My Little Cupcake

Prairie Girl

2011-08-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

Today, during our Mommy and Me crafty time, Cupcake Katie continued to cut and paste little pieces of paper while I whipped up another little number for back to (pre)school. The fabric is Pure by Sweetwater for Moda and I used the free "recipe" from the Moda Bake Shop. I did modify the recipe just a little to make it fit Katie, since the finished size was listed as a girl's 6 and Katie is a 3T.

I love the bow in the back, but I think it would be cute either way.

It took a lot of sewing time, since I had to piece the squares together. But I am really happy with how cute it turned out to be. Kinda reminds me of "Little House on the Prairie."

Looking Rosy

2011-08-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, while Caleb was napping I set Cupcake Katie up with her own little craft table so I could get a little sewing done.

Lately, my sewing has been very limited to weekends when hubby is home and can keep the kids from killing each other or destroying the house while I work. Cupcake has decided that naps are for babies, and has been resisting all attempts to lay down because she is a "big girl'! Soooo, what to do? Crafty time with Mommy, of course!
While she was busy cutting paper with her little scissors and glueing pom-poms with Elmer's glue sticks, I was finally able to put together a little dress that I have had cut out for a couple of weeks. After we were done with our crafts, we braved the 115 degree heat index to snap a few quick pics before coming inside and rehydrating.
The fabric, which I had to have the moment I saw it, is from the Love collection by Amy Butler. The pattern is the Knot Dress pattern by Whimsy Couture.

I had such a great time during Mommy and Katie craft time that we will probably be doing it again tomorrow. See y'all then :)

Bumblebee

2011-07-30T18:49:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, I was wandering around my local Joanne, where I teach knitting classes, and found some super cute black and yellow fabric that I knew would go perfectly with some large scraps I had saved for Katie. So, I picked up the fabric, some black bias tape and a pack of black "jumbo" ric-rac, and rushed home to whip up this little dress for Katie to wear to church in the morning. I have enough fabric left to make some matching ruffle pants for the, can't come soon enough, fall layering. Yellow and black is one of my favorite color combinations. Kinda reminds me of cute little bumblebees.

The main fabric is Keepsake Calico prints from Joanne and the contrast fabric is by Timeless Treasures. The pattern is the Popover Sundress available for free from the Oliver and S blog. Overall, this dress cost me about six or seven dollars to make, including the free pattern. Who doesn't love a bargain?

Where have I been? Busy!

2011-07-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

I have been super busy with my knitting and teaching and just overall kid craziness the last few months. My babies are now 21 months and 3 and I am working harder to take care of them at this point than I was this time last year when I had a toddler and a just beginning to crawl infant. I have been doing a LOT of knitting, including some small shawls to give away to our grandmothers as Christmas gifts, and some sewing. Here's a photo round-up of what I've been up to lately:

Pattern is "Ishbel" by Isolda Teague and yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in "Goody Goody"

"Queen Anne's Lace" Pi shawl by MMario Yarn is Cascade Alpaca Lace in "Posy"

Christmas Shawl #1 "Summer Mystery Shawl" by Wendy Knits Yarn is Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Merino Bamboo in "Robin"

Christmas shawl #2 "Traveling Woman" by Liz Abinante Yarn is Ella Rae Lace Merino in color #121

Gift for my cousin's new baby. "Steps to Stranded Cardigan" by Looking Glass Knits Main yarn is Daily Fibers in pink, brown, and aqua. Contrast yarns are Lorna's Laces Shephard sock in "Aqua" and Knit Picks Stroll in "Carnation"

"One Day Beret" by Kirsten Kapur Yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Mariposa

I have way more knitting that I could show you, but I don't want this post to be forever long. Here's some sewing:

Dress for my cousin's baby girl "Itty Bitty Baby Dress" from Made by Rae Fabric is from Hobby Lobby

Mommy and me skirts I made for Cupcake Katie and me. Pattern is by me, fabric is by Michael Miller Fabrics

Fourth of July pillowcase dress. Pattern by Whimsy Couture Fabric is leftovers from other projects.

Vintage pillowcase dress using the same pattern as the fourth of July dress. Vintage pillowcase was purchased on Etsy

Hopefully, it won't take me too long to post again :)

Yes, I have been sewing

2011-04-14T21:28:00.000-05:00

I feel like I have done so much knitting lately, that I have not taken the time to share the few sewing projects I've done. In the winter, I usually knit more than sew because knitting is so cozy and warm. Plus, I love making little sundresses and skirts for Miss Katie, so sewing usually goes on more for her spring and summer wardrobe. I have managed to grab a couple of pics of baby projects with many more little spring dresses that need to be photographed and shared. Many of Katie's dresses for this year, are from my own design. I'm hoping that, eventually, I can post a couple of tutorials.

This personalized minky blanket is my own design. The font was downloaded at Swak Embroidery and the fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby and Hancocks .

This is Cupcake Katie wearing one of the many little sundresses I have made for her this year. I used a vintage pillowcase I paid about ninety-nine cents for at Goodwill, some pink double fold bias tape, and a basic a line jumper pattern to create this little number. I'm hoping to get a tutorial up for this soon ;)

This pic and the one before are custom order burp clothes and pacifier clip sets that went out last weekend. The pattern for the burp cloths are free from You Can Make This and the embroidery fonts and appliques were downloaded at Swak Embroidery .

Miracle Baby Hats

2011-04-14T21:07:00.002-05:00

My sweet cousin, Ashley, and her husband, Patrick, have been going through the adoption process for the last few months. Two days ago, they got the call. There was a baby waiting for them downtown at one of our many local hospitals. I don't know the whole story, but baby Kate is a preemie who will be ready for discharge tomorrow. After having some experience with newborns in my former nursing career, I know how important it is to keep those sweet little heads warm. So, of course, I dug through my stash this morning and set to work on some sweet little hats. I apologize for the poor photo quality. I snapped these pics really quick with my iPhone before packing them up for drop-off.

This sweet fuzzy hat is knit with Yarn Bee Dilly Dally from Hobby Lobby and has been discontinued. The pattern is my own and should be up either on here or available for download on Ravelry soon.

I modified this pattern a little from the original, but it is from Susan B. Anderson's adorable book, Itty Bitty Baby Hats . I added a couple of rows of garter stitch at the bottom and around the top. The colorwork chart I used is from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge . The yarn is a mix of leftover baby yarns in my stash.

This super plush little hat was knitted with Pitter Patter, also available from Hobby Lobby . The pattern is free from the Stich DC Blog

Easter Lily

2011-03-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

My Easter Lily Scarf is done, blocked, and ready to wear. The pattern is "Lily of the Valley Scarf" from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in the "Brisa" colorway. I found this yarn at my LYS a few weeks ago when I was shopping with my BFF, Anna, and I just had to have it. It was love at first sight! These colors just shouted "spring flowers!" to me and Malabrigo is one of my many weaknesses. So, of course I indulged.

Mommy's Been Busy

2011-03-19T11:08:00.001-05:00

Okay, so has it really been a month since I've updated? Seriously? Probably because I've been spending all of my free time make loads of bows for the Etsy Shop, looking for knitting patterns on Ravelry, shopping for yarn everywhere, and actually knitting .... lots and lots of knitting.
Oh, and a little side note: I have lost 13 pounds on Weight Watchers. I started in January after Christmas. I battled post partum depression after both of my babies were born. However, with Caleb, it was waaaay worse. That first year, I felt that it was better for me, mentally, to concentrate on getting my sanity back before I even worried about loosing the 25 pounds of baby weight I still had lurking around. Now, thanks to some changes in my medication and the fact that I have two children that entertain each other even though they absolutely destroy the house, I am able to concentrate on my physical health as well as my mental well-being. I guess all of the knitting has helped me keep my hand out of the snack drawer, because my weight loss has been slow and steady, but satisfying. I have one more size to go and I'll be back to my pre-baby size, and I am planning to continue my weight loss with a healthy weight goal in mind.
I do have 4 UFO's on the needles right now, that I'll show you first.

Unless you know what you're looking at, this just looks like a big blob of knitting. However, this my friends is my current forever long heirloom lace shawl project. If you haven't read my post about my favorite heirloom quilt that my Grandmama made, you should. All of the hand-made quilts that have been passed down to me are absolute treasures. Anyway, this is the Queen Anne's Lace Shawl by MMario available for free on Ravelry. The yarn is Cascade Alpaca Lace in "Peony"

The above pic is my Easter Lily scarf for Easter Sunday. The pattern is Lily of the Valley Scarf from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in "Brisa"

This is an entrelac sock for my hubby. The pattern is Entrelac Socks by Eunny Jang available from the Interweave Online Store. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in Navy, which according to my husband is a very manly colorway.

Above is the beginning of a Wispy Cardi by Hannah Fettig. The yarn is Knit Picks Palette in Hyacinth. I am planning to do a mini one for Katie in this yarn:

I did knit and finish this Haruni Shawl (above) in less than two weeks. The yarn is Noro Kureyon Sock in colorway 40. Here is a detail pic of the edge:

Love this shawl! I have knitted this pattern before and it just always works up beautifully.

Next up? Something lovely out of these two skeins of Malabrigo Worsted yumminess I received in the mail last week from Eat Sleep Knit, my favorite place to buy Malabrigo.

The Crud Brings Productivity

2011-02-15T17:05:00.000-06:00

The crud that has been going around has reached our house! First, it started with my 15 month old, then my three year old, then my adorable husband, and now me. Needless to say, our Valentines day was pretty low key. My husband took me out to a nice dinner on Sunday night before the blahness hit, but last night our romantic evening consisted of snotty kids, a chicken casserole, and an early bedtime. Darling hubby and kids seem to be feeling much better today, me, however... that's a different story.
It's hard for me to sit still and rest normally, but when I'm sick, I have to make myself sit still. That's partly the reason I did take up knitting over six years ago. All of this resting and sitting still would not be happening without my knitting to keep my hands busy and generate the feeling of productivity.
Since I've been sofa bound for the last couple of days, I took the opportunity to finish up this little scarf. The pattern is Peacock Tail and Lace Scarf from Nancy Bush's incredible book Knitted Lace of Estonia. The yarn is Malabrigo Lace in the "Molly" colorway, and is available from Eat Sleep Knit. In the pics it looks more like a red, but in reality it is a rosy, bubble gum pink.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. I took these with my iPhone because it's easier to load them onto Facebook and then slurp from there for my blog. Blogger has issues with my computer for some reason.

