Kelly's Korner

Proof of Crafting

2012-01-27T13:24:00.000+01:00

Last weekend was a bit of a crafting flop. I sewed several things that did not work, and I started the process of learning to make bath bombs, but I used the wrong recipe. I actually used a recipe for bath snowballs, which did not work as balls at all! But in the heart and fish silicone molds they came out ok. And I have a jar of bath salts from the failed shapes.

This weekend I used the RIGHT recipe for bath bombs! Here are the trial ones. I'm waiting for our wholesaler to track down round molds so we can sell them at the store. These are made from plastic egg ornaments and the heart silicone mold.

Both recipes are from Martha Stewart and I found them through Pinterest. Snowballs and Fizzies. I'm planning to teach the fizzies in a class at the store, so if you are interested be on the lookout for that class!

Most of my crafting lately has been in the kitchen. In fact, I've spent A LOT of time in the kitchen the last two weeks. So much so that I had to buy a new blender because I burned up my old one! What have I been blending? Green smoothies!

Don't get all grossed out! They aren't for everyone. But they actually do taste good! I try to hide them in travel mugs and stuff so people don't get grossed out when I drink them, but they taste fine. My favorite so far is a version I made up based on mango salsa. Mmmm. Then I have one that is basil and tomato that I eat like a warm soup. They really can be good!

Why am I drinking green smoothies you ask? Because I have gained sooo much weight I can't stand it. I'm tired all the time and can barely climb the stairs to my apartment without feeling like my heart will explode! Don't worry - it's not some crazy crash/fad diet. I'm just trying to get healthy.

In other news: Haven's hair is blonde again. I'm listening to "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" on audio book. Rob is at the Willow Creek conference here in Germany. And Ethan is growing like crazy. I guess that pretty well covers everything!

Work Clothes Continued

2012-01-18T18:54:00.001+01:00

This is the second shirt with I've made with this pattern and I really like it. This particular version was quite the puzzle to cut out! The fabric was striped on the diagonal and was stretch. In order to get the stripes to go in opposite directions I had to cut out each piece individually and half were with the straight grain and half with the cross grain. I did do one piece on the diagonal to get the stripes to go vertical. Did I lose you? Well, just know that it was kind of hard, but totally worth it!

Knit Lace Top

2012-01-17T07:30:00.002+01:00

Fall 2011 seemed to have a lot of lace... Did you notice that? I saw a couple of lace tops in the spring offerings, so hopefully I'm not too late with this top. I was inspired by this top I pinned a while back. Here's how mine turned out.

It's not bad. It's wearable. I started with the Sorbetto pattern and completely changed it up. I took it in on the sides, raised the neckline in front and back, added the keyhole to the front, and drafted a peter pan collar. Oh, and I shortened the shoulders a lot. I had the knowledge to make a great collar, but forgot how important it is to make the underside of the collar piece a bit smaller than the outer side. See how it curls up on the sides? It's not supposed to do that.

BUT, since I intended it for a shell to wear under a blazer or cardigan, it's ok.

And IF I get brave enough, I can flip the collar up and do a kind of Elizabethan ruffle thing!

The fabrics are cream pique knit and stretch lace.

When Boredom = Creativity

2012-01-16T07:30:00.003+01:00

When a bored teenager gets ahold of a box of felt, a needle and thread:

Monster Backpack

Monster Wallets

(inside view)

(Back view of left wallet)

Monster Snail

Loch Ness Monster?

Haven showed me this one just moments before she was about to cut up an old stuffed animal for the stuffing. I rescued the duck from its impending doom and gave Haven polyfil instead! I'm super proud of her because she figured out how to make it 3-D without any kind of pattern. This little guy really makes me smile!

The thing about Haven's sewing that really impresses me is that it's all hand sewn! I tried to get her to use the sewing machine but she sews to fill time, not for the finished product. For a teenager that really impresses me.

Weekend Update

2012-01-15T15:54:00.001+01:00

I think this may be a record... I actually took down the Christmas tree BEFORE Valentine's Day! I love looking at the tree, so it always makes me sad to take it down. But since it's a live tree it needed to go back outside.

So I mentioned before that my New Year's goal was to FINISH projects. Well, I'm off to a good start! First off I did some mending for Rob and Ethan. Then I did some cleaning and organizing of the craft room. That led to pulling out these really old practice quilting pieces. I took Machine Quilting about 6 years ago and these were practice pieces. They were just squares in a box until I finished them yesterday and turned them into pillows.

These are faux trapunto. I looked for a website to link to to define trapunto, but I didn't really like what's out there...so you'll just have to endure my explanation. Trapunto is a method of quilting where you have a raised puffy design that is surrounded by a compressed area created with tight stippling (curly quilting). In true trapunto after you do the quilting you would cut slits on the backside and add extra stuffing to the puffy sections. I didn't do that step, which is why I called it faux trapunto.

I also hung a shelf that I had been putting off because it required climbing on the furniture. And I hung some wreaths that were stacked on top of the shelf, which aided in the cleaning and organizing. And I cut out the pieces for a striped shirt that ended up being a bit of a puzzle to cut out! Hoping to finish that today. It feels great to get things crossed off the list!

First sewing of 2012!

2012-01-12T19:37:00.000+01:00

I don't make new year's resolutions, but I do usually enter a new year feeling fresh and hopeful. One of the things I really want to do this year is finish projects! I have a tendency to purchase fabric knowing exactly what it will become, but then take forever to get around to it.

I figured I better hurry up and finish this one before it was too late to wear snowflakes!

Not that we've seen much snow around here... It's been a very mild winter.

Did you notice my sparkly feet? I wish I had finished this outfit before New Year's, but oh well. There's always next year. When I put on the shirt I thought, some sparkly silver shoes would be perfect with this shirt... So I made some.

They were really simple so I posted a little picture tutorial over on the Shop blog. They do shed a bit... I look up some online tutorials and some of them recommend a clear acrylic spray over the top. I'll have to see if that's something I can get over here... They aren't something I would normally wear, but I have to admit they are fun!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-11T19:28:00.000+01:00

Is it too late to say Happy New Year? It is still January... and my Christmas tree is still decorated... so it must still be ok to say Happy New Year!

We stayed in and had a Chuck Marathon! We got season 4 for Christmas and watched it until Midnight. This didn't really please our teenage daughter who reeeeaally wanted to go somewhere cool...

Fireworks in our village.

On New Year's Day the church service started late in the afternoon and included a little finger food fellowship afterwards. I loved that we started the first day of 2012 with the Lord's Supper and a baptism.

We also all put candles in the baptismal water. It was all in German, but I think it was to represent that God's power makes it possible for us to keep our "flame" alive even through troubled waters.

Pretty beautiful way to ring in the new year.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T00:04:00.005+01:00

Here's the highlights from Christmas, and maybe an explanation of why I haven't blogged since November...

I found the cutest Christmas tree (live in a pot) that's not tooooo small, but sits perfectly on top of our desk in the living room. The presents don't fit up top with the tree, so they go under the desk. It's maybe not traditional, but it works great. I couldn't find my tree skirt and it wasn't high enough on the list of handmade priorities... maybe next year. I did decide on a whim to make a fabric garland from scraps of Christmas flannel! It turned out super cute! And the cinnamon gingerbread garland is from HERE!

Thanks to my new Pinterest addiction I may have gone slightly overboard with handmade gifts this year. Here's a rundown of what I REMEMBER making and links to where I got the ideas (if they weren't my own):

Sugar Scrubs for hands and feet

Rice pocket warmers

Citrus Coasters

Tree Stump Coasters

Peppermint Marshmallows

Silhouette Ornaments

iPhone/iPad Gloves

French Macarons

iPhone clip case with zippered pocket

Panda phone/camera case

"Whatever" Clock

Money Gift "Wallet"

Braided Bracelets

Mug Rugs
Ruffle Pouch
Letter from Santa (to explain why Ethan was getting a used video game....)

(The pictures in the links are the inspiration.
I forgot to take pictures as I was making stuff!)

Whew... I was a little busy. During that time I also learned how to make my own deodorant and laundry soap!

We had a very nice Christmas celebration. We started off with a Christmas Eve service at the German church where all four of us played a part. Rob was playing the piano the whole time, Haven, Rob and I all sang, and Ethan played the HARP!! That's right! He was at the practice with us and kept trying to play Ariane's harp, so she just brought the baby one for him. And he performed on Christmas Eve with the rest of us! It was SO cute! I don't have pictures yet, but hopefully some good ones were taken.

Christmas Eve was lovely and quiet and full of music and friends and food and fussball!

And then there was the storm of wrapping paper, ribbons, tissue, and squeals of delight this morning! I was busy notating everything the kids got as they shredded paper, so there aren't many pictures...

These are just a few things I snapped pictures of. The circuit board on the bottom is pretty cool. It's like legos in that it snaps together, but there are real wires and circuit boards to connect and make it run stuff. Ethan loved testing his own designs and then trying to figure out why they didn't work! The kit came with instructions for 100 different circuit configurations!

I heard about the book "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" from a blog I read and Haven bought it for me for Christmas. The pictures in it are really interesting to me. They are all vintage photos which are clearly manipulated, but BEFORE photoshop. So those editors had some skills! The funniest quote of the day came when I opened the book and Haven said, "Don't drop my bookmark! I'm not finished reading it!" HAHAHA!! Yes, she was pre-reading her gift to me. Whatever, as long as she reads. :)

And the other really exciting gift for me (which I get to talk about since I'm the one typing...) is that Rob got me a Jo Totes Camera bag! These bags are super cool! I swoon over how organized my bag is now. I can fit all my junk in it - in an orderly fashion - AND fit my DSLR camera!

Presents are nice, and we are very grateful for the things we received. But the main thing that was so touching to us is the gift of family and friends. With all the "interesting" and, to be honest, painful experiences of 2011, we treasured our Christmas together. We survived 2011 and we have faith that God will continue to direct our paths in 2012.

And if the zombie apocalypse happens to occur, I know how to sew clothes, make soap and deodorant.
So I guess we're set.

Froehlichhe Weihnacten und einen guten Rutsch!!

That's a Christmas color... right?

2011-12-25T20:26:00.001+01:00

Braces and blue hair. My baby girl is growing up! :)

Childhood Memory

2011-11-19T21:01:00.000+01:00

Anyone else remember the Snoopy Snow Cone maker? I saw this at the PX and wanted my kids to also have the pleasure of slaving away grinding ice cubes for a tiny cup of shaved ice. =)

Halloween

2011-10-31T21:12:00.000+01:00

This year both the kids wanted to be animals. Specifically,

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

And a furry panda.

Easy peasy! Once Ethan decided he wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle there was no convincing him otherwise. So that was easy. Haven took some time planning hers. She got the hat downtown for her birthday and we had ordered the furry leg warmers sometime back. She wanted everything to be right, but then wouldn't let me paint her face! Silly girl. Oh well. They were both cute.

Tropical Islands

2011-10-16T18:54:00.000+02:00

While we were in Berlin we took one day to visit the indoor water park Tropical Islands. This is so cool! It's built inside of an old Zeppelin hangar! They did a really good job with the inside, including real plants, birds, and beach sand.

Inside they have two swimming areas with "beaches." They have places you can stay inside the park, either in tents or in little lodges. We didn't stay overnight, but I think it would be fun to stay in one of the lodges.

Once you are inside you pay for everything with a chip in your wristband. For lunch we had an all you can eat Asian barbeque that was AMAZING. You choose all the raw ingredients and then they cook it for you.

The kids wanted to spend the whole time in the pool, but I did get them out long enough to take a hot air balloon ride around the complex.

