B is for Boy!

Christmas Jammies for the Boys

2011-12-21T10:19:00.000-06:00

I have wanted to make Christmas jammies for my boys since last year. I don't know how but I came across a link to Melly Sews and she had posted about how to use her blazer pattern and make it into pjs... I was in! I had bookmarked the free pattern over at Sewing in No Man's Land but it is only in one size and my brain is pretty fried right now... I didn't want to deal with trying to resize. I purchased the pattern right away and within hours was making jammies #1 for my 3 year old. (I had purchased fabric already....I told you this was on my to do list for a while!)

Ok, I don't know how many of you are like me- the first attempt at a pattern or project is always slewn with mistakes! First of all I probably should have gone a size smaller because my kid is a string bean... but tall so I made him a size 4... it kinda hangs off him. Oh well! The major mistake that really bugs me is that I cut the pants wrong! The pattern is going the opposite direction as the top. More importantly than the look is that the stretch is wrong! Luckily I made them big enough that they still work!

I often have to tell myself to

LET GO OF PERFECTION!

All this boy has asked for from Santa is a "long, long choo choo train"!

I'm not sure what he calls the gazillion of tracks and trains on his train table!

He got this really nice wooden train on Saturday at a family Christmas party...see the little wooden logs! He calls them Jobi wood (all of you that are familiar with Thomas the Train will know what that is!)

...and the train is off!

This train was handmade locally and my mother in law found out about him and hunted him down to get this train! I've seen similar ones on Etsy.

I added the ric-rac at the bottom and am torn whether it looks 'gingerbread boy-ish' or just plain girly!

Ok, so the 2nd pair for my husky 17 month old turned out pretty well! Remembering how big the first pair was I did slim down the pattern a bit (not too much since he is still a little husky).

I decided not to do the trim and just the ric-rac along the collar and really like it!

I added a cuff at the bottom with some more ric-rac. I had about 2" left otherwise I would have liked to put it around the wrists.

He is following in his brother's footsteps and also loves his choo choos!

I just want to squeeze those cheeks!

Even though 99% of the time they are both annoying each other, deep down I know they love each other!

I just finished their major gift yesterday and will try to take some pictures during naptime today to put up here! It turned out amazing!

Haul out the Holly Tutorial {Santa Pennant Garland}

2011-12-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

Hello there & welcome if you're visiting from Gwenny Penny!
I was so honored when Gwen asked me to participate in Haul out the Holly this year!

It honestly didn't take me very long to come up with this idea. I was preparing for my first craft fair around the time she asked me to participate and I had pennants on my mind.... thus:

Santa Pennant Garland!

Let's get started!

Materials:
1/4 yd red flannel
1/4 yd white or cream flannel
desired length of 1" black satin ribbon (3-4 yds)
coordinating thread
spring loaded scissors (not required but recommended)
cardstock and marker

Let's make our triangle pattern:

1. draw a 5" line which will be the top of the triangle

2. draw a 5" line perpendicular to the first line (creating a T)

3. connect the lines to form your triangle

Cut out your pattern and grab your rotary cutter and we'll cut out our fabric.

I folded my fabric and cut 4 layers at a time. You need 2 triangles of each color for each finished pennant. The number depends on how long you are making your garland.

Now lets layer our pennants.

Bottom layer- red

2 middle layers- white

Top layer- red

Pin your layers together. You should have a stack ready to head to your machine.

Sew along the 2 sides using a 3/4" seam allowance (mine fluctuated between 1/2"-3/4" but in the end you won't notice if they aren't perfect).

Grab those spring loaded scissors (great if you do rag quilting... which is why I bought them... still haven't made a rag quilt yet though! haha)

Start snipping 1/4" segments along both sides of each triangle. Leave the top uncut & do not cross the line you sewed.

I went ahead and sprayed it down with water and threw it in the dryer to shrink it.

Now we'll add the ribbon along the top. Leave a tail of 6" before your first triangle. I just folded the ribbon over the top of the triangle and pinned it in place. I did not leave any space between each triangle.

I started sewing at the first triangle making sure to backstitch (at the end too) so it wouldn't come unraveled.

Now I threw it in the washing machine to really get it to fluff up. You might want to do this a couple times... the more the merrier!

Isn't it lovely on my banister?

I thought I'd try it on our large front window... tried taking a picture of the whole window but the light outside was playing tricks on my camera!

Oh, and you might be wondering where the bow came from. When I went to unwind my ribbon off the spool it was in 2 pieces so this is how I remedied it... I really like the bow!

Thanks Gwen for allowing me to participate in your 2nd annual Haul Out the Holly series!

My First Craft Fair!

2011-11-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

By chance I signed myself up for a craft fair! I've never done one before but have always been interested. My main hesitation has been my boys...like what to do with them! My husband works. ALOT. He runs his family's business and then farms on the side (like the few hours left in the day once you've worked a full time job). So we really don't see him much. But things all fell into place because my wonderful mom & her husband are coming down for Thanksgiving! They will be here from Wednesday night through Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Yay! help! So, knowing I'd have coverage for my boys I am going full steam ahead getting ready for this thing. It's in a small town near me & the whole town does an 'open house' type thing so I think there will be plenty of traffic.

Here's what I've done so far in preparation:

1. I got a smart phone & ordered the 'Square' device which will allow me to accept credit cards. I got the phone for free since I was available for an upgrade and I went with the iphone 3 (older version). The 'Square' is free and came pretty quickly. The app is also free and I downloaded that right away. It took a little longer to set up the bank account you want the money deposited into.

2. I've been sewing in bulk! I think I've made 2 dozen burp cloths & have another 1 dozen to make, and have about 60 t-shirts that I'm doing reindeer & ties. I've made other things too (did I mention I signed up for another craft fair the following weekend! It was only $10 so I figured I'd take whatever I didn't sell at the first one).

3. My main focus for this post was to share the child size mannequin I made today. I bought the pattern here. It came together really fast & didn't take very much fabric. It is size 2T& will be a great prop for my table. Here is how I want to pose it:

On this cute tiny red chair we rescued... it needed a little TLC & still does but the mannequin hides some of the flaws.

With or without the Santa hat?

The tie is one of a set I whipped up last night for my boys' Christmas card photos.

I feel like this little guy is a part of our family now! He's a little lumpy because I stuffed him with scrap fabric but with a t-shirt on nobody will ever be able to tell. I think I'll make a couple more since I have a couple t-shirt designs to display.

Here's my next project to finish:

A pennant banner to hang on the table.

Christmas Wedding Present

2011-11-13T06:00:00.014-06:00

So last weekend my hubby and I got a much needed little get away (from the boys) for a family wedding. We had a fantastic time. I thought I'd share the gift I made for the couple. I was inspired by all the awesome Mr. & Mrs. gifts I've seen on different blogs & Etsy... just do a search for Mr. & Mrs. wedding gifts and you will see so many amazing wedding gifts!

His and Her stockings!

I thought how perfect for them to hang up on their first Christmas!

I went for a very classic red, white, and black color scheme.. wanted them to feel formal.

The lipstick kiss is embroidered by my machine. I was torn whether or not to also go with an embroidered applique like the mustache but I really like how you can see all the ridges with the embroidered kiss.

The mustache pattern I purchased from Etsy for my embroidery machine. I am slowly getting the hang of the embroidery possibilities. The key was realizing that I could transfer the designs... myself! I was under the impression that I had to go back to the shop to get them transfered to my sewing machine. That just wasn't going to happen with 2 little boys tagging along!

I wish I had my Christmas decorations up... so I'd have better pictures.

I am not a pre-Thanksgiving decorator. Now that I've created the pattern I might be churning out some more stockings... I've always wanted matching Christmas stockings for our family!

Pumpkin Patch Outfit

2011-10-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

This outfit actually started as just the pants.

But that creative itch overtook me & I was needing a break from sewing costumes and needed a quick little creative project.

Both my boys are going through their fall growth spurts.... you know when your kids' old pants are a little too short and the next size up are a little too long? I had just been rolling up the bottoms so they wouldn't trip and it occurred to me that it would be neat to add a little detail to make them look lined and therefor kinda cute when rolled up. The verdict is still out on whether they look a little too girly... my husband immediately unrolled them!

The shirt was super simple. I found the pumpkin applique online and to make the sleeves just made 2 tubes and attached them along the seam of shirt.

Wanna know how I added the faux lining? It was pretty simple.

Take your kid's pants (they need to be too long). I bought these a while ago on clearance for $4 at Target.

Measure your child's inseam.

Measure the pant's inseam (so you know how much to roll up).

Measure across the bottom. Double the measurement and add an inch for your seam allowance.

Cut 2 strips of fabric which are about 4" by whatever your last measurement was (double the length across plus 1").