I have also finished the first of these socks. The pattern is Eunice and is one of many totally cool patterns in Cookie A's Sock Innovation. The yarn is Cascade Heritage in "Green Opal"

Valentines Dress Top

2011-02-01T13:58:00.000-06:00

I've had this cut out and machine appliqued forever! I finally sewed it together this morning while my kids were watching Nick Jr and eating PBJ and fruit snacks. It is extremely quick and easy to put together since there are only four pieces to the pattern and no buttonholes to do. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby and the pattern is called Whimsical A Line Tunic from Whimsy Couture. The machine embroidery applique is available at Swak Embroidery and the curlz font was purchased at Embroitique.

You've Got Wings, Baby

2011-01-26T19:53:00.000-06:00

Last week I finally finished my first ever lace weight project. Let's just say I'm officially hooked! I think I've found my knitting niche. Of course, I also said that about socks, but after the intense sock knitting I did over the Christmas season I need a sock sabatical! I started this shawl a couple of days before Christmas right after I casted off the very last Christmas sock, and finished early last week. The pattern is called Winged Shawl and is printed in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2010. The yarn is Knit Picks Shadow in Basalt Heather.

And, finally, a little recipe that I promised to post for some of my facebook friends:

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

2 cups of rigatoni noodles cooked as directed on package
4 oz of cream cheese cubed and softened
1/2 onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
1/2 red or yellow pepper chopped
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken cooked and cut into large chunks or 1 large can of chunk chicken breast
2 heaping tbsp of pesto sauce
1/2 cup of mozarella cheese
Grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In microwave safe mixing bowl, place onion, zucchini, and pepper and microwave on high for 3 minutes to soften. After you remove from microwave, add garlic and mix with spoon. Stir in cream cheese until even distributed. Then stir in spaghetti sauce and pesto sauce. Add chicken. Place cooked pasta in greased casserole dish. Stir in chicken and veggie mixture. Top with mozarella and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite garlic bread. Makes about 8 servings.

Baby Girl Giftset

2011-01-11T13:33:00.000-06:00

Christmas kinda snuck up on me this year, so I have been absent from the blog but very very busy. Mostly doing knitting, but also a little sewing. I had a baby shower this past Saturday for my sweet friend, Erin Robbins and her baby girl, London Eliza Robbins. I did a little knitting, a little sewing, and a little bow making. Here's what I came up with:

Baby Surprise Jacket made with Elizabeth Zimmerman's classic pattern. The yarn is Berroco Comfort DK in Birthday Party.

Close up view of the Baby Surprise Jacket

Three inch boutique and 2 inch pinwheel bows from my Etsy shop.

Emboidered burp cloths. The pattern for these is free from You Can Make This and the fabric is available from Hancock's. The appliques and fonts for machine embroidery can be found at Swak Embroidery.

Paci clip with 2 inch pinwheel bow

Monogrammed blanket with blanket binding. Fabric available from Hancock's and font can be found at Embroitique. The pattern is my own.

Christmas Knot Dress

2010-12-15T13:15:00.000-06:00

I have finally got little miss Katie's Christmas knot dress done... just in time for the anticipated photo with Santa that I am planning early next week. For this dress, I used a combination of three different knot dress patterns. Basically, I just picked what I liked best from each one and it became this combination:

The fabric for most of the dress is Christmas Groove by Caleb Gray available from Fabric Shoppe on Etsy. The cute little print that makes up the apron is from the Colorful Christmas Collection for Riley Blake and is also available from Fabric Shoppe. It was the 1.00 fat quarter special the week I ordered the Caleb Gray fabric for this dress and for the knot overalls I did for my cousin's girls. Jodi at Fabric Shoppe always has a 1.00 fat quarter special with any purchase every week and it is always super cute. I did the monogram using the Storybook Alphabet from Bunnycup Embroidery which was a steal at only 5.00 for the whole set! I used a combination of knot dress patterns from Whimsy Couture, Little Lizard King, and Lori Lynn Designs.

I knitting news, check out this tiny sweater ornament I made for an ornament exchange I am going to tomorrow night. The pattern is the Mini Einstein Coat by Sally Melville and is published in her book, Warm Knits, Cool Gifts. The yarn is Plymouth Encore Worsted. Isn't is the cutest!

Christmas Cards

2010-12-07T14:09:00.000-06:00

I finally ordered our Christmas Cards! You can look at them here at Shutterfly.com Aren't the adorable?
Here are some of the pics I took of the kids Sunday afternoon at Cracker Barrel. We went out to brunch after attending early service at Highpoint Church and I snapped these pics with my iPhone on the way out. They turned out so cute that I am using them for my Christmas cards!

Sweet Baby Gifts

2010-12-03T18:34:00.000-06:00

I have spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks working on gifts. Tis the season!

Note: If your name is Bethany Davis, do not scroll down or your baby shower gift will be spoiled!

I spent yesterday and today on a gift for my precious friend, Bethany who is pregnant with her first baby. She and her husband, Louis are neighbors of ours as well as friends. They had a hard time getting pregnant, and when they finally announced it there was much rejoicing and celebration. We are so excited for them and for their sweet baby boy, Luke, who is due on Valentines Day; the same day I was due with Katie. Last Saturday, I hit up my local quilt fabric shop, Klassy Kats and found some super soft baby flannel in a beautiful aqua blue and a couple of really cute blue, green, and yellow polka print cottons to match. Bethany's mom informed me that she is doing greens and blues and I know she loves cute little owls, so I came up with this blanket and set of burp cloths. The burp cloths are from a free pattern I found on You Can Make This and I love them. I wish I had found this pattern when I was sewing things for Caleb because they fit very comfortably over your shoulder, yet give you a lot of coverage for spit ups and other various baby emissions.

I also knitted this little hat (sorry the pic is upside down but Blogger would not let me upload the right side up pic for some reason). The yarn is the same as what I'm planning for a Baby Surprise Jacket that I should be finishing up in time for little Luke to wear it home from the hospital.

Christmas Overalls

2010-11-30T18:02:00.001-06:00

Necessary computer maintenance, the big holiday weekend and the acquirement of a new iPhone have kept me away from the blog the last two weeks. I have been crafting and my big knitting projects for Christmas are complete, but I just have not had the time to take pictures of anything. My Dad fixed my computer so my embroidery software will work again, and after months of not having it, I feel like I have a new toy again!
Today, I did a lot of cutting and sewing and this afternoon I finished up two pairs of custom matching knot overalls for my cousin's girls. The fabric is from the Christmas Groove Collection by Caleb Gray and is available thru one of my favorite Etsy fabric stores, Fabric Shoppe. The pattern is the Knot Overalls from Whimsy Couture.

Sorry it's sideways. For some reason the "auto rotate" thing is not working

Toddler Girls A-line Peasant Tunic Tutorial

2010-11-16T11:30:00.000-06:00

I promised some friends a while back that I would post a tutorial for this little top. Yesterday, I took advantage of an early nap time for my one year old while my two year old was glued to Dora, and took the pics for this tutorial. I am sadly in need of a new camera, so bear with me if the pictures are not the best.

First, measure your little girl for neck elastic length

And, for sleeve length

Take a men's button up shirt, remove the pocket with your seam ripper and cut off the sleeves.

Cut the top of the shirt off just under the arm holes.

Fold in half

Take your favourite a-line jumper pattern and lay on top of your folded shirt. Give yourself a few more inches for the arm hole. As you can see, I used the A-line Dresses and Tops pattern from Carla C Dolly Designs and added about 3 inches to the arm hole.

Take your ruler or tape measure and find the straight line from the outside of the strap on the original pattern and mark it with a washable marker.

Starting at your marking, cut the armhole and neckline out as shown above.

Then cut out the a-line

Take the sleeves that you cut off. Remove the cuffs and cut into a rectangle.

Fold your rectangle out long-ways and measure for your sleeve. You will need to subtract the length of you armhole and then measure for sleeve length. My arm hole was about 7 inches long and I wanted a little bit shorter sleeve, so I went with a 5 inch sleeve length. I ended up cutting my sleeve pieces to measure 12 inches total.

Fold your sleeve pieces in half and line the open side up with the cut armhole on the shirt piece and cut out the armhole on the sleeve to match the one on the shirt. Do this for both sleeves.

With right sides facing, line up your armholes and pin as shown. Sew together and repeat with the other armhole.

This is what you should have.

Take your other shirt piece and pin and sew the armholes in the same way. With the shirt inside out, pin the front to the back along the sides of the shirt pieces and the sleeve pieces. Sew together all the way up the sides and the sleeves.

This is what it should look like.

At this point, if I have extra fabric on the arm pieces, I like to trim them down to even everything out. After trimming, overcast the neck line by going all the way around the edge with a zig zag stitch or serger if you are lucky enough to have one. It keeps the fabric from unravelling in the washing machine.

Hem the sleeves by folding the edge up about 1/2 inch and pressing. Then fold again to hide the cut edge inside of the seam and keep the sleeve from unravelling.

Sew around where you just pressed. According to the Sewing With Nancy lady, it's a lot easier to sew around a tube from the inside as shown above.

This is the hardest part so eat some chocolate and take a deep breath. Press about 1/2 to 1 inch all the way around the edge of the neckline. Don't worry if it is not perfect. This will be on the inside where no one will see it. Just make sure you will have enough folded down to make a big enough casing for the elastic.

Carefully, sew about 1/2 inch below the fold all the way around the edge leaving a 1 inch opening. Make sure you do not leave any other openings. If you have a couple of puckers, it will not matter because you will be gathering the neckline with the elastic. No one will notice ;)

Cut your elastic to desired measurement plus 1 inch. I measured about 15 inches for Katie's neck line and then added another inch so 16 inches. Pin a safety pin to the elastic and thread through the casing.

Once the elastic is pulled all the way through, I like to tie it off with a tight knot if I am using 1/4 inch elastic or anything smaller because it is very difficult to try to sew together. This is why I added an extra inch to the original measurement.

Pull your knotted elastic back into the casing and sew shut.

Trim off all of the little hanging threads and you have an a-line peasant tunic.

Very comfy for lounging around and for play time.

