Happy Hopeful New Year

 

If there is one word that sums up my feelings and dreams for 2013 it is HOPE! Hope for my children and family and friends. Hope for those I don't know but have been aching and praying for. Hope that we can move forward with renewed priorities centering around kindness and healing. Hope that I will focus on what truly matters...Faith, Hope and Love. Happy 2013 friends!

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December Reflections - A Blog Circle

Hello! My normal posts are about my crafts, but today I am part of a Blog Circle - a group of amazing women bloggers who are doing incredible things with their talents. I hope you will take few minutes to follow the links through this circle.

A snowman made from my son's kindergarten hand print.

As a child each year I made a point to sit near the Christmas tree when the house was quiet and just enjoy its beauty with all the lights turned out. I could just stare at it, entranced, absorbing the peace. This time of year it is easy to become busy, especially now that I'm an adult and a mommy to my own children, but I realized now more than ever I need to slow down and savor the beauty around me.

I got to looking at our family Christmas tree and realized its a collection of our life stories and beautiful memories. Little trinkets and those most precious hand-made, straight-from-school ornaments. They are literally priceless.

A sparkly nutcracker for the tree.

As my children grow I am becoming more aware how fleeting their time at home, in our care and under our shelter, will be. There is so much to teach them, so much I am still learning myself. I find things that they love, like our collection of nutcrackers on the mantel, takes on special meaning because when we get them out I get to experience their uninhibited joy. It is a gift each and every time it bubbles over in the form of that sweet laughter and those funny expressions.

Santa on the Eiffel Tower - I got to visit family in Europe with my son this year.

As I make time to sit and reflect I am thankful for the gifts I have been given. A wonderful husband, two sweet children and all of the fingerprinted, misspelled mementos they offer so proudly. How could my heart not overflow with love and gratitude?

A hand-crafted gift box.

Like so many parents I have struggled in the last week. Trying to make sense of life in a seemingly crazy world. Navigating the delicate terrain of explaining excruciating topics in age appropriate ways. Hugging harder and snuggling more and trying to keep my own roller coaster emotions in check. Being a grown up is hard sometimes and its funny that these little people we raise have no idea how much comfort they can bring on a quiet night, when they are tucked into bed, and mommy sits in the dark by the tree and reflects.

One of my favorite keepsakes - a word that expressed something special to my preschooler.

Please enjoy my blog circle link to Juniper Goods.Pin It

Something Pretty

Like a lot of us my heart is very heavy from recent events. Sunday I took some time to make something pretty for my house. This pattern is called Ten Minute Table Runner...even though I probably took about forty minutes to complete it. I hope you all can find a way to bring a little more beauty to your space too. Heaven knows we can all use it.

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A Christmas Quilt - Three Years In The Making

When I had just started quilting (about six years ago) I walked into a fabric shop with my friend (and quilt guru) Carol and was star struck with a version of this quilt hanging on the wall. It was love at first sight, but it looked so complicated I didn't give it a second thought. Except I kept thinking about it. Later that summer I bought the kit...then did nothing.

A year or so later I finally got the courage to begin cutting the beautiful fabric. It felt like life or death - I was so worried I would cut wrong and ruin it. I survived the cutting process and even got a few of the log cabin blocks sewn in one weekend. Then it got put on the back burner again.

The next year, while on maternity leave during the fall, I got a wild burst of energy (probably hormones!!) and finished the entire quilt, except the binding, in the early morning hours after nursing the baby and before everyone else got up for the day. That year it was on the couch for Christmas, folded so the raw edges were hidden.

Another busy year later, it was on the couch again, still not finished. I woke up at 5am on Christmas Eve and just HAD to bind the quilt right then, that day - no matter that I was expecting a house full of people! Christmas would wait until the binding was completed.