It was pretty fun! The balloon is strapped to a guy who walks it around the grounds. Seriously. It's strapped to a guy. He weighs the passengers ahead of time and then weights down the balloon so we don't fly away. Say hi to Rob on the lounge chair!

Berlin

2011-10-15T22:05:00.000+02:00

Over Columbus Day weekend we went to Berlin. We've been living here almost 10 years and had not gone there yet! This was a good time to go because Ethan was old enough to understand and remember what he saw there. Here's a few shots from our tour of the city.

The portion of the wall still up is a kind of outdoor museum. There is a display you can walk through with a timeline and pictures from before and after WWII.

Checkpoint Charlie is a tiny little building in the middle of a street. The guys standing there with the flags look kinda grumpy but they were actually very nice! The guy on the left stamped my passport with "Checkpoint Charlie" in several different languages.

These are a few pretty sites from our bus tour. I don't remember what everything was.

The Brandenburg Gate was pretty neat. I bet it was quite a site back when it was in use. It was one of the gates to the city back when it had a protective wall. (1730)

This was pretty interesting. We didn't get out and walk around this area, but it was emotional just driving by. It's called Bebelplatz, and was a site for Nazi book burnings. Do you remember the scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?

This is the Memorial to the Murdered Jews.

The city was a little less emotional than I expected, I think due to the fact that we had both kids with us. That kept us moving, kept us out of museums, and divided our focus. The one thing that actually helped me stay focused was that Ethan kept asking "why" over and over. Why was there a wall, why was it torn down, why were people mean, why, why, why. He wasn't the only one who wanted to know why.

Work Clothes Round 3

2011-09-19T20:32:00.000+02:00

This picture is painful to post, but it was the best one out of the bunch. My dear sweet teenage photographer did NOT want to help me tonight, and by the time I realized all the pics were blurry it was dark. So... what are you gonna do.

The bodice is a black jersey and the skirt is a plaid knit I found at fabric.com. The pattern is Simplicity 2724 with some modifications.

Here's what I did:

Since the fabric was plaid I didn't want to cut all the pieces for the straight skirt. So instead I used the pattern for the a line skirt, but made it only as wide as the bodice piece (eliminating the pleats). That worked fine. And since it is knit I didn't put in the slit. After I had it all together I realized it pulled weird at the waist (the skirt part is heavy) and I needed an empire waist instead. So I made that modification, but then the hip was way up at my waist! Oops. So I had to take it in more on the sides. It's still a little funny under my arms and I'm not really sure why. But it's wearable and comfy. I made it a few weeks ago but had to wait for fall weather to wear it. There are some positive things to the colder weather here - like tall boots with new dresses. :)

Work Clothes Round 2

2011-09-15T20:29:00.000+02:00

Another favorite pattern! This blouse is from a Knip Mode issue from Hilco from a couple of summers ago. I checked for a similar American pattern and found this New Look that is almost the same cut.

I added the ruffle with just bias strips sewn into the placket. I had trouble finding the right buttons so I ended up using five completely different buttons in the same shade of red. I love it! I used a stretch cotton poplin from fabric.com. I really love this shirt!

Tooth Fairy Pillows

2011-09-14T21:18:00.000+02:00

I didn't know that tooth fairy pillows were uncommon, but apparently the little tooth shaped pillow I had as a child is not a staple of every household. A customer asked for a cute pillow for her daughter to use so I volunteered. I had so much fun making hers I made four more! I even embroidered these and sewed them all by hand! And enjoyed it! :)

Business Sewing

2011-09-14T20:31:00.000+02:00

Got the first of my business attire finished.
Shirt: Simplicity 2975, super discounted knit from fabric.com (seriously, it was under $3!)
Pants: Vogue 1051, pinstripe black

I also got a few other pieces finished but not photographed yet. I've been super busy at work the last two weeks, so my business clothes are getting a lot of wear!

Fall Wardrobe Challenges

2011-09-03T00:05:00.000+02:00

Collette Patterns is doing a fall color palette challenge, and I've decided to give it a go. Rob and I were talking about colors today and I mentioned that I had been liking yellow/green and then we had a discussion about what that color was called - at the end of which I just want to point out that I was right. :) He downloaded an app for iPhone called Peppermint that will identify any color in any picture you have on your phone and make color combinations with that color. After choosing the green here's the color combo I got:

That beige was supposed to be the green.... I fixed it later.

WOW! I love these colors! Well, I don't know about the pink... but grey, red, mustard, and chartreuse are all colors I have been buying and working with already.

There is another challenge going on called the Fall Essentials Sew Along, so that had me inspired too.

I'm trying to build up a more business-like wardrobe, so getting down to basics is what I need to be doing.

Here is my inspiration board for the Collette Color Challenge and the Fall Essentials Sew Along.

I also have a Sewing Inspiration board on Pinterest if you are interested.

I already have the yellow taken care of in my wardrobe, so I don't have plans to make anything yellow. But I added cream because I do have plans to make some cream shirts. And I even found the pink! Amy Butler has rayon now! The Fall Essentials has categories to help you plan the sewing. Here's how my plans line up:

Bottoms

Pinstripe Pants (started)

Pinstripe Cropped Pants (have fabric)

Gray Flounce Skirt (one done, have fabric for #2)

Blue jeans #2 (cut out)

Tops

Lace top (need to order lace)

Black and patterned top (not pictured)

Soul Blossoms top (need to order)

Bow front top (have fabric)

Diagonal hem shirt (have fabric, need pattern)

Collette Jasmine top (need to buy pattern)

Dresses

Red plaid knit dress (have fabric)

Sleepwear

Pink piggy pj pants (done)

Jackets (have fabric and patterns for all)

Pinstripe Blazer
Rain jacket

Red plaid jacket

Blue jacket

That's a lot of sewing. Plus I have sewing for the kids I want to get done. Fall has already settled in here in Germany. (That's right. We got one stinkin week of summer!) So I had better get to sewing!

Can you say "sewing frenzy?"

2011-08-20T18:03:00.000+02:00

It seems like the busier I am at work the more I want to sew. It's SEW relaxing! Do you see what I did there? Giggle. Anyway, this week was ferociously busy getting ready for an event today (CARE Fair for those who know what it is), and of course yesterday I decided I wanted a new shirt to wear. So I bought the fabric, washed it, ironed it, traced the pattern, cut the pieces and sewed the shirt together all last night.

Last summer I drafted a shirt based on one I own. It turned out pretty well, but parts of it bugged me. Corinnea had bought a pattern which was almost exactly what I had drafted and it came out perfect! After seeing several versions of it throughout blog-land I broke down and bought the pattern. I didn't like having a tie in the back (it bugs me when I'm driving) so I drafted it to sew in the "belt" around the back. I also split the back to have a different fabric on top. That wasn't part of the original pattern.

The pattern I used is Simplicity 7188 in Germany (which is the version I used) and Simplicity 3750 in America. The bird fabric is from Aviary 2 from Joel Dewberry.

Katagami Tunic

2011-08-18T20:37:00.000+02:00

I made two tunics with this pattern (Simplicity 2191) before cutting into this amazing Katagami fabric. Have you seen this fabric? It's SO pretty! The whole line is beautiful. I think it has a neat backstory too. This was the fabric I was testing the pattern for, and for this one I went with cutting the pieces on the bias. So now it's super comfy! The temptation will be to wear it every day...

BUT luckily summer is finally sticking in Germany! I am marking the official (official for my blog's purposes) as August 15. It has finally gotten warm enough to use the air conditioner in the car! Seriously, last week I was still using the heated seats, and this week AC! Yeah!!!!

Flowers, flowers and more sugar - I mean flowers

2011-08-16T23:09:00.000+02:00

I bought myself a little present. This set of cutters. It came in yesterday.

This is just part of what was in the box.

So all other plans I had for the evening were immediately changed and I spent the rest of the night making these.

Look at this rose! I mean, come on! It was SO easy!

So I HAD to make cake. The best carrot cake ever, to be exact. Carrot cake cupcakes.

And here's some beauties up close.

Yum.

The Trench Coat that never got blogged

2011-08-14T21:28:00.000+02:00

Way back before Jennifer moved she gave me a trench coat pattern and this awesome corduroy. It's been so long I can't remember all the details... Corinnea, did you cut the pieces out? I think that's when I got introduced to pattern ease. At any rate, I did make the coat and Mary took some awesome pictures one really misty day. And then I lost the camera memory card. Grrrr. There was never another day so perfect so I never got pictures taken again! But today I decided to change purses and when I cleaned out the old one I discovered a hole in the lining. I dug around inside to retrieve all the things that had fallen through and low and behold there was the missing camera card! And the pictures! So, now you all get to see my trench coat! Sorry, I don't know what pattern it is. I didn't write down enough information before I gave it back to her. Thanks so much for the fabric and the pattern Jennifer! I love the coat!

I ♥ Pandas

2011-08-13T11:09:00.000+02:00

Haven has been crafting! I came home the other day and she had been making panda stuff. She was inspired by stuff on Etsy and then made her own versions. So she ended up with a panda figurine, necklace, ring, and phone case. The figures are Sculpey clay and she hand sewed the phone case out of a t-shirt and a sock! I love that! I have been dying to encourage her to use the sewing machine, but know if I suggest it she will resist. Well, last night she finally asked if she could use my machine. Absolutely!!! I even refrained from complaining about the mess she left in the room afterwards. Shhhhhhh... don't tell her she's crafty!

Simple Goodness

2011-08-09T23:32:00.001+02:00

I've had these starred for awhile to try, but just got around to it today. Where I saw it was Ruffles and Stuff and she called it a Larabar. I've never heard of a Larabar, so I call it peanut-raisin fish. Doesn't that sound delish? SOOOO simple and really tasty! It's just 1/2 cup peanuts, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/8 tsp salt. I don't have a food processor so I used my blender and it worked fine. I pressed them into a silicone fish mold from Ikea and voila! Peanut-Raisin Fish. I wanted the same reaction as her kid, which was "ooh yum mommy! I want them everyday!" or something like that... Ethan said, "eh... they're ok." Then he came back a few minutes later. "Um... I was wrong, they aren't just ok. Can I have another one? No, maybe two. Are you going to eat that one? Can I have more?" Hehe! Oh, and as an aside, she called them "sugar free" but actually I think she meant "no sugar added" since the raisins of course have sugar. And if you have peanut allergies in your house try something else. I want to try cashews and dried cranberries next. Mmmmmmmm.....

EDIT: I tried cashews and cranberries. It was ok, but actually not as good as the peanuts and raisins. Plus the cranberries had a ton of added sugar. I think the joy of the peanuts and raisins is that they taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

In other news, Haven has been exhibiting the "Younger Story Telling Gene" in which tiny fish become a giant catch, etc. Today I was explaining how the meat was a little crispy because of a mishap with the gas grill. Then Haven added to it: "Then there was a huge fire. It almost caught the house on fire. People were screaming. Babies crying. Then the neighbors house almost caught on fire. People running for their lives...." She sounded JUST like my brother when he tells stories! Straight faced and as if it really happened! This is a trait my brother picked up from our father who is the master story teller. (remember the one about the salmon?) I just didn't know that Haven could inherit this gift half way across the world!

A Reason to Make Cake

2011-08-08T20:55:00.000+02:00

Deanna once said something like once she decides to learn something she keeps practicing until she masters it. I can totally relate to that. When I get a bee up my bonnet to learn something I become absolutely obsessed until I can do it perfectly and then I get bored and learn to do something different.