A Fall Dress Take Two, The Mini Version

2010-11-09T16:04:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago I scored a used American Girl Bitty Baby doll on Ebay for 11.59. Imagine my excitement! I had one of the original American Girl dolls when I was a little girl, and I have been happily anticipating the day when I could get one for my own daughter. We have been getting the catalogue in the mail for a while now, and for the past few months Katie has been turning to the page with Bitty Baby and staring. She says, "Oooooooh, Bibby Baby!" So, because of this, I figured it was time to get one. However, seeing the price of a brand new one made me wonder if Katie was ready to take care of something I spent that much money on. This sent me searching on Ebay for a used Bitty doll. After a couple of days, I found one with brown eyes and brown hair. Perfect for Katie! So, for the last few weeks, I have had this poor little naked baby doll sitting and staring at me in my sewing room. And, since I have never known Santa to bring naked dolls, I figured it was time for me to start working on a little wardrobe for her.

Do y'all remember this dress from a few weeks ago?

Well, today I came up with this little number to match it:

I used the small sized pattern for the Itty Bitty Baby Dress from Made By Rae and scraps from Katie's dress. Rae designed this pattern to fit a preemie or small newborn and it includes a little bit bigger size for a larger newborn. I had to shorten the skirt a little to fit Bitty, and since it is a dolly dress, I didn't go through the trouble of doing the piping and the bias tape. Instead, I just added a border to the bottom of the skirt. The link to the toddler size can be found here or in my Little Turkey Dress post.

I also whipped up a couple of diapers using felt and velcro. I'm hoping this will deter princess Katie from trying to use her brother's diapers on her baby.

Izzy and Ivy Giveaway!

2010-11-08T12:32:00.000-06:00

One of my very favorite pattern designers, Izzy and Ivy, is giving away some awesome bundle packs of adorable patterns. There are 12 chances to win, so scoot on over and enter!
Here are some pics of Izzy and Ivy's precious patterns:


I made this twirly little number last spring for Katie.


I mean, how cute is this?


This one is NEW!

Mommy and Me Jammies

2010-11-06T15:10:00.001-05:00

It's been totally crazy over here with my husband training for his new job while still working full time at the old one, a first birthday blow-out, and just the normal day to day with 2 toddlers that I am exhausted! Too exhausted, some days, to even feel like getting out of bed. So then, I end up schlepping around the house all day in my ugly, worn but super comfy jammies pants. Well, the other day a link to the Don't Get Out of Bed Pants tutorial from Ducky House popped up in my google reader from the Craft Gossip feed. (btw, if you don't subscribe to Craft Gossip, you totally should. It's amazing!) This led to a shopping trip to the Goodwill yesterday during Mothers Day Out for pretty vintage bed sheets, and some fast cutting and sewing right up to the time I picked up the kids. These pants are incredible! They are cute, soft, and comfy all at the same time. I love them so much, I decided to whip some matching ones up for Cupcake Katie.
I apologise in advance for the poor quality of the picture below. My husband is at the office today, so I had to make do with my sad self-portrait skills.

Katie and Me in our Mommy and Me Jammies. Her blue lips are courtesy of the bag of M&M's that I keep on hand for positive potty training reinforcement.

Reluctantly modelling the mini-me version

Her little booty is way cuter in hers than mine is in mine

I Found Tinkerbell and A Cardigan is Complete

2010-10-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

Friday afternoon, I found Tinkerbell flying through my front yard!

In crafty news, my Cardigan for Caleb is complete! I finished seaming it up yesterday afternoon after the big first birthday party. It still needs to be blocked, but I could not wait to show it to you. I used the pattern from Annypurls called A Cardigan for Merry. The yarn is Knit Picks Comfy Sport, and I used about 3.25 balls of each colorway in Cypress and Bison.

Little Tink Costume

2010-10-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

I have really missed blogging the last week! It's not for lack of desire, but for lack of time and energy to get anything sewn to show you. I have been knitting like crazy, but I do not have anything picture worthy. There is about 2 inches left on Caleb's birthday cardigan and then I can finish it and take some pics for you. I'm hoping to have it done by his birthday party on Saturday so I can wrap it up in this super cute choo choo train paper I found at Walmart today.
All of the sewing I have done this week has been Halloween related. Little Miss Katie was going to be Little Bo Peep and Caleb was going to be the sheep. Well, I got the fleece hoodie with ears made for his costume (pics soon to come), but before I could make Bo Peep Katie decided after a visit to Target that she wants to be Tinkerbell or "Tickle Tail" as she calls her. Therefore, I went shopping for some supplies, reached into my pattern collection and came up with this:

For the top I used cheap green satin (a pain to work with) and The Scientific Seamstress' pattern called Simply Sweet Tops and Dresses. The tutu is made with nine yards of tulle and I used the "Green Fairy" instructions from You Can Make This Fancy Filled Sewn Tutu. I originally filled it with spangles, but didn't like the look so I took it out. We have green wings that my mom found at Dollar Tree to finish the look.

I Actually Knit a Gauge Swatch... Two, Really

2010-10-20T16:45:00.002-05:00

What's this?

Gasp... it's two gauge swatches for this Sally Melville vest from her book Warm Knits Cool Gifts

Sally wore the vest version of the green colorway during the class I took a couple of weeks ago and I just knew I had to knit one. These pics from the book do not do it justice. It is so cute and made to be very flattering to the female form. I decided to go with a vest because I am very hot natured and with Memphis having a relatively short winter season, I figured I would get more wear out of a vest. This is my first fitted garment attempt for myself in years. I have done a cardigan and a vest and they both were miserable failures. However, after taking Sally's class, I have a new found confidence that I can make a garment that fits and is flattering to my feminine shape.

A Very Knitty Weekend

2010-10-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

Spent my weekend with my booty parked on the sofa knitting and listening to the Agatha Christie Radio Mysteries. I worked on Caleb's sweater and it is chugging right along. I should have it done in time for his birthday next Thursday. I only have one sleeve and the hood left. Here is a pic of the front.


Upside down, but you get the idea.

I also worked on a hat that I was commissioned to do for my friend Elissa. Her baby girl, Lydia, is the cutest little chubby thing and Elissa needed a red and cream stripe stocking hat for Lydia's Christmas pictures that are being made this week. When she asked if I would knit it for her, I jumped at the chance. I love doing cute little baby hats! I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Serrano and Cream. The pattern is Peppermint from Susan Anderson's book Itty Bitty Hats. Susan Anderson designs some of the cutest knits for babies and little kids. Her blog, Spud and Chloe, is adorable and has some great free patterns.

Mommy Made Friday on Saturday

2010-10-16T10:09:00.001-05:00

What mommy made thing is Katie wearing today? Her peasant top I whipped up on Thursday afternoon of course.

Keeping Ahead of the Blahs

2010-10-14T17:19:00.000-05:00

Not feeling too great today. It's probably due to the not-so-wonderful air quality we are experiencing here in the Memphis area. However, I did get off the couch and do a little sewing something to prevent the blahs from coming my way. I have been knitting a ton and should have Caleb's birthday cardigan to show you soon. Knitting, though it is my passion, unfortunately is not as quickly gratifying as sewing. So, when I feel a case of the blahs coming on, the best medicine is the whip something up. This little peasant top is made from a plaid shirt I found at the thrift store. I used a couple of different patterns as a guide, but really it was all me. I made the sleeves at a 3/4 length for both fall and spring and the length is more of a tunic length which I think is super cute with little bootcut jeans.

A World Captivated

2010-10-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

An amazing day that captivated a billion people across the globe...

Photos slurped from Herald Sun website.

My Hands are Occupied

2010-10-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, and you love to read but feel that you can't because you're hands are occupied with crafty projects, these links are great for free audiobooks.
Right now, as I currently work on Caleb's A Cardigan for Merry, I am listening to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on Craft Lit. (Perfect for Halloween time) Craft Lit is a podcast done by Heather, and English teacher, who has a very nice relaxing voice and a lot of knowledge about the work she is reading. She is a knitter and started doing her podcasting with knitters in mind. However, she is great to listen to when working on many different craft projects.
Another favourite site of mine is Librivox, which is a project geared toward publishing all of the books in the public domain in free audio format. Librivox is amazing! It has every genre including, but not limited to, literature, poetry, non-fiction, government documents, and religious texts. Most recordings are done in a group format, but there are several that have been done by individuals with incredibly expressive and clear reading voices.
I also enjoy Learn Out Loud, which publishes both free and not so free podcasts over many different genres from literature to history to politics. Right now, for the month of October, they are offering Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, for free download. I am planning this one next because, it too, is perfect for Halloween time.
If you are a fan of mysteries and old-time radio shows, I recommend Old Time Radio's recording of Agatha Christie's mysteries. I listened to all of the podcasts over the weekend, and they are wonderful!

Christmas Socks #2

2010-10-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

I just finished Christmas socks #2! Only a couple more pairs to go and I'll be done with my sock gifts. That will only leave a couple of smaller things like scarves, hats, arm warmers, and mittens. These socks are knit in Knit Picks Stroll Firecracker Heather. The pattern is called Rosebud Socks from Wendy Johnson's book Toe Up Socks for Everybody.

I attended the Sally Melville workshop this afternoon for the pattern drafting class and it was awesome! Sally is such a great instructor. I got to sit front and center with some of my knitting friends from the local guild and soak it all in. We had a great time. She is such a sweet lady and she loved the pumpkin bread I made for snack time. I know I'm a major dork, but I was totally star-struck!

Me posing with my signed copy of Warm Knits Cool Gifts

Upcycled Dresses plus a Tutorial

2010-10-07T19:57:00.003-05:00

Caleb took a long nap this morning, so I spent some time doing a couple of upcycled dresses for Katie. I have been having such a good time looking at all the pics for Celebrate Yellow on Made, that it seems the inspiration has leaked into my own creations. The dress below is my own design. Scroll down for a tutorial.


This plaid one was made using one of my husband's old shirts and I followed the tutorial on Made By Lex for the Shirt Jumper Dress. The shirt I used already had two pockets, so I removed them with a seam ripper and sewed them onto the skirt. Katie loves having a "pockee" like Daddy's.

Little Maxi Dress Tutorial

I know there are a million tutorials in the blogosphere on how to make these little dresses out of a tank top, but I thought I would show you my way.

