15 years later cutting out knit fabric for cloth diapers for Master W. I'm a much more experienced seamstress now, but that old fear is still there.

I'm hoping this time will be different. My new serger is on its way. I'm older and wiser. My sewing knowledge is far superior to what it was when I was a teenager.

It's time to conquer an old fear. I'm ready.

Etsy Baby Shower Gift #4

2010-02-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

I discovered a pirate in my mailbox this week.

He had used his sword to shred all of my mail (thankfully, it was all junk) and immediately threatened to make me walk the plank if I didn't immediately hand over any and all doubloons in my possession.

Fortunately, I'm bigger than he is so I simply stuffed him into my pocket and took him back to the house. He's taken a liking to Master W. and is already making plans for the many grand adventures they'll embark on when my little guy is old enough to read a treasure map.

A big thank you to theenchantedcupboard, one of the fabulous Etsians that I was paired with for the Etsy Baby Shower. She is an amazing artist and I'm absolutely thrilled to have been gifted with one of her gorgeous toys. Please stop on by her shop for amazing play sets that will surely send your child's imagination into orbit!

Puzzle Solved

2010-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

I did it! I finally finished Miss C.'s quilt top.

After finishing up the last of the blocks last week, I spent an evening puzzling the pieces together to create this pretty little scrap quilt. I'm absolutely thrilled about how it turned out.

Next up is selecting the backing fabric, pricing out long arm services and selecting the binding.

Relief

2010-02-15T19:24:00.001-08:00

I breathed a huge sigh of relief this week when I finally finished sewing the last block for Miss C.'s quilt. When all was said and done, I was able to eke out the last few blocks with what remained of my fabric and was left with just a few small scraps. I really cut it close on this project. There were more than a few moments when I wondered if I'd made a huge miscalculation when decided to make this quilt a little more free-form and unplanned. Thank goodness everything worked out!

'80s Upcycling

2010-02-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, my dad had a small woodworking workshop in our backyard. I can still remember gazing at all of the odds and ends packed into the jars and old coffee cans that lined the shelves along the walls, as well as the incredible array of tools housed inside.

One year, Dad decided to make each of us a bank that was cleverly disguised as a miniature safe. He and my mom scoured the second-hand shops until they found a set of old post office boxes that could be repurposed and transformed into the doors for our tiny safes. I don't think Dad thought of it as upcycling back then. He was simply creating something unique and special for his children.

The end result sent our imaginations into overdrive as we schemed about all of the amazing treasures we could lock away, safe from prying eyes. Dad took us aside, one at a time, to pass on the secret two-letter combination, which we promptly committed to heart and vowed never to share with another soul.

Today, I passed my bank on to my son. It had been safely tucked away on a shelf in my closet for the past few years. His great-grandparents like to send him and Miss C. a dollar or two on Halloween, Valentine's Day and other lesser holidays, so I was thinking about buying him a piggy bank. This is much better.

I have so few things I can pass on to my son, since most of my childhood mementos are incredibly girly. But this little bank was a part of my childhood, something made just for me by my dad, Master W.'s Papa.

In a few years, I'll break my childhood vow and share the safe's combination with my son so he can have a special place for his treasures and secrets.

Etsy Baby Shower Gift #3

2010-02-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

I had a great time attending this morning's Virtual Baby Shower at the Etsy Labs. It was a great opportunity to meet other shower participants – mamas, mamas-to-be and donating shops – as well as the wonderful Etsy Baby Shower organizers (BuggaLove and DecorativeLabels).

My third gift arrived in the mail this week. BeckyKayDesigns custom made this adorable plush patchwork pup for Master W. I'm always in awe of people who can sew in 3-D to make plush items... but to do it in patchwork too! Wow! I love the adorable fabrics she chose, especially the dog print. This little guy is sure to be one of Master W.'s favorites!

Becky is a very talented seamstress – it really shows in her work. I really appreciate the obvious love and care she put into making this special dog for my son. Be sure to check out her shop for more adorable patchwork pups, beautiful bags and pretty pillows.

Etsy Baby Shower Gift #2

2010-02-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to be one of the lucky mamas chosen to participate in the Winter 2010 Etsy Baby Shower. Each of us has been matched up with five talented Etsians, who are showering us with awesome goodies designed with babies and mamas in mind.

My second gift arrived this weekend: a beyond gorgeous baby travel bag from BabyMeBags. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am to have been matched up with this Etsian. Her talent shines clearly through her work. Every seam has been meticulously stitched and every fabric was carefully chosen to create my beautiful bag. Now I just need an excuse to jet out of town for the weekend so I can show it off!

Be sure to take a peek in this awesome shop for super-stylish weekender bags and pre-packed hospital bags – a perfect gift for the new mama or mama-to-be in your life.

Hmmm...

2010-01-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

Looking at my pile of quilt pieces, I'm starting to wonder if I'll have enough for the last eight blocks.

I'm crossing my fingers.

This could end in one of two ways:

Scenario A: Congratulations to me! I had just enough fabric for the quilt, "Gee, I'm just so smart!"

Scenario B: Uh, oh. This is bad. Very, very bad. I'm just shy of having enough fabric for the quilt and am out of fabric, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!"