Iron one edge or each strip and run a zigzag stitch along it. I am not worried about fraying because this will be tucked up in the pants and won't be seen.

Now iron the other edge over about 1/2" then started at the inseam, pin the ironed edge just along the bottom seam of the pants. Make sure to leave a 1/2" loose at the beginning and end so you can close the loop when you're done.

Make sure you are using a heavy duty needle (for denim). Slowly sew along the pinned edge. I didn't worry about thread color in my bobbin because it won't be seen. I also used a pretty loose stitch so I can rip it out later when the pants no long need to be rolled.

Now pin and sew the short ends that you left - make sure the right sides are together.

I added a row of stitches toward the top so the lining would stay up in the pants when rolled.

I think it turned out just as I imagined!

Take your little guy to the pumpkin patch to enjoy!

Birds, Birds, Birds!

2011-10-10T06:51:00.000-05:00

I just had to share the cutest, tiniest, little Angry Bird Costume I just finished.

Since this was for a newborn I don't have anyone to model it. Since this size took substantially less material and a little less time I offered to add a pair of little matching pants. I didn't feel right charging the same price I charge for much larger costumes. In the future I'll probably need to have a different listing for small/ larger sizes.

I used blanket binding around the top, so overall the cape with it's soft fleece and satin blanket binding feels like a comfy baby blanket!

I just love how cute and tiny this project was!

Here are some of the other Angry Birds that I've done (beside the original Red Bird)

My model wasn't feeling it so I couldn't get a good front view!

I just did another one of these and added the white "chin" under the beak.

This was the cutest little 12-18 month cape! I love how it turned out!

The black bomb! This also had a black bird cape.

I am starting to wind down, I finished taking orders on the 8th and am going to be completely finished by the end of this week- if all the stars align and no one, especially me, gets sick!

I have an adorable 'Pumpkin Patch' outfit I made my little guy that I hope to share later this week!

Superhero Costume - Guest Post by Jaimee from Craft Interupted

2011-10-03T06:00:00.009-05:00

Good morning my dear readers I have a special treat for you today! Another wonderful gal who volunteered to help me out while I am crazy busy with Halloween orders for my Etsy shop. I am pleased to hand it over to Jaimee from Craft, Interrupted. (PS check out these amazingly cute Lullaby Baby Bears! I think these would make a great baby gift!)

Hi! I'm Jaimee from Craft, Interrupted, and I'm popping over here today to B is for Boy! do my first ever Guest Post. So exciting! I'm also a mom of boys. I have three wild and goofy tornadoes of testosterone. Our house is full of Star Wars, plastic reptiles (and a real one, along with fish, frogs, and a dog), and lots of dump trucks. If you came here, you'd be stepping over scooters and muddy boots on the front stoop. You'd see Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Lego City books on the coffee table. You would get thumped with a giant inflatable crayon, and have a caped crusader peek around the corner to pelt you with a nerf bullet.

If you could navigate the Angry Bird-esque set-up in the front hallway, you'd enter my studio. My own room for crafting and sewing, now that we moved into a bigger house. About a year ago, I started a blog about my projects and inspirations. I'm so happy to have rediscovered my love of all things creative, and to finally carve out time for myself , to sew and craft, even if it is repeatedly interrupted by requests for more apple juice ; )

I'm going to share a recent project with you that was a test run for an idea I had for my etsy shop. My creative goal for my etsy work has been to develop a line of dress-up costumes that could be comfortably worn by kids with sensory problems, like my oldest son. Most of these children cannot tolerate the scratchy fabric or accessories of costumes, or the way they rumple up over top of your regular clothing. Many of these children have huge difficulty participating in Halloween activities. I read a lot of special needs blogs (and also write one of my own), and I was struck by some of the posts around Halloween time, about how these sensory kids couldn't wear costumes, or just wore the same football jersey they had worn for the prior three years and called that their costume. I'm sure some of these kids want to be princesses and superheros, too, and I started thinking of how I could make that easier.

As a bonus, my design is also Mom-Friendly, in the fact that it is easy on/easy off. Dress-up time in our house usually consists of ten minutes of straightening and stuffing and velcro'ing...and whining and wiggling...and two minutes later my superhero wants to switch characters, or move on to Legos, and we are already on to the disrobing. Take this process times three children, with the impatient jumping up and down or the Spiderman web flinging poses as you are trying to get the sleeves up...well, let's just say Momma sometimes wants to hide even as they approach me with the first outfit ; )

Here's what I did - we had a Superman costume bought on consignment after Halloween, thin fabric that started ripping and fraying at the seams after a month or so of use. I thought this was a perfect guinea pig to try out my idea. I ripped seams apart and cut the front of the costume to fit onto an apron shape of felt. Once I got them adjusted to the same shape, I sewed right sides together, flipped, ironed, and top stitched.

I added a velcro waist strap and an elastic neck strap, and then shortened the cape and sewed it along the neck. I need to fiddle with the measurements of the straps, and the elastic bit, and think about how to get around the front part looking like a skirt (on the boy costumes at least), BUT, I was happy with how it came out.

It goes over the head, and the strap goes around the back to velcro at the side. No sleeves, no legs, just quick as a superhero in a telephone booth ; )

My little man like it so much, he wore it to the bus stop to meet his big brothers : )

My five year old wore it at the dinner table that night, too. Ha! I love having saved this Superman costume by transforming it into an easier version with a longer lifespan. I'm looking forward to tinkering with the pattern, and at some point in the future, I will have apron costumes for sale in my etsy shop!

Huge thanks to Erica for letting me visit here today to share one of my creations, as well as the story behind it. Craft on!

I think Jaimee has hit the jackpot with this idea!

Thanks again Jaimee!

I'm Over at Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy

2011-09-29T06:00:00.002-05:00

I'm over at Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy today sharing my Fabric Stamping tutorial. Stop on over!

Fabric Pumpkin Guest Post

2011-09-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

The other day when I posted about needing some guest bloggers, Chelsea from One Hot Crafty-Mama volunteered to help me out. She has a really cute pumpkin tutorial to share with you today. Thanks Chelsea!

Hello!! I'm Chelsea from One Hot Crafty-Mama. I was trying to come up with something easy and fun to do for the fall then I remembered some pumpkins that my mom had made when I was younger. Going off of that memory this is what I came up with, I would love for you to check out how to make them.

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you some pictures of fabric pumpkins I made and I promised a tutorial on how to make them. Here it is finally!!! These are really simple and you can make whatever size you want.

Materials needed:

scrap fabric (the body of your pumpkin)

a even smaller scrap of fabric (your stem)

pillow filler or a couple of grocery bags

embroidery floss and a large needle

thread and a regular needle

I wanted to make a bigger pumpkin this time. So I used about a half of a fat quarter.

Then I cut out a circle, you can trace something or just free hand it like I did.

Using the needle and thread I ran the thread around the edge of the circle and then tightened it creating a pouch. *Note: be careful to not allow the thread to go all the way through the what you just stitched.

Open the hole up a little bit and add your filler. I didn't have any pillow filler so I stuffed a couple of grocery bags in there and it worked great!!

Then tie your hole close.

Now using your big needle and the floss, start your needle on the bottom of your pouch and push it up through the middle, don't let the floss go through completely bring the end of the floss around the outside of the pouch and tie it off in the middle. *Note: I used all the threads of the floss on this pumpkin on the others I used 4 of the threads.

Go around your pumpkin starting at the bottom up through the middle, to the top and then around the outside back to the bottom (I hope that makes sense), continue at spacing the thread how you want to.

This is what the bottom of mine looks like.

Here is the top. Tie off the floss I used the same spot that I started with. Now set it aside for a moment.

Now using your smaller piece of scrap create and strip. However wide or long is up to the side of your pumpkin and how big you want the stem to be.

Fold the fabric in half lengthwise with the right sides together. Now either use your machine if its handy or hand sew the long sides together. Then flip the fabric outside out and sew the bottom together.

Now its time to attach the stem to the top. If you are making small pumpkins its easier to just hot glue the stems on otherwise sew it on.

Now enjoy your pumpkin!!!

Thanks again Chelsea, I love this & need to make some!

Guest Bloggers Wanted

2011-09-25T19:24:00.000-05:00

If you've seen my last couple post you already know how super busy I've been with my Etsy shop. I thought I'd put out a feeler to see if anyone would be interested in doing a guest post here. Maybe something fall or Halloween related. I've got all these great new ideas but NO extra time to try them out let alone blog about them. Once I get through Halloween though I'll be able to breath again! If you're interested please email me at bisforboy(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Toddler Hoodie Pattern

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last spring I purchased The Reversible Zippy Hoodie pattern UNISEX. I started it as a spring jacket for my older boy who was 2 1/2 at the time. Well fast forward 6 months and voila!

