All Twisted Up

1930's Dresden Quilt

2012-01-29T21:28:00.000-08:00

I saw this blog post at the beginning of the month and I immediately knew I'd found the perfect pattern for my 1930's reproduction print fabrics. I've had these fabrics for a good 3 years now just waiting for inspiration to strike. I purchased the Dresden ruler and began the work of cutting it all out. I have to say that I was really excited to be working on this quilt. I swear, it just put itself together. I spent all my free time during Cael's naps and evenings after the kids went to bed for over a week.

I'm making the quilt bigger than the one in the Scrappy Plate Club. I'm making it a queen by using 20 blocks and adding more borders to the outside. Picture above shows over 600 4" plates cut out. I did end up cutting out another 100 or so for the border.

Finished plate above. I removed the dark red floral one. It really stood out and looked funny to me.

Finished Dresden block. I purchased some Kona cotton in a vintage blue color for the centers and borders. And, the background fabric is a great white with red dot. I used the blanket stitch on my machine to applique the plate down using red, green, and yellow embroidery thread.

Here's two nice views of the quilt top minus the final two borders. It was so big that I couldn't get it all in the photo. I used each of the fabrics for the little blocks between the sashing.

Finished quilt top on my king size bed. I can't believe how big the queen actually is. In the top picture I have it placed on the bed the right way. I really love the red inner border. In the bottom picture it's pictured with the long sides going over the sides of my bed. (wrong way that it would go on a queen)

Here are some bonus pics of the bottom corners and scrappy border. I'm trying to use up as much of my fabrics as I can. So, I used the Dresden ruler to cut out more blades and I sewed them up to make a scrappy border. I really love how it looks. The blue dot on the outside border is the same fabric that will be used on the backing.

I've had a lot of fun with this quilt. Now, I'm working on the backing. I cut out 8" Dresden plates with the remainder of my fabrics. I'm going to make an L shape with them on the backing. I may have to add another fabric to the backing too as I'm not sure I have enough of the blue dot fabric. Pics of the backing will come in the next blog post about the quilt.

The Year Of Quilts - Starting With Dr. Seuss!!!

2012-01-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

I adore handmade quilts. I drool over them on the Internet and sewing shows. I oooohhhh and awwww at all the gorgeous quilting fluffy goodness. I want to make them, I just don't. I'm not one for perfect points, lined up seams, etc. Quilts take a lot of time and need more attention than I can usually give. However... I am a fabric hog. I have a weakness for quilting cottons. I buy them constantly. Mostly for things like purses, toys, clothing, etc. I have bought some fabrics specifically for making a quilts. Specifically the Dr. Seuss collection from Robert Kaufman. I bought these at Boardwalk Quilts over a year ago. And, have recently purchased the Grinch Fabrics too. I've also been hoarding some vintage inspired 1930's fabrics for almost 3 years!

I decided after the new year that this year would be the year of the quilts! It's time to actually get sewing with those yummy fabrics and make something that my family can snuggle up in. And, first up is the Dr. Seuss Quilt. I am sooo taken by the colors of these fabrics. I knew this was a good one to start with because nothing about Dr. Seuss is straight. All his books are curvy, ripply, and fun. And, so is this quilt. I had very little actual Dr. Seuss fabrics, so I pulled a few prints from my stash that worked as well as some Kona Cottons in co-ordinating colors. I made the pattern up as I went. I wanted it to be warm so I used a high loft batting. I won't do that again unless I'm tying a quilt. It was a bain to quilt on my machine. However, I'm very happy with it and so are the kids. Even my oldest loves it and wants to cuddle in it.

Some closer up images. I did scrappy squares and stuff to fill in the quilt.

For the back I used up my leftover fabrics.

Bonus picture of my son pointing at all the fun images. He loves Cat In The Hat. And, he loves this quilt. It'll go on his toddler bed when he's ready for it. Until then, it's just a throw.

Cael's Cardboard Boat

2012-01-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I had a hard time thinking of something for Cael for Xmas. He really didn't NEED anything. But I wanted Santa to bring him something cool. Something that he would absolutely love and play with. My hubby kept saying that he would just as happy with a cardboard box, so we might as well save our money and just get him a few small things. During a strong discussion, I yelled at him that he might as well make him something out of that darned cardboard box then! Funny enough, we both kidna looked at each other and stared thinking. The next day I told him to make a boat or a car or a train or, or, or. But, he simply said... "A Car". That same week he got to work. What I thought would be a very simple cardboard boat turned into something really amazing. Just look at this thing. I think it would probably float across a large body of water before falling apart. It's held together my hot glue and two corrugated layers of cardboard. It was painted and then gorilla tape was used on all edges so it would be nice and smooth. I added felt to the bottom and he added a rope to pull him around the house. It slides beautifully on the hardwood flooring. It's also got a little seat with a back rest, a steering wheel that turns, some knobs on the front dashboard, two drop holes up front, side rope with beads and two cute anchors in back.

This thing really goes to show you that you can make beautiful gifts for kids with cardboard. As, he grows we plan to change things on it to keep it new and awesome. We might even add a sail to it someday. I need to get better pictures of him in it. He really laughs when he's being pulled. He loves to just sit in it and play. And, his sisters and daddy all agree that they would totally play in it too if they could fit.

Boy, do I love that husband of mine... He is continually surprising me. I never thought he would put so much love and work into something like this. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though. He never does anything halfway. And, he would do anything to make his children smile.

My Last 3 Months

2012-01-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last post. I got so caught up in making X-Mas gifts that I kinda lost track of things. I thought I should honor all those long hard hours of work and post some pics of those gifts. I'll start with the knitting.

Machine Knit Socks: I used fingering weight and sock yarns. Some from my stash and other bought. I made my own pattern for these. I basically made two sizes... women's and men's. The women's are between 8.5" and 9.5" long and the men's are between 10" and 11" and are slightly wider. 11 Pairs total.

Next I made a machine knit Clapotis for my daughter. I guess it's not technically a Clapotis because it's not knit on the bias, but I used the basic pattern of drop stitches to make this. 6 stitches in use and 3 stitches "dropped" I used a yummy self striping yarn... I'll have to look up which one. It's very soft and comfy. I stitched the ends together to make it a mobius. She absolutely loves it. Wears it all the time wrapped around her neck twice.

This next one is mostly sewn. But, I did knit the "February Lady" sweater that the doll is wearing. I made a 15" Waldorf doll for my youngest daughter. It was certainly a challenge. I'll post more about my Waldorf doll making later on. For now, here is the doll and her clothing. She loved it and sleeps with it and plays with it. Even now, it's sitting next to me... she brought it down to play on the computer with her last night.

Next is the Waldorf sacky doll that I made for Cael. He liked it, but mostly wanted to play with other things.... oh well... maybe he'll enjoy it later.

I made both girls new bags using the Joy-Nicole pattern. Loved this pattern. It would be more of a purse for me, but for them it's perfect to as a large purse or overnight bag. Both bags are fully lined with pockets inside. Alaina's bag is first up. I just love the button I found from my stash! Rachel's bags is all about cats. And, they are doing yoga!!

Last, but not least. I made some boxy bags for all the recipients of the socks. Each person got a bag with the socks in it. No wrapping or anything.... Everyone seemed to really love them. And, I got to use more lovely tags to help make opening the bag easier.

The only thing that I'm haven't pictured is the boat that we made for our son. I'll do a separate post on that one. Otherwise I think that's all the gifts I made....

Edit: Totally forgot about the XMas jamies! I made pants for all the kids and bought the shirts. The flannel was upcycled from a flannel sheet.

Tutorial - Sleep Sac To Sleep Suit!

2011-10-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

Now that my son is standing he no longer wants to sleep in a sleep sac. During the summer that was fine, but it's starting to get chilly and he needs something to keep him warm and toasty at night. Looking at his sleep sac I decided to just add some ankle holes to it so he can move all over his crib and stand without getting All Twisted Up. Here's what I did.

To start you'll need a sleep sac. Pictured is a fleece one in size 18-24 months. But, this would work for any size. Ribbing fabric or any stretchy fabric for the ankles. And, basic sewing supplies.

Step 1: Take baby and place him inside the sleep sac. Mark with a pen where crotch is and let baby roll away and get back to playing. (no photo of this as he was way to wiggle to photograph and mark at the same time!) My pins are on the inside back of the sleeper.

Step 2: Place another pin 3" BELOW where the crotch pen mark is. You can go further down if want to. I wanted there to be plenty of room to grow and be loose enough for any jamies underneath. Then lay the front of the sleeper on top and mark your zipper where your lower pin is. This is where you will sew closed the zipper.

Steps 3 & 4: Now you are going to sew together the zipper where you marked it with the pin. Make sure your zipper is all the way open before you sew it down. In image 4 you can see that I've tacked it down good. You don't want your zipper pull to come off when you unzip it.

Step 5: Now your going to mark where to cut to make the new legs. I made a rounded top and slightly angled it down the sides. It's 3" from the zipper on the top and 3.5" from the zipper on the bottom. I just eyeballed the rounded-ness.

Step 6: Cut out on your line. Then cut the very bottom so that it's now open. Then turn the sac inside out and sew along your legs as shown below.

Step 7 & 8: Cut out two 6.5" X 6" squares of cotton ribbing. You could use any stretchy fabric. Just make sure it's supper stretchy. Add.5" to the width if it's not super stretchy. Fold your fabric in half and sew. Then Turn it half way up so you have a cuff. Do this to both pieces.

Step 9: Sew your ankle ribbing into the leg openings to finish. This was tough to stretch all the way around. But, it did to and it fits great!

Step 10: Turn it right side out and admire your handy work.

I also tried this with another sleep sac. This one had minky on the outside and a layer of jersey on the inside. It worked great with this one too.

He now has room to move around and still stay warm!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and Yummy Puree

2011-10-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the grocery store wanting to get a few cans of Pumpkin puree to use in some recipes. I usually have a few cans in my pantry, but last year pumpkin was hard to find and pricey, so I didn't have any. My jaw dropped when I saw the price. The bigger can was over $3.00! And, the little one was close to $3.00. There was no way I was paying that. It's soooo not in my grocery budget. I went home thinking maybe I could can some myself. And, sure shooting... you can! But, I would need a pressure canner which I still don't have. But, I can freeze it like I do my butternut squash. In the end I got just under 4lbs of fresh pureed pumpkin. I immediately made some yummy pumpkin bread with it. It was amazing!

Down at the grocer store yesterday I saw some sweet pumpkin / pie pumpkins for $1.00 each. I bought 2 and brought them home to cook em up. What fun we had! I wanted to use the whole pumpkin, so I decided to try making some toasted pumpkin seeds too. I sliced up the pumpkins and took out all the seeds. Roasted them in the oven at 400' for about 40 minutes. As they were cooking and cooling I asked Rachel to help with the seeds. She had so much fun getting them cleaned and ready. After cleaned and dried they went into a 400' oven. I cooked them a bit to long so some of them were very brown. (I was distracted by the canning of asparagus) Hubby loved those, but next time I'll watch closer. I sprinkled them with some kosher salt and we all loved them. Even the kids. They were eating them by the handful. You can bet I'll be using seeds from all my squashes from now on.

Oh, The Canning Love!

2011-10-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

I finally got brave enough to try my hand at canning. And now I'm addicted! I look at all my fruit and veggies in a new light. I wonder.... " How can I can that?" I don't have much canned yet. But, as the apples come into season here, I'll be canning more and more.

In the above photo I have applesauce, salsa, and pickled dilly beans. Blow are some pickled asparagus I made yesterday. (I'll post that pic in a few minutes) My favorite thing to do is pickle. I want to pickle everything!

Canning is one of those dying arts. I know it's coming back a bit due to the economic issues all of us are facing now. It just seems silly to me now that I've started canning that this was ever something that lost popularity. When did preserving food for your family become an unimportant thing? I guess canning goes hand in hand with long term food storage. Something that almost everyone I know does not do. Most of the families I know have only a few days worth of food in their pantries. I'm hoping to spread the long term food storage love by handing out some home canned goods during the holidays.

As my supply of canned goodies grows I'll post more pics. Soon to come (hopefully) will be canned meats, beans, and other pressure canner needed goods. We haven't bought one yet, but I think we will be very soon.

Turning One!

2011-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Oh my little man. How fast you've grown. I can't believe we've had you for a whole year. You've changed so much since the day you were born. So tiny and fragile. You've filled our lives with such joy and happiness. You've completed our family in a way that even I can't describe.

The day you were born you had barely any hair. Invisible eyebrows, and one eye that wanted to stay closed more than the other. You were always hungry and wanted to be held always. So soft and tiny. Sweet and cuddly. Your sweet wrinkly baby skin and smell had the whole household kissing and hugging you.

Health wise you were having troubles. You were a snacker which was causing sleeping troubles. Our pediatrician was encouraging as much nursing as you could takeso she wanted us to tickle your feet and play with your tummy to try and get you to eat more at once. But, by day 15 you were in the hospital because you were projectile vomiting. Thankfully it turned out to be nothing that they could find. Daddy and I both decided that a to full tummy was causing the vomiting because once we stopped trying to get you to eat more at once, you stopped vomiting.

As the months ticked by you grew and changed so much. By month three you were so much more aware of all around you. You recognized your sisters and dad when they came into the room. You started making noises and smiling. You loved to look at toys and lay on the floor watching your sisters try and play with your. Still not sleeping at all well, but other than that you were such a happy and content little man.

At 6 months you were rolling over and smiling at everything. You learned to sit up by about 7 months. Laughing and co-oing. You always wanted to be right at the action, so you were sitting in your highchair a lot so you could see everything. It was one of your favorite spots to sit. I put one of those cart covers on it and hooked on toys. You could play and be comfy. Still not sleeping well, but you were starting on some very basic solids which made you very happy.

9 months and growing fast. By now you were rolling to get to new places and getting up on all fours. No crawling yet. But, you could go up the stairs...And, you loved it! Slithering/Crawing happened around 10 months. You would slither like a snake. We called it your slither... or your amy man crawl. You were very very efficient at it. I think that is why it took you so long to actually crawl. You got efficient at crawling by closer to 11 months. You loved table foods. Baby food did nothing for you. You want to do it yourself or have us give you chunks of things. No teeth yet so this was tricky. I switched you to formula (my milk gave out) and you began sleeping a bit better. Instead of being up with you 8 times a night, your were now only up 3! You sleep on your belly with your bum in the air. Soooo cute! And, you sleep everynight with your bunny. Grandma Vicki gave you this bunny for Easter and you won't let him go. Oh... you love balls. You would push them, watch them roll, and slither after them. Below is daddy's favorite picture. He calls this one "Dr. Evil"

12 months. One year old!! I still can't believe it. Your cruzing around the furniture, climbing everything, and crawling so very fast. You love to be chased and climb the stairs. You babble all the time, and love to look outside. Playing outside is your favorite. You love to explore and touch everything. Not much goes into yorur mouth (thank goodness), but you do love to wipe things across your mouth. Your sticking your fingers into any hole in your head. Your mouth, nose, and ears. Your fingers are always in your ears. It seems like it's just a good resting place for your fingers. Very cute! Your loving fruits, veggies, and dairy. Especially yogurt and cheese. Your sleeping better. Up maybe once to feed. And your taking nice 2 hr naps during the afternoons. Your such a sweet and loving little man. You love to sit and cuddle and watch movies. Your favorite right now is Cars. You can't seem to get enough of that one. Your favorite toys are your wood stacked toy. (the kind with the rings that go on the pole thingy) You also love this car ram that you put a car on and it goes back and forth down the ramps. Your favorite stuffed animal is still your bunny. It's getting very loved.