I can't wait to see how it all ends. Hopefully, in a blaze of glory... rather than a puddle of quilting misery.

Etsy Baby Shower Gift #1

2010-01-28T13:27:00.001-08:00

I'm one of about 30 Etsy mamas chosen for the Winter 2010 Etsy Baby Shower. Each of us have been matched up with five wonderful Etsians, who are showering us with something wonderful from their shop.

Today, I received my first gift, a sweet little custom Valentine photo card (addressed to Daddy) from thedynasmiles. This awesome shop is run by a very talented graphic designer and illustrator. Drop on by her shop for baby shower invitations, announcements, birthday invitations or art prints.

And if you want a sweet little Valantine's Day photo cards featuring you wee one's photo, she still has them listed in her shop!

Eagerness

2010-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

I'm almost there. Just a few more blocks to go.

So far, I think I have about 55 out of 63 blocks finished. Hopefully, I'll stitch up the last few before we leave for Disneyland on Sunday.

After that... well, there's still a lot to do. I need to lay out the blocks, stitch the top together plan the quilt back and find a long arm service.

Then I can breathe...

Okay, I'm lying. I know I'm just going to get started on something else, like the fitted diapers I'm planning to make for Master W. and completing J.'s cloth wipe stash.

I love the feelings I get when I look at a completed project: satisfaction, pride, eagerness.

Eagerness?

Didn't you know that perhaps the best part about finishing a project is that you get to start a new one?

Tucked Away

2010-01-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

My mom recently discovered this soft vintage flannel fabric when cleaning out her cedar chest. It must be at almost 30 years old now, having been purchased in the late '70s or early '80s as the backing fabric for our family's Christmas tree skirt.

I never let a year go by without a peek at those cute little vintage Santas. I'm touched that my mom thought to give me the last of this precious fabric.

There are 11 months left until Christmas. That leaves me with plenty of time to dream up a way to incorporate it into something new. Something to bring out with a smile each December then tuck away a few weeks later, along with a few new Christmas memories.

Monkeys

2010-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

I just love how these little monkey faces seem to be peeking out from various corners of my quilt blocks. I wonder what they're thinking...

"I wore it."

2010-01-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

I've really gotten a kick out of showing Miss C. each of the new quilt blocks I've made, and have been explaining to her where some of the fabrics came from. Recently, I pointed out the blocks that contain pieces of her dresses and told her that they came from her birthday dresses.

Me: You used to wear dresses made of this fabric.

C: I wore it! *Points to the pieces*

Me: That's right, sweetie.

C: I wore it. I wore it. I wore it. *Points enthusiastically to every piece on the block*

Me: You wore those too?

C: Yes!

You've got to love a toddler's creative memory. She was just beside herself with excitement that suddenly everything in the block came from a dress she had worn.

Staying Focused

2010-01-20T20:36:00.001-08:00

I'm in love with my quilt project, but for some reason I still sometimes have trouble staying focused. I promised myself that I wouldn't start any new projects until I'd finished with this one.

Tonight I made a small stack of wipes for my sister-in-law's cloth diaper stash.* So much for promises.

But I'm back on my quilt blocks again, so I guess I'm not completely distracted. Here are my latest creations. If you look closely, you can spot Miss C. perched at the edge of my craft table (along with her cup of raisins) in one of the photos, anxiously awaiting her quilt:

*J. is expecting her first wee one in July and I'm making a big stack of soft flannel wipes for her to use when diapering the babe. We can't wait to meet our new baby cousin!

Hidden Memories

2010-01-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

When it came time to selecting fabric for Miss C.'s scrap quilt, my first thought was my stash. After a thorough ransacking, I realized that I still needed more fabric so I starting thinking of other sources.

It came to me when I was organizing Miss C.'s closet one afternoon. I had spotted the dresses she wore for her first and second birthday parties and couldn't help myself. The cherries print came from her first birthday dress and the ladybugs print from her second birthday dress.

I thought I had found everything I needed. Then, when I was putting some of Master W.'s clothes into storage, I spotted a tiny outfit that Miss C.'s godmother had given to her when she was a wee babe. And I just couldn't resist those adorable little Italian scooters.

I like the idea of stitching memories into a quilt. Scattered throughout the quilt, she'll discover something from many of the women in her family: fabric given to me by my mother, fabric I've used for various projects for Miss C. and my Etsy shop, fabric from her sweet little birthday dresses, and fabric from a delightful little outfit given to her by her godmother.

I Dream of Heirlooms

2010-01-15T21:28:00.001-08:00

It's Friday night and I'm ready to work on Miss C's "puzzle pieces". Here are the last of the finished blocks. It looks like I'm just over a third of the way finished. I'm really pleased with the results so far. I think it's going to be a really sweet quilt.

I know it's easy to please a 2-year-old, but I still want her to love it. More than that, I want it to be one of those memory-makers, like the beautiful handmade dresses, costumes and books my mom made for me. Something she'll tuck under her comforter in college or snuggle in when watching a movie on the couch.

I want it to become an heirloom.