I now have a fall jacket for my younger son! I went to put it on the older one and it was way too small for a jacket! He could probably wear it as a shirt if it didn't have a zipper. Luckily the cuffs fold up so it works perfect for the little guy!

Check out the fancy posing!

I lined it with a grey flannel so it's warm but not too warm- perfect for fall!

Don't look too close or you'll notice small imperfections like how the bottom trim doesn't line up perfectly. Oh well. I loved the pattern. It came together fairly easily. It's not a beginner pattern, though.

Now that I'm finished I want to make a couple more... when I find some time!

Owls, Bats, and Birds, OH MY!

2011-09-20T16:12:00.000-05:00

Good gracious I have been working my fingers to the bone! Remember when I posted about this Owl Costume that I added to my shop?

Well it has been a hit! At customer requests I have done a couple different versions of the Owl.

Version 1: Bat Costume

Version 2: Red Angry Birds Costume

*On Etsy it's called Red Bird Costume because there's a copyright on the name and I don't want to get in trouble.

Angry Birds Blue and Yellow coming soon!

I've got a couple tutorials I'm working on but I've spent every minute of nap times, early mornings, and evenings after kids are asleep working on costumes! I am loving the feeling of success but it sure does wear me out!

Project Run & Play {for the boys!}

2011-09-16T08:25:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you follow Project Run & Play but this week is for the boys! I was so excited to check out the awesome BOYS looks! There was definitely an aviator theme going. Here's a peak at the looks that were created.

You should go vote on your favorite look! It was a really hard decision for me!

Flat Iron Case {knock off} Tutorial

2011-09-14T07:00:00.005-05:00

So the other day I went to a home party at my sister in law's house for Thirty-One Gifts. They have the cutest products! But the whole time I couldn't help thinking 'I could make that!' Especially when I saw these adorable hot iron cases. (Picture from their fall catalog (image source))

Look how simple! But what a great Christmas gift...yeah I know, we still have Halloween & Thanksgiving to get through but let me tell you there's nothing worse than waiting till the last minute to make Christmas gifts. It creates way too much unneeded stress!

Here's my fairly easy Hot Iron Case Tutorial:

Materials:

Exterior Fabric (I used a laminated cotton)

Batting (could use Insul-bright)

Heat resistant interior fabric (I used something like this)

Coordinating Piping (optional)

2" Velcro

First, cut your fabric. You'll need the following:

18"x6" rectangle from exterior, interior, and batting

14 1/2" x 6" rectagle of exterior, interior, and batting

Find a round object in your house to give the short ends a curve. On your shorted (pocket) piece leave one end straight.

Take exterior and interior short pieces and pin them right sides together along one of the short ends. Sew along this end.

Now open and lay this piece flat. Take the short piece of batting and lay it along one of the pieces of fabric (I chose the interior fabric). Then bring the exterior fabric over, sandwiching the batthing. Pin the short end where you sewed before.

Topstich along this short side. If you are using a laminated fabric then use a nonstick foot on your machine. (My machine came with one). Baste around the rest of this shorted piece & add velcro about an inch or so from the top. I did not and had to hand stich it on later so I don't have a picture.

Adding the piping: *this makes the project more intermediate if you want an easier version I will post another tutorial showing you how.

Start with the large piece of exterior fabric. I started in the bottom corner and pinned the piping (with the rough edge facing out) around the whole piece. At the corners I cut little notches so it would curve better.

Here you can see where I began and ended.

Baste this in place.

Now take the shorter (pocket) piece and lay it on top of the piece you just sewed the piping on. Make sure the exterior fabrics are facing each other. Line up the bottom edges, you should have about 3" above the top of the pocket piece.

Pin in place. Tip: If using a laminated fabric pin along your sewing line so that you don't leave holes in the fabric.

Sew in place leaving a 3-4" opening toward the top of one side. It's important that you feel for the piping making sure to get your seam pretty close to it. You can peak inside as your going to see where you need to sew close. Take your large piece of batting and baste it on to one side of your project.

Now carefully turn it rightside out. I started at the top, then fold it down. Make sure to keep the pocket to one side as you turn.

Now pin your opening closed and topstich around the whole thing. I used my nonstick foot and largest stitch my machine does (5mm).

Add velcro to your flap, making sure it lines up with the piece you sewed on earlier.

Now your project is complete!

Make one for yourself or to give away! While you're at it make a matching makeup bag!

Toddler Backpack

2011-09-12T07:00:00.003-05:00

My older son started preschool about a month ago (he's not even 3 yet... but will be Wednesday!) but he needed some social interaction and his brother and I needed some time without him! I was not one of those moms that cried about her kid going to school, maybe because it's 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours so he isn't gone much. I might cry when he goes to kindergarten. Anyway, he didn't need much to transport the one or two papers he'd be bringing home each time or the occasional show & tell items. I came across the perfect toddler backpack tutorial (that's free!) at That Crafty Mrs. V. I let Kellen choose the main fabric and I chose the compliment fabrics. Here's how it turned out:

I finally figured out the embroidery function on my sewing machine (that I got in January for my birthday!) and put his name on the front.

Love the inside! I really wanted to use this where I put the blue but didn't think his name would stand out as much. I added the orange polka dot here and there for visual interest.

I think the orange piping adds so much detail! Overall I am very happy how this turned out! I really wanted to add a side pocket with elastic so he could put a sippy cup or bottle of water but I got caught up in the excitement when making it and forgot! I don't think it'd be hard, though.

Ok, so I started compiling a bunch of links to other toddler backpacks for you them I came across this link which has done all the work and had most of the ones I found anyway.

Pottery Barn Owl Costume Knock Off (and boyified)

2011-09-09T07:13:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago a nice gal contacted me about making a costume for her kiddo based on this Pottery Barn Owl Costume:

(Images from Pottery Barn website)

It instantly got my creative juices flowing! A few trial runs and tweaks later and I finally have it! And since it's the cutest thing ever I am making it available in my Etsy shop.

As you can see it is now 2 seperate pieces, a cape and hat. First, of all this is much more boy friendly. Second, it is practical because the hat can be worn throughout the fall and winter.

The hat has an adorable shabby chic style appliqued face. It is lined too. In the picture above I used orange polka dot fabric which matches the lining in the cape. Below, it's hard to tell, but I lined the hat with another layer of the brown fleece making it extra warm.

Isn't this chubby face adorable! He's eating fruit snacks... so this is the best shot of the hat I could get on him... he's at the age where he wants to pull off the hat as soon as I put it on.

Here's the duo closer up.

Sorry for the poor quality of this picture... he sat still for approximately 30 seconds thanks to the stick and corn keeping him happy.

I can also do the hooded cape... this one is a bit small for him... but he's my only baby model. The cape would fit like it does in the previous picture covering more of the shoulders.

Lining can be your choice. I have many fabrics to choose from. Here is a white with orange, brown, tan, & blue polka dots.

Once Halloween is over you can continue using the warm fall/winter hat!

PS. TGIF!

My Favorite Fall Recipe!

2011-09-08T07:44:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd repost my favorite cooler weather recipe. I don't know about you, but we've had the best weather ever! Mid 70s during the day with clear blue skies! I've had windows open and we've been playing outside (more than when we were having 100+ degree weather a week or two ago).

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It's that time of year when a good bowl of something warm sounds good for dinner. Last night I made such a dish. I wanted to share this recipe that I got from a friend of mine in a recipe exchange a few years ago. She said it was a crowd pleaser and she was right.

Italian Tortellini Stew

Ingredients:

1 # Italian Sausage (I use the Bob Evans roll)

1 C chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic (I cheat and use a tablespoon of the jarred garlic)

1 can (14-17oz size) tomato sauce

1 C sliced carrots

8-9 C beef broth (I use 2 of the 32 oz boxes)

1 C water

1 tblsp basil

1 tblsp Parsley

1 tblsp oregano

4 fresh tomatoes chopped

2 C sliced zucchini

1 C chopped mushrooms

1 green pepper chopped

2 small 9oz packages fresh tortellini (I cheat and buy frozen)

Saute sausage with onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, carrots, beef broth, chopped tomatoes, basil, parsley, and oregano. Simmer for 1 hour. Then add zucchini, mushrooms, green pepper, and fresh tortellini and cook for an additional hour. (Because I cheat and use frozen tortellini I don’t add them until the last 10-15 minutes because I don’t want to over cook them).

Enjoy! Serve with warm cornbread or just a crusty loaf of bread- yum!

The Invisible Mother

2011-09-04T14:25:00.000-05:00

A friend on facebook had shared a link to this column and I had to share. This is such a powerful description of what being a mother is really all about. I hope this brings a tear to your eye but also gives you some encouragement as you read it.