For this dress, I used one of Katie's old tank tops from this past summer and a vintage pillowcase I found at the Salvation Army.


Measure how long you want the skirt of your dress from the open end of the pillowcase. I went with about 16 inches because I wanted a little longer dress that she can wear for a while.

Take your raw edge and set your sewing machine to the longest stitch and loosest tension for gathering. This is what it looks like on my machine.


Start about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the seam on the pillowcase and sew a straight stitch all the way around until you are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch away from the seam.


Measure how long you want the top of your dress and cut off the bottom.


Find the mid point on the back of the shirt by fold it in half. Mark the mid point.


Gently pull the thread on the top of the skirt to gather.

Turn the top inside out and place skirt inside with right sides facing.


Line up midpoint mark with pillowcase seam.


Pin really well all the way around, making sure gathers are even and edges are lined up evenly.


Sew together about 1/4 inch or less below the gathering stitch. Since I am not yet in possession of a serger, I like to go back over the edge with a zig-zag stitch to keep the fabric from unravelling in the washing machine.


This is what you now have. Kinda cute, but needs a little something. I decided to add a little sash to this. I'm all about a big bow on the back of a dress. Well, for the seven and under crowd anyway.


Take the remainder of your pillowcase and cut off the original pillowcase seam. Now, cut two 4 inch wide strips horizontally. Cut one strip in half width-wise. The easiest way for me to do this is to fold in half to find the mid-point, mark and cut. You now have one long strip and two short strips. Sew one short strip to each end of the long strip with right sides facing each other. This will allow for the sash to be long enough to tie a bow without having a seam right on the front of the dress.


Fold the long strip in half length-wise with right sides facing. Press with iron. Sew the long sides together. Turn right side out.


Turn the open ends in and press. Top stitch closed.


Pin sash to dress and top stitch evenly with the seam of the shirt to hold it in place on both sides.


Here is what you get!

It ended up being a little long on her, so I'm calling it the Little Maxi Dress. I'm planning to layer it this fall with a white long sleeved t-shirt.

Sally Mellville Love

2010-10-06T16:15:00.001-05:00

Knitwear designer and author, Sally Melville, will be in Memphis this weekend for a series of workshops and I'm taking one. I can't tell you how excited I am!!!!! Yay!!! Anyway, so I headed out to Barnes and Noble this morning while the kids were at Mothers Day Out to pick up a copy of her new book, Warm Knits Cool Gifts, and I can't wait to have it signed on Saturday. This book is perfect for holiday knitting. It has a little something for everyone on your list and includes projects from easy to experienced and quick afternoon knits to long-term commitment knits. This book has it all.

Warm and Snuggly Vest

2010-10-05T17:40:00.000-05:00

Yay, another finished boy project! It turns out I can make clothes for boys. Anyway, this is from Dear My Kids and the pattern is called The Warm Hoodie Vest. Since it is for Caleb, I made it out of a cute flannel printed with cars and trucks that I found at Hancocks and lined it with super soft fleece from Joanne. I also left off the bow tie and added a button to make it a little more masculine.

In knitting news, I am busy working on about 3 different projects. I should hopefully have a pair of socks done to show you soon.

Little Turkey Dress

2010-10-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

Despite housework, potty training, and just general kid craziness, I actually got some sewing done today. This little dress only took me about an hour from cut out to finish. The fabric I found at Hancocks and the pattern is the toddler sized Itty Bitty Dress from Made by Rae. And, in case you haven't heard, it's free!!! The original Itty Bitty Dress is sized for like a preemie to newborn. Perfect size for the Bitty Baby doll that Santa will be leaving for Katie, complete with wardrobe sewn by Mrs. Claus.

Sick Day

2010-10-03T11:57:00.003-05:00

The fall weather is here and I love it, but with the fall weather comes yucky sinus stuff. Katie was sick this last week, but now it's my turn. Lou took the kids to church this morning to allow me to get some rest. So, I'm here on the sofa cuddled up in my jammies pants, my Monkey Socks, and one of my Grandmama's quilts knitting and listening to our pastor Chris Conlee of Highpoint Church teach the last sermon of the amazing Love Works series. If you are looking for a church, you are welcome at Highpoint. We are a perfect place for imperfect people.
I wanted to show you a pic of my quilt that I am cuddled up with. My Grandmama McCaleb made it many years ago. Since she lived out of town, I didn't know her very well. She moved in with my aunt, who used to baby sit me, when I was about seven but by then she was sick and not quite herself. She passed away when I was eight. One of the legacies she left me was her craftiness. I feel so blessed to have inherited my creativity gene from both sides of my family. She was an amazing quilter and I love the fact that I have one of her's in my collection. This quilt is my absolute favorite. It is blue and has doves with olive branches appliqued onto the blocks. It is cozy and soft after many years of wear.

I can't tell you how much it means to me to have a hand made heirloom. My hope is that someday when my granddaughter is my age, she will be able to wrap up in one of my hand knitted shawls and think of my legacy to her.

Wedding Shower Munchies

2010-10-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

Later this afternoon, our friends Jenny and Kelley are hosting a co-ed wedding shower for a couple in our church who had a small ceremony a couple of months ago. The plan is to grill out some burgers and hotdogs and just hang out and let the kids play. I love parties and I really love cooking for parties, so when Jenny asked me to help with the food I jumped. Today, I am taking my mom's Pasta Potato Salad and white cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

Pasta Potato Salad

3 pounds of red potatoes

1 box of salad rotini pasta

1 red pepper chopped

4 green onions coarsely chopped

Mayonnaise

Ranch Dressing

1 pack of microwave bacon

Salt and Pepper

Cut up potatoes and boil on stove until tender. Meanwhile, cook pasta on stove as directed on box. Drain both and run under cold water to cool. In large bowl, place pasta, potatoes, red pepper, and onion. Mix in mayo and dressing to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, heat up bacon in microwave. Crumble and sprinkle over salad.

Plain White Cupcakes

(Recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook)

1 box white cake mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cups in muffin pans. In a large bowl mix all ingredients together. Place in cups to about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream

1 stick of butter at room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

4 tbsp vanilla flavored coffee creamer

2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar, creamer, and vanilla extract. Beat until frosting is well blended.

Mommy Made Friday

2010-10-01T21:30:00.001-05:00

What Mommy-made items are my child(ren) wearing today?

The pattern is A-Line Tunic from Whimsy Couture and the fabric is from Hobby Lobby. The hair bow is also made by me and is called the Itty Bitty Pinwheel bow and is available in my Etsy Shop.

A Fall Dress

2010-09-30T20:50:00.001-05:00

I have had this pattern for several months, and every time I would go to cut it out it just wouldn't happen. I guess I was just waiting on the right fabric. Early this summer, I was roaming around Hancocks on one of my excursions without the kids and found the Pimatex on sale, 30% off. When I saw these green and brown prints, I knew they were perfect for this little dress and even more perfect for fall. Yes, I was longingly looking forward to fall during the scorching heat of the Memphis summer. This Sunday, we are suppose to experience our first real autumn weather, and I think this will be perfect over a sweet little long sleeve shirt for church. So, here it is, my fall dress for Katie (minus the button). The pattern is The Valentina Dress from Made by Lex.

A Quick One

2010-09-29T14:22:00.000-05:00

Not a lot of time to post because I have to run and get kids. We had a restless night and were up very very early, so I've spent most of my me-time today laying around and working on my knitting and catching up on One Tree Hill. But, I did get a chance to start turning this:

...In to my version of this:

The pattern is The Valentina dress from Made By Lex and the fabric Robert Kaufman Pimatex found on sale at Hancocks early this summer. Hopefully, it will be done tomorrow!

A Break

2010-09-28T10:11:00.001-05:00

I missed posting yesterday because I didn't really have anything crafty to post. I am so worn out with doing KCWC and potty training boot camp in the same week that I took the last couple of days off from sewing. However, I could not not do something crafty so I made a bunch of bows and posted them in my Etsy Shop . I am planning on getting my sewing back on this afternoon since my next door neighbour, Ms Sandy, is coming over to sew with me. Then, I am off to my local Knitting Guild meeting for this month. If you are in the Memphis area, come by the Poplar White Station library for our meeting at 6:30. Bring your knitting and come hang out with us. Tonight, we will be having a presentation on toe-up socks. So, if you want to learn how to construct a sock from the toe-up, come on out and join us!
In the meantime, here is some tutorial link love:

Made: The Circle Skirt

Our Daily Obsession: Tank Top Toddler Dress

12 Crafts Til Christmas: Baby Doll Accessories

Prudent Baby: Fat Quarter Apron

Happy sewing Ladies! Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with some completed projects of my own.

New in the Shop

2010-09-26T21:48:00.001-05:00

Holiday bows are now available in my Etsy shop. I have also added Itty Bitty 2 inch pinwheel bows and medium sized 3 inch pinwheel bows. See shop for details!

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Day Seven

2010-09-25T21:06:00.001-05:00

Potty training is majorly under way at my house, and with my little potty camper, it feels like I am chained to the bathroom. I swear, she would spend all day in there! Anyway, between hanging out in the bathroom with her and cleaning up accidents (with a little help from my awesome husband), I did manage to get this little jacket sewn. The pattern is The Girly Cardigan from Heidi and Finn. I did tweak mine a little. First of all, the original instructions say to line it. Well, I am kind of a sewing rebel and with this potty thing going on, who has time to sew in lining? So, I left it out. Second, I inserted the ties differently and made mine more of a wrap cardi instead of tying at the front. I just really like that look, so that's what I did. I also did the ruffling as I sewed it on by folding it under a little every inch or two. Katie loves it. She wore it around all afternoon. I hate that I was too busy to get a pic of her in it b/c it looks adorable on her.

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Day Six

2010-09-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

Katie went to mother's day out this morning, so it was Caleb and mommy day. However, at least an hour was spent running errands and he only napped for about an hour before we had to pick her up, so I didn't have much time to work on my KCWC stuff. I did get a second coat on this little t-shirt I stencilled for Caleb to match Katie's Halloween top. I used fabric paint and a shirt I found on clearance at Target.

Look how cheap this was!

I also spent a little while watching this week's One Tree Hill online and making these little hair bows for a custom order to go out tomorrow. These are part of my 3.5 inch value pack - 5 for 12.00 You choose colors.