Mini Mailbox

2010-01-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

Miss C. has recently become interested in mail. She loves opening up junk mail and examining the contents. Cards and photos from friends are even more exciting. Then she discovered that she could help lick envelopes and stick stamps on letters. Now she's obsessed!

I had a light bulb moment today when she was rummaging through my bag of random envelopes* – wouldn't it be fun to make a tiny mailbox for her to play with? I floated the idea to "the boss" and she couldn't wait to get started.

We assembled our supplies: leftover wrapping paper, a small box with lid that easily opens, packing tape, ribbon and scissors. I took the box apart and lined the outside with the paper, then with the help of my assistant sealed all the edges with packing tape. We reassembled the box, added a ribbon handle and printed out a cute little label with "C's Mail" written on it.

The results? Pure cuteness.

* My grandma used to have a bag of random greeting cards and envelopes that she'd draw from whenever she needed to send someone a note or birthday card. Sometimes she couldn't find one for the right occasion, so she'd simply add or cross out a word and - voilà! - instant birthday card. She gave them to me after she went blind a few years ago, and think of her every time I reach for a card or envelope. Thanks, Grandma. I miss you.

New Blocks

2010-01-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

I finished three blocks last night. Woot! I'll post those tomorrow. In the meantime, here are a few that I made a few days ago:

Longing

2010-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

I've been gazing at my sewing machine with longing these past few days, with no free time to indulge my quilt craving. Miss C. and Master W. have been busy little bees, leaving me with little to no time to do anything but breathe. Still, I have some blocks to post from earlier efforts:

Blockhead

2010-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

Remember the Blockheads from Gumby?

Those little red clay guys have nothing to do with this post... I'm not a troublemaker aiming to thwart a cute little bendy guy and his pony pal, but I've got quilt blocks on the brain and the Blockheads sprang to mind as I was writing this post.

Here are some of my more recent block efforts:

Quilting: An Unexpected Addiction

2010-01-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

No one ever told me that quilting is addictive.

A few weeks back, I was looking through my fabric baskets when I was struck with the idea to make a scrap quilt to cover my daughter's bed.

It wasn't long before I was cutting up every single piece of pink fabric I could get my hands on - large and small - into squares and rectangles of varying sizes with the smallest cut to 2x3 inches and the largest cut to 8x8 inches. I even raided her closet and cut up the cute little dresses she wore on her first and second birthdays. She's too big to wear them again anyway, right? Well, that was my excuse...

Standing before a mountain of fabric pieces, I knew I was hooked.

It was time to plan out the quilt. I wanted something more free-form than your traditional quilt, so I decided that each block would be 10x10 inches in size (not counting seam allowances) but there would be no set pattern for piece placement in each block. The quilt itself will be 70x90 inches in size when finished. That's a lot of blocks!

I've spent nearly every free moment these last few days sewing quilt blocks. There's always time for one more block, right? I think I've inadvertently given myself a steam facial with all the time I've spent hunched over the iron these past few nights. And I've really given my sewing machine a workout.

So far, I've fallen in love with every block – they are incredibly adorable. Thank goodness... I was really crossing my fingers that my decision to enter into a cutting free-for-all wouldn't come back to haunt me.

Fantastic Fried Eggs - A Felt Food Tutorial

2009-12-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I couldn't stand the taste of eggs. My folks made me eat them and I tried to drown out the eggy taste with everything from melted cheese to ketchup – to no avail. Even as an adult, I can't seem to get past my childhood aversion to the egg.

A felt fried egg, however, is something that I can easily love.

I whipped up this delicious looking little egg last night and put the finishing touches on this morning while my daughter ate breakfast. She eagerly watched me stitch it together while she ate her cereal and couldn't wait to take it into her new play kitchen (her favorite Christmas present, courtesy of my parents) as soon as I was finished.

Want to make your own? It's easy:

Draw the egg white and yolk shapes onto a sheet of paper or tissue paper to create your pattern.
Cut out your pattern pieces then place them on your felt.
Cut two egg white pieces from white felt and one yolk piece from yellow felt.
Blanket stitch your yolk onto one of the egg white pieces using yellow embroidery thread. Feel free to add a bit of stuffing underneath your yolk before you finish stitching it in place if you want it to be puffy.
Place the other egg white piece below the piece you just add the yolk to, then blanket stitch together using white embroidery thread.
Done! Time to start cooking!

Tiny Diapers

2009-10-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I whipped up two sweet little diapers for Miss C.'s baby doll using a pattern I found on the blog, Skip to My Lou, after a quick Google search. I was looking for something that looked easy to whip up and that was designed for a 15" doll.

Turns out, this pattern was a perfect fit. Each flannel diaper (the striped one is lined with a soft yellow minky) took less than 20 minutes to make, start to finish. I couldn't help top-stitching each one, even though the pattern didn't call for it, so I probably would have finished even sooner if I hadn't added a step.

Miss C. was so excited about her Mama-made gift that she spent a good portion of the day dressing and undressing her baby doll, changing diapers, and organizing her diaper bag.

Watching her play mama, I love to tell her that she's a good mama to her baby. She always smiles and says, "No!" Then she bursts into giggles when I pretend to look shocked and say, "No?! Oh, that's too bad!" This, of course, is followed by even more giggles and a request for "More!"