Here's the link to the column: The Invisible Mother

The Invisible Mother

By ANDRA STEFANONI

The Morning Sun

On a day when I was wondering why no one had nominated me for a major award because I was able to get three beds stripped and cleaned and remade, a colorful and balanced supper on the table, a toddler entertained on my own from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., an entertaining column written and submitted, and a first grader taken to school with everything he needed and brought home with nothing that he didn't, I received this in my inbox.

I am grateful to Mother-in-Law for passing it along. I can give no credit to the author, because I don't know who wrote it, but from the sound of things she seeks none.

Religious or not, an at-home-mom or professional mom, read it and take from it what you need.

Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, “Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The Invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this?
Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.”

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, “I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, no one will ever see it.” And the workman replied, “Because God sees.”

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.”

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, '”My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “You're gonna love it there.”

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy your Labor Day everyone!

I'm Back!

2011-09-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Man, it seems like forever since I've posted! I kinda wondered if I'd remember how to do it! My goal was to post today so technically I will accomplish that even if most people won't see it till tomorrow. I thought I'd start by giving you a glimpse of what I've been up to while I was gone.

My baby turned one!

We had a great party! Here's a snapshot:

I made this toddler backpack for a little friend of ours.

My big boy started preschool! Whoo Hoo! I made him a backpack too but it's hard to see in this picture.

I've also got some awesome products I'll be adding to my Etsy shop soon!

Summer Break

2011-07-13T15:53:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Some of you may be wondering if I fell off the face of the Earth! No, I've just taken an unofficial 'summer break' from blogging. This wasn't planned...it came about when my computer started acting up. My computer needed a new hard drive, screen, and keyboard... most of us would think 'just get a new computer' but it must be the farmer in my husband who wants to fix things to death. So here I sit with a computer that has a new hard drive and still needs everything else! He glued the missing keys back on...by the way it's easier just leaving them off because now I have to hit them just right to work. I have a large black spot in the bottom left corner which I've been able to work around. The cherry on top of my computer problems is that our internet doesn't like to keep a connection...depending on the day. We finally have an appointment and the guy should be 'fixing' it today!
With all the fun things to do during the summer I have had a hard time wanting to try and fumble through posting to my blog. I figure I'd just give myself a summer break and get back into the swing of things late Augustish.
PS- I have really enjoyed keeping a clean craft room which doesn't happen when I'm doing projects 2-3 times a week! I do have pictures from my little guys first birthday to post...when I get a chance!
PPS- Soon I may be without a camera too! It needs to be sent off to get fixed which may take up to 6 weeks! It seems like everything in my life right now is breaking down! The computer/internet, my camera, and dishwasher...it's really frustrating!

Bucket List Project #3: Dish Mats

2011-06-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

My third project was supposed to be molded crayons. Well, I ordered some super cute candy molds to use but they still haven't arrived so in it's place I decided to make myself some dish mats. Our dishwasher is as old as our house (which isn't that old in house years but really old in dishwasher years). We are trying to make it work a little longer before we dish out the money for a new one! So, in the mean time the counter above the dishwasher looks like this:

Where I put all the dishes I rewashed, or washed instead of waiting all day for the dishwasher to decide to finish washing one load. Oh, and there's always those pots & pans that need to be hand washed.

I originally was going to follow this cute tutorial over at Toad's Treasures but I was too ~~lazy~~ busy and wanted something quicker... you never know how long nap time is going to be with 2 kids!

So, this is what I ended up doing.

Gather up the following supplies

First, spray the back of the terri cloth hand towel. Wait about 5 minutes (refer to directions on spray can).

Lay flannel fabric face down on work surface and carefully lay the terri cloth hand towel with sticky side down ontop of flannel. I started at one end, smoothing out wrinkles as you go.

Cut the edges off the short side...makes the next step easier.

Not pictured, I surged around the edges. If you do not have a serger I would recommend using bias tape as an easy way to finish the edges.

Here are my fnished products...which took me no longer than a half hour for 3!

And here's my dish area with my new dish mat!

These are super absorbant!

Bucket List Project #2: Fused Bags

2011-06-04T06:00:00.007-05:00

Ok, so I thought I already posted this on Saturday... I had it scheduled, at least I thought I did. When I went in to blogger today I noticed it still said draft...so sorry! I really was sticking to my schedule.

For my second Bucket List project I made this cute little basket

from my abundant collection of Target bags that I've been collecting just for this project!

For fusing techniques I referred to this post and this post.

Here's how I made this little basket. I took my sheets of fused plastic bags and cut them into 1" strips the length of the bags. I chose to use 2 different colored fused plastic.

You'll have a pile of 1" strips. You'll need a total of 12.

Now take 8 strips weaving them together to form the base for the basket.

Here comes the tricky part. Start by bending the sides up to help hold the woven middle area together.

Then using a little hot glue to hold the strip in place & bending at each corner, weave your bottom strip.

Once all the way around, glue the strip in the same place you started it.

Repeat this for 3 more strips. To finish the top, fold down the ends of the upright spokes and tuck them into or fold them under the weaving beneath. I used a little hot glue to hold the top row of weaving together where needed.

Now you have a very useful little basket...and the bags you used are not sitting in a landfill. Win-Win!

Bucket List Project #1: Bleached T-shirt

2011-06-02T06:00:00.006-05:00

Yay, I am so excited about my new series. I am going to be getting so much done this month! My first project was super easy & didn't require anything that I didn't already have at home. I first saw this project here on Under the Sycamore. ~~My 2 year old~~ I was not ready for my 2 year old to be given a squirt gun with bleach in it. You should check out her post... great photography & lots of fun!

Here is my recap of my project.

1. I traced different shaped cookie cutters onto freezer paper which I cut out

2. and ironed to the front of a cheap blue T-shirt I bought for $1 at Walmart!

2. I also put a layer of freezer paper inside the shirt the bleach wouldn't bleed through the shirt

3. I used an old squirt bottle to pour about a cup of bleach into...I wanted to be able to throw it away once this project was over.

I took the shirt to my front porch and hung it on the railing with some heavy canned veggies. Then squirted the front, making sure to saturate the area around the freezer paper stars.

Then I rinsed the shirt in a tub in my sink and threw it in to a washer that was already full of soap and water and ready to agitate.

My second shirt I bought at a yard sale for almost nothing. I decided to try a different technique. I used a plastic cookie cutter that I stole from my son's play dough stash. I used the small end of the Bleach Pen and wrote out RAWR means I Love You. Then, pressing firmly on the cookie cutter, I filled in the edges with bleach. I let this soak in for about 5 minutes then took it to my sink & rinsed it really well with the sprayer. Then washed in the washing machine. (Please note that I also put freezer paper inside shirt to keep the bleach from soaking through)

My little man wearing his new shirt:

Check back Saturday for my next Bucket List project!

Bucket List & New Series

2011-06-01T10:27:00.004-05:00

Have you noticed my 'Craft Bucket List' toward the bottom of my right sidebar? It's been there for a while...to be honest I've just about forgotten about it! Well, I'm getting that spring itch where you want to clean out every closet & declutter. No, I'm not pregnant! My garage sale pile is growing by the day so little by little my house is getting in order. Now it's time for crossing off some projects & cleaning out my fabric & craft stashes. I'm taking the month of June to do the projects on my 'Craft Bucket List'. I figure if I do 2-3 per week I won't get burned out so here's the tentative schedule:

Bleach T-shirt

Fused Bags

Dish Mats

Molded Crayons

Wine Cork Message Board

Boy's Page Hat

Car Pillow

Felted Soap

Flat Front Shorts

Lap Tray

Storage Cubes

Hanging Storage Container

Cowl-neck shirt

Mystery Project picked from one of my gazillion bookmarked favorites

So, stop back tomorrow for my first project: Bleached T-shirts!

Monthly Onesie Stickers {free download}

2011-05-25T15:59:00.001-05:00

I have a friend who is due pretty soon with baby #3. Her shower is this coming weekend. When I started thinking about what to get or make her I was a little stumped because this is baby #3, they don't know the sex yet, and they have one of each gender already. So, there really isn't much she needs. I think most people are getting her diapers...you can NEVER have too many of those! But I wanted to do something more fun and I am so excited to share what I came up with!

I've seen these on Etsy & thought they were a great idea (secretly wishing I would have done this with both my boys). Since they needed to be gender neutral and since I already had some images from The Very Hungry Caterpillar (I'm getting ready for my little guys first birthday!) I went with that theme. The thought crossed my mind to go ahead and adhere these to some onesies but I resisted because babies grow at such different speeds. Both my boys had doubled their birth weight by 2 months! So, even though a set of onesies with these images would be more fun to give, I decided to give them as 'sticker's in a drawstring bag with directions on how to apply them when needed.

I used these to print the images on. I think the clear version would be better in case you want to stick them on a colored onesie. I already had the white stickers so that's what I used.