Hopefully, if I have some time this afternoon, I'll get this cut out

... to make this...

from Dear My Kids. I'm planning it for Caleb, so I will be leaving off the ruffly pocket and using a button instead of the bow closure. I also plan to make it reversible.

I'm also planning to turn this

...into this..

from Heidi and Finn. I love their patterns and I think the leopard is going to be super cute as a ruffly cardigan.

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Day Five

2010-09-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

I bought this fabric at Hancock's last month with this exact little top in mind. I love little holiday themed clothes on little kids, and I love shopping for the fabric for the holiday clothes. When I saw this, I thought it was super cute. The owls dressed up as bats... Love it! The pattern is The Twirl Top from Growing Up with Rosie. I did not have enough fabric to do the ruffle around the bottom like in the original tutorial, so I ended up doing a border instead. Plus, a ruffle would have taken longer and since my two-year-old, who did not take a nap at all today, is potty training and my 11 month old only slept for about 45 minutes total, I did not have much time for sewing anyway.

I'm exhausted and headed to bed soon. See y'all tomorrow!

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Day Four

2010-09-22T16:34:00.001-05:00

Today, I spent more time hitting up the Hancocks sale and shopping for fabric than actually sewing, but I did manage to get Caleb's fleece hoodie sewn before I picked the kids up from Mother's Day Out. The pattern is All the Rage Raglans by The Scientific Seamstress. The applique template is the Cute Critters Applique Design by Precious Patterns. The fabric is remnants from other projects.

See ya tomorrow!

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Day Three and Sewing Pattern Sale

2010-09-21T17:39:00.001-05:00

Today is day 3 of the Kids Clothes Week Challenge and since my children are still napping and my chicken n dumplins are going in the crock pot, I decided to take a quick break to blog about it. Today, I worked on the cardigan I am knitting for Caleb, sewed a pair of ruffle pants for Katie, and cut out a fleece hoodie for Caleb.

The pants are made using Hobby Lobby fabric and the pattern is Boutique Bottoms from Sew Sensible. Can I just say I LOVE this pattern! It is extremely easy and can be done so fast. I had these babies busted out in about 30 minutes with super cute results.

I made them to go with this top that I did last summer. It was a little big then, but will be perfect over these really cute long sleeve white t-shirts I found at Old Navy. They are basic T's, but they have little feminine details like gathering on the sleeve. The top is also made from Hobby Lobby fabric and the pattern is Faith Double Layer Dress Top also from Sew Sensible.

Here is the progress on Caleb's cardi:

While I was reading through my Dashboard blog list, I came upon this post over at The Sewing Dork. She is giving away a super cute size 2T swing jacket made from the pattern by Dear My Kids. Dear My Kids has also teamed up with the Sewing Dork to offer patterns buy one, get one free. Well, of course I can't resist a good sale, so I popped over to the Etsy shop and bought 2 patterns and got 2 free! I need some good fall patterns that I can use for either a boy or a girl, and here is what I got. Head on over to the Sewing Dork for details!

For the vest, I will probably leave off the pocket and do a button or two for Caleb instead of the bow.

This coat will probably be made in corduroy- pink for Katie, navy for Caleb.

Got this one because ruffle pants on Caleb would be just wrong

And, lastly, this one is for Katie. I have a similar pattern I bought at Hancocks, but she's outgrown it and I love this look.

Tomorrow the plan is to whip up one of these hoodies in fleece. See ya tomorrow!

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge Days One and Two

2010-09-20T20:45:00.001-05:00

Some of you know I signed up for the Kid's Clothes Week Challenge over at Elsie Marley, and this is my project for yesterday and today. The pattern is The Summer Wonderland Dress from Mani Mina and the fabric is from Hobby Lobby. I know this is suppose to be a week of sewing fall clothes, but since it is still 100 degrees here in Memphis and I have had this dress cut out forever, I figured today was the perfect day to sew it. I did have Katie model it over a long sleeved white t-shirt to give it a kind of autumn jumper look ;)

I am not leaving Caleb out this week. For my knitting project, I am working on A Cardigan for Merry from anny purls. I mean, how cute it this?

Mine is going to be in a darker green, super soft, cotton yarn.

Not sure if it counts, but I also made some turkey hairbows to match the turkey jumper that I am hoping to get cut out and sewn this week. We'll see...

As Requested

2010-09-20T14:35:00.001-05:00

Many of you know how I love a good recipe, and some of you may know that I love love love fall. However, many of you may not know my appreciation for the awesomeness of breakfast food. Here is a recipe that combines all three. So, without further ado and as requested from several facebook friends, my recipe for Pumpkin Waffles.

You will need your baking mix of choice (Bisquick, Pioneer, etc) and the ingredients as directed on the box for waffles.
Extras:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 can of pureed pumpkin

Measure out your dry mix as instructed on the box. After you have done that, stir in the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Then add your wet ingredients as instructed on the box. After the batter is mixed together, add the whole can of pumpkin. Heat up your waffle iron and cook as directed by the manufacturer. Top with your topping of choice. I just like plain old butter and maple syrup, but I'm sure whipped cream and pecans would be awesome on these too.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars

2010-09-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Check this out....

Yuuummmmm....

After many requests I am posting Paula Deen's recipe for Chocolate Chip Blond Brownies. I whipped these little goodies up yesterday as brain food for my husband who sat for the state insurance licensing exam this morning. Apparently, they worked because he passed with flying colors.

3/4 cup butter

2 cups of firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips

6 squares of semi sweet baking chocolate

Melt butter in microwave in 30 second increments. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Stir in eggs until blended. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Then add vanilla extract. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased 13x9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. If using glass pan, bake at 325 degrees to prevent burning. Cool completely. Follow directions for melting chocolate in the microwave on the box. When melted, spread in a thin layer over brownies. Allow chocolate to harden before cutting.

More of Paula's recipes can be found at her website and at Food Network.

2010-09-12T22:10:00.000-05:00

I already have plans for next week. What am I doing? Head on over to the Elsie Marley blog for details on her Kid's Clothes Week Challenge starting September 20. For those of you who know me, you know this will be pretty easy for me to do. Got several things to sew for Katie and a cardi planned for Caleb. Let's fire up the sewing machine and get those needles in position and ready to go!

Lace

2010-09-11T20:23:00.001-05:00

The majority of my knitting time is usually spent knitting socks designed by the likes of Cookie A, Wendy Johnson, and Nancy Bush. Lately, though, I have been obsessed with lace... shawls mostly but it seems to be sneaking it's way into my sock pattern choices too.

Traveling Woman Shawl designed by Liz Abinante and knit in Knit Picks Imagination Sock yarn in Seven Dwarfs

Woodland Shawl designed by The Thrifty Knitter and knit in Knit Picks Gloss Sock yarn in Kenai

Haruni Shawl designed by Emily Ross and available from Knit Picks knit in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Gypsy and Risata Sock Spicy (discontinued)

And, as you can see, it's sneaking into my sock knitting. Rosebud Socks by Wendy Johnson in her book Toe Up Socks for Every Body. Yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in Firecracker Heather. (I love love love Knit Picks. Can't you tell?)

Girly Stuff

2010-08-27T15:52:00.000-05:00

It's been over a month since my last post. We have been so busy with summer stuff and are now happy to be back into our Mothers Day Out routine. Katie is still going on Wednesdays and Fridays and Caleb is old enough to go too! He is only going on Wednesdays, however, he is the calm and easy baby so it's nice to have time just us. Meanwhile, here are some pics of a few things I have just finished up for custom order.

These pants were made using the Boutique Bottoms pattern from Sew Sensible. The t-shirt is just a plain white shirt from Target and the bird applique template is from Precious Patterns. Both are available on You Can Make This. Fabric is available from Down Shadow Lane.

Close up of the t-shirt

Knot dress and Ruffle pants made out of Amy Butler's Midwest Modern fabric. I also used Sew Sensible's Boutique Bottoms fabric, and the dress is from Little Lizard King available on Etsy.

Knot Dress close-up

I love giant ric-rac!

If you are interested in custom ordering any of these items, please contact me on facebook.

Little Lizzie dress

2010-07-16T22:51:00.001-05:00

Whipped up this little dress and pinafore yesterday. To me, it looks like something my favorite heroine, Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, would have worn when she was a little girl. The dress is made with a white swiss dot cotton using "Portrait Peasant Tops and Dresses" from the Scientific Seamstress and the pinafore is made from a printed eyelet found on clearance at Hancocks. I used Jack and Jill Designs' "Apron Jumper" pattern.

2 Days, 2 Dresses and a Cute Little Outfit

2010-07-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

I've been sewing like crazy over the last couple of days. I guess I'm finally getting caught up after being laid up for a couple of weeks. Here's some pics of what I've been working on.

This pink dress was made from a Gap shirt found at the thrift store and loosely based on Disney's tutorial from Ruffles and Stuff

This little skirt and top are made from Amy Butler's Daisy Chain fabric. For the top I used "Portrait Peasant Tops and Dresses" pattern from the Scientific Seamstress. The skirt is my own design.

I love this jumper. It's reversible and I'm all about reversible clothes. I used fabric found at Hobby Lobby and the "A-line Tops and Dresses" pattern from the Scientific Seamstress.

Oh, say, can you see our outfits?

2010-07-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of the fourth of July outfits I made for the kids. They are both from fabric I found at Hobby Lobby. Caleb's short-alls are made using Baby Kay's Boy's Romper Pattern and Katie's dress is made using Mani Mina's Little Mademoiselle dress pattern. I sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago and had to take it easy for several days. I was sewing these things up until July 3rd.

Chicken Biscuit Casserole and Three Pretty Sweet Giveaways

2010-07-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of requests this evening for my chicken and biscuit casserole recipe since posting on Facebook that I was making it for dinner. It's very yummy and perfect for an easy, one dish, comfort food kind of supper.

1 large can of chicken breast drained
1can cream of chicken soup
1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies that you can steam in bag
1 celery stalk chopped
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 can of sweet whole kernel corn
Prepared biscuit mix such as Bisquick
Shredded cheddar

Grease 2-3 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In dish, stir together everything except biscuits and cheddar. Once together, spoon prepared biscuit mix on top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake covered in 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until biscuits are done and casserole is bubbling. Feeds about 4-5 people. We all ate it, even Caleb and it was gone!