Recycled Gift Box Mailer

2009-10-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you're out of bubble mailers? Make one!

I just finished whipping up this sunny little mailer for a Little Peanut order. All I needed was one half of a department store gift box (if you're anything like me, you've got a million of these things lying around your house) and a little packing tape.

Fold your box at the middle, apply packing tape to seal the edges and in a few minutes you've got yourself a recycled mailer ready to hit the post office. Woot!

Diapee Bag

2009-10-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

With only a few weeks until my due date, I suddenly realized that I needed to pack my labor and delivery bag. Of course, my sweet little daughter had recently commandeered my cosmetics bag for use as a "diapee bag" for her baby doll so I needed to somehow cleverly switch it out for a new doll-sized diaper bag. Tears were to be avoided at all costs!

After digging through my scrap baskets, I came upon a lovely chocolate brown corduroy and a coordinating Heidi Grace floral cotton print that I had used recently for a purse sold in my agent jane shop. A few hours later and I had whipped up this adorable little diaper bag and wipes case for my sweetie pie.

She discovered it on my craft table the next morning and was in love! She carries it around everywhere she goes and couldn't wait to show it off to her grandparents. (And... whew!... she forgot all about my cosmetics bag so I'm all packed up and ready to give birth.)

I know it's kind of cheesy, but my heart goes pitter patter and I feel all squishy inside whenever I see her playing with it. She's only 2 years old, but I'm just so touched by how much she loves this little bag I made just for her.

From Scrap to Skirt

2009-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

I love leftover fabric. I have baskets full of scraps that I just know I'll use someday.

Riiiiiiight. Most of those lonely scraps have a long wait ahead of them.

Every once in a while, though, inspiration strikes and I know just how to use a leftover piece of fabric. Just last week I took a few scraps of the lovely chocolate brown corduroy I used to make some bloom bags for agent jane and transformed them into a cute little A-line skirt for my toddler.

Now isn't that yummy?

Something Sweet

2009-08-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

I just finished this sweet little Baby Care Set for a baby shower I'll be attending on Saturday. There's something so sweet and nostalgic about this Michael Miller print that made it absolutely irresistible!

Tee-Tee

2009-07-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

My little miss loves to dress up her baby doll. A good portion of our day is spent sorting through outfits, putting on clothes and taking them off so she can give her baby a "bath".

I just finished making a "tee-tee" (Miss C.'s word for t-shirt) for her baby doll. Being the helpful girl that she is, she helped me choose a fabric from my scrap bin. Then, she took out each pin and put it back into the pin box after I cut out each piece. Later, when she was sleeping, I snuck over to my sewing machine to put it together.

I can see a very large wardrobe in this doll's future.

Will she demand her own closet? Maybe. I draw the line at a shoe rack.

Teeny Tiny Baby Sling

2009-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

Miss C. loves anything associated with the new baby. She coos over the tiny clothes, pulls out the baby toys and likes to play with the new cloth diapers and wipes in our stash.

My handmade pouch sling is no exception. She recently found it tucked away in a drawer and couldn't resist trying it on once I showed her what it's used for. She pulls it out at least once a day, and asks to put it on and fill it up with her babies. Then she makes me put it on. Or Daddy. Or Grandma. Or whoever happens to be handy. The baby isn't even here yet and that sling is already working overtime!

After searching through my fabric stash, I found a couple of fabrics that would make the perfect doll-sized pouch sling for my little miss. The outside is a cute little princess print, while the inside is a sparkly star print.

I whipped it out during her nap time using a pattern I had adapted a while back from the pouch sling I made for myself before she was born. I couldn't wait to surprise her with it as soon as she woke up – and she loved it!

Vintage Comic Books

2009-07-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about a box quite often. Not just any box, but a big one sitting in the back of my daughter's closet. One filled with goodies from my childhood up through high school.

I finally opened the box today.

Inside, I found old prom dresses, cards from my high school graduation (some from people I don't even remember), softball trophies, grammar school yearbooks and the scrapbooks my mom put together for me as a way to preserve my childhood works of art.

Most of it has little to no value to anyone but me. I tossed out the cards and trophies, and set aside a few of the dresses for donation. The most precious items, such as my scrapbooks, have been saved in a much smaller box.

Then my eyes fell on my old comic book collection. Most were purchased with my older brother at a local comic book shop when we were kids living in Southern California. But there are a few vintage comic books that I picked up at a flea market when I was a little girl. And they've been sitting in plastic sleeves in a box ever since.

I was about to add them all to the donation pile, but couldn't help but wonder if they're worth anything. Both the Simple Kate comic and the Bullwinkle comic aren't in top condition, but perhaps there aren't too many of them left out there. My copy of Rocky and His Fiendish Friends in Hollywood is actually in pretty good condition.

A quick search on the internet revealed several online comic book auction houses. I've already sent off one inquiry and plan to send out a few more.

Who knows? Maybe I'll make some money off of something I probably paid $2 for over 20 years ago.

Soft Bums

2009-07-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Cloth Diaper Addicts (CDAs, for short) will tell you it's not just about the diapers. We love the pretty covers, the fun accessories and – of course – those soft cloth wipes.