First, download and print the following images on your sticker paper.

The documents below are for personal use only. Please use them to make gifts or for your own enjoyment but under no circumstances may you sell these documents.

Months 1 6

Months 7 12

Here are the instructions that I put with the gift. Right click and save to your computer.

I had the perfect fabric to make a cute little drawstring bag to put all the stickers in and here's how I made it.

1. Cut a piece of fabric 11"x 5"

2. Fold in half with right sides together and sew up both sides. Stop about 2" from the top on one side to allow a place for the drawstrings.

3. Fold the top down and inch and iron.

4. Sew 3/4" or sew from the top all the way around. One side will have the opening for the drawstring.

5. Using a saftely pin feed a piece of ribbon through the opening you left at the top.

6. Cut out all the stickers.

Punch a hole in the instructions, place the stickers in the bag and tie with a cute bow.

You've got a really thoughtful & fun gift!

Enjoy!

Traveling with Baby: Feeding Time!

2011-05-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I mentioned this blanket clip I made that matches my awesome diaper bag!

When I was creating my packing list I wasn't sure what to do about bringing bibs. Even though we were only going to be gone for 3 days that's a minimum of 3 bibs a day. Then the thought of nasty, dirty bibs caked with food in my suitcase- some of them 3 days old- eww!

What about my travel bibs? Again, what to do when they're dirty? They are good for a dinner out not days of eating out. I needed something disposable. Sure, I could have bought some of these. But I was already rushed for time finishing up my diaper bag and really didn't want to make a half hour trip, hauling 2 kids into a store just for what is basically a napkin!

My easy fix was to add a couple snaps to the blanket clip & ta da it is now a bib clip! Attach a napkin from the restaurant. I threw in a bunch of these disposable changing pad covers (which I actually bought with my first son and still have)! They can be used for so many things! I figured besides covering germy changing station surfaces I could use one as a bib if need be!

Here's my little man modeling one of the multi use pads & blanket clip as a bib. What I really loved was the size was ample enough to cover his lap. It seems these days 1/2 his food ends up there!

Here is the clip before snaps... great for keeping a blanket on your child especially in a stroller. I ended up really needing this because I was not prepared for the cold & rainy weather we had during the graduation!

I added a button set about one inch down from the fold and another 2 inches down. This gives me more options for how long/short I want it.

Here is a shot from the underside. The snaps are kinda hard to see.

These clips are so easy to make. There are probably a gazillion tutorials out there so I won't go into too much detail. I cut 2 strips of fabric 1" wide plus seam allowances and about 14" long. Put the 2 pieces right sides together and sew around 3 sides leaving one open so you can turn it right side out. Once right side out top stitch 1/8" around all sides closing the end you left open. Add suspender clips on both ends by folding the fabric over a 1/2" or so and using a triple stitch to make sure it doesn't come apart. Once done, fold in half and add a set of snaps about 1" and 2" from fold...try it on your child and decide where you want them.

I wish I would have known how great these things were...every mom with young eaters needs one!

Traveling with Baby: Diaper Bag

2011-05-17T16:36:00.001-05:00

So, I am just returning from a little trip to Denver for my sister's grad school graduation. To make this possible, since my husband farms on the side, we each took a kid. This was my first time ever flying with a child. Man oh man I learned a lot from this experience. I thought I'd share my experience starting with this awesome diaper bag I made for the trip.

I used this pattern from Sew 4 Home with a few changes. The exterior fabric was Michael Miller Laminate Bicycles Gray. The interior was a waterproof PUL fabric. The accent fabric was a blue gingam.

I would recommend NOT using a laminate fabric because it's a pain! I could use more words to describe the frustration I had but I'll keep this G rated!

I added a phone pocket to the chest strap... and I used it a lot!

Here is a close up of the knot where the two straps come together. This is nice because you can control the length of the strap.

Here's a peek inside the bag. I loved the swivel key clip...made it easy to not loose my keys. I also was able to clip a pacifier in this too!

Look at ALL the pockets! This bag has major storage- great for travel!

The original pattern called for a button closure but I hate buttons so I added a flap and 2 magnetic snaps. I loved the magnetic snaps but in retrospec I would have just put them along the top edge and not added the flap...one less step. This was the first time using the magnetic snaps and even though they are so easy to install I made the mistake of putting the tabs through all layers. So to hide the tabs I hot glued some fun orange buttons on them!

Here I am modeling the bag (on self timer). You can get an idea of the size...perfect as a carry on!

I made a matching blanket clip that my older son is modeling (ignore the funny face...it's the best I got!). More on this later.

On a difference note I had to give you a peek at my new tie and belt set!

You can choose from a real tie or tie onesie. I love this blue gingam!

Here's the link for the listing with the real tie and this is for the tie onesie.

Here's my little man modeling the tie... the best I got with a self timer! I really need to teach my 2 year old how to use a camera!!

Business Card Holder

2011-05-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

I made these a few weeks ago following an awesome tutorial on The Crafty Cupboard. They came together quickly and only used scraps...which I have alot of!

I made this one first, hence why it buttons from the wrong side! But I love this fabric. Remember when I made this lunch tote for my sister?

I had these business cards made at Vistaprint FOR FREE.... love that site! They are such nice quality!

I use the site to make my kids' birthday invites too.

These can hold quite a few business cards. I throw this in my diaper bag whenever I leave the house & have been happy I did a few times. I love making connections when out and about. I even met a fellow blogger at her garage sale! I bought a bag of really nice fabric for $1!!! She has an adorable blog called Creative Cents and it's all about recipes, bargains, crafts, kids.... hmm just my type of place!

It was so fun exchanging business cards! She even told me about a craft night held at a local church once a month and was sweet enough to email me the details.

These two sassy divas were for my two wonderful sisters-in-law. They both sell Arbonne and I thought they could use something cute to hold their cards in. The only thing I forgot to do for theirs was use the iron on stabilizer. I was too excited and got ahead of myself! I figure the business cards would keep it stiff enough!

I'm working feverishly right now on a couple projects that I will be taking on my trip this weekend to Denver. One of them uses this awesome fabric that I had bought a while back but didn't have a project in mind. (It's laminated)

Then I came across this awesome diaper bag tutorial at Sew 4 Home and it was like a light bulb went on. I hope to finish it today & I will post the finished pictures soon!

Shout Outs

2011-05-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

First of all, I want to thank my wonderful husband & sweet boys for a wonderful Mother's Day!

I wanted to give a couple shout outs to two fellow bloggers who were awesome enough to hold giveaways that I was lucky enough to win! First, is Erin from A Bird and a Bean. She has an amazing blog with some awesome recipes and crafts! This is what I won:

Can you see the spoons? They're plant markers! Here are some close ups.

Mint

Rosemary

Basil

She sent 5 today but the other two plants weren't in great shape... I don't have the best green thumb!

The next giveaway I won was from Pat at Unexpected Treasures. She does a lot of repurposing & made me this 'Mom Saying' frame!

She sent the bus and bird to go on top but I liked them both so I put them both out!

Look how great it goes!

I'm trying to finish up my Lisette dress from Gwenny Penny's sew along from last week. And by finish up I mean sew the whole thing! I've cut out the pieces and boy was that overwhelming. I'm not used to dots and notches and all that technical stuff! I really want to have it done to wear to my sisters graduation this coming weekend...we'll see! I bought this fun fabric from Jo Ann's.

I am still undecided if the shape of the dress will even look good on my figure... I kinda feel like it's going to make me look pregnant! Stay tuned- I'll post pictures when I get it finished.

Have a great Monday!

Brother-Sister sets

2011-05-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't noticed I've been MIA lately. Don't feel bad I'll show you what else I've neglected:

This poor plant- remember how pretty it was in my Mother's Day Photo Plant Wrap?

Look at my sink full of dishes!

I've just ignored this mess my 10 month old made... because as soon as I pick it up he'll do it again!

This mountain of laundry...not to mention the state of choas my sewing area is in!

Making my bed....why we're just going to sleep in it again tonight!

Well, I wanted to show you a glimpse of what has kept me a little preoccupied besides just being a busy mom with 2 boys & beautiful weather!

I know....I'm supposed to be all about boys! But these are to go WITH my boy's ties!

Check out the homemade bias tape around the arm holes!

And the ricrac at the bottom...aww!

This fun number would be great for 4th of July! I have ties in the blue or the red...

Again, homemade coordinating bias tape around the arm holes.

This dress has a strip of the blue paisley at the bottom.

I've made friends with my serger... great friends actually. I love how it looks so professional!

I'm also going to offer coordinating hair boys... yes this is my 10 month old SON modeling the bow! He gets called a girl all the time- I think it's the curlyish hair!