Every day you grow and change and I just love watching you learn. We love you more than you know!!!!

Kids & Earning Money

2011-09-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

We've never given our kids allowances. Now that they are getting older though they are starting to need more spending cash for various things. Things that neither Hubby or I deam our responsibility to pay for. So, in an effort to teach our children about money (and hopefully give them a better chance of being responsible as adults) we are doing something a little different. The kids will earn money on chores that they do. I made a list of all kinds of chores that they could do around the house. Each one was then given an amount and how often they can do that chore. For example... emptying the dishwasher. That's something that happens everyday. Where as vaccuming the stairs happens once a week. I printed out this chart and put it into a page protector and put it on the fridge. One for each girl. It's nice because the page protector works great with dry erase markers. The kids will be paid at the end of each week. At which time they will put a minimun of 10% in their savings account. Their savings will be in the cloth envelopes below. They will keep track of all money coming and going from these envelopes. Our goal is for the savings accounts not to be touched unless they are saving for something that they really really want. Any other money that they get from birthdays, holidays, etc will be handled the same way.

We have always been very careful with what we allow them to spend their money on. We have never let them buy something random at will. They need to think about it for a few days and if they are still really wanting it then we will usually let them get it. With this new plan however, spending money will be allowed to be spent on whatever they want. This will be hard for us because neither hubby or like to see money spent on junky toys that will be broken and forgotten in a day. But, we feel that they need to learn more about responsible spending. So, an example of free spending... Lets say that Ali spends her $5.00 on candy in the student store and then decides later that she would have rather spent that money on earrings. She has just learned that perhaps not all her money should have been spent on candy. Her earrings would have lasted her a very long time were as the candy was gone quickly. Maybe next time she'll really think about what she wants before spending it all. Maybe only $1.50 on candy and the rest saved for those earrings.

We are hoping this will work out. So far the kids have been more excited to do chores!

My September Garden

2011-09-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

We are half way through September and we've been having July/August weather. It's no wonder that my veggies are confused. I've been told by a few "seasoned" gardeners that my veggies are fine for the weather that we are having. I don't know if they are being nice or serious. To me, the garden isn't producing like I thought it would. I've decided to make a gardening journal so I can remember things from this year next year. I do have to say though, that the veggies and herbs are awesome! No comparison to grocery store veggies. Next year.... I want a much much larger garden.

The tomatoes are doing the best of everything. They grew quite large in size. The fruit is smaller than what the tags said they should be. The cherry tomatoes are about 1/2 the size of the ones in the grocery stores. But, they do taste better! The Early Girl tomatoes should be 4-5 oz each and they are mostly 2 oz each. But, again... they are tasty!

I've been able to harvest 3 cucumbers. The plant itself seams to be doing quite badly. It's got very yellow and brown leaves.

The bell peppers are still going. I've only harvested 2 so far, but there are quite a few on the bush still growing. I'm hoping to have bell peppers for at least another month.

The zucchini squash are just sad. I think I need to plant only one plant per pot next year. Just sad....

The green beans have been sad too. They never got larger than 10" tall and only produced 5 beans. No picture of these because they are really boring!

Overall I'm happy with my results this year. Considering how black my thumb is. I've gotten a great sense of accomplishment out of growing things I can feed my family. I still hate weeding and cutting the grass. Give me a yard with just some grass and raised gardening beds and I'd be a happy gardener!

My Current Diaper Stash And Review Of My Favorite Pattern

2011-09-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've been asked for an updated review of my favorite diaper patterns. It's actually pretty simple now. LDD aka: LaDiDa's. This was a pattern that I heard rave reviews about for months before I caved and bought the pattern. I've bought many many cloth diaper patterns and have now sold all but 4. I've kept Fattycakes because I love them as covers. Je'Mapelle because it fits nice and has many many styles. A new one that I've forgotten the name of and have yet to try and of course LDD's.

Daytime Diapering: My stash currently consists of 11 of my altered LDD's. I've made them medium long by adding about 2.5" through the rise and I've added some width across the front by cutting it at a bit of an angle on the fold. This allows for more room in his front where he needs more soaking area. For a girl you probably wouldn't need this. I've made a few with a fun print on the outside back and tabs. (meaning that the print goes about 1/3 down the back) I've found that these wick if he soaks his diaper good. It doesn't happen often, but it happens enough for me to make new diapers with the embellishment just on the tabs.

For soakers, I think I've tried it all. Flannel, sweatshirt fleece, terry cloth, hemp, bamboo, jersey cotton, and microfiber. But, my absolute favorite is ZorbII diamond. This stuff is insanely soft, easy to wash, and absorbs like crazy. All his diapers have one internal soaker of this stuff and a two layer soaker that snaps in. This is the perfect amount for him during the day. Non of my diapers have a wicking layer, but I do have some microfleece rectangles cut out and on his changing table if I think he'll be in a diaper for longer than usual.

Construction of my diapers is fairly basic. I use PUL for the outsides and something soft and wicking against his skin. I usually use minky or suedecloth. I like the minky better, but it costs more. I prefer non cased elastic on the legs as I find they leave less marks. My diapers are currently half cased and half uncased.

Nighttime Diapering: I've been using sposies for months at night. I know, I know..... shamefull!!! But, I have yet to find the perfect way to diaper him at night. I've tried fitteds with covers, super absorbent layers in an AI2, and even 2 prefolds with a cover. Now only did he have a massive cloth diaper bum that looks terribly uncomfortable, but I still had to change him in the night at least once or twice. Now that he's older though I want to try again. I'm thinking my basic diaper with maybe 4-5 layers of Zorb II.

Well... That's my stash. Let me know if you have any questions.

Garden Update - Late July

2011-07-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

The garden is growing well. Though honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you if it was truly thriving. But, from what I can tell... things are starting to happen.

My herb table is looking lush and green. We pluck something from it almost every night. The pot in the center is mint, peppermint, and pineapple sage. After I took this picture I decided to split them up into their own pots. They are doing much better now. I can't believe how big they got. I need to learn to dry these herbs to use them in the winter. Especially for tea.

As you can see my tomatoes are doing well. I'm actually quite surprised. On my big tomato plant I have about half a dozen 1" or so tomatoes growing. I seem to find a few more itty bitties every day. I can't wait until they get big and red! My cherry tomato plant is also going strong. There are a few dozen tomatoes started. Ray is sooo excited about these.

My hanging cucumbers are starting to grow too. There are many 1" cucumbers started. I've never seen them grow before so this is exciting!!

I've harvested two 4-5" green bell peppers so far. There are 3 more on bush and the red bell pepper plant is just starting. Hubby says that the bell peppers that we've eaten so far were't to great. Hmmmm.....

The zucchini has 5 started and lots more flowers. 2 are not going to make it, but the other 3 are looking good. Some of the leaves are turning yellow. I think I need to fertilize with something. I will have to look that up.

The green beans, strawberries, and blueberries are very uninspiring. Very small strawberries, only a few very small green beans so far and only a dozen or so blueberries that may ripen up. Hopefully they will get better as the weeks go by. No photo of these as they aren't that interesting right now.

All in all we are having lots of fun with our garden. I am loving seeing things grow that we can eat. Very satisfying. Next year we will definitely be planting more variety.

Happy 11th Birthday Alaina!

2011-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

On the 13th my oldest turned 11. I can't believe how fast she is growing and changing. Being in full "tween" stage she is now all about nail polish, clothes, earrings, makeup, etc. Her favorite activities are reading, riding her new bike (even though it's pink), playing board games, coloring (she is currently doing fun geometric drawings with some "nice" colored markers), shopping and her new love... photography.

She is just as sweet as they come. She is kind to everyone. Polite. She wants to learn pretty much anything that she can. She is very interested in all things science and math. And, likes to be called Alicat.

Being very much her fathers daughter, she wants to be involved in everything that her daddy is doing.

My daughter is turning into a wonderful young lady. With a very open heart and a kind soul. We love her dearly. Happy 11th Birthday Alaina!!!

Butter Making In My KitchenAid

2011-06-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Something I thought I would never do is make butter. I do all my baking and cooking from scratch, so we use a lot of butter. But, with the price of real butter at almost $4.00 a pound, I was kinda forced to "do something" about it. I saw a post here and decided to give it a try. (there are some video tutes on youtube as well) I bought the cheapest whipping cream I could find. (hopefully next time I'll be able to get some on sale) and I put it in my KitchenAid. Turned it on and let it go. It took about 15 minutes total and my splash guard really helped. The kids thought it was "awesome!" It was very interesting to see it go from cream, to fluffy "whipped cream", to butter & buttermilk. In the end I spend $3.25 on the carton of Whipping cream and I got 11.5 oz of butter and 2.5 cups of buttermilk. The butter tasted amazing and the buttermilk whole wheat oat pancakes that we had that night were equally amazing. The kids are now asking me for more! I'll definitely be making more when I need butter and it's not on sale.

The Start Of My Edible Container Garden

2011-06-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a black thumb. You may remember my post from last year about planting seeds. Yeah... they all died. We ended up buying two tomato plants and a strawberry plant. Planted them in those upside down thingies. Yeah.... those died too.

This year is they year! I am going to grow food. I will not let my plants die of over or under watering. I will produce something edible and yummy. I started with some good container potting soil. I bought some 10" tomatoes and some smaller bell pepper plants and a cucumber plant. Some tiny herbs and strawberries and a blueberry bush. Here are my tomato plants!

These pics were taken about 2 weeks ago. The tomatoes are now about 8" taller than pictured. They are doing great! I've been keeping them watered and fertilized. I've been pruning anything that is looking wilty and I've been making sure the stems are going over the wires for support.

Here are my other goodies. In the blue pot are some red and yellow bell pepper that are newly planted. Next to that is my green bell pepper plant. I've had this one for a month or so now. It currently has a 5" and a 4" bell pepper growing as well as a few 1" ones! The small plant next to that are some zuchinni squash. Next to that are green beans. In the larger white pot in the corner is my blueberry bush. I'm not expecting this one to do much in the way of fruit this year. But, as the years go by it should start producing nicely. In front of the blueberries are my strawberries. These are growing like mad. We've only had a few very small berries so far. But, we all agree that they are the best berries we've ever tasted. - Just a note that the picture was taken 2 weeks ago. All of the plants have grown quite a bit since then!

And finally I have my herb table. Missing in the front left is my basil. We LOVE basil. In the back left is cilantro and chives. In the middle green pot is peppermint, sweet mint, and lemon something... In the back right is oregano. This one came up from last years oregano. And in the front right is Italian parsley. Again, it's been 2 weeks since this photo. All my herbs are doing great.

#10 Cans Of Long Term Food Storage at Walmart!

2011-06-14T14:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my monthly shopping trip to wallymart. They are now carrying #10 cans of all kinds of goodies including egg, butter, honey & milk powders, tvp's, some fruits & veggies, oats, wheat, bisquit and pancake mixes, and a few other goodies. I saw a few different ones a month ago, but now they have a good selection. They even have a dinner set case of 6. I purchased 12 #10's and a 10# bucket of oats. I would have loved to buy them out, but I couldn't. I'm hoping that next month they will still have some available. Edit to add: As a side note I just want to say "Is someone trying to tell us something buy selling this stuff at the local grocery store? I'm personally not stocking up for dooms day or even a major economic crash. I'm doing it for more immediate / practical everyday reasons. With the rising cost of food it just seems right to prepare some. But, seriously.... maybe I should be more worried? I don't know....

Where's the photo!? I went to take a picture of my haul only to notice that my camera seems broken. (trying hard not to cry right now) The screen / view thingy is just pixely green & purple lines. I sure hope it was just the batteries and not something more. Granted, we've had the camera for 7 years now... but I really don't want to have to be without a camera right now. Let alone try to save for a new one.

Happy 8th Birthday Rachel!

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

I can't believe your 8 already. You've been so very proud today. When asked if you felt any older, your answer to daddy was "Oh yeahhhhh!!!!!" Your so wonderful in so many ways. Your smart, loving, compassionate, curious, always moving, always thinking and creating, and most important.... Your so very very loved. No one can make your brother laugh the way you can and no one can make me smile bigger than you when you tell me a crazy story or adventure you've just had. You bring so much joy and love to our lives.

You see the world in such a beautiful way. Your always willing to give someone another chance and your always willing to forgive. I am honored to watch you grow and learn. And, I can't wait to see what you do next!

Altering The Fattycakes Diaper Pattern To Be Front Snapping

2011-04-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

My hubby hates side snap diapers but I love love love the fattycake as a cover. So I altered the wings to be front snapping. Here is a picture of the altered pattern.

It was pretty simple really. I added about 1/2" to the length of the wing then found the center point of the wing. Then I maked 3/4" from both sides of my center mark so the wings would be 1.5" wide at the ends. Then I just tapered down the top and bottom of the wings all the way to the end. It looks a bit funny... but it works great. I then just put a single row of snaps across the front and two snaps on the wings. (I added a second snap to the overnights pictured below after the photo was taken) Let me know if you have any questions!

More pics of finished diapers. These first two are overnights that I made with 4 layers of ZorbII. They are awesome!!

This one is a cover. Love it! I also think this would be great as an AI1. I'm going to try that soon.

LDD's & Altered Fattycakes - Plus A Review Of ZorbII

2011-04-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

I finally received some ZorbII from a very sweet mamma over on the Diaper Sewing Divas Forum. Wazoodle is the only company that makes it. And, it's been out of stock forever! Anyways... The boy has been needing some good fitting AI2's so I got started when my ZorbII arrived. My favorite 2 patterns are the Fattycakes and the LDD's. I've altered both to fit my little man.

LDD's. My favorite daytime diaper that I don't have near enough of. These are all Medium Longs... meaning that I added some length to the rise. I also cut the pattern at a bit of an angle on the fold so the front would have a pinch more width. LOVE LOVE LOVE these. The fit is perfect, they don't leak, they are so easy to use, and hubby loves them too! I will be making another 12 or so of these and then I'm planning on thinning out his current stash of diapers in favor or these.