Now, on to these pretty sweet giveaways I've found today. First up is Ashley from Lil Blue Boo who is giving away 5 copies of her new, super cute twirly skirt pattern (photo below.) Head on over to her blog for details.

Next is V and Company who is teaming up with Fat Quarter Shop to give away a really beautiful quilt kit (photo below) worth over 100.00! Head over to V and Company for details.

Last but definitely not least is Mique at 30 Days who is giving away a set of cute little flower hair clippies from Little Lisew. You can enter at 30 Days.

In my own crafty news, I spent a lot of this past weekend making hair bows for an upcoming craft fair I'm planning to do in October. I am also doing some cute little dresses with vintage pillowcases and button up shirts. My knitting WIPs are keeping me pretty busy as well. Working on the Haruni Shawl in a beautiful bright red, the Woodland Shawl in a gorgeous dark teal wool/ silk blend and Wendy Knits bavarian cable socks in a pretty grey and brown tweed for my dad.

Etsy Reopen and Fabric Shoppe Giveaway

2010-07-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

My Etsy shop has been reopen (Yay!!!), however, right now all I pretty much have time for is basic custom hair bows and some special holiday ones and korkers coming very soon. I offer all sizes starting with packs of 2 in two inch and three inch as well as single packs of 3.5 inch and 5 inch fuller bows. I also have value packs and "grow with me" packs, which feature bows of the same colour in different sizes. All of my bows are made with high quality grosgrain ribbon and sealed with Fray check on the ends. You can choose either an alligator clip or a pony-o. Your bow can also be put on a wrapped headband for a small additional fee.

It's give away time at one of my favourite etsy stores, Fabric Shoppe. Right now she has 5 different scrap bundles of super cute fabric up for grabs. Head on over to Jody's blog Everyday Beautiful for details.

Here are some pics of what I'm offering in the My Little Cupcake etsy store:

Available Colors:

Chocolate Custardy Goodness

2010-06-08T22:54:00.002-05:00

After posting about my toll house pie in my facebook status today, I received a couple of requests for the recipe. This pie is rich, gooey, and chocolaty. It has the perfect combination of sweet, rich custard, complimented by the slightly salty flavor of the crust and the bittersweetness of the chocolate chips. You can make your own pie crust, or you can do what I do and used a pillsbury crust. I like making my own, but with all of the sewing and knitting I have to do, who has time?

Toll House Pie a la Kristin

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbsp dark karo syrup

1 stick melted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of semisweet chips

1/2- 1 cup chopped nuts if desired

1 unbaked pie crust

Beat eggs until bubbly and foamy. Mix in flour, sugar, butter, karo syrup, and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Poke holes in pie crust with a fork. Fill pie crust with filling. Bake in 325 degree oven (for glass pie plate; 350 for metal) for 1 hour. Cool completely and top with whipped topping.

Note: If you do not have Karo syrup, you can do 3/4 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup of brown sugar instead.

Big white shirt, Little white dress

2010-06-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I was looking around on Ruffles and Stuff and I found a tutorial for the cutest Daddy shirt to little girl dress conversion. I love the shirring and the ties on the shoulders. Perfect whimsical touches to give a plain shirt a feminine touch. So today, during nap time, I decided to give it a try myself. Not quite sure if I am done with it. Thinking about adding a sash and/or a flower. Also, my shirring was not exactly perfect. However, I don't think it's that noticeable. Hopefully, I will get my pictures of my Monkey socks posted soon. My camera seems to eat batteries, and is in need of a good meal after my trip out of town this past weekend.

Monkeys are complete

2010-05-24T23:56:00.001-05:00

They're done! And, they are so cute! My Monkey Socks are done and on the blockers right now- just in time for the Memphis Area Knitting Guild meeting tomorrow night. Pics soon to come.
In other crafting news, well, not much sewing going on here still. I am still having some difficulty finding the time and energy to do it. However, I did set little miss down with some pretty paper and glitter glue today and let her go at it while little mister was napping. Maybe that will be the key to getting back to my sewing. In the mean time, enjoy these lovely pics from etsy.

Wool and Mohair blend sock yarn in Western Bluff from Yarn or a Tale

Superwash Merino in Funhouse from Tristabelle

Below is Superwash Merino sock yarn in Kermit's Revenge from Wild Fire Dreams. I'm loving all of the bright greens this spring!

Where's Kristin?

2010-05-07T13:54:00.001-05:00

Here I am! I have been so busy lately with Mr. Caleb, who is rolling all over the living room and attempting to get into everything, and little Miss Cupcake Katie, who is just as feisty now that we are in the throws of the terrible twos. Sewing has kind of been put on the back burner in favor of knitting. It's not for lack of cut out projects (I currently have 4 little dresses ready to go), it's due to the need for stress relief and a kind of retreat. By the time nap time rolls around or I put the kids to bed for the night, I am anxious for some relaxation, so knitting has really been my creative outlet lately. I have heard that the first 6 weeks after giving birth is all about survival, but I believe that with the second baby, especially if they are as close as mine, it is more like the first 6 months or so. We are just now into a regular routine and enjoying the benefits of a full nights sleep and two children who sleep until 7 am. It took Caleb a lot longer than Katie, but I think he finally has the hang of it.
Here are some pics of my latest projects and of the kids:

Cookie A's Monkey sock pattern free from Knitty.com knitted in Variegated Vintage from Yarntini

Lou's diamond socks in Elann's Sock It to me 4 ply. Pattern from Wendy Johnson's book "Socks From the Toe Up."

Baby socks for my friend Jenny's baby girl, Sydney, who was born last week. Pattern is Better Than Booties baby socks in Knit Picks Imagination sock yarn

Burp cloth and applique bib I did for Jenny and baby Sydney

I finished my heart socks from the last post. Yay!

He loves the remote, even now. What a little man!

Typical day at the Geater house - very beautiful!

Katie "helping" Caleb play. Sunglasses are always a must. Thank goodness Target has them in the 1.00 section!

I heart Socks

2010-04-13T11:22:00.001-05:00

The socks I'm working on from the book Knitting Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson are almost 1/2 way done! I was a little bit skeptical about toe-ups, just because I have never successfully completed a pair. However, this book is amazing for walking you through the process. I am calling them my Elizabeth Bennet socks because they remind me of her for some reason. Plus, she is my favourite Jane Austen heroin. I'm planning a manly version from another pattern from this book to make the complimentary Mr. Darcy socks for my husband. I borrowed the book from my sweet friend, Christy, but I am planning on purchasing my own copy as soon as I can get a few $$ together. Wendy's blog Wendy Knits is packed full of technical info, free patterns, and funny little tidbits about her daily life. She is the guru of the toe-up socks!

MIA

2010-03-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

Been MIA lately. Mostly due to a computer virus, which required the total wiping of my entire hard-drive to get rid of and a couple of cold viruses, which required lots of Mommy TLC to get rid of. Here are a few pics of what I have been doing. Mostly socks socks and more socks.

Modeling the Valentine Jumper at her birthday party

More of the jumper

Home-made baby food. Squash is a huge hit!

As well as avocado

Sock yarn stash. Mom calls it the yarn tower

Socks for me

I am just loving these colors!

Lace socks for the Sock Down knit along on Ravelry

Baby socks. I have 2 showers in the next 3 weeks. These are using the Better Than Booties baby socks pattern from Interweave Knits.

Whirlpool Beret from Knit Picks.

It's all about the legs

2010-02-08T21:16:00.001-06:00

I love little chubby baby legs! Who doesn't? My lovely friend, Kendall, is crazy about these things called Baby Legs aka baby leg warmers. She uses them for her baby girl, Olive, and when I was pregnant with Caleb she told me about them. Luckily, I received some at my baby shower from my other lovely friend, Jana. I was hooked from first use! So, I went online and found that they are 10.00 a pair on sale, which for me is crazy! I don't even spend 10.00 for my own socks. Not even 5.00 a pair. I got to looking at them and I just knew I could make them and that there had to be a tutorial for them somewhere out there in the blogosphere. Sure enough, I found a tute here at Everything Your Mama Made using knee socks. I drove to my favorite store, Target, and picked up six pairs of knee socks for about 14.00. That's a little over 2.00 and something per pair. I was thrilled!

Here are the finished ones:

I just love the diamond ones. They are my fave!

Here is my little chunky monkey wearing them:

They make diaper changing a lot easier!

As you have seen in some of my previous posts, I have started sock knitting again. I am building my stash of sock yarn back up, and I've also been thinking of ways to use up some that I have been staring at for quite a while. I was reading on Knitting Like Crazy's blog about doing a different pair of socks every month. What a great idea! I am currently working on a pair of men's socks from Knitting Vintage Socks for my dad. They were suppose to be for his birthday, but I am way behind on them. Having two little babies and a lot of projects going leaves not a lot of time for knitting. I have made these my February socks, and some knitting during nap time and after they go to bed should have me finishing them before the end of this month. Here is the WIP so far:

Here is a pic of Katie's Valentines jumper. It's reversible. She wore this side to Mothers Day out on Friday:

As you can see, she was so happy to model for me.

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplins

2010-02-01T20:56:00.001-06:00

I LOVE chicken and dumplins, so today I decided I would use the left-over roast chicken from last night and make some. However, it does require a lot of standing over the stove time during cooking, which is not very convenient for me because my babies are waking up from naps around 5 pm. That leaves me tied up changing diapers, filling sippy cups, bottle feeding, etc. I thought about it, and came up with an easy and very very yummy way to make chicken and dumplins in the crock pot. If you do not have a leftover roast chicken, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store deli. This recipe makes about 4-5 servings, but you will probably want to double it if you are going to be serving four or more. It's one of those things that you have to have seconds of!

Chop up 1/2 onion and 2 stalks of celery. Place in crock pot with some baby carrots. Add leftover chicken (I just pull it apart and throw it in). Pour in one 32 oz. carton of chicken broth. Cook on Low setting for 5 hours.
Make dumplins. I use Pioneer mix. It tastes the best. Bisquick is good too. Mix 2 cups of mix with about a teaspoon or two of poultry seasoning. Stir in 2/3 cup of milk. Scoop out by the spoonful and roll around in all purpose flour. Place in crockpot with chicken and veggies. Cook on high for an additional 30-40 minutes until dumplins are fluffy and slightly firm.