So, where does that leave me with this cake decorating thing? Well..... I clearly need more practice. This is actually much more challenging than one would think. Therefore, I see a lot more baking in my future. I have two exhibits to prove my point. In order to practice I have researched cakes on the internet and have been modeling mine after pretty ones I find. Here's my side by side comparison of my progress.

Exhibit 1

Clearly the layers are not right. I think I should have had two layers on the bottom and one on the top, or maybe three on the bottom and two on the top. And my flower is too big, but at least it's the right shape. But look how smooth and perfect her fondant is! I need a better recipe I think.

Exhibit 2

Well, the layers are a little better. (I was only doing the top two layers.) But her flowers are soooo beautiful! Look how thin hers are. So dainty and realistic. But hey, at least my frosting coloring is right on!

Well, just wanted to keep it real. Most of the time I only post the stuff that turns out nice. Since I don't know how long this learning process will take I thought I had better document the not so good stuff along the way too. I see more cakes in my future!

PS. "Her" in the picture comparison is Cupcake Envy and her cakes are AMAZING!!!!

Birthday Cake

2011-08-06T16:08:00.000+02:00

WARNING! Lots of pictures ahead!

So the other day I saw a cute mini cake in an ad and thought "I can do that." So I started researching mini cakes. Then I got this urge the other night and HAD to make mini cakes! Since we were having people over to celebrate Rob's birthday I thought it was the perfect reason to make cakes. These were all made from one cake mix and one recipe of fondant. The recipe is fine except that I had to add a lot more powdered sugar to make it firm enough to mold. So... here's the cakes:

Rob's Birthday Cake

And one for each guest:

Here they are all together on the counter looking pretty.

There wasn't enough cake for the kids to have their own, so I made them these little cupcakes. The colors may be weird for the animals, but that's what I had left!

These cakes are about two servings and super sweet. So I knew the guests wouldn't finish their cakes. The ziplock containers were the perfect size for them to take their cakes home.

And since it was Rob's birthday, there were presents!

DELICIOUS homemade Tiramisu, a wine refrigerator to take care of all that wine from Italy, a cool iPad stand for use in the kitchen to read recipes, and fun espresso cups.

And our little dinner party.

Happy Birthday Rob! We love you!

MADE Header Contest

2011-07-28T23:05:00.000+02:00

Hey all my digi friends! Did you see the header contest on the MADE website? Here are my entries:

Simplicity 2191 - sort of

2011-07-28T19:36:00.002+02:00

I like the School House Tunic, but the bottom portion has a tendency to poof out and make me look pregnant. Then I came across this version of the Shearwater Kaftan and I got the tunic bug again. But I would have to mail order the pattern and that would require effort and patience, which I don't have. So instead I decided to draft my own! I just can't buy ALL the patterns I want and drafting them myself is rewarding and helps improve my skills. Anyway....... this shirt is based on the line art for Simplicity 2191. It's really great fitting. It has princess seams and vents on the sides and the sleeves. And the neck is cut to the perfect depth - not too low and not too high.

And those shorts used to be these pants. After an unfortunate run through the wash they were too short for pants. So a quick chop and hem and now they are perfect fitting capris. Thank you mom for sewing when I was growing up! I LOVE making my own clothes!

Did anyone notice that it's the end of July and I'm wearing long sleeves? It is the end of July and STILL raining and cold! I think the sun came out for about 5 minutes today. I keep hearing about this heat wave in the States. I guess the heat is pushing all the rain to Germany because this has been the wettest summer I can remember since we moved here! I mean on the one hand since there is no air conditioning here we aren't suffering from being too hot... but on the other hand I haven't been able to get my summer clothes out much. On the bright side, it is BEAUTIFUL here! So green. But pleeeeeeease bring back the sun!

More Sewing

2011-07-15T17:00:00.000+02:00

This should be my last sewing post for a few days. I hope you're not bored!

I've been wanting to try my hand at a cowl neck shirt for awhile now (not the tube kind but the drapey kind) but I didn't have a pattern. I looked at some instructions online and figured I could do it without actually having to buy a pattern. So I took one of my t-shirts and drafted a pattern. First mistake was the t-shirt I picked. I should have tried it on first and seen that it wasn't as flattering now as it was when I was 20 pounds lighter! That's ok though because it looks GREAT on Haven!

I only had to shorten the shoulder seams for it to fit her. So you can imagine how snug it was on me! Oops! So I went back to the knit and tried widening it. But guess what - that makes a deeper cowl. Hmmm... maybe I do need a pattern.

Even though I shortened this one at the shoulders too I still had to wear a tank underneath. But I think it turned out fine.

And this is the hemline of the other bias skirt I made. I figured you didn't need to see the whole skirt again. For this one I added two bias strips to the bottom to make it look like layers. They are all un-hemmed so I get that nice frayed edge.

Haven has been spending some time with me at the craft store during her summer vacation and yesterday she started making these little Sculpey clay monster babies. Aren't they the cutest?! Don't you just want to take them home and cuddle them?!

Look at the eyes on that green one! I love it! And that red one has a party hat and a noise maker! He's for a friend of hers who has a birthday party this weekend.

And lastly, here's a lesson we want to share with all our friends. When there is a two hour stau (traffic jam) on the roads and you are trapped on base and decide to stay for dinner with your friends, be sure and look at the sky before deciding to eat out on the patio.

We got drenched! Everything was fine until the sky opened up and dumped a bucket of rain on our heads! It was still a fun way to spend an evening trapped with no where to go.

Corinnea's Bias Skirt

2011-07-14T19:47:00.001+02:00

Did you all catch Corinnea's guest post on Crafterhours? It's so much fun to know a celebrity! :) It's a great look and such an easy tutorial! Great job Corinnea! So I've made two now. This was my second one, but I don't have a picture of the first one yet.

Pattern: Corinnea's Bias Skirt
Fabric: Navy cotton/linen blend
Waistband: navy t-shirt (I don't actually recommend using t-shirts because by the end of the day it's all stretched out and falling down! But it's what I had on hand.)

I added the ruffle by cutting 2" bias strips, sewing them together and then sewing the ruffling seam down the middle of the strip. The easy way to do this is to set your stitch length and your tension all the way to the highest settings (for mine the stitch length was 6 and tension was 9) and then just sew a straight line. Don't forget to reset everything once you're finished! I used the same technique to make Haven's ruffle skirts. I still had to tighten up the ruffle on her skirts to fit the pieces, but for this skirt it worked perfectly.

And here's my other Anna Maria Horner camisole with adjustments. This one is an Americana print but I forgot to write down the fabric line.

I Made Jeans!

2011-07-13T18:58:00.001+02:00

I went for three weeks without sewing anything (two weeks in the States plus one week of recovery), so over the weekend I may have gone a little crazy with the sewing. There were the skirts for Haven, the items in this post, plus a few more that haven't been photographed yet.

This shirt is an alteration of the Anna Maria Horner camisole (slip) pattern. I tried to make it cowl at the top, but I didn't cut it properly to do that. It's ok though, because I still really like it. And since I finally invested in one of those little bias tape folding tools I've actually enjoyed making my own bias tape!

Fabric: Bazaar Style, Exotic Flora from Art Gallery
Pattern: AMH Camisole (with alterations)

And.... drumroll please... my first pair of jeans!

Pattern: Burda Young flared jeans

I say this is my first pair of jeans because I think I will have to make at least one more pair. I learned a lot from making this pair, such as:

1. I'm short. I have to alter the top of the pants to be ultra low rise, or I end up with pants up to my armpits.
2. I'm short. The flair that looks good on the tall skinny model will most definitely be too wide for me!
3. I'm short. The pattern may say that's where the back pockets go, but most likely I want them higher than the back of my knee.

I'm just sayin... but hey! I installed a jeans button and designed my own back pockets! And I used real jeans thread and a double needle for the details!

These were very surprisingly not that hard. After making all those pairs of Vogue pants it didn't even matter that the pattern was entirely in German. I just looked at the pictures. I do want to try jeans again. Like I said, I learned a lot, I made a lot of notes, and I have a decent pattern to start with that I think can become a great pair of custom jeans.

Sewing for the Teen

2011-07-12T22:58:00.000+02:00

Haven has let me sew for her so few times I can probably count them on one hand. So when she told me she wanted me to make her a whole new wardrobe for school next year I nearly fell out of my chair! She had seen some skirts at a not-so-appropriate-for-teens online store that were completely adorable but WAY too short. No problem! They were super simple layered ruffle skirts. So Haven picked out the fabrics and we made up a pattern and they turned out really cute! The waistbands are knit and the ruffles are quilting cottons. Next we're going to attempt a black tulle petty coat that will stick out just below the bottom ruffle. We all (all the girls at the shop) wish we had the legs to pull off these skirts...

Bringing Him Home

2011-06-28T18:31:00.000+02:00

I'm attending a training in Kansas, and on this base is one of the military national cemeteries. Today there was a funeral for a soldier who had deployed to Iraq nine times and was killed in combat. Our class building is located on the route of the funeral procession and all the students, both civilian and military, stood along the road to "welcome him home." In the nine years I have worked for the military I have never experienced something as emotional as what I was just a part of. Watching the family pass by was really hard, knowing what they were going through. Seeing all the soldiers along the road saluting the procession was also profound. But when the veterans started riding by on their motorcycles it was a really emotional moment. There must have been 100 of them at least. Seeing them here to honor a fallen soldier - who they probably didn't even know - that really spoke to me. Our instructor makes the point that we as civilians are providing the services that make sure these guys come home. Wow... it's been quite an emotional day.

Skirt Week Entry

2011-06-14T20:23:00.000+02:00

I didn't think I'd be entering Skirt Week this year since I SOOOO didn't need another skirt. But this one was on my "MUST make" list!

This skirt was the first tutorial I bookmarked when I learned how to use Google Reader. It's an Anthropologie knock off that originally cost $160!!

My version is a black/gray chambray fabric that cost me about $10! I still need to add decorative buttons, but I'll get around to that later.

The flounce turned out to be really easy and makes a big impression! I think I say this about every new thing I make, but I think this is now my favorite thing I've sewed! I even got the ultimate compliment - Haven asked me to make one for her!!

Want to make your own? Check out this tutorial. It's great!

Italy

2011-06-13T08:00:00.001+02:00

Over Memorial Day weekend Rob and I took a quick trip to Italy with some of my friends from work - Oliver, his wife Kelly, Martha, and her daughter Erin. Kelly is a wine aficionado and organized this amazing tour of nine vineyards. It was really cool visiting all these different vineyards. I was driving so I only sampled a couple of wines, but the view was incredible! We also had a day in Venice which was awesome! So here's a quick tour through photos of our weekend adventure.

The Food

(cuz you know that's what it's all about!)

The Friends

The Wine

The Views

There was a little scare when we arrived and I realized I had grabbed a portable DVD player instead of my camera bag!! Can you say depressed?! I had gotten there with the separate bag of lenses, so Rob and I discussed how God would provide us a camera body. The next morning Erin got out her camera, which was the same as mine, and graciously let me use it over the weekend!! We're in the process of getting all our photos loaded into a group on Flickr. So far I have mine and Martha's. You can see it here if you like.

Anna Maria Horner Slip Pattern

2011-06-12T09:56:00.000+02:00

I haven't tried the AMH Roundabout Dress yet, but the slip pattern I've used twice. I made a gray slip to go under the yellow dress in the previous pattern. I loved it enough that I wanted to make a dress I could wear alone. Couple of problems though, the slip was a bit loose at the top, and the shoulders were too wide. So for the dress I decided to shirr the back panel and bring the shoulders closer to the front. Well, the shirring worked great except that it made it a bit too tight. So I should have widened it a little before shirring. But oh well. I had to bring the shoulders in a lot to make the points hit where I wanted. I also added 6 inches to the bottom of the dress and used bias tape to close the hem. I recommend a making a muslin before cutting into your fabric. Speaking of fabric, this is Art Gallery fabric from the Bazaar Style line and the print is called Sahara Stars Blue. I really like the feel of the art gallery fabrics for clothes.