The above two (lime green and the space one) are with the same pattern but I use FOE and made them AI1's. They were so big on his thighs! I'm hopping these will fit him when he is needing trainers. I know they will fit eventually... but it's a bummer that they don't fit now because I love how easy they came together and how cute they are.

Fattycakes. My hubby likes front snapping diapers best, so I altered the pattern to be a front snapper instead of a side snapper. Both of these are for nighttime with a total of 4 layers or ZorbII. After many uses I have yet to have any leaks. One is made with 2 layers of fleece and the other is PUL & Suedecloth. I prefer the PUL one and will make 2 more. I did add another snap to the wings after this photo was taken.

My First Thrive Foods & Emergency Essentials Orders!

2011-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I received my first #10 cans this last week. I ordered from two different places. First I ordered from Emergency Essentials. I started with just some things that they had in stock and things that I knew I would want to use. (this is apparently essential when buying food storage) I received Chicken TVP, Mixed Vegetables, & Triple Berry Blend. The berries were very pricey, but I thought they would be great to have. Both the mixed veggies and berries I will be putting away. The TVP I opened the other night for us to try out. I used it in stir fry and we were surprisingly pleased with it. The next night I made some tvp meatballs. They were ok but I want to find a better recipe that will make a more moist meatball. I will be ordering more TVP in the other types next week. All will be great for our oldest daughter who claims that she wants to eat vegetarian.

A week after receiving my goodies from Emergency Essentials I received my order from Thrive Foods. From here I ordered some chopped onions, green & red bell peppers and their mac & cheese blend. I also got some small pouches of the chopped onions to use right away. I will be opening all of these to use in rotation. I'm really excited about these three things. The chopped onions will save me so much time when making stews and sauces. The mac & cheese blend is said to be the same stuff that comes in certain big brand blue box mac & cheese. I'm really excited about this because now I can make exactly how much we want and with whole wheat noodles for much much cheaper! The bell peppers I will be ordering more of on my next order. Have you seen prices on fresh peppers lately. Last week the non-green ones were $2.99 each! I about fell over in the store. We eat those like candy around here. The dehydrated ones will go into any mixes that I make, soups, sauces, etc. I will only buy the fresh ones to use on salads and snacking. Hopefully that will save me money and time.

To review both companies... I have good and neutral things to say about both.
Emergency Essentials: The good: They have great prices and almost anything that you could want or need. They carry two sizes including the superpails. Shipping is super cheap and your items got to me really fast. The Neutral: They are ALWAYS out of stock of most things. You can order them, but they can take up to 2 months to get to you from what I've read.

Thrive Foods: The good: Their packaging is really pretty. (this is a totally girly thing!) They have some different foods than some other places and shipping was very affordable. The Neutral: Their prices seem to be a bit higher on most things. (compared to emergency essentials) Shipping took a bit longer, but was still very reasonable considering they are being bombarded with orders lately due to situations throughout the world.

Overall, I will be ordering monthly from both companies. I'm excited to build up my supply. I'm also looking into buying in bulk locally to use in my immediate food rotation.

Simple PETE 1 Gallon Jar Labels

2011-04-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

This is a tutorial for some very very simple labels for your food storage jars.

Step One: Measure the place that you want your label to go. In my case it was the lid of my containers.

Step Two: Cut out your labels. For mine I used my circle cutter and cut out white cardstock at 3" circles and a fun paper for the background at 3 3/8".

Step Three: Label and draw on your labels. I just used a sharpie and drew some crud pics of what was in each jar. My daughter then colored them in. You could print yours out if you wanted.

Step Four: Place your white cardstock with labeling on your background paper. I used my handy Zyron sticker maker.

Step Five: Use tape, or in my case my Zyron sticker maker and attach your labels to your containers.

Done! See... Super easy and cute to boot.

Is It Wrong To Get So Excited About Containers?

2011-04-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Last month my hubby got a gallon size plastic container of pretzels at the store. (the red lid one) During some random reading about food storage, I ran into a lengthy post about using PETE (this is the type of plastic that the container is. it's marked with a 1 on the bottom of the container) 1 gallon containers for storage. The pretzel container was one of these! When the pretzels were gone my hubby washed it out and it became a new home for our oats. I knew I wanted more, but I didn't really look into it much. Then my hubby came home from Wallymart with three new containers! They sell these containers for a whooping $2.97 each. Apparently he had to ask a lady who was filling her cart with these containers if he could maybe have a few. He said that she hesitated and asked if he would be ok with just 3. LOL!!! Sign of the times or what?! I've been to Wallymart twice since then looking to see if they had restocked. Finally on Monday they had! I bought every one they had. 9 of them. But, when I got home I only had 8. I think I must have left one on the bottom of the cart. Urrrgggg......

Just look at them on the counter drying. I couldn't wait to fill them up. They now live on our shelves full of dry goods. Aren't they pretty? I'll be doing a tut in the next post for the labels I made.

Mommy Dairy

2011-04-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Back in late January I was in the kitchen making dinner. Rachel was on the floor playing with Cael while he jumped in his jumper. She asked me for some string cheese and while she was eating it, I hear her saying to Cael...

Rachel To Cael: "Do you like cheese Cael?"
Cael: Cute co-oing and happy noises
Rachel to Cael: "I bet when you get older you'll love cheese. Well, maybe not. But, right now your only getting mommy dairy."

I immediately started laughing which startled Cael and made Rachel look up at me wondering what was so funny. Mommy Dairy.... only my Ray would think of something like that. I wrote down what she had said so I could remember it right. That girl just makes me smile. So creative and loving. And, I thought some of you might like a giggle!

The Busy Baby Placemat - Tutorial

2011-03-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sitting in a restaurant over the weekend was an eye opener for me. My son was sitting in a highchair and he was very very bored. He kept grabbing everything he could get his hands on. Needless to say he spent most of our dinner out in either mine or my husbands lap. On our way out of the restaurant I knew something had to be done to insure a more hormonious dinner out next time.

Enter ... "The Busy Baby Placemat" A tutorial for all you families that could use some piece and quiet at dinner. This isn't an "original" idea. I've seen things like this around the internet. But, mine has lots of rings and dings that will surely keep baby happy for years to come. This thing has a chalkboard on one side with two holders for chalk, and an eye-spy mat on the other. Either way you use it it's wipiable and has 4 rings to attach toys, silverware, etc. The top of the mat sports two suction cups to adhere it to the table and it has an elastic strap with a snap to keep it all rolled nice and neat in your bag.

Materials Needed:
Basic sewing supplies: sewing machine, thread, scissors, etc.
Oil Cloth (or any other wipiable fabric)
Clear Vinyl - Mine is nice and thin. You don't want anything to stiff.
Chalk Board Fabric - You can find this online as well as most fabric stores.
70 2" Eye Spy Spuares - lots of different fabrics here... use up that stash of quilting cottons!
Fold Over Elastic (FOE) - Not necessary, but it's what I used. You could substitute with regular elastic
4 D-Rings - Again not necessary. You could just attach ribbon and then clip on regular toy leashes.
Grosgrain Ribbon
Single Snap or Velcro
2 Suction Cups - Mine have a loop on top so I could thread 1/4" elastic through. This allows the suction cups to be flipped over so the mat can be used on either side.

Step 1: Cut out 70 2" quilt squares for your "Eye Spy" side of mat. Arrange them on a table in a pleasing fashion and then sew them together using a 1/4" seam allowance.

Step 2: Here it is all pressed. I added a 3" wide border all around. The "Eye Spy" side is finished!

Step 3: Time to work on the Chalk Board side of the placemat. Measure your finished top. Mine was 12 3/4" X 17". So I cut my oil cloth to that measurement. I then cut my Chalk fabric 2.5" smaller than my oilcloth and rounded the corners. I used my pinking rotary cutter, but it's not necessary. Center the Chalk board fabric on the oilcloth and tuck your FOE (I used two strips of FOE per side so the chalk wouldn't fall out. If using elastic, I would use 2 1" wide pieces on each side)under the chalk fabric. Sewing this down on the oilcloth can be tricky. I used some clear tape to hold the chalk fabric down and removed it as I was sewing. You really don't want to use pins!

Step 4: Gather your ribbon, FOR for closure strap, suction cups, d-rings, and 1/4" elastic. Thread about 3" of 1/4" elastic through each suction cup. Fold about 3.5 - 4" of grosgrain ribbon through each of your 4 d-rings and sew it down. Roll over one side of your FOE and sew it down.

Step 5: Place your FOE strap half way up one side and sew it down like shown in photo. Next place your ribbon and d-ring pieces on the bottom and lower sides as shown and sew them down too.

Step 6: Your doing great! Almost done. Now it's time to sew it all together. Lay your chalk side like photo above. Then put down the clear vinyl cut to the same size as your oil cloth. They lay down your "Eye Spy" side UPSIDE DOWN! Don't use pins here. I used some clips. Hair clips, paper clips.... anything like that will work. With a 1/2" seam allowance, sew the sides and bottom ONLY!

Step 7: Measure 2" from your sew line on the sides and make a mark. This is where your suction cups will go. Now this part and the next part are a bit tricky... Sew across one side of the top and insert your suction cut between the vinyl and the oilcloth and sew down. Do this to both sides. You want to leave 8" or so open in the center of the top so don't sew all the way across just yet.

Step 8: Now clip your corners and turn it all around. This part was a pain!! The vinyl and the oilcloth was sticking to each other and it was hard to turn. Be patient and it will go. Top stitch around making sure you close the opening. Sorry, no photo of that.

Step 9: Prep your chalk board by rubbing chalk all over it really good. Wipe it off with a dry or slightly damp cloth.

Step 10: Congratulations! Your finished. Find a cute child old or young to play with your new Busy Baby Placemat. My son won't be using the chalk side for a while. We'll be clipping toys onto the d-rings and he can look at all those pretty fabrics while we are at restaurants.

My Cloth Diapering Experience

2011-03-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

I received a comment today on one of my diapering posts from way back. She asked about the fit of the diaper. It made me realize that I haven't really done a good diapering post since my son was born.

These first pictures are of my son during his first month. I tried to review each diaper that I made. It makes comparison easier for those of you trying to figure all this cloth diaper stuff out. I'm still figuring it out, but at least now I know what patterns I like and which fabrics I like. For now this post will just have the pictures. My next post will be a rundown of what I like and what I don't like. Click on each photo to enlarge because I've written about fit and feelings about each diaper on the photos.

VB NB Fitted made with jersey. I had 6 of these and loved them. He was about 8.5 lbs. here and 1 week old. The fit him until he was about a month old or so. I think I would have skipped these all together and made smalls instead with a cross over snap. The NB dipes were just grown out of to fast!

Very Baby fitted size small. These fit until he was about 16 lbs. Again... I would have made tons of these instead of the NB ones.

Here is a medium Fattycake altered diaper. He is 6 months old here and about 19 lbs.

Surprisingly this green Fattycake still fits him at 6 months and 19 lbs. He won't for long though.

More pics to come on the next post with things that he is wearing now and my overall review of everything!

Fabric Baby High Chair

2011-03-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

This thing is very cool. Check out the pattern here. I made this for Cael for our upcoming trip to my folks house on the peninsula. I realized that I won't have anyplace to put him except the travel crib or the floor. So, hopefully this will let him join in on the family fun. It took less than an hour to make. Even with all the family interruptions. And... he loves it!

A Purse & A Diaper Bag In One Week? I Must Be Dreaming....

2011-03-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Seriously.... I don't think I've gotten this much sewing done in one week since Cael was born. Sure, I've made diapers and a few pieces of clothing for the kids. But, nothing and I mean nothing like this. My new machine just buzzed. It sews like a dream. And these two bags are proof of that.

Early this week I decided it was time to stop the insane amount of "Spring" cleaning that I've been doing and sew myself a new purse. My "me" purse is about to loose a strap. I looked and looked for a pattern that I liked. I decided on this one. The Wasp Bag. I was hopping that it would be small enough for my purse, but large enough to throw a few diapers and baby necessities in when going out for quick trips.

I started with some quilting cottons that I bought a few weeks ago with the intention of making a diaper bag with. I love love love this bird fabric. The colors are so me. I altered the insides by adding some pockets and a key fob thingy. It has a magnet closure. The buttons are from my grandmothers old stash. They are mother of purl with greenish tint in the crevices. Perfect. I think this is the nicest purse I've ever made and it did turn out big enough to add baby things to! I'm planning on making up a sort of wrist wallet/mini purse to put inside this. So all I have to do is grab one thing to throw into the big diaper bag when I need it.

After a successful sewing session with my Wasp Bag I started on a diaper bag. This one took me longer to decide on. There are so many patterns out there for diaper bags and I really wanted on that didn't look to "diaper bag"ish. I want to be able to use this bag after I'm done using it for the baby. I settled on this pattern. For the fabrics I decided to go bold. To use something that I normally wouldn't. I've had these fabrics in the house for a few years now. They are both heavy weight metalic quilting cottons. I actually have this same pattern in a baby blue, light sage green, and a purply fuscia. I used some plain ol' white for the interior as I had nothing that co-ordinated good enough. It'll make it easy to see inside.

Front of the bag. Close up shows how the exterior is actually three pockets.

The back of the bag has one large pocket with a velcro closure. I eventually want to make a co-ordinating changing cloth that will go in this pocket.

For this pattern I added a key fob thingy and more pockets. It closes with a magnetic snap on the flap. I used a medium weight fusible interface on the straps, bottom, and exterior pockets. And a light weight fusible interface on the interior. It really made the bag nice and sturdy. There is soooo much room in this bag. With all his things there is still room inside for an extra blanket, water bottles, etc. This bag will carry us for a long time. And, I have to say the colors look so much better in person. These night time photos aren't doing this bag justice.

Pfaff 2140 = Heaven

2011-03-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

I never knew what I was missing out on. Until I got a new sewing machine. I've only ever had a basic sewing machine. You know, the kind that you can buy at Costco, Walmart, Joannes, etc. I've read and heard from other sewers that there is nothing quite like a heavy duty machine what will continue to sew until you sew no more. They are sooo right. After months of looking around for the right machine for me, we finally came home with one. We ended up at our local Sewing & Vac store. I knew I wanted two things: Auto Tension (the bread and butter of all things! and a longer arm) After being shown every top of the line sewing machine in the store, my hubby noticed a previously used Pfaff sitting high up on a shelf. Not only was it in our price range, but it does embroidery as well!! She pulled it down off the shelf (I think she was still hoping that we would go for the $4000.00 machines that she was trying to sell us) and we plugged it it. It has auto tension and a medium length arm. The arm length isn't as long as I was hopping, but this was the only machine with auto tension that was under $2000.00. After playing with the machine for over an hour she packaged it all up and we went home.