But when I get my crazy bouts of inspiration I need to share it...but who to call at 5am??? One of my nearest and dearest happened to be in Germany at the time - and nine hours ahead! So there I was, early Christmas Eve morning, in my awesome fuzzy bathrobe, binding this quilt and talking to someone very special to me (who is also a quilter and totally understood my need to finish it RIGHT THEN!).

And that is the story of my Three Year Christmas Quilt. It makes me so happy every time I bring it out for the season. If you have a project that feels like its taking forever do not despair....it will happen!

This fabric has the most beautiful, rich colors.

 

The entire quilt top.

 

The large scrap back.

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Today's Gratitude

Photo taken in Paris, France - near the Eiffel Tower

"Do not deride someones faith simply because you do not share it..."

- The Well of Ascension

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And the Stockings Were Hung...

A few years ago I found this flannel fabric on sale after Christmas and just had to have it! I bought enough to make four stockings, even though we didn't yet have a second child and weren't sure if we would. (Just call it a hopeful hunch!)

The pattern is by Terri Staats of Sweet Treasures, a designer who taught locally at the time.

I loved putting these cozy fabrics together and accenting with purple embroidery. These were quilted with a meandering stitch, also in purple, but it doesn't show up well in the photo. A zig-zag stitch accents the toe and heel of the stocking.

As a mommy, there is something extra special about hanging up handmade stockings each year and our family was thrilled to make use of that fourth one in 2009!!



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Upcycled Butterfly Bag

This bag caught my eye because of the color and texture but it was a tad plain. I dug into my wool stash and fussy cut a simple butterfly shape then added some bling for the body. Voila! An easy, cute project that got a lot of notice at the craft bazaar recently. 

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Birdy Messenger Bag - Restyled

I love canvas bags. This was a plain one waiting for something special. A beautiful tree stamp and two birds cut from a wool skirt. A small one on the front and his larger cousin adorns the back...both with pearl eyes. This is one of my favorite restyles so far!

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2012 Craft Bazaar

 I gave another craft bazaar a shot this year. With a busy schedule I didn't have a lot of stuff to sell so I teamed up with two other artsy crafter gals and we joined forces and filled two tables. It was a different experience than the Saturday Market I did last summer but it was festive and fun. Not a lot of sales across the board for anyone but that isn't a measure of the talent...

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Being Grateful - A Blog Circle



A sweet boy, a long time ago.



Hello! My normal posts are about my crafts, but today I am part of a Blog Circle - a circle of amazing women bloggers who are doing incredible things with their talents. I hope you will take few minutes to follow the links through this circle.

This month’s theme, fittingly, is gratitude. I’ve been thinking about what words of wisdom I could come up with and have realized as of late that there is so much I overlook in the course of daily life. As I try to balance working outside the home, keeping our family running, laundry, dishes, etc. I often find myself feeling annoyed when I don’t get into my sewing room and when I go a week or two between blog posts. As most moms will attest, our needs/wants are often last, last, last on the ever-growing family list.

Last night I went home determined to create something great for this post, finish up some purses for a craft fair I am doing this weekend and get all of the household chores squared away. Then, in the midst of all my “to-do thoughts” my little girl asked me if I would snuggle with her. She is three and at the moment had wild hair and was sporting one of her collection of sparkly dress-ups with an over-sized pair of cowboy boots she calls “high heels.”

For a moment I felt the familiar tug of war inside my head…then the heart took over. Who says no to that? So we snuggled and got reacquainted after our day apart, then her brother (the BIG KID) snuggled up too. He is closing in on ten and I know my future snuggles are numbered, but, for now, it is still okay.

I decided then and there to forget everything else. The crafting, blogging, certainly the laundry! It was so nice to just “be.” All the to-do’s will get done in their own time or get re-prioritized but I won’t ever get these years back… and so many of them have passed already.