Oh, PS, that's Venice behind me.

Simplicity 7009

2011-06-05T22:50:00.000+02:00

I know, I'm gone for over a month with no word and then pop in just to show a dress... We've been super crazy busy!!!! I finished this dress just in time to wear to this year's Arts and Crafts Contest. The pattern is Simplicity 7009 and I used the yellow polka dot fabric from the Oliver + S City Weekend line. It's very soft fabric! I also made a slip to go under it from the slip pattern in the Anna Maria Horner Roundabout Dress pattern.

Vote for your favorite!

2011-04-25T20:15:00.000+02:00

Haven has become quite the songwriter. She's been taking guitar lessons for about six months and I'm super impressed with her progress. She has been writing music and poetry since she was little, and now she can write the music to go with it. The older she gets the more her songs start to sound "real" and not written by a child. She and Rob are in the process of recording some of her music so she can have her first album. I have no abilities at all on the writing or recording front, but I can take pictures! So Haven and I went out yesterday and drove around the area and took some photos. I messed around with a few from each location to get the "album cover" look. These are just rough drafts, but they are pretty fun. So let us know what you think would make a good album cover! She has her teen friends voting on facebook too, so I'm curious to see what the adults will think compared to the teens.

10.

11.

12.

Sewing

2011-04-24T23:01:00.000+02:00

Summer Picnic Blouse/Dress

This pattern has a major malfunction. I had to work really hard to make it work! The problem is that right bodice piece. It's funky! I had to alter the pattern piece a lot to make it work. If enough people are having trouble making this fit I can do a little step by step or something. I think for thin people it probably looks just fine. Second problem is the front skirt piece has a curve on the top which turns into a poof which would be PERFECT for someone with a little baby bump under there. But since I do not have that, nor do I want to look as if I do... I will have to alter that if I make it again. Ok... well, even though I had problems and had to do a bunch to fix it, I get tons of compliments when I wear it!

Oliver + S Sketchbook Shirt

Purl Soho Tie

As opposed to the picnic dress, these patterns are AWESOME!!!! The Oliver + S patterns are just great! The way the yoke is constructed is GENIUS! The collar construction is pretty cool too, though I think I prefer a traditional collar stand.

The ties are addictive!! In the last couple of weeks I made four ties for Ethan and two for Mary's son Nikolas. The pattern and tutorial can be found here. I have to admit that I did not really use the instructions. If you know me at all you know I still hate hand sewing. And this pattern is completely hand sewn! Yuck! So I just did it my own way and they worked out fine. Not heirloom or anything, but good enough for a little boy!

I am so happy with these shirts and ties! He is absolutely adorable in them!!

Spring Top Sew Along

2011-04-24T14:18:00.000+02:00

Made by Rae is hosting a Spring Top Sew Along. You can click the graphic above to see all the rules and see if you want to participate. These are the two tops I've submitted. I may get one more submitted... we'll see.

First up is the second "Frankie" shirt. I'm still perfecting it, but I really like it. This one is made out of voile from the Anna Maria Horner "Innocent Crush" line. Her voiles are soooo nice. The yoke and sleeves are red chambray.

The next top is called "JJ Redrafted" on Burda Style. The designer is Ana Jan. I found her during Me Made March and her stuff is AMAZING. The pattern she uploaded was only in size 38 (about a US size 8) so I had to enlarge it several sizes. I actually made a muslin and a wearable muslin before cutting into this fabric. Fabric is from the Basic Grey collection "Origins."

I shirred the sleeves to make the bell cuff instead of using a tie. I was just too lazy to make the tie.

I have some more sewing to share and some Easter pics, so I'll try to get caught up on blogging! After Me Made March I think I went into blogging hibernation!

so so happy teen

2011-04-04T21:08:00.000+02:00

Normally I don't really get jazzed by the "interesting" characters from Hot Topic, but the "so so happy" line did catch my eye. Who couldn't love a monster with reverse Tourette's syndrome who randomly shouts out compliments and who's catch phrase is "hug it out" !!! Irresistible. In addition to the horns on the hoodie, it has scales down the back, which I would have photographed if my camera didn't die at that exact moment....

Personal Note

2011-04-01T21:04:00.000+02:00

Some of you know, and some of you don't know, that our family has been going through some very surprising, very stressful events since January. I have now received three anonymous comments on my blog asking me questions about what's going on. My email address is at the top of this blog site and in our church directory. I am also on Facebook. If you know me enough to ask me questions about our situation, please don't do it anonymously. Please email me so I can answer your questions and know who I'm talking to. Thank you for your concerns and please keep our family in your prayers.

Me Made March Wrap Up

2011-03-31T22:24:00.000+02:00

Well, I made it through Me Made March! My challenge was to wear a minimum of two hand made items every day. I think I blew that out of the water. There were only a few days where I struggled, and most of the time it was because I was tired and cold. I really need some handmade knit in my wardrobe for those lazy days, and I want to make some jeans. I did order some denim and we have jeans thread at the shop, so we'll see...

I have been inspired by Rhinestones and Telephones and her project called Building a Lifetime Wardrobe. I have really started being more deliberate with my sewing. Instead of picking fabric because it's new and exciting and just turning it into yet another skirt... I've been trying to think about what is missing from my wardrobe and what I really wear. So with that in mind I will be making several more pairs of pants, and some PLAIN colored things. For instance, I don't have handmade plain black, cream, brown or white blouses, which are staples for my wardrobe. So my sewing might get boring for awhile for you all, but I'm on a mission to get to 100% handmade clothes. I haven't quite worked myself up to making my own undergarments yet.... and I am definitely not going to be knitting my own socks. But we'll see how far I get. I have had a dream of making my own shoes for years though, so maybe some day I'll take a class on shoe design!

The Silliest Craft Project Ever

2011-03-31T21:42:00.000+02:00

The last few months have just had so much going on that I can't even begin to explain the mental exhaustion that I've been experiencing. So I've really been sewing a lot to relax. Making clothes is very gratifying, but even that can be tiring after a while when you've used the same pattern so many times you can't bear to think of making it one more time....

So after the Fabric distributors came last Sunday I had the day off on Monday, and I wanted to do something that would just make me happy. I had the sudden urge to make the silliest craft project I have ever made in my entire life.

Mini clothes.

I was first inspired by this project and then Jennifer made these ornaments.

I ended up with this:

The Mini Me Project

These are tiny replicas of every handmade garment I have made for the last nine years. Well, not every garment exactly... Just the ones I found the scraps for. I still have a pile of felt blanks that I will have to dig through years of fabric scraps to finish up. I forgot to count... There has be be at least 30 little pieces in here, maybe more.

My husband's reaction was "WHAT are you doing???" The reaction at the shop was of course squeals of glee from every girl who saw them! We were fully occupied with building a clothesline for them yesterday and played with rearranging them for the better part of an hour.

The girls enjoyed putting the separates together and demanding that I wear their ensembles. Some of them I might...

When the clothes are not on the clothesline they sit in the tiny wire laundry basket, waiting for their turn in the spotlight. But the really pretty ones get a special display!

Yes, as if all that isn't silly enough, I put a piece of black felt at the back of an empty frame so we can stick the outfits in the frame. I'm planning to put it on an easel with the laundry basket next to it and let people play with it when they sit in my office.

Too much silliness? I don't think so. It has kept me giggling for four days now.

Kara's Fabric

2011-03-31T18:18:00.001+02:00

I don't know why she hasn't blogged about it, but Kara's fabric made it past the first round of judging on Spoonflower!!!! She's in the top 75! Go here to vote for your favorite Baby Boy fabrics. Congrats Kara!!!

Sis Boom Boxers

2011-03-27T22:04:00.000+02:00

This is from the Louey Boxer Shorts pattern from Jennifer Paganelli. Ethan had told me months ago that my sewing was no good if I couldn't make pants. I took that as a challenge and learned how to make pants! How many pairs have I made now? ... 4 pairs of pj pants, 2 pairs of slacks, and now Ethan's pj pants. I would say I passed his challenge. Well, anyway, he really wanted pj pants and he picked this fun striped flannel. The boxer short pattern was actually for shorts (duh) so I just extended the leg to make it pants. It worked. The pattern is really good. I will use it again. After today's fabric frenzy there will be lots more flannel coming in to make pj pants out of.

So this is my third post today. If you're looking at posts on my blog page be sure and scroll down so you don't miss anything!

MMM 27

2011-03-27T21:09:00.000+02:00

TWO years ago we ordered the Kaufman Imperial Collection in brown and teal. Here's me holding up the border print and imagining what it will become.

We got the fabric in and I made an Amy Butler Liverpool Tunic. But sadly, it didn't fit me. BUT it DID fit my Mom! The deal was she got to take it home if she put on the buttons. (I still hate hand sewing!)

But I didn't have anything out of my beloved Imperial fabric... UNTIL!

Today we had the ladies from R&Z in for our annual fabric frenzy! (which is why I look so tired. you wouldn't think so, but fabric buying is tiring!) I wanted to wear fabric we ordered from them, so I whipped up another School House Tunic last night. I added 1 1/2 inches to the dress length, but it wasn't enough. Next time I'll add A LOT and then figure out how much to hem it. I also sewed the pleats together down 3" in the front and 4" in the back. I like this pattern, but it kind of poufs at the pleats if you use a quilting weight fabric, always making me look pregnant! So by sewing the pleats down a few inches it makes a flat waist and then fans out at the hips. Anyway... I like it a lot. I'll have some pictures up for this year's Fabric Frenzy a little later on. Hopefully tomorrow... we'll see. There might be too much sewing going on to mess with photos! :)

MMM 22-26

2011-03-27T19:28:00.001+02:00

I got behind on posting, but I'm still wearing Me Made stuff! In fact, I've been doing really great! My commitment was to wear at least two handmade items, but I've been wearing mostly three, and sometime four or five items. Since I always have my handmade bag and usually remember handmade earrings, it's been a cinch to keep up. Here's the last few days:

MMM 22

Shirt: Butterick 4789

Pants: Vogue 1051

Earrings by All Wound Up

MMM 24

Shirt: McCalls 6120

Jacket: Butterick 5332

Skirt: Self-drafted

Since I already wore the jacket this week I wanted to give you a little peek at the facing fabric. I love putting fun fabrics in the facings. They're a little treat just for me!

MMM 25

Dress: Butterick 4789

Earrings: Kara

Me Made Headband

When I first made this dress it was a lot longer! But I was never really comfortable in it. I always wanted to wear the leggings under it for extra modesty but it was too long. So that morning I whacked 7 inches off of the bottom! I like it so much better now. I can't wear it without the leggings now, but I don't think I would have anyway.

MMM 26

Dress: Amy Butler Lotus Tunic

Better shot here

Necklace: PearlSwirl

Saturday I was teaching a Sushi class out at RB, so of course I had to wear one of my Asian prints! I also received my Hearts for Japan necklace this week and have been wearing it, whether it matches what I'm wearing or not! There are lots of ways you can donate to help in the relief efforts in Japan, if you can't get over there in person. We went through World Vision because they do relief work/humanitarian work at the same time they are sharing about Jesus. If you want to donate you can do so here.