If you're a CDA like me – one who has some skills at the sewing machine – then cloth diapering your babe is double the fun. Last time around, I sewed all of my daughter's diaper wraps, which I've saved for this baby.

This time, since we decided against paying for a diaper service, I get to make an entire stash of cloth wipes for my little baby's bum. My first shipment of unbleached prefolds arrived on Monday (Thanks, Mom!), which has had me itching to do work on my diaper set-up.

For past few months, I've been eyeballing a stack of flannel receiving blankets that I rarely used when Miss C. was a babe. They were really too small to be useful as blankets... really! But cut up in 8x8 squares... yes, they'll be perfect as wipes!

Of course, I don't really have enough blankets to make all of the wipes I'll need but I do have a ton of flannel in my stash. Most of it is in the form of odd-shaped scraps left over from other projects, but I do have a few long lengths that I haven't found uses for yet. Plus there are those tricky licensed fabrics that I can't use in my shop. As it turns out, I have plenty of fabric to make my wipes. Yes!

After a little late-night research, I discovered that cloth diaper wipes are actually incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is cut your flannel into 8x8 inch squares (I've also made some 4x8 inch rectangles from fabric scraps for smaller wipes). Place two pieces together with the right sides out, then serge around the edges.

If you're like me and don't have a serger, you can use your regular sewing machine. Simply use your overlock setting to stitch around the edges. I went over mine twice with the overlock stitch and didn't have any fraying after a few washes.

Pretty Blooms

2009-06-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished working on a custom order for one of my agent jane customers.

I'm so excited about this Undercover Mama Bag. I came up with the idea for the blooms on the front of the bag a while back and this was my first opportunity to test out the design. The blooms and stems were hand stitched onto the bag with embroidery thread.

The bag itself is a diaper bag in disguise, which will come in handy for my mama-to-be customer. I hope she loves it as much as I do!

Early Nesting

2009-06-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

I wasn't expecting to begin nesting just yet. I'm nowhere near my third trimester – the time when most women start to feel an incredible urge to finish projects, clean the house and go crazy organizing everything – but I'm already feeling compelled to bring some old projects to a close.

Case in point: Miss C.'s baby book has been collecting dust in my craft room for almost two years now. I had never been satisfied with any of the ready-made books on the market, so I put one together before she was born.

Thinking I could outsmart myself (I'm a die-hard procrastinator), I bought gender neutral paper and assembled the entire book before the baby arrived. I even took the guesswork out of what would go inside by planning each page and placing the headlines on the pages. All I had to do was assemble a few photos and type up my memories sometime within the first year after she was born.

Yeah. That didn't exactly happen.

With only a few months left before the new baby arrives, I know it's now or never. The photos I ordered last week came in over the weekend and I no longer have any excuses.

Miss C. is napping, so I snuck in some time to add the photos to the book. Looking at those early pictures makes me wistful and excited... because I know those days will be here again. The Baba will arrive and we'll be doing it all over again.

Itty Bitty Boxers

2009-05-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today was Day 1 of our potty training adventure.

This weekend, I whipped up a couple of pairs of flannel training pants for Miss C.'s doll. I think they look like itty bitty boxers - too cute! My daughter is absolutely in love with this doll that my mother-in-law lent to us to help with our potty training adventure. As it turns out, it was her childhood doll and she used it when potty training her own boys. It's at least 55 years old.

The plan was to follow the potty training in one day method, which got its start in 1974 with the book, Toilet Training In Less Than a Day, by Nathan H. Azrin, Ph.D. and Richard M. Foxx, Ph.D. I actually have a first edition copy in my possession, having borrowing it from my in-laws who used it on their own kids when they were toddlers.

So far, Miss C. had three successful trips to the potty. We didn't exactly meet the goals set forward by the book, but then again, I never had my heart set on getting her trained in one day. All-in-all, I'm very content with the progress she's made so far. I'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Play Dough Play Date

2009-05-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's post got me thinking. Wouldn't it be fun to host a Play Dough Play Date?

Invite four or five of your mama friends and their little ones over for a group play date. Email your the the Play Dough recipe to your friends ahead of time and ask each one to make a single batch using a different flavor of Kool-Aid.

On the day of the play date, everyone brings their Play Dough over to your place. Split up each batch into small containers so that everyone gets to take home some of each color. Give the kids some of the handmade dough to play with, and enjoy an afternoon with your friends!

Dough Dough

2009-05-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

The first words out of my daughter's mouth this morning were, "Dough dough!"

Last night, I told her we were going to make Play Dough. She had no idea what I was talking about, since she'd never laid eyes on one of the colorful balls of dough, but she was incredibly excited.

We bought her a little set of dough tools yesterday, and she couldn't wait to use them on her "dough dough". She had them all ready to go next to her bed in a little green bucket.

I've never made Play Dough before, but a dear friend of mine had sent me a recipe called "Sweet Smelling Play Dough" that she said her kids adore. I liked the idea of making my own dough, especially since my daughter is still young enough to consider eating it, so I thought I'd give it a try.

So while the little miss ate her breakfast, I whipped up a batch of grape-scented purple Play Dough. It was incredibly easy to make with minimal clean-up. The best part, of course, is that my little one loved it. I think she set a playtime record, spending a remarkable 30 minutes playing quietly in her high chair with her purple dough.