Here she is in action. I've done some embroidery on it. Which is very very cool. I can download designs from the internet and send them to the machine. I forsee many cute diaper bums in my sons future. The greatest thing about this machine though is the sewing features. It has a IDT foot in the back. (basically a built in walking foot) It'll cut the threads, knot, needle down, etc. It has hundreds of stitches to choose from. Even fonts. And, you can design your own stitches right on the screen. I've barely begun to use all that this machine has to offer. I'm planning on taking classes from the store I bought it from.

I'm hoping that this machine lasts me a good 10-20 years. I don't see why it won't as long as I take care of it. Here is my first completed project. Super cute!

Milestones

2011-03-15T18:02:00.000-07:00

Cael turned 6 months old on February 26th. Same day as my 31st birthday. I can't believe how fast the time flys by. He's doing everything that a 6 month old should be. He's rolling over, babbling like crazy, and a few days ago... he sat up. All by himself! I can't believe he can do that already. You plop him down and for the most part he will just sit there. He's still learning to use his balance to keep from flopping over, but he's doing great. Such a big boy!

Bonus picture of the kids on the 25th of February. It snowed and snowed that day. Teeny tiny little snowflakes. It was bitter cold and even with it snowing all day it really didn't pile up to much. But, it sure made for some winter fun!

Preparedness - SHTF – We'll Be Ready For Anything!

2011-03-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I stumbled into a new obsession. Long Term Food Storage. I found it purely by accident when trying to figure out how to cook beans and how best to store them after I did so. Basically food storage is just that... you store extras of the things you use most as well as things that will store for years and years. Now I realize that this is not a “new” thing. People have been storing food forever. They stocked up during the harvest time to be prepared for the winter. For the most part people have stopped doing this because you can go to the store and buy whatever you want, whenever you want. It's nice that we don't have to worry about where our food comes from, but I also think it's very naive. In these economic times I don't think we can be to careful. Why not stock up on essentials with today’s price to use tomorrow?

My favorite website is foodstoragemadeeasy.net. I even got their ebook and have begun following some of their recipes and ideas for storing stuff. My current stock is fairly basic and not to huge. But, it's a start. Check out my pantry! With the amount of dry / canned goods I've bought I needed to completely clean out my pantry and make room. I'm even going to unearth space in my laundry room for non-food items and long term storage items.

I found these on clearance at Freddies. They were around $1.50 each. I wish they had more.

Here is a list of some of our current supplies:
50 lbs of Hard white wheat
20 lbs of White rice
10 lbs of Oats
4 lbs of Instant Dry Milk
3 lbs Salt
26 Cans of Soup
30 Cans Of Beans
20 lbs of Various dry beans
About 50 cans veggies, cream of soups, tuna, etc.
10 bags/boxes of Whole wheat pastas

There are other things too, but not enough of any one thing to mention. I'm going to add in some hygiene things this month as well as some meds and vitamins. I would love a suture kit and a dentist kit with those stick on cavity filler things. We are also looking for some water barrels. You won't live long without water! There are many on Craigslist right now, we just have to go get some. Other things I'm stocking up on is clothing for the kids in bigger sizes, (I bought the baby some things 50% off at Goodwill the other day is size 4T) paper products, food storage recipes, etc.

Making The Best Of My Food Storage: To make the best of all the basic goods listed above (and others that I have yet to buy) I am planning to rotate my foods. Basically you actually use your stored goods and replenish regularly. This way I'm using what I store and the family is used to eating it! Supposedly it'll lower our grocery bill and help us to eat much more healthy.

Can Rotating System... I made these with the instructions here. I'll be making more of these!

Little antidote: The past year I have been fighting to move our families eating into a new direction. All whole grains, fresh / frozen veggies, etc. No Pre-Prepard / Boxed Food! We have been doing really well. I think the only meal we eat out of a box anymore is Mac&Cheese. Anyways... Months ago I was grocery shopping and I ran into a friend of mine. (she calls me “Betty Crocker”) My cart was ½ filled with veggies and the rest was whole ingredients for our dinners for the next month. (I was about to do my once a month cooking). Her cart was filled with boxed everything. Now I know that she cooks healthy things and her family is very healthy. She just cooks from a box. But, it made me realize how far I've / we've come in the past year. Remembering this story makes me hope that by next year I'll look into a pantry & laundry room and see a very prepared and even healthier way of cooking.

New Equipment: Having raw ingredients like wheat makes you need new equipment. We are on currently on the prowel for a grain mill. You need a way to grind the wheat into flour! We are currently looking at the Country Living Grain Mill and the Champion Juicer with Grain attachment. They are very very different from each other, but the Juicer one is electric which is nice. I also want to get a pressure canner and learn all about canning and preserving. This next spring/summer I want to can all our fruits for next winter. (my kids hate fruit from a can) I've also learned that you can pressure can meats! It makes sense that you can do that I guess I just never really thought about it before.

Talking to the kids about why mommy has just bought 50 lbs of wheat & dry beans: My oldest is very perceptive. She took notice of the extra food stores coming into the house as well as all the chatter between hubby and I about storing food, water, and other basic supplies. We told both of the kids that it was just smart planning to have extras around for many reasons. Including power outages, big storms, natural disasters, job loss, etc. (I didn't want to go into things like food shortages and major food price increases) A few days later she “confirmed” what we had told her by asking me “So all this stuff is just in case the world ends? Like in that movie 2012?” LOL! I love that girl. I giggled and told her it was more just in case of small things like storms that knocked out power, snow, etc. This was the night of the 10th. Yeah... the next morning the kids found me glued to the TV watching about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I think this really helped her understand why it's important.

So Much Information: There is so much to know about food storage. Where / how to store it, how to use it regularly, when to buy, what to buy, what not to buy, etc. Check out the internet if you want to get started yourself. There is sooo much info out there. Of course you can ask me questions here. I'll answer the best I can, but I'm still learning myself.

To The Goyas With Love

2011-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Goyas,

I don't know who you are or what you are, but I wanted to write you today to say "Thank You". You have given our son hours of enjoyment. And, you have given us hours of pleasure watching him carry on full conversations with you. I don't know what your doing to capture so much of his attention lately. But the shear amount of "goya, goya, goya" or "en goya" or "goy, goy, goy" or "aiiiii, aiiii, aiii" or "ouy, ouy, ouy" or "guy, guy, guy" and many other pronunciations have been coming out of his cute little voice for a month now. He seems to be staring out at nothing.....but something... when talking to you. So, I know you must be there. So... whoever or whatever you are... Thanks.

With Love,
Cael's Mommy

Knitting & Sewing From Over The Holidays

2011-01-19T12:49:00.001-08:00

The holidays are always a busy time for me. I'm not only planning and going to family gatherings, but I'm also busy making gifts. I try to make as much stuff as possible. This year with the new baby in the house I didn't get nearly enough time to make as much as I wanted. But, I did manage to do a few things. Below are some Xmas gifts that I made as well as a few things that I did after Xmas.
Little One Layete Xmas Eve jammies for Cael.
Emma nightshirt and Ottobre leggings for Ali for Xmas Eve.
Emma nightshirt and Ottobre leggings for Ray for Xmas Eve.
Action shot of the outfits on the kids.

Nola slippers for my dad for his birthday that was in November. I did finish both, but I didn't get a photo of it before I gifted it.
Nola slippers for my mother in law. She loved them. They may look "granny like" but they are sooo comfy. I'm planning on making some for myself and family.
Bright orange legwarmers for Ray. I also made a pair in bright blue for Ali, but I can't find a photo of those. Will have to take one!
Professor vest for the boy. It fits him better now as it was a bit big in the photo above.

Shawllette for my mom. This one took a while. It's made with a silk blend yarn that was sooo yummy to work with.
These were finished after the holidays. Jungle Gym overalls made with scraps of wool yarns. No buttons yet and it hasn't been blocked. There is plenty of room to grow.
Avaitrix hat. Love love Love this hat. Made it with malabrigo which is the soft wool yarn I've ever felt. I made this in November but it still fits him now.
I also made two Jayne hats (no pics but I will take some). One for my dad for Xmas and one for me. I also made two shawls on my knitting machine. I'm sure I've left something else out. But, I can't think of it now.

A Time For Family

2011-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

December is always a time for family in our house. Lots of gatherings and general holiday merriment. This year was no different. We had about 20 people at our house for Xmas Eve dinner. Crazy hectic but oh so worth it. I love having lots of family in the house as this is the only time when everyone is together all year. People have begun moving further away and "starting their own lives". So, to me there is nothing better than to hear that roar of laughter and chattyness echoing through the house. Watching the girls play with family they don't see as often and watching my new son get oohhed and awwed over is a wonderful thing. Below are pics of our family which is so very loved.
Lousy picture of my side of the family. Me, with baby Cael, my parents, hubby, brother and sister in law, and our girls.
Hy husbands dad and step mom with Cael.
My mothers best friend and her family. I've known them since I was born. They might not be blood, but they are my brothers and "surrogate parents" non-the-less.
My husbands Mom and her Hubby with the girls about to go to a play downtown. Just look at those smiles!
The kids with my folks. They now live about 4.5 hours from us so having them here with us is always a special treat.
My husband with his gorgeous sisters and mom.
My husbands grandparents. This photo captures them soooo well!
My brother and sister in law. They are so much fun. My girls always get so excited when they come over.
Cael with is Auntie. He slept with lots of people that day and I got lots of pictures, but I just loved this one.
Christmas morning. I think they are tuckered out!

Christmas morning opening stockings. They had a great day. My oldest daughter got a cell phone (after 5 years of asking Santa for one) and my youngest daughter got Legos which we played with all day. So much fun!

I Can't Tell You How Much I love This Man

2010-11-18T10:18:00.000-08:00

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. This year and every year following this one will mark more years together than apart. I always knew I would marry him and love him the rest of my life. Even at 16. Many would think that, that was silly or naive. But, I knew...

For 15 years we've been through it all together. And, I wouldn't want it any other way. He's my partner in life. My best friend, and other half of of my soul. Our relationship is always growing and changing. But, always in the same direction.
He loves me.... and shows it every day. I feel privileged and honored to know him and love him in return. And, I never want to take him or us for granted.
Just look at this family we have made together. I don't think life could get any better than this.

Siblings

2010-11-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Aren't they beautiful? Seriously.... I must have taken 500 pics of them yesterday. Thank goodness we have a digital camera. More family pics to come tomorrow. Cael decided he had enough photos taken by the time his daddy got home from work.

Infant Bouncy Seat Cover Tutorial

2010-11-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is a tutorial to make a cover and detachable blanket for a basic infant bouncy chair. Basically, it's a oval with elastic around it that slips over the chair. Slits are cut for the safety straps and separating zippers are added so a blanket can be zipped on and off.... Think “Bundle Me” only for a bouncy chair. This tutorial assumes that you have basic sewing knowledge and is really just a very basic tutorial. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Materials:
- Infant Bouncy Seat
- Approx 1.5yrds fabric. I used polar fleece that I found on sale. You will want something with a pinch of stretch that is warm and cuddly
- 3/8” Elastic – but really anything that size of wider is fine
- 2 – 20” long separating zippers – you could do one long zipper, but I like having the ability to unzip just one side.
Step One.
Lay your fabric over the seat. Press it down into the seat and pin in pleats where the bucket part of the seat is. Remove and sew the pleats.
Step Two:
Lay your fabric back on the seat and cut the excess fabric off around the seat leaving at least 4-5” all around.
Step Three:
Fold fabric over in back all around to make casing for the elastic. Thread elastic through and put cover on seat and tighten elastic until it fits nicely.
Step Four:
With the cover on the seat, use your fingers to feel around for the safety straps. Cut slits in the fabric for the straps to go through. Cut the oval for the vibration button to if you want. *note that I'm using a non-fray fabric so I just cut my slits and didn't “finish” the edges.
Step Five:
Lay your zippers on the cover and pin it all the way up. I went up approx 18”. I only wanted my blanket part to zip up to my sons chin so I don't have to worry about suffocation. Once pinned, remove the cover and sew down the zippers
Step Six:
Try it out with baby in. So cute!! Now, that baby is in measure for the top blanket part. It's basically a oval with the top cut off. This doesn't have to be exact. I layed my fabric on top and used a pen to outline the shape of the seat, then I added about 6” to the width and cut it plenty long enough. *note that I cut out two pieces here so that I could have two layers for my blanket and a nice finished zipper.

Step Seven:
Add zipper to top part of the cover. You will need to gather it down near the bottom. This will give baby room to kick legs and give extra room for bulky clothing or another blanket. Once that's done try it on the seat and make sure it fits nicely before you sandwich the zipper with the other side of the cover.
Step Eight:
Add the other side of the blanket and sew it all up.... I made the top of my blanket part have a “u” shape so it dipped a little up top.

Step Nine:
The raw edge of the zipper on the seat cover drove me nuts. So, I cut some 1” wide stripes of my fabric and then sewed it down over the raw zipper edge. Nice and neat now.

Step Ten:
Finished!! Put baby in the seat, zip em” up and oooh and awwww. Our son loves this seat. And, the blanket is so nice and comfy for him and convenient for me!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

I Think I Have A Problem With My Brain Being Missing.....

2010-10-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

The past 2 months have moved by like a blowing fog. Most days I honestly couldn't tell you the date, let alone what day of the week it is. The only things that seem to be marking the passing of time are my rapidly growing new son, the weather, and my two daughters who are so very excited for the upcoming holidays.
As I sit here listening to the laundry going, the smelling the crock pot doing it's job, and watching Cael sleep, I find myself itchy to do more than just the "new baby in the house" stuff. And, yet I'm certainly not bored. Caring for my new son fills most of my days. And, he honestly gives me a sort of peaceful calm. The kind of calm that makes it hard to feel motivated to do anything else except stare at him and play with him. Things like laundry, keeping the kitchen clean, cooking, and just general house cleaning is all I've really been doing while my girls are at school. Some days those things don't even get done. Evenings are filled with homework, dinner, and the general craziness of raising a family.
I think what I'm looking for is more concentrated sewing/art time. I have so many ideas for Christmas presents and Cael really needs more diapers sewn up. Trying to find any kind of rhythm to my day so I can do those things is nearly impossible. My brain just can't keep up..... I used to be able to keep everything in order in my head. You know.... the things that your family members should do/remember but always forget so you have to remember for them. Things like: grab that extra coat , bring snacks, grab the water bottles for Ray's soccer practices, lunches in the backpacks, etc. Now it seems that if my family forgets those things that are normally theirs to do, I'll forget too. Oh well.....
For now I think I'll just feed my son (who's now awake) and maybe cut out a diaper or two if he's up for sitting and watching me. Oh... and maybe when the girls get home from school they can help me find my brain. I have a feeling that it's somewhere upstairs in the bedroom where sleep used to be.