MMM 21

2011-03-21T08:00:00.012+01:00

Top is Butterick 5332 made out of a mustardy corduroy. I didn't quite have enough to do the long sleeve and I cut it wrong, so I ended up with the sleeve from the School House Tunic. I think the fabric is too heavy for the drapey sleeve anyway, and the poofy one is kind of... weird. I used the short sleeve on this shirt, and I really like it. I just wanted this one to have a longer sleeve. Anyway, I like it. What I want to find now is a shirt fabric with the yellow and gray in it to make a long sleeved shirt to go under the jacket.

Art Shopping

2011-03-20T18:10:00.001+01:00

The Spring Bazaar was this weekend. For those of you not familiar with this, it's an event on the base where they bring in vendors from all over Europe and you can find all kinds of things from chocolate, cheese and wine to pottery, art and European antiques. Normally I don't do much shopping because I prefer to buy things when I visit the county. But there were a couple of things I've been wanting for several years, so we finally went ahead and got them.

Russian Santa

I've wanted a Russian Santa for about eight years. They are so beautiful! Each one is (as far as I know) hand carved and hand painted. When I went to scope them out I immediately fell in love with this one. When I brought Rob back the next day to look with me he chose the same one. So we knew that was the one! I should have taken a closeup for you too. The detail is so amazing! Some of the lines look like they were painted with a single hair paint brush! So delicate!

Silva Art

I think I first encountered Silva Art about three years ago, and I was hooked! His style is so unique and appealing to me. Well, no surprise really considering how much I love Spain and all art from there! Probably not everyone's style, but definitely the kind of stuff Rob and I enjoy looking at. After staring at them for about thirty minutes and wishing we could buy about five pieces, this was the one we ended up. It's called "Vendedor de Pajaros en Bicicleta." The really neat thing about his watercolors is that the design is pressed down into the paper and then painted. So the paper around the paint is higher. Does that make sense? Guillermo Silva died in 2007 and his son Juan was representing the artwork. Take a minute to check out their website. I have no idea that he had such an influence on art in Spain!

MMM 19

2011-03-19T23:50:00.000+01:00

I managed five handmade articles today!

Shirt: Simplicity 2975

Cardigan: Simplicity 2603

Pants: Vogue 1051

Earrings: All Wound Up

Headband: handmade by me

Tooth Monster

2011-03-18T19:35:00.000+01:00

Did you catch Celebrate the Boy Month with Made and Made by Rae? It was awesome! So many fun ideas and tutorials! There was one that was so exciting that I made it right away!

The tooth monster pillow by The Long Thread. What a cuuuute idea! I didn't actually have the pattern in front of me when I made it, so mine doesn't really look much like the original, but I really like it. Ethan has only lost a few teeth so far, so this will get a lot of use. And he LOOOOVES it!!! He was so excited he even showed his drum teacher! How funny! The tooth monster gobbled up its first tooth on the day I made it. But Ethan is now 50/50 for turning in teeth to the tooth fairy. You might remember that he swallowed his first tooth. His fourth tooth is somewhere on the playground on base. Is this how it is with all boys?

Made and Made by Rae just posted some Celebrate the Boy roundups, so go check them out and see what you need for the little men in your life!

MMM 18

2011-03-18T19:18:00.000+01:00

My legs are not that skinny! These are amazing pants! Pants are Vogue 1051 and the shirt is from the Knip Mode magazine from Hilco.

Hearts for Japan

2011-03-17T19:36:00.000+01:00

There are a lot of Japan relief sites popping up all over the crafting community. Our friend Jenny is selling some very cool handmade necklaces and donating the funds to one of the relief sites. Go check it out!

MMM 17

2011-03-17T19:29:00.000+01:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Is that the right greeting? I think St. Patrick's Day is cool. I mean most people just think it's a day to wear green and drink beer, but did you know it's a day to celebrate the guy who brought Christianity to Ireland? That's way cool. He was actually British and ended up in Ireland as a slave. He somehow escaped or got sent back to England, and then as an adult he became a Bishop and went BACK to Ireland to be a missionary. The tradition says that he used the three leaf clover to explain the concept of the trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So, I enjoy dressing in green, wearing clovers, and remembering a guy that went back to a country he had been a slave in, to teach them about his faith.

This is the second time I've worn this dress, but I didn't manage to get a pic last week.

Dress is simplicity 2975 in the Freebird fabric, and the cardigan is Simplicity 2603.

The little clover hair pin was made by Kara last year, and the necklace was made using the shop's laser engraver! We decoupaged some MDF with Japanese paper then cut out shapes on the laser engraver. Then I put Glossy Accents over the top to make it shiny and seal the paper. If you're interested in making your own, there are more of these pendants for sale in the new Bead Bar at the shop.

MMM 8-16

2011-03-16T22:54:00.000+01:00

I can't believe I lost eight days! This last week was just a blur. There was soooo much going on. One night I actually went to sleep about 6 pm and woke up about 8 the next morning. Which was too bad because that was a day I was wearing something new and didn't get a picture... but no worries, I'll be wearing it tomorrow since it has a lot of green in it!

Last week we had two big events - a Sushi making class, which went great, and the big chili cookoff! The chili cookoff was so much fun! The girls from the shop competed with "Artsy Fartsy" chili, which was delicious, and Morgan was named Miss Chili Pepper for her costume. It was really fun hanging out with everyone.

So since it was a chili cookoff, and I was organizing the whole thing, I thought I should get into the spirit of chili and get back to my Texas roots. Mind you I own no cowboy boots or a cowboy hat... so it wasn't easy.

The skirt is another Anna Marie Horner Study Hall Skirt and the fabric is from the Valori Wells line DelHi. We have two bolts of heavy weight fabric in the shop. It's not quite upholstery weight, but heavier than normal cotton. It made an excellent skirt! The contrast is Kona Eggplant, though you can barely see it. The shirt is handmade from a Knip Mode pattern. I don't know if I've blogged the shirt yet... I'm not really very happy with it, but it's ok. The hat was a prop from one of the chili teams.

The other fun thing about the Chili Cookoff was it gave me a chance to use one of my super fun Christmas gifts - the Texas dinner bell! Yes, I have a "triangle" shaped like Texas. Thank you Uncle Bruce and Vicki!! Everyone got a kick out of it when the Garrison Commander rang the bell to start the cooking!

I have lovingly nicknamed my next creation my Frankenstein shirt, because I stitched three different patterns together to make it.

The sleeves are from a simplicity jacket pattern, that I will be revealing later on when I get the actual jacket finished. The yoke is from the Amy Butler Swing Tunic, and the main shirt part is from my favorite simplicity dress/shirt pattern Simplicity 2975. The teal part is from Joel Dewberry's Modern Meadow and I want to say the yellow part is from one of those Americana kid collections... but I've forgotten. It's striped.

And the best for last....

My second pair of Vogue 1051 pants. This pair is a cotton/linen blend and they are AWESOME!!!!! I love these pants!!! I love this fabric! I bought a pair of linen slacks a few years ago from an upscale clothing store, and the darn things split at the seams! This pair cost about HALF of what I paid for the other pair, fit better, and I made them myself! I did change the pockets on this pair to side pockets instead of welt pockets on the front. I drafted the pocket from another pair of slacks I own, so it doesn't come with that pocket option. But the front welt pockets are basically worthless, so I like this better. I can fit my phone in my pocket now.

So tomorrow is St. Patty's day and I will have some green to post about. And hopefully I'll be more interesting for the rest of the month!

MMM 7

2011-03-07T22:48:00.000+01:00

I made pants! Vogue 1051. I love pattern! It's supposed to be low waisted, but I have such a short torso that they are still tall on me. Oh, and apparently I'm short enough to cut the pant legs two inches too short (because of a fabric miscalculation) and still have them be long enough for me with a 1 1/2" hem! I don't know if I should feel happy about that or not.... Sorry about the squinty eyes but the sun was really bright today. The fabric is just a cotton canvas. The hardest part about this pattern was the welt pockets. After that they went together like a breeze.

MMM 5 & 6

2011-03-06T21:07:00.000+01:00

This is an old photo. My hair didn't grow that long overnight! But since this is an older shirt and it was the weekend (read: didn't do my hair) I didn't bother to take a new picture. And today was a sewing day, so I was in and out of handmade things all day getting the fits right. This week I will have a few new "reveals" to share.

MMM 4

2011-03-04T22:40:00.000+01:00

I started off the day wearing one thing but ended with the skirt above, due to a wardrobe malfunction in my ready to wear (rtw) pants! Mortifying. The best part was my awesome colleagues staring at me and giggling at my predicament and teasing me that I could lock myself in my office with the sewing machine and fix them myself, which I absolutely would have done if it weren't for the GIANT WINDOW in my office. In the end Katelyn suggested I simply change into one of the pieces of clothing I had on display out in the shop. Sometimes it really pays to work in a craft store and have your own clothes hanging as samples!!

Handmade roundup for the day: handmade shirt 1/2 day, handmade skirt 1/2 day, earrings by All Wound Up all day.

MMM 3

2011-03-03T21:42:00.000+01:00

I managed three handmade items today: shirt (McCall's 6120), skirt (my own simple pattern) and earrings by Jenny (sorry they didn't get in the photo).

MMM 2

2011-03-02T23:19:00.000+01:00

McCall's 6120 with a border print knit. This looked better in my head than in reality. I imagined it with a smaller border that just went around the bottom of the sleeve and hem. The border was way bigger once I cut out the pieces, so now I'm not too sure about it. Earrings from All Wound Up. Adrienne, do you have an Etsy shop?

MMM 1

2011-03-01T20:45:00.001+01:00

Well, Me Made March starts today and sadly I will not be sharing any photos with you. We were finishing up all the inventory paperwork today, and putting the store back in order. So, manual labor + hand-made pretty things = disaster. Therefore my handmade items for today are pjs, which we have already established I will NOT have my photo taken in. But you did see my feet a few days ago.

Inventory

2011-02-26T21:00:00.000+01:00

So this weekend is our annual inventory count at the store. Normally it takes about 20 people over three LONG days plus several hours of me doing paperwork before and after counting. Today 15 people counted the entire store in ONE DAY! We finally got a computerized scanning system and it made all the difference in the world! This may sound incredibly boring to everyone else... but our friends who have moved but still read my blog will totally get it! (and be jealous that we didn't get the scanners when THEY were here to count!) There's still followup paperwork to do and the store to put back together, so I'll still be un-crafty for a few more days.

PJ Love

2011-02-21T12:02:00.000+01:00

These are two more of the PJ pants I made. (The fourth pair went to Mary.) When we first moved to Germany we got these sheets for our duvets - one set red, one set gray. Then I swapped the pillow cases. I saved those sheets all these years even though they haven't been on our bed in a loooong time. Sometime last fall I had the idea that sheets would make comfy pjs, so I pulled these sheets out for experimenting. They were finally finished on Valentine's Day, quite appropriate I say! Of course the problem, as I mentioned in my last post, is that now all I want to wear is my pjs!

Catching Up

2011-02-20T22:21:00.000+01:00

Luxe PJs

A couple of people said I should post the pajama pants, but I'm not posting a pic of me IN them. The shirt is the Summertime Blouse, and is not technically a pj shirt, but I didn't really like the way it looks on me. It made me look pregnant, in my opinion. But it's made of voile and SO comfy! So I figured it would make nice pjs. The pants are a silk/cotton blend and soooo luxurious feeling! I really enjoyed making pj pants. I made four pairs! (not all silk!) I love lounging around the house in them!

Did you see that the Colette blog did some tutorials on flat felled seams?