I keep a quote on my refrigerator that says “With kids, the days are long but the years are short.” I don’t even know who said it, but boy does it ring true. I don’t have babies anymore and sooner than I want to believe there will be a teen in the house, but, today, right now I plan to soak it in. Make sure I am focused on what truly matters. I welcome the future and I plan to soak it in too…..but it can take its time. For my kids, for these sweet little reminders of what truly matters and for the foresight to do the things that will avoid regret later on I am ever GRATEFUL.

My BIG KID...

My snuggler...and future big kid...

My Blog Circle Link: Juniper Goods

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Repurposed Pillow Covers

My first "commissioned project!" Okay, okay, it was for a friend of my mom's - but hey, I'll take whatever props I can get! My mom had given her friend one of my scarves as a birthday gift and when she heard I was making a foray into pillows she was the first to make an order. So, like many other times in my life, I say "THANKS MOM!"

I used pants, skirts, skirt lining and a jacket to pull together the "old world, patchwork" concept she was after. I also wasted a LOT of time stressing about making something perfect for someone else's home. In the end she liked her pillows and I had a very good night's sleep!

What I love most about these pillows is that they all go together, but are all slightly different. This project was a great inspiration for future ideas!

I found six toile du jouy patches while up to my armpits at the Goodwill bin store. I think they had been curtain tabs in a previous life. After a good washing they were her favorite part of the pillows. I didn't realize what a popular print it is until I started seeing it everywhere. Now I need to find some more - I miss them!

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Today's Gratitude

"If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

-Vincent Van Gogh

This is a photo I took a few weeks ago in Amsterdam, where there also happens to be a Van Gogh museum. I loved the bright colors and the easy feel of the city. As I get back into the swing of my usual life at home in the States I am finding a lot of inspiration in my photos. I hope you enjoy them as they will be popping up in my 'Gratitude' posts.

And never fear, I'll be posting more projects this week...here come the HOLIDAYS!

 

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Frilly Tote Bag

 

Here's an easy project I did a few months ago. I saw this on the cover of Haute Handbags Spring 2012 issue (www.hautehandbagsmagazine.com) and fell in LOVE! Sierra Hocklander, the featured designer, gave great directions and it was pretty easy. I plan to do some more in different colors (think holidays!) but I stuck with blue and white on this one so it could go in a raffle basket at my son's school. It turned out so cute it was hard to give it up, but at least its for a good cause!

Start with a plain canvas tote bag. Cut four fabric strips 4" wide. Add a zigzag stitch on each side of the strip and ruffle the strip. Then sew the strips onto the bag from the bottom up.

 For the flower I used the leftover end of a ruffle strip and voila! I really, really wish I could take credit for this idea! All of Sierra Hocklander's pieces are gorgeous! You can check out her blog at www.thebluerobincottage.blogspot.com. She is a great inspiration.

All ready to go with my tag attached!

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Ugly Monster Doll - Skater Dude

So this is my last Ugly Monster Doll for a while but I just had to share this little guy. He was inspired by the skater, flannel look. Hope you like him!

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Ugly Monster Doll - With BLING!

Who says an Ugly Monster Doll can't be stylish! This lady is rockin' pink teeth, a lavender lace belt and gems!

She was a gift for a super-stylin' girl I know!

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Today's Gratitude

Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.

- Margaret B. Runbeck

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Peace Man!

 So, one of my favorite people in all the world is really into peace signs. Always has been and I hope she always will be. I got the inspiration for this project from all of the embroidery hoop art I've seen on Pinterest and in the Stampington magazines. It was my first time spraying paint through lace but I'm for sure going to use the technique again.

And, of course, no project is complete without sewing machine doodles!

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Being Brave

Hello! My normal posts are about my crafts, but today I am part of a Blog Circle - a circle of amazing women bloggers who are doing incredible things with their talents. I hope you will take few minutes to follow the links through this circle.