Cael James

2010-09-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Born August 26th, 2010 at 7:35am. Weighing 8lbs 7oz and 21 ¼” long.
Our little man has come into the world. Here is his birth story and first month of life.

I went into labor on Wednesday the 25th dinner time. I wasn't sure it was real labor until around 10:00pm or so. We decided to take nap because my contractions were still 10 min or so apart and they weren't hurting to much yet. We slept from 11:00 until around midnight. I woke up in some good pain and they were coming every 4-5 min. We got our things together and woke up the girls. My mom took the girls to my brothers house for the night and my hubby and I headed to the hospital. It takes approximately 45 min in good traffic to get the hospital. And, boy am I glad that it didn't take any longer! I was having contractions every 90 seconds to 3 min in the car. And, they hurt. When we got to the hospital my Midwife and a nurse were waiting for us. We got set up in our room and I was already 7 cm dilated. They quickly got my IV started and I soon had my epidural. Baby was still posterior (sunny side up...basically he was looking the wrong way and his head was coming out biggest part first) so my midwife had me move from one side to the other and they even got me up sitting to help him turn over. It worked and after just 30min of pushing he came out. They put him on my chest all gooey and beautiful and he just looked around in a daze. Compared to my labor and delivery with the girls this one went very smoothly. We stayed in the hospital until the next evening and then we went home.

His First Week:

Our little man wanted to do nothing but nurse during that first week. So the first few days home all I did was feed him. I wanted my hubby to be able to sleep during the night so that he could take care of our girls during the day. Big mistake there! I didn't really sleep at all that first week. Talk about sleep deprivation! His second week went better. My milk came in so he was sleeping and nursing a bit better. I was also waking up my hubby to help out more in the night. He got so much love from his sisters and family. He's such a good baby and so stinken cute!

Day 15:

We ended up at Children's hospital on day 15. He was projectile vomiting and our pediatrician said it could be pyloric stenosis and that he needed to be checked out at the hospital. I've never taken any of my kids to the hospital before so I was really shaken up and scared. The girls went to a family friends house and my mom hopped in her car and made a 4 hour drive to be with us. He ended up having an ultrasound, x-ray and catheter (to get a urine sample). His stomach looked fine, and his intestines looked fine. They said his kidney tubes thingies that were immature at 32 weeks still looked a bit small. They thought he might have a kidney or bladder infection so they took a urine sample. Everything came back clean. He said he was a real mystery to them. So, they sent us home telling us that it was most likely reflux and to keep him upright after feedings and gave us things to watch for over the next few days. Scarry....
The next two weeks:

They really flew by fast. My mom was here during week 3 when hubby when back to work. It was sooo nice having her here. She helped with the girls and housework. And, she watched Cael in the mornings so I could catch an extra hour or two of sleep. He had no more problems with vomiting. We were feeding him a bit less and keeping him upright. We think maybe he was overeating.
Love his little "pouty face". My brother made this same face as a baby.

He was a month old yesterday. And, boy has he grown. He's between 11 and 12 pounds and I'm sure he's grown at least an inch. (I'll check on that later... he's sleeping now) He's doing everything a newborn should be doing. We've been using cloth the last few weeks (more on that later) and we are loving it. The girls are doing great with him. Alaina wants to hold him and watch him. Rachel mostly likes to look at him and try to play with him. He really rounds out our family. He's got a very peaceful soul and is a very loving baby. We couldn't love him more.

39 Weeks & Our Pregnancy Story

2010-08-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here I am... 39 weeks pregnant and ready to pop.
Below is my pregnancy in all it's glory. We've had a stressful, worrisome, anxious, and nerve wracking pregnancy. I kept things simple and left out our emotions about each event. But, trust me.... There have been lots of tears and honestly, I won't really feel peaceful about any of this until our son is in our arms and we know for certain that he is healthy.
Week 8: Pregnancy confirmed, dating ultrasound done. Due date September 2, 2010

Week 12: Genetics test done. Prick on finger for blood test (ouch!) and ultrasound done. Ultrasound looked good, but blood work showed we had a .53% chance of having a baby with downs syndrome. Genetics counselor calls to talk to me about our options. Decisions made at next appointment.

Week 16: Genetics consultation and Ultrasound. Consultation with the counselor was kind of a joke. She strongly advised us that we should have an amnio done as well as a few other blood tests. Amnio has a .5 – 1% chance of miscarriage. We declined the amnio and more blood work in favor of another ultrasound. Ultrasound showed that the fluid in the spine looked ok, all soft structures look fine (nose in particular), and all other organs looked fine, but the fatty fold in the back of the neck was borderline normal. Our risk for downs is still .53%. They suggested a heart echo with our standard 20 week ultrasound. It's a boy!!!!

Week 22: Standard 20 week ultrasound and heart echo. After a 2 hr. ultrasound we were told by the gleamingly happy doctor that everything looked great and that of all the ultrasounds this one was the most important in terms of any abnormalities. She said he looks perfectly healthy, BUT..... his kidneys are more immature than normal. She said that it's fairly common at 22 weeks to have kidneys that aren't fully functioning, but that we would need to come back at 32 weeks for another ultrasound to check to see if they are working normally. It's still a boy!!

Week 24: Monthly Check up. Been having braxton hicks for almost 2 weeks. Midwife looks at my chart and sees that my first baby came at 41 weeks and the second at 37 weeks. She says that with braxton hicks so soon that it is “very likely baby will come at or before 37 weeks”. No lifting over 25 lbs. And to take it easy when I have more than normal braxton hicks.... Great.

Week 32: Kidney ultrasound done. Baby still looks great. Right kidney was easily viewable and is pushing fluids as normal. Left kidney was tougher to see, but looks ok. We were told to let our pediatrician know just so she can be aware in case he has issues in the first year.

Week 36: Monthly check up and strep b culture. Normal visit. Yeah!!

Week 36 and 1 day: Midwife called to say that I tested negative for strep B, but I have strep A. (most commonly strep throat) Didn't know how I got it, but they put me on antibiotics.

Week 37: Weekly Check up. Strep A culture taken to make sure antibiotics worked. We found out that I caught it from the hospital when we went to visit Curtis's grandfather. He had staph in his blood and a different infection in a hole in his foot due to Diabetes. Midwife said that there are lots of strep bacterias and that she hopped that mine wasn't antibiotic resist.

Week 37 and 2 days: Midwife calls and says I'm clear of all strep A!!!!

Week 38: Weekly Check up. Nothing fancy this time! I'm dilated to 1 and I'm getting close.

Week 39: Weekly Check up. I've had braxton hicks and what I call “pelvic grinding” for the past 4 days. Peeing every hour through the night. Generally big, very tired, and ready to give birth. No induction set... but I'm now 3 cm dilated and 75 – 80% effaced. Midwife does a sweeping of the membranes to help induce labor naturally. Ouch!! If my body is “ready” I may go into labor in 12-24 hours. We'll be taking a walk tonight and I'll be puttering around the house to encourage labor.

Hopefully my next baby/pregnancy related post will be our birth story and pictures of new baby!!

Coming Home Outfit For Cael

2010-08-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

This little set is for bringing baby home. Which should be very very soon! The top is made from a pattern that I made myself based on another NB side snap shirt. The little pants are from the Little One Layette pattern. The diaper is a Very Baby NB dipe. (he will most likely come home in a sposie, but I'm bringing this just in case) And, the hat I made a while back. It doesn't really match the blues in the outfit, but I really don't care. I love the hat, so it's comin along.

Baby Day Jamies For My Girls

2010-08-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been making jamies for my girls since they were born. These are special jamies. Made for the day my hubby and I leave to go to the hospital to birth our son. (well....I'll be doing the birthing, he'll be doing the "hubby" thing) The girls will be spending the day and night with family. These jamies, a book, and a new duffel bag will be given to each of the girls. I hope it'll help remember how much they are loved. And, also help them be less nervous about mommy being in the hospital.

I love how these jamies turned out. First up is a nightgown for Ray. I used this pattern by Fishsticks Designs. I made the size 10 and shortened the dress length by about 5". I love love love this fabric. The little giraffe's are so darned cute! It took some digging at the fabric store to find a co-ordinating fabric for the top, but I managed to find one. And, in the clearance area!!
For Ali's jamies I made her a tank and shorts set. Both shorts and tank were made with this Simplicity pattern. For the shorts I found the softest cotton flannel that I have ever felt before. It's new at JoAnnes and I will be buying tons more of this stuff in different colors. I'm pretty proud of the tank top. I used a rib jersey knit for the body and some lingerie fold over elastic for the straps, armpits, and neck areas.

Sports Bra To Nursing Bra Tutorial

2010-08-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I needed some inexpensive sleep nursing bras for after baby comes. But, at $20.00 a pop, I knew that I would need to come up with my own solution. I was at good ol' WallyMart the other day and saw a wall of different style sports bras in all sizes (even plus sizes!) for $10.00 / 3 pack! I also purchased swim suit / lingerie hooks at the fabric store. For a total of $14.00 for 3 bras. On with the tut!

Materials:
Sports Bra
Swim Suit / Lingerie Hook
Swing Machine (hand stitching would be fine too)
Scissors
Step 1:
Cut straps as low as you can. You don't want to cut so low that you don't have enough strap left to fold over and attach to your clip.
Step 2:
Thread top part of strap through the “loop” side of the clasp and sew down the strap on the back.
Step 3: (This step isn't necessary. I did two of my bras without this step and they work fine)
The lower part of bra strap here was too wide for the “hook” side of the clasp so I made a pleat and sewed it down on both sides of the pleat.
Step 4:
Fold down the top part of the bottom strap to create a “loop” that your “hook” side of the clasp can slip through.
Step 5:
Do other strap the same as the first. And, then your finished!! (finished bra pic at top of tutorial)
In less than 30 min. here is a pretty stack of the 3 finished nursing sleep bras. The top blue one does not have the pleat that the one in the tut has and it works great!
*Note that smaller size bras may need a smaller swim suit / lingerie hook than mine are. They came in 2 or 3 sizes. This tutorial will also work with spaghetti strap sports bras. Just buy an appropriate clasp to attach.

Lots of Knitting For Baby

2010-08-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've been knitting for baby since I found out I was pregnant. I've posted most of what I've done already. Here are some that I don't think I've posted about yet. My pics are quit horrid. I really should get out my light box. Washington weather and photos don't go well together.
From top to bottom, left to right (links to my Ralvery pages for more info): Leftover baby socks,

Seamless Baby Kimono, Newborn Baby Legwarmers, Umbilical Hat, Sock Monkey Longies, Baby Roots Cardigan Set, and Spare Rib Longies.

A Quilt For Cael Part 5 - Finished!

2010-08-06T16:11:00.001-07:00

I finished Cael's quilt a few days ago. For the binding, I kinda cheated. I bought some double fold bias tape and just sewed it down. The corners aren't perfect, but I'm really happy with it anyways. I washed it up and it has that lovely puckering fluffyness that I love so much about handmade quilts. It looks great in his room and I'm sure it'll keep him toasty warm this winter.

Happy 10th Birthday Alaina!!

2010-07-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

I missed posting on her actually birthday which was on the 13th. But, I still want to say

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY ALAINA!!!!

To my sweet girl,

Your growing so fast. Quickly becoming a young women. Your loving, funny, compassionate, smart, creative, and sensative... and many other things too. Every day you surprise me. And, every time I look at you my heart fills with love and happiness. 10th birthday... I can't believe your 10.

I love you,
Mommy

A Nursery For Cael

2010-07-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

We finally finished the nursery today. I would like to say that it's been a long time in the making, but that wouldn't be entirely true. To be completely honest, I didn't know what I wanted to do in this room until this last Tuesday. This room has been a play room / guest room the past few years. It's yellow with green molding around the top. I knew I wasn't going to change the color and that I needed to keep the spare bed in there, but other than that, I had no idea what to do with the furniture or the décor. I've been completely uninspired.
A month or so ago when my mom was up she and told me that it was driving her nuts that the room had nothing baby in it yet. So, we set up the crib, brought up the rocking chair, and moved around the furniture. All the baby furniture is on the far side of the room and the queen bed was pushed against the wall by the door. It's tight, but it all fits. She also put up a few baby toys that I had. But, the crib was filled with baby stuff and we didn't have anything else ready yet. So, the room stayed that way until she came up for my baby shower this last weekend.
With my mom coming up for the baby shower this last weekend, I knew we would be working on the nursery. But, I was still uninspired and uncertain. On Monday, with the shower over, she told me “Tomorrow we are working in the nursery.” So, feeling a little trapped against a wall, I hopped on the internet and found a picture of a nursery that had a simple graphic tree and bird painted on the wall. I loved, loved, loved it! With that as inspiration I started thinking about the rest of the room. Then I found this website with an adorable bird mobile. My mom loved both the tree and the bird mobile and that night we drew the tree and bird on the wall.

Tuesday morning we started painting the tree with Alaina to help. It was the fastest mural we have ever done. Total it took about 5 hours. (that's including the 1.5 hrs. that it took us to draw it on the wall first) We then emptied everything out of the crib and actually put everything in it's place! It's simple, clean, and very baby boy. I can't wait to bring Cael home to it.
The bird mobile: So cute! I had all the birds sewn up yesterday. Today I went out and cut some branches from our contorted filbert, cleaned them, and then attached the birds. Then my hubby helped me string the whole thing together and hang it. He loves it, the kids love it, and I love it. It's a great final piece in the nursery.
As a side note I just want to say that this room may never have gotten done to completion without my mom. With the girls I knew exactly what I wanted in their rooms and I had them ready months before they came. For some reason with this little man, I just didn't know what to do. Having her push me to do something with the room was very needed. I miss her living so close. She really inspires me when I need it.

32 Weeks!

2010-07-08T12:35:00.001-07:00

32 weeks along today. Only 8 more to go if he waits until my due date to come. I saw my midwife on Tuesday and she thought he may be a bit big. She was right. The ultrasound I had today confirmed that he is big. He's in the 80th percentile and weighing in a 4.75 lbs. The info I found said the average at 32 weeks is 3.72 lbs. He's goona be a big boy!