If you're in love with the idea of your son(s) & daughter(s) coordinating for either a family picture, a wedding, or any other summer event I'd love to make a coordinating dress/tie set for you!

Email me at bisforboy(at)yahoo(dot)com

Happy Mother's Day to all you hard working, underpaid, and oh so blessed women who get the honor of being called mom. I love the job & even though some days I think I'm going crazy I won't trade it for the world!

Flower Pot Photo Wrap

2011-05-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

With Mother's Day around the corner- seriously there's only 1 week! I feel like it really snuck up on me with Easter being so late. I came across this tutorial & it got me thinking. There's nothing a mother loves more than adorable pictures of her children or family & what if those pictures were displayed around a beautiful flowering plant? This would be great for Grandmas too!

What you'll need:

small flower pot

fabric (fat quarter- for small pots)

1/2" elastic

bias tape

clear vinyl (one of those bags your sheets come in works well)

pictures of your kids/family

First we'll take some measurements.
1.Measure the diameter of the bottom.
2. Then the top of the pot.

3. Lastly, the height.

Now we need to find the circumference of the top & bottom circles so use this equation:

Diameter x pi (3.14159) = Circumference

Take the height measurement + 1/2 of the bottom diameter + 1 inch = Trapezoid height

Now cut out a trapazoid shape using the top circle circumference for the length of the top, the bottom circle circumference for the length of the bottom, the Trapezoid height from the equation above. Add seam allowances to all sides.

Cute ONE trapezoid in this shape.

My measurements were:

top diameter 5", so the circumference is 15.7 + .5 seam allowance = 16.2"

bottom diameter is 4", so the circumference is 12.5 + .5 seam allowance = 13"

Flower pot height is 4", so the Trapezoid height will be (4 + 2 +1) = 7"

PS this is very similar to Delia's Easter Basket Liner.

Now, cut out your fabric and iron the top down 1" and the bottom up 1/2" then again half the diameter of the bottom of the pot. This will give you the proper size for the front of the wrap.

Now we are ready to make the photo pocket!

Decide the size of the photo you are using & make sure it will fit on the front of the wrap (remember there will be a border so you don't want to crop it too close to the people in the picture!).

Cut a piece of the vinyl to the size you want your pocket to be.

Now we are going to sew the bias tape around the vinyl. Open up your bias tape and start by lining up the raw edge of bias tape along bottom edge of vinyl. Leave a couple inches of bias tape unsewn so we can attach it to the end when we get around the whole vinyl piece.

Now when you get to the first corner, stop 1/4" away and fold it up so that it forms a 45 degree angle in the corner. Fold the bias tape back over itself and sew down the new side doing the same thing at each corner until you have returned to where you started. **I did not pin because I didn't want holes in my vinyl & I slide some tissue paper under the vinyl to help it not stick to the sewing maching.

When you return to where you began, stop and inch or so away and fold the tails so that their edges meet and press to create a crease. Sew those 2 pieces together along the crease then open back up and continue sewing your bias tape to the vinyl.

Now fold the bias tape over and lets attach it to the front side!

Make sure to miter the corners. It may not look perfect (it's hard working with sticky vinyl!).

We're almost done! Grab your trapezoid shaped fabric and sew along the hem at the top (I did a double row because orginally I was going to add elastic but it turns out it isn't needed). Then sew your photo pocket on- remember to leave the top open so you can slide the picture in ;)

Then sew a very loose stich along the bottom making sure to backstitch as the beginning so you don't pull your thread out. Then pull the fabric tight. Not pictured is sewing along the side seam to finish this baby off!

Now slide your picure in and voila you have a great gift ready for mom or grandma! I added a little rick rac around the top... there are really so many ways you could embellish this!

Gifts for the girls

2011-04-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

I've been working my little tail off with a couple custom orders from my shop & for my sister in law. My sister in law needed 2 baby shower gifts & I had just the perfect fabric! I know that I am normally all about boys but I love how this set turned out and wanted to share! If you love it too I am listing it in my shop as well ;)

All wrapped up ready for one special mommy!

love this fabric!

The set includes one burp cloth, one pacifier clip (notice the ruffles!), and one fold n go bib.

The back of the bib ready to go with a spoon and pack of Wet Ones.

PS- look at these little cuties I made for the boys to put in their Easter baskets. I used this tutorial at RevoluzZza. My 2 year old picked the green buttons for eyes & I don't really like them... but they were super fast and easy so I could always make a new one.

I put little crosses inside the bunny's hearts to remind the boys the real reason we celebrate Easter.

Easter Shout Out

2011-04-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I received this cute little bunny in the mail.

I wanted to give a shout out to the Etsy business where I bought it.

I know how hard it is getting your Etsy business noticed.

This little bunny is a natural teething toy made from high quality wood, cut by hand, sanded satin smooth, and finished in a mixture of organic olive oil and beeswax (both of which are non-toxic and completely safe for children and animals).
They have a ton of other wood toys too. Like this Wee Bicycle Rolling Toy.

Screwdriver Wooden Teething Toy

I wish I would have seen this Spring Special they have. If you buy 2 teethers you get free shipping! Also, buy 3 teethers for a discount.

Easter Crafts for Toddler

2011-04-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

We've had our fair share of yucky weather lately which means we can't always get outside to play. So I've been scrounging around for activities to keep my 2.5 year old busy. I thought I might as well put them as a post in case some of you are in the same predicament!

PS- the crafts I chose had to be made with stuff I already had on hand.

Cotton ball Easter Bunny Craft by Crafts~N~Things for Children

*we did this today & it was a success!

Paper Plate Easter Wreath by Craft Linky

Transparent Eggs by 4 Crazy Kings

Foam Egg Cups by Activity Village

Coffee Filter Easter Eggs by The Active Toddler

How fun are these Easter Bunny Racers by Cafe Mom on The Stir

Again, I love this! Jelly Bean Bracelet by My Kids Make

(I think I'd have to make it but it would be a big hit!)

When all else fails here's a link to a ton of coloring pages.

Little Gentleman's Faux Vest Onesie

2011-04-17T15:48:00.006-05:00

It's almost Easter and if you're a procrastinator like me then you probably don't have anything for your little guy to wear. Yet. Go grab a onesie that fits your little man & an old skirt or pants from your garage sale pile and let's make a cute little Faux Vest Onesie!

I used Dana's flat front pants tutorial to make matching pants but I am not super thrilled at how mine turned out. I didn't give him enough room in the tush.

You will also need some paper to make your vest pattern, 2 buttons, a sewing machine, & sewing notions like thread & scissors.

First, take your onesie and fold it in half and draw lines where you see I've marked in red in the first picture above. Then on the line that was drawn where the middle of the onesie is measure about 3" down from the top. This will help create the dip in front. Then use a straightedge and create a 'v' at the bottom & the slant from the shoulder to the mark you made on the middle line. Now trace around the whole pattern 1/4" for your seam allowance (not pictured) & cut out your pattern.

Cut out 2 of your pattern from the outside fabric & 2 of an interior fabric (I used an old button down shirt). Remember the the pieces need to be mirror images so flip your pattern upside down for one side.

Then pin right sides together.Sew along all sides except the top shoulder area. That will be kept open to turn this rightside out.

Sew along all sides except the top shoulder area. That will be kept open to turn this rightside out. Clip all the corners & turn rightside out. Press with an iron then topsitch 1/8" along all sides except the shoulder area. I also did not topstich along the side that will be sewed along the side seam.

Now, match the side seams in the onesie. Pin the outside edge of each vest piece along the side seams leaving about 3/4" below the arm pit. Sew along the sides making sure to backstitch at the top & bottom. The third picture is what it should look like now.

Now flip the top part on the shoulder back. Then pin & sew the shoulder section on the vest so that the seam will be hidden under the top flap. Before sewing make sure both sides match.

Measure and mark where you want your buttons to go. I overlapped the 2 sides slightly. Then sew your buttons through both sides so that they will stay closed.

You're all done & your little man now has something spiffy to wear on Easter or just out on the town ;)

ADORABLE!

Fabulous Finds {for boys} all dressed up for Easter!

2011-04-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

Since many little guys will be getting all dressed up for Easter in a week I thought I'd devote today to anything a little fellow would need to get dressed up!

DIY Toddler Tie from Finding My Aloha

Vehicle cufflinks by Etsy shop DaRosa

Boy's Pea Coat by Lili Ash

Little Mister Bow Tie by Delia Creates

Another Bow Tie that's adjustable by Eighteenth Century Agrarian Business

Reversible Boy's Vest from Old Trousers by Make It and Love It

Church Waders from Lil Blue Boo pattern from Sew a Straight Line

Slim Slacks by This Mama Makes Stuff

Of course I have to include Dana's Flat Front Pants by Made

Another one from Make It and Love It, Little Boy Suspenders

Pants with Suspenders by Max California

Good Looking Pants by Sewing in No Mans Land

(even though she made these for her daughter I think they'd be totally adorable on boys too!)