These were the best I have ever made, and my husband loves them! We have both had a cold for the past few days, so this was very comforting.

My Review of Playtex 2 Pack Latex Ortho Pro Pacifier - Newborn

2010-01-27T22:49:00.001-06:00

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

Ortho Pro pacifiers were designed by dentists not only to soothe your baby, but also to allow for proper oral development. The ultra-thin, wavy stem easily fits between a baby's gums and teeth. The unique, contoured nipple reduces pressure on gums and developing teeth and rests naturally on the...

Great

By Kristin from Memphis on 1/27/2010

Pros: Cute, Colorful, Durable, Comforting, Convenient

Best Uses: Bedtime, Pacifying

Describe Yourself: Medical Professional, Parent of Two or More Children

We love this paci! My son was a green pacifier only baby as a newborn. However, a few weeks ago, he stopped taking the newborn paci but was acting like he still wanted a pacifier. I tried several different ones, and this is the only one he will take. It stays in well, since it is lightweight and the colors are super cute.

(legalese)

I Won!

2010-01-27T16:33:00.000-06:00

Last week, I entered the giveaway on Craft Gossip to win The Amy Butler Velma bag pattern, and I won! I am so excited! And, she mentioned my blog and my Etsy store. Yay!!!

I get to make this super cute bag!

Making a knitting chart

2010-01-25T08:42:00.001-06:00

I have made my share of color work and stitch work knitting charts on graph paper with color pencils. However, this morning I saw this tutorial from chemknits on how to make a knitting chart in Excel. Pretty cool!

Winding Yarn

2010-01-24T21:18:00.001-06:00

It's good to know that I'm not the only one who winds hanks of beautiful yarn by hand. It almost gives me a sense of connection with my project. It makes actually starting it even better by building up anticipation. On her blog A Friend to Knit With, this girl has described a great way to wind your yarn by hand and multi-task by putting the hank around your neck and sticking the ball in your pocket! I am so doing this next time. I do have a couple of hanks of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock that I have been staring at for almost 2 years now. Although I do enjoy the beauty of unwound hand died yarn (I'm the same way with new fabric), it does seem like it's time to put them to good use on my feet. Plus, that gives me space for more beautiful yarn to enjoy. Here's some pics from Etsy:

Beautiful pink and purple from qtrhorse

Loving these colors! from Knitting like crazy

I love how this kind of looks like pink lemonade. From Sqwish (isn't that the perfect name for a yarn shop?)

Knitting Again

2010-01-22T11:32:00.000-06:00

So excited to be knitting again after a long bout with pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. I am back to knitting socks, which are my fave to work on. I don't know why I love knitting socks so much. Maybe its because it's the portability, or the yarn, or the coziness of it. Or, maybe its because even when it's 100 degrees in the Memphis summer time, I can still knit socks and not be covered up and sweating under a heavy project. In any sense, sock knitting makes me feel relaxed by giving me something to do while sitting still, which is a difficult thing for me.

Being the thrifty wife and mother I am, and due to our current recession, I went in search of places to find free patterns and great deals on yarn. I consulted one of my dear knitting friends and she suggested Knitting Pattern Central. If you are a knitter and you've never visited that site, go now. I found an amazing selection of wonderful sock knitting patterns for free! I spent about an hour downloading and saving all of the PDF patterns. I plan on working these 2 in the near future:

Air Raid Socks

Tidal Wave Socks

I was also suggested a great site KnitPicks where I found sock yarn for as little as 4.00 a ball. And, I snagged this listing of Brown Sheep Sock yarn for super cheap on Etsy.

Two of my favorite sock books that I own are Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch and Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. The first one is a must for every sock knitter because it basicly teaches you how to design your own socks to fit your foot and your style. I have used it for many of my projects. The second one beautifully reproduces patterns from the 1800's to fit today's yarns and styles. When I knit from this book, I feel a strong connection to my grandmother knitters.

Ruffles

2010-01-16T15:19:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I love ruffles! I just love how feminine they are and how they make me feel so pretty and girlie. Yesterday, I was reading through the Dashboard and found this tutorial from Tea Rose Home for a gorgeous ruffled shirt made from bargain T-shirts. Can't wait to make!

Babylicious

2010-01-15T15:34:00.001-06:00

Yesterday during naps (I have gotten both babies on a very similar nap schedule. Yay!), I did some baby themed stuff. First off, I made baby applesauce like Dianne Keaton in "Baby Boom" and second, I finished Caleb's new diaper bag. He needed a new one badly, especially since I was using his sister's old green one that had had so much stuff crammed into it that it was about to fall apart. Plus, I was ready to show off my sewing skills with a cute bag made the way I want it and with the fabric I want. I used Patty Young's Mezzanine Fabric and The Avilo Tote pattern in extra large size. I used the bag for the first time today for a quick trip out, and I am in love. I was able to fit all of my baby essentials, plus diapers, snacks, crayons, and books for my toddler. I am seriously considering making another one for my little girl to take to mothers' day out and a slightly smaller one for myself for knitting, books, etc.
Next month, Caleb turns 4 months, and I (along with our pediatrician) am a firm believer in starting solids as soon as possible. I tried it with Katie, and she seemed to be a lot happier and satisfied. I also think that it is not necessary to start baby out on rice cereal. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but I like doing first fruits and veggies better. With Katie, I started with rice cereal and applesauce. It tasted better and she seemed to eat it more readily. So, without further ado, I have included my recipe for baby applesauce. This recipe can also be easily adapted for pears, peaches, and sweet potatoes.

Baby Applesauce

You will need one 3-5 pound bag of sweet apples (I like Gala, but Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Fuji, and Pink Lady are fine too), a large sauce pan, a food processor or blender, ice cube trays or freezer safe plastic containers.
Place peeled, cored, and chopped apples in saucepan and add just enough water to cover them. Simmer on Medium heat until they are just tender enough to be cut with a wooden or plastic spoon.

Remove from heat and allow to cool in pan for about an hour or so. Drain and place fruit in food processor.

Pulse until apples are a very thin puree for younger babies. For older babies who are ready for more texture, you can do a chunkier puree.

Spoon into ice cube trays or into freezer safe containers. Cover trays loosely with aluminum foil and place in freezer overnight. Take cubes out the next day and place in gallon sized, labeled freezer bag.

Apples can be frozen up to four months. Take out and thaw in refrigerator overnight or defrost in microwave before serving. Your baby will love it!

Here are some pics of Caleb's new diaper bag:

Super cute isn't it? I love the nice long straps, the inner pockets (which I custom made to hold 2 bottles), and the overall roominess of it.

New Projects and Etsy Store reopening

2010-01-11T12:44:00.001-06:00

I finally have gotten the Etsy store back up and running in the last week, however, it is still a major work in progress since I have been working on tons of new stuff since I went on maternity leave last October. My problem is finding the time between crafting, taking care of babies, and cleaning house to sit down and list everything. I try to do a little at a time, but when I do that, I become a crazy Etsy posting woman and I can't stop myself!
Here is a preview of some projects that I have been doing. They have either been just recently listed or are coming soon to the shop:

Abbey's bag. I made this for my sister in law for Christmas, and it turned out so cute I decided to list it.

Caleb overalls. Available in 2 lengths and in a variety of gingham colors. Monogramming is extra.

The Kaitlin top. Loving the colors in this one!

Brown Bubble Wrap reversible top.

Limelight dress. Super cute for warm weather!

I also just got tons of new fabric in from my new favorite fabric store Down Shadow Lane, which is located just over the bridge in Jonesborough, so I get it really fast. Next up, I am making a diaper bag for Caleb and some pillows to give the living room some pizazz.

New Patterns

2009-12-29T21:14:00.002-06:00

Today, I used my Christmas cash to buy some super cute patterns both for me and for little miss Cupcake Katie. I love Whimsy Couture, and right now they are 3 for 18.00, so I took advantage of the price and purchased her Ladies' Pillowcase Top, Ladies' Peasant Top, and Over Tops and Dresses pinafore. They were sent to me super fast via email. I also bought Sis Boom's Megan Peasant Top and Dress pattern. So excited to be making stuff for me to wear! I feel like I have been pregnant for 3 years straight and am really looking forward to being back in normal clothes. For Katie, I got Romeo and May's Lucia Halter dress and I broke down and bought Izzy and Ivy's Macy Giggles Dress. They were both too cute that I just had to have them. Now I am torn as to which dress I should make for Katie's birthday next month. Here's a few pics of these lovely patterns:

Izzy and Ivy

2009-12-23T22:12:00.002-06:00

Just found the cutest patterns at one of my new favorite online shops, Fairy Tale Frocks and Lollipops . They are by Izzy and Ivy, and they are precious, frilly, and very girlie, which is totally my sewing style. The Izzy and Ivy blog is having a give-away of either a pack of 6 patterns or an adorable ruffled bag. Head on over and check them out! Yay for giveaways!!!

Here are just two of the patterns available:

Recent Projects

2009-12-19T20:36:00.001-06:00

I am finally posting! It's been a crazy seven weeks complete with new baby boy and lot's of illness. However, I have managed to get a few little dresses done in my not so spare time thanks to my wonderful husband!

This was made with Whimsy Couture's Ruffled Neckline dress Pattern

Whimsy Couture's Reversible A-line Tops and Sew Sensible's Boutique Bottoms patterns

Mani Mina's reversible Kimono Wrap dress pattern (Notice she is wearing my sock pulled all the way up to her knee in a couple of these pics. Silly girl!)

I am Now a Mommy of Two

2009-11-07T22:06:00.000-06:00

My baby boy is finally here! Baby Caleb was born on October 28, and after 3 days in the hospital for Mommy and a weekend spent in the NICU for Baby we have been spending the week getting settled and into somewhat of a routine around the Geater house. Katie is turning out to be a really sweet big sister. She just giggles when she sees her baby brother, and she loves to "help" me burp him and change his diaper. I am feeling so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and these two little precious babies of mine.

Who Doesn't Love Free Fabric

2009-10-26T13:25:00.002-05:00

Jody at fabricshoppe on Etsy, one of my fave fabric suppliers, is giving away free fabric from her stash. Each 1/2 yard bundle includes a total of 5 1/2 yards of fabric. The project possibilities are endless! Check out her blog, Everyday Beautiful for details on how to enter. She will be doing a drawing for two winners next Monday, Nov. 2. Here are the pics: So cute!