Making your own Play Dough is so much fun. I hope you give this recipe a try. And don't worry, the purple color didn't come off on our hands!

Sweet Smelling Play Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 Kool-Aid drink mix packet

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix together the water, drink mix and oil. In a pot, mix together flour, salt and cream of tartar. Slowly add the liquid to the pot. Stir to combine.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture looks like mashed potatoes. Remove the dough from the pot and allow to cool. When cool, knead the dough until smooth.

Dough lasts a long time when stored in covered container or zip-top bag.

Mix together 2 cups of water

When It Feels Right

2009-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

My mom and grandma taught me how to make bread.

Not the kind in the bread machine. We were too stubborn and old-fashioned to buy one. Besides, you can't add love to that kind of bread. Love is a rather temperamental baking ingredient; it tends to break down when you add it mechanically. It must be kneaded in by hand for full flavor.

I remember asking over and over, "But how do you know when to stop kneading?"

The answer was always the same: "When it feels right."

And you know, mom and grandma knew what they were talking about. After some practice, I finally figured out how bread dough should feel when it's ready for proofing: soft and elastic, without stickiness.

It's been at least 20 years since I was given those early lessons and I still enjoy the simple act of making bread. Twice a week, I make bread for my family's lunchtime sandwiches.

My daughter loves to help me make bread, lending a hand with measuring and pouring. Sometimes, she even leans in to help knead. She's almost 2 years old, so we have a long way to go before she asks how to know when the bread is ready.

I can't wait share my mom's and grandma's wise words: "When it feels right."

Bedside Reading

2009-05-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love being an attachment parent. In the last two years, breast feeding, baby wearing (I can't wait to start wearing the new baby!) and gentle disciple have become a part of who I am – although I still have to work very hard at striving to be my best mother-self, especially when it comes to discipline.

My daughter was not a great sleeper as a baby, and it took a long time for me to come to enjoy bedtime. In the last few months, though, I've found that gently parenting her to sleep each day for naps and bed time has become a routine I look forward to each day.

Being a toddler, my little miss is big on her routine. First she picks out a few stories to read, which of course sometimes means she grabs virtually every book off the shelf. Then we snuggle in her big girl bed together, with me propped up against some pillows and my little girl tucked in under the covers with her favorite dolls and stuffed animals beside her. We read a few stories, then if it's night time I brush all her doll's teeth, brush her teeth, give her a kiss and tell her I love her.

After that, I pick up my own book – and a flashlight if it's dark – and transport myself to another time, a different local and into someone else's life. Most days I read until she falls asleep, then I quietly slip out of her room. But sometimes, the book is just too exciting to put down right away so I settle in for an hour or two, reading while my little one slumbers beside me.

I was thinking about this yesterday, when I realized that there used to be a time I would long for this type of luxury, but never took the time in the evening to crack open a book. I was always too busy with other things after work.

Being an a stay-at-home mom has changed things. I definitely don't have time to read while my daughter is awake, but I do spend more time reading while she is asleep than I ever did before. I've become an avid reader, having managed in the last year or so to pour through many of my favorite author's novels and explore new ones.

Yesterday, I finished reading Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. I happened to spot it last week while searching for something new in the quiet aisles of my local library. I had seen the movie many years ago but had never read the book, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I admit, there have been times when I've read a "classic" only to be disappointed. Not this time. Jane Eyre is truly a page-turner. There were so many unexpected twists (which I will not share with you, to avoid ruining the story) that by the end I simply couldn't put the book down. I had to know how Jane and Mr. Rochester's love would survive and bloom.

Goodie Basket Giveaway!

2009-04-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Etsy's Mothering Street team is hosting our first-ever Spring Fling Giveaway. The first basket of goodies tailored to mamas and kids has already been given away to one very lucky winner, but there's still time to enter to win the second basket!

This gift basket is geared toward mamas and babies, with natural parenting in mind. You'll find all kinds of nifty goodies including: a nursing necklace, nursing pads, a play silk, foot soaks, a beautiful baby sling, a set of eco-friendly reusable nose wipes from my shop, plus a whole lot more! If you're a new mama or a mama-to-be, you'll definitely want to enter before April 30!

There are several ways to enter the drawing:

Every dollar spent in a participating shop (including mine!) earns you one ticket toward the drawing. All you have to do is leave a note during your purchase or send a convo afterward saying that you'd like to be entered in the drawing. Check out our team blog for a list of participating shops.
Leave a comment on our team blog, letting us know you'd like to be entered in the drawing. Be sure to include your Etsy shop name, email address or blog address so we know how to get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner. Your comment will earn you one ticket (only one comment entry per person).
Blog about us! Be sure to leave a comment on our team blog with a link to your blog so we can read all of the fabulous things you wrote! Blogging earns you two tickets – and there's no limit on how many times you can blog about us to earn tickets!

Want all juicy details? Check out the team's blog for photos of the gift basket goodies, entry details and a full list of participating shops.

Pink Lemonade

2009-04-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today's flavor was pink lemonade. And since my daughter is still to young to be running around with a Dum Dum lollipop in her mouth, I ate it. While she was napping of course.