A Quilt For Cael - Part 4

2010-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did a ton of work on Cael's quilt. I sandwiched all the layers and finished quilting it! I knew that I wanted to do free motion stippling, but I was nervous to do it. My machine is a bit.... temper mental and I wasn't sure it would do it for me. The last time I tried stippling it turned out a complete mess and I had to revert to standard straight line quilting. Anyways.... I played with the tension, stitch length settings, etc. and I finally got my sample piece to look somewhat decent.
The quilting took me about 3.5 hours for this quilt. Trying to get the big quilt to move around was a pain and my wrists were killing me when I finally finished. But, all in all I'm really happy with the results. I just that "puckery" look that a stippled quilt has. I'm anxious to get my binding tomorrow and finish up the quilt so I can throw it in the wash and put it in babies room.
*On a cute side note: When my hubby saw the quilt as I was quilting he looked at me and smiled and he said "I remember those fabrics." I love that our son will be wrapped in his dad's old work shirts.... I think I've said that before.

A Quilt For Cael - Part 3

2010-06-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I sewed up the quilt top late in to the evening on the 23rd. Even though I thought my rows were looking a bit long for a baby crib quilt, I kept on stitching. When I finished I finally noticed that it was to long. Way to long and not wide enough. I went back to my drawing and realized that instead of 11 rows of 8 I had drawn 8 rows of 11. Yeah... this is why I shouldn't do a complex math quilting project while pregnant!! Instead of undoing everything, I just cut off the bottom that I didn't need and added 3 more rows. It ended up working great and my final quilt top measures 39" x 58". A bit larger than a standard crib quilt, but not by much.

I love the colors and the pattern that I chose. The photo doesn't show the whole top as I had a hard time getting a good photo of it at 11:00 at night.

A Quilt For Cael - Part 2

2010-06-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today I cut out all the rectangles for the quilt. I also made up a graph on some paper so it would be easier for me to sew up the rows and not have any of the same prints right next to each other. Tonight I'm going to start sewing them together.

A Quilt For Cael

2010-06-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a crib quilt for Cael. Yeah.... we finally picked a name for our little boy. Anyways, I really wanted to make him something special and all boy. For fabrics I decided to use some of my hubby's old work shirts that he no longer wears. I love that he will be wrapped up in his daddy's shirts! I'm planning to use some solid white as well. And, for the back I chose a baby blue quilters cotton with tiny polka dots in green, brown, white, blue, etc.

It took me a while to settle on a pattern. I found this one and I totally fell in love with it. Simple, yet not squares. I even love the little elephant. I may try and add something to my quilt like that. Maybe his initials? The pattern is a free one my Amy Butler found here. It's called the Lotus Quilt. My goal is to have it done before the baby shower. So... 3 ish weeks. It's a big task, but I think I can do it. If I don't make it that's ok. He still has 10 more weeks to finish growing inside me. I'll post more pics as I go.

Seeme - The Birdling

2010-06-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

We were out grilling tonight when Alaina heard a funny noise. She said she heard a tap noise next to her and when she turned around she saw this tiny tiny little bird laying on the ground. We all went over to take a peek. It looked dead to me so I went into the house and got a paper napkin to pick it up with. I figured the girls would want to bury it and I know I certainly couldn't keep that tiny little thing out there like that. So, I picked it up in the napkin. It still looked dead. Alaina went inside to get a trowel to dig a small hole. And, we all went over to the tree next to our backyard fence and she started digging a hole. Then... it moved. Not much, but it moved it's little tiny wing.
The girls and I took it into the house and I looked online for what I should do with the poor little thing. I then placed it in a tupperware bowl and placed a washcloth over it so it could still breath, but it would also be warmer. Then I placed my work light (it gets quite warm) above it for extra heat. I said we should give it a name, something about how see through it is. And, Rachel said "Seeme". Love it. The girls kept vigil over it while we finished making dinner. With the warmth the baby bird started moving more and even rolled a bit so it's belly was closer to the warmth. I don't think I've seen Rachel sit so still before for so long.

We ate dinner and after my hubby started looking up how to care for it. I already had the number for the Animal Control and the Human Society, but they were both closed... so I was planning to call them tomorrow. Anyways...about 30 min later, little birdy took it's last breaths. I noticed that it's breathing became very labored and we could see extra blood pooling in it's little belly. Sad.... but we were expecting it. After it died we buried it under the tree and Alaina made a headstone for it with a rock and a sharpie.
We think it was some kind of sparrow or swallow. We have lots of those in the yard. We couldn't find an nest anywhere and it fell right next to our stair by the door. So, it's a mystery as to how it got there. Total in length this little one was 3cm long and were thinking it couldn't have been more than a day old.

Kinda cute and sad all at the same time. Those girls have the best hearts and are so loving. And, me being pregnant and all maternal had to keep from crying in front of the girls when it died. Anyways... I just had to share our adventure.

28 Weeks 4 Days!

2010-06-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Another month has gone by. Our little man is very steadily growing. On Saturday night he "dropped". I felt him moving around like I've never felt before on Saturday night and when I woke up Sunday morning I looked down and thought, "Where did my baby go!?" My midwife said today that he turned himself around and is now head down in preparation for birth. She still thinks he's going to come early. Maybe closer to 37 weeks. He's been jabbing, juggling, and bumping into everything inside my body lately. But overall I'm feeling good. I haven't gain any weight yet. Yeah! Their records say I lost 9 lbs in the beginning of my pregnancy and so far I've only gained 5 back. No name yet.... Were thinking maybe Conner, Cael, Canton, Caden, Caenen, or Cedric.
If I look exhausted in these photos it's because our oldest had a sleepover with 6 friends on Friday night (they were up past 3:30am, which means so was I) and then my youngest had a fever on Saturday night and on Sunday night.... Yeah, I'm tired.

Trimsies, Comfy Covers, Preemie PF's, & Sprout Snap Experiment

2010-06-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

Been busy lately making a few more diapers and covers. First up are some comfy covers. I love love love how easy they are to make up. They are a great use for my misc. fleece chunks. I can't wait to try these on our new son when he arrives. 2 size nb and 3 size m. All have pul with polar fleece and cute diva made tags.
These are medium trimsies. This was a pattern that I finally broke down and bought. I've heard such wonderful things about this pattern and it's overall fit. I think I have a pattern addiction. I love the way these went together and I think they will be a daddy and grandma favorite. They all have PUL outers with cute flannel added to two of them. One has aplix closing (love this style) and the others have the snaps. I did an alteration to the soakers inside and made them all one piece that I sewed down in the front of the diaper. Insides are either flannel or birdseye or a mixture of both. I'm hoping these are as awesome as they look. I plan to make many more.
Here's a Sprout Snap Experiment. I made this one as a cover that I could tuck a prefold or flat into. I actually really like how it turned out. Next time I'll make the front interior flap part shorter. PUL & flannel outer with alova suede cloth inner with FOE.
Last are some preemie prefolds I made just in case. (my midwife thinks he will come between 34 and 37 weeks) I winged these and used measurements from prefold websites. I used birdseye for these. (I think it was called "diaper fabric" at JoAnnes. They are shown with a nb sposie, vb nb fitted, and preemie little starter? cover.

"Fording 4th Street" - June Rain Storm

2010-06-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday a huge rain storm dumped on us for over an hour. I've seen rain like this before. But never for so long. It rained and rained like the sky was dumping a months worth of water on us leaving our cold-a-sac flooding with water. Thunder and lightening could also be heard and seen.

My husband was driving home from work when it started. He said that he saw this big black cloud right over our town by the time he got off the freeway, cars were “fording 4th street”. He got home safely and we watched it continue to downpour through dinner.
After over an hour of rain it finally stopped. Two of our neighbor kids came out and were playing in the mote left by the storm. Equipped with rain boots, crocs and *no coats.... the kids went outside, AMA (against mom's advice). Alaina was just getting over a fever and it was still looking stormy outside. I was imaging lightening striking our tree and Alaina getting pneumonia. But with daddy saying “they will be fine... loosen up... they went out.
I have to admit that even though I was a bit cross at my hubby for letting them out in that weather, they had a great time. The water in the cold-a-sac was so deep that it reached past their ankles. Deep enough to sit and lay in. They splashed, jumped, and rolled around having a blast. As the water was very very slowly making it's way down the drain grates, the girls decided to build a dam. Using 2x4's that were against the curb and some pulled weeds they went to work. It worked for a while. It did start raining again and by then they were soaking wet and cold. A warm bath and comfy jamies made for very happy and tired girls.
In closing I just wanted to say that it's June.... I know it's still technically spring, but our weather has been sooo off lately. This type of rain, this time of year is kinda strange. Yesterday it was hot, very sunny and gorgeous. Today it's overcast and a bit windy... but warm. Weird.

Trimsies Diaper....Very Ugly First Try

2010-06-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've heard nothing but wonderful things about the Trimsies pattern. It's a very trim and absorbant diaper. And, you can use the pattern in a variety of ways. I really dont' NEED another pattern. (I think I'm addicted) I bought it anyways and yesterday I made up a quick sample diaper. It's soooo ugly!!

The diaper specs: PUL outer, Alove Suede Cloth inner, 3 layers recycled Flannel and 1 layer Alove Suede Cloth for the soaker. Aplix (velcro) closures and of course a super cute Diva Made tag in back.
Now, just because I think this diaper is ugly dosn't meen that I think the pattern itself sucks. I love love this pattern. It's super trim and easy to sew up. I just have to do a few things different next time. I will turn and top stitch the soaker. (my serger isn't serging very pretty) and I'll change the way I do the velcro on the front tabs.
I'm planning on making up a bunch of these in size Medium. I have tons of newborn dipes already.(this one is a small/newborn) I'm thinking that they will be really easy for dad, grandma, etc. Because they are All In One. No seperate anything to worry about. You just put it on the baby. I will also make some with the side snapping that is original to the pattern.
I can't wait to try all my dipes on our little man when he arrives. Then I can take lots of action shots and review all the patterns that I've made dipes from.

Happy 7th Birthday Rachel!!

2010-06-06T15:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 7. She's growing up so fast. Doing things that "big girls" do. Playing with friends, reading, writting, being sassy (isn't that what all 6-7 year olds do?) and just generally being a loving and wonderful little girl. She wants to be involved with everything going on around her weather it's helping daddy fix the cars (there's been a lot of that lately) or helping me in the kitchen or with cleaning or crafting.

Her real birthday was on Thursday... shoulda posted then. We got her a scooter and a DS game. She loves loves loves her scooter. She's been on it every day since she got it. Happy Birthday Rachel!

Memorial Weekend On The Coast

2010-06-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

My hubby and I took the kids to my folks home on the Peninsula. We go every year not only for the "World's Longest Garage Sale" but to visit family and enjoy the beach. We didn't enjoy the beach much as it was raining almost the entire weekend. But, we did do a ton of garage-sailing on Friday and Saturday. The girls found lots of books, a microscope, shinny rocks, and a few toys. I found books, baby stuff, and some towels for making diapers. The hubby found lots of tools and "man stuff".
Even though the weather was bad we did have one clearish night to have a backyard bonfire. It's always one of our favorite things to do. It was also the only thing that I got pictures of the whole weekend. To fill in time while rain was coming down we played lots of games. The favorite was "Ticket to Ride". Lots of fun! Rachel's favorite was Bingo.

Soft Sole Baby Shoes Update

2010-05-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I did give it another go yesterday with more soft sole / robeez like baby shoes. I chose to make them with simple flannel this time. No stretch to deal with. They turned out sooo cute. I love them. I fussy cut the tops to have a cute monkey on each foot. I also fussy cut the soles. One has a giraffe and the other has an elephant. They are lined with flannel too.
My next pair was some denim ones with faux leather on the bottoms. These turned out great too. For some reason they are a tad bit bigger than the others... I have no idea why. They too are lined with flannel. I love these because they will match anything.
As soon as I get a chance I'm going to get really brave and try some leather ones. I have some really nice suede and leather pieces that I got from a local tannery. They sell "scrap" leather by the pound super cheap. I'll post pics of those when I'm done. Again, my reborn baby doll is modeling for me. He/She has small feet compared to a real baby.

I'm Being Beaten By The Simplest Pattern!

2010-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love love love Robeez shoes for babies. I only had one pair when my girls were babies. But, they were worn more than any other shoe. At that time I didn't even think of making some. Now however.... I know I want at least two pairs in each size until our son is walking. Then he will have one pair for indoor use and regular tennis shoes for outside. But, at $20.00 + per pair I needed to rethink that plan.
There are a few patterns free online here and here for making similar style shoes. There are many more so just do a search until you find one that you like. I started with the first one linked. A lot of people seem to love this pattern. I made a pair for a friend having a baby 2 or so years ago. They turned out so bad that I never sent them to him. Now that we are having a son, I needed to try again. Now, I'm trying a free pattern called Sew Darling Mini Mocs Pattern. It has all the sizes and good a good photo tutorial.
I sat down yesterday with some sweatshirt fleece and made the 0-6m size. Needless to say, I ended up tossing the finished set aside on my desk and walked away to do laundry. I just can't seem to make this simple pattern work! I think I made the slit on the toe/tongue part to high up on the inside and for some reason one of the shoes back parts was soooo much longer than the other and it's bunched up in the back. The photos of these shoes are very very kind. Though I do have to admit that looking at them with fresh eyes I do see potential. I'm going to try again with some flannel and cotton. I would love to get good enough so I can make some out of soft leather. There are so many darling shoes out there on Etsy. I might just break down and get some. My favorites right now are these, these, these, and these.

P.S. The baby feets in the photo is my reborn doll. Such a great model. But his/her feet are a bit to short compared to an actual baby. I think my blue faux Robeez look really big for a 0-6m.

Another Diapering Post

2010-05-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

I guess I couldn't resist a post about diapers today. I should be doing something else right now. Like laundry, gardening, general house cleaning, or outside playing with the kids. But, my motivation level is really low today. So I think I'll do another diaper post.
Since being told that our little man will "very likely" be coming at or before 37 weeks I decided that our diaper stash may need a few more preemie size things just in case. I didn't want to make up a bunch of fitted diapers that he may never wear. Instead I decided to make some preemie prefolds. The JoAnne near our home now has PUL as well as diaper cotton. I made these 2x4x2 and they are approx. 9x12". This makes them the same size as standard preemie prefolds. I am planning on using them inside of some PUL covers like the little yellow one in the photo. I'll need to make one more in that xxs size. (I will have 3 xxs covers then) The prefolds are pictured with a standard NB sposie, one of my Very Baby NB fitteds, and a XXS Starter PUL cover.
Next up are some contour burp cloths. Easy hourglass shape using my own pattern. I used flannel on one side and some chenille that I've had in the house forever on the other side.
Last are some covers and a contour diaper that I bought from Wildflower Mama Designs on Etsy. These are the only covers and/or diapers that I have bought so far. The two covers are made with two layers of insanely soft wool. They are meant for babies NB - 20lbs. But, to me they look to long in the rise for a NB. But, the quality is awesome and I can't wait to use them. I also bought from her a basic all hemp contour diaper. I love how it has no closures. It's meant to be used with pins, snappi, or just tucked inside a cover. I loved this one so much that I used a pattern I had to make some similar. They look almost identical to hers, but mine have more layers in the middle and have longer back wings and a wider front wing area. I'm hopping that they will fit from NB - 20 lbs too.