We will be doing this once a month and today's circle theme is "Being Brave." As I write this post I am in Germany for the first time in my life. I had the incredible opportunity to travel and see some of Europe with my 9-year-old son and this trip has been simply amazing. I have thought a lot about being brave and what I would write about in this post. For a long time I thought it would be about how much courage it took for me to get on a plane with my son, leaving my husband and small daughter 5000 miles behind me, and about teaching my son there is a whole world out there to explore.

All of that is true, but while here we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam. The power and raw emotion of this experience was life changing. When I thought about "being brave" before the museum my whole thought process was different than after.

The power of the human spirit, the will to survive and thrive and the adversity and injustice these people faced was incredible. And this was just one small group of people. One young girl with ideas and dream and imperfections - not so different from my own children.

I still don't know what it takes to "be brave" but I know that I am now a different person. Someone who has walked through the same rooms as Anne Frank, someone who saw her actual diary filled with a young girl's thoughts. I am someone who owes it to her and to my children and to the world to do my best and to strive to be brave every day. It would be a tragedy if I didn't. Do yourself a favor today and BE BRAVE.

My blog circle link:Juniper Goods

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European Getaway

I am one lucky lady! Today I am off with my son to see some long missed family in Europe! Bare with me as posting may be a little sporadic for the next ten days. I do have some great projects up my sleeve...can't spoil the fun of gift giving though! Ooooh lala!

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Ugly Monster Doll - College Edition

If you saw the Ugly Monster Doll I made for my daughter a couple weeks ago you will notice this one is different. My son is a monster University of Oregon Ducks fan (pun intended!) and he asked for a Ducks theme for his little monster. This time I made my own pattern which was fun - I'm definitely going to start doing more of my own patterns!

I sketched the "O" after looking at one of his football posters and made my own applique.

The back side is my son's other love - John Deere - which just happens to sport the same colors and U of O! That makes it easy for mom!!

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DIY Capri's - UPDATE

Some of you asked to get another look at the owl Capri's once the cuff had frayed. I'm happy with the results after just one wash/dry cycle and I imagine it will get even better over time.
Thanks so much for looking!!

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Today's Gratitude

I usually post an inspirational/meaningful quote for Today's Gratitude. But today I just want to enjoy the moment. Soak it in. Experience this beautiful fall weather and be thankful. These are some of the amazing views I am graced with on my way home each day. I just love it. I hope you all are having a wonderful day too.

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DIY Restyled Capri Jeans Tutorial

As promised, I restyled some "too short" jeans into a funky pair of Capri's with a little whimsy. Here's how I did it.

I took my current favorite pair of Capri's and placed them on top of the Goodwill jeans to get a similar length. I marked where the fold and the cuff should go, double checking to make sure both legs were even.

I used my quilt ruler and rotary cutter to get the length even on the legs when I cut off the bottom.

Before deciding which decorative stitch I wanted I tested some on a strip of cut off denim. I didn't want any surprises on the pants. Then I ran the stitch around each cuff, using a thick zigzag stitch. I am hoping the top will fray over time and the stitch will keep it from going too far.

After stitching I folded the cuff up and tacked the side seams to keep it in place.

Then, for fun, I fussy cut two flannel owls out of some leftover fabric in my stash. I stitched them to the outside edge of each cuff for a whimsical accent. An easy way to do this is using the needle down option on the sewing machine and just spinning the pants when you reach the corner.

Since the owls and the side seams were holding the cuff in place I decided to try some Iron-On Fusing Web I'd had sitting around to see what I thought about it.

I cut a strip and placed it on the inside of the cuffs, front and back and ironed according to the instructions. It seemed to hold well and I figured if it comes apart later I will just stitch the pants.

Since these are something I will keep for myself its a good time to check out a new-to-me product.

Finally, I pulled two buttons from my collection and placed them on each side seam next to the owl. I adhered them with E-6000 glue, another experiment, to see how it holds up on a project like this. I can't wait to wash these a few times and get that frayed look at the top of the cuff.

I hope you found this helpful and are

inspired to try your own restyle!



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