Happy Friday everyone! I am off to hit up some yard sales! Love this time of year :)

Fabric Stamping Tutorial

2011-04-14T15:56:00.001-05:00

A week ago I was guest posting over at Gwenny Penny. In case you missed my Fabric Stamping Tutorial over there & also to add it to my archives I am reposting it.

Today I am going to show you how to fabric stamp. It's super easy but adds a really cute little touch to your project. This is a baby gift set that I added fabric stamping to.

Let's get started!

You will need:

Fabric Paint

stamps- the clear ones that you stick on the glass block
work really well because you can see where you're stamping

scrap fabric (to test your stamp on)

scrap felt (to make the stamp pad)

small paint brush

fabric that you want to stamp

*I would not recommend stamping right onto your final project in case you mess up. I stamped on a piece of fabric that I then sewed onto the final project.

First we will make our stamp pad. You want to double up your felt & then place it on something you don't mind getting paint on. The paint does seep through.
Pour a small dab of paint onto the folded felt & spread it around with the paint brush. You want the paint to absorb into the felt. The felt acts like your stamp pad.

Now grab your stamp & firmly press it in the paint. Position it on your fabric and press firmly. Make sure you are doing this on a firm surface (the ironing board worked for me). Do a couple test stamps on your scrap fabric first to see how hard/light you need to press to get the right print.

Once you are done cleanup is easy. Just throw away the "ink pad" or felt with paint on it. Then wash the stamps with warm water. I did not have any trouble getting the paint off the rubber stamps. Though, it was a little stubburn coming off the glass block that the stamp attaches to.

Now you have a cute little embellishment to add to whatever you want. I am thinking about throwing this little patch onto a summer shirt for my son.

Another Tie & Belt Set...plus coupon code!

2011-04-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

Before I post another new Tie & Belt Set I wanted to offer my bloggie friends free shipping!

Use coupon code SHIPFREE.

Ok, I {love} this set!

I really {love} the chubby model!

Size: 12-18m

snaps on the side

PS It's gorgeous outside!

Tie and Belt Sets!

2011-04-11T08:53:00.002-05:00

In between enjoying nice weather this weekend I was trying to get my new Tie & Belt sets ready to go in time for Easter.

Man, the tie took me a lot of tweaking but I really like the final design. I knew I didn't want to use Velcro for those little stinkers that can pull them off.

So instead I used a snap. The tie is still adjustable just the same way daddy adjusts his with the slide of the knot. Yet it comes pre-tied and ready for mom to snap around her little guy's neck.

Then to complete the look, because girls aren't the only ones who want matching accessories, this set comes with a matching toddler belt.

I used just one D ring and Velcro, so it's easy to fold the belt over and fasten.

Perfect for when adjustable waists just aren't tight enough.

I better get back to work making more sets.... I have some different patterns I'm working on. I'd love to custom make a set for you if you have a certain pattern in mind.

Visit my Etsy page here or send me an email here bisforboy(at)yahoo(dot)com
Let me know the sizing you'd like: 0-12m, 12-18m, 2T -3T, 4T-5T (or waist measurement & length of tie from knot to tip)

Playhouse Giveaway!

2011-04-08T11:30:00.001-05:00

Check out this amazing giveaway over at She Wears Flowers.

Julie from the Etsy Shop Miss Pretty Pretty has generously offered to give one of her amazing

Felt Card Table Playhouses.

These are seriously amazing! They are worth over $200 & you could win one.... here's some pictures of her amazing work.

We'd have a hard time choosing between The Train Station Card Table Playhouse

The Farm Stand Card Table Playhouse

The Little Mechanic Playhouse with this fun racetrack on top!

I am so impressed by all the detail Julie puts into these amazing playhouses!

Don't miss your chance to win one of thse!

Friday's Fabulous Finds {for boys}

2011-04-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

I am keeping commentary about each post brief because as I am finishing up this post I have 2 boys pulling at either arm- ahh the joys of being a farmer's wife this time of year- I never get a break!

Boys Easter Shirt:

Suspenders (Make your own with this pdf tutorial)

Boys Stink Canvas Signs:

Little Man Cargo Jeans Tutorial:

Baby Boy Newborn Gown:

Stinkin' Cute Shabby Shoelaces:

Big Boy Room:

Have a great weekend everyone!

Guest Posting at Gwenny Penny!

2011-04-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I am over at Gwenny Penny today guest posting.

Come check out my Fabric Stamping Tutorial!

PS While you're there check out Gwen's current giveaway. You could win $50 credit toward design services at Simply Klassic Custom Blog Design! I know I wouldn't mind some professional help around this blog!

I hope everyone else is able to enjoy a beautiful spring day like we will be!

Old Mirror to Earring Organizer

2011-04-05T08:56:00.000-05:00

I had the old mirror hiding in my basement and this is how I transformed it into a very useful earring organizer.

I did keep the little egg dish but only put the earrings with posts and also the plastic backs for all my earrings.

Friday's Fabulous Finds {for boys} Birthday Edition

2011-04-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

I don't know why but recently I've had birthday parties on my mind. My baby turns one in July so that's not too far away but my other boy turns 3 in September so I definately have some time with that one. I've come across some really neat boy themed birthday party ideas that I thought I'd share.

Thomas the Train cake from Wentzell's Creative Designs.

She also made this awesome Bob the Builder Cake.

To top it off she made these adorable tool crayons and packaged them up as party favors.

Buzz Wings from It's All About Ty & Ashlee.

Lately the 2 year old can not watch Toy Story 3 enough. I seriously think we watch it 3 times a day sometimes!

Doctor Birthday from Ellzabelle.

Truck Cake from What I Live For.

Elmo cupcakes from Lisa Joy.

These actually look very similar to what we had for my older son's 2nd birthday. I love how she used marshmallows for the eyes- so clever!

I'd love for you to share your boy birthday ideas! Just leave a link in the comment section.

Stocking the Shop

2011-03-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

I finally added inventory to my Etsy Shop & thought I'd give you a little look at what I added.

A stack of Fold n Go Travel Bibs

They each come with an infant spoon and pack of Wet Ones.

I'd love to hear feedback about other items I should add to my shop. I was thinking about a cute boys toolbelt.

First Sale!

2011-03-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

For the past month or so I've secretly been setting up an Etsy shop. Man there is a lot of work to get them going! Lot's of things to think through and set up before officially opening. In the mean time I had a lady contact me about making one of my Fold n Go bibs for her. Since I had enough set up in the shop it was easy to process. Do you want to see the details of the sale? Oh, and you'll notice how I've tweeked the design with a strap that wraps around and secures it snuggly. Ok, enough talking!

All wrapped up

Close up of closure

This is a free gift I'm enclosing for being my first sale.

Do you like the cards I made to put these on?

This is how I packaged it before putting it into the envelope.

Here are the tags I created in Picnik and printed on photo paper.

I'd love to hear what you think about the new design.

Friday's Fabulous finds {for boys} spring wardrobe addition

2011-03-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

I am posting this a little early because I leave tomorrow morning for a short little trip- yay!

I have been salivating while looking at all the cute clothing tutorials & patterns coming out for spring. I thought I'd dedicate this Friday's Fabulous Finds to only clothing. It's basically my to-do list for the boys.

The first item that I've had bookmarked for a while and keep going back and drooling over is this pair of awesome plaid high top sneakers for baby! I've never seen anything so cool! I'm kinda getting tired of the ordinary leather soled baby shoes (how many pairs can one baby have!). When I came across these I knew my 8 month old needed a pair! You can find them on Etsy at All Things for Baby. Guess what today is your lucky day! Terri from All Things for Baby is generously offering 20% off any order with coupon code bisforboy1.

Image Source: All Things for Baby

You'll also find these awesome boy shoes:

Image Source: All Things for Baby.

and she makes these (I am in love with little boys (or girls) wearing cute newsboy hats!)

Image Source: All Things for Baby

She has a ton of cute girl things too but I'll let you check those out!

The next items are things I want to make.

I love this spring jacket from a t-shirt that Cheri over at I am Momma Hear Me Roar created for Celebrate the Boy. I even have everything (but the zipper) to make this right now!

Tutorial here

Then, I want to make a couple of these for each boy. You can never have too many tees! Ashley over at Make It and Love It has a great tutorial here showing you how to make a reglan tee from repurposed old tees.

Here is a similar tutorial for a reglan shirt from Such Treasures. She does the neck differently.

For my 8 month old I want to add a couple of these rompers for the spring. Steffanie from Sew Grown is over at Patterns by Figgy showing you how to use one of their patterns to make this cute romper. You do need to purchase a pattern first, which I need to do! The tutorial is here. Hmm I'm thinking I might be able to combine the previous 2 tutorials with this one to create this romper without a pattern!