Thursdays are special in our house. It's garbage day, my daughter's favorite day of the week. She listens all morning for the sound of the truck as it approaches our street and can't wait to rush outside to watch Mr. Chris or Mr. Jay take away this week's garbage and green waste (or recycling, depending on the week).

Last week, Mr. Chris told us that there are a couple of little boys on his route that jump up and down and shriek with delight when he comes around the corner. One little boy's mother asked him last week, "How does it feel to be a rock star?"

It's true. Those guys are practically celebrities to small children. They come cruising up in their big trucks, extending the truck's arm to pick up the can, then hopping out to say "hi" and hand out lollipops.

My Little Miss is all grins and excited wiggles until we get outside. Then she puts on her shy face while I spend a few minutes chatting with Mr. Chris or Mr. Jay about the weather, their teenage daughters or the upcoming weekend. Sometimes she'll share a tiny smile or a wave goodbye.

They tell me she makes their day. They've certainly made hers.

The Baba

2009-04-08T06:51:00.001-07:00

There's someone new in my life that I'd like you to meet: my little Baba.

These last few weeks have been crazy. I've spent a few days on bed rest, the stomach flu has slowly been making the rounds in my house and I've been left with little energy.

But with the end of my first trimester drawing near, I can feel my energy increasing each day. I want to write. I want to create. And I'm having fun being pregnant again.

Tomorrow I'll be 12 weeks along and I'm beginning to show a little bit. Last time, it took over 20 weeks for my belly to start expanding. I really love how my belly looks when I'm pregnant and I'm so excited that I get to look pregnant sooner this time around. And the best part - no morning sickness this time around!

My little girl is getting excited about The Baba (we came up with the name "The Baba" after she first started to say "baby". It came out "baba" for several weeks before evolving to the current "beebee".) She likes to talk about the doctor showing us the beebee and points to Mama's tummy where the beebee lives.

This October, she'll become a big sister. I can't wait!

Eeek!

2009-03-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

Oh... my... goodness...

My agent jane Double Agent Knitting Clutch was on Etsy's front page today! I just happened to spot it while logging in!

Must... breathe...

I got nearly 300 views and a bunch of hearts out of it! :) Woot!

Lost Art

2009-03-21T10:54:00.001-07:00

There was a time not that long ago when e-mail, Facebook and blogs simply didn't exist. No one had cell phones and long distance calls were expensive. So we wrote letters.

I'm only 30 years old, but I remember this time with great fondness. I was 10 years old when I first discovered my love of writing. My family had just moved up to Northern California from my childhood home in San Bernardino, CA. Shortly before the move my mother had planted the seed. She mentioned that I could stay in touch with my girlfriends through letters and helped me amass an entire collection of pretty stationary specifically for the purpose of composing letters to friends and family members.

Each day I'd run to our old fashioned rural mailbox, two long braids trailing down my back, with the great hope of receiving a letter from a faraway friend. Most days I wouldn't find anything addressed to me, but once a week or so I'd find a pretty pink or purple envelope tucked in amongst my parents' bills and junk mail.

Perhaps it was a simple girlhood thrill of receiving something addressed to me in the mail. Maybe it had something to do with my secret girlhood dream of having a pen pal who, over a lifetime of letters, would become my best and truest friend. I suppose it doesn't matter why I loved it so much. Some things just are.

Twenty years have passed and I still love receiving notes addressed to me in the mail. I've managed to save virtually every letter I've received from friends and family over the years, and they're all tucked neatly away in a box under my bed. Maybe someday I'll pull them out and reread them. The short ones from my girlhood friends. The long ones from my parents when I was away at college. The ones my grandfather and I wrote to each other the summer before he died a few years ago (he saved each of my letters and I now have them stowed safely in my box).

These days, I've joined the masses and switched primarily to e-mail, but sometimes I wonder if something has been lost. You transfer a part of yourself onto the page when you handwrite a letter. The long or short loops in your handwriting are as much a part of the story as the words you have written. The time you take selecting the right paper, writing out your thoughts and tucking everything into an envelope is a true mark of love and friendship.

First Sale

2009-03-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

It took just over a month, but I did it.

I made my first agent jane sale last night! I'm so excited to ship my Undercover Mama Bag out to my wonderful customer. I hope she loves it as much as I do.

Now my little shop looks so lonely with only one item inside. I've been working on a knitting needle case to add to my shop and I'm so close to finishing it. The only hitch is that I don't have any knitting needles laying around for photo props.

Hmmm... I guess I'll have to take up knitting this week.

Or maybe I'll just call my mom and ask to borrow some of her needles.

Love

2009-03-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

My dear friend called me today with the news that she had welcomed her baby boy into the world last night. I don't know that anything in the world can compare with meeting your new baby for the first time. Those tiny eyes gaze into your own, and your heart suddenly swells with more love that you ever believed it could possibly contain.

I can't wait to meet him. I just know he's perfect.

CPSIA - Calling All Activists!

2009-03-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

The stay is in place but the fight isn't over.