Study Hall Skirt

(photo by Katelyn)

I know this is called the Study Hall Skirt, but the whole time I was making it I was thinking it looked like a cheerleader skirt! (Just a LOT longer!) The fabrics are both polka dots, even though it's hard to see in the photo. This is a good pattern. The only alteration I made was to add a lining, and that's just my personal preference. Cotton sticks to tights and bunches and crawls, so I line all my skirts. If you use this pattern I recommend using a serger. You have to finish a lot of seams and iron them open, so if you zig zag every side of the fabric piece it would take you forever!

Me Made March is coming soon!

2011-02-12T20:52:00.000+01:00

I, Kelly, have signed up as a participant of Me-Made-March '11. I endeavor to wear two hand-made pieces of clothing or accessories each day for the duration of March 2011.

After participating in Self-Stitched September my clothing habits changed dramatically. I find myself going first for the hand made garments and being a bit pouty and whiny if I have to wear something ready to wear. After my last big wave of long sleeved shirts I even had hand-made things to wear on the really cold days. March should be a breeze to get through on hand-made clothes. Since it's supposed to be a challenge I decided to up my pledge to TWO hand-made pieces. Since I know some days will be hard I will allow my second piece to be an accessory when needed. (I have so many handmade earrings that will be no problem.)

I did do a little sewing this weekend, but a stomach virus knocked me out cold Thursday night, and it took me all day Friday and most of today to recover. Since I had to lay around I decided pajama pants would be a good project. So I made my first pair out of an old sheet to test the fit. Next up silk! Oh yeah!

Audible.com

2011-01-28T20:30:00.000+01:00

Audible is having a sale on the first book of some popular series. I just picked up four books for under $20!!!

Sewing

2011-01-23T18:48:00.000+01:00

I know I've been pretty quiet lately. I have been doing stuff though. When Jennifer invited us to Ava's b-day party I asked what I could get her. Jennifer said, "anything. as long as it's not a stuffed animal. Except for Shaun the Sheep OR you could MAKE peep, quack, and chirp!" Riiiight. After Mary came in talking about peep, quack, and chirp I googled them. Hmm... Looks do-able. Obsessively Stitching had just done a long series on making stuffed Angry Birds, so I modified her pattern to make these:

Apparently it's a kids cartoon on PBS. The girls loved them. My children went nuts. After making these three birds I was harassed and cajoled by both of my children to make more birds. Knowing they had no clue who Peep, Quack and Chirp are I went ahead and made them Angry Birds. (They're from a video game, for anyone who is wondering) I now have orders for the tiny blue ones AND after my husband saw them he asked for one too. My plan is to make the whole set.

And sewing for myself.... First up a tunic from the Hilco Knip Mode.

The fabric is a stretchy meshy furry thing. Feels soft to the touch, but once I got it on it was pretty itchy. Not so much that I can't handle wearing it all day though.

Oh, I made the skirt too. It's canvas. I didn't think it would make a good skirt, but actually it's awesome! It has a nice weight to it and doesn't wrinkle too badly.

Next up McCall's 6120 with some striped knit from Hilco. I loooove this fabric.

Oh, I got my hair cut too. Right before the New Year.

Next to look forward to - Ethan is playing basketball. I have to get the pics off the camera and processed.

Katelyn's Famous Again!

2011-01-23T17:10:00.000+01:00

Katelyn's Owl was on the Fabric Shopper Blog!

Good-bye Student Loan!

2011-01-12T14:00:00.002+01:00

In December of 2001 I graduated from Angelo State University with a Bachelour of Business Administration. January 2002 we moved to Germany and I started working for the Arts and Crafts program. In February of 2004 I became the Arts and Crafts Director for Stuttgart. I have used my degree every day since I started working here. Today I paid off my student loan. I am grateful to God every day for the path He had me follow, my education, and the job He gave me. I really like my job AND it's in Europe! So... good-bye student loan!

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

2010-12-26T21:34:00.004+01:00

...my true love gave to me

a partridge in a pear tree!

I'm going to be posting some 12 Days of Christmas freebies over on my digital scrapbooking blog.

The Gift of Music

2010-12-26T19:18:00.000+01:00

...and other fun things.

Haven and her friend Hannah at the Stuttgart Christmas Market.

Haven got her first guitar a few years ago from my dad. It was a fun little beginner's guitar that she loved. But since she has been taking lessons she has outgrown the beginner's guitar. But we weren't quite ready to invest in a really nice guitar yet. Then this little baby just dropped in my lap. Her instructor told me that a mutual friend was selling her Big Baby Taylor to make room for a new little baby who would be joining their family in a few months. So Haven got a new guitar.

What I didn't know was that Rob bought me a bass! I have long admired bass players and recently our friend started showing me some of the basic things on his bass. So now I have my own!

My mom sent Ethan some new drum sticks and Haven a set of guitar picks in all different weights. That was super cool because we had just been discussing guitar picks with the instructor and talking about when you use each of the different kinds.

Rob's big gift (which turns out to be fun for the entire family) is Apple TV. It is awesome!!!! We can load it up with stuff on its harddrive, pull from any of the family computers that have iTunes open, or download from the iTunes store. I'm especially looking forward to renting movies on it. It was also great for piping music through the sound system. It just pulls from the iTunes library.

We're really not Apple fanatics, but Rob did have an Apple Christmas. He also got an iPad cover with a built in blue tooth keyboard, and our friends gave him this iPad stand. The manufacturer intends it to be a display stand, but Steffen (being a preacher) thought it would make a perfect podium! So Rob can pop his iPad in it and have his music, or his Bible study notes. Fancy shmancy!

There were lots of other fun things from the family and friends. We're very thankful for everyone who thought of us and sent gifts! We love you all very much! We know it's not the gift that makes us blessed, but the people who love us.

And for those of you who have listened to me whine about the snow... here's proof that I'm not exaggerating.

It took us FOREVER to dig the car out of the snow this morning to go to Church! I got out a huge broom to push the snow off of the car. And on the left, that is the street we live on. Well, under that snow is our street. The snow plow operators had a couple of days off, which was nice for them, but very challenging for us on the days we had to go out. :)

Happy 2nd Day of Christmas!

Handmade Holiday

2010-12-25T22:13:00.000+01:00

This was one of my favorite pics for Christmas. The bag was almost as tall as Ethan! :) And just in case you're curious, it had a remote controlled BMW inside.

Today's post is about the handmade goodies of this Christmas. I have a few more pics that I want to post later on. First off, my new best friend in the kitchen... I bought a stand mixer earlier this month to get me through December baking. I love it! I tried a new recipe this year - marshmallows! The pic on the right is Haven cutting out a bunch of snowflake marshmallows. They were surprisingly easy and fun and TASTY! If you want to make them yourself you can find the recipe here. I also made a ton of gingerbread cookies. So this year instead of a gift box of cookies we gave hot chocolate, snowflake marshmallows, and gingerbread cookies. A couple of people also got mug rugs, but I was so busy sewing I forgot to take pictures!

To my peeps at the store, don't worry, cookies and marshmallows are coming!

Next up from my sewing machine, an iPad bag for our friend Ariane. I also included a matching key fob. I made up the pattern. She can take the long strap off and carry it by the handles if she wants. There is a velcro piece on the inside to hold it closed. There's also a zipper on the back side to hold cables. She loves orange, and she loved the bag!

Some handmade jewelry. My mom sent me a macrame bracelet from one of my cousins that she said is somewhere around 40 years old! Vintage macrame! Sweet! The bottom pic has a bracelet made by Jennifer and some super cool guitar pick earrings I picked up from the craft show for Haven.

Rob's Mom sent these handmade lovelies! The pillow is beautiful and the tissue covers are really fun. The direction of the stitches changes the sheen of the yarn and makes it look two-toned. Pretty cool.

And lastly, pillow pets have joined our home. Haven and Ethan each got a pillow pet and a coordinating minky blanket. Haven's is zebra stripe and black minky and Ethan's is frog fabric with brown minky. The sets got some use today while we sat around and watched movies together. Haven thinks I need to point out that I didn't make the pillow pets, but I DID make the blankets, which aren't highly visible... but they are there. :)

That's all for the handmades. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Hilco Tunic #2

2010-12-08T17:50:00.000+01:00

So, I know normal people probably buy their accessories to match their clothes... but I say where's the fun in that? I make my clothes to match my accessories! C&A has some really great winter tights and I bought these stripey ones to go with something else, but it didn't turn out the way I wanted. So I had tights that didn't match anything. This fabric is Jacobean Jewels by Red Rooster. It's very pretty. Deep rich colors perfect for fall/winter.

You can't really see the tights, but they are stripes with the same colors as the shirt fabric.

I made a couple of changes to the pattern. I shortened the bodice by an inch and lengthened the shirttail by about 3 inches. I think I should have shortened the bodice at the shoulders too. I also lengthened the tie ends (I didn't show the back, but there is a tie in the back.) I think it fits better now. I really like this pattern. It's kind of like the School House Tunic, but more fitted and with more details.

Ethan has been trying to make a snowman for a week now, but the snow is either too dry to stick together, or too dirty to play with. Today he came home with a bitty snowman he made at school!

Harlem Globetrotters

2010-12-05T21:02:00.000+01:00

The Harlem Globetrotters came to town!

Visit with Santa

2010-12-04T22:16:00.001+01:00

photo by cVcFoto

WinterFest was last night and Santa came to visit! The photographer snagged up Ethan first thing for practice pictures before the hoards of kids came in. Ethan wasn't prepared for the sudden grab so he actually got back in line to see Santa again after he had time to think about what was happening and time to prepare his "list!" So adorable. See that quilt Santa is sitting on? It's MINE!! I FINALLY quilted that sucker!

New Outfit

2010-12-02T23:15:00.000+01:00

Shirt: Hilco pattern from the fall KnipMode
Skirt: McCall's free pattern (doesn't seem to be available anymore...) from the Grosgrain Frock by Friday
Boots: Dr. Martin's!!!! from Zappos

The KnipMode is a magazine produced by Hilco. I'm not sure how often they put it out, but I don't think it's more than 4 a year. It has several patterns and they are all printed on four pieces of paper. The lines are color coded, so it's not too hard to trace. Just in case you ever use the magazine, it does NOT include seam allowances. I learned this the hard way. The whole thing is of course in German, and it does not have diagrams in the instructions. It was challenging, to say the least. You really need to be an experienced clothing sewer to use these patterns. So this shirt took me ... a while. But the next time around I think it will go fast.

The skirt was from a sew along that I didn't really succeed in. I actually made the top part of the dress, but it was NOT flattering on me. So I used the skirt portion and just made it into a skirt. My favorite part is it has silk lined pockets!

I had to post about the boots. They are Dr. Martin's! I didn't know they made boots without the giant sole. They are really comfy and even fit OVER my jeans even though I have giant calves. They do have a very hard insole. so I wear fluffy socks if I'm going to be standing all day. I really like these boots and recommend them to anyone looking for brown boots with a heel this winter.

Haven took the pic. I tried to edit out the dining room behind me, but oh well. She was funny. She kept telling me to look "dramatic" and then she would tell me the pictures looked weird! Ha! She would act like a photographer, telling me to pose, and then she would listlessly snap the picture, like she was bored. Teens. But she really likes photography. I just hope she will one day take pictures of something other than herself for her facebook profile.... one day...

WinterFest tomorrow beginning at 4pm, then GLOBETROTTERS on Sunday! How exciting! Then maybe after this weekend I can rest a little. Oh, and Diko is doing a fashion exhibition this weekend! Anyone want to go? She left cards at the shop.

It's been snowing steadily, but it hasn't been too cold yet. Yet. But we've already had 2 hour delays for school twice. Of course that makes Haven happy!