24 Week Belly Bump

2010-05-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm 6 months along already. It's seeming to go pretty fast. (boy... I look tired in this self picture) The girls will be out of school in just 6 weeks and with the hot weather on the way, I'm starting to think about swimming lessons, gardening, and of course preparing for baby. I still have a lot of sewing and shopping to do for this little one. We already have the bare essentials.

My midwife has told me that he will "very likely" come at or even a few weeks before week 37. I'm healthy and he's healthy, but I've already started having braxton hicks and my youngest was born at 37 weeks. I guess this all means that I better get going on my sewing and shopping!

A Little Spring Planting

2010-05-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last posting. I figured that instead of doing another post about cloth diapers I would try something new. There hasn't been a lot going on around here other than the normal busy of a household with kids. But, we did do some spring planting.

Now, everyone who knows me knows that my thumb is anything but green. Totally brown if not completely black. The last time I tried to grow anything from seeds all died. My hubby knew that I wanted to try some herbs in a pot this next season and maybe some upside-down hanging tomatoes. I figured we would start with already started plants. But, he brought home seeds.......
I figured I would have better luck with them if I got the kids involved. Their love and general cuteness can make anything happy. I decided to start with egg cartons and potting soil. I wanted to find something free to start the seeds. So I figured this would work ok. And, it did! Here are the girls filling the egg cartons, and putting in the seeds. The trays that we put the cartons on fit nicely on my kitchen widow where they would get plenty of light and also be right with the sink to remind me to actually water them.

Here they are about 3 weeks later. Everything is growing except my tray of basil.... of course it would be my tray. My same tray with the tomatoes are growing fine... but not the basil. (my favorite thing!) Everything needs to be transplanted into something bigger. Again, I didn't want to go buy anything. So I read about newspaper pots. Love them! I made up a tray of 24... I still need to find another tray that will hold another 18, but for now at least the girls plants will have bigger pots.
Here we are transplanting and the final tray of seedlings. They are now sitting on our back patio table all watered. I think I'll leave them there for at least today. I think they will have a better chance of staying watered if I keep them in the house. But, I'm not sure where to put such a big tray.

It's A Boy!!!!!!

2010-03-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

We found out on Tuesday that we are expecting a little boy. We are all thrilled and the girls are so excited to have a little brother. No name yet... we're still working on that one. Congratz to those of you who voted for a boy.

I Dusted Off The Ole' Kiwi

2010-03-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

It's been since before Christmas that I spun anything. I finally dusted off (literally) my kiwi and went spinnin'. I've finished 4 spools of yarn. I got in some really really pretty rovings so I'm excited to do more in the next few weeks.

Up first are my favorites. These are superwash wool. I spun these to be singles. 4 oz. total. I'm not sure the yardage yet. I'm letting them rest on the bobbin before I take them off. I love the colors. The yarn will be self stripping. I'm thinking these will make adorable long arm/wrist warmers for one of my daughters for next winter.
The next two are from the last batts that I made up before shipping off my drum carder. Yeah...you heard me right. I sold the drum carder. Anyways, I used up a ton of Phat Fiber loose fibers in the redish skein and the other grayish one is a mix of purples, blues and grays. The gray one is plyed with dark gray cashmere recycled yarn. I love the redish singles one. It has gorgeous locks and sparkles everywhere. I'm guessing there is about 15o yards in that one. And, maybe 175 yards in the gray one. Any suggestions as to what to do with these?

More Cloth Diapers

2010-03-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've been sewing up more types of cloth diapers. Above are 7 Rita's Rump diapers. I used her free pattern. (which I highly suggest) It's a one size fits all pocket diaper. We'll use either pins or snappis to hold it closed. I totally forgot to add seam allowances when cut these out, so they won't fit quite as long. But, they are soft and will be really nice for baby.
This diaper is a Nykibaby All In One, One Size Fits All Diaper. I bought this pattern through Etsy yesterday. It's a great pattern and I'm glad I bought it. It's the only one size fits all pattern that I have now with the exception of the Ritas Rump diaper. This one has PUL inside and a pocket for a flat fold or soaker to go into. I've lined it with minky fabric and is soooo soft. I think I may have pulled my elastic a bit to much, so on the next one I'll do less. I'm planning to make 10 more of these. I think we are going to find these really convenient. Especially for my hubby and family.

17 Week Baby Bump

2010-03-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

I tried today to get a good baby bump photo today. This photo actually shows my belly a bit bigger than it actually is. Never the less, you still can't see my feet. I'm feeling good and doing lots of sewing and knitting for this little one. We are almost half way there!

Cloth Diapers.... I Must Be Crazy!!!

2010-03-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

We've decided to try cloth diapering for our new baby. There are dozens of reasons to use cloth diapers. I won't go into that here. So we are going to cloth diaper for 3-6 months and see how it goes. I've been doing tons and tons of research the past 2 months or so while I've been feeling less than human. Who knew that there was such a huge world of information, forums, and websites dedicated to cloth diapering. And, that there are dozens of different ways to cloth diaper. Needless to say... it was a little daunting getting started. I knew right away that I would be making the majority of the diapers. With the exception of the basic prefolds. I narrowed it down to a few basic styles of daipers and covers. I still have lots more to make, but I have a good start. So... on with pics and basic info for our starter diapers.

First off: The wool covers. For going over the cloth to help with leaks. All my patterns were free on Ralvery. Sign up if you haven't already! It's an awesome place to find any pattern you may be looking for.
My favorite of all the wool soaker covers: The "Spare Ribs Soaker" - I made this one with some of my superwash wool handspun. Superwash isn't normally used, but I thought that having one that could go in the was would be good. I love love love this pattern. So cute and easy to knit. Plus it looks like it will fit great. It will most likely be swimming on our newborn but, it's a one size fits all pattern and should fit from 3 months to 2 years. I'll be making another one of these with smaller yarn and needles and adding leg length for longies.
The green one is "Daffadowndilly Diapre Warp" - Super simple and fast knit. I think I'm going to add aplix (velcro) to it to close it in front. I think we will love this because it's a wrap style. I'll be making another one of these. I used some recycled wool from an old sweater.

My least favorite so far is the red one "Frantic Mama Knitted Soaker" - I don't like how the leg openings and ribbing are done on this one. And, I don't like how wide the crotch is. Once it's on baby though it may surprise me. I used recycled lambswool.

Now for the cloth diapers: I used mostly 100% cotton fleece, flannel, and hemp fleece for these diapers. Oh.. and PUL for the water resistant parts.
6 Quick Snap Flat Wraps - made with 100% cotton fleece. These are great. They are similar to flat folds, but have been altered to snap together in the front. They have an optional taller rise. They look big for newborn, but we'll see. I think we are going to love these. Plus, they are super fast to make up and don't use a ton of fabric.
Three size small Quick Snap Flat Wraps. A diaper cover with leg gussets in the middle. (size nb) This one was made with the Very Baby pattern. And last, two side snapping diaper covers. Made with the free "Cloe Toes" pattern. One is size newborn and the other is preemie. Again... newborn looks huge!
Two Very Baby All In One diapers, and one diaper cover with inside mini diaper and soaker. The two outside diapers are the all in ones. I'm not at all fond of the one on the left. Both of these have soakers and doublers inside. Once I put velcro on these they will be done.

Will Baby Be A Boy Or A Girl?

2010-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

This is certainly the number 2 question on everyone's mind when it comes to our 3rd child. The first being... Is the baby healthy? My girls are both hoping for a baby brother, and my hubby and I are kinda hoping for a boy. Although we will be so happy with another little girl. ( I feel almost guilty hoping for a boy!) I would love for anyone viewing my blog to go ahead and vote for what you think. I've placed a poll on my side bar. Just click on the one you think. To make it more fair I will admit that I feel totally different with this pregnancy and so far I'm carrying this baby differently. But, I am older... But I guess you never know!

MIA For A Very Good Reason

2010-02-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

I realize I haven't blogged since Christmas, and I promise that it's been for a very good reason. We're expecting our 3rd child in very early September! Our girls are completely thrilled and excited. As are all our family members and friends. Being 12 weeks along now, I'm starting to feel more human and I've been slowly getting back to my "normal" routine. Today I had a 12 week ultrasound and saw our little one moving around, rubbing his face, and just looking adorable. (we don't know if it's a girl or boy yet... for now the baby is mostly referred to as "he or him" instead of "it") It's just amazing how quickly they grow.... inside and outside of the uterus. I saw baby at 8 weeks and he looked like a little peanut. And, just 4 weeks later it looks like a whole person. So tiny! We are excited to find out what he/she is in April. I'll be sure to share the news when we find out. Check out the new widget on my side bar to track the babies growth.

In other news: I am purging things in my art space. With another baby coming I am cutting down on the amount of different crafts that I do. I'll be posting a list of things for sale with photos in the coming week and if you see anything that you want just send me an email. I'll also be posting things on etsy and our local Craigslist. Some items will include: drum carder, lots of raw wool and cardable wool chunks and various fibers.

I-Spy Quilt Project: Part 4

2009-12-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

This is the final part to my I-Spy quilt project. Here are final photos of my quilts. For the big border I decided against free motion quilting (due to technical issues) and instead did 3 wavy lines all the way around. It's almost like a huge frame. I love the finished quilts. They are in the wash and will be under the tree in time for Christmas! Feel free to ask any questions.
Alaina's finished quilt in blues and purples. I love the back. Aren't those the cutest owls ever!
Rachels' finished quilt in pinks and puurples. I love the floral and stripe on hers.

Being The Duck.....

2009-12-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

My grandmother has a saying. "When you find yourself getting stressed or worried... Be a Duck. Let the water roll off your back and just keep swimming along." (not her exact quote, but it's the meaning) Today I found myself trying hard to be the duck.

As I was quilting my daughters I-Spy quilt my sewing machine broke. It just stopped completing it's full rotation. Almost like it was hitting or jamming on something metal. I got quotes to have it fixed/serviced. The cost of that is almost the cost of the whole machine. What's a girl to do? I have two quilts to finish before Christmas and 4 commissions lined up for after Christmas. Well... I got out my screwdrivers and took off the front panel of my machine. I was hoping to see a broken part or something glaringly wrong. Yeah.... not a chance. It looks perfect. I cleaned it up a bit and decided to work on my stack of Christmas cards. 3 hours later I took one more peak at the machine and gave the wheel one more turn.... and it turned! All the way around. It's sticking a bit on something, but now I'm thinking that a better cleaning and an oiling will do the trick. Hopefully my little Brother XR7700 will be running full speed by tomorrow. Otherwise this duck may get very soggy.
Bonus pic of beautiful Grammy cracking up on her 96th b-day.

I-Spy Quilt Project: Part 3

2009-12-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Part 3 of my quilt project has been a long time coming. I've gotten the quilts mostly done. Since Part 2 I have added the solid border around the quilt front, pieced together the quilt backings, and attached the back, batting, and front together. I'll break this down into sections....
The Solid Border: I cut 4" strips of fabric and sewed them together into one very very long strip. Then I just added it to the quilt. I used a mottled solid to balance out all the happy colors of the quilts. Purple for Ray's quilt and blue for Ali's quilt.
The Backing: I'll post better pics of the backing as soon as I can. The photos below are just small sections of the backings. I used 3 different fabrics for each of the backs. I wanted to backs to be just as pretty as the front. So... a very large patchwork... Below is my sketch of the backing so you can get an idea of what it looks like.
Putting It Together: So after the fronts and backs were done it was time to assemble the quilts. Now, I had originally intended to lay everything out, pin it all up, quilt it, and then bind the edges. But, time was an issue and I decided to go the "quick" route. I pinned the fronts and backs right sides together and then the batting on top of that. I sewed along the edge and left a large section open. Then I turned it all around. I then had sewed up the opening and began to quilt.

The Quilting: There are so many ways to quilt. I didn't want to tie the quilt, but I also don't have the time to do to much detail quilting. So I quilted along the edge and the along the inside ditch of the outside border. Then I did a large checkerboard inside the I-Spy part. For the middle border where all the large squares are I'm doing some free-motion squigly quilting. I'll get close ups of the quilting and finished photos for Part 4.

More Christmas Knitting

2009-12-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

I finished up some more Christmas knitting over the last few days. I made some socks for my brother and another pair of fingerless gloves. I used this pattern on Ralvery for the gloves and I winged my own pattern for the basic worsted weight socks. Both items use the same Patons Tweeds wool yarn and the gloves have some of my handspun too.

Yummy Christmas Mint Fudge - With Recipe!

2009-12-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today I did some Christmas baking and discovered a new recipe. When making fudge I always use Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme and I follow the directions on the back for their fudge. But, tonight I didn't have any evaporated milk and I wanted to try using dark chocolate chips. Below is my improvised recipe. It turned out sooooo yummy.

Use the Fantasy Fudge recipe over at Kraft, but make the following adjustments:

- Substitute the evaporated milk for 2/3 cup of coffee creamer (seriously! I used my french vanilla coffee creamer and it is sooo yummy. I would imagine that you could use any flavor and your fudge would come out with a hint of that flavor.)
- Substitute the Semi-Sweet Chocolate for a bag of Dark Chocolate Chips
- At this point I wanted to go with a mint fudge so I substituted the vanilla for 3/4 tsp of mint extract

Follow all the rest of the directions and you'll have some really good fudge. Happy Cooking!

Marisol The Mouse

2009-12-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Marisol the mouse caused quite a ruckus in the house the other day. I found the pattern here. I love love love FuzzyMittens patterns and this one is no exception. I knit this little cutie up as soon as I found the pattern. Both my daughters fell in love with it and asked for some of their own. Even my hubby thinks she is way to cute. Much cuter than the photo shows. I have a feeling that pretty soon little Marisol will have a huge mousie family.

I-Spy Quilt Project: Part 2

2009-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was another good day of sewing. Although I did very much notice that my calculations were off for the border pieces. They are suposed to be 8" squares not 7" squares. I've made that change on the cutting list on Part 1 of the I-Spy Project. Needless to say... I had cut all my border squares at 7" already. Hmmm... I wasn't about to re-cut all the squares so I decided to make my center square on the sides longer and then add a a small piece on the top and bottom corners to make up the difference. Nothing lines up right with the squares from the center I-Spy part and the border like I had planned. But, I'm still very very pleased with how it's turning out. It has a very homey, colorful, happiness about it. Next will be the outside border on this quilt and the then I have to put both borders on the other quilt. The one pictured is for my youngest, Rachel. She loves pinks and purples so her border colors go with that. And, her backing is also in purples. Alaina's quilt will have blue and purples as the borders and backing.