Etsian bytheway recently had a great idea: let's all work together on a single CPSIA Assignment each week. We'll concentrate our efforts to gain maximum impact, and hopefully gain some traction in the fight to amend the CPSIA.

So what's the first assignment?

To come up with a month's worth of assignments. What are the top four things we should be working on in the next four weeks (one per week)? Who should we be contacting en masse? What's critical right now?

Send me your ideas by writing a comment on this post. Once we get enough ideas, we'll post a new assignment each week in the CPSIA section of the Etsy forums where we can update each other on our progress.

Wedded Bliss

2009-03-04T11:33:00.001-08:00

It's been almost two years since I last pulled my beautiful wedding dress out of its muslin-wrapped box to air it out. The seamstress I hired, Diana Ackerman, owner of The Threadbender, to clean and preserve it told me I should do it every year, but last year I found myself a little busy with a new baby in the house.

Opening that lovely gray box and setting aside the tissues to reveal my gown was, as always, an emotional experience. And to have my daughter there beside me (well, behind the baby gate a few feet away) to see it for the first time was a wonderful experience.

I'll carefully pack it away in its archival box tomorrow, but until then I'll think of our vows, first dance, toasts and new beginning every time I pass through my bedroom. And I'll have those memories to carry me through the year until I air it out once again.

Sunshine

2009-03-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

My little corner of the world has been gray and rainy all week.

Right now my daughter is sleeping peacefully in her room, so I've been taking a few moments to simply relax in my craft room.

A few minutes ago I was gazing out the window, watching the rain fall, when I noticed the most unusual little rainbow. I just had to get a photo.

There's sunshine around every corner... if you know where to look.

Mint

2009-02-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamt about creamy mint chip ice cream. But alas, when I awoke the freezer was bare.

Tonight, I found plenty of calorie-free treats on Etsy and gathered them together for a very minty treasury.

Sweet Little Things

2009-02-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

Last night I stayed up late making a sweet little toddler-sized smock for my daughter to wear when she helps me around the kitchen.

I didn't have a pattern, so I made one up. Of course, I don't have any real pattern paper on hand, so I rummaged through my box of gift bags and recycled gift tissue paper to find some tissue paper to use. I discovered a sheet of Hanna Andersson tissue that came with a gift my little one received from a dear friend. I love finding creative uses for gift tissue paper – especially when it's this cute.

Around a 12:45 a.m. I finally finished it and couldn't wait till morning to see if she'd like it. Turns out, it was a perfect fit. She ran around the house in it all morning, looking so cute. Of course, she couldn't wait to test it out in her tower.

I can already see the light dusting of flour on the front of her smock as she helps me make bread, grinning ear to ear.

Something Hidden, Something Revealing

2009-02-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I'm browsing on Etsy I'm not really shopping.

I like to look at what else is in the photograph and for a moment ignore the item for sale. Look at the props in the background. The surrounding landscape.

And I tell myself that I'm catching a tiny glimpse into someone else's life. Or the life they dream about.

A window in the background, a strategically placed tea cup, a model on a rooftop can say a lot about a person.

Today, I found myself using some props from around the house for one of the photos used in my latest agent jane listing: Joe's O's. Reduced fat Cheez-Its. TLC crackers.

What do they reveal about me? Nothing deep, I suppose.

The Joe's O's... well that's pretty obvious, I guess. My daughter loves them. Could live off of them if I let her. The Cheez-Its... hubby loves them and goes through a couple of boxes a week. And the TLC crackers... another failed attempt to add diversity to my daughter's diet. She still loves her cheese, fruit, beans and rice.

I wonder if other people will look for clues about me in this picture. I can't imagine I'm the only one who looks in the background for something hidden, something revealing.

Market Intelligence

2009-02-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

There was a time when bringing your own reusable bags to the grocery store meant two things:

The grocery clerk looked at you as though you just grew a second head when your response to the standard "Paper or plastic?" question was "No thanks, I brought my own."
You were forced to use ugly, mismatched tote bags your mom had been holding onto since the '80s.

Thankfully, those days (and hideous totes) are a distant memory. Most grocers now expect that many of their customers will bring their own bags. And reusable bags have undergone a style transformation, ranging from the practical canvas totes sold at your local grocery store to fun bags made out of old t-shirts.

I was thinking about this other day when planning my next project for agent jane. Why not make a market tote that's both practical and chic? The result is this sunny – and very roomy – market tote.

Who wouldn't look smart with this bag on her shoulder? Grocery shopping (or a trip to the gym... or a day at the mall...) never looked so good!

Tiny Trees

2009-02-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I stumble across a fabric that I simply can't live without. This little gem was hidden at the bottom of a rack at JoAnn's - I spotted it while searching for some fabrics to use on a custom order I was working on this weekend.

I can't get enough of the tiny trees on this fabric. It's adorable and a little bit retro, reminding me of something my mother might have used to sew a dress for me when I was a little girl.

All I have left is a small strip – enough to make something small like a Crayon Wallet. But I can't help imaging all of the possibilities – maybe I'll have to go back and pick up more to make a smock or skirt for my daughter.

I like to think that perhaps 30 years from now my daughter will spot something similar in a fabric store and, like me, it will remind her of the little handmade goodies her mama made just for her.