I'm now completely addicted to the audiobooks. I'm listening to Book 3 of the Pendragon Cycle: Arthur.

Winter is Here

2010-11-30T09:01:00.000+01:00

The view from my window.

Mushrooms

2010-11-21T15:50:00.000+01:00

I finally found some mushrooms I'll eat! Martha Stewart had a segment on her holiday video about these meringue mushrooms and I thought, I can do that. The girls at the shop have a small obsession with mushrooms and gnomes, so I thought I would surprise them. So I brought the mushrooms in a big pan. The girls look at the pan, looked at me, and said "I don't eat mushrooms for breakfast Kelly." I guess they looked pretty realistic! :) You can find the recipe here, but the milk chocolate and white chocolate design on the underside of the cap was an idea from the video. You just wait for the milk chocolate layer to harden and then put a layer of white chocolate on and draw the lines with a toothpick or something. You have to wait for the white chocolate to firm up before it will work. These are YUMMY.

You may have noticed my lack of crafting and posting. I have been super busy at work. We just finished our annual strategic planning conference and I was leading. It's a big deal and made up of a lot of division chiefs and managers in positions higher than my own. So it's a lot of pressure to make the conference productive, exciting, and not a waste of their time. So that's where most of my energy has gone the last month.

We also had our annual Photography Contest awards ceremony last week and I have to give props to Mary and Cory who totally ran the whole show with minimal input from me (since I was taking care of the conference) and they did a great job. Mary ran the awards ceremony and everyone at the shop stepped up to help her out. I just want to say publicly that I have the BEST co-workers anyone could ever ask for! You guys rock!

I am also talking a break from crafting for a little while to get ready for the holidays and because I've started a new hobby. I'm learning to play the guitar! It's going very slowly, because of the points above, but I can sort of play a few chords without you wishing you were deaf. So there's hope! :) The kids get music lessons once a week. Haven is also learning guitar and Ethan gets drum lessons. They are both doing very well.

And in closing, we finally got the coffee organized at work. Thanks to Cory and Ryan who did all the hard work. The shelf above the sign holds the DVD player. Above that is a flat screen tv. This is all behind our coffee bar. The coffee buckets are on grid wall and are sorted to hold the different flavors of coffee we sell in the store. Corinnea, this is for you.

Knit Cardigan

2010-11-06T18:20:00.002+01:00

This wrap is loosely based on Simplicity 2603 and a shirt I have with a front drape like this. I laid out my shirt over pattern ease and traced it lightly. Then I looked at the instructions for S2603 online and adjusted my pattern. I found the lime green knit at KIK. Can you guess what it was? A jersey knit SHEET! It was a fitted sheet so I also scored a huge length of elastic out of the deal. This green is the perfect shade to match my Nicey Jane shirt which would have otherwise been banished to the summer clothes, but now can be worn through the winter. Of course I have to endure all the sideways looks at how BRIGHT this outfit is. But who cares? I say wear whatever color you want to. It's my way of brightening up the cold days ahead.

10 Things that happened in October

2010-11-03T23:13:00.000+01:00

1. Very successful Art and Espresso (our craft show)

2. Installed a forum and gallery on the the digital scrapbooking website. Did not pull out ALL my hair, but did bite off all my fingernails.....

3. Made Haven's halloween costume

4. Carved a Death Star

5. Started music lessons for the kids (Haven guitar, Ethan drums)

6. Got the kids addicted to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (probably my crowning achievement for the month)

7. Got Ethan hooked on audiobooks.

8. Sewed a long sleeved wrap shirt thing. (Will upload picture eventually)

9. Used a serger for the first time.

10. Ethan lost his second tooth. (You might remember he swallowed the first one. The tooth fairy collected the second one.)

I can't believe it's already November.

Halloween

2010-11-03T22:59:00.001+01:00

Has it been a month since my last post?! Oops.

Halloween was almost called off this year (for our family) since it fell on Sunday. But the Garrison was kind enough to move trick or treating to Saturday night, which meant all the activities were on Saturday. So we participated in the movie theater's costume contest and the trick or treating.

I decided a month or two back that I really wanted to be Lois Lane. I've been going through a mild 40's phase (very mild, nothing drastic) and I wanted to wear a skirt I had made recently. Rob was out of town (plus he has facial hair) so he couldn't be my Superman. Well, my little man came through for me! He really wanted to be Dan from Bakugan, but I spent so much time on Haven's costume that I didn't get his accomplished, plus I kept telling him no one would know who he was. So he finally agreed to be Superman, which by the way, this is the first year he could actually fit in this costume, so it was a good choice.

Getting him to take a decent picture with me was challenging. But here we are. Lois and Superman.

Ethan lost his first two teeth this month. Yes, I'm that far behind on communicating. Sorry.

Haven decided she wanted to be the Cheshire Cat.

But an anime chic Cheshire Cat. Huh? Ok, so she designed this costume herself and shopped on Etsy for the ears. I found the striped knit at Hilco (so NOT cheap) and whipped this out.

The bag was actually an afterthought and I threw that together Saturday morning hurriedly before we had to leave. Haven WON the handmade category of the costume contest at the movie theater! Yay!!!!

Here she is with some of her friends she walked around with.

And I know you want a closeup of the bag, right? That's my favorite part! Made with Timtex, leftover knit from the dress, and felt pieces. It was the perfect size for her candy.

Oh, funny story. After I finished Haven's bag Ethan had a FIT. He HAD to have a bag too. I told him I didn't have any fabric for him. I actually looked through his clothes for a Superman t-shirt but couldn't find one. I think I gave it to Kara... we're really a Transformers, Spiderman, Star Wars kind of family..... But anyway... He INSISTED!!! He was pulling out the pieces of pink and purple stripe and demanding a bag! Hilarious! So I took a regular blue shopping bag, turned it inside out, and appliqued a Superman emblem on the front with felt. It turned out pretty cute! You can kind of see it here:

Every year the girls at the shop dress up and we take a group photo. But there aren't many of us left right now since people keep moving... We didn't accomplish a group photo this year, but here we all are. All four of us who dressed up that day.

Left to right: Katelyn - Hippy; Josanna - Native American; Nikka - Girl with Fan; Me - Lois Lane

I thought I would throw in an explanation about Nikka's costume. When I realized I wouldn't have a Superman I decided I would be the Girl with the Pearl Earring, the Dutch painting. I was going to be that all the way up until Thursday. Well, Nikka went along with my painting theme and found Picasso's Girl with Fan. She followed through. I reverted back to Lois when I got my Superman. Oops. So here's the painting Nikka was inspired by:

Ok, I know this post is now way long. Sorry Mary. But one last thing. No Halloween would be complete without some reference to Star Wars. Not because they are related... just because that's how we roll. So here is my first ever pumpkin carving.

If you are like many of my friends wondering what the heck that is, fear not. It is the Death Star from Episode IV. That's the big space station that blew up Leia's planet and then Luke blows it up at the end of the movie. Ringing any bells? I'm working on educating my co-workers on the world of Star Wars. Well, not so much that as teaching them the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek. Eh hm.

This was not my idea though, so here's the credits.

On Sunday the AWANA program put on a Harvest Fest at the church. I have very few pics of that, but it was fun. Each room had a game with candy prizes. Nicely done.

Ok, that's about it. Hope you all had fun and safe weekends!

Prairie Girl Dress

2010-10-03T22:52:00.000+02:00

Thanks Mary for taking pics!

I finished the Prairie Girl dress in September, but the weather and my illness prevented me from wearing it. Today the sun was shining and I got to wear it for the first time! It's made from my precious piece of Anna Maria Horner Little Folks Voile. I used an off-white voile from the store for the underskirt. The fabric is SO soft.

Even though my last two weeks of Self-Stitched September were spent on sick leave, I still wore something self-stitched every day. There were lots of repeats, and some days my pjs were the self-stitched garment of the day, but I did it. 30 days wearing hand-made clothes! It was a really cool accomplishment.

A Day at the Zoo

2010-10-02T10:00:00.000+02:00

This is from back when my mom was here in July.

Quarantine Day 7 + Sweet Harmony Handbag

2010-09-29T16:01:00.001+02:00

My last day in quarantine. Tomorrow I will go back to work. The rash is basically gone except for a couple of tell-tale marks. I'm really grateful for how mild this case was and hope I don't get it again. Considering that this virus usually occurs in people over 50, with low immune systems, or people under extreme stress, I have realized that I need to slow down a bit. I'm starting to realize that every waking second of my day doesn't have to be spent doing something productive. Or more appropriately, that spending time doing something like reading to Ethan or doing a project with Haven IS productive. I will try to not book every single Saturday with something and will be more patient with my projects knowing that I don't HAVE to stay up until 2 in the morning to finish it. Of course I say that..... but last night it was about 1:30 when I finished this:

The Amy Butler Sweet Harmony Handbag

I really like this bag! I used heavy weight fabric (I think it was backing fabric) from the Roman Holiday Christmas collection from Moda from several years ago. I had just enough leftover cream solid from something else for the lining. The bag was easy to put together except for the bulk of the exterior with all the batting and interfacing. I went through about three needles. I should have bought some upholstery needles (and will before I make another one). I LOVE the design of the bag but it's just slightly too small. I'm going to try blowing up the pattern on a copy machine just a smidge.

I also finished the hand sewing on my jacket. Now I just need the rest of the buttons and it will be complete!

Cash Envelopes Book

2010-09-28T10:46:00.000+02:00

Rob and I have been doing the Dave Ramsey "Financial Peace University" system for more than six months now. We didn't take the whole class. I just did A LOT of research on the internet to get all the theories and main points. Mostly I wanted the budget percentages and to see how to go to the all cash system. In the spirit of reducing costs and because I'm crafty, I decided to make my own cash book instead of ordering theirs. So I made one out of a 7 Gypsies envelope album. I have worn it out so that the flaps on the envelopes are tearing and the pieces of the mixed media I decorated it with are coming off. So I started researching wallets to see how I could have a more durable envelope system.

I was first inspired by this Fossil Wallet because it has room for two currencies. I think there is another zippered section somewhere too, because I thought I could have both types of coins in there. But the price tag of 70 euros quickly made me put it back on the shelf. Funny, it's only $50 from the US website...

Then the Heather Bailey Folding Totes pattern got me thinking because it has a coupon envelope in the pattern. But how would I bind them together...

So I looked on Etsy for fabric envelope inspiration. There was this neat accordion folder, these envelopes within an envelope, and others. But then Sunday I found this seller and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Her use of linen and magnets is great! This is the one that really caught my eye. Someone else thought it was great too because it sold yesterday!

So here's my version.

I used the very last little remnants of my favorite Nicey Jane fabric and green linen. I added gusseted coin pockets for US and Euro coins and a pocket for coupons and stuff. I also made the envelopes big enough to fit both US and Euro bills. The Euros are taller and the US$ are wider. Since I haven't used a checkbook in almost nine years I didn't need a spot for one. I used long strips of magnets to keep the envelopes closed, which make the book bulkier and heavier, but keeps all the pockets perfectly closed. I am now praying that all those magnets don't erase my credit cards.

This was a challenging project and there are some things I should have done a little differently, but I think I did a decent job and I think I'll use this for awhile. I talked to TresMarias before I blogged to let her know that I didn't steal her idea outright, but that it was a long thought through project that ended in a similar design as hers. She was sweet and said that that was one of the tenants of the program - if you don't have to buy it, don't, and she encouraged me to make my own. She also let me know that she's in the process of making a pattern for her cash wallets! So if you're interested in making one yourself, but not interested in figuring it all out, grab her pattern when it comes out!