Pink and Purple Set

Red and Blue Set

Refashioning My Clothes

2009-10-24T16:21:00.002-05:00

My baby is scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday, if I do not go before that! My husband, Lou, and I are so excited to be bringing our little baby boy home this time next weekend! I am not only ecstatic about being mommy to a precious little girl and sweet baby boy, but I am also very happy to be getting back into my old clothes and, again, expressing my personal style. I lost thirty-five pounds on Weight Watchers between pregnancies, so I have all of these too big for me clothes that I kept "just in case" I got pregnant again that I will be able to wear for the next few weeks. However, after that, I may be at a loss for fashion just like now. I have been looking around on some of my fave and newly discovered crafty blogs to see if I can find instructions on upcycling some of my larger clothing instead of having to shop for all new stuff. (This makes my budget-conscious husband very happy.) Anyway, I found quite a few. A lot of them have ruffles and flowers, but what can I say, I'm a girly-girl. So, here is a short list of some of the coolest and easiest refashioning tutorials for womens' clothing that I have seen.
T-shirt/ Tank Dress
Flamenco Top
Ruffle Madness Top
Ruffle Top from Man's Shirt
Peasant Blouse from Man's shirt
Long Sleeve Shirt Refashion
Ruffle Tube Top
Ruffle Scarf
Women's Top
Jeans to Denim Skirt
Another Jeans to Denim Skirt
T-shirt with Flowers
Long Skirt to Cute Top
Swimsuit Cover-up or Long Top
Pillowcase Top
Ruffle Cardigan
Maternity Top to Wrap Tee
Heart Petals T-shirt
Maternity Top to Empire Top

Whimsy Couture Sewing Patterns Giveaway

2009-10-20T15:54:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite pattern designers, Whimsy Couture, is giving away 3 free patterns of your choice! I love her patterns. They are so easy and always turn out to be precious. The giveaway is being hosted by Piece of Me blog, and Whimsy Couture patterns are available on Etsy. Even if you are a beginner, you will love these!

Cupcake Katie in a couple of her dresses made with Whimsy patterns

Bobbityboo Giveaways

2009-10-19T15:58:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Etsy vendors, Bobbityboo, is doing 2 giveaways!
The first one is for one of her precious little skirts from her shop. This one is being hosted by the Whimsy Couture Sewing patterns blog. Click on this link for info on how to enter: Whimsy Couture- Bobbityboo Skirt Giveaway

The second one she is hosting for an Etsy shop called Giggly Monkey. Giggly Monkey is giving away a custom "Kissaboo Monkey" perfect for all of your little one's boo-boos. Go to Bobbityboo's blog at Bobbityboo Kissaboo Monkey giveaway for info on how to enter.

Baby Boy Guitar Layette

2009-10-18T20:28:00.001-05:00

Well, I guess my nesting has been kicked into high gear, because today I busted a move and completed the last of my custom orders two days before I expected to. (Maybe this means I will be able to get Katie's Christmas skirt done before baby Caleb comes. I was not planning on making one, but since I have enough fabric leftover from the overalls I thought why not.) Anyway, I am so pleased at how insanely cute this little ensemble turned out to be, and my friend who ordered it for her new baby nephew was pretty excited too. She came by my house to pick it up not two hours after I told her it was done. I am planning on offering the burp cloths as a set on my Etsy site after the first of the year when I get myself back into my normal energetic and super crafty mommy mode.

(For some reason this pic wanted to be side-ways. Hopefully I will figure out how to fix that soon)

Cute Bag Giveaway

2009-10-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

Jen, the creator of the totally awesome sewing blog "Red Instead" is celebrating her 4 year blogiversary. In honor of this, she is giving away one of her really cute handmade bags. You can go to her blog at http://www.jenleheny.com/ for info on how to enter!

Getting Fabric in the Mail

2009-10-16T16:55:00.001-05:00

I'm sure my fellow crafty mommies will agree with me when I say that I love getting fabric in the mail. It's like a mini-Christmas! I am busy finishing up the very last of my custom orders before I have baby Caleb, and I was so excited to get the fabric for my last project. I am working on a custom layette set for my sweet friend and neighbor, Bethany, who is going to be an auntie again soon. I have been waiting all week in anticipation, both because I love getting stuff in the mail (well, maybe not bills and junk mail) and because I couldn't wait to see this really cute fabric in person. I ordered from one of my new favorite online fabric stores, fabricworm.com, and was totally amazed how quickly it was mailed to me. The guitar fabric is called "Groovy Guitars" by Michael Miller, the dots is called "Dot Stripe" by Anna Griffin, and the green lattice is called "Lanterns" also by Anna Griffin. The guitars will be used to make a monogrammed burpie and a baby blanket with the green minky dot. The other two prints will be used for monogrammed burpies as well. I plan on posting pics when I get done!

Christmas Outfits

2009-10-14T21:06:00.002-05:00

I finished my babies' Christmas outfits today, for now anyway. You never know what may happen when my nesting kicks in sometime in the next couple of weeks. Anyway, I did two jumpers for my little girl last month and then today I completed little baby Caleb's overalls. For the overalls, I used Baby Kay's Boutique Boys' Romper pattern (available on Etsy and You Can Make This), which was super duper easy until I got to the sewing in the snap tape part. I was so excited to find a cute boys' pattern with an option for easy diaper changing, however, the actual execution of it was extremely frustrating. I hate sewing in zippers and single fold bias tape. They are two things I refuse to do unless it is absolutely necessary and not at 8 1/2 months pregnant. Today, snap tape was added to that list. So, when I did do the second outfit, I used my snap pliers that I use to make paci-clips, and I was so much happier! I plan on making lots of overalls with this pattern, and will definitely use the snap pliers on all future attempts. The pink jumper is made from the Vivienne Jumper pattern that I found for free on Burdastyle a few months ago, and the red one is from a New Look pattern that I have used so much it is about to fall apart. I could sew that thing in my sleep I have done it so many times!

Girly Clothes Tutorials

2009-10-13T15:46:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I love making feminine and fun clothing for my little girl, especially anything that has a ruffle or a twirl or any combo of the two. If it was not so impractical, I would dress Katie up to the nines everyday. I just love having a little girl! I also love free stuff, especially free patterns and/or instructions on how to make cutesy girly clothing. So, I decided that today I would share a few links to some of my favorite free tutorials and patterns available online. These are all pretty easy to make, and very practical for playtime. This is by far not even a comprehensive list, and I hope you will visit again in the future for my lists of even more girly stuff, boy stuff, and baby stuff.

Girls Twirl Dress
T-shirt Dress
Ruffled Skirt
The Market Skirt by MADE
Another Ruffled Skirt
Twirl Skirt
Pillowcase Dress
No Sew Tutu
Another No Sew Tutu
Hairbows
Itty Bitty Baby Dress
Toddler Sleeveless Top
Bitty Booties by Heather Bailey

I love this little outfit!

2009-10-11T17:34:00.003-05:00

We are finally experiencing cooler autumn temperatures! Yay!!! Because of this, yesterday I decided to make some ruffle pants to go under Katie's knot dress that I made a couple of weeks ago. She wore it to church this morning with a white peasant top (also mommy-made), and the total outfit turned out to be adorable! I found the fabric for this at one of my fave brick and mortar fabric places, Hobby Lobby. They have about 4 racks of some of the cutest fabric, and by the time it's all said and done, Katie will probably have a closet to match.

Pattern info for the separate pieces of this outfit can be found at these blogs:
Lori Lynn Design , The Scientific Seamstress, and Sew Sensible

Halloween Pants

2009-10-09T18:56:00.003-05:00

Today after a nice, refreshing 45 minute power nap, I made these adorable little Halloween ruffle pants. The pattern is called "Boutique Bottoms" and it is by Sew Sensible. I love that I am able to whip these up in about 30 minutes, and that they seem to be pretty comfy for Katie to play in. After looking at them, I decided they would look cute with her little black peasant top I made for fall layering. The pattern for the top is called "Portrait Peasant Tops" and is by The Scientific Seamstress. Again, very easy and very fast. Perfect for a busy mommy like me who loves to sew my kids' clothes, but does not have a lot of time to do it in. The bow I made a few weeks ago when I was on one of my major bow making kicks where I take a whole week and make at least 20. Let's just say that my little girl will always have a bow to match her outfit!

I think she likes it!

Big Sister Dress and Fairy Princess Costume

2009-10-08T19:00:00.001-05:00

My baby girl, Katie, is going to be a big sister next month! In honor of that, today I whipped up this "Big Sister" pillowcase dress to match the "Big Sister" hair bow that I made a couple of months ago. I figured while I was at it, I would throw a matching ruffle on her jeans that have suddenly gotten too short in the last week or so. The pattern from the pillowcase dress is from Whimsy Couture and the jeans I just figured out how to do on my own. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby, and was, as always, 30% off. The stripe on the ruffle will match a lot of her clothes for the fall, and I thought a ruffle would be a great way to prolong the life of her little jeans.

My little cupcake, who I named my blog and my etsy shop after

I also finished her fairy princess costume for Halloween today. My baby is due Nov. 14, so I decided it was probably best to go ahead and get it finished just in case he decides to make an early appearance. The bodysuit is one that we already had. I added the applique and the sparkles. I made the tutu with green and lavender spools of tulle and used the free instructions found at this website: http://www.goodhappenings.com/?p=798 The wings were purchased at Dollar Tree by my wonderful mom, and she will wear it with purple leggings and jelly shoes. I'm so excited!

Whimsy Couture Sewing Patterns Giveaway

2009-10-08T09:43:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite pattern designers is giving away this adorable Halloween dress (pictured above) in any size up to 10/12. Click on the link to her blog for info on how to enter!
http://whimsycoutureboutique.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-giveaway-win-3900-dress-1012.html

My first blog!

2009-10-07T09:23:00.005-05:00

kristin.geater@gmail.com

Thanks for visiting and reading my first post! I am so excited to share with you my love of crafting, baking, and taking care of all things domestic. Please feel free to comment on any posts you find interesting. I would love to hear feedback from you.

Check out this skirt giveaway (pictured above) from one of my fellow etsy vendors! Click on the blog address below for info on how to enter.

http://screamandhug.blogspot.com/2009/10/monday-giveaway-bobbityboo.html