I-Spy Quilt Project: Part 1

2009-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

I-Spy has always been popular around our house. So, this year I decided to make my girls I-Spy quilts for Christmas. I couldn't find a pattern I liked so I decided to make my own. I wanted to keep the quilts very simple with bigger squares so they would go together fast. I wanted the size of the quilts to be smaller than a twin but larger than a throw. I'll be posting my progress of these quilts as I go with basic instructions as to how I'm doing it.
Here is my basic computer sketch of what the quilts will look like when they are done. (the colors are frightening... but you can get the general idea) Each square is a 3.5" finished size. The quilt has 10 rows of 15 squares for the center I-Spy part. The border around that will have blue and purple simple print fabrics for one quilt and the other will have purple and pink simple print fabrics. Then around that will be a plain border to finish it all off. The gray center border rectangles are undecided at the moment. I'm thinking of using either a solid fabric and then applique' on my girls initials... Or maybe using the backing fabric there... not sure yet. The backing will be flannels and I'm planning on quilting in the ditch.

Finished Quilt Size will be roughly: 56" x 73.5"

Material and Cut Lists
150 - 4" I-Spy Squares - You can find precut I-Spy squares on Etsy and Ebay
26 - 8" Border Squares - for these I used simple prints and batiks
2 - 7 x 10.5" Center Border Squares
Enough fabric to border it if you choose to do so. I'm planning a 3.5" finished border.... So I'll cut 4" strips.
Backing - I bought 4 yards of 45" wide flannel for the backing. And another 1.5 yards in a co-ordinating color to use as binding or contrast on the back. I'm thinking that I will have a yard or so leftover. Again... I'm not a quilter so you may want to do some math to make sure your getting the right amount of fabric.

Yesterday I got started with the sewing of the quilt. I was able to finish both of the quilts center I-Spy sections. Above is one of the centers... I think this one is for my youngest. Most of the squares are the same for each of the girls quilts. But, I tried to find a few that were different and specific to each girl. My mom helped with all the pressing and pinning yesterday... that was a huge help. Today we'll be doing the large block border and hopefully the small solid border too.

*An I-Spy quilt (for those of you who haven't heard of one) is a quilt with fussy cut squares that are all different. Ie: a cat, a dog, popcorn, footballs, books, flowers, bugs, etc. I'm hoping to have hours of fun with my girls searching for items in their quilts. Fun Fun Fun!!!

A Test Dress For Kaylee

2009-11-20T13:39:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a commission for a satiny little girls Christmas dress. I wanted to test out my pattern before cutting into the satin. This dress looks nothing like the commissioned dress. It started out like it, then it evolved into something else. I still need to hem it. And, I'm thinking of adding some black tulle underneath maybe. Or, maybe just some black capri leggings. I think that next time I'll change the neckline a bit... maybe even try using jersey for the top part of the dress.

The belt is something that I've been wanting to do for a very long time. It's a obi inspired belt. I've been seeing these around in fashion a lot lately. I'll be making many many more of these for my shop. I just love how it gives this simple dress a whole new look.

Did I mention that I love love love this belt?

Kaylee: "Look At The Pretties!!!"

2009-11-13T19:04:00.000-08:00

There was a new dollie arrival in the house today. She is a MSD Souldoll Tiffee. As Soon as I saw her little face in the box I knew that her name was Kaylee. It's hard to see Kaylee with the blond wig on and the "normal" clothing. I'll need to get her a shortish brown wig and make her some Asian print shirts and an awesome pair of coveralls. Maybe even some big ol' combat boots. But, even without all those things, she is a very pretty doll.
I love her body shape and her face. She is fuller than my Narae so she will be a fantastic model for me to have around. Her hands are pretty and her little face is just to cute. The pale face-up gives her a childlike innocence. I'm thinking that in the future it will need to be redone in less pinks and more natural tones. This doll makes me itch to create something new. I'm going to be thinking about those coveralls all night long. I might have to save some time this weekend or next week to draft up a pattern and get started.
For those of you who don't know who Kaylee is..... She is a character on the show Firefly and the movie Serenity. If you haven't seen either, I highly recommend you do. Most of my dolls have names after characters from the show.

A Witch, A Storybook Princess, & Some Weasleys.....

2009-11-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Witch and The Princess:
Some Weasleys:
And, of course the pumpkins... left out of the title, but just as important.

Perry Family Salsa Recipe

2009-10-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Salsa has quickly become tradition in our home. No Mexican meal would be complete without it. But, it can't be just any ol' salsa. It has to be home made salsa. This stuff is sooo tasty that our oldest who won't eat any veggies will eat this stuff by the spoonful. And, as an added bonus, the kids love to help make it.

I'm going to share our recipe with you all. Well... I guess it's not so much a recipe as it is a general idea of how to make salsa. Just a note before we get started though. All measurements are approximates. Really... just add in the ingredients until it tastes good to you. Some people like more onion, tomato, or heat. We find that we like equal amounts of onion and tomato. If the onion is really strong, then more tomato. Also, the recipe uses a food processor, but I have chopped all ingredients by hand many times and the salsa turns out just as yummy!

Perry House Salsa
1 medium yellow or white onion
8 Roma Tomatoes – this was all I had in the house when I made this batch. I would probably have added 4 more if we had them.
½ to 1 Bushel Of Cilantro
4-6 Slices of Jalapeno – we use the kind that comes sliced in a jar. It's not to hot, but has great flavor. You could use fresh, but I've never done that!
Juice of 1 Lime – or you can use 1 tbs or so of the bottled lime juice
Salt to taste
Optional – 1 tbs Garlic

Yield – This batch made 3+ cups of salsa. I usually make more than this, but we only had a few tomatoes today.
Step One – Pull off leaves of Cilantro. I had approx 2 cups. Don't worry about the stems to much. Throw it in the food processor and pulse it until it's fairly well chopped. Then scrape it out and into a bowl. It should look something like this:
Step Two – Chop off ends of onion and the outside skin. Chop into quarters and put in food processor. Chop until desired consistency. We like it a bit chunky. But, you could certainly keep chopping until smoother if you prefer that. Add to bowl.
Step Three – Chop tomatoes in half and remove insides. We do this so the salsa won't be to watery. But, if you prefer more liquid then by all means just chop the tomatoes in half and toss into food processor.
I do my tomatoes in two or three batches so they don't get to mushy. In one of the batches I add the jalapeno and garlic so they get good and mixed in. Put tomatoes in bowl.
Step Four – Mix it all up and add the lime juice and salt to taste. You may want to add more cilantro or tomatoes... Don't be afraid to add stuff if you want!
Step Five – I usually stick it in the refrigerator until dinner so the flavors can all meld together. But, you can eat it now if you want. I can't tell you how many times the salsa never makes it to the refrigerator before it's gone.

Eat and enjoy with chips, burritos, eggs... or even just in spoonfuls.

A Simply Sweet Baby Gift

2009-10-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine is having a baby next month. I'm off to her baby shower today. For her gift I made her a little baby vest, socks, and a reusable shopping bag to wrap it all up in. I just loved knitting this set up. The baby socks were done in less than 3 hours and the vest was done in about 6. Next time they will both go faster as this was the first time I've used either of these patterns.
For the yarn I used Plymouth Encore Worsted. It's 75% acrylic and 25% wool and is machine washable and dryable. I loved this yarn. It's so soft and perfect for baby wear. Both projects on my Ralvery project page if you want to check them out.
This vest buttons down the side and on one shoulder. I was able to dig into my button jars for this project. I decided on pink, white, and pale purple buttons to make the top more "girly". I just love love the pink girls holding hands button. It reminds me of my friend and I as little girls. I've known her forever.

Pattern for "Pebble" vest is here on Ralvery
Pattern for "Simply Sweet Baby Socks" is here on Ralvery

My BJD Family

2009-10-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ok... so I got distracted. After that last post I noticed that I rarely write about my BJD dolls that I sew for. They are a large part of my hobby/art life and I'm surprised at myself. These dolls are used as models for my clothing, inspiration, and just general enjoyment. I've always loved dolls. But it wasn't until my mid 20's that I truly got back into the doll hobby. All clothing and a few of the wigs were made by me.

Anywho.... Here are lots and lots of pictures of some of the dolls that I currently have in my home.
Inara - Inara is my favorite . She is a Narae from the Narindoll company. 43cm tall and sooooo pretty. She is a dream to dress and sew for. She can wear pretty much any wig and her sculpt is perfection.
Lucas - Lucas is a Latidoll Blue Rucus. He is taller than most MSD males and has mature body sculpt. Boy do I need to get some better pictures of the two of them. He has facial hair now and I couldn't find a single current photo of him.
Persephone - She is my smallest bjd. She's a Dollzone BB Ani and is about 27cm tall. I've had 4 other tiny bjd's all smaller than her. But the were just to small. I call her a "petite" bjd because she's to big to be a tiny and to small to be a msd. I love her little face with her freckles. And, I love making little girl clothes for her.
Saphron - She is the newest to my collection. She is also a Narae from the Narindoll company. But, she is 58cm tall. She came to me second (maybe even third) hand. But, I love her. Narindoll makes such pretty dolls.
Simon - He is an Bobobie Apollo. I have to admit that I only really have him to serve as a male model for me. To spice him up, my very talented mother painted him some facial hair, chest hair and um.... other hair. He's been a great model, but someday he will be switched out for another SD male.
Vena - Ah... Vena..... She was my first ever BJD and has undergone more transformations than any other doll that I own. She started out as a Obitsu. Then I traded her for a Dolfie dream who's body she still has today. Eventually I got a Luts Nanuri head and painted her up to the doll that she is today. I don't think I'll ever sell this doll. To many memories. She really started my sewing business.

Finding Inspiration

2009-10-19T17:28:00.000-07:00

I found myself starring at my doll cabinet today. Due to the "staging" of our home, it no longer contains all my dolls. Now, it's used for neatly folded fabrics and a few "inexpensive" dolls. My favorite BJD's have been exiled to a drawer in my desk. Not glamorous, but it's UV protected and away from prospective buyers nosing around the house.
As I was standing there starring at the contents of the cabinet I found myself feeling very uninspired. The house is sterile and almost museum like. I'm afraid to get anything out and actually start a project even though all I want to do is create something. I knew I needed to find the fabric that I needed for my commission and get started, but I just kept starring at my first BJD, Vena. My mom dressed her all up for show and she was sitting there starring at me with her dolly eyes. I looked at the bomber jacket that I had made...and her jeans.... and her tank top and suddenly found the inspiration that I so needed. I grabbed the fabric I was looking for and I got to work . It's been weeks and weeks since I've used my sewing machine for making doll clothes. It feels so good to be sewing again and I'm so grate full for the commission that I'm working on. I drafted and cut out three patterns today and after this post I'm going to sit down and start sewing.

"Now It's No Wonder That Her Name Is Beauty"

2009-10-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

My favorite Disney movie of all time is Beauty And The Beast. I was quite surprised when my oldest daughter told me a few months ago that she wanted to be Belle from the movie. But, not the "big puffy yellow dress Belle", but the "normal Belle from most of the movie". She wants to carry a basket like the one that Belle carries in the beginning of the movie with books in it. I looked online for a pre-made costume but I didn't find one in our budget or one that looked good. So, I dusted off the sewing machine and took a well needed break from gardening. I just love sewing for my girls. And, this dress just made me smile. The fit on her body is perfect. And, with a total price tag of under $10.00 it fit into our budget perfectly.

Details about the dress: I used super cheap blue cotton fabric for the main part of the dress and then I used up more of that white Ralph Lauren sheet that I've used on soooo many projects over the years, for the "shirt" and the apron. I used Simplicity pattern 2843 and made just a few adjustments to it. I redid the collar. The one in the movie looks almost rolled, but costumes that have been used on stage and the one that the girl wears at Disneyland have more of a Peter Pan collar. I adjusted the fullness and length of the sleeves. I also cut off the point on the bodice. Then I made up an easy apron (using the hem of the sheet as the bottom of the apron) and made a large bow for her hair.
The most important thing is that she is so thrilled with the costume. She will have her hair curled and all the accessories for Halloween.

September Phatty

2009-09-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received my September Phat Fiber Box. I love getting this box every month. This month the theme was "Myths, Fairytales, Legends, & Lore". There are sooo many pretties in this box. Last night I sat down and spun up all the fiber samples and the yummy yarn samples have been added to my other phatty yarn samples from previous months. I'm saving up all yarns made/received from the Phat Fiber Box to make a larger project. For the sock/sport weight yarns I'm thinking about making some tall wrist / arm warmers. And, for the larger worstedish weight yarns that I have been spinning from fiber samples I'm thinking of a shawl or a very wide scarf. Anywhoo..... Here are the box pics. I'll post pics of the finished yarns today or tomorrow.
The box top and the "flat stuff" - In here there are some gorgeous pearl buttons, and a stitch marker. As well as a postcard and a matchbox note pad.
The fluff was plentiful this month. Just look at all those yummy colors. They all spun up beautifully, but I think my personal favorites are the "Dark Crystal" one (it's purple and in the backish) and the two batts in the middle. One is called "Fairy Farts"!
The yarns are so pretty this month. I think my favorites are the ones in the package (can't really see them here) and the bright blue one.

It's That Time Of Year Again

2009-09-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

The preparations for Christmas have already begun. I've been knitting like crazy and planning what I'll be making. I've gotten a few knit projects finished. A few hats, a pair of socks, and about 4 things still on the needles. For now, I'll just post the socks.
I've finished my first pair of gift socks. I'm very happy with how they turned out. I bought the yarn on the Peninsula when visiting my folks. The yarn is "Jarbo Garn" color 1527, Superwash and Nylon, 150m (164 yards). I wanted to make some ankle socks with it. They turned out much bigger than I anticipated, but they are sooo snuggly and soft. I really like this yarn. I was 2 yards short on my last sock and had to dig up some superwash navy yarn to finish.
This pair is a lacy pattern.... I'll post more pics when I have one sock on the blocker. It's my first sock with a lace pattern and so far I am loving making these.

Good Luck At The Goodwill

2009-09-07T15:41:00.001-07:00

I've been finding some great things at the thrift stores this summer. Last week was no exception. I found some great yarns. With the coupon I had, all these yarns cost me under $8.00.
These four were handspun in the grease. They are bulky weight and maybe 20 - 30 yards each. I have no idea what I'm going to do with these. Maybe some super chunky balet style slipper socks?
These two are sooo pretty. Silk and acrylic. I will pair these up with one of the fuzzy ones to make small shawl.
The teal Plymouth Encore yarn will be some socks. And, all those gorgeous cottons will become clothing for some of the knit animals that I will be making for Christmas. More on those to come!