Lasty, I am in love with this cute 'John John' that Elisabeth over at Growing Home shows us how to make here. I have this cute robot fabric with John John written all over it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Greener Lunch

2011-03-23T21:42:00.001-05:00

In 2 days I am leaving behind my husband and children to take a much needed and overdue trip

by. my. self.

to Denver to visit my sister!

If you can't tell I am so EXCITED!

I will be giving her this little belated birthday gift.

I followed this awesome tutorial on A Lemon Squeezy Home.

Then do go along with the lunch sack I made a set of cloth napkins.

To make them I took one flour sack dish towel (from the dollar store) and cut it into 4ths. Then folded and sewed the edges. Super easy! I used the decorative stitches on my machine and embroidered her name in 4 different colors.

Don't you {love} the fabric? It's called Farmdale Orchard Pink by Alexander Henry {love him}!

Notice the bias tape around the edges remember when I made it here?

I seriously can't wait to give it to her!

Simple Sippy Strap Tutorial

2011-03-21T10:44:00.005-05:00

Now that it's officially spring & warmer weather is here (kinda). We'll be getting our stroller out to take some much needed walks! One of my pet peeves is picking up dropped toys & sippy cups on our walks! So I will show you how to make an easy little strap that basically attaches that sippy to the stroller.

Here is a list of supplies needed:

*The rough/soft denotes the soft side or rough side of the velcro. It probably has a technical term but I don't know it!

Viola you now have a strap to keep those sippy cups or really anything attached to your stroller. For my younger boy I'll probably just attach a toy because he's not into sippy cups too much yet.

Here's a picture of how it hooks to the stroller. (This was made while it was still cold so I didn't drag the stroller out to model).

Here is how it hooks around the sippy. It works kinda like a belt which is nice because if you have different sized sippy cups you can adjust the strap and it will still fit snug around the cup!

Fabulous Friday Finds {Toolbelt Roundup}

2011-03-18T09:56:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting to make my older son a tool belt for a while and came across a ton of ~~cute~~ I mean totally masculine & cool tutorials. I thought I'd put them all together and share with you all. If you have a tutorial not listed here please share a link in the comment section. Oh and I also came across a couple nifty felt tool sets too!

1. Tool belt from a place mat! by My Little Gems

2. Big Boy tool belt tutorial by 2 Little Hooligans

3. Felt tool set by Woolly Petals

4. Kids tool belt tutorial by Made by Jots Mum

5. Children's tool belt tutorial by One Hip Mom

6. The Toolman Tool belt by Seven Thirty Three

7. Big Kid Tool belt Tutorial by Mommy's Little Stinker

8. Turn a Placemat into a Tool belt by The Creative Maven

9. Felt Tools (with a pattern) by Serving Pink Lemonade

10. Child's Tool belt by Make It and Love It

11. Child's Crocheted Tool belt Pattern by Tina's Crochet Page

Happy Friday Everyone!

Anniversary Gift

2011-03-17T14:18:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't St. Patrick's Day related but I wanted to share a gift I made for some friends celebrating their anniversary this weekend. They have kids the same ages as ours (except multiply my 8 month old by 2! Yeah that means twins!). So when I found this printable over at Inspired by Charm I thought it was the perfect thing for them!

I printed it on thicker paper (I cut it out of an art tablet that I've had since high school).

Then sewed on the cool little rooster which came from a remnant of Alexander Henry's Farmdale Crossing. Yeah I sewed it to paper- it worked just fine. I like the detail that the stitching adds!

Love this fabric!

Here's a closer view of the print- sorry about the glare from the glass!

Happy St. Patty's Day! I can't wait to eat some corned beef!

I'm being {Featured} on Gluesticks!

2011-03-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Today I'm over at

Sharing my

Shutter Pal Tutorial

2011-03-14T08:34:00.007-05:00

Last Friday Erin over at In Between Laundry asked me to guest post.

I shared how to make a
Shutter Pal
In case you missed it & also so I have it archived on my blog I thought I'd repost.

Raise your hand if you are tired of pulling your hair out trying to get your child (especially toddlers) to even just look at the camera when you're trying to take their picture! I've seen these cute things for sale on Etsy like this which is crocheted, or this with a squeaker inside, or this cute monster. They all are intended to help gain the attention of your child. Today I am going to show you my DIY version which is very simple, easy, and best of all CHEAP!
*Please note this is made to fit around a lens of your camera so not all point and shoot cameras will work (I'll try and come up with a different version for you guys later!)

First, raid your Goodwill or garage sale box and find an unwanted stuffed animal. You don't want one too big or too small. The body should accommodate a camera lens looking through it. **you might want to do this while your child is not around because they always seem to want that toy back once they see it again!

Now, take off anything attached that might be covering the belly area.

Grab your seem ripper and start oping up the back seem. Then take out all the belly stuffing. Make sure to leave the stuffing in the arms, legs, & head.

Find a lens cap or something round that is going to give you the size of your lens. Trace around it on the tummy of the toy. I used a fabric marker but it probably doesn't matter since this will be covered up later.

You should have a circle traced on the front.

Now pin around that circle through front & back layers making sure to push extra fabric toward the center. You want the outside edges to be flat. See the backside, how there is extra fabric in the center.

This is where it gets tricky. You need to sew around that circle you drew. I'm not going to lie, it's kinda hard. If you have a walking foot I think it would help but since I just got a new machine my old walking foot doesn't fit my new machine. I used black thread ~~because I'm lazy and that's what was already there~~ so you can easily see where I sewed!

Now we are going to cut out the material inside the circle. Use sharp scissors! Make a little snip through both layers then just cut around the circumference of the circle. **At this point try slipping it over your lens and make sure it isn't too tight. Make your circle larger if you need to.

This part is optional. If you find that the head of your toy is a little floppy try inserting something stiff like a straw because you don't want that head covering your lens!

For the next step you need either Fold Over Elastic (FOE) or a stretchy headband type thing... see picture:

Ok, now plug in your glue gun. Take your FOE (Fold Over Elastic) or hair band and start gluing it to one side. Once you get around the whole circle then flip it over and glue it to the other side. **I did not stretch the elastic very much since the opening is already pretty snug around the lens.

That's all there is to making a cute little Shutter Pal! Hopefully, you'll have better luck now getting those adorable smiles out of your little ones!

Sunday Smiles {in the mail}

2011-03-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

We were busy, busy, busy yesterday getting ready for a small dinner party so we didn't get a chance to check the mail- it happens. So, what a fun surprise today when my husband and 2 year old come in with a special package for me with this in it:

I guess technically it's not for me!

I won the giveaway over at Sew Chatty for this amazing little Artfolio made by

Rock a Bow!

When you open it up you have crayon pockets:

and the other side has paper & other fun stuff!

My little man wanted to use it right-a-way!

Don't you love the cute dinosaur fabric?

Thanks Kristen!

Giveaway!

2011-03-12T17:09:00.000-06:00

How many of you would love to win this:

fat quarter bundle of Katie Jump Rope

Or this:

A ginormous box of scraps

Well you can win them over at The Plaid Scottie.

Oh you thought I was giving them away!

Just wanted to share the love!

Friday's Fabulous finds {for boys} week 3

2011-03-11T07:41:00.000-06:00

Look at these adorable Retro Baby Sneakers Sewing Pattern on Etsy that rocks! I love the style of these shoes. They're from a shop called Sweet Pea Pattern.

Link to these shoes here.

Check out this loafer pattern she has too! Link here.

Next I found this adorable soft, truck plush toy! Erin over at Lemon Tree Creations takes you through how to make one!

Image Source: Lemon Tree Creations

Last is an older post but it's the neatest variation on Jill's (as in Homemade by Jill) Car Caddy. Sarah at Create Studio added some slots for crayons & a small notepad to draw/color on. I picture myself actually being able to get through a shopping trip in peace while my 2 year old calmly colors or plays with cars- ahh.

Image Source: Create Studio

Happy Friday!

Guest Posting over at {In Between Laundry}

2011-03-11T07:07:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, today I'm guest posting over at

In Between Laundry

come check out my cool tutorial on how to make a

Shutter Pal

Easy Totebag {for less than $5!} from repurposed pants!

2011-03-10T15:55:00.002-06:00

Repurposing old, hole-y (not holy!) jeans into fun little totes perfect for books or teddy bears!

For help with boxing corners see here.

This is a simple bag that really doesn't require much additional fabric aside from the old jeans.

Add a couple more details like a lining & freezer stenciling and you can have a bag like this. Notice the bow tie- I thought it's be a neat touch but it ended up looking a little too girlie! I was trying to hide a little fabric paint that went astray!

This tutorial is coming soon.