Quarantine Day 5

2010-09-27T23:52:00.000+02:00

I think I'm past the contagious period so I've ventured out a few times, with hand sanitizer of course. I had to get the purple car registered and today was the last possible day. When I told the lady I was late because of illness she asked what I had. I told her, and then she proceeded to tell me her story of the time she had it. The funny thing was she got so engrossed in her story that she didn't ask to see my driver's license, proof of insurance, ID card... nothing. Hilarious.

Well, other than that, I sewed for about 9 hours straight, finally got to the Prof. Moriarty stories in the Sherlock Holmes books, read some blogs, and did some work on the digi scrap site. Tomorrow when the sun is out I'll take pictures of the project that took 9 hours and post it.

1st Lost Tooth

2010-09-27T23:43:00.001+02:00

Ethan lost his first tooth today. It had been wiggly for a couple months now and his lunch did the final task of removing it today. So did we have a special place for it for the Tooth Fairy? A crafty little device to store the tooth? Something fun for this momentous event? Well, unless the Tooth Fairy can retrieve teeth out of little boy's tummies, I think we'll have to call this one a really lost tooth. Yup, he swallowed it. Still makes me laugh!

BMW Magic Trick

2010-09-26T22:24:00.000+02:00

My purple BMW failed its inspection earlier this month. So I took it into the shop (once again) for another round of expensive work. But I told them I really needed them to work some magic on the car because I couldn't keep bringing it in for repairs.

So, I took it in. And then abra cadabra......

We came home with THIS!!!!!!

Pretty good trick right? Well, it just so happened that they had a used Mini that was within our monthly budget. I was able to surprise Rob by bringing it home for a test drive. Then we went together the next day to sign the papers. We had to wait two weeks before we could pick it up, but now it's ours. It's so cute! It's too small for my every day needs. I like to push my seat too far back, so the kids don't have enough leg room in the back. And the trunk is too small for groceries. But that's ok, because this paint job is EXACTLY what Rob would choose if he could pick any mini. So Rob gets to have the mini and I got his black 325. The purple car is getting passed on to one of my co-workers who needs a car for less than a year before he moves. So... there you have it. The BMW magic trick. :)

My Teenager

2010-09-25T23:53:00.003+02:00

My little girl turned 13 today! We had planned for Haven and some friends to go downtown for a shopping trip. I couldn't go, so Rob chaperoned the girls. They had a good time shopping and eating Chinese food. Haven came back with about five new t-shirts and some jewelry. She also got to start her Facebook account today, which is where she spent most of the evening! :) We also did some online shopping on Etsy (for cheshire cat ears and anime hat) and cbd.com (for Christian t-shirts). So this year I'm 31 and she's 13. Funny.

Quarantine Day 3

2010-09-25T23:53:00.000+02:00

Today I rested. I only did these fun things:

made breakfast for Haven's b-day - waffles
watched her open her gifts from us - the messenger bag and shopping money
took pictures of bag and beautiful 13 year old daughter

finally hung shelves in kitchen for cookbooks

realized nifty pot rack that hangs from ceiling won't work where I want it cuz that section of ceiling is only dry wall. Bummer.
laundry
dishes
organized Ethan's closet and removed clothes that are too small. Kara, get ready for a present! :)
listened to more Sherlock Holmes
made a cake

online shopping with Haven for her birthday
Digi scrapping pics for the blog
computer time

But I prewashed!!!!!!!

2010-09-25T19:49:00.000+02:00

I washed this a while back and was just ill when it came out. I haven't been able to look at it. I pre-washed all the fabric on hot water for the regular cycle (not the quick cycle). But the red still bled into my beautiful white collar. Funny though, not into the white lining. So is there any way to get the collar white again without taking it apart and putting on a new collar?

Quarantine Day 2

2010-09-25T00:16:00.000+02:00

There's no major change today, which I hope is a good sign. A friend of mine called today to say that her husband has similar outbreaks every few years. The good news was that it sounded mild like mine and went away after about 10 days. The bad news was he gets it every three years or so. This year was one of his years. Whining to myself, I thought this was a one time deal. Well, at least if it happens again I'll know what it is and can treat it sooner. So want to hear what I got accomplished today?

had my first cup of coffee since last Sunday. Mmmm so good. And probably explains the rest of the list.
lovely morning with the hubby drinking coffee and discussing the world
almost completed corduroy jacket. just the hand sewing left to do. (yes, Corinnea, I'm going to do it)
lunch with hubby and the boy
laundry
dishes
more de-cluttering
computer time
listening to sherlock holmes and loving it! the longer I listen the more I think they cast the movie perfectly.
mended 2 shirts, 2 buttons (with the sewing machine!!!!!), 1 button hole, one skirt, and 2 waterproof sheets
payed bills
worked on the budget
almost got a picture of ethan with his head stuck in his shirt! LOL!
made this messenger bag (without the stroller straps and with pockets). pictures of that tomorrow.

Maybe tomorrow I'll rest. We'll see...

Quarantine Day 1

2010-09-23T21:41:00.000+02:00

If you don't know what I mean by quarantine, read the previous post. I'm actually not quarantined, it just amuses me to say the word quarantine. I can leave my house, I just have to avoid contact with ... well, everyone. I mean it's hard to ask everyone if they've had chickenpox, are pregnant, or have a weak immune system before you shake hands. So just easier to stay inside and not risk it. So here's my rundown of today's activities (as if you're really interested... but it's fun for me to make lists! CHECK!)

three loads laundry
dishwasher
began to de-clutter the dining table
cleaned the pile of clothes off my floor
cleared the dead plants off the balcony (side note, if you love plants, don't give me one as a gift)
had lunch with Ethan
held my kitty through two seizures
lots of blog reading
logged on to facebook TWICE (necessity only, don't expect to see me there any more frequently)
cut some interfacing for the coat I'm working on
helped Haven with her family tree project (a little more hands on than I probably should have been, but there were tree branches and they needed leaves!)
finished watching the 3rd season of the funniest spy tv show EVER "Chuck" (which went out in a "Blaze of Glory" wink wink)
And here was my favorite activity of the day

Watching the boy play with legos. Yup. Good day.

Oh, and if you're wondering about Self-Stitched September, I am still wearing my hand-made garments, but there will be a lot of repeats and no point in photographing. But if the sun stays out (please let the sun stay out) I do have one finished voile dress to unveil!

Unintentional Stay-cation

2010-09-23T21:14:00.000+02:00

Why settle for a regular vacation when you can get really sick and be quarantined to your house for a week?!

For four days a rash has been moving across my face. Today I finally went into see the doctor and after three doctors I was diagnosed with shingles and am home bound for one week. Ok, doesn't that just sound disagreeable? I would much rather say I have adult chickenpox. After subjecting myself to some rather horrific images on google I can safely say that this is a mild case and I'm really grateful it's not as bad as it could be. But just in case the doctor wrote me a pass to go immediately to the hospital. Wow, that's comforting. I saw the eye doctor and he said the virus is not affecting my eye, which is really important. So I guess it's just uncomfortable. I am dangerous to people who have not had chicken pox, pregnant women, and people with low immune systems. So that's why I have to stay home.

Well, Rob says I'm an expert at finding the silver lining in any cloud, so here's my silver lining list:

1. I visited three doctors in three hours, all within walking distance of each other, and only had to pay 22 euros for the whole ordeal. Insurance covers the rest.

2. I get to spend every afternoon with Ethan.

3. A craft a day will keep the blues away!

4. I can catch up on house cleaning and laundry.

5. Some nice church members will bring us some meals so I don't have to worry about exposing people at the grocery store.
6. I can listen to the FREE audio books I downloaded from audible.com. The complete works of Sherlock Holmes!

So... it's not all bad.

More self-stitched stuff

2010-09-19T18:28:00.004+02:00

This is my basic weekend outfit. The shirt is the Ruffle Top from Made by Rae's tutorial. Jennifer gave it to me last year. I think she didn't like it on her... I've forgotten now what the reason was. But it's comfy and easy to wear and I love this cardigan, so this is my typical Saturday outfit.

This is Simplicity 9825 again. This is the easiest skirt pattern ever. The fabric is so cool. It's is a soft corduroy with a fuzzy variegated thread that has been sewn down in this swirly vine design and there are little brown sequins interspersed. I got the last panels of this from Hilco. I left off the waistband from the pattern to make it sit lower. Then I cut into the skirt to make a lower waistband and put the piping in. The home front wasn't too excited. When I tried to show it off Haven said "did you make the design on the fabric?" when I said no she said, "well, then you just made a skirt." I guess it's time to move on to more impressive projects, huh?

1st Day of First Grade

2010-09-16T23:39:00.004+02:00

Ethan started first grade today. I really enjoyed taking him to school. I think he's going to do well. He was very calm and ready to go. He chose his first day of school outfit, which is the same as yesterday's photo... I had to wash it last night. I love that Ethan established his style right on the first day. And we had the schultuete (prounounced shool-toot-uh) with school supplies and sweets. Yes it's Star Wars, and yes his backpack is too. Are you surprised? They sequestered the parents in the auditorium until they released the kids so that the parents couldn't go peek in the windows and disturb the classes. I thought that was pretty funny.

Many of the families go way out for the first day. There were some BIG elaborate cones (the schultuete) and some very dressed up kids. Anyway, for some more well-established families the whole extended family comes out for the event and then they go eat at a local restaurant. After class we took Ethan for lunch at the PX followed by shopping, where he chose... wait for it... a Star Wars toy.

If you are not German and you're interested in this tradition, you can do a quick search and find some history about the schultuete. They are a cardboard cone decorated, filled with goodies, and tied at the top. There are tutorials on how to make them, or you can buy a pre-made one, which is what we did for both of the kids. The typical thing to do in our area is make it out of corrugated cardboard (colored) and decorate with whatever theme your kid likes. Then you put tissue paper or felt at the top to close it up. Inside you stuff it with school supplies, snacks (some sweets, oranges, nuts, whatever), and maybe a small toy or gift. This tradition is for the first day of first grade. It's a big deal here in Germany. It's not for any other year of school. Just first grade. (I'm emphasizing that because I know it's tempting to do it every year.) If you have a 1st grader getting a big cone and you have younger children, I have seen the Germans give the younger siblings tiny little cones with just snacks. But the big ones are reserved for the 1st graders. It's a very fun tradition and I'm really glad both of our kids got to have the experience.

So 80's it hurts

2010-09-15T21:12:00.004+02:00

Is this me and my little brother from 1989? Nope. It's Haven and Ethan from 2 hours ago.

Butterick 4789

2010-09-12T14:57:00.003+02:00

I. LOVE. THIS. PATTERN. It was really easy to understand the instructions and really easy and fun to put together. This is the dress length. Fabric is from the clearance bins at Hilco. The sun actually came out today and it was warm enough to wear this without a jacket. Did I mention I love this pattern?

Star Wars Cookies

2010-09-11T18:56:00.002+02:00

In our house, every day is Star Wars Day. And thanks to Williams Sonoma even our food can celebrate! I picked up the whole collection - cookie cutters, sandwich cutters in Star Wars collectable lunch box, and pancake molds. You really have to grease up the pancake molds for them to work, but once you do they work great and are really fun. The cookie cutters are really cool, but I'm on the hunt for the perfect cookie recipe to go with them. I was really excited to use them so I just grabbed some pre-made dough and added more flour. That worked ok but not great as you can see above. Poor Yoda. I can just hear him saying "When 900 years you reach, look as good, you will not."

PS. Yes, that's a Star Wars font.